3. Unexpected Developments

I guess you could say that my life didn't start with the BIG twist and unexpected turns until Damia came into it. She sent me on more bizarre stories than I'd ever accepted from anyone else, and I almost didn't go the first time. But something in her face told me she wouldn't lie unless it was absolutely necessary…so I found myself running after things involving magic, demons, and various other paranormal things. Then again she also led me to the story that made all the newspapers want me to come work for them…when you're the only one that a quickly climbing rising star will talk to, the perks just pile up. I was the one that published the story letting the world know that the heart of the flame had finally gone out, that she'd given up racing, almost entirely, for family life, but she still wouldn't give me an address to get a hold of her at.

But the biggest turn she ever made my life take was when I randomly got a call one day telling me to meet her for lunch the next day. I had no clue how I was supposed to get there from where I was with such short notice, so I decided that going 120 on the freeway wasn't such a bad Idea…I was still over an hour late. At least I knew what I was getting into, which was more then I could say about the poor sap she'd decided I had to meet. I really shouldn't talk about him like that…but it was my thought at the time. It amused me to no end that she'd decided to play match maker for one of her friends, but why she choose me I have no clue…maybe I was just the only other gay guy she knew…who knows, she certainly isn't telling. I parked a few blocks away, like she'd asked me to, and strolled casually by the out door café that she had told me to meet her at.

I got a look at the guy she wanted me to meet as I got nearer to the café. Suddenly I wasn't quite as annoyed that she'd called me out of the blue and practically demanded that I meet her and her friend. His blue/purple sunglasses were pushed into his purplish/gray hair and his blue eyes danced as he laughed at a joke I couldn't hear as far away as I was. I decided the day could be interesting after all. I did exactly what Damia had told me I was supposed to, strolled by and acted surprised to see her, graciously accepting her invitation to join them for lunch, even though it was obvious that they were both nearly done. I was introduced to Jean-Paul, and it didn't surprise me when Damia managed to fade naturally out of the conversation. We got into more then a few debates, mostly with him grilling me on my stories about the X-Men, at least after he found out that was a large part of what I wrote.

You can imagine my surprise when I found out who he was…leave it to Damia to leave that bit out. Heh, she always was good at keeping her peace about what she knew about others that wasn't supposed to be public knowledge. We spent the better part of the afternoon bantering back and forth, more playfully then I normally would have if someone was questioning my work. When the café owner asked us to leave I started to say good-bye, until he said I wasn't getting out of the conversation that easily, and asked if I'd mind giving him a ride home, since Damia seemed to have left him stranded. Right, like he needed it, he could have gotten back to his house a hell of a lot faster if I hadn't given him a ride.

Our debates continued through the drive back, a rather long drive, and without thinking I got out when we stopped and went inside with him, still lost in the conversation. It wasn't until he smirked and asked me if I wanted a job that I looked around. We had an audience. "JP you ass!" I knew that voice, I knew that voice all too well, "I spend years telling him that he's not allowed to know where I live, and you bring him home like he's a lost puppy!"

I turned and smirked, "Hello Damia. Knew I'd find you eventually." I couldn't resist teasing her, but almost regretted it a moment latter when a guy stepped up beside her, I didn't have to know him to know that the glow in his red on black eyes couldn't be good.

"Knock it off Remy." Damia said exasperatedly as she picked up a little boy begging for attention, "It's my own fault…" She trailed off, not wanting to let on that she'd set Jean-Paul up. I smirked again.

"What's this about a job?" I asked as Damia's eyes went wide.

It was Jean-Paul's turn to smirk, "You write such good things about us," He moved faster then I could blink and was suddenly behind me, "I figured maybe you'd take the job as being in charge of our PR."

My jaw dropped, I was in the home and, I assumed, base of operations of the X-Men. I'd spent the last few hours flirting with Northstar…the realization nearly knocked me on my ass. It was the last thing I would have ever expected. My eyes flew back to Damia unable to believe she lived there. I seemed impossible, she'd been my best contact for years, and had become a pretty good friend, one of the best I'd ever had…and she'd never mentioned it. I went through what I knew about the X-Men and mentally face-palmed. Why hadn't I put it together sooner? She'd given me a description of the guy she'd married, I hadn't put it in the article but she'd told me. I should have put two and two together and realized that she'd just described Gambit of the X-Men, but she'd referred to him as Remy…so I hadn't connected the dots.

"Damia…I don't know whether to strangle you or kiss you." I said with a laugh. Playing public relations official wasn't exactly what I'd gone to school for, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Her musical laughter filled the entryway, "If you kissed me I'd have to doubt you are who you say you are…and if you try to strangle me I'm sure that Remy would love the excuse to throw something nice and explosive at you." She turned and walked away.

"Why would she doubt your identity if you kissed her?" I wasn't sure whom in the crowd had asked, but I laughed and shrugged.

"She's not my type and knows it." I didn't go any farther then that, I wasn't sure how it would be taken if I did. Hell the only reason I knew Jean-Paul was gay was I'd assumed it when Damia said she had a friend she wanted me to meet. She knew I was gay, so I'd automatically assumed that she was playing matchmaker…maybe I'd been wrong. Something in the way he looked at me when I said that Damia wasn't my type made me sure I hadn't been wrong. I could practically see his thoughts, no straight guy would say she wasn't his type, not if they thought she'd give them the time of day, she was too good a catch to pass up.

I went home that night and practically collapsed, the day's events whirling in my head. I had to call the paper in the morning…they'd rant to hear that I was quitting, but they'd have to deal, I wasn't going to turn away from this job. A small smile played on my lips. I had to admit, JP had played a BIG part in taking it. I wanted a chance to see where things would go. We'd gotten along well…VERY well. It was almost scary. But I liked his company, hell, I'd almost be happy just to have him as a friend…. almost. I wasn't going to kid myself I definitely wanted more than friendship, my grin grew. I didn't see how he couldn't have gotten the hints in my conversation with Damia before I left. I'd all but announced my sexual preference… he couldn't be that dense…could he?

It took two weeks before I got the answer to that question. I got home from clearing out my office at the paper, I'd already been to the mansion and it was time to grab a bite to eat and hit my web page, see what people were saying that I could refute or confirm about the X-Men. I threw my keys on the table just inside the door to my studio apartment and flipped on the light so I could go through my mail. Yeah, I know…why the hell was I living in a studio apartment…why the hell not? I dumped all the mail in the trash, and had my coat on the floor and my shirt half way off before I noticed that someone was sitting on my bed.

Jean-Paul smirked and quirked an eyebrow at me, "Why do you keep coming back here?" he asked.

I leaned casually against the wall once I'd finished taking off my shirt, and faced him with just my pants, shoes and the bandana I wore over my hair on, "It's where I live." I said simply, "I won't go so far as to call it home, but it's where I crash at night."

He rolled his eyes at me as he lay down on my bed, "That's not what I meant Kyle, I know Scott's offered more than once to give you a room at the mansion. Why not take him up on the offer?"

I smirked and turned the tables, "Why do you care if I make the drive back to the city every night?" I resisted the urge to hold my breath as I waited for an answer; it was hit or miss time…and god I didn't want to miss.

He sat up and looked me in the eyes, "Maybe I don't like you being so far away." He shrugged, "Then again maybe I'm just worried once you start actively acting as our PR you might be in more trouble out here than living where I…we all can keep an eye on you."

I bit back my grin and went to collapse next to him on the bed, "You saying you want me around?" The glare he shot me told me he wasn't going to be any more up front than he had already been, and I laughed as I flipped the switch by the head of the bed and turned off the light.