Disclaimer: Just in case you didn't notice by now, I do not own any of the characters from Marvel Universe…
A/N – 'M sorry…I know it took me a while…:( Anyway, this happens at the same day as the previous chapter
CHAPTER 8:
At the beginning with you
October, a couple of weeks before the prologue
It was somewhere around 9 PM and the streets were already dark by now. As some people headed to their homes, others sought fulfillment in the city's night life. Remy LeBeau didn't need fulfillment. He sought forgiveness and forgets. He just didn't know what exactly he needed to do to make everything in his life right again. So he sat in one of the sleazy bars where no one cared if you had red eyes or not, drinking one bourbon after another, just like he did almost every night for the past month. He would get wasted enough to fell lightheaded and to free his mind of thoughts, but still stay sober enough to find his way home. Than he would take a long shower and than sit in front of the computer or the TV for awhile to sober himself up a bit. Than he would fall into bed and sleep 'till noon. Staring into the bottom of his third glass this evening, he thought how he was actually trying to find out more about the nature of Rogue's relationship with Warren, but he really didn't do much about it. All that remained of it was his sitting in the same bar each night, torturing himself while thinking about it and drowning his desperation in alcohol and self-pity. He waved the waiter for a refill and his gaze stopped momentarily on his wedding ring. He remembered the day of their wedding and a small smile lifted the corners of his lips lightly as he confirmed in his mind the theory that no X-man's wedding can end without any incidents. She never wanted to talk about her family, and after the incident on their wedding day, she mentioned them even less. He never asked, never wanting to upset her. He didn't mind if they were a bunch of mutant-hating lowlife hillbillies. He knew her, he loved her and that was always enough to him. He never thought he would ever feel these feelings for anyone, this was his first real love, after maybe Bella, and even though love made him do things he wasn't used to doing, he kind of liked the way of finally having a purpose in his life. Of finally doing something for someone. For her. He was interrupted from his thoughts when a waiter placed new glass in front of him. He nodded at the young man and lifted it to his lips slowly. No love can be without misery. Still, he thought his might be. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable, he almost wanted to cry, but that wasn't something Remy would do, especially not in public. If only everything could be like it was. If only he could rewind everything to the very beginning, to when he was still living the illusion of not caring about anything or anyone but himself. Before the moment he fell so deeply and desperately in love with that woman. Sometimes he wished he could just return to his life before he slipped and allowed her to snatch his heart right out from his chest. To the time when he still had the control over his actions, when he could still charm every woman into his bed and leave her in the morning without a thought about it whatsoever. Still, he knew that even if he did go back, he would allow himself to fall for her again, give anything for her all over again in a blink of an eye, without a thought. And he also knew that he wouldn't be sorry.
He felt a soft tap on his shoulder so he lifted up a weary gaze.
"Hey there handsome. Need some company?"
A beautiful blonde leaned over his shoulder allowing him a shamelessly good look on the content of her bra. Remy eyed her briefly before turning his attention back to the glass.
"Non." He emphasized his refusal with a wave of the head as he took another burning sip of the liquor.
"Oh, c'mon baby, no one should drink alone. Let me join you. Maybe you'll like me." She smiled seductively as she moved into his line of view again. She wasn't the type of girl that took a no for an answer easily. And she had her eye on this guy for a few weeks now. She always liked the mysterious type.
"De reason I came 'ere in de first place was t'be alone, so if y'don' mind..." Remy replied emotionlessly, without even looking at her, waving her off with a movement of his hand.
"I'm Kelly. What's your name?" she was really persistent.
Remy finally lifted his head and gave her a once-over look. She was of medium height, with a thin waist and filled out in all the right places. She was dressed rather sluttish, but still fashionable and tasteful. She wore a jeans mini-skirt and knee high brown high-heeled boots with a white tank-top with something sparkly all over it. Her hands were loaded with sparkly golden bracelets to match her safari style and she was leaning seductively on his table with one hand, removing a strand of her perfectly straightened highlighted hair from her face with the other. Blinking a few times with her thick-with-mascara eyelashes, she ran her perfectly french-manicured nails over his wrist. But all he saw was a bleached supermodel wannabe that was completely artificial in every way starting with her over-lifted breasts.
"Already told y'. Not interested. Go hit on some ot'er homme."
"Oh, but I like you, honey. And I think you have a very sexy accent. Such a good-looking guy like yourself shouldn't be alone." Kelly moved next to him again and started rubbing his arm.
" 'M not alone. Married." He waved her wedding ring in front of her face and ripped his arm from her grasp.
"So what. I don't mind one-night stands. And if you like me, we can make a couple more 'appointments'. Married men like to be adventurous with pretty women."
Remy turned to look at her again and his lips broke into an ironic grin as he laughed bitterly. "I already married de prettiest femme in N'York. I don' have de need fo' someone like you." He said the last words with such disgust and turned his gaze back to the already almost empty glass. His mouth opened again to add another sarcastic comment when he suddenly registered a familiar voice coming through the sounds of conversation and live music.
"…I have money. Why would she refuse me." He recognized Warren's voice, his words coming hardly out of his mouth due to the large amount of alcohol he probably had. In this bar no one cared if you had wings too. That's probably the reason why he picked it. That and the fact that it was in such a lousy part of town that no one could imagine a billionaire like Warren Worthington the Third drinking in this kind of place. Remy turned his head at the direction of the sound and indeed saw Archangel practically lying over the table as another girl similar to Kelly sat at the opposite of him probably seeing a great opportunity to get some money from the drunken heir of the Worthington empire while he told her about his love troubles.
"But no. She says I'm only a friend to her. She's madly in love with her stupid husband that is never at home anyway. Idiot. If I were on his place I'd never let her be lonely."
Remy's eyes widened as he finally realized who he was talking about.
"And we have so much in common! We're both highly educated and appreciate art and…" he suddenly stopped talking as someone tripped over his leg that was stretched by the side of the table.
"Watch it, pretty boy." Some big guy almost stumbled over Warren's foot and leaned pissed over his table yelling in his face.
"Watch yourself, you lowlife drunkard. Can't you see I'm talking to the lady?" Warren yelled back.
"Shut up before I massacre your pretty face so bad you won't even be able to have an open coffin."
Warren stood up to reply to the man, but he stumbled over the chair and had to support himself to the table.
"Do you know who I am, you primitive ape?"
"Yeah. Some spoiled rich kid that thinks he's superior to all of us here. Well you ain't better than me!" the man lifted his heavy hand to hit him, but alcohol made his movements slow and clumsy. Remy quickly stood up, ignoring Kelly that was still talking about something and stepped up between the two.
"C'mon, take it easy mes amies." He supported Warren and turned to the man that attacked him "He isn' used t'drinking. He didn' mean t'insult you."
"I ain't got problems with you, boy so step away. This is between me and Mr. Richie Rich here."
"Don' waste y'r time on dis one. I'll jus' take 'im out an' he won' cause y'aynmore trouble." Remy tried to talk some sense into the guy in front of him. Suddenly his face softened and he turned back to his friends.
"You're lucky your friend stepped in, but next time I see ya, I'm gonna beat the hell outta you."
Remy repressed a relieved sigh and quickly led Warren outside throwing some money for the drinks on the counter on their way out. Once they were on the open street again, Warren finally spoke.
"You didn't have to interfere in there. I don't need your help."
"I'll take dat as a t'anks." Remy chuckled lightly, letting him get out of his supporting grasp. Warren turned to face him and his blue eyes pierced into Remy's red-on-black ones.
"Why did you?" he asked and continued immediately as Remy's eyes held a questioning look "Help me. You are supposed to hate me. Because Rogue was spending so much time with me. I heard that you were jealous." He added bitterly
Remy's face darkened a bit, but his tone stayed firm and nonchalant.
" 'S not y'r fault if she likes you." He replied simply as he waved for a cab. The car pulled over next to them and he helped Warren to get inside.
Warren nodded slightly and lowered his gaze, this 'talk' sobering him up a bit. He didn't expect Remy would act this way. He almost expected he would hit him. He almost hoped he would. "You're not coming?"
"Non, I'll walk." Remy made a move to close the car doors, when Warren grabbed his wrist.
"You are a very lucky man. In case you had some doubts, nothing ever happened between us, even though I hoped it might. But it was never anything more than friendly. She loves you too much." He confessed "You're really lucky." He repeated before slamming the door shut and directing the driver to take him home.
Remy stared after the cab for a few moments more, Warren's words echoing through his mind all over again. Things just didn't make much sense this evening. First, he helped a guy that was probably his competition for his wife. Second, he didn't even hit him even though beating Warren up was his most favorite fantasy ever since he found out he was hanging out with Rogue. And third, he finally confessed himself that this situation wasn't actually anyone's fault. Things simply turned out like that. But these kind of actions led him to an answer he was wanting desperately to know for a while now. Nothing ever happened between Rogue and Warren. Remy was sure he was telling the truth, he saw the defeat and sorrow in his eyes and no man admits a love refusal that easily. And that was all he needed to know. He already lifted his hand for another cab wanting to get home as soon as possible, but changed his mind anyway and started walking. He felt hot in his head from excitement and happiness and he needed to cool down a bit by walking. His impulses told him to run to her immediately and tell her everything that was on his mind for the past weeks, but during his walk he changed his mind again and decided to plan it a bit differently. He decided to wait a while longer and plan out a perfect evening to win her all over again. His lips curved into a smile as the autumn winds blushed his cheeks and ruffled his hair. The best way to make the things as they were, was to start from the beginning…
A/N – Well, not one of the better ones, but I hope you like it anyway…
