Hooray! I'm back from vacation, and with a nice, shiny new part too. Oh, and this chapter? Kind of a strong PG-13.
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As trite as it is ta say, life goes on. Th' clock ticked over into afternoon an' Remy had ta leave for work. He'd forgotten all about it an' fallen asleep. Sprawled halfway across my body, his face was mashed into my shoulder an' each breath tickled on my neck. Lookin' down at him, Ah felt a surge o' protectiveness. He talked such a good game that ya could forget how young he was. Ah silently resolved ta try an' keep that in mind more in th' future, at th' same time, Ah raised my free leg an' poked his calf with my toe.
He muttered somethin' an' settled back into sleep. Ah poked him again, this time aimin' for a place Ah'd found ta be particularly sensitive.
He jumped an' opened one malevolent eye. "Dere are some advantages t' sleeping alone," he complained, voice heavy with sleep.
"Name three," Ah replied lightly.
He rolled onto his back an' seemed ta consider th' demand for a bit before tickin' points off on his fingers. "One: no poking."
"So ya've said."
"Two: no blanket hogging."
That was uncalled for. "Ah never have!" Ah laughed.
"Non," he admitted reluctantly, grinnin'.
"So, what's th' third?"
"Can't t'ink of one."
"Hmm," Ah said, mock-serious. "Seems like ya only have two. An' one's made up."
All of a sudden, he was on top o' me, cradled neatly between my hips. He put his elbows on either side o' my head an' leaned down 'till there was barely any space between us at all. Our bodies pressed together in places an' there was a kind o' buzzin' under my skin, like electricity or a swarm o' particularly active bees wherever they touched. He kissed my neck an' then lightly traced th' pulse point there with his tongue. Ah shivered.
"Ya've got ta work."
"Comment (what)?"
"Don't ya have work today?" Ah was doin' better with th' whole "form a rational thought" thing now that he'd pulled away a little. Ah ran a hand through his uneven hair. "Let me fix this for ya later, okay?"
"Mmm," he replied, eyes half-closed. Ah shifted against him an' he made a noise in th' back o' his throat halfway between a sigh an' a groan. "Not. helping," he gritted.
"Sorry," Ah apologized insincerely before hookin' my feet under his ankles, which, o' course, moved our bodies again.
Th' second time th' sound was mutual.
"Rogue," Remy's voice was thick, but there was a note o' warnin' in it too. He slid off me in a certain way that made me feel like Ah was suddenly boneless from head ta foot. "Don't start somet'ing y' can't finish, chère." He stood an' rummaged through our dresser for his work clothes.
My eyes were hot with anger. Frustration at th' situation. How had Ah ever thought ta have someone like him without havin' him? Ah clenched my fists. "Ah'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." His voice was muffled through his shirt. "It'll be okay, neh?"
"Yeah," Ah agreed, distracted by th' way his muscles moved under his skin. He freed himself from his shirt an' pulled his bike shirt on over his head.
"I'll be home for dinner. Don't let Anne take Graydon anywhere."
"Ah won't."
He dropped a kiss in my hair, grabbed his messenger bag an' was out th' door. An' even before Ah had time ta dwell on anythin', Kitty came boundin' in an' settled crosslegged in th' middle o' the unmade bed.
"Get up a second," Ah said. She did an' Ah snapped th' sheets expertly into place. Tuckin' tight hospital corners at th' bottom. Folded th' blanket. We fluffed th' pillows together in silence.
"Uh oh," she observed once we'd finished an' sat down again.
"'Uh oh' what?"
"You're never this anal unless there's something on your mind."
Ah frowned at her. "O' course there's somethin' on my mind! We've got a runaway x-man an' a livingroom full o' th' Friends o' Humanity."
Kitty shook her head so energetically her hair fell in her eyes. "Nah." She tucked th' hair behind her ears an' picked at the tucked-in corner on her side o' th' bed. "You're really never this anal unless it's boy-related and stuff."
"What?"
She rolled her eyes. "Jeez, just because you thought I didn't notice... You, like, cleaned both sides of the room when Scott and Jean got together. Before that, you organized your CDs by category when he asked Taryn to the dance."
"And alphabetically," Ah added sullenly. We both looked at each other sheepishly an' burst into laughter. Ah laughed until my stomach hurt an' Ah had ta clutch my sides. Until Ah felt like Ah was splittin' in two. There's a word for that. Ah picked it up from Remy a little after we first met. "That's un bon pomeè (a good laugh)."
"I guess you really..."
"Ah really do."
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm happy then." Silence. "What d'you think about John?"
"John?"
"Yeah." There was a faint blush on Kitty's cheeks.
"Ah think th' more important question is: what d'ya think about John?"
Ah had her squirmin' right then. "He...kissed me."
Raised my fingers ta cover my mouth so she wouldn't notice me smilin'. "When?"
"When we were making lunch. Afterwards."
"And...?"
"And I don't know! It's confusing!"
"Uh huh."
Kitty glared at me. "You're not helping! You think this is funny!"
"Ah can help an' think it's funny at th' same time though." Ah waited a bit, but it didn't seem like she was about ta say anythin' else. "Where's Graydon?"
"He's in the livingroom with Anne. John said he'd watch them."
"Good. Could ya get your notes for me?" Ah stood an' smoothed my clothes as much as Ah could. Not that anyone would care or anythin', just that it made me feel more prepared. Ah was ready as Ah'd ever be for Graydon's first lesson.
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As de days of spring became fewer and fewer, I'd started t'inking of my shower at de end of de day wit' an intensity usually reserved for lovers. Was a nice t'ing t' be so active, de exciting feeling of sweat blown dry by de wind as I raced from de outskirts of Columbia Heights t' Chinatown t' Dupont Circle and back again. Coming home covered wit' a fine layer of road grit, or scrapes if a car got too close, was fine enough for a time, but as de days stretched longer and de light reached for de summer solstice, dat sweat would just stay wit' me for de whole day. Never drying too much and making my entire body feel like it was sliding loose.
Was hardly fit t' talk t' anyone by de time I got off work dat evening. Tossed my keys on de kitchen table and made straight for de bedroom door. Anne and Graydon, both engrossed in somet'ing on de television, barely looked at me. John, Kitty and Rogue were nowhere t' be seen and, t' be honest, it was a relief. Not fit for human consumption.
Turned de shower on cold, which felt lukewarm against my heated skin. Everyt'ing had a way of fading under de drizzly noise. Every problem a pinprick fraction of its normal size. When I finished, de air felt wonderfully cool. Wrapped a towel firmly around my waist. I'd get dressed and find Rogue, take her up on her offer t' even out my homemade haircut.
Sighed heavily. And dat's all it might ever be. And dat drove me crazy t' t'ink about. Horrible necklace aside, fleeting touches might be all I could hope for. Like a splash of water on de tongue of a thirsty man. In my darker, more hopeless moments I sometimes wondered how long dat might be enough.
She came into de room just as I was wiping down de mirror. Burned a slow trail wit' her eyes, just watching me, not saying anyt'ing. Dere was some strain around her mouth, but I didn't get a chance t' wonder why dat might be because her hands were flat against my stomach and her mouth was on mine like she wanted to breathe me in forever.
Her hands. Her skin. Wit'out breaking de kiss, I swept my fingers along her neck, but it was smooth. No collar dis time. She gasped into my mouth and pressed tight against me. We'd just gotten t' de breathless point where her fingers were skirting de top of my towel and she pulled away. De whining sound coming from my mouth was undignified, but at dat point I was in no position t' care.
"Not dat I'm looking de gift horse in de mouth, beb, but you're not Mystique by any chance?"
She laughed and shook her head. Dere was dat honey smell. Licked my lips and was pleased t' see dat she watched wit' interest, her own mouth parted. "Kitty's notes an' Graydon's advice." She sat on de toilet seat and tucked her legs up against her. "Ah got ta thinkin': everyone else can control their powers somehow. Mental or physical. An' so Kitty's helpin' me with th' control an' Graydon's teachin' me some of his tricks."
For de first time, I noticed de fine beads of sweat dat had sprung up at her hairline. When I brushed my finger along dem, I felt her powers. Those powers dat were wild like a force of nature. She took a deep, shaky breath and leaned against my hand. "It's hard for you t' do," I observed lamely, not knowing what t' say in de face of such a project.
She turned her head so dat her lips were against my palm. "Harder not ta do this." My head spun a little at dat. "Harder ta feel like Ah can be taken advantage of because Ah cain't control th' powers. Ever since Jenny.... Ah don't ever want ta hurt my friends again."
Opened my mouth, not really knowing what might come out right den, but a commotion from de livingroom saved me de business of a reply. A crash and muffled voices raised. Rogue unfolded herself slowly.
Good t'ing de scene wasn't as chaotic as it sounded. Don't t'ink I would've been in de mood. Was more of a mind at dat point t' charge t'ings first, ask questions later. Anne was backed into de corner, cowering while John stood in front of her. Couldn't see his face, but de set of his body screamed 'attitude.' Graydon and Kitty hung back behind John.
"Graydon never said..."
"Graydon never said a lot of things, love," John snapped in wicked imitation.
"What's all dis?" I asked him.
"You're a mutant!" she spat. "You're all mutants."
"Hey, you're a mutant too," Kitty pointed out.
John turned t' me and shrugged. "She caught me using m' powers. It was bound t' happen," he added defensively.
"Tell him, John," Kitty prompted.
He fully faced me and held up a small object, smiling widely. "S'more?" He held it out.
Kitty made a disgusted noise. "You don't, like, even know the meaning of 'low-profile' do you?"
John's smile became somet'ing more like teeth-baring. "I suppose you're dying t' teach me then?"
"I'm not 'dying' to do anything with you," she snapped.
Meantime, Anne looked like she was trying t' make herself as small as possible. Her eyes were so wide dey seemed t' take up all her face. Stepped between John and Kitty, effectively cutting off dere pointless dispute.
"Why you two so coo yon (stupid)?" Took de rest of de s'more from John and popped it in my mouth. Chewed carefully.
"Try staying cooped up here all day, see how it strikes you," John complained. "We played effing tiddlywinks we were so bored." He pulled de lighter out of his pocket, flicked de flame and den rolled de light between his hands like it was play-doh.
"What are we doing anyway?" Kitty asked, jerking a thumb at Graydon. "We can't just, like, keep him here forever!"
"No," Rogue said. "But we cain't just let the Friends of Humanity get him back either." Dat got a small, outraged noise outta Anne.
"And what happens if I want to go back?" Graydon asked quietly. "What then?"
* * *
ishandahalf: I don't mind being a crack monkey. My friends say I'm "quirky", but, y'know, monkeys bring the funny. Jealous!Remy is fun to torture, but not TOO much because I happen to like the guy. In terms of the whole "layers" thing, I'm intrigued by the idea that Rogue's powers could be controlled mentally, at least in part. Of all the core x-group, she's the one who I feel has had the least training in that regard. So boo. So I'm correcting that. I also enjoy the fruity coffee, btw. There's this thing at my favorite coffee house in DC...chaipuccino. Chai with an espresso shot. It's 31 flavors of goodness.
Susannah & Ryoko: Hello! I'm not the world's biggest Anne fancier myself. I can see how being so fearful of something can turn into hatred pretty darn easily, but still... I don't know how I feel about the Kitty/John dynamic other than it's fun to write.
Tokyobabe2040: Thanks!
Lucky439: Awww! That's so sweet of you to say. I'm not black-hearted per se, but I have been compared to champagne -- bitter yet bubbly. Months later I STILL don't know if that's a compliment or what...
Edainme: I'm a fan of the "the thrill is gone, love" line too. One of these days I hope to get back to the Remy/John fake flirting. It's just way too much fun to write.
Christa: Thanks so much! After a brief delay for summer vacation, I'm back in the saddle again, as it were.
Flyby Stardancer: Interesting. In some ways, I find the Rogue parts easier for me to write since I'm...y'know...a girl and stuff, but the Remy portions can be more interesting. And I don't know what's up with this chapter. I was feeling uncharacteristically romantic.
Neurotic Temptress: Fret not about the reviewing issue. Chalk it up to the delights of the summer sun (although this is only hypothetical on my end...stupid DC, haven't seen the sun in a week! Grumble.) I'm just happy you're still enjoying this thing. Monstrous in size though it has become. Sometimes I think back on writing the first story in this arc and I laugh. LAUGH I tell you! Like I said, I love the banter. Not sure if John and Kitty are too different to make a go of it, but it's just fun to play.
Christy S: I try to be as funny as I can. More often than not, I think it just falls flat. I'm MUCH funnier in person, but that's because my eyebrows always go kind of crazy when I talk. Eh. John and Kitty isn't anything I really planned on, nor do I know where it's headed. I'll just be enjoying watching it unfold. And I'm glad you find Graydon at least a little sympathetic. He's still got surprises in store too, I promise.
Yumiko: Eeep. I'm making like J.K. Rowling over here. Seriously. I'm reading "Order of the Phoenix" right now and I'm SO confused. Possibly because it's been, oohhh, 2 YEARS since I read #4. Sigh. Sorry. Hope you don't have to go all the way back to the beginning again.
Panther Nesmith: You've hit the nail on the head. Graydon IS somewhat of an enigma. But then, so was John until I got my grubby little hands on him! Honestly, Remy was for a looong time too (until the unpleseantness in Antarctica that kind of makes my head hurt). Hooray for comic characters with underdeveloped backstories! I mean, boo!
Letanica: Awww shucks. [blushes] I'm puzzled as to why the LeBeau Library hasn't updated recently though... In the meantime, I'm holding my breath until this weekend's episode of Evo and it better be filled with Remy-goodness. I'll make no secret of the fact that R & R are absolutely my favorite characters, and I do love them together because when their relationship is functional they just seem to be having so much fun together. I don't mind writing about the conflicted times, but my first love is always writing about the relaxed and fun couple who've always been so interesting to me. But since it's unlikely that anyone would want to read 60 pages of "Remy and Rogue go bowling" it's fun to adapt canon characters and situations. Hence the gargantuan size of the series so far.
sphinx chick: I think it's great that so many people love Pyro, given that a) in the comics, he's deader than the proverbial doornail; b) he's barely been in Evo at all (note: boo) and c) in the movie he...uh...the less said the better. Marvel should really bring him back from the dead and do more with him. Because he's one of those "bad guys" who's not actually so bad. Layers, dude, all about the layers. We will see about the sequel. I'm still a ways out from the end of this puppy, but I'm not averse. Since this pocket universe is my drug of choice. If I can dream up a plotline though, I'd say it's pretty darn certain that you'll see these guys again.
