I heard shouting coming from Scott and Jean's room again as I made my way down to breakfast. They had been quarreling a lot lately, I mused. Rogue and Remy were fighting, too, over her leaving him in Antarctica.
Kurt and Logan were already in the kitchen as I arrived. Kurt was holding a postcard and grinning. Amanda probably writing to him again from another exotic location … I felt a pang of jealousy. This was ridiculous. I turned my gaze to Logan and nodded. He looked unwell, like he hadn't been sleeping. "Ro," he said.
"She's in Brazil." Kurt held up the postcard to me so I could see the back. Blue water, palm trees … beauty. For a moment, I wished I was there.
I got out some bread and started making toast. Why was I fixating on Kurt? This had to stop. I concentrated on my jelly.
Jean entered the room with quick hard steps. "Men," she said sourly. She sat at the table and put her head down on it. Logan frowned and looked down at his empty plate.
Kurt put down his postcard. "Ja, Jean, what is wrong now?"
"What isn't?" Jean pounded the table with her fist. "Scott is insane. He insisted that I was planning on leaving him last night just because I was looking at the boy who bags our groceries. So what? I have eyes. Can't I use them?"
Logan's face twitched. He got up and left the room without a word. I sat down and took her hand. She raised her head. "I know Scott has abandonment issues, but can't he once, just once, trust me?"
"Scott has no reason to have those issues, chere." Remy stood in the doorway, black anger on his face. "Now Gambit, he got good reason to have them." He spoke loudly and clearly. A door banged from somewhere else in the mansion. "Someone think Gambit no good, throw him away at the first chance she get."
"Oh, shut up, would you?" Rogue appeared behind him and shoved past him roughly. "Get over it. It's not like you have that high an opinion of yourself either, thief."
Pain flared on both their faces, but was quickly masked, Remy reverting to his usual amused expression and Rogue to her usual defiance. Jean closed her eyes. Kurt cleared his throat. "Meine freunde, would it be too much to ask that we all pretend to like each other?"
I shoved toast into my mouth. Not enough jelly. I put more on it. Every knife stroke had to be perfect.
Rogue swallowed. "I am sorry, swamp rat." Remy looked down and put his hands in his pockets. "Same, chere."
I tried something new. "The professor wants us to do some clearing out of the files in the basement this week. Perhaps you can help me with them today, Jean … and with your help, Rogue, we can make even quicker work. And Kurt, maybe you can get the men to start upgrading the Danger Room. Those new protocols won't program themselves."
Kurt sighed. "Only if Scott and Logan can stop their stupid petty rivalry. Otherwise, they could end up destroying things that should be maintained."
Jean looked up. "I guess. Scott can't accuse me of leaving him for Rogue."
"Maybe he can, sugar." Rogue winked at Jean, and Remy's eyes burned with rage.
"Let's go, Kurt. Gambit know he not wanted here." He swept from the room, and Rogue looked after him. "Remy?" she called. Kurt followed Gambit.
Rogue's face fell. "He's so … sensitive, lately," she said, lamely.
What was happening to us? Why were things not working out? Somehow we had gotten along before. What had changed?
