Title: Family Ties That Bind
Author: Monica
Disclaimers: All recognizable characters belong to Marval. I'm not making a dime.
A/N: changed my mind-has some romance. This is a work in progress. Because of this, I'm sure there are going to be some errors and some spots where it feels unfinished. Sorry. I'll do my best. Any other characters you want to see? REVIEW and I'll see what I can do. If not, please review anyway. J
Scott watched Remy pace on top of the rooftop. The boy was sulking again. Not that he could blame him. Sighing, he started towards the building ready to talk him down again. Xavier would flip if he learned Remy was breaking his precious rules. Again.
About ten yards from Scott, Ororo was watching Remy pace the rooftop. The one person who seemed to be in detention more than herself; Ororo had pushed friendship at the boy. Remy had clung hard. She was gnawing on the tip of her thumb as she watched him walk closer to the edge. Well, shit.
Scott turned at the sound of Ororo lofting towards the rooftop. And he smiled. As much as he preached that they should keep to themselves, he liked Ororo and her fierce loyalty to his brother. He liked that Remy could crash in her room at night, that he had someone to whine to. He liked the fact Remy could draw someone like that to him with no more than a smile. He liked that Remy would have someone to hold if something happened and Scott couldn't be around. The gray clouds gathering above his head mirrored his mood suddenly. Scott pulled his jacket closer around himself and walked inside the mansion.
"What's wrong?" Ororo asked, leaning against Remy's back. She felt the sudden tightening of his shoulders.
"Scottie's broodin' again. He's goin' t' be bitchy." He closed his eyes as the first drops of rain fell upon his face.
"Does Xavier know you're a telepath?" She smiled as his mouth twisted into a frown. "You know I am not going to tell anyone. If not, you could just read my mind."
Remy stuck his tongue out at her. "'Ro, ya know dat you're my best friend. I need t' ask a favor."
"Anything."
"Good." He leaned back, silent, letting the rain beat down on his stomach, drowning out the sky, the ground, the world.
"Why you need to go out on that damn roof…" Scott muttered, tossing Remy a towel. The rain was dripping from his hair, making small puddles on the ground. Scott shook his head as he took in Remy's appearance. His lips were blue and his clothes were plastered to his body. The kid was going to catch his death.
"T'anks, Scottie!" Remy said cheerfully, whistling on the way to their joint bathroom.
"Make sure you clean up after yourself!" Damn kid.
Remy stripped off his clothes and set the water to burning hot. He let the steam fill the room before he bothered to step into the shower. The cold and then the heat. Anything to keep the feeling from overwhelming him. Feel the cold, let it seep into your bones, let your world become the shiver starting at your head and ending at your toes. Then the heat, burning, searing, pain that goes deep, numbs the body and the mind. He hoped Scott was gone when he came back to the room.
Scott sat on the bed, silent and still. He lost himself in the spot on the wall, in the bulb of the light. He concentrated on staying still, on barely breathing. Calm and together, he locked out the troubling thoughts that begged to intrude in the stillness of his mind. He trampled on the emotions that threatened to boil over. No pain, no anger, no sadness. Just nothing.
Remy met Scott's eyes across the room, each face chisled stone. Silently, they walked out of the room to head down to dinner.
Jean was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for the boys. She grabbed Remy by the elbow and dragged him into the living room.
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her voice a furious whisper. Remy stared at the sparks that seemed to shoot from her emerald eyes.
"What y' mean, Jeannie?" Remy asked, genuinely perplexed. He could see both Scott and Marie looking through the doorway at them.
"I mean that Marie told me that you two are going out on Friday. She told me that you got special permission to go into town. What the hell do you think you're pulling?"
Remy smiled at her show of sisterly protection. "It's nothing. I felt bad for givin' her a bad time. It means nothin'."
"Does she know that?" Remy considered.
"If y' want, I'll make it crystal clear after dinner." Jean chewed the bottom of her lip. Damn. She didn't want Marie to know that she meddled. Remy smiled lazily back at her. He knew exactly what was going through her head.
"That's probably not necessary. Just, you know, be nice."
"Whatever y' say, Jeannie. Y'r wish is my command." Jean felt like smaking him.
"Remy. I don' like the green ones," Kitty pouted, pushing her peas onto his plate.
"I don' like t'em either," he said, pushing them back. She crinkled her nose at him, before popping one into her mouth. Then she turned expectantly towards him.
Remy sighed and took one of her peas and placed it into his mouth. They went back and forth until all of the peas were gone. He was pretty sure that when dessert came out, they wouldn't be sharing her portion.
Kitty beamed up at him. Remy was her favorite. She liked the way he talked. And the fact that he let her get away with murder.
Scott rolled his eyes at the exchange. Then he looked at her again. Jean was pushing her food around on her plate. Scott noticed that she did that a lot. In fact, he only remembered her taking two bites. She was awfully thin yet her red hair was vibrant as it skimmed her chin and you really couldn't focus on anything else. And her eyes were absolute killers.
Then he looked at Marie. She was very carefully scooping up her peas and daintily placing the forkfull into her mouth. Her chestnut curls were pulled back from her face and sparkling eyes lit up her face. She was pretty, but next to Jean…
"Scottie," Remy said beneathe his breath. "Stop starin' at t'em."
Scott glared at him to try to hide the blush that crept up his next. "I wasn't staring," he whispered back, his tone scoffing.
"Sure y' weren't," Remy said. "And y' got it wrong. Jeannie's cute and all, but she don' have anyt'ing on her sister."
"Stop doing that. Xavier's right there!"
"Stop being so paranoid. He can' get t'rough my shields. Plus what's life if t'ere's no risk?"
"It's going to get you killed some day."
"No, you'll be t'ere t' pull me out of trouble. As usual." Remy grinned at him before picking up Kitty by the waist and "flying" her out of the room. Scott sighed as he gathered up the dirty dishes. The scamp.
Marie laid out on the lawn, staring up at the clouds. Today was her "date" with Remy. She didn't know why she said yes. She didn't know why she was so scared.
"Hey." Remy plopped down beside her.
"Hey." They sat there in silence for a bit, each caught up in their own little worlds. It was easy not to talk with Remy. You didn't find the need to cover the silence with words. It was nice.
"Was there something you wanted?" Marie finally asked. He was watching her. It was unnerving.
"Yes." He frowned. "I realized I…didn' know what y' liked t' eat." Shit. That wasn't what he wanted to say.
"I see." She didn't really, though.
"Okay, really. I'm tryin' t' get Scottie out, but he won' listen t' me." Remy paused, wondering if Scott would dismember him later.
"So…you want me to ask him out?" Marie cocked her head to the side, trying to make sense of Remy's words.
"Hell no! I mean, y'r sister, t'ough…" He peeked at her reaction.
Marie laughed. "I thought you wanted them apart." She was waiting for him to admit his scheme to her. She decided she liked having the upper hand.
Remy grumbled when he saw she wasn't going to give him his way easily. "All right. I need t' stay out a little longer after our dinner. I want Scott too busy t' wonder where I am."
Marie wasn't smiling any more. "And you were, like, going to drop me off and them go out on your real date?"
"No. I was going to drop you off and take a plane to Paris."
"Yeah right." Remy pulled a ticket out from under his jacket and dropped it in her lap.
"This says Jeremy Caledecott." Her emerald eyes studied him carefully. "Okay, Jeremy. Double this, and not only will I get your brother out of your hair, but I won't tell him about your plans to disappear."
"I hate y', y' know." He didn't really, though. He expected nothing less from her. A weekend in Paris sounded fun, even if it was with the River Rat. He snatched the ticket back and turned to walk away.
"Oh, and Remy." He turned against his will. "I like Italian."
*much more next time, promise!