Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or anything related to them. The unrecognizable characters are my property except Tara(Takamo)and Julius(Pyromaniac666). In no way do I own Southern Comfort(the song or the alcohol) or Canadian Pride fireworks.

Linkstar: There's no real romance but there is a relationship with the sole purpose of 'worldly pleasure'. It's not descriptive, love-related, or even much point except to show other types of interaction but the relation has nothing to do with love.

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"That doesn't look edible, Remy. It's kind of scary-lookin'..." Angel stared at the pot of simmering food as it rested on top the table. She held a book propped against her legs but her full attention was on what would be their dinner.

Remy ignored her. "Gumbo's good, cher."

She stuck her tongue out then propped her book back in front of her face. "I'll stick with peanut butter, dear heart. That looks like...an abomination,"she told him, grimacing at a loud pop from the pot.

"Has anyone seen Julius?"Corey questioned, coming into the kitchen. His wet hair stuck out in just about every direction since he and Russ had finished their training session with Logan. It had been going on for two hours; it was meant to be a punishment but they made it a game. Logan hated it.

"His room. He needed some 'rest after the trying events of dealing with children',"Russ put in without looking away from where he was trying to put together a model car; a chevelle. It was yet another of Logan's tests. They each had model cars to put together, paint, and leave for his 'examination'.

Tara had done hers, painting it green then helped Angel whose car was shadowy gray with a giant black no sign across the front. Corey and Kellie had completed theirs by painting them orange and black. Russ was still working on his while Julius' was scattered along the kitchen in bits and pieces.

"Either that or he got mad because a model car beat him,"Angel muttered, leaning back against a cabinet to read. "Has Logan told you the point of this little 'activity'? It's stupid because what can we possibly learn from building model cars."

"Leadership."

"Thank you, Russ. You're becoming a great leader if you don't count cutting people or stabbing them." She smiled, sweetly. Her hand touched her arm where it had already begun to heal faster than normal because of some pill that Remy had given her. The skin was still red most of the time but had stopped bleeding every time she hit it.

"It was pretend, Angel,"he answered before gluing the muffler to his car. "Your arm's healing and we're all back here safely, aren't we?"

"Except moi mon ami Logan is pissed..." Remy stirred his food then looked around. "Remy believe he'll go speak wit' de ot'ers."

"Have fun, Remy."

No one spoke again until he was gone. Angel relaxed her hold on the box then folded the page down and dropped it, hopping off the counter. She walked over with Corey and they both sat down in chairs, opposite each, to Russ' sides.

Corey broke their silence. "Julius' behavior has gotten old. The rest us can at least front working together but he's become a problem. I have to admit, like everyone else, I enjoy it when he's not that much an asshole..."

Not that much of an asshole. Angel mentally laughed at the sentiment. She hated his behavior and his attitude and how much of an attitude he treated their 'team' with. It wasn't that she hated him; Kris had taught her never to hate anyone. It was that he didn't seem to think anyone deserved the time of day from him.

Russ glued the taillights on his car then shook his head. "Or maybe he's just waiting for Angel to offer him a little Southern Comfort."

"Excuse me?" Her eyebrows came together in a confused line before the meaning of his words set in.

"Southern Comfort. There's a bottle in the cupboard, Angel,"Corey pointed out, standing to retrieve the bottle. He placed it in her hand.

She stared at it. "Maybe I will,"she finally muttered, rising from her chair so fast that it fell over. She gave them both a smug smirk then stalked from the room, holding the bottle. "Maybe I will go give Julius some Southern Comfort."

Back in the kitchen, Corey looked at Russ. "She does mean alcohol, doesn't she?"

"At the moment? I'm not sure. I'm really not sure...."

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

"Kanteon, I ain't in the habit of drinkin' with people that infuriate me." Angel stared at the glass he held then returned to staring at the ceiling. It seemed weird that she hated this guy yet was, at the moment, lying on his floor, watching the ceiling.

Julius looked down at her in amusement after taking another drink. "If I didn't know better I'd say you have been drinking. Why are you here?"he questioned, sitting down on the floor beside her stretched out body. His gaze scanned the length of her body, taking in the way she laid with her eyes closed.

"Russ told me to come offer you some Southern Comfort since you've been locked in your room and not being much of an asshole,"she said, honesty draining from her voice. "I'm not sure what kind of Southern Comfort they meant but Corey seemed to think alcohol. That's why there's a bottle.."

Angel knew she was making a mistake, pulling this stunt but she's never been good at doing excatly what someone told her. As a kid she'd always done what people said with a twist. If a teacher told her to read a book, she'd pick the most violent one she could find. Her aunt told her to take Daniel somewhere, she'd go there then make other stops. Vel hated the quality and had made it known to her several times.

"Uh-huh...what would the other southern comfort be?"he questioned, bringing the glass back to his mouth to drain it. It didn't matter that they were both illegal to drink, her more so then him.

"I'm southern." She sat up, brushing dust from her hair and back then looked at him. "This would be the other southern comfort, Julius,"she said, startling herself by using his first name rather than his last. She got up to rest on her knees then kissed him.

Julius hesitated only a moment before dropping the glass onto the floor and kissing her back; the glass shattered, spraying the floor in glass that neither noticed.

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Julius trailed one of his hands down Angel's back, feeling how tense the muscles were. She shifted away from him, to the other side of the bed, staring at the dark painted wall.

"I'm still trying to figure out how you can be seventeen and a virgin,"he said without looking at her. He'd barely glanced at her since their "southern comfort" session.

Angel shrugged and pulled the blanket up against her chin with a yawn. She pressed her face into the pillow, closing her eyes. "Does it matter? I'm not one anymore thanks to you..."she told him without opening her eyes. She felt like falling asleep.

The thought that anyone could come in and realize she'd just slept with Julius didn't bother her. It wasn't like any of them would care beyond giving her a lecture about her behavior.

"It was your idea, princess. You regret it, don't you?"Julius asked; his voice was edged with cold. "Did you honestly expect your first time to be with someone you love?"

The sneer was obvious.

She sat up, pulling the covers against her chest. "Shut up, Julius. I never asked you to love me."

"Good because I won't."

"It's just sex. I should have made a better choice for a first time,"she mumbled, struggling to get up. Julius caught her wrists and after a moment pinned them above her head, holding her still.

"Get off me, Kanteon..."

"Maybe I should...refresh your memory?"he demanded, raking his gaze over the exposed half up her upper body.

Angel pulled on her wrists and glared at him through half-slitted eyes. "I swear if you don't get off of me..."

"You'll do what? Yell rape? Honey, you were all too willing moments ago..."

"Stop mocking me, you bastard."

"Such language."

"Here's one more for you. Ra---"

Her sentence cut off when his mouth pressed against hers. She pressed her lips against her teeth but gasped when his teeth bit into her lips; she kissed him back. "That doesn't seem like much of a rape to me,"Julius taunted after relfeasing her wrists and getting up. He gathered up some clothes then walked to the bathroom. "When I get out you'd do well to be gone."

"I will be. Don't worry about that,"she whispered as a single tear slid down one cheek. It fell on her neck but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She laid still and counted to ten then got up; she pulled on her clothes, glaring at the door and cursing Julius the entire time.

"I'm leaving, Julius."

Julius gave no response so she left, pulling hte door shut behind her. Her composure lasted until she was in her room and the showered then she collapsed against one wall, fully dressed, retreating into herself.

Throughtout the mansion, alliance members felt a sudden emptiness projecting from upstairs. It lasted several moments then vanished as fast as it had come up.