Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 23

Chapter 3: Man to Man

Remy went on a search throughout the mansion later that day for Piotr. Despite Kitty had not asked him this time around to speak with Piotr Rasputin, Remy felt it was time to try and set the record straight.

He found Piotr controlling a danger room session for the blue team, Piotr looked thoroughly bored, one elbow resting on a counter, cheek propped on his hand. One hand randomly pushing buttons.

"Mon ami?" Remy asked, he stood only in the threshold, feeling that his presence might not be desired, so deciding to wait to see if there was an invite.

"Oh, it is you," Piotr said glumly, "what is it?" he asked dully.

Remy felt that might just be as close to an invitation into the control annex as he was going to get. He stepped in, hands in his pockets, he leaned against the wall furthest away from the man, so that if he should happen to anger him, moving away quickly before any punches were thrown would be several times more easy than if he were to sit nearby. "I just want to talk."
"If this is about Kitty, I do not want to talk about it," Piotr responded, he kept his eyes on the session through the large glass window, he hit another button and pushed the lever up on the session difficulty panel a little further.

"Fine, then don't talk," Remy said, he drew his breath hoping he wasn't about to be attacked by Piotr for his cheekily put comment, "just listen," he said.

"I'd rather not, if it is all the same," Piotr glanced coldly over his shoulder at Remy.

"Look, stop being so stubborn. When are you going to get it into that thick skull of yours that there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Kitty Pryde. Never has been, never will."

"Is that so?" Piotr spun around on his seat, "what about the talk of you and Kitty having been dating back when she was sixteen?" he pointed out.

Remy gave a monstrous laugh, "oh my god, I had forgotten all about that…" he trailed off shaking his head, "mon ami, that little 'relationship' was something me and Kitty cooked up to make Rogue jealous. Rogue had ditched me for Jared Rickman," he said, the name of Jared still left a foul taste in Remy's mouth so that he felt he had to spit every time he said the boys name.

"I don't believe that," Piotr uttered, facing back to the window.

"Believe it," Remy said firmly, "It was a little stint. Acting. Go ask Kitty, she'll tell you the same thing," he shrugged.

Piotr did not respond, he pushed a few more buttons on the control panel, Remy noted the blue team being assailed with an onslaught of flying missiles – which they seemed to easily dodge and avoid.

"Kitty is crazy about you – and I don't get why," Remy said, "you're about as thick as two short planks mentally, and about as stubborn as a headstrong Ox."

Piotr snorted in contempt at this, he wasn't sure what Remy meant with the comment 'thick as two short planks', but he was sure it couldn't have been a complement.

"The girl is in love…why would she want to go and ruin it all for some stupid fling with me – a scallywag thief from the Big Easy?" Remy pointed out, "and for that matter, why would I want to risk what I have with Rogue for a fling with a girl who uses the word 'like' in almost every single sentence?" he added.

"Are you saying Kitty is not good enough for you?!" Piotr boomed.

Remy blinked, it seemed Piotr was subject to just as volatile a mood as he was on occasion, "no, what I'm saying is, Kitty loves you, I love Rogue. Me and Kitty are like…oil and water…"

"Oil and water?" Piotr raised an eyebrow, he wasn't sure if he had heard this phrase before.

"We don't mix," Remy replied, "she's methodical, I'm…all over the place, she's smart, I'm smart-assed. She's…simple, I'm complicated, she's innocent, I'm a scoundrel, she's conventional, I'm completely unconventional, she's bubbly, I'm…so the opposite of bubbly," he pointed out.

Piotr looked away, "she has not been so 'bubbly' as of late. In fact she has been…quiet…distant…sombre," he said, crestfallen all of a sudden. "I feel she is keeping something from me."

"If she is keeping something from you – and I stress 'if she is' – then maybe you should wait for her to tell you, because…if she hasn't, she can't really be ready to tell you, non?" Remy suggested, trying hard as he could to make innocence in his face and tone totally believable, something he'd spent a lifetime perfecting.

"Do you know something I don't?" Piotr straightened up, looking at the man. Remy looked innocent enough, but Piotr knew from experience that on Remy LeBeau, an innocent expression and a congenial tone meant absolutely nothing when it came to the knowledge that lay behind those intense red and black eyes of his.

"I know several things you don't," Remy said, "for instance, did you know that Psylocke models for dirty magazines? She also starred in the porno movies 'Titty Slickers', 'Intercourse with the Vampire', and 'Single Tight Female'," he replied. "Which, I'm pretty sure, I saw in Scott's room while I was emptying trash yesterday."

"I am talking about Kitty," Piotr stated frowning.

"Oh…no, she's not been in any porn, least…not that I know of…but you never know, its always the quiet ones you have to watch out for."

"Remy!" Piotr said harshly, "I would thank you not to speak of my girlfriend in such a way."

"Fine," Remy folded his arms, "but if she is your girlfriend, and you haven't broken up with her – which I get the feeling she's worried about – perhaps you should stop being such a complete asshole and start acting like it. She needs you right now. She's not sure if you guys are together or not – you've not said two words to each other until that little argument this morning, and if she IS going through something, then she could probably use the guy she loves to perk her up a bit – especially since she's so down 'cause I accidentally made her break her ankle."

Piotr sighed, "I cannot speak to her, every time I try I find the words tangling in my mouth until I cannot get them out…" he looked away, sullen and morose.

Remy raised an eyebrow, "so...don't talk, hold her, kiss her, or do sign language or something, whatever comes easy…just…be there," he suggested.

"Remy…do you SWEAR to me that nothing happened?" Piotr asked cautiously, still untrusting.

Remy nodded, "I swear on my life," he replied.

"That's not good enough for me," Piotr admitted looking doubtful, he knew Remy was reckless enough to lie even swearing on his life.

Remy sighed and looked away for a moment, he wasn't exactly sure how to respond in a way that would make Piotr believe him, then it came to him and as much as it hurt to say it, he did. "I swear on my daughter's grave."

This caught Piotr's attention. Indeed, this was something Remy would have not done if he had been lying. If there was one thing Remy did care about, it was the stillborn child he'd never gotten to hold. Piotr nodded, "alright."

"Go to her – right now," Remy gestured towards the door, "I'll watch the session. Most of this crap is automatic anyway."

"Alright."

Kitty Pryde was lying in bed in her room, flicking through a magazine when a soft almost hesitant knock made her raise her eyes from the glossy pages. "Yeah?" she asked loudly, and waited for a response.

"May I enter?" came Piotr's voice at the other side, he sounded strangely shy.

Kitty propped herself up a little, the magazine falling to her lap, "I guess," she responded, and waited as he entered.

Piotr had to stoop to avoid banging his head on the threshold as he made his way through, he walked over slowly, "I thought perhaps…I should check on you…" he explained, "to see if there was anything you needed."

"What I need, you don't seem to be able to offer, babe," Kitty looked away from him, a little indignant and aloof.

Piotr approached the bed, and he knelt by the side, "Kitty…" he said softly, "I uhm…I…"

Kitty turned and looked at him, his eyes were somewhat pleading, and she felt drawn in, she tried to look away but couldn't, those cornflower blue eyes of his always had the power to captivate her. "Yeah?" she asked softly.

"I…I…" he chewed his lip and paused looking away as if trying to sum up his feelings mentally before expressing them, but the expression in his eyes was somewhat troubled.

"Uh huh?" Kitty asked, trying to remain patient, but she was bursting to know what he had to say to her. At the same time, she was wondering whether it might be worth it to just tell him that it'd be better if they parted ways, before this whole thing got any worse. That way she had no obligation to tell him, and that way she couldn't hurt him. It'd break her heart of course to do so, but it would somehow alleviate so many problems for them both.

"I-I-I…" he stammered, and his eyes darted left and right, he still struggled with the words.

"Yes?" Kitty asked expectantly, she raised an eyebrow and waited.

What Kitty definately did not expect was the incredible and passionate kiss that followed his stammers, a kiss that made ever nerve in her body wonderfully tingle and every hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Why couldn't you have just told me it was a better idea if we didn't sea each other anymore? She wondered as she wrapped her arms around his large neck, even as she did so all those worries seemed to melt away and everything in the world felt marvellously right even though somewhere in the back of her mind she understood that it wasn't.