#Being an X-Man is about more than just saving the world every other day. It's about family, friendship, things that can fall apart here just like the rest of the world#
Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men, Ilehana Xavier belongs to Corrinth, Blaze is mine
A/N: Apologies for the lack of a cheery festive story this year, thought I'd stick to my usual angst ridden stuff and forget the whole seasonal thing...
Open your eyes 01"Hey up our kid, y'alright?"
The woman known as Vixen didn't smile at the cheery tones of her teammate. In fact the lean blonde barely blinked, leaning forward and peering down an optical microscope intensely.
"Uh-oh must be bad if I can't even make you smile by using that ridiculous accent I usually try to disown." The younger female mutant who'd just entered the X-Men's infirmary/laboratory commented. Blaze, a redheaded British ex-thief, lifted herself up onto a work surface and sat with her chin in her hand. "What's up Vix?"
"What? Oh." It took Doctor Ilehana Xavier a second to realise she was still being addressed. "Just work Blaze. I know I'm onto something with this research into mutation and gene expression in non-humanoid mammalian species, I'm just not sure what it is yet…"
"Hey you're bright enough Ilehana, you'll figure it out." Blaze smiled encouragingly as Vixen left the microscope to enter some data into her laptop. "Think you could use a break? I'll buy you lunch if you want?"
"Sorry Blaze, I have to get this written up before Hank comes down tomorrow. Maybe he can spot what I'm missing…"
"You mean besides a wicked invite?" Blaze let slip a touch sarcastically, jumping down again from the stainless steel unit and heading to the door. "Last chance?" Ilehana just shook her ponytailed head, making Blaze sigh and leave her to it.
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It seemed Hank McCoy was of similar persuasion to Blaze. The big fluffy blue mutant openly proclaimed that too much time in the lab was not helping Vixen keep a balanced view of the greater matters in life. Of course the good doctor had a slightly different view of the greater things than the wild child that was Blaze. For three days he whisked Professor Xavier's daughter off to a conference in Oregon on the biology of endothermic heterotherms, whatever that was. Blaze tried not to be offended that a long and boring conference was more enticing than a lunch out with her. Though concerned that her friend was in the company of people who used overlong words in casual conversation, Blaze hoped the trip would have the desired effect and open Vixen's eyes a little.
It didn't, on her return the telepathic metamorph merely plunged herself back into her research more fully as if to make up for lost time. For a while Blaze left her to it, busy herself with teaching her foreign languages classes, and with her duties as an X-Man. That was until Cyclops went on the rampage after a routine mission went badly. He started to schedule extra training and 'team-building' sessions in every free moment, convinced that a repeat performance could be avoided by reliving the last dodgy effort. Even Ilehana had to join in the great escape from the mansion before Scott Summers was impaled on a set of adimantium claws.
"Your round Logan." Ilehana elbowed the feral man besides her deviously. Wolverine grunted in mild protest, raising an eyebrow before getting to his feet. Sidling past Vixen with a cigar in his mouth he clambered out from their table and headed obediently to the bar.
"Eh Ami, how 'bout you don't be no cheapskate this round an' get the whiskey in wit' the beers?" Gambit asked flippantly, grinning as Logan made a gesture indicating where the Cajun could stick his whiskey. Maybe Logan would have been more generous if it had at any stage looked like the thief was in danger of buying a round himself.
The plan was to get as intoxicated as possible as quickly as they could. Then even if Cyclops tracked them down, which was highly likely given the unimaginative nature of their hideout, he wouldn't dare put them through training. It was a good plan, Blaze mused, almost good enough to entice her back to drink. Draining off the last of her coke, Blaze listened absently to Gambit's harmless flirting with Ilehana and used her firepower to melt the ice cubes in the bottom of her glass.
"You know it's so nice to meet a man who'll happily spend his money on his friends…" As chat up lines went, it was a lame one. Still it confused Logan no end as a buxom brunette batted her eyelashes at him by the bar. Blaze and Gambit exchanged knowing grins, before spotting Vixen's reaction. The Wolverine and Ilehana had been an item for as long as Blaze had known them. Despite this Ilehana always endeavoured to prove that no man owned her. Still it didn't stop her from coming over all territorial when other women encroached on her man.
"Remy, kill… Or fetch… Or whatever." Blaze ordered her closest friend, pointing at the woman with Logan. "Pull, that's the word I was thinking of. Remy, pull."
"You t'ink I jus' turn it on like that?" Remy laughed, getting to his feet. Blaze just smiled sweetly at him and didn't reply, knowing that was exactly what the womanising charmer did. "Fair enough Cherie. Don't you worry none Vixen, Gambit rescue Wolverine from the scary fille non? Hey maybe I'se be earnin' that whiskey after all…"
"You never earned anything your whole life." Blaze teased as Remy staggered slightly across the floor. "Lightweight!" She called after him, knowing she could get away with it. Anybody else might be challenged and most probably soundly beaten in a drinking contest by the Cajun. Blaze was exempt on the grounds he knew it was partly his fault she was a recovering alcoholic.
"There more generous folk than this loser out tonight, Cherie." Gambit cut in on Logan's new 'friend'. "He buy drinks for his amies, oui. But it take a real gentleman to buy a drink for the prettiest mademoiselle in the bar. What it be Chere?" Logan made a cunning escape, shaking his head. Gambit proved he did have cash on him after all, peeling notes off a wad with practiced ease.
"He's a smooth one alright." The Wolverine grudgingly admitted, not sure if he was grateful or insulted.
"He's a dead one." Blaze pointed out, toying with a long red curl and glaring in Gambit's direction. "No way she's prettier than me." She expected Logan and Ilehana to chip in with their usual dry humour. When she got no reply, as they were busy in some deep and soft conversation Blaze had no desire to earwig into, Blaze folded her arms and pouted. Me and my big mouth, Blaze thought crossly whilst forgetting that Ilehana was telepathic. Should've let Logan get chatted up and not sent Gambit to the rescue. Least then I wouldn't be a gooseberry.
Time drifted past, and other than a few light comments thrown in her direction like titbits to a pet to keep her placid, Logan and Ilehana barely had anything to say to Blaze. Eventually as she recognised that Gambit and the brunette were getting on famously and he probably wouldn't be coming home tonight, Blaze got up and left. It felt good to get in the car and rev the engine noisily, turning up the music too loud. But it would have been better to have her friends there, complaining about her every action. Anything to prove she still had some…
"Where mon Petite get to?" Gambit interrupted Logan loudly mid-sentence. Remy did look slightly the worse for wear, his sixth whiskey glass empty in his hand.
"Don't know." Logan made a show of trying to peer round the bar, pretending that the things he saw still did have sharp focused edges. "Blaze is a big girl though, she can look after herself Gumbo."
"Ain't nothin' big 'bout the Little One." Gambit looked confused, his former apprentice not only younger than him but also a good distance shorter. "Can't you, y'know…" He tapped his temple with a forefinger, addressing Vixen.
"If you were sober you'd never ask me to pester her telepathically Gambit." Vixen lectured in a tone similar to her father's most disciplinarian voice. "Besides your new friend's looking impatient."
Gambit rushed off again at that, leaving Vixen and Logan alone with their drinks. Blaze wasn't mentioned again.