Jess: Thanks: ) Sorry about the format. For some reason it's been messing up lately, though I have tried to fix it.
Anything but ordinary3: I just have to embarrass Scott, and your right it's fun. : ) I know schools' rough, I don't feel like working sometimes. Hopefully the teachers will give us both a break.
Rogue14 Thank you, and I will!
Special thanks to Beaubier for Beta reading this chapter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The very thought of it was mind -boggling. It defied everything he thought he knew about his friends. If one of them had told him, he'd believe the whole thing was a joke. Yet there was no denying the truth, Scott wasn't that good an actor. Warren and Hank were……doing it. IT! Bobby wasn't even sure how that was possible.
He was a bit naïve to the specifics even when it came to girl/guy relationships. Bobby had taken the Home Life study class, but it was vague at best. He knew what it took to make a baby, but not exactly how one went about doing it. Not really. Well, except that he wasn't allowed to do it till he was legally able to drink. Preferably after he was married, which would make an awkward wedding night.
His father had had the infamous ''talk'' with him before he went to Xavier's. William Drake was usually a straightforward type of man, yet on the subject he had used many metaphors that Bobby couldn't follow. The most confusing having something to do with a car. All he remembered was that he needed to buckle up and obey his owners' manual. Or something like that. Or maybe
get a tune up, Bobby wasn't really certain.
Warren always seemed like such a playboy, even Entertainment Weekly had called him one. The guy had dozens of pictures of girls he went of dates with. He had even mentioned that a couple of them were great kissers. Bobby couldn't fathom how the guy could go from ogling those girls to dating Hank.
Hank had a girlfriend before the professor ''accidentally'' made her forget about him. Yet he held no grudges and accepted things as they were. Sure he and Warren hung out a lot, talking about things that Bobby was ''too young'' to hear. But he never believed that they were spending that time……doing it.
----------------------------------
"Are you positive that you don't want to talk about it, Scott? I'm always here to listen."
Scott nodded his head a little too vigorously. He did NOT want to tell the man he considered a second father what he had seen. It was far too……disturbing. He blushed again trying not to think about the image that was now seared into his mind's eye. Don't let him see that, he silently prayed to whatever deity was listening. It had taken a lot of work to earn his mentor's respect; he couldn't bear to lose it over……those pictures.
Scott sighed as the image came back.
"Yes sir, I'm fine."
"Alright, but remember I'm always here for you. Nothing you could say, no question that you ask can shock me." Giving a reassuring smile Xavier left to prepare the Danger Room, silently promising to bring up the subject later when the boy had relaxed.
Scott groaned, sinking further back into the sofa, desperately wanting to fall all the way through it. In less than ten minutes he was expected to train and all he could do was remember that awful page. Not to mention learning that his teammates were perverts.
Then a horrifying thought occurred to him. Did Hank and Warren show that book to Bobby? Scott had already fought tooth and nail to be a good role model for his younger friend and now those two were trying to corrupt him.
Where was a super villain when you needed one?
-----------------------------------
"I haven't even had it for a whole week!" Warren raged, attempting to snatch back their sacred tome. Nothing good was on TV, he was stuck in the mansion, the professor had taken his cell phone and he just wanted something to look at. He was simply bored out of his mind.
"While I, your ever benign colleague in this modest escapade has yet to view the most renowned novel in our collective clutches." Hank said easily leaping out of the others' path in a graceful arc on the other side of the bedroom.
"What?" Warren had been too preoccupied to hear his friend.
"In other words: stop hogging it you over-grown Pigeon!" Hank instantly regretted his hasty words as an extremely ticked of Warren Worthington the Third tackled him. The two boy had fallen onto Hanks bed as the thinner youth tried to remove the book from it's current owner.
"Give to me now Hank!" Warren yelled as his knee accidentally made contact with the others' moresensitive area. Hollering in pain Hank rolled over to his side.
"OH! Warren--you--!!!" But words seemed to have failed the usually loquacious X-Man.
"Uh……I'll let you have it for awhile……" The other mutant mumbled as he sneaked out.
--------------------------------------------
Bobby was just trying to finish his math assignment. It hadn't taken long, and as far as most of the Prof's workload went it had been pretty easy. Well, it was easy when you excelled at math like he did. He was a smart kid; he had to be if he was in the same grade as the others, only he tended to leave things for the last moment. Organization was a skill both Scott and the Prof were always trying to stress to the youngest X-Man.
Just when he had arrived at the last problem a loud crash came from down the hall. Followed by what sounded like……bed springs?
"Give it to me now Hank!" Warren's unmistakable voice rang out. Bobby gasped. No, they wouldn't do-- but his thought was cut short by another exclaim.
"OH! Warren--you--!!!" Bobby quickly threw himself under his pillow and decided to wait until it was over before he resurfaced.
---------------------------------------
Warren hurried downstairs before his prone partner in crime could come after him. He knew Hank would either get him back at some later date or write the incident off as an honest mistake. Hopefully Bobbys' influence wouldn't affect the decision too much. Though it was most likely a vain hope as both boys always inclined to agree with each others' judgment. Hank would weigh out the options, the practical side of things. Most of the time anyway, once Bobby joined in the elder X-Man usual dropped his sensible side.
Bobby was far more impulsive, living for the moment, which was actually a trait Warren shared. However the younger mutant usually acted up at odd periods, like when they were all training together. He claimed that it was impossible to take the super-hero biz seriously if you dressed in spandex. Or in his case a pair of boots and underwear. So he joked around, played pranks, and got into trouble. While Hank……well he didn't really keep the other in line but he was slowly adding some maturity to him. Very slowly……when he wasn't adding to the problem.
Accepting his impending doom Warren sat down in the living room. Checking to make sure no one else was present he sneaked a peek at the piece of paper crumbled in his hand. In his hand was a page taken from the book that had been ripped out in his haste to escape. Smirking at his own unintended genius he flattened the sheet on the table. Once he smoothed the creases however, his jaw clenched. Letting out an annoyed grunt he scanned the page again, confirming
that he had in fact tore out a picture less leaf.
Rather a text filled one.
"Warren" Xavier's "voice" asked. The said person jumped at being addressed while he was reading……certain details.
"Uh……yes sir?" He choked fumbling around with the paper until he finally tucked in into the nearest book on the coffee table.
"I will expect you to be in uniform and downstairs in ten minutes." Professor Xavier proclaimed then ended the telepathic connection. Warren half sighed and half groaned as he made his way back upstairs to change.
-----------------------------------------
Training in the Danger Room had not gone as he planned. The boys were far too distracted. Their team work was seriously lacking, making Charles wonder if the boys had a fight recently. Cyclops would try to keep his focus but end up snapping at Angel and Beast. Usually when one of the lads attempted to horse around with Iceman.
Once he even got choked up on his words when Angel commented about the last time he saw "Slims'" face that red. Beast had followed Angel around claiming he owed his comrade payback. Iceman was especially quiet during the whole incident, following his orders and reframing from cracking a joke. They had pasted their test but the strange atmosphere had not lifted after the session had ended.
"Now that our grueling task has ended I suggest a trek to Greenwich Village, or perchance Harry's establishment!" Hank proclaimed releasing the headlock he had Warren in.
"I don't think so." Scott replied coldly. Shrugging off the answer Hank threw a companionable arm around their youngest teammate.
"Very well then, I am certain young Robert L. Drake will not find issue with such a voyage to our hearty little dives." The bulkier boy stated giving Bobby a tight one armed hug.
"You mean you wanna go out with me?" The genuine surprise in his companion caught Hank off-guard causing him to frown. They had been friends for awhile, not too long but enough to know one anothers' behavior. Normally the youth would be joking around with him trying to untangle himself from the other. Now he was so……quiet, even a bit reserved. No, this will not
do at all, Hank thought.
"Of course, why wouldn't I want to hang around with my favorite popsicle?" He gave one of his trademark broad grins, delighting in the fact that he had just earned himself a hopeful smile in return.
"Really? You mean you won't rather go alone with Warren?" Bobby asked meekly. Hank frowned again. He wasn't sure what was wrong with his little buddy but he didn't like it. Had he gave the other reason to doubt their friendship? He had been spending a lot of time with the Warren but he never realized it was hurting his friend this much. Though he complained almost as much as Warren about his pal's impish nature Hank wouldn't change it for the world. It was one of the many traits about Bobby that made him so endearing.
"Are you two quarreling?"
"No, I just thought you two won't have time to spend with anyone else……uh……that is……" Bobby paused as if to choose his words carefully then gathering his courage he stared up into his best friends' eyes. "You and Warren have been pretty close lately and……I…I know why that is." He stated bluntly and his friend blanched.
"I'm not saying I think there's anything wrong with it……" Bobby hurried. "……I just wish you two would have thought to tell me about it." He stated trying and failing to hide the hurt in his voice.
Hank for his part was taken aback by his fellow mutant's statement. He knew? How? Not that it really mattered. He never expected his friend to take the news like this. To be shocked? Yes. To be curious? Maybe. To feel hurt for being left out? It had never occurred to him. Warren stood next to them, a great deal away from Scott who was still speaking to their mentor.
"Tell you about it? You're just a kid!" Warren remarked a bit harshly. "Besides Slim would kill us……"
"He's really that much against it?"
"He said it was distasteful." Warren stated with a tiny smirk. "So you have no problem with this?"
"Well I guess it's a little weird but I don't think it's that bad."
Against his better judgment an idea popped into Hank's mind and out his mouth before he could stop it. "Would you like to see it?" Bobby paled.
"See……it?"
"Well I guess you could." Warren grunted then smirked. "It would be nice to have someone else on our side."
"On your……side?"
"So would you like to try it out later today?" The smaller boy shook his head heartily.
"Uh Bobby……are you alright?"
"He's not saying anything Hank……"
----------------------------------------------------
