ViciousAssassin: Yeah, I wanted to show that Rogue is still affected by it and I really wanted Rogue and Kurt to have a closer relationship, the Wanda part was a nice bonus. Glad you liked Fury and the medical ward scene. Well Ororo can be a busy person, and this is over the course of a day anyway and Ororo may be the mother figure for X23 in this.
Uncanny R-Man: Yeah, the Rogue/Kurt/Wanda part was fun to write. No not the green top she usually wears I said T-shirt not long sleeve one with the shoulders showing. Everyone likes the bra part lol. August will have an appearance soon.
Mark C: They all will deal with things easier as times goes on. I'm not sure if Fury will show up or not I didn't have anything more planned with him. Yeah Ororo will kind of be her 'mother figure' for her. You'll see how he helps Amara in this chapter.
Aaron: Yeah, Kurt's face would have been priceless makes you wish you can see some of this stuff. Yep that's how Rogue and Remy usually flirt alright, can't really see them doing it another way. Oh yeah X23 is getting her own 'parental figures' in Logan and Ororo. You'll see more of Slayer bonding with the others later.
KaliAnn: Yeah, I know kind of why I had Vince step in there, although that is how the Remy/Rogue relationship mainly seems to work. And yeah, Storm will definitely have her hands full with X23, lol.
GothikStrawberry: Everyone seems to like that bra part lol. Yeah, their little 'dance' is fun, but not all the time. Glad you liked Emma's scene with Slayer.
Thanks to: Simba317, X00001, KSimonT-X, Coldqueen
AN: Okay apparently everyone is reading WAY too much into Slayer and Amara. They will NOT be a couple in this fic. It would be like one of the students falling for Logan.
Hellfire and Brimstone
CHAPTER 52: HAVING A GOOD OLD TIME
Slayer & Amara
"And…I guess that's how it happened," said Amara as she finally finished telling the long, complicated story of her problems between Sam and Tabitha to the mutant warrior known as Slayer, "And now here I am…Suck in my own world of shit."
Slayer definitely needed a moment for this one. He had gone up against some of the darkest forces imaginable and he had gone toe to toe with Selene…But this…This was almost beyond even his capacity to process. Being torn between loving two people…One a man and one another woman…It was just something he had never encountered before. Fighting demons and dark entities was one thing…But this was another matter altogether.
"That's…Quite a problem, Ms. Aquilla," said the mutant warrior, still trying to process her dilemma.
"You can just call me Amara…" she said in a low tone, "And yeah…I know. It is messed up. It's not something that should have happened…It's not something I should have let myself get tied up in."
"Well I hardly think it was a choice on your part," made Jack, who knew all too well the impact of choices, "You didn't choose to feel the way you did…You didn't have any power over your emotions."
"But these were my best friends for crying out loud!" she exclaimed as more tears formed in her eyes, causing the mutant warrior to rethink his train of thought for a moment, "You're not supposed to fall in love with your best friends…You're not supposed just sit by and let things get out of control. I mean, I'm a princess for crying out loud! How in the hell can I call myself royalty if I can't even control my own emotions?"
Slayer actually found himself chuckle a bit at that last part, because if he had a nickel for every time he dealt with somebody who had problems controlling something like that then he'd be able to buy his own institute.
"Amara…I don't care who you are…You could be the descendent of a Greek goddess yourself…And still, that doesn't mean you'd be able to control your emotions," said Jack, which caused Amara to look at him more seriously and wipe away some of her tears, "Trust me on this one…Power or no power…Princess or no princess…Emotions are a force all their own. It's hard to control them…That's what makes them so powerful. And love…Well, that's one of the hardest."
Amara let out a deep sigh upon hearing that, for it made sense in many ways. But it still didn't help her with her problem.
"It's just that…I keep thinking I made all the wrong decisions in dealing with this," she said, thinking back to all the times she could have done something different with either Sam or Tabitha to avoid where she found herself now.
"Love isn't a decision…" said Slayer in response, managing somewhat of a smile as he tried to explain some of the many things he had learned throughout the course of his short, yet eventful life, "You can't choose who you love. If we could…Then it would be a hell of a lot easier. But then again…It wouldn't be nearly as meaningful. And I doubt it would have you out here crying about something it."
The Nova Roma princess took a moment to think about that. It seemed more logical than anything she had been able to think of in all the time she had been letting this torment her, but still…It didn't change how she felt about Sam and Tabby. They were still a major source of conflict in her heart…And she still harbored feelings for the both of them. But she knew that none of these feelings could ever really lead to anything…Just more heartache. And it was for that reason she found herself at such an impasse.
"So then…What should I do?" she asked as she looked back at the mutant warrior who had gone up against Selene and won.
"That…I can't tell you," said Jack with a sigh, "Just because I have an eye that can see everything doesn't mean I know what the future has in store for you or your friends. Believe me, I wish I knew…But there's only so much I can discern. And besides…It's not my place to tell you how to deal with this…Because from what I can see, you already seem to know."
"I…I do?" she asked, sounding a bit confused.
"Yeah…I can tell," he told her as the mark on his eye glowed a slight yellow color briefly, "Sometimes it just takes a while for the mind to catch up with the heart. I know you'll figure it out…"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" she muttered, still not sounding too optimistic about all this, but feeling a little better none the less, "I just don't know how I'm ever going to be able to look at Tabby and Sam again."
"Well…Look at it this way," said Jack, once again hoping to use a little reason to give what advice he could, "Now that your friends are together and obviously happy, you don't have to worry about coming between them and possibly ruining your friendship with one of them. I mean, they're still your friends…That much you should be thankful for."
"Yeah…I guess you're right," said Amara, finding such words comforting now that she thought about it since it truly did mean she no longer had to worry about being a third heel between them, "But it's just that…I still kind of have feelings for the both of them."
That was the part Slayer couldn't really use logic on, or his all seeing eye for that matter. He had been dealing with hard emotions and feelings for the better part of his life and he knew better than most people how difficult they could be. But he also knew from experience that it was possible to move past them…It was only a matter of being strong enough mentally, which was something he always had problems with. But he could see in Amara a resolve that he couldn't hope to match…And it was through that resolve that he was certain she was going to be okay in the long run. It was just up to her to believe it.
"Well…I think you always will in some ways," said Jack honestly, "But feelings or not, maybe this just means that neither Tabby nor Sam were right for you. Maybe the feelings you have for them were simply feelings…And the one person who you could truly share something more with has simply not come along yet."
"So…Does that mean I'm always going to feel this crappy about it?" she said, not sounding too optimistic about the prospects.
"No…But it will get better with time," assured Jack, "You just have to be patient. Things like this aren't resolved overnight. But trust me…I can see within you that you're plenty strong enough to get past this. You just have to have a little faith…And if possible, talk to Sam and Tabby about it to help put it to rest. After that…Who knows? There's no telling what the future may have in store for you…Or everybody else here for that matter. You just can't be afraid to embrace it when it comes…"
A heavy silence fell over Amara as she thought about the young man's words. He had plenty of good points to make and while it sounded as though he wasn't exactly that experienced in these matters, he still had plenty to say to help her with the complicated situation she found herself in. And knowing that she probably needed some time to think about all this, the mutant warrior got up from where he was sitting and began to make his way back towards the institute.
"Just take some time to think about it…Trust me, it'll come to you," he assured as he began to walk off, "It was nice meeting you Princess Amara."
"Slayer, wait!" she said, stopping him before he got too far, "Thank you…"
That actually got the mutant warrior to smile again, which had to be a record for him since he was so unused to such a gesture. But he still managed to return the sentiment, thinking that maybe he actually could do a little good here after all.
"Don't mention it…As long as I'm here, I might as well make myself useful."
With that said, he made his way back to the mansion, hoping that he had done enough for the obviously conflicted young woman. But if what he could see with his all seeing eye was any indication…He had a feeling that Amara would be just fine.
Rogue, Remy, Kurt, & Wanda
As the evening hours finally fell upon the institute, many chose to simply settle in for an easy night after a long day of recovery from the mission. However, for some, they had a desire to simply get out and get back into the normal world. And after having dealt with the whole Sinister ordeal, there was definitely a strong desire to get away from it all and just have a few moments to themselves.
For Rogue and Remy, they had already been planning to go out on a date, thanks in no small part to Vincent's straightforwardness earlier that morning. However, the whole ordeal had been a true test of their blossoming feelings for one another. When Remy was captured, a huge part of Rogue was concerned for him since he had become such an important part of her life. He nearly died for her on more than one occasion and made no qualms about his attraction to her. Add to that…She genuinely liked being around him and found a great deal of comfort in his presence which she was only now beginning to truly ascertain.
Yet while they eagerly prepared for their date, there were a few others in the mansion that were also planning a little outing of their own…Although it didn't go without the need for a little convincing.
"Come on, Kurt!" said Wanda as she walked with him down the halls arm and arm, trying to coax him into getting out of the mansion for a change, "You can't deny that we both need it…"
"I know, liebe…" said Kurt with a sigh, still reluctant to agree on something like this, "But still…Don't you think it's a bit soon?"
"Hey, now you're just making excuses," she said with a wry grin, "We NEED to get out, Kurt…And you damn well know it. We've been cooped up in here for way too long and if we don't get out soon, we may end up forgetting what the regular world is like. And besides…Isn't a part of being boyfriend and girlfriend going out on dates anyways?"
Kurt couldn't help but laugh a bit at her words, but still…He was a bit weary of going out after everything that had happened and everything they were still trying to deal with. Although a date with his girlfriend sure sounded like a good distraction.
"Vell…You've got me there, Vanda," he said with a grin.
"Damn straight…" she said bluntly as she leaned in closer to him and ran her hands down his fur laden face, "And I know you wanna!"
"Liebe…Come on…You know I'm…"
"Ticklish!" she said as she began to laugh more and more as she playfully ran her hands through Kurt's fur, causing him erupt in a laughter she hadn't heard from him in far too long, "Come on fuzzy! You're making this too easy on me!"
"Vanda…I…Okay! Okay! I give! I give!" he said over the laughter, "You drive a very hard bargain, liebe."
"What can I say?" she said with a casual shrug, "The fur is just too hard to resist."
"And yet the others laugh vhen I tell them zhat chicks dig the fuzzy dude!" he said in an overly dramatic tone.
"Well I'm living proof of that…" she said as they both stopped and she playfully snaked her arms around his neck.
"Zhat you are, liebe…" he said as his hands found their way around her waist.
The young couple just stood there for a brief moment, savoring the playful manner which they seemed to have a knack for bringing in with each other. And when their laughter finally waned enough, they both seemed to come to the same decision.
"So what time do you want to leave for our date?" asked Kurt, prompting yet another smile from his beautiful girlfriend.
"Just give me fifteen minutes and meet me in the foyer!" she said as they reluctantly parted.
"I'll be there!" said Kurt as he retreated to his room to find something to wear.
-Sage -
Sage was just finishing up her makeup in the mirror for her date with Hank. This was to be her first date with him and he was taking her to an opera that was showing in New York. She had to admit, she did love the classical music and it was a refreshing feeling having a chance to enjoy it again…Especially with someone who actually appreciated it.
She was making sure her black lipstick was on straight. She was wearing a beautiful long black dress with a slit on one side to show off her long legs, and it was secured over her left shoulder leaving her right bare. Her hair was done up in a bun with two bangs in the front. She stood up and looked herself over in a full length mirror. All her work had kept her slim, trim, and fit and this dress showed off all her great physical factors. She smiled at herself, hoping to making Hank's day with this dress and she knew he wouldn't be disappointed.
She really wanted this to be a special night for them. Hank had been a great friend to her since she came here, but she also wanted him to be so much more. He was just so fascinating…He was a truly brilliant man and she always did like intelligent men. In fact, it was hard to hold conversations at times when she had been dating because it was tough trying to find someone she would talk or relate to.
Plus, Hank was a very kind and noble man…Someone who deeply cared about others, especially the students here. She saw how he was with them and it was so nice to be around a man like that after her ordeal with the Hellfire Club and other assignments. She had almost forgotten that there were men like him in the world and he was such a lovely man…Yet so lonely.
She could see it in his eyes at times. Because of his change, she knew that he never went out and that wasn't right. Personally, she liked how he looked. She thought he was beautiful in his own special way. She put on her high heel shoes and her purse ready to meet Hank.
Hank, however, was nervous as hell. He was wearing a suit that he had to get made special given his body. He was tempted to make a holowatch for him to wear to give him his old appearance, but Sage had asked him not to. He was tempted to make it anyway since he hadn't been out much since his change. Most of the time, he was in his lab or playing chess with Charles or helping the students with various things, but this was different…He'd hadn't gone out in his natural form that much and usually he wore a trench coat and hat to hide himself.
Sage had told him he had nothing to be ashamed of and should be proud of who he was. And well, it was certainly nice for a very attractive woman to say such things to him, but he still had his own issues with how the world saw him. He knew that not everyone would accept him as he was. But he was glad that Sage did. She was a marvellous woman who had a mind much like his own and it was so refreshing to be able to talk to someone about his interests who not only shared them, but also understood them.
That and she was just so beautiful. Her dark hair and pale skin gave her a very appreciative exotic look…She was everything that he wanted in a woman and more. When he turned blue and furry, he feared that he would never be able to have another relationship again. He hadn't even been on a date in over two years. Even though he put on a good face, deep down he was lonely. He was glad that Kurt had Amanda because it gave him hope that one day he would be just as lucky. When she was forced away, he felt Kurt's pain.
There were times when he was locked in his lab he just sat there in a depressive state. But Sage gave light to his dark and lonely life. She filled a void in his heart that had been gone for way too long. For the first time since he turned blue, he truly felt lucky in life.
He made his way to her room and knocked on the door, nervously fidgeting with his suit. When the door opened his jaw just dropped and he felt like he was having a heart attack. Sage opened her door and looked more beautiful and ravishing then ever. He knew that if there was a perfect image of a woman this had to be it in his eyes.
Sage smiled seeing his expression, for it was just as she hoped it would be. "Well, are you ready Henry?" she asked him, breaking him out of his daze.
"Why, yes…Sage you look…" He couldn't finish…Even with his vast vocabulary, he couldn't tell her just how she looked to him. He doubted that there were enough words for him to use to.
Sage knew that she must look great is Hank couldn't find the words to talk to her. She linked her arm with his and smiled at him. "Well then, let's enjoy the night shall we?"
Hank cleared his throat and nodded, "Y-yes, I would like that very much."
As they walked the halls they didn't noticed Logan or Ororo seeing them from one of the rooms. They had just been talking about X23 and what to do with her as they noticed them walking by. Logan just grunted at the sight.
"About damn time," he said with a humoured grin.
Ororo had to smile at his comment. "The same could be said about us, Logan." He just snorted at her comment, knowing that it was true. Storm looked back at the door and gave a slight smile, "It is good to see them together like that. I know Hank has been a bit lonely lately and Sage really needed a good friend in her life." She remembered how Sage had told her of how her life and been so empty of personal feelings and experiences. It was great seeing her old friend and one of her new ones going out.
She knew that they were just perfect for each other and she silently wished them the best of luck.
The Foyer
After dressed in some semi-formal attire, both Rogue and Remy made their way to the foyer in preparation to depart on their date. After having informed the Professor and gotten the use of one of his cars, they were both ready to go. While this little outing wasn't promising to be nearly as fancy or formal as their first date, hopefully it would be a good time for them to unwind after all the stress the Sinister ordeal had put on them.
"Ya look beautiful cherè," commented Remy as his eyes once again ran up the nice green dress she had chosen for this date.
"Ya don't look so bad yourself, swamp rat," she said coyly in response, not mixing nearly the cynicism she used to use beforehand, "So where do ya wanna go tonight?"
"Well, since Remy picked out most o' de places we went on our first date, why don't you decide this time?" he asked her.
"Hmm…" said Rogue, taking a moment to think about that, "Ah don't know…Ah never was one to go out much, so Ah don't exactly know all the best places."
"Hey, dat's fine by Remy," shrugged the Cajun, "Guess dat mean's well just play whatever hand we're dealt."
"Can't resist the card puns, can ya, Cajun?" said Rogue as she rolled her eyes a bit at his choice of words.
"Hey…Dat's why dey call me Gambit, cherè," he said with a confident grin as they made their way into the foyer.
However, as the young couple entered, they were so lost in their little moment together that they didn't see Kurt and Wanda descending the final stairs together and they literally bumped into one another. It wasn't too big of a shock, but when they both got a look of their attire, it quickly dawned on them what was up.
"Oh…Sorry mien sister," said Kurt as she helped him up, "Ve didn't see you there."
"That's alright Kurt," said Rogue as she took in what he and Wanda were wearing, "Hey…Are you two goin' out or somethin'?"
"Um…Ja," said Kurt as he quickly processed Rogue and Remy's attire, "Ve are. Vanda convinced me that ve needed to get out."
"Yeah, I'm sure she had trouble doin' that…" made Remy with a slight chuckle, which earned him an elbow to the ribs from Rogue…Which was probably more forceful than she intended.
"Very funny, Cajun…" said Wanda, not liking what he was implying since he knew full well that both she and Kurt still had plenty of problems to deal with.
Already, the tension could be felt between them…Which was not atypical given that Kurt had kind of avoided Remy since he got involved with Rogue. While some of this was because he had his own problems to deal with…Other parts were a bit more complicated since a part of him still didn't trust him. And Rogue was quick to pick up on this.
As frustrating as it was, Rogue hadn't let it interfere too much with her growing relationship with Remy…But now that it was getting very serious, a part of her wanted to lay this to rest. Then suddenly, just as they were about to go their separate ways…She got an idea…An idea that sounded kind of crazy given the situation, but an idea nonetheless to help ease the tension…Or possibly make it worse.
"Vell…Have a good time you two," said Kurt, flashing Remy a quick look of warning, as if to say, 'Be careful with my sister pal.'
"Uh…Hey wait!" said Rogue, stopping both Kurt and Wanda turned to make their leave, "You guys wanna double with us?"
"Vhat!" exclaimed Kurt, wondering if he had heard her right.
"Yeah, what?" said Remy, sounding equally surprised.
"Ah said…Do you guys wanna double date with us?" she asked, now feeling as though it sounded a bit off given the predicament.
"A double?" said Wanda, who actually seemed to take it seriously.
"You serious, cherè?" asked Remy, thinking it may not be the best idea to go out on a date with her brother present.
"Of course Ah'm serious, swamp rat," she affirmed, "Ah mean…Why not? We're both goin' out aren't we?"
"Yeah…You're right," said Wanda, growing a bit more enthusiastic about it as she smiled back at Rogue for her idea, knowing full well the other reasons behind it, "I think it sounds like fun. Don't you, Kurt?"
"Fun? But…" he began, however, before he could argue, Wanda gave him somewhat of a puppy eyed face…The face she knew he had a hard time resisting.
Rogue seemed to do the same for Remy, who seemed equally reluctant, but managed to win him over in an equally effective manner.
"Please Kurt?" said Wanda, sounding a little more playful in an effort to loosen him up, "I mean, the more the merrier right?"
Kurt simply looked back at Remy, not knowing what to think or say given that he hadn't had a lot of time to learn about the depths of his involvement with his sister. While he didn't doubt that he truly did have feelings for her after everything he helped them with after the first Hellfire kidnapping, there were still plenty of old feelings that he had yet to resolve. Remy had similar issues, having not had a lot of time to really talk with Kurt about his relationship with Rogue and in the eyes of Rogue and Wanda, there was no time like the present.
"Vell…Are you sure?" asked Kurt, who was simply stalling now.
"Trust me, fuzzy…I'm sure," said Wanda with a grin as she flashed Rogue a slight wink.
"Then I guess it couldn't hurt," said Kurt, although he could have probably argued the point.
"Great! And what about you, Cajun?" said Rogue, now turning the pressure onto him.
"Well…Guess Remy's outvoted on dis one," he said grudgingly, not knowing how good or bad the night would go because of this.
"Okay then! We're all in agreement," said Wanda a she took her boyfriend's arm and Rogue took Remy's, "In that case…Let's get out of here and try to have a good time!"
Not able to argue otherwise…Neither Kurt nor Remy could fight against the will of their girlfriends, hoping that this wasn't a mistake.
-Living Room-
Scott, Vincent, and a few of the others were in the living room just relaxing for the moment. "So what did you guys do?" Vince asked Scott as they talked about some of the 'good old days' before things got all crazy.
"Well, we pretty much got out of there as fast as we could," Scott was telling him about their escape from Area 51, "But then when Mystique was the last one out, I shut this grate and told her to tell us where the Professor was. She didn't and I closed the top, leaving her behind and to be arrested."
Vince smiled at that, "Good one. From what I heard, she's not exactly a nice lady."
"Oh trust me, she's not," Scott told him in a sour voice. He still had issues with that woman, like leaving him to die in the desert.
Just then Warren walked in with his wings somewhat strapped down against his back. He had to be like that until they healed properly. "Hey Warren, pull up a chair." Warren nodded his thanks to Scott and took a chair at their table and turned it around so he leaned his body against the back of it on his chest. It was easier on his wings that way. "So how are the wings holding up?"
He sighed, "Well they're feeling a bit better, but I hate being grounded. I'm just so used to flying, and now that I can't, it's a bit hard to get used to it."
"I'm sure Betsy is doing all that she can to make you more comfortable through this," Vince said with a grin on his face.
Warren smiled and nodded, "Yeah you can say that." Truth was Betsy seemed to enjoy playing 'nurse' to him. Well that and she said she was getting a real uniform for a little 'play time' as she called it. Although Betsy in his eyes made anything she wore sexy, that did had a certain appeal to him.
"Yeah, it's definitely nice to have the women in our lives that we have…I know I am," Vincent said in uttermost serious tone. "If I had lost Emma…I…I could have died inside." It was hard to him to think about that. He didn't want to lose her, for she was the most important person in his life now and he never wanted to lose her.
Scott nodded in sympathy. He remembered when Jean had been taken right before his eyes on the campus. That seemed almost a lifetime ago at times, but it hadn't been that long actually. "I know what you mean…When I nearly lost Jean I had lost myself for a bit there. I'm just not complete without her."
The other two men could only agree with that. They all felt a strong connection to the loves in their lives. They all loved them for a different reason, but that didn't mean they loved them any less. While in the room, a few of the boys were playing on a game system…All except Jamie, who for some strange reason lately he had been drifting off, but with a strange smile on his face.
Jamie of course was thinking of Rahne. She had been running around in his head a lot after they had their first kiss together. He thought about that kiss since they had done it, and he really wanted to be able to treat Rahne right…But this was his first relationship, his first girlfriend, and he had no clue what to do.
While Jamie was thinking this over, Piotr came in for a little rest and relaxation. Kitty was off with Betsy, Jean, and Emma for what she called 'girl time.' He wasn't sure what that meant, but he was glad that she was being accepted with the older girls. Being the youngest female on the X-Men team he knew she felt a little out of place at times…Especially with Betsy and Emma on the team now. He found the older boys knowing that Remy was on another date with Rogue and joined them.
"Hey Peter how are things?" Warren asked.
"Much better then a few days back," he replied and they all nodded, "So what were you all talking about?"
"Girlfriends," Vince told him.
"Yeah how are things with you and Kitty?" Scott asked him. At first he was surprised when they started dating, but even though Piotr was a few years older then Kitty, he knew him to be an honourable man and very decent…Much better then Lance in his opinion.
Peter blushed at the mention of his relationship with Kitty and what had happened. "Da things are going great…I really love her."
That got Vince's attention. "Love? Wow, major step saying that…I would know."
"Da, I know. But I do, I'm in love with Kitty Pryde and I just told her that." Now the two other men got interested in this.
Warren had a grin on his face, "Yeah Betsy told me that she kept getting these 'vibes' off you. Plus, all those times you draw her and have her model for you would I'm not surprised."
"Yeah, you two have been doing that a lot lately," Scott agreed.
Piotr blushed even more. He loved having her as his subject matter and his personal muse in his works. "Da, she is just so beautiful, I want to capture that beauty for all time."
"Yeah I bet…Say…You haven't done any of the more 'interesting' things?" Warren asked him, but seeing the look on his face he decided to elaborate, "What I mean is have you two done any nude modeling."
"Warren!" Piotr said shocked and so was Scott and Vince, but they were both interested in the answer. Scott cause Kitty was like a little sister to him at times and Vince just cause he was interesting in knowing.
"What? There are plenty of nude painting and drawings that are art. I'm not saying anything erotic just real artistic and tasteful painting."
Piotr knew that in art, the nude form was just an expression and nothing was wrong with it. But it was different then Kitty being naked. True, he had a few fantasies about her, but that was another matter. "It's…Too soon for anything like that. I want to enjoy our relationship more before we take any kind of step like that."
"Well that's good," Scott muttered, for he really didn't want to think about Kitty and Piotr like that. Sure Kitty was old enough to make her own decisions, but that didn't mean he wanted to know that stuff about their relationship.
As they continued talking, Jamie heard some of what they were talking about and he thought that if anyone would know about relationships, the older boys would know and at least give him decent advice. He just wasn't sure how to approach them, after about ten minutes he got the courage to go up to them. "Um…Guys…Can I ask you something?"
They all turned to the youngest student there, "What is it Jamie?" Vince asked him, since he had come to kind of liked Jamie. He was like the little brother he never had really.
"Well…I need help," He began feeling a little intimidated with the four of them looking at him so he took a breath, "See…I just started seeing a girl."
"Oh? Anyone we know?" Vince asked him with a small smile.
"It's Rahne."
"Really?" Scott was surprised by that, "When did this happen?"
He told them all about the infirmary and how they just kissed at one point, "So what I need is advice, I mean what do I go about having a girlfriend?"
"Seems to me that you got the major thing out of the way with the kissing," Vince told him.
Jamie blushed, "Well yeah, but I mean after that. Where do I take her for dates and stuff?"
Warren gestured to an empty chair, "Sit down little man and we'll tell you what we know." Jamie did so hoping to get a good idea. They all started to tell him different things like to listen to her, places they should go, and more personal things like how to make dates special and romantic tips. At one point Jamie was thinking of taking notes to help him out, but he was glad to get the help. He might need it and he wanted to impress Rahne and keep her happy.
The Double Date
The car ride to the restaurant was a lot more awkward than either couple would have liked it to be. For the most part, the two couples only conversed one way, as if to try and ignore the fact they were on a double date. Both Wanda and Rogue tried to get the two boys talking, but their stubbornness persisted all throughout the drive and they kept avoiding the matter as if it were the plague.
The longer it went on, the more weary Wanda and Rogue became of their suggestion to do this in the first place…But nevertheless, they stuck with it as they arrived at a nice little diner that wasn't too fancy, but not at all too informal either. The awkwardness persisted even after they sat down and ordered their drinks…But neither Rogue nor Wanda would have that as they quickly realized what they would have to do if they were to make this night enjoyable.
"Uh…Hey Rogue, did you bring any extra mascara?" said Wanda, breaking yet another silence that had fallen over the group, "I think mine got messed up by the wind."
"That's what happens when ya buy the cheap stuff, sugah," made Rogue as she took out her makeup case, "Come on…I'll help fix it up."
"Uh…Do you really need help, liebe?" asked Kurt, weary of being left alone with the Cajun in a situation like this.
"Relax Kurt…It's a girl thing," assured Wanda as both she and Rogue got up, "Come on Rogue, let's get it done before the food gets here."
"Right behind ya!" she said as she followed Wanda to the ladies room.
Then, as soon as they were out of range for the boys to hear, they began to whisper.
"That was real smooth, Wanda…" commented Rogue.
"Hey, we've got to get them talking somehow," said Wanda, "The quicker we get this out of the way, the better."
"No argument here," said Rogue with a slight chuckle, "But somethin' tells me it's gonna take a lot of effort on our part."
"Yeah…I know," said Wanda with a sigh, "But…The sooner we get it out of the way, the better. I just hope we can manage to get those two on good terms with each other before the next ice age."
"Me too, sugah…" she said, "Ah really want Kurt to at least approve of me bein' with Remy."
"Yeah…It sure would make things easier and give us one less thing to worry about," said Wanda, "But…What about us?"
"Huh? What do you mean, us?" asked Rogue, not knowing what she meant.
"Well…Are you okay with me and Kurt being…You know?" she said, letting Rogue fill in the blanks.
"Hey, trust me, sugah…It's okay," assured Rogue, "Granted Ah was a bit conflicted at first…But Ah can tell you two are crazy about each other. And from what Ah saw earlier…It seems yer both gettin' pretty serious."
"Yeah, well…" said Wanda, who couldn't help but blush a bit, "We're not quite at that stage yet."
"Ah know…Believe me, Ah know," she said with a look on her face that left no room for argument as they disappeared into the ladies room, leaving Kurt and Remy to their own devices.
Back at the table, the awkwardness hadn't been broken even as a result of Rogue and Wanda's little departure. But it was quickly become clear to the two young men just what their intensions were. And as much as they hated to admit it, they were somewhat justified and the silence between them was proof enough of that.
"Ya think de girls planned for us to end up like this?" asked Remy, finally breaking the silence.
"Can't say I vouldn't be surprised," said Kurt, knowing it was probably true.
"Yeah…But what do dey expect us to do? Just up an' bond like dat?" he said, snapping his fingers to emphasize the point.
"Vhy do they vant us to bond anyhow?" wondered Kurt as he took a sip of his drink.
"Oh, I don't know…Probably because Remy be datin' your sister and he hasn't really been talkin' much to ya about it," said Remy logically, which somewhat annoyed Kurt.
"Vell I don't see vhat there is to talk about…" reasoned Kurt, who simply wanted to put it to rest, "You're involved vith my sister…And there's nothing I can do about that."
"Hey, Dat ain't it and you know it, homme," argued Remy, growing tired of this stubbornness, "Yes…Remy is involved wit your sister. And yes…I really do like her…A lot."
"Then I guess that's all that matters," said Kurt, knowing he couldn't change that no matter how anxious it made him at times.
Remy was just about at wits end as he rubbed his temples in frustration at the young man's innate stubbornness. And it was times like this when he really noticed just how much he and Rogue were alike even if they weren't related by blood. But that certainly didn't make things any easier.
"So den why is it ya don't seem to think too much of it?" he asked, wanting a straight answer to lay this matter to rest.
Kurt took a deep breath as he prepared to at least try and explain the complicated nature of why this was still an issue for him. He didn't want to have to go through with it, but he felt as though it was probably a good idea to get it out of the way.
"It's just that…Rogue is my only real family," explained Kurt, making sure he got that point across, "She and I…Ve've been through a lot together since ve found out ve vere siblings. And then there's vhat happened vith the Hellfire Club…For both of us. That I'm sure you remember…"
"Trust me homme…Dat ain't somethin' that's easy to forget," said Remy, shuttering a bit at the memory.
"Then you can probably understand vhy I'm a bit…Uncomfortable vith the knowledge of Rogue growing so close to someone," he said, staring at his hands as he reflected on everything he had seen her go through, "It has nothing to do vith you…Really man. It's just…"
"Yeah, I know…Rogue," finished Remy, who was finally starting to understand, "And believe me, homme…Remy understands. Family is important…Especially when ya ain't got much left. But at least ya have a family, homme…And a damn good one at dat."
"Vhy? Vhat about your family?" inquired Kurt, all the sudden finding himself curious.
"Well…Like you, Remy was adopted too," he said, which was somewhat of a shock for Kurt to say the least, "And ya shouldn't be surprised to know dat dey're all thieves in some form or another…Dat's why Remy was a thief. But what made Remy different was dat he wanted to get away from dat life…And dat's why he came here."
"So you just picked up and left your family behind?" said Kurt, not thinking that was a very noble path to go even if they were thieves.
"Other way around, homme…Dey pretty much left Remy behind," he said, his tone growing more distant, "I might as well be dead to them…Because if I ain't a thief…I ain't nothing in their eyes."
"Oh…" said Kurt, now sounding a bit sheepish about what he had implied, "Sorry."
"Don't mention it homme…" assured Remy, managing somewhat of a smile, "Now dat I'm wit de X-men, things are much less complicated for Remy. No more duckin' de police, scopin' out targets, or dealing card tricks in de streets for chump change…It's different, but it's a hell of a step up."
"Definitely…" said Kurt, who actually returned his smile.
"So what about you homme?" asked Remy, now of the sudden finding himself curious about the younger man across from him, "What's you're adopted family like?"
"Vell…Not as exciting as yours probably," made Kurt with a slight chuckle, "My foster parents raised me on a farm."
"A farm?" said the Cajun, not expecting for someone like him to be raised in a place like that, "Remy ain't never been to a real farm."
"Oh man…You don't know vhat you're missing!"
And from there, the two men continued to talk, quickly forgetting about the awkwardness that had hung so strongly over them earlier.
They soon became so engrossed in their conversation that the girls were temporarily stunned to see that they hadn't glared each other to death. They thought it was going to take some real effort on their part…But now it looked as though such effort wouldn't be needed.
"Wow…Would ya look at that…" said Rogue, shaking her head and grinning widely at what she saw.
"I know…" said Wanda in full agreement, "So much for a quiet evening."
"Why's that, sugah?" asked Rogue as she turned back to her friend.
"Because contrary to popular belief…Once a couple of guys start talking…It's hard to shut them up."
Later That Night
As Wanda had predicted, once things between Kurt and Remy eased, they had plenty to talk about. And for the rest of the date, there was hardly a moment of silence between them. It almost made up for all the early awkwardness. Eventually, the girls joined in the fun as well and good times were had by all for the rest of the date.
After eating their meal, the two couples found themselves simply walking down the streets of Bayville, occasionally stopping here and there when they saw something worth taking note of in the windows of a few certain stores…Mainly those that tailored to Rogue and Wanda's unique style. But after a while, the crowds of the streets became too cumbersome and they decided to take a nice walk through the park to end the night.
While at first, they had all been a bit weary about a double date together…But now as they all stood around each other as if they were old friends, it was a choice they were glad they had made. The lingering shadow of what happened with Sinister seemed to melt away for the night as they talked and laughed their way back to the mansion…Feeling glad they had done something like this, for it had truly set many things to rest that had been long overdue for the both of them.
"Well, this sure was a hell of a night…" commented Wanda as they all reentered the mansion at around midnight.
"Damn straight sugah!" said Rogue in agreement, "This is just what we all needed!"
"Tell me about it," said Kurt, glad to finally have something to get his mind off all the haunting memories that still lingered in his mind about everything that had happened, "Dare I say…Ve should try this again sometime."
"Hey, Remy's game if y'all are too," said the Cajun, still surprised that this night had gone as well as it did, given the circumstances.
"Then ve'll definitely try to vork something out," said Kurt as he then turned to face the Cajun mutant, "Remy…I never thought I'd say this…But I'm glad you're vith my sister."
"Comin' from you…Dat means de world to me, homme," said Gambit with a grin as he shook the fuzzy mutant's hand, "And don't worry…She's in good hands."
"Yeah, yeah…Always gotta be the cocky one, don't ya swamp rat?" commented Rogue in a playful tone as she laced her arm with that of her Cajun boyfriend.
"Would you have me any other way, cherè?" he said in response, flashing her a winning smile.
"Oh yeah…You're going to definitely need to keep this guy on a leash, Rogue," said Wanda in a joking tone.
"Hey…Remy don't mind," said the Cajun, his ever present confidence not waning as he snaked his arm around Rogue's waist, "Besides…Even us confident hommes need a little balance here and dere. And what better way den a beautiful femme?"
"Truer vords vere never spoken mien friend," said Kurt in full agreement as they all let out a round of laughter.
"Amen, Cajun…" said Rogue as she planted a little kiss upon her boyfriend's cheek as the two couples prepared to head off to their separate rooms, "You two behave now, ya hear? Thanks again for a fun night."
"Likewise, Rogue…" said Wanda, glad they had chosen to do this as she and Kurt went off arm and arm back towards their rooms, "Take it easy you two!"
"Ja, good night!" said Kurt with one final wave as Rogue and Remy retreated to their end as well, "Sleep tight! And don't let ze swamp rats bite!"
"Good advice Kurt…" said Rogue, who couldn't help but laugh at that as she tightened her hold on Remy's arm, "But some swamp rats…Are just a too dang tricky to avoid."
"You got dat right, cherè…We are a very…Persistant…Breed," he said as his face slowly drifted towards hers until they met in one last passionate kiss, capping off a truly eventful night.
It had been a truly unexpected night for all of them…Yet it had all turned out so well in the end. And maybe…Just maybe…What they had developed on this night could help them all in some ways with the problems they all still faced in their lives.
-Sage and Hank-
It was very late and Hank and Sage were returning home from the Opera and a late dinner. Of course Hank had gotten some stares and some uncalled for attitude, but her telepathy helped to put an end to that. She just made everyone either 'not see them' or to just 'forget' about them. She wanted them to enjoy the night and besides that she really did. The opera was lovely and it had been so long since she had gone to one…Months in fact. When she had a few days off at the Club she had gone to the Opera to escape her life there for a time. It was one of the ways she had managed to keep her sanity doing that job.
It had been years for Hank and he too missed it. Sure he had CDs of various performances and live recordings, but it wasn't as good as seeing it in person. After that, they had gone to dinner. Sage again made sure they were treated as if regular people, but it had been a strain on her mind and they called it a night after that. He wished they could just go out like a normal couple and he truly was thinking of getting a holowatch to wear next time just to make it easier on her. But Sage still had a lovely time.
They talked and laughed as Hank walked her to her door. This had certainly been a very refreshing and great night for him. They made it to her door and he guessed this was it, "Well it had truly been a wonderful night Sage. I wish to do this again."
She smiled sweetly at him. "So would I…But who said that this had to end?" she looked at him with a slightly lustful look that Hank hadn't seen in a very long time and he gulped down feeling very nervous.
"Uh…Are…Are you sure…I…I mean…" he stammered trying to say something.
She just grabbed his hand and led him into her room, "Henry we're adults…And I hope you don't think me too forward because of this, but I really do like you. And if we're to be honest…I haven't been with a real man in TOO long a time. How long has it been for you since you've been with a woman?"
"Too long…" he simply said to her.
She led him to the bed and sat him down, "Yeah and there's nothing wrong with two adult just wanting to be close and find pleasure and release with each other right?"
"Uh…Well…Not really I mean…We are consenting adults and I do care for you Sage…" Henry wasn't sure what to think about this.
Sage just smiled and kissed his mouth. "I'm going to change into something more comfortable…Why don't you do that same, Henry? And thank you, I care for you too…" She placed a hand on his cheek. "You are just so very precious."
Hank watched her walked to a dresser and took something. She then disappeared into her bathroom and closed the door. He wasn't sure what to do now. It had been so long that a part of him ached for the intimate touch of a woman, but how could she want to make love to someone that looked like him? He took off his jacket and loosened his tie. He was thinking about leaving, but that might send the wrong message and hurt her.
But before he came to a decision the door opened and Sage came out in a black robe that was open and she had on a matching nighty that just ended at her thighs. 'Oh my god,' Hank thought, seeing her like that and her lovely legs in full view and her long dark hair was free of her bun and part of it covering her face. She walked up to him swaying her hips and straddled his waist and looped her arms around his neck.
"Do you like?"
Hank only nodded as he couldn't form any words. She kissed him deeply as he ran his hands over her back feeling the silk material. Sage while kissing him trailed her hands down and started to unbutton his shirt and slid it off of him. She felt his strong chest and abs, finding that he was naturally very well built. Hank took off her robe and trailed kissed on her exposed neck and shoulder.
"Oh Henry," she moaned as she undid his belt. He reached to her front and cupped her breasts causing another moan to escape her mouth as he bent forward and sucked one with his mouth through the fabric, he pulled back after a moment.
"What do you have under this?" He asked her.
"Absolutely nothing…" she breathed out in a husky and heavy tone. He grinned as they continued to fondle and caress each other. She got off him and helped him out of his shoes and pants. Hank laid on the bed as she got on top of him again and rubbed her crotch against his, feeling his growing hardness. After some teasing, she pulled his boxers off and she gasped at the size of him. "Oh my god…Where you like this before…Or after your change?"
"Uh…Well…After my mutation all my physical abilities were enhanced," be was a bit bashful about it.
"Well then at least you got something out of it that you can't complain about." She had been wondering about some 'aspects' of Hank's mutation and if all his body had been changed and it looked like he had been, she was afraid that he might not fit inside of her, but she was sure going to try.
After a little more foreplay to get them both ready, she slowly sat over him, gently placed him inside of her. "Oh god Hank!" she moaned out as she managed to fit him entirely inside of her. After letting herself get used to him, she started moving. Hank held her hips and caressed her thighs as she rode him. They both started to moan and groan as they made slow motion love making to each other. Hank eventually slowly took the straps on her shoulders down and slide her garment down to her waist to get his first sight as her impressive breasts as they pounced with her. He gently took them in his massive hand and they continued on until they reached their peak.
They took a moment to catch their breaths but then they started up again only this time it was a more intense sex, it was more powerful and passionate and Sage fell on top of Hank riding out her last orgasm covering in sweat and panting. "Oh God Hank…You really are a beast are least in bed."
"I'm…Sorry if I got carried away…At times my less then noble nature take over." He looked down at her, "I wasn't too rough was it? I didn't hurt you?" he said, for this was one of the reasons he was afraid to try this. He hadn't had sex since he changed and that his more animal instincts would be too hard to control and he might hurt her.
"Oh no…Trust me Hank, that round lovemaking at the start was all tender and just what I needed," she told him with a huge smile and making lazy circles on his chest, "Besides…I like it rough at times too." She leaned up a bit and kissed him. "Tonight was wonderful Henry…It really was…Thank you." She said hugged him close.
Hank hugged her back, "My dear, you are a godsend…An angel sent to my dark life to give it life and light. It is I who should be thanking you." He kissed her forehead and she smiled, for he was just so warm and comfortable. Soon the two lovers drifted off to a peaceful sleep in each other's arms. Both felt that they were lucky to have the other and that this was only the beginning of their lives together.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 53: FAMILY ISSUES PART 1