Chapter 15 (Remy)
I hate being in the medbay. I know that no one at Xavier's is going to experiment on me—not without my consent, anyway—but I still hate it. But if Nori's down here, I'll be with her. Especially when the Brotherhood's around.
Nori and I go inside and find it pretty full. Jean, Scott, Xavier, Hank, and Cecilia are all clustered around, looking at images of brain scans or something projected on a glowing white screen. Pyro and Mystique are leaning against the back wall, looking suspicious and alert.
"Hey, everybody," Nori says softly. Everyone looks up at us.
"Hey, Nori," Jean says. The two women lock eyes. I wish they did not have this connection to each other, but Nori seems to be taking it in stride. She's funny-she gets upset about little things, like animated movies and roadkill, but she often handles major crises with aplomb (as long as she doesn't give herself a panic attack).
"How are you, Jean?"
Jean shrugs. "The usual. Undead."
Nori smiles. "Yeah. Well-shall we?" she asks, nodding at Magneto.
Jean smiles back. "I suppose so."
Nori steps forward and takes Jean's hand. They walk over to Magneto. Mystique takes a few steps closer and watches with her flat yellow eyes. Nori takes Magneto's hand and stands there connecting two of the most dangerous people in the world. She closes her eyes and hums a bit, then falls quiet. From the outside, it looks like nothing is happening. They remain silently connected for maybe half an hour, which feels much longer. Then Jean gasps and gives off a slight glow. The glow stops, and Magneto's eyes flutter open. Nori takes a groggy step back. I come up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Erik?" Xavier asks.
"What happened?" Magneto asks. "Where was I?" He sits up and looks around. "Jean?"
Scott comes over and puts his arm around Jean. I give a little smile at that; both of us instinctively trying to protect our women, though Nori and Jean could probably better handle Magneto than either of us.
"You okay, cher?" I ask softly.
"Yeah," she says. "A little tired. But okay." Pyro looks at her across the room. His expression is difficult to read. If he says anything to hurt Nori, I will send him through a wall. But he's quiet.
I take Nori's arm and guide her over to a chair. She sits without protest, and we watch as Xavier tries to explain to Magneto what's happened, what the Phoenix can do.
"Sinister betrayed us," Mystique says flatly.
"What did you hope to gain from him?" Xavier asks.
"The vaccine. They're going to cure us, Charles. They're going to make us like them."
"Ah. Did you get it?" Xavier asks.
"Yes," Mystique says. "But he only gave us enough to treat five mutants."
"Do you have a sample? Perhaps we could replicate it here," Hank says. Magneto and Mystique look at each other. Hank says, "I assure you, I am just as invested as you are in preventing mutants from being 'cured' against their consent. And Jean and I are both rather skilled scientists ourselves."
"Perhaps you are," Magneto says. "Yes, we could provide you with a sample to study."
"Are you even sure it works?" Hank asks. "Sinister already changed his end of the bargain. What makes you sure he didn't change it altogether?"
"Sinister is a man who puts a high level of value on his level of scientific skill. I think that, for the challenge of it alone, he would correctly engineer the vaccine. But you are correct, we should test it," Magneto concedes.
"It probably does work," Nori says. "I mean, he rewrote my DNA as, like, a home improvement project, but he was super offended when I suggested it wasn't the best idea. But, well, it worked."
Magneto snorts with laughter. The memory of that still makes my face flush with anger, though Nori truly hasn't suffered any ill effects from Sinister's experiment.
Scott says, "Why don't we reconvene tonight and discuss options? Jean, Nori, and Magneto should rest."
Nori nods. I'm sure she's exhausted.
Magneto and Mystique exchange glances. Pyro tries to pretend like he isn't being left out of the decision-making process, and Magneto says, "Yes, we can wait until tonight."
Hank nods. "We'll bring some food down for you all."
Magneto nods in response.
"Let's go, Nori," I say.
"See you later," she says vaguely. She puts an arm around my waist and leans against me. Once we're out in the hallway I put my arms around her and pick her up. "I can walk, Remy," she says.
"I know," I say. "I just like holding you." This is true. I love feeling her soft, warm body in my arms. And while I don't doubt her ability to walk, I know she's pretty worn out. She sighs and positions her arms around my neck. I tip my face forward and kiss her. Another reason I like carrying her: it brings her face closer to mine.
"Get a room, you guys," I hear. I half-turn and see Pyro standing in the hallway. I roll my eyes and don't respond.
"We're on our way there," Nori says mildly. I keep walking. I can't think of anything Pyro could have to say to her that wouldn't be hurtful.
He follows us down the hallway and blurts out, "You saved him."
"Of course," she says. "I told you I'd try."
He keeps following us, and when we reach the elevator, he flicks his lighter anxiously and mumbles, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," she says, giving him a big, surprised smile. In the elevator, she kisses me again. Lord, that woman knows how to use her tongue. Upstairs, I gently set her down on the bed. She pulls me down next to her, and I recognize the look in her eyes.
"Cher," I start, cursing myself for what I'm about to say. "You sure you don't need to rest?" In response, she straddles my lap and kisses me, hard. I feel my cock start to respond beneath her. And why shouldn't it? My lovely wife is on my lap and we haven't been having near as much sex as usual the last month.
"Pretty sure, love," she breathes. She kisses me again. When our lips part, I move my mouth to kiss and suck her earlobes and throat. She's soft against my lips. I get some of her hair caught in my mouth and try to pretend like I don't notice. She laughs gently and unbuttons my shirt, running her hands up and down my chest. She licks and kisses her way down my torso. I lie back and gasp as she undoes my pants and takes me into her mouth. I tangle my fingers in her hair and say, "Christ, cher, feels so good... mon Dieu."
When I'm close to coming, she sits up, licking her lips. She uses her TK to call over a condom, which she hands to me while she shimmies out of her jeans. I slide all the way out of my pants and roll the condom on without complaint. (Nori apologetically told me that she can't take hormonal birth control because it makes her, in her words, "totally fucking crazy." And we're agreed on no kids. Sometimes I feel a little sad about that—once in awhile I imagine us with a pretty baby girl, with Nori's eyes and Nori's smile. But mostly, I know we're right. With the lives we live, we have no business bringing a kid into the world.)
I slide Nori's shirt over her head. She carefully straddles me and slips my cock into her. I suck in a breath. It feels so good. I'm almost always on top, but I love it this way, too. (Let's be honest, there isn't really a sexual position I don't like.) I watch her breasts bounce as she rides me. She makes soft little sounds. I reach up and play with her nipples and the sounds intensify. I murmur to her half-coherently. It doesn't take too long for us both to get close to the edge. I move one hand down to her clit and start teasing it.
She bites her lip and says, "Yes, please, please, a little harder... God, Remy!" She sucks in a breath and shudders out an orgasm. I lift my hips under her and thrust against her faster and come shortly after she does. I lie back and catch my breath. She carefully climbs off of me and lays on her side next to me, gently kissing me. I pull the condom off my softening cock, tie it off, and throw it in the bedside trash can. I lie back down and she curls against my chest.
"Love you," she murmurs.
"Love you too," I say. Still naked, she falls asleep curled against me. I knew she needed to rest. I smile to myself and pull a blanket over us. I'm lying in a pleasant post-sex haze when I hear someone try the doorknob. I'm glad we remembered to lock it, but I assume it's Logan. Anyone else would have knocked, and Logan has a key.
Sure enough, I hear a key turn in the lock and Logan comes in. I wave at him. He sniffs the air, and I know he can tell we just had sex. Well, he would have been invited too, if he hadn't been in such a snit.
Nori stirs but doesn't wake. Logan's face softens when he sees that she's asleep. Logan tries to pretend like he's Monsieur Gruff Loner all the time, but when it comes to Nori he's pretty much a teddy bear. He comes to lie on his side on top of the blanket, one arm over Nori. She snuggles down between us.
"How's she doin'?" Logan asks softly.
"Just fine, mon coeur. And y'self?"
He shakes his head. "Don't know, Remy. Don't like any of this."
Nori gives a sleepy stretch and says, "You don't like anything, Logan."
He gives a startled chuckle. "That ain't true, darlin'."
"Basically," she says, but her tone is gentle.
"Look," Logan says. "This... I think I need to get out of here for a bit."
"I know," Nori says. "But you'd better come back."
He leans forward and kisses her. "You think I could just leave you two behind?"
She makes a contented sound and closes her eyes again. I meet Logan's eyes. I think he would leave us, if he had to. But does he know that he doesn't have to?
"Leave tomorrow, then," I say. "Stay here tonight."
"Yeah. All right," Logan says. "You two goin' to dinner?"
I stroke Nori's hair and say, "Maybe when she wakes up. She's been usin' her powers a lot. Needs to rest." Logan nods in response. "Stay here," I suggest. "We can get leftovers later."
"All right." He lets out a quiet sigh and lies with us.
In her sleep, Nori starts sending out sweet, content projections. No nightmare, at least not right now.
"You think the Phoenix is gonna-?" Logan starts.
I cut him off and say, quietly but sharply, "We'll wake her up if she comes. Otherwise... let her sleep." He nods. We lie together and enjoy the sensation of Nori's dreams.