Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men or any of the characters or this would have probably happened in the comics
Chapter Two Summary: In which Jean Paul begins to doubt his sanity, Beast thinks he knows what's going on and Bobby goes for a trip.
A/N: I am English so I use the English spellings of words, sorry for any confusion! And apologies for any mistakes with the French, it's been 8 years since I dropped French in favour of Spanish.
Chapter Two
Jean Paul had spent a terrible night struggling to sleep and by 6am he'd decided there was no use in lying there any longer.
He'd spent more than half the night trying to make sense of the conversation he'd overheard. Time and again he'd go through a cycle of getting his hopes up before pessimistically crushing them again and when he did finally sleep it's wasn't for long and it wasn't restful. He dreamt Bobby Drake constantly. They were the kind of dreams that had him waking up sweaty, breathless and lustful, and it was driving him half mad.
Needing a diversion from his own mind, he decided to go for a run. A nice and normal human run to try to focus his pent up energy and desires into something productive. So that at least when he next saw Bobby, he wouldn't have the uncontrollable desire to jump him. Well, no more than usual at least.
He made his way down to the locker rooms that the staff and various x-teams shared and quickly changed into his sweats. As he changed he was very much glad that he was the only one awake at this time; he wasn't dense and knew that at least some of the men where uncomfortable to change in his presence and such ridiculous behaviour always put him on edge. Considering the previous night's festivities though, he doubted many would be leaving their rooms before midday which suited him just fine.
Already feeling his mood improving, he headed out into the huge garden. He'd decided to jog around the grounds since it was more than big enough and it simply an easier option. He still wasn't 100% familiar with the surrounding area, not enough to go running early in the morning anyway. He didn't want to suffer the humiliation of having to call the mansion and tell them that he was lost.
As he began to jog, he found a solace in the rhythm of it. He focused on the pounding of his feet on the ground and the steady inhale and exhale of his breathing. It all helped him to just shut his brain off and he felt truly at peace as he ran laps around his invented pathway. It felt good to simply run in a 'normal' way instead of using his powers, it was almost therapeutic.
The in-peace didn't last long. In fact it lasted only until he re-entered the men's locker room and found he wasn't the only one who'd decided that an early morning work out was in order. Several other men were in there, all grumbling about Scott. Apparently he'd phoned from the field trip to ensure that they were still doing Danger Room sessions without him. From the grumbles, Jean Paul also quickly ascertained that threats and blackmail had been made and all who were present where the ones that had been able to regain consciousness after last night.
It was a motley crew assembled before him, there were faces from all of the teams present and some of whom Jean Paul wasn't even certain he'd met before. That was to be expected, he supposed. The mansion was large and it was easy to avoid people when one had a desire to do so and if people weren't in his class or on his team, he had very little need to interact with them anyway.
Most the men seemed to be fresh from the shower and were in varying states of undress but Jean Paul inevitably noticed Bobby first. The younger man was staring into his own locker, still in his ice form and looking distinctively uncomfortable. This struck Jean Paul as decidedly odd; Bobby had after all been in the X-men from a very young age and so had never phased by any of the aspects of life here in the mansion, including the locker room. Why would it be, therefore, that he was now so clearly uncomfortable with it? He felt a touch of relief that he at least he knew he wasn't to blame for the tension: Robert hadn't even noticed him enter the room. Worthington had though and was already hurriedly redressing as though scared that Jean Paul might attempt to molest him at any moment.
"Relax, Worthington. I'll never lower my standards enough to find you attractive." Jean Paul reassured him with a scorn in his voice, causing a nearby brunette man with heavy stubble to snicker. Their eyes met and the other man nodded a greeting of sorts to him, amusement evident on his face. Jean Paul nodded in response but moved one without words since he couldn't actually remember the other man's name and didn't particularly care because Robert was in the room and therefore had his undivided attention. Whether he wanted to it or not.
He made his way over not really knowing what he was doing, after all he and Robert weren't exactly close but after last night he was beginning to wonder if perhaps this was why Xavier asked him to come to the school. Xavier had hinted that there were some gay or at least sexually confused mutants in the school who may need Jean Paul's guidance, perhaps it was Bobby that he had had in mind. Though even as he thought it, he doubted that logic. It was just too perfect for him if Bobby was the one. And life was never that easy or perfect. Still, it didn't hurt to speak with Robert, he decided, even if he didn't do anything more than chat.
"Hey Iceman, gonna bother to shower or just stink up the place?" One of the guys asks jovially as he sprays himself with deodorant.
"Is it even possible to sweat when in ice form?" Someone else asks, initiating a discussion between the pair and they turned away to their lockers without seeming to notice Bobby's lack of response: no answer, sarcasm or even bad jokes. Nothing.
"Bonjour, Robert." Jean Paul said softly, mostly to discourage eavesdroppers though no one seemed that interested, most were making loud grumbles about wanting breakfast and/or their beds and utterly uninterested in Northstar's conversations.
Bobby looked up with evident surprise on his face followed by a flicker of confusion. "You, eh, weren't in the Danger Room...were you?"
Jean Paul was slightly taken back by the odd way Bobby deemed to greet him "No...I've been working out." He said slowly, looking at Bobby in concern as he wondered what exactly he'd been drinking last night.
Bobby's expression immediate cleared and he smile a little "Thank God, I thought I was really losing it there. Danger Room on zero sleep really fries the brain." He turned a little more to face Jean Paul fully, his body language seemed a little more relaxed and welcoming."So, why are you up so early if Scott's not blackmailing your ass?"
"Couldn't sleep, went for a run." Jean Paul shrugged as he wondered internally how he should direct this conversation. He wasn't good at the opening up and getting to know someone thing or particularly good at getting others to do it. "Is that an acceptable enough reason to you, Otterpop?"
"I suppose I'll let it pass just this once," Bobby had a small smirk on his lips. Not a real smile but enough to make Jean Paul more aware of his heart pounding. "But you do realize that going for a run is kinda cheating when you're a speedster."
"And what would you deem appropriate exercise for a 'speedster'?" Jean Paul propped his arm up against closed doors of lockers, leaning in a little as he matched Bobby's smirk. If he forgot his inner turmoil, if he forgot his wonderings about Cloud, and just eased himself into the natural banter he and Bobby had always enjoyed then he could at least get through the conversation in one piece without losing his head and doing something foolish.
"Slogging it in the Danger Room with the rest of us mere mortals." Bobby replied with a jokey tone as Jean Paul tried to ignore the fascinating way that his ice form glistened under the lights. Usually he only saw Bobby in this form during a mission or battle, he'd never really had the opportunity to simply appreciate the raw beauty of Bobby in ice form. "We've never done anything in this combination before," He gestured to the other men in the room, many of whom were dressed and leaving in small groups. "so the whole thing was a bit of a disaster. Could've really used you in there actually."
"Considering how often I've had to save your ass lately, I'd be inclined to agree." Jean Paul replied, not exactly nastily but there was a definite edge to his voice that he hadn't quite intended. He was just trying to focus on not obviously flirting in the locker room, not to mention ignore the near constant stream of x-rated thoughts currently filling his brain.
"Well, I've had a lot on my mind lately." A sudden darkness passed over the Iceman's face before he smirked once more. "Or maybe you just bring out the distressed damsel in me?"
"I sincerely hope not since I was hoping you would join me for dinner tonight and don't plan on having to fend off any more homicidal husbands from you." He said dryly before reviewing what he'd said and freezing.
He hadn't meant to say any of that, it had just sort of come out and now he couldn't take it back. Bobby was staring at him with a quizzical look as Jean Paul realised it had probably sounded like he was asking the other man out on a date which was far too forward a move when he wasn't even certain that Bobby would ever want to date another man.
"I usually go out with Annie but I have the feeling she'll be having her time monopolised by a certain someone for the time being and dining alone is really rather pitiful." He hastily provided by way of an explanation and a moment later Bobby was half-smiling again. It was fast becoming one of Jean Paul's dearest desires to see Bobby fully and truly smile again and to be the one who'd caused it.
"Yeah, sounds good to me. I'll be your new Annie." He agreed, nodding a little causing the light to reflect and prism through his head. "Though I can't guarantee I'll look half as good in that uniform as she does."
Jean Paul somehow managed to smile at that comment, though his mind was still in a state of panic. After last night he could barely stand to think about Bobby for too long a time without getting all worked up so how would he be able to spend an entire dinner alone with him and not do something idiotic?
With his mind going crazy, chastising him for his foolishness and recklessness, he somehow managed to continue the conversation with Bobby enough to agree upon a meeting time and place.
Conversation over and locker room empty, Bobby then turned his back on Jean Paul before beginning to slowly return to flesh form. The Canadian quickly whipped around and hurried to his locker, feeling his cheeks flush warm as he did so.
Deciding that the communal showers were a very bad idea right now, he changed out of his sweats and managed to let out a hurried "See you later!" to the younger man before leaving as fast as he could.
Mere seconds later, he was locking himself into his en suite bathroom for a very cold shower indeed.
He sat at his desk, pretending to himself that he was grading papers for several hours that morning. In reality he was re-reading the same two sentences at the beginning of Julian's half-assed essay before inevitably interrupting himself. He'd switch from trying to decide what he was to do about Bobby and how to get to know him better, to mentally berating himself for stupidly setting himself up for a fall, to obsessively trying to glean new meaning from last night's overheard conversation before trying to read the paper once again. The cycle itself was maddening and as it was slowly becoming interjected with far more x-rated thoughts, he could see there was no point in continuing the charade of grading any longer.
He stood and stretched as he tried to decide the best course of action to take. His mind's initial suggestion was not helpful at all: it conjured up an intoxicating image of Robert, silk scarves and chocolate sauce. He wasn't even particularly keen on chocolate sauce, he mused as he shook the images from his mind. He needed a practical solution, something that would at least detract from the merry-go-round of Robert related thoughts currently over taking his brain.
Checking his reflection for a moment, he felt satisfied that his appearance was satisfactory and at least his cheeks weren't flushed. There was no outward signals at all that his mind was still giving him random exerts from an x-rated movie starring himself and Bobby Drake. Just so long as he didn't run into Bobby, he might be able to make it the the kitchen without any more outbursts of stupidity. From there he'd just have to figure out what to do next; it wasn't much of a plan but it was a start. Perhaps if Annie could remove herself from Alex Summers' for a few moments he could talk to her since he desperately needed an external opinion on this or perhaps she had the full story on this Cloud person, perhaps that's why she's been so optimistic all along.
He reached the kitchen without running into anyone, ordinarily it would be quite a feat though today he was sure it meant they were all still recovering.
On entering the kitchen his first goal was to put on a pot of coffee; he couldn't abide the instant stuff that many of the other residents were happy to drink. He'd decided long ago that, clearly, he had a superior palate to them. But then, the sheer amount of junk food that some of them ate was also proof of that.
As the smell of coffee filled the room and his nostrils, the growl of his stomach suddenly alerted him to the fact that he foolishly had not eaten yet that day. Usually he would have realised sooner, his fast metabolism be such that he had to eat fairly often but today his thoughts had been elsewhere, he supposed.
It was all Drake's fault, he decided as he made himself brunch. Bobby was dominating his every waking thought and it was making him careless, which considering he was now an X-man could get potentially dangerous. His brain, however, had gotten stuck on the thought of Robert dominating him and had descended once more into ever more explicit thoughts.
He could feel his cheeks flush a little and his pants grew a touch tighter as he tried to push the images away and just eat his food and enjoy his coffee. He didn't like feeling so out of control of himself, it made him feel like a love sick teenager and that in turn made him think of Paige Guthrie every time Worthington came near her. He couldn't hold back a shudder as he hoped that he didn't look as simpering and moronic around Bobby as Paige did around Worthington.
Whilst he ate, the kitchen slowly came alive as the smell of coffee reawakened some of the inhabitants of the mansion and enticed them inside. For a time he tried to focus on the people, maybe people watching would get rid of the images of Bobby handcuffing him to the bed and having his wicked way with him.
Those who entered the kitchen all seemed to be in varying states of suffering; some managed to grunt a vague greeting in his direction whilst others raised a hand or forewent greetings all together in favour of coffee. As the caffeine revived them, they all began chatting and Jean Paul wolfed down the last of his food in an effort to avoid the socializing, he just couldn't stomach it right now. But where could he go for refuge?
The solution hit him like a bolt of lightning, it was so obvious he couldn't see why it had taken this long for him to realise it. He needed answers about this Cloud and about Bobby in order to set his mind as ease enough to at least function at dinner and who knew Bobby better than Hank McCoy? Well, perhaps Worthington but the day Jean Paul had to ask him for dating help was the day that he killed himself from shame.
He discarded his used plate, mug and cutlery in the dishwasher as he decided how to go about this plan with subtlety. After all he neither knew Hank particularly well nor trusted him not to go straight to Bobby or any of the other X-men and tell them everything if he discovered Jean Paul's interest in the Iceman.
He grabbed the pot of coffee and poured the last of it in the mug. When complaints were uttered he pointed out sharply, with French expletives interjected throughout, that it was expensive coffee he'd bought himself and if they couldn't be bothered to buy their own they should settle for the instant swill that they usual had.
With that he left the room, not even remotely bothered by the glares and mutinous mutterings. Most of them expected him to be pretentious and rude and he'd met with those expectations, besides many of them had never even spoken to him before.
Armed with a hot, steaming mug of coffee and a sort-of plan of action, Jean Paul felt more like himself again. Perhaps Beast would tell him this Cloud nonsense was all a misunderstanding and he'd be able to go back to life quietly loving Bobby in peace. At least when he had been certain that Robert was straight and would never return his feelings he could function moderately well, even if he did occasionally go non-verbal in the younger man's vicinity. Non-verbal was certainly better than accidentally asking him out on a sort-of date that Bobby very likely didn't realise was a date.
Outside the door of Dr Hank McCoy's laboratory, Jean Paul took several deep breaths to compose himself and prepare what he was going to say before knocking the door.
"Come in,"
He opened the door carefully, keeping the coffee cup as steady as possible and entered. His eyes cast around the room in interest, he'd seldom had a chance or reason to enter the lab after all, before he approached Hank sitting at a desk full of paper and books as he typed on a laptop open in front of him. He was hurriedly putting something away in a file.
"Am I disturbing you?" Jean Paul asked, eyeing the blue feline man almost nervously now that he was standing before him. Not that he wanted to show he was nervous, after all he was simply dropping in to speak with a colleague, one he rarely conversed with but a colleague none-the-less, there was nothing suspicious or odd about that, he reasoned to himself.
At the sound of his voice, Beast had looked up with obviously surprise on his face. Whomever he'd assumed his visitor to be, he'd clearly not expected it to be Northstar. In a silent pause between them his expression changed to intrigued and then finally a faintly resigned look.
"I suppose this is a visit I have half been expecting." He admitted, making Jean Paul's insides run cold. Had his affections for Robert really been so obvious, did this mean that the other X-men were well aware of it too? Perhaps laughing and joking about it, maybe placing bets. Did Bobby know? If that was the case, Jean Paul might as well leave the mansion now to spare himself further humiliation.
"Oh?" Was all he manage to say, his stomach was churning and he could taste bile.
"I thought I might have offended you by coming out when I'm not actually homosexual. Despite my reasons for doing it, I'm sure one could argue it was an example of appropriation as well as insulting to those mutants who do live with the double stigma."
Jean Paul stared at him for a moment, he'd been so wrapped up in his own troubles lately he had hardly given two thoughts to what Beast had been saying or doing.
"Not at all," He assured Hank as he found his voice once more "Though it is beyond me why someone would want to publicly come out as a gay mutant when they're not going to reap any of the benefits of it." He smirked a little and Hank's features relaxed a little into a naturally inquisitive expression.
"Well then, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, removing his glasses and turning fully to face Jean Paul. His gaze was curious if not a little puzzled, which was to be expected since Jean Paul was hardly famous for dropping in on people to make small talk.
"I thought you'd perhaps appreciate a mug of real coffee down here," Jean Paul decided to start with, flashing a charming smile as he place the steaming mug on the desk. Hopefully a gesture such as that would warm Hank to him enough to spill the information he needed. Maybe.
"And what do you need in return?" Hank asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Is it so unbelievable that my motives are purely altruistic?" Jean Paul asked with a tone of innocence before he followed it with a chuckle. "I suppose I wasn't as subtle as I would have liked."
Hank chuckled his agreement before picking up the coffee and inhaling the scent of the hot drink. He smiled and took a deep sip then let out a satisfied sigh and motioned for Jean Paul to take a seat.
"I was hoping, perhaps," He started, feeling nervous again as he did so. Although Hank was watching him kindly, he still had the feeling that he was being scrutinised like one of the slides under the many microscopes in the lab. "You might be able to give me some advice or insight. The benefit of your experience, that sort of thing." He waved his hand in a would-be casual way.
"And I can certainly try to." Was the non-committal response, Jean Paul didn't really blame him. They hardly knew one another after all.
"Last night at the party..." Jean Paul trailed off not quite sure how much truth he should tell. "Bobby was rather...er, mélancolie. He was talking about someone called Cloud and I think he argued with Worthington. He seemed rather distressed and I thought perhaps since you know him so well..."
He felt horribly vulnerable as Hank watched him thoughtfully for an extended pause before a sudden realisation seemed to dawn on him and he smiled. "You know Jean Paul, expressing concern for your team-mate isn't shameful, you didn't need to come to me in secret. Perhaps you should have spoken to Robert instead?"
"If he wouldn't talk to Worthington, why would I fair any better?" The Canadian counted with a dismissive shrug.
"Sometimes talking to a person who does not know you very well is far easier than someone you've always known. There's no preconceptions and expectations to be a certain way." Hank reasoned, before adding "Bobby probably just had a little too much to drink and got a little over emotional, it's happened to the best of us."
Jean Paul shook his head. "Non, it was not just alcohol. The way he reacted towards Worthington...there has to be more there. He just, he did not seem all that drunk, he seemed hurt." Jean Paul felt anger rise within him on the Iceman's behalf. Why did all of Robert's friends automatically dismiss any emotions he showed outside of the 'Clown' stereotype they'd bricked him up in?
Hank at least seemed to think about what Jean Paul was saying, resting the mug back down on the desk and studying the other man for a minute before asking "Do you know what Warren did to upset him?"
Jean Paul open his mouth, failed to speak then closed it again. The blue man's gaze seemed to burn into him as though it were trying to expose all his secrets and he didn't like it. He nodded and then opened his mouth again. "Worthington made negative remarks about this Cloud person, he said Robert had had a lucky escape. Who is Cloud?"
A tension rose in Jean Paul as he waited, this could be the moment that his hopes were (most likely) dashed that Bobby could ever look at another man lustfully or lovingly but on the other hand...
"Cloud was extremely complicated. For all involved."
Jean Paul frowned, that wasn't exactly the answer he'd been hoping for. So he pushed. "Robert gave me the impression that Cloud was a person?"
Beast visibly hesitated in replying. He seemed to wage an internal argument of some kind before finally speaking. "If I tell you this, it's because I believe that you're not one to take such information likely. That is to say, you're not a gossip and you won't cheapen what I'm about to tell you into some sort of gaudy tale for the girls to giggle over."
Jean Paul shifted forward in his seat eagerly for the information though he was utterly unaware of doing so. "D'accord," He nodded earnestly. "That is correct."
Hank nodded slowly and seemed to be considering his words as he began "There was a time when Bobby, Warren and I joined a team called The Defenders and one of the other members was Cloud. At first Cloud appeared to be an ordinary woman, by our standards anyway." He allowed himself an amused smile for a moment with Jean Paul tried to return, though he really wished that Beast would get on with it.
Finally, after another sip of coffee he did. "Bobby and she dated and for a time it was going very well, until she developed a habit of unexpectedly turning into a man at the drop of a hat."
Despite having suspected something of this sort, he felt his mouth open a little in surprise and he felt that stupid spark of hope rise as he asked "How did he react to this?" That's what really mattered, though since there's been no evidence of Bobby ever dating a 100%, constantly biological male before or since this Cloud incident, Jean Paul suspected that he already had his answer.
"Admittedly, not very well at first. He found it distressing and alarming, as did Cloud. No one understood what was happening or why. It really did happen quite suddenly. If I recall correctly he told me the change happened at least once whilst the were kissing, and even once when they were in bed. The strain of it took it's toll on their relationship."
Jean Paul nodded thoughtfully, thinking about Bobby's words and behaviour the night before. Bobby seemed to miss Cloud last night and was rather defensive of the relationship. Had he simply glamorised the memory of it? Did he just miss the woman or the man also? This was providing more questions than answers.
"Ultimately it was discovered that Cloud wasn't a mutant or even a human but a sentient nebula." At Jean Paul's blank expression, he clarified "Cloud was a star."
There was a silence as Jean Paul mulled over all of the information he'd just heard. Perhaps Annie was right, he had assumed a lot about Bobby. He certainly hadn't expected any of this. This, of course, didn't mean that Robert was guaranteed to jump into his arms or bed but it raised a possibility.
It also suddenly shone a light on a fact that Jean Paul had neglected. He'd had this crush on Bobby for some time. In truth it had begun a long time before he'd become an X-man. He'd first fallen years ago during one of the many co-missions with Alpha Flight, it had been so long ago even he wasn't sure how long he'd carried the torch for the other man. The initial crush had long since flourished into something much stronger, something he might even in his rare unguarded moments call 'love', and yet he didn't know all that much about Robert Drake.
Well, that wasn't strictly true. He knew quite a lot of innocuous trivia. He knew that Bobby loved to eat breakfast cereal for dinner, enjoyed watching day time soaps simply to heckle them, despised pears with a passion and was one of the best in the entire mansion with the youngest students, he was a natural with children. He knew Bobby hated silence and sitting still for too long, spoke the worst attempt at French that Jean Paul had ever heard and loved watching the Winter Olympics. Even the Curling.
He knew all the trivial things that one would expect to learn when obsessively watching the oblivious object of one's affections but he knew very little about Bobby's life, Bobby's past. Though he supposed there was time to learn it all, if he wanted to and if Bobby allowed him to.
"I cannot presume to know what's going on in Bobby's mind as of late, admittedly we haven't spent as much time together socially as we once did. Life has become rather complicated for all of us these days." Beast sighed and though Jean Paul knew of some of his troubles he sincerely hoped he wouldn't start unloading them on him as he knew he just didn't have it in him to be sympathetic to anyone who was neglecting Bobby right now.
"But," The blue furred scientist continued "I do know that he has always regretted the way things played out with Cloud. Perhaps it was just alcohol drudging up sad memories of lovers past, and Bobby has more than his fair share of those or perhaps he is in need of a shoulder and a friendly ear." He gave Jean Paul a pointed look that concerned him, had Beast realised more about the situation than he was letting on? Hank was famously intelligent after all and he, Jean Paul, was not the worlds best liar.
"Why me? You are his best friend." He tried and failed to keep all of the accusation from that statement. He knew people felt he was selfish but at least he was trying to do something to help Robert, his so called friends were hardly rushing to check on his well-being.
Belatedly, he realised that Hank might be making a very clumsy attempt at pushing Jean Paul towards Bobby in order to set them up. That would make some sense since he'd probably already worked out the ulterior motive for the Canadian's visit. He opened his mouth to rephrase the question or perhaps even apologise but Beast was already talking again.
"You're the one he spoke to about Cloud," He reasoned as though it were obvious "You're the one he's reaching out to, there must be a reason for that."
The conversation soon wound down and Jean Paul left, a little less nervous but just as deep in thought as he had been before. He now knew Bobby had dated a woman who was also a man but was really a star and found himself wondering why Jerry Springer never filmed an X-men Special.
He was halfway up a flight of stairs when he realised he had absolutely no destination in mind and, through lack of choice, decided to head back down to the sick bay on the off chance that Annie was there and not elsewhere with Alex.
He turned around sharply and crashed headlong into someone, sending them both tumbling to the bottom of the staircase.
"Merde!" He cussed as he carefully pulled himself up. He'd certainly have some nasty bruises in the morning but he was otherwise OK. After assessing himself, he remembered he should also check whomever he collided with.
He hurried over to the male form who was laying on his front, groaning.
"Je suis desolee," He said as he moved closer to the prone body. "Are you ok?" He knelt down in order to assess the situation more fully and the man on the floor rolled over carefully, practically into his lap.
"You sure know how to sweep a boy off his feet, JP." Bobby said, his voice a little strained with pain as he looked up at the older man but there was humour in it too.
"I didn't know you were behind me, are you ok?" He asked, still concerned. As Bobby was laid out partly on his lap, his hand instinctively came out to rest on his chest to steady him. He was startled by the icy cold that his hand was met with. Although Robert usually functioned on a temperature lower than the average human, he'd never been freezing to touch before, at least not in this form at least. Though Jean Paul had already learnt once today that he held false beliefs about the other man so perhaps this was yet another of his misconceptions.
Getting over his initial surprise, Jean Paul shifted his gaze back to Bobby's face as he opened his mouth to ask again him if he was hurt. His voice was silenceed, however, by the expression on Bobby's face. His eyes were glued on the hand still resting gently but firmly on his chest with a confused and startled look on his face before it melded into a 'faintly-pleased-but-still-bewildered' expression that made him look utterly adorable to Jean Paul.
"Are you ok, Robert?" He repeated in a softer tone "Are you injured, mon ami?"
"Can't say it was a fun route down the stairs but I think I'll survive," Bobby assured him, smiling a little though there was still an odd quality to both his face and his voice. "So, you invite me out to dinner then physically assault me, were worried I might start thinking you actually liked me otherwise?"
"Vous n'avez aucune idée combien je vous aime." Jean Paul sigh heavily, shaking his head a little.
"Is there a button somewhere on you I can press to get the subtitles?" Iceman asked with a playful air to his voice "Or do I just need to tweak a nipple?" His hand rose teasingly and Jean Paul took a hold of his wrist. He was having a hard enough time controlling himself as Bobby lay over his lap, he didn't think he could handle it if anything more happened. Except now his mind was having a field day with the idea of Bobby playing with his nipples and he really needed to break this body contact. Immediately.
"If you are not injured then how about you cease using me as a chair?" He replied with a smirk as his mind began making suggestions with highly colourful imagery of how exactly Bobby could use him.
Moments later they were both standing, carefully stretching sore limbs and brushing off their clothes. Bobby smiled a touch sheepishly at Jean Paul who, despite himself, found that he was smiling right back at him.
"So...I guess I'll see you later." Bobby said turning to leave before wheeling back around and adding "Oh, hey, where are we going? Don't want to under-dress for the occasion." And with that, Jean Paul began mentally undressing Bobby as he tried to speak.
"Oh, uh, I was thinking Chinese?" He managed to say hurriedly, relieved that he did in fact know a Chinese restaurant nearby that had a good reputation that he'd yet to try. It fitted in neatly with his excuse for asking Bobby to dinner in the first place.
"Great, can't wait." And Jean Paul's heart pounded as he realised how sincere Bobby seemed. The idea of doing something other than his now usual moping seemed to genuinely excite the other man. Bobby turned again and start to walk away, calling over his shoulder. "But just so you know, I don't put out on the first date!"
Jean Paul made himself chuckle in response as he wondered, was that indeed a genuine joke or had Bobby meant it? Could there be the smallest of possibilities that he could consider tonight to be a date?
Only one thing was certain: Jean Paul Beaubier needed a break from his thoughts. And a lie down. And a God damn Advil.
End of Chapter Two
Translation:
Vous n'avez aucune idée combien je vous aime- You have no idea how much I like/love you