Title: Possibly, Maybe: Chapter Four
Author: Blu_Eyed_Demon
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Uncanny X-men
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men or any of the characters or this would have probably happened in the comics
Summary: Bobby's utterly miserable and no one but Jean Paul seems to be noticing...
Chapter Four: In which neither of them think they are on a date...

Chapter Four

Seeing Bobby so relaxed and happy had been making his heart ache a little and more than once he'd had to force his gaze back on the road lest they crash. They've been barely together for 20 minutes and already Bobby had smiled more than Jean Paul had seen since in the last few months. They were real smiles to that made his gorgeous brown eyes light up and dance with joy as they made their way into 'The Flaming Wok'. Smiles that made Jean Paul's mouth go dry.

When the waitress led them over to their table, he allowed Bobby to walk in front of him partly out of politeness and partly in order to simply enjoy the view that the snug black pants had to offer him. He wasn't completely certain but he thought he had caught Bobby watching him several times as they'd driven over, and he was nearly certain Bobby had checked him out when he'd first appeared in the foyer so he didn't feel as ashamed for enjoying the view as he ordinarily might have.

When they reached the table, without thinking he reached out to help Bobby out of his jacket. Whilst mentally reprimanding himself, he smoothly pulled out the chair for him and added a playful wink. It was better to create a joke or charade out of this than risk rejection if Bobby wasn't interested in him as a real date.

"So, how come you decided that me of all people should take Annie's place here?" Bobby asked after menus had been handed over. His tone was joking but there was a genuine curiousness to his gaze, as though he really didn't understand why he was there.

Jean Paul had the sudden urge to reach out to Robert, to take his hand or stroke his cheek. He fought the urge but realised belated that he had already begun to raise his hand and so quickly ran it through his silver streaked hair.

He really needed to curb his impulses though or else he was going to do something he couldn't pass off as a joke and ended up driving Robert away forever. He didn't know why he was being so reckless today, he'd had a lifetime to learn how to hide his feelings. First as a teenager terrified of his sexuality, then as a member of Alpha Flight and under orders of the Canadian government. Maybe he'd gotten too good at hiding, though, since everyone had thought he'd hated Walter and Bobby seemed shocked that Jean Paul would want to spend time with him. He could feel the barrier breaking though. He was losing his control and was sure he couldn't hide it for much longer. He was turning into a wreck, falling to the control of his base desires and need for the other man, he didn't know how much longer he could hide it. Perhaps this had been a mistake, in listening to Annie he had simply made things worse.

Realising he hadn't answered yet, he replied "Why not, Otterpop? At least I knew you wouldn't turn me down in favour of Alex Summers." and then realised belatedly that mentioning the younger Summers brother was probably not a good idea.

"Spose not," Bobby agreed, fiddling with his menu "So, I was a last resort, huh? I can handle that." After a moment he showed Jean Paul that slightly crooked and ever so endearing half-smile again.

"Besides, you do owe me after our last attempt at dinner." Jean Paul tried to match the smile, it was easier to joke about the awful night than think about how close Bobby had come to dying and how Jean Paul had ripped a man into two in order to save him. Now that he thought about it, that certainly did make quite a statement about the strength of his feelings for Bobby.

"I owe you dinner...so you're buying me dinner? How does that work exactly?" Bobby's brow furrowed and his nose crinkled. Adorable was the word that ran through Jean Paul's mind as he watched him.

"Hmmm, you pay and we'll go to the staff cafeteria, I pay and we go to your favourite restaurant. Which is the better deal?" He asked, quirking his eyebrows at the younger man.

"You win, I surrender." Bobby raised his hands in a mock surrender and Jean Paul had to repress the image of Bobby utterly surrendering to him in every way. He licked his lips slowly and forced himself to think about something else entirely. Anything else.

"Would you like to share a bottle?" He asked, forcing his gaze from Robert's lips to the wine list "Or rather a beer?"

"Warren and Scott usually just assume I want a coke." The younger man seemed startled that he was being asked such a thing.

"Thankfully, I am not Worthington. Or Summers for that matter." He replied with a distaste that seemed to amuse Bobby. "So what shall it be?"

"You pick, I don't know wine much but you strike me as a connoisseur," Bobby grinned back, his tone playful once more. "The kind of guy who'll make me feel uneducated as he talks about the nutty undertones and the full body of the wine or whatever!"

It took an effort on Jean Paul's behalf to not think about another body that he was far more interested in. He selected a wine and informed the waitress on her return. Whilst he did so he was pleased to notice that although the waitress very clearly made eyes at Bobby more than once, Bobby had responded with nothing more than a polite smile as he handed her back the drinks menu and asking for a jug of water to come with the wine.

As though Bobby had read his mind, he lent in and smirked at Jean Paul "Have no fear, I won't be running off with any women this time. I've learnt my lesson. Besides it's boys night out and girls have cooties."

Surprised, Jean Paul laughed aloud at the childish assertion. Though Bobby wasn't only the childish joker people always expected him to be, the joker was certainly still resided there somewhere in the man.

They fell into an almost relaxed banter, though it was hard to truly relaxed when he was trying to ignore his attraction for the other man. Once the food was served, he picked up his knife and fork and glanced up. Bobby was already eating his beef satay and rice, using chopsticks with such skill that it would be easy to assume he ate every meal with them.

Bobby evidently caught the surprised expression and chuckled again. It was music to his ears, Jean Paul couldn't remember the last time Robert Drake had smiled or laughed so freely. "Didn't you know I dated a Japanese woman?"

"I once dated a dancer, it doesn't mean I'm able to perform Swan Lake." Jean Paul replied smoothly as he began to eat too.

"No but I was basically drilled until I could use them perfectly."

He choked on his chow mein as his mind took the idea of Bobby being drilled and went running with it. For a moment Bobby look at him with confusion before realisation dawned and he let out a loud snort of amusement.

"You're a dirty, dirty man JP!"

"Are you going to eat that pavlova or just settle for wearing it?" Jean Paul asked with a strangest sharpness to his voice as Bobby licked cream and berry sauce from his fingers.

"I'm just enjoying my dessert." Bobby replied, his voice a paradigm of innocence as he ran his fingers again through the last of the cream, meringue and fruit mess and licked it up.

"'Enjoying' is one word for it," Jean Paul muttered, talking more to his glass of wine than Bobby. "Tu regardez obscènes. Si tu n'arrêtez pas, je ne sais pas ce que je vais faire."

Bobby knew he was flirting. He was smiling and laughing too much and pretending to be more tipsy than he actually was he was. He was also unashamedly making eyes at Jean Paul and enjoying every minute of it.
He felt free, like he didn't have to fit a character tonight or even try to, he could be himself and just enjoying some harmless flirting. Besides once he was all ice, no one would want to flirt with him so he had to enjoy it now while he could.

He'd always enjoyed flirting, he was often told he flirted indiscriminately and he supposed that was true. He had once jokingly called Gambit his 'idol in the art of amore' and it was true that after meeting Gambit and seeing his effect on people, he'd always wished he could have that sort of presence. He supposed he had attempt to emulate the Cajun in that way; he hadn't always necessarily known or liked Gambit all of the time but there was still part of him that wanted to be him in some way. Gambit was someone that he could aspire to; Remy Lebeau flirted with women, men and all that was in between and was desired by all. So did Bobby but, unlike Lebeau, he didn't have the charm or sex appeal to actually entice anyone.

Flirting was, when you boiled it down, simply banter and Bobby was great at banter. He just wasn't so good at sealing the deal, not that he was even trying to tonight. Flirting with Jean Paul was fun and easy because he knew that they were both just having a laugh. They were both lonely and flirting was a fun and easy way to spend the time. He knew a man like Jean Paul wouldn't ever honestly want a charmless dork, as many women had called him in the past, with zero sex appeal.

He grinned as Jean Paul topped their glasses, emptying the bottle-their third or was it fourth?- as Bobby finished his dessert. "Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr JP?"

"I think we're certainly on our way," Jean Paul's accent was strong than usual and Bobby found himself thinking it was incredibly sexy which he knew was a dangerous thought to have.

"Is this all coz I said I don't put out on the first date, 'Star?" He was slowly becoming aware of a thickness in his own voice. He picked up his glass and took a glug of the wine, which was of course the most expensive on the menu, then leered at the other man suggestively "You planning on taking advantage of me?"

"Thinking about it, mon ami." The Canadian's naturally pale cheeks were flushed a little pink from the alcohol and he was smiling more easily than usual. His voice had taken a lyrical, playful tone and he waggled his eyebrows a little for effect which made Bobby chuckle.

"We should hang out more often, you're fun." He informed Jean Paul, resting his head on one of his hands, leaning on his elbows as he lent forward.

"It is good to see you smile again, Robert." Jean Paul replied before being interrupted by the waitress who had brought them their bill. Jean Paul paid by card whilst obviously hiding the total cost from Bobby. Bobby didn't really notice any of that though, he was still reeling from the surprise that Jean Paul had apparently noticed his misery when no one else had. How had he known?

This wasn't good, those weren't good thoughts and they were killing the happy buzz the red wine had given him so ,once Jean Paul had replaced his card in his wallet and the waitress had gone, Bobby decided to make a suggestion.

"How about we don't go home yet? No way you can drive us back anyway so we might as well head to a bar? I'll pay, I reckon I still owe you for saving my life or threatening yours or something," He gestured vaguely when words failed him.

"Sounds fun." Jean Paul agreed "Though I assure you I have a lightning speed recovery time so I'd be able to drive us home if you wished it."

"If we die in a firey crash later, I'll be reminding you of that." Bobby snorted as they exited together. The other man held the door open for him as they left and, pausing on the pavement, Bobby noticed it was a much cooler night than the one before. Not that the cold bothered him much though.

Twice Bobby brushed his hand against the other man's, just wanting to feel the warmth of another person and having lost his inhibitions a little, though not enough to actually grab his hand as part of his brain was screaming for him to do. He was glad he wasn't drunk enough to follow the urge, he was enjoying companionship and didn't want it ruined by doing something to cause Jean Paul to reject or laugh at him.

"Where are we going? The Robin?" Jean Paul suggested he looked around, trying to get his bearings. Though not yet fully dark, the sun was setting and it was giving the silver in his hair an interesting shimmer, Bobby noticed.

"No, no, everyone will be there." Bobby said quickly. Looking back to Jean Paul he saw his face was distorted with insult and hurt. Great now he was coming off as the guy who doesn't want to be seen with the gay guy.

"Fuck, no Jean Paul, not that. I just. If I see them I won't be having fun anymore, it's not you. It's them, well maybe it's me but most the time I can't be around them lately and I-" He cut himself off as he realised as he was starting to get emotional, something he really did want the other man to see .

The was a long moment, a long silence in which he prayed that Jean Paul would believe him and still want to go for a drink. He told himself it was because he was enjoying the company and not because he'd become increasingly interested in Jean Paul's lips as the meal had progressed.

"Ok," The Speedster nodded. "Very well, I understand completely. After the gossip Lorna spread, I wouldn't want to be in that bar any time soon if I were you either." Jean Paul agreed as they instead made their way across the street to a dark looking bar boasting a purple lit sign reading 'Voodoo'. The bar was cool and dark but it was clean enough not to offend Jean Paul's famously snobbish tendencies and, somehow, it reminded Bobby of his colleges day.

"What did you mean by that?" He asked, a little confused as they lent against the bar waiting for service. "Lorna's still on lock-down, she can't be telling anyone anything."

Ordinarily, he'd be worried right now but he can't see what Lorna could have said anyway. She was before Cloud, before Bobby's world and sexuality were opened up to new ideas, so there was no way she could know any of his secrets. Everyone knew she dumped him for Alex, it wasn't like that was hot gossip or anything, so he was curious as to what Jean Paul might be talking about.

He grinned but Jean Paul's expression looked stricken as he stared at Bobby. "You, you do not know?"

"Would I be asking if I did?" He pointed out, frowning as little he noticed Jean Paul backing away a little. Quickly, he grabbed a hold of the other man's forearms to stop him from getting away and tightened his grip as he asked "What's going on? What did she say?"

"Robert, please, don't make me." Jean Paul begged and after however many bottles of wine he'd become far more open with his expressions than he ever usually was. Bobby usually had to struggle to guess what the older man was thinking or feeling but right now it was there for all to see. He was upset on Bobby's behalf.

"Tell. Me." Bobby told him forcefully. "Or I'll go to The Robin and ask everyone there."

"Je suis desolee, mon cher," Jean Paul began and Bobby sent him an impatient look for him to hurry up, he knew Bobby didn't understand French after all.

"At her hen party, Lorna made some extremely disparaging comments about you to everyone. She said..." He trailed off and Bobby moved closer, silently urging him to continue.

"She was saying Alex was, that Alex was the only man she'd known. In a sexual sense, you know? Or words to that affect and, mon Dieu it's all my fault Robert, I'm sorry. I expressed surprised because I knew she'd dated you for some time and so didn't understand why she would say such a thing. She said...she said she'd never slept with you because 'Bobby's immature and inexperienced. You don't sleep with Bobby, you endure him.' I'm sorry Robert, I'm so sorry I even asked her."

Bobby stared a him. How had Jean Paul remembered all of that so exactly?

He shook his head, that wasn't the big issue here. He slowly took in the words, the implications of all the women hearing that.

"That's...I...oh fucking shit..." He managed to say, he was feeling sick as he realised that if the all the women knew then by now everyone knew. Everyone had known and were probably laughing at him. It made it all so much worse.

He let his head fall forward, his eyes closing as he tried not to freak out. Due to the proximity he'd gained when trying to get the truth out of Jean Paul, their foreheads touched lightly but he didn't have enough space in his head to worry and care about that fact.

"Robert..." His accent sounded even thicker this time.

"Don't apologise anymore, just get me drunk. I can't. I can't handle this right now." Bobby pleaded, this was supposed to be an escape, a fun boys night out, not this shit. This humiliation.

So Jean Paul ordered vodka, lots of it, and Bobby drank.

This wasn't how he'd planned the night to be.

Translastions:

Tu regardez obscènes. Si tu n'arrêtez pas, je ne sais pas ce que je vais faire. - You look obscene. If you do not stop, I do not know what I will do.

A/N: Again, apologies if any of the French if not up to pair, I'm doing my best with a old French dictionary and a drunk friend to help.