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Part 8
Growling against Remy’s shoulder blades, holding him tight, Logan tried to wake up from a nightmare. Remy woke up to the vibrations against his back as well as the violence crashing up against his shielding, which wasn't ready for that. Reaching out, Remy smoothed over the emotions and projected a cool balm of peace. He tried to leave the dream undetected, but wasn't sure if he had disturbed Logan in the process of stopping the nightmare. He hoped Logan didn't remember the dream at all, as was often the case with dreams... but not so much nightmares.
Whimpering a little, Logan felt things change and his arms locked around Remy, snarling. Suddenly, he tensed up tight, snickting his claws out and waking up with a bark.
Remy started at the claws extending inches from him. He was glad Logan's arms had been around him. He guessed that his peaceful brushing didn't do much for the course of the dream. That stunk. He'd have to try again if he had the opportunity.
Chest heaving, he took a moment to figure out what happened. “Remy...?” He realized his claws were out, one set stuck in something. “Remy?!” He sat up fast, relaxing when he saw his claws in the mattress. “Oh, shit...”
"You okay?" Remy asked, concerned.
“Yeah... Yeah, I just... nightmare....” He looked down, a little spooked at how close he was to gutting Remy. “Jesus... M' sorry, Remy...”
"'S okay, Logan. Relax. I tried to help, but I guess it didn' work," he shrugged.
“That was you?” he asked, studying him.
"What was-- you felt somethin'?”
“Yeah,” he said and flopped against the bed, slowly retracting his claws. “I felt somethin’...”
"What was it?" he asked, hoping to be able to figure out what he did wrong.
Sighing, Logan said, “It was... It was good. I had to....” He hid his face in Remy’s hair. He was tired and couldn’t find the words. “I had to get free to get to it... I was trapped and it seemed so far away.... You seemed so far away.”
"Oh... I'm sorry, cher. I left, tinkin' dat would be enough. I didn' tink y'd wan' me pryin' 'round, so I jus' did what I could an’ left. Next time... would it be okay if I... stayed?" he asked tentatively.
“Stayed?”
"W—in y' mind... Would y' mind...? 'Cause I wanna help, cher."
Softly smirking, Logan said, “I been havin’ nightmares since before you were born, Cajun... ‘FI haven't conquered ‘em by now, I probably never will...”
"Oh," he said a note of disappointment not hidden in his voice. "Okay, I won' den." He fidgeted where he sat. "Y' up f' coffee?" he asked getting up from the bed.
Logan smirked at him. “Hey... Y' can stay in my mind if y' like it there.” He took Remy’s hand and pulled him back down on the bed. “Don' be shy t' try yer mojo out on me, all right, Cajun?”
Remy smiled at the invitation. "Tanks, cher," he said sincerely. His tone lightened when he said, "I'll hold y' to dat."
“Yeeeah,” he said pulling Remy on top of him, giving him a fierce good morning kiss. “Mornin’!”
"Morinin'. Oder dan dat, y' sleep well?"
“Yeah... Nice an' warm... You?”
Remy nodded and nuzzled Logan. "Oui."
Smiling, Logan pet Remy. He would have made love to you this morning, but he needed to be in the Danger Room among other things. He groped his bottom. “How ya feelin’?”
"Good," he smiled brightly. "Can I make y' coffee?"
“If y' want, kid.” He let Remy up.
"I tell y', Logan—y' better stop wit de ‘kid’ ting," he warned playfully.
“Or what?”
"Or somebody gon' acuse y' o' takin' de jailbait," he snickered with a lopsided grin.
Chuckling, Logan said, “Never claimed ta be anythin’ other than a dirty old man...
Remy's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he was still smiling. Looking at the holes in Remy’s mattress, he said, “I'll a... Get you a new mattress...”
"C'mon, dirty ol' man," he said as he tugged lightly at Logan. "Don' worry 'bout de bed. Scott'll fix it," he said and stood up.
Shrugging, he got out of bed and stretched. “Have ta go ta my room for some clothes...”
Remy purred at Logan's attire. "I like de clothes y' in now."
Looking down at well-worn boxers, Logan said, “They leave little to the imagination. I gotta remain a man of mystery.” He grinned.
"Man o' mystery," Remy huffed and opened the door to outside. He hopped down the stairs (also in boxer shorts) and was happily on his way to the kitchen.
Grinning, he peeked around. Even though everyone knew, he didn’t want to be caught coming out of his room in just his skivvies. “Cajun, y' damn nudist!” He skulked off to get dressed.
"Nudist?" he stopped in mid-stride and looked over his shoulder. Looking down at his boxers, he blushed. He had completely forgotten that he couldn't waltz around in his boxers anymore-- not with all the students around anyway. He walked casually back to his room and threw on some clothes and raced down to the kitchen to get coffee started for Logan. He wouldn't mind a cup himself, now that he thought about it.
Hank was in the kitchen, drinking tea, hanging from the ceiling and reading the newspaper. “Alas! I thought we'd be able to spend the rest of the day delighting in bared Arcadian flesh!”
"Logan told me not to be a nudist," he paraphrased to Hank.
Chuckling, he very gracefully dropped into a chair without spilling a drop. “I am to understand you and Logan are perusing a romantic relationship, then?” He asked, his eyebrows up.
Remy blushed to Hank. "Um... y' heard...?" He wasn't eager to hear the response to that question.
“I am going to assume it is the gossip to which you are referring... and not the unmentionable moans in the dark.” He winked at Remy.
Remy cringed. "Okay, I take it y' heard."
“You know, Remy,” he said putting down his tea cup. “It's none of my business, I realize that but... as your doctor I must inquire...” He didn’t know how to put this delicately. “Do you know what you're doing?” He had no idea that Remy had slept with men before and thought this might be a peculiar rebound from Rogue.
"Do I know—what?" What kind of a question is dat??
Clearing his throat, he thought, this is delicate. “Sexual relations between two men are... rather complicated, Remy...”
Remy raised one eyebrow, rather Spock-ish of him if he did say so himself. "Y' not talkin' 'bout emotional complication, are y'?" he guessed.
Steepling his paws in front of himself, he said, “No….”
Remy started the coffee and went to sit down across from Hank. "Okay, den y' talkin' physically? Y' tink I don' know what I'm doing physically? Wow," he said as he settled down. "My reputation isn' as bad as I tought it was," he joked.
Smiling a little shyly, Hank was very embarrassed that he had heard of Remy’s reputation. “Regardless, Remy... I am concerned for your welfare... Logan can...” awwwwkwaaaaaaard. “Heal, whereas you cannot...”
"I'm healin' jus' fine, Hank," and he realized as soon as he let the words go that he gave away that Logan had injured him.
Nodding, Hank caught that and tried not to wince. “You are aware... that there are ways for two men to be together... that do not require injuries?”
"Hank, yes, I know! Look... I'm fine. Dere was only de once dat was... rough," he said quietly, knowing that Hank would pick up on it without being able to be overheard.
Hank placed an incredibly large paw atop Remy’s hand and patted it. “I care only for your wellbeing, Remy... I've advised men in your… situation before....”
"I said, I'm fine," he stated sternly. "I got it covered now, a'ight?" He kept Hank's gaze when he spoke.
Taking his hand away, Hank was afraid he would rile him, but kept it cool. “Very well, Remy... if you ever need me you know where to find me...” His ears flickered. “I believe your beau is emerging...” He smiled at Remy, taking his itty bitty teacup in his giant paw and exited after Logan arrived.
Logan said hi to Hank and sat down across from Remy, finding a long, silky blue hair. “Well... I know where Hank was sitting.” He flicked it away.
Remy snorted and folded his arms, waiting for the infernal coffee pot to finish doing its business. He was grateful that Hank didn't request an examination from him, frankly. He shuddered at the thought.
Smirking at him, Logan asked, “What's wrong?”
“Hank had his little 'birds an' bees, f' men' talk wit me jus' now." He sounded annoyed. It made him feel stupid, really. He was smarter than that, and he should have been prepared the first time, but how was he to know that Logan had gone feral?
Raising his eyebrows, Logan said, “And you're surprised? I was shocked he didn't pin me in the doorway just now and start expounding on lube... Did you see him go after Jubilee? The girl didn't stop blushin’ fer weeks.”
Remy's smile was a smirk. "I missed dat one." He sighed and let it go. "I s'pose y' right. I'm jus' glad he din' ask t' take a look at me. Dieu, dat would be embarrassin'."
“Yeah. Specially since he fancies ya,” he said jokingly, winking at him.
Remy's arms unfolded. "Non!" he balked at Logan. "Y' not serious?"
Logan started laughing. “Can't say for sure, but there've been rumors... 'Bout Piotr, too.”
"Oh, don't start! Dat's hilarious!" Remy chuckled, now suddenly not all that impatient for the coffee pot. He relaxed in his seat and looked at Logan.
Smirking at him, he said, “Well... Hank is a mystery. I personally think he just has no confidence. But... Piotr's sweet on ya.”
"Hunh. I never woulda thought. Well, poor Piotr missed out," he cooed and smiled at Logan. The coffee pot stopped dripping and Remy rose to grab a couple of cups.
Grinning a little at Remy, Logan said, “Poor Remy missed out...” He admired Remy’s bottom since it was at face-height.
"Remy not missin' out on anytin', cher," he said, enjoying that Logan was looking at his rear.
“I dunno... Y' seen Petey in the showers?” He was just talking to try to distract himself from Remy’s lovely tuckus.
"Hmm... not recently, non." It had been admittedly a long while since he had seen Colossus. Ever since the day of his attempted suicide, now that he thought about it. Remy poured two cups and asked over his shoulder at Logan, "How do you take y' coffee, monsieur?" Rough like y' take y' sex? Remy inquired privately.
“Black.” He stretched back in his chair, tempted to tell Alex that he was gonna spend the day loungin’ around.
Yup, jus' like he likes his sex, he purred to himself, pleased. He carried two black mugs over to Logan and set one down for him and one down for himself.
Blinking at him, he said, “Hey, you seen Piotr since he came back?”
"I tought he was still rehabbin' or somethin'. I haven't seen 'im," Remy said as he sat down.
“Nah, he's back out in the field, even.” He sipped at his coffee, not minding that it burned his tongue off... it grew back.
"Hunh. Guess dat mus' be why I haven' seen 'im. He doin' okay?" he asked conversationally.
Shrugging, Logan said, “No. He wasn't spending these last few years in the tropics after all.”
Remy nodded. He hoped that he was at least feeling better now that he was out of that hell-hole prison/lab he was in. Trying to get off the depressing topic, he asked, "Wha' cha doin' in de Danger Room t'day?"
“Killin' things. What're you doin' in the sick bed today?
Remy smirked at Logan’s first comment, then frowned at the second. "I ain' in de sick bed, t’anks. I'm supposed t' train wit Emma every day dis week an' at de end of it, she'll do her all-knowing evaluation an' decide wheder or not I can go back on Active Duty." He was going to have to tell her what he did with Logan earlier that morning.
“Huh... Y' tellin’ her bout.... us?” he didn’t know if this was a purely mutant thing or a shrink session.
"Y' mean what I did t' y' head dis mornin'?" he asked.
Shrugging, he said, “I mean... y'know... us.”
"Oh. Well, she knows 'bout us already, Logan. She knew I liked y' from de moment I first woke up," he supplied.
“Well, yeah, but... What do ya talk ta her about?”
"Mostly m' powers... what it's like seein' what people're feelin'... 'specially when I don' want to. She keeps tellin' me how t' build better shields. Kind of a layery t’ing now."
“Oh... She nice?” He didn’t want to sound like a parent talking to a preschooler but he really would have to gut her if she wasn’t nice.
"Enh," he said, shrugging. "She ain' nasty. A touch on de haughty side, but bearable," he smiled.
Extending his legs, he crossed his ankles on Remy’s knee. “Wouldn't want ta have ta be locked up for hours with that woman...”
"An hour is all I c'n handle, really," he said, then got what Logan was talking about. Swallowing his coffee hurriedly, he looked up to Logan and held his hands up. "Gah!! Why would y' even tink, Logan—? De woman's—" frigid, was the adjective that popped to mind, but maybe that was just because of her last name. She was also Scott's, which didn't increase her appeal. "Don' get any funny ideas, cher. Dat woman ain' got notin' but professionalism plastered all over her face when it come to Remy."
Raising his eyebrows at Remy, Logan said, “I didn't say otherwise, Gumbo... Y' seem ta be a little skittish.” He sipped at his coffee, Remy’s insecurity about this making him nervous. Was he hiding something?
Remy put his hands in his lap and looked at the ceiling. Can't win 'em all, he thought to himself. "Jus'... nervous," he said truthfully.
“Why?” He could tell that Remy was hopping.
"I..." he looked up into Logan's eyes. "I jus' found y', cher... I don' wanna lose y'." Don' wanna lose y' because Remy's bein' stupid, or because he don' say somethin' good enough... or because oder people're after 'im. He tore his eyes away from Logan and frowned at the table.
Hooking his foot in Remy’s chair, he swung Remy around the table to sit next to him easily. “Cajun,” he said putting an arm around him. “I gotta problem with you, I'll let ya know... Until then,” he kissed his neck. “Relax.”
Remy relaxed... until he heard the kids' loud snickers from the other end of the dining hall. A couple of them were laughing pretty hard and Remy's temper flared. He stood up immediately, ready to go and throttle a kid or two.
“Remy...” Logan released a claw to snag his jeans and pulled him back. “Let it go.”
Remy blinked at Logan, the temper clearing from his features and he sank bonelessly into his chair and started trembling. The anger he had felt was very powerful. He had never felt the urge to hurt a child before, why was he feeling that now? It scared him. He didn't think his emotions had ever gotten this out of control. This was weird.
Stroking his hair, Logan cradled his head against his chest. “Y' want me ta take you ta Emma's?”
Remy nodded, then shook his head. "'S like one minute, I'm fine, den de next... I'm ready t' hurt somebody—how...?" How can I be like dat? Remy asked himself. "What's wrong wit' me, Logan?" Remy asked, still quivering.
“Nothin’s wrong with ya, kid...” he assured as he helped Remy to his feet. “An' don' let anyone ever tall ya otherwise.” He had his arm locked around him and was going to take him to see Emma.
Remy got unsteadily to his feet and followed Logan to Emma's office. "Gambit, really," she said upon his arrival. "I didn't think you were that eager to see me," she said in that cool way of hers.
Glaring at her, Logan said, “He's havin' mood swings.” He resisted the urge to say 'fix him!'
"Hm, typical," she said in a dismissive tone. It was unclear whether she was talking about Logan's behavior or Gambit's.
Remy leaned against Emma's office door and said, "Sorry, Logan. I be okay. Y' go 'head. Tink' y' late now."
Glowering at Emma, he wanted to say 'You be nice!!', but turned his attention to Remy. “Yeah... See ya later?” He nuzzled him.
Remy hugged Logan lightly before letting him go. He nodded and turned to enter Emma's office. "So, what is it this time, Remy?" she asked him. She apparently wasn't ready for him as she still had paperwork all over her desk.
Slowly Logan backed out of the room, hesitant to leave Remy alone with her, but shut the door.
"I nearly hurt a kid..." he said shakily.
Logan was just outside the Danger Room and he smelled Rogue before he saw her, going a bit rigid.
"Logan, Ah gotta talk ta you!" she said, sounding miffed, stopping next to him in the hall.
Nodding, resigned, he said, “Yeah...” he turned to her. He knew this was coming.
"Ah don't ever—ever wanna see what you and Remy do behind closed doors again, you hear me?!" she shouted. "Ah did not need ta see that in the first place."
Bowing his head like a beaten puppy, he knew women liked that, and nodded. “Yeah.”
"Quit that—Ah ain' gonna beat ya int' next Christmas—like Ah could if Ah wanted to," she commented, suddenly missing her great strength. "Just do me a favor and stay outta mah head." She personally viewed it as a violation of her to present one's self into her head without her permission.
Nodding. He said, “I just thought ya might....” he trailed off, having no idea what he was thinking, but looked up at her with clear blue eyes. “I just wanted to touch you.” You looked lonely.
"Well, don't," she said curtly, wondering why Logan would want to do her any favors. Then it got to her. He could have Remy any time he wanted... why would he have the urge to touch her? She had turned and been about to leave the hallway, when she paused and asked him, "Why? Just outta curiosity." But you know what that got the cat, doncha', girl?
“Cause... ya looked lonely. And I'd stolen yer man... Hardly seemed fair.”
"Life ain' fair, Logan. You're the one who taught me that," she said soberly.
Nodding at her, he really felt for her. “That don't keep us from tryin' ta even it out every once in a while -- even if it ain't the right thing ta do....”
Rogue nodded. "Ah understand, Logan... but Ah'd rather not have a taste of what Ah'm missin'. Ah had enough of a taste when Remy and Ah could touch t' give me plenty o' heartache."
“I'm sorry, Rogue.... Really....”
"Just don' let me absorb you or Remy for a while—a long while if y' can help it."
“Yeah.” He did that nodding, stupid puppy thing again. It was just habit when he was in trouble with women.
"Now get in there an' let me pound y' as far int' next year as Ah can get y'," she said, marching toward the mechanical door.
Smirking, he followed her in. “Again?”
"This time, Ah want y' t' actually defend yer sorry ass so Ah can actually improve mah skills."
“Oh. So ya want me ta beat you inta next week... Gotcha...”
Rogue's smile was small, but definitely there. "Well, Ah wouldn't put it like that."
They got into the Danger Room and Alex asked from above, “Are you two done?”
Logan shrugged. “Yep.”
"Fire this thang up, 'cause Ahm gonna clean his clock, so help me!"
Oh, boy.... Alex thought.
Flopping across one of the benches in the men's locker room, Logan waited to heal. He just grunted when Piotr mentioned that Logan really took a beating on his way out the lockers. He was headed upstairs.
Remy walked into the dining room looking for Logan, but given what happened earlier this morning, maybe they should stay out of the public eye for a bit. The incident still made Remy nervous, even though Emma had talked for three friggin' hours on the subject.
Sitting down quietly at the table, Peter looked up at Remy and nodded. “Stradsvy...”
"Stra-what, Pete? I don'—y'know." Remy didn't know but three words of Russian, and not all of them polite.
Smiling, Peter said, “Means 'hello'.” He had a bowl of soup and a sandwich. He was still a bit nervous around people.
"Oh, hey," Remy greeted back. "'S good t' see y'... an' y' know—see y'," Remy said, remembering that had Colossus been back any sooner, he wouldn't have been able to see him.
Smiling in that shy, handsome, strong way he had, he nodded. “Good to... see you seeing me.”
Remy snorted. "Sorry—jus'... not up t' snuff t'day. Bet y' had a bunch o' dose recently, hunh?" he asked. He didn't know if he was looking for sympathy or camaraderie, but he was looking for something.
Peter ducked his head a little at that, then rose to his full, impressive height. “How impolite of me. Would you like me to make you something? I have heard you have been unwell.”
"What? Non, Pete, I'm fine. Y' don' have ta put y'self out f' me."
Peter couldn’t eat while Remy just at there. “Allow me. I believe Storm has made some extra sandwiches.” He returned with one on a plate for him with a few veggies as well and placed it on the table in front of him before sitting down again.
Remy smiled up at Peter. "Tanks... trovarsich," he tried the word out uncomfortably, stumbling over it, but having heard it enough times from Colossus to know what it meant.
Peter smiled a little at how Remy slaughtered the word, but really smiled because he used it. “Of course. You look like you could use a good meal, if you do not mind my mentioning it.”
Remy bowed his head. "Been a bunch a people who t’ought dat recently, homme. I'll live."
“I did not mean to insult you. You are as attractive as always.” Oh, dear. He felt the desire to metal up in lieu of a blush, but forcefully willed it away.
Remy paused at that comment and hoped that Peter didn't mean that the way he thought Peter meant that. Clearing his throat, he mustered up a friendly smile. "De womanizin' Cajun at it again, oui?"
Sitting up a bit straighter, very innocently, Peter asked, “Are you a womanizer?”
Remy laughed pretty loudly at that one. "Have y' missed de headlines?" he asked with a bright smile.
Watching him closely, he asked, “What headlines do you mean?”
"Remy Le Beau, finest catch dis side o' de Atlantic; Remy Le Beau, Ladies Man Extrordinaire!; Remy Le Beau bags anoder hundred in a week—y' haven't heard?" he asked, trying to keep his face straight throughout his recitations of fake headlines.
Peter watched him with mild amusement. “I do not listen to the gossip they spread around here. I know for myself they are mostly childish assumptions.”
"Mmm," he said, cocking his head to one side, "Not all de rumors y' hear be false, mon ami."
Perking up, he asked, “You are the long-lost, third Summers brother?”
Remy chuckled. "I din' say which ones, now did I?" He looked up at Peter. "I hadn’ heard dat one," he said with a smile.
“Then you have not been listening to the good ones.” He smiled fondly at him, relieved to have a conversation that wasn’t about 'I thought you were dead!'
"Oh? What're de good ones? Dis I gotta hear," he said smiling, leaning back on his chair with an open posture, waiting to listen.
Smiling, he said, “Let me try to remember. It has been so long.” He thought. “Ah. That you could charge things by looking at them. There is one.”
"Well, dat one at least used t' be true," he said.
Fascinated, Peter said, “Really?”
"Long story," he said at the inquiring look. "I wanna hear dose oder rumors. Remind me an' I'll tell y' de sordid tale later."
“Sordid?” He settled back, not pressing him. “There were rumors you would steal Scott's plans and replace them with McDonald's menus.”
Remy burst out laughing at that. "I never done dat one, but—" and he had another laughing fit, "I jus' might have ta try it!"
Peter chuckled with his deep voice. “In that case, I suspect it was Bobby.” He rested his face on hand and gazed at him. “And they said that you make people very happy when you are around them....”
Remy's smile dissolved. "Dat... kinda depend on de person, oui?" he said sadly,
Shrugging, he said, “I have always felt content with you. As do many.”
"Glad t' hear it," Remy commented. He looked at the table stared off into space.
Smiling gently at him, he said, “I have made you uncomfortable.”
"Non, jus'... Remy not always de best guy, oui?" he said with a wan smile.
Frowning, he said, “I do not see why you think this.”
"Y' don' know me very well, do y'?" he observed.
Peter folded his hands together. “I could not say. I feel like I have not known anyone for so long.”
"What 'bout Kitty? Y' known her f' years." He had barely known Remy at all even though they spent several years in the same house. Then again, it had been a long time since Colossus had any contact with anything familiar, like the mansion. It must have been weird for him to come back to the place and find it totally dissimilar to when he 'left' it.
Peter felt a little strange talking about her. “Katya.... Katya and I are dear friends, yes. But things have changed.”
Remy's brows knitted perplexed. "Guess a lot would change wit' somethin' like dat... y' bein' away f' so long an' everythin'."
Peter nodded. “Da. Many things are not as I remember them. But many things are still very much the same.”
Remy nodded. He could see that. "Must be nice to have dose tings still be de same," he commented.
With a soft smile, he said, “Da. People are like clocks... They are forever changing but always consistent.”
"Don' know 'bout dat one. I known some pretty erratic people in my time." Remy sounded like he was getting old. He sighed quietly. "I didn' mean t' be contrary. I can see y' point," he said, trying to be as undisturbed as a pool of water.
“You have changed much from what I remember.”
"Heh—tell me about it," he snorted.
Taking him literally, he said, “I remember you as being aloof and untouchable. Now you seem that someone has torn you open.”
"Stop—" Remy said quickly. "I didn' mean f—" He paused trying to collect his thoughts. "I wasn' askin' y' t' tell me y' observations, Pete. Sorry."
Peter actually did metal up this time, all reflective and silver. He was blushing. “Forgive me.”
"S okay, Pete. I jus'... didn' feel like gettin' analyzed. A lot happened t' me recently... an' really, I'd rader ignore it."
Slouching, he felt he was such a big, dumb Russian farm boy who should have stayed in the cell. He nodded. “Logan should be upstairs shortly. He is finishing up in the locker room.” He had heard that rumor and actually listened to it a little.
Remy blinked at Colossus. "I din' mean t' offend, y', Pete...."
“ But you have not!” Despite the fact that I'm pure organic metal at the moment.
"'F you say so," he said nonchalantly, but unconvinced.
Peter played with the spoon. “I have been walking regularly. I find that trips around the grounds help me orient myself. Perhaps some day you would like to come with me?”
Remy's smile was small, but not insincere. "Sure. Could do wit' some easy exercise, me."
Sort of flushing with pleasure at the idea, Peter was already metaled up, so Remy couldn’t really tell. “There is a small cove I have found where—“
Logan came in, still wet from the shower and looked at the two of them. “Hey, Remy. Pete.”
Peter shut up immediately and nodded. “If you will excuse me.” He took his plate into the kitchen from the faculty dining area.
Remy's smile brightened at Logan's entry and he got up from his seat. "Hey, cher. How was de work out?" he asked and leaned in to kiss Logan.
Grinning, he kissed Remy back. “Good. Hardest I've had in a while.” He couldn't help but still going a little easy on Rogue though.
Remy smiled. "Who dey pit y' 'gainst t'day?"
“Y'know... Sentinals, the Brood, Rogue, the Brotherhood... Run a the mill...” he said ruffling his hair. He saw his half eaten sandwich. “Not hungry?”
"Was havin' a conversation wit Peter... an', I wasn' feelin' real hungry."
“Well, too bad, ya gotta eat.” He made him sit in front of his plate. “So...” he grinned. “What made Pete go steely?”
"Hunh?" Remy asked. He wasn't familiar with the fact that Peter metaled up when he was shocked or embarrassed.
Chuckling, he said, “Y'know how Bobby goes purple when he's embarrassed? Pete goes silver.”
Remy straightened and looked back at Logan. "Y' serious?"
Smirking he nodded. “What'd you do?”
"I tink I insulted 'im."
Logan’s smile faded and he lifted his eyebrows. “Really? He didn't look too insulted ta me...”
"I don' know... earlier... he said somethin' dat I wasn' too happy 'bout an' I stopped 'im. Dat's when he turned all silver.”
“Oh....” He stroked his hair. “He didn't mean anythin’ by it... Pete's as harmless as they get...” He realized that was not entirely true. “Well… he has a good heart.” Remy nodded and looked at his sandwich. Stroking his hair, Logan could see he was depressed. “What did he say?”
Remy grimaced. "Said it seemed like somebody ripped me open recently. Can't tell y' how fun it was t' hear dat," he commented sarcastically.
Pulling his up a chair next to Remy’s, Logan kissed his ear. “Well, you sort of have been, huh?” He curled his fingers against his neck. “But it ain't like we can't sew ya back up again....”
Remy wanted to chuckle, but it just wasn't in him. "I don' wanna be... broken, Logan," he whispered.
“Nah... No one does, kiddo. Can't tell ya how many times I thought I'd never be in one piece again...” He was repeatedly stroking his hair behind his ear. “But it'll work out... This too shall pass and all that...”
Remy nodded and wanted to just curl up in Logan's arms, but was afraid of people making fun of them again.
“Hey...” he trailed the backs of his fingers across Remy’s cheek. “You finish eating and then I'll take ya upstairs for some good R&R, ok?” Remy nodded and hugged Logan.
Rubbing his back gently, he said, “Yer all right kid... Don’t worry what ya hear around here.”
Remy nodded. He hoped that Logan was right. He felt kind of depressed and he couldn't really put his finger on why.
Seeing that Remy was depressed, Logan got him up the stairs. “Inta bed with you.” Remy plopped into bed and tried to clear his head. Tucking him in, Logan stroked his forehead. “Was it just Pete? Or is there something else on your mind?”
"I don' even know, Logan... I just felt—dieu... Logan... could I have felt what Pete was feelin'?" He didn't really see any reason for him to be feeling this depressed and it started when Logan came into the room....
Sitting down on the bed, Logan said, “I dunno, kid...Possibly.” He put a warm hand on Remy’s calf.
"I didn' wanna hurt 'im," he explained, dumbfounded.
“What do you mean? You think picking up on his emotions hurt him?”
"Non, I musta said somethin' ta hurt 'im. He wasn' depressed while we were talkin'... I wonder if I said somethin' toward de end dere... dieu, I woulda paid more attention if I tought I was hurtin' 'im." Why you always have ta be a jerk, hunh, Le Beau? he asked himself. He shook his head, unable to guess what he had said to offend the big Russian.
Grinning at him, Logan said, “Remy... I don't think you hurt him. Member what I told ya? I think he likes ya. Ya coulda said g'mornin and he woulda blushed.”
"Are you sure?" he asked, tentatively. His mannerisms weren't at all like someone who was coming onto another. "Besides... blushin' is one ting... dis feels different. Dieu, dis is gon' bug de hell outta me until I figure it out. I'm gon' have ta go talk to 'im. I'll be back, Logan," he said as he got up to leave the room.
“Kid....” Logan sighed and shook his head. He figured he had better just clear it up. At the shake of Logan's head, Remy was out the door and own to the kitchen to find Peter. He had to know what was going on or he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it.
Peter was washing a few dishes, all fleshy again. "Peter?" Remy called as he came around the corner.
Startled, Peter almost dropped a dish. “Gambit! I am sorry, I did not know you where there!”
"I jus' had t' make sure—" Remy paused, unsure of how to put all of this. "Look, Peter... you okay?" He wanted to tell him about his new powers, but felt that that might get in the way if Peter truly did like him.
“I... Yes, of course.” He put the dishes back in the cupboards.
Remy felt the rumblings of discomfort in his chest and tried to erect shields around his mind, but the damage was already done—he knew he'd been lied to... and he had to figure out what to do with that knowledge. Damn!
Watching him with gentle eyes, Peter asked, “Are you alright, trovarisch?”
If he pressed farther, that would mean he'd be admitting that he was invading Peter's privacy and knew that he had been lied to and if he just walked away... then he wouldn’t be able to keep his mind off of why he was upset! At Peter's question, Remy turned, kicked the refrigerator hard and marched out of the kitchen without a word. Damn dis fuckin' empaty!
Entirely startled by that, Peter wondered how he fucked up so severely.
Remy marched to Emma's office and pounded on her door. There was no answer and he started kicking it and pounding on it in anger and frustration. He wanted access to the Danger Room, but wasn't allowed in it yet. Damn!!!
Students shy from his behavior in the hall. Remy's shields were getting beaten down from all the frustration and anger, making a huge ruckus in the hallway just downstairs. Emma's door was long gone and he was working on the walls.
Peter swallowed and wondered if he should go ask Logan what he did wrong and how to fix it. Knocking gently and self-consciously on Logan's door, he noticed he wasn’t there. He realized that he might be staying in Gambit's room, but didn’t feel right about knocking on their 'lovers' door. Peter was almost run over by Logan who had just heard the noise. He followed him carefully, and steeled up when he saw Remy.
“Remy!” he shouted as he approached him cautiously. “Remy, what're ya doin’?”
Remy punched another hole in the mostly destroyed wall, then didn't know what to do with Logan staring at him like that. Shame crept up on his mind and he felt like collapsing under the weight of it, but instead he just fell for Logan's arms. He didn't want this ability at all! Why was he stuck with it??!! Why did he have to ask himself all these questions about morality and boundaries? Why couldn't the world just be simple again?
Catching him in his arms, Logan was a little baffled at what was going on here. He looked up at Piotr. “Go find Emma.” Nodding Peter ran off. “Hey... Hey, kid... You all right?”
Remy shuddered in Logan's grasp and clutched the older man. Rocking him and stroking him, Logan kissed his temple. "Why, Logan? Why's zis haveta be so hard?" he asked, on the verge of tears.
“I dunno, kid... But you can get through it... You've been through worse, huh?”
Remy shook his head violently. "Non! I can't tink of a time I was more confused dan now," he said shakily.
Stroking his back, Logan rocked him a little. “We're all here ta help you with it, kid...” He snuffled into his hair. “We're not gonna let ya crumble to pieces... Yer gonna be all right...”
"But.... Do I tell people dat I catch glimpses o' deir innermost feelin's? Do I ignore it an' keep it t' m'self? Do I isolate m'self? I don' get it, Logan...." What do I do?
Logan smiled. “Remy... Y' know how before your empathy ran wild, you could probably guess pretty damn well what they were thinking? It's the same thing, babe.... I mean, fer chrissake, Pete went all shiny. It doesn't take a telepath ta tell he was embarrassed...”
"But... I—Logan, he lied, an' I knew it. I'm no' usually so upset when people lie t' me... I don' even know why I was upset.... I was jus' tryin' ta help.... I should keep m' fuckin' nose outta people's business, wheder it got to do wit me or not," he huffed.
“Yer just all jumbled up now, kiddo... Yer bound ta be irritable and sensitive...”
Logan looked up when Pete and Emma arrived.
Looking down at Remy with abject dismay, Peter thought this was all his fault.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Emma shouted at the state of her office door and wall.
Remy cringed and buckled into Logan's arms. She was definitely upset about the wall and with little shielding left, Remy wasn't able to defend himself against it.
Audibly, Logan snarled, “Calm down, woman, or I'm throwin ya out!!” He didn’t care that it was her office. “Remy needs help, so buck up, dammit!”
Emma straightened and calmed noticeably. "Very well, then. Remy come with me to Scott's office. We'll just subject him to your tantrums there." She erected a shield around Remy and herself so that they were in telepathic/empathic isolation from everyone else. Remy got to his feet, still reeling inside from the emotions that were knocking around his head and followed Emma down the hall.
Following as well, Logan had no intention of leaving Remy alone.
"Logan—out," Emma said once they reached Scott's office. She closed the door in his face and turned to Remy's mind to suss this out.
Growling, “I hate that woman,” Logan went back to a traumatized looking Pete, figuring he was going to have to explain this.
Logan turned to see the Russian standing in the hall, looking as if he couldn't have been more uncomfortable if he were in a wet night robe in the middle of Parliment. "I am so sorry, Logan..." Piotr began, but Logan hushed him with a casual wave of the hand.
"No, Pete," he said, clasping the large man's shoulder, "It isn't your fault..."
"But he was so angry with me," Piotr allowed himself to be led back into the kitchen. "You should have seen his face..." With a casual gesture, Logan began to make some chamomile tea, which Hank had always prescribed to X-Men who were feeling overwhelmed.
"No, Pete... Remy's... He's been having difficulties... Turns out he's..." Logan stopped mid sentence, and looked at Piotr's open face. He realized that to tell Remy's secret would be a betrayal to Remy but to keep it would be detrimental to Piotr. He desperately sought middle ground, "He's had a serious upset. His nerves are on the fritz and he's hyper sensitive... It wasn't your fault, Pete, if it wasn't you, ita been someone else...”
Piotr bowed his head, not even knowing how clearly he could express himself even in his native tongue, "I do not know what I did to upset him. I said something that I know I should not have—"
He was cut off abruptly, "Pete... Listen... There have been some major developments with Remy's... abilities... It wasn't you." Logan knew that while Piotr would acknowledge that, he would still feel responsible. Unfortunately, there was little Logan could do to prevent that.
Still feeling very responsible, indeed, Piotr nodded and muttered shyly, "If there is anything I can do..."
"We'll let ya know, Pete... Thanks." In his gruff, manly way, Logan gave Piotr's arm a firm squeeze of the shoulder before rising and letting him have some time to himself.
********