RP Log with whoneedsahalo | Visiting Hours
There had been a lot of disapproving looks from Hank and some kicked puppy looks from John, but Warren finally lost his cool and told them both he was going back to his room so he actually fit on a bed. If he didn't lie down, he was going to fall down. Maybe there did need to be some time spent between him and John, but Warren wanted to be in his room away from prying eyes and evil eyeballs for being an irresponsible shit. If the team acted when they should have, though, Warren would never had a need to go out looking himself and get slammed into a brick wall by an angry biker. He took a long shower, which was mostly just him leaning slumped against the wall of the shower cubicle while the water ran over him and his wings. All the cuts were stinging and he didn't have a lot of energy to move. He did feel better after it, though, and by then the strong painkillers Hank had supplied him with were starting to kick in. Now he was just left looking like a mess, but the aches and pains were subsiding. Hank told him to take it easy and stay still, medical advice Warren had no issues following at that point.
He pulled on an old pair of track pants and a wifebeater, and was stiffly wiping his hair with a towel and trying to ruffle his feathers back into more comfortable positions when he heard a knock at his bedroom door. He couldn't help but wonder... and maybe hope... that John had wormed his way through Hank and gotten let out of the medical wing. It was unlikely, though, so Warren limped over to his door from the bathroom and opened it, finding, of all people, Rogue standing there. "If you're selling anything, I'm not interested."
Rogue's eyebrows went up as she placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "Cute, but I ain't no door-to-door saleswoman, sugar. Guess you're just gonna have to settle for a good ol' fashioned tongue lashin' instead. I can't believe how stupid you were. I know we didn't move fast enough for you, but that ain't an excuse. It ain't a reason to just fly off only to have your ass beaten five ways from Sunday, and to leave us worryin' about not only John, but you. Anythin' coulda happened to you, Warren. Anythin', and then we would've rescued John, and he might've had to find out that you went and got yourself killed, or the Brotherhood got a hold of you, and were beatin' you up just as bad." She gave a shake of head. "He would have wanted to go after you. Of course he would have. He would have tried to tape himself back together and then want to rescue you too. A vicious cycle of goddamn stupidity." She dropped her hands from her hips and held one of them up helplessly. "Are you okay?"
Warren stood there leaning against his door as he just listened, looking at her wryly the whole time. "Not really," he responded to her question first, his eyes still narrowed slightly as he looked at her with a mix of faint boredom and curiosity as to why she was even bothering bitching him out. "Two things, Rogue," he began as he limped over to his bed to sit down on the end of it. He picked one of the bottom corners so his wings could drape over the side. They were still sore, and they were probably the part of him he generally felt most vulnerable over. It could be a few days before he let anyone even brush against them. "One, you lot thought John was just off being an asshole, going back to Magneto. You didn't care, and you were all going to sit there and do nothing until you decided something to contrary was happening. On the other hand, I knew something to contrary was happening, because I knew he was in danger. I wasn't going to sit here and wait for any of you to call the shots. And the second thing, don't even bother trying to stand there and act high and mighty with me, Rogue. There is no way in fucking hell you would have just stood aside and waited, doing nothing, if it was Remy who disappeared. Don't even try to tell me you would."
The puff went out of Rogue and she came into Warren's room to sit in the chair across from his bed. She knew Remy had grown bored after the angry sex, and if it was anyone else she probably would have taken it as an insult. She couldn't help it that she'd actually just wanted to sleep afterwards, even for just half an hour. The adrenaline pumping through her system after a mission nearly always left her in a rush once she'd had sex with Remy. He might not have his powers, but he was still very much his usual self sometimes. And what she had to keep remembering was that she was the one he did always come back for. "The curse of lovin' a bastard. Actually, it's a curse of lovin' anyone. Don't pretend like the team wouldn't have the same debate about Remy either. He's always wandered off, done his own thing when he got itchy feet. Same as Logan. It ain't ever questioned when they disappear. Warren, I'm sorry. I wish we'd listened, and we'd just acted when you needed us to. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Only you still went in the wrong direction. We had to wait for a location."
"I was pissed off, Rogue. John and me fought. I wasn't just looking for him, I was trying to get my head around a lot of shit. I was trying to make him hurt, and I wanted to get drunk. It wasn't just a matter of going off half-cocked. I wanted to get away, full stop. But when I couldn't find him, I got even more pissed and I fucked up. I'm not saying I'm proud of it. I'm not gonna defend what I did. Look at me. Obviously I fucked up." Warren shook his head and shifted his bum on the bed. It was hard to find a comfortable position. "Yeah, exactly. But at the same time, if you had just known it wasn't a matter of Remy just being Remy, you wouldn't have waited around for them to decide. No one would. I couldn't just sit here and wait. He could've been dead in that time. And I don't know if you've seen him, but clearly he wasn't far off it by the time you even got there."
Rogue's eyes dipped to the floor before she tucked her streaks behind her ears and looked back up at Warren, her teeth chewing on her lip as she nodded. "He was close to losin' consciousness when we picked him up. I know he thinks he had me fooled, but he really didn't. I was just so mad at him, too. Mad at him on your behalf. He shouldn't have just left like that. Not when he knows that the Brotherhood would be lookin' for revenge. He couldn't have been so stupid to believe that Magneto would just let it slide. He would've been waitin' for a chance like this. Have you seen him?"
"Yeah, he's pretty aware you bitched him out. You should apologise to him for that, you know. He didn't do anything wrong. They kidnapped him, he didn't go looking to get chained up and tortured. He didn't leave anywhere. He went to a bar... to... for stuff. There were other reasons he left, and although I want to smash his face in for it, that's an issue between me and him. You probably aren't aware of the fact, but suddenly realising your sexuality ain't all you thought it was is a fucking huge thing to come to terms with. I don't think either of us were thinking very straight," Warren told her, and held her gaze. "It wasn't that he believed Magneto would let anything slide, we just had other shit on our minds. It was a lot to handle, alright? A hell of a lot. Seen John? I went straight down there when I got back. I don't even know who was all yelling at me when I got back, but I wasn't listening much."
"I don't know either, but I'm sure they'll get over it," Rogue offered quietly as she continued to hold Warren's gaze, brown eyes searching his blue ones. Everyone in the mansion knew what had gone down between him and John. It wasn't a secret anymore, but now she could see how much Warren cared for Pyro, and she suspected that was the unknown quantity in all of this. The two men may not have even realised until they'd nearly lost everything. "I don't blame either of you, I really don't. This is definitely a huge thing - the sexuality, not the attacks. You can heal from the attacks, and move past them. The sexuality might still be somethin' you need to get comfortable and used to for a little while. I mean, it's gonna change your lives."
Warren cleared his throat, well aware that she was analysing him with her gaze. He knew she would probably have to visit somewhere in her head that John used to crush on her, and now it was looking like he was gay... or bi... It didn't particularly matter to Warren, just so long as his cock was somewhere in the equation. It had to be at least a bit odd to think that a dude that once like you now liked cock. It just came as a surprise to everyone, and now everything was sort of up in the air. Maybe he and John just needed more time together in private when Warren was feeling less like he wanted to pass out every ten minutes. No wonder Hank told him to stay still. Stay still was an order he could actually follow right now. He nodded slowly and then let out a sharp sigh. "I dunno what's going to happen. I really don't. I get this feeling having me and John together might piss some people off. Or they'll think if we get together, it's always going to end in disaster like now. Then there is my whole reputation. Everyone thinks I'm the straight playboy. I dunno whether to keep this a secret, or go public with it."
Rogue blinked, and tried to seem less like she was studying him before she pointed at him with a gloved finger. "You need some ice for that eye, sugar? We could get Bobby in here, then you could have it on tap. Warren, I'm sure you're thinkin' that I'm pissed off just because of John crushin' on me, or that I feel some kinda out of place territorialness towards him or somethin', but the truth is if you make each other happy, then that's all that matters. Me and John are friends. Sort of. Hell, we're just exes who are good at bein' civil. He was one of the first people I knew when I got here, so there's always gonna be a part of me that cares about him. But I don't wanna be with him, I don't wanna get in the middle of this. I'm happy with Remy. I've got the only guy I need. And you're my friend, Warren. At least I think you are. I know this has to be all kinds of a head fuck, but if you're happy, if there's a John can make you happy then go for it." She couldn't help but give him a knowing look. "You keep your mutation secret from the greater public. Question is, do you have the stamina to keep a second? And how's John gonna take bein' a secret?"
"Actually, no. I wasn't thinking you were pissed off or had any territorialness. It ain't like you two ever really dated, and it was back in high school while you were supposedly with Bobby. Hell, I can't even remember the logistics. I came into things after all that went down. Just that it had to be a bit weird to realise he wants cock." Warren smirked at her and shook his head, waving his fingers. "You don't have to point out that you want Remy and only have eyes for him, Rogue. That's pretty much been extremely and loudly obvious to us all. I'm not indicating in any way at all that John wants you. It was just a passing thought. This is about me and him, not you and him. I'm not happy, Rogue. I'm as confused as all fuck. It's a bit too soon for happy. Yeah, and I'm starting to wonder about that, too. The wings took the fucking brunt of the impact, they're killing me. It feels like the left one is broken, but I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I dunno, Rogue. I don't have the answers to your questions yet."
Rogue looked sheepish for a moment before she just shrugged. "We can't help bein' loud. Truth is I like bein' able to be loud with him, to be open about how we feel. I know it ain't perfect, and I'm sure I got just as many people wonderin' what the hell I'm doin' with Remy that will be wonderin' the same about you and John, but it's what I want. It makes me happy. Nothin' was ever smooth with us, you know that. Sometimes the happy doesn't start immediately, but you can usually feel if it's wrong or right. Underneath all the confusion there'll be somethin' in your gut that will give you a feelin' of whether you're doin' the right thing or not. It's probably gonna take some more talkin' with each other."
Warren scrunched his face up and winced. "I don't want to hear about your sex life with Remy. I was talking about your arguments, actually," he told her with a small long-suffering groan. He was well aware that he was actually right next door to Remy's room. "I definitely hear how openly you feel during the fights. I just dunno, Rogue. We've both been beaten up. He got tortured. I'm trying to fight the right feeling in amongst all that, but so far, I'm just getting a really fucking big headache."
Rogue covered her mouth as she managed to actually look embarrassed and even felt like it. "Oh... Well, then hey, at least you've seen what it can be like when two people do seem to spend a lot of time arguin'. Doesn't always mean the relationship's doomed to implode. Just means that you're passionate people. Opposites attract, but that doesn't guarantee smooth sailin'. I'm sorry you gotta hear so much of it, Warren. I am. I'd try and keep it down, but Remy's of the opinion that bein' quiet means I'm ashamed of him. I swear he can be such a pain in my ass some days. But I love him, and that's the part that counts." Rogue drew her eyebrows together as she looked at Warren. "Do you want me to get you anythin'? Are you at least not seein' two of me?"
"I'm used to it. Hopefully the painkillers Hank gave me knock me out cold. He wanted to keep me down there, but screw that. Those gurneys are too narrow. I don't even know if John is going to be okay. I tried asking Hank about the injuries, but I just kept phasing out on him. Not sure I could stomach hearing about them right now, though. Just thinking about what Magneto is capable off makes me want to throw up. He should have just bloody stayed here and sulked, not gone out there and put himself on the line. As soon as he left here, they were probably tracking him, and I'm not even sure if he has realised the fact they found him in a gay bar means they know his secret." Warren carefully scraped his fingers through his damp hair. "I'm okay. Better now Hank worked his magic, even if I did the really girly thing of passing out cold when he started stitching my head. I'm pretty sure it gave John a few laughs."
Rogue sat back in the chair and let out a soft sigh as she started to chew on her lip again in thought, brown eyes turned towards Warren's window as she tried to figure out if the Brotherhood really did cotton onto John's secret. "Well, on the plus side, he's not you. He doesn't have a public image to worry about. Even if they wanna try and damage his reputation, or use the gay thing as black mail, it ain't gonna get them far. Only people it could possibly hurt are all under this roof and we all know. Sorry, sugar. Which means that it would really only do damage if they know you're a part of it. Not that I think John's a talker, but we're gonna have to see if they did try and question him about anythin'. If they know about you, or if he said your name in anyway that they might've connected the dots." Rogue gave him a soft smile. "I'm sure he'll only stick to laughin' to himself about it."
"Or the fact they'll start speculating who under this roof he is deciding he's gay with..." Warren murmured, leaving her with that thought for a moment. He couldn't deny it had crossed his mind. He was a public figure, he was connected to a lot of big names. It could cause some interesting bullshit, to say the least. Unless Magneto just decided that John wasn't worth the hassle and moved onto something else. Warren seriously hoped it would be the latter. In fact, he would pray for it if he thought it would help. "If he was hurt enough and tortured enough, he might have said anything. We don't know. He probably doesn't even remember if he was hurt that bad. And I know Emma is at least going to be pissed at me. I seriously gave her a mouthful when she was doing the Cerebro thing. Yeah, here's hoping. Your other half was keeping him company when I got down there."
Rogue held her hands up slightly. "I'm just hopin' Magneto will decide he's made his point and leave it 'til we meet again in battle somewhere. He's wasted enough energy on John, hopefully he'll just pick up and move on. Hell, for all we know it's a jealousy thing. Maybe he likes young men a little closer to him?" she suggested with a slightly devious look. Bits of both Remy and John were still very much a part of her, and sometimes they coloured her thinking more than she realised. Just like when the Wolverine in her came to growl in her earlier fight with Remy. "Emma's got diamond skin. She'll tough it out. Ain't like she's got a delicate inner core you gotta worry about hurtin'. She's probably been called a lot worse, and treated a lot worse." Rogue blinked, a slight look of confusion on her face. "That was where he was? I doubt it was just to keep Pyro company."
Warren almost gagged at this and his shoulders hunched up almost to the point his neck tried to disappear the cringe was so pointed. He stuck his tongue out. "Please, don't. I'll start worrying if he did more to John than meets the eye, and then I would have to fucking kill the bastard." He softly massaged his shoulder to try and loosen some of the tightness that was building there from stress. "Yeah, he was there. He was there when Hank came to see me, too. I think. He was definitely there when I got to John because he stopped me faceplanting the floor. They were probably having one of their infamous pissing matches. I didn't really catch what it was they were talking about."
"Pissin' contests are my darlin' Remy's speciality," Rogue replied with a wry twist of her lips. She got up to come over to Warren, showing him her hands before she gently nudged his hand off his shoulder so that she could take over the massage, her gloved hands keeping his skin safe from hers. "Sorry for the bad joke, sugar. I'm sure Pyro never would've let him near his ass. At least he has taste when it comes to cock. Yours is the only one to attract his attention. You gotta figure there's somethin' in that."
Warren did tense up a little when she started to massage just because it seemed all his stress was settling there. Or he had whiplash. One of the two. "He let another guy suck his dick," he said flatly. "I'm not completely judging. I got caught in a similiar situation... or train of thought, rather, but I couldn't go through with it. He did. He said he hated it, but I dunno. Makes me just want to slap something around a bit. It's times like this I wish I had a power that could actually be used to get out some frustration."
Rogue tried to be gentle, but even she winced when she heard Warren suck in a breath and she felt the lump under skin. "Do you want me to stop? Maybe I should stop." Then the bombshell was dropped and even if Warren had delivered the news flatly, Rogue couldn't help but let out a curse or two. "Jesus, he can't just keep it in his pants, even after a fight? But I won't go chew him out. Promise. Just... wow. I really wanna smack him right now. I know you two weren't hooked up, but that's still a low blow."
Warren looked down at the carpet under his feet, falling quiet in thought. That was probably bothering him the most about all this. He had been out trying his hardest to find John, in a sheer panic about where he was or if he was even alive, and John was out getting his cock sucked. "Said he needed to just know. I guess it makes sense, but it's just a kick to the ego. We didn't agree to anything between us. I mean, it was all sort of up in the air and then we argued. That's when he pissed off. I did, granted, get angry first. I just get sick to death of hearing about my father and Cure. Like you wouldn't believe, and he just kept wanting to rub my face in it all the time, so I got pissed. You know, I can hardly even remember the exact fight. I just know we were out near the lake."
Rogue pulled her mouth to the side as she continued to gently massage Warren's shoulder, staying put until he told her otherwise. "Well, I know the fight kinda exploded and created all this shit, but maybe that's not the part that you really need to deal with here. He got his dick sucked by some other random guy, and you need to process that. Maybe you also need to work out what that means to you. John ain't ever struck me as a cheater. I think if he ever found anythin' to keep him interested then he's gonna be faithful to it. Maybe he just freaked that what he found with you was over because of somethin' he done, and maybe it was his screwed up way of workin' out that it was worth fightin' for. I don't know, I ain't in his head, even if he's in mine. Anythin' could be behind it. I guess you just gotta figure if it's somethin' you can forgive."
Warren tugged his lips to the side. "I know it sounds horrible, but I'm sort of glad he's down there and Hank let me come back here. I don't know if I'm capable of thinking right now, but I want to when I feel better. Maybe we do just need some time to think to figure it out. Seriously, I've never thought I swung that way before, but then I was always just brought up in certain situations where certain things were just the norm. I did what I thought I had to and never really stopped to think otherwise. Not exactly proud it took getting blind drunk to discover it. It just wasn't like I expected it to be when it actually happened."
Rogue raised her eyebrows. "Then how did you expect it to go? You didn't think you'd like it, or that it would happen? I mean, okay, you probably wouldn't have ever expected drunken male sex. With John. Are you just worried about the cheatin', or are you worried about what this means for the rest of your life? Like we were sayin' before, I mean, you gotta figure if you wanna be open about this. I mean, can you still be Warren Worthington III but gay? Is it really gonna do you damage? Gay ain't such a dirty word these days. Hell, chicks will probably drool over you more."
"It was nice. I liked it. It was fun. And it was more a fact that I didn't expect anything because I've never contemplated my sexuality before. At all. I never had reason to, which is why it's pretty obvious that I'm bi, not gay. I can get it up just fine for a chick, I like the female body, and I've had more than my fair share of sex with females. I never before had stopped to think that maybe I'd like a cock on the menu. It just sort of happened and took me by surprise that I didn't dislike or it didn't feel weird or wrong. Quite the opposite." Warren shrugged a little. "As for my life in the face of it, I just really don't know. I don't know what it could ultimately mean, or if it will change anything. I just already still feel like a freak some days, in some situations. And I know, I know. We should embrace the mutation and all that crap, but look at mine. It's not so easy for me. I can't help feeling that way sometimes, which is probably why I still get so sensitive about the Cure thing with my father, because I really wanted rid of these things when I was younger and when he was developing that Cure, I did want a way to be normal. He was just trying to help me and take away the pain. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't know if I'm ready to face another wave of judgement for being homosexual... or half homosexual."
Rogue kissed the top of Warren's head as she moved back to sit in the chair and gave him a soft smile. "So don't. Just take it easy. You've hardly had time to deal with the you and John situation, and the only reason why it's probably come up to the forefront is because of what happened after the fight. If he hadn't left, if he hadn't been attacked, then maybe things would've just continued on differently. I don't know. It's okay to be relieved that John ain't here if you just need time to think, and to deal with how you're feelin' about everythin'. I think he'll get it, same as he probably needs the time himself." Rogue pointed at him briefly before her smile grew. "I know you think the wings suck, but I like them. And at least in this place you can let them hang out. And anythin' else as you feel the need."
Warren smirked. "It's amusing that it's even a 'situation'," he pointed out and scratched at his forehead. He was pretty sure he was going to try and hide away in his room for as long as everyone would let him, though knowing this place, it wouldn't be very long. He knew this sort of thing didn't happen regularly with the team and it was a bit of excitement... and it was a shock. It was a shock enough to John and Warren, but he just didn't want to deal with all the prying eyes yet. He wondered if he could get away with building a pillow fort around his bed to really hide. He tried that once when he was young, and it worked for all of ten minutes despite the fact it took him most of the day to perfect. "They're a pain in the ass. It would have been much more fun to have an abnormally large cock instead."
Rogue's nose crinkled as she shook her head. "No, I really don't think it would have been. Probably would've been a bitch for blood circulation, and then what would you have done with it? Only some of it would've ever fit inside someone. At least with the normal size cock you can get all of it inside someone. Hey, with the wings... does that mean you're always gonna be a top?" she couldn't help but ask as she tilted her head in thought and tried to picture him and John together. Mostly it was just making her want to track down Remy again and get him inside her room so that Warren didn't have to deal with the noise. "Just give yourself time to heal, Warren. I'll stop askin' the hard questions so you don't need to think about it before you're ready."
Warren laughed at first but then it soon turned into a groan when he realised that if Rogue was thinking that, she really wouldn't be the only one. He buried his face into his hands. "Fuck my life. No... no... I'm able to get them out of the way. It's just a matter of creativity. Plus, we were drunk. We seemed to manage ways not even wingless people probably realised. Just so long as he doesn't trigger his mutation when he comes, all should be good." He couldn't believe everything that had gone down in a short space of time. He was more than reeling, not sure how he was supposed to take any of it. The strangest thing was, he had not once actually doubted he felt something for John. It was all just a matter of what would go down if they acted more on it. It was strange. They were close pals all this time, and now this.
Rogue bit back a grin as she crossed her legs over and started to tug on the tips of her gloves slightly nervously. "I really shouldn't be askin' for details. It's between you and John. I can't help it, though. I'm all sorts of curious. It's you and John! I mean, wow... But it does kinda work in a strange way. I can see it workin'. You and him are the only ones that have lasted in friendship without him pissin' you off completely. It survived him comin' back, bar the fight. But still, there was somethin' there and whatever it was grew. He couldn't even stay best friends with Bobby. He kept in touch with you, Warren. Hell, I'm pretty sure you're why he came back even if neither of you realised."
Warren shrugged. "He came back because I pretty much taunted him that he didn't have the balls to. We spoke a lot before he came back, just no one really knew about it. I was still surprised he did, though. I didn't think his ego would let him. He's always been a cocky bastard. It's weird it was me, considering he hates my father. I don't know, I just don't easily hold grudges. I find it exhausting to, to be honest. You know, I'm not even sure I know why he went to Magneto in the first place. Do you? I never really asked for a detailed explanation. I just figured it's what he needed to do, and I would kill him if he hurt any of you guys. Maybe I'm just not a particularly deep thinker. Comes with the territory of growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth." He smirked. "I think he just came back to prove me wrong, to be honest."
"No, he came back for your ass," Rogue cooed before she made a kissy noise and then started to giggle. Truth was she enjoyed the fact that there was something good happening in the mansion. It felt like a long time since anything had gone right at Xavier's. Especially with a lot of the old team coming back, and everything seemingly getting tipped on its axis. She supposed Bobby and Betsy might have been the other happy, but she didn't feel as safe joking around with Bobby about his relationship as she did with Warren. It was nice to be able to smile as well after worrying about both men in the wake of the attacks. "I think at the time he really did just want the power. Magneto could offer him something the X-Men couldn't. At the time we were all benched because we weren't considered experienced enough."
Warren rolled his eyes. "God forbid we have to learn to be part of a team. What a horror. We're mutants, shouldn't the world be given to us when we snap our fingers? Don't you know that's how it works?" he said sarcastically. It was no secret Warren never took his mutation for granted. He spent so long in his life wishing it wasn't there that by the time he came to see he could use it to his advantage to help people, he was humble in understanding that he had a lot to learn about it. He had some different hurdles to others with the whole thing, and he knew he had to work through it. The whole dating John thing was just going to be another one of those hurdles. "I don't know. I never analysed it too much. Same as Remy. Never analysed why he pissed off and then suddenly showed up again out of the blue, either."
Rogue smirked faintly. "It's just the way of Remy. Same as Logan. They both get that wanderlust and they gotta go. I never thought John had it, but who knows? Maybe he does, or did. Maybe he got what he needed from Magneto and he realised it just wasn't him. All any of us can ever do is guess. I'm sure hell tell you the whole story when he's ready. And yeah, we gotta work for stuff and learn to be a team, but he was seventeen back then. I don't think any of us were the patient types. We had hormones kickin' in, and the crazy need to just fit in somewhere."
Warren pressed his lips together and gave a small shrug. "I had pretty much had girls whenever I wanted them. It wasn't really so much of a concern for me. I guess that's why I was a late-comer to the whole X-Men thing. Things seemed pretty smooth for awhile there, until everyone started showing up again out of the blue. Truth is, me and John have a hell of a lot to figure out before we know what's supposed to happen. The rest of you guys sort of make it look easy."
"Who knew havin' everyone back would cause such a ruckus, huh?" Rogue asked in slight amusement. "Ain't bad that they're back, just seems to be a lot of unresolved stuff floatin' around. Or changes that comes with it. Ain't ever anythin' easy about a relationship. Well, the sex is easy. That's a no brainer most of the time. It's the talkin' that ain't so easy. Just be honest with him, that's all you can ever be. At least then there's no misunderstandings from the start."
Warren pulled his lips to the side and glanced up at Rogue. "You know, I've never really had a meaningful relationship. I don't even think I've ever been in love... and now I'm facing the prospect that John might be the one. John. Pyro. Of all the people in this world. I feel like I've been sucked into a Twilight Zone or something. And you know the funny thing, that you probably won't even believe? He's actually been really sweet. Caring. Affectionate. Except when he was being a cock, but we all know that thing about leopards and shit. But he's... I dunno, I really care about him. Maybe I always have. We used to joke about sex and fucking all the time, just under the guise of a bromance."
Rogue pointed at him again before she gave him a wink. "You know what they say about a bromance. Just you two did actually get your cocks out. And hey, who's to say that he can't be the one? There's a someone for each of us, who cares what anyone else thinks? All that matters is that you dig him. That you like him, and he makes you happy. I know that you can't work it out until you spend more time together, but just remember that reputations ain't everythin'. And if he's bein' carin' and sweet for you, then you can be guaranteed that you mean somethin' to him too."
Warren laughed and shook his head. "Because he's an asshole. Nah, I'm just joking. I mean, he is an asshole, but he's a puppydog compared to some of the evil bastards we have come up against in our time. John's just sort of lost. He thinks everyone thinks he's a prick, and don't really want him back here. He's always meant something to me, we've always been good mates. And we wouldn't have ever fucked if we didn't get drunk, so I can't stake claim on anything super romantic. Maybe there is a chance we try dating and end up pissing each other off to the max."
Rogue shrugged as she tucked her hair back behind her ears. "Ain't gonna know 'til you try, sugar. Once you're both healed, I say take him on a date. Let the puppydog be the girl and put him on the back foot. That'll let you know for sure if he is gonna turn out to be a prick. I don't think John's ever liked bein' outta what he considers his comfort zone. Unfortunately for a little while there his comfort zone became the Brotherhood. But he's here, and he's askin' for another chance. I think he's more than earned it now."
Warren just laughed more at this, even if it was making all his injuries ache in protest at the movement. "He's not going to agree to let me take him on a proper date where he has to be the chick. In fact, we'll probably have an outright argument about it all over again. He's a stubborn shit. I'm not sure I'd even know what to do on a date with a guy. I know how to wine and dine chicks, but this isn't the same thing. Most of the time those chicks know they'll just get in my jocks after the fact anyway, so they take all the bells and whistles that come with it."
"Sugar, you are way too easy," Rogue commented with a slight smirk. "Even I make Remy work for it a little bit. I don't care if he knows he's still gonna get in my panties at the end of it all, it's nice to know he still cares enough to make an effort. What's the point of a dinner and stuff if it's just pretence? It's still gotta mean somethin'. Ain't a point otherwise. And I know that makes me a little old fashioned, but I really never got the point in sleepin' around. What's it ever given you?" She frowned a little. "Are you gonna tell John what I called him?"
"A hell of a lot of orgasms? Rogue, I'm sure it's great to think about the romance of the whole thing, but the bottom line is, guys just aren't like chicks. We're not. Getting laid and getting off are pretty mean feats for us, and we're happy with that. What happened with John and me, it was just pretty intense sex, plain and simple. We liked it, and we had fun. The feelings just came after the fact. It doesn't take away the fact that I still had a hell of a lot of fun in the past having sex with other people. Because I did, and I'm not sorry for that. Not all of us are cut out for the hearts and flowers of a romantic relationship. Sometimes sex is the basis of a lot of things, you know," Warren told her and then gave her a look. "What did you call him?"
Rogue held her hands up as she shrugged. "Okay, okay. I know. Guys are just focused on the sex part, and that's fine. But I was just sayin'. Sometimes it's even better when you're gettin' off with someone you care about. That's all. You two can do whatever you want. You're grown men. I just think it's sweet that there may be more to the bromance. I can't help it, okay? Despite everythin' I'm still a romantic at heart." She crinkled her nose. "The chick in your relationship?"
Warren watched her in amusement, a suspicious eyebrow quirked. "Please tell me your brain isn't in there planning our wedding or anything. Hell, we've got a loooooong way to go before we think about anything beyond what it means to think about more than our dicks. Even just thinking about facing the rest of the team after all this has happened is giving me a migraine. Your other half is going to have a field day with it. Bobby will probably have a field day with it, on account of the fact John has given him enough shit over the years. It's just like drunken antics are supposed to just stay drunken antics, you know? There is a lot to think about." He smirked deviously at her. "I dunno. I've got a head injury, I'll probably forget about it."
Rogue's eyes went wide before she just started to laugh. "Are you kiddin'? I don't even think about my own weddin', so why would I be thinkin' about yours? I don't even really know what I'm thinkin' about. Just you two stayin' together for a bit. But hey, I ain't gonna go talkin' about it around the place. Even if you tell him what I said. I even promise to not go runnin' down there and nudge away at him, too. This is where I start to keep my mouth shut."
"Because I know what chicks are like. It's easier to think about weddings when it's not actually happening to them. Trust me, I lost count of how many girls asked how long it would take for me to propose to them and if I would go for Tiffany's. Christ. If I'm going to Tiffany's, it ain't going to be because I'm told to." Warren shook his head with a cynical snort. "Pretty sure Remy is down there hassling the hell out of him anyway. You know he always ends up down there with Hank when he's bored. So, if John's there, he'll cop Remy's boredom, especially now he ain't got his powers to keep him occupied."
Rogue frowned as she was reminded of Remy's current lack of powers, a slight feeling of guilt still creeping down her spine even if she knew it wasn't completely her fault. It had just been bad timing, and something that no one seemed to know the actual cause of. "I wish he'd get them back. I don't know what it's gonna take for that to happen, but I just wish Hank or someone would figure it out. Maybe John will need to start a new bromance, huh? Remy and him might actually stop being frenemies. I can only hope. For the record, I ain't gonna send you to Tiffany's for John. I know it won't happen."
Warren gave a slight shrug and picked at the bandage Hank had wrapped around his wrist. At least it wasn't broken, though his wing might be another story. It had been too big to fit in Hank's x-ray machine, so Hank was left with that puzzle to mull over. "He seems to be okay, though. He's still a strong fighter, he just looks sort of... weird. Normal weird. Without the eyes. We-ell, it didn't look like they were about to hug when I got down there. Not that I was taking much notice, but they didn't look too squishy or anything. Remy was probably pushing all of John's buttons, and John was probably trying to push right back while Remy took advantage of being the non-injured one. John in Tiffany's?" He just laughed at this.
"Tell me about it. I can't get used to wakin' up to blue eyes and not red. It just takes some adjustin'. He's still Remy at the end of the day. Ain't like his personality was his ability. His ability just helped him express himself," she added with a slight roll of her eyes before she laughed a little. "No havin' a tantrum and blowin' up pot plants anymore. I doubt they'll ever hug and sing camp fire songs. Maybe they're just always gonna push each other's buttons. Who knows?" Rogue grinned before she started to laugh again. "See? Definitely not his scene."
"The thing about Remy right now, you look at him and you see a bit of a hard-ass, might be dangerous if you push his buttons, bit of a BAMF. Without the eyes and him emanating those powers he has, he could actually lull people into a false sense of security. We all know the bastard would take you out in a heartbeat if he needed to and he's kept up his training, despite losing his powers. He's far from normal, he's just more subdued in the fuckery," Warren analysed with a laugh. "Maybe you just need to zap him again to see if they come back? I'm sure John would offer to set him on fire, but that would just be counter-productive."
Rogue rubbed her hands against her arms as she shifted to hug herself, brown eyes fixed on her shoes as she battled the guilt that came with considering 'zapping' Remy on purpose. With his mutation in tact, it had barely been a problem. He could take her killer skin, and just shrug it off. He'd get a headache, but it was fine. Now, she wasn't so sure she could touch him without it ending like Cody. Remy could go into a coma, not get his powers back. "I guess it's somethin' to try. Maybe he'll go for it, but I ain't just gonna zap him without his permission. And what the hell is a BAMF? I thought that was the noise Nightcrawler made when he teleported."
Warren shifted again and scrunched his face up as he tried to move his wings. One of them really was agony and it was starting to piss him off. He already knew finding a spot in bed was going to be a pain in the ass. "Talk to Hank about it. He'll be the one who picks up the pieces. And yeah, talk to Remy. He was a bit wary of your touch after it all happened, right? Still, there is nothing certain that it was your zapping that did it. It didn't happen straight away. Maybe it had nothing to do with you. I know Hank was still favouring some sort of virus, but that was probably just because he could sink his large claws into an interesting research project." He laughed again. "Bad-ass motherfucker. I can't believe you haven't heard that before."
"Why would I have heard it?" Rogue asked with a slight laugh. "But okay... BAMF. He can also be a softie when he wants to be, but mostly I think that's just when we're alone. Okay, well, once in a while when we're alone. I'll talk to both of 'em, promise. Right now I think I've taken up enough of your time, sugar. You look like you need some rest." She stood up and went over to give him a brief kiss on his forehead, making sure contact was nowhere near long enough to trigger her mutation. "I'm just glad you're okay, Warren. Banged up ain't dead, and I like you better livin'."
"Because you're in a school full of teenagers who speak in acronyms these days? Fuck, they even make me feel old sometimes. I heard this chick tell Logan to go DIAF the other day, and you should have seen the blank bewildered look he had. It was fucking hilarious," Warren said, sniggering. "Yeah, I've seen his soft side. You don't need to convince me of it. I know he hates being vulnerable and he's a tosspot, but he's actually a great friend, and I know he'd have my back. I'll catch you later, Rogue. If you come back, knock quietly, alright? I'm determined to pass out for at least two days and not move. If you see John, just go easy, okay?"
Rogue smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, I promise. No more bitchin' you out. Even if I do come back. I promise to be quiet and well-behaved. A true Southern Belle." She had to laugh at the idea of someone telling Wolverine to go DIAF. "I really do not envy whoever told him that. They ain't gonna be ROTFL anytime soon, that's for sure. Remy ain't a tosspot. And if he is, well, he's still a tosspot I love. Take care, Warren. Welcome home."
He pulled on an old pair of track pants and a wifebeater, and was stiffly wiping his hair with a towel and trying to ruffle his feathers back into more comfortable positions when he heard a knock at his bedroom door. He couldn't help but wonder... and maybe hope... that John had wormed his way through Hank and gotten let out of the medical wing. It was unlikely, though, so Warren limped over to his door from the bathroom and opened it, finding, of all people, Rogue standing there. "If you're selling anything, I'm not interested."
Rogue's eyebrows went up as she placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "Cute, but I ain't no door-to-door saleswoman, sugar. Guess you're just gonna have to settle for a good ol' fashioned tongue lashin' instead. I can't believe how stupid you were. I know we didn't move fast enough for you, but that ain't an excuse. It ain't a reason to just fly off only to have your ass beaten five ways from Sunday, and to leave us worryin' about not only John, but you. Anythin' coulda happened to you, Warren. Anythin', and then we would've rescued John, and he might've had to find out that you went and got yourself killed, or the Brotherhood got a hold of you, and were beatin' you up just as bad." She gave a shake of head. "He would have wanted to go after you. Of course he would have. He would have tried to tape himself back together and then want to rescue you too. A vicious cycle of goddamn stupidity." She dropped her hands from her hips and held one of them up helplessly. "Are you okay?"
Warren stood there leaning against his door as he just listened, looking at her wryly the whole time. "Not really," he responded to her question first, his eyes still narrowed slightly as he looked at her with a mix of faint boredom and curiosity as to why she was even bothering bitching him out. "Two things, Rogue," he began as he limped over to his bed to sit down on the end of it. He picked one of the bottom corners so his wings could drape over the side. They were still sore, and they were probably the part of him he generally felt most vulnerable over. It could be a few days before he let anyone even brush against them. "One, you lot thought John was just off being an asshole, going back to Magneto. You didn't care, and you were all going to sit there and do nothing until you decided something to contrary was happening. On the other hand, I knew something to contrary was happening, because I knew he was in danger. I wasn't going to sit here and wait for any of you to call the shots. And the second thing, don't even bother trying to stand there and act high and mighty with me, Rogue. There is no way in fucking hell you would have just stood aside and waited, doing nothing, if it was Remy who disappeared. Don't even try to tell me you would."
The puff went out of Rogue and she came into Warren's room to sit in the chair across from his bed. She knew Remy had grown bored after the angry sex, and if it was anyone else she probably would have taken it as an insult. She couldn't help it that she'd actually just wanted to sleep afterwards, even for just half an hour. The adrenaline pumping through her system after a mission nearly always left her in a rush once she'd had sex with Remy. He might not have his powers, but he was still very much his usual self sometimes. And what she had to keep remembering was that she was the one he did always come back for. "The curse of lovin' a bastard. Actually, it's a curse of lovin' anyone. Don't pretend like the team wouldn't have the same debate about Remy either. He's always wandered off, done his own thing when he got itchy feet. Same as Logan. It ain't ever questioned when they disappear. Warren, I'm sorry. I wish we'd listened, and we'd just acted when you needed us to. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Only you still went in the wrong direction. We had to wait for a location."
"I was pissed off, Rogue. John and me fought. I wasn't just looking for him, I was trying to get my head around a lot of shit. I was trying to make him hurt, and I wanted to get drunk. It wasn't just a matter of going off half-cocked. I wanted to get away, full stop. But when I couldn't find him, I got even more pissed and I fucked up. I'm not saying I'm proud of it. I'm not gonna defend what I did. Look at me. Obviously I fucked up." Warren shook his head and shifted his bum on the bed. It was hard to find a comfortable position. "Yeah, exactly. But at the same time, if you had just known it wasn't a matter of Remy just being Remy, you wouldn't have waited around for them to decide. No one would. I couldn't just sit here and wait. He could've been dead in that time. And I don't know if you've seen him, but clearly he wasn't far off it by the time you even got there."
Rogue's eyes dipped to the floor before she tucked her streaks behind her ears and looked back up at Warren, her teeth chewing on her lip as she nodded. "He was close to losin' consciousness when we picked him up. I know he thinks he had me fooled, but he really didn't. I was just so mad at him, too. Mad at him on your behalf. He shouldn't have just left like that. Not when he knows that the Brotherhood would be lookin' for revenge. He couldn't have been so stupid to believe that Magneto would just let it slide. He would've been waitin' for a chance like this. Have you seen him?"
"Yeah, he's pretty aware you bitched him out. You should apologise to him for that, you know. He didn't do anything wrong. They kidnapped him, he didn't go looking to get chained up and tortured. He didn't leave anywhere. He went to a bar... to... for stuff. There were other reasons he left, and although I want to smash his face in for it, that's an issue between me and him. You probably aren't aware of the fact, but suddenly realising your sexuality ain't all you thought it was is a fucking huge thing to come to terms with. I don't think either of us were thinking very straight," Warren told her, and held her gaze. "It wasn't that he believed Magneto would let anything slide, we just had other shit on our minds. It was a lot to handle, alright? A hell of a lot. Seen John? I went straight down there when I got back. I don't even know who was all yelling at me when I got back, but I wasn't listening much."
"I don't know either, but I'm sure they'll get over it," Rogue offered quietly as she continued to hold Warren's gaze, brown eyes searching his blue ones. Everyone in the mansion knew what had gone down between him and John. It wasn't a secret anymore, but now she could see how much Warren cared for Pyro, and she suspected that was the unknown quantity in all of this. The two men may not have even realised until they'd nearly lost everything. "I don't blame either of you, I really don't. This is definitely a huge thing - the sexuality, not the attacks. You can heal from the attacks, and move past them. The sexuality might still be somethin' you need to get comfortable and used to for a little while. I mean, it's gonna change your lives."
Warren cleared his throat, well aware that she was analysing him with her gaze. He knew she would probably have to visit somewhere in her head that John used to crush on her, and now it was looking like he was gay... or bi... It didn't particularly matter to Warren, just so long as his cock was somewhere in the equation. It had to be at least a bit odd to think that a dude that once like you now liked cock. It just came as a surprise to everyone, and now everything was sort of up in the air. Maybe he and John just needed more time together in private when Warren was feeling less like he wanted to pass out every ten minutes. No wonder Hank told him to stay still. Stay still was an order he could actually follow right now. He nodded slowly and then let out a sharp sigh. "I dunno what's going to happen. I really don't. I get this feeling having me and John together might piss some people off. Or they'll think if we get together, it's always going to end in disaster like now. Then there is my whole reputation. Everyone thinks I'm the straight playboy. I dunno whether to keep this a secret, or go public with it."
Rogue blinked, and tried to seem less like she was studying him before she pointed at him with a gloved finger. "You need some ice for that eye, sugar? We could get Bobby in here, then you could have it on tap. Warren, I'm sure you're thinkin' that I'm pissed off just because of John crushin' on me, or that I feel some kinda out of place territorialness towards him or somethin', but the truth is if you make each other happy, then that's all that matters. Me and John are friends. Sort of. Hell, we're just exes who are good at bein' civil. He was one of the first people I knew when I got here, so there's always gonna be a part of me that cares about him. But I don't wanna be with him, I don't wanna get in the middle of this. I'm happy with Remy. I've got the only guy I need. And you're my friend, Warren. At least I think you are. I know this has to be all kinds of a head fuck, but if you're happy, if there's a John can make you happy then go for it." She couldn't help but give him a knowing look. "You keep your mutation secret from the greater public. Question is, do you have the stamina to keep a second? And how's John gonna take bein' a secret?"
"Actually, no. I wasn't thinking you were pissed off or had any territorialness. It ain't like you two ever really dated, and it was back in high school while you were supposedly with Bobby. Hell, I can't even remember the logistics. I came into things after all that went down. Just that it had to be a bit weird to realise he wants cock." Warren smirked at her and shook his head, waving his fingers. "You don't have to point out that you want Remy and only have eyes for him, Rogue. That's pretty much been extremely and loudly obvious to us all. I'm not indicating in any way at all that John wants you. It was just a passing thought. This is about me and him, not you and him. I'm not happy, Rogue. I'm as confused as all fuck. It's a bit too soon for happy. Yeah, and I'm starting to wonder about that, too. The wings took the fucking brunt of the impact, they're killing me. It feels like the left one is broken, but I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I dunno, Rogue. I don't have the answers to your questions yet."
Rogue looked sheepish for a moment before she just shrugged. "We can't help bein' loud. Truth is I like bein' able to be loud with him, to be open about how we feel. I know it ain't perfect, and I'm sure I got just as many people wonderin' what the hell I'm doin' with Remy that will be wonderin' the same about you and John, but it's what I want. It makes me happy. Nothin' was ever smooth with us, you know that. Sometimes the happy doesn't start immediately, but you can usually feel if it's wrong or right. Underneath all the confusion there'll be somethin' in your gut that will give you a feelin' of whether you're doin' the right thing or not. It's probably gonna take some more talkin' with each other."
Warren scrunched his face up and winced. "I don't want to hear about your sex life with Remy. I was talking about your arguments, actually," he told her with a small long-suffering groan. He was well aware that he was actually right next door to Remy's room. "I definitely hear how openly you feel during the fights. I just dunno, Rogue. We've both been beaten up. He got tortured. I'm trying to fight the right feeling in amongst all that, but so far, I'm just getting a really fucking big headache."
Rogue covered her mouth as she managed to actually look embarrassed and even felt like it. "Oh... Well, then hey, at least you've seen what it can be like when two people do seem to spend a lot of time arguin'. Doesn't always mean the relationship's doomed to implode. Just means that you're passionate people. Opposites attract, but that doesn't guarantee smooth sailin'. I'm sorry you gotta hear so much of it, Warren. I am. I'd try and keep it down, but Remy's of the opinion that bein' quiet means I'm ashamed of him. I swear he can be such a pain in my ass some days. But I love him, and that's the part that counts." Rogue drew her eyebrows together as she looked at Warren. "Do you want me to get you anythin'? Are you at least not seein' two of me?"
"I'm used to it. Hopefully the painkillers Hank gave me knock me out cold. He wanted to keep me down there, but screw that. Those gurneys are too narrow. I don't even know if John is going to be okay. I tried asking Hank about the injuries, but I just kept phasing out on him. Not sure I could stomach hearing about them right now, though. Just thinking about what Magneto is capable off makes me want to throw up. He should have just bloody stayed here and sulked, not gone out there and put himself on the line. As soon as he left here, they were probably tracking him, and I'm not even sure if he has realised the fact they found him in a gay bar means they know his secret." Warren carefully scraped his fingers through his damp hair. "I'm okay. Better now Hank worked his magic, even if I did the really girly thing of passing out cold when he started stitching my head. I'm pretty sure it gave John a few laughs."
Rogue sat back in the chair and let out a soft sigh as she started to chew on her lip again in thought, brown eyes turned towards Warren's window as she tried to figure out if the Brotherhood really did cotton onto John's secret. "Well, on the plus side, he's not you. He doesn't have a public image to worry about. Even if they wanna try and damage his reputation, or use the gay thing as black mail, it ain't gonna get them far. Only people it could possibly hurt are all under this roof and we all know. Sorry, sugar. Which means that it would really only do damage if they know you're a part of it. Not that I think John's a talker, but we're gonna have to see if they did try and question him about anythin'. If they know about you, or if he said your name in anyway that they might've connected the dots." Rogue gave him a soft smile. "I'm sure he'll only stick to laughin' to himself about it."
"Or the fact they'll start speculating who under this roof he is deciding he's gay with..." Warren murmured, leaving her with that thought for a moment. He couldn't deny it had crossed his mind. He was a public figure, he was connected to a lot of big names. It could cause some interesting bullshit, to say the least. Unless Magneto just decided that John wasn't worth the hassle and moved onto something else. Warren seriously hoped it would be the latter. In fact, he would pray for it if he thought it would help. "If he was hurt enough and tortured enough, he might have said anything. We don't know. He probably doesn't even remember if he was hurt that bad. And I know Emma is at least going to be pissed at me. I seriously gave her a mouthful when she was doing the Cerebro thing. Yeah, here's hoping. Your other half was keeping him company when I got down there."
Rogue held her hands up slightly. "I'm just hopin' Magneto will decide he's made his point and leave it 'til we meet again in battle somewhere. He's wasted enough energy on John, hopefully he'll just pick up and move on. Hell, for all we know it's a jealousy thing. Maybe he likes young men a little closer to him?" she suggested with a slightly devious look. Bits of both Remy and John were still very much a part of her, and sometimes they coloured her thinking more than she realised. Just like when the Wolverine in her came to growl in her earlier fight with Remy. "Emma's got diamond skin. She'll tough it out. Ain't like she's got a delicate inner core you gotta worry about hurtin'. She's probably been called a lot worse, and treated a lot worse." Rogue blinked, a slight look of confusion on her face. "That was where he was? I doubt it was just to keep Pyro company."
Warren almost gagged at this and his shoulders hunched up almost to the point his neck tried to disappear the cringe was so pointed. He stuck his tongue out. "Please, don't. I'll start worrying if he did more to John than meets the eye, and then I would have to fucking kill the bastard." He softly massaged his shoulder to try and loosen some of the tightness that was building there from stress. "Yeah, he was there. He was there when Hank came to see me, too. I think. He was definitely there when I got to John because he stopped me faceplanting the floor. They were probably having one of their infamous pissing matches. I didn't really catch what it was they were talking about."
"Pissin' contests are my darlin' Remy's speciality," Rogue replied with a wry twist of her lips. She got up to come over to Warren, showing him her hands before she gently nudged his hand off his shoulder so that she could take over the massage, her gloved hands keeping his skin safe from hers. "Sorry for the bad joke, sugar. I'm sure Pyro never would've let him near his ass. At least he has taste when it comes to cock. Yours is the only one to attract his attention. You gotta figure there's somethin' in that."
Warren did tense up a little when she started to massage just because it seemed all his stress was settling there. Or he had whiplash. One of the two. "He let another guy suck his dick," he said flatly. "I'm not completely judging. I got caught in a similiar situation... or train of thought, rather, but I couldn't go through with it. He did. He said he hated it, but I dunno. Makes me just want to slap something around a bit. It's times like this I wish I had a power that could actually be used to get out some frustration."
Rogue tried to be gentle, but even she winced when she heard Warren suck in a breath and she felt the lump under skin. "Do you want me to stop? Maybe I should stop." Then the bombshell was dropped and even if Warren had delivered the news flatly, Rogue couldn't help but let out a curse or two. "Jesus, he can't just keep it in his pants, even after a fight? But I won't go chew him out. Promise. Just... wow. I really wanna smack him right now. I know you two weren't hooked up, but that's still a low blow."
Warren looked down at the carpet under his feet, falling quiet in thought. That was probably bothering him the most about all this. He had been out trying his hardest to find John, in a sheer panic about where he was or if he was even alive, and John was out getting his cock sucked. "Said he needed to just know. I guess it makes sense, but it's just a kick to the ego. We didn't agree to anything between us. I mean, it was all sort of up in the air and then we argued. That's when he pissed off. I did, granted, get angry first. I just get sick to death of hearing about my father and Cure. Like you wouldn't believe, and he just kept wanting to rub my face in it all the time, so I got pissed. You know, I can hardly even remember the exact fight. I just know we were out near the lake."
Rogue pulled her mouth to the side as she continued to gently massage Warren's shoulder, staying put until he told her otherwise. "Well, I know the fight kinda exploded and created all this shit, but maybe that's not the part that you really need to deal with here. He got his dick sucked by some other random guy, and you need to process that. Maybe you also need to work out what that means to you. John ain't ever struck me as a cheater. I think if he ever found anythin' to keep him interested then he's gonna be faithful to it. Maybe he just freaked that what he found with you was over because of somethin' he done, and maybe it was his screwed up way of workin' out that it was worth fightin' for. I don't know, I ain't in his head, even if he's in mine. Anythin' could be behind it. I guess you just gotta figure if it's somethin' you can forgive."
Warren tugged his lips to the side. "I know it sounds horrible, but I'm sort of glad he's down there and Hank let me come back here. I don't know if I'm capable of thinking right now, but I want to when I feel better. Maybe we do just need some time to think to figure it out. Seriously, I've never thought I swung that way before, but then I was always just brought up in certain situations where certain things were just the norm. I did what I thought I had to and never really stopped to think otherwise. Not exactly proud it took getting blind drunk to discover it. It just wasn't like I expected it to be when it actually happened."
Rogue raised her eyebrows. "Then how did you expect it to go? You didn't think you'd like it, or that it would happen? I mean, okay, you probably wouldn't have ever expected drunken male sex. With John. Are you just worried about the cheatin', or are you worried about what this means for the rest of your life? Like we were sayin' before, I mean, you gotta figure if you wanna be open about this. I mean, can you still be Warren Worthington III but gay? Is it really gonna do you damage? Gay ain't such a dirty word these days. Hell, chicks will probably drool over you more."
"It was nice. I liked it. It was fun. And it was more a fact that I didn't expect anything because I've never contemplated my sexuality before. At all. I never had reason to, which is why it's pretty obvious that I'm bi, not gay. I can get it up just fine for a chick, I like the female body, and I've had more than my fair share of sex with females. I never before had stopped to think that maybe I'd like a cock on the menu. It just sort of happened and took me by surprise that I didn't dislike or it didn't feel weird or wrong. Quite the opposite." Warren shrugged a little. "As for my life in the face of it, I just really don't know. I don't know what it could ultimately mean, or if it will change anything. I just already still feel like a freak some days, in some situations. And I know, I know. We should embrace the mutation and all that crap, but look at mine. It's not so easy for me. I can't help feeling that way sometimes, which is probably why I still get so sensitive about the Cure thing with my father, because I really wanted rid of these things when I was younger and when he was developing that Cure, I did want a way to be normal. He was just trying to help me and take away the pain. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't know if I'm ready to face another wave of judgement for being homosexual... or half homosexual."
Rogue kissed the top of Warren's head as she moved back to sit in the chair and gave him a soft smile. "So don't. Just take it easy. You've hardly had time to deal with the you and John situation, and the only reason why it's probably come up to the forefront is because of what happened after the fight. If he hadn't left, if he hadn't been attacked, then maybe things would've just continued on differently. I don't know. It's okay to be relieved that John ain't here if you just need time to think, and to deal with how you're feelin' about everythin'. I think he'll get it, same as he probably needs the time himself." Rogue pointed at him briefly before her smile grew. "I know you think the wings suck, but I like them. And at least in this place you can let them hang out. And anythin' else as you feel the need."
Warren smirked. "It's amusing that it's even a 'situation'," he pointed out and scratched at his forehead. He was pretty sure he was going to try and hide away in his room for as long as everyone would let him, though knowing this place, it wouldn't be very long. He knew this sort of thing didn't happen regularly with the team and it was a bit of excitement... and it was a shock. It was a shock enough to John and Warren, but he just didn't want to deal with all the prying eyes yet. He wondered if he could get away with building a pillow fort around his bed to really hide. He tried that once when he was young, and it worked for all of ten minutes despite the fact it took him most of the day to perfect. "They're a pain in the ass. It would have been much more fun to have an abnormally large cock instead."
Rogue's nose crinkled as she shook her head. "No, I really don't think it would have been. Probably would've been a bitch for blood circulation, and then what would you have done with it? Only some of it would've ever fit inside someone. At least with the normal size cock you can get all of it inside someone. Hey, with the wings... does that mean you're always gonna be a top?" she couldn't help but ask as she tilted her head in thought and tried to picture him and John together. Mostly it was just making her want to track down Remy again and get him inside her room so that Warren didn't have to deal with the noise. "Just give yourself time to heal, Warren. I'll stop askin' the hard questions so you don't need to think about it before you're ready."
Warren laughed at first but then it soon turned into a groan when he realised that if Rogue was thinking that, she really wouldn't be the only one. He buried his face into his hands. "Fuck my life. No... no... I'm able to get them out of the way. It's just a matter of creativity. Plus, we were drunk. We seemed to manage ways not even wingless people probably realised. Just so long as he doesn't trigger his mutation when he comes, all should be good." He couldn't believe everything that had gone down in a short space of time. He was more than reeling, not sure how he was supposed to take any of it. The strangest thing was, he had not once actually doubted he felt something for John. It was all just a matter of what would go down if they acted more on it. It was strange. They were close pals all this time, and now this.
Rogue bit back a grin as she crossed her legs over and started to tug on the tips of her gloves slightly nervously. "I really shouldn't be askin' for details. It's between you and John. I can't help it, though. I'm all sorts of curious. It's you and John! I mean, wow... But it does kinda work in a strange way. I can see it workin'. You and him are the only ones that have lasted in friendship without him pissin' you off completely. It survived him comin' back, bar the fight. But still, there was somethin' there and whatever it was grew. He couldn't even stay best friends with Bobby. He kept in touch with you, Warren. Hell, I'm pretty sure you're why he came back even if neither of you realised."
Warren shrugged. "He came back because I pretty much taunted him that he didn't have the balls to. We spoke a lot before he came back, just no one really knew about it. I was still surprised he did, though. I didn't think his ego would let him. He's always been a cocky bastard. It's weird it was me, considering he hates my father. I don't know, I just don't easily hold grudges. I find it exhausting to, to be honest. You know, I'm not even sure I know why he went to Magneto in the first place. Do you? I never really asked for a detailed explanation. I just figured it's what he needed to do, and I would kill him if he hurt any of you guys. Maybe I'm just not a particularly deep thinker. Comes with the territory of growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth." He smirked. "I think he just came back to prove me wrong, to be honest."
"No, he came back for your ass," Rogue cooed before she made a kissy noise and then started to giggle. Truth was she enjoyed the fact that there was something good happening in the mansion. It felt like a long time since anything had gone right at Xavier's. Especially with a lot of the old team coming back, and everything seemingly getting tipped on its axis. She supposed Bobby and Betsy might have been the other happy, but she didn't feel as safe joking around with Bobby about his relationship as she did with Warren. It was nice to be able to smile as well after worrying about both men in the wake of the attacks. "I think at the time he really did just want the power. Magneto could offer him something the X-Men couldn't. At the time we were all benched because we weren't considered experienced enough."
Warren rolled his eyes. "God forbid we have to learn to be part of a team. What a horror. We're mutants, shouldn't the world be given to us when we snap our fingers? Don't you know that's how it works?" he said sarcastically. It was no secret Warren never took his mutation for granted. He spent so long in his life wishing it wasn't there that by the time he came to see he could use it to his advantage to help people, he was humble in understanding that he had a lot to learn about it. He had some different hurdles to others with the whole thing, and he knew he had to work through it. The whole dating John thing was just going to be another one of those hurdles. "I don't know. I never analysed it too much. Same as Remy. Never analysed why he pissed off and then suddenly showed up again out of the blue, either."
Rogue smirked faintly. "It's just the way of Remy. Same as Logan. They both get that wanderlust and they gotta go. I never thought John had it, but who knows? Maybe he does, or did. Maybe he got what he needed from Magneto and he realised it just wasn't him. All any of us can ever do is guess. I'm sure hell tell you the whole story when he's ready. And yeah, we gotta work for stuff and learn to be a team, but he was seventeen back then. I don't think any of us were the patient types. We had hormones kickin' in, and the crazy need to just fit in somewhere."
Warren pressed his lips together and gave a small shrug. "I had pretty much had girls whenever I wanted them. It wasn't really so much of a concern for me. I guess that's why I was a late-comer to the whole X-Men thing. Things seemed pretty smooth for awhile there, until everyone started showing up again out of the blue. Truth is, me and John have a hell of a lot to figure out before we know what's supposed to happen. The rest of you guys sort of make it look easy."
"Who knew havin' everyone back would cause such a ruckus, huh?" Rogue asked in slight amusement. "Ain't bad that they're back, just seems to be a lot of unresolved stuff floatin' around. Or changes that comes with it. Ain't ever anythin' easy about a relationship. Well, the sex is easy. That's a no brainer most of the time. It's the talkin' that ain't so easy. Just be honest with him, that's all you can ever be. At least then there's no misunderstandings from the start."
Warren pulled his lips to the side and glanced up at Rogue. "You know, I've never really had a meaningful relationship. I don't even think I've ever been in love... and now I'm facing the prospect that John might be the one. John. Pyro. Of all the people in this world. I feel like I've been sucked into a Twilight Zone or something. And you know the funny thing, that you probably won't even believe? He's actually been really sweet. Caring. Affectionate. Except when he was being a cock, but we all know that thing about leopards and shit. But he's... I dunno, I really care about him. Maybe I always have. We used to joke about sex and fucking all the time, just under the guise of a bromance."
Rogue pointed at him again before she gave him a wink. "You know what they say about a bromance. Just you two did actually get your cocks out. And hey, who's to say that he can't be the one? There's a someone for each of us, who cares what anyone else thinks? All that matters is that you dig him. That you like him, and he makes you happy. I know that you can't work it out until you spend more time together, but just remember that reputations ain't everythin'. And if he's bein' carin' and sweet for you, then you can be guaranteed that you mean somethin' to him too."
Warren laughed and shook his head. "Because he's an asshole. Nah, I'm just joking. I mean, he is an asshole, but he's a puppydog compared to some of the evil bastards we have come up against in our time. John's just sort of lost. He thinks everyone thinks he's a prick, and don't really want him back here. He's always meant something to me, we've always been good mates. And we wouldn't have ever fucked if we didn't get drunk, so I can't stake claim on anything super romantic. Maybe there is a chance we try dating and end up pissing each other off to the max."
Rogue shrugged as she tucked her hair back behind her ears. "Ain't gonna know 'til you try, sugar. Once you're both healed, I say take him on a date. Let the puppydog be the girl and put him on the back foot. That'll let you know for sure if he is gonna turn out to be a prick. I don't think John's ever liked bein' outta what he considers his comfort zone. Unfortunately for a little while there his comfort zone became the Brotherhood. But he's here, and he's askin' for another chance. I think he's more than earned it now."
Warren just laughed more at this, even if it was making all his injuries ache in protest at the movement. "He's not going to agree to let me take him on a proper date where he has to be the chick. In fact, we'll probably have an outright argument about it all over again. He's a stubborn shit. I'm not sure I'd even know what to do on a date with a guy. I know how to wine and dine chicks, but this isn't the same thing. Most of the time those chicks know they'll just get in my jocks after the fact anyway, so they take all the bells and whistles that come with it."
"Sugar, you are way too easy," Rogue commented with a slight smirk. "Even I make Remy work for it a little bit. I don't care if he knows he's still gonna get in my panties at the end of it all, it's nice to know he still cares enough to make an effort. What's the point of a dinner and stuff if it's just pretence? It's still gotta mean somethin'. Ain't a point otherwise. And I know that makes me a little old fashioned, but I really never got the point in sleepin' around. What's it ever given you?" She frowned a little. "Are you gonna tell John what I called him?"
"A hell of a lot of orgasms? Rogue, I'm sure it's great to think about the romance of the whole thing, but the bottom line is, guys just aren't like chicks. We're not. Getting laid and getting off are pretty mean feats for us, and we're happy with that. What happened with John and me, it was just pretty intense sex, plain and simple. We liked it, and we had fun. The feelings just came after the fact. It doesn't take away the fact that I still had a hell of a lot of fun in the past having sex with other people. Because I did, and I'm not sorry for that. Not all of us are cut out for the hearts and flowers of a romantic relationship. Sometimes sex is the basis of a lot of things, you know," Warren told her and then gave her a look. "What did you call him?"
Rogue held her hands up as she shrugged. "Okay, okay. I know. Guys are just focused on the sex part, and that's fine. But I was just sayin'. Sometimes it's even better when you're gettin' off with someone you care about. That's all. You two can do whatever you want. You're grown men. I just think it's sweet that there may be more to the bromance. I can't help it, okay? Despite everythin' I'm still a romantic at heart." She crinkled her nose. "The chick in your relationship?"
Warren watched her in amusement, a suspicious eyebrow quirked. "Please tell me your brain isn't in there planning our wedding or anything. Hell, we've got a loooooong way to go before we think about anything beyond what it means to think about more than our dicks. Even just thinking about facing the rest of the team after all this has happened is giving me a migraine. Your other half is going to have a field day with it. Bobby will probably have a field day with it, on account of the fact John has given him enough shit over the years. It's just like drunken antics are supposed to just stay drunken antics, you know? There is a lot to think about." He smirked deviously at her. "I dunno. I've got a head injury, I'll probably forget about it."
Rogue's eyes went wide before she just started to laugh. "Are you kiddin'? I don't even think about my own weddin', so why would I be thinkin' about yours? I don't even really know what I'm thinkin' about. Just you two stayin' together for a bit. But hey, I ain't gonna go talkin' about it around the place. Even if you tell him what I said. I even promise to not go runnin' down there and nudge away at him, too. This is where I start to keep my mouth shut."
"Because I know what chicks are like. It's easier to think about weddings when it's not actually happening to them. Trust me, I lost count of how many girls asked how long it would take for me to propose to them and if I would go for Tiffany's. Christ. If I'm going to Tiffany's, it ain't going to be because I'm told to." Warren shook his head with a cynical snort. "Pretty sure Remy is down there hassling the hell out of him anyway. You know he always ends up down there with Hank when he's bored. So, if John's there, he'll cop Remy's boredom, especially now he ain't got his powers to keep him occupied."
Rogue frowned as she was reminded of Remy's current lack of powers, a slight feeling of guilt still creeping down her spine even if she knew it wasn't completely her fault. It had just been bad timing, and something that no one seemed to know the actual cause of. "I wish he'd get them back. I don't know what it's gonna take for that to happen, but I just wish Hank or someone would figure it out. Maybe John will need to start a new bromance, huh? Remy and him might actually stop being frenemies. I can only hope. For the record, I ain't gonna send you to Tiffany's for John. I know it won't happen."
Warren gave a slight shrug and picked at the bandage Hank had wrapped around his wrist. At least it wasn't broken, though his wing might be another story. It had been too big to fit in Hank's x-ray machine, so Hank was left with that puzzle to mull over. "He seems to be okay, though. He's still a strong fighter, he just looks sort of... weird. Normal weird. Without the eyes. We-ell, it didn't look like they were about to hug when I got down there. Not that I was taking much notice, but they didn't look too squishy or anything. Remy was probably pushing all of John's buttons, and John was probably trying to push right back while Remy took advantage of being the non-injured one. John in Tiffany's?" He just laughed at this.
"Tell me about it. I can't get used to wakin' up to blue eyes and not red. It just takes some adjustin'. He's still Remy at the end of the day. Ain't like his personality was his ability. His ability just helped him express himself," she added with a slight roll of her eyes before she laughed a little. "No havin' a tantrum and blowin' up pot plants anymore. I doubt they'll ever hug and sing camp fire songs. Maybe they're just always gonna push each other's buttons. Who knows?" Rogue grinned before she started to laugh again. "See? Definitely not his scene."
"The thing about Remy right now, you look at him and you see a bit of a hard-ass, might be dangerous if you push his buttons, bit of a BAMF. Without the eyes and him emanating those powers he has, he could actually lull people into a false sense of security. We all know the bastard would take you out in a heartbeat if he needed to and he's kept up his training, despite losing his powers. He's far from normal, he's just more subdued in the fuckery," Warren analysed with a laugh. "Maybe you just need to zap him again to see if they come back? I'm sure John would offer to set him on fire, but that would just be counter-productive."
Rogue rubbed her hands against her arms as she shifted to hug herself, brown eyes fixed on her shoes as she battled the guilt that came with considering 'zapping' Remy on purpose. With his mutation in tact, it had barely been a problem. He could take her killer skin, and just shrug it off. He'd get a headache, but it was fine. Now, she wasn't so sure she could touch him without it ending like Cody. Remy could go into a coma, not get his powers back. "I guess it's somethin' to try. Maybe he'll go for it, but I ain't just gonna zap him without his permission. And what the hell is a BAMF? I thought that was the noise Nightcrawler made when he teleported."
Warren shifted again and scrunched his face up as he tried to move his wings. One of them really was agony and it was starting to piss him off. He already knew finding a spot in bed was going to be a pain in the ass. "Talk to Hank about it. He'll be the one who picks up the pieces. And yeah, talk to Remy. He was a bit wary of your touch after it all happened, right? Still, there is nothing certain that it was your zapping that did it. It didn't happen straight away. Maybe it had nothing to do with you. I know Hank was still favouring some sort of virus, but that was probably just because he could sink his large claws into an interesting research project." He laughed again. "Bad-ass motherfucker. I can't believe you haven't heard that before."
"Why would I have heard it?" Rogue asked with a slight laugh. "But okay... BAMF. He can also be a softie when he wants to be, but mostly I think that's just when we're alone. Okay, well, once in a while when we're alone. I'll talk to both of 'em, promise. Right now I think I've taken up enough of your time, sugar. You look like you need some rest." She stood up and went over to give him a brief kiss on his forehead, making sure contact was nowhere near long enough to trigger her mutation. "I'm just glad you're okay, Warren. Banged up ain't dead, and I like you better livin'."
"Because you're in a school full of teenagers who speak in acronyms these days? Fuck, they even make me feel old sometimes. I heard this chick tell Logan to go DIAF the other day, and you should have seen the blank bewildered look he had. It was fucking hilarious," Warren said, sniggering. "Yeah, I've seen his soft side. You don't need to convince me of it. I know he hates being vulnerable and he's a tosspot, but he's actually a great friend, and I know he'd have my back. I'll catch you later, Rogue. If you come back, knock quietly, alright? I'm determined to pass out for at least two days and not move. If you see John, just go easy, okay?"
Rogue smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, I promise. No more bitchin' you out. Even if I do come back. I promise to be quiet and well-behaved. A true Southern Belle." She had to laugh at the idea of someone telling Wolverine to go DIAF. "I really do not envy whoever told him that. They ain't gonna be ROTFL anytime soon, that's for sure. Remy ain't a tosspot. And if he is, well, he's still a tosspot I love. Take care, Warren. Welcome home."