RP Log with whoneedsahalo | The Next Step

[manipulatefire]

Warren was quite proud of his foresight to give Hank the spare key to his room for John. One, it meant if Hank needed to see him, he could without Warren needing to move too much, and two, he could screen any knocks at the door and not answer if he didn't want to because he knew John could just please himself if Hank ever released him from the confines of the medical bay. Warren, on the other hand, had just wanted to sleep the past few days away. He didn't even feel like jerking off, which was saying something, but he was sure he couldn't even find a comfortable position for it if he tried, anyway. He was now in bed again, his sore wing laying draped across the length of the bed while his other was wrapped around him, sort of like a cross between a hug and a blanket as he lay on his side.


He was dozing when he heard a noise, and only opened his eyes a little. If someone was about to knock, they could go kiss their own asses. He was sick of hearing about how reckless and stupid he was, and to those who didn't think he was either, he was sick of being asked if he was okay. He was sure he was going to be okay, he just didn't want to talk about it with anyone that didn't understand. When the door opened, Warren cracked his eyes open just a little, expecting to see Hank there with hopefully some sort of solution for his wing, but then he saw John limping in and he quirked an eyebrow. "Jesus, you Jehovahs are getting uglier by the day," he commented in a husky mumble.

"What can I say, I'd look a hell of a lot prettier if you embraced the Lord into your heart. Get on the Jesus goggles, and see the inner beauty." John was still aching when he moved, but as soon as he dropped down onto the bed next to Warren it was sheer relief that flooded through him. He made sure he'd been out of the way of Warren's wings, and turned his head to look over his friend... lover. "Figured since you weren't gonna get off your winged ass, I'd be the one that had to move. Plus I couldn't take one more day of being stuck down there. Just had to get a change of scenery. I'm sure Hank can yell at me later."

Warren processed what John said for a moment and then smirked, giving a small laugh as he reached behind him to carefully tuck the injured wing a little closer to his back out of the way. "You stole the key off Hank didn't you? Or got someone to steal it. You got Remy to steal it, didn't you?" he guessed in amusement. He didn't think Hank would have handed it over without a fight. He probably made the polite error of telling John he had it for future reference, though. Hank was a big marshmallow. After a few moments, he made a huge production of sitting up and shifting so he could turn over and lie on his other side to face John. He scrunched his face up for a few moments while the pain rushed through his wing and then with a soft string of curses, opened his eyes again. "Are you sure you're okay to be out?"

"Are you sure you're okay to be lying on that side?" John shot back as he arched an eyebrow in slight challenge. "I'm okay as long as I'm lying down, and as long as I don't have to try and make it down any stairs. I'm sure Hank can just carry me on his shoulder when it's time to go back to hell," he commented with a slight smirk. His expression flickered a moment later, and he really was looking at Warren in concern. "I missed you, and yeah... Remy stole the key. I had to check up on you, okay? I didn't believe anything anyone else was telling me. Not when I didn't know for sure."

"I'll be screwed if I get a cramp, but I'm okay for the moment. Hank thinks it's broken. Doubt I'll be using it anytime soon. I told him he's the only doctor I'm letting anywhere near it. I don't want any weird medical fucker feeling me up. I hate people playing with my feathers if I don't want them to," Warren complained, his nose scrunching up in a slight sneer. "What were they telling you? I've been alright, just avoiding them. Every time someone gets close, I get the urge to bitch them out. It's probably good I can't get knocked up, or I would be starting to wonder with the mood I've been in. I just... I was thinking, though. Where they found you and all, those evil bastards didn't... you know... interfere with you, did they?"

John chuckled as he looked at Warren. "At least I know you're not pregnant. I mean, we were drunk. Who the fuck knows if we used condoms every time. I guess I should just feel honoured that you did at least want me playing with your feathers. And they were telling me you were okay. It's not that. I don't know what it is. Maybe I did just want an excuse to see you," he offered with a slightly sheepish look. "Maybe you just wanna bitch them out because they've been bitching you out. I heard about Rogue's visit." He rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "No, they didn't 'interfere' with me. It was just beating the shit out of me."

Warren rested his head down on the pillow with a groan of annoyance. "I seriously just wanted to be left alone and not interrogated. Rogue was okay. I think she got me before the bitchy mood set in too far. It's hard to be all cheesy and peachy when you're in pain. Plus, I was thinking about stuff. Yeah, mate, I don't think we used rubbers... or maybe we used one, and then forgot about them. My supply was hardly touched that morning. I noticed when I was trying to find fucking Tylenol." He fell quiet for a moment, though he was frowning a little. "As bad as beating the shit out of you is, I'm... glad. It was something I was worrying about. I figured Hank wouldn't have freely offered the information, and I didn't know if you were just trying to be blase about the whole thing. I just thought I'd check."

"All I can say is that I'm grateful as all fuck that Kitty's at least stayed the hell away from me. I can handle visits from just about everyone else. Sage just came and stared, then sniggered, and left. That was thrilling... Remy's still just being a pain in my ass, but I don't that'll ever change. He's decided he always knew I was gay, but I think he's just winding me up. Plus I'm bi, not gay. I'd still play with Sage's tits if your dick wasn't more of a draw card. I'm just not gonna touch it right now in case it does wither up and drop off," John commented with a slight snort of amusement. "Alright, so we've already done the no condoms thing... Huh. Again, glad you can't get pregnant. Or me for that matter. I don't need hormones to blame for being a prick." He shifted on the bed to pull his arm from around his waist and reached out to touch Warren's hair, about the only part of him that didn't look like it hurt. "Thanks for caring enough to ask, but it's all good."

Warren smirked faintly. "Sage would so kick your ass if you tried to touch her tits now after everything. At least Betsy and Lorna have other dicks to keep them distracted right now. It's not that I feel guilty. I mean, I can't be guilty if I didn't fucking know. I should maybe have stopped to think on the issue if two chicks were there in my face looking like them and I was pretty much holding back in every sense of the word. Though, Lorna was a bit full on. I don't remember her being like that so much before, so I guess her own kidnapping screwed with her head a bit." He glanced up to where John was reaching for his hair. "Did they do anything to you that you haven't told me?"

John smiled wryly. "Yeah, I know she would. Maybe she and Logan can take a tumble. Might get the pineapple out of his ass, and all. Still not sure Alex is a dick interested in keeping Lorna occupied, but at least she's still not trying to be a Klingon with you. That's something. I like the chick, don't get me wrong, but she's not someone I wanna have a threesome with. No offence. If I get like her... Just tell me, okay?" His eyes flicked down to meet Warren's, and he frowned slightly. "Like what? Put me in a dress and make me do the Macarena? No, I've told you everything."

Warren held his hand up with a slight shudder. "I don't want to think about Logan having sex with anyone. He should be hitting menopause by now, anyway. So bloody wrong. Alex is just Alex. I don't think he knows what he wants. I think he just got dragged along in the mission to rescue you, he doesn't seem particularly interested in rejoining the team, but Scott would have kicked his ass if he didn't help. I don't know what went down with Lorna and Alex. There was cheating, I think. But then, didn't Lorna cheat on Bobby with Alex the first time around? Fuck, it's like Melrose Place. Why can't people just keep their pants zipped? Not that I can judge, but I don't believe in cheating. You're either with someone or you're friggen not, plain and simple." He gave John's arm a light flick. "I dunno, alright! I'm just asking. You had your head beaten in, I don't know if things happened you don't remember, so I'm just asking."

John sniggered before he tugged teasingly on a lock of Warren's blonde hair and then rolled back slightly as he looked up at the ceiling. "Melrose Place doesn't even fucking cover it, man. This place is... Hell, if I didn't know better I'd swear it was some kinda screwed up brothel where we only have sex with each other. None of us are the perfect poster couple, or the perfect lovers. I don't think any of us can judge. Hell, me more than most." He turned his head back towards Warren and smiled. "If I can't remember them, then I'm not gonna be able to answer that question regardless. But as far as I know, no. I got thrown in a cell, tied up and beaten."

Warren pointed to one wall, "I have Rogue and Remy on one side," then he pointed to the other, "and Bobby on the other. Trust me, I know how much like a freaking brothel this place can get like. My iPod has been getting a workout these past few days just so I can get some sleep. How they don't have chafing I'll never know. Yeah, well, Hank might have told you from the injuries or something. I dunno, I'm hardly thinking so straight lately, pardon the pun. This whole thing has left me fucking exhausted. I couldn't be bothered getting out of bed. Scott said there could be 'other things' for me to do than X-Men stuff, but screw that. I'd rather lie here and stare at the ceiling. Not that I can lie on my back or anything. For all I know, he meant washing dishes or shaving cats. He didn't stick around long when I told him to go fuck himself."

"You told Cyke to go fuck himself? Are you asking to get a laser beam in the ass? Jeez, even I'm not that suicidal. You could always get your bed moved to my room. At least then you'd only be near Betsy who's practically glued to Bobby's bed, and Logan who never has sex anyway. There's barely any sex noise. Somehow I wound up in the sexless wing," John replied with a scrunch of his noise. "Scott has to realise that you're hurting still. You need time to recover. It's not being lazy, and it doesn't mean you have to be doing other things. Maybe he was just trying to be helpful in his own stick up the butt way."

"I was tired and in pain, I don't think he took it personally. Not that I particularly care if he did. I'm not in the mood to discuss shit with the team right now after it took them long enough to realise you needed help. I'm allowed to sulk and be pissed off, and I fully intend on rolling with that for at least a few more days. And I can't. I got one of the bigger bathrooms so I didn't have to shove my wings up my nose every time I need a crap," Warren explained as he rubbed a hand over his stomach in a lethargic scratch. "I think he thought I was wallowing. He probably was trying to help, but if I want help, I'll ask for it. My wing fucking hurts. I just want to be a lazy asshole for awhile. I've pulled my weight every single other time, I do my bit."

John held his hands up before he smirked. "It's cool, I don't wanna rip you away from your big bathroom. I'm not that much of a prick. It was just an idea. Maybe you can work on stapling egg cartons to the walls instead to try and sound proof them. Might make you seem a bit crazy, but it's better than going deaf from increased use of your iPod." John's gaze dipped down to Warren's hand on his stomach, taking in the sight appreciatively despite the fact he didn't even want to touch his dick. Like Warren, he was concerned about whether or not it would survive jerking off. "Thanks for trying to come and get me. I'm not sure I actually said that before. I only kinda remember some of what I said when you found me. I just don't remember saying thanks. No one's ever questioned your ethic, man. If you wanna lie here and be lazy, go for it."

Warren was looking at John again now. "You'd really want to live with me for any period of time?" he finally asked. Sure, he had washed over it with the bathroom comment, mostly because he thought John was joking initially, but now he was wondering if maybe there was more to John bringing the issue up than just Warren's bitching about loud sex of his neighbours. "Do you know how awkward it can be to share with me? You wait til summer when I malt," he said with a smirk, trying to keep things light. Joking seemed to be the easiest way to cope with everything. "It's fine. You would've done the same thing for me. Hopefully with less random blowjobs on the go."

John reached up to press the heel of his palm against his forehead. "I don't know, it's probably just the head injury. It's not like I've ever wanted to live with anyone before. This place... it's the most amount of people I've ever shared a space with. Sure, I left and then tried to kill everyone, but we'll chalk it up to hormones, huh? Besides, you're right, I really don't need to be waking up with a mouth full of feathers, or finding them any other random places. Better just to keep it all separate. It's just the head injuries talking." John huffed out a breath and pointed at Warren. "I'm really never gonna hear the end of that, am I?"

Warren nodded and outwardly remained calm. "Sure. But just for the record, I'm always going to have feathers, so if that's your reason to keep things 'separate', then it ain't changing any time soon, even when there is no head injuries or nothing. Just saying." He wasn't exactly sure what they were really discussing here. Maybe whether it was a long-term thing or not. He always assumed if he seriously dated someone and they could go the distance, he would actually end up living with them eventually. John didn't sound so keen on that front. At all. So, did that mean if anything did start, it was always just going to be a bit of casual fun?

John just felt an urge to groan, and bit it back since he really didn't want an argument. It was also the fact that he had inadvertently started a serious discussion he hadn't been sure they were ready for. Only now it seemed to be happening whether they were ready for it, or not. "You know it's not your wings, Warren. I was just trying to continue on with your feather comment. Figured you just didn't want to talk about whatever the hell we are talking about. Hell, look, the reality here is that if I have a chance of making it with anyone, then I'm pretty sure it's you. We never got a chance to figure out if this was exclusive, if this was serious. But I don't wanna share you, and I don't exactly wanna see anyone else."

Warren just laughed and waved his hand. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm not asking you to fucking marry me. All I'm saying is that my situation is not gonna change any time soon. This is me, this is what you get. That's the reality. I'm not pushing you into anything. We don't know what the hell we're doing. But if there is nothing to aim for, there's no point. Whatever we do here, there are going to be consequences and things are gonna change. So, it's gotta be something that's worth it, I suppose is what I'm saying."

"Well, it goes both ways, man. I'm not gonna change much either, except following through on what I promised. I won't be a prick to you, or a bastard in private. You get the marshmallow me under the surface... Which is either a good thing, or a bad thing. Who knows. All I know is that whatever we're doing, we're doing it. I'm not gonna run, I'm not gonna hide. I'm willing to just give it my all. Even if I stumble along the way. I think it's worth it."

"A good thing or a bad thing? C'mon. That bastard routine has got to be draining to keep up. If you were truly the bastard you make out you are, you and I wouldn't be here. We just wouldn't," Warren resolved, the theory dawning on him. "You would think you were too cocky and too much the arrogant big man to admit to something like this, no matter what you really felt. Hell, you would probably start screwing with me, trying to hurt me, make out I'm some big wimpy cocksucker. But you didn't. The point still stands though. You share my bed, you wake up with feathers in weird places," he added with a smirk.

John chuckled softly as he reached up to rub a hand over his hair. The bleach was long gone by now, his natural brown back. It was a relief, and the truth was that it had been draining to keep up the act. Even if Remy just seemed to bring out his bastard side naturally. They always had just pushed each other's buttons. "Yeah, well... I did wake up with feathers in weird places. Maybe I just always had the fetish and didn't know it. I'm not a complete prick. You got me there. Just... keep it between us for now, okay? I already feel vulnerable enough. I got my ass handed to me and for a little while there I didn't think I'd come out of it alive. Didn't think I'd see you again, or get a chance to apologise."

Warren smirked at John tiredly. "Rogue thinks she's onto you, but I know better. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I know you better than she does. It doesn't matter what happened, alright? I'm just glad you didn't get yourself fucking killed. Don't fucking do it again or I'll kill you. Still can't believe you did that. I think we should talk about the whole gay bar thing, by the way. Because if you wanna go out and discover yourself, now is the time to speak up."

"Yeah, I don't think I need her bitching me out for realising that we aren't as close as she thinks. She chose Remy, and before that she chose Bobby. We were friends, but it was never gonna be more than that. I wasn't just gonna spill all my deepest and darkest to her. I'm really not fucking planning on doing this again. Ever. I'll kick their asses first. Look, that whole... gay bar thing. I was pissed, and I was angry, and I just wanted to try and forget you. I'm not proud of that moment, I'm really not. I don't need to discover myself. Do you?"

Warren gave a small shake of his head against the pillow. "I could've had the same chance, but I pulled back. Tried to punch someone's lights out instead. I didn't want to do it," he said with a shrug of one shoulder. I just think we should address the issue of what you're going to do next time you get pissed and angry. Is it always going to be an outcome like this? Because we are going to get pissed and angry. That's just what happens sometimes. People argue, and they disagree. Are you going to want to forget me and go out and get your cock sucked in a gay bar every time we argue?"

"No," was all John said in reply, the single syllable spoken firmly and clearly. He pressed his lips together as he gave a shake of his head and let out a long sigh. "No, Warren. It was just a fucked up response to a fucked up argument. Maybe we'll get pissed and angry, but I'm kinda banking on the fact that it won't be for the same reasons. I know I didn't handle it well, but experience is a great teacher, right? Or some shit like that. So, no. I'm not gonna do that again. I don't want to forget you."

Warren shifted again and gingerly and slowly tucked his wing in against him. He was feeling strangely vulnerable with it so injured, and he didn't really want to appear like a whining sap in front of John and moan about it. It didn't take away the fact he wanted to curl up in a ball and feel sorry for himself from the pain. He didn't answer immediately, but soon scrunched his nose up and looked at John. "Sorry... just hurts," he murmured. "So, I guess the next thing is to decide that the hell his is, then. What it's going to be, what we're going to make of it. Just fucking now and again on the sly or something else entirely?"

John just looked exasperated before he touched his foot to Warren's. "Don't apologise. You're in fucking pain, I'm not going to think less of you for feeling it, or for being in it. Christ, who do you think I am?" He nodded a little against the pillow as he sucked on his bottom lip, and closed his eyes briefly. "I don't think there's anything that's sly about this, you know. Everyone knows. We're out."

Warren gave John a pained, yet sheepish, look. "I'm not entirely convinced it's not going to drop off. I was too drunk to remember what happened to it. And I was just trying to give you an out here. Just because everyone knows doesn't mean we would automatically agree to keep it going. Although, Hank has probably deduced by now where you are, but then, Hank wouldn't say anything. I know it's a huge thing. I don't want you to feel pressured."

"What about you, though? You're a pretty well-known playboy. Whatever we have here, it's not going to go beyond these walls anyway, is it? It'll just be us here in the mansion. Out there, you're gonna need to keep up appearances," John said as he tried not to sneer. He was already hating on all the anonymous bimbos that would no doubt drape themselves over Warren out in public. "I don't care if people know. I'm comfortable with myself, and if they give me shit, I'll just give it back. I don't feel pressured, but it's not just about me. You've got another life, a public life. People didn't even know you had wings until your father tried to publicly fix them."

Warren ran his tongue along the inside of of his cheek and quirked an eyebrow at John. He could hear the hint of the tone there. "Yeah, and I got shit for it. Luckily, in this day and age, being gay isn't as weird as having wings. I'm not saying I'm not going to tell anyone. I didn't say that at all. I said I'm not going to make any choices until we were on the same page. But thank you for making out you're the bigger, more confident man while I'm the wimpy playboy. Appreciate it."

John pulled himself up into a sitting position as he grunted with the effort and ran both hands over his hair as he tried not to bite back a response. "Warren, you have to realise that I was known as Brotherhood. I've never been an out and proud X-Man. It's gonna take time. I'm still earning my place here, earning people's trust. That world out there? They know me as the bad guy. I'm hardly the bigger man here. Not just in inches, either. I think you got me beat by half an inch by the way, you bastard. My point, which I'm sure I did have, is that there's gonna be ramifications. Or maybe there isn't. Maybe people won't bat an eye, and everyone will have forgotten who I am. You'll just be dating some random cock."

"No! You're kidding me?!" Warren said with a feigned gasp. He smirked though, amused. It really wasn't news to him that John had never been an out and proud X-Man. Even the first time he was with them, he was always a cynical shite to the whole thing. "It's the wings. Gravity takes over. Gotta have a big cock to maintain sturdy balance. So, what you're saying is you can't be a gay guy and fuck another guy? You think the world will expect you to start wearing corsets and carrying rainbow flags with glitter eyeshadow?"

John pulled a face as he just stared at Warren. "What?! How the fuck did you even get that from what I'm saying? I'm just saying that if we're out out, and if you want me to maybe go anywhere with you in public, then questions will get asked, and bullshit will get printed. I just wasn't sure if you were actually ready for that."

"Like the bullshit where I was holding orgies in the basement of the company's headquarters for people with a feather fetish and charging them entry to fund the next round of Cure injections?" Warren said with a snort of disgust. "Come on. If I let everything that was printed about me bother me, I would have topped myself long ago. In fact, I'm pretty sure over the years there has been gay speculation from chicks I dumped. I've dealt with a shit load of bullshit in my life, John. This isn't exactly deep impacting. When the penny dropped, I didn't freak out half as much as I thought I would."

John looked down at Warren and smirked. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, princess. Seriously though, Warren. Where does it leave us?" John slipped back down into the bed, and rolled onto his side again as he held Angel's gaze. "Have we even decided what we are?"

"It leaves us here. You with a broken... hopefully not ass, me with a broken wing. I'm already fucking anticipating the fallen angel jokes left and right. Everyone here knows what we're doing. We get better, do what we have to do, and see what happens. You might not be able to go out in public if Magneto hasn't finished with you, so what we are will just have to be seen as to whether we kill each other if we start spending more time together, I guess. Feathers and all," Warren said, giving his shoulder a small shrug, but making sure not to move his wing.

John inched forward enough to be closer to Warren without interfering with his wing, or any other bruised part of him. He leaned forward to press a kiss to Warren's lips before he fell back against the pillow. "I'll just be glad when it doesn't hurt to fucking move, or do anything other than lay here and breathe. If it's alright with you, I just need to lie here for a bit longer before I try and get back down to the medlab."

"Stay however long you need, I'm not bothered. It's not like I'm exactly going to move anywhere soon. It takes me half an hour to get to the bathroom for a pee. Just as a warning, too, if I fall asleep, I can't help it. One of those pills Hank put me on knocks me out. I think it's angel unfriendly or something. It probably makes me drool and snore, too. Not pretty. You might want to run for the hills, injuries or not," Warren joked, smirking at John when he lay back down beside him again.

"You think you got problems, I can't pee without cussing the air blue. I think one of those jerks cock-punched me. I can't even remember every blow, but I don't think my dick was as purple as it is now. It's cool, I'm not exactly the world's most awake person right now either. We'll have fun trying to work out which one of us snores," he joked as he managed a chuckle. John chewed on his lip briefly before he reached out for Warren's hand and held it loosely. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Warren moved to brace his weight on his arm and shoulder, and then reached over slowly to hook his fingers in the waistband of John's pants. He pulled the elastic out carefully and then leaned over to peer down inside, surveying said damage. It was only a couple of moments before he was then tugging John's pants down over his hips with a deepset frown on his face. "Are you fucking kidding me? Those goddamn fucking assholes! Are you even going to be... how do you know there isn't any lasting damage? You're probably pretty much infertile now. Fuck me, this is bullshit," he said with an angry growl. As far as he was concerned, this was right up there with the 'interfered with' he referenced early and he let out a sharp huff of anger. It wasn't like he was in any condition to go belt someone in retaliation for this. He met John's gaze. "Yeah... mostly. But are you okay? I don't really think you're as okay as you're trying to let on."

John pressed his lips together as he looked down at his sore dick. He couldn't help it when he winced, even if Warren was being as careful as possible. "I was never gonna be a family man, so infertile probably isn't so devastating for me. Hank hasn't really said much, I just assumed he'd fess up if there was anything serious. Personally I'm just grateful there isn't a catheter shoved up there, but maybe he's still contemplating it." John wrapped his fingers around Warren's arm as he looked up at the angelic mutant. "Look, just let me keep my brave face, okay? I'm not good at being sick, or hurt. I hate it. I also don't wanna be restricted to bed all the way in the basement. Just worry if I start pissing blood. We'll get the fuckers back, but we'll do it the right way."

"It's probably too early to tell if there is anything long term going on anyway. What was Hank going to do, get you to toss off into a plastic cup to examine whether your swimmers are all unconscious with stars over their heads? How can you even touch your dick to pee?" Warren was still giving him a concerned frown. "Maybe you should learn, then? Come on. I'm not gonna judge you. I'm sitting here wanting to curl up in a ball and feel sorry for myself because I might have a broken wing. You don't need to keep up a brave front, alright? You got the shit bashed out of you. Maybe even literally, I dunno. Why don't you just stay here? Hank's been coming up to see me. Why can't he come up to see you too?"

John shrugged a shoulder. "I gotta pee, so I pee. Until I get telekinetic powers along with the one I already got, there's still gonna be using my hands to piss. There's just not gonna be any jerking off, or sexual activity of any kind. You really so sure you want me here with you? Not that I'm saying no. I'm not. I like your bed, I like being here with you. I really would rather be here with you."

"I don't mind," Warren insisted quietly. "This is basically what I have been doing the past couple of days. If you can handle the feathers up your nose thing, then we're good. In saying that, probably less chance of even that happening. I don't feel like moving them much. If Hank will give you the go ahead, then fine. It's fine. Are you sure you're okay to be, though? Do you want to call him or something? What about food, can you eat? Shower? What do I need to know?"

"Keep me out of direct sunlight, and water occasionally. But yeah, I can eat," John replied with a small smile. It was certainly interesting to be taken care of, even if he knew Warren needed TLC as much as he did. "I'll call him in a little bit. Besides, I'm sure if he's really concerned he'll come check on us anyway. Just keep lighters away from me right now though, okay? I really don't know how much control I'll have over my mutation."

Warren sniggered. "Well, luckily I'm actually getting food brought to me right now. Probably Scott's doing. I'm happy to just hibernate in here for a bit longer yet. You know, I'm happy to keep lighters away from you any time. I've had my feathers singed by you in the past, and I'm not ready to revisit that just yet." He fell quiet for a moment, but he was looking at John intently. "Were you scared?"

John smirked. "Even if he probably still wants to knock both our heads together for being idiots. There's no denying he can be a little intense when he's angry. I'm happy to just be avoiding him for a little while. And hey, your feathers are safe from me now. Promise. I'll go back to singing Remy's hair," he added with a lopsided grin. Then he cleared his throat and shifted to roll onto his back with a quiet groan. "Yeah, I was. I know what they're capable of. Didn't exactly think I was gonna last."

"You know when he starts swearing, he's really pissed," Warren said in amusement. "No you fucking won't. You aren't picking any fights with Remy. He's not exactly going to just sit there and take it, you know. You don't need to be getting into anymore bloody fights. See? This is why I was so pissed off at everyone. If Magneto had you, it was unlikely he was going to just play with you for too long before he got bored. They just wanted to think we were having some sort of stupid fight. It was Emma and Cerebro who saw what was going on with us. She wanted to wait to build strategies or something."

"She's a thinker," John said with a slight sneer. "She's all about the brain even if she wants us to think she's a cold hard bitch. The X-Men have always been about strategies and plans. Even when it's an emergency when have you ever known them to go in without some kind of briefing? It's just their way. Why do you think me, Logan, and Remy have always had so much trouble with it? Even you're starting to get restless with it. It's not their fault."

Warren snorted. "She can think all she likes. Bottom line is, that's why I'm in this condition right now. I got pissed off, and I have a temper when I get pissed off. I get reckless. And I was really, really fucking pissed off they weren't listening to me and that Magneto had his claws in, and that we fought. It wasn't a good mix at all. I'm not saying it's their fault, I'm just saying it would have been nice to be listened to, so I had the opportunity to say I told you so. Seriously, if you had been killed, I would never have set foot back in this place again."

John reached out for Warren's hand again and rubbed his thumb against the back of it. "Well, I wasn't killed. And now we both get to lie here and lick our wounds. It's not the happiest of outcomes, but at least we're both alive. If there's long-term effects from my penis being bruised, we'll deal with it then, okay? It'll just be another step that we'll take as we get to them. Hopefully neither of us will be in this position again. I know I don't want to be. We'll find a healthier way to deal with the pissed off angry stuff."

"I'm just tired now. I don't really know where I got the energy for all of that. I'm sure I'll stop randomly swearing at everyone when things stop hurting. I just hope they can figure out if Magneto's done with you, or if you have to continue to worry that he's going to come back for a second go. We know he'll be pissed that the team screwed him over again. You would think he would learn by now," Warren said with faint amusement. "As for you, I don't know... I'm not buying the brave act. I think you've been more affected than you maybe realise."

"Leave it to them to figure it out. At least it'll keep Emma and Scott occupied. We'll just focus on what's in this room. I'm sure Remy will have a field day when he's got two of us for the price of one in this room. You for the angel jokes, me just for him to poke. Magneto's Magneto. He's been carrying a chip on his wrinkly shoulder since Chuck told him to fuck off. Part of me thought he'd maybe change with Prof X's death, but apparently not. Hopefully though, he's had his run at me, and now he does know that I'm back with the team. My lesson's been learned. I'll stay out of his line of sight for a little while until I get my energy back." John rubbed his free hand over his face as he sighed. "I'm tired, I'm sore and I thought I'd lost you. Of course I'm not okay. I just don't want to dissect it all right now. Okay? Please."

Warren moved a little again, gritting his teeth. Maybe he should get Hank to strap his wing up like he offered. He initially downright refused, but it might be a good idea. "Remy hasn't been too bad with me lately. Probably because I never wanted Rogue, I guess. We've always just sort of had an understanding..." He trailed off and looked at John evenly. "'Until you get your energy back'. I'm sorry, what? Let's talk about these plans to get back into his line of sight when you have your energy back, because now I'm fascinated. Are you going to go back so he cuts your fucking dick off and shoves it up your own ass this time?"

John shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm not going to have any energy to be on the team until I've healed. Then, chances are, the X-Men and Brotherhood will clash like they always do, and I'll be in his line of sight then. I'm not about to pull a vigilante act. I'm not gonna go chasing after Mags and try to kill him, or do anything stupid. Just like you won't either."

Warren's nose and lips were scrunched up as he fought not to get angry again. The thing was, he was interrogating John about how he was and not being okay, but he was sure he wasn't all that okay himself inside. The whole thing affected him deeply, and coming out as gay seemed easy in comparison. He had been terrified when he realised John had been taken by Magneto, and the fight in the bar was pretty intense. He knew it was all because somewhere along the line, he had let himself fall for John without realising what was happening. All he wanted was to make someone else hurt like he had, but he knew that wouldn't make him feel any better. "I feel sick about the whole thing. Physically sick," he finally admitted quietly.

John moved closer to Warren and managed to slip his arm around his neck as he kissed the top of Angel's head and stroked his fingers through his blond hair. Truth was, John knew he was a lost cause. He knew he'd fallen for Warren which is why it had cut so deep, and left him so confused after their fight. It wasn't as if they'd been together then, so he had no idea how he was supposed to get Warren back. If he was even going to want to come back. Then when he was taken by the Brotherhood, getting back to Warren was the only thing that got him through. "You know I'm not going anywhere, right?"

Warren closed his eyes at the touches, knowing he had been holding back himself because he didn't want to hurt John. He could see the damage, but he didn't know the exact extent of it, and he knew there was nothing worse than being poked and prodded when you were injured. "Maybe about eighty percent know, sure," he mumbled. "It's the part unaccounting for other people that worries me. Sooner or later, we'll both be back on the team and out there on missions, and I'll probably spend the whole time trying not to piss myself with worry that you're going to get hurt again."

"I'm a big boy, Warren, and I'm also not going to be stupid. Getting hurt on a mission is... it's always gonna be a possibility. You think I'll be any less worried about you? Of course I'll probably be more worried that you trying to be cocky and take the offensive will get you hurt. We're just gonna have to deal with that. Neither of us is going to quit this, are we?"

"I don't usually do that, though. I'm usually more responsible, less reckless. I leave that to you and Remy. I'm not exactly the most subtle of mutants when I have to step in and do my bit. It's either walk in or fly in, and the former will usually get my ass fried. I don't want to quit it, I don't know what I want. I think I got some sound mindset knocked out of me in that fight. I might become a hermit and spend my days watching Wife Swap and Supernatural," Warren said with a tired smirk. "Can't you see what I'm saying? You make me crazy and stupid and reckless. But I don't want to change that. Maybe it's just a symptom of this whole us thing."

John had to start laughing. "So being reckless and crazy and stupid is just gonna keep happening to us? I'm not trying to make you all that on purpose. I actually kinda need you to be the more stable of us. You level me out, you get my using both heads. Well, for the most part. I don't want you to change, I don't want you to be like me. I don't want to date me, I want to be with you. Maybe it'll all just calm down now that we've exploded and experienced the extreme consequences."

Warren made a noise that was a cross between a growl and a huff. "I was pissed off! I don't get pissed off very much. I think this time I had a lot of foundation for it. Or maybe it was just a long time coming. I wasn't really confused, and that confused me. Does that even fucking make sense? I felt like I should be more confused about what you and I did, but I wasn't. It actually felt pretty good. I wanted to do it more not drunk because it seemed like the right thing to do. Then we were suddenly fighting, and I was angry, and then you were gone, and there was Cerebro and Emma and me yelling and swearing a lot. I can't seem to string a good rant together without at least four or five fucks in the middle when I'm that furious. It's like selective Tourette's. And now I still feel sort of angry, but I think it's angry at myself because I..." He paused, frowning at John. "Because I didn't stop you going."

John froze, his fingers pausing in their stroking of Warren's hair as he stayed close. Truth was he needed the physical contact. He needed the reminder that he wasn't still in that cell, and that he was back at the mansion, and back in Warren's bed. "You got no idea how much I wanna be able to help you with that, man. How much I want to be getting into the sober sex. But it's just gonna have to wait and then we really can start giving the couples on either side of you a run for their money. You need to understand though that none of this was your fault. The Brotherhood was always gonna take advantage of their first opportunity to nab me. It could've happened any time."

"I know, and I guess I feel responsible for that too. I talked you into coming back." Warren's voice was quiet now. If anyone else was in the room, they wouldn't hear what he was saying. These things he had been carrying around with him since all this happened were coming out now. He hadn't even told Rogue. He leant forward and gave John a small, brief kiss and then bit down on his lower lip. "God, don't tell Hank any of this. He'll shove me in mutant therapy or something. It's easier to just tell people you're fine, then they leave you alone."

"Now you know why I keep telling them I'm fine. They probably already have me marked for some kind of therapy since I went all dark side on them. That's just what I need, to be lying on a couch telling my secrets to Emma. She can kiss my ass, and she's hardly in a position to judge. She doesn't have the cleanest of histories either." He looked at Warren as he ran his tongue over his lips in the wake of the kiss and offered him a small smile. "If you hadn't talked me into coming back, I could be dead anyway. One false move in that bunch, and, well... you know what happened with Mystique and she was his right hand woman. I'd rather suffer for coming back than for just staying there and being fucked over."

Warren listened closely, looking over John's face tiredly. "Come stay in my room with me. Permanently. If you don't like it or the feathers, you can fuck off back to another room. We can give it a shot. It's not gonna hurt, is it?" he asked. He didn't know why he asked, but it felt like the right thing to do. He knew there were other couples in the mansion who had been together a lot longer and still had their own rooms, but after all this, Warren just felt like they needed to take some sort of step in the right direction. Maybe it could be a test as to whether they actually could tolerate each other beyond a few random fucks. And on the upside, the random fucks would be a lot nicer and lot more spontaneous, and if either of them were having bad days, they didn't have to trapse across the mansion to see each other.

John was quiet for a moment, but he didn't pull away. He went back to stroking Warren's hair and held his gaze before he nodded. "Okay. Let's do it. Truth is, I'm not about to move any time soon. Think we can con Bobby or someone into packing my shit for me?" It wasn't freaking him out like he thought it would. He knew he'd been the one to suggest staying in the same room earlier, but now that it was a reality, John was surprisingly okay with it. Maybe the freak out would come later, and he just hoped that Warren would be okay with it. "But I'll have to have my lighter in the room."

Warren had to laugh a little and nodded. "Yeah, I think we actually could. Poor bastard is too much of a softie for his own good. He probably still wants to shove your head up your own ass, but he isn't vindictive. He'll help. Yeah, okay, just keep it well fucking clear of me. You burn my wing, I'll burn your dick," he warned, and really wasn't joking about the fact. "And no hogging the covers or the remote."