It's Never Been Like That [2/?]
Title: It's Never Been Like That [2/?]
Author: JDMcool
Pairing: Jean-Paul/Walter, Jean-Paul/Bobby, Bobby/OMC, past Jeanne-Marie/Walter
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,485
Notes: Uh... first time writing anything Marvel-y after 15 years of being into it. So yeah. Also, blatantly ignoring the existence of Kyle for this. Sorry.
Summary: Not that he had done such a great job of that when it came to Bobby Drake, either, but it helped knowing that the only Beaubier that Walter had eyes for was his sister. Hurt like the slow drag of a knife, but it helped.
Chapter One
Sitting in Scott’s office, they all looked a bit out of sorts. Well, not true. Scott looked absolutely furious and tired all at once, yet again because the look on his face was almost so common, it had become his norm. But Bobby seemed upset more than anything else. Upset and perhaps a bit off kilter somehow. It was hard to tell and frankly, Jean-Paul didn’t actually care to find out how he felt about anything. Much like he didn’t care about Walter, who looked more than a little lost, but ever willing to go along with it all because he knew the routine like every other superhero and when someone said jump, you simply asked from where.
Jean-Paul, though, he knew that was annoyed. Through no one’s fault, if one happened to ignore the way Bobby had spectacularly blown their cover in front of Huntington. Honestly, that was something that would bother him to no end. Not that he hadn’t exactly played a small part in it, but Walter had been at the benefit and Jean-Paul… Well, he wasn’t going to feel bad for wanting to catch up with an old friend, even if it had played a rather minute part in ruining their cover.
“So what’s going on with this Wes guy? Other than kidnapping kids for God knows what?” Walter asked, taking charge in the face of his own lack of knowledge.
Taking a deep breath, Scott started to pace the room as he spoke. “He’s a wealthy business man who has a number of charities, a lot of them for the benefit of mutants and even has halfway homes for those who wind up rejected by their family in the process of their discovery.”
“Wow. Does he give them free puppies and a car too? Because if so, I’m really not seeing the problem,” Walter said as he leaned back in his chair.
Scott only glared at him from behind his visors, something that didn’t appear to have much of an effect on the large Canadian, although that could’ve been because of the fact that Scott just never seemed to put the fear of anything in their neighbors from the north. Walter, Logan, even Jean-Paul himself didn’t often see the same threat of danger so many others did.
Clearing his throat, Scott continued with his spiel. “A lot of these halfway houses have mutants that are disappearing. There’s no real explanation. Just one minute they’re there and another they’re not. And it’s not like a, they just left kind of matter. We’ve tried using Cerebro to track them and at some point they just go off the grid.”
“Could be taking their powers from them. Curing them,” Walter offered up.
“We’ve considered that, but it really doesn’t change the fact that this might not be voluntary and it damn sure isn’t the right thing to be doing,” Scott pointed out. Resting a fist on the table the rest of them sat at, he looked off at the door, tongue just barely brushing along his lips before he looked back at them all with a shake of his head. “Jean-Paul and Bobby were supposed to be a couple to get in with him under the guise of wanting to assist in his actions, but then you showed up and that went out the window.”
“I can just as easily leave and you can go back to your master plan.”
“That wouldn’t work and you know that,” Scott said. “No. You’re in this now, I just don’t know how.”
Leaning forward, Bobby looked at the two Canadian before shrugging and kicking his feet up on the table. “Well, Huntington kind of thinks they’re a couple now. They can be all powerful and sneak in and such. And while they do that, I can go on vacation in the Bahamas or something. You know, as a part of my cover.”
The immature mutant had to see it coming when Scott pushed his feet off the table and stared him down in the same way he had tried doing with Walter, though with a much better result. At least Bobby pretended to be apologetic and held up his hands in a placating manner.
“That wouldn’t be such a bad idea, Scott,” Emma said as she made her way into the room like she’d been a part of the conversation the entire time. “Well, the Canadian couple part at least.”
“And I thought you supported my vacation plans. You know I’d take you,” Bobby promised Emma.
But she only rolled her eyes before focusing on the other two men in the small quagmire. “I’m certain we can trust Walter, after all.”
“They’d have to be a believable couple, though. Especially considering all that they’ve apparently said tonight. I mean, that entails a great deal of knowledge of one another.”
Smirking, Emma patted Scott’s jaw in an almost patronizing manner before focusing her attention on Walter. Pulling up the seat across from him, she asked, “What do you know about Jean-Paul that would make you a good boyfriend?”
Snickering, Jean-Paul turned to Walter expectantly with his arms crossed over his chest. Over he was just dying to see what the other man had to say about him and how much of it would be the stereotypical thing people usually knew after reading his book.
But Walter stared at Emma for a confused moment before looking at Jean-Paul with a shrug. “His eyes are blue. Not ice blue, but the kind of blue you would see on a malamute, which fits him. He loves the winter and not just because of his company or his love of skiing, which he adores. I dare you to try to get him off the slopes before he’s damn good and ready,” Walter laughed as he shook his head to clear away some memory that only he was privy to, as Jean-Paul couldn’t even imagine what was going through the other’s mind.
“But he loves just sitting around with a cup of hot chocolate with the little marshmallows and watching the snow fall as much as he loves reading, quietly curled up in a chair, feet tucked under his ass because his feet are always cold,” he said with a small smile. But then his brows furrowed and he took on a very serious look as he continued. “He loves songs in English that make him miss Paris and the freedom to be reckless. He’s a mess of a man and knows it, but would never admit that because Jean doesn’t admit anything easily because he has no experience with easy. He knows hard, impossible and pain and it’s almost heart breaking at times because Jean-Paul Beaubier is one of the best men I have ever known and still from the very start his life has been an exercise in misery. And I don’t know if anyone can ever fix that.”
“Wow. Fuck, I’d do you if you said shit like that about me,” Bobby said, breaking the silence that came with the end of Walter’s speech.
Looking back at Scott, Emma smiled triumphantly as she said, “Bobby will be the assistant and get his own room at the same hotel. They’ll be the couple. Besides, it’s better this way. If Jean-Paul’s money can’t buy them in, Bobby’s ass can,” she said with a shrug.
That’s when the confused look came over Bobby’s face yet again as he asked, “Wait. What? My ass?”
“Wes obviously liked you,” Jean-Paul stated with a small chuckle. “So be prepared to put out when necessary,” he said before getting up.
“Wait. What the hell?! I am not sleeping around for the sake of the team,” Bobby exclaimed.
“We’ll talk about this later, Bobby,” Scott said as he tried to head out, but Bobby clearly wasn’t having any of it as he followed after him and Emma.
“Nuh uh! We’re talking now,” he complained loudly.
Which strangely left Jean-Paul in the room with Walter, who was watching him a bit nervously. Looking at him boredly, Jean sighed before asking, “Ouais?”
“What I said-“
“Touching, yes. You passed their test and you should be proud of yourself. And don’t worry, considering how often you’ve dated my sister, I know more than enough about you,” he snapped before walking off.
It didn’t matter if Walter’s words had been touching or not because it was all for a role they were meant to play. He was just trying to prove a point and he had. It didn’t actually mean anything, especially not when coming from the reason he tried not have feelings for straight men. Not that he had done such a great job of that when it came to Bobby Drake, either, but it helped knowing that the only Beaubier that Walter had eyes for was his sister. Hurt like the slow drag of a knife, but it helped.
Author: JDMcool
Pairing: Jean-Paul/Walter, Jean-Paul/Bobby, Bobby/OMC, past Jeanne-Marie/Walter
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,485
Notes: Uh... first time writing anything Marvel-y after 15 years of being into it. So yeah. Also, blatantly ignoring the existence of Kyle for this. Sorry.
Summary: Not that he had done such a great job of that when it came to Bobby Drake, either, but it helped knowing that the only Beaubier that Walter had eyes for was his sister. Hurt like the slow drag of a knife, but it helped.
Chapter One
Sitting in Scott’s office, they all looked a bit out of sorts. Well, not true. Scott looked absolutely furious and tired all at once, yet again because the look on his face was almost so common, it had become his norm. But Bobby seemed upset more than anything else. Upset and perhaps a bit off kilter somehow. It was hard to tell and frankly, Jean-Paul didn’t actually care to find out how he felt about anything. Much like he didn’t care about Walter, who looked more than a little lost, but ever willing to go along with it all because he knew the routine like every other superhero and when someone said jump, you simply asked from where.
Jean-Paul, though, he knew that was annoyed. Through no one’s fault, if one happened to ignore the way Bobby had spectacularly blown their cover in front of Huntington. Honestly, that was something that would bother him to no end. Not that he hadn’t exactly played a small part in it, but Walter had been at the benefit and Jean-Paul… Well, he wasn’t going to feel bad for wanting to catch up with an old friend, even if it had played a rather minute part in ruining their cover.
“So what’s going on with this Wes guy? Other than kidnapping kids for God knows what?” Walter asked, taking charge in the face of his own lack of knowledge.
Taking a deep breath, Scott started to pace the room as he spoke. “He’s a wealthy business man who has a number of charities, a lot of them for the benefit of mutants and even has halfway homes for those who wind up rejected by their family in the process of their discovery.”
“Wow. Does he give them free puppies and a car too? Because if so, I’m really not seeing the problem,” Walter said as he leaned back in his chair.
Scott only glared at him from behind his visors, something that didn’t appear to have much of an effect on the large Canadian, although that could’ve been because of the fact that Scott just never seemed to put the fear of anything in their neighbors from the north. Walter, Logan, even Jean-Paul himself didn’t often see the same threat of danger so many others did.
Clearing his throat, Scott continued with his spiel. “A lot of these halfway houses have mutants that are disappearing. There’s no real explanation. Just one minute they’re there and another they’re not. And it’s not like a, they just left kind of matter. We’ve tried using Cerebro to track them and at some point they just go off the grid.”
“Could be taking their powers from them. Curing them,” Walter offered up.
“We’ve considered that, but it really doesn’t change the fact that this might not be voluntary and it damn sure isn’t the right thing to be doing,” Scott pointed out. Resting a fist on the table the rest of them sat at, he looked off at the door, tongue just barely brushing along his lips before he looked back at them all with a shake of his head. “Jean-Paul and Bobby were supposed to be a couple to get in with him under the guise of wanting to assist in his actions, but then you showed up and that went out the window.”
“I can just as easily leave and you can go back to your master plan.”
“That wouldn’t work and you know that,” Scott said. “No. You’re in this now, I just don’t know how.”
Leaning forward, Bobby looked at the two Canadian before shrugging and kicking his feet up on the table. “Well, Huntington kind of thinks they’re a couple now. They can be all powerful and sneak in and such. And while they do that, I can go on vacation in the Bahamas or something. You know, as a part of my cover.”
The immature mutant had to see it coming when Scott pushed his feet off the table and stared him down in the same way he had tried doing with Walter, though with a much better result. At least Bobby pretended to be apologetic and held up his hands in a placating manner.
“That wouldn’t be such a bad idea, Scott,” Emma said as she made her way into the room like she’d been a part of the conversation the entire time. “Well, the Canadian couple part at least.”
“And I thought you supported my vacation plans. You know I’d take you,” Bobby promised Emma.
But she only rolled her eyes before focusing on the other two men in the small quagmire. “I’m certain we can trust Walter, after all.”
“They’d have to be a believable couple, though. Especially considering all that they’ve apparently said tonight. I mean, that entails a great deal of knowledge of one another.”
Smirking, Emma patted Scott’s jaw in an almost patronizing manner before focusing her attention on Walter. Pulling up the seat across from him, she asked, “What do you know about Jean-Paul that would make you a good boyfriend?”
Snickering, Jean-Paul turned to Walter expectantly with his arms crossed over his chest. Over he was just dying to see what the other man had to say about him and how much of it would be the stereotypical thing people usually knew after reading his book.
But Walter stared at Emma for a confused moment before looking at Jean-Paul with a shrug. “His eyes are blue. Not ice blue, but the kind of blue you would see on a malamute, which fits him. He loves the winter and not just because of his company or his love of skiing, which he adores. I dare you to try to get him off the slopes before he’s damn good and ready,” Walter laughed as he shook his head to clear away some memory that only he was privy to, as Jean-Paul couldn’t even imagine what was going through the other’s mind.
“But he loves just sitting around with a cup of hot chocolate with the little marshmallows and watching the snow fall as much as he loves reading, quietly curled up in a chair, feet tucked under his ass because his feet are always cold,” he said with a small smile. But then his brows furrowed and he took on a very serious look as he continued. “He loves songs in English that make him miss Paris and the freedom to be reckless. He’s a mess of a man and knows it, but would never admit that because Jean doesn’t admit anything easily because he has no experience with easy. He knows hard, impossible and pain and it’s almost heart breaking at times because Jean-Paul Beaubier is one of the best men I have ever known and still from the very start his life has been an exercise in misery. And I don’t know if anyone can ever fix that.”
“Wow. Fuck, I’d do you if you said shit like that about me,” Bobby said, breaking the silence that came with the end of Walter’s speech.
Looking back at Scott, Emma smiled triumphantly as she said, “Bobby will be the assistant and get his own room at the same hotel. They’ll be the couple. Besides, it’s better this way. If Jean-Paul’s money can’t buy them in, Bobby’s ass can,” she said with a shrug.
That’s when the confused look came over Bobby’s face yet again as he asked, “Wait. What? My ass?”
“Wes obviously liked you,” Jean-Paul stated with a small chuckle. “So be prepared to put out when necessary,” he said before getting up.
“Wait. What the hell?! I am not sleeping around for the sake of the team,” Bobby exclaimed.
“We’ll talk about this later, Bobby,” Scott said as he tried to head out, but Bobby clearly wasn’t having any of it as he followed after him and Emma.
“Nuh uh! We’re talking now,” he complained loudly.
Which strangely left Jean-Paul in the room with Walter, who was watching him a bit nervously. Looking at him boredly, Jean sighed before asking, “Ouais?”
“What I said-“
“Touching, yes. You passed their test and you should be proud of yourself. And don’t worry, considering how often you’ve dated my sister, I know more than enough about you,” he snapped before walking off.
It didn’t matter if Walter’s words had been touching or not because it was all for a role they were meant to play. He was just trying to prove a point and he had. It didn’t actually mean anything, especially not when coming from the reason he tried not have feelings for straight men. Not that he had done such a great job of that when it came to Bobby Drake, either, but it helped knowing that the only Beaubier that Walter had eyes for was his sister. Hurt like the slow drag of a knife, but it helped.