RP | Familiar faces return
WHO | Rogue, Gambit, Angel, Pyro
WORD COUNT | 5,449
FOLLOWS | This
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Pyro had no idea what he was thinking. Well, he knew a little of what he was thinking. He was thinking about Sage and getting into her panties. He was thinking about the friends he'd left behind. He was thinking that maybe - just maybe - he'd had his rebel without a cause moment, and it was time to find out just where he really belonged. He was still sitting behind the wheel of the rental car as he tapped his fingers of one hand against the steering wheel, and flicked the cap of his lighter up and down with his other hand. It was the same lighter he'd had for years, the one thing that had meant the world to him.
There was a young brunette that had meant the world to him too, but that was a lifetime ago. She loved someone else. Had always loved someone else. She'd just been a convenient excuse to force the rift between him and Bobby. It was easier to leave Xavier's behind if he didn't have any attachments. Now he had a chance with a different brunette, and the Brotherhood wasn't fuelling him like it used to. It was getting monotonous, and he didn't actually care about anyone there. He'd watched Magneto leave Mystique behind without a second thought when she'd been infected with the Cure.
Pyro stopped tapping his fingers against the wheel and sighed. The people in this building were also the only ones that knew him as John. In the Brotherhood it was only Pyro, and it was surprisingly exhausting. He tucked his lighter against the palm of his hand as he curled his fingers into a first, pocketing it when he got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. The driveway crunched under his boots, and he tried not to look like he was unhappy to be here. Or that he was here to do anything other than test the waters. He didn't need the X-Geeks bursting out and trying to kill him just for dropping by.
He sucked in a breath as he pushed open the door to the school, the halls surprisingly quiet as he stepped inside. He wasn't even there for a minute though before Rogue was standing in front of him, piercing him with a look. "Hey," he offered.
"Hey," Rogue returned, her eyebrow arching up just a little as she held his gaze. Another beat passed before she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, careful to keep the face of her skin from touching his.
Remy was stalking along the upper hallway of Xavier's, a cigarette set between his fingers like it probably should belong there attached to him. He gave a small snort and glanced back at Warren, who was sauntering along behind him, reaching over his shoulder to try and poke a bunch of feathers back into place that seemed to be irking him. "I didn't belt the fucker in the head on purpose. His head just got in the way of my staff, end of story," he insisted with a shrug and then paused to turn further to Warren. "You need a hand with that? I can't tell if you're in discomfort or not? Want me to just pluck them out? Bad feather day?" He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head like he was trying to clear it. "So fucking wrong, homme. It looks on par with adjusting yourself in public."
Warren growled in frustration and walked on past Remy when he stopped. "I am adjusting myself in public, fucking deal with it. And believe me, it might be uncomfortable, but there's no way I'm letting you pluck anything out of me. No friendship is that close, dude." He got to the top of the stairs and it was his turn to pause this time, waiting for Remy to catch up. When he did, he took the smoke out of his hand and stole a quick drag on it before handing it back to him. "Accidentally got him in the back of the head? He's with Hank being checked for a concussion. Storm wants your ass."
"She's always wanted my ass," Remy returned smugly and then halted at the top of the stairs, red eyes landing on the scene at the entrance. "Well, isn't this cute."
John still wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands as Rogue hugged him. It took him a moment to stop having them just hang at his sides awkwardly before he hugged her back. "If you're going to start crying, please do it well away from me. Never could deal with you in tears. That was always Bobby's realm." He let himself bask in the comfort of Rogue's arms for a moment before he patted her back gently and cleared his throat as his gaze flicked up to the two mutants at the top of the stairs. "Not as cute as your little curls, LeBeau. Forget to have a haircut?"
"Not for a long time." Rogue pulled back with a soft snort and looked over John's face before she turned to look up at Remy and Warren. She pulled away from John slightly and stood by his side as she hooked her arm around his. She just wanted to make sure he wasn't about to go anywhere. "I think the whole mansion knows that everyone wants your ass, sugar. No need to keep remindin' people."
"Non, cherie?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow casually as he first eyed them both and then his eyes zeroed in on her arm on John's. He sauntered down the stairs, coming to stand in front of them as the cigarette went back to his lips, indulging in a moment to analyse the scene before him and try to decide how he felt about it. He had spoken on and off to John recently, but his appearance was a turn up for the books, especially with Rogue touching him.
Warren came up beside Remy, now with a stray feather in his hand. "Fuck it," he cursed in irritation. That was about as annoying as finding a grey pube, not that he had ever done that. He gave Remy a firm nudge in the shoulder and then shoved the feather in behind Remy's ear. "Quit it, LeBeau. Like you haven't injured enough people today. What is it with you? Are you PMS'ing, or is this still about Sage's little spice added to your cocktail?"
John's eyebrows went up as he tried to stifle a snigger at seeing the feather behind Remy's ear. He also tried to pull out of Rogue's hold, but her arm tightened and he actually grunted in pain. "Jesus, Roguey. You can stop trying to strangle my arm at any point now. Wait, Sage? What about Sage?" His gaze was on Warren and it was hard for him to hide his interest.
"Just makin' sure you ain't gonna bolt again, that's all," Rogue murmured before she finally did let his arm go and tucked her gloved hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "And no, sugar. You don't. It's probably gotta do with his drink bein' spiked, and maybe the return of Bobby... and now John. Why are you here anyway?" she finally asked the pyrokinetic.
At this, Remy shot both Rogue and Warren a sharp warning look that basically told them they would regret it if any further details about that certain cocktail were revealed. He looked intently at Warren and tilted his head. "Sage, mon ami?" he asked evenly. This was news to him. He knew someone had done it, but didn't know who. And now he did. He took the feather from his ear and flicked it off to the side. Unfortunately, the fact that he was suddenly extremely pissed off internally, it acted like a missile and took out a large potplant on the other side of the foyer with a loud crash.
Warren realised he had fucked up as soon as the words were out of his mouth and he rubbed his forehead with a small groan, watching the potplant can exploded into tiny, messy pieces. Seeing Rogue cling to John like she was probably really wasn't helping Remy's mood either. As if getting Bobby in the head during training wasn't satisfying for the Cajun enough. "No way am I going near the DR with you this week," he resolved, glancing at Remy wryly. "And you can fucking find another winged mutant to pluck to get your jollies off." He held out his hand to John. "Good seeing you, man. I knew Bobby was back, but I didn't realise Hell had frozen over."
Pyro just snorted at the display of Remy's power. "Some things just never change, do they, man?" he asked the red-eyed mutant. "You really need to learn how to relax. This whole PMS look is just not you." He shook Warren's hand firmly as he smirked. "Yeah, well, someone just learned how to ask me the right way. Didn't figure I'd make an announcement, or a huge deal. Still wondering how the fuck I'm gonna get away with this without Magneto having me killed off. Brotherhood don't take kindly to traitors."
Rogue looked between Remy and the potplant, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to work out what the hell he was playing at. Maybe she shouldn't have hugged, or clung to John, but the point was that it was John that walked through the door, and not Pyro. With all the fights the X-Men had had during the years with the Brotherhood it was easy to tell the difference. "I'll take him on in the DR. I ain't got anythin' to be scared of." She turned her head to look at John again. "Magneto would never attack Xavier's directly. He'll just have to wait until you're out on a mission with us. Assumin' you ever pass the test."
It was Warren's turn to give a snort of amusement this time, and he sniggered at Rogue. "Oh come on. Like he's going to belt you in the back of the head like he did with your ex," he said, shaking his head. He gave Remy another small shove. "Chill, dude. Yeah? It's been a crap week, for sure, and you're all fired up. But just give it a break for just an hour, yeah? You're doing my head in. Old water, and all that shit. Save your energy for the mission where you might get to kill someone who deserves to be dead." He dropped his hand after shaking with John and then raised his eyebrows curiously. "Logan's seriously letting you back? What is this, X-Reunion week? Homecoming? Do I need to get a cute dress? Purple makes my butt look big."
Remy finished his cigarette and stubbed it out on the nearby marble pillar. "Neither do X-Men," he returned coolly to John's comment. "You just wanna walk back in, no hard feelings?" Then he turned to Rogue with a smirk, though there was no amusement in it. "Maybe next time he tries to blow you up, he'll make sure you're actually in the building."
"I've made him suffer plenty over the years," Rogue reminded Remy as she also looked at John. "I've kicked his ass plenty, and don't forget there was those couple months after I nearly drained him dry. You couldn't even be near me, not until you made me nearly drain you dry. Logan just loved that. First I was the female Pyro, then I was the female Gambit." She pushed her fingers through her hair, and tucked her platinum streak behind her ear. "Maybe the X-Men don't take kindly to strangers, but we're more about forgiveness than the Brotherhood. If John really wants to be here then he should be given a chance."
John sighed as he folded his arms across his chest and resisted the urge to dig his lighter out of his pocket and start playing with it. "I've had my ass kicked by all of you guys plenty. Look, I thought I was on the right side. I thought I knew what Magneto was about, but a lot of shit has happened over the years. You hang out with me while I'm on the other side, share some beers, but the second I walk in the door you're trying to get me to fuck off again? What's that all about, huh? You wanna say something, just come the fuck out and say it." His nostrils flared as he looked at Remy, before his gaze flicked to Warren and he tried to relax the sudden tension he could feel in his shoulders. "I don't know if he's letting me back in or not. I didn't exactly run it past him. You gonna be my man date still, Warren? Or you got some other little hottie lined up?"
Warren was quiet as he looked back and forth between Remy and John, followed by a brief glance at Rogue. There was no way there wouldn't be some tension. Remy was inevitably worked up because John thought he could just walk back in after everything. When he had been with the Brotherhood, it was just different territory. This was X-Men territory, and John had defected. Warren himself had a hint of annoyance somewhere inside, but then, he had never had a romantic interest in Rogue. There was no hard feelings. If John wanted to admit he made an error of judgment and return, then all the better for him. It's not like they couldn't use the extra pair of hands, and John and Remy had been good mates in the past. There just had to maybe be a peacemaker here while the show of testosterone flared up and then eased off. He stepped slightly in front of Remy, just enough that his shoulder was between the two of them. "Look, it's gone. It's done. We all have shit in our past we aren't proud of, and we're all adults now. If you're going to fight it out, get the fuck into the DR and leave the rest of us out of it. There are kids around here that don't need to be involved or witness what mutants shouldn't be doing against each other."
Warren's words had Remy relenting, even if he still held John's gaze beyond him. "Just so long as you have balls enough to admit where you stand now, mon ami," he finally said quietly, with a pointed glance down at the floor of Xavier's front entrance.
John cupped himself as he smirked at Remy. "I got balls, man. In fact Sage and I were having a very interesting conversation about them. I admitted it to her, I'll admit it to you. I want to rebuild the bridges between us, okay? I fucked up. I got obsessed with power, and I went to the guy that I thought was offering it to me." He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he cleared his throat. "Doesn't mean I'm always going to agree with some of your point of views. I still think the Cure is a fucked up attempt to control Mutants. I'm just sorry I chose to take it out on some of you here." His gaze flicked to Rogue and then Remy.
Rogue left John's side to stand by Remy's, her hand finding his as she linked their fingers. Her gloves kept his skin safe, the ever constant layer necessary while she still lacked control over her ability. "You still gotta get past Logan, Emma, and Storm. Ain't gonna matter a bit what we think at the end of the day."
Remy merely took his smokes out, slipping one between his lips and then not so subtlety using his own lighter with a large flame to light up, still watching John the whole time. It was probably going to take more than words to prove to him that John had any loyalty... and lack of intention towards Rogue. Warren was right, Remy had a bad week and right now, he was feeling like he just wanted to get on his bike and ride somewhere... anywhere. He was also sick of hearing about the Cure. There was hardly any talk of it in the Team these days.
"Fucking hell, both of you steer clear of me with the friggin lighters. You don't want to smell burning feathers," Warren jumped in, pulling his lips to the side and rolling his eyes. Maybe he was more in touch with his feminine side or something, but he had no urge to get involved in this pissing contest, nor did he want to get caught in the crossfire. "Good luck with that, too. Logan and Storm asked Bobby to come back, and then Logan still about turned and gave the poor bastard grief."
John arched an eyebrow at hearing Logan had still given Bobby a hard time, but his gaze had stayed on Remy for a moment. There really was going to be trouble with the Cajun, he could feel it. "It's not his fault he used to be such a lightweight. Logan's probably wondering what the hell he's let the team in for."
Rogue's eyes were on Remy's face as her grip on his hand tightened. She could understand his need to put Pyro through his paces. Hell, even she was wanting to see John prove himself, but Remy had nothing to worry about where she was concerned. She was only interested in him, just like he was only interested in Rogue. Well, as much as the Cajun could be. "Just like he'll be wonderin' with you. The team's finally findin' its feet again, so you better be willin' to hold your own, sugar."
Warren shrugged. "He's no lightweight anymore. He had me over in training too, even if he keeps saying he's unfit. Fuck, I bet some unfit assholes somewhere would seriously pay to look like him. No wonder Emma has been eyeing him off," he said with a smirk. "Still there is only so much someone can do if another dude is intent on smacking you in the head with a dirty great weapon."
"Accident," Remy said evenly, not revealing anything as to whether he hit Bobby on purpose or not. As far as he was concerned, Bobby's head just got in the way at the wrong time. At that moment, however, he was just planning on making himself stragetically present when John did ask Logan for a place back on the team. It was sure to make up for his bad week. "Wait, what? Emma and Bobby?" He paused to process the thought and then shuddered uncharacteristically, taking another long drag on his cigarette to placate himself and stop him losing his lunch.
"Was it the Bobby part, or the Emma part?" Rogue asked her lover as she watched him with amusement. "Jealous that you're gonna lose the White Queen to your lesser? I mean, it was only last week you were goin' on and on about how she had you pressed up against the wall practically beggin' for it."
John snorted in amusement. "Hell, she could have had me pressed up a wall begging for it in one of those little white outfits and I'd still be saying no. Too scared to wake up a ten-year-old girl with a lollipop fetish if I'm not up to her standard in bed."
Remy just snorted. "It must've left her horny. Nothing else would explain fucking that connard." And then he finally smirked at John. "Make it a habit of not being up to a fille's standing, mon ami? Don't worry, they have little blue pills for that these days. Sure Johnny Storm will give you a few pointers for your little black book."
Warren through his hands up. "Okay, it's official. I must be gay. I'm testosteronely challenged. Either of you whip your cocks out and piss on each other, and I'm outta here." Even if the mention of Johnny Storm had him raising his eyebrows just slight in curiosity as he remembered his conversation with the Human Torch's sister.
Rogue let go of Remy's hand as she folded her arms under her chest, her hip cocked. "No one said anythin' about her fuckin' him. Just checkin' him out. I think I'll follow you out, Warren. Ain't stickin' around for no pissin' contest."
Pyro held his hands up, his lighter surprisingly enough still tucked into his pocket. But he did smirk at Remy before he winked, the Cajun's cigarette flaring as John manipulated the flame. "I don't need Johnny Storm's help as far as that goes. Only one X-Man I'm whipping my cock out for and it isn't any of you."
Remy raised an eyebrow down at Rogue. "Are you jealous, amour?" he asked her, a slight hiss to his tone. Like he wasn't already primed enough.
Warren closed his eyes momentarily and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Not only did he have to put up with hearing Remy and Rogue fuck through his bedroom walls, but was he now about to witness yet another of their fiery and infamous arguments? He seriously needed to invest in more Tylenol... and earplugs. When he opened his eyes again, he rolled them slightly at John. "I think that's our cue to go get extremely drunk."
John shook his head after looking between Remy and Rogue. They were arguing even before he left, and they still argued. At least now they had the hot make-up sex, a visual he really didn't want in his head. "Deal, man. Maybe after a couple of beers you can show me that purple prom dress?"
Rogue didn't even notice that John and Warren were getting ready to make their exits. She was glaring at Remy. "I ain't jealous. Just disgusted at how you assume every female in this mansion is hot for you."
"Only the ones I haven't already fucked six ways from Sunday," Remy threw back arrogantly, never one to back down from a challenge, especially with Rogue.
Warren was already backing away from the resonant couple with a long-suffering snort and then turned to John as he headed for the stairs again. "It even has sequins," he revealed.
John was grateful to follow Warren and finally dug his lighter out of his pocket as he smirked. "Oh yeah? I always did have a soft spot for shiny things. Got some matching panties, too?"
Rogue gave a humourless laugh as she took a step closer to Remy. "And I bet they all hold a special little place in your heart, and every time you walk past them your dick twitches just a little bit. Sure you don't wanna go around and fuck 'em all again? You know, just to remind 'em what those six ways are in case their memories are as short as their skirts?"
Remy held her gaze firmly, his red eyes flashing, right before he seized her in a rough embrace and had her up against the nearest wall. "Fuck, you're hot when you're jealous," he growled and started kissing her hungrily, hand disappearing up under her top to show her exactly where his train of thought mostly lingered.
"And you're a total prick," Rogue panted against his ear as she pulled out of the kiss, and bit down on his ear lobe before giving it a firm tug. She was all too aware of how much skin was in contact with Remy's right now and she didn't care. "But you're my prick, and don't you fuckin' forget it."
Remy was one of the very few people who had never feared Rogue's powers. In fact, it had mostly just made him more hot for her. It never deterred him, to say the least. His hand gripped her hip and swept upwards to her waist, connecting with the strip of bare skin there he had access to. They were concealed by the pillar, but it wasn't like he was the sort to have issues about PDAs or anything beyond them either. His other hand tipped her head back and he smirked indulgently at her, wetting his lips as he drank in the sight of hers, full and panting with want for him. He kissed her again, more bruisingly this time with the view to keep it chaste, but that coupled with his hand on her waist tipped it just over the edge into dangerous territory and he felt that painful sucking feeling start to engulf him all over again before he had a chance to pull away.
Rogue was caught up in the desire for Remy to notice at first that time had escaped them. The seconds she normally counted in her head had faded and become the ways in which she wanted him to fuck her. She couldn't help it, Remy always had this way of making her forget about her skin. He made her feel as normal as a girl in her position could. And right now it was a pretty delicious position. Then she started to feel it, the pain that was reciprocated in her body as his thoughts started to flood his mind. She wasn't a stranger to having Remy inside her mind, but that didn't mean she enjoyed draining him. She hated the idea of hurting him even if right now there was maybe the tiniest thought that it was just desserts for making her jealous. She shoved him away, trying to kill any contact between them but his hand caught in her shirt and she struggled to get it free. "Remy!"
To this day, Remy still hadn't ever found an adequate way to describe what Rogue's drains felt like. It was always difficult to think clearly in the wake of them, like she really did suck him dry, mind and body. It was also the one thing he could never fight, he didn't have the capacity to, which made it ironic that he wasn't fearful of it. The intense and burning pain coursed through him with a sick squeezing feeling and it was impossible for him to realise to pull his hand away from her and untangle it from her shirt. There was no stopping it, his consciousness slipped away and he slumped against her, her shrieks sounding like they were coming from a long distance off and then he was out.
Warren was sniggering over a fleeting comment from John about Sage's ass on the floor up when the horrified - yet recognisable - shrieks sounded. He stopped immediately, feeling somedays like he had a sixth sense to knowing exactly how all the team members sounded when they were in danger. "Fuck, that's Rogue!" he hissed and spun around, taking off at a bolt towards the stairs again and trying not to actually go ass over tit down them at the speed he picked up.
John had half expected to see Warren literally fly down the stairs but his wingspan was probably too large even for the inside of the front entrance. Rogue's shrieks were a sound etched into his mind from the night of Stryker's attacks, not to mention the countless nightmares she used to suffer. It was a scream half the school probably knew. He ran after Angel, not exactly sure what they were going to find, a fireball already burning in his palm as he'd ignited his lighter two steps down. The moment he reached the foot of them though, he extinguished the flames. "You really do know how to drain them dry, don't you, Roguey?"
Rogue's normally brown eyes had turned red just like Remy's and she looked at John with them. He didn't flinch at the change, seemingly taking it in stride. Then she looked down at Remy and managed to finally get his hand free of her shirt so she could take a step back and put some distance between her and her boyfriend. "Help him! Tout de suite!" She was trying to get her breathing under control as she stared down at the fallen Cajun, the veins pulsing under her skin only now just starting to disappear.
Warren gave John's leg a small nudge, getting him to step out of the way so he could crouch down beside Remy. He reflexively checked for a pulse, it no secret that Rogue's touch could literally be lethal. This wasn't the first time Remy had fallen victim to it, though, and it wouldn't be the last. He gave the Cajun a small shake, trying to rouse him. "C'mon, Gambit. Don't make me get John to fry your ass to consciousness," he warned. He looked up at Rogue in concern. "You alright, sweetheart?"
Pyro shifted, moving next to Rogue as he touched a hand to her shoulder. The red eyes were something he hadn't seen on her before, and it was a little disconcerting to just how well she seemed to wear the Cajun. It really wasn't the first time she'd drained him. "Not that I wouldn't mind lighting a fire under his pompous ass, it's probably better he wakes up himself."
Rogue shrugged off John's hand and got down to her knees on the other side of Remy as she touched a gloved hand to his chest. "Please, mon amour. Wake up." Her gaze flicked to Warren and she gave a nod. "I think I got early PMS considerin' I just inherited Remy's charmin' mood, but I'm okay."
Warren raised his eyebrows curiously. "Do you know if he belted Bobby on purpose?" he couldn't help but ask. He never got the whole shared thoughts psychic mind-reading mutant powers and they were always intriguing. He just didn't know if Rogue got whole patches of thoughts or just fleeting patches when something like this happened. He had never, thankfully, been on the receiving end of her drains. But he looked back down to Remy when the Cajun made a small noise that was probably a groan but surprisingly actually came out more like a whimper, not a sound Warren ever thought he would hear from Gambit.
Remy's head was absolutely fucking killing him, and he put his hand up to cover his eyes and try to nurse his forehead all at the same time. "Morceau de merde," he cursed, his voice strained from the all over body ache he suddenly seemed to have, not to mention not a whole lot of recollection of what the hell was going on.
John had opened his mouth to answer Warren's question, but shut up as Remy started to come to. He crouched beside the Cajun and wet his lips. "That was a close call, man. I had to keep on giving you CPR. Your lips kind of taste like raspberry. Pretty sure that's the lipgloss Roguey here wears. Sure she ain't rubbing off on you just a little bit? Maybe you're the first to experience a reverse drain."
Rogue smacked John in the back of the head before she rubbed Remy's chest soothingly. "I'm sorry, sugar. I really am," she murmured softly as a little bit of herself floated to the forefront. "We gotta get you to the med bay though, okay? Hank's gonna need to take a look."
Remy didn't seem to be too with it and Warren watched him in concern for a moment before smacking John in shin with the back of his hand. "Quit it and make yourself useful, hot stuff. Give me a hand here, I'll get his left side, you take his right." He glanced up at Rogue again. "Roguey, you just... don't take anyone's side. We can only carry one person at a time," he added with a hint of a smirk.
Rogue was tempted to flip Warren off but she stepped back to give the boys space as they lifted Remy. John seemed to have recovered from his moment of immaturity and clenched his jaw as he lifted the Cajun. "Jesus fucking Christ. I swear half of what makes him such a dead weight is his cock. Every time he lays on one of his bullshit romantic lines his dick grows. Sure I can't still light a fire under his ass?"
Warren gently slapped Remy on the chest. "Just a short distance, dude. You're all good. No puking on us, and if you do... aim it at Pyro," he advised with a smirk and then nodded to Rogue. "Lead the way, love."
WORD COUNT | 5,449
FOLLOWS | This
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Pyro had no idea what he was thinking. Well, he knew a little of what he was thinking. He was thinking about Sage and getting into her panties. He was thinking about the friends he'd left behind. He was thinking that maybe - just maybe - he'd had his rebel without a cause moment, and it was time to find out just where he really belonged. He was still sitting behind the wheel of the rental car as he tapped his fingers of one hand against the steering wheel, and flicked the cap of his lighter up and down with his other hand. It was the same lighter he'd had for years, the one thing that had meant the world to him.
There was a young brunette that had meant the world to him too, but that was a lifetime ago. She loved someone else. Had always loved someone else. She'd just been a convenient excuse to force the rift between him and Bobby. It was easier to leave Xavier's behind if he didn't have any attachments. Now he had a chance with a different brunette, and the Brotherhood wasn't fuelling him like it used to. It was getting monotonous, and he didn't actually care about anyone there. He'd watched Magneto leave Mystique behind without a second thought when she'd been infected with the Cure.
Pyro stopped tapping his fingers against the wheel and sighed. The people in this building were also the only ones that knew him as John. In the Brotherhood it was only Pyro, and it was surprisingly exhausting. He tucked his lighter against the palm of his hand as he curled his fingers into a first, pocketing it when he got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. The driveway crunched under his boots, and he tried not to look like he was unhappy to be here. Or that he was here to do anything other than test the waters. He didn't need the X-Geeks bursting out and trying to kill him just for dropping by.
He sucked in a breath as he pushed open the door to the school, the halls surprisingly quiet as he stepped inside. He wasn't even there for a minute though before Rogue was standing in front of him, piercing him with a look. "Hey," he offered.
"Hey," Rogue returned, her eyebrow arching up just a little as she held his gaze. Another beat passed before she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, careful to keep the face of her skin from touching his.
Remy was stalking along the upper hallway of Xavier's, a cigarette set between his fingers like it probably should belong there attached to him. He gave a small snort and glanced back at Warren, who was sauntering along behind him, reaching over his shoulder to try and poke a bunch of feathers back into place that seemed to be irking him. "I didn't belt the fucker in the head on purpose. His head just got in the way of my staff, end of story," he insisted with a shrug and then paused to turn further to Warren. "You need a hand with that? I can't tell if you're in discomfort or not? Want me to just pluck them out? Bad feather day?" He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head like he was trying to clear it. "So fucking wrong, homme. It looks on par with adjusting yourself in public."
Warren growled in frustration and walked on past Remy when he stopped. "I am adjusting myself in public, fucking deal with it. And believe me, it might be uncomfortable, but there's no way I'm letting you pluck anything out of me. No friendship is that close, dude." He got to the top of the stairs and it was his turn to pause this time, waiting for Remy to catch up. When he did, he took the smoke out of his hand and stole a quick drag on it before handing it back to him. "Accidentally got him in the back of the head? He's with Hank being checked for a concussion. Storm wants your ass."
"She's always wanted my ass," Remy returned smugly and then halted at the top of the stairs, red eyes landing on the scene at the entrance. "Well, isn't this cute."
John still wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands as Rogue hugged him. It took him a moment to stop having them just hang at his sides awkwardly before he hugged her back. "If you're going to start crying, please do it well away from me. Never could deal with you in tears. That was always Bobby's realm." He let himself bask in the comfort of Rogue's arms for a moment before he patted her back gently and cleared his throat as his gaze flicked up to the two mutants at the top of the stairs. "Not as cute as your little curls, LeBeau. Forget to have a haircut?"
"Not for a long time." Rogue pulled back with a soft snort and looked over John's face before she turned to look up at Remy and Warren. She pulled away from John slightly and stood by his side as she hooked her arm around his. She just wanted to make sure he wasn't about to go anywhere. "I think the whole mansion knows that everyone wants your ass, sugar. No need to keep remindin' people."
"Non, cherie?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow casually as he first eyed them both and then his eyes zeroed in on her arm on John's. He sauntered down the stairs, coming to stand in front of them as the cigarette went back to his lips, indulging in a moment to analyse the scene before him and try to decide how he felt about it. He had spoken on and off to John recently, but his appearance was a turn up for the books, especially with Rogue touching him.
Warren came up beside Remy, now with a stray feather in his hand. "Fuck it," he cursed in irritation. That was about as annoying as finding a grey pube, not that he had ever done that. He gave Remy a firm nudge in the shoulder and then shoved the feather in behind Remy's ear. "Quit it, LeBeau. Like you haven't injured enough people today. What is it with you? Are you PMS'ing, or is this still about Sage's little spice added to your cocktail?"
John's eyebrows went up as he tried to stifle a snigger at seeing the feather behind Remy's ear. He also tried to pull out of Rogue's hold, but her arm tightened and he actually grunted in pain. "Jesus, Roguey. You can stop trying to strangle my arm at any point now. Wait, Sage? What about Sage?" His gaze was on Warren and it was hard for him to hide his interest.
"Just makin' sure you ain't gonna bolt again, that's all," Rogue murmured before she finally did let his arm go and tucked her gloved hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "And no, sugar. You don't. It's probably gotta do with his drink bein' spiked, and maybe the return of Bobby... and now John. Why are you here anyway?" she finally asked the pyrokinetic.
At this, Remy shot both Rogue and Warren a sharp warning look that basically told them they would regret it if any further details about that certain cocktail were revealed. He looked intently at Warren and tilted his head. "Sage, mon ami?" he asked evenly. This was news to him. He knew someone had done it, but didn't know who. And now he did. He took the feather from his ear and flicked it off to the side. Unfortunately, the fact that he was suddenly extremely pissed off internally, it acted like a missile and took out a large potplant on the other side of the foyer with a loud crash.
Warren realised he had fucked up as soon as the words were out of his mouth and he rubbed his forehead with a small groan, watching the potplant can exploded into tiny, messy pieces. Seeing Rogue cling to John like she was probably really wasn't helping Remy's mood either. As if getting Bobby in the head during training wasn't satisfying for the Cajun enough. "No way am I going near the DR with you this week," he resolved, glancing at Remy wryly. "And you can fucking find another winged mutant to pluck to get your jollies off." He held out his hand to John. "Good seeing you, man. I knew Bobby was back, but I didn't realise Hell had frozen over."
Pyro just snorted at the display of Remy's power. "Some things just never change, do they, man?" he asked the red-eyed mutant. "You really need to learn how to relax. This whole PMS look is just not you." He shook Warren's hand firmly as he smirked. "Yeah, well, someone just learned how to ask me the right way. Didn't figure I'd make an announcement, or a huge deal. Still wondering how the fuck I'm gonna get away with this without Magneto having me killed off. Brotherhood don't take kindly to traitors."
Rogue looked between Remy and the potplant, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to work out what the hell he was playing at. Maybe she shouldn't have hugged, or clung to John, but the point was that it was John that walked through the door, and not Pyro. With all the fights the X-Men had had during the years with the Brotherhood it was easy to tell the difference. "I'll take him on in the DR. I ain't got anythin' to be scared of." She turned her head to look at John again. "Magneto would never attack Xavier's directly. He'll just have to wait until you're out on a mission with us. Assumin' you ever pass the test."
It was Warren's turn to give a snort of amusement this time, and he sniggered at Rogue. "Oh come on. Like he's going to belt you in the back of the head like he did with your ex," he said, shaking his head. He gave Remy another small shove. "Chill, dude. Yeah? It's been a crap week, for sure, and you're all fired up. But just give it a break for just an hour, yeah? You're doing my head in. Old water, and all that shit. Save your energy for the mission where you might get to kill someone who deserves to be dead." He dropped his hand after shaking with John and then raised his eyebrows curiously. "Logan's seriously letting you back? What is this, X-Reunion week? Homecoming? Do I need to get a cute dress? Purple makes my butt look big."
Remy finished his cigarette and stubbed it out on the nearby marble pillar. "Neither do X-Men," he returned coolly to John's comment. "You just wanna walk back in, no hard feelings?" Then he turned to Rogue with a smirk, though there was no amusement in it. "Maybe next time he tries to blow you up, he'll make sure you're actually in the building."
"I've made him suffer plenty over the years," Rogue reminded Remy as she also looked at John. "I've kicked his ass plenty, and don't forget there was those couple months after I nearly drained him dry. You couldn't even be near me, not until you made me nearly drain you dry. Logan just loved that. First I was the female Pyro, then I was the female Gambit." She pushed her fingers through her hair, and tucked her platinum streak behind her ear. "Maybe the X-Men don't take kindly to strangers, but we're more about forgiveness than the Brotherhood. If John really wants to be here then he should be given a chance."
John sighed as he folded his arms across his chest and resisted the urge to dig his lighter out of his pocket and start playing with it. "I've had my ass kicked by all of you guys plenty. Look, I thought I was on the right side. I thought I knew what Magneto was about, but a lot of shit has happened over the years. You hang out with me while I'm on the other side, share some beers, but the second I walk in the door you're trying to get me to fuck off again? What's that all about, huh? You wanna say something, just come the fuck out and say it." His nostrils flared as he looked at Remy, before his gaze flicked to Warren and he tried to relax the sudden tension he could feel in his shoulders. "I don't know if he's letting me back in or not. I didn't exactly run it past him. You gonna be my man date still, Warren? Or you got some other little hottie lined up?"
Warren was quiet as he looked back and forth between Remy and John, followed by a brief glance at Rogue. There was no way there wouldn't be some tension. Remy was inevitably worked up because John thought he could just walk back in after everything. When he had been with the Brotherhood, it was just different territory. This was X-Men territory, and John had defected. Warren himself had a hint of annoyance somewhere inside, but then, he had never had a romantic interest in Rogue. There was no hard feelings. If John wanted to admit he made an error of judgment and return, then all the better for him. It's not like they couldn't use the extra pair of hands, and John and Remy had been good mates in the past. There just had to maybe be a peacemaker here while the show of testosterone flared up and then eased off. He stepped slightly in front of Remy, just enough that his shoulder was between the two of them. "Look, it's gone. It's done. We all have shit in our past we aren't proud of, and we're all adults now. If you're going to fight it out, get the fuck into the DR and leave the rest of us out of it. There are kids around here that don't need to be involved or witness what mutants shouldn't be doing against each other."
Warren's words had Remy relenting, even if he still held John's gaze beyond him. "Just so long as you have balls enough to admit where you stand now, mon ami," he finally said quietly, with a pointed glance down at the floor of Xavier's front entrance.
John cupped himself as he smirked at Remy. "I got balls, man. In fact Sage and I were having a very interesting conversation about them. I admitted it to her, I'll admit it to you. I want to rebuild the bridges between us, okay? I fucked up. I got obsessed with power, and I went to the guy that I thought was offering it to me." He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he cleared his throat. "Doesn't mean I'm always going to agree with some of your point of views. I still think the Cure is a fucked up attempt to control Mutants. I'm just sorry I chose to take it out on some of you here." His gaze flicked to Rogue and then Remy.
Rogue left John's side to stand by Remy's, her hand finding his as she linked their fingers. Her gloves kept his skin safe, the ever constant layer necessary while she still lacked control over her ability. "You still gotta get past Logan, Emma, and Storm. Ain't gonna matter a bit what we think at the end of the day."
Remy merely took his smokes out, slipping one between his lips and then not so subtlety using his own lighter with a large flame to light up, still watching John the whole time. It was probably going to take more than words to prove to him that John had any loyalty... and lack of intention towards Rogue. Warren was right, Remy had a bad week and right now, he was feeling like he just wanted to get on his bike and ride somewhere... anywhere. He was also sick of hearing about the Cure. There was hardly any talk of it in the Team these days.
"Fucking hell, both of you steer clear of me with the friggin lighters. You don't want to smell burning feathers," Warren jumped in, pulling his lips to the side and rolling his eyes. Maybe he was more in touch with his feminine side or something, but he had no urge to get involved in this pissing contest, nor did he want to get caught in the crossfire. "Good luck with that, too. Logan and Storm asked Bobby to come back, and then Logan still about turned and gave the poor bastard grief."
John arched an eyebrow at hearing Logan had still given Bobby a hard time, but his gaze had stayed on Remy for a moment. There really was going to be trouble with the Cajun, he could feel it. "It's not his fault he used to be such a lightweight. Logan's probably wondering what the hell he's let the team in for."
Rogue's eyes were on Remy's face as her grip on his hand tightened. She could understand his need to put Pyro through his paces. Hell, even she was wanting to see John prove himself, but Remy had nothing to worry about where she was concerned. She was only interested in him, just like he was only interested in Rogue. Well, as much as the Cajun could be. "Just like he'll be wonderin' with you. The team's finally findin' its feet again, so you better be willin' to hold your own, sugar."
Warren shrugged. "He's no lightweight anymore. He had me over in training too, even if he keeps saying he's unfit. Fuck, I bet some unfit assholes somewhere would seriously pay to look like him. No wonder Emma has been eyeing him off," he said with a smirk. "Still there is only so much someone can do if another dude is intent on smacking you in the head with a dirty great weapon."
"Accident," Remy said evenly, not revealing anything as to whether he hit Bobby on purpose or not. As far as he was concerned, Bobby's head just got in the way at the wrong time. At that moment, however, he was just planning on making himself stragetically present when John did ask Logan for a place back on the team. It was sure to make up for his bad week. "Wait, what? Emma and Bobby?" He paused to process the thought and then shuddered uncharacteristically, taking another long drag on his cigarette to placate himself and stop him losing his lunch.
"Was it the Bobby part, or the Emma part?" Rogue asked her lover as she watched him with amusement. "Jealous that you're gonna lose the White Queen to your lesser? I mean, it was only last week you were goin' on and on about how she had you pressed up against the wall practically beggin' for it."
John snorted in amusement. "Hell, she could have had me pressed up a wall begging for it in one of those little white outfits and I'd still be saying no. Too scared to wake up a ten-year-old girl with a lollipop fetish if I'm not up to her standard in bed."
Remy just snorted. "It must've left her horny. Nothing else would explain fucking that connard." And then he finally smirked at John. "Make it a habit of not being up to a fille's standing, mon ami? Don't worry, they have little blue pills for that these days. Sure Johnny Storm will give you a few pointers for your little black book."
Warren through his hands up. "Okay, it's official. I must be gay. I'm testosteronely challenged. Either of you whip your cocks out and piss on each other, and I'm outta here." Even if the mention of Johnny Storm had him raising his eyebrows just slight in curiosity as he remembered his conversation with the Human Torch's sister.
Rogue let go of Remy's hand as she folded her arms under her chest, her hip cocked. "No one said anythin' about her fuckin' him. Just checkin' him out. I think I'll follow you out, Warren. Ain't stickin' around for no pissin' contest."
Pyro held his hands up, his lighter surprisingly enough still tucked into his pocket. But he did smirk at Remy before he winked, the Cajun's cigarette flaring as John manipulated the flame. "I don't need Johnny Storm's help as far as that goes. Only one X-Man I'm whipping my cock out for and it isn't any of you."
Remy raised an eyebrow down at Rogue. "Are you jealous, amour?" he asked her, a slight hiss to his tone. Like he wasn't already primed enough.
Warren closed his eyes momentarily and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Not only did he have to put up with hearing Remy and Rogue fuck through his bedroom walls, but was he now about to witness yet another of their fiery and infamous arguments? He seriously needed to invest in more Tylenol... and earplugs. When he opened his eyes again, he rolled them slightly at John. "I think that's our cue to go get extremely drunk."
John shook his head after looking between Remy and Rogue. They were arguing even before he left, and they still argued. At least now they had the hot make-up sex, a visual he really didn't want in his head. "Deal, man. Maybe after a couple of beers you can show me that purple prom dress?"
Rogue didn't even notice that John and Warren were getting ready to make their exits. She was glaring at Remy. "I ain't jealous. Just disgusted at how you assume every female in this mansion is hot for you."
"Only the ones I haven't already fucked six ways from Sunday," Remy threw back arrogantly, never one to back down from a challenge, especially with Rogue.
Warren was already backing away from the resonant couple with a long-suffering snort and then turned to John as he headed for the stairs again. "It even has sequins," he revealed.
John was grateful to follow Warren and finally dug his lighter out of his pocket as he smirked. "Oh yeah? I always did have a soft spot for shiny things. Got some matching panties, too?"
Rogue gave a humourless laugh as she took a step closer to Remy. "And I bet they all hold a special little place in your heart, and every time you walk past them your dick twitches just a little bit. Sure you don't wanna go around and fuck 'em all again? You know, just to remind 'em what those six ways are in case their memories are as short as their skirts?"
Remy held her gaze firmly, his red eyes flashing, right before he seized her in a rough embrace and had her up against the nearest wall. "Fuck, you're hot when you're jealous," he growled and started kissing her hungrily, hand disappearing up under her top to show her exactly where his train of thought mostly lingered.
"And you're a total prick," Rogue panted against his ear as she pulled out of the kiss, and bit down on his ear lobe before giving it a firm tug. She was all too aware of how much skin was in contact with Remy's right now and she didn't care. "But you're my prick, and don't you fuckin' forget it."
Remy was one of the very few people who had never feared Rogue's powers. In fact, it had mostly just made him more hot for her. It never deterred him, to say the least. His hand gripped her hip and swept upwards to her waist, connecting with the strip of bare skin there he had access to. They were concealed by the pillar, but it wasn't like he was the sort to have issues about PDAs or anything beyond them either. His other hand tipped her head back and he smirked indulgently at her, wetting his lips as he drank in the sight of hers, full and panting with want for him. He kissed her again, more bruisingly this time with the view to keep it chaste, but that coupled with his hand on her waist tipped it just over the edge into dangerous territory and he felt that painful sucking feeling start to engulf him all over again before he had a chance to pull away.
Rogue was caught up in the desire for Remy to notice at first that time had escaped them. The seconds she normally counted in her head had faded and become the ways in which she wanted him to fuck her. She couldn't help it, Remy always had this way of making her forget about her skin. He made her feel as normal as a girl in her position could. And right now it was a pretty delicious position. Then she started to feel it, the pain that was reciprocated in her body as his thoughts started to flood his mind. She wasn't a stranger to having Remy inside her mind, but that didn't mean she enjoyed draining him. She hated the idea of hurting him even if right now there was maybe the tiniest thought that it was just desserts for making her jealous. She shoved him away, trying to kill any contact between them but his hand caught in her shirt and she struggled to get it free. "Remy!"
To this day, Remy still hadn't ever found an adequate way to describe what Rogue's drains felt like. It was always difficult to think clearly in the wake of them, like she really did suck him dry, mind and body. It was also the one thing he could never fight, he didn't have the capacity to, which made it ironic that he wasn't fearful of it. The intense and burning pain coursed through him with a sick squeezing feeling and it was impossible for him to realise to pull his hand away from her and untangle it from her shirt. There was no stopping it, his consciousness slipped away and he slumped against her, her shrieks sounding like they were coming from a long distance off and then he was out.
Warren was sniggering over a fleeting comment from John about Sage's ass on the floor up when the horrified - yet recognisable - shrieks sounded. He stopped immediately, feeling somedays like he had a sixth sense to knowing exactly how all the team members sounded when they were in danger. "Fuck, that's Rogue!" he hissed and spun around, taking off at a bolt towards the stairs again and trying not to actually go ass over tit down them at the speed he picked up.
John had half expected to see Warren literally fly down the stairs but his wingspan was probably too large even for the inside of the front entrance. Rogue's shrieks were a sound etched into his mind from the night of Stryker's attacks, not to mention the countless nightmares she used to suffer. It was a scream half the school probably knew. He ran after Angel, not exactly sure what they were going to find, a fireball already burning in his palm as he'd ignited his lighter two steps down. The moment he reached the foot of them though, he extinguished the flames. "You really do know how to drain them dry, don't you, Roguey?"
Rogue's normally brown eyes had turned red just like Remy's and she looked at John with them. He didn't flinch at the change, seemingly taking it in stride. Then she looked down at Remy and managed to finally get his hand free of her shirt so she could take a step back and put some distance between her and her boyfriend. "Help him! Tout de suite!" She was trying to get her breathing under control as she stared down at the fallen Cajun, the veins pulsing under her skin only now just starting to disappear.
Warren gave John's leg a small nudge, getting him to step out of the way so he could crouch down beside Remy. He reflexively checked for a pulse, it no secret that Rogue's touch could literally be lethal. This wasn't the first time Remy had fallen victim to it, though, and it wouldn't be the last. He gave the Cajun a small shake, trying to rouse him. "C'mon, Gambit. Don't make me get John to fry your ass to consciousness," he warned. He looked up at Rogue in concern. "You alright, sweetheart?"
Pyro shifted, moving next to Rogue as he touched a hand to her shoulder. The red eyes were something he hadn't seen on her before, and it was a little disconcerting to just how well she seemed to wear the Cajun. It really wasn't the first time she'd drained him. "Not that I wouldn't mind lighting a fire under his pompous ass, it's probably better he wakes up himself."
Rogue shrugged off John's hand and got down to her knees on the other side of Remy as she touched a gloved hand to his chest. "Please, mon amour. Wake up." Her gaze flicked to Warren and she gave a nod. "I think I got early PMS considerin' I just inherited Remy's charmin' mood, but I'm okay."
Warren raised his eyebrows curiously. "Do you know if he belted Bobby on purpose?" he couldn't help but ask. He never got the whole shared thoughts psychic mind-reading mutant powers and they were always intriguing. He just didn't know if Rogue got whole patches of thoughts or just fleeting patches when something like this happened. He had never, thankfully, been on the receiving end of her drains. But he looked back down to Remy when the Cajun made a small noise that was probably a groan but surprisingly actually came out more like a whimper, not a sound Warren ever thought he would hear from Gambit.
Remy's head was absolutely fucking killing him, and he put his hand up to cover his eyes and try to nurse his forehead all at the same time. "Morceau de merde," he cursed, his voice strained from the all over body ache he suddenly seemed to have, not to mention not a whole lot of recollection of what the hell was going on.
John had opened his mouth to answer Warren's question, but shut up as Remy started to come to. He crouched beside the Cajun and wet his lips. "That was a close call, man. I had to keep on giving you CPR. Your lips kind of taste like raspberry. Pretty sure that's the lipgloss Roguey here wears. Sure she ain't rubbing off on you just a little bit? Maybe you're the first to experience a reverse drain."
Rogue smacked John in the back of the head before she rubbed Remy's chest soothingly. "I'm sorry, sugar. I really am," she murmured softly as a little bit of herself floated to the forefront. "We gotta get you to the med bay though, okay? Hank's gonna need to take a look."
Remy didn't seem to be too with it and Warren watched him in concern for a moment before smacking John in shin with the back of his hand. "Quit it and make yourself useful, hot stuff. Give me a hand here, I'll get his left side, you take his right." He glanced up at Rogue again. "Roguey, you just... don't take anyone's side. We can only carry one person at a time," he added with a hint of a smirk.
Rogue was tempted to flip Warren off but she stepped back to give the boys space as they lifted Remy. John seemed to have recovered from his moment of immaturity and clenched his jaw as he lifted the Cajun. "Jesus fucking Christ. I swear half of what makes him such a dead weight is his cock. Every time he lays on one of his bullshit romantic lines his dick grows. Sure I can't still light a fire under his ass?"
Warren gently slapped Remy on the chest. "Just a short distance, dude. You're all good. No puking on us, and if you do... aim it at Pyro," he advised with a smirk and then nodded to Rogue. "Lead the way, love."