Warren swiftly walked down the hall and up the stairs. He had waited as long as he could before going back up to Remy's room, he couldn't bare being away from him anymore. He had been by the Cajun's side for over a week now and it didn't feel natural not being there now. The time apart did give him time to think about what he was feeling towards Remy. Those thoughts only made his need for the Cajun's presence stronger. He had sifted through everything in his mind, from past arguments to the information Logan had told him, and even skimmed over his current attraction. He compared his feelings for Remy to those he had for Candy and Betsy and found them to be similar, and that scared him.
With Candy he had found an unconditional love that he wished would have survived forever. With her he had found everything he would ever need and want. Her understanding, love, and so much more. But fate stepped in and took her away leaving him with a broken heart. He knew a piece of it had never mended, and never would. No one could ever take her place, or so he thought.
His relationship with Betsy was all together different. He had those feelings in the beginning, but now that he looked back on the affair, it was doomed at the start. Yes, they loved each other, for a short while, but there wasn't enough to mend the betrayals and anger. He would have liked to blame the Crimson Dawn, but he knew that the relationship was falling apart before the attack from Creed even occurred.
Now there was Remy. Every time he saw the younger man he would get the butterflies in the pit of his stomach and those overpowering feelings would form in his mind. He knew he couldn't deny them, but he feared that this relationship would turn out like the one he had with Betsy.
That was another issue, would there even be a relationship? He was sure that Remy had slept with men, he had seen him bring a few dates home that were male, but that didn't mean he had a chance. He had been horrible and cruel to Remy ever since he walked in the doors of the mansion. Could he be forgiven for all of that? Even after forgiveness would Remy want him? He didn't know the answers, but he hoped they would be positive. This would be an all new experience for him, but he was willing to try, and that will would grow every time he looked into those enchanting eyes.
"I don't think it is his eyes you are really day dreaming about."
"What?" Warren blinked hearing the voice float down the hall. He looked up and saw Emma walking towards him. He had forgotten that she had taken the empty room on the third floor. She said it helped to be surrounded by people that didn't let all there thoughts loose while she was trying to sleep. So putting her on the third floor with two men that the Professor couldn't even read sounded like a good idea.
"You were broadcasting, and I was correcting your thoughts." Emma explained with a sly grin. She had to remember to open her shields when Warren was with Remy, it might just give her some entertainment, especially in the bedroom.
"Oh, shit! It's not what it seems, really."
"Yes, you keep saying that, maybe you will start thinking it as well. Don't worry your thoughts are safe with me. I think it is adorable really." She brushed her finger across Warren's jawline. "It's a shame though. You know what they say. The good ones are always gay."
"Hey!" Warren started to argue as Emma strutted away from him.
Emma waved her hand in the air, gesturing that she was only kidding. "By the way, you should watch out for Robert. He is not too happy about your little affair with Remy. When he gets near you he sends out some very nasty thoughts of what he would like to do to you...and I do not mean nasty in a good way." She winked at Warren before walking out of sight, leaving the younger man stunned.
"Damn it!" Warren thought about going to talk to Bobby, but decided against it for now. It was still too early for him to be awake. He was almost to the bedroom door when it opened and a soft voice saying goodbye filled the hall. He was surprised to see Bobby, not only awake, but leaving Remy's room. He stopped in his tracks, not sure of what to do. He knew Bobby was angry with him, he just didn't know for what. The glare his friend gave him sent a chill down his spine. Emma was right, you didn't have to be a telepath to see the murderous thoughts coming from the young mutant. "Hey Bobby."
"Warren." Bobby spat as he stomped past the winged man.
Warren reached out to grab Bobby, but retracted his hand before making contact. He didn't want to fight right now. He needed to find out what was going on first. The jealousy that Logan suggested was obviously wrong, there was something else at work here. He slowly walked up to the door and knocked lightly before entering. "Hey guys." He whispered, not sure if Remy was awake or still sleeping. Seeing Remy awake and well lifted his spirits instantly.
Logan looked at the clock and back to Warren. "It's only been 5 hours!"
Warren pointed at the dim light shinning through the window. "I said I would take morning watch, and it's morning."
Remy laughed lightly. "Now, don't fight y' two, I'm not up to stoppin' y', and I don't want my room wrecked."
Logan scoffed. "Yea, God forbid we break one of your precious doodads. Alright no argument, I'll hand him over, but don't expect me to be back in 5 hours, I sleep longer then that. He needs to go back to sleep too. Drake comin' in woke him up, but I know those drugs couldn't have cleared his system yet. So you get the wonderful job of watchin' the boy snore." Logan patted Warren on the shoulder on his way out the door. Warren had never been left all alone with Remy, so he was going to see just how committed he was to the Cajun. He hoped he wouldn't screw it up.
"I don't snore!" Remy declared. Seeing both men roll their eyes, he decided he was wrong. "Well, not much."
"I'll seeya later, kid." Logan gave Warren a knowing glare before shutting the door. Without a word Warren knew if he did anything to hurt Remy he was going to regret it.
"Well, you heard Logan, back to bed with you." Warren said while taking a seat on the bed next to Remy.
"Oui mere! First you're gonna tell me what's wrong with y'. I saw the look on your face when y' came in the door, and when Logan said somethin' about Robert y' flinched. He said y' two are fightin'. Care to tell me why?"
Warren sighed, he was so transparent, at least to Remy. "Did Bobby say anything about it when he was here?"
"Non, that's why I'm askin' y'. I could tell he was angry about y' watchin' me. If y' bein' here is comin' in between y' two, I understand, y' don't have to stay."
"No! It's not like that. I don't know why he's mad, he won't talk to me. Ever since the team showed up at the lab he has given me the cold shoulder. Emma said he pretty much wants to kill me and Logan thinks he's jealous. So if there is anyone that is getting in the way...it's me." Finally realizing that it is probably Bobby wanting Remy he could feel a little rage build in his gut. Why didn't he put the pieces together earlier? Why did it have to be Bobby?
"I don't think that's it Warren." Remy said sadly. He averted his eyes as he contemplated his next move. He was about to cross a line of no turning back. Over the last week he had been testing Warren with information, baiting him to argue, just to test his loyalties. He knew it was childish, but he needed to make sure the winged man wasn't going to turn on him again. On one hand, he wanted to be completely honest with Warren. He owed that to him. On the other hand, he was afraid. The time he had spent with Warren proved to be really nice, he liked having him around. This may jeopardize that.
He decided to be honest. At least he wasn't in too deep if he walked away now, but it would still hurt. He sighed and looked back to Warren, who was watching him with question. "Bobby and I have some history together. I had my chance with him and I blew it. So, if anythin', he don't want y' gettin' hurt."
Warren's eyes widened. "History? What kind of history?"
Remy cringed when he heard the old bitterness creep into Warren's voice, maybe he had made the wrong decision. He tried to think of ways to get out of the hole he just stepped in, but realized he couldn't back out now. "We had slept together a few times, it didn't turn into anythin' serious though."
Warren sat silently on the edge of the bed taking in what Remy just said. He couldn't believe he never knew. Bobby was his best friend! He could see the worry of Remy's face and sighed, he wasn't mad at him, he was angry at Bobby. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get his anger in check before speaking. Last thing he wanted to do was scare the cajun. "When?"
Remy bit his lip. Warren wasn't acting mad, but he could see the anger in his features. He sunk a little deeper into his pillow and answered. "Right before the mission against Legion. After the time travels, the wave, and the coma, he didn't want me anymore, so it ended."
Warren forehead furrowed in confusion. That wasn't like Bobby, he usually didn't let petty things like past events stop a relationship. Hell, their friendship hadn't even wavered after his dealings with Apocalypse. Robert was a very forgiving person. Though he wasn't sure what happened in Seattle. He knew Remy, Rogue, and Bobby were there, maybe something went on there that he didn't know about. It brought up a lot of questions, but there was only one that concerned him right now. He needed an answer. "Do you still like him?"
"Not like that. I sometimes wonder what would've happened if we had just gotten together later, or earlier. It just started at a bad time for both of us, I guess. I still think of him as a friend, but what was there is lost. I would never have those feelings for him again." Remy looked up into Warren's blue eyes and was happy to see no anger, what he saw was hope. For the first time since the lab he had a hope of his own blossom. "You're not mad?"
Warren smiled down into those exotic eyes, that he now realized captured him long before. "No, I am glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me. Thank you."
"I'm just happy y' didn't leave." Remy confessed before yawning unexpectedly.
"Looks like I'm about to watch you snore. Go on and rest. We'll talk more later." Warren brushed a hair from Remy's face as he closed his eyes and smiled when he didn't flinch. He was pretty proud of himself. Normally something like that would have started a full blown arguement with Remy. He had really changed, and for the better he hoped. He softly brushed the Cajun's long auburn hair through his fingers, savoring the moment. He hoped he would be able to do such simple guestures like this for the rest of his life.
As he sat there in the dark room his mind began to wonder. The man he had fallen head over heels for had a relationship with his best friend. Bobby had something that he wanted, but for some reason his friend let it slip away. Why? That simple question kept popping up. Remy's explanation of Bobby just not wanting him anymore didn't make sense. Robert just wasn't like that. At least he thought so. There had to be a real reason, but what was it?
The urge to know the answer became too overwhelming. He heard the quiet snore come from the sleeping form next to him and knew that Remy was sound. If he snuck out for a few minutes everything would be ok, right? He pulled the cover up and made sure the Cajun was warm and silently crept out from the room.
He wanted to know why Bobby never told him. They were suppose to be friends! He stopped in the middle of the hall, contemplating going back. A small voice in the back of his head was telling him he just made a big mistake, that he shouldn't leave, but after a moment's thought he started towards Bobby's room again. He would only be gone a minute, he had to resolve this, for him and Remy.
He quickened his pace until he reached his friend's door and knocked lightly. When Bobby opened the door and tried to close it again, he caught it with his foot, hissing at the slight pain it caused. "I need to talk to you."
"I don't have anything to say to you Warren." Bobby barked while trying to push the door closed again.
"I know about you and Remy and I want to talk about it." Warren pushed the door again, finding no resistance, so he walked inside the room.
"What do you think you know?"
"I know you and Remy had a short relationship and he thinks you ended it because you didn't want him anymore. I find that a little unlike you, so I want the truth. I also want to know why you are so mad at me."
Bobby jerked around with a look of confusion after hearing Warren's answer. He never meant for his breakup to come off like that. Yes he was stupid when he broke off his relationship, if you could call it that, but a lot had happened. He understood later that he was just mad at the world in general, and took it out on Remy. He thought the Cajun understood. "Remy really thinks that? That's not why I broke up with him! Jesus, I never knew he took it that way."
"Yes, that's what he thinks. I thought he might have taken it the wrong way, that is why I came to talk to you. Why did you break off the relationship?"
"Things were going crazy in our life at the time. I thought he would be better off without me in the way. For some reason I had it set in my mind that he would be happier with someone else. Then after the whole wave thing happened I find out Rogue kissed him and put him into a coma. I was so pissed at her for hurting him like that. She knew what she was doing, she knew what would happen."
"But you went with her when she ran, why did you help her if you were mad at her?"
Bobby sighed heavily, ashamed of his intentions on that trip. Everyone thought he left with Rogue because of some hopeless attraction, or friendship. It was never any of these things. The hatred he felt still scares him. He took a seat next to Warren on the bed, keeping his eyes to the floor, afraid of his friends reaction. "Honestly Warren, I went with her to kill her. I was so mad I just wanted to destroy her for what she did and I knew I would never be able to if we were at the mansion. She never deserved him. All she ever did was hurt him. I don't even think she ever took the time to learn anything about Remy!"
Warren was speechless at Bobby's confession. His friend was never vindictive. Even in battle he was careful not to mortally wound enemies. He had even seen him hold back on sentinals and clones. Now he is saying he was going to kill a teammate, not the best team member, but an X-man all the same. "But you didn't kill her. Why?"
"I was going to, but she had Remy's memories. She knew things that he would never share. Yes, it was selfish, but like her, I wanted to know what those memories held. Not to shun or hurt him like her, but to help him. I had seen the nightmares that wake him in the night. I was so scared for him. I thought if I could find out what caused the dreams I could help him and it would bring us closer together. Before I knew it, Remy had recovered and tracked us down in Seattle. He confronted Rogue and offered her everything, his body and soul, and his heart. I was so mad because I wanted that! I was an idiot and let my temper flare and ended it with him. Even after Rogue refused him and he needed me more then ever. I just pushed all my anger at him and left him there. I have regretted it ever since."
"I'm sorry Bobby. I wish you would have told me, I would have helped you."
"Would you have? You would have told me to dump the traitorous whore, or one of the more colorful things you always called him. Do you know how much that hurt him? Did you care?" Bobby snorted in anger, throwing his hands into the air. "Now look, you are best chums with him! Seems like you have to hurt Remy to get him to love you! Too bad I can't do that."
Warren felt horribly guilty when the realization hit. He was now in competition with his best friend. Bobby was obviously still in love with Remy, and he never noticed. Great friend he was! "This is why you've been fighting with me the last few days? You still love him?"
Bobby stood and took a new seat on the window sill, wanting to create space between him and his friend. He sat silently looking out the glass at the lake, not answering Warren for a long moment. He knew he was being selfish, fighting with Warren. He had his chance with Remy and he royally blew it. Fighting with his best friend and denying him the chance was wrong, not only to him, but to Remy. "The reason I have been mad at you is because I'm jealous. You are getting close to Remy and I want to be the one in that position. I can tell by the way you treat him now, the way you look at him, you like him a lot. I wish I was in your shoes getting the chance again. You are right, I do love Remy, and a part of me always will, but I am the one that ended it, so it is my own fault. My regrets are no reason for you not to have him. You do love him too don't you?"
"I'm afraid I do." Warren finally admitted.
--------------
Logan yawned widely. He had made a trip down to the Danger Room for a quick workout and now he was so ready for some sleep. This would be the first night he got to rest in his own bed for over a week, and he was looking forward to it. He thought about checking in on Remy, but decided not too. He needed to give the two boys some space to work everything out. He passed the first door in the hall and heard Emma sleeping inside. Which was a relief, ever since that woman invaded the floor, that he had once considered only his and Remy's, he hadn't gotten much sleep. Some of the noises that woman made were unnatural. Even the soundproof room didn't stop the sounds from assaulting his sensitive ears. Reaching the two bedrooms at the end of the hall he fought the urge to go to Remy's. He reminded himself that he couldn't smother the boy, the Cajun had to make his own decisions, even if they worried the hell out of him.
He made it halfway through his door when he heard a loud thud come from across the hall. He rushed over and ripped open the door, fearing what made the noise. He felt his heart jump out of his chest when he found the bed empty. "Remy?" Hearing a small moan from the other side of the bed he rushed to the source. His anger flared finding the younger man curled up on the floor in obvious pain and Warren was no where in sight. "Are you ok, kid? Talk to me." Logan rolled him over into his arms and was glad to see the boy conscious. "Are you alright?"
Remy bit back the pain and managed to answer. "Just peachy." He couldn't show Logan how much pain he was in or the older man would go after Warren. He had woke alone in the room and that upset him, but he still couldn't bring himself to hate Warren or wish him harm. It was his fault for getting his hopes up anyway.
"What the hell are you doin' on the floor? Where's Wings?" Logan lifted Remy up and set him gently on the bed, helping him over to his stomach. He pulled back the bandages slowly and was happy that none of the stitches had pulled out, that was one less thing they had to worry about, but he imagined it hurt a lot more then Remy was letting on.
"I tried to get up and get my pain pills, but my legs gave out. My back feels like it's on fire. Can you hand them to me?" He pointed at the small orange bottle on the chest across the room and cringed at the pain it caused in his back. It hadn't been that bad when he first woke, but finding Warren gone had upset him. The silent sobs of being abandoned, yet again, had hurt his back like nothing else. Finding that the pills he needed to stop the agony across the room didn't help. He had tried standing on his own, but the pain that shot up his back brought him to the floor quickly. He was glad that Logan was close enough to hear and help him, but he feared for Warren's safety now that his depature was known.
Logan reached over and grabbed the pills. His anger was growing, but he was trying to keep it under control for the sake of Remy. He was in pain, and he could tell by his puffy eyes he had been crying, and it wasn't from laying on the floor. Warren had left and his actions hurt him in the process, he was going to pay dearly for it. "Here ya go. Now tell me, where is Warren?"
"I don't know Logan. I woke up and he was gone." Remy mumbled, hoping the slur of words would somehow mask there true meaning. He didn't want Logan to go after Warren, but he couldn't lie to the older man either.
"That no good, son of..."
"Logan stop, this is my fault. He's just mad at me. I don't blame him, so leave him alone."
"What did you tell him this time? You've been tryin' to drive him away all week. I thought he was doing pretty damn good until now."
"I told him about me and Bobby."
Logan rolled his eyes. Of all the things he could tell Warren it had to be that. "Well, I'm sure he's pissed off, but that don't excuse what he did. He's gonna pay for this. You could have really been hurt or worse."
"Logan, don't go off fightin' with him. Just leave him alone. He's gone, that's all the matters." Remy whispered sadly. How could he have hoped that Warren would stay, he knew better.
Logan didn't need to see Remy's face to see he was crying, he smelled the warm salt of his tears. That just made him want nothing more then to track that bastard down and beat the hell out of him, but he couldn't do that right now. He had to worry about Remy. He would take care of Warren later, when he could get Jean or Bobby to watch the kid. "I'm gonna run across the hall and grab some sweats, I'll be right back. Don't even think about gettin' up, ya hear me?"
He waited for a reply, but didn't get one. This was going to be hard. Remy had opened up a lot to Warren, and he knew that wasn't any easy thing for the Cajun. He couldn't imagine what was going on in the boys head right now. The fact that Warren had fooled everyone angered him even more, even he had believed in the little show the winged mutant was putting on. He had hoped that maybe something would come of this, something that would make Remy happy for once. Instead it all came down around Remy's ears like everything seemed too, no matter how hard he tried to stop it.
He waited until he was out in the hall before punching the panelled wall and cursing loudly. He was glad that the rooms were soundproof, to the normal ear anyway. Remy didn't need to witness his anger, it would only upset him more. Undoubtedly the Cajun would refuse Logan any retribution against Warren, but this time he wasn't going to give him the chance to stop him. First thing tomorrow he would track Worthington down and make sure he understood that he was not to go near Remy again!