Sam and Jay

[x-cannonball.livejournal.com]

Jay is fairly zombielike in the kitchen after not much sleep. Sam comes in, and manages to nail down what exactly is going on. Jay and Paige like to think he's dumber than he looks, but he's really not.


Jay yawned loudly. He'd not slept very well the past couple of nights. Not his own doing, though. The problem was a boyfriend who seemed capable of doing only one thing at night, and that definitely was not sleep.

Perched on a stool at the island in the kitchen, he glanced at the refrigerator and willed it to open. It didn't. Damn non-psionic mutation. He'd have to actually get up to get something to eat. Maybe if he concentrated just a little bit harder, then food would magically appear for him.

Jay's older brother, on the other hand, was busy being his usual irrepressible morning person self as he breezed through the doors into the kitchen. "G'mornin', Jay," Sam said cheerfully to Jay as he crossed to the refrigerator. Pulling it open, he hummed to himself as he searched through the fruit drawer. "Up late last night?" he asked as another loud yawn sounded across the room.

Jay buried his face in his hands and groaned. If Sam didn't know better, he might think that Jay had a hangover. "Yeah. Long night. Mind askin' the teachers if Ah can just play hooky today?"

"Now, ya know momma's rule. Unless there's pukin', ya go ta school." Sam shrugged somewhat apologetically. "Momma may not be here, but Ah told her Ah'd be keepin' an eye on ya and Gee since she ain't." He quirked a wry grin. "Sometimes Ah wish she _were_ here, though. It'd make dealin' with some of the rowdier kids easier. Ah could just foist 'em off on momma."

"There wouldn't be no more rowdy kids iffn ya did that," Jay pointed out. "So that's kind like cheatin', in't it? And you know what Momma says 'bout cheaters." He yawned again and forced himself off the stool. A breakfast might not fuel him for the rest of the day, but the quick energy boost would do him good. Dr. Grey wouldn't be able to scold him for falling asleep in class, at least.

He dragged himself to the fridge, the sluggish movement of his body indicating that he was sore. Very sore. All over. One could only guess why.

His brow furrowing in confusion, Sam watched his brother walk to the refrigerator. Jay had a healing factor, so why was he walking like Sam did after a particularly grueling Danger Room session? For him to be shuffling gingerly like that... "Jay? Are ya feelin' okay?" he asked slowly.

Crap. Think up an excuse. Think up an excuse. "I slept wrong?" he said slowly. Maybe Sam would buy that. There might be many things that Jay would talk to Sam about, but bedroom tales about Kyle wasn't one of them.

A pair of folded arms and a raised eyebrow were Sam's response. "Jay, Ah wasn't born yesterday. An' Ah am your big brother. Ya sleep like the dead. Ah might buy it if it was your wings that were hurtin'." But it wasn't Jay's wings that were causing him the discomfort. "Is there somethin' goin' on with ya and Kyle that Ah need ta know about?"

Jay's eyes widened and jaw dropped, but thankfully his head was in the fridge so Sam couldn't see his face. "Th-there's nuthin'!" he protested. "Ah sleep just fine, he sleeps just fine, we fall asleep just fine . . ." Oh God, what did he think was happening?

How to phrase this without shattering his brother's view of him? "You're yawnin' and talkin' about long nights, which means ya obviously ain't gettin' _that_ much sleep. An' if ya are limpin' around the way ya are the mornin' after..." Upon reflection, there wasn't really a tactful way to ask. "Is...is Kyle hurtin' ya?"

Jay slowly withdrew from the refrigerator, wearing a simultaneously confused and offended look on his face. "'Course not," he said, although without the vehemence that would one expect from Jay. "Ah ain't datin' some kinda psycho or nuthin'."

"Jay, Ah'm your brother. Quit tryin' ta shine me," Sam said a bit sternly. "Ah ain't sayin' Kyle's a psycho. But he _is_ feral, an' he's got certain...instincts. An' Ah need ya ta tell me the truth. If he ain't doin' it on purpose, we can figure somethin' out. If he is..." Sam trailed off darkly.

"Kyle wouldn't hurt me," Jay said with conviction. That much he could be sure about. "He's just a bit . . . excited, Ah reckon. Got extra energy to burn off after last week. Can't blame him none."

The stern frown on Sam's face softened slightly, and he nodded. "Okay," he replied. "That's what Ah wanted ta know. We can figure somethin' out. A way for him ta burn off some of that extra energy so he ain't keepin' ya up all night an' messin' up your ability ta walk straight." Sam grinned and reached out a hand to ruffle Jay's hair. "'Sides, Ah'm your older brother, silly. Ah'm supposed ta loom threateningly an' spook my little siblings' boyfriends. It's a rule."

Jay involuntarily swatted away Sam's hand. "We ain't doin' that yet." As if Sam really needed to know that. "Just don't tell him Ah told you, 'kay? He's really easily embarrassed . . ."

"Ya didn't really tell me much of anythin' anyway, Jay," Sam chided. "As dumb as Gee an' ya like ta think Ah am, Ah ain't _that_ dumb." He smiled. "An' Ah'll try an' work with him. This ain't about punishin' him or anythin', just tryin' ta find him an outlet."

"Um, thanks then. Ah guess." Jay scratched his head. "And make sure he don't hurt himself. Ah'll send Catseye after you iffn he does."