xp_logs | Jay and Tommy, backdated to July 9th

Can't get rid of me that easily. Tommy finds himself in the same room as Jay and they talk for the first time in over a year. There's no violence.

Jay was pleasantly surprised to find a few pies still left in the kitchen. Lorna must have made three per student for them to have lasted for so long. Yum. Jay cut himself a slice of apple pie and then rummaged through the freezer for a container of Bobby's vanilla ice cream. Who knew when he'd have the chance to eat the best homemade apple pie a la mode again? So intent was he on his culinary adventure that he was blissfully unaware of anyone else in the vicinity.

After working all afternoon on his mutation, Tommy was hungry. Since most people were in San Diego still helping with the clean up (as he would be if he wasn't still terrified to leave school grounds) he thought it would be a good opportunity to go down to the actual kitchen.

But he paused in the doorway at the sight of red wings. With a deep breath, he moved out of the doorway and leaned against the wall. He knew Jay was getting ready to leave the mansion, had mentioned it on the journals. Since then, a mental battle had been raged inside the former FOH that was having its final battle at that very moment. Figuring he would never get another chance, Tommy took another deep breath and moved into the doorway. "Hey. Jay, I don't want to take up much of your time...but I need to say something." His voice sounded confident but he was anything but.

Jay flinched, but didn't drop anything this time. He'd actually managed to not hear Tommy's voice once in the entire time he'd been there, which made the last time he'd heard it the night they'd met. It chilled him to the bone, but he straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look calm and collected and not intimidated.

"Didjoo just call me by mah name?" he asked, forcing an artificial serenity to his voice. "Ah thought Ah was just mutie or fag ta you." More reason to get the hell out ASAP, as if he needed one.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes Tommy looked down at his feet for a moment to compose himself. "Yeah, okay I deserved that." Then he looked up again, set to not half-ass this. His composure was serious now as was his voice. "I came to apologize."

Jay blinked. "April Fools was three months ago." Tommy's stance confused him. Wasn't this the kid who said he'd never apologize because he didn't regret what he'd done? Or was Marie-Ange projecting again? "Y'all might wanna rethink your jokes. They ain't funny."

"This ain't a joke." Tommy said with all seriousness. He sighed and looked over Jay's shoulder. "I couldn't say it then because I wouldn't have meant it." He paused and looked back at Jay. "I mean it now. I am sorry for what I did to you."

Jay shook his head. Tommy was being sincere. He actually finally regretted his actions. Months ago, Jay would have been jumping for the opportunity to hear these words. And he realized that part of him still was. But still, not like he could just let it go at that. Jay is a mule-headed fighter all the way. "You are so full of shit," he said. "What prompted this little epiphany, huh? Realized you'd feel guilty for the rest of your life if you never spoke ta me again? Am Ah supposed ta just forgive and forget now?"

Tommy never expected to be forgiven, in some ways he really didn't blame Jay at all. What Tommy had done had been barbaric and more out of pain and spite then anything else. And ever since helping the X-Men with evacuating the FOH headquarters, he'd been doing a lot of thinking.

"I don't expect anything of the kind. I didn't come here begging for forgiveness." Tommy said in a short voice before carefully taking a deep breath and looking down again to calm down. "I've had time to think properly about what happened and reevaluate my position on a lot of things. Now I can say I am sorry, when before I could not. My outlook did not match and would have been hypocritical. And when I heard you were leaving, I realized I could not put off facing it any longer. I could have said nothing at all you realize, but that would have been cowardly and I am sick of being a coward."

"How many times didja have ta practice that little speech in front of the mirror?" Jay asked, the venom in his voice toned down ever so slightly. "Ah appreciate the sentiment, but this don't change nuthin'. You're still a pathetic little boy clinging to his beliefs hopin' that everythin'll change ta fit your world view."

Jay wasn't hungry anymore. He abandoned his food and headed out the kitchen to finish up the last of his packing. "Oh, Ah forgot ta tell you. Ah reckon you enjoyed that kiss a little too much. Y'all might wanna do a bit more soul searchin' there."

Tommy bit the inside of his cheek, his hands curling in their gloves by his side. He wanted so much to strike out but knew better now. But some instinct was hard to repress. "You would be surprised how many of those beliefs I still hold true but one can not blame me for holding on to them. When something is safe, that is what happens. I am changing though, whether you want to accept it or not."

The second bit phased Tommy more then he let on, as he just smirked. "So you must have also, if you still think about it after all this time..." He couldn't help the barb. He's come here with the intention of being nice, but he wasn't going to remain so when attacked.

Jay stopped midstep. This was stupid, and the thought made him nauseous, but he wasn't going to just let Tommy end it at that. He turned around and walked up to Tommy, standing so close that he could feel the heat on the other boy's breath. He forced a grin and put his hands down on the island behind Tommy, trapping him. "Ah'm not the one in denial," he whispered, his lips dangerously close to Tommy's.

And just like that, Jay stepped back, shrugged, and left both the kitchen and the most frightening person he'd ever met.

Tommy had to fight very hard not to move when the other boy effectively trapped him, as the younger boy did not like to be backed into a corner. He managed to school his features not to not show anything as Jay moved in close, even fighting off a wince when Jay's lips got to close. And he wasn't even going to acknowledge the urge to move forward just a tiny bit...

But what Tommy was most proud of was that he had held his breath until the winged mutant had left the kitchen, as the expelled breath caused him to sag slightly. Thank god that was over...