Ororo and Remy | Friday afternoon
Mar. 9th, 2007 05:33 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsWhen Ororo calls Snow Valley to offer news of the Preservers, she receives an invitation to come into the city to deliver the information herself. Once she gets there, she and Remy talk, and it's a far more productive conversation than the one they had before. NSFW.
While Remy often called into the office to mention he wouldn't be in, usually it was because he'd had a lead to run down or something that needed doing. Today, he'd decided to take the afternoon off instead, an incredibly rare event that some of his team groused about. There was an important reason, and she would be there soon. Ororo's meeting in the park had proved one thing; that there wasn't time to hide in his office and not deal with this. They needed to work out the issues between them, before they reached the point that they couldn't ever.
He padded over to the fridge of his still spartan apartment, pulling out a bottle of water before returning to the couch and picking his book back up.
Standing outside the door, Ororo allowed herself one moment - and one moment only - to fuss with her hair and to take a deep, calming breath. The trip into the city had been easy enough, and it hadn't been until she had climbed the steps that she suddenly wondered if this was such a good idea. Too late to change her mind now, though, and with that thought she raised a hand and knocked lightly at the door.
"It's open!" Remy called, uncrossing his ankles and swinging his legs off the couch. He dropped the bottle of water and the book on his end table and was up just as the door swung open.
"See dat you made it through de traffic, Stormy. Hope dat you didn't here in de Village. Otherwise, we going to need to buy you some new hubcaps after lunch."
"No," she said with a shake of her head, "I have learned that lesson the hard way. The car is safe." Pausing just inside the door, she gave Remy a polite smile, not sure what her next move should be.
"Hey, uh... come in." He stepped aside to let her pass, closing the door after her. It was awkward, more so than he'd hoped really. "Do you want something to drink, maybe?"
"Water would be nice, thank you." Ororo watched him retreat to the kitchen, darting a quick glance around the nondescript apartment now that she had the chance. It seemed very impersonal, but then, he probably didn't spend much time there. Which warranted the question why he had invited her there in the first place. She supposed it meant that he had accepted her apology, at least, though whether he was willing to forgive her was another thing entirely...
Remy pulled another bottle of water from the fridge and paused. Ororo liked things neat, didn't she? He reached for a glass, just in case. He set both on the coffee table near where she stood. "Please, have a seat. Get comfortable."
With a murmured 'thank you' she took a seat on the sofa, untwisting the cap from the water bottle as she sat. She would've been content drinking from the bottle, but since he had brought out a glass, she poured it out. "Thank you for inviting me here today. I hope I have not disrupted anything," she said then, in an attempt to start the conversation out.
"Non, not at all. Remy, uh, took de afternoon off. I figured dat we needed to talk." She looked at him and his mouth ran away with sudden panic. "De updates over de last two months wit' our people." he blurted out, only barely avoiding following the cowardly statement with a wince.
"Ah. Yes." Looking away, Ororo gathered her thoughts where they had started to stray, quashing the disappointment that they may have actually gotten together to talk. "There has certainly been quite a bit of activity on both our ends."
"Places to be, people to hurt, dat sort of thing." Remy joked weakly. This wasn't working and it was his fault. He sighed, letting his shoulders slump. "Dat's not right, really. Dat's not what I wanted to talk 'bout."
Ah, that was not all that much of a surprise. Lifting the glass, she sipped her water, raising her eyebrows expectantly at him. "I am happy to talk about anything you would like, Remy," she said carefully.
"I've been thinking a lot 'bout how things are. Dat de choices we make might make sense at de time, and only after you get some distance, you can figure out de real reason dat you do one thing or 'nother." He stared at his hands, fidgeting nervously.
"Remy, as I have said before, you do not owe any explanation for what happened in Africa. It is I who should be trying to explain myself." Despite her nervousness Ororo forced herself to keep a calm expression, ignoring the jump of her pulse as she remembered that day in the storm.
"Dat's not entirely true, 'Ro. I didn't just come down to stop what you were doing." His voice sounded strange in his ears, clumsy and weak. "I did it because I thought dat if you found out later, dat- if things had gone too far... I was worried dat you wouldn't ever come back from dat."
He had worried that she wouldn't return? Frowning a little, Ororo turned this over in her head, bemused. Though at the time it had been a very real possibility, looking back she knew that she would have been miserable. Only two people had known her well enough to know that. "I see."
"Do you really? Because I rarely do. I don't know. Do you ever wonder dat maybe we not as good at seeing what we want as everyone else?" He looked at his hands, considering as he spoke. "Dat maybe we try too hard to make what we think should be right, right, rather den what we feel is?"
"Or perhaps we are afraid that what is right is too difficult, or that we do not deserve it..." She pondered this with a rueful look.
"It's amazing how much a head full of horrors tells you dat you don't deserve." Remy shook his head. "So what do you do? When everything around you says it's a bad idea, but it's the only one dat feels right?"
"Before Africa, I would have said that you do what keeps things as normal as possible. For everyone else's sake, if not your own. But now…" Ororo turned to look at him, lips pursed. "Perhaps now I would say that you listen to your hunches, because you are the only one who knows what is right for you. And maybe your life is meant to be lived for yourself and no others."
Remy went very still, obviously considering something thoroughly before he spoke. When he did, his voice was soft and low, as if he was telling it to himself as much as to her. " Seattle wasn't a mistake, chere. I think dat you know dat too.
"But you said..." For the first time, a hint of uneasiness entered Ororo's voice. "I assumed you did not feel that way."
"It was easier to say dat, because I thought dat it wasn't what you wanted." Remy strained to find the words. "Stress, injury, all dose things I said 'bout dat happening in de field are true. I wanted you to be able to not feel dat somehow you owe something more to me because of it. I couldn't take de chance dat you might make a decision because you felt obligated to. Not again."
"So you gave me an excuse. Oh, Remy." In spite of her hesitation, Ororo couldn't help but feel a mixture of sadness and outrage for the man sitting next to her. It was hard to believe that Remy Lebeau was so afraid of pity that he would rather sacrifice a chance at happiness than be disappointed again. "What would I have to do," she asked then, impulsively, "to prove my actions are not motivated by obligation?"
"I guess dat depends what actions you talking 'bout, chere." He finally looked up at her, meeting her blue eyes with his own stange red ones.
"Coming here, for one," she murmured, feeling her pulse jump as their eyes met. I can face a telekinetic mutant terrorist and his flying cars calmly, but this comes up and I feel like I want to hide... "Entering into this conversation. Telling you that I would like to kiss you again."
Remy blinked once, trying to process what she just said. He had assumed asking her here, that she'd admit that she knew all along Remy had feelings for her, even before he knew. And then tell him why it wasn't going to happen, and how to remain friends. Now things had changed dramatically. "I, uh-- why?"
"Because I would enjoy it," Ororo replied, a smile growing on her lips. "My motives are purely selfish, I assure you."
"Least dat one I can understand. Seriously though, are you sure dat dis is de choice you really want to make? I'm not exactly a prize catch, 'Ro."
"I am not fond of people questioning my judgment, Remy Lebeau," she told him then, arching one eyebrow. "I had at least the whole car ride over here to think about this. And the last two months as well. I am reasonably sure that I know my own mind."
"Well, dat makes one of us." Remy said with a bit of a shake to his head. A woman like Ororo could have her pick of men, and she wanted the ex-assassin with a head full of bad wiring. There were some mysteries that would never be solved. Still, Remy wasn't about to continue arguing. She wanted him, and that's all that mattered right now. "Guess de only proper thing is to give you want you want, neh?" Remy said, and leaned in to kiss her.
A fraction of an inch from her lips, a hard knock on the door interrupted them. Remy closed his eyes and winced. "I swear to God dat I'm fucking cursed."
He got up and opened it, collecting the takeaway food from the doorman with a scowl and putting the large paper bag on the table. Remy sighed and opened the bag. "Late lunch?"
Ororo stood and made her way over to the table, facing not the food but him. "In a moment," she said, reaching up to slide her arms around his neck in one smooth motion. "I believe we were interrupted in the middle of some very serious business."
"I think dat you right." He took her waist in his hands and pulled her towards him, tilting his head to her deeply. It was rain, Remy remembered, the taste of rain of her skin, the smell of it in his nose.
He was taller than she was, and she had to push herself up on her toes in order to kiss him properly. She didn't mind, however, holding him tightly as she closed her eyes and embraced him. The last vestige of nerves fell away and she smiled against his lips, a slight electric tingle stirring the hairs at the back of his neck.
Remy ran a knuckle along the line of her spine, enjoying the feel of her against him, the pressure of her arms around his neck and the delicious jolts every time her lips moved. His arm around her waist kept her supported, as they traded kisses; soft slow exploratory ones, getting familiar with each other's wants.
With a low moan 'Ro caught his lower lip in her teeth; nerves were quickly being replaced by a different, more pleasant fluttering sensation in her stomach. She slid one hand around to cup his jaw, smoothing a thumb over his cheek in a soothing, repetitive motion.
Remy smiled, feeling 'Ro's thumb rasp over his stubble, teeth nipping at his lower lip. He shifted slightly, using his tongue to flick her upper lip. She met him with her own, slipping past her lips. The kiss had become heated; fused. His hands on her back splayed, to both support her and to press her harder against him.
Ororo didn't know how much later it was that she finally pulled back enough to suck in a breath, her pulse racing. "Well," she said in a slightly throaty voice. "If there was any mystery surrounding my intentions when I came here, it is surely dispelled now."
"And you waited and made Remy choke it out first? Dat's unfair, chere." He kissed her throat, a low chuckle as he did so. There was something right there; like they'd been moving towards this unconsciously for a while. Remy was inclined to think the worst of himself, but he did his best to clamp down that feeling, trying not to sour it.
"You are not the only one used to being secretive," 'Ro said, tilting her head back to expose more of her throat to his lips. "And I did not wait too long... although I do seem to remember you are the impatient sort." She grinned, shifting closer against him.
"I knew it. You set me up." Remy's voice was slightly muffled, as he worked his way up the long line of her throat, kissing and nipping to the point of her jaw. His hands had slid down her back and along her hips, following her more urgent closeness.
"Mmph... it is all with good intention, I assure you." Ororo realized then that she was all but trapping Remy against the table, but instead of stepping away she merely moved her hands to his shoulders, appreciating the lean hardness of his muscles under her palms. "And I have heard it said that all is fair in love and war... certainly this would be no different."
"You know, dat road to hell, it paved wit' good intentions too." Remy muttered has his teeth closed on her earlobe. As he spoke, his voice was soft in her ear, the rough cajun accent turned lyric; dark and warm. "You lucky dat Remy's intentions are nothing but dishonourable."
A shiver ran straight through her at his words, her fingers tightening on his shoulders as she arched her back and pressed against him. "Then it is good I have no plans to make an honest man of you." Despite the rush of blood in her ears, she could still hear the sound of his breath, low and coming quicker now. "Remy, you should know... I am serious when I say this will not be a traditional relationship."
"What was it you had in mind, chere?" Remy said, intrigued. Considering he had no idea or experience about what a traditional relationship was, he'd taken that fact for a given. But 'Ro was different. Despite the odd goddess years, she'd been a fully functioning woman in society for years, and had other relationships. So what did she have planned?
The musing didn't stop him from continuing to nip at her ear. His hands finally left her hips, cupping her ass as she pressed against him, his fingers pressing against the firm muscle as she moved.
"For one, I cannot imagine we will be able to see one another with any set schedule or regularity." 'Ro winced briefly as she remembered her last relationship - having to jet off across the world to avert one disaster or another at a moment's notice seriously impaired the ability for regular Friday-night dates. "So there cannot be expectations of that without disappointment. We are both busy people, we will have to be... flexible." As if to demonstrate this point she twisted, capturing his lips with hers and hooking one leg around the back of his knee.
Remy groaned softly as she pressed up intimately against him, heat seeming to fuse their bodies together. "I think dat I can handle dat, chere. Can't imagine dat either of us had regular dates at de malt shop in mind anyhow, non?"
"Non," she replied with a smirk, hands sliding down over his chest and stomach to the hem of his shirt. "Although I think I like this idea of take-out... I could certainly get used to it."
"Got to say, it's gotten a lot better since de last time I ordered from dere." He followed the long line of her leg with his hand, running over the taut muscle where it linked over his, and then back up, to the point they were fiercely pressed against each other.
Ororo's hands found their way under his shirt, running lightly over his skin, tracing up his stomach and along his ribs. "And while there is no direct professional conflict..." She sucked in a breath as his hand moved across her thigh, "...we will have to be careful."
"Oui. You get Magneto, we get Essex, and what, we draw straws on Arcade?" He shuddered as his fingers brushed over his stomach and chest, flicking over the nipples and spreading out. It was like she was spreading little jolts of electricity where ever her fingertips scalded him. He almost laughed, knowing that was entirely possible for her.
Remy pulled her shirt out from her pants, sliding his hand underneath to feel the flushed skin of her back under his fingers; smooth as silk beneath his touch.
"I was thinking we would flip a coin, perhaps..." Her words trailed off in an unintelligible noise; part moan, part sigh. Still her fingers continued to move, never stopping as she explored every inch of his skin almost hungrily. "But besides those concerns, there is only one other thing I would ask of you."
"Lots of caveats and addendums, chere." His hands left her only long enough for her to pull his shirt over his head. As always, the network of scars on LeBeau gave a second's pause; thin white surgical marks from the process that replaced his normal muscle with the quantum density grafts that were the source of his agility and laced his bones with plastic. The others, uglier pink knotted lines from two decades of continual violence.
"But of course." Ororo's eyes drifted over Remy's assorted scars, her gaze not horrified or repulsed but knowing and almost sympathetic. "The first of which being you must stop calling me 'Stormy'." Glancing up at him, she gave him a look as her hands drifted lower, towards his hips. "I have always detested that nickname."
"Absolutely, Stormy. Never again." Remy smile was almost villainous, and carried clearly the fact that request was going to be something of a struggle for both of them. Still, the slow drift of his hands from the small of her back to her ribs defused any immediate response, especially as the pads of his thumbs stroked her slightly tremulous abdominal muscles.
"If I were a crueler woman..." she threatened him eventually, leaning in to kiss her way along his collarbone. There was the vague thought that the food was growing cold, and the more immediate one that she couldn't care less - after all, what else were microwaves for? Her hands went to his belt and she pulled back slightly, unbuckling it inch by inch in excruciatingly slow motion.
His hands tightened on her ribcage, and Remy chuckled low in his throat. "And you say you not cruel, chere?" He didn't want to interrupt her, only make it more difficult to stay focused. His thumbs drew an arc up her midsection, to follow the line of her breasts through the bra. His touch was teasingly light, sending shivers up her spine as he lightly caressed the covered skin.
"Perhaps I am, but only a little," 'Ro purred. She glanced up at him coyly, finally undoing the belt but making no move to pull it from the loops of his pants. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, while we are on the subject? I would hate to forget anything important... for example, the location of your bedroom."
"Unless dere's some kind of matching t-shirts we supposed to have to mark de occasion, I think dat we covered everything." He pulled her shirt over her head, and ran his fingers into the white hair at the base of her skull to pull her in for a kiss. "And if you'd like to follow me, we can get to de important business of de uncovering, neh?"
When the lingering kiss had ended Ororo grinned up at him, hooking her fingers in his beltloops and nodding. "Lead the way,mpenzi. I will be sure to watch closely to learn the way for the future."
"Make sure you leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Hate to see you get lost." Remy finally backed off of the table and took her through the hall. The apartment was small, and the hall led only past a surprisingly large bathroom and into a neat bedroom. It was obvious from the sparseness that LeBeau only came here to sleep.
"Tell me something?" Remy said as he drew her down with him. "What does 'mpenzi' mean anyway? If it's Bantu for 'small tasty rodent' or something, Remy not going to be happy."
"But calling someone a small tasty rodent is a great term of endearment," 'Ro pouted, shimmying out of her trousers expertly as she planted a hand on either side of him. "Especially one as tasty as you." She grinned down at him, lowering herself until the bare skin along their torsos touched. There was the occasional raised scar here and there on her body, though it was nowhere as extensive as Remy's. There were benefits to having long-range powers.
"Remy like to point out, dat still makes me a rat, you know." He ran his hands down the length of her sides, skimming the dark flesh with his fingers. Goosebumps followed his touch, and he smiled before kissing her again. Her teeth sank into his lower lip, and his fingers tightened at her hips. "Checking to make sure, chere?"
"You were talking about breadcrumbs... how am I to know you weren't merely hoping for a midnight snack?" Her tone was light and playful - this was a side that few ever saw of her. Sometimes Ororo herself even forgot it existed, but it was still there, buried under the masks of headmistress, of Storm, of worried friend and mother-substitute and responsible adult. It was refreshing to be able to joke and smile like this, and she found she quite liked it. She only hoped Remy had not been expecting something else. As a counterpoint to her teasing words, her fingers walked their way down to the fly of his pants, working at it diligently until the top button was undone.
There was a slight hiss as Remy sucked in air through his teeth at her touch. "You know, chere, dat Remy already got what he hungry for. But de midnight snack," His hands slid over her back and down her buttocks. "dat sounds like an idea worth waking up for."
Tossing her hair back (it was almost brushing her shoulders now), 'Ro shivered and leaned in to kiss him once more. "Then let me see if I cannot give you a taste of it now," she murmured against his lips, tugging his trousers down as she straddled him.
Remy shifted and raised his hips to allow Ororo to slip off his pants, kicking them down forgotten on to the floor. The sight of her, dark against the pale of his hands, the shock white of her hair struck him, understanding fully how someone could mistake her for a primal goddess. "Careful, chere. You know dat Remy got a big appetite. Might not just settle for a taste."
"I would like to see you take more than I can give," Ororo replied confidently, arching her back once more as Remy undid the clasp of her bra and drew it off. With a catlike smile she leaned in until her breasts brushed his chest, eyes half-closed. "Go on, try."
"Dangerous words, chere. Never know when a statement like dat come back and bite you." He punctuated the threat with a nip at her collarbone, raising up enough to feel her along the length of him, her body warm and the scent of her all around his face. His head dipped lower, tasting the slight salt sweat on the skin in the hollow between her breasts.
With a throaty chuckle Ororo shifted slightly, knowing the contact felt as delicious to him as it did to her. The air in the room had gone from still and cool to charged, like a thunderstorm was gathering above them. She was done with days of quashing her emotions and her needs - if she had learned anything in Africa, it was that.
Remy had worked his way back up to the hollow of her throat when the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. He looked up at her eyes, amusement dancing in his. "You just be careful you don't get Remy hit by lightning at de wrong time, chere." He kissed her throat, and cupped her left breast at the same time. She arched into him, as his clever fingers brushed the circumference of one nipple.
The faintest hint of white had edged in around Ororo's eyes, though at Remy's words they cleared once more. She prided herself on control, even at times of utmost distraction - like now. "When would be the right time, then?" she murmured, her hands sliding over his shoulders and down the planes of his back.
"Smart lady like you? Remy trust you to know." He grinned into her throat. His hands slid across her body, skimming on the curves and inflaming the nerves. The long lithe shape of her matched his own wiry frame, and there was contest in each caress. He dipped his head to her breast, his tongue hot on her skin as he tasted her. White teeth just barely scraped a dark nipple, his fingers recording each tremor of pleasure he could elicit.
"Oh sweet goddess," 'Ro breathed, her own fingers tensing and her short nails digging into his back. Swallowing heavily, she rocked forward, pushing Remy down on the bed beneath her and seeking out his lips with her own. Her tongue delved into his mouth, tasting the faint lingering tang of tobacco.
Remy submitted to her, feeling the tension from her hands as she held him down. Her body was pressed along the length of him, firm and supple. He kissed her deeply, their tongues dueling between them. One hand ended up twined in the shock white hair, his urgency pushing them closer together.
Despite the fact that this had started as a slow, almost exploratory embrace, somehow it had morphed into something different when she wasn't paying attention. No longer were they exploring, instead it seemed they had entered into a hurried race to drive the other closer to the edge with hands, lips, tongue...
Once again the familiar feeling began to roll over her - she had felt it on the plains of Kenya and she felt it now. Power, clean and strong, and the undeniable call to let it move through her. Instead of calling down the rain or banishing thunderheads, however, she shifted, pulling Remy's boxers down over his hips and slipping the last bit of black silk from her own body. Now the race had truly begun.
It was in the sudden divestment of clothes that Remy rolled, pulling her down to the grey coverlet with him. His fingers probed through the white hair, tips touching the hot centre of her. Her sudden gasp in his ear was like an invitation, as he slipped inside her. Her eyes rimmed white, bringing a smile to him as he latched on to her ear.
In the end, it did not matter who finished first, only that at last they both lay together on the bed, lithe bodies entwined and pleasantly aching. Remy lay half on top of Ororo, and she stroked his back with one hand, the other curled against the curve of his neck. She wore a satisfied smile, the last vestiges of white fading from her eyes.
Remy stroked the long lines of her, winded and docile following the moment. There had been a moment of hesitation until she'd made her own desires known, pulling him into her and urging him to her own needs. After all this time, it was still the same electrifying moment, just like Seattle had been.
He kissed her neck, turning so they could both lie comfortably intertwined. Her breasts brushed his chest, and he smiled at the casual intimacy. "I guess dat means we out of excuses, neh?"
"I suppose it does," 'Ro replied with a grin, stretching like a cat might after a particularly enjoyable nap. "Not that I think that needs any excuse at all."
"And when de rest of you team comes after me wit' de pitchforks and torches, Remy going to mention dat." He pulled her against him and kissed her again, roughly. "You going to be de death of me, you know."
"Strange, you battle insane scientists and raving cultists on a regular basis and yet I will be the death of you?" Propping herself on one elbow, 'Ro peered down at him skeptically, her free hand tracing its way across his chest. "You must not be as tough as you look."
"It's always de femmes dat do it. I thought you knew dat." Remy said, mostly joking. It was strange, her so close and open. He'd imagined it, but never expected it to be real. Now, it was all he could do not to paw her like some teenager, to reassure himself that this wasn't a fantasy.
"Well then, I will have to be careful with you." Smiling now, she leaned in to kiss him gently, her eyes fluttering shut. The electricity in the room had all but dissipated by now, but she was still as warm and vibrant as before.
"You know dat Remy don't believe a word you say." Her flesh tingled under his hands, unlike any of the women he'd known before. Who was she, really? Remy was almost ready to believe in the goddess title. "Dat takeout is still on de table. You hungry?" Her hand stroked him intimately, and he groaned. "I meant for food."
Ororo's lips lingered on his for a moment longer, and as she pulled back she looked at him mischievously. "Giving up so soon? I suppose if you are tired we ought to eat." With a smirk she sat up and then slid off the bed, padding towards the door with perfect self-confidence and grace. Pausing by the door, she turned back to look at him, suddenly looking almost shy. "And this is what you want, Remy?" They both knew she wasn't talking about the takeout.
Remy got up, and walked over to where she stood. Both of them had little body modesty, ignoring nakedness in a general fashion, although both had eagerly devoured the sight of the other earlier. "I never said dat I knew what I want." He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "But if dis isn't it, I can't imagine what I must need to be happy." He kissed her deeply.
Relief trickled through Ororo and she smiled, returning the embrace. When the kiss ended she didn't pull away but instead pressed her face to his neck, content to just stand there, breathing his scent in and out. "Thank you, Remy," she murmured at last, still not pulling back. "For Seattle, for Africa, for this."
"You thanking me? Obviously Remy does have mental powers." He grinned, kissing her neck. Inside, he fought down the sudden moment of panic. Could he really be what this amazing woman wanted or needed? That was the question. "You should be in bed, chere. Remy be back in a minute."
It took five, but LeBeau reappeared, The sack of Afghani food in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other. Laughing, they spread it on the comforter between them, Remy taking a moment to show off by uncorking the wine with his power. "Normally, when it's not champagne, de cork doesn't hit de ceiling." He said ruefully, following the track of the purple charged cork.
The few crimson drops that threatened to fall on the blanket were instead arrested by an intense icy wind, freezing into tiny jewels that Ororo caught and palmed. "Which hand?" she asked him jokingly, holding them both behind her back and laughing.
"Hmm." Remy said, grinning. "Thought dat I proved dat I like both left," He kissed her left breast. "and right." He kissed the right. Remy considered for a moment, and pointed to her right arm. "Remy bet his whole fortune on de right hand."
Slowly 'Ro drew her right hand out, opening it finger by finger to reveal nothing. At his questioning look she pulled out her left hand. It too was empty. "You really shouldn't bet against someone who has the power to create evaporation," she informed him solemnly, moments before she broke into a grin.
"I can't believe you just scammed me!" Remy said, mock serious. "Alright, den you win. Here's all of my fortune." He pressed a Styrofoam container of quabili pallaw into her hands. "I trust you to spend it wisely."
"I am a rich woman indeed." Happily settling back against a pile of pillows, Ororo picked up a plastic fork and dug into the food, relishing the savory smells and tastes. She smiled as she watched Remy, glad to see that he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as she was. She wouldn't have predicted him as someone who would be comfortable like this, but there he was - stark naked and wrestling with the mantoo container beside her.
"Be honest," Remy groused, finally getting the top off of the container. "You paid off de place to sabotage my dumplings just so you could get a free show in de meantime. Dat's low, chere."
"A free show and free food," Ororo corrected him, holding up her own container. "Do not think I would settle for anything less." Grinning at him, she popped a piece of lamb in her mouth and then washed it down with a drink of wine.
"And dey say I'm de dishonest one." He collected the bottle from her, and drank from the neck. They started passing containers back and forth, dipping in with their fingers and washing the food down with the dry red. "You've got yoghurt on your-" Remy motioned, and leaned forward, wiping it from her chin, and staying to kiss her lips.
By now the containers were scattered about on the coverlet and the bottle was nearly empty. Ororo lay back, drawing him down with her and closing her eyes. The taste of wine and spices mingled on their lips, their fingers slightly slick as they skimmed across bare skin. She let out a contented sigh, reaching up to run one hand through his hair as she placed kisses all along his lips.
It was bewitching, the sudden transition. He let his fingers rove, as if tasting her through the tips of them. Her hand brushed his hip, and he hardened, sudden and urgent. Remy kissed the edge of her jaw, loving the feeling of her against him. "Guess you all finished lunch den?"
"Unless you are going to put on another free show," she chuckled, squirming beneath him. Napkins rustled with the sheets as she drew up one leg alongside him. "In that case I might want to watch."
"I had something wit' more audience participation in mind." He shifted, pulling her leg up against his thigh as they shuffled for position. There was a slight gasp as they connected, sliding in effortlessly. Remy sucked in a breath, meeting her clear blue gaze. "You going to be de death of Remy, you know."
"Hopefully not for a long, long time," she said as she began to move against him. Tilting her head back, she invited his lips, the beat of her pulse quickening underneath them.
His mouth found her throat, tasting the soft flesh. "I think dat I can make dat happen." Remy muttered into her neck, feeling the deep throb of her heart under his lips. Their hips met with increasing speed, both of them setting the pace based on need, urging the other with raw physical demand.
The building waves of pleasure were almost too much for Ororo to handle, and she clung to Remy desperately as he brought her closer to the edge. She could not surrender control entirely, not yet, but the raggedness of her breath and the trembling tautness of her body showed that she was close, so close.
Her body, a flicker edge away from the peak, moved beneath him, telling Remy both her state and driving him closer to his own. There as a voraciousness to it; a hungry passion that both of them had latched on, as if something gone long without had finally been returned to them.
Remy's mouth crested her jaw line and seized her lips, groaning into her mouth as he felt himself getting past the point of control or thought.
With a wordless cry she finally stiffened against him, arching her back and holding him close as her hips moved of their own accord. Her head was thrown back, her hair splayed across the pillows around her face. "Remy," she whispered, her eyes open but unseeing.
The ferocity of her body finally put him over the edge, and his fingers dug into her thigh, almost enough to bruise as he spent himself. The sounds of the frantic coupling only a few moments before were replaced with silence, marred by nothing more than their laboured gasps.
Gradually Ororo calmed herself, breath slowing and her pulse as well. Every nerve felt alive, singing with charge as Remy moved against her, shifting so that she could curl against him intimately. She pressed her lips to his collarbone, tasting the sweat there and traveling along the line of his shoulder. She smiled to herself, lingering tremors still shaking her limbs every so often.
"Got to say, chere, dis has been de best day off ever." Remy grinned, still a little breathless. He kissed the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair and the scent of her.
"Mm, I cannot remember ever enjoying a visit to the city more." This was said with a chuckle, as Ororo generally disliked the city on principle - it was loud, smelly, and far too closed-in for her tastes. This, however, was a considerable upside. "I may have to visit it more often."
"If dis is de part dat I'm supposed to talk you out of it, Remy going off de script." He said lightly, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly. "Guess now I can skip my workout in de Danger Gym."
"It certainly was aerobic," Ororo agreed, resting her cheek on his chest. Her body was sated, weighed down by the pleasant languor that came from exertion. "Though I do not think I would want to go up against you in hand-to-hand. You are far too fast for me."
"Dat better have been a reference to my martial abilities." Remy grinned, stroking her back softly with his hand. "But I've seen you fight hand to hand, chere. You good and you fight dirty. Dat's de most important thing."
"Only if the situation calls for it," she amended. "And of course I was speaking of your combat abilities, for in other aspects we seem to be very well-suited." She hitched herself up on her elbows in order to peer down at him, smiling. "Or so I have found."
"Maybe Remy just have to keep proving it to you, just so you don't forget." He crossed his arms behind his head, and flicked up his eyebrows at her. "'sides, Remy think dats de kind of training you could be interested in. Call it, what, de Danger Bed or something?"
This drew a snort from the normally-dignified woman, who ducked her head, grinning. "As long as we keep the safeties on... I would not want to risk hurting you, since I am apparently so dangerous."
"De only woman dat can compliment your physical prowess wit' an unintentional hail storm." Remy's smile was easy, unlike the normal sardonic twist to his mouth that had been his normal show of amusement. "Any woman dat doesn't give you least sometime to fear isn't likely worth de time, oui?"
"I believe it is called 'keeping you on your toes', and you know you like it." Ororo pinched his nipple then, hard, and laughed at the expression that crossed his face.
"I was thinking more playing wit' fire." Remy grabbed her other elbow, and pulled, flipping her over to one side with a yelp of surprise. He rolled over her, pinning her one arm against her chest, and intertwining his fingers with her other hand, keeping it linked with his over her head on the pillow. "See?"
Ororo tried to break away for a moment, but even though she was strong, he was stronger. There wasn't a way to best him by playing fair, but then, hadn't he just been admiring the way she fought dirty?
"You should not ask for fire if you cannot handle it, mpenzi," she said, her eyes beginning to cloud over as the atmosphere in the room grew palpably thicker and more charged. Outside, the skies darkened to a malevolent gray.
"Now you going to hit me wit' lightning to break a hold?" Remy's eyes glittered, the long saturnine features of his face giving him a wicked cast. "I don't believe you, chere." He lowered himself so they were nose to nose, her white eyes against his black ones. "You bluffing."
"I do not think your employer would be happy if the building's power supply was to be interrupted," Ororo replied, senses tingling. She arched against him again but he held her tightly, refusing to let her go. Though she had known to begin with that he would not be swayed by an empty threat, she did not want to actually harm him. But nor did she want to let him have the upper hand...
There was a crackle and a tiny clap of thunder, followed by a much louder yelp of surprise and pain as Remy leapt off her, one hand clamped on his left buttock. He danced painfully around the room, muttering curses in Creole as he rubbed the reddened area.
"I can't believe you lightninged me in the ass!"
Ororo moved into a sitting position, watching Remy's caperings with barely-repressed amusement. "Perhaps next time you will not think I am bluffing," she said in her most officious headmistress voice. "Consider it an important lesson."
Remy turned a mock baleful glare on her, while rubbing his ass where the bolt had zapped him. "Remy suddenly glad dat I never had classes wit' you. Learn or get you own personal blizzard or something."
In truth, the bolt had more shocked him than anything, although he could feel the slight pain where it had struck. Secretly, Remy was pleased. He needed someone who could push back at him. His natural tendency to incite chaos, consciously or not, had a habit of hurting people who didn't like confrontation. Ororo obviously wasn't about to let anyone push her around, no matter how much she liked them. It gave Remy hope for them. "Can I get back on de bed, or do I get sleet if I do?"
"Hmm..." 'Ro tilted her head to one side, eyes traveling over his body slowly as she considered his request. She looked almost like a queen, sitting there nestled among the blankets, her posture straight and proud and her skin still glowing softly from their lovemaking. "Yes, I suppose I will allow it," she said at last, beckoning to him. "But you must behave from now on."
Remy crawled on to the bed, the wicked grin now back in place. "If you know anything 'bout me chere, it's dat I never behave," He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck before whispering into her ear. "but I can promise to be good."
That was more than enough for Ororo, who hadn't ever expected this to begin with. Slipping her arms around his waist, she turned to catch his lips and kiss him lightly. "Just be yourself, puku, and that will be enough."
"I hope so. Remy running out of aliases as it is." He ran a thumb over her lower lip, a slightly distant and considering look in his eyes before leaning in to kiss her again, fitting next to her closely.
For once the kiss did not turn heated, but stayed light and gentle. Her eyelashes fluttered across his cheeks as she shut her eyes, letting him support her as she relaxed against him. Outside, the clouds cleared, though the brief misting rain had been enough to dampen the sidewalks and turn the normally sooty scent of the air to something cleaner.
"Looks like de sun's coming out." Remy slipped his arms around her, holding her against his chest as they both looked out the window. "Dat your work den, chere?"
"Mmhmm," 'Ro sighed sleepily, nodding. "It seemed fitting."
"A new day." Remy mused, holding her against him. "I think dat you might just be right."
While Remy often called into the office to mention he wouldn't be in, usually it was because he'd had a lead to run down or something that needed doing. Today, he'd decided to take the afternoon off instead, an incredibly rare event that some of his team groused about. There was an important reason, and she would be there soon. Ororo's meeting in the park had proved one thing; that there wasn't time to hide in his office and not deal with this. They needed to work out the issues between them, before they reached the point that they couldn't ever.
He padded over to the fridge of his still spartan apartment, pulling out a bottle of water before returning to the couch and picking his book back up.
Standing outside the door, Ororo allowed herself one moment - and one moment only - to fuss with her hair and to take a deep, calming breath. The trip into the city had been easy enough, and it hadn't been until she had climbed the steps that she suddenly wondered if this was such a good idea. Too late to change her mind now, though, and with that thought she raised a hand and knocked lightly at the door.
"It's open!" Remy called, uncrossing his ankles and swinging his legs off the couch. He dropped the bottle of water and the book on his end table and was up just as the door swung open.
"See dat you made it through de traffic, Stormy. Hope dat you didn't here in de Village. Otherwise, we going to need to buy you some new hubcaps after lunch."
"No," she said with a shake of her head, "I have learned that lesson the hard way. The car is safe." Pausing just inside the door, she gave Remy a polite smile, not sure what her next move should be.
"Hey, uh... come in." He stepped aside to let her pass, closing the door after her. It was awkward, more so than he'd hoped really. "Do you want something to drink, maybe?"
"Water would be nice, thank you." Ororo watched him retreat to the kitchen, darting a quick glance around the nondescript apartment now that she had the chance. It seemed very impersonal, but then, he probably didn't spend much time there. Which warranted the question why he had invited her there in the first place. She supposed it meant that he had accepted her apology, at least, though whether he was willing to forgive her was another thing entirely...
Remy pulled another bottle of water from the fridge and paused. Ororo liked things neat, didn't she? He reached for a glass, just in case. He set both on the coffee table near where she stood. "Please, have a seat. Get comfortable."
With a murmured 'thank you' she took a seat on the sofa, untwisting the cap from the water bottle as she sat. She would've been content drinking from the bottle, but since he had brought out a glass, she poured it out. "Thank you for inviting me here today. I hope I have not disrupted anything," she said then, in an attempt to start the conversation out.
"Non, not at all. Remy, uh, took de afternoon off. I figured dat we needed to talk." She looked at him and his mouth ran away with sudden panic. "De updates over de last two months wit' our people." he blurted out, only barely avoiding following the cowardly statement with a wince.
"Ah. Yes." Looking away, Ororo gathered her thoughts where they had started to stray, quashing the disappointment that they may have actually gotten together to talk. "There has certainly been quite a bit of activity on both our ends."
"Places to be, people to hurt, dat sort of thing." Remy joked weakly. This wasn't working and it was his fault. He sighed, letting his shoulders slump. "Dat's not right, really. Dat's not what I wanted to talk 'bout."
Ah, that was not all that much of a surprise. Lifting the glass, she sipped her water, raising her eyebrows expectantly at him. "I am happy to talk about anything you would like, Remy," she said carefully.
"I've been thinking a lot 'bout how things are. Dat de choices we make might make sense at de time, and only after you get some distance, you can figure out de real reason dat you do one thing or 'nother." He stared at his hands, fidgeting nervously.
"Remy, as I have said before, you do not owe any explanation for what happened in Africa. It is I who should be trying to explain myself." Despite her nervousness Ororo forced herself to keep a calm expression, ignoring the jump of her pulse as she remembered that day in the storm.
"Dat's not entirely true, 'Ro. I didn't just come down to stop what you were doing." His voice sounded strange in his ears, clumsy and weak. "I did it because I thought dat if you found out later, dat- if things had gone too far... I was worried dat you wouldn't ever come back from dat."
He had worried that she wouldn't return? Frowning a little, Ororo turned this over in her head, bemused. Though at the time it had been a very real possibility, looking back she knew that she would have been miserable. Only two people had known her well enough to know that. "I see."
"Do you really? Because I rarely do. I don't know. Do you ever wonder dat maybe we not as good at seeing what we want as everyone else?" He looked at his hands, considering as he spoke. "Dat maybe we try too hard to make what we think should be right, right, rather den what we feel is?"
"Or perhaps we are afraid that what is right is too difficult, or that we do not deserve it..." She pondered this with a rueful look.
"It's amazing how much a head full of horrors tells you dat you don't deserve." Remy shook his head. "So what do you do? When everything around you says it's a bad idea, but it's the only one dat feels right?"
"Before Africa, I would have said that you do what keeps things as normal as possible. For everyone else's sake, if not your own. But now…" Ororo turned to look at him, lips pursed. "Perhaps now I would say that you listen to your hunches, because you are the only one who knows what is right for you. And maybe your life is meant to be lived for yourself and no others."
Remy went very still, obviously considering something thoroughly before he spoke. When he did, his voice was soft and low, as if he was telling it to himself as much as to her. " Seattle wasn't a mistake, chere. I think dat you know dat too.
"But you said..." For the first time, a hint of uneasiness entered Ororo's voice. "I assumed you did not feel that way."
"It was easier to say dat, because I thought dat it wasn't what you wanted." Remy strained to find the words. "Stress, injury, all dose things I said 'bout dat happening in de field are true. I wanted you to be able to not feel dat somehow you owe something more to me because of it. I couldn't take de chance dat you might make a decision because you felt obligated to. Not again."
"So you gave me an excuse. Oh, Remy." In spite of her hesitation, Ororo couldn't help but feel a mixture of sadness and outrage for the man sitting next to her. It was hard to believe that Remy Lebeau was so afraid of pity that he would rather sacrifice a chance at happiness than be disappointed again. "What would I have to do," she asked then, impulsively, "to prove my actions are not motivated by obligation?"
"I guess dat depends what actions you talking 'bout, chere." He finally looked up at her, meeting her blue eyes with his own stange red ones.
"Coming here, for one," she murmured, feeling her pulse jump as their eyes met. I can face a telekinetic mutant terrorist and his flying cars calmly, but this comes up and I feel like I want to hide... "Entering into this conversation. Telling you that I would like to kiss you again."
Remy blinked once, trying to process what she just said. He had assumed asking her here, that she'd admit that she knew all along Remy had feelings for her, even before he knew. And then tell him why it wasn't going to happen, and how to remain friends. Now things had changed dramatically. "I, uh-- why?"
"Because I would enjoy it," Ororo replied, a smile growing on her lips. "My motives are purely selfish, I assure you."
"Least dat one I can understand. Seriously though, are you sure dat dis is de choice you really want to make? I'm not exactly a prize catch, 'Ro."
"I am not fond of people questioning my judgment, Remy Lebeau," she told him then, arching one eyebrow. "I had at least the whole car ride over here to think about this. And the last two months as well. I am reasonably sure that I know my own mind."
"Well, dat makes one of us." Remy said with a bit of a shake to his head. A woman like Ororo could have her pick of men, and she wanted the ex-assassin with a head full of bad wiring. There were some mysteries that would never be solved. Still, Remy wasn't about to continue arguing. She wanted him, and that's all that mattered right now. "Guess de only proper thing is to give you want you want, neh?" Remy said, and leaned in to kiss her.
A fraction of an inch from her lips, a hard knock on the door interrupted them. Remy closed his eyes and winced. "I swear to God dat I'm fucking cursed."
He got up and opened it, collecting the takeaway food from the doorman with a scowl and putting the large paper bag on the table. Remy sighed and opened the bag. "Late lunch?"
Ororo stood and made her way over to the table, facing not the food but him. "In a moment," she said, reaching up to slide her arms around his neck in one smooth motion. "I believe we were interrupted in the middle of some very serious business."
"I think dat you right." He took her waist in his hands and pulled her towards him, tilting his head to her deeply. It was rain, Remy remembered, the taste of rain of her skin, the smell of it in his nose.
He was taller than she was, and she had to push herself up on her toes in order to kiss him properly. She didn't mind, however, holding him tightly as she closed her eyes and embraced him. The last vestige of nerves fell away and she smiled against his lips, a slight electric tingle stirring the hairs at the back of his neck.
Remy ran a knuckle along the line of her spine, enjoying the feel of her against him, the pressure of her arms around his neck and the delicious jolts every time her lips moved. His arm around her waist kept her supported, as they traded kisses; soft slow exploratory ones, getting familiar with each other's wants.
With a low moan 'Ro caught his lower lip in her teeth; nerves were quickly being replaced by a different, more pleasant fluttering sensation in her stomach. She slid one hand around to cup his jaw, smoothing a thumb over his cheek in a soothing, repetitive motion.
Remy smiled, feeling 'Ro's thumb rasp over his stubble, teeth nipping at his lower lip. He shifted slightly, using his tongue to flick her upper lip. She met him with her own, slipping past her lips. The kiss had become heated; fused. His hands on her back splayed, to both support her and to press her harder against him.
Ororo didn't know how much later it was that she finally pulled back enough to suck in a breath, her pulse racing. "Well," she said in a slightly throaty voice. "If there was any mystery surrounding my intentions when I came here, it is surely dispelled now."
"And you waited and made Remy choke it out first? Dat's unfair, chere." He kissed her throat, a low chuckle as he did so. There was something right there; like they'd been moving towards this unconsciously for a while. Remy was inclined to think the worst of himself, but he did his best to clamp down that feeling, trying not to sour it.
"You are not the only one used to being secretive," 'Ro said, tilting her head back to expose more of her throat to his lips. "And I did not wait too long... although I do seem to remember you are the impatient sort." She grinned, shifting closer against him.
"I knew it. You set me up." Remy's voice was slightly muffled, as he worked his way up the long line of her throat, kissing and nipping to the point of her jaw. His hands had slid down her back and along her hips, following her more urgent closeness.
"Mmph... it is all with good intention, I assure you." Ororo realized then that she was all but trapping Remy against the table, but instead of stepping away she merely moved her hands to his shoulders, appreciating the lean hardness of his muscles under her palms. "And I have heard it said that all is fair in love and war... certainly this would be no different."
"You know, dat road to hell, it paved wit' good intentions too." Remy muttered has his teeth closed on her earlobe. As he spoke, his voice was soft in her ear, the rough cajun accent turned lyric; dark and warm. "You lucky dat Remy's intentions are nothing but dishonourable."
A shiver ran straight through her at his words, her fingers tightening on his shoulders as she arched her back and pressed against him. "Then it is good I have no plans to make an honest man of you." Despite the rush of blood in her ears, she could still hear the sound of his breath, low and coming quicker now. "Remy, you should know... I am serious when I say this will not be a traditional relationship."
"What was it you had in mind, chere?" Remy said, intrigued. Considering he had no idea or experience about what a traditional relationship was, he'd taken that fact for a given. But 'Ro was different. Despite the odd goddess years, she'd been a fully functioning woman in society for years, and had other relationships. So what did she have planned?
The musing didn't stop him from continuing to nip at her ear. His hands finally left her hips, cupping her ass as she pressed against him, his fingers pressing against the firm muscle as she moved.
"For one, I cannot imagine we will be able to see one another with any set schedule or regularity." 'Ro winced briefly as she remembered her last relationship - having to jet off across the world to avert one disaster or another at a moment's notice seriously impaired the ability for regular Friday-night dates. "So there cannot be expectations of that without disappointment. We are both busy people, we will have to be... flexible." As if to demonstrate this point she twisted, capturing his lips with hers and hooking one leg around the back of his knee.
Remy groaned softly as she pressed up intimately against him, heat seeming to fuse their bodies together. "I think dat I can handle dat, chere. Can't imagine dat either of us had regular dates at de malt shop in mind anyhow, non?"
"Non," she replied with a smirk, hands sliding down over his chest and stomach to the hem of his shirt. "Although I think I like this idea of take-out... I could certainly get used to it."
"Got to say, it's gotten a lot better since de last time I ordered from dere." He followed the long line of her leg with his hand, running over the taut muscle where it linked over his, and then back up, to the point they were fiercely pressed against each other.
Ororo's hands found their way under his shirt, running lightly over his skin, tracing up his stomach and along his ribs. "And while there is no direct professional conflict..." She sucked in a breath as his hand moved across her thigh, "...we will have to be careful."
"Oui. You get Magneto, we get Essex, and what, we draw straws on Arcade?" He shuddered as his fingers brushed over his stomach and chest, flicking over the nipples and spreading out. It was like she was spreading little jolts of electricity where ever her fingertips scalded him. He almost laughed, knowing that was entirely possible for her.
Remy pulled her shirt out from her pants, sliding his hand underneath to feel the flushed skin of her back under his fingers; smooth as silk beneath his touch.
"I was thinking we would flip a coin, perhaps..." Her words trailed off in an unintelligible noise; part moan, part sigh. Still her fingers continued to move, never stopping as she explored every inch of his skin almost hungrily. "But besides those concerns, there is only one other thing I would ask of you."
"Lots of caveats and addendums, chere." His hands left her only long enough for her to pull his shirt over his head. As always, the network of scars on LeBeau gave a second's pause; thin white surgical marks from the process that replaced his normal muscle with the quantum density grafts that were the source of his agility and laced his bones with plastic. The others, uglier pink knotted lines from two decades of continual violence.
"But of course." Ororo's eyes drifted over Remy's assorted scars, her gaze not horrified or repulsed but knowing and almost sympathetic. "The first of which being you must stop calling me 'Stormy'." Glancing up at him, she gave him a look as her hands drifted lower, towards his hips. "I have always detested that nickname."
"Absolutely, Stormy. Never again." Remy smile was almost villainous, and carried clearly the fact that request was going to be something of a struggle for both of them. Still, the slow drift of his hands from the small of her back to her ribs defused any immediate response, especially as the pads of his thumbs stroked her slightly tremulous abdominal muscles.
"If I were a crueler woman..." she threatened him eventually, leaning in to kiss her way along his collarbone. There was the vague thought that the food was growing cold, and the more immediate one that she couldn't care less - after all, what else were microwaves for? Her hands went to his belt and she pulled back slightly, unbuckling it inch by inch in excruciatingly slow motion.
His hands tightened on her ribcage, and Remy chuckled low in his throat. "And you say you not cruel, chere?" He didn't want to interrupt her, only make it more difficult to stay focused. His thumbs drew an arc up her midsection, to follow the line of her breasts through the bra. His touch was teasingly light, sending shivers up her spine as he lightly caressed the covered skin.
"Perhaps I am, but only a little," 'Ro purred. She glanced up at him coyly, finally undoing the belt but making no move to pull it from the loops of his pants. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, while we are on the subject? I would hate to forget anything important... for example, the location of your bedroom."
"Unless dere's some kind of matching t-shirts we supposed to have to mark de occasion, I think dat we covered everything." He pulled her shirt over her head, and ran his fingers into the white hair at the base of her skull to pull her in for a kiss. "And if you'd like to follow me, we can get to de important business of de uncovering, neh?"
When the lingering kiss had ended Ororo grinned up at him, hooking her fingers in his beltloops and nodding. "Lead the way,mpenzi. I will be sure to watch closely to learn the way for the future."
"Make sure you leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Hate to see you get lost." Remy finally backed off of the table and took her through the hall. The apartment was small, and the hall led only past a surprisingly large bathroom and into a neat bedroom. It was obvious from the sparseness that LeBeau only came here to sleep.
"Tell me something?" Remy said as he drew her down with him. "What does 'mpenzi' mean anyway? If it's Bantu for 'small tasty rodent' or something, Remy not going to be happy."
"But calling someone a small tasty rodent is a great term of endearment," 'Ro pouted, shimmying out of her trousers expertly as she planted a hand on either side of him. "Especially one as tasty as you." She grinned down at him, lowering herself until the bare skin along their torsos touched. There was the occasional raised scar here and there on her body, though it was nowhere as extensive as Remy's. There were benefits to having long-range powers.
"Remy like to point out, dat still makes me a rat, you know." He ran his hands down the length of her sides, skimming the dark flesh with his fingers. Goosebumps followed his touch, and he smiled before kissing her again. Her teeth sank into his lower lip, and his fingers tightened at her hips. "Checking to make sure, chere?"
"You were talking about breadcrumbs... how am I to know you weren't merely hoping for a midnight snack?" Her tone was light and playful - this was a side that few ever saw of her. Sometimes Ororo herself even forgot it existed, but it was still there, buried under the masks of headmistress, of Storm, of worried friend and mother-substitute and responsible adult. It was refreshing to be able to joke and smile like this, and she found she quite liked it. She only hoped Remy had not been expecting something else. As a counterpoint to her teasing words, her fingers walked their way down to the fly of his pants, working at it diligently until the top button was undone.
There was a slight hiss as Remy sucked in air through his teeth at her touch. "You know, chere, dat Remy already got what he hungry for. But de midnight snack," His hands slid over her back and down her buttocks. "dat sounds like an idea worth waking up for."
Tossing her hair back (it was almost brushing her shoulders now), 'Ro shivered and leaned in to kiss him once more. "Then let me see if I cannot give you a taste of it now," she murmured against his lips, tugging his trousers down as she straddled him.
Remy shifted and raised his hips to allow Ororo to slip off his pants, kicking them down forgotten on to the floor. The sight of her, dark against the pale of his hands, the shock white of her hair struck him, understanding fully how someone could mistake her for a primal goddess. "Careful, chere. You know dat Remy got a big appetite. Might not just settle for a taste."
"I would like to see you take more than I can give," Ororo replied confidently, arching her back once more as Remy undid the clasp of her bra and drew it off. With a catlike smile she leaned in until her breasts brushed his chest, eyes half-closed. "Go on, try."
"Dangerous words, chere. Never know when a statement like dat come back and bite you." He punctuated the threat with a nip at her collarbone, raising up enough to feel her along the length of him, her body warm and the scent of her all around his face. His head dipped lower, tasting the slight salt sweat on the skin in the hollow between her breasts.
With a throaty chuckle Ororo shifted slightly, knowing the contact felt as delicious to him as it did to her. The air in the room had gone from still and cool to charged, like a thunderstorm was gathering above them. She was done with days of quashing her emotions and her needs - if she had learned anything in Africa, it was that.
Remy had worked his way back up to the hollow of her throat when the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. He looked up at her eyes, amusement dancing in his. "You just be careful you don't get Remy hit by lightning at de wrong time, chere." He kissed her throat, and cupped her left breast at the same time. She arched into him, as his clever fingers brushed the circumference of one nipple.
The faintest hint of white had edged in around Ororo's eyes, though at Remy's words they cleared once more. She prided herself on control, even at times of utmost distraction - like now. "When would be the right time, then?" she murmured, her hands sliding over his shoulders and down the planes of his back.
"Smart lady like you? Remy trust you to know." He grinned into her throat. His hands slid across her body, skimming on the curves and inflaming the nerves. The long lithe shape of her matched his own wiry frame, and there was contest in each caress. He dipped his head to her breast, his tongue hot on her skin as he tasted her. White teeth just barely scraped a dark nipple, his fingers recording each tremor of pleasure he could elicit.
"Oh sweet goddess," 'Ro breathed, her own fingers tensing and her short nails digging into his back. Swallowing heavily, she rocked forward, pushing Remy down on the bed beneath her and seeking out his lips with her own. Her tongue delved into his mouth, tasting the faint lingering tang of tobacco.
Remy submitted to her, feeling the tension from her hands as she held him down. Her body was pressed along the length of him, firm and supple. He kissed her deeply, their tongues dueling between them. One hand ended up twined in the shock white hair, his urgency pushing them closer together.
Despite the fact that this had started as a slow, almost exploratory embrace, somehow it had morphed into something different when she wasn't paying attention. No longer were they exploring, instead it seemed they had entered into a hurried race to drive the other closer to the edge with hands, lips, tongue...
Once again the familiar feeling began to roll over her - she had felt it on the plains of Kenya and she felt it now. Power, clean and strong, and the undeniable call to let it move through her. Instead of calling down the rain or banishing thunderheads, however, she shifted, pulling Remy's boxers down over his hips and slipping the last bit of black silk from her own body. Now the race had truly begun.
It was in the sudden divestment of clothes that Remy rolled, pulling her down to the grey coverlet with him. His fingers probed through the white hair, tips touching the hot centre of her. Her sudden gasp in his ear was like an invitation, as he slipped inside her. Her eyes rimmed white, bringing a smile to him as he latched on to her ear.
In the end, it did not matter who finished first, only that at last they both lay together on the bed, lithe bodies entwined and pleasantly aching. Remy lay half on top of Ororo, and she stroked his back with one hand, the other curled against the curve of his neck. She wore a satisfied smile, the last vestiges of white fading from her eyes.
Remy stroked the long lines of her, winded and docile following the moment. There had been a moment of hesitation until she'd made her own desires known, pulling him into her and urging him to her own needs. After all this time, it was still the same electrifying moment, just like Seattle had been.
He kissed her neck, turning so they could both lie comfortably intertwined. Her breasts brushed his chest, and he smiled at the casual intimacy. "I guess dat means we out of excuses, neh?"
"I suppose it does," 'Ro replied with a grin, stretching like a cat might after a particularly enjoyable nap. "Not that I think that needs any excuse at all."
"And when de rest of you team comes after me wit' de pitchforks and torches, Remy going to mention dat." He pulled her against him and kissed her again, roughly. "You going to be de death of me, you know."
"Strange, you battle insane scientists and raving cultists on a regular basis and yet I will be the death of you?" Propping herself on one elbow, 'Ro peered down at him skeptically, her free hand tracing its way across his chest. "You must not be as tough as you look."
"It's always de femmes dat do it. I thought you knew dat." Remy said, mostly joking. It was strange, her so close and open. He'd imagined it, but never expected it to be real. Now, it was all he could do not to paw her like some teenager, to reassure himself that this wasn't a fantasy.
"Well then, I will have to be careful with you." Smiling now, she leaned in to kiss him gently, her eyes fluttering shut. The electricity in the room had all but dissipated by now, but she was still as warm and vibrant as before.
"You know dat Remy don't believe a word you say." Her flesh tingled under his hands, unlike any of the women he'd known before. Who was she, really? Remy was almost ready to believe in the goddess title. "Dat takeout is still on de table. You hungry?" Her hand stroked him intimately, and he groaned. "I meant for food."
Ororo's lips lingered on his for a moment longer, and as she pulled back she looked at him mischievously. "Giving up so soon? I suppose if you are tired we ought to eat." With a smirk she sat up and then slid off the bed, padding towards the door with perfect self-confidence and grace. Pausing by the door, she turned back to look at him, suddenly looking almost shy. "And this is what you want, Remy?" They both knew she wasn't talking about the takeout.
Remy got up, and walked over to where she stood. Both of them had little body modesty, ignoring nakedness in a general fashion, although both had eagerly devoured the sight of the other earlier. "I never said dat I knew what I want." He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "But if dis isn't it, I can't imagine what I must need to be happy." He kissed her deeply.
Relief trickled through Ororo and she smiled, returning the embrace. When the kiss ended she didn't pull away but instead pressed her face to his neck, content to just stand there, breathing his scent in and out. "Thank you, Remy," she murmured at last, still not pulling back. "For Seattle, for Africa, for this."
"You thanking me? Obviously Remy does have mental powers." He grinned, kissing her neck. Inside, he fought down the sudden moment of panic. Could he really be what this amazing woman wanted or needed? That was the question. "You should be in bed, chere. Remy be back in a minute."
It took five, but LeBeau reappeared, The sack of Afghani food in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other. Laughing, they spread it on the comforter between them, Remy taking a moment to show off by uncorking the wine with his power. "Normally, when it's not champagne, de cork doesn't hit de ceiling." He said ruefully, following the track of the purple charged cork.
The few crimson drops that threatened to fall on the blanket were instead arrested by an intense icy wind, freezing into tiny jewels that Ororo caught and palmed. "Which hand?" she asked him jokingly, holding them both behind her back and laughing.
"Hmm." Remy said, grinning. "Thought dat I proved dat I like both left," He kissed her left breast. "and right." He kissed the right. Remy considered for a moment, and pointed to her right arm. "Remy bet his whole fortune on de right hand."
Slowly 'Ro drew her right hand out, opening it finger by finger to reveal nothing. At his questioning look she pulled out her left hand. It too was empty. "You really shouldn't bet against someone who has the power to create evaporation," she informed him solemnly, moments before she broke into a grin.
"I can't believe you just scammed me!" Remy said, mock serious. "Alright, den you win. Here's all of my fortune." He pressed a Styrofoam container of quabili pallaw into her hands. "I trust you to spend it wisely."
"I am a rich woman indeed." Happily settling back against a pile of pillows, Ororo picked up a plastic fork and dug into the food, relishing the savory smells and tastes. She smiled as she watched Remy, glad to see that he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as she was. She wouldn't have predicted him as someone who would be comfortable like this, but there he was - stark naked and wrestling with the mantoo container beside her.
"Be honest," Remy groused, finally getting the top off of the container. "You paid off de place to sabotage my dumplings just so you could get a free show in de meantime. Dat's low, chere."
"A free show and free food," Ororo corrected him, holding up her own container. "Do not think I would settle for anything less." Grinning at him, she popped a piece of lamb in her mouth and then washed it down with a drink of wine.
"And dey say I'm de dishonest one." He collected the bottle from her, and drank from the neck. They started passing containers back and forth, dipping in with their fingers and washing the food down with the dry red. "You've got yoghurt on your-" Remy motioned, and leaned forward, wiping it from her chin, and staying to kiss her lips.
By now the containers were scattered about on the coverlet and the bottle was nearly empty. Ororo lay back, drawing him down with her and closing her eyes. The taste of wine and spices mingled on their lips, their fingers slightly slick as they skimmed across bare skin. She let out a contented sigh, reaching up to run one hand through his hair as she placed kisses all along his lips.
It was bewitching, the sudden transition. He let his fingers rove, as if tasting her through the tips of them. Her hand brushed his hip, and he hardened, sudden and urgent. Remy kissed the edge of her jaw, loving the feeling of her against him. "Guess you all finished lunch den?"
"Unless you are going to put on another free show," she chuckled, squirming beneath him. Napkins rustled with the sheets as she drew up one leg alongside him. "In that case I might want to watch."
"I had something wit' more audience participation in mind." He shifted, pulling her leg up against his thigh as they shuffled for position. There was a slight gasp as they connected, sliding in effortlessly. Remy sucked in a breath, meeting her clear blue gaze. "You going to be de death of Remy, you know."
"Hopefully not for a long, long time," she said as she began to move against him. Tilting her head back, she invited his lips, the beat of her pulse quickening underneath them.
His mouth found her throat, tasting the soft flesh. "I think dat I can make dat happen." Remy muttered into her neck, feeling the deep throb of her heart under his lips. Their hips met with increasing speed, both of them setting the pace based on need, urging the other with raw physical demand.
The building waves of pleasure were almost too much for Ororo to handle, and she clung to Remy desperately as he brought her closer to the edge. She could not surrender control entirely, not yet, but the raggedness of her breath and the trembling tautness of her body showed that she was close, so close.
Her body, a flicker edge away from the peak, moved beneath him, telling Remy both her state and driving him closer to his own. There as a voraciousness to it; a hungry passion that both of them had latched on, as if something gone long without had finally been returned to them.
Remy's mouth crested her jaw line and seized her lips, groaning into her mouth as he felt himself getting past the point of control or thought.
With a wordless cry she finally stiffened against him, arching her back and holding him close as her hips moved of their own accord. Her head was thrown back, her hair splayed across the pillows around her face. "Remy," she whispered, her eyes open but unseeing.
The ferocity of her body finally put him over the edge, and his fingers dug into her thigh, almost enough to bruise as he spent himself. The sounds of the frantic coupling only a few moments before were replaced with silence, marred by nothing more than their laboured gasps.
Gradually Ororo calmed herself, breath slowing and her pulse as well. Every nerve felt alive, singing with charge as Remy moved against her, shifting so that she could curl against him intimately. She pressed her lips to his collarbone, tasting the sweat there and traveling along the line of his shoulder. She smiled to herself, lingering tremors still shaking her limbs every so often.
"Got to say, chere, dis has been de best day off ever." Remy grinned, still a little breathless. He kissed the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair and the scent of her.
"Mm, I cannot remember ever enjoying a visit to the city more." This was said with a chuckle, as Ororo generally disliked the city on principle - it was loud, smelly, and far too closed-in for her tastes. This, however, was a considerable upside. "I may have to visit it more often."
"If dis is de part dat I'm supposed to talk you out of it, Remy going off de script." He said lightly, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly. "Guess now I can skip my workout in de Danger Gym."
"It certainly was aerobic," Ororo agreed, resting her cheek on his chest. Her body was sated, weighed down by the pleasant languor that came from exertion. "Though I do not think I would want to go up against you in hand-to-hand. You are far too fast for me."
"Dat better have been a reference to my martial abilities." Remy grinned, stroking her back softly with his hand. "But I've seen you fight hand to hand, chere. You good and you fight dirty. Dat's de most important thing."
"Only if the situation calls for it," she amended. "And of course I was speaking of your combat abilities, for in other aspects we seem to be very well-suited." She hitched herself up on her elbows in order to peer down at him, smiling. "Or so I have found."
"Maybe Remy just have to keep proving it to you, just so you don't forget." He crossed his arms behind his head, and flicked up his eyebrows at her. "'sides, Remy think dats de kind of training you could be interested in. Call it, what, de Danger Bed or something?"
This drew a snort from the normally-dignified woman, who ducked her head, grinning. "As long as we keep the safeties on... I would not want to risk hurting you, since I am apparently so dangerous."
"De only woman dat can compliment your physical prowess wit' an unintentional hail storm." Remy's smile was easy, unlike the normal sardonic twist to his mouth that had been his normal show of amusement. "Any woman dat doesn't give you least sometime to fear isn't likely worth de time, oui?"
"I believe it is called 'keeping you on your toes', and you know you like it." Ororo pinched his nipple then, hard, and laughed at the expression that crossed his face.
"I was thinking more playing wit' fire." Remy grabbed her other elbow, and pulled, flipping her over to one side with a yelp of surprise. He rolled over her, pinning her one arm against her chest, and intertwining his fingers with her other hand, keeping it linked with his over her head on the pillow. "See?"
Ororo tried to break away for a moment, but even though she was strong, he was stronger. There wasn't a way to best him by playing fair, but then, hadn't he just been admiring the way she fought dirty?
"You should not ask for fire if you cannot handle it, mpenzi," she said, her eyes beginning to cloud over as the atmosphere in the room grew palpably thicker and more charged. Outside, the skies darkened to a malevolent gray.
"Now you going to hit me wit' lightning to break a hold?" Remy's eyes glittered, the long saturnine features of his face giving him a wicked cast. "I don't believe you, chere." He lowered himself so they were nose to nose, her white eyes against his black ones. "You bluffing."
"I do not think your employer would be happy if the building's power supply was to be interrupted," Ororo replied, senses tingling. She arched against him again but he held her tightly, refusing to let her go. Though she had known to begin with that he would not be swayed by an empty threat, she did not want to actually harm him. But nor did she want to let him have the upper hand...
There was a crackle and a tiny clap of thunder, followed by a much louder yelp of surprise and pain as Remy leapt off her, one hand clamped on his left buttock. He danced painfully around the room, muttering curses in Creole as he rubbed the reddened area.
"I can't believe you lightninged me in the ass!"
Ororo moved into a sitting position, watching Remy's caperings with barely-repressed amusement. "Perhaps next time you will not think I am bluffing," she said in her most officious headmistress voice. "Consider it an important lesson."
Remy turned a mock baleful glare on her, while rubbing his ass where the bolt had zapped him. "Remy suddenly glad dat I never had classes wit' you. Learn or get you own personal blizzard or something."
In truth, the bolt had more shocked him than anything, although he could feel the slight pain where it had struck. Secretly, Remy was pleased. He needed someone who could push back at him. His natural tendency to incite chaos, consciously or not, had a habit of hurting people who didn't like confrontation. Ororo obviously wasn't about to let anyone push her around, no matter how much she liked them. It gave Remy hope for them. "Can I get back on de bed, or do I get sleet if I do?"
"Hmm..." 'Ro tilted her head to one side, eyes traveling over his body slowly as she considered his request. She looked almost like a queen, sitting there nestled among the blankets, her posture straight and proud and her skin still glowing softly from their lovemaking. "Yes, I suppose I will allow it," she said at last, beckoning to him. "But you must behave from now on."
Remy crawled on to the bed, the wicked grin now back in place. "If you know anything 'bout me chere, it's dat I never behave," He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck before whispering into her ear. "but I can promise to be good."
That was more than enough for Ororo, who hadn't ever expected this to begin with. Slipping her arms around his waist, she turned to catch his lips and kiss him lightly. "Just be yourself, puku, and that will be enough."
"I hope so. Remy running out of aliases as it is." He ran a thumb over her lower lip, a slightly distant and considering look in his eyes before leaning in to kiss her again, fitting next to her closely.
For once the kiss did not turn heated, but stayed light and gentle. Her eyelashes fluttered across his cheeks as she shut her eyes, letting him support her as she relaxed against him. Outside, the clouds cleared, though the brief misting rain had been enough to dampen the sidewalks and turn the normally sooty scent of the air to something cleaner.
"Looks like de sun's coming out." Remy slipped his arms around her, holding her against his chest as they both looked out the window. "Dat your work den, chere?"
"Mmhmm," 'Ro sighed sleepily, nodding. "It seemed fitting."
"A new day." Remy mused, holding her against him. "I think dat you might just be right."
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Date: 2007-03-09 11:15 pm (UTC)There was a crackle and a tiny clap of thunder, followed by a much louder yelp of surprise and pain as Remy leapt off her, one hand clamped on his left buttock. He danced painfully around the room, muttering curses in Creole as he rubbed the reddened area.
"I can't believe you lightninged me in the ass!"
Best use of powers EVER. Storm wins at life.
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Date: 2007-03-09 11:44 pm (UTC)