Jean-Paul and Daniel, Nathan and Jean-Paul

[x-cynosure.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul is walked home by a handsome stranger.



"...it's not even that difficult if you're paying attention." Jean-Paul leaned a bit more heavily on his "date", a new face to the school grounds, as they headed up the walk. The speedster was fine for forward motion, but, as straight lines had become something of an alien concept, he just needed a bit of an assist when it came to steering. The young man with him seemed amiable enough to this; he was already wearing Jean-Paul's coat over his own, and didn't seem to mind having the rest of the man as an accessory. "It's just...forgetting gravity, non?"

Daniel wore an amused look on his boyish face. He had an arm around Jean-Paul's waist to help keep him vertical as they walked. There had to be a bit of compensation so the weight of the other man didn't cause them both to tumble to the ground. While it may not have been a horribly bad way to spend part of the evening there was no endearment between the cold and the person wearing the Literature teacher "Just forget about it?" The Peruvian accent held a note of amusement that it shared with Daniel's expression. "I do not think forgetting gravity is anything people were meant to be able to do with much ease."

"It's supposed to be good for you, isn't it? Lack of gravity. Mirth. Bullshit. Biggest mis...mis...lie since 'gay'." They'd reached the stairs and Jean-Paul was trying to regain possession of his arm. "Attends, attends...I need a moment before we head in. People here are not so happy with drunkeness, I remember." He took a rather abrupt seat on the stairs, glancing up at his companion, grinning drowsily. "We are going to be in trouble, you realize."

"Where is the lie in 'gay'? Do you fail to be happy when in the company of an attractive male?" There was an attempt to not laugh at the enthusiastic proclamations. Daniel only succeeded mostly. Crouching down, he crossed his arms over Jean-Paul's legs and peered at the man as he took respite before entering. "Trouble? We've done nothing wrong." And impish grin appeared suddenly and it looked all too at home on Daniel's face.

True, they may have willingly engaged some homophobes in a bought of discomfort when Daniel had put Jean-Paul against a wall and had kissed him very, very thoroughly. After all, if they were going to stare with those looks of distaste all over their faces the two had ought to have earned it. There may have been drinking on a school night but that only really got you in trouble if you were the student, right? Daniel also propositioned a couple to join them in bed knowing full well they'd decline. Or at least that the elder of the two would decline for both of them. But, really, none of that would get them in trouble here.

"Mph. Constantly. And some of the vultures outside of the restaurant were aiming at us. I think we are going to make someone very confused tomorrow. But maybe it will be buried in the back pages by the romance columns."Jean-Paul laughed softly and toyed with Daniel's hair. His hands were warm, despite the chill. "Ah, well. Worth it."

"¡Pobrecito! You should work on that. Or, perhaps it is they who should do the work?" Daniel's eyes slid to the side to watch Jean-Paul's fingers twirling in his hair. "Who would bury you in the later pages? Of all the things they could put back there, certainly you are not one of them." There was a teasing edge to his words and it played in his smile as well. "Though, it is possible the romance column is more suiting." The wink was a fine art, but it managed to look natural on Daniel's features.

"Too much work. This is more fun. No flinching. We know where we stand, hm?" He laughed and gave his companion's cheek an affectionate pet. "All right, I think I can manage stairs now. Up to bed and bedlam."

"Si, we certainly do." And where they stood was just strange enough that it may have done a few other people's heads in. Standing up, Daniel's back arched while he stretched out a little from all that crouching down. A moment later both hands were held out to the older man, "Mi corazón." One could say Morgan was a little too fond of pet names, but using Spanish terms of endearment was likely a step up from her seeming trend of affectionately ascribing foods for people's names.

"Don't start that or I will have to cling." Jean-Paul was a bit steadier when pulled to his feet. He leaned anyway. "In seriousness, thank you. I've been shut up for too long, perhaps."

A very self-satisfied smirk appeared on Daniel's lips. "You will have to cling in order to make it up all those stairs to your room in any event, lest you tumble down them instead." Morgan noted that he didn't have to lean so heavily to stay upright now, but the presence of any leaning at all still had Daniel's arm around the man's waist for support. "You are most welcome. I had a lot of fun." A pause, then a playful look was shot at the speedster. "You wouldn't be so reluctant to receive mi corazón if you realized the alternative would likely find you being referred to as a type of pepper or possibly a kiwi."

"Being called a flightless bird would be interesting. And there is alliteration. Kiwi, koala, corazón...wait, I do not like that one." Now he was just being silly and it showed. His hold had also shifted from Daniel's shoulders to his hips. "Would you like to do this again some time?"

"I was thinking the fruit. Fuzzy on the outside and sweet on the inside? Though 'my koala' could be suiting. I think, perhaps, you ought to be a type of cake." As Morgan mused the two of them made their way through the front doors and up the main staircase. Jean-Paul received an affectionate kiss placed on his jaw. "Yes, I think I would."

--------------

Nate pokes his head in to investigate the aftermath of the date.



The first thought after Morgan had seen him safely to his room was
that he should go to sleep. The second was that if he went to sleep,
he was going to wake up with the world's worst hangover and he had
things to do tomorrow that would require him to be up and mobile.

Jean-Paul hauled himself out of bed with a groan and went to the sink.
Hydrate. Then shower. Then sleep.

A knock on the door drew his attention briefly before he turned back
to the cupboard, searching for water glasses. "Come in. Did you forget
something?"

"So I was in talking to Charles," came a voice that was definitely not
any variation on Morgan's, "and sensed something rather unusual. Since
like most telepaths I'm a nosy bastard, I figured I'd come and
investigate."

"Nathan?" Jean-Paul leaned against the sink, smiling a bit. He was in
a good mood and Nate was allowed in here. Even if it was half-past
very late and the world still more than a little fuzzy. "What's
unusual?"

"Oh, many things." Nathan closed the door quietly behind him, wearing
an oddly inscrutable smile as he turned to face Jean-Paul. "You having
clearly had more than two beers, for instance. Although," and he was
looking very thoughtfully at Jean-Paul, "it clearly wasn't excessive
drinking for the wrong reasons, which relieves me."

"It was not much more than two. Or beer. Hmm." He glanced up at Nate,
looking very elven for a moment. "I am drunk off of my ass, aren't I?"
He seemed quite pleased with this realization. "And yet, the world has
not ended."

"Were you under the impression that it would?" Nathan came over and
found the water glasses, seeing as though Jean-Paul was apparently
having some trouble figuring out which cupboard was which. He filled
it, and then handed it to the other man. His lips were still twitching
suspiciously. "I hope the evening was worth it."

"I'm sure it was good for me. I don't think I've ever been kissed so
many times in one evening." Jean-Paul laughed again, catching himself
on the edge of the sink. "I think she was doing it to keep me from
paying attention to what I was drinking. She is very clever, actually.
I think I like her."

Nathan barely blinked. It took some effort. "She, huh? Dare I ask?" He
reached out and steered Jean-Paul in the direction of the couch. The
sink would only hold him up for so long.

"Technically she." They wound up on the couch, but with Jean-Paul
sprawled half across Nate's lap and seemingly quite content to stay
snuggled there. "I asked Morgan on a dinner-and-bed date, but we
talked each other down to a dinner date with Daniel. Morgan as Daniel.
It was fun."

It was so very hard not to react to that. About the only thing that
saved him is that he really had no idea how to react. It wasn't
that he was strait-laced by any stretch of the imagination,
domesticated lifestyle aside. "I see," he finally ventured. Do not
laugh, Dayspring. Even if it is weirdly cute.

"I should let her go as Morgan next time. To be fair. I'll even put up
with being kissed. I've been kissed by girls before." Jean-Paul
glanced up and rolled onto his back, feline-lazy. "It's not so bad,"
he pointed out solemnly. "Just not as good."

Nathan thought about that comment for a moment. "Why settle?" he asked
thoughtfully. Why ask Morgan for a date in the first place? he
wanted to ask, but didn't. But there was clearly something going on
here, and he wanted to understand.

Another laugh. "Best of the available options?" Jean-Paul looked as if
he would start counting on his fingers, but decided it was too much
trouble and folded his arms behind his head. "For start, not a
student, not straight, not taken. And we behaved terribly and just had
fun, so why not again? It's not romance, but it is not bad at all.
Romance is overrated anyway. As Clarice would say, it sucks donkey
dick."

Nathan gave him a level look. "Is that bitterness talking, or
loneliness?" he asked. Had Jean-Paul not been quite so drunk, he
wouldn't have been quite so blunt.

The alcohol did its work; the blunt tone bounced off of Jean-Paul's
awareness. "It cannot be both and experience too? The men who are gay,
mutant-tolerant, and will put up with me are rare as it is. Put
everything that comes with me on the plate as well and..." He
shrugged, chuckling again. "I'll settle for fun, Nate. I could do
worse."

"Or better. I don't think you give yourself enough credit," Nathan
said, then laughed softly. "But fun has its place. I'm just a little
wary of how much trouble the two of you could probably get into
trouble together."

Jean-Paul held up his right hand, thumb and ringfinger spaced less
than an inch apart. "Very little. Hardly worth mentioning. There were
papp..." He snorted. "Vultures with cameras."

"Oh, lord... are you going to be okay with showing up in the
tabloids?" Nathan asked helplessly.

"Pfft. I stopped being marketable a long time ago and there is no
agent now to blame me for her ulcers. The only thing I have to worry
about is the students and maybe Scott, after he stops laughing himself
sick." Jean-Paul yawned and snuggled up again, closing his eyes and
using Nate's arm for a headest. "So long as Morgan's not wearing the
face of anyone who cares, it is fine."

Nathan quite tolerantly stayed right where he was. Telekinesis was
handy for transferring drunken people to bed once they were safely
asleep. "I still think that can't end well," he murmured, not quite
loudly enough for Jean-Paul to have heard clearly even if he had been
fully awake. "Or possibly just that you deserve more."