Kurt and Jean-Paul

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Jean-Paul takes out a bad mood on Kurt.



No-powers sessions against the gym equipment were terrible for blowing off steam, but good for focus (and for the equipment). Between his own research efforts and the situation with Cammie, Jean-Paul was feeling very much in need of a clear head and so, for once, the speed bag was in no danger of destruction. The rhythm of landing punches and the control it took to keep them within the range of human norms kept his thoughts and emotions streamlined and those annoying feelings of helplessness relegated somewhere to the back of his mind.

So, of course, someone else had to intrude.

Kurt had elected not to teleport into the gym today, but that only made his entrance less obtrusive, as he slipped through the door on his usual bare feet. He was halfway to the trapeze, in need of some mind-clearing activity of his own, before he noticed someone was already there.

"Hello, Jean-Paul", he called over by way of courtesy.

So much for focus. Wagner -- Sefton, dammit! -- was not the last person he wanted to see this morning, but he was quite low on the list.

"Sefton. What are you doing in here so early?"

"The same thing you are, I imagine", he said casually, continuing on his way. "Do not let me interrupt you, I should not get in your way."

"I do not recall 'letting' you do anything; you supplied the interruption on your own." Jean-Paul headed for his towel and water bottle, fresh tension in his shoulders as his foul mood came flooding back. He was in no mood to act like a civilized human being and it was probably best if he retreated from company.

That brought a pause, and then a deliberately mild "This is a public room. If I had known it would be such an inconvenience, I might have waited."

"That is not what I meant." He uncapped his water. "Nevermind. Just do whatever it was you were planning. I am not in the mood to suffer fools." Apparently the desire to hit things did not end at the physical.

"Very well", Kurt said tightly, turning away, and headed for the trapeze ladder without another word.

Jean-Paul followed his gaze to the swinging rung and called out to Sefton's back.

"Satisfy my curiosity - what causes an otherwise sane individual to throw over his loyalty to the people who have cared for him and the ones who trust him for someone who just happened to be involved in his conception?"

"I never betrayed anyone for her, even when I might still have cared to do so", was the flat response, Kurt not looking around. "Except perhaps my mother, and that is none of your business. As for why, I believe I tried to explain that."

"Yes, the importance of family." The speedster's tone was disdainful. "As you like." Jean-Paul collected his gear and headed for the door. The ice on the lake was probably thin enough that it was worth trying to swim at this point.

"Mock all you like", Kurt retorted, poised and ready to fly. "I do not need your trust or your good opinion, until you decide to be team again." And by then, he hoped he'd have proved himself.