Lil and Jean-Paul

[x-diamondlil.livejournal.com]

After talking with Cammie the day before, Lil decides to check in on Jean-Paul.


A bouquet of grocery store-bought flowers in hand, Lil made her way to Jean-Paul's door, feeling she at least owed the speedster a visit after hearing of his brush with her poisonous friend considering all he'd done for her lately. "Monsieur," she called out as she rapped her knuckles against the door, "I know you're in there." The giantess wouldn't push him for a long visit but after lunch with Cammie - and what had gone down the night before - she wanted to make sure her fellow countryman was still kicking.

"Do you come bearing the appropriate tithe, or do I have to send my army...Nicodemus!" A small, fuzzy body wriggled out from under the door a few seconds later, pausing to sniff curiously at Lil's boot before climbing aboard and looking up at her expectantly. "Lil, would you be so kind as to return my dissenting legion?"

Wrinkling her nose at the animal, Lil bent down to scoop it up in her hand before opening the door and making her way toward the couch. "Get is a leash. You're lucky I didn't step on him," she told Jean-Paul plainly as she dropped Nicodemus onto his lap then held out the bunch of roses. "Here. Ain't much but it's what they had."

"He was behaving himself." Jean-Paul gave the little black rat a glare before lifting him to his unoccupied shoulder opposite Jenner. "I think he prefers my company when I am not at my best. Thank you for not stepping on him, and for the flowers. I am curious, however, as to how you know I qualified for them." Jean-Paul rose to his feet, to put away both his pets and his present.

The blonde woman offered a one-shouldered shrug. "A little birdie of the poisonous variety told me over lunch yesterday. I'm amazed you can dodge a lamp hurled by a giant but not a girl's fist. And sit your ass back down. I'll take care of the flowers if you tell me where you keep the vases." The rat, however, was pushing it.

"I don't have any, but there should be a quart pitcher on top of the fridge." Jean-Paul sulked back down onto the couch as Nicodemus skittered down from his shoulder to take up residence in a shirt pocket. "I was expecting you to throw something at me. I was not expecting Cammie to hit me. I was off-balance anyway."

She shook her head which sent the ponytail swinging. "How can you not have vase? Even I have a vase." With barely a stretch, she grabbed the container and plopped it down on the counter. "Off-balance? Physically or mentally? And where are the scissors?" Lil asked, already pulling open drawers as she hunted.

"You also have a handsome male companion who would be likely to bring you flowers. And I think I have just made myself sickeningly jealous. Scissors are in the pen cup on my desk." Like hell he was pointing her to his kitchen shears. "And I think it was both. But now I know better for next time, assuming there is one."

Rolling her eyes, Lil collected the scissors then opened the roses. With surprising gentleness, she turned the faucet on and began trimming the stems of the flowers one by one. "More like an extremely girlie roommate. I usually get chocolate from Bishop." Though, if that was going to continue was questionable. The only time she'd seen him in the past two weeks was the night before while smashing gangsters' skulls together. "Know better to stay outta swinging range, too. She's a good kid; reminds me a bit too much of myself though."

The speedster chuckled. "Part of my difficulty as well. Which makes is all the more embarrassing that I took it on the chin, so to speak. I would not have taken well to pushy do-gooders when just off the streets either."

"We're getting fucking soft," she declared. The last of the roses trimmed, she filled the carton with water, mixing in the powdery food then stuck the flowers in one at a time, arranging them meticulously. "So, how you feeling now? Other than embarrassed a kid handed you your ass with one hit?"

"Worse than I'd hoped," he confessed. "It is not so bad until I try to stand up, then my stomach starts doing backflips again. I should be eating more than I am, but the idea is not so appealing when the odds of keeping the food down are low. If it's not better by tomorrow, I will ask Jean for something."

Work finished, Lil placed the makeshift vase on the table next to him the plopped down in a nearby chair. "I'd offer to make you something but we both know that ain't something that should be done for the sake of your stomach," she chuckled. "Crackers and gatorade are the extent of my 'feel better now, dammit' kitchen remedies."

"It is the thought that counts, non?" Jean-Paul shrugged. "Do not worry about it. Nathan looks in every few hours to be sure I am not trying anything stupid. Obviously the man knows me too well."

"Good," Lil said with a smile. "Though when you're up to it, I owe you a round at Harry's or wherever. A thank you for helping me last week. I know it didn't seem like it then but I appreciated it. And that you didn't make a big deal outta it with Scott."

"De rein. It wouldn't have done anyone any good to make a fuss, besides. You did not seem in danger of carrying out into the halls," he said, teasing her slightly. "Though I suppose that might have been more satisfying than breaking lamps -- Diamond Lil taking on anyone foolish enough to stand in her way."

She chuckled and shook her head, smirking softly. "I'm trying not to fuck up this time. I really am. Breaking kiddies in the hall would have not been good. Got some satisfaction earlier this week though. Bar brawl - not at Harry's," she added quickly. "Went out drinking with a friend and some drunk biker started shit with us so we ended it." Throwing goons was a much better stress reliever than throwing furniture.

Jean-Paul did truly laugh at that. "Dieu, how drunk must that idiot have been to pick a fight with you? Or was he drunk enough to think he had a chance at something else?"

"Trust me, he wasn't looking for 'something else.' Not from one of our kind," Lil said with another shrug. "But he and his buddies were very drunk. And they then all took a very nice long nap under a few tables when I was finished with them. Almost made me miss bouncing back home."

Jean-Paul grinned wolfishly. "Always more fun when they are that special kind of stupid, is it not?"

"Definitely," came her agreement and a smirk of her own. "Glad you're doing okay though. Secret Canadian Invasion goes down the drain if our numbers start dropping."

"It would serve all of you right for not letting me know that I had to upgrade to 'poison proof' beforehand," he tossed back easily. "But thank you for caring that I am not dead. And for the flowers."

Lil laughed at that as she stood. "Not our fault you skipped orientation." Her hand landed on his shoulder and she bent to press a friendly kiss to his cheek. "Anything you need, give me a buzz. Forge hooked me up with one of the unsmashable phones now."

"Some things do not change." There was a puzzled, half-distant look on Jean-Paul's face as Lil drew back, but it was there and gone in a moment, and then he was the same cocky speedster, even if at rest. "I will be fine, but perhaps I will be in touch just because, hm? Au revoir, Lil."

"Au revoir, Jean-Paul. Take care of yourself... and watch out for little girls with left hooks, eh?" she answered before slipping out the door.