A Very Guthrie Sequel.

[x-cannonball.livejournal.com]

Sam blasts off from the front door of the school, wanting to get to the stables as fast as he possibly can. He's only now gotten a spare moment to check on the horses, and he's anxious about them since they've just arrived. Landing in front of the stable with a soft thump, he puts his hat back on and strides in.

Paige hums under her breath as she works, an old song that her father used to sing, "The Lighthouse's Tale" as she grooms. It's not really out of dire need, one of her siblings seemed to have made sure to go over him before they sent Nemesis, but more of a comfort thing. She'd managed to weedled herself out of class early, since it wasn't really a class and more of a getting aquainted, and this was the first place she'd headed.

Sam makes a beeline for Banjo--he can see the gelding's head poking up over the stall door, and he smiles in relief. Everything looks in order. After his initial need to see his horse, he starts taking in the rest of the surroundings. At first he thinks he's imagining it, but he could swear he hears "The Lighthourse's Tale" coming from one of the other stalls. After a second of confusion while checking Banjo's legs, Sam stands and glances around. "Gee? You here too?"

Paige straightens, more of a snap to attention. Nemesis whinnies nervous, shifting his feet, but she calms him with a gentle hand, if not shaking somewhat. "Yes Samuel. I'm here too."

He looks hurt at the use of his full name, and frowns a little, looking down at Banjo's hooves. "I'm sorry, Gee. I was wrong to be so thoughtless, I know, but. Why wouldn't you let me talk to you? To explain things? I mean..." He shrugs, not knowing what to say. He looks up, meeting her eyes over the low walls of the stalls.

The two different shades of blue meet and hold as Paige stares him down, an even look on her face. "I really didn't see as how there could be anything to explain. You think think I'm a..." She trails off, taking a deep breath and looking away. "Well, you know what you said as well as I do."

"I know what I said. That doesn't mean I actually meant it," Sam's eyes soften with pain, upset that he hurt her much more than he'd ever want to. "I was kidding. You know I was kidding, we were both kidding. I just. I let it go further'n I wanted to. I...what you said about...well, there isn't an excuse."

"Are you sure about that?" Paige says quietly, risking a quick glance before turning around, her back to her brother. "Perhaps it's exactly what you wanted to say. Freudian slip."

Sam steps out of Banjo's stall, heading over to where Paige stands with Nemesis. "Of course I'm sure, Gee. It's just. I said it without thinking, and I was hurt so I just wanted to get back at you, and it didn't occur to me that you'd take it so seriously...I know I shouldn't have. I swear I'd take it back if I could. I love you, Gee, and I wouldn't'a done it if I thought it'd upset you so much."

A somewhat bitter laugh slips through Paige's lips before she pulls it back. "Obviously we don't know each other as well as we thought we did then." She turns quickly, tossing blonde hair over her shoulder in frustration. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Teenaged girl hormones or something. I promise, I'll get them in rein before next week."

Sam shakes his head, stepping into the roomy stall behind her and wrapping her in a hug. "Gee. You're not fine. And I did a really bad thing...I'm supposed to be making you feel more comfortable, not stirring up your fears and smacking you in the face with 'em."

Paige stiffens a moment before slumping in defeat. She falls into the embrace, sighing. "I'm sure I deserved it. You're not the malicious type."

"You didn't know, it's not your fault." He cuddles her, stroking her hair, realizing how long it's been since they've gotten to just be together. Ever since he left for the Institute, whenever he goes back home things aren't the same. He misses it, and her, and thinks that maybe Paige being there with him will give them the opportunity to work it out and be the way they were.

Paige burrows her nose into his shirt before taking a deep breath and looking up. She doesn't really want to know. She wants to stay like this, happy, but she has to ask. "So, what did I do?"

Sam sighs, knowing that he would have to explain to her sometime anyway. He can't keep anything from her, ever, no matter how hard he tries. "Well, when you were joking around with Piotr, about him not liking me and locking me out..." He trails off, not sure where to go from there. "It kinda hit too close." Shrugging, Sam rests his chin lightly on her head, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair. "I. Um. Don't really know how to explain it. I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to. But I can't not tell you."

Paige smiles. "Well, obviously you can. You're doing a fabulous job of avoiding it right now."

His mouth quirks in a little smile. "You're not helping any." He bites his bottom lip for a minute, then begins again. "I went to a movie with Piotr a while ago, and...afterwards he asked me to do him a favor and. Kiss him. Because he wanted to figure out if he liked boys. That way. And I said I would, 'cause I kinda. Um. Wondered, too. And..." Sam sighs deeply, "Paige, I fell in love with Piotr. He never wanted me, he just wanted to make sure he liked boys before he kissed Warren. Who he's really loved the whole time. I still haven't really totally gotten over it, and." Sam's voice hitches as he thinks about what Paige might say. "Please don't hate me. I know it's wrong and I can't help the way I feel and if God loves mutants then can't He love me no matter... whoIwanttokissorbewith?"

Paige yanks away suddenly, eyes blazing a molten blue. Her arms are wrapped about herself in a desperate attempt to keep in some of the warmth she just ripped from herself. "So, what have I said this time? Because obviously you only hurt me when I hurt you, you're just that wonderful, so what have I done?"

Sam's eyes widen, filled with pain, assuming she's reacting so violently because of what he's confessed to her. His voice is quiet, and trembles slightly. "N-nothing. You didn't...nothing."

"Then how could you? How could you, Samuel?" She shakes with with pent up emotion, and Nemesis whinnies at the negative vibrations.

His voice is barely a whisper. He can't process this...she's never been this angry at him before for something like this. "I can't stop myself. I'm. I'm sorry, Gee..." Staring at the ground, he walks out of the stall. "I'll leave you alone then, I guess..."

"Wait." She bites her lip before blurting out. "She knows doesn't she? Alison? You told her?"

Eyes dull, Sam shrugs and nods. "Yeah. She knows."

"Then why couldn't you tell me?" She looks up, eyes not filled with anger so much as hurt, pain at it's purest.

"Because. I thought this might happen. Why would I want to bring that on you? Or myself?"

Paige blinks, not comprehending for a moment before realization dawns. She suddenly feels like screaming and kicking him in the shin. "You... you idiot," is all she can say. She regains herself. "You think I care about... about your sexuality? We're mutants, Sam. Talk about kettle black, I am not a hypocrite. Thanks for thinking so, though."

Sam stands there, gobsmacked, not saying anything at all for a long moment. "You don't...? Then why...?"

"Because..." She pauses, thinking of all the things she could say. Because you've replaced me. Because you love her. Because you love him. Because you don't love me. "Because you didn't trust me enough to tell me," she finally settles on, a safe answer.

"It's not that I didn't trust you...it's that. Well, I guess that it's because I didn't really get it myself, and I. I didn't want you to be upset with me." He sighs, feeling stupider by the second. Wishing he'd told her, knowing he should have.

"But you were perfectly willing to tell Alison." Paige states this firmly, bringing to surface his stupidity and a hint of her hurt for the world to see.

"Alison's been around. Showbiz and stuff. She's...not as innocent as you are. As we are..." He can tell how much he's screwed up, how much he's betrayed her confidence by keeping something like this from her.

Paige raises her eyebrows, arms crossed and obviously not too impressed with his choice of excuses. "Yes, I'm sure she has."

Sam shakes his head, angry with himself. "I don't have an excuse. I'm sorry. I just...we haven't been the same. Ever since I left. And you know it."

"I know." She closes her eyes, attempting to keep some kind of control. "I just hoped we could... pick up again. Forget. Looks like I was fooling myself, huh?"

"No..." Sam strides back over to the stall, taking Paige's hands in his strong, calloused ones. "We can forget. Starting now. Gee, I want to know you again. Tell me everythin' about home, about all the little ones and Momma, about you and school and all your friends I never got to meet...Starting now, I'm Sammy again and you're first. Okay? Blood is thicker than water, Gee, 'n I don't intend to forget it anymore."

"Sam I would... I..." She stops herself. "No. I can't. You have your life. New life, that you were perfectly happy with before I decided to go and screw up."

"That doesn't mean I would be happier if you weren't here screwing it up." He grins broadly at her, knowing she wants this just as much as he does.

Paige smiles somewhat shyly. "You sure?"

"'course I am, silly..." He chucks her under the chin, smirking. "Let's just do stuff this weekend. Go riding a lot. And I'll take you flying, and you can show me your powers. You gotta see the city too, I'll take you around...and we can go eat at some fancy restaraunts like real New Yorkers, and you can hear some of the stuff I wrote while I was here...and you can tell me everything." He bounces on the balls of his feet like one of the little Guthries when fresh cookies have just come out of the oven.

Paige launches herself at Sam, hugging him tightly. "You're the best, Sammy."

He draws her up tightly against his chest, her feet rising off the floor. "No, you're the best, Gee."

"No, you are," she teases, a wide grin splitting her face as she kicks gleefully.

He laughs jovially and wriggles with her in his arms. "No YOU are."

"Nuh uh!" she crows back, squirming playfully.

"Yuh huh!" He whines, running out the door still holding her in a strong grip as he chuckles. "If you don't give in, I'll blast to the moon and leave you there!"

Paige laughs and thumps at him with her fists. "Will give me an excuse to learn how to morph into something powerful enough to get me back! And nuh huh!"

Sam rockets up into the air, grinning widely and clutching Paige close. "Haven't done this in far too long, Gee. Don't know how you can go so long without flying. And yuh huh!"

Paige screams and ducks her head close to Sam's chest. "You evil, evil brother! And nuh uh!"

"You know you love it!" Sam attempts to steer as well as he can, and does a few loop-the-loops just to show off. Skidding into the ground, he winks at Paige and sticks out his tongue. "Yuh huh." He's pretty much forgotten what he's yuh-huhing about, but then again he usually does, and it usually doesn't matter. So long as he keeps it up as long as she does.