Jean-Phillipe and Angelo: Valentine's Date (backdated)

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Backdated to Valentine's Day. The boys are nauseatingly adorable. :)


"This is really nice", Angelo said, smiling across the table. "Should've known you'd pull out the stops."

"Certainment," Jean-Phillipe replied with a sip from his glass of wine. "I would not want you to think I was taking you for granted." The Frenchman might have rolled his eyes a bit at the more ridiculous consumerism that could be on display for Valentine's Day, but a very nice dinner and then overnight at an upscale inn seemed like a very nice way to spend the time. Besides, the chances of them getting back to accomplishing any work on Friday seemed remote, and Jean-Phillipe was well aware of Angelo's tendency to overwork, so a long weekend would hopefully help with that as well.

"If I ever think that", Angelo told him with amusement, sliding a hand across the table to twine their fingers, "I'll be sure to let you know. But nobody ever takes anybody for granted this early on."

"Eh, I took Mark for granted," Jean-Phillipe observed quietly. "Granted, there were considerations, but still. I did not do all that well by him." He still felt guilty for the way he'd pushed the flamboyant DJ and coworker of his cousin away just to preserve his cover at the mansion, before he'd reconsidered his affiliation with the Brotherhood.

"You and Mark", Angelo said curiously. "Were you... I mean, I didn't know Mark all that well, but he never seemed much like the relationship type to me."

"He was actually the one who wanted more," Jean-Phillipe answered, unusually subdued for him. He fiddled with the stem of his glass, twirling and twisting it back and forth. "He wanted more, and I couldn't give it to him."

"Couldn't is couldn't, and it happens", he offered gently, squeezing Jean-Phillipe's hand. "You were holding back something pretty big back then."

"Still," Jean-Phillipe said. "In some ways I feel as though I will be making up for that for...I do not know how long." He made a brushing-away motion with the hand that was not held by Angelo, and smiled a bit more. "But this is rather a heavy topic for Valentine's Day, I think."

"There is that", Angelo agreed. "I do want to get to know you better, I'm getting the idea not many people that aren't Angie really do, but... it can wait."

"Well, I don't mind talking about myself..." Jean-Phillipe grinned mischievously. "But shall we keep the topics of discussion a bit less depressing? It is supposed to be a romantic holiday, non?"

"This is true." He grinned back. "So in the interests of avoiding minefields... what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, we could always discuss my plans for when we get back to the room..." Jean-Phillipe had made the reservations, on the feeling that Angelo never quite took as much time away from the office as he should, but they had split the cost of the swank inn they were staying at. "But that would be cheating, attempting to distract you." He shrugged. "There is not much to tell? My parents were rather distant, I was a mutant groupie who annoyed my cousin ever so much, I worked on the docks, I manifested, I spent some time with the Brotherhood, and then I defected to Xavier's?" He smirked. "I like that word. Defected. It makes me sound like a dashing secret agent."

Angelo laughed. "You are a dashing secret agent. Sort of. A dashing semi-legal secret militia agent who made the right choice."

Jean-Phillipe's eyes twinkled. "And the leather makes my ass look fabulous."

"And all the training keeps you in great shape", Angelo said with a shameless grin. "Well, that and that metabolism you got."

Jean-Phillipe preened at Angelo's compliment. "You clean up quite well yourself," he observed in an almost purring tone. He left very little doubt what was likely to happen once they made it to their accommodations for the evening.

There already had been very little doubt, all things considered, but the grin gained a wicked edge at that confirmation.

"Well, thank you. I try real hard for it."

Truth be told, Jean-Phillipe was feeling rather impatient to get to the after dinner activities, but the edge of anticipation would make it worthwhile. "So what else would you like to know about me?" he asked curiously. "I do enjoy talking about myself, but without a direction, I am actually not quite sure what to talk about in particular."

"Direction, direction... well, I know you grew up in Lyon, 'cause Marie-Ange did. You ever miss it?"

"At times. Not so much my parents," Jean-Phillipe pursed his lips at that, "but my coworkers on the docks, people I had gotten to know." They weren't many, as he was aware he could be difficult to get along with, but they did exist.

"Yeah, if your parents are crazy religious like Angie's mom, I can understand that", Angelo said with a wry grin. "You could always try and get back in touch with them?"

"My parents are not nearly as crazy as my cousin's. Just...inattentive." Jean-Phillipe supposed that was a delicate way to put it. "And for the coworkers...eh. It is difficult now that I am not working with them every day. I do not have as much in common with them anymore." Particularly when you considered the very expensive mansion that he lived in and the scope of the work he did. Some of his coworkers might have perceived him as rubbing their faces in his good fortune.

"True", Angelo agreed. "This whole new life, it's pretty hard to talk about with outsiders, even if they were your friends before. I saw my cousin a couple years ago, that whole business with Julian Keller's family, and he was on the other side. Only as a hired gun, he was pretty easy to talk into backing off and leaving, but... he's hardcore gang now. Like I would've been."

Jean-Phillipe shrugged and flipped a hand as if to say 'who knows?' "It is impossible to say how we might have turned out, in different circumstances. Even my cousin can only keep her vague proclamations to the future, and Adrienne can only see things that have happened, not affect them." He smiled. "Besides, I do not have any complaints about how things have turned out."

"No", Angelo said, and it was heartfelt. "Definitely no complaints on my side either."