xp_logs | jake and warren (Reply)

Jake returns, and Warren is there to greet him.

Warren leaned his head against the banister and took a long drag of his cigarette. Damn, he was tired. He'd stayed up late the last two nights finishing up work for his classes that he really should have gotten done before spring break. Ah, well. He was almost caught up now.

The whir of a car engine and the crunch of gravel caught his attention, and he glanced up to see a cherry-red Jaguar pulling into the driveway. He stared at it for a second before realizing why it looked so familiar. He stood, and caught the eye of the driver, a young, handsome, dark-haired man. "Jake?" he called, traces of doubt and surprise in his voice.

Jake practically bounced out of the car, locking the car on his way over to Warren. He'd had a great day, and the roads had been open and clear, and Shinobi still owed him a strawberry cake. Yeah, life was good. He grinned at Warren who was still giving him that 'is that you' look. "Hey, angel-boy. How are you?"

A grin spread over Warren's face as he made his way towards Jake. "What's up?" He embraced Jake briefly, and reached over to help him with his duffel bag. "What have you been up to, then?" All tiredness had been shocked out of his system upon seeing Jake, who apparently had a tendency to appear as suddenly as he disappeared.

Happily letting go of his duffel bag, Jake replied, waving a hand airily. "Oh, you know, the usual. Being interrogated by Interpol, doing shady deals in British pubs and, oh, yeah, getting invited to Wakanda." He turned, poking Warren in the chest and laughing happily. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get into that country? I've been dying to see that new technology they -- You saw the bit in Science America? The piece that was instantly denied by the embassy? Well, Ross claimes that they actually did manage to utilize --" he broke off, shaking his head. "Anyway. Really, how are you?"

Warren nodded, impressed. Jake seemed to lead such a fascinating, go-getter lifestyle, completely unlike his own. "Oh-- me? I'm good, I suppose. Been catching up on some work. It's been kinda boring and lonely around here, what with Piotr gone and all." He made a face.

"What?" Jake stopped. "The rus-- Piotr's gone?"

Warren stopped as well, and cocked his head to one side to look at Jake. "Oh, right, that must've been after you left. Yeah, he's gone. Off on the other side of the world learning how to become a proper bodyguard for Xavier." He stepped up to the door to hold it open for Jake.

Looking mildly amused, Jake stepped inside. "Bodyguarding? You sure know how to pick 'em, Worthington." He walked on, then turned to look at Warren again, rolling his eyes. "I just meant..."

Something flashed across Warren's face-- hurt? annoyance?-- but he quickly covered it up with a smile and changed the subject. "What about you, then, Jake? How goes your love life?"
Saschaian: Jake blinked, face going completely blank for a moment, then he smiled, ducking his head a little, before starting towards the stairs again.

"Hey! What was that look supposed to mean?" Warren followed him. "Fess up, Gavin."
Saschaian: "You're such a gossip," he said, not looking at Warren, but still smiling. "Yeah, no. I don't know. You remember Everett Ross? About my hight, red hair, drives a miata?"

"Ye-e-e-es," Warren said slowly, amused. "Are you and him...?"

Jake shook his head a little. "Kind of. I don't know. I suppose." He got a confused look on his face. "He didn't actually say..."

"Ah." Warren nodded understandingly. He sighed, feigning sadness. "I suppose this means any hopes I had of winning you over are dashed."

Jake smacked him over the head, grinning. "Hey, You know I'm easy, buy me cake and I'm yours. I'm sure Ross'll understand."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Understand what? That his new boyfriend is a whore when it comes to desserts?"

"Uh-huh. He wants me, he has to take me as I am." Jake stopped dead, then, marvelling, "That one wasn't even intentional."

Warren snorted. "Same old Gavin," he remarked. They were in the kitchen now, and Warren stepped over to the pantry. "I don't know about cake, but I think we may have some coookies left... Ah." He held up a bag of Double Stuf Oreos. "You want?"

Jake reached for the bag. "Give me."

"It's yours." Warren tossed them at him, and sat at the table to watch Jake scarf them down. "Hungry much?" he asked wryly.

"Many hours of driving, man," Jake said inbetween oreos. "Must recharge. So, tell me. New people around, are there?"

Warren considered. "Well, there's Jane... as in Jane Doe. She just arrived yesterday. Teenaged girl, blond... She seems really friendly, even if she is a bit--" he leaned in and lowered his voice "a bit... strange." He straightened up again. "And, let's see. I don't think you've met Nathan, have you? Middle-aged man, prone to falling into random trances... currently /in luv/ with none other than Dr. Moira MacTaggart." He paused to gauge Jake's reaction.

Jake looked impressed.

Warren continued. "And there's Dr. Lee, head of security. Quiet guy, Asian, middle-aged. Guess the Professor finally got sick of all those attacks and kidnappings and whatnot. We can rest a lot more easily at night now." He considered. "Think that's about it. A lot's happened since you left, looks like."

He swallowed. "I'm not surprised. I can say a lot about this place, but never that it's _boring_."

"You're telling me," Warren agreed wryly. "As a matter of fact--" Just then, his cell phone rang, and he checked the number. "Oh, actually, I think I'd better take this call." He stood. "Welcome back, Jake." He strode out of the kitchen, talking on the phone as he left.