Times Change and We With Time: Part 13

by Muir

London.

Remy was tired.

His hands fumbled slightly at the lock to the apartment.

Bruises and cuts were scattered across his face. It hurt to smile or frown. He¡¦d used an image-inducer to avoid attracting attention, and to get on the plane home.

The door finally opened. He closed it behind him and trudged to his room. The duffel bag was dropped near the nightstand before he collapsed on the bed.

Silence only for his breathing.

His wounds were superficial, minor abrasions. He had been characteristically lucky. The aches and pains due more to a body pushed to its limits, to a lack of sleep than to any substantial injury. It had been three days since he¡¦d last showered. He hadn¡¦t cared until he arrived home. Now the memory of the offended expression of a passenger on the plane returned to him. A quick sniff confirmed his suspicions.

He was beginning to reflect on his earlier enthusiasm for the spot of reserve member on Storm¡¦s team. That line of thinking did not progress far. In his mind, the rewards far outweighed the penalties.

But right now he wanted to be clean and to sleep. A bed had never looked so inviting.

He staggered to his feet, nonetheless, and shrugged off his coat. Slowly he made his way into the hallway and was passing Jubilee¡¦s room when he heard the scratchy sounds of pen on paper, interspersed with low mumbling, emitting from within.

He peered around the door and found her at her desk, scribbling furiously, brow furrowed in concentration. Deciding to leave her in peace, he began to inch out when her head snapped up and a smile spread across her face.

¡¦Hey. You¡¦re back.¡¦

¡¦So it would seem,¡¦ he remained leaning against the doorframe, knowing that his movements would betray his minor injuries.

She stood up and walked over to hug him, ¡¦Missed you,¡¦ then pulled back and wrinkled her nose a little, ¡¦Uh, Rem¡¦¡¦

¡¦Bath, I know,¡¦ he smiled.

She chuckled and hugged him tighter, freezing when his body stiffened. He tried to relax but she was pressing on a sore spot.

¡¦Remy¡¦¡¦

¡¦Yes?¡¦

She moved out of his embrace and critically examined him. He didn¡¦t look any the worse for wear, and then her eyes fell on the small black box attached to his belt.

¡¦Aha!¡¦ she exclaimed victoriously and snatched the box away. The man in front of her flickered to be replaced by a slump-shouldered Remy sporting a heavily bruised face and God knew what other injuries.

¡¦Shit.¡¦

¡¦I¡¦m fine, ch¡¦e.¡¦

She bit her lip and regarded him sceptically, obviously afraid to touch him.

¡¦Honestly, no broken bones or anythin¡¦,¡¦ he reassured her.

¡¦You should be in bed,¡¦ she stated firmly.

¡¦I will be, after I have my bath.¡¦

He could see her debating this in her head, but she finally agreed.

¡¦All right, you need help getting there?¡¦

He rolled his eyes, but attempted a charming grin through his split lip, ¡¦You want ta wash the conquerin¡¦ hero¡¦s back?¡¦

Jubilee slipped an arm around his waist, despite his protests and steered him into the hallway, ¡¦I don¡¦t think you¡¦re up to anything more than playing with a rubber ducky in the bath, mister.¡¦

He grimaced at the pain his movements created but replied, ¡¦I¡¦m hoping that¡¦s code.¡¦

¡¦You can hope,¡¦ they reached the bathroom and she pushed it open, helping him settle down on a chair inside the door. A small sigh of relief slipped past his lips when the weight was taken off his feet. Jubilee hunkered down in front of him and started undoing the straps of his boots. He frowned and yanked his foot away.

¡¦Jubilee.¡¦

She reached forward and started to pull one boot off, ¡¦Don¡¦t be an ass, let me do this for you.¡¦ She peeled off the sock, the moved onto the other boot.

¡¦I¡¦m not a child,¡¦ he bit out and tried to pull back again, but she kept a firm hold on his ankle and looked up, eyes steely with determination.

¡¦You¡¦re tired, you¡¦re hurt and I¡¦m going to help you whether you like it or not,¡¦ she jerked the other boot off to emphasise her point, ¡¦so shut up.¡¦

¡¦But I¡¦m ¡¦¡¦

She stood up; his footwear now removed, and leaned over him, brushing a few lank strands of hair back from his face, ¡¦Just let me help.¡¦ She kissed his forehead before moving away to the bathtub to turn on the faucets.

She returned to him and reached down to grasp the hem of the top he was wearing and gently lifted it upwards. Remy hissed when the material was lifted away from a wound where the blood had dried and adhered to his clothing.

¡¦Sorry,¡¦ she whispered and continued as gingerly as possible. The top was discarded on the floor and she unbuttoned the top of his trousers before straightening up.

¡¦Time to stand,¡¦ she told him, reaching out an arm.

¡¦Ch¡¦e, I think I can manage from now on,¡¦ Remy said, uncomfortable with her cosseting of him.

She quirked a grin, ¡¦Nothing there that I haven¡¦t seen before, bub,¡¦ she placed an arm around his waist and raised an eyebrow at his continued reluctance.

¡¦Fine,¡¦ he relented and struggled to his feet, disgusted when black spots danced in front of his eyes.

¡¦Okay?¡¦ Jubilee peered into his eyes closely, worry colouring her tone.

¡¦Okay,¡¦ he assured her, but gripped the back of the chair when she removed her support to unzip his trousers. The garment pooled at his feet, and she helped him step out of it.

Her hands moved to the waistband of his briefs but he halted her.

¡¦I can take care of myself from here, I think.¡¦

Jubilee¡¦s nostrils flared in anger, but she kept it carefully reigned, ¡¦Now¡¦s not the time to become a prude, Remy. You can barely stay vertical and I¡¦m gonna make sure you get from here to your bed before you pass out.¡¦

He clenched his jaw and met her eyes, she resolutely stared back.

After several minutes of absolute silence, his thin veneer of machismo cracked when he swayed a little and had to lean heavily on her.

¡¦Fuck, Remy,¡¦ Jubilee yelped, easing him back onto the seat, ¡¦why didn¡¦t you go to a doctor?¡¦

¡¦I did,¡¦ he said quietly, ¡¦Ororo made us all go. I just need some sleep, petite. That¡¦s all.¡¦

Jubilee remained silent, one hand on his shoulder to keep him upright, and her eyes trained on his face.

¡¦All right,¡¦ she said finally, ¡¦let¡¦s try this again.¡¦

With a grunt, she helped him stand up again and this time he removed his underwear, ¡¦I¡¦m not completely incapable.¡¦

She supported him by the arm as he climbed into the bathtub, and was reaching to turn off the faucets when the doorbell rang.

Remy was leaning back, his head resting on the rim of the tub but managed to muster a quizzically lifted eyebrow, ¡¦Expecting company?¡¦

Jubilee frowned, more at herself than him, ¡¦It¡¦s Dani, we were going to go over some German.¡¦

¡¦You go study,¡¦ Remy ordered indistinctly, ¡¦I¡¦ll be fine.¡¦

She snorted and turned on her heel, marching into the corridor and closing the door behind her. He heard her greet Dani, followed by a series of unintelligible mutterings on both sides and then the front door closing again. She didn¡¦t return immediately to the bathroom, but took a detour to his bedroom and when she arrived back to him she carried a pair of boxers and a tee-shirt in her arms.

"Something clean to wear," she said and placed the items on the chair.

"Dani not here?" he asked rhetorically, a little annoyed that she thought him so unable to take care of himself.

Jubilee shrugged, eyes trained on him carefully, "She'll survive one night without me."

Remy didn't respond, instead closing his eyes and sinking deeper into the water. There was silence for a few minutes before Jubilee had to break it.

"Got some post from the mansion."

"Mmmhmm."

"Just a few updates and stuff."

He made no sound but she continued.

"One of the old Alpha Flight crew has joined up. Speedster guy."

"Bobby sent me some trick pen with permanent dye, but I blew it up."

"Emma had another successful hostile take-over."

"Jono decided he's in love with me and wants to have my babies."

Remy's eyes slid open reluctantly and he regarded her wryly, "Now that, I'd like to see."

Jubilee grinned and walked over to him, "No falling asleep yet. I'm gonna go get a glass and we can wash your hair."

His arm reached out and grasped hers firmly, "Get the glass, fine. But you're not washin' my hair, petite."

"Remy¡¦"

"Jubilee."

"But¡¦"

"I said no," he asserted, a little more forcefully than he'd intended. A furrow appeared between her eyebrows but she merely replied with a clipped.

"Okay."

She walked out and Remy was left alone. He scrubbed hand over his eyes wearily. He was too tired and sore to worry about her feelings right now. He was a grown man, and her babying wasn't what he wanted. Hopefully she'd accept this; he didn't want to have to deal with sulks.

She returned with the glass, her expression neutral, and handed it to him. Next she placed the shampoo within reaching distance of him before kissing his cheek briefly.

"I'll be outside if you need me."

She gathered up his dirty clothes, dumped them in the laundry basket and left quietly, shutting the door behind her. Remy sighed and reached for the glass to start scooping up the water from the bath.

In the hallway Jubilee had stood outside the door for several minutes until the sound of the glass dunking into the water reached her and she moved away. Hurt, and anger if she was honest with herself, fizzled at the back of her mind but she pushed the feelings down. Maybe it was the telepathy emerging, or maybe she could always do it but hadn't been conscious of it, but recently she had been filing away all the negative emotions into little cubbyholes. With exams just around the corner she didn't feel she could afford the time required to do her usual paff detox.

She shook her head, seeking to rid herself of all angst-ridden thoughts. She was stressed about her exams, Remy was tired and sore. No more self-pity.

She wanted to help him in some way, but he wouldn't let her. The first-aid kit was in the bathroom so she couldn't even lie out the bandages and antiseptic ointment she thought he would need. Pacing wasn't a satisfactory outlet for her energy so she withdrew to the kitchen where she put on the kettle to make some camomile tea. She hated the stuff, but Remy could drink buckets of it before going to bed. This was clearly Ororo's influence at work.

She had returned to her maths study when she heard a muffled thump from the bathroom. Immediately she raced from her room and charged through the door to the toilet to find Remy sitting on the floor, wincing slightly.

Normally, the sight of Remy LeBeau, grace personified, sprawled in an ungainly heap on the floor would have prompted much giggles. Or, at least, his nudity would have her heart racing and other internal organs turning into a Jell-O like substance.

Instead, she found her chest hurting as she took in his bruises. Intellectually she knew he'd suffered much worse, but his exhaustion was exacerbating his injuries and it made her physically ache to see him like this.

His previous order to let him alone forgotten, Jubilee moved forward quickly and gently placed her arms around him, allowing him to lean on her as he stood up.

"The floor's slippery," he said by way of explanation and she offered no comment. He moved away from her support and grabbed a towel. She bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping at him for being so stubborn and went to the medicine cabinet over the sink to retrieve the first-aid kit.

"I'm all right now, ch¡¦e."

Jubilee gritted her teeth at the dismissal, her earlier concern overcome by frustration, and fairly stomped from the room.

"I'll make you some tea," she called from the hallway.

"I think I'll just sleep, ch¡¦e. T'anks though," he replied.

Now completely relegated to being useless, Jubilee suppressed a growl of anger and returned to her room.

Remy heard the slam of the door and groaned.

For fuck's sake, this was ridiculous.

He dressed as quickly as he could and leaving the bathroom, paused momentarily in the hallway. He shook his head and entered his own bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him.

*** *** ***

London

Three weeks later

Shifting the heavy bag on her shoulder, Jubilee pushed open the front door of the apartment. She shuffled slowly into the living-room and dropped her school bag next to the sofa.

Coffee. She needed coffee. Lots of coffee.

With this goal in mind she plodded into the kitchen and took the coffee beans from the freezer.

Remy was on another mission¡¦again. Leaving her alone¡¦again. She didn't mind, really, she had a lot of study to do. Her A-levels were drawing nearer, and she was getting that awful panicky feeling schoolwork usually provoked in her. She would be re-sitting her subject specific SAT soon. Her first two attempts had been¡¦fine. Just not as good as she wanted. Even if her first choice wasn't an American university, she needed a backup.

Thieves' Guild this time, Belladonna wanted some reconnaissance work on a private collection in Soho. Close to home for once. Home by teatime.

She smiled to herself and leant over, elbows resting on the countertop as she watched the coffee maker patiently.

Dani was slowly recovering from her break-up with Ned, and had moved onto the phase where she flirted with any guy within his view and later cried when he didn't react angrily. Patience, chocolate and ice cream were required. Sometimes accompanied by medicinal benefits of vodka.

What Jubilee did in the name of friendship.

She heard a sound in the corridor outside the apartment and froze for a moment, waiting to hear Remy's voice. But it didn't come and she realised it was only one of the neighbours. Sighing she returned her attention to the coffee maker.

Her and Remy, she mused. She always felt she had to carefully monitor a relationship, both romantic and platonic, and it usually boiled down to a simple question. Good? Not good?

Good of course, always good.

Obviously they didn't have the opportunity to talk as much anymore. He was busy, she was busy. At times it seemed that she only saw him when she woke up in the morning and found he'd crawled into bed during the night.

She yawned and rested her chin in her cupped hands.

*** *** ***

Remy shut the front door behind him and called out Jubilee¡¦s name. When there was no reply he assumed she had yet to return from the library and went to his bedroom to deposit his coat and the tools used on the latest mission. The information garnered had already been passed onto a courier of the Thieves¡¦ Guild. He couldn¡¦t help the self-satisfied smile plastered on his face, he had done a good, clean job and he knew it. The adrenaline was still pumping through his system, and he wanted to do the same thing all over.

But he had to shower and make dinner, it was his turn and Jubilee would kick his ass if he presented a plate of sandwiches to her again. Would she say no to Chinese?

Mentally weighing the advantages of various take-out foods he made his way to the bathroom when a sound from the living-room brought him up short. He drew a pair of creased playing cards from the back pocket of his trousers, and advanced slowly towards the room. Another sound, a moan perhaps? He pressed himself against the wall and carefully peeked around the doorway. His shoulders slumped in relief and the dim pink glow surrounding the cards dissipated. Shaking his head at his paranoia, he returned the cards to his pocket and entered the room.

Jubilee was stretched out across the sofa, notes and textbooks strewn around her. Remy picked up one and grimaced. Frequency distribution; eugh. He considered allowing her sleep, but knew she¡¦d complain about it in the morning.

¡¦Jubilee, petite,¡¦ he called, crouching in front of her.

¡¦Mrm-ah-ay.¡¦

He grinned and prodded her shoulder, ¡¦Jubilee.¡¦

She snorted and turned over.

He prodded her again, more forcefully and she turned back, eyes mere slits, ¡¦What?¡¦

¡¦What you want for dinner?¡¦

¡¦Oh,¡¦ she yawned and stretched, ¡¦what time is it?¡¦

¡¦Nearly seven.¡¦

She regarded him drowsily, and swung her legs onto the floor, ¡¦You getting,¡¦ yawn, ¡¦a take-out?¡¦

Remy raised a quizzical eyebrow.

She giggled sleepily and loosely looped her arms around his neck, ¡¦You¡¦re so predictable Gumbo¡¦and lazy,¡¦ she added, ¡¦Thai would be good.¡¦

¡¦Thai it is then,¡¦ he pecked her lips and stood up, ¡¦I¡¦ll go order.¡¦ He left in search of the number for the take-away and Jubilee attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes. She became aware of the mess around her and wrinkled her nose, she hated maths. Torture in the form of education. Sighing she gathered up the scattered items and placed them in a precarious heap next to the sofa. She sat, drumming her fingers absentmindedly on the coffee table when Remy returned.

¡¦Fifteen minutes.¡¦

¡¦Half an hour.¡¦

¡¦Probably,¡¦ he sat down on the sofa and Jubilee scooted nearer to him.

¡¦How¡¦d your job go?¡¦

¡¦As you¡¦d expect,¡¦ he grinned and polished his fingertips on his shirt, ¡¦parfait.¡¦

¡¦Uh huh,¡¦ she nestled her head against his chest and pulled his arm around her, ¡¦mighty big ego you got there, Mr LeBeau.¡¦

¡¦It is justified petite,¡¦ he replied teasingly, ¡¦to match my equally large-¡¦

She slapped her hand across his mouth, ¡¦I don¡¦t think you¡¦ll be finishing that sentence.¡¦

With an affronted expression he removed her hand, ¡¦I was gonna say talent.¡¦

¡¦Whatever.¡¦

¡¦I was!¡¦

¡¦Yeah¡¦shh,¡¦ she draped an arm across his waist.

¡¦But now that you mention it,¡¦ he said silkily, rubbing her arm, ¡¦ we do have half an hour to waste.¡¦

Jubilee turned her face into his side and made a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan.

¡¦You don¡¦t want to?¡¦ he asked, hand tracing patterns on her arm, a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

¡¦I¡¦m tired,¡¦ she lifted her head, ¡¦and you¡¦re still in your work clothes.¡¦

¡¦Well, ch¡¦e,¡¦ Remy explained patiently, ¡¦the point of the exercise would be to remove my clothes.¡¦

¡¦Very funny,¡¦ she slapped weakly at his chest and he caught her hand, raised it to his lips. Jubilee smiled and her heart sped up, despite her best intentions.

¡¦Okay, kiss me. But that¡¦s it, that¡¦s all there is tonight.¡¦

Remy lowered his head, ¡¦We¡¦ll see.¡¦

¡¦Cocky bastard,¡¦ he grinned and kissed her, slow and gentle then with more urgency when her hand came up to tease the hairs on the nape of his neck. He pulled back to breathe but the hand curled on his shoulder brought him to her again. He leant against her and gradually she lay back on the sofa, bringing him with her.

Remy broke away again, a smirk shaping his mouth, ¡¦I thought ya said¡¦¡¦

¡¦Oh shut up,¡¦ Jubilee huffed and yanked his head down.

When the doorbell rang, they had swapped positions. Her school blouse and tie lay over the back of the sofa, her skirt bunched around her waist. His top was on the other side of the room and she was working on the zipper of his trousers.

¡¦Forget it,¡¦ Jubilee whispered and leant over to kiss him, hand skimming under the waistband of his pants.

He nodded, gasped a little at her touch and moved his hands to the catch of her bra.

The doorbell rang again.

A strange rumbling sound caused him to halt in the middle of his task. Jubilee lifted her head to smile sheepishly at him.

¡¦I didn¡¦t have any lunch.¡¦

Remy gave a strained bark of laughter and dropped his hands, ¡¦Maybe you should answer the door, ch¡¦e.¡¦

¡¦It¡¦s fine,¡¦ to reassure him she dropped a kiss on the hollow of his throat.

Convinced he framed her face with his hands and drew her to him again. Another rumble emanated from Jubilee¡¦s stomach and she giggled. He smiled against her lips and pulled back, ¡¦Answer the door,¡¦ he told her resignedly.

¡¦You sure?¡¦ she reached behind her to refasten her bra.

¡¦Yes,¡¦ he replied despondently, wincing when she moved off of him.

She grinned at his discomfort, hastily buttoning up her blouse and leaving the room. Awkwardly, Remy sat up. He heard Jubilee answer the door, the murmur of voices and the door shutting again. He headed for his bedroom, to exchange his durable, but restrictive, work trousers for sweatpants. Jubilee had disappeared into the kitchen and he could hear her opening and closing presses.

¡¦Which one¡¦s mine?¡¦

¡¦Phat Thai,¡¦ he called back, undoing the straps of his boots and kicking them off. Footsteps in the hallway told him of Jubilee¡¦s movement back into the living room and he quickly stripped and redressed, foregoing any shirt, before he joined her.

She was sitting on the floor, bare feet tucked beneath her, and her dinner on the coffee table. She smiled knowingly at his change of clothes but said nothing, merely indicating the plate of kaeng khiao and the small carton of jalapeno peppers he always ordered.

They ate slowly, meandering through small chat; school, missions, friends, politics.

¡¦When¡¦s your next job?¡¦

¡¦I¡¦m free ¡¦til next week, I think,¡¦ he offered her the carton of jalapenos and she shook her head, ¡¦Belladonna hasn¡¦t mentioned anything, but I told Ororo I¡¦d meet up with her in Riga.¡¦

¡¦Important?¡¦ she took a swig from her glass of coke.

¡¦Don¡¦t think so,¡¦ he looked at her, ¡¦you want me to stay?¡¦

She gave a brief shake of her head, ¡¦Just curious.¡¦

He maintained his gaze on her for a few moments, ¡¦There¡¦s a group of precogs there, they may have a diary.¡¦

¡¦Why next week?¡¦

¡¦They meet four times a year,¡¦ Jubilee nodded in understanding then opened her mouth to ask another question but he beat her to it, ¡¦Why me?¡¦ She smiled and he responded with a shrug, ¡¦They need someone sneaky. I believe I¡¦m known for dat.¡¦

She rolled her eyes, ¡¦But won¡¦t they, y¡¦know, see you coming?¡¦

¡¦Seems they go into some collective drug-induced trance for about half an hour, heightening their abilities and all that shit,¡¦ he popped a pepper into his mouth, ¡¦Stormy¡¦s got the layout of the place, but I know there¡¦s some safe in the building they use that would hold the book-¡¦

¡¦If they have it,¡¦ Jubilee finished for him.

¡¦Exactly.¡¦

¡¦Hmm,¡¦ she chased an errant noodle around her plate.

Remy watched her quietly.

¡¦When will you be back?¡¦ she asked casually.

¡¦Depends.¡¦

She seemed to decide that this was his final answer on the matter and changed topics, ¡¦You been talking to the mansion recently?¡¦

¡¦No, should I have?¡¦

¡¦Not really, just been hearing things.¡¦

¡¦What things?¡¦

¡¦About Emma and¡¦¡¦

¡¦Summers?¡¦

¡¦Yeah.¡¦

¡¦You¡¦re worried?¡¦

¡¦No¡¦maybe. It¡¦s just strange ¡¦s all.¡¦

¡¦How's dat?¡¦

¡¦Jean and Scott, solid as a rock, y¡¦know? Like keystones.¡¦

¡¦Maybe that¡¦s the problem.¡¦

¡¦What? Too much pressure?¡¦

He shrugged, ¡¦Mebbe. I don¡¦t know, best stay out of it.¡¦

¡¦I am out of it.¡¦

¡¦I meant-¡¦

¡¦I know what you mean. And I can¡¦t help caring, they¡¦re my friends.¡¦

¡¦They¡¦re my friends too, ch¡¦e.¡¦

¡¦Yeah, but you seem to find it awful easy to distance yourself,¡¦ she stood up with her plate and stalked from the room. Sighing, Remy picked up his plate and followed.

¡¦I¡¦m sorry.¡¦

¡¦I t¡¦ought that was my line.¡¦

¡¦I¡¦m just being a bitch, I know you care too.¡¦

She was leaning back against the fridge, forearms crossed across her stomach.

¡¦I knew there was something different about her¡¦Emma, besides the obvious one. And I meant to say it to someone, to Se¡¦, but I forgot.¡¦

¡¦Just because she¡¦s sleeping with Summers, doesn¡¦t mean there¡¦s something wrong with her,¡¦ Remy said dryly.

She laughed but quickly sobered, ¡¦I know, but there was something just off anyway.¡¦

¡¦Like the way she acts differently with everyone, one way with McCoy another with Drake?¡¦

She glanced up, ¡¦You notice that too?¡¦

He nodded, ¡¦I didn¡¦t understand it.¡¦

¡¦Neither do I," she shrugged, "I just don't know.¡¦

Remy approached her, placing both hands on her forearms, ¡¦You been thinking ¡¦bout this a lot?¡¦

¡¦A little.¡¦

He regarded her steadily.

¡¦More than a little?¡¦ she offered.

He noted the dark smudges under her eyes, ¡¦You need to get some sleep.¡¦

She smirked, ¡¦That¡¦s what I said but a certain horny bastard wouldn¡¦t leave me alone.¡¦

¡¦Sounds like a charming devil.¡¦

¡¦Hmmph,¡¦ Jubilee dropped her arms and moved closer, prompting him to wrap his arms loosely around her. She reached a hand out to trace the fine line of hair leading from his belly button to where it disappeared beneath his sweatpants, ¡¦but even worse he got me all hot and bothered and stopped.¡¦

Remy grinned at her re-interpretation of events, ¡¦Despicable.¡¦

¡¦Isn¡¦t it?¡¦ she skimmed a hand over his left arm and rested it on the slope between his neck and shoulder, ¡¦Very un-gentlemanly.¡¦

He raised his eyebrows and stooped to kiss her. He could taste the strange combination of the meal and the cola she drank, but found he didn¡¦t mind that much. He began to recover the ground he had lost earlier and started to unbutton her blouse when she drew away, flushed.

¡¦What?¡¦

¡¦All those peppers you ate,¡¦ she explained.

¡¦¡¦Well, if ya can¡¦t stand the heat¡¦¡¦

¡¦Someday, someone will get you. Just to stop your bloody puns,¡¦ she said but pulled him down again anyway.

He deftly flicked open the last button and the blouse was slid back, she released him for a moment and the garment was on the ground. She pushed against him and they began to stumble backwards out of the kitchen into the hallway. He lifted his head to ask a question, but was momentarily distracted when she shimmied out of her skirt.

¡¦Which room?¡¦

¡¦Hmm?¡¦ her eyes were slightly glazed and she ran a fingertip along the length of his spine, causing him to arch a little against her.

¡¦Room,¡¦ he repeated more insistently.

¡¦Oh¡¦umm,¡¦ she shivered when he bent down to gently nip at her earlobe, ¡¦yours.¡¦

But they didn't move any further, Jubilee distracting him again by following the line of his collarbone with her mouth, planting kisses over his heart.

"Ch¡¦e¡¦"

She looked up at him, a teasing smile tugging at her lips and he leant down to kiss her. Hands on the nape of her neck and the small of her back. Her own hands grasping at his back, sliding down inside the waistband of his sweatpants, drawing him nearer.

"Umm¡¦" she murmured into his mouth, attempting to speak but too distracted to finish the thought.

"Hmm?" Nimble fingers made short work of the clasp on her bra, again, and he slipped it over her shoulders.

"Never mind," she mumbled, moving to shed the bra before plastering herself against him once more, "didn't¡¦mmph¡¦want¡¦a bed¡¦mmm¡¦anyway."

Her words must have reached him as he began to manoeuvre them back towards his bedroom door, moving in synch with one another.

Later, as they lay together, she curled against him, Remy's drowsy voice drifted to her, "¡¦love you, Jubilee."

He didn't see the strange smile that graced her face as she murmured her response.

(End Chapter 13)

*** *** ***

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