The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Chapter Four (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… *twirly * Almost there… ;) InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are extra special for archiving/hosting. :) ProPhile: *waits * Morgan: *burns green candles * Readers/Reviewers: Thanks!!!! *blush *

Jubilee sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Rogue had finally run down after an hour of ranting and she *still* did not know exactly what Todd had done to get her so mad. “Remy,” she sighed as he sank down next to her on the sofa, “promise me you won’t get weird.”
He snorted into his drink. “Chere, it a bit too late for dat, eh?” He stretched his legs out in front, resting his booted heels on the coffee table and slinging his free hand over her shoulders, balancing the glass carefully on the arm of the sofa with his other hand.
“Well, don’t get weirder,” she sighed, scooting closer and leaning her head against his chest. “Not like some people.”
“Todd ,eh?” he drawled, taking another sip, squeezing her shoulder affectionately.
“How’d you guess?” Jubilee looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Did you know he was going to do that?”
“Non,” he snorted. “I hear all de hollerin’ earlier.” He rolled his eyes. “Dat boy ain’t right.”1
Jubilee made a noncommittal noise and buried her face against Remy’s chest again. “I’m glad you’re not insane.”
“De jury out on dat one, p’tite,” he responded almost absently as he felt in his pockets for his remaining pack of cigarettes. “Merde. Musta left ‘em avec Warren.”
“Remy,” she said plaintively, moving and shifting until she lay on her back, her head in his lap and eyes focused intently on his. “You love me, right?”
“Dat’s a dumb question, Jubilation,” he yawned. “Course I do.”
She nodded and fell silent for a long moment, considering. “Do you think Todd meant to do that, I mean do you think he planned it out?”
“Todd? Nah. He love dat girl… He crazy ‘bout her. He wouldn’ a done somethin’ like dat on purpose, knowin’ how bad it would be hurtin’ her.” He dropped his free hand to caress her face, tracing the line of her jaw lovingly before bring his finger to rest on her chin. “You worry ‘bout dem too much, cherie.”
“They’re my friends… weird as that sounds to call Todd my friend.” She closed her eyes and thought for a moment before continuing, wanting her words to make sense and not come out as a girlish ramble. “They’re part of my family now, and I want them to be happy. Even if that means having to kick Todd’s ass…”
He laughed loudly at that. “You always hurt de ones you love, eh?”
“Only if you’re Amara,” she replied tartly, folding her hands over her stomach. “I just want us all to be friends, you know? I hate seeing people fight.”
“You got yourself a sentimental side, ma p’tite,” he smiled. “Mais I’nkinnkin I can forgive ya.”
She vented a soundless laugh and closed her eyes again, reveling in the warm scent of laundry soap and cologne and skin and coffee rising from his clothes and person. The faint tinge of tobacco had been growing weaker and weaker each week, so she held out hope that the habit was almost gone. “You never answered me,” she murmured after nearly five minutes of comfortable silence.
“Too full of pizza,” he replied, sighing. Jubilee was obviously in one of her moods, one of the ones which he had come to refer to as her Estrogen Episodes. _Must be dat time, _ he thought in resignation. _Ain’t gonna be no way outta dis conversation now. _ “Course I love you,” he said after a moment’s silence stretched to the point of being almost uncomfortable. “Nothin’ gonna change dat.”
She nodded firmly, as if congratulating a student who had answered a particularly difficult math problem. “Just checking.”
He smiled to himself and stroked her hair from her eyes again, finishing his drink before asking, “What brought dis on?”
She shrugged and remained quiet for a few seconds then said quietly, “I just guess I need to hear it extra sometimes, just so I’ll really believe it… It’s been a really long time since someone loved me and I didn’t have to ask to be sure.”
He became still, pondering the weight of her statement. “Jubilation, you ain’t sure?” His fingers tangled in her hair and tugged gently. “You got some questions ‘bout us?”
Her eyes snapped open and she looked momentarily horrified at how her statement had come out. “Not like that! I swear! I just...” She melted and closed her eyes again. “I just like hearing it is all.”
“Den I say it more often,” he smiled, resting his hand over her heart. It was beating steadily, a little fast but not fast enough to betray arousal or even a mild spike of interest. “If I gotta tell you a hunnert time a day…”
She smiled, coloring faintly. “No offense, Remy, but that’d be overkill… “ She opened one eye and said almost too casually, “I take my last test Monday and then I’ll be done with Junior year.”
“Oui, je sais,” he grinned. “Den you got one mo’ year.”
“Well, kinda… The Professor got me tested out of like half off the senior requirements for Bayville and all I really have is one semester left, so I’ll be done by December.” Jubilee shrugged as if it meant nothing but inside, she was doing back handsprings. “I was thinking… We love each other, right? We get along great, we have similar interests and pasts and we don’t care if the other one has to be off by themselves for a while…”
Remy nodded. The last was a huge point in Jubilee’s favor. She understood his need to be alone and be independent from her as much as he understood her same need. “So why you bringin’ dis up? Rogue an’ Todd get you dat mad?”
“No, it’s just…” She turned the color of a beet. “I was just wondering if maybe you want to get married when I’m done with school.”
Remy felt the blood drain from his face and a lead weight settle in his stomach. “Quoi?”
Jubilee sat up so quickly that she nearly hit his forehead with hers. “Never mind,” she muttered. “Dumb idea.”
“Jubilation!” He shot to his feet and grabbed for her as she made to leave. “Don’t fly off de handle,” he chided. “You jus’ surprise me is all.” He sighed and shook her slightly, making her turn around. “Look, it ain’t dat I don’t wanna but…” He sighed again at her wounded puppy look. He knew she was embarrassed, vulnerable, and miserable. “Gimme one week, d’accord? For tinkin’ ?”
She nodded. “I’m going to go beat myself senseless right now. Seriously, Remy, forget I said anything, okay?” She twisted free and ran for all she was worth, disappearing down the hall in a blur of yellow.
Remy groaned and closed his eyes. “Merde. Mus’ be de water,” he decided.
“Hey, Remy…” Kitty stuck her head around the corner from the foyer. “Jubilee nearly ran me over… she okay?”
“Uh, oui… fine, fine…” He smiled falsely but Kitty didn’t seem to notice.
“Riiiiiight… Phone for you by the bye. Sounds sexy.” She winked and tossed him the portable from the hall table. “Make it quick… Kurt ordered Chinese because the pizza didn’t fill that hollow leg of his and the guy’s gonna call when he gets to the gate.”
Remy nodded abstractly and hit the “talk” button. “Oui?”
“Remy, mon cher,” Belladonna purred. “I’m callin’ in my markers.”


1 EVERYONE in the South hears/says this at one time or another…