Little Reminders

Disclaimer: sisterwine75@hotmail.com. The X-Men and Jean-Luc belong solely to Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. The idea and Francois is mine, hands off. No money maid, no story sold, no slander intended. Strictly for pleasure purposes only.

Rolling from his right side to his back and then to his left side, Remy opened his eyes to admire Logan lying on his back beside him. It was the predawn hour of 5.30 and they had both only settled down for sleep a few hours ago from a night of comfortable sex. He watched with sleepy happiness as Logan's chest rose and fell evenly in his sleep. Slipping closer to the older man and placing his right hand lightly on Logan's chest, he sighed and let his eyes slip closed.

The morning light drifted in like fog and covered them in a blanket of pastel hues. The window at the end of the bed had been covered with only a thin layer of material since Logan rarely slept past 6.15. The birds began their morning songs and he could hear the soft musicbox song of the occupant to the right of Logan's room. He inhaled and took in the scent of Logan's skin, his own scent and the fading scent of sex as he lay there, admiring the morning display. Another sigh introducing a wave of unfortunate events that had led him to where he was now and wanted to always remain.

"Poppa,....um... dere's somet'in I wanna tell you." Remy stood in the doorway of Jean-Luc's bedroom. Elegant tapestries of silk and satin mixed with modern charm and grace of a gentleman embroidered themselves about the room. Plum carpet and maroon furnishing of the tables and chairs had set themselves apart from the lavish bed of creme and pale lemon linens. He remained there, fingers fidgeting and front teeth digging trenches into his bottom lip. "Poppa...?"

Jean-Luc had busied himself by hanging upside down from the canopy rod that crossed the two posts at the end of the bed. It was his nightly routine to force fifty situps and forty chinups before a shower and then bed. Counting in his head as he pulled himself up on situp number 34, Jean-Luc continued as he turned his head to look at Remy. "Goin out so soon, Remy?" His fingers locked together behind his head and looking past his left elbow to see Remy's troubled expression. "What's de problem, mon fils? You look like you just broke de china."

Staring at the floor, Remy tumbled the words on his tongue before he presented them to his father. "Poppa, I uh-- d-d-do you t'ink dat mebbe.... Francois.... err...." Sighing out of frustration and determination to get it over with Remy spit his thoughts out. "Can Francois stay here one night?"

He stopped on the forty-nineth situp and pulled himself up to grab the bar his feet were hooked onto and unhinged himself. A question mark loomed over Jean-Luc's face and turning rightside up to look at his son was not helping. "Little old for slumber parties, Remy." A white muscle shirt and black silk shorts were lightly sheened in sweat and quickly adjusted to fit before he positioned himself in pushup poisition. "Why Francois....? Don tell me you two can' find some petite cheries to occupy yourselves wit'?" Busy with counting he waited for Remy to answer and after a minute of silence, Jean-Luc paused and sat on the floor while staring at Remy.

Remy looked away from his father. Picking a spot on the carpet, he took a deep breath and spilled the remaining words he had hoped weren't too harsh for his father to hear. "Poppa, he an' I are....." Speaking up for the beginning but dropping down to have it finished under his breath, he squeezed his eyes shut. "lovers." Tasting the rage of a calm-faced Jean-Luc, he dared open his eyes to stare at the man who was now a foot from him. "Poppa, I'--" Silenced by a slap and humiliated by the one man he had spent his childhood looking up to, Remy shivered uncontrollably and quietly bowed out of the room.

Walking swiftly back to his room and shutting the door, Remy pulled out a large duffel bag and hurried himself to pack. He didn't shed even a sparkle of a tear as he soundlessly exited the house and property and hurried to Francois' house for comfort. Half walking and half running in the dark hours of the evening, his only thought was that of spending it with the man he cared for.

He stopped in front of the du Pre plantation and took a moment to adjust his bag on his shoulder as he took a breath and pressed on. Walking up the steps and taking long strides to the front door, he could faintly hear the family inside talking and laughing with muffled conversations. Another breath in a pant as he pushed the doorbell to the right of the door and waited. When the door opened, he looked up and smiled.

"Remy, wha's de matter?" Francois asked and stepped out onto the porch to hug the shivering young man. Francois, a handsome young man of 20 looked very distinguished with well groomed brown hair and dark eyes. He was Remy's height and around his weight and genuinely hugged the month-younger man.

Remy sniffled with the first signs of emotion. "I tol' him." Avoiding Francois' eyes, he clarified. "I tol' poppa..... 'bout us." Looking up and expecting to see comfort, he was only met with solemnness and shame.

Francois stepped back with the lights of inside creating a halo of light around his frame. "Remy,....." swallowing his breath "cher, dere is no us. You said it y'self, you don' wan' nothin serious." Hearing someone- a lady- call his name from the livingroom, he turned back to announce his acknowledgement. Returning his attention to Remy, he hadn't have guessed that Remy had grown a fondness for him. "Marie an' I are..... gettin' married in a couple of mont's. Was gonna tell you but, you never gave me de chance."

Searching the brown eyes for some hint of a joke and finding none, Remy backed up slowly and shook his head with the same speed. "Non. Non, y' don' mean it. Francois,.....?" Turning and hastily leaving he porch, Remy heard his friend holler after him that he was sorry and only served to make Remy pick up the pace of escape.

Eyes opening slowly and taking a look at the man he had snuggled deep into the side of, Remy pushed himself up and leaned over to lightly kiss Logan's lips. He laid his head back down on the bare shoulder and closed his eyes to the feeling of a thick, warm hand on his bare, chilled arm and smiled. "Je t'aime, mon cher."

"Je t'aime, Remy." Came the sleepy reply back to him as they snuggled back into sleep.


End.