Title: Understand me 3

Author: Morgana (morganalebeau@yahoo.com)

Website: http://www.oocities.org/morganalebeau/

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Understand me

By Morgana

 

Chapter Six

Joseph suppressed a groan and then looked at Remy, making sure his love was still soundly asleep. Rogue had disappeared from the window and Joseph just knew that she was waiting for him to come outside and talk to her. He felt grateful for that, for he doubted Remy could handle more stress after tonight's admissions.

He cautiously entangled himself from Remy's body and pushed a pillow into the Cajun's arms. Remy cuddled closer to it and content, Joseph tucked the comforter in around his lover's form.

Quickly, he slipped into his jeans and shirt and then went downstairs. Rogue had seen them in bed together and had probably come to the only logical conclusion. Joseph mentally prepared himself for another ugly verbal fight.

After closing the front door behind him, he made out Rogue's form in the moonlight. He could only see her back and wished he knew what to expect. Scott had been right. Rogue's behavior was unpredictable. Slowly, he approached her, but stopped when he was still several foot away from her. "Rogue?"

"Ah don't understand," Rogue said slowly and turned around to study her ex-lover.

Joseph flinched seeing her unreadable eyes, which could be hiding pain or fury. There was no way to tell what Rogue was feeling. "I love him," he offered honestly.

"But he's a man, sugah!"

"I noticed!" Joseph chuckled softly, but saw at once that it was the wrong thing to do.

"Swamp rat's a traitor," Rogue reminded him and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Ah thought yuh loved me. Yuh said yuh loved me."

Suddenly, Joseph realized that she was putting on a damn good show. She was mad as hell, but was using this routine to make him feel sorry for her. In a moment she'd tell him that they belonged together because...

"Ah love yuh, sugah. Yuh're the only one who can touch me. Ah need yuh, Joseph!"

Yes, those were the very words he'd expected to hear. "Rogue, it's over between us. We didn't work out."

"But swamp rat can't give yuh what yuh want, Ah can. Ah'm a woman, sugah." Rogue had moved closer to Joseph and rested her right hand on his shoulder. Slowly, her bare fingers caressed Joseph's skin. "Ah can make yuh feel good, Joe. Ah know what yuh like. Dump him and come back to me?"

Joseph realized that she was trying to seduce him, trying to change his mind, but it wasn't working. "I can't be with you, Rogue. I don't love you."

"Lemme make things good for yuh," Rogue offered. Her hand slid down his chest and finally came to rest on his groin. "Lemme take care of yuh and then yuh can take care of me?" She kneaded his organ through the fabric of his jeans.

Joseph stepped away from her, breaking all contact. "Rogue, what words didn't you understand? I don't love you."

Rogue's eyes flashed with an anger, which she couldn't keep hidden any longer. "Yuh like fuckin' a man better than makin' love with me? Ah can't believe it, Joseph. I told yuh that Gambit betrayed the X-Men and the Morlocks, and yuh still want him? He killed the Morlocks, was Sinister's right hand and yuh want to fuck *him* instead of *me*?" A diabolical grin contorted her features. "Or does swamp rat fuck yuh? Is that what Ah couldn't give yuh and what yuh want? To be fucked?"

Appalled, Joseph backed away from her. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Yuh know that swamp rat's only usin' yuh like he used me. He'll never let yuh in, won't ever trust yuh!"

Joseph suddenly understood perfectly why Rogue couldn't work out with anyone. She was so full of hatred that it would poison every relationship. "Why don't you go back to the mansion and stay there?"

"Don't think that this is over, sugah" Rogue warned him. "Swamp rat will play, hurt and dump yuh before yuh know what happened." Using her powers, she flew away from him. "Ah'll take yuh back once yuh've come to yur senses, sugah. Yuh know where to find me when he dumps yuh."

Joseph watched her fly away and felt relieved when she vanished from sight. Somehow, her words made him feel dirty. As he turned around to head back into the house, he froze. He saw Remy's half hidden form in the doorway. The red irises had weakened in intensity and glowed dimly.

Remy didn't know what to say or how to react. He'd heard most of their conversation, as he'd climbed out of bed immediately after Joseph had left. Jean-Luc's training had made him a light sleeper. He was about to apologize for eavesdropping, when Joseph placed one finger against his lips, telling him to remain quiet.

Joseph knew they had to talk, but didn't want to do that out here in the cold. He closed the door behind them and walked Remy back to their bedroom. There he quickly stripped to his briefs and then he removed the bathrobe that Remy had draped over his shoulders. After pushing back the covers, he slid into bed first, pulling Remy along. Slowly, he forced the Cajun to lie down. "Skin on skin," he whispered determinedly and used his magnetic powers to get rid of their undergarments.

Remy briefly considered holding onto his briefs, but the statement in Joseph's eyes made him reconsider. He shivered as the fabric of the comforter moved over his skin, covering them.

"Roll onto your side," Joseph instructed. He vividly remembered Remy's admissions and he wondered if he could take charge in the bedroom like Remy wanted and make this good for both of them. He was determined to only do things that they were both comfortable with.

Spooning up behind Remy, he pulled his lover's naked body tightly against his and draped one leg possessively over the Cajun's hip. His cock lay nested nicely against Remy's ass.

Remy took deep breaths, wondering why Joseph was acting this possessively. He loved it, craved it, but couldn't believe his good fortune, not after hearing Joseph and Rogue talk. He held his breath as Joseph's hand snaked across his abdomen, clearly heading towards his groin.

Joseph cupped Remy's balls and cock in the palm of his hand and rubbed the sensitive flesh slowly.

Unable to control his reaction, Remy pushed back against the warm body behind him. "What are y' doin', cher...?"

"Feeling you. Touching you. Assuring you that we're in bed together." Joseph stopped the stimulation and simply held Remy's cock and sac in the palm of his hand. Holding the Cajun like this was a powerful way to stake his claim. "I love you... does that mean you want me to assume control?"

"Oui," Remy whispered breathlessly. He'd grown semi erect in Joseph's hand, but realized that this wouldn't lead to sex. This was about reassurance.

"Want to sleep like this tonight?" Joseph inquired and moved his other hand over Remy's flank. He felt relieved that most of Steve's bite marks were fading.

"Oui," was all Remy could utter. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the feel of Joseph's fingers on his cock. "Touchin' me like dat... doesn' bot'er y'?" He'd known men who'd felt attracted to him, who had wanted to become his lover, but they had chickened out when it came down to touching him intimately. Suddenly, they hadn't been as bi or gay as they'd thought.

"Touching you like this is quickly becoming an addiction," Joseph assured Remy and stroked the velvet balls in his hands.

"Cher, 'bout Rogue..." Remy started, but Joseph stopped him at once.

"I don't want to talk about this now. We had a very special day and I won't let her spoil it. We can discuss it in the morning... okay?"

"Just wanted to make sure y' still want to be wit' me," Remy whispered softly. Joseph's other hand was kneading his ass and Remy sighed blissfully.

"Does this answer your question?" Joseph asked teasingly as he licked the back of Remy's neck.

"Oui, it does," Remy replied, satisfied. "Mais keep dat up and I won' be able to sleep. I'm growin' hard, cher, don't start what y' don' wanna finish."

Joseph heard the challenge in Remy's voice. "It's too early, Remy. You might be ready to make love, but I'm not."

Remy respected that and closed his eyes. "Dis be goodnight den, cher?"

"Yes, go to sleep. I'll hold you all night long..."

Remy smiled as he drifted off to sleep. Yes, Joseph was holding him tight... in all the right places!

///

When Remy opened his eyes the next morning, he found Joseph staring right back at him. Sometime during the night he'd turned onto his other side and had snuggled close to Joseph, seeking his lover's body heat. "Mornin', cher," he mumbled sleepily. Suddenly, he realized that the room was still dark, although the clock said that it was already 10 in the morning. Apparently, Joseph had magnetically closed the curtains during the night.

Then he remembered their nightly visitor. "Joe, 'bout..." But when Joseph leaned in closer and claimed his lips, his desire to discuss Rogue vanished. "Y've got soft lips, cher," he whispered, lazily and allowed one hand to tangle in the long white hair. "Always wanted to do dis." He loved the feel of those silken locks running through his fingers. He caressed Joseph's hair, trying to memorize the feel of it.

"Breakfast?" Joseph didn't really want to get out of bed, but his stomach growled violently. First, he would supervise Remy taking his meds and then they'd discuss Rogue over breakfast. They needed to talk about what had been said last night.

"Uhm, cher?" Remy shifted uncomfortably in bed. His morning hard-on had its own demands, but he could see in Joseph's eyes that the other man wasn't ready yet to take this step.

Joseph didn't know why the alien eyes suddenly grew hooded, and he kissed Remy again, trying to reassure him that everything was fine. Remy parted his teeth and Joseph claimed his lover's mouth, licking the inside of Remy's lips and lightly sucking on his tongue.

"Oh, cher..." Joseph was only making him harder! "Y' don' know what y're doin' to me..."

Joseph arched an eyebrow, seeing the Cajun squirm beside him. Finally, something clicked. "Oh," he whispered. "You're hard?"

Remy chuckled. "Oui, cher, whadda y' t'ink happens when y' kiss me like dat?"

Joseph hated thinking about Rogue while he was kissing and caressing Remy, but she'd never been a morning person and when he'd wanted to touch her like this, after they'd woken up, she'd pushed him away. He however, loved to get intimate during the morning.

With one mental command, the curtains opened and revealed the burning sun. Warm sun beams sneaked into their bedroom, caressing their faces. Joseph watched Remy carefully and saw the gentle smile on his lover's lips. Another mental command pushed down the comforter, exposing their naked bodies fully to the sunlight.

Remy felt a little vulnerable and blushed. Now that the comforter was gone he could no longer hide his arousal. His cock stood proud, leaking drops of pre-ejaculate. "Cher, I betta take care of dis in de bathroom," he whispered shyly. He wasn't usually shy around his lovers, but knew how new being with a man was to Joseph and he didn't want to do anything that would startle his lover.

"No, don't leave." Joseph stopped him by placing a hand on Remy's chest. "Would you like me to take care of that?" Joseph said teasingly. "Can't guarantee that I'll get it right," Joseph added apologetically. "I've never made another man come..." But seeing Remy's erection made him want to reach out and pump his lover hard until Remy came in his hand, maybe even screaming his name.

"I'm sure y'll figure out what to do," Remy said reassuringly and stretched his body after rolling onto his back. Joseph's offer surprised him, but he wanted the other man to set the pace, and if this was fine with his lover, he wouldn't stop Joseph.

Joseph's hand, which rested on Remy's chest, slowly caressed the skin there. His fingers trailed to one nipple, softly brushing it into hardness. Using his other hand, he played with the second, neglected nub and felt it grow hard. Remy arched his back and squirmed. Joseph smiled and leaned in closer, loving the way he could play Remy's body. His lips pressed passionate kisses on Remy's chest and his tongue determinedly licked its way over to one erect nipple.

Remy panted softly, completely surrendering to Joseph's caresses. "Oh, mon amour," he whispered passionately and buried his hands in the sheets, clawing the fabric.

Joseph grinned wickedly and let one hand stray down Remy's abdomen. He felt a little nervous, what if he couldn't get it right? He'd jerked off in the past, but was worried he would disappoint his lover. What if he gripped Remy's cock too tightly? Stroked too hard, too slow or too fast?

Feeling Joseph's uncertainty, Remy raised one hand and cupped his lover's face in its palm. "Cher, relax. Je t'aime."

The words soothed Joseph's nervousness a little. "It's just... I'm new at this."

"Y're doin' great, cher." Remy took Joseph's hand, which had come to a stop when it had reached his pubic hair. "I'm at y'r mercy, cher. Do whatever y' want to me," he whispered seductively.

Joseph swallowed hard when Remy bucked against his hand, and he curled his fingers around his lover's cock. Remy placed his hand on Joseph's and urged him to stroke slowly, setting a relaxed pace.

"Slow at first," Remy whispered, trying not to lose himself in the sensation of feeling Joseph's fingers around his cock. Once he was sure that Joseph had the rhythm right, he released his lover's hand and went back to madly clawing the sheets. "It's been so long, cher..."

"How long?" Joseph lay popped up on his elbow now and watched how his hand stroked the hard flesh, milking even more drips of pre-ejaculate from Remy's cock.

"A year... since someone touched me like dis... Rogue never wanted to take dis step." Remy panted the words and then Joseph unexpectedly shifted position. Remy's eyes grew big when Joseph nudged his legs apart so he could sit between them. Thundering loudly, his heart almost went into overdrive as he fantasized about Joseph taking him right there and then. "Faster, cher... please!"

Joseph sped up, stroking fast and hard. Remy moaned deliriously and arched his back, trying to meet Joseph's strokes. Joseph watched, slightly stunned by the way Remy surrendered to his caresses. There was no holding back, no demands, no pressure. Spontaneously, Joseph leaned forward and closed his lips over one of Remy's nipples, sucking gently.

"Sacre!" Remy cursed, as the sensation of feeling Joseph's tongue circling his nipple went straight to his groin. "Cher, need to come..."

"Tell me how I can send you over the edge," Joseph demanded and tried to sound firm. Maybe Remy's little fantasy about Joseph being in control wasn't that bad. Now that he thought about it, Joseph found it erotic.

Remy's eyes locked with Joseph's. He was uncertain how far he could go and decided to play it safe. "Lick my skin..."

"Where?"

"Lemme show y'." Making sure that Joseph could continue to pump him, he pulled his lover close and offered Joseph his throat. "Right there."

Joseph pressed his lips onto the smooth skin and suckled hard, not realizing it would leave behind one hell of a passion mark.

"Mon Dieu!" Remy yelped as he finally reached orgasm. Waves of intense pleasure coursed through him and tremors rocked his body. Now that the orgasm had a tight hold on him, his shields collapsed and his ecstasy rolled off him in waves, hitting Joseph unprepared.

Joseph bit his lower lip as Remy's ecstasy cascaded into his mind. He'd grown hard when he'd made his lover come and had been on the brink himself. But now, feeling Remy's orgasm rip through him, he couldn't stop himself and came as well.

Remy's eyes grew big, feeling Joseph's come drip onto his skin in short, jerky spurts. "Cher?" Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around Joseph, holding him close and they clung to each other, riding the last waves of ecstasy together.

Joseph was panting heavily when he finally found the strength to slightly pull away from Remy to look into the dilated pupils. "You could have warned me," he panted and then brushed Remy's lips lightly with his.

"Didn' know dat would happen... sorry." Remy felt a little guilty. "Cheated y'..."

"How do you figure that?" Joseph smiled warmly, but decided that they definitely needed to take a shower before they got stuck to each other. //But is that such a bad idea? Maybe being stuck to Remy would be the best thing that could happen to me!//

"Y' didn' get any o' de fun..." Remy said in a heavy tone, growing gloomy again.

"Hey!" Joseph softly shook Remy's shoulders. "I got to share your orgasm and had an absolutely great climax myself... does that sound like I didn't have any fun?"

"Wanted to touch y', make y' come... wanted to suck y', cher..." Remy admitted shyly. Joseph's arms tightened around him and rocked him slowly. He loved that motion and rested his head on his lover's shoulders. "I don' know what else will happen. Empat'y's a lot stronger since de ice."

"We'll figure it out together." Joseph's fingers gently caressed Remy's skin, soothingly rubbing the Cajun's back. "We should take a shower now."

"Wanna shower toget'er?"

"And then we'll eat breakfast," Joseph said, determined not to get hot and bothered again while they were taking a shower. He needed time to process what had happened this morning.

///

"Remy? Don't forget to take your pill." Joseph handed his lover a glass of water and the vial.

"I don' wanna take dem," Remy said softly. "Dey don' help."

"Remy, you *will* take them." Joseph opened the vial and placed one pill in the palm of Remy's hand.

Reluctantly, Remy swallowed the pill and handed Joseph the now empty glass. "Dey ain' workin'," he said and shrugged his shoulders.

Joseph sensed the return of Remy's listlessness and wrapped his arms around the Cajun. "Let's have breakfast and then we'll think of something to do for the rest of the day."

"We could go back to bed..." Remy suggested and forced himself to smile. He couldn't explain these mood swings, but right now he just wanted to crawl into bed, pull up the comforter and hide from the world and not face it, like Joseph wanted him to.

"We've got to do the laundry first," Joseph pointed out to him. "And we definitely need to change the sheets..."

"Y' no fun, Joe," Remy sighed and stared miserably at his breakfast. "I ain' hungry..."

"What's wrong?" Joseph covered Remy's hand with his. "Why are you so gloomy all of a sudden?"

Hesitantly, Remy met Joseph's eyes. "Was wonderin'... do y' t'ink I'm a slut...?"

"Where's that coming from!" Indignant, Joseph stared hard at Remy. "You are *not* a slut, do you hear me, Remy? Why would you think that?" Anger and concern fought for dominance and in the end his anger receded. "Remy? Tell me?"

"Before y' joined de team... and while I still lived at de mansion," Remy started softly, "I used to go out a lot. Rogue never wanted to commit to our relationship and I needed... companionship."

Patiently, Joseph listened, rubbing Remy's knuckles. "That's perfectly normal, Remy."

"Dey t'ought I fucked someone new each night. Overheard deir conversations when dey t'ought dat I was still out." Feeling worried, Remy returned Joseph's caress and gently rubbed the long, agile fingers, which were a lot like his. "I acted like a slut dis mornin'," he added hesitantly, as his empathy picked up on Joseph's disapproval.

Joseph leaned back and tried to deal with this logically. He couldn't give in to Remy, whose point of view was probably distorted. "Who called you a slut? I want names." Content, he noticed Remy's startled statement. "I'm waiting. Who called you a slut?"

Nervously, Remy licked his lips. He hadn't thought that Joseph would react like this. "Dey cracked jokes 'bout my sex drive," Remy murmured barely audible. "And Warren wondered how many men or women I usually had in one week."

"And because one person wondered about your sexual activity you concluded that *they* thought you're a slut?" Thoughtfully, Joseph got to his feet, circled the table and then sat on his heels beside his lover. "Or did *you* think that you were a slut? They never said that you were a slut, did they?"

Pleadingly, Remy locked eyes with Joseph. "Mais dey t'ought it."

"Why the low self-esteem, Remy? Where does it come from all of a sudden or..." Joseph paused to carefully phrase his next question. "Have you always felt like that? Did you always hide these insecurities?"

"Don' know," Remy admitted in a guilty tone and kept his eyes locked on the kitchen table.

"When did you start to feel like this?"

"After Antarctica..."

Remy might have overheard these conversations in the past, but hadn't thought of himself as a slut until recently. Was it part of the depression? Joseph opted for action and he pulled Remy to his feet. In the end, they stood facing each other. "You're *not* a slut, Remy and your sex drive is just fine."

Remy smiled, hesitantly. "Mais cher..."

"No, listen to me," Joseph cut Remy short. "You heard a conversation and because you're not feeling that great you came to the wrong conclusions." Privately, he made a note to tell Warren to stop cracking those jokes. But what if it hadn't been jokes, but spiteful remarks meant to hurt Remy? Anyway, Worthington would better stop making them.

"Cher?" Remy's voice trembled as he addressed Joseph. "Why do y' love me? I never expected y' to... like me in dat way."

"You don't ask easy questions, do you?" Joseph sighed. "You strike me as a free spirit, Remy and I love that. You don't hold back, don't pressure me. You don't take away my freedom, don't try to make me see things your way. You respect me, value my opinion and... I love to take care of you."

Remy had been sure that Joseph wouldn't have an answer to his question and was stunned. "Cher, I wanna be good to y'..." Hesitantly, he returned Joseph's embrace and stared into his lover's eyes. "I know dat I'm not t'inkin' straight right now. Somet'in' is wrong wit' me, mais I don' know how to change dat."

"Give it time, Remy," Joseph wavered briefly. "You died."

Remy burst out into tears. He'd forgotten that he'd told Joseph; that someone knew his terrible secret, which was a secret no longer and it felt so good to be able to talk about it. "It was so cold..."

Joseph led Remy to the couch and sat his lover down. Slipping into place behind the Cajun, he pulled Remy close to his chest. Remy needed to talk about this, no matter how hard it was on him. "What did it feel like? Dying?"

Remy clenched his lips tightly shut and buried his face in Joseph's hair. He didn't want to talk about this, didn't want to speak the words aloud which would make the memories come alive again.

"Did it hurt? Did you feel anything? I read that people sometimes see a light or a tunnel that pulls them closer..." Joseph rested his chin on Remy's head and stroked his lover's back. He'd give Remy the time he needed, but was determined to make Remy talk about this.

"Rien, cher... not'in' happened. It was like goin' to sleep. I closed my eyes and... I was so scared, Josep'... I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for, Remy?" Joseph kissed Remy's hair and rocked him slowly. He'd noticed that the rocking motion soothed his lover and he used it to his advantage.

"For bein' a c-c-coward," Remy stuttered.

Absentmindedly, Joseph nodded his head. Was it possible that Remy was this depressed because he'd been left to deal with his death on his own? It sounded plausible. Maybe talking about his death would help Remy cope with it. "Why do you think that you're a coward?" Instead of asking that question he could have told Remy that he was wrong about being a coward, but Joseph wanted Remy to talk about it and realize that something might be wrong with his reasoning.

"I was scared!" Remy exclaimed and fought the urge to pull away from Joseph, but his lover's warmth was addictive and he couldn't get enough of Joseph's closeness. "I was so scared to die... to stop existin'... to never 'gain see poppa or tante... to have never known true love... I didn' want to die... so scared, cher..."

"You're no coward because you were afraid to die, Remy." Thoughtfully, Joseph stroked the auburn locks. "I know that we can die any second, but... I try not to think about it. I don't want to lose our love..."

"What 'bout losin' y'r *life*?" Suddenly, Remy looked up and locked eyes with him.

"I don't know about that," Joseph replied honestly. "When I went after those villains that threatened Sister Maria I couldn't have cared less if I had died."

Remy shivered. "Cher... I feel somet'in' in y'r mind... not all de time, mais sometimes..." Focusing on Joseph allowed him to forget his own misery.

"What do you feel?" Joseph shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"No restraint... no holdin' back..." Remy helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "Felt it when y' were angry wit' de professor."

"No control," Joseph supplied. "Remy, I don't have any real control over my powers. You know that, don't you?"

Remy nodded his head. "Y've got to work on it, cher. I don' wanna lose y' 'cause y' get mad. Y've got to stop 'fore exhaustin' y'rself completely." He didn't want to think of what could happen if Sinister appeared on their doorstep and Joseph would decide to take him out. //Joseph can' destroy him anyway... No one can...//

"I know you're right, Remy, but... we were talking about *your* fears. We can discuss mine later," Joseph said firmly, not allowing Remy to change their subject.

"I wanna stop bein' 'fraid, cher, but de fear has changed. I'm no longer 'fraid to die... I'm 'fraid he'll bring me back 'gain."

"What's your connection with Sinister, except for recruiting the Marauders?" Joseph wished he could take the question back, but it was too late. Remy flinched uncontrollably in his arms, pushed him away and leaped to his feet.

"Remy?" Startled by his lover's reaction, Joseph rose from the couch and followed Remy into the kitchen. It almost looked like Remy was running away from him!

"Stay 'way! Don' ask dat 'gain! Leave me 'lone!" Remy's fist banged into the door of the fridge and suddenly the fear and anger seemed to vaporize, as he slid down the wall until he was huddled on the floor.

"I'm sorry that I pried. I promised not to do that." Joseph sat on his heels beside Remy, not touching him yet. "Can I put my arms around you?" He didn't know yet if Remy had forgiven him. By now he was convinced that Remy was keeping secrets but the Cajun wasn't ready yet to reveal them.

"Oui," Remy said as he calmed down. "Please hold me?

Joseph slid onto the floor as well and put one arm around Remy's shoulders. They sat in silence until Joseph said, "I'm still trying to figure out the rules of being in a relationship. I'm sorry if I do things that... hurt you."

"Y' didn' hurt me by askin' 'bout Sinister." It took most of Remy's strength to speak that name without flinching. "I promise to tell y' one day why I reacted dat way, just not now, bien?" Remy peeked at Joseph's eyes, afraid to see disapproval. "I don' wanna screw dis up, cher. I don' know how to make dis work eit'er."

"I think we'll get the hang of it," Joseph said teasingly and smiled at Remy. "As long as we learn from the mistakes we make, we should be fine."

"Why didn' y' and Rogue work out?" Remy asked softly, afraid that this time *he* was trespassing and asking something too personal of Joseph.

"There were a few things," Joseph started and leaned his head against the wall, "one of them was the way she treated sex." Joseph smiled seeing Remy roll his eyes. "She likes to be in control, to use your words," Joseph said and chuckled. Now that Rogue and he were no longer together he could try to look at their relationship objectively. "She told me how and when to make love to her. We hardly ever had sex spontaneously."

Remy blushed. He hadn't expected to hear the details.

"But there were some other things that made me feel uncomfortable. You saw an example of that when she showed up last night. She tries to

manipulate you so she'll get her way. She acts like she's completely innocent and lost, and then she says it's your fault that she's hurting."

"She has a bitter heart," Remy mumbled shyly.

"And that bitterness shows in the things she says and does." Joseph gently massaged Remy's shoulder. "Move closer," he instructed. Remy shifted until he sat between Joseph's legs. "Lean against me."

Remy obeyed and sighed deeply as Joseph's hands began to knead the tension from his shoulders. "Feels bien, cher."

"I don't trust her," Joseph offered voluntarily. "I always suspected that she left you behind in Antarctica, but I never knew for sure..."

Remy remained silent, hearing and sensing Joseph's anger. "When Betsy asked all of y' to step into her shadows, dat left Rogue and I 'lone... I t'ink I even asked Rogue to leave me behind, to let me die to atone for my sins... I ain' sure, sorry. Memory's kinda blurry, mais when she took my hand to fly me out of de fortress I allowed m'self to hope 'gain, mebbe she did love me and mebbe she would forgive me for workin' for Sinister... when she dropped me off on de ice... I didn' understand..."

Joseph continued the relaxing massage, hoping the physical contact would anchor Remy. "She had no right to leave you there."

"De X-Men didn' come back," Remy whispered. "I hoped dey would, even prayed for de first time since I turned 16."

"It's unforgivable that we didn't come back for you and that you died," Joseph offered as apology. "Can you ever forgive us?"

"Forgave y' 'ready, cher..." Remy snuggled closer to Joseph and surrendered to the soothing massage. "Y've got great hands, cher."

"Well, thanks!" Joseph said, a little relieved that the emotional storm had passed. Remy seemed relaxed, but suddenly, the Cajun leaped to his feet. "Remy?"

"Danger, cher... get out!" Remy turned away from Joseph, trying to remember where to find his Bo. He didn't know why his instincts had kicked in, why alarm bells were ringing in his mind; he only knew that Joseph was in grave danger and that he had to protect his lover.

"Remy..."

"Start runnin'!" Remy screamed the words and kept a close eye on the door. He'd given up on finding his staff and reached for a magazine. He planned on charging the individual pages with kinetic energy to fight off the enemy.

Joseph feared that the tension had finally gotten to Remy and that his lover was suffering from some kind of nervous breakdown. He had no other explanation for Remy's illogical behavior. "Remy, please..."

Unexpectedly, the front door was blasted out of its hinges and a woman entered the room. A smug grin played on her features. "Ah, there you are. I've come to claim my possession." Seeing Joseph's surprised statement, she added. "Don't tell me you've forgotten your mistress? I'm Astra and you're mine!"

 

Chapter Seven

"Astra?" Joseph whispered the alien name, studying the stranger. She was of medium height and had black hair, which she wore in a bun with long needles weaved through the locks. Her Asian features made her look cunning and manipulative. She wore blue metallic armor and green sashes hid parts of her body. But they didn't hide the futuristic looking gun in her hand.

Joseph wondered what she wanted from him, knowing for certain that he'd never seen her before. "I don't know you."

"Ah, your memory hasn't returned yet?" Pleased that she'd located him, Astra took in his appearance. She had her property back! "Maybe I can help trigger it?" she suggested and switched on an alien device attached to her wrist. "Remember the pain?"

"Arrggghhh," Joseph growled, as a stabbing pain cut through his head. It descended down his neck into his arms and chest. As it reached his legs, his knees gave out beneath him and he collapsed on to the floor. He'd never before felt such pain and he helplessly clutched his head in his hands. The pain was worst near his temples.

"Stop it!" Remy demanded. He sensed the pleasure Astra felt in making Joseph suffer and he didn't doubt that she was responsible for the pain his lover was in. He ripped pages from the magazine and charged them. "Stop it!" he repeated, but her emotionless eyes told him that she planned on making Joseph suffer.

"He's mine, Gambit, and I'm taking him with me." Astra walked over to the two men. "Throw those pages at me and I'll increase the pain he's in." To illustrate her warning, she turned the little nub, increasing Joseph's torment.

Joseph fell forward and rolled onto his side. Curling up into a fetal position, he tried not to scream out. The pain was quickly becoming unbearable. He heard voices, but couldn't make out the words. His entire world existed of a red, stabbing pain that sizzled through his head. Unable to stop himself from throwing up, he emptied his stomach on the wooden floor.

Remy de-charged the pages and tried to think up a plan, but failed. "Switch off de pain," he demanded. He couldn't think straight, seeing his lover in such pain, which tingled at the edges of his mind as well. Startled, he realized that some sort of link had formed between Joseph and him.

"For now," Astra agreed. She'd demonstrated her power and needed Joseph in prime condition and not weakened like this. Switching off the device, she smiled smugly at them.

Remy hurried over to Joseph's side and helped him sit up. "Cher, are y' bien?" Concerned, he used one of the pages to wipe away the remnants of thrown up food that clung to Joseph's lips. His lover looked absolutely miserable.

"Who are you?" Joseph growled, ignoring Remy and focusing on Astra. How had she caused this pain inside his head and how could he eliminate this threat?

"I created you," Astra said wickedly, enjoying the power she had over him. She took a few steps closer to him and rested her hands on her hips.

"Created me?" Joseph grabbed Remy's hand for moral support. He felt his lover's concern seep into his mind and wished Remy could control his empathy better. Right now, he couldn't use any distractions, but he didn't chastise Remy and tried to ignore the discomfort.

"You're a clone," Astra said as she sat on her heels in front of him. "I created you to destroy Magneto!"

Joseph struggled for breath when the veil that had covered his memories lifted. Pinching his eyes shut, he recalled Astra helping him up from the exam table, telling him that he was a clone and had to obey her. "I know you," he choked out, trying not to drown in the memories.

"Yes, you do," Astra replied, pleased. "Your memory is coming back, isn't it?" Now that Magneto had surfaced again, she wanted to pitch the two men against each other once more. Magneto had to die. No one could best Joseph and she would command his powers.

"Cher, what's goin' on?" Feeling lost, Remy desperately tried to lock eyes with Joseph, but his lover only had eyes for Astra. Remy distinctly noticed that she never lowered her weapon; it remained aimed at him.

"Remy, not now!" Joseph growled and pushed Remy aside. He had to focus on Astra and couldn't allow her to use Remy to get to him. "Remy, leave the house, now!"

"Non, cher, I'm stayin'," Remy said determinedly. Hearing Joseph's tone, he felt hurt. Why did his lover want him to run? He could fight!

"You're coming with me... clone." Astra got to her feet and her hand hovered over the alien device. "I won't hesitate to use it to make you comply."

Her cold eyes made Joseph flinch. //Clone... how could I forget what I am? I'm a clone... Magneto's clone... I remember now...// The emotional pain equalled the physical, which he'd felt minutes ago. "I've got a name now, Astra. I'm Joseph."

Remy privately applauded his lover, but remained silent. By now, he'd realized that Joseph wanted him to stay on the background. The emotions that rolled off Joseph made Remy nauseous. He felt anger, concern and... self-loathing; something he'd never felt in Joseph's mind before.

"A name," Astra said in an arrogant tone. "Why bother with a name for a clone? Understand this, 'Joseph', I have as much respect for your feelings, needs and desires as I would have for those of my VCR! You are a product, an extrapolation, of Magneto's genetic encoding, placed within an alien transportation buffer, then duplicated, manipulated and downloaded into a Bionutrient bath that served as your "womb". You were created for one reason only; to enable me to gain vengeance on the man who wronged me when I was younger!"

Remy cringed hearing the spiteful words and was about to step forward and tell her to leave the boathouse, when he caught the disapproval in Joseph's eyes. His lover didn't want him to get involved!

"I'm not coming with you, Astra. I belong here. Get out of our lives!" Joseph had managed to get back onto his knees, but felt too weak to get to his feet. He knew that he was at a serious disadvantage, but he would never give in to her. Involuntarily, his hand went to his head, remembering that Magneto had knocked him out with debris when they'd fought. Astra had managed to pitch him against Magneto before and he'd lost the fight *and* his memory! "Leave us alone!"

Astra laughed triumphantly. "Get to your feet and follow me, clone. I'm your mistress. You seem to have forgotten the power that I hold over you!" Fed up with his attitude, Astra switched the alien device on again.

Joseph released a keening wail as the pain crashed into his skull. "No..." he whimpered in pain. "I... won't give... in!" His tone faltered when he hit the last word. //The pain... bad... pain... head... explode...Argh!//

Remy saw the smug statement on Astra's face and despised the woman. Quickly, he forced himself to focus on his lover and he crept up to Joseph. Determinedly, he wrapped his arms around his lover and placed the palm of his hand on Joseph's face. He'd been able to take away Joseph's anger when he'd been verbally fighting with the professor, maybe he could take away the pain as well.

Astra didn't like this development. Gambit was clinging to her clone and this was taking too much time. What if the X-Men at the mansion had discovered her presence? Her finger curled around the trigger. She wouldn't hesitate to kill Gambit to get to her clone.

//What?// Joseph thought, confused, as the pain inside his head lessened. It was still there, but bearable. Looking up, he stared into Remy's contorted face. The empath was absorbing his pain! "Don't do it, Remy..." Joseph pleaded, but Remy's stern statement told him that objecting was futile. Remy was determined to help him bear the pain.

"Let us go!" Joseph demanded, as he continued to battle the pain. Looking up at Astra, he shivered. "Don't kill him," he said pleadingly, as he realized that her weapon was aimed at Remy's head.

"Then come with me," Astra said, feeling victoriously. "Get up and follow me." However, she didn't dial down the pain, fearing Joseph might reconsider once the pain had lessened.

"Cher, don'," Remy pleaded and buried his hands in Joseph's shirt to stop his lover from leaving. "I'd be honored to die wit' y'." He'd died before, he could do it again and this time, it would serve a good purpose; to ease his lover's pain.

"No," Joseph whispered, shocked. "Don't you dare die on me again!" Joseph exchanged one long look with Remy. "You've got to live, Remy, live for me!"

"How touching!" Astra sneered and placed her weapon at Remy's temple. "Time's up, clone."

"Ah, sugah, yuh don't play fair!"

Joseph's head jerked back, hearing Rogue's voice. What the hell was she doing here? Immediately, he wrapped his arms around Remy's trembling body and pulled the Cajun out of the line of fire.

Remy shook violently, as he continued to absorb the pain that Astra inflicted on Joseph. His eyes had closed and he barely registered Rogue's voice.

Astra never expected to be kicked off her feet by Rogue, who now hovered above her. Astra cursed loudly as she crashed into the wall and then struggled back into a standing position. "This doesn't concern you," she told Rogue and suddenly realized that she'd lost her weapon upon impact. It was out of her reach.

"Ah, sugah," Rogue snarled and flew towards Astra. "Yuh should have known betta than to attack the X-Men at their home. Cyke and the others are already on their way over here... yuh'd better get lost!" It was a lie. She'd come here to talk to Joseph and the others were still at the mansion, but as long as Astra didn't see through the lie, it would serve its purpose.

Astra didn't think twice and activated a device that was attached to her belt. It would allow her to teleport out of here.

Baffled, Joseph stared at Astra's fading form. Once she'd completely vanished, he concentrated on Remy, who'd finally stopped shaking. "Are you all right, Remy? Please look at me?" Those pain filled eyes nearly made his heart stop. Why had Remy absorbed his pain? "Remy?"

"I'm bien," Remy whispered softly. He used his long hair to hide behind and leaned back against the wall to catch his breath. The pain had been intense.

Joseph rested one hand on Remy's chest, craving to feel his lover's heartbeat beneath his fingertips. Then, he remembered that they weren't alone. "Rogue," he said softly and looked at her. She stood in the doorway, smiling and tapping her foot. "Thank you." Those were honest words.

Rogue shrugged her shoulders. When she'd decided to go to the boathouse she had never thought that she'd end up saving their lives.

Remy finally managed to compose himself and gathered his courage to look at Rogue. She'd helped them, why? "Merci, Rogue." He didn't dare reach out to her empathically to probe her feelings and decided to let Joseph handle this. Emotionally, he wasn't up to facing Rogue.

Joseph slowly rose from the floor and then helped Remy to get to his feet. He kept one arm slung around the Cajun's waist whilst looking Rogue in the eyes. It would be impolite to ask *why* she'd helped them, as they were teammates and should be able to depend on each other.

"Rogue, thanks for helping us out. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't interfered." Joseph steered Remy towards the couch and sat him down. His lover was trembling again and Joseph wrapped the quilt around Remy. When he looked over his shoulder, Joseph realized that Rogue hadn't moved. "Remy? Stay here? I'll be back." After Remy nodded his head, Joseph walked over to Rogue.

Rogue didn't really know how to react, hearing them express their gratitude. "Sugah, we X-Men gotta stick together!"

Joseph bit down an ugly remark. //Why didn't you act like that back in Antarctica?// Instead, he said, "We really appreciate it."

"Ah was comin' over to talk to yuh..." Rogue said, as they walked away from the boathouse. She'd noticed how bad Remy had looked and decided to leave the Cajun alone. "Ah said some harsh things last night, which Ah probably shouldn't have, but Ah felt hurt."

Joseph nodded his head, but made sure he didn't accidentally brush her body, walking beside her. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out, Rogue. It's the truth. I never planned on falling in love with Remy."

"Yuh're in love?" Rogue raised a surprised eyebrow. She'd assumed Joseph and Remy had gotten together to get back at her.

"Yes, I'm in love with Remy and he loves me back." Joseph halted and so did Rogue. "Please give Remy and me a chance to make things work? You can ruin everything for us, Rogue. Please don't be that spiteful."

A tear slid down Rogue's cheek. "Joe, Ah don't wanna lose yuh."

"You lost me some ago, Rogue."

Rogue raised her hand and wiped away her tears. "Ah don't know if Ah can accept Remy and yuh bein' together..."

"We'll stay away from the mansion. We won't be in your face, I promise." Joseph was amazed at the way she was handling this. Did he see real emotion in her eyes, or was she playing games again? She seemed sincere. Did Rogue know herself what she was feeling? "You helped us, so I guess you still care about Remy and me..."

Rogue drew in a deep breath. "Ah'm goin' back to the mansion, Joe. Yuh should upgrade security if she got inside that easily." She stepped away from him and turned around. Flying slowly, she headed for the mansion.

A warm smile rested on Joseph's face. Maybe there was hope for Rogue yet.

///

When Joseph returned to the boathouse he realized that Remy had cleaned up the mess he'd made because the wooden floor was spotless. Quickly, he hurried over to his lover's side and sat down beside him. Remy was tightly clutching the quilt and the alien eyes were hooded. Joseph mentally prepared himself for the conversation that would follow, but first he magnetically sealed the boathouse to keep Astra and the chilly wind out. Now that the front door was gone, cold was seeping inside.

"Cher, I don' know what to say," Remy offered honestly and locked eyes with Joseph. "She hurt y' so bad."

Joseph sat back and pulled Remy close until his arms were wrapped around the Cajun's shoulders. Remy leaned against him and his lover's head rested on his chest. "I remember Astra now," Joseph said eventually, dreading this conversation. "She was right. I'm a clone. She used Magneto's DNA to create me."

"Josep'," Remy said pleadingly and tightly hugged his lover's waist. He didn't know how to offer comfort and reached out the only way he could; empathically.

Joseph felt the protective blanket that Remy draped over his mind and felt thankful for it. He pressed one kiss on the auburn locks and stared absentmindedly at the wall. "I love you, Remy," he said in the end. "Do you still love me?" A wave of frustration washed over him. "I was born in a lab... the reason why I can't remember my childhood is because I didn't have one... I *am* Magneto's clone."

Indignantly, Remy looked up at Joseph. "I'll always love y', cher."

"Even knowing that I'm just a clone?" Joseph almost lost himself as he stared into Remy's honest eyes. Yes, the Cajun still loved him. He felt it in Remy's mind as the empath supplied all necessary proof by wrapping him up in love and affection. "Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Non, it doesn' bot'er me, cher," Remy replied and moved until he straddled Joseph's hips. "To me, y' ain' Magneto's clone. Y're de man I love..."

"That simple?"

"Dat simple, cher..." Remy leaned in closer and brushed Joseph's lips.

Joseph sighed relieved and smiled. He knew that it would take him some time to come to terms with what he'd learned tonight and Astra's threat remained. "She'll be back."

"We'll find a way to fight her," Remy stated passionately. "Did y' talk to Rogue?" he asked hesitantly.

"She won't stand in our way," Joseph assured his lover. "She's having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you and I are lovers now."

It was already late in the evening and Remy felt exhausted. Using his empathic powers unexpectedly had drained him. "Can we go to bed?"

"If that's what you want," Joseph whispered and returned Remy's kiss. "But first you'll take the Zoloft... don't ever forget to take your meds, Remy. I won't be around all the time to supervise you taking them."

With a deep sigh, Remy untangled himself from Joseph and got to his feet. Slowly, he walked into the kitchen.

Joseph followed him and while Remy took the medication he brushed his teeth above the sink. "I want you to hold me tight tonight," he said and saw the disbelief in Remy's eyes. Usually, he was the one holding the Cajun.

"Mais cher..."

Joseph had to break the tension that was building inside him. He needed to laugh. "Why are you still calling me 'friend'?" He suspected that Remy had lied about the meaning of the word, as the Cajun continued to call him that since they'd gotten together.

Remy blushed slightly. "Cher means beloved... my love..."

"Well, I guess that means I've got to come up with something too," Joseph quipped and pulled Remy towards the stairs. "Darling?" He looked at Remy and saw the grin on his lover's face. "No, that doesn't sound right, does it?"

"Keep trying, cher." Remy climbed the stairs.

"Honey!" Joseph stated triumphantly, but Remy's look told him that his lover disapproved. As they stripped, he couldn't help admire Remy's lean body. Quickly, he got into bed and rolled onto his left side. "Spoon up behind me, Remy."

Somewhat hesitantly, Remy obeyed and pulled up the comforter. After wrapping his arms and legs around Joseph, he nuzzled the back of his lover's neck. "Cher, dis feels... weird."

"I like it," Joseph stated and pulled Remy's hand towards his groin. "You liked being held like this, now do the same thing for me."

Remy cupped Joseph's flaccid cock and sac in the palm of his hand and pressed a kiss on his lover's shoulder. "T'ink y' can sleep, cher?"

"No, I can't and don't want to sleep yet. I just want to stay like this and feel you behind me."

Remy understood. Joseph needed reassurance and comfort and he held his lover tight.

///

"Cher, y' should try to sleep," Remy whispered, hours later. "Y're broodin'." He felt the unease and worry inside Joseph's mind and although his lover was certainly entitled to feel that way, it was draining Joseph.

"I can't," Joseph whispered back. "I keep hearing Astra in my mind, telling me what I am and how little worth I have." Joseph relished feeling Remy's warm body behind him and a gentle hand was softly rubbing his limp cock. "I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for you, Remy. It means a lot to me that you still want to be with me, a clone."

Remy rolled Joseph on to his back and looked deeply in to the other man's eyes. "Je t'aime, Josep'," he whispered passionately. "Y' can' deny dat y' feel my love for y'. I'm an empat', remember?" Remy quipped, forcing Joseph to stop wallowing in self-pity. "Y' can feel my love for y'," he repeated and decided to take action. "Lemme take care of y'? Will take 'way y'r fears and y'll be able to sleep."

Too emotionally confused to decline the offer Joseph nodded his head. "Yes," he whispered, unable to turn Remy down in his hour of need.

"Merci, cher," Remy whispered and pushed away the comforter to reveal Joseph's naked body. "Y're beautiful, cher, just perfect," he purred, trying hard to make sure that his love and affection echoed in his voice.

Joseph looked at Remy as his lover leaned in closer. The tip of Remy's tongue touched Joseph's right nipple and made him arch his hips in surprise. The sensation was exquisite! "What are you going to do?" Joseph whispered the words, taken aback as Remy's tongue left a wet trail to his other nipple, which the Cajun suckled gently. Remy's agile fingers snaked down to his groin to curl around his hardening cock.

"I'm goin' to suck y' 'til y' come, cher," Remy said in that special tone and he felt Joseph's cock stir in his hand. "Gonna taste y', cher, swallow y'r come... spoil y' rotten."

Joseph panted softly at hearing Remy's voice, which was hypnotizing. He'd heard that tone once before, when Remy had calmed him down during his confrontation with Xavier. "You like to talk dirty?" Joseph allowed Remy to nudge his legs apart so the Cajun could kneel between them.

"Oui, cher, love to talk dirty... Gets me hot and den I wanna suck y' dry." Remy leaned forward and his tongue gently circled the tip of Joseph's erection. The bitter pre-ejaculate stuck to his tongue as Remy licked down the length of Joseph's shaft.

"Wish you could talk dirty right now," Joseph stammered, shocked to realize that he loved it when Remy talked like that, but the Cajun's lips were too busy massaging him. "Are you really going to suck me?" he asked, closing his eyes as Remy's lips reached the base of his cock.

Remy briefly looked up and grinned. "Gonna suck y', oui, mais can' talk now, cher. I'm goin' down on y'." Joseph's eyes flashed open and locked with his. Remy guided Joseph's hand and rested it on his head. "Love it when y'r fingers tangle in my hair."

Getting back to making his lover come, Remy concentrated on the two heavy balls. Gently, he licked and suckled them and then he blew softly over the wet, velvet, skin. In his hand, Joseph's cock twitched. "Y' like, cher?"

Joseph licked his lips, realizing that one drop of pre-ejaculate clung to the Cajun's lips. Keeping in mind that Remy wanted him to take control in the bedroom, he said, "Suck me, Remy, and make me come." Remy's eyes glowed brighter and he knew he'd said the right thing. His eyes drifted lower and he found Remy painfully erect too. "And stroke yourself while making me come."

"Oui, cher," Remy whispered, blissfully. "Mais first..."

Joseph cried out when warm lips closed over his erection and then took in more of him. Joseph stared at his Cajun lover and bucked hard, unable to stop that reflex.

Remy relaxed his throat and allowed Joseph to thrust again, deeper this time. One of his hands rhythmically squeezed Joseph's balls and one finger pressed against his lover's perineum. Joseph's hand, which was tangling in his hair, urged him on, pushing him deeper onto his lover's cock and Remy complied.

Bordering on ecstasy, Joseph watched Remy's bobbing head. He'd asked Rogue to go down on him once, but she'd refused, telling him that only whores sucked men off and he'd let the subject rest. Now that Remy was doing this for him, he wondered whether he would survive the delicious torment. Just seeing Remy deepthroating him made his toes curl. "Remy, I love you," he whispered, almost climaxing. "I'm going to come, Remy."

Remy knew Joseph was right. The tension in his lover's body had reached its peak and Joseph's cock would release its come in mere seconds. Using the back of his throat to massage his lover's cock, he increased the tempo, wanting Joseph to have the best orgasm he'd ever had.

"Pump... yourself..." Joseph ordered.

Remy's right hand stole to his groin and he started to stroke himself roughly.

"Yes, that's it!" Joseph bucked hard and his hand pushed Remy's head down, trying to convince his lover that he could take in more.

Remy allowed it, feeling grateful that he was experienced enough not to gag when Joseph thrust hard. He swallowed the salty come and managed to breathe through it.

"Remy!" Joseph whispered the name urgently, suddenly realizing that his lover's mouth was still holding him prisoner.

Remy slowly pulled back and locked eyes with Joseph. Seeing and feeling the ecstasy in his lover's mind made him smile. "Got to lick y' clean, cher. Can' let y' go to sleep when y're a mess."

Joseph wished he could grow hard again when Remy's tongue licked him clean. Suddenly, the Cajun reminded him of a graceful feline. "Remy..." One look at his lover's groin told him that his lover had come too.

"Shst," Remy whispered and then returned to cleaning his lover up. First, he made sure Joseph's cock was free of come and then he gave his lover's balls the same gentle treatment.

Joseph caressed the auburn locks. Remy had just shattered and rebuilt his world and something stirred deep within Joseph. The Cajun was giving him all the love he needed, all the assurances that he craved and Remy was *his* now. No one was allowed to touch the Cajun intimately and he would defend his lover until his last breath. Possessively, Joseph brought up his arms behind his lover's back and rolled a confused Remy onto his back.

Remy stared into dilated, lust induced eyes, and was speechless. Joseph's weight pressed him down and he moaned. Suddenly, Joseph's knee pushed his legs apart and Remy wantonly spread them, eagerly inviting his lover to take his rightful place between them.

"You're mine, Remy," Joseph whispered in a surprisingly gentle tone. "No more messing around. No more going to nightclubs. No more hurting yourself. No more letting guys like Steve hurt and fuck you. Is that understood?" His hand still tangled in Remy's hair and he fingered the damp locks.

"Oui, cher... I understand," Remy said, completely taken aback. Joseph was telling him that there wouldn't be any others. "Only y' can fuck me now..."

Joseph smiled. "I would like to make love to you first, before fucking you. I'd love to experience both." Suddenly, he realized that his entire weight rested on his lover. "Am I squashing you?"

"Non, y' feel perfect..." Remy smiled. He'd been right. Joseph was a natural top and he quavered, thinking about all the things they could do in bed once Joseph felt more comfortable.

Joseph's hand stroked the inside of Remy's thigh. He loved the feel of smooth skin beneath his fingertips. "That was amazing, Remy... you, going down on me... I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm sorry I forced you to take in more..."

"I love to suck y'," Remy said honestly. "One of my hidden talents," he quipped and wrapped his long legs around Joseph's waist, pretending they were making love, feeling Joseph deep inside him.

"What are you thinking about?" Joseph saw the slight blush that spread over Remy's face.

Remy told him. "Feelin' y' thrustin' inside me."

"You really want that? How does it feel to be on the bottom?" Joseph felt curious.

"I'll feel full..." Remy paused. "Y're big, cher... y'll fill me completely." He had given in to temptation and had compared his cock to Joseph's. While his was long and thin, Joseph's was long and thick. "Y'll fill me up just bien," he said and placed one kiss on the tip of Joseph's nose.

"I'm not ready yet to take that step," Joseph admitted, shyly.

"I know dat, cher. Y' set de pace. I'll know when y' feel comfortable 'nough to take me."

Joseph rested his head on Remy's shoulder and softly caressed his lover's skin, running his fingertips over the Cajun's chest. He stifled a yawn.

"Go to sleep, cher. I'll watch over y'," Remy offered and stroked the long white hair. "Y're safe in my arms..." Remy chuckled softly as he added, "Safe between my legs."

"You're shameless, Remy," Joseph replied in an amused tone. "But I feel safe, yes."

"I love bein' shameless, cher. Sex's bien... de best feelin' in de world."

Joseph rubbed his head against Remy's chest, his version of nodding yes. "Must feel even better for an empath." He was beginning to doze off; lured into sleep by Remy's body warmth and the position he was in. He'd never felt this close to Remy before.

Remy smiled warmly. "I could make love to y' for de rest of my life."

"I'd like that," Joseph mumbled and closed his eyes. "I think your trick worked."

"Fallin' 'sleep, cher?"

"Yes... and feeling sated..."

Remy continued to stroke his lover's hair long after Joseph had fallen asleep. His thoughts returned to Astra and he shivered beneath Joseph, who instinctively reached out and stroked his skin. Remy knew that Astra would be back, as he'd felt the determination in her mind. But the next time they'd be prepared to fight her off.

And Rogue had helped them! She'd kicked Astra's ass and told her off! Remy didn't know what to think about that. He'd never thought that she'd help them. //If it had been me 'gainst Astra, Rogue would probably have leaned back and encouraged Astra to hurt me. So helped 'cause of Josep', 'cause she still loves him!//

He'd loved her once, had hoped he'd found true love at last and then she'd left him to fend for himself on the ice. She'd known perfectly well that he couldn't survive there. Why had she left him behind? Had her love turned into hate? If only his empathy had been stronger back then! But no, it had only kicked in after he'd died... after he'd been brought back.

Remy shivered violently, remembering that sinister face hovering above him when he'd sucked in his first breath in the lab. //Non, don' wanna go dere! Can' go dere!// Forcing Sinister's face out of his mind, he focused on Joseph and used his love for the other man to anchor him.

 

Chapter Eight

"Remy?" Sleepily, Joseph raised his arm to curl it around his lover's form. Alarmed, his eyes flashed open. Why was he alone in bed? "Remy?" he called out again to his lover, growing apprehensive. What if Astra had returned during the night to abduct the Cajun?

"In de bat'room!" Remy replied and stepped out of the shower cabin. He'd really needed to clean up after last night and Joseph would need a shower as well. They had stuck together when he'd rolled out from underneath his lover this morning.

Remy felt surprisingly well, considering everything that had happened last night. The intimate moments had helped to push Astra's threats in to the back of his mind.

After drying his skin and wrapping a towel around his wet hair, he walked back in to the bedroom. He relished hearing Joseph's sigh. "Y' like what y're seein', cher?"

Joseph licked his lips, but then grew pensive, seeing the scars Steve had left behind on Remy's body. Suddenly, he knew what word described Remy best. "Come here, sexy."

Remy raised an eyebrow. "Sexy, cher?" He sat down on the bed and watched Joseph closely. "How are y' feelin' today?"

"I'm okay," Joseph said, shrugging his shoulders. "Thanks to you, Remy."

"Ah, cher, I'm glad I could be of service," Remy replied with a dirty grin on his face.

Joseph decided to return the teasing. "Any more hidden talents I should be aware of?"

Remy chuckled softly. "Oui, cher and y'll discover dem in time!" He wanted to rise from the bed to get dressed, but Joseph's hand held him back. It rested against his abdomen, rubbing the skin there softly. "Cher? What's goin' on?"

"Last night meant a lot to me," Joseph said, nervously. "After what Astra said I wouldn't have blamed you for dumping me."

Remy remained silent, allowing Joseph to get everything out in to the open.

"When I remembered what I was, I... was scared of losing you, your love, Remy." Joseph's hand now rested on Remy's thigh, soaking up the body heat and closeness. "I know you love me, you're right about that, I can feel your love because of your empathy, but..."

Remy raised his hand and rested its palm against Joseph's face. Briefly, he was tempted to tell Joseph his greatest shame to make his lover feel better, but in the end his courage eluded him. He'd take his secret into the grave with him. "Stop t'inkin' 'bout y'rself as a clone, cher. Y're Josep', de man I love. I would die for y'..."

Joseph pulled Remy close and buried him in a tight hug. "Thanks, sexy."

///

"Anyone home? Gambit? Joseph?" Scott and Hank exchanged a curious glance. Rogue had told them this morning what had happened at the boathouse and they'd decided to check on Remy and Joseph. The first thing they'd done upon arriving had been repairing the door, but when they'd tried to step inside, some sort of force field had thrown them back.

"Has to be Joseph's," Scott said, referring to the force field.

Hank nodded his head and called out, "Remy LeBeau! Joseph!"

///

Upstairs in the bedroom, Remy quickly slipped into some jeans and a T-shirt. "Sounds like Beast," he said and watched Joseph scramble to his feet. "I'll take care of dem, go shower, cher..."

"Now?" Joseph objected.

"I'll talk to dem, now move!" Remy playfully swatted Joseph's butt and watched the other man dash into the bathroom. "Y'r timin' sucks, Henri," Remy muttered privately as he descended the stairs.

He frowned, seeing Hank and Scott standing outside. "Merci for puttin' de door back in," he said quickly, wondering why they weren't coming inside. "Somet'in' wrong?"

"You could say that, my Cajun friend. There seems to be some sort of barrier, which keeps us from entering the boathouse," Hank explained. He was already taking in Remy's appearance and detected a distinct improvement in the way the Cajun moved and eyed him. The apathy seemed gone and Remy was alert.

Remy walked up to them and eyed them curiously. "A barrier?" He watched closely as Hank tried to step inside. An invisible force threw McCoy off his feet. "I've no idea what dis is," Remy muttered as he tried to exit the house and landed on his butt as well.

"Maybe it's Joseph's doing?" Scott suggested, slightly amused.

Remy shrugged his shoulders. "Could be... Josep'!" He called out to his lover.

Luckily, Joseph had finished his shower and was putting on his clothes when he heard Remy's voice. "Yes?"

"Joe, dis barrier... did y' do dat?" Remy walked over to the staircase and smiled when Joseph emerged from the bedroom. //Merde! He's wearin' *my* jeans!// But he loved the way they looked on his lover. //Too tight, cher?// he quipped privately when Joseph descended the stairs.

"Yes, I did that," Joseph clarified. "I didn't want any more unannounced guests." With one mental command he caused the force field to collapse. "You can come inside now."

"Thanks!" Scott signaled Hank to follow him. "Check on Remy," he instructed.

"Hey!" Remy objected when Hank pulled him into the kitchen.

"Are you taking your meds regularly?" Hank inquired and ran a few standard tests on his patient.

"Don' worry. Joe's a watchdog and makin' me take dem," Remy growled and reluctantly allowed Hank to take a blood sample. "Is dat really necessary?"

"I'm afraid so, Remy. I need to know if the medication is having the desired effect." Hank put the sample away and observed his patient. Remy didn't look that pale any more, some color had returned to the handsome face. "You're looking better today, young man."

"Feelin' betta," Remy admitted. "What are y' doin' here?"

"Rogue told us about Astra's visit and... what was said. So she created a clone from Magneto's DNA? Fascinating." Hank wasn't prepared for Remy's bitter rebuke.

"Fascinatin'? Y' t'ink her screwin' 'round wit' DNA is fascinatin'? Do y' have any idea how Joe feels?" His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I t'ought betta of y', Henri McCoy!"

Puzzled, Hank didn't know how to react. The vehement tone in Remy's voice was unexpected. "I didn't mean it like that, Remy, but from a scientific point of view it's amazing that she was able to do what she did!"

"Scientific point of view?" Remy shook his head in disgust. "Does any of y' ever t'ink 'bout de feelings and needs of de people dat are cloned?"

"Remy, I didn't know that you felt this strongly about cloning."

Remy averted his eyes. He had to get his temper back under control before he'd tell Hank things that should stay a secret. "It's bien, Henri. I know y' didn' mean it like dat... Sorry."

"It's understandable that you are concerned. You witnessed the attack?"

"Oui." Suddenly, Remy wondered if Rogue had told them about Joseph and he being lovers. Did he want them to know? Would Joseph prefer to keep their relationship a secret? They should talk about this! For now, he decided not to tell Hank and said, "Y' should examine Joe, Henri. Astra said somet'in' 'bout messin' with his genetic make-up or mebbe she did somet'in' else to him, mais she can control him somehow. When she switched on dat device, Joe was in pain."

Thoughtfully, Hank nodded his head. "Joseph will need to come to my medical lab and I'll run some very thorough tests on him. Hopefully, we will be able to determine the source of this manipulation."

"And remove it," Remy added.

"Let's talk to Joseph," Hank suggested. "But first, let me say that your progress pleases me. Take the Zoloft, eat and drink and you'll be fine."

"Merci, Henri." Remy got to his feet, feeling glad that the examination was over. He hoped that Joseph would agree to being examined by Hank.

///

Scott released a deep sigh. "A clone?" Joseph had just told him that his memory had returned due to Astra's appearance and Scott didn't know what to think. Joseph was Magneto's clone and Astra had created him to aid her in destroying the master of magnetism. "I don't know what to say, Joseph."

"You're the leader of the X-Men, Scott," Joseph said as he paced the living area. "You're entitled to know the truth and you can tell Xavier as well, but..." Joseph looked at Scott. "Am I still welcome here now that you know what I am?"

"*Who* I am," Scott corrected absentmindedly. "Not *what*." The odd look that Joseph gave him alerted Scott. "Look, we'll deal with this as a team, all right? I don't care whether you're human, alien or a clone. You're part of this team and that's it!"

Surprised, Joseph nodded his head. Why did everybody accept this so easily? He had one hell of time coming to terms with the truth. "Thanks, Scott."

"Now, tell me who this Astra is and what we're up against." Scott sat down on the couch and listened patiently as Joseph explained everything to him.
"And she tries to control you with pain? How does that work?" Scott asked. "Did she implant a device into your brain or..."

"That's what we need to find out, Scott," Hank said, interrupting the conversation. "I checked on Remy and our Acadian friend is doing better." Hank noticed the proud expression in Joseph's eyes when he praised Remy for the progress he'd made. Something was going on here but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I'm glad to hear that," Scott said and got up from the couch. "You want to examine Joseph in your lab?"

"I don't have the necessary equipment here, so yes, Joseph you need to come to my lab." Hank observed Joseph closely. He couldn't imagine what kind of inner struggle the other man was facing now that he knew that he was a clone. "We should get started right now." Hank wanted to run some tests first to determine the cause of Joseph's pain response.

Joseph reluctantly nodded his head. He didn't look forward to subjecting himself to these tests, but couldn't decline the help. He had to make sure that Astra couldn't hurt him like that again. "I'll come to the mansion."

"Good," Scott concluded and walked towards the front door. "Are you guys coming along?" Surprised, he looked at Remy who seemed frozen to the floor. "Gambit?"

"I vowed to never set foot in dere 'gain," Remy said softly. Pleadingly, he locked eyes with Joseph. "I don' know if I can go back dere..." When he'd left the mansion he hadn't been thinking straight.

//What if I run in to Rogue while I'm 'lone?// Remy wondered, nervously. "Can' I stay here?"

"No, you can't, Remy." Joseph walked over to his lover and grasped Remy's hand tightly in his. It didn't matter that they weren't alone and that Hank and Scott might wonder about their relationship, Joseph had to reassure Remy that everything was fine. "We'll do it together... I didn't plan on going back to the mansion either, but doctor McCoy needs to run these tests on me. We need to find a way to stop Astra."

Remy knew that Joseph had made a valid point and nodded his head. "I'll come 'long," he whispered, nervously.

"I'll stay close," Joseph promised as they walked outside.

Hank and Scott exchanged a meaningful look. They stayed slightly behind Remy and Joseph so they could talk without being overheard. "Are they holding hands?" Scott asked softly.

"I think they are, Scott." Hank grinned. "Maybe this... mutual attraction is aiding Remy's recovery," he said smugly. "As long as my patient benefits, I welcome it."

"Maybe that's why Rogue has been so quiet lately. Up until a few days ago, Rogue and Joseph were verbally fighting all the time!" Scott watched them closely and noticed that Joseph's fingers were soothingly rubbing Remy's hand. "Love or lust?"

"Judging from the way they are looking at each other, I'd say love," Hank replied, amused.

///

"Please lie down on the exam bed," Hank requested and waited for Joseph to comply. Remy stood at the other side of the bed, as the Cajun had refused to leave Joseph alone.

Scott stood at the foot end, watching them. "Remy? A word in private please?"

Reluctantly, Remy left Joseph's side and waited for Scott to close the door behind him. They stood in the corridor, giving Hank a chance to run his tests without any distractions.

Remy eyed Scott suspiciously. "What do y' wanna talk 'bout?"

"Would you and Joseph consider moving back in to the mansion until we've found a way to deal with Astra?" Scott saw the nervous twitch near Remy's left eye. Since they'd returned to the mansion, Remy had been looking over his shoulder. Maybe Hank had been too optimistic and Remy hadn't dealt with his depression and anxiety yet.

"Non, Scott, please don' ask me dat."

"For one night? Until Hank has evaluated the test results?" Scott wasn't going to give in easily. "If Astra attacks again, you're wide open. You can't take that risk."

"One night?" Remy said, doubtfully.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable you can stay at Joseph's room or he at yours," Scott suggested and smiled warmly.

//Merde! Dey know!// Remy realized startled. Was the attraction between Joseph and him that obvious? Apparently it was! "I'd appreciate it if y' didn' tell de ot'ers. I don' know if Joe wants everyone to know."

"So you're together?" Scott asked, teasingly. Had someone told him that Joseph and Remy would end up being an item, he would have called that person mad, but now it seemed very believable. The professor had also hinted at the fact that the two men seemed very comfortable around each other.

"Oui," Remy whispered. "Can I go back 'side now?"

"Why don't you give Hank some time to examine Joseph?" Scott suggested. "When was the last time you ate and did you bring your meds for the night?"

"I took a pill dis mornin'," Remy replied, baffled that Scott had remembered his medication. "I can go get my meds."

"I'll get them. I want you to stay here. Astra might try to get to Joseph through you." Scott led Remy into Hank's office and made some of the herbal tea Beast used in order to stay awake when he was doing his research. After removing the tea bags, he handed Remy one mug and sat down opposite the Cajun. "Where will you be staying tonight? Which room?"

Remy looked up, confused. "Why do y' wanna know?"

"In case of an attack," Scott clarified. "I don't want to end up in the wrong room when Astra makes her move."

"I've got to ask Josep' first..." Remy felt uncomfortable making a decision like that without consulting his lover first.

"Remy?" Hank stepped into his office and signaled the Cajun to approach him. "I'm going to give Joseph a break. The tests are tiring him. Could you stay with him while I study the first test results?"

"Mais oui!" Remy hurried back to the exam room, where he found Joseph sitting upright in bed. A large number of electrodes were attached to his naked chest, throat and face. "Cher? How are y' doin'?"

"Fine," Joseph said reassuringly. He could tell by the look in Remy's eyes that his lover needed to tell him something. "What is it?"

"Scott wants us to stay here for de night in case Astra tries anot'er sneak attack." Remy immediately claimed Joseph's hand. Hank had been right. Joseph looked like he needed a break. "I said we would stay de night..." Apologetically, Remy met Joseph's eyes. "I can tell him non, if y' don' wanna stay."

"We'll stay," Joseph replied calmly.

"Next, he wanted to know what room we would be in." This time, Remy averted his eyes and stared at the floor. "Dey figured it out, cher."

"Holding hands probably gave us away," Joseph replied cheerfully. "It's okay, Remy. I didn't plan on keeping our love a secret." Remy's eyes began to sparkle at hearing those words and Joseph loved to see those orbs so alive. Then, he considered Remy's question. "Can we stay in your room?"

"Sure, cher, we can," Remy happily agreed and pressed a kiss on Joseph's hand. "Want me to get some stuff from y'r room?"

"Some briefs, shirts, jeans, the usual stuff." Joseph smiled warmly, but then grew thoughtful. "Are you okay with this, Remy, letting them know that we're in love? Or do you want to keep this a secret a little longer?"

"Non, cher, c'est bien wit' me. Everyone can know I love y'." Remy shuffled his feet. "Should get my room cleaned up. When I left it was a mess."

"Then get going, sexy," Joseph said teasingly and curled one arm around Remy's neck to bring his lover in for a kiss. "Maybe I get to discover more hidden talents tonight?" he hinted.

"Would y' like dat?" Remy blushed slightly.

"I'd love to." Joseph released him. "Now get going. I don't plan on leaving your room after McCoy released me." He didn't want to run into Rogue after promising her to stay away from the mansion.

///

As Remy walked Joseph to his room, he remained alert. Rogue hadn't shown herself yet and the other X-Men seemed to keep their distance too. He'd been hoping to run into Storm and find out if she could ever forgive him, but she stayed clear as well.

"Remy?" Joseph saw the distant expression in Remy's eyes and called his lover back to the present.

Remy smiled and placed a kiss on Joseph's hand, which he held tightly. "I tried to clean up a lil'," he said apologetically. "Mais I got too much stuff and not 'nough space."

Joseph stifled a grin. "I'm sure it looks fine." When Remy opened the door at last, he peeked inside. "Why are you worried? Looks great..." The first thing he noticed was the big four poster bed made from dark oak. It had red satin sheets and looked extremely comfortable. "I love your bed... wish we had a bed like this at the boathouse."

Joseph walked over to the bed and ran his fingers over the soft fabric of the sheets. Then, his fingertips slithered up the wood. "I definitely love it." His eyes drifted away from the bed and towards Remy's collection of books and CD's. "I've never been here before," Joseph mused out loud and read the titles of the books. Next, he encountered a large painting.

Remy noticed Joseph's curious statement. "Monet," he explained. "My favorite painter. He tried to capture de sea on a drowsy evenin' when he stood paintin' on de cliffs."

"I know nothing about art..." Joseph said thoughtfully, as he studied the painting. "Astra probably thought it would be wasted on me." Joseph couldn't lock out the bitter tone that slipped into his voice. He decided that he liked the painting.

"Poppa t'aught me everyt'in' I know 'bout art. A t'ief needs to know if a paintin' is a forgery," Remy said and slid closer. He enfolded Joseph in a hug and pulled his lover close to his chest.

Joseph leaned into the embrace and realized that the rest of Remy's room was filled with even more books. A wooden desk had been buried beneath CD's and magazines. He didn't know what he'd thought Remy's room would look like, but certainly not like this.

His stomach growled and Joseph said, "We should grab a bite to eat before turning in." His eyes returned to the four poster bed. "Can we crawl into bed after dinner and... spend the rest of the evening there? Could I read one of your books? I've never read one..." he said in a miserable tone.

"Y' can have all de books y' want, cher. What's mine is y'rs!" Remy said softly and kissed the back of Joseph's neck. He was trying to find a way to tell Joseph that he didn't want to go to the kitchen. He was still hiding from Rogue and the other X-Men.

"Let's eat," Joseph said firmly, and buried Remy's hand in his. He saw the uncertainty in Remy's eyes. "I won't leave you alone with Rogue, should we run into her."

Remy took a deep breath, unable to deny Joseph anything. "Lead on," he said hesitantly and followed Joseph into the kitchen.

///

Remy sighed relieved when he realized that only Scott and Jean were in the kitchen. He remained close to Joseph while his lover piled leftovers onto their plates.

"Remy?" Jean smiled warmly. "I miss having you around."

Remy bit his tongue, wanting to point out to her that Scott had told him to move into the boathouse.

The professor had told her that Remy was an empath and she hoped that the Cajun sensed her sincerity. She had been shocked to hear that Remy had empathic abilities. When Charles had told her just how strong Remy's shields were she'd been stunned. She'd felt his shields before, but according to Charles they'd grown even stronger. //What if he has some telepathic abilities too?//

"But I think it's for the best that you stay at the boathouse," Jean continued and placed her hand on Remy's arm.

Remy cringed, hearing her words. So she wanted him out of sight as well? From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Joseph was eyeing him closely.
Jean felt Remy's sudden unease and sensed the tension that had appeared in his body. "You do know why Scott asked you to move into the boathouse temporarily?"

Remy nodded his head. "Y' don' want de traitor hangin' 'round de mansion."

At hearing those harsh words, Scott sat his mug down hard and turned around to face Remy. "What?"

Joseph continued to watch the exchange and decided to let Remy handle this. Hopefully talking to Scott and Jean would convince Remy that their intentions were honest. He'd already suspected that Scott had asked Remy to move in to the boathouse out of concern.

"Do you really think that?" Scott said and walked up to Remy.

"Oui," Remy whispered in a tiny tone. "I know dat what I did was wrong..."

Scott sensed Jean's concern and shared the feeling. "Remy, you left the room before I could explain myself to you." Scott felt guilty for not going after the Cajun when he'd asked Remy to move out of the mansion. If he'd known how depressed and miserable the Cajun had felt, he would have persisted. Now, he could only wonder how much deeper the empath had spiraled into depression, thinking that moving into the boathouse was some kind of punishment.

Remy stared at the floor. He'd known there would be trouble by agreeing to stay at the mansion overnight.

"I wanted you to have some rest," Scott explained, cocked his head and tried to make Remy look at him. He failed and Scott placed one hand on Remy's shoulder. "I know that Warren, Storm and Rogue are giving you a hard time and I wanted to remove you from that situation. After the fiasco in Antarctica I felt that you needed some down time." Scott gently squeezed Remy's shoulder. "I never meant to punish you. I'm sorry that you thought I was trying to get back at you."

Hesitantly, Remy raised his eyes and looked at Scott. How many times had he wished he could see the man's eyes? Staring at the visor was unnerving. Suddenly, he felt embarrassed that he'd assumed he knew Scott's reasons for making him leave, but... "Mais I felt y'r loat'in'," he whispered, barely audible.

"I didn't feel proud of myself for giving in to the pressure," Scott apologized, only now realizing how different being an empath was from a telepath. Jean could read his thoughts, but Remy could tell what he was feeling.

Joseph smiled and realized that Jean was grinning right back at him. It was good to know that they still had friends here at the mansion. "Come on, Remy, I'm hungry." Joseph handed Remy his tray. "Let's eat in your room so we can have some privacy."

Jean joined her husband and watched the two men leave. "I think they're good for each other," she said eventually. "When you told me they were together I didn't know how to feel about that, but now that I've seen them and felt their minds... I hope we can beat Astra so they get some peace."

Scott nodded his head. Taking out Astra was high on his list of priorities too.

///

After eating dinner, Joseph joined Remy, who was sitting on the floor and going through his book collection. "Did you already find that book you mentioned?" He'd told Remy that he would love to read his first book, but that he couldn't decide which one. Remy had offered to pick one for him.

"Just a sec, cher... It's been a while since I went t'rough dem and I didn' put dem back on de right shelf." Remy quavered, feeling Joseph's hand slip beneath his shirt to caress his bare back. "I t'ought y' wanted to read, cher!"

"You promised to reveal another one of your many hidden talents, sexy. The book can wait until later." Joseph held his breath. When he'd tried to get Rogue in the mood, she'd usually told him off, telling him to wait until she wanted to have sex too. Would Remy react in the same way?

"Here it is, cher!" Triumphantly, Remy handed his lover the book.

"768 pages? Have mercy on me!" Joseph sighed as he suspiciously eyed the book. Next, he checked its title and author. "Ulysses by James Joyce?"

"Y' don' know it?" Remy asked smugly and moved about until he sat between his lover's legs. His back rested comfortably against Joseph's chest. Immediately, Joseph's arm folded itself around his waist to pull him closer.

"Never heard of it, but that doesn't say much..." It was the first time that he planned on reading a book. "Remy, why this book?"

"I t'ink you'll like it, cher. It's witty, realistic and not too difficult to read. Y' might need a dictionary once in a while, mais I've got one right here!"

Hopefully, Joseph wouldn't get lost while reading Ulysses. Now that Joseph sat behind him, Remy realized that his lover was erect. "Y' want me to keep my promise? Mais I ain' sure I want to reveal anot'er of my talents just yet." He decided to tease Joseph a little, wondering how Joseph would react.

Joseph groaned. It didn't look like he could interest the Cajun in some love making. Too bad, he was really in the mood to get physical. "It's okay, sexy, we'll just turn in for the night and read. I can wait." His erection however, begged to differ. //What's going on with me? While I was with Rogue we had sex once, maybe twice a week and now... I came twice during the last 48 hours!//

Remy felt Joseph's disappointment and wondered what had caused it. Turning around in the embrace, he sat on his knees between Joseph's legs. When his lover tried to get to his feet, Remy stopped him. "Cher, what's wrong? I was only teasin' y'."

"Teasing me?" Joseph blinked his eyes. "Remy, I don't know what... how..." Lost and confused, he gazed into Remy's eyes. "I don't know the rules, what you expect me to do, or what I'm supposed to do."

Remy realized his mistake. "Sorry, cher, was sendin' mixed signals, won't do it 'gain." He tended to forget that Joseph didn't know much about the dating game. Remy smiled and pulled Joseph on top of him while he lay down on the floor. "I'll show y' one of my talents," he whispered seductively and licked his lips while grinding his groin against Joseph's pelvis.

Joseph panted, seeing the lust in his lover's eyes. "I like your sex drive," he repeated his earlier statement. "It's perfect." Leaning in closer, he roughly claimed Remy's lips.

Remy's eyes briefly grew big, realizing just how aroused Joseph was. //Is dis the same man who was afraid to kiss me?// he wondered, and gasped for breath when Joseph unzipped his jeans. //Mon Dieu! He's goin' to exhaust me!// Joseph's hand determinedly stole inside and pushed down his jeans and underwear. Remy wanted to say something, but Joseph's tongue was exploring every inch of his mouth and in the end he helplessly arched his back. If only Joseph would finally take him!

"I need to get you out of these clothes," Joseph mumbled, drowning in passion. He used his powers to basically tear the clothes off his lover's body.

"Cher!" Remy yelped helplessly, suddenly naked and squirming beneath his lover's weight. "Calm down!" He had to slow Joseph down. The lust and passion inside his lover's mind was overwhelming.

"Want to feel your skin against mine, sexy," Joseph whispered and also did away with his own clothing. He'd never felt more thankful to have these powers. Now that he was naked, he rubbed his body against Remy's.

"Want me to suck y'?" Remy offered and couldn't help lifting his hips in invitation. Joseph settled down between his legs and Remy groaned as the head of his lover's cock accidentally brushed his cleft, nudging against his entrance.

"No, not this time," Joseph said determinedly and curled his fingers firmly around Remy's slick cock.

"Whadda y' wanna do?" Remy asked, breathlessly. Unexpectedly, Joseph began to stroke him, setting a slow and tormenting pace. "Cher!" Joseph's cock twitched against his entrance and Remy almost begged Joseph to fuck him... but he didn't. It would ruin everything they'd achieved so far. "Know what y' want," he whispered seductively and curled his fingers around Joseph's hand, forcing his lover to release his aching cock.

Joseph threw back his head and his long hair danced over his body. Remy bucked hard against him, as Joseph dragged his locks over the Cajun's chest. "You like that?"

"Oui, cher... oui!" Remy couldn't help spreading his legs further, assuring Joseph that his ministrations were craved badly. His fingers were curled around Joseph's cock and quickly, he aligned their cocks.

"Remy!" Joseph called out his lover's name at the delicious sensation. His cock moved against Remy's and instinctively, he began to thrust.

"Oui, cher, dat's it!" Remy's fingers found Joseph's balls and he massaged them rhythmically. "Cover me in come, y'r come, wanna be y'rs, Josep'!"

"I won't last long!" Joseph whispered. He wanted to shoot his come onto his lover's body. Seeing Remy's fingers trail down, Joseph stopped thrusting, curious to find out what the Cajun was up to. The blood in his veins turned into fire, watching him.

Remy couldn't fight his needs any longer; he needed to feel something inside him. Slowly, he inserted his index finger into his opening and began to thrust, searching for his prostate to push him over the edge. "Cher, please!" Remy pulled Joseph close with his other hand and bruised his lover's lips in a passionate kiss.

"I..." Joseph tensed when he released his come onto Remy's abdomen.

Remy's fingertip brushed his prostate and he arched his back, pushing his cock against Joseph's and climaxed as well.

Joseph rested his body on Remy's, surrendering to the empath when Remy's orgasm coursed through his mind. After riding it out, he looked down and swallowed hard, seeing that Remy hadn't withdrawn his finger yet. "Don't move," he instructed and sat back, so he could keep Remy's hand in place. "Tell me how it feels," he commanded and rested his hand on Remy's, making sure his lover's finger stayed where it was.

Remy's eyes, which were draped with lust, locked with Joseph's. Remy felt his lover's curiosity and then there was Joseph's hand, keeping his in place. "Best feelin' in de world when makin' love," he whispered awkwardly, still reeling from the ecstasy he'd felt moments ago. Joseph's hand moved over his and Remy gasped, as his fingertip brushed his prostate again.

"Can I try it?" Joseph blushed. Seeing Remy touch himself with such abandon stirred his desire to please his lover. He knew that Remy wanted to be claimed, the Cajun had told him.

"Coat y'r finger wit' come," Remy instructed. Joseph allowed him to slowly pull back his finger and Remy sighed deeply at the prospect of feeling his lover's fingers inside him.

Joseph dipped his index finger into their come and was ready to continue the exploration of his lover's body. Cautiously, he placed the tip of his finger against Remy's entrance. "What do I do?"

"Don' just push inside," Remy said softly and closed his eyes to better feel Joseph's touch. "Massage de outer ring." He held his breath, hoping Joseph wouldn't lose his courage.

Joseph's eyes widened as his fingertip made contact with the warm and sticky flesh. Following Remy's advice, he gently massaged the puckered opening. "Is this all right?" he whispered, nervously. Remy's sigh made him look up. "You're growing hard again!"

"Can' help it, cher, feels so bien!" Remy struggled not to push back so Joseph's finger would slip inside. They had to take this slow. "Insert de tip of y'r finger..." He was relaxed and willing, craved the penetration and Joseph's fingertip easily slid inside. "Sacre," he cursed, wishing it was Joseph's cock instead!

"Remy?" Startled, Joseph almost pulled back at hearing Remy soft curse.

"Push in deeper, cher..." Remy had never before experienced such sweet torment. He wanted Joseph to fuck him hard and yet he had to stay in control and guide his lover. "Oui, bien," he panted as Joseph's digit slid inside him. "Now move y'r finger, cher!"

Experimentally, Joseph's finger made a circular motion inside his lover's passage. "Remy, do you really like this?"

"Oh, cher, keep dat up and I'll come 'gain!" Remy panted and bit his lower lip. "Would y' kiss me? Suckle my nipples?"

Joseph leaned in closer and his tongue gently touched one rock hard nipple. Licking the hard nub, he felt Remy arch his back. Then, pure ecstasy sliced through his mind. "Remy?" His cock was growing hard again too!

"Y' found de sweet spot, cher... congratulations," Remy hissed as Joseph's finger brushed his prostate again. "Start t'rustin'!" he yelped in frustration.

Taken aback by Remy's surrender and obvious lust, Joseph established a fast thrusting motion, instinctively sensing that Remy needed to find release quickly. Again and again, he watched in amazement how his finger disappeared into his lover's body. Suddenly, Remy's muscle clenched his finger and he stopped moving. Remy's come spurted onto his stomach and the Cajun actually purred his name!

"Jo...sep'," Remy purred, drowning in ecstasy. Looking Joseph in the eyes, he catapulted his orgasm into his lover's mind, urged on by his need to share his ecstasy with Joseph.

Joseph released a strangled moan when Remy's pleasure coursed through him. Remy's muscle still clenched his finger and Joseph came violently, collapsing on top of his lover.

"Don'... pull... back..." Remy warned Joseph, as his tight ass gripped his lover's finger again.

Joseph could only stare into Remy's eyes and held onto to the Cajun for life.

Moments later, they both began to calm down. "Careful, cher," Remy said softly, barely able to summon the strength to guide Joseph through the last stage of their exploration. "Pull back slowly... don' rush or y'll hurt me."

Heeding the warning, Joseph cautiously pulled back from Remy's body. Stunned, he wrapped his arms around Remy, rolling them both onto their side. They still faced each other, but Remy no longer had to carry Joseph's weight.

"Didn't I tell you to warn me the next time you'd do that?" Joseph chuckled, riding an adrenaline high like he'd never experienced before. "I almost passed out!"

Remy grinned smugly. "Anot'er hidden talent revealed, non?"

"Remy, seriously, that was..." Joseph failed to find the right words to describe these strong feelings inside him.

"Mind-blowin'? Fuckin' fantastic?" Remy suggested. "Merde, cher, we need to take anot'er shower!" Laughing warmly, he decided the shower could wait. "Y' liked bein' 'side me?"

"With my finger?" Joseph asked and nodded his head. "But, sexy..." Joseph kissed him lazily and then continued. "I'm not going to fit in there."

Remy gave him a confused look. "Cher?"

"You know, my... cock won't fit! You're too tight! I'd hurt you!" Joseph's face grew flustered. "I'm much too big!"

"Oh, cher! Y'r cock will fit just nicely! Lemme take care of dat, oui?" Remy chuckled warmly and hugged Joseph close. "Don' worry 'bout dat! It'll fit!"

Still doubtful, Joseph sighed. "Shower?" he suggested. The slippery semen didn't feel that great any more and... "Can we get stuck together?"

"Oui, cher!"

The warm smile on Remy's face made Joseph feel humble. "I love you, sexy."

"Je t'aime," Remy assured him. "C'mon! Let's take dat shower toget'er. Catch me if y' can, cher!" Remy rolled Joseph onto his back, jumped to his feet and dashed into the bathroom.

Chuckling, Joseph followed his lover.

 

Go on to Part4

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