Fic: A Little Push (X-men, Bobby/Jean-Paul)

[rivulet027]

Title: A Little Push
Summary: After figuring out who Jean-Paul is crushing on Rogue decides to meddle.
Pairing: Jean-Paul/Bobby but mentions Jean-Paul/Walter(Wanda), Aurora/Walter, Bobby/Cloud, Bobby/Sam
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the X-men. It’s not my toy box and I’m merely playing.
A/N: The last time I was actually following the comic books Bobby still had a secondary mutation and so I used that in here because that’s where my timeline for them ends. Hope no one minds. I also mention Sasquatch’s whole Walter-Wanda back to Walter experience and Cloud being genderfluid. I also gave Bobby a fling with Cannonball as I wanted him to have more than a few awkward moments with Cloud. Oh, and I also attempted Rogue’s accent.
Written for the Christmas Fic Exchange on speedsicle for hybridhelen who requested Kissing, Rogue being friends with both the boys, happy ending.



A Little Push:

Rogue idly turned a page in her magazine before she glanced up at Jean-Paul. She rolled her eyes as she pointed out, “Sugah, if ya fuss with that tie one more time ta avoid mah question then ya won’t have a tie left.”

“It’s an invalid question.”

She snorted, “Nice try, but we’ve been friends long enough. Ah know the signs. Ya’ve got a crush, now spill.”

Jean-Paul turned from his mirror to face her, “Signs? Do I even want to know what ridicules fabrications have led you to this conclusion?”

“Ah was around for the mess that was Walter,” she told him.

“There was no mess.”

“There was too much unrequited on your part,” Rogue said slowly almost gently, “Ah suspect there was some unresolved feelings on his part and ya watched your sister snatch up your man more than once.”

“He was never ‘my man’”

“He could’ve been. Did ya even try?”

Jean-Paul crossed his arms, “Walter is straight.”

“Is? Sugah, he was straight, probably. Wanda, on the other hand, was bi an’ Wanda had a crush on ya,” she told him, shutting her magazine decisively and meeting his gaze.

“I look like my sister,” Jean-Paul pointed out, tone annoyed.

“Ya do, but ya’re also a man and she’s a woman,” Rogue countered.

“This conversation is pointless. I’ve no interest in Walter, I haven’t in years.”

Rogue raised an eyebrow, well if that didn’t just effectively end that subject. She smirked, “So who is he?”

“You are relentless! What is it with women and having to meddle?”

She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a faux innocent look, “It’s why ya keep us around. So ya can get those little pushes ya need every now and then.”

Jean-Paul gave her an exasperated look. She rolled her eyes, she’d been on the receiving end of worse.

Rogue tapped her finger playfully against her lip contemplating, “Lets see, ya are a sucker for a guy who can make ya laugh and…”

That ruled out a lot of people.

“Ah’d have to guess Drake, but…”

His eyes said it all.

“Ya need to work on your poker face. So Bobby?”

Jean-Paul crossed his arms again, “Not a word.”

“Why not? Go ask him out,” she told him with an exasperated look of her own.

“He’s straight.”

Bobby Drake was a lot of things, she knew, but straight wasn’t one of them. Of course she’d been told that in confidence so she couldn’t exactly go blabbing to Jean-Paul, but…maybe she could go give Bobby a push.

“Is that gonna be your excuse not to go after anyone?” she countered as she drew herself off his bed, fix his overworked tie and sauntered out.

Bobby was easy enough to find, lying on his bed reading a comic book. She posed playfully in the doorway and interrupted his reading, “One question. Are ya done wallowing?”

Bobby peered over his comic book and snorted when he saw her. Her grin widened when he began to smile. He stopped abruptly, frowned and turned a page in his comic, “I’m entitled to wallow after what Emma did.”

“She fixed ya.”

“Without my permission!” he countered, “She just figured I couldn’t take care of the whole turning to ice thing myself so she just goes in my head and controls my powers. It was a violation, she could’ve at least asked first.”

“Ya done?”

“Yeah, I’m over it actually. At least I look like me and not one big giant ice block.”

She nodded as she took up a perch on the other end of the bed.

Bobby put his comic on a nearby nightstand, “Maybe I just need to get out. It is my day off and sticking around the mansion, probably not the best idea. So maybe…”

“Ah got ta thinkin’,” she interrupted before Bobby could work himself into a full on babble.

Bobby paused, his focus obviously shifting from the plans he’d been about to voice to her.

“Ya remember our road trip?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “You don’t need another one do you? Cause I’m not sure Scott’d let me leave.”

“Not that. Just rememberin’ what ya said about Cloud, your regrets. And then there was that thing ya had with Sam,” she reminded.

He nodded, “Okay, where you going with this?”

“Sugah, maybe it’s time ta try the adult approach with a guy,” she broached as gently as she could.

Bobby rolled his eyes, “You’re going to set me up, aren’t you?”

She laughed and shook her head, “Ah was gonna make a suggestion.”

“Yeah. Who?”

“Jean-Paul.”

Bobby laughed at her then, “Oh that’s good. Good one. You had me going for a moment, actually thought you were serious, but…ow!”

“Ah didn’t hit ya that hard,” she defended.

“You hit harder than most!”

“Ah was careful and Ah was being serious.”

“Jean-Paul?”

“Ya should go for it,” she grinned.

“Have you looked at the guy? He’s all serious and kinda snooty and hard to approach and trust me I’ve already screwed it up,” he rambled.

“Did ya even really try?”

“Would I even really have a chance?” he countered.

“Ah’ve been friends with him for awhile an’ if there is one thing Ah can tell ya it’s that he’s a sucker for a guy who can make him laugh,” she pushed.

She smiled as she watched the realization dawn on Bobby’s face.

“Hey, I can do that,” Bobby smiled back, “If there is one thing I can do it is make somebody laugh.”

She nodded encouragement.

“But what would I asked him to do with me?” Bobby stuttered to a halt, “I mean the dining hall is kinda out of the picture for both of us and…movie?”

Rogue shook her head, “No, he can’t sit through ‘em an’ if he pushed himself to then he’d just fall asleep.”

“Coffee?”

“He can’t take too much caffeine cause of his metabolism, but he might say yes ta that,” she shrugged.

“Dinner then, out of this place,” Bobby decided

“Sounds like ya found a winner,” she encouraged hoping that he’d go with that one. She had other things she wanted to do with her day instead of playing matchmaker to two of her best friends. Not that it wasn’t a worthy cause, but well she hadn’t beaten anyone at basketball in awhile and with the weather being so nice she thought she ought to take advantage of it.

“Okay, out then,” Bobby said leading her to the door, “I have to change.”

She took him in from head to toe before she told him, “Ya look fine, put on better shoes and a belt. He should be in his office by now.”

That said she walked away satisfied that the two of them could work it out from there and determined to find someone to beat at basketball.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Bobby shuffled nervously outside Jean-Paul’s office. He smoothed down his shirt. It wasn’t too late to turn and make it back to the safety of his room. No, if what Rogue had said was right then he had a chance with Jean-Paul and lately he’d been thinking he’d like to try his hand at dating again so…

Taking a breath Bobby knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Jean-Paul’s voice answered.

Bobby entered, closing the door behind him. Jean-Paul looked up, face unreadable, “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Hi,” Bobby greeted.

“Hello,” Jean-Paul said with a confused look.

“Can’t skip the hellos,” Bobby tried, “They’re very important.”

Bobby couldn’t help but feel slightly triumphant as he caught the hint of a smile on Jean-Paul’s face.

“Well now that they’re over was there something you needed?” Jean-Paul inquired.

“What are you doing today?” Bobby asked.

“Teaching,” Jean-Paul told him in a tone that implied he should already know that.

“When’s your last class over?”

“Four. Why?”

“Well,” Bobby somehow managed, “It’s my day off and baring really wacky evil plans I should be free all day so I was thinking maybe we could go get dinner.”

Jean-Paul’s pen dropped. He blinked once, twice and then asked, “What exactly did Rogue say to you?”

That was not the face of someone who wanted to say yes to a date with him Bobby decided. He took a step back towards the door, “I…she, well she pointed out a few things.”

“What things?” Jean-Paul pushed his face darkening.

“Me things,” Bobby nodded. He needed to disengage and give them both an out. So in a rush he rambled, “You know, mostly she pointed out how I needed to start dating again and might have mentioned you like guys who can make you laugh and I’m great at that so…but…S’cool. Should’ve known she was joking. I’ll just go tell her she got me good.”

Having managed an out Bobby turned to go. As he reached for the door he found himself suddenly spun around with his back against his only means of escape.

“Hi,” he managed to squeak.

Jean-Paul answered by kissing him. Bobby relaxed against him, let the door support him and responded. He opened to Jean-Paul, let it move beyond a simple brush of lips and into an exploration. His mind seemed to stop until all he could think about was kissing back. He’d heard about kisses this good, but never experienced one himself. It far exceeded every missed opportunity with Cloud when she’d turned into a guy. It surpassed every rushed ‘this is a fling’ kiss he’d ever gotten from Sam. He was, Bobby realized quickly, going to want to kiss Jean-Paul a lot from here on out.

Bobby barely managed to suppress a whimper of protest as Jean-Paul pulled away slowly. He opened his eyes, met those blue one that were darting over his face and smiled, “That better be a yes or I’ll have to prank you so fast not even your powers will help you.”

“Yes,” Jean-Paul laughed.

“Good,” Bobby smiled, “We can figure out the details after you kiss me again.”