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When Kurt enters the academy, he's twisting in the grip of both Ororo and Jean and looking slightly damp, pretty sulky and also midnight blue, which makes Remy decide that they should be friends.He waits patiently outside Xavier's office as Kurt is given The We Love All Mutants Welcome Talk and tries to listen in to see what information he can glean about this new addition. Of course Xavier knows he's there, but the slight touch of his mind against Remy's is only the familiar 'I know you're mad but I also know you're harmless' slight amused, friendly expression he's pretty sure is reserved just for him.Remy jumps in the way as the door swings open. The newcomer is dreadfully unimpressed."Want to do the tour?""I've done the tour.""You've been here three minutes, how have you done the tour?""I heard that this is a place for gifted people, I suppose I simply have my gifts.""Well then, I guess I have mine too. Monsieur Remy LeBeau, if you please."Three blue fingers (rough equivalent of fingers) reach out to shake his hand. The skin is surprisingly similar to human skin, possibly softer."Kurt. Pleased to meet you, Herr LeBeau.""So you've done the tour. How about the tour on the ceiling?"There's a noise like if a balloon full of flour got popped and a small cough. Remy looks up and Kurt is hanging from the elaborate light fixture, grinning madly. He disappears and Remy sprints after him.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------It's midsummer and the days are lazy stretches, fading in and out with bright orange-pink-lilac lights and filled up with clear, beautiful weather. It's three weeks since Kurt arrived at the academy and they've been inseparable since. An understanding of bizarre concepts bonds them together in ways that the other pupils can't quite get to grips with, yet are nonetheless relieved that Remy has finally found some company to keep him out of (noticeable) trouble.A particularly warm evening sees them relaxed on the roof of the mansion, finally worn out after a day of running the entire width of the forest. They've spent every day like this, every spare moment taken up with hushed conversations, conspiratorial tones to share things that neither have shared before. They tell stories, games of one-upmanship where the more bizarre, unbelievable or dangerous the better, tales of bravado and madness and magic. It's never questioned how many of these stories are true; the pleasure lies in simply telling them.The sky is growing darker and Kurt is explaining the time he teleported onto the horizon for how inviting it looked."And was it possible?""Of course it was possible, I touched that orange cloud right there! It was so warm that it gave me this heat, it stays forever and means I will never be cold again."Remy's eyes are wide and impressed and Kurt feels proud of himself."I could take you there one day, if you wanted,"Remy nods slowly, lost in the story and Kurt's conviction. Wind wakes him, it's suddenly cold and probably very late."We should go in.""We could sleep out here!""Isn't it a bit uncomfortable?""I'm never uncomfortable."Remy doesn't really want to admit that he is, so he doesn't say anything. Kurt disappears and reappears in a flash, holding a thick blanket which he bundles up and shoves under Remy's head."There."Kurt stretched out beside him, long-limbed and languid and completely contrasting to the way Remy feels the chill of the stone sink into his muscles. He wraps the blanket around himself and feels alright for approximately fifteen seconds before his teeth start to chatter."You're cold."Remy says nothing, being cold is a weakness which can clearly be overcome. The thought is eradicated by the weight of Kurt's arm over his chest."Let me in, then,"Kurt's voice is by his ear, breath hot and comforting and Remy sort of wants nothing more than to curl up into him but he wonders if maybe there's something he should mention like, are you sure, won't this be awkward, are you at all aware of the implications of sharing a bed with someone- but then Kurt's insinuated himself under the cover, wrapped up all around him like a giant hot water bottle and it's pretty obvious that these kinds of things never really occur to someone like Kurt.-------------------------------------------------------------Remy wakes up with the sunrise the next day. He'd been surprisingly comfortable sleeping on the roof, Kurt is much warmer than his bedroom and kind of nice to sleep next to. Which is maybe not something he ought to get used to. He opens his eyes, slow as possible, bright bright sun piercing through and blinding him but actually it's just really exquisite. He shifts carefully so as not to wake Kurt, turns to face him and starts to notice things like how different he is when he's asleep, how it's like seeing something secret, like this ball of energy has this whole other side, this freakish angelic expression when no one's watching and the way the light bounces off his skin is dazzling, jewel tones like sapphires on fire. He looks sparkling and precious and rare and Remy curses every person Kurt ever told him about, every person who didn't see how valuable he was and cast him out like he was somehow wrong. There's nothing remotely wrong with the creature lying next to him, thinks Remy, there's nothing even average. He's just beautiful.----------------------------------------------------------Remy is sitting in the kitchen when Kurt appears beside him, grabs his hand and teleports them both to the middle of the forest."I'm going to hide. I'm allowed to teleport three times and I'm not allowed out of the forest. You have thirty seconds to find me."Remy finds him in twenty-eight seconds, panting and cackling and pure and undistracted.-----------------------------------------------------------------"How about a game of cards?"Kitty groans next to them."Don't do it Kurt, it's a trap!""It's a card trick, Kitty, not a trap.""Go on then,"Kurt watches intently, poised to dsicover the secret, sure he can't be fooled- he touches a card, shuffles the pack and hands it to Kitty who shuffles as well. Remy closes his eyes for a second and motions for Kurt to keep the cards."Look for your card."Kurt looks. It's not there."Try the ceiling."
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It's midnight, or it could be midnight, because it feels like midnight and Kurt blends into the sky and Remy is lying on his back in the forest, sending dry orange leaves into a spiral above him, up to circle the full moon and back down again, a halo around Kurt's head whilst yellow-gold eyes follow them in circles, enraptured and silent..............................................................Remy can't remember when this started being a thing- waking up at sunrise with Kurt breathing slowly next to him, curled up so close like their relationship is more than the mutual insanity that keeps Kurt happy and Remy feeling guilty that Kurt's maybe unaware that holding hands when they don't need to be isn't something that two guys tend to do where he comes from. Other things to add to that guilty feeling might include spending all their spare time alone together, or spending most of their nights wrapped around each other because it's just logical, apparently.A strand of hair falls across Kurt's eyes and Remy moves it back because it impaired the view of his face. Perhaps this isn't healthy, perhaps this is in fact really unhealthy to be not exactly taking advantage but to be completely aware of how taking advantage could happen but of course it never would because Remy loves him too much. Which is actually probably the opposite of healthy. It's probably something that should end. If Remy were a sensible person maybe he'd just explain calmly to Kurt that may be they should spend a bit less time together- not even that, maybe he could stop making excuses to spend more time with him. He wouldn't even need to explain anything. He could just say he was busy- but of course, that's unrealistic. Kurt has never, ever stopped him doing anything. When he has work to do Kurt just sits silently, watches, does something else, just remains in the room because it's nicer to be in company than to not be in company. This situation would in fact be fine- but Kurt is not a normal situation. Kurt would go away if he asked, but why would he ask?Kurt's eyes click open and Remy does a really good impression of someone who hasn't been watching him sleep.................................................................................It's the middle of winter and finally cold enugh for Kurt to not insist they spend their evenings outside. The freezing night creeps through the heavy stone but the huge fire in Remy's bedroom possibly means that the way Kurt's hands are clasped around his for extra warmth isn't entirely warranted, but there certainly aren't any complaints.Kurt's staring into the fire, the flames dancing in the shine of his eyes, gorgeous, burning colour igniting his perfect profile. Remy's staring into Kurt and no one's saying a thing.The whole situation is stupid. Kurt has been here six months. Remy thinks he has possibly loved him for maybe five of those months, maybe more. Remy thinks he has never actually formed an attachment like this to anyone in his whole life before now. He thinks maybe this isn't that kind of love, maybe it's just clinging desperately to the only person who's ever stayed to talk to him, ever trusted him, ever smiled at him like he never did anything wrong. Maybe it's just that he's never had the chance to really be friends with someone. And now he has. And the vague urge to kiss Kurt everytime he looks at him is maybe just one of those things that's strange about Remy. He's been told he's strange many, many times before. So there could be that. There could be reasonable explanations for everything that simply ignore the way his skin burns far hotter than it should do when Kurt holds his hand, the way he could spend hours just studying his sleeping face, the way he actually thinks he'd probably die if Kurt ever left.Kurt smiles suddenly, the movement shakes Remy a little and he can't escape the thought that comes straight into his head - I'm in love with you. His mouth shapes the words near silently in the French he uses when he isn't thinking straight. Kurt looks at him intently."What does that mean?""I don't think I want to tell you."Kurt offers a sad kind of smile that Remy isn't so used to because it's the one he tends to use on the people who won't give enough to him, won't realise that he's incredible, won't forgive his outsider approach and won't trust him. Remy isn't one of those people, he's the opposite, so this look reserved for them makes him want to cry. Kurt's thumb strokes accross the palm of his hand and he feels like he's suffocating so he stands up."I'm quite tired, I think I will sleep now.""Bon nuit, Herr,""You're learning..."Remy forces a smile before tearing his eyes away and climbing into bed, not facing Kurt, not thinking about him, not wishing he'd come and wrap himself around him right now- hoping he'll just leave and Remy will stop feeling like this and everything will be normal and like it was before.Instead, Kurt does come over. Remy maintains that he's asleep but he knows it's not convincing because he can feel Kurt's face above his, staring or waiting or something because maybe Remy just acted all wrong and he wants to fix it because being honest, neither of them can get to sleep like this.His eyes flick open and he sees Kurt smile and then he feels that smile touch his mouth just ever so gently, Kurt's eyes closed for that tiny second before he pulls away, alert and expectant.Remy doesn't really know what to say so he reaches out for Kurt's hand and hopes it provides the question 'wait did you really just do that and if you did did you mean to and if you meant to did you mean it because actually this is a Very Impotant Matter and I'd really like to know because I am in love with you and I shouldn't be so are you really considering the repurcussions of your actions, Kurt?' and Kurt leans down and kisses him again and this time Remy responds, smiling too much and wrapping his arms too tightly around his waist but it's okay because Kurt is doing it too, fingers wrapped around Remy's long hair, pushing him closer as if they could just devour each other like this.It's like this, kissing in every single way they could, tangled up in each other and never quite touching enough that they fall asleep, and when Remy wakes up, Kurt is staring at him, fingers playing with a lock of his hair that fell out from behnd his ear and obscured Kurt's view of his face.
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Kurt has spent all day training. He's exhausted and practically glowing with the effects of hours in the freezing air outside and he's also asleep with his head on Remy's lap in the living room.Logan throws himself down opposite, watches Remy playing solitaire in the air in front of him for a while with his unlit cigar hanging from his mouth until Remy gets bored of his vacantly hypnotised face and sends a card flying towards him to light it."Always thought that was a neat trick,""I know,""...yep, you definitely know."Remy smiles to himself and strokes Kurt's hair absently."You know...this is different, Logan, yes?""What, you and the elf?""...I mean, being with Kurt, for me, is different. To you.""Well for starters I never had a tail and who knows what you can do with-""Ah...it's not the tail. I mean I...with you, I met you, you didn't care who I was, you destroyed buildings and men in front of me and you were so impressive and insane and awful and somehow I wanted to save you. You wanted different.""Yeah, look, I'm sorry I didn't-""No, not at all, I came here and...Kurt made me feel like nothing ever needed to be destroyed. All he did was hold my hand and I-"Logan winces in discomfort."I honestly don't need the details, I promise-""No, I just thought I should tell you. Because you wanted me to be happy. And now I am.""Well kid, I'm glad you are. You're lucky.""Yes.""Just...enjoy it. While you can."Remy looks at him properly, confused."What do you mean by that?""You remember the girl I was trying to avenge the day I met you?""Yes, she saved so many...""They wanted me, they went after her. To get my attention. They couldn't kill me, so they killed the person I loved because they knew I was vulnerable. You, kid, are not an unwanted man,""I would never let anything come near-""I'm just saying. Once someone after you knows you got a weak spot -and boy do you have a weak spot- once they know you got something to lose, they'll try and make sure you lose it. So you make sure you don't.""I'd defend him with my life,""Yeah. I tried that too. Not sure how well it worked seeing as I'm here and she's not and Jean's not and-""Scott?""Who the fuck's gonna come near Scott Summers these days? He'd kill them at a ten mile radius if he smelt danger. He can look after himself. And the only reason anyone knows is because they're a goddamn telepath or because they're your boyfriend and they're creepy as hell. Looking for the bathroom, he said. Goddamn-"Remy laughs, runs his hands appreciatively over Kurt's exposed shoulder and smiles up at Logan taking an indignant puff and shaking his head. He thinks about how he should maybe never let Kurt out of his sight.