[ narrative: with diamondgirl ] "You see right through me, I got the feeling of love."

[cyclopticblasts]

Scott was nervous. That was really unlike him. The only thing that usually got him nervous were bad odds in an impeding battle when he worried the team would come home with less of their numbers than they set out with. That didn't even really touch this particular thread of nervous he was experiencing right, and he knew exactly why too.

Up the hall of the large Hamptons beach house with views of the water, he could hear Emma yammering away on the phone in a no-nonsense way that she got when she was dealing with business. She was checking in back at the school to make sure everything was kept within manageable realms of peace-keeping. That meant speaking to at least five different people to make sure they were all giving her the same story. She had differing levels of trust for them. She knew she could take, for example, Sage's word as gospel. But if it was Gambit or Warren who she got, they could give her the run-around or just tell her what she wanted to hear, depending on what mood they were in. Scott trusted Warren impeccable, but he also knew the guy didn't like his authority questioned if he was left in charge. But Emma wasn't yelling - yet - so it was a good start at least.

( But he had some time up his sleeve... )

[ with diamondgirl ] "Are you gonna be my girl?"

[cyclopticblasts]

It really was a superb night. It was clear, sky full of stars, and the reflection of the moonlight looking like it was going on for miles. Scott was pretty sure he could get used to living like this, but at the same time, he knew they would both get bored and yearn for the X-Men life again if they even tried. That's why it was awesome to get away how they had, because they didn't do it frequently enough. In fact, the last time they had been away together, it had been on business to LA. Fun enough, but not intimate enough.

Emma had taken her shoe off at the start of their walk and he had taken them off her to carry for her. He gave her a smile when she had looped her arm through his at first, but it wasn't long before she wrapped her arm around his waist instead and his draped protectively around her shoulders. It was a nice walk, and the sound of the water lapping on the sure was soothing. Scott could almost pretend they weren't encapsulated in a world of combat and conflict all the time, just from the nature of what they were.

Now, Emma had walked off down to the sure to let the water wash over her feet. It was cold, but she was tough as brass balls so it didn't really affect her. She seemed happy to just bask in the private freedom they had going for them here, and Scott couldn't help but just pause up on the sand a few paces away and watch her. She was beautiful, and he was hit with a dizzying sense of how lucky he was. He had come a long way, and it had led him here. Life really wasn't as bad as he had once believed it was.

[ narrative ] "Broken angel..."

[whoneedsahalo]

It hadn't taken Warren long at all to realise he had fucked up.

It wasn't any small fuck up either. It was an incredibly large and stupid fuck up. Because he was emotionally invested. That was the biggest Achilles Heel anyone could have, and he fucking fell for it. Literally. He had received an anonymous text message telling him that John had been kidnapped and was being held in an old abandoned building in Queens. Little had he realised at the time was that John had received exactly the same text message, only to him, it was telling him Warren had been kidnapped.

Warren had been at the Mansion, hunched over a pile of papers that he was trying to wade through so he could have some time with John later. That had been the plan, and in the meantime, John went into Manhattan with Remy to a club for a few hours. Warren was stuck back at the school, because he had agreed to step in at the helm while Emma and Scott were away, and it wasn't a responsibility he never took lightly. He was basically their 2IC and it was his job to make sure everything was kept in fucking line while they were gone so they didn't come back to a school that had been flattened to rubble... again.

( At first, John and Warren had kept their hook-up a secret... )

[NARRATIVE] "You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for..." [with Angel and the Flash]

[worldwillendinfire]

This whole situation should've been something that John had foreseen. But on some level, it was. This was why, so early in their relationship, he'd so adamantly advocated for keeping it on the downlow... keeping it to themselves and letting everyone else remain in the dark. Because if they had, this wouldn't have happened. None of it would've fucking happened. The Brotherhood as a whole were still furious with John for leaving and defecting to the X-Men. And the news that he had taken one of them as a lover had only further roused their anger, obviously.

Everything had happened so fucking fast, and as soon as the shot had been fired that had torn through Warren's shoulder and wing, the only emotions that John could get to work for him were anger and terror for Warren's life as his lover fell down god only knew how far, and in the midst of his anger, he didn't think. He just acted on instinct. If these bastards wanted him to go back to who he was before... a trained, merciless killing machine, then right now, they might just get what they wanted.

( All it took was a spark... )

NARRATIVE. SCENE COMPLETE.

[ text ] to wreakinghavok

[lightninggavemeabs]

Where are you? Are you safe?

"I'm all alone and I need you now..." [ with lightninggavemeabs ]

[wreakinghavok]

The attack on Warren had thrown the whole X-Mansion into turmoil as everyone tried to figure out what had happened and what, if anything, was the best course of action. Everyone had opinions, but as Scott's brother, Alex knew how heavily it was weighing on his brother's shoulders that he had to make the final call with Emma. And even then, there was no being sure that everyone would go along with the plan, because John was so angry at this point that Alex wasn't sure what he might do.

But after the week they'd both had, Alex was convinced that the best possible thing for them was to try and rest and spend some time together. There was so much on both their minds, and there were things that Alex needed to talk to Barry about, too... Like the fact that, when Barry had been unconscious after inhaling noxious gasses, Alex had gone to S.T.A.R Labs to sit with him, not even coming close to fully explaining himself to anyone. He just needed to be near Barry. It was only when Caitlin assured him that Barry would be fine that Alex allowed himself to be called back home for a project he'd literally left the lab in the middle of.

Now Warren was hurt... Warren was hurt and Barry had been terrified that it was Alex... That was a heavy thing that they were both going to have to learn to face in their relationship -- the almost constant fear that came with the recognition that your other half put his life on the line on almost a daily basis to help and protect people. And now that it was sinking in just how much it fucking hurt facing losing people you loved, Alex wanted to hide away with Barry where they could be as safe as mutantly possible and just fucking hold onto him for as long as he could.