This story is about a love interest between Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, and an original character, Richard. This IS a m/m slash fic, so if that's not your thing, leave now. I've rated this R because there will be some violence and sex later on, so if that is also not your thing, leave now. This takes place around the X2 movie, but it really doesn't have anything to do with it other than the setting, so there shouldn't be any spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet. Send any comments or questions to koshfanfic@hotmail.com. This story is fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of any of the characters mentioned or any personal knowledge about their private lives. This has nothing to do with Marvel or Xmen. It's purely my imagination. That having been said, let's get on with the story!
Love In The Manor: Chapter 1 by Kosh
"Common kid, it's not that bad."
Logan was trying to comfort him again. It usually worked, but this time, this time was different. He wasn't going back, at least not that he could see in the future.
"Richard, are you listening?"
Richard became aware that while he was listening to Logan, he wasn't showing any confirmation to him that he was. Richard looked up at Logan, his deep brown eyes showing Logan confirmation.
"Yes I'm listening; I'm just still in shock a bit I guess. Thanks again for coming to get me."
"Hey no problem buddy. It's what I'm here for." He reached over and patted Richard on the knee, trying to bring some comfort to the obviously distraught teen. "He'll do just fine at the Manor," thought Logan. "Just fine indeed."
They arrived at Professor Charles Xavier's manor house early in the evening, the smooth ride from the main highway being mostly quiet. Richard looked up at the giant house which was to become his home, and opened his mouth in surprise.
"It's huge!" he cried. "And people, like us, all live here?"
"Yup," Logan replied. "It's a regular ol' welcome wagon this house. Common, let's get you inside. You're probably starving. Come to think of it, I am too. Let's go."
As soon as they entered the front hall, two people who were crossing from one entrance to another looked up; one boy, one girl. They approached Logan and Richard, who appeared very heavily laden with baggage.
"Hey Logan back from picking up the new guest?" the girl said as she glanced at Richard, smiling.
"Ya he's the new fish. Rogue, Bobby, this is Richard."
"Hello," Richard meekly stated under his bags.
"Here let me get some of those for you," Bobby said. He took the top two bags from Richard's hands, allowing him to stand up properly now.
"Oh man thanks a lot. I didn't know they would be so heavy," Richard said to Bobby.
"Ok introductions over. Let's get him up to his room and then down in the kitchen for food, cause were both starving." Logan said all this in a huff as he carried the other half of Richard's bags up the stairs. Richard and Bobby followed him up the oak banister staircase. After getting to the top, they took a left down the hallway, eventually reaching the end of it on what appeared to be the south side of the manor. As they took another right down a smaller hallway, Logan stopped at a door at the end. He pushed it open, revealing a spacious room with a giant bed and a window with a scenic view of a side patio of the house.
"Ok buddy here's your room. Just dump your stuff down here on the bed and we'll go downstairs and get you some food."
The three of them dumped Richard's luggage on the bed and booked it back downstairs for the aforementioned food. Logan led the two boys down a side hallway from the main entrance hall and into the door of the kitchen.
"Ok kid whatcha want... let's see we got chicken, Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, or fried vegetables. I think this is what's leftover from dinner, right Bobby?"
"Ya, but I didn't have any then so I'll have some now I guess."
Richard glanced at the food staring at him in the fridge, and paused before he spoke, grabbing the chicken and salad. "My mom would make me chicken Caesar salad all the time, so I'll have that."
"Sounds good," Bobby and Logan chimed at the same time.
After a hearty meal and a pleasant chat between the three of them, they all went off to bed. Richard crashed as soon as he fell on his bed, squishing all his bags still lying on the bed. He awoke the next morning, well rested, but with a bit of a stiff neck from sleeping on the bumpy baggage. Putting on some clean clothes, he stumbled downstairs and into the kitchen. Rogue and Bobby were already there. They both said hi and beckoned him to join them at the kitchen table. After getting a large cup of coffee, Richard slumped into a vacant chair.
"Not a morning person?" Rogue questioned.
"Not really, but I did have a good sleep last night. I just don't like mornings in general," Richard answered. He slurped his coffee, wanting, needing the caffeine to enter his bloodstream and awaken him.
"So Richard, now that we're all gotten ourselves acquainted and know each other, what's your story? Just curious, that's all." Bobby stated.
Richard placed his coffee squarely on the table, his meager smile fading slightly. He glanced at Bobby, then at Rogue, and opened his mouth. "Well, I've known I was a mutant I guess for as long as I can remember, but my parents didn't know. After hearing all the stories of mutant hate on the news, I didn't tell them because I was afraid. They're also quite religious, and I wasn't sure how they would take it. So, I kept silent. That's when Logan started showing up. He claimed he was an attendant from my school sent over to tutor me, but I soon found out he was a mutant as well. He taught me things about the mutant world, the stuff you don't hear on the news. He said if I ever needed a place to stay, he worked for a man called Xavier who ran a school for mutants. Well, last night I took him up on that offer."
He paused and took gingerly took a sip of his coffee. Noticing that Bobby and Rogue were intently staring at him, waiting for him to continue, he cleared his throat.
"I have also known for as long as I can remember that I was... gay. I finally told my parents last night, because I couldn't lie to them anymore, and they basically threw me out of the house in anger and told me not to come back. Since I'm 18, there's nothing I could do about it, and I moped around the street with my bags until Logan showed up. I didn't even ask him to come get me, he just showed up, like he knew. I have no idea how, but... ya. So here I am, I guess."
Both Bobby and Rogue slowly sat back in their chairs, content the story was over. Richard had noticed Bobby seemed to lean in extra hard when he said he was gay, but was questioned by Rogue before he could give thought to it.
"Well, I'm sorry about your parents, but it is good that Logan brought you here then. Are you planning on living here permanently then?"
"I guess so. I mean, I don't have anywhere else to go. And everyone here is a mutant as well, so I don't feel so isolated anymore." Richard took a sip of his coffee again after finishing his statement.
"What powers do you have?" Bobby said, posing a neutral question to break the saddened silence.
Richard pointed to his head. "My mind. I can move stuff around by thinking."
"So, you're a telekinetic?" Rogue, said, poised in her obvious statement.
"Ya, I guess. I'm also a telepath, since I can also read minds."
Bobby's eyes widened in surprise. "Cool man! Just like Doctor Grey or the Professor. There aren't many of your kind around. Maybe that's why Logan came to look after you."
"Maybe."
Just then the kitchen door flew open and Logan entered the room.
"Common kid, the Professor wants to meet ya. I'll take you there, but finish that first," he said, pointing to the coffee cup in front of Richard. Richard lifted up his coffee cup and slurped the last of it down. He said goodbye to Rogue and Bobby and followed Logan out the door.
They entered an elevator just outside of the kitchen and climbed up two stories before the doors opened. Directly ahead of them were two large oak paneled doors with carvings of mythical creatures upon them. Logan pushed one of the doors open and entered, Richard following in pursuit.
"Come in, come in. I've wanted to meet you for some time now, Richard."
An elderly bald man in a wheelchair spoke this as the two of them entered the room. After a few pleasantries, he motioned for them to sit in two available seats across from his desk. He stared at Richard, almost pondering something. They stared at each other, for the longest time, then finally the Professor spoke.
"Quite right you are, Logan, that he is a telepath. I just filled him in on pretty much everything, including that I sent you to watch over him all this time." He changed his gaze from Logan to Richard. "It's a shame about your parents, but you are welcome here. I trust you are now settled in?"
"Yes sir."
"Very well. Go now, enjoy yourself for the rest of the weekend, and I'll see you Monday morning in classes."
"Yes sir, and thank you." Richard replied. The Professor nodded.
Over the next two weeks Richard adapted to life at the Xavier Manor. The classes were actually entertaining and informative, not boring and dry like his high school back home. He came to call Rogue and Bobby his best friends at the school, and they hanged out together everyday. He was introduced to Cyclops, Storm, and Dr. Grey, another telepath. He also learned that Bobby was gay too, and being as Richard was attracted to him, he liked this news. One day, Rogue approached Richard as he was heading down the hallway to his room for bed.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she said.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Let's go to your room," she said as she pushed Richard into it.
"What's going on?" Richard questioned.
"Ok, you know he's gay, he knows your gay, and I can tell from the way you sneak glances at each other when you think the other isn't looking that you obviously like each other. So, why don't you try to initiate something and ask him out?"
Richard stared, unblinking at Rogue. She sure said a mouthful, and it was taking him a while to process.
"What do you mean, I stare at him?"
"You do. It's quite obvious. He does it to you as well."
"He does?" Richard said, his voice rising in interest.
"See? You do like him. So ask him out."
"I don't know. I don't even know if he does like me, that's just what you're telling me."
"Ah ha! You do like him! I knew it. It's so obvious," she said, smirking at him.
"I don't know. I'll sleep on it."
"Fine, fine. But he does like you too, so keep it in mind." She left his room and closed his door.
"What JUST happened," Richard thought to himself. He did like Bobby, really liked him, but he didn't know it was a two way thing. Oh boy, he thought; if only. He fell asleep, pleasant dreams swimming around in his head.
The next night Richard lay across the couch in the lounge, reading a novel the Professor recommended to him. He stared outside, noticing the bright blue moon in the clear night sky, and stood up. He opened the patio door and stepped out into the moonlight. As the cool night breeze enveloped him, he sat on a bench overlooking a bluff at the end of the patio. He heard someone behind him, and gazed around. Bobby had just come outside.
"Hi... I saw you sitting out here and thought I'd join you. That ok?" Richard nodded in approval. Bobby sat down beside Richard, joining in gazing at the moon. His gaze shifted, however, to Richard.
"I have something to ask you. It's pretty important, at least I feel it is."
Richard looked at Bobby, staring into the cool blue eyes that gazed back at him.
"I've thought about it over the last week, and I feel that if I don't ask, it'll eat me apart. I want to ask you..."
Ok folks! That's it for this chapter. I'll post chapter 2 soon, but what do you think? Should I continue? Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I felt it appropriate to end there being as I'm dead tired and need sleep. Please review! Email: koshfanfic@hotmail.com