Chapter Text
“So you cook too? I would love to taste it,” Jessica said.
Olivier had once again run into the blonde in the lobby of their apartment building. He had just gotten back from the grocery store when the woman noticed him while hanging out in the lobby. Rather the woman had been hoping to run into him or it was simply a coincidence he couldn’t be sure. One thing he was certain of was the woman had a crush on him.
“Maybe some other night. I have plans with Rico and Valentin tonight,” Olivier said.
“Your roommates?”
“We had a big fight recently, but we manage to reach an understanding. I want to make them dinner to apologize for my part in the whole thing.”
“That’s so sweet of you.” Jessica fluttered her eyes up at him. “You don’t see many considerate guys these days.”
He needed to figure out a way to let her down easy. The problem was on how to do that, he didn’t know much about the blonde or how she felt about guys who were bisexual and in a polygamous relationship. He knew a lot of people who couldn’t understand the concept; his mother still struggled to wrap her head around the concept despite Olivier dating both Rico and Valentin for over two years. She thought he broke up with one of them anytime he wasn’t hanging out with both of them. His sisters thought it gave him an excuse to be a man whore. It really didn’t help when those pictures of him and Mayday spread all over the internet last week. He was attacked on all sides by both his boyfriends and his family.
In the end he managed to slip by Jessica and head up to his floor. He planned on cooking both Rico and Valentin’s favorite foods. Then perhaps they could play some games before having some other fun. He just hoped the guys weren’t planning on having him do another roleplay session. He unlocked the door and entered to be greeted by Rico and Valentin in each other’s faces yelling at each other.
“What the hell, man!” Rico shouted.
“You wouldn’t turn it down!” Valentin said. “How am I supposed to study with all that noise?”
“Don’t call my music noise!”
“It was making my ears bleed. What else do I call it?”
Olivier put the bags down and rushed over. He put a hand on each of their chest, separating the two. “Easy, you two. What is going on here?”
Rico pointed at Valentin. “He broke my amp.”
“I told you I was trying to study. You kept blasting your guitar through the whole apartment! Don’t you have homework to do?”
“I already finished it.”
“Good for you.” Valentin glared at Rico. “I still have lots because I just got off of work.”
“Then use some of that money to buy some headphones.”
“You know I’m saving up for a car. Not all of us have parents who will buy us everything.”
“My parents gave you a free room, too. Why don’t you show some thanks instead of wrecking my stuff.”
“When I unplugged it you just plugged it back in. You don’t listen, Rico!”
“Like you’re one to talk. You-”
“Okay. Calm down. There’s no need to fight like this, we can come to an agreement,” Oli told them. Olivier could feel the anger roll off of both of them. The two weren’t use to rooming together. Olivier had been Rico’s roommate all through high school with Valentin came over to visit them. As a result, Olivier was more use to Rico’s guitar playing even while he was studying. Rico had never needed to spend much time studying due to him being a naturally born genius. In fact the blond had gone to MIT before getting kicked out for blowing up his dorm room then being sent to Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning. Ironically enough it was Rico’s guitar playing while his roommate was doing a science experiment that cause the accident. It seemed only Olivier himself could handle being Rico’s roommate without issue.
“Why don’t we sit down and talk this out?” Olivier continued.
“Tell your boyfriend to keep his hands off my stuff.” Rico turned around to leave.
Olivier quickly grabbed Rico’s shoulder. “Rico, we’re all dating here. I get you’re both getting use to being roommates, but we all wanted this remember?”
*
“So did your last class go well?” Oli asked. Valentin and Olivier sat together on the bench in the middle of the courtyard of their university the next day.
“I got a report due next week,” Valentin said. “Should be doable as long as Rico isn’t blasting his guitar the whole weekend.”
“You know Rico wasn’t doing it to piss you off. He’s excited he got to join a band and doesn’t want to screw it up.”
“Why not go and practice with them instead of playing at the apartment?”
“The rest of his band was busy last night.”
Valentin understood Rico’s excitement about getting to join a band since it was his dream to be a rock star. The boy was only going to college at his family’s encouragement. It was part of the deal for his father Franklin Richards to pay for their apartment. “He could have at least tried to keep it down. Not all of us can focus over rock music.”
“I’m sure we can find a solution. Let’s meet Rico at the coffee shop and figure this out.”
Valentin raised an eyebrow. “What coffee shop?”
Olivier pulled out his cell phone, holding it up. “Rico texted messaged me earlier. He found a new coffee shop. He said we should meet him there when our classes were over.”
“He didn’t send me nothing.”
“Are you sure? Maybe the message didn’t send right away.”
Valentin pulled out his phone and checked for any message from Rico. “None. Guess he only wants to see his boyfriend.”
“We’re both his partners.”
Valentin stood up, shifting his phone in his pocket. “Rico made himself clear. He only wants to be your boyfriend from now on. I’m going home.”
“Hold on. Maybe Rico forgot today was your day off from work.”
Valentin was done listening. He knew Oli was trying to keep the peace between the three of them, but Valentin wasn’t interested. He had no interest in going where he wasn’t wanted. The only question was where should he go?
*
Rico sat at the table of the coffee shop near his university. He scrolled on his phone to look through options of new guitar amps to replace the one that was broken by Valentin. He looked if they also had a headphone attachment. As pissed off as he had been originally with Valentin after some reflection he could understand his boyfriend’s point of view. Valentin had asked him nicely to keep it down so he could focus, but Rico had been so in the zone he refused to listen. A bad habit the men in his family tended to have which had caused problems for both is grandfather and father’s relationships.
All bell chimed.
He then heard a chair slid out. “Rico.”
The blond lifted his head from his cell phone to see Oli sit down. He smiled. “Sup, dude. Where’s Valen?”
A trouble expression came across the brunette’s face. “He thought you didn’t want him to come.”
Rico was completely blindsided by the remark. “Why would he think that?”
“You didn’t text him.”
“Yes, I did. I… crap I forgot to hit send.” Rico had pulled up his text messages to see he had written out the message but forgot to hit the send button. That wasn’t like him. He usually made sure a message sent before doing whatever next.
“I tried to tell him that.”
“But he didn’t believe you.” Rico’s blue eyes harden like jagged crystals.
“You guys did have that big fight last night.”
Rico pointed to himself. “Hey, he was the one who wrecked my stuff. I have every right to be mad at him after he called my guitar playing noise. I don’t think our whole high school would have shown up for my concert if I was making their ears bleed.”
Olivier held out his hands between them. “He didn’t mean it. You both said things you didn’t mean last night.”
“Or we were finally honest with each other.”
Oli let his hands fall on the table. He looked chest fallen which made Rico’s heartache. “Rico?”
Rico shut his eyes ashamed. “Sorry, Oli. The two of us were best friends before we started dating, but we kinda just started going out with Valentin after bumping into him one day. I was cool with it and we had a lot of fun in high school, but it’s been different since we all moved in together.”
“Its growing pains,” Oli said. “We need time to learn how to live with each other.”
Rico shook his head. “I think this is different, dude. Maybe me and Valentin aren’t compatible anymore.” Having a relationship with one person was tricky enough, dealing with two. Rico couldn’t deny it was far easier to get along with Oli over Valentin.
“I can’t force you to date him if you don’t want to anymore.”
“Good. I’m not saying you two can’t still date either.” Though if Rico was being honest with himself it would be somewhat awkward.
“But do you really hate him, Rico? There’s nothing about Valentin you still love?”
“Where’s that coming from? I never said I hated him. I mean he’s a good kisser. He has that know it all smile that makes you want to grab him and kiss him. When he holds you it makes you feel like you’re safe. You know how funny and playful he is. The guy might not have a heart, but he’s one of the kindest people we know. I like it when he gets all rebellious like when he-”
Rico’s face turned completely red as he realized what he had been saying out loud. The two weren’t even at home. He had just been saying it out loud for anyone to hear not that anyone seemed to be paying attention to them. But Olivier’s satisfied looked said it all.
Rico slapped his forehead, not able to look at the Cajun. “Why do I sound like a crush on my own boyfriend?”
A smile came to Oli’s lips. “Because you do. You guys are going through a rough patch is all. It happens to everyone.”
“Do you think he still resents me for convincing him to quit the X-Men?”
Olivier folded his arms on the table. “What do you mean? We all decided to quit together.”
Rico crossed his arms on the table, looking down at them. A sadness washed over the young mutant. “I told him about the true cost of being a hero. I told him what it did to my family and how I didn’t want the same thing to happen to us then there was Anna Marie…”
The boy couldn’t help thinking about their old friend Anna Marie who went by the moniker No-Name. She had been a part of their friend group and X-Men team throughout high school. Then on a mission one month before graduation she had made the ultimate sacrifice for the world, but that didn’t make the pain of losing her any less agonizing. How Pavel, No-Name’s boyfriend didn’t hold the school responsible and why he continued to fight as an X-Man was beyond him.
Rico didn’t want the same for them. He didn’t want to lose Oli and Valentin even so… “The X-Men was a place for Valen to belong. When he quit he lost the finical support of the school. Even with a free place to stay and his scholarship he was to work that crappy job to have some cash in his pocket. No wonder he was so mad at me.”
“Valentin needs time to adjust. Why don’t you send him the text now and we can all talk.”
Rico took up his phone again, altering the text before making sure to send the message this time.
*
A crowbar swung at Ransom’s head that he managed to duck under. He decked the mutant hater across the face that sent him flying.
He spun around and round house kicked the fool who came up to help his buddy. Ransom couldn’t deny that it felt good to knock some heads around again. He had decided to go home and picked up his old costume. Since he was in New York City where there were thugs, thieves, and super-villains on nearly every corner it was easy to find someone to let his anger out on.
The last of the group lifted his pistol ready to fire on him.
Ransom closed in like a boxer, thrusting his fist into the man’s chest. The gun clattered against the street. The man crashed right on his back. Ransom smashed the gun in two with the force of his foot alone. That was all it took for the cowards to run for their lives.
Serves them right.
Ransom picked up the briefcase on the ground. He headed over to the man who had a chicken head for a face and handed him back his belongings. “Here you go, my man. Don’t let those losers keep you down.”
“Thank you so much!”
“No problem.” Ransom helped the man up who went along his way. It brought a smile to the young hero’s face, not that anyone would see it with his mask on. He turned to leave when he spotted a girl with green skin and long black hair leaning against the building in the alleyway. She looked like a beautiful plant come to life.
“I heard you quit being a hero, Ransom.” So the girl knew who he was and she appeared to be around his age. What Ransom didn’t understand was why she was here. The girl walked toward him, swaying her hips like an erotic dream come to life.
A scent came into the air that stopped Ransom cold. His body felt like it was on fire and his mind grew hazy. He couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful girl. If he had a heart he was certain it would race. He couldn’t think of anything except her. “Who are you?”
“Selena Alonso. My mutant name is Pollen.”
The closer Pollen came to him the more he was drawn in. The girl had it going on with a body like that and her scent was intoxicating. “Are you new to the Big Apple?” he asked.
She stopped right in front of him. “I came here last year actually. I saw you a lot at school before you graduated. Because I was a year younger than you I was too nervous to go up and talk to you.” She rested a hand on his chest.
Ransom felt even more drawn in. He couldn’t break eye contact with those rosy red eyes of hers. “I mean you were so cool. You were one of the leaders of the X-Men and so strong. I wasn’t sure what an underclassman could do to impress a guy like you.”
“You-uh-seem pretty impressive to me right now.”
Pollen wrapped her arms around his neck, jumping into him. “Really?”
“No doubt.” Ransom’s hands found her hips, holding her close. Pollen lifted up his mask so she could see his face. Without a second thought he began to makeout with her. His body felt like it was on fire.
“Pollen? Pollen, where are you we have to get back to school.”
Pollen pulled away. It felt like he was gasping for air without her touch. “Talk about bad timing. I hope we get to meet again.” Pollen smiled at him before running off.
Ransom was about to call after her when his head cleared enough to recognized the voice Pollen was talking to once she was out of sight. It was Irene LeBeau aka Rogue, Oli’s younger sister. Instant regret filled the young man. What had he just done?
*
The apartment door opened. The sound of it instantly drew Rico’s attention to see Valentin step inside. He stood up from the couch, dropping his phone. “Valen. Where have you been?”
Valentin had his bag over his shoulder with his hands in his pocket. There was a dark look on the other man’s face that worried Rico. “Out. What’s it matter to you?”
“I’ve been calling and texting your phone for hours.”
“What for? Last I check you weren’t my mom or boyfriend.”
That last part hurt. Oli had been right about Valentin being hurt by his words last night. He slumped forward. “Look, Valen. I’m sorry about what I said last night. I was mad because you broke my amp and called my playing noise. I put a lot of work into that.”
Valentin waved him off and headed toward his room. “Whatever. I’ll see about moving out so you don’t have to deal with my ungrateful ass.”
Rico’s heart fell. He extended his arm out to grab Valentin’s. “Where would you even go? The dorms at your school are all filled up by now.”
“I spent three years on the streets after I left home! I can do it again.”
Rico closed the gap between them, returning his arms to normal. “You don’t have to do that. You, me, and Oli, this is our home.”
Valentin narrowed his eyes. “You know you don’t want me here. You liked it better when it was just the two of you. I’m only a third wheel.”
“You’re a third wheel I fell in love with.” Rico got right in Valentin’s face. “You’re the guy who keeps me in check. I need you here.”
“We both do.”
Valentin and Rico turned to see Oli come out of the kitchen with his apron that read: Kiss Me I’m Cajun. “We can’t let one fight break us up. It’s not like we always need to see eye to eye on everything.”
Rico latched his hands onto both of Valentin’s arms. Rico looked up into those beautiful brown eyes of his. “We can figure this out. I’m sorry I forgot to text you. I really did want you to come today.”
A guilty look came over Valentin then. He shut his eyes. “What if I already messed things up?”
“Dude, I can buy a new amp. This time with headphones.” Rico smiled at his boyfriend.
Valentin struggled to put on a smile.