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His private comms unit went off at lavender past mauve (Shi'Ar clocks using colours rather than numbers had taken some getting used to) waking Sam Guthrie up from a sound sleep.
“Guthrie-zel?” came the quiet voice inside his ear.
He tried not to sound TOO groggy... “Here, Commander.”
“Sorry to disturb you, Guthrie-zel, but we have a human at the Gate who insists on speaking to you. Says they're a friend of yours”
As he slipped out from under the covers of their bed, leaving Izzy sleeping soundly, Sam ran through the options; If it was Berto, he'd just have walked in like he owned the place, which admittedly he did, but still... Dani or Rahne would at least have called ahead and Illyana would have just stepping-disked her way into his home. That meant it was most likely….
“What language were they speaking?”
“Honestly? The most perfect High Shi'ar I've ever heard. My old elocution teacher would have wept just hearing it… may Sharra guide her to the Great Nest.”
“Tell Doug Ah'll be right down.”
“That would be appreciated.”
Josh was fast asleep in his own room, and Sam managed to not wake Izzy whilst pulling on some clothes. He’d once flown into Doug’s bedroom wearing nothing more than a towel back in their early days on the New Mutants, and he’d never been allowed to forget it.
A Krakoan Gateway Flower in their apartment had made some things more complicated. Izzy being an Imperial SuperGuardian, as well as his own powers and ties to the X-Men, meant that they were still living in their home, but politics had decreed that an open gateway to the Shi'Ar homeworld from Earth had to be, at least nominally, protected.
So there was now a forcefield and a unit of guards stationed there at night, and when he and Izzy were elsewhere. They had free access of course, and they were on cordial terms with the guards (who were respectful enough to add the “zel” honorific to Sam after he’d trained with them a few times) as neither side saw any point making a fuss about it. Plus, most of them adored Josh and so made handy babysitters at short notice.
He arrived to see, on the other side of the forcefield, his friend and team-mate Doug Ramsey pacing up and down and looking like he was about to explode. He was in his now regular Krakoan uniform; yellow jacket and black pants, his technorganic right arm in full display.
Sam nodded to the Commander, she nodded back and gestured that Sam should go through the forcefield.
As soon as he noticed him, Doug ran up and grabbed Sam by the shoulders like a drowning man seizing a life preserver.
“Sam, I got married!” (He was still speaking Shi’Ar, which showed how badly he was stressed out)
“DOUG?! FINALLY!! Congratula… Wait... You and Warlock got hitched and I didn't get an invitation? Gotta say, that hurts a little, man!”
Doug reacted like he’d been slapped.
“What? No, not to Warlock.... to a woman.”
“Oh... okay.. right, well... still congratulations of course, but... what? Who? Anyone I know? And I repeat my comment about no invitation.”
“No, no one you’ve ever met, and it was all VERY sudden, but it’s not like she’s someone I’VE ever met either, so y’know...”
Doug was getting that rabbit in the headlights look again and was starting to gabble.
“Doug, if this is going to be a long story, do you want to use private speech?”
Doug had developed a private language for each of “his” New Mutants team, allowing privacy and brevity. However, Doug had to focus to speak it, and Doug did not seem focussed, and he probably needed to be for any number of reasons he wasn’t thinking of right now, so this seemed like a good idea.
“Sure!”
“Then slow down, take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”
Doug nodded, as if relieved to be given clear instructions by someone.
Anyone else listening to the next exchange would have been utterly confused. A rapid and apparently jumbled collection of random syllables and word-like sounds from Doug, and Sam just listening with increasing bafflement on his face, only sometimes interjecting questions;
“So… on the Quiet Council AND a Sword of Krakoa?”
“You got the world’s worst sushi roll? I’ve warned you about eatin’ from other folks plates Doug!”
Then surprise and a huge smile.
“Did anyone tape Wolverine in the dance-off contest? I wanna see a hung-over Logan boogie”
Doug paused to grin back, “It was on Mojo-vision, I think they said they’d send a review copy, or I'll get you a bootleg, but that's not what's important.”
“You ain't kidding there Dougie-boy. Look, not that I'm not flattered that you came to tell me in person, why did you come to tell me in person, and in such a panic?”
“Honestly? Apart from being the big brother I never had, you're the only one of the team who's married, so I can ask you about... things.”
Sam just looked at him, still puzzled.
“Husband things!”
Suddenly Sam understood a LOT more.
“Ohhhh…. It's still a long way to come for this sort of a thing.”
“You think I'm going to ask Illyana or Roberto for advice about my nascent marital sex-life?”
“Good point. Though if you ever do, I want the video of that instead of the dance-off. And the Professor, or Magnet... No scratch those.. for sooooo many reasons.”
“And I can’t ask my Dad because time is sort of the essence and trying to explain the last few days to him followed by telling him now has an alien daughter in law… it would be a bit much for him to handle”
“Another good point”
“So you’ll come? Be my… well, I guess it’s a bit late to be my Best Man, but it seems an appropriate term? Please?”
“Like you have ask? Of course.”
“Thanks Sam”
“So…. Big brother eh?”
Pausing only to record a short message to Izzy explaining his absence, he gave the commander an all-clear sign and draped an arm across Doug’s shoulders, steering him back towards the Gateway.
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“… and welcome to Rosetta”
Doug stepped from his personal Gateway onto a patio, and gestured around his Krakoan home as Sam emerged behind him. From the way his ears popped Sam could sense they were up in the hills.
In the light of the setting sun, fantastic trees with blossoms in frankly ridiculous colours surrounded the clearing, and the undergrowth was rich and lush. A waterfall flowed into a large water feature, almost a lake in it’s own right, with steam rising gently from it.
As with nearly all Krakoan architecture, it was hard to tell where island ended and home began. The layout was definitely organic rather than geometric and light appeared to be coming from a variety of fungi clumps dotted around the ceiling and walls. Mosses and grasses took the place of carpeting.
In the main living area, walls sprouted shelves by the dozen, most of which were filled with what Sam might expect in anywhere Doug lived. Books galore, notebooks, scrolls, reams of paper, charts and word puzzles in more languages than he could guess, though he spotted a Kree wordsearch and a Shi’Ar crossword. There were even a few posters from Doug’s old days at Xavier’s, which made Sam smile nostalgically.
The windows were large, opening on to the patio space, with comfortable looking reclining benches growing next to the lake. They sat down next to the faintly bubbling pool, which did look inviting, but now was not the time.
“So this is Casa Ramsey these days? Real nice! But you're not in Akademos with the rest of the team?”
“I started there, and I visit a lot, but the Quiet Council suggested I have a place on my own, to ensure neutrality. Since I speak for Krakoa I have to be seen to be impartial, not being beholden to any single group beyond Krakoa himself. The New Mutants are still my go-to-guys of course, always will be, but there had to be some degree of separation. I think Krakoa gave me the best views on the island as a consolation.”
“Can’t argue with that assessment, some great flying around here too I should think, but that still sounds... kinda isolated.”
“Are you kidding? I get these AMAZING views, a private thermal spa pool, and I can talk to Krakoa anytime I want. The stories it tells... not that I don't have some experiences of my own mind you, but to be able to speak to something so old, and so alien and so… different. It's wonderful.”
“That does sounds like the sort of setup you'd love, just as long as you’re not TOO cut off from everyone else.”
There was an unspoken note of concern in Sam’s voice.
Doug nodded, clearly taking no offence “I’ve been down that path and I know what waits for me there. Too much alone time is not good for me, and Krakoa knows that too. I don’t even have a computer here. If I want that I need to be with other people, so Dani has my laptop and phone, for all the signal out here is crap anyway… and I’ve sworn off hacking passing satellites for personal gain”
“I’m usually too busy anyway. I make it a point to travel around the island as much as I can, speaking to new arrivals, listening, finding things out that might be helpful and useful, passing the info on to those who can do things with it. And, well... now I have someone else in my life, and I think Krakoa is already growing some new rooms for me... well us”
“So where is the lucky lady?”
“I think she was checking the boundaries of the Rosetta for security… well, she looked like she was going hunting to be honest… but she normally does anyway.”
“Do you NEED security here?”
“She seemed to think so… I think… and here she is!”
Sam was not a man who was easily impressed by appearances but, even if the woman arriving on the patio from the outskirts of the property hadn't been over seven feet tall, she was definitely impressive. She carried herself with an elegant confidence and purpose that reminded Sam of a cross between Storm and Wolverine.
Her skin was a rich brown, her eyes a softly glowing pink, she had no obvious hair, instead having bone ridges across her scalp and face.
Living in the Shi’Ar Imperium, and spending time with assorted mutants, Sam was using to seeing differing standards of beauty from dozens of worlds every day, some he understood, some he didn’t, and that was just life. However this woman was beautiful by any standard Sam could think of. Not merely attractive, but beautiful, and with an undercurrent of danger to her too. Her clothing was more body armour than anything else and she had clearly just taken off the elaborate helmet she was carrying.
As soon as she saw Sam, she turned to face him.
Sam felt something in the back of his brain, a sense that this was someone very fast, very strong and very dedicated to wiping him out if he made a wrong move, and was making sure he knew it as efficiently as possible.
Doug dived between them. “No Bei, it’s okay, this is the friend I said I’d fetch!”
“So... this is your wife, Doug?”
Doug nodded and stepped back so he could look at them both.
“You sure know how to pick 'em, pal.” Sam whispered in English, he paused “You say she knows Krakoan, but not English, right? I don’t want to be rude.”
“Yes, she had Krakoan psychically downloaded when she arrived but no other languages yet. She can understand Krakoan perfectly, but since she doesn’t speak aloud, she doesn’t speak it. She can understand what I say, but I can’t understand her, and her body language is impossible to translate, so far. So, as we need a conversation, not a monologue, hence you as my Best Man.”
Doug gestured to the woman.
“Sam, I have the honour to present she who is my wife”
Sam gave his friend a look: “Seriously Doug, a Star Trek reference? Now?”
Doug grinned, “I know, but who else could I use it on? She who is my wife; Bei the Blood Moon of Arakko, slayer of serpents of both sea and air, speaker of the hidden words, holder of the Doom Note and Sword of Arakko, through her prowess and the Great Blade Seducer“
“Really? Her sword is called Seducer?”
Doug muttered “Not the time, Sam”
He continued “Bei the Blood Moon, this is one of my oldest and most trusted friends, Samuel Guthrie of Kentucky and Krakoa, Sam to his friends, often called Cannonball, who has served with honour with the New Mutants, X-Force and X-Men, And who is, as I’m sure he’d tell you sooner or later, nigh invulnerable when he’s blastin’.”
Sam approached, put his hand on his chest and bowed slightly. It was a non-threatening approach and showed respect, at least it did in most places he’d visited, he hoped the same was true on Arakko.
“Greetings, Bei the Blood Moon. I am honoured to meet you”
She nodded, but didn’t bow in return, instead fixing him with an assessing stare. An instant later Sam FELT the words flow out of her. This wasn't quite telepathy, or empathy, the words cascaded through him, without bothering with his ears, or even his brain, he just... instantly knew what she had just said, without any trace of doubt or ambiguity.
Greetings Samuel Guthrie. I sense a warrior's heart beats within you. Are you also my beloved's champion?
“If called upon to be, I would be, but not not usually, no. But I am his friend, and that means I will help him when he asks, and protect him from any harm if it is in my power to do so, as I know he would for me.”
She smiled at that, or possibly showed her teeth, Sam wasn’t sure yet.
Well said. Between you and the demon woman with the sword, Douglas has strong allies, which is wise for one who is so weak and fragile. He has brought you here for a specific purpose no doubt? State it.
“Well, ma’am. Since he cannot understand your language, he has asked me to help you both clarify some things about your relationship.”
He must trust you deeply.
Sam acknowledged the compliment, “I reckon he does ma'am.”
Sam looked over at Doug, “You REALLY can't understand her?”
“Not a word. Isn't it great? Also terrifying of course because... y’know… mighty warrior and everything... but mostly great!” Sam instantly recognised the smitten look on his friends face and almost sighed. Doug had never been the sort to have a crush, he fell in love, completely, utterly and repeatedly (though thankfully, never to more than one person at a time that Sam knew about). If little tweetie birds and hearts had started circling his head, Sam wouldn't have been at all surprised.
It was time to get down to business
He started on a semi-prepared speech he and Doug had been working on whilst calming Doug down before arriving at Rosetta.
“Doug here has some concerns about what form your relationship will take.”
He is my spouse, I am his spouse. Does this mean something different on Krakoa than it does on Arakko?
“It might, and that is his concern. Doug is an honourable man. He would not wish to act in a way which brought you shame by the standards of your culture. Given the circumstances of your marriage, he wishes to know in advance if there are limitations he should observe, or if you have any customs he should be aware of from the outset?”
My beloved is thoughtful. What he lacks as a warrior in strength, and stature, and skill, and endurance, he possesses in wisdom.
Sam decided not to translate that little summation for Doug.
“Yes ma’am”
His vows were clear and acceptable to me, and my vows were clear to those who understood them and encouraged him to accept.
“Doug, just for reference, who told you that her vows to you were good ones?”
“What? Oh, Apocalypse.”
“REALLY? That's who you went with as a recommendation?”
“He was sincere, and no one else disagreed with him.”
“Who else was there? That we know at any rate”
“Well, Illyana, Logan and Kid Cable.”
“Not really the first three I'd pick regarding matters of the heart, but even Illyana wouldn't be that contrary.”
Doug raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, she would, but not about something like this, not with family.”
Sam turned back to Bei “We view a marriage as a union of individuals to create a greater whole, based on mutual love and affection, sharing their lives out of a desire for mutual companionship and growth.”
It is the same on Arakko
“I am glad to hear that ma’am. It’s a good starting point to agree on.”
Though oftimes it has aspects of a strategic alliance between powerful forces.
“The same could be said of some marriages here too ma’am, some rely less on love and more on.. necessity, or convenience.”
I hope that this is one of the former
“Rest assured that Doug does too. May I call you Bei, by the way? If we’re going to get acquainted I would prefer to keep things casual”
As my husbands go between, you may, but do not presume familiarity
“Understood, and you can call me Sam if you care to. Well then Bei, Doug also has some concerns about physical intimacy.”
Are our forms dissimilar on some way? Doug stated that he is male presenting, I am female presenting and he made no mention of any concerns.
“I think that’s because we honestly don’t know. You are the first Arakki we have spent much time with so far and those we saw briefly varied a lot, as they do on Krakoa”
Sam looked at Doug, who expanded.
“Well, first of all we need to make sure there is compatibility... and I mean that literally. We have no idea about Arakki physiology and they don’t know about ours. I say I’m male, Bei says she is female, but there have been millennia for semantic drift to take place and even the terminology for gender might have shifted, especially in a totally mutant population.”
“She said much the same thing, which is a good sign I think.”
“She’s also an incredible kisser.”
“Is that relevant?”
“No, I just like saying it. In any event, I was wondering if we need the direct approach to the compatibility side? Just take the plunge and see what each of us brings to the table.”
Sam thought about it for a moment, “Agreed. I think the easiest thing is for you two to well.. strip down and look each other, get the lie of the land, and I already wish I’d phrased that differently. I’d also really rather not be in the same room when you do that.”
“Sam, we showered together at Xavier’s for years, and Krakoa has few concerns about nudity”
“Yes we did, and yes is it, and still I ain’t asking you to come over and take a shower with Izzy and me either. Also, based on your wife’s earlier comments, I am not taking any chances on causing her offence.”
My husband’s point is valid. We should both have the opportunity to find out if intercourse is even an option between us. Given the nature of mutation on Arakko, and I suspect Krakoa, many marriages have no such sexual or even physical intimacy, or it is of a unique, individual type, and that is no source of shame, but it would be best to find out now so we can prepare accordingly.
Sam switched back to English again, “Before we do, I need to ask you something Doug. I’d hoped we could discuss it before we got to this point but… so I have to ask now, and I want honesty.”
Doug seemed startled, “Of course”
Sam took a breath, “How do you imagine Warlock fitting into this marriage? Does Bei know about him and how he fits into… well… you these days?”
Doug actually blushed, but was not ashamed, or surprised. “How much do you know?”
“Knowing you, probably not close to everything. Illyana told me, privately of course, that Warlock was… and this is a weird sentence to say out loud, living as your arm and that you had a reason for that.”
“He’s a part of me and I am a part of him. I tried to hide him completely at the start, but we’ve not been very good at it, even before the whole Sword of Krakoa thing. I will explain to you later I promise, but not right now.”
“Okay, so you’re soulmates on a whole new level, the whole team knows that, but he’s his own person too, and one who I assume ISN’T directly married to the very tall warrior woman, so shouldn’t all parties be aware of that?”
“See, this is why I need you here Sam, we’ve been merged so long that we think of ourselves as being like two people in tandem.”
“You might have to talk fast on this one Dougie”
“No, this one I need to talk slowly and very, VERY clearly Sam, and I need you to translate just as clearly.”
He turned back to his wife. “Bei, before we go further I have to introduce you to someone else who is also an important part of my life, in a way even I find difficult to put into words. “
He took a deep breath and continued
“You have already met the being I am about to show you, though you didn’t recognise him as anything other than my sword during the tournament. What is about to happen is not in any way a threat to anyone, I promise you, so please do not react in a hostile manner.”
Bei clearly said something to Sam, who nodded. Bei assumed an expression that might best be described as quizzical.
Doug raised his black and gold right arm and held it for a moment.
“Warlock, selfsoulfriend, we need to separate”
The material of his arm shifted and morphed, first extending into the sword which Doug had wielded in Otherworld, and which Bei would recognise, and then uncoiling itself completely from his skin, leaving a perfectly normal looking human arm behind. This technorganic substance pulled itself up into the elongated, vaguely humanoid form of Warlock and separated completely form Doug.
“Bei the Blood Moon of Arakko, this is Warlock of the Technarchy, who honours me with the title ‘Selfsoulfriend’, and who I consider to be the same. Bei... my heart, meet Warlock... my soul.“
“Salutations honoured selfsoulfrienddougspousebei. Self is pleased to make your acquaintance”
Bei’s gaze darkened. Doug visibly gulped as she turned to address Sam, but kept her eyes firmly on Warlock.
Douglas is already in a relationship with another?
Sam, raised his hands “Yes, but not in the sense I suspect you mean. Doug would not lie to you about that.”
Doug started talking to Warlock in hushed tones, his fingers unconsciously intertwining with the strands emerging from Warlock’s arms.
Bei stared appraisingly for a moment.
There is love there, I can see that, from both of them.
Sam nodded. “There definitely is, and it’s a sort of love that goes deep. They’ve been through many adventures, many trials, and honestly, a lot of VERY strange stuff together. “
“I love them both like brothers and they are both good people, the best in fact. And I thought of them like brothers to each other for a time too, but it grew beyond that, even after all this time, I don’t understand it properly, but it’s hard to think of one without the other.
Symbiotic mutant pairings are not unknown on Arakko.
“I’m not sure this is symbiosis. Warlock’s word “selfsoulfriend” is probably the best description I can think of. It’s like... they each found the other half of their self when they met. Neither would be the person they are without the other, and neither would ever want to be.”
“They can live apart as you can see, or merge as they choose. Each brings unique strengths to support the other. They are both independent life, but choose to expand when they are together.”
Is that not almost the definition of marriage you gave earlier?
Sam inclined his head acknowledging the point.
“There’s a sayin’ on Earth: “Love is love”. It’s either very meaningful, or very glib, depending on what you mean by it. The love Doug and Warlock share doesn’t lessen Doug’s love for you, if anything, it makes it more possible because of what they’ve learned from each other.”
Bei studied the two figures before her, Doug looking nervous and Warlock looking… well, it was hard to say, not just his features, but his form were shifting, but not in an aggressive way, rather she suspect he was positioning himself to protect Doug if he needed to. Bei assessed the two of them for a full minute, without a word from anyone.
If this… animated being is so important to my husband, then I can accept that, though I suspect a longer conversation will be required to define matters more fully in due time. In the meantime, unless it is absolutely required, I would prefer any intimate relationship with Douglas to be with Douglas alone. Perhaps, in time, his soulmate can be incorporated... but not yet.
In any event, greetings Warlock of the Technarchy. I bear you no individual malice and welcome an ally of my spouse.
Sam explained this to Doug who sighed with relief. It was possible that Sam saw a look of disappointment on Warlock’s face, but said nothing. He knew Warlock was very sensitive, and very protective of Doug, but he could talk to him later.
“So, now, I think it time for you to take a look at each other. You can do it here, and I can leave with Warlock, or if you’d rather move to another room yourself?”
They decided that the bedroom would be the best place. Warlock took up a position behind Sam as they went in.
There was no sound from the other room, though Sam did hear Doug mutter under his breath as he struggled to get his boots off and what he assumed was body armour from Bei clanking slightly.
He gave it three minutes before venturing to speak.
“You guys okay in there? Doug?”
He stifled a smile at the slightly strangled tone Doug replied with, “Fine Sam. Everything looks… pretty much as expected.. mostly. There are some things which are a little surprising, and some that aren’t quite as expected, but I think we can deal with those challenges with a bit of creativity, and caution too, of course”
“Do you have any issues Bei?”
None that I can foresee. For all his small and unassuming stature, it appears that we share a... basic compatibility. As my husband said, there are some differences to what I might have expected and we might need to be quite creative in certain areas, but we can work with those.
“What did she say Sam?”
“Look, neither of you screamed and neither of you laughed out loud, let’s call that a win/win, shall we?”
“Ha-Ha Guthrie”
“From the sound of it, I think you’re both good to go, with what sounds like a bit of flexibility thrown in and I’m sure you’re both more than capable of that.”
“Okay, so I’ll give you a couple of minutes to get your gear back on, and then we can get into the rest of it. Though honestly, Doug, if she didn’t run from room from the smell when you take your boots off, I’d say this was a marriage for the ages”
“Refer to last reply Guthrie!”
Sam felt a tinkle of laughter echo arrive in his mind in what he was now able to define as Bei’s psychic voice. He smiled to himself, honestly slightly relieved, he knew all too well that a sense of humour was essential to any marriage.
A few moments alter, the newlyweds walked back in, Doug belting a robe around him, and Bei back in most of her body armour, Sam suspected she would wear nothing less in front of anyone else until she trusted them implicitly or didn’t feel threatened by them, like Doug, and Sam didn’t fall into either camp just yet. Fair enough.
Doug smiled more confidently now “Right, so we’ve ascertained that it likely CAN happen, now we need to sort out the next steps. And this is where things are likely to get VERY personal”
Sam took a deep breath "Okay, here goes the genuinely diplomatic part of proceedings”
Doug gave him a probably meant to be reassuring thumbs up as Same cleared his throat.
“Ahem...Bei, are there any circumstances in your society where a spouse may insist on sex with the other?”
Bei arched an elegant eyebrow
No, and even if such were allowed, there are none who can take anything from Bei the Blood Moon that she does not willingly give.
“Ah absolutely believe you”
And, to be frank, Douglas would hardly be able to force himself on me.
“If I thought he would even try, I would not be his friend. But, by the same token, I hope you understand that I had to be sure you would not force yourself on him, either.”
Bei's eyes flashed at this, literally flashed, and Sam nearly took a step backwards as her expression of anger poured through him, but he had faced up against Apocalypse, the Shi’Ar Imperial SuperGuardian Gladiator and his own mother and won in two out of three, so he did not scare easily.
Intimacy through force is a battle that is lost before it has begun.
“On that we wholeheartedly agree, though I’m pleased to hear it said, and I hope you took no offence at my asking”
If I had, I would already be standing over your gutted corpse. However, I understand your concern for your friend. We are each an unknown quantity to the other after all.
“I’m starting to get the “terrified” part of your relationship Doug.”
“What did she say?”
“Basically, it was the scariest version of “Consent is REAL important to me” I can imagine, so we’re going to proceed very, very carefully here.”
“I can live with that”
“So, I think we need to sit down, get ourselves a relaxing beverage and a few sheets of paper and pens for drawing diagrams.”
Sam smiled when he saw that Doug was already blushing. This next bit was going to be delicate, but he was going to enjoy himself mightily. Doug was right, he WAS Sam’s honorary little brother, and sometimes a big brother can love their sibling dearly, wish them nothing but happiness, and still enjoy watching them squirm.
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Three and a half hours, several cups of something Doug and Krakoa assured him was tea (but which Sam immediately thought of as “a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea”), and some illuminating, if not downright challenging, conversations later, events were drawing to a close.
The patio was now littered with carefully drawn sketches, some were numbered, some crossed out. There were also some unforgettable origami pieces, a few LEGO constructions from Warlock’s private stock of bricks, and something which was dangerously close to a pop-up book.
Sam was exhausted in ways he’d never imagined it was possible to be exhausted, but hoped they’d both remember to tidy up before having any more guests over, because none of these were for public consumption.
“I think I now know more than I ever really wanted to know about this whole subject, and I’ve listened to some of Berto’s adolescent fantasies when he was drunk so that’s really saying something. Also, I’ll never look at LEGOs the same way again.”
“Still, just so we’re clear. You’re sure you both know each other’s safe words… well, safe signs in Bei’s case?”
Both replied in the positive, and Sam relayed that to Doug.
“So now I think all that’s left for me to do is collect Warlock, and leave you two to try some of these out. But, before I go, and just for my own peace of mind, what did we all agree?”
“We try numbers 1, 5, 6, 8 and possibly 11, if we still have the energy” said Doug, and Bei nodded.
“And what did we agree NOT to try?”
4, 12, anything above 17 and colourful brick’s A and D
Doug agreed when Sam translated.
“Okay, then it’s time for me to go, and you crazy newlyweds to go be newlyweds!”
Sam bowed to Bei.
“A pleasure meeting you Bei. Doug here has always has excellent taste, and this time is no exception, though personally, I think you’re well out of his league. I wish you both every happiness and joy.”
This time Bei did nod gracefully in return.
His choice of allies... and friends is also admirable. May your courage bring you through dark places, may your battles bring you victory, and may you always come home to the embrace of love.
“I’ll see you out Sam… and Warlock of course”
Doug and Warlock pressed their palms together, communicating more in a second than any number of words could manage. Then they hugged, a little sadly perhaps, before Warlock headed through the Gateway.
Then Doug hugged Sam, who was rather surprised
“Sam, I love you for this, and you know we can’t thank you enough!”
“It’s what family is for Doug, though I think the best thank you is that we agree to never discuss this again if anyone is within earshot, and preferably not even then.”
Doug grinned again “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”
“And if you and Bei needing a name for your firstborn, then I can strongly recommend “Sam”, it works for any and all genders.“
“Oh right, after that dreadful Lila Cheney song?”
Sam smiled and swatted his friend on the back of the head.
“Okay, now I am taking Warlock to the Lagoon, where the Blob will pour me something with a lot of alcohol, I shall sincerely toast the happiness of you and your bride, and then I shall try to kill every brain cell that carries a trace of the past couple of hours.. Well, except for number 7, which I think Izzy and I could at least try… as long as I stay blastin’”
“Thank Izzy for letting me borrow you at such short notice, and give Josh a hug from his Uncle Doug.”
“Will do, and you should come over to visit us sometime. There’s not a lot of married couples we get dropping by and it’d be nice to have a dinner some time. I think Izzy and Bei will get along famously.”
“After the honeymoon, it’s a date!”
Sam looked back briefly as Doug walked back to the patio where Bei swept him up into a kiss, lifting him right off the floor to do so.
As he stepped through the Gateway, he shook his head in quiet amazement. Doug Ramsey, the New Mutant who had doubted his own worth every single second of his time with the team, right up until he died saving Wolfsbane, was now not only back but was the Speaker for Krakoa on the Quiet Council, was quietly responsible for much of the Krakoan infrastructure (He’d read the reports but also knew how to read between the lines, and for all the Professor and Magneto claimed they had achieved, Sam suspected who had done the behind the scenes work), and was now starting yet another new phase of his life.
Cypher, the man whose life was defined by being able to speak any language was married to the one person whose language he could never learn? There was poetry in that, and a challenge, and an opportunity, and if anyone could make that work, Sam had a feeling it would be these two.