How did Kaylee put it? Oh, yes. A-hem. "And homophobes need not apply, because I'll do nothing but mock you if you whine about 'immorality' or some such. Mock mock mock. Mock.

Mock.

What a nifty verb. :)"

Yes, I think that about covers it. :) This story has gay people in it. Deal. :)

Growing Up A Superhero
A Different Type of Surprise, Or, "Gay" Doesn't Always Mean Happy, Dummy.
JBMcDragon

Azul smiled as he shook his head, settling down onto the couch with a new book.

"Are you sure?" the tall, gangly youth said from the family room door. He reached up to itch absently at a mosquito bite on top of his bald head, then dropped his hand back down to his rapidly filling out side. He was twenty-one, and starting to fill out his long, lanky frame. His large eyes took up much of his face, and they were so striking that one almost didn't notice the fact that he was without a nose. "My girlfriend has a sister," he continued, trying valiantly to persuade Azul that it would be a good idea to join them.

Azul smiled again and looked up, his own legs long and slender as they stretched out comfortably before him. "Leech, I really don't think it would be a good idea," he said calmly, just the hint of an I-know-something-you-don't-know look in his golden eyes. "Really."

"But Emily's sister is really very pretty. I wouldn't set you up with a dog," Leech said. He was worried about the sixteen-year-old boy. Azul didn't seem to socialize in a dating sort of setting very often. Having spent the first nine years of his life essentially imprisoned in Black Air's fortress, they all worried about him just a bit. And being the clone of a well known "hero" didn't help.

Logan and Kurt, said hero, walked into the room just then. A claw slid silently out of Logan's hand, prying open the top of his bottle of beer.

"No, Leech, it really wouldn't be a good idea," Azul insisted, almost laughing.

Logan eyed him, his senses befuddled as they told him there were now two Nightcrawlers in the same room, though his eyes told him one was younger.

"What wouldn't?" Kurt asked, agilely leaping across Logan and landing on the couch by the adjoining wall. In the exact same position as his young clone. Logan successfully hid his irrepressible grin by taking a long swig of his beer.

"Me going out with Chiya, Leech and Artie and their respective dates," Azul answered easily, not seeming to notice that Kurt and he were mirror images.

Logan took another swig of his beer before he started to laugh. Six years. The boy had been around six years and it was still funny.

"Why not? Sounds like fun," Kurt said curiously.

"Well, they all have dates and I don't," Azul said reasonably, though a smile still tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I said I'd get Emily's sister to come," Leech said, exasperated.

Kurt turned, cocking his head at Azul. Nightcrawler's tail snaked its way up the back of the couch, finally resting on the top.

Azul sighed and set down his book, his tail working its way out until it twitched above the headrest of the love-seat.

Logan took another gulp of beer and still managed to hide his smile.

"Because I'm gay," Azul said seriously.

It seemed that half of Logan's swallow took that moment to head down the wrong tube, while the other half went shooting across the room. When Logan straightened he was looking into a pair of young golden eyes, crinkled mischievously. "Wow," Azul said, grinning. "I even managed to startle Logan."

Kurt was blinking, staring at the wall near the door where Leech stood, silently. "That's a good reason not to go out with Emily's sister," he said at last, nodding.

"Right. I think I'll go then," Leech said, and scurried out of the room.

Azul was watching Logan, grinning rather proudly at the fact that he had managed to shock the man.

Kurt was still looking at the opposite wall. Slowly his head turned until golden eyes met golden eyes. His tail twitched. Once. He looked down, scratched the back of his neck with one large finger.

Grinning slightly, Azul itched his jawline.

Logan looked down at his beer, his chant firmly in place. I will not laugh I will not laugh I will not laugh--oh, God, they're doing exactly the same thing--I will not laugh I will not laugh--gay!--I will not laugh I will not laugh.

Nightcrawler's tail tapped lightly on the headrest of the couch.

Azul's tail bobbed back and forth through the air.

Logan studiously looked at neither of them.

"Hey, all," Brigette Summers said, walking into the room. She brushed a lock of long, curly strawberry blond hair out of her face, glancing from one man to the other. Azul lay sprawled on the love-seat, his mirror image at a ninety degree angle, sprawled on the couch. Logan stood in the doorway she was trying to get through, watching his beer as though he thought it might mutate at any moment. "Do I need to tell someone your bodies have been taken over?" Brigette asked after only a moment.

"No. I just told them I was gay," Azul answered.

Brigette's eyes unfocused momentarily as she spoke with her brother's consciousness and the Phoenix, both of which lay in her mind. "Oh. Okay. Will someone get the phone?" she asked, then turned and walked away.

Kurt dove for the phone when it rang a moment later. "Zavier'sschoolforgiftedyoungstersthisisKurtspeakinghowmayIhelpyou?" he asked in one giant breath. There was a pause, then he sighed. "A moment, please." Silently he held the phone out, near the doorway. Seconds later Brigette returned and took it with a thanks, then left.

Logan was still studying his beer. He knew that at any moment he would wake up, it would all be a dream, and he could laugh as hard as he wanted without fear of mortally hurting someone. And yet, he truly hoped this wasn't a dream. It wasn't often that something was this much fun--not at his age.

"So," Kurt said at last taking a deep breath. "You're gay?"

Azul nodded.

"You're sure?"

Azul grinned.

Kurt grinned back. Identical grins. "Right. Stupid question." They both shot looks at Logan--at the same time--then looked back at each other.

"Logan, don't," Kurt said even as Wolverine's mouth opened. It closed with a click, but there was a definite grin starting.

Kurt opened his mouth to give his long time friend another warning, but it was too late. "There somethin' we should know, fuzzy? I mean, you two are practically identical. . . ."

Kurt groaned, while Azul started to laugh. "Logan," Kurt cried, a three fingered hand coming up to cover his eyes.

"Is there a reason you can't seem to find a nice girl and settle--"

Kurt picked up the couch cushion and teleported to where Logan stood, bring it hard down on his friend's head.

Because he figured he deserved it, and because he was starting to laugh really hard, Logan allowed it.

"What's going on?" Scott Summers asked, walking in with his arm around his redheaded wife.

"Kurt--Kurt--" Logan panted as laughter overtook him and he leaned heavily against the wall.

"I'm gay. Logan thinks this is very funny," Azul said with an enormous grin.

Kurt was standing on the opposite side of the room, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at Logan.

"Kurt--" Logan tried again, then looked at the identical men--one young and gay, the other older and not--and started laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny about that," Scott said, frowning.

"They even smell alike!" Logan howled as tears streamed down his face.

Kurt glared harder.

"They smell alike, they act alike, they look alike, they sound alike they--they--they eat alike--they even like the same things!" Logan choked, dropping his beer and wrapping his arms around his waist. "And Az is--and so Kurt--"

"Don't even say it, knave," Kurt snapped, though he was starting to grin. "Don't think about spreading that sort of rumor about me. I am NOT."

Logan was laughing too hard to listen.

The hilarity was catching, and Scott started to chuckle. "Oh, Kurt," he said, shaking his head. "It's going to be a long time before you live this down."

Azul twisted to look over the arm of the love-seat at his clone-father. "Sorry," he said, grinning, though he didn't sound the least bit apologetic.

Kurt sighed. "Perhaps by morning it will have died down."

***

By morning it had spread like wildfire that Azul--Kurt's clone--was homosexual. Wolverine had to leave a training session because someone mentioned Kurt and he started laughing again. For some inexplicable reason, the thought was just hilarious to him.

Not a word was said to either Kurt or Azul about it, though Azul sensed small changes in a few of the people. Michael Worthington-Braddock, at ten years old, looked at him suspiciously and stage-whispered questions at the kids' table, trying to figure out exactly what 'homosexual' was. The adult table froze for a moment, then saw that Azul didn't seem to mind at all and went back to what they were doing.

There was much choked laughter when Sydney-Eve LeBeau finally hissed, "It means gay, dummy!" loudly enough to carry into the next room. That was when Bobby grinned in that irrepressible way and, ignoring the elbowing from his wife Raquel beside him, said, "So, Azul, any prospective boyfriends?"

Azul grinned and shook his head.

"Oh," Bobby said with studied nonchalance. "Kurt, any chance of you . . . cleaning your closet soon? There might be some things that need to . . . come out."

Kurt had sighed heavily, all hope of a peaceful evening gone, and glared at Iceman.

Logan had to leave the room.

***

"You killed her? Good. I have another job for you then." Thomas Summers paced the recreation room slowly, swishing an imaginary glass of brandy. "Her husband. I want him dead--DEAD, do you hear me?!" He stopped, turning to look at the man who was sprawled in the chair, his legs over the side of the armrest. "I want his bones lying broken and crushed--"

"Crushed and broken," the sprawled man interjected.

"Crushed and broken," Tommy snarled as though he hadn't been interrupted, "in tiny pieces at my feet so I know--I know--I don't know what I'll know because I forgot my line!"

The sprawled man laughed, looking up from the script he held for his long time friend. "You'll know he was in pain," he supplied.

"Right." Tommy turned away, mentally gathered himself, and whipped back around full of fury once more. "Crushed and broken in tiny pieces at my feet so that I'll know he was in pain during his last moments of life!"

"Then someone knocks at the door. 'Hello?'" Daemon said, reading from the script.

Tommy straightened, all look of anger gone, and smiled at the imaginary door. "Yes?"

Kurt walked in, standing silently in the real doorway and watching the two men. At thirty-two Tommy was well known, after a long struggle trying to make a living as an actor. The X-Men had watched it all, from the time the boy was sixteen and first adopted, along with Chiya, by Scott and Jean. Daemon was Tommy's wardrobe designer, and best friend. They'd met in college and stuck together through everything--though Tommy hadn't always been wealthy enough to have his own wardrobe designer.

"It's Malcolm to see you, sir," Daemon read. "He says it's urgent." Daemon looked up at the black haired, blue eyed Tommy. "There's like three different people here, Blue."

Tommy sighed, then caught sight of Kurt standing in the doorway. "Help me read lines?" he asked, his cheeks creasing where dimples were.

Kurt smiled and walked in, perching on the chair behind Daemon to read over his shoulder.

"You be Malcolm. I'll be the ladies," Daemon said with a grin and a wink.

Kurt chuckled.

"Where were we?" Tommy asked, glancing at the pair over his shoulder.

"Blah blah blah, it's Malcolm to see you, it's urgent. . . ."

"Send him in," Tommy said to the imaginary door.

Daemon pointed to Kurt's first line, and he read it quickly. "Hello, Blade. It's been a long time. You know my wife?"

Daemon giggled, following the script. "It's soooooo nice to meeeeet you," he simpered.

Tommy broke. Laughing, he turned around. "Dae, what was that?"

"I'm just figuring that's how your co-star, Ashley Robenson, will talk," Daemon said with a sly look. "She always talks that way, honey."

Blue shook his head, sighing. "Okay, fine. Cue me again?"

"It's soooooo nice to meeeeet you," Daemon simpered once more, batting his eyelashes.

"My pleasure," Tommy returned, smiling almost wickedly but managing to keep from laughing.

Brigette Summers and Jessie Drake walked in then, plopping themselves down on the floor to watch. "This is always fun," the sixteen-year-old Brigette whispered. "Blue always looks like he's got a split personality when running lines."

Fifteen-year-old Jessie giggled. She hadn't seem Tommy very often over the years, and looked at him mostly as a movie star. She brushed a lock of blue hair out of her ice chip eyes, and sighed. He was soooo handsome.

Bobby walked in a moment later, looking for his daughter. Wolverine was near him as they arranged for the older man to come down to the youngster's school sometime soon and teach an offense workshop, but both fell silent in the doorway, watching. Tommy was pacing furiously, yelling at Daemon and Kurt as they sat, unflustered, eyes focused on the script.

"And dammit--" Tommy screamed, hate and anger emanating from every pore, his blue eyes wild and slightly unbalanced looking, "--I forgot my next line!" The look broke suddenly and he laughed, the tension draining out of his body as though it had never been there.

"Reading lines, Kurt?" Bobby asked innocently. "Thinking of going into Hollywood? Good choice." His pale blue eyes sparkled. "I hear there's lots of gay people there."

Kurt's head swiveled around, a good natured smile tugging at his lips. "Oh? And how would you know, Drake? Been reading "Playgirl" again?"

Bobby laughed. "Hey! Not in front of my kid!" he cried, pointing at Jessie. She grinned.

Wolverine started chuckling, ignoring the evil looks Nightcrawler was throwing his way. There was a sudden noise and the stench of brimstone, and suddenly a very young Kurt was in the room with them. "Hey. Anyone seen my book?"

"Pink!" Bobby cried suddenly.

Kurt groaned and gave up all hope of stopping this.

"Your teleportational signature is pink! We should've seen this long ago!" Bobby walked over to where Kurt was perched, looping one bulky arm around Nightcrawler's lanky shoulders. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell us?"

Azul looked at Kurt, shaking his head sadly. "Sorry. I didn't think me being gay would have this much bearing on you."

Daemon sighed. "Too bad you're so young," he said, looking mournfully at Azul. Azul just laughed.

"I really don't mind the teasing," Kurt said to his clone, ignoring Bobby. "Not--" in a flash of pink and brimstone Bobby and Kurt disappeared, and split seconds later Kurt reappeared. "--Really."

Outside there was a scream, and then a loud splash as a body fell into the pool--which was freezing cold this time of winter.

Azul started to laugh.

***

Kurt rolled his head, stretching his neck and shoulders. Birds chirped in the early afternoon air, racing around in the chill of the day to find the insects they lived on. Kurt bent, keeping one leg straight and stretching it before doing the same to the other. He shook out his arms, then started at a steady lope across the grass, around the grounds of the estates.

Houses had sprung up during the years. Rogue and Gambit were staying in the boat house, Michael and Sydney-Eve romping outside.

"Hi, Uncle Kurt!" Sydney-Eve called cheerfully.

"Hello, Sydneve!" Kurt shouted back.

"Uncle Bobby said to ask if you'd seen any fairies recently!" Michael shouted loudly.

Kurt sighed. "No, tell him I haven't seen any fairies recently." Shaking his head, Nightcrawler continued on. Perhaps if he plotted revenge, he could get back at Bobby. . . .

An hour later he arrived back at the mansion where he was staying, walking past a group of people playing basketball near the garages.

"Hey, Kurt," Logan said, standing on the sidelines and watching the ball with hawk-like eyes. "Wanna beer?" Then a wicked smile touched the corner of his mouth, and he eyed Nightcrawler. "Or do you only drink Perrier water now?"

Kurt mock-glared at him and walked inside. He stripped his shirt off while walking up the stairs, oblivious to the calls from the women below. It was all in fun, and most of them were married now.

His room was at the end of the hall, and he strode across the plush carpet, his toes sinking in. Once in his room he walked to the adjoining bathroom, turning on the bath water to cold, then walked back out and opened his tiny refrigerator for a drink.

Kurt blinked.

The entire thing was stocked, packed side to side, with glass bottles of bubbling water without labels. Taking one he looked at it, then walked to the window. One handed he flung open the shutters, then the glass and leaned out. The screens had long since disappeared. "Logan!" Kurt shouted, tipping out the window at a precarious angle. Wolverine, even though he was standing so far away, heard and turned. "What is this?"

Logan grinned. "Looks like sparkling water. Some sort of designer-water clone, probably."

Kurt sighed, shaking his head in defeat, and withdrew back into his room.

***

"Hey, Kurt, seen any good movies lately?" Logan asked later that night.

Kurt eyed him suspiciously.

"Y'know, any Errol Flynn ones? You know he's gay, right?"

Kurt studiously turned away and ignored Wolverine.

"I'm the one who "comes out," and yet no one says anything to me," Azul commented as he flopped down onto the love-seat beside Brigette. "But the guys who just happens to look like me gets teased mercilessly. Seems rather unfair."

Brigette looked at the fur-covered boy and smiled. "That's for two reasons. First, we're fighting intolerance, so many of us don't care. Second, since it's true with you it's a touchy subject."

Azul chuckled at the truthfulness of it.

"Besides," Brigette continued, "you got most of your habits from him," she said pointedly, eyeing first Azul, who sat with both legs propped up on the edge of the seat, tail twitching, and then eyeing Kurt, who sat on the couch in the exact same position.

The two Nightcrawlers eyed each other for a moment, then moved into different positions.

Logan burst into laughter. They were still sitting exactly the same.

Kurt threw his dinner plate Frisbee-like at Wolverine's head, counting on the man to sense and stop it. Wolverine did, but continued laughing.

"I was never so glad as I am now that I do not have to live with you anymore," Kurt said to Logan. It didn't faze the older man. He kept laughing.

***

"Kurt," Gambit said as they stood by the door of the Danger Room. "I don' t'ink y' should go in dere."

Kurt eyed him warily. This was supposed to be Boys' night--the night they all got together in the Danger Room and did guy things. Girls' night was in two days, and Kids' night had been the night before.

"What's the punchline, Gambit?" Kurt sighed. "I can't go in because I might not really be a man? My clone is gay, and so I'm only half a man because he must have gotten it from somewhere? My teleportational signature is pink and you're all afraid that that means I'm secretly gay and just in denial and you don't want me to see you in your sleepwear?" Frustration rang through his voice, but he was starting to get irritated.

Remy smiled as the Danger Room door opened and Jean Grey and Brigette walked out. "Non. I jus' didn' wan' y' t' get blasted by a TP shot wit' de girls in dere practicin'."

Kurt sighed and buried his face in his hands as the guys started coming down the hall and entering the Danger Room.

"'Ey, Logan, y' never believe what Kurt jus' said . . ." Remy shouted as he walked into the room.

"Okay, I deserved that," Kurt muttered to himself. He sent a mental prayer up, then took a deep breath and remembered that it was only in fun. Smiling, he entered the room.

***

It had been a week since Azul had announced he was gay, and most of the people had taken it remarkably well. In another day the reunion they had once a year--to get all the children of the X-Men together, as well as for much of the first X-Men to see each other--would be over, and they would all head home.

Kurt sat outside in the cold, his bare, three toed feet gripping the top bar of the swing set that had been put in years ago. Across the yard a form started walking forward, and not until it was almost upon him did Kurt recognize it as Azul.

The boy leapt, twisting in midair and coming to land in Kurt's same position, slightly farther down the swing set. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Guten morgen, mein freund," Kurt said.

"Good morning to you too," Azul answered. They sat in silence for a long time before Azul looked over, his golden eyes troubled. "I really am sorry for all the teasing you've taken. I don't even know how you feel about any of this. Speaking from experience, it's rather odd to be a clone of someone, yet have them do something not like me."

Kurt grinned, showing gleaming fangs. "Ja," he laughed quietly. "It is odd. I honestly don't mind about you being . . ." he hesitated, wondering how to tactfully put this and uncertain if he should even bother with tact.

"Gay?" Azul supplied.

"Ja, danke. I don't care about that. I sort of suspected it."

Azul's black eyebrows rose, his head swiveling to look at Kurt.

"Think about the movies you watch. And I've seen you look at some of the men walking around, almost the same way the girls do."

Azul laughed. "Guilty as charged," he said with a grin.

"And I don't mind the teasing, either," Kurt continued. "Not really. I took it before--just not quite this badly. You don't like Errol Flynn movies as much as I do and not take some ribbing for it."

Azul chuckled, nodding. "Well, I'm still sorry."

Kurt sighed and shook his head. "Don't be. They're friends. If I wanted it to stop, I could just say so. But it doesn't really bother me."

Azul nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Kurt smiled in return.

The two figures sat quietly as the sun rose, both perched on the bar of the swing set. Both tails twitched back and forth, keeping the correct balance. Both sets of legs folded up, three toes gripping. Both sets of arms were tucked, elbows against knees, chins on palms. The sunlight rose suddenly over the trees, washing across the land and touching golden on two heads full of black curls.

Michael eyed them from inside the warmth of the mansion. "I still don't get it, Sydneve," he said, using his friend's nickname.

She sighed and brushed red hair behind her small ear. "Kurt loves women. Azul loves men. Since Az is a man, that means he's gay."

Michael's face screwed up, his nose wrinkling. Black feather wings shifted on his back. "But Scott loves Tommy and they're not gay."

"But Tommy is Scott's son," Sydney-Eve answered.

"Not really. He was 'dopted, and not until he was like old. Like fifteen."

That stopped Sydney-Eve. "Oh. Well, it's still different. I don't know, you're confusing me!"

"And how can one of the Nightcrawlers be gay and not the other?" Michael cried, confusing himself more.

"It's a genetic thing," Sydney-Eve answered, herself uncertain.

"But they have the same genetics!"

The girl was quiet for a moment, thinking. Turning, she smiled her best smile at Michael. "Wanna go have ice cream? Uncle Bobby will let us have it for breakfast, and if he says no we can ask Uncle Hank, because he'll say yes to anything since he's in his lab."

Michael grinned. "Okay. Even though you're just trying to make me stop bugging you about the gay thing."

Sydney-Eve grinned. "Yeah, well, it worked, didn't it?"

Michael grinned and the pair went racing off to find Iceman.

********************************

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