Rogue's eyes stayed glued to the dying embers of the fire as she listened to the mansion grow silent... She waited until it seemed as if she didn't know what she was waiting for anymore... That was when the fire would shift.
The flames, soft crimson flickering in orange, glowed and cast eerie shadows on the hearth and on her flawless cheeks. She smiled, knowing the colors where coming. Suddenly, the flames coughed, twisted softly and turned a light blue color. This shade of the fire made her think of Bobby. Bobby. His soft blue eyes that pierced her soul, his cream-colored skin... skin she could never touch without causing him pain. It was all too much to bear. She knew she was right to let him go... As much as she hated it, she knew it had to be done. Perhaps he'd understood but she'd told him that she knew he couldn't be happy with her. She wanted him to find someone who could hold him when he needed it, love him with all of herself... Someone who he could share a kiss with and not get hurt...
"Entschuldigen Sie mich..."
She jumped at the voice. "What?"
"Oh... Sorry... I... didn't know who you were... Rogue, yes?"
She smiled but only with her lips, "Yes... Would you like to join me?"
He blushed (or something... she couldn't tell because of his strange skin color), looking down at the floor, much like a young child. "I didn't mean to intrude... If you wish to be left alone with your thoughts..."
"No..." She did want him to stay, could use the company. Standing, she smiled again, more real this time, and beckoned him to the large sofa. He looked down at the ground again, and she crossed her arms firmly over her chest, blushing. Night was the only time she could wear something that didn't cover all of her soft, white skin, and she'd left her room without a jacket or over shirt. Looking up again as he sat on the couch, she could sense his nervousness. But her smile lit the room when she saw him wringing his hands over his blue tail tentatively.
"It's alright... You don't have to be afraid of me..." As soon as she said it, the comment sunk in. "Or maybe you do... Everyone else is..."
"Afraid?" He said, true surprise in his voice. "I wouldn't dream that anyone would fear a creature beautiful as you..."
"They do." She stated softly. "All of them. Even my own boy-" She stopped herself quickly before she called Bobby her boyfriend.
"Oh, no! They could never---" He smiled over at her from across the couch. "No one fears you, Gauner... You are beautiful and kind... Your abilities do not make you feared, but intriguing..."
She looked up, seeing out of the corner of her eye that the fire had changed now to a deep purple. "What was that you called me? 'Gauner'... What does it mean?"
"'Rogue'," he answered softly. "It is your name..."
She nodded, now, understanding. "German... It's a beautiful language..."
"Yes..." He looked at the ground, holding his tongue.
//Almost as beautiful as you...// He thought. And she was. Beautiful. He'd been watching Rogue for a time now and never felt as if he'd been able to say more then two words to her... Well, at least he'd finally gotten out his name. ("I am Kurt Wagner! But in the circus, I was known as the Amazing---") Erm... most of his name anyway. But he still didn't even know hers. Why not? If he was here, he might as well take a chance.
"Forgive me for intruding, but... What is your real name?"
She blushed, pushing a soft, chocolate strand of hair from her eyes. "I don't usually like to say, but...Marie..."
"It is a beautiful name..." He smiled as the flames flickered darkly. "Marie..."
Her eyes widened as she watched him. He seemed so kind, so gentle. She also got a sense of want, as if he'd waited for this conversation for a long time. Maybe... maybe she had too.
"Kurt, was it?" She knew very well it was even before he nodded. The wood snapped in the fireplace as the flames turned white. Kurt was amazed.
"Do they really...? How...?"
"Something the Professor has created. It's all in our minds. But it doesn't matter to me... It's beautiful..."
"Yes..." He answered softly, his unblinking blue eyes watching her.
She looked at the ground, her eyes now smiling with her lips. "Please don't look at me like that... It makes me kinda nervous."
He turned away quickly, his cheeks hot with embarrassment. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I--- der Fluch! zum sogar anzufangen zu erklären würde die Ewigkeit sein... Die verflucht ist. verflucht... Ich kann nicht..."
She smiled, biting her lower lip, and finally stopped him. "Kurt... It's alright... I'm just... nervous, I guess." The flames cracked again and turned black. His eyes watched them for a time before he spoke.
"Do you know... how to touch someone without hurting them?"
She shook her head.
"Oh... Is this why you had to end your relationship with..."
"Bobby," she finished for him. "Yes."
"I don't know if you'd agree with me but... maybe because he couldn't find a way to touch you, it wasn't meant to be?"
"You believe that?" She looked up at him and the energy in each of their eyes pierced the other.
"Perhaps..." Kurt leaned forward to look at her as the black fire continued to lick the hearth. "Perhaps... God... would let the one who was meant for you be immune to it..."
"To my curse..."
"To your blessing..."
"You wouldn't need to be immune to a blessing..."
"Liebes... You must never trust what the story books tell you... for life is so much harder... And yet so much more..." He leaned toward her and she toward him. Her eyelids fluttered as she began to succumb to his words. The black flames snapped and she blinked.
"No..." She shook her head and looked deep into his longing eyes. "I don't want to hurt you..."
"You will not, Marie... I promise..."
Tears formed behind her eyes and she tried to fight them. "He told me that..."
"And I mean it..." He reached toward her and softly pulled her body forward. Something made her give in and she leaned into his kiss, full of passion and longing. She could hardly contain her own feelings and they spilled into what she did. Throwing her arms about his neck, she kissed him too, and his fingers trailed to her waist.
They pulled back and the fire glowed red, basking the whole room in the color, giving the effect of a New Orleans jazz club. Her eyes questioned his, her soul pouring into him.
"How...?"
"Because it is meant to be..." He lifted his rosary from his pocket. "Liebe... Love... It is fated, meant to be... So it shall pass..."
Somehow, she seemed to understand, even though he would have to explain it to her many times. Once again, he reclaimed her lips in the soft, reddish glow. If only she had found him earlier... All she wanted now was to be with him, to know him... He could touch her, make her feel, so that he could feel her too. She would never know if it was the scars on his body or some extent of his powers that left him immune to her. All she knew was that she wanted him more then anything she'd ever wanted. He could reach out, unafraid, and tame the fire that was the girl called Rogue.
"Marie..." He whispered softly in her ear. "Meine liebe... Mit Ihnen nur sein..."
Perhaps she even understood him without a translation. How? It was meant to be...
~*Ende*~
Translations
"Entschuldigen Sie mich..."
*Excuse me...
He turned away quickly, his cheeks hot with embarressment. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I--- der Fluch! zum sogar anzufangen zu erklären würde die Ewigkeit sein... Die verflucht ist. verflucht... Ich kann nicht..."
*"I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I---damn... to even begin to explain would be eternity... damn, damn... I cannot"
"Liebes... You must never trust what the story books tell you... for life is so much harder... And yet so much more..."
*Dear one
"Meine liebe... Mit Ihnen nur sein..."
*My love... Only to be with you...
The flames, soft crimson flickering in orange, glowed and cast eerie shadows on the hearth and on her flawless cheeks. She smiled, knowing the colors where coming. Suddenly, the flames coughed, twisted softly and turned a light blue color. This shade of the fire made her think of Bobby. Bobby. His soft blue eyes that pierced her soul, his cream-colored skin... skin she could never touch without causing him pain. It was all too much to bear. She knew she was right to let him go... As much as she hated it, she knew it had to be done. Perhaps he'd understood but she'd told him that she knew he couldn't be happy with her. She wanted him to find someone who could hold him when he needed it, love him with all of herself... Someone who he could share a kiss with and not get hurt...
"Entschuldigen Sie mich..."
She jumped at the voice. "What?"
"Oh... Sorry... I... didn't know who you were... Rogue, yes?"
She smiled but only with her lips, "Yes... Would you like to join me?"
He blushed (or something... she couldn't tell because of his strange skin color), looking down at the floor, much like a young child. "I didn't mean to intrude... If you wish to be left alone with your thoughts..."
"No..." She did want him to stay, could use the company. Standing, she smiled again, more real this time, and beckoned him to the large sofa. He looked down at the ground again, and she crossed her arms firmly over her chest, blushing. Night was the only time she could wear something that didn't cover all of her soft, white skin, and she'd left her room without a jacket or over shirt. Looking up again as he sat on the couch, she could sense his nervousness. But her smile lit the room when she saw him wringing his hands over his blue tail tentatively.
"It's alright... You don't have to be afraid of me..." As soon as she said it, the comment sunk in. "Or maybe you do... Everyone else is..."
"Afraid?" He said, true surprise in his voice. "I wouldn't dream that anyone would fear a creature beautiful as you..."
"They do." She stated softly. "All of them. Even my own boy-" She stopped herself quickly before she called Bobby her boyfriend.
"Oh, no! They could never---" He smiled over at her from across the couch. "No one fears you, Gauner... You are beautiful and kind... Your abilities do not make you feared, but intriguing..."
She looked up, seeing out of the corner of her eye that the fire had changed now to a deep purple. "What was that you called me? 'Gauner'... What does it mean?"
"'Rogue'," he answered softly. "It is your name..."
She nodded, now, understanding. "German... It's a beautiful language..."
"Yes..." He looked at the ground, holding his tongue.
//Almost as beautiful as you...// He thought. And she was. Beautiful. He'd been watching Rogue for a time now and never felt as if he'd been able to say more then two words to her... Well, at least he'd finally gotten out his name. ("I am Kurt Wagner! But in the circus, I was known as the Amazing---") Erm... most of his name anyway. But he still didn't even know hers. Why not? If he was here, he might as well take a chance.
"Forgive me for intruding, but... What is your real name?"
She blushed, pushing a soft, chocolate strand of hair from her eyes. "I don't usually like to say, but...Marie..."
"It is a beautiful name..." He smiled as the flames flickered darkly. "Marie..."
Her eyes widened as she watched him. He seemed so kind, so gentle. She also got a sense of want, as if he'd waited for this conversation for a long time. Maybe... maybe she had too.
"Kurt, was it?" She knew very well it was even before he nodded. The wood snapped in the fireplace as the flames turned white. Kurt was amazed.
"Do they really...? How...?"
"Something the Professor has created. It's all in our minds. But it doesn't matter to me... It's beautiful..."
"Yes..." He answered softly, his unblinking blue eyes watching her.
She looked at the ground, her eyes now smiling with her lips. "Please don't look at me like that... It makes me kinda nervous."
He turned away quickly, his cheeks hot with embarrassment. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I--- der Fluch! zum sogar anzufangen zu erklären würde die Ewigkeit sein... Die verflucht ist. verflucht... Ich kann nicht..."
She smiled, biting her lower lip, and finally stopped him. "Kurt... It's alright... I'm just... nervous, I guess." The flames cracked again and turned black. His eyes watched them for a time before he spoke.
"Do you know... how to touch someone without hurting them?"
She shook her head.
"Oh... Is this why you had to end your relationship with..."
"Bobby," she finished for him. "Yes."
"I don't know if you'd agree with me but... maybe because he couldn't find a way to touch you, it wasn't meant to be?"
"You believe that?" She looked up at him and the energy in each of their eyes pierced the other.
"Perhaps..." Kurt leaned forward to look at her as the black fire continued to lick the hearth. "Perhaps... God... would let the one who was meant for you be immune to it..."
"To my curse..."
"To your blessing..."
"You wouldn't need to be immune to a blessing..."
"Liebes... You must never trust what the story books tell you... for life is so much harder... And yet so much more..." He leaned toward her and she toward him. Her eyelids fluttered as she began to succumb to his words. The black flames snapped and she blinked.
"No..." She shook her head and looked deep into his longing eyes. "I don't want to hurt you..."
"You will not, Marie... I promise..."
Tears formed behind her eyes and she tried to fight them. "He told me that..."
"And I mean it..." He reached toward her and softly pulled her body forward. Something made her give in and she leaned into his kiss, full of passion and longing. She could hardly contain her own feelings and they spilled into what she did. Throwing her arms about his neck, she kissed him too, and his fingers trailed to her waist.
They pulled back and the fire glowed red, basking the whole room in the color, giving the effect of a New Orleans jazz club. Her eyes questioned his, her soul pouring into him.
"How...?"
"Because it is meant to be..." He lifted his rosary from his pocket. "Liebe... Love... It is fated, meant to be... So it shall pass..."
Somehow, she seemed to understand, even though he would have to explain it to her many times. Once again, he reclaimed her lips in the soft, reddish glow. If only she had found him earlier... All she wanted now was to be with him, to know him... He could touch her, make her feel, so that he could feel her too. She would never know if it was the scars on his body or some extent of his powers that left him immune to her. All she knew was that she wanted him more then anything she'd ever wanted. He could reach out, unafraid, and tame the fire that was the girl called Rogue.
"Marie..." He whispered softly in her ear. "Meine liebe... Mit Ihnen nur sein..."
Perhaps she even understood him without a translation. How? It was meant to be...
~*Ende*~
Translations
"Entschuldigen Sie mich..."
*Excuse me...
He turned away quickly, his cheeks hot with embarressment. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I--- der Fluch! zum sogar anzufangen zu erklären würde die Ewigkeit sein... Die verflucht ist. verflucht... Ich kann nicht..."
*"I am so sorry! I didn't mean too... I---damn... to even begin to explain would be eternity... damn, damn... I cannot"
"Liebes... You must never trust what the story books tell you... for life is so much harder... And yet so much more..."
*Dear one
"Meine liebe... Mit Ihnen nur sein..."
*My love... Only to be with you...