Birthday's suck

Rogue sat in her room staring dejectedly out the window, it was John's birthday. She couldn't help feel depressed, this time last year her Bobby and John had been celebrating his birthday. She smiled remembering how John had looked a her with loving eyes, how he winked at her causing her cheeks to burn red, the three of them squashed into a photo booth, first the pulled funny faces them it turned into a power poshing war between John and Bobby. The night was a the thing that stuck the most in Rogue's mind.

It was ten at night and she had snuck into John's room to give him his present. She jumped on the bed and sat beside him as he lay lazily taking her present. Those were the time's, when they were alone, that Rogue knew she loved him.

He ripped off the wrapping to reveal a CD, Rogue knew now much he liked music.

'Flyleaf?' he asked.

'Yeah, I thought I'd introduce you to some new music.'

'I love it.' he lied. Rogue ignored his scepticism, she knew that once he listened to it he'd like it. 'You know you didn't have to get me a present, well you didn't have to buy me one.'

'What should have I got you then?' she asked laying down beside him and cuddling close to him.

'A kiss.' she froze and sat up sighing.

'John we talked about this I don't want to hurt you.'

'You won't,' she raised an eyebrow. 'OK, you could, but would be worth it.'

'No John.'

'Oh come, it's my birthday.' he looked up her with his chocolate eyes pleading.

'No Johnny.' she said avoiding is gaze. Damn those eyes.

'Consider this my present.'

'I got you one!' she argued still ignoring his eye's.

'A present that I actually want.' I turned to glare at him.

'No.' as Rogue said this even she knew it didn't sound whole hearted.

John sat up straight, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. 'Do I have to beg?'

Rogue gasped as his lips quickly touched her neck. She broke his grip and turned to face him. He smiled, a triumphant smile. Then there lips crushed together, John's arms wrapped around her in a lock and pulled her closer. She became so lost in the kiss it took her a few seconds to realise that her powers had kicked in. She immediately pushed John away, he fell onto the bed, gasping. She jumped off the bed trying to get as far away from him as possible.

'Im sorry John, I didn't mean too.' Suddenly a dopey grin appeared on his face as he breathing slowed.

'You shouldn't be apologising that was... great.'

'Really?' she asked surprised by his reaction she thought he would be calling her a freak and running away as fast as he could.

'Yeah, it was definitely worth the dizziness.' After several minutes passed he got off the bed and walked over to her a lustful look.

'Don't even think about it Johnny that's enough for tonight.' he took her hand and pulled her close.

'It's my birthday.'

'I think you've gotten enough presents for tonight mister.' John buried his head into her neck, her hair covering her skin.

'Bu you'll let me kiss you again soon?'

'Maybe next year.' she said pushing him away a playful smile on her face.

A tear streamed down her face as she realised that it would never happen, she would never get to kiss him again and she would never see him again. She walked over to her bed, curled in a ball and cried herself to sleep.

Rogue woke up the next morning her mind still on John. She dressed in dark clothes to match her mood and tied her hair back, the way John hated it. She grabbed her books and headed for class. As she walked down the halls she was joined by Bobby Drake her boyfriend.

'Hey.' he gave her a heartbreaking smile and took her gloved hand.

'Hi.' she said giving him a smile, hiding her guilt. She knew it was cheap and wrong to start dating Bobby, Johns best friend after his departure but it was all his fault. If he hadn't left they wouldn't have grown closer, both upset at loosing a love one. Rogue loved Bobby, more than she thought she would but not the way she loved John, she knew she would never love like that again.

They arrived in Cyclops class several minutes later and took there seats in the back of the room still holding hand's. As the pair began chatting about trivial things Storm arrived, Rogue sighed, Scoot barely turned up o teach classes anymore. He had gone into a deep depression after the events at alkali lake like her, but he hadn't come out of it yet. She felt sorry for him loosing the one he loved, she wondered if she would be the same if John had died instead of not coming back.

I hope I never find out, she thought as Storm began class.

John woke up in his tent feeling the sun rising and heating the land. He sat up rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the sleeping girl beside him and ignore the nagging pat of him that longed for someone else. He climbed off the inflatable mattress trying not to wake her, she crazy on a normal day but without sleep, that was something he didn't need to deal with.

Great fuck though he though as he slipped on his black jacket before leaving the tent. The morning air was cool and crisp, the sky was clear and bright and the temperature was good for the early hours of the morning all the signs of a good day. He shoved is hands into is jacket pockets and wondered into the woods, taking the same route as usual.He had pent so much the the woods he knew it like the back of his hand. There wasn't much to do thee beside walking, playing fire and fucking Copycat, out of all of them the fire was on the top of the list. All the others were spreadacrossthe world doing missions while he was stuck with Magneto who was kept held up in his little metal room. Copycat wasn't much company, if she wasn't so hot he wouldn't bother with her. She was messed up, so messed up it made him look normal, even boring. The things she had told him about what she had done to her family belonged in a slasher movie in his opinion.

He kicked a stone along the ground ignoring the the doubt that he felt. Maybe I should have stayed at the mansion?

It was a week later, a Saturday afternoon and Rogue had gotten John off her mind. Storm had brought some of the older girls into the city to buy some new clothes. She was looking for a new pair of jeans while the others searched through skirts and dresses.

'What about this?' Rogue looked up to see Jubilee holding a dark denim mini skirt. Her and Jubilee had grown extremely close since the event at alkali lake, she was her best friend.

'No.'

'Come on,' Jubilee was always trying to get her to wear less clothes, not cover up so much. 'You can wear it with tights.'

'No Jubs,' she sighed in defeat and stalked off to the other girls while Rogue rolled her eye's/

She chose a new pair of dark denim jeans, her other pair had faded. She walked to the front of the store rummaging though her bag for her purse. She handed the jeans to the cashier still having no luck. The cashier tapped her fingers impatiently shewing her gum loudly.

As Rogue looked up to apologise she gasped when she saw a figure standing outside the shop watching her through the window. He was almost unrecognisable, his once brown hair was now blond, he had grown a few inch's and his was more toned. If she hadn't looked into his hypnotic chocolate eyes she was sure she wouldn't have noticed him standing there.

'John,' she dropped her bag and ran for the exit. She flung the shop door open her eyes darting to the stop where John was standing and he wasn't there. She turned in a circle her eye's seaching for him on the almost empty street. She began making her way down the street desperate to find him, wanting to prove it wasn't her imagination.

After she travelled a few blocks he stopped in defeat on the verge of emotional breakdown trying to convince herself she wasn't going crazy. She made her way slowly back to the store trying to think of a convincing lie. She was half way there when she spotted a worried looking Jubilee. As soon as she saw Rogue she ran to her her black hair bouncing side to side.

'Where the hell did you go?' she demanded panting for breath.

'I just... I thought I saw someone I knew.' Rogue avoided her gaze.

'Who?'

'No one.'

'Well it wasn't just nobody, I saw run out of the shop like a whirlwind by the time I got outside you had disappeared.'

'Did you tell the others?'

'No,' Rogue sighed in relief. 'I was just about to.'

'Don't!'

'I will if you tell me what's going on.' She was torn, she wanted to tell her but she was afraid that if she did she would sound insane.

'I... can't.'

'You can't or you don't want to?'

'You'll think I'm insane.'

'Only if you say that you saw a dead person.' she said with a small smile.

'I think... I thought I saw John.' Jubilee gasped dropping the bags she as carrying, she wrapped her in a hug.

'Omigod! Are you ok babe?' Why I'd I think she would think I'm crazy?

'I guess.' she lied. She was far from ok, at that moment it was taking all her might not to have a breakdown, to fall to her knee's and cry her heart out.

'Come on lets get back to the others, we can pretend your sick, go home earl, you look pretty pale.' Jubilee picked up her back, wrapped her arm around her fiend and they headed back to the others.

It was a the day after Rogue's day in town, she was couped in her room and her thoughts were whirling. She was arguing with herself still trying to figure out if John had just been her imagination.

It couldn't have been, I don't have that god of an imagination!

Of course it was! One, it was his birthday a few days before that. Two, he's on a run with a wanted terrorist why the hell would he be in the city!

The public doesn't know he's with Magneto! It wasn't my imagination I would never put John as a blond.

Rogue rolled on her stomach and screamed, in frustration, into her pillow. After laying still for a few minutes she decided it was better not to dwell on it. She reluctantly dragged herself off the bed and headed down to the lounge hoping Bobby was there.

It was later that night Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, Jubilee and Piotr were watching a movie. Rogue was sitting beside Bobby on the couch his arm around but her mind was a million miles away She couldn't stop thinking about John and all the good times they had. She was still wondering if she had finally gone crazy. If she had really seen him then why did he run away?

Because he doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything besides himself.

She tried to concentrate on the film and Bobby, he was her future, John was her past, a past she wished she could forget

Once the movie was over she quickly sad goodnight o everyone, Jubilee gave her a knowing look and she headed for her room. As she walked th halls Bobby appeared beside her

'Bobby, what are you doing?'

'Walking you to your room.' he smiled taking her hand. 'What did you think of the movie?'

'Um... it as good.' ow she wished she had payed attention to it.

'Really? I didn't think you'd like it.'

Crap 'No I liked it.'

'Even the art when the girl jumped off the cliff?'

'Uh, yeah that was so sad.'

'Rogue that never happened.'

'It didn't?' she asked knowing she was outed. They stopped walking as the arrived at the door to her room.

'Nope. Are you ok?'

'Yeah, I'm fine.' she lied.

'You've just been distant all day, did I do something to you?'

'No Bobby,' now Rogue felt guilty 'Trust me I'm good just a little tired.'

'If you say so'

'Night.' Rogue was shocked when Bobby leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

'See you tomorrow.' he gave her that heartbreaking smile before walking away her hand slipping out of his grip. She turned and walked into her room in a daze. She closed the door still remembering the feel of his lips against hers.

Rogue gasped as she turned to see John sitting on the window edge across the room. A grin spread across his face as there eye's met.

'Miss me?'

Please review, I feed off them, and could you make it longer than one word I'd love that! The next chapter might be a while as I'm writing another fanfic too.