A/N: Hey! Wow, I can't believe the nice comments I got for my first fic. So, how about we try it again? This one doesn't really have a place in the series, so we'll just say that it's AU, some time after the series, okay::insert nervous smiley face here: Man, I wish we could use special symbols on here again… Anyways, this one is a little bit more hardcore ROMY than my last one, so we'll see how it goes, huh? Yes, the title of this oneshot was inspired by the song "Face to Face" by Siouxsie and the Banshees (featured in the movie Batman Returns). Enjoy! And please leave reviews! Reviews make me happy!
Disclaimer::sighs heavily: No, I still don't own the X-Men or any similar series, comics, characters, stories, etc. In addition, I do not own the song "Face to Face" but I love it still! Also, do not own Batman Returns or anything related to the Dark Knight.
Special Note: This is dedicated to ishandahalf. Happy birthday!
Face to Face
Halloween had come and gone, and so had the month of October. The autumn chill still clung to the air as streams of leaves in bright shades of reds, oranges, and yellows floated down to blanket the ground. Though Halloween was the night before, the heavy spirits of the holiday still hung thick throughout the mansion, like a mist of perfume. Random decorations laid out amongst the sacred haven for the children; a few cut-outs of skulls and pumpkins were still taped to the walls, scraps of orange and black streams hung loosely on the ceiling, and various candy wrappers littered the floor. Scott would surely lecture the younger students about this later.
Rogue sat down at the bottom of the stairs, looking around the vacant living room with a faint smirk on her face. It was obvious that there was a party last night at the mansion. She had even remembered it herself. However, before she could delve into her reminiscence further, she looked down and saw that the coffee mug in her hands was empty. Slowly, she stood up and made her way over to the kitchen to fix herself another cup.
Even the kitchen had been decorated for that festive holiday. It almost brought a smile to her lips as paper pumpkins were still throughout the room. However, that 'almost-grin' vanished from her face when she not only saw that the coffee pot was empty, but there was no more coffee to be found within the kitchen as well. Of course, how could she forget? Today must be grocery day. A scowl formed on her face as she searched for a substitute and finally settled on hot chocolate. She put some cinnamon in it though to help it, and she sighed as she sat on a stool at the counter drinking it slowly.
It was quiet in the mansion for once. Majority of the people living there either were out at school, or the older mutants, like herself, were probably out shopping with Storm and the others. If they were still here, they would have shown themselves by now. She was surprised she hadn't even seen the Professor this morning either. Then again, it could be quite possible the Professor had some business to attend to. Whatever the case, it seemed like Rogue was the only resident in for today, and to be honest, she didn't mind it. She enjoyed the chance for peace and quiet. It was nice to have some time to herself, especially when you lived with about thirty other people, all under the same roof, of course.
It also allowed her the chance to revel in her daydreams. She turned on the radio, the song "Face to Face" playing. A faint smile formed on her lips as she sipped her drink, her green eyes having a faraway glint to them as she remembered last night.
------
As it was the same every year, the mansion was holding a Halloween dance that night. However, Rogue was determined this year not to attend. She loathed dances, the memories they held, the ache she felt in her heart as she watched couples dancing close in the dark, the jealousy that burned through her body as she saw Jean kissing Scott.
She just hated to have it rub in her face about the cursed side effects of her 'gifts.' It was just another reminder that she was alone and always would be.
Kitty wouldn't stand for it though. "Rogue, there is NO way I'm just gonna let you sit up here all night, feeling sorry for yourself, like some lame loser!" the brunette exclaimed, her ponytail bobbing up and down behind her head as she flailed about, lecturing her friend.
The Southern Goth glared at her friend maliciously. "Ah ain't goin' Kitty, and that's FINAL!" she snapped right back. "Besides…" she continued with a scowl, "Ah don't have a costume t' wear."
Her friend gasped in horror. "But Rogue, it's like 5:00…on HALLOWEEN! Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Kitty demanded, horrified that all the costume shops were now closed at this hour, and sadly, she didn't have anything for her friend to borrow either.
"Because Kitty, Ah already told yah…Ah ain't goin'."
"Oh, yes you are!" she argued, then her face lit up as she got an idea. "How about if we ask Remy to go find you a costume? I'm sure he could do it!"
If looks could kill, Kitty would have been six feet under, singing with the angels, possibly having tea and cookies with some ancient princess or queen. However, sadly, they couldn't. But that didn't stop Rogue from narrowing her green eyes, glaring murderously at her friend, her eyes flashing with pure fury as she mentioned the Cajun. Remy, aka Gambit, had been living with living at the mansion and an active member of the X-Men team for three months now.
And he annoyed the hell out of her.
He wouldn't stop flirting with her, no matter where they were, what time of day it was, or what situation they were in. It vexed her to no end. After all, he had used her, just like everyone else in her life before him, and she just seemed to be another conquest for him. No, she wasn't going for fall for that.
"Ah don't want his help!" Rogue hissed. "Ah'd rather kiss Jean's feet than t' have 'im help me! All he'd do is hold it over mah head! There's no way!"
Kitty was about to argue more, but a sudden knock on Rogue's door stopped her. The two girls looked at the door oddly before looking at each other, sharing the same look of confusion, and shrugged.
"Come in!" Rogue called, and the door opened to reveal Storm standing on the other side, holding a large white box.
"Storm?" both girls asked at the same time, shocked to find the white-haired woman there.
"Rogue, this package came for you today," she said, handing the auburn, white-striped haired girl the box.
"Who's it from?" she asked, taking it.
"We do not know. But we have done a scan on it, it is not anything dangerous," the 'weather goddess' assured her. With a small smile, Storm turned and left, shutting the door behind her quietly.
"Umm…okay, that was weird," Rogue replied, still holding the box in her hands.
"I'll say," Kitty agreed, then looked at her friend with a wide grin. "Hey! Go on and open it! I wanna see what it is!"
"Why? It's probably nothin' special," Rogue nonchalantly explained.
"Oh, will you just open it!"
"Alright, alright, hold yer horses!" Rogue snapped and sat down on her bed and opened the box. Her green eyes widened in shock, and she just gaped at the contents.
"What is it?" Kitty asked, coming over. Before Rogue could open her mouth to answer, she looked in, her eyes widening in surprise as well.
The Southern Goth lifted up the dark garment. It was black leather and appeared to be a jumpsuit with a zipper in the back; it had a high collar that would cover her neck and long sleeves. She looked over at Kitty confused, almost speechless from surprise, the younger girl catching a glimpse of the garb as well, having the same expression as her friend. Rogue hung it over her arm, looking into the box to find more items in there: a pair of opera-style black leather gloves and…
"A cat mask?" Kitty asked.
"Catwoman," Rogue answered quickly, recognizing the costume now. "Someone got meh a Catwoman costume…" she murmured, staring at it incredulously.
"Hey! There's a note inside!" Kitty exclaimed. "Maybe whoever it is signed it!"
That snapped Rogue out of her daze, and she looked into the box to find a small white envelope. She hastily grabbed it, dropping the costume onto her bed, ignoring Kitty's protests about her mishandling clothing, and got up, walking over to the window, near her desk, looking the envelope over. It was completely blank. She tore it open, tossing it onto the floor.
The paper was again white and was folded over once, and it felt thick, like cardstock paper. She flipped it open. It was written in red ink in fancy calligraphy. Her green eyes narrowed slightly, reading the message carefully:
Rogue,
Here, I think this is your size. Wear this to the Halloween Dance tonight, I'll be waiting for you, my little Catwoman.
-Your Dark Knight
She read it twice, still puzzled by all of this and trying to see if there were any clues to see who it might be. Unfortunately for her, there wasn't. Someone went through a lot of trouble to do this for her, but the question was who?
"Well, who is it from?" Kitty asked impatiently, staring at her friend with her wide blue eyes just filled with curiosity.
"Ah don't know, Kitty," she answered, still looking at the message. Finally, she tore her green eyes away from it and showed it to Kitty, who instantly snatched it, ignoring Rogue's exclamation about being more careful, and read it. When she finished, she gasped softly before looking up at Rogue with the biggest grin she could muster.
Rogue caught her friend's expression and twitched nervously; she knew that look. "Uh-oh….Kitty, what are you planning?"
Her smile never wavered. "Rogue, you are SOOO going to that party!"
"Kitty Pyrde!" Rogue snapped. "Ah already told yah: Ah'm NOT goin'!"
"Come on, Rogue! You have a costume now!" she argued.
The Southern only narrowed her eyes into her trademark glare as she stated firmly, "Ah'm not goin'."
The younger girl sighed in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips and stared at her friend sternly. "You know Rogue, someone went through a lot of trouble to do this for you…The least you can do is go and thank them."
A heavy sigh escaped the Goth's lips; she knew her friend was right. "Alright, alright…" Rogue grumbled and then sighed again. "Ah'll go." Upon hearing her change her mind, Kitty squealed with joy, practically jumping up and down. Rogue faintly smirked, amused with Kitty's reaction, and her smirk grew as a sadistic idea came to her. "Besides…Ah AM curious t' see who it is…Maybe it was Lance…"
At the mention of her boyfriend's name, Kitty glared at her friend and threw a pillow at her, which Rogue dodged and ran out of the room laughing, Kitty close on her heels. "Come back here, Rogue!"
--0.0.0.0--
With only minutes before the dance was to start, Rogue stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection. She was wearing her costume, minus the mask, with her combat boots. It was a perfect fit. She didn't like the way it hugged every curve of her body, but that was how the costume was designed, and besides, at least she was covered; she wouldn't be in danger of absorbing and hurting anyone unless they kissed her.
"Well, it's now or never…" the Southern Goth mumbled and pinned her short auburn locks back and slid the mask on. Now, all she had to do was go downstairs and find out who this 'Dark Knight' was.
Rogue began her descent down the stairs, the lights in the large living room dimmed and black, with a few strobe lights placed in various spots along the wall. The music was booming; the song that had just begun to play was "Face to Face" she noted, finding it odd since it was the song played in Batman Returns, when Selina Kyle (Catwoman) was walking down the steps in the ball. It seemed liked there were millions of students out on the floor, dancing with one another or conversing by the snack table, but none of them seemed to recognize her. She walked into the sea of people, searching for her secret admirer, when she heard a voice behind her.
"I see y' got Remy's package, eh Chére?" a deep, sultry voice thick with a Southern accent asked.
She turned around, and there standing before her was the caped crusader. Yet, this Batman looked more demonic than his actual self with a pair of gleaming red-on-black eyes. Rogue's face scrunched up into her trademark scowl. "Oh, so it was from YOU, Swamp Rat?" she sardonically inquired.
However, the Cajun wasn't affected by her hostility and merely chuckled. "Remy must say dat y' look very belle in dat outfit, Chére…Not dat y' aren't a belle fille anyway…" he complimented and moved in closer to her.
She took a step back away from him, and her green eyes turned colder as she glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest. "What do yah want!" she snapped.
Remy just smirked at her, enjoying how the tight leather outfit clung to her curves, almost even tighter than when she wore that spandex uniform of hers. "Remy just wants t' have a good time with his chére at dis party," he answered. "Did y' like de surprise, Rogue?"
Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits of pure anger as she glowered at him. "No, Ah didn't!"
He frowned slightly. "Aww…now dat hurts, Chére…" he pouted. "Remy put a lot of thought into it…" His sadden expression, however, changed back into his usual cocky smirk. "But Remy knows y' be lyin'."
"And how do yah know that?" she growled.
"Cause if y' didn't like it…y' wouldn't be down here, lookin' f'r Remy, Chére…"
Rogue opened her mouth to retort, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Damn that Swamp Rat! He knew it, and he was so damn smug about it. She closed her mouth, looking not at all happy with him.
"Or why else would y' come down here, Chére?" he asked, smirking, folding his arms across his chest.
"Ah came down here t' say thank yah for the costume, and now that Ah have, Ah'll be leavin' now!" she declared and turned to leave, but she didn't get far as Remy grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Come on, Chére, stay wit' Remy…" he cooed. However, the Southern Goth only growled and tried to get out of his grip. "Please Rogue?" he asked, his voice growing softer and gentler, his eyes pleading with her.
"Ah can't. Ah don't like yah Remy, and Ah don't want everyone t' think we're datin' or that Ah'm one of yer damn conquests!" she hissed.
"Chére, dis be a party…Just dance wit' Remy, please…We're in costumes, no one will know dat it's me yer dancin' wit' or vica versa," he explained, his voice gentle. "So what do y' say, Rogue? Let's keep our masks and play our roles?"
Rogue looked into his eyes and instantly wished she hadn't. His enchanting, unique eyes looked like a pair of blood-red rubies floating in a smooth sea of black velvet. His voice seemed to be pleading her, and hell, she did have a small crush on him back since their trip to New Orleans. And he did have a point: it was Halloween and no one would remember them dancing together. She did have to admit she was flattered someone went through all this trouble to get her a costume that fitted her and that would cover her enough not to worry about absorbing anyone.
She couldn't let him know that though.
A sigh came from her lips as she rolled her eyes. "Alright," she finally agreed, and she felt butterflies flutter slightly in her stomach as she saw the wide grin that formed on his face when he heard her answer. However, she shoved the reaction aside and concentrated on what she was about to do.
"Bien," he whispered and gently took her right hand into his and placed his other at her hip. Her eyes narrowed slightly, staring at him suspiciously as this happened, and he chuckled. "Don't worry, Chére," he reassured her. "Remy won't try anything tonight." She seemed to relax slightly and placed her free hand upon his shoulder as they began to dance to the latter half of "Face to Face."
It had been a long time since she last danced. She hadn't danced with anyone since her powers manifested themselves, and she accidentally absorbed Cody. Contrary to her earlier thoughts, she still knew how to dance, and she had to confess that it did feel nice. The warmth of his body was comforting as they swayed gracefully together, and she leaned in closer, acting only on instinct, not even realizing what she was doing, until she saw the cocky smirk on his face. Immediately, Rogue tried to back away, but Remy's hand went from her hip to around her back, keeping her close.
"Come on, Chére, don't ruin dis now…" he begged, whispering softly, almost nuzzling the side of her face gently. "Let's enjoy tonight."
For half a second, Rogue considered slipping herself out of his grip and running back up to her room, but she decided to enjoy herself and have some fun. She took a deep breath to calm herself and murmured, "Okay." Her hand slid down to his chest, responding to the new closeness of their dance.
They danced until the song was over, and she was fixing to let go, but Remy made it clear he wasn't finished when he didn't let go of her hand as the next song began playing. Rogue didn't fight him, and deep down, she was glad it didn't have to end just yet. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun at a party, and she intended to enjoy as long as she could.
Excitement build within her, and her body felt like it was on fire, as he pulled her closer, dancing with her more intimately. The warmth from his body was comforting her from the cold, harsh world, and his enchanting eyes kept making her drown in them. He smelled of cigarettes, cinnamon, peppered spices, and leather, and it was driving her wild. The way he spun, twirled, and swayed with her, their bodies touching, sent shivers down her spine, and a realization dawned on her at that moment: She was falling in love with him.
It happened so quickly, she didn't notice it until now. And it all happened with a dance. Rogue had heard about people falling in love at first sight or with a kiss, but a dance? Now, that was a new one. Normally, Rogue wouldn't believe such things and dismiss them, but she couldn't ignore the way she was feeling now with him. Here she was, wrapped up in Remy's arms, dancing with him passionately, feeling relaxed, feeling excited, feeling…happy. It wasn't the sort or quick, hyped up happiness when she scored well on her math test or won a fight, but it was a deep, serene one. A feeling that she couldn't recall having ever felt before.
Suddenly, the clock was beginning to strike twelve for midnight, signaling the end of the party since the Professor did not like his students partying too late, snapping her out of her daze. Rogue looked over at the clock shocked; had they really been dancing for the entire party? She felt sad it had to come to an end and when Remy released her, but it was probably for the best; better to stop it now before she got in too deep. The Southern Goth turned to leave, when his voice stopped her.
"Wait Rogue," he tenderly called to her, and slowly, she turned back to face him.
He took a step forward and pulled out a small red silk scarf from his gauntlet; it was sheer and the same shade as his beautiful eyes. She was about to ask him what she was going to do, but as soon as she opened her mouth, he placed the soft silk over her lips and kissed her passionately. On reflex, Rogue was fixing to push him back, not wanting to hurt him, when she realized she wasn't absorbing him. It wasn't her first kiss (and neither was it with him), but those kisses had always been brief and passive, not full and fierce as this. Rogue wouldn't kiss back though—she hated the Cajun with a passion and hated contact…but tonight, she was Catwoman and he was Batman; she didn't have to keep up with the image everyone had of her. Her eyes fluttered shut, and with a smothered moan, she kissed him back.
------
Yes, it had been a wonderful night. A sad smile crossed her face, knowing that it would never happen again, and she closed her eyes and took a sip of her lukewarm hot chocolate.
"Bonjour, Chére," a voice suddenly said from behind.
Her green eyes widened instantly in shock, and she nearly dropped her mug. Quickly, she spun around in her stool, staring at the man she had been only thinking about earlier. "Remy…" she whispered, still shaken by his sudden appearance. When did he get in here? She never saw him come in. Then again, he WAS a thief after all. How long had he been there watching her? However, she remembered that today she was no longer wearing that mask, and she scowled, turning her back to him. "Mornin' Swamp Rat," she mumbled.
He chuckled, taking no notice of her apparently grumpy mood. "Always wit' de pet names," he mused. With a small smirk on his face, he walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders, preparing to kiss her head, when she shoved him off.
"Get off of meh, Swamp Rat!" she snapped, turning away from him, gripping her mug tightly.
The poor former Acolyte was puzzled, and a small frown from the confusion was visible on his face. He decided to try again. His smirk reappeared, and he leaned in close to her to whisper into her ear, "Now Chére, y' didn't seem t' mind Remy puttin' his hands all over y' last night…"
"Shut up!" Rogue snapped, turning and pushing him away harshly. "Ah don't want t' remember last night!" Her statement made, she turned back, looking down into her mug of now cold hot chocolate, struggling to keep her emotions intact.
Remy almost fell back in shock. He never expected that to come out of her, not with the way she kissed him back last night. "But…Rogue…I thought y' liked Remy…" he said, his red-on-black eyes wide with hurt. "After all—"
"Please don't do dis t' meh, Remy…" she interrupted him, still gazing down at the brown liquid with a frown. "Please stop; it's hard enough already."
"But why, Chére?" he asked. "Remy…I thought we had somethin' after last night…" he admitted painfully.
"How can yah say that!" she demanded, looking back at him, her eyes blazing with anger but also sadness. Unable to look at him without remembering last night and afraid she might cry if she did, she turned her back to him, blinking as the stinging tears were trying to form. "Last night didn't happen, Remy…" she replied sadly. "Last night, we were in costumes; we were playing the roles of our characters, Remy… It-It wasn't us… We were wearing our masks and going along with the act…" Slowly, she looked back at him. "Why can't yah leave it at that? Yah said it yerself. 'Let's wear our masks and play our roles for tonight'. Last night is GONE, Remy. Halloween is GONE… Our masks have been put away, the act is over… Yah shouldn't be here."
"Yet, I AM here, Rogue…Remy be lookin' at y' face t' face, no masks," he told her, hoping to convince her. "Last night mebbe over, Chére, but Remy's still here. And Remy will ALWAYS be here, Chére, right wit' y'."
Silence hung thick in the air between the two as Rogue stared at him intently. She wanted to be believe, she wanted to with all her heart. But it was so hard; he had used her before and true happiness just wasn't something she knew she would ever have. Remy seemed to notice her uncertainty though and decided to continue.
"If y' don't believe moi, touch me, and you'll see dat dis thief isn't lyin', Chére. Remy loves y', Rogue, Remy really does. Je t'aime."
Rogue looked deep into his eyes, searching for any signs that he might be lying, but she couldn't find any. They both knew if she touched him, she would discover his true intentions; he had to be telling the truth. She did want to trust him, believe what he was saying, and though her instincts were telling her not to, a tiny voice inside her head told her she should. Finally, a small smile graced her face as she looked at him.
"How did yah manage t' get meh that get-up without Logan knowing?" she asked.
He smirked and leaned back against the wall, watching her. "Very easily, Chére," he began, "First, Remy carried de costume by de hanger wit' a new pair of gloves, had the cashier take it out and put it in a plastic bag, and den he went t' de package place a couple of blocks from here. Also paid the clerk t' write the message and put de box in a bag."
"But how did yah get it on the porch wit' no one seein' yah or havin' the Professor readin' yer mind and findin' out it was yah?"
The smirk never left his face. "Easy enough. Remy got a kid on de street t' put it on there, and he made sure he stayed away until de dance."
She had to bite back a laugh as she looked at him. "That's a lot of trouble yah went into just t' get meh a costume…" she commented.
"How else was Remy supposed t' get y' t' de dance?" he chuckled. "Besides, only de best will do f'r my Chére."
A smile was exchanged between the two, but Remy was the first to drop his. There was just something he had to know…
"Rogue, will y' be mon amour?" he asked her tentatively.
The Southern Goth thought it over for a moment, before looking at the Cajun with a playful smirk. "Well, that depends..."
"Depends on what?"
Her smirk only grew as she stood up. "If yah get meh a good cup of coffee or not," she answered.
Catching on, he smirked as well and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he began to lead her out of the kitchen. "Remy thinks dat can be arranged…" he replied. Watching her laugh and smile, Remy couldn't help but smile along with her as they left the mansion. However, he stopped her and looked down at her and stroked her cheek with a gloved hand. "Je t'aime, Rogue," he whispered.
She looked up at him, smiling back. "Ah love yah too, Swamp Rat," she responded as he pulled out a familiar silk scarf and placed it to her lips…
-FIN-