It was a cool, cloudless night and the moon was low in a velvet sky. Rogue sat alone on a wooden bench in the park, staring sightlessly at the ground as thoughts ran through her mind. She thought about her relationship with Remy, it had just... happened, she hadn't meant to give in but he was just so persistant. 'Well, it's not much of a relationship without being able to touch each other,' she thought with a small sigh, 'and it's not much of a relationship when you still have feelings for someone else...'
She felt like kicking herself at that moment. Even though she had tried countless times, she couldn't just push Scott out of her mind, it was like he had been permanently burned into her brain. It was the night of Christmas and the only students left at Xavier's were herself and Scott, the others had all gone home to their families, even Remy was busy tonight. Scott and Rogue, the only ones without a place to go. Only hours ago the two had arrived back from a little 'mission' to recruit Angel to the X-Men, but it was all for nothing and now Rogue was feeling more than a little depressed.
Looking up into the star scattered sky Rogue sighed again and let a soft breeze ruffle her hair but the peace was broken suddenly when she heard footsteps coming towards her. They were muffled by the grass but definately there. She turned her head, not wanting to draw more attention to herself and a small smile formed on her lips as she recognised the intruder.
"Oh it's you, Scott," she said flatly.
"Hey, didn't expect to find anyone here, especially on Christmas night," he said and smiled at her sitting on the bench. "I usually come here to get away from... everything."
Rogue nodded and turned her gaze to the trees, "Yeah, me too."
There was silence between them for a moment, the wind rustled through the trees gently causing a few leaves to drop. Scott leaned over to Rogue and she quickly pulled away.
"What are you doin'?" she asked with wide eyes and Scott chuckled.
"Uh, there's a leaf in your hair," he pointed out, amusement coloured his voice.
Rogue felt a blush rise on her cheeks as he carefully plucked it out for her and she thanked him awkwardly, before he started talking again.
"So how are things with you and... Gambit?" Rogue's eyebrows rose at his bitter tone but she chose to ignore it,
"Fine, Ah guess."
Scott nodded and looked at Rogue, she returned his gaze and found herself wishing that she could see his eyes, see what he was really feeling but he just smiled.
"Thing is, Rogue... Jean and I, we're having a rough patch," he said and his smile seemed to look very sad all of a sudden.
"Oh..."
"She spends so much more time with her friends and those jockheads at school than with me," he continued, "And me... I guess, the whole thing is kind of getting a bit old, you know?"
Rogue clasped her hands in her lap, she didn't know what to say so she just nodded dumbly. Even though she couldn't see them, she could feel his eyes on her and the electricity between them crackled, she shivered involuntarily. Scott placed a hand over hers and his warmth spread through her,
"Tell me why you're with Remy?" Scott asked, "He seems sorta, uh, sleazy..." Scott coughed into his fist and avoided her eyes for a moment, but was surprised to hear a small chuckle emit from her throat.
"Ya jealous, Scott?" she challenged, but he said nothing so she continued, "Um... well, ah guess he seemed nice, he kept askin' if ah wanted to go to dinner with him so ah just humored him," she paused, trying to think of the right words. "He wasn't that bad really. But when he asked if we could be more than friends, I thought about you."
She looked over at Scott, who was listening intently. He had a slightly confused expression now.
"What about me?" he said carefully
"Ah wondered if it would make you notice me, y'know like, you might realise that other guys are interested in me and get jealous..." Rogue smirked after hearing her own words,
"Oh, I see..."
"Yeah ah know, pathetic huh?"
Slowly Scott shook his head and smiled warmly at her, "No, I don't think so. I've always liked you, Rogue, you know that."
"Excuse me?" Rogue's voice came out in a hushed whisper
"Jean is just easier to read, I knew she liked me, but you...." He trailed off.
If Rogue's breath hadn't been caught in her throat she would have protested, so before she could recover Scott leaned in again to gently brush her hair from her eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and he gently pulled her into a hug, the warmth of his broad chest was comforting and she closed her eyes.
It seemed as though they had stayed like that for hours, the moon rose higher into the night and the air became cooler as Rogue and Scott sat, chatting in each other's arms. Rogue was afraid that she was going to wake up at any moment and this would all be a dream so she clung on to him a little tighter, she had never felt so vulnerable.
Scott tilted his head down to her ear and whispered, "We'd better head back now.." his voice sounded almost regretful and she nodded slowly
They both stood silently and began the short journey back to the mansion, their breath was coming out in small clouds as a few snowflakes began to fall and Scott slipped his arm neatly around Rogue's shoulders.
"Merry Christmas, Rogue." He whispered.
She felt like kicking herself at that moment. Even though she had tried countless times, she couldn't just push Scott out of her mind, it was like he had been permanently burned into her brain. It was the night of Christmas and the only students left at Xavier's were herself and Scott, the others had all gone home to their families, even Remy was busy tonight. Scott and Rogue, the only ones without a place to go. Only hours ago the two had arrived back from a little 'mission' to recruit Angel to the X-Men, but it was all for nothing and now Rogue was feeling more than a little depressed.
Looking up into the star scattered sky Rogue sighed again and let a soft breeze ruffle her hair but the peace was broken suddenly when she heard footsteps coming towards her. They were muffled by the grass but definately there. She turned her head, not wanting to draw more attention to herself and a small smile formed on her lips as she recognised the intruder.
"Oh it's you, Scott," she said flatly.
"Hey, didn't expect to find anyone here, especially on Christmas night," he said and smiled at her sitting on the bench. "I usually come here to get away from... everything."
Rogue nodded and turned her gaze to the trees, "Yeah, me too."
There was silence between them for a moment, the wind rustled through the trees gently causing a few leaves to drop. Scott leaned over to Rogue and she quickly pulled away.
"What are you doin'?" she asked with wide eyes and Scott chuckled.
"Uh, there's a leaf in your hair," he pointed out, amusement coloured his voice.
Rogue felt a blush rise on her cheeks as he carefully plucked it out for her and she thanked him awkwardly, before he started talking again.
"So how are things with you and... Gambit?" Rogue's eyebrows rose at his bitter tone but she chose to ignore it,
"Fine, Ah guess."
Scott nodded and looked at Rogue, she returned his gaze and found herself wishing that she could see his eyes, see what he was really feeling but he just smiled.
"Thing is, Rogue... Jean and I, we're having a rough patch," he said and his smile seemed to look very sad all of a sudden.
"Oh..."
"She spends so much more time with her friends and those jockheads at school than with me," he continued, "And me... I guess, the whole thing is kind of getting a bit old, you know?"
Rogue clasped her hands in her lap, she didn't know what to say so she just nodded dumbly. Even though she couldn't see them, she could feel his eyes on her and the electricity between them crackled, she shivered involuntarily. Scott placed a hand over hers and his warmth spread through her,
"Tell me why you're with Remy?" Scott asked, "He seems sorta, uh, sleazy..." Scott coughed into his fist and avoided her eyes for a moment, but was surprised to hear a small chuckle emit from her throat.
"Ya jealous, Scott?" she challenged, but he said nothing so she continued, "Um... well, ah guess he seemed nice, he kept askin' if ah wanted to go to dinner with him so ah just humored him," she paused, trying to think of the right words. "He wasn't that bad really. But when he asked if we could be more than friends, I thought about you."
She looked over at Scott, who was listening intently. He had a slightly confused expression now.
"What about me?" he said carefully
"Ah wondered if it would make you notice me, y'know like, you might realise that other guys are interested in me and get jealous..." Rogue smirked after hearing her own words,
"Oh, I see..."
"Yeah ah know, pathetic huh?"
Slowly Scott shook his head and smiled warmly at her, "No, I don't think so. I've always liked you, Rogue, you know that."
"Excuse me?" Rogue's voice came out in a hushed whisper
"Jean is just easier to read, I knew she liked me, but you...." He trailed off.
If Rogue's breath hadn't been caught in her throat she would have protested, so before she could recover Scott leaned in again to gently brush her hair from her eyes. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and he gently pulled her into a hug, the warmth of his broad chest was comforting and she closed her eyes.
It seemed as though they had stayed like that for hours, the moon rose higher into the night and the air became cooler as Rogue and Scott sat, chatting in each other's arms. Rogue was afraid that she was going to wake up at any moment and this would all be a dream so she clung on to him a little tighter, she had never felt so vulnerable.
Scott tilted his head down to her ear and whispered, "We'd better head back now.." his voice sounded almost regretful and she nodded slowly
They both stood silently and began the short journey back to the mansion, their breath was coming out in small clouds as a few snowflakes began to fall and Scott slipped his arm neatly around Rogue's shoulders.
"Merry Christmas, Rogue." He whispered.