Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel, not me.
You Can't Go Home Again
***
"Ah wanna go home, Professor. Just for a visit, tha's all. Ah'll pay for the train ticket an' ev'rything, an'..."
"Rogue, we've been over this before. I don't think it's in your best interest to return right now, not when you're progressing so well. Perhaps at a later time, when school is out for the summer and things are less hectic." He leaned forward for emphasis. "Do you understand?"
Rogue, sitting in one of the huge leather chairs in his study, looked down at her gloved hands and bit her lip.
Flashback...
There was really no reason why she asked him for the five dollars; she just wanted to see if he'd give it to her. That's what ten-year-olds do, after all - experiment. And miraculously, it worked. Well, sort of. He led her out to the driveway, left for a moment, and returned with a stepladder. Even though he was thirteen, he wasn't tall enough to do what he wanted to. Climbing up it, he tied the bill to the imitation-nylon net of the basketball hoop.
"If ya want it, it's yours," he said as he stepped down from the top of the ladder. "But ya gotta work for it first." With that, he disappeared into the house, the ladder with him.
Fifteen minutes of futile jumping and grabbing taught her that this was not the best tactic. She also discovered that, even without her shoes on, the garage door was too smooth to climb. Finally, when she was at her wit's end, she found a broom and spent half an hour beating the hoop until the whole thing clattered to the cement ground. She would have to reattach it all later and was completely soaked with sweat, with aching shoulders. Despite (or maybe because) of all this, Rogue found later that this was the best five dollars she ever spent.
"Rogue? Rogue, do you understand?"
She snapped out of reminiscence and looked up at the Professor. "Yeah, Professor, ah understand."
She'd just have to work for what she wanted.
***
The clock read 4:25 AM when Rogue slipped of bed. As quietly as possible, she dressed, eschewing her normal Goth clothes in favor of a less noticeable black sweater and jeans, with her usual gloves and boots. She grabbed a fistful of money from the top of her dresser and shoved it down her front pocket. Finally, Rogue turned and opened the door, which creaked loudly as it moved. She whirled around, terrified Kitty would awake. Luckily, she found her roommate undisturbed and proceeded on her way, uneventfully leaving the mansion.
***
It didn't take long to walk to the train station, which was empty save for a few others. Rogue worried as she stood in line that the ticket clerk would question why such a young girl was there so early. Her fears turned out to be unfounded, though, and the clerk passed her the ticket without even batting an eye. Clutching it, she wandered over to a bench and sat down.
"So you're really going," said a voice from behind.
Rogue jumped up and spun around. There before her stood a familiar figure.
"I wasn't sure you would," Pietro said. He placed his hands on his hips. "I'm not surprised, though."
"How'd ya know ah'd be leavin'?"
"I heard Kitty tell Lance that you'd been bugging the Professor to go home. I figured you'd do it, one way or the other."
"But how'd ya know ah was leavin' tonight?"
"I...I'm not sure. I just know you, I guess." Pietro looked away for a moment, then stared straight into her eyes. "It is just a visit, right? You're coming back?" His eyes were wet.
Her face softened and she relaxed. "Yeah, Pietro. Ah'm comin' back."
He sighed. "Good. But, well, be careful, okay? Don't get yourself hurt."
"Okay."
"Well...later." In a flash he was gone, but before Rogue could even turn away again he was back. "Wait, I forgot something." Pietro leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head, through her hair. Then he disappeared again, leaving only a flutter of papers and Rogue touching the place that still tingled from his lips.
You Can't Go Home Again
***
"Ah wanna go home, Professor. Just for a visit, tha's all. Ah'll pay for the train ticket an' ev'rything, an'..."
"Rogue, we've been over this before. I don't think it's in your best interest to return right now, not when you're progressing so well. Perhaps at a later time, when school is out for the summer and things are less hectic." He leaned forward for emphasis. "Do you understand?"
Rogue, sitting in one of the huge leather chairs in his study, looked down at her gloved hands and bit her lip.
Flashback...
There was really no reason why she asked him for the five dollars; she just wanted to see if he'd give it to her. That's what ten-year-olds do, after all - experiment. And miraculously, it worked. Well, sort of. He led her out to the driveway, left for a moment, and returned with a stepladder. Even though he was thirteen, he wasn't tall enough to do what he wanted to. Climbing up it, he tied the bill to the imitation-nylon net of the basketball hoop.
"If ya want it, it's yours," he said as he stepped down from the top of the ladder. "But ya gotta work for it first." With that, he disappeared into the house, the ladder with him.
Fifteen minutes of futile jumping and grabbing taught her that this was not the best tactic. She also discovered that, even without her shoes on, the garage door was too smooth to climb. Finally, when she was at her wit's end, she found a broom and spent half an hour beating the hoop until the whole thing clattered to the cement ground. She would have to reattach it all later and was completely soaked with sweat, with aching shoulders. Despite (or maybe because) of all this, Rogue found later that this was the best five dollars she ever spent.
"Rogue? Rogue, do you understand?"
She snapped out of reminiscence and looked up at the Professor. "Yeah, Professor, ah understand."
She'd just have to work for what she wanted.
***
The clock read 4:25 AM when Rogue slipped of bed. As quietly as possible, she dressed, eschewing her normal Goth clothes in favor of a less noticeable black sweater and jeans, with her usual gloves and boots. She grabbed a fistful of money from the top of her dresser and shoved it down her front pocket. Finally, Rogue turned and opened the door, which creaked loudly as it moved. She whirled around, terrified Kitty would awake. Luckily, she found her roommate undisturbed and proceeded on her way, uneventfully leaving the mansion.
***
It didn't take long to walk to the train station, which was empty save for a few others. Rogue worried as she stood in line that the ticket clerk would question why such a young girl was there so early. Her fears turned out to be unfounded, though, and the clerk passed her the ticket without even batting an eye. Clutching it, she wandered over to a bench and sat down.
"So you're really going," said a voice from behind.
Rogue jumped up and spun around. There before her stood a familiar figure.
"I wasn't sure you would," Pietro said. He placed his hands on his hips. "I'm not surprised, though."
"How'd ya know ah'd be leavin'?"
"I heard Kitty tell Lance that you'd been bugging the Professor to go home. I figured you'd do it, one way or the other."
"But how'd ya know ah was leavin' tonight?"
"I...I'm not sure. I just know you, I guess." Pietro looked away for a moment, then stared straight into her eyes. "It is just a visit, right? You're coming back?" His eyes were wet.
Her face softened and she relaxed. "Yeah, Pietro. Ah'm comin' back."
He sighed. "Good. But, well, be careful, okay? Don't get yourself hurt."
"Okay."
"Well...later." In a flash he was gone, but before Rogue could even turn away again he was back. "Wait, I forgot something." Pietro leaned forward and kissed her on the top of her head, through her hair. Then he disappeared again, leaving only a flutter of papers and Rogue touching the place that still tingled from his lips.