Chapter Three - High

Rogue slipped into the water of a hot bath later that night; the heating in the room was on the blink yet again and her only option was a hot bath before bed to help maintain any kind of body temperature. She hadn't been able to relax since the talk with Remy in the garage. Seeing him so on edge...so unlike himself...it was worrying. She'd seen him in dark moods before, but this was something else, something completely different.

The bath was deep and the bubbles blanketed her, the water was almost burgeoning on uncomfortably hot but it was better than the icy cold of the bedroom. The only sound in the bathroom was the soft drip of water that fell from the cold water faucet every minute or so. She tried to let the rhythm lull her into a relaxed state, but it was difficult.

She sunk deep down into the tub and dipped her head under the water, the heat pressing on her icy cheeks like warm liquid velvet. She brought herself back up, wiping the foam from her face and opening her eyes to find she was not alone.

Remy was there, both arms leaning on the bath, his chin propped upon them; he was watching her with a soft and serene gaze that seemed almost impossible considering his strange mood earlier. "Hey," he said softly.

"You startled me," she admitted, she rolled onto her side and leaned her arm at the edge of the tub so she could rest her cheek on it. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Some," he confessed. "Sorry bout earlier..."

"You can't help it," she replied gently.

He picked up the washcloth from the corner of the bath, and dipped it into the water and gently and carefully caressed her arm with the cloth, leaving a stream of glistening water across her faintly tanned skin.

"You look a little better," she admitted to him, gazing up at him, he wasn't as pale and his mouth wasn't set quite so hard any more.

"I guess I just needed the sleep," he swept the cloth gently across her cheek, guiding it down across her swanlike neck to her shoulder.

"That feels nice," she murmured softly, closing her eyes. She tried not to let these mood swings of his worry her too much; at least for now he seemed mildly content and was in less of a foul mood than earlier. She had to remind herself that before he'd benefit from the therapy, things would most likely get worse first.

I need to prepare myself for when it does, she thought. All I can do is just...be here for him when things fall apart and try to pick the pieces up for him until he can do it himself.

"You're so beautiful when you're clean," he said somewhat absently, voice strangely aloof yet with an odd sweet-sounding inflection that she couldn't place.

It didn't sound like his normal speaking tone at all, made him sound like a completely different person that it made her open her eyes to look at him, to make sure it really was him kneeling there washing her exposed flesh.

"You still look so young...and your skin is...so perfect...flawless..." he admired.

"You're weird, you know that?" she asked, making a face.

He gave a strange laugh that seemed quite out of place, "the look on your face, even that is beautiful...even right now..."

"Have you been drinking?" she asked. His behaviour struck her as somewhat merry...like he'd been hitting the scotch again.

"Nuh-uh," he shook his head while sing-songing.

"Because right now, you're just in too much of a good mood for me to believe you're the same person who was kicking my truck this afternoon," she frowned just a little.

"With this thing, there's highs and lows," he said, then he gave an odd giggle, "and I'm on a high," he shifted as if he was stretching, and he smiled just a little.

"Stop talking like that, it's really creepy," she sat up in the bath. Why is he acting so weird...I've never ever seen him be like this!

He shifted to dip the cloth into the water and run it across her back, "sorry. I'm just...feelin' quite good about now..."

Rogue hugged her knees while he washed in that harder to reach area, she let her chin rest against the top of her knees and listened to him humming to himself.

"I want you to know..." said Remy. "That you're amazing...and I mean...just incredible...and just...I mean...god, it's so unfair that you can be this incredible...and that we have to do all this waiting."

She felt him lean in close to breathe in the scent of her hair. "I don't wanna wait either," she sighed truthfully.

"Maybe y'come to my room later, and we can...talk 'bout it 'lil more, hmm?" he breathed softly near her ear, then blew a soft breath upon her shoulder making her so suddenly cold it tingled.

She swayed, "Maybe."

"We can light some candles, put on some music...and...talk," he squeezed the back of her neck gently with the cloth. "Y'look tense, y'know, maybe I give you a massage..."

"Electric massage?" she asked, she wasn't sure if she could really stand the thought of being in pain again so soon. "'Cause I still kind of feel a little sore from the last time."

"I can wear gloves if you want me too...I don't mind...gloves are kinda nice...I got some nice ones..."

"Okay," she agreed, "I'll be there in a little while."

Kitty had just stepped up to Rogue's bedroom door when it opened and Remy wandered out, looking strangely relaxed as if he'd just begun to feel sleepy after a big meal.

"Petit..." he said.

Kitty pursed her lips and looked away from him. She'd wanted to see Rogue, not Remy, and she wasn't sure she was quite ready to forgive his outburst in her bedroom the night before. The anger welled in her stomach like too much heavy food and she tried to breathe the feeling out.

"Ah, you're still mad at me..." he put his hands on both her arms and gently rubbed them, "c'mon, you know me. I didn't really mean to blow my fuse like that...wow, what is this robe made out of?" he asked, stroking the velvety material with his hands.

Kitty raised an eyebrow, "It's velour. And yes, I know you didn't mean it, but you had no right to start yelling like that. Caleb cried for most of the night after that and neither of us slept."

"I'm sorry," she said, he gripped her and pulled her to him in one sweeping motion and spun her around in a hug before letting her feet hit the floor again; the quick movement made her stitches hurt.

"Ow..."

"Sorry...did I hurt you? Do you need to sit down? I could get you a chair...wow, this is so soft..." he examined the material in his fingers, "and warm..."

"Oh my god, it's a robe, get over it," Kitty pulled away, "What is with you? You're acting...weird."

"I'm just happy to see you, and you know...I couldn't apologise more for what happened..." he gripped her shoulder as if to squeeze each word into her as he said it. "I was an ass, a giant ass and—jesus, I can't get over how nice this robe is...I want a blanket made of this stuff..."

Kitty physically moved his hand from her shoulder, he deftly twisted his fingers upwards to grip her fingers, pull her hand towards his lips and kiss it tenderly.

"Remy...are you on something?" Kitty asked worriedly.

"Please don't me mad at me, because you are my best friend, and I love you very much, there aren't words that could ever explain how much you mean to me," he kissed her hand again and gripped it, raising her arm up so the material of her sleeve brushed against his cheek, he closed his eyes and smiled serenely.

Kitty yanked her hand away, "You are wasted...did you drink on top of those painkillers?"

"I haven't had any booze..." he shook his head then leaned in "Smell my breath, it's not even minty, I didn't need to cover anything up..." he breathed on her.

She backed away a little, making a face at his cigarette breath, "But you've taken your painkillers today? Did Hank administer them?"

"Hank changed my dressing...do you wanna see my wound?" he raised his t-shirt to show her the clean dressing, laughing strangely.

"Don't..." she pulled his arms back down and fixed the t-shirt, "c'mon, I think we should go see Hank...I think you're maybe over-medicated."

"No...I'm fine...I'm just really—your hair looks pretty you know," he reached out touch her hair and she fought with his hands to stop him.

"Remy, you're not supposed to be this euphoric on what he gave you."

"Is that what it's called?" he laughed, "I like the way your voice sounds when you say that...say it again."

Kitty grabbed the front of his collar and pulled him down to her level so she could look into his eyes, "Your pupils are huge, what the fuck; this is so not what those painkillers do..."

He gave a strange laugh, "what is wrong with you, why are you so uptight, just chill...everything's okay..."

She let his collar go, "you're high. You're totally off your head! What did you take?"

"Light up," he took her face in his hands and smiled widely at her, "this is how it's meant to be...how I'm meant to feel."

Kitty pushed him away, "I totally get it now...this is how you fooled her! You were rolling on that crap the whole time, weren't you?! How the hell did she not even figure it out!?!"

"I'm a good actor," he laughed.

"How many did you take?!"

"C'mere, you look tired," he pulled her back to him and hugged her a little too tightly, brushing his nose against her neck awkwardly and then planting a sloppy kiss upon her neck.

"Get off!" Kitty winced, she was almost sure she felt something pressing into her midriff and she didn't like the thought of that, "and that better not be what I think it is!"

"It's okay," he murmured, "you smell really nice y'know."

"God, you're high as a fucking kite!" Kitty used her powers to pass through him to escape his too-tight hug.

He put his hand in his hair to move it away from his face; he seemed to like the feel, suddenly he was stroking his hair. "Wow, that conditioner really made a difference! L'Oreal...because I'm worth it," he cooed.

Kitty knew he was trying to make her laugh but all she could do was clench her fists and try to stop from hitting him. "I am so fucking furious with you right now!" she hissed at him. "You brought drugs into OUR home! A home where there's kids! How could you? Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

And then suddenly he was in tears, and sliding down the wall to sob. It was so quickly, it had almost been as if someone had flicked a switch in his head and moved it from happy to miserably sad.

"What's going on?"

Kitty turned to see Rogue had stepped out of her room wearing a towel, her wet hair up in a clip, tendrils dripping down her neck. She only had the chance to slowly glance at Remy quickly before Kitty rushed over and shooed her back into the room before Rogue could see what was really going on.

"He's upset," said Kitty with a sigh, she closed the door a little behind her although she could hear Remy's wails like that of a heartbroken lover. "You can't see him like this...he doesn't want you to see him cry..." Kitty gritted her teeth. She instantly hated herself for lying to her friend but she knew if the truth came out, the blow out would be so spectacular that it was likely to send Remy – in his current state – into a complete breakdown. "It's...it's a low. Like a really bad, bad, baaaaaaad low."

"What can I do?"

"Just...pretend like you never saw him, I don't think he even heard you come into the hall..." Kitty sighed, "just...don't ever let him know you saw him like that, he'd never forgive himself."

"Should we call Dr. Soberman?" Rogue asked, eyes tearing up in distress.

"No..." Kitty shook her head. "I'll take care of it..."

"But I can't just...stand here, and not do anything while he's so...so inconsolable..."

"Trust me, I can handle this...besides, you're dripping wet and half-naked...if you come anywhere near him all you're gonna do is get electrocuted or end up absorbing his powers til he's in a coma!" the words seemed a little harsh considering Rogue's long ago encounter with Carol Danvers but Kitty hadn't had enough time to think of excuses for Rogue not to see Remy on drugs.

Rogue paused and sighed.

"Just have a little faith in me."