Bamph

Chapter 4.

Rogue had never really told anyone why Remy called her Bamph. To most people it just seemed like some dumb nickname and Rogue supposed it was, but to her it meant so much more, he had given it to her when they had just met, it wasn't a gradual thing or something that had just stuck, he had specifically given it to her and each time he called her by it it had reminded her of exactly why she fell in love with him. It was a Wednesday, Remy had only just started with the X-men and some of the older students had gone out to a local bar for the Karaoke. It was a really good evening and everyone had had a bit too much to drink apart from Scott who was giving everyone a lift home, however there hadn't been enough room in the car for everyone and Remy had said that he would walk, he had his flat and it would mean Scott would have to drive out of the way anyway, Rogue had said that she would walk with him. Rogue hadn't quite fine tuned her ability to control her powers at this stage and was still being a bit distant with people and didn't much fancy the idea of a car full of drunk mutants. So they walked, they had stopped in nearly every play park on the way home and sat on the swings and talked and laughed.

"So what made you come to the X-men then Remy?" She had asked.

"I'd heard of you, you guys have a good way of living and I was getting sick of constantly living like scum down in New Orleans, I could be surrounded by the most expensive furniture and the most exquisite art in all of the world but it just didn't seem right."

"So you had heard of us before you came to New York then?"

"Yer, I'd seen you on the TV, fighting for what you believed in, I saw your brother on there, he's got to be the coolest mutant I've ever heard of, I mean teleportation, he's so cool." He laughed a bit to himself.

Then Rogue did something even she wasn't expecting and in one swift movement leapt of the swing and spun round and jumped on Remy so he fell to the floor, she giggled and then had simply said "Bamph." Remy's eyes had lit up and he started to laugh.

"Thats it from now on I'm calling you Bamph."

Rogue currently was sat across the table from a man who was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best looking men in the room, he was talking to her very animatedly about his travels around Europe and all she could think of is how different the two men were, like fire and ice.

"Rogue you seem a bit distracted, are you alright." Warren looked at her with concern etched quite clearly on his face.

"I'm sorry Warren I guess my head is just all over the place at the minute."

"Listen Rogue I know I'm still new around here and you may not trust me at all yet but if you need to talk about anything then I'm a very good listener, I mean sometimes its good to share."

"What would I have to talk about? Honestly Warren I'm fine."

"I know about Remy, I know what he did to you Rogue and its clearly still cutting you up."

"How did you find out about that?"

"News travels well at the institute I've found." He smiled slightly and laughed, Rogue couldn't help but join in, it was a very friendly and infectious laugh. "It may seem like it won't help at all Rogue but sometimes it makes things easier talking to someone who wasn't there at the time you know, it can feel like it never really happened because everyone around you just won't talk about it."

"How come you know so much about this stuff?"

"I used to date a girl back in England, her name was Betty, we worked together for a while and then she broke my heart, no one around us would mention the break up or the relationship for fear of hurting my feelings, but to me it just made it worse, I needed someone to talk to, I wanted someone to relate to, to tell them all about me and Betty just to make sure that no one forgot, she was a massive part of my life and I was beginning to feel like it all only ever happened in my head, I needed someone to know that it happened." He looked down at his plate for a moment.

"Did you ever find someone to talk to?"

"Yes actually, the Professor helped a tremendous deal, I do not know where I would be now without him, I originally went to him to have Betty erased, thinking that it would be easier, he convinced me to at least try his less radical method of just talking about it and here I am, I pretty much owe my sanity to that man." He smiled at Rogue. "I promise anything you want to say to me will be kept between you and me, you won't have to worry about Remy or anyone else for that matter finding out, but its not healthy to live like this Rogue, trust me."

"He used to call me Bamph..." And Rogue told him the story, she told him nearly everything that had happened that night and almost every night after that. How they had been inseparable, she told him all about Remy's apartment,
were everything was kept and how she had bought strong smelling shower gel so she could always tell if he'd had a shower or not, as disgusting as this sounded Remy was extremely lazy when he knew he didn't have to leave the house and Rogue didn't much like cuddling up to that. All those fond memories that made her smile, and some that nearly made her cry. She told him about the pink and purple bands and showed him the evidence hanging from her wrist, she admitted that she still found it strange that he still wore his religiously. All the while Warren sat there and listened, asking questions at appropriate times and just letting her speak through most of it, when she had finished what she could manage he smiled again at her and offered to give her a lift home, which she accepted and got into the back of his car with him while he instructed the driver on where to go.

"Thanks so much for this Warren, it really has helped, its true what you said earlier, I really was begining to feel like I was loosing him, not in the physical sense because I've already lost him like that but the memories,
I was beginning to feel like they were slipping, but truth be told I didn't even realise that's how I felt till you told me."

"I know Rogue, but its basic human nature, we torture ourselves as much as possible before we can truly begin to help ourselves, I'm glad you talked to me, and may I just say that I personally think Remy is an idiot." Rogue blushed and dropped her head slightly so that her hair fell slightly in front of her face to hide it, Warren laughed lightly and Rogue let out a small giggle before lifting her head back up.

"Thanks for an amazing evening Warren, I haven't had this much fun in a while." She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the car.

"It was my pleasure Rogue." He sighed after she had closed the door, he let his head drop forward. 'Great.' He thought. 'Fantastic way to get yourself put tightly in the friend zone, way to go Warren!' But deep down he knew he had done the right thing rather than take advantage of her, he just had to hope that it would pay of and that that stupid Cajun wouldn't realise his mistake before it did.

AN/
Ok its late and I'm tired so i'm sorry for a short and fairly rubbish chapter but I had to get these awfully boring bit out of the way before I let the story progress or else it just wouldn't make sense. pfffft. Anyway the next chapter will have ALOT more Remy in it, somethings will be explained and there will be some ROMY!!! oh yes aren't we all excited can't wait to write it now, though I have work tomorrow morning and my boss will KILL me if i'm late so i need to go to bed! night all! xx