Chapter 6: Awkward.
"…but hey, the night is way long, I'm sure you guys won't get bored".
Rogue narrowed her eyes at the bus driver who seemed to be having a blast; she didn't bother in staring at Remy, because she knew he'd have one of his grins all over his face, so she just stormed out of the bus. This station was much smaller than the other one, and it totally matched with the rest of the town: it was pretty much one of those truckers' cities, where there's never too much to do, and where you don't want to spend the rest of your life in. Rogue walked, and then sat on a long wooden bench, resting her back against the wall. She sighed, and looked around: it could pass for a ghost town, if it wasn't for the people that had just got off the bus and were now walking down the street or getting on some car.
Then, she proceeded to check on her status: stuck in the middle of nowhere, with Remy; wearing nothing but his coat; no place to spend the night and no cash in her pockets, since she had lost her clothes, to star with; she could only count with his money, if he had any.
"This couldn't be worst", she told herself, and finally lifted her eyes: there he came, as self-satisfied as nothing was happening, holding a cigarette between his lips and lighting it on at the same time. She didn't turn to see him when he sat by her side, when a cloud of smoke came out of his mouth, or when the bus left, and there was no other people around. There was nothing but silence, and the two southerners illuminated by a dusted light bulb hanging from a wire.
After ten minutes, nothing had changed. Rogue was tapping with a finger a button of Remy's coat, and he did nothing but pretending being a chimney; until he finally spoke:
"Ya hungry?"
"Nah… yah?"
"Non".
She nodded: "Good…"
She was, indeed, but decided not to say it, not knowing exactly why; he kept smoking for another while, and she continued tapping, until she couldn't handle it anymore:
"'kay, what are we gonna do now?" He stared at her with kind of an offended expression on his face:
"Ya really askin' me dat, chere? I thought ya had somethin' on mind by now; Remy don't want to change yer plans"; he exhaled another small cloud of smoke.
"Hey, Ah'm serious!"
"Me too! Ya don't need nobody tellin' ya what to do? Fine, den ya tell me what we're gonna do".
Rogue took a deep breathe; why was it always so hard to talk like civilized people with him?
"Ah knew Ah should have come with Kurt; Ah'd be home by now".
"Oui, but ya wouldn't be havin' so much fun".
"Yah think Ah'm havin' fun now?" Remy let the cigarette fall to the ground, put it off with a stomp, and started to chuckle.
"Well, I am, 'cause chere, dat be another thing I love 'bout ya: to argue 'bout pointless things. I wouldn't do it with anyone else, I swear".
Damn it, he's right, she thought, and stared at him with eyes wide open, trying really hard to restrain the smile that was about to appear on her face.
"Wow, Ah had never felt so flattered in mah entire life. But really, what are we gonna do?"
"Bien, I think we've got three options: to call home an' ask them to pick us up…"
"Uh, uh, no way; they'd think we can't handle anythin' on our own."
"Yeah, thought so too. Second option: to stay here the whole night, sleepin' in dis cold, hard bench, until some cop comes an' thinks we're homeless people an' kick us out de station".
"An' third?" Remy knew he was risking his physical integrity by saying it; but, at the same time, he wanted it so bad! He knew they wouldn't do anything, but he just wanted to say the words anyway… it was so weird. He stared at her for a couple of seconds before answering in a low voice:
"Bien, chere… when we were arrivin' on de bus, I noticed dere was dis…" Rogue questioned him with her eyes. "…dis hotel a couple of blocks from here". Rogue crossed her arms over her chest and opened her mouth in disbelieve:
"An' yah think Ah'm goin' to some grubby, dirty motel, an' with yah? Specially with a Swamp Rat like yah?"
"Hey it said hotel, no motel" he said, winking.
"It's gotta be the same thing, well, oh, Ah'm so sorry, it's true, Ah'm talkin' to an expert on the subject".
"Come on, ya really don't wanna spend de night here, do ya? What, ya think Remy don't be a gentleman?" he asked with a theatrical expression on his face.
"Actually, no".
"Ya wound me, chere!"
"'kay, yah know what?" Rogue narrowed her eyes at him, like trying to make a decision; she was indeed wiling to get some sleep, and… well, maybe it wouldn't hurt; who would find it out, anyway? It meant nothing. "We go, but Ah want a room fo' mahself".
"Remy wouldn't like t' spend de night all alone like that but…"
"God damn it, let's just go before Ah regret it" she spat out, standin' up.
They started to walk down a street; there were houses and little stores on its sides, and some music, coming from God knows where, could be heard, very far away. Besides it, the only sound that anyone could have heard was Rogue and Remy's steps, and maybe the wind blowing from time to time. Rogue felt so weird doing this, because she felt like she was doing something wrong, but it was kinda… heck… kinda fun, at the same time; so much, that she smiled on her inside for an instant; she had never felt like this, she had never done something like this.
Only two or three blocks later, they arrived to the place. It was pretty much like a big house with a notice on its top.
"Dis is ridiculous", she murmured. She was almost trembling; it was so embarrassing.
"Hey, it's better dan de bench" he smirked. "Come on, chere, don't worry", and grabbing her arm, they came in.
A middle aged man was at the lobby, behind a counter full of papers and books. He saw, entering the place, a girl in a trench coat (God knows what she might be wearing underneath) and a guy with red on black eyes. The man raised her brows and smiled at them:
"I'm sorry but we rent rooms for days, not for hours. This is not one of those places, but if you are looking for that, there is one three blocks from here, turning left", and saying this, he continued reading his book.
The two southerners stopped on their tracks.
"Dat's why nobody come to dis piece of crap town, 'cause ya people don't know how to treat visitors…"
"Rem…" Rogue whispered.
"Ya should really learn manners, sir, because…"
"Remy let's just go".
"I'm gonna complain somewhere!"
"Let's go!" and dragging him by an arm, they went out.
Once they were on the side walk again, Rogue leaned her back against a wall. Remy was walking back and forth, murmuring things in French. He finally stopped, and stared at Rogue:
"I'm sorry, chere…" She looked back at him, and couldn't help but to explode in laughter.
"Uh… what?" he asked in confusion.
"It's just… Gawd… Ah mean, Rem, come on, look at me, Ah look like yah picked me up in some corner of a street" her whole body was shaking of how hard she was laughing. Remy frowned:
"Dat not funny".
"Ah'm sorry, it's just… he probably thought Ah'm wearin' nothin' underneath, an' well, he's not wrong 'bout that".
Remy leaned his back against the wall too, and sighed:
"Bien, but what do we do now?"
NOTE: please don't forget to tell me your opinions… they mean so much! You liked it? You didn't? What would you like for next chapter? Pretty please! :-)