7
Kitty rubbed her arms, hoping the friction from the action would warm her up. Had the Med. Bay always been so cold?
"Fancy seein' you down here…"
Kitty looked up, unsure of how to react. The tall raven haired girl shot her a disgustingly sweet grin before walking past her and sitting down next to Lance.
"I was there you know. When it happened."
Kitty simply blinked at her.
"You two were an item?"
"Were, being the operative word. Yes." Kitty raised an eyebrow. "A long time ago." She looked down at Lance's sleeping body. He'd been out cold for nearly three weeks now, but she wouldn't give up hope.
Foxx gently stroked his forehead. "He's quite a guy isn't he?"
"Look, are you trying to strike a nerve or something?" Kitty stared at her.
Foxx stared back. It was obvious she hadn't expected such forwardness from the younger mutant.
"I can tell what you're up to; Getting all chummy with Colossus, visiting Lance… wooing Pyro…" Kitty spoke with her hands, tossing them in the air angrily. "Luring Gambit, letting Scott teach you crap… well, avoiding Logan…" She shook her head. "Are you trying to make all the women here angry, or is that just an accident?"
Foxx grinned slightly "I just have that affect on men."
"Sure." Kitty stood up and left quickly.
---
Kitty nearly knocked Rogue over as she walked by her in the hallway.
"Sorry…" The perky girl muttered nearly inaudibly from over her shoulder.
Rogue frowned, watching her friend sulk back to her room. She was acting uncharacteristically sullen. Rogue contemplated doubling back to investigate her best friends' sour mood, but decided against it. If there was something wrong, Kitty would surely find her when she was ready to talk.
She walked into the rec. room, making eye contact with Pyro and offering him a small greeting.
"See y'green eyes 'ave gone back t'their sexy former selves."
Rogue's upper lip curled into a snarl.
"An' that Cajun charm found its way outta yah too." He grinned at her.
"Ah swear Pyro, you must have a death wish…"
"Y'don't scare me girly." He kicked his feet up on the coffee table.
AJ raised an eyebrow as she rounded the corner to the rec. room "She should."
Pyro jumped slightly. "Wish y'wouldn't do that Sheilah!"
AJ crossed her arms, sitting down in the big leather arm chair adjacent to Pyro. "You know Rogue could beat the crap outta you with one hand tied behind her back."
"Yeah… but she wouldn't." He looked back at Rogue "Right?"
"We'll see." Rogue shrugged.
"I wouldn't mind a crack at you." AJ glowered at him. Rogue moved behind AJ, leaning on her chair with a smile.
Pyro ran a hand through his strawberry blonde hair. "Ahh… come on now Sheilah… can't have both you an' y'wolf man boyfriend aftah me the whole time I'm 'ere."
He saw Rogue shake her head quickly, trying to catch Pyro's eye. He looked up at Rogue with a frown.
"What? Why are you shakin' your 'ead?"
"Look." AJ cracked her neck as she sat upright. "No one's going to be 'after' you. Alright? Just… don't make the same mistake twice. Y'hear me? Or I'll take more then just a crack at you."
"Does that mean you forgive me doll?"
"It means… I'll consider it." She sat back in her chair again, her bare arms resting on the cool leather.
"So, what can you tell us about your little… friend?" AJ frowned.
"Y'sound jealous doll. You ain't jealous… are you?"
"Insanely." AJ quipped.
Pyro chuckled. "Don't really know much about 'er, other then what you already know. She's not all bad… y'just gotta give her a chance… let 'er grow on you. Just make sure y'keep your Wolvie there away from 'er… she's quite the manipulator…"
Pyro smiled, noticing AJ tense up slightly.
He looked up at the doorway, watching Logan walk into the rec. room with Hank McCoy.
"I'm sure he can fend for himself just fine." She muttered.
Pyro's head snapped around and he looked AJ in the eye again. "You… he let y'go didn' he?"
Rogue rolled her eyes, tossing a hand in the air. Her not so subtle attempt to quell his questions had proved useless.
AJ slapped her knees. "Well, that would imply that he ever had me." She gave him a grin. "In order to be let go, you have to be accepted. And I'm afraid; I'm just not a good enough member of the team for that."
Logan looked in their direction. She knew full well that he could hear her with his heightened senses.
She pressed her lips together as she stood up, instantly regretting how open her sarcastic comment had left her. She left quickly, hoping he wouldn't read too far into her remark.
Pyro watched Logan let out a frustrated breath and follow the blonde.
"What 'appened?"
Rogue shrugged. "Who knows? With those two… they're fightin' one month…" She gave him a mischievous smile "… an' makin' up the next…"
---
"Don't make me chase you down kid." Logan grunted, following AJ quickly down the hall.
"I'm not making you do anything." She snipped over her shoulder.
He took her by the arm. "Look. I was angry." She looked him in the eye. "You have quite a knack for bringin' that emotion outa me."
She pressed her lips together. "If you would have listened to me in the first place, everything would have been fine! If I didn't go Logan…"
"You did the wrong thing for the right reasons."
"The wrong thing!" She threw her hands in the air. "I hate to break it to you, babe," She poked him in the chest to emphasize the last word. "But just because things don't go through you, doesn't make them wrong."
He grabbed her hand to prevent her from poking her again. "You tellin' me-"
"You're damn right I'm telling you off! Someone's gotta do it! Just seems to me that I'm the only one willing to take a step and speak up for myself!"
He growled.
"Yeah I said it." She said through clenched teeth, keeping his intense stare. "What are you gunna do? Gut me? Slice an' dice me?" She whispered.
He squared his jaw and tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her in slightly.
"Surprised you ain't gettin' a vision…"
"Oh I am…" She raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eye. "But I can assure you… you won't enjoy the outcome."
"AJ… I said what I said out of anger. You know that. Don't get yer panties in a twist."
"But you meant it. Didn't you?"
He let her go with a frown and she pushed him back slightly.
"That's what I thought."
She shook her head and turned around, continuing down the hall with a frown. He'd left. Normally, men would wait until she was gone before they left. Not this time.
He was already gone.
