Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, read or favorited (yeah...it's not really a word) so far. I hope I keep making you want to read!
--
Shuffling Contingency: Piece of You (& Me)
--
It was raining outside.
The water drops pelted against the expensive panes of glass that lines the bay window in the mansion's kitchen. All the other residents of the mansion were responsibly asleep, bar one. In the solitary environment of the late-night kitchen, Rogue sat contemplating yet another memory that kept her from sleep.
With the return of her gift in full, the memories had become more frequent, more inconvenient. But she refrained from telling the others. They would just worry needlessly for her sake, and she wasn't that girl anymore.
Besides, there was another memory that she would much rather remember.
Her ungloved hand reached out into the darkness and into the depth of the fruit bowl. Carefully, she selected a peach from the mass. Her body leaned sideways to collect a knife from the drawer not far from her seat.
She held the peach in her hand, mindful of the juices it would produce. A slight smile stretched across her lips as she glanced at the fruit. Peaches were something special to her. Something special indeed.
The knife sliced through the fruit smoothly.
The knife sliced through the fruit smoothly.
In the hot, muggy, weather that currently plagued New Orleans, a cool crisp treat was exactly what the doctor ordered. And she had always been particularly fond of apples. The only bad apple was one with a bruise, otherwise they were perfect.
And she desperately needed something perfect for this day.
This day, one of the many that she was spending in New Orleans to visit a childhood friend, had not gone as planned. Her friend had been the one contact that she had maintained throughout her mutancy. Mercy didn't give a flying flip that Rogue could drain her life force with the brush of a finger, all she cared about was when Rogue would visit her.
Of course, the only time that Rogue actually considered the trip was once her powers had been removed. Why not enjoy the warm currents of the South to their fullest? But unfortunately, Mercy had recently been married to Henri LeBeau and they had put off the honeymoon for a few weeks, which happened to be only a few days from when Rogue was scheduled to arrive.
To make matters worse, Henri's younger brother and Mercy's brother-in-law, Remy, was in town and needed a place to stay. For some reason or another, the LeBeau manor was not an option. Rogue guessed he didn't get along well with his parents. The obvious choice was the couple's apartment, that Mercy had loaned Rogue in lieu of them leaving for Paris. She had been rather distraught on the phone, and so to not disturb the honeymoon, Rogue had assented to the brother sharing the apartment space with her.
It was a rather large apartment after all, so it shouldn't have been a problem.
Except that, this little brother just happened to be breathtakingly handsome, and Rogue could finally touch again. Not that she planned to do anything raunchy; it was just the idea that she could that caused her trouble. That, and her hormones really wanted her to touch somebody, anybody.
So, after their first meeting, she tried to avoid him as much as possible.
But on a night like this, when the window's were wide and the breeze drifted in over the beads of condensation along her skin, she completely forgot that she was not alone in the apartment. If she had remembered, she never would have ventured to the kitchen in a tank and shorts.
Her knife cut through another portion of apple flesh and she eagerly devoured the wedge. It splashed across her mouth delightfully. She sighed and leaned back against the counter, closing her eyes in the process. It was so nice to be back down South once more without her powers as a hindrance.
She felt like she could take a risk, just this once in this city.
Maybe tomorrow she would try to go dancing.
Maybe she would meet someone.
"Do y' mind if I join y'?"
She looked up, surprised, into the face of her roommate, the one she had forgotten temporarily. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed he didn't have a shirt on, especially when part of her didn't mind in the slightest. "Be my guest."
"T'anks. Jus' wanted t' grab a snack." His movements were fluid, graceful yet still manly. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Her eyes followed obediently as he moved to select a peach from the fruit bowl on the counter. Remy reached for a knife and began the cut the fruit into wedges.
His eyes were downcast, watching his task with seemingly concentrated focus. His eyelashes brushed against his cheekbones. He had beautiful eyes. So consumed with watching the tiny muscles in his fingers work was she that she never noticed his head raise. Nor did she notice the slight smile play across his lips. It wasn't until he held out a slice of peach that she realized she had been starring, and had been caught.
Flushing, she shook her head, at herself and at the unspoken question.
"Y' don't want any?" His brow wrinkled ever so slightly. It seemed like he was confused by her refusal. Then again, he probably had women eat out of his hands all the time, literally.
She offered a curt smile and another shake of her head. "No thanks. Ah'm not big on peaches."
"Not big on peaches?" He scoffed in disbelief. His eyes lowered to the fruit in his hand and he shook his head lightly before his gaze flickered back to her face. "Y' don't really know w'at you're missin' then. They're best this time o' year."
Rogue watched him place the slice into his mouth, chew languidly, and swallow. She gulped. They certainly did look good this time of year. "Ah've never really liked them, ever since Ah was a kid. Ah think Ah got sick off of them once or something."
He took another slice, and she forced herself to watch something else, anything else. "They've been my favorite fruit since I was a kid. Still are. I don't know if I can take that y' haven't had a peach since y' was a kid."
"There's always food you don't eat after a bad experience. It's like that for everyone." She was squirming now. Maybe not physically, but mentally, she knew that something was about to happen. She had been having this feeling around him since she first met him. Something insatiable, something that was enigmatic.
"True, mais, there's always a way to overcome an unpleasant memory."
He ate another few pieces of peach before he pushed himself away from the counter, and walked closer. Which set Rogue on guard immediately. She pushed her chair back and stood. "Well, Ah think Ah'll be going to bed."
His hand snaked out, encircling her wrist easily. "Rogue." He whispered.
"Yes?" Her gaze flickered to the distance left uncovered to the exit from her wrist and then returned to his face.
"Let me help y'," he moved closer. She moved back, or that is, she tried until she ran into the counter, which seemed to suit Remy just fine. His hand fluttered under her jaw line to rest against the back of her neck. "overcome t'at memory."
He leaned in, and brushed his lips against her own once, twice and applying pressure on the third. Her eyes closed without a thought and she reveled in having warm lips pressed against her own. And slowly, as if sensing her inexperience to the matter, he coached her into opening her mouth to him. When she did, she tasted remnants of something sticky, something sweet.
Her tongue, of its own accord, sought out the source of this in his mouth.
Which only lead to encouraging Remy, and her hormones, and Remy's hand finding its way under the hem of her shirt. And surprisingly, Rogue didn't mind as much as she should have, especially since he was already shirtless.
And when he lifted her up unto the counter, she was overjoyed because now she was on a more equal height with him. Except that during those brief moments they both had to breathe, and her mind was to frazzled to say anything scathing, witty, sultry or just plain salvaging.
Instead she uttered, "You taste good."
He chuckled, and Rogue could feel the rumble of his chest against her palms. "It's the peach," he whispered lowly in her ear, which wasn't fair because he definitely sounded sexy and sultry when he said such an ordinary sentence.
Despite this she smiled, albeit shyly, and linked her hands behind is neck. "Maybe Ah do like peaches," she murmured as she pulled his head down towards hers once more.
"T'at's all I can hope for."
And she was pretty sure that she preferred peaches over apples from now on.
And she was pretty sure that she preferred peaches over apples from now on.
Even though she liked peaches more than apples, she still couldn't bring herself to eat many peaches. Because that taste of peaches has always held an exhilarating quality for her since then. Each bite of the sweet, sticky treat reminds her of the heated embrace of that warm night. Each taste brings to mind a wicked smile to match the tangy flavor.
And when one lives in a house full of people trained to be observant, such reactions are not convenient. They are especially not convenient when she neighboring telepaths might break through the chaos of her mind and catch a snippet of her memory.
Though she might steal the memories of others, Rogue does not often share her own. This was one memory that she would share with no one. No one but for Remy. But she wouldn't be seeing Remy again, because if they touched this time, he would probably die.
Just like David. Just like everyone.
Generally she can only eat peaches sparingly because they are a reminder of her one indulgent, of the few glorious days that she spent alone in that apartment with Remy. Days where the only thing they ate were peaches, and the only room they occupied was the bedroom.
Of days when she was truly free from her powers.
So each time she eats a peach, she forgets about her present worries and loses herself to the memory of those days and nights. She loses herself to the memory of New Orleans and its Prince Charming. Because when she eats a peach, she has always got a piece of Remy with her that's so unlike the psyches she keeps with her.
Because this piece is truly a part of her.
Because this piece is real.
Author's Notes: …And I broke the pattern I was trying to work. Opps. I think this is my favorite one to date. It's centered around my two favorite fruit. And although apples are typically symbols of temptation, I really wanted to eat a peach at the time. Oh well. There are a few references to others in the Mansion and in New Orleans, mostly since I didn't want their names in here. I realize there are probably grammar mistakes (like always) but its sort of late and I won't have time tomorrow, so I'm rolling with the metaphorical punches. Heartfelt apologies if it bothers you.