This story almost went in about four different ways, but none of them worked. Sorry, it took me so long to find the right direction.
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men:Evolution. All rights belong to Marvel.
"Sleepin' on de roof, petite?" Epiphany opened her eyes groggily when she heard Gambit speak. "I t'ought you broke dat habit."
She arched her back, stretching her arms above her head, before sitting up to look at him. You know how it is, she said pointing at the sun. I'm like a cat; I like sleeping in the sun.
"And in high places," Gambit nodded. "And him?"
Epiphany turned to look at the still sleeping Kurt. She smiled. He's a lot of fun, she said. He reminds me of Etienne. Remy winced, and she looked up at him. Sorry.
"Don't apologize for remembering," he said. "It weren't yo' fault."
It wasn't yours either. Remy looked away then turned and left altogether. Had Kurt been awake, he would have thought that this was an often-repeated conversation between the two.
Epiphany sighed, looking after him. You didn't know; it wasn't your fault.
After a moment, she leaned over, putting her hand on Kurt shoulder and shaking him gently. Kurt swatted her away, mumbling in his sleep. She smiled, her lips parting in a silent chuckle and shook him again. When he refused to wake, she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his, calling into his dream. Kurt, it's time to wake up.
He opened his eyes and stared at her a moment before a blush dyed his cheeks purple. "Epiphany," he said finally.
Hmm? She asked with closed eyes.
"You're kind of close."
Uh huh. She didn't move.
"Epiphany?" She opened her eyes. He saw a slow smirk slide into her features and pushed her away with a grin. "You spend too much time with Gambit."
What can I say? She said, smirk widening. De ladies love me.
"So I'm a lady now?" Kurt asked with a joking grin
Puh-lease. You're not pretty enough to be a lady.
His grin widened, staring her down. "Can I take that to mean I'm handsome?"
Define handsome, she teased, standing. Come on, she said. I think I smell dinner. Kurt stood and took her hand, teleporting them to the ground just outside the kitchen door. They went inside and moved to the dining room. They looked around at the students already gathering in the room; Kurt nudged Epiphany, nodding toward where Remy was sitting next to Rogue.
"Swamp Rat if yah don't leave meh alone," they heard as they approached, "I swear I'll-"
Hi, Rogue! Rogue and Remy both turned to see the newcomers.
"Hey, 'Piphany," Rogue said, still sounding irritated.
Something wrong?
"Just a little rodent problem."
"Chère," Remy said histrionically. "You wound Remy."
"Zip it, Swamp Rat."
Might as well give it up, Rogue. I tried to pop that ego for three months, nothing.
"Maybe if I hit him hard enough, it'd jostle his brain into normalcy."
I'm worried it would just make it worse.
"Hey," Remy said, giving Epiphany a dirty look. Epiphany just cocked her head at him, a smile playing on her lips, and took the seat next to him; Kurt sat on her other side.
Man, where's dinner?
"Ja," Kurt said. "I'm so hungry, I might even give Kitty's cooking a chance." Everyone laughed when Jean walked with several serving plates floating along. She used her telepathy to spread the plates down the table and everyone dug in.
Laffie and Rogue both helped themselves to heaping piles of spaghetti, rolling their eyes at the girls wanting to watch their figures, and grabbed some bread from the basket. Even with the large amount of food in front of them, Rogue and Epiphany each managed to both maintain their manners and finish before most of the others.
Remy woke, feeling a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes already facing the clock, two: fifty-seven. He turned his head to look at the girl staring down at him. They looked at each other a moment then, without saying anything, Remy lifted the blankets and she climbed in, curling into his side. Remy put his arm around her and held her close. She wasn't shaking, wasn't crying, but he wished she would. He wished she'd scream and cry and blame him. He wished she would stop blaming herself.
He could still hear her apologizing for not leaving sooner, apologizing for staying at all. He could see her head bowed and her hands shaking.
"I stayed too long; I have to leave before this happens again. I'm so, so sorry."
She hadn't cried then either. He wished she had.
Rogue was bent over her computer, working on her essay on the importance of class in Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Across the table, Epiphany was reading the very book.
I loved this book. Rogue looked up as Epiphany turned the page, appearing as if she hadn't said anything thing, which technically she supposed she hadn't. Rogue was starting to wonder if Epiphany had unintentionally projecting her thoughts. I think I wanted to write a book like this.
"You wanted to wrahte Pride and Prejudice?"
Epiphany didn't look up from the page. I wanted to write something real, something that people would read and connect to and want to read again. She looked up, but not at Rogue. Something that they would remember.
Epiphany stood and walked to one of the bookshelves. She pulled a book of the shelf, turning it over in her hands, she set it down and pulled another, tossing it from hand to hand, she set it down and pulled another, she held it a moment longer and set it on her other side. Rogue watched with raised brows as Epiphany emptied the shelf and put one stack, the first and smaller stack back in order. She repeated the process with the shelf below, and the next. After a few minutes, Rogue went back to her paper.
She looked up when Epiphany brought two stacks of books over, placing them on opposite ends of the table, and moved to another bookshelf. When Rogue looked up again, the piles had tripled at least twice, and Epiphany was sitting with several books open in front of her, scanning lines and pages.
"I'm going to go print this," Rogue said, standing.
Can I read it first? Epiphany was looking at her with wide eyes. Rogue turned her laptop to her and a few minutes later Epiphany said, It's really good over all, but your conclusion's a little weak, and you might want to mention how the family reacted to Lydia and Wickham's relationship and how it would have affected the family's staus and reputation had Darcy not been able to convince Wickham to marry Lydia.
Rogue looked at Epiphany like she'd grown another head, while Epiphany herself turned back to the books. Rogue reread her paper, raising her brows as she rewrote her conclusion and added the bit about the Wickham, realizing how much stronger it made her paper and how much of a better grade she was going to get on it. Rogue shot Epiphany another glance and went to print her paper.
When she came back, a group of people was standing outside the library doors. She pushed past them, finding Remy, Kurt, Xavier, and Hank watching Epiphany sort books into piles. She looked up when Rogue came in and smiled, placing a hand on one of the stacks.
I read all of these, she said, indicating the stacks on the table. But these were my favorite.
Rogue looked over the books; there were at least fifty books on the table, and Xavier's library didn't have any teen fiction. She stepped closer and examined the stack of favorites: Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion by Jane Austin, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
"Yah like Shakespeare?" Rogue asked, not really know what else to say.
Just his comedies, I really like Much Ado About Nothing; it's seriously funny.
Rogue nodded and looked over the other stacks, spotting more stacks on the next table over. "What are those?"
I'm not sure if I read them or not. She looked over the books then at the professor, patting her stack of favorites. Can I get copies of these in paperback?
"May I ask why?"
So I can write in them.
He nodded. "I'm sure that can be arranged."
Rogue noticed Epiphany's shoulders relax, dropping tension she hadn't noticed was there. Thank you.
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