"Man that rave was great!" sighed Rouge happily. They had gone to the party at one of the old warehouses down on the docks. It was going to be demolished soon so that a new climate controlled facility could be erected, but the ravers had gotten a last gig in it. Eric had picked Rouge up at Key's place (she had called him and given directions). They rode over to the docks on Eric's motorbike and had danced till one thirty in the morning. During the course of events that evening Rouge had gotten a tad tipsy. Maybe a tad was understating it.

Eric unlocked the door to his tenement and showed Rouge in. "Sorry it's trashed Rouge." He muttered as he kicked some pizza boxes out of the way and turned off the muted stereo.

"I don't mind. I have to clean messes like this for Key." Rouge had the vague idea that she'd rather be in bed with Key right then, but then she figured it had to be all that beer.

"You live with him still?"

"I only stopped being a prostitute two weeks ago. That's not a lot of time to run away, stay low for a few days, clean a gargantuan mess, get a job, meet the man of your dreams and still rent a place!" said Rouge giggled.

"Just two weeks?"

"Uhuh." Rouge nodded and she kicked off her cherry red pumps with stiletto heels.

"So you haven't forgotten the moves have you?" Eric straightened up from taking off his shirt. "And who would be this mysterious 'man of your dreams' be?" Eric reached for a fresh shirt.

Rouge walked towards Eric. "Well, I don't know. If you see him, tell him not to put another shirt on."

Eric turned his head very slowly as he heard these words and felt Rouge's soft, gentle hand alight on his shoulder. He looked curiously at Rouge before tucking his thumb under his index finger and curling the rest so his hand had a mouth. He moved his knuckle up and down so it looked like his hand was talking. "Have you seen Rouge's hunk?"

"Who says he's hot?!" interrupted Rouge mischeviously.

" 'I think I've seen him somewhere.' Oooo tell me quick! 'Well I think if he shouldn't put his shirt on it's you!' Wow! Smart hand!" Eric looked up from his hand to Rouge and saw she had collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggling.

"Is my hand smart?" asked Eric.

"Very." Rouge blurted as she tried not to laugh. Eric gripped her wrist and pulled her up from the couch. He found her lighter than he had expected and the girl flew close to him. Eric locked his arm around her thin, though not overly so, waist and the other hand went to her hair. Rouge was quite surprised and she had a very weak idea that she wasn't so hot on Eric touching her hair, but she decided that was just the beer. What she knew for sure was that she wanted Eric very much. It was as if those few seconds of staring at each other were in slow motion and suddenly it went into fast forward. Rouge rose on tiptoe and kissed Eric. It was no ordinary first kiss. It was like a first kiss in the movies, a very passionate first kiss. Rouge felt her mind suddenly clear and she realized that she didn't mind it, this whole kissing the one who bore the mark of death business.

Eric's mind was actually fogging over, over loaded from the fact that Rouge, Repeat: Rouge, was kissing him. A beautiful woman, and it didn't hurt that she certainly was talented, being an ex-prostitute and all. His hand moved through her hair and the other rose to her jaw. They parted and took air, Rouge was out of breath and Eric was a little dumfounded. He licked his lips and tasted the faint waxy flavor of Rouge's lipstick. There was a hint of a raspberry flavor, some lip gloss from earlier perhaps? Eric gently pressed Rouge against the wall the two had stumbled over to and stared at her. Her cheeks were blushed, her eyes were dark. "I get just one kiss?" whispered Rouge hoarsely.

Eric took a deep breath and kissed Rouge again, this time surpassing the passion and deepness of even that first kiss. Her hands were at the nape of his neck holding his head closer. He was pressing her to the wall; she was pressing herself to him. When they parted to breath again Rouge stepped forward, her movements were concentrated and powerful like a lioness. "Hold me." She muttered as she felt Eric's hands slip to her back. Suddenly Eric tripped and fell backwards onto the sofa.

He grinned mischievously and flicked his index finger at the girl, beckoning her to come. Rouge paused a moment. Did she really, really, want this? Was this right? She couldn't jeopardize things. Because of Key. But her body was faster than her mind just then so she took a step forward and then slid onto the couch so that she sat on Eric's ankles. His hands were coming up for her, she was leaning into them, and he was pulling her to him. Rouge adjusted her legs so she wasn't twisted oddly and then she felt herself lying on Eric. Her held her so close it almost hurt but she wasn't objecting, she wanted to be closer. They kissed and continued on from there, on the couch, at two in the morning.

It was so right, her mind was agreeing whole-heartedly wit her body now. Key, she had met him like this. Well, they had been wearing a little less then, hell she had been in lingerie. Why should she trust Key? Unless…Unless Key had wanted her for her talents, so she could use them on Eric. But Rouge had known that. But she didn't just want to use her talents, for the first time in her life Rouge actually wanted this. She had 'wanted' it for the money, but now she wanted it for the sheer sake of Eric, her, wanting it.

It was four in the morning. Rouge was lying on Eric's bare chest. She was still wearing her red Chinese fighting dress, they hadn't gone too far. "Eric?" Rouge mumbled sleepily.

"Yes Rouge?" he mumbled equally sleepily.

"Do you have a sword?"

"Not now Rogue…I'm too sleepy…do you never tire out? Most likely don't…but I do…"

"Nooo…I mean a sword-sword."

"Why?"

"I dunno…"

"Well, no…" But Rouge had fallen asleep by the time Eric said this.

The next morning Eric was awakend by a great shrieking of, "SHIIIIIIIIIT! OH SHIT! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHITY SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!!!!!! OooOoooo!" he flopped his arm around for Rouge and realized in his sleepy way that Rouge was the one cussing out the world.

"Whats wrong baby?"

"I'M LAAAAAAAAAATE FOR WORK!" she screamed, zooming by in a black denim mini-skirt and a pink tank top.

"I like your outfit." Eric called out as Rouge rushed out the front door, barely saving herself from tripping over one of her own black platform shoes.

Suddenly Rouge dashed back into the apartment. "Have I earned a key to this place yet?"

"You mean a girl actually wants more than one night on my couch?"

"I suppose. Besides, who else is going to clean this sty?"

"The spare key is inside the pants on top of the computer." Muttered Eric. Rouge had to have a hangover after all she had been drinking last night. She sure didn't look like it though. Man she was amazing. Rouge zoomed by again with the key dangling from a silver chain around her neck.

"Toodles baby!" she called as she raced down the hall.

'Toodles?' thought Eric. Okay, so maybe Rouge had a cute side...

*#$%^!*#$%^!
Hiya, Ane here! How are you people likeing my new story? Hehe. I like it a lot, it's fun to write. I've been wanting to do this story for a a while now, version 1.0 was up a few days before this version, but it got so few reviews I figured something was wrong so I re-wrote it. I really worry when I don't get alot of reviews, because I've been spoiled with my actual fanfics, (as opposed to the originals) I get waaaay too many review on those and hardly any on my real favorites. It's depressing when the stuff that comes easily and turns out well gets hardly any response and the fanfics that are hard to turn out get so many. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW THIS STORY! I am really hopeing that this will get a little more feedback now Eric and Rouge have gotten a little bit closer. Even flames would be nicer than nothing. snif snif. Would it help if I did a song and dance number at the begining of each chapter? Sorry I'm so pushy... I hate haveing to ask for reviews... any way I'd better go work out the next chapter, and the song and dance routine...