Author's note: Okay another short chapter, sorry, I figured a little something was better than nothing. I cannot even begin to tell you how sweet and flattering the reviews have been. I've been blushing all day and it really means a lot to me that people like reading this stuff. So a thousand thank yous, I really do appreciate it. It occurred to me that the tidbit about Wanda in Tag! runs counter to the one in the actual series, I'll figure out a way to smooth it out eventually. I was so mad at the show when I first saw Day of Reckoning. Darn them, how was I supposed to work with that?! But I think I've got it sorted, and the result is this, so we'll see how it goes.
*Entire story reposted, attempted to fix Pietro's OOCness
"I had it in my hand, now where did it go, Aurora? I see you up ahead, but I don't know if I can go as far as you go…"
-Veruca Salt, Aurora
"Kitty, let me explain," Lance started, reaching down to help her up. She tried to smack his hand away, but just wound up smacking through it as she scrambled to her feet and stood beside Rogue.
"Go ahead, I'm listening," she said. "The professor suddenly thinks inviting you guys over is a great plan? That you're gonna teach us something Logan hasn't?"
"He just… he doesn't think there's enough of you, and after that fight in the mall…"
"And you didn't say anything? You couldn't give me a heads up? And what's with picking fights with Scott? This is how you try to make things better?!"
Lance continued to protest weakly as Kitty railed at him, while Rogue stood, patiently waiting for Pietro to turn around. He glanced over at Kitty's fury with Lance and sighed. Slowly he turned and Rogue was struck by the fact that he looked awfully tired.
"You got something to tell me sugar?"
"I dunno. I could kinda use a hug," he said. A sly grin snuck onto his face. "Or if Pryde's gonna keep screeching at Alvers, we could always head up to your room and-"
"Pietro."
"Right," Pietro sighed. "Maybe it's the professor you should be talking to."
"You're not telling me something."
"I'm not telling you several somethings."
Rogue stiffened, a bit of panic dripping into her anger.
"What are you telling me?" she asked. The door to the danger room slammed as Lance stormed out; Kitty had long since phased to god only knew where.
"I'm telling you you have to trust me. For real this time."
"What the hell do you mean 'for real'?"
"C'mon stripes, you're not slow. You're the only one who can ever keep up with me. Now don't get me wrong, I realize that it's against human nature to absolutely trust a face this absolutely gorgeous, but don't you think I've proven myself by now?" he asked. His smile was sweet and his voice flirtatious, but his girlfriend was having none of it.
"Why don't you start by trusting me and telling me what the hell is going on?" Rogue replied. Pietro's smile slipped, and he was clearly getting agitated, eyes darting around the room and looking at anything but Rogue, his voice accelerating.
"Okay okay. Maybe we're not talking about trust, I guess trust is the wrong word. Do you trust me? Of course you do, don't answer that, stupid question. You trust me in spite of my stunning good looks, good, great, and I trust you in spite of yours, but I can't tell you what's going on because… just because."
Pietro rubbed his forehead.
"Everything's so damned complicated," he continued, talking so fast that only Rogue would have been able to understand him. "It was so much easier when my biggest decision was what color shirt to wear, when I was the shallow guy that everyone wanted to sleep with, when you were this pretty mystery who I thought hated me. I'm asking you to do more than trust me, I'm asking for so much I know, I'm asking for you to go on just plain faith and I don't even believe in faith but I need it from you now more than I've ever needed anything from anyone, I need you to believe in me and just keep doing it and don't give up on me. Be angry with me, be furious with me, hell, hate me if you want to but believe in me and it'll all come out okay in the end. I think."
"Pietro-" Rogue started, then stopped. "I'll try. I can only try."
He nodded.
"With a little luck, that'll be enough," he replied, seeming to calm down just a little. "Wanna take a few shots at me? It seemed to make Kitty feel better."
"Nah. Can we just hang out for a while?" she asked, putting her arms around his waist and pulling him closer by his narrow hips. "I don't want to deal with the others right now."
"Sure," Pietro said, . The two sat with their backs to one wall of the danger room, empty, sterile and silent, Rogue's head on Pietro's shoulder.
Light burned through the darkness and through the peace in sleep Pietro and Rogue had briefly found.
"Mission," Lance said, silhouetted in the doorway. "Come on."
Rogue stood up, rubbing the spot in her neck where the shoulder plate of Pietro's uniform had dug into her skin.
"What kind of mission?" Pietro asked.
"We've got a bead on Wolverine."
"Be there in a second," Pietro said. Lance nodded and left, letting more light into the room from the open door. Rogue started to head for the door when Pietro grabbed her hand.
"Wait a minute."
"We have to go, Wolverine's in trouble," Rogue started, before Pietro cut her off by kissing her. He broke away, leaving her breathless and reeling a little, and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her as tightly as he could, spending a few seconds reconsidering everything. He didn't have to go out there, he could grab her and run and let the others fend for themselves, but his spell of hesitation was broken as she said softly,
"Sugar… I can't breathe."
Pietro let her go.
"Sorry," he said, wiping her face gently with his thumb where her lipstick and eye shadow had smeared. "Just remember what we talked about, okay?"
Rogue didn't have time to say yes before he was out the door.