Still Holding Out For You
By Lady Trunks
Part 3
Todd Fan- Are you absolutly sure that I'm not wearing you down?? Not even a little bit?
~*~*~*~
Rogue rushed out of her room, hopping on one foot while trying to pull on her shoe and balance her book bag at the same time. To phrase it best, she was failing miserably. She was paying so much attention to just maintaining her balance that she didn't notice the person in front of her until she ran smack into him and crashed to the ground. She frowned in annoyance glancing up, which only deepened when she saw who it was. "That's twice today you've landed me on the ground Pietro Maximoff, and I've only been up for an hour."
He held out his hand to help her up and grinned wickedly, "Yes, I do seem to have that effect on women. I'm just too sexy. I think it makes them weak in the knees."
She couldn't hold back a grin at that comment and responded as he pulled her up off the floor, "Or maybe they just fall in their rush to get away from your huge ego."
"Ah, Roguey, " he swung an arm around her shoulders companionably. "That's just the denial talking. You know you want me."
"Yeah Speedy, just like I always wanted the chicken pox."
"Hey, I have something in common with the chicken pox. We both make you hot."
"More like you both make me sick!" While they were 'conversing' they had made their way to the front door and found that the others had already left.
"Damn it! The third time this week! Now I'm going to get a detention!" Rogue ranted to an amused Pietro.
"I tried to stop them," he said with an apologetic shrug.
She sighed deeply, "Not your fault. Might as well get breakfast since I'm going to be late anyways."
At her words he handed her a blueberry muffin that she had failed to notice before. Her eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks."
"Hold on," He told her.
"Wha… AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" She let out a startled shriek as she was swept into his arms and sped out the door before she could even get the word out.
A short time later she was released in the school yard. After she had managed to salvage what she could of the muffin (which had been squashed in a death grip) she whacked Pietro on his arm. "Don't do that without warning me."
He grinned at the disgruntlement in her voice, "I did."
"That was not a warning!"
"Weren't you worried about getting to class on time?"
"Damn it! I'll see you at lunch." She called, taking off at a jog towards the door.
Before she had entered the door he was at her side again, "What did you want?"
"Chicken." She said immediately, knowing what he was talking about.
She rushed inside and came to a stop when she noticed most of the students were standing around in the hallway. She saw Kitty going by and walked over to her, "What's up?"
"There's going to be a pep assembly… And I think they're going to announce the candidates for the homecoming dance." Kitty told her practically bouncing with excitement.
"Oh, yay." Rogue said sarcastically, which was lost on Kitty.
"Isn't it exciting? Do you think that Jean will be nominated? By the way, where is Pietro?" Kitty said, talking fast enough to put Pietro to shame.
"No, I don't care, and I don't know." Rogue said, her voice the antithesis of her roommates excited chatter. After just staring at her in puzzlement for a second Kitty proceeded to take a hold of Rogue's arm and drag the reluctant goth to the auditorium cutting off any hope she might have had of skipping out.
Giving into the inevitable, Rogue walked beside her checking for a place to sit. Her attention was caught by Lance who was waving his arms to get their attention, Kitty must have noticed as well. "Look, there's Lance. He saved us a seat." She said making her way to the bleachers through the crowd and taking a seat beside him with Rogue following behind.
"Hey, Kit. Roguey. Where's Pietro?" He asked.
"Somewhere." She said with a shrug.
More students kept piling in, and soon they were joined by Fred, Todd, and Kurt. "Where's Pietro?" Todd asked Rogue as he took a seat.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She asked in annoyance. "I'm not his keeper!"
Over hearing this, Kitty turned her attention to the conversation. "Maybe not, but you too are, like, always together."
"You're exaggerating. We don't do everything together."
Before Kitty could father argue her opinion the person in question came up and took a seat, grinning wildly. Rogue, seeing the expression on his face immediately knew that something was up.
"What is it?" The others turned to hear the news as well. Pietro started talking, his excitement making his words speed up until he was incoherent. Everyone one just gaped at him, having not understood a single word.
"You say that like it's a good thing." Rogue said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Wait a sec." Lance said. "You actually understood that?"
Rogue rolled her eyes. "It's not that hard. Like speed reading without the reading. He said that one of the bimbo's in skirts told him that he was going to be one of the suckers." They translated that to mean that a cheerleader had told him that he was going to be a homecoming candidate.
"Congratulations, Pietro. You deserve it!" Kitty said smiling, happy for the boy. The sentiment was quickly echoed by the others, with the exception of Rogue who groaned knowing what was to come.
Pietro accepted all their thanks graciously, replying "It's about time that this school recognized my beautiful self and my brilliant achievements. I should have been nominated for the fall homecoming too, but no! Just because I wasn't out for football, I didn't get nominated. As if I would play a game like that and risk damaging my perfect body. If you ask me it's all one big conspiracy. But now I'm finally getting the recognition that I deserve."
"You done yet?" Rogue asked dryly, cutting in before he could continue on his tangent.
"Not really, but I'll save the rest for later. Besides, you still haven't congratulated me!"
"For being a part of a stupid antiquated ritual devoted to the glorification of people who are already privileged enough to not be expected to follow the same rules as the rest of us 'lesser' individuals?" She asked him sarcastically.
"Yep, that's the one." He replied with a smirk. Despite her every effort to hold it back, she couldn't help but smile.
"Congratulations Pietro. Even if I think it's stupid." She couldn't resist the last little dig. A look crossed his face that could only be described as evil. Recognizing the look, Rogue started shaking her head. "I don't know what it is you're planning in that hyperactive brain of yours but whatever it is, quit it now." He smiled at her, and she groaned. "I don't want to know, I don't want to know." She chanted covering her ears. She knew from previous experience that when he looked at her like that, it meant that she was going to eventually wind up in some situation that she didn't want to be in.
He completely ignored her words. "I was just thinking that I could stuff the ballot box and get you elected queen."
At the words she got a panicked look on her face. "I would soooo kill you. Besides you have to be nominated to win."
He dismissed that with a casual wave of his hand, "Write in vote. We could rule the school. It will be fun."
"No, no, no, NO!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to be the homecoming queen of some stupid high school dance."
"But…"
"No!" She said firmly.
"Fine. Be that way." He said pouting. Anyone else would have thought that it was over, but Rogue knew Pietro well enough to know that he was entirely to stubborn to give in that easy.
"Pietro, if by any chance I do somehow 'magically'," sarcasm dripped from the word, "get elected homecoming queen, I will never talk to you again." She told him.
"But Roguey." He whined.
"No." She told him her expression firm.
He looked at her and pouted giving her his patented 'puppy dog eyes' that caused every female that saw it to go weak in the knees. "Stop that." She growled at him, not being suckered by the look.
"Fine then." He said, giving in. "You'll just have to be one of the many subjects that flock around my kingly self. I'll try to remember all the lowly beings, but I'm not making any promises. After all, all the peasants look the same to the king."
She snorted at that, "You haven't even won yet, and you're already planning on having subjects?"
Pietro looked affronted at her lack of belief that there was even a possibility that he wouldn't be crowned. "Name one person who deserves it more than me?"
She thought about it and couldn't for the life of her come up with a single person who deserved it more, but then her opinion was slightly biased. But if she admitted that to him she knew she would never hear the end of it. She looked around and was suddenly struck by inspiration. "Scott!"
Rogue was looking at him, and noticed an indistinguishable look flash across his face, but before she could discern what exactly it meant it disappeared and she wondered if she had imagined it. However, instead of the vehement denial she was expecting, he just snorted and crossed his arms turning his attention to the floor in front of them where the cheerleaders, Jean among them, were lining up.
With a small frown of confusion marring her face at his unusual behavior, Rogue did the same. Neither of them noticed the speculative gleam in Kitty's eyes as she continued to look at the two of them.
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That was so much fun to write. Aren't they just adorable together? But then I am biased. Oh well, Rietro forever. I'm also posting this fic in the fanfic section of my forum. I plan to post updates there first, so if you're interested in reading more you might want to check there. http://forum.jaded-soul.org/viewforum.php?f=23
