Authors note: Well, I'm supposed to be catching up on work for school
since (as usual) I've left it until the last minute. But that seemed
pretty boring so I threw this chapter together. ^^ I'm the first to admit
- this is by no means my best work! However, its late and I have five
essays to write *shudders*. Please don't stop reading it though! I
promise that the next ones will be better!
Vampyre - thank you very much for putting me on your favourites list! That
made me very happy! I know what you mean about the buttons not working - I
can't get anything on my fav list! Thanks though.
Rogue lay awake in the dark, grey eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. The silence was absolute - heavy, though not unwelcome. Sighing, she turned over in bed. The heady summer heat made her pyjamas stuck uncomfortably to her skin, her pale forehead covered in a light sheen of perspiration.
A shadow suddenly passed over her.
Rogue's grey eyes snapped open and she was instantly alert. Her body froze tensely.
A tapping at the window made her turn her head. Her muscles relaxed and a look of relief passed quickly over her features. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, glaring angrily to the darkened figure in the window.
Crouching on the window ledge, hunched and animal-like, the boy seemed to be more shadow than human. His blue fur camouflaged him to near invisibility against the night. Only his wide eyes, pale against the gloom, showed where he stood.
"Kurt," she hissed, "What the Hell are you doing here?"
Teleporting into Kurt's room took only a fraction of a second, but even that instantaneous trip took its affect on Rogue. The gothic girl took s step back, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. She shivered.
"I'm never gonna get used to that," she admitted with a small grimace.
The blue furred boy grinned, teeth brilliant white against his dark face. "It's the safest way to travel."
Her darkly painted lips pulled together in a small smirk. "No in-flight peanuts?"
Kurt frowned, looking around him. His pale eyes came to rest on an open bag of tortia chips lying on his chest of draws. Helpfully, he passed the bag to Rogue.
"Compliments of your Captain."
She frowned. Leaning forward, she sniffed the chips suspiciously. "Kurt, how long have these been here?"
He shrugged offhandedly and flopped down on his bed. "I don't know," he yawned, scratching his head "About a week?"
Rogue shuddered in disgust and handed them back to him. Undaunted, he stuffed a handful into his mouth, orange crumbs falling onto his t-shirt. Chewing happily for a moment, he noticed his companion standing in the middle of the room. He patted the mattress next to him. "I'm not going to jump you," he told her earnestly.
She paused before smiling gratefully. Slightly self-conscious, she seated herself next to him. "Why else would you bring me into your bedroom at half past three in the morning?" she teased quietly, looking out of the window.
Kurt licked his fingers. "Well that's true," he nodded. Casting her a sidelong glance, he pouted, a look of disappointment crossing his features. "I had hoped that you slept naked."
Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Would you have enjoyed that?" she asked, amused.
A dreamy smile played on the corners of his mouth. "Boy, would I!" he sighed happily. "Do you have any idea how many times I've considered bamfing into your shower??"
"Gross, Kurt!"
"Well I can't help it. I'm a red blooded teenage boy."
"You're a sick little pervert," she corrected him curtly "And if you ever tried to pull a stunt like that---" She left the threat unfinished. Kurt could imagine for himself what she would do.
Kurt flashed her a look of injured indignation. "What, like you've never thought about me like that" he folded his arms across his chest.
She arched her eyebrows. "Trust me, your not my type."
"Are you kidding? I'm everybody's type! I'm a ladies elf!"
Rogue pouted seductively, barely suppressed smile twitching at the corner of her lips. "What makes you think that you could handle me?" she asked him huskily.
He grinned. "I like a challenge."
She laughed, shaking her head. Laughing wasn't something that she did a lot of these days, but there was something about Kurt that made it impossible not too. She had noticed the same thing in the other X Men. When Kurt was around, everyone seemed to loosen up. She couldn't help but wonder at him.
Sitting next to her, the dark haired boy seemed to become suddenly meditative. His pale eyes were lowered thoughtfully to the floor, his furred brow pulled together. He shifted uncomfortably.
Rogue's smile faded a little. "What's up?"
Kurt shrugged. "So," he paused awkwardly, "So you've never thought about me --- in that way?"
She frowned, not understanding.
He seemed to be on the verge on saying something, but decided against it. He sighed. "Never mind" he told her, scratching his shoulder.
Rogue watched him closely for a moment. "Kurt?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you bring me here."
The boy blinked thoughtfully, rubbing his hands together in barely concealed anxiety. His forked tail flicked across the bed. Suddenly, he reached across her to the bedside table, opened a draw, and retreated a folded piece of paper. Wordlessly, he handed it to her.
The gothic beauty pursed her lips, grey eyes narrowing. It was a letter.
Kurt watched her as she opened the notepaper, her gaze quickly scanning the short note. As the scripts contents gradually dawned on her, her expression changed from confusion to shock. Her mouth hung open slightly as she read it again. She rested an ungloved hand against her chest.
He twitched nervously. "So? What do you think?"
His question was met with silence.
"Rogue?"
The girl looked up. Her naturally pale skin had blanched to a sickly shade of white. It contrasted dramatically against her dark make-up, like pools of painted shadow. The hand that held the paper quaked.
"Your not seriously thinking about going to see her, are you?"
Kurt watched her warily. "I don't know. I think so."
She stared at him is disbelief. "Are you crazy? Don't you remember what happened last time? You bamfed right into a Brotherhood trap."
"I know!" His voice rose suddenly into a wail "But I can't help it! I need to know, Rogue! I need to know!"
She rose to her feet. "Kurt-"
He stood hurriedly and began pacing the room. "She's evil; I can't trust her. I'd be nuts to go anywhere near her. I know that, I keep telling myself that." He gave an exasperated groan, anger and frustration making his lithe frame shake. His three fingered hands curled into fists and he held them against his tightly closed eyes. "But she's the only one who can tell me what happened! I can't live with not knowing anymore, I feel like I'm going crazy!" he shook his head, suddenly halting in the middle of the room, tense and trembling. "Why wont anyone tell me the truth??"
Her face softened into a look of concern. She took a step towards him. More than anything, she wanted to hug him - to comfort him. But that was impossible. Her hand hovered over his hunched shoulder, hesitant, uncertain. Finally, she withdrew her fingers, eyes cast down onto the floor.
Kurt slowly lowered his fists from his face. He looked up at her, eyes wide and shining. Not for the first time, she was struck by his vulnerability. For all of his gags, he really was just a small and frightened kid.
"I didn't mean to lose it like that," he murmured quietly. "I'm sorry."
Rogue gave a sad smile and shrugged. "I guess you feel kind of screwed up, huh?"
He tried to laugh, but it was a small and pointless gesture. "You have no idea," he told her truthfully.
Time passed and the night wore on. Glancing at the clock sitting on the chest of draws, Rogue was surprised that almost an hour had passed since she had first read Mystique's letter. She had read it several times since then, and each time it seemed to make less sense.
They were lying side by side on his bed. Despite the oppressive heat, the girl was under the covers, the duvet pulled up over her chest. It was more for Kurt's safety than for her own comfort. She wasn't going to take any chances of making skin contact.
Kurt himself was lying on top of the sheets, eyes staring listlessly at the lamplight on the ceiling. His raven hair was damp with sweat, and he seemed to be more than a little uncomfortable in the thick summer temperature. He had removed his t-shirt, but it didn't seem to have helped much.
"I don't get it," she said finally "Why is she doing this now?" She didn't expect any real answer, she was thinking aloud more than anything.
Kurt shook his head. "Since when has anything that woman does made sense?"
"Do you think it's got anything to do with Magneto leaving?"
He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully. "Maybe."
Rogue sighed and turned over on her side so that she faced him. She watched him in silence for a moment, eyelids half closed.
"What do you think she means by 'when you are ready, I will find you'?"
Kurt shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I guess she's been keeping tabs on us all. It wouldn't be too hard for someone like her." Despite himself, he shivered. "Its kind of creepy. But if I do meet with her, I'd rather that it were on my terms. I'll find her before she can find me."
Rogue nodded in agreement and a considering silence passed between them.
"So are you going to talk to her?"
The boy sighed. "I can't spend the rest of my life hiding from her, not knowing the truth about my past." He turned to his head to look at her. "This is just something that I have to do."
Rogue pursed her dark lips together. "I understand," she murmured.
Kurt smiled slightly. "I know you do."
Again, there was a brief silence as the two mutants considered what lay before them. The future was dark and uncertain. Nothing seemed clear anymore.
The girl rested her hand under her head on the pillow. "You do realise that I'm coming with you."
"This is my fight."
She shook her head gently. "Uh-uh. Not this time, hairball. I'm coming, whether you like it or not" she told him firmly.
He raised his dark eyebrows. "I could quite easily give you the slip, you know."
"And I'd run straight to the Prof, and you wouldn't get further than the Institute gates."
He laughed, a strange response, given the circumstances. "Alright, alright, we go together." He looked away shyly. "I --- I was kind of hoping that you'd come" he admitted hesitantly.
Rogue smiled softly. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."
"You and me virses the world, right?"
"Right."
Kurt closed his pale eyes, head pressed against the pillow. He yawned. "I kind of like that" he murmured sleepily.
The gothic beauty watched him wordlessly. A kind of peace seemed to settle over him. They lay in silence for a long time, each lost in thought. After a while, Kurt's breathing deepened, and he was asleep.
She considered getting up and going back to her own room, but didn't. Suddenly, she didn't want to leave his side. The Professor had invested in some pretty high tech security for the Institute, but Mystique was cunning. Rogue had no doubt that she could find her way into the X Men home if she really wanted to. She was gripped with a sudden fear of waking up in the morning, and finding Kurt gone.
Rogue knew few certainties in life. Her past was a mystery and her future was clouded in doubt. But despite this, she was suddenly clear of one thing.
Kurt had to be protected.
He was strong - more so than most people gave him credit for - but he was still young and naive. Rogue wasn't about to see him put in danger. Not by Mystique. Not by anybody.
Rogue didn't sleep that night. She watched in silent vigil, ready to meet anyone who might creep in through the shadows. But nobody came, and as the pale dawn light crept in through the open curtains, she finally felt safe to close her eyes.
Rogue lay awake in the dark, grey eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. The silence was absolute - heavy, though not unwelcome. Sighing, she turned over in bed. The heady summer heat made her pyjamas stuck uncomfortably to her skin, her pale forehead covered in a light sheen of perspiration.
A shadow suddenly passed over her.
Rogue's grey eyes snapped open and she was instantly alert. Her body froze tensely.
A tapping at the window made her turn her head. Her muscles relaxed and a look of relief passed quickly over her features. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, glaring angrily to the darkened figure in the window.
Crouching on the window ledge, hunched and animal-like, the boy seemed to be more shadow than human. His blue fur camouflaged him to near invisibility against the night. Only his wide eyes, pale against the gloom, showed where he stood.
"Kurt," she hissed, "What the Hell are you doing here?"
Teleporting into Kurt's room took only a fraction of a second, but even that instantaneous trip took its affect on Rogue. The gothic girl took s step back, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. She shivered.
"I'm never gonna get used to that," she admitted with a small grimace.
The blue furred boy grinned, teeth brilliant white against his dark face. "It's the safest way to travel."
Her darkly painted lips pulled together in a small smirk. "No in-flight peanuts?"
Kurt frowned, looking around him. His pale eyes came to rest on an open bag of tortia chips lying on his chest of draws. Helpfully, he passed the bag to Rogue.
"Compliments of your Captain."
She frowned. Leaning forward, she sniffed the chips suspiciously. "Kurt, how long have these been here?"
He shrugged offhandedly and flopped down on his bed. "I don't know," he yawned, scratching his head "About a week?"
Rogue shuddered in disgust and handed them back to him. Undaunted, he stuffed a handful into his mouth, orange crumbs falling onto his t-shirt. Chewing happily for a moment, he noticed his companion standing in the middle of the room. He patted the mattress next to him. "I'm not going to jump you," he told her earnestly.
She paused before smiling gratefully. Slightly self-conscious, she seated herself next to him. "Why else would you bring me into your bedroom at half past three in the morning?" she teased quietly, looking out of the window.
Kurt licked his fingers. "Well that's true," he nodded. Casting her a sidelong glance, he pouted, a look of disappointment crossing his features. "I had hoped that you slept naked."
Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Would you have enjoyed that?" she asked, amused.
A dreamy smile played on the corners of his mouth. "Boy, would I!" he sighed happily. "Do you have any idea how many times I've considered bamfing into your shower??"
"Gross, Kurt!"
"Well I can't help it. I'm a red blooded teenage boy."
"You're a sick little pervert," she corrected him curtly "And if you ever tried to pull a stunt like that---" She left the threat unfinished. Kurt could imagine for himself what she would do.
Kurt flashed her a look of injured indignation. "What, like you've never thought about me like that" he folded his arms across his chest.
She arched her eyebrows. "Trust me, your not my type."
"Are you kidding? I'm everybody's type! I'm a ladies elf!"
Rogue pouted seductively, barely suppressed smile twitching at the corner of her lips. "What makes you think that you could handle me?" she asked him huskily.
He grinned. "I like a challenge."
She laughed, shaking her head. Laughing wasn't something that she did a lot of these days, but there was something about Kurt that made it impossible not too. She had noticed the same thing in the other X Men. When Kurt was around, everyone seemed to loosen up. She couldn't help but wonder at him.
Sitting next to her, the dark haired boy seemed to become suddenly meditative. His pale eyes were lowered thoughtfully to the floor, his furred brow pulled together. He shifted uncomfortably.
Rogue's smile faded a little. "What's up?"
Kurt shrugged. "So," he paused awkwardly, "So you've never thought about me --- in that way?"
She frowned, not understanding.
He seemed to be on the verge on saying something, but decided against it. He sighed. "Never mind" he told her, scratching his shoulder.
Rogue watched him closely for a moment. "Kurt?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you bring me here."
The boy blinked thoughtfully, rubbing his hands together in barely concealed anxiety. His forked tail flicked across the bed. Suddenly, he reached across her to the bedside table, opened a draw, and retreated a folded piece of paper. Wordlessly, he handed it to her.
The gothic beauty pursed her lips, grey eyes narrowing. It was a letter.
Kurt watched her as she opened the notepaper, her gaze quickly scanning the short note. As the scripts contents gradually dawned on her, her expression changed from confusion to shock. Her mouth hung open slightly as she read it again. She rested an ungloved hand against her chest.
He twitched nervously. "So? What do you think?"
His question was met with silence.
"Rogue?"
The girl looked up. Her naturally pale skin had blanched to a sickly shade of white. It contrasted dramatically against her dark make-up, like pools of painted shadow. The hand that held the paper quaked.
"Your not seriously thinking about going to see her, are you?"
Kurt watched her warily. "I don't know. I think so."
She stared at him is disbelief. "Are you crazy? Don't you remember what happened last time? You bamfed right into a Brotherhood trap."
"I know!" His voice rose suddenly into a wail "But I can't help it! I need to know, Rogue! I need to know!"
She rose to her feet. "Kurt-"
He stood hurriedly and began pacing the room. "She's evil; I can't trust her. I'd be nuts to go anywhere near her. I know that, I keep telling myself that." He gave an exasperated groan, anger and frustration making his lithe frame shake. His three fingered hands curled into fists and he held them against his tightly closed eyes. "But she's the only one who can tell me what happened! I can't live with not knowing anymore, I feel like I'm going crazy!" he shook his head, suddenly halting in the middle of the room, tense and trembling. "Why wont anyone tell me the truth??"
Her face softened into a look of concern. She took a step towards him. More than anything, she wanted to hug him - to comfort him. But that was impossible. Her hand hovered over his hunched shoulder, hesitant, uncertain. Finally, she withdrew her fingers, eyes cast down onto the floor.
Kurt slowly lowered his fists from his face. He looked up at her, eyes wide and shining. Not for the first time, she was struck by his vulnerability. For all of his gags, he really was just a small and frightened kid.
"I didn't mean to lose it like that," he murmured quietly. "I'm sorry."
Rogue gave a sad smile and shrugged. "I guess you feel kind of screwed up, huh?"
He tried to laugh, but it was a small and pointless gesture. "You have no idea," he told her truthfully.
Time passed and the night wore on. Glancing at the clock sitting on the chest of draws, Rogue was surprised that almost an hour had passed since she had first read Mystique's letter. She had read it several times since then, and each time it seemed to make less sense.
They were lying side by side on his bed. Despite the oppressive heat, the girl was under the covers, the duvet pulled up over her chest. It was more for Kurt's safety than for her own comfort. She wasn't going to take any chances of making skin contact.
Kurt himself was lying on top of the sheets, eyes staring listlessly at the lamplight on the ceiling. His raven hair was damp with sweat, and he seemed to be more than a little uncomfortable in the thick summer temperature. He had removed his t-shirt, but it didn't seem to have helped much.
"I don't get it," she said finally "Why is she doing this now?" She didn't expect any real answer, she was thinking aloud more than anything.
Kurt shook his head. "Since when has anything that woman does made sense?"
"Do you think it's got anything to do with Magneto leaving?"
He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully. "Maybe."
Rogue sighed and turned over on her side so that she faced him. She watched him in silence for a moment, eyelids half closed.
"What do you think she means by 'when you are ready, I will find you'?"
Kurt shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I guess she's been keeping tabs on us all. It wouldn't be too hard for someone like her." Despite himself, he shivered. "Its kind of creepy. But if I do meet with her, I'd rather that it were on my terms. I'll find her before she can find me."
Rogue nodded in agreement and a considering silence passed between them.
"So are you going to talk to her?"
The boy sighed. "I can't spend the rest of my life hiding from her, not knowing the truth about my past." He turned to his head to look at her. "This is just something that I have to do."
Rogue pursed her dark lips together. "I understand," she murmured.
Kurt smiled slightly. "I know you do."
Again, there was a brief silence as the two mutants considered what lay before them. The future was dark and uncertain. Nothing seemed clear anymore.
The girl rested her hand under her head on the pillow. "You do realise that I'm coming with you."
"This is my fight."
She shook her head gently. "Uh-uh. Not this time, hairball. I'm coming, whether you like it or not" she told him firmly.
He raised his dark eyebrows. "I could quite easily give you the slip, you know."
"And I'd run straight to the Prof, and you wouldn't get further than the Institute gates."
He laughed, a strange response, given the circumstances. "Alright, alright, we go together." He looked away shyly. "I --- I was kind of hoping that you'd come" he admitted hesitantly.
Rogue smiled softly. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."
"You and me virses the world, right?"
"Right."
Kurt closed his pale eyes, head pressed against the pillow. He yawned. "I kind of like that" he murmured sleepily.
The gothic beauty watched him wordlessly. A kind of peace seemed to settle over him. They lay in silence for a long time, each lost in thought. After a while, Kurt's breathing deepened, and he was asleep.
She considered getting up and going back to her own room, but didn't. Suddenly, she didn't want to leave his side. The Professor had invested in some pretty high tech security for the Institute, but Mystique was cunning. Rogue had no doubt that she could find her way into the X Men home if she really wanted to. She was gripped with a sudden fear of waking up in the morning, and finding Kurt gone.
Rogue knew few certainties in life. Her past was a mystery and her future was clouded in doubt. But despite this, she was suddenly clear of one thing.
Kurt had to be protected.
He was strong - more so than most people gave him credit for - but he was still young and naive. Rogue wasn't about to see him put in danger. Not by Mystique. Not by anybody.
Rogue didn't sleep that night. She watched in silent vigil, ready to meet anyone who might creep in through the shadows. But nobody came, and as the pale dawn light crept in through the open curtains, she finally felt safe to close her eyes.