Losing Control And Finding Your Heart Chapter 3: A Rock and a Hard Place
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of X-Men Evolution, especially not Scott or Rogue. However, they own me, and Rogue in particular is threatening violence if I don't keep updating. I'm sure kind hearted lawyers out there don't want me to be injured by a certain southern belle, so please no lawsuits. Furthermore, I do not own anything of Shakira's, nor does she own anything of mine, so we're equal. No lawsuits are needed there either.
Dedication: to the other woman who owns me; my wonderful fiancée, I love you and miss you!! Special Thanks: Once again, to all those who've reviewed and encouraged me to continue.god help you if I find out Scott or Rogue is just paying you to say such nice things...j/k.. thanks for the support.
And away we go..
Backing his distinctive red sports car with its white racing stripe out of the garage, Scott wondered just what the hell had happened.or rather, had almost happened back in the study. * I can't believe I almost kissed Rogue. Have I lost my freaking mind? * he thought as he turned into the driveway to the mansion and headed for the road. If he were to be honest with himself, he'd have to admit that it wasn't the first time kissing Rogue had seemed like a good idea, just the first time he had nearly acted on his desire. Scott sighed, turning out onto the road and hitting the gas, " How could I be so careless? She probably thinks I'm a total jerk," he muttered, " And now I'm talking to myself, maybe I am going crazy." He briefly wondered if an insanity defense would be an acceptable way to explain his actions to her when he got back with the groceries. * Yea, that'd be just the perfect thing to say to her. The only reason I wanted to kiss you so badly is that I'm losing my mind. Man, do I know how to sweet talk a woman *. He slammed his hand down onto the steering in exasperation column and jumped slightly as his horn blared in response, thankful that no one was in front of him to think he was being an ass. * Right, driving, should focus on that instead of thinking about Rogue.her bathing suit..what it would be like to kiss..yes.driving * he thought. However, his mind wasn't paying attention to its own commands.
It had started out innocently enough. He had just wanted to help Rogue feel more at home with the team, maybe get her to open up a little. So he'd tried to get her to eat lunch with everyone at school, and when that failed, he ate lunch with her instead. Sometimes they would talk, but more often they'd just eat quietly side by side under a tree in the courtyard; not exactly ringing success but over time something amazing had happened. Rogue had started opening up to him, nothing earth shaking, mostly small talk and the rare smile, but it was the start of their friendship, a bond that had grown stronger as time went on. Rogue showed him a side of herself that no one else had seen, the frightened and frustrated young woman, as much a prisoner in her own body as the psyches that she absorbed. As a result, Scott had taken special care to check up on her after each mission when they got back to the mansion, particularly after those missions when she'd used her power on someone. He was determined to provide an anchor for her, a way to keep in touch with reality when the psyches became too much. It was, he considered, just part of being a good leader, making sure that every part of his team was working well. Then came the night when everything changed, the night he had begun to fall in love with her without realizing it.
It was about a week after a particularly brutal battle with Mystique; in the middle of the night there had been a soft but urgent knocking on his bedroom door. When he'd opened it, there Rogue stood, her eyes red and puffy from crying, wearing little more than a long night gown and her gloves she had thrown herself into his arms and begun sobbing uncontrollably. He'd just held her, rubbing her back until she calmed down, and then to avoid waking any others on the floor had led her down to the study where she confided in him that she hadn't been sleeping well for the past week. Apparently the psyches she had absorbed previously, in particular Magneto's, had been stirred up by the confrontation with Mystique and plagued her with nightmares and fears that she was losing control of her mind and body. She'd been too afraid to mention it to the Professor because she thought he'd decide she was a liability to the team if she couldn't handle the problem herself and forbid her to go on other missions. Scott had convinced her that telling the Professor of her fears would be the best thing, and the very next day after school she told him that Xavier had suggested that they begin working on controlling the psyches through meditation that very afternoon. She had unexpectedly hugged him and gave him a rare smile, thanking him for the suggestion before walking off, leaving him standing in the middle of the hall. After that, he started to take more notice of her in general; the way her hair delicately framed her face, the easy grace with which she did everything, the twinkle in her eyes whenever she teased any of the other X-Men. He'd dismissed the feelings as just a crush, but they didn't go away. In fact, they had intensified, leading to the near kiss in the study not half an hour ago.
Pulling into the parking lot of the Fresh Stop, Bayville's One Stop Convenience Shop, Scott thought back to the sparkle in her eyes during the tickle fight. They'd held such life, such innocence and joy. For one brief moment, it was as if the dark cloud she constantly surrounded herself with had lifted and let the sun through. " If I wasn't in love with her before that, that one look would have done me in," he muttered amusedly as he turned off the engine. He was halfway out of the door when he froze, as his words registered in his head. * I'm in love with her? * he wondered silently, and was stunned by the strength of feeling that resulted from the inquiry * Yes, I'm in love with her! I love Rogue!!.oh crap..what am I going to do? *. Despite the consequences of falling in love with her buffeting his brain, a slow smile spread across his face as he finished climbing out of the car. Suddenly, the prospect of dinner with Rogue presented a whole new set of intriguing possibilities. As he walked towards the store, a beat up, junk heap of a jeep caught his eye. One that was all too familiar * Damn * he thought * At least Alvers is here, possibly more of the Brotherhood as well *. While he wasn't worried about a confrontation with the Brotherhood, he considered them to be more of a nuisance than a menace, he wasn't in the mood for putting up with a hundred questions as to what was up with his smiling when he was normally so uptight. And so, walking into the Fresh Stop, he schooled his features to the serious expression that was second nature to him.
First stop was the poultry section to pick up a pack of chicken breasts, and while he was in the area, he picked up a package of whole parmesan cheese to grate as well, keeping his eyes open for any familiar figures all the while. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he could see neither hide nor hair of any of the Brotherhood. On one hand, it was a good thing, as he didn't have to put up with them; on the other, it probably meant that they were getting into some trouble that he'd have to take care of. He pondered this standing in the middle of the cereal aisle, completely oblivious to the perky blonde in the Fresh Stop uniform who had sidled up to him. " Can I help you with something sir?" she asked. Startled, Scott turned to face her, quickly recognizing her from his Spanish class at Bayville High, Kimmy, " Ahhh.no thanks. I was just torn between regular Cheerios and the new Berry Blast Cheerios ," he lied quickly. " Oh Scott! I didn't recognize you there for a second," Kimmy said, flashing him a dazzling smile, " If you ask me, I'd go with the normal Cheerios, the new ones are a little too sweet for my taste" * Of course, I didn't ask you * he thought darkly, but smiling in return he said " Thanks for the suggestion. I don't mind the extra sugar though, might keep me awake in the mornings." He quickly grabbed a box of the new Cheerios and put them in his basket, hoping that would be enough to send her off. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky. " Oh, so you like sweet things, huh?" she winked, " I get off work at seven, if you'd like to get together later for dessert". Internally, Scott groaned at her attempt to be seductive * God save me from horny high school girls*. Contrary to what everyone seemed to think, Scott wasn't oblivious to the fact that a fair percentage of Bayville High's female population nursed crushes on him. However, ignoring the fact was simply the easiest way to avoid the inevitable confrontation about his wearing red sunglasses all the time. He knew the glasses and his aloof nature had given him a reputation for being mysterious and had no doubt that the mystery was the main source of attraction for the girls. It was a mystery he knew they wouldn't enjoy solving, and he was rather fond of not blowing holes in anything on a fairly regular basis, so the glasses stayed firmly in place and he remained "oblivious" to the crushes.
" So what do you say?" Kimmy prompted, obviously deciding he was taking far too long to be drawn to her. " Actually," he began " I already have a date tonight", he tried not to notice the crestfallen look that briefly crossed her face at his announcement. It wasn't hard to ignore, as it was there for perhaps a half second before she smiled " Well, if it doesn't work out with whoever the lucky girl is, give me a call." She quickly pulled a pen and paper from her back pocket and scribbled down a number, stuffing it into his pants' front pocket and walking away before he could protest. Scott sighed, and when he was good and sure she was gone, replaced the box of cereal on the shelf. He was on his way to the produce section; quickly stopping in the pasta aisle to grab a box of angel hair noodles and tomato paste for his sauce, when he spied a display of Twinkies. * Hmmm.Twinkies * he smiled evilly * I believe Rogue has a certain fondness for these.and I should do something to make up for teasing her about her book earlier*. His mind made up, he grabbed a box and tossed it into his basket before continuing on into the produce section. He picked up a head of lettuce, a couple of carrots, some mushrooms and black olives for a salad and was about to head to the check out when he walked into the floral department.
In a large cooler compartment before him was a vast array of flowers, from carnations to roses and everything in between. The roses in particular seemed to call to him, it was after all a dinner date with Rogue, something just told him that he should get her flowers. However he was torn between red and pink roses; he knew how he felt about her, but was it even remotely possible that she could return his feelings? As he tried to figure out just which flowers to get for Rogue, an older woman in a Fresh Stop uniform seemed to take pity on him, " Need some help finding the right flowers for your girlfriend sir?". Scott jumped slightly, startled and tuned to face the woman whose name tag identified her as Grace " Err.ahh.yes.I mean no.I mean yes.but she's not my girlfriend" he blushed as he stumbled over his tongue, trying to fit his thoughts into some order. Grace smiled kindly, " But you'd like her to be, wouldn't you? No need to answer, I've seen it dozens of times in my own sons alone and they aren't much older than you. If I may make a suggestion?" Scott nodded, relieved that someone who knew what they were doing could help. " Why don't you try six of each, red and pink? It gives the perfect hint of attraction blossoming into love, and the colors are a lovely mix for spring romances" as she spoke, Grace deftly plucked six of the best looking roses from their respective buckets and carried them to the counter to wrap them, Scott following behind her quietly. "There you go," she said, writing down a price on a ticket and handing it and the flowers to Scott, " just give that to the cashier when you're ready to check out and they'll ring it up for you. And good luck with your friend". "Thank you" Scott smiled, feeling a little tension drain from his body, though it was quickly replaced with worry as to whether or not Rogue would like the flowers. Finally, with all of his supplies for the evening gathered in the basket, he headed for the check out, only to stop short and fight the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief at what he was seeing. Behind the register at one of the two open lanes stood Lance Alvers, wearing a frown and a Fresh Stop uniform.
Scott quickly glanced at the other open lane, hoping to avoid dealing with his counter part in the Brotherhood, when he saw that it was being cashiered by Kimmy. * Damned if I do, damned if I don't * Scott thought as he headed for Alvers' lane, and what he hoped was the lesser of two evils. Lance groaned * Of course Summers just had to pick my lane, couldn't possibly pick the one with the cute girl, could he? *. With a sigh he flicked the conveyor belt on, bringing Scott's purchases, and hence Summers himself, up to the register. " Not a word, one-eye," Lance growled as he began ringing up the items. " Come on now Alvers, is that anyway to treat a customer?" Scott smiled just a little too cheerfully, raising his voice on the word customer. " Hey! Cut that out, I can't afford to get fired!" Lance said in a harsh whisper. Intrigued by the other man's apparent concern for his job, Scott asked, " What're you doing working here? I never pegged you for the service with a smile type". Alvers glared at the smug X-geek and the magazine racks in his lane began to shake violently before he realized what he was doing and immediately calmed down, looking around quickly to see if anyone had noticed anything strange. " Look, with Mystique gone to ground god knows where someone has to pay the bills back at the house, cause good old helmet head sure doesn't kick in any money for his underlings. Do you think any of the others has a decent shot at holding a job? No.so by default, I get to be the lucky bread winner, alright?"
Scott looked at Lance with as close to respect as he would come for any member of the Brotherhood, " That's tough man. You know, you can always give us another shot. I'll even try not to be so hard on you". If Lance was taken aback by the offer, it didn't show " Nah, someone's gotta look out for those twits I live with ya know?". Scott nodded, knowing all too well the pressures of being a leader. An uncomfortable silence settled in as Lance finished ringing up the items and told Scott the price. Almost as an after thought he asked, " I noticed the flowers there Summers and not that I care but; hot date tonight?" Scott handed him the cash, down to the exact cent and answered " Not that it's any of your business, yes". Lance shot him a conspiratorial grin, " So, red's finally decided to give you a shot, huh". Behind his glasses Scott glared, " It's not Jean. Actually, the date's with Rogue". The shock on Alvers' face was well worth having to share his private business with the Brotherhood leader. " Rogue? You mean she can.?" Lance let the question hang, knowing full well that Scott would know what he meant. " No" he replied with a shake of his head. " Then how.." Alvers began but was cut off, " I don't know Lance. All I know is that I'm in.". As if he suddenly realized just who he was having a heart to heart with, Scott clamped him mouth shut. " Deep trouble" Lance finished for him, his tone telling Scott that he knew just what Scott was going to say. Scott nodded and began to walk out, pushing his cart ahead of him when he was stopped by Lance calling out, "Hey!" Scott turned back to face the other man, his expression clearly saying he wasn't in the mood to be teased. " I'm only going to say this once Summers, so listen up. Rogue's a good girl, deep down that's probably why she didn't stay with us, and she deserves a good guy. You, for an anal retentively straight laced boy scout, are a good guy. But just because she jumped into your camp doesn't mean I don't care about her. I love that girl like a sister, and if you do anything to hurt her. If you break her heart, I swear to god, I will do everything in my power to make your life a living hell." Scott flashed Lance a quick smile before replying, " Alvers, if I hurt her, I'll save you the trouble of hunting me down". With that he turned and walked out of the store.
His groceries securely in the back seat, Scott found himself turning his conversation with Alvers over in his mind the entire ride back to the institute, wondering just whose heart would be broken if he acted on his feelings for Rogue and if it were even remotely possible to ignore them any more. The first question's answer eluded him as he parked the car back in the garage, but perhaps more disturbingly, he found the second question's answer to be a resounding no. Grabbing his bags from the back seat he walked back into the mansion, glancing into the study he saw that Rogue was no longer there * Hmmm.wonder if she's around at all*. Deciding he'd look for her once he was unpacked, he wandered into the kitchen and flipped the radio on as he began to unpack the groceries.
Upstairs in hers and Kitty's room, Rogue was putting the finishing touches on her make-up. Just the faintest hint of blush adorned her cheeks, and her lips were colored a deep red instead of their normal black. * Ah never thought normal "girly" make-up could make mine look easy to put on * She thought, carefully brushing on some mascara. She had heard Scott return from grocery shopping, but since he didn't call out for help with anything or immediately come looking for her she figured she had a few more minutes before she'd go down and say hi. After he had left, she'd gone upstairs and stripped out of her normal clothes and performed a maddening search for something that would wow him without being too dressy. She'd settled on a light green turtle neck and a long dark blue jean dress. She'd borrowed Kitty's hair curler to give the ends of her hair just a little more curl towards her face and decided to forego her normal heavy make-up for something a tad more natural looking. * And now for the final touch * she thought, bringing up a small spray bottle of perfume, an as of yet unused Christmas present from Kitty, called "Midnight in Mississippi"; it wasn't horribly strong, in fact only the faintest hint of lilac could be detected when spayed. Rogue spritzed the perfume into the air and quickly walked through the cloud to stand in front of a full length mirror. She smiled softly at the reflection she barely recognized as her own. * Ah'm beautiful * She thought, slightly awed by the image reflecting back to her * At least Ah hope Scott thinks so *. With one last lingering look in the mirror Rogue slipped out into the hall and down the stairs where she could hear the sound of Shakira's "Wherever, whenever" coming from the kitchen. Walking towards the music she was stopped by the sight of Scott, quite lustily singing along and shaking his ass in an approximation of the Columbian singer as he put groceries away, quite unaware that she was behind him. Leaning against the doorframe her first thought was * Ah wish Ah had a video camera * followed closely by her second, more evil thought * Payback's a bitch Scott *
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of X-Men Evolution, especially not Scott or Rogue. However, they own me, and Rogue in particular is threatening violence if I don't keep updating. I'm sure kind hearted lawyers out there don't want me to be injured by a certain southern belle, so please no lawsuits. Furthermore, I do not own anything of Shakira's, nor does she own anything of mine, so we're equal. No lawsuits are needed there either.
Dedication: to the other woman who owns me; my wonderful fiancée, I love you and miss you!! Special Thanks: Once again, to all those who've reviewed and encouraged me to continue.god help you if I find out Scott or Rogue is just paying you to say such nice things...j/k.. thanks for the support.
And away we go..
Backing his distinctive red sports car with its white racing stripe out of the garage, Scott wondered just what the hell had happened.or rather, had almost happened back in the study. * I can't believe I almost kissed Rogue. Have I lost my freaking mind? * he thought as he turned into the driveway to the mansion and headed for the road. If he were to be honest with himself, he'd have to admit that it wasn't the first time kissing Rogue had seemed like a good idea, just the first time he had nearly acted on his desire. Scott sighed, turning out onto the road and hitting the gas, " How could I be so careless? She probably thinks I'm a total jerk," he muttered, " And now I'm talking to myself, maybe I am going crazy." He briefly wondered if an insanity defense would be an acceptable way to explain his actions to her when he got back with the groceries. * Yea, that'd be just the perfect thing to say to her. The only reason I wanted to kiss you so badly is that I'm losing my mind. Man, do I know how to sweet talk a woman *. He slammed his hand down onto the steering in exasperation column and jumped slightly as his horn blared in response, thankful that no one was in front of him to think he was being an ass. * Right, driving, should focus on that instead of thinking about Rogue.her bathing suit..what it would be like to kiss..yes.driving * he thought. However, his mind wasn't paying attention to its own commands.
It had started out innocently enough. He had just wanted to help Rogue feel more at home with the team, maybe get her to open up a little. So he'd tried to get her to eat lunch with everyone at school, and when that failed, he ate lunch with her instead. Sometimes they would talk, but more often they'd just eat quietly side by side under a tree in the courtyard; not exactly ringing success but over time something amazing had happened. Rogue had started opening up to him, nothing earth shaking, mostly small talk and the rare smile, but it was the start of their friendship, a bond that had grown stronger as time went on. Rogue showed him a side of herself that no one else had seen, the frightened and frustrated young woman, as much a prisoner in her own body as the psyches that she absorbed. As a result, Scott had taken special care to check up on her after each mission when they got back to the mansion, particularly after those missions when she'd used her power on someone. He was determined to provide an anchor for her, a way to keep in touch with reality when the psyches became too much. It was, he considered, just part of being a good leader, making sure that every part of his team was working well. Then came the night when everything changed, the night he had begun to fall in love with her without realizing it.
It was about a week after a particularly brutal battle with Mystique; in the middle of the night there had been a soft but urgent knocking on his bedroom door. When he'd opened it, there Rogue stood, her eyes red and puffy from crying, wearing little more than a long night gown and her gloves she had thrown herself into his arms and begun sobbing uncontrollably. He'd just held her, rubbing her back until she calmed down, and then to avoid waking any others on the floor had led her down to the study where she confided in him that she hadn't been sleeping well for the past week. Apparently the psyches she had absorbed previously, in particular Magneto's, had been stirred up by the confrontation with Mystique and plagued her with nightmares and fears that she was losing control of her mind and body. She'd been too afraid to mention it to the Professor because she thought he'd decide she was a liability to the team if she couldn't handle the problem herself and forbid her to go on other missions. Scott had convinced her that telling the Professor of her fears would be the best thing, and the very next day after school she told him that Xavier had suggested that they begin working on controlling the psyches through meditation that very afternoon. She had unexpectedly hugged him and gave him a rare smile, thanking him for the suggestion before walking off, leaving him standing in the middle of the hall. After that, he started to take more notice of her in general; the way her hair delicately framed her face, the easy grace with which she did everything, the twinkle in her eyes whenever she teased any of the other X-Men. He'd dismissed the feelings as just a crush, but they didn't go away. In fact, they had intensified, leading to the near kiss in the study not half an hour ago.
Pulling into the parking lot of the Fresh Stop, Bayville's One Stop Convenience Shop, Scott thought back to the sparkle in her eyes during the tickle fight. They'd held such life, such innocence and joy. For one brief moment, it was as if the dark cloud she constantly surrounded herself with had lifted and let the sun through. " If I wasn't in love with her before that, that one look would have done me in," he muttered amusedly as he turned off the engine. He was halfway out of the door when he froze, as his words registered in his head. * I'm in love with her? * he wondered silently, and was stunned by the strength of feeling that resulted from the inquiry * Yes, I'm in love with her! I love Rogue!!.oh crap..what am I going to do? *. Despite the consequences of falling in love with her buffeting his brain, a slow smile spread across his face as he finished climbing out of the car. Suddenly, the prospect of dinner with Rogue presented a whole new set of intriguing possibilities. As he walked towards the store, a beat up, junk heap of a jeep caught his eye. One that was all too familiar * Damn * he thought * At least Alvers is here, possibly more of the Brotherhood as well *. While he wasn't worried about a confrontation with the Brotherhood, he considered them to be more of a nuisance than a menace, he wasn't in the mood for putting up with a hundred questions as to what was up with his smiling when he was normally so uptight. And so, walking into the Fresh Stop, he schooled his features to the serious expression that was second nature to him.
First stop was the poultry section to pick up a pack of chicken breasts, and while he was in the area, he picked up a package of whole parmesan cheese to grate as well, keeping his eyes open for any familiar figures all the while. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he could see neither hide nor hair of any of the Brotherhood. On one hand, it was a good thing, as he didn't have to put up with them; on the other, it probably meant that they were getting into some trouble that he'd have to take care of. He pondered this standing in the middle of the cereal aisle, completely oblivious to the perky blonde in the Fresh Stop uniform who had sidled up to him. " Can I help you with something sir?" she asked. Startled, Scott turned to face her, quickly recognizing her from his Spanish class at Bayville High, Kimmy, " Ahhh.no thanks. I was just torn between regular Cheerios and the new Berry Blast Cheerios ," he lied quickly. " Oh Scott! I didn't recognize you there for a second," Kimmy said, flashing him a dazzling smile, " If you ask me, I'd go with the normal Cheerios, the new ones are a little too sweet for my taste" * Of course, I didn't ask you * he thought darkly, but smiling in return he said " Thanks for the suggestion. I don't mind the extra sugar though, might keep me awake in the mornings." He quickly grabbed a box of the new Cheerios and put them in his basket, hoping that would be enough to send her off. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky. " Oh, so you like sweet things, huh?" she winked, " I get off work at seven, if you'd like to get together later for dessert". Internally, Scott groaned at her attempt to be seductive * God save me from horny high school girls*. Contrary to what everyone seemed to think, Scott wasn't oblivious to the fact that a fair percentage of Bayville High's female population nursed crushes on him. However, ignoring the fact was simply the easiest way to avoid the inevitable confrontation about his wearing red sunglasses all the time. He knew the glasses and his aloof nature had given him a reputation for being mysterious and had no doubt that the mystery was the main source of attraction for the girls. It was a mystery he knew they wouldn't enjoy solving, and he was rather fond of not blowing holes in anything on a fairly regular basis, so the glasses stayed firmly in place and he remained "oblivious" to the crushes.
" So what do you say?" Kimmy prompted, obviously deciding he was taking far too long to be drawn to her. " Actually," he began " I already have a date tonight", he tried not to notice the crestfallen look that briefly crossed her face at his announcement. It wasn't hard to ignore, as it was there for perhaps a half second before she smiled " Well, if it doesn't work out with whoever the lucky girl is, give me a call." She quickly pulled a pen and paper from her back pocket and scribbled down a number, stuffing it into his pants' front pocket and walking away before he could protest. Scott sighed, and when he was good and sure she was gone, replaced the box of cereal on the shelf. He was on his way to the produce section; quickly stopping in the pasta aisle to grab a box of angel hair noodles and tomato paste for his sauce, when he spied a display of Twinkies. * Hmmm.Twinkies * he smiled evilly * I believe Rogue has a certain fondness for these.and I should do something to make up for teasing her about her book earlier*. His mind made up, he grabbed a box and tossed it into his basket before continuing on into the produce section. He picked up a head of lettuce, a couple of carrots, some mushrooms and black olives for a salad and was about to head to the check out when he walked into the floral department.
In a large cooler compartment before him was a vast array of flowers, from carnations to roses and everything in between. The roses in particular seemed to call to him, it was after all a dinner date with Rogue, something just told him that he should get her flowers. However he was torn between red and pink roses; he knew how he felt about her, but was it even remotely possible that she could return his feelings? As he tried to figure out just which flowers to get for Rogue, an older woman in a Fresh Stop uniform seemed to take pity on him, " Need some help finding the right flowers for your girlfriend sir?". Scott jumped slightly, startled and tuned to face the woman whose name tag identified her as Grace " Err.ahh.yes.I mean no.I mean yes.but she's not my girlfriend" he blushed as he stumbled over his tongue, trying to fit his thoughts into some order. Grace smiled kindly, " But you'd like her to be, wouldn't you? No need to answer, I've seen it dozens of times in my own sons alone and they aren't much older than you. If I may make a suggestion?" Scott nodded, relieved that someone who knew what they were doing could help. " Why don't you try six of each, red and pink? It gives the perfect hint of attraction blossoming into love, and the colors are a lovely mix for spring romances" as she spoke, Grace deftly plucked six of the best looking roses from their respective buckets and carried them to the counter to wrap them, Scott following behind her quietly. "There you go," she said, writing down a price on a ticket and handing it and the flowers to Scott, " just give that to the cashier when you're ready to check out and they'll ring it up for you. And good luck with your friend". "Thank you" Scott smiled, feeling a little tension drain from his body, though it was quickly replaced with worry as to whether or not Rogue would like the flowers. Finally, with all of his supplies for the evening gathered in the basket, he headed for the check out, only to stop short and fight the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief at what he was seeing. Behind the register at one of the two open lanes stood Lance Alvers, wearing a frown and a Fresh Stop uniform.
Scott quickly glanced at the other open lane, hoping to avoid dealing with his counter part in the Brotherhood, when he saw that it was being cashiered by Kimmy. * Damned if I do, damned if I don't * Scott thought as he headed for Alvers' lane, and what he hoped was the lesser of two evils. Lance groaned * Of course Summers just had to pick my lane, couldn't possibly pick the one with the cute girl, could he? *. With a sigh he flicked the conveyor belt on, bringing Scott's purchases, and hence Summers himself, up to the register. " Not a word, one-eye," Lance growled as he began ringing up the items. " Come on now Alvers, is that anyway to treat a customer?" Scott smiled just a little too cheerfully, raising his voice on the word customer. " Hey! Cut that out, I can't afford to get fired!" Lance said in a harsh whisper. Intrigued by the other man's apparent concern for his job, Scott asked, " What're you doing working here? I never pegged you for the service with a smile type". Alvers glared at the smug X-geek and the magazine racks in his lane began to shake violently before he realized what he was doing and immediately calmed down, looking around quickly to see if anyone had noticed anything strange. " Look, with Mystique gone to ground god knows where someone has to pay the bills back at the house, cause good old helmet head sure doesn't kick in any money for his underlings. Do you think any of the others has a decent shot at holding a job? No.so by default, I get to be the lucky bread winner, alright?"
Scott looked at Lance with as close to respect as he would come for any member of the Brotherhood, " That's tough man. You know, you can always give us another shot. I'll even try not to be so hard on you". If Lance was taken aback by the offer, it didn't show " Nah, someone's gotta look out for those twits I live with ya know?". Scott nodded, knowing all too well the pressures of being a leader. An uncomfortable silence settled in as Lance finished ringing up the items and told Scott the price. Almost as an after thought he asked, " I noticed the flowers there Summers and not that I care but; hot date tonight?" Scott handed him the cash, down to the exact cent and answered " Not that it's any of your business, yes". Lance shot him a conspiratorial grin, " So, red's finally decided to give you a shot, huh". Behind his glasses Scott glared, " It's not Jean. Actually, the date's with Rogue". The shock on Alvers' face was well worth having to share his private business with the Brotherhood leader. " Rogue? You mean she can.?" Lance let the question hang, knowing full well that Scott would know what he meant. " No" he replied with a shake of his head. " Then how.." Alvers began but was cut off, " I don't know Lance. All I know is that I'm in.". As if he suddenly realized just who he was having a heart to heart with, Scott clamped him mouth shut. " Deep trouble" Lance finished for him, his tone telling Scott that he knew just what Scott was going to say. Scott nodded and began to walk out, pushing his cart ahead of him when he was stopped by Lance calling out, "Hey!" Scott turned back to face the other man, his expression clearly saying he wasn't in the mood to be teased. " I'm only going to say this once Summers, so listen up. Rogue's a good girl, deep down that's probably why she didn't stay with us, and she deserves a good guy. You, for an anal retentively straight laced boy scout, are a good guy. But just because she jumped into your camp doesn't mean I don't care about her. I love that girl like a sister, and if you do anything to hurt her. If you break her heart, I swear to god, I will do everything in my power to make your life a living hell." Scott flashed Lance a quick smile before replying, " Alvers, if I hurt her, I'll save you the trouble of hunting me down". With that he turned and walked out of the store.
His groceries securely in the back seat, Scott found himself turning his conversation with Alvers over in his mind the entire ride back to the institute, wondering just whose heart would be broken if he acted on his feelings for Rogue and if it were even remotely possible to ignore them any more. The first question's answer eluded him as he parked the car back in the garage, but perhaps more disturbingly, he found the second question's answer to be a resounding no. Grabbing his bags from the back seat he walked back into the mansion, glancing into the study he saw that Rogue was no longer there * Hmmm.wonder if she's around at all*. Deciding he'd look for her once he was unpacked, he wandered into the kitchen and flipped the radio on as he began to unpack the groceries.
Upstairs in hers and Kitty's room, Rogue was putting the finishing touches on her make-up. Just the faintest hint of blush adorned her cheeks, and her lips were colored a deep red instead of their normal black. * Ah never thought normal "girly" make-up could make mine look easy to put on * She thought, carefully brushing on some mascara. She had heard Scott return from grocery shopping, but since he didn't call out for help with anything or immediately come looking for her she figured she had a few more minutes before she'd go down and say hi. After he had left, she'd gone upstairs and stripped out of her normal clothes and performed a maddening search for something that would wow him without being too dressy. She'd settled on a light green turtle neck and a long dark blue jean dress. She'd borrowed Kitty's hair curler to give the ends of her hair just a little more curl towards her face and decided to forego her normal heavy make-up for something a tad more natural looking. * And now for the final touch * she thought, bringing up a small spray bottle of perfume, an as of yet unused Christmas present from Kitty, called "Midnight in Mississippi"; it wasn't horribly strong, in fact only the faintest hint of lilac could be detected when spayed. Rogue spritzed the perfume into the air and quickly walked through the cloud to stand in front of a full length mirror. She smiled softly at the reflection she barely recognized as her own. * Ah'm beautiful * She thought, slightly awed by the image reflecting back to her * At least Ah hope Scott thinks so *. With one last lingering look in the mirror Rogue slipped out into the hall and down the stairs where she could hear the sound of Shakira's "Wherever, whenever" coming from the kitchen. Walking towards the music she was stopped by the sight of Scott, quite lustily singing along and shaking his ass in an approximation of the Columbian singer as he put groceries away, quite unaware that she was behind him. Leaning against the doorframe her first thought was * Ah wish Ah had a video camera * followed closely by her second, more evil thought * Payback's a bitch Scott *
