Losing Control And Finding Your Heart Chapter 4: Someone's in the Kitchen
with Rogue
Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men Evolution. I keep checking my mailbox for royalty checks, and they aren't coming, so I'm going to presume that I'll continue not owning Evolution. Nor do I own anything of, or by for that matter, Pink. " I swear" isn't owned by me either.
Dedication: to my fiancée, the only woman who can consistently get me to cook. Special Thanks: to my wonderful reviewers.you guys keep me up til 3 am or later to get these things uploaded.and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for all your support so far!
And now dear friends, once more into the breach...
Taking a page from Scott's book, Rogue quietly snuck up behind him as he continued to sing and shake, oblivious to her presence. " Ah never knew you had moves like that" she whispered close to his ear and quickly smacking his ass, " Ah guess we're gonna have to get you out clubbing some time so you can show the world." Scott whirled around quickly, almost tripping over his own feet in the process, his face bright red. " Good god Rogue, you almost gave me a heart attack. And for the record, no, I will never, ever be showing those moves to anyone else. You should just forget you ever saw that". " Oh, like you forgot my book this afternoon, Summers? Not a chance in hell." She grinned, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen. Scott prepared to respond with a smart-assed remark when all the air seemed to leave his body at once. It was the first good look he'd gotten at Rogue since she had snuck up on him and the view was incredible. Gone were all traces of the anti-social goth chick she presented to the world normally, and in her place stood the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her green turtle neck seemed to find all of her curves without trying to show them off and the long skirt accented the length of her legs hidden beneath it. Scott felt a flush creep up his neck as he unabashedly checked out his teammate. The most amazing part in his opinion was how soft and fragile she looked without the harsh make-up she normally wore. * Is she actually wearing red lipstick? * he wondered. He opened his mouth to compliment her on her outfit but nothing came out as his brain tried to come up with words that could describe how wonderful she looked to him. Finally, after several moments he settled on "Wow".
Rogue smiled softly, the exclamation had almost been too soft for her to hear, but the expression on Scott's face clearly conveyed everything he couldn't find the words for. "Thanks sugah, Ah'm glad you approve." She said, " And since you've obviously spent the past couple minutes committing me to memory like this, why should I bother to forget the memory of you shaking your fine ass and singing with the radio? What's in it for me?" she winked, flashing him a teasing grin " Ah mean it's not like Ah'm Jean, and could broadcast that image to everyone else." Scott couldn't have asked for a better opening than the one she'd given him. " What's in it for you to keep quiet? How about these?". Reaching into a grocery bag at his feet he pulled out the box of Twinkies and tossed it to her. Rogue caught the box that he'd tossed and stared at it for a moment uncomprehending before flipping it over and seeing just what it contained * Oh my god.how did he know Ah love these things? *. If there had been any doubt in his mind about purchasing the spongy snack cakes earlier, all traces of it were erased by the surprise and sheer joy written on Rogue's face as she looked at the box. Or maybe it was just anticipation of a Twinkie induced sugar rush, which was an equally plausible possibility. " Scott, Ah could kiss you! Ah mean if it weren't for.." As she trailed off it was as if Scott could actually see the dark clouds forming around her, killing the twinkle in her eyes and the life in her voice * Not this time * he thought fiercely * Not ever again if there's anything I can do about it *. " Hey," he said brightly, snapping her eyes to him, " As far as I can tell, you're fairly well covered up there, and I've never had any problems with hugs." She smiled slightly, a remnant of life still in her eyes " Ok, so there was that one time.but only because it was Kurt. He was so thrilled that Kitty actually said she'd go on a date with him that I think he'd have hugged just about anyone or anything. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time" Laughing, Rogue threw her arms around him, holding him close to her * Pay dirt ! * he thought, grinning. She pulled back slightly, clearly amused by the thought of Kurt clinging to Scott the way she was, and gazed into his glasses, directly into his eyes behind the lenses though she couldn't see them " Why? " she asked curiously.
" Why was I in the wrong place at the wrong time?" he asked teasingly, purposely misunderstanding the question, " I was just on the way to my room to get ready for some danger room training and he happened to be in the hall at the same time. Next thing I knew, I had furry blue elf attached to me." Rogue smacked his shoulder playfully " Smart ass, you know damn well what I was asking. And not that I'm complaining, but how did you know about my Twinkie addiction and why did you buy these for me?". "Well.." He began, an impish smile tugging at the corners of his lips, however he took note of the earnest expression on her face and knew that she'd kill him if he gave another smart assed answer " First things first, how I knew you had an addiction to Twinkies. That was a fairly simple matter of observation, beautiful. When we would eat lunch together at school, I noticed that fairly frequently you'd have a package of Twinkies in your bag for dessert" * Oh my god * Rogue thought * He paid that much attention to me? He remembers something as insignificant as what Ah'd have for dessert? Maybe it is possible that he could like me as more than a friend * She tried hard to keep the hope out of her eyes and to focus on what he was saying, " And as to why I bought these for you." Scott sighed, gathering his courage before plunging on " I guess it was because I was feeling more than a little guilty about earlier. I think that I went a little too far in teasing you about what you read. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let things get that out of control. After all, it's absolutely none of my business as to what you read. Though, if you like things that graphic, I believe Logan has a subscription to Penthouse, you can have pictures with your words" * Then again, maybe he doesn't like me like that after all. Is he sorry for trying to kiss me..or because he didn't? * Dejected, Rogue plastered on a smile, thankful for his attempt at humor because it helped her to hide what she'd been thinking.
" Actually Scott, Ah know about Logan's Penthouse subscription, and Ah prefer to use my imagination." She trailed off with a seductive wink, enjoying the shocked expression on his face. * Does she ever imagine me.us.no must not think about that * he quickly shut the thought down before he embarrassed himself by blushing like a fool. Scott bent over quickly reaching into the bag containing the dozen roses he'd bought and snatched the price tag off the bouquet, stuffing it into the pocket with Kimmy's phone number before standing up, hiding the roses behind his back. " As they say on infomercials," he said with a smile that made Rogue weak in the knees, " but wait, there's more!". With a flourish, he pulled the flowers from behind his back and set them in her hands. Shocked, Rogue just stared down at the gorgeous mix of red and pink roses in her hands, unsure of what to say * Pink and Red..attraction and .love? Could he be in love with me? Arg! Summers, you and these mixed signals of yours are going to drive me insane* " So, you're buying my silence with Twinkies and roses, Scott? What makes you think I'm just going to forgive you for earlier?" She asked, sounding harsher than she intended * Especially when I wanted you to kiss me, not for you to be sorry for almost kissing me *. Scott lowered his head slightly " I wasn't actually trying to buy you off with Twinkies Rogue, I was just teasing you. And the roses aren't actually part of that. I believe it's customary for a guy to bring a girl roses or some flowers in general on a date, especially on their first date." " I knew you were teasing Scott and don't worry, you don't mention my choice of reading material to anyone, no one finds out about your kitchen dance party.." She trailed off and her eyes widened in shock as what he'd said registered fully in her brain. * Date? Oh my god!! He said date.as in romance.interest..more than friends! * Her heart was leaping for joy, which was reflected in the incredible smile lighting her face and eliminating any doubts in Scott's mind as to whether or not she felt anything for him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to say those three words that expressed how he felt for her * Later * he promised himself * I've waited too long already, but I just can't say it right now. After dinner I'll tell her.yes.after dinner* Rogue giggled suddenly, " While I agree that it's customary for a guy to bring a girl he likes flowers on their first date; it's also customary for him to give them to her when he picks her up at the start of the date". Scott stared at her for a moment as if she'd lost her mind " Rogue, we live in the same building. We're the only ones here for the next week and a half. What am I supposed to do, ring my own door bell and let myself in to wait for you? She grinned, considering the idea, absurd though it was " No Rogue". "Spoil sport" she muttered. "Psycho" he replied.
Coming back down to earth, Rogue smiled almost shyly, melting Scott's heart with the innocence held in that look, and looked around the kitchen. " So, what can I do to help with dinner, Mr. World Famous chef? And don't you dare tell me that there's nothing you need me to do. You've done all this for me, the least you can do is let me help a little." Scott smiled in resignation, knowing there was no way he'd talk her out of helping. " Ok, you can find something to put those in, and then maybe start slicing the mushrooms for the salad?". "Sure thing sugah" Rogue smiled and began to search for a vase for the flowers. Scott in the meantime had opened the fridge to retrieve the chicken breasts and seeing an onion sitting unclaimed in the crisper, decided to grab that too. " You don't have any problems with onion do you Rogue? He asked, tossing the onion onto the island beside the mushrooms. "Nah, I love onion" setting the roses in a vase she'd found under the sink, Rogue returned to the island and began the task of chopping mushrooms. In the meantime Scott had set a small pot on the stove and opened the cans of tomato paste into it, setting it on a low temperature to simmer before placing a pan beside it and pouring a bit of oil into it in preparation for the chicken. " Do ya mind if I turn up the radio?" Rogue asked. " Not at all, go right ahead" he answered.
Turning up the radio, Rogue retuned to chopping the mushrooms. The DJ came on loud and clear " This is Rocking Rick on WKBVL, radio Bayville, with the best of the '80s, '90s. and today. Up next we have a "Family Portrait" by Pink and "I Swear" from our vaults by All4One. But first these messages from our sponsors" A few pointless commercials passed, nothing that either Scott of Rogue paid any attention to as they went about their tasks. It caught Rogue off guard when the radio came back with "Family Portrait", she quickly finished off the mushrooms and grabbed the onion, slicing into it quickly to hide the tears that listening to the song about a dysfunctional family brought to her eyes. For Rogue, it hit just a little too close to home. The only woman she had considered to be her mother had turned out to be just a keeper until she could be used as a weapon by Mystique and Magneto. She didn't even want to consider how often Mystique had used her, manipulating her with lies about caring. Uncaring, Rogue let the tears fall freely as she sliced the onion, lost in the lyrics of the song. At the oven, Scott dipped a couple of chicken breasts in flour and bread crumbs before setting them in the oil and turning on the timer on the stove for about seven minutes. He turned to see how Rogue was doing with the vegetables when he heard a sniffle and saw her hand go up to her face. Even with her back to him Scott could tell that she was crying. Instinctively he went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. " Hey, you ok?" he asked. " Fine, it's just this onion," she lied quickly, snuggling contentedly against his chest and sighing at the contact. " Well, if you want, I can take over here for you" he suggested. Rogue turned in his arms, draping hers around his neck and smiling " And concede victory to a vegetable? My friend, I have not yet begun to slice!"
Scott smiled in return, trying not to focus on how wonderful it felt to hold her like this; how beautiful she was, and how he was rapidly falling more deeply in love with her. " It looks like you've got some good slices going already on that onion," he said, " mind if I steal what you have there for the sauce?". "I see how it is, " Rogue teased, " you don't want to be the one crying over the onion, but you want to benefit from my hard work. Fine, go ahead." Scott smiled and was about to let her go when "I Swear" by All4One began to play over the radio. Impulsively, he tightened his hold on Rogue's waist and started swaying with her to the slow romantic beat. Despite how nice it felt to be in Scott's arms, Rogue couldn't help but give him a hard time. " And just what do you think you're doing?" " Showing off dance moves that I wouldn't mind you remembering" he replied with a smile. Rogue chuckled softly, laying her head on his shoulder * Like I could ever forget this *. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, and yet not long enough, as the song played on lost in their own thoughts. Slowly they pulled back and gazed into each other's eyes as the song died off, as one their heads moved ever so slightly closer * Ok, no turning back now * Scott thought * Just kiss her.go with it * * One moment couldn't hurt * Rogue thought * Not long enough to steal anything.just to know how it feels to give in to my heart.just once..* As their lips were about to touch in the kiss they both longed for, the timer on the stove went off, surprisingly loud in the silence of the kitchen and they jumped back, laughing nervously.
"Do you think the Professor would mind terribly if I blasted that damn thing?" Scott smiled, flashing her a quick wink. * If you don't, Ah'll steal your power and do it myself* Rogue thought, glaring at the offending device " Ah think he'd mind just a little. Ya know, with control of our powers being one of the things we're supposed to learn here. Now.if I were to trip you, and your glasses slipped off." she suggested with a playful grin. Scott laughed " Then we'd both be in trouble. Probably best to leave it be". Walking over to the stove he checked on the chicken breast, before flipping them over to cook on the other side and resetting the timer. " Shouldn't be too long on the chicken. How's the salad coming?" " Done" Rogue said happily, displaying the salad she'd hastily thrown together, and much to Scott's surprise, she'd even added the black olives and carrots to the bowl with lettuce, mushrooms and onions. " Impressive," he said " I didn't even hear you move on to the lettuce or carrots". " It comes from sneaking up on a certain someone," she teased, " I've learned to be a lot more quiet today alone". Scooping up the onion slices she hadn't used for the salad, Rogue walked over to the stove and sprinkled them into the tomato paste, stirring them in with a wooden spoon that had been set on the island. " Smells wonderful" she remarked "Thanks" Scott smiled, starting a pot of water to boil for the pasta. " I know I'm supposed to be the one cooking here, " he began, " but would you mind popping the noodles into the water when it starts boiling and taking the chicken off the heat when the timer goes off? I feel surprisingly undress..err.underdressed next to you. I think I'll go put on something a little nicer than this" he blushed at his slip of the tongue as he indicated the tank top and shorts he was still wearing." Go ahead sugah," Rogue smiled, " though I think you look fine just the way you are.undressed and all." She grinned evilly as Scott blushed more furiously. " I'll be back down in a few minutes" he said, turning to leave. On a sudden impulse, he grabbed her gloved hand and turned it palm up, laying a gentle kiss on the center of her palm, " Don't miss me too much beautiful". With that he headed out the door, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out the price tag for the roses and Kimmy's phone number and tossing both into the trash can as he passed. Rogue sighed, making sure he was gone before pressing her palm against her heart * Don't miss him too much? Why not ask me to stop the sun from shining? That'd be a lot easier*
Disclaimer: Still don't own X-Men Evolution. I keep checking my mailbox for royalty checks, and they aren't coming, so I'm going to presume that I'll continue not owning Evolution. Nor do I own anything of, or by for that matter, Pink. " I swear" isn't owned by me either.
Dedication: to my fiancée, the only woman who can consistently get me to cook. Special Thanks: to my wonderful reviewers.you guys keep me up til 3 am or later to get these things uploaded.and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for all your support so far!
And now dear friends, once more into the breach...
Taking a page from Scott's book, Rogue quietly snuck up behind him as he continued to sing and shake, oblivious to her presence. " Ah never knew you had moves like that" she whispered close to his ear and quickly smacking his ass, " Ah guess we're gonna have to get you out clubbing some time so you can show the world." Scott whirled around quickly, almost tripping over his own feet in the process, his face bright red. " Good god Rogue, you almost gave me a heart attack. And for the record, no, I will never, ever be showing those moves to anyone else. You should just forget you ever saw that". " Oh, like you forgot my book this afternoon, Summers? Not a chance in hell." She grinned, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen. Scott prepared to respond with a smart-assed remark when all the air seemed to leave his body at once. It was the first good look he'd gotten at Rogue since she had snuck up on him and the view was incredible. Gone were all traces of the anti-social goth chick she presented to the world normally, and in her place stood the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her green turtle neck seemed to find all of her curves without trying to show them off and the long skirt accented the length of her legs hidden beneath it. Scott felt a flush creep up his neck as he unabashedly checked out his teammate. The most amazing part in his opinion was how soft and fragile she looked without the harsh make-up she normally wore. * Is she actually wearing red lipstick? * he wondered. He opened his mouth to compliment her on her outfit but nothing came out as his brain tried to come up with words that could describe how wonderful she looked to him. Finally, after several moments he settled on "Wow".
Rogue smiled softly, the exclamation had almost been too soft for her to hear, but the expression on Scott's face clearly conveyed everything he couldn't find the words for. "Thanks sugah, Ah'm glad you approve." She said, " And since you've obviously spent the past couple minutes committing me to memory like this, why should I bother to forget the memory of you shaking your fine ass and singing with the radio? What's in it for me?" she winked, flashing him a teasing grin " Ah mean it's not like Ah'm Jean, and could broadcast that image to everyone else." Scott couldn't have asked for a better opening than the one she'd given him. " What's in it for you to keep quiet? How about these?". Reaching into a grocery bag at his feet he pulled out the box of Twinkies and tossed it to her. Rogue caught the box that he'd tossed and stared at it for a moment uncomprehending before flipping it over and seeing just what it contained * Oh my god.how did he know Ah love these things? *. If there had been any doubt in his mind about purchasing the spongy snack cakes earlier, all traces of it were erased by the surprise and sheer joy written on Rogue's face as she looked at the box. Or maybe it was just anticipation of a Twinkie induced sugar rush, which was an equally plausible possibility. " Scott, Ah could kiss you! Ah mean if it weren't for.." As she trailed off it was as if Scott could actually see the dark clouds forming around her, killing the twinkle in her eyes and the life in her voice * Not this time * he thought fiercely * Not ever again if there's anything I can do about it *. " Hey," he said brightly, snapping her eyes to him, " As far as I can tell, you're fairly well covered up there, and I've never had any problems with hugs." She smiled slightly, a remnant of life still in her eyes " Ok, so there was that one time.but only because it was Kurt. He was so thrilled that Kitty actually said she'd go on a date with him that I think he'd have hugged just about anyone or anything. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time" Laughing, Rogue threw her arms around him, holding him close to her * Pay dirt ! * he thought, grinning. She pulled back slightly, clearly amused by the thought of Kurt clinging to Scott the way she was, and gazed into his glasses, directly into his eyes behind the lenses though she couldn't see them " Why? " she asked curiously.
" Why was I in the wrong place at the wrong time?" he asked teasingly, purposely misunderstanding the question, " I was just on the way to my room to get ready for some danger room training and he happened to be in the hall at the same time. Next thing I knew, I had furry blue elf attached to me." Rogue smacked his shoulder playfully " Smart ass, you know damn well what I was asking. And not that I'm complaining, but how did you know about my Twinkie addiction and why did you buy these for me?". "Well.." He began, an impish smile tugging at the corners of his lips, however he took note of the earnest expression on her face and knew that she'd kill him if he gave another smart assed answer " First things first, how I knew you had an addiction to Twinkies. That was a fairly simple matter of observation, beautiful. When we would eat lunch together at school, I noticed that fairly frequently you'd have a package of Twinkies in your bag for dessert" * Oh my god * Rogue thought * He paid that much attention to me? He remembers something as insignificant as what Ah'd have for dessert? Maybe it is possible that he could like me as more than a friend * She tried hard to keep the hope out of her eyes and to focus on what he was saying, " And as to why I bought these for you." Scott sighed, gathering his courage before plunging on " I guess it was because I was feeling more than a little guilty about earlier. I think that I went a little too far in teasing you about what you read. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let things get that out of control. After all, it's absolutely none of my business as to what you read. Though, if you like things that graphic, I believe Logan has a subscription to Penthouse, you can have pictures with your words" * Then again, maybe he doesn't like me like that after all. Is he sorry for trying to kiss me..or because he didn't? * Dejected, Rogue plastered on a smile, thankful for his attempt at humor because it helped her to hide what she'd been thinking.
" Actually Scott, Ah know about Logan's Penthouse subscription, and Ah prefer to use my imagination." She trailed off with a seductive wink, enjoying the shocked expression on his face. * Does she ever imagine me.us.no must not think about that * he quickly shut the thought down before he embarrassed himself by blushing like a fool. Scott bent over quickly reaching into the bag containing the dozen roses he'd bought and snatched the price tag off the bouquet, stuffing it into the pocket with Kimmy's phone number before standing up, hiding the roses behind his back. " As they say on infomercials," he said with a smile that made Rogue weak in the knees, " but wait, there's more!". With a flourish, he pulled the flowers from behind his back and set them in her hands. Shocked, Rogue just stared down at the gorgeous mix of red and pink roses in her hands, unsure of what to say * Pink and Red..attraction and .love? Could he be in love with me? Arg! Summers, you and these mixed signals of yours are going to drive me insane* " So, you're buying my silence with Twinkies and roses, Scott? What makes you think I'm just going to forgive you for earlier?" She asked, sounding harsher than she intended * Especially when I wanted you to kiss me, not for you to be sorry for almost kissing me *. Scott lowered his head slightly " I wasn't actually trying to buy you off with Twinkies Rogue, I was just teasing you. And the roses aren't actually part of that. I believe it's customary for a guy to bring a girl roses or some flowers in general on a date, especially on their first date." " I knew you were teasing Scott and don't worry, you don't mention my choice of reading material to anyone, no one finds out about your kitchen dance party.." She trailed off and her eyes widened in shock as what he'd said registered fully in her brain. * Date? Oh my god!! He said date.as in romance.interest..more than friends! * Her heart was leaping for joy, which was reflected in the incredible smile lighting her face and eliminating any doubts in Scott's mind as to whether or not she felt anything for him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to say those three words that expressed how he felt for her * Later * he promised himself * I've waited too long already, but I just can't say it right now. After dinner I'll tell her.yes.after dinner* Rogue giggled suddenly, " While I agree that it's customary for a guy to bring a girl he likes flowers on their first date; it's also customary for him to give them to her when he picks her up at the start of the date". Scott stared at her for a moment as if she'd lost her mind " Rogue, we live in the same building. We're the only ones here for the next week and a half. What am I supposed to do, ring my own door bell and let myself in to wait for you? She grinned, considering the idea, absurd though it was " No Rogue". "Spoil sport" she muttered. "Psycho" he replied.
Coming back down to earth, Rogue smiled almost shyly, melting Scott's heart with the innocence held in that look, and looked around the kitchen. " So, what can I do to help with dinner, Mr. World Famous chef? And don't you dare tell me that there's nothing you need me to do. You've done all this for me, the least you can do is let me help a little." Scott smiled in resignation, knowing there was no way he'd talk her out of helping. " Ok, you can find something to put those in, and then maybe start slicing the mushrooms for the salad?". "Sure thing sugah" Rogue smiled and began to search for a vase for the flowers. Scott in the meantime had opened the fridge to retrieve the chicken breasts and seeing an onion sitting unclaimed in the crisper, decided to grab that too. " You don't have any problems with onion do you Rogue? He asked, tossing the onion onto the island beside the mushrooms. "Nah, I love onion" setting the roses in a vase she'd found under the sink, Rogue returned to the island and began the task of chopping mushrooms. In the meantime Scott had set a small pot on the stove and opened the cans of tomato paste into it, setting it on a low temperature to simmer before placing a pan beside it and pouring a bit of oil into it in preparation for the chicken. " Do ya mind if I turn up the radio?" Rogue asked. " Not at all, go right ahead" he answered.
Turning up the radio, Rogue retuned to chopping the mushrooms. The DJ came on loud and clear " This is Rocking Rick on WKBVL, radio Bayville, with the best of the '80s, '90s. and today. Up next we have a "Family Portrait" by Pink and "I Swear" from our vaults by All4One. But first these messages from our sponsors" A few pointless commercials passed, nothing that either Scott of Rogue paid any attention to as they went about their tasks. It caught Rogue off guard when the radio came back with "Family Portrait", she quickly finished off the mushrooms and grabbed the onion, slicing into it quickly to hide the tears that listening to the song about a dysfunctional family brought to her eyes. For Rogue, it hit just a little too close to home. The only woman she had considered to be her mother had turned out to be just a keeper until she could be used as a weapon by Mystique and Magneto. She didn't even want to consider how often Mystique had used her, manipulating her with lies about caring. Uncaring, Rogue let the tears fall freely as she sliced the onion, lost in the lyrics of the song. At the oven, Scott dipped a couple of chicken breasts in flour and bread crumbs before setting them in the oil and turning on the timer on the stove for about seven minutes. He turned to see how Rogue was doing with the vegetables when he heard a sniffle and saw her hand go up to her face. Even with her back to him Scott could tell that she was crying. Instinctively he went to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. " Hey, you ok?" he asked. " Fine, it's just this onion," she lied quickly, snuggling contentedly against his chest and sighing at the contact. " Well, if you want, I can take over here for you" he suggested. Rogue turned in his arms, draping hers around his neck and smiling " And concede victory to a vegetable? My friend, I have not yet begun to slice!"
Scott smiled in return, trying not to focus on how wonderful it felt to hold her like this; how beautiful she was, and how he was rapidly falling more deeply in love with her. " It looks like you've got some good slices going already on that onion," he said, " mind if I steal what you have there for the sauce?". "I see how it is, " Rogue teased, " you don't want to be the one crying over the onion, but you want to benefit from my hard work. Fine, go ahead." Scott smiled and was about to let her go when "I Swear" by All4One began to play over the radio. Impulsively, he tightened his hold on Rogue's waist and started swaying with her to the slow romantic beat. Despite how nice it felt to be in Scott's arms, Rogue couldn't help but give him a hard time. " And just what do you think you're doing?" " Showing off dance moves that I wouldn't mind you remembering" he replied with a smile. Rogue chuckled softly, laying her head on his shoulder * Like I could ever forget this *. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, and yet not long enough, as the song played on lost in their own thoughts. Slowly they pulled back and gazed into each other's eyes as the song died off, as one their heads moved ever so slightly closer * Ok, no turning back now * Scott thought * Just kiss her.go with it * * One moment couldn't hurt * Rogue thought * Not long enough to steal anything.just to know how it feels to give in to my heart.just once..* As their lips were about to touch in the kiss they both longed for, the timer on the stove went off, surprisingly loud in the silence of the kitchen and they jumped back, laughing nervously.
"Do you think the Professor would mind terribly if I blasted that damn thing?" Scott smiled, flashing her a quick wink. * If you don't, Ah'll steal your power and do it myself* Rogue thought, glaring at the offending device " Ah think he'd mind just a little. Ya know, with control of our powers being one of the things we're supposed to learn here. Now.if I were to trip you, and your glasses slipped off." she suggested with a playful grin. Scott laughed " Then we'd both be in trouble. Probably best to leave it be". Walking over to the stove he checked on the chicken breast, before flipping them over to cook on the other side and resetting the timer. " Shouldn't be too long on the chicken. How's the salad coming?" " Done" Rogue said happily, displaying the salad she'd hastily thrown together, and much to Scott's surprise, she'd even added the black olives and carrots to the bowl with lettuce, mushrooms and onions. " Impressive," he said " I didn't even hear you move on to the lettuce or carrots". " It comes from sneaking up on a certain someone," she teased, " I've learned to be a lot more quiet today alone". Scooping up the onion slices she hadn't used for the salad, Rogue walked over to the stove and sprinkled them into the tomato paste, stirring them in with a wooden spoon that had been set on the island. " Smells wonderful" she remarked "Thanks" Scott smiled, starting a pot of water to boil for the pasta. " I know I'm supposed to be the one cooking here, " he began, " but would you mind popping the noodles into the water when it starts boiling and taking the chicken off the heat when the timer goes off? I feel surprisingly undress..err.underdressed next to you. I think I'll go put on something a little nicer than this" he blushed at his slip of the tongue as he indicated the tank top and shorts he was still wearing." Go ahead sugah," Rogue smiled, " though I think you look fine just the way you are.undressed and all." She grinned evilly as Scott blushed more furiously. " I'll be back down in a few minutes" he said, turning to leave. On a sudden impulse, he grabbed her gloved hand and turned it palm up, laying a gentle kiss on the center of her palm, " Don't miss me too much beautiful". With that he headed out the door, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out the price tag for the roses and Kimmy's phone number and tossing both into the trash can as he passed. Rogue sighed, making sure he was gone before pressing her palm against her heart * Don't miss him too much? Why not ask me to stop the sun from shining? That'd be a lot easier*
