Chapter 2: Tête-à-Tête
That night, Rogue found herself up late, watching movies, feeling there was no need to go to bed early. She'd raided Jean's DVD collection – without asking of course. It seemed that the only movies Jean seemed to want to watch were movies that starred Britney Spears, or movies that included a lot of angst and romance and people dying, but Rogue somehow managed to find a copy of 'Scream' in the collection, which she opted to watch.
Rogue had seen the movie so many times before, that she had the whole plot line memorised, but it was always something to pass some time when boredom lingered. She curled up on the couch, with the lights off, and she began to watch, somehow, not becoming wrapped up in the story. Her thoughts drifted to Remy. Why had he been so bothered about her celebrating her birthday. He barely knew her, and she suspected foul play.
It was strange that while thinking of him, he suddenly walked into the Rec room, smoking a cigarette, his hair damp as if he'd just come out of the shower, he dropped into the space at the other side of the couch, near where her feet were resting on the middle cushion. She glanced over at him but said nothing.
"What we watching?" He asked casually, he took a long drag of the cigarette, and then blew smoke rings.
"Scream," Rogue responded, her tone very neutral this time.
"Ah…" he responded. "Ashtray?" He asked, looking around.
"At the back of the room," she remarked.
Remy got up, and headed over to the back of the room, he brought the ashtray back and slumped down into the same seat again. "You like horror movies?"
"I guess," she sighed, she wished he put the damn cigarette out, she hated the smell of smoke, she wrinkled her nose.
Remy seemed to sense what she was thinking, and he put the cigarette out, "So…uhm…" he seemed to be lost for words for just a moment, "You're…not going to go out with me tomorrow night."
"You act like it's some sort of date you asked me out on, you only asked to look good in front of Logan," Rogue stated quietly. She didn't feel like shouting, but she hadn't seen him in such a long time that a good argument might make her forget about her birthday blues.
"No…I asked you because I thought it might be nice if we try and be civil around each other…I'm one of the X-Men now, Chere..." he stated, his tone was rather sombre, as if something were bothering him too.
"What were you up to in New Orleans," Rogue asked suspiciously.
Remy looked at her, "Really wanna know? Or are you just trying to start arguments again?"
"I want to know," Rogue stated, she kept her eyes on the television.
"I went to see my family, hadn't seen them in almost a year…" he remarked, his voice bitter for a moment.
"Why haven't you seen them in so long?"
"I was exiled," he gave a shrug.
"Why'd they exile you?" Rogue suddenly asked, she was curious, and whatever info she could learn about him might be an asset later on.
"I don't like talking about it," He responded.
"'Cause you're a mutant?" she queried.
"No…" Remy brooded, he looked down. Strangely, Rogue recognised something in him that reminded him of herself, the same brooding, and sometimes the isolation, the vague explanations, the general attitude. She'd been like that not too long ago.
"Then what?" Rogue turned towards him.
"I really don't think you need to know," Remy put his feet up on the coffee table.
Rogue looked at him through her hair, which was hanging at her face shadowing her pale features, "Logan wants us to 'get to know' each other, how can you expect me to even want to go to dinner with you on my birthday and you won't even tell me anything about yourself…"
"Fine, what do you want to know?" He took a deck of playing cards out of his pocket and began to shuffle them skilfully, "I'll try to answer honestly as long as you don't ask me about my Exile, or the secrets you're so set on knowing," He added.
Rogue recited a string of cuss words about Remy in her head, but let it slide, "how'd you get caught up in Magneto's gang," she shrugged.
"Long story," Remy sighed, "it was all one big mess – don't really like talking about it much either really…"
"Jesus then what questions am I meant to ask?" Rogue asked, "You want me to ask you questions to get to know you but everything I ask you won't answer!"
"Normal questions."
"Fine," Rogue paused, she didn't know any normal questions to ask, she'd rather not ask any questions at all, she'd lost interest in the conversation already, "actually no, the only questions I have are the ones you won't let me ask, and I don't know WHY you won't answer them. Probably not man enough to tell the truth for once."
Remy raised an eyebrow and a half smirk, "one of these days, chere," he gave a short dramatic pause, and licked his bottom lip a little, tilting his head slightly to one side, "you're gonna find out exactly how man I am."
"Well I saw you naked, LeBeau, and uh, lets just say," Rogue felt her confidence perking up a little, "I didn't see much 'man' there."
"That comment there be hitting a bit too below the belt, Chere," Remy remarked, a slight smile on his lips, he was making a joke, she could see that.
"Well, seein' as there wasn't much there below the belt to begin with I figured it wouldn't hurt too much," said Rogue, feeling rather pleased with herself she could come up with such remarks as quick as he could. She felt a slight blush creep over her cheeks though at the subject.
"Maybe you'd like to get out a measuring tape," Remy suggested.
"Yeah, I could strangle you with it," Rogue shot back.
Remy just smirked, "so much hostility."
"Only for you," Rogue turned her eyes back to the television just in time to see one of the characters from the movie get murdered brutally.
"So you still adamant you're not going to go out with me tomorrow," he queried, he, flipped a card between his nimble fingers back and fourth in an almost absent way.
Rogue felt her cheeks turn crimson now, "I already told you I'm not going."
"Logan says you have to," Remy chewed the inside of his cheek, he looked at the screen, "Chere, I'm only trying to keep the peace here, come out with me, I promise you it will be fun."
Rogue pursed her lips together tightly, feeling her fury swell. "No," she finally said, "I don't want anything to do with you."
"That's too bad, Chere," Remy stated, "because I'm one of the X-Men now, and I live here, and you're gonna see me every day…" he added.
Rogue knew he was right, and she'd heard the same words from everyone else in the mansion it seemed like a hundred times now, but it didn't make this any easier to cope with.
"If you come tomorrow night…I…" Remy took in a breath, "I'll tell you some of the things you want to know…"
Rogue looked at him, "Are you being truthful though, how do I know I can trust that?"
Remy looked at her, "You just have to," he said.
"No, I want assurance," Rogue stated.
Remy sighed, "alright…" he sighed and went into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his wallet.
"What, you gonna bribe me now?" Rogue asked.
"Hold on," Remy sighed, he unflipped the wallet and began to search into one of the sections of the wallet, Rogue took a quick glance to see his drivers license, and his real date of birth, "You're nineteen?" she gaped, "I figured you were like seventeen…"
"Ssh," Remy stated, still digging around, he seemed to find what he was looking for and handed it to her, it was an envelope, folded very tightly down, "take this – just as collateral until I do."
"What is it?" Rogue asked, noticing that the envelope was sealed.
"It's something of mines, please, don't open it though…" He looked at her, "If I can trust you not to open it…then you can trust me to tell you some of my secrets," he stated.
"Fine," Rogue stated, she shoved the envelope her pocket, she figured she'd find a way to know what was in it later on. "What time are we going out."
"Seven pm," Remy stated, "And wear something pretty," He added with a very sexy smirk. Rogue threw a pillow at him.
"Shut up," she muttered. She felt a yawn coming on, and she tried to stifle it, she pulled herself up and stretched, "I'm gonna go to bed, get some beauty sleep."
"You don't need any, green eyes."
Rogue wasn't really sure what his comment meant, she shook it off, and left without saying goodnight. When she reached her room, she sat on her bed and looked at the envelope. If there was something in the envelope, then it was rather thin. Perhaps a piece of paper, a letter?
She couldn't open it though, she knew if she did she would be unable to make it look like it had remained unopened as before. Sighing, she placed it in a little lockable box and shoved it in the closet in an empty shoebox, just in case.
