Chapter 4: The Morning After
The next morning was another grim Muir Island day, it was raining, the skies were a dismal grey looming across the island in an ominous way, and Rogue couldn't help but suspect a storm was due. After having bowl of cereal, in the kitchen area of the upstairs living area, she headed into the living room of the second floor of the research centre, and threw herself on the leather couch heavily, and grabbed the remote to turn on the TV.
Weather reports on the first channel she happened upon proved her suspicions correct – it seemed that Scotland was going to be experiencing storms all day.
Rogue absently watched some morning television talk show, whilst wondering how Remy would be feeling after waking from his drunken stupor. She still could not believe how far she'd gone to trick Remy. She was beginning to feel concern that he was having some bad influences on her.
"God, my head…"
Rogue turned towards the room, Remy staggered in holding his head with one hand, he was still wearing his leather pants and his black shirt from the night before, his shirt hanging open just as she'd left it. His hair was jutting out at one side, and at the other, sticking flat to his head, his eyes were dark underneath, and when he came into the room and the sunlight from the open blinds hit his face he closed his eyes tightly.
Rogue kept her mouth shut, she didn't want to say anything in case it reminded him of the events of the night before.
"Chere…what time is it?" Remy walked with his eyes closed tightly trying to shut the light out from his hread and fumbled for the cord of the blinds, he tugged it, closing the blind slats tight, making the room go dim. He opened his eyes and rubbed them a little.
"It's ten am," Rogue replied.
Remy slumped down into the seat next to Rogue, he was silent for some moments, rubbing his head. Finally Rogue felt she had to say something.
"Hangover?"
"The worst…" Remy remained rubbing his head.
"What were you drinking last night?" Rogue queried, she hoped that he wouldn't catch on or remember the last time they'd seen each other before this morning.
"Uh…red stuff…in a shot glass…" Remy kept his eyes tightly shut, he pressed his thumbs into his temples, "Aftershock they called it…tasted like candy…"
"How many did you have?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"Lost count of how many I had…" he added.
Rogue almost felt sorry for him, only because she'd experienced a hangover just as bad before. A hangover where she'd been so violently sick she'd thought she'd die, the trembling, the cold sweat, the nausea. She wouldn't wish such illness on anyone, even Remy. "Your own fault," she said, despite her feelings on the subject.
"I'm never drinkin' again…" he groaned, he slumped beside her, resting his head on her shoulder like a child in need of comfort.
Rogue pushed him away, "Don't come lookin' for sympathy with me," Rogue made a face, "I didn't get any sympathy from you when I was last hung over."
"That was 'cause the night before the hangover you were givin' me shit and pickin' fights," Remy sounded groggy.
Rogue only vaguely remembered that night, it had seemed like a million years ago – it had only been perhaps six months ago, maybe less, she'd lost count.
"So…Chere…" Remy stated, about to begin to say something.
Rogue changed the television channel absently. "Hmm?" she asked.
"Did you find what you what you were looking for in my room?"
Rogue froze, her heart felt as if it had suddenly stopped beating in her chest, she looked at Remy with wide green eyes, "huh?" she asked timidly.
"My room, you were in it last night looking for something…did you find it?" he continued to rub his head.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Rogue trailed off, she began to feel panic, how had he known? She'd been so careful
"Chere," he sat straight up and turned to her, still rubbing his head fiercely, obviously a massive headache was bothering him immensely, "I might be a liar, and I might be a Thief," he stated, "I might even be an asshole sometimes," he admitted in a very straight forward way, "but whatever else I might be, I'm not a fucking idiot," he looked at her.
Rogue looked at him, her breathing beginning to quicken, he began to look very serious, and perhaps a little angry, "I didn't say you were—" She tried to say, she felt as if she were suddenly backed into a corner.
"Cut the bullshit," despite Remy's hangover, he was quicker than lightning, he moved so that he was standing over her, both hands on the back of the couch at either side of her head, he leaned in real close and looked at her, "I'm a professional Thief, chere," Remy looked at her eyes warningly, "I can tell when someone else has been sneaking around touchin' my shit."
"I didn't touch anything!" Rogue lied, her eyes growing wider the closer he became to her.
Remy's face twisted for a moment at the intense throbbing in his head, he kept his eyes on her all the while, never blinking, his red irises seemed to flash a vibrant red. Rogue felt panic searing through her every vein, her cheeks became pale and her bottom lip was trembling. "Then what's this?!" he demanded, he pulled something out of his pocket and dropped it into her lap, Rogue gazed down at it, it was the flashlight she'd left under his mattress. He leaned in close again, in an intimidating way.
"I…I…" Rogue couldn't find the words to defend herself.
"Next time you wanna convince a Thief that you ain't been sneaking around behind his back…" he frowned a little, "You better learn to do it with something better than a lousy seduction technique," he said it so close to her face she could feel his hot breath, and still smell the liquor from him.
He moved away and crossed the room.
"I was just…" Rogue tried.
"Save it," Remy spat at her bitterly, he continued to rub his head.
"You're not even letting me explain!" Rogue stood up.
"Why should I?" Remy turned away from her, he stood near the wall, and pushed his hands against it, standing with his head low, Rogue could see he was upset.
"You don't understand!" Rogue yelled at him.
"Maybe I don't want to understand!" Remy yelled, his head still low, from behind him, Rogue could see his shoulders raising and dropping with his heavy breathing. "What the fuck were you doin' creepin' through my stuff?!"
"Oh cut the betrayed act, already, Remy! You've done it to everyone else!" Rogue yelled at him, "You snuck through Professor Xavier's office when it was locked, you've broke into the Mansion before, you've probably raked through my stuff a million times when I wasn't in my room!" Rogue blasted at him.
Remy spun around, his hair hanging in his eyes, his expression was somewhat dangerous, "I have never snuck through Xavier's office – or your room for that matter, why should I, I figured I had reason enough to trust you!" he was about to try and leave.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Rogue grabbed a hold of his wrist and yanked him back, she threw him to the couch so he fell into a sitting position. "Alright, I'll admit it, I walked into your room, and I had a look around."
"And what did you expect to find?!" Remy demanded, "more evidence that I've been lying to you about what really happened the night you absorbed Carol's powers?! I told you all I know!"
Rogue sat down on the couch beside him, "I don't know what I expected to find…" She lowered her voice, "I just…I had to go through your stuff…I had to just confirm that—"
"That what? That I could be trusted?" he demanded, his voice lower too, "I just don't get you, Rogue!" he looked at her, "I tried to be nice, I tried to show you I cared. You complained about never being able to trust me – and you go behind my back – its YOU who can't be trusted…"
"Well, maybe you got what you deserve," Rogue said coldly, "now you know how it feels."
Remy looked at her, "I probably deserved it, but…"
"But what?"
"Doesn't make me feel any less hurt," he stood up.
"Now you know how I feel, Remy, how much betrayal I feel every fucking time you pull something stupid like keep a secret from me, or lie to me," Rogue looked at him, "It tears me up! I want to like you, I want to be with you, but I can't trust you…"
"And obviously I can't trust you…" Remy looked at her, "tell me, Chere, just what DID you expect to find?"
"I…I just…" Rogue looked away from him.
"You…think I did it, don't you…" Remy sounded quite surprised, he let out a laugh of disbelief, "you think I broke into the lab…"
Rogue didn't reply.
Remy had a lump in his throat, he swallowed with great difficulty, "you were right, this just isn't gonna work."
Rogue looked up at him, waiting for the rest of what he was going to say.
"We're never going to be anything more than foes…" he looked at her, "no matter how hard I try…I can't make you happy, I can't make you trust me, and now I don't even know if I can trust you either…" he rubbed his head.
"Remy…" Rogue softened her voice, she reached out towards him to comfort him.
"Leave me alone," Remy pulled away, and left the room quickly.
Rogue felt sudden guilt wash over her like a flood. Suddenly, she was beginning to understand what it was like to be on Remy's side of the trust issue situation.
