Forbidden Love
Disclaimer: Premise and characters are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.
Thanks so much for all the feedback: Rex, Tewks, xfearddarknessx, JLee, raniatlw, T. Riddle, MiracleChick
Pietro paced a tight circuit around the phone booth. When it finally rang he answered before the second note of the chime sounded.
"Rogue?" he asked.
"Quickie, yah don't sound so good," Rogue said with concern.
"I wanna come home," he said. "Dad despises me, Sabretooth thinks I'm a play thing, Pyro and Colossus ignore me and Gambit feels sorry from me. Please, I want to go home. They'll forgive me right? It's been forever."
"Forever and a day," Rogue thought to herself. "But Lance ain't woke up. If you come back here you're gonna know it, Pietro. I won't be able to protect yah and you're gonna be hurtin' a lot worse if yah find out what all's happened. That's assuming no one kills yah outright."
"People are still pretty mad," Rogue warned. "Hang on a while longer, give 'em time to cool down. Plus your sister's been around. The prof thinks she's focused enough to be safe. You and your dad are the only ones she's looking to hurt. He thinks maybe being out in the world will be good for her. That she'll eventually notice there's more to life than hate. Anybody with eyes can see that day's gonna be a long ways off. Yah probably wanna steer clear of her and that means staying away from here."
Pietro sighed. "I want to see you. I can be there in a minute, no one will notice. Please?"
"Okay, Ah'm calling from the school office," Rogue said.
"Be-there-in-a-minute, love-you," Pietro said hanging up.
A gust of wind announced Pietro's arrival and for a moment Rogue just stared at him.
Hyper was the norm for Pietro but the jittery, nervous edge to his fidgeting was new and Rogue saw several sets of angry looking claw marks on his exposed skin. Hesitantly she reached out to cup his cheek. "What happened?" she asked.
"Told-you, I'm-Sabretooth's-toy," He said bitterly. "I-irritated-him-and-ended-up-getting-rescued. Dad's-ashamed-of-me. So-I-have-to-spar-with-him-till-I-win. The-work-out-room's-too-small, I-get-cornered. Dad-stops-him-if-he-gets-carried-away." Pietro glared at the shallow cuts on his arms. "These-are-just-playing. Dad-hates-that-I-can't-take-care-of-myself. I-hate-being-there. I miss everyone.
Rogue pulled him into a hug, letting her hair be a shield as she fit her head against the curve of his neck. Pietro sighed, a measure of tension going out of him as his arms closed around her.
After a moment he pulled away a little and when Rogue glanced up at him, he leaned down to kiss her.
Rogue shivered at the feel of his lips against hers, at the intoxicating rush of his powers, at the need to be close, to be loved pouring through him.
"We shouldn't," she said, sounding breathless. "This… the professor'll know, and… and… it feels dangerous right now."
"Okay, no touching," Pietro sighed.
Rogue guided him back toward a window seat. "No skin on skin," She said, encouraging him to lay back with his head in her lap. "We'll just sit together."
She ran her fingers through his hair and her gloves were just in the way, a clumsy, annoying barrier and it wasn't like it would hurt, she was just touching his hair. So Rogue stripped them off.
Pietro's hair was like velvet against her skin and she could feel the heat coming off his skin and the way his body relaxed under her ministrations and if occasionally her fingers strayed too close to his scalp and she would feel the first hint of his essence tumbling into hers, her reflexes were now fast enough for her to pull back before any real harm was done.
And those little brushes were fascinating. Rogue knew exactly how much physical contact meant to Pietro, how much he craved it and it wasn't even sexual just now. After weeks of isolation and feeling shut out, pushed away, looked down on by his father, any sort of closeness, affection was a balm to his soul.
Rogue had never been one to touch, even before her powers manifested. It was like Irene had known what Rogue would become, her affection had been real, but rarely expressed physically and Rogue grew up holding herself apart because Irene had raised her to be extremely reserved when it came to touch.
Remembering Pietro's memories of almost constant rough housing with the rest of the Brotherhood, never really thought about at the time but sorely missed now when it was gone, Rogue understood physically expressing affection for the first time. She saw the other side of physical contact as well, because it was easy for Pietro to end up in fights with the Acolytes as well; he was several years younger chronologically and he was irritating. They had no tolerance for the flitting hummingbird speed of his thoughts, words and movements, where the members of the Brotherhood had accepted Pietro being Pietro, they didn't, and when they struck out at him it was meant to hurt, to bruise, to burn, to push him away.
And the pity in Gambit hurt worse in some ways than the brutal impatience the others showed him. Besides Gambit wasn't exactly sane and sure, occasionally there was untainted affection in their interactions, when fire and pitch eyes looked through him and saw someone else.
Maybe her fingers lingered a touch longer than before despite enhanced reflexes, trying to offer desperately needed comfort. And with longer contact came deeper thoughts, things beneath the surface that Pietro tried not to think. He was scare all the time. "Run Mousy." Sabretooth didn't mind refraining from deeper hurts, at the moment. He knew most of the nerves were near the surface and did the man ever wash? Every scratch got infected and they burned, constant reminders of how vulnerable he was. The base's cramped layout meant there was never enough room to put his powers to effective use. Not for long, there were just too many corners to avoid them all. Sabretooth could smell fear and loved it the same way he loved the black hatred Gambit radiated when they were together.
"Run Mousy," because what else could he do? Sabretooth was more the big cat he named himself than a human being and he shrugged off almost every injury like it was nothing. He was always there, and touch wasn't always a good thing because it hurt. And if Pietro relaxed his guard even a little, powerful, clawed hands were closing on him, reminding him he could die before his father bothered to intervene. And if he were too useless would Magneto bother to intervene?
But when touch was good it was magical, everything Rogue had imagined it to be since learning she'd be deny it. Along with the surges of memory Pietro's need for closeness was transmitted to Rogue and translated through her own experiences to become her need for the sort of contact she was denied.
Rogue jerked back with a gasp, suddenly realizing just how long her bare fingers had been resting against the side of Pietro's face.
"What?" he asked his voice dazed.
"Ah… that was too long," Rogue stammered nervously.
Pietro sat up, leaning over her. "We weren't paying attention," he said smiling a little.
"Gawd, we have to be the only couple who can get in more trouble just relaxing together than if we'd been making out," Rogue said shaking her head.
"Does that mean we ought to be making out?" Pietro asked stealing a kiss. Arguing with that just seemed stupid so Rogue didn't.
Because Pietro was right, they did need to pay attention. Be aware, hyper aware of their bodies, of the first stirrings of Rogue's mutant ability so they could break apart, even when that was the last thing desired. They pushed the moment of contact to the edge of safe, ignoring the faint flutter in their stomachs that said they didn't have the first clue as to what safe really was. Less now than ever because they knew Rogue could loose herself as well.
Lips touching against lips, warm, silken, parting slightly, the faintest taste of the other's mouth. Innocent kisses, but forbidden and not exactly safe, like a roller coaster, hearts racing, breath coming faster.
Hands touched bodies, skimming over clothes. Wishing clothes could be removed. Resisting temptation because hands needed somewhere to rest, needed something to do while mouths had to be parted.
Leaning across her felt awkward. He needed a hand braced against the window frame to hold his balance. Catching the thought tumbling into her head, Rogue turned toward him, making it the most natural thing in the world for Pietro to slide one leg over hers. The sudden intimacy of his body over hers surprised both, but her power was quiet again and they could kiss.
And it was a joy to focus completely on the moment at hand, to run the razor's edge between safe and not safe, because there was no room to think about friends betrayed and lost, no room to remember costly victories and well-intentioned lies.
Pietro's hands tilted Rogue's head back, cradling her face as he kissed her deeply, pulling away only when he was near fainting from her power. "We gotta stop," he sighed pulling away. "Tonight I don't want to let go."
Rogue nodded, a little bit shaky herself, her breathing ragged. "It's getting hard not to want to go too far," she admitted. "We really shouldn't do this."
"I wouldn't go that far," Pietro said giving her a quick smile. He stood up, swaying dizzily.
Rogue jumped to her feet to steady him. "Ah better walk yah home," she said.
"No," Pietro cried. "What if Sabretooth sees you? I'll be fine, just give me a minute."
"You're sure?" Rogue asked.
Pietro darted to the door and back. "See I'm fine," he said.
"Okay, do yah want me to call or should we just get together?" Rogue asked.
"Too bad you couldn't just keep my power," Pietro said. "We could meet easy then. You want to go to a movie Friday?"
"Yeah," Rogue said grinning. "That'll be like our first normal date."
"What, being pursued by the cops across three different states doesn't count as a real date, I'm wounded." Pietro said theatrically.
"That's not a date, that's a committed relationship, as in we both ought to be committed," Rogue laughed. "Ah guess it's a good thing we found each other, since Ah can't imagine either of us fittin' with anyone else. I'll see yah Friday."
"Yeah Friday," Pietro said grinning. After Rogue left he slumped against the wall. "I really shouldn't have kissed her that last time," he muttered to himself. "Maybe a little nap before I head back."
At the Institute's gates Rogue forced herself to slow to a walk. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator.
"Out on a date?" a voice tense with anger asked.
Rogue jumped, "Wanda!" she exclaimed, her voice an octave above normal. "What are you doing here?"
"Crashing," Wanda said studying Rogue critically. "Magneto and my snake of a brother have done a thorough job of burying themselves. You haven't seen Pietro recently?"
Rogue swallowed and clamped down even harder on the urge to fidget under Wanda's hostile gaze. She reminded herself it was Pietro not her who found Wanda's simple presence nerve wracking. She told herself the elevator was only taking a half-minute or so to arrive not hours even if it felt that long. She forced herself to stand utterly still because she wasn't Pietro and she didn't really have much practice at limiting herself to human speeds while her body was screaming to be allowed to move naturally. If she moved she just knew she'd give herself away by be too fast.
Finally the elevator arrived and an eternity later it deposited them in the Institute's underground complex. Rogue walked toward her room, forcing herself to make each step take long enough for her to count to fifty before the stride ended. She turned the corner then raced to her room.
Wanda stood outside of the elevator a dark smile on her face as she listened to the impossibly rapid patter of the other girl's footsteps fading in the distance.
Hank walked down the hall quietly knocking on the doors on the left hand side.
Jamie wandered out from his room, "Breakfast?" he asked hopefully.
"First shift," Beast said. "Ororo and Evan are making pancakes. Do try to keep the noise down for everyone taking the second shift."
"Are they ever going to finish fixing the upstairs?" Jamie sighed. "I mean three to room isn't bad as long as no one bumps me and eating in shifts is okay, but we really need another bathroom, the girls take forever."
"Undeniably," Beast sighed. "The construction workers are going as fast as humanly possible."
"Because no matter how much the Professor is paying them they can't wait to get away from here," Kitty said bitterly joining the pair in the hall.
"If it expedites the acquisition of adequate restroom facilities…" Beast suggested cheerfully.
Kitty walked past him to the kitchen. Ororo and Evan were arguing happily about a family recipe. Wanda sat at the table looking disgruntled, a pile of blankets in the corner indicating where she'd spent the night.
"Hey Wanda," Kitty greeted the girl. "Any luck killing your brother?"
"I have a lead," Wanda replied. "But Magneto comes first."
"Well if you need any help with that…" Kitty offered.
"Kitty!" Ororo reprimanded.
"We all know he deserves it," Kitty declared. "If he'd just told us…"
"Pietro's actions were wrong," Ororo said. "However, he could not have known what the consequences would be."
"Right Auntie O," Evan said sarcastically. "He betrayed his closest friends to a head case like Magneto, he didn't mean for anything bad to happen. Betraying friends and teammates is sort of a pattern with Maximoff."
The conversation cut off abruptly at the sound of Fred's heavy footsteps approaching. The large mutant paused in the doorway for a moment glancing around cautiously. As Todd wandered past him Fred caught the younger boy's shoulder and pulled him back into the hall. With a sigh Wanda got up and moved away from the door.
"Hey Fred, Todd," Kitty said.
"Morning Kitty," Fred replied.
"Todd, how did you sleep?" Ororo asked attempting to draw the slight teen into a conversation.
Todd glanced up at the sound of his name. Ororo smiled encouragingly. Todd shrugged taking the seat beside Kitty. She reached out to clasp his shoulder for a moment, winning a brief smile.
Fred took the seat on Todd's other side. "So what are we doing today?" he asked.
"We were planning on starting work on the grounds," Ororo said. "I believe Jamie could use some assistance painting the perimeter wall.
"Out by the road?" Fred said sounding uncertain then he scowled. "Why bother, there'll be new graffiti before the paint dries."
"Alright," Ororo sighed. "How about the two of you help Samuel replanting trees, you'll be further in on the grounds. I do want the two of you to spend the day outside. You are both looking so pale."
"Alright," Fred agreed.
"Can I squeeze in?" Rahne asked Kitty as she joined them for breakfast. Kitty made a place for the younger girl between herself and Todd a moment later a number of other students piled into the kitchen.
Rogue glared at the slim pickings in the closet she, Kitty and Rahne shared. Shopping for anything beyond the necessities hadn't been high on anyone's to do list. "Wouldn't yah know it, mah first official date and Ah really don't have a thing to wear." Rogue wanted to laugh at herself, one little date and she was as bad as Jean.
"Come on girl, just put something on. You can hardly go naked now can yah?"
Wanda grinned as she watched Rogue slip out of her room. "Finally," she murmured to herself following after the Goth-girl.
Rogue grinned a little as she walked past Wolverine's motorcycle. She traced a finger over the handlebars looking at the speedometer. "No," she told herself. "Ah'm going on a date, not looking for trouble."
Pietro was waiting for her outside the theatre. "Hey gorgeous," he said leaning in to kiss her.
Rogue stopped him pressing a hand to his chest. "Not yet," she laughed. "Yah do that now and there's no way Ah'll be able to sit through a two hour movie, Ah don't have your patience."
Pietro chuckled. "That's one thing I never expected to hear," he admitted.
Rogue wrapped an arm around his waist. "Well when we're on equal footing it's the truth sugah. So what are we watching?"
"I'm choosing?" Pietro asked.
"Or we could just go to whatever's starting," Rogue amended.
"I'm buying," Pietro volunteered. "I swiped some cash from Sabretooth on the way out. He'll-blame-Gambit-but-that's-okay. They'd-happily-kill-each-other-over-who-gets-what-seat-at-dinner."
Rogue gave Pietro a disbelieving stare.
"It's true, you don't live with them; they all hate each other. Well, Colossus hates all of us and Dad hates me and Gambit hates Sabretooth and Sabretooth is a big psycho who gets off on hurting people," Pietro insisted.
"You're looking a little less beat up than you were," Rogue said. "Maybe something's getting better."
"I carry knives now," Pietro said quietly. "Even Sabretooth takes a few minutes to get over having his throat slit."
Rogue looked a little shocked but she swallowed and just said. "Yah do what ever ya gotta do."
"Isn't that sweet?" Wanda said her voice saccharine. "Such an understanding girlfriend. I wonder if she'd be so understanding if she could touch anyone else."
Pietro pulled Rogue behind him, superstitiously brushing a hand across her cheek as he did so. "Hi-Wanda-look-I'm-sorry-but-I-couldn't-let-you-kill-Dad."
"So forgiving," Wanda continued poisonously. "Even when you killed her roommate's boyfriend… oh right, Lance was your friend too wasn't he?"
Pietro's mouth dropped open. "No," he protested. "Lance is in Scotland."
Wanda lashed out with a hex bolt. Rogue dodged it easily. Pietro simply stood there. "You're lying," he said as the bolt struck him.
Rogue tried to use the speed Pietro had gifted her with to get close enough to touch Wanda but at the last moment the dark haired girl created a broad-spectrum bolt, hexing half the room to get at Rogue.
Helpless to control her feet Rogue and a large number of objects in the lobby turned and fled the theatre, along with panicked patrons.
Rogue looked over her should as her feet drug her way and saw Pietro, trapped in a phone booth, tossed at the feet of several police officers who'd responded to the disturbance.
As soon as Wanda's hex worn off Rogue turned her feet toward the Institute, but Pietro's powers wore off long before she reached the gates. Still she kept running, pushing herself as fast as she could.
She found Fred and Todd in front of the TV. "Guys, Pietro just got arrested, we've gotta help him."
Fred kept flipping channels. "Why?" He said. "Quicksilver made his choice, let Magneto help him."
"Magneto won't help him," Rogue yelled. "He doesn't give a damn. Yah know the government's still looking for mutant terrorists. They'll lock him up forever just cause he's a mutant and they got an excuse. And yah know Quicksilver'll go nuts in a week… It's Pietro, yah gotta help him."
"No," Fred said.
"Wait." Both Fred and Rogue turned to stare at Todd in shock. The sandy haired boy's voice was ragged from weeks of disuse but his expression was determined. "We're not… he's still Quickie, even if he did… I hate… Can you imagine Pietro in a cage? He'd just die."
"So what do we do?" Fred asked.
"Ah guess we break him out of jail," Rogue said. "Freddy can yah… how strong are yah?"
"I don't know," Fred replied shrugging. "If we needed a wall knocked down Lance always took care of it."
"Okay, I'll get Kitty or Kurt or maybe Scott," Rogue sighed.
"Kitty'd only help if she got to wring his neck afterwards," Fred pointed out sounding like he was in agreement with her sediments.
"Ah wasn't talking about getting their help that way," Rogue replied. "Ah don't think any of them think Pietro's worth bothering with."
"That's the problem with being a traitor ain't it?" Fred said bitterly. "If Todd says we save him, I'm in. It don't mean I forgive him."
"Well spoken," Wanda remarked. "So you're going to save my worthless brother. You'd better hurry, they've already got a military convoy together. They're taking him away tonight."
"Why should we believe yah, it's all your fault," Rogue spat.
"As I told Pryde, Magneto comes first," Wanda said. "Save Pietro if you like. I've sent my message to father."
"Get ready to go," Rogue told Toad and Blob. "I've got to borrow something."