Chapter 4: The Announcement
When Remy and Rogue arrived back downstairs into the dining room of the hotel, everyone looked at them in a concerned way, they'd been gone for some time, and it seemed suspicious to say the least, they were hand in hand, Rogue looking rather pleased with herself, and Remy looking over the moon.
"Where've you guys been?" Logan asked, he was smoking a cigar, smoke billowing from his nostrils.
"We were talking," Rogue admitted, she gripped Remy's hand apprehensively, "right?"
"Yes," Remy said quickly, he looked at her, he had assumed she was just going to come out with the news, but now the way she was looking at him seemed to indicate he'd be wrong, apparently it was his job to announce it to the X-Men. "Well, uhm…we have something to say…"
Kitty looked to Rogue worriedly, and Rogue glanced back, wondering how she could have gone on this long without having realised how Kitty felt for Remy – the fiasco with the naked picture should have told her something. How could she have missed the signs – how could she have totally neglected to notice that her best friend was in love with Remy LeBeau? It seemed to all make sense now why Kitty was defending him whenever Rogue had doubts about the relationship.
Rogue couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. It wasn't as if her best friend had set out to hurt her, or steal Remy out from under her nose, but at the same time, Rogue felt so incredibly hurt. How could Kitty have allowed herself to feel for Remy knowing he belonged to someone else? Then Rogue realised, it wasn't that incredibly different from when she'd had feelings for Scott Summers while he was going out with Jean Grey.
A strange churning sensation in her stomach arose, she looked at Remy, "tell them…" she murmured.
"Well, uhm…" Remy gripped Rogue's hand, he seemed as nervous as she was, "we're engaged."
"Engaged?" the cigar dropped from Wolverine's mouth. Heads turned, Professor Xavier put a hand to his mouth, Jean gaped, Scott's jaw dropped, Kurt's left eyebrow raised.
Kitty smiled a little, as if she'd known they would be, Rogue felt strangely relieved that she wasn't bitter about it.
But Jared obviously was bitter, the look on his face was more of disgust, and heartache, than anything else.
"Engaged…" Professor Xavier seemed to echo Logan's shock, "when did this come about?"
"Just…now…" Remy replied, Rogue nudged him with her elbow, he straightened, "Last night, I mean, last night," he changed his answer.
Jared threw a strange look at Rogue, she tried to ignore it.
"Of course this doesn't change too much," Rogue explained, "I'm still gonna finish school, me and Remy won't get married until we're way older," she explained.
"Engaged though? Isn't that a kind of big step to take at age seventeen?" Logan raised a bushy eyebrow.
"Not really," Remy shrugged, "I've been betrothed since I was even younger than Rogue was," he explained.
Rogue looked to Logan, "don't worry, Logan, we're going about this maturely."
"Congratulations," Kitty said loudly, breaking the silence of shock that had formed around the table, she rushed to her feet over to Rogue and Remy, scooping them both up in a hug together, "I'm really happy for you both," she grinned.
Rogue put her hand on Kitty's back slightly, how could Kitty be happy? How could she after Rogue was stealing away the man she was in love with?
Kitty moved back, grin still broad, "can't say I didn't expect it happening," she admitted, "wow, engaged huh, big commitment," she admitted cheerily, Rogue tried to see through her, see if she was putting on a brave face, but Rogue could see nothing but genuine happiness. She felt so bad for Kitty, she'd lost the head with the girl and Kitty didn't have a bad bone in her body. "Did the Cajun smuck give you a ring?" Kitty teased.
Rogue took her glove off carefully, to reveal the emerald and diamond ring set upon the third finger of her left hand, "there," she showed.
"Oh my GOD, that is like, gorgeous," Kitty gushed.
"Looks expensive," Logan commented, he got up, taking a hold of Rogue's wrist to examine it.
"I won't divulge the price," Remy stated, "it's bad luck to have a woman know how much her engagement ring cost, you know," he smirked a little, he put his arm around Rogue's shoulders.
Rogue smiled slightly, and blushed, chewing her lip.
"I wouldn't have been surprised if he got you a ring out of one of those Iron claw machines from an Arcade," Logan mused.
"Sssh, that's where I did get it," Remy pretended to whisper, knowing Rogue could hear, he smirked.
Rogue nudged him, she turned to see what dirty looks Jared might be throwing her and Remy now, but he was gone from the table, and he was nowhere in sight.
"Can I steal her for a moment?" Kitty asked of Remy.
"Bring her back in once piece, that's all I ask," Remy smirked.
Kitty took a hold of Rogue's arm, leading her out into the hallway where they had talked. "I'm really happy for you," Kitty assured, her blue eyes right at Rogue's green.
Rogue looked at Kitty worriedly, "How…long…have you…y'know, known you loved him?" she asked quietly.
Kitty sat on the floor of the hallway folded legged, hands in her lap, "the night you almost died," she said, "I was fighting with him, and I guess I knew right then…" she shrugged, "and then he hugged me in the hallway, and then in the hospital wing I took his hand and he didn't pull it away, and I knew then…but I was so glad to have you back with us I told myself I'd never make any advance towards him even if you guys were broken up – and I didn't."
Rogue rubbed her head, "its still so…I feel so…"
"Betrayed?" Kitty pulled herself up slowly.
"Yes."
"I guess that's only natural," she shrugged, "but believe me, no matter how cool Remy is I have absolutely no plans whatsoever to steal your man…and I'm glad you guys are engaged…"
Rogue hugged her, "god You had me worried."
"Don't be," Kitty pushed her back smirking, "you can have Remy, just leave me the naked picture of him to drool over for the rest of eternity."
"Jared disappeared," Rogue said suddenly, she realised she should have been worried about what he was up to now, "he looked angry."
"Oh great, Rogue you need to get to Remy and tell him before Jared does – Jared would do anything to break you guys up…"
"I can't tell Remy…not after having just proposed to him…he'll think that I only proposed so he felt obligated to stay with me after telling him…" Rogue pointed out. "I just can't tell him…"
"Tell who?"
Rogue turned, Remy was walking down the hall.
"Tell you that Kitty has a naked picture of you under her pillow," Rogue blurted out, it was the first thing that came to her head.
Kitty blushed, "uhm…no I don't," she lied.
"That isn't me," Remy said, "it's my head but a gay porn model's body," he said, he put his arm around Rogue.
"You're kidding…" Kitty looked a little disappointed, but then shrugged, "oh well, I should have known you didn't have a cock that long," she folded her arms with a smirk.
"According to Remy he could put that porn model to shame…" Rogue giggled.
"Really?" Kitty gave Remy a look up and down, "I doubt he can prove it. I'll see you guys later," Kitty walked by and nudged Rogue playfully, then headed back into the dining room.
"So…what were you two discussing, ma Cherie?" Remy queried.
"Nothing," Rogue turned towards Remy, "she was just congratulating me on the engagement."
"Ohhh," Remy nodded understanding, but then seemed to realise something, "so why the seriousness, I heard you say 'I just can't tell him', now I'm assuming 'him' is me, and I wonder what it is you just can't tell me."
Rogue looked at him desperately, "it's nothing."
"Oh come on…"
"Remy, it's nothing…" Rogue assured.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, "Whatever it is, you can tell me no matter how silly or little it may seem…we're gonna be married some day, we should be honest with each other, right?"
"Absolutely," Rogue smiled nervously.
"So…what couldn't you tell me?" he asked.
Rogue placed both hands on his chest, resting them there, "that, uhm…"
"Oui?" he asked.
Rogue looked to the floor, "that…" she needed an answer, and the only convenient answer was the one she blurted out a moment later.
"What?"
"Kitty is in love with you."
"O' course she is, who wouldn't be?" he joked.
"No…she's in LOVE with you…" Rogue said, "as in…seriously IN LOVE," she stated.
Remy looked at her, his arms dropping from around her slowly, "Are…you taking the piss?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"Are you just joking or something? Just to see how I'd react?"
"No," Rogue hugged herself, "Kitty's madly in love with you, she told me so."
"This has to be some joke…I mean Kitty…and me?"
"Trust me, it's not a joke," Rogue sighed, "She's felt that way since the night I almost died…" she said softly.
Remy paced away for a moment, his back turned, "wow…"
"Are you shocked?"
"Yes," Remy said, "I mean, jesus, isn't a woman on earth I probably couldn't make love me, but the last person I would want to love me would be Kitty…" he admitted. "I mean…jesus, she's a very good friend…"
"I know," Rogue nodded.
"How did you react at first when she told you?" Remy asked, he felt suddenly very anxious, and wished he hadn't chosen that day to give up smoking.
"I was a bit annoyed at first, but I've calmed down, she can't help it anymore than I can," Rogue shrugged, "and she has no plans to split us up."
Remy drew his breath, "wow…I never would have expected it."
"Me neither," Rogue shrugged, "just goes to show you that you never can tell who's in love with someone else until they say it," she shrugged.
Something about her words struck Remy as very odd, somehow, he knew she wasn't talking about Kitty anymore, it was…someone else.