Disclaimer: I don't own, don't sue.
A/N: I'm going strictly by the movie here, so if my backgrounds don't match up with the comic or the show backgrounds, please forgive. With the movieverse versions, I was given a lot more freedom, so I went with that.
***
When I said we were screwed, was I ever right. Not too long after Scott had left the four of us in charge (and naturally, Jubilee appointed herself as part of our justice team, too), the Professor and Dr. Grey took off in the handicap-accessible Rolls Royce. For what, they didn't say.
The kids were better behaved than I would have expected. It was the ones who were supposed to be in charge that were acting like idiots. Jubes and John got into a fight with the sink hoses, and ended up drenching half the kitchen. Piotr was hold an arm wrestling contest in the common room, taking on anyone who challenged him (which was everyone). Even no powers, he was kicking total butt.
Kitty and I were the only ones with any sense of responsibility, but Kitty was mostly still in a funk from that morning's events. She was worried that Cyclops and Storm were going to find Logan and Rogue and bring them back. I wasn't sure exactly sure how to comfort her, seeing as how I knew that the X-Men would come to the rescue, like always. And I was *hoping* that they would bring Rogue back.
But when the team returned, they only had Logan in tow. Dr. Grey and the Professor came by not much later, and immediately they went to Cerebro. Only, the Professor came back out in a coma. Someone had gotten into the mansion and altered the configuration of Cerebro so that it used the Professor's powers against him.
They wouldn't tell us what was going on. I only found out about the Professor through some not-very-responsible lounging around the planning room. Dr. Grey was so distraught, she didn't put up any kind of psychic scan to check and see if anyone was listening. Even so, I had to hightail it out of there before I could find out what had happened to Rogue, why the team had only managed to bring back Logan.
From what I'd gathered, they were going out again. I didn't need to listen in to determine that the X-Men wouldn't leave Rogue behind.
We never got the instruction from Cyclops that we were being left in charge; we could only assume that that was still the case.
I had taken to my room. I figured Kitty and the others could uphold the peace. I was worrying about Rogue for only the millionth time that day. I was the reigning queen of lame, lame, lame. Before long, though, Kitty had phased her head through the wall. "Hey, Bobby."
"You could knock, or something," I said.
"Sorry. Can I come in?"
I put down magazine that I'd been not reading, but staring at, and sat up. "Yeah, sure."
She phased the rest of the way through the door, walked around my and Piotr's stuff, and took up post at the window. "The jet's going up," she said, and I stood behind her to watch. The Blackbird, a.k.a. the X-Jet, rose from the parted basketball court and was a silhouette against the night sky before the shields came on fully, and it was merely a hint of a line, something that you would pass off completely.
As the jet disappeared into the sky, from cloaking and from distance alike, Kitty took advantage of our close proximity and leaned backwards against me. Without thinking, I put my arms around her waist. Kitty was my friend, the person I'd known the longest in my duration at the mansion (excluding the teachers). I knew she was scared, probably still hurting, and while I was feeling my own kind of pain, I had to be the bigger man, be there for her when she needed me.
We stood in silence for awhile, watching the night. Finally Kitty said, "Bobby, do you like me?"
Talk about your loaded questions. "Of course I do, Kit," I said automatically.
"No...I mean...do you *like* me."
I had known that was what she had meant, and was hoping that feigning ignorance would be a suitable cop-out, but I was wrong. Not that I felt bad about being wrong, because it was unfair to do that to Kitty. "Kit, I--"
"I mean...well, it's *complicated*, you know? Jubes or John have probably told you by now that I like you. Like that."
"Yeah, they both have," I admitted softly.
"And today at lunch...and Piotr just asked me out like that, and..." She sighed, and untangled herself from me so she could look me in the eye. "Bobby, if you don't, you know...that's okay. If you like, you know...*her*."
"Who, Rogue?" Apparently I was the guy with my heart on my sleeve.
"Yeah."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.
Kitty ran a hand through her hair, staring at her shoes. This was just as awkward for her as it was for me, I realized painfully. "If you like Rogue, that's fine," she said. "Really. I mean, you and me, we're friends first, you know? And Piotr's a good guy, he's really sweet. So it's cool."
"I don't want to hurt you, Kit," I told her honestly, feeling unbelievably guilty. "But I just never thought of you as anything more than a friend. I'm sorry."
"No, really, it's okay," she said with a smile that was more brave than anything else.
The door opened then, and Piotr hulked into the room. He looked from me to Kitty and back again. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.
"No," Kitty said quickly. "Bobby and I were just talking."
"Okay. I'm tired, I want a nap. Bobby, could you take over for me?"
"You mean, arm-wrestle small children?" I said.
Piotr's lips curled in a small smile. "If you want."
"Yeah, okay."
Kitty and I left the room, and strolled down the hall at a leisurely pace. "So...do you?" Kitty asked.
"Do I what?"
"Like her. Rogue."
"I've only known her a day, Kit."
"You just seem...I don't know, different. Yesterday you were really cheerful, but really jumpy, and now you're all quiet. Ever since she left."
I didn't say anything; didn't know quite what to say.
"These things happen, you know, you can like someone a *lot*, just when you meet them."
"Mhmm," I mumbled.
"I mean, that's how I felt about you," she added quietly, and I felt a bit clammy at that. Was this how it was going to be from now on? She had finally admitted that she had a crush on me, so that's what we would talk about? "So, I understand. And it's okay, she's kind of cool. I mean, I know, I said all that mean stuff about her, and I'm really sorry about that, I really am. I was just...I *am*...scared. You know? But I walk through walls, so I guess I can't really talk, who knows, maybe *she* finds *us* scary. But listen, it's all okay, I guess, you were absolutely right, the teachers will take care of everything. I mean, it's what they *do*, right? So she'll be okay, and we'll be okay."
"Will *we* be okay?" I asked. "You and me."
She smiled, and this one seemed fully sincere. "Yeah, I think we will."
"Cool," I said.
"You think everything's cool, Iceman," she cracked, and we both laughed.
And for a moment, everything was back to normal.
A/N: I'm going strictly by the movie here, so if my backgrounds don't match up with the comic or the show backgrounds, please forgive. With the movieverse versions, I was given a lot more freedom, so I went with that.
***
When I said we were screwed, was I ever right. Not too long after Scott had left the four of us in charge (and naturally, Jubilee appointed herself as part of our justice team, too), the Professor and Dr. Grey took off in the handicap-accessible Rolls Royce. For what, they didn't say.
The kids were better behaved than I would have expected. It was the ones who were supposed to be in charge that were acting like idiots. Jubes and John got into a fight with the sink hoses, and ended up drenching half the kitchen. Piotr was hold an arm wrestling contest in the common room, taking on anyone who challenged him (which was everyone). Even no powers, he was kicking total butt.
Kitty and I were the only ones with any sense of responsibility, but Kitty was mostly still in a funk from that morning's events. She was worried that Cyclops and Storm were going to find Logan and Rogue and bring them back. I wasn't sure exactly sure how to comfort her, seeing as how I knew that the X-Men would come to the rescue, like always. And I was *hoping* that they would bring Rogue back.
But when the team returned, they only had Logan in tow. Dr. Grey and the Professor came by not much later, and immediately they went to Cerebro. Only, the Professor came back out in a coma. Someone had gotten into the mansion and altered the configuration of Cerebro so that it used the Professor's powers against him.
They wouldn't tell us what was going on. I only found out about the Professor through some not-very-responsible lounging around the planning room. Dr. Grey was so distraught, she didn't put up any kind of psychic scan to check and see if anyone was listening. Even so, I had to hightail it out of there before I could find out what had happened to Rogue, why the team had only managed to bring back Logan.
From what I'd gathered, they were going out again. I didn't need to listen in to determine that the X-Men wouldn't leave Rogue behind.
We never got the instruction from Cyclops that we were being left in charge; we could only assume that that was still the case.
I had taken to my room. I figured Kitty and the others could uphold the peace. I was worrying about Rogue for only the millionth time that day. I was the reigning queen of lame, lame, lame. Before long, though, Kitty had phased her head through the wall. "Hey, Bobby."
"You could knock, or something," I said.
"Sorry. Can I come in?"
I put down magazine that I'd been not reading, but staring at, and sat up. "Yeah, sure."
She phased the rest of the way through the door, walked around my and Piotr's stuff, and took up post at the window. "The jet's going up," she said, and I stood behind her to watch. The Blackbird, a.k.a. the X-Jet, rose from the parted basketball court and was a silhouette against the night sky before the shields came on fully, and it was merely a hint of a line, something that you would pass off completely.
As the jet disappeared into the sky, from cloaking and from distance alike, Kitty took advantage of our close proximity and leaned backwards against me. Without thinking, I put my arms around her waist. Kitty was my friend, the person I'd known the longest in my duration at the mansion (excluding the teachers). I knew she was scared, probably still hurting, and while I was feeling my own kind of pain, I had to be the bigger man, be there for her when she needed me.
We stood in silence for awhile, watching the night. Finally Kitty said, "Bobby, do you like me?"
Talk about your loaded questions. "Of course I do, Kit," I said automatically.
"No...I mean...do you *like* me."
I had known that was what she had meant, and was hoping that feigning ignorance would be a suitable cop-out, but I was wrong. Not that I felt bad about being wrong, because it was unfair to do that to Kitty. "Kit, I--"
"I mean...well, it's *complicated*, you know? Jubes or John have probably told you by now that I like you. Like that."
"Yeah, they both have," I admitted softly.
"And today at lunch...and Piotr just asked me out like that, and..." She sighed, and untangled herself from me so she could look me in the eye. "Bobby, if you don't, you know...that's okay. If you like, you know...*her*."
"Who, Rogue?" Apparently I was the guy with my heart on my sleeve.
"Yeah."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.
Kitty ran a hand through her hair, staring at her shoes. This was just as awkward for her as it was for me, I realized painfully. "If you like Rogue, that's fine," she said. "Really. I mean, you and me, we're friends first, you know? And Piotr's a good guy, he's really sweet. So it's cool."
"I don't want to hurt you, Kit," I told her honestly, feeling unbelievably guilty. "But I just never thought of you as anything more than a friend. I'm sorry."
"No, really, it's okay," she said with a smile that was more brave than anything else.
The door opened then, and Piotr hulked into the room. He looked from me to Kitty and back again. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.
"No," Kitty said quickly. "Bobby and I were just talking."
"Okay. I'm tired, I want a nap. Bobby, could you take over for me?"
"You mean, arm-wrestle small children?" I said.
Piotr's lips curled in a small smile. "If you want."
"Yeah, okay."
Kitty and I left the room, and strolled down the hall at a leisurely pace. "So...do you?" Kitty asked.
"Do I what?"
"Like her. Rogue."
"I've only known her a day, Kit."
"You just seem...I don't know, different. Yesterday you were really cheerful, but really jumpy, and now you're all quiet. Ever since she left."
I didn't say anything; didn't know quite what to say.
"These things happen, you know, you can like someone a *lot*, just when you meet them."
"Mhmm," I mumbled.
"I mean, that's how I felt about you," she added quietly, and I felt a bit clammy at that. Was this how it was going to be from now on? She had finally admitted that she had a crush on me, so that's what we would talk about? "So, I understand. And it's okay, she's kind of cool. I mean, I know, I said all that mean stuff about her, and I'm really sorry about that, I really am. I was just...I *am*...scared. You know? But I walk through walls, so I guess I can't really talk, who knows, maybe *she* finds *us* scary. But listen, it's all okay, I guess, you were absolutely right, the teachers will take care of everything. I mean, it's what they *do*, right? So she'll be okay, and we'll be okay."
"Will *we* be okay?" I asked. "You and me."
She smiled, and this one seemed fully sincere. "Yeah, I think we will."
"Cool," I said.
"You think everything's cool, Iceman," she cracked, and we both laughed.
And for a moment, everything was back to normal.