A general disclaimer: the X-Men belong to Marvel, X-Men Evolution belongs to...whoever owns it...in any case, I don't own anyone mentioned within this text.
Author's note: Break it down...I'm not exactly sure the time in which my events take place, it may jump around from season to season, unintentionally, please don't hurt me on that account. I should state now that Rogue/Gambit is my OTP, but that doesn't mean I can't do Rogue/Scott (although I'm not a huge fan). Something I'm even a less of a fan of is Scott/Jean, but that could be popping up in here, too. Someone pointed out to me that in terms of Evolution, Rogue/Scott *is* canon...
Well, whichever, hope you enjoy. If you don't, feel free to flame me. I'll probably deserve it.
NeoVenus22
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Whatever Happens, Happens
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Chapter Three: What Scott Did
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Scott and Rogue were walking around the mansion grounds, dusk settling over them gently. "This place is so huge," Rogue marveled softly, and Scott raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Rogue hadn't lived here as long as some of the others, himself included, and he imagined that a lot of aspects of the Institute were still quite new to her. It was sort of endearing.
They hadn't really said much in the fifteen minutes since they'd walked through the front doors. Scott didn't mind the silence much. He knew that Rogue wasn't a big talker, and she probably wasn't that comfortable with him yet. Then again, they'd had quite the conversation that afternoon. He'd said stuff to her that he'd never said to anyone, not even the Professor. So maybe the silence was just one of those comfortable silences between friends.
Scott knew he felt comfortable around Rogue. He always had. She'd been with the Brotherhood for awhile, yeah, but she never really seemed like she was *with* them. Even when they'd been on opposite sides, though, she'd chatted almost amicably with Scott.
He liked Rogue. He didn't understand why more people didn't. Sure, the copious amounts of makeup and the gloves...but underneath her angry glares, she was a nice girl. She was smart, and funny, and thoughtful, only no one ever got close enough to really realize that. Nor did she ever let anyone get close enough. She was just scared.
Of course, why shouldn't she be?
"Rogue," he said, "about this afternoon...you know, Jean..."
"Listen, Scott, if ya wanna defend her, that's all well an' good for ya, but Ah don't wanna hear it. An' if ya brought me out here specifically to defend her, then Ah'm leavin'."
"No, no, I wasn't going to defend her," he assured her hastily. "I'm on your side, really. What she did was low."
Rogue stopped in her tracks and looked at him. "You're on mah side?" she said dubiously. "Ya think Jean was wrong?"
"Well...yeah."
For the briefest moment, it happened so fast Scott wasn't sure it had happened at all, but she smiled. "Thanks for that, Scott."
He smiled back at her, lost for words. Talking with Rogue was always a surprise. It was like she kept showing different sides of her personality to you, if you waited long enough.
They started walking again, through a small group of trees and into a clearing on a rise that allowed them an obscured view of the mansion, but guaranteed that no one would overhear them. They sat down on the ground, Rogue leaning against a tree and crossing her legs in front of her, while Scott assumed an Indian-style position. He wondered why he'd brought her out here, to this secluded spot, but really, it was no question. He liked talking with rogue. He liked how she truly seemed to understand him, especially things that he hadn't understood about himself. It was like they were kindred spirits.
"Are ya ever afraid?" she asked softly, gazing off into the distance.
"Of what?" he asked.
"Ah dunno. Of everythin', Ah guess. Afraid that we'll be discovered. Afraid that maybe the Professor's dream is just too hard, too impossible." She sighed. "Afraid that you're gonna end up hurtin' someone that ya care about."
"All the time," he said. "I spend almost every waking minute worrying that I'm going to be in a situation where I can't control my powers. I worry that that moment might come when I'm at school, or out at the mall, or the movies, or somewhere hugely public where not only does someone get hurt, but I end up exposing us all. I worry that when we're in the field, I'm going to lead the team into a bad situation, one that we can't get ourselves out of."
"Ah bet it's hard, bein' the leader an' everythin'," she said, now studying her black boots. "Ya don't just have yourself ta worry about." She looked up sharply. "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm probably just makin' ya feel worse, ain't Ah."
Her words weren't the most comforting, admittedly, but he shook his head. "No, it's okay."
She stared at him for a second, probingly, then laughed humorlessly. "It's hard ta read ya sometimes, Summers. Those shades give nothin' away."
"The permanent poker face," he retorted playfully, and grinned when he got a laugh out of her.
"Enough about me," Scott said, leaning forward eagerly. "What about you, Rogue? You're probably one of the most powerful mutants on Earth."
Rogue's eyes widened. "Ah doubt that."
"Oh, come on. Everyone else's power is your power. That's pretty intense."
"It's not all fun an' games," she insisted
"But you have better control over your powers than the rest of us," Scott said. "I mean, when you absorbed me...you *chose* when you used my powers. You could turn them on and off. I can't do that." He really envied her that.
"Yeah, well, Ah can't turn mah own power on an' off, satisfied?" she said bitterly, and turned away from him once more. "Ah barely know what it's like ta be touched by someone else, an' Ah'm never gonna know what it's like ta kiss someone. What kinda life is that?"
"What kind of life is it where you never get to see the real color of someone's eyes?" he countered irritably, suddenly fueled into anger. "Even your own." He wasn't mad at her, though he was taking it out on her. More like, he was mad at himself for being unable to control it. Mad at the Professor for being unable to cure it. Mad at God for giving it to him. "We're all miserable about our the lives we've been given, Rogue, but you're the only one acting like a martyr."
Rogue looked horrified, but that was soon replaced by flames burning in her eyes. "So that's how ya really see me?" she said, the anger in her voice just barely covering up the hurt. "That Ah go around, actin' like a martyr? Well *excuse* me, Summers. Ah look the way Ah do an' Ah act the way Ah do ta keep people away from me. For their own safety. Ah'm sorry if that's not *good* enough for ya." She stood up and started to stalk off.
Immediately Scott felt remorseful, and he chased after her. "Rogue. Rogue, wait. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it."
She kept moving forward, refusing to acknowledge that he was even speaking to her. Scott sighed. "Please, Rogue, just talk to me, okay? I'm really sorry, really I am. I was just angry. Not at you. Don't shut me out, would you? You mean a lot to me, a lot. You're the only one that took the time to try and understand me," he said plaintively, and he knew he was telling the truth. "I love that, Rogue. I need that. And I was hoping I was doing the same sort of thing for you."
Rogue finally stopped, just at the edge of the wooded area, but she only gazed out resolutely at the mansion below her. "Ya were," she admitted. "Ah like talkin' ta ya, Scott. Ya listen an' ya understand. Ah can talk ta Kitty, ya know, but Ah never do, 'cause Ah know no matter how hard she tries, she's just never gonna understand. But you..." She turned around and half-smiled at him, a sad yet hopeful look brimming in her eyes. "Ya get me, Scott Summers."
Scott felt such a connection to her right then, unlike anything he'd ever felt with anyone. Even connected psychically with Jean, he didn't feel so...known. Rogue *knew* him. He didn't ever want to lose this feeling.
They were staring at each other for awhile, before whatever had been in Rogue's eyes seemed to dim, and he realized he'd yet to reply to her. "I'm supposed to say something here, aren't I," he said, and punctuated it with a nervous laugh, and a nervous hand-through-hair gesture.
"Ya could, Ah guess, but Ah think we've said all that can be said," Rogue said.
They stood there for awhile, not talking, not moving, glancing at each other only sporadically. Scott wanted to ask her things, wanted to start up some sort of conversation, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it. "Scott?" Rogue asked suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"This is gonna sound...well, it sounds kinda like somethin' Kitty would say, but Ah mean it...promise me we'll always be friends, okay?"
Scott wanted to smile at her, wanted to give her his assurances that they *would* always be friends. But he couldn't. It wasn't that he didn't want to be, it wasn't that he thought they couldn't be. It was just that the way she said it, seemed like she doubted their relationship, like she thought it would only last for this day.
Scott had been entirely serious when he'd said Rogue meant a lot to him. Not just because she understood what he was going through, but because of the kind of person she was, the way she made him feel. He hated the fact that she seemed to think that he would just drop her again tomorrow morning, go back into that "hey, how're you doing, want some toast" sort of relationship they'd had previously. When Rogue had suggested this afternoon that they share the cookies in the library and have a chat, he'd agreed instantly. It wasn't because Jean wasn't there, it wasn't because he had nothing else to do, but it was because he honestly liked Rogue. She was complex, intriguing, even fun.
'Of course we'll always be friends.' She was staring at him expectantly, wanting to hear those words, but he wanted to give her something more. Something that was proof positive that he really believed they'd remain close, something that wasn't an empty promise.
Scott knew the consequences. He knew what would happen to him. He knew she'd probably even be mad. He didn't really care.
"I promise," he said, and he kissed her.
Author's note: Break it down...I'm not exactly sure the time in which my events take place, it may jump around from season to season, unintentionally, please don't hurt me on that account. I should state now that Rogue/Gambit is my OTP, but that doesn't mean I can't do Rogue/Scott (although I'm not a huge fan). Something I'm even a less of a fan of is Scott/Jean, but that could be popping up in here, too. Someone pointed out to me that in terms of Evolution, Rogue/Scott *is* canon...
Well, whichever, hope you enjoy. If you don't, feel free to flame me. I'll probably deserve it.
NeoVenus22
*** *** ***
Whatever Happens, Happens
*** *** ***
Chapter Three: What Scott Did
*** *** ***
Scott and Rogue were walking around the mansion grounds, dusk settling over them gently. "This place is so huge," Rogue marveled softly, and Scott raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Rogue hadn't lived here as long as some of the others, himself included, and he imagined that a lot of aspects of the Institute were still quite new to her. It was sort of endearing.
They hadn't really said much in the fifteen minutes since they'd walked through the front doors. Scott didn't mind the silence much. He knew that Rogue wasn't a big talker, and she probably wasn't that comfortable with him yet. Then again, they'd had quite the conversation that afternoon. He'd said stuff to her that he'd never said to anyone, not even the Professor. So maybe the silence was just one of those comfortable silences between friends.
Scott knew he felt comfortable around Rogue. He always had. She'd been with the Brotherhood for awhile, yeah, but she never really seemed like she was *with* them. Even when they'd been on opposite sides, though, she'd chatted almost amicably with Scott.
He liked Rogue. He didn't understand why more people didn't. Sure, the copious amounts of makeup and the gloves...but underneath her angry glares, she was a nice girl. She was smart, and funny, and thoughtful, only no one ever got close enough to really realize that. Nor did she ever let anyone get close enough. She was just scared.
Of course, why shouldn't she be?
"Rogue," he said, "about this afternoon...you know, Jean..."
"Listen, Scott, if ya wanna defend her, that's all well an' good for ya, but Ah don't wanna hear it. An' if ya brought me out here specifically to defend her, then Ah'm leavin'."
"No, no, I wasn't going to defend her," he assured her hastily. "I'm on your side, really. What she did was low."
Rogue stopped in her tracks and looked at him. "You're on mah side?" she said dubiously. "Ya think Jean was wrong?"
"Well...yeah."
For the briefest moment, it happened so fast Scott wasn't sure it had happened at all, but she smiled. "Thanks for that, Scott."
He smiled back at her, lost for words. Talking with Rogue was always a surprise. It was like she kept showing different sides of her personality to you, if you waited long enough.
They started walking again, through a small group of trees and into a clearing on a rise that allowed them an obscured view of the mansion, but guaranteed that no one would overhear them. They sat down on the ground, Rogue leaning against a tree and crossing her legs in front of her, while Scott assumed an Indian-style position. He wondered why he'd brought her out here, to this secluded spot, but really, it was no question. He liked talking with rogue. He liked how she truly seemed to understand him, especially things that he hadn't understood about himself. It was like they were kindred spirits.
"Are ya ever afraid?" she asked softly, gazing off into the distance.
"Of what?" he asked.
"Ah dunno. Of everythin', Ah guess. Afraid that we'll be discovered. Afraid that maybe the Professor's dream is just too hard, too impossible." She sighed. "Afraid that you're gonna end up hurtin' someone that ya care about."
"All the time," he said. "I spend almost every waking minute worrying that I'm going to be in a situation where I can't control my powers. I worry that that moment might come when I'm at school, or out at the mall, or the movies, or somewhere hugely public where not only does someone get hurt, but I end up exposing us all. I worry that when we're in the field, I'm going to lead the team into a bad situation, one that we can't get ourselves out of."
"Ah bet it's hard, bein' the leader an' everythin'," she said, now studying her black boots. "Ya don't just have yourself ta worry about." She looked up sharply. "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm probably just makin' ya feel worse, ain't Ah."
Her words weren't the most comforting, admittedly, but he shook his head. "No, it's okay."
She stared at him for a second, probingly, then laughed humorlessly. "It's hard ta read ya sometimes, Summers. Those shades give nothin' away."
"The permanent poker face," he retorted playfully, and grinned when he got a laugh out of her.
"Enough about me," Scott said, leaning forward eagerly. "What about you, Rogue? You're probably one of the most powerful mutants on Earth."
Rogue's eyes widened. "Ah doubt that."
"Oh, come on. Everyone else's power is your power. That's pretty intense."
"It's not all fun an' games," she insisted
"But you have better control over your powers than the rest of us," Scott said. "I mean, when you absorbed me...you *chose* when you used my powers. You could turn them on and off. I can't do that." He really envied her that.
"Yeah, well, Ah can't turn mah own power on an' off, satisfied?" she said bitterly, and turned away from him once more. "Ah barely know what it's like ta be touched by someone else, an' Ah'm never gonna know what it's like ta kiss someone. What kinda life is that?"
"What kind of life is it where you never get to see the real color of someone's eyes?" he countered irritably, suddenly fueled into anger. "Even your own." He wasn't mad at her, though he was taking it out on her. More like, he was mad at himself for being unable to control it. Mad at the Professor for being unable to cure it. Mad at God for giving it to him. "We're all miserable about our the lives we've been given, Rogue, but you're the only one acting like a martyr."
Rogue looked horrified, but that was soon replaced by flames burning in her eyes. "So that's how ya really see me?" she said, the anger in her voice just barely covering up the hurt. "That Ah go around, actin' like a martyr? Well *excuse* me, Summers. Ah look the way Ah do an' Ah act the way Ah do ta keep people away from me. For their own safety. Ah'm sorry if that's not *good* enough for ya." She stood up and started to stalk off.
Immediately Scott felt remorseful, and he chased after her. "Rogue. Rogue, wait. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it."
She kept moving forward, refusing to acknowledge that he was even speaking to her. Scott sighed. "Please, Rogue, just talk to me, okay? I'm really sorry, really I am. I was just angry. Not at you. Don't shut me out, would you? You mean a lot to me, a lot. You're the only one that took the time to try and understand me," he said plaintively, and he knew he was telling the truth. "I love that, Rogue. I need that. And I was hoping I was doing the same sort of thing for you."
Rogue finally stopped, just at the edge of the wooded area, but she only gazed out resolutely at the mansion below her. "Ya were," she admitted. "Ah like talkin' ta ya, Scott. Ya listen an' ya understand. Ah can talk ta Kitty, ya know, but Ah never do, 'cause Ah know no matter how hard she tries, she's just never gonna understand. But you..." She turned around and half-smiled at him, a sad yet hopeful look brimming in her eyes. "Ya get me, Scott Summers."
Scott felt such a connection to her right then, unlike anything he'd ever felt with anyone. Even connected psychically with Jean, he didn't feel so...known. Rogue *knew* him. He didn't ever want to lose this feeling.
They were staring at each other for awhile, before whatever had been in Rogue's eyes seemed to dim, and he realized he'd yet to reply to her. "I'm supposed to say something here, aren't I," he said, and punctuated it with a nervous laugh, and a nervous hand-through-hair gesture.
"Ya could, Ah guess, but Ah think we've said all that can be said," Rogue said.
They stood there for awhile, not talking, not moving, glancing at each other only sporadically. Scott wanted to ask her things, wanted to start up some sort of conversation, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it. "Scott?" Rogue asked suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"This is gonna sound...well, it sounds kinda like somethin' Kitty would say, but Ah mean it...promise me we'll always be friends, okay?"
Scott wanted to smile at her, wanted to give her his assurances that they *would* always be friends. But he couldn't. It wasn't that he didn't want to be, it wasn't that he thought they couldn't be. It was just that the way she said it, seemed like she doubted their relationship, like she thought it would only last for this day.
Scott had been entirely serious when he'd said Rogue meant a lot to him. Not just because she understood what he was going through, but because of the kind of person she was, the way she made him feel. He hated the fact that she seemed to think that he would just drop her again tomorrow morning, go back into that "hey, how're you doing, want some toast" sort of relationship they'd had previously. When Rogue had suggested this afternoon that they share the cookies in the library and have a chat, he'd agreed instantly. It wasn't because Jean wasn't there, it wasn't because he had nothing else to do, but it was because he honestly liked Rogue. She was complex, intriguing, even fun.
'Of course we'll always be friends.' She was staring at him expectantly, wanting to hear those words, but he wanted to give her something more. Something that was proof positive that he really believed they'd remain close, something that wasn't an empty promise.
Scott knew the consequences. He knew what would happen to him. He knew she'd probably even be mad. He didn't really care.
"I promise," he said, and he kissed her.