Chapter 4: First Rule Between Friends
Kitty Pryde sauntered into Remy LeBeau's bedroom, holding a tray of breakfast cereal, some toast and a glass or orange juice, surprised to see him up so early, "Hey, sunshine," she smirked, "you look exhausted, rough night?"
"You can't even imagine," Remy tried to sit up a little, pain showing on his handsome face.
Kitty put the tray down on the cabinet beside his bed, "here, let me help," she offered, she put her hands under one of his arms.
"No…I can do it myself," he said sternly, he pulled away a little, "I don't like having to rely on people, its bad enough you have to bring me my food," he made a face.
"Oh, stop being such a big proud macho man," Kitty shushed him and pulled him up forcefully, she even had to wince at the look of agony across his face. "I take it the pain isn't easing up then?"
"Not yet. Hank reckons in another few weeks I'll be up and around. Might not be in the danger room for some time though…" Remy said, "Professor Xavier wants to bring in a physical therapist."
"I don't blame him," Kitty said, "you had a two hundred pound piece of wood slam you in the back, you're lucky you still have your back. Could be worse, you could have ended up in a wheelchair from spinal damage, even paralysed," Kitty explained.
Remy nodded, indeed, he suddenly agreed he had a lot to be thankful for. At least in another few weeks he would be up and around by himself again.
Kitty fixed his pillows for him a little and put the breakfast tray on his lap, "Rogue is coming this way soon, Jared isn't up yet, she usually comes all the way down here to wake him – and his room is right opposite yours," she explained, as if to make a point, "so…did you think about what I said?"
Remy looked at her. In truth, it was all he had done was think about what Kitty had said about pretending to pursue a relationship with Kitty in order to make Rogue jealous, and the more he thought about it, the more cruel it seemed, and yet, the more helpful it would be to gaining Rogue back. He'd said he'd do anything for her, and he felt that this applied even when they weren't together – he'd do anything to get her back. Even pretend to be interested in the petite brunette Rogue was best friends with.
He begun to wonder how truly malicious he would seem if Rogue found out about that plan. He wondered how much she'd hate him for it – and how much she would hate him after finding out he'd slept with Carmel Graham.
Remy broke out of his thoughts, Kitty was sitting there awaiting his answer eagerly.
"Yes, I thought about it, and I'll do it…" Remy admitted dolefully, "anything to get her back…"
Kitty smirked, "alright," she said quietly, "And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?"
"Why talk me into it and then ask me if I want to change my mind?" Remy raised an eyebrow.
"Just so I know I'm not pushing you into it. But I am eager to do this – it's gonna get her out of that slump she's in, she's gonna get so jealous and be back with you before you know it."
Remy heard footsteps coming down the hallway – meaning Rogue would be standing opposite his door any moment.
"That'll be here…" Kitty said.
Remy swallowed nervously.
"How good are you at improv?" Kitty queried softly.
"Huh?"
"Acting…making things up as you go along…you know, improvisation."
"Don't worry, give me something to work on and I'll do just fine," Remy drew his breath as the footsteps were approaching, he glanced out of the corner of his eyes to the open door, Rogue standing in the hall banging on the door, "Jared, c'mon, its 8.am!"
Kitty thought for a minute, "so…did you miss me?" she asked Remy, perhaps a little too loudly.
"Course I did," Remy smirked a little, he looked at Kitty, tried to keep focused on her face, "Its so good to see a friendly face," he admitted.
Kitty smiled, "I'm glad to see you too, place has been kind of dull without that cheeky smirk of yours," she admitted, feeling very confident about her improv skills.
"You sure this isn't inconveniencing you?" Remy gestured to the breakfast on the tray set upon his lap…"
"Not at all, I like taking care of you," Kitty grinned.
"I appreciate you takin' care of me," Remy could already tell Rogue's ears had perked at the conversation, and all though she kept banging on Jared's door telling him to hurry up and wake up and get dressed, he could tell she was listening very intently to himself and Kitty.
"Well…its hard for me to not want to take care of you, I mean, I see you so helpless…" Kitty looked at him, her eyes darted nervously towards the door to make sure Rogue was listening, and then back at Remy again, "it makes me positively weak in the knees…" Kitty feigned a shy bashful tone
Remy pressed his tongue to his cheek for a moment, he glanced towards Rogue who was standing still, obviously listening, her back turned, "you look good this morning, petit," he said, he kept his voice in a sexy murmur.
Kitty's face flushed scarlet, but she pressed on with her act, "you're such a flatterer."
"No…I mean it," Remy stated, he didn't, he thought Kitty's rather plain sense of dress with her soft pastelled coloured clothes was rather uninteresting, but this was, after all, just an act. "You don't even need a trace of make up in the mornin's to look beautiful either," he admitted.
Kitty chewed her lip, "You're sweet," she pretended to glance to her watch, she could tell Rogue had just turned to look over her shoulder now, "I'll swing by at Lunch time…" she stood up.
Remy nodded, smiling at her as if he were in love, he too, knew Rogue had her eyes on them both.
Kitty then did what Remy had never expected so soon, Kitty leaned down, and brushed her lips softly against his forehead, before she had totally moved away he saw a wink and a devilish smirk playing about her pink lips. Kitty headed into the hall, "Oh, hey, Rogue," Kitty said cheerfully, "Jared not up yet? He'll be late," Kitty pointed out, and with that, she disappeared down the hall and turned the corner to go down the stairs.
Rogue felt furious the rest of the day, although she didn't want to let it show. It seemed so…cruel to her. Her best friend – or whom she'd always considered her best friend at least – making moves on Remy when the man wasn't even two seconds in the door? Rogue dwelled on it all through lessons. Hadn't Kitty said she'd had no plans what so ever to make moves on Remy? Hadn't she promised that?
No, she didn't, Rogue thought sullenly, she said she had no plans to break us up…
Rogue glanced out of the window of the recreation room, lessons had finished for the day, and she was doing some homework in a chair near the window. Why should I care? She thought at herself, even the voice in her thoughts was stern. Why should I care if she likes Remy? I'm not going out with Remy, I'm with Jared now…Remy is free to mess around with whoever he wants…
But it did bother her that Kitty had kissed him on the forehead like that, it was so…tender. So loving.
Of course, Rogue had to reason with herself, she scribbled one of her questionnaires answers on her piece of paper. Kitty might have just been acting in friendship towards Remy. Rogue might have thought that if it hadn't been for that kiss.
Whatever else Kitty might have been, she wasn't the type of girl who went around randomly kissing friends foreheads. A kiss was too intimate for that, too special, even for someone who didn't have the powers Rogue had. No…that kiss had to have been genuine. A kiss with Remy that Rogue could have never bestowed.
A strange hardness seemed to grow in the pit of her stomach, she felt slightly sick with the thought of it. How strange it would be if Kitty and Remy did go out. It would seem so wrong. Wasn't this one of the forbidden things friends were never meant to do? Wasn't it the first rule between friends that your friend couldn't date one of your exes just in case, heaven forbid, that you should one day want that ex back?
But I don't want Remy back, Rogue thought at herself, reminding herself of the countless things Remy LeBeau put her through since having announced his love for her. There were things she'd still never been able to completely forgiven him for.
Why should I go back to that? Rogue thought sourly, Sure, being with Remy was great, but…it was all just a thrill for him anyway. And at least bein' with Jared is risk free. Jared doesn't have a massive long list of mistakes he's made that are gonna cause me my sanity, like Remy has.
Why go back to a man like Remy? Rogue asked herself again.
Because you love him, her thoughts said at her, and those thoughts seemed to not be directly in her own voice, but more of Carol Danvers voice, this was something that Rogue found happening every so often. She had absorbed the complete mind a year and a half ago, and ever so often – whether she wanted it or not, faint memories or thoughts from Carol's part of her mind would slightly slip into her own mind. Rogue had begun to become accustomed to it after so long.
Rogue frowned at her own thoughts, and thought back at the Carol side of her brain, No, I don't love him. Rogue rubbed her forehead, all the thinking giving her a headache. She couldn't concentrate on homework and think about this situation at the same time. It was all too much to take in. And surely, she was just being paranoid. Kitty wasn't as wicked as to ask out a man who Rogue still cared for greatly, was she? Kitty had always seemed thoughtful, and sincere, the kind of girl who would never be caught doing such a thing.
Sighing again, Rogue glanced over to the Television, some of the others were set on the couch watching 'Friends', and although Rogue found the scenes before her amusing, she couldn't bring herself to laugh – not with the way she was feeling at that particular moment. She noted Kitty wasn't in the recreation room with the rest of the group watching 'Friends' as she usually did. Rogue wondered if that meant Kitty was up there right now…with Remy.