Chapter 2: M.D. and R.L.
Remy had dozed off peacefully on the couch in the recreation room when he felt something brush the tip of his nose lightly, he sniffed and brushed his hand against his nose, figuring it might just be a bug, and he rolled over onto his side slightly, intent on sleeping more.
Again a soft sensation touched his nose, this time starting from the bridge of his nose and down to between his nostrils, down past his lips and then along to his cheek, he recoiled, yawning, and smacked his face, "damn bug," he muttered, hoping that he'd just killed whatever it was that was bothering him.
Light merry giggling soon informed him that whatever had been bothering him, certainly hadn't been a bug, he cracked one eye open, Rogue was leaning over him, a feather between her fingers.
He pouted, "I was sleeping."
"Lazy assed Cajun," Rogue smirked, "you're taking up the whole couch," she sat on his legs.
"Ow, jesus, you put on weight?" he tried to kick her off, Rogue reacted by pressing down harder on his legs.
"Take that back!" Rogue giggled.
"No."
"Take it back!"
Remy pulled himself up as much as he could and tried to forcefully push her off of him, they both tumbled to the floor, "ow…my back," he winced.
Rogue chewed her lip, "woops, sorry."
"It's fine," Remy assured, he pulled himself up from the floor, grabbed Rogue's arm and hauled her up, "I take it you just finished study period," he said, he glanced around, the other students were beginning to pour into the room.
"Yeah," Rogue nodded, "fell asleep three times."
"Why don't you go take a nap?" Remy queried, he gave a yawn himself.
"If I do that I'll sleep ages and then I'll not get to sleep tonight and the whole thing will go haywire, I'll end up screwin' up my whole sleeping pattern," she explained, matter-of-factly.
"Ohh, so instead of sleepin', you figured you'd come bug me and not let me sleep either."
"Absolutely," Rogue took his hand, "c'mon, we'll go for a walk."
Remy made a face, "Chere, its like below zero out there today."
"Don't exaggerate."
"Okay, its not below zero, but its still pretty damn cold," Remy let her haul him out of the recreation room, into the foyer, "am I not even allowed to go grab my coat?" he asked.
"You're such a big baby," Rogue smirked.
Soon, the two were outside in the yard, walking hand in hand, their breaths misting against the cold air, hair swaying in the cold November breeze.
"So peaceful today," Remy commented, softly.
Rogue glanced around, he was right, the trees were barely stirring in the wind, the grass barely rippled, even the lake on the grounds seemed still. "Yeah…everything is so…still, even the trees…"
"Who said I was talkin' about trees?" Remy smirked a little, they approached the small woodland area, the darkness growing around them, the last light of the sun chased away by winter.
Rogue gave a tiny "oh," and blushed.
Remy let go of her hand and absently ran his hand along a nearby rather thick tree branch, moss soft under his fingers, "seems like lately all we did was fight, seems nice to just be…totally at peace with each other, for now," he smiled a little, he sat on the branch, pressing his back against the trunk, he took a pack of cards out of his pocket and began to shuffle them idly.
Rogue looked at him, "Don't expect it to last, it never does, does it? We always have something to fight about," she said broodingly.
"Sometimes I think those fights fuel our passion for each other," Remy grinned, "it's always nice to make up after a big fight."
Rogue reached into her pocket, yanking out a Swiss Army Knife, Remy recognised it as being his – the same one she'd fought out of his hand two nights previously. "This…is yours," she walked over slowly, holding it out to him.
Remy took it from her, he handed her the cards, "here, hold these."
"Why?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.
Remy pulled the largest knife free of the casing on the knife, and he located a tree with a very smooth trunk, he dug the knife into the trunk.
"Remy, what are you doing to that tree?"
"Messin'," he replied.
"So…any idea why Kitty got an electric shock from you?" Rogue asked, she tried to shuffle the cards she was holding, but she'd never been particularly good with playing cards.
"Because of the carpet, Chere," he said, "that's what she gets for wearing cheap plastic shoes," Remy shrugged. As far as he was concerned, the sparks meant absolutely nothing, why should it? Just sheer coincidences, people got electric shocks from each other all the time, didn't they?
Rogue watched him engrave an 'M' into the tree, she raised an eyebrow, "Kitty doesn't wear cheap plastic shoes…just ugly expensive leather ones," Rogue said, "And Sketchers, ugh, I could just gag."
Remy smirked a little, "well, whatever."
Rogue stepped up behind him and shoved the deck of cards she'd been holding into his left hip pocket.
Remy glanced over his shoulder at her, the light was fading quickly, he wanted to try and finish what he was doing to the tree before it was too dark to continue, but how could he take his eyes off of Rogue to when she looked at him in the way she was.
She was smiling, and blushing, and she looked away, as if remembering the previous nights escapades once again, the memories seethed inside of him, bringing his own cheeks a pinkish flush that luckily was hidden in the evening dark. He went back to engraving her initials into the tree.
Rogue wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her cheek in between his shoulderblades, she gave a contented sigh.
"Happy?"
"Can't think of when I've been happier," Rogue admitted.
Remy smirked to himself, "last night, I would assume, would have been at the top of the happy list," he carved a small heart into the tree skilfully, "damn Kitty Pryde," he said.
Rogue laughed softly, "Kitty is like the best friend with the worst timing," she commented, "Honestly I could have killed her…why is it every time I seem to be getting somewhere really personal with you she has to walk in and spoil it?"
"Maybe that's her plan, to stop you from havin' your wicked way," Remy began to carve his own initials now.
Rogue hugged him from behind, "if that's what's deemed as wicked then the ideas that were racin' through my head last night must mean I'm surely goin' to hell," she smirked.
Remy continued to carve, "one persons hell is another persons heaven," he finished up, and ran his fingers along the letters he'd carved, "there…" he stepped back to admire it. M.D. carved beside a heart, his initials R.L. besides.
Rogue stood on her tiptoes, looking over his shoulder at the tree, "sweet…it's a shame you had to mutilate that tree though just to say you love me, when you could have just saved it and spared the tree…" she giggled.
"Oh, well, you know me, a flair for the over dramatic," he turned around in her arms, he let out a breath, watching the air mist from him having done so, "getting colder out."
"Do you care?"
"Not really," he shrugged, "never been one for the cold though."
"Remy…does last night change everything?" Rogue suddenly asked, her expression becoming worried.
"No…of course it doesn't…" Remy looked at her, "well, okay, maybe it changes some things…certainly made things a little closer between us, but it doesn't mean it's something that has to happen all the time…or…" he looked for the words, "it doesn't mean we're obligated in that way," he ensured.
Rogue held onto his arms, looking away, "Jared used to try and pressure me about sex all the time…seemed like every time he was around me he was flaunting those little blue pills," she said, her voice trembling.
"Now why you have to bring up his name?" Remy made a face, "Chere, he's gone, he was gone so fast he could have given Quicksilver a run for his money," he said.
"I did care about him though, Remy…" Rogue moved away, "And I'm sorry I have to tell you – and remind you of that – but its true…"
Remy sighed, he folded his bare arms against the cold, his flesh beginning to prickle uncomfortably, he watched her, an inexplicable cold feeing began to sink in, as if ice was jumping around in his stomach.
"It's like when me and Jared were dating…and the subject of you came up," she admitted, "I had to tell him…I couldn't just shut those feelings off…love doesn't work that way.
Dug the heel of his boot into the dirt, hoping just the force he was putting into it might vent some of his anger out, "love?"
"Well…I still loved you when I was with Jared."
"Do you love Jared now that you're with me?" Remy asked incredulously.
Rogue spun around, her eyes wide, "Remy! Don't start getting all worked up, I care for him, the same way you probably care for Bella Donna in your own twisted little ways."
Remy clenched his fists, "Y'know what…I'm not getting into this argument," he took a deep breath, holding his hands up to the air, "I'm not," he turned. "I'm sick of arguing…and always being wrong, and always apologising."
"What was it you said about 'fighting fuels our passion'?" Rogue tried to joke, but Remy didn't find it the least bit funny.
Remy stood leaning against a tree, his expression broody, his arms folded stubbornly, kicked dirt and stones nearby out of frustration, he couldn't believe she was starting fights already, every time it felt as if he might be getting somewhere with her, it seemed this happened. He'd fought with her more than he'd ever fought with anyone in his life.
Rogue walked over, "I thought we could be honest with each other…"
"There's being honest, and then there's telling people stuff they don't want to hear," Remy sighed, "why can't you just let go of the past, forget it all…you cling onto the past like its some precious memento. Only it isn't…its dangerous, that's what it is," he glanced over his shoulder at her frowning, his fiery eyes slightly glowing in the expanding darkness.
Rogue looked down to the ground sheepishly, when he looked at her that way she felt foolish, and childlike, and almost transparent. She could find no words to explain herself.
"I'm going back inside, I'll catch you later," he muttered, then left quickly, the sound of his feet shuffling over the forest floor echoing off until no longer audible.
Rogue sighed, "He'll cool down," she told herself sternly, and decided she'd best go inside too.