Summary: Okay, first Rogue feels hungry… Then, she wants John to pretend he's Logan (now all of you who've read chap 1 – and you should btw, if you've come this far – should know what THAT means!).
Pairing: 'kay, this is a ryro, folks!! (Well, whaddya expect when it's only the two of them trapped in that gosh-dang-it room??). Rogue's still together with Bobby though.
Disclaimer: Nuthin' belongs to me. The plot is inspired by Dark Angel. Love that show!! *sniffs* Can't believe it's gone!! *sighs* No more oogling over a certain smart-alecky transgenic *drools* Uh, yeah… Never mind about that, peeps!! All I wanna say is I am not, by no means, Marvel, or Stan Lee, or Brian Singer, or Anna Paquin, or (the lickety-delicious) Aaron Stanford, or even Mystique trying to pose as any of those folks. So yeah, don't sue my ass, coz you'll get nuthin' but dustbunnies (I really should start cleaning my apartment more).
A/N: All I can say about the reviews are: WOW!! That was the first time I ever got death threats… A little unnerving, but all-round flattering… *looks left and right, dons on a baseball cap and shades, tiptoes out of the shrubs, and shoves a big crate o' beer to Wolverine's face as a bribe to be personal bodyguard (tee hee hee!)* But seriously, you guys are the best!! I'm glad that you like her inner dialogues and thanks for being so patient with me. Hope y'all enjoy this chappie!!
A/N2: TokyoBabe, what the heck's sporks? Is it like a spatula and a fork? Or maybe a Vulcan fork? (HONESTLY, that was the first thing that came to mind). Either way, 'sounds daunting…
Chapter 3: M&M's and Wolvie.
During the next two hours, John facilitated Rogue with some more of your basic skin-to-skin activities, like tickling, punching ("Girl or no girl, I should get to punch you too," John said. Rogue challenged him to do it, but he ended up only giving her a light nudge on the cheek. She didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed), playing thumb-wars, and getting piggyback rides (Rogue felt incredibly stupid requesting this, but since this was her only chance, she figured, screw pride!).
She knew that all her requests must have sounded silly for John (and he did make fun of her on some of them), but having gone without human touch for such a long time, she really cherished every one of them. Before she knew it, four hours had passed ever since they got stuck in that room. Rogue heard her stomach rumbling.
Apparently, John heard it too, "Was that you or did something just drop dead in the vent?"
Rogue smiled sheepishly, "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?" She slumped down against one of the side walls.
John went through his pockets and tossed her a bag of M&M's. "How's this?"
"Great!" She popped some of the rainbow-colored goodness in her mouth. "Hmm… You know, that reminds me… I've always wanted to share popcorn with someone. You wouldn't have some corn kernels in there, would you?"
John sat down next to her. "What's the deal with popcorn?"
"Oh, it's nothing, really. It's just that… you know how when we were watching movies, you guys always had this BIG bowl of popcorn to share between everyone? Well, I don't know if you noticed, but I always had to have my own bowl, in case I touched someone when I reached in. It's stupid, I know, but it was just one of those things I couldn't do because of my stupid mutation."
John considered it. Wow, 'never thought of that before… Man, it sucks to be her. He looked around the room. "Well, I don't have corn, but I can offer you something better." He jumped up, grabbed a huge beaker from the shelf, and emptied the M&M's package into it. "There you go."
"Thanks!" Rogue looked at him disbelievingly. "See, John, I knew that underneath that whole 'screw the world' attitude, there's a nice sweet guy just lying around."
"Well I do have an ulterior motive to be doing this, Rogue. I don't usually get to hang out with you – without frosty around, that is – that I feel like I should take advantage of the situation. You know, build up my image in your head, that sort of thing. How am I doing so far?"
"Um… I hate you less than before."
"'Glad to hear it. So who did you want to share popcorn with anyway?"
"My dear friend John, of course," she teased.
"Dear friend, huh?" John gave her a sneer, "'Thought I was the guy who abandoned you?"
Rogue sighed, "John, why don't you come back with us? You can be part of the X-men and fight alongside us…"
"Rogue, I know that I belong with Magneto. The professor just doesn't get that humans will never accept us. He's wasting his time."
"But I don't want to fight you, John."
"You won't. You'll be fighting Pyro, Rogue."
"Then, you'll know that I'll suck you dry, right, if that's what it takes to stop you?"
"Geez, you sound like a vampire, but, yeah, I'll be counting on it."
Rogue frowned. So John put his arms around her, leaned his forehead against the side of her head, and whispered, "Hey, look at it from the bright side. Maybe I'll end up with a stronger voice in your head. And then, who knows, maybe that added inner Johnny will convince you to swing around to my side."
"He's really annoying, you know. 'Thinks he's better than everyone else." Rogue had turned her head too. They were now sitting face-to-face with their foreheads touching. Rogue hadn't imagined being in such close proximity to John before, but oddly, didn't find it daunting. She simply rested her forehead on his while she gazed down at his zippo-flicking hand.
"That's just 'cause I am, Rogue. But I bet he kept you company after I left…" He raised his hand and tapped the side of her head lightly with his zippo.
Rogue smiled, "He did throw some nice parties in there."
"Hope he didn't trash the place up too bad."
"Bobby cleaned up after him."
John chuckled and pulled his head back, "Ever immaculate, the freak."
Rogue just shrugged and they proceeded to munch quietly on their M&M's.
"So who's next?"
Rogue considered it. She still wasn't happy with the fact that John wasn't coming back, but decided not to press the matter. If there was one thing she knew about John Allerdyce, it was that he was as stubborn as an energizer bunny. Speaking of stubborn creatures… "Logan, I suppose."
"Sweet! I've been waiting for you to say him." John contorted his face to look way bad-ass, hunched his shoulders, and shaped his fingers like they were claws. He put on a gruffy voice, "'Hey, kid, you're not doing things with the ice boy that I should be worried about, are ya? Otherwise I wouldn't mind shish-ke-'BOBBYING' him like those troops back at the mansion. You wanna know what I think? I say go for the fire guy! I like him. His raw animal magnetism and recklessness sort of reminds me of myself, back in the days. Anyway, you got any beer lying around? I need beer. Grr… growl…'"
Rogue could feel Logan-in-her-head looking indignant while inner Johnny laughed his head off. Wolvie proceeded to raise his claws threateningly at the cackling boy. Rogue decided to ignore them and play along, "'Logan, Bobby is a real gentleman. You've got NOTHING to worry about. And John? Well, I'm pretty sure that John is gay…'"
"Hey! I don't paddle my canoe up that stream." He continued his gruff, "'So why do you need to see me, Rogue?'"
Rogue shook off her laughter. "Uh, no reason really… I just want to give you this." Quickly, and without thinking, Rogue reached up and gave Logan/John a peck on the cheeks.
Afterwards, she kind of gave a little gasp upon realizing what she just did. Rogue couldn't make out the expression on John's face, but he definitely seemed surprised. She decided to continue with the charade though. Rogue threw her arms around his chest and drew him in for a hug. "Thank you." She wasn't really sure whether that was for Logan or John.
John looked like he was doing a mighty good impression of Logan. The expression on his face was exactly how Rogue pictured Logan would have looked if she'd given him a kiss and a hug. On the real Logan, Rogue imagined that she'd be resting her head on his chest. But since John was shorter, Rogue's head came to lie on the crook of his neck instead. It was actually much more comfortable.
Immediately, Rogue felt the voices in her head reacting to this. Inner Johnny was yelling "sucker!" to inner Bobby, whose protestations were somewhat ignored by all the other occupants of her head. Inner Wolvie wondered whether Rogue really pictured THAT kind of hug with him, while Magneto thought that the situation was "interesting" (all said in that sinister voice of his). Inner Marie, however, asserted herself as the primary proprietor of Rogue's head by telling everyone else to shut it; declaring that she hadn't been able to touch anyone for SUCH A LONG TIME that it was only natural to want a hug. The four men just mumbled quietly to themselves after that.
Rogue, who felt like she was turning insane with five different voices interacting in her head, decided to just enjoy the hug. She liked the feeling of having her body completely pressed up against John. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest and his breath on her hair. She relished at that little point of contact between her cheek and his neck. And she loved the feel of his arms encircling her own bare arms. Yup, Rogue was definitely content on staying in this position, Bobby or no Bobby.
John, meanwhile, was still shocked at the hug that Rogue gave him. If this was the kind of gesture that she'd like to give Logan, then John was feeling mighty envious of the big Wolf man. Still, he wasn't going to dismiss the fact that he was the one who got Rogue in his arms. He figured that this was the closest that anyone ever got to her in years so he should consider himself very lucky. He rested his head on hers and breathed in her hair. If only I got to do this back at school, I might have never left…
John felt himself jolt at that little train of thought.
Where did THAT come from? Sure, he liked Rogue and sure, he thought she was hot, but he never imagined that he'd want some sort of relationship with her (like something she has with Drake?). He left because he didn't like the way he was being held back at Xavier's. He never really considered staying for her. But now, he wondered: Would I have stayed if things had been different between me and Rogue?
John didn't like where all this was going. So he decided to stop the source of his confusion: the hug.
Rogue could suddenly feel John loosening his hold, signaling the end of the hug. She wasn't ready to let him go, though. She relaxed her embrace, but shifted her head slightly. She felt John shiver when her breath blew against his neck.
She was now facing his neck. The bridge of her nose was touching the bottom line of his jaw and her chin was tucked in at his collarbone. The skin of his neck that covered his Adam's apple – one that had captivated her earlier – was now just an inch away. If she'd just reach in a bit, she could almost feel it… taste it…
In a swift and spontaneous move, Rogue flicked her tongue out and pressed it lightly on John's throat.
For once, after she'd gotten her gift, she didn't hear any other voice in her head but hers. Inner Rogue ran the show now and she was acting on pure instinct.
At same time, she felt John's entire body stiffened against her. Somehow, though, she didn't care that she just violated about eighty-seven rules in 'The Handbook of Platonic Friendship'. She was too preoccupied with the sensation of tasting him. John had tasted salty – like how she'd imagined skin would taste like – but, also, at the same time interestingly… 'smokey'. There's really no other word to describe it. John tasted like that smoke feeling in your mouth; not the bitter one you get from cigarettes, but more of that salty, fresh-from-the-barbecue sort of taste…
Rogue decided that she wasn't satisfied with just a slight taste. Feeling that there was no turning back now, she slowly touched her lips to his neck and began planting very soft feather kisses, flicking her tongue out once in a while to get a little taste.
Inner Bobby was about to raise the mighty-ol'-fire-alarms in her head when inner Rogue tapped him on the shoulders and knocked him out with a pretty lil' blow to his pretty lil' head with that pretty lil' baseball bat. She could hear inner Marie justifying it to Bobby: Sorry, Bobby. But you have no idea how FRUSTRATING it is not being able to touch anyone. I CAN'T waste this chance. Better if you're not awake to see this… Johnny came over to offer her a high-five, but Marie just ignored him.
Meanwhile, real-life John was still frozen in shock at Rogue's action. Okay, I'm pretty sure she and Wolvie don't have THIS kind of relationship. So that means...
Huh. I could live with this...
Wait! A minute ago you didn't want to hug her and now you're letting her peck you? John heard a rational part of him quipped (Huh, 'guess Rogue wasn't the only one with the diverging inner voice in her head).
Ah, screw that! 'Can't deny instinct, bud. Live with it.
He felt like he needed to know where this was going though. So he tightened his hold on her arms and pushed her back slightly.
Rogue gazed up at him but didn't say a word. Her lips on his neck had now been replaced by her fingers, which were curiously traveling up and down the length of his neck. She had this confused look on her face and she was studying his eyes as if they were one of those impressionist paintings (great mystery of life, those color strokes...). It was as if she was discovering something new of him. She smiled.
"Rog…" He was stopped by one hand on his mouth.
"Just… Ssshh… I wanna see something…" Her eyes were still holding his and he noticed that they had a new spark in them.
Slowly, Rogue closed the distance between them. Still perplexed, John did not make a move to stop her.
Then, when only an inch stood between them…
"Rogue, are you sure you want to be doing something you've been saving for Bobby with me?"
Rogue looked up at him, eyes locking his. "No…" She answered slowly, "But this is something I've wanted to do with you."
She closed the remaining inch between them and pressed her very warm lips on his.
A/N: HAHAHAhaha… Shannon, you're right, I am an evil whore!!! But I am also a review whore, so please leave me you're comments. Whaddya think of the whole Rogue-taking-the-initiative? I really couldn't decide who-should-kiss-who, which is why this chapter took so long to finish. Anyway, review!! Poor inner Bobby! I figure, she mite as well put the guy out of his misery… And I dunno how to continue this. To be honest, I don't know how Rogue should view John. I don't want him to be just a piece a meat, but I really don't know how to write it otherwise. So suggestions are welcome.
