Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Blaze and other random original
characters. Ilehana Xavier and Danielle appear courtesy of Corrinth, the X-
Men and their world appear courtesy of Marvel.
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 13
Ilehana and Logan stood side by side at the window of Ilehana's flat. Her flat now, not one she shared with her friend Blaze. The redhead had barely finished packing her stuff up, not that she'd had that much to be fair, but already the flat was a tidy shell. Without Blaze's scattered books and trinkets, her CDs everywhere with drinks cans balanced precariously on chair arms, it felt as though the apartment had lost its heart. Ilehana knew that this was going to take some serious getting used to. Even the noxious smell of nail varnish had started to fade, a smell Ilehana had never thought she'd miss.
On the street outside as Vixen and Wolverine watched Blaze was stacking the last of her few bags in the trunk of the car. Stoic and unmovable Blaze would not change her mind about leaving Bayville. There was nothing left for her. Ilehana had tried to persuade the redhead with every line she could think of short of using her telepathy. Not even their friendship could stop Blaze now, and Vixen was left with the guilty feeling that her blossoming relationship with Logan was one more reason why Blaze felt out of place. Logan's hand rested supportively between Ilehana's shoulder blades, and she reluctantly acknowledged that even if that were the only reason for Blaze to be leaving, she wouldn't give him up for anything.
"Poor Firefly." Wolverine was the one to break the silence that had stretched out between them. "I know what she did was wrong as far as the team's concerned and all, but she's the one who's lost. Lost her job, her home, her friends......... Lost Gambit to Rogue........."
"Its much worse than that." Ilehana sighed, watching as Blaze dragged her fingers through her red hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. Vixen felt Logan's vague surprise at just how young and helpless Blaze looked at that moment. Did he understand then why Ilehana was so committed to saving the girl then? Such a child really, their Blaze......... "The kiss Rogue gave Gambit, the kiss that has him hooked on her now was as much Blaze as it was Rogue, if not more so."
"Are you sure?" Logan was shocked; he'd known both girls had things for the Cajun, but this put a whole new meaning to the phrase 'stolen kiss'.
"Is the Rogue you know that spontaneous that she'd do something like that? I don't think so, even with Stifle cancelling out her powers. But she had just touched Blaze, and Blaze is that spontaneous. Rogue knows it, even as she's trying to keep that knowledge to herself. Blaze knows too, and she'll never forgive Rogue or herself for what happened."
"And Gambit? Anybody gonna tell the guy what's goin' on?" Wolverine asked.
"No. Rogue hasn't the words to explain it; she's confused trying to sort out her own feelings from Blaze's. And Blaze had decided she cares too much about him to load that onto him. Rogue has stolen from her everything Blaze had to offer Remy, so much more than just a kiss, including his soul........."
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Blaze resolutely ignored the fact that Ilehana and Logan were watching her from the apartment window as she stopped briefly loading her car and tugged her hair back into a more practical ponytail. Fishing in her tight jeans pocket she found her car keys. It was about time she left this dump of a so- called-town anyway.
"You runnin'?" She didn't know where Gambit had come from, but somehow it didn't surprise her that he'd found her. She didn't meet his eyes, knowing if she did and he asked her not to go she'd do as he wanted, not as she had decided. Going around to the far side of the car she put the silver convertible as a physical barrier between her and her friend.
"Actually was thinking more of driving, but yes, I'm leaving."
"Why?" He asked, wondering at how easily the redhead was giving up. He'd thought her stronger than that.
"There's nothing for me here." She answered softly. "The X-Men don't want me."
"Don't I get a say?" He asked, genuine hurt in his voice. "Maybe I want you here."
"No." Blaze responded, tone sharper than she meant it to be as she opened the car door and climbed in.
"Don't I even get a goodbye kiss?" He asked as she started the engine. At last she met his eyes, the emptiness he saw there knocking him as much as her careless words.
"You've already had it........."
The engine started, roaring to life as Blaze accelerated away from the curb. The car's CD player clicked on loudly; sounding out strongly even over the sound of the engine as Blaze unashamedly wiped a tear from her eye.
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 13
Ilehana and Logan stood side by side at the window of Ilehana's flat. Her flat now, not one she shared with her friend Blaze. The redhead had barely finished packing her stuff up, not that she'd had that much to be fair, but already the flat was a tidy shell. Without Blaze's scattered books and trinkets, her CDs everywhere with drinks cans balanced precariously on chair arms, it felt as though the apartment had lost its heart. Ilehana knew that this was going to take some serious getting used to. Even the noxious smell of nail varnish had started to fade, a smell Ilehana had never thought she'd miss.
On the street outside as Vixen and Wolverine watched Blaze was stacking the last of her few bags in the trunk of the car. Stoic and unmovable Blaze would not change her mind about leaving Bayville. There was nothing left for her. Ilehana had tried to persuade the redhead with every line she could think of short of using her telepathy. Not even their friendship could stop Blaze now, and Vixen was left with the guilty feeling that her blossoming relationship with Logan was one more reason why Blaze felt out of place. Logan's hand rested supportively between Ilehana's shoulder blades, and she reluctantly acknowledged that even if that were the only reason for Blaze to be leaving, she wouldn't give him up for anything.
"Poor Firefly." Wolverine was the one to break the silence that had stretched out between them. "I know what she did was wrong as far as the team's concerned and all, but she's the one who's lost. Lost her job, her home, her friends......... Lost Gambit to Rogue........."
"Its much worse than that." Ilehana sighed, watching as Blaze dragged her fingers through her red hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. Vixen felt Logan's vague surprise at just how young and helpless Blaze looked at that moment. Did he understand then why Ilehana was so committed to saving the girl then? Such a child really, their Blaze......... "The kiss Rogue gave Gambit, the kiss that has him hooked on her now was as much Blaze as it was Rogue, if not more so."
"Are you sure?" Logan was shocked; he'd known both girls had things for the Cajun, but this put a whole new meaning to the phrase 'stolen kiss'.
"Is the Rogue you know that spontaneous that she'd do something like that? I don't think so, even with Stifle cancelling out her powers. But she had just touched Blaze, and Blaze is that spontaneous. Rogue knows it, even as she's trying to keep that knowledge to herself. Blaze knows too, and she'll never forgive Rogue or herself for what happened."
"And Gambit? Anybody gonna tell the guy what's goin' on?" Wolverine asked.
"No. Rogue hasn't the words to explain it; she's confused trying to sort out her own feelings from Blaze's. And Blaze had decided she cares too much about him to load that onto him. Rogue has stolen from her everything Blaze had to offer Remy, so much more than just a kiss, including his soul........."
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Blaze resolutely ignored the fact that Ilehana and Logan were watching her from the apartment window as she stopped briefly loading her car and tugged her hair back into a more practical ponytail. Fishing in her tight jeans pocket she found her car keys. It was about time she left this dump of a so- called-town anyway.
"You runnin'?" She didn't know where Gambit had come from, but somehow it didn't surprise her that he'd found her. She didn't meet his eyes, knowing if she did and he asked her not to go she'd do as he wanted, not as she had decided. Going around to the far side of the car she put the silver convertible as a physical barrier between her and her friend.
"Actually was thinking more of driving, but yes, I'm leaving."
"Why?" He asked, wondering at how easily the redhead was giving up. He'd thought her stronger than that.
"There's nothing for me here." She answered softly. "The X-Men don't want me."
"Don't I get a say?" He asked, genuine hurt in his voice. "Maybe I want you here."
"No." Blaze responded, tone sharper than she meant it to be as she opened the car door and climbed in.
"Don't I even get a goodbye kiss?" He asked as she started the engine. At last she met his eyes, the emptiness he saw there knocking him as much as her careless words.
"You've already had it........."
The engine started, roaring to life as Blaze accelerated away from the curb. The car's CD player clicked on loudly; sounding out strongly even over the sound of the engine as Blaze unashamedly wiped a tear from her eye.