Hey Mish, Jenny, thank you ladies so much for your reviews.
Mish: I love you and I'll hopefully see you later this week if you're not working.
Jenny: ...I agree completely about the beginning of the first chapter. I'm the author and even I can barely read it without having to concentrate really hard. Just don't let that discourage you, trust that's the only part that heady. I was in a Shakespearean/Expressionist mood then I first started this and that's what came out - wasn't even intended to be an x-men fic but evolution tends to take it's course with or without consent.
Hope you too ladies enjoy this next part, ~Gimpy~
A soft gentle hum lightly filled the room, taking over the space silence once owned. The sound was so sensual, so addictive to Bobby's sensitive ears that the bold black words that riddled his Chemistry book started to meld together. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to force himself to concentrate but when the angelic voice grew in pitch he was lost, grappled by the vixen the voice belonged too. Gripping his book he glared mockingly at the owner. Her eyes pinned on her own identical Chemistry book she never noticed his searing stare.
"You're doing it again," Bobby mumbled, catching her by surprise.
"Huh?" she mumbled, her head never rising.
"You're humming again," he clarified.
"No I wasn't." Her voice remained but a mutter under her breath.
A babbled laugh sprang out of Bobby's lips before he had a chance to stop it. "Yes you were, I heard it." His words held a lighthearted challenge in its tone.
Rogue took the bait, flashing him a sneer. "Really?" Leaning back with an overt sense of confidence she grinned. "And what alleged song was I allegedly humming, Mr. Drake?"
"Well Miss Brat, I wouldn't know that cause as you well know, I am musically challenged." He played into her hand like a greedy newborn fawn desperate for it's mother's attention.
Holding her head high the smirk grew in amusement and measure. "Precisely my point."
Shaking his head he shot back, "Doesn't change the fact that you were humming."
Ducking her head bashfully as rosy pink tainted her pale cheeks she muttered, "If I was I'm sorry, I can't help it."
"It's okay, it's actually kind of beautiful." Bobby's voice dropped in tone, emphasizing the seriousness behind his comment.
Her deep-set eyes widened and the flush of color deepened. She opened her mouth to respond but came up short, instead bowing her head away from his probing eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice how flustered she'd really become. Boring holes in her Chemistry book with her eyes, she attempted to get the words to stick in her mind. A growl emanated from her petit form and she tossed the book away.
"I can't do this anymore, my eyes are going all buggy." Her lush lips jutted out forming a childish pout. "Don't get me wrong, I love Chemistry. If Chemistry was a person I'd marry it but I hate tests and I hate studying even more."
Bobby's shoulder shook in a silence chuckle. "You wouldn't be human if you did."
Rogue's brow rose. "Human?"
His silent laugh became more than audible when he realized his mistake. "Right."
"Can we take a break?"
"We just had one not ten minutes ago."
"So?"
"Good point," he swiftly mimicked Rogue and tossed his own book aside with ease. "So, you were on the roof last night." It was a statement of fact rather than a question.
Rogue's light mood deepened sharply. Closing her eyes, she tried to hide her shame from him. "You heard about that."
"Well it's been going around the school like wildfire, so yeah." His voice remained detached giving nothing of his mood away.
"I'm sorry, I know I promised I wouldn't do it again but..."
"Hey you don't have to explain it to me. I understand. It's one of the only places you can think." His lips curved into a reassuring smile.
"It's not just that," she started, not quite understanding that she didn't have to justify herself to him.
"You don't have to explain it to me Rogue. I get that you need to do it."
Awe shined through her glossy eyes at his words, awe and resentment. "I wish everyone else treated me the way you do."
"How's that?" Though he knew the answer he couldn't help wanting to hear her say it.
"So understanding, so accepting of me." Her voice fell to barely above a whisper and she let out a shaky breath filled with the promise of self- pitying tears.
With a sad smile Bobby changed the subject. "You wanna get some ice cream or something?" He held hidden hope in his question. In the last week Rogue had left her room only when necessary or under severe duress. His breath caught when her nose scrunched up in distaste and she shook her head, the sadness having disappeared. The wonders that were this woman before him would never cease to make him pause in awe.
"How about some music?" She was out of her chair before he even had a chance to give his opinion. Walking over to her CD player, she hummed the song from before as she searched. "And no griping about me picking the music," she quipped before Bobby could even open his mouth. "Like you said - you are musically impaired."
Running an idle finger over the keys, she pushed down on a select few and before Bobby knew it, the song from before was wafting out of the speakers. Rogue's eye slid shut and she started to hum to the tune, swaying to the melodic sound. Moving from one foot to the other she unconsciously turned up the volume and hummed a little louder. Every now and then a word would manifest itself amongst the hummed notes. Transfixed, Bobby rose to his feet and moved to stand behind her.
Sensing his presence, Rogue's hips moved more seductively, catching his eye almost immediately. He had to stifle a groan as he reached for her. His hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie. Using his hand he turned her more fully to him.
"Dance with me?" he asked, answering the question floating in her eyes. Hesitation took the question's place and he merely took her gloved hand and whispered a gentle, "Please?"
Sighing she allowed him to pull her into his arms. Anxiously she draped her arms around his neck and found a safe spot on his chest to place her head. As one they swayed, holding the other tightly. A giggle muffled itself in Bobby's chest when Rogue felt his hand moved to the center of her back.
"Shh," he scolded her before his own voice lost its strength. He lost himself in the feel of her pressed against him, her form fitting and conforming to his as if it were a missing piece to his puzzle. His nose flared as he breathed in her scent, its tantalizing spice tickling its way into his heart.
Rogue herself allowed her mind to drift as she tried to remember a time when someone dared to hold her this close for this long. She relished in the feel of warm arms encircling her own cold body. Snuggling a little deeper into his chest, neither one cared when the song ended and another equally soft song took its place.
Resting his chin on her head, he prayed for the strength to let go and not try to wrap her in his arms forever. The strength to not press his lips to hers, to not lower her onto the bed and hope to die in the most blissful way he could ever imagine, inside her.
When the song changed again they were forced to acknowledge the now fast and hard beat. The pull back was slow, their eyes never breaking contact. Bobby frowned at the tears glimmering in Rogue's brown pools.
"Thank you..." Her southern drawl seemed to almost overcome her words, drenching them in its charm but he understood her.
Sobering, he poked her in the ribs and smirked, "Any time."
A girly squeal sounded in the now darkening room and she swatted at his hand. "Don't do that."
Cocking his head, a mischievous light twinkled in his eyes, one she was all too familiar with. "What, this?" At his words he poked her again, eliciting the same squeal.
"Stop! Please," she pleaded, taking hold of his protruding finger.
"And if I don't?" There was no chance for an answer. Adolescent nature took hold and before either had a chance to truly think they were a mess of limbs on the floor. Rogue's small body struggled fitfully under Bobby's broader one, his finger gliding over the sensitive clothed skin, forcing giggles to leap forth from the wiggling girl. His heart soared at the sound, one that had been dormant for far too long. Pride and joy roared through him at being the one to be able to make her smile, make her laugh.
"Ah! God!" She squirmed away from his left hand, her hips lifting off the ground in an attempt to flip him off of her. Her sides ached more then she ever thought possible, the after effect of lack of use. The moment her hips rose from the ground Bobby inhaled sharply and backed off.
She squealed again this time out of fear. Both bodies went ridged neither one able to breathe. Rogue's fear grew as she stared up at Bobby's strained features.
"Oh god... did I? Did I hurt you?"
Lightly he shook his head and gasped sharply. "No... you... uh..." he groaned again.
Confusion veered itself on her but was quickly washed away as her eyes widened. "Oh," she muttered glancing down between their bodies. "Heh, sorry," she muttered, adjusting herself so she her hips strayed away from his.
It was Bobby's turn to blush uncontrollably. "No, I... I'm sorry."
An awkward silence descended upon them, neither one willing to make the first move. Hanging above her, Bobby struggled with the weight of his own body. "Maybe I should... move?"
Rogue stopped him before he acted on his words, holding him in place. "Do you have to?"
Shocked and caught off guard, there was no way he was going to be able to form any kind of sentence. Gracefully she shifted her hips once more, grinding them gently against his. They echoed each other groaning in unison at the pleasure the action caused them. Bobby's mind became a jumbled mess of incoherent thought as his body reacted almost against his will.
"Rogue," he ground out her name through gritted teeth but she didn't hear him.
Primal urges within Rogue heightened as she clung to him. He became but a tool, one she could use to free herself from the numb prison she'd built. As real emotion floated to the surface, a fog descended over her. Control lost all meaning and she brushed herself against him again with more force urged on by the knots tightening in her lower stomach. Her own needs began to supersede his, even when he protested again.
His own heat and desire for the woman beneath him tried to take control but he couldn't let it. Deep down he knew it wasn't him she wanted rather the contact he was giving her. Disgust and hurt burned at his heart and he pushed off of her.
Angered at the loss, she shot into a sitting position and readied herself to bombard him with insult. The hurt on his face stopped her mid breath and slowly she realized what she'd done. The self-hatred she'd grown accustomed to intensified. Running her hands through her hair, she pulled on the strands, the pain her own form of punishment.
"Bobby... I..."
"It's okay," he murmured though both saw past the words and read between the lines. She'd betrayed him, used his love for her to get what she wanted.
"No it's not," she spat out, clawing at her hair again. "God! I am such a bitch!"
"NO!" Bobby scrambled over to her, reaching out for her. "Don't say that."
She slapped at his outreached hand. "Why? It's true! You know it, I know it, hell the whole damn school knows it!" Her voice grew with every word in both intensity and volume. "I can't believe I just did that. God!" In one of the most graceful moves Bobby had ever seen, Rogue was on her feet. Curses flowed heavily from her clenched mouth as her feet carried her across the room and back. Obscenities he'd never heard assaulted his ears, words he didn't think she knew the meaning of herself.
"Stop this," he cried, moving into her path. "Just stop. You didn't do anything I didn't want."
Veering around, her darkened eyes bore into Bobby's concerned features. "Don't! Don't justify this. You don't have to take this crap from me Bobby! Grow a backbone and walk. Walk away before I hurt you again, 'cause trust me I will."
Slowly the underlining truth of it all started to dawn on Bobby and he was shocked at what he found. "You'd like that wouldn't you? You'd just love for me to walk away and make you really and truthfully alone cause then maybe you'd feel justified in doing what you do. Well I'm not going to give you that satisfaction. You can use me however you want but I will never leave."
Hatred and sarcasm drilled its way onto her face. "He said that too and where is he now!?"
"I'm not him! I will never be him!" He made sure not to say his name, remembering the last time he had. She hadn't talked to him for a week after.
Breathing hotly, Rogue glared at him, her nose flaring. The muscles in her mouth clenched as her teeth grated together. "Get out."
"You can't get rid of me that easily." Drained, he merely whispered and slowly moved to take her in his arms. She fought him every inch of the way, pushing against him with all the strength she had left in her but like him, her energy to fight slowly drained. Succumbing to his hold, she went limp as sobs raked over her.
She hated herself for her actions, hated him for not hating her, hated the world for the cards she'd been dealt but most of all she hated 'him' and all he stood for. The dreams that were forced on her gave her nothing but pain, the memories a tortured reminder of what she would never be able to have. The boy that now held her tenderly in his arms held a love for her that she didn't know how to reciprocate. It had been so long since she'd felt anything even close to pleasant and now that she had she felt even worse. She wanted to tear the flesh from her bones for having hurt this boy.
"You deserve better than me, than this..." her muddled voice cracked almost beyond recognition but she knew Bobby had understood as his muscles tensed underneath her own. Rogue felt the intake of breath that meant he was about to speak. She acted before he could, pushing him fully away from her with such force he nearly stumbled onto the ground. "You have to go, now. You have to go and never come back, don't talk to me, don't even think about me."
"Rogue." Her name floated from his lips in a silent plea for her stop.
"Go away or I will hurt you intentionally, I don't want to but I will." Her tone left no leverage to retaliate upon. With shaky fingers she pulled at the slick black operatic gloves that entombed her poisonous skin and tossed them on her bed.
A deafening understanding hit Bobby like a tidal wave and he tried to come to terms with it. Though her face had hardened into its normal stone-like wall, he could see the tears that threatened her resolve. Were he to push just a little it would break, shattering into a thousand shards that would grate at her already warped heart. There was no way he was going to be responsible for that. Bowing his head to the ground, he skulked towards the door.
Pausing before the threshold, he was tempted to turn back, take in her disheveled form one last time. He didn't, settling to wait for the rise of the sun, to watch her from afar and hope beyond all things probable that she would let him back in.
A startled yelp rippled throughout her quaking form as the door slammed shut. It echoed off the hallowed walls of her empty room. Even with her timid form standing within its belly, it was still empty, void of anything even remotely real.
****
"In recent news, the pacifist Anti-Mutant group, The Purists, held another sit-in before the White House late this evening. Earlier today the Mutant Registration bill had once again been denied, the reasons for which have yet to have been released. The silent protest held by The Purists ignited into a full-fledged riot when onlookers attempted to join the protest and were deflected by the leader of The Purists. Jonathan reports."
A growl followed the monotone report that filtered out from the huge black TV situated in the games room. The scene on the screen changed from the face of an overtly blonde woman to the outside of the White House. A loud bombardment of obnoxious cries assaulted Kitty and Jubilee's ears.
An aged balding man appeared on screen before the White House, the scene behind him one of complete disarray. "Thank you Karen. Not half an hour ago the scene behind me was one of peace as The Purists once again held one of their infamous sit-ins. The organizer of the event had this to say about the massive riot that appeared out of what they had meant to be a pacifistic protest."
The scene changed again and a tall, almost handsome man appeared center stage. Beneath his face on the thin blue line read his name, 'Mark Williams'. His beady eyes tightened and he took a deep breath before speaking. "We set out this morning to voice our disappointment in our government's inability to deal with the ever growing problem of mutants in our cities and in our schools. We never intended for anything even remotely violent to come of this. But it isn't a setback, merely a show of what these mutants are capable of - the mass hysteria the simple thought of them can elicit. They are a plague on humanity and they have to be eradicated. Today I have lost my trust in our system of govern..."
Jubilee let out another deep-throated growl and turned the channel, cutting off the rest of the offensive speech. From her advantaged position beside her friend, Kitty let out a giggle at her friend's reaction earning herself a sideways glare.
"Oh come on Jubes they're just words." Kitty tried to ease the glare from her friend's face.
"Words? Did you hear what he called us?" Black vibrant hair cascaded around Jubilee's face as she shook her head venomously. "He made it sound as if we were bugs. I mean 'eradicated'? What does he think he is? An exterminator? If anything he should be snuffed. What ever happened to tolerance?"
Kitty rolled her eyes and sank deeper in her seat. "They're a small non- violent sect. I can't honestly see why you're so upset. Did you not hear the rest of that report? The bill was declined again."
"And what's to stop them from instating it later? Nothing."
"You need to relax some before your head pops off," Kitty warned with a gentle smirk placating her features.
"So what, I can't speak my mind now?" Jubilee spat back with an underlining humor in her eyes.
"As if anything could keep you from speaking..." Kitty started to tease but stopped as she turned to look at her friend. Her brow furrowed, confusing Jubilee. "Rogue... hi."
Jubilee's frown grew as she turned to where Kitty's eyes had fallen. Draped in black save for the white streaks of hair, Rogue seemed to blend in with the shadows as she leaned against the doorframe. No sooner had Kitty said her name did Rogue stiffen and scurry off down the hall. She'd been listening to the playful banter the two girls shared, a pang of desire forming a clot in her throat. She never expected to be caught staring and couldn't help the instinct in her that told her to run.
In her own simplistic fashion, Jubilee rolled her eyes and turned back to stare at Kitty with disdain. "I don't know why you even bother trying to talk to that girl. She's a head case and a half."
Disbelief reflected clearly off Kitty's gentle face. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to her now?"
Shrugging in disregard, Jubilee flicked through the channels with the remote. "You're too nice for your own good. The girls a lost cause and a whole shit-load of trouble."
"And you're too insensitive for your own good. If anyone even bothered to give her a chance she wouldn't be such a lost cause. If you had any heart you'd know that," Kitty shot back.
"Bobby tried and look what she did to him. She broke his heart so excuse me if I don't think she deserves one bit of sympathy from me."
Sliding gloved hands up her arms, Rogue bit back the tears as she let Jubilee's words seep into her bones. Unwilling to hear anymore she pushed off the wall just outside the game room. She couldn't handle being forced to face the reality of what she'd done to Bobby. She could barely face herself. Before she got two steps away, a brash whisper froze her movements.
"You shouldn't take what they say to heart. They don't know what they're talking about."
She didn't have to turn around to know whose voice it was. "And I suppose you do."
The disembodied voice advanced on her and she took a step away. "I like to think I do."
Swirling around, Rogue's eyes met and held John's own dark gaze. "Why do I keep getting the feeling that this whole place is holding a pity party for me?"
"It's not an all the time thing but when you do things like you did the other night it tends to happen. See, for some reason, the people here - they care." John advanced again.
Peering deep into his eyes Rogue got the distinct feeling that John knew from experience the torment that was raging within her. Not to the same extent but the empathy was there. It made her angry for him to think that he even had a clue as to what she was going through. Biting her lip with such force that blood seeped from the wound, she sneered. "Well they really should stop cause I don't care about them."
Her heals squeaked against the tile floor as she spun around and stalked off in the opposite direction. Heading towards the stairs, she never thought twice about stepping around the corner. The moment she did though she dreaded not having questioned the action. The once surly mouth of hers dropped open as shock waves forced the air from her lungs.
There, standing nonchalantly before the double doors of the prestigious school, stood the one thing she had resigned herself to never seeing again. To the side stood the bright redheaded Dr. Grey and Rogue briefly flicked her eyes in that direction before slowly drawing them back to the man before her.
He carried a smug look on his face as he drawled. "What no welcome home?"
The sound of her labored breathing almost washed out his voice completely. Her mouth closed in one quick snap, tightening in its newfound position. Cautiously, Rogue ventured towards the invader. Her hazel eyes roamed over his muscular form before lying just below eye level.
She had to conjure up the nerve just to speak and the words that finally formed themselves were not the ones he had expected nor was the demeanor behind them.
"You haven't changed a bit Logan."
Her words sliced through him like a knife. During his long trek back he'd envisioned a throw of situations. Things he would say to her, conversations they would have but not one of them had her acting so dismissive towards him. It wasn't as if he'd expected a hug from the slight girl, he wasn't naïve by any means. It just never occurred to him that the tiny pixie he'd left behind would turn out like this.
His eyes traversed her form, digesting the black cloud of clothes that hid her from the world. Were it not for the stark white bangs he probably wouldn't have even recognized her as his Marie. Even her eyes had changed, they were darker, encased in deep makeup and an even deeper solitude. The once childish cheeks were now chiseled, her lips fuller and even beneath the sheath of clothes he could tell her body had ripped.
"And you've grown up," he countered with a small smile that quickly fell when she shrugged off his comment with an angered scoff.
"That tends to happen after almost three years." Casting a superior glance at him, she shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Least to most people."
Completely and utterly stunned, Logan struggled to come to terms with the hotheaded young woman before him. Incapable of even mouthing a single word, he eyed her, unsure of what to do.
Unfazed, Rogue spoke again. "Let me guess, your search to find your illustrious past went belly up and your leads went dry so you came back to get a little help from Mr. Wheels."
To say Logan was shell-shocked would have been a massive understatement. Finally finding his voice, he was able to muster, "That's only part, kid. I also came back to see you." Try as he might, the emotions in his eyes couldn't convince her.
Letting out a bitter laugh, she took a minute step forward, just enough for him to see the callousness in her eyes. "Like you said Logan. I've grown up. I'm not a kid anymore and I don't hold any delusions. Especially not enough to believe even for a moment that you came back to see me." Briskly she gave him the cold shoulder and started to dart away. Stopping at the base of the stairs she turned and snapped, "Cause if that were the case, it wouldn't have taken you this long."
If her attitude towards him hadn't dug a hole deep in his heart, her words as well as the sight of her back walking away from him did. His jaw hardened and his back stiffened. Something was more then a little off and he was on a mission to find out why.
"Logan, don't!" Jean snapped from her forgotten place beside him. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him back. "A lot has happened since you've been gone, especially for her. Give her some time to get used to the idea of having you back before you go off confronting her." Her voice carried a protective motherly power to it that Logan abruptly responded to.
She waited for him to nod his head before she left him standing, alone to muddle through the maze of thoughts in his head. Shaking his head in a vain attempt at clearing the fog, he muttered under his breath, "Welcome back Logan..."
Mish: I love you and I'll hopefully see you later this week if you're not working.
Jenny: ...I agree completely about the beginning of the first chapter. I'm the author and even I can barely read it without having to concentrate really hard. Just don't let that discourage you, trust that's the only part that heady. I was in a Shakespearean/Expressionist mood then I first started this and that's what came out - wasn't even intended to be an x-men fic but evolution tends to take it's course with or without consent.
Hope you too ladies enjoy this next part, ~Gimpy~
A soft gentle hum lightly filled the room, taking over the space silence once owned. The sound was so sensual, so addictive to Bobby's sensitive ears that the bold black words that riddled his Chemistry book started to meld together. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to force himself to concentrate but when the angelic voice grew in pitch he was lost, grappled by the vixen the voice belonged too. Gripping his book he glared mockingly at the owner. Her eyes pinned on her own identical Chemistry book she never noticed his searing stare.
"You're doing it again," Bobby mumbled, catching her by surprise.
"Huh?" she mumbled, her head never rising.
"You're humming again," he clarified.
"No I wasn't." Her voice remained but a mutter under her breath.
A babbled laugh sprang out of Bobby's lips before he had a chance to stop it. "Yes you were, I heard it." His words held a lighthearted challenge in its tone.
Rogue took the bait, flashing him a sneer. "Really?" Leaning back with an overt sense of confidence she grinned. "And what alleged song was I allegedly humming, Mr. Drake?"
"Well Miss Brat, I wouldn't know that cause as you well know, I am musically challenged." He played into her hand like a greedy newborn fawn desperate for it's mother's attention.
Holding her head high the smirk grew in amusement and measure. "Precisely my point."
Shaking his head he shot back, "Doesn't change the fact that you were humming."
Ducking her head bashfully as rosy pink tainted her pale cheeks she muttered, "If I was I'm sorry, I can't help it."
"It's okay, it's actually kind of beautiful." Bobby's voice dropped in tone, emphasizing the seriousness behind his comment.
Her deep-set eyes widened and the flush of color deepened. She opened her mouth to respond but came up short, instead bowing her head away from his probing eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice how flustered she'd really become. Boring holes in her Chemistry book with her eyes, she attempted to get the words to stick in her mind. A growl emanated from her petit form and she tossed the book away.
"I can't do this anymore, my eyes are going all buggy." Her lush lips jutted out forming a childish pout. "Don't get me wrong, I love Chemistry. If Chemistry was a person I'd marry it but I hate tests and I hate studying even more."
Bobby's shoulder shook in a silence chuckle. "You wouldn't be human if you did."
Rogue's brow rose. "Human?"
His silent laugh became more than audible when he realized his mistake. "Right."
"Can we take a break?"
"We just had one not ten minutes ago."
"So?"
"Good point," he swiftly mimicked Rogue and tossed his own book aside with ease. "So, you were on the roof last night." It was a statement of fact rather than a question.
Rogue's light mood deepened sharply. Closing her eyes, she tried to hide her shame from him. "You heard about that."
"Well it's been going around the school like wildfire, so yeah." His voice remained detached giving nothing of his mood away.
"I'm sorry, I know I promised I wouldn't do it again but..."
"Hey you don't have to explain it to me. I understand. It's one of the only places you can think." His lips curved into a reassuring smile.
"It's not just that," she started, not quite understanding that she didn't have to justify herself to him.
"You don't have to explain it to me Rogue. I get that you need to do it."
Awe shined through her glossy eyes at his words, awe and resentment. "I wish everyone else treated me the way you do."
"How's that?" Though he knew the answer he couldn't help wanting to hear her say it.
"So understanding, so accepting of me." Her voice fell to barely above a whisper and she let out a shaky breath filled with the promise of self- pitying tears.
With a sad smile Bobby changed the subject. "You wanna get some ice cream or something?" He held hidden hope in his question. In the last week Rogue had left her room only when necessary or under severe duress. His breath caught when her nose scrunched up in distaste and she shook her head, the sadness having disappeared. The wonders that were this woman before him would never cease to make him pause in awe.
"How about some music?" She was out of her chair before he even had a chance to give his opinion. Walking over to her CD player, she hummed the song from before as she searched. "And no griping about me picking the music," she quipped before Bobby could even open his mouth. "Like you said - you are musically impaired."
Running an idle finger over the keys, she pushed down on a select few and before Bobby knew it, the song from before was wafting out of the speakers. Rogue's eye slid shut and she started to hum to the tune, swaying to the melodic sound. Moving from one foot to the other she unconsciously turned up the volume and hummed a little louder. Every now and then a word would manifest itself amongst the hummed notes. Transfixed, Bobby rose to his feet and moved to stand behind her.
Sensing his presence, Rogue's hips moved more seductively, catching his eye almost immediately. He had to stifle a groan as he reached for her. His hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie. Using his hand he turned her more fully to him.
"Dance with me?" he asked, answering the question floating in her eyes. Hesitation took the question's place and he merely took her gloved hand and whispered a gentle, "Please?"
Sighing she allowed him to pull her into his arms. Anxiously she draped her arms around his neck and found a safe spot on his chest to place her head. As one they swayed, holding the other tightly. A giggle muffled itself in Bobby's chest when Rogue felt his hand moved to the center of her back.
"Shh," he scolded her before his own voice lost its strength. He lost himself in the feel of her pressed against him, her form fitting and conforming to his as if it were a missing piece to his puzzle. His nose flared as he breathed in her scent, its tantalizing spice tickling its way into his heart.
Rogue herself allowed her mind to drift as she tried to remember a time when someone dared to hold her this close for this long. She relished in the feel of warm arms encircling her own cold body. Snuggling a little deeper into his chest, neither one cared when the song ended and another equally soft song took its place.
Resting his chin on her head, he prayed for the strength to let go and not try to wrap her in his arms forever. The strength to not press his lips to hers, to not lower her onto the bed and hope to die in the most blissful way he could ever imagine, inside her.
When the song changed again they were forced to acknowledge the now fast and hard beat. The pull back was slow, their eyes never breaking contact. Bobby frowned at the tears glimmering in Rogue's brown pools.
"Thank you..." Her southern drawl seemed to almost overcome her words, drenching them in its charm but he understood her.
Sobering, he poked her in the ribs and smirked, "Any time."
A girly squeal sounded in the now darkening room and she swatted at his hand. "Don't do that."
Cocking his head, a mischievous light twinkled in his eyes, one she was all too familiar with. "What, this?" At his words he poked her again, eliciting the same squeal.
"Stop! Please," she pleaded, taking hold of his protruding finger.
"And if I don't?" There was no chance for an answer. Adolescent nature took hold and before either had a chance to truly think they were a mess of limbs on the floor. Rogue's small body struggled fitfully under Bobby's broader one, his finger gliding over the sensitive clothed skin, forcing giggles to leap forth from the wiggling girl. His heart soared at the sound, one that had been dormant for far too long. Pride and joy roared through him at being the one to be able to make her smile, make her laugh.
"Ah! God!" She squirmed away from his left hand, her hips lifting off the ground in an attempt to flip him off of her. Her sides ached more then she ever thought possible, the after effect of lack of use. The moment her hips rose from the ground Bobby inhaled sharply and backed off.
She squealed again this time out of fear. Both bodies went ridged neither one able to breathe. Rogue's fear grew as she stared up at Bobby's strained features.
"Oh god... did I? Did I hurt you?"
Lightly he shook his head and gasped sharply. "No... you... uh..." he groaned again.
Confusion veered itself on her but was quickly washed away as her eyes widened. "Oh," she muttered glancing down between their bodies. "Heh, sorry," she muttered, adjusting herself so she her hips strayed away from his.
It was Bobby's turn to blush uncontrollably. "No, I... I'm sorry."
An awkward silence descended upon them, neither one willing to make the first move. Hanging above her, Bobby struggled with the weight of his own body. "Maybe I should... move?"
Rogue stopped him before he acted on his words, holding him in place. "Do you have to?"
Shocked and caught off guard, there was no way he was going to be able to form any kind of sentence. Gracefully she shifted her hips once more, grinding them gently against his. They echoed each other groaning in unison at the pleasure the action caused them. Bobby's mind became a jumbled mess of incoherent thought as his body reacted almost against his will.
"Rogue," he ground out her name through gritted teeth but she didn't hear him.
Primal urges within Rogue heightened as she clung to him. He became but a tool, one she could use to free herself from the numb prison she'd built. As real emotion floated to the surface, a fog descended over her. Control lost all meaning and she brushed herself against him again with more force urged on by the knots tightening in her lower stomach. Her own needs began to supersede his, even when he protested again.
His own heat and desire for the woman beneath him tried to take control but he couldn't let it. Deep down he knew it wasn't him she wanted rather the contact he was giving her. Disgust and hurt burned at his heart and he pushed off of her.
Angered at the loss, she shot into a sitting position and readied herself to bombard him with insult. The hurt on his face stopped her mid breath and slowly she realized what she'd done. The self-hatred she'd grown accustomed to intensified. Running her hands through her hair, she pulled on the strands, the pain her own form of punishment.
"Bobby... I..."
"It's okay," he murmured though both saw past the words and read between the lines. She'd betrayed him, used his love for her to get what she wanted.
"No it's not," she spat out, clawing at her hair again. "God! I am such a bitch!"
"NO!" Bobby scrambled over to her, reaching out for her. "Don't say that."
She slapped at his outreached hand. "Why? It's true! You know it, I know it, hell the whole damn school knows it!" Her voice grew with every word in both intensity and volume. "I can't believe I just did that. God!" In one of the most graceful moves Bobby had ever seen, Rogue was on her feet. Curses flowed heavily from her clenched mouth as her feet carried her across the room and back. Obscenities he'd never heard assaulted his ears, words he didn't think she knew the meaning of herself.
"Stop this," he cried, moving into her path. "Just stop. You didn't do anything I didn't want."
Veering around, her darkened eyes bore into Bobby's concerned features. "Don't! Don't justify this. You don't have to take this crap from me Bobby! Grow a backbone and walk. Walk away before I hurt you again, 'cause trust me I will."
Slowly the underlining truth of it all started to dawn on Bobby and he was shocked at what he found. "You'd like that wouldn't you? You'd just love for me to walk away and make you really and truthfully alone cause then maybe you'd feel justified in doing what you do. Well I'm not going to give you that satisfaction. You can use me however you want but I will never leave."
Hatred and sarcasm drilled its way onto her face. "He said that too and where is he now!?"
"I'm not him! I will never be him!" He made sure not to say his name, remembering the last time he had. She hadn't talked to him for a week after.
Breathing hotly, Rogue glared at him, her nose flaring. The muscles in her mouth clenched as her teeth grated together. "Get out."
"You can't get rid of me that easily." Drained, he merely whispered and slowly moved to take her in his arms. She fought him every inch of the way, pushing against him with all the strength she had left in her but like him, her energy to fight slowly drained. Succumbing to his hold, she went limp as sobs raked over her.
She hated herself for her actions, hated him for not hating her, hated the world for the cards she'd been dealt but most of all she hated 'him' and all he stood for. The dreams that were forced on her gave her nothing but pain, the memories a tortured reminder of what she would never be able to have. The boy that now held her tenderly in his arms held a love for her that she didn't know how to reciprocate. It had been so long since she'd felt anything even close to pleasant and now that she had she felt even worse. She wanted to tear the flesh from her bones for having hurt this boy.
"You deserve better than me, than this..." her muddled voice cracked almost beyond recognition but she knew Bobby had understood as his muscles tensed underneath her own. Rogue felt the intake of breath that meant he was about to speak. She acted before he could, pushing him fully away from her with such force he nearly stumbled onto the ground. "You have to go, now. You have to go and never come back, don't talk to me, don't even think about me."
"Rogue." Her name floated from his lips in a silent plea for her stop.
"Go away or I will hurt you intentionally, I don't want to but I will." Her tone left no leverage to retaliate upon. With shaky fingers she pulled at the slick black operatic gloves that entombed her poisonous skin and tossed them on her bed.
A deafening understanding hit Bobby like a tidal wave and he tried to come to terms with it. Though her face had hardened into its normal stone-like wall, he could see the tears that threatened her resolve. Were he to push just a little it would break, shattering into a thousand shards that would grate at her already warped heart. There was no way he was going to be responsible for that. Bowing his head to the ground, he skulked towards the door.
Pausing before the threshold, he was tempted to turn back, take in her disheveled form one last time. He didn't, settling to wait for the rise of the sun, to watch her from afar and hope beyond all things probable that she would let him back in.
A startled yelp rippled throughout her quaking form as the door slammed shut. It echoed off the hallowed walls of her empty room. Even with her timid form standing within its belly, it was still empty, void of anything even remotely real.
****
"In recent news, the pacifist Anti-Mutant group, The Purists, held another sit-in before the White House late this evening. Earlier today the Mutant Registration bill had once again been denied, the reasons for which have yet to have been released. The silent protest held by The Purists ignited into a full-fledged riot when onlookers attempted to join the protest and were deflected by the leader of The Purists. Jonathan reports."
A growl followed the monotone report that filtered out from the huge black TV situated in the games room. The scene on the screen changed from the face of an overtly blonde woman to the outside of the White House. A loud bombardment of obnoxious cries assaulted Kitty and Jubilee's ears.
An aged balding man appeared on screen before the White House, the scene behind him one of complete disarray. "Thank you Karen. Not half an hour ago the scene behind me was one of peace as The Purists once again held one of their infamous sit-ins. The organizer of the event had this to say about the massive riot that appeared out of what they had meant to be a pacifistic protest."
The scene changed again and a tall, almost handsome man appeared center stage. Beneath his face on the thin blue line read his name, 'Mark Williams'. His beady eyes tightened and he took a deep breath before speaking. "We set out this morning to voice our disappointment in our government's inability to deal with the ever growing problem of mutants in our cities and in our schools. We never intended for anything even remotely violent to come of this. But it isn't a setback, merely a show of what these mutants are capable of - the mass hysteria the simple thought of them can elicit. They are a plague on humanity and they have to be eradicated. Today I have lost my trust in our system of govern..."
Jubilee let out another deep-throated growl and turned the channel, cutting off the rest of the offensive speech. From her advantaged position beside her friend, Kitty let out a giggle at her friend's reaction earning herself a sideways glare.
"Oh come on Jubes they're just words." Kitty tried to ease the glare from her friend's face.
"Words? Did you hear what he called us?" Black vibrant hair cascaded around Jubilee's face as she shook her head venomously. "He made it sound as if we were bugs. I mean 'eradicated'? What does he think he is? An exterminator? If anything he should be snuffed. What ever happened to tolerance?"
Kitty rolled her eyes and sank deeper in her seat. "They're a small non- violent sect. I can't honestly see why you're so upset. Did you not hear the rest of that report? The bill was declined again."
"And what's to stop them from instating it later? Nothing."
"You need to relax some before your head pops off," Kitty warned with a gentle smirk placating her features.
"So what, I can't speak my mind now?" Jubilee spat back with an underlining humor in her eyes.
"As if anything could keep you from speaking..." Kitty started to tease but stopped as she turned to look at her friend. Her brow furrowed, confusing Jubilee. "Rogue... hi."
Jubilee's frown grew as she turned to where Kitty's eyes had fallen. Draped in black save for the white streaks of hair, Rogue seemed to blend in with the shadows as she leaned against the doorframe. No sooner had Kitty said her name did Rogue stiffen and scurry off down the hall. She'd been listening to the playful banter the two girls shared, a pang of desire forming a clot in her throat. She never expected to be caught staring and couldn't help the instinct in her that told her to run.
In her own simplistic fashion, Jubilee rolled her eyes and turned back to stare at Kitty with disdain. "I don't know why you even bother trying to talk to that girl. She's a head case and a half."
Disbelief reflected clearly off Kitty's gentle face. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to her now?"
Shrugging in disregard, Jubilee flicked through the channels with the remote. "You're too nice for your own good. The girls a lost cause and a whole shit-load of trouble."
"And you're too insensitive for your own good. If anyone even bothered to give her a chance she wouldn't be such a lost cause. If you had any heart you'd know that," Kitty shot back.
"Bobby tried and look what she did to him. She broke his heart so excuse me if I don't think she deserves one bit of sympathy from me."
Sliding gloved hands up her arms, Rogue bit back the tears as she let Jubilee's words seep into her bones. Unwilling to hear anymore she pushed off the wall just outside the game room. She couldn't handle being forced to face the reality of what she'd done to Bobby. She could barely face herself. Before she got two steps away, a brash whisper froze her movements.
"You shouldn't take what they say to heart. They don't know what they're talking about."
She didn't have to turn around to know whose voice it was. "And I suppose you do."
The disembodied voice advanced on her and she took a step away. "I like to think I do."
Swirling around, Rogue's eyes met and held John's own dark gaze. "Why do I keep getting the feeling that this whole place is holding a pity party for me?"
"It's not an all the time thing but when you do things like you did the other night it tends to happen. See, for some reason, the people here - they care." John advanced again.
Peering deep into his eyes Rogue got the distinct feeling that John knew from experience the torment that was raging within her. Not to the same extent but the empathy was there. It made her angry for him to think that he even had a clue as to what she was going through. Biting her lip with such force that blood seeped from the wound, she sneered. "Well they really should stop cause I don't care about them."
Her heals squeaked against the tile floor as she spun around and stalked off in the opposite direction. Heading towards the stairs, she never thought twice about stepping around the corner. The moment she did though she dreaded not having questioned the action. The once surly mouth of hers dropped open as shock waves forced the air from her lungs.
There, standing nonchalantly before the double doors of the prestigious school, stood the one thing she had resigned herself to never seeing again. To the side stood the bright redheaded Dr. Grey and Rogue briefly flicked her eyes in that direction before slowly drawing them back to the man before her.
He carried a smug look on his face as he drawled. "What no welcome home?"
The sound of her labored breathing almost washed out his voice completely. Her mouth closed in one quick snap, tightening in its newfound position. Cautiously, Rogue ventured towards the invader. Her hazel eyes roamed over his muscular form before lying just below eye level.
She had to conjure up the nerve just to speak and the words that finally formed themselves were not the ones he had expected nor was the demeanor behind them.
"You haven't changed a bit Logan."
Her words sliced through him like a knife. During his long trek back he'd envisioned a throw of situations. Things he would say to her, conversations they would have but not one of them had her acting so dismissive towards him. It wasn't as if he'd expected a hug from the slight girl, he wasn't naïve by any means. It just never occurred to him that the tiny pixie he'd left behind would turn out like this.
His eyes traversed her form, digesting the black cloud of clothes that hid her from the world. Were it not for the stark white bangs he probably wouldn't have even recognized her as his Marie. Even her eyes had changed, they were darker, encased in deep makeup and an even deeper solitude. The once childish cheeks were now chiseled, her lips fuller and even beneath the sheath of clothes he could tell her body had ripped.
"And you've grown up," he countered with a small smile that quickly fell when she shrugged off his comment with an angered scoff.
"That tends to happen after almost three years." Casting a superior glance at him, she shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Least to most people."
Completely and utterly stunned, Logan struggled to come to terms with the hotheaded young woman before him. Incapable of even mouthing a single word, he eyed her, unsure of what to do.
Unfazed, Rogue spoke again. "Let me guess, your search to find your illustrious past went belly up and your leads went dry so you came back to get a little help from Mr. Wheels."
To say Logan was shell-shocked would have been a massive understatement. Finally finding his voice, he was able to muster, "That's only part, kid. I also came back to see you." Try as he might, the emotions in his eyes couldn't convince her.
Letting out a bitter laugh, she took a minute step forward, just enough for him to see the callousness in her eyes. "Like you said Logan. I've grown up. I'm not a kid anymore and I don't hold any delusions. Especially not enough to believe even for a moment that you came back to see me." Briskly she gave him the cold shoulder and started to dart away. Stopping at the base of the stairs she turned and snapped, "Cause if that were the case, it wouldn't have taken you this long."
If her attitude towards him hadn't dug a hole deep in his heart, her words as well as the sight of her back walking away from him did. His jaw hardened and his back stiffened. Something was more then a little off and he was on a mission to find out why.
"Logan, don't!" Jean snapped from her forgotten place beside him. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him back. "A lot has happened since you've been gone, especially for her. Give her some time to get used to the idea of having you back before you go off confronting her." Her voice carried a protective motherly power to it that Logan abruptly responded to.
She waited for him to nod his head before she left him standing, alone to muddle through the maze of thoughts in his head. Shaking his head in a vain attempt at clearing the fog, he muttered under his breath, "Welcome back Logan..."