Y'all know the dilly yo, that I don't own these characters, marvel or anything else. Sometimes I wish I did, but wishing ain't having… oh well. Y'all know the drill.. blah blah blah.
This story doesn't really fit in with the X-Men Evolution timeline at all nor would I try to make it to. However, in this story, Gambit was an acolyte, and Magneto disappeared. Oh yes, and the first meeting with Gambit and Rogue and the card and the whole media thing still happened. Oh, and Evan doesn't exist in this story or he's off with the morlocks because I don't really need a whole bunch of characters to incorporate into the story, since this is really a ROMY story. Everything else is all A/U but in a beautiful way. Enjoy!
Author's note: Re-posted this chapter, didn't change anything but some wrong tenses. I think I'm going crazy, but I really want to finish this story. Enjoy everyone and read and review s'il vous plait.
Somewhere I Belong
It was dark, it was cold, but yet the he still allowed the window to remained wide open as the chilled wind kept blowing in. He was lying on his bed, dressed only in a pair of boxers and a black t-shirt. Normally, for a warm-blooded Cajun like himself, he hated the cold and preferred only the warm humid air of the bayou. Yet, after today's event in the danger room, he didn't want to feel anymore and when one was without alcohol to numb the mind of feeling, he resorted to basically freezing himself for the desired emptiness.
His mind played over his loss in the day's training session with Rogue. He remembered that when he came to, she was already gone. He didn't know why she left and he had tried to find her and talk to her, but she was nowhere to be found. She didn't even show up for dinner.
He had a feeling that she found out more about him than she expected or that he desired. He just wanted to know how much she knew. It was one thing if he had told her about his past, but it was a completely different thing if she not only found out about his past, but also had to live through the pain he had went through. He knew that was how her powers worked. She did not only see into the other person's life and capture their powers, but she would forever have a piece of that person within her. That piece would always remind her of the pain and how it felt. It didn't just go away. It wasn't as simple as that.
The thing that bothered him the most wasn't the fact that she knew, but was the fact that because of him, she had to live through his pain. He didn't want to hurt Rogue. From their first meeting, something inside of him told him that he couldn't hurt her. As tough as she thought she was, he knew she was fragile and could break at any moment. Everyone else was just too damn stupid to notice. Not him though. He knew she was vulnerable and all she needed was a secured hand to hold from time to time. A strong shoulder to cry on and as much as he didn't want to be that person and as much as he fought the idea of being that person for her, something inside of him still persisted.
Something inside of him still wanted to protect her, no matter at what cost he had to pay.
-xoxo-
She walked along the dark hallways, barefooted and in her orange pajamas. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink and she knew it was three in the morning. Yet, she didn't care. She knew he wasn't sleeping. She could feel that he wasn't sleeping.
She stopped in her tracks as she realized that she had just felt another connection with him. She didn't want to feel that connection. But she couldn't help it. From the time she stepped foot out of that danger room, she had managed to avoid him for the whole day. For the rest of the day, she curled up in her bed and cried for him. When Kitty had come home from school, she pretended she had a headache and was catching some sleep. That was a good enough excuse for Kitty to not pester her.
All of a sudden, his memories resurfaced again.
Bella.
Jean-Luc.
'I hate you.'
'It was a mistake t'take y'in.'
'You don't have a home here anymore.'
She placed both her hands on her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "Go away, please go away." She chanted to herself softly as she collapsed by the side of the wall.
Then her memories resurfaced.
'Momma, please be okay. Please.' She pleaded to her dying mother.
Then, her father slapped her across the face.
His rough hands grabbed her shirt and threw her out.
'Don't come back, girl, or y'll be sorry!'
"Ah can't take this. Ah can't." She muttered as she tried desperately to block the memories. The pain was too great.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Then the pain disappeared as if it was never there in the first place. She looked up and met his eyes.
"It's gonna be okay, chere."
-xoxo-
The window was closed and the warmth returned to the room. Rogue was lying on his bed and he sat beside her, focused on her face and was making sure she was indeed okay. Normally, she would feel uncomfortable by the way he was looking at her. It still felt as if he was staring straight into her and he saw past the mask. Yet, this time, it was almost soothing that she didn't have to pretend. It was so tiresome to pretend all the time.
"Rogue, y'okay?" He asked her quietly.
"Ah think the question is whether or not y're okay." She replied softly.
"When am I not?" He tried to say lightly.
She didn't buy it though and as much as she didn't want to ask, she still did. "Remy, seriously, are ya okay?"
His expression grew darker and he turned away from her. He didn't want to confide in her. He didn't want to trust her. He didn't ever want to trust another person again.
"Why would y'care? Y'know y'don't want t'. Remember, chere, y'hate me." He answered bitterly.
Rogue was surprised at his answer. The truth was she didn't hate him, she never hated him. No matter how bad she wanted to hate him, she couldn't. Yet, his words stung and the mask came back on quickly. She got up and off the bed. She walked towards the door.
Before she left, she said to him, "Ah'm sorry ah asked."
As the door shut behind him, he whispered, "I'm sorry too."
-xoxo-
The week rolled by as the Christmas festivities continued at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted Youngsters. It seemed as if everyone was getting into the holiday spirit.
Well, everyone except for Rogue.
She sighed as she looked out the window at the new mutants engaged in a snowball fight. Christmas was a time of coming together with one's family, something that Rogue didn't have. So, Christmas was just another reminder of how alone she was in the world and how she would always remain alone.
"Earth to Rogue!" Kitty Pryde's voice cried.
Rogue whipped her attention back to the teenage mutant. "What?"
"Like were you even like listening to me?" The annoyed teen asked.
"Sorry. What were ya saying?" Rogue asked her. Most of the time, Rogue would have snapped at Kitty, but that would take too much effort on her part and simply she didn't have the energy.
"So, I was like saying that Lance like totally loved his present. I'm so going to miss him, y'know? But I can't wait to see my mom and dad. It's been like forever. You sure you don't want to come home with me? My mom makes the best turkey and cranberry sauce!" The perky Kitty tried to convince Rogue.
Another invitation to another person's family for Christmas, which meant another reminder that she would never have somewhere she belonged, she thought to herself. She put on a small smile for Kitty, and said, "No thanks, Kitty. Ah just wanna stay here for the holidays. Ah mean a chance to have some quietness in this big busy mansion don't come along very often, right?"
Kitty thought about her excuse for a split second but she knew Rogue liked her privacy so that answer was a legit one to her. "That's true. Oh well, at least you'll like have the Professor and Mr. McCoy around. Not to mention, Remy. Like he just totally gets hotter by the second it seems." Kitty remarked as a dreamy gaze came over.
Rogue rolled her eyes at the comment. She definitely did not want to spend the holidays with Remy. The idea almost made her reconsider Kitty and Kurt's invitation. Since that night in his room, they have both gone back to bickering and exchanging sarcastic comments to each other. It was as if they both had managed to wipe out that day in the danger room session from their minds. Both knew it was a game, but both were willing to play that game.
It was safe that way.
"We ain't gonna talk about that again. He ain't hot." Rogue retorted.
"Whatever, Rogue. Y'know like he totally is. I don't like get you. He totally like likes you, y'know." Kitty commented.
"He does not! Do we not argue enough for all of you to see that we totally despise each other?!?" Rogue exclaimed.
"Right… It's probably just like some unresolved sexual tension between you two." Kitty huffed.
Suddenly, Kitty was hit in the face with a pillow.
"HEY!" Kitty yelled as she threw the pillow back at Rogue. Rogue dodged the flying pillow and the pillow hit the wall instead.
"What was that for?" Kitty asked although she knew why.
"For being disgustin' and suggestin' Remy and ah have unresolved sexual tension. Ya know ah hate it when ya talk about me like that? It hurts. Ya know ah can't ever touch anyone and not saying ah wanna touch that swamp rat, but it's like ya just remind me that ah can't ever touch anyone." Rogue responded honestly for the first time to Kitty.
Kitty's eyes widened with surprise. She had never seen Rogue be so truthful with her.
"Oh. I'm like totally sorry then. No more mention of Remy. Anywho, did you get Bobby a present yet? The gift exchange is like after dinner." Kitty said and successfully changed the subject.
"Ah know. Ah got him something. Hopefully he'll like it. If not, too bad." Rogue commented and was glad that Kitty changed the subject.
"Speaking of dinner, let's head down now. It's like going to start soon. C'mon!" Kitty said and jumped off her bed. She grabbed Rogue's arm and dragged her out of the room.
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