Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 16
Chapter 4: The Double Date
"They're late," Remy LeBeau stated unhappily as he glanced at down at an old watch he'd found in the attic that had belonged to him several years earlier. At the last minute, there'd been chaos at the Mansion near the time of getting ready to leave, and Rogue and Kitty, being instructors themselves, had to stay back to handle it. "What exactly happened, anyway?" he asked of Piotr, he lit another cigarette, his fourth since being seated in the restaurant.
"One of the new students powers went completely out of control…and three others were 'being boys' I believe Kitty stated – that could only mean they were being insolent and breaking things I imagine."
"We could have helped," Remy responded, "he took a sip of his vodka drink he'd ordered at the bar, it had been his second drink since arriving. Piotr was still nursing a very weak cocktail.
"Kitty assured me she and Rogue would be perfectly capable of handling it," Piotr responded, "besides…as instructors they have to show they're capable otherwise…the children will have the rule of the roost. They need to show who has the upper hand."
"In a mansion full of rowdy teenagers, I can only imagine who has the upper hand and I doubt it's Rogue OR Kitty," Remy took a long drag of his cigarette.
"Ah, here they are now…"
Remy and Piotr both stood to greet Kitty Pryde and Rogue who had just come through the door. Kitty was wearing a deep pink mini dress, the colour seemed to bring out the blue in her eyes. Her hair was pinned back fashionably. Rogue seemed more conservative, she was wearing a dark grey pinstriped suit, the pants slightly flared. Remy could see the collar of a white shirt beneath. Still, as conservative as she was, she looked attractive. Her hair was pulled up in a taut bun, except for a few locks of her white streaks which hung over the sides of her face.
"Hey," Rogue said, she smiled, "damn kids nearly killed us all…" she gave a soft laugh, "sorry to have taken so long…" she reached out to take Remy's hands as he greeted her. Her hands were clad in satin white gloves.
"You got rid of the bruises and swelling, then?" Remy asked, noticing the black eye had gone. Her face was clear, complexion fair and tanned, her eyes shadeded in a soft smokey grey that made her eyes seem slightly brighter. Her lips were a deep rose pink, and smiling.
"Logan insisted. Said I couldn't go to a date looking like Mike Tyson just beat me up," Rogue glanced over to Kitty and Piotr who were speaking in low voices too inaudible to hear. She noticed how their bare hands touched, and how he kissed her cheek. She felt a blush creep upon her face and she turned away.
Remy pulled her chair out for her, "you look great."
"I feel like I just got out of a business meeting," Rogue rolled her eyes, "the dress I had started out wearing got burned by one of the new students powers…I could have killed him."
Remy smirked, "Nonetheless, you look nice. Never seen you looking so conservative. It's kind of…sexy."
Rogue blushed, she almost felt like she was sixteen hearing her first compliments again. "Thanks."
The four got through dinner together, chattering excitedly and drinking merrily. Remy seemed to occasionally forget his troubles for the night, and lost himself in the laughter but every now and then, he'd be caught glancing at Rogue in an almost forlorn way, as if he thought she'd reject him, or almost as if their reconciliation had hardly taken place at all and he was still waiting for the right moment. Rogue hadn't noticed these looks at all, but Kitty had, and she wished there was something she could do about it.
"Hey, Pete," Kitty tapped Piotr's arm tenderly while they were waiting for their desert to be delivered, "let's go dance, I love this song," she said enthusiastically. Some older Whitney Houston song was playing over the dance floor several feet away and a few couples were swaying across the dance floor dappled in the coloured lights from the mirrorball.
Piotr complied, the two disappeared off to the dance floor to dance.
Rogue took a sip of her wine watching the two swaying across the dance floor. Kitty seemed childlike compared to him and his incredible height. It made Rogue smirk a bit. "They're hardly a match, are they?"
Remy downed his wine, "like we ever were," he said, downcast.
"Does being a match really have to count at all?" Rogue asked.
Remy picked up the bottle and poured himself another glass, and topped her glass up, "women like to think it does."
"I don't," Rogue stated, she sipped her wine, watching Remy down the next glass. She noticed he'd been drinking heavily all evening, but couldn't really find it in herself to bring it up. It was a Friday night, and it was a date, and it certainly wasn't like she hadn't ever drank heavily herself during a weekend out with her friends.
Dessert arrived at that moment, and Rogue was thankful because she'd felt almost as if they'd run out of things to talk about and at least dessert brought up a new subject.
"What's that you've ordered?" Remy asked, looking at her dessert glass of a strange gooey white looking stuff. He was sitting right next to her, and had a good view of whatever was in that dessert glass, it didn't look very appetising.
"White chocolate mousse," Rogue responded, "I don't usually like white chocolate, but I figured it was worth a try," she took a spoonful and put it in her mouth. Feeling a little woozy from all the wine, she accidentally dropped the spoon to the floor, and she leaned over Remy's lap to pick it up just as Kitty and Piotr were returning from the dance floor.
Kitty gave Rogue a strange glance as Rogue leaned up, she said nothing, although it had looked remotely suspicious. She simply took a bite of her lemon cheesecake, and began to chew.
"This tastes disgusting," Rogue made a face, referring to the mousse she'd put in her mouth before dropping the spoon.
"So don't swallow it," Remy responded lightly, taking a bite of his chocolate gateaux ever so nonchalantly.
Kitty, who'd been in the middle of eating her cheesecake, nearly choked when Rogue spat out the white goo onto the red napkin that had been on the table.
Piotr turned his face to wretch, "I hope that is NOT what I thought it was!" he remarked, his face turning bright red.
"White chocolate mousse…" Rogue trailed off, looking confused.
Remy, taking another bite, remarked, "didn't taste salty, did it?"
"No, it tasted like...creme fresh or something…but with too much sugar," Rogue said, not realising the indication of what he was implying.
Kitty burst out laughing, "Oh my god…that is so disgusting," she kicked Remy under the table, "I'm never eating with you again."
"I should hope not. You spat cheesecake everywhere when she spit the goo onto the napkin," Remy wiped his face, his tone had grown increasingly slurred, his accent thickened and his eyes grew a little lazier.
Rogue watched Remy pour himself yet another glass and down the contents in seconds. She hadn't been counting, what was this, his seventh glass? Surely not…
Kitty gave Rogue a strange look, but Rogue said nothing and looked down.
"I'm gonna go take a leak," Remy stood up, "when I get back, wanna go for a walk or somethin'?" He asked, noticing Kitty and Piotr making eyes at each other again. He only wished things were as well between him and Rogue.
"Okay," Rogue nodded, she took a bite of his chocolate gateaux since he seemed to be finished with it. She watched him leave, she could see a slight sway in the way he was walking.
"Rogue, why did you let him drink like that?" Kitty asked.
"He's a grown man, what do you think I can just tell him how to live?" Rogue demanded in a low tone.
"How many drinks has he had?" Piotr asked.
"About seven glasses of wine."
"Not including the two long vodkas he had before the meal while we were waiting for you girls to arrive," Piotr added, his cornflower blue eyes squinting in suspicion at this. He found himself pondering if Remy might be an alcoholic.
"And then with the starter there was the cocktail ordered but didn't like that he drank," Kitty reminded. "Reminds me of the four days after the trial he was drinking heavily like that all the time…beer everywhere, cans floating in the lake, you name it," she chewed her lip.
Rogue sighed, "It's probably nothing. I've drank heavily on the odd occasion. We're meant to be celebrating. People drink like mad during a celebration, right?"
Kitty nodded, "Yeah, that's probably all it is. But hey, I mean, we should give the guy a break, he's had it rough lately...maybe he just wants to cut loose for one night…how OFTEN have we REALLY seen Remy drunk?"
Rogue thought back, "I can't really think of a particular incident at all that he's been well and truly hammered. Once he faked being totally drunk, but…that's it. I was the one always getting drunk back in the day."
Kitty smirked, "yeah, not much changes," she joked, watching Rogue sip her own wine.
Rogue grinned, "old habits die hard," she stood up as she saw Remy approaching, swaggering slightly, he smiled a little.
Remy approached, took money out of his wallet and dropped it on the table. "That should cover our half of the bill, and the tips," he said, "see you two later," he put his arm around Rogue's shoulder. They said their goodbyes and left the restaurant together.
Rogue rested her head against his shoulder as they walked, Remy was quiet, reflective, he walked with one hand in the pocket of his black pants, his hair fell slightly over his eyes hiding how glazed they were. Despite Rogue's concern over the amount he'd drank, she told herself it was fine. As long as they were together, they could handle anything.