NOTE: oh my god.I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated. I'm
guilty.I don't know what's wrong with me. But I think Organic Chem is
sucking all my creative juices out, so if these chapters majorly suck, you
guys know who to blame. I can't promise much, but I promise to update more
regularly, basically this past month was Midterm Month...or what we college
students like to call Kiss Sleep Goodbye Month..add to the fact that I have
the most obnoxious assortment of braindead frat boys living next door to
me, and you can see why I couldn't seem to finish the chapters. Sigh..well,
the good news is, this story is slowly coming to a close. I think there
will be only about 5 or 6 chapters left, sniff..I promise to do the ending
justice, seeing as how I've made you all wait for so long! Anyway, thanks
to everyone who was SO patient and wonderful, you guys are the best. Please
review even though I don't deserve it! Thanks!
Another thrilling day of school finished, Rogue thought sourly as she put her books into her backpack. Her literature teacher Miss Andrews had asked her to stay afterwards and ask her about the "disturbing" nature of the poems she'd written last week. And after spending about ten minutes convincing the bubbly well-intentioned teacher that she ~wasn't~ suicidal, just angry, it had already been 3:15. No doubt, Kitty and all the others had tired of waiting for her, leaving her without a ride.
Great, Rogue thought, hoisting her heavy backpack onto her shoulders. Well, it was just as well that she had to walk home, it would give her some time to think. Think about why a guy she hardly knew anything about, and who annoyed her far more than anyone she'd ever met, continued to invade her thoughts. He hadn't been in French that morning, and Rogue briefly wondered if he had gone off on his motorcycle. Maybe he'd went to have lunch at the same diner..Maybe he was even having lunch with that waitress April. Rogue nearly choked on her gum when she realized with a start that she had actually been so absent minded that she'd wandered into the parking lot. A strange pang of disappointment hit her as she viewed the empty spaces. This is pathetic, you're checking to see if his bike is still there, an annoying voice in her head said. Rogue scowled. "Ah could care less where he is. With any luck, he's eloped with that ditz of a waitress and they're in Vegas right now," Rogue muttered out loud.
The sound of an engine turning off made Rogue's head jerk up quickly. Scott's cherry red convertible crept carefully into a space, and the leader of the X-men got out. Rogue's mouth fell open as Scott smiled at her.
It was a few seconds before she could speak again. "Uh..Scott, what are you doing here? Ah thought you an' the others would've left by now," Rogue said slowly. Scott shrugged.
"I dropped them off at the institute. And it's too hot for you to walk home so I thought I'd come back," Scott explained, and he grinned suddenly at her. Rogue just stared at him, the twilight zone feeling from last night enveloping her again. It was rare to see Scott grin like that, and even rarer for him to grin at ~her~. Usually, the only thing that makes him that happy is Jean winning another MVP award or Logan assigning another Danger Room session, Rogue thought wryly, still staring at the convertible in silence.
"Uh, well.that.that's um, really nice of you, Scott," Rogue said, stumbling over her words. Great. My crush is giving me a ride home and it's just the two of us, and ah'm stuttering, Rogue thought wincing as she slid into the passenger seat. Nervousness hit her as soon as Scott began driving. Silence. Crickets chirped somewhere. Say something, Rogue yelled silently at herself. "Um.I don't think I've ever been in the front seat before," Rogue ventured, and instantly cursed herself. Brilliant Rogue, just brilliant. You're really blowing him away with your witty conversation, Rogue thought exasperated, leaning back into the soft leather interior.
But Scott favored her with a genuine smile. "Well, maybe you'll see it more often now. I don't think we've really spent enough time together," Scott said, looking at her with a sideways glance.
"What?" Rogue asked, knowing she must look incredulous. And how could she be anything but? The boy she'd been so convinced was out of her league was finally..~finally~ noticing her. And it seemed to have happened overnight. So why wasn't she taking advantage of it? She ~still~ didn't have a date for the Turn Around Prom. This opportunity will whiz right past you if you don't do something fast, Rogue chided herself. But the words would not come out, because try as she might, her thoughts were occupied elsewhere.
"So I was wondering what you do after school..I mean, besides the Danger Room, what do you do?" Scott asked, flashing her yet another questioning look. He was actually interested, Rogue marveled.
"I.I listen to music, or I do homework. What do you do?" Rogue asked him politely, while brushing away a stray auburn curl that fell over her eyes.
"Well, I do homework too, or I hang out with Jean..I haven't done much of that lately though," Scott muttered, but gave Rogue an encouraging smile as if trying to convince her that Jean was the last thing on his mind. It would've been sweet had it been the truth, Rogue thought wryly as she observed Scott's eyes fall on one of Jean's forgotten scrunchies thrown near her feet.
By the time they had gotten to the institute, Rogue was puzzled at how relieved she was to get out of the car. Scott had been attentive and had given her all the encouragement anyone would need to ask him to prom. But she hadn't done it. Hadn't even tried to steer the conversation in the right direction. This time it's totally your fault if you wind up staying at home, Rogue scolded herself as she followed Scott in past the two thick oak doors.
Jean was walking down the stairs at that precise moment and did a double take when she saw them. She greeted Rogue in her usual friendly manner but a hesitant smile hovered on her lips when Scott crossed in front of her. "Um.Scott, can I talk to you." Scott stopped reluctantly for a second, and after a second, gazed coolly at Jean.
"Actually, I'm busy. Sorry," Scott said briefly. The smile dropped off of Jean's face instantly and Rogue looked down, feeling unbelievably overwhelmed. Scott was passing up a chance to be with Jean..for her? She couldn't believe it. "Come on, Rogue. I wanna ask you something," Scott said smoothly. "Maybe we'll talk later, Jean."
"Only if you think you can spare the time, oh Great One," Jean said angrily, and brushed past him, her eyes flashing. Scott stared after her perturbed, but turned to Rogue after a few seconds, and smiled.
"Um..what'd you need to talk to me about, Scott?" Rogue asked self- consciously, following him upstairs.
Scott ran a hand through his neatly trimmed hair, looking a little uneasy but determined. He opened his mouth once, but he closed it abruptly, and began tapping his foot. Rogue watched him in bewilderment. "I just-, I wanted to ask you-," Scott began in a rush, but stopped when Remy suddenly strode out into the hallway, wearing only a pair of jeans, no shirt, and wet hair; evidence of a very recent shower.
It was odd how Remy's presence seemed to fill the entire room. He stood a few inches over even Scott as he gave them both an all-knowing smirk. "Don't mind me, Remy jus' need t'borrow a towel." Rogue was finding it hard to force the oxygen into her lungs. For a few seconds, both her and Scott could only gape as the tall Cajun slid between them and opened up the linen closet.
Scott recovered first. "Uh.well, as I was saying..Rogue, do you maybe- ," Scott paused again, and frowned pointedly at Remy, as if waiting for him to leave before he continued. Rogue bit her lip with irritation, and narrowed her green eyes at Remy, signaling him to leave. But Remy flashed her an amused glance, and made no motion to go anywhere. Rogue gritted her teeth. At this rate, she'd never get to hear what Scott wanted to tell her!
"What's wrong, can't find a towel?" Scott asked tersely.
"Mmm, can't seem to find the ~right~ towel," Remy responded casually, and made a big show of going through the entire cabinet. Slowly. Towel by towel. Scott crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, let me help you!" Rogue retorted, losing her patience and threw a large green beach towel at him. Remy caught it deftly with one hand, and grinned at the way Rogue's cheeks began flushing brightly. Stop it, Rogue yelled at herself, hating how her eyes kept drifting over his chest as if they had a mind of their own.
"Why, thank you chere. Dis seems to be the right one after all," Remy quipped.
"Wonderful, so I guess that means you can go back to your hovel," Rogue said impatiently. Remy merely smiled enigmatically and began unfolding the towel.
"What do you think you're doing?" Scott demanded, looking irritated by the Cajun's presence.
"Calm down homme, I'm jus' drying off," Remy replied smoothly, and with deliberate slowness draped the towel around his broad shoulders. Rogue felt her face flame with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"You can't do that here in the hallway," Scott said sternly to Remy, frowning as he glanced at Rogue, who now had her head buried in her hands with frustration.
"Why not?"
"Because-because it's ~indecent~, that's why!" Rogue snapped.
"Didn't know you were looking, chere. Might have put on more of a show," Remy teased huskily. Rogue cast a mortified glance at Scott who looked both embarrassed and irritated.
"I think I'll talk to you later, Rogue," Scott said finally, and stalked off with one final suspicious glare at Remy.
Rogue watched Scott go helplessly and then whirled back to face Remy. "Well, thank you! I hope you're happy!" Rogue said, throwing up her hands.
Remy just gazed at her innocently. "Why, p'tite, I don' know what you mean. I was jus' goin' 'bout my own business-,"
"That's bull and you know it!" Rogue said hotly, cutting him off. "Thanks to you, Scott nevah got around to telling me what he wanted to. It could have been something important."
"Mmm, dat is a shame," Remy said seriously, but the laughter in his gleaming scarlet eyes gave him away. Rogue glowered openly at him.
"Why don't you put something on before you traumatize anyone else," Rogue muttered.
"Does it bother you?" Remy asked her, one eyebrow arched. Rogue would've died before she admitted that she was finding it hard to look away, or even breathe. He was potent, Rogue thought, shivering.
"Please, ah'm just concerned about the welfare of those unfortunate to look at that-, that-," Rogue paused, catching herself before she let the words "sculpted rippling chest" slip out.
"That?" Remy prompted with amusement apparent in every feature of his face.
"Eyesore," Rogue finished triumphantly, but if Remy was aware of how badly she was lying he didn't let on but merely smiled at her.
"Well, chere, y'got a point dere. I don' wan't anyone but you to see dis "eyesore," Remy said, winking at her. Rogue felt a warm, burning flush heat her neck and face.
"Dream on, Cajun."
"I think I will, p'tite," Remy whispered softly, and reached out one index finger to tuck a stray auburn curl behind her ear, before disappearing back into his room.
Rogue stared after him, her emotions once again in a mess. "What is he doin' to me?" Rogue whispered to herself, and retreated down the hallway slowly.
Another thrilling day of school finished, Rogue thought sourly as she put her books into her backpack. Her literature teacher Miss Andrews had asked her to stay afterwards and ask her about the "disturbing" nature of the poems she'd written last week. And after spending about ten minutes convincing the bubbly well-intentioned teacher that she ~wasn't~ suicidal, just angry, it had already been 3:15. No doubt, Kitty and all the others had tired of waiting for her, leaving her without a ride.
Great, Rogue thought, hoisting her heavy backpack onto her shoulders. Well, it was just as well that she had to walk home, it would give her some time to think. Think about why a guy she hardly knew anything about, and who annoyed her far more than anyone she'd ever met, continued to invade her thoughts. He hadn't been in French that morning, and Rogue briefly wondered if he had gone off on his motorcycle. Maybe he'd went to have lunch at the same diner..Maybe he was even having lunch with that waitress April. Rogue nearly choked on her gum when she realized with a start that she had actually been so absent minded that she'd wandered into the parking lot. A strange pang of disappointment hit her as she viewed the empty spaces. This is pathetic, you're checking to see if his bike is still there, an annoying voice in her head said. Rogue scowled. "Ah could care less where he is. With any luck, he's eloped with that ditz of a waitress and they're in Vegas right now," Rogue muttered out loud.
The sound of an engine turning off made Rogue's head jerk up quickly. Scott's cherry red convertible crept carefully into a space, and the leader of the X-men got out. Rogue's mouth fell open as Scott smiled at her.
It was a few seconds before she could speak again. "Uh..Scott, what are you doing here? Ah thought you an' the others would've left by now," Rogue said slowly. Scott shrugged.
"I dropped them off at the institute. And it's too hot for you to walk home so I thought I'd come back," Scott explained, and he grinned suddenly at her. Rogue just stared at him, the twilight zone feeling from last night enveloping her again. It was rare to see Scott grin like that, and even rarer for him to grin at ~her~. Usually, the only thing that makes him that happy is Jean winning another MVP award or Logan assigning another Danger Room session, Rogue thought wryly, still staring at the convertible in silence.
"Uh, well.that.that's um, really nice of you, Scott," Rogue said, stumbling over her words. Great. My crush is giving me a ride home and it's just the two of us, and ah'm stuttering, Rogue thought wincing as she slid into the passenger seat. Nervousness hit her as soon as Scott began driving. Silence. Crickets chirped somewhere. Say something, Rogue yelled silently at herself. "Um.I don't think I've ever been in the front seat before," Rogue ventured, and instantly cursed herself. Brilliant Rogue, just brilliant. You're really blowing him away with your witty conversation, Rogue thought exasperated, leaning back into the soft leather interior.
But Scott favored her with a genuine smile. "Well, maybe you'll see it more often now. I don't think we've really spent enough time together," Scott said, looking at her with a sideways glance.
"What?" Rogue asked, knowing she must look incredulous. And how could she be anything but? The boy she'd been so convinced was out of her league was finally..~finally~ noticing her. And it seemed to have happened overnight. So why wasn't she taking advantage of it? She ~still~ didn't have a date for the Turn Around Prom. This opportunity will whiz right past you if you don't do something fast, Rogue chided herself. But the words would not come out, because try as she might, her thoughts were occupied elsewhere.
"So I was wondering what you do after school..I mean, besides the Danger Room, what do you do?" Scott asked, flashing her yet another questioning look. He was actually interested, Rogue marveled.
"I.I listen to music, or I do homework. What do you do?" Rogue asked him politely, while brushing away a stray auburn curl that fell over her eyes.
"Well, I do homework too, or I hang out with Jean..I haven't done much of that lately though," Scott muttered, but gave Rogue an encouraging smile as if trying to convince her that Jean was the last thing on his mind. It would've been sweet had it been the truth, Rogue thought wryly as she observed Scott's eyes fall on one of Jean's forgotten scrunchies thrown near her feet.
By the time they had gotten to the institute, Rogue was puzzled at how relieved she was to get out of the car. Scott had been attentive and had given her all the encouragement anyone would need to ask him to prom. But she hadn't done it. Hadn't even tried to steer the conversation in the right direction. This time it's totally your fault if you wind up staying at home, Rogue scolded herself as she followed Scott in past the two thick oak doors.
Jean was walking down the stairs at that precise moment and did a double take when she saw them. She greeted Rogue in her usual friendly manner but a hesitant smile hovered on her lips when Scott crossed in front of her. "Um.Scott, can I talk to you." Scott stopped reluctantly for a second, and after a second, gazed coolly at Jean.
"Actually, I'm busy. Sorry," Scott said briefly. The smile dropped off of Jean's face instantly and Rogue looked down, feeling unbelievably overwhelmed. Scott was passing up a chance to be with Jean..for her? She couldn't believe it. "Come on, Rogue. I wanna ask you something," Scott said smoothly. "Maybe we'll talk later, Jean."
"Only if you think you can spare the time, oh Great One," Jean said angrily, and brushed past him, her eyes flashing. Scott stared after her perturbed, but turned to Rogue after a few seconds, and smiled.
"Um..what'd you need to talk to me about, Scott?" Rogue asked self- consciously, following him upstairs.
Scott ran a hand through his neatly trimmed hair, looking a little uneasy but determined. He opened his mouth once, but he closed it abruptly, and began tapping his foot. Rogue watched him in bewilderment. "I just-, I wanted to ask you-," Scott began in a rush, but stopped when Remy suddenly strode out into the hallway, wearing only a pair of jeans, no shirt, and wet hair; evidence of a very recent shower.
It was odd how Remy's presence seemed to fill the entire room. He stood a few inches over even Scott as he gave them both an all-knowing smirk. "Don't mind me, Remy jus' need t'borrow a towel." Rogue was finding it hard to force the oxygen into her lungs. For a few seconds, both her and Scott could only gape as the tall Cajun slid between them and opened up the linen closet.
Scott recovered first. "Uh.well, as I was saying..Rogue, do you maybe- ," Scott paused again, and frowned pointedly at Remy, as if waiting for him to leave before he continued. Rogue bit her lip with irritation, and narrowed her green eyes at Remy, signaling him to leave. But Remy flashed her an amused glance, and made no motion to go anywhere. Rogue gritted her teeth. At this rate, she'd never get to hear what Scott wanted to tell her!
"What's wrong, can't find a towel?" Scott asked tersely.
"Mmm, can't seem to find the ~right~ towel," Remy responded casually, and made a big show of going through the entire cabinet. Slowly. Towel by towel. Scott crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, let me help you!" Rogue retorted, losing her patience and threw a large green beach towel at him. Remy caught it deftly with one hand, and grinned at the way Rogue's cheeks began flushing brightly. Stop it, Rogue yelled at herself, hating how her eyes kept drifting over his chest as if they had a mind of their own.
"Why, thank you chere. Dis seems to be the right one after all," Remy quipped.
"Wonderful, so I guess that means you can go back to your hovel," Rogue said impatiently. Remy merely smiled enigmatically and began unfolding the towel.
"What do you think you're doing?" Scott demanded, looking irritated by the Cajun's presence.
"Calm down homme, I'm jus' drying off," Remy replied smoothly, and with deliberate slowness draped the towel around his broad shoulders. Rogue felt her face flame with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"You can't do that here in the hallway," Scott said sternly to Remy, frowning as he glanced at Rogue, who now had her head buried in her hands with frustration.
"Why not?"
"Because-because it's ~indecent~, that's why!" Rogue snapped.
"Didn't know you were looking, chere. Might have put on more of a show," Remy teased huskily. Rogue cast a mortified glance at Scott who looked both embarrassed and irritated.
"I think I'll talk to you later, Rogue," Scott said finally, and stalked off with one final suspicious glare at Remy.
Rogue watched Scott go helplessly and then whirled back to face Remy. "Well, thank you! I hope you're happy!" Rogue said, throwing up her hands.
Remy just gazed at her innocently. "Why, p'tite, I don' know what you mean. I was jus' goin' 'bout my own business-,"
"That's bull and you know it!" Rogue said hotly, cutting him off. "Thanks to you, Scott nevah got around to telling me what he wanted to. It could have been something important."
"Mmm, dat is a shame," Remy said seriously, but the laughter in his gleaming scarlet eyes gave him away. Rogue glowered openly at him.
"Why don't you put something on before you traumatize anyone else," Rogue muttered.
"Does it bother you?" Remy asked her, one eyebrow arched. Rogue would've died before she admitted that she was finding it hard to look away, or even breathe. He was potent, Rogue thought, shivering.
"Please, ah'm just concerned about the welfare of those unfortunate to look at that-, that-," Rogue paused, catching herself before she let the words "sculpted rippling chest" slip out.
"That?" Remy prompted with amusement apparent in every feature of his face.
"Eyesore," Rogue finished triumphantly, but if Remy was aware of how badly she was lying he didn't let on but merely smiled at her.
"Well, chere, y'got a point dere. I don' wan't anyone but you to see dis "eyesore," Remy said, winking at her. Rogue felt a warm, burning flush heat her neck and face.
"Dream on, Cajun."
"I think I will, p'tite," Remy whispered softly, and reached out one index finger to tuck a stray auburn curl behind her ear, before disappearing back into his room.
Rogue stared after him, her emotions once again in a mess. "What is he doin' to me?" Rogue whispered to herself, and retreated down the hallway slowly.