Disclaimer: I wish. But I don't, so with much hardship I admit I don't own
anything remotely that I write about.
A/N: Soooo, who knows how to keep italics and bold type when they upload their chapters? All raise your hands and then ya can help me, yes? PLEASE! The mysteries of computers are beyond me. Small town country hick. Well not quite but anyways.I'd be very grateful if someone could help me. Thank-you.
Lyrics do not belong to me. They're sole property of Our Lady Peace. I also don't own John Milton's Paradise Lost. Would I be working if I did??
Chapter Ten
'It's not your fault it gets this hard. Hold your head high, Don't look down, I'm by your side, I won't back down. You wanted a hero tonight, Well I'm not made of steel, but your secrets safe with me. They knock you down, I'll pick you up. They laugh at you, I'll shut them up. You secrets safe with me.'
"Rogue?"
"Rogue!"
The so named sat up, looking around wildly. "What? What!" She spotted John leaning against the table opposite, a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong John?"
"You fell asleep at the table. Remy and I were looking for you, we couldn't find you." He shook his head at her. "How could you fall asleep at the table?"
She frowned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Ah was tired after last night and Ah was waiting for your class tah finish."
At the mention of the class Johns concerned look disappeared, replaced by a smirk. Rogue started feeling worried. "Yah're goin' tah show me those stories aren't yah?"
John held up a bundle of papers. "What, you mean these papers?" He waved them around in front of her, watching as her eyes followed them around. Rogue started up from her chair, leaning over the table to snatch at them.
John yanked them back, "Now, now Rogue, that's no way to go about getting what you want. Didn't your mama ever teach you to give before you take? That to give is better than to receive?" He raised an eyebrow, a predatory gleam in his eye.
Rogue stepped back. "That works for yah too, sugah."
"Yeah, but I've got what you want."
Rogue ignored the innuendo. "There's nothing Ah'm willing tah give that yah'd want, just for some stories."
John smiled, confident. "Ahh, but there is one thing."
"What?"
"You know what."
Rogue scowled, upset. "Ah can't do that John. Yah know ah can't. It's not fair tah you. It's not fair tah me."
John's expression darkened. The comfortable, teasing air surrounding them dissipated, leaving them wrapped in tension and hushed, unresolved emotions.
Rogue was staring at John, her hands gripping the back of her chair so hard they mottled. She stared, willing him to understand.
John snapped first. He spoke, hard steel edging his words, "I think it's up to me to decide what's fair or not in my life. I don't care that you think your skin is a problem. I could prove you wrong if you'd just give me a chance. But you won't will you, Rogue? You won't give anyone a chance. You rather run away."
Every word stung a thousand times over. She gasped; blinked. John simply stared his jaw set, unrepentant.
"I've waited Rogue. Waited a long time. Watched you get friendly with Bobby. Watched as you put him in the 'friends' category where we all seem to reside. I thought if I was persistent enough, you'd cave. But no. You've had fun, but you don't want to take it any further. You're scared."
Anger flowered and her blood started to pound and flow again. She grit her teeth and retaliated sharply, "And Ah have every right tah be John. Don' yah get it? She flung her hands in the air and paced a few steps. She turned back, "Ah could KILL yah. It would take two minutes, maybe less. And ah'd never get over it. Ah've had tah resolve myself tah never touch anyone. EVER. Never tah know the feel of touch and love. How do yah think that felt for me? Huh? Imagine..No, yah can't even begin tah imagine it. And then yah come along and expect me tah put it all behind me just like that? Ah CAN'T! Yah've got no idea how many times Ah've put mah hand out tah touch yah and had to pull it back. DO YAH HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THAT FEELS?"
John shook his head as he stared at the tragic despair filling her face. She was trembling, a shade whiter than pale and her eyes were empty, glittering.
He shook his head again. He had to try to make her understand. "Rogue, your fear is stopping you from touching at ALL. Didn't tests show that you could touch for up to a minute before your powers set in?" She nodded and started to protest, he talked over her, "There's plenty of touch that can happen in under a minute. And no, not all sexual. I saw that look." She snorted. "So, Rogue if you wanted you could touch people. But what you're saying in reality, is that no touch is better than limited amounts of it. And if that's really the case, then alright," he shrugged, "I'll leave you alone. I'll be John, your amusing friend. But, if not, then I volunteer to teach you how to touch." He finished with a wicked grin.
Rogue frowned, opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. She cocked her head at him. "Say that again."
"What?"
"The bit about no touch."
"Wha.oh. That you'd rather no touch at all than limited touch. Sort of like it's better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven."
She frowned not getting the connection. He waved his hands dismissing it.
"So what you say?"
She rubbed her forehead and spoke slowly. "You're saying that ah was isolating myself and not letting myself touch because ah was afraid, even though it is possible for me tah touch. John, ah could hurt someone."
He smiled. "Well we'll take it slow. Just let me touch you. Please. The first thing you have to learn is not to flinch away when people reach out to you."
"How do yah even know ah like yah that way?" She sent him a challenging look.
He smirked. "Well, if you don't you'll just have to let me persuade you."
He clasped her gloved wrist and gently tugged her towards him. He went to grasp her chin but stopped when she jerked back. "No gloves." He nodded and ran his hand over her hair.
"Not that bad, is it?"
She murmured indistinctly in reply. He let go of her wrist and slipped an arm around her waist pulling her up against him. She buried her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head smiling gently. She wound her arms around his waist and clutched him. She spotted the papers on the counter behind him and grinned. She stepped back from his arms and with a sly smile shoved him until he was leaning against the counter.
"Ooh, Rogueys getting rough. I like it." John smirked as she stepped back to him. Once again wrapped in each other arms he tipped his head down towards hers, as she slid her hand toward the bundle of stories. His lips were a breath away from hers as her fingers were a touch away from the papers when Remy barged into the room, not looking.
"C'mon homme, it can't hav' taken y' dat long t' find de fille. De prof.oh."
Remy stopped abruptly as he took in John leaning against the counter scowling as Rogue leant against him shaking with laughter.
"Perfect timing, mate."
Remy blinked in shock. "Remy was.uh Remy was jus'.Professor."
"Remy was jus' professor? That makes a lot of sense Swamp Rat. Yah feeling okay?"
Rogue had turned around and was leaning back against John, grinning. He had an arm firmly around her waist holding her there. They both raised eyebrows at him. His face split into a huge grin, which made them even more confused. "What?"
"Guess this means Remy don' hav' a chance huh?"
John narrowed his eyes. "Dat be a ver' pissy look y' be givin' Remy, mon ami."
Rogue snorted and stepped into the middle of the room. John let her go reluctantly, sliding his hand over his stomach. He settled back against the bench, reaching his hand behind him to grab the writings and shove it in his pocket. Rogue watched them disappear with a grimace.
"So, why were you boys lookin' for me?"
"The professor wants to see us," John pulled a face, "To get our 'assignments'. This is going to be torture. I mean, I never, ever paid attention in class. How am I going to teach it?"
"That's alright Johnny. If you have science yah can git them tah do our assignment for us. Or you might get Mechanics or something practical."
John grinned, happy. "Hey, good idea."
"Yeah, they'd probably do a better job at it." Rogue muttered under her breath, tuning to leave the room.
"What was that? Did you say something?"
"No, no. Lets go."
With a shrug at John, Remy followed her out the door. John sighed and joined them, muttering "Going quietly to our doom..."
A/N: Soooo, who knows how to keep italics and bold type when they upload their chapters? All raise your hands and then ya can help me, yes? PLEASE! The mysteries of computers are beyond me. Small town country hick. Well not quite but anyways.I'd be very grateful if someone could help me. Thank-you.
Lyrics do not belong to me. They're sole property of Our Lady Peace. I also don't own John Milton's Paradise Lost. Would I be working if I did??
Chapter Ten
'It's not your fault it gets this hard. Hold your head high, Don't look down, I'm by your side, I won't back down. You wanted a hero tonight, Well I'm not made of steel, but your secrets safe with me. They knock you down, I'll pick you up. They laugh at you, I'll shut them up. You secrets safe with me.'
"Rogue?"
"Rogue!"
The so named sat up, looking around wildly. "What? What!" She spotted John leaning against the table opposite, a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong John?"
"You fell asleep at the table. Remy and I were looking for you, we couldn't find you." He shook his head at her. "How could you fall asleep at the table?"
She frowned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Ah was tired after last night and Ah was waiting for your class tah finish."
At the mention of the class Johns concerned look disappeared, replaced by a smirk. Rogue started feeling worried. "Yah're goin' tah show me those stories aren't yah?"
John held up a bundle of papers. "What, you mean these papers?" He waved them around in front of her, watching as her eyes followed them around. Rogue started up from her chair, leaning over the table to snatch at them.
John yanked them back, "Now, now Rogue, that's no way to go about getting what you want. Didn't your mama ever teach you to give before you take? That to give is better than to receive?" He raised an eyebrow, a predatory gleam in his eye.
Rogue stepped back. "That works for yah too, sugah."
"Yeah, but I've got what you want."
Rogue ignored the innuendo. "There's nothing Ah'm willing tah give that yah'd want, just for some stories."
John smiled, confident. "Ahh, but there is one thing."
"What?"
"You know what."
Rogue scowled, upset. "Ah can't do that John. Yah know ah can't. It's not fair tah you. It's not fair tah me."
John's expression darkened. The comfortable, teasing air surrounding them dissipated, leaving them wrapped in tension and hushed, unresolved emotions.
Rogue was staring at John, her hands gripping the back of her chair so hard they mottled. She stared, willing him to understand.
John snapped first. He spoke, hard steel edging his words, "I think it's up to me to decide what's fair or not in my life. I don't care that you think your skin is a problem. I could prove you wrong if you'd just give me a chance. But you won't will you, Rogue? You won't give anyone a chance. You rather run away."
Every word stung a thousand times over. She gasped; blinked. John simply stared his jaw set, unrepentant.
"I've waited Rogue. Waited a long time. Watched you get friendly with Bobby. Watched as you put him in the 'friends' category where we all seem to reside. I thought if I was persistent enough, you'd cave. But no. You've had fun, but you don't want to take it any further. You're scared."
Anger flowered and her blood started to pound and flow again. She grit her teeth and retaliated sharply, "And Ah have every right tah be John. Don' yah get it? She flung her hands in the air and paced a few steps. She turned back, "Ah could KILL yah. It would take two minutes, maybe less. And ah'd never get over it. Ah've had tah resolve myself tah never touch anyone. EVER. Never tah know the feel of touch and love. How do yah think that felt for me? Huh? Imagine..No, yah can't even begin tah imagine it. And then yah come along and expect me tah put it all behind me just like that? Ah CAN'T! Yah've got no idea how many times Ah've put mah hand out tah touch yah and had to pull it back. DO YAH HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THAT FEELS?"
John shook his head as he stared at the tragic despair filling her face. She was trembling, a shade whiter than pale and her eyes were empty, glittering.
He shook his head again. He had to try to make her understand. "Rogue, your fear is stopping you from touching at ALL. Didn't tests show that you could touch for up to a minute before your powers set in?" She nodded and started to protest, he talked over her, "There's plenty of touch that can happen in under a minute. And no, not all sexual. I saw that look." She snorted. "So, Rogue if you wanted you could touch people. But what you're saying in reality, is that no touch is better than limited amounts of it. And if that's really the case, then alright," he shrugged, "I'll leave you alone. I'll be John, your amusing friend. But, if not, then I volunteer to teach you how to touch." He finished with a wicked grin.
Rogue frowned, opened her mouth to speak and then closed it. She cocked her head at him. "Say that again."
"What?"
"The bit about no touch."
"Wha.oh. That you'd rather no touch at all than limited touch. Sort of like it's better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven."
She frowned not getting the connection. He waved his hands dismissing it.
"So what you say?"
She rubbed her forehead and spoke slowly. "You're saying that ah was isolating myself and not letting myself touch because ah was afraid, even though it is possible for me tah touch. John, ah could hurt someone."
He smiled. "Well we'll take it slow. Just let me touch you. Please. The first thing you have to learn is not to flinch away when people reach out to you."
"How do yah even know ah like yah that way?" She sent him a challenging look.
He smirked. "Well, if you don't you'll just have to let me persuade you."
He clasped her gloved wrist and gently tugged her towards him. He went to grasp her chin but stopped when she jerked back. "No gloves." He nodded and ran his hand over her hair.
"Not that bad, is it?"
She murmured indistinctly in reply. He let go of her wrist and slipped an arm around her waist pulling her up against him. She buried her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head smiling gently. She wound her arms around his waist and clutched him. She spotted the papers on the counter behind him and grinned. She stepped back from his arms and with a sly smile shoved him until he was leaning against the counter.
"Ooh, Rogueys getting rough. I like it." John smirked as she stepped back to him. Once again wrapped in each other arms he tipped his head down towards hers, as she slid her hand toward the bundle of stories. His lips were a breath away from hers as her fingers were a touch away from the papers when Remy barged into the room, not looking.
"C'mon homme, it can't hav' taken y' dat long t' find de fille. De prof.oh."
Remy stopped abruptly as he took in John leaning against the counter scowling as Rogue leant against him shaking with laughter.
"Perfect timing, mate."
Remy blinked in shock. "Remy was.uh Remy was jus'.Professor."
"Remy was jus' professor? That makes a lot of sense Swamp Rat. Yah feeling okay?"
Rogue had turned around and was leaning back against John, grinning. He had an arm firmly around her waist holding her there. They both raised eyebrows at him. His face split into a huge grin, which made them even more confused. "What?"
"Guess this means Remy don' hav' a chance huh?"
John narrowed his eyes. "Dat be a ver' pissy look y' be givin' Remy, mon ami."
Rogue snorted and stepped into the middle of the room. John let her go reluctantly, sliding his hand over his stomach. He settled back against the bench, reaching his hand behind him to grab the writings and shove it in his pocket. Rogue watched them disappear with a grimace.
"So, why were you boys lookin' for me?"
"The professor wants to see us," John pulled a face, "To get our 'assignments'. This is going to be torture. I mean, I never, ever paid attention in class. How am I going to teach it?"
"That's alright Johnny. If you have science yah can git them tah do our assignment for us. Or you might get Mechanics or something practical."
John grinned, happy. "Hey, good idea."
"Yeah, they'd probably do a better job at it." Rogue muttered under her breath, tuning to leave the room.
"What was that? Did you say something?"
"No, no. Lets go."
With a shrug at John, Remy followed her out the door. John sighed and joined them, muttering "Going quietly to our doom..."
