-
Bracing himself against the blow, he made a quick move and planted his fist in his opponent's stomach.
"How useless. No one is good for a fight anymore." He ran his fingers through his auburn hair. Certainly, he did have quite a few good fights but not lately. And now was when he really needed them.
"You're really going to hurt yourself, runt." A gruff voice said at his side. "You should be thankin' whoever is watchin' that you haven't gotten yourself killed yet."
"Hey, mon ami, I can take care of myself." He smirked, his boyish good looks intensifying.
"Go home, runt." A grin met the man's expressionless face and he only rolled his eyes.
-
"Get in another street fight?" He froze. "You've been gone way too long to say you enjoyed a good beer then came home. I'm not believin' that one again."
"I-I didn't.." He stuttered and she crossed her arms over her expanded stomach.
"No use lyin'. You moron. I can see the blood of your latest 'victim' on your shirt."
"Aw, Rogue.. You know how I get-"
"When you're in a bar and you're seekin' a release from your stress. How many times have I heard that one? Why do I bother worrying about you?" She scowled and turned around, leaving the room. He had just gotten through the door and it was like an interrogation. That was how things have been for the past week and a half. Rogue was six months pregnant and it seemed to be getting harder on him to keep up with her evil mood swings.
"Don't come after me with the frying pan, all right? I have a headache."
"You might deserve it. Didn't I tell you to stop fighting?" He sighed and went to the stairs.
"Where did 'Rene and Raven go?" She came back out with a glass of water.
"Uhm.. I think 'Rene went with Raven to a business meetin', purposely leavin' us two here alone." He raised a brow. "Personally, the last thing we need is quality time." He grinned. "Jus' go to bed."
"You'll be up soon, no?"
"I have some stuff to do. I might be up, if I'm lucky, by midnight."
"Hm. If you ask me, you're working too hard." She had gotten a small job as an assistant to someone he never even met. She was, lately, weighted down with paperwork.
"What else could I do? We need to prepare ourselves for this, Rem. We can't just abandon the responsibility because it isn't here yet."
"I'm lookin'."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "And while you're lookin', could you, maybe, find a job?" He stared at her before he realized what she was saying.
"Hardy har har." He stated sarcastically. "I'm tryin', Ro'. I just don't know.."
"Whatever." He walked up the stairs. Lately, that had been a lit-up neon sign for an approaching fight. Whenever anyone mentioned work, it just flew right out of control. He sighed.
-
"Job.."
"What are you doin', runt?" He looked up and blinked.
"Ro' wants me to get a job." Remy's eyes blinked at least ten times then continued to look in the paper.. by slamming his head right on the paper.
"You ain't gonna find one like that."
"What do you suggest?"
"I'll see what I can do for you."
"Really? Where do you work?"
"I'm a security guard. It ain't hard. You've got some skill in fightin'. Maybe you'll get in easy."
"If it helps, I never got arrested."
"Yeah, that's somethin' that they'll check for."
"Hm." Remy looked up at him tiredly. "You haven't shaved in a while, have you?"
"Leave it alone." The Cajun laughed.
"Ro' would have my head if I let myself go again." He scratched his chin.
"I noticed you haven't been fallin' apart."
"She is pretty strict about those things. And man does it hurt when she hauls off and hits me.."
"I'll bet she does it often."
"Leave it alone."
"Anyway, why're you here instead of at home?" His gruff voice was almost quiet and Remy raised a brow at it. Then he shrugged.
"I haven't been able to keep up with her mood swings. If I say something wrong, she either gets mad at me and hits me with her frying pan or she cries. Either way, it isn't very pretty." His friend took a sip of his beer and shook his head.
"Glad I'm still single."
"That'll change soon enough."
-
"Have fun at the bar, Remy?" He could tell she wasn't happy. "I'd like to meet some of your bar buddies."
"Well, technically, I only go there to see one."
"And?" She sat back on the couch and sighed. "Anyway, I don't have work to do tonight and I was hoping that you would come home early."
"Hmm." He sat down in the chair and sighed. "Well, my friend said he's gonna try and get me a job where he works."
"Well, that's wonderful."
"What did you have in mind for tonight?"
"I'm hungry. What do you think about goin' an' getting me some pizza?" He blinked and raised a brow. Then he sighed and stood up.
"Any toppings?"
"Pepperoni."
"Does your doctor know you eat this way?"
"Leave me alone. He said cravings are fine. Just don't overeat." He rolled his eyes. "I'll expect no comment from you." He walked out the door with a smirk on his face. He would easily get used to this.
-
Rogue stared at the papers in front of her. She hadn't been getting any sleep. The last time she slept was about two days ago when she had Remy go and get her pizza. She had a pretty strong will when it came down to it.. and it was quickly fading. She was huddled in the kitchen, her pen scratching the paper. She could hardly keep her eyes open.
"This isn't good for you, Rogue." She turned and saw Remy standing in the doorway. "You haven't slept in-"
"Just leave it alone, Remy." Her voice cracked and she turned back to her work.
"No, I won't leave it alone." He narrowed his eyes at her. "This isn't helping, it's hurting you, the one who is carrying the child."
"Remy, I just don't know what else to do. I don't want us to be stuck, paying bills that we can't pay and lose stuff that we need. I can't just put all of this on 'Rene or Raven. They've helped enough already." She put her hand on her forehead.
"I know they have, Rogue. But this is not helping. You staying up this late, not sleeping, isn't doing anything."
"It's making us some money."
"Why are they loading you down with this stuff? Don't they know you're pregnant!?"
"Remy!"
"What!?"
"Drop it!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Y-" She paused. "What were we fighting about?"
"Damn, you really are tired." She put her head on the desk. Less than five minutes later, Remy was carrying her upstairs. "If you do this ever again, I'll handcuff you to that bed." He stated to the unconscious girl. "I ain't kiddin'."
-
Rogue sat up, her emerald eyes alert and wide. She gazed around for some sort of signal that would trigger her memory and tell her where she was.
"I see you've finally decided to wake up."
"Remy?" She looked at the door to see him standing there. "How did-"
"Carried you."
"Wh-"
"About a day ago." She groaned. "You've caught up on lost sleep. Now, I suggest you eat something. Pasta sound good to you? Raven an' 'Rene are back. Got in this morning." She stared at him. He just said all that like it was a five-second-or-less contest.
"Pasta sounds great." She grinned at him. He smirked.
"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me? If you do, I will handcuff you to this bed."
"Then you'll be hearin' me scream about how much I hate you for doing that." He blinked.
"Pasta is waiting." She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You didn't tell them, did you?"
"Non." She smiled a wistful smile and stood up, wincing slightly. "You okay?"
"Jus' a li'l sore."
"Need some help?" She stared at him then crossed her arms.
"Touch me and die." Then, suddenly, she gave him an odd look. He raised a brow when she wrapped her arms around herself. She grunted. "Kidney shot." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Shall we?"
"After you."
"Move, Cajun."
-
Remy stared. Rogue just burst into tears. He twitched.
"What's the matter?" He tried to get close enough to her to comfort her but she would try to punch and slap him whenever he came within reaching distance. What was a Cajun to do? "Rogue, what's the matter?" Was this a passing mood swing? Nowadays, he couldn't be sure. He tried once more to get close to her but she slapped him right across the cheek. And it hurt.
"You don't love me! No one loves me!" He blinked.
"What are you talking about!?" He rubbed his cheek. First she gets violent then she cries harder.. What the hell was going on? Was this some kind of joke? "Of course I love you!"
"No, you don't! You're sick o' me! You can't wait 'til I have this baby so you ditch me and wind up payin' child support because I can't even afford diapers!"
"What the hell are you saying!?" He stared at her. She gave him a look of horror then let out an anguished cry of pure despair.
"Now you're yellin' at me!"
"No, no, non. I'm not yellin'. Calm down." He sighed. "What is this about?" She stared at him in silence for a moment then gave him the cutest, most pathetic look he'd ever seen.
"You don't even know!"
"Of course I don't! It's 'cause you just burst into hysterics when I was about to go out the door!"
"You didn't kiss me good-bye!" He face-vaulted.
"What?"
"You didn't give me a kiss before you left." More tears ran down her face. He sighed. Emotions. He was really starting to hate them. "You don' love me no more.." She said in a soft, childish voice that made his guilt soar sky-high.
"I'm sorry, Ro'." He picked himself up off the floor and leaned forward, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Better?" She pouted.
"It'll do."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay, petite?" She nodded and he sighed.
"Depressed mood number five.." Then she burst into weird laughter. "Drunken laughter number six."
-
Remy sighed. His luck at the draw was going downhill, like a drunken bird flying straight at the pavement. He chewed on the inside of his cheek. Hopefully, Rogue wouldn't find out that he'd added gambling to his list of screw-ups. That was all he needed. Her emotions were out of whack and he hoped that he didn't need to be in the kitchen at the same as her or near her when there were a lot of sharp objects nearby.
"Remy! Such a surprise to see you like this.."
"Huh?" He turned around to see Belladonna standing there. She smiled cheerfully.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" He hated women and their emotions. But he just nodded absentmindedly.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." He ran his hand through his dark auburn locks. "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping, of course!" He hated this bleached blonde and would've gladly shot himself in the head if he had a gun. "What are you doing here?"
"Walking home."
"Lose your bike gambling?"
"No, I felt like walking. Besides, if that happened, I wouldn't be able to sit for a week, not to mention hear anything without a hearing aid." She frowned.
"If you were with me, I wouldn't care." Then she smiled cheerfully once more. "Speaking of being together, where's your other half?" He took the incentive to note the bitterness in her voice.
"She's home, I think." He scratched his chin, wondering if she knew Rogue was pregnant or not. "Haven't run into you in a while. Go somewhere?"
"Oh, yeah. I went on a small vacation." She waved it off. "How's Rogue? The poor dear must be so depressed."
"Why would she be depressed?"
"You're always getting in trouble, so I just thought-"
"No, she's perfectly happy." He stated dryly. "Besides, I've been good lately." She raised a brow. "She's goin' through enough right now."
"Really? Why?" He was getting annoyed. Fast. His patience was slipping from him. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine, I take it that you don't want to answer that. So, why don't we go for coffee-"
"No." She blinked.
"Don't give me a chance to finish the sentence or anything." She mumbled. "So, you didn't tell me how Rogue was feeling."
"Why are you pressing?" He scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I just want to know. You know, I don't want any hard feelings. She won."
"Won? Won what?"
"You." She said quietly. He blinked. "Most of our unhappiness and anger at each other was because of you, y'know."
"I'm not property."
"Sorry for stating it as such." She smiled again. "You keep getting us off track." He frowned.
"Why don't you ask her yourself? I can't answer it for her." She rolled her eyes.
"You haven't changed.."
"You sure you don't want some help, miss?" Rogue shook her head and smiled slightly.
"No, thank you. I can get it." She gripped the small bag in her hand and exited the store. She had gotten tired of sitting in the house all day and asking Remy to do her errands. She looked to her left and her grip on the bag subconsciously tightened. She frowned and let a low growl escape her throat. Bella sure looked happy. Remy didn't look so miserable to be in her company either. She suddenly lost her balance and tripped. It all happened in slow motion. She twisted so that she landed on her side, wincing as she fell on her arm. Luckily, someone saw her fall from the window of a store and ran outside, concerned and, of course, causing a scene. Enough of a scene to catch the attention of Remy and Bella.
"Hey.. isn't that-"
"Oh non.. Rogue!" Remy suddenly broke into a run. His brown eyes went wide and his heart started beating rapidly. He saw some people help her up and ask her if she was okay. She nodded.
"Jus' get me a phone. Please." A man handed her cell phone and she dialed the number of her doctor. A stricken look passed her pale face. "Thank you." She bit her lip. If only she hadn't been paying attention to Remy and Bella.. She wouldn't have fell. She talked to her doctor for a few moments in a quiet voice. He advised that she watch for any bleeding or other abnormalities. She assured him that she would. Then she hung up, hanging her head.
Damn you, Rogue! If this child is hurt because of your stupidness..
She chided herself as she bit her lip. She hoped the baby wasn't hurt by the fall. Not to mention that it felt like someone took her arm and ran it over with a car.
"You okay?" She looked up then looked instantly away.
"I'm fine." She stated coldly, handing the man his phone. "Thank you again, sir." Someone handed her the bag and she walked away. She had taken the bus over but she didn't feel like taking it home. A walk should do her some good. She needed to think things through. She was accusing Remy and Bella of actually being together. Remy hadn't promised her unconditional love and they had already been through so much. But how could she be sure that he was at the bar with this friend she never met? She didn't want to accuse him of something he didn't do. But it wouldn't help if she never brought it up.
"Rogue.."
"What do you want?" She snapped, looking at him, her emerald eyes narrowed. Remy blinked.
"I wanted to know if you were okay.."
"I told you that I'm fine." She looked away from him in order to hide her wince when she moved her arm. Then, she was basically blinded by the bleached blonde as the girl ran in front of them.
"OHMIGOSH!" She cried, her eyes wide. "Remy, you didn't tell me that she was pregnant! Who's is it?" Rogue sent Bella a death glare.
"Do you mind?" The blonde blinked. "Stereotypical dumb ass blonde.." She mumbled under her breath.
"Remy?"
"Go away, Belladonna." He said quietly. He knew why Rogue was pissed off. It was very obvious that she caught them talking to each other. What would he say to her?
-
Hope y'all enjoyed!