Learning to Deal
I don't own X-Men Evolution (or X-Men for that matter) characters or anything concerning the show, comics, ect. No suing! Be civil in reviews (if there are any).
Well, this was different for Rogue, sitting at a dinner table that didn't hold seventeen people and with one extra chair where Evan used to sit. It was just Marian, Timothy, and her sitting at the circular table sitting dinner; chili, bread, and soda.
It was a quiet dinner, nothing like back at the mansion where everything was loud as the entire household broke into conversation with the people around them. Conversations that Rogue had, for the most part, not bothered to take part in unless Kurt or Kitty began to talk with her.
"How's the chili Rogue, not too hot Ah hope," Marian inquired, blowing on her spoonful.
"Nah, not at all," assured Rogue. "Besides, Ah like mah food hot."
There was an understanding, sort of respected grin that spread across Marian's face before she took a bite. Rogue couldn't help but feel accepted and grateful for her taste for spicy foods.
"So what was it like, living in New York?" Timothy spoke up, trying to act like he wasn't really interested.
"It was…" Rogue paused for a moment to think of the correct adjective to use, "interesting, but that could have been because of the people that Ah lived with."
"Oh yes the boarding house," Marian interjected softly. "Ah guess things there were quite different from what you have to put up with here."
To put up with?! Rogue was actually enjoying herself with this quieter but with reasonable conversation dinner. If she was giving off the impression to the contrary, well then she was going to have to set things straight.
"No, this is much better, less people an' less noise then back in New York," Rogue assured, pulled her glove tighter so that it wouldn't dip into her food.
Noticing the girl's continuance problem with her gloves Marian suggested, "Why don't you take those gloves off if they're getting in your way? You can always put them back on after dinner if you feel the need to."
Rogue stiffed in her seat for a moment and dropped her spoon.
Take off mah gloves? She glanced down at her hands for a moment. Well, we are eatin' so no one should really touch mah hands an' she did say that Ah could put them back on afterwards. Still there is always that odd chance that someone could touch me…Maybe if Ah just keep mah hands as far away from Marian an' Timothy Ah can get past dinner without sendin' someone into unconciousness or a coma.
Cautiously, Rogue removed one glove at a time, revealing her silver sterling rings that she hid under those leather covers.
It felt almost like a relief to give her hands the ability to breath from having been stuck underneath all that leather for almost a day. She decided to let her hands breath for a couple of minutes before she would have to cover them back up.
"What's up with those things anyways?" Timothy asked, gesturing to the gloves. "Do you have some sort of temperature problem or something?"
"Timothy!" cried out Marian, giving her son a warning kick under the table.
"Ah actually do have a skin disease," lied Rogue. May as well keep up that lie that Irene had composed for meh, she thought with exasperation.
"Really?"
"Timothy…"
"Is it contagious?"
"Timothy James Maxwell!"
"What?" the son replied innocently, but he knew he crossed some sort of respect line.
Marian calmed but firmly told Timothy, "Get to your homework."
There seemed to be a silent understanding that passed between mother and son as Timothy nodded his head. "Can Ah take my bowl with me though? Ah'm still eating and all, besides you know how Ah hate to let good food go to waste," he implored.
"Sure, jus' don't you dare spill on your carpet," warned Marian as her son got up to head to his room with his leftover dinner.
Once Timothy's door was shut, Marian turned to Rogue with an apologetic expression. "Ah am so sorry about that, Timothy lets his mouth run away without his brain half of the time."
"It's okay," assured Rogue, picking at her food. "It was a legitimate question with the answer 'no'."
The older woman raised an eyebrow at Rogue then returned to her food.
"Ah half expected that you may have been making up that disease thing as an excuse to cover the real reason why you wear those gloves of yours," Marian admitted, finishing off her chili and downing the last of her soda.
For another moment Rogue sat there stunned. How was it that this woman, who had only known Rogue for a few hours, read her so well, or at least better than anyone else? It amazed Rogue so much.
"You don't have to deny or assure me of it, you just let out some unconscious habits that tell me your lies," Marian explained, getting up and placing her dishes in the sink.
"What habits?" questioned Rogue. How would she know what my habits are?
"They're simple habits really, like the unconscious tightening grip, the look to the left, and the biting of the lower lip. You like to tighten your grip a lot, which Ah noticed you do that when you're in an uneasy position or lying," answered the older woman.
Rogue was mesmerized completely by Marian's people reading skills. Not even Logan or the Prof with all their mutant abilities could read her so well and see right through her lies then question her face to face. No, they let her deal with her angst and emotional problems by herself, but then again she never asked them for help.
"W-wow," stammered the girl in amazement, "where did ya learn to read people so well?"
Marian turned to Rogue and almost appeared to be about ten years younger as she leaned against the counter with a dreamy grin on her face. "My husband, who was a psychology teacher at the high school."
"Was?"
Just as quickly that Marian seemed younger did she revert back to her normal-self but this time more depressed.
"That is a story for a later day when we actually know each other better and are no longer strangers with an arrangement," Marian stated but sobered up hurriedly. "Well, why don't you finish your dinner and then we'll get you set up on the couch."
"Okay," nodded Rogue, feeling as though she had stumbled upon a sensitive subject about Marian's husband. Where is this guy if he's Timothy's father an' is still Marian's husband?
Kitty had been starring up at her ceiling for that last three hours, trying to fall asleep but failing miserably since her eyes kept unconsciously sliding over to Rogue's empty bed.
"I need a glass of milk, that should get me to sleep," Kitty decided as she pulled herself out of bed.
As she tip-toed down the halls, Kitty couldn't help but glance into every open room for any sign that her friend may have returned home…This was her home, wasn't it? Kitty wondered while passing Kurt's room. I wonder how he's holding up.
Not wishing to disturb the fuzzy Elf, Kitty continued down the hall then down the stairs to the kitchen where, to her surprise, she found Kurt sitting at the table with a glass of milk.
"Hey," she greeted as to announce her presence in the room.
"Hey," Kurt replied emotionlessly, not even aware that Kitty had taken a seat across from him.
"Mind if I have a sip?" Kitty inquired, gesturing to the glass of milk. Without a second thought, Kurt pushed the glass towards Kitty and pointedly ignored her.
Taking a sip of milk, Kitty watched Kurt and knew that he had a lot of pent up emotion in him that would sooner or later spill out for her ears alone to hear. All Kitty had to do was restrain herself from coaxing Kurt to share.
It took less time than what Kitty had expected for Kurt sat back and sighed in frustration.
"I jus' don't get it you know. I mean Amanda has given me reasons as to vhy she may have left but I still don't get vhy Rogue left. Vas it something that I did or didn't do?" Kurt demanded.
"I don't think it was any of us but I wish I knew for certain," Kitty replied truthfully.
"Plus, vhat if she is in danger right now and ve're all sitting here thinking that she's all vell? Vhat if she is being raped or something…" ranted the Elf.
Kitty felt the need to interrupt at that moment, "Kurt, if Rogue was being raped Cerebro would have detected her powers and pin pointed her location. So, rape is out of the question."
Feeling that Kurt need some comfort Kitty placed her hand on his but Kurt quickly retracted his three-fingered hand and stood up, pacing. He was still venting apparently.
"She could have at least vent to the Professor or to Logan if she needed to talk about something," Kurt continued, his tail whipping around dangerously back and forth.
"Kurt, sit down and listen to me for a moment," commanded Kitty, pointing at the chair across from her.
Hearing that threatening tone in his fellow mutant's voice, Kurt quickly sat down but his feet were not to be banished, so he jiggled his legs underneath the table.
"Now," Kitty began seriously, "Rogue has never been the sort of person who went to others to talk about her problems and feelings, not even to Logan. So, there is no possible way that she would have turned to Logan or the Professor. She would never have turned to me or you unless we approached her first, and that would have only happened if we had known that something was wrong."
Kurt just sat there, now completely still, and starred hard at his friend. Unfortunately, he knew that Kitty was right, his sister had the habit of being well reserved and did not open up to people unless someone pressed their luck.
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Kurt?" Kitty asked her voice full of concern.
"Va," nodded Kurt, bowing his head in defeat.
Getting up, Kitty walked around the table and stood behind the Elf. Bending down, Kitty gave Kurt a comforting hug and kissed him on the cheek which rewarded her with an absent pat on the arm.
"We're not going to stop looking for her Kurt, I promise you that," whispered Kitty. "We better get to bed, we still have school tomorrow."
"I'll be right up," Kurt told her.
"Okay," smiled Kitty. "Night Kurt."
"Night," Kurt sighed as he watched his friend leave, "Kitty."