Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men. Do own both Blaze and Raven.
07
"That is so cute!" Rogue-as-Blaze exclaimed, pulling a little pink t-shirt with a cartoon character on the front off a clothes rail. Jessie rolled her eyes not unlike a certain Cajun, took the hanger off Rogue and shoved it back where it had come from.
"How old do you think I am? Six?" Raven questioned righteously. "You let me try on way cooler stuff than that in Europe."
"So what do you suggest?" Rogue retorted. Jessica didn't answer, taking another outfit and flouncing off to the changing rooms. Sighing, Rogue followed.
"Blast!" Came the muttered exclamation from behind the changing room door a short while later. "Stupid powers and stupid little hook-and-eye fasteners. Blaze, I mean Mom, can you get this?"
"Sure." Rogue answered, going into the booth hesitantly. Raven's powers were indeed acting up as she flickered in and out of darkness, her mutant skin infrequently absorbing all the ambient light. Tiny black lightning bolts, the dark energy the light was converted to once absorbed, flashed around her fingers as she lifted her ponytail out of the way. Rogue went to fasten the offending hook-and-eye fasteners on the high collar of the Japanese style dress. Such a simple thing, fastening a button for a little girl. But Rogue relished it, gloveless hands brushing the nape of Jessica's neck. Not only touching but touching the skin of someone who was unafraid, trusting and even loving towards her.
"All done." Rogue smiled, flicking Blaze's long red curls back from her face.
"I love it!" Jess exclaimed, twirling in front of the mirror. "Its so mint! Please, please, please buy it! I have to have this dress!"
"Calm down Sugar." Rogue cautioned, "Don't you think its maybe a little expensive?"
"You can't stand there in the rock goddess skirt you paid three hundred dollars for and tell me that a fifty dollar dress is too much!" Raven was outraged, eyes flashing red. Rogue winced; Blaze had spent three hundred dollars on a skirt? Still at least it wasn't stolen, right? Raven seemed to suddenly remember whom it was she was talking too, bit back on her tongue as she spoke again. "I thought you were saving that for a special occasion anyway?"
"And taking you out shopping isn't occasion enough, Jess?" Rogue smiled Blaze's most appeasing smile. It didn't work; Jessie scowled her most Gambit-like scowl and folded her arms.
"Are you gonna leave me to get changed back again? I am so done with shopping…"
"You are?" Rogue was hurt, a snippet of it encroaching into Blaze's voice. Just to be normal, do something so normal, when every second that went past was a miracle…
"If I can't have the dress, I'm just not interested…" The child pouted, closing the door on Rogue abruptly.
"Guess who Remy and Blaze are spoiling rotten…" Rogue muttered, then realised her error in a flush of blood to her cheeks. Jessica's voice from behind the door made her wince with terror that already she might have given up the best thing that had ever happened to her. But Jessica's reply was not as terrible as Rogue had feared.
"You've been hanging round with Dad too much if you're starting to call yourself Blaze!"
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"Bien day out Cherie?" Gambit grabbed Rogue-as-Blaze's wrist and pulled her to him, his eyes warm and smile charming. They were in the rec. room, Jessie already embroiled in a play fight for the TV remote with some of the other young teens. Rogue hadn't even known Gambit was behind her as she'd entered feeling tired and grouchy. But as Gambit slipped his hand in hers, somehow his touch had Rogue feeling a whole lot better.
"Not really." Rogue shrugged, feeling a blush rising with memories of that morning's stolen kiss. "Me and Jess had a row, you know?"
"Again?" Gambit teased, making Rogue look back at him sharply. She'd never argued with Jessica before… "Hey, don't give Gambit that look Laura, I'se love you both equal an' no amount of fightin' over me gonna change that!" He laughed, kissing her quickly on the lips and making Rogue's head swim. "You let ole Remy take you out, eh Chere? See if I can't cheer you up…"
"Alright." Rogue replied, meeting the Cajun's eyes. She was amazed by the sweet feelings just having him looking so closely at her, holding her bare hand, raised in her. A treacherous thought crossed her mind, bringing a flush to Blaze's cheeks and making Rogue quiver with something not far removed from fear or lust. Could she be falling for him?
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That very evening, as the dark closed in like a tomb around her, Blaze-as-Rogue wandered aimlessly out in the cool air. She just couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. It chewed at her, distracted her but she didn't know what it was. Even if the X-Men hadn't been so sweetly annoying asking her what was up every five minutes, that not knowing the answer was ripping her apart.
Hesitantly she perched on a bench, put her head in her hands and sighed. Why was she so cold? And why had her heart been hurting ever since Raven had so casually dismissed her? Raven shouldn't have been anything overly special to Rogue, the daughter of two friends. So why was it hurting?
Blaze-as-Rogue raised her head, her eyes flicked back to the mansion. To the light spilling seductively from a bedroom window on the staff floor. To two figures silhouetted in the warm yellow lamplight. Blaze bit Rogue's lip and tried to look away. She didn't want to intrude on so private a moment. But nothing was simple, the forbidden so tempting and her eyes focused sharply on the shadows in each other's arms.
The two figures faced each other intently, unaware of the audience from the gardens. Laura watched as Remy leaned in to kiss the woman he thought was his, press his lips to hers, hands exploring the small of her back. In return Rogue flung Blaze's small frame against him. She pushed the Englishwoman's petite body against the Cajun's solid muscular belly and chest, feeling his breath moving inside of him. Blaze's hands under Rogue's command wrapped firmly around Gambit's neck, refusing to let him pull away. Not that he looked like he wanted to as her hands moved to lift the shirt from his back. Breath, kisses and sweet tender touches were shared, the nighttime as soft as the gentleness of skin on bare skin…
Blaze, trapped unaware in Rogue's body and unable to distinguish between the Southern belle and her own self, cried. She cried all night, long past the light in the window finally being extinguished. She cried salty tears until the sun came up, the birds chanting mournfully in the trees as if they knew all innocences had died that night. As Rogue woke still in Blaze's body, still wrapped in the strong arms of Blaze's husband, Blaze herself was outside and sobbing out her agony, though she could not say why.