A/n: This is my absolute first fanfic ever, and I'm terrified, please be nice. I'm writing this story somewhat as a response to a few other stories I've read on here with similar plotlines, but I didn't like the way some of the characters handled themselves. If anyone recognizes the stories I'm talking about, don't get me wrong, they're great stories, and you should read them. They inspired me. ;-) I just decided I should try writing them my way. I'm a huge Romy fan, so be prepared for that pairing, although there will be some angsty turns in here. What fun is love without a few hurdles, right? Right.
Another note, I know that the accents may be badly done; I'd rather go light on the accents than overboard, that's just my tastes. Also they may be inconsistent; I never really appreciated how hard it is to write accents before this. I'll refer to the comics whenever possible, accent-wise.
The young mutant known as Rogue sat on her bed, nervously fingering her right glove. Remy had asked her to meet him in her room for a special announcement. It wasn't like Remy to be so formal, so she knew this was something big. Her thoughts raced over the possibilities. "Marriage? Nah, wayyyyy too soon. Moving in together? Maybe. He's pregnant? Now there's a possibility." Rogue nervously laughed at her own forced joke. Her nerves were eating away at her.
"Chere? You in here?" Remy walked into her room. "Good. I need to talk to you." Remy sat on the bed next to his girlfriend. "I know we said we'd work t'rough things, good and bad. But dere's been so much bad lately. We ain't good for eachother, you know that." Rogue stiffened. She'd been so nervous, but hadn't even imagined this could be a break-up talk. This was definitely sounding like a break up talk.
"Nothings happened we can't handle, sugah," Rogue murmured. "Ah'm willin' to work for us. Ain't you?"
"I'm willing to work, ma belle, but this is too much. All we do is fight anymore, disagree 'bout everything, hurt each other," Remy's voice grew louder and louder, until he exploded, "an' we can't even touch each other!" Rogue was crying softly until this last phrase reminded her of the kind of girl she was. She was not going to take this abuse lying down.
"Is that actually the problem, swamp rat? You bring up fightin', and makin' it sound like this is best fer both of us, but really you just want a girlfriend you can touch? Is this what this ALL boils down to? That's pathetic! I thought we were over this! Nothin's changin', if that's all you care about, you shoulda left a long time ago!" Rogue ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut as hard as she could. "Now get outta mah room!"
Remy looked at the closed door. He'd come there tonight to break it off with Rogue, but didn't expect to feel so terrible. He got off the bed and slowly walked out of Rogue's room to his own, dragging his feet the entire way. There, he looked at the group picture he kept on his dresser. Everyone in the institute had a copy, and Rogue kept hers in the exact same spot in her room. The entire team was sitting on the steps of the Institute in costume. Rogue was on the lowest step, leaning on Remy, with an arm draped over her brother, Kurt. Kitty had given Kurt bunny ears, and Scott looked at them disapprovingly from the top step, unaware that Bobby was giving him bunny ears as well. Jean watched and laughed, Beast and the Professor sat to the side, Ororo stood behind Remy, and Logan rounded out the team by refusing to put out his cigar for the picture. Remy loved this picture, capturing the most loving family he'd ever known for eternity.
"Am I really leavin' all dis for a girl?" he asked himself, sinking on to his bed. "No, she's not just a girl. She's the woman I want to love but can't. She's the woman I'm not good enough for. Dis is for your own good, mon brave, for hers too. I'm a thief. Always will be a thief, and I can't change for her even if I want to", he reminded himself. "I'm not running away, I'm giving her a chance for a better life." Utter tripe, and he knew it. He was running away. Remy leaned under his bed to pull out a duffle bag.
The next morning, Storm and Kitty were on breakfast duty when Rogue came down. "Hey ladies, smells wonderful." Rogue greeted them.
"It should, it's taken us about an hour to make so far, and we're edging up on two with this perfectionist in the kitchen." Kitty rolled her eyes.
Storm laughed gently, "Kitten, it is not considered perfectionism to want to get the eggshells out of an omelet. Nor is it perfectionism to make sure it doesn't burn."
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Kitty said, good naturedly. "I still think the shells give it a much needed crunch."
Storm was about to fire off a retort when she got a good look at Rogue's face for the first time that morning. "Rogue, didn't you get any sleep last night? Pardon me, but you look terrible!"
"Ah got a little sleep. But Remy and Ah had a lil fight last night, well, not fight. Yelling match's more like it. Ah was tossin' and turnin' all night, lookin' forward to makin' up. Ah can't be angry at him for long."
"Angry at who?" Jean walked into the kitchen.
"Remy" Rogue replied. "We fought a lil' last night. Again."
Jean raised her eyebrows. "Oh…Is that why he left?"
Rogue jumped out of her chair. "Left? For how long? Where is he goin'?"
"Calm down, Rogue, please!" Jean soothed the wide eyed girl. "He told the professor he was taking some leave and didn't tell us where, we just assumed if it was an emergency, we'd contact him telepathically. I don't know how long. The professor said Remy seemed unhappy, he probably went back to New Orleans."
Rogue slumped back into her chair. "He said some hurtful things last night, so Ah said he shoulda left me. Ah guess he agreed."
"Rogue, he probably needed to clear his head, he should be back in a week, I'd guess." Storm spoke.
Kitty frowned. She wanted to help her friend, but didn't know how. "Don't worry, Rogue", she said, "we'll keep you really busy so he'll be back in no time!"
A/n: that's it for now, I have so much more respect for all you fanfic authors now that I know how hard it is. I know where I want to go vaguely with this plotline, but I'd still love suggestions and especially suggestions about a new title. Leave me a message in reviews!