The Fast And The Furious

"Crap, crap, crappity crap, crap, crap." Rogue was pacing back and forth across the living room floor and muttering under her breath. Consequently, she didn't notice the group of just-awakened students that had entered the room.

It was the morning after the night before – well, duh! – and Rogue was anxiously awaiting her punishment/pronouncement/jail sentence by worrying a hole in the floor. Logan had disappeared into the Professor's office over an hour ago, right after the telepath had awoken – and they hadn't come out since.

This did not bode well for her and Pietro's relationship. Or their continued existence, for that matter.

"Whoa, that's a lot of crap," Jamie joked.

Rogue glared at the younger recruit, who didn't seem phased at all. Within one week of arriving, everyone had seen Rogue in 'Bitch Mode' – so the terror that sight originally inspired had, by now, worn off.

Damn.

"Fuck off ya fucking fucker," Rogue said pleasantly, before going back to her pacing.

"And that's a lot of fucking," Evan put in. "What's the problem, man?"

Rogue sighed and broke off her pacing, choosing instead to flop back onto the couch. "Ah am so dead."

"You look pretty lively to me," Jamie said.

Rogue glared at him. "Ah meant," she said, measuring her words and delivering them with a diamond-sharp precision that made the others, Jamie included, wince. "That Ah am in so much trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Kitty asked compassionately, coming over to sit beside her roommate.

Rogue fidgeted for a moment, before finally saying, "Ah've been seein' someone on tha sly and Logan caught us last night." She tugged on one of her white streaks, a nervous habit when she was afraid for her life.

Or just really really worried about its continuance.

Like now.

Evan shrugged, a physical, 'No big deal.' "So? You get grounded for a week or so and then it's over."

Rogue winced. "Not in this case."

"Who've you been dating?" Kitty asked, trying in vain to hide her pout. You'd think Rogue would at least let her roommate know about any secret relationships she might be involved in.

Rogue's eyes went wide and she ducked her head. "Pietro," she mumbled so low no one could hear her.

"Who?" Kitty asked.

Taking a deep breath, Rogue said, only slightly louder, "Pietro."

"I still didn't hear you, man," Even complained.

Screwing up her courage – and her lips into a grimace – Rogue blurted out, "Ah've been dating Pietro, okay!"

Kitty gasped. Jamie blinked. Evan's jaw dropped and was joined by Scott's, who'd just arrived with Jean. For the redhead's part, she managed to contain her reaction to a slight widening of her green eyes.

"Maximoff?" Evan choked out.

Rogue nodded guiltily.

"How…" Scott squeaked. He cleared his throat and continued, "How long has this been going on?"

Wincing at their team leader's tone, Rogue ducked her head. "A little ovah three months," she revealed.

"Three months!" Kitty exclaimed. "Rogue, how could you?"

"Yeah, he's Brotherhood, man," Evan broken in, his innate dislike of the speed mutant coming to the fore.

"So was Ah," Rogue said curtly.

"And Lance," Kitty put in.

Recoiling at the sight of the combined glares – and who knew Katherine Pryde could be so vindictive? – Evan put up his hands in a warding gesture, backing away from the female duo slowly. "I'm outta here, man." He turned and high-tailed it out of the room.

"Well," Kitty huffed, sniffing imperiously. "How dare he?"

Rogue shrugged, letting out a deep breath. She smiled brightly. "That didn't make meh feel all that much bettah. At all."

Looking back and forth between the two of them, Jamie cocked his head. "So, if you weren't upset about Rogue dating a member of the Brotherhood, then what did you mean by 'Rogue, how could you?'" he asked Kitty guilelessly.

Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, Kit; what did ya mean?" she chimed in.

Kitty wrinkled her nose. "I meant how could you keep this a secret from me?" she asked, tone aggrieved. "You're not just my roommate, you're also my best friend, Rogue."

"And ya've been spendin' every spare minute with Kurt lately," Rogue pointed out.

Kitty's expression softened. "I didn't mean to shut you out…"

"Ah know, Kit," Rogue said reassuringly. "Ya didn't really have all that much time ta spend with meh and Ah'm okay with that, really. Ah just…needed someone in mah life, too." She ducked her head, focusing her gaze on her lap.

"And you chosePietro?" Scott asked, aghast.

"Why not?" Rogue asked mutinously. "Ah like 'im."

"Aw, shucks, Roguey, I didn't know you felt like that," Pietro quipped from behind her.

"Pietro!" Rogue squealed, jumping up from the couch and into his arms. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled out of his embrace. "If Logan catches you in here he'll kill you."

"Too late, Stripes," Logan growled from the doorway.

Being the macho, manly man that he was, Pietro squeaked. "Eeep," he muttered, zipping around to hide behind Rogue.

"The Professor wants to see you in his office – both of you," Logan said pointedly, eyeing the white-haired interloper in their midst.

Exchanging an, 'It was nice knowing you,' look, Rogue and Pietro summed up their situation in one simultaneously said word: "Shit."