Disclaimer: X-Men Evolution Characters are not mine.
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There was a moment of silence before Pietro rolled his eyes and muttered, "What's there to talk about?" He lay there, obstinately refusing to look at her, even when she came over to sit by his feet.
"Ah wanted ta apologize... Ah didn' mean-"
"Sure you didn't."
"Ah'm serious, Pietro. Ah do care 'bout ya, an' Ah do love ya. Ah mean that. Really Ah do."
He turned to look her in the eye then. "Really? Then how is it that I make you feel so dirty? So disgusted?" He pressed his lips into a thin line. "No. You don't love me, you never have."
"Pietro.."
"You never have," he hissed. "Honestly, you wanted Gambit, not me. I'm not stupid, Rogue. It's obvious. Don't even try to lie to me."
"Look, Pietro, Ah'm tryin' mah best heah, okay? It's hard."
"To love me? Well doesn't that make me feel so warm inside?" He pushed himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs around until he sat facing away from her. "What's the point of this conversation, to hurt me further?"
"Pietro! Ya're jus' puttin' words in mah mouth. That is NOT what Ah was tryin' ta say."
He spun to face her. "Then what are you trying to say?"
Rogue scowled, her temper flaring though she fought to restrain it. "Well, if ya would give me a chance ta say it, maybe then ya wouldn' have had ta ask that question!" She stared at him angrily for a moment before letting out an irritated breath. "Look, forget it, Ah don' want ta talk ta ya while ya're lahke this." She made to move back to the stairs when he caught her wrist.
"No, wait, I'm sorry. I'm just... This is hard on me too." He sighed, staring ashamedly down at the floor before giving her arm a gentle tug. "Please, I'll listen."
She hesitated for a moment before resuming her seat. "Look, Ah don' expect ya ta understand, an' Ah don' blame ya, let's get that straight. Ah don' blame ya." She swallowed, turning her head to stare at the carpet by her feet. "It's jus'... Ah always thought bein' able ta touch would get rid of mah problems, not cause more. An' it's not that Ah regret sleepin' with ya.. well, Ah do.. but not 'cause Ah slept with ya.. Ah mean.." She took in a tortured breath. "Ah'm not makin' any sense."
"... I think.. I follow. Go on."
She lifted her eyes to his. "Ah mean, Ah love ya, Pietro, Ah really do. An' Ah think that if it had happened any other time, it would have been perfect." She squinted her eyes as she faced the floor again. "But this thing with Remy... Ah jus' cain't believe that... that he... well, that ya were right all along. An' Ah cain't stop thinkin' 'bout all the sweet words he said an' all the sweet things he did... but... it was all a lie!" She shook her head. "My mind is screamin' one thing while mah heart is screamin' right back. 'He loves meh!' 'No, he doesn', nevah did!' An' then you.." She leaned in towards him, slinging her arms around his shoulders and pulling herself in close to him. "Ya're bein' so good ta meh, an' Ah love ya, Ah know Ah do. But Ah cain't figure out why Ah cain't stop thinkin' of Remy, an' Ah know Ah love ya.. but everythin' is goin' so fast, an' Ah'm so confused!" She broke into a sharp sob which she immediately tried to stifle, whimpering into his shoulder. "Ah'm so sorry, Pietro. Ah'm so sorry! Ah nevah wanted ta hurt ya, Ah nevah meant ta, really."
Pietro looked down compassionately at the girl he held within his arms, letting his hands stroke comfortingly through her hair with a soft sigh. "Shh, Rogue. Shh, it's ok."
"Pietro, Ah do love ya, please believe meh, Ah do!"
"Shh, I know, I love you too. Everything is going to be okay." He began rocking her back and forth, giving her a soothing kiss on her forehead.
"It all jus' happened so fast, an' Ah'm not sure Ah was ready fo' it..."
"Then this is what we're going to do, okay?" He leaned back a little so that he could look down into her eyes, lifting his hand to touch her cheek gently. "We'll take it slow from now on. We won't do anything you aren't comfortable with. We'll ease into being together..." He hesitated, his eyes dropping to scan the carpet as if searching for the words. "Well, that is... if you want to be together. I mean, if you don't that's okay, I'm not pressuring you into being with me if you're not ready and all. I'll be just as happy being friends, you know. So long as you're happ-"
"Ah want ta be with ya, Pietro." She gave him a soft smile. "We'll take it slow."
"Right."
Rogue pulled him into a warm hug, feeling at ease for the first time that week. "Thank ya, Pietro. For bein' there, for bein' here, for everythin'."
"I'll always be here for you, Rogue." He kissed her on the forehead. "Always."
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And Rogue and Pietro make up. Rogue does care about him. The only question is to what extent does she really love him. Where's Remy? Calm down, he'll be there next chapter.
Since I got past the angst stuff, now I can satisfy my rietro side. Rietro fans should be pleased by the following chapters. The only thing I can really say to the Romy fans is that it's okay, she gets back with Remy in the end. There'll be enough Romy fluff to make up for the lost time here.
Getting back into the swing of things. Not so worried about length anymore, nor about how the words go. More on how it feels to me. It feels better than the last couple of chapters, which is good. I don't want to be dragging out the next couple of chapters, I think they're going to be interesting.
And it's back to the sweet Pietro, the seemingly ooc Pietro that I started off with. I like him muuuuuch better this way. He's still cocky, but there are moments when he's sweet. There is always another side to a character.
I hate Jean Grey. That was random. But yes, I hate Jean Grey.
I wish I knew exactly how this fic is going to go. As should be with any X-Men fic/story, there has to be some sort of struggle to save the world or whatever. I just have to figure out what. And then I have to dread all the fighting sequences I have to write. Or maybe I'll find a way around it, though it seems only fitting that there would be a save the world struggle.
I went back to read over my story, or at least skim it, and I found myself staring at them. Occasionally I would think, 'I wrote this? Since when is THIS in my vocabulary? I didn't know I knew what that word meant or how to use it!' My theory is that I go into a writing mode, where my vocabulary is suddenly and inexplicably enhanced. Like just now, I tell you, tomorrow I will wonder at my usage of the word 'inexplicably.' Heh, if you talk to me online, you'll find that I don't use big words like that. I also don't remember writing parts of my chapters. I mean, like, what gave me the idea to take the fic in this direction or whatever. I tell you, it's a writing trance that I go into.
I don't like Remy in the evo version. At least not yet. His character is WAY WAY WAY underdeveloped. But then again, so are almost all of the characters in evo. Evo leaves much to be desired... at least for Romy fans... and Rietro fans while I'm at it... though I think Romy has a much greater probability of showing up in Evo. I'm babbling again.
A part of me feels that Pietro forgave Rogue too soon, too quickly. But let's chalk it up to the fact that he loves her, and she's upset... and he can see how she got to be that way. It's Gambit's fault. Gambit's the one he was really upset with, not Rogue. Green? Good.
Alright, people. Y'all are slackin'! Keep the reviews comin'! I demand it! What can I say? I'm high-maintenance and demanding. :)
Update: The next day, I looked at my email and it was full of reviews. Wow. You guys work fast! Like a bunny on crack! Lol, isandahalf. I also have to thank mic mic, she really helped me become inspired to write. Nothing against my faithful readers, you know I love you guys more than anything, but there's nothing like a new reader going and reviewing almost every chapter, and printing out the ones that she doesn't! :) :)
Rielyn