Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution.
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"Are you sure about this, Roguey? You know, another day away from school really wouldn't hurt..." Pietro gave Rogue's hand a sympathetic squeeze, to which she responded with a wan smile.
"Come on, Pietro. Yah're s'posed ta help meh through this, not make meh turn around."
He chuckled softly as he started into the classroom. "I was only testing you."
"Well, did Ah pass?" Rogue lowered her gaze as they passed the other students, feeling hot under their scrutiny. No doubt they were disappointed that she had returned.
"With flying colors." He waited patiently for a moment as she took her seat. "Now, you wait here while I run this 'doctor's note' to the secretary, okay?" She nodded in confirmation and Pietro zipped off, but not without touching his finger to her cheek to lift her chin first. "I'll be back before you miss me. Really," he winked.
When he had disappeared, she let her chin drop again. Biting her lip, she tried to keep her eyes firmly trained on the surface of her desk, scarred with years of student vandalism that only recently included harsh scrawls of derogatory terms towards mutants. They were whispering again, about her. Though how could she really call it whispering when every word, it seemed, could be heard as clearly as if it was spoken directly to her face. Where had she been? Sick? Was it some kind of contagious disease? Why had she come back? Why couldn't she have stayed gone? That last question, she was not sure if she had heard it or in fact just thought it herself. Why was she here? She did not want to be here, but then, why indeed did she come back?
She had to dig deep for the answer.
No. She was not going to run, nor hide. She helped fight to stay in school and she was not going to take that privilege for granted. No, she would face them, defiantly. Meet their scorn with a proud glance, fight their discrimination with her continuing presence. Nobody could keep her away. Least of all...
Gambit strolled in with the same arrogant stride he had used since day one. She had to swallow the lump that built in her throat from seeing him, but if her presence had any effect on him, he didn't show it, except for that his smirk seemed to grow more amused. He even went so far to wink cheekily at her, and she had to swiftly turn her head away, shutting her eyes tightly as if she could make it all go away. She felt like a vice was tightening around her body, restricting her breathing, and she had to bring her hand to her chest to try to ease the pain. Where was Piet- She clenched her fists, pressing her lips until they formed a thin line; no, she could handle this herself. When she opened her eyes, hardened and void of emotion, she saw that Remy now sat across the room, not surrounded by a group of girls, she noted with a level of satisfaction, but in a sort of mysterious shadow, though his area was no less lit than the rest of the classroom.
She was trying to figure out what it was, why he seemed so shrouded in darkness, not pertaining to light but something else, when Pietro finally returned. Rogue scowled at him in annoyance as he took his seat. "Ya failed. Ah did miss ya."
Pietro glanced over towards Gambit, his lips quirking in a sheepish frown. "It wasn't my fault. The secretary was being a bitch."
"Pietro Maximoff, I will not be having such language in my classroom," scolded the teacher as he stepped into the classroom. "Especially when it is directed towards a member of our faculty."
Pietro turned a slight pink before he recovered, muttering, "Sorry." Seemingly satisfied, the teacher turned to start putting up the class' objectives for the period. Pietro rolled his eyes and leaned over towards Rogue to hiss, "What's with the stick up his ass?"
Before Rogue could shush him, the teacher spun around to glare at the speed demon. "Maximoff!" he thundered. "I'll be seeing you today afterschool in detention."
"What?!"
"Are you going to shut your mouth or am I going to have to assign more?" Pietro met the teacher's glare with one of his own but kept his tongue firmly in check. "Good." The teacher turned to look over the rest of this students, his eyes lingering for only a moment longer on Rogue. "That goes for the rest of you too. I'm in no mood for disruptions!"
*****
"Can you believe that? He totally flipped out on me! It was so uncalled for. I didn't deserve detention. I have half a mind not to go." Pietro bit angrily into his sandwich, scowling at the lunch table. "And you know, he wasn't the only one! I say one thing in math class and the teacher leaps down my throat. I mean, she didn't give me detention or anything because you know, I'm not stupid. But damn!"
Rogue chewed pensively on her own sandwich before she responded. "Maybe ya should jus' learn ta keep your big mouth shut." They were sitting under her tree, at a safely private distance from anyone. She had no real confrontations with her former housemates the X-Men, only uncomfortable moments when they had to be near each other, but Rogue didn't want to push her luck.
"Oh, come on, Rogue. I've mouthed off before, worse than this, and it wasn't this severe."
"One afternoon's detention is severe for ya?"
"You know what I mean."
Rogue snickered. "Okay, Ah can see it, Ah know what ya mean. But it's not lahke Ah know any more 'bout what's up than you do."
"Well, whatever it is, they shouldn't be taking it out on me."
She snorted. "Ya usually deserve it anyhow."
"No, I'm just a good scapegoat." He sighed. "Why do I have to be so perfect at everything?"
"Ah know! Don' it jus' suck sometimes?"
Pietro blinked, looking over at her. "You mean that?"
"Yea, you're good." A wry smirk formed on her lips. "Good at gettin' on mah nerves!" She ducked, laughing as he looked at her mock indignantly, playfully swatting at her arm. They settled into a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's presence as they ate.
Remy watched them from afar, safely cloaked from their gaze by the distance he held between them. So, she was back. He knew she would be; he had prepared himself for it, but no amount of preparation in the world would have reduced the pain he felt upon walking into class that morning and seeing her there. Not that he didn't hide it. He was better than that, than to show how much it hurt to want her yet know that it could never be, that it had been he who turned her away.
Rogue still kept him awake at night, left him pawing at the empty space beside him on the bed in his sleep, when he did fall asleep. She should be there beside him. He wanted her there, wanted to hold her, possess her, love her. It frustrated him endlessly that he had to restrain himself. It was all he could, even now, to keep from going over and whisking her away in his arms, away from everything, away from Pietro. A flare of insane jealousy burst inside his chest and he had to close his eyes and clench his jaw until his teeth hurt to battle the emotion. She was living with the speed demon now, he knew. He also knew that there was something between them, that they shared the relationship that he had thrown away. He had chased her into another man's arms.
He tore his stare away from the couple, nimbly leaping up and onto the bleachers that faced the track. Groaning, he pushed his face into his hands, moving his fingers up and through his hair. Dieu. What was he going to do? His every thought was consumed by her. Had he forgotten why he was enrolled at Bayville in the first place? Magneto wanted him to keep an eye on the X-Men, wanted to make sure they would not get in the way of his next plan. Whatever that was. He couldn't let himself be run by emotions, least of all love. And besides, as she wasn't a part of the X-Men any longer, he had no business with her.
Pietro could keep an eye on her anyways.
The jealousy flared up again, and this time he kicked the seat in front of him to let out his frustration. He couldn't do this. He had to talk to her, look straight into those emerald eyes once again. Just one more time would do. He would be satisfied then, but he couldn't just let it be like this. He had to hear her voice talk to him one last time, even if it would be in anger. And most of all, he had to touch her, maybe briefly hold her in his arms. Maybe steal a kiss. Just one more time, just one more chance.
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I don't really have much to say about this. Remy's back, finally. Complete with the green-eyed monster, Jealousy. And that's before he finds out what they did...
Nothing more to say... Oh yea, know any good X-Men villains? Other than Magneto, that is. :-P
Thanks!
Rielyn