Rogue's fingers are covered in cloth. Because they aren't supposed to touch anything. But they want to so bad. They want to be free to run through someone's hair. To have someone show the same treatment to her. She wants to kiss a boy and not send him into a coma.

She wants to at least hold hands with him and not suck him dry of everything he had ever known.

She feels empty inside but not because she is empty but because she feels like that's the only way she get through life so inhuman but not feel pain. But she doesn't like not being able to be touched. She hates it.

Her footsteps were crunches as her boots destroyed all the dead leaves on the ground. Everyone was outside making snowmen and having snowball fights but she didn't like to be in the snow. It reminded her of being cold. She wanted to be warm.

She walked around the small courtyard which was surrounded by trees. Barely any snow fell there, the branches were so close together. Instead all the leaves were layered on the concrete ground. Sometimes she felt like the concrete was warmer than her. She sat down on one of the benches and looked out to her friends.

Kitty was attacking Jubilee from every angle, sinking into the snow and coming out with handfuls of the snow to dump on Jubilee's head who in return tried to melt the snow but wound up only making snowflake fireworks.

Over where the boys were playing all were getting mad because it was unfair that Bobby kept winning in their fight.

It was so strange. They had all graduated, were all at least eighteen but they all still acted as if they were ten. It was refreshing somehow.

She wished she could be a child again. Be able to be unaware of what her body would soon hold. But she was a woman now. Had to be. Had to be aware.

A hard thud hit her back. She turned around, baffled and there was Scott standing with another snowball ready to go.

"Come on Rogue! Let's see if you actually have enough power to beat this snowball king!"

Rogue's jaw dropped in a playful manner. She stood and walked over to the edge of the walk where she could find enough snow to suit her revenge snowball. "Let's get this show on the road Zappy!" She returned and aimed one straight for his chest.

With a smirk and a lift of his glasses the snow melted in midair five feet from him.

"That's not fair!" Rogue placed her hands on her hips as a smirk of her own graced her porcelain face.

"Hey, in this game anything goes."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" And with that she sprinted for him. This threw him off long enough for her to tackle him to the ground and begin shoving his mouth full of the white flaky substance. "EAT IT ALL BITCH!" She yelled triumphantly as she paused to give him some chance of breathing.

With a cough and a shake of his face Scott admitted his defeat. "That was uncalled for." He coughed, the snow still covering a good portion of his face.

"Hey pal, in this game anythin' goes!" Rogue's hands went to her hips as she gave him a self-satisfied look. "An' Ah just wooped up on ya!"

Scott shivered at the thickness of her Mississippi accent. "Yeah well," And with that he rolled over on top of her and proceeded to shove handfuls of snow down her shirt

Rogue jumped at the icy freeze sliding down between her chest to her stomach and began kicking her legs and flailing about in protest. "Oh my gawd Scott, THAT'S COLD!" And with a final kick she threw him off of her and gave out a childish sniffle as, standing, she shook the snow out from the bottom of her shirt.

"Jerk." She mumbled giving the laughing man's leg a kick. Despite this she was still forcing back a smile.

"Jerk, am I?" He asked and with a maneuver of his legs Rogue was lying down in the snow. Laughing still Scott crawled his way over to his side. Closing his eyes he lifted the bottom of his glasses to wipe a false tear away. "Oh that was funny."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Funny huh?" And with that she grabbed his glasses and started off.

Scott, surprised at this bold move, stood up on his knees and turned his head about, eyes clamped tightly. "Roguey, now that's not very nice and I think the ref's would call that cheating."

"What did you just call me?"

"Roguey…" Scott taunted as he followed her voice.

"And Ah don't think that's cheatin' if what you did earlier was within regulation." She added matter-of-factly.

Scott grinned at the extra help of finding her and with ease he toppled her to the ground, he falling on top.

For a second they were lying there, breathing hard from the sudden drop in position until Scott realized how hard his heart was beating inside his chest, so much he could feel it in his feet.

Why was it beating so hard and so fast? He rose one hand up to feel Rogue's face. It was warm around her cheeks even though it was freezing out. He was wearing his woven gloves so he couldn't be affected by her but could still feel the heat from her body.

His breathing calmed as did hers. He dipped his head and could feel her hair brush against his forehead. He turned his head just so he could whisper in her ear. "Rogue, I want to give Jean something to see…"

Rogue's stomach tied itself into knots. She couldn't believe he had just said that. Was he crazy? Did he know who he was talking to? Rogue? Her?

"Rogue," He began again. She almost stopped him but it was a curious feeling to her, for to him speak. To say things like that. And his lips were so close to her ear that she could feel them and his hand was running lines behind her ear and it felt so good even if it was just the cotton of the glove.

"Yes?" She breathed and almost kicked herself. She could feel her body being taken up with him. Was it because he was daring to be this close to her was it because it was Scott?

"I want it to be you she sees."

"Are… are you sure?"

"Yeah." Scott could feel his glasses being gently put back on. He opened his eyes and through the red of his lenses he saw her face. And the stunned look of his touching her. And the scared look of what he said… but he saw something else.

That she wanted to do it to.