Scott pulled up to a parking spot on side street. He gestured to Rogue and pointed out a dingy-looking diner that was at the corner. Rogue couldn't believe that Scott was taking her to this run-down diner but she thought that there might be more to this place than meets the eye. She surrendered her initial concerns and followed Scott into the establishment.
Rogue was taken aback by the ambiance of the diner. If there was ever a literal connotation of a 'greasy spoon', this was it. She could feel the stickiness of the floor beneath her feet. The air seemed to be filled with odour of eons of charred flesh on a grill. The cleanliness of the place was put into question by Rogue as she slid into an empty booth with its unwashed table with its unnamable stains staring her in the face.
Rogue was less than impressed.
"So?" asked Scott as he slid into the booth adjacent to Rogue.
"It's...," stuttered Rogue. "It's not what ah expected."
Rogue inspected the interior of the diner that Scott had chosen. It was everything that you would expect from a greasy spoon, including the possibility of food poisoning.
"Don't worry about it," Scott reassured her. "It doesn't look like much but they've got great food, trust me."
"Ah trust you," Rogue confirmed, looking at the array of customers, themselves an a few raggedy individuals sitting at the counter. "For now."
"Ahh, you'll be scarfing down your dinner in no time." Scott said, attempting to dismiss any concern on Rogue's part.
"Ah don't know, Scott," Rogue retorted, looking at her waistline. "Ah really should be watching my weight."
"You're kidding, right?" Scott inquired skeptically. "You're in great shape."
"Ah can just as easily get outta shape," Rogue remarked, defending her need for concern.
"C'mon," Scott continued in disbelief. "With Logan's training sessions? We don't get enough time to digest a meal, let alone get fat."
"Yeah," Rogue agreed, smiling. "We'd have like zero percent body fact if it were up ta him. Still, ah think ah'll just have a salad or something."
"Suit yourself," Scott said, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at his dusty menu.
Rogue in turn scanned her equally filthy menu, trying in vain to search for a meal not drenched in oil. She pondered on what Scott said about her being in great shape. Rogue wasn't sure what to be elated about; the fact that Scott noticed her figure or that fact that he actually noticed something for a change.
An elderly woman in a waitress uniform made her way towards the booth. Without making any eye contact with either Rogue or Scott, she lazily poured coffee for both of them. Before either of them could protest, she cut them off.
"Alright kids what'll ya have?" she asked in a disinterested tone.
"Uh, ma'am?" Scott interjected. "We didn't order any cof..."
"Coffee's complimentary with the meal," the waitress interrupted, still looking down at her pad. "Now what'll have?"
"Uh, okay," Scott stammered, befuddled by all of this. "I'll have the bacon double cheeseburger with fries and coleslaw and a large chocolate milkshake."
"Okay, an' you?" asked the waitress turning towards Rogue, still not making any eye contact.
"Umm, let's see," Rogue said, as she looked for something edible. "Ah think I'll have the garden salad an..."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you hon," warned the waitress. "Yer best bet is to get somethin' deep fried so ya know it's dead."
Rogue was stymied by that particular revelation.
"Okay then," replied Rogue, slowly putting down her menu. "Ah'll have what he's having." She tilted up her chin, indicating Scott as the person in question.
"Alright, then," the waitress said, going on unevaded. "that's two 'artery blockers' with two 'diabetic comas'. It'll be about ten minutes." The waitress proceeded to walk away without taking their menus or asking the two young mutants if the wanted anything else.
"Scott?" said Rogue with a cross look on her face. "Ah'm starting to lose trust."
"Hey, it's part of the charm," Scott grinned, defending the diner's questionable customer service. "Relax and have some coffee."
"Yeah right," Rogue grunted skeptically. "Ah always relax with caffeine in my system."
"Look, if you want to go someplace else..."
"No, no, we've ordered food already," she replied. Rogue started to feel bad about all of her complaining. "Look, ah'm sorry if ah'm complaining too much. It's just ah have something important to tell you and ah really didn't envision me tellin' you in this kinda place."
"The reason that I picked this place was cause it reminded me of the diner we went to while we were in the city last Christmas."
"This place reminded you of that diner?" Rogue questioned in disbelief.
"Well, it was more like it was a diner and it was nearby. But I've seen the food up close and it looked great. I mean, it reminded me more of the fun we had hanging out so I just figured that we could start out a fun night by associating it with another fun time. It's not as lame as it sounds..."
"No, no," Rogue interrupted. "It's kinda sweet actually. Ah'm really surprised that you put that much thought into this."
"Well it wasn't that much thought."
"Scott, don't spoil the moment," Rogue cautioned. "Anyway, it was nice. And ah really appreciate it." Rogue put her hand on Scott's hand. Scott smiled too, almost on the verge of blushing.
"You're welcome," Scott finally said. "After all, what are friends for?"
Rogue pulled her hand away suddenly as the smile ran away from her face. She quickly covered up her disappointment as the joy of the moment began to get a terminal disease.
"Yeah friends," Rogue muttered semi-audibly. "Whatever."
"What was that, Rogue?" Scott asked, not hearing what she had said.
"Nothing, Scott. Nothing at all."
"Has this something to do with what you wanted to tell me?" Scott inquired, attempting to figure out what was bothering Rogue.
"You could say it has a lot to do with it," Rogue answered with her voice wavering in nervousness. Rogue's eyes wandered every which way except in Scott's direction.
"Well then, tell me." Scott demanded.
Rogue twiddled her thumbs and kept her head down, trying not to look Scott in the eye.
"C'mon Rogue," Scott implored. "You can tell me. We're friends aren't we?"
"That's just it Scott," Rogue replied. "Do you think we're friends?"
"I'd like to think so," Scott answered, growing more confused. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Well," Rogue said, attempting to find the words. "Just what do you base our friendship on?"
"Well, I think the fact that we're teammates. We've been through life and death together. We've saved each other's skins on almost a daily basis. So excuse me for being presumptuous in thinking that we are friends." Scott was a little hurt by Rogue's line of questioning. "Did I do something that made you feel I wasn't?"
"No Scott," Rogue retorted. "Ah'm sorry, ah'm not bein' fair to you. You didn't do anything. Ah know how you've done nothing but try to be a friend to me and that you've always been sincere about it. It's just that, ah honestly don't think you really know me, that they're things that ah haven't told you, that could change things. Ah mean, ah don't make it easy for you."
"Yes," Scott stated. "Yes, that is true."
Rogue cracked a smile and laughed at little. She tried her best to suppress it.
"Shut up and don't make me laugh," Rogue commanded. "Ah'm tryin' to be serious here. Besides, you're not supposed to be funny."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Scott said, pretending to be offended.
"Oh ah don't know Mr. 'Ah'm the leader of the X-Men let's do drills all day'," Rogue asked sarcastically. "'Let's do another simulation in the Danger Room.' 'Can't go out tonight guys; ah have to go over some battle strategies in case the Brotherhood shows up.' Why would anyone think that?"
"Very funny," smirked Scott, unimpressed by Rogue's sarcastic tirade. "Look, I admit that I take things seriously when it comes to the X-men. That's because it's the most important thing in my life. Well, maybe not the most important thing in my life. But it's up there. But when the uniform comes off, I just like to be Scott Summers."
"And just who is Scott Summers?" Rogue asked as she playfully rested her chin in her hands and leaned in towards Scott.
"Well I like to think that I'm a person..." Scott stumbled. "How can anyone talk about themselves and not sound like a conceited jerk?"
"Ah'll tell you," Rogue responded. "You have not and never been anything' close to a conceited jerk."
"Thanks," Scott said, taken off guard by the compliments.
"But you do suck at racquetball." Rogue added teasingly.
"Once again, thanks," chuckled Scott.
"And you suck at snowmobile racing," Rogue added again with a grin.
"Okay, that's enough," Scott ordered Rogue.
"Ah'm just helping' you define yourself by listing your glaring faults." Rogue said in a playful tone.
"That just proves my point," Scott said faking a stern tone. "I'm funny because you have fun at my expense."
"Maybe ah have fun in spite of you," Rogue retorted.
"Maybe," Scott chuckled.
"Or maybe," Rogue continued, changing back to heavier tone. "We don't really know each other at all."
"I don't know about that," Scott returned. "I mean, whatever it is we have, I consider it a friendship. I've always treated it that way. Maybe it seems a little casual or surface level but I never taken our friendship lightly. It's not like you're the easiest person to know Rogue. Heck, neither am I for that matter. I think that's why we're comfortable with each other. We may not know everything there is to know about one another. But we accept each other anyway. I don't think that's such a bad thing. I don't know everything about you Rogue but I like everything I know so far."
"Ah guess ah feel the same way," said Rogue, taking Scott's words to heart. "But there is more to it than that. You know how ah've absorbed your powers at one time or another? Well, sometimes ah get the personality of someone too. Ah get thoughts, memories, dreams, feelings. Not like people ah absorb have much of a choice. An' it's not like ah get to pick what thoughts and feelings. What ah'm tryin' to say is that ah know things about you that you might not be aware of. Even the private stuff."
"I see," Scott said, wringing his hands nervously. There were things that Scott kept to himself that he didn't want to share with anybody. Not even Jean. It disturbed him a little that someone could know his most intimate thoughts without him offering it to them.
"Ah don't want to tell you what ah know. Ah respect your right for privacy. Ah just want you to know that ah think ah know you better than you know me."
Scott looked positively grim.
"I guess you have me at a disadvantage. What do know exactly?"
"Do you want me to tell you what ah know?"
Scott thought about it hard. There was a span of silence that seemed to last an eternity.
"No," Scott answered. "I think that if we're going to reveal private things about ourselves; it should be on our own accord. I don't know what you know about me but you've been kind enough to keep it private. I'd prefer that we talk about this kind of stuff later down line."
"Ah'd like that," Rogue said with a smile. She looked at Scott with admiration in her eyes and thoughts. Rogue wanted to tell him everything that she knew. She wanted to open up to him so much but Rogue knew that this wasn't the time to get all these out in the open. The important thing for tonight was to tell Scott how she really feels about him. Everything else after that would be easy.
"Here you go, enjoy," said the waitress as she placed both plates in front of Scott and Rogue. She proceeded to put the milkshakes next and went on without a word being said.
The food seemed to bring levity back into the evening as Scott seemed to be mesmerized by the greasy feast that was put before him. Scott picked up the big bacon double cheeseburger with both hands and began to chow down.
"Oh wow!" exclaimed Scott with a mouthful of hamburger. "That's the stuff!"
Scott saw that Rogue was just staring at her plate and she seemed a little apprehensive.
"What's the matter?" Scott asked as he swallowed his fare.
"That's an awful lot of food," Rogue said with consternation.
Scott decided to play on Rogue's competitive spirit to get her to eat.
"That's okay Rogue, I know that you're too much of a lightweight when it comes to greasy food."
"Who are you kidding?" Rogue snapped. "Ah'm from the South. Ah know
grease. Ah can handle anything you can Summers."
"I think you're all talk lightweight," Scott shot back, amused by Rogue's apparent irritation with him. "You're a little too fragile for this kind of stuff."
"Fragile?!" Rogue shouted angrily. "Ah'll show you Scott Summers!"
Rogue grabbed the huge bacon double cheeseburger and took a huge bite. She had to admit, it tasted great. Scott seemed to have great instincts when it came to junk food.
"See? I told you," Scott said with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Dn't be so smgg" uttered Rogue with a mouthful of food.
"What?!" Scott asked with greater amusement in his voice.
"Don't be so smug," Rogue retorted. "Ah happen to like greasy food too. Ah don't need you to trick me into piggin' out."
"Yes," Scott said mockingly. "of course! Try the shake."
Rogue complied and took a sip of the creamy chocolate shake. She closed her eyes and seemed to be in ecstasy.
"Oh my gosh," Rogue exclaimed. "That's so good!"
"Yeah," Scott reiterated as he sipped some of his own shake. "Real ice cream."
"Scott Summers," Rogue declared. "Ah trust you implicitly."
"High praise indeed," Scott affirmed.
Both the young mutants laughed for a while. They were having there own kind of fun without a care in world. Both Scott and Rogue gorged their meal and relished every cholesterol-filled morsel. Both emptied their plates and felt their stomachs sticking out, as if they were completely bloated.
"That was just great," Scott sighed.
"Ah'm gonna have to run six miles to burn all this off," Rogue moaned.
"A session with Logan could burn both our meals and then some," Scott reassured her. "It's not like we get to eat like this everyday. The Professor would kill us."
"We'd kill ourselves," Rogue countered. "The fries alone would do us in."
"Yeah, but what a way to go, eh?" Scott returned as he adjusted himself in his seat.
"Ah've learned something new about you Scott," Rogue continued. "You're really, really weird."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Scott replied, adjusting his belt.
Rogue decided to take the opportunity to finally tell Scott what she felt. He was stuffed and contented with most of his blood leaving his brain and heading towards his stomach. It was now or never.
"Scott?" Rogue asked rhetorically. "Ah've got something to tell you."
"That's perfect," Scott retorted with alacrity. "You've learned something about me, now I'm going to learn something about you."
"Yeah," Rogue confirmed. "You're gonna learn something."
"Okay then," Scott blurted, a little confused by Rogue's seemingly cryptic comment. "I'm all ears."
"Scott," Rogue said, straining to tell what she felt. "Ah...."
Rogue rubbed her temples with her hands as she tried to clear her head of anxiety.
"It's okay Rogue" Scott said, placing his hand on hers for reassurance. "Go ahead."
"This is just so hard to say," Rogue said as she seemed to be struggling. "It's just been a long time comin'. Ah'm afraid things 'il change for good and ah wouldn't want that for the world."
"Nothings going to change," Scott reassured her. "Whatever it is, no matter how bad, we are friends no matter what." Scott gave her hand another squeeze. Although her hands were gloved for obvious reasons, she could steal feel the warmth of his touch. It furthered her feelings of anxiety but made it even more apparent that she had to get things out before she lost her nerve.
"Ah like you!" Rogue exclaimed as she struggled to draw a breath.
Scott looked at Rogue silently without any apparent emotion. He didn't seem shocked at all. It was more like he was waiting for something.
"And?" Scott inquired, expecting more of an answer.
Rogue could not believe the flippancy of Scott's remark.
"Scott," Rogue replied, hinting to him the severity of what she previously said. "Ah... like..you!"
"I like you too," Scott stated. "What's the problem?"
Rogue was stymied by Scott's reaction. It was like he did not understand the significance of what she was telling him. Then Rogue recalled that Scott was notoriously dense when it came to these things, so she felt, as painful at it was, to continue explaining herself.
"Scott," Rogue continued. "You know what ah mean when ah say 'ah like you', right?"
"Sure," Scott replied without much concern. "We like each other as people and we enjoy each other's company and we're finding a number of things that we have in common. So it's safe to say that we like each other. It's not that big a deal."
"Scott, when ah say ah like you, ah mean ah like you as more than just a friend."
"I don't know what you mean."
Rogue wanted to tear her hair out. She found that it was actually getting easier to tell Scott what she felt because she just wanted him to understand the actual meaning.
"You can't possibly be this dense!" she yelled in frustration.
"Calm down, Rogue," Scott stated. "What way could you possibly like me more than a friend. I mean, the only way you could like me more than like was if you..."
Slot A began to slide into Slot B as the declaration of Rogue began to sink into the consciousness of the gentleman known as Scott Summers. He looked at Rogue directly in the eye.
"You mean..." Scott said, gesturing with his hands.
"Yes," Rogue confirmed.
"So you..." Scott said pointing to Rogue.
"Yes," Rogue again confirmed.
"Me?" Scott asked pointing to himself.
"Yes," Rogue confirmed for a third time.
Rogue witnessed the complete disintegration of the jovial mood that she and Scott had established so far. Scott was in a near state of catatonia and seemed to stare into his empty plate. Rogue wasn't sure how to interpret this, but she had gone this far and sought to inquire more.
"Scott?" she asked. "Don't you have anything to say?"
Scott gathered himself and seemed ready to make an appropriate response. He didn't lift his head to even look at Rogue but attempted to signal the waitress.
"Check, please!"