Chapter 14
Days at the Xavier Institute
Scott was currently in his bedroom after heading out of the Danger Room session. He changed out of his uniform, which was not stained by orange paint pellets, and then hung it up in his closet next to his favorite button down shirt. He took off his battle single-lens visor and replaced it with his ordinary everyday shades. It had been a fairly good session, more or less. Granted they hadn't completed the exercise successfully. They hadn't reached the goal end point, and in addition several of their members had been shot down. In simplicity, it was a failed exercise, which was something Scott was not particularly fond of.
Well, there were varying types of failed exercises in Scott's opinion. And like all things that came in several levels or forms, some were preferable to others. There was the failed session where it failed because people didn't give a damn about it and just let it slip through their fingers, which Scott hated to see on any given day. There was the failed session where people kept getting in each other's way due to a lack of knowledge of how to approach things and work as a team, try as they might. And finally, there was the session that failed because it was too hard and too intense to complete successfully, not matter how well prepared or team-working people were. Of those, Scott preferred the last.
Failing was something Scott Summers never truly felt good about, regardless of how inevitable failure was given the circumstances. He hated failure. He remembered the first major defeat at the hands of the Scarlet Witch not too long ago. It was the first major defeat he had dealt with. He remembered the frustration of losing surpassing his better judgment. If Jean hadn't been told him not to retreat, he probably would have done something he'd regret.
Scott still thought about that night from time to time. Mainly on his reaction. Wanda had been too much for them, which left a sour taste in his mouth. But he also remembered the professor's words he'd told them right after that battle.
You know, handling defeat is as much a mark of your character as coming home the victor. And from I see, this was a lesson, apparently, much needed.
Hearing those words had hurt Scott's pride, but the truth behind them was undeniable. Scott had always been an unrelenting perfectionist during his many years as deputy leader. And for a perfectionist, change was never easy to accept. Failure was something even worse.
But coming back to the last session, Scott kept telling himself that they had done well, and Simon had done okay for a first time. Granted training for him was a must, but just maybe, success was not too far off.
The young leader left his room and went off in search of Jean. If Scott didn't know any better, he would have sworn that his attraction for Jean had been growing day by day. Stronger and deeper. There was practically no denying it. But why the hell would Scott want to deny something like that? Never in a million billion years.
Being in love with Jean and having her love him in return made Scott's life complete. If that was taken away, the sheet of glass that made up his life would shatter as if struck by a flying stone. Other than being leader and all his friends here at the institute, the most important thing to Scott was Jean. The woman he loved with all his heart.
Scott stopped as he approached Jean's door. He stared at the door for a few moments, then knocked. "Just a minute," he heard Jean's voice answer the knocking. Seconds later, the door opened and Jean stepped out.
"Jean," Scott smiled at her in greeting.
"Hey, Slim," Jean winked at him as she said those words and Scott felt his cheeks warm up a little. "I'm heading out to get some fresh air out in the garden, want to join me?"
"Need you even ask?" asked Scott, grinning at the redhead.
Jean's smile grew slightly wider. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, chuckling. Even without using her telepathy, Scott was sometimes as easy to read as book. Not often, rest assured, but occasionally. She linked her arm through Scott's and the young couple headed down the halls of the institute to the main entrance in order to get some fresh air. Since it was spring, fresh air was something to enjoy like the sunshine that came with it. And who better to do that with than the person you were in love with?
Walking down the hallways with Scott, Jean asked herself for perhaps the millionth time as to why she didn't notice Scott's attraction and deep caring for her. Maybe it was something she had been blinded by. Duncan Matthews, which everyone at Bayville High knew was the star quarterback, jock stud-man, and top of the food chain. Sure he was attractive and a lady's man about him. And for a while Jean had thought they could make things flow and make them flow smoothly.
However, once one looked past Duncan's handsome, high and mighty exterior, the inner person beyond was nothing less than repellent. Duncan Matthews was the best example of a narcissistic, arrogant, selfish, egotistical pig of a human one could expect to find. Apparently, at the annual girl's choice dance, where Duncan had socialize with his jock football buddies rather than dance with Jean like he was supposed to, Jean had finally decided to call it quits, seeing Duncan using her to his advantage to make himself look even more "top of the food chain" in the eyes of the other Bayville High students. She had Scott had started dating not long after, and Jean had long decided that was the best choice she'd made in a mighty long time.
Outside, the sky was crystal clear blue, not a cloud in the entire overhead atmosphere, and the warm spring sun was shining brightly, lighting up the institute grounds with warm life-giving gleam. The sound of songbirds happily chirping in the warm air. When people had been looking forward to spring break, spring had sprung big time.
Scott took a good deep breath of the air, his chest bulging like a balloon as his lungs filled up. Jean took notice at Scott's heavy breathing, and the way his chest grew in size. She decided to tease him a little.
"Showing off that big strong chest of yours, Scott Summers?" asked Jean with a smirk, "Trying to get me to look?"
Scott looked a little confused at Jean's remark, but seeing the sly smirk on her face, he started to grin himself and took it as his cue to play along. "Well, Jean, I was simply taking a nice deep breath of this fresh spring air. But of course, how could you not help stealing a look at me?"
Jean's smirk grew deeper, a growing gash on her face. "My dear Scott, I do believe that your pride in your physique has gone to your head. You must think you're Mr. Muscle Beach, complete with ruby-quartz shades and optic blasts, thrice the man for half the price, no addition cost for eye treatment or tanning glasses. Satisfaction guaranteed."
Instead of immediately responding with words, Scott tilted his head to one side and placed a hand over his heart in mock humiliation. "Jean Grey, your words of mock cut me to the quick of my spirit," he told her in a sarcastic tone of voice.
"Oh, really?" Jean grinned as she playfully poked him in the ribs with her fingers. Scott groaned and laughed at the same time as his girlfriend rib-tickled him. Jean was laughing by now too, a nice playful laugh that Scott just adored to hear, especially when they were sharing amusing moments or memories with each other. While something like laughing always felt good to him, it always felt even better when he shared it with Jean. It was like their love made ordinary everyday things extraordinarily spiritual and uplifting experiences.
"You always know how to have a good time," said Scott.
"Well, you know me," Jean replied, "Have fun when you can so a minute is never wasted."
"Actually," Scott sneered at her, thinking of a little payback for her crack on his puffing out his chest, "You're a girl. That explains it."
Jean's green eyes widened at that. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, pretending to be insulted.
"Easy," Scott grinned, "Haven't you ever heard the saying 'girls just want to have fun?'"
Jean sighed in exasperation. "Oh, like that is ever true!" she humphed at Scott, putting her nose in the air like she was proud of her understanding something better than Scott was.
"You know I'm only teasing," said Scott, letting his big man face fall.
Jean let out a laugh as well, and looked back at Scott with pure love in her eyes. "Yeah I know, Scott. That's one reason why I love you."
Scott raised an eyebrow. "I thought you loved me because I cared about the welfare and safety of everyone."
"Well," Jean answered, "I do, but I also love your sense of humor. Some of the other kids here are just too immature for my liking. You on the other hand, I can relate to."
If Scott ever tired of hearing things like that from Jean, it would be the day he would have ceased to exist as his true self. However, before he could answer that, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips gently. And Scott almost died and went to heaven. He wrapped an arm around Jean's head and carefully stroked her hair in a soothing manner.
Finally, the need for oxygen made the two reluctantly separate. "Wow," said Scott, a look on his face showing how much that kiss affected him.
"I'll say," said Jean. She looked out across the lawn. The freshly cut grass was like a silky green blanket of crystal on the lawn as the fountain spouted crystalline streams of silvery water into the air. The breeze whistled through the trees like the wind flowing through a flute of music.
"I just love nice days like this," Jean stated, "So peaceful, so beautiful."
"Yeah, the perfect sort of day to be outside," agreed Scott.
"We finally have a day where there's no commotion from our enemies or our younger students," said Jean smiling.
However, seconds later, a loud BOOM erupted from on side of the grounds, the sound of a bomb going off. Or something like a bomb.
"Or not," Jean sighed, her happy face going down after hearing that explosion. Across the yard, they saw that the New Mutants had started up a game of Frisbee, and everyone was participating in it. Even Kurt and Evan were joining in on the fun. And of course, powers were allowed, which everyone was taking advantage of. The explosion had made that clear even before the game was discovered.
"Leave it to the New Mutants to turn a peaceful day into a demolition derby," said Scott, "You give them an inch, they walk all over you."
"What was your first clue?" asked Jean sarcastically.
They walked over to where the game was taking place, flowing the trail of smoke that were billowing into the sky from patches of blown up earth. It was total chaos what they found. Everyone was trying to get a hold of the Frisbee and powers were making it more like a clash of mutant teenage titans rather than a simple game of catch. Ray and Roberto, as usual, were in what one would call combat with each other, the solar-power Brazilian and the electric wild-haired berserker, clashing as was their daily activity with each other. Tabitha, always the one in search of a blast of a good time, was throwing little cherry bombs all around to discourage people from interfering with her catching the Frisbee. However, Jamie was doing his little play of being his own team, and had duplicates running all around trying to seize the prize before another person got in the way.
"You will never see another sight like it," said Scott, gazing at the spectacle.
"Hey guys," they heard Kitty call out to them for behind. They turned to see Kitty and Rogue sitting on the base of the fountain, watching the New Mutants and Evan and Kurt join in on the chaos. Neither Jean nor Scott could really guess as to why they were watching. Maybe just to be speculators, or just because there was nothing else to do out here other than enjoy the total chaos of a game of "Mutant Frisbee."
"What are you doing?" asked Kitty, noticing how Scott and Jean had been strolling arm in arm until they reached the site of the game. She wasn't surprised. Everyone at the institute knew how much Jean and Scott had fallen in love.
"Well," said Scott, "Jean and I were going to enjoy a nice peaceful stroll outside in the sunshine. But apparently, peaceful is not really an option anymore." Scott looked out over the game of mutants.
The Frisbee was flying high in the air, and everyone, including an entire swarm of Jamies, were pushing at each other to get into catching range. But Kurt bamfed right up to the flying disk and grabbed in a three-fingered hand before teleporting back to the ground where he could stand. "Ha! It's mein now!" he announced in playful pride.
"Better watch your wild, blue tail, Yonder Boy!" Tabitha shouted at the fuzzy elf, readying a handful of cherry bombs to throw his way.
"It looks like the 4th of July!" Jubilee added dangerously, raising her hands, which were snapping and popping with her fireworks. Ray and Bobby were already powering up a volley of lightning and ice energies to add spice to the mix.
Seeing everyone going after him, Kurt simply threw the Frisbee again, and the chaos started once again, considering it had even paused at all.
"I just hope that this new training program helps keep them under control," said Jean.
"Face it, Jean," said Rogue, looking out at all the New Mutants having a ball of a time with their powers, which was something she could never enjoy, "they'll never grow outta it. Which will probably mean more damage than before." A few flash bangs of light and energy emphasized her point as the New Mutants continued to fight World War II for the Frisbee.
It was then that Kitty spoke up, for no one else seemed to have anything important to say currently. "So Scott, how do you feel about training with the new recruits? We start that tomorrow."
Scott looked at the petite brunette with uncertainty showing on his face. Since you never got to see Scott's eyes due to his shades, you had to learn to read his facial expressions and lines as a substitute. "I have a feeling that it's going to be a long two weeks," Scott stated, "Danger Room sessions are hard enough as it is with the senior X-Men now consisting of seven members and not six. When we add whole bunch of the others to that group, we're going to have a major group issue to deal with. Not to mention some of them are a little out of control."
"Personally, Ah think they aren't ready for it," said Rogue, "They're still pullin' pranks on people day in and day out, and ah'm getting damn sick of it."
Jean and Scott could relate to Rogue's feelings. Jokes were funny if they were done only once, sometimes twice, but when done over and over they became annoying as hell. The New Mutants had proven that over and over. There had been times when Scott had wanted to rip his hair out due to frustration. Scott had a higher-than-average endurance level and will power, but he was still only human and could only take so much. The same was true of Jean. Patient as she was, there were limits to her tolerances as well. AS for Rogue, well, that would be playing with fire. Rogue was widely known around the institute for not taking anything from anyone. Pissing her off was the wrong thing to do, unless you really wanted to get a first hand experience of being drained.
"I wonder if they'll, like, pull any pranks on Simon," said Kitty.
The other three looked at her incredulously. "Is there any doubt?" asked Scott, "They're probably thinking of something pull on him even as we speak. In fact, I'm wiling to beat that by this time tomorrow, Simon will have had at least one prank pulled on him."
"They always want new targets for their games," Rogue sighed, "and Simon's the newest one around."
"Where is Simon anyway?" asked Kitty, "He, like, vanished."
"I haven't seen him," said Jean.
Kitty looked to Scott. "How about you, Scott?" asked Kitty.
Scott shook his head. "Not since we ended the Danger Room session."
"Maybeh he's out somewhere," suggested Rouge, "Maybe to get away for a while."
"Well," Kitty pressed, "Where could he have gone? He doesn't really know much about Bayville."
As the quartet were talking, Roberto had absorbed tremendous amounts of solar energy and ultraviolet radiation into his body, charging himself up into his shadow-wreathed-in-flame form where he was super strong, super energetic, and super leaping. As Sam and Bobby, in his organic ice form, came charging at him to seize the Frisbee in an ice attack or cannonball tackle, the solar-power Brazilian boy threw the Frisbee high into the air using his super strength. And with power like that, the Frisbee went high and long into the sky, and out of reach to the normal person.
"Oh man!" barked Ray, "You just lost us the Frisbee, Berto!"
"Ah got it!" Sam called out, and fired up his thermo-chemical propulsion, and took off into the sky after the Frisbee like a torpedo, hoping to snatch it before it got too far away.
However, as Sam shot towards the Frisbee, he noticed a glowing blue form, the size and shape of a young man hovering in the air and holding the Frisbee, like a figure composed of pure bright blue light. As Sam grew closer, the thing shot up its head.
"Hey!" Sam shouted, "Look out!"
"Whoa!" it called out, in a familiar sounding voice, and quickly dodged to the side with only seconds to spare. Sam sailed harmlessly past it. After seeing he safely missed his target, Sam turned himself around and flew back down to his friends.
The game had come to a brief pause. Everyone was looking up at the floating blue form up there in the sky holding the Frisbee, curious as to what it was. As they watched, the form flew down towards them, and finally, landed standing up on its feet, holding the Frisbee in its right hand.
Then they saw that the glowing blue shape was actually Simon. They recognized the outlines his face, clothes, and other features, but it looked like his entire body was composed of glowing bright blue energy, a radiant blue outline lining his form like a corona. For a second, Simon looked at them all with his featureless blue eyes. Then his energy form turned back into flesh and blood and he looked like his human self again.
"I think you lost this," he stated as a matter-of-factly, holding up the Frisbee. The New Mutants looked at Simon with a look of slight surprise, as if they didn't realize he could do things like he just did. Simon decided to break the silence before he freaked out. "Catch!" Simon called and tossed the Frisbee to them. Seeing the Frisbee fly towards them was enough and the New Mutants and they took after it.
Simon looked at the kids playing with their powers. And after the little incident in the sky moments ago, flying didn't seem like a good idea right now. He'd better stick to the ground until later on. As for ground-based activities, he decided to stay farther away from all the mutant mania before him before he had any more accidents that could cost him a trip to the infirmary.
Simon turned to see Scott, Jean, Kitty, and Rogue all standing or sitting on the fountain. They looked like they were just conversing, so he went over to them to join in. He was feeling rather awkward with simply standing there after doing a little of his changing in front of people and he figured joining in on a conversation was an easy way of getting out of it.
"Hey, Guys," the blond teen greeted the four other X-Men.
"Quite an entrance," said Kitty, commenting on Simon's landing. She was looking at Simon with a judging look.
"Well, I wasn't planning to make an entrance like that," said Simon, "Circumstances got in the way."
"What were you doing up there?" asked Kitty, "And how come you were glowing blue like that?"
Geez, doesn't this valley girl have other hobbies? Simon asked himself, Kitty's valley girl accent starting to make him feel like he was really in Southern California and not Bayville, New York. He was starting to think that Kitty Pryde was becoming more happy-go-lucky as time went by and wouldn't stop until doomsday.
"I was flying," Simon answered quickly, "I've found it's a good way to cool my nerves."
Scott and Jean and Rogue raised an eyebrow each, but Kitty looked too excited for Simon's like. "You can fly?" asked Jean, sounding not as surprised as Simon was expecting.
"Yeah. When I turn myself entirely into energy, I can fly. I discovered it accidentally. It's one of the easier things I can do with my powers. You don't sound too surprised, Jean."
Jean merely smiled at Simon knowingly. "Well," she said, "You know that I'm telekinetic?" Simon nodded. "Well, I can use that on myself and fly. It's sort of like what you do, but not quite."
A look of confusion crossed Simon's face, but then cleared. "Oh, I see."
"So," Kitty leaped in with another question, "What's it like to fly?"
Simon started to frown in frustration at all these questions. "Can we PLEASE talk about something else?" he asked Kitty in a forceful, convincing tone.
Kitty saw she had irked someone again with her persistence and curiosity. She mentally kicked herself for doing that. And Simon, she decided, was not a good person to irk, like a few others she knew. He looked ready to pounce on any reaction she made, his green eyes narrow with fierce focus.
"Sorry," she apologized, "I just wanted to---,"
"KITTY!" Scott, Jean, Rogue, and Simon all but shouted it out, hoping to put a stop to Kitty's overdoing it.
Kitty had overdone it once again, and simply shut up. But she wanted to get away from the four pairs of eyes looking at her with "don't push it" written in them. Luckily, her wish was granted.
"Hey, Kitty!" She looked to see that Tabitha, Rahne, Jubilee, and Amara had gathered in a small group under a tree in the shade, exchanging girl talk about who knows what. Amara was beckoning her over with her hand. "Come on and join us!" Amara called over to her. Kitty felt relief flood through her.
She turned back to the four older X-Men. "Well, see you later." And she scurried off, aware of the four pairs of eyes, three of them green and one hidden behind red shades, following her as she walked away. "Sooorrrryyy," she mumbled sarcastically under her breath as she went.
"Geez," sighed Simon, "She gets so carried away."
"Yah have no idea," Rogue snorted.
"Do I want to have an idea?" asked Simon, even though he already knew the answer.
"Do ah have tah answer that?" asked Rogue, rolling her eyes.
"Forget it," Simon ended it, seeing she enjoyed talking about it as much as he did.
Simon looked at Scott and Jean, and immediately noticed they were holding hands, in a way that seemed too close for friendship. But then again, he already knew from rumor and fact that they were an item so he wasn't surprised. A slight feeling of envy welled up in him as he saw that.
"Simon?" Scott's voice broke Simon out of his trance. He noticed that Jean and Scott were giving him confused looks.
"Huh?" he asked.
"You looked like you were a million miles away right now," Scott reported, "What's making you zone out?"
Simon was silent. He knew full well why, but he wouldn't say that to them. Hell, he didn't want to say it to himself. He decided to simply blow it off. "Nothing," he said, "I just zone out unintentionally sometimes."
"Well," said Scott, turning to his girl friend, "Jean, shall we go find someplace where there IS some peace and quiet?"
Jean smiled lovingly at Scott. "Good idea," she said, "Come on, Slim." She and Scott then went off to do their own thing.
Rogue's heart was hurting. For the second time in less than two days. And she knew it would going to for the rest of her life, even if not constantly. It was seeing Jean and Scott. Again. Oh sure she'd seen them doing a lot of things together over the past few weeks, ever since Jean had dumped that Matthews jerk.
Rogue had been sort of surprised by that, but also not so surprised by that. Before then, she really hadn't seen Jean give any real sign that she wasn't letting her high mount on the popularity horse cloud her judgment. But after she had finally called it quits with Duncan, Rogue saw that as an indication that Jean was more observant and not as ignorant than Rouge had given her credit for. Scott was infinity a better choice in Rogue's opinion. But then again, when ever did the southern Goth's, who skin was as deadly to the touch as venom was the bloodstream, opinion matter? It really didn't, or at least that was the way Rogue felt about it.
Only seconds passed before Rogue realized what it was that bothering her so. Seeing Scott and Jean hold hands and walk away in romantic love had reminded her of the one thing she desired above all else, but yet she couldn't have. The ability to touch and to love, to kiss and to hug, to do all the things that love birds and lovers did to express their feelings.
For a brief second, Rogue had seen that as them flaunting their love, rubbing it in her face. But, of course, Rogue knew that was the irrational part of her judgment getting in the way of logic. They were friends, of hers. They would never do that intentionally. But one of the things about human nature was that emotions like anger, frustration, and such were so influential that they could cause irrational thoughts seem natural, in one way or another. Rogue just wondered why she hadn't gotten used to it by now.
"Rogue?" she heard Simon speak to her, jerking her out of her deep thoughts of personal analysis.
She looked in the direction of the voice to see Simon had sat down on the edge of the fountain with her. The blond-haired boy was looking at the Goth with concern evident in his green eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah, Ah'm fine," she answered, too quickly.
Simon raised an eyebrow, signaling his catch of the quickness of her answer.
"It's just----," Rogue started but paused. She was suddenly wary of telling Simon how she felt. After all, she wasn't really that open, even with her friends. It was part of her reclusive nature that spurned her to do that. But she saw genuine concern in Simon's eyes, and a desire to understand. And that sort of surprised her.
Simon had not really given her much of a view of his personality. So far, she knew he was self-contained, composed, stern, and also strong/silent, not much of a laugher or joker. This concern part was fairly new. Maybe Simon was deeper than he let on. She decided to risk it this time, for she hoped Simon could understand.
"Ah've wanted to get close to somebody," said Rogue softly, "But---because of mah powers------well, yah know could happen if ah did."
Simon looked down on that, as if he was feeling the hurt she was. "You would drain them," he said quietly and sadly.
Rogue suddenly remembered the first time she had absorbed someone. Cody Robbins at the dance in Mississippi. The first time her had experienced the overwhelming confusion of having another's thoughts in her mind and abilities in her body. It had almost driven her mad with confusion. No one could understand that unless the actually felt it like Rogue had.
But what was worse was that Rogue had been attracted to Cody, and apparently, she had heard rumor of him being attracted to her as well. If it weren't for her poisonous skin, maybe she could have had a shot at having a boyfriend. Cody Robbins had been considered one of the most attractive boys at school in her hometown. But her powers that stopped that romance before it had even begun. And what was worse than that?
Simon looked into the jewel green eyes, and found himself drowning in them. Partly from capture of their beauty, but also from the emotions he saw in them. They held a world of hurt and pain, and Simon felt a yearning to reach out and hug her, try to ease some of the pain. But he remembered her powers and didn't do so, for he had some memories he sure as hell didn't want another to see through his own eyes. Having the power to absorb another person through touch and not control it sounded horrible to live with as it would prevent her from making friends cue to the isolation it would cause, and thus loneliness. That was a major emotion he saw in those green eyes. Besides, he could relate to what Rogue was feeling. But he couldn't say it, for he couldn't bear the though of remembering it either.
"I understand," he said, trying to sooth her.
Rogue looked at him, expecting to see hated pity again. But as before, he saw none with him. Simon's jungle eyes were cloudy and held understanding, and hurt. The latter Rogue found surprising.
"Look," Rogue said quickly, sounding a little harsher than she wanted to, but couldn't stop it from happening, "Ah don't mean to sound brushin' off, but ah don't think yah could understand."
Simon looked at her, and his face hardened with frustrated emotions. "Believe me, I wish I could say I couldn't," he said darkly.
"What do yah mean?" asked Rogue, once again surprised by Simon's facial emotions.
"Let's just say I can relate and leave it at that okay?" Simon snapped suddenly. Rogue was startled by Simon's outburst of emotions.
Simon saw the startled look on Rogue's face, and immediately regretted his harsh words. His emotions had gotten the best of him again. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "It's jus that-----," he paused. "There're some things I rather not talk about."
Rogue looked at Simon and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Ah guess weh should stop this conversation then," she suggested.
Simon shook his head. "No. I just think we should talk about something else. Besides, I'd like to get to know you better." She was rewarded with a small smile from Simon. It was amazing how that smile transformed his face, which was normally stern and neutral. It lit it up. She smiled at him in return.
Simon felt his breath steal away form him. He hadn't seen Rogue smile before in the time since he was here. He knew a smile could change a person's appearance, but with Rogue, he was amazed by it. She looked even more beautiful than usual when she smiled. It crinkled up her eyes and lit up her face.
Across the yard under the shade of the trees, Kitty, Rahne, Amara, Tabitha, and Jubilee were all sitting, conversing with each other the way only girls could.
Amara looked back at where Rogue and Simon were sitting, and was surprised to see that Simon had his hand over Rogue's. And the two of them seemed to be smiling at each other.
"Hey, Amara," Jubilee asked her, "What's up?"
Amara turned to her friends, seeing that they all were interested in that captured her attention. "Look," the Nova Roman princess pointed to the fountain, where Rogue and Simon were sitting.
The girls looked and their eyes widened. "No way!" several of them exclaimed. If their eyes weren't deceiving them, they were seeing the new X-Man holding hands with Rogue and the two of them were smiling.
"Well, Rogue sure knows how to pick 'em," said Tabitha, grinning widely.
"Tabitha!" Kitty looked at her, "They've only met!"
"Hey," Tabitha smiled, "Don't doubt me. I know love when I see it."
"Aren't ye a little quick to judge?" asked Rahne, shaking her little red-haired head, "Ye do that an awful lot 'ere."
"What do you think, Jubes?" Tabitha asked Jubilee, "Do you see the arrow of Cupid in there?"
Jubilee laughed at that. "Well, you got to admit it," said the Asian girl, "He's got the build."
Tabitha's grin grew wider. "I think Rogue has it bad for the Energy Man!" she giggled. Amara and Jubilee giggled at nickname Tabitha used to describe Simon.
The others didn't have to think twice on what she meant. Even with his clothes on, it was clear that Simon had a very athletic and well-developed physique. Not super muscular like a body builder or football player, but more of a swimmer/runner/soccer player sort.
"I wonder what he looks like underneath that shirt," Tabitha said, grinning.
"Tabby!" Amara gasped. Even after all this time, Amara was still getting used to how outgoing her best friend was.
"Come on. A girl can wonder can't she?"
"I think this is just the sort of thing Rogue needs," Kitty said, grinning at the scene before her.
"But, Kitty," Rahne pointed out, "Rogue can't touch."
Kitty looked down as Rahne pointed that fact out. But still, she couldn't help but be intrigued.
Rogue and Simon were still looking at each other, with pleasant neutral faces rather than smiles. But if felt right. And they were looking at each other, face to face, looking into each other's eyes, wondering what secrets lay hidden behind them, was sort of soul was on the other side of the window.
However, their time was interrupted when they were startled by a loud whistle coming from where the game had taken place. Both teens snapped their heads up to see that the others were watching them, and their cheeks grew pink from being the center of attention.
The whistle was heard again, and they saw that it was Roberto who was doing it.
"What the hell are ya doin'?" Rogue demanded, going into her tough girl mode once again. Simon wasn't too happy either, for he too looked tough and pissed off, much like Rogue was.
"Way to go man!" Ray laughed, giving Simon a thumbs up, "You finally touched the untouchable."
"What?" Simon demanded, even though he had a good idea of what Ray was talking about.
"Why don't ya all go and leave us alone?" Rogue suggested angrily, "Before ah drain ya!"
Bobby and Ray looked a little uneasy at that. Roberto however, was ever confident and prideful. "The new guy has it bad for Rogue!" he called to all who could hear. Kitty and the other girls were surprised to see Simon's cheeks go pink from that.
"Ah would keep that ta yourself," Rogue hissed, narrowing her eyes at the cocky Brazilian boy, "Of you'll be Sunspot-less."
Simon leapt to his feet, aggression covering his face. "Does the Sunspot want his poking his nose where it doesn't belong to cost him an arm and a leg?" he asked dangerously.
Roberto didn't seem phased. "I'd like to se ya try!" he smiled irritatingly at Simon.
Hearing that, Simon decided to show Roberto he meant business. He raised his right arm, and seconds later, his eyes glowed blue and his arm molded itself into a glowing blue scythe.
The New Mutants, who hadn't seen Simon mold his body into bladed weapons before, were startled by this act. Simon looked really dangerous with his eyes glowing cobalt, and the blue fire blade added effect. "Does this give you any ideas as to how I'll try?" he asked threateningly at Roberto.
Seeing the flaming blue scythe and Simon's blue orbs along with Rogue's willingness to drain him of memories and powers, signaled by her lifting her ungloved hand, Roberto's courage and cockiness evaporated instantly. "I-I-I gotta run," he stammered, and took off for the mansion.
Satisfied the Brazilian had learned his lesson, Simon turned his arm back into flesh and his eyes lost their glow. He would never really use one of his blades on a person. But he wanted to look scary to get his point across.
"Wow, yah really shut him up," said Rogue.
"He was really irking me," said Simon, smirking back "I wanted to show him some manners."
Rogue smirked at him. "Ah think ya did more than that," she said. Simon smiled back at her. Maybe this girl wasn't so bad. She had a sense of humor after all.
"Well, I think Roberto will think twice before he pisses us off again," said Simon, giving her a smirk of amusement at Rogue's last comment. And so will I. Simon made a mental note not to piss off Rogue, cause he figured she'd drain him if he did, and that was the last thing in the world he wanted.
"Definitely," Rogue agreed. The smile on her face faded into a neutral expression.
"Well, Rogue," Simon muttered, "I guess I'll see you around."
Rogue recognized that as a sign that he was about to leave, and felt a little disappointed. She had enjoyed talking to him and the conversation, despite the rough spot in there, had been their deepest one yet. But she could understand as well if Simon had had enough. After all, she herself could only hold a deep conversation for so long, for she wasn't that good with people due to her loner nature.
"Yeah, see ya," she told him. Simon nodded, and then left the fountain to head back to the mansion.
Rogue sat there for a moment as she watched Simon's form getting smaller and smaller in the distance. She thought on the conversation they had had, and she couldn't help but wonder a little on it. Rogue was no expert in judging a person's personality by a single talk, but if this conversation was anything to go by, it was like Simon's personality had a dominant side to it, but also had other smaller facets to it as well. The main on was of a stern serious silent sort, much like Scott's only a little more so. But he had shown he could be angered, as well as crack a joke or two, even if it wasn't of the hilarious type like Kurt and Kitty were famous for making.
However, the part that she was still curious about was of how he had said he could relate to her. But how the hell could that work? After all, Simon had things on his powers she didn't. Simon could control his with his mind, which she couldn't, and his powers were so diverse and abstract that he could do a large number of things with them. He had the best of both worlds, which she didn't. So how in heaven's name could that relate to her? Was there a piece of the puzzle missing that she hadn't placed yet.
For a short moment, Rogue thought that maybe she and Simon were alike in some way. Wait. What was she thinking? What DID they have in common? They weren't exactly from the same class, but still a small voice in the back of her mind told her she was only looking skin deep, which the human race was notorious for. She silently scolded herself for thinking so shallow. But what was it about Simon that she didn't know yet? He was definitely a mysterious one.
Unknown to Rogue, Kitty had walked up to her while she had been thinking. And so silently that Rogue hadn't even been aware of her being there until she was right next to her. Kitty had left her group of girls and went over to Rogue, too curious and intrigued by what she had seen unfold to stay away.
"Rogue?" Kitty asked her roommate.
The words snapped Rogue out of her thoughts. "Kitty?" she greeted her.
"You alright?" Kitty asked, "You looked, like, in the next galaxy."
"Yeah," responded the goth, "ah was just thinkin',"
"About Simon?" Kitty asked, smiling.
Rogue's eyes widened at that. "Ah was not!" she said sternly.
"You're not developing a crush on him are you?" asked Kitty, ever so curious and ever so eager to hear about any possible romantic scenarios between other people.
"Kitty," Rogue snorted, "Yah know ah can't do that! How in the hell can ah be involved with someone if ah can't touch?"
"Sorry, Rogue," Kitty apologized, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I was only teasing."
Rogue looked down. "Well, we're only friends. Ah can't have anythin' more." With that, she got up and walked away, heading the way Simon had gone.
Kitty watched her friend's retreating back and could only shake her head. Not being able to touch was something she could never comprehend to live with. Sometimes she wondered how Rogue ever kept herself from going insane from that.