She couldn't stop. Now that Remy was taken care of and settled in for the night, now that she had no further distractions from her thoughts, the tears just wouldn't stop falling. She cried for herself, she cried for him and she cried for all the lives that had been senselessly lost and completely ruined during Apocalypse's short reign of terror. So much death, so much pain, and all for what? There really was no happy ending.
She tried to keep her sobs quiet, turning her head to muffle them with her pillow, but the emotions that continued to pour from her heart refused to be silenced. That is, until he moved. Taking a deep, gasp of air, she held her breath and waited, her tear filled eyes closed tightly as she kept her body completely still. Maybe he hadn't heard her; maybe he was simply shifting in his sleep. This is how it seemed as he made no sound or further movements. Slowly releasing her breath, she willed her body not to shake with the effort, but she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt the sudden touch of his hand on her arm.
Rogue's eyes snapped open and, for a moment, she could do nothing but stare into the darkened corner of the room opposite her. Had she fallen asleep without realizing it? Earlier she wasn't even sure if Remy had even acknowledged her presence in his mind, and now... was this real? It had to be real.
Please, let it be real.
Hesitantly, she reached up, letting her gloved fingers slide over his. It was real; she could feel the chill of his hand through the thin fabric. His hand was like ice, but it was really there. What did this mean? She was almost scared to roll over and look at him, afraid of what she might see; afraid of the disappointment if it wasn't what she expected.
What are ya waitin' for? Now is not tha time ta reject him.
Slowly she rolled over to lie on her back and even slower she turned her head to gaze upon his face. What she saw shocked her to silence. His face wasn't averted, his eyes weren't closed; when she looked at him, he actually met her eyes.
God, how she loved those eyes. So dark, so beautiful. He could so easily hide all his thoughts and emotions behind them on any normal day, but it was the times that he left himself open that she felt she could fall into them. They were so expressive. They sparkled with mischief, glowed with anger, or, like now, swam with such immeasurable hurt that she felt it deep down in her gut. Pain, regret, hopelessness, fear, but above all else, there was guilt. But he was there, no longer so disconnected. He was there, reaching for her, needing her. There was no doubt any longer.
She had made the right decision.
She didn't need to use her powers to know how he was feeling or what he was thinking. It was all there in his eyes, painted on his face clear as day. The fact that he felt anything gave her hope that they could work through this. If he closed himself off, she didn't know what she could do to help, but if he gave, even just the slightest bit, and allowed her to help him, then there was hope. There was always hope. The part of her that had felt so dead inside when he'd joined Apocalypse was reborn.
Brushing the damp hair gently from his eyes, she finally allowed herself to breathe again when they drifted closed. She half expected him to pull away and turn his back on her once more, but it seemed the night was full of surprises, even if it had taken so long to get to the good ones. She felt her skin tingle when he slid his arm around her waist and her heartbeat speed up as he laid his head upon her chest. This was the most intimate they had been since the gift of touch had been taken away from them, and although it saddened her that it had taken such a tragic event to bring them this close, she reveled in the feel of his body against hers.
Time. All they needed was time and they would get through this. No, there was more to it than that. Things would have to change. They would have to talk eventually, really talk. No more ignoring the problems between them until they festered and mutated into something ugly and impenetrable. They would have to be open and willing to work through all their issues. Remy had a lot to deal with, and she knew the guilt would never completely go away, but she would be there, every step of the way, to help him learn to function with it.
Slowly and repetitively she stroked her hands through his hair, smiling softly as his breathing evened out signifying his passage into sleep. Such a beautiful package for such a ravaged soul. Unable to stop herself, Rogue lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head through his hair, careful not to wake him. She could already see the change in the light outside as the sun slowly rose, bringing with it a new day. A new life. Another chance.
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A/N: And this concludes the events of the first night. 'bout damn time, eh? I blame Rogue. She didn't wanna tell me her side of the story. Wanted to keep it all to herself, so this bit might feel a little off as I had to force it outta her ;D Any of y'all see X3? The endin' of that almost begs for a story, don't it? And now, onward to the reviews!
Loneraven: Glad it made ya happy, hon.
ishandahalf:Aww, no worries. I like rambling. ;) Yeah, I thoughtit would be Rogue that would have todo all the work, so Gambit surprised me when he was the one to make the move in that last bit. Love that it warmed your heart.
Tammy: I love that scene in the comics! Remy's sense ofhumour is a big part of why I love him so much. I miss it. I hopehe regains some of it soon. As for the question regarding possible setbacks, I bet WhytMajic could answer that. She knows how I work. heh.
Rogue181: Glad ya enjoyed it!
Rogue14: Ain't he, though? hugsRemy as well
mazdamiatta: Sadly, nothing like this happened, though the events leading up to it did. I'm embellishing on Remy's actionsas Death, but the fact that he did choose tojoin Apocalypse and be one of theHorsemen did actually happen in the comics. This is just my take on how it shoulda ended for these two.
WhytMajic: Glad ya agree with my choice.And yes, that is some very good advice. Smart woman, yourmother. ;D
