This chapter is in Pyro's point of view. As will all the other ones. I think. And be warned, there is a somewhat crucial amount of fluff in this chapter. And if you ever read any of my other stories, you would know that I'm a notorious fluff writer...
Chapter 3
Rogue will never cease to amaze me. You want to know why? The next day, she was all cheerful and shit, being nice and all to, like, everyone.
"Hey, Rogue!" I waved at her. She waved back before going back to a conversation between her and Jubilee. Apparently, they were really good friends now. I shrugged and looked at my lighter. I tried to open it without having to move my wrist, but just my arm. No luck. I heard someone approach me from behind.
"John," said the voice. "I heard about the little incident between you and Rogue yesterday."
I looked up. It was Bobby. Ugh, stupid Goody Two Shoes... I began flicking my lighter.
"What of it, Robert?"
He scowled at me and sat down across from me.
"Nothing, except I heard from Jubilee that Rogue was crying for the whole night."
I froze in mid-flick. 'What?'
I looked at Bobby as if he was retarded. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Ask her yourself if you don't believe me," he said while motioning toward Rogue.
Regardless of my disbelief, I didn't want to go up there and humiliate myself by asking if Rogue cried last night. But the temptation was too great.
"Shit," I muttered. I stood up with a sigh and walked toward her. And in my mind, it felt as if I was walking through water.
"Rogue?" I asked quietly. She looked up and smiled, holding up a magazine featuring a celebrity who turned into a mutant. "CanI talk to you? In private?"
Rogue smiled in a puzzled fasion but stood up to followed me to the kitchen. When I was positive no one was listening, or watching, I closed the door and walked over to the counter.
"Can I ask you a question, Rogue?"
She nodded and sat down on the bar stool, setting her magazine down.
"What happened that night?" I asked hurriedly. "And at the bathroom? What the hell is going on?"
Rogue stayed silent.
"Rogue?" I reached toward her, taking a step forward. "Rogue?"
"Stop." The command came unexpectedly, and I jumped back.
"What?" I asked. She looked at me with a fire burning in her eyes.
She sighed and the fire was gone. "Just stop, John. I'm tired of this... Having to explain things, having to stay away from people... I'm just so tired of it... So tired of not being able to touch the people I care about. I can't even..." Rogue trailed off, her eyes straying to the dark, wooden cabinets surrounding us.
"You can't even what?" I took another step forward, making up for the one I lost when I had jumped backwards.
When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes. "I can't even kiss the guy I like." As she said this, she stood up, her eyes trained on the ground.
"I have to go," she said, her voice cracking once. But I couldn't let her go. So, do you know what I did? I hugged her. It was a large bear hug, her face squished to the side of mine. I felt the same sensation as the one I had felt the night Rogue had had her nightmare. But this time, it felt good.
"You can't go," I whispered as I felt myself grow weaker. "You can't go because I will hug you, and if you want, I'll even kiss you. And..."
I pulled away; I could see my pulse go bump-bump, bump-bump.
Rogue stared at me with wide eyes.
"And?" she asked, bewildered.
I smiled at her, all the while trying to calm my racing heart.
"And I'll never be afraid."
