Hair Day

Bib:

Kitty and Rogue decide it's time for a new look.

Story:

Remy heard the growl coming through the bedroom door before he saw her. He couldn't help but smirk as he recognised that growl. It was Rogue's "ah'm frustrated with myself" growl. It was a pretty amusing one compared to the others.

Remy opened the door, not bothering to knock.

"Somethin' troubin' y' chérie?" he asked.

He found Rogue stood near her bedroom door in front of her mirror. Rogue's eyes near bulged out of her skull in embarrassment as she spotted Remy in her doorway. She quickly turned away, trying to will herself not to be embarrassed, but Remy had already seen the blush stretching up her neck.

"The stupid brush keeps gettin' stuck in mah hair. Ah need a new one!" Rogue finally said, then proceeded to roughly try pulling the brush through the knot it was tangled in.

This was when Remy reached out for the brush handle. Rogue's hand froze as she wasn't wearing any gloves. She could see through her mirror that Remy had his on, but they were the one's with some fingertips missing. She was scared to move her hand away from the back of her head just encase she brushed against one of Remy's ungloved fingers. Luckily, Remy had it covered.

He slipped his hand under the brush and gently took hers, moving it away from her hair and in front of her. Rogue wasn't thinking about what Remy was doing as her mind was preoccupied with another thought. But when Remy, somehow, managed to make the brush run smoothly through the knot in her hair and began brushing the rest of her hair, she relaxed. It felt nice having someone play with her hair. She'd never actually had another person brush her hair before, not even when she was a kid.

She was shy to look in the mirror, just encase Remy saw how vulnerable she felt, but she couldn't help it. Her eyes glanced up and she saw how relaxed Remy was working the brush through her hair. He had that resting smirk on his face.

"You don't have ta-"

"Shhh," Remy said, interrupting her.

Rogue stayed quiet, feeling the knots in her hair leave it one by one. Rogue's eyes fell from Remy to her own hair in the mirror. She never did like how her hair just seemed to hang dead beside her face as if there was no life to it except the white strikes in it. She wanted to shake her head, wondering why she was trying to maintain something that just did her head in daily.

"Ah'm thinkin' about gettin' it cut off," she said. "What do you think?" she had no idea where the question had come from, but she guessed it was because Remy was now suffering at the hands of her hair now.

"Y' hair be beautiful. I'd happily play wit' it all day. But, it be your hair chérie. You do with it what you wish," Remy replied.

Before Rogue could reply with anything, there was a knock at her door and Kitty stepped in.

"Hey Rogue, you've not seen-" Kitty paused seeing that she was receiving a mortified look from Rogue.

Remy acknowledged Kitty's presence, but didn't seem to care as much as Rogue did. He continued to brush her hair and enjoy the trance he was in while doing it.

"Oh, am I like, interrupting something?" Kitty asked pointing between the two.

Remy tried to hold back his frown as he knew what was coming and it happened exactly like he thought. Rogue reached up, grasping the brush from his hands and taking his control over her hair away.

"No! No! Ah just had a knot in mah hair ah couldn't get to. Remy was just helpin'," Rogue explained, now running the brush speedily through her own hair.

"What is it y' need chatte?" Remy asked Kitty, letting more of his disappointment show.

"Oh, I was just looking for a hair tie. All of mine have vanished. I'm sure Jean's took, like, a million of mine, but she keeps denying it," Kitty said rolling her eyes. "So, you're having another bad hair day, huh?" Kitty asked, trying to talk her way into making the mood less awkward.

"As always," Rogue said placing her hair brush down on her desk. "It's grown a lot since ah last had it cut an' keeps gettin' tangled."

"Well, at least it isn't as much hair as when you absorbed Sabretooth that one time," Kitty said, placing her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughter.

"Kitty," Rogue hissed.

"Huh," Remy said, wondering what he was missing. "I though y' didn't take on physical appearances o' other mutants?"

"Ah don't!" Rogue hissed out, folding her arms in her bratty way.

"Yeah, you normally don't. Like, you didn't take on Blob's size or Toad's gross appearance when you absorbed them, but for some reason, she went full on she wolf after she absorbed Sabretooth." Kitty said, being unable to help the smile that grew on her face. "Gosh, there was so much hair we had to get off you that day, it was unreal-"

"Kitty, shut up!" Rogue hissed at her.

"I'm just saying your hair now isn't as bad as-"

Rogue growled loudly, shoved Kitty aside and slammed her bedroom door as she left Kitty and Remy alone in her room.

"I guess I shouldn't have teased her about that, huh?" Kitty said, biting at her nails and frowning at Rogue's bedroom door.

"Non, I don't t'ink y' should have," Remy said, turning to face Kitty. "She was just talkin' 'bout gettin' it all cut off," Remy informed her.

"What?" Kitty said, shocked by the news. "She can't do that! Her white bangs, there her thing! And they suit her so well! Is she saying she was going to get rid of them? She can't just abandon her white stripes!" Kitty went on.

Remy folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrow as he got an idea from the way Kitty was going on with obvious love for Rogue's hair.

"Maybe it be best if she had someone take her t' de hairdressers. Show her a few styles where she has less hair, but still gets t' keep her bangs. T'ink it'd have t' be someone who knows her style an' has maybe shopped for her before. Someone who's lived wit' her for a long while so knows her style. Y' know anyone like dat petite?" Remy asked her, coming to lean against Rogue's dresser as he waited for the penny to drop.

It took a moment longer than he thought it would, but he saw the light bulb go off in Kitty's mind when she did get his suggestion.

"I think your right Remy! I'm gonna go find Rogue and get this hairdresser appointment sorted for her before she does anything stupid like cut all of her own hair off," Kitty said, rushing to leave Rogue's room and chase after the angry goth girl.

Remy snorted and smirked to himself as he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Merci.

Xxxxx

"I can't believe cheveux d'amour had an opening!" Kitty shrieked with joy as they stood outside of the hair salon.

"Yeah, really can't believe it," Rogue said, folding her arms and trying really hard not to role her eyes as this had Merci and Remy's touch written all over it.

"Well let's go!" Kitty beamed, grabbing Rogue by the crook of her elbow and pulling her along.

Rogue left Kitty to do most of the talking at the reception desk as they got signed in. There seemed to be no trouble with the appointment so Rogue let her eyes glance over the salon. It was really beautiful and luxurious, just like Chut Boutique which was on the same street as Cheveux d'amour.

"Well, I'll be. Rogue! Long time no see!" Delphine said as she approached Rogue from across the salon.

"Delphine, what are you doin' here?" Rogue asked, becoming a little on edge at seeing a familiar face in the store.

"Oh, y' know, just shapin' up des curls. Gotta look good for mes clients after all," Delphine said.

"No, ah didn't mean it like that. Ah thought you were headin' on back ta New Orleans," Rogue questioned.

"Oui, dat was the plan, but I decided t' relocate for a while seein' how bein' up North comes wit' it's own quirky styles. Thought I'd indulge a little. Is dat y' amies y' bought de coat for?" Delphine asked, nodding her head towards Kitty who was still busy with reception.

"Erm, no an' she doesn't actually know that me an' Remy bought that coat from yaself so, if ya wouldn't mind, please can ya not-"

"My lips be sealed," Delphine said, drawing an invisible zip across her lips.

Rogue smiled at the taller woman in gratitude.

"So, Remy be treatin' y' to a new do, huh?" Delphine asked.

"Not really," Rogue said, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment as she went to admit this. "Mah friend received a phone call sayin' that she'd won a contest an' could come down whenever she liked with a friend ta get her hair done. So, that's how we sort'a ended up here."

"A contest, huh?" Delphine said with one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised. She knew just as much as Rogue that this had Remy's handy work written all over it.

"Yeah, quite a coincidence seein' how ah was just sayin' ta both Remy and Kitty over there that ah felt like cuttin' off all mah hair," Rogue said, folding her arms and raising her own eyebrow as the pair shared a moment of understanding without words needing to be spoken to confirm the situation.

"Quoi dans les cieux!? Non, Rogue, y' can't just go cuttin' y' hair off. It'd be a tragedy among women if y' dared did!" Delphine explained, making Rogue step back a little as she caused a little scene.

"Ah didn't been like go balled or nuthin'!" Rogue justified, holding her hands up in defence. "It's just, mah hair get's tangled and knotty a lot an' ah'm kinda sick of dealin' with it, so ah'm hopin' ah can find a new style here where ah can keep my hair shorter so it's not as bad," Rogue explained.

"I see," Delphine said, resting her hand against her heart.

"Is everything alright here?" Kitty asked, creeping up beside Rogue.

"Oh, Kitty. Yeah, everything's finah. We're just talkin'," Rogue said, glancing away from Kitty, unsure how to explain how she knew Delphine or what they had been talking about.

"Oui, Rogue here was just tellin' moi 'bout gettin' rid of her hair. I thought de world be comin' t' an end until she clarified she didn't mean goin' balled!" Delphine said, coming across as friendly and speaking to Kitty as if she knew her just as well as she knew Rogue.

It actually made things easier for Kitty.

"Yeah, I totally had the same reaction when she told me about it!" Kitty said.

Rogue ended up chewing the inside of her lips as she didn't want to role her eyes at the two girls in public and make more of a scene than they already were.

"How do you two know each other?" Kitty asked which instantly had Rogue on edge.

"Oh just from here an' there, y' know. Was actually shoppin' once when Rogue picked out dis coat which was t' die for," Delphine explained.

"Shopping? A coat?" Kitty asked, glancing at Rogue in question.

Rogue, on the other hand, was wondering if all New Orleaner's knew how to lie well or if Delphine knew how to lie well because she had hung around Merci and the thieves too much. She guessed the later.

"Yeah, it was when me an' Remy spotted Jean's coat. Y' know, the one we got her for her birthday," Rogue said.

"Oui, it was un choix magnifique. I just couldn't help but comment," Delphine said, her smile with her eyes being more captivating than the story she was selling.

"Oh, I see," Kitty said, obviously not quite understanding the story, but she was distracted and letting it go so there was no worry there.

Delphine glanced down at her watch then turned back to face both Kitty and Rogue.

"I do have a few minutes before my carriage arrives. I could help look through magazines till it does?" Delphine offered.

"Oh, I don't think-" Rogue began to say, but was cut off by Kitty who wrapped her arm around Rogue's shoulders and said: "Oh that would be great! Not long to go after all till we're sat in the stylist's chair."

Rogue glanced between the pair, feeling like there was no way either of them were going to back down so she gave in and forced a smile on her face.

"Excellente! De magazine's be just over here," Delphine said, leading the way for Rogue and Kitty.

Xxxxx

Rogue still hadn't found the look she was after by the time she was sat in the stylist's chair. Delphine had left when her ride had arrived just as planned and Kitty remained seated, still thinking over what hair style she wanted until she was called.

"So, speak t' me beauté. What is it y' be after?" Léonie asked.

Léonie had introduced herself when she approached Rogue. Rogue wasn't too surprised to meet another woman with French origins considering they were visiting the more expensive side of town that had quite a number of French shops, but still, it felt like she was re-visiting New Orleans from all the French speakers.

"Erm, well…" Rogue said, going silent as she just stared at herself in the mirror.

Remy's words were echoing through her mind. She knew he had said she could do whatever she wanted with her hair (and she knew she could), but she couldn't help but think he would be disappointed if she returned with little to no hair after he sent her to an expensive hairdressers.

Léonie, being just as observant as Delphine, noticed Rogue's hesitate look.

"What be troublin' y'?" she asked, bending down so that Rogue could clearly see Léonie's reflection in the mirror as well.

"Oh, nuthin'. Sorrah if ah spaced out on ya there for a moment," Rogue said, starting to blush and turning her head to try and hide her embarrassment.

"Ain't nothin' t' be sorry for beauté. Hair, it can be full of emotion an' decidin' t' do anythin' different wit' it can be quite complexin'. So, rather than start choppin' away at it, how's 'bout y' start tellin' moi what led y' here t'day?" Léonie asked, reaching to run her fingers through Rogue's hair.

"Don't," Rogue near snapped as she sat up straighter in her chair, startling Leonie. "Ah'm sorrah. It's just, ah have, erm, sensitive skin an', erm, ah don't much like skin ta skin contact," Rogue informed her.

Léonie, being the professional that she was, smiled and started to reach for a pair of latex gloves.

"No need t' worry. Hope y' don't mind if I wear gloves," she said.

"No, not at all. Thank you," Rogue said, easing back into the chair.

"So, why do y' want a change?" Léonie asked, now reaching out with her thin gloves on and taking Rogue's hair in her hands.

Rogue sighed, still feeling rather upset that she was coming across as difficult.

"It's just, ah don't like mah hair. It gets knotty real quickly an' mah hair brush keeps getting' caught in it. Ah wanted ta cut most of it off, but… Well," Rogue hesitated, not quite sure how to explain what had happened next.

"Others tellin' y' not to cut it short?" Léonie asked.

"Well, yeah," Rogue said.

"And these bangs, they look natural. I reckon y' bein' told t' keep em?" Léonie asked, as if reading Rogue's mind.

"Yeah. Ah didn't actually want ta get rid of them in the first place, but it's just, mah hair, it's so unruly," Rogue said.

Léonie did her wise hairdresser nod while still watching Rogue's hair.

"I see. So, y' want as much of it getting' rid of as possible, but ya also wanna keep some of it so dat ya can keep y' homme happy?" she said, reaching out to grab a magazine as she glanced through it.

"Mah what?" Rogue asked, quite dumbfounded.

"Y' know your hair does tell it's own story. It be tellin' meh dat ya have a fella back home who loves it and would brush it every day for y' if y' asked, but I also know that ain't what ya want. Not the attention from ya man, ya don't want ta have ta rely on him t' take care of y' own hair. It be a pride thing, non?" Léonie asked.

"Well…" Rogue said, her mind going straight to Remy and wondering just how much her new hairdresser knew about him. "I guess you could say it was somethin' along those lines."

"Le pensait. How 'bout dis as y' new style? I t'ink it'd keep both y' and your amour happy," Léonie said, showing Rogue the picture of the model in the magazine.

Rogue was going to protest to Remy being called her lover, but then her attention was distracted by the hair style the model had.

"Ya know, ah quite like that… Yeah, yeah ah do like that. Gosh, ya must be a mind reader or somethin'," Rogue said, smiling down at the magazine as she found what style it was she wanted.

"'fraid not. Though, I have been called un murmure de cheveux before," she said, smiling at Rogue in the mirror. "So, let's start with washin' these belles serrures!"

Xxxxx

A little while later, Kitty had been seated in the chair next to Rogue's. Both Rogue and Kitty had had their hair washed and the hairdressers were starting to cut parts of their hair just before drying it.

"So, you found a style you like?" Kitty asked, rather nervous that she hadn't seen the final result Rogue had chosen.

"Yeah," Rogue said, smiling at Kitty. "And ah love it."

Kitty forced a smile as she continued to glance at Rogue from out of the corner of her eye, still nervous. Since Rogue had been seated first, her hair style was near finished whilst Kitty's was half way through. Rogue glanced down at all the hair that had been cut off when it came to Kitty's hair.

"Erm, what style are you getting' done Kit?" Rogue asked her, a little confused at seeing so much of Kitty's hair on the floor.

"Oh, well, I was thinking of making my face shape pop out more and decided to go with a bit of a bob cut. How about you?" Kitty asked.

"A bob? Really? Ah thought ya loved having longer hair? Ah thought ya were goin' ta grow it till it was as long as Jean's?" Rogue said, rather shocked at Kitty's choice.

"Yeah well, having shorter hairs so totally gonna come in handy when it comes to the things we get up to," Kitty said, smirking at Rogue who picked up she was talking about the danger room. "Plus, you're not the only one who gets annoyed with having long hair. I'm still so sure that it's Jean who keeps stealing my hair ties,"

Rogue wanted to shake her head at Kitty and make a sarcastic comment about the grief she had been receiving when she had been planning to get her hair cut short all along, but she decided to leave her remark. Maybe when they were in front of other people, it might be funny to say something then.

"You sure this hasn't got anythin' ta do with tryna impress Lance?" Rogue asked, not being able to bite her tongue when it came to that comment.

"Pleeease," Kitty said, stressing her "e". "He is so old news and I don't even care what he thinks of my hair. He's got to like all of me for who I am rather than just like me because I have long hair, you know?"

Rogue's eyebrow had been raised by Kitty's response, but if she could move her head, she would have been nodding in approval to Kitty's words although she didn't believe them to be all true.

"Enough about me. What about you, huh? Are you getting your hair done to impress Remy?" Kitty asked, showing her own touchy smirk.

"What? No! That swamp rat has nothin' ta do with mah hair," Rogue said.

"Right, 'cause it so totally looked that way when I walked in on the pair of you and he was brushing your hair," Kitty teased.

Rogue huffed out hot air, struggling to think of anything to comeback that seeing how the events had played out exactly how Kitty had described them.

"Okay, that's your hair styled for now beauté. I'm gonna let it rest for a little while 'fore I put some heat on it, d'accord?" Léonie said.

Rogue smiled at Léonie in the mirror and let her leave.

Kitty glanced at Rogue to see what her hair looked like as Rogue checked it out in the mirror for herself. Kitty snorted.

"Oh, you so totally got that style for Remy," Kitty said, being unable to keep her teeth from showing through her smile.

Kitty did find it quite odd that she was smiling so much. Her feelings were still there for Remy, but she wasn't blind to what was going on between him and Rogue and she couldn't help but be happy that it seemed Rogue had finally found someone who was available and interested in her and also wasn't afraid to reach out and touch her.

"No, ah didn't!" Rogue stressed, although she had figured Remy might not mind her new hair style. "Ah wanted it this way 'cause ah didn't wanna get rid of mah bangs," Rogue explained.

"Whatever you say," Kitty said, holding her hands up as her hairdresser said the same thing Léonie had said to Rogue about giving her hair a moment to breathe.

As Kitty was left alone to think more freely about her thoughts and feelings, she couldn't help but think about Remy and Rogue.

"So, is there anything going on between you two?" She asked, feeling like she was biting the bullet and only going to get an angry reaction back since Rogue was so protective over these things, but she thought it was about time she tried putting herself out of her misery.

Rogue froze in what she was doing and tried to think of something to say quickly.

"Does it look like there's somethin' goin' on between us? Am ah floatin' around with lovesick puppy dog eyes an' a sign that's confessin' mah feelin's wrapped around mah neck?" Rogue shot back at Kitty spitefully.

"No, but… do you like him?" Kitty asked her, trying to sound as gentle and sincere as possible.

At this moment though, Léonie returned with the hair dryer and began talking Rogue through the next stages.

Rogue was relieved Léonie showed up when she did and the noise of the hair dryer drown out any conversation Kitty was trying to make so she was safe there. When both Kitty's and Rogue's hair was finished and they headed back towards reception, Léonie caught up with Rogue just before she left.

"Here beauté. Try usin' these wit' y' new look. They're help keep de volume in an' de knots out," Léonie said, handing Rogue over two bottles of what looked to be expensive shampoos and conditioners.

"Wow, thanks Léonie. But ah'm not sure how much these will cost-" Rogue began to say.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout price. It's all been taken care of," Léonie said with a smirk on her face that definitely helped Rogue know this was Remy's handy work. "I be seein' y' in a few months' time for another session, non? Elle, book Rogue another appointment," Léonie commanded of the receptionist before walking away and greeting her next client.

Rogue felt a little dumbfounded as Kitty ushered her towards the reception desk to book in their next appointment. Kitty was so joyous after hearing the part about rebooking that logic and question hadn't registered in her mind at that point just who would be paying for their next haircut.

Xxxxx

Remy had spotted Kitty downstairs with her new hairstyle. The little kitty was showing off and boosting about visiting a fancy hairdressers and getting her hair done for free. Remy had rolled his eyes at this, then tried to spot Rogue. Of course, she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Remy did stick around long enough to hear Kitty telling a few of the other girls who had gathered around her to glance at her hair like Tabitha and Amara that Rogue had got her hair done too, but she was brooding somewhere in the mansion, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

"Well of course little miss goth chick wouldn't appreciate getting her hair done at a place like that," Tabitha had remarked, making Remy frown where he was hidden from site.

"Why didn't you take me Kitty? I so could have done with a new haircut," Jubilee said, pulling at the ends of her hair.

Remy, having heard enough, turned on his heel and left the girls to it. He went in search for Rogue, heading to her bedroom as he figured that was one of the first places she would be. After slipping his head in her room and seeing no one there, he did begin to worry. He worried he'd sent her to a place that had messed with her hair and she might not have liked it. He highly doubted it, but the thought was still there.

As he began to wonder around and think of the next place she would go, he ended up walking down the corridors towards the boy's dorm. It was there he found Rogue heading back to her own room after visiting his room. Remy's resting smirk grew as soon as he spotted her hair.

Rogue had been hesitate to pay a visit to Remy's room and it had taken her quite a lot of courage to even knock on his door so that she could thank him for secretly paying for everything. The only thing that had really kept her strong at that point was also the thought that she was going to have a go at Remy after saying thank you to him for spending so much money on her and Kitty when there was no need for him to. Only, he hadn't been in his room.

Still feeling quite vulnerable, Rogue had turned around with her head down and began to walk back to her room. Her eyes lifted when she did notice someone's presence in the corridor and she felt frozen when she saw it was Remy.

Remy tilted his head to one side as he continued to smile at her in his own way. Rogue was sure she knew what that smile meant, but she still couldn't help but feel on edge and nervous.

"What? It ain't like ah've grown another head," Rogue said, trying to get some kind of reaction out of Remy as he stood there just smiling at her with such a sweetness to his eye. It made her, well, want to blush and she didn't want to blush and go all weak in the knees. Especially not in public.

"Non, but y' hair be un chef-d'œuvre," Remy said.

"Excuse meh," Rogue said, raising her eyebrow at Remy as she wasn't sure if he had just insulted her or not.

She expected Remy to correct himself, but he didn't. Instead, he passed the space between them in a few long, effortless strides and was gently stroking the whites of Rogue's hair that had come fully together. Rogue had decided to go with a style where one half of her hair was cut very short and the other was longer and just touching her shoulders. Her parting had been moved from the middle of her head to slightly to the side of her head and her white bangs had all been brushed to one side where her longer hair was. Remy just couldn't help but smile as he figured out what Rogue had done.

"Dis mean I still get t' brush y' cheveux merveilleux?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

His smirk grew as he noticed the blush coming up the sides of Rogue's neck.

"How many times have ah got ta tell ya swamp rat? In English," Rogue responded before side stepping him and making her way back to her bedroom.

It was the only thing she could say as she hadn't excepted such a reaction from Remy. She needed to give herself some time to recuperate from that comment and push her blush away. Of course, Remy wasn't going to take that and followed straight after her.

"So, y' came t' thank me for mon services?" he asked her.

"Oh, ah came ta thank ya alright. Then call ya an idiot for spendin' so much on mine an' Kitty's hair!" Rogue said, finding her usual rhythm quickly with Remy as they walked together. "Ya do know that Kitty's booked us in for another appointment right? And that she hasn't figured out who actually paid for it?" Rogue said.

Rogue felt an arm wrap around her lower waist as she and Remy continued to walk to her room. Remy simply shrugged the issue off as if it was nothing.

"Ain't no skin off mon nez if it keeps y' happy. So, I still get t' brush it, non?" Remy said, returning to the topic he felt needed to be addressed.

Rogue threw her head back and sighed.

"Ya do know ya don't own mah hair now that ya've paid ta have it cut, right?" Rogue shot back at him.

"I'm aware. Mais, since y' didn't get t' cut it all off like y' wanted, it still mean I be needed, oui?" Remy pushed.

Rogue shuck her head and really couldn't stop the smile from forming on her lips.

"Sure swamp rat. Ah'll let ya brush it if ya behave," Rogue said.

"Oh chére, I'll be on mon best behaviour," Remy whispered closely into Rogue's in.

Neither Rogue nor Remy believed that, but both knew that Remy was still going to be able to brush Rogue's hair regardless.

xxxxx

French Translations

Chérie - Darling

Chatte - Cat

Petite - Little One

Mes Clients - My Clients

Oui - Yes

Amies - Friends

Quoi dans les cieux? - What in the Heavens?

Un Choix Magnifique - A Magnificent Choice

Excellente - Excellent

Beauté - Beauty

Le Pensait - The Thought

Un murmure de cheveux - A whisper of hair

Belles Serrures - Beautiful Locks

d'accord - Alright

Un chef-d'œuvre - A Masterpiece

Cheveux merveilleux - Wonderful hair

Mon Services - My Services

Mon Nez - My Nose