Hey all! Long time, no see! So, I don't know about you, but I can't leave my apartment. Which means, I'm writing again!
Please excuse the slow opening to this chapter and repeated information from previous chapters. I needed to get back into the mindset I created for Magneto so many years ago and that called for a slow chapter opening and a sort of recap of the fic from Magneto's POW.
Also, if there's more repeated information in this chapter than usual, please bear with me. I usually try very hard not to do that. I know it's boring to read the same info repeated again and again. However, it's been years and I need that freedom to get back into the swing of things. This should be the only chapter this affects.
Special thanks to Little Red Dove for the extra push to start writing again. In the back of every Fan-fic author's mind, when thinking about picking up an old fic, there's this nagging little voice that says "no one is interested anymore, the ship has sailed and you should have kept it going while you had the chance." But Little Red Dove reviewed less than a month ago, so the ship lives! At least one person is going to read it and that's good enough for me in this physical distancing time we find ourselves in.
I considered picking up the longer story. But… starting to work on Taunting Repartee is a too daunting of a task after all this time. I'm too rusty to do it justice. So, I thought I would start with something a little easier. This chapter is kind of going to go in a completely different direction than anyone would expect. I've had this scenario in my head with Rogue/Magneto for years and the only way the situation works is within this story. So, since the plot line is pretty fleshed out in my head, I'm running with it, on top of what was already planned for the fic.
Okay, here we go.
Chapter 19!
Early, the next morning, Magneto laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
'Indeed, the ceiling is white,' he thought bored. He has been awake about an hour or so and simply couldn't fall back asleep. All the typical methods weren't helping. The stillness of the institute at night, with all its metal layers spanning deep underground, was usually enough to soothe him. The tea he had helped himself to, around one am, was pleasing but did not lull him back to sleep.
He recalled as he had been returning to his room, warm cup of earl grey in his hand, as he saw Hank McCoy walking out through the main doors of the institute, a small red and white cooler in one hand, and a file filled with papers in the other.
'Heaven knows what Beast is doing with all of those genetic samples,' he thought to himself. 'Another one of his experiments, no doubt. I don't particularly care how many times he asked for a blood sample, he isn't getting one from me. I'm certain Rogue didn't give him one either, she's far too smart for that. I should ask her, just to be sure. If Charles has any sense, he'll should be monitoring Beast closely, but it is Charles we're talking about. He's probably giving the man free reign,' he thought frustrated.
Wolverine had taken his bike out around midnight, which woke him the first time. The adamantium lining the man's bones was distracting. He had been able to sense Wolverine's entire trip from his own room, into the garage, onto the motorcycle and leaving the institute. Magneto even tried to mediating, which helped but he was awoken upon Wolverine's return around three-thirty am, his movements breaking up the otherwise still institute.
At the very least, he wasn't the only suffering from insomnia. He had gotten some sleep. Maybe two hours in total for the night, three if he was being optimistic.
'This isn't good,' he thought to himself. He had been plagued with insomnia at various points at his life. What the physical exhaustion did to his powers. He had mastered magnetism long ago- his knowledge of how to wield magnetism wasn't an issue. However his ability to use that knowledge depending upon his physical state. If he was weak, his body could not handle the strain and his abilities would be severely limited. If he tried to, despite himself, he would injure himself rather badly. Better to recover from one issue than create several more but going against his limits. One night's lost sleep wasn't going to do that much harm to him, he was still mostly at full strength, but better not to chance injury.
Not to mention, the effects on his mental health was never pleasant for anyone. After so many years on this earth, he thought he understood his own mind fairly well. Unless, it came to Rogue. He couldn't put his finger on why he was so obsessed with her. He had spent a good part of the night trying to decipher his feelings again, with little luck.
He was going to find out eventually, Rogue had promised him as much. She had begun to tell him things about herself, things she had never told another person before. He felt. 'No, empowered isn't the right word. No, validation doesn't fit either,' he thought as he let out a sigh. 'Satisfied?'
Yes, that's it. It was incredibility satisfying to be the one to keep her confidence.
'Despite my past behavior towards her, or perhaps even because of it?' he questioned. Time would tell.
She knew him well, better than anyone ever had and yet she still liked him, wanted to keep his company. It was a new feeling, to be known and not shunned.
'Charles barely tolerates me and I've only told him a fraction of my past,' he lamented. In the back of his mind, there had always been the urge to share things with Charles. Especially, back when they were working at the psychiatric hospital together, during the formation of their friendship. However, that urge was always followed by a nagging fear that Charles wouldn't understand and would judge him for his past. He was psychic, so more empathetic than some, but very set in his ways. 'I'm fairly certain I would have been an idealist as well, if I came from a rich family that wanted for nothing and lived in near harmony for my entire childhood and adolescence,' he thought.
How had the girl put it?
'I'm a good man, whose been forced to survive many terrible things and make difficult choices?'
The whole of his life was far more complicated than that, yet her statement summed it up fairly well. It was freeing, not having to hide anything from the girl. He would know her just as intimately, soon enough. He just had to wait, which was irritating but doable and ultimately, he hoped, well worth it.
Still, not being allowed to talk to Rogue was not helping his state of mind. He was fairly sure it was the cause of his insomnia.
'I'm seeking permission to speak with someone who clearly wishes to speak with me? At my age?' he asked incredulously, letting out a parental permission, is what it felt like. Rogue was young, but she didn't act that way. Her knowledge of his past and with the ease she spoke of events that happened decades ago, it was so easy to overlook her age. 'When she speaks about it, I feel as though she was there. Given her powers, in a way, she was. Her memory may well be better than mine.'
It should matter to him more, that she was the same age as his children. Rogue didn't seem to mind and really it was her opinion that mattered, not Charles'.
Yet, here he was, lying in bed, waiting for the sun to rise, and for Charles' permission to talk to his lover. It was certainly humbling and he wasn't good at humble. He was Magneto, a man of action, the Master of Magnetism. He could destroy the house they were all living in with nothing but a thought. He was power incarnate, and here he was, allowing Charles to dictate his actions.
'Absurd, is what it is,' he thought frustrated. 'Ridiculous,' he thought as he sat up from the bed. He clearly wasn't going back to sleep. 'Perhaps, I should just leave, before I make a mess of things,' he thought to himself. Though, he already knew he wasn't going to follow through.
His fascination with the girl was too strong. His need to be near her, although he didn't understand it himself, it was there and far too much for him to resist. The connection between them was too intense. The undefined look in her eyes every time they spoke. Her infectious laugh. That same smirk on her face every time she knew something he didn't and, good heaven, the incredible sex. The way she felt beneath him. The sound of his name, his given name, on her lips.
He could contemplate leaving as much as liked, but he knew he wasn't going anywhere. So, he would continue to engage in his new least favorite pastime, waiting.
Later that morning, as he sat at his desk grading papers, he began to feel the institute awaken, electricity crackled through the walls, pipes bursting with water, and ultimately a certain training room deep underground rouse from its silence. He glanced over at the clock, it was close to six am. He often joined the team during their morning drills in the danger room. Charles hasn't officially scheduled him to lead any training. He believed his old friend was still letting the x-men warm up to him. He was never invited, exactly, to the danger room it was just expected that he would observe multiple times per week.
However, that didn't seem like the smartest plan this morning, showing up where Rogue was supposed to be prior to Charles talking to him.
'Oh yes, let's give Charles another opportunity to be displeased by my actions… Perhaps, I should eat breakfast now to avoid the girl this morning,' he thought. It was the best course of action he had come up with all night, and coffee sounded appealing.
As he walked into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Rogue in her normal attire, not her uniform as he would expected at this time of morning. Also, she was the only one in the kitchen so far, standing in front of the coffee maker, mug in hand. She turned to face him.
"Morning, Max," she said with a smile as she held out the mug to him. "Coffee?" she asked.
"Good morning, yes, thank you," he muttered, without much though, as he took the mug from her. He took in the smell of it, before taking his first sip. The caffeine was going to do wonders today. This wouldn't be his only cup.
"How much sleep did you get last night?" Rogue asked him suddenly. He glanced up from the mug. "And don't round up," she added seriously, making eye contact.
"Two hours, three at most," he answered before he took another sip.
"Thought so," she said as she reach her hand into her pocket. She pulled out a small bottle and presented it to him. He read the label before returning his gaze to her eyes.
"Charles doesn't want me talking, much less accepting pharmaceuticals from you," he said. She let out a short laugh.
"If Prof had every met Sleep Deprived Magneto, I'm pretty sure he'd reconsider that," she said with a smirk. "Max, they're sleeping pills. Just take 'em," she laughed as she shook the bottle a little, the pills rattled in the bottle. With a sigh, he did as she asked, putting the bottle in his pocket. "On behalf of everyone here at the institute, thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," he said dryly, although he knew she was right. She turned back to the counter and picked up her own cup of coffee, which surprisingly was already poured. He raised an eyebrow at her, she just smirked back at him before handing him her mug. She nodded towards the table and he understood her meaning. He went over to the table and hesitated for a moment. 'Perhaps, I should just leave,' he considered as he placed her mug in front of the empty seat. 'I can come back and eat after she's left for school.'
"Want one?" she asked, pulling him from his thought. He glanced up to see her pulling the glass cover off of a group of muffins on the counter. He hesitated. "Come on, you need to eat something. You're not gonna take those till tonight and your need some fuel to get you through the morning," she said.
"Alright, alright," he said as he sat down, he was too tired to argue with her. She smiled as she returned to the table with two muffins and couple of paper towels. "Thank you," he said as she handed him a blueberry muffin.
"Welcome," she replied as she sat down herself. They both removed the paper cup from the muffins. "How far did you get with the tests?" she asked.
He took another sip of coffee before answering, "Almost done," he answered shortly.
"You don't need help?" she asked.
"I couldn't ask you for it, even if I did," he said bitterly. She opened her mouth to object. "I can handle it," he added before she could speak. "It's a few papers. I appreciate the offer but I'll finish it today. I'm not overly concerned about the timetable."
"Okay," she said before taking a sip from her mug.
A minute or two past as they ate and she glanced up at him expectantly. He knew why, of course. He normally would have asked her at least ten questions by now. He certainly had questions for her. Mostly, he wanted to know what she and Charles had discussed the night prior, but he couldn't ask her anything at the moment. He should even be in the same room as her. The look that followed from her, was one of pity and understanding.
"I convinced Prof to let you stay," Rogue said. He let out another sigh.
"Rogue, he asked me not to talk to you," he said firmly. "Of course, I want to but the leader of this household asked me to leave you alone. I came this early to-" he explained getting agitated
"I know," she interjected. "That's why I skipped the danger room session this morning. I figured you'd try to avoid me during breakfast. Prof ask me to stay away from you too," she said.
"Then why are we having this conversation?" he asked confused.
"Cause I like you. Because I'm of age and can talk to whoever I damn well please," she said annoyed. He couldn't help but agree with that point. "Cause now that you're back in my life, I don't give you up again. Okay? I've missed you, Max, a lot. I've had you back for nine days. That's it," she exclaimed. Numerous questions were racing in his mind, but he pushed them all back to continue to listen to her. "This last week and half has been the most fun I've had in a long time. Probably since me and some of the girls took out that car thief ring in Bayville," she said.
"The Bayville Sirens? That was you?" he asked amused.
"Yup," she smirked. "I loved to tell you about it. It has everything I good story should. Action, adventure, shopping, Mystique getting super jealous that I had other friends and pretending to be cop. I wanna tell you all about it," she said.
"And I'd very much like to hear it. Unfortunately," he started to say.
"I know, Prof," she said angry.
"Yes, there's Charles to consider," he said before taking a sip of coffee. "Please don't make me be the responsible one," he said. She sighed at that.
"You are older than me," she said. "Maybe, it's has to be you," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Perhaps," he mused, keeping his eyes on her. He used his powers to call the coffee pot and quickly refilled his mug. He glanced over at her. She nodded and he refilled her cup before returning the coffee pot to its place. He sighed before standing up, making the decision for them both.
"He's so worried about your obsession," she started to say as he turned back to look down at her. "I'm just as obsessed with you, as you are with me," she said dismissively.
He leaned down, bringing his lips to hers. He felts her hand grab his shirt as she pressed up into him. This kiss felt different than the others. It was raw, and desperate, leaving him slightly lightheaded. With effort, he pulled away, keeping his face close to hers, her hand still clinging to him. She looked up at him, the undefined look in her eyes, her face flushed with arousal.
"Let's give Charles the day to calm down and not cause further incident to incite his anger," he said.
"You say that after kissing me," she said both amused and annoyed. He chuckled.
"That's what happens when you force me to be the responsible one," he smirked. She laughed. He gave her another peck on the lips. "You'll talk to Charles after school, we'll see each at dinner and tomorrow during our class. We play this right, these nine days will turn to months and perhaps years. Assuming, you can stand me that long," he smirked. She smiled at that. "And we'll do all of that, without either of us destroying our relationship with a dear friend," he added. He searched her gaze. "You know, I'm right," he said.
"Yeah, I know," she said as she loosen her hold his shirt. "I don't like being told what I can and can't do," she said.
"You and me both, my girl," he smirked, before he kissed her forehead. He stood up from her then.
"Don't do anything too strenuous today, okay? Two hours sleep is nothing. Don't hurt yourself," she said.
'Everything,' he reminded himself, 'she knows everything about me,' he thought. "I'm grateful for your concern, Rogue. I'll only grade papers, I promise. Nothing strenuous about it, aside from Iceman's and Toad's utter lack of understanding of the competitive environment," he said. She laughed.
"They'll get better, they all will," she said.
"Yes, we'll see to that," he said as he grabbed his mug. "Thank you for breakfast," he said as he grabbed his half eaten muffin. She held up her mug appreciatory before sipping her coffee.
"Anytime, sugar," she said she looked away from him, out the window across the room. Using his powers to open the door, he exited the room. He only turned back for a moment to glance at her.
Immediately upon seeing her, he used his powers to stop the door from closing. She was still sitting at the table, smiling from ear to ear, but tears where running down her face. Her expression was definitely one of joy. Why was she crying? It didn't make any sense. He'd never seen her like this. Had he offended her in some way? He was trying to do the right here, by Charles and ultimately by her. Why then was she crying?
Without thinking, he took a step back towards the kitchen.
"Max," she said stopping him in his tracks, "only person who gets to interrogate me today is the Professor," she said, without looking his way. "You were doing so well," she said, he could hear a slight trace of condescension in her voice. "Being the responsible party, abiding by Prof's wishes, seeing the bigger picture." She met his gaze "Don't ruin it now," she said as she wiped the tears from her face.
"This was another one of your test?" he asked disgusted as he stepped back into the kitchen, letting the door close behind him. He placed the coffee and muffin on the counter. "Of course it was," he realized. "Tempting me to do the wrong thing, having me come to the right conclusion, the one that best suits you," he said in anger.
"At any point, last night or this morning, did you think about destroying the mansion?" Rogue asked. He stood shocked at the question. He hesitated for a moment, wanting very much to deny it, knowing it was useless to do so.
"It may have crossed my mind once," he answered. "Only a fleeting thought," he said dismissively, seeking to downplay the accusation.
"A fleeting thought?" she asked incredulously as she stood up. "Destroying my home. My family's home. You're best friend's home," he voice raising with sentence. "Because you told him about your obsession with me," she said, before sighing. "When you had promised not to," she said, disappointment in her voice. His eyes widen at that. He had known as soon as he told Charles that she was going to be angry with him. "I wasn't ready for him to know yet, but whatever it's done," she said annoyed.
"I needed someone to talk about all of this with, this thing between us. This thing I barely understand," he shouted. "Someone who wouldn't laugh at every turn," he added.
"So you traded my understanding and amusement for his confusion and judgement. You realize that, don't you?" she asked him.
"Yes, of course, I do," he said, his voice still elevated.
"I like you, Max, but you're dangerous. I know what you're capable of. I might be the only person alive who knows what you're really capable of. I want this to work more than anything. You being here, joining us, really joining the X-Men. Seeing a brighter future for mutants, the institute expanding, social acceptance of us, and all that good stuff we're fighting for," she said hopefully before crossing her arms over her chest. "At least till some group, so government, does something unspeakable and forces you just be Magneto," she said. He let out a sigh as he held her gaze, all his anger left him, as he stared at this girl who understood and accepted him for who he was.
"More likely than not, that will happen," he told her.
"I know," she said sadly, her eyes distance. She smiled as she wiped tears from her eyes. "But even you're finding yourself capable of optimism, right?" she asked. He walked up to her and took her in his arms. Her hands moved to his chest as he hugged her tightly.
"I've never wanted to be wrong about something, more than I do this," he told her. "I sincerely hope Charles' dream could come to fruition."
"Me too," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Either way," she said as she pulled back to look up at him, "no matter what happens in the future, you shouldn't go from zero to a hundred cause Prof tells you you can't talk to me for one fucking day," she reprimanded.
"It was only a fleeting thought," he said again. "I didn't mean it. I certainly didn't act on it," he said.
"Today," she pointed out. "But what about a day or two from now? What if you had gotten like five hours sleep in a seven-two hour window and Prof doesn't lift his don't talk to each other rule? What would you have done then?"
"I don't know," he admitted.
"Ask me again why I have to test you." she challenged. He sighed at that before he felt movement in the institute.
"The elevator's in use," he said pulling back from her.
"Shit," she said pulling away from him completely. Her eyes turned to the mess on the kitchen table and counter. "Shit," she said again. "Shit," looking down at her hands, there was a little bit of makeup on her gloves from wiping her face.
"Go," he ordered.
"But," she protested.
"I'll take care of it and I'll be back in my room before anyone is ready for breakfast. Go now," he ordered as he used his powers to open the kitchen door. She sighed.
"Okay," she nodded. "Thanks," she said. "Shit, shit, shit," he heard her mutter as she rushed out of the room. He made quick work of cleaning the kitchen, leaving no trace of their presence.
Then escaped to his room unseen as he had promised. He sat down on his bed, raking a hand through his hair. That was not how he had expected his morning to go. Not at all. One thing he was certain was, he needed sleep and he needed it now. He pulled the bottle from his back pocket as he stood and entered the bathroom. He scanned the directions on the back and pulled one pill out. This was the same type he has used himself in the past, so he knew how they affected him. He knew that wasn't a coincidence.
Laying down, he waited yet again for sleep to overtake him. Thankfully, within the hour, it did.
Okay! Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know your thoughts! Unlike Rogue, can't predict that! J
