I can do this. I can do this. "Rogue?"
"Come on in, sugar." I can do this. I can do this. I can... uh...
"...Rogue?"
"What? You like the outfit, Logan? It isn't too much, is it?"
"Uh..." Talk, goddamn it. "Nice. It's, uh, it's, uh... nice. Green." Fuckin' great. Stammer at the woman, why don't you, Logan? Yeah, yeah, I can hear ya laughin' at me, Jeannie. Don't think I ain't notin' that down for future revenge - just as soon as I've regained control of my brain. "What's it for?"
"Well, as a kind of celebration of my control - you know, and how much I've got of it, now - I'm having a night out on the town with the girls. I mean, there was no big whammo moment, so I just... You sure I'm not showing too much flesh?" Wow. Now that you come to mention it... Wow...
"No, Rogue - it's just perfect." Yeah, what Jean said. Perfect.
"It just feels weird... I can't get used to wearing things like this."
"You should wear things like that more often." And I should shut up. 'Cept I've made her smile, and she's pulled her shoulders back and stopped hunching into herself so much.
"You think?"
"Hell, yeah." Preferably when no other man but me can see you, but I know better than to say that out loud. "Nothin' to stop you now. An' you look gorgeous." There. Managed to get my mouth under control enough to say somethin' nice to the girl.
"Logan, sugar, I love you." Damn, that's like a kick to the stomach - her sayin' that should be music to my ears, if she weren't grinnin' and preening herself in the mirror when she says it. "You always make me feel better." She says that sometimes - that she loves me. I know what she means by it - she don't mean, y'know, that she's in love with me. Just - that's just what she's like - not scared to tell her friends that she cares. Jeannie gave me a sharp look. She knows, and the Professor knows, and if they do then Scott and 'Ro know, and Hank's probably worked it out by a process of mathematical probability or somethin', and the kids always seem to know, or at least presume... the only ones who were clueless were Rogue and me. And now just Rogue. Only Rogue doesn't know how I feel 'bout her. And she's the one person I just can't manage to tell. "Didja want something?"
Oh, hell yes. Heh. Jean just went pink - think she picked up some of the things that flashed into my mind then. Sometimes I wish Rogue was telepathic - it'd make this all a helluva lot easier. She could read my mind, and then - well, probably she'd run like hell, but at least it'd be out in the open. Instead of that, I haveta talk to the girl. Damn, but I hate it when that's the only option. "Uh, just dropped by, y'know," I shrug. Well, Jean's there, and Rogue's gettin' ready to go out - now isn't the time to talk. Which is bad, of course - I'd spent most of today workin' up the nerve to do this - but I'm also kinda relieved. Damn. I'm such a chicken.
"Hey, you wanna come with us?"
Now Jean's givin' Rogue a sharp look. "Uh - thought you said it was a night out with 'the girls'?" Because, although I love 'em all dearly an' everything, get 'em all together in one bar, ply 'em with alcohol, and... well, they're fuckin' scary as hell. Mankind better steer clear, if he knows what's good for him.
"Yeah, but... Yeah, I guess it is." She sounds kinda disappointed. Hey. Now there's a thought...
"Well, you wanna go celebrate it with me, too, sometime? Just us? Like we useta?" 'Cause it's been a long time since we've spent much time together. A long time since we spent any time alone together, I mean - we spend all our time together with one or more of the goddamn team around. Hey. Now that's a smile...
"I'd love that, sugar! It's a date!"
Brain... functions... disengaged... "Uh... good."
"Next Saturday?"
"Um..." What am I doin' Saturday? Who the hell knows? Don't know what I'm doin' right now, when she smiles at me like that, and her eyes get all sparkly... Oh, she's waitin' for an answer. "Yeah. Uh, yeah, Saturday's good." I guess if I've already said I'm doin' something, I can cancel it. Nothing's more important than this.
Feet - get me outta here before I say anythin' to screw this up. I've got a date with Rogue next Saturday, and nothin's gonna stand in my way of sortin' out this whole 'I-love-you-and-wanna-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you' situation. Absolutely nothing.
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