Disclaimer: I do not own the x-men; I just own ideas and fanciful thoughts. :)
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On the way back to the mansion, my thoughts were firing rapidly in my mind. I can touch someone. I can touch someone without hurting them. My thoughts preoccupied my head to the point that I hadn't even noticed that the car was parked and vacant of passengers in Xavier's garage, except for me.

I woke from my daze as I heard the last car door slam shut and watched as they headed for the door.

If cloud nine were a physical feeling, I'm pretty sure my body was experiencing it. I felt giddy. Giddy! And happy, nervous, shy, scared, and uncertain- But I was happy!

I bypassed all the worried glances at my off behavior. The standard: "Are you alright Rogue?" and "Yeah, Ah'm just a bit tahred." I made sure to lay on the accent extra thick to back up my claims.

I made the effort to drag my feet across the carpet as I headed off to my room.

I don't think you understand how hard that was. I wanted nothing more than dash up those stairs and frantically run around the room in a fit of unbounded happiness.

I think I should have received an Oscar… if anything a nominee, at least.

Thankfully, Kitty wasn't back from celebrating Jean's team victory, and so I had the room to my self.

Guess what I did?

I didn't run around the room. I think my excitement was just too much. I slumped against the door and slid down till my bottom reached the floor.

I sat there for a good few minutes, until it all sunk in. Every last thing sunk into realization: I could touch again.

~)(~

"Remy? Just how long did it take ya to come up with yahr 'theory'?"

"Let's jus say dat 't wasn' much long after I met up wit y' de second time we met."

"Is that code for 'the day after'?"

He laughed.

For weeks, this is how our meetings have been like.

We meet secretly, away from the potential prying eyes of my x-men family, and as often and frequently as we could.

The first few times we met up, they were awkward as hell. After the initial night that we had under the bleachers, my distrust in people worked its ugly head back into the situation. And Remy realized this too. He saw me watch him with cautious eyes whenever he moved in the slightest.

But after a month had passed, I was beginning to feel comfortable around him. And for the first time in a long time, I began to trust somebody on the outside.

It was …nice.

I snuck out tonight to meet up with him at a local park. We figured out early on that even though people are grateful of mutants, they were still terrified. Hardly any decent people roamed the city in the dead hours of the night, for fear of a mutant attack.

This suited us just fine. It allowed us usually the whole entire park to ourselves.

"Remy, Ah've been wonderin..."

"Hmmm?"

"What was the real reason you wanted me to come down to New Orleans?"

For a heartbeat, Remy paused. I saw his body go rigid, despite the appearance of being comfortably sprawled on his back on the ground next to me.

This was not going to be good.

"Remy?"

He grimaced slightly when he peeked his eyes through his eyelashes. His red met with my green.

"Well, chere, y' know dat I've been lookin f'r y' f'r quite some time, non?"

"Ah think the more appropriate word 'stalkin', Swamp Rat."

"Eh, tomatoe, tomato, chere. Well, my petite hobby didn' go – uh- unnocited by mon famille. So, naturellemente, mon pere et tante et frère- de whole famille- know abou' y'."

"That's… disturbing Swamp Rat."

He laughed outright at me.

"Well, y' didn' help y'self either, chere."

"Meaning what?"

"Dat stunt y' pulled, by jumpin' in t' save Lapin and Etienne- 't left quite de impression. An' well, dat, wit' how I was lookin' e'vrywhere f'r y', y' gained mon famille's interest. An' den, when I tol' mon pere dat I'd finally found y', he wanted moi t' bring y' around and b' introduced to y'."

I eyed him a bit more. His shoulders were still tense. To anybody else, they'd let him slide. But after being around him constantly, I was keen on his behavior.

Like when he wasn't telling the truth.

Like now.

"Ya know, Remy, Ah might be new ta the whole friendship thing, but Ah was pretty sure the last time Ah checked, lying was not looked upon kindly."

He sighed heavily and rose to a sitting position. By the way he was acting, you'd think I was threatening to tear his tongue out if he didn't answer me.

"Anna, trust moi, I'll tell y' dat, but jus' not t'day." He turned his eyes to me, capturing my gaze with the unspoken promise that he would tell me.

I didn't know what to do, I wanted to press the issue, but I knew he wouldn't tell me. If I did press it, it'd end up with me yelling and leaving in anger and then I'd have to explain what was wrong to the x-men.

Now, that, I really didn't want to happen. I liked my secret friendship with Remy. It was like a guilty pleasure (not that I'd ever tell Remy that).

So I ended up just nodding my head, accepting his plea to stop that particular discussion and laid down on the ground. I heard Remy lay back down, and I froze.

He was lying down next to me, and I panicked.

Apparently my panic was noticeable too.

"I'm not too close, am I?"

I couldn't speak. I was too panicked…

And excited.

"Anna?"

He wasn't close enough.

I started shaking in anticipation. I knew what I wanted.

"Ya know," I shakily breathed out. What I was asking- would it be too much to ask? "Ah've been deprived of simple touch for a long time. Ah was wonderin' if- if ya would just hold me? Please?"

I risked a glance at Remy.

And all I saw was a wide stare.

Of course. It would be too much to ask. The hope instantly depleted from me. It would always be too much. I turned my head away from him, I didn't want him to see me cry, didn't want him to see how much it hurt, the constant crave, the constant need, the constant denial.

"Forget it. It was a stupid idea. Ah'm sorry that Ah put ya in an awkward-"

Before I could force out the rest of my sentence, his arms shot out and grabbed me, turning my body to face his once again.

I could honestly feel how huge my eyes were. I was that surprised.

He tugged me closer to him, and wrapped his arms completely around me.

And I just couldn't contain myself anymore.

I latched onto him with such a ferocious need, that I would have been scared for Remy if it weren't me doing the clinging.

It was the best feeling in the world.

I didn't feel disgusting and sick like when Julien was touching me. It felt even better than the first hug that Remy gave me. It felt like bliss.

"Anna," he whispered softly. "Y' ne'ver have t' ask for permission f'r me t' hold y'. Ever."

I hugged him tighter to me, and felt him respond likewise.

I think I could have died happily right then and there.

"Chere? Are y' cryin'?"

I looked up from hugging his chest and met his worried gaze.

And laughed.

"Oh Swamp Rat. I'm just so… happy." And then I promptly returned my head to his chest and was greeted with the light lub-dub of his heartbeat. It was wondrous to hear something so intimate. I sighed in perfect content.

I heard his laughter in his chest before it actually emitted from his mouth.

"Moi aussi, cher. Moi aussi." He sighed.

I'm not sure how long I just laid there, half on top of him, listening to his heartbeat, but eventually, Remy fell asleep. I tilted my head to the side so I could watch see his face and still be able to hear his lub-dub.

Looking at him, I realized that without my mutation, I was fragile.

Not in the defenseless, easily taken advantage of fragile.

But in the fragile that I was no longer protected by my mutation. Without it, I ran the risk of emotional risk because I could get attached to people now.

I could get attached to him.

And as I laid there, thinking this, I felt his arms unconsciously wrap themselves around me tighter in his sleep, holding me, just liked I'd asked.

And I realized, that I was already attached. Too much attached to him. It hit me like a fist to the face.

Remy. I think I'm falling in love with you.

And I actually was going to accept that.

~)(~

I figured, it wouldn't be the best thing to just outright admit to the guy that I was falling in love with him. It would have inflated his ego too much. So I kept it all to myself.

Heck. I half thought that maybe it would be just a crush and work its way out of my system.

But I gave up that theory months ago.

Because the feelings didn't go away or even die down. They just…grew.

So it is safe to say that I, Anna Marie Darkholme, known as The Rogue, was way to far gone. I was beyond falling in love.

I was in it.

And I was happy about it.

It was strange admitting that. Even to myself.

Tonight I was going to meet with Remy again at the park. It was late, so most of the students were busy doing last minute homework before getting ready for our graduation. So I figured I'd get out fairly easily.

I grabbed the front door handle and-

"Stripes. Could I talk to you?"

Gulp.

I released the door that stood between my escape and me and walked over to Logan, wearing a look of curiosity.

"What's up?"

The only change in his expression was one of his eyebrows raising them halfway up his forehead.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Um. Ah was just gonna walk around downtown, clear mah head and all."

"Really?" Damn that eyebrow.

"Yeah. Ya know with graduation comin' soon-"

"Stripes. You can quite lying now. You're failing miserably at it anyway."

Don't panic. Don't panic.

"Ah'm not lying."

"Really? You're still going to stick to your 'clear my head' story? You've been using that excuse since after Apocalypse."

"Ah've had a lot ta think about."

"Yeah. But not about graduation."

Silence.

Logan sighed heavily at me. "Stripes, I can smell him on you every time you come home from your late night walks."

"It's not what you think it is-"

Logan held up his hand for me to stop. "I don't know why, Rogue, but I think I can tell."

"No. Logan, it's seriously not what you-"

Again with the damn hand thing.

It was starting to piss me off.

"You're happier."

I stared at him. He stared straight back.

The both of us judging each other.

"Yeah. Ah am."

"Look, Kid. I didn't tell anybody because for some reason they buy you're excuses. That's fine by me, but from now on, you're going to be straight with me. Got it?"

I didn't know what to say. I don't think I could have expressed in words what I felt.

So I did the next best thing I could think of.

I stepped up to him and gave him a big, long hug.

By the way he stumbled back slightly and didn't put his arms around me right away, I'm sure I surprised him. I never initiate contact. Never.

"Thanks, Logan."

"Sure, kid."

I headed back to the door, just in time to hear Logan call out one last thing.

"Just remember, I still don't like or trust the kid. He tries anything- I reserve the right to tear him to pieces, got it?"

I just smiled at Logan as I closed the door and walked out.

~)(~

"Hey dere, chere."

"Hey ya're self, Swamp Rat." I sat down next to him on the bench. He glanced at me.

"Y' in a extremely good mood."

I turned my face to him, my smile undeniably spread across my mouth.

"Logan knows."

Remy stares at me for a heartbeat. "An' monsieur claws still let y' ou' o' de house?"

"Yep! He's okay with it."

Remy stared at me deadpanned.

"Honestly, Remy, he really is okay with it."

"De last time I checked, de Wolverine wanted t' gut moi an' leave mon remains f'r de gators."

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Why what?" This was a good thing. Why was he questioning it?

"Why didn' de Wolverine stop y'?"

Was it just me, or was Remy leaning awfully close to me.

Damn Butterflies, stop your flapping around!

"He said that…"

Remy was really, really close now.

Breathe.

"De monsieur said what?"

"That- that Ah was happier."

"An' are y'?"

Well, it would have come out eventually. Might as well go down with pride, right?

"Yeah. Ah am."

Second time I said those three words tonight. It's amazing how powerful they are.

Remy's face lit up with a smile that reached his eyes. It was a fantastic sight to see.

Very slowly he titled his lower.

He was giving me enough time to back away if I wanted to.

I didn't want to.

At first, the kiss was soft and gentle, like a feather light caress against my lips. Then it gradually grew more intense. He lips, yet still gentle, were eager and demanding on mine. I grew bolder and kissed him back with just as much fervor as him.

At some point, I guess we fell off the park bench and onto the ground because when Remy finally pulled away so we could breathe, I noticed I was lying on a sharp rock that was digging into my hip.

"Anna."

I looked up to his face to meet his eyes.

"I love y'."

There was nervousness edged between his words, which also held the sense of fear in them.

I swallowed the saliva in my mouth only to realize that my mouth was as dry as the desert.

"Remy-"

He watched me with abated breath, tortured by the prospect of what I would reply.

"Ah know."

He blinked.

And blinked again.

"Y' know? Dat's all y' have to say?"

I breathed in, and then I breathed out.

And then laughed- thoroughly.

Remy, shaking out of his shock quickly removed himself from on top of me and turned way, leaving.

I eventually got control over myself and gradually hushed my laughter. But I couldn't remove the smile.

I stood up ran to catch up with him. I touched his shoulder trying to gain his attention again.

"Remy,"

He violently shrugged from my hand.

"Don't." He continued to walk away, until I jerked him back by his hand to face me.

His face was devoid of all emotion. But his eyes showed the hurt and pain and anger.

"What? What is 't now?"

I still held onto his hand as I pulled my self towards him.

I still had my smile plastered on my face.

"Remy, ya swamp rat. Ah'm in love with ya too. Idiot."

And then I kissed him.

Tonight was a big night for me to be takin' the inititive.

I was kinda worried when he didn't respond right away. I moved to stop, when he surprised me by gripped my arms, holding me so I wouldn't move any further.

The next thing I know, my backs pressed against one of the trees and we're still kissing. And his hands were on me.

And all over me.

I broke the kiss, which wasn't that hard, since he was moving his mouth down lower, so that his lips could get well acquainted with my neck.

Oh, god, this feels good.

"Remy."

I was shocked at how huskily my own voice was. Remy wasn't complaining. He just moaned against my neck and continued his activities.

"Remy."

There, that sounded much more commanding.

All I got was what I think was a "hmmm?"

"Swamp Rat, Ah may have just admitted that Ah feel the same way, but that does not mean Ah'm that type of gal."

That caught his attention.

He pulled his face back from me, a slightly horrified expression on his face.

"I- I didn' mean dat I was implyin' anything-I'm sorry- I didn'-"

I laughed again.

He was just so easy to shock.

He quickly let go of me took a step back.

"'M sorry, Anna. I jus- I jus wanted t' do dat for so long- I couldn' stop myself. 'M sorry if I offended y'."

He looked positively ashamed of himself.

"Ah know. Ah figured that it would be better if we didn't move that fast."

"Right. D'accord."

We stood there by the tree a few moments longer as we calmed our breathing.

It was one of the most awkward times of my life.

All I could think of was now what? What do I do next?

"Uh, Remy? What are we supposed to do now?"

His brow creased in thought. "'M not really sure. I've never been 'n an ac'ual -uh, relationship b'fore."

I laughed softly at his revelation.

"Ah find that rather hard to believe, Swamp Rat."

He grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me down the park pathway.

"Non, 't's true. Any thing beyond closed quarters is une foreign concept t' moi."

"Oh yeah? Then what about Belladonna?"

Abruptly I was halted in mid-step. I looked up to catch Remy staring at me in surprise.

"Y' think moi- an' Bella-?"

He starts laughing at the mere idea and then started to clutch his side from laughing so hard.

"Oh, chere-" he wipes at his moist eyes, "Bella an' I were n'ver more dan jus' amis. I was always t' preoccupied wit lookin for somebody else, non?"

"Just friends? Oh, come on, Remy. The girl is the reason ya family knew where Jean-Luc was, I'd say that ya were more than just friends."

"How did y' know 't was Bella who told us?"

"She told me."

His brows furrowed again, as his red irises looked over at me in shock.

"You've met Bella?"

"Yeah, back when Ah was pissed at ya. She found me on the grounds and we had a little talk. "

"An' she didn't try ta kill y'?"

"Well she had her gun oh me, but she hid it away when she figured out Ah came there with ya."

"Hmmm. In'tresin'. Bella usually kills firs' and asks later."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? Are ya complainin'?"

"Nope. Not moi."

He pulled me closer towards his side and we continued down the pathway.

"But seriously, Bella an' I were n'ver more dan jus' friends. Nothin' t' worry about."

"Who said Ah was worried, Swamp Rat?"

~)(~

"Logan, could Ah go take a walk around the park again?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head, knowing what I meant. "Sure, kid, knock your self out."

"What?! But, like, Rogue, with graduation a few weeks away, we have to like go shopping!"

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks, Kitty. Ya know how Ah hate malls and crowds."

"But-"

"Catch ya later, Kitty!"

Whoo! That was a close one.

I hopped into the X-jeep and drove my down to the park to meet with Remy again. The whole drive down, I was thinking about how strange and yet, some how right my entire life was at the moment. I have my grades going strong and am just weeks away from being out of Bayville High, I have a couple Colleges that have accepted me, a unofficial official boyfriend (which I never thought I'd have since I was fifteen) and the x-men as friends and family.

Things just seemed to be going perfectly.

I saw Remy's bike parked against the curb, and decided that for once, I would sneak up on the Cajun- You know? To finally best him at something. So I parked the jeep a few block away, out of sight of the park.

I saw his trench coat before I heard his voice.

I was about to run and pounce on him when the voices finally reached my ears.

Yeah, that's right.

Voices

As in plural.

I abruptly turned to find a hiding place, and once I did, I edged closer to see what was going on.

I was more than surprised when I saw that Remy was standing there, talking to Mystique.

I was paralyzed with shock.

I couldn't hear what was being said exactly, nor was I in the position to see Remy's face. But by the way that Mystique was acting, I could tell she meant business.

More words were exchanged, and then suddenly Mystiques hand extends outward for Remy to take.

He shook it.

Then, Mystiques continued on with talking, but by then, I stopped caring.

I hurriedly left the park and went back to the Jeep.

Ring. Ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kitty. It's me Rogue, I was wondering if that invitation to the mall was still open."

"Like, of course!"

"Great, thanks. Ah'll be there in a few."

I hung up the phone and drove down to the mall.

When I finally parked in the parking lot, I had worked myself into a fit of nerves. I was sad, I was hurt, but more than anything I was angry.

I felt betrayed.

Ring. Ring.

I looked down at my phone and saw that Remy was calling me.

Should I leave it? Should I answer it?

Sigh.

"Hello?"

"Bonjour, Anna. Where are y'?"

"Hey Remy, uh, Ah don't think Ah can make it to the park today."

"Dat's alright. I'll come t' y. Where are y'?"

Damn it.

"Actually, Kitty ambushed me and forced me to go with her on a shoppin spree."

I heard him laugh through the phone. Any other time I would have smiled at the sound, but right now, it broke my heart.

"Do y' need moi t' come an' save y'?"

"Nah. Ah think Ah owe her some bondin' time. Ah haven't had much of a chance to hang out with her in a while, ya know?"

Of course he knew; he was the reason why.

"Oui. When can I see y' then?"

"Ah don't know, things are gonna be getting pretty hectic around here, with graduation and all. Maybe graduation night?"

There was a pause on his end of the phone.

"Anna? Is e'vrything alright? Are y' okay?"

I wiped a tear from my eye as I replied.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be, Cajun?"

Again I heard him hesitate on the other side.

"D'accord. I shall see y', chere, dat night den. I love y', Anna."

I couldn't stop the new tear from falling down in time.

"Yeah, Remy. Ah love ya too."

I waited for him to hang up the phone before I moved from the jeep.

After graduation, I wouldn't be seeing him.

………………………………………………………………….

Well, hello again!

I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter. I got to say, it took me three days to actually write this thing. Usually I've written all the previous chapters in one or two days, usually the former, but this one was extremely hard to word in a way that expressed everything but not get to sappy or moved to quickly. At least, I hope I didn't move to quickly. Did I? I would have made the 'confessions of love' wait for a later time, but in order for this fic to get on the ball and start rolling, I had to put it in there, so I'm sorry if it seemed rushed with the whole "I love you" "I love you, too" deal. To clear things up, Rogue believes that Mystique is attempting to manipulate the x-men, Kurt, herself, herself and Kurt, or all of the previously mentioned and that Remy has agreed to help Mystique. Does that help?

Anyways: I've noticed that some of the music I listen to influence me, like for this chapter, I heard the song Make Damn Sure (by taking back Sunday) a while ago and I just automatically thought it could be worked in to the story. *See the part where Remy asks if he's too close" listen the song and you shall be enlightened.

But otherwise, to go off in a tangent about theme songs for Remy and Rogue in my opinion are Paralyzer by Finger Eleven (for Remy) and I Get Off by Halestorm (for Rogue).

Thank you yet again to Maya-chan2007, SilverWolf77, and nightwish635 for your encouraging reviews! You guys are the best.

Catch ya next time!

And please, don't forget to review!