Authors' Note – for anyone who's enjoying this fic we just thought we'd let you know that the next 'episode', for lack of a better term, is being posted exclusively at as it's just too far beyond ffn's ratings to be at all appropriate here. If you're interested it's called Take Me Out Tonight and you can find it at http://xmen. Thanks to everyone who's reading, but it would be really great if you could review and let us know what you love/hate about the story.

thegambit23 – Thanks for the review and to answer your question no, Rogue and Kurt aren't actually related in any 'verse. In both Evolution and 616 Rogue was adopted by Mystique long after she abandoned Kurt and they never met each other until much later in life and without having any idea that there was any connection between them. In Evo they knew each other for quite a while before they discovered that they shared a common parent in Mystique but it still doesn't make them actually related. And for the record (this is one of my huge pet peeves) Kurt/Amanda in 616 (the comicverse) is amazingly squicky because even though they're not related by blood they were actually raised from Kurt's infancy as siblings. That's just nasty.

Evilerk – thanks much for the review and glad that you're finding the story interesting!

Mariko
—
"That it's a bad idea to tickle attack the dude with the tail?"

"Important lesson," Mariko replied with a feigned sigh of relief, "because ever since I got here, there's just been one thing that I've wanted to do," she teased, taking a handful of popcorn and flicking a kernel at Kurt's forehead.

"Next time, it's to the death, Fuzzy."

Planting the bowl of popcorn down on the floor, but still within easy reach, Mariko sighed melodramatically. "I saw a man tickled to death once," she proclaimed in a sombre tone, "it wasn't a pretty sight." With a shrug, she helped herself to a handful of popcorn, before retrieving the discarded remote. "You mind?" she asked before flicking channels, "if he's going to make me watch this all the way through, I probably don't want to see the ending now." The TV in her room had had a very limited selection of channels and most of those had been pay per view and of a rather 'specialist' nature. Here, however, were hundreds of completely unfamiliar shows.

Kurt
—
"Important lesson," Mariko replied with a feigned sigh of relief, "because ever since I got here, there's just been one thing that I've wanted to do," she teased, taking a handful of popcorn and flicking a kernel at Kurt's forehead.

"Of course you have," he shot back, squinting slightly as the popcorn bounced off his forehead. "Chicks dig the fuzzy dude," he added with a wink and a slight exaggeration of his accent. Mariko wouldn't get it, but Rogue probably would.

Mariko's comment was a more than welcome distraction from the way Rogue was fidgeting on the couch next to him, considering his imagination wanted to wander off into remembering how...interesting...she'd felt fidgeting on the couch under him just a couple of minutes ago, and that definitely wasn't anywhere he needed to go. Especially since now she was just squirming around trying to create personal space...which he had no intention of giving her, all things considered. She'd loosened up for a bit, dammit, he wasn't about to get all awkward just because he'd gotten a bit...too involved there for a minute or two...and let her go all paranoid about it now.

"And you totally don't get to do the 'Oh mah Gawd, don't touch me!' thing. Because look at all that touching, and not a single soul sucked dry," he reminded her with a totally casual shoulder bump. Of course, it earned him the expected smack upside the head and accompanying death threat, but that worked. It meant she was probably getting over the initial neurotic 'oh God I could have killed him paranoia.

"Next time, it's to the death, Fuzzy."

"Yeah, yours," he shot back with a grin. "Because next time I pin you you're not getting up until I let you up, and that won't be until the tail's reduced you to a puddle," he added, waving said appendage menacingly between them...right before deciding that that really hadn't been imagery he'd needed, but it was too late now and he drew his knees up a bit for cover. He managed to keep the cheeky grin in place, but at the sound of yet another melodramatic sigh from Mariko he turned back to her, grateful for the distraction yet again.

"I saw a man tickled to death once," she proclaimed in a sombre tone, "it wasn't a pretty sight."

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't," he assured her with a shudder of mock-horror. "I imagine there was lots of screaming and begging for mercy." And it was time to move on...from tickling, pinning, screaming...yep. Definitely moving on.

"You mind?" Mariko asked, grabbing the remote and beginning to surf through the Gott only knew how many channels this place got at his nod. "if he's going to make me watch this all the way through, I probably don't want to see the ending now."

"No, don't want to ruin the ending," he agreed, "and with fifty-bazillion channels available for your viewing enjoyment there's gotta be something that's not a soap, a game show or professional wrestling on one of them, right?"

"So," he settled back a bit more comfortably, letting his tail reach out to snag the HoHos from the table top as he did so. "Where are you from originally?" he asked conversationally. It was, after all, the next part of the obligatory getting to know you routine, since they'd already gotten her and Rogue's powers out of the way and it was generally accepted as poor manners to ask why someone was here, since the answer wasn't necessarily anything they'd want to talk about.

"HoHo?" he added, offering the box to both of them after popping it open and grabbing one of the little plastic-wrapped snack cakes for himself.

Rogue
—
"Yeah, yours," he shot back with a grin. "Because next time I pin you you're not getting up until I let you up, and that won't be until the tail's reduced you to a puddle." Oh, God. Did they have to talk about pooling liquids? Really, the last thing she needed to be thinking about was that tail of his doing things that would end up making her w... not going there.

"I saw a man tickled to death once, it wasn't a pretty sight." She looked over at Mariko, somewhat amused and not entirely sure if the other girl was joking. She knew nothing about... wherever Mariko was from. Maybe ritualistic tickle-deaths were an important part of the culture. So instead of replying, she settled for an interested eyebrow raise and a sip of her drink.

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't. I imagine there was lots of screaming and begging for mercy."

Damned drink. She coughed, trying to keep her soda from jumping around again as it had earlier. As she got the beverage under control and swallowed, Mariko started flipping through the channels, asking if they minded. She shook her head, still trying to keep the bubbles from creeping up her nose. Okay. Under control. Did he say wrestling? They were not going to watch wrestling.

"So," he settled back a bit more comfortably, letting his tail reach out to snag the HoHos from the table top as he did so. "Where are you from originally?" She tilted her head toward Mariko a bit. Good question. Back to getting to know you and off of getting to know you. "HoHo?"

She scowled at Kurt, looking at Mariko and then back at Kurt as if he'd meant the question as an insult to them. "That was rude and inappropriate. Chauvinist pig." Reaching into the box and pulling out one of the snacks, she rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Jean moment. Tune in next time, I'll burn my bra."

Mariko
—
"I imagine there was lots of screaming and begging for mercy."

"Yeah, something like that," Mariko said with a nod. "Screaming and begging for mercy." She paused to take a handful of popcorn. "You couldn't really hear it over the giggling though."

"So. Where are you from originally? "HoHo?"

"That was rude and inappropriate. Chauvinist pig. Sorry. Jean moment. Tune in next time, I'll burn my bra."

Mariko simply frowned. Rogue was a complicated, complicated person. Turning her frown towards the box of Ho Hos, she took one out, before carefully unwrapping it and taking a bite from one end. That was good. On top of the popcorn, it was a little nauseating, but she stilled her stomach with the promise of real food to come. Realizing that she'd been asked a question, she raised a fist to her lips as she forced herself to swallow the mouthful of Ho Ho. "Originally? Japan," she said, before grimacing. "Sorry, was that horribly patronizing?" she asked, genuinely apologetic, "if you meant more specifically, Tokyo. How about you guys?" She paused and grinned, "or am I supposed to just sit still and be a good new kid and answer your questions?"

Kurt
—
"That was rude and inappropriate. Chauvinist pig." Rogue accused him with a scowl and he rolled he snorted at her, eyes rolling in mock-exasperation.

"No, you just have a filthy mind," he shot back as she reached into the box and grabbed a HoHo.

"Sorry. Jean moment. Tune in next time, I'll burn my bra."

"See? Bra burning," he added with a grin. "I rest my case." And no, he was not thinking about her bra. At all. Black against pale skin...so not going there. So not swallowing a bit too hard.

Hmmm...didn't look like the HoHo had really agreed with Mariko, Kurt noted sadly as he popped his own into his mouth whole.. Shame that, there was nothing quite like a HoHo and its creamy filling.

"Originally? Japan," she said once she finally managed to choke down her HoHo. "Sorry, was that horribly patronizing?" she asked, genuinely apologetic, "if you meant more specifically, Tokyo. How about you guys?" She paused and grinned, "or am I supposed to just sit still and be a good new kid and answer your questions?"

"Nein, not patronizing at all," he answered, because yes, she was obviously from some Asian country, but he couldn't tell the different accents anymore than she could probably tell if he was German, Dutch, Swiss or Gott knew what else...except, go figure, she had now that he thought about it. Oh well, he officially sucked, but he could live with that. It was just one more thing to add to the list.

"You guessed me right earlier," he answered with a grin. "Transplanted from Germany a couple of years ago. But meine Schwester is home grown," he added, trying valiantly to think of her in those terms as he poked her with his tail before reaching for another HoHo.

Rogue
—
"No, you just have a filthy mind." She most certainly did not. Okay, maybe a little. Fine. Definitely. But that was beside the point. "See? Bra burning," he added with a grin. "I rest my case."

She rolled her eyes. "Like you wouldn't pay good money to watch me do that."

... That wasn't helping with the whole ho thing, was it? She frowned, pulling off her gloves so that she could peel back the layers of cake from the HoHo without getting frosting everywhere. It was a weird habit, and one that wasn't really the best for someone who wore gloves 90 of the time. But that's just how things worked. "Originally? Japan. Sorry, was that horribly patronizing?" She shook her head as she licked some of the frosting from her fingers. A futile action, as soon there'd just be more there. "if you meant more specifically, Tokyo. How about you guys? or am I supposed to just sit still and be a good new kid and answer your questions?"

"Nein, not patronizing at all."

Collecting some more frosting on her fingertip, she shrugged. "I felt a little patronized." Chuckling, she concentrated on the HoHo again as Kurt answered her question.

"You guessed me right earlier," he answered with a grin. "Transplanted from Germany a couple of years ago. But meine Schwester is home grown,"

Finishing the HoHo and licking each finger clean, she nodded. "Middle of nowhere, Mississippi."

Did they teach American geography in Japan? Ah, well. If Mariko was confused, that was okay. It didn't really matter anyway. Not like she actually had any kind of emotional connection to that place. Glancing up at Mariko again, she started on another HoHo. "And I'm not his sister."

Because if she was his sister, then what she'd been thinking earlier was very, very wrong.

Mariko
—
As Kurt popped his Ho Ho into his mouth whole, Mariko shot a dubious glance at her own, before grimacing at her Kurt. "It's good," she conceded, "I've just had a severe lack of the kind of foods that contain actual nutrients lately. Apparently, as it turns out, there is such a thing as too much sugar."

"Middle of nowhere, Mississippi."

"Which is down-south and swampy?" Mariko asked with an uncertain frown. American geography was far from her specialty. All she really knew about it was what she'd picked up watching a few American TV shows. With that thought, she realized that she hadn't even been paying attention to the channels she'd been flicking past and she came to an abrupt halt on a documentary about what looked like some kind of lemur.

"And I'm not his sister."

Mariko nodded her agreement, before frowning, "I really can't think of a word for what you are though." There probably wasn't one; it was hardly a common situation. "Wait! I have the word!" she exclaimed, pretending to gush, "BFF!" she teased, with a grin. Such a horrible phrase.

Kurt
—
He smirked at her as she rolled her eyes in response to his bra burning crack. "Like you wouldn't pay good money to watch me do that."

Oh lieber Gott, so not going there. He just stuffed his HoHo in his mouth by way of avoiding answering and moved on, shifting his attention to Mariko's answer to his question instead of any further thoughts of Rogue...and bras...or her lack thereof…and there went his mind, right in the gutter again.

"I felt a little patronized." Rogue contributed with a chuckle and he stuck his tongue out at her before continuing.

"Middle of nowhere, Mississippi." Rogue elaborated and Kurt grinned at her briefly before deciding maybe looking elsewhere as she licked the last of the HoHo's cream filling from her fingers might be a good plan.

"Which is down-south and swampy?" Mariko asked with an uncertain frown.

"Yup!" he agreed cheerily. "All hot and damp and swampy and full of unsavory creatures." Which it had been, in his very limited experience, so he didn't feel bad at all about making such a sweeping generalization - because the Cajun had to be about as unsavory as they came, in his opinion. Well, with the possible exception of his esteemed parent and her sometimes boss, anyway.

"And I'm not his sister." Rogue added, somewhat belatedly and kind of out of the blue.

"I feel so...rejected!" He looked mournfully between the two girls and sighed melodramatically. "Disowned again." He shook his head sadly as his tail snaked out and grabbed yet another HoHo from the box and discarded its wrapper. "Guess I'll have to console myself with more chocolate," he added.

Mariko nodded her agreement and he shot her a mock-glare before stuffing his third HoHo in his mouth whole.

"I really can't think of a word for what you are though." He couldn't stick his tongue out at that - and he might possibly have been doing more of that in the last hour than he had since he was seven - because he was still chewing, but he flicked his tail at her as the next best thing.

"Wait! I have the word!" she exclaimed, pretending to gush, "BFF!" she teased, with a grin and he nearly choked on his HoHo in an effort not to laugh.

"Why," he asked a bit hoarsely, after managing to swallow the last of his HoHo with some difficulty, "do I feel like that should involve the exchange of little lockets and embroidered pink pillows and probably sleepovers? Lots of sleepovers and giggling and talking about boys' asses," he added, his tail twitching as he snickered at the thought - because he definitely wasn't doing anything so unmanly as giggling...really.

"Oh! And painting each others' nails, too! Can't forget that, it's key!" he finished, holding out his hands to examine his thick, blunt, not quite claws speculatively. "I'm thinking red, what do you think?"

Rogue
—
"Which is down-south and swampy?" Rogue tilted her head to the side. The whole state wasn't swampy... "Yup!" Okay, so it was sort of swampy in Caldecott. Fine, the yacht club was literally on a swamp. And didn't actually have any yachts. Couple of pontoon boats and some old rowboats fitted with rusty outboard motors... and a refrigerator that someone'd dumped into the swampy river. "All hot and damp and swampy and full of unsavory creatures."

She rolled her eyes. Why did she have a feeling she knew exactly who Kurt was thinking about there? "Louisiana, Kurt. Pepe is from Louisiana, not Mississippi. There's a difference." She tossed the wrapper of the HoHo she'd finished at him, reaching for another and voicing a sudden addition to the earlier conversation. "And I'm not his sister."

"I feel so...rejected!" He looked rejected. She grinned. Nope, not her brother. "Disowned again." Raising an eyebrow at her not-brother, she frowned a bit. "Think you'd be used to it by now..."

Looked like he was over it, though. Or at least his tail was. Not going to think about the incredibly dexterous tail. "Guess I'll have to console myself with more chocolate." That sounded like a good idea. She worked on her HoHo, peeling the layers back and licking the cream from the inside. Really. Only acceptable way to eat a HoHo. "I really can't think of a word for what you are though." Mariko was on her side. Score.

"Wait! I have the word!" she exclaimed, pretending to gush, "BFF!" She looked up from her HoHo, sardonic expression firmly in place. "Right."

Kurt seemed more interested in that than she was, though. "Why do I feel like that should involve the exchange of little lockets and embroidered pink pillows and probably sleepovers? Lots of sleepovers and giggling and talking about boys' asses." And now, it was her turn to choke on her HoHo. No sleepovers. No thinking about asses. No thinking about sleeping over with Kurt's ass. No. "Oh! And painting each others' nails, too! Can't forget that, it's key!"

Good. He didn't catch what he'd said. "I'm thinking red, what do you think?" She leaned over, grabbing his hand carefully with her empty one and pulling it closer, making sure to steer clear of the palm, where the hair wasn't thick enough to protect him. "No. It'd clash. Remember, that's why we went with the pink for Rocky Horror."

Mariko
—
"Louisiana, Kurt. Pepe is from Louisiana, not Mississippi. There's a difference."

Pepe? Mariko frowned. Sure, Kurt and Rogue seemed to have known each other for a while, so it was only to be expected. All the same, she had to admit that the new kid/outsider vibe wasn't all that much fun. She only hoped that somewhere in the school, there was someone who had almost as little experience as she did.

"Think you'd be used to it by now..."

"Both disowned and owned," Mariko chimed in, "possibly with a 'p'," she added, emphasizing her point by poking the air. "Speaking as someone to whom English is a second language, that's actually quite confusing," she conceded with a frown. "Is it pronounced pewned?"

"No. It'd clash. Remember, that's why we went with the pink for Rocky Horror."

"Rocky horror?" Mariko echoed, before frowning. "No offence, but fishnets and fur? Surely that combination can't actually be as mortifyingly bad as I'm imagining it to be, can it?"