"So how mad was prince charming?" As usual, Rogue was sitting with John at lunch. Sectioned off in the far corner, next to the large frosted window.

"He put me to bed like a bad little kid." Rogue pouted, "Didn't even kiss me good night."

"You were a bad little human. What in the hell were you doing out there to begin with?"

"I was just relaxing." There it was again. Bobby kicking her out so he could go to Kitty. If she was stupid enough to believe him, then that should be it, He shouldn't care about it. But he does. It bugs him that Bobby is just throwing Rogue, his perfect and needing girlfriend, away. Well, he wasn't really throwing her away, after all he needed her as a cover.

"Cure, when was the last time you and Ice-prick-"

"A while." She cut him off and chomped off a piece of her roll. She swallowed hard and shyly turned her gaze from him, "He is too scared to touch me, I think sometimes."

Then, like she had just realized what she had said, her head looked sharply at him. Her eyes begging him not to take the statement to heart.

"I don't know who irritates me more, you or him." John rolled his eyes, turning them towards the window next to him. The part next to him was no longer frosted, instead it was steamy and fogged over.

He listened to Rogue cough a few times, the last sounding a bit rough. He stole a side glance at her, she was clutching her napkin to her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut.

"You gonna live?" He probed.

"If I said 'no' would you be happy?" She gave him a weak smile as she took in a few deep breaths.

"Oh get over it." He growled.

Rogue coughed out a laugh then started to eat her chicken soup.

So since Bobby had been hooking up with Kitty. Either Rogue was choosing to ignore it cause she wanted to cling to the idea he is perfect or she is just flat out stupid. Both were very highly possible.

The class bell rang and both spilt there separate ways. Rogue going to her room to lay down and try to sleep off this on coming fever and John to class and try to not to think about Bobby's dirty ways that were hurting Rogue.

The next morning brought curiosity to John. He sat alone at breakfast, it wasn't half as strange as him sitting alone at lunch. Cure made it a point to never miss lunch. Or any chance to talk to him really.

"Hey, Logan." After lunch John found Logan in the hallway directing traffic.

"What John?" Logan snapped a reply. He was over kids with attitudes. He had just broken up a pair of fighting kids who were trying to electrify each other between classes.

"Where is--Rogue?" With Logan, John knew he had to address her properly with Logan or he wouldn't get what he wanted.

"In her room sick, if you know what is best for you, you'll stay away from her." It wasn't like he was going to check on her. He was just wondering why she wasn't pestering him today.

***

It never hurt this much to breathe before. She could never remember feeling this much pain in her chest either. Laying in bed wasn't helping her. Long ago she had flung her blankets off onto the floor. When her temperature didn't go down after that she shed off some of the extra clothing she had been wearing. Leaving her in a tank top and her boy cut underwear.

Her skin felt hot as fire, but on the inside she felt frozen.

Why hadn't Bobby come to help her? So what if he couldn't relieve her pain? He could give her those drugs to put her to sleep.

She rolled her body into a ball in the center of the bed, hugging a pillow against herself tightly.

She coughed several times, afterwards tears trickled out of her eyes.

Why couldn't she be laughing with John, laughing at his mean glances towards her? Having quick moments, that John didn't catch, where she left herself fall under the influence of him. The moments where she completely relaxed and was just simply her. He gave her moments that weren't accompanied with thoughts of him just acting to make her happy. Thoughts she knew she could never have with Bobby. Not because she didn't love him, but because he didn't have the confidence in her that John had. She was just a weak woman to Bobby, John (while she may not be more to him) lets her do what she wants and looks over it.

A knock at her door seemed almost heaven sent, "Come in!" She yelled with all the voice she could muster.

She heard the door creak open, but it was too painfully bright to open her eyes.

"Cure?" John cautiously pushed the door open. The only light in the room was from the doorway he was standing in. She had the curtains drawn together and all the lights shut off.

His eyes searched the room until they landed on her bed. She was facing him, only she was curled into a ball.

It sounded like she was whimpering, along with her couching.

"Plea-se." Her hand clutched the pillow she had hugged against her body. "Shut the do-or."

John entered fully and then eased the door to a close.

"Hey." He called out into the darkness.

"Come he-re. I need-" She gasped out a sob.

John jerked his Zippo out and used the light to guide him. It only took a few steps to get over to her bed. He was taken back at her apparel, then again he'd seen her in less. Her hair was up in a ponytail that half had fell out.

The hand that he had seen clutching the pillow was extended out, shaking.

Carefully, he touched her palm with his fingers, he quickly jerked away though. She felt cold. He killed the flame and shoved his Zippo back into his pocket.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sitting down on the bed near her.

Her head shook 'no' as she sobbed a few more times.

"Do I have to go get someone?" He asked bent closer.

Suddenly, her hand grabbed his wrist.

"I need you." She whispered. "I'm so cold inside."

John inwardly battled with himself about what to do. Part of him wanted to do it. He wanted to comfort and help her. Then the other part still saw her as a traitor to her own can.

She slowly started to unravel and wiggle up to the top of the bed. He watched her carefully lean off the side of the bed to retrieve her blankets. After a few coughs she began to lay down.

"Wait." He kicked off his shoes and slid in next to her.

Instantly she snuggled up to him, he was so warm and smelled so good. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, the coldness quickly melting inside her.

"Thank you, John." She sighed.

John was trying to keep his breathing level calm. Rogue was pressed up against him with her arms wrapped around him.

"I'm sorry. You-re the-" Her voice died out before a few more whimpers. Then she was asleep. Rogue: Bobby's girlfriend (and rumors soon to be fiancée), ex-mutant, pathetic human, and weakling was laying in his arms under the covers in the dark.

He didn't hate touching her though. He didn't mind her soft breaths against his skin or the feeling of her arms draped over him.

It felt nice. This wasn't what he felt with Kitty. In fact, in truth, there was no feeling with Kitty. It was pure boredom.

"So warm." Rogue breathed as she nestled closer against him.

He would never admit it out loud. He was even having trouble admitting to himself in his head. He couldn't begin to fathom how it was even possible. He was enjoying this. He liked having Rogue cuddled up next to him, needing him to help her, to save her.

He used his free arm to pull the blanket up over her shoulders, seeing as she wasn't wearing much clothes.

Another thought surged through his brain, sending heat waves washing over his entire body. He wanted to kiss her. He didn't understand it either. He wanted to make sure Bobby never got the chance to hurt her again or betray her ever again. He also wanted to know what was making her so sick all the time and why everyone was so scared of it.

Rogue shifted positions, her leg was now propped up on his. Her stomach was pressed against his side. There was no way she could find a way to get closer to him or to make his mind run any faster.

The hand she had wrapped around him had clutched a piece of his shirt, and was holding tightly.

Without realizing it John drifted to sleep. It was the easiest sleep he had fallen into since he got there.

Rogue was the one who woke-up first. When she first woke-up, she found it strange that she was warm. She never woke-up warm. She nestled against her pillow…wait…that wasn't a pillow.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. She flung her hand over to turn on the light, almost knocking the lamp over in the process. Her fingers quickly snapped it on and she couldn't believe what she seeing. John was in her bed. She thought that she had dreamed that entire thing. Only in her dreams would John actually even consider helping her that way. That would mean, he saw how sick she was. Saw the state she was in.

"Oh God." The hand that wasn't propping her up covered her mouth.

As scared as she was that he could have pieced it together, she was happy. John was here. She woke-up in his arms like she had in a daydream.

Carefully, scared of shattering the scene if it was a dream, she turned to face him. He was completely relaxed with his lips slightly parted open. Rogue nibbled at her own lips. Laid before her was temptation in the flesh. Some temptations were just too great.

Gingerly, she began to decline down, back into her earlier position--in John's arms. Her fingers caressed his hair, pushing it off his face. She slowly bent her head towards his lips. The heat she felt inside her tripled when her lips met his. Her cheeks must've lit up in bright red.

She jerked away before her nervousness could cause her to cough. Her chest did tighten and at first it hurt; then it eased. She calmed her breathing, as she laid back down.

She nuzzled up against him again, her mind drifting into a happy place. Only that happy place was this place. It was absolutely perfect.

The only thing she regretted is that it wasn't going to last. When John wakes up, he'll leave. Then act as if it never happened.

Suddenly weariness overcame her and she drifted back to sleep. Happy with her whole world.

At about 5:21, according to Rogue's neon cowboy hat clock on the wall, John woke-up, with Rogue still snuggled against him.

He needed to get out of here before someone came in to check on her. With ease, he slid out the bed and into his shoes. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to get back into bed with Rogue and just be with her. He tucked the blanket in around her, securing her heat in, then exited to the room.

"John…" a voice spooked him when he sealed the door shut, "we need to talk. Seeing as you directly defied me."

Hope you enjoyed! All the sweet tender moments! Tell me what you think!

RAWR