Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men!
Chapter 5: Spices.
It was somewhere between 2 and 3 am when he came out of the elevator, so he could call it an early night. The hallway was scarcely illuminated, which was normal, but then, something was off. He realized of it when he was in front of his apartment's door.
There wasn't a specific reason, an exact sign; more like an abstract hint of something missing, or opposite from that, something that shouldn't be there. But there was definitely a shift in the air, in the surface of the door and walls… something. Someone.
He opened the door as quietly as possible and closed it behind his back. Sure, whoever was there would be expecting him to arrive through that very door, but not even the concept of being defeated was in his book; if a fight was to come up, better getting to it sooner than later. And as usual, he was ready.
Nothing seemed out of place (the big couch, the TV, the stuff in the kitchen), he couldn't hear a sound; yet, the presence was still vivid and stronger. He pulled out a couple of cards as he headed to the hallway.
There wasn't much light around, but his eyes were more than used to darkness. And he didn't have to check in his bedroom or bathroom, because he knew it was the large room at the bottom.
He sharpened his ears; not a sound. But there would be, soon.
He pushed the door open and right away, one of his own bo staffs was swung in his direction, but he quickly dodged it, snatched it from his opponent and tossed it away, making it go tumbling down to the floor. Then, he was about to charge on the person and tackle him, but…
"Mon Dieu! Rogue?!"
There she was, showing her palms in surrender, laughing in that clean, almost sparkling way she always did.
"Yeah, who did yah expect?"
"How y' got in here?! Why didn't y'… diable!" A faint light came from outside the window, and it was enough to see her green eyes clearly, framed by the white strands of her hair. "Sorry 'bout that, y' okay?"
"Yeah, Ah'm fine" she said, still with a smile… the smile: "Yah?"
"Bon, y' don't cease to amaze me, that for sure" he chuckled: "How y' got in here?"
"Yah've got your tricks, AH've got mine." She took a look around the room and headed to a corner, where a bunch of other bo staffs were resting against the wall: "So this is your… gym?"
He'd still like to know how she actually got in there (with her powers, still unknown to him? Just picking the lock? He had made sure it was a thief proofed door, and that said a lot) but he put that aside because clearly, answering to his questions wasn't something she usually cared about. And also, he just wanted to see her; to talk to her, to drink on her presence because who knew how long it would last.
"Y' could call it that way, oui".
She was examining the bo staffs, one by one, with her back to him:
"Yah stopped spying on me" she said. It was hard to say if there was reproach in her voice, or just the statement of a fact.
"'Cause y' asked me to. Y' know Remy can't say no to a lady, especially if that lady's y'".
He intuited the little smile in her, though he couldn't see it. Then, she took one of the bo staffs and turned around:
"Oh yeah?"
She started to slowly swing the object around, all the while looking into his eyes, half mock serious and half snickering. He smirked at the sight of this, his eyes savoring this vision.
"Is it like this?" she asked, while making an especially technique lacking move.
"Not quite, but I've seen worst. Could teach y' a thing or two. Later".
As an answer, she just raised her brows and gave him a nod. Next, she pointed the bo staff at him and approached, step by step, pinning him right in the center of his chest with it.
He didn't move.
He only stared at her like the apparition from another world she seemed to be, fully intriguing and appealing, inexplicable and inviting.
She pushed the bo staff a little harder against him.
"This is where y' say: touché" he said in a low, raspy voice, already agonizing in desire at the sight of the mischievous expression in her eyes.
Her lips parted a tiny bit.
That was it.
He grabbed the bo staff and put it aside (again), then lifted her and pressed her against the wall, as they sank in a burning kiss.
(…)
"Hmmm… That's great…" Rogue sighed, lying on her stomach, stretching and shivering from time to time and from head to toes, as Remy's warm fingers traced invisible patterns on her bare back: from the back of her neck to her shoulder blades, then down her spine and on the small of her back, slowly, thoroughly, just brushing her lightly and not leaving unattended a single square inch.
"Your skin, chere" he brushed his lips and jaw against her shoulder: "It's perfect, did y' know that? It's so pure, like a canvas".
She stared at him for a moment, then her eyes went to fall on the tattoo in his left shoulder:
"What's this about?" she propped herself up just a little, enough to run her fingers on the intricate design.
He shouldn't even mention these things out loud, but he didn't hesitate to answer:
"Got it back in Louisiana, when I joined the guild. 'Twas a while ago" he was drawing small circles close to her waist area.
"Guild? That sounds like from a pocket novel. Or vampires flick".
"Oh but it's very real, an' it's a big deal there. An' y're supposed to get this when y're old enough t' become a member. That is, at 17".
She considered this for few moments and was about to say something else, but then, she realized of something:
"What time is it?"
"Don't know, don't care" he replied, playing with her hair now.
She started to get up, to take a look at the digital clock on his side of the bed, but he was faster than that, by knocking the thing off from the night stand.
"Remy?! God…" she huffed and crawled over him to pick the clock up. Again, he didn't let her:
"Stay for breakfast" he said, holding her by the wrists: "Allons, Remy cooks for y'. Wouldn't y' like that?"
She narrowed her eyes:
"Just let me see the time".
"If y' promise y'll stay" he kissed her left hand.
She studied his face for a while, raising her right brow a little, probably without realizing she was doing so. He had noticed she had that habit.
"Okay".
He released her wrists and picked up the clock from the floor, showing the green numbers to her:
"6:02. Y're welcome" he put it back on the nightstand.
"How do yah know Ah'll keep my promise?" she asked him, resting her elbow on the bed and her head on her hand.
"I don't" he recognized: "I can just wish".
She stared at him with an unreadable expression. Then, she gave him a sly smile:
"Ah'll stay, all right. Let's see if yah're good in the kitchen too".
(…)
When she first groggily opened her eyes, the sight of the unfamiliar surroundings made her sit up at once. But then, it wasn't so unfamiliar after all; she just had never seen it in day light, showered by the orangey glow than entered through the window.
Remy wasn't there.
She looked down at herself and then at the clock that had been placed back on the nightstand at some point: 10:42 am. Logan, Storm, Cyclops, the Professor, hell, even Kitty would all have her head, for not letting them know she would spend the night out (not that she had ever done that) mainly because the X-Men didn't have few enemies, and kidnapped team members was something that had happened before. They just cared for each other. Either way, she'd make something up, so she came out from under the sheets and bedcover and found her bag over there, on the floor.
Two texts from Kitty; all right, not so serious. So she just texted back, telling her she had spent the night at a friend's house (which friend? Well, whatever) and let the bag fall on the bed.
Then she took a look around again.
It was a little strange to wake up in a place that's not part of the regular course life. More like a detour or an intrusion in a parallel reality.
She picked up the shirt Remy had been wearing the night before, put it on, then her panties, and headed out the bedroom.
Her bare feet made this silent but still existent sound, as she sneaked down the hallway. A clatter of utensils and drawers being opened and closed and then the sharp ring of some electrical appliance, but mostly, a delicious smell, led her to the living room, which was also the kitchen area.
She stood by the doorway, leaning on a shoulder against the wall. He was in blue jeans and a black sleeveless shirt.
"Bon jour, chere" he greeted with his back to her, as he turned something over in a pan: "Hope y' like pancakes an' omelets".
"Ah do. And that smells real good" she came closer: "Can Ah help?"
"Almost done, don't worry" he took two dishes from a shelf: "Well, would y' pour some juice?"
"Sure". There was a plastic bag on the counter, with a bottle of orange juice still in it; an empty bag was also there and a supermarket ticket. "Did yah just buy these things?" she asked, reaching for two glasses.
"Oui, 'round the corner" he served the omelets in the dishes. "Don't usually keep breakfast supplies in here".
"So yah get rid of them before breakfast time?"
He turned the stove off: "In fact, cherie, don't bring 'em here much".
"Why?" she put the bottle's lid back on.
"Wait: y' askin' me 'bout other women? Thought y' didn't care 'bout that".
"Ah don't" she said indifferently: "Was just makin' small talk".
"Right" he took some forks and knives from a drawer: "What about y'?"
"What about me what?"
"Y' seein' other guys?"
She propped herself up with both hands and went to sit on the counter, leaving her bare legs hanging there:
"And by see, yah mean fuck?"
"Y' said it, I didn't."
She smiled and looked down, then back at him: "What, Ah look like a man-eater or something?"
"That's the thing: y' really don't".
"Then what do Ah look like?"
Remy approached her, very close, staring into her eyes, measuring her expression and his next words:
"Y' look like beauty. Like perfection, with a lil' touch of wildness and a big one of cheekiness. An' y' sound, an' y' taste like that as well". She didn't blink. Then, he pulled a plastic bottle out of nowhere: "Y' like maple syrup?"
"Ah love it."
"Sorry only got one of those but we can eat in the couch" he said, gesturing towards a metal stool that was there in a corner.
"It's okay, Ah'm okay here".
"D'accord."
He leaned on the counter besides her, plates and glasses between the two of them. First, she took a mouthful of omelet which was like none other she had ever tasted, in spite of which, the combination of spices and condiments immediately gave her a little sensorial trip to the flavors of the South. Amazing, indeed.
"So, y' gonna tell me what your power is?" he asked, eating some omelet as well.
"Oh, yeah… that."
"'Twas only a matter of time before one of us asked, don't y' think?"
She finished chewing before replying:
"Ah guess". She stared at him with big eyes, while drinking some juice. Then, continued: "It might freak yah out a bit".
"Try me."
"Okay." From the start, she knew he was a mutant, because of his eyes. But she hadn't expected that he would find out she was one too. Anyway, it was too late to hide it: "When Ah touch someone, skin to skin, Ah can, if Ah want to, absorb their abilities, memories, mutant powers. For a little while. But that kind of… knocks them out". She was cutting a piece of pancake.
"Alright, that's somethin'."
"Ah can also… jump really high, run fast, that kinda stuff. Yah?"
He winked and then said "I make things go boom", like a magician that was about to deliver his act.
He took a tea spoon that had been lying on the counter. Rogue saw the piece of cutlery acquiring this ruby shade, then becoming shimmery and iridescent, as he tossed it away and it burst mid air, leaving smoke and ashes floating there.
"Wow, that's really great" she recognized. She was about to ask, or more, to state, that that was how he had created those explosions in the train station, but it was better not to go any deeper into that.
She couldn't go any deeper into any of this.
(…)
"So, now that y've tried Remy's majestic cookin', what y' think?"
It was almost noon, when they went down the stairs of the metro station. Maps on the walls, signs hanging here and there, this sort of echo and especially, people in a rush.
"It was better than Ah expected, really".
"Just that, chere? Come on, tell me truth."
She made him wait some seconds, just for suspense: "It was delicious, hun. Thanks for it."
"Non, don't even mention it. Let's just repeat it sometime, hein?"
She passed the card in the machine thing, so the turnstile let her pass, leaving Remy on the other side.
"Maybe." There she went again.
"Allons, cherie: when will I see y' again? A hint, at least?"
Rogue put the card back inside her bag and took a look in the direction of the hallway she had to head now, to take the train. Then, she looked at Remy one more time:
"Well, yah know where Ah live, don't yah?"
And with one last smile, she turned around and got lost among the people and in the depths of the station.
Note: All right! Feels like it took me a while to write this down, but it's done. What do you guys think? Please don't leave without dropping me a review! Thanks so much for reading.