BENEATH THE SURFACE
Part Twenty-Six
Rogue was certain that Remy was on a downward spiral that she could do absolutely nothing to prevent.
Although his cough had improving as the first week progressed and seemed to be mostly gone by the start of the next (thanks to regular doses of cough syrup Hank had been administering and the cough drops Remy had been sucking on almost non-stop), something still felt off to Rogue. He was acting as fine as he always did, she couldn't help but sense he was slowly falling apart beneath the surface of his smug smiles and snappy comebacks.
It had been subtle things; it had really started to show in the Danger Room during a training session with the New Mutants. She'd been watching from the control annex with the Professor and Logan; the mistake had been tiny and both Professor Xavier and Logan had missed it because Tabitha was messing up enough to distract them and have them constantly supervising her. It wasn't like Remy to not pay proper attention to his surroundings, to not take note and use them to his advantage, to get slightly distracted and lost amongst things, to aim poorly with his projectile cards, to almost slip while climbing. She had hated sitting there at those moments watching this suddenly finding herself thinking perhaps the Professor and Logan had been right about not putting him into the X-Men immediately...he wasn't ready yet.
And then there'd been school; he wasn't paying attention. He'd be staring at the teacher, yes, he'd be looking at the whiteboard, or the films they'd show, he'd be looking at the books but he wasn't processing anything, his expression seemed to be caught in a permanent frown so much that Rogue was certain his face might set that way like plaster.
On Wednesday, he'd forgotten his locker combination; she wasn't certain she'd ever seen him forget anything so quickly. He'd used it that morning and by lunch he was standing at his locker twisting the combination lock and getting angry that it wouldn't open; she'd had to eventually let him put his books in her locker until such times as he remembered later (just before last period).
He wasn't completely himself; he could pretend to be fine in front of everyone all he wanted, but she saw through it. She wasn't certain what hurt more was that he hadn't come to her and talked about what seemed to be the problem, or just seeing him so distracted and sometimes almost downright useless.
She wanted to broach the subject, but she knew how defensive he was liable to get; when it came to this, she had to be careful.
Ah remember those mood swings back in Louisiana, she thought unhappily as she opened her locker at the end of school on a Thursday and began collecting her books for homework. Remy still hadn't appeared, his last period was gym class, apparently the only subject in school he really excelled in as far as she'd heard (not that it surprised her).
Her eyes caught Tabitha amongst the crowds of students, laughing with one of the better looking boys on the basketball team; she was in full flirtation mode, good eye contact, sweet smiles, hand gently grazing his arm when she'd answer. Rogue thought it a little shameless how easily the girl just put on the act for nearly any boy who gave her the attention.
When Rogue closed her locker and looked back, Tabitha and the boy had disappeared off, Rogue rolled her eyes at this, certain the two had gone to find a quiet spot. There's a reason she has that shitty reputation, she reminded herself.
Just as she was about to think of heading for the van, Remy appeared, bag over one shoulder, face still slick with sweat, expression heavy with exhaustion.
"Didn't you shower?" she asked, gazing at him.
"Why bother?" he asked, "I got trainin' at five, why shower jus' t' get sweaty again so I got t' shower again?"
Rogue watched him as he fumbled with the locker combination, at least he remembered it today (after a minute of trying anyway). He was frowning all the while, after opening the locker he paused for a moment and closed his eyes as if trying to clear his thoughts.
"Do you have a headache or somethin'?" she asked gently.
"Kinda," he muttered, he sorted through his books, "noise in this place, fuckin' gym teacher blowin' whistles at me constant...any wonder?"
If no one had been there to see, she may have touched his cheek gently, or took his hand and squeezed it, just a little consolation to show she cared. As it was, there were too many witnesses, the others could be watching. She couldn't risk it.
Ah could make time tonight for him though...homework isn't too heavy, everyone's gonna be watchin' their show at eight...they wouldn't miss me and Remy if we took off...
She stood examining him, trying to decide whether it would be a good idea to take the time to go somewhere with him...perhaps the cave again?
Is that a good idea though? Last time he practically accused me of cheatin'...
They walked together to the van together, no one else from Xavier's had appeared yet to join them. Rogue hugged her books to her chest as she walked at his side, her eyes shifting to glance towards him; he was distracted, eyes roaming across the parking lot, examining every car; she wondered if he was looking to see if anyone might have put up a 'for sale' sticker upon the windows.
It was the first time since bringing him to Bayville she found herself wishing she could take his hand, that they could walk together, not several feet apart pretending to be only friends. Shifting her books and hooking them under her left elbow, she dropped her right hand and slightly stepped right to try and carefully close the distance. She wondered – damn near hoped – he would just decide to be defiant and take her hand regardless of what she or others thought.
He didn't notice the proximity, he was too busy watching all of the cars, his mind elsewhere. Rogue bit into her lip, dropping her eyes to his hand which was hanging casually at his side as he walked.
What would the others think? She thought dully, she glanced over her shoulder to see if any of them might be walking behind, but no one was around other than a few students who didn't tend to tame much notice of her or Remy.
Perhaps it was his distance, the way for days he hadn't been himself, the way for days he hadn't said much at all. All of it made her ache to touch him even lightly, even innocently. Perhaps it was her own frustration, hiding this for so long was getting painful and frustrating, not to mention more and more complicated.
As we get more and more busy with school and trainin', it's gettin' more and more difficult to find time together, Rogue thought unhappily. We hardly see each other and when we do it's in a room full of people...we haven't even touched in days.
What if just once she made that exception? Just to know how it felt to do that in a place they could be seen, a place they could be caught.
But what about Tabitha? Those damn things she thought about his being married to some woman the girl assumed was in Louisiana...how was she supposed to explain that? And how was she supposed to explain that it was not all right for Tabitha to make any moves on Remy regardless of how much she clearly liked him, and yet it was perfectly acceptable for herself to be with him romantically?
Remy was right...Ah've complicated things, Rogue realised with some distress, she chewed the inside of her cheek, walking at Remy's side, trying to think of solutions. He could...make somethin' up? He could always tell her his wife cheated on him...that he's gettin' her back...that they're not together any more, she supposed.
But no...that wouldn't be a smart move, she realised. Tabitha would take it as too much of a sign that Remy was available. She was too capable of convincing Remy of cheating on his wife and getting her back.
Rogue sighed inwardly, her eyes falling to Remy's left hand, his knuckles slightly scraped and bruised from Danger Room sessions and training, long tapered delicate fingers dangling emptily at his side.
They weren't far from the van, there wasn't much time if she was going to make this kind of move. Her mind drifted to all the times he'd begged her to just let them come out of the shadows with their relationship, all the times he'd begged her to be honest. Would it make him happy? Would it shift that distant emptiness from his eyes? Would it distract him from the misery he clearly was enduring?
Taking a deep breath, she pushed her hand forward, still incredibly nervous someone was going to see, her gloved fingers brushed his knuckles...
He didn't notice. The lack of any response almost made her stop completely in her step, she gazed at him in disbelief, what was wrong with him? He normally noticed everything, right now he was in a haze.
Maybe he's actin' innocent 'cause he thinks that was an accident, she tried to soothe her worried mind as they approached the van. Rogue dug the keys out of her pocket, sighing inwardly as her husband stood watching the parking lot, the two books he was taking home dangling from his hand. She unlocked the van and climbed in, feeling slightly agitated. Remy stood there for a moment still, watching; there was one car in particular he had his eye on, an old model, beige and ugly, slightly rusty near the wheels.
Rogue rolled down the windows and leaned over, "you gettin' in or what?"
"Yeah, sorry," he shook himself out of whatever reverie he had been in and he climbed in, putting his books on the dashboard.
Her eyes fell to the books, why was he bringing the chemistry book with him? They didn't even have chemistry homework. Why didn't he have the math book he was supposed be studying tonight? Where was his worksheet for homework and where was his history folder? She kicked herself mentally for not even noticing this when he'd been grabbing things from his locker. "Where's your math book?" she asked, "and your worksheets?"
He turned and looked at her, "huh?"
Rogue picked up the books from the dashboard, "we don't have chemistry homework...we have math homework...there's worksheets you're supposed to fill out..."
He groaned, "fuck."
"Remy...what is with you?" she asked, "You're so...Ah don't know...in the clouds or somethin' today."
"Jus' tired," he responded, rubbing his head, "I'll go get them."
"No," Rogue put her hand on his arm, "let me go get them...Ah know what you need."
"I can do it..."
"Ah have to go back to my locker anyway," she lied, "Ah forgot to grab my wallet, it's in there," she expanded on the lie, "what's your combination?"
He paused, already seemed to have forgotten it, "uh...it's thirty-five, zero-five, twenty," he responded.
"Ah won't be long."
Remy felt stupid; his eyes fell on the two books he'd taken from his locker, neither remotely what he needed for homework. Jean-Luc's persistent talking in his ear had been what had made it hard to concentrate at the locker; it had been making it hard to concentrate on school all week.
His heart was pounding furiously with the feeling of stupidity that Rogue had seen him make that mistake. As a student at this high school, he already felt inferior and idiotic, but having Rogue notice the books were wrong made it seem ten times worse. He hated seeming uneducated to her, and as the weeks were wearing on at Bayville high, it was beginning to show more and more that he didn't have a clue when it came to education.
"Y' look like a moron, y' know," hissed Jean-Luc from the back of the van; Remy took a deep breath through his mouth and held it, tried to stop himself from breathing in through his nose so he didn't have to smell that putrid overpowering odor of decay. Remy had figured out quickly when he'd fallen ill that something in the cough syrup seemed to quiet Jean-Luc down slightly, seemed to make his presence less agitated and intimidating, sometimes almost muted him, sometimes made his presence absent entirely. However, as time was wearing on, this was becoming less and less effective. He'd already had almost an entire bottle since this morning, and Jean-Luc was fairly loud...louder and far more persistent than usual.
Either that or he's gettin' stronger, Remy despaired to himself.
"Y' don' belong in a school wit' these people, y' don' belong in that so-called 'institute' wit' all them smart kids and clever clogs. Y' don' belong here, y' be as well goin' home and runnin' the Guild, 'cause y' got no chance o' makin' a success o' y' life here, y' fool."
Remy stared across the parking lot; there was a beige car, an old model Ford; he'd seen it before...was always parked eight or nine cars away, partly hidden behind the decorative bushes; the windows were too tinted to see who was behind the wheel, but Remy had the distinct feeling it was Tabitha's father.
"Y' weren' made f' this life," Jean-Luc continued.
"Will y' shut the fuck up, givin' me a fuckin' headache," Remy muttered dully, rubbing his left temple.
"I didn' spend the better part o' eight years trainin' y' t' be a fuckin' idiot who ain' even intelligent enough t' work at McDonalds!"
Remy snorted, "Y' didn' spend eight years trainin' me at all," he didn't dare turn around to look at the ghost. "Five years. Five. And that's generous as y' were drunk most of the time and left me t' my own fuckin' devices...throwin' me t' the wolves int' high security buildin's on my own so I coul' figure things out myself, y' didn' train me, I trained myself."
"Y' realise what y' coul' have been if y' had applied y'self? Y' coul' have been the youngest t' run the guild, coul' have been a legend...instead y' here, flunkin' school classes that the fourteen year olds in y' damn institute can do in their sleep!"
"Why woul' y' want me t' run the guild?" Remy spat at him, "I ain' y' real son. Henri was the next in line t' be the guild leader, he got y' blood."
"He another waste of space, jus' like you. But at leas' y' have brains...or at least I thought y' had 'til y' came here...wastin' y' time wit' these people, lettin' them take y' from a master Thief t' bein' a fuckin' mutant in trainin' like y' was twelve years ol', makin' y' live like a fuckin' slave doin' chores and pretendin' t' be somethin' y' not."
Remy clenched his fists, "shut up."
"I shoulda left y' on the streets wit' the pimps and junkies when y' were a kid!"
"I wish y' had!" Remy snapped, he closed his eyes tightly and tried to block out the vision he had of his adoptive father in his head.
"Y' coul' have ended up some pimps asset, bein' sold t' the highest bidder, three, four times a night, and they pay a lot on the streets f' boys...especially one as pretty as you was."
"That why you was there?" Remy huffed, "Waitin' f' one like me t' come along? I jus' happened t' be the first kid come along and notice y' wallet near hangin' in out y' pocket. Was that it? Was y' baitin' me?"
No answer. Remy wasn't sure he'd expected one.
Remy's eyes swept across to the school, no sign of his wife, no sign of the others. He wanted someone here, he couldn't be alone with Jean-Luc like this, not with all these ugly things being said. He got out of the van swiftly, grabbing the key from the ignition just to be sure no one would steal it...just to be sure Jean-Luc couldn't make the van move (although he wasn't confidently certain that taking the keys made a difference to a ghost).
He moved around the back of the van slowly, peering around the corner to gaze at the beige car. He lowered himself down, crouching and creeping along behind the cars parked there, being so careful to not be seen. Finally, he made it to the beige Ford. His eyes caught the plate, it only confirmed his suspicions about whom was within.
Virginia, Remy thought quietly. Tabitha can hide that accent all she wants but I heard it in her daddy's voice.
His temper flared, all this time he'd been here waiting. Why weren't the school noticing? Why wasn't anyone doing anything to stop this? How could the Professor or Logan have not found out about this by now?
'Cause he's keepin' his distance, Remy realised. Long as he don' get out of his car near the mansion, he ain' gon' leave any scent there t' be picked up.
Remy moved around to the driver's side, stomach in knots with instinct and anger; the next seconds were swift. He'd yanked the door open before he'd even thought about what he'd intended to do and he'd dragged the man in his forties out of the car faster than he knew what was happening. The jaundiced eyes looked back at him, wide and unfocused; the bastard had been drinking in the car and Remy could smell it at once.
"What the fuck are you doin' here?!" Remy snapped.
"Y' know what he doin' here," Jean-Luc chuckled. "He here t' take away y' little side action."
Remy fought to ignore the ghost's voice and smell, his eyes were dangerously close to Tabitha's fathers.
"I have a right-" the man began, trying to be brave, trying to hide his fear behind those panicked eyes.
"Y' got a right t' nothin'!" Remy snapped, he spun him around and pinned him against the hood of the car by holding his arm behind his back and pushing his face down against the hood, gripping onto the bastard's greasy hair. "I tol' y' the last time t' keep the fuck away from her."
"She's my daughter!"
"Yeah?" Remy snorted, he leaned down, "Y' tell y'self that when y' were at it? Did y'? Did y' call her y' daughter then? Did it make it feel any less wrong?!" he hissed into his ear, he tightened his grip, twisting Tabitha's father's arm harder, making him cry out.
"Jus' a little more, it'll break," Jean-Luc said, almost sounding proud.
"I don't know what she's told you," gasped the man.
"Only the truth," Remy spat, "and now I'm gon' tell you..." he twisted the arm harder.
"That's it!" Jean-Luc cheered, "break his arm, hurt him...make him suffer!"
Remy fought to keep his wits, fought to stay in control of the situation, "y' ever come here again...t' the school, t' Bayville...t' anywhere three hundred miles near y' daughter..." he was breathing hard with the strain of trying to keep himself from losing control, "And I'll kill y'..."
"You can't stop me from seeing my daughter, I have rights!" he slurred back, his cheap boots slipping on the dirty tarmac as he tried to break free.
"Y' lost them rights when y' touched her," Remy growled.
"She never did anything she didn't want to do!"
It was almost like a switch flicked on in his head. Immediate fury, the seeing red type of anger he had rarely ever encountered in his young life.
"That's what y' all say, ain' it? Oh, it weren' y' fault...oh y' were jus' the helpless victim and y' kid knew everythin' that was goin' on, that there wasn' anythin' wrong wit' what y' did," Remy snapped; he couldn't help himself from slamming the man's head against the hood, "y' always blame us. It's always our fault!" he lifted his head and pounded it against the hood again, it happened far harder than he'd meant it to and suddenly the man was limp, weight sliding as his legs gave way beneath him. Remy watched in shock as the bastard slipped from his grasp like a bag of potatoes and thudded to the tarmac.
"Look what y' gon' did, son," Jean-Luc chuckled, "y' knock him clean out. Shoulda kill him instead..."
"Shut up," Remy muttered, panic sweeping through him; he had to act fast, he gazed over the parking lot, there was a cluster of bushes nearby he knew was obscuring most of the car from the school, it was probably why the bastard kept parking in this same spot. No one would see him from the other side if he was careful.
Y' need t' make this go away, Remy tried to think clearly, head pounding with the strain of what he'd done, the presence of Jean-Luc lurking behind him and the knowing he was about to be caught if Rogue should return at any moment. He opened the back door of the Ford, awkwardly lifted and pushed Tabitha's father in, wrinkling his nose at the smell of sweat and unwashed clothes on him as he did so. Remy would have bet the bastard hadn't changed his underwear in at least a fortnight if not longer; another smell that made him think of Jean-Luc far more than he'd have liked.
His eyes caught the bottle sitting between the front seats; the cheapest vodka Remy had ever seen, the label so plain and poorly printed Remy bet it had come from Baymart.
Probably eight bucks a bottle, Remy thought, he pulled his sleeve down and grabbed the bottle and placed it beneath Tabitha's father's hand as he lay there unconscious in the back seat. He slammed the door hard, almost certain he might have hit the man's foot a little as it closed; no matter, no less than the bastard deserved. He wiped his fingerprints from the door handles and then swiftly made his way back to the van.
But not before dialling 911 and anonymously reporting that there was a drunk passed out in his car right in the Bayville High student parking lot.
There, he thought dully with a heavy sigh. One less problem for one of us.
Rogue gazed into Remy's locker, it was strangely impersonal in comparison to most of the lockers she'd seen into since coming to this school; no personal items, no half-eaten candy bars, no unwashed gym clothes. Just the books he was supposed to have taken and hadn't. There was the leftover residue of long-ago stickers someone else had put there and since torn away.
Remy's room was like this locker, it had nothing personal in it, as if he hadn't truly settled yet even after all this time. How long had it been? It'd been at least over a month he'd been with the X-Men now, and although his room was painted back to the same colour it had been the day he'd moved in, it was still impersonal and rather empty looking.
Always his way, Rogue ran her gloved fingers across the torn stickers absently. His room at home was like that too...nothin' in it, no leftover toys from when he was a kid, no posters, no bottles of cologne or baseball cards or anythin'...empty.
The thought made her sigh a little, made her worry a little if Remy really had settled for good if he wasn't even attempting to make his room feel like home. All that money he has, but he's never cared much about material possessions, Rogue thought dully. The less you have, the less you have to leave when you take off...he always did like to travel light.
"Hey...isn't that Remy's locker?"
Rogue turned to see Kurt approaching, Amara and Kitty not far behind, she forced a smile, "yeah, jerk didn't take the right books for homework...we got all the way to the van before we realised," she explained.
Kurt retrieved something from his nearby locker, "I hate when that happens, I did it last week."
"Yeah, but it's no sweat for you," Kitty said, her voice low as she hovered at his side, "you just 'port back here in a blink and get what you need," she pointed out in a whisper.
"Yeah, but I nearly got caught when I did it last time," Kurt grinned. "Janitor probably thinks there's a ghost in the school."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Rogue commented, picking Remy's books from the locker.
Kitty looked into Remy's locker curiously, Rogue sensed the girl's thoughts somehow, never needing the power of telepathy.
"No posters or pictures..." Kitty said, "it's clean...kind of...impersonal."
"It's a locker," Amara shrugged, "what did you expect."
"Hey," came Tabitha's bright greeting, she seemed to appear out of nowhere, Rogue felt it seemed as if she'd come from the direction of the boy's locker room. "What's up?"
"We're just talking about Remy's locker," Kurt answered, he gave a coy smile to Tabitha, "he doesn't have much in it."
Rogue closed the locker, "he's...kind of always been that way...he doesn't...you know...decorate things or put up posters..."
"Yeah, I noticed the last time I had to put some clean towels in his room," Kitty nodded, "it's kind of bare..."
"The less shit you have," Tabitha began, "the less you have to worry about taking with you when you have to go."
Rogue turned to look at the blonde questioningly, she spoke from experience, Rogue supposed. The girl certainly never came with many of her own belongings and usually took them. The items she borrowed were occasionally left behind, but they were usually far beyond repair or use when that time came that there hadn't probably been much point in taking them anyway. Like Remy, Tabitha travelled light.
Peas in a pod, Rogue thought worriedly as she led the way towards the exit, the others in tow. Her and Remy are too much alike.
Thinking about how alike they were made Rogue incredibly unhappy, made her feel it was too likely that Remy and Tabitha would end up together, regardless of her own ties to him. Remy could promise he loved no one else but her all he wanted, but things could always change. Today, he loved her, but tomorrow, he could see how much more fun he could have with Tabitha, how they were so alike and that they might make a good match.
Tabitha would probably be the one to break his heart though, Rogue decided. She'd certainly seen Tabitha go through a number of boys at school, never dating anyone more than once...Rogue couldn't really remember Tabitha ever going on a second date with anyone, although it made sense...why have a second date with someone when they put out on the first?
"Where's Remy?" Tabitha asked.
"At the van," Rogue responded.
"Why are you getting his books anyway?" Amara asked suspiciously.
"He didn't take the right ones, Ah told you," Rogue responded.
"No, I mean...why isn't he getting them himself?"
"Look, Ah could have sat there and argued with him and made him get them, we'd have been here all day," Rogue responded, not sure what Amara was getting at.
"More like he's conned you into getting them for him," Amara said, "just like he conned Tabitha into cleaning the toilets when it was his turn on the rota."
"He never conned me," Tabitha said quietly.
No, that's true, thought Rogue dully. You just want to do anythin' to make him happy and impress him, is all.
Remy was sitting flicking through one of his school books when they returned to the van; some of the others had already beat them there but Remy didn't seem interested in listening to their talk about 'Call of Duty'.
"Here," Rogue said, passing the books to Remy after getting in.
"Thanks, chere," Remy responded, his voice a little lazy and still ever so slightly hoarse from the cough he was still getting over. The cough was mostly gone, but every now and then it seemed to resurface, but then it had been the same with Ororo who had caught it last week too, she herself still seemed to sound slightly hoarse from time to time.
Rogue wanted to give him a dark look that he'd called her chere in front of the others, but she thought about how just briefly she'd wanted to hold his hand in public, began to think perhaps it might be time to let some things slip. She sat in the drivers seat for a moment, realising everyone was there in the van (other than Jean and Scott who attended the community college) and that perhaps it might be the perfect place to make the announcement that she and Remy were a couple.
But how would Ah tell Tabitha? What about the fact he's married...how could Ah explain it after what Ah told her before?
Yes, she had definitely complicated this for herself.
"Hey, Rogue," Jubilee leaned forward between the seats, "you know that new kid from Boston?"
"What new kid?" Rogue turned and gazed at the girl.
"The emo kid, green hair, the one who has the glasses that are too big for his face?"
"Wait, are you talking about the boy who puts on the latex gloves any time he touches anything in school?" Bobby asked with a strange laugh.
"Yeah, that guy," Jubilee responded, "total OCD or something..."
Rogue shrugged, she hadn't noticed the boy, he definitely wasn't in her year or in any of her classes.
"He came up to me today, and asked if you were single, Rogue..." Jubilee giggled.
Rogue felt Remy turn and look at her, his expression almost thoughtful as he listened.
Frowning, Rogue tried to think of a reasonable response but nothing came, she felt quite put on the spot and embarrassed, really.
"Well, gee," Remy said, sounding quite twee about the subject, "what about that? Y' gone and foun' y'self an admirer."
"Shut up," Rogue warned.
"He doesn't touch any one...and I think he sort of notices you don't either," Jubilee explained, "he kind of likes you and asked if I'd ask you if you'd be up for going out some time."
"No, Ah wouldn't...and you can quote me on that," Rogue reached for the ignition key, it wasn't even in where she'd left it. "Where's the key?"
Remy paused, "Oh, right," he reached into his pocket and took it out.
"What are you doin' with the key?" Rogue raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously.
"I got out t' take a piss in the bushes," Remy answered, "didn' want someone jus' takin' off wit' the car."
"Charming," Amara grunted.
"When y' got t' go, y' got t' go," Remy shrugged.
"I hope you washed your hands," Amara commented.
"Nope," Remy smirked as he placed the keys into Rogue's waiting hand.
"Ew!"
Rogue took the key from him, and just for a moment, deliberately meaning to, she let her hand linger just a second against his, brushing her gloved fingertips against his palm. She felt him looking at her questioningly as she slipped the key into the ignition, although she pretended to be far too preoccupied with starting the van.
"He's been touching his wang and those keys and now you've just touched them!" complained Jubilee quite immaturely.
Rogue was almost amused by how appalled Jubilee sounded; she supposed months before she'd married Remy she may have felt somewhat the same. Since touching her husband intimately, such things no longer seemed quite as disgusting as they had. "Ah have gloves on," she reminded with a smirk.
"Piss gloves, now," Bobby commented.
"I shake wit' my right hand, not my left, thanks," Remy decided to put in, "this hand," he held up his left, "is piss free."
"It's still been in no man's land," commented Bobby with a laugh.
Rogue caught the strange look on Remy's face that suddenly crossed it. No man's land. It seemed almost cruel. Thankfully Bobby had no idea what he'd just said, but all the same, it didn't stop Remy from seeming to feel the sting.
"No woman's land, you mean," Rogue decided to try and lighten the discussion.
"From what I've heard," Jamie chuckled, "every woman's land."
Rogue frowned but tried to not let the comment get to her.
"So," Remy spoke up, seeming rather eager to change the subject, "y' gon' go out wit' this Boston green haired emo kid?"
"No," Rogue said, "Ah already said that," she pointed out.
"Yeah, but maybe you should give him a chance," Jubilee suggested with a slight giggle.
"Why would Ah?" Rogue admonished.
"I don't know," Remy shrugged.
"He's single, you're single..." Jubilee said, moving back into her seat.
"You should take him up on it," Tabitha suggested.
Yeah, so that my presence doesn't get in the way of you and Remy, maybe? Rogue couldn't help herself from thinking bitterly.
"Yeah, it's not like you've had many offers," Jamie put in.
"As far as you know," Remy said, sounding slightly absent about it.
"Huh?"
"F' all y' know," Remy slipped his seatbelt on, "maybe Rogue's got a little somethin' on the down low."
Rogue turned to look at Remy in shock, she was so stunned she couldn't even speak. What was he doing?! What kind of game was this?!
"Oh come on," laughed Bobby, "for real?"
"I don't think so," Amara snorted.
"This is Rogue we're talking about," reminded Jamie.
"Ah'm right here," Rogue snapped, turning to frown at them.
"Sorry," mumbled Jamie, "but like, Gambit is on weed or something...he's got to be smoking something."
"What's so unbelievable?" Remy queried, sounding quite annoyed.
No one had anything to remark this time.
"Rogue is beautiful...she's smart...body t' die for...she's strong and brave...why wouldn' someone wan' t' date her?" Remy demanded.
"Rogue doesn't date," Kitty said, she seemed to be attempting to sound rather diplomatic in comparison to the others.
Although she was angry, Rogue was left so silent, somewhat surprised that no one argued or laughed at Remy's points about why she was datable.
"Like I said," Remy turned around awkwardly in his seat, "as far as you know. Y' never stop t' consider that despite she's got a fucked up power, that maybe she's still capable of havin' an actual relationship? Las' I checked, there's more t' a relationship than jus' what's in y' pants and what fits it, y' know..."
There was silence in the back of the van, Rogue felt her face burn, she moved her eyes to the steering wheel heart pounding. This wasn't exactly how she wanted everyone to know.
"Is it true, Rogue?" Amara asked curiously.
"Yeah, Rogue," Tabitha sat forward a little, looking quite intrigued at the prospect. "Are you...like...already in a thing with a guy?"
Rogue frowned at the wheel, "No..."
"She doesn't date, just like Kitty said," Amara said, sounding almost snide about it.
"Next time you come up with a theory, LeBeau, you could at least make it plausible," Ray suggested.
"Considering you're best buds, you know very little about her," Tabitha commented, sounding slightly absent about it as she stared out of the window.
Something in Rogue snapped, she couldn't explain to her what exactly it was or whose disbelief bothered her more, the others or Tabitha's. "It's not a thing," she said coldly.
There was a sudden silence in the back, no one seemed to know what to do with this revelation.
"It's not a thing?" Remy asked lightly, "So...is it serious?" he feigned looking so interested and so innocent, Rogue thought perhaps he should have won an Oscar for this performance.
"It's...complicated," Rogue supposed quietly, her body burning. This should have been far easier. Instead, it felt as if every word she was trying to translate into a language she wasn't fluent in.
"That means she met someone over the internet, and they don't know what she is," Amara translated. "Probably don't even know what each other look like."
"It's probably a chick posing as a dude," Bobby laughed, "Or some seventy year old man who sits at the computer with his dick out."
"No," Rogue growled, "we've met...we've known each other for a while..."
"Really? How long?" Remy was the one to ask, she wanted to kick him.
Rogue had to try and pull herself together, trying to think straight and keep herself calm. "Ah don't know...maybe a year, maybe more...it's hard to say," she pulled the van out of the parking space.
"How long y' been together?" Remy asked, his expression slightly smug.
Rogue sighed, "a few months."
"Really?" Kurt asked, sounding quite impressed, "how? How could you be with anyone and us not know?"
"See, this my point," Remy spoke up, "anythin' can be goin' on in someone's personal life...but jus' cause y' don' know it's goin' on, don' mean it ain' happenin'," he explained.
He's right, Rogue thought as she threw a brief glance towards him. Anythin' can be goin' on in someone's personal life. Ah found that out in Lousiana...he's so right. Just 'cause you don't know it's goin' on doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Although she didn't want to think it, she wondered if that had been what he'd meant by that comment.
"I think you're having us all on," Amara decided, "Rogue never leaves the institute, there's no way she has a boyfriend, and if she did it'd have to be with someone from the institute."
"Y' think?" Remy asked casually.
"It's definitely not one of us," Bobby pointed out.
"And it's not Scott," Tabitha said thoughtfully, "Kurt?" she asked, "Are you and Rogue-?"
"Are you insane?" Kurt gaped at the blonde, "that's my sister."
"Not by blood," Tabitha commented, Rogue spied her expression darkening in the rear view mirror, "and relatives or not, stranger things have happened."
Is she jealous at the thought of Kurt and me? She used to really like him...
"Can y'all just pipe down?" Rogue asked, "it doesn't matter if Ah do or don't have someone. It's no one's business."
Rogue felt her eyes beginning to sting a little as the threat of tears mixed with her eyeliner. She felt humiliated now and a little nauseous. Why had she thought it would ever be a good idea even trying to admit it?
"Isn't it awkward? I mean...it's not really a real thing? Like...real boyfriend and girlfriend is it?" asked Bobby. "Like...a relationship?"
"Can't be much of one," muttered Amara.
Rogue glanced towards Remy, she wanted to yell at him at that moment; she was surprised to see Remy looking slightly upset suddenly too.
Jubilee spoke up, "What do you do when—I mean how can you even-"
"Enough!" Remy snapped sharply, Rogue hadn't expected him to be so suddenly angry, and it even caused her to flinch. "Y' see? This. This is why she didn' tell anyone, why she kept it from everyone! Y' all sittin' there makin' judgements and wonderin' about stuff...ain' one of y' even admit y' happy f' her."
"Hey, look...the cops!" Jamie suddenly said, practically climbing over the back seat to look out of the back windows of the van as a police car drove on by.
Rogue listened as the subject changed and tried not to be hurt that no apologies were offered nor anyone could admit they were glad she might have someone. Suddenly they were all leaning over each other trying to see why the cops were heading into the school parking lot, all sitting making assumptions about what someone might be about to be charged with.
Caught at a red light immediately as she turned out of the school she sighed quietly to herself. Something caught her eye as it landed upon her knee, she almost thought it might have been something that had come through the window. She dropped her gaze to see a single playing card sitting upon her left knee, the queen of hearts gazed up at her with that slightly unamused expression.
Picking the card up, she turned it over in her hand, written on the back of the card, quite hard to make out in blue biro that was almost the same colour as the pattern on the card, were the words 'I love you'.
Remy felt slightly furious with himself and it was nothing to do with getting Tabitha Smith's father arrested for being drunk. As the van pulled up into the garage at the institute, guilt was still gnawing away at him.
I never should have talked about Rogue bein' in a relationship, he realised angrily. Ever since the subject had got to its rather unhappy end, Rogue had been looking rather downcast, her eyes slightly shimmering with the threat of tears. She'd pulled herself together after a short while, but he sensed the unhappiness was still there.
Now I know what she meant about the others and their goddamn assumptions, he thought dully as he picked up his books and school bag and left the van. He'd wanted to hang back and talk to Rogue, but he suddenly realised how suspicious it would seem to them.
Stop playin' this game and just admit it, admit it y' love the girl, let them stop speculatin' and wonderin' things, Remy thought miserably as he followed the others out of the garage. He split from them in the foyer, falling behind them to where they hadn't noticed him there and when he realised he wouldn't be missed he made a U-turn back to the garage, Rogue was almost on her way to leave it when he stepped in, shutting the door behind himself.
"I'm sorry," he sighed immediately to her, hand pressing the door shut just in case anyone should attempt to walk in.
"Ah told you," she lowered her head, bangs hiding her face, books dangling from her fingers.
"They're jus' kids..." he said softly, "kids wonder things...that's all..."
Rogue sighed and leaned against the van, she looked so incredibly sad.
"I appreciate it," he admitted, "that y' at least admitted it...that y' in a relationship...that y' got someone..."
His wife said nothing, just looked towards the floor.
Remy dropped his books on the nearby counter where tools were kept, "I know it's a huge step f' y'...that it's a huge deal. I didn' get why until jus' then..."
"Ah told you..." she murmured.
"I jus' didn' wan' believe it..." he sighed to himself. "I'm sorry..." he approached and gently put his hands upon her arms, "I didn' mean t' make y' uncomfortable, I jus'...I got pissed off...I was pissed off that they assumed that y' wasn' capable of havin' someone..."
Rogue sniffled a little, "Ah'm used to it."
"Maybe we shoul' jus' come out wit' it, chere?" he suggested softly, "it's been a while...I upheld my part of the deal...but enough is enough...keepin' this from everyone...it isn' makin' things easier. And I know it makes y' unhappy..."
Rogue looked away from him, her dull green eyes glimmering with tears, "how can we tell them now? It's not gonna make a difference, they'd still be wonderin'..." she pointed out.
"Y' think they don' wonder what Jean and Scott is doin'? What about you...y' wonder what Tabitha does wit' them boys at school...it's jus'...human nature t' wonder..." he tried softly. "I mean...I...used t' wonder too..." He slipped his hand into his sleeve and used the fabric to cup her cheek, "I'm always wonderin'...how I can get closer t' y', how I can bridge the gaps and close the distance..." he dried a spilled tear from her cheek, "I spend all my time wonderin'..." he brushed the soft fabric of his sleeve against her lips.
The books fell from Rogue's hand onto the floor and the look in her eyes was unmistakeable. Her eyes – smouldering with love and want - never left his as he reached to her left and tugged the sliding door of the van and nudged it open. He backed her in to it, he didn't care if anyone would see on the garage security footage down in the war room, or if anyone might walk in. He didn't care about Logan's rules about sex in the van right now, all he cared about was her, and how at that moment she'd given him that look.
Jean-Luc didn't matter, Tabitha's father didn't matter, nothing mattered except her and that look. For that moment, nothing could have penetrated the shield of brief happiness he felt when she wrapped her arms around him and in the back of the van in the modestly large back seat the began rocking against each other. Her shuddering breath against his ear warmed him in ways that fire couldn't, made him burn from the inside out in ways that he never had before during any encounter like this. What should have felt cheap and tawdry and teenage felt exciting and passionate and romantic as he they ground each other and grabbed each other desperately until the release came.
Remy shuddered, his head resting awkwardly against the door, "Jesus..." he breathed heavily, he felt her fists gripping hard onto his t-shirt, his body was still burning, he felt sweat dripping down his nose. Why wasn't it always like this? There was something so powerful about it, he'd never known it with any woman, not like this, not where his heart raced quite this way so much it hurt. It was the first time he'd become so fully aware of his heart being there fully before with any woman during intimacy of this sort of nature. "My heart is racin'," he managed, his words staggered.
"Mine too..." she licked her lips.
Remy awkwardly shifted himself and pressed his cheek against her breast and closed his eyes to listen to the beating of her heart through her long-sleeved t-shirt, he felt her arms gently wrap around him, fingers digging into the fabric of his hooded shirt. It was strange to him how oddly meaningful these moments were. It should have felt cheap but it didn't...it only felt right.
"You smell like cough drops..." she murmured, she rubbed his neck tenderly, "and sweat..."
"You smell like Snickers..." he leaned up a little and breathed in the smell of chocolate from her mouth.
"Ah had one at Lunch time," she smirked, "there's somethin' about chocolate and nuts..."
"Yeah, well, jus' so y' know, I won' be pourin' molten chocolate on my ballsack for no woman, not even you," he teased.
Rogue laughed softly, her laughter was so light, and for a moment, the sound of it lifted him and his spirits, he stroked her hair gently, so mindful not to let his fingers caress her scalp. She brushed a finger lightly against his ear, the touch so tender and light.
"You gave up your virginity in a back seat," she suddenly remembered, it was so very general, the way someone might remember that their favourite television show was on that night. "With Belladonna."
He froze a little, staring down at his wife.
It wasn't technically accurate. He'd never told anything but the truth of course when he'd told Rogue about Belladonna. While Belladonna hadn't been the first girl he'd touched, nor experimented with (there'd been a couple when he'd been twelve that he couldn't even remember the names of now) she'd certainly been the first girl he'd been fully penetratively intimate with.
But she hadn't been the one he had given his virginity to. He'd never had that option, it hadn't been something he'd ever had the right to give.
It almost made his stomach fill with butterflies that the first time with Rogue had felt like the closest thing he could imagine to giving his virginity. He wasn't sure if it was because it had been so different from anything he'd ever known, or if it was because it hadn't just been his body he'd been giving her but his heart and his soul.
It didn't matter which way he looked at it really, it didn't change the technical answer. He hadn't given it away, it had been taken.
There were so many things he wanted to say at that moment to Rogue, to admit it and explain everything, but just as he was considering it might be time – that the moment was right - the sound of the garage door disturbed them, and Rogue let out a squeal of panic. Hastily, Remy reached over awkward and grabbed the folded up blanket from the furthest back seat and quickly threw it over them, trying to remain as still as possible; he heard a car parking nearby; the voices of Jean and Scott, arguing about something trivial that they'd seen on television.
"Sorry, but it's so hard to watch him! He has that stupid expression on his face all the time!" Jean complained.
"What expression?" Scott asked.
"Like...I don't know, like a bulldog chewing on a mouthful of fireants!"
Remy snickered a little, he made a point to keep that one in mind for the next time he needed an insult.
"Shut up...they'll hear us," Rogue warned as she gripped the blanket over her head.
"She's gon' sense you," Remy whispered.
"Hey...there's books on the floor," Scott said.
"Fuck," Rogue muttered, she climbed out from under the blanket, "stay there," she warned.
Remy remained hidden under the blanket, he peeked out and watched as she awkwardly pulled a Snickers wrapper from her back pocket, she tore it into pieces, then got out.
"They're my books," she announced.
"Rogue...why were you sitting in the van?"
"Cleanin' it," Rogue said, "we just got back from school...look at this," she grumbled.
"We told you not to let them eat candy in the back," Scott sighed.
"Yeah, well it's hard to keep an eye on the road and what they're doin' in the back..."
"Last time, we had ants in the van, took a while to get rid of them," Jean stated grumpily.
"Sorry, Ah'll have a word with them," Rogue promised.
"You look a little flushed, Rogue..." Scott seemed to realise.
Rogue took her moment in replying, "Yeah, the heatin' was on in the van on the drive down here, still pretty hot in there..."
Yeah, sure is, Remy thought beneath the blanket. He was sweating, although he suspected it was mostly to do with the activity he'd engaged in rather than the heat of the van.
Remy listened as the three of them left the garage, and he waited there for a few moments, glad for the silence; at least for now, Jean-Luc had gone. Fuck, I'm supposed to have training at five, he realised. What time is it? He wondered as he moved the blanket from his sweaty face and got out of the van, quickly pushed the hem of his sweatshirt over his pants to hide any seepage and he took the phone from his pocket to check the time, he had ten minutes to get himself together. There were four missed text messages, all from Tabitha.
"Where are you?!", "I need to talk to you!", "It's urgent!", "where the fuck are you, Remy?!" the four messages read.
Guess I missed 'em as the phone was on silent, he realised, he'd put it on silent that morning before first class, and had forgotten to change it even after making his call to 911.
Sighing, hedecided against responding for now. The last thing he needed was Rogue pressing his attention to Tabitha, and if she should happen to look at his phone at any point (despite he was certain she'd never crack the password to get into the thing) at least she wouldn't find any evidence of him replying to the blonde). He left the van and the garage and headed in the direction to the foyer, intent to go get into his uniform for training – he wasn't looking forward to the entire session reeking of sweat (especially as he'd just added to it) but he supposed he'd have to endure. Just as he had gotten to the first step of the staircase, Tabitha came from the direction of the Professor's office.
"Remy!"
"Oh, hi," he said, making sure to sound as casual as possible.
"Didn't you get my messages?!" the blonde gasped, her eyes wide.
"No..." he lied, "why? Did y' send some?"
"Like four!"
"My phone was on silent," he admitted truthfully.
"Where were you?" she demanded, her expression a little frantic.
"I was outside catchin' a smoke," he lied, he tried not to feel attacked by her demanding upon where he'd been, he supposed it was none of her business. He didn't argue the point because he had a very good idea what she was about to tell him. "What's up?"
"Professor just pulled me into his office 'cause my dad was arrested for being drunk on school property."
"Seriously?" Remy asked, he made sure to blink, to seem absolutely surprised.
"Yes!"
"Our school?" he continued to make the innocence more convincing with complete and utter feigned bewilderment.
"Yes!" Tabitha blurted, "I told you I was sure he'd been following me again!"
"Damn..." Remy managed, he couldn't think of any better response. He tried to seem as surprised as he possibly could.
"He might end up with jail time," Tabitha's eyes were glimmering with threat of tears. Remy couldn't see why she would be so upset, didn't she think this was a good thing?
"Y' think that was what the cops were doin' there? Y' think that was jus' as we were leavin'?" he asked innocently.
Tabitha was shuddering with emotion, "I don't know...god I..."
"Why y' gettin' so upset?" he asked. "At least the bastard is out of y' hair for now...y' 'been followed f' weeks...least y' can relax a bit if he goes to jail..."
"If this goes to court, I might have to-"
"If," Remy said, "There's no point in worryin' about the ifs right now. It ain' happened yet, so f' now...y' don't got t' worry about it. They'll probably jus' ship him back t' Virginia and put him in jail there, the further, the better..."
Tabitha paused, "how...how did you know about Virginia?"
"Huh?"
"Virginia..." she breathed, "I...never said we were...from Virginia..."
"Y' accent gave it away," he explained, "how else?"
"I haven't lived in Virginia since I was five, my accent is gone," she frowned.
"I know accents and I can pick out the little ways yours comes through in certain words..."
Tabitha's eyes were wide, "You...you didn't do it, did you?"
"Do what?"
"Have him arrested...?" her voice was filled with tiny tremors.
"Why woul' I have him arrested, I didn't even know he was at the school...y' think if I'd known I woul' have had him arrested?" Remy demanded.
"You threatened to call the police the last time..." Tabitha reminded.
"Yeah but, that was the last time..." he folded his arms, "If I'd seen him at school, trus' me, I woul'n't have jus' called the cops, I'd have knocked his lights out."
"And y' did," Jean-Luc hissed near his ear.
Wondered when y' was gon' come back, Remy thought dully.
"That was quite a show in the van. Mus' be rather restrictin' and frustratin' dry humpin' like fourteen year ol's in a back seat when y' coul' be havin' it all ways wit' the blonde, here."
"Remy, if you did...you need to tell me..." she pleaded.
"She'd let y' do it anyway y' wanted, I've seen the things she does wit' her men; y' think Belle was nasty, y' ain' seen nothin' 'til y' seen this lil' bombshell..."
"I did nothin'," he lied quietly, ignoring Jean-Luc, "I didn' know he was there. If I had, I'd have said t' y' he was there. Y' know that."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes squinted, her expression troubled.
"Really," he said confidently, "Now...c' mon, we got t' go get changed, we got Danger Room soon."
Tabitha dropped her eyes and sighed.
"What?"
"Look, every time I get in there, everything goes wrong...I try but-"
"Try harder," Remy frowned at her, "there's no point in goin' in there half-hearted and comin' out broken hearted 'cause y' fail," he put carefully. He felt quite hypocritical, he'd been failing himself lately, although it was more to do with Jean-Luc's constant presence, the lurking and popping up at inopportune moments than it was from any half-heartedness on his part. As of the last three days, it had been nothing but constant jibes from the ghost whenever he went in the Danger Room.
"It's not fair," Tabitha began walking upstairs with him, her expression unhappy.
"What isn't?"
"Girls like Jean and Rogue...they sail through everything effortlessly, they never mess up..."
Remy stopped mid-step, "what's not fair is y' assumin' that they're jus' naturally lucky t' get everythin' right," He frowned, "it takes a lot t' be good at what they do...Rogue especially works at it like y' wouldn' believe."
"Oh, of course you'd defend Rogue. She's your best bud," Tabitha rolled her eyes, stopping on the step five ahead of him. "Rogue can do no wrong."
"Yeah, y' damn right I'd defend Rogue," Remy frowned a little, "and it's unfair t' accuse me of playin' sides 'cause she's my..." he had to stop himself from mentioning wife, "look, my friendship wit' Rogue has nothin' t' do with this. Rogue works at everythin' she does, she puts her heart int' everythin' she does, she doesn' walk int' somethin' half-assed and think it's gon' be smooth sailin' then bitch that it ain' goin' her way..." he explained, "she works out nearly every day in that damn gym in the basement, three days a week martial arts trainin' wit' Logan, four...sometimes five days a week in the Danger Room, she used t' skip lunch at school and use the gym t' practise her moves, did y' know that? She sits in on the Danger Room sessions in the annex t' watch other people, t' pick up moves and pointers and ideas...she doesn' go in there after weeks of sittin' on her ass, Tabitha, and jus' get lucky every time."
Tabitha's eyes fell almost guiltily.
"Don' stand there and accuse Rogue of havin' it easy jus' 'cause you havin' a hard time,Tabitha," Remy tried to calm himself down.
"Why y' defendin' the bitch? Y' think she's gon' defend you if it comes down t' it?" Jean-Luc hissed.
"Every session I've ever been in the Danger Room wit' y', y' don' take it seriously. Y' fool around, y' do the minimum and skim the outside o' the action, y' waitin' f' opportunities t' come your way instead of makin' them f' y'self. Y' got t' pay attention and create the opportunities y' need t' show the instructors that y' capable o' this."
Tabitha was silent, her face was red, he hated making her feel like that but he couldn't hold his tongue any longer.
"I've watched you in real action, Tabitha, action when it counts and I know y' got the stuff it takes t' be superb. But y' ain' doin' y'self any favours, darlin'. I don' wan' be the cruel one here, but y' sittin' in the rec room from the minute y' get home t' the minute y' practically go t' bed. Sittin' eatin' potato chips and chocolate cake all day ain' gon' win y' a spot in the X-Men, Tabitha...hard work will."
"Like you're any better?" Tabitha scoffed, "You're not one of them either...you're way better than any of us and you're stuck with us. If you can't make it, how the hell can any of the rest of us have any hope?"
"I'm stuck in the New Mutants 'cause o' completely different reasons. Nothin' t' do with my unwillin'ess t' try harder."
"Oh?" she asked, "then do tell."
"Y' know why I'm in the New Mutants? 'Cause they don' trus' me...Logan doesn' trus' me."
"Why?" her expression was curious.
"Because I made some stupid mistakes," Remy uttered, "but it don' mean I'm gon' give up and not keep tryin' until I'm on the X-Men wit' Rogue...wit' the others," he drew a breath, "Now y' can stand there and bitch, complain that y' got too much goin' on in y' life, y' can give up and go sit and eat potato chips on the couch and act like y' the only one here wit' pain, or y' can get dressed, y' can take y' pain and y' can put it in t' that Danger Room...take whatever stress y' have over y' sick bastard of a father bein' arrested and work it out in there, take whatever anger y' got, and put it int' hurtin' some holograms. Y' got a choice, Tab, what's it gon' be?"
Tabitha chewed her lip, staring down at the stair carpet. Remy shook his head at her, he'd decided she'd figure it out on her own. He'd already fought one battle for her today, and that was enough.
End of Part Twenty-Six
Woooo, this is a slightly bigger update than usual (but as promised, midweek up date, so yay! Took me nearly two hours to edit and fix a bit! whew. Hope you all liked the slightly steamy van scene (and any "progress" they might be making as a couple, even with secrets aside, lol).
Thanks to all who've been steadily reviewing. Your reviews and thoughts are always greatly appreciated.
Thanks as always to Heartbreak Lane for help with various things (sometimes even little things like advice about cheap vodka prices in the USA, lol). As for Heartbreak Lane's curiosity in her review about Remy's not picking up on Rogue's snooping through his shit there were quite a few reasons (I thought it'd be slightly more obvious but sometimes I don't try hard enough to make it clear I suppose, lol). He didn't complain about her snooping because A: he has nothing to hide in his room, really (he travels light, has nothing personal other than things Rogue has already seen), B: Rogue is his wife, he trusts her with his items and his room as they've shared rooms before (and again, he has nothing to hide), C: he's slightly under the influence of cough medicine, he's extremely tired, and D: he's emotionally depleted after the session with Dr. Forbes after finally admitting it out loud what Jean-Luc is...even if he was mad at Rogue for snooping, he simply didn't have the energy to fight with her on it (he fell asleep merely moments later, mind). Hope that clears that up for anyone else who also wondered, lol.
Anyway I'm off to watch a horror movie, hopefully next update will be coming this weekend (if I had much more time to sit and edit as well as write, they'd be MUCH faster, I promise, I'm trying my best.) Love you all :) Have a good rest of the week!