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Chapter Ten of
Taunting Repartee- RM'd
Another One Bites The Dust
Rogue rolled over in bed and winced at the sunlight coming through the window. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand; it read 07:52 am.
She glanced around her adopted bedroom.
Too early. Magneto wasn't there yet. Though she knew he was a morning person.
'I'll get up at ten-thirty if he ain't here by then,' she thought to herself happily as she pulled the covers back over her head. Just as she started to nod off, she heard a very familiar bamf noise.
"Oh, my sister," Kurt said, part said, part sung. "Mr. McCoy told me to remind you that we are playing baseball this morning. Time to wake up," he said.
"Ten more minutes," she murmured.
"But the game starts in ten minutes," he exclaimed in protest.
"Seven more minutes," she grumbled and rolled on her side.
"Rogue," he said, dropping the overly cheery nature as he rocked her shoulder. "You have to get up now."
"Kurt, stop that," she grumbled as she shook his hands off of her shoulder. "I'm tryina sleep."
"That's the problem. You need to get up. You've been sleeping for over twelve hours. What more will seven minutes do?" he asked.
Ensure that Magneto didn't need to utilize a telepath to isolate her. Going to the cafe Thursday night had been the right call. Not expecting Magneto yesterday afternoon, a mistake. One she didn't intend to repeat today. None of her friends or family were going to be hurt in his effort to see her. An inevitability once he decided on the course of action, she understood.
"Make me feel better," she mumbled as she turned over and got comfortable again. Not a lie, technically. She didn't want anyone hurt.
"I don't think you can use one of the cards for this," he said. "We're playing baseball. It's not a Danger Room session," he said.
"Don't care."
"Alright," Kurt said in defeat. "But don't blame me when you have to sit through a lecture."
"I won't," she muttered. She heard him sigh as he teleported out of her room. She fully settled back in and closed her eyes. If he wasn't there by ten-thirty then she was wrong and she could safely join the others for the baseball game.
An indeterminate while later Rogue lazily opened her eyes and glanced at the clock: it now read 09:22 am.
'Not yet,' she thought as she yawned. She rolled over again and started to pull the blanket to cover her eyes from the sunlight. She stopped when there was none. 'Did Kurt close the curtains?' she asked herself.
"No, I did."
Rogue blinked and held herself back from making any other reaction. It was fine. She was expecting this- expecting him.
She heard him let out a chuckle.
This time she let out an audible sigh. Time to lock down her thoughts. Again.
"I don't know why you bother with that nonsense, Anna-Marie. Ensuring your mental defenses are present and accounted for, serves you far better than a futile attempt to shield your thoughts," he advised.
"What if I think something I don't want you knowing?" she asked.
"Irrelevant; as I already know everything about you that you could try to hide, my dear girl," he answered. His confidence was what unsettled her the most.
She took a deep breath as she turned over in bed to face him and instantly felt her eyes widen. There he was sitting at an ornate metal table, two metal chairs, and a chess set. He was sitting in the same chair he- no, his Fragment always took; in front of the black pieces. He was wearing black pants, a black belt, and a simple white button-down shirt. He held a book in his hands, which his gaze was still set upon.
She recognized the furniture and his clothing instantly. They were the same ones the Fragment produced in her dreams. The only thing that was different was the presence of his gray trench coat hanging off the back of his chair. The same one she saw him wearing the other day. He glanced up from his book to meet her startled gaze.
"Consider the word defined," he said.
"Hmm," she said uneasily. "Am I awake, right now?" she muttered, mostly to herself.
"You're awake, Anna-Marie. This is real. I am real," he said.
"Yeah… o-okay," she said, still wide-eyed as she slowly drew the blanket off of her and stood. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom," she said as she walked toward her destination. Unfortunately, he was between her and the bathroom and she was- … wary wasn't the right word. Conscious of his presence in the room?
"We have hours until Charles returns from his errands," he said before returning to his book. "No need to rush. Gain your bearings. Join me for a game when you're ready," he instructed.
"Okay," she said, keeping her eyes on him as she rushed into the bathroom. She took a breath as she closed the door behind her. She felt the urge to lock it, but knew it was a useless gesture. She blinked as she heard the lock click into place.
"Take your time," he called out from the other room.
"O-okay," she said as she took a deep breath. He hadn't locked her in the bathroom. He was saying he would respect the boundary when she did so herself. Right?
"Correct," he answered. She let out a groan as she started to-
"And don't suppress your train of thought. You're going to need your wits for the game," he added.
"What kinda challenge are ya gonna get from knowing my every move?" she asked. "What chance do I have of winning if you read my mind?" she asked.
"I won't during the game," he said.
"Couldja start not reading it now?" she asked, hopeful he would cease.
"No," he responded in the same confident, yet strangely amiable tone.
She sighed before she turned to the bathroom sink. She grabbed a hair tie and pulled her back before turning on the cold water and splashing her face. The feeling was invigoratingly refreshing. Precisely what she needed at the moment. She reached over and grabbed a hand towel to dry her face with one hand while turning off the water with her other.
Okay, she needed to get dressed. She turned to the door while she hung the hand towel back up. She unclicked the lock and opened the door. She glanced out, Erik was still reading. She walked to her dresser and- she blinked when she saw the basket and small metal cooler sitting on top of it. She must have been too focused on Erik to notice it before. The basket had an assortment of fruit, nuts, chocolate, crackers, some pretzels, and a couple of jams. The gray metal cooler felt cold to the touch. Curiosity, getting the better of her, she lifted the top up and peered inside to see a collection of options: water bottles, and several cans of San Pellegrino of different flavors.
"I recommend the blood orange. It's one of their newer favors. It's quickly becoming rather a favorite of mine," he said.
"Yeah, maybe after," she said as she closed the lid, noticing two red metal circular plates with purple trim, and a matching knife, two forks, and two spoons, that he had fashioned with his powers. Given the color scheme, it almost looked like he flattened his helmet for their plates and flatware.
"Well deduced, Anna-Marie," he said.
"And the table and chairs?" she asked.
"I brought them with me, of course," he answered. "Help yourself to whatever you would like."
"I think I'm gonna get dressed first," she said, looking down and reaching for the bottom drawer before rolling her eyes and stopping herself. She didn't need another reminder that it was stuck. Instead, she opened the top and then the middle ones to collect what she needed. She took inventory of what was in her arms and excused herself to the bathroom once she confirmed everything was in hand.
Once back in the bathroom, she turned the lock herself.
"Understood," he said from the other side of the door.
Another ten minutes passed before she emerged from the bathroom. She hadn't so much repressed her thoughts while getting dressed, rather she hadn't allowed them to wander. Instead, she set her mind to focusing on her appearance. She was in a short-sleeved green shirt, black sweatpants, and black socks. Her hair pulled back in a ponytail, her bangs framing her face. Not an ounce of metal on her. And she kept her makeup light as well, she told herself it was because she didn't want him to accuse her of dawdling, but she also knew the depths of her own heart. She looked at him as she closed the bathroom door behind her. He glanced up briefly to give her a smile before gesturing toward the dresser.
As she walked towards the array of options he was providing her with for her breakfast, a thought did occur.
"Did you bring all this so I wouldn't have ta leave the room?" she asked.
"I brought all of this because I imagined you would be hungry," he answered as she heard him snap the book closed. "You could have gone down to the kitchen at any point this morning to sate your appetite. You chose not to. We both know why," he said.
"Can I leave the room, right now?" she asked nervously.
"That depends. Do you want to?" he asked.
She blinked before taking a deep breath.
"Are Graydon and Emma coming?" she asked, not quite ready to answer his question.
"Later," he said bluntly. "Answer my question," he said firmly.
"…I ain't really sure," she mumbled.
She drew in a breath as she heard metal shift, the legs of his chair scratching against the floor. She turned to see him walking up to her, closing the gap between them. Unconsciously, she took a slight step back, her hands reaching to grasp the wooden lip of the dresser behind her and he stepped forward. She was pressed firmly up against the piece of furniture, in between the wooden knobs that lined either side of each drawer. She stared up at him as his hand came up, his fingers caressing her skin, running down her cheek, before he held her chin.
She watched a wry smile come to his face.
"It will never cease to amaze me how little it takes to make you blush," he observed in an amused tone.
He leaned in. His lips felt so familiar to her now and she found herself tilting her head the way she knew he enjoyed before he deepened the kiss causing a small noise to escape her.
"Anna-Marie," he said and her eyes flew open. "Do you wish to leave my company at this precise moment?" he asked.
"No," she said honestly, unable to look anywhere else but directly at him. He took up her whole vision.
"Good," he said, pleased. "Should you change your mind, the door will open, you may leave. I am not holding you against your will. Do you understand, my girl?" he asked. She felt the urge to thank him but quickly dismissed the thought.
"Yes, Erik," she said instead. He eyed her a moment as he cocked his head slightly.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Ah-huh," she said. He gave her another peck.
"Then eat," he said, pulling back, his fingers slipped from her face and he stepped back. "And join me for a game," he requested again as he turned back towards the table.
"Are ya having anything?" she asked. She turned back to see the lid of the cooler open and a tall can of San Pellegrino, Blood orange, float out of the cooler. She turned to see his hand grasp around the can and watched the tab on the can pop itself and he smiled as he brought the beverage to his lips, taking a hearty sip.
"Most certainly one of my favorites," he said as he took a step toward her. "Would you like to try?" he asked, offering her the can. She felt her face blush slightly as she took the can from him and pressed the metal lip to her lips. She felt her eyes widen as the new taste filled her senses. She'd never had blood orange before and it was-
"That's delicious," she remarked.
"Isn't it just?" he asked with a slight chuckle in his voice. She smiled up at him. Okay, so the Professor had called the use of abilities a power-play. But that wasn't the sense she was getting. "Oh, Charles," Erik sighed. "Whenever your Professor utilizes his telepathy, the act in and of itself, is an exertion of his will over another's. And thus his perception of the use of any mutant's abilities is tainted by that of his own. He so rarely uses his telekinesis, though there aren't the same moral implications to their use. Have you noticed?" he asked.
"Kinda," she said, in that she couldn't remember him using his telekinesis in front of her recently. She'd almost forgotten he had the ability.
"Laughable, isn't it?" he huffed with a smile.
"I guess," she shrugged. He smiled down at her before giving her another peck on the lips.
"Come, join me for a game," he requested yet again. "Or you can go outside and join your friends. Obviously, I prefer you to stay here. But it is your decision," he reaffirmed.
If they didn't talk now, then when would their next conversation be? She shook her head, no, better to speak with him now. He was in front of her, no one was worried about her, she wasn't in any danger and neither was anyone else. Besides, she did like talking to him and the idea of spending time with him was appealing. She just didn't want-
She heard a satisfied huff escape him before she felt his lips on hers again. She leaned into him, placing her free hand on his chest. A small noise left her as his tongue entered her mouth. She tilted her head back enjoying him and the feelings he stirred in her whenever they touched.
As he pulled back, she opened her eyes, to see him staring down at her, a warm expression on his face.
"I'm kinda hungry anyway," she justified with a short laugh.
"I'll join you then," he said before giving her another peck.
A few minutes later they were sitting across from one another. He had manipulated the table, the ornate pattern that decorated the sides of the table, repurposed as metal extensions to house their plates. Both of them had elected to stock up on the various options he had provided. She had kept the first can he had opened and he replaced his with another. Now situated, Rogue turned her gaze to the chess board and the white pieces in front of her.
"So, now you'll stop reading my mind?" she asked, looking up at him before popping a grape into her mouth.
"As soon as you make the first move?" he promised.
The problem with that was-
"Erik couldja switch the board around please?" she asked as she picked a grape off of her plate and popped it into her mouth.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"I wanna be black," she clarified as she picked up her can. She watched his eyes light up with interest. "Is that okay?" she asked before she took a sip of her orange beverage.
"It's fine," he said as he lifted his hand and the board reversed itself. She was now black and him white. "As promised, I'm no longer reading your mind," he said.
"But we didn't start yet," she said.
"Oh, yes, we have," he chuckled as he used his powers to move his pawn to e4.
'And you're not reading my mind, right?' she thought. He didn't say anything. 'Erik, if you wanted to skip the game, I'd be up for giving you another blowjob,' she thought while studying him for any type of reaction. He just reached over to his plate, grabbed a fig, and ate it. 'Ya know, better yet, I swear my allegiance to you. Take me now, Magneto, I'm yours to command,' she thought, while he stared at the board, oblivious to her thoughts. Though she felt her face flushing a little.
He glanced up at her, she watched him notice the hue of her cheeks and a laugh escaped him.
"As requested, I've stopped," he said again. "Though, whatever caused that," he said, gesturing to her cheeks, "keep it in mind for after the game," he said amused, before winking at her. She let out a short laugh in response. "Excellent first move," he added. "You know I prefer to play black, forcing me to play white-"
"I didn't force you," she objected.
"Forgive me," he said, his hand gesturing apologetically. "You asked very politely," he corrected, almost mockingly and she rolled her eyes at his tone. "I can appreciate a good tactic, Anna-Marie and I rather like a challenge," he said. She glanced away from him to brush her bangs behind her ear. Maybe she was one who really wanted to skip the game. "Whenever you're ready," he said, nodding towards the board.
'Okay,' she thought as she stared down at the board. He was out of his comfort zone of playing black. But it's not like she had ever played anyone as white. Maybe not the best move? No, this put them on a more even playing field. Sort of. He still knew all of the black counters far better than she did. Yes, she was reading and learning, but each play style had so many sub-variances. The few she had memorized weren't enough to combat his years of experience.
Then what was?
Well, there was his ego. If she could bruise it somehow, he might lose concentration and his game might suffer as a result. Though she couldn't rely on that tactic the entire game. Ultimately, she needed to distract him, so he couldn't think. The same thing he did to her with his telepathy. She'd need to switch between a few emotions for it to work. Or he would catch on too quickly. If she could manage to take his queen before he realized what she was doing, she'd stand a chance of winning the game.
Where to start? Well, he claimed he knew everything about her. But in actuality, this was the first time he was playing a game with her. Overhearing her thoughts was one thing. But he had never been in her dreams. Maybe he had some assumptions about what she should know, based on what he overheard.
'I could play dumb,' she thought. A good place to start. What else would annoy him?
"Pawn to e5," she said. She felt his eyes on her and looked up at him, he had a curious expression on his face. "What?" she shrugged. "If you don't gotta lean forward, why should I?" she asked dryly. He huffed before he used his powers to advance her pawn to et5. Next, he moved his knight to f3. "Knight to g6," she said the piece moved accordingly.
"Are you only going to mirror my moves?" he asked curiously.
"Maybe," she shrugged.
"I would prefer it if you didn't," he said.
"Why?" she asked, feigning innocence. Although, she already knew the answer.
"It's irritating," he said as he moved his knight to e5, taking her pawn.
"This was your idea, not mine," she pointed out. "Pawn to d6."
"That's better," he said with a nod as he moved her pawn to d6, which was now threatening his knight. He moved his knight back to f3 and out of danger.
"Knight takes e4," she said as he moved his pawn off of the board and her knight onto e4. He moved his queen to e2. It now threatened her knight. "Queen to e7," she said, mirroring his move.
"You aren't the only one capable of copying moves, my dear," he said as he moved his pawn to d3. Threatening her knight the same way she had threatened his.
'I wonder how irritated I can make him.' she thought to herself. "Knight to f6," she said, copying his move from before. He grimaced as he moved her piece and then his own Bishop to c5. "Bishop to e6," she said. 'Okay, he's getting angrier, but-' she thought as he moved her piece and his Queen's side knight to c3. "Knight to c6."
"You've played better than this, Anna-Marie," he said as the knight hit connected with the board quickly. She had actually seen a spark at the connection.
"Not with you," she said as he castled queen-side.
"Yes, with me," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes on the board. She shook her head, knowing he meant the fragment. Maybe she had played 'better', but she had also always lost. She didn't want to lose this time.
"King castles Queen's side," she said, keeping to her tactic. The black king and castle rose into the air and slammed down on their respective squares.
"Watching you feign incompetence is infuriating," he told her as he moved his bishop to f6 capturing her knight.
"You're the best chess player I know. Why it's dumb to copy you?" she asked. "Queen takes f6," she said.
"Because," he said as his bishop rose into the air and embedded itself into the wall. She thought she heard the ding of metal crashing against metal, but these walls were sheetrock. Unless he'd hit a beam? "Anna-Marie," he said, calling her attention back. "It shows an utter lack of thought on your part and you have more skills than that," he said as White's knight moved to e4 with such an intensity it shook the table.
Okay, time to switch emotions.
"Maybe, I don't," she huffed as she leaned forward and moved her Queen to h6. "Maybe, you see more in me than there really is," she said as he moved f-file's knight to d2. She listened to him scoff as she moved her pawn to d5. "Magneto," she said as he moved his threatened knight to g3 before looking up at her, an incredulous look on his face. "No, seriously," she said in response to his look as she moved her Knight to d4. He scoffed again as he moved his threatened queen to the only safe square available e1. "There ain't a part of you," she said as she moved her Bishop to g4, "that thinks," she said slowly as he moved his pawn to h3. 'I have to move the bishop back...unless.' She glanced over her knight's position in relation to the king. 'That'll work,' she thought as she moved her Knight to e2. "Maybe all this is just a waste of time?" she asked him.
"No," he said firmly, as he moved his King to b1, moving out of check. She glanced at the board as she realized he didn't exchange pieces.
"I mean, seriously," she said as she moved her Knight to c3, her movements seemingly haphazard, simulating ineptitude. He let out a huff of frustration as he moved his pawn to b3, taking her knight. "Don't you have better things to do?" she asked as she moved her Queen to b6.
"The time I've spent with you is an investment," he said as he moved his king out of check to A1. She moved her Bishop to d7 before he moved his rook to b1, threatening her queen.
"What if I don't meet your expectations?" she sighed as she moved her Bishop to b4. He moved his pawn to b4, taking the Bishop. Those were two pieces she had lost in rapid succession, adding weight to her calm. "Everyone's all like," she said as she moved her queen to f6. "'Your potential is massive'," she said, dropping her voice mockingly as he moved his rook to b2, blocking her attack. She really needed to get his queen out of play. "'Unlimited power at your disposal'," she continued as she moved her H-File rook to e8 and he moved his D-file knight to e4. "'You'll be unrivaled and unmatched'," she said as she used her pawn to take e4, swiftly taking his knight off of the board.
She watched him blink before he sat back, taking the whole board into consideration. She'd had his attention so captivated, he hadn't realized he was only looking at half the board. She averted her gaze, she couldn't look at him now. She had to appear doubtful and abject.
"What if I'm not?" she asked as he moved his pawn to e4, taking her pawn in turn. "What if I'm just me?" she sighed as she moved her Rook to e7.
"And what's wrong with you, precisely?" he asked as he moved his knight to h5, threatening her queen.
"Nothin', I guess," she said as she moved her queen to g6. He moved his knight to f4, attacking her queen again. "But what's great about me either?" she huffed as she moved her queen over one space to g5. He moved his Knight to d5, this time threatening her rook. "Stupid pawn," she grumbled, switching tactics by actually focusing on the game, as she moved her rook to e8. He moved the stupid pawn to h4, threatening her queen. She winced before moving her queen to g4, her most powerful piece seemingly fleeing from his weakest.
"Rogue," he said gently, calling for her attention. She looked up at him. "None of this is a waste of my time," he said kindly as he moved his knight to c3. She moved her Bishop to c6 and he moved his Bishop to d3.
'Finally,' she thought as she moved her queen to g2, taking his pawn.
"See, you've even managed to deal with the troublesome pawn," he smiled as she placed the piece on the side and he moved his Bishop to f1, threatening her Queen. She moved her Queen to h1. "And my rook," he commented as she placed it on the side before he moved his pawn to f3, clearing the lane for his queen to attack h4. Though, she moved her queen to f3, taking his pawn. "And, ah yes, another pawn," he said with a bite of levity before he moved his pawn to b5. She moved her Bishop to e4. "And yet another one bites the dust," he said as he reached forward and removed his pawn himself.
She took a breath as she tried to figure out what else she could do, which emotion to try next. She blinked as she heard him let out a short laugh. She glanced up at him as his laughter grew. He put his hand on his forehead as he laughed before ranking a hand through his hair.
He was still laughing when he met her gaze, the glint in his eyes told her the gig was up.
"Do you mean a word of that?" he asked as he reached forward, his Knight taking e4 and with it her Bishop.
"I mean, I've thought it," she answered as she moved her rook to d1, putting his king in check.
"A fleeting thought perhaps. We all have doubts of our own abilities. Even I," he said as he physically picked up his Rook and moved it to b1, protecting his king. "What I'm asking is," he said as his fingers lingered on the Rook.
This was it, once he took his fingers off of the piece, his queen was hers for the taking. And he was so caught up in speaking with her, she doubted he noticed. He had laughed, sure, but he wasn't a hundred percent certain he was right. She just had to keep her face neutral for a few more seconds. If she could keep herself from smiling she could-
"Is then any part of you that paid heed to those self-deprecating thoughts?" he asked. She let out a sigh as she kept her gaze low, her bangs obscuring how intently she was watching his fingers. "Anna-Marie?" he asked, concern in his tone, as he finally let go of the piece.
She quickly reached forward, moving her Rook to e1.
"Nope," she said, partially beaming, unable to hide her joy, as she removed his queen from the board.
She watched him stare at her for a long, long moment before he laughed again.
"Damn it, Anna-Marie," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I knew that's what you were-" he muttered to himself, before glancing down at the board. She watched his eyes darting back and forth as he surveyed the board. "I supposed I deserved that for doubting my abilities," he concluded humorously, and she laughed in response.
"Ya mad?" she asked.
"Hardly," he tittered. "I'm more impressed than anything. Though, I doubt Charles would approve of such a tactic," he said.
"Actually, I did something pretty similar yesterday morning in the Danger Room and he offered me a leadership position," she said.
"Really?" he asked prudently, as he moved his own Rook to e1, exchanging pieces. Though to get his queen off the board, it was completely worth losing her Rook.
"Ah-huh," she said as she moved her Queen to c3, now threatening both his King and his remaining Rook. He didn't have a choice in the matter, moving his King out of danger to b2, allowing her to take e1 with her queen, taking yet another piece off of the board.
"Was there a title proposed? Or was it more of a vague yet somehow blatant effort to keep you as an X-Men?" he asked as he moved his Bishop to h3, putting her King in check, for the first time in the game.
"I'm pretty sure ya know Prof well enough to answer your own question," she said as she moved her Rook to e6 to protect her King.
"Yes," he laughed as he moved his Knight to c5, to threaten her Rook. "Yes, I do," he said as she moved her Queen to e5, threatening his Knight and checking his King. He moved his King to c1, once again getting it out of danger at the cost of another piece. She moved her queen to take c5 and his Knight. She placed the Knight on the sideline of the board, along with all of the other pieces she had taken from him.
Honestly, she had never done so well against him before. Not that this was ever going to work again. But it was nice to know she had beaten him. And for it to be the first real game she played against the real Magneto. That felt pretty good.
"I'm certain it does," he said. She blinked.
"Hey," she exclaimed. "Ya ain't supposed to read my mind-"
"Until the game is over, which it most certainly is," he said as he leaned forward and laid his king down. He looked up at her. "The game has been over since you took my knight," he told her calmly. "You played well, given your tactic."
"Thanks," she said, sighing that he was in her head again. "Rematch?" she asked, hoping for another reprieve.
"No theatrics this time," he said, firmly yet playfully as he waved his hand and the pieces rearranged themselves into place.
"Yeah, alright," she sighed as the piece he embedded in the wall flew past her head and back to the board. "But I can't beat you outright," she complained.
"Yet," he said kindly and she couldn't help but smile at his confidence in her. She felt herself blush, brushing her bangs behind her ear, as she glanced down at her plate. God, she had been so engrossed in their game that she had forgotten to eat. "What a pair we make," he quoted. She sucked in a breath, recalling the position she had been in the last time he had said it.
"Yeah," she said, looking at his plate and realizing he hadn't eaten much either. She watched his fingers take hold of a fig and followed their path from his plate to his lips. He smiled at her as he chewed.
"Delicious," he said.
"Ah-huh," she said, her eyes a little focused on his lips.
"What was that thought you had earlier?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," she said dismissively, though her face was blushing again, she could feel it.
"May I be the judge of that?" he asked. She let out a soft laugh at that before his eyes left hers. He was not looking behind her, towards the hallway outside of the room.
"Erik?" she asked.
He held up his index finger, motioning her to be quiet. She obliged instantly. Was someone coming to check on her?
"Yes," he said.
Rogue's eyes widened as her breath and her pulse raced. Outside the school was one thing, but to be caught having a conversation here at the institute? In her bedroom?! Who was checking on her? What was he going to do?
His eyes flashed to her.
And what was he going to ask of her to keep this conversation a secret?
