Rogue slid into her room and grabbed a towel, robe, and shower bag. She looked over the bag and mentally checked off her supplies before leaving her room for the showers. As she walked into the adults' showers, she thought to herself, 'Next time we hav tuh rebuild thuh dorms, Ah'm gunna suggest thet we git our own bathrooms.' The last time the dorms had to be rebuilt, they expanded enough to give everyone a private room and added lounge areas for each wing.
Slipping off her clothing and shoes, she stepped inside the shower, the cool tiles underfoot sent a shiver up her spine, a prelude to the warmth that awaited. With a twist of the handle, water cascaded from the showerhead, each droplet catching the light like tiny diamonds. The initial chill quickly gave way to a comforting warmth, enveloping her in a steamy embrace. The sound of the water was a symphony, a gentle roar that drowned out all Rogue's thoughts and worries.
As she stood there, under the steady stream, time seemed to slow. The outside world faded into a distant memory, leaving only the here and grabbed her loofah and some soap; a fresh, clean aroma filled the air. It was a blend of crisp citrus and delicate floral notes with a hint of something earthy and grounding. The water pounded against her skin, washing away the grime and fatigue of the day. It was more than just a physical cleansing; it was a ritual of renewal, a moment of pure, unadulterated peace. Finishing up her shower, she quickly washed her hair and shaved her legs. Turning the hot water off sent a shiver through her as the cold air now surrounded the space once occupied by the steamy shower. Grabbing her towel and robe, she dried herself off and then wrapped her body and hair before returning to her own space.
The best thing about going to Harry's, besides the fact that it is a mutant-friendly establishment, is that you don't have to get too dressed up to have a good time. Rogue shuffled through her clothing, formal wear, official X-Men business attire, and six exact copies of her favorite body suit. Finally, she pulled her go-to casual outfit from the rack: dark wash jeans, a mesh undershirt, and a dark green t-shirt. She slipped her clothing on and grabbed her black boots and a pair of black gloves. Rogue wasn't one to bother with her makeup; she wasn't trying to attract anyone's attention anyway. She looked at her phone; it read seven o'clock; she still had plenty of time to relax before Kitty and Jubilee beat down her door to leave for the night. Or so she thought, "Rogue, are you almost ready?" Julbilee's voice interrupted her thoughts as the knocking on her door filled the room.
"Yeah, Ah'm ready Jubilee, Ah wuz gist thinkin' tuh mahself 'bout nuthin' in particular." Rogue replied, knowing the less room for Jubilee to pry, the better. She opened her door to find a pair of bright eyes staring up at her, "I heard from Kitty, who heard from Jean, who obviously heard it from Scott, that a certain mysterious Cajun did nothing but flirt with you his entire training session today." When it came to gossip, especially romance gossip, Jubilee was the one with all the information.
Rogue protested the idea, "He wuz not flirtin' with me Jubilee. We wuz gist battlin' for our trainin' session, an Ah had fun."
Jubilee rolled her eyes at Rogue, "Mhm, just some fun. Not some hot guy attempting to woo you," she giggled and grabbed Rogue's arm, dragging her out into the hallway, "Plus, I have a reputable account of you almost kissing said hot guy."
"Now wait uh minett Jubilee, Ah wuz only tryin' tuh kiss his cheek tuh take sum uh his powers. Ah wuz too close tuh waste time takin' off my gloves tuh touch him." Rogue pouted in reply.
Jubilee laughed and continued dragging Rogue to where everyone was waiting, "Took you long enough to get her; if we didn't know any better, we would have sent a search party." Kitty called to the pair at the top of the stairs. When Jubilee and Kitty invited everyone out tonight, they really did mean everyone. Rogue looked out at the group gathering to celebrate a small glimmer of hope for her to control her powers, and she smiled. "Ah hope Ah haven't held ya'll up too much," she said as she descended the stairs.
"Not at all, Rogue; we look for any reason to go out to Harry's for a few drinks," Jean said playfully, nudging her in the arm. "You know, Jean, that makes us all sound like alcoholics," Scott said from the back of the group as he grabbed a set of car keys. The group laughed as they all headed for the door. Logan grabbed the keys out of Scott's hand, "I'll drive," he grumbled. Everyone crammed into the SUV as best as they could, and truly, the most uncomfortable of them all must have been Hank, whose head reached the roof of the car. The scenery on the drive to Harry's is peaceful; the winding roads are lined with trees, and the sky is so clear you can see almost every star. The inside of the car, however, is as chaotic as a car full of mutants can be.
Logan turned on the radio to a classic rock station, which Jean quickly adjusted to Eighties pop, prompting the others to request songs and radio stations. Hank kept his eyes on the book he was reading but said, "Some classical music would be wonderful for my concentration. Not only does it improve focus, but it also reduces stress, which could benefit us all." The car erupted with laughter, "The only one stressed out here is Logan, whose stress is caused by all this traffic." Jean said, rolling down her window to better see the long line of cars that had been sitting at the intersection for some time. The group grew restless as they sat for what felt like forever. Jubilee took the time to entertain everyone with a private fireworks show inside the car. "You know Logan, I didn't mind driving all of us," Scott said from the back seat. Logan growled, turning to say something to him when it was finally their turn to move through the intersection. Logan floored it, speeding through the light and driving as fast as he could the rest of the way to Harry's, eager to get himself a beer and some food.
When the group finally arrived in the parking lot, Rogue noticed a familiar black sports car parked on the side, "Ah didn't know Ororo an JP were comin' too, Ah thought it wuz gist us," she turned to Kitty as she spoke. Kitty smiled back at her, "Oh no, Rogue, it isn't just us. Ororo and JP drove together, and Bobby said he would meet us here, which was great because there really wasn't room for anyone else in the car, and the fewer cars we take, the more people could have a good time." They unpacked the mutant version of a clown car and walked into Harry's; a live cover band played, and the bar was decently packed with patrons. Ororo spotted the group first and waved them over to a group of tables, benches, and chairs in the corner.
"The guys have gone to play a couple rounds of pool, but I opted to wait here for you to show up. Take a seat, and I will let the others know to finish their game and join us. If the waitress comes by, it will just be the usual; I didn't want to order it until you were here so it wouldn't get cold," she said as the others took their places in their usual spots before she left to find the missing group members. Not long after she left their regular waitress came by, "Good evening, everyone! It's great to see you all again. Are we sticking with the usual favorites tonight, or is anyone feeling adventurous and wanting to try something new?" she asked.
"Hey Jenna, it is nice to see you too; it will be the usual tonight: four large cheese pizzas, one pitcher of soda, and four pitchers of beer," Jean said with a smile. "Got it," Jenna smiled back, writing down the order to ensure she had it all, "Oh, by the way, that new guy you have working with you is quite the charmer," she said before walking away. Kitty nudged Rogue in the side and turned to face her at the same time as Jubilee x did, "See, I told you everyone finds him attractive. You are so lucky he's your training partner, Rogue; I would kill to be in your position," she sighed. "Y' know p'tite, y' d'n't 'ave t' kill f' me," a voice behind her said. Kitty's cheeks turned bright red as she slowly turned around, "Alzoh, flattered, Gambit 'as 'iz hart set on another," he informed her as he glanced at Rogue. "I'm going to guess that these seats are ours then?" JP asked, pushing Gambit aside to sit beside Rogue, "Have I told you yet that I miss having you working in French class with me?" he said as he sat down. Gambit muttered something under his breath and took the seat next to JP. Jenna quickly returned with their drinks and glasses, "Food will be out shortly, guys; while you're waiting, do you need anything else?" she asked, setting the drinks down on the table.
"No, Jenna, I think we are good for now," Scott replied as everyone poured themselves a drink, "I propose a toast to the wonderful new diagnostic technology we invested in and to Gambit and Rogue for being the first of us to test it out and not dying," he raised his glass in the air as he spoke. "And to Rogue's new position teaching alongside the Professor," added Jean while entwining her hand with his; she raised her glass. The group followed suit, toasting to both the exciting new developments at the Institute.
Pizza and beers quickly turned to another round of beers and laughter; Ororo stood up from her seat and gracefully glided to the dance floor, her movements as fluid as the wind she controls. The cover band started playing an upbeat song, and she motioned for Logan to join her; although he protested at first, he eventually made his way over to her, bringing Jean and Scott. Jubilee looked at the remaining group and smirked, "Hank, would you care to be the scorekeeper for a game of darts between JP and me?" she asked. Hank looked up from his book, "I don't see why not; I do find the skill required in the game to be quite interesting," he said, getting up from his chair and following the others to the dart boards. Kitty understood what was happening and grabbed Bobby's arm, "Why don't we finish our drinks on the patio? We can talk and stargaze."
This left Rogue all alone with Gambit, who had moved himself into the seat JP had vacated. "So, wat d' we d'?" he asked, finishing another beer. Rogue took a sip of her own drink, "Ah'm not sure. Ah did wanna ask ya earlier, whut zakly iz your power?" Gambit poured himself another drink," I c'n charge t'ings up wit' kinetic energy an' den I c'n make dem explode. Tant qu'à toi, wat d' y' pow'rs d'?" he asked, turning himself to face her.
"Uh, uhm, so mah powers are a bit tricky. When Ah touch someone, Ah absorb their life force, memories, an abilities, an if thay hav powers, Ah can temporarily use them, which can be useful in a fight. It's not sumthin' Ah can control, an it happens instantly. It's tough cuz Ah can't rilly git close tuh people without riskin' hurtin' them, or possibly killin' them. Thet's why Ah usually wear gloves an try tuh avoid direct contact with everyone," she said bringing her glass up to her face in hopes that she'd be too busy drinking to answer any of the other questions that usually come after she tells people what her powers can do.
Gambit could see from her expression that Rogue wasn't comfortable with her abilities, not that he could blame her. He tried to imagine how his life would have gone if he'd been unable to be touched by anyone for twenty years; all the dates and women he would have missed out on, he would have been just as miserable and being surrounded by others who could have all that would only make him feel worse. "D' y' wan' t' play pool?" he asked her while nodding toward the pool tables in the back. Rogue smiled, "Sure, Ah'd like thet," she said, standing up from her seat and walking over to the tables.
Gambit followed behind her holding both of their drinks, "Wat d' y' say we make a bet? 'F Gambit wins, y' gimme one date. 'F y' win, Gambit w'n't ask y' 'gain. D' we 'ave a deal, chér?" he asked, the alcohol and his accent mixing to make his words almost incomprehensible. Rogue narrowed her eyes, her lips curling into a slight frown as she looked at him, "Ah'm not thuh datin' type. My powers. We went ovur this," she said with a mix of doubt and curiosity. Gambit took her apprehension as an invitation to his challenge, "Quoi, d'n't y' trus' m', chér?" he said, his gaze lingering as it traveled slowly over her body. She could feel the pink heat blushing across her cheeks, she quickly took another sip of her beer, "Fine, you're on Swamp Rat," she said, trying to steady herself against his charm.