FicWad

Revolution

Chapter 11: Breathless

At the ice-cream shop, Remy was saying something, but he paused mid sentence when he realized that Rogue's attention wasn't on the topic at hand. She wasn't one to space out and she usually had something to comment on, but she seemed to be off in space all of a sudden. Following her gaze, he realized that she was looking at something, or someone behind him. He turned to look and found two people that he recognized. Though he had not been staying at the institute for long, he had received a round of introductions and knew who Kurt and Kitty were. "Looks like they really have it for each other, eh cherie?"

Rogue could only nod absentmindedly, which prompted Remy to continue, "is it that shocking? I haven't been around for long as far as I can remember and even I could sort of tell."

Rogue shook her head and finally pushed her voice to function. "That's not it. I knew those two would end up together, practically everyone at the institute knew... except maybe them. I was just thinking..." She left it at that and took a sip of her now liquid ice-cream.

A moment passed without words, as if Rogue had finished speaking, but she didn't sound like she did. "Thinking about what?"

She shook her head, but his gaze was steady in her eyes and she knew she was trapped. He knew as well as she did that her thought was left without a verbal completion and he appeared to be curious. "That it's about time," Rogue smile casually.

The facade didn't fool Remy for a second. "And what else?" He inquired.

Rogue shrugged, feigning ignorance. "That I'm happy for them, I guess."

"But there's something on your mind, cherie." Remy insisted.

Rogue frowned, she could almost snap at him, but she restrained herself. "You're not a mind reader."

"I don't have to read your mind," he argued playfully, trying to defuse her flaring temper, "only your face and your voice. What's bothering you, cherie?"

Rogue sunk back in her chair. "You're the amnesiac one, shouldn't I be asking you if you're okay?"

"I'm well enough and with some cunning calm words you might have convinced me that you're well enough too," Remy admitted. "But now you've made me curious."

Rogue huffed, "this is a curiosity far deadlier than when you got curious about the danger room," she warned.

"And I survived, didn't I?" He grinned at her.

Rogue sighed, knowing that once Remy's curiosity was sparked, there was no turning back. She wondered if he found her particularly interesting or if his mind with so many missing memories was so desperately thirsty for information that he clung to any that he could hold on to. All the details, all the questions, about her home, her life, about her... She had opened up to him a little before, even related to his past, though it was now a past he was without in his mind. None the less, if any connection was established between the two, it was not something to be easily broken. Yet this was something that Rogue didn't want to talk about to anyone, let alone him, especially not him.

Seeing as she was remaining silent, Remy inquired in theory, "could it be that my dear cherie is the victim of unrequited love?"

Rogue rolled her eyes at the theory, but her sarcastic reply died on her lips when Remy reached across the table and took her hand. She considered pulling it back, but remained still as a statue. There was her past crush on Scott, but she had gotten over that. Her interest had sparked, she admitted in the privacy of her own mind, for the mysterious Gambit for a time, but now that he was right in front of her she was full of second thoughts. It was always about the chase, not the chance. What would she do when she got a chance, if she even got one?

Unwillingly, Rogue remembered the time when one of her old classmates from her previous school in her southern home had asked her to dance. That was when her powers awakened and her world was turned upside-down. She had dealt with the turmoil as best she could and come out of it mostly, but it was always with denial in the back of her mind. She couldn't touch anyone's skin with hers any more then she could touch anyone's lips with hers, at least not without hurting him.

Yet as time went by and couples formed before her eyes, she couldn't push the thoughts to the back of her mind anymore. She couldn't think about the chase without attaching the inevitably disappointing aftermath that would follow it. Rogue knew that her eyes and face gave her away. She knew that her mask of nonchalance had fallen. Yet she said nothing.

"Your powers," Remy finally voiced, not letting go of her gloved hand. The admission made her nod her head, but she kept her eyes downcast. He reached over and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger and she felt a surge of energy.

Rogue pulled her hand away from his as she leaned back on her chair. She got another small dose of power, but she only got glimpses of his most recent memories. They were not particularly insightful as she had been present during those few days and already knew what events took place in them.

"It's not so bad," his voice was neutral as if he didn't want to sound like he was disregarding her situation, but he didn't want to make her feel pitied either.

"Could be worse," she grumbled in a bad mood. She didn't feel like being here anymore. She stood up as did he. "I'm leaving," she voiced, as if indicating that she was going alone and would not accept anyone's company, not even his, especially not his. She stormed out of the ice-cream shop.

Remy hurried after Rogue. They walked past Kitty and Kurt's table, but they seemed to be so engrossed in the act of sharing somewhat innocent but very consecutive kisses, that they didn't even notice the others. Rogue rushed out the street, aware of the fact that Remy was following her. She dashed past the few people who dared to wander outside in the heat and ran through the almost deserted park. It was simply too hot to be out.

Her chest was heaving, she was out of breath and her body didn't like the sudden change in temperature being thrown out of the cold air conditioner into the unforgiving heat. She took refuge under the shade of a tree and leaned her back against its warm bark to catch her breath.

"Cherie..." Her eyes remained closed as she took in precious oxygen leaning against the tree. Remy knew he was being blatantly ignored as Rogue refused to make any indication that he had noticed he was there. Through his short time in the institute she was always there taking special care to make sure that he was as comfortable as he could be and it often made him wonder if they had something going on between them, something he forgot. Now it was evident that there was no secret past relationship... But no doubt about it, there had been a spark and it was still there.

"Cherie..." Still there came no answer. Her eyes were closed, her breaths were even now and she was determined to pretend she was alone. However, he was just as determined, if not more, to make her acknowledge his presence. He placed his hands on either side of her on the tree and leaned closed until she could feel his breath on her face.

Rogue's eyes shot open at the sensation and she stared at the young man before her. In an instinctual automatic motion to protect her personal space, she tried to back away, but her back was against the tree and she was trapped. She wanted to say 'don't...' but that would imply that she thought he was going to do something... which he did.

His lips pressed against hers suddenly and for a split second her world froze. This was fast, aggressive, almost hasty, as if trying to get as far as possible before he had to pull away. She felt his energy pouring into her in more ways than one. Before she knew it, she was responding with a thirst and ardor that she didn't even know she had. He pulled away, only millimeters of empty space between their lips. His unusually colored eyes looked into hers with a victorious glow in them, as if calling her and she answered.

She took the initiative of the second kiss; it was fast, but not as fast as the first, the rhythm more savoring. Her arms that had previously rested at her sides were around his neck and his hands that had been on the tree were on her waist. But she noticed with a grim realization that he was responding less and less, until she pulled away and looked at his tired face.

He grinned at her in a way that could be counted as flirtatious and perhaps even seductive, yet he couldn't hide the exhaustion that had overtaken him. "I'm sorry..." She apologized grimly.

"Don't be," he assured. "I enjoyed that."

Rogue frowned. "I hurt you, don't say I didn't because I know I did."

"It's not so bad," he insisted, though he knew what an obstacle it presented. He only had so much energy to spare before he found himself losing what energy was vital to the functioning of his body. He pulled her closer, though they made no direct skin contact with that hug, albeit they were otherwise completely pressed against each other.

She could feel that his grip wasn't as strong as it should be, though she presented no resistance to his embrace and returned it. "Remy..."

"It's okay, cherie," he cut her off before she could complain with any self accusatory statement. With his memories gone, something else took the forefront of his mind. It was like an instinct, something subconscious that told him who he could trust. He surmised that memories could be taken away, but perhaps feelings could not. The intensity of the attraction compared to its short time of development as it was recorded in Remy's memories, made him think that the record had been there before and that this wasn't completely a new start but a sort of continuation. The flame had been there, and it was being fueled.

Rogue stopped battling with her conscience and sense of reason. She told logic that it could take a long walk off a short cliff and kicked the aftermath to the back of her mind again. She wouldn't think of it now, she would think of it later; later when she cleared her head, later when the thoughts of disappointment, consequences and impossibilities didn't hurt so strongly in fresh wounds. Later when she recovered her shield, later when she was ready to let go of what was never hers to claim. Later... later... but later would never truly come.

xoxox xox xoxox

That evening at the Brotherhood's house, Wanda heard some knocking on her room's door. She thought at first that it was Todd coming to ask her out, though she had already rejected him twice in that particular day. "Give it up, Toad!"

"It's Tabby," without bothering to knock again, she opened the door and let herself in. "Hey," she smiled with apparent cheer, though her eyes told a different story. There was something that weighed heavily in Tabitha's mind and she was about to address the issue. It was clear she didn't want to, but she knew she had to.

Wanda didn't expect Tabitha to come see her out of the blue. She gave the other girl a curious look and answered with a simple "hey" that echoed Tabitha's own greeting. "Did you need something?" Wanda tried to assume, as it felt logical to assume, that Tabitha was there to borrow some shampoo, or lotion, or makeup, or some other female product that, given the fact that she was the only other woman in the house, only she was likely to have. But there was that look in her eyes that pleaded for... Companionship? Friendship? Understanding? Support? Help?

"Can I talk to you?" Tabitha finally broke the silence. Her words made it clear that the conversation might take more than just a moment.

"Sure," Wanda agreed, making room for Tabitha to sit on the bed and putting away the magazine she had been flipping through.

Tabitha closed the door, as she didn't want eavesdroppers or interruptions and sat down next to Wanda. "Even if we don't know each other very well, I thought it would be easier to talk to another girl." Tabitha began, but the truth was that it wasn't easy and that wasn't simply because of the aspect of telling someone, but because of what she had to tell. "I think I'm in trouble..."

To be Continued

This chapter is heavy on the Rogue x Remy, there will be more of a Kurt x Kitty focus in future chapters, as I have something planned for them, but I won't throw any specific hints yet.