At the mansion, there weren’t many secrets. Before long, rumor or breaking into the security room (in extreme cases) would send that ‘secret’ through the student body like a speeding bullet till everyone knew that Jean dyed her hair or that Logan had given Rogue tags saying ‘he’d be back for them’. Gossip was everyone’s favorite pastime. Bets were made on how long Scott would go before popping the question to Jean, kids dared each other to sneak up on the Wolverine (extra points if you got him to unsheathe his claws) and secret scavenger hunts sometimes included a bottle of red hair dye from Jean’s bathroom. Who could blame them, though? The mansion certainly had enough drama and angsty romances for gossip to thrive.

That’s why it was so important to abide by a personal rule: if you happened to be holding anything back when you arrived at the school (and by some miracle, Jubilee hadn’t already weaseled it out of you) don’t tell a living soul. Secrets’ only chance were if only the one person knew about it.

Luckily, Rogue knew this and was very good at keeping things concealed. She had to be. Jubilee, the ultimate gossip, was her closest friend and she had still managed to smuggle it in. Logan could always tell if someone was lying and he knew every sign of trouble when it came to Rogue, but he didn’t know this.

It wasn’t even a little one, like those embarrassing secrets you sometimes try to keep (like that you’re in love with someone half your age or that you secretly enforce a team of superheroes to save the world on daily basis). It was, in Jubilee’s words, a whopper. This secret was the kind of juicy thing people could gossip about for weeks, months even, maybe. First of all, what would motivate her to keep it hidden?

There were moments when Rogue was dying to let it out and damn the consequences. When Jubilee let Rogue win at playstation games, denying it vehemently, she wanted to bask in her sisterly devotion, still clad in pj’s, and just talk and talk till it didn’t hurt so much. But she knew her best friend and she didn’t think this would the kind of thing she’d understand or even forgive, when you thought of all the things they could’ve done I it weren’t for that dirty secret.

Of all people, Logan would forgive her. Kit had once joked that Rogue could join Magneto and he’d still defend her to everyone else. To him, she was in another category from other human beings. That was nice in a way, Rogue had thought sadly, though later, when they got drunk enough on the stolen champagne, she pointed out that the category more or less forbid her from choosing any other profession than say, being a nun. God help the poor man that tried to seduce Marie while Logan was around. And he’d be around for a long time, too.

He’d forgive her….but he’d ask. He’d ask the question, the one question she didn’t want to answer. Why keep it to herself?

But, as mentioned before, even the most discreet were eventually found out. It happened to Rogue one day in June. Nearly all the mansion’s inhabitants were by the pool to escape the sizzling heat, but she had stayed inside in the air-conditioned library, studying for her upcoming exam for English Lit at NYU.

She was most beautiful when she was alone, or thought she was. When Rogue thought anyone was looking at her, she’d blush and try to make herself seem as small as possible. But there, by herself, the ever-present gloves and shawl had been thrown aside and in light of the heat, the girl that was usually enveloped in fabric, wore nothing but a cut-off denim skirt and a white tank top. Her dark brown, streaked with white, was up in a high ponytail, revealing a magnificently elegant neck.

The one watching her could hardly breathe. The sunshine from the window to her right poured in and her skin seemed luminous in the golden glow. Every time she moved, it made his breath catch, as dapples of light dappled across her body, illuminating new wonders.

Quite suddenly, Rogue did move again, this time by stretching slightly and by chance, she caught sight of Logan and immediately went to grab her gloves and scarf. Logan was faster and with an astonishingly quick move, had her gloves in ones hand and her shawl in the other, grinning.

She didn’t grin back. “Give them to me.” When he didn’t move, she added, “this isn’t funny.”

He cocked his head to one side, his mesmerizing hazel eyes boring down into her like a laser, trying to figure her out. “It’s just us, baby. Why don’t you relax for once?”

Usually she couldn’t resist that sexy teasing smile, the way he looked at her like this was all he lived for, she was the only one on Earth that meant anything to him at all and wasn’t she amusing, just now? She doggedly bit the inside of her mouth to keep from returning the smile and giving in. But she couldn’t be mad at him. Maybe she could distract him and grab them. She thought of his excellent reflexes. Maybe not.

“What are you doing here, anyway, Logan?” she asked, irritated at the way her body seemed to revive and hum whenever he came close, the way she got stupid urges. Right then, she wanted to lick his bottom lip. I mean, okay, he happened to have delicious lips, but how could her whole body seem to be focused solely on them?

If it was only lust, it wouldn’t have been that bad. But just as she silently wished it was, he did something to prove that she was in love with him as madly and uselessly as ever, to every gossip’s delight.

To her horror, he looked pained. “Way to make a guy feel welcome, Marie.”

“I only meant…everybody’s outside, swimming. Everybody says it’s the perfect day for it.”

“Not me.”

“No, me either.”

“Why is that, Marie? Xavier got you that suit. Go out and splash around.” He threw her an irresistible half-smile, serious and a little amused. “Act girly.”

She rolled her eyes and looked down at her ungloved hands. “Yeah, and be the pariah for a day. With the bodysuit it looks stupid, anyway.”

“Hey…” She felt his hand (gloved! Thank God) go under her chin and he lifted it up so she could see his serious expression. He meant this. “You never look stupid.”

Suddenly overcome with tenderness that won over the nervousness, she took that hand and kissed the palm. He didn’t move or change his expression but she felt him shiver. Her eyes met his and she felt her heart thudding in her chest, so fast it hurt. He looked so trusting. Just as suddenly as the tenderness had come, the shame washed over her. “I…”

“Say it, baby.”

She swallowed. “I haven’t been…completely honest.” Rogue waited for him to stiffen. He didn’t. But she didn’t have the guts to look up at his face and see suspicion. Worse, disappointment. Instead, she plunged on. “On the road…I learned something about my mutation. I mean, I learned how to-” No more hiding. “I can touch, Logan. From the beginning, I’ve been able to.”

Neither of them spoke or moved for a full minute. She felt him take a step forward suddenly and looked up, pleadingly, silently begging him not to be angry. He had a tortured look. He ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head as if trying to dislodge this information.

She moved closer, to touch him for the first time, to rely on psychical warmth for once. But he flinched away, looking stricken. Tears filled her eyes. He didn’t want her. He didn’t forgive her. A ragged sob escaped her throat. “Please, Logan, don’t be angry-”

But he was turning and left in long angry strides. He slammed the door behind him.

Rogue could touch and Logan rejected her.

The whole school knew by lunchtime.