Friday, 2:30 p.m.
Westchester, New York
Rogue thought Scott was smart, no doubt, but the scope of his intelligence was often the cause of weekends spent struggling over essays on how women were represented in Greek tragic drama or scale models of extinct castles in England.
"Chinese philosophy in a nutshell is three principle belief systems: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism...blah, blah, blah, Confucianism, blah, blah, blah, Buddhism, blah, blah, blah...
"Rogue! Are you listening? Your assignment this weekend depends on your doing so."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"... Finally, there is Taoism, the mellow philosophy. Outlined by Lao-Tzu in his book called the Tao Te Ching--The Tao Virtue Book--Taoism would have us believe that Earth and Heaven are in harmony with one another. It is man who is out of harmony. But the good news is that the Earth/Heaven harmony can be achieved by any person at any time. According to Lao-Tzu, the less man interfered, or to say more clearly, the less he struggled against Nature, the more pleasant his life would be."
Here it comes...
"For Monday, I want you to write a brief paper--two to three pages--arguing the truth of one of these three philosophies and supporting it with the evidence of your own experience. There are several books on reserve in the library and if you want, I have copies of a list of various journal articles. Any questions?"
Do I have to do it?
"Dismissed."
Friday, 4:00 p.m.
Westchester, New York
She always did her homework in Logan's room. Everyone knew this so no one asked where she was going when she loaded up her laptop and books and headed down the hallway. What they didn't know was that in addition to her homework, Rogue also did Logan. Or he did her. Either way, it made homework a lot easier to get through.
"Hey Logan."
"Hey, Marie," he said from the chair where he was reading when she entered. The first thing he did was set down his book as she dropped her bag on the floor and set her laptop on his dresser. The second thing he did was scoop her up in his arms and plant a kiss on her scarf-covered neck. Third, they fell onto the bed as his hands traced the lines of her back through her shirt.
Love you, he whispered into her scarf, a gauzy blue one that he'd brought home from Canada.
She smiled and said I love you, too.
Then she sat bolt upright and narrowed her eyes.
"Do you know what I have to do over the weekend?"
"What?"
"Scott's making us write a paper on a Chinese philosophy. Mine has to be about Taoism because that's the only one I heard anything about."
"It's Daoism, with a d-sound, not a 't.'"
"Then why do they spell it like that? And how do you know?"
"That's just how 't's' are pronounced in China. And I'm not stupid. You know, there isn't much to do in Canada but read. So I got a little philosophical at one point. Searching for meaning or truth or whatever, I guess."
"I see. Well I suppose when you were bored with books, there was always cage-fighting," she said with a grin.
"Thank God for that," he said and carefully traced her jaw with strands of her hair beneath his fingers.
Rogue jumped off the bed and snatched her laptop off of the dresser. She opened it and turned it on.
"I'm tired of Scott ruining my weekends. I'm going to write him a letter. A two- to three-page letter and we'll see what he thinks of Taoism after that."
Dearest Dr. Summers,
I have been pondering Taoism with great interest. Your in-class discussion was most intriguing. At least what I heard.
I have done a bit of extra research and let me tell you the two principles that interested me the most. First, the idea of P'u, the Uncarved Block. This is the idea of a something that just is. I feel that this relates to how, sometimes, if we let things happen as they were meant to, we will be happier people for it. I would even say that some of the best things happen when we don't go through the world, we just let the world go by.
Shall I tell you something that I let happen? It's a rather serious confession, so brace yourself Dr. Summers.
I let Logan and me happen. Does that shock you? Logan and I are a bona fide, tried and true WE. I love him and he loves me. We didn't fight it like stupid, selfish people. Both of us knew and both of us were willing to let something happen, risking our hearts in the process.
My heart is doing very well, thanks. His is, too, because I can hear it beating steadily when I lay my head on his chest.
Do you want me to keep going? Do you want me to tell you what else just is?
Sex is. It is and it is fantastic. I swear to God, when he touches me, there is no better feeling on Earth. You'd think someone would have heard us by now, but that's why we chose his room. Remember when you soundproofed it so he wouldn't wake people up? You thought he didn't know but he does and so do I and it's there so that we don't wake people up. Cheers, Dr. Summers. You might wonder how he doesn't get hurt. There are veils, bodysuits, and, yes, the C-word, Condoms. Those things and other items can all be summarized with one word: toys.
Let me make it clear, though, that we do not fuck. Do you take points off for swearing in our essays? We don't fuck, I promise you that. Like I said, we share something that I would call similar to but not the same as what you have with Jean. Logan and I are in complete harmony with Heaven and Earth. We are two halves of an Uncarved Block.
Moving on to the second principle of interest, you've heard people say "Sometimes things are the way they are," haven't you? That is a principle of Taoism: Things Are As They Are. Logan and I are. We are happy, we are loyal to each other, we are in what I'm daring to call a relationship for the long haul. There is no point in arguing with or opposing this. Things Are As They Are.
This is what you get for trying to ruin my weekend: a bunch of stuff you didn't want to hear. Or read, rather. Something else to think about: this "essay" doesn't meet the length requirement but I think you ought to let it be. This essay is only one-and-a-half pages. It just is. You ought to remember that Things Are As They Are.
General advice: Relax. Unclench. Grade easy.
In closing, allow me to suggest that you show this letter to Jean and Ororo, because they don't know, only Charles does. I hope this whole thing doesn't bother you; however, if it does, I don't care. Normally, I would tell you to Bite me, but Logan might be jealous.
Hugs and Condoms,
Rogue
"You're not turning that in..."
"Oh yes I am."
Logan smiled at her. "I'm glad it won't be a secret anymore," he said.
"I know you are, babe, and I know you're also looking forward to the look on his face come Monday morning.
Monday, 8:45 a.m.
Westchester, New York
"Marie, baby, wake up. You're gonna be late."
"I'm not going today."
"You're not chickening out with that letter, are you?"
"No, I'm just not going to class. Today, I'm going to be."
"Well, just as long as you're be-ing with me."
"Of course. I turned in the letter yesterday. I just slid it under his door."
"Oh. Are you hungry? Do you want to go get some breakfast somewhere?"
"Yes, but only after you hold me a little longer."
Monday, 1:24 p.m.
New York City, New York
Logan and Marie are sitting by the window of a crowded coffee shop in the depths of the city, holding hands. Their table is littered with sugar packets, empty little plastic cream cups, and balled up napkins. The intellectuals buzz their cleverness around them but Logan and Marie don't listen. They talk a little, but mostly, they look at each other and out the window and back at each other, just letting the world go by.
*End.*
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
I got the idea for this story from some assigned reading: The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Some of the terms used in this story may belong to him. Or maybe to Taoism in general. I don't care. I make no money from them.