They walked into the large cafeteria to find the room packed with students and teachers alike. Storm had been right; Rogue recognized a multitude of people right away. There was Hank, sitting with what looked to be a small group of premed students, explaining something that she probably wouldn't be able to understand. Kurt was with a group of younger students who were probably listening intently to his stories of the Russian circus. Jubilee was sitting with a Colossus. She hoped Jubilee would talk to her.
Suddenly, she locked gazes with a pair of blue eyes that were impossibly paler than she could remember. She could see the recognition in them first, and then the pain and anger. He was sitting with her, the girl she had known she would lose him too. She refused to break the connection, knowing that it would only show that she was ashamed of her choice. She wasn't, ashamed, though. Only disappointed in the outcome. She kept herself steady as Bobby rose from his table and made his way to her at once. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jubilee doing the same, and she knew Kitty had to be right behind them. The only thing that kept her from turning around and walking away was the knowledge that Logan was right behind her.
Bobby stopped right in front of her, the pain and anger still in his eyes. She straitened her stance, knowing that this could get bad. "What are you doing back here? I thought you left for good when you gave up your gifts."
"My gifts have returned." Everyone heard the emphasize she had put on the term. Most had known how much she had struggled with her abilities, and some where even willing to admit that they understood why she would make the decision. That didn't mean that they didn't feel betrayed, though. "Would you like for me to prove it to you, Bobby? How about a kiss, for old times sake."
Logan was proud of her. She was making it known that she wouldn't be pushed around. She would not be made to feel guilty about her choice.
"Why did you come back here, Rogue?" There was so much hatred in his voice, she almost allowed herself to back off. Almost. "Do you really think you're welcome here anymore? We don't want you here. Don't you get that? You deserve everything you get out there."
"Who are you to condemn me?" Rogue asked loud enough for all to hear. She wanted to make sure that all heard what she had to say. "You have no idea how hard it really was for me, no clue how badly I needed to feel someone else. You can't possibly know how hard it is to be like this. You have no clue what it's like to know that you can never touch another human being without hurting them. So back off, Bobby. Find someone else to torment. I won't be hurt by you again."
Bobby looked at her harshly then, his cold eyes narrowing to nothing more than slits. Logan wanted to punch the kid right there. The boy needed to be reminded of who was running this school, and what was allowed of those who weren't.
”You don’t know me any more, Robert Drake. Don't try to pretend that you do." She pushed past him, Logan following close behind. Bobby didn't say another word to her, and Logan knew that it would be a long time before he would. Rogue felt everyone's eyes on her, but she would not allow it to affect her. She couldn't allow it to. There were going to be certain tells that everyone was going to be searching for, and she had to be very careful to hide them.
Logan followed close behind her as she took a seat at a very secluded table in the corner of the large cafeteria. They were fortunate to find a table empty, especially since it was the middle of a school week. He watched her set her cloak down on one of the four chairs, the one facing the entire room, and walk over to the lunch line, ready to pick out what she was going to eat. He decided that he wasn't that hungry just yet, and watched all of those who had their own eyes locked onto the woman with the stripe in her hair. There was that word again. Woman. He had never thought of her that way before. Not when they first met, not after the Statue of Liberty incident, not after she flew the X-Jet to there rescue at Alkali. Not even when she made her own decision and left to take the cure. Even while she was away and his mind would wonder about what she was doing, he hadn't thought about her that way, either. He had never even thought to picture her working a steady job and going to school, or hanging out with her friends, drinking a few beers. He never even thought about her with a man. Now, he found that image running through his mind every time he looked at her, only the man he imagined was himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this attracted to a woman. Even the feelings he held for Jean hadn't been this strong. He wondered if he would have still felt this way had she not taken the cure and left. He doubted it, and yet something deep inside of that being known as The Wolverine was whispering that it just may have happened.
He watched her walk back quickly, one hand balancing a tray mounted with all different kinds of food. She had brought back enough for both of them, knowing that he would probably be hungrier than he thought. She had always known him better than anyone else. Including him.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Rogue has a talk with Bobby. Logan realizes just how much she has grown up.