Logan groaned when he got out of bed, his body protesting loudly. He wasn’t hung-over, thanks to his mutation, but he still needed sleep and last night he barely got any. No, instead he stood awake almost until dawn spilling his deepest memories to Rogue. No. Marie, her name is Marie. She listened to him, really listened, not like most people who just sat quietly waiting for their turn to speak.
He didn’t know what got into him last night. He sat there and told her everything he could remember, which in all honesty wasn’t much. He even told her his name. It must have been the fact that she was so honest and open with him. Trusting him with things she never told anybody else. Her not being a virgin, her desire to get revenge on the men who hurt her and that she still has Bobby in her mind, even though she possesses the ability to erase him for her mind permanently. But then again she did have a few beers and she doesn’t have his healing factor. It is entirely possible she didn’t mean to tell him so much, it could have been the beer talking. What if she’s out there right now telling everyone all the things he said? Shit. He needed to find her and quick.
He didn’t find her in her room but he did catch her scent. After growling at a couple kids to move out of the way, he managed to follow it out into the hallway, into the other wing, through the kitchen they sat in last night, out the side door, past the garage and into the woods. He walked for five minutes before her scent got stronger, fresher. His blood started to pump faster when he knew he was close, she may not be a prey but he was enjoying the hunt no less. He knew where she was.
Rogue sat down on a fallen tree trunk, her half eaten burger and fries sat next to her. She used to come out her all the time in the past to relax, to be by herself, to have some space or to be somewhere quiet when the voices in her head got too loud. There wasn’t a spectacular view, no amazing sunset or sunrise could be seen from this point, no lake to see, but there was one nearby because she could hear the gurgling of the water. It was just a quiet place in nature with trees as far as the eye could see.
She had woken up with a mild hangover and needed the quiet and fresh air this morning. Needed time to think about last night. She really let her mouth fly off, telling him everything she held in from others for years. It had proven to be somewhat therapeutic. When she woke up this morning she felt great beside the headache, but she felt lighter, freer. There was someone in the mansion now who knew her name, who knew the young girl from Meridian and her struggles, at least a little bit.
“Hey” He had finally found her sitting on an overturned tree that he himself used almost daily, her back to him. She turned around and gave him a little smile.
“Hey yourself.” He was wearing a pair of blue jeans so tight that it couldn’t have been good for his little swimmers. Oh no, why am I thinking about his little swimmers, she thought.
“What are you doing in my spot?”
“Your spot?” She said, her eyebrows raised. He nodded his head. “Sorry to tell you this but this here is my spot. Been coming here since I was sixteen. You have been using my spot but I might let you borrow it every now and then.”
“Yeah sure.” He sat down on the tree making sure not to sit on her plate of food. “You’re a burger kind of girl?” he asked with mock disbelief. “I would have thought you would be the salad and a water type.”
“No sir. I’m a meat and potato kind of girl, even at ten in the morning.” She finished off her burger, stuffing a few fries in her mouth and washing it down with her vanilla milkshake. “What you doing out here anyway?”
“I was looking for you. I caught your scent and tracked it until it led me to you.” She wrinkled her nose at that.
“I have a scent?” He was going to tell her what it was when she put her hand up and stopped him. “No, don’t tell me what it is. I’m not sure I even want to know. Why were you looking for me?”
“About last night-” She cut him off, already knowing where he was going.
“I’m not going to tell anyone what you said. I’m not like that. Your secrets are safe with me Logan.” The way she said his name made a warmth spread through his body.
“Just checking, and just so you know your secrets are safe with me too Marie.” She tilted her head at the sound of her name from another’s lips; it had been almost nine years since she heard it spoken.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Rogue? Can I come in?” Feral knocked on her friend’s door anxiously.
“Yeah.” She barged into the room out of breath and beyond excited. “What’s up with you?” Rogue had never seen her act this way before.
“I was looking for you at breakfast this morning. Where were you?”
“I slept in and then I went out, why?”
“I needed to talk to you. I’m freaking out.”
“What happened?”
“Do you know much about Kurt?”
“No, he came here while I was in Paris but I hear he’s a nice guy. Why? Will you tell me what’s going on?” Laughter in her voice at the sight of her furry friend bouncing on her feet.
“He asked me out to dinner tonight.”
“Oh my God. That’s great.” Feral went from ecstatic to nervous. “What’s wrong?”
“Just look at us. I’m covered in fur and he’s blue. Where can we go where we won’t be considered freaks? I really don’t want to be called a mutie when I’m eating dinner.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. The Professor has a friend who owns a restaurant. He has a private section in the back for mutants that are dangerous or obvious. Sorry I couldn’t think of a better word.” Feral smiled, shook her head and waved it away. “I used to eat there all the time, back when I couldn’t control it.”
“Wow. I’m really going to go on a date.” She smiled dreamily for a moment before all air seemed to leave her body “I think I’m going to be sick.” Rogue ran to her side and forced her to sit on the bed.
“Put your head between your legs and take a deep breath.” She was wondering why she was behaving like this. Then a thought accord to her. “Gigi, is this your first date? Ever?” She didn’t lift her head, merely nodded from her place in-between her knees.
Rogue smiled sadly at that fact. Georgianna was a really great person; sweet, honorable, trustworthy, kind and a loyal friend. It was a shame not many guys wanted to get to know her. She was a unique individual whose outward appearance, unfortunately, hindered any romantic pursuits. Until now. Kurt, because of his own unique appearance, was able to look past the fur to the beautiful and funny women she was.
Now this woman was a bundle of nerves, butterflies in her stomach, because she was unsure of how to act on a date. Should she hold his hand? Be herself or a little more outgoing? Oh god, are you supposed to kiss each other at the end? That’s how the dates ended in the movies, right? She felt completely out of her element.
“Don’t panic. What time is he picking you up?”
“Seven thirty.”
“Plenty of time. I’m going to call the girls and first we’re going to have ourselves glass of wine to calm you down and then we’re going to raid our closets and find you an amazing outfit.” Feral finally lifted her head and gave a little smile.
Four hours later, two glasses of wine for Georgianna and several glasses for Rogue, Theresa, Kitty and Jubilee, there was a knock on Feral’s bedroom door.
“Who is it?” She called out.
“It’s me, Kurt. Are you ready?” Even though they couldn’t see him, they could hear he was smiling.
“Yeah,umm.. Just a minute.” She yelled out to Kurt and then turned around to talk to the girls. “How do I look?” She held her arms out to the side and twirled in place. She wore her own dark blue jeans, not too tight, black boots donated for the night by Rogue, a yellow shirt from Jubilee, a striped black and white cardigan found in the back of Theresa’s closet and jewelry from Kitty.
“You look great.” Rogue walked forward and hugged her. “Remember he asked you out because he likes you as you are, so be yourself.”
“And have fun.” Theresa advised.
“And don’t eat any onions, garlic or fish. Fresh breath is a very important thing on a date.” Kitty warned.
“I guess it’s my turn. I would tell you to make sure your legs aren’t shaved, it guarantees you won’t let him take it too far, but in your case I think that’ll be kind of redundant.” Feral giggled and shook her head, she loved Jubilee’s weird humor.
“Jubes, we’re talking about Kurt here, not the kind of guys you go out with.” Kitty teased.
“Yeah but in Jubes case, it’s not the guys who take it too far.” Rogue ducked as Jubilee hurled a pillow at her head.
“Thanks guys. I would still be having my mini panic attack if you didn’t help me today. It means a lot to me. Wish me luck.” She said as she made her way to the door and opened it. The girls looked on like proud mamas. When they thought the couple walked a good amount down the hallway, they ran to the door to watch them. When Kurt’s tail touched Georgie’s by accident, the couple blushed and moved several feet away from each other as Kurt apologized. The girls couldn’t help but think it was the cutest thing they ever saw.
“All right girls. I’ll see you later.”
“Rogue, where you going?” Theresa asked.
“Go for a run and maybe go to the Danger Room for awhile. Bye” They waited until they could no longer hear her footsteps before talking.
“She needs to get out more. Hang out, go dancing, flirt.” Theresa pouted.
“She needs to do the horizontal mambo finally.” Kitty rolled her eyes at Jubilee and ignored her comment.
“It’s been years since Bobby died. She needs to move on, she needs to be happy.” Kitty looked down on the ring on her left hand and smiled sadly, wishing her friend could be as happy as she was with Peter.
“Leave it to me. I got an idea.” Kitty sighed, when Jubilee smiled mischievously. Jubilee’s ideas never helped anyone but they always indulged her because her heart was always in the right place.
Rogue was sitting in the library, which was completely empty since it was summer, feeling a little lonely. Kitty was spending all her time between tutoring and Peter. Theresa and John were inseparable and when she wasn’t with him she would be whispering with Jubilee. Feral and Kurt hit it off and were often having lunch and dinner together or taking walks in the garden. She got so desperate for company that she even sought out Wolverine, but she was told by the Professor that he was out, he often felt the need to escape for a few days.
She understood the need to escape. She felt it a lot in the beginning when Bobby died. No one understood her or wanted to anyway. And if she was honest with herself she enjoyed the peace and quiet now. It was exhausting to pretend that she was happy go lucky all the time. That she was the same old Rogue, the one before Bobby died. That she wasn’t afraid of getting close to someone for fear they would be taken away.
Rogue was startled out of her thoughts and dropped her book when the doors to the library burst opened and Jubilee came skipping in followed by Theresa, Feral, and Kitty. Why did she feel like she was being ambushed?
“What are you doing tonight?” Jubilee sing-songed as Rogue bent to pick up her book.
“This.” Rogue lifted her book.
“No you’re not.” Rogue furrowed her brows in confusion.
“What?”
“Do you want to know what you’re doing tonight?” Jubilee smirked and wagged her eyebrows at her. Behind her Kitty look apologetic and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ and Rogue knew she was in for trouble.
“What am I doing tonight?” She asked cautiously.
“You, my sexy friend, have a date with an eligible bachelor tonight at seven o’clock.” Rogue sighed. She wanted to say no, she wanted to say that her and Jubes have completely different taste in men, but once she saw the look on Jubes face, the look that said ‘ain’t I so marvelous for helping’, she didn’t. Instead she gave in with a sigh.
“Where am I meeting him?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
A/N: I know this chapter is a little shorter than the others. I had a really long chapter and I decided to split it in half. You won't have to wait too long for the next chapters because my kids were spending time with grandma and I was able to knock out a few chapters. ;). Thanks for reading! Hope you like it.