Rogue sighed softly as she sat down at the kitchen table. A cup of tea sat before her, the steam rising in swirl like patterns. It was late, well after midnight now. The other’s were still sleeping the events of the day off, and while Rogue tried to sleep after shoving Alex out of the room a few hours ago, she had done no more than just tossed and turned. So now she sat, trying to sort out all the memories and emotions of her most recent absorptions. Creed still tickled at her thoughts from the shadows, but she was used to this from the others, and was able to ignore it without problem.
She heard the footsteps coming ten seconds before they walked through the door. Rogue caught the scent as soon as the door open, and she fought hard against the growl wanting to escape her throat. This wasn’t something that she had expected, but she should have. It was bound to happen.
She didn’t lift her head as she heard the chair next to her slightly scrape against the tile of the kitchen floor. The intruder sat next to her, placing her hands on the table.
Rogue looked up then, her eyes locking with a pair that were an even darker brown than her own. “Have you made your decision?”
“I’m going to stay around here,” the other woman replied, her body shifting as she spoke. This conversation wasn’t easy for either of them, although Rogue seemed to be able to handle her discomfort much better, even if only slightly. “I’m not really all that great with people, and I doubt that I would really fit in too well.”
“You would be surprised what some of these people can do.” Rogue smirked as thoughts of the children danced in her mind. “What about the others?”
“Rusty and Vasquez will stay here, too. This is Rusty’s home, and he doesn’t want to watch it get any worse. Vasquez is going to bring his family here, get them settled in. He misses his children very much.” Wolfsbane’s eyes grew cloudy for a moment, her thoughts drifting away from her.
Rogue knew exactly what was going through her mind, and, against every fiber in her body, reached for the other woman’s hand. “I am sorry for your loss. I understand better than you would think.”
Wolfsbane flashed her a sad smile, her eyes growing misty as she spoke. “He was a good man. We… He was the only one who understood. I’m going to miss him greatly, but it won’t be so bad. A few decades and we will be together again. It’s you that I don’t envy.”
Rogue pulled her hand back slowly, her gaze becoming more intense. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you and your feral. Your mate,” she emphasized, arching an eyebrow. “You two have eternity together, and this is how you’re going to start it? Denying what you two could have together?”
Rogue smiled, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a small sip. “This relationship with Logan is… delicate. And that’s putting it lightly.”
“I doubt there is anything about that man that you could call delicate,” Wolfsbane replied with a giggle. “What are you afraid of? Why are you so scared to let him in?”
Rogue sighed, looking away from the other woman. She couldn’t find the words to voice her worries, and, if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t even sure what those were.
She felt the hand under her own shift slightly so that Wolfsbane was now holding her hand. Rogue locked eyes with the other feral, shocked by the turn of comfort she saw in her eyes. “Don’t loose him because you are afraid. Fear is a big part of love. Enjoy him while you have him, or he’s heart will slip right through your fingers.”
Rogue ducked her head quickly, not wanting Wolfsbane to see the tears that were gathering in her eyes. She felt a light pat on her head just before she head the other woman stand and make her way out of the kitchen. Part of her, the part that was completely animal now, still got riled whenever they were in the same room together, but the part of her that was still completely human, still Marie, knew that she was right and was grateful. She still had to make up her mind.
~*~*~*~*~
She was making herself another cup of tea when the kitchen door swung open again. She smiled to herself, realizing how much she really did miss their late night conversations. Turning, she leaned against the stove where the now empty kettle sat like a loan warrior, waiting for replenishment.
“You want to add something special to that cup?” Victor asked, lightly shaking the bottle of whiskey he held in her direction.
She shrugged, grabbing the bottle and adding it to the hot liquid she was holding like a lifeline. He always knew what she really needed. They sat at the table quietly as she took sips from her mug and he swigged from the bottle.
Half way through her drink, their eyes connected, and both erupted in a fit of laughter. When their giggles died down, Rogue smiled appreciatively at him. “Thank you.”
“I know,” Victor replied quickly, his voice nonchalant. “I’m going back with you, for a little while.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Me and Jim…”
“Logan,” Rogue interrupted quickly. She knew why Victor refused to call him that, the secrets that laid between them. “His name is Logan now.”
“Logan.” His face twisted sourly as if just saying the word left a bad taste in his mouth. “We still have a conversation waiting between us.”
Rogue nodded her agreement, drinking the rest of her tea in one gulp.
“Plus, I want to see how riled up I can get the weather witch while I’m there. Think I can talk her into a nice quick fuck while I’m passing through?” Victor smiled again, his canines flashing menacingly in the dim kitchen light.
“I think,” Rogue said slowly, her voice smooth and thoughtful, “she would electrocute your ass before you could even so much as touch her again. She’s never forgiven you for bashing her head against that window.”
“It wasn’t personal. She was just trying to keep me from doing my job.” Victor sat back in his chair, the legs under him groaning as he did. “Besides, I think she likes it rough.”