The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
I tend to be inspired by country music, but this isn't a songfic per se. Just combining some elements and getting rid of others, plus general torture for the poor characters. I know this is a complete 180 from the story I just wrote, "Just One Kiss," but I actually started this one first!
First she shed the gloves and sheer, long-sleeved white shirt. Then the jeans, so stifling in the summer heat, were violently yanked off and thrown across the room. She stood in the middle of the room she shared with her two best friends, grinning from ear to ear and dressed in nothing but a green silk camisole and black satin panties. She twirled, her long brown hair with twin platinum streaks flowing like streamers through the air around her. Arms raised high, she continued her happy dance until the door opened.
Kitty Pryde and Jubilation Lee—Jubilee to her friends—tumbled into the room laughing and chattering, full of the excitement of finishing their last day as high school students. They stopped, their eyes wide with shock, at the sight of so much deadly skin exposed to the open air. Not that they had never seen Rogue in various states of undress, but usually that was reserved for times like first thing in the morning or bedtime, not the middle of the afternoon. Usually she covered back up pretty quickly, too, so that they wouldn't have to remain on the alert for long. She definitely had never danced mostly naked in the middle of the room before!
“Rogue?” Jubilee asked slowly. “Are you okay?”
“It worked, it worked, it worked!” chanted Rogue as she continued dancing.
“The session with the Professor today?” Kitty asked as comprehension began to dawn on them. “You figured out how to control your skin?”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Rogue shouted, dancing over to them and grabbing their bare hands in hers.
The other two squealed as nothing happened, and then they were hugging her, all of them jumping up and down and talking at the same time. This lasted for a few minutes until they all managed to regain some semblance of calm. Just about then they noticed the open door and the audience beyond it.
“Can we join in?” asked Bobby Drake with a grin and raised eyebrows. He'd had a thing for Rogue for the first year she was at Professor Xavier's Institute for the Gifted (a.k.a. mutant kids), but recently, thanks to her many refusals, his attention had been fixed on Kitty. Still, there was no denying that the three of them made an interesting sight just then.
“Not a chance!” Jubilee shot back as she slammed the door in their faces. “Okay, chicas, we have GOT to have a girl's night out to celebrate this,” she told them, her own smile mirroring Rogue's.
Rogue bit her lip, suddenly wary. “I don't know, Jubes. I know it's Friday night and all, but...”
“No buts. We are going out, and we are going to have a fantastic time. We're going to paint the town yellow!” Jubilee said firmly.
Rogue rolled her eyes at that one. Everything just had to be yellow for Jubes. Since she knew it would do no good with her friend in this mood, Rogue gave up arguing against going out. A night out at clubs wasn't really what she wanted as a celebration, but since it was highly unlikely that she was going to get the celebration she truly wanted with the newly-returned Logan, any celebration was probably better than none.
The three young women settled down and spent the hours before dinner choosing and discarding dozens of outfits. By the time their stomachs informed them that it was mealtime the room looked like a hurricane had swept in and out, taking no prisoners and leaving clothing casualties strewn here or there, but they had decided what to wear and that they would change after eating. Giggling and discussing where they would go, they made their way to the dining hall. Rogue had slipped into a pair of short denim shorts and was wearing sandals borrowed from Kitty, who wore the same size. She grinned at everyone who stopped and stared at the Rogue walking the halls sans sleeves, gloves, scarves and jeans. Congratulations and whispers followed them as they walked by group after group. Rogue reveled in the attention, taking justifiable pride in her accomplishment, but then Kitty and Jubilee took it a little too far.
They reached the dining hall, and, without needing to discuss it, Jubilee and Kitty stepped in front of Rogue, entering the room first. They flung their arms wide, and Jubilee shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, the new, non-lethal Rogue!”
Rogue rolled her eyes and stepped forward to stand between her two obviously insane friends. She smiled at the clapping and whistling then grabbed their arms and propelled them toward the buffet, protesting all the way. They all started laughing as they filled their plates and headed toward their usual table. Rogue's eyes shone as her friends gathered around her, laughing and joking and general making as much fuss as possible. There were pats on her shoulders and arms, touches that she thrilled to simply because she'd been deprived for so long. Still, she couldn't help but notice that none of their instructors had come to dinner yet. A small part of her whispered hopes for what would happen when their combat instructor of one month found out her good news.
At just that moment, with Rogue's table surrounded by students of all ages, the instructors arrived in a group with Charles Xavier in the lead. From the confusion on their faces, he hadn't clued them in yet. As Rogue smiled at him, he smiled back, proud mentor to the current star pupil. Rogue jumped up and ran over to him, bare arms and legs flashing pale in the sunlight from the several large windows in the room. The instructors all stared as she leaned down and gave the Professor a hug, pressing her cheek to his. “Thank you,” she whispered, repeating the gratitude she had given him earlier for his help in guiding her to controlling her mutation, but also showing how much she appreciated that he was allowing her to make the announcement as she chose. It made her believe that he was beginning to see her as an adult now.
“Of course, my dear. After all, it is your news to share,” the Professor replied, obviously touched by her hug.
Rogue straightened and looked at her former teachers, a grin still spread over her face. “I have control of my powers now!” she told them excitedly, in case they hadn't noticed that she had touched Xavier without draining him.
Ororo stepped forward first. “That's wonderful, Rogue! I'm so happy for you,” she said, drawing Rogue into a gentle hug.
“Good job, Rogue,” Scott told her, shaking her hand after Ororo released her.
Jean laid her hand on top of their joined ones, pressing briefly. “I knew you could do it,” she said sincerely. She and Scott wandered off arm in arm towards the buffet.
Rogue looked at Logan, expecting more congratulations, maybe even a hug. He was watching Jean and Scott, though, a dark frown in his eyes. It seemed to take an enormous amount of effort for him to drag his gaze back to hers. Rogue strove to keep her expression neutral, but in truth she was hurt. Couldn't he put aside his lust for an engaged woman for one minute to pay some attention to her on such a special day?
“I'm happy for you, kid,” Logan said almost absently. He squeezed her shoulder briefly with one hand as his eyes strayed in the direction of the buffet yet again.
Rogue stiffened, pulled away, and turn to walk back to her table. She had to work hard to keep the smile on her face and the tears out of her eyes. Ironically enough, she called on the Logan in her head to bolster her strength as she sat down. Thankfully everyone was busy eating. Rogue threw herself back into their chatter like a drowning woman. She hoped that no one noticed how little she actually ate, and if they did, that they would believe excitement had affected her appetite, not some darker emotion she had no name for.
Rogue didn't see the way that Logan's eyes had snapped back to her when she left him so abruptly or the way he looked at the hand which had touched her smooth skin for the first time without pain.
Chapter End Notes:
The next chapter is entitled "She Won't Be Lonely Long." That and the girls' plans for the evening should give you a hint about what I intend. I'll try to write it as quickly as I can without reducing quality.