Rogue woke up feeling content with just a hint of uneasiness. The previous night had just been wonderful. Dancing, meeting some interesting guys, what more could an eighteen-year-old graduating from high school ask for? Well, probably a few shots of something that burned going down, but she knew better than that with her control over her deadly skin so new. Bare arms stretched over her head, she smiled. She'd tumbled into bed last night without changing, without thinking of the need to change. It was a wonderful feeling, this freedom she now had.
Humming, Rogue sat up in bed and glanced at the two sleeping forms across the room. Yeah, they were still completely out. Looked like her shower would have to be a quiet one. No singing. Not one word.
She broke that promise to herself the instant she stepped under the near-scalding water, belting out a rendition of Taylor Swift's “Fearless” as she shampooed, rinsed, conditioned, rinsed. Today she felt fearless, totally ready for whatever came her way. After all, if she could beat her mutation into submission, what was there to be afraid of? “Fearless” transitioned to “Untouchable” as she ran the loofah over her pale skin, mostly because she wasn't any more and because she'd been playing Taylor Swift on her iPod while working out yesterday morning.
Shower done and stomach clenching with hunger, Rogue turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a fluffy yellow towel from the shelf over the toilet and quickly drying off. Since her stomach was being so insistent she combed her hair out quickly, braided it, then wrapped the towel around herself to go out into the bedroom and find some clothes.
A yellow pillow hit her in the face when she opened the door. “Dammit, Rogue, some people have hangovers and just want SLEEP, not listen to your Taylor Swift concert!” Jubilee growled in a very good, if unintentional, imitation of Logan. “And would you mind closing the blinds? We forgot to last night, and that light's a killer.” The growl turned into a whimper, so despite the pillow to the face Rogue smiled and obliged her friend.
A quick grab of denim shorts and a tank top, since even the morning was going to be hot. Rogue dressed, smoothed lotion over her exposed skin, and then slipped out of the room. Since it was a Saturday and barely nine o'clock, the hallway was deserted. She practically skipped downstairs, her stomach now totally attuned to the glorious smell of food emanating from the dining room.
Very few people were eating when Rogue entered, but they all returned her smile. Rogue felt like she might never quit smiling. She made a beeline for the food-laden buffet, her mouth watering. Loading a plate with eggs, toast, bacon, hash browns, strawberries, and a banana, she made her way to a small table off to the side and sat down. She felt like taking a little quiet time by herself, not to mention she'd rather not let too many people see her make a pig out of herself the way she knew she was about to.
Eggs were demolished, toast reduced to crumbs, bacon polished off, hash browns long gone, and Rogue was just about to start in on the strawberries when Logan walked in. A large strawberry halfway between plate and her parted lips, her eyes met his. Something hot flared in his eyes as she finished the motion and took a slow bite out of the red fruit. Then she thought she had imagined it, or that he was angry with her, because he turned abruptly away and headed for the buffet. Rogue watched him while she ate her strawberries, seeing how he piled his plate high with steak—only steak—and then found his own table far away from hers. That was just fine with her, although he had occasionally sat with her for early morning breakfasts on the weekends since his return, talking about how life had treated them during his absence. The annoying man could stay there for all she cared. She didn't know what had his panties in a twist, but she was determined to stay in a good mood. So she peeled her banana, raised it to her lips, and took out a vicious bite. Just to show that she could, and in case any irritating males were watching.
After finishing her breakfast, Rogue left the room without a glance backwards. Logan was obviously in a mood over something. Maybe he'd tried to hit on Jean again last night after dinner, and maybe she'd turned him down again. That would serve him right, the stupid, blind idiot.
Rogue wandered the halls for a few minutes trying to decide what to do with her day. Maybe Ororo needed some help in the gardens which were her personal domain. It was a beautiful early summer day, and Rogue was in the mood to be out in it. All that pale skin needed some vitamin D!
She found Ororo kneeling beside a flower bed weeding. Rogue cleared her throat softly, and the other woman raised her head and smiled.
“Hello, Rogue! How are you feeling this morning? I heard that you girls went out last night,” Ororo said, gesturing for her to take a seat on a nearby bench.
“I'm fine. It was pretty exciting, but I'm not as tired as Jubilee or Kitty this morning. I guess I'm just too wired,” Rogue replied truthfully, thinking it was a good thing this wasn't Jean, who would have heard the way she mentally replaced “tired” with “hungover.” Rogue cleared her throat and kept standing. “Actually, I was wondering if you'd like some help, Ms. Munroe. It's too nice a day to be inside,” she offered.
Ororo's smile widened. “Of course I would. There's an extra set of gloves in my gardening bag over there,” she said, pointing with one gloved hand. “I know you probably don't want to cover up, but there are some spiky weeds in here that might hurt if you use bare hands. And, please, now that you're almost graduated, call me Ororo, or 'Ro, if you like.”
Rogue ducked her head, a little shy. She'd been thinking of her teachers by their first names since absorbing Logan years ago, but she was always really careful to address them the way the other students did. She retrieved the offered set of gloves and settled down to start pulling. “It's going to take a while to get used to that, 'Ro!” she said, more comfortable with the shortened version because it was also part of the other woman's last name.
“I'm sure it will. Have you decided what you want to do now that high school is over and you've managed to control your mutation? The sky really is the limit,” Ororo said.
Rogue tipped her head to look up at the sky for a moment, then resumed weeding. “I'm not sure. I had planned on doing community college from here, but now that there's no barrier from my mutation...I guess I'll have to think about it some more. It's so strange, not needing to worry. Even the little things are different.”
“You have a lot of exploring to do, mentally and emotionally as well as physically. I...hope that you might feel comfortable coming to me if you need to talk. You have your friends, of course, but sometimes an older woman, with more experience, can be a help to talk to,” Ororo said, diplomatically not mentioning that Rogue's own mother was unavailable for that position.
Rogue smiled, again shy. Still, she was smart enough to recognize that this was something she needed. “Thank you, 'Ro,” she said simply.
They weeded in silence for a while, moving on to another bed when they had finished with the first. The sun shone down, getting warmer as it rose higher in the bright blue sky. Few small white puffs of clouds attempted to mar that expanse, thus after an hour or so Ororo suggested that they head inside for some lemonade. The temperature was already above seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit.
Leaning against the kitchen counter as Ororo retrieved a pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator, Rogue found herself tracing patterns in the floor tile with her toe. “You said I could ask you about stuff that I wouldn't ask my friends my age, right, 'Ro?” she asked hesitantly, finding the need to busy herself by taking out two glasses from the cabinet.
Ororo looked at Rogue briefly before she began to pour with a steady hand. “Yes, dear,” she replied, wondering what was on Rogue's mind.
“Well, I just...howsoonistoosoontohavesexwithaguyyoujustmet?” Rogue asked in a rush, her face turning bright red.
Ororo's head snapped around, her eyes wide. Apparently she hadn't been expecting something like that to come up so quickly after her offer. Rogue helped her lift the pitcher back to an upright position right before the second glass began to overflow.
“Ummm...how soon is too soon to have sex with someone you just met?” Ororo repeated, as if to make sure. She licked her lips nervously.
Rogue nodded, finding the random flecks of shiny rock in the granite counter tops suddenly very fascinating. She was sure that there was no way she could ever blush any more than she was just then.
Ororo took a deep breath, as if to regain her composure. She returned the pitcher to the fridge, grabbed the two glasses and handed one to Rogue before leaning back on the counter next to her. She wasn't quite able to meet the girl's eyes, but she knew it was important to answer this question, especially for this particular girl, sooner rather than later.
“I guess it just depends on the two people involved, Rogue,” she said after a moment of thought. “I mean, you shouldn't let any guy pressure you into doing anything you feel you aren't ready for, but I can understand that you might have faced certain...frustrations due to your mutation which no longer apply, so you'll want to experiment a little. There's nothing wrong with that, in my book.”
Rogue let out her breath on a sigh. At least the way she was feeling about this was normal. “That's what I thought, but at the same time I'm a little worried that I might be the one who pressures me into doing something I'm not ready for. I know I've been pretty starved of human contact, but I've also got the same raging hormones as any other girl my age, and...I'd just like to find out what it's all about, you know?” There, she got that out without blushing anymore, although she really doubted she could.
Ororo nodded, finally able to look at Rogue. “I understand that. The only advice I can give you, then, is to let things happen naturally. As long as there's no overt pressure...as long as you don't feel as if you have to have sex with a guy just so that he'll keep his interest in you, then I see no problem with you satisfying any needs or curiosity you might have. Just...are you on birth control, Rogue?” Ororo asked uncertainly.
Rogue shook her head. “There was no reason to, before this. I've heard that it can take a month for the Pill to kick in, though...”
Ororo laughed. “And you don't want to wait that long, right? There are other methods, dear. You should go talk to Jean about it. I know that she keeps contraceptives on hand just in case, or she could prescribe something for you. In the meantime, make sure to carry a few different sizes of condoms on you, especially if you believe that you might be in a position to use one.”
Rogue bit her lip, took a long drink of her lemonade, and asked her next question a little more slowly than the last. “And...I know that they say in sex ed class that it hurts the first time, but...is it an awful lot?”
Ororo shook her head. “It really depends on the woman involved. You could have Jean examine you if you're worried about it. Has she ever given you a gynecological examine?”
Again Rogue shook her head no. “All she's done is a breast exam once a year. She said we'd cross the other if it ever got to that stage. It's not like I'd have caught anything or needed to worry about that area before now.” For some reason, it was a lot less embarrassing to talk about breast checks and pap smears than it was to talk about sex. Rogue wondered why that was.
“Then talk to Jean about it, see what she says,” Ororo said confidently.
“I think I will,” Rogue said thoughtfully.
Ororo finished her lemonade and put her glass into the dishwasher. “Ready to get back out there?” she asked.
“For a couple more hours,” Rogue told her. “When Jubilee and Kitty wake up, I think we're going to go shopping. I have a wardrobe I need to update. Then I think I have someone I need to call.”
Ororo chuckled and led the way back out to the garden.
He stepped into the kitchen after they left, a dark frown transforming him from intimidating to frightening. Eyes blazing, he watched the women through the kitchen window until they turned a corner and disappeared.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Rogue gets some advice the next morning.
Chapter End Notes:
Next chapter: Male torture of the Rogue variety. Fuuuuuun.