Running through the Storm

.01

Beer sloshed over the sides as he clinked mugs with his best friend heartily.

"Good haul today," Sting said with a broad grin.

Rogue nodded in agreement, a faint smile at the corner of his lips, and he took a long drag from his mug.

A sudden draught hit him from behind and he turned around only to see the door swinging shut with no one entering or exiting the tavern.

He was certain he had seen someone there for a split second though and a strange sinking feeling flared up in his chest. It almost felt like he had missed something, an opportunity perhaps, or maybe someone.

Curious indeed, but he didn't dwell on it.

Tonight was a night of celebration after all.

.02

Rogue landed on the sturdy branch easily, the dense green leaves providing him with a perfect cover as he surveyed the line of carriages passing below. Dark, calculating eyes darted about as he counted the number of guards making up the entourage.

6…7…8…

He stood up, cracked his neck and took a step forwards slowly before he dropped down onto the roof of one of the passing carriages, bow and arrow ready at hand. The loud thump attracted the guards' attention and surprised cries and the sound of metal unsheathing rang in the air.

One of the guards advanced towards Rogue and he whipped around, the metal tip of his arrow glinting under the sunlight.

"I suggest you don't move," he said calmly with a tilt of his head. "My Merry Men here outnumber you two to one."

"Do you have any idea who you're stealing from?"

The man's grip loosened slightly, eyes flickering towards the golden crest on the doors.

The Orland Crest.

He barked out a small laugh. "Oh, this is most certainly…unfortunate."

"You'll pay dearly for this!"

The smirk on his face widened as he pulled his bowstring back even further.

"That is, if you ever catch me."

.03

The large, shadowy creature descended upon the women and the one with purple hair hurled a fireball at it. The creature dodged the attack and swooped down in an arc, razor sharp claws extended. They dropped to the ground immediately in an attempt to avoid the strange beast but it was too fast. Claws closed around the mage's outstretched hand and lifted her off the ground, wings flapping furiously as it took off into the skies.

Crimson eyes widened as the man watched the blonde pull her friend out of the creature's clutches. Piercing, animalistic shrieks cut through the air as the creature rallied and prepared to attack once more.

He inhaled deeply and extracted an arrow from the quiver on his back with practiced ease. Squinting slightly, he pulled back on his bow, feeling the familiar tension in the string rub against his fingertips as he aimed.

"Get down!" He shouted and let loose.

The two females instinctively did as they were told and the arrow struck the side of the creature's neck cleanly. With a cry, it flew off into the far distance and he raced towards the women, bounding over fallen tree trunks and leaping down muddy banks.

Glancing at the fading shadow one last time, he offered a hand to the one who had conjured up the fireball.

"Hey."

She shot him a surprised glance but ignored his outstretched hand as she turned her attention towards her wounds.

Crimson eyes narrowed in concern at the sight of three, bloody streaks on her arm.

"You're injured," he said.

She looked up at him, brilliant green eyes flashing in annoyance.

"It's 'Milady'," she said, tone tinged with a hint of disdain as her eyes roamed across his body, taking in his appearance and attire. "And I'm fine."

Rogue stiffened slightly as he finally got a good look at her face and recognition dawned on him. The woman he had so unwittingly saved was none other than the Lady of House Orland.

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice," he said, bemusement lacing his tone.

Having previously stolen from her, he was a man pretty high up on her list of wanted felons if the numerous wanted posters were any indication. Maybe today's events could wipe the slate clean between them, he mused to himself.

"I didn't ask for your help," she replied haughtily as she struggled to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Well," Lucy piped up between them, "I'm grateful for the assistance."

"Rogue. Rogue Cheney," he replied somewhat breathlessly. There was no point in hiding his identity. The Lady would find out who he was easily anyway.

A soft rustling behind him signaled the arrival of his companions and he gestured behind him. "And these are a few of my Merry Men."

"Lucy Heartfilia," she nodded politely.

His eyes softened at her name. It was comforting to meet someone akin to a comrade.

"At last we meet. You know there was a time when our faces graced wanted posters side by side."

A blond pushed his way to the front, eyes widening at the sight of the female.

"If you're really Lucy Heartfilia, why are you with her?"

"Her?" The scorn in his voice was not lost upon said female and green eyes narrowed in offense as she snapped back at the man. "Show some respect!"

Rogue shot Sting a warning look before turning back towards Minerva.

"You'll have to excuse Sting, but before all of this happened, we spent many a day running from your allies," he retorted more harshly than he had intended.

She bristled defensively, head held high as she surveyed the men before her with a critical eye.

"Well I'm sure you deserved it."

Whirling around, Minerva looked at the blue skies.

"What the hell was that thing?"

Rogue shook his head, his gaze never leaving her face.

"I have no idea. I've never encountered the likes of it before but it's best we leave before it decides to return."

.04

Curious eyes scrutinized the man as Minerva glanced over her shoulder. He was an interesting individual, one who held no fear of her and it was a surprisingly refreshing feeling.

Fear was most certainly a useful tool in controlling and manipulating others but it was lonely, and try as she may to distract herself from the feeling, it could not mask the fact that it made for a lonely life.

The female continued her trek, head held just a little higher in defiance of the new found feelings stirring in her chest.

"So what do you think of our new friend? Can we trust him?" Minerva asked casually. "He is a thief."

Lucy raised an eyebrow and a knowing smile blossomed on her face.

"Think of it from his perspective, how do you think he looks at you?"

Minerva gave a small tilt of her head, eyebrows raised. "Point taken."

"He's kinda cute, huh?" Lucy asked with a playful nudge in Minerva's direction.

Minerva gave her companion an incredulous look as Lucy shot her a teasing grin. It was true that she had finally settled her differences with the blonde but broaching such a topic was perhaps going a little too far.

Her expression melted into a more disdainful one as she replied, masking the uncertainty that was slowly stirring within her.

"He smells like forest."

.05

Minerva lifted the giant boulder easily and tossed it to the side. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Rogue, his face obscured by flickering shadows cast by his torch.

"No," she exclaimed.

What was he doing here?

"No what?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

"You're not," she said firmly.

"Not coming along? I do believe I am." He strode past her. "I can help."

"I didn't ask for help."

Her steely tone did little to deter the man.

"Well, it doesn't mean you won't need it. That's the second time you've been attacked. Kyouka really wants to capture you."

Minerva scoffed. "And what, you think you can stop her if she tries to hurt me?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But I have to try." He moved closer to her. "You see, despite the fact that neither of us likes it, I owe you a debt."

The statement threw her off. "And why is that?"

"Even though that winged beast wasn't after Frosch, he still could have hurt her. You saved her."

Her expression softened at the mention of his family.

"Who knew a thief had honor?"

"Who knew you had a soft spot for children?"

She sighed as she contemplated the possible complications if he tagged along and finally relented.

"Don't get in my way."

Rogue mock bowed slightly, a smile on his lips. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."

.06

Rogue glared at the woman, confusion and anxiety curling in his chest as he watched Minerva cast a spell.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't answer him and it finally hit him.

"No," he whispered in horror. "You can't be seriously considering Kyouka's offer to join Tartarus."

"Don't worry, no one will miss me," she shot back.

"This is about your family, isn't it? This is about proving yourself to them." Rogue took a step forwards. "I can't let you do this."

She whirled around, waving a hand in his direction. "It's a good thing you don't have a say in the matter."

Rogue cursed under his breath as he found his feet frozen to the floor by her magic.

"I know how you feel, Minerva," he reasoned with her, the desperation shining through in his voice. "There was a time when I allowed the shadows to consume me, allowed the darkness to embrace me when I thought that there was no reason to go on. But then I found one, my daughter."

"That's where you and I are different, I've already lost my family." Her eyes were cold but the pain was evident. "I've already lost the only thing I care about."

He was almost shouting at this point. "That doesn't mean you won't find a new reason. We all get a second chance, Minerva. You just have to open your eyes to see it."

The silence was deafening.

"Minerva, listen to me. This is a mistake."

"I…"

That sole word was enough to convey her hesitancy and he whispered, "Please, don't."

Green eyes locked with crimson ones.

"Please."

.07

"Are those gold tipped arrows?"

Rogue strode over to place the arrows in his quiver.

"Payment. For helping the Lady break into her castle." He smiled at the irony. "Never thought I'd be paid to break in somewhere. It just feels…wrong, somehow."

"That's very generous. The Lady must like you."

He paused at the notion, eyebrows furrowing slightly.

No, it couldn't be.

He was a thief and she was one of the most powerful mages in their realm.

The idea alone was absurd.

Looking up with a wry smile, he shook his head, shoulders tilting up in a nonchalant shrug.

"Ah, likely she wants me out of her castle as soon as possible."

There was no way the Lady would develop feelings for him. After all, this wasn't a fairy tale.

.08

Black boots crunched against the gravel as Minerva made her way towards the house cautiously. The place seemed to be deserted and she let out an audible sigh, slightly frustrated at the lack of leads as to the identity of the one who had stolen a year of everyone's memories.

A sudden rustling of whispers sounded and she whipped around, violet hair fanning out gracefully behind her. She stood there, eyes searching for any signs of the monster that had attacked her but the air was still once more.

"Show yourself, you winged freak," she called out.

Someone emerged from the shadows and Minerva found herself dodging a projectile aimed at her head as the newcomer shot at her. Shifting to the side with lightning quick reflexes, a hand closed around the black arrow and she turned to glare at her attacker, scoffing at the weak attack.

"Apologies," the man raised a hand sheepishly. "I thought you were the Demon of Tartarus."

He strode over towards her, black crossbow in hand, and she replied testily. "And I thought you were a flying cat."

"I do hope my mistake hasn't cost me my head, milady."

A surprised but pleased smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "So, you know who I am."

"Your reputation amongst the guilds precedes you," he murmured breathily.

Her smile widened slightly as pride swelled up within her. "I didn't catch your name."

"Rogue Cheney, at your service." He stretched out his hand and she dropped the arrow into his palm after a moment's hesitation.

Her voice was low and thoughtful. "A thief…"

Rogue twirled the arrow between his fingers, eyes flashing with a mixture of amusement and defensive irritation.

"Well, as we're tossing labels around, aren't you technically known as the Evil Bitch of House Orland?"

She smirked at his audacity. "I prefer Minerva."

He smiled at the faint expression on her face and she looked down at his weapon.

"You think you can bring down Kyouka with sticks?"

Rogue inhaled deeply. "Well, I'm certainly going to try."

"I'm afraid we're too late, she's long gone."

That was certainly bad news but it didn't mean that there was nothing he could do about it.

He glanced back at the house briefly. "Well, perhaps she left a trail."

She looked taken aback, even a little impressed at his words. "I was hoping the same thing."

"Well then, you've got yourself a partner."

The two of them were united by the same cause and if what the others said about Minerva were true, then it would be wise to team up with such a powerful ally.

She brushed past him, head bowed to hide the confusion that flickered across her face. "I…don't remember asking for one."

"You didn't," he stated matter-of-factly.

Minerva turned around to face him. "Just…don't get in my way."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he answered easily.

Something nostalgic yet familiar suddenly washed over her and the female looked at Rogue oddly.

"Have…have we met before?"

He paused. That was indeed a curious question but even he could feel it. Somehow, he had once known this woman much better than he did right now. But this mystery would have to be resolved at a later time. Time was not on their side.

"I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you," he gave her a small grin but noticing the way her face fell at his careless words, he continued. "Unless it was of course during that pesky year no one can recall. All the more reason to find Kyouka. Perhaps she could provide some insight into our lost memories."

.09

Minerva shook the container, not even bothering to hide her disappointment. "Nothing useful here, unfortunately."

Rogue sighed and gestured at the well-stocked cupboard behind him. "So none of these contain magical properties?"

She peered over his shoulder before making her way over to the cupboard.

"A good mage covers her tracks, but a better one can uncover them. We'll find her, just be patient."

He watched her rummage around.

It was strange, he mused to himself. For someone with such a fearsome reputation, Minerva was proving to be a very intriguing, very intelligent woman.

"You know I've heard many stories about the great and terrible Evil Bitch of House Orland, but from this angle, the 'evil bitch' moniker seems somewhat of an overstatement." He pushed himself off of the table, not catching the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Bold and audacious perhaps, but not evil. And certainly not a bitch."

She turned around and leaned back against the cupboard, both hands placed on the smooth wooden surface. He was watching her closely and she couldn't help smile at the kindness in his eyes. "The name served me well. Fear is quite an effective tool."

He approached her slowly, eyes never leaving her face and she could see the curiosity and interest lingering in them, volumes of poetry wrapped in the warmth of his eyes. He was so close that she could smell the scent of pine trees, feel the soothing presence radiate from his body. And as he leaned in, emerald eyes flickered inadvertently to his lips. But then he leaned past her shoulder and retrieved a bottle from the cupboard and she let out a silent breath she didn't know she was holding.

"What about this? Is this magical?"

They remained closely positioned to one another and for a moment, she was lost in his blood red eyes, which only seemed to deepen into a darker shade of maroon as the seconds passed.

Minerva composed herself and tapped at the cap of the bottle.

"Not exactly but it is a liquid that can conjure courage, give strength or even act as a love potion of sorts." She laughed at the look of surprise on his face. "It's called whiskey, and no it's not magical, especially the next day."

"Oh."

Understanding dawned on the man and Rogue stretched up to snag two empty glasses from the top shelf. He jerked his head in the direction of the table, laughter twinkling in his eyes.

"You wanna have a drink now?" Minerva asked.

"Well," Rogue said as he pulled up his sleeves and started pouring a healthy portion into the two glasses, "for the last few days, we've survived a curse, woken up in an entirely new realm and forgotten a year of our lives." He turned around and offered one to the female. "I'd say we've earned it, wouldn't you?"

Minerva nodded in agreement but the smile slid off her face as her eyes fell on the black sabertooth tattoo on the man's forearm.

"You need love." Yukino said earnestly.

Minerva scoffed disbelievingly at the idea. "You're going to help me find another soul mate?"

Fingers tapped at the glass as the two women peered in through the window.

"There he is, the guy with the sabertooth tattoo."

"Is something wrong? Minerva?"

Eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched Minerva's entire demeanor shift into one that was guarded and wary. He had no idea what had provoked such a sudden change but she was halfway out the door by the time he could wrap his head around what had just happened.

.10

Yukino made her way across the diner urgently, peering at the exposed tattoo on Rogue's forearm.

"It's the sabertooth tattoo," she whispered in a low voice. "It was what was prophesized. He's your soul mate."

Minerva closed her eyes in exasperation. "I know. I saw it yesterday."

"And you didn't tell me."

The look of hurt on Yukino's face was almost enough to make her feel guilty but then frustration flared up in her chest once more.

"Well right now, I have better things to do than to gossip about boys," she snapped back irritably.

A deliberately loud cough sounded behind Yukino and she scurried over to Minerva's side, leaving Rogue standing in front of them with three glasses in his hand.

"Care for a drink?"

Yukino took one hurriedly but Minerva made no such move. Rogue shifted on his feet, rubbing his thumb against the side of the glass.

"I do hope I didn't upset you yesterday," he murmured.

The two females exchanged glances with one another and Minerva shook her head.

"No, you didn't upset me," she reassured the man. "I just…found a clue trail that needed to be followed. One that didn't lead anywhere."

One that would never lead anywhere.

True happiness was not something she deserved, not after all the monstrosities she had committed.

Villains didn't get happy endings after all.

"I don't daytime drink," Minerva added as an afterthought.

"Well, perhaps some evening then." Rogue said, shoulders sagging ever so slightly as he nodded at the two women and took his leave.

"What was that all about?" Yukino rounded on Minerva. "Minerva, if you've ever been open to the possibility of love, maybe your life wouldn't have turned out so…"

"So what?"

Minerva's eyes flashed dangerously. Yukino knew nothing about her life. She may know certain things about Jiemma but that was only scratching the surface.

"How did my life turn out?" She hissed.

Yukino looked at her in disbelief. "Why am I even bothering?"

It was a question neither of them knew the answer to.

.11

Rogue knelt down and inspected the shoe print on the ground. The mud was still soft, indicating that whoever had passed by had done so quite recently. Straightening up, he surveyed the area, eyes picking out signs of flattened grass and compressed soil.

He followed the trail and peered out from behind a large, rotting tree. Recognising the large coat resting upon the woman's shoulders, he lowered his crossbow with a sigh.

He must have startled her however as Minerva whipped around, a worried look marring her face.

"We have to stop meeting like this," he said.

She stuffed the letter she had been reading in her pocket hastily.

"Did Lucy send you to give me a pep talk?" She asked irritably. "Because I don't do well with pep talks."

Rogue clambered over the fallen tree trunk and ambled over to sit beside her.

"No, nothing of the sort. After Kyouka's threat, I decided to patrol the woods in case she decided to build the ranks of Tartarus' army." He glanced at her, noting her stony expression and stiff posture. Clearly something was troubling the female. "How are you holding up?"

She refused to look at him. "I'm not a flying cat if that's what you mean."

Rogue let out a quiet chuckle before his face turned serious.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's in that letter you've been staring at?"

Her head snapped towards him as he did the same. A mixture of unidentified emotions flashed across her face before they were hidden by a confident smirk.

"What letter?"

Oh, she was so damn proud, and he couldn't help but grin at her.

"This one," he replied, waving the piece of paper in front of her cheekily.

She looked alarmed and made to retrieve it but he pulled away at the last moment.

"I'm a pickpocket by trade. I spent many years learning how to rob from magicians."

"You're lucky I'm saving my strength for that demon," Minerva ground out.

Rogue shook his head and leaned in a little closer, voice dropping an octave. "I think deep down, you actually want to talk about what's in here."

Minerva looked torn between looking skeptical and annoyed. "And what makes you think you know me so well?"

He pretended to look thoughtful. "Well, for one thing, I'd be charred to a crisp right now if you didn't."

She almost laughed at his statement. "True."

"So can I read it?"

She turned away from him, the look of discomfort slipping back into place, but she acquiesced to his request, albeit grudgingly.

"Not stopping you."

The man unfolded the letter and started reading out aloud.

"Juno, my love. If only you could see our son now. He has the potential to become one of the most powerful mages in Fiore, perhaps even more powerful than me. He is stunning in every way, so talented and intelligent. He dislikes training however, but he will come around soon."

The paper felt moist in his hands and he could see faint watermarks, almost as if someone had shed tears over it. He looked up and his voice was gentle as he spoke once more.

"Rather complimentary I'd say. Why is this troubling you?"

He didn't understand why the woman before him looked so pained, so broken, and it hurt to see her this way.

Minerva bit her lip, feeling the tears well up in her eyes and she struggled to contain the emotion in her voice.

"I've seen that letter a hundred times before. Many a times I have gone to it, studied it to search for clues as to how I could win my father's approval like my brother had." Her voice cracked slightly. "My father has always loved my brother, even after he had run away from home. But he's never loved me, no matter how hard I trained, how hard I fought to uphold the family name. I've done everything he's asked and more but it's never been enough for him."

Rage coursed through him and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

It angered him to see how her father had broken her. A daughter needed a father's protection, a father's love. How could anyone stand to hurt such a beautiful creature as her?

"Why care what your father thinks?" He asked.

"Because he's my father. He's family." She stood up, turning away so that he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. "And family means everything."

.12

Hurried footsteps and ragged gasps echoed throughout the eerie forest as Minerva raced back towards the rendezvous point, hoping fervently that everything was still going according to her plan.

"Did the plan work?"

His voice cut through the still air and she stopped, shining her flashlight to the side as the man emerged from the shadows.

"That depends, is it still here?"

"Right where you left it."

Rogue knelt down and started removing the loose rocks at the base of the tree.

Minerva closed her eyes in relief.

"Well then it worked. I just needed to find the one thing I had that Kyouka didn't."

He took the heart in his hand and offered it to her. "And what exactly was that?"

He couldn't see her expression from where he was crouching but he could have sworn that there was a slight tremor in her voice.

"It's nothing." She hesitated briefly before taking his hands and pressing the bundle into them. "Would you mind holding on to this for a bit longer?"

Rogue's eyes widened in surprise. It was true that the two of them had grown closer over the past few days but something like this required a whole new level of trust.

"You're really going to entrust something so valuable to a common thief like me?"

She smiled sincerely.

"Can't steal something that's been given to you."

He stood there, rooted to the spot in shock. It had been quite obvious that he had been developing feelings for the female but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that she would reciprocate.

And as she turned to leave, he called out to her. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to say but he needed to say something just so that she would stay just for a minute longer.

"You still owe me that drink."

Her back was still facing him, but somehow, he could tell that she was smiling.

"Yes, I suppose I do."

He watched her leave wordlessly but his smirk grew broader as his mind replayed the words she had said over and over again.

He didn't understand how someone of her social status could ever like someone like him but it didn't matter. Because although he was nothing but a petty thief who had tried to steal the Lady's heart, in the end, she had given it to him willingly.

A/N: I know very little about RoMin and wasn't sure how to write those two plus I had an exam two days ago and I ran out of time so it's not great but happy birthday Ari.