they say it's just a phase, you'll be okay

They said she could have a fairytale romance with him. That it would be perfect, that they would look beautiful together and be the prince and princess of Sabertooth. He claimed to be her white knight, and played the part happily. And everyone seemed to be pleased with it.

It made her sick.

A fairytale romance? Who in their right mind would remind her of the guild that had single-handedly destroyed everything she had fought for? It was absurd, but Minerva figured that all it did was prove how little people knew about her. How little they actually cared to find out, really, since it wasn't like anyone bothered asking if she even believed in fairytales. They would find out that she hadn't in so many years.

Just being called a princess irritated the Lady of Sabertooth. Princess were pure beings, innocent and childish. The little celestial spirit mage of her enemies, she was a princess. Not Minerva, not the woman who had sold her soul to darkness for the sake of revenge. She was the Lady. She was a king. Just as her father had raised her to be, what felt like a lifetime ago.

No white knight could save her, not when the purity of his being would only be corrupted by her shadows. Death looked so much better then life with Sting, but no one could understand how she felt that way.

She had the best life she could have, considering her actions.

To all but one other.

Only he understood the darkness she had become surrounded by. Only he could see how the light would kill her if she was forced to remain with it. She needed someone in the darkness, someone who wouldn't understate her problems as just something punching things would fix. She craved the attention of one who saw her, not just someone who needed fixing.

And only another in the shadows could do that.

So Rogue held her as she shook from the nightmares, as she remembered all that had been done to her. And he swore to help her, instead of saying that the problem was already solved. For he knew how memories were just as dangerous as physical beings.

Inner demons couldn't compare to the demons of the flesh. They were worse.

AN: 2 ficlets in one day! A miracle!

RoMin is that ship that I sit here thinking about and wonder how the hell more people don't ship. It's just… perfection. They'd understand each other so much better then Sting would, and there'd be much more respect. And less manipulation. Yep.