Title: Weeks
Rating: Not-Really-Naughty
Word Count: 2,492
Character/Pairings: Rogue/Bobby, Bobby/Kitty, Rogue/Remy
Summary: Life after the cure is all about realizations and transitions.
Author's Note: Firstly, I should say that the X-verse canon that I'm most familiar with is Evolution, so I've taken a few elements from there (mainly that Hank McCoy is actually Dr. McCoy...who, technically, wasn't necessarily an MD, but with Jean dead, I needed an MD, so he became an MD). So, I do know that I'm messing around with canon and characterization.
Secondly, if you've read the novelization of X3, then you know that Gambit, Cannonball, Psylocke, and Sage are introduced near the end. Basically, I just wanted to play around with that concept, specifically with how Gambit and Rogue would interact.
Thirdly, though I have an accent, I don't write them. So, when you're reading the dialog, hear a Mississippi accent when Rogue speaks, a Cajun accent for Remy, an African one for Storm, Chicago for Kitty, Canadian for Logan, Bostonian for Bobby, and so on.
The first week after the battle at Alcatraz, it's all Rogue can do to act subdued and respectful of the dead. She tries to suppress her toothy grins when someone walks past her in the hallway without shying away. It's a trial for her to not squeal with glee when she wears the bikini she couldn't stop herself from buying once she heard about the cure and knew she was going to take it. She wears tank tops and shorts so short Storm tells her to go back to her room and change into something more decent. She is effulgent and effervescent and elated with all the simple things she can allow herself to do now. She sighs contentedly whenever Bobby holds her bare hand or touches her face or kisses her softly. Bobby is the epitome of gentlemanly behavior with her and she's not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. He says he doesn't want to push her too fast, doesn't want to rush her into touching. She smiles and kisses him for being so sweet to her.
On Tuesday of the second week, they have a special dinner so the new recruits can be formally introduced to everyone. She wears a slinky green dress with spaghetti straps and a back cut so low she can't wear underwear. When the Cajun calls her chere, plants a kiss that lingers just a little too long on her hand, and rolls his red-on-black eyes up to hers, she gives him a sly smile and pulls her hand back slowly. She pretends she doesn't notice the glare Bobby gives her just like she pretends she doesn't see Bobby holding Kitty just a little too close when they dance.
Near the end of the third week she starts to get bored. Sure, she still attends classes with the kids her age, but most of them spend the bulk of their time training in the Danger Room. She tries watching TV and reading; neither work as they both require her to sit still for extended periods of time and she feels too restless to sit still. So she roams the halls while Bobby and everybody are training, endlessly searching for something to occupy her time.
At the start of the fourth week, she gives up roaming—she never found anything that could hold her interest anyway—and sneaks into the observation room. She watches Bobby, Remy, and the others on the monitors. It takes her nearly the whole session to realize she's jealous. The idea is absurd and she tries to deny it. She tries to push the thought from her head, but it stays stubbornly there.
By the fifth week, she's stopped counting how many weeks it's been since she's been able to touch someone without killing them. The bliss has been wearing off faster since that day in the observation room. She starts to notice how some of the kids look at her—she isn't sure what's worse, the kids who look at her with pity or the ones who glare because they think she's some kind of traitor for taking the cure. She stops wearing the too-short-shorts and tank tops and starts wearing t-shirts and jeans again.
After watching several sessions, Logan finally catches her in the observation room. She feels a rush of emotions sweep through her and realizes one of them is relief.
"Hey, kid," he says. She gives a half-smile.
"I'm not a kid, Logan."
He snorts, but leaves it at that. Silence stretches between them and she's looking at her feet half-hoping he'll leave and half-hoping he'll stay.
"I…" She starts, but lets her voice trail off as she looks up at him. He quirks an eyebrow, as if to say "keep talking", so she does. "A part of me misses it, you know? I never thought I would miss it, but I do."
He doesn't ask her what "it" is, just nods. "You aren't going to tell anyone about me watching are you?"
"Nope." They both smile.
Time passes quickly. She goes to class, studies, spends time with Bobby, and watches the future X-Men train. Sometimes she feels as though she's going to burst as she observes each of them improving. She hates that envious feeling in her gut and the nasty little voice that says she should be training with them.
Three months after the battle, she gets the first headache she's had since the cure. One minute she's walking with Bobby on the way to their next class and the next she's stopped, cringing, pressing a hand to her forehead, and nearly dropping the books she'd been carrying.
"Rogue?" He sounds worried, but she can't pry her eyes open and wonders when she closed them.
"Just a headache," she says in voice rough with pain.
"Rogue…"
"I'll be fine, Bobby." It's the first time she's snapped at him since they could touch. She cracks open her eyes and tries to soften her features. "I'm sorry. I think I'm going to go get some Tylenol from the infirmary. Could you tell Storm for me?"
She's gone before he finishes agreeing.
She doesn't have another headache until the weekend. It comes on so quickly she barely has time to sit down instead of collapsing. She sits on her bed gasping and hoping it'll abate just enough for her to get some Tylenol. It's an hour before it finally does. The infirmary is empty when she gets there. She stares at the fully stocked shelves for a long moment before deciding to pocket a bottle in case she has more headaches.
The next one happens three days later. She's sitting near the back of the room in History and she nearly falls out of her seat it hits her so hard. The class turns to stare at her and she realizes she must've cried out.
"Rogue, are you alright?" Storm asks.
She manages to stutter an unconvincing "fine." She is too relieved when Storm resumes her lecture. As covertly as she can, she takes two pills out and swallows them with a swig of water from her bottle.
The headaches start coming more frequently and more potently. She starts eating Tylenol like candy and worrying about what she's going to do when she runs out. When the headaches begin to be accompanied by flashes of images, she gets concerned. When the images start to have surround sound and sensory, she quits wearing short-sleeved t-shirts.
Days pass and she wonders why Bobby hasn't noticed and realizes she hasn't spent time with him outside of class in weeks. She's anxious all the time and snaps at everyone; she even makes one girl cry. She tries to feel bad about it, but it's hard to feel much of anything around the constant headaches. The day she runs out of Tylenol she passes out in the dining hall.
While she's unconscious, she dreams memories of places she's never been and people she's never seen. Her eyes open and she wakes up to the horrible realization that her powers are returning. She can hear a murmur of conversation just outside the door to her private room in the infirmary. A sharp pain jabs at her brain and suddenly she can hear exactly what they're saying.
"Do you think it's a side effect from the cure?" Her mind automatically connects the voice with Storm.
"I'm not sure. I'll have to run some tests when she wakes up. I don't have enough information about her symptoms at the moment to conclusively diagnose anything." She remembers the voice, but has a hard time putting a name to it. Dr. McCoy is who she finally decides on.
"So, what you're saying is you don't have clue." That voice is Logan.
As quickly as it came on, the pain and super-hearing fade away. Her eyelids feel heavy. She drifts off to sleep and dreams of Alakali Lake, Stryker, and pain.
She wakes up much more smoothly the next time. Dr. McCoy is standing over her. She gives him a tired smile.
"Hi." Her voice sounds dry and croaky, which makes her wonder how long she's been out. "How…lon…" is all she can manage before he fetches her a glass of water. She drinks it slowly at first and then in large gulps. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. Now, to answer your question, you've been unconscious for three days. If you're feeling up to it, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the symptoms you've been experiencing." He's using his most soothing doctor voice and she can't bring herself to be bothered or feel indignant about it so she just nods affirmatively. "Have you been experiencing any headaches or light headedness?"
"Headaches."
"And when did these headaches start?"
She shrugs. "Maybe a month or so before I…"
"Fainted?" She nods. "Ah, yes. Have you been taking any pain relievers?"
"Just Tylenol." She feels a small stir of guilt over the bottle she stole.
"Hmm…We should run some tests—"
"No." The look he gives her is full of surprise. "I mean, I think I know what's happening. The cure…it's not…I mean…My powers are coming back."
"Do you…Can you be sure?" She can tell he's flustered.
"The memories of the people I…absorbed are coming back." It's nearly imperceptible, but she notices him flinch away from her for a brief second. She tries not to feel hurt. It doesn't work.
She's allowed to return to classes the next day. That morning she cries when she puts her gloves on. It seems like everyone is staring at her, some pitying, some smug, some unsure. Part of her hates them all. Bobby stutters and tries to apologize but she silences him with a glare. She stops watching the training sessions, stops spending time with Bobby, and starts working out in the gym. She's a little out of shape, so she pulls a muscle when she kicks the bag the first time.
Dr. McCoy summons her to the infirmary as she's leaving the gym one evening. He wants to know how she's doing. When he asks she tells him that the headaches have lessened since she's been exercising more. He wants to run tests, but she says she's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
After a week and a half of working out alone, Remy joins her. He does it silently, sneaking in like a thief and stealing her alone time. The first time, she glares at him as he sits at one of the weight machines. She still glares for the second, third, and fourth. On the fifth, she ignores him and hits the bag just a little bit harder.
A week later, she's half-way through her warm-up stretches when he enters the gym and heads straight for her. She doesn't hear him until he calls out to her.
"Rogue." She ignores him, hoping he'll go away.
"Rogue." He isn't going away.
"Rogue." Still not gone.
"Hey." He grabs her arm, a dangerous thing to do for she's taken off her hoodie and gloves. Quick as she can, she pulls her arm out of his grasp and looks up at him.
"What?"
"I was going to ask if you wanted to spar. I seen you here and you're pretty good. Just thought you might want a partner." She raised an eyebrow.
"And that partner just has to be you?" His smirk is cocky and she wants to slap it off his face, which is, in the end, why she accepts.
For two weeks she and Remy work out and spar. Before she realizes it, she's spending time with him outside of the gym. They're sweaty and laughing as they exit the elevator that leads to the lower levels. Bobby and Kitty are have a fierce, whispered conversation as Rogue and Remy spill out into the hallway. She's laughing and leaning on him. Bobby notices her and turns away from Kitty, pink tinting his cheeks. As soon as she sees him, Rogue straightens up and her mouth sets into a frown, humor forgotten.
Remy takes one look between the estranged couple and says, "And this is where I make my getaway. See you, Chere."
While Remy walks off, Kitty stands in the background with a nervous look. Rogue and Bobby face each other silently for a few beats before Rogue extends a gloved hand to Bobby.
"So, friends?" She asks and it takes him a few lengthy seconds to realize she's accepting the break-up that's been a long time coming. He nods and takes her hand.
"Yeah, friends. Just…friends." It's an anti-climactic end to their relationship, but they both know the chemistry between them has been stale for too long.
"See you around?"
"Yeah."
A week or so later and Rogue and Remy have taken to spending so much time together that a lot of the younger kids start calling them RougeandRemy, but only when they're not in earshot. They still spar, but it's more playful than before. Rogue sometimes forgets that she shouldn't touch him. Friday night finds them sharing one of the loveseats in the rec room and throwing popcorn at B movies. When the credits roll on the last movie, it's past two o'clock and they're both fast asleep.
Storm finds them at seven o'clock. She wakes them up and sends them both to their respective rooms. Rogue glances back as they leave and sees a worried look marring Storm's face. It puzzles her, but the thought flees her mind when Remy slips his arm around her waist.
One Saturday, Rogue and Remy are sparring and he manages to knock her onto her back. Air rushes out of her lungs, but she tries not to let it faze her as she kicks his legs out from under him. He falls next to her on the training mat. They're both out of breath as they turn to face each other, grinning madly. Remy. The breathless exhilaration of the fight winds down into endorphin euphoria and his face is suddenly serious. He reaches a long arm out to her head and pulls her to meet him halfway. Their lips touch and for a moment, she's too shocked to respond, but when his tongue touches her lips, she's suddenly a fervent participant. She doesn't feel it at first, but all too soon she notices Remy's gone stiff. Her mind flashes to David and, lightning quick, she pushes him away from her. She stares at him for a beat, his body racked with tremors, before taking off at a dead run for the infirmary, hoping someone is there.
As Rogue runs through the lower levels of the mansion, Dr. Moira MacTaggart arrives at the front gate and asks to be buzzed in. Later, Rogue will find irony in the facts. The day Professor Xavier returned, Remy gave her the best kiss of her life and her powers returned.