She watched as he rubbed his back as he spilled everything from his stomach, not saying a word as she ignored the retching noises he was making. She let her mind wander back to before. To the kisses and the touches and the words he had said.

He loved her. As much as she loved him and they were both willing to spend their long lives together. He had been her friend first and they had been through a lot already. It only seemed fitting that they would end up together. It was only a question of why it took them so long to figure it out. Maybe it was because they weren’t ready to see it before. They had been so content on just being friends. But now it was time to take that next step.

She knew they would have to go slow at first, if only for her own piece of mind. There were still things she hadn’t allowed herself to come to terms with, things in her past. Maybe it was time to do that. Maybe it was time to take a trip and figure out some of the secrets of her own past, just like he had done before. Would he understand? Would he support her in this? Would he want to go?

Her train of thought was lost as Pitor stood straight and burped, letting the world know he was finished.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Thank you, Rogue. I didn’t realize how bad I was.” Three cups of black coffee later, and it seemed that Pitor was finally able to make coherent sentences again.

“That’s what friends are for, Pete. How much did you drink?” She asked playfully as she handed him another cup before taking a seat across from him at the small kitchen table. He took it from her gladly, and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as the strong Russian blew on the dark brew to cool it.

“Who was counting?” He replied with his own goofy grin. “I just got a little sad. I thought it would be a good idea to go have a drink and maybe paint a bit after I helped with the decorationg. The next think I knew, I saw you and Logan out on the bench, and I’m having an impossible time trying to figure why he would have to give you mouth to mouth sitting up.”

“That’s now what he was doing, Pete.” She rolled her eyes as he gave out a loud bellow. She smiled at his eager laugh, feeling a little useful at helping to cheer him up.

“I know that now, of course,” Pitor said with a grin. She felt her cheeks grow red under his scrutinizing gaze. “Just yesterday, you were complaining about how hard he’s been on you and wondering if he secretly hated you. Would you care to tell me what I missed?”

“Well, you know that he invited me to the dance a few weeks ago, right?” She asked, back tracking. “I thought it was because he felt bad and didn’t really think that I would be able to go. And then when we started training together, he was pushing me harder then I had ever seen him push anyone.”

“You now understand why he had to?” Pitor asked, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. She had never told anyone of what had happened when she and Logan were sparring, of her attacking him like she did, or of the second animal that might be living inside of her. Her own personal animal.

“Now I do,” she whispered softly. She didn’t want to elaborate and he must have deducted this from the look on her face. He sat back in his chair, waiting patiently for her to continue as she straightened everything out in her head. “Well, when he came to get me for the prom, it was a little strange. He just kept staring at me like I had grown a third boob or something.”

“That is quiet a lovely dress, Rogue. It’s no wonder that he wasn’t able to control himself when you thought you were alone. I must say that it does seem to show off your… physical assets beautifully.” He said, eyeing her cleavage pointedly.

“I am going to pretend that you didn’t just say that,” she said angrily, glaring at him. But she knew that he was only playing around. There was nothing between them that could even be considered romantic. “Anyway, at the dance, some of the guys kept asking for a slow dance, but I just couldn’t do it. It was the only time Logan would dance with me, and I wanted to keep each one open just for him. And then they played this song and I found him holding me tighter and the mood was just so right, I kept hoping that he would just kiss me. And then he did.”

“And what was that the drunk interrupted?” Pitor asked playfully.

“That was a discussion that we were trying to have about what it would mean if we became a couple. Of course, by the time you came showed up, I think that we had both lost a little control.”

“And you love him?”

“For a long time now,” she whispered, her eyes snapping to the window just behind Pitor’s head. She thought she had heard something outside, but she wasn’t sure and Pitor hadn’t seemed to notice, so she would just keep an ear open. “I think I’ve loved him from the beginning.”

“Yes, I see it. I saw it before in your eyes. They were always softer when you spoke about him. Softer than when you spoke about Bobby, even.” He said softly, sipping the last of his coffee. “And he has loved you for a while now, too.”

She wanted to ask him how he could possibly know that, but their minds filled with the sound of Emma’s thoughts. She was summoning everyone to the briefing room. Something had happened. Something big if Emma was even calling to her.
You must login (register) to review.