Rogue 15 Heat

As the elevator rose Rogue felt herself build up her walls again. She knew that Pyro would need her support to take those steps into the manor into the mutants that he left those years ago. She saw him finger the zippo in his hand and she felt that even though she was freaking out about her powers that she needed to let Pyro know she was there for him. So she concentrated on being careful as she slipped her gloved hand into his.

Pyro's eyes locked onto hers as the elevator stopped on the first manor floor. Rogue gave him a reassuring nod. She didn't need to say anything. He knew she was with him in this.

The elevator door opened  to reveal Bobby standing on the other side. Rogue saw his eyes widen at the sight of her holding Pyro's hand. The silence hung so heavy in the air that Rogue could feel it.

Flick.

Rogue looked down to Pyro's thumb resting on the Zippo poised to strike a flame into life if he needed it. Rogue saw Bobby start to raise his hand and she stepped in between them letting go of Pyro's hand. "Stop." she ordered. Her voice ringing with authority and a threat that it usually never had. Both boys did as they were ordered. Rogue could only see Bobby but his eyes seemed to be colder than usual as he stared past her to Pyro. "Storm said ya both can't start anythin' with each other. So don't!" Then she got into Bobby's eyeline and locked eyes with him. He looked betrayed. "Just walk away Bobby." she said quietly.

Bobby's eyes went even colder and he said, "You know he'll just end up hurting you."

Rogue then frowned at him as she felt a little sting at the thought and replied, "Like you did Bobby?" She felt her heart go cold just from uttering those words that she had been suppressing.

Bobby reacted to the words like she had slapped him. He looked at her with guilt in his ice blue eyes. "Rogue I-"

"Don't Bobby." Rogue told him. She didn't want to hear his speech again about how he didn't want to hurt her. She just wanted to get out of there. "Just don't. Let us through." she told him.

Bobby hesitated for a heartbeat and then moved not looking at her but at Pyro. Rogue walked past him and Pyro followed her. She saw them eye each other with hatred in their eyes. She didn't understand. They had been friends once. But that was in the past. Now all Rogue saw when they faced each other were enemies.

"See ya later Frosty." Pyro taunted as he past with his open Zippo still poised in his hand.

"Yeah. See ya." Bobby said as his fingertips iced over and his blue eyes trailed them as they walked away.

Rogue tucked her white lock of hair behind her ear as they walked away and turned a corner.

Snap. Pyro shut the lighter still keeping it in his hand then looking to her. "What was that all about Rogue? What did Icy-Dick do to you?"

She felt her face go hot under Pyro's eyes. He had caught her little verbal stab that Bobby himself had hurt her. So she just went ahead and told him. "Bobby broke up with me to be with Kitty." Her voice was calm and flat. Emotionless.

"What? You've got to be kiding me? What an idiot. Just because he couldn't handle the fact that you couldn't touch." Hatred shone like a fire in Pyro's brown eyes.

Flick. Snap.

Rogue sighed and shook her head. "No. Ah had the cure when he broke up with me." She told him with even less emotion in her voice as a frozen piece of her heart seemed to chip away.

Pyro shook his head. "That cold hearted bastard!" He growled and then said, "He deserves that ditsy air head then."

Flick. Snap.

Rogue sighed and told him. "Ah don't wanna talk about it any more John." she told him. She found her fingers twitching for the lighter that Pyro had in his hand.  

Pyro smirked and held out his lighter. "Here. It helps."

Rogue took the Zippo and mimicked Pyro perfectly with one hand. Flick. Snap. And it did help. It seemed to each her muscles and make her stomach stop clenching. She smiled down at the lighter then back up at him. "Ah can see why you used to always bug me by doin this." Flick... she struck the flint and a small flame came to life. She looked down into it and she went on. "Ah remember the first time Ah met you. You were sittin' in front of me. You showed off my using your fire-telekinesis." She had stopped walking and was just staring at the flame of the Zippo.

Pyro then took the flame from the Zippo and made it flow into his palm and made a ball of flame like the first time that she was talking about. He held it out in front of him to her like it was a present. "Yeah. It didn't work though. You weren't very impressed back then. Guess I'm just going to have to work harder." A flirtatious smirk graced his lips and he formed the fireball into a flaming heart.

Rogue looked from the heart made of fire up into his eyes. She was blushing and she found her pulse racing. "Very impressive."

Pyro snuffed the heart out and reached up and fingered the white stripe of her hair and told her. "I'm glad you like it." then he leaned down and put his other hand on her jean clad hip and then bent his head down until the tips of his hair tickled her nose.

Rogue was still confused what was going on with them so she finally asked, "John. What is this? What are we doing?" She whispered.

He just smirked and said, "I know that pop sickle prick never did it right, but you should recognize a kiss when it happens." then he took the risk that her skin held and touched his lips to hers in a more passionate kiss than the one before. This kiss seemed to ingnight something deep inside of Rogue to come alive again. Was it hope? Or was it the longing for hope that she had given up on. She didn't know but as Pyro's lips left hers she found she didn't really care. Answers could wait. She just wanted to enjoy the heat in Pyro's eyes that seemed to be for her.