Scenes From A Relationship

Part One

Summary: Moments in Bobby and Rogue's relationship after the events of X3, in approximate chronological order. Three-part series.
Timeline: Post-X3
Disclaimer: I don't own anything

One

Out of long-enforced habit, for a week after she was Cured, Rogue flinched every time Bobby went to kiss her. And though she always melted against him a moment later, fear swept away by the rush of remembering and his soft, slightly cool lips, he felt her hesitation every single time.

She never initiated any kisses. She'd spent too long being afraid to touch, she explained. Old habits die hard. He needed to give her time to adjust. But the continued distance, no matter how slight, hurt him, and he wondered sometimes if it was him who made her afraid.

And then early one morning, she knocked on his door. He opened it, tousle-haired and bare-chested, bleary sleep-filled eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Rogue, hi," he stammered, turning to grab the t-shirt that hung on the back of his desk chair.

"Wait." She stopped him by touching his bicep, a touch that was sure and soft. Her eyes followed her fingers as they trailed slowly up his arm, past his shoulder, and across his chest until they rested over his heart. She looked up at his face. He was smiling.

Then she placed her hands on his neck and kissed him.

Two

Bobby rolled his eyes at yet another lame joke in the inane teen comedy they were watching in the rec room. He glanced over at Rogue, eyebrows knitting as he took in her posture. Her elbow rested on the armrest, fingers massaging her temple; she was clearly distracted, gazing unseeingly at the television.

"Are you okay?" Bobby asked, reaching between them to take her hand.

She started at the touch of his fingers, automatically beginning to pull away. He tightened his grip slightly, reassuring and reminding her that it was alright, nothing would happen.

"I'm fine, sugah," she replied, squeezing back. The look on her face was one of gratitude, relieved that he wasn't hurt by her instinctive withdrawal. "It's... it's the psyches."

Concern filled his eyes, and he shifted so he was facing her. "Is it bad?"

She shook her head. "They're gone. It's... there's nothing left. Just me."

Tilting his head to the side, he asked cautiously, "That's... good, right?"

"Yeah. It's just... it used to be so crowded in my head. Now..." Trailing off, she shrugged. "It's strange."

"Think you'll get used to it?"

He shifted closer, letting go of her hand to tuck a few strands of white hair behind her ear. His hand lingered on the back of her neck. The caress was gentle, light, and intimate, and the contact made her shiver a little.

The corners of her lips curved upwards into a small, beautiful smile. "Yeah," she said, leaning into his touch. "It's better this way."

Three

He found her sitting on her bed, reading a novel they'd been assigned for English Lit.

"Hey," he said, knocking lightly and coming in. "Where've you been? I thought we were going to have lunch with Kitty and Jubes."

She closed the book and set it aside, folding her legs and scooting over to make room for him. "Sorry, sugah," she said with an apologetic smile. "I, uh... must have lost track of time."

There was something else going on - he could tell by the way her hands wouldn't stay still, the way her gaze kept darting to the side.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Biting her lip, she glanced away again.

He pressed again, gently. "Rogue." He ducked his head, trying to catch her eye. There was nothing but concern and care in his expression.

"It's nothing," she insisted. But once her eyes met his, she couldn't look away. And she couldn't keep lying. "It's just... this morning, after breakfast... I heard some people talkin' about me."

Bobby's eyes narrowed. "What were they saying?"

She was wringing her hands in her lap, and she couldn't help looking down at him as she spoke. "That I... don't belong here any more."

"What?" He reached out and touched her knee. "That's crazy. Of course you belong."

"This place is a safe haven for mutants, Bobby," she said, looking up at him again. "It's where people go to learn how to control their powers. And I-I'm just..."

He shook his head. "This place is for anyone who needs a home," he said, taking her hands into his own. "The Professor always talked about accepting people for who they are. And anyone who doesn't want to accept you for who you are - they're just as bad as the people who force us to look for a safe haven. They're not worth listening to."

She pressed her lips together. He was right, of course. "I know. It's just hard, knowing what people are saying behind my back."

"Hey." He leaned in and kissed her, soft and gentle and chaste. When he pulled away, there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Don't pay any attention to them. You know there are people here who love you, cured or not."

She drew back a little and stared at him, expression surprised and maybe a little bit scared. Neither of them had ever used the L-word before. "Who... what now?"

"Love you." Bobby knew exactly what he had said, and he knew the deeper meaning that his words had carried. Breathing deeply and squeezing her hands a little tighter, he said it again, the way it was meant to be said. "I love you."

She blinked, eyebrows shooting up.

"It's okay if you don't want to say it back," he went on before she could say anything. "There's no pressure."

"Bobby-"

"I just want you to know that I love you for who you are," he kept going, words tumbling out of his mouth. "It's not because we can touch now. I'd still love you even if you hadn't taken the Cure."

"Bobby."

He stopped talking, finally, and she pressed her lips to his, revelling in the contact and the way she could feel how much he cared about her in the way his hands came up and held her like she was something precious.

When their lips parted, she touched his cheek, expression sobering.

"I love you too," she said, her voice so quiet that Bobby almost didn't hear her.

He was obviously taken aback. "Are you sure?" he blurted out unthinkingly, the combination of her kiss and her words having seemingly short-circuited his brain-to-mouth pathways.

The unamused look she gave him, complete with one raised eyebrow, brought him back to earth.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just... I didn't expect you to say it back."

"Well," she replied seriously. "I am. And I do, sugah. I mean it."

He gazed at her for a long moment, and then he pulled her close, kissing her mouth again. When they parted, he detoured to drop a kiss on her forehead, and she nestled into his arms.

They fit together like puzzle pieces, and she found herself thinking that he was right - this was where she belonged.