The sound of lockers slamming merged with the energized voices of hundreds teenagers echoing down the long halls heralding the end to yet another week of the unadulterated torment known as high school. Rogue hid a yawn as Kitty continued to babble erratically and somehow managed to block the majority of what she was saying out, while registering a few phrases and nodding occasionally as if she actually was paying attention.

She let her gaze wonder over the crowds and was drawn as if by some force beyond her control to the boy a few lockers down and across the hall who was leaning casually against it. Her gaze roamed over him taking in his relaxed stance before she finally raised her eyes and to her discomfiture saw that he was staring right back at her. Blue eyes clashed with green and held each other for an eternity before they simultaneously looked away blushing. If anyone had been paying attention they would have been surprised by this since both the people in question were generally thought to be rather detached when it came to showing emotions.

‘Oh, Pietro.’ Rogue thought sadly to herself. ‘If only…’ She pushed the thought away, knowing how useless that particular line of thought was, having thought it innumerable times before. The Goth girl tried to think of something else, but found it difficult as her thoughts kept returning to a certain silver-haired boy. The same person that had once been a best, make that only, friend. When he had first come to live at the Brotherhood, they had found, to their surprise, that they had a lot in common and had become friends. She had suspected that his feelings might even be something more, the thought of which had both thrilled and terrified her. Thrilled her because she knew how easily it would be to fall for him also (though secretly a part of her knew that she had already) and terrified her because she knew that with her powers a relationship would be impossible.

It had therefore been a relief to have the chance to get away and try to quell those feelings (impossible though it was) at the same time get the opportunity to try and control her powers. She couldn’t tell him the reason for her leaving though, she knew that he would try to talk her out of leaving by saying that it didn’t matter. But she knew that it did. Someone as special as Pietro deserved the best, and the best was someone that you could actually touch without killing yourself. Not that it really mattered because he felt that she betrayed him, and she really couldn’t disagree with that.

“So, what do you say?” Kitty’s question brought her back to awareness and she realized that she had completely missed the question.

“Um, what?”

“I said, do you like wanna go to the movies on Saturday? We can ask Kurt and the others to go also, it will be fun.” She was practically hopping in her enthusiasm as they walked out to the car.

Rogue couldn’t help but smile at the abundance of exuberance that radiated from the girl but at the same time was reluctant to go. Large crowds, killer skin, and darkness don’t mix well. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, like, come on. Please?” The girl pouted at Rogue while employing the puppy dog eyes that to Rogue’s mortification always seemed to work.

“I guess.” she finally agreed with a sigh, while berating herself for being weak-willed. By this time they had arrived at the car to find the others waiting impatiently. They quickly piled into the car and took off out of the parking lot. As they were pulling out Rogue happened to look behind them and found her eyes once again locked with the silver-haired boy’s and remained that way until they had driven out of view.

Saturday night was a night for fun. Hanging out with friends or going out with that special (or at least available) guy or girl. Just relaxing and behaving like a teenager. Of course if you happened to be a teenage mutant and the member of an exclusive group called the X-Men you could probably find yourself the exception to this, which is just what happened on that particular Saturday night for Rogue and the rest of the X-Men.

They had been going to see a movie when they ran into trouble in the form of the Brotherhood. For no apparent reason they were attacked, probably a result of the Brotherhood being bored and wanting a little action. Rogue hated having to fight them, after all, at one point they had been family and a part of her still felt that way. But she was never one to back away from a fight and thought that it might be fun to vent a little.

She wasn’t quite clear who threw the first punch but she had a hunch that it was Lance. That boy always was one for starting trouble. But it didn’t really matter because within a matter of seconds it was a free for all. Todd was jumping around lashing out at Scott with his tongue trying to rip his visor off. Lance was causing the ground to erupt under all of them while paying special attention to Kurt who just bamfed around making it impossible to actually knock him down. Jean and Kitty were taking care of Freddy who was trying to take out Evan who was trying to hit Pietro with his spikes but failing miserably why he sped around stopping occasionally to make a sarcastic remark.

This caused Rogue to smile before she rolled her eyes at them. This was going to take forever at the rate they were going and she actually wanted to see this movie (though she would never admit that to Kitty since it was a romantic comedy). Well only one thing to do. Time to kick some butt. The only question was who to absorb. She would rather not have the majority of them in her head, and that left either the Speedster or Avalanche. She decided on Pietro, but had to find a way to get him still long enough to touch him. Well, the tried and true method was usually the best.

With that thought in mind she snuck up to where he was currently exchanging insults with Evan and with a quick foot sweep knocked him to the ground. Not wasting a second (which she knew would be all he would need) she quickly pinned him to the ground using her body weight and stuck her hand to his face. She waited for the usual pull that always came with the contact. And waited… And waited… Nothing was happening.

She stared down into his face in shock, an expression which he returned. She just stayed there, her hand resting against his face, marveling at the human contact. Instead of trying to get away from her (which would have been the logical thing to do since they were in the middle of a battle) he just laid there, seeming to enjoy her touch. They stayed like that for several moments, luckily the others were to caught up in the battle to notice what was going on.

Finally, Rogue came to her senses and reluctantly pulled away.

With a last longing glance she moved back into the battle, heading to where Lance was still trying to get at Kurt. She had no idea what was going on, if her power wasn’t working at all or what, so she decided to test it out. And Lance was to be the reluctant test subject.

She snuck up behind him and quickly pressed her hand against his face. The familiar pull began immediately, and after a few seconds released him where he crumpled onto the ground. She fought to control the invasion in her psyche, and once she was sure had control she turned to the fight. She used the borrowed powers and sent a tremor over to where Fred stood, which Jean and Kitty immediately took advantage of. In a matter of seconds the battle had turned and the X-Men stood victorious while the Brotherhood (with the exception of Pietro who had disappeared sometime during the fight) fled.

After high fives and self-congratulations the team headed for the movie, but Rogue quickly made up an excuse not to go. After assuring them that she could get home on her own (and that the walk would be good for clearing out her head) she began walking. The warm night air surrounded her as she walked through the almost deserted streets reveling in the darkness. She had a lot to think about, and she knew exactly where to go. It was a place that only one other soul knew about, and with luck he would be there.

She soon came to the school and started the long climb up the fire escape then hoisted herself up the ladder onto the roof. It was an excellent place to be alone, since most people couldn’t wait to get out. Pietro had shown it to her and they had often come here to talk, or just get away. She looked around and didn’t see anything and felt a wave of disappointment. She had really hoped that he would be here, but guessed that it was expecting to much.

She was about to leave when a soft voice from the shadows stopped her. “I was hoping you would show up here.” She was astonished to hear someone else and spun around in her surprise.

“Pietro?” She said trying to make out the person in the shadows. The figure came into view and she visibly relaxed at the site of him.

“I thought we needed to talk.” He walked over until he was right in front of her, and she had to restrain herself from fidgeting. She had been so anxious to talk with him, to find out if it was just a hoax, but now that she was actually there she was feeling very edgy and more than a bit anxious. She had absolutely no idea where to start.

He helped take the decision away by reaching over and gently touching her face. They both held there breath anxiously awaiting the answer to the question that was prevalent on both of their minds. To their mutual delight, he remained completely unharmed. “How?” was the only question he voiced and she just shrugged.

“I have absolutely no idea.” She responded. He started to ask another question, but Rogue had something that she had to do. With out stopping to think about it or worry about the consequences she reached up and pulled his head down until there lips met. A surge of electricity passed through both of them that had absolutely nothing to do with being mutants and everything to do with being human.

After several minutes of what could only be described of as pure bliss, she pulled back. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” She admitted to him shyly. He couldn’t hold back a smirk.

“Because I’m so devastatingly handsome?” He asked her cockily, cocking a brow at her.

Though normally she would make some smart reply about his ego, right now she was just to happy and could only smile. “Something like that.” She agreed. The smile left her face and she continued quietly, “I’ve missed you.”

His faced turned serious again. “I’ve missed you to.” He was silent for a second, then felt compelled to ask. “Why did you leave me?”

Rogue wanted to just give him the same excuse she had told everyone else, that her reason for leaving was Mystique’s betrayal, but she didn’t want to lie to him. He deserved to know the truth. Even if the truth would be harder, since she had never been good at opening up to people. Trust was something that she rarely gave, having had it been betrayed to often in her young life.

“I was afraid.” He just looked at her waiting for her to say more and she took a deep breathe and continued. “I was afraid that I could be in love with you. Afraid that you might even love me back. I was afraid that I might hurt you, afraid that you might hurt me. Afraid to trust. But I realized after I had left that it was to late. That I was already head over heels in love with you and that I did trust you, more than I have ever trusted another person.” After that out pouring she was unsure what to expect, and looked at the ground, waiting for him to say something, anything.

It took her a bit by surprise when he reached out and tilted her head up until she was looking into his eyes. She blinked back her tears and gazed into his eyes. They were filled with love and for a moment she found it hard to breathe. He tenderly wiped her tears away, and leaning close whispered, “I love you Rogue. You‘re like my other half, without you I‘m incomplete.”

At his admission the tears poured out of her eyes and she threw her arms around him. He held her tight as if he never wanted to let go. Finally the tears all dried up and he pulled back to look into her eyes. With a sigh of happiness he leaned in a kissed her again, which she eagerly responded to. He deepened the kiss and she pressed closer to him. He reluctantly pulled away from her. “We should stop.” he told her gently.

“No.” she said beseechingly, pulling him closer again.

“No?” He asked her, a hint of a smile in his voice as he willingly held her close.

“I have waited to long for this moment,” she pleaded/demanded. “I want you. Here. Now.”

“Don’t you think we should talk more first.” But it was only half hearted as he was saying it between pressing kisses on her neck.

“Talk later.” She managed to get out between moans.

“Well, I’m never one to argue with the ladies.”

It was some time later when they both had the presence of mind to talk coherently. They lay on the ground on their discarded pile of clothes holding each other tight.

“So what are you going to tell the X-Geeks?” he asked her while instinctively caressing his hand down her side.

“Hmmm.” she said thinking about it carefully. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” He asked leaning up on his elbow so he was looking down at her. “That’s a new one.”

“At least not yet.” She looked at him pleadingly. “I don’t want them to ruin this. If it‘s okay with you I think we should keep it a secret.”

“Are you ashamed of me?” He asked a mock hurt expression on his face. She laughed at the expression, and was quick to reassure him.

“Of course not. You’re the most wonderfullest person in the whole world.” She punctuated her statement by giving him a quick peck on the lips.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s not even a word. Wonderfullest.”

She grinned at him. “So you’re saying that you’re not the most wonderfullest person in the whole world? Trying to shatter my illusions?”

“Course not. If there was such a thing as the most wonderfullest person than of course it would be me. But it’s not a word.”

“Is too!”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

“Is not!”

She silenced him with a kiss which he returned whole heartedly. She pulled back for a second and said, “Is too!”, then kissed him again before he had time to say anything else. Not that he minded that much.

He broke off and then asked her again, “So you’re not telling them anything?”

“Nope.” Rogue said it cheerfully. “I’d have to listen to lectures, and they’d want to run all these tests and I hate needles.” She shuddered at the thought of the needles. "Then Scott would say that you were just using me for sex or to try to get me to go back to the ‘hood.”

“Hmmm, that just might work.” He said with a grin. “Hey Roguey, come over to the dark side.” He said the last in a fake deep voice that caused Rogue to burst into laughter.

“You are a nut.” She said, lightly smacking him on the arm.

He rolled over until she was under him and kissed her again. “But you love me anyway?”

The grin left her face and she was completely serious when she responded, “More than anything in the world.” They began kissing again and it was starting to get pretty heavy when she remembered something and pulled back.

“Pietro what time is it?”

“I think about 10, why?”

“Oh, no!’ She said panicking, “The others are going to be home from the movie soon and if they get their before me they’re going to want to know where I’ve been.” As she was talking she was frantically pulling on her clothes. Pietro just grinned at her and she paused long enough to pout at him before returning to the task at hand. Pietro waited until she was putting on her boots before in a burst of speed he was completely dressed and she was still pulling on her other boot.

She looked at him grinning at her and was half tempted to throw her boot at him, but thought better of it since he would dodge and it would only make her more late. She stood there and asked him earnestly, “Ok, how do I look?’

“Like you’ve been thoroughly ravished.” he said with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes at him, “Seriously, how do I look?”

“Fine, except for your makeup is completely smeared.” At his comment she started to look panicky, which caused him to laugh again. She glared at him, and he held his hands up in surrender.

“Relax,” Pietro told her with a grin. “We climb down and you wash it off in the fountain.”

She nodded her assent and they both climbed down, and walked over to the fountain. She quickly scrubbed her face until it was free of makeup.

“How’s that?” She asked with an anxious expression on her face.

He stood there gawking at her for a moment then had the presence of mind to respond, “Beautiful.” His tone rang with sincerity, it was the first time that he had seen her without her makeup and he was stunned by how gorgeous she looked.

She gazed into his eyes for a minute and all of her worries faded away as she gazed at him, a look of tenderness appearing on her face. She wet her hand and reached up and gently wiped off the smudge of black lipstick from his face. She then leaned forward and kissed him, it was a kiss that conveyed all their love.

She broke off and he swept her up in his arms and ran her home in a matter of seconds. He stopped at the gates of the mansion and kissed her lightly. “Just our little secret,” he whispered and then took off.

With a dreamy smile she walked up to the door and let herself in, she made her way silently upstairs to her bedroom. She quickly took a shower and slipped on her pajamas before laying down in bed. In a matter of minutes she was asleep , a smile on her lips and his words running through her head, just our little secret.