Sometimes there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
Who: Logan, Booker and Rogue What: Rogue and Logan nearly make a mistake, Booker and Rogue go down the road of a possible mistake when: Recent Where: Above Rogue's cafe Status: complete Rating: PG-13
Rogue leaned her head on the wall. What was she doing? She knew this was a bad idea. It was that untouchable crush she knew was stupid to taunt. Harmless flirting was fine. But this was almost too much. She shook her head clear and pushed off the wall. She'd invited him to the apartment over the cafe. She didn't want to see Lina or Booker and explain.
She wore those heels she spoke about, a corset, and black boy shorts. Her hair was bound up in a messy but curly bun, stands loose and hanging down.
She opened the door. "Well don't stand there all night."
Booker was, actually, worrying a little bit. And regretting getting bored and trollign the network. But that was neither here nor there.
Logan raised an eyebrow, gawking a little bit. “Fuck.” He stepped inside, turning around to check her out. “Didn’t think you were serious.”
Rogue half expected Booker to break down her door and smack senses into her head.
She shut the door and laughed. "I told you I was." She rested a hand on her hip and watched Logan. She knew better but she didn't care. "Whatcha think?"
He was gonna. Don’t tempt him.
Logan grinned at her. “You look really good.” Really, Logan wasn’t going to say no to a beautiful woman that wanted to give him a show. Even if this probably wasn’t the best ideas.
She was a walking temptation right about now thank you very much.
This was the worst idea of all the ideas Rogue has ever had. She figured it was best to get it out of her system and be done with it. Right? “It’s not like I’m a slacker. At least I look better than half the strippers I’ve run across in my life.”
Logan looked her over again, feeling the odd urge to defend some of the strippers he’d run across in his life, but that would get him hit. That, and she was right. “I can’t argue that.”
She’d just dare him to prove her wrong. She did say half after all. Rogue stepped back to let him further into the apartment. There wasn’t much here. She mainly used it for home base when she didn’t want Lina or Booker getting in the way. Or finding something she wanted to keep secret. “I’m sure you want to try but just can’t quite find a good footing to do so.” she teased, she knew him well enough.
“I’m tryin’ to avoid gettin’ hit.” He scratched at his chin. “Still can’t believe you own somethin’ like this. Didn’t peg you for the clubbin’ type.”
“Not willing to test me to see if I can do more than walk in these?” she laughed. “I’m not. They were parts of costumes over the years - sometimes robbing people meant dressing up to fit a targets tastes. It was easy to steal when they were too busy drooling over tits than minding their wallets at a party or in a room. Also easier to knock em out and disappear.” she laughed.
“Point made.” Logan twirled his hand around. “Go ahead an’ dance and see if you can knock me out.”
Rogue had studied, of course. She'd had to. Those who hired her for that, despite being there to steal from them, often had to actually perform for a little while anyways. So she at least knew what she was doing. She'd also refreshed her knowledge by touching a stripper. Gotta steal those memories.
Logan’s eyes followed Rogue as she moved around. He folded his arms and cleared his throat. Something about this just felt dirty and not entirely in a fun way. Like he’d bit off more than he could chew.
She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, then smiled. "I know that look." She took a few steps away from him and grabbed a robe from the back of a chair.
“Yeah? What do you know about it, darlin’?”
"Like you're almost regretting sing if I was up for this, but not too, all at the same time" She tapped her head lightly. "You're still in here, you know." She didn't exactly cover with the robe, just on over her shoulders so she still gave him an eye full.
He smiled ruefully. “Sometimes there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Doesn’t mean you don’t want to cross it sometimes. I’m only human. An’ you’re fucking hot.”
Rogue just smiled. It was on the side of sad but not enough to be totally sad looking, just a hint. "Old enough to know better, young enough not to care." Said with a shrug. "Damn right I am. You don't kick my ass so I look like a slob."
“You’ve got a nice six-pack goin’.” He patted the six pack, just as someone knocked on the door.
"You try to kill me on a weekly basis, of course I do." Then her head came up, brows knitted together. She pulled the robe around her, and peeked out the window.
Booker stood outside, arms folded, foot tapping impatiently. Logan sniffed, and rolled his eyes.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and opened the door, a warm smile in place. "Why hello there... "
“Hey,” Booker said, shifting on his feet. Honestly, he didn’t know why he was here either. “I was just in the neighborhood. Uh. Got any sugar?”
“Of course I have sugar. The house also has sugar.” she laughed softly and smiled at him. “This is awkward.” she said as she stepped backwards and sighed. Logan. Booker. She just needed a drink now.
“Just worried about you,” Booker admitted. He didn’t bother to look in at Logan, keeping his eyes on Rogue.
She tucked a loose white curl behind her ear and smiled at him. “Real sweet of you.” she looked back at Logan. “Moments gone, don’t you think?” she said towards Logan before looking to Booker. “Come on in, why don’tcha?” he has no idea how close she’d come to a really dumb idea. There was a line, and she was a half inch away from walking over it willy nilly and saying fuck the consequences.
Logan grunted, getting to his feet. “Yeah. This was a bad idea.”
“Yeah, probably,” Booker said, fire flickering in his palm for a fraction of a second.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Kick my ass for it later." She stepped out of the way and looked over at Booker and shook her head again. Men. She let them sort themselves out as she went to the fridge to grab a beer.
Logan brushed past Booker on his way out the door, pulling out a cigar. Booker snapped a flame into being and lit it for him. “Maybe next time you remember who you’re taking advantage of.”
Claws popped out, inches from Booker’s face. “Could say the same to you, bub.”
Rogue flicked the top of the bottle between the pair. "Bless your hearts." She took a long draw from the bottle. "What am I going to do with you two?" She plunked down onto the small sofa, legs crossing at the knee, eyes watching them both. "No messes, boys, or you're cleaning it up."
Somehow, Rogue was enjoying this. Logan shot her a look, then retracted his claws. He stepped out the door and walked to his bike. Booker snuffed out his fire. “Okay, so what the hell just happened?”
Rogue was rarely the center of attention, the fact they both got all defensive has really knocked her off kilter. She gave a look right back at Logan, she knew she was going to get paid back in spades. But it was okay.
"You stopped me from doing something I'd probably regret." She pinched the bridge of her nose and slid off the couch, and kissed his cheek. "I didn't realize you worried so much." A genuine smile as she straightened up. "And sugar? Really?" She teased gently.
“I thought it would be funny.” Booker closed the door behind him. “That went better than I thought. Was expectin’ to see my guts on the floor.”
"You are something else." She laughed softly and undid her hair to let it fall back down. "I was expecting to be cleaning up my spare apartment. I've got a doctor in here somewhere but the good med kits at the house." She kicked off the heels, and shook her head. "Thank you"
Booker watched her, then decided it was safer to look anywhere else when her robe fell partly open. He coughed. "Yeah. So you're sweet on him?"
She rolled her eyes. "First off no one says that. Secondly, long time admiration, but I know better. That is a dangerous line to cross. I shouldn't have." She disappeared into the bathroom, wiggling free of both pieces of clothing, and into something not really much better - daisy dukes and a tank top - and tossed the corset over the back of a chair.
She was trying to kill him, he decided. That was not much better, and in some ways it was worse. “He don’t strike me as the kinda person that settles down.”
"No. Not really." She shrugged. "It's alright. I think for the most part it's out of my system." She tucked hair out of her eyes.If she was trying to kill him she'd have changed in front of him. "I know better."
“You deserve better,” He countered. Booker stepped around a coffee table and squeezed her shoulder awkwardly. He was defensive of his lady friends, damn it. Even from people like Logan. Especially from people like Logan.
She leaned against his hand and smiled. "Nah, don't deserve anyone. But I know what you mean." She looked up at him and laughed softly. "It was just something I needed to get my head around. Ah well."
“You deserve to be happy. An’ I know you better than to believe you when you say you’re fine being alone.”
"I am fine." Lies. "It's not a big deal, really." She shook her head gently. A little smile. "Honestly, it's more trouble I guess."
Booker folded his arms. “You can talk to me if you want.” He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. “Doesn’t have to be about santa claws.”
Rogue moved to sit on the couch next to him and tucked her legs up. "Oh my god." She had to stop laughing so she could talk. "That's priceless you know." She took a deep breath and smiled.
“Couldn’t resist, an’ he ain’t here to stab me,” Booker replied. He felt...oddly depressed. Elizabeth had gone. Neena had gone. He was pretty much giving up on dating. He was probably going to die and the only people that would miss him would be Lina and Rogue. It was depressing.
Rogue settled against him and laid her head on his shoulder, careful to rest on her hair and not let skin touch skin. Misery loves company, after all, and Rogue was pretty sure that she was probably on the same page as he was. She was miserable most of the time if she wasn’t working. “We’re a rather cheery pair ain’t we?” she looked upwards at him.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Booker might as well have killer skin, the way he managed to chase away women. Which wasn’t entirely true and he knew it. It was just nice to wallow every once in awhile. “Have to think though. Things gotta get better.”
Rogue indulged in wallowing. Not all the time. Just when times kicked you in the teeth. "At least we can be miserable together." She grinned up at him, before sighing. "Ill admit, hard to watch most of my friends be in happy cheery relationships when I'm stuck with only minor control that really didn't lend itself to that kind of thing. I'm getting better, but not perfect."
"Well, my last relationship wasn't exactly cheery." Much of it had been him trying to help her realize she was still a person deserving of love and attention. He seemed to find himself in that position often. He couldn't fathom why. He was an asshole. Booker put his arm around Rogue and squeezed. "Seems like you got dealt shit cards. Don't you got control in your dreams? Or did you lose it again."
She nudged him lightly. "You know what I mean" he might be an asshole but he was a charming one. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen anyone actually get in Logan's face on her behalf. Or really ever. And walk away without something happening. "This place coulda skipped giving me the power. Yeah, eventually. I've been told I do anyways. And I am getting better. It's just not as fast as I would like. See?" She wrinkled her nose as she laid a hand on his jaw, lightly. "I can manage about a minute. Give or take. "
There was a lot a man could do to a woman in sixty seconds. Booker rested his hand over Rogue's. "Ever think of skippin' town?"
She focused on keeping her control before smiling a bit. "Sometimes, but now I have the cafe. And I think Lina would hunt me down. Plus I'd miss you and mister claws there, and Kitty and Cindy." A light laugh. "I've done the start from scratch thing, I'm not sure I'm up to doing it again."
“Skippin’ wouldn’t even make up for it. Or change anything. But sometimes it’s nice to think about.” He wasn’t sure what kept him around anymore. Without Elizabeth it felt like nothing seemed to matter. Booker’s hand slid down Rogue’s arm, then rested on her hip.
“No not really. It is.” she laughed softly. “I can dream of it but i’d miss everyone too much to do it.” she shrugged a bit as she settled as his hand moved to somewhere with clothing in between. She had no desire to literally get into his head. “What are we ever going to do?”
Clothing inbetween, even if his finger occasionally stroked right where tank top hem and skin met. “Give up on life ain’t an answer?”
She didn't mind, or move. Mindful of it, but just giving minor thought to control. It wasn't enough to make her really focus. "Mmm no. Sorry. Not one in the least."
“Then what do we do?” He echoed her previous question.
"Find a way to survive?" She rolled her eyes up to look at him. "Find a way to actually be happy?"
“What’s this happiness you’re talkin’ about.” He turned his head to look back at her, her hair smushed by his cheek.
"Similar thing to what a lot of others have? But not exact, because I am not normal." She laughed gently as he looked back at her. Then smiled gently.
“You can have normal, you know. If you’d let people in more. I don’t mean just hangin’ around an’ shit. I mean really let someone in. Because you’re afraid to let people close.”
She gave him a look. "Well yes I am. I was that way even before the dreams started. They only made it worse."
“Can I do anything?” There was a twinge of worried desperation in his voice. He was dying. He knew he was and he didn’t know how much time he had left. He needed to ask Lina about healing options. Because it was that desperate. But damned if he wasn’t going to die without doing something for his friends.
Rogue tapped him lightly on the forehead. "Not check out on me anytime soon?" She gave him a look like she didn't believe he'd expended all the options. After all there were dozens who had magic here. Get on that, Booker. "I like having you in my life." She held up a hand, though. "Don't argue. Figure it out. Ask me or Lina to find you solutions. I prefer you here." It was as close to admitting how much she'd grown to like having him around, how much she cared. He'd settled in, much like Lina had and Cindy, without her realizing it. She smiled. "You help, you just don't realize it"
“If you say so.” He didn’t quite believe it. Maybe he never would believe it entirely. The problem was, his self-esteem had taken a trip down the crapper twenty years ago and never come back.
She elbowed him in the ribs, lightly. "Who else showed up to save me from bad decisions??" She shifted to rest her forehead on his. "Shut up and believe me."
“See,” He said. “You shoulda saved the dance for me.”
Rogue grinned. "Geeze, you could have said something before I went and changed you know"
Booker laughed, then reached over to pull her into his lap by her hips. “I’ve seen plenty of strippers in getups like this.”
Rogue laughed as she settled on his lap, wiggling to get comfortable. Or tease. Arms draped around his neck lazily. "That so?" Then a wicked smile. "I do have one of my uniforms stashed here too. I remember how much you liked that one"
“If I recall, pretty sure you liked that one too.” But that could be dangerous, and Rogues little hip shimmy was distracting. Booker looped his arms around Rogue’s waist, then planted his face in her cleavage. Muffled, he asked. “Ever wonder how life could be different?”
"Well yes." She was a walking definition of dangerous. It was half the fun right? She laughed as he face planted into her cleavage. She grinned wickedly. "Mmm of course. But it only makes me sad because I can't go that route." She leaned down to rest her head on his. She sighed gently.
“Why not?” He asked her.
She shrugged gently. "Because, I'm too changed to really live any other way." She smiled at him.
Booker massaged his fingers into Rogue's lower back. "Thing I've learned, is it ain't too late to try to find some kinda balance. Feels like it is, but it ain't. Can't let the...can't let that world rule over you. Gonna drive you nuts otherwise." He furrowed his brow. Still felt crazy. DeWitt. Comstock. Comstock 2. Three of him running around in the same place. Lighthouses and cities and people as far as the eye can see, each one a different version of him. He smushed Rogue closer.
She sighed lightly as he ran his fingers against her back. She was tense, and that felt good. She stretched against him and sighed warmly. "Already crazy, darlin' , can't worry too much. But balance is good.I like balance."
Shifting beneath her for reasons that he'd rather not admit to, Booker sighed as well. He couldn't lift his head, not with her chin on his, but he didn't really mind. "Ever think about endin' it?"
She noticed. Oh she noticed. She shifted just a little and frowned, lifting her head so she could look at him. Her lips pursed slightly. "Once. Why? As much as I bitch, if I just give up, it'll never change right?"
“Just curious. A thought that’s run through my brain sometimes.”
She gave him a look. "Won't tell you to stop.. But I'll give you a reason to stick around."
He leaned back against the couch, hands still holding her against him. Like he was trying to remove as much air between them as possible. Whether for his comfort or hers was up in the air. Or maybe it just felt good. “You could try.”
Rogue wasn't complaining. She was happy enough to be held, even if she was mindful to make sure his hands stayed safe. She took a deep breath and focused as much of her control as she could muster, before moving her hands up to frame his face, closing the distance and pressing her lips to his, trying to impart that he was needed, wanted. She didn't move, though, until she felt her control start to slip.
"That's...certainly incentive." Booker's voice was thick. He wrapped his arms around Rogue. "I don't know up from down any more." He could think of at least ten ways to give her a really good night without her worrying about holding control. But somehow that felt like taking advantage.
She rested her forehead to his, hair in the way, a faint smile. "I thought as much." Quietly. "I think we two broken people should work together to figure that out. I'm willing to try if you are?" She didn't care about a good night. The longer they talked the more she wanted to be there for him.
“Depends on what you mean,” he said, warily. And a little wearily. He didn’t want to do anything that might end up fucking either of them over.
Rogue shrugged. She didn't really know. But they both needed a good reason to stick around. "Whatever, I don't really know, I just know we both need to stop just going through the motions."
Booker didn’t remember how to do more than go through the motions. He didn’t know where to start. So he stared at her, and shrugged right back.
She poked him lightly in the ribs. "Neither of us are good at it." Rogue smiled. "We'll start with cheesy movies and popcorn, because we haven't done that in awhile." Though she.shifted a little, resting her head back on his. "We'll figure it out. We're both stubborn."
Booker grunted, and groped her butt, in that sort of deliberate way as though he were trying to make a point. Or keep things from getting too serious. Or both.
She laughed softly and kissed his chin. She leaned back to look at him, a patient little smile on her lips. They were really two peas in a pod.