[open log] Cooooold

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

Characters: Rogue, PEOPLES
Setting: Outside the mansion
Content: ...stuff?
Status: OPEN OPEN OPEN OMG OPEN

[Rogue's decided that she really doesn't like treadmills and is therefore somewhat bundled up so she can take a run outside the lake instead. Logan's been pushing her in training and she's really not fond of feeling like she's going to keel over after every training session. Her solution to this is to work out more and that involves running. In the cold. She's starting to second guess this solution thing.]

Comments

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

Because you're a really really bad liar. [Now it's just a full on grin as her fingers curl around his jacket, catching his gaze. Thoughts of running are slowly creeping towards the back of her mind.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

I'm a bad liar? I'm not even trying to lie, sweetheart. [So maybe the sight of that grin focuses what little of his attention wasn't on the thought of kissing her on kissing her, or rather not kissing her, because he can't. Regardless his lashes lower and his heart speeds up as she clutches at him.

He's pretty damn sure she's doing this on purpose.] You're a bad liar.

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

Me? I'm a great liar. I have no idea what you're talkin' about. [Yeah, she can't say that with a straight face because she knows it's soooo far from the truth. So a little giggle just might escape from her lips and oh shit now she's really not thinking about running anymore. Julian Keller is such a distraction.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[Last time Julian checked, Rogue was the distraction here. His grin widens ever so much as she giggles because she's somehow adorable and beautiful all at once. And there goes all those soft feelings in his chest that somehow made him ache with all their tenderness, and he really should be punched before all this lovey dovey affection turns him into Joshua Foley or some shit.] Oh yeah? You're lying right now. I can tell.

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[Nope it's totally Julian who's the distraction. She was all set to brave the cold and run and then he decided to stop and distract her. It's definitely his fault. It's hard not to grin as her expression becomes a tinge more disbelieving.] Uh-huh and how can you do that exactly?

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[He chuckles, shortly and under his breath as he gazes down at her, his arms squeezing her gently closer.] You have tells, sweetheart. You can't keep a straight face, you blush... [His eyes linger on her pink cheeks for a moment, even if it's from the cold.] ...and you giggle.

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head, wind catching a few strands that've already managed to escape her ponytail.] I'm sure I've got no idea what you're talking about, sugah. [Except she really does and oh look, there's that blushing he was talking about. Foiled again. She bites her lip, glancing to the side for a moment as she does before back at him again.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

And there's another one, sugar. [He licks his own lips, watching her coy reaction for a moment before his blue eyes flick back up to hers. He smirks, his gaze both warm and intense, hooded only by playfulness.

Julian lifts his fingers to carefully push those errant strands back, following down through the silky strands of her ponytail, and lets out a heavy sigh.

He can't kiss her like he wants to and it's useless to tell her so; it's almost just as futile to spend so much time thinking about it. But it's something he can't ignore, not now. He bows a little closer, tilts his head - and then stops, searching her eyes.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[This is the point they always come to on a daily basis before one of them has to be the first to turn away and sigh with frustration. Today, it's Rogue's turn to turn her face away after a few tension-filled moments, exhaling softly. One hand releases his jacket and she tugs at the end of her ponytail, trying not to go mad from frustration with her stupid mutation.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[He too lets out a breath as she shatters the moment, a shaky one that rattles his chest.

His cheeks flush and his hands clutch at the fabric of her jacket; the best he can do at the moment is slide his eyes from her features and bury his face into her slim shoulder with a soft groan. It's something, at least, the warmth and curves of her body against his.

One day, he's started silently thinking. One day this won't be so hard; one day he'll touch her. He's not sure if this is the product of denial and some far-fetched ambition or if anything will actually come of these thoughts.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[Rogue doesn't let herself even think about such crazy ambitions like actually being able to touch other people. There is absolute no hope as far as that goes and it shows in her demeanor. She never tries to hide it. Never feels like she should even bother.

She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she tries to turn her mind back to the actual reason she's standing out here in the cold.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[But Julian's still thinking about her, about finding a way to give her more than this. Finding a way to not only renew her hope for some human contact but to fulfill it. He'd give just about damn near everything and it shows in everything he is at the moment too: embracing her firmly, gently, pulling his head up enough to press his lips against her hair.

He feels Rogue's exhale against his neck and the soft brush coaxes his eyes to close.

It's then, out of all of the moments he has spent with her, thinking about her, that he realizes like a hard punch in the gut how much he cares about her. That he loves her. The suffocating rush of emotion is slow to overcome him, but it does; his breath turns shallow and he squeezes his lashes against his cheeks, involuntarily squeezing her tighter as well.

He immediately wants to deny it, but the notion is quickly expelled. He's in love with her. He loves her, helplessly, and the realization resonates in his mind like no other truth ever has.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't realise that this is how intense things have gotten. It's not like she doesn't know that he cares about her. She's known that for awhile now. But this hug... she's too emotionally obtuse to realise the full extent of what exactly is going on in his mind. So this hug is just a comforting one to replace the kiss they can never have.

And then she pulls away a bit, not wanting to dwell on the matter anymore.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[Realizing he loves her is enough the knock the breath out of him; looking at her afterwards hurts like nothing he's ever felt, pains him more than longing to touch her ever could.

His lips part, a cloud of cold air escaping on an exhale. She's looking up at him like she always does, silent and reserved and beautiful, resigned to their fate. His brows furrow and his breath catches slightly - it's like seeing something new about her, or just noticing it was always there. He can do nothing else but lift a hand to her hair, his fingers trembling slightly as they encounter the soft strands.

He feels like he needs to say something. Maybe not it, but something.]

You are so beautiful.

[The words are frank and sincere, but loaded, weighed down by the ache in his chest.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[There's a faint blush on her cheeks and she laughs softly, trying to move everything away from the intense place it had been stuck in for the past few minutes. She manages an amused grin.]

Thanks, sugah, but I'm pretty sure that bein' bundled up in sweats takes me pretty far out of the beautiful category.

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[He returns her grin, but it's more of a sad smile that falls away quickly. He's not surprised she merely blushes and ignores the weight of his words and their inflection. Somehow that makes this hurt all the more.]

No, sweetheart... you're wrong.

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

Julian... [She bites her lip nervously, realising that they're not getting past this intensity and that it's possibly she's missing an underlying something here.] Can we... can we not do this right now? Please? You could come by later or...

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

Yeah... yeah, sure. [Her question snaps him out of it, just enough to lean back a little, his hand falling down to her shoulder. His eyes dart a bit but return to her; his lips close.

He realizes he has been looking at her intensely for awhile now, probably still is. But he's not sure he could stop himself if he really gave it a try. Not now.] ...sure. Later.

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, she's definitely been missing something here. Her gaze drops away from his, teeth still pulling at her bottom lip.] Sorry, I just... I should probably go run. [The words sound lame even to her ears.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

Yeah. [He sucks in a breath of cold air. She should, he should; that's why they are here. Yet his realization has put him on a high; he feels frazzled and not really here at all.

He lets out his breath and the words nearly burst from his lips. I'm in love with you.

But something makes him pause, looking down at her. Fear and then a wash of sudden anxiety. He's not afraid, is he? Not over the possibility she doesn't love him back, no. Just the abrupt panic that he cares about her like this, that he cares for anyone like this, and every time he does- as if loving her means she'll disappear now.

He doesn't think any further; he can't. He stops. Instead he leans in, his hands cupping her face and his lips capturing hers, the kiss earnest and soft and painful in more ways than one. If his eyes weren't closed he's sure his vision would have blackened; he sways and drops his hands to her shoulders, gasping for air.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't even think as his lips meet hers and she savours the moments because she knows it's not going to last. And then it doesn't. In the next moment, she feels her mutation kick in and her hands automatically come up to his shoulders to support him, one moving on the carefully cup his jaw. There's concern in her eyes and she bites her lip nervously. Even though she instinctively knows that she didn't drain enough from him to do any serious damage, a small part of her can't help but panic just a little bit.] Sugah, are you... [Her voice trails off, leaving the rest of the words unsaid.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

[There's nothing enjoyable or romantic about the dizziness he's experiencing now, the sapping of energy, the labored, wheezing breaths he's gulping down. He leans on her a little, leans his jaw into the tenderness of her caressing hand, knows kissing her was foolish and desperate and god, he's a fucking idiot because he'd do it again and again and again.]

Fine. [He chokes the answer out, lifts his blue eyes to meet hers, so wide and green and concerned. It makes him straighten, set his jaw to ease her worry.]

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

I'm going to end up killing you one day if we keep this up. [Her tone is light but the concern is still in her eyes. Because it doesn't matter if he tries to act like he's almost back to normal again. She knows what her stupid mutation took from him and is going to keep worrying. She doesn't mind that he leans on her, she's almost glad of it and that he's not being stubborn about it.

And then, of course, there's a voice in the back of her mind that's just cursing her damned powers yet again. Like it always does.]

[kickasstelekine.livejournal.com]

I doubt in the way you think it will. [He says the response dryly, coughing just slightly as he reaches to hold onto her tightly, fiercely - to stay upright and to hold her too, to feel that she's there. A soft hum escapes him; he rests his eyes and lets his head fall to her shoulder again, and breathes her in.] God, sweetheart...

[canstillkickass.livejournal.com]

I know. [Gloved fingers weave through his short hair as he leans against her. She bites her lip again, glad that he can't see her continuing worry.] I know.