Hey, you've got a lot of nerve to dredge up all my fears [Keggy]

[mirrored_kisses]

It was getting to be too much. Life was becoming one thing after another. A crazy ride of ups and downs and surprise turns that were leaving her breathless and wary. In the end, there was one thing she wanted

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[keggernaut]

Cain had seen Rogue head into Vegas and followed her. He hung back to keep her from seeing him and ended up loosing her in the crowd. He had a couple ideas about where she might be going though.

He stayed to the side streets and made his way to the rubble filled lot. He wondered if it was still a crime scene. Maybe it was a bad idea for him to be there.

He stayed in the shadow of a nearby building and did his best impression of a dumpster. He watched Rogue standing in the middle of the rubble.

He didn't know what to say to her, so he just watched silently.

[mirrored_kisses]

Bringing the card to her lips, she pressed a tender kiss the dirt encrusted surface before tucking it into her pocket.

Closing her eyes, she could feel him, her his thick drawl in her ears, wrapping around her like a protective blanket. It would be easy to lay down and never get up. To stop doing this. Weapon X. The X-men. Bobby. Kitty. Vegas. Remy. Juggernaut. It would be so easy.

He hadn't died for her to give up.

Turning, she made it too steps before something made her freeze. It was a sixth sense born of spending so many years fighting, of being wary and aware.

"Who's there?"

[keggernaut]

He takes a tiny (for him) step forward. "Just me."

[mirrored_kisses]

"Come back t'gloat." Staring at him, wanting to do a million things. "Why? Explain it all t'me. Tell me why this had to happen.' Flinging her arms wide, indicating the site.

[keggernaut]

He looks at her for a moment. "I don't have nothin' to gloat over. I didn't take him down and I didn't make him drop the building on himself.

I don't know why it happened. The only theory I got is that the man had no sense."

[mirrored_kisses]

"Really? Is that how ya see it? Didcha not listen to what he said? About me havin' a choice and a right to make mah own decisions? He did it t'make sure ya couldn't... He did it for me, willin' t'die if it stopped you."

Angry now, stepping toward him. "Ya claim ya love me so why do this? Why hit me? Why do all that?"

[keggernaut]

He frowns. "Yeah, heard all that. I still don't see how that means he had to drop a building on himself."

He looks at her with the mask-like non-expression he perfected in his years in Weapon X. "Don't you know I love you? Didn't you see it?

What was I supposed to do? You left. You left and you didn't even ask if I wanted to come with you. I needed to make sure you hadn't forgotten about me."

[mirrored_kisses]

"He told me goodnight. He knew what he was doin'.' And that hurt most of all, that he had willing left her.

"When was I supposed to know?' Moving closer, toe to toe and her head craned back to look up at him. "When ya gave me hell for being lonely? When ya watched and stood by as they broke my arms? Yeah, ya were there for me after but how was I t'know that was love?"

"Ah left because they offered me a life. Clean slate and mah record sealed or some such. A chance to not be in prison. Yeah, Ah jumped at that. And then Gambit took me from that and showed me life. He didn't care what Ah had done. He didn't care Ah had part of his thoughts in me. He just wanted to be with me. Me. Because of me and not any other reason."

[keggernaut]

He looks down at her, not quite aware of just how loom-y he is. "When I had a hold of you in Vegas, that might have been a clue!

What else is love? I was there. If I didn't care they wouldn't have made me watch. I dealt with you after they'd made you absorb Sabertooth. Do you remember what that fuck would do to your head? I sure do.

Maybe I just want to be with you too. Maybe you're the only good thing that ever came into my life."

[mirrored_kisses]

"When ya yanked me up and told me I couldn't stop you because I had mah mitts on? Ah know Ah'm not like most girls but come on."

Shaking her head, trying not to cry. "Stop. Ah... Yeah, Ah remember. Ah remember feeling feral and wild and trapped in that damn room and Ah remember... Damn you, Cain Marko.'

She hit him as hard as she could, tried to, knew it wouldn't do a thing. "Damn you."

[keggernaut]

"Damn me? Fine. Just pile some more on, nothing new.

It won't make me go away."

He looked down at her tiny fist. "You can hit me more if it will make you feel better."

[mirrored_kisses]

And she does, swinging with everything she has but with the gloves on and her own strength, it's likely like a feather brushing an elephant. "Ah was happy, dammit. For once in mah miserable life, Ah was happy. He made me smile and told me how beautiful Ah was and he loved me for me and no one had ever given me that."

"He died for me!" The last shrieked as she dissolved into tears, dropping down on her ass in the sand and debris. "He died for me."

[keggernaut]

He sinks down to the ground to sit about a yard away from her.

"Yeah. He did.

You still haffta decide what you're going to do now.

And he's not the only person who ever loved you for you. Maybe he was just the only person who was good at it."

[mirrored_kisses]

Staring at the ground, tears streaking down her cheeks. For a long moment she could barely breath, letting it out, finally giving into the need to cry it all out.

"Ah don't know,' she finally whispered, still looking at the ground. "All Ah wanted was t'make runs on Fenris and spend mah time laughin' and..."

Raising her head, looking at him through tears. 'Ya would have killed him and taken me by force, wouldn't ya? What happened to mah choice?"

[keggernaut]

He looks surprised and almost angry. "No!

...I mean, I might have killed him. He was pissing me off enough. But I wouldn't have forced you to do anything besides hear me out."

He looks down at his hands. "I wouldn't treat you that way. I'm fucked up, but I'm not that kind of fucked up."

[mirrored_kisses]

She just kind of stares at him a long time. Not even blinking, just that far away, lost in her own thoughts, out of her body so the pain stops sort of look. "What happens when Ah piss ya off?"