in the hospital bed [for Martini, Rictor and possibly Mystique, but open to visitors]

[marauding_miss]

Following her conversation with Julio over the phone, Rogue had attempted to sleep and found it far too difficult. She had bits of his memory floating around, the nightmares were almost as bad as with Carol. She'd expected something like this, but she'd never expected the depth of despair that she'd found. Rictor masked a lot of things with his

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[marauding_miss]

"Ain't never thought y' were a jester, darlin'." He touched her, he actually voluntarily reached out to touch her. It made her heart flutter a little, this ridiculous bubbling feeling well up in her chest and her cheeks actually hurt with the grin on her face.

"Ah'm filterin' it out. Keepin' the good bits, Ah hope." For the most part, she didn't mind having Ric in her mind at all, he was a comfort at times, he was friendly in ways Carol and Cody never were. But at the same time, it was a lot to sift through, and the nightmares were horrible. Jumbled and mixed with her own and Carol's and Cody's now and she was struggling to remember who she was half the time.

It was probably for the best that Mark hadn't gotten ill to begin with. After all, even in control of his powers things got a little crazy at times, as her powers had faded, Rogue's control had dwindled on the residual powers left imprinted. If it had been him, who knows what could've happened. "Probably for the best. They already got Julio t' deal with, they don't really deserve t' have you all twitchy and power crazy with sickness." And Rogue tentatively reached out to pat his knee, careful in case the hair ruffle had been an automatic response to her rather than comfort.

[time_schizo]

"But it's so much fun to play the part." The goofy grin on her face was a nice change from the usual serious expression, but Mark didn't read anything beyond that. He'd never been good at being able to gauge people's emotions, being far too mentally scattered himself.

The hand on his knee caught his attention and he flashed Rogue one of his usual happy smiles. She never touched anyone, knowing what could so easily happen, so this gesture could only mean one thing. He put his large hand on top of her own smaller one. "So I take it this means at least one good thing has come outta being sick?" He knew a fever and cough would be a small price to pay for Rogue to be able to touch someone, even if it was only temporary.

[marauding_miss]

He didn't flinch, he didn't pull away or stare or baulk at all. He actually placed his own hand against her skin. It was a big deal, even bigger to her right then for all the emotions and thoughts and memories running through her mind. "Yeah, Ah'm just regular ol' Marie just now." Which was usually a bad thing, because Marie was vulnerable, Marie was scared and weak. Rogue was the one that held together.

"It ain't so bad," turning her hand over under his, she stared slightly at their hands while shifting to thread her fingers through his, "Ah mean it'd be nice if Ah weren't all locked up in here, an' Ah could enjoy it an' not be sick or something, but..." It gave her all these possibilities, and she had to watch them pass her by because she was in quarantine.

"Ah'm probably the only one happy 'bout it though."

[time_schizo]

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. The skin felt surprisingly soft. Mark guessed it came from always being covered by her gloves. "Hi there, Marie. I'm Mark." It seemed like he just couldn't turn off the silly behavior. He could suppress it for moments at a time, but there was no stopping it completely.

"Statistically, someone had to be happy about all this." He nudged her playfully with his shoulder, since he wasn't letting go of her hand anytime soon. "I'll bet the only reason you don't like the quarantine is because now you can't go around kissing every guy in sight and then breaking all their little hearts."

[marauding_miss]

"Ah don't wanna go 'round kissin' everyone." She didn't. She really, really didn't. She had much more intimate ideas on what she could be doing, but those weren't allowed because it wasn't her. "Ah mean sure, Ah'd give Ric a hug, an' not worry about if he touched mah skin, and Ah'd be able t' shake someone's hand. But, maybe just one person Ah'd kiss."

Because she has these memories; slow easy kisses in the garage in cold Russia, frantic needy kisses against a wall in the same place, the comforting, soft kisses on the plane to Washington, lying out on a bed and just enjoying the tender, loving embraces. They drive her wild because she knows those kisses, she remembers every one of them, but she's never felt them.

[time_schizo]

"Oh really?" Martini leaned in, intrigued by Marie's cryptic statement. "Let me guess who the lucky guy would be...." He trailed off, lost in thought for the moment.

"Hmmm.....That handsome Cajun?" Mark was completely oblivious as to what was going on in Rogue's head. He knew that the transfer had left her with Ric's powers, memories, and feelings, but he had no idea how strong they still were, dwelling within her psyche.

[marauding_miss]

The snort of disgust was hard to hold back and instead it just sounded like a little sneeze. It was Ric's distaste, although Rogue still hadn't figured out why Julio disliked Remy beyond the arrogance thing. It wasn't like Remy was the only team member with a little bit of arrogance about him.

"No, Ah- no, Ah don't think Ah'll be kissin' him." Not with Rictor throwing a little tantrum in her head. "It's a lil' complicated, darlin'. So Ah'm best just sittin' here an' talking and not worrying about mah first kiss without mah powers or nothing in the way."

[time_schizo]

Martini shrugged but didn't pursue the matter. He just figured Rogue would be bummed out at the thought of being unable to get out of the hospital room for anything, kissing or no, and didn't need him giving out a reminder of the situation. He could remember the short period he'd had her powers and the voice of the quiet Southern boy inside that she'd had her first kiss with. The more Martini thought about it, the more he found himself wondering how close he was getting to putting his foot directly into his mouth.

"Well, if you don't wanna talk about that, let's find a new subject, yes?" His brow furrowed in thought and then he shrugged. It had been an extremely dull few days with everyone sick. No one was having any romantic drama or getting into fights with one another. "I got nothin'."

[marauding_miss]

The more that Rogue considered it, the more she questioned just why she shouldn't be allowed this. The fact that Julio felt so strongly for anything, the fact that he was that close to the surface, it just build up this feeling of entitlement. Mark was Julio's, Julio was allowed to kiss Mark whenever he wanted, therefore, Marie couldn't exactly question the fact that she really wanted to kiss him.

She had memories of them being boyfriends after all.

"The place is that quiet without Julio out there makin' problems?" She wasn't actually listening to anything she said, she was in fact simply focusing on the soft feel of his thumb against her skin, of his hand in hers, and really, a girl could only fight her own wants for so long.

Without really thinking about it, Rogue shifted the distance between her and Mark, and pressed her lips against his, playing on all those memories and making one of her own.

[movetheearth]

This sickness really has taken it out of Ric, sure he's been all smiles, charming comments and flirty remarks to the nurses who know him and even those who don't. He's been lucky enough that some of the medical team have lingered on occasion for conversations or during the evening dropped by for an entertaining game of Rummy or Go Fish. But that still doesn't quite stave off the yearning for people he knows and loves.

Since the number of sick in the medical center increased Ric knew the chances of Martini showing up would decrease and really he didn't blame his boyfriend at all. Having convinced the nurses to unplug him from the drip just for a couple of hours, Ric takes it upon himself to go see Rogue and keep her company. Especially seeing as she said she was feeling lonely.

Ric can hear Rogue talking, catching the tail end of Julio out there makin' problems? and the Mexican can't help but smile to himself as he opens the door to her room, debating how best to announce his arrival.

But he freezes, words caught in his throat as he stares at the sight of Rogue, leant up with Mark's lips pressed against hers and Mark's hand laying over Rogue's with such a casual touch. And Ric? He just lets out a strangled noise of shock and confusion, door still propped open by his hand.

[time_schizo]

There was only shock as Rogue's lips pressed up against his own. This was a complete bolt from the blue. Exactly what had brought this on or where it had come from was a matter he would deal with later, though he briefly wondered if Rogue had a fever which had fried her brain. For the moment, he was trying to get his frozen body to respond to his inner thoughts and move away from his friend. Unfortunately, the message didn't reach soon enough.

He whirled around at the noise coming from the direction of the door, standing up with such force he almost knocked his chair over. Seeing Ric there, Mark felt a stabbing pain he knew couldn't possibly be real somewhere around his gut. He wore an expression on his face like a deer that had been shot by a hunter but wasn't dead yet.

"She--we--I didn't--and then--kiss--" His incoherent sputterings ceased as the stress of what was occurring threatened to overwhelm him entirely.

His mind, responding to his frantic state, snapped him back to Spokane. Mark had been fairly calm then, despite the situation, mainly because he knew he'd revisit the scene in all its anguish later. Unfortunately, later had become now. Despite knowing at some level he was still in the hospital room with Ric and Rogue, he was gone, lost in a past moment that was far worse than his present.

[marauding_miss]

Even with things happening so fast, Rogue couldn't actually dredge up any guilt. Julio -the one in her head, was adamant that he could do that, Mark was his boyfriend so it was all allowed. Rogue knew, somewhere, that it wasn't the case and she should apologise, but she wasn't sure she could make it sincere.

It wouldn't work, not with how she felt about Mark still pounding in her head.

Staring at Rictor, noting the way Mark seemed off, the coldness on her hand where he had been touching her, Rogue didn't offer anything to Rictor at all, just sitting on her bed, watching him and watching Mark.

[movetheearth]

Ric isn’t aware of moving from the doorway until he’s stood at the end of the bed, focus settled on Rogue. There’s a moment of silence before he speaks, voice low and clearly angry but he’s holding it back because there has to be a logical explanation... right? “¿Por qué? Lo que no llego a entender es por qué?”

He cuts himself off, glancing at Mark who is clearly lost a memory. There’s the temptation to shake Mark out of it and demand that he explains what the hell was going on but he knows that’s not the best idea. Ric feels sick, his heart is pounding and his insides are knotted because he can’t forget the sight of Rogue and Mark kissing, their fingers interlaced and it hurts. That’s his boyfriend and his sister who he has walked in on and the anger just won’t subside.

Swinging his arm out Ric sends the jug of water and half full cup that were stood on the bed tray clattering across the room, sending water across the floor. There is nothing Ric wants to do more than make the building shake but his mutation is gone and left is just a very emotional and angry guy. “Why were you two kissing Rogue?! WHY!?”

[marauding_miss]

It wasn't a surprise, the water flying across the room or the near hysterical tone. Rogue has a bigger insight into Rictor's histrionics than anyone else. "Fue sólo un beso. Sólo un beso." The Spanish flowed from her mouth easily, the same way it instantly translated when she heard it. Spanish wasn't something she'd been good at before, but for now she was fairly fluent.

"Ah can't exactly help it when Ah got some sexed up Mexican tellin' me we ain't done it in a hospital bed an' Ah ought'a try. Can Ah?" Rogue didn't exactly blame Rictor for her current issues with him in her head. But going from her own repressed nature to his overly affectionate, overly intimate nature was like an emotional rollercoaster that Rogue would be dealing with long after her powers came back. "Y'r throwin' a tantrum over one kiss when y'r nearly always pawin' at folks an' flirtin' up some storm with everyone in camp? Ah mean, seriously?"

She didn't want to start a fight, and it was lucky she was just as powerless as he was, but it wasn't how she wanted things to go.

[movetheearth]

If he had any idea just what Rogue knew then he might have been a little more humble or contrite in his response. Julio has no comprehension of what their skin to skin contact beyond the absorption of her powers. Really her response to Mark being that close is no fault of her own but Ric is too blinded by his jealousy to see that. "Fue un beso de más!"

"How the hell do you know where we have and haven't done it?!" There are some things Ric just doesn't disclose to everyone or anyone and as much as Rogue may know the ins and outs of his relationship she doesn't know that kind of level of detail from him. It takes Julio a few moments to understand what she is saying and even then he doesn't quite get it. What he does understand is the accusation of being just as bad. "YOU WERE KISSING MY BOYFRIEND! And where the hell do you get off talking about who I do and don't flirt with. Sure, I flirt and I window shop but I've never cheated on him. Never overstepped the line or kissed someone I shouldn't have."

In his eyes Ophelia doesn't count, they both love having her around. Don't they? And sure Ric's a flirt and a charmer but he's never crossed that line. It hurts not only because he's walked in on Mark kissing someone else but that other person is someone he loves and trusts. Or at least he did. "You think because I'm a flirt that means you two have an excuse to do this?"

[marauding_miss]

"How do Ah-" she had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from really letting loose, but there really wasn't any hope in hell of that happening. As furious as Rictor might've been, Rogue still had all that pent up in her head. "Ah know every time y've even thought about him. Ah've got every moment of your damn relationship playin' in mah head, Ah've got all those kisses an' fuckin' touches playing like a damn fluff film over an' over an' Ah can't pull back from what's me an' what's you."

She knew that Rictor didn't understand how her powers worked, she knew that no one really understood what her powers did to her, no one beyond her Mama, Martini and the psychics that found Carol, loud and obnoxious, in her head. "Ah was kissin' him cause it feels like he's mah boyfriend an' Ah'm losin' mah mind from not touchin' him."

It wasn't just the touch, it wasn't just Mark. She was wildly in love with Mark, but she was just as terrified that he'd be pulled away from her, or that he'd leave and wander off and forget. It was driving her to drink and the nightmares were making it a little crazy. She'd struggled like this while Carol's personality tried to dominate hers and she'd come out on top, but Ric's issues were just so powerful. "Y' can flirt all y' like compañero, it don't stop the hurtin'."