“Do ya think he was askin’ me on a date? I mean Remy and I are friends but… a date?”
“Yes really!!!” Kitty squeals. Rouge has been terrified about the idea of having a romantic relationship ever since the manifesting of her mutant powers. The memory of her leaving her first boyfriend, Cody, in a coma for months is still haunting her. “Come on Marie, you gotta say yes!”
Rouge looks at her little sister and smiles “Well alright, one date can’t hurt. After all, Remy knows he can’t touch me like that; it should be fine.” Rouge feels her heart swell in excitement. Yes, she was nervous about something going wrong and accidentally hurting her friend, but she was excited to finally go out on a date with someone who understood what it was like to struggle with mutant powers.
“Hey Remy,” Rouge says with all of her southern charm.
“What is it chere?” Remy says with a sly smile. He was in love with this girl, and his heart practically burst out of his chest when she looked at him, but he hid it all behind a mask of Cajun charm.
“I say yes. I’ll go out with you. But you gotta pick me up at my place, ya hear?”
Remy nods the same sly smile on his face. He was finally going out with the girl of his dreams.
The creaks open as Rouge and her three sisters arrive home from the school day. Rouge’s excitement is palpable. Of course, her sisters already knew about Rouge’s date tonight, but they kept silent, eager to witness how Wade, and especially how Logan will react.
“There’s that smile. What’s up Ro?” Wade says, smiling slyly. He knew about Rouge’s little crush on Remy Lebeau; she always wears the same smile after hanging out with him.
“Well… I got asked out on a date. It’s with Remy, don’t worry he’s a good guy and a nice boy, I promise I’ll be home early.” Rouge exclaims, rushing through her words nervously. Despite her excitement, part of her was still nervous about the date.
“That’s great Ro. Just remember-”
Suddenly Logan bursts into the room. “A DATE?!” Logan exclaims. “With Remy Lebeau, that kid is nothin’ but trouble Marie.”
“Oh Lo he’s fine!” Wade exclaims. “Let the girl have fun.”
“Let’s talk in private for a minute,” Logan whispers gruffly to Wade. “Girls, go on ahead and get ready for afterschool training. Start without us, we'll be there in a minute.
Logan pulls Wade into their bedroom, closing the door so Rouge can’t hear.
“Why are you acting like this?” Wade asks. “The girl just wants to have fun. It’s been a long time since she’s been able to open up to someone like that. Hell, she just started opening up to us.”
“I know, but I’m nervous Wade. She is still scared of herself and her powers. She is really anxious about this, I can tell.” Logan says, eyebrows furrowing, a palpable concern for his daughter on his face.
“She’s gotta put herself out there Lo. It’s the only way she’s going to get her confidence back. She’s a beautiful, smart, and caring girl, the world deserves to see that.”
“I know Wade, but why does it gotta be that Cajun kid? He’s a player. He’s got that written all over him. What if he touches her? What if he makes her feel uncomfortable? What if-”
Wade cuts him off, “shhh… now you're the one getting anxious. I understand you just want to protect her, but you have to let her go sometime.”
“Okay I’ll let her go. On one condition.”
Rouge breathes hard after a tough training session with Jubilee.
“Damn girl, you whipped my ass this time. Don’t do that to Remy later or he might not wanna go out again.”
Rouge laughs off Jubilee’s comment. She knows her sister is just joking, but Rouge’s fear of scaring, or even hurting Remy is still very real. She tried to take out all of her anxiety on her workout, but she can still feel the anxious thoughts clouding her brain.
“Hey, It’ll be alright,” Jubilee says in a comforting tone. “You’re a badass and if he doesn’t like you that’s his loss.”
“Thanks Jub.” Rouge sighs, accepting the comforting back pat from her sister.
Rouge quickly heads upstairs and gets ready for her date. She decides on wearing a soft pink dress that reaches just below her knees with elegant white gloves for safety. She decides on wearing low black heels and her hair in a long braid behind her back with the two white pieces left out and curled to frame her face.
“Ooo la la la! That’s my sister!” Kitty squeals when Rogue makes her way down the stairs, purse in hand.
“Thanks Kitty. Remy should be here any minute now.”
Logan and Wade come into the living to see their daughter all dressed up. A bittersweet feeling comes over both men as they see the scared girl they took in all dressed up and confident ready to go on a date.
“You look beautiful kid,” Logan says quietly. “Just remember if he makes you feel uncomfortable in ANY way you call us, alright?”
Rogue nods, “yea I know.”
“Just remember other thing,” Wade says “Boy ain’t shit.”
Rogue giggles and hugs tightly, making sure to not make any skin to skin contact. “Okay, he’s ya’ll I better be headin’ out.”
A few minutes later Logan and Wade are in Logan’s truck on their way to some mysterious location. Laura, who decided to tag along, sits in the back seat tapping a steady rhythm on the window.
“Okay Lo, tell me where we are going,” Wade says with an air of nervousness in his voice.
“Well I told ya I’d allow this whole date thing on one condition. Well this is my one condition.”
“We’re following them aren’t we?” Wade sighs with a disappointed but not surprised expression on his face.
Logan just nods and keeps driving.
Rogue and Remy arrive at a diner he picked out soon after. They order a key lime pie to share and nervously pick at.
“Sorry if I seem a bit on edge. I just haven’t done this in a while,” Rouge says sheepishly.
“That’s hard to believe chere,” Remy says his eyes soft and looking deep into Rouge’s.
Rouge blushes and is about to respond when she sees something out the diner window. It’s… Logan’s truck? Suddenly Rouge knew exactly what was going on and a wave of anger and embarrassment washes over her.
“Sorry Remy I gotta take care of somethin’ real quick, I’ll be right back.” Rouge says nervously before angrily walking out of the diner.
”HEY Y’ALL!” Rouge exclaims as she raps on the window of Logan’s truck.
Wade jumps in surprise, suddenly extremely embarrassed that he didn’t try harder to stop Logan from spying on their daughter.
“WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!” Rouge yells. “DO Y’ALL NOT TRUST ME!”
Logan looks down clearly regretting his decision. “Look hun, I’m sorry. But I-“
”I don’t wanna hear it. You don’t trust me to control my powers. I knew it.” Rouge looks down hurt.
Wade nudges Logan’s shoulder, “I’m not digging you out of this one.”
Logan sighs, “I’m really really sorry hun. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just… When we first took you in, you were a scared little thing. You could barely talk to us. I just feel a lil protective of you sometimes, okay? It’s cus I care. But I was wrong. Wade is right, we need to let you grow in your confidence.”
Rouge smiles softly through her angry tears. “I know you care…but you need to let me fly. I’m scared to do this too but I won’t ever gain the confidence if I don’t try.”
“I know. Have fun on your date hun. Call when your headin’ home, alright?”
”I will. And… I love you”
”I love you too hun”
Rogue waves to her family in the truck before heading back to the diner. Rogue has the confidence to do this. She puts on a brave smile before heading back to her date with Remy.