1/4 Instance: Under the tree

[fourpawsonthefloor]

Timeline: Directly after In Which Josh Is Informed



Rogue: Rogue walked back outside after succesfully getting Josh to the bathroom and leaving him with a run bath and his socks and shoes off. As she said before, the rest was up to him.

Rogue: She looked around and didn't see Ben at, or in, either tree that he pointed to, so she walked around for a moment, looking for him, on the ground, then flying up to the branches. But to no avail. "Ben, where are ya, sugah?"

ben: "I'm up here." Ben was in a tree. Next to the one next to the one he had pointed to. "Right where I told you I'd be." He tried to jump down, but his effort turned into a sort of tumble onto the grassy ground. "Tah Dah!" Ben belched.

Rogue: Rogue let out a laugh and walked over to him, "That was... um... graceful, sugah. Ah'm suprised ya stayed out here this long. Took me a bit ta get Josh ta stop tryin' ta touch me with tha web." She shook her head, "He's real sore 'bout it, but he'll get over it. Got any of that rum left?"

ben: He tossed her the flask and slumped down with his back against the tree, patting the dirt beside him as an invite. "you know, I think he's a good guy. I hope he gets back with her."

Rogue: Rogue caught the flask, but nearly had to dive for it as he threw it too far to the left. She flew over to him and sat down carefully on the cold ground before opening the flask and taking a swig. "He is a good guy... Normally. He's just been on edge lately. Ah think it's 'cause of tha students missin'. An' Rae's really hurtin' without him." She pulled her knees up to rest her elbows on them and stared at the ground for a moment then looked up, "Ya evah been in love, hun?"

ben: "Sort of." Ben replied lazily. "There was a girl...we never got together...but we might as well have." He looked at her and smiled the most real smile he could muster. "The girl next door y'know?"

Rogue: "Yeah. Sounds nice. What was her name? Or do ya not wanna talk 'bout it?"
Rogue took another pull off of the flask and handed it back, "Ah do tend ta get nosy at times. Think Ah mentioned that before," she winked at him, "but Ah want ya ta know... Ah don't tell secrets an' Ah don't tend ta judge people."

Rogue: She let out a small laugh, "If Ah told secrets, mah powers might as well be used f' evil, huh?"

ben: "I don't care who knows. It's too late to go back." He frowned and thought of her face for a second, picturing it. "Gwen. Her name was Gwen. She was...perfect, gorgeous..." Ben turned to Rogue and snapped out of his daze. "She actually is a lot like you." He laughed to himself wondering why he hadn't realized it before.

Rogue: Rogue felt a small heat in her cheeks and new she was blushing softly. She turned her face away and pretended to be very interested in a stick on the ground, "Really? Thanks, sugah. That's real sweet of ya. Sounds like ya miss her still, though."

ben: "I did..." Ben whispered. "But she stopped writing back." He held his flask and shook it. "And that's when I bought this." He took another pull at it and then looked into Rogues eyes. "People should find the right person, like Rae and Josh."

Rogue: Rogue smiled at him, "They do seem to fit tagether real nice when they're not fightin' like cats an' dogs." She sighed, "But findin' tha right person is alot harder than people make it out ta be. Ah'm sorry that happened to ya, darlin'. Ya seem like such a sweet guy. Ya deserve better." She cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes, "Did ya ever find out why she stopped writin'? Ever seen Tha Notebook?"

ben: "Notebook was okay." Ben lied. "And as for why...I think my best friend consoled her a little too much...Speaking of which, you need any consoling?" Ben questioned.

Rogue: "Wow. That's pretty harsh. Ah'm sorry." Rogue gave him a soft smile then her face turned thoughtful, "Not that Ah know of. But if Ah do in tha future, does ya offer still stand?"

ben: "A lot is standing when it comes to you." Ben said tactlessly.

Rogue: Rogue's eyes widened a touch then took the flask from him, "Ah'm flattered, sugah... But Ah think ya've had enough of this..." She took a pull off of it then gave him a grin, "Are ya always this quick ta speak ya mind 'round a woman?"

ben: "I'm not always around quite a woman." Ben said drunkingly. "And yeah..I think you're right with the rum there." he grinned back. "So how drunk do I have to be to touch you..."

Rogue: Rogue let out a soft chuckle, "No, sugah, Ah have ta be drunk. Not you. You could be stone-ass sober an' as long as Ah'm drunk, we could touch." She took another swig, "Why? Ya wantin' ta touch me?"

ben: "I think that's a fair assumption." He said. "I may be drunk, but I have more-uls. I ain't gonna touch you, til you're drunk enough." Ben stopped and looked up then back at Rogue. "God that's backwards."

Rogue: Rogue laughed, "Ah know, it's tha worst, huh? Ah've remembered almost everythin' Ah've done though, so that's a plus. So, since ya do have ya morals, an' Ah have mine, an' seein' as how we just met an' all, Ah gotta ask... What exactly are ya thinkin' ya wantin' ta do if ya could touch me? Ah wanna know while Ah'm sober, so Ah know enough ta tell ya no."

ben: "I want to play...tthe teensy..weensy...spiiiider..." Ben laughed. "I think I'd like to kiss. You're the girl with the super strength, you can make the next move." Ben grinned and almost leaned in for a kiss but stopped himself and pulled back, almost falling backwards.

Rogue: Rogue let out a giggle at the spider joke, then laughed harder when he lost his balance. She covered her mouth to try and stop, but it didn't work. Rogue let herself laugh until she calmed, her sides ached, "Wow, Ah haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Ah'm sorry it was at ya expense though..." She took a swig and looked up at him, "Now, ya not likin' me just 'cause Ah remind ya of Gwen right?"

ben: "I'm liking you because so far...you're the prettiest eyes I've seen here."

Rogue: "Is that so?" She grinned at him, "Thanks, sugah. But, that didn't really answer mah question. Only told me one thing ya like 'bout me. Is that honestly why ya like me? 'Cause of mah eyes? Not 'cause Ah remind ya of her?"

ben: "I like you because you got the best eyes, the best accent," and Ben sobered up long enough to look at her in the eyes and say this as best as he could "And I think Gwen is gone and it's time I found something better. Someone more like me, and less like her."

ben: ben shook his hand hoping she'd understand the refrence to webbing.

Rogue: Rogue blushed again. The second time since she'd sat next to him. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Blushing meant she had a vulnerability to the person.

Rogue: "Thanks, sugah. Compliments are always nice," she smiled, "So, Gwen wasn't a mutant then? An', if ya not meanin' mutant, but meanin' spider-y person, ya come ta tha wrong girl. Honestly... Real spiders, scare tha shit outta me. 'Bout tha only thing that does."

ben: "Well I promise I'm not gonna sprout legs and become a hairy mantula thing." Ben chuckled. "But, no she wasn't one of us. And I think in the end, that's what would've kept us from ever being really together."

Rogue: Rogue nudged him with her shoulder, "Gee, thanks f' tha reassurance." She took three more long swigs and closed her eyes tight for a moment, letting the burn pass and succombing to the warm feeling she was starting to get from it. When she finally opened her eyes, she found Ben staring at her, "Ah'm sorry that happened to ya. So.. if Ah may ask, ya said somethin' earlier 'bout ya dad bein' dead..."

ben: Ben's face cringed. "Yeah."

Rogue: She bit her lip, "Ah'm sorry... Ah won't press ya f' details. So... changin' tha subject...Um... Where ya from?"

ben: "I'm from Boston." Ben said. "Boston born, Boston...uh...made. Yourself?"

Rogue: "Originally from Loganville, Georgia. Ran away shortly after Ah manifested, ended up livin' in Magnolia, Mississippi f' a while, then moved ta Baton Rouge. But those are only tha places Ah've stayed longer than a week or two." She looked at him curiously as she drank some more rum, "That's damn good. How'd ya manifest, if Ah can ask?"

ben: "Honestly...and this is really cliche, I stopped a guy from getting mugged. It just...hit me. Started avoiding punches and such..."

Rogue: "Wow! That's pretty amazin'! An' actually, that's not cliche at all. Ah haven't heard that story before." She smiled, "So ya really are a hero then, huh? ...What's ya last name?"

ben: "Riley." Ben said. "Yours?" he asked. "Cuz it's always good to know your crush's name y'know?"

Rogue: "Ben Riley. Good name." She smiled, "Oh no, ya don't get ta learn it that easy. Rogue's all ya get ta know. Only three livin' people know mah real name. Ah don't tell it very easy. It took a lot f' tha last person ta learn it."

ben: "I got some more Whiskey if that'll help..." Ben giggled. "Oh God...I'm giggling, I must be really drunk..."

Rogue: Rogue giggled with him, "An' apparently, Ah'm not drunk enough yet, although... Ah do feel warm an' fuzzy." She shook her head, "But, nope. No amount of alcohol can make me tell mah name." She took another long pull off the flask and then held it upside down and frowned, "Ya out."

ben: "I really hope this doesn't sound like too much of an invite, but I got more in my room." Ben looked around to make sure no one was looking. "Don't tell anyone...I got a lot more"

Rogue: "Do ya now? Ah'd be happy ta accompany you there. An' by tha way... Ah think Terry'd have ya beat on how much alcohol ya'd have. Maybe even Vic." She nodded defiantly as she stood, a little too quickly, and fell back on her butt, laughing, "Damn. Guess it hit me without me lookin'!"

ben: "It does that." Ben nodded. "So being that neither of us can get up...we should help eachother up."

Rogue: Rogue nodded in agreement, "Ok, on the count of three?" She grabbed the tree with one hand and Ben with the other, "One... twoooo... three!" She tried to stand and pull him with her but lost her footing again, landing on one knee, "Hey! Ah'm further up than when Ah started!"

ben: "Hold on..." Ben flicked a web shot out onto a branch and wrapped his arm around Rogue's waist. He pulled hard on the web and lifted both he and her up to their feet. "Now...we need to get back in." He stared pathetically at the long walk across the grounds to the door.

[Feuerstein]

D'AAWWWWW!!

If they get together, I so called it. I get to be best man or whatever at the wedding. *cough*

[Gwen. Her name was Gwen. She was...perfect, gorgeous..." Ben turned to Rogue and snapped out of his daze. "She actually is a lot like you."]

Heheh. Riiight, he's not flirting at all...