Rogue: "Alright, so we didn't find anythin' y' felt worth buyin' last time, but are y' sure th' houses th' realtor picked out this time're gonna be worth th' time o' th' very busy leader o' th' free world?" Rogue curled her feet under her as the SUV drove down a picturesque road. "How many're lined up f'r t'day anyway? Four? Five? Twenty?"
Tony: "Somewhere between those numbers, yes." Tony gave her a grin, his arm around her shoulders as they enjoyed the view. "I have to make the realtor feel like she's really
Rogue: Rogue tsked and shook her head. "Ah feel bad f'r her, snaggin' picky Tony Stark as her client. Did y' at least pick things more t' y'r taste f'r t'day?"
Tony: "Oh, it'll be worth her while," he laughed. "Maybe. I do have a wide, eclectic range in tastes, so you never know what might catch my eye." Tony smirked and turned his head back toward hers to kiss her temple.
Rogue: He always knew what to say to make her blush. She closed her eyes and didn't bother fighting the smile the kiss brought to her face. "That's true." Rogue opened her eyes and turned towards him. "We're not really seein' twenty houses today, though... Right? That's a bit dauntin', ain't it?"
Tony: "What? That doesn't sound like an adventure?" He gave her an innocent, wide-eyed expression, followed by a slow blink.
Rogue: Rogue shook her head and chuckled, slipping out of her seatbelt to straddle him and nip at his lower lip. "Ah'd prefer t' just find a place f'r y' t' be able t' stay in as soon as possible. Or don'tcha want privacy asap?"
Tony: Well. Now he certainly did. "I can always black out the windows..." Tony's hands settled on her hips and he returned the nip with a nibble. "That's very private. Soundproof, even..."
Rogue: "Blacked out house windows? Ah don't think that'll fly with any H.O.A. that Ah know of." She grinned and gave him a kiss. "Soundproof might be a good idea, though. Save th' sensibilities o' th' ever delicate secret service."
Tony: Tony chuckled and returned the kiss. "Not the house," he said, raising his eyes to the roof of the SUV and to the windows around them.
Rogue: "Tony," she playfully chided. "We're almost there. Y' really think we c'n be that fast?"
Tony: "Are we?" He pretended to look at his phone. "Are you sure that's the right time for the appointment? I think we might be lost."
Rogue: Rogue grinned at him, "Y're such a horn dog." She ran her fingers through the sides of his hair. "Ah love it." Slowly, Rogue moved a hand down to his waistband, arching an eyebrow in question. "Well, if we are lost, best make good use o' th' time it'll take th' driver t' find where we're goin'... Right?"
Tony: He couldn't help it, his eyes lit up and he grinned. She went for it! "Right. Absolutely..." Tony stretched for the button to darken the windows and tapped the intercom. "Happy! We're getting lost. Get it?" The driver's response was cut off.
Rogue: She laughed and shook her head, rolling her eyes up to the roof of the car. "What have Ah gotten mahself int' with you, Tony Stark?"
Tony: "An adventure, and you'll love every minute of it." Tony slid down into the seat a little and ran his hands up her sides, and incidentally under her shirt.
Rogue: "So far, so good," she confirmed. Rogue leaned over to catch his mouth with hers while her hands slowly undid his belt. She hoped Happy kept them lost for long enough that they could properly test the soundproofing. "Y' think he got it?" she mumbled against his lips as the belt slid from his pants.
Tony: Tony had to laugh. Happy had worked for him for years. "He might have an idea," he said, reaching for the button on her pants between kisses.
Rogue: "Oh." Rogue should have known better. Happy had been around longer than she had, which meant he was used to Tony's philandering. She made a face when she thought about Tony with other women. She wasn't jealous because she was sure of their relationship, but it still was uncomfortable to think about. "So then when y' say 'soundproof,' y've tested it out an' everythin'. 'Course y' have."
Rogue: She wrinkled her nose and shook her head enough to force her hair behind her shoulders, almost as if she could put the mental images behind her, too. Rogue's hands undid the button on his pants and she leaned forward to kiss down his neck.
Tony: Tony craned his neck back awkwardly to look down at her. "Hey." He moved his hand from her zipper to her cheek to get her to look at him. "I didn't mean to-" Frowning, he kissed her forehead. "That was all in the past."
Rogue: Rogue gave him a small smile. "No, Ah know, sugah. Just gave me some not s' great mental images. Ah'm sure y' don't like thinkin' 'bout me with S- somebody else. Anybody else. It ain't a visual anybody likes t' have if they care 'bout someone like Ah do you." She shrugged and gave him a gentle kiss. "Ah'm alright, Ah promise. Just caught me off guard is all."
Tony: "Let's replace those mental images with some live action action then," he said, wagging just one brow with a grin.
Rogue: "Live action action? Ah c'n get b'hind that idea, f'r sure." Rogue matched his grin with her own and took his hand to put it back at her zipper. "We should prob'ly hurry, though."
Tony: "True enough... Happy can't get too lost for too long or the Secret Service gets twitchy." He let her guide his hand and went to work, catching her lips for a kiss.
Rogue: Rogue melted into him, letting her own hands slip under his pants once she had them undone. The only thing Rogue cared about right now was wiping the mental images from her head, so twitchy Secret Services members would have to wait, just like the realtor. "Let 'em get twitchy," she mumbled against his mouth.
Tony: "I know something else that's getting twitchy," he laughed, moving his hips as he slid further down on the seat and found the clasp of her bra.
Rogue: Rogue wiggled against him with a grin and shifted so he could stretch out along the bench instead of awkwardly slouching. "That got twitchy long b'fore th' Secret Service." She felt the band of her bra loosen and she laughed, "Y' really think we have time f'r lettin' it all hang out, sugah?"
Rogue: Before he could even react to her question, her pants vibrated and she 'eep'ed.
Tony: Tony froze in place for a split second, then laughed. "Well, maybe you don't need me after all if you brought a friend."
Rogue: "Oh, hush," she laughed and wiggled until she could pull her phone out and look at it. "Ah guess Ah did bring a friend? It's just Bobby." Rogue wrinkled her nose at his timing. First, she had thought about Tony with his multitude of sex bunnies, then Sam, now Bobby. She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe gettin' lost ain't th' best idea?"
Tony: Tony blinked. Was he getting cockblocked by male Elsa? "It's a fantastic idea." He reached for her phone. "We just need to ditch the third wheel."
Rogue: Rogue instinctively pulled her phone away from him since she'd seen the preview of his text. She knew Tony knew about her X-Force days, but she didn't know if he really knew knew. "Okay. Lemme just tell him it ain't a good time so he doesn't worry when Ah don't answer."
Rogue: She frowned down at her phone and replied to him as quickly as she could. [House hunting. What happened?] "See? Done." Rogue closed the screen and handed it over to Tony.
Tony: His reach had been half-hearted, so he wasn't offended when she yoinked it away from him and fired off a reply to male Elsa. Tony was busy nuzzling her throat while she typed anyway. He absently took the phone and slid it into his own jacket pocket.
Rogue: Rogue definitely enjoyed the attention on her neck and laid him down on the seat so she could stretch out on top of him. She nosed her way to his own throat, lightly sucking on his pulse point while her hands slipped between them to start working on his shirt buttons. And then his jacket buzzed.
Tony: Tony let his head drop back to the seat with a thump. "You're in demand all over today," he laughed.
Bobby: [Nothing important.]
Rogue: She gave him an apologetic look, "Ah'm sorry..." Rogue slipped her hand into his jacket and pulled her phone out to check it. She blinked at the text. "Ah don't think he's doin' alright..." [Bugs... What?] Rogue fought with herself for a moment, but put it back in Tony's jacket after she hit send. "Ah'll ignore it now."
Tony: "If you need to talk to him, then you can." He tucked his chin to watch her and the worried expression on her face made him brush his knuckles over her cheek. "Happy can always get lost later."
Rogue: Rogue's eyes closed and a smile ghosted over her face at his tenderness. "Y're too good f'r me." She leaned over and held his face in her hands, pressing an intense, but gentle, kiss on his lips.
Tony: "...wow, I believe that's a first. Would you care to repeat that? Just, for the record." His grin and giggle melted into a moan at her kiss and his fingers glided back into her hair to angle her head and deepen the kiss.
Rogue: She mewled into his mouth, arching into him. After a long moment, she broke the kiss to pull back and meet his eyes. "You, Tony Stark, are too damned good f'r me, Anna Marie. An' Ah'll let whoever wants t' know it hear me say it."
Tony: Tony let his gaze wander her face and settled on her eyes. "I think you've got it backward," he said, voice soft as he stroked her cheek.
Rogue: "Tony," she breathed. Rogue never expected any of this from him and wasn't sure what to do with the feelings stirring in her when he said things like that. Instead of saying something he might regret hearing, she kissed him again, fingers working slowly at the buttons on his shirt again.
Tony: He returned the kiss, fingers winding into her hair again as his other hand found her bare
side. When they broke apart, he smiled and brushed his nose against hers. "Yes, Anna Marie?"
Rogue: "Y're..." Her lower lip caught in between her teeth and she felt her cheeks flush. "Ah..." Rogue took a slow breath and met his eyes, "Y' not what Ah expected."
Tony: "I am very impressive, aren't I?" he said, brushing her nose again with his nod.
Rogue: "Way t' deflect," she laughed and shook her head right about the time that she felt his jacket vibrate. Rogue decided right now she would ignore it in favor of wondering if Tony would ever voice his feelings about her. "Y' keep me on mah toes, that's f' sure."
Tony: Tony laughed. "It's what I do, right?" He sighed a little and freed a hand to slap it over the vibrating phone against his chest. "And so does male Elsa, apparently."
Rogue: "A bit, but Ah always know what he's thinkin', so it's diff'rent." Rogue felt the car slow to a stop and she looked up. "Are we done gettin' lost'r does that mean he just finds somewhere t' take a nap until y' wake 'im up?"
Tony: "Do you?" He arched a brow and looked her over. "Telepathy was not in your file." Tony groaned when the SUV rolled to a stop. "The security twitch must have shaken down to Happy."
Rogue: That made her laugh, "It wouldn't be." Rogue gave him somewhat of a sad smile when something registered for her. "Mah file ain't me, Tony." She gave him a soft kiss and slipped her hand into his jacket for her phone before starting to situate her clothes again.
Tony: "Well, I know that..." Shit, what did he say? Now she looked upset. This was why he was terrible at relationships. Tony helped her sit up and pushed himself up, zipping his pants.
Bobby: [Xerox asked me about X-Force.]
Rogue: Rogue finally looked down at her phone and did a double take. Jamie was asking? [Are you okay? Why was he asking about it? Do you need my help?] She hit send and turned to Tony once everything was squared away. "Maybe we should have that talk that most couples have 'bout their pasts... Y' know, instead o' you learnin' everythin' from a file? Learn it from me? Ah c'n give y' more'n a folder on a computer any day."
Tony: "I know you can." He was as put back together as he planned to get. Tony ran his hand through his hair and squared his shoulders as he put one arm around her for a moment. "Yeah. I think we should," he said quietly, going for contrite.
Rogue: "Ah'd really like that," she said softly. Rogue wanted to have the same thing with Tony that she had with Bobby. Knowing each other inside and out. Maybe then she would feel less frustrated when he wouldn't verbalize how he felt, because she wouldn't need him to. There was a rap on the window and Rogue jumped, used to the door just opening. "Shit!"
Tony: "Yeah!" He yelled at Happy. "Give us a minute! You weren't lost quite long enough." Tony pulled her to him for a tight hug and kissed her temple. "Then we'll do it, after we find the perfect house." He had a plan, after all.
Rogue: Rogue closed her eyes and let herself relax in the tight embrace, turning to smile at him after the kiss. "So, in a year'r three, then?"
Tony: He laughed. "Nah, I have a good feeling about today. Don't you?"
Rogue: "Ah have th' feelin' that t'day's gonna be long an' we're gonna see lots o' beautiful homes but none'll be perfect f'r whatever picture y' got in ya head." Rogue gave him a tender kiss. "But Ah get t' spend th' day with you, so Ah'm happy."
Tony: Tony gave her a sincere smile and returned the kiss, then cranked up his grin. "Who wouldn't love to spend the day with me?" He reached past her to tap the window and the door opened a moment later.
Rogue: "Carol? Bobby? Hope?" Rogue grinned at him as she slid out, giving Happy a nod in thanks. "Y' realtor, Linda in PR, a therapist... Should Ah go on?"
Tony: "I have to disagree there. A therapist would love spending a day with me." He got out and glanced around to make sure the paparazzi were held at bay.
Rogue: "Ah guess y' right, there. So long as they had a week t' recover." She winked at him over her shoulder as she went to meet the realtor on the sidewalk.
Tony: Tony watched her meet the realtor with appreciation, head tilted a bit. Happy rolled his eyes.
Tony: After a moment, he started walking too. Tony knew this house was on a large estate, but maybe he hadn't realized exactly how large, since they seemed to be in the woods with no house in sight. "It's beautiful!" He clapped his hands as he approached the women. "A bit rustic, but we can work with it! Right, babe?"
Tony: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sale ... n-ma-02493
Rogue: Rogue laughed, "What's this we business, sugah? Y're th' one who's gotta sleep on th' ground. Ah have a bed back at headquarters." She smiled at the estate, though. "Ah do like all th' trees. Reminds me o' home."
Tony: Tony gave her a curious look. "Mississippi or..." The realtor was over it and started walking up the long, curving drive.
Rogue: "Or," she confirmed with a sad smile. "Never seen s' many trees all in one spot that didn't have somebody tryin' t' knock 'em down." Rogue looked up at the canopy then started following the realtor. "There's a drive, so there's gotta be a house, right?"
Tony: He filed that information away. "I hope so. Either that or she's leading us into the woods to kill us." Tony took her hand and enjoyed the walk.
Rogue: "Ah think we could easily take her down. Petite li'l thing like that? Ah took down Carol with only mah absorption powers, after all." Rogue happily laced her hand with his and gave him a smile. "But if there is a house instead o' a murder at th' end o' this walk, maybe y'll decide y' like it."
Tony: "Mmhmm." Or maybe she would like it. Or maybe she'd give him more food for thought. "In that case, I'll let you take the blonde." After a while, they rounded a curve and there it was. Big and brick and big. "There is a house!"
Rogue: Rogue laughed and shook her head, "Tsk, tsk. Leavin' th' dirty work t' th' girlfriend, huh? What a man." She winked and gave his hand a squeeze and then she saw the house. "Wow. That's. Wow. It is definitely a house."
Tony: He couldn't tell if that was a good reaction or a bad one. Either way, her eyes were as big as the house. "You like it?"
Rogue: "It ain't bad. Little weirdly shaped, though." She pointedly nodded her head to the side of the house where it jutted off at an angle. "But it doesn't really matter if Ah like it. Y're th' one who's buyin' it an' intends t' live here part-time."
Tony: "Yeahuh. Let's check out the inside!" Tony dragged her to the door by the hand, sparing a glance at the weird wing.
Rogue: "Are houses like a kink f'r you that Ah ain't figured out yet? Y' seem way more excited 'bout this than Ah thought y'd be." The realtor opened the door just in time for them to get to it and Rogue's phone buzzed in her back pocket.
Tony: "Maybe? I mean... doesn't all this tile get you excited? It's also very..." Tony stepped inside and looked around. "Very white."
Bobby: [He killed Arcade. Dude’s not okay.]
Rogue: "So pristine an' untouchable. Sounds familiar." She took a few steps past him to crane her neck up the curving staircase. "Elegant." Rogue pulled her phone out and glanced at the reply with a frown. [Yeah, I knew that part... Are *you* okay?]
Tony: Tony noticed her distraction, but kept walking through the high-ceilinged rooms. "Yeah," he said, voice echoing in the space. "Seems kinda cold, doesn't it?"
Rogue: Phone tucked back in her pocket, she made a face at some of the art on the walls. "Somebody needs a new interior decorator at least. Dang." Rogue slipped her hand in his and kissed his shoulder. "Lots o' space, though. An' Ah do like some o' th' classic touches."
Tony: "Oh, I don't know, I kind of like this." He spun a chair around and smirked at the bright toucan painted on the fabric.
Rogue: "Remind me t' never let y' decorate anywhere Ah hafta look f'r longer'n ten minutes." She grinned at him. "It's a good thing th' White House came already done up. Never woulda said yes t' our first rendezvous otherwise."
Tony: "Well, in that case, it's a good thing I have no plans to decorate the new house." He swept by her and nabbed her hand on his way back to the front door. "Next!"
Rogue: -----NEXT!-----
Rogue: The car pulled up to the next house and Rogue frowned as she looked out the windows. "Um. Sugah?" She rolled down the window on her side to look at the gorgeous old mansion in the middle of the city. "There a reason y' picked this one in particular?" Their surroundings were very familiar.
Rogue: https://www.captivatinghouses.com/2019/ ... achusetts/
Tony: "What, you don't like it? I thought the architecture was very nice. Stately, you know..." She was just looking at him now and he gave her his best shit-eating grin. "No?"
Rogue: "Ah love it. What Ah don't love is th' location..." He knew. She knew he knew. He wanted her to say it. "Too close t' Shaw. No."
Tony: "Sebastian is just a big teddy bear when you get to know him," he tried, but he was smirking.
Rogue: "Another thing we're gonna hafta talk 'bout beyond th' 'file'." She narrowed her eyes at him, but there was a playful glint to them. "Next!"
Tony: -----NEXT!-----
Tony: It was a bit of a drive, but it was worth it, and when the vehicle stopped in front of the modest home he snickered. It was nice. Not palatial, like his other choices, but... "I like the color."
Tony: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sale ... t-ma-02554
Rogue: Rogue frowned at him in question when he snickered. "What?" She looked back at the house. It definitely was different than everything else he'd picked so far, but she liked it, and she smiled. "It's nice. Homey. Do y' not like it, babe?"
Tony: "No, I do," he said quickly. She was already giving him a suspicious look. "It's quaint. Very blue. That's appropriate, since we're on an island. Is the island life for me? Am I, in fact, the man from Nantucket?"
Rogue: "That depends," she barely contained her own snicker, "do y' keep all y'r cash in a bucket? 'Cause y' dick ain't long enough f'r y' t' suck it, since Ah do that part."
Tony: "There's no bucket that can contain my cash, baby." He couldn't say it with a straight face, but then he put on an offended expression. "I could be very flexible. You don't know."
Rogue: Rogue arched an eyebrow and leaned away from him. "Let's see, then. If Ah've been missin' out on th' insane flexibility o' mah boyfriend, Ah need t' know."
Tony: "I hate to scare the islanders." He leaned back in toward her, then cocked a brow. "Next?"
Rogue: "There once was a man from Nantucket," she grabbed his lapel and pulled him close enough to kiss. "Whose dick was so hard I should fuck it."
Tony: Tony was caught off guard, but he wasn't going to deny her. That would be rude. He slid his arm around her back to press her against him, tilting his head to deepen the kiss and wondering how to signal Happy. Then, her pocket buzzed. Again.
Rogue: Rogue moaned and started to lie back, pulling him with her, when she felt the buzzing also. She should really just turn it off. But she was worried about him. Rogue gave Tony an apologetic look. "When we finally get t' have that talk, y'll understand. At least, Ah hope y' will..."
Tony: They were close, and he licked his lips as he studied her face. "So that's him again?"
Rogue: "Probably..." Her heart felt like it was twisting inside her chest. "Have Ah ruined y'r day?"
Tony: "No?" His eyebrow went up. "Is something wrong with him?" Tony smirked. "Other than the obvious?"
Rogue: "Obvious?" She pulled back a bit, confused by that. There wasn't anything obvious to her that would be wrong with Bobby. Ever. "He's talkin' with Jamie... 'Bout him killin' Arcade. It's bringin' up some bad memories that Ah'm th' only one who understands. But Jamie needs somebody t' talk to who's been through it, Ah guess."
Tony: Oh. Well now he'd offended her, by insulting Drake. "I was joking," he said, straightening up when she did. "Riiiight, the detective. Jean Grey's boyfriend. I should probably give him a medal or something..."
Rogue: "Oh... Sorry." Rogue chewed her lip at the thought of Jamie getting a medal for what he did. Bobby got jail time, she went psychotic, Jamie gets a medal. "If y' think he deserves it, y' definitely should. Y're th' person with th' power t' do that." She gave him a small smile, "Y' have th' power t' do a lot o' things."
Tony: Tony felt like he was rapidly losing track of this conversation. What did that mean? "Right..." He cleared his throat. "Go ahead and check your message, it, ah, sounds like important X-Men business..." That he knew fuck all about.
Bobby: [everything is okay… we’re bonding lol]
Rogue: Now Rogue felt like she had ruined the day, even though he said she hadn't. "...Okay." She checked it and her eyebrows went up. "Oh. They're bondin'. Guess things're okay now?" [Good! Y'all have fun! We're in Nantucket.
![wink ;)](./images/smilies/wink.gif)
Tony: "Good!" Maybe that meant he'd stop texting her then. "Well then..." Tony cranked up his bravado again. "Next?"
Rogue: "Tony," she playfully chided, "did y' just pick this house so y' could make a lewd joke 'bout Nantucket? If so, then yeah, next. Otherwise, we should go in an' take a look, don'tcha think?"
Tony: He just grinned. "Next!"
Rogue: -----NEXT!-----
Rogue: The car pulled to a stop at the next house and Rogue yawned, perfectly comfy snuggled into Tony's side from the drive back from Nantucket. "Maybe we should just find a hotel y' like. Might be easier at this point."
Tony: "To buy? Sure." He smirked and nuzzled her hair, tracing her white stripe with a fingertip. Tony was fighting a case of the nerves now, since he'd already apparently tripped up a few times today. This might be a terrible idea.
Rogue: That made her chuckle and she looked up at him, sleepy grin still in place. "How many more after this one? Should we offer t' feed y'r poor realtor after we've dragged her all over th' state?"
Tony: "We'll see. The day is young and so are... well, you." He returned the grin and leaned to give her a quick kiss before Happy opened the door.
Rogue: "Y're not s' old y'self, handsome." Rogue gave him a kiss of her own just as the light from outside fell on them. She gave him a wink, then turned toward the sunlight. "Sun's still out, so that's a good sign at least. Ain't missed any meals yet."
Tony: "Can't have that." His eyes fell to her ass when she got out, but quickly rose back to the back of her head. Tony wished he could see her face, but if her expression was disappointment, or worse, grief... well... Stark luck.
Tony: He swallowed and got out behind her, his stomach in knots. He looked first at the brick mansion, then steeled himself to look at her.
Tony: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sale ... t-ma-02478
Rogue: The second Rogue had seen it, she froze. Her eyes traced every line before they got so full that they were blurry and she had to blink. Did he pick this house on purpose? She felt a hanky being surreptitiously tucked into her hand and she looked down to see Happy's hand. He wasn't looking at her, but Tony was. Rogue had no idea how to react. It was perfect. What if he didn't like it? Then he wouldn't buy it. But maybe this was his way of letting her say goodbye since the attack had been so sudden?
Tony: Tears. Oh shit. Tears. This was normally when he'd start talking and talking and say something stupid. Tony was trying desperately not to do that.
Rogue: "Tony," she managed to get out, even though it was barely audible. "Ah..." Rogue didn't want to color his decision on buying a home, so she picked her words as carefully as she could when she finally tore her eyes from the mansion in front of them again. "Ah don't know what made y' put this on th' list, but Ah love lookin' at it."
Tony: Love. That was good, right? She loved looking at it? "I, uh, thought it might remind you of... ‘or’." Tony looked from her to the house, then back, slowly reaching to take her hand. "Do you want to look inside?"
Rogue: Her face lit up at the idea and she took his hand without a thought for anything else. "More'n anythin'." Rogue met his eyes, holding him back for a moment. "Why?"
Tony: Tony grinned at her enthusiasm, then paused. "Why not?"
Rogue: She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and reached to take his other one, too. "Ah need t' know, Tony... No deflectin'. Why'd y' add this t' th' list?"
Tony: He took a breath, studying her face, weighing his options here. After a moment, he gave her a crooked smile. "For you."
Rogue: Rogue knew that was the best she could hope to get from him, so she gave him a smile. "Thank you." She raised on her toes to give him a gentle kiss. "Even if y' don't end up gettin' this one, Ah'm glad t' be able t' see it."
Tony: Tony dragged her hands toward himself to kiss her again. "It's not identical, of course, but I'm glad you like it..."
Rogue: "Of course Ah like it. Ah love it. An' it's not like it hasta be identical. 'Specially if y' end up pickin' this one. Ain't like y're gonna be housin' students." Rogue kissed him again then pulled back to look at him warily, "Right?"
Tony: "Right," he laughed, letting go of one hand and stepping backward to lead her toward the house. "No students."
Rogue: Rogue laughed, too, letting him lead her towards the house. "Starks only." Her eyes lit up more and more with every step closer to the house. It was the closest thing she had ever seen to Xavier's mansion. Home. "How many more after this one? C'n we take our time goin' through or do we need t' hurry?"
Tony: "Oh, we can take all the time you want." He let that hang, taking the moment to raise their clasped hands and give her a spin. "Since I already bought it."
Rogue: She nearly tripped over her feet, mid-spin. "You... what?! Tony! Why'd y' go an' do that?! Y' ain't even seen it yet!" Rogue's heart was racing and she knew the answer she wanted to hear, but knew she wouldn't hear it, so tried to just focus on the shock of it all instead.
Tony: "Of course I've seen it." He caught her before she could lose her balance, his nerves fast being replaced by excitement at her expression. "I just needed you to see it."
Rogue: "Y' needed me t' see it? After y' bought it?" She stared up at him, feeling solid in his arms, but like the ground would disappear at any second. "Tony... Y' bought a house." It was all slowly catching up to her. "That looks like Xavier's mansion. Only place Ah've called home. Why?"
Tony: "I did buy a house, yes." She wasn't crying, so he took that as good and just watched her as she processed it. "I bought it for you." Tony smirked. "Although, yes, when I'm in Boston I'd prefer to stay here instead of at a hotel, or the Danvers institute."
Rogue: "Y'... Bought me a house?" Rogue blinked at him, shock only growing instead of abating. "...Why?"
Tony: "Why not?" Her wide eyes were adorable, even if she was confused. Tony just hoped the confusion wasn't a lead up to anger. He cleared his throat, licking his lips. "Maybe it can be home, too."
Rogue: Even through her shock, she could tell that he was anxious. Rogue gave him a smile. "Ah love it. Ah do. Ah just... Ah never expected... Ah mean, y' don't even use somethin' as simple as words t'..." Rogue shook her head, unsure what she was really wanting to say. "Is it... just f'r me?" It was her turn to be nervous. "Or is it... F'r us?"
Tony: "It... can be?" He hadn't intended for it to come out questioning, but it did. "Maybe words are too simple."
Rogue: Rogue frowned in confusion. "Ah mean, it doesn't hafta be. Ah just... Ah don't know how t' do this. Nobody's ever bought me anythin' bigger than a car b'fore. An' that wasn't a romantic thing..."
Tony: Tony laughed at himself and shook his head. "No, I meant - yes, it is, if you want it to be." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Well good, then I outdid him. Her?" He flashed her a grin. "Whoever it was."
Rogue: "Him," she confirmed. "Vic. Technically, it was his car, but he gave it t' me with an unlimited credit card t' keep workin' on it. It didn't survive th' explosion." At that, she turned to look back at the mansion. Did she want it to be their home? Did he? He didn't know the parts of her that someone needed to know before making a home together. "Ah wanna say yes... But Ah really think it's up t' you. There's a lot y' gotta learn 'bout me still."
Tony: "Well, we can work on it," he said with a half shrug, then realizing he probably should follow that up. "Together, I mean. I'm a work in progress myself in case you hadn't noticed."
Rogue: Rogue gave him a tender smile and reached up to touch his cheek. "Ah'd noticed." She kissed him on the other cheek then looked back at the house. Her heart was tight, unsure what to do next. She wanted to text Bobby. He wouldn't believe it. But, she also wanted to be with Tony.
Rogue: "Just so y' know, words are never too simple." Rogue looked up at him through her lashes. "Ah really like words sometimes."
Tony: He still had her hand, so he set it on his chest and rested his own over it. "I'm... someday I'll be able to say it." He nodded, giving her a slight smile.
Rogue: That small sentence was enough to light up her face and make her feel weak in the knees. "That right there's more'n Ah ever thought Ah'd get outta you, Tony." Rogue slid up his body until she could reach his mouth. "Show me our new home?”