5/19 Issue: Tattle Tales

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Slarti
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5/19 Issue: Tattle Tales

Post by Slarti »

Timelined right after Family Reunion.

Rogue: Rogue landed on the lawn and didn't stop moving until she was close enough to the house to talk to the AI. "Plato, we're home." She paced for a moment, then collapsed to sit on the front step, gloved hands scrubbing her face. The flight had helped cool off the initial anger, but she still could do with punching something. Instead, she resorted to pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw colors.

Tony: Tony felt like he was really getting the hang of flying now. The flight back for him had been fun, but the tension radiated off Anna Marie in waves for the whole flight. He stuck the landing and straightened up to spread his arms wide in celebration. "Wooo!"

Rogue: Rogue looked up at his celebratory yell and had to smile. "Y' doin' great, Tony. Glad y' got it figured out. Still wish y' wouldn't've flown so far alone f'r th' first time doin' it..."

Tony: "Yeah well, sometimes you've gotta run before you can walk." The Mark III hummed as the faceplate slid back and Tony closed the short distance to the stairs.

Rogue: "Still need someone by y' side t' catch y' if y' stumble that first time doin' it," she countered. Rogue looked up into his eyes and sighed. "Ah'm glad we're home. Ah'm sorry."

Tony: Tony waved away her concern, servos whirring. "Yeah that was... something." He gave her a more serious, appraising look.

Rogue: Rogue squared her shoulders and met his eyes, unflinching. "Ah will protect our family, Tony. An' Ah won't apologize f'r whatever Ah hafta do t' do that."

Tony: "So then what did you just apologize for?" He cocked his head, meeting her eyes. She looked ready to fight him.

Rogue: "That y' had t' see that side o' me. An' f'r what Carol said." Rogue had no intention of fighting him, but definitely no intentions of backing down from her stance, either. "She's a horrible woman who cain't keep her nose outta other people's business."

Tony: Tony activated the opening procedure and watched her while he waited for the suit to comply. "In my experience, she's a good soldier who has always been an asset, even Fury would agree although he'd never tell you he did."

Rogue: "Sure. When there's a battle, she's good t' have on y' side. But when it comes t' personal relationships?" Rogue scoffed and stood up, crossing her arms and looking out to the distance. "An' she was tryin' t' get y' t' leave me even though y' already know! What th' hell kind of a person does that?!"

Tony: "She clearly didn't know I knew. She was dancing all around why she wasn't staying at X-Men headquarters when I asked. Before you got there," he clarified. The suit opened and he stepped out, watching it to ensure it closed again properly. So far, the enhancements were working.

Rogue: "Ah told Bobby Ah'd told y'. Ah don't see why he wouldn't've said somethin' t' her." She shook her head and clinched her jaw. "Ah cain't believe she said family means nothin' t' me. Just 'cause her family ain't mah family."

Tony: Tony ordered the suit back to home base to charge and watched it lift off before he turned to face Anna Marie again. "I think you're both a little... over excited."

Rogue: "Over-excited?" She turned to look at him, eyebrows up in surprise and indignation. "Are y' sayin' you wouldn't do anythin' t' protect what we have?"

Tony: "Of course I would," he said, taking a step closer and extending his hand. "To me, it sounds like she over-reacted to the original situation with you and Drake and things escalated from there. She was trying to protect me, in her own way, and she overreacted. It sounds like you may have overreacted as a result. The perceived stakes were exponentially multiplied so you jumped to the nuclear option."

Rogue: "Y're not hers t' protect." Rogue watched him for a second, then uncrossed her arms and put her hand in his. "Perceived stakes? Tony, if Ah'd lost you 'cause o' her..."

Tony: "Okay, I admit my reaction might have been different if Carol had come to me instead of you telling me, but once I talked to you, it'd be fine." He reeled her in by the hand.

Rogue: "See? Ah had every right t' go nuclear," she frowned at him, face set in her stubborn lines. Rogue pressed against his chest and looked up at him, eyes hard. "An' she's still tryin' t' separate us. She deserves whatever Ah do t' her if she tries t' blow us up."

Tony: "She had plenty of opportunity to say something to me before you got there, and she didn't. I could tell she was hiding something." He slid his arm around her waist, looking down.

Rogue: "Yeah, 'cause Ah got her scared. An' Ah'll keep her that way as long as Ah need t' since she's still tryin'." She let out a slow breath, trying to force herself to calm down and relax. "Y' don't believe her, do y'?"

Tony: "Believe her? That you're waiting for something better to come along?" Tony gave her his best shit-eating grin. She was still tense and he thought it was curious. "We both know I'm the best."

Rogue: "'Bout all o' it. That it doesn't mean anythin' to me. That Ah'm just waitin' f'r y' t' say th' wrong thing... All of it," she repeated softly.

Tony: "I believe this," he took her hand and brought it up between them, folding hers into his own. "Means everything to you, like it does to me." He met her eyes. "And I'm gonna say something you won't like right now - don't threaten her again."

Rogue: That caught her off guard and the tension she'd managed to get rid of was suddenly back and she took a half-step back from him, but didn't leave his hold. When she found her voice, she managed to make sure it was void of emotion and all business, "Is that an order, Mr. President?"

Tony: "That's me, asking you." He frowned at her sudden coldness and couldn't help but wonder if Carol was a little bit right. "I've seen that woman go toe to toe with Nick Fury on his worst day, and you've got her about to piss herself. She can't function like this. She can't oversee the X-Men like this."

Rogue: "It sounded like an order from mah boss. Not a request from mah boyfriend." Rogue clenched her jaw, trying to keep herself under control while she mulled it over. He was right on one hand, but he had no idea how she felt about this. Even Bobby didn't get it. "What am Ah supposed t' do if she threatens us again?"

Tony: "What does she have to threaten us about? You told me about Drake, and that it was a mistake, and I forgave you. I was serious. To me, the matter's closed." He frowned, cocking his head to look at her more closely. "Right? It is closed? Because you're both awfully keyed up over a drunk kiss."

Rogue: "His wife left him over that drunk kiss, Tony. Of course Ah'm keyed up about it. That's awful an' huge. An' Carol's still tryin' t' come between us. Y' heard her." She shook her head. "Ah don't trust her."

Tony: "You don't have to trust her, at least regarding us, but the two of you have to be able to trust each other enough to be on the X-Men together." He tried to pull her back to him. "You trust me, right?"

Rogue: "Of course, Ah trust you," she softened a little and pressed against him again, squeezing his hand. "Did y' mean what y' said? 'Bout us buildin' a family?"

Tony: "Then trust me to be able to handle any comments she makes about us, okay?" Tony smiled down at her, snaking his hand to her ass for a pat. "Of course I meant it. Right now, it's you and me. You're the one who brought up adoption, remember?"

Rogue: The pat brought half of a smile to her face. "Okay." Rogue nodded, "Ah know Ah did, but Ah didn't think y' really wanted t' think 'bout that. Or talk 'bout it much."

Tony: "Well, we've got time to talk about it more, and my pre-proposal." His lips twitched with a grin. "Pre-pre-proposal."

Rogue: "Pre-pre-proposal? What does that even mean?" She did kind of like the sound of it, though and the grin that came with it when he said it. "Ah like th' thought o' havin' a family with you. Even if it just stays th' two of us. An' Plato an' Mark III an' soon t' be IV."

Tony: "It's the proposal that comes before the proposal I chicken out of before I do manage a real proposal." She looked like she was in a better mood now and he rolled with it. "I've already started on Mark IV, made some nanotech innovations. Just tinkering, you know."

Rogue: "Oh." Rogue blinked at him as she ran that through her head. "Y'... don't wanna get married?" Of course he wouldn't. He's Tony Stark, playboy. "Does Mark III know he's got competition?"

Tony: "I didn't say that. I just said it might take me some time to work up to it," He said, pulling her closer. "I'll get there." Tony winked. "It's not competition. It's a baby brother."

Rogue: "It's okay if y' don't. Ah didn't wanna marry Sam f'r... f'rever. Didn't mean Ah didn't love him any less. It's just scary." She slipped her hand from his so she could wrap her arms around him. "Baby brother? Y' Zeus now? Makin' children all by y' lonesome?"

Tony: "Hardly, when you're their mother, right?" He rested his hands on her hips, happy to have her pressed close. "So... are you over that fear or will I get over mine just for you to turn me down. I don't handle rejection well, sweetheart."

Rogue: That made her blush. She was a mother. To robotic suits, but the thought still made her feel nice. She wanted so badly to be able to step in for Ripley after Lorna died. This was good, too. Rogue frowned at him when he said the next thing and put enough space between them so she could bend over without knocking heads. When she stood up again, she had her bracelet in her hand, and she looked at him through the empty space.

Rogue: "If Ah said no, it wouldn't be me turnin' y' down. It'd be me sayin' 'wait'. F'r what, Ah don't know. Ah'm not a precog. But at th' current moment in time, Ah don't plan on sayin' no. ...Or even wait."

Tony: "Well, that's good to know," he said, taking the bracelet from her hand and then holding out his hand for hers. "Saves me some brooding, and groveling."

Rogue: "Groveling?" Oh boy. She gave him her hand and let out a weak chuckle. "Ah cain't imagine y' beggin' me t' marry y'. Or t' stay. Or t' do anythin', really..."

Tony: "Did I say begging? Persueding? Cajoling? Convincing?" He tugged off her glove and slipped the bracelet into place, clasping it carefully, then he turned her hand over and kissed the back.

Rogue: "Oh, it wouldn't be me y'd be grovelin' to?" The feel of his lips on her skin broke her train of thought and she smiled at him. "Thank you. F'r not thinkin' Ah'm a monster."

Tony: "Who else would it be?" He tugged her into his arms to kiss her softly. "I don't think you're a monster. You're passionate, overprotective, and impulsive. Sounds like someone else I know."

Rogue: "Someone who'd put y' out o' y' misery o' bein' rejected?" Rogue sighed and felt the rest of the tension leave her with his kiss. "Fury c'n definitely be all o those things," she teased. "Don't ever f'rget Ah love you."

Tony: "Yeah, totally Fury," he chuckled, then went in for another kiss. In the back of his mind, he was still curious about her overreaction. "I love you, too."

Rogue: "Ah promise Ah won't threaten her again... But Ah cain't promise Ah won't want to." Rogue hoped her current threat was enough to keep Carol quiet and also away from Bobby. "If Bobby loses his kids 'cause o' her hypocritical self, y' might wanna lock me away b'fore Ah see her again."

Tony: "I can't stop you from thinking, babe," he said with a laugh, shaking his head. Then, he cocked it. "Why would Drake lose his kids because of Carol?"

Rogue: "'Cause instead o' gettin' drunk an' sharin' a kiss, they shared a bed. He'd just been served th' papers. Paige c'n use that against him if she wanted to." Rogue wrinkled her nose. "An' it all started with me bein' scared o' you."

Tony: "You, scared of me?" This time his laugh was more of a bark. "Really?" He was still giggling a little when he felt ready to continue. "Wait, wait, wait, Drake and Carol?" This did nothing to stop his giggles. "I never thought Drake had it in him."

Rogue: Rogue just stared at him. She didn't know how that was funny. At all. "Drake? Ah think it was more Carol's idea. She couldn't have still fully married Shinobi, so why not th' married man who wasn't wanted as a husband anymore?"

Tony: Tony stopped laughing. "What? What was that about Shinobi?"

Rogue: "Durin' one o' our drunken talks, she told me she loved him. Said she wouldn't act on it 'cause he's married. Then gets pissed at me f'r kissin' Bobby while drunk, realizin' it, stoppin', an' soberin' up, not only 'cause he's married, but 'cause Ah'm with you. An' then she goes an' sleeps with him instead o' Shinobi."

Tony: "Carol is in love with Shinobi? With Hope's Shinobi?" He chewed at his bottom lip, trying to wrap his head around this concept. "Does he know this?"

Rogue: "Supposedly. But she said that she knows he's married so she just wanted t' get it off her chest. An' he said he was flattered, but married. Didn't stop her from hoppin' int' bed with another married man, did it?" She frowned, "An' what's t' stop her from tryin' with you?"

Tony: "With me?" He was honestly flabbergasted. "Carol and I have never had sex. I think now I should have a little man-to-man with my son-in-law though."

Rogue: "No, y' haven't. Ah know that." She smiled at him and reached up to stroke his cheek in reminder of her 'magic touch'. "But who knows if she'll go after y' if we get married. Since she seems t' only want married men. Or maybe she's tryin' t' separate us t' get y' to herself. Ah don't know."

Tony: Tony frowned. "I'm not interested in Carol, Anna Marie. I'm in love with you." He tilted his head into her hand. "You know that."

Rogue: "Ah know y' not... But neither was Bobby. If she gets int' Shinobi's pants, Ah'm really gonna be worried." Rogue's thumb stroked his cheek. "She an' Ah are so similar in some ways an' maybe y'll find her irresistible if y' get drunk with her."

Tony: "I've been drunk with her." he said. "We'll see about Shinobi, but you don't have to worry about me. The two of you are similar, yes, but she's not you. You're not twins."

Rogue: "What if we get married? Or engaged? Y' gonna get cold feet an' turn t' her?" Rogue hadn't realized how much this worried her until this moment, but now it was here and she needed answers. "Ah know we're not twins. Ah wouldn't look good blonde."

Tony: "No, I'm not," he frowned again. "Where is all this coming from, Anna? And no, I love your hair." Tony reached up and traced her white stripe, then twirled an auburn curl around his finger.

Rogue: "Ah don't know," she mumbled and closed her eyes, focusing on the feel of his fingers in her hair. "Ah just... Only one person's ever picked me first. An' he died. Horribly. You didn't even really pick me, Ah just kinda was dumped in y' lap." Rogue opened her eyes and shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe Ah'm just wonderin' when y're gonna wake up an' realize y've just been playin' house an' kick th' street rat t' th' curb."

Tony: Tony huffed and took her face in both hands, forcing her to look at him. "However we got here, I've picked you first now. You're my first relationship in more than twenty years. If that's not picking you, I don't know what is."

Rogue: Rogue let that sink in and it made her want to cry. He was right. And she was an idiot. "Ah ain't used t' certainty, Tony. Everythin' in mah life's always been... Fluid. Changin'. Even mah own brain." She licked her lower lip where she had started to gnaw a blister into it right on the inside. "Why y' put up with me, Ah have no idea."

Tony: She looked like she was going to cry, and that hadn't been his intention. "Believe me, that I'm the stability surprises me as much as anyone, but I wouldn't have it any other way." His eyes fell to her mouth where she was biting her lip. So, he kissed her hard, pressing their bodies together.

Rogue: A soft sound of surprise escaped her that shifted to pleasure at the intense contact and she held him tight, practically clinging to him. Rogue didn't want to lose this. Lose him. None of this was fair. Her heart sped up and her hands fisted in the back of his shirt before she broke the kiss. Rogue searched his eyes for a moment. "Let's run away."

Tony: The desperation in her surprised him a little, although maybe it shouldn't since her emotions were all over the place right now. "What? I'm - the president can't run away." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his other arm moving around her shoulders. "If we wanna take a few days, I can swing that, but run away? To where?"

Rogue: "Y' don't have a place in mind when y' run. Y' just... Go. Nobody gets told, nobody needs t' know. We just leave." He had a point about the fact that the President couldn't run and she sighed, leaning her forehead on his chest. "It's th' only thing Ah'm really an' truly good at." She let out a short, bitter laugh. "Carol was right... But at least Ah'm tryin' t' take mah family with me this time."

Tony: "You're good at more than running away, but I can understand why you get the impulse. You've had a hard, uncertain life, but it's changing, right?" He rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her. "I'm honored you want to take me with you."

Rogue: "Better'n elopin', Ah guess," she joked half-heartedly. Rogue made a face at herself and lifted her head to look in his eyes again. "Ah'd like t' hope so... Everythin' always feels so perfect with you. So easy. Makes me scared sometimes, y' know? An' since nothin' in mah life has ever been easy, why should this be any different, y' know?"

Tony: "I'm easy. You just have to accept it." He gave her a grin. "Do you want to elope? That takes some of the pre-proposal pressure off for sure."

Rogue: "Ah... What?" She blinked at him, "Do you want t' elope?" Rogue wasn't sure what to think or feel right now because that was not the answer she had been expecting. Really, she hadn't expected any response to that at all.

Tony: "I... Maybe? Not necessarily right now, although I said we could take a few days off. There's always Vegas." He hadn't really expected this conversation to go this way either, but here they were.

Rogue: Vegas. "Ah've already been t' one elopement in Vegas... Maybe we should just talk more?" She chewed on her lip again and shrugged one shoulder. "Ah'm kinda curious what y'd come up with f'r a pre-pre-proposal an' y'd lose th' chance t' do that if we flew off t' Vegas in a few days." Rogue's heart was beating fast at the thought and she couldn't tell if it was excitement or nerves.

Tony: "Mmm," his eyes were on her mouth again. "You're gonna make yourself bleed, Anna Marie." Tony gave her a quick, distracting kiss. "Well," he started when they broke apart. "I'm sure I can come up with something. Hopefully not too much, since I know I can overdo it sometimes, but just right."

Rogue: She should be used to that by now, but she did always forget that she could chew her lip raw. The kiss helped and she smiled at him. "Ah love everythin' you do, Tony. So long as it's from y' heart an' y' thinkin' o' me when y' come up with it, how c'n Ah gal complain?"

Tony: "That's the spirit. Manage expectations." He chuckled and stroked her cheek. "Maybe we can continue this discussion inside with fewer clothes."

Rogue: That managed to get a small laugh from her and she nodded. "Ah could really go f'r a nice soak in th' huge tub... Get all th' knots outta mah muscles from worryin' 'bout where y' were earlier. Would hate t' do it alone since there's all that room."

Tony: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you," he said, leaning to give her another soft kiss. "I wanted to check out the situation without all the bells and whistles. Catch them off guard."

Rogue: "Y' couldn't've at least told me y' were goin'?" She kissed him back and brought her hand up to brush his helmet hair from his forehead. "So y' 'daddy senses' were goin' off? Somethin' not right 'bout her stayin' there without Hope?"

Tony: "Okay, next time I'll tell you." He sighed and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Or, maybe I saw the latest headline questioning who the blonde was while my daughter is on sabbatical."

Rogue: "Like Ah said, 'daddy senses'." She smiled at him and kissed him again. "Ah told y' you were a good one."

Tony: "Mmhmm, that you did," he spoke between kisses. "You must have 'Tony senses' though - how'd you find me?"

Rogue: "Plato tattled. Then led me to you." Rogue grinned up at him, then stepped out of his arms, catching his hands in hers to pull him with her as she walked backwards to the front door.

Tony: "Plato! You traitor!" He yelled it in the general direction of the front door, which popped open as he let her lead him. "First the robots, then the AI... you really are their mom."

Rogue: "Does that bother you?" She passed the threshold and stopped, pulling him close again so the door could close. "Y're th' one who programmed 'em. Y' c'n put in somethin' so they don't like me as much."

Tony: "No, it doesn't bother me." He bent to give her another kiss. "It's nice to have someone who isn't paid to care wonder where I am."

Rogue: "Ah used t' be paid t' care. Does that count?" She looked up in the general direction of the ceiling, "Plato, Daddy's home safe an' sound. An' he said Ah'm y' mama now." Rogue looked back at Tony, "Birthin' robots an' AI is hard on a gal."

Tony: "The key there is that you used to be." Plato responded with his congratulations that Tony had arrived back home without breaking anything. "Yeah, yeah," he said, giving her ass a pinch. "You're just as beautiful to me as the day we met."

Rogue: She squeaked and laughed at the pinch. "Y' thought Ah was beautiful when y' met me? Wanna bend me over th' desk in th' Oval Office right then an' there?"

Tony: "Yes. You surprised? I wouldn't think so. You mean you couldn't tell?" He thought about that. "Wow, I guess I'm more subtle than I thought."

Rogue: "Ah just thought y' found every female of a certain age sexy," she shrugged one shoulder. "Y' pretty much banged th' majority o' th' East Coast y' first term."

Tony: "I know, so you can understand why I was so interested in a new pretty face," he laughed.

Rogue: "Oh f' cryin' out loud." Rogue rolled her eyes and laughed. "Y're th' absolute worst." She gave him her best innocent face, "Y' must've been so disappointed when y' realized y' couldn't touch me."

Tony: "I'm the best." He laughed at her expression, then gave her a scorching look from head to toe. "I was, but then I realized I would find a way to touch you, eventually."

Rogue: "Rhodey was right!" Her jaw dropped in shock, but she was laughing the whole time. "Y' only did it so you could touch me! Not out o' th' kindness o' y' heart seein' how hard it was f'r me t' go 'bout life."

Tony: "Well. Not only for that. Also from the kindness of my heart," he said, laying his hand on his chest and giving her a short bow.

Rogue: Rogue caught his head in both of her hands as he started to raise from the bow, pulling his head to meet hers for a sound kiss. "Y're a terrible liar."

Tony: "Am I? I'll have to work on that," he said, giving her a mock pout and straightening up to go in for a better kiss.

Rogue: "No, don't," she mumbled against his mouth. "Ah like not havin' t' use mah powers f'r bad things, like figurin' out if y're lyin' t' me." Rogue nipped at his lower lip, then pulled away, keeping her eyes locked on his while she unzipped the front of her uniform. "Plato. Run a steamin' bath in th' master."
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