11/28 Issue: Drama in the Afternoon

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Slarti
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Title: Damn Not Given
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11/28 Issue: Drama in the Afternoon

Post by Slarti »

Timelined right after Adulting with Alcohol

Bobby: Bobby wasn't sure if the writing on the scotch bottle was in English anymore. Maybe it was in Scottish! Scotch was Scottish, right? He'd become one with the sofa a while ago and Pietro had vanished to do... something. Eh. He'd be right back. Literally.

Rogue: Rogue kicked the door shut behind her and jostled the paper grocery bags in both hands, peering over the top as much as she could. She lifted off the ground just a bit so she would make sure to not trip and headed towards the kitchen with her haul. There was literally nothing to eat around this place except ramen and Oreos if she didn't cook for everyone once in a while.

Bobby: Whuwazzat? Bobby started to push himself up to see over the back of the sofa to check, then decided he didn't care and melted back into his hole.

Rogue: Rogue heard movement as she passed the recroom, but since she couldn't see, she piped up. "A gal could use a hand'r two if whoever's in there is free?" She hoisted the bags up again because the front three were slipping.

Bobby: Bobby froze at the voice. Figuratively, but the literal option was not off the table. Fuck!

Rogue: Okay, she either had to move or drop the bags. Maybe whoever it was was napping. Rogue grumbled to herself and hoisted them again before continuing towards the kitchen, barely making it in time for the bags to fall onto the counter. "Small victories," she mumbled to herself.

Bobby: He could poof into vapor and fuck off to... Toledo? Sure. Pietro's talk about the need for talk was all responsible but he was in no condition for responsibility.

Rogue: Rogue started pulling the items out and setting them into piles for their respective homes. When she was done with the first bag, she looked up and saw the wall she had gone through. Because of Carol. Because of Bobby. She heaved a sigh and put her elbows on the counter and burying her fingers in her hair so she could press the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Forget it, gal. Life is good. Don't fuck it up."

Bobby: It was decision time. Stay or go, talk or bolt, adult or... nah. He was not adulting today. Bobby very carefully sat up to locate the cork for the bottle to set it aside. He could not freeze and destroy this masterpiece.

Rogue: Rogue shook herself out of it and moved to the doorway, poking her head out to yell down the hall. "Carol! Ah got some o' those rotisserie chickens f'r th' weekend, so all y' gotta do is microwave 'em! Don't use th' stove!"

Bobby: Where was that fucking cork?

Rogue: "Carol?!" Rogue frowned when she got no response. Maybe she was still giving her the silent treatment. She was probably the one on the couch. "Lord, give me strength." She flew out to the rec room, "Caro-- Bobby?!"

Bobby: "Roguey!" Fuck! Why was she so quiet?! Then not quiet! Bobby fell off the sofa and spilled some of that very expensive scotch.

Rogue: Rogue hovered in the doorway, completely unsure what to do. She wanted to go help him up, clean up the mess, but she hesitated. She shouldn't touch him. Or even be near him, probably. "H-hey?"

Bobby: "Heeeeey." Fuck. He sat up and flicked the liquid off his hand. He supposed now he smelled like a proper alcoholic too. He should have poofed when he had the chance. Now he had to talk. "Um..."

Rogue: Her heart was pounding hard and it hurt to look at him. She swallowed and gestured back the way she came. "Ah'll just... Yeah, alright." Rogue turned and made a beeline back for the kitchen.

Bobby: "'Kay... gotcha..." He sighed and watched her go, then struggled off the floor, finally spotting the cork in the sofa seat behind him. "Fuckin' of course. Now you're here."

Rogue: Rogue went to the side of the island not visible from the doorway and let herself slide down to sit, leaning her back against it. She had made a point to avoid Bobby once she'd sent him that text. He had seen it. She knew he had. And she had to send it because he needed to know that Tony finally said it. But none of this was made easier by him doing that.

Rogue: She thought maybe hearing Tony say it would help her get past Bobby. But then she saw his face... Her head fell back against the wood with a thunk and she huffed out an irritated breath.

Bobby: He should sober up, be an adult, go in there and apologize. Then run for the hills. Pietro was right that they needed to talk, but not today. Terrible idea. Bobby corked the bottle and set it carefully on the table, then winced at the mess of wrappers they (Pietro) had left. Slowly, he started picking them up while the hamster in his head tried to stagger to his wheel.

Pietro: Pietro slid to a stop on the tiled kitchen floor and didn't notice Rogue as he set about replacing the snackfoods he'd eaten and adding extra. He'd also left something with the guard at the end of the drive because this was his third shock and he was a trooper.

Rogue: Rogue frowned at the noise that came from the floor. Bobby didn't ever do that. "Hello?" She pushed away from her hiding place and frowned at the disarray of her careful piles. Then she saw why they were like that and her face lit up. "Pietro!"

Pietro: If it wasn't for his speed, most of those piles would now be on the floor. "Hey! That explains the edible food!"

Rogue: That made her laugh and she moved to him for a hug. "Speed feet! Missed y', sugah! What brings y' this way?"

Pietro: "Looking at property," he returned the hug, "Ran into Bobby earlier so I'm just replacing all the snacks we... I ate." He gave her a grin.

Bobby: Bobby was relieved to hear Pietro. It definitely took the pressure off of him. A little. The trash was balled up into his fist now and he was not going into the kitchen to throw it away.

Rogue: "Yeah... He's still in th' rec room, if y' wanna go back t' boy time. Ah c'n finish puttin' things away." She stepped back to gesture at the groceries she'd just brought in. "Gotta put th' stuff Ah bought away anyhow."

Pietro: Pietro decided to do that for her because it was faster. "Done. Now you can come slack off with us!"

Rogue: Rogue laughed again and shook her head at him. "Y're an enabler." She glanced towards the door, "Ah don't think Ah should. There's some.. issues we gotta work through that neither o' us wanna touch yet, so, Ah think it'd be best f'r me t' just stick in mah corner..."

Pietro: "Yeah, I know." And if he had to drag her over to Bobby at high speed he would totally do it.

Rogue: She just stared at him for a second. "BOBBY!"

Bobby: Bobby froze the trash in his hand and frosted the mostly empty bottles still on the table. "Motherfucker!"

Pietro: "What are you mad at him for? Who am I gonna tell? He needed to talk to someone. And he needs to talk to you too."

Bobby: "Doesn't sound like she wants to talk to me right now!" He called from the living room, fleeing for Carol's office to throw the trash away in a safe...ish zone.

Rogue: Rogue scrubbed her face. "No, he doesn't or he woulda talked t' me when Ah came in askin' f'r help with th' groceries 'cause Ah was 'bout t' fuckin' drop 'em!"

Rogue: And then Bobby's retort made her make a frustrated sound and throw her hands up, "Y're th' one avoidin' me, Bobby Drake!"

Pietro: "You're both avoiding. Stop it." Pietro was only a little bit alarmed by the fact the dad voice came out.#

Rogue: Rogue blinked at him and then frowned. "Ah ain't one o' y' twins. Y' don't get t' talk t' me like that."

Pietro: "Yeah, it just came out. But the point stands."

Bobby: Bobby knew that voice well, but much like ignoring his own dad's voice - and like Ripley ignoring him - Drake genes were stubborn. "Probably not the best time, y'know?" He started back from Carol's office but was still keeping a distance. And weaving.

Rogue: "See? He wants nothin' t' do with me." Which, in theory, should make things easier for her. But it didn't.

Bobby: He rubbed his hands over his face and shoulder checked the kitchen door frame.

Pietro: "... That is an over-exaggeration." He folded his arms, "He's just had too much scotch which I know he can fix."

Rogue: "Too much scotch is what got us int' this whole thing..." She watched Bobby as he came in, completely unsteady on his feet, automatically reaching out to steady him when he ran into the door.

Pietro: "Yeah he mentioned that... but at least this time only one of you had scotch."

Bobby: Bobby started to flinch away from her, then stopped himself, because for fuck's sake. Instead, he tried to straighten up to his full height to look down at her. He made it, but he was swaying a little.

Rogue: And now she was staring up into his beautiful blue eyes and she froze. Bobby had been right: she never should have sent that text.

Pietro: Pietro frowned as they stared at each other for what felt like forever. He decided to get snacks.

Bobby: Bobby's throat went dry and he had to physically step back away from her to stop himself from - something. Touching? Staring? Kissing? He closed his eyes and shifted to ice.

Rogue: Rogue closed her eyes and turned away. If he was going to vaporize again, she didn't want to watch. It terrified her every time, but now it was more than that. It was how he avoided her. "See what Ah mean," she mumbled to Pietro.

Pietro: Pietro shook his head, "Nope. What I see is Bobby doing the smart thing and sobering up so he can adult."

Bobby: Pietro was always an optimist. He was still weighing his options, but Anna's defeated tone cinched it and he shifted back. Oh, good. He was sober. Mostly. "Adulting is fuckin' overrated."

Rogue: "Ah liked bein' a toddler way better," she agreed with a half-hearted chuckle.

Bobby: "Same," he sighed, smiling a little and shaking his head. Bobby leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms to give her a less boozy once-over.

Rogue: Rogue turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and gave him a slightly sad smile. "Sorry Ah'm th' reason y' gotta sober up."

Bobby: "Nah... I was gonna have to eventually." He paused to clear his throat. "To drive home, anyway. Pick up the kids."

Rogue: "Y' mighta sobered up more natural, though since y' got a couple hours at least..." She searched for something to do with her hands but Pietro had put up all the groceries already. Rogue shot him a look for being helpful.

Bobby: "Eh." He waved a hand. "Natural schmatcheral." Bobby was having a similar problem, but it was with his eyes. They knew what they wanted to do, but he really didn't want to let them.

Rogue: "Y'all hungry, then?" She was already headed towards the pantry, looking for anything she could do to keep herself busy. "'Cause with th' three of us in th' same room it's either eat, drink, 'r kill bad guys."

Pietro: "I'm always up for eating," Pietro supplied helpfully, "Fresh out of bad guys."

Bobby: Bobby snorted, but closed his eyes when she started moving. "Yeah, the last one's already dead. Damn."

Rogue: "There's always more out there. Somewhere." She gathered random ingredients and moved to set them on the island, cocking her head at what she'd picked up. "Um. Breakfast f'r mid-day snack?"

Pietro: "If it's food, I'll eat it. The more calories the better."

Bobby: "Nothing better for a hangover than breakfast, yeah?" He ventured into the kitchen just far enough to hold up the wall.

Rogue: "Y' cain't have a hangover if y' don't let y'self be drunk longer'n ten minutes, Bugs." She bit her lip as she started to gather the utensils and bowls for the pancakes. Rogue wished she had a time machine to take back calling him that. This was too hard.

Pietro: "Definitely got the post-booze dehydration issue covered too...."

Bobby: "It was way longer'n ten minutes, Dollface." It was out before he could stop himself and then frowned, looking away back toward the rec room.

Pietro: Oh this was excruciating. He tried to pretend he wasn't there. Oh candy!

Bobby: Bobby was trying to pretend he wasn't here either, but it wasn't working.

Rogue: Rogue fumbled and dropped the plastic bowl she was holding, jumping when it sounded louder on the tile than it should have. Dollface. "This is too hard..."

Pietro: "Then talk about it," Pietro prompted, "It's not going to go away on its own."

Bobby: "Sorry, I, uh... it's Pietro! I had to tell him!"

Rogue: "Ah know y' did, Bobby..." She stooped to gather the bowl and set it on the counter. "Ah know."

Bobby: Of course, he didn't have to tell Madrox, but hey. He scratched at his stubble and cleared his throat.

Rogue: "Ah don't know that talkin' is really gonna change anythin', Pietro. But Ah appreciate th' sentiment all th' same."

Pietro: "It can't make it worse..." Pietro sat on the counter, "You need to decide what to do with this."

Bobby: Bobby cleared his throat, shifted his weight, and tried to talk himself out of asking her this, but... "Why did you guys even do those texts? Why now of all times?" Real smooth.

Rogue: Rogue shot Pietro a look. "Avoidin's a decision." She ran her hand through her hair and turned to Bobby, unable to meet his eyes. "Easy answer? We were drunk. Harder answer? Ah needed y' t' know how Ah felt... Ah didn't expect y' t' feel th' same way! Ah just... Ah was scared Ah was doin' th' wrong thing with Tony, maybe? Ah like t' fuck mah own life up, if y' haven't noticed."

Bobby: "You wanted to sabotage your thing with Tony before you got in too deep?" He knew all too well she caused a lot of the drama in her life, but fucking hell. "Fuckin' apparently we are the only two people who know us who didn't know we were in love with each other."

Rogue: Rogue's heart felt like it stopped for a second when he said that, but she couldn't tell if it was good or bad. All she felt was pain anymore. "Ah should've known. This is on me. Just... f'rget Ah ever said anythin', okay?"

Pietro: Pietro continued to eat his candy in silence.... but it was hard.

Bobby: "Yeaaaah. It don't work like that, does it, babe?" He crossed his arms.

Rogue: "Whaddya want me t' say, Bobby? Whaddya want me t' do?!" She threw up her arms in defeat. "Ah got nothin'!"

Bobby: "Nah, you got Tony Stark!" He regretted it instantly. Mostly.

Pietro: Pietro face-palmed.

Rogue: She threw the bowl at him. "Paige Guthrie," she countered, not regretting it a bit.

Pietro: Oh look, prime territory for the dad voice to come back. Must resist!

Bobby: At least the bowl was empty and he ducked it. "You told him yet? 'Cause I'm betting I don't have Paige anymore when I tell her!"

Rogue: "No, Ah've not told him yet! Th' man just told me he loves me! Ah ain't gonna have him finally open up just t' tear him down th' next instant. Ah don't move as fast as you, Drake."

Bobby: "As fast as me?" It took him a second. "Oh, please. Fucking hell, I had no idea you were jealous all that time! I thought it was leftovers from Lorna in your head making you hate her!"

Rogue: "Even if it was, don'tcha think that shoulda been enough t' make y' stop an' think?! Damnit, Bobby!" Rogue turned around and kicked one of the chairs at the table. It didn't help her feel any better, but it was better than throwing it at him.

Pietro: Pietro stuffed more candy in his mouth. That compulsion was strong.

Bobby: "How is this my fault?!" He pushed off the wall and picked up the bowl, plopping it back on the counter and then pacing in a short circuit by the door. "Paige was there. When I needed her, she was there! I love her for it!"

Rogue: "An' that automatically means that's th' person y' meant t' be with?!" Her hands fisted and she shook her head, finally turning to look at him in the eyes. "So, should Ah go marry Vic b'cause he was there when Ah needed him when Essex kidnapped you, Remy, an' Rae?! Or maybe Carol 'cause she's been there f'r me through all this mess until we nearly had sex on th' roof?!"

Bobby: "Of course not! But I fell for her! Maybe 'cause it was the worst fuckin' time of my life! Lorna and I were just getting back to normal, and if Rip had been with her instead of me and Paige I wouldda lost her too!"

Rogue: "Don't y' think Ah know that, Bobby?! Mah husband exploded in th' fuckin' kitchen! Ah know what that feels like!" Rogue shook her head, "Maybe that's why Ah hated y' with her. Y' moved on so fuckin' easily an' Ah still miss Sam. Every. Fuckin'. Day. What d' you do? Go find th' prom queen, make Ripley think she's her mom, an' marry 'er. Gotta keep th' picture perfect from th' outside, right?"

Pietro: Pietro winced at that particular outburst. Clearly a lot of things had been unsaid. This was healthy, right?

Bobby: "Don't you fuckin' dare imply I don't miss Lorna," he said, voice dropping to a growl. "Ripley knows who her mother is, but Paige raised her and loves her. I know you love her, too, but you've always been the one to do your own thing. Right? Fuck off when things get too rough? Some of us stay and clean up the messes."

Rogue: "Fuck you." Rogue turned to Pietro. "Talked it out. Think it's solved now. Good idea."

Pietro: "That wasn't talking it out. That was saying all the shit you never say. This is good progress and no one's made a fresh hole in a wall. Keep going..." he gestured for them to continue.

Bobby: Bobby gave Pietro a look. "Dude?! The fuck? Progress?!"

Pietro: "Yes! It's not healthy to keep all this inside. Clearly you two have needed to say some stuff to each other for a while."

Rogue: "No one's made a fresh hole 'cause Ah have more self-control than Carol." She crossed her arms and glared at Pietro. "That was talkin' it out. There ain't no goin' back from that 'shit we never say'."

Pietro: "Pfft." Pietro waved a hand at that sentiment to waft it away.

Bobby: He snorted. "Fuckin' A. Problem solved." Bobby turned to go back into the rec room for his phone.

Pietro: Pietro appeared in front of Bobby, "Where are you going?"

Rogue: "Runnin' away. Like he says he never does. But Ah know better," she called after him.

Bobby: He stopped short. "Getting my shit." Anna's voice carried and he shot a look over his shoulder. "You're the one who just said there ain't no goin' back, babe!"

Rogue: "Like y' would want to even if we could! Y' wish Ah'd not told y' how Ah felt. Y' said as much, so why do y' even fuckin' care?!"

Pietro: "Kind of with Bobby on that," Pietro added, "You can't shut it down then blame him for leaving. You're shutting it down and deciding it's done without working it through is more like running away in this instance. You've said the things. Now you work through it. Have you never done this before?"

Bobby: Bobby found his phone and pocketed it, allowing what Pietro said to sink in. Wow. Psychobabble. Fun.

Rogue: "Who th' hell else makes me this mad, Pietro?" Rogue arched an eyebrow at him. "No, Ah ain't ever done this b'fore. There's never been a need f'r it!"

Pietro: "Then this'll be a fun learning experience for you. Sit." He pointed at the nearest table.

Bobby: "What? You planning to referee?" He shook his head, shooting a look at Anna.

Pietro: "If that's what it takes."

Rogue: "Ah ain't a dog, jackass."

Bobby: "Well, this should be good then." Bobby picked up the bottle off the table and threw himself into the sofa, kicking his boots up onto the coffee table.

Pietro: Oh he was getting sassed? He could sass right back with sarcasm. "Oh, terribly sorry, would you care to take a seat, madame? Shall I pull your chair out for you?"

Rogue: "How 'bout y' just treat me like a fuckin' human bein' an' let me decide f'r mahself if Ah'm gonna stand'r sit 'steada commandin' me." Rogue propped her hip against the bar in a gesture of defiance.

Pietro: "How about you stop acting like a spoiled brat and realise I'm trying to help you."

Rogue: "Get over y'self. Ah don't hafta sit t' have mah head examined. It's already a mess. There. Saved y' time."

Pietro: "Are you done?"

Rogue: "Are you?"

Pietro: No, he was not. Speed was useful when dealing with petulant children and petulant adults with super strength. Rogue was now in the rec room sat on a chair.

Rogue: And Pietro was now missing a sleeve because otherwise, it would be an arm. "Fuck. You."

Pietro: Pietro frowned at the sleeve-loss. But his clothing had suffered worse. It was only money. "You're welcome."

Bobby: Bobby watched all this with pursed lips and the scotch bottle balanced on his knee. "Forget it, Peeto. This ain't the time. Maybe it never will be the time..." Maybe this was just how things were gonna be now.

Pietro: "If I leave you two to your own devices you're both just going to sit and sulk and run circles in your brains until it gets worse."

Rogue: "There's a 'worse'?"

Pietro: "There's always a worse," Pietro nodded solemnly.

Rogue: "Ain't much worse'n this." She crossed her arms and her legs and looked out the window.

Bobby: "Nah. Peeto's right. There's always a worse." He sighed and set the bottle aside.

Rogue: "Agree t' disagree then."

Bobby: Bobby tended to agree this was bad, but at least nobody was dead. She might hate him, but he supposed he could live with that. Might make things easier.

Pietro: "So...." Pietro decided to yank the conversation back on track, "Now that you got all that angry out... does it change how you feel?"

Rogue: Rogue snapped her head to look at Pietro, confused glare on her face. "What th' hell?"

Pietro: Pietro blinked at her, "What did I do now?"

Bobby: Bobby snorted at the exchange.

Rogue: "Y' really think we 'got it out'? Y' think it's just that easy t' get past all th' hurt that was spewed a couple minutes ago?"

Pietro: "I think you both kept it in a long time and I think it still didn't change anything really. It all came from the same place."

Bobby: "And which place is that, Freud?"

Rogue: Rogue arched an eyebrow and just watched Pietro, waiting for an answer to Bobby's question.

Pietro: His eyebrows went up. Really? He was going to have to spell it out for them? "You're both frustrated for not being where you want to be. And you're both mad at the wrong people, by the way."

Rogue: "That makes absolutely zero sense, Speed Feet."

Bobby: Bobby's head tilted and he wished he were still drunk. "Fine line between love and hate?"

Pietro: "Because you're choosing to focus on entirely the wrong stuff. Stop being mad at me and focus on yourself. Examine your feelings." He gestured at Bobby, "He gets it."

Rogue: "Examine mah feelin's? Seriously? Last time Ah did that Ah sent a text that he didn't wanna get."

Pietro: "Well, like I explained to Bobby earlier - time travel isn't a thing. So we have to deal with the situation as it is now. Ask yourself. Why did all that stuff make you so mad?"

Bobby: He did? That was news to him, since he'd been aiming for smart ass.

Rogue: "Oh, let's see... He didn't want me, he wanted th' bubbly blonde bimbette an' got her not even two weeks after Lorna died, an' yet he throws Tony in mah face who is mah first real relationship since Sam died eleven years ago." She ticked things off on her fingers as she went. "Accuses me o' runnin' out on things every time it gets hard but Ah ain't run since b'fore Sam an' Ah started datin'."

Rogue: "Says that Paige was there f'r him, not me, but Ah'm th' only one who's been there through everythin'. He implied that Ah let him take th' fall f'r X-Force when he knows damned well Ah feel guilty as hell 'bout not bein' in control o' mah own body an' lettin' our worst nightmare run amok while he was in jail. Shall Ah go on?" Her sharp glare went from Pietro, to Bobby, then back before she looked out the window again.

Pietro: Pietro face-palmed. "Yes. We got all of that the first time you said it. But why does all of that make you so angry?"

Rogue: Rogue turned to blink at Pietro and cocked her head at him. "Really?"

Pietro: "Yes, really. And don't just say the first thing that comes into your head. Think about it." Good God this was like pulling teeth.

Rogue: "Pretty sure Ah already said it." Rogue crossed her arms under her chest again. "In short, he was bein' an ass f'r th' sake o' bein' an ass an' hurtin' me. Better?"

Pietro: ".... What did I just say?"

Bobby: Bobby seethed quietly during that tirade. "I shouldn'ta said most of that, but shit just comes out sometimes," he said quietly, staring at the bottle.

Rogue: "So then maybe it's you who needs t' be 'examinin' y' feelin's' t' see why y' felt y' had t' just let th' 'shit come out'."

Bobby: "Maybe because I was just barely sober and not ready for any of this and I let my mouth run before my brain kicked in."

Pietro: "Both of you need to let the anger go and look for the why," Pietro prompted, "Honestly it's no wonder you were oblivious to each others feelings if it takes this much effort for you to look at your own."

Rogue: "It ain't that easy t' let go o' th' anger, Pietro. Y're talkin' 'bout it like it's somethin' as simple as flippin' a light switch."

Pietro: "Then look past it. I'm not saying get over it. I'm saying it's not important right now."

Bobby: "The why I'm still stuck on is why now? I told you..." Bobby glanced at her, then quickly away. "if I'd known before I started dating Paige that it would have changed, well, everything."

Rogue: "Ah didn't even have time t' let y' grieve Lorna, damnit! Ah know what it's like t' lose a spouse, Bobby. Ah wasn't gonna just walk up t' y' two days later an' say 'oh hey, by th' way, Lorna exploded just like Sam, but Ah'm in love with you'!"

Bobby: Bobby swallowed. Hearing her say it, even pissed off, had more of an effect now that he'd calmed down. "Yeah. I get it. But... just sometime."

Rogue: "Sometime. Sometime when, Bobby?! When y' told me y' took Paige on a date after y'd already been livin' with her since th' explosion? Or how 'bout when y' told Paige y' loved her right in front o' me? Tell me when Ah coulda said somethin'. Y' didn't give me a chance t' say anythin'!"

Bobby: "Okay! Okay, okay, I get it - so why now?! Were you trying to sabotage things with Tony Stark? Because I meant it - he's good for ya! Way better'n-" He cut himself off.

Rogue: "B'cause if Ah didn't say it at some point, Ah was gonna explode! It was a weight that was crushin' me, okay?!" His last bit halted her thought process and she blinked. "Better'n who, Bobby?" Her tone was level, but her voice was a dangerous quiet as she looked over at him.

Bobby: He was grinding his teeth and couldn't force himself to relax, cursing himself in his head when he shot her a look. "Me," he ground out. "He's better for ya than me anyway, so it doesn't fuckin' matter."

Rogue: That really wasn't what she expected him to say and she just stared at him in shock. "Y're outta y'r cotton-pickin' mind."

Bobby: "We're way too much alike, A-" He cut himself off, just barely in time, shooting a look at Pietro. "Always lookin' for a fight."

Rogue: "If y' wanna know th' truth, Bobby, after Ah told him everythin' 'bout mah past, he an' Ah are more alike than we are. So maybe y're right. B'cause Ah want someone who gets me. Ah thought that person was you."

Bobby: He swallowed, looking down to cover his expression, though that did nothing to stop the lump in his throat or painful twist in his chest. "Well... there you go then."

Rogue: "An' y' obviously want someone who doesn't get you an' you got 'er. So there you go then." Rogue turned her head to look out the window, taking a deep breath and holding it so she wouldn't start crying. She wasn't sure if she would be crying because she was hurting or because she was angry, but she refused to cry for any reason right now.

Pietro: Pietro frowned at Rogue, "There was no need for that."

Bobby: Bobby sighed and got up to go look out the window.

Rogue: "There's no need f'r a lot o' things, apparently." Rogue caught Bobby's movement in her peripheral and turned to look at him. "What do y' want from me," she repeated, calmer this time. "When would y' have wanted me t' say it? Or would y' have rather Ah took it t' th' grave?"

Bobby: He set his hands on the window sill. "I don't know! Okay? Fuck's sake, I don't know what to think about anything anymore! There! You happy?"

Rogue: Rogue bit down on her entire bottom lip and closed her eyes tight. "Welc'me t' th' club. At least one o' th' three o' us is happy."

Pietro: Pietro frowned, "Who says I'm happy?"

Rogue: She opened her eyes to stare at Pietro for a moment. "Well fuck."

Bobby: Bobby snorted and hung his head.

Rogue: Rogue flexed her fingers and stared down at her gloved hands for a few silent moments. "Ah cain't take it back, Bobby. Ah'm sorry."

Bobby: "I know." He sighed and closed his eyes.

Rogue: "Y're leadin' this train, y' know. An' f'r th' record? Ah ain't runnin'." She wasn't going to add that she had told Carol she wanted to.

Bobby: He shot her a look. "What's that supposed to mean!? Leading what train? I didn't start this!" Bobby straightened up and turned, leaning against the sill. "I can end it, though. We're done here. I'm married. You're with the fuckin' president. That's that."

Rogue: "It's s'pposed t' mean th' ball's in y'r court! Ah know y' didn't start it, but it's you who gets t' decide where we go." She stood and took a deep breath, clenching her jaw tight for a moment before she turned to face him. "An' Ah guess y' just did."

Pietro: Pietro deeply wanted to bang their heads together but he suspected it wouldn't help much. They were way too angry for no reason at all. Better to let them cool off for now....

Bobby: "How is it remotely in my court?! What am I supposed to do, just tell Paige to fuck off?!"

Rogue: Rogue lowered her head and closed her eyes. "No." She shook her head and looked up a him again. "Y're supposed t' tell me what t' do. An' y' have." She gave him a sad smile, defeated and hurt, but accepting.

Bobby: Bobby made a noise and looked at Pietro for help.

Pietro: "Rogue, Bobby is not the boss of you. You're supposed to tell you what to do - don't put this on him. No one's gonna tell you you have to stay with Tony if you don't want to. But only you know how you feel. Just like only Bobby can answer whether or not he stays with Paige. I'm just here to point out that you both have a slew of missed opportunities behind you that you're still mad about."

Pietro: "So if it comes to another one... maybe try not to ignore it this time."

Rogue: "Ah ain't sayin' he's th' boss o' me, damnit. Ah'm sayin' this ... whatever this is, takes two people. Ah said mah piece o' things, now it's his turn t' decide what he wants t' do with that information." Rogue sighed and shook her head again. "Maybe Ah am missin' an opportunity an' Ah'm just blinded by a security net."

Bobby: "I don't know what to do with that information!" He cut himself off before he blurted her name. Second close call, Drake. "Motherfucker! In case you haven't noticed, I don't know what to do with my own fuckin' life! I have a wife who barely seems to know I fucking exist anymore and I don't know how or why it happened, or if it's my fault, or hers, or just one of those fucking things that nobody can goddamn explain because life is random and fucking pointless!"

Rogue: Rogue's jaw clenched at his outburst and she tried to not get angry again because he was right. It was all pointless. "Y' already made y' decision 'bout what t' do with th' information Ah gave y', Bobby." She rolled her neck to force herself to let go of some of the tension from body. "Ah cain't help y' with Paige like a real best friend should be able t' do, so everythin' does seem pretty pointless right now."

Rogue: She sniffed and looked away from him, "There's no point t' anythin' 'cause we're all gonna lose everyone we love one way'r another."

Bobby: That last bit took him aback and he frowned at her. Well, shit. "Guess so," he finally said.

Rogue: Rogue chewed her lip and refused to look at either of them. "Ah ain't sure what else t' say, so Ah guess Ah'll just clock out f'r th' day... Call me if there's an emergency."

Bobby: Bobby winced and looked down, unsure what to say now. Most of the fight had drained out of him and he didn't know how to fix any of this.

Rogue: When all she got was silence, Rogue nodded and headed back to the kitchen to grab her keys.

Pietro: Pietro frowned, ran around the room a few dozen times to burn off some nervous energy, then frowned some more. "If I'd have known you two were so mad at each other under the surface I would have suggested a different solution."

Rogue: Rogue brushed her windblown hair from her face and glanced over at Pietro. "Suggest it now then."

Bobby: Holy shit he hated when he did that! Bobby jumped when Pietro vanished, then reappeared, then spoke again.

Pietro: Pietro shook his head, "It won't help now. You're too openly mad at each other."

Rogue: That made her throw her hands up in the air in defeat. "What th' hell do y' want from us, Pietro? We cain't even look at each other or hadn't y' noticed?"

Pietro: "I want you to be honest with each other. That's all... but apparently you're stuck at the part where you have to be honest with yourselves... Do you two even want to fix this or have you just decided life will be easier if you pretend to hate each other now because then neither of you have to do anything?"

Bobby: "Of course I don't fucking hate her, but what the fuck am I suppose to do with this?!"

Rogue: "Ah don't tend t' make out with people Ah hate, Speed Feet."

Pietro: "Okay glad we got that part cleared up." he gestured for her to sit down again, "Mind if I try?"

Rogue: "...T' make out with me? No 'ffense, sugah, but y' ain't exactly mah type."

Pietro: Pietro decided not to comment on that.

Bobby: Bobby just rubbed his face with both hands.

Rogue: "Fine. What?" She sat on the edge of the coffee table, ready to stand back up again at a moments notice.

Pietro: Pietro smoothed his palms over his knees and sat back in his seat, "Okay. You two have been carrying around these feelings for each other and about each other for a really long time. And now both the things are out in the open. I'm going to make a suggestion and I want you to actually listen to what I'm saying. Can you handle that?"

Rogue: "Question ain't 'can we', Pietro. It's 'should we'?"

Pietro: "You don't even know what I'm going to say yet and you're already ready to react. That is the problem."

Bobby: "What is it, dude?" He was trying to keep his tone even this time. Pietro hadn't asked for any of this drama.

Pietro: "You both need to stop reacting about everything and start thinking instead. Forget everything else. Forget obligation. Say it's a thought exercise. If it was just you with no other people pulling you this way or that, no expectations from anyone and no perceived pressure. I'm not saying answer right this second or even this week. Just sit with the information you have now."

Pietro: "I know you're both going to want to react right not and say it's not that simple. But it is that simple. It's the most easy thing in the world. You just have to be a little bit selfish for once in your lives and stop worrying about everyone else. They'll cope. They'll get over it. And you're supposed to be ignoring them for the thought exercise anyway."

Pietro: "Just shut all the external crap out. Ignore the stuff that makes you feel like shit and focus on what makes you happy. Do those things. The rest will fall into place."

Rogue: "Hah. Carol said Ah was bein' th' most selfish person ever 'cause Ah kissed him. What a 180 this'll be."

Bobby: Bobby swallowed and looked down again.

Pietro: "Maybe it was just the timing.... or maybe she's stuck in reactive mode too. Can't speak for her. I can only talk about what I see in front of me."

Rogue: "Nobody else but th' two of us," she arched an eyebrow at Pietro, questioning.

Bobby: "That's what he means," he said, clearing his throat when it came out raspy. "He's watching us be dipshits."

Pietro: "No, I'm watching you ignoring something really important and deciding to be miserable for some reason."

Rogue: "An' what would you do in our shoes, sugah? Throw caution t' th' wind an' f'rsake everybody else?"

Pietro: "What happens if you don't? You end up with someone you don't love for the rest of your life out of obligation? So then that other someone is with someone who doesn't love them. How is that fair on either person? Sure, in the sort-term its going to be hard. I just went through a divorce with teleporting twins - I know it's complicated. But at the end of the day it's fine now and it'll be better in the long run."

Rogue: Rogue had no idea what to say to that. Instead, she addressed the first part of his comment, "Ah love Tony, too..."

Bobby: "Then stay with Tony." He looked out the window again.

Pietro: "Then you have some work ahead of you to figure out what you really want in all of this. And that's not up to Bobby so don't put it on him. That's up to you. Only you know who's going to make you happy in the long term and not just for now."

Rogue: "Then stay with Paige," she countered, letting some sass and snark float in her voice.

Bobby: He sighed and closed his eyes. "And we're back where we started. Awesome."

Pietro: Pietro threw some decorative cushions at them both. "What did I just say?"

Rogue: Rogue smacked the pillow back towards Pietro and turned her whole body towards Bobby. "Why? Why cain't y' just leave well 'nough alone when it comes t' comments like th' one about Tony? Are y' wantin' me t' make th' decision f'r th' both o' us? Pushin' me away like y' are?"

Bobby: Bobby let his attack pillow fall and looked over his shoulder at her. "Okay. It's left alone."

Rogue: "Ah know y' hate that Ah love him same as Ah hate that y' love Paige. Ah don't know how t' make that hurt any less f'r you 'cause Ah ain't figured out how t' make it hurt any less f'r me yet."

Bobby: "I dunno either, babe, but Peeto's prolly right that we just need to take some time."
Y
Pietro: "You can't rush this stuff," Pietro reminded them, "I know it feels like you have to but... it's to important to not pay it enough attention... and Bobby has some stuff to work out with Paige that's clouding his ability to focus right now."

Rogue: "Ah kissed you fully expecting f'r that t' be th' only time Ah would ever be able t' do that. Ah wanted t' drink in that moment 'cause it was th' only one Ah'd get." She chewed her lip and looked down at her hands. "Ah'm sorry Ah made y' life harder." Rogue looked over at Pietro, "Ah'm sorry 'bout you an' Illy..."

Pietro: Pietro waved off the apologies for his situation, "We're fine. It's been a while now..."

Bobby: "It's just... brought some things more to the front of my mind where I gotta admit I need to do something." He turned to lean against the sill again, arms crossed. "A, uh, big part of me doesn't regret it..." Bobby swallowed. "M-makes me a fuckin' terrible husband..."

Pietro: Pietro shook his head, "It really doesn't."

Rogue: Rogue looked up at him, a little surprised. "If y' don't regret it then why'd y' get so mad at me?"

Bobby: "Because I should regret it!"

Rogue: "So then be mad atcha self!" She sat up a little straighter and put her hands on her hips. "Ain't mah fault y' wanted t' enjoy somethin' y' never thought y'd get."

Pietro: "Why should you regret it?"

Bobby: "I wasn't pissed until today!" He looked at Pietro. "Shouldn't I? I'm married, with kids, and we're goddamn adults now, not kids in school!"

Rogue: "Well what th' heck changed t'day that made y' so mad?"

Pietro: "Do your kids know you kissed Rogue? No. Does your wife know you kissed Rogue? No. Is anyone in this room judging you for kissing Rogue? No. I don't see the problem."

Rogue: Rogue cocked her head at Pietro, suddenly curious. "Are you an' Illy done 'cause y' kissed somebody else?"

Pietro: Pietro raised an eyebrow at Rogue, "No? Why would we be?"

Rogue: "Just a thought that popped in mah head is all."

Pietro: "We drifted apart, simple as that," he explained, "No mess. Just life."

Bobby: Bobby looked between the two of them for this exchange, then jumped when his phone beeped. "Speaking of life, I have to go get those kids who don't know I kissed another woman."

Rogue: Rogue winced at his wording, but hoped he didn't mean anything by it. "Tell 'em Ah love 'em an' Ah'll come by soon f'r snuggles."

Bobby: He deflated and shot her a small smile. "Sure, babe. Will do." Nodding at Pietro, he reached for his truck keys.

Pietro: Pietro raised his hand in a wave, "We'll have to arrange something with the twins sometime..."

Bobby: "Definitely, sounds good. Thanks, uh, for the fun and scotch," until all that went to hell. With one more awkward nod, Bobby turned to go.

Pietro: "I'll send you some for a rainy day," he promised.

Rogue: "Bobby," she called after him and stood, but then stopped. "Ah still want y' t' see mah house..." Rogue winced at herself for being so cringey. "Ah don't want y' t' hate me's all Ah mean."

Bobby: "O-okay." He stopped when she continued and spun around to give her a sad smile. "Never, Dollface." Bobby nodded to himself and then left before he said anything else stupid.
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