Rogue and Kurt, Thursday afternoon

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Rogue and Kurt talk about Logan and Jubilee.  And then Kurt tells her a secret.

It'd been over a week since the party, and Rogue was no closer to deciphering Logan than before.   He acted as if nothing had happened, and maybe nothing had.

So why suggestive text messages? Why the sly glances? He had never seemed to be the one for mind games, but she couldn't help but think she was being played. And it was an ugly feeling.

There was only one person she could go to with this and get no judgments -- her brother.   When she'd learned of their familial connection, she'd been overwhelmed with happiness. Even better that he was the most sensible, down to earth person she'd ever met.

Knocking at his door, she called out to him. "Hey bro, ya decent? Ah need to chat."

"Of course, Rogue."  He opened the door as readily as ever for her, smiling a greeting.  "Come in, sit down."

She smiled and walked in, amused at the contrast in their rooms.   Everything was always in its place for her brother. Hers was a tempest.

"Thanks sugah," she said, leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek. "Ah jus' need someone to hear me out, and tell me Ah'm not crazy." There was a playful tug to her lips. "Or, if Ah AM crazy, tell me that too, 'kay?"

Kurt patted her shoulder easily.

"Of course I will tell you the truth.  But what is the problem?"

"Ah kissed Logan," she blurted out. "After the party. And Ah'm pretty sure he kissed back, but then he told me not to waste them on him an' Ah said they were mine to waste, an' he said somethin' like oh alright then, and then he took me home. Ah am so confused.". She threw her hands up in the air and continued rambling. "Like, the man sends me all sorts o' suggestive texts, makes random comments, is more touchy feely than Ah remember him bein' but Ah jus'can't figure it out. What does that even mean? Don't waste your kisses on me," she repeated, mimicking Logan's voice. "Bah!"

Kurt listened to this patiently, trying to make sense of it.  "I wonder if, perhaps, Logan is in two minds about allowing anything between you?"

Rogue gave him a confused look. "Whaddaya mean, two minds? He always seemed ta me that he knows what he wants..."

"No one always knows what they want."  He herded her towards the couch.  "And what I mean, little sister, is that perhaps he wants you but thinks he should not."

Rogue allowed him to sit her down, but she did so with the grace of an elephant. She thought for a moment before handing him her phone. "Here,you read the texts. Ah jus' wonder if Ah'm readin' too much into them."

Kurt read them, eyebrows rising steadily.

"...well, I would certainly say these could be read as flirting."

Rogue gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, so it's not jus' my messed up brain.....but Ah don't know what to do. he's jus' actin' like nothin' happened, so do ah do it too?"

"For now, that might be the best way to go.  It is difficult to know, because he may be waiting for some further sign from you... or he may really wish to pretend it had not happened."

She sighed and slumped dramatically on the couch. "Okay, but it's like Ah'm damned if Ah do or if Ah don't. Cuz 'kay, let's say Ah try somethin' and he don't want it -- did ah jus' ruin the best friend Ah'll ever have?". Rogue gave Kurt a sad look. "What would adult me do?"

"Rogue, you are adult you."  He moved over to give her a hug.  "But it is true you should be very careful before you do try anything, though I should think Logan would not abandon your friendship so easily."

"Ah'm not though," she protested. "Ah have like...two sides and Ah can't make them see eye to eye.  Teen me is who Ah am. Adult me is who Ah was and in a weird way, who Ah'll be. But Ah ain't there yet. Don't have those years of experience or the confidence to know what to do heah."

"Then what does teen you want to do?"

"Cry? Eat ice cream? Avoid the situation?". She shrugged her shoulders. "Ah jus' can't help but think that none of those things are me though. Ugh." Chewing on her bottom lip, she gave her brother a sideways look. "Ah asked Emma to help me get my memories back. Maybe Ah should jus' wait and see how that goes?"

"It might be wise", he agreed.  "At least in the short term, and there are few better than Emma at psychic therapy."
And of those few, both Charles and Haller were out of commission.

"This is so hard," she pouted. "Was it the same with you an' Jubes? You guys were friends first.."

"Not exactly friends", Kurt said thoughtfully.  "We really knew each other very little, until we spent a night in a shared cell as political prisoners."

"So that shared experience made ya wanna go for more?"

"Once we were home and safe, eventually.  We had considerable time to talk in Genosha, a connection was made, and then back in New York after a while we went out dancing, and then home - Jubilee was living in the city then - and at her door, I suddenly could not go another minute without kissing her."

"That's so romantic," Rogue said wistfully. "An' here you are, still together an' all."

"Still together", he agreed with a smile.  "Though I am sure no one would have expected it when we began."

Rogue had to laugh at that. "Y'all do make a strange couple, Ah'll give ya that! But if you're happy, then who cares?" She gave her brother a wide smile. "It all boils down to timin', right?"

"It does seem to be the most important part.  Timing, and suddenly finding you see more in each other than you did before - and yes, I am happy and I love her, as she loves me.  In fact..."  He dropped his voice to an unnecessarily conspiratorial level, seeing as they were behind closed doors.  "I have been considering the next step."

Rogue's eyes widened. "What?! Oh mah gawd. What? Really? Oh Kurt," she cried out, throwing her arms around him before pulling back. "Oh mah gawd!! Tell me everythin'!"

Kurt laughed and hugged her back.

"There is hardly anything to tell yet.  We still have some recovering to do from New Year's Eve, several she cared for very much were lost and I would hate to rush it, but - I am starting to make plans."

"Ah demand to present during ring shoppin', by the way. And Ah'm sneaky," she said proudly. "Ah can get the info you need."

He laughed aloud.  "But if I take you ring shopping, I must take my other sisters!  Although I could... and you might try to find out - carefully, mind - what Jubilee would call the perfect proposal."

Rogue nodded, and mimed locking her lips. "Ah will be the very picture of discretion, Ah assure you.  An' this is where you tell me Ah'm your favourite Southern sister so Ah don't get jealous, by the way. Since you're mah favourite German brother."

"Of course you are my favourite Southern sister!" Kurt said without hesitation, grinning.

Rogue grinned back. There was nothing like time spent with her brother to cheer her up. "Love ya, furball!"

"I love you too", he said, and gave her another hug.  "Now, my Southern belle, what would you advise?"

Rogue's eyes sparkled at the many ideas swirling in her brain. So many possibilities, so many options! How does one surprise a firecracker anyways?  "Oh do Ah have advice for you....but Ah think the most important piece is to be natural. Can't see ya as the type of guy to hire out a symphony, and get a unicorn to deliver the ring during a hot air balloon ride. Wait -- that'd haveta be a pegasus. Never mind. Anyways,ya gotta do what's good for you. She loves ya the way you are, au naturel."

Kurt laughed at the unicorn idea.

"I think we should stick to the realms of the possible.  Though a hot air balloon has potential..."

"Yes," Rogue exclaimed, pouncing on the idea.  "Jus' cause we can fly or teleport or whatever don't mean the old fashioned ways ain't amazin'. Too bad ya can't spell things out in fireworks," she mused.

"I think it is possible, with the right setup and skill", he said with a grin.  "If they can make pictures, they can make words."

"Well," she said with a grin. "Then Ah think ya know what ya need to do.  Get Jubes to design it, somehow, and then find a master whatever to make it happen.  And if ya have an idea for a ring, well, Ah think Ah might know an amazing artist who could come up with a pretty awesome design."

"If I ask her to spell that out", he objects, "she will guess.  I will think more on the fireworks - who is this artist?"

She glared. "Me! AH'M an artist! Goodness sakes! Are you losin' your mind too? Cause there's only room for one amnesiac here, sugah."

"There are many artists!" he retorted, laughing, "and you were being too subtle.  I would love for you to design it."

That merited a full blown giggle attack. "Oh mah gawd, me, subtle!" She swatted her brother. "Whatever, you. Jus' give me some specifics, like the cut of the diamond, do you want it floating, do you want gold, white gold, platinum, etc,...or else ah'm jus' gonna design mah lil' heart away and give it to you and you tell me how to tweak."

"...I know nothing about that kind of thing", he admitted.  "All I want is something that will suit her perfectly."

Rogue gave a sage nod. "Leave this to me. Ah'll make somethin' amazin'."