Angel and Rogue || Belated Meddling

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

After months of admirably keeping quiet, Rogue finally confronts Angel about her relationship with Clint. She could have chosen a better time, of course.



Rogue had done everything she could ‎to not meddle. Logan kept her busy on weekends , Adrienne kept her busy during the week, food kept her busy at all other times...

But when she saw the DR schedule and noted that Scott had put her with Angel,she had to really tell herself 'Don't say anything.'

This reminder went through her mind as they set up the scene: ‎vikings in the forest. Their physical abilities as well as their stealth would be tested, not to mention tactical knowledge.

As they tiptoed closer, the camp coming into view, Rogue couldn't hold it in anymore. "Are you seriously dating Clint?"

Angel had actually been quite happy to discover Rogue was her partner on this run. They worked well together, and it was always fun. Even when they were doing something ridiculous like hunting vikings in the forest.

At the question, however, Angel's mouth dropped, and she looked back at Rogue, wavering mid-step. "Wha-"

The bewildered question was cut off abruptly when her foot came down on a stick, the loud snap alerting the vikings to their presence. They were up and running at them with a battle cry.

Rogue barely noticed their attackers. Now that she'd started, she couldn't stop herself. "I mean, that's fine and all, you're a big girl, but did you talk to Gabriel beforehand? Cuz you know," she continued, barely dodging a‎n axe to the head, "when people say they're okay, they're not always okay."

"Oh my god, seriously?" Angel demanded, shooting off a stream of fire and taking out a couple of their attackers. "Can you at least wait until simulated vikings aren't trying to pretend-behead us before you start lecturing me?"

Rogue gave an offended pout, punching what appeared to be the village shaman right in the face. Teeth breaking always had a satisfying feel to it. "I haven't seen you in ages," ‎she protested. "And this isn't a lecture. There's no judging. If there was judging and frowms, that's one thing but I'm just making friendly conversation here."

"No, it's judging," Angel returned, a bit impatiently. "'Are you seriously dating Clint' is judging. 'You're a big girl and all but-' is sure as hell judging." She blew off her frustration by blasting three more vikings.

Okay, Angel had a point. "So maybe there's a bit judging,". Rogue conceded. The vikings just kept streaming in, and Rogue had to wonder where they were all coming from. "But only cuz I don't understand. I can see how fucked up Gabriel has been this year, and it's like the poor boy don't get a bre--ouph!!!' So the chieftain had finally shown up and by the force of which she was thrown into the tree, he was not something to mess with.

"Hey, ugly!" Angel called to the chieftain, and he turned on her with a howl, running at her with his ax raised. "Shit." She took off into the air, hovering over him as he barreled over where she had previously been. "There isn't exactly a guidebook for how to handle having a crush on the reincarnation of your best friend's dead boyfriend, you know," she informed Rogue as she set the chieftain on fire.

This was true, but it still felt weird, so Rogue said as much. "It's just strange, is all," she responded,a bit softly as she floated up, escaping the rush of vikings trying to put out their chief. "I dunno. Your life...." Now that she'd gotten herself into this conversation, she wasn't exactly sure what the intention was.

Damnit all, but she should have listened to Logan.

"Anyways, sorry for the gossip ambush. It's just been mulling in my head since I learned about it. " She wasn't gonna tell Angel that Gabriel was the one who started this train of thought.

"No, you started this conversation," Angel argued back, watching the vikings impassively. "You think I don't know it's weird, Rogue? I'm kind of just winging this. I don't know what else to do. If Gabriel dated this Clint and Clint was an ass to him I'd be first in line to set him on fire. But I can't exactly punish him for something that isn't his fault."

Rogue had easily lost track of the conversation as she tried her best to remember what the objective had even been. Was it to defend Gabriel, or was it to make Angel feel bad? Either way. It had nothing to do with her.

"Yeah, you're right," she managed to grunt out, the smell of charred human getting to her. The Danger Room was always so realistic. "honestly, I just had to say something. All's I know is that I would be feeling so crappy if I was in Gabriel's shoes and I definitely am deflecting that on you. I guess as long as no one's hurt?"

Ange wrinkled her nose a bit as the simulation finally ended, landing to stand with Rogue and watch the pixels die away. "Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. That wasn't cool."

Rogue shook her head. "My bad first. I guess some of my teen self has kinda stayed in my head." She gave a wry grin. "But at least I can admit that it wasn't cool to jump on you."

Waving a hand in front of her face, she wrinkled her nose. "Okay, I can't handle this smell anymore. Shower time?"

"At least they weren't real vikings," Angel pointed out with a small smile. "But yeah maybe next time wait until we're not in the middle of an imaginary mission. Or a real one."

She nodded enthusiastically at the mention of a shower. "Yes please."