When in Doubt
Statue
Scott walks into the control area of the Danger Room and closes the door. He sits down at one of the chairs and stares blankly for a few seconds.
What just happened?
Did Jean just...
Reject him?
Well, no. She didn’t. Not really.
She said that she wanted to think about it.
But why?
Why did she have to think about spending the rest of her life with him?
Wasn’t that what she wanted?
Wasn’t that what they always wanted?
The door slowly opens again.
“Well, ain’t this a surprise. I thought I heard someone headin’ in here,” A soft voice says.
Scott turns around to see Rogue standing there.
“Couldn’t sleep, sugah?” She asks as she gives him a pitiful look.
Scott knows that she didn’t just randomly find him.
“You heard?” He asks. He’d rather cut straight to the point.
“It’s kind of hard not to,” She admits as she walks into the room,”With us being in such close quarters and all”
Scott gives her a small, pained smile.
“Awww, c’mon. Give Jean a break. You probably just surprised her is all. She didn’t say no,” Rogue says in a attempt to cheer him up as she sits in the control chair next to him.
Scott turns to her.
“Would you have said the same thing to Remy? If he’d asked you to marry him?” He asks her directly.
Rogue’s cheeks flush. She looks away.
“Yes. I would’ve,” She admits.
Scott raises an eyebrow.
“Why?”
Rogue raises her own eyebrow.
“Ain’t it obvious? There’s…,” She begins and looks down at her gloved hands.
“...A lot for a gal to consider”
She looks back at Scott.
“But the difference is Remy would understand if I told him I needed some time”
Scott looks away.
“But Jean and I...I always thought we were...well, on the same page,” Scott whispers, “I never thought she’d be so hesitant...”
“I think what’s really you’re problem is that you thought she’d say “Yes” right away. Maybe she needs time to consider whether or not she wants to spend the rest of her life with a stick in the mud like you,” Rogue says in a teasing voice.
Scott gives her a pained smile.
“Your pride is just hurt is all. Deep down you know you understand,” She amends gently.
Rogue thinks she might have hurt his feelings, however, because he stays silent for awhile. She’s about to apologize when he suddenly raises his eyebrow again and forces a grin.
“Am I really a stick in the mud?” He asks quietly.
Rogue rolls her eyes.
“Sugah, I’ve seen statues with more personality than you”
Scott chuckles.
Rogue laughs with him.
Then she pats his shoulder a few times.
“Ok, maybe you ain’t that bad,” She teases him once more.
Scott manages a smile.
Then he suddenly buries his face in his hands.
Rogue is taken aback at the switch.
She watches in amazement as the man she’d always seen carry himself with so much grandeur, crumbles in front of her.
His shoulders shake and all she hears is the sound of his deep breathing.
She’s so shocked that she doesn’t know what to do.
So, she lets him fall apart.
Then his breathing goes back to normal.
His body snaps back to the upright position she’s used to.
His face goes stoic again.
But Rogue knows what she just witnessed wasn’t supposed to happen.
She doubts Scott Summer’s has ever let anyone see him cry before.
She doubts he even knew he could cry.
“I’m not, you know,” Scott says quietly. His voice is hard and direct. As if he’s giving her an order.
He turns toward Rogue.
“I’m not a statue”
Rogue leans forward. She takes him by surprise as she wraps her arms around him and lets her face rest on his clothed chest so her skin doesn’t touch him. She never thought she would willingly hug someone. Let alone Scott.
“I know, sugah,” She says sadly in reply to his statement, “I know you ain’t”
What just happened?
Did Jean just...
Reject him?
Well, no. She didn’t. Not really.
She said that she wanted to think about it.
But why?
Why did she have to think about spending the rest of her life with him?
Wasn’t that what she wanted?
Wasn’t that what they always wanted?
The door slowly opens again.
“Well, ain’t this a surprise. I thought I heard someone headin’ in here,” A soft voice says.
Scott turns around to see Rogue standing there.
“Couldn’t sleep, sugah?” She asks as she gives him a pitiful look.
Scott knows that she didn’t just randomly find him.
“You heard?” He asks. He’d rather cut straight to the point.
“It’s kind of hard not to,” She admits as she walks into the room,”With us being in such close quarters and all”
Scott gives her a small, pained smile.
“Awww, c’mon. Give Jean a break. You probably just surprised her is all. She didn’t say no,” Rogue says in a attempt to cheer him up as she sits in the control chair next to him.
Scott turns to her.
“Would you have said the same thing to Remy? If he’d asked you to marry him?” He asks her directly.
Rogue’s cheeks flush. She looks away.
“Yes. I would’ve,” She admits.
Scott raises an eyebrow.
“Why?”
Rogue raises her own eyebrow.
“Ain’t it obvious? There’s…,” She begins and looks down at her gloved hands.
“...A lot for a gal to consider”
She looks back at Scott.
“But the difference is Remy would understand if I told him I needed some time”
Scott looks away.
“But Jean and I...I always thought we were...well, on the same page,” Scott whispers, “I never thought she’d be so hesitant...”
“I think what’s really you’re problem is that you thought she’d say “Yes” right away. Maybe she needs time to consider whether or not she wants to spend the rest of her life with a stick in the mud like you,” Rogue says in a teasing voice.
Scott gives her a pained smile.
“Your pride is just hurt is all. Deep down you know you understand,” She amends gently.
Rogue thinks she might have hurt his feelings, however, because he stays silent for awhile. She’s about to apologize when he suddenly raises his eyebrow again and forces a grin.
“Am I really a stick in the mud?” He asks quietly.
Rogue rolls her eyes.
“Sugah, I’ve seen statues with more personality than you”
Scott chuckles.
Rogue laughs with him.
Then she pats his shoulder a few times.
“Ok, maybe you ain’t that bad,” She teases him once more.
Scott manages a smile.
Then he suddenly buries his face in his hands.
Rogue is taken aback at the switch.
She watches in amazement as the man she’d always seen carry himself with so much grandeur, crumbles in front of her.
His shoulders shake and all she hears is the sound of his deep breathing.
She’s so shocked that she doesn’t know what to do.
So, she lets him fall apart.
Then his breathing goes back to normal.
His body snaps back to the upright position she’s used to.
His face goes stoic again.
But Rogue knows what she just witnessed wasn’t supposed to happen.
She doubts Scott Summer’s has ever let anyone see him cry before.
She doubts he even knew he could cry.
“I’m not, you know,” Scott says quietly. His voice is hard and direct. As if he’s giving her an order.
He turns toward Rogue.
“I’m not a statue”
Rogue leans forward. She takes him by surprise as she wraps her arms around him and lets her face rest on his clothed chest so her skin doesn’t touch him. She never thought she would willingly hug someone. Let alone Scott.
“I know, sugah,” She says sadly in reply to his statement, “I know you ain’t”