"Happy Birthday! (BTW, I Love You)" [Rogue, Iceman

[Iceman]

Bobby checked his watch again, nervously. He reached up an pressed his fingers against the tape on the wall, hoping for the tenth time that it didn't peel the paint when the time came to take down the streamers he'd hung all over her room. He then ran that hand through his hair, then set it on his knee and tapped his jeans anxiously as he looked around the room.

A banner hung from the ceiling, which read, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROGUE!". Besides the streamers, there was confetti on the wooden floor, and on her desk was a cake he'd bought that day. It read the same as the banner did.

A voice crackled from the walkie-talkie by his side on Rogue's bed. "This is Fireworks to Popsicle Stick. Popsicle, do you read?"

Had Jubilee been in the room, Bobby would have given her a playfully withering look. But she wasn't, and so he settled on fixing the walkie-talkie with that glare as he picked it up. "I thought we agreed, my secret agent name is 'Freeze'," he protested.

"I'll give you a nick better than that if you don't stop complaining," Jubes threatened in a hushed voice. "Now, can I please get on with my debriefing? Subject is going up the stairs as we speak. Repeat, subject is on the stairs!"

Bobby stood, his eyes scanning the room again. Everything had to be in place. "Alright, thanks," he said hurriedly before he switched off the walkie-talkie and set it on Rogue's desk. He picked up the cake and moved to the middle of the room, watching the door and listening for any sounds outside.

But Rogue would have an obstacle to get through before she could open the door: Bobby had stacked a tower of colorfully wrapped and ribboned presents in front of her door. They weren't labeled.

Then, just to give her a little extra hint, he'd frozen the doorknob.

But it wasn't all just to make her enjoy her birthday. Bobby had been trying for a week to get the nerve to ask her out. He was determined to do it that day--Not right then, maybe, but later that night. If he went to sleep single, he would consider that day to have been for naught.

Ever since Rogue had come to the school, he couldn't get enough of her. Her infectious laughter, her adorable (and often times sexy) accent, her straight-forward attitude about things...They'd become close friends, but Bobby was finding it hard to keep himself from flirting with her. So he'd decided to just bite the bullet and ask her out. Before he drove himself and everyone around him crazy.

[Admin]

It had been a mellow sort of day for Rogue - her first birthday away from home. She'd woken up with the immediate sort of loneliness that came from knowing today was your special day, and there was no one special to share it with. No birthday hugs, because everyone was too scared to hug her. No birthday kisses (besides, with Logan off looking for his past, who could she kiss that wouldn't die right away?). And most of all, no birthday cake. She'd only really told one or two people what day her birthday was on, and that had been months ago when they were all discussing it between classes.

So it surprised her greatly as she came up the stairs and found a large pile of colorfully wrapped presents sitting in front of her door. A smile tugging on the corner of her mouth, she grabbed the present on top and shook it lightly, realizing that it was heavier than an empty box and becoming more excited. But she wasn't going to open them right here in the hallway, certainly!

Moving the pile to the sides of her door, she grabbed the doorknob and gave a little squeak of surprise. Cold! Freezing cold! Her hand almost stuck to the handle as she turned it, and then the crust of ice on the knob melted enough that her hand slipped. But she got it opened, and walked wide-eyed into her room, which was decorated with streamers and a large banner. There was a cake on her bed, and a boy standing next to it. One Bobby Drake, the Iceman. She should have known.

"Bobby!" she said in surprise, "how did you know?" Her accent was thick with her excitement and surprise. "Thank you!" She left the door open as she strolled inside, looking up and around the room with sparkling eyes, feeling like a kid on christmas morning. "This is amazing," she breathed as she looked at him, a warm smile on her face.

It was hard to believe actually. She'd felt somewhat alienated from most of her classmates through her first year at the mansion, and not just because she couldn't be touched. Magneto's singling her out to use against humanity had put a natural barrier of difference between her and the rest of the students, and she hadn't quite overcome the feeling of always being watched. It was like having overprotective parents who could read your mind... and fly to your side.

But this made her feel normal again. Like any other girl celebrating a birthday, and it had been just what she needed.

[Iceman]

Bobby's smile started as he heard the presents outside the door being moved. When Rogue opened the door and walked in, taking in the rest of the surprise with excitement, Bobby's face had erupted into a wide grin.

"Bobby! How did you know? This is amazing..."

Bobby couldn't take his eyes off her as she looked around the room. He couldn't even hide it when she looked back to him. He half-shrugged modestly, his grin never fading. "You mentioned it a while back. I wanted to make sure you didn't let it slip by quietly."

He'd noticed that she didn't talk too much about herself. He'd become pretty decent at steering the conversation away from subjects that might make her uncomfortable when they were hanging out in a group, but she still hadn't brought a lot of the focus on herself. Then again, not everyone loved being the ringleader and the attention-grabber the way Bobby did.

He held up the cake carefully, finally tearing his gaze away from Rogue. "I got you this--Don't worry, I didn't make it," he said, laughing at himself and his less-than-stellar cooking skills. "I didn't know if you liked chocolate or vanilla better, so it's half and half."

"Oh, and, uh--I was thinking, if you want to go see a movie or something...I could pay. Since it's your birthday and all."

Bobby had taken the subtle way of asking her to go out on a date with him--The way he'd put it, it wasn't even obviously a date. Just an outing between friends. An outing which if, in the darkness of the movie theatre, they happened to be sharing an arm rest and things happened, then, well...Nature could take it's course, and he wouldn't have to ask her out until after he knew if she liked him as more than a friend or not.

Luckily, he sounded much more casual than he felt (his hands were getting a little sweaty as he held the cake plate on his palms). He watched Rogue for her answer, as the moment it took her to respond stretched out for what seemed like a week.

(ooc: And was a week!!! See you on the 13th, Becka!!!!)

[Admin]

"You mentioned it a while back. I wanted to make sure you didn't let it slip by quietly."

Rogue laughed softly to herself as she realized that yes, she would have let it quietly slip by without making a peep and despairing over it all the same. Thank god for people like Bobby, who didn't let others wallow in despair without trying to cheer them up.

As he hoisted up the cake, her smile widdened. Vanilla and chocolate? A red blush crept up the back of her neck and into her cheeks and ears at his thoughtfulness. "Thank you, I'm actually a vanilla fan. And a movie would be nice." In fact, getting out of the mansion would be like a birthday present from Heaven just about now. But first there was cake to partake in.

Looking around the room for some table to put it on that wasn't already covered in decorations, she let a small, private smile play across her lips. There were a couple plates and forks from the kitchen sitting on her nightstand, and she picked them up so he would have someplace to set the cake down.

"So," she said casually, "this must be a private party?" She had noticed the lack of anyone else at the little soiree, and wasn't sure if he had planned it that way, or if no one else had wanted to show up. She couldn't imagine that they would, most of them still a little scared of her, and Rogue too shy for her part to instigate many friendships. But she was determined that if Bobby was going to go through all this effort to make her happy and celebrate her special day, she wasn't going to ruin it by sulking about her lack of friends. She obviously had one very good friend here, and that's all you really needed.

"Thank you, Bobby," she said and grabbed his hand in her gloved one. She gave it quick squeeze of thanks before letting him go and turning back to the plates to hide her ever-growing blush.

[Iceman]

"Thank you, I'm actually a vanilla fan. And a movie would be nice."

Bobby's train of thought went like this: 'Vanilla. Got it. Maybe there's...vanilla lotion, or something--Ooooohhh. She wants to see the movie. SCORE!'

Bobby broke into a huge grin as Rogue looked around the room. He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Awesome. That's awesome."

'So, this must be a private party?'

'If I'm lucky,' Bobby thought with a glance to the door. But he knew in his mind that there was only a certain degree of 'getting lucky' possible today--in fact, there was only so much he'd ever be able to get lucky with Rogue. It was something that he knew, in the back of his mind, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to try a little bit. He uncrossed his arms.

'Thank you.'

Bobby returned her gaze as she clasped his hand and squeezed it quickly. Every thought about Rogue's powers left his mind. Even as she slipped her gloved hand from his bare one and turned, his head tilted forward, toward hers, ever so slightly. His head came to a stop as Rogue's hair cascaded over his face as she turned away, the smell of flowery shampoo like a taunting consolation prize.

"Yeah, uh...No problem. Really, I had fun," Bobby said honestly as he recovered and moved around to take a knife and start cutting the cake. He cut her a piece of vanilla, and a piece of chocolate for himself, and laid them out on the plates. He then picked up her plate and held it out to her.

In his mind, he was wondering if it would be pressing his luck to just ask her out right then and there. Now that he'd gotten the idea in his head--Now that she'd agreed to a movie, AND held his hand (even if it was only for a few moments)--It wouldn't go away.

"Okay, um," Bobby began, laughing with a tinge of nervousness at himself. "I have a question for you."

He swallowed and gave her a smile which he hoped was less anxious than he looked. Unfortunately for Bobby, he was about as see-through as the ice he formed. But he was second-guessing himself already. He knew already that he was in deep, that now that he'd said he had a question i was inevitable that she worm it out of him (which she'd always been able to do effortlessly, or so it seemed). But he tried anyway.

"No, you know--Never mind," he said, trying to speak casually and smooth things over. He lifted his fork and took a stab at the cake.

[Admin]

"I have a question for you."

Rogue turned to look at him with her heart in her throat. She hadn't yet taken a bite of cake, afraid she wouldn't be able to swallow both cake and heart at the same time. "A question?" she started timidly, but he cut her off with a smile and "No, you know--Never mind."

"Oh," she bit her lip to hide her smile and took a small bite of cake, willing her heart to stop beating so fast and her face to return to its natural shade. The cake was good, and the silence allowed her time to get her thoughts ordered before she spoke.

"So, about this question?" She tried her best to look innocent, as if she had no idea what was on his mind, although his face read like a book. "I'm assuming its about which movie I'd like to see?" She pulled off the fake innocence perfectly, letting him set his mind at ease before continuing on. "I was thinking maybe that romantic comedy that just came out? You know, if its not too 'chick flick' for you."

She gave him a shy smile and looked up at him expectantly.

[Iceman]

"So, about this question? I'm assuming its about which movie I'd like to see? I was thinking maybe that romantic comedy that just came out? You know, if its not too 'chick flick' for you."

As Rogue spoke, Bobby took a bite of his cake--At least he'd have a good reason to stall before he had to think up an answer to what his question was about. But she went around it, and for that Bobby was immensely grateful, though her assumption was a bit too innocent for Rogue (who Bobby had come to learn was much more perceptive than she often let on, which was saying a lot).

After he swallowed his delicious cake, he made a face at the words 'romantic comedy'. But it was all for show--He would rather see a more bloody film, sure, but any chance to sit close to Rogue in a dark theatre was worth enduring a chick flick. His Dad put up with it for his Mom, and he could do the same.

"It's your birthday," he said with a tilt of his head and a grin. "But...See, the question I wanted to ask you wasn't about the chick flick."

His grin faded as he grew nervous again. "But...I don't want to ask it. I, uh...I want to see for myself..."

His eyes gained a gleam that Rogue had probably never seen in them before--Though she might have caught him staring at her a few times, he hadn't been staring with quite this look. He set his plate down without looking, and it was a miracle that it made it on the table and not on the floor. At the same time, he took a step toward Rogue and put his hand on the gentle slope of her shoulder.

He tilted his head toward hers, slowly, his eyes searching hers unsuredly. He was moving very slowly, and he paused several times in the slow descent to her lips. He wanted to give her time to react, to decide what she wanted to do. He didn't want to hurt her, he'd never hurt her purposefully, but if her powers could hold off for one second, it would be enough.

[Admin]

The heart in Rogue's throat dropped immediately to her stomach, where it knotted as she realized what he was going to try to do as he stepped towards her and took a gentle hold of her shoulders. She caught his eyes for a moment, trying to steal herself to make her powers hold off, if only for a second, but the intelligent (and rather scared) part of her brain screamed at her.

"I'm sorry Bobby," she whispered and put her hands gently, but firmly, on his chest to push him away as she bit her lips together. "I'm sorry," she repeated and turned away from him, her chest rising and falling heavily with her breathing, her heart pounding in her ears with adrenaline. When she got herself back under control, she turned around with a sad smile.

"The only boy I ever kissed I sent to the hospital," she explained, her drawl thick with her nerves. "He's still there. I don't... I don't want that to happen again." To you, or to anyone, she left unspoken.

"Maybe... maybe a movie wouldn't be such a good idea," she mumbled quietly and looked down at the floor, feeling the whole weight of her loneliness rip through her heart. "Thank you for the cake."

[Iceman]

Bobby's stomach dropped as Rogue turned away. Not exactly the response he'd been hoping for. He caught her arm gently and stepped after her. "No, wait."

"I'm sorry," he said, and it was clear he meant every word. "It's just...I really like you." There was a pause as he licked his lips. That statement didn't convey his feelings enough. "You're...You're so beautiful."

He didn't let the statement hang in the air, but continued. "I'm sorry. I swear I'll be a perfect gentleman at the movie tonight." Hopefully this would lighten the mood a little; Bobby attempted a joking smile. He hoped upon hope that he hadn't just ruined his chances with her for good.

[Admin]

Rogue's eyes were beginning to tear up with anger and frustration and despair as she watched the emotions run over his face. God, she hated having to say that. It wasn't fair, to either of them. But it would be so much easier to never start anything, than to try to stop it once the ball got rolling.

"You're...You're so beautiful."

Rogue gave a short laugh that was almost a cry before he went on to say he'd be a perfect gentleman. She didn't want that - she didn't want a boyfriend who would never touch her, who could never touch her. She wanted someone who would kiss her and caress her and tear her clothes off when she need them to. She would give anything in the world to not have to step back, to not have to keep him at a safe distance.

"Bobby, I appreciate it. I really do. But it could never work between us... between me and anyone. It's not that I don't like you, I do, but I just can't be with anyone... ever." It's not you, its me, is what she felt like she was saying. The biggest cop-out in the book. But it was true this time - she really did like him, really liked him, and she didn't want to suck his life away like she had Cody's.

[Iceman]

"Bobby, I appreciate it. I really do. But it could never work between us... between me and anyone. It's not that I don't like you, I do, but I just can't be with anyone... ever."

Clearly it was harder than Bobby had hoped to just make everything fall into place despite the obstacle that was Rogue's power. But he wasn't going to give up so fast, despite the pain that he got simply from seeing the pain in her eyes. He wanted to take the hurt away from her.

"I don't just want to date your body," Bobby said, unaware that he hadn't asked her to date officially yet. "I like you for your brain, and your heart. That's stuff you can't touch anyway."

Bobby moved around to face her, and put his hands on her shoulders, peering into her eyes gently. "Come on. Just one date."

He couldn't help but crack a joke, but his face managed to remain sooul-searching even as he spoke. "And if I'm an awful date, you don't ever have to go out with me again."

[Admin]

Rogue disolved into another half-laugh, half-cry as he joked about being a bad date. Surely one movie couldn't hurt. She'd wear long sleeves, and gloves, and keep herself from leaning over towards him. But that wasn't really the point - she didn't want to start liking him in the first place, because the more she liked him, the harder it would be to keep the gloves on, and wear the long sleeves, and not lean in towards him in the dark theatre.

"Ok," she relented, "one movie. But I'm not in the mood for a romantic comedy now." A horror movie wouldn't do either, because she always jumped, and she was likely to jump right into his lap (it would only half be on accident, she was sure). She wiped her eyes as discretely as possible to get the tears that had been threatening to spill over away, and then tried for a genuine smile that almost made it.

"Have any suggestions?"

[Iceman]

Bobby paused for a moment, his head tilting back and to the side a bit as he thought. Ideas began to form in his mind, and he began to think that perhaps they wouldn't need to go out at all. He could easily keep everyone out of the rec room, just ice the doorways...

"Whats your favorite movie of all time?" he asked her, relieved that she had agreed to see a movie. "Your favorite non-romantic-comedy movie?"

As he asked, he picked up her plate and held it out to her again. "Eat your food," he said in a faint mimicry of his own mother, and every mother on the face of the earth.