Rogue and Carol - Dom and Cordelia's coffee place!

[misscaroldanvers]

The cute girl with the cute gator stories was Carol's new favorite person (sorry Vic) and she was the only person keeping Carol remotely sane. They had formed a quick, easy bond in the couple of weeks since they'd met, and while Carol still wasn't sure if Rogue 'took after her moms', to phrase it delicately, Carol was like, drunk in her crush.

So when she invited Rogue for coffee in the late afternoon, it was a friend thing, but it also sort of wasn't; every minute felt like a date because Carol just wanted to kiss Rogue all the time. So she was sitting with her coffee and a gigantic cookie, and she was going to read a book and wait for Rogue, but the words had absolutely no meaning. So instead Carol looked at the cute blonde barista, and looked at the door to see if Rogue was coming in, and at the door again, and at the door again, and... well, you get the picture.

Comments

[miss_issippi]

She'd been Skyping with her mothers when Irene asked pointedly why Rogue hadn't told them about Carol. Psychic mothers were so irritating like that, especially when the reason she hadn't told them about Carol is that she hadn't wanted them to gloat about being right about her making friends and starting to like New York and everything else they were likely to rub in. Just that one comment was enough to start Raven in on the questions and it seemed to take forever to give them enough information that they'd finally let her hang up, even if all Irene did the rest of the call was nod and make knowing noises.

Seriously. Psychic mothers were the worst.

Of course by the time she got away from her computer, she'd lost all the buffer time she'd given herself to find her way to the cafe. Rogue had thought she had a good sense of direction until she'd come to New York and started getting lost everywhere she went. When she pushed through the cafe door a solid ten minutes after she said she'd be there, she was flushed and just a little out of breath from running up the stairs at the nearby subway stop. Still, she smiled brightly when she caught sight of Carol and weaved her way carefully through the other tables to get to her. "Hey there."

[misscaroldanvers]

She came. She came. She showed up. It was fine, everything was fine. Carol wasn't getting ditched. Rogue was there, flushed and covered up in that strange endearing way and smiling that crazy smile. "Hey yourself," Carol said easily, and held out the half-eaten gigantic cookie. "Oatmeal chocolate chip?"

She grinned, holding up her book in her other hand. "Or my English lit assignment? Take your pick."

[miss_issippi]

"What a choice," Rogue drawled, pretending to waffle back and forth between the book and the cookie for a long moment. Then she plucked the cookie out of Carol's fingers with a grin. She slid into the nearest open chair and made a pleased sound as she bit into the cookie. "Sorry I'm late. I think all the skyscrapers mess with my internal compass."

[misscaroldanvers]

"I mean, that was the right choice, but I am now cookie-less. But I guess you're worth it." She grinned.

"You don't seem like the skyscrapers type. Like, at all."

[miss_issippi]

"Never offer a Southerner something. We're honor-bound to take it," she replied shamelessly. Southern hospitality was serious business. Of course Rogue had no problem offending people when it suited her, but she wasn't about to turn down a cookie. Her cookie now! "And you are very right." Whether she meant about being worth it or not being the skyscrapers type, well, she'd leave it open to interpretation.

[misscaroldanvers]

"I have no hospitality," Carol countered merrily. "I'm a bad host. I forget my manners. I don't know why people like me."

[miss_issippi]

"People like you?" Rogue teased because it was obvious that she, at least, like Carol.

[misscaroldanvers]

Carol burst into laughter. "Like, this one person. Maybe three people if I'm lucky."

[miss_issippi]

"Imaginary friends don't count!" She turned to the empty space next to her. "Sorry, Bubba."

[misscaroldanvers]

"Who told you about her?!" Yes, Bubba could be a her!

[miss_issippi]

"Bubba can't be your imaginary friend, she's my imaginary friend!" Fighting words, those.

[misscaroldanvers]

"She can have two friends, you don't own her!" It was hard not to laugh.

[miss_issippi]

Rogue put her fist down on the middle of the table, thumb up. "Fight you for her. Whoever wins thumb war gets to keep Bubba." She nodded solemnly. And okay, it was possibly a bad idea to be instigating skin-to-skin contact, but how long did thumb wars really last, anyway? Not long enough to do any damage.

[misscaroldanvers]

Like Carol was going to say no to a thumb war. She slammed down her hand, grinning. "You are so on."

[miss_issippi]

Rogue pulled back on her powers as she curled their fingers together and started to count. "One, two, three, four..."

[misscaroldanvers]

"I declare a thumb war," Carol finished, adding a Southern spin on the pronunciation of 'declare.' Carol had always been pretty strong; she figured she'd win.

[miss_issippi]

Rogue figured Carol would win, too, though she made a good effort. As it went on, though, she could feel herself getting stronger rather than tired. Not good. Putting all her focus into keeping her powers in check, it wasn't hard for Carol to find an opening to win.

[misscaroldanvers]

And win Carol did, triumphant, delighted. It wasn't that winning was everything, except it kinda was. "Yes! Take that, Rogue! She's mine!"

[miss_issippi]

"I'll miss you, Bubba," she said sadly, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye so she had an excuse to pull her hand back.

[misscaroldanvers]

Aw. No more Rogue hand. "I'll let you visit. Sometimes."

[miss_issippi]

Rogue smiled at that. "Aren't you sweet."

[misscaroldanvers]

"I'm sweet enough!" Maybe not sweet enough for Rogue! But sweet enough.

[miss_issippi]

She leaned forward, both forearms on the table. "The sweetest, sugar."

[misscaroldanvers]

Maybe she was sweet enough after all. She flushed happily and reached forward to touch Rogue's arm, flirtatious.

[miss_issippi]

Her arm was covered, so it was safe. Rogue could let herself enjoy that little bit of touch.