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WHO: Rogue, Klaus Hargreeves, and Armitage Hux
WHERE: Hux's house in De Chima
WHEN: morning of Thursday May 30th
WHAT: awkward morning introductions
WARNINGS: none really

Hux was the first to get up in the morning, leaving Klaus in his bedroom as he slipped on a robe, tying it closed as he headed downstairs silently. The house was silent, he assumed that Rogue was still asleep as he started the coffee machine with a touch.

As the coffee machine did its work, he leaned against the counter as he scrolled through his phone, glancing through emails until he heard someone coming down the stairs. What happened with Klaus was beyond explanation, even he didn't understand why he kept inviting the man back after their drunken encounter at the bar. One night turned into two, two turned into eventually Klaus becoming a frequent visitor. It was something he decided not to think about.

"Coffee is almost ready," he said quietly since Rogue was most likely still asleep and he had forgotten to warn her he had company over tonight. He put his phone down, smirking. "I trust you'll repay me for making the coffee this morning."

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Honestly? He doesn't know why he keeps coming back here. Generally speaking, when it came to 'romantic' encounters, he tended to keep things to one night stands. And that's how this had started, he supposes. And then he left his number on the mirror in the bathroom.

This wasn't... quite like the osso bucco guy, which had been a steady three weeks of mooching off his generosity and appetites. Wasn't nearly the level of Dave, either, who he had loved and still mourns. It had become something almost comfortable, a sort of pattern that he'd fallen into that kept him on the level while his world was turning upside down. Five days out of the hospital, two days after moving in with the family, and he'd come back here just to get away for a bit.

Bedhead and briefs, he makes his way from Hux's bedroom to the kitchen where he finds the coffee already brewing and a sleepy smile comes to his face.
"Oh, certainly." He hums as he places his hand on the counter, crowding Hux.
"And I can think of just the way." He grins against his neck, sliding his hand underneath that robe.

After all, sex was the best payment for small generosities, right?

You know what happens when people assume things...

Rogue had been awake for quite a while, actually. The sun had risen and she with it, spending the early morning hour organizing some of the things she'd brought over from Jeopardy. It would still take another trip or two to get everything, but then she would be fully moved out of the shared house she'd been assigned upon arrival to this universe. While she was overjoyed to be settling into somewhere she considered home, it was bittersweet to be leaving Knock Out, the first real friend she'd made here. She would miss saying goodnight to him each evening, followed by a gentle pat on the hood.

But another day of the new normal lay before her and it was time to get started on it. First step: coffee.

Padding downstairs in bare feet and her green checkered pajamas, she was in the middle of a yawn when she rounded the corner to enter the kitchen and—

"Oh my god!" She really didn't mean for it to come out so loud or so southern, but come on, guys.

Hux chuckled, wrapping an arm around Klaus's shoulders and was about to suggest they take this upstairs while the coffee finished but froze when he heard the sound of footsteps. Normally Rogue slept in later, he thought that after spending the day moving she certainly would have. Apparently, that assumption was so very wrong.

This was awkward, to say the least. He quickly moved Klaus's hand from under his robe, moving away slightly. "I didn't expect you up this early," he admitted before looking between the two of them for a moment. "Rogue, this is Klaus, Klaus, my housemate and assistant, Rogue."

“Jesus Christ-“ There’s a slight yelp of surprise when someone comes into the kitchen, and Hux barely has to help him from removing his hand. Caught in the act is the worst thing to be, unless the other party is into it and everyone agrees beforehand. And this? Definitely not the case.

Sure, he’s had a couple of run-ins with roommates while wearing next to nothing, and 12 years of your brother following you around basically spying on you has taught him privacy is a luxury, but-

Oh, shit.

It’s the woman who wanted to get a support group started. Who had extended an invitation to him only for him to kick the stone on the stairs and not go inside. And she is Hux’s assistant.

Quick to recover, he puts on a charming grin and gives a little flourished bow.
“Enchanté, mademoiselle! Klaus Hargreeves, pardon the dress, I was just on my way out the door-“

For a brief moment, they reminded Rogue of the students she'd caught making out in various 'secret' locations around the mansion, jumping apart the second she turned the light on or opened a door. It was a ridiculous parallel to the life she'd loved and lost, but rather than making her sad for that loss, she found it all absolutely hilarious.

Especially the bow.

The laugh that bubbled out of her was one of the better ones she'd experienced since arriving in this universe, the infectious kind that took hold whether you liked it or not. In fact, it took her two attempts before she was able to speak again, her grin so wide it made her cheeks ache. "I'm so sorry to interrupt."

Except she wasn't. Please keep the clothing-optional shenanigans out of her kitchen, gentlemen.

The bow was ridiculous but amusing nonetheless, he couldn't help but smile at it. He glanced at Rogue when she laughed, unable to hide his surprise. He would have expected anger, annoyance but amusement? That was interesting.

"You should go put on clothes at the very least," he said to Klaus after a moment, a smirk on his lips as he turned to pull down coffee mugs. He wasn't going to ask him to stay outright but the invitation was implied. There was no reason to run him out even though Rogue had walked in on them in the kitchen like that.

That laughter is infectious, and he grins before the smile falters as Hux all but suggests he stay.
Oh. This hadn’t been part of the plan.

“Yeah, I’ll just fetch my clothes from upstairs. Be back in a sec.” He’s Quick to leave the kitchen, hand moving to his wrist in a feeble attempt to hide the medical bracelet still around it.
And the dog tags around his neck are still present, an ever constant reminder of the man he was still in love with, who he felt like he was betraying by doing this.

The journey up to Hux’s bedroom is quiet, and it gives him time to think- what is he doing here?
This... “relationship” was supposed to just be a one time thing, a good lay with a man who wanted to buy him some top shelf booze, so he could try and drown out all his feelings, his loss, his fears with pleasurable sensations and the strong high of booze and sex. And it had worked, for a while, even if every morning he woke up with his hand around Dave’s dog tags, feeling all the worse for being in someone else’s bed.

Maybe he should break things off. Especially since he was trying to commit to staying clean. Cut out all the bad habits in his life...

He gets dressed quietly, pulling on a pair of oversized harem pants and a faded reddish-pink shirt that’s one size too small, just the way he likes it. Shoes slipped on, he’s ready to slip out the door. And maybe he should.

Rogue watched Klaus go with keen eyes, taking in those quick movements and the few things he was actually still wearing. She knew he was tied to combat somehow, otherwise he wouldn't have responded to her message about the support group, but the dog tags confirmed he'd been a soldier, or perhaps was simply close to one. Logan's tags were upstairs in her dresser, after all, tucked away for safe keeping and sanity alike.

Turning to Hux, she just eyed him up and down for a moment before shaking her head with a smile. "Don't have sex in my kitchen and we'll be just fine, sugar," she assured (threatened?) him, picking up a large spoon to point at him for good measure. She means business, mister.

And then she began pulling ingredients out of the cupboards and unceremoniously dumping things into a mixing bowl in the haphazard fashion of someone who had made a particular recipe a hundred times before. "You handle the coffee, I'll get breakfast ready."

She didn't wait for Hux to reply before she and the mixing bowl wandered out toward the entrance, wanting to be sure she caught a certain someone in time. And ah yes, good, there he was.

"Klaus, sugar, you must be hungry. Come on, I'm making pancakes," she informed him with a completely innocent expression while she stirred the batter in the bowl.

Hux watched Klaus go for a moment, not sure why he had invited him to stay. Perhaps that was a step too far. This was casual, no strings attached and he wasn't going to just jump into something else so soon.

But he also wasn't going to argue when she was pointing a spoon at him. It was a reasonable request. "Of course- I-" he stopped as she started to get breakfast ready. Coffee was one thing but he and Klaus did not have the type of relationship that entailed having breakfast together. He wasn't about to argue though as she started on the pancakes.

He looked up as she suddenly left the kitchen to move towards the entrance of the house as he poured two mugs of coffee. He didn't blame Klaus for wanting to slip out and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Something he didn't want to think about that too hard. He stayed in the kitchen as he sat on one of the stools, taking a drink of his mug as he left Klaus and Rogue talk in the entryway.

Klaus is the proverbial deer in the headlights as Rogue corners him in the entry hallway before he can make his escape.
“Oh, I, um...” She’s talking about making pancakes, and who doesn’t love pancakes?

Besides, a growl from his stomach betrays him, and he realizes he hasn’t had anything to eat in nearly 15 hours.

“... Yeah, pancakes sound good.” Not that he and Hux Had this kind of relationship. Coffee was one thing, and normally it wasn’t even that. Just him sneaking out before dawn to get on with his life,
God, what is he doing here?

“Just need to let my bro know I’m going to be a while. We were supposed to train together today.” An excuse concocted as easy as breathing, and he quickly takes out his communicator to text Ben a little SOS. Because he might need an out. And fast.

Come on, guys, it's just pancakes. You're grown men, you can handle pancakes.

Rogue didn't narrow her eyes exactly, but there was something very knowing in the way she watched Klaus. The fact that he felt the need to explain his sudden texting meant it was probably a lie or at least a stretch of the truth. If he was supposed to meet his brother, then he could have just sent the message without the explanation, or he could have begged off breakfast altogether. This felt more like a precursor for a quick getaway, which she'd seen dozens of times in her years at the mansion.

But all she said was, "Sure," before smiling and heading back to the kitchen.

"Do we want blueberries or chocolate chips in these?"

Hux stared at Rogue for a moment as she came back to the kitchen from where he sat on one of the barstools at the counter. He was alright with Klaus sneaking out- he would have done the same if their situations were reversed. This was supposed to be no strings attached and now they were having pancakes.

"It doesn't matter to me," he said after a moment before taking a drink of coffee. This was the longest Klaus had stayed in the morning, awkward didn't even begin to cover it.

"... Blueberries."

It feels odd. Like a long lost memory. Mom making smiley-face pancakes that they would eat in utter silence before running off to training. For some it was books and homework, for others it was 'specialized'.

His stomach churns slightly at the thought, and he frowns as he leans against the door frame.
"... Actually, uh. I need to go. My brother's-" He checks his phone again. "Sick."

Rogue was just reaching for the oil to start heating in a pan when Klaus checked his phone. She watched him carefully for a moment, almost calculatingly, before asking, "Is he being rushed to the hospital sick or I can stay for a quick pancake or two and pick up some chicken soup on the way to see him sick?"

She was pretty dang sure the brother wasn't sick at all, but she wasn't going to tie the man to a chair to keep him from leaving. (If it were Hux trying to make the great escape, she might, but she didn't know Klaus that well. Yet.)

If Klaus even had a brother here he doubted that the brother was at all sick. He didn't need the Force to read Klaus's emotions and he couldn't blame him for making an excuse to leave. He would have done the same thing had their situations been reversed.

"Either way, he should be with his brother," he said from where he sat. "I'm sure he must be worried."

“Well it’s not hospital levels.” He replies, his hand immediately moving to cover his own hospital bracelet. No need to draw attention to that. His phone goes off again, and his face visibly sours. Guess who’s no longer getting an excuse from their brother?
“.... Besides, looks like Five is going to- oh, um, he’s my other brother, I have four- over there.”

He’s awkward. Unsure of what he’s doing here. One foot in the kitchen and the other out into the hallway like he wants to turn and run as soon as he can.

“Should at least have coffee before I go, right?”

Four brothers. Wow. Rogue raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. Whether the two of them wanted to acknowledge it or not, it was pretty dang clear to her that Klaus was going to be sticking around for a while, in their lives if not in that particular moment. There was time to get to know him.

"You should, yes," she agreed, tossing a pleased smile over her shoulder as she poured some batter into the pan. The bowl of blueberries was quickly retrieved from the fridge and she took a moment to carefully place them in the uncooked side of the pancakes.

Hux was an only child, he couldn't imagine having siblings. Though, he wouldn't be surprised if Brendol had other bastards in the galaxy. Not something he cared to think about too much this morning.

"There is plenty of coffee," he remarked, not moving from where he at the counter. He could tell Klaus still was thinking about leaving so he wasn't going to press it as he watched Rogue make the pancakes.

Uncomfortable silences are a problem to him. One that he decides is filled best with rambling and talking. His fingertips drum against the countertop as he grabs a coffee cup, adjusting his shoulders as he starts to talk.

"Yeah, um, we're really lucky. All seven of us showed up. And Allison's even gotten a house kinda sorted out for all of us- although Vanya, Ben, and I think Five are all living separately-" He'll be grateful for when he has something to actually shove into his mouth so he doesn't feel like he has to fill the void.

"Rogue, right? Interesting name. Code name? Like The Rogue? I'm The Seance-"

Well, Hux was being typically unhelpful. It wasn't surprising, of course; she'd been the one to insist on Klaus staying. It would be good for the both of them, though. Maybe they'd remember to keep their makeouts out of her kitchen after this.

She glanced over at Klaus while he rambled, the words seeming to spill out of him without care. In other circumstances, she might have enjoyed watching him squirm, but in this instance, she decided to take pity on the poor man. Just this once, though.

"It's just Rogue for me, sugar, no The," she corrected with a smile, flipping the pancakes. "And yeah, it's a code name, but it's the only name I use these days. I chose it when I left home at seventeen after my mutation manifested and my parents were so scared they started wishing they'd never adopted me in the first place. I had to make it on my own and I need to be strong enough to leave the sweet southern girl behind, so I stopped being my old self and became Rogue. Truth be told, I haven't felt like Marie in a real long time and I don't think it's something I'd ever want to go back to now. So much of who I am is tied to that identity, from my time with the X-Men to teaching at the school. I don't think I could be Marie again even if I tried."

Klaus doesn't blame Hux for his silence. All things considered, he can't blame him for being quiet- neither of them expected this, and all of their interactions since their shared dream were...

Well. He didn't want to think of that right now.

Instead he adds in a spoonful or three of sugar and cream, fingertips drumming across the counter- until he mentions her powers manifesting. At seventeen.

"Wait- really? Seventeen? Jesus, is that normal in your universe? All of us manifested by four or five..." Then again, dad had been on the lookout for unusual activity.
Honestly his was the longest to identify. No cause and effect, like Diego or Allison. No physical manifestations to be measured, like Luther and Five and Ben (and he supposes Vanya). Just a nice lady in the kitchen singing about 'la roi, sa femme, et la petite prince' over and over who had apparently been dead for months.

Four or five? She couldn't even imagine it happening that early for everyone in her universe. It was hard enough for the few kids who were graced with early manifestation, but if it happened to everyone...

"Only physical mutations manifest that early for us," she explained with a slight shake of her head. "Wings, for example. And colored skin is something you're usually born with, though that's not always the case. But with most mutants, we don't even know we are, in fact, mutants until around puberty when something happens and suddenly surprise we have powers."

She piled up the pancakes on a plate, then quickly started up another batch before holding out said plate to Klaus with a bottle of syrup. "For me, I was having my first kiss and my mutation started pulling the life right out of him. He ended up in a coma for three weeks."

"Oh, Jesus H. Christ-" He grimaces- visibly grimaces- at that mental image. He can't even imagine having a power that destructive. Like Vanya, who'd had her abilities locked away. Like Five, who'd ended up living 40 years alone.

He slowly leans back against the cabinet, staring into his coffee cup, before he clears his throat and looks to Hux. Hux already knows- about being Number Four. About not having a real name until he was 13. About being a hero for five terrible years before unceremoniously dumping himself onto the street.

But Rogue is. A stranger. And he's not going to spill the family secrets quite yet. So he looks back at his phone. Awkward. Unsure of what to say.
"-- Oh, uh, here, let me-" He takes the plate and makes his way to the table, setting it in front of Hux.

His appetite isn't exactly all there right now. And he's not sure how much he wants to talk about his youth.

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