The world didn't end the moment Rogue touched me.
Honestly? It felt like the opposite.
She leaned against the railing of the Xavier estate balcony, watching the Texas sunset spread across the desert sky. "Y'know," she said softly, "it's been years since Ah touched someone without fearin' I'd hurt 'em."
I sat beside her, Alloy hovering silently behind us. "And now you can use me like a giant battery pack."
Her laugh was warm, tinged with relief. "Ain't exactly how Ah'd put it, sugar. But yeah… feels like a first."
For the next hour, we tested it. Little touches at first — her hand brushing mine, her palm against my forearm — the normal stuff that would've left anyone else pale and weak in seconds. But instead, it just siphoned off the jittering excess TURBO energy I always carried since my birthday.
Every time, I felt lighter. More grounded. And every time, she glowed a little brighter.
"Still feelin' steady?" she asked after the tenth round.
"Better than steady," I admitted. "For once, I don't feel like a nuke waiting to go off."
She smirked. "Guess that makes me your… firebreak."
"Or your snack," I teased.
Her elbow jabbed my side. "Don't push it."
Later, we ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor of the training room, Alloy projecting faint light to keep the space cozy. Rogue's gloves lay discarded in a neat pile.
"Does it bother you?" she asked suddenly. "That you're basically stuck bein' my outlet?"
I thought about it. About my whole life feeling like a burden — my powers spilling over throughout my childhood without me realising, everyone treating me like a danger once I hit maturity and my body's development picked up. For once, I wasn't dragging anyone down. I was helping.
"No," I said firmly. "If anything, it feels like we balance each other out."
She studied me for a long moment. Then, with more vulnerability than I'd ever seen in her eyes, she whispered: "That's somethin' Ah never thought Ah'd hear."
Deadpool Commentary Break
"And there it is, folks — a tender bonding moment! No explosions, no claws, no energy surges. Just two teenagers learning that sometimes, being radioactive makes you compatible." "You know this is basically Marvel's version of a YA romance subplot, right? Cue the CW music!" "Don't worry though, I'll make sure the next chapter comes with a fight scene so we don't lose the action crowd. You're welcome."
When we finally parted ways that night, Rogue squeezed my shoulder. Not draining, not overwhelming — just a normal, human touch.
It felt like the beginning of something new.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn't dread what tomorrow would bring.