He stood silently in the doorway, just watching her. She'd been here half a month, and she'd settled in remarkably well. She and Pyro were close, thick as theives at times. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. Yes, he wanted the Brotherhood to be close, but for some reason, he didn't want her that close to him.
He watched as her weight shifted in the chair, as she turned the page of her book. She was a voracious reader; anything and everything she could get her hands on. He liked that about her.
"Did you have somethin' to ask me?" She lifted her head, dark eyes focused on him. "You've just been standing there."
Her perception, at times, unnerved him. He didn't know she'd known he was there. "No. I was just watching you."
She nodded, accepting that. Her attention fell back to the book, but this time, he knew she wasn't reading. She was waiting.
He left.
** ** **
"How is her training coming along?" He was watching her again, this time from a window that overlooked the beach. She and Pyro were out there, walking. Talking. Teasing. Flirting.
That wasn't right. She was his.
He wondered where that thought came from, but pushed it aside as he focused his attention on Mystique.
The shifter was silent for a moment, assessing him. What was he really asking. A smirk flit across her lips. "Not as well as it could be. She holds back a lot. Enough that it'll get her - or one of us - killed."
"See to it that she stops holding back. Push her limits. Make her stop holding back. There is no room for error."
Mystique nodded, and at his dismissive wave, let herself out of the study. Once she was out of his range of sight, she smiled.
It seemed her boss had been smitten.
** ** **
It hurt so bad, she was in tears after she left the training room. She leaned against a wall for support, covering her face with her hands, one foot held above the floor. "Lucky you didn't break the damn thing.." She muttered the words to no one; she was alone in the hall. She slid down the wall to sit, moving her hands to her ankle, rubbing it. She wondered why the hell Mystique had gotten so pushy all of a sudden. So in her face. Forcing her to use her hands, her mutation.
She heard footsteps, and she lifted her head, wiping away her tears. It wouldn't do for her to be caught crying - though there was nothing she could do, now, about the 'caught' part.
Wordlessly, Magneto set a glass of water beside her, and lifted her hand, dropping two aspirin into it.
For a moment, she could only stare blankly. That was ... unusual, wasn't it? "Thanks," she finally managed. She popped the pills into her mouth, chasing them with the water. She wondered if he'd care if she just sat here for a minute or two longer - she really didn't want to try to struggle to her feet in front of him.
She hated looking weak in front of him.
As it turned out, it wasn't an issue. He lifted her up, and her arms reflexively flung around his shoulders. She was aware, in some part of her mind, this could be construed as something intimate - if he wasn't who he was. If she wasn't who she was. But that was just ridiculous.
Wasn't it?
She gazed up into his eyes, knowing confusion was shining in hers. She wasn't sure what she saw in his. She hadn't learned to read his eyes yet - but to be fair, he was damn good at the whole 'blank face' thing. As he carried her to her room, she kept her arms around him. Her face was tilted to watch where they were going, and she had to smile as doors opened for them. What a handy power.
He set her down on her bed, and she held on a moment longer than she needed to, and she wondered why. When she released him, he remained standing beside her bed, and she felt her heart beat kick up a notch. Something about the way he was looking at her - predatory and proud, dominant and glorious - tugged at something deep inside of her. She licked suddenly dry lips, not sure what to say, what to do.
He solved that problem. "Get some rest. The rest of your training will be just as hard. There is no room for weakness, Rogue."
She nodded. "All right." When he lifted a brow expectantly, she gulped air. "I mean, yes, sir."
A nod of approval, a brush of gloved fingers along the white streak in her hair, and he turned away.
She watched him go, trying to figure out what, exactly, had just happened.