Disclaimer:
Marvel owns all. I've just invited them over to my house to play.
A/N:
This came about from the frustrating crap going on in the comics, from Rogneto to Uncanny Avengers to Gambit going off on his own in a new series again. Okay, the last isn't crap because any time Gambit's in the spotlight is awesome! It's just really frustrating to be back at square one with Romy and retelling the same sad relationship story all over again in a few more arcs.
Anyway, rant over. So background is going to be heavy in canon: the basics of the latest Romy split during the last several arcs of X-Men Legacy; a few references to X-treme X-Men (2001-2004) and X-Men: The End; just the general idea of Gambit (2012) where Gambit's getting back to his thieving roots; and the overview of Avengers vs. X-Men. In other words – know your X-books or you'll be lost!
Thanks:
To my beta, FaeMarked, who started Twilight fics but never got around to posting (or finishing, hint hint). Thank you for indulging my resurging X-Men craze!
Perfect Love
Grading term papers while her linguistics class took their end of semester final wasn't something Rogue ever imagined for herself. But it was just another necessary part of making sure the world was a safe place for the children, mutant or humans. The X-Men weren't needed all the time. Besides, what good would the team serve if future generations of mutants weren't trained to ethically use their abilities and stop the violence before it even started?
A timer on her desk signaled the end of the testing period. "Alright class, that's the end of exam."
With the flick of a button on her computer, she wirelessly sent out a command to all the computers in the class to save, email the documents to her account, and shut down. It was actually Kitty's idea a couple of semesters ago when some of the kids figured out a way to cheat.
"Have a great summer!" She bade farewell.
As the students gathered their things, a few passed by her to say "bye, Miss Rogue," and "have a good summer." A few other classes let out at the same time and Rogue could hear the quiet chatter in the hall. The kids had been instructed to be respectful of the other students still taking tests, so she was able to easily hear the usual gossiping.
"We could see him from our classroom getting his motorcycle ready. And Sarah texted Jessica that she passed by his office and it was cleaned out like he wasn't coming back." One of the more nosy girls said as they walked past Rogue's classroom.
"Well are you sure he's leaving and not just, like, taking a vacation or something?" The boy in the group asked.
Rogue stepped out into the hall, curious about who had the school's gossips going now. She stood in the doorway, nonchalant as if she was just monitoring the students heading out.
"No way! Ben said his room was cleared out too." A second girl answered.
The boy was quick to respond. "C'mon. Mr. LeBeau wouldn't just bail on us like that."
At the sound of Gambit's name, Rogue pushed off the door frame and hurried through the halls. Once she was away from the students, she broke into a run and prayed she wasn't too late. As she rushed through the garage entrance, she skidded to a halt when she saw Gambit tying down the rest of his stuff. She knew he saw her, but it stung a little that he didn't immediately acknowledge her arrival.
"Remy?" Rogue watched him pause, the years of living with him letting her see the barely noticeable cringe in his shoulders. "What's goin' on?"
Gambit finished strapping down the few things he kept at the mansion so he could drop them off at his apartment in the city before heading out of town. "Put my resignation in t' Logan."
"So what, ya weren't even gonna say goodbye?" She asked as she closed the distance between them.
"What's dere left t' say, chère, that hasn' already been said?" He countered, hands resting on the motorcycle's seat as he leaned against it. "This ain' my life, girl."
The fire pricked in Rogue's eyes as she shoved her fists on her hips. "What d'ya mean, 'this ain't yer life'? Since when did ya decide that? Now that we're on our way ta peace, yer just gonna up an' leave?"
Her righteous indignation was finally enough. He'd taken all he could handle and now there was no holding it in. Gambit snapped and spun around, his face mere inches from hers.
"I'm a thief, Rogue, not a hero! And certainly not a teacher! I don' know how t' settle down like dis when my whole life has been de exact opposite. I can' stand bein' a babysitter t' a bunch o' teenagers when dere's a whole wide world callin' my name." As usual, when her temper flared his burned hotly too.
"But it was good 'nough fer the last few years, huh." Rogue crossed her hands over her chest, her hip cocked out to the side.
Realizing there wasn't any way to win this argument, Gambit just gave up. In a quiet voice he said, "Never mind, chère. Y' just don' get it," before turning his back on her and throwing one leg over his bike to climb on.
Rogue ran around in front of it, putting her body flush against the front wheel as she grasped the handlebars before he could. "What? What don' Ah get? That yer selfish fer puttin' some stupid heist before these kids? Or that yer takin' a coward's stance by abandonin' us when we need ya most? Cuz yer right, Ah don' get that."
Her words stung his pride like a thousand jellyfish tentacles whipped across raw flesh. But instead of reacting, Gambit just lowered his head in guilt. His silence acted as his admission. Lord knew Rogue had attacked his pride more than any man deserved. But he was a selfish man and had wanted every moment, every breath spent with her. There was only so much beating a man could take before he finally had to admit defeat.
"Yeah. Guess I shoulda known that from de start." He whispered.
Rogue watched the fight leave his body, his shoulders slumped. "So that's it. Yer just gonna leave." When he didn't answer, she continued. "Fine, go steal somethin'. Get it outta yer system along with this pissy attitude. When can Ah expect ya back?" Though her volume was more civil, her tone was still acerbic.
Looking her square in the eye, Gambit said. "I'm not."
Rogue staggered back, shocked by his confession. "Ever?"
With a sigh, he climbed off his bike and stood in front of her. It was best she fully understand that this was goodbye. Gently, he reached up to grasp her upper arms in a loving gesture, sure to keep her at arm's length though.
"This place isn' my home, Rogue. It never has been." He said with a gentle squeeze.
"Well it ain' Louisiana either. Ya told me that a hundred times before." She looked up into his face, hoping to see a hint of what was going on. But his expression was too practiced.
"Oui, that's right." Gambit simply answered.
Her eyes narrowed shrewdly, thinking she was about to catch him. "So if this ain' home an' N'awlins ain' home, where is it?"
With a sad smile, he said: "That's de whole problem, Rogue. If y' don' know de answer by now, y' ain' ever gon' know it."
He bent down to place a chaste kiss on her hair, breathing in a last whiff of her sweet scent. Even though she could now maintain skin contact without absorbing someone, she'd been adamant about not touching him. If nothing else, he was going to respect her wishes. This time it would be to the fullest extent.
"If yer done with the Institute, when will Ah see ya again?" She asked, still not understanding what he meant.
His chin rested on top of her head. Rogue wrapped her arms around his waist, but kept a few inches of distance between them. Gambit's hands never strayed from where they were on her arms.
"I don' think we'll be runnin' in each other's circles anymore." Gambit pulled away to give her a wry grin. "How'd it look for a respectable teacher t' consort wit' a disreputable thief?"
Realization dawned on Rogue's face. "Oh!" Her mouth made a perfect circle. "Remy, Ah don't want ya ta go."
The corners of her eyes prickled painfully with the tell tale sign of tears, but she fought it down along with the panic that was choking her. Sure, she'd been the one to push him away. But in the past when they were on the outs, he was still around in some manner, even if it was just a phone call every once in a while to check in. This time was different though. Once he rode down that driveway, she knew in her heart she wouldn't ever talk to him again.
"Give me a reason t' stay." He was a fool to give her the chance and he knew it. But he couldn't just walk away if there was still a 'what if' between them. "A reason you need me."
"Ah…" Rogue stuttered, suddenly tongue tied.
After everything that happened between Magneto's offer and signing up to fight with the Avengers instead of against them, she really didn't need another major issue right now. So as usual, she fell back on diversionary tactics.
"Ah thought ya were gonna wait for me?" She threw their conversation months ago back in his face.
"Chère, I did!" Gambit exclaimed, exasperated. His hands dropped from her arms so he could count off on his fingers for emphasis. "I backed off when y' said y' needed space t' get yer head clear after Mystique used Hope on y'. I stayed away when y' said y' needed t' get used t' havin' yer powers under control after Xavier broke down yer mental blocks. Putain, I even sat back an' watched y' screw ol' Buckethead even though y' an' I were still t'gether de day before! I'm not some backup plan y' get t' fall back on when yo' life don' work out de way y' were hopin'."
"Ah never thought ya were!" She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air. "God, Remy! How am Ah ever gonna get my head right 'bout ya when yer always pushin' me like ya are now?" Rogue fought back.
Gambit shoved a finger in her face. "Oh no, girl. Y' are not gon' pull that on me. I have done everythin' y' asked." His eyes took on an eerie glow in his anger. "Sapristi, Rogue, I came back from dyin' for y'! Don' y' remember? Y' begged me not t' go because y' said y' were selfish an' wanted better. So what, a year in Valle Soleada was it? I thought y' an' I were in this t'gether till de end. Instead, I'm some sap of an ex-boyfriend livin' in some alternate reality."
"That's not fair, Remy! Ah-" Rogue's spitfire anger raged again, but Gambit cut her off.
"-No, it is entirely fair. Whatever happened in David's reality was his mind tryin' t' protect itself. Dere was no hidden meanin' in why his new personality paired de people he did. It was all another ploy t' separate all o' us so we wouldn' work t'gether t' stop him. Did y' forget dat y' an' I were purposely kept away from each other in dat place until de end? Dat Emma was imprisoned so she couldn' warn Scott an' that Scott was married t' Joanna t' keep him distracted? Everyone has dealt wit' it an' moved back int' their lives 'cept you. Somehow it carried over in t' reality. Instead of Rogue an' Gambit, it's Legacy an' Magneto still." He finished his rant, breath coming out in pants from his frustration.
Rogue's brow furrowed as her mouth set in a thin line, pissed that he would suggest such a thing. "That's not why Ah'm with him."
"Then why are y'?" When she didn't immediately respond, Gambit pushed the issue. "Even you don' know, do y'? The Rogue I know…no, the Anna-Marie I love would never've been friends wit' Magneto, much less sleep wit' him. She would've ranted an' raved 'bout how he's no better than Joseph Kony an' the LRA because he stayed on Utopia t' trainin' kids t' fight adult problems. That's why she decided t' come t' Westchester instead of stayin' dere."
"Ah…that's not…" For a moment, she just sputtered as she stared at him.
The truth was, he just slapped her in the face with a reality she wasn't ready to admit. Everything he said was right. Even Magneto had told her the same thing the night they slept together. What Rogue should have seen that night was that Magneto was admitting he didn't, couldn't feel for her the same true love that Gambit already had for her.
Of course, she'd never been good at inner soul searching. After all if she looked too closely, would she be looking at herself or someone else? Would she like the person she saw if she could pick herself out of the crowd in her head? So instead, she crossed her arms and turned her back on Gambit, figuratively then but physically now.
Dejected at her reaction, Gambit felt the need for a final closure. Climbing back on his bike, he asked: "Do y' know why I picked New York over San Francisco? Why I kept comin' back here even after I could've gone back t' N'awlins all those years ago?"
He paused, waiting for her response. All he got was a barely noticeable shake of her head.
"I didn' come here because some kids wit' a different lot in life needed a mentor. An' my dreams have never been of de lofty sort involvin' world peace." Turning the key on the ignition, he let the motorcycle roar to life. "Those were all yo' dreams, chérie. But I was happy t' live 'em if it meant bein' by yo' side."
"Then why are ya leavin' if this is where Ah am?" Rogue spun around and countered over the bike's low rumble.
"I can' sit back an' watch anymore. Guess I'm just tired of y' not believin' me even after all de times I've told y' I want no one else. I said I'd be playin' for keeps next time an' y' had t' be ready. Fool on me for sittin' back thinkin' there was even gonna be a next time."
Unwilling to participate in their destructive dance any longer, Gambit revved the engine and sped off down the drive without looking back.
(X)-(X)-(X)
The invitation sat on the desk where Gambit threw it, the post-it note with Wolverine's "thought you should know" scrawl still attached. Reaching over for the nearly empty bottle of bourbon, he poured himself another four fingers before taking a generous swig.
The sticky note covered the groom's name, but he didn't bother to look. It didn't matter who she was marrying. Only a year had passed since he left New York. And he was afraid the name underneath would read Magnus. Though he supposed she could have met someone else and fallen madly in love in a year, even if that seemed too short a time to know someone enough to get married. Actually, if he'd realized how much he loved her long before now, he would have made her his wife when they lived in Valle Soleada. That was right about a year too.
Taking another swig, he picked up his cell phone. Despite what he'd said, they actually had exchanged a few text messages. She never mentioned anyone new or anything serious, but the texts were a little cold and distant. More like acquaintances planning some future lunch date. And some of her last ones had been enough for him to delete her number out of his contacts, even though he'd kept the few texts instead of deleting them too.
Scrolling through the names and numbers, he hit send when Bella Donna's name appeared.
"Bonjour, Remy cher." Her voice cheerily greeted on the other end.
Cutting right to the chase, he asked: "Y' still need someone t' pull off that job?"
"Oui, but yo' cousin Lapin was gon'-" She started before he interrupted.
"-No. I'll do it." He answered, surprised he wasn't slurring his words more.
She tried to counter his offer. "Remy, it's at least a deux ans job."
"I know." He simply said.
Belle gave a gentle sigh before pressing him. "Dis wouldn' have anyt'in' t' do wit' that X-girl o' yo's, would it?" Her inquiry was caring, protective.
"Not at all." They both knew he was lying.
A short pause hung between them and Gambit took another drink, the ice clinking against the side of the glass. A choked tsk from Belle's side let him know she was imagining him in the state of drunken filth he'd been wallowing in for the last day. There was a time when she would have railed on him for this type of behavior. But even Bella Donna Boudreaux had moved on from him, marrying a man completely unassociated and unaware of the Guild.
"Très bien. Get yo'self sobered up an' on de next flight down here. We need t' start no later than t'morrow night." Belle agreed before ending the call.
Finishing up the last of his bourbon, Gambit picked up the invitation. The embossed filigree was beautiful. Silver pearl on bright white, 32 pound cotton paper. The smooth modern paper belied the vintage styling. In silver letters, the invitation read:
Together with our families,
We invite you to share
In our wedding
ceremony and celebration
Rogue &
He stopped after that, surprised that she insisted on going by her mutant name even for her wedding invitation. Of course if Magneto was the groom, that would explain everything. He never was big on going by the names humans had given them as children.
In a moment of melancholy, Gambit allowed himself a fleeting day dream. They would have immediately started planning their wedding after he proposed. He wouldn't have wanted to waste any more time than they already had. But he would have given her the wedding of her dreams instead of a Vegas quickie. He couldn't imagine himself getting embroiled in the details like which flowers to use or the color of the table linens. But he would have been excited to talk about the bigger picture items with her, like their invitations: one sheet of the finest ecru linen paper; champagne gold border; Anna Marie and Remy Etienne. After all, it was the announcement to the world that they would finally officially belong to each other.
It didn't matter though. She wasn't his and hadn't been for a long time. Dieu! How did they get so far from where they were? With a final caress of his finger over her name, he lightly charged the invitation. It exploded in a small pop, leaving a little cloud of ash to rain down on his hand.
(X)-(X)-(X)
Rio was everything Rogue had ever dreamed it would be. Growing up as a small town Mississippi girl, she never expected to be a world traveler. And as an X-Man, she visited a lot of places but didn't really get to sight see. But this, this was her vacation that she'd worked hard to earn.
Why she picked Brazil, she wasn't entirely sure. It seemed like a place she would only have a once in a lifetime chance to visit. She'd already sun bathed at Copacabana Beach, watched the sun set from Sugarloaf Mountain, and took a quiet walk in the Jardim Botanico. Now she was on her way to Confeitaria Colombo Fort Café as suggested by her hotel's concierge.
As she rounded the corner to the outdoor café, a familiar face stopped her dead in her tracks. There, cozying up to a gorgeous raven haired, tanned skinned beauty was Gambit. It had been two and a half years since she'd last seen him. And he'd stopped talking to her about eighteen months previous. That was right about the time her wedding invitations had gone out. She wasn't even going to think about that mistake. Fortunately she'd come to her senses before the wedding. But it made her wonder if someone had told him.
Rogue didn't realize she'd been staring until the woman laughed at something Gambit whispered in her ear. The rich, smoky sound was as exotic as she looked. Startled out of her stupor, Rogue turned to go back when he caught sight of her.
"Rogue?" Disbelief tainted his question. "Is that y'?"
Though he was on her right, she saw him rise from his chair and walk over to her. "Hi, Remy."
"Never expected t' see y' 'round these parts." He paused, surreptitiously looking her over. "Y' here wit' someone?" If she didn't know him better, she would have missed the hesitancy in his question.
"Um, no. Just takin' a much needed vacation." Rogue answered honestly.
"Remy? Are you going to introduce us?" The exotic beauty had a melodic voice to match.
Rogue tore her eyes away from Gambit only to choke down her initial reaction. The woman looked to be eight months pregnant, a sparkling diamond on her left hand rested protectively atop her belly. A quick check confirmed he was wearing a sterling band himself.
"Hmm? Oh, bien sûr. Rogue, dis is my wife, Charlotte." He indicated with a simple gesture of the hand.
Choking down bitter disappointment, Rogue said, "It's nice ta meet ya."
She started to put forth her right hand when she noticed Charlotte extended her left. A quick switch up and Rogue returned the gesture, her own left hand bare and exposed to Remy's inspection.
"A pleasure to meet you as well." Charlotte quickly broke the contact to rest her hands on her rounded stomach. "Ooo, he's kicking again."
"Y' shouldn' be up, chérie. Go sit back down. I'll be dere in a minute." Gambit doted on her.
Charlotte pulled on Remy's hand so that he was facing away from Rogue. She lowered her voice, but every word was still audible.
"I know who she is Remy. Don't you dare think about going back to the X-Men. You made a commitment to me and that trumps whatever life you had before." Even her serious tone and flashing eyes couldn't mar her beauty.
"C'est tout." He whispered back.
A moment passed as he watched her wander back to their table before he turned back to Rogue. "How are y'?"
"Good. Ah'm good." The air between them was heavy, awkward. "Looks like yer doin' pretty good too." She nodded behind him as she twisted and fidgeted her fingers.
"Ouais." Another pause as Gambit seemed lost for words, or lost in memories, as he took his first look of Rogue in two and a half years.
"Listen, I should probly get goin'. Lots of stuff ta do. I'll let ya finish yer lunch." Rogue tried to cut the tension.
His eyes tightened and he flinched ever so slightly at her abruptness. "Oh, yeah, sure. Y' should come over for dinner while yo' here."
"Thanks, but Ah'm not gonna be here much longer. Gotta get back ta the Institute." The lie was smooth even to her ears.
Gambit appraised her with a skeptic's eye, but chose to believe what she said. Regardless of her schedule, dinner would be much more uncomfortable than this impromptu meeting.
"Well, it was good t' see y', Rogue." He put his hand out, waiting for her to reciprocate the gesture.
"Yeah, Remy-" She'd started to say, her hand out to shake his when he pulled her into a close hug.
Rogue's heart was pounding in her chest from being in such close proximity with him again. His chest was pressed firmly against hers, their entwined hands creating the only space between them. Her free hand hung limply at her side, but his was wrapped around her shoulders. A heat rose up between them where their hips were flush against each other.
With his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, Gambit whispered, "L'amour parfait ne pas trahir qui que ce soit."
She thought she felt him press a kiss to her hair, but the sensation was fleeting. And just as quickly as he'd closed the distance between them, he was two steps away and heading back to his table.
"See y' 'round." He parted with a two finger wave before turning his back on her once again.
(X)-(X)-(X)
Gambit rolled over, burrowing closer to the warm body asleep by his side. His arm reflexively slipped around his wife's waist, his hand coming to rest on the soft curve of her lower belly. As he tightened his grip and brought her back flush against his chest, he nestled his nose in her silky, dark hair. The warm metal of his wedding band was a welcome weight as it pressed against her smooth skin.
They were expecting their second child, a little girl this time, and he couldn't have been happier. The only thing that could top the excitement was the fact that today was their tenth wedding anniversary. Never in his life had he ever dreamed he could be content with a small house on the beach, a beautiful and loving wife by his side, and two adoring children to dote on.
She moaned into her pillow, "Uuhhnn, sleeeep, Remy." His early morning movement interrupted her slumber.
He chuckled at her mumbling, but settled down to try to get more sleep. As he nibbled a final few little kisses on her ear, he thought back to the day when she finally agreed to be his and dozed into a sweet dream.
(X)
He found himself in New York after he'd finished the job with Charlotte. Obtaining the Estrela de Crepúsculo from the H. Stern Museum vaults had been one of the hardest tasks he'd ever undertaken. If the 24 carat rare purple diamond hadn't been such a highly valued contract, he probably wouldn't have gone through with it after a month into accepting the job. Giving up two years of his life had been a big sacrifice. But with a one percent payout from acquiring the $130 billion stone, even splitting it 50/50 with Charlotte had definitely been worth his time.
Another plus: Charlotte had earned her place as the Viceroy of the Unified Guild's Brazilian charter. She and her baby would never worry about where their next meal would come from ever again. The three celebrated by burning the faked marriage documents and pictures, and tossing their wedding rings into the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Charlotte decided to keep the ten carat diamond Gambit had acquired for her though.
Once the money had been wired into his accounts, he'd called Bella Donna to let her know he'd only be taking contracts when he got restless and at his own discretion. No more assignments handed down from the Guild, regardless of whether he was the only person who could pull off the job. It was a small luxury she could afford him after the time and effort he put in to getting this big pay day.
He then promptly headed home to New York. Despite what he'd told Rogue years ago, the Institute was the only physical location he felt he could still go back to without some bittersweet memory attached. Even then, there was a good portion of his life spent with her at that place.
As soon as he rode up on his motorcycle, she'd been there, standing in the garage as if she'd known the exact time he was coming. For the middle of summer, her attire wasn't so bad. For a school full of teenage boys, she was downright indecent.
The white ribbed tank top stretched tightly across her breasts. It was thin enough that he could make out the line of her demi cut plunge bra. Her long legs were completely exposed save for the barely there jean shorts hardly covered her rear. The amount of freshly tanned skin was more than he'd ever seen on her, even when they lived in California and she'd spent every day on the beach. Just seeing her dressed so enticingly had his blood rushing.
With hesitancy, he walked up to her. It had been six months since that encounter in Rio. At that time, she hadn't been wearing a wedding band but he had. When she was assumably free, he wasn't. No matter what, they always seemed to have the worst timing.
The deep breath he inhaled whooshed out as he greeted her. "Rogue."
He thrust out his palm for a friendly handshake. Instead of taking his offer, she launched herself into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms tightly gripping his neck as she planted a firm kiss on his lips.
Dumbfounded, Gambit dubiously placed his hands on her hips to support her weight. Her fingers threaded through his hair as the kiss lingered, her tongue dipping out to tease his lips. It was a hard fight not to give in to her probing offer. But until he knew what was going on, he wasn't going to make out with what could very well be someone else's wife.
When he didn't respond to her advances, Rogue pulled away. "What's wrong, Remy?"
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. 'What's right' would have been a much shorter list to explain. Seeing the turmoil in his eyes, Rogue dejectedly squirmed out of his arms and slowly slid down his body. The feel of her soft curves pressed flush against his hard planes did nothing to help ease his desire to make her his again.
"For starters, I'm shocked at how y' greet a married man." He stalled. Granted, he wasn't actually married. But she didn't know that.
Some of the worry eased out of her face and a small grin replaced the frown as she playfully swatted his chest.
"Please, Remy. An 'anonymous' source with a Brazilian number left a voicemail on my phone explainin' the short version of the last two years. How else d'ya think Ah knew when ya'd be here?" She answered.
An inkling tickled the back of his mind as he guessed who had called her. Remy had been solemnly quiet the rest of the day he'd run into Rogue in Rio. That night, Charlotte had confronted him about still being in love with her. When he didn't deny it, she'd made what he thought was a meaningless threat about calling Rogue up one day and telling her everything. Guess that threat wasn't so meaningless after all. Still, he couldn't be sure everything was free and clear for them now.
"D'accord." He conceded. "Then how 'bout a married woman steppin' out on her husband like y' just did?"
With an even bigger, dazzling smile, she waved the back of her left hand in front of his face. If these were his only objections, then these were easy obstacles to overcome.
"Thankfully, Ah realized what a mistake that woulda been. It helped that Logan talked ta me too." Her smile dimmed as she remembered that conversation. "Woulda been nice if someone else had helped me too."
Unable to look her in the eyes, Gambit gazed away to the greenery behind the mansion. His own memories of her time with Magneto souring any hope he felt moments ago.
"Y' wouldn've listened t'me, chérie. Y' never have. Too hard a head for me t'get through." He glumly answered.
Placing her hands on either side of his face, Rogue turned his head so his eyes met hers. She gently tugged so he would bend his neck down. When the distance between his taller height matched hers, she rested her forehead against his and made sure he had no place else to look but at her.
"Yer wrong, Remy. Ah get it. Everythin' ya've been tryin' ta tell me. Ah get it now." Rogue closed her eyes to the anguish and painfully lost time they wasted. "Ah'm so sorry it took me this long ta figure it out." She confessed, her bright green eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Afraid of what her admission could mean, he played what she said off as a joke. "See, dere's dat hard head again."
"Ah know. Ah'll have ta work on that. Ya could help by knockin' some sense inta me from time ta time." She teased in return, hoping that they weren't a lost cause. "Ah fucked up royally this time."
"We both did. Least no one can say we did anythin' half assed." For the first time since he'd returned, he willingly touched her.
His fingers snaked through her silky smooth hair, his thumbs caressed her flawlessly clear skin. She was still his perfect match in every way. So why did this feel like even more of an ending than when he walked away three years ago? Were they truly over and nothing could ever repair what they had broken? There was only one way to find out. But before he could say anything, she was pressing forward in a frazzled jumble.
"God, Remy, Ah love ya so much. Ya really are my home, my safe harbor just like ya said. An' Ah'm so tired of driftin' aimlessly. Ah just wanna come home. Is there still a place for me in yer heart like before?" She begged.
What a loaded question that was. There would always be a place for her, just like there was always a place for Bella Donna. The question should have been more like could he ever love her the same way he had when they were still new and in love. Or was that feeling forever poisoned by the last few years of their relationship before they'd gone their separate ways?
"No." His answer was simple, definitive.
"Ah see." Rogue pulled away from him, dropping her hands to her sides even though he still held her face in his firm grip. "Ah'll, um…Ah'll just go tell the others yer here."
She slipped away from him, turning her back toward him to head into the garage. His hand slid down her neck, to her shoulder, and finally down her arm before he tightly grasped her hand and pulled her back to him. Just like in Rio, their bodies were flush against each other. Only this time, there was no single inch of space between them.
He delighted at the feel of her soft breasts pressed against his chest. He let go of her hand so he could run his over the firm muscles of her toned backside. With just a small amount of pressure, Gambit held her still while lightly pressing his hips into hers. A rush of excitement flowed down his body, anticipating her reaction to his next words.
"I told y' last time dat I wouldn' be settlin' again." He said, still holding his firm grip on her.
"Ah don't understand…" Rogue trailed off in confusion, but he gently grasped her chin in his fingers as his thumb grazed her bottom lip.
With a deep breath, he prepared himself to push forward. There was no doubt in his mind anymore. If she was ready, he didn't need any time to get to know her again or ease back into their relationship. There was no way should could have changed enough in the last three years that he wouldn't already know everything about her. And if what she said was true, then she wouldn't need any extra time or space either.
"We were young an; stupid. We poisoned ourselves, our relationship by not trustin' each other. So I can' go back t' how we were before." Gambit paused to let that sink in before continuing. "An' I can' start fresh because dat's like erasin' all de mistakes we made before. We both know what those pitfalls look like now. So when we run int' 'em again, we'll know t' lean on each other an' not turn our backs."
The first hints of a smile started to wash away the despair in Rogue's face. Seeing the little bit of positive reinforcement encouraged Gambit to be brash and place a soft kiss on her lips. The affection was brief and he broke away before they could get too caught up in each other. Besides which if things didn't go as he hoped in the next few seconds, it very well could be their last kiss. With that thought in the back of his mind, he gazed down at her and memorized her face before taking both of her hands in his. Never letting his eyes break contact with hers, he knelt down on his knees before her.
"Neither of us can go back, but we can go forward t'gether if y'll have me. Be my wife, Anna, please." He begged.
Gambit only saw her eyes widen for a second before he was laying flat on his back, Rogue having launched herself at him. He felt her hands slap at his chest and quickly raised his arms to block her attack, thought the blows were not very painful.
"Ya no good, worthless, self-absorbed, jackass, Swamp Rat!" She emphasized each word with a new smack but finished her tirade with their tried and true teasing.
"I t' take it dat was a 'yes', River Rat?" Gambit chuckled as he lowered his arms from guarding his body to instead wrap around her waist.
"Ya couldn't just propose like a normal person instead of trying t' dash my hopes and dreams first?" Rogue refused to admit her answer, though the glee shone clearly in her eyes.
He just shrugged, unapologetic about his method. "Y' said yo'self I needed t' knock some sense int' dat hard head from time t' time. Thought I'd start wit' de humblin' right away, wifey dear."
Her indignation widened her eyes as she playfully slapped him again. "If ya ever call me that again, yer gonna be drinkin' yer meals through a straw."
"Duly noted." He answered, his eyes twinkling with merriment as he tugged on a strand of her hair. "So, y' will marry me then?"
"Of course Ah will, Remy." Rogue's gaze softened as she saw the slight worry in his eyes. No one else would have picked up on the insecurity.
"Ça va, just makin' sure. Has t' be official." He winked at her.
"Since when has anythin' ever been 'official' between us?" Rogue made air quotes around the one word.
"Dis. Dis will be official. I want de whole world t' know wit'out a doubt." Gambit promised her before rising up enough to seal it with a kiss.
The situation was euphoric. It wasn't hard to give in to temptation and turn the kiss into something more. He'd missed her a lot longer than the three years they'd been separated. It had always been his theory that she could go on and have a life without him, that she didn't need him. But he would forever be stuck on her. Only her. Always her. He'd always thought that she was too good for him, that he didn't deserve her.
As he teased her lower lip with his tongue, he realized they were finally on a level playing field. She needed him as much as he needed her. She wouldn't ever move on if something happened to him now. They were equals in every sense of the word.
All other thoughts left his mind when he felt her lips part and her teeth nip at him. During their tussle, her legs had fallen to straddle over his left thigh. But now she was slowly crawling up his body to rest astride his hips. The urge to thrust up was strong, but they were at a school and the garage door was still open.
Reluctantly, he pulled away. "Um, chère, don' y' think we should move dis upstairs? De kids might come in on us."
"Already got it handled, rude boy." The old endearment made his heart pound in his chest.
Rogue smirked as she produced a remote from her jeans short pocket. With a click, the garage door started to crank down. "Ah already unplugged all the others and the door ta the mansion is conveniently blocked with shipper boxes full'a car parts. No one's comin' in here anytime soon, sugar."
"Pretty sure o' yo'self, weren' y'?" Gambit teased her back.
"Ah'm only sure 'bout one thing, Remy LeBeau." Rogue leaned down, firmly pressing her parted lips against his. After a tongue twisting entangling moment, she pulled back to look him square in the eye. "Ah'm sure 'bout you."
Her mouth descended on his again and with the relative security of their privacy, Gambit didn't have to hold back any longer. With her thighs spread low across his hips, he let his hands graze down her thinly clothed back to rest on the bared skin from her Daisy Dukes. He thrust up, pressing his growing arousal into her heated core.
She moaned into his mouth, moving her hands from where they'd been tangled in his hair. Down his chest she massaged his hard muscles before reaching the hem of his plain black tee. Her fingers teased the exposed skin at his waist. The friction from their jeans rubbed against him, encouraging him to lift her shirt up in return. When she sat up to free herself of the fabric confine, he quickly tore his own shirt over his head before attacking her bra hooks.
A small twist of his fingers was the only thing needed to bare her breasts to him. The vigor with which he latched onto her rosy buds surprised even him. As he lapped and nipped at a hardened nub, one of his hands came up to squeeze the weight of her neglected breast while the other quickly worked on unbuttoning their jeans. She'd already set a steady pace as she rocked over his groin.
The tension was too much. With a little bit of shimmying, he managed to divest them both of their pants and underwear. As his fingers ran meaningless patterns across the smooth skin of her back, she settled back over his bared lap. His excitement was taunted by the prospect of sliding into her moist opening.
There was no need for silly foreplay. They'd been away from each other for so long and every other time they'd been together had been some trick to get around her mutation. But this time would be them, exactly as they were intended, with no physical or mental barriers between them.
With a smooth thrust, he embedded himself deeply in her core. She tossed her head back at the feel of him so thoroughly planted within her. Her should length hair tickled the tops of his thighs. Latching onto her other nipple, he nipped her swollen flesh before sucking her hard into his mouth. His hips set an easy in-out pace as he pulled out of her a little before plunging back in.
"Uh, Remy…so good. Don't stop." Rogue breathlessly moaned.
"I love you." He panted out on a breath.
"Ah love ya too." She whispered back.
Gambit leaned back to watch her breasts bounce with every push and pull, getting closer to falling over the edge himself. He could feel the tension building in his lower back and knew he wouldn't hold out much longer. Slipping a hand between them, he found her bundled nub and worked it with his thumb as he buried his face between her breasts. His other hand reached around her to tease their coupling. Once the tip of his forefinger was slick with her arousal, he brushed the moisture over the puckered flesh of her hole.
The action was surprising, but not unpleasant as she quickly gave in to the sensation and came hard around his member. Being fully sheathed by her contracting walls was enough to send pulsing waves through his body. With a groan, he buried himself fully in her body before spilling forth inside her.
As they both tried to catch their breath, he pressed his sweat dampened forehead to the sticky skin of her neck. Between pants, he placed sweet, open mouthed kisses along her collar bone. The after waves of her release still pulsed around him, but were slowing as she came down from the erotic high. He too twitched inside her with the last surges of his own release.
With a breathy sigh, she climbed off him before standing and offering a hand to help him up. "C'mon, sug. Ah'll show ya the shower in our new suite."
"Dere's dat assuredness again. Hate t' think what y' woulda done if I hadn' taken y' back." He bantered as he slipped into his jeans and t-shirt.
"Who said Ah didn't take you back, hmm?" All she did was slide the bra over her bare breasts before wiggling into the short shorts again.
She took her bra, panties, and his boxers and shoved them into one of his pockets. The blush of her nipples stuck out as a dark stain against the see through white of her tank. Knowing she was naked and walking through the halls of the mansion sent the blood rushing through his body again. If they ran across any male students, the teenagers would undoubtedly notice her state of undress. But it would be he who got to bend her over the furniture as soon as the door shut to their suite.
"Doesn' matter. De important thing is dat I'm goin' give y' t' de count o' trios before I rip those shorts off an' have my wicked way wit' y' again, even if it is in front o' de whole mansion." He waggled his brows at her.
"Ya wouldn't!" Rogue declared in mock indignation.
"Une." When she didn't move, he added, "deux."
"Remy…" She trailed of sternly, but took a couple steps away from him before breaking out into a giggling run.
"Trios!" Gambit shouted as he took off after her.
(X)
"Papa, mama!" The heavy weight of a three year old jumping on top of his back left Gambit breathless.
"Oli, what have I told y' 'bout dat." He complained as he fully woke up from his half dream.
"I'm sorry, Papa. Will ya come watch cartoons wit' me?" His little hopeful voice was too innocent to garner a no.
"Go get de TV turned on an' I'll be dere in a minute." He answered.
"Yay!" Olivier cried before bouncing off the bed.
As he watched his son run from the room, he realized his wife had stirred awake next to him. "Ah thought ya put the baby gate up last night." Rogue complained, having wanted one peaceful morning to sleep in without her perfect little alarm clock jumping on the bed.
"Guess he must've picked de lock." Gambit chuckled at his son's unintended thievery skills before settling back down against the love of his life.
The pressure of his arousal against her cheeks fully woke her up. "Good thing he agreed ta cartoons so easily or else ya'd really have a problem on yer hands. Literally." She joked at his predicament.
"Good thing I have a lovely wife who can help me out wit' my problem." He joked right back.
Finally rolling over, Rogue looked up into his face. Some time had passed, but age really hadn't caught up with either of them, although she could see the beginnings of some crows feet in his laugh lines. He was still as handsome to her today as he'd been all those years ago when they'd first met.
"Ain't ya the lucky one." She reached up to caress his face, her thumb brushing over his stubbly cheek.
"Don' I know it. Happy anniversary, ma vie." He answered before brushing his lips against hers.
When they separated for air, she responded in kind. "Happy anniversary, Rem."
-(X)-
Translations:
Putain – Fuck
Sapristi – For Christ's sake
deux ans – two years
Très bien – Very well
bien sûr – of course
C'est tout – Literally translates 'That's it', Cajun translates more like 'Alright'
Ouais – okay
L'amour parfait ne pas trahir qui que ce soit. – Perfect love doesn't betray anyone. (Jaufré Rudel)
Estrela de Crepúsculo – (Portuguese) Dusk's Star
Ça va – okay
Ma vie – My life