AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome one, welcome all! It is SO good to see you all again! As per requested, Peu Diable is now officially up an running. And as before I am writing chapters as we speak which are in the wings and my ever faithful Beta will correct and work her wonderful magic. Enjoy, and please leave me a review so I know people are reading the fic. XD

Chapter 1

FUCK!

Was Remy's first thought as he lunged with his Bo staff, desperately praying this time it would connect with the feral man's head. Instead, it was easily knocked aside by a fist as his opponent bore down on him, stabbing out with adamantium claws. They just barely missed, shredding the duster he wore as he leapt out of reach. He reached into his pocket to draw a card. When his hand came up, he saw it was the Queen of Hearts. It was his very last one.

"Come on, Cajun, show me what you got. Or do you want to sharpen these for me?" Wolverine growled with a sadistic smirk as he closed in on him. Remy eyed him warily, panting hard as he drew himself up. He held the card up so the man he once loved could see.

"You'd best keep yo' distance, cher. Remy will blow us both sky high if'n you come any closer." Remy warned, his red eyes glittering. Logan snorted, his fists tightening as his claws screamed to be plunged into heated, pulsing flesh.

"I've survived a lot worse than a exploding card, swamp rat. You've just taken one too many gambles and now it's time to pay up." Logan said before rushing forward, raising his claws for the final blow.

Remy charged the card in his hand and threw it at the ground near his feet. Both men were engulfed in the explosion as it sent tremors echoing through the earth. As the dust cleared, manic laughter could be heard throughout the clearing. Then Remy rose, his clothes hanging off his scarred frame in tatters, but he smirked down in triumph at the man laying motionless at his feet.

"Best three out of three, mon glutton! Remy wins again dis round. You owe him not only a drink now, but a new car, an' he gets t' drive yo' motorcycle f'r a whole week." Remy said smugly as the holograms of a post-apocalyptic world around them shimmered out of existence to be replaced with the sterile training ground. Logan growled, sheathing his claws as he stood up glancing at Remy's torn duster.

"Still managed to get you anyway, Rims. I went easy on you because you'd cry if I beat you." Logan snarled. He bristled when the Cajun just smirked at him and laughed, heading towards the door.

"Whatever you say, Logan. If it makes you sleep easier at night, Remy won't argue wit' you. He is goin' t' take a shower than eat some lunch. Will ya stay here and brood or will ya join him?" Remy teased. Logan grunted, snatching up the duster as he followed the younger man out of the training room. When they came out, Scott and Jean were waiting there. There was a smile on the psychic's face when she saw the pair.

"So how did the training session go?" Jean asked the international thief. Remy glanced over his shoulder at Logan who scowled at him. He was standing a step behind him in his own tattered yellow uniform as he gave the duster an angry glare. The torn garment was also the feral man's loss since he had given it to his partner a day after their date at the restaurant.

"Remy would tell you, but he is worried his man would beat him if he dared." Remy answered her, but winked at Scott as he walked pass. Logan bristled at the action even as Scott frowned, turning his head as if he wished to blast the confident thief off his feet.

"He really needs to be taught a lesson. I don't know how you put up with him. Half the time it seems he's either out stealing or else sauntering around here like he's the best thing since sliced bread." Scott complained as Remy disappeared around the corner. Logan already knew the younger man was headed towards their shared room and wondered distractedly if he had been teasing him when he said they should take a shower together. Jean glanced at her husband, raising an eyebrow at this.

"Really? When were you going to tell me you had a thing for French speaking men?" Jean questioned. This led to Scott choking on his own words as Logan cracked up laughing, brushing past the couple towards his own man.

It had been almost a year now since their time up in the mountains. By now, Remy seemed to have forgotten everything about Loki, including the time they had shared. Logan had eventually been told what had happened during the time and remembered snatches of it, but other than that it was still a mystery to him. Remy was still open to discussing the demi-god with him, but no one else.

Still, lately Logan had noticed Remy holding up his hand while they lay in bed inspecting his right hand. Especially his ring finger which he would reach up and touch stroking the middle digit before letting it drop to his chest with a sigh. He knew the other man wasn't one to brood or become overly emotional, but on the other hand Logan couldn't help wondering if Remy was beginning to question their future together.

It was one thing to declare your love for another person in the heat of battle. Another to be able the face the years, possibly decades you planned to spend with another human being. Logan wondered if Remy didn't want more out of life. Now the younger man was in the prime of his life, saving the world, working alongside the X-Men. He was even in a relationship with one of its key operatives, Wolverine himself. On top of all this, he had large stashes of money begging to be spent all over the world. Compared to all this, Logan imagined if he was in Remy's shoes, he would have retired early and spent the rest of his days smoking cigars in the Yukon.

As he finally came to the bedroom his partner and he shared, Logan came in just in time to see Remy taking off his sweat stained undershirt only to toss it aside. A growing pile of dirty clothes in the hamper announced laundry day was soon coming up. Stepping silently into the room, Logan let the door shut slide shut behind him. A low rumble of desire echoed in his throat as he came up behind Remy, sliding his arms around the younger man's waist as he growled in his ear.

"Who the hell said you could come in here? I don't remember inviting a thief to visit." Logan growled. Remy's lip twitched in amusement as he turned his head. Red on black eyes locked gazes with his partner's baby blue ones, sparking with mischief.

"Remy apologizes, mon glutton. He did not know he needed t' ask yo' permission t' enter yo' domain. You are not angry wit' him, are ya?" Remy whispered, a purr in his voice as he reached up to cup Logan's cheek. He drew the older man closer into a gentle kiss. Their tongues slid together in an erotic dance, igniting the dormant heat between them. Remy shifted his body, turning around to press himself against the dangerous man. A low groan escaped him as he grinded up against the feral. Logan's chest rumbled with a growl as he pushed the younger man onto the bed, climbing on top of him as did so.

Just as things were beginning to become heated, blaring music began playing from Remy's pocket. With a sigh, the Cajun broke off his make out session with his partner to reach down and fish his cell phone out of his pocket. Logan frowned at being interrupted as Remy turned his head away, flipping the phone open without checking the number.

"Dis is de Gambit. Remy is on break right now, can he take a message?" Remy greeted casually to whoever who was on the other end of the line. Logan made a swipe for the phone, but missed when the Cajun rolled over onto his stomach, frowning at his partner who glared at him.

"Non, it is he. Yes. What? For dat price? Are you insane? De Gambit would never accept such a meager pay! He is an international thief, not de Dollar Tree Store! Only people he personally likes gets discounts, cher, not de other way 'round." Remy argued into the phone. Logan knew if the thief got a client, it was imperative for him to answer the phone no matter what he was doing. Unless he was fighting for his life, Remy always answered. Even when he was busy. Being ignored, however, was not on Logan's agenda. Shifting up, he got further on top of the Cajun and leaned down to bite the side of his neck to get his attention.

"NON! You fool! De Gambit is not goin' t'… Aahhh…. What? Yes, I ahhh… Aahhhh… No, no, he is listenin'. Really? Well then we… Mmmm… Yes, we have a deal den, cher. See you later." Remy bit out before hastily hanging up the phone. He tossed it onto the side table and turned to glare at the feral man who had made it his personal mission to either eat him alive. Or maybe just happened to enjoy chewing on his shoulder.

"Mon glutton, you are so much trouble! Remy is doin' business and you distract him? Shame on you, cher, you've made him angry now." Remy scolded him even as he turned towards his partner to continue their earlier activities. Logan chuckled at this and reached down to undo the zipper of Remy's pants. Dragging his nails like claws down the outside of other man's thigh, he ground his hips against his mate's. Both men were beginning to pant, breaking out in a sweat in their already stinking clothes. This did not pose a problem, however, as they swiftly shed the garments in their haste to rub bare skin against bare skin.

Logan let out a groan and buried his face in Remy's hair, inhaling his scent almost desperately. This, he thought, he could never get tired of. Even as they began to make love, Logan wondered why he bothered to question the future when he was always focused on the present. He doubted he would ever live a life in the suburbs working a white collar job. Imagining such a life, especially with Remy had him chuckling during intercourse. This caused the Cajun to hit him upside the head and tell him to pay attention to what he was doing. Which didn't help much...

Afterwards, they lay sprawled across the bed, side by side, staring up the ceiling as they basked in the afterglow. Logan closed his eyes, contentedly listening to the beating of Remy's heart. Beside him the younger man shifted, nuzzling closer to him. After a while, Logan cracked an eye open to check on his partner. Remy was staring at his ring finger again with a puzzled expression on his face. As if trying to call into existence an object only he was aware of.

"You know I'm starting to think you're going insane when you do that." Logan stated simply. To his amusement, the younger man jumped and turned to glare at him. Soon though, Remy's eyes sparked playfully as his partner focused back on his hand.

"Mon glutton, Remy is thinkin'. He thought you had drifted off t' sleep again." Remy replied, dropping his hand to pet Logan's temple. The feral man found it soothing, closing his eyes again as he enjoyed the touch. After another minute he opened his eyes again, pushing himself up by his elbows to stare down at his partner.

"Hey, Rims, what do you think happened to Loki?" Logan asked. He saw Remy's eyes flicker at the name, but the thief sighed and shook his head.

"How should Remy know? For all he knows, Loki is plottin' his next step in either claimin' Earth as his new kingdom, defeatin' Thor, or takin' his vengeance out on the Avengers. Probably all t'ree. He becomes bored very easily." Remy said as an afterthought with a roll his eyes. Logan frowned at this new information, considering it. This time he became serious, leaning on his side as he stared down at his lover.

"Think he still considers you a friend? I don't remember much, but I know-"

"Logan, enough! Why do you ask dis after we just got done makin' love? You be ruinin' the mood, mon glutton. Be quiet." Remy snapped, suddenly irritable as he rose from the bed and shoved back the covers. Logan frowned as the younger man disappeared into the bathroom to clean up. Though he was annoyed by it, Logan found he really had no right to be angry with his lover. In a way Remy was right. Why should he be asking such things after having sex? In truth, the reason he asked was because he worried he would lose his partner to Loki.

I am better suited to him then you are. I am not a mindless beast seeking peace.

The memory of the whispered words even now made Logan bristle, a snarl building up in his throat. Dammit. If the demi-god thought he could simply take Remy without any resistance he was dead wrong. He would tear the SOB to pieces and then some to make sure his Cajun remained by his side. Rising from the bed, Logan entered the bathroom as well not bothering to announce his presence as he slipped into the shower with Remy.

Remy glanced at him, surprise apparent on his face when he saw his lover pull back the shower curtain and step in. He had been in the process of rinsing his long hair of soap suds so his hair hung in sleek wet locks down his back. Logan couldn't help the grin that came to his face when Remy glared at him, clearly still angry about his earlier questioning.

"What? I'm saving water. Preventing global warming and all that shit."

"Logan, you are absolutely infuriatin'. D'you know dat? You cause Remy so much grief it is not even funny anymore."

"Really? You once told me you thought it was cute."

"Non, den Remy learned what an unsatisfied libido you had an' all he could t'ink he was what he had been drinkin' at the time. Or perhaps you somehow used mind control t' make him like you." Remy accused him, though he made no move to force the older man out.

In truth, Remy was not angry with his partner. Rather, he had been startled Logan had noticed him inspecting his hand where the enchanted ring had been slipped on by Loki. After which, he had not heard from the demi-god at all. He had even begun to suspect that perhaps he was being used as a spy on the inside by the villain as Logan had first suggested. Still, whenever he thought of Loki, it evoked emotions in him he did not want to consider. Now and again, Remy dreamed of the demi-god. Of speaking with him over a glass of wine or walking through the forest with him in silence. They had done that often. Enjoying each other's company until Loki started talking rambling on about Asgard. Remy would tease the demi-god for liking to hear himself talk which Loki would vehemently deny before falling into a sullen silence. Only to repeat the process again when he couldn't bear to hear the crunch of their footsteps in the snow any longer.

It all seemed like a life time ago... And Remy had to wonder when the next chapter of their lives would begin.