Author's Note: This story takes place after the X-Men return from the Shi'ar Empire way back when Joseph was still with the team. It is a sequel to another of my stories, "Dear Valentine." It should be comprehensible even if you haven't read "Dear Valentine," but I suggest you do anyway. Please note that in this story, Uncanny #350 never happened.
Also, I apologize once again for my terrible attempt to replicate a Cajun accent. I ask that you humor me.
Warning: This story is rated PG-13 for some slightly adult content.
The Right Time
(starring Rogue and Gambit)
By Corina "Mako" Borsuk
The last few weeks had been the most exhilarating and memorable in Rogue's entire life. Ever since she kissed Remy on Valentine's night, the two of them had been nearly inseparable. Remy had taken her out for several romantic dinners and had been romancing her non-stop. Of course, they still had to be careful. The device Joseph had created to shield people from her powers couldn't be used all the time and she couldn't actually carry it around with her. Still, she and Remy had managed to get a few hours use out of it every night. Rogue's skin still tingled every time she thought about his warm body next to hers, his arm wrapped protectively around her waste and his warm inviting lips meeting hers. Just being held in his strong arms always filled her with such a feeling of love and warmth, but she wanted more.
Before all this happened, before Joseph's wonderful Christmas gift, Rogue had never thought she would ever be able to kiss a man, let alone anything else. Now, though, she could do anything she wanted, everything a normal person could do and she wanted to do everything. The problem was she didn't know how to go about it. She knew she wanted to have sex with Remy. She fantasized about his naked body pressed against hers as they explored each other completely, imagined him caressing her, burring his face between her breasts and penetrating her. She wondered what it would feel like. Would it hurt or would it give her pleasure beyond anything she had ever felt before, like in all the romance novels she read?
And that was part of where the problem came in. Since Rogue had fully
expected to spend her life without knowing the touch of a man, she never
really gave much thought to what sex was really all about. Of course, she
knew the basics and all the technical, scientific terms and
definitions and she had read all the tales of lust and unbridled passion
that pervaded romance novels, but she suspected the truth lay somewhere
in between. Rogue had no doubt that Remy had slept with many women and
she didn't want to disappoint him by being naive or clumsy when the time
came. What she needed, she decided, was to talk to someone who knew about
sex and could answer her questions, but who would also understand her feelings.
The question than was, who to talk to. The guys of course were out of the question. Betsy was very worldly and she was quite sure that she and Warren were sleeping together, but Betsy could be a little cold sometimes and she had problems of her own. Kitty, from everything she heard, was likely having sex with Pete Wisdom and she was open and friendly enough. The problem there was distance. This was not a conversation she wanted to have over the phone. Rogue considered talking to Storm, but she had no idea if Ororo had ever even had sex and felt it would be embarrassing to ask. Domino and the rest of X-Force were out of the question since she didn't know them that well and felt a little awkward about having such an intimate conversation with people who were a little less than friends.
That left Jean. At least with her, Rogue could be certain that she was having sex with Scott. Even if they hadn't before, all though she wondered about that, the two surely were now that they were married. Jean was also open and honest and Rogue knew she could be counted on to treat the issue sensitively and with discretion. Jean it would be. Now that the who was resolved, all Rogue needed to do was get up the courage to confess her fears.
**********
Rogue walked into the rec room of the mansion and saw Jean playing a game of Scrabble with Ororo and Sam. Taking a deep breath, Rogue approached the group, determined to talk to the red-headed telepath.
"Hi ya'all, I was wonderin' if Ah could interrupt your game and steal a word or two with Jean, if ya don't mind a' course."
"Actually Rogue, I don't think you're really interrupting much. We're just about out of letters and I doubt anyone can catch-up to Ororo anyway."
"May I remind you that both of you agreed we could use foreign words. It is not my fault that many African words have high point values."
Smiling at Rogue, Jean said, "Well, since I seem to have other engagements," and she gestured toward Rogue, "I'll leave the two of you to clean up." Then, following Rogue, Jean walked out of the room smiling as she heard Sam trying to convince Ororo that he should claim all of Jean's words. Jean continued to follow behind Rogue silently until the two had walked a good distance away from the mansion. Finally Rogue stopped and turning toward Jean, opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again saying, "Ah . . . Ah have this problem. Uh, see, uhmmmm . . . ahhh hell! I want ta have sex with Remy."
"Well, I don't see a problem with that anymore, unless of course Mr. Lebeau is slightly unwilling," Jean whispered conspiratorially to Rogue. "Seriously though," she continued "I think it's about time the two of you explored all the physical pleasures of your relationship. If you're sure that's what you both want."
Encouraged by Jean's openness, Rogue opened up and all her doubts and fears came pouring out. "Ah know Ah want to be with Remy, ah mean really be with him in every sense of the word, but ah'm worried. Remy hasn't actually said so, but Ah'm sure he's had sex with quite a few women and Ah'm afraid that, well . . ." Rogue hesitated, unsure how to continue, but fortunately she didn't have to. Laying a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, Jean continued for her.
"You're worried that you won't know how to satisfy him. That when the time finally comes he won't want you. But most of all, you're afraid that he'll compare you to the women he's slept with before."
"How did ya know what Ah was thinkin'? Did ya read mah mind?"
"I didn't need to. I felt the same way, had the same fears the first time I slept with Scott."
"But ya'all were married and Scott hadn't been with anyone else before, well except Maddie." There was an odd, silent pause for a moment as Rogue turned red with embarrassment. It was an unspoken agreement among the X-Men that Maddie would be mentioned as little as possible around Scott and Jean, and she had just violated it. "Oh, Ah'm so sorry Jean. Ah shouldn't have mentioned her."
"It's alright. I don't mind so much anymore. But you must admit that I have some idea how you feel. At least you've never met the women you think you're competing with. I was competing with my clone. It was like competing with myself. And just so you know, Scott and I were not married the first time we slept together. Now don't look so surprised. Contrary to popular belief around here, Scott and I aren't prudes.
"I was scarred though; terrified actually. After all the waiting, all the problems we struggled through to get to that point, I was afraid that it wouldn't meet his expectations, or mine. Not to mention that I was a virgin. I didn't know what to expect, or how to act and I was so afraid that Scott would be disappointed or a dozen other things that could go wrong. In the end though, all that mattered was that I love Scott, he loves me and we both wanted to move our relationship to the next level and we were ready for the consequences.
"But you should also be sure that you're doing this for yourself. Having sex shouldn't just be about pleasing Gambit. It should be about pleasing both of you, physically and romantically. Remember that Rogue. Remember that in this equation, it's just as important to do what's right for you as it is to do what's right for him. In fact, it may be more important."
"Ah'll remember Jean and thanks for sharin' with me. I feel a lot better knowing that ah'm not the only one ta ever feel this way. Ah mean, it's bad enough feelin' like this, but it was worse when Ah thought Ah was all alone."
"You should never feel alone Rogue. I and everyone else will always be here whenever you need us." With a twinkle in her eye she added, "And don't forget that I'm always available to hear all the juicy details."
**********
Remy took another quick look around the family room to make sure no one else was around before resolving to talk to Joseph. He'd decided a few days ago that he and Joseph needed to have a little man to man conversation and clear the air. Rogue had explained to him not long after Valentine's Day what, or more accurately who, had made that kiss possible. Remy was smart enough to figure out Joseph hadn't intended Rogue to use the machine to get closer to him. He also had to admit that he liked Joseph. The two of them worked well together and they shared something unique. Something they also shared with Rogue; a past they weren't proud of and wanted to leave behind.
So far, Rogue was the only member of the team to learn the truth of Remy's ugly past. Oh sure, they all knew he had been a thief, about Belladonna and the guilds, but that was nothing compared to what had come after. Although he didn't like to admit it, he knew deep in his soul that someday they would find out. Not from Rogue. She swore to him she wouldn't tell another living soul and he trusted her. But in a house full of telepaths and sophisticated computers, not to mention plenty of outside contacts, it would be impossible to keep such a secret forever.
Rogue knew the truth and even though it had driven them apart for a time, she had accepted him, loved him anyway. For Remy, that was a precious gift. Few of his former friends and associates had been as forgiving or accepting when they learned the truth. Remy suspected a good deal of Rogue's understanding came from being in a similar situation herself. Before joining the X-Men, Rogue was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants led by her foster mother Mystique. As part of that group, Rogue had fought against the Avengers and permanently stolen Ms. Marvel's abilities and memories. The trauma of what she'd done had almost driven Rogue mad. Since then, she had made a name for herself as a hero, atoning for that mistake.
So Rogue understood about ugly pasts and redemption. Joseph too would understand, or so he hoped. After all, before Joseph was Joseph, he was Magneto, one of the most wanted criminals in all of humanity. He had committed atrocities of which Hitler would be awed. He may not remember every detail, but Joseph knew he had committed horrible wrongs in the past and wanted to atone for them.
Of all the X-Men, he knew of only three people who might stand by him if his secret were revealed; Rogue, Joseph and Storm. He'd already learned the proof of Rogue's faith and love. Stormy he knew well enough to be assured she would condemn him at first, but their friendship would win out in the end. Joseph was another matter. If Remy didn't do something, Joseph's feelings for Rogue might come between any friendship the two could ever have.
**********
Screwing up his courage, Remy approached the man who was both his rival and, he hoped, his friend. "Joseph, mon ami, we need to talk."
"Do we Gambit? I do not believe there is anything to talk about." Joseph's tone left little room for disagreement, but then Remy never was one for taking hints.
"Yes, 'dere is. Least ways, I got somethin' I need to say to you. First off, I need to thank you for what you did for Rogue. And for what you did for me. I ain't stupid. I know exactly what you were hopin' for when you gave Rogue da gift of touch, same thing I been hopin' for since I met her. 'Cept you were the one who made it possible. For dat I'll always be grateful and I know she will too. Dat ain't da real reason I wanted to talk wit' you though."
"Then what? Do you intend to rub my nose in the fact that she chose you over me? Is that what this is all about, you wanting to flaunt your prize?" Joseph was, he believed, justified in his less than civil attitude towards Gambit. The Cajun had stolen Rogue away from him. Yet, there was a small voice inside him that insisted even a thief couldn't steal something from a man if he never truly had it to begin with.
"Ain't flauntin' nothin'. But you right, Rogue is a prize, a prize I don' deserve. Actually, she's a treasure and we both know it. But, like I said, dat ain't why I'm here. I'm here to ask you to try to forgive and forget. I like you Joseph and I consider you a friend, one of da few I've got. I'm just wonderin' if you feel the same."
"And why should I want to be your friend? You are a thief and scoundrel, not worthy of friendship," Joseph snapped, finally having a chance to vent his anger at losing Rogue.
"You don' really believe dat, do you? I don' think so. If you did, you wouldn't believe you were worthy of a second chance, non? Den again, maybe you don' think you are. See, dat's why I think of you as a friend. We both know what it's like to be lookin' for redemption. We both tryin' to run away from our pasts and make a new life. Dat's one of the reasons we both attracted to Rogue. She's beautiful, passionate, and strong, make no mistake. But she's also everything we wish we were. Rogue be da shinin' example dat we both be strivin' for. She's my angle and I know she be yours.
"What I be tryin' to say is dat just 'cause she loves me, don' mean she not still your friend. Don' mean I'm not still your friend neither. I'm askin' you to be a better man than I would 'ave been. I don' want to lose your friendship, so I'm askin' you to try to understand. Rogue made her choice. Lord knows why she chose me, but she did. Dat be her choice. Now I'm askin' you not to punish her or me for dat."
Silence hung in the air as Joseph pondered Gambit's question. Rogue was his friend, he had thought his only friend. Now he perhaps had another. The question was, would he let his disappointment, his bitterness deprive him of this chance. He had a vague feeling that his former self had let bitterness rule his life. Joseph steadfastly refused to repeat the mistakes of his past. He had a new chance at life, he should at least attempt to make the best of it. Still, he could not entirely let go of his feelings for Rogue.
"Although I do not like it, I know it was Rogue's decision. However, let me make one thing very clear. I will not attempt to take her from you, but neither will I stop caring for her."
"Ain't askin' you to homme. I know it ain't possible to stop lovin' dat girl once you start. All I'm askin' is dat you don' hate me."
"I do not hate you," Joseph said hesitantly. "But if you ever bring Rogue any pain, be sure that I will not stand by quietly. I expect you to treat her in the manner she deserves, or you will find more than my hate directed at you. Is that clear?"
"Crystal, mon ami. And I wouldn't expect nothin' less." A smile slowly
spread across Remy's face as he extended his hand to the other man. The
smile became even broader when Joseph extended his own hand. After shaking
on their newfound friendship, Joseph accompanied Remy to the kitchen to
see what was up for dinner.
continued in part 2