Disclaimer: I don't own X-men. Sadly.
A/N: Hello there! This is my first oneshot using Rogue and Gambit. I love those two together and I hope I did them justice. I realize that neither has much of an accent. I tried to get one for Remy, but it didn't really work. So forget that, if you want. Well, let me know what you think!
Love's Gambit.
The streets were wet with rain and the night was clear and cool. Above her, the stars twinkled and the great moon had risen, shining brightly.
She was alone.
Rogue, Marie now, kept quiet. She felt afraid, like the first time she had run away. Things were different now, of course. She was not running away from her powers,(which had returned to her several months after she received the cure), this time she was running away from love.
John, a previous lover, had been too angry and vicious for her so she had left him. And Bobby had made his choice. He had decided to continue dating Kitty, though he still claimed to care about her. And Peter, the only one she could touch, had been too preoccupied with his sister, who was slowly dying.
She had been caught between fire, ice and metal.
The only thing she could do was the thing she was best at:
Running away from her problems.
Before she had left, she had said goodbye to those few that she loved. Even now, she could remember it all, right from the first moment.
&.&.&.&.&.&.
She slid out of bed, her bare feet padding on the cold floor. She was ready. She knew this was what she had to do.
Grabbing her pack and her cloak, she dressed herself in the dark and left the room. Into the hall she went, jogging slightly.
This was the only thing she could do. She had to save her heart, the one that was breaking more and more everyday. Seeing Bobby, the one that she loved most, with Kitty made her feel so broken and so alone.
She couldn't stand another day. It would kill her.
She had considered leaving without telling anyone, but she knew it was impossible. Professor Xavier, now alive but in a different body, would never allow it. He knew.
And he was expecting her.
She rushed up a couple of flights of stairs and through a couple of hallways to reach his office. With a small breath of preparation, she opened the door.
He was waiting there, like she knew he would. That fatherly, comforting and sad smile on his face told her everything. He sat in his wheelchair, the one he no longer needed, behind his table. His fingers were steepled.
"Ah, Marie, come sit down," He motioned to her seat.
"Hey," She greeted in her slight accent. She sat, hardly looking him in the eye. "Why are you in your wheelchair?" she asked. He never used it anymore, though he had kept it around as a keepsake.
His eyes searched her. "I think you know."
She knew. She had always pictured him as the older man in the wheelchair with a wonderful smile. He was like a father, and a grandfather, to her. He was the one she could always come to.
They shared a unique bond. Rogue was never good at trusting, but she had trusted Xavier from the moment she met him. Perhaps it was because of his calming presence or how kind and willing to listen he was.
But she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, it was because he understood.
He'd been through the same things she had. He knew what it was like to live a life in fear of your power, in fear of hurting the ones you loved.
"Does he know yet?"
Xavier smiled fondly. "Oh yes, he knows. It took all of my strength to convince him not to come and angrily talk you out of it."
Marie smiled the same smile. Oh Logan. That stubborn lug. Next to Xavier and Kurt, he was one of her favorite people there. He had taken a protective, older brother role in her life and she loved him for that.
"In fact," the professor continued. "He's decided to ignore my wishes. He's coming down the hallway now. In three," she could hear his cowboy boots clicking loudly down the hall. "Two, one."
Logan, dressed in his boots, a shirt and leather jacket and tight jeans, burst through the doors. "Kid, you can't leave!" he told her, his hair seeming pointer than usual.
"Hello Logan," Xavier welcomed him calmly, as though this was all planned. "I see you've come to see her off."
"No, I've come to tell her how moronic she's being!" he stamped his foot as she stared up at him with her dark eyes. "And if she doesn't change her mind, I'm going with her."
Rogue stood now. "No! I have to go alone."
"And why is that?" he crossed his arms. "You're just running away from him, not me. Besides, he really hurt you. You should tell him."
She crossed her arms and scowled at him. "Listen to you, Logan. Do you actually believe in any of that?"
He paused. "For me? No…But I do for you. At least you deserve to be happy…" He mumbled.
"I agree with Logan."
"'Bout time," he muttered.
Xavier ignored him. "The best thing, here, is to face your problems. Not run from them," His eyes fell on her. "But, because I care about you, I respect your decision."
She turned away, staring at the wall. "Good. At least someone does." The tears were coming now, but she didn't want to let Logan see them.
It's alright to cry, you know, the professor entered her mind gently.
Not in front of him. He never cries.
His chuckle echoed quietly. You'd be surprised. Logan can cry sometimes too.
But he doesn't, she murmured bitterly.
You just never see it.
A figure teleported in the room. In an instant, Rogue's heart jumped and then slumped to the ground. Kurt was here. She was glad. She loved him very much.
But she knew that her half-brother's presence would only make saying goodbye so much harder. And he might not understand her reason for leaving.
"Marie!" he went over to her, his tail swishing quietly. He crouched down and cocked his head to the side. "You are…leaving?"
She nodded. "For a little while," She stared down at him with a bit of sadness in her tone.
"You'll take care?" he asked.
"Yes. Always."
&.&.&.&.&.&.
She sighed, as the memories flooded back to her, the tears coming with them. It had only been a few days ago, though she was losing count.
She remembered the tearful goodbyes well; even Logan shed a tear, though just one. She promised to return, when things were better.
But for now, she was on her own.
"'Ello little miss. Lost?" she jumped, hearing the cool, rough voice behind her.
She turned slowly to see a man leaning up against the wall, grinning lopsidedly at her. He was handsome, with a messy fluff of brown hair on his head and stubble on his chin. But his eyes…Oh his eyes.
They were crimson. Frightening, dangerous but alluring.
"N-no. I'm not."
His grin widened a little. "It seems to Remy that you are. And these streets are dangerous for a young, pretty girl like you," he winked.
She didn't trust him. She couldn't; it was too risky. "I…I'll be fine. Thanks."
He was behind her now, twirling a long, metal stick around his fingers, behind his back and passing it from hand to hand with skill. "Remy knows you will," she froze. Did he know? "Remy knows a special person when he sees one."
His words struck her as ironic. They could be romantic and sweet, if they hadn't had been sinking in a pool of treacherous secrets.
"Don't worry. You have friends here. Remy can help you," he paced ahead of her. "But, I can see that you're fine on your own. If you…ever change your mind though," he searched in the deep pockets of his russet coat, biting his lip slightly as he did so. "Here's my card," he held out a card with his pointer and middle finger.
She took it. It was an ordinary playing card- the queen of diamonds, in fact.
He walked ahead of her, attempting to leave her there. As she looked around, she realized how much darker and more dodgy everything seemed. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a little protection. And she could get away if she needed to; her power could buy her some time.
Resituating her pack, she cried out. "Wait!" she ran after him, her breath freezing into the cold air. "Wait…" she breathed quietly.
He smirked. "Change your mind?"
"For now."
He nodded, his smile fading. "For now," he said solemnly, as if he knew how she felt. "This way," he pointed, leading her through the wet streets.
Did you enjoy it? I certainly hope so. Review and let me know what you think!