Summary: A year has gone by since the events surrounding Apocalypse, and Rogue has just finished high school. After graduation she decides to take a much needed vacation to decompress from her life. So after grad she takes a trip down south, and finds herself in the Big Easy, and bumps into a certain Cajun charmer. Jazz, chocolate and hot summer nights are only the beginning as a romance ensues in a summer to remember.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own any part of Marvel.

Chapter 1: Jazz and Chocolate Cake

Rogue breathed in deep the small of the south. It rang with something in her heart that said home. New Orleans; she hadn't been here in a while, over a year ago, and the last time she had been here was an adventure; though if she admitted to herself, not entirely a bad one.

She wondered around the French Quarter, enjoying the feel of the heat of the summer. That was something she missed a lot back at the mansion, the feel of the lazy summer in the south. Just being here brought up images of lazy evenings on the porch with a pitcher of sweet tea.

She worked her way through the crowd streets. Like any other night in the Big Easy residents and tourists alike were out and about, and the closer to Bourbon st. the more people there was.

Over the years Rogue had gotten really good at avoiding people in crowds. So as she walked through the drunken rabble she kept one side up against the wall of the buildings with her large duffle bag over her other shoulder. For the most part she was fine; still at one point she had to avoid a group of drunken girls as they fell out of a doorway. One girl giggled hysterically as she lay on the ground.

Rogue rolled her eyes and stepped over the drunken girl who was blocking her path. Stupid idiots.

She continued on her way till she came to a familiar little jazz club. She smiled to herself as she walked in, taking in the sights of the quint little place. It hadn't changed much in the last year; save maybe a few new chairs and tables that had been replaced as a result of a fight.

She found an empty booth at the back of the club that had a view of the entire floor; a force of habit that she had picked up from Logan, both the psyche in her head and the man himself.

Not long after she settled in as she was perusing the menu on the table a waitress came over to take her order.

"Can I get you anything Miss?"

"Umm." Rogue glanced at the menu. "Not sure. The kitchen's still open?"

"Oui Miss. The night menu is on the back. Can I get you anything to drink while you decide Miss?"

Rogue looked up at the waitress. "A café aux lait would be great sugar."

The waitress nodded and went off into the crowd to fetch her her drink.

Rogue had her head buried in the menu that the waitress had brought her with her café aux lait, trying to decide what off of the night menu she would have that she didn't notice a particular set of eyes on her.

She was trying to decide between one of the appetizers and a slice of triple chocolate moose cake when someone sat down opposite her at the table.

"Bonjour Chérie."

Her body visibly stiffened when she heard the velvety smoothness of his voice.

She slowly raised her head from the menu, her emerald eyes connecting with a set of eyes she would never forget and that she never thought she would see again. Beautiful rubies on midnight. She looked into the face of a once enemy, a man that had kidnapped her with good intentions and that she had left in the swamp over a year ago.

"Gambit." She quirked a brow at him.

"Please Chère" he placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me. Remy. You know it and I would much love to hear you say it."

She narrowed her eyes at him before leaning back in her chair.

"What are you doing here Swamp Rat?"

He grinned back at her with hooded eyes that made her feel worm and fussy. "Enjoying your radiant beauty Chère."

Rogue gave a rather unladylike snort. "Right."

Gambit just gave a shrug and went on looking at her.

Rogue took a long sip of her café before turning back to him. "Really, what are you doing here? Or better yet how did you know I was here?"

He leaned against the table and rested his head in his hand. "Un petit Lapin told me he saw a beautiful femme with green eyes like emeralds and a white streak of hair step off the train into the Big Easy."

Yet again Rogue raised a brow to him. "A rabbit told you?" Okay he seems to finally have lost it.

He gave a small chuckle. "My cousin, Emil Lapin. We all call him Lapin; has way too much energy that boy. Always running all over the place…"

"Like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland." She finished for him as the reference sank in. She chuckled along with him before she felt self-conscientious about being with him.

The waitress returned, this time with more spring in her step.

"Bonjour Remy" she said, her tone was now thick and sultry. She placed a glass tumbler with bourbon down on the table in front of him.

"Merci Danielle." Remy returned shooting the waitress a smile, to which Rogue rolled her eyes; the waitress didn't seem to notice this as she was blatantly flirting.

Gambit seemed to notice Rogue's tension and decided to smooth things over.

"Danielle, do me a favor. Can you bring my friend a slice of Jacque's famous chocolate moose cake with extra chocolate syrup, as well as a raspberry lemon drop."

The waitress nodded to the order Gambit had placed. "And for you Remy?" she asked sweetly.

He paused a moment before deciding. "Actually Danielle make it a large slice avec deux fourchettes." He said holding up two fingers.

The waitress looked between the two of them before nodding and going off to fetch said chocolate cake.

Rogue watched as the waitress gave a pout as she went off.

"Looks like you made her sad Swamp Rat." She pointed out. "Old girlfriend?"

Gambit just shrugged. "We went out a few years ago." He took a sip from his glass of bourbon.

Rogue quirked a brow. "Yeah. Okay." She went back to nursing her café.

"You don't seem surprised Chère."

Rogue looked at him. "Not really. Still have you rattling around in my head."

He grinned. "Keeping you company Chère?"

"Hardly" she said leaning back in her chair. "Your psyche is such a pain."

"Really?" he said leaning back in his own chair. "Don't believe you."

She looked at him and then looked away. His psyche was a pain; most of the times. Other times, he was there for her.

The voices in her head could get rather boisterous at times; so much so that it was debilitating at times. But since the last time she had absorbed Remy things weren't as bad. When she had headaches due to the psyches, his seemed to quite the others and to sooth her. He was comforting; when his psyche wasn't being a pain that is.

"Nope." She said looking back at him. "Just a pain."

Rogue was saved from a retort from him as the waitress returned with a thick cut of chocolate moose cake.

To say that it was a slice of cake was doing it an injustice; it was art. The thick slice of heaven was topped with a healthy amount of chocolate shavings and fresh raspberries. Chocolate syrup was also drizzled over the cake and artfully designed on the plate. Rogue's mouth was watering just looking at the chocolate confectionary.

Gambit picked up one of the forks and cut a small piece away, and proceeded to lean forward and presented her with the bite.

Rogue looked at him, the fork, and then back at him before quirking a brow. "Really?"

He smiled and ate the morsel from the fork he had presented.

"Was worth a shot."

She shook her head before proceeding to taking a bite of the cake before her. Immediately after placing the morsel in her mouth she let a moan of pleasure escape as the richness of the chocolate cake hit her senses. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in the flavors she tasted.

"C'est bonne, non?"

She opened her eyes to find him watching her. His gaze was intense, and sent little shocks through her system. A small predatory smile graced his lips.

She smiled shyly back at him. "Yes it is. Some of the best I've ever had."

"Bon."

They continued to share the slice of cake till there was nothing but a single morsel left.

Gambit speared the bite and once again held it out to Rogue.

"No I can't." she said holding her stomach.

He looked at her and grinned. "Really?"

She looked once again at the bite of cake before leaning over the table to take the fork in her mouth.

Like every other piece before it was heaven.

She sat back in her seat and looked at him across the table.

"Now that was hot." He said giving her a predatory look.

"Oh please. Bite me Swam Rat." She said rolling her eyes.

"Maybe later Chère." He said standing up.

Rogue rolled her eyes. This was nothing new for her. Well, new in the sense that it was Gambit himself making the comments, she had come to expect it from the voice in her head.

He came over to her and held out a hand. "Care for a dance Chère?"

She looked up at him. "Are you serious?" she asked quite surprised.

"Bien sur, why not?"

"Umm… For one thing, what the hell am I supposed to do with my stuff?" she said pointing to her duffle bag.

"We'll have Danielle put it in coat check with my coat. No one will bother it."

"And what of my other problem?" she said dryly.

"Don't see any problem."

"My powers idiot." She pointed out.

He looked down at her and fully took in what she was wearing.

"Different look Chère?" He let his eyes travel the length of her body; from her green tank top and opera glove clad arms to her daisy dukes, stockings, and boots. He could also make out the straps of a garter belt peeking out. He let his mind wander over that for a moment before turning a smile at her.

"It's summer Swamp Rat. In the south. Even I have to make some concessions so that I don't die of heat stroke."

"Still don't see a problem." He said as he pulled her up.

He might have heard her mutter something about 'death wish' as they made their way to the slightly crowded dance floor.

As he passed Danielle he asked her to take care of his and Rogue's things.

Once on the dance floor the band began to play a slow number of smooth cool jazz, Rogue recognized it as "The Moment" by Kenny G. He placed her hand on his shoulder before taking her other hand in his and placing his other hand on the small of her back. Her whole body stiffened as she became aware at how close they were.

"Shhh" he whispered in her ear. "Relax Chère. Nothings going to happen."

And she did. Maybe it had to do with how tired she was or the fact that he was holding her tenderly, but she did relax.

They swayed there on the floor, doing that common slow dance that everyone instinctively knew how to do.

Rogue eventually rested her head on his shoulder, her head facing away from him so as not to make skin contact. She was able to hear a chuckle run through his chest.

"Comfortable Chère?" he chuckled.

"Shut it Swamp Rat. I'm tired."

He said nothing else and continued to dance, resting his chin on her head, breathing in the floral sent of her shampoo.

"Your hair's gotten longer."

"Yeah" she replied. "Had a few run ins with Sabertooth. Damn hair kept growing out. Got tired of having to cut it between absorbing him and Logan whenever he healed me."

"Looks good on you."

"Thanks."

They swayed till the song finished, not really saying anything else.

"Want to get out of here Chère?" he asked as they made their way back to their table.

"Yeah, sure."

Remy left enough money on the table to cover the bill and a healthy tip before they retrieved their things from the coat check.

Rogue took a deep breath of air as they walked out back onto Bourbon st., Gambit lighting up a cigarette as they went along.

"Listen Gambit. It's been a long day."

He looked at his watch. "Il n'est même pas minuit!"

"I've spent the last thirty hours on a train, I'm just going to head in for the night."

He quirked a brow. "The train?"

Rogue sighed and gave a small smile. "Call it nostalgia."

He grinned but didn't push it. "Got a place to stay Chère?"

"I'm probably going to see if there are any rooms open over at Olivier's on Toulouse." She said as she adjusted the shoulder strap of her duffle bag.

"Quoi?" he said looking at her. "Non. Can't let you do that Chère. What kind of gentlemen would I be if I let you do that?"

"Gentleman?"

"Oui." He said with a smile.

She just proceeded to stare at him.

"Bien, consider it a sort of payback for bringing you to New Orleans last time."

She looked at him for a moment.

"This way you wont have to share a room with a bunch of people you don't know."

"No, instead it'll be just you." She said pointing a finger at him.

He just gave her a rakish smile.

She gave a sigh, weighing her options. I'm probably going to regret this. "You promise no funny business Swamp Rat?"

He gave her a huge smile and proceeded to take her duffle bag and shoulder it.

"Won't do anything to make you want to kill me." He replied. "Good enough?"

She gave a big sigh. "Probably the best I'm going to get."

Author's Notes:
French Translation

Bonjour – Hello

Chérie, Chère – Deary, Dear

Un petit Lapin – A little rabbit

Merci – Thanks, Thank you

avec deux fourchettes – with two forks

C'est bonne, non? – It's good isn't it?

Bien sur – Of course

Il n'est même pas minuit! – It's not even midnight!

Quoi? – What?

Non – No

Oui – Yes

Bein - Well (French colloquialisms that is pronounced in this context as bien)