Disclaimer: I don't own the x-men. I make no money from these stories. I get paid in reviews so pony up, bub! :)
Hey, this fic is my first attempt at slash so please be kind! It is inspired by the COLD series by V.Hayrabedian. I just like the idea of someone comforting Remy. He's so deliciously pathetic now that he's back from the deep freeze and Rogue is giving him the cold shoulder! Somebody's gotta warm him up, Scott, Bobby, or even... Logan. :) Yummy. Luv it! PS- can someone tell me a bit more about Gambit's charm power? I have read a bit about it in other fics and this is where I base my knowledge that it does indeed exist. If someone could tell me more, I'd appreciate it. thanx.
A Little Tenderness
These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage.
We all need a little tenderness,
How can Love survive
In such a graceless age?
Don. Henly
Remy sat alone by the lake which reflected a man he hardly recognized as himself. Gone was the
sharp, attractive Gambit of old. In his place was a gaunt, too-thin apparition that stared back at him with
hollow, haunted eyes. The old, Devil-may-care attitude, the nonchalant charm, the mocking smile had all
deserted him and left him as he was now. Empty. Helpless to fight off the black depression that threatened
to swallow him whole. He felt as though he were sliding slowly into a dark well with slick, glass sides. If
only someone would throw him a lifeline.... But who would care to do that, he reflected. Ever since
Antarctica.... he shivered, trying to push the pain and shame and guilt from his mind. But the feelings
had worked their way to the bone, as surely as the subzero temperatures had. Never.... he could never
forget.
Suddenly a dark shape loomed behind him and he saw Logan reflected in the lake beside his
own pallid form
"Hey, Gumbo" said the rough voice. "What ya doin' sittin' here all alone like this? We were gettin'
kinda worried; nobody'd seen ya in hours." Then, seeing the look on Remy's face, he continued in a softer
tone, "You Ok, kid? Ya seem a little down."
Remy was torn between irritation at the interuption of his private reflections and relief for the
distraction from the dark thoughts that clouded his mind. He said sharply,
"No, Logan. Remy is not Ok. Very far from Ok. Y' want ta leave him alone now?"
"Not really." said Logan, unfazed by Remy's outburst. He sat beside the Cajun and eyed him
complacently, but with a concern he couldn't quite hide. "So, ya want ta talk about it?" he asked again.
Remy was surprised. He had never thought of Logan as the concerned and caring type. And
yet, he reflected, why not? He had seen the way Logan acted with Jubilee, cradling her in his arms and
soothing away her fears and sorrows. Remy had often wished he had someone to comfort him in that way,
someone to hold him... The thought made him angry. There was no point in wishing for Logan to hold him
in his strong, muscular arms! It would never happen in a million years. Why, Logan would probably kill
him if he even had an inkling of Remy's thoughts and desires. And now, he was asking Remy if he wanted
to *talk* about it! The thought made Remy so angry, he snarled at Logan,
"You want to play confessor, chere, and hear all Remy's sins? Well there's too many ta count. You
aint got time for a full confession, I t'ink."
"Nope." said Logan, refusing to get angry in return. "I thought ya might want ta talk about what's
goin' on with you right now, Remy. Ever since ya gat back from the deep freeze, ya been all gloom an' doom.
Nobody's had much luck gettin' ya ta spill yer guts so I thought I'd give it a try." He grinned briefly. "So
ya want ta talk about it?" He asked yet again.
To Remy's surprise, he found he *did* want to talk about it- al of it. He looked at Logan to make
sure the other man was sincear. Deep, expressive eyes stared back into his, unblinking. Apparently. Logan
was for real.
"I guess I would like ta talk about it, Mon ami. But Remy hardly know where ta start. Y' know?"
Logan nodded but said nothing. Remy took a deep breath and tried again.
"It's just dat when Remy was all alone in dat dark, cold place, I think I'm gonna die, non? It made
me t'ink about my life here at de mansion. Closest t'ing I got to a home and a family. But even here, I still
feel out of place. Unwanted, unloved and hungry... so hungry."
"Hungry? For what, Gumbo?"
"F' love, I guess." Remy admitted, dropping his eyes from Logan's too -direct gaze. "Affection,
Mon ami. All my life I search f' it and in dis place I come so close... but not close enough. It's never enough
cause I can never let go."
"Let go?" Logan was confused.
"Let go my shields, my wall of defence, chere." Remy explained. "Y' see, my charm power be too
much f' people t' handle. Makes 'em crazy, non? But until Remy can drop the wall, he can never find love.
Love can't get in, can't get out, y' see?"
Logan frowned. "Guess so. This charm power o' yours is serious buisness, huh? Really affects
people?"
"Oui!" Remy nodded vigorously. "Makes 'em do t'ings dey not even t'ink of useually. When
Remy was younger, 13, 14 and de power first come out, and I not know how t' controll it, how t' wall it in."
"Made life hard for ya, did it?"
"Oui." Remy said, more quietly this time. "Can't tall y' the number of times I was raped, chere. Lost
count m'self." He turned away in shame, wanting to get up and go but Logan's warm, callused hand on his
shoulder stopped him.
"I'm ..... sorry, Remy. I didn't know." he said quietly.
"It's Ok." Gambit said lightly, trying to pass the whole thing off. "After a while, Remy learn to
control it. So de rapes, dey stop. De beatings, de stop to."
"Beatings?" Logan's voice rose a notch. "But you were just a kid, Remy! Who beat you?"
"Men who.... fuck Remy." Gambit said in a low voice. "Men who get to close, get trapped in de
charm power. Remy try t' get away, but he not always fast enough and his other powers not so strong,den.
De men, dey.... take Remy, whether he want to or non. After de passion is spent, dey realize what dey done.
Can't believe it, want t' blame someone. If dey ain't gay, must be Remy seduced dem, non? T'ink it's all his
fault and beat him up." He sighed. "Me, I t'ink it must be my fault too." He added in a lower voice.
"How could it be yer fault?" asked Logan angrily. "You were the victem, Remy, it was no fault o'
yours!"
Remy's face twisted and one slow tear made it's way down his cheek. God, he hated to cry in front
of anyone! "I's my fault cause I liked it sometimes." he admitted. "Not de beatings, never dat. But de Love,
de affection when m' shields were down. Dey weren't all bad men, y' see, Logan. Sometimes dey hold Remy,
stroke his hair, rub his back. Wasn't always rough and painfull. Sometimes..... sometimes it feel good." He
turned away again, expecting the staunchly heterosexual Logan to leave in disgust. It was one thing to
admitt to Logan that he'd been raped, but to tell him that sometimes he'd enjoyed it, enjoyed gay sex... well,
that was something else entirely. He wouldn't be surprised if Logan left now and never talked to him again.
But instead of leaving, Logan reached out to his friend. He had a hard time imagining how it must
have been for Remy. Caught, pinned down and taken against his will, all because his charm power was too
strong for a young, inexperianced mutant to understand or control. He wasn't about to judge a man who'd
had that experiance not once, but many times. To many to count. It made him sad. Gently, He began to rub
Remy's back with one warm palm.
"Ya poor kid." he said softly "It musta been damn confusin'. Somebody tells ya he loves ya one
minuit and he's tryin' ta kill ya th' next."
"Yeah. Used and confused, dat's me." whispered Remy in a broken voice. He lost his silent battle
to hold back the tears and they came pouring down his hot face. He felt like a mess. Suddenly, he felt
Logan's strong arms around him.
"C'mere, kid." said the deep, rough voice in his ear. Logan was drawing him into his lap. Remy
wanted more than anything to let Logan hold him, but he knew he couldn't.
"No!" he cried, fighting weakly. "Can't do dis, Logan!"
"Why not, kid? I know you need comfort and I can smell how desperately ya want it." said Logan
resonably, refusing to let him go. "Just let me hold ya for a while." he added gruffly. "Ya need some human
contact, make ya feel better, kid."
"But Logan, my shields, dey weak because Remy is weak. If dey slip, de charm power take hold
of you..."
"You afraid I'll rape you, Remy? Is that it?" Asked Logan, softly, still hoding the younger man in
his lap and refusing to let him go.
"Non, non, Logan. It's just dat, well, I know you like de femmes... Remy don't want you t' do
somet'ing you regret later." Logan looked thoughtfull.
"It's true, I never... slep with a man, Remy." he said slowly. "But that don't mean I think it's wrong
or didgustin'. Just never had the urge, ya know? But this," he indicated their current situation with a wave
of his hand, "this isn't about sex, Remy. I'm just tryin' ta give ya what ya say yer hungry for. A little
affection, a little tenderness, Because ya look terrible lately, my friend and I want ta help ya any way I can.
And you know and I know this is what ya need, you're starvin' for it, aren't ya?" Worlessly, Remy nodded.
"So just let it go, Remy." His grip on the Cajun tightened a little. "I can control myself, I'm not gonna rape
ya. Just let me hold ya a while, Ok?"
"Ok." Remy said simply. He finally allowed himself to relax against Logan's broad chest and,
tenatively at first, nuzzling his face into Logan's scratchy neck. Logan stroked the flowing, auburn hair
and gently rubbed his friend's back, soothing him with touch and tenderness.
"Let down yer shields, Remy." he whispered roughly. "Let yourself *feel*. It's Ok." Gasping,
Remy did so. Dropping his defenses was like letting go of a heavy weight he hadn't known he was carrying.
He decided he didn't care if Logan raped him. If only he could be held in these strong arms and feel the
tenderness his friend felt for him without any shields between them for a while, he felt that emotional bliss
would be worth any amount of physicall pain later.
Logan continued to stroke Remy's hair, touched by the utter vunerability of the young man in his
arms. He tried to steel himself against the effects fo the charm power but strangely, he wasn't sure if he
*wanted* to. Though he had never been attracted to a man, he had to admitt, there was just something
about Remy. Maybe it was the soft, auburn hair, the beautifully chisseled features, or his long, lanky body.
Logan didn't know what it was but he did know that the thought of , say, kissing Remy didn't repulse him
at all. In fact, he found the thought strangely erotic.
Remy, nestled in Logan's lap, felt the older man's hardness begin to stir against his hip.
"Oh no," he thought, tensing. "Here it comes. Just hope he don't kill me when he's done!"
Logan felt the young thief go tense in his arms and realized what he must be thinking.
"It's Ok, kid." he growled. "Ya don't have ta worry. I can feel yer flamin' charm power and yes,
it turns me on but I'm not gonna hurt ya or rape ya. I can control myself a little better than that."
Gambit felt a sort of relief flood through him at Logan's words. He had been picturing how rough sex with
Logan could get and though he was determined to take the pain, he still hadn't been looking forward to it.
And yet, he was a little dissapointed, too. He realized he'd always been a little attracted to Logan- that
terrible strength, the coarse, dark hair that covered the compact, muscular body. Being raped by Logan
would be painful, but the experiance might almost be worth the pain. Making love, of course would be
infinately better but Remy was pretty sure that wasn't Logan's sexual style. Not that he would ever get a
chance to find out! He sighed.
"You Ok, Remy?" Logan murmured into his hair.
"Tryin' not ta be afraid, chere, just dat Remy's been here before. I wouldn't care what y' did t' me,
Logan." he confessed in a low voice. "Just don't want y' to hate Remy later, non?"
"Wouldn't hate ya no matter what, Remy." Logan said firmly.
"Non? Y' t'ink not? I tell you Remy's been here before, I tell you true, Mon ami. When Remy was
younger, he lose a lot of friends dis way. Let m'self get too comfortable, de shields go down and de charm
leak out.Dat's how I lose m' best friend He tried t' kiss Remy, even though he wasn't gay or bi. Never f'gave
Remy. Never talk t' me again." The incident was years in the past, but Logan could see it still hurt Remy
deeply. More hot tears squeezed out of the beautiful red on black eyes.
"Quiet, kid." he ordered gently, lifting Remy's chin so he could look directly into his face. "That's
the past and this is now. I promise I won't hate ya, no matter what, Ok?" What was it about this young man
that made him feel so tender, so fiercely protective? Almost the same way he felt for Jubilee. As he would
have done for her, Logan bent and gently kissed Remmy's wet cheeks and quivering eyelids. The kisses
were feather-light touches that made Remy sigh with longing.
"What you doing t' Remy, Mon ami?" he whispered, not daring to open his eyes as Logan
continued to kiss his face, so gently.
"Kissin' yer tears away, I guess." Logan replied, gruffly. "Does it bother ya, Remy?"
"Non, Remy likes it." whispered Gambit, wishing it would never stop. He felt his own hardness stir
in response to the gentle kisses.
Logan, ever direct, said, "I kinda feel like I wanta kiss more than yer eyes, Remy, if ya know what
I mean."
Remy sighed. "It's just de charm power, chere." he whispered whistfully. "If Remy put up his
shields, you don't wabt t' kiss him no more, you'll see."
"Oh no?" Logan's voice sounded both tender and amused. "Try me. Put up yer shields and see
what happens, Remy."
"Ok, but please don' hurt Remy when y' find y' been doin' t'ings you don' like." the younger man
begged. Steeling himself for the unplesantness that was sure to follow, he put up a mental shield that
blocked out the charm power in an instant, cutting off it's effects immediately.
They sat silently for a moment, Remy ever expecting to be pushed from Logan's arms and perhaps
even beaten as had happened so many times in the past. In stead, he felt Logan's warm breath on his cheek
and then his firm lips closed gently over Remy's. Remy's eyes flew open in shock, Logan was kissing him!
Without the charm power! He closed his eyes again, savoring the feeling, wanting the moment to last.
He was sure Logan would pull away soon, surely he was just making a point.
But Logan didn't pull away. Instead, he pulled Remy even closer and parted his lips, deepening the
kiss. Remy sighed into Logan's hot mouth as he opened his own lips to Logan's stronger, more insistant
ones. He hadn't been kissed like this, so forcefully, so deliciously, in forever. Tenatively He kissed back
and was rewarded with Logan's warm toungue in his mouth, exploring him roughly and tenderly at once.
Remy reached up with one shaking hand and burried his fingers in Logan's wild black mane. It felt so good
to be held this way in Logan's arms while their mouths locked and Logan sucked gently on his toungue.
The kiss deepened even more and Logan's mouth became rougher, more insistant. Remy shuddered with
desire. He knew himself to be a natural bottom and he was sure Logan was a natural top. He thought of
how it could be- Logan riding him, filling him. He stifled a groan at the thought.
Scenting the young man's desire, Logan reluctantly broke the kiss.
"How's that, Remy?" he asked softly. "You like it?"
"You know I do, chere." Remy whispered, breathlessly, knowing Logan could smell his desire.
"But," he asked, wonderingly, "You don' hate Remy cause you do somet'ing you never want t' do before?"
"What? Hate ya because we kissed?" Logan asked. "Naw, kid, I don't hate ya. It *confuses* me a
little cause I never *wanted* ta kiss another man before. But I wanted ta kiss you and you wanted ta be
kissed, didn't ya?"
"Oui." Remy said simply.
"Then what's tha big deal? Anyway, do ya feel better now, Gumbo?"
Remy knew that the old nick-name ment their special time was over, probably forever. He
straightened up and started to scramble out of Logan's lap. "Sure t'ing, Remy feel lots better." Suddenly
shy, he added, "Want t' thank you f' being there for me, Logan. Means a lot t' me."
But Logan was not quite ready to release him yet. "Anytime, Remy." he said looking deeply into
the beautiful demon eyes. "I'm always here for you, I mean that , Ok?"
"Ok." Remy whispered gratefully. Logan finally let him up at this acknowledgement and he stood
looking silently at the lake for some time. Maybe, he thought with a smile, just maybe, everything would
be Ok. Logan was glad to see the small smile on his friend's face.
"Looks like kissin' agrees with ya." he remarked, standing beside the lanky cajun.
Gambit blushed. "Oui." he murmured softy, casting a sideways glance at Logan.
"Well, we better get back; the others'll think we drownd ourselves in the flamin' lake!" Logan
said, setting off for the mansion. Remy stood for a moment, watching the broad back as his friend departed
thinking how close he had come to doing just that, or something simular until Logan had given him the
greatest gift one friend can give to another- a little tenderness. Then, thoughtfully, he followed Logan home.
Hey, this fic is my first attempt at slash so please be kind! It is inspired by the COLD series by V.Hayrabedian. I just like the idea of someone comforting Remy. He's so deliciously pathetic now that he's back from the deep freeze and Rogue is giving him the cold shoulder! Somebody's gotta warm him up, Scott, Bobby, or even... Logan. :) Yummy. Luv it! PS- can someone tell me a bit more about Gambit's charm power? I have read a bit about it in other fics and this is where I base my knowledge that it does indeed exist. If someone could tell me more, I'd appreciate it. thanx.
A Little Tenderness
These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage.
We all need a little tenderness,
How can Love survive
In such a graceless age?
Don. Henly
Remy sat alone by the lake which reflected a man he hardly recognized as himself. Gone was the
sharp, attractive Gambit of old. In his place was a gaunt, too-thin apparition that stared back at him with
hollow, haunted eyes. The old, Devil-may-care attitude, the nonchalant charm, the mocking smile had all
deserted him and left him as he was now. Empty. Helpless to fight off the black depression that threatened
to swallow him whole. He felt as though he were sliding slowly into a dark well with slick, glass sides. If
only someone would throw him a lifeline.... But who would care to do that, he reflected. Ever since
Antarctica.... he shivered, trying to push the pain and shame and guilt from his mind. But the feelings
had worked their way to the bone, as surely as the subzero temperatures had. Never.... he could never
forget.
Suddenly a dark shape loomed behind him and he saw Logan reflected in the lake beside his
own pallid form
"Hey, Gumbo" said the rough voice. "What ya doin' sittin' here all alone like this? We were gettin'
kinda worried; nobody'd seen ya in hours." Then, seeing the look on Remy's face, he continued in a softer
tone, "You Ok, kid? Ya seem a little down."
Remy was torn between irritation at the interuption of his private reflections and relief for the
distraction from the dark thoughts that clouded his mind. He said sharply,
"No, Logan. Remy is not Ok. Very far from Ok. Y' want ta leave him alone now?"
"Not really." said Logan, unfazed by Remy's outburst. He sat beside the Cajun and eyed him
complacently, but with a concern he couldn't quite hide. "So, ya want ta talk about it?" he asked again.
Remy was surprised. He had never thought of Logan as the concerned and caring type. And
yet, he reflected, why not? He had seen the way Logan acted with Jubilee, cradling her in his arms and
soothing away her fears and sorrows. Remy had often wished he had someone to comfort him in that way,
someone to hold him... The thought made him angry. There was no point in wishing for Logan to hold him
in his strong, muscular arms! It would never happen in a million years. Why, Logan would probably kill
him if he even had an inkling of Remy's thoughts and desires. And now, he was asking Remy if he wanted
to *talk* about it! The thought made Remy so angry, he snarled at Logan,
"You want to play confessor, chere, and hear all Remy's sins? Well there's too many ta count. You
aint got time for a full confession, I t'ink."
"Nope." said Logan, refusing to get angry in return. "I thought ya might want ta talk about what's
goin' on with you right now, Remy. Ever since ya gat back from the deep freeze, ya been all gloom an' doom.
Nobody's had much luck gettin' ya ta spill yer guts so I thought I'd give it a try." He grinned briefly. "So
ya want ta talk about it?" He asked yet again.
To Remy's surprise, he found he *did* want to talk about it- al of it. He looked at Logan to make
sure the other man was sincear. Deep, expressive eyes stared back into his, unblinking. Apparently. Logan
was for real.
"I guess I would like ta talk about it, Mon ami. But Remy hardly know where ta start. Y' know?"
Logan nodded but said nothing. Remy took a deep breath and tried again.
"It's just dat when Remy was all alone in dat dark, cold place, I think I'm gonna die, non? It made
me t'ink about my life here at de mansion. Closest t'ing I got to a home and a family. But even here, I still
feel out of place. Unwanted, unloved and hungry... so hungry."
"Hungry? For what, Gumbo?"
"F' love, I guess." Remy admitted, dropping his eyes from Logan's too -direct gaze. "Affection,
Mon ami. All my life I search f' it and in dis place I come so close... but not close enough. It's never enough
cause I can never let go."
"Let go?" Logan was confused.
"Let go my shields, my wall of defence, chere." Remy explained. "Y' see, my charm power be too
much f' people t' handle. Makes 'em crazy, non? But until Remy can drop the wall, he can never find love.
Love can't get in, can't get out, y' see?"
Logan frowned. "Guess so. This charm power o' yours is serious buisness, huh? Really affects
people?"
"Oui!" Remy nodded vigorously. "Makes 'em do t'ings dey not even t'ink of useually. When
Remy was younger, 13, 14 and de power first come out, and I not know how t' controll it, how t' wall it in."
"Made life hard for ya, did it?"
"Oui." Remy said, more quietly this time. "Can't tall y' the number of times I was raped, chere. Lost
count m'self." He turned away in shame, wanting to get up and go but Logan's warm, callused hand on his
shoulder stopped him.
"I'm ..... sorry, Remy. I didn't know." he said quietly.
"It's Ok." Gambit said lightly, trying to pass the whole thing off. "After a while, Remy learn to
control it. So de rapes, dey stop. De beatings, de stop to."
"Beatings?" Logan's voice rose a notch. "But you were just a kid, Remy! Who beat you?"
"Men who.... fuck Remy." Gambit said in a low voice. "Men who get to close, get trapped in de
charm power. Remy try t' get away, but he not always fast enough and his other powers not so strong,den.
De men, dey.... take Remy, whether he want to or non. After de passion is spent, dey realize what dey done.
Can't believe it, want t' blame someone. If dey ain't gay, must be Remy seduced dem, non? T'ink it's all his
fault and beat him up." He sighed. "Me, I t'ink it must be my fault too." He added in a lower voice.
"How could it be yer fault?" asked Logan angrily. "You were the victem, Remy, it was no fault o'
yours!"
Remy's face twisted and one slow tear made it's way down his cheek. God, he hated to cry in front
of anyone! "I's my fault cause I liked it sometimes." he admitted. "Not de beatings, never dat. But de Love,
de affection when m' shields were down. Dey weren't all bad men, y' see, Logan. Sometimes dey hold Remy,
stroke his hair, rub his back. Wasn't always rough and painfull. Sometimes..... sometimes it feel good." He
turned away again, expecting the staunchly heterosexual Logan to leave in disgust. It was one thing to
admitt to Logan that he'd been raped, but to tell him that sometimes he'd enjoyed it, enjoyed gay sex... well,
that was something else entirely. He wouldn't be surprised if Logan left now and never talked to him again.
But instead of leaving, Logan reached out to his friend. He had a hard time imagining how it must
have been for Remy. Caught, pinned down and taken against his will, all because his charm power was too
strong for a young, inexperianced mutant to understand or control. He wasn't about to judge a man who'd
had that experiance not once, but many times. To many to count. It made him sad. Gently, He began to rub
Remy's back with one warm palm.
"Ya poor kid." he said softly "It musta been damn confusin'. Somebody tells ya he loves ya one
minuit and he's tryin' ta kill ya th' next."
"Yeah. Used and confused, dat's me." whispered Remy in a broken voice. He lost his silent battle
to hold back the tears and they came pouring down his hot face. He felt like a mess. Suddenly, he felt
Logan's strong arms around him.
"C'mere, kid." said the deep, rough voice in his ear. Logan was drawing him into his lap. Remy
wanted more than anything to let Logan hold him, but he knew he couldn't.
"No!" he cried, fighting weakly. "Can't do dis, Logan!"
"Why not, kid? I know you need comfort and I can smell how desperately ya want it." said Logan
resonably, refusing to let him go. "Just let me hold ya for a while." he added gruffly. "Ya need some human
contact, make ya feel better, kid."
"But Logan, my shields, dey weak because Remy is weak. If dey slip, de charm power take hold
of you..."
"You afraid I'll rape you, Remy? Is that it?" Asked Logan, softly, still hoding the younger man in
his lap and refusing to let him go.
"Non, non, Logan. It's just dat, well, I know you like de femmes... Remy don't want you t' do
somet'ing you regret later." Logan looked thoughtfull.
"It's true, I never... slep with a man, Remy." he said slowly. "But that don't mean I think it's wrong
or didgustin'. Just never had the urge, ya know? But this," he indicated their current situation with a wave
of his hand, "this isn't about sex, Remy. I'm just tryin' ta give ya what ya say yer hungry for. A little
affection, a little tenderness, Because ya look terrible lately, my friend and I want ta help ya any way I can.
And you know and I know this is what ya need, you're starvin' for it, aren't ya?" Worlessly, Remy nodded.
"So just let it go, Remy." His grip on the Cajun tightened a little. "I can control myself, I'm not gonna rape
ya. Just let me hold ya a while, Ok?"
"Ok." Remy said simply. He finally allowed himself to relax against Logan's broad chest and,
tenatively at first, nuzzling his face into Logan's scratchy neck. Logan stroked the flowing, auburn hair
and gently rubbed his friend's back, soothing him with touch and tenderness.
"Let down yer shields, Remy." he whispered roughly. "Let yourself *feel*. It's Ok." Gasping,
Remy did so. Dropping his defenses was like letting go of a heavy weight he hadn't known he was carrying.
He decided he didn't care if Logan raped him. If only he could be held in these strong arms and feel the
tenderness his friend felt for him without any shields between them for a while, he felt that emotional bliss
would be worth any amount of physicall pain later.
Logan continued to stroke Remy's hair, touched by the utter vunerability of the young man in his
arms. He tried to steel himself against the effects fo the charm power but strangely, he wasn't sure if he
*wanted* to. Though he had never been attracted to a man, he had to admitt, there was just something
about Remy. Maybe it was the soft, auburn hair, the beautifully chisseled features, or his long, lanky body.
Logan didn't know what it was but he did know that the thought of , say, kissing Remy didn't repulse him
at all. In fact, he found the thought strangely erotic.
Remy, nestled in Logan's lap, felt the older man's hardness begin to stir against his hip.
"Oh no," he thought, tensing. "Here it comes. Just hope he don't kill me when he's done!"
Logan felt the young thief go tense in his arms and realized what he must be thinking.
"It's Ok, kid." he growled. "Ya don't have ta worry. I can feel yer flamin' charm power and yes,
it turns me on but I'm not gonna hurt ya or rape ya. I can control myself a little better than that."
Gambit felt a sort of relief flood through him at Logan's words. He had been picturing how rough sex with
Logan could get and though he was determined to take the pain, he still hadn't been looking forward to it.
And yet, he was a little dissapointed, too. He realized he'd always been a little attracted to Logan- that
terrible strength, the coarse, dark hair that covered the compact, muscular body. Being raped by Logan
would be painful, but the experiance might almost be worth the pain. Making love, of course would be
infinately better but Remy was pretty sure that wasn't Logan's sexual style. Not that he would ever get a
chance to find out! He sighed.
"You Ok, Remy?" Logan murmured into his hair.
"Tryin' not ta be afraid, chere, just dat Remy's been here before. I wouldn't care what y' did t' me,
Logan." he confessed in a low voice. "Just don't want y' to hate Remy later, non?"
"Wouldn't hate ya no matter what, Remy." Logan said firmly.
"Non? Y' t'ink not? I tell you Remy's been here before, I tell you true, Mon ami. When Remy was
younger, he lose a lot of friends dis way. Let m'self get too comfortable, de shields go down and de charm
leak out.Dat's how I lose m' best friend He tried t' kiss Remy, even though he wasn't gay or bi. Never f'gave
Remy. Never talk t' me again." The incident was years in the past, but Logan could see it still hurt Remy
deeply. More hot tears squeezed out of the beautiful red on black eyes.
"Quiet, kid." he ordered gently, lifting Remy's chin so he could look directly into his face. "That's
the past and this is now. I promise I won't hate ya, no matter what, Ok?" What was it about this young man
that made him feel so tender, so fiercely protective? Almost the same way he felt for Jubilee. As he would
have done for her, Logan bent and gently kissed Remmy's wet cheeks and quivering eyelids. The kisses
were feather-light touches that made Remy sigh with longing.
"What you doing t' Remy, Mon ami?" he whispered, not daring to open his eyes as Logan
continued to kiss his face, so gently.
"Kissin' yer tears away, I guess." Logan replied, gruffly. "Does it bother ya, Remy?"
"Non, Remy likes it." whispered Gambit, wishing it would never stop. He felt his own hardness stir
in response to the gentle kisses.
Logan, ever direct, said, "I kinda feel like I wanta kiss more than yer eyes, Remy, if ya know what
I mean."
Remy sighed. "It's just de charm power, chere." he whispered whistfully. "If Remy put up his
shields, you don't wabt t' kiss him no more, you'll see."
"Oh no?" Logan's voice sounded both tender and amused. "Try me. Put up yer shields and see
what happens, Remy."
"Ok, but please don' hurt Remy when y' find y' been doin' t'ings you don' like." the younger man
begged. Steeling himself for the unplesantness that was sure to follow, he put up a mental shield that
blocked out the charm power in an instant, cutting off it's effects immediately.
They sat silently for a moment, Remy ever expecting to be pushed from Logan's arms and perhaps
even beaten as had happened so many times in the past. In stead, he felt Logan's warm breath on his cheek
and then his firm lips closed gently over Remy's. Remy's eyes flew open in shock, Logan was kissing him!
Without the charm power! He closed his eyes again, savoring the feeling, wanting the moment to last.
He was sure Logan would pull away soon, surely he was just making a point.
But Logan didn't pull away. Instead, he pulled Remy even closer and parted his lips, deepening the
kiss. Remy sighed into Logan's hot mouth as he opened his own lips to Logan's stronger, more insistant
ones. He hadn't been kissed like this, so forcefully, so deliciously, in forever. Tenatively He kissed back
and was rewarded with Logan's warm toungue in his mouth, exploring him roughly and tenderly at once.
Remy reached up with one shaking hand and burried his fingers in Logan's wild black mane. It felt so good
to be held this way in Logan's arms while their mouths locked and Logan sucked gently on his toungue.
The kiss deepened even more and Logan's mouth became rougher, more insistant. Remy shuddered with
desire. He knew himself to be a natural bottom and he was sure Logan was a natural top. He thought of
how it could be- Logan riding him, filling him. He stifled a groan at the thought.
Scenting the young man's desire, Logan reluctantly broke the kiss.
"How's that, Remy?" he asked softly. "You like it?"
"You know I do, chere." Remy whispered, breathlessly, knowing Logan could smell his desire.
"But," he asked, wonderingly, "You don' hate Remy cause you do somet'ing you never want t' do before?"
"What? Hate ya because we kissed?" Logan asked. "Naw, kid, I don't hate ya. It *confuses* me a
little cause I never *wanted* ta kiss another man before. But I wanted ta kiss you and you wanted ta be
kissed, didn't ya?"
"Oui." Remy said simply.
"Then what's tha big deal? Anyway, do ya feel better now, Gumbo?"
Remy knew that the old nick-name ment their special time was over, probably forever. He
straightened up and started to scramble out of Logan's lap. "Sure t'ing, Remy feel lots better." Suddenly
shy, he added, "Want t' thank you f' being there for me, Logan. Means a lot t' me."
But Logan was not quite ready to release him yet. "Anytime, Remy." he said looking deeply into
the beautiful demon eyes. "I'm always here for you, I mean that , Ok?"
"Ok." Remy whispered gratefully. Logan finally let him up at this acknowledgement and he stood
looking silently at the lake for some time. Maybe, he thought with a smile, just maybe, everything would
be Ok. Logan was glad to see the small smile on his friend's face.
"Looks like kissin' agrees with ya." he remarked, standing beside the lanky cajun.
Gambit blushed. "Oui." he murmured softy, casting a sideways glance at Logan.
"Well, we better get back; the others'll think we drownd ourselves in the flamin' lake!" Logan
said, setting off for the mansion. Remy stood for a moment, watching the broad back as his friend departed
thinking how close he had come to doing just that, or something simular until Logan had given him the
greatest gift one friend can give to another- a little tenderness. Then, thoughtfully, he followed Logan home.