Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me!!!!

In retrospect, Gambit had been in over his head since the very first he laid demon-colored eyes on Rogue. She had walked into his life with style and grace without even having the intention of impressing him. He'd naturally been attracted to her instantly, and his mission was to romance Rogue until he held her heart in the palm of his hands. Her mutations only made the game all the more interesting to play. The untouchable, untamed, and restless-spirited Rogue captured his attention and in his head, she was already his for the taking. They do say that you always want what you can't have. And, he wanted her. Bad.

The Cajun thief couldn't care less about the challenge of being physical intimate with her, because he would find a way, for her relief as well as his. Within a few weeks, the two had been dating each other. That much he had been content with, but Gambit soon discovered that advancing their physical relationship (or rather lack thereof) had been more difficult to accomplish than he originally contemplated. He couldn't even kiss the woman without going into a coma.

However, there was thing Remy forgot to count on. He had fallen in love with Rogue.

Once upon a time, Belladonna and him might have had a chance at one of those mushy happily ever afters; the only kind you read about in fairytales. She had been his first love without a doubt, and they also told him that you never truly get over that. But, he had. Remy no longer thought about her daily, or at all for that matter. He didn't imagine the laughs of children they could have possibly had together. His heart beat for one woman and one woman only. In fact, this was something much deeper than he ever felt about Belladonna, which was weird, because Remy never thought that in a million years that there was something much stronger than the way he felt about his former wife.

Without ever getting the opportunity to say so out loud, Gambit would gladly be stranded in the cold winds of Antarctica, miles away from away from a warm bed, without the assurance of life, and somehow make it back home to Rogue where he belonged a thousand times over again, because she was worth ever risk. Rogue had always carried a bag of bricks all her own without the slightest amount of sympathy, or at least, that's what Gambit that. Little did she actually know that if he could, Remy would take that bag of bricks. He'd drag those bricks to Hell and back if that meant she could be happier in life.

On the other hand, Remy just wasn't the type of man who fell in love with someone so poisonous as Rogue, if at all. More importantly, the Cajun much enjoyed being able to share physical activity with all sorts of women. He used to pounce and feel them like a hungry predator. With Rogue, Gambit could look, but never touch without there being some sort of repercussions that he was sure Rogue would come to regret later. Yet, he had been faithful to her all the way. Sure, Remy had been tempted by many women, but his love for Rogue had always brought his eyes back to her than his lust than to, for example, Foxx, the new recruit for the X-Men. Still, logically, Rogue was not the kind of woman he fell in love with. Ever. But, ironically enough, logic hadn't been an option for a very long time.

Worst of all, Mystique knew all too well of the depth of how much Rogue and Remy felt for each other. She had cleverly disguised herself as the ever-so beautiful Foxx in order to seduce him with his long denied desires to touch and feel a lady without emotions getting in the way. And, when that hadn't worked, Mystique had shape-shifted into her adoptive daughter: a completely touchable Rogue. For how long had the New Orleans native wanted to take his hands and put them all over her body? After all, there should be nothing wrong with succumbing to the vision of his girlfriend. This situation was all too bitter and sweet to poor Remy.

What t' do? What t' do?

"C'mon, Sugah, give ya gal a little kiss," Mystique seductively whispered using Rogue's sweet Southern accent against him. "Ah' waitin'."

Gambit slowly gripped her wrists, bringing his lips towards hers, almost touching. There was something that ached in the pit of his stomach. Something eating at him. He lacked a rushing, excited heart beat that always occurred whenever Rogue simply smiled gently at Remy. No passion on Mystique's fingers, though at the moment, she was supposed to be Rogue completely. She wasn't, yet here he was, ready to unleash everything he had to offer. All he had to do was forget about Rogue for a little while and then it would be over.

"Non, I can' do dis, Mystique. Rogue. I love Rogue. Only her." Remy stated firmly, letting her go.

"Love her, Remy. I am not telling you that you cannot. You should give in a little, though. Do it for yourself. Close your eyes…, an' Ah can certainly make all yer dreams come true." Mystique smirk, probably thinking she had probably already won the game. "Ah can be the real thing if ya let meh."

"Not'ing," the auburn-haired Cajun spoke, "is better dan de real t'ing, femme. Not'ing." He glared down at her with his red on black eyes. Mystique transformed back into her blue image. "Y' can' have dis homme. I'm afraid dis heart wouldn't be in it, not dat y' have much t' offer me an'way."

She laughed. "If only my darling daughter were here to listen to such professions of love. She would surely faint in your arms. That's the way you want her, right? Positively, hopelessly, devoted to you, despite that it breaks her heart to know that the two of you aren't really meant to be."

"Dat ain't your call t' make, Chere. Y' prolly already know how much we mean t' each other, and I promise y' dis, we are meant t' be together. Dere ain't a single t'ing y' can do about it. Now, get lost." Gambit sighed, now furious at himself for ever thinking otherwise.

"Very well." Mystique replied, leaving Remy alone with his thoughts.

Remy could finally take a bit of a breather, because he knew that his relationship with Rogue was far from being out of the woods yet. He soon found himself wearing a soft grin when he saw Rogue, his Rogue, walking toward him. She was either mad him or blank as far as emotion, either way this is the woman he wanted. No some temptress that only appeared in her form.

"Oh, yes. De real t'ing is de best an' all I ever need from life."