"Where am I?... Who am I?... So cold…"
The young man had just woken up in the middle of a large grassy field which was surrounded by trees.
Holding one palm to his forehead he sat up wishing the headache he had would just go away. After a few minutes of sitting there with his eyes closed he finally opened them to take in his surroundings.
"How did I get out here?"
The sky was dark with a few passing clouds. The weather warm with a soft, comforting breeze, but that didn't stop the young man from shivering as if he were sitting on a mound of snow.
"So cold…" He whispered again.
Instincts finally kicking in, he got up, knowing he had to find shelter, food and water to survive.
He could see perfectly in the dark as he started forward, hoping he was going the right way.
*To quiet… Way too quiet…* He thought as he entered the woods. And it was. One would figure that even at night they would hear something, some kind of life inside these woods. An owl perhaps or a bat flying above, the scurrying of mice or other small creatures but there was nothing.
This in itself unnerved the young man more than anything even more so that he couldn't remember anything. Not even his own name.
Hours later he was still walking through the silent woods. His body weak and exhausted but he kept going. Kept pushing himself further in hopes of finding someone… anyone, but alas, his body and muscles protested any further determination on his part as his legs gave out, sending him down to the hard ground. His mind barely had time to tell his arms to catch his fall.
Groaning, he gave in and welcomed the darkness that enveloped his mind, drifting into a soundless sleep.
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"Grrrr…" A low, menacing growl cut through the silence of the surrounding woods. A predator catching the scent of someone who didn't belong. Following the scent, he stopped, now looking down at the young man lying on his stomach.
"This is so easy it's pathetic." The predator said in a low growl.
Raising a clawed hand he started crouching down, still keeping his eyes on his prey then stopped. Tilting his head he started observing the smaller frame before him.
"Maybe I'll have some fun with ya before I kill ya," he growled then quickly scooped up the younger man and flung him over his shoulder.
"Huh?" The younger man questioned softly at the sudden movements but was too weak to stay conscious. He could feel the warmth of the body that carried him and the softness of the fur that touched his skin then drifted back into the darkness that had been disturbed just moments ago.
Feeling his prey go completely limp once again assured the predator that the young man would not be putting up a fight just yet which actually disappointed him.
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"Rise and Shine!" The voice boomed throughout the small cabin, startling the younger man awake, now sitting straight up in the bed.
Sunlight flooded the room causing the young man to throw his arms up in front of his eyes. "Too bright..." His voice sounded hoarse yet soft due to his weakened state.
A shadow fell in front of him, blocking the sun's torturous beams. The young man slowly lowered his arms, blinking a few times to get his eyes adjusted to the light then looked up at the massive form before him. "Mon Dieu... Who... Who are you?"
An eyebrow rose at the question, tilting his head to study the smaller man in confusion. "Who Am I? Who Am I?"
The smaller man started shrinking further down into the bed, badly wanting to just disappear away from the feral man.
"Don't play games with me, Boy! Ya know damn well who I am!"
" 'm sorry... Mais, I don' ... I don' even know who I am..." The younger man said softly, lowering his eyes.
*Can this be true? Has he really lost his memory? Does he really not know who I am? Hmm...*
The beast of a man let his thoughts run wild before he started pacing the cabin's length.
"M'sieur..."
The predator stopped pacing then slowly turned his head to look at the young man. "What?" he growled, pleased to see him shrink even further down, if that was even possible.
His voice failed him the first couple of times before he timidly asked, "May I 'ave some water? So t'irsty..."
Thinking about the younger man's request he finally shrugged then proceeded over to the kitchen area, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. Crossing the small cabin in only a couple of steps, he then handed the younger man the glass with a grunt. "Here..."
"Merci." The younger man took the glass eagerly drinking the contents until it was empty then lean over, placing the glass on the floor. After lying down again, he watched the much larger man start to pace again.
*What do I do now? It's no fun killing him when he doesn't even know me... Why can't he remember anything? I could use him to bait my old friend... Hmm... That sounds like a good plan...* Looking over at the younger man he saw how relaxed he was now, even watching him pace back and forth like a prowling lion. *He doesn't seem all that scared anymore... Why? Because I gave him water?*
The older man walked back over to the bed then leaned down getting a better look at the kid.
*He's too pale... Too skinny... What happened to the cocky attitude he's always had?*
Seeing the beast staring at him started making him slightly nervous and very self conscious.
"I'll go round up some dinner... Stay here! Got it?"
"Oui, M'sieur. I un'erstan'."
Hearing the answer made him growl softly then he exited the cabin, slamming the door behind him.
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*OK... I'll take care of the little demon child and find out why he's out here all alone... With none of his X-Bitches looking for him.*
His thoughts were running wild once again as he hunted down their meal for the night.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Wake up, Runt!"
The young man's eyes slowly opened then he sat up, yawning. He saw something flying his way. Instinctively he raised his hands and caught it. Something wet hit his hands and face. Looking down at what he caught, he automatically dropped it on the bed, eyes wide then looked at his hands, blood covering them and dripping onto the sheet below.
He quickly got out of the bed and onto his feet, losing his balance momentarily the mock horror still evident in his eyes. His fingers spread wide, not touching himself or each other; he turned to face the bigger man. "Wha... Wha... Wha' was dat?"
"Well... It was a rabbit... Didn' think you'd wanna eat the fur... So... I skinned it." The larger man answered nonchalantly.
The young man started shaking, looking from his hands to the beast man. "So much blood... So much..."
Moving quickly, the feral beast caught the kid before he hit the floor. Shaking his head he laid him down on the floor then cleaned up the mess; including changing the sheets before picking him back up and laying him down on the bed. "Sensitive to blood are ya?" He asked aloud, not expecting an answer.
Rolling his eyes he took the rabbit into the kitchen, prepared it and cooked it up for his new guest, hoping he would awaken soon.
"Wha' happen?" A soft voice asked as the younger man stirred.
"Ya fainted..." Came his answer before handing the kid the plate. "Eat."
Crinkling his nose, he looked at the food before him, remembering the blood. An involuntary shiver ran through his body then just seconds later, his stomach growled. Looking up at the man hovering close he spoke softly, "Merci, mon ami." He then picked up the prepared meat with his fingers and started eating. A soft moan escaped his lips when he discovered just how good the meat was as it tingled his taste buds.
The older and much larger man watched with a satisfied grin when the kid finally gave in and started eating but much to his surprise, he wasn't expecting the sounds of pure satisfaction that rang through the cabin, sending what felt like mild electric shocks through his body. Shaking his head he walked over, picked up the discarded glass and filled it once more, handing it to his guest.
"Merci beaucoup."
"Ya don't have to keep thanking me..." He growled low, trying to sound a bit intimidating.
Once he was done eating and finished yet another glass of water, the older man took both dishes and set them in the sink.
"Mais, you helped me an' for dat 'm truly t'ankful."
"Yeah... Well... Ya welcome... I guess."
Watching the man in the kitchen, he spoke up asking, "Who are you? What's y' name?"
A heavy sigh followed the questions from the other side of the cabin as the larger man turned to face him. Debating with himself he finally crossed the room, pulling up a chair next to the bed. "Creed... Victor Creed."
The younger man smiled then lowered his head. "Do y' know me? Do y' know my name?"
Another heavy sigh emanated from Creed as he nodded his head. "Gambit."
"Gambit? Wha' kin' a name is dat?"
Creed chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. That's the only name I know ya by."
"Oh..." Was the only response Gambit could muster, slightly disappointed.
Watching Gambit yawn, Creed stood up from the chair and grabbed a blanket. "Lie down."
Gambit did as he was told and soon found himself being covered up. "Merci, mon ami." He said as his eyes were already drifting closed once more.
Shaking his head, Creed walked over to the couch and stretched out, thinking to himself. *Why does he keep calling me his friend? Oh... If he only knew... I mean... I left him for dead in the Morlock's tunnels... I've attacked him on several occasions. This is so messed up...* He finished, shaking his head again then finally succumbed to the sleep that followed.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Non! Stay 'way! So cold... so cold..." Gambit hollered as he twisted and turned in the bed. The sheets getting tangled around his small frame, causing him to thrash around even more, screaming out in shear terror.
Creed, who had been watching Gambit since he had first started talking in his sleep, leapt off the couch. The scream that had erupted from the frail, young man had startled even him. After regaining his senses, he quickly made his way over to the bed. "Gambit... Gambit, wake up!" He yelled, trying to get his voice over Gambit's so that the younger man could hear him.
Gambit's eyes flashed open but one could tell that his mind was distant, still locked behind in his dreamscape. His eyes told of the horror that he was experiencing.
"Gambit? Ya with me?" Creed watched as the young man's body finally relaxed and tried again. "Ya with me, Runt?"
Slowly turning his head, Gambit looked over at Creed, unshed tears threatening his eyes. " 'm sorry, mon ami. I didn' mean ta wake ya."
"It's okay, but I do want to ask... What the hell were ya dreamin' about?"
Gambit sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes then looked down. "Not real sure, mon ami... It... It hard ta explain."
"Try."
With an exasperated sigh, Gambit tried to explain what he had seen in his nightmare. "Many dif'rent t'ings... Flashes... An ol' man... Evil ol' man... Hommes grabbin' me... Huntin' me... Snow... So much snow..." Gambit shivered as he remembered the snow from his dream, pulling the blanket closer to his body. "An'... Blood."
"Well, as you can see, it's just you and me in here so lay down and try to go back to sleep." Creed told him then stood up from where he had been kneeling on the floor, beside the bed. The quick movement of the younger man's hand stopped him as it grabbed a hold of his wrist.
"Don' go... Please, mon ami?"
Creed looked into the scared, pleading eyes and turned his head. "Look runt. I'm tired."
" 'tay wit me... I don' wanna be 'lone."
A soft growl reached the younger man's ears and he quickly let go of Creed's wrist, lowering his head once again. "Sorry..." he whispered in defeat.
Creed gritted his teeth then turned to look back at Gambit, seeing a broken, young man before his very eyes. Sighing, he nudged Gambit's arm. "Scoot over."
Gambit quickly moved as far as he could in the small bed, lying on his side as he watched Creed lay down beside him, also on his side.
"Turn over."
Gambit did as he was told; turning around so that now his back was towards Creed and settled down.
*What the hell am I doin'? Didn't think I'd be babysitting the kid.* Creed thought before drifting back to sleep himself.
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"Mmm..." Creed moaned, feeling a soft, warm body in his arms as he started to stir out of his slumber. It had been decades since he had felt this calm, but he couldn't help but wonder why until he remembered what happened only hours prior. His eyes opened quickly then glanced down into the auburn hair of the man he held tightly in his arms. His first initial thought was to shove the man away from him and jump out of the bed but the calm serene that surrounded him made him think twice. *What the Hell? Why does this feel so nice?.. So right?.. I should be tearing him limb from limb but... I haven't felt this way in years... Since... Dakota...*
The younger man stirred, breaking Creed from his thoughts. "Mornin', mon ami." Gambit yawned, stretching and turning within Creed's arms until he was facing the larger man. He snuggled further into the warmth that was radiating off the larger man's body. His hands reached up, feeling the softness under his fingertips. He slowly started running his fingers through the fur, loving the texture.
Creed didn't know how to respond to the gentle touches and wanted to let go but instead he waited, relishing the moment. It wasn't until he heard Gambit's stomach growl that he finally released his hold. "We need to eat..." he pointed out before moving to get out of bed.
Gambit sighed as the warmth moved further away, cursing his betraying stomach for ruining the security that had been blanketed around him just seconds ago.
"I need to go hunt down some breakfast... Then later, I'll go into town to get some supplies. I want ya to stay here... Clean up a little then get some more rest... Ya look like ya could use some more." Creed told Gambit before going into the kitchen area to get the younger man a glass of water. "Here... I'll be back shortly."
After taking the glass from Creed, he watched the much larger man walk out of the cabin, closing the door behind him. Gambit drank down the water then got up, his legs slightly wobbly. He looked around the cabin then slowly made his way over to the shower stall where he got undressed and stepped under the warm spray.
Water cascaded down his body, washing away the dirt and grime that clung there. Gambit grabbed the bar of soap, cleaning himself completely, even his hair. After rinsing off he turned off the water and stepped outside the stall. Looking around he didn't see any towels and he started getting cold. He quickly made his way over to the bed and grabbed the blanket, wrapping himself up in it before going over to the couch and sitting down.
Moments later, Gambit got up, wrapping the blanket around his body more so in a way to where it was under his arms and tucked so that he had full movement of his arms without having to worry about the blanket falling. He gathered his dirty clothes then went to the sink and turned on the water. Looking around again he noticed there was no form of dishwashing soap around so he went back to the shower stall and grabbed the soap bar. He walked back into the kitchen area and proceeded washing his clothes.
"What are ya doin'?" Came the low growled voice behind the younger man.
"Washin' clothes... Got a shower an' y' didn' have any towels so I used de blanket an' I didn' wan' ta put back on de dirty clothes." He explained as he tried hard to clean them with only a bar of soap and water.
Creed stepped closer, watching the young man. "I'll pick something up while I'm in town... Now, go sit down so I can cook breakfast."
Gambit huffed, rinsing and wringing out the clothes, turned off the water then stepped back and out of the way. He walked towards the door and as soon as he turned the knob and started opening it, the door slammed back shut with Creed standing right over his shoulder. "Where do ya think you're going, Runt?" He snarled.
Visibly shaken, Gambit looked down, his hands clutching the wet clothes close to his body. "I... I wa... was jus' goin' ta p-put dese ou'side... ta... ta dry."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Creed placed his large hand on Gambit's shoulder. "It's okay... I'll do it. Ya need to lie down and get some more rest anyway." he said, his voice gentler than before.
Gambit didn't argue and handed Creed his wet clothes. " 'm sorry... Didn' mean ta make y' mad." With that said Gambit went and laid down on the bed.
Creed shook his head as he watched the young man then opened the door, laying out the clothes so that the morning sun could dry them. Walking back in, he went over to the kitchen area and started preparing the meat then cooked it for Gambit's sake.
Handing the plate to Gambit, Creed pulled the chair up close to the bed and sat down. "I'm not mad atcha, runt... Ya just startled me... That's all."
Gambit flashed Creed a small yet understanding smile before digging into the meat. "Mmm..." he moaned once again, loving the taste of his meal.
Shifting in his chair, Creed looked up, studying Gambit's expressions and low moans which seemed to be having an effect on his own body. He quickly ate his breakfast then stood up. "I'll be back later. Get some rest."
"Oui, M'sieur."
Creed then quickly left the cabin, closing the door behind him.
"Mais, I not tired..." Gambit waited a couple more minutes before getting up, deciding to clean the cabin.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
A trip to town was exactly what Victor Creed needed. Without Gambit around he could act more like himself. Tearing through the town like the wild animal he was, bestowing fear into the hearts of everyone who dared get in his way.
The shop owners fled as he entered the buildings one by one. Destroying everything in his path and taking whatever he wanted. The police tried to stop him but they were unsuccessful, even losing a few of their squad cars in the process.
Content with himself, Victor left the small town and headed home.
*Home... The place has never felt like a home until recently...* He thought as he entered the woods.
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