Date numero dos. Hope this makes up for no Romy last chapter. Enjoy the calm before a storm:)

Also, yes, I know. Bikes and dresses and arriving at your destination with your hair still looking date-pretty isn't a terribly realistic thing, but hell, just TRY to tell me that isn't such a Rogue and Gambit way to go about shit.

As it happened, Lady Luck walked beside me today, and that headache was mostly gone by mid-afternoon. I've still got a remnant of it, mostly it's my eyes are a bit more sensitive to lights than usual, but it's nothing I ain't dealt with before. Worst part so far is the walk up to Anna's apartment, because it's pretty well lit up.

But even that ain't so bad, not bad at all, when you've got an extremely beautiful woman answering your knock on her door.

"Hi, sugar." Anna opens up and steps out, her smile about knocking the damn wind out of my chest. She always does that, kind of bowls me over for a second every time I see her.

"Evenin', chere," I reply with a grin of my own, catching up her hand for quick kiss across the knuckles, pulling her up close enough, it wouldn't be a far lean in to kiss her. "And look at you, so beautiful, you stop this Cajun in his steps," I add, appreciatively looking her over. She's looking damn fine tonight, wearing a short, kinda swingy dark blue dress that blows up those incredible eyes and shows off her tits. Of course, she rounds it all out with that leather jacket of hers and a pair of shit-kickers, though thankfully, it doesn't appear that she's actually ever kicked any shit in 'em.

Won't lie, she's making me consider skipping the date and going straight to strippin' her down to those boots and fuckin' her in reverse cowgirl position. It don't matter that it's only been a few days since I was last with her, this woman's already about got me sprung like I ain't gotten laid in a month.

"Listen to you and all that sweet talk," she grins up at me, stepping back and pulling her hand out of mine a bit too quickly. "You don't look so bad yourself, Cajun."

She's nervous, like she was the last time I took her out, only she's had a few days to stew in it and take it up a few notches. Interesting little mindfuck that her power left her in, that she's so quick to fuck, yet turn so cagey on a date. She don't really strike me for the type, she seems more like the sort to go lookin' for white picket fences.

Smiling, I rest my hand lightly in the small of her back, turning to leave. "Ready?"

She licks her lips nervously, then grins. "This is as good as it gets, sugar. Let's get out of here."

Good as it gets? Oh non, don't think so, girl. That's after we get back, after I take off all them clothes. Mon dieu, I'm just itchin' to get my hands on her again.

"Sugar, when you said 'cowboy bar' the other day, I was expecting just some old bar, not a decent restaurant with a bar, dance hall, and a mechanical bull." Anna pops a ranch-drenched fried mushroom into her mouth, looking around.

"Chere, I met you at some ol' bar. I'm not gonna take you out to another one. Crap dates generally don't end well for a homme."

"Good ones ain't a guarantee, either," she snips with a smirk.

"Good thing I like challenges, eh?"

"Yeah? Huh. Then what are you doin' here with me? I didn't think I'd ever made it all that hard for you."

"Oh, chere, you make it real hard every time," I leer at her.

She snorts and rolls her eyes at me. "That was...that was pretty bad, Cajun." She takes the last slurp off her drink, a fruity concoction she apparently likes really well, seeing as how she's already ordered a second one. Girl better slow down, 'cause I'd sure like to get lai-

"Though I suppose it's kind of difficult, comin' up with something better to say when all you're thinkin' with is in your pants, huh?" She teases.

"That interested in what's in my pants, are y'?"

"Sugar, I'll give it to ya, you're about the best at selective hearing I've ever seen."

"Please believe me when I say I'll happily take anything you give me, yeah?"

"My lord," she laughs out, first real one tonight. "How about you try putting some of that food in your mouth, Remy, I think it'll improve your lines."

I smile at her. "Probably. They are pretty bad, non? Worth it for that laugh, girl."

She rolls her pretty green eyes at me as she reaches for her drink again, but she smiling.

Score one for Remy. Let's see if it's drinks or charm that really loosen this girl up first.

"Psh! Liar. No way did you manage that," Anna scoffs at a humorous story from my younger years, her expression turned up in skepticism. There's no missing the amusement lighting up her eyes, though. A lot of humor, a little flirting, some interested questions in between, and she's been slowly softening up and smiling for the last hour or so. Didn't even take anymore drinks, either, seein' as how she's only just now finishing up that second one.

"Did, too, and I got the scar to prove it."

"Yeah? Where at?"

I give her a slow, sly grin. "Chere, can't get away wit' that little show 'n tell here, but I be happy to do so later on."

"Or, you could just tell me," she drawls out. "I don't guess it matters, you could just say any scar is the one, and I wouldn't know any better, huh?"

"You got me there, sweetheart. Guess you'll just have to trust me, yeah?"

"Hmmp, let's see how far I can throw you first," she shoots back. Then she leans forward on her elbows. "Anyway, moving on. What is it you do? What puts meals on your table?"

And now, we let the game of half-truths begin. "Won't bore you wit' the boring details, but I mostly do acquisitions and sell information."

"That sounds..." she pauses, no doubt trying to find polite words that won't encourage more details.

"Sounds boring. I know. But it pays well, and I'm damn good at it."

"So modest."

"Psh, modesty don't get anyone anywhere, girl. Anyway, you. What made you decide on nursing? Kind of figured you for a get-your-hands-dirty-with-engine-grease sort of woman."

She's silent for a moment. "You uh, you know I'm a mutant, right?"

"Figured as much."

"Mmm-hm, well, my power, it... Well, it sucks. Literally." She eyes me up straight on. "I hurt a few people. Figured I could do with helping folks for a change, is all."

I noticed how she didn't mention her lack of power then. She don't bring up the cure, I won't, either. "Powers are such a pain in the ass when you can't control 'em, non? Me, I blew up everything around me for the longest. Imagine being a fourteen year old boy who keeps blowin' up all his clothes every time he gets a little worked up."

She laughs. "So, every time a pretty girl walked by?"

"Go on, laugh it up, chere. I'll just sit over here and drink away the memory of my teenaged trauma."

She snickers at me. "I almost feel sorry for you, that's pretty awful." She shifts in her chair. "So, I have to ask, sugar. How are you not married with five or six kids by now? I mean, you're good lookin', charming when you feel like it, you clearly aren't hurtin' for money, and you're even house-broke. What gives?"

"House-broke?" I ask with a chuckle and a raised brow.

She nods. "Yeah. Your place, it's fantastic, and it's clean. And I've seen your kitchen, too, you also cook. So, what's the catch?"

'Catches', she calls 'em. Got plenty of those. "Hmmm, well, when you put it that way, I don't guess I have too many strikes against me."

"Oh, c'mon! Gimme all your flaws, sugar."

"Can't. 'Cause I'm flawless."

"Sure, you are," she drawls out slow and skeptical. "Fine. Let's see if I can guess what's wrong with you. You're a...you're a serial killer, right?"

No, not technically, but the Morlocks might disagree. "Non, don't kill people in my spare time."

"You are married, aren't you?"

"Got married once. We split years ago." Not a lie, despite still being trapped in that marriage. That whole thing was over before it'd even begun, and me and Belle have long since moved on. Occasional hook ups since don't count for nothin'.

"Youuuu... You do have five or six kids, but with five or six different baby mamas."

Not that many, no. Just one. Well, would've been one, anyway, if the girl hadn't decided to get rid of it. "Non, no kids."

"Hmmm," she hums, tapping her mouth thoughtfully, eyes glittering. "You're really a gay dude in some serious denial?"

"Y' finally got me, girl. Explains why I keep comin' back to you, eh? 'Cause you're such a handsome, manly man-woman."

"Ass." She crunches on an ice cube as she eyes me up again. "No, really, though. You said last time you don't date well. So what's your hang up, then? Just ain't the committin' type?"

I shrug. "Maybe." It ain't quite like that, not really; I'm not opposed to commitment, I don't guess, I'm just don't know that I put much stock in it. All's I gotta do is look around, watch regular people messin' it up; if even they can't get it right, what kind of chance does a man like me have, with all these skeletons rattling around in my closet? "It's just that kids, a family, normal... People, they's all lookin' for a certain thing, and I ain't it, is all."

She cocks her head, giving me a curious look. "All that you just said, you think it 'cause you're a mutant?"

I shrug. "Eh, well, kind of a heavy thing to hang over everyone's head, yeah?" Not my reason, but I'll let her think it is. No need to air out all the stink, neh?

She looks out over the dance floor, watching couples go by. "I suppose so." Then she looks down at her hands. "Always figured that kinda thing wasn't in the cards for me, either."

"That what you want, chere? A husband, kids, a little house in the suburbs somewhere?"

She glances over at me with a skittish look in her eyes. "Don't know, sugar. Thought I did at one time, but now I wonder if maybe that's only 'cause I thought I couldn't have it."

I suppose it's good thing she ain't looking to set up and play house. At least she won't be crushed when she realizes she still can't have it.

Standing, smile ready, I hold out my hand to her. "Well, now that we've gotten all those questions out of the way, care to dance wit' me?"

Her whole face lights up as she takes my hand and lets me pull her up, and the tension melts off her shoulders. "You know how long it's been since I've two-stepped, Cajun?"

I shake my head, pulling her out on the floor. "How long?"

"Not since I was a scrawny kid at a junior high dance."

I grin down at her as I slip an arm around her waist and draw her up. "That's a lot of words to say 'too damn long', chere. You just follow this ol' Cajun's lead, and we'll end that long streak here and now."

"Chere, I'd definitely say it's been too long since you last two-stepped," I tease her as she steps on my toes again.

"Whatever. Your feet are always in the way," she zips back, her eyes sparkling and a wide grin spread all over that soft mouth.

I laugh at that, tightening my arm around her and pressing a warm kiss to her temple. She's finally relaxed and having a good time, and she's fuckin' gorgeous while she's at it. I've been just about this close to kissing the hell of her ever since I took her to the dance floor over twenty minutes ago.

I spin her out, pulling her back even closer. "You just keep right on sassin' me, and see where that lands y'," I flirt with her, smiling. A real smile, too, the stupid lookin' lopsided one with a dimple. Real smooth, yeah? "One thing I really like about you, chere, you got a mouth on you."

She knits up her brows at me. "Only one thing, swamp rat, and that's what you go for?"

"Yeah, well, wit' a mouth like yours, girl? Tellin' me what-for ain't all it can do."

She flushes, and I pick up on a sudden spike in arousal. Well now, what's this? Looks to me like maybe Anna's got an oral fantasy or two tucked away in that pretty little head of hers. She absolutely loved it when I went down on her, but she hadn't indicated that she wanted to reciprocate.

"That's a real pretty blush, chere. Looks like maybe you've put some thought into it already, yeah?"

"Really? And here you were, doin' so good, having gone nearly an hour without any bad lines or innuendos." She's attempting to brazen it out with humor, but her whole face as red as a Coke can, kinda ruining it for her. She's real cute trying, though.

"A whole hour? Think I broke a record, there. I should get a reward. One that involves your mouth, yeah?" I can't help but tease her again, ain't never seen anyone turn as red as she does.

"Hmm, tell you what, Cajun," she hums, her expression goin' a bit sly, "you lay off the Casanova-always-lookin'-to-score routine the rest of the date, I'll do one thing that you really, really want later on, no questions asked."

Ohh-ho-ho-ohh, shit, the possibilities there...

Grinning wide, I give her another spin, first one way, then the other and snatching her back against my chest with her arms crossing hers. Keeping her there for a minute, I make her breath hitch with a kiss just behind her ear. "Sweetheart, you got yourself a deal. And might I say, I'm really lookin' forward to you payin' up."

"Now, chere, there ain't no reason to be such a sore loser."

It's nearly two hours later, we're back at her place, having just crashed through the door in a liplock not even five minutes ago, and presently, I'm backing her up toward her room with every intention of fuckin' her brains out. She'd squawked a little bit when I'd snatched her around and up into a kiss after she'd turned the lock on her door, but hell, she's hot when she back-talks, and she'd been real busy lippin' off at me over how I lost that bet because of some comment I'd made on the way up the stairs.

Like hell, I lost, the deal was, I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the date. We were on our way up the stairs to her apartment, so technically, the date was over, and we were movin' on to the after-party.

"I ain't no sore loser, Cajun, you lost!" She laughs in my face, grabbin' at my shoulders as she stumbles a little, "I knew it, you couldn't help yourself, you just had to make another comment about my mouth-"

I cut her off with another kiss, backing her up against her bedroom door, a hand on either side of her head. "And I didn't say it til the date was over, now did I?"

"A date ain't over til after a goodnight kiss," she snips against my mouth. "You ran that mouth of yours ten minutes ago, and I'm just now gettin' that goodnight kiss."

"Girl, I been kissin' you since you slid y' sweet little ass off the back-end of my bike, I'd say maybe I been goodnight kissin' you for well over ten minutes now, yeah?"

"But it ain't a goodnight kiss til it's at the door. Just admit it," she snickers up at me, pulling my head back down for another kiss, "you lost, I won."

"Chere, it don't really matter, you know you ain't losin' out either way, yeah?" I laugh at her between kisses, gripping the back of her thighs and lifting her up, planting her against the door and rocking up into her.

"Remy, anyone ever tell you - uhhhhn, now that feels goooooood," she purrs softly, letting her head fall back when I run a hand up her skirt to rub her clit through her panties.

"Mmm-hm, you were sayin', chere?"

"What? Oh, uh, I don't...don't suppose...um...god, who the hell cares, just...just don't stop."

"Don' plan on it," I chuckle in her ear, two fingers already inside her...dieu, she's ready... so slick, so, so slick... Christ, wouldn't take much to get her right now, she won't say no... Hold on, homme, you ain't nailing her here. Non, that little fantasy I had earlier of her one top in nothing but her boots stuck with me, and fuck, just thinking about it again is enough to make me grit my teeth and curl up my fingers a little harder inside her-

"Oh - OHH!" Anna suddenly yelps up at the ceiling, back arching as her body snaps up in orgasm.

I don't waste any time from there, letting her feet hit the floor as I open the door, then grabbing her up in both arms and kissing her hard, deep, backing her up into the room. Her hands slip down my front, undoing my jeans and shoving 'em down, boxers, too, making me lose my balance as they pool around my ankles. I turn her so that it's me that falls back heavily on the edge of the bed, immediately sitting up and pulling her in between my legs, hands running up under her dress.

Looking up at her, I ease her panties off her hips to the floor. "You know what I was thinkin' when I first saw you tonight?"

"Mmm, what was that, sugar?" She asks, climbing up and straddling me.

"First thing was, I thought you were so beautiful, you about stole the breath out of my chest," I tell her, pushing her dress up, up past her waist, up over her head.

"Aww, that's actually pretty sweet. Now, what's the second? Something dirty, huh?" She smirks at me, pushin' my shirt open as I roll on a condom.

"You know me too well already, chere. Pretty soon, y' gonna get bored wit' this old man," I tease her while unhooking her bra. "Mais, yeah, all I could think about for a minute was you, stripped down to them boots, fuckin' me hard, and me, I'd maybe do this right here," I lean forward, suck up her nipple, poppin' off slow while thumbin' her clit, kinda rough, "and maybe get y' off a coupla times."

She hums through a thick smile and slides hands up my chest and around my neck, gettin' a handful of my hair and pullin' my head back. "Sugar, I get it like that, and I might even let you stay the night."

"Awww, chere, were you really thinkin' about kickin' me out?" I ask, squeezin' her ass in my hands, lifting her up, and sliding her down my dick with a hiss of pleasure.

"Gotta earn your keep, Caju - ohhhh, god," she cuts herself off with a moan, eyes fluttering as she finds her spot.

Well, now, who am I to ignore a challenge like that?

It's a little while later, and Anna is now sprawled out on my chest, though she ain't asleep. Grinning to myself, I can't help but think she ought to be worn out, the sex had been intense. I didn't make her come but once, but she'd got off hard.

I guess I ain't all that surprised, though, that she ain't passed out a sex-sore heap; despite having completely relaxed her just a handful of minutes ago, I've sensed all that tension I been wearin' down all night buildin' back up again since she got off that last time. And now, she's tapping her fingers on my chest, her body practically screaming with all that nervous energy.

Finally, she blows a puff of breath across my throat, and picks herself up, pulling off and away.

"Where y' goin', chere?"

She flings me a guarded look. "Just movin' over, is all."

Her emotions are spiking all over the place. She's about to run for the hills.

"You're a terrible liar, sweet. Get back over here."

She freezes for a moment, then clenches her jaw stubbornly. "Look. I uh, I had fun earlier, and this is fun, but I don't know if this, what we're doing," she pauses, gesturing between us. "I just...I don't think it's a good idea. Like I told you before, I can't really do this kinda thing."

"You're doin' it alright, don't see me complainin' none, eh?"

"Of course you're not complainin', you're gettin' laid."

"Now, chere. Good as it is wit' you- and it is damn good -you really think that's all it is? Try again," I tell her, lightly running the back of my fingers along the outside of her thigh.

She licks her lips, looks indecisive, and doesn't budge an inch.

I wait her out, rubbing long strokes over that ass I'd like to sink my teeth into again.

Finally, she shrugs and looks away. "I ain't lookin' for anyone right now, is all."

There's more to it than that, she ain't nearly as good at telling half truths as I am. "Seems to me that if you really didn't like me all that much, you'd have already told me to go jump off a cliff, chere," I tell her, fingers still gliding over her silk-smooth skin.

She gives me wry smile. "Never said I didn't like you, sugar."

"Then I ain't seein' a problem here," I smile up at her again, sliding my hand up over her hip, up her back, and pulling her down. She lets me, though she's still tense.

She purses her lips. "Well, thing is, I kinda hit a big turnin' point not so long ago, made a few changes, and I'm real happy at the moment. I like it that way."

Bullshit. Empathy don't lie, and right now, her emotions are runnin' as hot and cold as her actions are. She don't no more know what she wants than the man on the moon.

Slipping fingers up the nape of her neck, tangling them up in that thick, wild hair, I gently rub her scalp, trying to relax her. "Alright, girl, we do it like this. You and me, we're havin' a good time tonight, no? Let's keep at it, and we'll take the rest later on, as it comes, yeah?"

She eyes me up warily. "I'll probably say no if you ask me out again."

I show her my teeth. "You won't."

"That ego, I swear," she rolls her eyes and swats my chest. "So, say we do go on with...whatever...we've got," she trips up, gesturing between us, "what about seein' other people?"

"Thought you didn't want to see anyone, chere."

She shrugs, eyes darting down to where her finger is nervously tapping my chest. "I don't. But I might want to sleep with someone else."

The spike I feel off that girl, she's feedin' me a line, but if she wants to play it that way, fine by me. Ain't like I'm swearing off other women, anyway. "That's alright, we both do what we want."

Those impossible eyes fly back up to mine. "That's it? Just like that, huh?"

"Mmm-hm, just like you want it." I squeeze her ass and grin real slow. "You know I live and breathe to please you, chere."

"Oh, stop it," she huffs, clapping her hand over my mouth. She then pauses, fidgets for a moment before pulling her hand away. "Maybe. We'll see."

"Mmm-hm. Now, think you might want to relax and go on to sleep before I wake you up for round two here in a bit?"

She lifts a brow. "Who said I was lettin' you stick around for a 'round two'? If I had any sense, I'd kick you out right now."

I reach up and push a white curl out of her eyes. "Maybe. But not usin' any sense is a lot more fun in this case."

"Heh, now, there's a hell of an argument." Then she smiles, finally relaxing a little. "You know one thing I like about you, Cajun?"

I raise brows at her. "What's that?"

"You're so easy."

I start laughing. "You only like me 'cause I'm easy? Why, chere, I feel so used!"

"Well, that didn't come out quite right," she laughs at herself. "I meant you're...well...easy. You know, uncomplicated."

"Easy," I repeat, still laughing, this time feeling more than just a tad guilty, 'cause yeah, I just keep complicating shit with her. "I'm heartbroken, completely devastated."

"Shut it, Remy. Words are hard right now."

I flip her over, scooping up a butt cheek in one hand, sliding my other arm up under her neck as I lean in for kiss. "Know what else is hard right now?" I growl out against her mouth, rubbing right up against her, making her hiss out my name.

Anna slides her hands down my ribs and then back up along my spine, making me shiver in anticipation. "So I guess this means round two, then sleep?"

"Mmm-hm, and you better sleep good, too, 'cause round three ain't too far off, either. Gotta earn my keep, y' know."

"Don't you forget it, either, sugar," she laughs, pulling me in with arms and legs.

Humor and sex, her silver bullets. Looks like she's maybe lettin' me stick around a while, after all.

One win at a time, I'll take it.