Right Love, Wrong Time

SUMMARY: Charming Remy starts to pursue the feisty Rogue

CHARACTERS: Gambit & Rogue

RATED: PG-13, due to language

NOTE: Again, thank you very much for the reviews. Glad to know that you are all excited to read this story as much as I am excited to write it. And I have gotten a couple of people leaving comments on my spelling in this story, and I know that a LOT of words are misspelled, but the thing is that I did that on PURPOSE. Whenever Rogue or Gambit speak, I write the words in the way they say them in their accents. Rogue has a deep Southern accent and Remy has a thick Cajun accent, so I incorporated that onto the dialogue. Also, at first I was putting the accents on the French words, but then I got too lazy, so I'm not doing that anymore, so…sorry. Kay, so that being said…on with the show.

CHAPTER: "IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU" by Kelly Clarkson (hahaha. Just the title screams Remy!)

VERY late that same night…

Rogue was in one of the many family rooms having a nice, warm, hot cocoa. It had been a very long mission and she needed something that was going to keep her calm and distracted. She didn't want to relive when that stupid Blob got away….

Before the memory could continue to linger, she began to shake her head, trying her hardest to push it away from her sight. "Dammit, ya really gonna give ya'self mo' white hair with all this worry."

"Who dat you be talkin' to, chere?" came a husky voice from behind her.

It made Rogue jump and turn towards the door, where the voice had come from. And standing there, was the same old Cajun from earlier. He was wearing the same sly smile. Rogue really wished she could just punch it off of him.

She sent him a scowl. "Is it really any of ya business what Ah do, Cajun--much less who Ah'm talkin' ta?" She couldn't help her tone to come off so rude and nasty. She had been born and raised in the South and if her momma were here to see her manners towards a complete stranger, Rogue would have a mouth no longer. Rogue knew better and had very good manners, but for some reason, this arrogant mutant was pushing her.

However, the bitterness in her voice only made Gambit want to laugh. For some reason, he found her frown and rudeness endearing. "Just tryin' ta make conversation wit you, petite. Dat so wrong fer me ta do?"

She thought about it for a second or two. "So 'long ya don' try anythin', Ah suppose it isn't." She turned around again and took another sip of her cocoa.

Gambit took that as an allowance to head towards her and continue on with a conversation. "Wanted to come an' apologize fer Gambit's rude behavior earlier. It was improper ta ask such a private question. Je suis desole (I am sorry)," he said as he bowed his head towards her,

She frowned at the gesture. She had completely forgotten how well-mannered and soft-spoken some Southern boys could be. She had to admit she missed it. She gave him a slight nod but said nothing.

A moment or two passed and he decided to take a seat on the coffee table right across from her. He could tell by studying her physical movements throughout the day that she kept herself at a "safe" distance from everyone around her and would retract if everyone came an inch within her comfort zone. So, he made sure that he was well distant from her bubble, but still close enough to feel her warmth.

"What you be reading', petite?" he asked as he gestured towards the book laying across her lap.

She looked down, forgetting she had been reading. "Jus' a novel." She quickly pushed it away from her and out of his sight. She really didn't want him to know that the novel happened to be a romance novel.

Gambit gave her a teasing smile. "Anytin you like to share?"

Rogue felt her neck grow a little warm. She cleared her throat. "So, how ya likin' being an X-Man?" She really didn't want to discuss her book.

Gambit took the hint and played along. He would let it slide…this time. "Was a bit borin', if you ask me."

Rogue frowned. "Boring? What, they got you cleanin' the kitchens 'stead of goin' on missions?" It was her turn this time to give him a teasing smile.

"No, Gambit went on missions. Got back from Alaska just two nights ago. Somethin' 'bout stopping' a Sabretooth homme (man) from usin' young mutants for somethin' against de president."

Rogue's eyes shot up in surprise. The professor really had to have great faith in this Gambit fellow if he was sending the new member of the team on such an important mission.

"Met de president. Homme be ungrateful, though. Gave no tanks--sure, I wasn' s'pectin' as much," he said with irritation in his voice.

Rogue gave a slight nod. "That sleezball ain't eva' given no one any thanks. Bet he blamed the X-Men for him being in trouble in the first place."

He nodded. "Dat he did."

Rogue shook her head. She knew the president all too well. She herself had saved him twice already. "Wait til ya meet Senator Kelly."

"Heard 'a him."

"He's worse than the president." Rogue decided to change the subject. "Did ya get to fight ol' Sabretooth? Or was Toad there to be his bodyguard again?"

"Homme had more than one bodyguard. Too much of a coward to fight his own battles, I tink."

"You think right."

He gave a small smile. "De action be fun tough, but coming back to la manoir (the mansion) was what made it borin'. Notin to do here. Just a lot of enfants (children) runnin' around, askin' a lot of questions. Havin' to babysit them and cathin' what is said around dem since de professor not like us being good role models for dem." He made his tone sound as if this irritated him, but to Rogue he wasn't very convincing.

"So, no one here caught yo interest? No one here that made you think different of coming back?" she asked curiously.

She had talked to Kitty about two hours ago and she had told Rogue about all the women's bedrooms Gambit had slip into at night. From what nosy Shadowcat observed, he was very much a lady's man. And a "love 'em and leave 'em" type of guy too.

"Non," Gambit answered with all honesty. In fact, unlike Rogue and Kitty, Gambit had forgotten all about the women he had visited all week. Hell, all the women he had ever visited. Reason? He told her.

Gambit held Rogue's eyes. "Not 'til you flew right in front of me dat is, chere."

Rogue noticed he had the most smallest of all smiles on his face, but the look he had in his eyes--just like the rest of his facial features--were dead serious.

Her heart stopped at that moment. He wasn't looking away from her. And so wasn't she. He held her eyes tight with his. She felt her hands get sweaty and her pulse get faster. Her blood fell completely away from her and she forgot to breathe.

It was the same with him. Never had he felt so sure of what he had said out loud. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on Rogue, that she was no ordinary girl. No one that could ever fall under that category. She was different in so many ways. Not only in the way she carried herself, not in the way she spoke, not in her strong/confident personality, and definitely not in her beauty. Because with that warm auburn-hair, vivid white bangs, striking green eyes, heart-shaped face, curvilinear hips, and sultry voice…Rogue was beyond beautiful. She was exquisite, glorious, flawless--superb to any woman he had ever laid eyes on. Calling Rogue beautiful was insulting in Gambit's eyes.

Rogue finally snapped out of her reverie. She looked away from him and tried to push away her strange, unknown feelings she was having right now. "Ya sure know what ta say to a woman, sugah."

Gambit shook his head as he gave her a sly look. "Not tryin' to charm you, petite, if dat what you be tinkin'."

Rogue met his eyes one more time and cocked an eye brow. "Aren't cha?" She didn't believe him. "Tryna use that charm on me, the one ya use on the other girls?"

At this, Gambit laughed. He had two reasons why.

First: no one in the X-Men--not even Storm--knew of his charming mutant ability. Very few knew, actually. He could count the names in one hand. Truth was, since the moment he had locked eyes on Rogue he had not used his charm--come to think of it, up until Rogue mentioned the word charm just right now, had he remembered about this mutant ability of his. He could read women very well and he knew that Rogue was attracted to him as much as he was to her. And that was all on their bodies' accord. Not because of his powers. And this fact just made him all the more excited about her.

Second: her question sort of came out with a bit of a jealous tone. Still nothing was going on between them and she already felt possessive of him. The stranger thing? He was feeling very comfortable with all of these thoughts. He didn't have an ounce of fear inside of him at all.

"You ain't like no other girl, chere. Wouldn't work, even if Gambit were to try," he said with all sincerity.

Instead of taking that as a comment, Rogue took it as a reminder of how different she was from other women. Gambit was completely right. And she should stop this little flirt fest--or whatever it was that she was having with him--before she ended up hurt. Or worse, ended up hurting him.

She refused to open the door to something that was not at all possible. It was unfair to that person. They did not deserve that type of pain.

Gambit saw the sadness in her eyes and wondered what it was that he had said.

Before he could ask her what was wrong, she got to her feet. "Ah should get 'ta bed."

Gambit followed her actions. "Non. Why dat be, chere?"

She let out a sharp sigh and looked up at him with irritation. "What Ah do is mah business, Cajun. Not yours."

He slowly shook his head. "Non. Anytin' you do is my business from now on, petite."

She lifted her chin at him and crossed her arms. "Oh, yeah? How so?" she challenged.

He shrugged. "Don' know. Just 'so'."

He held her eyes again and just like a few moments ago, Rogue was enchanted into his red/black eyes. She didn't fathom how he carried such magic. But he did. Something about the glint in his eyes just held her where she was and made her feel completely at ease. Made her feel warm. And above all she felt…safe. And that was a feeling that she had not felt in the longest time.

And then he reached for her. His hand came up to caress her cheek, wanting--no needing--to feel her physically. Feel that warm, velvety skin linger lightly under his finger tips. He couldn't fight back the urge anymore. Everything that Storm had told her about Rogue's powers was completely forgotten.

However--and luckily--Rogue had not forgotten. She quickly dashed away from his reach. Her eyes shot up in shock. She could not believe that she had let that almost happen. How could she have almost let that happen? Why had she allowed him to get so close to her? To be honest, she had actually not even noticed his close proximity. Well, she had! But it had not hit her. It was as if she had forgotten about the curse that ran along her entire skin. But, how could that be? She had never forgotten her anathema.

Gambit turned towards her. "What be de problem now, chere?"

She shook her head. "Its best you don't get too close to me." She took a few steps away from him.

His frown did not disappear.

Rogue struggled to find the words to let him know about her powers. She had thought that somebody in this loose-lip team had already given Gambit the facts of her powers. "You were right. Ah'm not like other girls. Mah powers avert me 'ta."

Then, Gambit remembered Storm's words. He remembered about Rogue's powers. Remembered Storm's warnings about this young woman. However, that was quickly brushed away. "I know 'bout them, chere."

"Ya do?" As she stared at him, she could tell that he in fact did know. However, why did he get so close to her? Why did he allow himself get so close to a deathly danger?

He saw the question in her eyes. "Remy don' really care, petite." To prove it, he took a few steps towards her. "Don' care fer de consequences."

She matched them as she backed away. "Ya don't know what yo' sayin'."

"But Gambit do."

She shook her head. "No, ya don't. An' even if ya did, why risk it?"

He gave her a one of his charming grins as he gave her a slight shrug. "Guess Gambit like de challenge you've bestowed."

She continued to shake her head. "Don't work yo'self up, sugah. It ain't gonna happen."

His eyes held an evil glint in them just then. "We'll see, chere. It not be easy fer me to let sometin' real good slip from my fingers."

Again, her eyes were pulled towards his. However, it was only for a moment. She broke out of it before he could take advantage of her guard being down to come close to her again.

She took a few seconds to gather up her strength and determination. She stood straight and tall, looked at him straight in the eye and said with great confidence she repeated, "It ain't gonna happen, Remy."

With that, she flew out of the room.

And he stood there, letting the feeling sink in. She had called him Remy. He didn't think that she had remembered, since he had only told her once. And his name has come out of her lips so naturally. With such tenderness.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw something popping out of the couch cushion. He walked over and saw that it was the book Rogue had been trying to hide from him. The cover was that of a young redhead in the arms of a strong good-looking man. It was a romance novel.

This was evidence to Gambit that Rogue did in fact crave for a relationship. Craved for something that--in her opinion--was impossible.

He replayed the last few minutes in his head. By what he had observed of her, he knew that she was a very strong woman. Very determined. Stubborn. And did not easily give in. When she set her mind to something, he was pretty sure she lived up to it. Rogue was a woman who did not change her mind.

He knew that his charms were not going to work on her so easily. She was not going to budge. His charm would not work on her. And it will not be for a long time until he finally convinced her….

Gambit snickered. He was used to easy women. Women who gave in within the first few minutes. Women who gave in to their body instead of their heads.

Rogue was definitely unlike any other woman…

His smile broadened. Remy Etienne LeBeau had finally met his match….

AN: This was SUPPOSED to just be a SMALL talk between the two, but it turned into WAAAAY more. Oooops! ANYWHO! REVIEW!!! I wanna see the reviews reach HIGH!...cuz it motivates me a lot more!