Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men!
Title: No payback enough.
"Donc, was back at the bayou, rite?, going back home with my worthless brother, den these hommes come outta nowhere-"
"And this is one of your bullshit stories, ain't it?"
"Cherie, Remy got no bullshit for y', he an open book."
"Yeah, like that time yah kidnapped me-"
"Whoa, dat was-"
"-then used your shady ways-"
"-'twas a matter of life or death and-"
"-to pull me into the middle of that Cajun craziness-"
"-if Remy remember correctly, we said we'd start over and leave that unfortunate incident in the past."
"Nah, yah said that, Ah said Ah couldn't be instant friends with someone who freaking abducted me!"
"Yet here we are, even years later. Cheers."
They'd stopped by in this little bar on the way back to the mansion after a reckon mission. A couple of beers and one or two bourbons, plus some good conversation, which they never ran out of, was more than appreciated after hours and hours of superhero work.
Gambit took a long sip from his liquor and winked at her from the other side of the glass. Rogue just laughed it off and drank some as well, because what more was there to say? Guess they were friends indeed: teammates, housemates, flirtmates, all of that and that was it, all they'd ever be and it was still a lot.
"'Kay so yah two single handedly defeated what, eight guys?"
"Nine, but see" he leaned in a bit closer to her, over the table: "I was out of the game in a sec (hey, I was 11), and I was lying there in the mud, seeing how they beat the hell out of my elder frère, who may be a moron but, blood's blood, they were gonna kill 'im chere, 'cause he owed 'em money. And I see 'im getting beat up, my own forehead's bleeding too, my brain's burning and I manage to grab some rock there, 'twas a big one, and I toss it at 'em with everythin' I had."
"And?"
"And it went boom! The darn thing got this reddish color in midair, then blew up right at their feet. Even Henri got a lil hurt. Serves him right."
"So that was the first time your powers-"
"Oui."
"Yeah, Ah've heard 'bout that theory, that people's powers kinda channel themselves in a certain way, because of a very intense situation."
"Dat what I heard, oui".
Remy knew he could talk a lot and he liked to think he was quite sleek at it. But every once in a blue moon, he'd have to mentally curse both himself and bourbon, for he'd just let himself go with a subject that was better left untalked.
He knew it even a second before Rogue looked away for few instants, then back at her glass to take a sip. He saw it in the way the teasing, smiling frame of hers had suddenly shifted, just slightly, but it was there.
"Now Remy also know dat in here they got those fries with cheese and bacon and all dat sweet stuff we both appreciate. Want some? Hm?"
Her eyes finally met him again, though the damage was obviously already done. She attempted a smile, though she was far away now.
Then she shook her head a bit, like she hadn't even heard a bit of what he'd said about fries:
"Ah've never told anyone 'bout how Ah got this… ability."
Merde.
"S'okay chere, y' don't have to tell me, I just suddenly r'membered 'bout dat 'cause we were talkin' 'bout dat other thing and one thing led to the other and then I don't even know what I was saying. So y' want those fries or not?"
The bar around suddenly became a strange place, one she couldn't really recognize so well, but it didn't matter, because in the center of it and yet, outside, it was just her and Remy. And a little bit of alcohol to spit things out.
"Not Kitty or Jean. Not the Professor, either, or Mystique back then. No one knows."
He didn't know what was worse: to try and brush the whole thing off again, or to let her continue.
"No one?" was all he could say, not wanting to dig into it more than he already had.
Her lips parted once, then got pursed, then parted again.
"Shit, Remy, Ah was twelve. Ah was twelve" she repeated matter of factly. He couldn't stop her now, of course, feeling like the ultimate intruder but at the same time, if she trusted him enough to say this to him… so be it.
"Ah lived with my mom and one day her new boyfriend moved in. It was whatever for a while, Ah didn't really mind much 'bout him. Then she started taking these church courses every Thursday night, she'd leave at 8 and came back at 'round 10. And then…"
She paused for a while, trying to comprehend her own words, for the first time phrasing this out loud. Remy didn't dare to move, hoping by some miracle that it wouldn't be what he was thinking. It couldn't be.
Again, she wasn't looking at him. She was looking into some well buried memories.
"…one night, one Thursday, Ah'd just turned 12 and Ah was in my bedroom reading these magazines. And he came in. Closed the door and… and he said: 'it's about time yah become a woman'. That's what he said."
Some people were playing pool back there while cheering and yelling and laughing out loud.
Neither Rogue nor Remy heard them.
"And he… It's just, it doesn't feel real, even saying it. For so long Ah tried to see it as if it was something Ah saw on a movie or that happened to someone else. Ah detached myself from it. But it's impossible, right? Detaching from it?"
He was never speechless.
There's always an exception, though.
"So… Ah really hated Thursdays. Ah was so terrified of 'em that Ah'd cry more and more as the day came by, and of course Ah tried not to be home then, that day but… he said he'd kill me if Ah wasn't there or if Ah told anyone, my mom, especially. He said he'd kill her too and he'd put his hands around my neck and squeeze… Ah passed out once. He'd beat me up too and Ah'd tell my mom it'd been a fight at school." Was it really Rogue, his Rogue, saying all of this? Why was shit so messed up, that she'd had to live this insanity she was describing, then carry it around for the rest of her life? It was unthinkable. "Sometimes Ah tried to fight back but he was really... strong and most times, Ah'd just lie there, waiting for it to be over. So Ah wonder… if Ah could have done something more-"
"Rogue-"
"No, Ah know it technically ain't my fault, but… Ah mean, Ah did tell my mom. Twice. But she… she told me to stop making stuff up. And maybe Ah could have gone to the police or Ah don't know, tell a teacher, someone. But Ah wa…" She had to pause again, maybe to regain strength: "Ah was 12, Ah was a child! And he said he'd kill my mom and… sometimes Ah wake up in the middle of the night and Ah can still… Ah can almost hear… feel, his… breath in my ear."
He thought she was this close from crying. And angry cry, a furious one. But she didn't.
"It happened during 6 or 7 months. Guess Ah was lucky Ah hadn't had my fi… why am Ah telling this to yah? Ah'm sorry-"
"Non, non, chere, please. Y' wanna go on, go on. Y' wanna stop and we go home, or maybe y' want those fries, dunno, just name it".
"What Ah need's more bourbon now."
He called for another bottle. They both could hold their liquor well.
"So well, long story short" she went on after the bottle was brought to the table: "One day he enters my room and Ah'd been crying 'cause, Thursday. And Ah was so… dead. Ah wanted to die. But instead he… touches me and this thing happens, he's knocked out and my brain starts to sort of fall off, but… he can't touch me anymore. Neither him nor anyone. Cheers to that."
She'd never seen him so somber.
"Hey, Gawd Remy, Ah'm so sorry Ah turned this into some uncomfortable moment here, this is obviously a very awkward story and-"
"Non, I'm sorry I brought it up and I'm sorry… I wasn't around then."
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry I wasn't around then to stop that somehow, I know it make no sense but I wish I had."
She shrugged: "And Ah'm sorry Ah wasn't older. Maybe Ah could have done something, Ah don't know. We'll never know. But Ah'm fine, Rems. Ah am. Now, do yah want those fries?"
(…)
It was around 4 a.m. and she was just about to get into bed, when there was a knock on her door.
"Hey, what it is?"
He had that look of hatred again.
"Y' want me to kill 'im?"
She snorted in disbelief. He didn't smirk back, like she expected him to.
"What?"
"Y' want me to find 'im and kill 'im for y'? Unless y' wanna do it y'rself in which case I can help y'."
For few moments, she studied his face and as difficult as it was, she realized he wasn't joking or speaking metaphorically.
"Yah're… serious."
"Told y' I was an open book."
Today, each of them was meeting in the other one a whole new person.
"Come in."
She'd thought about it, of course, even years after. Finding him wherever he was and… she wouldn't do it, though. She knew she wouldn't. But seeing someone, Remy, actually offering to do something like that was… too insane, too twisted. How many people had he ever…? He was an X-Man now, even though he had a dark past, like most people do. But would he…? Could he…?
"Remy, Ah didn't tell yah this for yah to-"
"I know, it don't matter. But the salaud's out there somewhere, after what he did to y'. I say he don't deserve to live."
"Ah know but-"
"Y' just have to say the word, chere. Y' look scared."
"Well Ah am! Ah just didn't… Ah didn't think yah could mean something like this."
"What I mean's that I care 'bout y'. Y' know that."
Who's capable of what? Who's keeping a horrible secret? You're never done knowing someone.
"Okay, yah know what Remy, that's insane. We're not going to do that, yah're not going to do that… kill anyone. Even if y' did, it wouldn't change anything, it won't turn back time and if it's about revenge, there's no payback enough for what he did. It's done already, and Ah can just… try to move forward, 'kay? OKAY?"
He seemed unconvinced for a couple of moments, but then, instantly, he became again the guy she knew.
"Alright. I do have more bourbon, if y're interested" he made the bottle appear out of nowhere.
"Okay, let's drown into that bitch."
(…)
Sitting on the floor with their backs against the bed, Rogue had already fallen asleep when the first rays of sunlight entered the room. Sensing her pretty head resting on his shoulder, he hoped it could somehow made her feel safe. Not like she needed it. But he wanted to, anyway
That man had hurt her beyond belief.
Now he would hurt him.
END.
Note: Oh wow! That was a harsh ending, I'm even surprised myself. I'd just had this idea for a while. Anyway! Hope everyone's doing well and I will do well too if you guys tell me what you thought of this story!