Chapter 10
Rogue woke up to a light touch on her face. She opened up her eyes to see Gambit tickling her face with the corner of the sheet.
"Morning," he said.
"Good mornin'," she replied. "What's the time?"
"8:30."
"Missed breakfast."
"Non, we're going out for breakfast dis morning."
"Oh good. That beats makin' our own."
"Absolument."
Gambit got off the bed so that she could get up. Fifteen minutes later, thereabouts, the two made their way to the garage, hand in hand.
"It's about time you two go up," Bobby joked, spotting them on the way.
"Yes..." Pete drawled. "Of course, what Bobby isn't telling you is that Jubes and Kitty are still in bed."
"Kitty's hungover," Bobby grinned. "So funny."
"Ah'm sure," Rogue said dryly.
"You guys going out?"
"All day," Gambit replied cheerfully. "Don't wait up."
"Right then, I won't except to see you again until tomorrow morning and if I do I will assume you're doppelgangers," Bobby decided.
"Sounds like a plan," Rogue giggled.
Rogue and Gambit sat at the table at the cafe, their half-eaten breakfast before them. Gambit glanced out the window, did a double take and then promptly turned his back.
"Chérie?"
"Mmm?"
"That blonde that just went past, in the blue?"
Rogue looked up.
"Yeah?"
"She going past or coming in?"
The bells that signalled the door opening rang and Rogue could almost see the colour drain from his face.
"That was her coming in," Rogue confirmed.
"Merde."
Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"She hasn't seen us, has she?"
"No. She's at the counter. Why?"
Gambit pulled out his wallet and handed Rogue some money.
"Pay for breakfast. I'll met yo' at the bike."
"What? Now?"
"Oui."
"Uhh, okay..."
They both got up. Gambit made a beeline for the door, while Rogue went to the counter to pay. She spared at glance at the strawberry-blonde woman who'd managed to unnerve Gambit so. She was attractive enough, she supposed.
Not long thereafter, Rogue slipped outside and found Gambit already on the motorcycle, his helmet on. Evidently, he wasn't in the mood to hang around any longer than necessary. A slight smile on her face, Rogue put on her own helmet (even if it seem redundant, given that she was invulnerable) and climbed on the bike behind him. They sped off.
"And we're at the mall because why?" Rogue inquired.
"Well, ma chére," Gambit said taking her hand. "It strikes me yo' need somet'ing t' encourage yo'."
"Ah do?"
"Oui. We're happy now 'cause you're figured out the key t' controlling your powers no? But it's going t' take time before yo' have dat full control. And dey'll probably be some days where yo' feel like you're not getting anywhere and want t' give up, so yo' and me are going t' nip dat in the bud now."
"And how do ya propose we do that?"
"We're going t' buy yo' somet'ing for yo' to use when yo' have your powers under control. Just so yo' have somet'ing tangible. 'Control' will be a reward in itself, but it's not somet'ing yo' can hold or touch or look at."
"Well, that's true. What kind of 'thing' did ya have in mind?"
Gambit shrugged.
"Well, yo' could go wit' a book or a movie or somet'ing. An item of clothing might be better, somet'ing yo' can show off in, because dat will reduce the temptation t' use it beforehand."
"Yeah maybe..." she paused and looked at at him with an amused smile. "So, ya wanna tell me why for once in your life ya were runnin' away from a woman instead of towards?"
"Dere is a certain irony in dat, isn't dere?"
"Uh huh."
Silence.
"Ah'm waitin'."
"Her name's Jessica. She's a telekinetic who visits the same casinos I do and doesn't take 'no' for an answer."
Rogue paused.
"What's the question?"
"What do yo' t'ink?"
Rogue started giggling.
"Is the ladies' man having a problem with being too attractive?"
"No such t'ing. I'm having a problem with a female version o' Pulse. Mebbe we should get them t'gether and solve both our problems."
"She been using her powers on ya too?"
"Oui," Gambit said grimly.
Rogue stopped walking and looked at him.
"Ah'll kill her," she said, starting to turn back.
Gambit grabbed her arm.
"Chére, forget it," he said. "T'day's about yo' not her. We'll deal wit' her later."
Rogue pursed her lips but finally nodded.
"Fine," she said tersely. "But next time we meet, Ah won't be held responsible for muh actions."
"Given dat she is telekinetic, you'd probably have t' sneak up on her, chérie. Otherwise she'd just hold yo' in place."
"Then what? She'll get tired and have ta let go eventually. And then I'll kill her."
"Try not t' make a mess."
Gambit leaned against the wall outside the change room, springing his cards from one hand to the other and wondering how it was that he was the one who suggested clothes shopping.
It all sounded good in theory, but he should have remembered from all the times he'd been dragged around clothes shopping with other women that this was a bad idea. Albeit, Rogue was not as bad as some girls he knew, who would spend two hours in tiny little shops, try just about everything on and then leave without buying anything. And complain that the store didn't have anything they could wear.
The female mind was certainly a mystery.
Normally shopping with Rogue was no big deal. For someone who had to cover up as much as she did in a world where bearing skin was all the rage, there weren't exactly a whole lot of appropriate options. It seemed that faced with the prospect of actually buying something without having to take potential skin exposure into account was turning her into one of those girls.
Gambit sincerely hoped that it was just because she was looking for 'something special'. Otherwise the idea of going shopping with Rogue after she got her powers under control was looking to be a very frightening prospect indeed.
In the changing room Rogue took another look at herself in the mirror. It seemed so very strange to be wearing something that exposed so much leg. And arm. And cleavage (although this one was more conservative than the last one she'd tried, where she fell like she was going to fall out). The sparkling jade dress would definitely go with those emerald earrings Gambit had given her for Christmas last year and she liked the way it matched her green eyes.
"Okay," she said, opening up the curtain. "What do ya think of this one?"
Gambit looked up mid-spring and every single card in his hand fell to the floor. He stared and Rogue giggled at his expression.
"Ah'm guessing that means we have a winner."
"Mon dieu," he said, finding his voice. "I t'ink you'd better get changed, chére, before I come in dere and do somet'ing that's likely t' put me int' a coma."
Rogue laughed and shut the curtain.
"And den," Gambit went on as he picked up his cards, "security would come along, because dey will get so uptight about two people being in the same change room. Only dey will see a unconscious body on the floor and assume I tried t' assault yo' and yo' were only defendin' yourself. Probably call the cops on me and -"
"Ah think you're puttin' way too much thought inta this, swamp rat," Rogue interrupted with much amusement.
"Possibly. Although I am t'inking dat it would be one of those t'ings dat are really lousy at the time but hilarious a few months down the track."
"Dork."
"Tease."
"Lame brain."
"Skunkhead."
"How's your game of 52 pickup going?"
"I won."
Rogue snickered as she exited the change room.
Contrary to what Gambit had initially told Bobby, they ended up returning to the mansion mid afternoon. Bobby even saw them as they walked past the rec room and pointed wildly.
"Doppelgangers!"
"No, no," Rogue corrected. "We're not doppelgangers. We're just figments of your imagination."
"You are? Oh well, that's okay then. Hello figments of my imagination," Bobby grinned.
"Of course, you realise this means you're talkin' ta yourself?"
"Does that mean I'm crazy?"
"You were crazy long before ya started talkin' ta yourself."
"Wait, so now a figment of my imagination is calling me crazy? I must be crazier than I thought."
"The straight-jacket's on order," Gambit joked.
"And now a figment of my imagination is making jokes about me being crazy. Wow, I have a really active imagination, don't I?"
"Go back t' sleep Bobby. Dis has all been just a very strange dream."
"But I'm watching TV."
"Or are yo'?" Gambit asked ominously.
Rogue giggled as they continued back to their bedroom where they dumped their purchases of the day. Rogue put her new dress up in the wardrobe. Everything else could wait.
"So chérie," Gambit said. "What yo' say t' some practicing, mebbe some chargin' fun if we have time, and going out fo' a romantic dinner?"
"Sounds nice," she replied.
He pulled off his boots and spread out on the bed with a big grin.
"I'm all yours."
Rogue snickered, took off her shoes and gloves and laid done beside him.
"So, how do yo' want t' do dis?"
"Ah don't know. It's weird," Rogue held up her hand in the air away from them. "Right now, Ah can't really feel anything different."
She placed her hands together.
"Now Ah can feel like, Ah don't know, static or something. The amusement park has opened."
She moved her upper hand to just above Gambit's cheek and grinned at him.
"And now there's a parade and fireworks. Ah think muh power must be reactin' t' ya life force or something, because when Ah move muh hand over your clothes, the sensation goes."
"Interesting."
"Ah'm probably makin' it sound like it's louder than it is," Rogue said. "Ah think Ah'm only able ta notice it because Ah'm paying attention."
"Probably snuck up on yo' when your powers were forming, or came all at once when yo' absorbed David," Gambit said, considering the matter. "When yo' took the Cure, seemed like a minor detail in comparison t' losing your voices, then your powers came back gradually -"
"So wouldn't have noticed it either. And the collar obviously didn't shut muh powers off completely, seeing as how Ah could still hear muh voices, even if they were quieter," Rogue nodded.
"Well, now dat we've figured out why yo' didn't notice it sooner, how about we try shutting down the amusement park, no?"
"Sounds like a good plan ta me."
Rogue looked at her hand by Gambit's cheek, feeling a light tickle much like the sensation of running fingers over fine hairs. Like she had the night before, Rogue willed the sensation to stop.
It did.
Allowing herself to smile, Rogue placed her hand on his cheek properly. Gambit smiled back at her as she caressed him, running her fingers across his skin slowly. She leaned forward and caught his lips with hers. He held her close, his arm now around her waist. He opened his mouth and Rogue pressed in further, wanting to taste more.
Then the amusement park re-opened for business and she felt the surge of his life force flow into her.
.
"Remy!"
He turned around slowly, slightly put off by the fact that he'd introduced himself to Jessica as 'Gambit' not 'Remy'.
"Oui, mam'selle?" he inquired.
Jessica came right up close to him, and ran her finger down his chest.
"A girl could think you're trying to avoid her."
He caught her hand and returned it to her.
"Now how can yo' get dat idea, when we barely interact as it is?"
"I'm still waiting for that date."
"Den yo' will be waiting awhile, if you're expecting one wit' moi. Good evening."
He turned, started to walk away again and frowned when he realised he couldn't move. Jessica moved around in front of him and draped her arms over his neck.
"Playing hard to get, gets old after awhile."
"I'm not playing, mam'selle. I am simply not on the market."
"Oh please, how serious could it be?" she dismissed. "You have a new girl every week. Sometimes every night and I really want to know, when's my turn?"
Still unable to move, he found himself also unable to reply as Jessica pressed her mouth to his. He tried to pull away, but not only couldn't he move, but he found his jaw was dropping without his express permission. He pressed his tongue down in his mouth even as Jessica moved in hers.
He was not going to respond. He didn't care if he'd been kissing women for so long that kissing back was a well-ingrained habit, he was not going to respond. He was not going to encourage her.
Let me go.
Let me go!
.
He walked into the bedroom, feeling like crap and glad to be home. Rogue was asleep in bed and he went to her side. She was so beautiful. He touched her face and she woke.
"Sorry chére," he said softly. "Didn't mean t' wake yo'."
"Remy? It's two in the mornin', ya only just got back?"
"Oui."
"Ya okay?"
He couldn't answer her. He didn't want to revisit what happened tonight. He just wanted her.
"Will yo' join me in bed t'night?"
"Remy - "
"I just need t' hold yo'."
He saw the frown appear on her face.
"Remy, what happened?"
He couldn't tell her.
.
Rogue gasped as she broke away. Gambit was looking much like a stunned mullet as he recovered.
"That bitch!"
"Huh?"
"Jessica! Just wait until Ah get muh hands on her, Ah'll -"
Gambit placed his fingers over her mouth, a slight smile on his face.
"Actually, chérie, dat gives moi an idea."
There were two things that Rogue did not like about this plan. The first was the necessary vandalism to one of her pairs of gloves - undoing the stitching at the seam by her pinkie finger so that she could unglove it at a moments' notice for a stealthy absorption. The second was the idea that Jessica was about to take up residence in her head. Rogue was not entirely certain that she wanted a spoiled brat of a stalker in her head. Let alone one that used her telekinesis to hold faithful men in place while she tried to seduced them with bad, one-sided tongue kisses.
On the bright side, her short hair spiked up rather well.
"Ah have a question."
"Oui?"
"Why don't ya just charm her inta leaving ya alone?"
"I've tried. Unfortunately it's 'hypnotic charm' not 'charming hypnotism', and I've never had any luck repelling people dat way. Besides, it's really hard trying t' convince someone t' do somet'ing dey really don't want t' do, and Jessica really doesn't want t' leave me alone."
"Do ya think she will after today?"
"Probably not, but it'll be fun beating her at her own game."
Rogue chuckled and sometime later the two arrived at the casino Gambit felt Jessica would most likely be at tonight. His guess was correct, and he pointed her out to Rogue at the craps table.
"Why Jessica," Gambit said dryly as they approached the table. "Fancy meeting yo' here."
"Remy," Jessica began cheerfully upon hearing his voice behind her.
She turned, and her smile faded as her eyes fell on Rogue and Gambit's arms around her.
"Rogue, dis is Jessica. Jessica, dis is my girlfriend Rogue."
Rogue held out her hand.
"Nice ta meet ya," she said pleasantly.
Jessica eyed off Rogue's hand like it was a snake and only for Gambit's pointed gaze at her did Jessica reluctantly take it. Rogue slipped her pinkie finger through the hole and touched Jessica's skin. As the absorption began, Rogue changed her expression to one of concern.
"Jessica? You okay?" Rogue then looked at Gambit. "Does she always look this pale?"
After a few seconds, Rogue let go and Jessica slumped slightly at the table.
"You okay?" Rogue repeated.
"Oh, umm, yeah... I'm fine."
"Ya look very thin. Have you been eating properly?"
"I'm fine," Jessica repeated tersely.
"Well, if ya sure..."
"I've been telling Rogue what a good craps player you are," Gambit cut in then.
"Aww, flatterer. You've never even watched me play."
"Well den, perhaps we shall fix dat, no?"
"Do you play at all?" Jessica asked Rogue.
"Ah do today."
Rogue entered the game and with Gambit hanging over her placed her bet. Until today craps had just been a game that showed up in movies occasionally. Now, not only was she well-versed in the rules, but she also had Jessica's telekinesis and her knowledge and skill on how to manipulate the dice with the barest tap.
No doubt Jessica spent the first couple of minutes behind extremely frustrated at the abrupt absence of her powers. Meanwhile Rogue ruthlessly used them to her advantage. Things really got interesting when Jessica's powers returned. Rogue knew, first hand no less, exactly how Jessica manipulated the dice and would tap them telekinetically mere moments after she did to alter the throw.
Gambit watched not smiling (smiling in a casino was a good way to get noticed by security, especially if you were on a winning streak). He really wanted to though. He was rather enjoying Jessica's increasing frustration as she lost again and again and would have loved nothing more than to send a wide, smug smirk in her direction.
"Well, Ah think that's enough for me tonight," Rogue said when she felt the last of her borrowed telekinesis dissipate.
"Already? You've barely begun," Jessica said snippily.
"And you're just about finished."
"Hit the poker tables now, ma chére?" Gambit asked.
"Sounds like fun ta me."
They collected their chips.
"Not a bad haul considering we were only playing for ten minutes," Rogue mused. "By the way, that woman has issues."
"That thought had crossed my mind."
"No, seriously, she has issues. She carries around a photo of ya in her purse. And there's a framed copy in her bedroom."
"How on earth did she get photos o' me? We've barely even spoken."
"Not sure on that point," Rogue frowned, considered, then grabbed Gambit's shoulder. "There's a nightclub she likes to go to, the Wolf Club. They do Overdrive there."
"What? You sure?"
"Yeah. She even got curious but she doesn't have an appropriate physiology so..."
"Hmm, Wolf's Paw and now the Wolf Club? The Paw is own by Fenris International, I bet dey own the club as well."
"You're probably right."
"Question is, is it just coincidence or is Fenris somehow involved?"
"Ah have no idea."
They sat down at an available table and conversation about these serious matters ceased. They were dealt into the next round when it started.
After a few rounds something odd occurred to Gambit. He found he couldn't read Rogue as well as he used to. In fact, she seemed to have developed this amazing poker face since they last played together, which Gambit found most astonishing seeing as how that was only a week ago. She must have been practising.
Oh.
Practising.
Rogue shot Gambit a curious look when he started laughing.
"What's so funny, swamp rat?" she asked.
"I'll tell yo' later," he chuckled.
Okay, he had to stop laughing now. Seriously. He looked at his cards and shook his head.
"I fold. Excusez-moi, one minute," he said.
Gambit patted Rogue on the shoulder as he got up, then went into the mens where he enjoyed a good laugh. He returned to the table when he'd regained his composure.
Sometime later, the couple cashed in their chips and departed for the restaurant where they were going to have their late, romantic dinner.
"This was a good night," Rogue said. "Well, the whole day has been good. But Ah really enjoyed makin' Jessica lose. And Ah think this was muh best game at poker, well, ever."
Gambit started laughing again.
"Okay, what's so funny? Does this have anything ta do with why ya had ta leave before?"
"Oui," he nodded. "I suspect, ma chére, dat yo' may have absorbed my poker face."
Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"I couldn't figure it out at first, but for those first few rounds I couldn't tell at all what kind of a hand yo' had," Gambit nodded. "So unless you've managed ta master a poker face in a week..."
Rogue chewed her bottom lip.
"Gee... Ah hope that's not a bad sign or anything."
"Yo' did only absorb me this afternoon," Gambit dismissed. "It'll probably pass."
"Ah hope so. Ah mean, Ah don't want ta push things."
"I t'ink it's hilarious and we should see if we can talk Bobby inta a game when we get home. Just so we can both screw him over."
Rogue giggled.
"Dammit!" Bobby exclaimed. "Everyone's better at this game than me."
He leaned over and banged his head against the top of the table.
"I wanna go back to Genosha where I always won."
Jubilee, laughing, reached over and patted Bobby on the back.
"That's because Pyro is a worse poker player than you are," she told him.
"Can't we go back to playing friendly games again? Bobby asked.
"You're the one who wanted t' play fo' stakes now," Gambit smirked at him.
Bobby went back to banging his head on the table.
"I just don't know what you're so upset about," Gambit went on. "It's not like we're playing fo' money."
"But... but... but my mars bars!" Bobby wailed.
"Mine now," Rogue beamed at him.
"Damn you. Who's idea was it to play for chocolate anyway?"
"Mine."
"Yes, it was wasn't it," Bobby eyed her suspiciously. "Have you been having poker lessons from Remy on the sly?"
Rogue's idea of an answer to that question was to bat her eyelids at her ex-boyfriend.
"Fine. At least I still have my twinkies."