A Small Diner, New York- Present Day
Rogue sat in the diner biting her nails in the small secluded booth. She still couldn't fathom the idea that they were meeting up here. It was too much, too fast. Then she realized that was Gambit for her, that was their relationship. Too much, too fast.
It was late afternoon, the lunch rush had just died down and the waitresses were busying themselves counting tips and waiting for some actual customers. Rogue had done nothing but order an iced tea and wait.
She had gotten there early, despite telling herself she wasn't going to get there early. An hour before they were supposed to meet and Rogue was sitting in a booth biting her nails and nursing her iced tea.
She was vaguely aware of the fact that she had something in her purse. She wouldn't recognize the fact. Not until after he arrived. Rogue stared out the window at the passersby hoping to see his auburn hair and crimson eyes in the crowd but to no avail.
She was faintly aware of someone calling her name. "Chere?"
Her imagination was running away with her. Remembering the ways he used to say her name. Whisper it. The short tiny breaths in her ear. It sent chills up her spine and down her arms. She swore she could feel the warmth of his skin against her. Her eyes closed at the sensation.
"Rogue?" a deep velvety baritone let out.
Rogue's emeralds snapped open at the sound and she realized she was staring at a man sitting across from her with a devilish smile and blazing scarlet irises set against an onyx sea of sclera.
Rogue shook her head in embarrassment and smiled ruefully at the old friend.
"Gambit," the statement was simple but the tone was indecipherable. Remy was unable to read her and for the first time his smile faded and his poker face was left in the dust.
There was an awkward silence as they both took stock of the other. Rogue's eyes raked up and down Gambit's form. His hair was shorter than she remembered it but then she realized it was about the same length from when they had last met a cropped cut that suited him well but defined him as the man and not the boy she remembered.
He was wearing a simple black silk shirt with black slacks, his trench strewn across the booth beside him. His ruby eyes glimmered for a moment, sparking fire in the irises and Rogue noticed the sly smirk make its way to his perfect lips once again.
She recalled just how well she knew those lips. The whispers and ghosts of that supple skin against flesh, the warmth of the gentle touch, the moist feeling of the texture. She shook her head at the memories flooding her head taking notice of the perfect amount of stubble he wore on his chin. Just enough to make him look ruggedly handsome. Like he needed any help.
Gambit was trying to decipher her as always. She was tightly shut, like a safe he was unable to crack, always promising the most unreal treasures behind the lock. Her hair was tied back, her white streak prominently displayed as a single strand framing her face.
She was wearing a tight fitting green v-neck tee, a brown leather waist jacket on top and a pair of dark washed denim jeans fitted against her well defined legs. He gazed down into her cleavage for a moment watching as she turned red at the notion he was gawking at her. He gave her a wolfish grin. He was admiring the simple gold locket hung around her neck. How he knew that piece of jewelry well. He hid the sadness that had washed over him suddenly almost ridiculously well.
The waitress finally approached them ending their silence. Gambit turned to face her, his eyes darting to Rogue's every once and a while in an attempt to determine exactly what was going on behind that façade of hers.
"What'll ya have?" the bored waitress asked not even looking up from her notepad.
Rogue leaned back and shrugged, "Ah'm fine sugah."
Gambit grinned at her words and then rotated back towards the waitress. "I'll take a black coffee."
"Comin' right up," the waitress said unenthusiastically as she departed from them.
The silence returned for a moment. Rogue was staring out of the window of the booth. Watching couples and children as they passed. They all seemed so happy. So why was it that when she saw this all she thought was that it was a lie? A fabrication created to reel people into false hope. There was no such thing as happiness, only disappointment.
Rogue turned when something caught her eye. Gambit had a deck of cards in his hand, shuffling through them as he stared after the same people, a blank, unreadable expression on his face. Rogue looked at him. Why had they even come here? The butterflies in her stomach erupted into a mass of acid and she took another sip of her tea to quell the nerves. She mustered up the confidence to speak.
"So what brings ya to New York?" her tone was liquid acid. Gambit kept with his shuffling.
"Business," he stated idly as he finished shuffling, placing the deck of cards amongst the many pockets of his trench.
Rogue nodded still sipping her iced tea. "So who ya scoping out fo' the next heist. Some unsuspecting granny with thousands of dollars in junk bonds?"
Remy couldn't help but chuckle at her. He knew she was trying to get a rise out of him. She should have known better than to try, there was only one way to make him angry and she knew it. She would never cross that line either. It would hurt her as well.
"You know de Guild does have some actual legitimate ventures besides thieving right?" he mocked her as he leaned against the leather booth staring at her with mysterious eyes.
"Like what, casinos," Rogue joked back her tone lessening in acridity as the conversation continued.
"Non, although that is tempting. I'm actually here because Etienne is setting up a private security company out here and needed some help with the technical aspects," he stated with a grin.
"Wait so you're helping people stop thieves, isn't that a bit contradictory?" Rogue asked eyeing Remy with skepticism, folding her arms across her chest.
Gambit chuckled again, the breathy bass line sending chills through Rogue's body. It was so familiar, this kind of thing. It made her feel at home for the first time in a long time. The idea hurt to think about. The past. It always had a way of hurting you.
"Y' could say dat. But we screen de clients before we do anyt'ing. If we t'ink dat dey are gonna be potential marks in de future we don't protect them. It's somewhat of a conflict of interest but de majority of people we actually aid are former thieves so it works out fo' de best," he stated with a shrug watching as the waitress returned with his coffee.
"Anything else I can get ya folks?" the waitress let out in a rude tone as if to say she had better things to do.
Rogue looked to Gambit who nodded and then turned his attention to the waitress. "Non, I t'ink we be good fo' now chere."
The waitress retreated and the silence followed once more. Gambit began to fidget nervously and Rogue took in the picture of the man attempting to restrain his over active body. He was always so fidgety. She grinned and giggled, he stared at her with questioning eyes and she merely pursed her lips in resoluteness.
Rogue shifted her position and then let the words fall from her mouth, the ones she had been waiting to say all day. "So why are ya here Remy?"
Remy looked at her for a moment. Rogue gazed and stared as she saw the smile fade from his face and his eyes narrow almost instantly. His expression was one of immense sadness and Rogue had only ever seen it on his face once before. It scared her. He had never been like this before, not since that day. What had happened?
"I needed ta talk to y'. Needed some…I don't," he paused not looking at Rogue, unable to meet her eyes. "I needed ta talk to y' because y' be de only person ta understand what I'm goin' through. Maybe it's cause we gone through it before, non."
His tone lightened for a moment as he gazed into Rogue's eyes finding the concern written in the irises that he knew was hidden behind the scathing remarks. Instinctually, Rogue sat up straight and let her hands sit on the table, folded in front of her as she awaited Gambit's response.
"What goin' on Remy? Ya-" Rogue started off irritated almost before Gambit interrupted.
"Bella Donna's pregnant," his words were heavy and short. A staccato bass that hit Rogue in the chest.
Why would he come here to tell her that? Did he want to break her heart even more than it already was? What was she supposed to tell him? The truth? That she hated the idea of him being with another woman, that the thought of him with that tramp of a woman made her want to vomit and then the actual thought of them conceiving a child. Was she supposed to be happy for him?
Rogue mustered up all the faux politeness she could. She was surprised she didn't say it through gritted teeth. "Well…that's…Congratulations, Remy. Ya have your great big family after all."
The last part came out hard and cold and Rogue was hoping that he wasn't seeing the tears in her eyes at the memories of what they once had, at the prospect of more that was just at the horizon of their former relationship. She hoped that he didn't see the hatred emanating from her skin like poison.
Remy stared into her eyes. He knew, he could tell. They still did. It wasn't just him; it was her too. But this didn't mean anything. It couldn't, could it? He didn't know what to tell her except the truth, but he was scared it might be too much, might lead to things better left in the past.
"It's not mine," he stated simply. Rogue's heart broke and soared.
She didn't believe the words at first. She stared at him, awestruck, tears welling over and her mouth gaping open. He smiled serenely at her and took her hand in his to reassure her. She quickly pulled it away and attempted to compose herself, bringing her hand to her lips, her eyes wide open.
Rogue let out a gurgle and Remy finally explained. "We went to de doctor 'bout a week ago. She's trois months along. Trois months ago I was in Paris finishing up a heist. There's no way its mine."
Remy let out a small sigh. He loved Belle once. Loved Julien as his own son, but this was too much. How was he supposed to marry a woman who couldn't be faithful, he had been nothing but devoted to her since their engagement. It wasn't easy but he had done it, for her. And now there was this.
He didn't like to think that it was fate but there was no other explanation. Not but a month ago he runs into the woman he lost, the woman he would always love that had been torn from him and now unable to get her back because he was in a committed relationship. And now it was broken. It seemed too good to be true.
"Remy…Ah'm….Ah don't know what ta say," Rogue let out still trying to put her thoughts into coherent sentences.
"Dere's really nothin' y' can say chere. She made her choice, it wasn't moi. I just needed ta talk ta ya because it got me t'inking 'bout de past and…" he let out a breath. Why was this always so difficult to bring up? "Well y' know."
Rogue looked into his eyes and saw once again that sadness and realized it was the same sadness she had witnessed only once before. In an uncharacteristic gesture Rogue took his hand in hers, Remy's eyes slowly met hers and he gave her a half smile that was so unlike him that Rogue felt her heart crumble.
The past was somewhere the two of them shouldn't go. They were too entrenched in the present to dig up such things. But she knew what he was mentioning and the tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Anna, I didn't mean ta-" Remy stated reaching across the table to brush away her tears with his thumbs, his hand on her cheek.
Rogue looked up at him from underneath her snowy bangs, her green eyes full of tears at the memories of lives long lost. She watched the flames spark in his irises and tried to smile for him but couldn't. A sob escaped her chest and she desperately gasped for air.
"It's okay Remy. It's just been…It's been a long time since I thought about the past," Rogue let out a sigh, her breathing finally steadying. Remy drew back slightly and Rogue leaned back in the booth.
Remy waited a moment leaning forward on the table, his chin resting on his hands. "Do you ever t'ink about-"
"All the time. It's been hard not ta think…but that was a long time ago Rems…a long time," Rogue let out, a shiver crawling up her back.
She stared out the window at the parents with their children. Five years. She spotted a little boy with short brown hair. She wondered. If only. The past could be a wicked bitch sometimes. Rogue swallowed and turned her eyes to Remy. He had been watching as well. She thought of Julien.
"Dere are times when I wish we could go back and somehow change what happened. I wanted what we had so much; I just didn't realize what we needed. I knew I needed you but dere was so much more dat we didn't take inta account," Remy said quietly still looking out the window.
"We were so young Remy. There wasn't a lot we could do. That kind of responsibility would have been the end of both of us. We would have ended up resenting each other. We would've regretted everything," Rogue responded politely.
Her tone was calm, almost disconnected. Remy snapped his head to see her, his eyes set in anger, his jaw clenched.
"Non, I wouldn't have regretted it. And I damn well would never have resented y'. I loved y' Rogue and…" Remy took in a deep breath and smiled to himself. "It would have been an adventure and I would've loved ta take de leap wit' you."
Tears started to well up in Rogue's eyes and she took in a couple of shaky breaths. She closed her eyes for a moment. Those times were the best of her life. And then fate stepped in. She wished it wasn't true. Wished things could've been different. But they weren't.
She had often wondered what would have happened between them had things been different. Had fate not gotten in the way? Would they be happy and together? She had imagined their life together a thousand different ways. She wished she hadn't been so scared.
"Ah'm sorry Remy," Rogue whispered.
Remy's eyes blazed in anger and he reached over the table taking Rogue's face in his hands turning her eyes to his. He gazed into the emerald depths seeing the regret and pain latent within them; he resisted the urge to place his lips against hers, to defeat the pain with love. He knew he couldn't.
"It wasn't y' fault, Anna. Y' know dat. T'ings like dat happen. I loved y' no matter what. Dat doesn't mean I wasn't allowed to be upset, to be overwhelmingly saddened. He was a part of us Anna, would've been the best part of both of us. Fate jus' had other plans fo' us," Remy whispered against her lips.
Rogue didn't realize he was on the other side of the booth cradling her to his chest until she opened her eyes and saw his face mere inches from hers and felt the warmth of his skin through the soft silk of his shirt.
"Is…Is that why y' love Julien so much. Because he reminds ya of..of…of" Rogue was sobbing once again.
Remy shushed her, rocking her back and forth in the booth, gently stroking her hair. He was glad she had picked a secluded booth because they would have been making a scene otherwise. Remy pressed his lips to the top of her head taking a deep breath of her magnolia scent.
"It is part of de reason. I'd be lyin' if I didn't say dat. But he will never take away dat spot in mon heart fo' ours," he whispered against her satin locks.
Rogue sobbed some more taking in deep breaths of Remy's spice scent. This was too much. Why did they go digging up the past? Didn't they know it would just lead to heartache? Rogue was quivering in his arms, the arms she thought she would never be held in, but there she was once again caught in his trap.
"Ah wish we could've met him. He would have been beautiful," Rogue sobbed into Remy's chest.
She felt his tears hit her hair, dampening it. She knew it killed him to, to talk about such things. Rogue lifted her head and looked into Remy's eyes seeing the tears. She parted her lips as if to say something but was cut off by his words.
"Oui, he would have. Jus' like y' ma chere," Remy said confidently with a sad half chuckle.
They both took in deep breaths. Rogue leaned against Remy's shoulder his arm around hers. She twisted her head to look at him and their eyes met for the final time. There was a sudden accumulation of the intense emotionality that had just transpired and without thinking, without knowing their lips met.
Five years later and little had changed. Five years later and everything had changed. Five years later and everything was the same. Five years later and Remy Etienne Lebeau still loved Anna Marie Darkholme-Lensherr. Five years later and Anna Marie Darkholme-Lensherr still worshipped Remy Lebeau. The past couldn't be altered but the future was running the same course.