AN: Squidboy is comic-canon. His mother also showed up in the comics, and then as a mutant in WatX. I don't really know a great deal about her though, so this is another take on her.
I've never actually played poker with real people before, so I might be off on the terminology. I certainly haven't played it in a casino like Gambit would have, so if any of you have and are able to enlighten me of any mistakes, I'd love to know.
This is not a filler chapter. It might seem that way on the surface, but it's not. It was also a lot of fun to write.
Chapter 24: One Big Poker Game
Gambit, Rogue, Kitty, Warren and Sam were seated at one of the tables in the rec room with Gambit's poker table top in place.
"Mind if I join you?" Betsy asked on her approach.
"Sure, Gambit said before anyone else could reply. "Pull up a chair."
"Just as long as you keep your telepathy to yourself," Kitty added quickly with a dire look at both Gambit and Betsy.
"Try not to think too loudly then," Betsy replied calmly as she brought a chair to the table. "What's the buy in?"
"No buy in," Gambit replied as he pushed a pile of chips in. "Raise 20. We're just playing friendly because these guys are too wimpy to gamble anything."
"We're not wimps," Warren said. "We're smart."
"I suppose that must bear some weight from the guy who goes around shirtless in the middle of winter," Betsy commented.
"I'm not complaining," Rogue giggled. "Call."
"One of these days we're going to hide out in one of the spare bedrooms—" Gambit began.
"What spare bedrooms?" Sam drawled. "Fold."
"—and play strip."
"Oooh I'm all for that."
"Call," Kitty said. "I think that we should get the boys to play strip and us girls can watch."
"Sounds like a great idea to me," Rogue grinned.
"Call," said Warren.
"If you don't strip, you don't play," Gambit said.
"So, you won't be playing then?" Rogue asked, batting her eyelids.
"Depends on which way you want to play strip poker, chère," Gambit replied. "Some versions everyone strips at least one item of clothing."
"Well, you would know."
"You haven't lived until you've played strip poker with a supermodel. Oh, hi Betsy," Gambit winked at her.
"I'd hardly call myself a supermodel," Betsy replied.
"Well, you're a model and I think you're super."
"Do you use lame lines like that all the time? Because if so, I'm going to start wondering how you get any girls."
Cards were shown, Gambit won the round (there's a big surprise), and Kitty as the dealer for the next round, began shuffling the cards. Gambit fished some chips out of the box for Betsy.
"By the way, who did Jubes pick up from the airport?" asked Warren.
"New nurse," Kitty replied. "Evelyn Pare and her son, Sammy."
"Good name," Sam said with a grin.
"Sammy's a mutant too. Apparently he likes to call himself Squidboy."
"Squidboy," Gambit snickered. "Gee, I wonder what his powers could be."
"Oh, I saw him," Rogue said. "He's cute. He's got these cute little fishy ears and this fin growing out his head like a mohawk and—"
"He's pink," Warren added. "What? I saw them, I just didn't know who they were."
"Actually I think he was more red," Rogue said thoughtfully.
"He's coral," Betsy corrected.
"Whatever," Kitty dismissed as she started dealing the cards. "He's here, and his mother. I know Hank's been after an assistant for awhile now."
"Ha, all Stormy needs to do now is get that school counsellor and we're all set," Gambit joked.
"You know," Sam said. "I heard that Storm and Logan are thinking about doing an expansion of the mansion. I mean, when you think about it we're getting more and more students here all the time."
"And not enough properly qualified teachers," Betsy commented with a sniff.
"Not enough mutants interested in getting into teaching, and not enough humans willing to teach at a mutant school," Warren said. "We're working on it. Check."
"Still this is a good sign," Kitty said. "I mean, we have so many people here who can't go back home because they're mutants, but here we have the human mother of a mutant child who isn't disowning him or anything. I mean, sometimes I totally dread going home because... Well, y'know, things get awkward and we all sort of avoid the subject. But you guys get my point, right?"
"Check," Betsy said.
"Yeah, now if we can just get through to the rest of the population," Rogue grinned.
"My parents know all about me and Paige," Sam said. "They don't have a problem with it."
"Raise 1," Gambit said cheerfully, putting the chip in. "Mon père adopted me even before he knew I could blow stuff up, demon eyes and all. You know, petite, though our teacher situation isn't the best, human/mutant relations are not quite as bad as people make out. We probably see the worst of it here because the kids who get the short end of the stick end up here."
"Or with the Brotherhood or something," Rogue said and put her chip in the middle. "Call. I miss John."
"John?" Gambit asked.
"Call," said Sam.
"Oh, sorry, John as in Pyro, not John as in Thunderbird. He left here before you came and joined the Brotherhood. Liked their philosophy better."
"We're not really sure if he made it out of Alcatraz alive," Kitty added. "Call."
"Pyro was alive and well the last time I saw him," Betsy said.
"You've seen him?" Rogue asked eagerly.
"Call," said Warren.
"Yes, it was a little over a year ago now," Betsy replied. "He was there on behalf of Magneto. They were looking to reform the Brotherhood. Call."
"Got bored with throwing people off buildings?" Kitty asked snarkily.
"I told him I'd think about it after my contract was up," Betsy replied calmly. "Not that that's any of your business."
"So, is that what this is really about?" Kitty demanded. "You're just training here and then you're going to join the Brotherhood?"
"Kindly do not put words in my mouth."
"Ladies, ladies," Gambit interrupted. "If you're going to start fighting, please do it in a mud pit so the rest of us can enjoy it."
"You are such a perv," Rogue told him disgustedly.
"I thought it sounded like a pretty good plan to me," Sam grinned.
"I'm all for the mud wrestling," Warren nodded. "Two cards please."
"Men," Betsy and Kitty said in unison, then looked at each other in disgust when they realised they actually agreed on something.
Rogue laughed at them. Betsy exchanged her cards.
"Rogue can fight the winner," Gambit said cheerfully, sliding a card face down to Kitty to exchange. "Two thanks."
"Really, can I please fight all three of you boys at once?" Rogue asked batting her eyelids at them and passing a card to Kitty. "One card, please Kitty. Let's see, Warren would be easy: I imagine it would be hard to fly if your feathers are clogged down with mud—"
"Thanks a lot," Warren said dryly.
"Three cards," Sam said to Kitty.
"And of course," Rogue went on merrily. "Sam's only invulnerable if he's cannonballing it at the time, and a mud pit isn't the best place for that, so then he'll be out for the count."
"I think you're underestimating my hand to hand combat skills." Sam nodded.
"And that just leaves Remy," Rogue said, grinning at him slyly. "Now albeit, the Swamp Rat probably feels right at home in the mud—"
"Oui, but that puts you at a disadvantage, doesn't it River Rat?" Gambit replied.
"But I know just the way to deal with his sort."
An expectant silence followed as everyone looked at Rogue, who just grinned at Gambit.
"And now that you have everyone curious, ma chère, care to divulge?" Gambit asked.
"Let's just say," Rogue said with a smirk. "I know how to get your little man to stand at attention, and I'm not afraid to stomp on him when he does."
Kitty giggled.
"Raise 5," Warren said, pushing his chips into the centre.
"Ahh, but first you have to get that close," Gambit replied tolerantly.
"Raise 10," Betsy said.
"I can get as close to you as I want any time I want," Rogue said confidently.
"Call," Gambit said. "You wouldn't happen to be coming onto me, would you Roguey?"
"You wish. I fold," Rogue replied, turning her cards over.
"Call," said Sam, pushing the chips in.
"Fold," said Kitty. "Seriously, why don't you two just start dating already?"
"I don't know. When are you and Pete planning on getting married?" Rogue retorted sharply. "You've been together long enough."
Kitty poked her tongue out at her.
"Call," Warren said, pushing his chips in. "Now girls, let's not start getting nasty. Not unless there's mud involved."
There was a pause in the conversation while they revealed their cards. Betsy won and the deck was passed onto Warren.
"How'd we get onto mud wrestling again?" Sam asked.
"Betsy and Kitty were arguing about the Brotherhood," Gambit said.
"I'm glad that John's okay," Rogue said. "Sure, I don't think too much of the company he keeps these days, but at least he's alive and not dissolved into nothingness."
"Close friend of yours, chère?" Gambit asked, his face impassive.
"Me, Bobby and John used to hang out all the time. He's pretty good for a laugh," Rogue replied. "I guess he just reached his breaking point when Stryker invaded and then on top of that, Ronnie—Bobby's brother—got freaked out by us and called the police. 'Cause we went to Bobby's place to hide out for a bit and well, yeah."
Warren began to deal the cards.
"Thanks for letting me know, Betsy," Rogue added.
Betsy looked at her, surprise flickering across her face.
"Oh, it's no big deal," she dismissed.
"Well, you could have just sat there and not said a thing, and none of us would have been any the wiser," Rogue pointed out seriously. "So I appreciate you clearing up the mystery."
Betsy coughed uncomfortably and opened the round with a bet.
"Raise 5," Gambit said pushing in his chip. "So Rogue, what do you think for our next movie night we make it an all-nighter and watch the Terminator movies."
"Call," Rogue replied as she put her chip in the middle. "Sounds like fun."
"Oh Logan's going to love that," Kitty giggled.
"Fold," said Sam.
"Well, you know," Rogue shrugged. "It's not like we're doing anything...y'know, nasty."
"Unless you count the farting," Gambit joked.
"Call," Kitty said, sliding her chip in. "And I don't need to know about your flatulence, thank you."
"Call," said Warren. "What would you know about flatulence, Kitty? It's not like girls ever fart."
"You're joking right?" Gambit said, pointing his thumb at Rogue. "She comes out with some real shockers."
"Call," said Betsy as she moved the additional chips into the middle and slid two cards face down to Warren. "I'll have two, thanks."
"One for me," Gambit said.
"I come out with the shockers?" Rogue said with a raised eyebrow as she handed three cards over to Warren. "Three, please. You're the one who let loose one so bad last time, I evacuated to the bathroom."
"Yeah," Gambit snickered. "That was a good one."
"I'm sure I don't want to be hearing this," Kitty said, sliding over her cards. "Two cards, please."
Warren passed the cards over and exchanged his own.
"Aww Kitty," said Sam. "We all fart. Some more potently than others. I know Pete comes out with some good ones."
"Check," Betsy said.
"Pete is far too polite to fart in front of me," Kitty replied primly. "He usually disappears to another room."
"Raise 10," Gambit said as he put his bet in. "So, Pete's one of those guys who's too shy to fart in front of girls, is he?"
"I think it's sweet," Kitty said.
"I call," Rogue said and proceeded to taunt Gambit once she put her chip in the middle: "You're the 'ladies man', Remy. Haven't you ever left the room to fart in private?"
"Depends on the femme," Gambit replied with a shrug. "Of course, it's also incentive not to get gassy food when you go out too—that way you don't have to decide. I never said I was picking on Pete."
"Raise 20," Kitty said, moving her chips into the middle. "Good, because Pete's a sweetheart."
"Fold," said Warren, turning his cards over. "So, girls dig guys not being there when they fart?"
"Call," Betsy said and put her chips in.
"I don't care, myself," Rogue said. "Although I do appreciate the thought, and also not having to smell it if it's going to be a stinky one."
"Raise 40," Gambit said. "Just like everything else, mon ami, different filles have different opinions on the whole farting issue. On one end of the spectrum you have the femmes who ignore it, and who insist that they never fart. Then on the other end you have the femmes who revel in it and even compete with you."
"Esh, fold," Rogue said, turning her cards over.
"But girls don't fart," Warren insisted. "I swear, I've never heard a girl fart before."
"And you live at a school?" Rogue giggled.
"I like him," Kitty decided cheerfully and tapped her fingers on the table as she regarded her cards. "Hmm... I...call."
"Full House," Betsy said, revealing her cards. "Tens over sixes."
Gambit started turning his cards over one by one.
"Flush straight," he said smugly. "Jack high."
"Darn," Kitty said, turning her cards over. "I only had four kings. Soooo close."
Gambit chuckled and collected the pot.
"How do we know you're not cheating?" Sam asked.
"Why is it everyone has to ask me that?" Gambit replied. "Poker's more fun if you don't cheat. Unless you're playing against a cheater, then it's fun to cheat because it's all: may the best cheater win."
"You like Maverick don't you?" Sam said as Betsy collected the cards up.
"Maverick as in the Mel Gibson movie?" Gambit asked.
"Yeah," Sam nodded.
"Not really my kind of movie," Gambit dismissed. "Maverick is a bit stupid, if you ask me. All his friends were cheating him and he didn't even figure it out."
"I don't know," Rogue said. "As I recall it ends with... what's her name, Jodie Foster's character stealing half his winnings and Maverick making plans to go chase her down and get it back just because it'll be fun. That sounds like something you would do."
"Désolé, are you comparing me to Maverick?" Gambit asked. "I should be insulted."
"Why not? He likes poker," Rogue teased him.
"That's about all we have in common," Gambit muttered.
"I think the movie night after we watch the Terminator movies, we should watch Maverick and I can point out all the stuff you both do," Rogue said merrily.
"And I can point out all the things I can do better," Gambit nodded.
"I can't believe you're arguing over what Remy may or may not have in common with a fictional character," Betsy said, shaking her head as she dealt the cards. "Of course, I also can't believe we just had a discussion on the politeness of farting in public either."
Kitty giggled and Betsy threw her an odd look.
"Sorry," Kitty said. "It's just...'farting' sounds so funny in an English accent."
Betsy rolled her eyes.
"Lots of words sound funny in different accents," Gambit said. "Like...how New Zealanders say six and sex. When they say 'sex' it sounds like 'six' and vice versa. Of course, if you ask them, we're the ones mispronouncing them."
"I've always wanted to go to New Zealand," Rogue said. "All my favourite movies were filmed there. The Lord of the Rings, The Piano, the Narnia movies. Plus I hear it's really beautiful."
Gambit glanced at his cards and opened the bidding.
"Why don't we do that for our 18th, chérie?" Gambit suggested.
"Do what?" Rogue asked. "Call."
"Go to New Zealand."
"...You're kidding right?"
"Not at all. It'll be fun. We can go sight seeing, and if we go in summer we can avoid the snow. Oh, and best of all, the legal drinking age is 18," he grinned at her.
"I knew there had to be a catch," Rogue smirked at him.
"Raise 5," said Sam. "Do you know what the legal ages are in a lot of countries, Remy?"
"Well, it was more relevant when I was younger, err, the first time around," Gambit replied with a shrug. "I travelled a lot. Actually the legal drinking age is 18 in most countries."
"Call," Kitty said, putting her chip in.
"Remy's probably more interested in the age of consent," Rogue taunted.
"The average is 16," Gambit nodded.
"See? I called it," Rogue said smugly.
"Fold," said Warren.
"Well, it's useful to know these things," Gambit said.
"Call," Betsy said, putting her chip in.
"Because you need to know when you can seduce a 16 year old," Rogue said dryly.
"In some countries," Gambit said, leaning into her, "the legal age is 14."
"You haven't slept with a 14 year old, have you?" Rogue demanded, eyeing him in horror.
"Call," Gambit said, moving his chips in. "That's a silly question, chère. Of course I've slept with a 14 year old. And 13 years olds, 15s, 16s, 17s. I was all those ages myself once before."
"Call. That's not what I meant, and you know it, Swamp Rat," Rogue replied.
"I'll have two cards," Gambit said, passing his cards to Betsy. "I have taste, Rogue. Just because I wouldn't legally be a pedophile, doesn't mean I wouldn't feel like one."
"I sit corrected," Rogue replied and slid her cards to be exchanged over to Betsy. "Two cards please."
"Speaking of which," Warren said. "How's sex ed going with the mixed class?"
"One thanks, Betsy," Sam said, handing his card over.
"'Tis fine," Gambit replied.
"Easy for you to say," Rogue muttered. "You're not the one who got stuck baby sitting over danger room sessions."
Gambit chuckled wickedly as Kitty exchanged her cards.
"Baby sitting?" Betsy asked.
"Yeah, well, the class is all the new students and they're all spread out," Rogue explained. "So, there aren't really enough of the stupid dolls in any one class to justify Logan changing the program so I got stuck looking after the wretched things all last week."
"Ahh," Betsy nodded. "I really don't see the point in those things. I mean, I understand the theory behind it; that if kids know how hard it is to raise a baby they might be...more sensible about their sexual endeavours, but you also risk making them decide they never want to have children at all because they think it's too hard."
"Fold," Gambit said, turning his cards over.
"Raise 5," Rogue said, putting her bet into the middle. "Yeah, I'm kinda getting turned off the whole motherhood thing. Which is bizarre, in a way. I mean, when my powers were active and I couldn't control them, motherhood was this impossibility. So of course, that's what I want most right? But last week I got stuck looking after every one of those little brats. Especially Tuesday. Tuesday sucked. Six hours of non-stop danger room sessions and every single class had at least one of those stupid dolls."
There was general laughter at Rogue's expense and she glowered at the lot of them.
"Raise 10," Sam said.
"Y'know Roguey," Gambit said. "We haven't done anything immature and childish lately."
"Call," said Kitty. "What? The prank war with Bobby and Hank wasn't enough?"
"Call," said Betsy.
"That was freaking hilarious," Warren said. "I love what you did to Bobby."
"You should see the videotape," Gambit replied gleefully.
"Call," Rogue said.
"Yeah, I heard about that," Warren said.
"I still think it was gross," Sam said, shaking his head. "Hey, no offence Remy, but that's that last thing I'd want to wake up to in the morning."
"It was the last thing I wanted to wake up to in the morning too," Gambit nodded.
"Someone did it to you?" Sam asked. "And you still did it to someone else?"
"Oui. Penance had to be paid for going through Roguey's underwear," Gambit replied sagely. "He lost all Roguey's underwear touching privileges when he broke up with her, so I picked the most foul, disgusting, horrifying prank in my repertoire."
Once again, there was a pause in the conversation while the players remaining in the round revealed their cards. Sam won, and Gambit collected the cards which he proceeded to shuffle one-handed.
"I'm with Sam," Kitty said. "Definitely gross."
"I'm sure Pete will be very disappointed to hear you say that," Gambit grinned at her.
"That's pretty neat," Betsy said, her eyes on Gambit's shuffling.
"Why, merci chère," Gambit replied cheerfully. "So, who wants a viewing of the video after the game?"
"Sounds like fun," Warren said. "How'd you get it taped without Bobby knowing?"
"Let's just say that as a master thief, I had access to all sorts of fun pieces of equipment," Gambit said. "I wanted Roguey to see what happened."
"It's pretty awesome," Rogue grinned. "I kinda wonder what he was dreaming about while you had the sausage in his mouth. It looked like to me that he was enjoying it."
"Yeah," Gambit said gleefully. "That just makes it even better. This does not answer the question, however, of what trouble we can get up to."
"Why do you want to get up to trouble?" Betsy asked.
"Most people are only teenagers once. What's the point of having a second childhood if you don't make the most of it?" Gambit replied as he began to deal the cards, also one-handed.
"Point taken," she conceded. "Do you do everything one-handed?"
"Not everything," Gambit smirked suggestively.
"Just most things," Rogue said cheekily. "Cards. Using the TV remote. Masturbating."
Kitty sprayed the water she was drinking over the table and Warren patted her on the back to help her to recover from choking on the rest of it.
"Try not to make a mess," Gambit said. "Don't want the cards to get wet."
"Wow Rogue," Kitty said, staring at her friend in shock. "You never used to say stuff like that."
"Remy's a bad influence on me," Rogue replied and tossed a chip neatly into the centre. "Okay...opening with 1."
"I make good girls go bad," Gambit joked. "I'm waiting for the day she says that in front of Logan though."
"Call," said Sam.
"It'll never happen," Kitty said. "And if it does happen, we'll probably have Cajun shish-kabob for dinner. Call."
"Probably. Daddy's little girl, eh chérie?" Gambit teased her.
"Raise 5," said Warren. "Rogue can never do any wrong."
"Glad you noticed," Rogue grinned at him.
"Call," Betsy said. "I have rather noticed that you—and Storm—both have Logan wrapped around your little fingers."
"We get him alternate weekends," Rogue joked.
"You raise a good point," Gambit considered. "I should start taunting Logan about being emasculated and ruled by the women in his life. Call."
"Are you looking to get yourself killed?" asked Sam, staring at him.
"Call," Rogue said, adding to the chips in the middle. "I haven't decided if Remy is suicidal, stupid, an attention seeker or just insane."
"Call," Sam said, shaking his head at Gambit. "I'm going for all four options there."
"I like to keep him on his toes," Gambit grinned. "After all, no one else has the guts to."
"Call," said Kitty. "That's because we like to keep our skins intact, Remy."
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Gambit said.
"For now," Warren said ominously.
"Hmm," Rogue considered, looking at her cards. "One thanks, Squeaky."
"Why do you and Logan persist on calling me that?" Gambit asked, sliding over the new card to her.
"Oh, so he-who-likes-to-annoy-others doesn't like it when the tables get turned on him?" Rogue smirked at him.
"Three cards please," Sam said.
"I'm not annoyed by it. It's just a really out of date nickname," Gambit replied as he traded Sam's cards.
"Whatever you have to tell yourself," Rogue replied.
"I'll have two thanks, Remy," Kitty said.
"I'm really looking forward to giving you your birthday present, Roguey," Gambit said mildly.
"You're going through with the threat to buy me lingerie, aren't you?" Rogue asked, her eyes narrowed.
"Not until you get those D's back, chère. And even then, not in front of Logan," Gambit nodded. "I think he would actually stab me for real if I did that. Warren, you trading?"
"Nope, I'm good. What do you say we make this the last round, and then go watch the video of Bobby?" Warren asked.
"Sounds fine by me," Gambit said.
"One thanks, Remy," Betsy said.
Gambit traded his own cards and Rogue opened the next round with a raise.
"It nice to know that some part of you is normal and actually fears Logan," Kitty said to Gambit.
"Call," Sam said.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Chaton," Gambit said. "Logan's really an old softy."
"Psh, yeah right," Kitty snorted. "Call."
"No, he is," Gambit insisted. "See, he pretends not to, but he actually likes kids and feels for people and—I know you're not going to believe me—but he cries at weddings."
"Okay," Rogue said. "The first two I'll believe, but that last one is a filthy rotten lie."
"Raise 20," Warren said. "Yeah, Logan doesn't cry. He just gets angry and dices stuff up."
"Fold," said Betsy.
"Raise 40," Gambit said and grinned at Warren. "See? I told you that you wouldn't believe me."
"Raise 80," Rogue said. "Sometimes I suspect he was born without tear ducts."
"Hmm," Sam said. "Getting a little rich for me. I fold."
"Same," Kitty agreed. "I fold too. Didn't Logan cry when Jean died?"
"Actually," Rogue considered. "He probably did, just where no one could see him."
"Told you so," Gambit said smugly.
"Nuh-uh," Rogue shook her head. "You said he cries at weddings."
"Call," Warren said, sounding a little uncertain.
"Why wouldn't you cry at weddings?" Betsy asked, a slight smile on her face.
"I love weddings," Kitty sighed.
"Raise 150," Gambit said. "He did. I saw him."
"Raise 200," Rogue said, pushing the chips into the pool. "Are you sure they were tears? It could have just been the light."
"Nope, they were definitely tears," Gambit nodded sagely.
Warren tapped a chip on the table, made a sucking noise with his tongue and finally said "Fold" and turned his cards over.
"I raise 250," Gambit said.
"If you guys keep raising, we're never going to get to Bobby's video," Warren said.
"So, Remy?" Kitty asked. "Are you going to tell us about this supposed wedding?"
"Not 'supposed'," Gambit insisted. "It actually happened. There he was, all ready to marry Mariko, and she ditched him."
"Whoa..." Kitty said, wide-eyed. "Logan nearly got married once?"
"I remember that," Rogue said softly. "Now that you mention it, I remember seeing that in his memories. Not the crying part. The ditching part."
"Well, that's not really crying at a wedding as in sentimental about weddings," Betsy pointed out. "Geez, I'd cry too if my fiancé left me at the alter."
"That's our Remy," Rogue said dryly. "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. All in."
Gambit gave a low whistle as Rogue pushed her entire collection of chips into the centre.
"You must be confident," he teased her.
"Yep," Rogue nodded.
"I think you're bluffing."
"Yeah? How much do you wanted to bet on that?"
"Interesting words coming from you, given that I have enough chips to call your bet and have change."
Rogue just grinned at him. Gambit considered her for a moment.
"Okay chère," he said. "How about you and I make this real interesting and put up some real stakes?"
"Oh yeah?" Rogue asked and raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"A favour. Redeemable at any time."
"What kind of favour?" Rogue asked suspiciously.
"Anything we want."
"Oh reeeeaaaaallly?"
Gambit grinned at her and put his hand over his heart.
"I promise I won't ask any sexual favours when I win."
"Who says you're going to win?" Rogue demanded.
"Me. You're bluffing."
"Hmph, shows what you know. A favour, anything within reason, to the winner of this round, hmm?" Rogue said cockily. "Yeah, I can go with that, seeing as how I know I'm going to win. So, Kitty, do you think getting Swamp Rat over here to call Logan "Cutie-Pie" for a week counts as within reason?"
Kitty giggled.
"Done," Gambit smirked at her, pushing in enough chips to call the bet. "Ladies first."
"Read 'em and weep sucker," Rogue said, turning her cards over. "Eight, seven, six, five, and get this, five."
Gambit snickered.
"See?" he gloated. "I knew you were bluffing."
"Yeah, let's see what you've got, hot-shot," Rogue demanded, pointing her finger at him.
Gambit turned over two of his cards, revealing two threes.
"My pair outdoes your pair," Rogue said smugly.
"Not done yet," Gambit smirked at her. "You see, I also have this four, and this Jack, and oh, what's this? Another four."
"Aww crap."
"Two pairs beat one pair, Roguey."
"Dammit."
Gambit chuckled.
"All right then," he said, addressing the table. "Let's pack up and then watch Bobby embarrass himself."