Disclaimer: Marvel owns all. (I've just invited them over to my house to play.)
Translations courtesy of Google because I only speak English and French.

A/N: Prompt for Romy: Gambit and/or Rogue use the Danger Room for something other than its intended purpose. 45-minute time limit. Set in comicverse, somewhere between X-Men vol. 2 (1991) issues #4 and #8.

Illusion

"'Lo, chère." Gambit's voice rumbled deep and smooth behind Rogue, but she didn't turn around to face him. Instead, she turned her head and gave a morose, "Hi, sugar."

"That don't sound like someone's who's excited fo' a night on de town." He stepped further into her room, shutting the door behind him before closing the distance to place his hands on her hips. The heat from his chest radiated against her back, though they weren't touching.

"Ah am. Really." But the half-smile didn't reach her eyes. How could it when she knew his love was nothing but an illusion.

Turning in his embrace so they were facing one another, Rogue luxuriated in the feel of his bare hand pressed against her cheek. Her eyes slid shut as she tried to sear the warmth of his skin into her memory. Who knew how long this would last?

With her eyes still closed, she felt the feline grace of his movements as he leaned down to brush his lips so softly, so tentatively against hers. The barely-there kiss was slow, gentle. No more than a breath of tender flesh and sensitive skin. Gambit raised his other hand, cradling her face as if she was made of the finest, most delicate bone china. Slowly, he applied more pressure, deepening the kiss. Rogue nearly melted in his arms.

She knew he was nothing but a playboy.

She knew he was nothing but trouble.

She knew he was nothing but heartbreak.

But she knew she wanted this more than anything she'd ever desired in her adult life. She wanted him, the real him, all of him. And she wanted him to want her as much in return.

What a pipe dream.

Without permission, without acknowledgement, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. The moisture trickled a slowburn path to his thumb, where instead of brushing it away, Gambit swiped it up and broke their kiss. The sudden separation made Rogue finally open her eyes to look into his handsome face. Her focus sharpened not on his devil gaze as she had anticipated, but on his deceitful tongue as it darted out to lick the salty liquid off his thumb.

Rogue breathed in sharply, unexpectedly aroused by the simple gesture. A gaping ache settled low in her core, growing stronger as she watched Gambit close his lips around the tip. Suddenly, she wanted to feel his mouth wrap around her like that. A twinkle sparkled in his dark eyes; a slight smirk lifted his lips. She'd fallen straight into his web and didn't care.

Swiping his hand away, Rogue's fingers threaded through his hair as she crashed her mouth against his. Gambit wasted no time answering her silent, open plea with a delving exploration of his own. The kiss was more battle than seduction, though it served to excite them both. He pulled her flush against his body, chest to chest, hip to hip, thigh to thigh, while his hands wandered over her back and lower.

Rogue couldn't get enough and yet enough had precious little time. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. Knew she would get caught red-handed and be left with nothing but emptiness. But she had to at least answer this question for herself. Had to take any avenue whatsoever to experience what she could when and how she could. Otherwise, she would just be left with too many unfulfilled desires.

With the limited opportunity in mind, she broke away long enough to suggest, "Let's skip dinner."

That wicked smirk, the one she had fallen in love with nearly at first sight, graced his exquisite features. "Whatever ma chérie wants."

Rogue stepped backward, slowly at first to make sure he followed along, but Gambit didn't need to be told or shown twice. He matched her pace, even when it increased to a mad dash. The backs of her legs hit the mattress, his arms wrapped around her waist, and they were just about to tumble onto the bed.

"Rogue, that's enough!" Nightcrawler's shocked cry startled the couple as he stepped fully into Rogue's room. "Vhat vere you thinking, schwester?"

"Gar ici, mon ami-" Gambit started, stepping in front of her and raising his hand in defense, but Rogue swiftly cut him off with, "Danger: end 'Test R-4-8' simulation."

Gambit faded away, shortly followed by the furniture in her room, and then the walls. All that was left was the bare metallic grid of the Danger Room. Rogue crossed her arms over her chest as her cheeks flamed red.

"Gut?" Nightcrawler spread his arms, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, what?" Rogue snapped back, unwilling to offer anything further since it was very clear what she had done.

The pseudo-siblings stared at each other, but it was Nightcrawler, as usual, who played peacemaker. In a gentler tone, he asked, "Vhat if someone else had walked in? One of ze pupils, or even Gambit himself?"

He left unspoken the consequences of either, but Rogue knew she never would have lived down the gossip of the first and possibly could have irreparably damaged any chance she had with the second.

"It ain't gonna happen again." She seethed, tears of embarrassment prickling her eyes as she silently admonished herself and vowed never to try this again. Damn Shadowcat's idea about teaching her the basics of programming the Danger Room in the first place.

Balling her hands into fists, she tried to storm past Nightcrawler only for him to catch her bicep at the last minute. At first, she struggled against his hold, but he used the momentum to calmly pull her into a hug.

"Do not forget that I understand." He soothed.

Rogue took the comfort that was given, burying her face in his covered shoulder as she let a few bitter tears fall. While she knew that baseline humans had avoided Nightcrawler because of his physical appearance, choosing not to touch someone wasn't the same as being incapable of touching. Still, she appreciated that it was her sensitive, adoptive brother that had walked in on her instead of someone else. Taking a few more deep breaths and gathering up her stubborn Southern exterior, she pulled away and turned her back on him.

Rogue's sharp tongue speared him as she walked away. "You may get it, Kurt, but ya don't live it. Not anymore."

As the Danger Room's doors opened, she nearly ran into Gambit. Her rosy cheeks which had cooled while in her brother's arms burst into fiery flames yet again.

"Hé, petite!" He happily greeted, but she shoved at his chest, pushing him away. "Did I miss somethin'?"

Gambit sensed the embarrassment and anger roiling off the woman he was quickly finding more irresistible with each passing day. He looked between Rogue's retreating back and Nightcrawler's slumped figure, trying to piece together what had transpired.

"Nichts, mein freund. Nicht mehr als sonst." Nightcrawler sighed in defeat. "Danger: start 'Warm Up 3x5x3'."

Settling in for the long game, Gambit just shrugged his shoulders and joined his new teammate for the start of their training session. It was only a matter of time before he cracked Rogue's resolve.

(X)

Gar ici, mon ami – (Cajun) Look here, my friend

Gut? – Well?

Nichts, mein freund. Nicht mehr als sonst. – Nothing, my friend. Not anything more than usual.