Taking Chances
A/N: This story takes place in the X-Men Evolution universe, but after the show is finished. Rogue is around 19 years old, and Gambit is about 21. During the beginning, he is still working for Magneto and thus lives at the Acolyte base, but by chapter 4, his contract has expired, and he is living in his own apartment. Please forgive any grammatical errors when dealing with French words. Reviews are welcome, and constructive criticism that specifically addresses an issue and what is wrong with it are welcome too.
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, X-Men Evolution, or any of its affiliates.
Chapter 1
Challenge
Every job had its perks. The biggest one in working for Magneto was the massive payday. It was the reason why Gambit had accepted the contract to work as an Acolyte in the first place. But, it had its downsides as well, such as the boredom.
And Gambit was definitely bored! Old Bucket Head hadn't given him a task in weeks, and he hadn't done any sparring for a while. He hadn't been present at the big Apocalypse battle due to….personal circumstances. What a mess that had been.
But ever since they had all saved the world together, it seemed Magneto and Professor Xavier had formed a temporary truce.
Colossus had disappeared shortly after the battle, presumably back to Russia to find his family that Magneto had finally released.
Sabertooth was still Magneto's loyal lap dog, or cat as the case may be, but Remy avoided the hairbrained wonder whenever he could.
Pyro had stuck around too, and while Gambit could tolerate the Aussie in small doses, getting into a brawl with the firebug just to keep up his skills wasn't worth the property damage.
And, there were only so many games of Solitaire he could play before he lost his mind.
Yes, Remy was bored. But, more than that, he wanted a challenge. He had thought about breaking into the Bayville Bank just for the heck of it, but the security there was a joke, and he could've robbed the place in his sleep.
Anything bigger would have required at least a two-man crew, and he wasn't going to trust either of the two psychos he was left with for something that required finesse and skill rather than just brute strength. And requesting a member from the Thieves' Guild wasn't exactly an option at the moment.
But, that still left the problem of his boredom. What he needed was a place with high security but that required only one person to break in. Significant risk for significant reward. A challenge, a dare.
Without warning, an image of the Xavier Institute flashed through his mind. A verifiable fortress to protect the school and its inhabitants. Security measures and backups to stop any intruder with ill intent. Not to mention, a house full of mutants with dangerous powers who were none too fond of him.
Risk, check.
Now, what about a reward? There were many valuable things in that mansion. A safe full of old family jewelry. Some of the paintings that hung on the walls were sure to be originals.
Another thought flashed through his mind as quick as lightning. A slow smile spread across his face. Oh, yes, that would do nicely.
With his goal in mind, he immediately set to work. While he could execute a pretty effective heist with nothing but his wits and a few minutes of preparation if he was in a pinch, pulling off such an elaborate break in required more than just flying by the seat of his pants. Especially if he wanted to make it appear as effortless as he wanted it to in keeping with his reputation.
Most people thought a professional thief could simply take what he wanted, and while that was partly true, Gambit knew there was a lot of work that went into thieving.
But, he didn't mind. Now that he had his end goal clearly in mind, it was definitely worth all the preparation that had to go into it. In fact, Gambit felt a thrill of anticipation as he studied stolen blueprints, which he knew were missing some important features of the Institute, such as the hangar that housed the Blackbird. But, no matter. It had the information he needed. Pulling off a job was always something to be proud of, but there was something uniquely exciting about the planning of a job.
Despite what the general population thought, Gambit actually had an almost endless supply of patience when he wanted to. Patience was a key staple of any gifted thief. That is why the weeks learning every detail of the Xavier Institute and its inhabitants were no trouble to him. Though he had learned quite a few things when he had been observing the X-Men so that he could, ahem, borrow Rogue for that scuffle down in Louisiana, it hadn't been on their home turf.
But now, he was at leisure to watch the security first-hand, observe everyone's habits and routines, as well as who was on patrol on which night. And as long as he stayed out of the Wolverine's nose range, no one even knew he was there.
It was impressive, he had to admit. Xavier was nothing if not thorough, and since his resources seemed unlimited, everything was of the best quality.
Still, there was a chink in every armor, and Gambit was determined to find the one in this particular security system. An added challenge was that he knew he couldn't simply disable the security system and turn it back on when he left. For one, the main controls were in the Professor's office with password protected encrypted data. Not that he couldn't crack it if he had the time, but hacking wasn't his specialty, and it defeated the purpose of giving himself a challenge.
For another, he didn't like the idea of leaving the Institute without any warning or defenses if somebody more dangerous than himself decided to make themselves at home. There wasn't a very high chance of that happening; things had been relatively quiet from enemies and hate groups since the X-Men were shown taking down Apocalypse on world-wide television, but he wasn't willing to risk it.
So, he would just have to be able to beat the security system at its own game without raising any alarms. No problem.
He smirked to himself when he was alone in his room of the Acolyte base. He could never resist a good dare, even one of his own making, and he couldn't stop the shiver of anticipation that ran down his spine as he made his plans.
It had been far too long since he had done some good, honest thieving.
He had watched and observed and studied the floor plans, security systems, and inhabitants of the mansion for well over a month now, and he was confident that he had all the information needed to achieve his prize. He began finalizing the plans for his break in, scribbling out notes on pieces of paper and flinging them to the floor in a crumpled heap when he ran into a difficulty. It took him several hours, the hint of dusk coming through his window by the time he finished.
He examined the final plan critically, carefully searching for anything he may have missed, and when he found nothing, he sat back and smiled. He mentally repeated the plan in his head until he had memorized it. It was perfect.
Then, he gathered the final plan and all the first attempts into a wastepaper basket, and with a flick of his hand set them ablaze with his powers. The small pop of the tiny explosion that reduced them completely to ashes they made wouldn't have woken a cat. Gambit smiled once again. He didn't want anyone, especially Magneto, to know what he did in his free time.
He slept through the night, pleasant dreams of break ins filling his head. The next day he was up bright and early to gather the supplies he would need for tonight, because it was certainly going to be tonight. He avoided the other Acolytes, determined that nothing should distract him from his evening plans.
He took a small nap in the afternoon so he would be fresh and alert when the time came. Finally, finally, it was time. He slipped out under the cover of darkness and headed across town.
It was still early when he arrived, several of the mansion lights were still on. But, it was no matter. He settled into what had become his favorite hiding place for observing the mansion, a grove of trees that provided an excellent view as well as adequate cover. He took his cards out and deftly shuffled through them. He was in no hurry, for the prize would be within his grasp soon enough, so he played a few rounds of Solitaire to pass the time as one by one the lights of the mansion winked out.
It was past midnight when he finally made his move. The mansion had been dark for well over a half hour, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe everyone had fallen asleep immediately and had bid his time.
He moved as swiftly and as silently as a cat across the lawn, pausing at just the right times to not be caught by the roving motion detectors. He was deliberate in his movements and in his use of the tools he had acquired just for this job that were housed in the folds and numerous pockets of his trench coat.
His timing was perfect, the seconds counted down mentally like a steady beat from a drum. 15 seconds to run across this area. Drop to the ground. Stay there for 10 seconds. Crawl for 18 seconds. Fire the miniature EMP which disabled the mechanics for 32 seconds. Sneak along the base of the wall for 6 seconds, freeze for 8 seconds so the camera didn't catch him. Attach the grappling hook to the overhanging balcony, 3 seconds. Pull himself up, 14 seconds.
When he flipped himself onto the landing as neatly as any acrobat, he couldn't help but smile to himself. The job wasn't done yet, but there was something about gaining entrance to the most secure place in Bayville in less than ten minutes that made his thief's ego feel extremely pleased with himself.
He clicked his tongue in disapproval as he opened the lockless window. Not that a lock would have stopped him, but it was disappointing all the same.
He crept into the room, taking all its treasures in, especially the one he had come for which lay innocently on the left side of the room. His mutation allowed him to see in the dark easily, so he took advantage of the fact to just drink in everything. A smile that he hadn't planned on crept across his face. Magnificent.
He had planned exactly what he would say when he approached his prize, therefore, it threw him for a loop when the object of his break in rolled over in her bed and opened bleary eyes. She caught sight of the two glowing red eyes and gasped loudly in fright, scrambling to sit up straight.
"Bonjour, chéré," he said smoothly, regathering his wits. His glance to her nightstand where a Queen of Hearts playing card sat beside her gloves had done a lot to restore his confidence.
"Swamp Rat!" her voice was a mixture of relief and annoyance. He didn't mind, though. As long as she wasn't afraid of him, he could easily cope with her irritation.
"How did you get in here?" she hissed, only annoyance in her voice now.
"Window was open," he remarked casually, as if he hadn't just spent a month planning one of the more impressive break-ins of his recent career.
He smirked as he saw her roll her eyes, accepting his explanation as if it truly were that simple.
"What are you doing here?" she growled and saw Kitty shift in her bed.
"Careful, chéré, wouldn't want to wake la chaton, would you?" he whispered.
"I'll wake the whole dang house if you don't tell me why you're here," she said, but Gambit was pleased to note she had lowered her voice as well.
"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a smug smile as he advanced closer. Her eyes were sharp and watched his movements warily, but she made no protest as he settled himself on the edge of her bed at the opposite end from where she was curled up. In fact, she seemed to be waiting breathlessly for his next words.
When he finally did speak them, his tone as suave and carefree as it could be, they were the last words she expected to hear.
"I came to see you, chéré."
Rogue couldn't keep the noise, half between a laugh and a scoff, from escaping her mouth. "Plannin' on kidnapping me again?"
He smiled, "Non. I learn from my mistakes."
The way his black and red eyes gazed upon her as he said it made a shiver run down her spine, and an inexplicable blush suffused her cheeks.
"So, you broke into the mansion just to see me?" she asked, her voice wavering unexpectedly.
Gambit could tell she would be frightened if he was totally honest, so he replied flippantly, "Nah, we're also out of milk. Figured a big place like this should have some."
She had to clamp her hand over her mouth not to laugh. The idea that Gambit would walk into technically an enemy base just to grab milk was more ridiculous than him coming just to see her, and she couldn't help but see the humor in it. The sudden tension that had developed between them was gone, and Gambit was relieved. And seeing Rogue smile was an added benefit.
"There are such things as stores, ya know," she said sarcastically when she had gotten her muffled laughter under control.
"And pay $2.25 for a gallon. Dat's daylight robbery, chéré."
"Well, I guess you'd know," she replied saucily.
Oh, this had definitely been an excellent idea! The way her eyes lit and sparked as she spoke was worth more than any jewel.
There had been more than a chance that this risk wouldn't pay off, that Rogue would still be mad, that she would call the members of the X-Men to her aid and he would have had to fight his way out. Not that he would have blamed her if she had reacted in just such a way, but this was a much sweeter triumph than even he had expected.
"Besides, Xavier can afford it," he continued their hushed conversation.
She scowled at him, but it couldn't stick, and she was soon smiling again.
"You disapprove?" he asked innocently.
She hit him with her pillow and shook her head as he pretended to be hurt.
He clicked his tongue, "No milk, then?" He sighed dramatically, "Oh, well c'est la vie,"and then stretched out beside her on the bed, his head coming to rest right by her elbow.
"And, just what do ya think you are doing?" her annoyance was back.
He closed his eyes, unconcerned, "What does it look like? Thievin is hard work. I got to get some sleep."
"You can't sleep here!" her panicked voice exclaimed, causing Kitty to mumble something before going back to sleep.
"Why not?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed.
"Gambit, I'm not wearing any," his eyes opened in interest, and his intense stare caused her to stutter the last word, "gl….gloves."
The situation was so absurd that Gambit would have laughed if he hadn't seen the genuine panic and distress in her eyes. He sat up slowly. That the only objection she had to him sharing her bed was her lack of gloves did not escape his notice, but he was more concerned about addressing her fears than teasing her at the moment.
"Rogue," he said, and waited until she looked at him before he continued speaking. "I'm not afraid of you, and I know you don't want to hurt me" he said clearly, "and I never want to hurt you. Do you understand?"
It took her a long time, but finally nodded.
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.
There was almost nothing he enjoyed so much as getting her riled up, but he never wanted to make her feel truly uncomfortable around him. The next move was hers completely, and they both knew it.
He waited patiently for her answer, giving her all the time she needed to be sure of her decision.
Finally, a quiet, "no" escaped her lips.
Gambit couldn't help the sincere crooked smile that flitted across his face as unexpected relief flooded through his bloodstream.
"Then, trust me," he whispered reassuringly, and laying his hand across her arm covered by her pajama sleeve, "and trust yourself."
Rogue's glance shifted between his honest expression and the hand on her arm a few times before she eventually sighed, "Ok."
There was something truly devious in his returning smile, "Bon, it's always nice to sleep next to a belle femme."
She punched him in the shoulder, hard.
"Ow!" he hissed. "It was a compliment, chéré."
"Mmmhhmm. Sleeping better be all you plan on doing. Any funny business, and I'll throw ya off the roof," she threatened, easing back down beneath the covers.
Remy's soft chuckle reverberated around her, giving her a pleasant sensation she didn't quite know how to describe. He slid down beside her. He remained on top of the covers, so there was no chance of her accidentally touching him, but Rogue still felt herself blush for some odd reason. She didn't know why she had agreed to this, but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it.
"Oh, and if even a spoon is missing from this place by the time I wake up, I'll sic Logan on ya," she said as an afterthought.
He sighed, "You sure know how to take all the fun out of a situation."
Rogue had the ridiculous urge to smile, but huffed instead, "Go to sleep, Swamp Rat."
"Your wish is my command, chéré," he drawled smoothly, and Rogue turned away from him to hide her eye roll.
Gambit lay perfectly still, absorbing the thrill that came from knowing Rogue trusted him enough to let him sleep beside her. He listened to Rogue's breathing until it became steady and deep, and he was sure she was asleep.
Then, because, he still couldn't resist a challenge, he casually snaked his arm across her waist. He was rewarded for his risk when she instinctually snuggled closer to him. He did manage, if barely, to resist the urge to kiss her temple. Even for him, that was pushing his luck.
Content for the first time in a long time, Gambit sighed happily and went to sleep.
***
When Rogue woke up, she would've believed Gambit visiting her room had been a dream, but the slight scent of bourbon and leather still lingered beside her. And, as she turned over to look at her nightstand, she noticed two new items that gave away his previous presence.
The first, unsurprisingly, was a playing card, the King of Hearts, a phone number scrawled across the bottom border.
The second was a scrap of paper with a scrawled note in Gambit's slanting precise hand.
Seems a shame to separate a winning pair, non? Be sure to shower, chéré. Wouldn't want Monsieur Claws knowing you entertain late night gentleman callers in your bed, would you?
Rogue scowled at the note and crumpled it in her hand. She was tempted to ignore his advice just for the pleasure of seeing Wolverine gut the cocky Cajun, but the extra Danger Room session and severe lecture she would receive because of it sufficiently deterred her.
Besides, she supposed the Swamp Rat wasn't so bad. She traced the new card he had given her and smiled.