6 months post Apocalypse...
When she spotted his figure on the horizon, she hit a full sprint through dewy grass. Rogue constantly teased Kitty Pryde, her roommate and best friend, about being so petite. So tiny, it almost didn't make sense for her to be an X-Man. In truth she was barely a few inches taller than her. She was built a bit sturdier, being naturally athletic and taking well to Logan's aggressive training. But, if you watched her run through the courtyard, you'd be aware of how fit she actually was.
She wore full X-Suits these days, covering skin that leeched all it touched. And she accompanied it with different shirts, boots, and jackets to accessorize. The cajun mutant waiting for her in the distance may have had something to do with that. His long trench coat flapped in the wind as she ran to him. He made her want to be closer to people, yearn to. He had showed up a few weeks after Apocalypse's defeat. Rogue secretly couldn't have been happier.
She had on a black X-Suit, an oversized, khaki sweatshirt and a leather jacket Logan had gifted the girl. When she finally reached Remy she jumped and wrapped her legs around him, their noses as close as they could safely be. A wind rustled between them as they stared in each others eyes. "Hey," She said, her cheeks tinged red. Remy fought the urge to bring his lips to hers.
"Bonjour, petite. Y'miss me?" Rogue stuck her tongue out as she untangled her legs from his waist.
"Yuck. No!" He chuckled, dragging fingerless gloved hands through her silvery bangs.
"Brought'cha somethin'." He murmured, staring in swirling, grey eyes.
"Better have," She countered, putting her hands on her hips. He grinned wide at her.
"Some o'dat nasty King Mardis Gras cake y'lik-" She tugged hard on him towards the institute so they could grab a piece while he laughed. Jean and Scott watched in the distance from the old gazebo, a bouquet of roses in Jean's hands just because. Scott wasn't paying attention to them. He had his hands stuffed in pressed, khaki slacks and his stare focused in the distance.
Jean laughed quietly to herself, marveling at the flowers as red as her hair.
"She's like a different person sometimes..." Jean mused, not looking up from her roses. Scott sighed. Everyone loved the new leaf Rogue had turned over, the person she was with Gambit. The responsible person in him just couldn't be happy. He knew it was only a matter of time until the thief let her down, it was all he could do not to say it. "Lighten up, Scott. She's happy, you can't deny that."
She read his mind easily without reading his mind. He turned to her with a grimace. "I know, but-"
"Whatever happens, happens." She preached, looking up at the sky. "Remember what we talked about? We deal with it, then." He sighed. It never stopped him from worrying before.
xx
The cake was a consolation prize, no matter how badly neither one of them wanted to think so. He let her genuinely enjoy the first few bites as they sat in the kitchen, but he had to tell her. "Ah know, ah know. Remy been travelin' a lot." She stifled a sigh, refusing to look any weaker than she already must have. "Somethin' always comin' up back home, bone headed family." This time, she sighed.
She glared at the purple, green, and yellow cake in front of her. She wasn't hungry.
"Why don't you just make it all official?" She looked into his red and black eyes. "You're here when you're not... Thievin', ya train with us... Join the X-Men, Remy. Stop actin' like it's... Like it's dorky, or somethin'." Her face grew red as she spoke. She felt so stupid, like Scott and Logan were watching to see her breakdown over this so they could say 'I told you so'. They never would, they'd be to concerned about her getting over another hurt.
"Mon ange, it ain' dat at all. Remy wan' be by ya side." He assured, placing a gentle kiss on her white bangs. "Jus' don' want any unfinished business." His face hardened suddenly. She nodded, trying to see it from his perspective. Commitment terrified him, she didn't find it surprising. But as she found herself falling for him, she found it disappointing. She hated that. "Please, tell Remy ya understand."
She huffed, avoiding his gaze. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Ah understand." He frowned when she wouldn't look at him.
"Den why ya not lookin' at me?" He tipped her chin up carefully with his glove. "Nothin' gonna keep me from you." She felt almost embarrassed by the look in his eyes, so it made it easier to believe him. She could try. She had to try and trust someone post Mystique.
"Okay," She breathed, staring at him like the first time he charmed her. He didn't do that anymore, he wanted to earn the notorious Rogue's affections. And he would deserve all of it. He nodded when her posture relaxed, and he could tell that she believed him. That was all he needed to see. He wasn't sure what he was doing most of the time, but he would find his way back to her. Of that, he was certain.
He snuck off when the sun went down, avoiding a big goodbye or a lot of attention. He stood in the moonlight and held her for a long time before he snuck around the garden's surveillance. Rogue stood outside for a long time and stared up at the stars...
She didn't see him again for over a year.