Chapter 1

The room was a complete mess, yet it was the most glorious evidence of the good time they had all afternoon. She analyzed the full of extent of the damage and contemplated tidying up for a fraction of a second. After all, she was about to leave and starting to run late as things were. Tidy-up time would have to wait until the next day.

With a regained sense of priorities, the young woman in blue shorts paced back and forth in her room, gathering items as she went. Clean bottles, diapers, a pack of wipes, and three changes of clothes. That should be enough for the night, she decided as she finished packing up. She slung the backpack over one shoulder, crouched down to get hold of the child with her free arm, and shortly after, she made her way out of her room.

She was wearing her favorite glasses with amazingly stylish pink lenses, her hair had been sprayed to look nothing less than awesome. Such a while it had been ever since she had last seen her friends at the club. Her heart was overwhelmed in pure ecstasy, heart pumping faster in participation. Unsurprisingly, at the same time, she felt guilty for leaving Shogo behind. Surely he was going to be more than well cared for, but once you become a mother, guilt instantly follows you around like a shadow. That lesson she had learned pretty quickly.

As she clumsily made her way to Ororo's room, a tall, slim and deliciously handsome figure walked in the opposite direction, heading her way. She smiled despite herself at the sight of the familiar figure. He was the total opposite of her. While she could do with another set of arms, ungracefully holding baby and backpack, he strode beautifully with his impeccable posture, free arms swaying freely as he walked lazily, not a single care in the world.

All swagger and good looks, he was seemingly coming out of the shower after a Danger Room session. He had a towel over his shoulders, his hair was still wet, and he smelled incredibly irresistible. Not to her, mind you. Gone were the days when she entertained childish daydreaming and fantasies involving that handsome man. Back then, he was Gambit, the sexy and mysterious X-Man. Nowadays, she knew better than that. In fact, every single girl in the mansion did. He was a friend and a good one at that, besides, he was damaged goods, his heart had a keeper already. Even though both owner and keeper of the said heart were too dumb to acknowledge that fact. And no one wanted to get in the way of those two.

Oblivious to Jubilee's judgment, Remy LeBeau was definitely feeling relaxed and in a happy mood after the good workout session that he had just had. He took one good look at the lady in front of him, quickly accessing her partying clothes and baby in tow. He flashed her a genuine smile and nodded politely, acknowledging her.

Jubilee would have lowered her sunglasses slowly to check him out teasingly, had she had a free hand to be able to do so. Instead, she wolf-whistled jokingly and grinned at him. Remy stopped walking as they crossed paths to greet her properly and play with Shogo for a second. An honest wide smile adorned his lips as he tickled the baby who giggled in response.

"Hello there, Jubs. Hi, young fella. Someone seems ready for a good time out. Is Mama treating you alright, young man?"

"Course, I am. What kind of mom do you think I am?" She responded, a little too offended. Her reaction was completely uncalled for, it was a product of her inner guilt that was acting up.

"The best kind out there, chére.", he offered, meaning what he just said. He winked at her while still tickling Shogo.

The little man burst into a sequence of baby giggles. Uncle Remy was not only a hit with the ladies but also with the little ones. He was especially good at amusing them with little thieving tricks that little ones interpreted as extreme peek-a-boo routines. Uncle Remy was awesome.

Jubilee's phone started ringing and without warning, she handed Shogo to Remy so she could answer the call. The man raised his eyebrows in surprise and held the little boy gently, his eyes narrowed as he watched Jubilee's ways. She had taken a few steps away from her friend Remy when she recognized the ringtone she assigned to the caller. She glanced at him nervously for a second before hitting the answering button which only fired Remy's curiosity even further. He also noticed she was making an effort to speak in a lower voice. That looked suspicious. He wondered what she could possibly be hiding from him.

" Yes... I'll be there in twenty minutes or so... No... No, I haven't told anyone... It's just me, girl, chill! I know! Yes! You are gonna love it... Right, yes... Me too... See ya."

She closed the call and threw the phone in her bag as fast as she possibly could.

"Mmmm... mysterious Jubes! I like it. Who was that?"

"None of your business, nosey!"

"Oh, I bet it was something, maybe someone, that concerns Remy here. Otherwise, you wouldn't be acting so mysteriously."

"I have special orders not to tell you, or anyone, who I was talking to."

At her words, he scoffed. Did she really think she was fooling him for a second? She seemed to believe so.

"Come on, chére. For you to be giving me such a hard time, we all know, it can only be my Roguey."

"Ugh... That obvious?"

"Well, you're a bad liar and, besides, I've known you ever since you were a teen. Remy here can read you like an open book," he teased her.

"OK, it may or may not have been Rogue. But that's all you'll be getting from me." She made a gesture as if she were zipping up her lips, locking them, and throwing the keys away. Remy raised one single eyebrow at her scene and smirked. He loved a challenge.

Just then, Ororo joined them in the corridor, getting Remy distracted. She walked towards them and started to complain about how Jubilee was late and had her waiting. The moment she saw Remy with her, she shook her head in disapproval and gave him that scolding look she has specially crafted and reserved for him only.

"Sorry, 'Ro. I guess I was the one who kept her. You know I love this little one," he commented lightly while making the baby boy's hair shaggy, who in turn, giggled loudly, in absolute delight. "Bon, I was just about to go my way anyway," he apologized rushedly.

And so he did, he walked away in his room's direction. Jubilee followed Storm to the room, all the while showering her friend with instructions and recommendations for her little one. They engaged in friendly conversation for a moment longer until Shogo's mom kissed him goodbye and left him at the expert care of her friend Ororo.

"Have fun, child. He will be alright, no need to worry," Storm offered, trying to reassure the young woman.

"Thanks for this, 'Ro."

"Anytime. And tell Anna I said hi."

"I will," she promised.

Jubilee felt the urge to give the baby another goodbye kiss but decided that was selfish. He was fine in Ororo's arms. Another kiss could prompt clinginess and he would start crying. Trying hard to shake off those anxious feelings about leaving and being momentarily away from Shogo, she climbed down the stairs in a rush and swiftly made her way past the main entrance door. Jubilee was walking down the driveway distracted by her phone, firing text messages back and forth, when a sleek human figure jumped in front of her. She shrieked in surprise, then, the figure started moving and she fucking knew that swagger...

"Fuck, Remy! You scared the shit out of me! What the hell!"

"Hello again, Jubs. Nice to see you too," he spoke in a velvety voice. She narrowed her eyes at him, she knew he had an agenda and she could well imagine what he was after.

"The fuck do you want?" She asked, even though she knew very well the only thing that must be his motivation for sneaking up on her like a creep.

"Oh, you know, chére. Ever since someone told my Anna about my latest love conquests, she hasn't been answering my calls. I guess I could use your help."

"That wasn't me," she spat back at him hurriedly.

"Never said that, chére. No accusations were uttered. But since you were so quick to deny it... Got me thinking, maybe it was you," he insinuated. A Cheshire cat smile adorned his lips and he crossed his arms over his chest.

The truth is that Jubilee was one of the people who loved to feed Rogue with Gambit's latest juicy gossip, especially now that she spent most of her time with the Avengers. Even though Rogue had never asked her to do that, the girl couldn't help it.

Besides, it was not like she was the only one doing that. The same also happened the other way around, the X-Men in double duty with the Avengers would call Remy to tell him about Rogue's new beaus and escapades. They hadn't been an official item in years, but everyone seemed to be hashtag Team Romy in the mansion. Maybe a little jealousy would push them into taking action and getting them back to being the sexiest couple that the school had ever seen. So they gossiped shamelessly about those two, it was an X-Men favorite pastime, but truth be told, they all did so with their best intentions at heart.

Remy clicked his tongue and shook his head.

" Ah, Jubs. I thought I had taught you better than that. You're so terrible at lies, it's cringe worthy, mon ami."

"Oh, well... Not everyone has an innate talent for deceiving and tricks... Besides, Cecilia Reyes, Remy? What the fuck!"

"What!? What about her? No one is ever good enough for you guys. Y'all wanna see me and Roguey together, fine! Honestly, I'd love that too. But the timing is never perfect. So, you could start by telling me where she's going with you tonight," he said in all seriousness, only for a stubborn smirk to slide across his lips one second later.

"I can't betray a friend. Besides, she specifically told me not to tell YOU that we were going out together tonight. The poor thing just wants to have a good time! A good time that doesn't involve sexual tension or drama, that is!"

"Could I perhaps tempt you with a shipment of clothes from your favorite brand, or a store of your choice, be, let's say, redirected to you?"

"What!? I mean... That wouldn't be a bad idea but...No!!! That would be wrong."

"OK, what about new designer shades? A collection that hasn't even found the stores yet? I could certainly make that happen..."

"Remy, I told you! I wouldn't sell her out..."

"That bubblegum you loved that was discontinued recently. I'm a master of acquiring rare items, you see..."

"She's my friend, come on! Stop it!" The young lady said, shaking her head at him. It was getting harder and harder to say 'no'.

"I'll change Shogo's soiled diapers for a week. You text me and I'll be there."

She eyed him intently. Could she trust that he would fulfill his promises? As if reading her thoughts, he added, "I'm a man of my word."

"Okay, deal!"

-x-

Clubbing made her synapses jump like beans in a tin. She couldn't possibly feel more alive anywhere else in the world. The music was a drug that brought her higher and higher. Her mind buzzed with pure joy, she looked over her shoulder and could tell that Rogue must have been feeling the same way. Her eyes were closed as she felt the music beat down to her core. She felt as if her soul was shining so brightly.

Both their skins were glowing, glistening with sweat. Smiles so wide, it was like their auras were visible to all the people around them. And the night was so young, nothing could stop their celebration of life, of freedom to just be happy by letting their body move freely to the beat. Rogue's hair was flowing with her movements, hips swaying gracefully from side to side, arms thrown in the air carelessly, her limbs had so much energy she felt like she could dance for millennia and then some more.

As she got ready for that night out, she felt really excited to go out with Jubilee and also meet her friends. Her heart seemed to pump faster with anticipation. She was told that the club was famous with a super cool queer crowd and there would be zero toxic males around to try to get it on with her. The uninvited touching and bumping on the dance floor, the insistence for a phone number, drinks that were ordered by some stranger... She was not in the mood for any of that. The idea of going out just for dancing and having a good time was very attractive when Jubilee mentioned the place in a conversation. The place she was describing sounded like the most perfect ever.

She absolutely loathed the usual predatory vibe in regular clubs and thought being in a place where everybody was chill would be just what she needed. A place to unwind, fully reassured nobody was watching her with malicious intentions, preying on her as if she were a helpless little creature. She just wanted to dance, feeling sure of herself and empowered.

All Jubilee had promised was true. Rogue was dancing for an hour, having so much fun. But then, she saw him and he saw her. The moment he walked in, he had seen her, but grabbed himself a drink and sat at the bar in a dark corner. Wearing sunglasses, letting his chin-length hair slide over his face, he stood there, invisible, anonymous. He wasn't entirely sure what he expected to do there. It was like a game obtaining the information from Jubilee. But once he got there, he felt like an intruder. This was her moment, a fun night out, he had no business being there.

All he wanted was to see her, to watch her, make sure she was well and happy. It brought inexplicable comfort to his heart to stare at her from afar. She was beautiful, smiling, careless and free, and seemingly cured of the disease their love had been for her.

Little did he know that half an hour later when she eventually saw and recognized him, her blood rushed through her veins and woke up her brain, even though she thought herself already awake by that place and its loud music. Her smile grew out of its own accord and she could either let him see what he had ignited or hide it. Rogue being Rogue, she opted for the latter. She continued dancing as if he were not there, pretending she hadn't seen him. Except that, without realizing her movements were a bit more pronounced, her hips moved in a sexier manner, and there was an extra bounce to her steps. She was putting up a show for him, whether she liked it or not. It was surreal how he still had that effect on her.

They were well away from each other, and she would keep tabs on him from time to time, but eventually, decided to stop pretending. She held her gaze in his direction and their eyes finally met. He reciprocated her actions, she smiled, and he smiled back. She started walking away from the dance floor and he left his seat at the bar. They were walking toward each other when Remy stopped abruptly and got his phone from his pocket. He looked at the screen and seemed alarmed.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, and his head shot right back up. His eyes found hers again, he offered her an apologetic shrug and mouthed 'I have to go.' After waving goodbye for a brief moment, he made his way through the crowd and left the club without looking back, not even once.

She remained planted where she was, astonished at his ways, not quite believing what had k

just happened. She considered joining Jubilee and asking her if she was the one who told him where she would be that night. Pointless! Of course, it had been her. Remy just wouldn't happen to be at the club by chance.

'He went through all this trouble, just to leave me hanging. What could be so important that he had to leave like that?' She asked herself and, obviously, with her being his knight in shining armor many times before, she started wondering what kind of war had broken out for him to leave like that. It didn't matter the non-existent status of their relationship at that moment, they also had each other's back. It was this unspoken promise they had with each other that just wouldn't allow her to shake it off and go back to her night of careless fun.

On an impetuous move, she decided to leave as well. She had to know what was happening. She sent Jubilee a message saying she taking off as she made her way past the exit door.

"Fuck, Remy! What the hell is going on this time?" She muttered to herself as her body soared out of the ground the moment she was out of the club. She was surely going to get some answers, one way or another.