Remy saw Lilith at the bar and took a seat. She looked at him quizzically, but then he pointed at the bartender. She nodded mutely, a look of 'of course!' lighting her face up. "James?"
"Yeah, luv?" He turned with a raised eyebrow. Remy saw he was in his mid-twenties and did look remarkably like the spy.
"Give my friend here..." she glanced at Remy for a moment, then turned her attention back to James. "A Coke." Remy's eyebrows knit together, but what he didn't see was Lilith winking to James. No need to let the other customers think they were serving alcohol to the underage.
Back at the table, Rogue watched Remy out of the corner of her eye. 'He's actually orderin' somethin'?! The nerve of him!' Then she thought for a moment. 'Maybe Ah was actin' a bit- umm, naughty.' "Boys, close yoah mouths. Ya're lettin' flies in."
Todd grinned. "Really?" He glanced around.
"It's an expression," Lance explained, slightly disappointed the show was over.
"Right. I knew that."
Rogue took the last bite of her desert, smiled, and put her fork down demurely. The boys, with slightly dazed looks on their faces, began to eat their own deserts almost mechanically. Then the taste registered.
"Okay, we HAVE to eat here more often, yo," Todd announced.
"Todd," Pietro began slowly in a patronizing tone. "Did you notice anything odd about the menus?"
"Um, they were in French?"
"Besides that."
"Uh..."
"There were no prices listed. What does that tell you?"
A long pause. Then, "Oh."
"Yes. 'Oh.'"
A few seconds later, James slid a glass in front of Remy. He nodded his thanks and drank it down quick, thinking it was actually soda. He almost coughed it up once the taste settled on his tongue. 'Dieu, bourbon...'
Todd continued eating his desert slowly, as if to remember each bite. Fred, on the other hand, was just finishing his fifth plate. He had watched Rogue, too, of course, but it didn't stop him from devouring every last bit of pastry on each plate. "This Xavier guy ain't half bad for doin' this for us," he managed to say between bites.
"You guys really aren't missing much by not being there," Lance mumbled. "Right, Tabby?"
"Got that. What we have is more important," she nodded defiantly.
"And what would that be? Overdo water bills?" Todd joked harshly.
Tabitha smiled warmly. "Each other."
"Here comes that Christmas cheer again..." Fred muttered.
"Aww, c'mere, Freddy!" Tabitha leaned over Pietro to give him a hug. Pietro wasn't sure if he should be happy or annoyed to have her draped over him. To make up his mind, she laughed, "Don't get any ideas, Speedy."
Rogue watched them interact and her eyes drifted over to Remy. "Dammit," she said under her breath before getting up and walking blindly over to the bar.
"So what brings you over here, Remy?" Lilith asked, perched on the bar stool next to him and leaning casually on the bar.
"Ma femme," he answered simply with a sigh.
Lilith mouth formed an 'o' in understanding. "We get guys like you all the time."
"Non, I'm sure y' don'," implying that their relationship was a bit different than other couples.
"Whatever, Cajun," she smiled. "That Coke helping?"
"Oui... how did y' know?"
Her smile grew sly. "Call it a hunch." She peeked over Remy's shoulder and saw the aforementioned 'femme' making her way towards the bar. "I'm going to check on my tables. Cheer up." She rubbed his shoulder briefly before standing up. She passed by Rogue, and gave her conspiratorial smile. Rogue paused in her stride for a moment, looking back at the waitress. She just didn't get her.
Remy hid his surprise when Rogue slid into the seat Lilith had vacated scant seconds ago.
James finished serving several businessmen on the other side of the bar and came back over. "What'll it be?" he asked Rogue.
She didn't know, or didn't care. "Whatever he's havin' is fine," she requested without even taking notice of what was in Remy's glass. He hid a growing smirk.
"What brings y' over here, chere?" Remy asked nonchalantly, sipping his drink.
"Ah thought- umm, we should talk." She dug her one hand into the barstool nervously, and Remy heard the tiny creaks of breaking wood. She avoided his penetrating gaze.
"'Bout what?"
She looked up at him, eyes glittering with held back tears. 'Merde, she's dis upset?' "Aww, Rem, Ah've been such a bitch, what with all the shit these last couple days and everythin'..."
'She's actually breakin' down? Stay firm... Don' jus' apologize on y' own... Remember, she had a part in dis fight, too...' "Uh-huh..."
She stared at him flatly as James produced her drink. "Don't give me that. Ah know ya've been tired o' me steppin' all ovah ya an' Ah really don't know how ya stand it. If the roles were reversed, Ah'd be mad at ya twenty-four-seven-"
'Y' got dat right.'
"-but the guys over there got me thinkin'... it's the holidays. Ah shouldn't be pullin' this petty crap with you, especially not now. Ah love you, an' Ah shouldn't be makin' ya feel less than me, because you deserve better than that."
He put his hands up. "Chere, chere, chere. Wait, don't be t'inkin' dis is completely on you."
"But Ah feel like it is."
"Y' know it's not. I'm not perfect. I act like I am, but de trut' is I'm not even close."
That gained a harsh laugh from her. "If you're not perfect, Ah don't know what is."
He cupped her face in his hand and gently lifted her head so he could look her in the eyes. "Den we'll jus' have t' find dis so-called 'perfect' t'get'er, won' we?" He lowered his hand back onto his lap.
A very tiny smile brightened her eyes. "Ah'm sorry." A lone tear trickled down her cheek. 'He's got me cryin',' she laughed to herself, 'an' he thinks he's whipped.'
He smiled warmly and trailed his hand over to hers on the bar counter. "Dat's all I wanted t' hear."
"Really?"
"Oui. An' I'm sorry, too." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her lips twitched a moment before she got up from her stool and wrapped her arms around him.
"Ah missed this."
"It's only been a couple hours since I hugged y'."
"Ah know." She rested her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her to him.
The touching reunion was interrupted by a bright flash of light. They jerked apart. "Kodak moment," Lilith informed them, grinning and holding up a disposable camera.
"Ya've got serious issues."
"Phhft. Normality is highly overrated."
Remy grinned. "C'n we have de double o' dat?"
"Certainly." She looked down to rummage through her pocket and produced... mistletoe? "C'mon..." she said in a sing-songy voice, dangling it above their heads. "You know how it goes."
Remy's smile never faltered as he took hold of one of Rogue's hands and raised it to his mouth for a gentle kiss.
"Aww, that's no fun," Lilith whined. She took a picture nonetheless.
"Suits me just fine," Rogue smiled. Remy stood up and offered his arm.
"Shall we?"
"Ah'd be delighted, Mr. LeBeau." She hooked her arm in his. Lilith stood with her arms crossed.
"I'm not impressed, you two."
Rogue cast a wary glance at Remy. "You want yoah kiss? Ah'm not the type of girl that does this-" 'ever' "-but it would be nice ta have a picture..."
Lilith looked at her quizzically, but held the camera up. Rogue gave Remy a quick kiss on the lips, which sent a nice shock through his system. Lilith had snapped the picture in time to catch only the loving expressions on their faces as their lips touched, not the slightly shocked looks a split second afterward.
"That was a bit weird..." the waitress commented.
Remy lowered his lips to Rogue's ear. "What was dat 'bout?"
"Ah can touch people without makin' 'em pass out, but only if Ah make it quick. Ah did it with Kitty befoh... Then again, she still felt woozy afterwards."
"Dat doesn' help me at all," he breathed huskily into her ear, a pout donning his lips.
"Ah'll make up foh it later. That's why Ah don't do the li'l kisses, 'cause it still drains whoever Ah touch, but just not enough. It would add up if ya think about it."
"It'd be wort' it f' you," he grinned.
"This is why Ah didn't tell ya." She smiled, poking his nose. "Now Ah'm gonna have a blast with yoah-self control."
"Oui, y' are," and with that he gave her rear a tiny pat. She yelped for a second, as it was unexpected, but when Lilith turned around again, she shrugged sheepishly.
"And people say I'M strange."
"Because ya are."
Lilith snorted, then noticed a woman at one of her tables waving for her attention. "Ah, duty calls. Well, it can't be all fun and games. At least I didn't get suckered into working tonight when the rush hits." She walked off.
TBC...
"Yeah, luv?" He turned with a raised eyebrow. Remy saw he was in his mid-twenties and did look remarkably like the spy.
"Give my friend here..." she glanced at Remy for a moment, then turned her attention back to James. "A Coke." Remy's eyebrows knit together, but what he didn't see was Lilith winking to James. No need to let the other customers think they were serving alcohol to the underage.
Back at the table, Rogue watched Remy out of the corner of her eye. 'He's actually orderin' somethin'?! The nerve of him!' Then she thought for a moment. 'Maybe Ah was actin' a bit- umm, naughty.' "Boys, close yoah mouths. Ya're lettin' flies in."
Todd grinned. "Really?" He glanced around.
"It's an expression," Lance explained, slightly disappointed the show was over.
"Right. I knew that."
Rogue took the last bite of her desert, smiled, and put her fork down demurely. The boys, with slightly dazed looks on their faces, began to eat their own deserts almost mechanically. Then the taste registered.
"Okay, we HAVE to eat here more often, yo," Todd announced.
"Todd," Pietro began slowly in a patronizing tone. "Did you notice anything odd about the menus?"
"Um, they were in French?"
"Besides that."
"Uh..."
"There were no prices listed. What does that tell you?"
A long pause. Then, "Oh."
"Yes. 'Oh.'"
A few seconds later, James slid a glass in front of Remy. He nodded his thanks and drank it down quick, thinking it was actually soda. He almost coughed it up once the taste settled on his tongue. 'Dieu, bourbon...'
Todd continued eating his desert slowly, as if to remember each bite. Fred, on the other hand, was just finishing his fifth plate. He had watched Rogue, too, of course, but it didn't stop him from devouring every last bit of pastry on each plate. "This Xavier guy ain't half bad for doin' this for us," he managed to say between bites.
"You guys really aren't missing much by not being there," Lance mumbled. "Right, Tabby?"
"Got that. What we have is more important," she nodded defiantly.
"And what would that be? Overdo water bills?" Todd joked harshly.
Tabitha smiled warmly. "Each other."
"Here comes that Christmas cheer again..." Fred muttered.
"Aww, c'mere, Freddy!" Tabitha leaned over Pietro to give him a hug. Pietro wasn't sure if he should be happy or annoyed to have her draped over him. To make up his mind, she laughed, "Don't get any ideas, Speedy."
Rogue watched them interact and her eyes drifted over to Remy. "Dammit," she said under her breath before getting up and walking blindly over to the bar.
"So what brings you over here, Remy?" Lilith asked, perched on the bar stool next to him and leaning casually on the bar.
"Ma femme," he answered simply with a sigh.
Lilith mouth formed an 'o' in understanding. "We get guys like you all the time."
"Non, I'm sure y' don'," implying that their relationship was a bit different than other couples.
"Whatever, Cajun," she smiled. "That Coke helping?"
"Oui... how did y' know?"
Her smile grew sly. "Call it a hunch." She peeked over Remy's shoulder and saw the aforementioned 'femme' making her way towards the bar. "I'm going to check on my tables. Cheer up." She rubbed his shoulder briefly before standing up. She passed by Rogue, and gave her conspiratorial smile. Rogue paused in her stride for a moment, looking back at the waitress. She just didn't get her.
Remy hid his surprise when Rogue slid into the seat Lilith had vacated scant seconds ago.
James finished serving several businessmen on the other side of the bar and came back over. "What'll it be?" he asked Rogue.
She didn't know, or didn't care. "Whatever he's havin' is fine," she requested without even taking notice of what was in Remy's glass. He hid a growing smirk.
"What brings y' over here, chere?" Remy asked nonchalantly, sipping his drink.
"Ah thought- umm, we should talk." She dug her one hand into the barstool nervously, and Remy heard the tiny creaks of breaking wood. She avoided his penetrating gaze.
"'Bout what?"
She looked up at him, eyes glittering with held back tears. 'Merde, she's dis upset?' "Aww, Rem, Ah've been such a bitch, what with all the shit these last couple days and everythin'..."
'She's actually breakin' down? Stay firm... Don' jus' apologize on y' own... Remember, she had a part in dis fight, too...' "Uh-huh..."
She stared at him flatly as James produced her drink. "Don't give me that. Ah know ya've been tired o' me steppin' all ovah ya an' Ah really don't know how ya stand it. If the roles were reversed, Ah'd be mad at ya twenty-four-seven-"
'Y' got dat right.'
"-but the guys over there got me thinkin'... it's the holidays. Ah shouldn't be pullin' this petty crap with you, especially not now. Ah love you, an' Ah shouldn't be makin' ya feel less than me, because you deserve better than that."
He put his hands up. "Chere, chere, chere. Wait, don't be t'inkin' dis is completely on you."
"But Ah feel like it is."
"Y' know it's not. I'm not perfect. I act like I am, but de trut' is I'm not even close."
That gained a harsh laugh from her. "If you're not perfect, Ah don't know what is."
He cupped her face in his hand and gently lifted her head so he could look her in the eyes. "Den we'll jus' have t' find dis so-called 'perfect' t'get'er, won' we?" He lowered his hand back onto his lap.
A very tiny smile brightened her eyes. "Ah'm sorry." A lone tear trickled down her cheek. 'He's got me cryin',' she laughed to herself, 'an' he thinks he's whipped.'
He smiled warmly and trailed his hand over to hers on the bar counter. "Dat's all I wanted t' hear."
"Really?"
"Oui. An' I'm sorry, too." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her lips twitched a moment before she got up from her stool and wrapped her arms around him.
"Ah missed this."
"It's only been a couple hours since I hugged y'."
"Ah know." She rested her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her to him.
The touching reunion was interrupted by a bright flash of light. They jerked apart. "Kodak moment," Lilith informed them, grinning and holding up a disposable camera.
"Ya've got serious issues."
"Phhft. Normality is highly overrated."
Remy grinned. "C'n we have de double o' dat?"
"Certainly." She looked down to rummage through her pocket and produced... mistletoe? "C'mon..." she said in a sing-songy voice, dangling it above their heads. "You know how it goes."
Remy's smile never faltered as he took hold of one of Rogue's hands and raised it to his mouth for a gentle kiss.
"Aww, that's no fun," Lilith whined. She took a picture nonetheless.
"Suits me just fine," Rogue smiled. Remy stood up and offered his arm.
"Shall we?"
"Ah'd be delighted, Mr. LeBeau." She hooked her arm in his. Lilith stood with her arms crossed.
"I'm not impressed, you two."
Rogue cast a wary glance at Remy. "You want yoah kiss? Ah'm not the type of girl that does this-" 'ever' "-but it would be nice ta have a picture..."
Lilith looked at her quizzically, but held the camera up. Rogue gave Remy a quick kiss on the lips, which sent a nice shock through his system. Lilith had snapped the picture in time to catch only the loving expressions on their faces as their lips touched, not the slightly shocked looks a split second afterward.
"That was a bit weird..." the waitress commented.
Remy lowered his lips to Rogue's ear. "What was dat 'bout?"
"Ah can touch people without makin' 'em pass out, but only if Ah make it quick. Ah did it with Kitty befoh... Then again, she still felt woozy afterwards."
"Dat doesn' help me at all," he breathed huskily into her ear, a pout donning his lips.
"Ah'll make up foh it later. That's why Ah don't do the li'l kisses, 'cause it still drains whoever Ah touch, but just not enough. It would add up if ya think about it."
"It'd be wort' it f' you," he grinned.
"This is why Ah didn't tell ya." She smiled, poking his nose. "Now Ah'm gonna have a blast with yoah-self control."
"Oui, y' are," and with that he gave her rear a tiny pat. She yelped for a second, as it was unexpected, but when Lilith turned around again, she shrugged sheepishly.
"And people say I'M strange."
"Because ya are."
Lilith snorted, then noticed a woman at one of her tables waving for her attention. "Ah, duty calls. Well, it can't be all fun and games. At least I didn't get suckered into working tonight when the rush hits." She walked off.
TBC...
