Author's note: I'm on a role! Must type out story…. Anyway, I'm very happy that you guys like the story! ^___^ I don't know what I'm doing but this story has taken a life of it's own. It's totally different then the one I planed in the head! (Then I only had a vague idea of what I wanted) ^__^ I'm glad that Remy killing someone isn't too overdone because I knew he killed someone in the comics. That's a load of my shoulder!
BTW sorry about the grammatical errors and spelling Rogue's name wrong. I had no idea! **totally mortified** And sorry about the odd pairing and writing Piotr's history wrong. I mean what is this? Fanfiction? No…wait. It is. My bad. ^___^ More Piotr is coming up in this chapter. Where did that cute Russian run off to? **Scampers off to find him**
Disclaimer: I don't own the x-men though I wouldn't mind having a leather-wearing Cajun around to keep me company. ^_^ **sighs and daydreams about Remy**
~*~*~*~
Chapter 9
A Meeting of Trust
Rogue needed to talk to Gambit. After she had found out about his past, she immediately wanted to see him. But it was late in the evening and she couldn't sneak out without rousing suspicion. She just had to wait until she saw him at school but the wait was unbearable.
When the next day came and Rogue finally made it to school, she became very distraught when she realized that Gambit wasn't there. In her first class she waited on pins and needles for him to come through the door but he never did.
Of course she knew that seeing him would be a little awkward after what happened the night before but she never thought that he wouldn't show. Was he that angry with her? What if something happened to him and she didn't know? Her anxiety knotting her stomach, she eagerly searched for John or Piotr in the hallways between classes. She hoped that he knew something about Gambit's no-show.
"Hey, Rogue! Wait up!"
Hearing her named called down the hallway, Rogue turned around to see who it was. She saw John running towards her, pushing pass the other students with Piotr calmly walking in his wake. She sighed in relief and waited for them to meet her.
"John, Piotr, I've been looking everywhere for you guys," she told him.
"Really?" John asked little out of breath. "We were looking for you too. Listen, Gambit's gone MIA on us."
"What?"
"He's gone, Rogue," Piotr explained as even-tempered as ever. His face still stoic as always but Rogue could see with worry flashing in his gentle eyes. "Have you seen him?"
Rogue was shocked and a little scared. "No. I was going to ask if you've seen him," she announced.
John frowned and shook his head. "Nu-uh. Not since last night. He never came home. It has nothing to do with Magneto, I know that for sure. The bastard is still in France. You were with him last. What happened last night?"
Rogue sighed, knowing that she shouldn't lie to them about Gambit. "It's too crowded to tell you now," she said, looking around the noisy hallway. "Let's go somewhere else that less hectic, all right?"
"Okay," John replied. They followed her to the girls' restroom at the end of the hall. John stopped at the entrance and nervously started at her. "Er…why are we going in the girls' lavatory?"
"Don't worry," Rogue told him, pushing the door open and stepping inside. "No ones gonna come in here anytime soon. It's being repaired."
John looked unconvinced. "If you say so." He looked all around him before quickly diving inside the restroom. Piotr rolled his eyes and walked in.
"Okay, we're out of the hallway. What is it?" John eagerly asked.
Rogue quickly closed the door and joined the two boys in the middle of the tiled room. She took a deep breath. "I know about Remy," she confessed. She spoke softly as if to undermine the truth. "I…I know what happened in New Orleans."
John stared at her, his expression confused. She anxiously watched as the realization of her words hit him and saw his mouth drop open and eyes grow wide. He was stunned. Piotr simply nodded as if accepting Rogue's confession, the composure of his face never faltering.
John shook his head and murmured, "Oh god." He moved away from her as if in a daze and leaned against the wall for support. "You didn't say anything about it, did you?"
"I mentioned the gangs before I knew the whole story," she told him. "It was last night when we walked outside. I said something, joked about the gangs…I didn't know then, John…he was really upset and angry. But he just walked away without saying anything to me. That was when I grabbed Kitty and left."
"Damn," John hissed. "We haven't seen him since then."
"Do you think something happened to him?" Rogue couldn't keep the worry and desperation out of her voice.
Piotr shook his head. "No."
"God, Rogue," John hissed, "he never wanted you to find out!"
"Well I did and I'm not sorry," she replied, frowning. "I just want to help him. I want to help you guys too."
"Help us?" John shouted. "Why the fuck do we need your help?"
"Because I know about you and Piotr too! I know that Magneto is blackmailing you to be on his side!"
John glared at her, his dark brown eyes smoldering with anger. "You have no right…" he began, talking through clinched teeth.
"I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy but we just want to help you," Rogue quickly interrupted. "Please believe me."
"Well no one can help us," Piotr murmured sadly. "Everything we love and hold dear could crumble in a blink of an eye if Magneto chooses so."
"Our very lives are in his fucking hands and we can't do shit about it!"
"Yes, you can, John!" Rogue argued. "If you just let us help you…"
"No!"
Rogue sighed and tried to calm herself. "I don't want to see Gambit hurt," she told John softly after a moment. "I want him to know that he can trust me and to know that I could never judge him or look down on him."
The hostility in John's face slowly faded away and was replaced with a look of somber sympathy. But Rogue couldn't see much after that as tears blurred her vision. Sniffling, she closed her eyes and hid her face in her trembling hands until she could get control of her emotions. She didn't expect the gentle hand on her shoulder.
"If you really mean that," Piotr said softly, "then I think you should go and tell Gambit that. He needs to know that the girl he loves still cares for him."
Startled, Rogue looked up. Piotr offered a little smile.
"Are you surprised to hear that he loves you?" he asked. "He didn't come out and tell us exactly but I know that swamp rat like the back of my hand. He cares for you a lot, Rogue."
"I care for him too," she admitted in a weak whisper.
"Then tell him that, Rogue," he urged. "Find him and tell him. He feels very bad about what happened that night in New Orleans. He never wanted you to find out because he thought that you'd hate him or something. Gambit, although he loves his Cajun roots, thinks that it makes his blood bad, like he's worth nothing because he's just some second-rate thief from the bayou. With you, he thought he could forget the past, and be a good man for once even if he was with Magneto."
Rogue frowned, feeling her heart go out to the Cajun. "He shouldn't feel that way, Piotr. He is a good man."
"He can't help feeling that way sometimes," John spoke up quietly. "Just like I feel like good-for-nothing Aussie trash for the way my family lives."
"That's why you need to go to him, Rogue. You can get through to him. Tell him that you still care, that he's worth something to you."
"I wouldn't know where to look, Piotr," Rogue sadly admitted. "He could be anywhere."
The aloof Russian smiled tenderly. "Just think about it, Rogue. You will know." He squeezed her shoulder and slowly walked towards the door.
"And don't worry about us, Rogue," John commented, joined Piotr. "All this talk about blackmail has given me an idea."
"Oh, God have mercy," Piotr muttered, quickly crossing himself.
"Hey, quiet, you! I think I know a way to get out of Magneto's control." A quirky grin lit up John's face. "The bastard can't dupe us forever, ya know."
"What are you planing to do?" she asked.
John opened the door to the restroom and winked at her. "Just wait and see, Rogue. We'll be free men before you know it."
~*~*~*~
She left school. Between her fifth and sixth period, Rogue grabbed her backpack, dropped a note in Kitty's locker, and walked out. Since the hallways were so hectic as students made their way to class or lunch, no one spared her a second glance. When she reached the outside, she started to run.
She knew that leaving would eventually get her into more trouble with her teachers and friends but she didn't care. Even if it earned her a year's worth of detention, she was willing to risk it. Right then the only thing that matter to her was Gambit. She needed to find him as quickly as possible or else her conscience and her unbridled anxiety would tear her up inside. If she was right, she'd find him at that southern restaurant they ate at earlier that week.
It floored Rogue to realize that she'd known Gambit for barely a week and was in love with him. It seemed like the week had been much longer than just seven days. So much had happened to her since the day she ran into Gambit on that rainy, restless day.
It took her a half an hour to get to the restaurant by foot. When she reached her destination she was a little achy and warm but her mounting apprehension made her forget that. She just hoped that he was inside. Sucking in a deep breath for courage, Rogue opened the door and quickly walked in.
Inside was place was empty. A few waitresses puttered around the quiet room, cleaning the tables and the only customer was a shadowy figure slumped silently in a dark nook. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought that might be Gambit.
"Can I get you something, miss?" a young waitress asked Rogue from behind the counter.
Rogue shook herself out of her reverie. "Um…no," she stammered. "I'm just meeting someone."
"Okay." She flashed a bright smile and gestured to a table. "Have a seat then, miss."
Rogue nodded. "All right. Thanks." When the waitress moved away, Rogue was still glued to the same spot, too scared to move. She nervously bit her lower lip and looked over to watch Gambit. He had his back to her and never noticed that she was there. After a second, she cautiously walked over to the dark alcove, making sure that she didn't stir any noise. But her heart was beating so fast that she was sure he'd hear it.
She paused a few feet away from him. "Remy?" she asked, her voice soft and shaky. She saw him tense and quickly straighten up. "Can I sit down?"
"Oui," he murmured roughly, refusing to look back at her.
Gingerly, Rogue joined him, sitting down on the opposite side of the booth. Gambit ignored her, his demon eyes staring blindly out the window, ignoring her stare. Watching his profile, she could see that he didn't look well. His looked weary and peaked, like a wounded animal. There was a glass of water in front of him but it seemed untouched.
A thick, uncomfortable silence fell between them and Rogue's nervous double. She was at a lose for words. What should she tell him? It seemed so simple in her mind to tell him the truth. But in reality it was so hard. What if he refused her?
What if he hates me? She thought sadly, feeling the pain weighing down her heart. Or what if he hates himself so much that he just pushes me away?
"What are you doing here, chere?" Gambit asked, voice husky. He continued to evade her watch.
Rogue shrugged, helpless. "John and Piotr told me that you never went home last night," she said. "You are making them worry."
"They knows that Gambit is able to take care of himself," he replied.
Rogue sighed. "You made me worried too," she added, looking down at her lap. "I could hardly sleep last night. I kept thinking about you. I didn't know what to do when I realized that you weren't at school. I thought that you must be really angry with me. When they said that you hadn't been home all night I was scared. I thought something might have happened to you."
Gambit shook his head. "I've been here all the time."
Rogue sighed with relief. "That's good. I didn't want to think that you were alone on the streets." She paused and bit her lip. "Listen, Remy, I'm sorry if I upset you last night. I didn't mean it. I didn't know…but now I do know. I…I know everything."
Gambit's eyes snapped to her. "What?"
"I know what happened in New Orleans," she told him. "I know what you did."
"How can you possibly know?" he seethed, his brow knotting as he scowled. "We're you there that night I killed him?"
Speechless, Rogue shook her head.
Gambit sighed, running his hands over his ashen face. "It wasn't an accident, chere." He shook his head. "Gambit is bad blood."
"What happened?" Rogue asked gently.
He shrugged. "Just lost control one night. We were fighting and Gambit lost it. Gambit took a knife and stabbed the poor bastard to death," he murmured softly. His eyes were glazed over as if he were remembering the murder. "After Gambit realized what he done, he ran. That's when Magneto got Gambit. He promised Gambit that the police would never catch him if I joined him. So Gambit did. I was so fucking stupid."
Rogue frowned. She didn't like seeing the pained expressed on Gambit's face. She slowly reached over and held his idle hand that laid on the table, wanting to comfort him.
"Don't think I hate you for what you did," she told him. "I don't. I don't look down on you either. If you let me, I still want to…to be friends with you, Remy. You mean so much to me."
She heard him sigh and watched helplessly as he slowly withdrew his hand from hers. "What makes you think I won't hurt you?" he quietly asked.
"You aren't like that!" Rogue urged. "I know that you are a good man!"
"Well, I was like that seven months ago! I haven't changed. People don't change that quickly, Rogue. Gambit is still the same worthless scoundrel he was in New Orleans. Fuck me for ever believing that I could be something else."
"I don't care if you killed anyone, Remy," Rogue told him. "You could be the fucking devil for all I care and I'd still be in love with you!" She paused, stunned, as the truth penetrated the air around them. She had gotten so carried away that she had blurted out the truth without realizing it.
For a moment Gambit didn't say anything. He met her stare, his demon eyes melancholy, and shook his head. "How could you love someone like Gambit?"
"How could you love someone like me?" she returned. "I love you, Remy Lebeau, and I don't care about your past. It doesn't mean anything because I know that you are still a good man at heart. I truly believe that, even if you don't."
"Chere…"
Rogue glared at him. "If you think I'm going to let you go, you are sadly mistaken, Gambit," she told him.
He offered a feeble smile. "All right, chere. Gambit's sorry."
Rogue nodded as she stood up, moving to sit down next to Gambit. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him and held him. He eagerly accepted the embrace, pulling her close with his arms.
"Gambit just wishes he could forget sometimes, chere," he murmured. "He's done so many bad things. He still is doing so many bad things…"
"I understand, Remy. I wish I can forget the time I almost killed a boy with my powers," she said. "But I know I can't. I just have to learn from my mistake and move on."
"That's a lot to ask, chere. I don't know if I can."
She ran a hand up and down his back, comfortingly. "You have to come to terms with what you did or else it will eat you up inside," she told him. "I'm not asking you do to it right now. That's impossible. I'm asking you to do it when you are ready."
"All right, chere," he sighed heavily.
"That's why I want you to leave Magneto," Rogue told him.
"What? I can't. He'll go to the police."
"Then let us help you, let the x-men help you, Remy. You said yourself that you are still doing bad things. That's all Magneto's fault," she told him. "Anyway, John said he had a plan to get out of Magneto's control."
"John? You talked to him? You know about him, too?"
She nodded. "They don't want to be blackmailed anymore. Just think about it, all right?"
"At first we were fine with the contract Magneto set up for us," Gambit said, sighing. "We were paid good money, had a nice house to live in, and a place where we could put our powers into use without being thought of as weird. Then we realized that Magneto was one crazy bastard, who picked us because of our pasts. It was just easier to keep us when blackmail was involved because no one in their right mind would side with him." He paused and stroked the side of her face.
"Then you came around, chere, and turned everything upside down. Gambit liked you from the beginning but he thought the infatuation would pass. But it never did. Infatuation turned into something more and Gambit realized that he didn't want to be your enemy and that he couldn't go on living this way. So, no matter what happens, Gambit will leave Magneto."
Rogue smiled. "Are you going to wait and see what John has up his sleeve?"
"Yes. He can be a cold-hearted bastard if he wants. Whatever he's planning, it's going to get Magneto were he least expects it."
"Ya know, the offer of being my boyfriend is still open, Remy," she told him, smiling.
"Well, chere, that's an offer Remy won't refuse." He looked down at her and slowly brushed his gloved fingers against her face. "Or let go any time soon."
Rogue blushed, wishing that she had a bloody scarf. She really wanted to kiss him once more.
"Looking for this, chere?" Gambit asked, pulling her sheer purple scarf out from the pocket of his coat. He waved it in front of her face. "You left it outside last night."
"Damn glad you have it, Remy," she told him before snatching it and placing it over his face. "Because I want to kiss you senseless." And proceeded to do just that.
~*~*~*~
"I didn't become Magneto's right hand man to be demoted to a nanny for a bunch of ungrateful brats," Sabertooth growled angrily. Perched on the top of a building like some evil bird, the tall, yellow-haired mutant was back in Bayville to check up on his favorite trio of children. But, in reality, he'd rather be force-fed to a temperamental shark any day.
Since he hardly knew the city well, Sabertooth sniffed the air loudly for their scents. He caught the different smells from the busy street below but ignored them, catching something that sparked his interest. He caught the spicy scent of that foul Cajun as well as the scent of an x-men. He couldn't tell which on it was and that that irked him to no end. Growling low in his throat, Sabertooth followed the Cajun's smell, leaping from building to building, until he came upon a humble restaurant on the other side of town.
"Southern," he muttered, scoffing. "Typical."
Sabertooth noted that Gambit wasn't at school and thought that the boy might be fighting with the mysterious x-man. That made him smile. He hoped the boy was having a tough time and got the shit beat out of him. But as he sniffed the air for more clues, the aroma of kinetically charge objects never reached him. Instead he smelled the scent of a girl. A young girl.
"What the hell?" he growled, peering over the roof of the restaurant to see the street below. At that moment, the door swung open and Gambit stepped out into the light, holding the untouchable mutant girl, Rogue, in his arms. They seemed awfully friendly to the giant. Not knowing that they were being watched, the young lovers walked down the street, talking about god knows what. Sabertooth snickered down at them.
"Ooh," he gnarled, showing his fanged teeth as he grinned. "Magneto will love this."
~*~*~*~
"Still wanna go back to school, chere?" Gambit asked as they walked down the street, his arm wrapped comfortably around her then shoulders.
"Hell no!" Rogue laughed. "School's half over by now anyway. So what's the point?"
"All right. Then what should we do? A movie?"
"I think I'd fall asleep," she replied, yawning. "Remember I hardly got any sleep last night thanks to you."
Gambit's smile was downright lecherously. "Wanna go to my house? No one will be there, chere."
Such shameless innuendo, Rogue thought to herself, blushing. "Meaning what, Gambit?"
He lowered his mouth to her ear and purred, "Meaning that it will be just the two of us in that big old house with no distractions, chere. Just use you imagination."
Rogue felt her face grow much warmer. She needed a big glass of water too since her mouth had gone very dry due to the fact that several choice images popped into her brain. But he couldn't possibly mean that, she thought, nervously biting her lower lip. It's impossible! It's dangerous!
"Chere?" he asked, startling her out of her muse. She looked up at him. "You are all red. What were you thinking?"
"Oh, um…things," she stammered. When she saw his teasing smile, she punched him in the ribs. "You big jerk! You said all those things on purpose just to embarrass me!"
Gambit laughed and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Don't get mad, chere. Gambit couldn't help it. You look so damn cute when you are flustered. Gambit should tease you more often."
Rogue glowered. "Shut up."
"But Gambit meant what he said, chere," he told her. "Je veux vous embrasser at tient si trés proche me. Je veux emballer mes bras vers vous et sens votre chaleur. Je veux toucher votre peau et vous caresse comme je fais dans mes rêves." (I want to kiss you and hold you so very close to me. I want to wrap my arms around you and feel your warmth. I want to touch your skin and caress you like I do in my dreams)
"I have no idea what you said but that sounded really sexy," Rogue told him, blushing. "What did you say?"
"Why don't we go to my place and Gambit'll show you, chere?"
"You're playing with fire, Remy," she cautioned.
He stroked the side of her face, gently touching her as if she were some precious treasure. "Remy will be very careful, chere."
"Okay," she said, smiling. "Let's go. But if you fall into a coma it won't be my fault."
"But what a way to go."
"Pervert."
They walked all the way to Acolytes' house, basking easily in each other's affectionate presence like it was the sun.
"Are you hungry, chere?" Gambit asked her as they walked up to the empty house.
"Very," she murmured. No wait, he's talking about food! "I…um…didn't have lunch."
"Okay. Then Gambit'll wipe something up for us."
"You cook?" she choked out, blushing red, as Gambit led her up the porch.
He nodded.
"Is it any good?"
"You insult me, chere. No one's ever died from Gambit's cooking," he said, smiling. "So it can't be that bad."
"I guess I'll just wait and see for myself."
"Just for that, I'm putting curry in your food," he teased, putting a hand in his coat pocket. "Fuck."
"What is it?"
"Don't have the damn key," he told her, apologetic.
Rogue chuckled. "You're a thief, Remy," she kindly reminded him.
"That's right, chere. Almost forgot," Gambit muttered, withdrawing a slender pick from his coat to her surprise. "Here we go. It'll just take a second." He knelt down by the door and inserted the pick into the lock. Fascinated, Rogue leaned against the house and watched him work. After a few seconds, she heard the lock clink and Gambit stood up, pushing the door open. He put the pick back in his pocket and smiled at her.
"Shall we go in?"
Rogue nodded and took the hand that Gambit offered her and allowed him to lead her inside.
"Make yourself cozy in the living room, chere," Gambit said. "I'll make us something to eat."
"I want to watch. I like a man who knows his way around the kitchen."
Gambit grinned at her. "All right, chere," he said, walking towards the kitchen. "Follow de Gambit then."
The kitchen was further down the hallway, passed the living room. It was big and surprisingly clean for a house with three young men in it. There were no dishes crowding up the sink and the countertops were shiny and polished. The small kitchen table even had a vase of flowers standing proudly against the off white tablecloth. The coziness of the kitchen made Rogue smile.
As Gambit moved away to round up things to cook she slowly wandered through it and passed the refrigerator. She stopped and looked at the decorated surface.
There were a few pictures of the Acolytes stuck to the metal with gaudy magnets along with a small calendar and a schedule of household chores. Looking over it, she could hardly contain her smile. Picturing Gambit vacuuming seemed a little far-fetched to her.
"You really clean house?" she asked, pointing to the agenda.
She felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her waist, startling her. "Of course, chere," Gambit purred into her ear. "Piotr's sort of a clean-freak."
"Just can't imagine you doing the dishes with soap suds up to your elbow," she laughed. "I really like your kitchen. At the institute I hardly ever see ours. It's a horrible piece of metal. Everything is metal in there. There's no comfort or feeling of warmth."
"Ah, there's the Southern girl in you, chere. A house revolves around the kitchen. Or at least, that is what us humble Cajuns have always thought."
"I grew up thinking the same thing," Rogue murmured, leaning against Gambit's hard chest and soaking up his closeness. "A kitchen is the heart of the house."
A gentle kiss was placed on the top of her head. Then, Gambit slowly reached over and opened up the fridge.
"Do you have any thing you particually would like to eat, chere?" he asked.
Rogue shrugged. "I'm fine with anything," she told him. "I don't care."
"Good choice," he replied, pulling out the milk and butter.
"Just no curry."
Gambit smiled and promised, "No curry."
~*~*~*~
"The water is boiling."
"…."
"That's too much spice."
"…."
"Are you sure that's done?"
"Chere! Gambit knows what he is doing!"
Sitting at the small kitchen table, Rogue smiled as sweetly as she could as she watched Gambit putter around the room. She never doubted Gambit's cooking abilities. The air around them was full of warm spices and a pot of Dirty Rice was simmering deliciously in a silver pot on the stove. She just wanted to give him some trouble.
"I'm just teasing you, Remy," she told him. "It really looks good."
"It tastes even better, chere," he told her, smiling.
"Is it done? I'm starving over here."
"I dunno. Why don't you give it a try, petite?" Gambit suggested. He spooned up some rice and carefully walked over to the kitchen table. She blushed when she realized that he intended to feed her.
"All right, Cajun," she muttered. "Let's see." Gingerly, she took a small bite and chewed. It was really hot but mouth-watering nonetheless. She pulled back, fanning herself. "Should have blown on it some," she laughed.
"Good?"
Rogue nodded deeply.
Gambit smiled and leaned towards her. He quickly placed a thumb over her lips and pressed his mouth against it. Rogue smiled when he straightened up, her insides churning with warmth.
"Let's eat, chere."
Fifteen minutes later the pot of Dirty Rice was gone.
"Man, I'm stuffed!" Rogue exclaimed, leaning back in her chair. "I feel like I'm could explode."
Gambit winked at her, finishing up the last of his meal. "Not Gambit's fault if his girlfriend helped herself to two servings."
"Hey, I was hungry!"
"Not complaining. 'Tis a good thing you have a hearty appetite," he told her, smiling. "Gambit was never really into just skin and bones."
"That was really good, Remy," she told him. "Thanks."
"No problem, chere," he returned. He stood up, gathered their used dishes, and dumped them in the sink. He turned around and smiled at her. "What should we do now?"
"I want a tour of your home."
Gambit laughed. "Well, it's a good thing we clean. Come on, chere."
Rogue quickly slipped of her chair and Gambit walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He led her out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room. Stopping by the threshold, he gestured into the room and said, "This be the living room and behind us in the dining room which we never use."
Rogue peered into the elegant dining room. It had a beautiful wood table and chairs along with a tall cabinet full of china and crystal. It was really beautiful but she really could see three young boys and Sabertooth sitting down and enjoying a meal in it. It was quite different from the casual living room with its overstuffed chair and couch along with the huge television and playstation.
"It's nice," she said.
"It's god awful. We never go in there unless we have too," Gambit replied. "It's too classy for us rascals." Gambit walked her further down the hall to a flight of stairs that lead to the second floor. They ascended the steps.
"This is John's room," Gambit told her, pointing to the first door on the floor.
"Can I take a look?"
"It'll be dangerous, chere," he warned her.
Rogue shrugged and opened the door. "Ooh, girlie posters," she remarked, looking around the disordered room from the safety of the doorway. It looked as if a wild bull had run wild in there for a good day.
"You can say John is a big fan of the womanly figure," Gambit said, smiling as Rogue closed the door and joined him in the middle of the hallway. He pointed to another door in the hallway. "That's Piotr's room."
Rogue looked in and frowned. "It's so barren," she murmured, seeing as only a bed and a chest-of-draws hardly filled the large space. The room was perfectly clean, not a spot of dust or an article of clothes littered the wooden floor. She stepped a little further into the room.
"What's this?" On the chest-of-draws, there was a picture and a small statue of the Virgin Mary. Rogue gingerly picked up the picture. It was of a beautiful woman with long brown hair and warm, gentle eyes. She was smiling shyly at the camera. "Is she Piotr's mother?"
Gambit nodded from the doorway.
"She's very beautiful," she said, returning the picture to its former spot. "How long has she been sick, Remy?"
"Piotr's mama has been sick the past year," Gambit told her, closing the door as Rogue exited the scanty room.
"Is she going to get better?"
Gambit sighed heavily. "There was a moment when we actually thought that she would but she ended up relapsing."
"That sucks!" Rogue exclaimed.
Gambit nodded deeply. "He prays that she'll be all right but he knows in his heart that she won't make it."
"Poor Piotr. But if she does end up dying, can't Piotr get away from the Magneto?"
Gambit shook his head. "That sick bastard would find another way to keep him. Come on, chere," he said. "Let's not talk about this now." He grabbed a hold of her hand and started to pull her back down the hallway towards the stairs.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Rogue spoke up. "Where's your room?"
He groaned. "Do you really want to see it?"
"Why you so nervous? Do you have girlie posters up or something like John," she teased. "Is it really messy?"
Gambit shook his head.
"Then why can't I see it?"
"Um…because it's Gambit's room?"
"Is that it?" she scoffed. Smiling, she took a few steps down the hallway. "It's the next door, isn't it?"
"Chere…"
Rogue's smiled widened and quickly darted towards it. Gambit followed in her wake, trying to catch her. She wrapped her hand around the doorknob just as she felt him grabbed her from behind. She laughed when his fingers started to tickle her mercilessly.
"You little troublemaker," he chuckled, trying to pull her away from the door but she wouldn't budge. In the end he gave up and just held her close.
"Come on, Remy! I want to see!" she said, turning the knob and opened the door. To her disappointment the room beyond looked normal. It was clean, the bed was made, and nothing littered the floor. The only thing that reminded her of Gambit was the poster of New Orleans at night hanging on the wall, a deck of cards on the desk, and a motorcycle magazine on the floor by the bed.
"It's so…normal and clean," she muttered, cautiously stepping further inside. She shot him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure this is your room?"
"Oui, petite," Gambit replied, smiling. He entered the room and pushed to door close. "What did you expect?"
"I don't know," Rogue told him. "You couldn't get me to clean my room even if you paid me."
"I take it that you don't like to clean much."
Rogue shook her head. "I hate it with a passion," she murmured, wandering around the room. She made it to the bed and quickly jumped onto the mattress, laughing as she bounced. She laid down on her side and snuggled into the soft blanket. It smelled of Gambit.
Gambit smiled from where he stood. "You look like a little puppy, chere," he told her fondly.
Rogue looked up and smiled at him, whispering, "Come and join me, Remy."
He did. He pulled off his long trench coat and dropped in on the floor but not before retrieving the long purple scarf from the pocket. Rogue blushed when their eyes met, his intense red irises dark. When he sat down on the edge of the bed, Rogue sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, carefully holding him close. Gambit wrapped his arms around her small waist, lowering his face to place a tender kiss on her shoulder. She smiled and ran a hand through his hair.
"Hey, what's this?" Rogue asked, pointing to a tattoo on his upper arm. It was a tattoo of a card and instead of the usual heart or club, bared the fleur-de-lis. Underneath it was the words 'L'association de voleurs de Paroisse d'orléans. Voleur de maître'. Fascinated, Rogue ran a finger over the marking.
"It's the 200-year-old insignia of Gambit's guild in New Orleans," he replied, beaming with pride.
"What does it say?"
"Orleans Parish thief guild. Then it says Gambit's title, Master Thief." [1]
Rogue was stunned. "Master thief?! Damn! You must have been in charge of the guild then."
He nodded and sadly said remarked, "Handed the position over to my right-hand man before Gambit left New Orleans."
"But you're so young, Remy."
"Young but capable," he said, smiling.
"Do you miss it?" she asked. "The guild I mean?"
"Yeah, sometimes. Even though it was dangerous, the guild was Gambit's life completely, my family."
Rogue bit her bottom lip and asked, "Do you think you will ever go back?"
"Maybe just to visit," he murmured. "Once you leave your guild you can't rejoin again."
Rogue frowned and leaned forward. She placed her thumb against his mouth and slowly pressed her lips against it like Gambit had done earlier.
When she pulled back, Gambit lifted the scarf up and placed it gently over Rogue's face. She sighed and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes as she savored the feel of him around her. She felt Gambit shift to place a small kiss on her mouth and she eagerly welcomed him. After a couple of sweet, innocent kisses, she parting her lips to show him that she wanted more.
Her stomach twisted into a warm knot as the kiss deepened, his tongue entering her mouth to stroke her own. At first the undulating movement was drowsily lazy as if they were content on just soaking up the lingering caresses and unhurried brushes through the fabric. Sighing, Rogue pulled him closer to her, wanting to receive more of his kindling touch.
She moaned breathlessly into his mouth, feeling the smooth leather-clad hands at her waist slowly edge the hem of her shirt up. Soon she felt his fingers tenderly graze the soft skin on her stomach. She shivered as a gentle hand slid up to cup the underside on her breast, her back arched into the warm touch.
Unfortunately, even though she would have loved to enjoy Gambit's touch to the fullest, her back started to ache due to her awkward position. She tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away. Frowning, she broke the kiss and pulled back.
"Damn it."
"Chere?" Gambit asked, his voice husky, as he opened her eyes to look at her.
"I'm sorry, Remy," she whispered, drawing the clothe from her face. "It's just a little…"
"Too fast?"
"No," she laughed. "It's just that I'm sitting all wrong. My back is starting to hurt." Sighing, she laid down on the soft bed and smiled, holding her arms out to him. "That's better. Come here."
Gambit smiled down at her and slowly lowered himself down to lie next to her. He replaced the scarf and let the dewy-eyed Rogue pull him into another deliciously long, unhurried kiss.
Riiing…riiing…Rogue winced when she heard the shrill ring of the phone echo throughout the house. Defeated, Gambit groaned and buried his face in the side of her neck. She laughed and patted his head.
"Goddamn it," he murmured.
Riiing….
"Are you going to get that?" Rogue asked.
"No. Don't want to get up," Gambit told her, placing little kisses on her neck.
Riiing…"It's damn annoying!" she laughed, poking him in the shoulder.
"All right, chere." Pouting, the tousled swamp rat stood up. "I'll be back." With that he sulked out of the room.
Rogue smiled to herself and removed the scarf from her face. She relaxed onto the soft bed and yawned, feeling her eyelids grow heavy with no Gambit around to distract her from her exhaustion. Staying up all night worrying took a lot out of a person.
I'll just rest until he gets back, she thought. She rolled onto her side and snuggled against the pliant pillow. She was out like a light in less than a minute.
~*~*~*~
"Goddamn stupid tele-marketers," Gambit muttered sourly to himself as he made his way back to his room. "They just had to call then. Not everyday that Gambit has a beautiful fille in his room. Heartless bastards." He paused in front of the door. "Chere?"
There was no answer. Frowning, Gambit pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Mon dieu," he muttered, shaking his head. "Remy's not having a good day." (My god)
There on his bed, looking as beautiful as ever, was Rogue, fast asleep. The picture was endearing, he had to admit with a smile. In her sleep, her face was soft and unguarded, one hand tucked under her chin.
Sighing, Gambit carefully made his way towards his bed. There he couldn't resist the urge to brush a hand down the side of her pretty face and he contently watched the young girl sleep for a moment.
"If you can't bet them," Gambit murmured. "Join them."
As quietly as possible, Gambit settled himself beside her and spooned her up in his arms. After placing a small kiss on the top of her head, he sighed and closed his eyes
~*~*~*~
Rogue woke up to shouting. Bewildered, she shot up like a cannon and looked around the room. She hardly remembered where she was. Then it came back to her in a flash. She was in Gambit's room. Blushing she recalled that they were making out when the phone rang. Gambit left to get it. Rogue frowned. She didn't remember anything after that, expect feeling very warm and very safe.
"Oh god!" she gasped. "I fell asleep!" She had the unavoidable urge to smack herself. "I'm so stupid! Gambit's must think I'm the stupidest girl alive!…er…where is he?"
The yelling from the floor below became more pronounced then. Straining her ears, Rogue heard the muffled voice of John and Gambit. Were they going at it? More than a little worried, Rogue climbed to her feet, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She quickly combed her fingers through her hair and straightened her tousled clothing. Of course it wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together but still she had to make to effort to look nice.
The shouts were much louder in the hallway. Rogue's slowly edged to the staircase and peered down below.
"You almost gave me a fucking attack, you stupid swamp rat!" John yelled, holding Gambit is a sufficient headlock while Piotr viewed the scene a few safe feet away.
"Gambit is sorry! You didn't need to worry!"
"Worry? I was going out of my mind! Holy shit, you didn't even give us one goddamn phone call," John snapped.
"John, I think you're hurting him," Piotr muttered.
With a frown, John pushed Gambit away from him. "Serves that bastard right," he replied.
"Damn it, John," Gambit frowned, rubbing the soreness away from his neck as he clamored to his feet. Rogue saw one of his hands slip into his back pocket and withdraw a card, hiding it in his palm.
This will be interesting, Rogue thought to herself. Piotr must have seen it too because he slowly back away.
"Look, mon ami," Gambit sighed. "I'm sorry I made you worry. It won't happen again." He held out the hand that held the card. "I promise."
John looked at the hand suspiciously then glared at Gambit. After a moment, he sighed and moved to shake the Cajun's offered hand. Instantly Gambit charged the card and jumped back. John gave a surprise yelp and quickly tossed the away, diving for cover when it blew up in mid-air.
"You fucking bastard!"
Gambit started to laugh at John and that was when Piotr looked up and found Rogue at the top of the stairs.
"Good afternoon," he called up to her.
She smiled nervously, blushing when the other two looked up. "Er...hi…I was just…" she stammering, trying to think up a good excuse.
John started to make kissing noises and Gambit immediately whacked on the back of his head. "Spending some time with her favorite Cajun," he finished, grinning up at her.
She walked down the steps and Gambit met her at the bottom, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Rogue, would you like some tea?" Piotr asked, making to way towards the kitchen.
"Yes, thanks."
"Hey, make some coffee while you're at it too!" John called after him. Then he looked over at the two of them and frowned. "Nevermind, I'll just get it myself." With that, he left.
"This is awkward," Rogue muttered. "Maybe I should just leave."
"Don't go yet. You'll break Piotr's heart."
She chuckled. "Okay. Did John really hurt you?" she raised a hand and tugged down the collar of his shirt, seeing if there were any bruises.
"Nah, Gambit's had worse done to him, petite."
"I don't like the sound of that," she said, frowning. "But John was right about you."
"Right about what, chere?"
"That you are a bastard. How could you let me fall asleep? That's fucking embarrassing!"
Gambit smiled. "But you look so precious when you sleep. I didn't have the heart to wake you."
John suddenly appeared in the hallway again. He was frowning and looking more than a little worried.
"What's wrong, mon ami?" Gambit asked.
"Piotr's mother's doctor is on the phone right, talking with Piotr," he replied. "It's personal stuff so I high-tailed it outta there."
Gambit sighed. "I hope she's okay."
"Me too."
The two boys were tense as they waited in the hallway. Because the atmosphere was so rigid, Rogue just stood by Gambit's side and waited with them, uneasy. After a minute, she heard the phone hang up and heavy footfalls coming from the kitchen. Soon Piotr appeared, his face sullen and pale.
"So, mate, what's up?" John asked.
"My mother died."
A look of shock came washed over John's face and it felt like Rogue was hit very hard in the stomach. Beside her, Gambit sighed deeply.
"Shit, man," John muttered. "I'm so sorry."
Piotr shrugged despondently and slowly made his way up the stairs, to the peaceful solace of his room, no doubt. When the door shut upstairs, she felt Gambit squeeze her shoulder.
Getting her attention, Gambit whispered, "I'll take you home now, chere."
To be continued…
Author's note: this is the longest chapter by far. Poor Piotr. I hope you guys don't hate me. What did you think of the kissing scene? Too much? No enough? Well I hoped you liked what you read, guys. Please review. BTW I'm leaving for college Saturday to it might be a good week or two until I can fine the time to update the story. I think just two more chapters and the story will be over. ^___^
[1] Louisiana's counties are called parishes. Gambit's guild owned the county that was home to the Big Easy so they were pretty badass thieves. ^___^