Breaking Down

~*~

And I'm wound up small and tight

And I don't know who I am.

Everybody loves you when you're easy,

Everybody hates when you're a bore.

Everyone is waiting for your entrance,

So don't disappoint them.

-Sarah McLachlan

~*~

At around three in the morning, Kitty sat on the back porch just sobbing. She thought she was alone until a hand touched her shoulder. She looked up seeing Remy. He was looking at her, concerned. "Chat, you okay?"

"Yeah," Kitty said. He dropped down on the step beside her.

"I tol' ya before, if you don' want ta talk about it, fine, mais stop lyin'." He wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. She allowed this contact this time actually leaning into him.

"You know, you think things couldn't possibly get any worse," Kitty whispered. "I mean, I was born a mutant. My parents have pretty much said I'm not welcome home. Then my best friend dies and my other best friend leaves. Now here I am, throwing out all my morals and beliefs."

She turned wiping away her tears to face him. "Might as well destroy all of them." With that she kissed him. Remy tensed before gently but firmly pushing her away. "What's wrong?"

"Chat, not dat Remy don't want you mais not like dis," he said standing to be away from the temptation of the beautiful girl offering herself to him. Kitty herself just looked hurt and confused.

"Why?"

"Because petite, you'll hate yourself and Remy for it later."

"I don't care about later!" Kitty exclaimed jumping to her feet. "I just want it to stop hurting."

"Remy knows, chére, mais dis ain't de way." She started sobbing again and Remy pulled her into his arms. Kitty cried like she hadn't since the actual night that her friend had died. She cried for Rogue, for Kurt and for the part of herself she knew this whole thing was going to kill.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"C'est d'accord," he said. "Ready ta go ta bed?" She nodded. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her, bride/groom style to her room. He laid her down on her bed and covered her up.

"Thank you," she told him softly. He brushed his lips quickly against hers causing Kitty to flush and look away.

"Bon nuit," he murmured before turning and leaving. Kitty curled up in her blanket and stared at the ceiling.

The next morning

Kitty got up and took a shower. She phased out of her room as she usually did but Remy was on the other side. She ran into him causing him to fall but he grabbed her so that both of them hit the ground, her on top. Kitty sat up straddling his legs. "Um, hi."

"Bonjour petite," he purred looking up at her. He suddenly grinned realizing their compromising positions. "Remy knew you couldn't resist him." Kitty rolled her eyes. "Tu était trés belle cette jour ma petite."

"Jesus, get-a-room," Pietro snapped. Kitty flushed but Remy merely grinned pulling Kitty down for a quick kiss. The girl stood phasing through his arms leaving the Cajun holding air. He sighed lightly rolling his eyes as she extended a hand to help him up. Pietro laughed softly. "Time-for- breakfast," he told them. The two followed him. Much to everyone's surprise Magneto, Wanda, and Sabretooth were at the table. Piotr served the group pancakes.

"Shadowcat, Gambit," Magneto said. "I want you two to go on a mission to New Orleans."

"Home?" Remy asked raising an eyebrow.

"Very close," Magneto nodded. "You'll leave this afternoon. That should give you plenty of time to get packed."

"Oui," Remy said nodding. "What are we retrieving?"

"There is a mutant staying at a hotel there. He has a box decorated in Chinese characters. Open it. Inside is a ring. I want that."

"Yes sir," Kitty said.

"She's very polite," Magneto noted. He looked at Remy and John. "You two could take a lesson from her."

Remy looked at Kitty and smirked. "Remy would happily learn anyting de femme has ta teach him. Ow!"

"What happened?" Magneto asked seeming uninterested.

"De femme kicked moi!" Piotr chuckled while the others laughed and Magneto smiled.

"You totally deserved it," Kitty said sticking her tongue out at him.

"Remy can tink of many more interestin' tings fer dat tongue ta be doin'," he purred in her ear. She elbowed him away flushing warmly.

"You are, like, such a pervert," she told him. He merely winked at her. "I'm going to go pack." Kitty stood and started to walk away. Remy leaned his chair back to watch the view as she exited the room. Wanda, at John's insistence hexed the chair causing him to fall backwards.

"Merde," he muttered. He got back up seeing both Wanda and John snickering. "Remy's gonna go pack." He glared at John before walking away. Soon the two had their things in the baggage department of his motorcycle.

"And why do we, like, have to ride that?" she asked.

"Oui," Remy said as if offended. "Remy wouldn't dream of takin' anyting else, petite." He handed her his trench coat once again. "Here ya go." She got into the coat and Remy once again smiled at how adorable she looked in his jacket.

He got on and the bike roared to life. "Get on." She hopped on the back and wrapped her arms around his waist as he took off. He drove for a couple hours before stopping for dinner at a small café. They walked in and sat down.

"Can Ah help y'all?" a woman in a thick southern accent inquired.

"Oui," Remy smiled turning his charm on full tilt. He ordered for both of them earning a dirty look from Kitty.

"I'll bring your order shortly," the woman smiled at him brightly before walking away.

"Gag me," Kitty said rolling her eyes.

"Jealous?"

She snorted. "As if!"

He smirked looking down at her. "Sure."

"Just shut up."

"Non. Y' don' have ta be jealous, ma belle, Remy would much rather be wit' toi."

"I'm not jealous!" A few heads turned looking at her. Kitty blushed looking down.

"And dat reaction just proved Remy's point."

"And who says I, like, even want to be with you?"

"Your eyes."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ya want me."

"God, you are so full of yourself. I do not!"

He smiled reaching out and softly, and slowly stroking her arm. "You don' have ta hide it, chére."

"Listen here, you egotistical, moronic-" he placed a finger to her lips.

"Shh."

"Screw you." He chuckled before winking seductively at her.

"Right here? On de table ou do ya want ta get a room?"

"Pig!" Now he laughed. Their waitress brought out their food and drinks. Remy turned his flirting up a few notches as he talked to her. Kitty rolled her eyes as she began to eat her salad. The waitress walked away and Remy smirked looking down at their check. On the very bottom was her phone number.

"Remy still has it."

"Puh-lease," Kitty said rolling her eyes.

"Quoi? Don't you tink Remy is charming?"

"No," Kitty said crossing her arms. He looked at her raising an eyebrow then merely smirked. They finished dinner and he drove for a few more hours ending up in North Carolina. He pulled into a hotel.

"We'll stop here for de nuit," he said hopping off. "Mags already has a room set up for us."

"Good," Kitty said. "I'm like, totally exhausted." Remy went to the clerk and talked to him. He soon came back with a key and a wicked smile. "What?"

"Not'in'," he grinned.

"Don't lie to me."

"It's just dat de people made a mistake. Dey gave us one room, one bed." Kitty gave him a look before going over to the clerk and making sure this was true before telling the poor little man off. Remy grabbed her arm dragging her into the elevator. Kitty's eyes widened as she looked around the room.

"It's huge. And look, there's a couch for you and everything."

Remy simply glared at her. "Remy be six foot three, ma petite. Dat be kinda small."

She patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you can, like, manage."

"Remy is going ta be sleepin' in dat bed, chére, where you sleep be up ta you." She stuck her tongue out at him again. He sighed in mock disappointment. "Does Remy have ta teach de femme what ta do wit' dat cute tongue?"

"No!" Kitty exclaimed.

"Ya sure?" he purred.

"Positive. I'm going to, like, go take a shower." She left him alone. Remy leaned back on the bed thinking about her. Kitty was a challenge. She was beautiful, and sweet, but had a fiery spirit. It became obvious quickly that she was a virgin. He usually didn't go after virgins, he wanted the girls to know what they were getting into but something about Kitty attracted him and held his attention. He grinned as his thoughts began to wonder as he thought about how Kitty would look on this bed...

"I'm done," the girl who had just been in his daydream said. He looked up and saw that she was just in a pair of silk pajama pants and a skimpy tank top. "You want a shower?"

"Oui," Remy said. "Trés, trés froid." He grabbed his own pajamas: a pair of boxers before going into the shower and letting the cold water run over his overheated flesh cursing himself for wanting her. He was five years older than her for Christ's sake! Shaking his head, he finished his shower and got dried off then dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He walked out finding that Kitty was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels.

"We don't get anything but porn!" she exclaimed disgusted.

Remy smirked. "Bon. Want ta watch?"

"Ew! Like, no!" She turned off the TV before turning to face him. "So now what? I'm totally not tired."

His smirk grew into a leer. "Remy can tink of a few tings."

"Don't be stupid."

"Room service? On de bossman of course."

"Won't he get mad?"

"Oui, mais he won't do anyting. We'll just have extra training sessions." He winked at her. "And Remy enjoys des sessions very much." He got on the phone and ordered some ice cream. A few minutes later two bowls were brought up. The two sat not talking much as they ate. After they finished and got rid of the dishes Remy leaned towards her softly kissing her lips before licking them. Kitty pushed him away with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

"You had a little chocolate dere," he smiled.

"Right."

He looked at her mock wounded. "You don' believe Remy? Ya wound moi, petite."

"If only," she snapped.

Remy chuckled. "Yo' becomin' more like de Rogue ev'ry day, petite."

"How do you, like, know what Rogue was like?"

"Mags had us spy on you guys a little," Remy told her.

"You spied on us?"

"Oui, mais don' worry, we didn't peak into yo' rooms while you were changin' or anyting. As much as John wanted to."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? You know, I totally don't understand you."

"Pourquoi? Remy is an open book."

She rolled her eyes. "As if. You come onto me every chance you have but when I practically threw myself at you, you pushed me away."

"You were hurtin' last night, petite. Remy don' take advantage of a femme's pain. Tante Mattie would have Remy's head if he tried dat!"

"Tante Mattie?"

"Oui," he said with a fond smile. "She was like a mére ta me and `Enry."

"Who?"

"Mon frére," he said. "Ignore anyting he tells ya about moi."

"Right."

"Come on, chére, we need ta sleep." He got into the bed.

"You have to, like, be joking."

"Ya have a choice, petite, de big comfortable bed ou de small lumpy couch."

"I'll sleep here, but, like, keep your hands to yourself. Understand?"

"Oui," he grinned. "As long as you can restrain yourself."

She scoffed. "*That* won't be a problem." She got under the covers and turned away from him as he turned off the light. "Goodnight, Remy."

"Bon nuit, petite," he murmured.