Ch.4 A Cool Reception.
"Crap, I'm late," Rogue muttered as she rounded the corner with reckless abandon. Her shoulder hit the classroom door just as the last bell rang.
"Well, well, you grace us with your presence, Rogue." Came her math teacher's blasé greeting. "Please, have a seat."
Rogue's head dipped in embarrassment, the twin white forelocks falling to obscure her vision as she headed to the back and slid into a vacant seat. She didn't look up until she had her book open. Her eyes remained straight ahead as she forbid herself to blush over her embarrassing entrance, and double refused to pay attention to the rude snickers and whispers generating about her.
'Yah can't kill 'em. Th' Professor won' be happy,' the words became a litany in her head as her covered fingers tightened on the book. Rogue consoled herself with visions of….'wait'. She frowned as she felt the slight prickly feeling on her neck, the same as from lunch. She hadn't looked left or right since entering the class, but now she did so in furtive glances.
Rogue kept her gaze fixed in a casual, feigned boredom as she looked to her left. Nothing suspicious there and as she began to turn her head, she wondered if perhaps she wasn't just imagining things. Though as her head came fully to the right, she found her eyes caught by a pair of brown ones that seemed locked onto her. For a moment, his eyes were all that she noticed and the look within them tugged at her memories. She frowned and forced herself to look at all of this person.
Gambit prepared himself for her shock, anger, or even fury. What he got the moment after recognition touched those illusive jade eyes was a quirked brow and a smirk instead. It surprised him to say the least to meet a calm but questioning gaze instead of righteous anger. 'Dis gon' be easier den Remy t'ought.' He returned the smirk in a lazy catlike manner before he turned under the guise of giving the math teacher his attention.
Rogue did the same though her thoughts spun out of control. 'Wha' n' the hell is HE doin' here?'. She desperately wished she could contact Jean or one of the others. This was big, really big. 'Calm down, Rogue.' She told herself after a deep breathe. 'He ain't here t' fight.' So she forced her concentration back onto pre-cal and tried to forget the man right next to her.
By the end of class, Rogue's head spun with equations and the man was almost forgotten as she hurried down the hall to her locker. School was over and she wanted out of this place. Tired of the stares, the leers, the whispers, her patience waned and the amount of restraint required to keep from slugging one of the self righteous asses had given her a dull headache right between her temples.
The halls cleared out quickly; though Rogue found herself cussing under her breathe as she leaned into her locker. Her English Lit book was in here somewhere, yet it managed to elude her on several passes.
"Ah-ha!" She exclaimed in victory and shoved the book into her bag as rough punishment for the attempt at eluding her grasp. She gathered herself to bolt down the hall in the fervent hope that Jean hadn't left yet. The locker down slammed as she turned and…
"Ummph, wha' th'…?" Came the irritated mutter as she found her noise firmly planted in the middle of some guy's chest. She stepped back and looked up rightly vexed only to find those same brown eyes locking onto her own gaze one more time. She blinked, stunned and immobile, drawn to the sight of his lips as he grinned to reveal perfect white teeth.
"Bonjour, Cher," He said, half leaning against the next locker with his hands tucked loosely in the pockets of that trademark sable trench coat.
"Hi," Came her simple reply as she shifted her weight just tad with a rush of adrenaline. Rogue became painfully aware that they were the only two people in hall. There was a thrill part in fear and part in something she just didn't want to think about right now. She waited for his next words even as she prepared herself for some sort of attack.
She surprised him again with her calm. No demanding questions, no sneers, just 'hi' as if she ran smack into men, literally, that she had previously fought everyday. It annoyed Gambit, he'd wanted to see what she looked like even with mild shock. He wanted a glimpse of her thorough surprise for future reference, and she had now denied him that satisfaction twice, even if the slight was unintentional on her part.
"Y' don't look all dat surprised t' see Remy, Cher," It was a half statement, half question.
"Yer tryin' ta surprise me?" She rejoined. One delicate brow now arched as she regarded him with a cool, unwavering gaze.
"Non, jus wan'ed t' meet de belle fille fr'm Math," His grin widened as he leaned in a bit closer, and his tilted just enough to lean against the locker as well: a casual, disarming pose with a not so casual yet still disarming expression.
"Rahght," The clipped word left her lips as she brushed past him, "nahce ta meet ya then," She tacked on a backwards wave for good measure as she went down the hall at a slightly quicker pace than normal. She hadn't wanted to turn her back on him, but he'd been close, to close, and she had felt his nearness down to her very bones.
She didn't… she did NOT just brush him off like that, had she? Gambit turned and watched her go down the hall. Though confused he still took the time to admire the soft sway of her hips. Rogue wasted no motion even in a casual walk she had purpose, direction. A moment later he walked down the hall as well, attempting to reason out just why she hadn't shown even a flicker of interest professional or otherwise.
His hopes for an eventful first encounter dashed, Gambit exited the school only to have hope renewed as a frustrated Rogue stamped her foot in the near vacant school parking lot. He strolled up behind her as he withdrew a cigarette from his pocket.
"Y' get left, Cher?" Rogue turned to bestow a withering look upon him for stating the very obvious.
"Ya figure that out all by yerself huh?" She clipped in an acid tone. 'Why th' hell did Jean leave me???'
"Whoa der fille, Remy ain't th' one dat left ya." She sighed as she ran one gloved hand through her hair with a frustrated sigh.
"Sorrah," and it sounded as if she actually meant the apology. Though she said nothing else as she headed down the sidewalk.
"Where y' goin', Cher?"
"Home."
"Remy, know dat, Cher, but he don' t'ink y' should be walkin'." Now she stopped and gave him a scowl that she wouldn't apologize for later.
"It ain't nonna yer business. Why are ya followin' me anyway?" Remy grinned inwardly as he finally elicited something from her other than cool distance. Granted her ire wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it would do for now.
"Cher, Remy was jus' goin' t' 'is ride n' saw y' here." He strolled over to her. His walk was arrogant and demanding. Why that would send a small shiver along her spine she didn't know for sure. "N' if y' wan' Remy'll take y' home."
He stood no more than a couple of inches from her and she felt the subtle kiss of his breathe against her cheek. 'N' here Ah thought 'im safe.' A silent laugh flitted through her thoughts. 'He's anythin' but safe.'
"Yer gonna drive me ta th' Institute?" Her look was as quizzical and confused as her question.
"Well not up t' th' front door or anythin'. Remy bold, Cher, he ain't crazy," A sparkle of amusement in his eyes as he watched her. His tone intimate as if he shared with her a private joke. She smirked.
"Well, thahnks anyway, but Ah think Ah'll jus' call," She said with a jerk of her thumb towards the phone booth nearby. Gambit gave her a delectable pout and she felt another shiver race her spine. It took every ounce of will she possessed not kiss him or nibble lightly on his… 'WHOA! Wait wh' the 'ell m' Ah thinkin'?? ' He watched the myriad of emotion play across her eyes, and even his empathy couldn't make sense of the chaotic jumble.
"Y' sure, Cher?" He thought it best not to press at the moment. Gambit considered that she allowed him this close victory enough for one day. That is until she stepped back in an unconscious attempt to both put distance between them and break the strange hold he bent over her. A mental frown formed as she just nodded and offered him that haunting smile before she turned and quickly headed off.
He didn't follow her, this time anyway.
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