Ch. 6 Color Me Surprised!
Rogue looked at the note in her hand in the same way she would have looked at a talking baby rabbit. How? That was the question at hand. How had he gotten in her bag without her noticing? A grin tickled the edges of her lips and the infectious frivolity forced a soft laugh through her lips. She saw the sideways glances of the rest of the SUV's occupants, but she didn't alleviate their curiosity.
It was only later, when she sat in the privacy of the balcony off her bedroom that the gravity of the situation set in. She liked him that was not so hard for her to believe. What shocked Rogue was that she liked him more than any other guy she had ever known. He helped her smile, laugh, and listened when something was on her mind. Then there was that 'whoa baby body', that come-hither smile, and those wonderful eyes. She could get lost in them, she could get lost in him, and the thought scared her even as she embraced it.
He was the enemy.
He was charming.
Rogue pulled her legs up into the chair and rested her chin on her knees. A soft breeze brushed across her cheek and she remembered his touched. Even shrouded by the glove on his hand, it had done such strange and wonderful things to her. Was it possible he didn't care about her mutation? No, it couldn't be. Gambit enjoyed female attention, and she was certain he thoroughly enjoyed the more amorous aspects of that attention. Such a thing was not possible with her, and it might never be. Then what? Why? How? None of the answers were kind and Rogue found herself unwilling to believe the worst of his potential inclinations.
Rogue sighed hard, and sank into the full cushion as she forced each muscle in her body to relax. The stars pulled her eyes upwards in the false promise that they could provide the answers she so desperately sought. Her hand brushed her cheek as she smoothed back a wayward lock behind her ear. Touch. Her touch. The only touch she'd felt in over year. Her mood blackened further until the weight of her mutation plunged down on her shoulders and threatened to drown her in her sorrow.
"Rogue?" Kitty's voice permeated the barely lit room as she phased through the door. The younger girl always seemed to know when Rogue hit one of her funks, and always looked for her when she did.
"Not now, Kittycat," The nickname affectionate, yet a warning at the same time. Kitty chose not to heed the warning. Rogue needed someone to talk too right now. Even if that someone had to prod her into it first.
"No, Rogue. Something's wrong, tell me," When serious, most of the air headed 'likes' found themselves missing from Kitty's words. Rogue felt her friend's hand slide onto her covered shoulder, and stayed there.
"Ya know how I g't sometahmes Kitty. Jus' hit me today a lil harder y'know?" Kitty nodded, but she did not leave, nor did her hand from Rogue's shoulder. She squeezed gently and pulled up the other chair, perpendicular to the one Rogue sat in. The cushions were a soft, brushed-purple cotton blend stuffed with actual down feathers. In two words? Very Comfy.
"I know, but Rogue," Kitty bit her lip, unsure of just the right words to say, "I know something set you off, like that's always how it is with you." She held her breath. Rogue's moods were as fluid and dangerous as a hurricane. One wrong word and she would lock down tight, and nothing would get her to open again.
"Ah know." She felt her friend scoot closer and wrap an arm around her shoulders. No fear, no unease, just an offered comfort and Rogue collapsed into. Kitty blinked in complete and utter shock as Rogue leaned into and buried her face into her shoulder. The soft shakes of her friend brought matching tear to Kitty's eyes.
"Talk to me, Rogue." She tried to sound both sympathetic and commanding.
Rogue found herself spilling out every detail of her encounters with Gambit, and she left nothing out, not how he made her feel, not how much she thought she liked him. Kitty sat, stunned but listening avidly as her best poured her heart out in a way she'd never done before. Her head never left Kitty's shoulder. Rogue needed that support right now, and her friend gave it without a second thought. Near the end of Rogue's soliloquy she raised her head, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Kitty noted with yet another bought of surprise that Rogue's gloves were off.
"Ah don' know what ta do, Kitty. Naw scratch that. Ah know what ta do. Ah jus' don' wanna. " Rogue frowned, the worst of her depression over for now, she turned her mind back to finding a solution to her problem.
"Well, like why don't you go out with the guy?" Kitty had just gone crazy or so Rogue thought.
"Ah can'. It could be a trap. Ah know it ain't cuz he can' live without me."
"Oh stop being, like, sooooo dramatic, Rogue. Look he's cute. REALLY cute. Ok so he's sexy as hell."
"KITTY!"
"What??? It's soooo the truth n' you know it. So he's hot, he obviously interested in you. So, go out with him. Don't tell him anything about the X-men, be careful, and have FUN!! Seriously Rogue, most girls would kill to have a guy like him pay 'em even a little attention." It sounded like such a simple, obvious solution. She wanted to believe it would work.
"Kitty, are you crazy?" Kitty 'hmmphh'ed and scowled. "Seriously, Kit, how am Ah suppose' ta date this guy. Everyone here would go nuts! B'sides… it's too risky." She signed and returned her chin to her knees.
"No, Rogue, stop being afraid. It's not like you have to fall in love with him. Just have some fun. Go out with him since you won't go out with anyone else." Kitty deemed it best to leave. Rogue had that 'I could smack you right now look'. "Anyway, JUST THINK about it, don't like go all broody n' stuff though." Kitty squeezed her shoulder again and dashed out of the room.
Rogue chose not to follow the girl. Decided that a thrashing wasn't in order. Kitty being the dear sometimes-scatterbrained girl that she was had a good heart, and this time a good point. Rogue was scared. She didn't believe for a second that Gambit didn't have an ulterior motive for his attempts to get close to her. But that did not seem to matter to her heart that wanted only to see only his smile, hear only his laugh, and believe only in him.
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Gambit lay in bed in his home away from the base. In front of him, held in one hand, her picture. She who had changed the rules of the game on him. No candle lit dinners, no stolen kisses in a half hidden corner, no to all of the tactics that had served him so well in the past. Her rules, her way. Gambit understood the game that she wanted him to play. It was called the 'friend' game. Like she had to every other male that showed an interest in her, she was attempting to maneuver Gambit into the fatal 'just a friend' category.
He suspected the inclination instinctive in her. A protection mechanism against the inevitable disappoint any intimate relationship would provide her. So she'd chosen to circumvent the problem. That left him in a difficult bind. Everything in her mind, her heart, her feelings was designed to keep people at distance: the most complex security system he had ever witnessed. A small grin lit his lips at the thought.
It would not be easy, but nothing worth stealing ever was. Unlike previous encounters though the prize had changed. He couldn't have her body, but he could take her heart. Of course her mutation made the biggest wall. One he had to find a way around. Gambit knew just how far simple touch could go in this game.
He glanced at the clock and nodded. It was just after one and he had planned a little visit to the mansion tonight. The security system did not worry him. It was mostly designed to prevent and keep out an attack. A quick look at the map as he refreshed his memory on the layout. Her room was, conveniently enough, in an easier to access wing. The trench coat billowed in the air as he swung it around, strong arms slid easily into it and he strode out of the loft.
Only the security lights gleamed softly over the mansion grounds when Remy snuck from the tree line. In his hand a small satchel that swayed ever so gently against his hip. Those hellfire eyes saw everything, even into the shadows much like a savanna predator. Of course if one wanted to see the analogy all the way through, it would not be a large task. He was a predator, a hunter who tracked the rarest prey in the vicinity.
The ever-present bo staff aided him over the fence, and only the soft rustle of the trench marked Gambit's passing. Sensors were not a problem if one had the eyes of a thief, and that experience led him through the maze of trips and alarms without a single misstep.
'Some one really need t' talk to ole baldy 'bout his set-up.' He thought as for a moment his thoughts left Rogue and turned to the alarms. It wasn't a bad system, but anyone with a little experience under their belt would navigate it with little problem.
Still it took him about ten minutes to find himself under her room three floors above. Lucky for him that a balcony hung off every floor. He jumped and gloved hands gripped the bottom of the stone extension and he flipped himself up onto the railing. Sure footed, he landed with nary a sway of imbalance. Darting across the edge, Gambit gained enough momentum to leap to the next level. A pause as he looked upwards. Right above him was her room, her sanctuary and his conscious twanged.
Should he invade her space? Most likely the one place she felt complete solace, especially in a house that she shared with so many others. True indecision held him as weighed the option, and upon the heels of indecision came annoyance. What girl wouldn't want something like this? A gift left in the middle of night by a guy was the stuff of girly dreams everywhere. 'Get it t'geth'r Remy.' He growled to himself.
In the next moment he cleared the balcony only to find her asleep in the chair Kitty had left her in. He pulled into the shadows around the door quickly, but the soft rise and fall of her chest showed her deep in sleep. A small grin formed as he noticed the smile upon her face as she slept. 'An Ange.' He thought, for in sleep she showed no worry, no care, only a soft smile.
It took a forcible shake to rid his self of the stupefied contemplation and he moved into her room. 'Now where shoul' Remy put it.' The bed seemed a good place, and so he set the small bag down in the center and crept back to the balcony doors. A soft moan stopped him dead in his tracks. Not a sound of pain, quite the opposite in fact escaped Rogue's slumbering lips. He sucked a breath in through his clenched teeth as the simple sound stirred base desires.
"Mmmmmm Remy…" The words slipped free in a soft husky rasp, and he no longer resisted the impulse to turn. She smiled no longer, instead her lips parted in a gentle pant and images of just what she might be dreaming about, dreams that included him, invaded his thoughts. Softly, he crouched next to her and one hand moved towards her slow but unwavering in path.
Just a touch. One small brush of her cheek would satisfy him.
His fingers so close he could feel the warmth of her skin seeping in through the leather gloves, and a strong tremor ran through him. His eyes closed and fought for the long ago attained control he boasted so often about when it came to dealing with the fairer sex.
His eyes opened …quickly, when his hand found itself encased in her strong grasp. In a flurry of motion, Rogue had him pinned to the floor. Those green eyes blazed into his. Gambit watched and waited.
"Th' hell are ya doin' heah???" She hissed softly. Her face close to his own. His leg wrapped suddenly around hers and he flipped her beneath him. He'd promised himself that he'd be good, but length of her body against his was just impossible to resist.
"Steppin' outta yo' dreams, Cher," A sleek grin lined his lips, and faltered at her soft laugh.
"Ah wadn't asleep, Gambit. Ah jus' wante' ta get ya in arms reach." The admission threw Remy of his stride, but not for long.
"So ye faked dreamin' 'bout touchin' Remy, so y' could really touch 'im. Remy's very flattered, Cher, but y' only had t' ask."
Rogue bucked underneath him at a severe angle that lifted him enough for her to twist around. Her legs closed over his and locked in a vise around them. Her hands on his as she watched him. Inside she felt that tell tale heat again as it shivered along every nerve. Outwardly she fixed him with an unimpressed gaze.
"Don' change tha subject. What are ya doin' here?" Her words were stern, but her tone so soft that words would not travel farther than his ears.
"Left y' a lil present, Cher." He looked over towards the bed. All the while his hands moved in very slight increments and before Rogue realized it his fingers threaded through her own. But that didn't surprise her so much as the fact she did not pull away. Only his gloves kept her lethal flesh at bay, but when his eyes found hers again, there was no trace of fear in them.
"Then Ah guess ye'll be goin'." She smirked, not quiet believing him as she pulled away…
…and failed in the attempt. His fingers tightened over hers and his thumb traced small delectable patterns over her palm. Shudders slid through her visibly this time and through half lidded eyes she watched his grin change to a smile as he pulled her back to him. Her chest against his, and through his shirt and her thin nightshirt she felt the beat of his heart and heat of his blood.
He wanted to kiss her then, to feel those soft lips crushed under his own. She wanted to kiss him then, to feel his skin firm over taunt muscle. Yet both took pleasure and a small satisfaction in this closeness, and unspoken promises flitted between them, not needing the benefit of words. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned up to slowly stand, but never relinquished the full contact between them.
He had to go.
She knew it.
But he loathed leaving. His face pressed into her hair and he kissed her neck through the veil of white and auburn.
"Betta bring two sandwiches next time, Cher," He spoke the words right against her ear, and Rogue found her grip tightening on him as the realization hit her that she did not want him to go.
He gave up the sweet pleasure of her arms and with a backwards salute and a wry grin, he flipped off her balcony and was soon lost in the shadows of the night. A small smile touched her lips as she walked backwards into her room.
The lump in the center of her bed drew her attention and a quizzical frown stole over her features. At first fear raced through her. What if it was set to explode like the cards and he'd just been trying to distract her? Slowly Rogue edged towards it, fingers shaking as she pulled the twine tying it closed. The bag unfurled like a blooming flower and in the center a small glass sphere rested in lazy repose on a small glass base. One brow cocked as she lifted it. ''Least tha damn thing ain't glowin' pink.'
The plain brown canvas billowed gently from the wind that eased through the still open doors. She reached down; her hands connected with the globe and lifted it. Inside water rolled about the curved sides in lazy waves. Her eyebrows raised in puzzlement. "'E got meh a ball full o' watta?' Her fingers felt small groves on the base and she reached for lamp on her bedside table. Soft light flooded the room as she turned the object in her hands. Engraved on the square base…..
Taken from the waters of the good ole Miss.
Just in case you ever got homesick, Cher.
----Remy
It wasn't jewelry. It wasn't flowers. It wasn't slinky lingerie.
It was the best gift she'd ever gotten.
Nor were the surprises over as she found a small catch in the base and pressed in. A small light clicked in the bottom and globe rocked back and forth with a slow roll. She canted her head to one side, gaze caught in the silent undulations of the water within. Rogue placed the gift on her nightstand and crawled in to bed just before she clicked the lamp off.
The walls and ceiling came alive as the waves inside the globe were reflected on them. The room itself faded away as she watched the patterned show around her. As any good river rat, the call of the Mississippi sang in her blood. It always had, and even as pained as her leaving was, Rogue never stopped missing the place of her birth. The quiet nights broken only by cricket song and the slap of the river's waters against the rocks, leaves stirred by balmy breezes that rolled through the cavern cared by water over thousands of years.
As her eyes drifted shut, lulled by the tranquil patterns that flickered on her wall. Rogue felt at home, and for the first time in a long time. The last thought before she fell asleep was of Remy. Whether or not he'd meant the gift to be as magnificent as she found it, she didn't know, but she would find away to thank him for it.
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General thanks – To all the people who have read this, and especially those of you kind enough to take the time to review, I really appreciate it.
The Specifics
SeungLee – Heh… Thanks, I think a lil frivolity is in both their bloods.
Original1 – Thank you. Dun worry lots of Romy. I have a soft spot for Rogue n' Gambit. The family stuff will come though I'm not sure how it's going to play out just yet. Hope you like the newest entry!
Yumiko – Sorry about that! I didn't get your review until after I had updated. Glad you're enjoying it so far though. Yeah, I'm trying to watch the pacing carefully too much is just as bad as too little I think.
Katrina5 – Woohoo! Pretty much the reaction I was going for on their first meeting. Lots of sharing ahead, but neither one will fall easily! Heh, gotta put those thief skills o' Remy's to work.
Ishandahalf – I'm feeling the love! In this one Rogue is less 'angsty' I guess, she more settled since she went straight to Xavier and didn't get jerked around by Mystique so much. Hehe… Remy's gotten too big for his britches n' Rogue be just the gal to bring him back to earth. Thank you for reading, n' don't worry the crack bunnies are egging me on for you! Hehehe.
AngieX – It just doesn't fit in this story. Rogue and Jean aren't quite the polar opposites in this one as they sometimes are, so they don't have the extreme personality clashes. Thank you thank. I hope you enjoy ch. 6!
DBZpunkchick – Thank you again fer reading. Enjoy!
Aro – Sense? It's highly overrated. Thanks!