Author's Note : There's a challange hidden in this story. Someone challanged me to think of what each X-Men character would eat for breakfast, and it had to suit thier personalitys. So when you read the breakfast scene look for the food items and don't be afriad to tell me what you think. I really want to know
II
The silence woke Gambit early the next morning as surely as a bucket of ice water would have if someone had tossed one on him as he slept.
As he woke with a groan and rolled over in bed, he was acutely aware of how unearthly quiet the room was around him. Normally by the time he woke the street vendors were already out selling their wares and the smell of fresh Beignets was threading through the window he kept open by the bed to stave off the drenching Southern heat. The sound of tourists, talking and eating, and children running off to school had always been his alarm clock and now it had fallen silent.
As he opened his eyes blurrily, (not knowing, for a moment, where he was,) and took in his new surrounding, it finally occurred to him that he wasn't in his loft above Lacroix's bakery and Café in the French Quarter where he normally would have been. He was Xavier's school for the gifted in New York State, far from home and still unsure of what his place was in his life. As if to confirm his thoughts, he looked outside and saw a perfect, September, New York State day staring back at him, and he rolled his eyes. Somehow it would have seemed more like home if it had been raining like it always did in his Belle city of New Orleans.
The events of the past few days came back to him, and he grinned as he stretched under the covers. He had a fresh start here and he wasn't about to screw it up if he could help it.
Remy sat up in bed, and pushed his hair out of his eyes as he glanced around at his new room. The evening before he'd been too exhausted to look and then later he hadn't cared, not really anyways, enough to miss out on any more sleep then he already had. He took in the plush room quickly with a thief's eye, noting the expensive furniture and carpet and then flopped back onto the bed, feeling like he'd wandered into some bizarre dream that he hadn't quite woken up from yet.
With a groan as he looked at the clock and saw the early hour, he hauled himself up, wincing as his stomach cringed, and he remembered the pancakes of the night before. "Mon Dieu", He whispered through gritted teeth as he got up and headed for the bathroom to shower, rubbing his offended stomach. Remembering, what Jean had said about the staff, eating in their own dining room, long before the students woke, he knew he had to hurry or risk going to his first training session on an empty but rebelling stomach.
He stripped quickly, turned the water on cold like he like it, and stepped under the spray, letting out a yelp as he was cascaded with the coldest water he'd ever felt. " Merde!", he spat, remembering he wasn't in his usual shower at home. He reached out and adjusted the shower quickly, before tender parts of his anatomy forsaked him for eternity, and sighed as he remembering everything from the night before. It was no wonder his stomach was bothering him after all the pancakes he'd eaten in an effort to get Rogue to talk to him.
Rogue.
At the thought of her, he smiled, and then chastised himself. She was off limits, and the last thing he needed at the moment was anymore complications then he already had. He hadn't been trying to make a play for her, more like offer comfort and he hoped in the light of day, it didn't seem like that, not blatantly anyways. As he soaped his hair, he grimaced, making a mental note to grab an antacid before he went for breakfast. His stomach wasn't used to that type of sugar anymore and it showed.
After stepping out of the shower, he quickly toweled dry, and pulled on a black sweater and a pair of jeans along with his black boots before starting for the door. As an after thought he grabbed his old brown trench coat and slipped it around him as he went, heading off in the direction of the staff dining room Jean had showed him the night before.
When he stepped inside a few moments later, several pairs of eyes, turned in his direction. Xavier, Scott, Jean and several other members of the team were already there, although it didn't appear they'd beat him by much, both Jean and Scott were just filling their plates from the bed of hot and buffet tables that were set against the back wall. Taking a cue from them, he grabbed a bowl, and looked, in what he expected, was vain for what he considered his normal breakfast.
He grinned as he saw what he was looking for, and quickly filled a bowl with steaming oatmeal then grabbed a couple of pieces of toast before heading back to the table. He was about to grab a seat alone at the end when Scott motioned him to come and have a seat closer. " Sit down here with the rest of us.", he called in a friendly manner that left Remy wondering what exactly was in the black coffee cup he was holding.
" Thanks", he said as he sat down and returned the friendly grin Jean was giving from her seat beside Scott. " Remy wasn't exactly sure how things worked when it came to seating."
" Grab a seat anywhere", Scott said, as he forked another bite of eggs and then took a sip of coffee. " It's always casual in the dining room or as close as we get to casual anyways."
" Dis is some spread.", Remy said as he took a bite of oatmeal. " Remy's never seen so much food in one place."
" The Professor thinks like a doctor and a military leader." Scott confirmed firmly. " That means, never send the troops out without a good breakfast."
" Breakfast is always catered.", Jean said with a shrug as she scooped up more fruit salad. " So is lunch but the we're on our own for dinner, so we all take turns cooking for the team."
" Speaking off,", Beast said as he sat down with his tea and scones and took a bite. " Whose night is it to cook. I'm afraid with everything lately, I've lost track."
" Mine." Jean said and then added thoughtfully. " I'm thinking lasagna."
" Sounds good." Logan put in from where he was seated with a half asleep Jubilee. Remy tried to suppress a grin as he saw her, practically do a face plant into her Captain Crunch, stopped only by Logan's arm around her shoulders, placed there for that very reason. Apparently Logan's P'tite was not a morning person in the least. Remy watched as he took a hefty bite of his steak and eggs, swallowed and then growled with a snort " Then again, Red, anything is better then having to have another night of Scooter's beef stew."
" Hey, it was Rogue's night to cook and she's still AWOL, we had to have something." Scott said as he adjusted his glasses.
" Pizza!", everyone at the table coursed together in a mournful wail that caused Remy to laugh around a mouthful of strong coffee.
" Do you cook at all?", Jean asked him as she scarped out her dish.
Remy nodded. " Some mean, spicy Cajun dishes if Remy does say so himself." He was about to elaborate when he noticed the groups focus had drifted off his culinary ability and he followed everyone's eyes to the door way behind him, turning in his chair as he did so.
Rogue was standing in the dining room's doorway, looking around nervously, like she wasn't sure where she was supposed to be. As he watched she stood nervously for a moment and then to his surprise cast him a quick smile that nearly caused him to inhale his oatmeal instead of swallowing it.
She was dressed in a tight yellow and green uniform that left nothing to the imagination( Or at least nothing he hadn't already imagined.) and a short brown leather bomber jacket that seemed to suit her perfectly. She had pulled her hair away from her face into a ponytail at the top of her head but left the two white strips free around her face to frame her eyes. Again Remy was at a loss for words, as it seemed was everyone else as they stared at her in surprise. She smiled sadly at them and gave a little wave with a gloved hand.
" Morn'in ya'll", she said quietly as she entered the room apprehensively and Remy remembered it was the first time she'd been down to eat since her break up with, what was his name again? Dick? Dork?, Duck?, no that wasn't right. Drake! That was what everyone had said her ex-boyfriend's name was. Bobby Drake.
" Morning", Jean said, clearly relieved that her friend seemed to be up and about again. She smiled as Rogue came over to the table. " How are you feeling?"
" Um", Rogue said and Remy could see she was still hurt. " Better, Ah guess. It ain't easy but Ah figured Ah can't hole mah self up in mah room forever. Gal's gotta eat, right?"
" Right!", Jean said " That's the way to think.", she gestured to the empty seat beside her. " If you want to sit down I'll fix you a plate."
Rogue smiled at her friend. " Jean mah heart was broken, Sugah, not mah hands." She patted her friend's hands in thanks. " Ah can get mah own breakfast, thank ya."
" Alright" Jean said as she took a sip of her coffee and telekinetically lifted an apple from the nearest bowl down the table and floated it to her waiting hand. " If you say so." She turned back to Remy as he watched Rogue snag a plate and head for the tables. " You were saying Cajun?, something about spicy food."
" Right", he said as he tore his eyes away from Rogue for the moment. " I make a killer Gumbo, my Jambalaya ain't bad ether if I do say so myself."
" Sounds like a good meal." Scott said as Remy described the ingredients.
" Tell ya what?" Remy said as he scraped out his bowl. " My first night cooking I'll make it for ya'll." He looked around as if suddenly realizing someone was missing.
" Wait a minute,", he said, "Where's Storm, does she not eat with ya'll."
" Storm's the school's House Mother." Beast said as he sipped his tea and set the china cup down. "She looks after the students in the dorm and their general non-academic well-being in the Mansion."
" So?" Remy asked confused.
" So as such, she eats with the students in the morning." Beast concluded. " But she'll join us in the Danger Room, in a short while for our daily training session."
Remy nodded, and turned back to his almost finished meal, as Scott and Jean left to prep the Danger Room for that days session, figuring from the determined look on Scott's face he was going to be put through his paces in his first session.
" So have you met everyone yet?", Jubilee said a few moments later, as they both rose to get rid of their plates at the same time.
Remy shook his head and dropped his plate in a waiting dish pan, " Not everyone, little one, not yet anyways."
" Come on then.", she said, taking him by the hand. " I'll introduce you to the others you haven't." She began to lead him off towards where Kitty and Sam were sitting with a few others, towards the end of the table.
Remy left himself be led along, amazed that someone( who until only moments before, had had to practically have her boyfriend hold her up so she wouldn't tumble into her meal.) could suddenly have so much energy. As they walked he could feel a pair of eyes burrowing into his back and he knew Logan was watching them as they went and shooting him a look of death. " Ya boyfriend is giving Remy da look of death, chere.", he said with a raised eyebrow at Jubilee.
" Who, him?" Jubilee said as she stopped and they both looked back at Logan. Sure enough, there was a look in his eyes that Remy hoped never to see again in his life. Jubilee rolled her eyes to the ceiling and to Remy's astonishment blew Logan a kiss with a well manicured hand from across the room, and Remy could have sworn he saw the short hairy man grin to himself as he turned back to his meal. " He's a sweetheart, really once you get to know him."
" Remy'll take your word for it", he said as they stepped up and Jubilee introduced him to Kitty Pride and Cannonball.
Much to Remy's surprise, after the introduction were done, Jubilee led him back to where he'd been sitting, and straight to Rogue's side, where she was still immersed in her grits and sausages.
"And this is our resident 'Southern Belle', Rogue", Jubilee said, figuring she was now the only one Remy hadn't met. " Rogue, this is Remy, he's new to the team, so I thought I'd introduce you." Jubilee grinned. " You, two aught to get along great, Remy's from Louisiana, Rogue." She turned to Remy. " Rogue's from Mississippi."
Rogue raised an eyebrow at him and nearly gave him a heart attack right then and there. " Nice to meet ya, again, Sugah." She said as she stuck out a gloved hand to shake.
" Pleasure's all mine chere.", he said as he took it and kissed the back of it."
" Again?" Jubilee put in. " You two have met before?"
" Last night", Rogue informed her. "We bumped into each other in the kitchen." She tossed down her napkin and rose from her chair. " We better get ta the Danger Room."
" Right", Remy said as he moved to follow her.
" Oh and Jubilee", Rogue said as she turned back for a moment.
" Hmmm?", Jubilee said.
Rogue cocked her head, at the young Asian girl then leaned in close and said in a completely sweet and innocent tone. "If you ever call me a 'Southern Belle' again, Ah'll rip ya throat out and make ya eat, Sugah."
With that she patted the young girl, affectionately on the shoulder and turned and left the room, dragging Remy along with her as she went and leaving Jubilee in stunned silence.
" What happened?" Beast asked as he looked in their direction for the first time from his seat still at the table.
"Rogue's back," Logan said in a reassured tone as he rose and headed to where Jubilee was waiting for him.
" Thanks the Gods,", Beast said with a frighteningly easy grin as Kitty filled him in. " I was beginning to worry."
Meanwhile in the hall, Remy was following Rogue as she headed for the Danger Room. As they walked she cast him a side glance. " Thank you,", she said. " Again."
" What for?", he asked casually as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
" For last night.", she said. " For listening to me, for stuffing me with those pancakes that gave me terrible heartburn.", She winced at the last part and he grinned, knowing she probably hadn't meant to say it out loud.
" Like Remy said last night.", He said. " Don't mention it."
" It's just", she said as they stopped for the elevator. " Ah'm not normally like that."
" Like what?, he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest while they waited.
"Like that", she said with a wave of her hand as if to take in the strangeness of the situation that had occurred the night before.
"What? You don't do pancakes on the first date?" he asked with a fake scoff. "Chere, ya be missing out on a lot of fun."
She gave him a dirty look and went on " Ah meant, do things like be willing to let a completely strange man, cook me pancakes at two in the morning, willing to pour mah heart straight out at your feet when you really didn't need to hear my sob story or even need care about it."
" I offered, didn't I", Remy said as they stepped into the elevator. He sighed and smiled at her. " Don't worry about it", he said " Really, it's alright. Remy won't even tell anyone about it if you want."
" Jean'll know." Rogue said without missing a beat as the elevator came to a stop and opened.
" How?", he asked.
" She always knows", Rogue said mildly. " And that's not the point ah was trying to make. Ah just meant ah didn't want ya ta think that ah was like that normally."
" Point made.", he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
She glanced at him as they exited the elevator. " Has anyone ever told you, your far to calm and laid back."
" All da time.", Remy said with a grin. He motioned to the Danger Room door. " Now why don't ya'll fill me in on what I'm getting myself in on here.", he sighed. " It ain't gonna be easy is it?"
"You have no idea", Rogue said as they went in to meet the others.
"Watch out!"
Remy called a warning to Jubilee in a hurry as he dodged a Sentinel solider and tossed a charged card in it's direction, The card bounced harmlessly off of the Sentinel's new armor and exploded in a crash of red sparks, not even fazing the metal monster as it continued towards him. He charged another and let it fly, watching in satisfaction as the creature came down hard.
He barely paused for a moment as he charged in Jubilee's direction, noting Logan was heading in that direction as well. She'd somewhat managed to trap herself in a corner, and although she was fighting well, it was more then apparent she wasn't going to be able to get herself out without help. He tossed Logan a glance as he darted towards her, around the drone's beams, and then dropped low, sliding under the guards legs easily and landed right beside Jubilee. "Looks like you could use a little help, chere," he observed as he tossed another card out of his hand.
"A little", she agreed breathlessly as she shot sparks at the Sentinel as well. The creature continued to move in on them, and Gambit let out a curse in French.
"Des things keep getting harder and harder ta beat." he said through gritted teeth as finally they began to make some progress.
"That's the point." Jubilee cried as they both saw their opening and dodged past the Sentinel to open ground. "They do keep getting harder and harder to beat, to see what level of defense we can beat them as a team and on an individual basis."
"Great", Remy said as he watched Logan take out the offending enemy. "And when does it end?"
"When we've reached what Scott and the professor think we can handle accurately." she said. "Or when we've been knocked out."
Remy, shot her a look and was unnerved when he realized she was telling the truth. He paused for a moment and saw Beast was attacking a steadily growing number of soldiers. "You okay here?" he asked Jubilee.
"I'm fine." she said, seeing his line of vision. "Go!"
He bolted for Beast, dropping and rolling as he dodged soldier's bullets, watching out of the corner of his eye as Logan and Jubilee began to fight together. They moved in almost total unison, moves scheduled and precise as they worked at taking down their enemies. Off hand, despite everything he'd seen in his life, it was the most intimate thing he'd ever seen between a couple and it caused his heart to ache as it reminded him of what his life was lacking. He cursed, reminding himself that it wasn't the time or the place to be thinking of her, and pushed on, heading towards Beast.
Suddenly, something hit him hard in the side, knocking the wind out of him, and driving him to the ground, hard. Subconsciously he tucked and rolled like he'd been taught, vaguely registering a flash of red above his head as the Sentinel beam that could have hit him, bounced away harmlessly; Then a flash of yellow and green as he grabbed on to his attacker and rolled them with him to the ground.
He landed hard on his back, and it was then he realized that wasn't an attacker, stretched out full length on top of him, it was Rogue. She glanced down at him with an annoyed expression, and he realized he was holding her tightly with one arm on her lower back, just below the edge of her bomber jacket and the other on the base of her neck, so her face was buried in the crook of his shoulder. Her hair draped across her cheek and his face as he looked up at her, and he realized she'd saved his lousy Cajun ass from getting whooped into the pavement She'd pushed him out of the way when the beam, he hadn't seen, would have hit him square on and probably put him in the Med Lab.
A moment later he repaid the favor, as he grabbed her hips and rolled her under him, moving them both out of the path of the attacking Sentinel. He glanced down at her for a moment as they both tried to catch their breath. He was about to speak when she pushed him away hard, sending him careening to the ground and to his utter shock, took flight, and dove hornet style around the robot's head, lashing out with punches and kicks that brought the creature down in a matter of seconds.
Remy jumped to his feet as group of soldiers moved into attack him, and watched as she hovered above the ground for a moment before literally, swooping in behind him, so they were fighting back to back, as close as possible. She was so close he could feel the heat coming from her, and the adrenaline of the fight that was connecting them together like a life tether it was so strong.
"Thanks.", he ground out as he let loose a roundhouse punch that took a solider to the ground.
"Not a problem, Sugah." she crowed as she used her legs to take a solider down and out of the stimulation. "Don't mention it."
"How ya fly like dat?' he asked. " Must be something good ya had for breakfast, girl."
She laughed and stood up straight as Storm flew over and began to help them as well, relieving a bit of the pressure that they'd both been feeling as the soldiers numbers continued to mount. "It's a long story, Swamp Rat."
"Ya'll have ta tell it to ol' Gambit over drink's sometime." he said with a wink, watching as a look came across her and realizing he may have gone too far, too fast, too soon. "Dat is," he said, trying to fix what he'd said. "If ya want ta talk some more, Remy meant. No pressures though."
"Maybe.", she agreed, and he could see she was relieved he'd lighted up the offer. "We'll have ta wait and see how thing work out ahright?"
"Fine with me." He said as Scott called the session to an end and they began to re-group in the center of the room.
"That was good," Scott said with a nod as he took in his now bedraggled and exhausted team. "We're all getting better with this, better then we've been in along time." he turned to Remy. "Nice work out there, LeBeau, where'd you learn to fight?"
"The streets." Remy said simply as he stood beside Rogue and faced the team leader.
"Best place in the world to learn." Logan grunted and Remy got the feeling his stock was rising when it came to Wolverine.
"Damn straight." Cannonball put in and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright.", Scott said, looking at the time. "The students are going to be up for classes in twenty minutes, so let's break for the day and pick up again tomorrow, same time, and same place."
Everyone turned to go, heading the direction of the locker room and showers, Remy included when Jean calling his name caused him to turn back. "What's up Red?" he said, lapsing into Logan's pet name for her.
"I need you to come to the lad for a bit after classes are done." she said as she pushed her red hair off of her neck and out of her way. "It's routine for all new team members to have a physical, blood work, that sort of thing." She grinned. "I also have to chart your mutation a bit, see what you can do."
"Ahright.", he said, never wanting to miss a chance to take his cloths off for a beautiful woman. "But shouldn't this have happened…"
"…Before you started training with the group," she filled in. She nodded. "Probably, but you were obviously not out of shape or unhealthy, so Charles and I figured it was alright for you to start,"
"When do you want me there?" he asked.
"After classes are done for the day, early evening." she said as she turned to go. "I'll give you a call on the intercom."
"Remy couldn't be that lucky." he muttered as he turned and walked away. "Not two times in dis lifetime, anyways."
Meanwhile, in the women's locker room, Rogue was as immersed in her own thoughts as she exited the shower, that she didn't even notice Storm entering them until she almost walked over her. "Mother Earth to Rogue, are you in residence?" Storm said as she skirted around her friend with a laugh.
"Sorry, Ororo." Rogue said, "Ah was just thinkin is all, didn't see you there."
"Because a tall nude black woman with white hair is so hard to miss.", Storm said. A concerned look crossed her face, "Are you alright?"
"Fine.", Rogue assured her quickly. "Just distracted that's all."
"I'll bet." Storm said as she turned and went into the showers.
" What's that supposed to mean?", Rogue called, but she got no answer, only a rolling cloud of warm steam that told her Ororo had turned on the hot water full blast.
"So?" Jean said as she toweled off quickly. "What do you think?"
"Of what?" Rogue said as she pulled a bra and shirt out of her locker and prepared to change into them.
"Of Gambit, of course." Jean said as she pulled on a bra and then slipped on black stretch top. "What else do you think I meant?" She smiled. "You two seemed to be getting along in there pretty well, considering you just met."
"He's nice." Rogue said, not blurting out that she'd never felt so much raw chemistry between herself and another person in such a short period of time ever, even if she wanted too. "Or at least, he seems nice from what Ah've met of him."
"Scott says he's born and bred from New Orleans", Jean said as she pulled on a mid length black skirt and grabbed her brush to fix her hair. "And he told us last night, he's a member of the Thieves Guild, as well."
"The Thieves Guild," Rouge said with a whistle as she slipped on a body stocking, and grabbed for a pair of black jeans. "That mean's he's hard core, right?"
"And one of the best." Jean said as he pulled her hair into a pony tail atop her head. "At stealing both, possessions and hearts, according to Storm."
"Really?" Rogue said as she slipped on a teal green off the shoulder sweater and grabbed for her leather gloves, "That's good to know."
"Is it now?" Jean said, raising an eyebrow.
Rogue shot her a dirty look as she wound her own auburn hair up on her head, as if to remind her she was still on the mend from her break up with Iceman. "Ah have a music class to teach." she said, turning to go to do so. "And Ah may have to re-teach them the basics, after I asses how much damage Scott has done to them."
"Scott's a good musician." Jean said. "And besides we were despite to find someone, there was no one else left to teach that didn't already have a full class schedule.
"Sugah.", Rouge said, calmly. "Ah don't count one drunken rendition of Twinkle Tinkle Little Star on the guitar, the making of a good musician."
"Fair enough." Jean said as she grabbed for her lab coat. "Hey, Rogue?"
"Hmmm?" Rogue said.
"How were the pancakes?"
Rogue grinned and shook her head, and kept going without looking back, knowing if she did she'd start to laugh and wouldn't be able to stop if her life depended on it. "The best Ah've ever had, Jean, definitely, the best Ah've ever had."
Later, that evening, after Jean's battery of tests were done, and he was free for the night until dinner, Remy wandered around the mansion, trying to adjust to his new surroundings and find his way about without getting hopelessly lost. He'd had to give Jean and the professor a demonstration of the full strength of his powers in the Danger Room and his hands and arms were still tingling like they always did when he exerted them, it made him jumpy and it was a feeling he didn't practically care for. It was one of many reason's he was looking for the media room on the main floor.
"Remy knows dat media room is around here, somewhere." he muttered as he peeked into empty rooms he passed by. He passed the entrance to the green house, then to the stables and then to the gothic monstrosity that Xavier called the school library where a group of students were huddled around books studying for Storm's first medieval history test of the year. He recognized some of them from Scott's advanced auto shop class, (the one he had sat in on earlier and was supposed to help teach.) and briefly considered popping his head and asking for direction but pushed the thought away. He was supposed to be their teacher; he didn't want his reputation at the school to start off like that.
With a sigh he kept going, knowing that if he looked he'd eventually find it or one of the three others Storm had told him the main house boasted. As he passed the gym, he almost wanted to weep with frustration, all he wanted to do was sit and watch TV. He didn't care what was on, if there were others around, if it was static, as long as he could sit down for a few minutes and drown out everything. Drown out the images of blond hair and green eyes that kept invading his head, his heart, his world, reminding him of the pain of the last few months and everything he'd had to give up. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands as he walked, trying not to think about anything, anything at all that would set him off, and hurried on his way, his trench coat flapping behind him as he walked briskly along the Mansion's main corridor.
Abruptly he decided he needed a cigarette. Badly. He headed for the nearest exit, remembering Xavier's warning about smoking in the house, and already knowing Logan was the only one exempt with his cigars, mainly because everyone was afraid to tell him to go outside.
Remy headed for the door, passing through the conservatory wing, where he knew all the art, drama and music classes were held. He whistled as he passed yet another small auditorium with proscenium seating, knowing that was where the drama students put on their performances, led by Jubilee and Kitty. He just couldn't get used to the idea that there was even a school as big as this, let alone get used to the fact he was totally surrounded by his own kind and safe.
His nicotine craving, seriously wearing on his already frayed nerves, it was taking everything he had not to lit up, rules be damned and puff away all his heartbreaks. His system couldn't take much more stress he knew, everyone had their limits and he was reaching his.
Fast.
He turned a corner, vastly relived to see an Exit sign, and headed for it, reaching into his pocket for his ciggys and the steel Zippo lighter that was never far from his person as he went.
Remy was just about at the exit when something made him stop, a noise from around the next corner, followed by the soft melody of piano music being played by a skilled hand, that stirred something in him he hadn't felt in ages. He cocked an ear as it stopped, and waited to see if it started up again, which it promptly did. His cigarette forgotten as his over hyped sense of curiosity kicked in, Remy dropped the package back into his pocket next to his playing cards, and headed in the direction, not sure exactly who or what he was going to find waiting for him.
He peeked around the corner, and into a large class room, empty save for the mysterious player, and was surprised to find an open air classroom. Free of desks or chairs, it housed only chalkboards with music noted scrawled on them in a feminine script, and stands for instruments that he assumed the students themselves owned, and just brought with them to class when they needed too. A back wall unit housed books of music, ranging from brand new to ones he guessed he could have lived off of for a year if he'd seen in his red hot thieving days of the month before.
The main focus of the area, however, was clearly the Grand Piano, that sat in the middle of the classroom, begging viewers to see and touch. It was a huge black contraption; clearly hand made for someone with extraordinary talent, and clearly made by someone with the funds for the best.
Remy stepped into the room, and stopped seeing the lone figure, hunched over the keys, playing softly. Rogue didn't know he existed at the moment, her mind was clearly else where, and for the moment he was content to lean against the wall and listen to her playing. Not being a huge classical music fan, Remy wasn't sure the name of the piece she was playing, he just knew it was beautiful, strong and passionate with a sad air to it. It reminded him starkly of her, in so many ways he couldn't count and he'd only known her two days, not even.
As she moved her head to look out the window, his eyes caught the thin glisten of tears on her cheeks and the last of his cigarette craving died swiftly and abruptly, banished into his mind with his own problems as he watched her.
Without even realizing he was doing it he crossed the room, and stopped a few feet away, watching again as she rested her head against the piano keys for a moment and tried to gain her composure, even though she still thought she was alone or so he thought.
"Ah you gonna stand there all night or are you gonna come any closer Cajun?"
Busted.
He smiled and moved to sit backwards on the chair closest to her, crossing his arms over the top and resting his chin on his folded arms as she looked over at him and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "Here we are again." she said with a sad laugh as she shook her head. "Boy you sure know how to get around, don't you?"
"So Remy's been told." he said then spoke softer. "Why ya crying again, chere?" he smiled. "Dat piece of music getting to ya?"
He was giving her an out she knew, all she had to say was it was the music and he wouldn't question, wouldn't ask, they could leave it at that and say she was emotional because of the depth of the piece, even though they both knew it wasn't true. It was ridiculous, she knew he was almost a total stranger and yet talking to him, being around him, felt as natural as breathing and for a person like her that was a dangerous way to feel about anybody.
"It's not the music." she said after a moment, wondering exactly what she was doing, she must have been crazy.
"I know." he said honestly. He glanced at her from under her mane of hair. "Remy thought you was feeling better, P'tite."
" Ah was.", she said " And then Ah was cleaning and Ah came across one of his sweaters, buried under all mah stuff, and then one of the neck scarves he gave me and it just set me off again." Her voice broke as she spoke and she looked away for a moment.
Remy felt a bit out of his element, but he wasn't going to give up so easily as that because it was difficult. "It hurts." he said at last as he rested a hand on her back for a moment. "Remy knows what your feeling, chere, and it hurts more raw den anything in da world but it'll pass and you'll feel better. Ya trust Gambit now, he knows better den anyone else."
"You do, don't you?" she asked, as she gave him the once over closely with an eagles eye. "Someone hurt ya, real bad, not so long ago, didn't they?"
He nodded silently, not sure exactly how much he should tell her, or how much of his past he really wanted too. In the end his mouth took over before his brain, which usually happened when he was around women he liked. "Her named was Bella, and for along time after we split, I wanted to crawl to a hole and stay there."
"It was that bad, huh?" she asked.
He nodded. "We'd been together off and on since we were teenagers. Remy just didn't see it coming was all. I thought we were happy together and when it fell apart I wanted to die, do anything to make the pain stop."
"Boy, do Ah know how that feels." she said as she tinkered with the piano keys then cruised into another soft melody. She glanced at him sideways. "How long ago was it?"
"Almost a month, now." he said, badly needing that cigarette again. Talking about Bella, almost always caused him to have to have a drink or a smoke or at the worst of times, both in rapid succession. A picture of her smiling flashed into his head, followed by one of her laughing at something he'd said while they were laying together, still entwined in bed, and the last image, (that was always the same), the look on her face as she poured her heart out and ended their relationship for good.
He closed his eyes against the pain, and tried to close his heart but like always it didn't work. He opened his eyes, and pulled his ciggys from his pocket, gesturing to one of the windows with the packet. "Do ya mind if Remy...?"
"Not at all." she said, watching as he hopped up and cracked the window open, before tapping a ciggy from the pack and holding it between his lips to light it. He watched her for a moment then held out the pack in offering, she hesitated and he took a drag. "Remy won't tell we're inside if you won't darlin."
She smiled, and rose to meet him, taking the cigarette he offered and lipping it expertly while he lit the tip and put the rest back in the pocket of his trench coat. She took a drag expertly and held it for a moment before blowing the smoke out and away. "Ah've had a craving for one of these all day." she said as she stared at it in her hand. "But Ah can't find my pack in the chaos that has become mah bedroom."
Remy took this in silently then held his cigarette in the corner of his mouth for a moment as he got the pack out and tapped out another. He leaned over close to her and slid the cigarette behind her ear with a gloved hand. "For later den." He raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed and shook her head. "Case ya get da urge."
He gestured to the piano. "Da was real nice, what ya were playing when Remy came in. It was beautiful."
"Thank ya", she said. " Ah've been playing ever since Ah was a girl, never had any real teaching, just took to it natural and stuck with it ever since." She exhaled smoke again and watched it drift away.
"Ya teach music right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Music, classical piano, fundamentals of classical music, and a senior music history class." She cleared her throat. "Ah've even been known to teach an English class or two when Storm's not feeling up to it."
"Ya mean when she'd feeling under da weather?" he asked innocently, laughing as she reached out and smacked him lightly and playful across the chest.
"How can you do that Sugah?" she asked seriously for a moment.
"Do what?" he asked as he finished off his cigarette and looked for a place to stub it out.
"Make me feel better like that, when twenty minutes ago Ah was miserable and wallowing in self pity." She said as she produced a butt can from under the window sill and dropped hers in along with his.
"First of all." he said as he leaned against the window sill and held up a single finger. "There is nothin, wrong with a good wallow, now and then, ya just got to manage not to drown while your havin it, is all." he shook his head and tapped her on the end of the nose lightly and playfully. "And second to answer your question, Remy don't know." he sighed. "I guess, it's because he knows what ya'll are going through, and he wants ta make ya feel better." He grinned a rakish grin as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Or maybe it's just my charming ways with da women."
"Really?" she said.
"Day do love da Gambit.", he said with a grin as he watched her roll her eyes at him. "I gotta beat 'um off with a stick half da time."
"Oh brother." she said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes again. "Ego trip much?"
"Or maybe." he said seductively. "Just maybe, it's because there's something dare." He wiggled an eyebrow at her. "And Remy don't mean a mutual liken for pancakes."
She nodded. "Ah know what you mean." she let out a huge intake of breath and raised face to catch the waning sunlight streaming in through the open window. "Ah just don't know what it means for Me.", she glanced at him. "But Ah felt it too."
"Well", he said, moving closer. "Why don't we just take it nice and slow like and see how things work out in da end?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't have to do nothing now if ya don't want too, we can just take it day by day."
"Ah'd like that Ah think." She said "But Ah'm still hurting Remy, Ah don't want ta push thinks to far yet."
"Den we won't", he said, watching as Storm floated into the room with a shocked look on her face at seeing .them both together. "What's up?" he asked, watching out of the corner of his other eyes while Rogue re-hid her butt can.
"Jean set me to find you two for dinner." She said, "Well actually I was supposed to find Rogue but it looks like I found both of you."
Rogue straightened up with a cough and took Remy by the hand. "Come on Sugah." She said as they all started for the dining room. "Let's go get some grub before Logan and Beast it all."
Remy watched her for a moment then shook his head, his bad mood long gone with her around to brighten it considerably. "Alright." he said, smiling at her. "Den let's go."
Later that evening after the day's staff meeting was over and the others had long since gone off to bed or (In Jean and Scott's case) into town for the evening, Rogue slipped from the main house, and headed down to the stables at the edge of Xavier's property. Having grown up in the south, she'd been around horses most of her life and she found their presence comforting, even soothing when she was upset or needed to think on her own.
Tonight was no exception as she stood by her favorite mare, Calliope, and offered the animal the obligatory carrots and sugar cubes that always put her in a good mood. "Ah'm sorry it took me so long to visit." she apologized to the bay colored animal. "Ah just didn't have it in me to come around Ah guess." The horse nickered at her lightly and she rubbed its nose with a ruefully smile. "Ya, Ah guess Ah do now."
The horse nickered at her again and Rogue cocked her head as if she understood. "What changed?" She said as she stroked the animal's side. "Ah don't know." The animal looked at her as if to say, Do you really think I'm going to believe that load of horse shit? Pun intended, because I'm not.
Rogue sighed, as she thought of the Cajun that had so recently come into her life and as much, turned her life onto its ass, as surly as if he'd dropped her on it. " It's not him.", she argued, never giving any thought as to how it would look if anyone was to walk in and see her talking to her horse. "Ah've only known him a day." The horse eyed her and didn't move a muscle. "Ah don't know anything about him!"
She passed a leather clad hand over her eyes as she fought to put her thoughts in place. She didn't need this right now, she was still getting over Bobby and all the trouble that he'd caused her. They'd been together 13 months, she just couldn't get over his leaving in three weeks, and especially since she'd met the Cajun, it wasn't right. "Ah hell Ah don't know." she said out loud, as she thought of him with his charming smile and how nice he'd been to her.
She'd never been one to connect to people easily when it came to friends or lovers; it had always taken her…time to let them get close. And for someone like her, with her absorption powers that was a good thing; it kept her from getting hurt and it kept others from getting hurt from her mutation. And yet, she had opened up to him, could talk to him easily, would find it easy to get close to him it seemed. She hadn't lied to him when she'd said she didn't know what it meant for her, she really didn't but she wasn't unwilling to learn, to find out what drew her to him so quickly when by all means she still should have had her guard up to protect her.
"It doesn't make sense." she said and she could almost hear Jean in her mind and something she always said. Some of the best things in life don't make any sense to us at the time but it's our senses that lead us to trust, to feel, and that makes sense most of all. She had though it hogwash at the time but maybe she'd judged her friend too quickly; maybe it had some sense to it after all.
"What do you think?" She asked Calliope as she picked up a brush and began to run it lightly over the horse, taking comfort in the simple gesture as she did so. She didn't get an answer of course; she hadn't truly been expecting one. She patted the horse's neck. "Oh well," she said with a sigh as she tossed the brush aside. "Ah guess Ah'll just have ta figure things out on mah own, won't Ah?"
With another sigh, Rogue left the stable a few moments later. Heading in the direction of the Mansion and her shower, so she could wash the smell of horse out of her hair before it reeked even more. She'd almost reached the open back doors when she suddenly changed her mind, tonight was a Friday, the others would be up, watching TV in the Media room or playing pool, or even poker and try as she might she just wasn't up to being in a group social setting yet, not on her own. So instead she changed direction, and headed off to her left, towards the gardens and the fish pond at its center.
When she reached she settled down on a bench, listening to the night sounds around her, as she took in the calm and quiet. As she sat for the first time she allowed herself to go over the fight that had broken her and Bobby up. Pain assaulted her, as his words came back to haunt her. I'm the one who's supposed to be made of ice, Rogue but you're the one who's cold and frigid. In her life she didn't think she'd ever get over seeing the look on his face as he'd spat that out at her. Why don't you grow up and thaw out, then give me a call, until then I'd rather be with a hot blooded women instead of a frozen ice statue.
He'd prayed on her most vulnerable areas, knowing how afraid she was of becoming truly close to anyone for fear of hurting them. He knew how much it had taken her to be with him, and he'd thrown it back in her face, made sure he could turn her own fears against her and use them the way he wanted too.
She'd wanted to hide away afterwards, thinking every thing he'd said was right but along came Remy, and in two days she wasn't sure about anything anymore. All she knew was she was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, she already wanted her life back to normal, she just wasn't sure about how she was going to do it.
Rogue felt tears fill her eyes but she angrily pushed them back, getting mad for the first time, she'd be damned if she'd cry any more tears over Bobby. It was exactly what he'd want of her and she wasn't going to give him anything more then she already had if she could help it.
She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, and came away with the cigarette Remy had given her earlier. She stared at it in her hand, having forgotten it was there at all, and then smiled as she thought of their earlier conversation. She didn't know what role Remy LeBeau was going to play in her life from now on, but she knew one thing she wanted him around and she didn't know why. There was nothing she could say to explain the way she felt, maybe she was crazy or on the rebound or just lonely but the point was she was done grieving for a relationship that was clearly over.
She and Bobby Drake were done and she could, she had to accept that.
Now she had to figure out what she was going to do next. She nodded to herself, knowing that she wouldn't do anything sitting by herself, alone, in the dark, outside, freezing while the others were inside doing things as a group.
She rose from the bench and tucked the ciggy behind her ear again as she headed back for the house. It was still early; maybe she could find Logan and challenge him to a game of nine ball, or maybe she could fine Jean for a little girl talk, God knows she needed it badly.
Or maybe she could find Remy and see if he wanted to continue their conversation from earlier.
As she walked, she tried not to look back and give back in to the nagging feelings of doubt and self pity she was still carrying. She was moving on with her life if it killed her to do so.
She just didn't know what scared her most of all, the thought of not moving on and staying stuck where she was.
Or the thought of moving on and finding out what the future had for her around the corner.
To Be Continued