III
"What'cha doing chere?"
"Reading, what does it look like?"
" Oh…anything good?"
" Ah romance novel."
" What's going on?"
"Sex."
"…"
" What's going on now?"
"Sex."
"…"
" Well…what's going on now?"
"SEX!!!"
Remy was beginning to notice pattern emerging, ether the author of the novel Rogue was reading was a pervert(A creative pervert he'd like to meet but a pervert, none the less.) or else his new perspective P'tite had a dirty mind and good appetite to boot.
One of these options pleased Remy, much more then the other.
Lying on a blanket on the grass beside her, Remy watched as Rogue blushed as red as Jean's hair and looked over the tops of her sunglasses, around the rest of the grassy area to see if anyone had heard her out burst. It was a sunny October day,( three weeks to the day since Remy had come to the mansion) and he and Rogue were lounging in Central Park in New York City on what Remy considered their third "date". Rogue preferred to call them "outings" but he was obviously more positive and up beat then she was. First it had been riding at a stable he'd known she liked then it had been a movie, they'd both wanted to see, as far as he was concerned a day in the city together was getting them closer and closer to where he wanted them to be and he hoped she did too.
Now granted, it wasn't as if they were alone, not really anyways. It had been Jean's idea for the team to go out for the day, to the city for some R and R, so the rest of the gang was around the city, somewhere, Remy just wasn't sure where exactly at the moment, was all. Beast had hurried off to see an exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum while Storm had gone to see an old friend of hers in Upper Manhattan with Kitty. Jubilee had muttered something about, " No limit on the gold card." And had dragged a petrified and glazed looking Logan, off in the direction of Sak's Fifth Avenue while he begged her to remember the size of her last credit card bill. Jean and Scott had opted for the same option as Remy and Rogue and were lounging on a blanket a few feet away, enjoying a bit of quiet time together while she read a book she'd borrowed from Rogue and he read the paper. Charles had been nice enough to hire substitute teachers for the day, so for the moment none of them had any worries or any places to be except where they were.
Remy watched as Rogue shifted to her side, curling an arm under her head to get more comfortable, and went back to reading her book, she'd dressed for the fall day in a black off the shoulder sweater, and a pair of blue jeans with her hair pulled tightly off her head in a high pony tail that he was currently playing with in his new attempt to get her undivided attention. He flipped it over her nose and she brushed it over her shoulder again with a gloved hand. He immediately flipped it over her nose again and again she tossed it back. Figuring third times the charm, he did it again and was rewarded as she slowly lowered the book and glared at him through her green eyes, from over its top .
"Hi", he said with an innocent expression as he smiled at her, and then flopped back down with his head in her lap. He gazed up at her, and grinned as she obviously fought back a smile.
"What are you doing?" she asked with a shake of her head.
" Getting comfortable,", he said, looking up at her. " Remy found a good pillow."
She glared at him and her eyes darkened. " So ya think I'm round, puffy and squishy, do ya?"
This wasn't going as Remy had planned and envisioned it in his head.
Even as he thought it though, he was relieved to see the light come back into her eyes, and he realized she was joking him. " Very funny.", he said as he rested a hand on her leg and she brushed it off lightly.
" Ah told ya Ah'm not ready for a relationship yet", she said at his questioning look.
" Really?", he said then gave her a grin she was rapidly falling for, although she wasn't ready to admit it." Den how 'bout hot casual sex in a very public place?"
She didn't answer, just muttered something about. " Crazy Cajuns." And went back to her book.
A moment later, she was so immersed in her book she didn't see his hand creeping up until it was too late and her book was out of her hands and into his. "Remy!" she said as he got up and took off with it and she chased after him. " Give that back!"
She caught up with him but he held her away easily with an arm as he skimmed the page she'd been reading. " As Janette cried out, he placed his tongue in her…", his eyes widened as he read on and he looked over at her as he closed the book and held it out. "Ya know.", he said slowly, trying not to laugh. " Ya can rent dis stuff on video, right?"
"Remy!" she said as she snatched the book away and hugged it to her chest, looking around furtively.
" No, Remy's serious.", he said. " Ya jus go ta the video store and ask about da x-rated…" He stopped and coughed lightly. " Not dat Remy would know anything 'bout dat at all."
"Right.", she said with a nod as they returned to their blanket.
She grabbed a bottle of lemonade out of their picnic basket, and took a swig, before offering it to him. He took it and she sat down again, returning to her book with a smile as she got to her favorite part. She glanced around, the park was busy today, with kids playing and vendor's peddling their wares, for once everything seemed to boast the peace that Rogue had longed for, for most of her life. She watched a mother chase an active toddler across the grass, and felt a pang. One of her deepest regrets in life was that she probably would never have children, and they were something she'd longed for since she was a little girl. She glanced down at her gloved hands, again thinking of the harsh things Bobby had said to her and then pushed them away again. They wouldn't do her any good now.
Rogue was so immersed in her thoughts, that she didn't see her aforementioned "Crazy Cajun." slip a bottle of ice water from the cooler with an innocent expression on his face. He'd been doing the damnedest to get her attention all day, and all day she'd been playing hard to get, she wasn't about to give up ghost now that she was in the home stretch. She turned a page in her book, and was about to settle in for the long haul when all of a sudden she felt something ice cold and wet slid down the back of her neck and her back.
Rogue let out a yelp like a wounded cat and jumped up; sending her book flying, as the ice water from Remy's bottle rapidly turned her shirt into a soaking mess. She glared at Remy, as he grinned back at her and held the bottle out for her to take a drink.
Something in her eyes, told him he'd better run and run fast if he ever wanted to see his next birthday.
"Remy … Remy thinks…" he stuttered as she began to stalk him backwards. " He thinks he'll just run now." With that he bolted as fast as his Bayou raised legs could carry him.
Across the park, Jean looked up from her book and smiled at Scott as she watched Rogue take off after Remy. "Look Honey." she said, nudging him to do so. "Don't they make a cute couple?"
They both watched as Rogue took a flying leap at Remy and tackled him to the ground. They went down in a tangle of arms and legs, and violent cursing in both English and French, and for a moment Rogue was on top but somehow Remy managed to scoot out from under her and soon they were off again, much to everyone else's amusement.
"They do seem to suit each other." Scott said, watching as Remy stopped by the fountain and held up in hands in defeat, clearly waving a white flag, which Rogue promptly stuffed him with as she smiled sweetly at him and knocked him head over heels into the fountain's cold waters.
"I'm glad your agreeing with me.", Jean said "Does that mean, you'll agree to dress up for the school's Halloween party?"
" Not a chance." Scott said absently, watching as Rogue plunged Remy under the water.
"Oh come on," Jean said. "Everyone else is dressing up; even Logan is going as the Wolfman."
"Logan is the Wolfman; I hate to tell you this Dear, but its no act." Scott said "And I just don't see the point of getting a costume for one afternoon. It's pointless."
"I like Halloween." Jean said, annoyed.
"I don't." Scott said then something caught his eye as he continued to watch Rogue pummel Remy. "Hey guys." He said changing the subject as quickly as possible. never taking his eyes off of Rogue and Remy, as Kitty and Storm approached them.
"Hey," Kitty said as she plopped down beside Jean and took in the scene with the rest of them. "What's going on?"
"Rogue's trying to drown Swamp Rat." Jean said mildly. "And it looks like she might just succeed."
"Oh." Kitty said nodding her head. "Hey! is that potato salad?"
"Yeah.", Jean said as she sat up and grabbed a paper plate from a nearby stack, "Do want some?"
"Sure." Kitty said as Jean filled her a plate and handed it to her.
From across the park came a voice tinged with anger. "Goddamn crazy Cajun, Ah'll teach you ta get me wet!"
It was followed closely by, "Ahhh! Assist moi! , Assist moi! She be trying to drown my ass!" as Kitty looked up from her food and gestured with a fork in their direction.
"Is there rosemary in this potato salad?" She asked as she swallowed a bite. "It's really good."
"Isn't it?" Jean asked. "Scott and I get it all the time from a little deli on forth street. I think it is rosemary that makes it so good."
"Argh, Argh, help me! She's trying to kill me!"
"Come back here, you bayou crawling Swamp Rat!"
"- Or you know it could be paprika." Storm put in a she took a bite of the salad. "It tastes a bit like paprika."
"Arrrgh!, for da love of da Gods. Some one give da Gambit a hand!"
"Ah'll give ya a hand, ah'll give ya the hand ya'll ever need!"
"It could be paprika." Jean agreed as she passed Scott a plate. "I never thought of that."
"Remy thought women were supposed ta be da kinder and softer sex."
"Soft? Ah'll give ya soft Cajun!"
"Merde!, not again chere, please!"
Scott looked down at his plate with a frown and then back up at Jean questionably. "Are you sure it's not sage?"
"ARRGGGH!"
"It's too strong to be sage." Jean told him. "I really agree with Kitty, tastes like Rosemary to me."
"ARRGHH!!"
"Maybe." Scott said, watching as Remy tried to crawl away from the fountain before Rogue could get to him. "I don't really care, I just like the way it tastes."
"Me too." Kitty said, watching as Rogue grabbed Remy's ankle and began to drag him back to the fountain.
"I agree." Jean said, as she picked up her book again.
Across the park, there was one final scream and then a loud splash as Rogue dumped Remy, ass over tea kettle back into the fountain. Then with her work completed, she rubbed her hands together and returned to her blanket and her book, leaving Remy to soak in the fountain with the Koi fish.
She settled down again, then winced as she realized her shirt was soaked right through. With a sigh, grateful she was wearing a dark body stocking under it that covered her chest; she pulled off her sweater and carefully laid it on the grass to dry in the afternoon sun as she went back to reading.
Back with the others, Scott didn't look up from the paper he was reading. " What's going on?" he asked.
"Rogue's taking off her cloths, now," Jean said as she took a sip of her drink.
"That's nice sweetie." Scott said. "Could you pass the potato chips over here please?"
Rogue grinned to herself as she got comfortable on the blanket, or more precisely on Remy's trench coat, on the blanket and pretended not to notice when the now soaking Swamp Rat began to creep back towards her. She laughed inwardly, figuring she'd taught him a valuable lesson about ever making her mad again, something he'd never try to do unless he had a death wish.
A shadow fell across her face, and she opened her eyes to see him glaring down at her. "Having fun Sugah?" She asked innocently as she flipped through the novels pages to see how long until the end of the chapter.
"Loads." he said sarcastically leaning over her, and wringing the cold water out of his hair and on to her stomach.
Rogue yelped again and jumped up to face him. "Did ah not just, show ya what Ah'd do ta ya if ya got me wet again?"
"Nope." Remy said, as he pulled his blue t-shirt off and laid it beside her sweater, on the grass to dry. He wiggled an eyebrow at her suggestively and gave her a seductive grin as he leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "And for future reference, li'l River Rat, most women don't seem to mind a bit if Remy gets dem wet."
Rogue rolled her eyes to the sky, praying for strength then looked back at him. "Has anyone ever told you, you're annoying and perverted, Cajun?"
"And here, Remy was beginning ta think ya didn't care 'bout him." Remy said as they both sat down on the blanket again.
"Hmmm." Rogue said, as she tried for the last time to get some reading done.
When they left the park an hour later and met up with the others to go home, they all stared at the large mound of shopping bags, Jubilee had somehow managed to accumulate in one afternoon. "Impressive." Jean said, giving a perfect valley girl stance as she eyed the parcels over. "Did you leave anything at Sak's for anyone else?"
Jubilee grinned and rifled through the nearest bag. "Not much."
"Or for that matter, at Hugo Boss, or Macy's." Logan put in with a groan as he set the bags he was carrying down. "Or Gucci or Banana Republic…, I could go on forever darlin, listing all the stores I've sat in today."
"I could have shopped more." Jubilee said with a pout on Logan's direction. "But the big meanie over there, cut up my gold card after we hit Hugo Boss."
"I had too." Logan protested. "Before you rung up a credit card bill, it would take the Professor years to pay off." He grinned and extended his claws, brandishing them lightly. "Turns out Visa makes their cards theft proof but they ain't Adamantium proof."
"Very funny." Jubilee said, as she began to load the bags into the van.
"How'd you buy all this if he cut up your card so early on?" Rogue asked, eyeing a red sweater she made a mental note to borrow from Jubilee later.
They all watched as Logan coughed into his hand and looked away while Jubilee grinned. "Must be coming down with something." He muttered, looking away.
"Right." Jean said with a laugh. "You're getting soft in your old age, Logan."
Anyone else would have lost a vital organ but since it was Jean, they all knew he'd let it pass by. "What can I say." he said as he wrapped an arm around Jubilee's shoulders. "I can't stand to see her cry."
"You cried?" Rogue said as they got in the car. "Oh, you are a master, aren't you?"
"What can I say?" Jubilee said with a devious grin. "That card was like, my best friend or something." She smiled and lowered her voice. "Or at least, that's what I told him to get him to give me his MasterCard."
"Your bad." Rogue said, shaking her head as they started for home." You really are."
"Thank you sweetie, that's the nicest thing anyone's said about me in a long time."
Later that evening, Rogue was seated in the staff lounge, a pile of papers in front of her, marking away when Remy came in. " Hey.", he said as he plopped down in the chair beside her. " What'cha working on?"
"History papers" She said, taking a sip of the coffee next to her.
"Why?"
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to go watch TV or something." he said.
"Ah wish Ah could." she said with a sigh. "But unfortunately, these have to be marked by the day after tomorrow and Ah don't know if ah'll have the time ta mark them tomorrow." She smiled at him. "Why don't you stay here with me, keep me company?"
"Ahright.", he said. "Maybe Remy can help."
She raised an eyebrow and he grinned." Ahright, maybe not but your company makes it all worth while."
"Stop sucking up.", she said.
"Who, me?"
He picked up a paper and glanced at the title. "Why Students Should Have the Right to Free Sex on Campus, Provided By Teachers?" he said with a laugh. "Remy thought this was a history class."
"It is," She said, snatching the paper away with a sigh and checking for the name. "Just as I thought, John Allderdyce again. Every time Ah assign him a paper, he blows me off with stuff like this."
She watched as he laughed again. "It's not funny; Pyro's going to fail if he keeps up with things like this." She shook her head. "He's a good student, Ah don't understand while he always pulls this crap with me and not everyone else."
Remy shrugged. " He seems fine in all my classes, a bit prone to singing things but other den dat, he don't seem to give me dat many problems."
"Or anyone else." Rogue said, "That's what Ah mean, maybe he just don't like me or somethin. Ah don't know." she sighed and tossed the paper aside. "Ah think Ah'll just have to pull him aside after class and talk to him, Ah guess."
"Be careful." Remy warned, "Students say, he's got a real temper even if it don't show a lot of da time."
Rogue nodded, having heard this before from both Scott and Jean."
"So?" Remy said, leaning on the table. "No staff meeting tonight, huh?"
Rogue shook her head. "The Professor had to go to Mueir Island and visit Moira McTaggart, some type of emergency Ah guess. Means there probably won't be any meeting for a while until he gets back."
"Does he go often?" Remy said.
She shook her head. "No, not unless it's somethin, really important."
"Can I ask you something?" he asked as he settle beside her.
"Shoot," she said as she tossed her pen down again.
"What's going on, on Halloween?' he asked. "Because I heard Jean mention it to Scott before and then at dinner, Beast mentioned it to Kitty. Is there a party or something?"
Rogue grinned and he couldn't help but smile back at her. "Oh that," she said with a nod. "Ever year Xavier holds a huge costume party for the staff and adult former students. It's a huge do, around here, the only thing that rivals it is the annul Christmas party. "
"So all the staff dress up an go?' he asked, a bit dismayed.
"It's mandatory," she said with a another nod. "But it's really fun; every year has a different theme."
"Like?" he asked.
"Last year it was a murder mystery dinner," she said "And the year before that, it was a psychic fare, Xavier called in the professionals, some of the best in the world, besides him of course, to do readings on us all," She fiddled with her pen as she spoke as if to distract herself. "There's usually a buffet, a bar, dancing, some contests for best costume, worst costume, the usual fare for a Halloween party."
"So are you dressing up?' he asked in a curious tone.
"Of course," She said, "You'll have too as well,"
"Remy's more curious as to what your going as", he said, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll have ta wait and see Sugah," she said mysteriously.
"Come on, li'l one," he said moving closer. "Give Remy a hint of what you're going as,"
She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him no, but before she could Jubilee burst into the room. "Hey, there you are." she said with a grin s she tossed herself down beside Rogue. "What'cha doing?"
"Marking, why?" Rouge said, eyeing her friend.
"I was just wondering, if you were busy." Jubilee said, pulling a deck of cards out of her pocket and slapping them on the table.
"Ah am, why?" Rogue said with a sigh.
"Because you said you'd teach me to play poker last week, remember?" Jubilee said brightly.
"Vaguely." Rogue said. "But Ah can't right now, Ah've got papers to mark, Jubes."
"Aw, come on." Jubilee begged. "Please?"
"Why don't you get Logan to teach you?" Rogue suggested. "He's ten times the card player Ah am."
"He has no patience." Jubilee said. "And he went out an hour ago with Cannonball." she stuck out her lower lip. "Please?"
"Alright.", Rogue said with a sigh, as she gave in and put the papers back in her brief case. "One quick lesson and we need at least another player."
Jubilee turned to Remy. "Do you play poker?"
Remy nodded lightly and said in an offhand tone. "Remy's played da cards a few times, li'l one." He smiled at Rouge. "Remy's in, if that's what ya want."
"Good." Rogue said as she began to shuffle the cards. "Ah'll deal and explain as we go." She began to deal the card but Jubilee stopped her.
"Wait a minute." she said, holding up a hand. "Is this how you normally play, I thought you did something with Tequila in poker?"
"Ohhh", Rogue said with a wince. "Not normally, unless…" she stopped and cast a side glance at her friend. " Ya don't mean, shot-strip poker, do ya?"
"Maybe?" Jubilee said. "I don't, really know."
" In shot-strip poker, ya play the same but when you get a low hand ya take two shots of Tequila and lose a piece of clothing and when ya get a high hand, ya take three and get a piece back.", Rogue told her.
"That's the one I wanted to learn." Jubilee said with a nod, producing a large bottle of Tequila from behind her back and setting it on the table.
"Honey, Ah have classes to teach tomorrow." Rogue said. "And Ah don't want to have ta tell you, how much worse the school band sounds when Ah've got a hangover."
"Please", Jubilee begged. "We won't play long, I promise."
Rogue had a feeling she was going to regret this but she couldn't say no to Jubilee. "Ah right." she said holding up a hand. "Ah right, Ah give in." She turned to Remy. "How much, poker have you played?"
"Not much." he said innocently.
'Good." she said with a grin. "Then this should be easy enough."
If she'd have been paying attention as she dealt the cards, she'd have noticed a tricky glint come into Remy's eye that signaled, not only was this not going to be easy but that she was heading into very dangerous territory.
Three hours later, not only was Rogue, tipsy boarding on drunk, she was also clad only in Remy's trench coat (And that was for the sake of her mutation) while the Cajun cleaned her out better then Logan's four alarm chili. Jean and Scott had joined the game later on after stumbling in on them. And while Jean was holding her own, Scott was clad in only an Afghan he pulled from the nearby couch after Jean had won his pants and shorts. He was out of the game, but unclad until the end unless she deiced to be gracious and give him his cloths back.
Fat chance of that happening.
Remy, for his part was still mostly dressed, having only lost his gloves and having given Rogue his coat willingly after she'd lost her top and needed some skin coverage to protect the others from her mutation and Jubilee was… well passed out asleep on the couch like she had been for the past hour and a half. Logan's girl was a lightweight and after only a few bad hands had fortified out of the game and fallen asleep, with her cloths still on. This suited Remy fine, because he didn't want to think about the body parts Logan would separate him from if he found out Remy was playing shot-strip poker with his chere, it wasn't a pretty picture. In fact it was a violent and bloody one that in Remy's mind, always wound up with his head on a pike on the school's front fence to warn interlopers away.
"Full house." Rogue said dropping the cards on the table with a tipsy grin. "Beat that, Cajun!"
Remy shook his head, fighting back a grin of his own as he started at the cards in his hand. He'd learned a lot about Rogue in the past three hours; she played well, drank strong liquor and cursed like the devil when she lost.
She was definitely his type of women.
He feigned a sigh, it was down to just her and him for this hand, and he was about to call it to a close that she wouldn't like. "Well," he said slowly. "Dat's a good hand chere, but…" he dropped the cards on the table. " But it don't beat a Royal Flush."
Rogue's jaw dropped and she gave him the eye over through blurry eyes. "Ah thought you said, you didn't play much poker, Cajun?" She hastily took two shots and then waited for him to answer.
"Remy don't.", he said "Leastways, not da regular poker, only high stakes mostly."
"High stakes?" Rogue said, waving a finger at him, or trying to, at least and actually hitting to his left.
"Yup.", he said as he took a shot and winced at the bitter liquor. "And dos games can go for days, some folks make millions off of dem."
Rogue was beginning to see she'd been set up by a master. Ah'll Ah've got left ta give is mah hair clip and your coat." she said with a yawn, "Ah ain't got anything else."
"Hand over da clip." he said holding out a hand and watching as she unpinned her hair, sending it cascading over her shoulders in auburn waves. "And Remy think's it's time to call it a night."
"So soon?" Rogue said with a frown. "We've barely started." she took a shot, went to place the glass on the table and missed, sending the glass to the floor. "Ah'm not even tipsy yet."
"Remy thinks you're a little beyond tipsy." he said, catching Jean's remarkably sober eye as he tried not to laugh. He was barely feeling the liqueur he'd drank, even if he'd probably had more then anyone else. "In fact, right new, he thinks the better word be smashed."
She rose, grabbing her t-shirt from the pile of cloths on the table and pulled it on, as she tossed her fiancée his cloths and he gratefully ducked behind the couch to put them on. "I think I'll go find someone to cover Rogue's classes tomorrow." she said, leading Scott off, the slight weave in her step, the only clue that she'd been pounding back shots of tequila until moments before.
"Hey, Ah just started having fun." Rogue protested.
"And your gonna wish dat fun had killed ya in tha morn'in," he said, taking another shot and rising.
Without a word, he walked over and scooped her up in his arms, despite her protests, and tossed her over his shoulder. "Hey!" she cried, "Put me down!"
"Nope.", he said, grabbing her brief case from the floor and heading for the door. "Gonna make sure you get back to ya room without tha students seeing ya."
"How kind." She said sarcastically. She gestured wildly to Jubilee. "What about her?"
"She's happy where she is.", he said, "Remy'll come back and make sure, and ta get your cloths." He entered the hallways, carrying her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and stopped short for a moment, wondering where he was a going. "Where's your room?"
"Hell," she groaned.
"Ahright, if you say so, but what direction be hell in?" he said, waiting until she told him. When she didn't answer, he made a split second decision that he knew may have his ass on a platter later but seemed right at the time.
He took her to his room instead.
"Be careful of mah skin, Sugah," she said as they walked. "Ah don't want ya ta get hurt."
"Remy knows." he said, having been informed of the extreme nature of herm mutation, a few days earlier. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
When they approached his door a few moments later, he turned around and unlocked the door and then they stepped inside. "Okay, in we go," he said, shutting the door behind him.
He moved down the hall, and opened the door to his room, flicking on the light as he did so. "Ready, one, two, three!" he said and then dumped her on the bed in a heap of flying trench coat. She immediately rolled over on her back and he felt a moment of regret that she'd had the sense to do the buttons up when he'd given it to her. He scolded himself as he thought this, he wasn't in to taking advantage of women when they were drunk (Okay, that once but since it was Bella, he didn't count it, Bella was always drunk.)
Remy crouched down beside the bed, so he was eye to eye with her and brushed her hair off her forehead quickly. "You okay, here while Remy goes and gets ya cloths?" he asked.
She nodded, and closed her eyes against the spins the room was putting on her, and he left, heading back down to the lounge.
As he entered the hallway, he was alarmed for a moment to see Logan carrying a sleeping Jubilee, out of the lounge but he relaxed when he passed him and for the first time actually stopped and talked to him.
"Gang, playing poker again, huh?" he asked, casually shifting his snoring girlfriend in his arms.
Remy nodded and Logan laughed. "Rogue get loaded and naked?"
Again Remy nodded, realizing this was the longest personal conversation he'd ever had with Logan. "Don't worry," he said gesturing to Jubilee. "Da li'l one kept her cloths on, Remy made sure of it."
"Thanks Bub," he said, "She'd have never forgiven herself in the morning if she'd stripped in front of the team."
"She seemed like she didn't mind playing," Remy offered carefully.
Logan nodded and sighed. "She acts tough but she really ain't Cajun." He shook his head, and Remy began to think his first impressions of the man had been wrong. "Sometimes I think she try's to act tough, to do wild things to keep up with me, because she thinks that's what I like."
"Is it?" Remy asked.
"No! it ain't!". Logan said with a forceful shake of his head. "I like her just the way she is, maxing out every credit card she sees, driving me crazy by dragging me shopping and making me sits there while she tries everything in the store on; listening to Japanese pop music until I want to scream,", he sighed again and Remy knew it was taking a lot for him to say what he was, especially to him. "Most of all, putting up with my bullshit day after day. I like her because she's not tough like most of the women I've been with."
Remy shrugged, not sure exactly how he could respond to that, so he blurted out the first sensible thing that came to mind. "Jus gotta make sure she knows that then."
It must have been the right thing to say because Logan nodded and turned to go but then stopped and gave Remy a harsh once over with his piercing eyes. "What?" Remy said.
Logan studied him for a minute then said simply. "She seems happier with you then she was with him." It didn't take a genius to figure out who Logan was talking about. "She laughs more."
Remy took this in; while inwardly he was jumping up and down, yelling for joy. "I won't hurt her, you know, not if I can help it."
"I know," Logan said and his eyes darkened as a threatening tone came into his voice. "Because you know what'll happen if you do, don't ya Cajun?" Without waiting for an answer he turned and walked away, murmuring softly to Jubilee, who had apparently woken up in his arms.
With a sigh of his own, Remy turned and went about retrieving Rouge's cloths from the staff lounge before she could sober up and realize just where she was.
When he slipped back into his room a few moments later, he was alarmed to see his trench coat, draped over the desk chair and for a moment he thought she'd done some ludicrous like try to walk back to her room naked before anyone could see her. Then he noticed she'd simply taken the coat off and crawled into bed after heisting one of his button down dress shirts. She was sound asleep, snoring lightly and for a moment he hated to wake her but he knew he had to.
He leaned over and gently shook her shoulder with a gloved hand, waiting until her frosty green eyes opened and locked with his. "Gotta get your gloves on," he said as he helped her slip on one and then the other.
When they were done, she immediately closed her eyes and he thought she'd gone back to sleep but he was wrong. "Be careful of mah skin", she warned with her eye closed. "Don't get to close ta me," she shuddered. "Can't ever get too close ta me."
"I'll be careful," he said, realizing she was talking in her sleep. "Remy promises."
"Better off ta stay away like he said," she whispered. "Better off ta leave me alone."
"Remy ain't going nowhere." he said as he lay down on top of the coverlet beside her but a safe distance for privacy. He glanced over at her, seeing she'd' lapsed back into sleep and realized just how much she'd been hurt by Bobby Drake's words. After a moment he reached over and picking up her gloved hand, kissed the back of it before settling it back under the covers with a pat. "Remy ain't going no where at all,"
The next morning, dawned sunny, much to Rouge's chagrin as she sat up in bed and fought the vicious pound in her head. Nausea assailed her but she fought it down. As she sat up the room spun, and she closed her eyes, willing it to stop, willing it to do anything but continue to spin the way it was. "Shit!" she muttered as she cupped her head in her hands. She caught a peek of the bed spread and suddenly realized she wasn't in her room, she looked around furtively, clutching the blanket to her chest as she looked around, trying to figure out whose room she was in.
As if on cue, the door open and Remy stepping in, carrying a tray of food with him. He caught sight of the fact that she was awake and grinned rakishly. "Good morning sunshine!" he boomed, watching as she winced. "How are we feeling, this morning?"
"Like shit", she said rubbing her temples. "Why am Ah in your room and not my own? "
"Because it was closer," he said "According to you, your room is in the bowels of hell somewhere."
"Ah've got Jean and Scott on one side of me and Jubilee and Logan on the other," she said groggily. "Listening to the four of them go at it all night is living in the bowels of hell."
"Here", he said, handing her a glass of a noxious looking liquid. "Drink this."
"Jean's hangover remedy?" she asked sniffing it.
"Nope, mine", he said. "Bolt it down, you'll feel better with it in you."
She took a breath and then gulped the liquid down, gagging as she did so as well as coughing and sputtering. "That's horrible", she said as she wiped her mouth.
"It works," he said as he handed her a cup of coffee.
"We didn't", she gestured to the rumpled bed, "Did we?"
Remy laughed and shook his head, wishing he could say yes. "No, Remy jus brought you here ta take care of ya last night."
"You took care of me last night and this morning again," she laughed and shook her head. "You seem to always be taking care of me."
"Dat's not a bad thing." he said, as he took a sip of his own coffee and set the cup down. "Maybe ya need someone ta take care of you."
"Ah'm a strong person, ah can take care of mah self." She said defensively.
"No one's doubting that," he said "And some times it's good ta be strong, ta protect one's self, if anyone knows dat Amour den Remy does…" his voice trailed off.
"But?" she prompted.
"But just because your strong don't mean you have ta be a stone wall," he said taking her chin, and forcing her to look at him. "Sometimes ya gotta lean on somebody for support, because if ya don't, you'll fall over and shatter and you'll lose pieces of your self that are too valuable to lose."
"Mah mutation keeps me from letting anyone get close," she said, looking away.
"To a point, yes," he said "But after a point your on your own, mutation or not, and ya got to decide if ya are gonna people get as close as they can or if your gonna keep them away and stay alone."
"Ah'm always alone," she said "Probably will be for the rest of mah life."
"Nope," he said contradicting her as he passed her a piece of toast. "Not with me around, your not."
"Why?" She asked. "Why, when you could be around someone easier, someone less stubborn. Someone you can touch easily, why me?"
"Because your you, silly girl", he said with a laugh. "Because Remy likes your fire, your laugh, and the fact you're a bit of a lush but willing to admit it.", he reached out and tweaked the collar of the shirt she was wearing. "Because you intrigue me," he laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "Because Remy's never had a girl kicks his ass across Central Park before."
He rose and grew serious for a moment as he looked down at her through his black on red eyes. "Because Remy's hoping that if you need someone to lean on for support, you'll lean on me." He reached out and traced her jaw line with a finger, knowing she would pull away.
"I ain't him, Rogue", he said with shake of his head. "And I ain't going a where, no matter what you do."
Rogue didn't know how to answer that, all she knew was her heart was racing like it hadn't in ages, her blood was thrumming, and she wanted badly to draw him down and kiss him but she held back. So instead she changed the subject as she fought her feelings. "I should get ready for my class," she said, as she rapped the blanket around her and started to rise."
"Jean found someone to cover your classes for today," he informed her. "Unfortunately Scooter still wants you at training, hangover or not, so you've got about half an hour to get ready."
He motioned to the chair beside the bed. "Remy went and got ya your uniform earlier, so it's ready for you and ya know where da shower is if ya want one."
"How'd ya get into mah locker?" she asked, with a laugh. "Ya picked the lock or somethin?" Suddenly she remembered what his occupation was and she shook her head, realizing he must have done just that.
He smiled sadly, turning to leave so she could shower and have some privacy to get dressed. " Think 'bout what Remy, said, okay?" he said, waiting until she nodded and then slipping out the door before she could answer him back like she wanted too.
By the time Halloween had come around a week later, Rogue was more confused then ever about her feelings towards Remy. She was attracted to him desperately but it didn't seem right to pursue her attraction with him so soon after her break up with Bobby. She was afraid she was on the rebound, and most of all she was afraid of getting hurt again, because she didn't think her heart could take it if she did, so soon.
As she stood in front of the mirror and added the final touches to her costume, she couldn't keep her mind on anything but what Remy had said to her that day in his room. it had been haunting her for the past week, because she knew that what he had said was true and yet she wasn't prepared to risk hurting him in a moment of passion.
It would be so easy for her to fall for him she knew, she was already half way there, had been since she'd met him that night in the kitchen. She'd never felt as attracted to anyone as she felt to him, it was like a primal fire that burned everything she was and left no secrets untouched. She felt, raw, exposed around him, even if she'd only known him a month and yet she looked forward to spending time with him.
It was crazy for her to fall for him, he was a playboy, he flirted with everything that moved in some degree.
And yet she wasn't bothered by it, she found it amusing even at times.
He said he didn't care about her mutation that they could work around it, that he wanted to take care of her, if she'd let him even when she'd said she didn't need him too.
He infuriated her at times, and made her laugh so hard she cried at others and she often felt like strangling him or kissing him breathless, she just wasn't sure which was which, half the time.
"Get a grip", she muttered to herself as she grabbed her tambourine off the end of her bed, slipped a few more bangles on her arms, and headed out the door. But she knew she couldn't, she was falling in love with a Cajun she'd only known a month and try as she might she couldn't stop herself.
No, scratch that, she didn't want to stop herself.
She loved being around him, he made her happier then she'd been in a long time, she grinned every time she thought of him and she'd never been as attracted to anyone as she was with him.
But she'd be damned if she was going to tell him that.
As she entered the ballroom, she looked around with a grin. This year's theme for the Halloween party was the Vampire's Soirée and Xavier's party planner had out done herself again. The waiters were dressed in elegant black cloths, with paled skin, and gold eyes, and even feral elegant fangs as they passed out red punch and stares as cold as the grave to all the part goers.
Stage coffins had been set around the edge of the ballroom as tables where groups could sit, eat and socialize and a small cemetery had been set up at one end of the room where a person could have their picture taken with a vampire lying in a coffin in state. The music was slow and gothic and she had to admit, this party seemed to top the others by far when it came decorations. The entire room was done in black and crimson velvet and it added yet another elegant touch that seemed to flare the party up.
"You gonna stand there, all night chere, or are you gonna join the party?" A familiar voice drawled over her shoulder and she jumped as Remy glided up beside her,
She grinned at him. "Ah'm thinkin about it."
"Nice costume", he said giving her an appraising glance. "Remy likes it.'
"Thank you", she said, as she shook her tambourine at him lightly.
This year, she'd dressed like a gypsy, with a costume she'd rented from a store in Salem Center as soon as she'd found it. It had a tight fitting white off the shoulder blouse that cinched like a corset at her waist and flared out into a pale cream underskirt. Over that was an indigo overskirt that tied at her waist, and partly covered the underskirt, giving people only a partial view of it underneath. It had gold coins sewn at the edges that jangled gently every time she moved in anyway. She'd covered her head and hair with an indigo veil that left her face bare but completely covered her head and hair. It fell to the middle of her back and covered her arms, and was secured with an obscene amount of bobby pins. It was edged in a gold trim she loved.
She'd worn a sheer body stocking under it all that covered her from the base of her neck to the ends of her fingers, and covered her arms with bangles of all sizes then decided to leave her feet bare to complete the effect, since they were covered by the body stocking anyways. She'd even found a tambourine to use from the music room and had taught herself how to use it a bit.
"You don't look back yourself, Cajun", she said, giving him the eye over with a grin.
He had dressed in period clothing, a white shirt with a jet black over coat and a cravat, complete with tails, stockings, high boots and a French cut hat. At his side was a replica of a pistol and Rogue grinned when she saw it. "What are you?' she asked.
"Guess?" he said, as he took her by the arm.
"A pioneer?" she said and then laughed at the look on his face. "Okay maybe not."
"Maybe this will help," he said pulling a black mask out and slipping over his eyes. It concealed the upper half of his face, leaving only his lips and chin bare and she grinned as she got an idea of what he was at last.
"You're a highwaymen, aren't you?" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Not a highwaymen," he said. "The Highwaymen."
"From the Alfred Norse poem?' she asked as they moved inside the room filled with people.
"The one and the same", he said.
"He died for love", she told him.
"It's da only thing worth dieing for Mon Coeur," he informed her seriously.
"So once a thief, always a thief huh?" she asked softly.
"You betcha", he said, just as softly. He leaned in close and she knew he was about to kiss her through her veil. "So you better be careful, Remy don't steal your heart away when you're not looking."
"Ah think you already have," she said quietly, delighted at his surprised look.
Just as his lips would have brushed hers, Scott picked that moment to come crashing through the crowed right next to them. "Hey there, you guys are," he said, grabbing Remy by the arm. "Come on, the team's sitting over here."
Remy muttered something in French about bad timing in her ear, and with a frustrated sigh, they let Scott lead them over to where the rest of the gang was sitting. "Nice costumes, guys", Rogue said with a grin as she looked around.
Somehow (Remy was betting withdrawal of sex) Jean had convinced Scott to dressed up like a Thirty's era gangster in a pin striped suit, complete with fedora while she went as a flapper in red. Logan was dressed as the Wolfman, which really didn't take much effort, while Jubilee was The Bride of Frankenstein. Kitty was a gothic witch, dressed in black lace while Cannonball was fitting in with motive very well as a vampire.
Storm took the cake though as the best dressed. Dressed as a Goddess, in a white, pale gold and shimmery silver dress, that sported one long scarf like bell sleeve and left the other coffee colored shoulder bare. It floated to the floor in sheer sliver fabric and covered her almost completely, she'd wound her hair up high on her head, leaving a few stray curls around her face and Rogue thought she looked absolutely stunning.
Jean grinned and motioned them to the two remaining chairs left at the table. "Have a seat," she said as she took a bite of cookie. She motioned to the stocked table. "We raided the buffet early on, and got enough for everybody."
"Thanks", Rogue said as she sat down and snagged a black and orange brownie. She looked around, appraising everything as she did so. "The pumpkins look great!" she said, grateful the work they'd all put in earlier had paid off.
She and Remy had spent all afternoon, carving scary and crazy faces into pumpkins and now they sat at various angles around the ball room, giving off an eerie glow from the candles set inside them. She had been orange up to her elbows by the time that they were done but she'd never had so much fun in her life.
"What are the students doing tonight?" Remy asked as he took a sip of punch and winced at the fruity sweet taste. "If all da teachers are here,"
"Having a party of their own in the dorms," Scott informed him. "That's where Beast is, he drew chaperone tonight."
"And some of the older students have taken the younger ones trick or treating", Jean put in. "They'll join their party later after the younger ones are in bed."
"Sounds like fun," he said with a grin as he slipped an arm around Rouge's shoulders. They both knew everyone at the table had noticed them come in together, so he figured it was alright. Still he was surprised when she didn't shrug him off as normal but instead entwined her covered fingers with his casually and continued talking to Jean.
"Have you two been through Dracula's Castle?" Scott said, motioning to the darkened portion of the room that housed the annual spook house.
"Dracula's Castle?" Rogue, "Sounds like mah closet."
"Isn't that a bit childish?" Jubilee said, as she checked her make up in her compact.
"That's the point of tonight," Storm informed her. "To be a little childish, to have some fun."
"Don't worry darlin," Logan said as he kissed her temple and came away smeared with white pancake make up "Nothin, in that house, is gonna bother you, if your with me."
If Rogue didn't know better, she would have sworn Jubes looked relieved, even if she didn't show it. She leaned against Remy and smiled. "Hi", she said looking up at him.
"Hey," he said, brushing a gloved hand over her cheek. He reached around her and snagged a marshmallow off of the table, popping it into his mouth as she laughed and kissed his chin through her veil.
"You're in a good mood tonight," he said, surprised again.
She'd made the first move.
Well, he'd be damned.
"Ah'm just full of surprises, Sugah", she said, peeking out at him from under her veil.
"Don't Remy know it", he said. "Does dat mean…"
"Who, knows," she said in a mysterious tone. "It's Halloween, anything can happen tonight."
"Anything already has happened, Mon Belle Chere", he whispered giving her a heated gaze.
Rouge could believe it, suddenly the room seem too hot, the music slow and haunting, fitting for the night perfectly. "Dance with me?' she said, holding out a hand.
"Anytime, anywhere," he said, tossing his napkin down on the table and following her to the dance floor.
When there, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed him in. They swayed to the music, letting the heat build between them, as they forgot everyone else was in the room but them. She leaned her head against his chest as he rested his chin on the top of her head and held her tighter.
Rogue felt light, like she was floating (And this was amazing for a women who actually possessed the power of flight) and suddenly nothing else mattered, not Bobby, not her broken heart, not her mutation, all her could feel was him, and that's all she wanted to feel. She looked up at him, feeling nervous and not knowing why, and was met by a smoldering pair of eyes that only caused her to feel hotter, if that was possible.
Remy looked down at Rogue, and marveled at the fact he'd never felt as attracted to anyone as he did to her, at that moment. It was perfect, with the music, and the mood…
He bent his head low, catching her veil as he did so, and pulling it between them for protection as he captured her lips with his and kissed her slowly, wanting and waiting, to see what she would do next. She didn't disappoint as she kissed him back, letting everything fall away as the kiss intensified.
She rested one hand on the back of his neck and the other on his cheek, (grateful her body stocking covered her hands tonight as well), and gave in to everything she was feeling as he reached up and covered her hand with his own and the kiss continued unbroken even when the music had stopped and the others were beginning to drift off the floor.
It was ironic they would realize later, that on Halloween, a night celebrating the ultimate ending, that their beginning together had really begun.
To Be Continued…