Disclaimer: Don't own Gambit; do own Blaze

The Tokyo Job 02

The young Japanese couple strolled hand in hand through the temple gardens under a sky that threatened rain and rumbles with thunder. Did they even notice, laughing together as they walked that they were about to get a soaking? Gazing deeply into each other's eyes, were they aware of the world around them? Blaze found herself watching them, captivated and bemused. Had they woken besides each other this morning? Had he talked about the office whilst she brushed her hair and chose her outfit? They were a window to a world beyond Blaze's experience. She stood at the glass looking in, feeling alone and insecure.

The couple rounded a corner and disappeared beyond the ornamental planting. Sighing Blaze tore her eyes away and sank back into her own problems. She's been locked in her hotel room for two days solid. Pouring over schematics, maps and the dossier the lawyer had given her; so far she'd only succeeded in giving herself a headache. Blaze had no idea how the captured thief would go about this job. Unless she could work it out, she'd never get paid. All this way for nothing… The thought made her shudder.

A peal of thunder like a stampede of hooves preceded the first heavy drops of rain. They pattered on the gravel of the path she walked on and tore the foliage apart with their passing. Just like giant teardrops falling with the weight of lead from the sky in a vertical screen. A drop landed on the back of Blaze's neck and instantly dove for cover under her collar. The feeling of the cold water running down her spine made the mutant thief shudder violently. She liked her water hot and bubbly, not cold and falling from the sky. Then again, that was that had got her into this mess in the first place…

Wrapping her arms around herself, already soaked so that her hair hung in streams and her clothing dripped, she looked around for cover. She could barely even see the path in front of her. The whole world seemed to have closed in on her with the curtain of rain. It felt like she was being smothered. Raising her face to the sky she gasped for air, feeling the rain drops splatter on her skin. She never should have come here. She never should have done a lot of things. Never should have given in to her emotions, her feelings for him…

Unexpectedly something touched Blaze gently on her shoulder. Despite the suddenness Blaze did not jump. The warmth of a body stood close behind her was a comfort. She rolled her head around, allowing his soft fingers to reach up from her shoulder to brush her neck. Without looking round she knew exactly who it was, after all she had only just been thinking about him, how like him that that was when he reappeared. His lips joined his fingers' feather touch on her neck, caressing her skin so sweetly. The falling rain faded, all she knew was that he was here. Slowly she turned, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, lifting her face to his.

"What you doin' out in the damn rain Blaze?" He asked, pulling her closer and so into the shelter of his moth-eaten brown trench coat. "You soakin'."

"Wasn't raining when I came out Remy." Blaze explained, burying her hands in his t-shirt under the coat. For no reason at all she felt herself blushing. In an instant their eyes met. Blaze broke the gaze first, looking away through the never-ending precipitation. Unsure of herself she dropped her hands and even started to step away from him. But Gambit had other ideas. He caught he slender hands in his fingerless-gloved ones. Her breath caught in her throat as he spoke.

"I'se not come all halfway round the world to let you slip t'rough my fingers, Chere. You ask me to come, an' I find you Blaze. I jus' wanna know, now what?"

That was the question Blaze had been equally longing for and dreading. True, she'd bought herself time with her departure to Tokyo. She'd challenged her best friend, business partner to find her. To prove himself, just in case he was sincere about wanting to be more to Blaze than he already was. A drunken liaison had meant that nothing would ever be the same again between them. But that single question 'what now?' needed answers that Blaze wasn't sure she had. She'd known almost as long as she'd known Gambit that the charmer would break her heart. Now with him asking that question, stood holding her hands in the torrential rain, it seemed a certainty.

Lighting rippled along the underside of the clouds overhead. In a surge of power the electrostatic energy became a kinetic holocaust, slicing the air in two with a forked tongue of light. Thunder boomed almost instantly, proving the front of the storm was almost directly overhead. Not a good time to be out of doors.

"We'd better find shelter…" Blaze called out over a sudden wave of rain that battered them harder than anything previously. Without waiting for Remy's agreement, she set off at a jog. One arm was raised to protect her eyes from the weather, her other hand was still held tightly by her companion. It was completely coincidental that they made it to a gazebo by a pond filled with coy carp. They stopped there briefly to gather their thoughts. With a flick of her wrist in a well-practiced gesture Blaze wrestled her hand free from Gambit. Stepping away over wooden floorboards made slippery by the water dripping from them, she stole a sly look back at him.

"What Cherie?" The Cajun asked softly with a small grin. Blaze shook her head and turned back to squint into the rain. Whilst making a show of trying to see what was out there she analysed her feelings critically. She knew this boy, knew that after all they had been through over the past two years he really did care for her, as a friend at least. She also knew his track record with relationships was at least as bad as hers. Would she dare try be the one to change the pattern of history? After all he'd done what she'd asked, he'd found her again. Could she keep running from this? Did she want to run at all from him?

Thunder pealed again whilst lighting diffused the gloom, illuminating the skyscrapers of Tokyo. Blaze saw the boundary of the gardens and the road beyond. Just down the road she knew the city would be lit up with neon signs and streetlights, busy with people. That would be better, she decided, than standing in a spot that's decidedly romantic with Remy asking me where he stands. If in doubt, its time to get drunk. Beer, now there's a temporary solution.

"C'mon Rem, let's go find a bar."