Whew, Just flew in from Florida and boy are my arms tired...Ok judging how even the crickets fell silent that wasn't too funny. Prolly over used, huh? O well, I just had a lovely trip to Florida. Despite the heat and humidity and general craziness all around, it was a megacool trip. I now have in my possession a treasure almost as valuable as the pink sock (you'd understand if you've read Back in Diapers)...I have the actual signatures of Captain America, Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine and most specially Rogue. Ok so I know that the people in costumes in Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure aren't the real Marvel-verse people but still, its pretty cool. Granted the friends I was with have reinforced their belief that I am more than a little odd but it was still really cool anyhow. So yea on the flight home this idea popped into my head and I decided to write it.
Disclaimer- As Mega cool as it would be...sadly I do not own the X-men...or any carnivals.
"Chére, please?"
"Remy..."
"C'mon, Chére, it'll be fun."
"Remy, yo' whinin' like a baby." Rogue raised an eyebrow towards her boyfriend. She had recently given up in playing hard to get and had decided that she'd kept him and his precious male pride at bay long enough. That and seeing him literally beg on his knees for her to give him just one tiny chance had been very amusing. If nothing else the power she weilded over him would keep her entertained. And so far her prediction had been accurate.
She found his attempts to impress her, adorable and yet hilarious simultaneously. And while she was flattered with all the attention, she had to draw the line here.
"Sil vous plais, Rogue?" He pouted, trying for the first time one of the methods he'd observed Kitty using to get her way.
Rogue laughed shortly. "Sugah, if that don' work ta make me hand ova mah hair dryer ta Kitty, it won' make meh let ya win on this one."
He sighed and gazed into her eyes. "An' don' ya try usin' ya empathic charmin' powah, sugah...it don' work if ya victim knows about it."
Rogue let this sink in f or a moment before looking up from the novel she was reading in the rec room to chance a peek at her boyfriend. She expected him to be slightly crestfallen or at least sulkily acquiescing to her wish. She was quite surprised to find his demon eyes wide with child-like mirth and longing and excitement.
"Chère, Remy ain' bin since he was a pup." He pleaded and pressed the cheery yellow flyer into her hands.
"Remy, the last time Ah went ta a carnival, a psychotic minion of Apacolypse gave Jean a jack-in-the-box that ended up possessing her, Spyke, mah lil brother an mah best friend." Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Which led to the start of the release of the mos' freakin' evil mutant Ah've eva had the displeasure o' bein' manipulated by. Ah don' do carnivals anymo'."
"Please?" Remy begged. "Remy promise it be fun, Chère."
"Remy, how old are you?"
Remy looked confused. "Twen'y two, why y' be askin'? Y' know dat already."
"Exactly and how old am Ah?" She asked like she was talking to a toddler who wanted a cookie before dinner.
"Eighteen, mais-"
"Sugah-" Rogue gently pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. "We're both legal adults. Carnivals are for kids."
"Mais, Chère, Remy ain' gone t' a carnival since 'e be six ans." He tried to make her understand. "An' even den twas on'y a way t' find people wit' nuff money t' git some food. Neva got t' enjoy one. Can' we jus' go t' un, pour Remy?"
Rogue put down her book. "Ya mean ta tell me that yah ain't been to a carnival since ya were six? Do ya even remember it?"
"Oui, not a pretty picture mais Remy remember de ot'er kids, de ones wit' familles, mères et pères et frères et soeurs et dogs. Remy'd been livin' in an alley wit' a gang, sleepin' in a garbage can. Remember pickin' some woman's pocket 'n she felt sorry fo' Remy 'n bought him a corndog an' an icecream cone wit' her own kids."
Rogue looked touched as emotion swirled in her eyes. "Ya serious?"
"Oui." Remy frowned softly and looked back at the flyer. "Remy jus' wanna enjoy de carnival, et now he got a belle fille t' be spendin' time wit'."
Rogue sighed. "It's next Friday? Gimme that flyer. Ah'll think about it." She rolled her eyes. "But Ah'm just thinkin' bout it. Not makin' any promises." She warned. "Ah'm serious."
So needless to say, the next Friday night found Rogue in the passenger seat of one of the Institute's vehicles, watching for a parking space at the packed fairgrounds. "Remind me why we're here, again?"
"Parce que y' love Remy?" Remy smirked. "An' he be un hullava hot et sexy homme?"
"Nah, Ah think Ah agreed 'cause Ah love how humble ya are." Rogue rolled her eyes. "Spot."
Remy pulled into it and they both climbed out of the car, Remy slightly more enthusiastically than Rogue.
Sullenly she led the way to the ticket counter. She opened her mouth to order a few tickets but before she could speak, Remy nudged her out of the way and bought more than enough tickets to get the two of them through the evening.
She glared at him as he handed over the money. "Where to first, sugah?" She drawled, leaning up against the ticket kiosk.
Remy let his eyes dart around. "Dat." He started walking towards the giant yellow slide. Rogue looked incredulous.
"Ya wanna ride a potato sack down a big plastic yellow slide?" She stared at him. "Are ya four or somethin'?"
Remy smirked and handed over the necessary tickets for the two of them to go down the slide. He stowed the others in his pocket. "C'mon Roguey, when de las' time dat y' let y'self be a kid?"
"Ah grew up early, Cajun." She sighed. "Ah had ta, with Mystique as mah mama."
He smiled pointedly. "Den le's do t'night like we be petits again. Y' know, have fun, eat junk food, do stuff mos' 'dults wouldn' eva t'ink bout?"
She smiled softly. "Ah guess there ain' no harm in tha'."
The two climbed the metal staircase and the ride attendant at the top gave them a weird look as he handed over their potato sacks.
"What, no kid?"
"Um, no, why?" Rogue frowned.
"Well usually the young couples we get up here are baby sitting or taking their son or daughter. Just wondering where you're kid is."
Rogue gave the guy a scathing look though Remy looked like he wanted to play with the possibilities this young guy had just opened up.
"Well, we ain' got no lil kid so too bad for you." Rogue announced sternly. She sat at the edge of her section of the giant slide and waited for Remy. He took a seat right beside her and then before they knew it, they were whooshing down the slide.
At the bottom even Rogue had to admit that the adrenaline rush was pretty cool. Remy grinned. "See, Remy told y'." He pointed out gently.
"Ok. Ah give. Ya were right about the slide." Rogue sighed but she was smiling so he knew better than to take her seriously.
"So what da ya wannna do next?" She asked.
"Remy t'ink a game be bon." He nodded over to several brightly colored game kiosks nearby.
"Remy, ya know those things are rigged don' ya?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Don' be such a pessimist Chère." He grinned. "Jus' because de game look hopeless don' mean de player don' have an ace up 'is sleeve." He winked and she rolled her eyes.
"Whateva, s'yo' money wasted."
Remy shook his head and walked toward a game where you had to knock 3 bottles off a little stand. He figured it looked relatively easy enough and decided it would be the perfect opportunity to show off for his Rogue. (Not that he was even allowed to insinuate that she belonged to him, of course.)
A bored looking teenage guy stood behind the counter, leaning against the wall. "In this game you just gotta knock the bottles down with a ball." He grumbled. "Knock all 3 off the stand and win the lady a nice prize." He winked at Rogue. "2 tickets for 3 balls or 5 for a bucket of 10."
"Remy take de bucket, sil vous plais." The kid looked clueless. "Please." Remy amended.
"Ok here you go man." The kid plunked a shiny purple metalic bucket with ten wiffle balls in front of Remy as he rumaged in his pocket for the tickets.
"Y' know dat looks an awful lot like de boss homme's helmet, non?" He asked Rogue conversationally who snorted in her attempt to suppress a laugh.
"What the heck does your boss do?" The kid raised an eyebrow as he took the offered tickets.
"Remy's ex-boss did lot o' politics and movin' t'ings round." Remy winked at Rogue, both figuring that they should conceal their mutant identity.
"Yeah cool." The kid nodded with obvious disinterest. "So buddy are you French or something?"
"Non." Remy snapped grumpily. "Remy be from Louisiana. Nawlins. Remy be Cajun not French."
"Ok geez, chill out." The kid rolled his eyes. "Go on and get started already."
Remy picked up the first ball and threw it. It missed the bottles narrowly and Remy frowned. "Jus' warmin' up." He had seven more near misses but on his ninth ball his aim was true and he slammed the bottles. All three fell over and the one on the top of the stack fell off. He grinned and aimed to knock the other 2 but failed. He swore bitterly and then turned to Rogue. "Sorry Chère. Guess it be too rigged fo' dis Cajun."
Rogue laughed and his spirits rose. He thought it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard, and even if it was at his expense he felt it very worth it. She so rarely laughed that her happiness seemed to be the most precious jewel he'd ever encounted. The beautiful sound was second in lovelyness and value only to the emerald pools of emotion that she called eyes.
"Ah did tell ya that." She batted her eyes in amusement. Then she grinned sweetly. "Can Ah give it a try, please Rem'?"
"Y' said it yo'self, petite, de game be rigged." He tilted his head in confusion.
"Ah know, but it did look fun." She batted her eyes again and watched his resolve ebb away.
"Bien sur, Chère." He handed her five tickets.
"Oh Ah don' wan' all them balls." She frowned softly. "Ah'd just like the three please, she smiled at the kid.
"Of course." He handed her another bucket filled with just the 3 balls. "By the way sweetheart, did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?" Rogue played naive even though internally she was rolling her eyes.
"When you fell from heaven, because you are like an angel." Rogue forced a smile onto her face. First the line was so corny and over used. And second she had a date with her. Also quoting Shakespeare reminded her of Scott and that wasn't a hurt she wanted to reopen.
Remy growled in a manner oddly like Wolverine and put a possessive hand on her shoulder. Rogue gave him a Look and turned on her Southern drawl to its full power.
"Aw, did y'all come up with that one yaself, darlin'?" She cooed. The kid seemed encouraged and smug but Remy acknowledged that her voice was at it's sachrine sweet pitch, which meant she was thoroughly annoyed and about to teach him a lesson. "What's ya name, darlin'?"
"Well, I'm Shawn-"
"Look Shawn Ah'm sho' yo' a real nice kid an' all that. But ya bein' a rude lil thin' flirtin' with a lady in frona her date. Ah'm sho' Remy don' 'preciate ya hittin' on who he came with. An' b'sides, yo' what sixteen?"
The kid flushed and mumbled. "Fourteen and a half."
"Let's jus' say Ah ain' yo' type, alrigh' kiddo?" She giggled. "Ah'm just a lil too old fo' ya anyway."
The kid sighed and remorsefully stepped aside so Rogue could take her throws. She wound up her arm, threw, and missed the bottles slightly. The next ball missed on the other side. And the third shot was perfectly thrown, knocking all the bottles down with impressive force. The identical look on Remy and Shawn's faces was priceless. She swept her hair off her shoulders with a smile.
"Well, what do you think about that?" Shawn gaped. He smiled sheepishly and handed over a brown stuffed bear with a big smile and a pink bow around it's neck.
Rogue grinned and took it and she and Remy started walking off.
"How'd y' do dat!"
"Simple. Ah threw the ball an' knocked the bottles down Remy, weren't you payin' attention?" She teased.
"No Remy know dat much. But y' said y'self dat twas rigged." Remy seemed thoroughly confused and frustrated that he'd lost at it when she had done it so effortlessly.
"Ya it is. But Ah knew how ta unrig it." Rogue winked. At his further bewilderment she sighed. "Okay. Ah played softball when Ah was just a kid. The pitch was easy. And with the minds of all the people Ah've absorbed, including those like Bobby who play baseball, it wasn' too hard. Those two misses were deliberate. Don' wanna give 'way that Ah know the secret."
"Oh...but dat don' splain how y' did it." Remy frowned.
"Ya gotta pitch it exactly right an' ya gotta hit it with a lil extra force." Rogue winked.
"Oh. Dat works, Remy be guessin'." Remy pondered. "Oh y' wanna try dat un?" He pointed at a shooting game. "Ain' no way dey can rig a game wit' rifles."
Rogue shrugged and followed. They listened to the instructions and Remy paid for two rifles with 6 shots each. Rogue took the one he wasn't using and tested it's weight. Remy lined up his shot and fired off the rounds. He managed to put at least one of the bullets in the center of the star. As the game runner handed over a ridiculous pink floppy puppy, Remy turned to Rogue with a smirk.
"Now let's see y' beat dat, Ms Softball."
Rogue smirked and aimed. After firing six times she stepped back and admired her work. Each of the five first bullets had neatly pierced the points of the star and the final one was exactly dead center.
"Wow!" The college age girl behind the counter gaped. "That was so cool!"
Rogue smiled appreciatively. "Ma mama taught me."
"Wow! You have a kick-ass mom then! Does she hunt or something?"
"Yea Ah guess that's one way o' lookin' at it." Rogue smiled coyly. "Either way, Ah bin able ta handle rifles since Ah was eight."
"Wish my mom taught me things like that." The girl sighed wistfully as she handed Rogue a squishy green puppy stuffed toy.
"It ain' all that mucha a good thin'." Rogue frowned. "Anyway, thanks. Catch ya later."
Remy stared at her as they moved away. "Yo' good."
"Thank yah."
"No, really, ya really good. Guess it pays t' have a mère in de killin' business afteall, non?"
"Maybe." Rogue frowned and Remy decided that he shouldn't push the sensitive topic of Rogue's adopted mother.
"Let's go git somet'in' t' eat." He steered her towards the kiosks from which the aroma of fried foods of every variety were enticing him and starting to make him very aware that it had been awhile since the last meal they had eaten.
"Sure." Rogue brightened slightly at the prospect of food. "Whadya got in mind?"
"Well, Remy ain' had a corndog since he was lil an' dat lady got Remy one."
"Well that ain' right." Rogue frowned. "C'mon." She stopped in front of a stand and ordered two corn dogs, an order of curly fries and two sodas.
Remy grabbed his wallet with every intention of paying. "Don' even think about it, sugah."
Rogue already had her money out and was paying for the food as she glared at him. "Ah'm payin' this one."
"But Chère, Remy don' t'ink it be right fo' the gen'leman not t' pay."
"Well this time, the lady wants ta."
"Daccord." Remy acquiesced timidly. She handed him his food and the two ate in revered silence.
"Oh the beautiful bliss of fried foods." She sighed contentedly. He nodded softly in agreement over a bite of it.
"Truly a gift from Dieu." He grinned happily after swallowing.
"An' no body tellin' me it ain' good fo' meh, o' how Ah should be watchin' mah weight o' nothin'." Rogue smiled. "Take that Kit."
Remy agreed with her. "An' Cyke ain' gonna make us work it off, eit'er. No danger room Sim pour Remy t'night."
"So Sugah, now that we finished with our fried hotdogs and cornbread on a stick, whatdaya wanna do now?"
"More rides?" Remy shrugged.
"Sure...which one?" Rogue asked as she gestured to the midway.
"Remy ain' bin t' a carnival in eleven years, Chère. Y' pick, Remy don' know much bout what dis place got."
"Ok. Lets just go through and you can pick something that looks fun." Rogue smiled. They headed down the lane and she had to laugh at how wide eyed and excited he was. "Geez Rem, are ya twen'y-two or are ya ten?"
He ignored her. "How bout dat?" He asked eagerly and pointed to a ride called Gravitron.
"Alright." Rogue agreed. "Do ya know what it does?" She asked suspiciously.
"Nope." Remy grinned cheerfully as he handed the operater enough tickets for the two of them and they boarded.
"Then Ah should probably warn ya that-" She was cut off by the ride operator closed the door and gave the instructions about not moving and standing close to the wall. The ride started and suddenly they found themselves pinned to the wall. Rogue nervously turned her eyes to Remy. He looked scared speachless, his eyes were clenched closed and he was muttering something that sounded like it might have been a prayer in French. Rogue sighed and let herself enjoy the ride as the attendant dropped the floor to show them that they were defying gravity.
When the ride slowed and the floor rose again, Rogue touched down gracefully as gravity took over, but Remy tumbled over and was thrown to the floor.
"Ya okay Sugah?" Rogue asked, hiding a smile in the concerned tone of voice.
"Oui..." He muttered as he picked himself up. "Least, Remy t'ink so...The place sposed t' be spinnin' so fast?"
"How many fingers am ah holdin' up, darlin'?" She held up two fingers.
"Um...six?" He asked dazedly. "When'd you absorb Jamie? Dere's t'ree of y'."
"Oh boy." She let him use her as a crutch. "C'mon. Let's go sit down Sugah." She started leading him over to a bench. An odd look crossed his face and he bolted to the bathroom.
Rogue winced as Logan's sensitive ears had kicked in and she caught the unmistakable sounds of somebody violently throwing up from the men's room. She sighed and approached a nearby snack kiosk and bought a water bottle.
She leaned against the wall near the bathroom until he exited, looking pale and disgusted with himself.
"Mebe dat corndog wasn' quite such a bonne idea, oui?" He joked. She gave him an appraising pitiful look. She handed him the water bottle with a soft smile.
"Here, take lil sips. It'll help."
He gratefully drank the water and the two sat for a moment on the bench.
"Okay, well at least now Ah know ta take the roller coaster offa the list." Rogue smiled softly.
"Oui, Remy t'ink dat's a bonne idea." He nodded. "All de rides here like dat?"
"No, they got some otha things. Mos'ly fo' lil kids but they got some like the carousel that ya could probably take."
He grinned sheepishly. "Wanna go try dat out?"
"Sure." Rogue nodded. She really hated that kind of baby ride but she did feel bad for letting him on the first one without a warning.
She sighed and led the way to the carousel. He paid and looked apprehensively at the painted horses. "Dis be a ride f' pups, ain' it?"
"Yup." Rogue said in mock cheeriness.
"An' everyone else on dis t'in' gonna be under ten unless dey wit' somebody under two, oui?"
"Yup." Rogue nodded.
"An' we' gonna be gettin' weird looks like deh's no t'morrow, right?"
"Yup. That's about right." Rogue agreed. To show that she was not feeling particularly hostile she scurried over to a black horse and gracefully climbed into the hunter green saddle. Remy rushed to accompany her but to his ultimate shock, a little girl who couldn't be any older than five had settled on the magnificent chestnut painted horse next to Rogue.
Rogue gave him an appologetic shrug and he decided that he'd live. He took a look at the third creature in the row and dropped his jaw. "Y' gotta be kiddin' Remy."
He walked over to it. It was a blue giraffe with pink spots and a silly orange hat. The seat was orange too. He turned to Rogue, horrified.
She giggled. "Wanna switch?"
He was about to say yes when the conductor told them all to stay where they were as the ride was about to start. So Remy sighed and climbed onto the ride with a soft sigh.
The slow revolving motion began and the little girl giggled and squealed. "Faster Faster!" Rogue laughed.
"Havin' fun Sugah?"
The small child grinned. "My name's not Sugah, its Jessie."
"Oh, mah mistake." Rogue appologized with a laugh. "Ya havin' fun, Jessie?"
"Yup. I like horsies a real lot. That's my mommy." She pointed to a woman at the gate. "She says if I go to a good collage and make lotsa money I can have a horsie when I'm all growed up!"
Rogue smiled at the girl. "That's really cool. Ah always liked horses when Ah was bout yo' age."
"Remy never knew dat, Chère." Remy tilted his head.
"You talk funny." The little girl smiled at Rogue. "But he talks weirder. How come?"
Rogue giggled at the look on Remy's face. "Ah usedta live in Mississippi. Do ya know where that is?"
"Um, is that another country? Oh is it near China?" The little girl asked seriously.
Rogue shook her head with a smile. "No its part of this country. Just a different state." The little girl nodded as though she understood. She pointed at Remy.
"So is he from China?" She asked eagerly.
"Non, petite. Remy be from N'awrlins, Louisiana. Dat's anot'er state too."
"Oh." The little girl shrugged. "So you aren't from China?"
"Nope." Rogue shook her head.
"My little brother was 'dopted from China. His name is James. He's too little to come on the horsie ride." She pointed to a baby in a stroller near her mother.
"Jessie an' James huh, Remy sho' de two o' y' will be a great team someday." He winked at Rogue who chuckled at the reference.
"What are your names?" Jesse asked Remy and Rogue curiously.
"Ah'm Rogue." Rogue smiled.
"I like that name." Jessie grinned. "It's cool. Like your hair." She nodded in her approval. Then she turned expectantly to Remy.
"De name's Remy LeBeau, petite." He smiled softly.
"That's a funny name." Jessie wrinkled her nose. "Remy Petite?"
"Non, it's Remy LeBeau. Just Remy LeBeau." He tried explaining.
"Oh." She nodded in pretend understanding. "That's still funny. Remy sounds like the word on the bottles in my daddy's cabinet. And why does your last name hafta do with hair ribbons?"
Remy raised an eyebrow at Rogue who was laughing. "Ah neva noticed that. That's actually a pretty good one kiddo."
"Glad yo' bein' 'mused at de 'spense o' Remy's name, Chére." Remy nodded with an eye roll.
"Good. Cause its so hilarious hearin' a kid say something so honest like that." Rogue grinned.
Remy sulked as the ride drew to a close. "Y' know, Remy just realized dat he got
de one damn animal in dis row dat don' even move."
Rogue shrugged as they climbed off the horses. "Watch yo' mouth will ya? There's lil kids around."
"Daccord." He hung his head. "So now what we gonna do?"
"Mommy!" Jessie squealed and ran past them. "Did you see me? I rode the horsie! All by my self!"
"I saw, Princess." The woman laughed. "I also see you made some new friends." She turned to Remy and Rogue. "Hi, I'm Cassidy. I hope Jessie wasn't being too much of a bother."
"No, ma'am." Rogue shook her head. "She's a lil angel." Jessie beamed.
"That's good to hear for a change." Cassidy smiled. "Butch, oh that's her father...my husband, and I are always getting reports of how she's such an imp."
Rogue shrugged with a smile and she and Remy watched as the young woman led her two children away toward a food kiosk.
"So what now, Chère?" Remy asked. "Wanna do another ride?"
"How bout the bumper cars?" Rogue asked curiously. "That's fun."
"Why not?" Remy shrugged. He headed over to the ride. Rogue followed.
There was a brief line and they waited patiently. "Y' wanna share a car ou get sep'rate ones?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Definitely go it individual, Sugah."
"Daccord, Daccord. Don' get upset, Chérie." He said hastily as he handed over the tickets.
Rogue shrugged and ran off to get a car. Remy grabbed the first red one he saw and climbed in. He pulled down the lap bar and waited for the ride to start.
When the attendant told them the ride was started, he floored the gas pedal, expecting to jolt forward. But his car did nothing.
"C'mon." He urged it, and all of a sudden, he was slammed from behind. His head snapped forward. "C'mon, C'mon!" He was slammed from the side.
"Move it or lose pal!" The guy in the drivers seat called.
"Damn! Remy got de defective one..." He kept trying desperately to make it go. He even charged it a bit, but his car remained dead and he kept being slammed at every angle. "Merde! Why is it always Remy!" He wondered as a particularly violent little green car spun him across the driving area.
"C'mon slowpoke!" A familiar voice called. He turned his slightly sore neck to see Rogue grinning impishly. "Ya push the red pedal on the floor; it ain' rocket science Rem'."
"Remy not stupid! De damn t'in' don' work!" He called helplessly.
"Is that so?" Rogue's lips curled into a sadistic smirk. She reversed and then shot forward, slamming her boyfriend straight into the wall. He bounced off and hit somebody else. Of course this created a horde of people slamming the poo outta the one defenseless car on the track.
Remy's head was spinning, He charged the pedal just enough to get a burst of speed to pull over out of harms way. He had a safe place to watch his girlfriend, of course in the fastest car on the track, ram several other riders all while laughing in a way reminicscent of Pyro. Just as the cars were dying she had just enough time to slam Remy further into the wall at full speed.
After a moment they climbed out, Remy slightly dizzy. "An' dey actually gave y' yo' drivers license?" He asked her warily, rubbing his neck.
Rogue shrugged impishly. "It's New York, Remy. Everyone drives like maniacs. Besides, Ah use bumper cars ta drive like a maniac so Ah don' do it on the road."
"Dat be un huge relief, Chère." He sighed. He rubbed his neck. "Ow, dat was painful."
"Poor thing. Ah didn' mean for ya ta get hurt." Rogue cooed. Remy practically melted at her tone of voice. "C'mon, Sugah lets go get an ice cream or somethin'."
"Remy go anywhere wit' y', Chere." He said honestly as he allowed her to steer him to an ice cream stand.
She paid for two vanilla cones and they sat in peaceful silence enjoying the ice cream. Suddenly Rogue looked to the west. "Oh Remy! Look it's sunset. We gotta go an' watch it on the Ferris wheel, please?" Her eyes were wide and pleading.
Remy immediately agreed. After all, if it would make Rogue happy, then that was good enough for him. It seemed to mean a lot to her, so he decided he'd do it. The two of them made their way to the Ferris Wheel, holding hands and protected by the gloves on her hands and the gloves with missing fingers he was wearing.
They arrived and Remy gulped as he looked up to the top of the wheel. It was called "The Big Wheel" and seemed to rise forever into the heavens. A quick glance at Rogue's eager expression helped him steel his nerve. He handed over the tickets and sat in the little gondola as the attendant locked the door.
"Wow this is a great view." Rogue smiled and cuddled closer to him. He smiled in return and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Oui. It sho' is." He whispered, gazing at her with a content look.
He hid very well the slight quaver in his voice. And she didn't see the shaking hand that was clenched around the lap bar. He kept his vision on her and her alone as they continued their ascent. He was using this rare treat as an opportunity to absorb her beauty and hide the terrible altophobia he'd always suffered from. But he felt really stupid admitting that he was terrified of something so rediculous as heights.
When they finally reached the top Rogue sighed. "Look Isn' it gorgeous?"
"Oui. Y' are." He said softly before he could catch himself.
"What?" Rogue looked up at him abruptly.
"Nothin'." He shrugged and changed a glance at the horizon.
"Doesn' it just take ya breath away?" Rogue asked softly.
"Y-yeah." He gulped.
"Remy, ya ok?" Rogue asked in concern.
"Oui...nev' bette', Chère." He said in an unconvincing tone. "Why ya askin'?"
"Yo' shakin' like a leaf." Rogue frowned.
"Remy jus' be...a lil cold, Chére. Yea dat's all. Jus' chilly up here. Mebe dere be a draft non?"
"Remy, its August. And its 80 degrees." Rogue raised an eyebrow. "If Ah didn' know betta I'd swear ya were..." Her jaw dropped. "Remy, are ya scared or somethin'?"
He gulped and avoided her gaze. "Non." He lied.
"Ah think ya are." Rogue frowned. "What is it, ya afraid the ride'll break?"
"Non." He shook his head though that was suddenly added to the list. He hadn't thought about that nasty possibility. But he couldn't afford to lose any more face with Rogue. "Remy ain' afraid of nuttin'."
"Ya used a double negative! What are ya afraid of?" Rogue needled.
"Nothin'." He groaned internally at how she'd caught him. He hadn't wanted to lie persay. "Dat just how Remy talks. Y' know dat."
"Remy Etienne LeBeau tell me what it is right now." Rogue frowned. He turned his head away and clenched his eyes tight. He had been caught in enough lies to know that she'd go to his eyes for answers.
Suddenly realization dawned on her. "Yo' afraid of heights aincha?"
Remy gulped and shook his head timidly.
"C'mon, Ah got yo' psyche in mah head. Ah can tell when yo' lyin'. Ya eyes give ya away."
Remy shook his head again. They had come to rest at the top of the Ferris Wheel and he was reliving the memory that gave him his fear in the first place.
A small five year old boy was struggling to keep up with a much more athletic thirteen year old.
"Henri! Wait up! Remy can' climb so fast!"
"Y' shoulda stayed on the ground, petit." Henri rolled his eyes. "Why didn' y' stay back home an' go shoppin' wit' Tantie Mattie?"
"Cuz Remy wan'ed t' play wit' y'." The smaller boy beamed.
"Well I didn' wan' t' play wit' such a damn baby. I ain' yo' babysitter. Go back home, runt." Henri climbed higher.
"Wait!" Remy pleaded and struggled to climb faster. "Wait fo' Remy!"
"Why you always talkin' in third person, huh?" Henri paused to frown and sneer at his adopted younger brother. "Yo' name's Remy, mush f' brains." With that the older boy swung up onto a higher branch.
"Henri!" Remy cried in anguish as he scrambled to reach the next branch of the tall tree. "Remy can' reach it!"
"If y' can' reach de branch den go back down an' go play wit' Emil." Henri called down to the little boy. "He an' de ot'er babies know dere place at least."
Remy frowned and bit his lip. He strained his small frame as high as he could go. He had to prove he wasn't a baby. Emil and the other small thief children may have been content sitting and playing with their dumb toys, but they didn't have the coolest big brother in the world, now did they. Remy thought the world of Henri and wanted nothing more than to impress him. But so far he'd only managed to make his hero mad at him.
Remy's fingers caught the branch and he grinned triumphantly. "Henri! Remy did it!" He called.
"Yeah hurray fo' y' den." Henri rolled his eyes.
"Henri, help Remy get up dere, sil vous plais?" The demon eyes were wide with the fact that his grip was slipping.
"Can' y' do it on y' own?" Henri begged as he pulled out a pair of binoculars and tried to locate a certain window of the house he was looking in. "'M lookin for Mercy!"
"But Remy be fallin'!" The small boy cried out as he tried to grab the branch with his other hand. He couldn't get a grip and he was scared.
"Dieu!" Henri sceamed as he saw the five year old dangling about ten feet below him. "Hang on Remy. 'M comin'."
"Hurry." Remy pleaded. His brother scurried down as quickly as he could.
"Don' let go, Remy. An what ever de hell y' do don' look down!" Henri called as he made his way down.
"'M tellin' papa y' sayin' bad words!" Remy called. Suddenly he looked down by mistake. "Henri, where be de ground? Remy no be seein' it..." he whimpered.
"Merde." Henri swore as his little brother's eyes grew large and terrified. "Don' wiggle, kid. Gimme yo' hand." He reached for the boy.
"Remy no can reach." The little kid panicked. "Help Henri! Don' let Remy fall!"
"Calm down. Y' ain' gonna fall. S'alright petit frère. Jus' gimme yo' hand. It gonna be okay." Henri ushered gently. He helped pull Remy up onto the branch. "Y'almost gave me a heart attack Remy! Don' be doin' dat agin!" He said sternly.
"Remy be sorry." The little boy bent his head, his long wild auburn hair covering his eyes, hiding tears of shame.
"Aw now don' go an' cry." Henri begged. He wrapped an arm around the smaller kid's shoulders.
Suddenly the branch decided that the two boys weighed too much. And with a sickening crrrrrack it snapped, sending the brothers hurling roughly 25 feet straight down. Henri managed to grab a branch and swore painfully as his arm was dislocated painfully. He grabbed for Remy anyway and pulled the boy close, thanking God this kid was scrawny.
"Henri! Remy!" Henri looked down to see that his father and tantie Mattie standing on the ground about four feet below them.
"Easy does it, boy. Drop Remy. I'll catch him, den we get you down, oui?" Tante mattie called.
Henri nodded and let go of his little brother. Remy cried out as he fell but as soon as Tante Mattie caught him, he felt safe again. She set him down at the base of the tree and instructed Henri how he could get down gently.
As soon as both boys were on the ground again, Mattie was hugging them senseless. "Y' damn fools! I coulda lost both my boys t'day."
Jean Luc frowned. "Henri, y' coulda gotten bot' y' an' Remy killed t'day. What de hell were y' t'inkin' boy?"
"I din' think he'd follow me." Henri sighed. "I was just lookin' for...somethin'." He looked away.
"Up bout fourty feet in a tree?"
"Mercy, Jean Luc." Mattie said softly.
"Oh I'll show dem mercy alright, Mattie. 'M gonna show him mercy wit' the back side o' m' belt. He coulda killed himself an' Remy."
"No. Meant he was lookin' for Mercy. Mercy Delacour."
"François et Cecile's fille?" Jean Luc asked in surprise.
"Oui papa." Henri flushed.
"Well den, m' boy, dat changes t'ings." Jean Luc chuckled and clapped his thirteen year old son on the shoulder. "Her père one o de guild elders. An' she be a fine fille."
Mattie rolled her eyes at the man. "C'mon boys. Let's go. Got some fresh cookies in de kitchen as soon as y' clean up."
Remy shook his head. That memory had haunted him for years. His mind always turned it into a what if scenario. What if Henri hadn't been there, or hadn't been able to catch Remy. What if his Tante hadn't caught him? His young mind had manipulated the memory and twisted the idea until his fear was created and he couldn't bear the thought of being high, lest he fall.
Rogue bit her bottom lip. "Why didn' ya tell me that ya were so scared of heights?"
Remy sighed, knowing he couldn't lie out of this one. "It meant so much fo' y' ta see de sunset on de Wheel." He said weakly.
"Remy..." She sighed. "Ah woulda understood if ya told me." She cuddled closer.
He shrugged. "Remy didn' wanna look like a fool even mo' den he already has t'nite."
"Aw Remy..." She shook her head and leaned it on his shoulder. "Ya damn pride's gonna be the death of you."
Remy chuckled. "Y' don' know how true dat is, Chère." He closed his eyes and smiled shakily. "Now when dis t'ing gonna be back on de ground?"
Rogue playfully smacked him. "Can' ya at least try an' enjoy the ride?"
Remy gulped. "Chére, Remy not usually un t' complain, but we be sittin in a lil flimsy metal bucket attached to poles. An' we up high."
"Ya somethin' else, Sugah." Rogue rolled her eyes playfully. "Ya know that?"
"Oui. Remy knows an' dat be why y' love him, non?"
"Ya gotta be ona the most cocky Swamp Rat Ah've eva met." Rogue informed him bluntly. "An' the mos' obnoxious an' juvenile."
"Y' fo'got t' mention dat Remy de mos' beau, talented, et sexy Swamp Rat y'eva met, ma Chérie." Remy smirked.
"No, but Ah did fo'get that ya the mos' humble one too." She rolled her eyes. The ride reached its end and Remy looked significantly happier once his feet were on stable ground.
"We got enough time an' tickets fo' one more ride, Remy." Rogue counted the tickets. "What do ya wanna do? Ah feel bad bout the Ferris Wheel, so ya kin pick." She gestured around. "Ya got free choice."
Remy glanced around and gained a wolfish gleam to his eyes. "Any ride, Chère?"
"Yeah." She shrugged, not paying him much attention.
"Remy know jus' de t'ing." He took her hand and started leading her in the direction of what he wanted.
"Ah'm seriously not likin' that look. Or that tone o' voice." Rogue bit her lip, worriedly. "Somethin' tells meh Ah'm gonna regret this."
Within minutes, Rogue was standing in front of a pink gate, scowling for all her worth. "Ah draw the line here."
"Chére, y' promised Remy ANY ride." He raised an eyebrow. "Dis un counts."
She narrowed her eyes further and crossed her arms. "Have ya no dignity?"
"Non. Los' de resta Remy's when we were on de carousel an' Remy rode dat fou animal." He smirked.
"Well, Ah still got some left. An' there's no way in Hell ya gonna get me on this damn thing."
"Oh c'mon Chère." Remy steered her to the ticket man. "Y' promised."
"Ah didn' promise ta go on that."
"Jus' a lil old Tunnel of Love, Chére." He batted his eyes at her. "Won' kill y' t' enjoy a lil boat ride with Remy will it?"
"Possibly." Rogue frowned. "Ah ain' unde' any circumstances gonna ride down a tunnel stuffed with all that valentinesy cupid and heart crap in some dumb swan boat."
"Sil vous plais, mon ange?" He pouted. "Fo' Remy? De homme who endured una his biggest fears so y' could see de sunset?"
Rogue sighed. "Fine. But only cause Ah owe ya."
Remy winked. "Sho' t'in' Chère." He handed over the tickets and the ride attendant helped them into a swan boat.
"Keep your arms and legs in the boat at all times and please remain seated throughout your entire ride. Thank you and have a nice trip through our tunnel of Love." The attendant said in a bored monotone.
Remy slid an arm around Rogue's waist. "C'mon, Chère. Enjoy de t'get'er time."
"Remy, does the fact that we're currently in one of my nightmares mean anything to ya at all? Ah mean, ah think this is the result of somebody getting Cupid drunk and letting him design his own corner of Hell." She commented on the Valentines-esque decor coupled with the dark hazy atmosphere and cheesy music. Even the water was dyed pink.
"De important t'ing is dat we finally by ourselves." Remy whispered softly. "An' now we can jus' be us. Rogue an' Remy."
"But yo' not really Remy." Rogue whispered, unsure why they were keeping their voices low.
"What d' y' mean, Chére? 'Course 'm Remy."
"No, Ah mean, it's yo' eyes. Ah don' much like em when ya have the image inducer on." Rogue grabbed his wrist and pushed a button on the watch. The hologram shimmered and then his red and black eyes were visible. "Much betta. NOW ya mah Remy."
Remy smiled. "Glad t' hear dat Chère." He nuzzled close to her. "An' Remy be glad y' agreed t' dis."
"Ah didn'. Ya dragged me on this ride." Rogue reminded him.
"Non, Remy meant dis whole t'in'. De carnival. An' even t' date Remy in de firs' place. Neve' thought Remy'd ever get y' t' be his."
"So ya sayin' Ah b'long ta ya?" Rogue's tone turned dangerous but Remy barely acknowledged it.
"Chère, d' y' trust Remy?" He asked her softly. She looked at him puzzled.
"Yeah, Ah guess. Why d'ya ask?" She grew suspicious.
"Remy wanna test out a theory of his. Y' wanna help?"
She tilted her head but before she could answer he acted on his theory. He'd been studying her powers for a while and he wondered if she was distracted and concentrating on something else if her powers would activate. So he stared at her, lulling her into his eyes with his ability to empathically charm others.
She was lost in the depths of his ruby red eyes, which shone particularly brightly against the dark interior of the ride.
All of a sudden he put a hand on either side of her face, pulling her into a gentle kiss, and running one hand through her hair. All the while he kept smiling and maintained eyecontact. This allowed him to somewhat numb her senses so she wouldn't panic.
She was shocked at first then decided that since it was only her second kiss ever, (she didn't really remember the one in from Dark Horizon so technically it counted as her first ever first kiss) she may as well enjoy it. She allowed herself to respond, coiling her arms around his neck and kissing him back tenderly.
But as he closed his eyes in ecstasy, he lost his calming effect on her and she freaked out. Within seconds of his loss of hold, she felt the familiar pull of her powers. The dark cavern blinked with colored lights and she cried out as she pushed Remy away. She didn't realize how off balance he was, or how strong she was, and thus Remy ended up splashing into the pink glittery water.
"Chère!" He whined. "Dis water be freezin'!" He struggled to stand. The water was at his waist level, but it didn't help his cause that his energy had been drained into Rogue.
"Well, serves you right." She narrowed her eyes. "What the Hell were ya thinkin'?"
"Remy only kissed y'." He sighed. "Help me back in de Swan?"
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ya crazy, Swamp Rat? Did ya wanna be killed? Ya know Ah can't do stuff like that without hurtin' ya!"
"Chere..." He tried soothingly. "Remy didn' mean t' startle y' but it worked. Fo' a few minutes y' were touchin' Remy."
"Ah don' give a rat's ass about...wait what?"
"Remy figured dat yo' pow'rs on'y work if dey de big t'in' on yo' mind. Jus' wanted t' see if y' were distracted from yo' pow'rs if y' could not use em."
Rogue looked ready to smack him or grab him to kiss him and retest his theory. "Ya damned idiot, ya coulda gotten killed for a stupid idea ya had!"
"It be wort' it, in Remy's eyes." He shrugged. "An' if y' permanently absorbed Remy, least he die happy, non?"
"Ya insufferable." Rogue sighed. She used a few borrowed powers to hoist him back into the boat.
"Merde, dis glitter crap ain' gonna come out for weeks!" He frowned as he looked at his sopping wet clothes and hair.
"Sorry Sugah." Rogue wrapped an arm around him. "Didn' mean ta push ya that hard."
"Remy be alright Chére." He sighed.
Rogue went quiet. "Remy did you really mean it when you said getting absorbed would be worth it?"
Remy nodded seriously. "Oui. Meant every word."
"Wanna give that theory one more shot?" She asked softly, readying to focus her mind on something other than her powers.
"Sho' t'in', Chére." He grinned coyly.
Logan was waiting up, agitated, as Rogue and Gambit had broken curfew...again. He was uneasy with the two dating, but as he had already threatened that Remy would be the last of his genetic family line if Rogue was in any way used or abused, there wasn't much more he could do.
The front door creaked open and Rogue crept in, trying to go unnoticed. Logan cleared his throat to announce his presence.
The girl jumped in surprise and grinned sheepishly, pausing in the door way. "Hi Logan."
She guiltily half dragged a barely conscious Remy into the room. Logan raised an eyebrow. "Gumbo's exhausted, half drowned, shakin' like a leaf, and pink and sparkly? I'm er sure it serves him right for whatever he did."
Rogue nodded. "Y' wanna take 'im up t'is room? Ah don' wanna go up to de boys' dorms."
Wolverine nodded. "Jus' between you and me, Stripes, what the Hell happened?"
Rogue smiled softly. "Well, we were on this ride at the carnival, and we liked it so much the firs time we bought anotha set of tickets and went again, but there was dis odd lil accident and we got derailed fo' a lil, leavin' all de people on de ride in a dark cave t'ing."
"Ferget I asked. I ain't sure I wanna know what happened." Logan grimaced.
"Wasn' an't'in' bad." Rogue assured him with a dreamy smile.
"Not asking." Logan grunted. "Stripes, is this your lipstick on his face?"
"Oops." Rogue smiled sheepishly. "Be guessin' so. F'got bout dat."
"You okay, your accent is a little strange." Logan raised an eyebrow. Rogue shrugged and entered the room further.
"Ev'r't'in's jus' fine, Wolvie." Rogue grinned. He caught a glimpse of her eyes which were a startling Red on Black. Logan began to piece together the puzzle and sighed.
"You head on up to bed. And be careful with yourself, Stripes." He advised before hauling the nine tenths comatose Remy up to his room. In disgust he dropped the Cajun into the bed provided for him, fully clothed, including shoes.
"Remy love de carnival." He said weakly but happily before sleep claimed him.
And that's a wrap. Here is a nice little one shot. I know I said that after the first chapter of what became Heart's Desires. However this time I really am serious. There will be no continuation of this story. Just the one shot. I was in a Romy mood and this helped break a couple of the writers blocks. So hope you enjoy! Review please!
♥HH♥