Disclaimer: X-Men Evolution is not mine.
~~~~~~~
Once school was out, Rogue dashed outside to wait for Remy to appear by his motorcycle. She had not spoken to the X-Men since that scene the afternoon before; she returned to the mansion before curfew but made it crystal clear that she was not in the mood to talk. At the same time, they felt she needed sometime to herself, after she had yelled at them. The next morning, she was still angry at them and she was not about to forgive them that easily, though they probably did not even think that they had done anything wrong. Either way, she needed a break, and so she asked Remy during first period if he could take her out somewhere afterschool. He readily agreed with his signature wink and that grin that made her feel like all the blood was rushing to her head.
And so here she was, waiting for the cajun for the third time since he enrolled. She willed him to hurry up, wanting to avoid all contact with the X-Men.
"Rogue!" A familiar voice rang out from behind her and she closed her eyes in despair, sighing. Too late. Scott trotted up to her, a firmly set frown playing on his lips. "You've been avoiding us."
Rogue smirked, turning to face him and folding her arms defiantly over her chest. "Congratulations. Ya figured out th' obvious," she deadpanned. "Ah s'pose ya will be wantin' a prize."
"Come on, Rogue. We don't deserve to be treated this way, I don't deserve to be treated this way."
"An' Ah don' deserve ta be treated lahke Ah don' know any bettah! Ah have a mind, ya know. Ah ain' gonna blindly follow ya lahke a damn lemming." She turned away from him to signal that she was done with the conversation. "Go away, Scott. Ah don' wan' ta talk ta ya."
"But..." He paused, his eyes glancing over to the bike she stood by. "Is that Gambit's bike?" She did not answer. "Where are you going now?"
She spun around to glare at him. "That's none o' ya business, okay? Leave meh alone!"
"Rogue, it's dangerous! He's dangerous. You really shouldn't be isolating yourself with him. Who knows what tricks he'll pull on you!"
"Remy won' hurt her none, mon ami," interjected a low, purring voice. Remy came up from behind Scott and positioned himself next to Rogue, his brown eyes dancing in amusement. "I be Remy, dough it seems y' are already familiar with who I am. An' y' are?"
Scott crossed his arms, glaring at Remy distrustingly. "I bet you already know, Acolyte."
Remy smirked, shrugging. "If y' wan' t' skip de introductions, dat's fine by me. Was on'y bein' polite." He swung his leg over his motorcycle, turning to hand Rogue the helmet. "Allons, ma cherie."
"She's not going with you. I forbid it."
Remy glanced over to the irate X-Man. "Well, who gives y' de right? An' 'sides, Remy wouldn' force her 'gainst her will. If she don' wan' t' go..." He glanced over to Rogue as if to question her, though a knowing grin turned his lips upward.
Rogue attached the motorcycle helmet to her head and mounted Remy's motorcycle, slipping her hands around his waist. Turning her head slightly to meet Scott's gaze through his sunglasses, she growled, "Go home, Scott."
"Wait, Rogue!" protested Scott as Remy ignited his motorcycle, revving it loudly for a bit before taking off, leaving the self-proclaimed leader of the X-Men in its dust. "Wait... please.." he coughed pitifully. He was losing her, they were losing her. And it was Gambit's fault.
*****
Rogue laughed, openly enjoying the wind rushing through her hair, and she had to extend her hand to feel the invisible force push playfully against her fingers. "Remy! Take meh ta our waterfall! Ah feel lahke a swim!" she shouted over the rumble of the motorcycle motor and the hissing of the wind.
Remy turned his head to grin at her out of the corner of his eye. "Will do, cherie! Mais, let's pick up a picnic first! Je meurs de faim!"
*****
They arrived at the waterfall with a bag of fried chicken and spicy cajun takeout to share between them. They set to eating the food silently, reclining upon the soft grass and watching the serenity that was the lagoon. It was Remy who broke the silence.
"Chere, y' wan' t' tell Remy why he didn' have t' twist y' arm t' take y' out dis time?" Rogue sighed, looking down to the piece of chicken in her fingers. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want to discuss anything. She just wanted the silence. She lifted her eyes to his, their emerald green imparting her plea to his natural red on black. He understood. "Ma belle, c'mere." He pushed the food from between them and extended his arms towards her. She looked at him blankly, making no movement towards him. With a smirk, he scooted over and folded her up in his arms, pressing his face into her sweet smelling hair. When she stiffened, he shook his head slightly, shushing her gently and caressing her back with his hands. Reaching over, he took a piece of fried chicken and dangled it in front of her lips. "Here, cherie," he whispered playfully. She glanced up at him with a 'you must be kidding' smirk upon her lips, but went along with hit, taking the piece of food daintily from his fingers into her mouth. "Y' sure know how t' use y' mouth, cherie. Y' can drive a man insane, I can tell."
She swatted at him half-heartedly with a small grin on her lips. "Shh." Reaching over, she grabbed some of his food and gently fed him a piece. They began to interchangeably feed each other, their eyes locked in place of their lips. They revelled in the moment, in the intimacy that was shared by the simple act.
Rogue hesitated during her turn, keeping her gloved fingertips at his mouth and watching as his lips caressed the worn fabric. She could hardly believe she was here, with him. A tenderness rushed through her as she stared at the cajun that held her gently in his arms, whose heat warmed her to the core, whose voice could evoke feelings in her that she did not even know existed. She was living and it was he who had made it possible. "Remy..." He turned and lifted his eyebrows, his eyes questioning. "Remy, Ah love ya..."
Remy just stared at her for a moment. There. He had won. He got her; another victory for the ragin' cajun. The game was finally drawing to a close. But he was not sure how he felt about that. An alien sense of dread tickled him; he was soon to hurt her. No more smiles for the young untouchable. No more rush of a multitude of emotions.
Instead of replying with words, he brought up his hands to drape the ever-present green scarf over her lips and kissed her passionately. When she started kissing back, he pushed gently against her until she lay pinned on the ground underneath him. Their bodies intertwined, her fingers tangled in her hair and the kiss broken only for short gulps of air.
Rogue loved it. Despite the slight barrier, she was drowning in a sea of sensations and wonderful emotions. She felt him pressed against her so tightly that he felt like he was a part of her. He was a part of her. She loved him, faults and all. She would not have him any other way.
Remy had to fight getting lost in the kiss. It was hard. He breathed in her scent, tasted her through the thin silk, and felt her body squirming beneath him. He felt the physical pleasure that he expected, but he also felt something unexpected, indistinguishable. She took his breath away. He felt his heart palpitating, not just with arousal, but with some sort of anxious rush, a thrill that she was here in his arms, lips locked with his. There was almost a relief that she belonged to him, and also a desire to please her. The emotions were overwhelming and he could not take it, breaking his lips away to kiss her neck through the scarf, trying to clear his head.
She loved him; the though flashed neon in his mind as he massaged her neck with his lips. He heard her moan softly but pleasurably, and he wanted to hear it again. He felt her fingers clutch at his back tightly, as if she owned him, and her body tightened against him possessively; she was claiming him. His body felt hotter than ever before, the sensations more poignant than even those he felt during sex. Rogue loved him. Other women had loved him, but with her, like the other emotions she opened his eyes to, the emotion of love was something deep and complex, something beautiful. She loved him; it had made no difference before, but now it made all the difference in the world.
Remy had to stop at this though, his eyes staring blankly at her pale neck, tinted green through the scarf. He breathed heavily, fear gripping his heart. This was bad; it was not supposed to be like this, he was not supposed to feel like this. He was never supposed to feel guilt. It was his game, his entertainment; he was a heartbreaker and he liked it that way. He was cold and unfeeling under his facade of emotion. He was not supposed to feel; what did he feel? He did not love her. But then what was it? Did he care about her? It could not be. No. What was he feeling? A sharp panic jabbed at his chest. If he was not careful, he might even fall--, and he could not fall, not again. The game had to end.
"Remy?" She was looking at him quizzically. He had stopped suddenly and was staring down at her chest, from what she could see. "Remy, hello. Ah'm up heah."
He blinked, focusing on her jade pupils and coming out of his jumble of thoughts. Grinning reassuringly, he ran his hand through her hair. "Désolé, chere. Remy got lost in how beautiful y' are." He kept his facade up, but inside he was faltering. He had to end the game; but how could he? Whenever he looked at her, he felt such a rush of emotions, he was intoxicated.
Rogue looked at him skeptically with a smirk. "Bull."
He chuckled as he eased himself off of her, backing away as if in preparation. He gave her a wry grin. "Bien, y' caught me, petite. Remy was undressin' y' wit' his eyes."
"Ooh, ya perv!" She snatched up a carton of mashed potatoes and had the load of it planted on his face before he could protest. Laughing, she dashed into the water, submerging herself and cutting through the lagoon smoothly despite her hampering clothes. Remy flicked bits of potato out of his eye as he just ast there for a moment, watching her retreat.
She was so carefree now, so happy. So different from how he had found her. He gave her this happiness. And he was going to take it away.
Putting up his playful smirk once more, he called out to her as he began wading into the pool. "Oh, chere, y' gon' t' regret dat! Remy comin' wit' de gravy f' his revenge!"
*****
Rogue had resurfaced in the cove under the waterfall, her hands slicking back her hair away from her face, and had to stifle a gasp when she finally opened her eyes. The roar of the waterfall seemed to grow louder in her ears, masking any sound she could have heard or created herself. She could not move.
Pietro had Taryn pressed up against the wall, his lips pressed firmly to hers and his hands roaming over her body. They were entangled in such a passionate embrace that Rogue felt a deep blush tint her cheeks, though she was unable to tear her eyes away. She felt an urge to call out, to scream, to do anything to interrupt the scene in front of her; but her voice caught in her throat. Pietro, no. "Don't do this," she hoarsely whispered, unconsciously stepping back. She clumsily stumbled, letting out an awkward squawk that finally alerted the two to her presence. Pietro blinked, genuinely surprised, and self-consciously straightening his clothes, though unaware of that reflex.
"Rogue?"
"What are YOU doing here?" Taryn sneered, placing one hand on her hip, the other loosely clinging to Pietro's arm possessively.
Rogue ignored Taryn, her eyes fixated on Pietro's. "Pietro.."
"Answer her question," he interrupted coldly. "What ARE you doing here?"
She frowned, becoming defensive. "That's none o' ya business. Ah have jus' as much right ta be heah as ya'll do. It's public property."
"Uhm," Pietro smirked. "As a matter of fact, Roguey, it isn't. My father owns this area. You should not be here."
"What..? Ya father..?"
"It's alright, mon ami. De fille, she is wit' Gambit." Pietro stiffened as Remy stepped up from behind Rogue, his red eyes the first thing that appeared. "I brought her here. Dere's no harm done." His eyes flickered over to Taryn, who huffed and turned her head away. "Chere, I t'ink we gon' need a new place t' call our own."
"You're damn right, you do," hissed Pietro, his form almost trembling with how tense he was. "I can only imagine what you two have been doing. And in my father's own-" he cut himself off with a growl. "Gambit," he barked. "Being Magneto's son, I order you to never bring any of your conquests," he looked pointedly at Rogue, "here again. Do it in your own private quarters." Remy started forward threateningly at Pietro's impudence, his eyes blazing with fury, but the speed demon zipped across the room, leaving a slight wake behind him. "Oh, no no no, I wouldn't try anything if I were you, Gambit. You're too slow, and besides, do you WANT my father after you or something?"
Remy snorted in disgust, turning towards Rogue but she had already left. With a last venomous glance towards Pietro, and then Taryn, he turned to follow Rogue. "Y' ain' impressin' nobody, mon ami." He hesitated before pushing through the waterfall. "Nor makin' Rogue jealous."
Pietro flushed. "I'm not trying to..." he trailed off; the cajun had left. He stared darkly at the waterfall. "I'm done with her."
Taryn waded over to him, smiling cattily. "Of course you are. She was so not worth your time." She ran her fingers up his collar, eliciting a shudder from the speed demon. "Shall we continue what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Pietro quirked a small smile, leaning forward to kiss her. She immediately deepened the kiss, attaching herself to him like an extra appendage. He tried to lose himself in the sensations that she was so good at producing, but he could not. It felt wrong. He broke off, putting a bit of distance between them and averting his gaze.
"What?" Taryn's voice was tinged with annoyance.
Pietro sighed softly. "I'm sorry. Those two.. they gave me a splitting headache." He clutched at his head to illustrate. "Not to mention that they ruined the mood. How about I take you home, and postpone our date for a time when I can really knock your socks off?" He grinned at her, but to him, it was like he could not see. All he saw was a snapshot of Rogue's face when she spied them, shocked and hurt because of him. He blinked, but the image would not go away.
Taryn giggled, grabbing on to his arm as they started wading out of the cove. "Is that a promise?"
He tilted his head coyly, winking at her as he swept her up into his arms. "Scout's honor. Now, hold on tight, sweetcheeks!" Squealing, Taryn slung her arms around Pietro's neck as he sped off towards her home.
*****
Remy caught up to Rogue on the shore by the food. She was crouching, idly picking at the grass. He paused. It would be so easy to leave her now. What reason did he have to stay? She was just a game, and he had already won. She loved him. That was all he was aiming for; to see if he could break through her barriers. It was not like he could bed her and leave. This was as far as he was going to get. So why couldn't he just slip away unnoticed, leaving her to pick up the remains of their food, and her heart. The game was over. So why did he hesitate?
"Chere?" His voice was softer than he intended, almost afraid to get her attention, a last attempt to convince himself to just leave. She did not answer, but after a moment, he tried again. He had to, though he did not know why. "Rogue?"
"Whay didn' ya tell meh that this was Magneto's place?"
He moved to kneel beside her, a hesitant hand raising to caress her shoulder. "Remy didn' t'ink dat it was important." He tilted his head, trying to catch her eyes. "Dat isn' why y' upset, Rogue. Tell me de trut'."
She lifted her head and fell into his arms, curling up and burying her cheek into the soaked fabric of his shirt. "It's jus'... Pietro knows how much Ah hate that girl. An' then Ah see them all ovah eachothah... an' he knows... an' Ah know he's only doin' it 'cause Ah hurt him. Ah hurt him bad, Remy. An' Ah wan' ta make things alright again, but Ah don' know how. Ah don' know how, an' it's tearin' meh up insahde."
He held her close, running his hands reassuringly through her hair. "Rogue-"
"No, Remy, Ah don' really wan' ta discuss it." She pulled away slightly to smile sadly up at him. "Ya asked meh what, an' Ah tol' ya, but Ah really... Ah don' wan' ya ta make meh feel bettah 'bout hurtin' him."
"But-"
She silenced him, placing her gloved hand over his mouth and kissing her knuckles. "Shh."
"Chere, Remy... he don' wan' y' t' be unhappy..."
"Ah'll be fahne, swamp rat. Ah jus'... can ya take meh home?"
He smiled softly, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "If it'd make y' happy, petite."
They set to cleaning up, and soon they were on Remy's motorcycle, heading back to the mansion. Clinging to Remy's waist, Rogue allowed her thoughts to go peaceful, simply enjoying his nearness and the thrill of the ride, leaving the subject of Pietro to wait for later. But Remy's thoughts were not as calm. He was suddenly distinctly aware of Rogue's presence behind him on the motorcycle, of her slender arms that held him around his waist, of her thighs that held tight around his hips. He could feel through his empathy her peace, with a deeply woven sadness underneath. He could also sense how she felt towards him. He wanted to stop and enjoy it, yet at the same time he wanted to bolt away from it. Since when did he get so confused? She felt like an addiction, her hook the emotions that she shared with him. And he could not get enough of her sass, of her fire, or her smile. He- He had to stop thinking about her. She was a game. A toy. Just entertainment. Not even his equal. Even though she met him word for word whenever he teased her. He wanted to scream in frustration, though he had to settle for shaking his head abruptly to clear it. He was not falling for her. They had some good fun, that was all. Just some fun. She was fun to be with.
He had to stop.
~~~~~~~
Wow. Longish. Remy's almost there! Thanks for being patient. And for those of you who want to hear about the X-Men, there'll be a scene with them in the next chapter. I have to admit that I tend to focus on just one or two characters, in this case three. So everyone else gets the back burner. That's alright, you didn't miss them too much, did you?
Syrenwytch -- this is definitely a Romy. I'm the author, I think I'd know. :) Also, as for how would Rogue be sure of what she thinks? Feelings are feelings. Thoughts are thoughts. What other people say can be taken into consideration, but they can't make you think something you don't. And yea, while the X-Men are the closest thing to a family that she has, I find that she still has to hold them at arm's length, you know? Cause of her power and blahblahblah. Essentially, she deals with things alone, and when they try to control her and intervene, I see her as fighting it.
I've gotten lots of support from you people, and I'm really grateful. It helps so much, you have no idea. Every day I get so excited because there just might be a new review up for me.
Pietro is obviously gonna be back in Rogue's life. I mean, I could have had him just disappear with Taryn from this fic, but look I brought him back again.
Rogue will find out soon-ish, in like a chapter or two about Remy. Yea, that's gonna be a load of angst. Probably a long-ass chapter(s) too. Man, don't I long for the days when I could type these out in a day. Ahh, the good old days. Bah, here I am feeling old again. Blah.
Remy... well I think it's obvious what's going on with Remy.
Anyway... :) thanks for reading and welcoming me back since that time when ff.net was acting up!
Rielyn