"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."
~Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, scene I
Remy clasped both of Rogue's hands between his. She curled her fingers, squeezing his hands in return. His burning eyes never strayed from her clear, green-eyed gaze. He was practically lost in those eyes as he recited his vows. Rogue's voice was strong and clear—not a hint of doubt or fear—as she responded with her own. Her smile warmed him to the cockles of his heart. This moment felt as close to perfection as he had experienced in a long time.
Suddenly, the Rabbi's voice broke through the daze with words he had almost given up on hearing. Before today, this had been his fondest dream, the one which he dared not dwell on too often.
"…Anna Marie and Remy LeBeau as husband and wife."
Though he could scarcely believe what he was hearing, Remy didn't hesitate. There would never be a reason to hesitate again. Unwilling to break contact with her, Remy kept one hand entwined with hers while he cupped her cheek with the other. She didn't flinch as his bare skin touched hers. He leaned in to kiss his Rogue—his bride.
For her part, Rogue didn't hesitate either. Before he could meet her lips, she closed the remaining distance between them. Her free hand clutched at his waist, fingers entangling in the fabric of his suit coat and holding him close. She didn't pull away or protest as they kissed. There was no fear in her embrace.
As the kiss prolonged, the world closed around Remy until it consisted of only two people. Need and passion made them forget their audience. With Rogue at his side, it was as though he no longer needed to breathe. Fervently, he hoped this would never end.
They had kissed before. There had been hundreds of kisses over their rollercoaster of a courtship. Israel and Antarctica. Valle Soleada and Paraíso. And so many more in between. Whenever they could work around or through their mutations, they kissed and caressed and touched. Remy had the perpetual need to demonstrate through touch how much he loved her and needed her. She returned that need with the perpetual desire to receive his touch. Despite that, somehow, it had never been enough. Until now.
This time was different.
This was the first time they kissed as husband and wife.
Rogue—his wife. Wife. The very thought of Rogue as his wife sent a giddy thrill through him.
With his mind and every one of his finely tuned senses focused on his beloved, time slipped away from him. For all he knew, it could have been an eternity before reality snapped back around them. Ororo softly cleared her throat, reminding them that they weren't alone. Remy couldn't restrain the giddy expression of delight which filled his face. Never losing contact, his hand drifted from her cheek, across her collar bone, down her arm, along the curve of her hip and finally settling around the small of her back. Rogue pressed closer. Remy wasn't going to let her go ever again.
Not settling for a single embrace, Rogue pulled him in for another fierce, passionate kiss. A ripple of laughter ran through the gathered audience of friends and colleagues while Kurt muttered a not quite exasperated, "Not again."
Remy had a feeling that Rogue would have shot her brother a dirty look if she wasn't too busy kissing her husband. As said husband, Remy was more than willing to comply with the deepening kiss.
These kisses were simply the promise of a million more yet to come. And, Remy couldn't wait to explore them all.
Though a gambler by nature, Remy had once sworn to never bet more than he was willing to lose. Yet, when it came to loving Rogue, such a resolution swiftly became an impossibility to keep. Over the years, he had played hand after hand as the stakes continued to increase. When the pot reached all or nothing, he had no choice but to gamble all his chips and risk it all—his home and his life, his heart and his soul—for the chance of loving Rogue forever. Revealing his cards and bearing his vulnerable heart for all to see, it turned out he had the winning hand after all. For once in his life, all the risks had paid off and he had received his reward—for all of eternity, he was Rogue's and she was his.