Hello!
WOW so much positive feedback last chapter! Thank you so much! It definitely got me motivated to write faster-thank you seriously. I appreciate every comment/like/kudo so much. If I ever miss responding, please know it's not on purpose and every time an email from ffn or ao3 hits my email box it does legitimately make my day.
Also, someone caught that the title of the fic is from (Starship by Team Starkid) which was super cool and if you're curious I will definitely attach the song next chapter (or you can look it up obv, but I can attach the link to make life easier if you need haha). I just thought the title/mentality of the song fit perfectly.
And as always, thank you to thehazeofdusk for editing and keeping me inspired. BTW I've said on tumblr, but if I haven't on here: you should check out her stuff! It's AMAZING.
There are a few end of chapter notes! I didn't want to put them up here and spoil anything :)
Chapter 11Fall had finally come. Not that he was actually complaining this time around.
Usually, if he were asked, he'd always prefered the summer and spring. Hot and balmy though it was (especially in Louisiana) the spring and summer months held some of his best childhood memories, few though they were. Chasing fireflies with his cousins, causing trouble up and down the bayou with his brother, plenty of tourists to pickpocket, and (once he'd grown) plenty of scantily clad tail to chase to his heart's desire. The days were lazy, the nights were wild and then fall would come to end it all. The warmth and freedom would all fade away to the cold basically overnight.
He hadn't actually gotten a summer in Bayville, just the (almost) two weeks he'd been back really, so he supposed it was easier to not miss the summer here when fall finally blew through. Can't miss what you never knew, he'd always reasoned.
It didn't feel like only two weeks, that was for sure, although not in a bad way. The first week (with the whole Sentinel mess and staying at the X mansion for a few days) had flown by, sure, but this last week had flown by in a different way-less activity but with just as much excitement for him. Sure, the excitement was bundled into smaller packages (some days he only got to see his friend for enough time to pick her up at school and drop her off before one of them had something to do) but then there were nights like last night, when he'd gotten to go in and watch a movie with friends (with her) and that had made any wait worthwhile. To be honest, he couldn't recall anything about the stupid slasher movie in the end, only that Rogue had let him keep his arm around her the whole time, something he'd found himself smiling about before he fell asleep that night.
As for now, he was starting to think fall might not actually be so bad as he hopped from tree limb to tree limb, following his unsuspecting prey through the park. Not when the cool weather gave him such a great view: ripped jeans with fishnet underneath, a tight coat flattering her thin waist, and a baggy scarf that showed off just enough of the pale white skin of her neck. He shook his head-maybe a bit too much looking, but you couldn't blame a man for admiring art. He grinned as she finally sat herself on a bench, headphones in, and pulled out a book from her bag as she waited.
He crouched lightly, careful to not rustle any leaves around him as he leapt through the air, landing as softly as possible behind her as he snuck closer...and closer...and close enough to pull her earbud out as -
"What y' readin', chère?"
She actually looked like she jumped a few inches into the air this time, turning to fix him with an expression he knew most would find intimidating but he couldn't help but find a little adorable; lips pursed in frustration, eyes locked on to his in a solid glare, hair falling a little into her eyes from under her hat, nose wrinkled and just a little red from the cold.
"Swamp Rat!" She stood, whacking him in the arm with her book. "I swear someday I'm gonna put a bell on you!"
He laughed, a full sound that rumbled through his chest, bringing him a little extra warmth against the slight chill of the air. He reached out, brushing her bangs away from her eyes as his laugh slowed, enjoying watching her try to not smile back.
"I'm serious. A bell. We're gettin' you one," she said, nose still wrinkled adorably. The grey of her eyes was bright even in contrast to the multi-colored leaves falling all over the park. Her hands were on her hips, making him grin down at her, debating if he could make the ballsy move to sling his arm around her shoulders again. "Deal."
They fell into a companionable silence, walking the path of the park, but he couldn't quite say what scenery was around him. Not when Rogue was walking so closely to him, shoulder almost bumping his bicep. She'd been smarter than him and bundled up a little. He'd thrown on jeans and a simple flannel over his shirt, underneath his duster, of course, but that had been the extent of his layering. Between her coat and her scarves, mittens, and hat, the only indication she was cold was the red of the tip of her nose and her similarly chilled cheeks.
He smiled down at the ground, weirdly just feeling...happy walking along enjoying each other, and bumped her shoulder with his own, pulling a laugh out of her. He liked how relatively simple things were with Rogue. He used to think simple would be boring and avoided it at all costs. Maybe if he'd known how nice it would be for his friendships (or relationships) to be simple instead of full of constant drama, he thought, things in his life might have turned out a little bit better. A beautiful blonde's face sprang to mind before he pushed it away: there was no avoiding drama there, whether inside the relationship or factors outside it, he knew. It was kind of nice only having to worry about outside stressors with Rogue. It kept things interesting yet calm enough to breathe at the same time.
There was a complexity in the simplicity with Rogue he wasn't used to, but he was drawn to. When they didn't spend every moment fighting or arguing (or messing around to avoid fighting and arguing) and instead just spent their time getting to know each other and actually talking, it made for a whole new kind of relationship he wasn't sure he'd even known existed, let alone had. To be fair, he wasn't sure Rogue had either, but he kind of liked that; learning with her when one of them wasn't sure enough to lead.
"Your hair's looking almost long enough you could have another bowl cut," she said, teasing tone resting easy in her husky voice.
"Ma chérie, how dare y' even speak that word!" He couldn't stop the grin, try as he might to react with a straight face.
"What...bowl cut?" Her grin was wide and full and he loved it, despite her (fair enough) ribbing.
He raised an eyebrow, taking a second to appreciate said grin that spread across her face before lunging towards her, chasing her like two kids playing tag at recess. He supposed neither of them had gotten to do much of it in the first place (Jean Luc hadn't cared much for school and he'd read in her files how early on Destiny had isolated Rogue from others) so it didn't feel quite so silly to be chasing her through the park, laughing the whole time. It definitely didn't feel childish, as he would have assumed it might. Instead he just couldn't stop grinning, especially when he would almost grab her, causing her to laugh a little harder each time. He herded her towards the parking lot, enjoying the squeal her laugh would transform into when he sped up a little bit and got a little too close for her liking.
They reached the parking lot and she skidded to a halt, cheeks bright and rosy and complimenting perhaps the most carefree smile he'd ever seen on her face by a longshot. He knew he must not look too different, at least in the smiling department.
She let out another small laugh, a hum more than anything really, and started heading the few yards towards his bike, with him not far behind. He was still smiling when she got there first and turned around, looking up at him.
"It is getting long though. Your hair," she clarified.
He ran a hand through it, noticing how shaggy it had become. He should probably do something with it so he didn't end up stuck in another bad hairstyle. Still, it was kind of nice to see how long his hair had gotten. Chopping it off might be the easiest, but he kind of liked growing it out. It showed the passage of time well.
"It looks nice, is my point. You know. Now that it's not a bowl cut," she teased.
He rolled his eyes (wondering how much more often he did that since coming back and being around Rogue so much) chuckling. "Yeah, yeah. Let y' brother try out his hair cuttin' skills one time an' y' never live it down," he grumbled. Growing it out, he decided, definitely felt like the right way to go.
He started unpacking his saddle back, pulling out helmets before climbing on his bike, conversation between them free and easy. It was a rare Saturday for her, he'd gathered, when she was actually free the whole day. He had plans to take advantage of as much as time with her as possible. Magneto had mentioned ramping up their training sessions soon and between that and her training as well as schoolwork, he had a feeling he might not have the freedom to see her as often as this last week (even if it had only been a pick up and drop off from school and texting in between some days).
Whatever time he had with her, he knew to take advantage of it while he could get it. He knew how fast things could change...damnit. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off today- it turned his thoughts and was currently freezing words in his throat. Thank goodness Rogue had enough to say and couldn't see the confusion on his face. That or she did see and was trying to let him recover without pointing it out. She was good about that, he'd noticed. He adjusted his sunglasses to make sure they hadn't fallen, revealing his eyes. They were better than contacts, which burned, but easier to lose. The motion reminded him where he was and helped him shake off the weird feeling.
He was here to hang out with his friend. Nothing was wrong.
She climbed on behind him with practiced ease and he was pleased to feel her almost slide right against him this time. Maybe, especially with her letting him keep his arm around her on the couch the previous night, she was letting herself try to be more comfortable with touching (even just with him, which he was absolutely fine with). He could hope at least. She grabbed hold around him and he took off towards town, taking the back roads when possible. It was still too quick, but maybe that was just because all trips seemed quicker in Bayville. The backroads were much longer when they were a dirt county road, bumps the whole way keeping your riding partner holding on as tight as possible.
They dismounted, headed for what he knew (although she didn't know he already knew) was her favorite bookshop. He'd followed her there before from time to time back when he'd been spying on the X men a few times, grabbed a cup of coffee and a book while he watched over her. He didn't think he'd seen her take anyone there before, and he surprised himself by realizing he really liked that he was the first.
He let her take the lead, not wanting to let on how well he knew the shop already and wanting to continue to listen to her talk about the place and a book she was excited to start. The excitement on her face warmed him more than anything else really, and he had trouble watching where she gestured when her expression was really the most interesting thing there by far.
"What kind of books do you read anyway?" She was looking up at him, tone suddenly a little unsure. He'd been thinking too much. This never used to be a problem. He supposed he should cut himself a little slack considering how long he'd had little to do but think up until recently...he didn't want to though. He wanted to ignore that shit.
She stopped walking suddenly, brows furrowed as she looked up at him. He looked back down at her, almost frustrated to see the concern in her eyes, wishing she wouldn't waste that on him. He tried to settle a reassuring smile onto his face, but he knew even with the sunglasses she was too smart for that. She'd looked at him the same way in the Danger Room. He should be making her laugh, not worry, but here he stood worrying over things he could never change instead of letting himself enjoy something truly positive in his life.
He wasn't going back-he'd made sure of that. He got out, fair and square, and Rogue was here and he got to put his past where it belonged and enjoy her. He smiled, a little more genuinely this time, hauling himself out of his fucking head as quick as possible. He was relieved to see some of the worry fade from her eyes. It was still there, but far enough back he could shift both of their trains of thought away from the things he apparently couldn't stop focusing on today. He needed to just shake this and put it out of his mind.
"Hey, you wanna grab a drink before we look at books?"
He cleared his throat and felt a real smile tug at his lips with no trouble this time. How people called her cold and off putting he'd never know. Blunt, yes. Introverted as well. A little rough around the edges, of course. But in truth she was warm and kind, smart and intuitive. A rose growing as many thorns as possible to save others from picking her, but a rose all the same.
"Yeah, 'm a little cold. Could use some coffee."
She laughed and instantly it grounded him more than any of his attempts to erase his negativity today. All of that angst he'd been feeling, all of the worries in the back of his brain that something was off faded away. She was safe, even with him around, and if something happened they would be fine. Nothing would happen, but if it did she would be okay. She was a damn good fighting partner If the need arose. Everything was fine. He needed to shake the feeling someone was following him today, pulling out thoughts he didn't need to think about ever again (not if he had anything to say about it).
She rolled her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, yeah, it's a proper fall chill out there. You got what, a flannel and a tee on under y' duster?"
"Ain't m' fault fall hit overnight."
"There's a thing called a weather report, Swamp Rat. You could always check it before goin' outside," she said, leading the way to the small cafe at the front of the shop.
"Where's the fun in that?"
She shook her head at him, smiling all the same, and ordered herself a cup of tea, paying for it before he even got the chance to offer. He looked down at her closely, although it was hard to look as close when he still had to wear sunglasses inside. It wasn't such a big deal outside, but inside it made enough of a difference he wasn't a fan. He could see her jaw tight though as she waited for her tea. She was still worried. He ordered, wondering momentarily how she would react to knowing how many times he'd done this same thing while she was over on the other side of the store browsing. Would she decide it was too much and he wasn't worth it?
Remy shook that thought from his head and decided against that, deciding to stick to the present. It served them both well, especially where she was concerned. Wasn't her fault he couldn't shake an eerie feeling today. He grabbed his cup of coffee and gently put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to a table near the street. She looked down at her tea and he wished he had never let on to his stupid inner turmoil and made her worry in the first place.
"Kinda nice gettin' t' hang out wit'out the 'jus' checkin' if y' needed anythin' brigade' stoppin' by," he said, smirking. Wolvie, One-Eye, and Rogue's brother had been relentless every day he'd stayed over after dropping her off. Always walking by her bedroom door (to make sure it was wide open), always checking on this or that (never anything that required Rogue's immediate attention), always ending up wherever they'd chosen to hang out 'just to say hi'.
Rogue groaned, putting her face in her hands, muffling her voice. "They are so annoyin'! It's like every five seconds between the three of them!"
Remy laughed. "Cain't fault 'em f' watchin' out f' y'."
"Since when are you defending them?" Her expression was comical, outrage mixed with a small smile she was fighting.
He grinned, leaning forward as he took off his duster. "Not defending. Jus' understandin' where they comin' from, chère. Believe me, I'd just as well have them never pass by." He rolled up his flannel sleeves, exposing his forearms, intrigued to see Rogue's eyes flit over the motion several times. His grin became a smirk as he fixed his other sleeve and watched her try to ignore the motion, a good reference to tuck away for later.
If there was a later.
He looked around quickly, feeling like his heart was suddenly dead and had stopped.
That had been his voice. But it hadn't been his thought. He knew it this time.
Merde.
"Still, gotta admit it's kind of nice to be able to hang out where they can't bug us the whole time," she grumbled. He used every skill he'd ever been taught to keep his expression calm and light. He tried to focus on the joy that admission from Rogue brought him. It was nice to know she hated being interrupted just as much as he did.
Nothing was wrong. He'd just gotten everything twisted up in his head today and was letting it get to him.
He tried to focus again on the fact that he liked that her family's visits didn't bother just him. That and the fact that she'd just admitted it outloud. He could tell she was tired of them riding his ass, but knowing was different than actually hearing it. He needed to stay focused on Rogue. Rogue and not looking completely unhinged.
"Cajun?" She looked at him, worry back to the forefront of her eyes, and he knew his erratic movements as he whipped off his sunglasses and looked around the entire shop carefully would not help ease that worry for her.
Too bad he'd already ruined everything.
Merde.
He wasn't going to find anything unless they wanted him to.
Merde. Merde. Merde.
"Hey," he felt Rogue by his shoulder now, voice full of concern, near the glass storefront window to their side and turned towards her with just enough time to pull her to him, rolling them both out of the way as the glass behind where Rogue had just stood shattered everywhere.
He pulled them out of the roll as fast as possible, cursing himself for taking his duster off. He grabbed a handful of glass, not really caring how cut up he would be as long as he could get them out alive, charging it as he stood quickly.
"Long time no see, Gambit."
Fuck.
Marauders.
Before him stood Blockbuster (a problem due to his superhuman strength but not necessarily his smarts) and Arclight (a problem all around). She could send shockwaves (probably how they broke the glass so quickly) strong enough to disorient a person. And that meant he hadn't been crazy…
"Finally figured me out, LeBeau?" whispered his own voice in his head: Malice. She'd been pulling up all the negative thoughts, keeping him confused and frustrated all day.
"Get outta my head!" He growled outloud, not caring how crazy he sounded, slamming down every mental shield in his brain he could. He never should have asked for them to hang out off her campus. He knew they were safe there- why had he let himself be so selfish wanting to have her all to himself for a day? Why hadn't he just asked Pete to help him hide Rogue at the Acolyte base?
Behind him, he heard Rogue groan and stand up, glass crunching under her sneakers. Rogue shrieked suddenly and his stomach dropped. He chucked the glass shards at the Marauders, making sure they had a strong charge before he let them fly, and turned back quickly, seeing Rogue clutching her head.
Fuck.
Malice wasn't trying to possess him anymore. Now she was trying to jump into Rogue's brain
Fuck.
He spun and grabbed her hands, pulling them off her ears so she could hear him. "Don't let her in! She's a psychic just like Jean or y' Professor. Fight her, Rogue!" She nodded somewhat, but he felt entirely too helpless to save her.
He turned, making eye contact with Arclight, who was standing again. "Didn't think you'd ever see us again, did you, Gambit? Thought you had everything figured out and taken care of, huh?" she mocked him, voice sickly and sweet.
"Everything is taken care of," he said, voice dark.
"For now maybe," she responded flippantly. "For you, maybe."
He knew where she was looking. He didn't need confirmation that she was watching Rogue, a creepy smile planted on her face. Blockbuster stood as well at this point and advanced in Remy's direction.
In Rogue's direction.
Merde.
He only had one saving grace, he hoped: that they didn't know about her powers.
Remy took a step back, moving in front of Rogue as much as possible, just as the hulking man took another step closer. They couldn't know about her powers. He'd done everything he could to keep her out of their records and the records of their previously shared employer. Everything. There was no way. Not after everything he'd done. They couldn't have out-maneuvered him.
Arclight followed Blockbuster's suit, stepping even closer and Remy's heart sank as he saw them both pull something out.
Fuck.
They were pulling on masks, effectively covering themselves head to toe.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
They knew about her powers.
Remy looked around the store, trying to not show his panic and unsure if he should be comforted or worried that Rogue's screams had died down.
"Rogue?" He didn't care how worried his voice sounded at this point. He called her name again when she didn't respond.
"I'm good. I think." She sounded exhausted, but he heard her shift and stand and felt her hand touch his arm, and he was comforted enough to know she was standing on her own and had (hopefully) kicked Malice out of her head. Malice wouldn't have possessed her and not attacked him from behind while he was focused on Arclight and Blockbuster. He might not have many advantages, but he knew the Marauders enough to understand basically how they each functioned.
"Oh, my. You actually kicked Malice back to my head. That's an impressive grip you must have on your powers, Rogue," the way Arclight said Rogue's name made Remy's bones feel like an electric shock had just jolted through them. He pushed her behind him more and looked around wildly, trying to find something, anything easy to chuck at them.
Rogue gripped his arm tightly, but let him push her behind him completely. He was going to get her out of here and fuck he had to tell her. He couldn't tell her everything, but he had to tell her or he could kiss their friendship goodbye. She didn't need his shit on top of her own. He would probably be losing his friend after today and he couldn't blame her. She -
He took a small breath in, feeling her arm trail down the inside of his, still behind his back from pushing her entirely behind him.
"Sorry, t' disappoint, Arclight, but y' goin' home empty handed."
Rogue's hand came in contact with his but she didn't grab his hand as he'd briefly thought she might nor was her hand bare, as he'd considered she might have done.
Arclight laughed. "Always so cocky. You don't have the goods to back it up though, LeBeau."
Rogue cupped his hand in hers, silently putting a gigantic pile of glass shards in his hand. He began charging them as he let his other arm swing backwards, like he was trying to protect Rogue from their sight even more.
"Ain't m' fault y' stuck where y' are," He answered, feeling a little more like himself for the first time the entire encounter. He let his empty hand grab hold of Rogue's and held on tight behind him. He waited as both Marauders stepped closer.
One second.
Two.
Three.
He chucked the glass shards at them, and turned around, grasping Rogue, impressing even himself at the explosion he'd created. The second he was sure it was safe, he picked her up, ignoring her sounds of protest, and swung her over his shoulder, sprinting to his bike. They hurriedly jumped on, forgoing helmets, and he took off for the Institute. Every few miles he couldn't stop himself from steering one handed so he could use one arm to grasp her arms around his waist, holding her even more securely to him, needing to feel that she was really still there and that they were okay, even if just for now.
Fuck.
"The door stays open!"
"We will, Logan!" Rogue hollered as she fought to keep herself from sprinting up the stairs. Normal. She needed to act normal. Not only for Remy's privacy, but also, she was starting to think, maybe a little bit for his sanity.
They got up to her door, Remy's grip on her hand causing her fingers to start to tingle, and she pulled him in as gently as possible before quietly shutting the door. Rogue didn't have time to listen to Logan's rules right now. Right now she had a freaked out Cajun who was apparently refusing to leave her side and who she had a feeling didn't need anyone else in his business.
She used his grip on her hand to pull him towards the bed and sat him down (pulling her hand out of his grasp and pushing his shoulders when he remained mostly frozen), placing his duster next to him on the bed. She couldn't guarantee his pockets were still full, but she'd done her best to snag it as he'd sprinted out of the shop. He looked down at it in surprise, the first change in his expression at all.
"Y' grabbed it?"
She nodded and hurriedly sorted through his pockets looking for-holy shit how much stuff did the man keep in this thing?-yes! She grabbed a deck of cards out and held it out to him. When he didn't immediately take it she grabbed his hand and put the deck in it.
"Give me two minutes. I'll be right back."
He didn't say anything or react much but as she moved towards her bathroom she heard the cards start to shuffle.
Rogue stormed through the bathroom, barely bothering to knock before opening Kitty's side of the door, thankful her old roommate was completely dressed and just on the phone.
"Lance? I'm gonna have to let you go…" Kitty immediately hung up and rushed to Rogue. "What's wrong?"
Rogue hesitated, looking back behind her. "...honestly, I don't know. But I need you to keep Logan and Scott away from my room otherwise I ain't about to find out."
Kitty, bless her heart (with absolutely no sense of sarcasm), immediately was off and out her door with only enough time for Rogue to quietly holler after her "Kurt too!" before she walked quickly back into her room.
Remy looked calmer. She'd hoped finding the cards and giving him a second might do that. She'd never seen him like this before. She'd see a dark shadow or expression on his face, seen him hesitate a little, but the way he was looking around the room wildly, scared her. She knew it was dumb to think he was afraid of nothing. He was smart enough to be scared of something. But she'd never imagined she'd see him actually shaken up, especially this bad. This...panicked.
She flicked on the light by her bedside, letting some illumination in since the fall air had turned dark and gloomy, and sat on the bed next to him, moving backwards to lean against the wall. She was relieved when he did the same, his head resting backwards against the wall. She had a million questions, but none of them would help either of them right now. Even asking if he was okay felt like it could push him over an edge.
She wasn't sure how long they sat there before he finally spoke.
"Wolvie's gonna kill me for lettin' y' keep y' door closed."
"He'll deal." She paused. "Besides Kitty's running interference. We're fine."
He nodded, looking out the balcony windows, gaze distant.
"I knew them."
She fought to not answer back that yeah, duh, she got that. Resorting to sarcasm to comfort herself was not going to help anything here. She swallowed and looked up at him, trying to keep her breathing smooth and calm, as if by doing so she could transfer some of that calm over to him.
"I gathered that." That was neutral enough, she decided.
He nodded, eyes still locked on the tree outside her window, blowing in the wind. "'Fore I came back I worked for them. Kind of."
"What kind of worked for, Swamp Rat?" She did her best to keep her tone as far from accusing as possible, although she was fairly certain she was failing.
He turned to look at her, eyes empty and face blank. "The kind where I worked f' them, Rogue," he snapped.
She looked down, point taken, before he groaned and she looked up to see the heel of his hands massaging his eye sockets. She bit her tongue, trying desperately to not ask him even more about something he clearly didn't want to be her business. If the situations were reversed, she knew him poking her wound even more would only make her shut up above all else.
"I take it they ain't too happy with you?"
He gave a self deprecating scoff and smirk, looking down at his hands, shoulders now hunched. "I slipped the contract. Turns out Magneto comin' back to life meant my contract with him...with the Marauders….was no longer valid. Made it null and void."
"And two contracts at once is…"
"Against Thieves Guild Rules," he finished for her, voice a little more firm. "Might not actually mean much t' ol' Jean Luc outside'a my powers, but threatenin' the son of Jean Luc, the leader of the entire guild, meant the wrath of the entire Thieves Guild would have come down on the Marauders. Somethin' they didn't want considering Thieves were gettin' them all their intel."
"But…"
He looked at her, eyes blank and mouth tight.
"It's just. Magneto came back right after Apocalypse...but you haven't been back with him that long, have you?"
He nodded, understanding why she'd asked. "Took me a while t' figure out Bucket Head was alive again is all. Wasn't exactly able t' check in here often once I started getting sent on missions f' them-not if I wanted to keep them out of Bayville."
She looked down at her hands, unsure how to say what she was thinking. His hands, much steadier now than they'd just been, gently cupped around her own, thumbs curling in on her palms as he turned his body entirely in front of hers. "Didn't want y' t' get dragged into that shit. 'Specially not on my account." She wasn't sure if he was continuing his previous sentiment, starting a new one, or a mixture of both. She looked up to his eyes, the red of his irises glowing bright.
"I'm an X man," she said, trying to smile and reassure him. "Gettin' mixed up in crazy shit is kind of my job now."
He gave a soft laugh and looked down at their hands. "Not that shit though, Rogue. Ain't the worst I've ever come across, but still…" He didn't finish his sentence and the weight of it felt heavy in the air. What had they done to him? Or made him do?
"Wanted to make sure I told y' now. B'fore we go tell y' Professor."
Huh? Her confusion must have shown incredibly clearly on her face. "But I know you've done things you ain't proud of...why were you worried about me findin' out?" Did he really think she'd judge him over that? Maybe if she understood him less, she could admit, but she did understand him. How could he not know that?
He looked at her, a strange gentleness in his eyes past the glowing of his irises, making him look a little more like himself, and he released one of her hands to softly reach up, again pushing her bangs out out of her face and tucking them behind her ear, fingers resting by her ear once he finished. "Jus' didn't want it t' get twisted. Don't exactly have the best track record wit' y'."
She ran the thumb of the hand still cupped within his against the back of his hand (hoping the gesture would calm him like it calmed her when he did it) and did her best to manage a small smile. "Appreciated." It wasn't necessary, she'd like to think, for him to be that careful with her, but it was definitely appreciated.
"We gotta go meet wit' y' Professor." He stood, using their linked hands to pull her with him. When she didn't move as fast as he apparently wanted he looked down at her, a questioning look on his face.
"Now? But don't you need to talk to Magneto first?"
"Ma chérie, their skin was almost covered head to toe," he dug the fingers of his free hand through her hair, making sure she was looking him in the eyes. "They were there for you. Magneto can go fuck himself f' all I care right now."
"What's Magneto think of you bringin' sensitive information to his rival team?" Despite the fact that Rogue herself had asked a very similar thought of Remy before getting down to the Professor's office, Rogue wanted to throttle Logan for asking it. She'd at least meant her question genuinely. Logan was just trying to rattle Remy.
"Don't much care right now."
"Yeah, he'd probably love to hear that," Scott grumbled. Rogue refused to even look in his direction. When she and Remy had reached the Professor's office, she'd expected to be able to just tell the Professor. Not for him to call Logan and Scott in to listen to what Remy had to say as well. The situation was bad enough as it was without adding Scott into the mix. She was pissed enough at him as was and with how out of sorts she knew Remy was (even if he wasn't outwardly showing it now), it was a recipie for disaster.
""M clocked out. He don't get a say."
"I'm sure he'll like that excuse."
"That will be enough, Scott," The Professor didn't show any frustration on his face, but he certainly let his voice show it. "Now, Gambit. Start from the beginning."
Remy paused and looked at Rogue, which made her heart thump. Why was he looking to her? She only knew what he'd told her? She tried to give him a reassuring look, but wasn't sure how much it helped. He looked back down to the ground and then up to the Professor, clearly trying to not show his discomfort. "Got mixed up wit' some bad people. They showed up t'day in town, covered head t' toe and Malice-she's a psychic who -"
" - Can bring out your darkest thoughts and possess you," the Professor finished for him, nodding. "I'm familiar with her work."
That was a surprise for Rogue. For Scott too if his face was any indication.
"She was in m' head. Didn't catch her until she started tryin' t' jump over t' Rogue. Rogue fought her off and we ran."
"Rogue, do you feel any lingering effects?"
"I don't think so…"
"You don't mind my checking, do you?"
"No."
"Good. In fact, I'll get Jean to do it while Gambit fills us in on the rest of the details."
"Wait, y' gonna send her out? Shouldn't she hear this?"
The Professor and Logan exchanged looks. "We will fill her in on what she needs to know once we've checked she's the only one in her head."
Remy frowned, not seeming to like that answer. "Everything's gonna be 'need to know'," he said stubbornly.
"And Rogue will know it, but not if there's a chance Malice is still hiding in her brain," the Professor said calmly.
"Shouldn't you be th' one checkin'? Seein' as y' have more experience? That way y' check then we all talk. No need t' have to relay the information a second time," stubborn and obstinate as he sounded, he had a point, Rogue thought to her self.
"Jean is well qualified to complete this task. Rogue, she will be here any second. You can head on your way."
Remy turned to look at her, to see what she'd do, just as Jean opened up the Professor's door.
"Ah, yes, Jean. Rogue will be right out so you can check her mind is clear and hers alone. Rogue, if you will?" Rogue looked between Remy and the Professor, unsure what to do but very sure it felt like she was choosing between the two.
That's definitely how Remy saw it, she felt, once she stood to go walk to Jean. She turned to look over her shoulder one time, taking in Remy's tense posture and the frustration rolling off of him, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. The Professor did say he'd fill her in once she was done.
Outside of barely being allowed to leave the house, the rest of the weekend passed with little to no incident and very little mention of what had happened Saturday outside of a few comments from Logan and once text specifically about it from Remy. She got why he didn't want to put anything in writing, but she didn't get why she was being handled with little kid gloves. Remy was acting like she already knew what was going on and she knew she couldn't ask him anything more until she saw him in person. The X men were acting like she didn't need to know anything else until she got sent on a mission that concerned this. Here she sat in the middle feeling like if one side didn't start talking soon she was going to kick all their asses.
She knew everyone was talking circles around her and that they all knew something she shouldn't. She'd expected a little of that from the Professor and Logan. Scott too, even. It wasn't a part she liked about being an X man, but she was more comfortable with the idea of compartmentalizing information now. She hadn't expected this of Remy though, although to be fair to him, he mostly just seemed to be referring to things cryptically as if she already should know what's going on - just as infuriating but less by a little.
She didn't even know what questions to ask and was left no time really alone with Remy to ask if she knew what to ask in the first place.
It was a relief on Monday when lunchtime hit and she found Remy sitting at her favorite lunch spot on campus, leaning back against the tree calmly as he waited for her. She parted ways with Kitty and Kurt quickly, quick enough Kitty was able to pull Kurt away from following, and headed towards him, relief bubbling up in her.
"You gonna start showin' up during the day now?"
He rolled his eyes,a half grin on his face, but his eyes remained serious, scanning the area surrounding them. "I can go if y' wantin'," he said absently.
She sat down next to him in response and pulled out her sandwich, offering him half. He nodded in thanks and took it. The way he was looking everywhere around her said that even if she said she wanted him to go right now, he'd still linger nearby.
"Why y' still comin' here?"
"To school? So I can get my diploma."
"Not like that. I mean right now, chère."
She paused, confused. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be? Cause if there is no one's tellin' me."
He turned towards her, eyebrow raised an anger vividly clear in his expression. "C'mon, Rogue, y' saw those guys in action. Y' know what they're capable of. Y' really think school is the best idea right now?" Why was he frustrated with her? She wasn't the one helping keep him in the dark: he was the one doing that to her.
"No, actually I don't really know what they're capable of cause all y'all are treatin' me like a kid." She hadn't meant to snap, but it was hard not to when he spoke to her like that.
His mouth opened and closed a few times, indignant, before he spoke. "Y' Professor didn't tell y' a damn thing, did he?"
She didn't need to answer. He already knew. His ears were red from anger, eyes glowing again.
"Bien sûr que non," he muttered to himself. "How's that supposed t' help?" His voice was louder again, frustration in every syllable. "How y' supposed t' keep safe when y' don't know what t' watch out f'?"
Although normally she would not be the one defending Professor Xavier, she was the only one here who would. Had he ever steered her that wrong before on purpose? He always meant to keep his students safe. "We have a mission in a few days. He's probably just waitin' until then," she answered, eyes narrowed, not liking how cornered she felt, especially since he was the one doing it.
Remy looked like he was about to explode. "Y' can't be serious."
"Well what am I supposed to do? You haven't said anything specific since Saturday night either!"
"Yeah, cause y' Professor said t' stay away from y' so they don't find y' as fast. He said he'd brief y' and I had nothin' t' worry 'bout!"
"Well, maybe he's going to!" What did he want from her here? What was she supposed to do? She couldn't force the Professor to tell her anything, same as him with Magneto.
"Clearly. He's just sittin' on important information that'll keep y' safe, and he just hasn't gotten a chance t' yet. That's why y' in the dark."
She'd never imagined him angry before and was glad for it: she hated every second of the anger in his eyes, the upset in his voice, and the way she could hear even more depth to the emotion-almost like she was betraying him-but couldn't read anything off of him outside of anger.
"If you got somethin' to say, Cajun, just say it outright," she spat bitterly.
"Wouldn't wanna take that from y' Professor seein' as he's deemed it better t' wait," he spat bitterly.
"Are you kidding me? One second you're angry the Professor didn't tell me anything yet, the next you're doin' the same thing! What do you want from me here?" They were starting to draw attention to themselves, but she couldn't really find it within herself to care.
"What I want is f' y' t' stop blindly trustin' y' team. Have y' even asked them when they'd allow y' t' know more? Or are y' just content t' sit an' wait until they decide everything f' y', Rogue?"
She wanted to be anywhere but here. How was this suddenly her fault? "I'm supposed to trust my team, Cajun. That's how it's supposed to work."
"Yeah? That works f' you? Or does it work f' them?" Each word sent a shock of cold through her, making her face feel numb. She needed to get out of this. Now. She needed to be able to rewind, to let them just sit and eat her damn sandwich in peace. "'Cause from where I'm standin' looks like y' just lettin' 'em take advantage, same as Mystique."
"Then move downwind," she cut in coldly, fighting the urge to just walk away from all of this.
"Only reason y' don't notice or want t' notice is 'cause they're nicer about it an' make it seem like they're doin' it 'cause they care. That and they come in a nice, pretty Scott Summers shaped package."
That almost stopped her in her tracks, quite a feat for her. "What does this have to do with Scott? This is about the Pr-"
Remy scoffed. "Y' gotta be kidding me, Rogue. The guy says jump and y' do it wit' no question on why or any regard f' y'self. It's fucking ridiculous."
"Scott has nothing to do with this! Besides, I trust them. I trust him. There's nothing wrong with that, Gambit. They've stuck around for me longer than anyone."
"Oh, so y' just fine with them keepin' secrets from y' because they've stuck around?"
"Yeah, Gambit, that's what happens when you stick around. People learn to trust you!"
They were almost nose to nose, breathing hard and angry. She could feel tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and the unbearable need to get out. Get away. Not be here. She had to move.
Now.
Rogue grabbed her bag quickly, not even checking if she had everything and took off sprinting towards campus, knowing he couldn't (and now probably wouldn't care to) follow her there. She hurried right past Kitty's concerned face in the courtyard, knowing if she actually looked at her friend she would break down and she couldn't allow herself to do that, especially when there was a chance he could see and have that to hold over her head as well.
"Are you sure you are not wanting to come downstairs?"
Rogue did her best to smile at Pete, act like everything was fine. Because it was. If Gambit was going to be an asshole, start a giant fight, and then not even try to make contact for a little over a week now, then she was just fine without him. He fucked up. He started it. And she was fine.
They'd fought last Monday. It was the Tuesday a week past that, and she'd heard nothing from him. She hadn't reached out to him either, but if he didn't care enough to come talk to her and try to sort things out or ignore the fight together, she could just as easily move on and not care either.
Pete was really too kind. He'd been over a lot this last week hanging out with Kitty, sometimes coaxing Rogue to come join in, but always making the effort to invite her along. It just tended to make her more angry though, remembering how normal the last few weeks had felt and comparing it to now, feeling like a piece of their regular hangouts was missing. Not that she missed Remy. Because she didn't. Not if he was gonna be an asshole over something she didn't even do.
"Sure, I'll come down, Pete. Let me just grab my notebook. I'll meet you guys there," she tried to put a somewhat normal tone into her inflection, but it was hard when she was this exhausted. Piotr nodded and went on his way, leaving her to follow when she was ready.
What was she supposed to do? Not trust anyone ever? Wasn't the whole point of being on a team that there were people looking out for you? And right there! Wasn't he always telling her it was nice to have people looking out for you? Here he'd been trying to convince her to trust him to watch over her, and the next second he was pissed she allowed anyone to do that. What was she supposed to do? Only trust him? The guy who kidnapped and ghosted her before suddenly showing back up?
Even worse, he was kind of correct in his own right, just as she was. The mission the Professor had told her about had been a bust and she'd been told nothing new at all. Absolutely nothing. If the Marauders were really as dangerous as Gambit had alluded to (and she had no doubt they were, based on his reactions), why was the Professor keeping his team in the dark? Or was it just her?
They'd arrived at the location, but found absolutely nothing there-not a peep or trace of anything that led to the Marauders or what they might be doing. When they'd gotten on the plane, Scott had made an off-handed comment about how Gambit had probably wiped the place clean for them since he used to work with the Marauders, which had sparked another fight for her and she somehow found herself defending the guy she was so pissed at.
Keeping up the energy to be pissed at two people (plus herself, plus the confusion over how the issue had blown up so quick) had drained every bit of her energy all week, distracting her from basically everything else. It was a stark contrast from the days she used to feel angry at the whole world day in and day out.
She sighed, grabbing her homework and notebook before heading downstairs, forcing herself to pick a different train of thought.
Kitty and Piotr and hanging out. That was much safer. She'd never thought of Pete as particularly concerned about her outside of just being a nice guy, but the entire week he'd been taking extra care to check in or come up and say hi in the midst of hanging out with Kitty. He must have heard something from Kitty about the fight because he'd shown up every day since not just to say hi to Kitty, but also to Rogue. Sometimes Kitty would come with him, sometimes just Pete would come awkwardly stand outside her door making small talk when she'd declined their offer to go downstairs and hang out. It was endearing for him to offer friendship if nothing else and it gave her something positive to focus on.
She could use an uneventful chill session with Kitty and Pete though. The large man had begun painting more when he came over and Kitty spent a lot of their time filling in conversation. Between the two of them, it made less for Rogue to think about for sure.
She double checked her bag, making sure to have everything she might need for homework when Jean's voice sounded in her head, worried and rushed.
"Senior X Men team to the hanger bay. Suit up. Bobby too. We'll debrief on the plane."
So much for an uneventful chill session.
The Velocity landed outside an old factory building, decrepit and looking to be falling apart from the outside in. Rogue wrinkled her nose, unsure of what kind of mutant would be using this space for practice. Didn't seem quite safe to her. The Professor had apparently been getting some pretty strong readings of a mutant power in that specific area though and he'd never been wrong before when it came to Cerebro.
He couldn't tell much about the mutant (their ability, who they were, what they looked like), just that whatever they could do was enough to freak Cerebro out and alert him every few minutes.
"Okay. Everyone stay on alert. Sigma Alpha Charlie formations."
Rogue was relieved when she wasn't the only one trying to remember Scott's many different formations. She looked at Kitty, who shrugged, and then back at Scott, waiting for him to figure out none of them knew what that meant.
"Is that the one where we throw the football to the end zone? Or the one where we launch Bobby into the air?" Kurt asked, trying to lightly let on to Scott that he was going to need to clarify.
"This isn't the time for jokes, Nightcrawler. Get in formation."
"I am not joking, mein Freund. I don't know what that means."
"Seriously?" Scott turned around looking from face to face, apparently disappointed to find that even his girlfriend had no clue what he wanted. "Guys, you were supposed to memorize these!"
"Doch."
Scott looked to be rolling his eyes behind his visor. "Guys, this is important!"
"I can't help it, man. I only made it through chapter one of your packet."
"It's - It's the one where - oh, screw it. Storm and Wolverine run operations here. Jean and Beast take the upper floor. Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and I'll take the perimeter floor. Iceman and Rogue take the bottom floor."
"Right!" Kurt snapped to attention, saluting, before grabbing Kitty by the elbow. "Shall we, Schätzchen?"
Kitty giggled before walking off with him. "But of course." She turned back, eyebrow raised, clearly enjoying the idea of her and Kurt getting to torture Scott the entire mission. "Scott are you coming?"
Rogue laughed a little, feeling foreign to the action considering how little she'd done of it lately. That was kind of weird-she'd never laughed a lot before. How could two weeks make that much of a difference, she wondered as she walked over to Bobby, following him towards the building.
"Any of this feel weird to you?"
Rogue sighed. "Everything feels weird right now."
"It's like there's something coming and we have no clue."
She nodded in response, not liking the idea of going into the building from the bottom floor. They reached the building's exterior, which looked even older the closer they got, and Rogue put her hand on the handle. She looked back at Bobby and waited for a nod to show he was ready before opening the door.
They entered quickly, closing the door behind them. A small amount of sunlight shone down through the cracks in the ceiling and the dust in the air. Rogue was thankful it was sunny today otherwise they'd only have flashlights to rely on.
"You should ice up," she whispered. Bobby nodded and she returned to taking in their surroundings. It didn't look like a very complex floor plan: it was almost entirely open outside of a closed door under the staircase.
"Bottom floor's clear," Rogue said into her communicator. She looked around, trying to find anything noteable or helpful as she did, but the place was empty just like their last mission. There was a charged energy in the air though-heavy, thick, and leaving the lasting impression that they were not alone there.
"So...do we just stay here then?"
Rogue just stared at Bobby for a moment, trying to push down her annoyance and remember he was new to this. At least he was trying today. She didn't get why they always put him with her, like she was a good leader or teacher for the hyper guy. She took a deep breath before shaking her head and walking over to the closed door, pointing as she went, trying to indicate with as little sarcasm as possible: 'hey look. I'm telling you something...quietly. Without my mouth. Because we're on a mission and we're being quiet'.
He was smarter than she gave him credit for, something she was often reminded of on missions or moments alone with him, encouraged to see that he immediately nodded and took up her flank, on guard and doing his best to be watchful.
She put her hand lightly on the door handle, but only managed to turn it slightly before she heard a thunk above her head. She looked up and frowned. Glowing a light yellow color, right above her head stuck into the door was a card.
Great.
She dodged before it could explode, glad to hear Bobby complaining afterward so she knew he was okay as well.
She stood, furious, and squared up, her fists almost shaking with anger as she came face to face with Gambit, far enough away that the slight breeze from outside blew his duster around behind him. His face was blank and she couldn't read anything off of him outside of a businesslike manner he was projecting about him.
"Dude, not cool!" Bobby yelled, shooting ice shards straight at Gambit. Gambit immediately threw a few cards towards Bobby, apparently deciding ignoring her was fine- that she wasn't a threat at all. She frowned, trying to not let herself get caught up in that. They'd agreed to keep their friendship separate from work. Surely that applied right now too, right? She couldn't let her anger with him disrupt her mission, just like he shouldn't with his.
Seeing he was distracted well enough with Bobby, Rogue backed towards the door slowly, finding the handle behind her. She barely managed to grab it before another light yellow card flew towards her feet, making her dodge away. Over the explosion, she was easily able to hear Gambit call for Pyro. She looked near her feet, frowning, before hauling herself up and watching around herself carefully: there was barely a scorch mark on the ground (or the door his card had lodged into). Why make the effort to throw the cards at her if he was barely letting them explode?
"YeeeeeeeHaw!" Pyro came swinging around the banister of the stairs, immediately prepared to meet Rogue in battle, flame thrower at the ready. She watched him carefully. Pyro was good with his fire, yes, but if she could detach any part of the flame thrower, he'd be forced to fight her hand to hand. She'd only managed it once in the Danger Room, but it was about the only plan she had. Outside of...
"Been a while, Sheila! Ready to dance?"
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with," she said, running around the other side of the stairs, as if she meant to come up behind him. She heard him follow but it gave her enough cover to remove her glove when he couldn't see.
One quick touch. She could handle one quick touch. Enough to hopefully knock him out and get a little of his power in case he stayed conscious and started playing with fire. She took a deep steadying breath and turned, face to face now not with Pyro, but Gambit.
She froze, and it gave him all the advantage he needed. He slammed her against the banister, using his staff to push her further back and forcing her to use her hands to try to keep the staff from pushing against her shoulders too hard as he leaned into it towards her.
She kicked upwards, getting his stomach (not where she'd be aiming, but if he was gonna fight full out so was she) and leaping over him, shoving him down to the ground with her hips on top of his, ankles curled under his knees, and her hands pinning his above his head. He pushed upwards with his hips and she was momentarily confused why he was having trouble getting her off of him. He was stronger than her and (though she was loathe to admit it) usually had the upperhand in battle.
For a second, his breath blowing harshly on her face as hers was on his, she felt frozen. Beyond frozen, she was back in that moment she'd run from him-angry tears (frustrated tears. sad tears?) threatening to form in the corners of her eyes-and he had the same look in his eyes; definitely mad, but deep underneath she was starting to think she recognized a little hurt as well.
That second was all he needed to flip them, his hands pinning hers down now, chest heaving against her own as they continued to glare at one another, each refusing to be the one to speak first. She bucked her hips, trying in vain to push him off of her, only to feel him push her hips right back down with a roll of his own. She struggled to twist her hand around to get her bare fingers touching any of his, wiggling her hips underneath him a little more to try to draw his attention away from her hands, but his grip on her wrists was too solid.
His gaze on hers was hypnotic, similar to when he'd used his charming powers on her before, but something altogether very different at the same time. His eyes were half lidded, their noses almost touching, as they continued to glare at each other. She wet her bottom lip, suddenly very self conscious of the act when she saw his eyes flutter downwards to watch the motion, only for his eyes to meet hers again, bringing a wave of heat through her body that had nothing to do with the fire and ice fight happening on the other side of the stairs. Why was he just staring at her? Why wasn't he yelling at her or fighting her?
She pushed upwards again, frustrated and trying to wiggle out of his grip, only for him to tighten his thighs around her hips. "Not a good idea, Rogue" he said softly, voice a little strained, letting his torso rest against hers as he stretched their hands further away from their heads. No longer were their chests heaving and brushing occasionally. Now they were so close it felt like each hard breath, they breathed together.
She frowned, grunting as she tried to move again. "You gonna fight me? Or you just gonna stare at me, Gambit?" He smirked but didn't answer, infuriating her even more. "Well?" she demanded.
"Don't gotta make a choice, chérie. I'm th' one on top. If I don't wanna move, I don't gotta and I'm quite happy where I am, thanks."
She hated the intonation in his tone, half the same condescending jerk she'd originally met, half a deeper tone of suggestion that settled below her stomach where their hips connected. She tried to use her legs to kick out from under him one more time, watching him close his eyes briefly as she did so. Something about the reaction didn't scream pain exactly. His voice however, sounded plenty pained when he finally spoke. "I'm' tryin' t' help y', now would y' hold still an' let me?"
"What and blindly trust someone? Not smart to do that, remember?" She said, hating that she was the one who broke and brought their failed friendship out into the open.
He froze and although she hadn't expected him to, it gave her enough time to slip his hold. Immediately punching and kicking as soon as she had the chance, trying to get close enough to connect their skin and hopefully knock him out. He went on the defense, oddly, throwing the occasional light yellow card at her that would explode with a small crack. Frustrated that he was barely even trying to fight back, she got a good punch on his stomach before hopping back out of his reach. The card that had been in his hand seconds before was brighter than she'd ever seen, she thought to herself as it came sailing towards her, closer to a magenta color than yellow or even gold.
She had just enough time to hear him swear before he dove for her, pulling her the opposite direction of where his card had just landed. She looked over-a giant hole in the floor where she'd just been.
Too soon she realized her mistake- her distraction giving him the opportunity to grab her tight to him, pinning her chest to the wall, his chest against her back. He had her hands pinned in between them. She moved them around desperately, trying to find skin to collide with her ear or cheek.
"Aw, chérie, y' fixin' t' finally use y' powers ain't y'. And y' pick me? I'm touched," he said, a slight grunt to his voice only audible by how close his lips were to her ear. There was a small tremor to his voice, the only indicator he was as surprised by the explosion he'd just created as well. She tried to move her head (anything to touch his skin and knock him out) but he was too fast for that.
What he wasn't fast enough for, however, was the gigantic shriek from up above them followed by a large cracking noise, probably from the top of the staircase.
He swore and immediately let go over her, catching her eye just long enough for her to see the crazed look in it and for him to push her forward towards the building door and roar after her, "Get out!"
So there we have it! The beginning of Remy's story unravelling. It's coming piece by piece and there's definitely more, but hopefully those of you who have been asking will have a little to mull over now.
All credit for the "get you a bell" line goes to Kelly Thompson in the Rogue and Gambit mini series.
Chapter 12 is already beta read and I'm doing final revisions so I promise I won't intentionally leave you hanging too long! I know fight chapters and cliffhangers are kind of the worst and I left you with both D:
I always get so sad when people fight in fic (which is why I wanted this fight to be something that they genuinely needed to discuss + they're pretty hotheaded and something that had been building) and wasn't going to unless it held up to "The Mummy test", which is my own test but it works for me (basically, are they fighting to fight/having a nothing fight? Or because they want the other person to understand and are frustrated they don't see their point of view, like in the Mummy 1999 haha) and this definitely qualified (I hope!).