Over the next couple of weeks, Tina was pretty much toss through the ringer, training for hours on end in the danger room, and even though she was quick on her feet, she normally got hit with one of the lasers at least once, and despite being in pain, she pushes herself right through it. The remaining x-men, all but one who were not there for her introduction into the team were quite impress with her.
"You are improving quite a bit Tina, normally it takes longer for a new member to adjust to the danger room.." Professor X told her one day after her session
"Oh I really don't think so I'm just good at dodging is all Professor, but thank you…" she said before heading out of the danger room, where Jubliee was waiting.
"Your so lucky, I haven't been able to train in the danger room yet, or get my own uniform yet. The professor won't let me train due to blowing all of the lasers before." She laughed it off in an embarrassed manner walking with Tina
"Hey its not all its cracked up to be, I mean the skin tight suit is alright, but adding my colors and heels can only do so much. And dont worry, ya still young you got plenty of time…" Tina stopped for a second looking down at the end of the hall where some of the rooms were, and it was dead silent, to the point where an echo can be produce. "Say Jub, who's room is down here anyway, I rarely see anyone come this way.."
"Oh, thats Gambit's room.." Jubilee pressed on, before grabbing Tina by the arm, dragging her along
"Gambit?" Tina blinked her eyes in a confuse manner. "Who the heck is Gambit?"
"Oh he is a part of the team, and sometime strike out on his own like Wolverine does. But between you and me, I guess he left this time because of Rogue.."
"Oh no touchy girl, I have heard Jean talked about her, but why would he leave…" Tina thought for a second. "Ooooh they were an item, weren't they?"
"Well kinda, because Rogue couldn't touch anyone, lets just say their relationship was doom from the start.."
"So he couldn't stand being around here without her even though she can't be touched, and decided to go looking for her.." Tina stopped as Jubilee looked in awe.
"How did you…"
"Know? Oh I'm just a good guesser, plus I went down that road myself, so I just put two and two together.." Tina started twisting her hair around her finger, thinking back.
"Oh well…..you wanna go to the mall?" Jubilee noticed Tina twisting her hair, and wanted to help keep her mind off of negative thoughts.
"Nah, I'm gonna go and draw, but I'll go with you tomorrow…" Tina headed to her room, before closing the door.
"Alright I guess…" kicking the invisible dust, Jubilee decided to go on her own, catching the next bus to the mall.
Later on during the day, Tina in less of a skin tight cat suit and more in casual attire, came out of her room with her sketch pad, and tools in hand, decided to get some fresh air for a change, and to get some sketches of the gardens done. Little did she know that fate was going to show its face to her, in the form of one of her boot's laces, getting right under her foot right when she was about to step forward, and landed face first into the floor, with paper scattered all over the hall.
"Ugh, god damnit!" lifting her face up, before lacing up her boot. "Stupid fucking lace, you should know better.." muttering to herself.
Right when she was about to grab her loose papers, the sound of footsteps quietly enter the hall, as Tina quickly tried grabbing the last paper but it was too late. One metal covered foot, stepped right onto the last paper, as poor Tina's skin turn into a ghostly white, staring at the foot.
"Um, c-could you move your foot p-please?" Stuttering out without looking up at whoever it was.
The foot slowly moved out of the way, and Tina quickly snatched it up, before getting up, and was about to bolt, but a hand from behind caught her shoulder.
"Are ya al'right Chere? Need any help?" Gambit smiled at the pretty woman.
Tina heard her heart pounding against her chest. "Um no, yes. Uh uh I mean yes, no. I'm f-fine."
Gambit leaned down and looked over her shoulder to get a better look at her face, he wanted to be sure she was alright. Once he gazed upon her face he smiled warmly at her and had one eyebrow raised, "Ya sure?"
"Yeah, I'm alright, alright. Or no I mean I'm okay, really.." Her hand quickly pulled her bangs over her right eye. "Thanks...and before you ask, yeah I'm the new blood around here."
Gambit stood up still smiling at her, "welcome to Xavier's, my name's Remy Lebeau or Gambit, but you ma chere can call me Remy". He reached for her hand and helped her stand up.
"I figured, I met everyone else but you. I been here for about a week, and I'm still considered as a fresh meat, to me…" She looked up at him, and noticed his eyes before anything else, and couldn't find anything else to say, other than stating the obvious.
Gambit had seen that look before. Women would stare at his eyes until they got used to them, it usually halted them in their tracks momentarily, he found that if he kept the conversation going and smiled that the reaction to his eyes would dissipate quickly. "What is ya name chere?"
"Christina Johnson, or Tina for short. Or even Nightmare, odd name I know. I get it all the time, when someone ask." Tina gripped her sketch pad closer to her chest.
Gambit reached for Tina's hand and brought it up to his mouth and kissed it. "Pleasure meetin' ya Tina, I'll see ya around the school." He released her hand and gave her a slight bow, then winked before walking off.
Tina waited until he left the hall before she quickly walked outside to catch some air, before leaning up against the wall of the building. "What the hell just happen?" running her hand through her hand.
Normally she had pretty good self-control, but now after what happened, she obviously had to try and fix that. She knew that he still had a thing with his ex, or whatever the girl was to him now, and have heard that he does have a reputation about being a full on ladies man, and did not need to be another notch in his belt. Though a feeling of warmth was wrapped around her hand after he kissed it, but shook it off, holding onto her sketchbook.
"Pull it together girl, he is still very much in love with his girl, the only reason why anyone would be with me is to just fool around.." She thought to herself, before going to a bench, and starting to draw to keep herself busy.