Notes: oops, yeah… disclaimer… I don't own stuff. If I did, Marvel would definitely not be phasing Gambit out right now…
Anyways, Sorry this took so long but I had to actually come up with a plot and outline the next few chapters before I could just start posting random stuff so hopefully updates will be faster from now on. Hopefully….
This chapter is basically pointless fluff…. But I like Scalphunter. And I like Remy. And it's my story…. :P Oh, by the way, I've decided to set this somewhere between Seattle and Rogue coming back with Joseph, it's still completely AU, but just as a general, that's where Gambit is emotionally (post-Antarctica) and who the team is etc..
Gambit got up from where he had been sitting on the floor of a cell. Outside the cell, he could hear a familiar tread of heavy booted feet and he smiled slightly. He checked himself almost automatically and simply watched quietly as the door slid open and Gray Crow stepped into the small cell. Gray Crow simply nodded at the standing Remy.
"Hey Rems. Long time no see." This was not the night. Remy was not woozy and reaching out for human touch. It was (in the way that a subterranean super villain's base is ever anything) daytime now. And in the light of the day, the gentle gestures of the night before were replaced with a tired wariness. Both were nervous, fearing that this time it was too much, that the battered and betrayed friendship couldn't meet this newest test. Few words could be said. There was a moment of quiet as both appraised each other. Remy broke the silence, looking Gray Crow in the eye he summoned the courage to smile slightly.
"Hey Gray, you miss me?" Gray Crow chuckled softly and the tension eased.
"Not likely Swamp Rat." Remy grinned at that and there was a companionable silence as they moved to sit next to each other on the floor.
"How's Arclight?" Remy asked, turning towards Scalphunter with a leer on his face. Scalphunter playfully swatted at his head.
"Is that jealousy I hear ?" Scalphunter grinned, "'cause it should be. My girl is… wow."
"Oui?" Gambit perked up interestedly, laughing a little. This was familiar territory. The two talked about the various attributes of Arclight compared to the other women they'd known for a while, gradually relaxing until they were barely aware that they were sitting on the floor of a jail cell, focusing only on each other.
"And what about you? Don't tell me the notorious womanizer Remy Lebeau is without a girlfriend?" Scalphunter said lightly. Remy's gaze darkened slightly and he looked away.
"Is hard t' believe, neh? But 'pparently she got other plans." He sighed, looking to the side and seeing something other than the wall of the cell. "T'ought I had it Gray, really, dis girl had Gambit wrapped round her lil' finger. Woulda died for de Chere." He laughed softly and not a little bitterly at that. "She's gone now. Sucked up somet'ing from Remy's head she didn' like and took off. I t'ink…" He paused and looked at Scalphunter again. "I t'ink de Chere got my memories from Seattle. Dat's where I caught up wit' her finally. I don' t'ink she's coming back." Gray Crow let out a breath. He was one of the privileged few who knew about Seattle. It wasn't pretty.
"Damn Rems." He said succinctly, commiserating as best he could. It was a good thing Philippa's past was as spotted, if not more so, than his own. Remy wasn't good at relationships. He either kept people at arm's length or gave himself completely, as he had with Scalphunter. Gray Crow had had no idea Remy would still consider him a friend at all after… what happened. Nevertheless, Remy had come back. Again and again. This girl was an idiot if she could see into his head and not see him for what he was. The Cajun looked at him and gave a tired grin.
"Se la vie, Gray, se la vie." Scalphunter chose to change the subject at this point, touchy feely being a little beyond him.
"So I heard you exploded at Baer earlier." Scalphunter started. He remembered Riptide's description of the Cajun's brief fight and laughed a little.
"I dunno wat' dat' was." Gambit seemed embarrassed. "I just kinda lost it dere for a sec. Dis place... whatever place dis current lab is..." A grin that had the intended effect, Scalphunter laughed at the Cajun's blatantly obvious information prod. "It get's to me, neh?" Gambit returned to the serious subject. "I… I dunno who I am sometimes in dis place." Scalphunter looked at the sad expression on his Remy's face, reading the self-doubt. Remy's eyes searched his pleadingly.
"It's ok Rems, I know." He said softly, returning the look. They sat like that for a second, happy to have someone who understood, who knew what it was like to live their lives. Happy to be able to trust someone completely, albeit in their own way. They moved so they were barely inches apart and simply sat. The silence was soothing and they both felt themselves letting their guard completely down for the first time in 3 years, 2 months and 7 days. Gambit sighed and leaned into Gray Crow. Scalphunter was at first surprised, but knowing the Cajun's addiction to human contact he let it go. In truth, he enjoyed it as much as Remy.
"Missed you Gray." Remy said softly. Gray Crow ruffled his hair gently.
"Missed you to Rems." Suddenly the door opened and Logan was pushed into their room. Scalphunter and Gambit both jumped up as if stung, neither having noticed footsteps outside the room. The peace was broken. Logan gave them a look. Remy quickly regained his cool and just shrugged, letting the looks slide off him, knowing he would have to answer later but not giving any ground he wasn't forced to gove. Gray Crow was less smooth. "See you Rems, we get an outing tomorrow." He said as lightly as he could, but anyone could tell he wasn't happy at the embarrassment of being caught practically hugging someone in front of his teammate and a prisoner. He followed Vertigo who was simply standing there, one immaculate eyebrow raised in an "I'm not even going to ask" expression, out of the door.
Gambit smiled at his retreating back and nodded nonchalantly to Wolverine, who simply looked at him. Gambit only grinned wider. Finally, Wolverine snorted and looked away. This was not the same Cajun on the verge of loosing it he had seen earlier. This Gambit was perfectly in control and back to his smooth-talking self, Wolverine could tell by the visible relaxation of his muscles and even his stance. Gambit always looked nonchalant, but this time it seemed… realer. Wolverine wished he had his increased senses so he could tell what emotions Gambit was letting out, but with the return to the cell, his senses had diminished again. He wondered what had brought back Gambit's confidence. The marauder? What the hell was the kid's connection to the cold-blooded murderers that sitting there hugging them made him feel relaxed? He gave up reasoning it out. The kid would explain eventually, or he would find out on his own.
"Wanna play cards, mon ami?" Gambit smiled at him lightly and proffered a deck of shabby cards, expertly sliding them through his fingers nimble fingers.
"Where the hell did you get those Gumbo?" Wolverine asked in surprise. Gambit winked at him.
"Gambit always has cards." He said glibly, and not looking up began to deal for a game of 21. Gray Crow had brought them in his pocket for Gambit to pick. As long as Gambit kept a low profile, he doubted Essex would care, and of course, Gambit would, not wanting to get his friend in trouble. Wolverine sat down across from Gambit, temporarily taken off guard and willing just to go with it. Besides, he was bored. Cells, no matter how much you got used to them, weren't all that much fun.