A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added this to favorites and added this to alerts! Made my stressful day that much brighter.

I'd rate this at T, just fyi.

B is for Bullshit

They were instant friends from the second Gambit stepped through the front doors. Neither one of them would tell anyone what he'd meant by their night under the stars, leading to wild rumors mostly fueled by Jubilee. It quickly became well known that if you were looking for Rogue, you could probably find her with Gambit and vice versa. Someone had made a jab about how of course the playboy wanted to conquer the untouchable Rogue, that he would eventually leave her as a worn out glove. He'd had a bloody nose the next time anyone saw him. Gambit fought, adamantly, that they were just friends and that the people at the mansion were sorry excuses of friends if they didn't even spend any time with her.

If there was one thing Gambit could always count on Rogue for since the start of their friendship, it was to call him out on his bullshit. Which she did, frequently, with barely concealed glee. It was never malicious, Gambit was quite sure Rogue didn't have it in her to be blatantly mean spirited. Their jabs and debates were always in good fun, neither of them crossing the invisible line more than once or twice. It made people exceedingly uncomfortable to see Gambit teasing the notoriously volatile Rogue, but they all let out a collective breath when she just laughed at him and called, "Bullshit."

Logan, predictably, didn't like him being around Rogue much but had to begrudgingly admit that he did seem to make her happy. He was less thrilled when their friendship slithered across the line into something a bit more.

"Sex addict," Rogue proclaimed cheerfully.

"Bullshit!" Gambit argued, nuzzling his nose into the fabric covered nape of her neck. "I just have a healthy appreciation for the human body…"

Rogue's laugh caught in her throat as Gambit's gloved fingers grazed a spot on her inner thigh. "I guess so," she managed to say.

"If you're complaining, chère, I could always stop," he said into her ear, slowly trailing his fingers down the sensitive skin on the inside of her leg.

"Don't you dare," Rogue growled, eliciting a chuckle from the man at her side.

No one had ever touched her the way Gambit had. She'd expected him, like Bobby, to turn his attentions elsewhere once she made it clear that her skin could suck the life out of him. But like the night in Arkansas where he hadn't shied away from her, he stick to her side like a bug in flypaper since he showed up at the mansion. She'd reminded him a week into his stay with that that she'd suck the essence out of him.

"I know," he's responded cheerily, hand not moving from the small of her back. "But I'm touching your shirt, not your skin. Unless you really are as fuzzy as your sweater."

Rogue had narrowed her eyes, ready for any sign that he was kidding, but the small touches continued. A brush of arms as he reached past her for another waffle at breakfast. A kiss to the back of the hand when he wished her goodnight. The arm slung over her shoulders when they walked in the hall. He took the indifference Logan treated her skin with one step further, actually seeking out her touch.

The first time he kissed her, Rogue was too shocked to slap him. It was quick, a fast yet gentle press of lips that left him with only the barest tingle.

"Are you crazy?" she'd yelled when she'd recovered her voice. "I could've put you in a coma!"

"But you didn't," Gambit pointed out. She paused. "I've seen you absorb people, it takes a few seconds. See, now you know you can kiss someone."

"Bullshit," Rogue said. "You didn't do that for my benefit, you did that for you."

Gambit smirked. "Well, partly."

They'd started experimenting not long after that, only ending up with the accidental absorption twice. Gambit utilized gloves, strategically placed sheets and condoms to be only the second man to ever sleep with the elusive Rogue, the first being Bobby during those few months before the cure wore off. Rogue of course had been right, he hadn't done it only for her, he also got a lot out of his relationship with her.

Which of course brought up the conversation…

"I don't know if I'd really call this a relationship," Rogue said hesitantly.

While the 'are we a couple?' talk was relatively foreign to Rogue, Gambit was something of an expert. He took her gloved hands in his, pressing a kiss to the back of each. "Mon chèrie," he said softly, voice caressing her like velvet. "Bullshit." He'd drawn a smile from her and despite her obvious fear, acceptance.

Over the months, the harsh word 'bullshit' because their sweet and tender word for 'liar, liar, pants on fire'.

"I never absorbed an animal!"

"Bullshit."

"My first sex encounter was at nine."

"Bullshit."

"When I absorbed Logan I saw him smoking pot."

"Bullshit."

"I can bounce this ping pong ball off Stormy's head and into that glass of milk."

"Bullshit…but try it anyways."

"I happen to have a girlie side deep deep down, thank you very much."

"Bullshit."

"I swear, I didn't know it was a man thong 'til after I bought it."

"Bullshit."

"Of course I didn't mean to trip Bobby."

"And?"

"And light his shoes on fire…"

"And?"

"…Steal his Twinkies."

"Bullshit."

"It wasn't me, why would I draw a duck on your cheek?"

"Bullshit."

"I've never goaded M'sieur Logan about our sexy times!"

"Bulllllshit!"

"I swear, I forgot that was in the oven. Accidental fire."

"Bullshit."

"My Aunt Millie had a cat that was part tiger."

"Bullshit."

"I walked in on Jubilee and Pete making out in the garage."

"Bullshit. And gross."

But the biggest calling out came during a fight, their first. Neither were sure how it started, but suddenly they were screaming at each other. Gambit vaguely remembered someone warning him of Rogue having a violent temper and he felt they'd made a gross understatement.

"That's now what I said!" Gambit argued.

"It's what you meant!"

"I wasn't aware you recently absorbed any telepaths."

"Shut up, smartass."

"Rogue, I don't care that you don't have it under control, you have to trust me."

"Trust you? Like I trusted Bobby?"

"Stop comparing me to your shit of an ex!"

"Stop comparing me to every other woman you've fucked!"

"I wasn't!"

"Cajun, I swear…"

They'd fumed in silence for minutes, each tired of screaming at the other, only having started in the first place because they were scared and neither wanting to be the first to say so.

"I hate this!" Rogue finally shouted, breaking the silence. "I hate carrying others' nightmares, I hate waking up wondering who I am, I hate it! It's driving me crazy! I hate not being able to touch the man I love!"

"Well I love you too!" Gambit yelled back.

"Well that's the first time we've said that to each other!"

"I'm going to kiss you now!"

"Well you better!"

Gambit grabbed her gently by the neck and pulled her to him, kissing her firmly and quickly, Rogue responding enthusiastically, before pulling away when the tingle of an absorption began. He pulled her to him, wrapping arms around her and rubbing her back, trying to diffuse the tension still riding her body.

"I don't deserve someone like you," Rogue muttered into his chest.

"Mon chère," he muttered, placing a kiss on top of her head. "Bullshit." Her tension eased, anger melting away in the irritating way it seemed to around him.

It was months later when, thanks to packs of kids chorusing "bullshit!" in the halls, Storm put a blanket ban on the word, threatening Rogue and Gambit with dismemberment if it continued.

"As long as you let me keep my favorite member," Gambit said with a wink. Rogue whacked him with the book she was reading.

"It's bullcookies now," Storm said firmly, pointing a finger at them.

Gambit barked out a laugh. "Bullcookies? Hey Rogue, twenty bucks says Stormy's wearing blue panties."

"Bullcookies, swamp rat. Logan has a tattoo of Tweety Bird on his ass."

"Bullcookies. I once dated a Swedish supermodel."

"Bullcookies, she was Danish."

"Damn."

"Absorbed that memory, sugar," Rogue said. "The lightning last night was Storm electrocuting Logan when he came home late again."

"Bullcookies!"

"I bullcookies you not!"

"Stormy, you fiend!"

Storm threw her hands up in exasperation. "Remy, you've been a horrible influence on that girl, you know that?"

"Bullcookies."

A/N Once again, thank you reviewers, Ren, MidnightManic, eccentricallybonkers and fannut. You guys rock!

I borrowed heavily from the TV show Friends for part of this.