Hey everybody :) Haven't written in a while sorry but I was in Alaska for two weeks! Fun vacation btw :)

Anyways thanks for all the support and reviews, the story is unfortunately coming to close within a chapter or so but this is not the last one. Promise :)

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Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 23: Addicted

"Remy! This is a horrible idea! Ah'm not doin' this."

A smile spread across his devilish lips as he responded, "Too late." The control panel of the danger room gleamed before him as he pushed and prodded several of the buttons.

"Remy…" Rogue was almost in a cold sweat as she stood alone in the center of a makeshift maze Gambit had designed. His idea was to put her in the labyrinth then send holograms at her from different angles, some were to be X-men and others Brotherhood and Acolyte members, none however were to be Magneto. The goal was only to attack those not on her team. However, the bigger objective of this exercise was to not see Magneto in every person that rounded a corner near her.

It had seemed like a good idea to Rogue up until now. She was scared to death, even with knowing everyone was just a hologram, she was terrified. What if she sees him and he attacks her again? What if it doesn't work at all and she can never distinguish who's real and who's not? What if she completely loses her mind?

"Remy…" she repeated.

The soft sound of his lips pressed up against the control room microphone comforted her as he said, "Rogue, don't worry. I'm here. I'm not goin' anywhere, Chere."

"Ah…Ah feel trapped…"

"Y'can do this Rogue, I know y'can."

Without another sound the first hologram snuck up on Rogue from behind. She twirled her body wildly to see who it was, fists at the ready, when a smiling furry azure face asked if his sister wanted to catch a movie. Kurt's hologram soon disappeared as another appeared. It was Avalanche, walking casually around the end of a wall towards her.

Breathing heavily from the shock of Kurt, Rogue's head had begun to reel with the pain of a self-induced migraine, vision blurring she saw a silver-haired dead man instead and kicked violently at him.

From the control room Gambit asked who she had seen, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Mag-magneto."

Gambit immediately shut down the entire program and the walls descended into the floor. "We guessed y'probably would," he talked into the microphone, "Are y'okay? You wan'a keep goin'?

"Yes."

The sessions went on and on. Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. In a particularly nasty session, Rogue had boot-kicked Kitty's hologram through a wall, broken the hologram of Remy's arm, and saw Magneto four separate times. On the fourth time she had collapsed to the ground and dropped her head into her hands. Gambit leaped for the door then abruptly stopped himself as his hand touched the cool metal of the keypad. As much as he wanted to run to her aid he knew that above all she had to get through this on her own and once more she might see him as Magneto and attack him. After fifteen minutes she had pulled her trembling body back up into a standing position and shouted at Gambit to go again.

Seven months had gone by and Rogue finally had her breakthrough. She made it successfully through a two hour session without seeing Magneto once, only attacking those that were not X-men. She was exhausted, and yet her triumph fueled every aspect of her body at the moment as Gambit came bursting through the danger room doors. Picking her up in a bear-hug he spun Rogue more times than either could count as she nuzzled into his chest, both with equally wide grins.

"I knew y'could do it Chere."

"Only took seven months," she joked. He was too happy for words and could do nothing more than smile wider and squeeze harder as he soaked up the energy Rogue seemed to radiate. "Remy," she crooned, "Ah want t'celebrate."

"Name d'restaurant."

"Ah was thinkin' somet'ing more intimate."

Confused and excited by what Rogue proposed, Gambit cocked an eyebrow at her and in a perplexed tone said, "Rogue? Are y'askin' t—?"

"Please shugah, Ah want to and Ah know y'do too."

"Rogue, you know what d'consequnces are. Dey aren't pretty. I won't let y'do somet'ing so risky."

Wrapping her slender arms around his neck she whispered into Gambit's ear, "Trust meh." Before he could argue her head fell limp in his arms and her eyes closed. He knew she was tapping into Leech's powers…

"Rogue…" he shook her body, hoping to wake her before she could find Leech, "Rogue!"

With a smile placed ever so tenderly on her lips, her eyes opened. "Ah'll be okay," she whispered, and then sprinkled his coarse cheek with supple kisses that one after another grew in strength.

"Not here," he spoke softly as Rogue stopped with a hurt expression on her face. "Not in d'open," he continued and she smiled once again grasping his hand.

Rushing through the walls of the mansion in great hast, Gambit's mind staggered through all the consequences of what they were about to do. He had no idea how far it was going to go and with adrenaline pumping and his vision already beginning to blur he didn't care.

Exploding through the mahogany door of Gambit's room, Rogue grasped Remy's waist and threw them on to his cerulean bedspread. The springs of his bed made noticeably audible screeches as Gambit just about fell on top of his girlfriend.

It was an abnormally lifeless, muggy day and no wind blew threw his open balcony to cool the amorous couple.

Rogue stretched her neck up and meet Remy's lips with more passion than before, as he returned every amount of fervor and ardor and then some when he suddenly halted to a stop. With a bewildered look on her face Rogue pulled away, "What's wrong?"

"This…this is wrong, Chere."

"Ah'll be fine," she bit the middle finger of her glove and pulled it off, placing her bare hand on Gambit's cheek. "Don't worry 'bout meh."

"Dat's all I worry about," he crooked his head into her hand and kissed each fingertip. Gradually this time, Gambit lowered himself down until his lips brushed against hers. "An' all I ever will worry about." Consequently, he sensually and slowly began to kiss Rogue. Just kiss. He couldn't get enough of that kiss…

Rogue, enjoying this just as much as he was, wanted more. Her hands, one gloved one not, wandered down to the edges of his black shirt and began to draw it up and over his head. Taking the hint, he did the same to her see-through jade over shirt leaving her charcoal tank on underneath and rolling over let her rest on his hairy, muscular chest. Sitting up Rogue straddled Gambit's waist as she looked down at her boyfriend.

Smiling, he wrapped his hand around the swell of her lower back and purred, "Come here, beautiful," as he pressed her close to him and kissed the top of her head. Leisurely, Rogue twisted her head and kissed Gambit's chest all over as his eyes closed in delight. But once again Gambit's body began to tingle and Rogue's mind began to be ambushed with his memories.

"No, no, no…" she whispered.

"Rogue," he stopped her, "I'm sorry." He groaned with pain of his life-force being compulsorily taken from him.

"Me too," she almost sobbed as they flung away from each other.

Their second time started just as frantic and ecstatic as the first in the playground had. Their third… their fourth… their fifth… the more and more they did this the more and more they melted together, knew each other inside and out. Each time feeling more like one entity than two. The fact that it was wrong was blatantly shoved to the back of their minds as each time they moaned in elation. It was an addiction, like morphine without the needle, and they couldn't stop.

A few more weeks had gone by and spring was approaching rapidly. This spring was much hotter than the previous and much more plentiful with "April showers". One day when the two lovers were positive they were completely alone they had gone out to the freezing pool in the back to cool off. Stripping down to underclothes only Rogue and Gambit leapt into the crystal clear waters of the pool. Knowing Rogue had already obtained Leech's powers before they came outside Gambit swam underneath her like a shark and popping up behind her floating head took hold of her waist and nibbled on her neck as she let out a joyous scream.

Unaware to them, one resident remained behind in the mansion; a resident with senses heightened enough to hear that scream. His lips growled as he shoved tables and chairs out of his way to get to the backyard pool. When suddenly he stopped, changed his course and found a window to spy on whoever was in the back. What Wolverine saw, to say the least, displeased him.

Rogue had turned her body in the water to face Gambit and by the time Wolverine caught sight of them, they were once again lip locked with one another. Releasing just the beginning of his unbridled rage Wolverine smashed the window and glass shards plummeted to the dewy ground below. Leaving a trail of wreckage, Wolverine made his way outside. Sprinting to the pool's edge he dove in and dragged Gambit by the neck away from Rogue.

The wholehearted shock of Wolverine appearing had muted Rogue until now when she screamed out to him, pleading with him not to hurt Gambit. Rogue lifted herself hurriedly out of the pool, scrapping her leg on the concrete, and ran as quick as she could after them. "No! Logan, put him down! Logan!"

He paid no mind to her as he hurled Gambit on to the floor of the forest adjoining the mansion's backyard, branches leaving malicious cuts on his back. Without warning, Logan's enormous boot landed square in the middle of Gambit's bare chest, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. The gleam of his metal claws began to show as they slowly, frighteningly unsheathed.

Rogue's frantic voice could be heard in the distance getting closer and closer as Wolverine raised his arm above his head ready to decapitate Gambit.

Thinking quickly, Gambit grabbed a handful of leaves and twigs, charging them he tossed them into Wolverine's face and as he stumbled backwards Gambit back rolled on to his feet and began to run.

Lunging at his prey Wolverine slashed through thick chocolate-colored tree trunks and nearly missed plunging his glistening metal claws into Gambit's ribcage. Snapping off a large branch, Gambit swung it with all his might and connected the end of the wood with Wolverine's cheekbone as his head was forced to turn ninety degrees to the right.

Growling deafeningly Wolverine punched Gambit in the abdomen and as he fell stepped on him once again to keep him stationary. Seemingly hell-bent on killing him, Wolverine once more raised his claws into the chilled air.

"NO!" Rogue's bleeding body, cut up from running through the forest, became visible and flopped itself fiercely on to Gambit's for his protection. "NO!" she shouted again. Her breathing was visibly labored. "Don't hurt him!"

"Give me a reason not," Wolverine snarled cruelly.

"Y'don't want t'hear it an' y'know it!" Rogue cried.

She was right, standing in the middle of the half dead half blooming forest, he knew why and saw the truth of it in their eyes. His hand, still raised, twitched in the anger he still felt, but gradually lowered to his side as he stared at the two.

"Please don't tell anyone," Rogue begged, "Please."

"That you two are sleeping together? I'd rather forget it myself," he retorted.

"We aren't sleepin' together, Logan." Rogue did all the talking seeing as Wolverine had a soft spot for her and a death wish for Remy and they all knew it. "We jus—"

"How?"

"Please," she pleaded, "Jus' don' ask."

"Leech's powers?" He wasn't dense about this, about her.

She nodded. "Please Logan, don't tell."

"I won't kid, promise."

After that, things between Logan and Remy were even more tense than usual, but he held true to his promise, more for Rogue's happiness than Gambit's.

A few days later, Rogue and Gambit were having breakfast together like they usually did, it was Rogue's turn to cook. She had decided to make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and was currently leaning over to take them out of the oven.

"Dat's cheatin'," Gambit teased.

"Then Ah guess Ah'll hav'ta eat 'em all by myself," she teased back.

Walking over to the island she put them on he remarked, "I guess I'll let it slide jus' dis once." All of a sudden, Rogue's feet wavered beneath her and she caught the granite countertop to balance herself as she clutched her head. "Rogue?" Gambit sounded worried.

She faked a smile, "Ah'm fine."

The rest of that day he kept an unusually close eye on her, noticing that the same incident happened throughout the day several times. Concerned, Gambit snapped back into reality and out of his perfect honeymooning dream life with Rogue. He knew why she was having headaches and he was not going to let it continue.

That night, after a predominantly brutal danger room session then a run in with the Brotherhood at the mall, Rogue snuck into Gambit's room from the balcony which for some reason the doors were closed. Subsequently, she knocked on the glass window of the entrance and waited. Heavyhearted, Gambit opened up the door and she gleefully hugged him. Hugging back he wanted nothing more than to do it just one last time, but no, it was time to end the addiction.

"Give meh a sec darlin'." Her eyes began to drift closed when Gambit yanked her back. Confused, Rogue asked, "What's wrong?"

"Y'r headaches Rogue…" this was the conversation he never wanted to have. "We have t'stop."

She ripped away slightly, as if he'd hurt her somehow. "Ah know y'don't want that."

"Y'r right," he stroked her snow white hair, "y'r so right," he sobbed. "But it's happ'ning again, an' I refuse t'be d'reason y'die, especially when I can stop it."

Her bottom lip began to quiver as the wind picked up and goose bumps appeared on her tender, pale skin. Bathed in the moonlight Rogue tried to argue one more time that it wouldn't hurt her.

"Dat's a lie!" Gambit exploded, "It already is hurtin' you. Y'almost collapsed a'total a'six times today! Rogue dis is dangerous and I won't let y'do it."

"Well y'ain't got much of'a chose what Ah do an' don't do, now do ya?" she spat at him as her eyes closed again.

"No!" He shouted and tackled Rogue to the floor of his balcony. "Don't, don't do dis t'yourself." He lifted her into his arms, muttering, "Don't do dis t'yourself, t'me, t'us. Come back t'me." His pleads were answered by Rogue's eyes fluttering open. "Did you?"

"No," she answered, "Ah…Ah couldn't find him in the smoke."

"Smoke?"

"When my psyches go haywire, they fight an' mah mind gets foggy, it looks like smoke."

"Rogue," he rocked her body, "I…I love you, you know dat," her head nodded, "An' we lasted dis long wit'out touch, I think we can last a little longer."

A faint smile spread across Rogue's lips as she thought to herself, 'but how much longer?'

Taking off one of his glove he covered her shivering cheek with it then leaned down to kiss the material, "Dere's always a way, Chere."

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There will be at least ONE more chapter :)

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Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION