A/N: There's a little French in this chapter because Remy is in it. Happy reading!
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree.
Bending beneath the weight of its wind.
-"How He Loves" The David Crowder Band
Storm entered the mansion shaking her head in disbelief. Honestly, when the Professor informed her that their newest recruit was a gambler she was wary. But he turned out to be completely different from her expectations, and she wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. The whole ride home he had turned up the charm and spent most of the time complimenting herself and throwing suggestive winks at Rogue. Storm actually found Remy's flirtatious pet names for Rogue highly entertaining, much to the brunette pilot's annoyance. The enraged Rogue had even threatened to crash land the plane if "that damn Cajun doesn't shut his trap".
She and Rogue had arrived in Louisiana and found the illusive Remy LeBeau in a seedy bar in New Orleans. It was an old brick building with a flickering neon sign announcing the name of the place, La Rue de Chance. Rogue and Storm were denied entrance into the establishment, only solidifying them in their belief that the poker playing mutant was inside. Rogue had quickly volunteered to sneak around the back, planning on borrowing a waitress uniform to get inside. The brunette quickly found that sneaking in wasn't necessary because she found the man they were searching for leaning against the back wall outside the bar, smoking a cigarette.
Without her permission, the familiar smell sent her back to one of the many late nights on the mansion porch she spent with Logan. The memory was full of cigar smoke, hidden feelings, and comfortable silence. Angrily, Rogue shoved the memory away berating herself for letting Logan interfere in every moment of her life.
As Rogue approached him his head snapped up and she hid her shock at the unusually colored red eyes that met hers. She physically felt his eyes move over her before a confident smirk overcame his features.
"Bonjour ma petite. And what is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side waiting for her answer.
"You don't even know me." Rogue stated simply, crossing her arms over her chest.
"An unfortunate thing indeed." He said wryly, pushing off from the wall and approaching her. "And what is your name?"
The brunette raised her eyebrows before answering "Rogue."
"You wound me ma belle." He said dramatically, holding a hand to his chest. "You don't have to make up a name. Poor old Remy don't mean no harm."
Rogue rolled her brown eyes at his antics. "I'm not here to play games. I'm here on behalf of Charles Xavier."
In a moment he morphed from an outrageous flirt to a guarded mutant.
"Let's just pretend that is your real name. Why are you here?" He replied, his tone changing from playful to cold instantly.
His red eyes suddenly seemed vicious and cutting.
Rogue held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just to talk. Professor Xavier is-"
"I know who he is." The red-eyes mutant interrupted. "What does he want?"
Rogue glared at him before forcing herself to hold in her anger. She has no idea what troubles this guy has had in his life. It's not easy being a mutant and he has every right to be distrustful. If a random person approached her in an alley she would be pretty suspicious as well.
"He thinks you would benefit from re-locating to the school. Not as a student, but just as a resident." She explained, phrasing her words carefully. She knew how strange it was to ask him to come live at a school. But recently the Professor had made some additions to the place, and it wasn't just a school anymore. There was a completely separate building that functioned as an apartment complex for those who weren't teachers. She was hoping to move there when she got a spot on the team. Even without the Wolverine's influence the thought of sitting back and teaching while her friends risked their lives made her anxious.
Remy scoffed at the suggestion "And how exactly would living with a bunch of children benefit me?"
"Have you heard of a group called The Brotherhood?"
Remy froze and his expression turned grim. "What do they want with me?"
Rogue sighed. "We don't know exactly, but we want to help." Seeing the doubtful expression on his face she continued. "Look, a while back The Brotherhood came after me too. I was too naïve to accept the Professor's help and was kidnapped. To make a long story short, the X-Men saved me and I'll forever regret not accepting their help in the first place."
After her story, Remy's face turned contemplative as he watched her for a second.
"Okay."
A small smile threatened to overcome her face and she quickly hid it.
"The jet is this way. We can leave after we grab my teammate."
"Teammate?" he echoed before a smirk appeared on his face. "So you're an X-Men? I'm disappointed. Where's the infamous leather suit?"
Ah. So the player from before has returned.
Ignoring his flirting she answered him as they walked back around to the front of the building. "Not yet. But I will be soon."
Then she quickly shoved him back behind the side of the brick wall, motioning for him to be silent. She had caught a glimpse of Pyro and Toad entering the bar.
Cursing to herself, Rogue told the mutant beside her to follow before entering the bar behind the two Brotherhood members. She was easily allowed in with Remy by her side.
The bar was in the center of the room and around it were clusters of people at tables playing an array of gambling games. The room was smoky and the air was thick from the large amount of people inside. At least it would provide a good cover so they could find Ororo and quickly leave.
Suddenly the woman in question appeared beside them and suggested they all return to the jet before the Brotherhood found out they were here. Rogue told Storm to lead Remy to the jet while she took care of something. Storm immediately protested, but Rogue had already disappeared into the crowd. Storm huffed angrily before leaving the bar, Remy following behind her after one glance at where Rogue had disappeared.
Rogue scanned the room, keeping an eye out for any enemies and caught side of the person she was looking for. She immediately weaved her way through the throngs of people and caught his arm.
"Rogue." Pyro gasped, his eyes darting behind her as he instinctively anticipated a fight. After his shock faded, an emotionless mask came over his face. "Where are the rest of Xavier's pawns?"
"Save the bitching for someone else." She snapped her eyes blazing with betrayal. "Do you wanna tell me when the hell you decided to abandon us and join Magneto?"
His eyes hardened as he replied sarcastically "Probably about the time the X-Men decided to let humans control us without a fight."
"But Magneto?" Rogue repeated hoarsely "After everything he did? John, he almost killed me."
A grim, shameful look appeared on the blondes face as he stared at his former friend.
After everything Magneto put her through, he knew his betrayal must have stung her the most. And John knew that she would probably never forgive him, but he couldn't just stand idly by while humans attempted to wipe out the mutant race. He had to make his life mean something. He couldn't just sit in the jet like a child while everyone else was out there fighting. Magneto had given him an offer he couldn't refuse. An offer to live a life worth something, even if people got hurt along the way.
"This is bigger than any of us." The blonde said quietly after a moment of hesitation. "You know that I would never-"
"You saved Logan." Rogue interrupted suddenly "Why?"
Pyro swallowed thickly and hesitated before speaking. "The things they were doing to him…they were horrible. I could hear his screaming from the other side of the building. I couldn't just listen while they-" He trailed off as he noticed the dark look on her face.
Rogue felt her stomach drop at his words and blinked away the moisture that gathered behind her eyelids. She was right in guessing that he had been tortured inhumanely. She had enough of his memories to know that Logan had suffered more than any man should ever have to.
Then Pyro was looking over Rogue's shoulder and cursed under his breath before grabbing her glove covered hand and pulling her to a corner in the dimly lit bar.
"We're out of time. They can't see you here, and god knows which of these people is Mystique." Pyro explained in a rush, his eyes serious as he spoke.
"Mystique is here?" Rogue hissed under her breath, feeling her blood boil in anger at the blue mutant's name.
"Rogue?" Pyro questioned nervously, causing the brunette to realize she had began to float a few inches off the ground.
"Sorry." She said swiftly, landing back on the wooden floor. "I'll leave, but don't think for a second I'm giving up on you John Allerdyce. I'm still waiting for the day you walk back through the school's doors."
Rogue grabbed his shoulders and met his light colored eyes with her darker ones.
A small smile quirked on the corners of his lips. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you."
With one final squeeze of his hands Rogue was gone, and the blonde quickly melted into the crowd to re-join his team, feeling a little shaken and confused after the encounter.
He stood alone amidst the crowds of people more lost than ever. Had he made a mistake?
As she walked through the school entryway Rogue growled lowly, pulling her gloved hand away from Remy's, and warned him not to touch her. He simply raised an eyebrow and murmured some French exclamation under his breath. In his eyes Rogue was a challenge he hadn't ever been faced with. She was the mysterious prize at the end of the competition, and Remy never lost. But then again, he had never met a fiercely independent girl like Rogue. Or one that was as ready to kick his ass as she was.
Stomping past Storm she quickly retreated to her room, in desperate need of time alone to contemplate today's events.
With a sigh Storm asked the red-eyed mutant to follow her and the two made their way to Professor Xavier's office.
Jubilation Lee watched the events unfold in the entrance hall from where she sat on the sofa. Her eyes followed the Cajun mutant as he walked beside Storm and her eyes widened in disbelief. Yeah, some new blood was definitely over due. Especially if they looked like that. She smirked to herself and turned back to the TV just in time to watch Sookie deny both Eric and Bill in the latest True Blood episode. Maybe she had found her very own hot Louisiana piece of fine man.
Ignorant to her friend's crazy hormone filled thoughts, Rogue entered her room and threw herself onto the bed in exhaustion, not even bothering to change. From deflecting Remy's obnoxious-and completely ineffective- advances, to confronting Pyro, to enduring Storm's lecture about her dangerous actions, she was in desperate need of quiet time.
Making up her mind to relax, the brunette entered the bathroom and fixed a calming bath with her favorite lilac scented oils. The Professor had taught her to meditate once a day in order to keep better control over Carol Danvers' powers. It wasn't necessary, but it was just as an extra precaution. It was what Jean had to do to retain control over her very erratic and potent powers.
Thinking of the doctor had Rogue's head filled with confusion. Jean had been acting rather strangely as of late. Apparently, she has been late to some classes recently and has been missing danger room sessions with the team. Maybe she's distracted with Logan's sudden reappearance.
Rogue glowered at the thought and unplugged the drain, her relaxation ruined. She threw on her pajama shorts and an old tank top before throwing her long hair into a sloppy braid and exiting the bathroom. As she set her towel on the door hook she felt another presence in the room.
She sniffed lightly and sighed at the familiar scent of pine and cigars. Logan.
She moved and stood by the side of the bed where he had made himself comfortable sprawled out across it. With an unfazed expression, that she was so proud of, Rogue shoved the feral mutant over and lay on top of the covers next to him.
She gave herself a mental high five for controlling her eyes and not allowing them to linger on the man next to her.
"How'd the mission go?"
A beat of silence.
"I saw Joh-I mean Pyro."
Logan had no visible reaction to the statement. She took his silence as an encouragement to continue.
"I just told him that he was being an asshole. And that the door would always be open for him to return."
Logan nodded, lost in thought. "Good. He needed to hear it."
Marie bit her lip nervously before adding "He told me what they did to you."
She felt Logan stiffen beside her and heard his tired exhale. "I wish he hadn't."
Marie turned on her side and stared at Logan until he let his hazel eyes meet hers. "We're friends. Even though we don't act like it sometimes, it's true. And I want to know what you go through…because I want to be there for you. As your friend."
Logan stared at the girl before him in awe. How had he ever gained this girl's trust? What had he ever done to deserve her kindness? It was times like this where he felt shame for his past actions. For all the things he had done to make himself unworthy of this beautiful girl in front of him.
"Believe me, there are a lot more drawbacks to being my friend than there are advantages." He rumbled seriously, his eyes searching hers.
"Well you have saved my life a couple of times." She commented, smiling slightly. "I think that counts for something."
He let out a huff of laughter at her sad attempt at humor. "You have no idea do you? How many times you've saved mine as well?"
Seeing the brunette's confused expression he brushed his hand against hers so lightly that he didn't feel the sting of her mutation. The fact that she couldn't even see his feelings, which he was sure were clear as day, just confirmed to him that she wasn't ready for him. For all of him. Wolverine and all.
"I was thinking we should get outta here tomorrow." He said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"Where to?" Marie asked, her big eyes filled with excitement as they followed his trek to the door.
He scoffed jokingly. "To a bar. Where else?"
A/N: Thanks for reading! I really like hearing yall's comments and ideas! See you all next chapter!