CH.5
When Skylar went down stairs the next morning Kat was already sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of mixed fruit. The second Sky walked into the room Kat sniffed the air and gave her friend a questioning look. Sky ignored her and grabbed a mug to pour some coffee into.
"Morning kitty Kat did Dr. Xavier talked to you about joining the X-men last night?" Kat nodded and kept studying her oldest friend as she moved around the kitchen trying to decide what she wanted to eat.
"Yes he did. Sky, did Logan visit you last night?"
"Yeah the first day we got here he asked if I'd let him sit in the lab while I worked and so last night he dropped by to check on me and look at my research." Kat got up from the table and sniffed around Skylar repeatedly before gasping and grabbing her arms.
"Did you spend the night with Logan?" Sky turned away to hide her blushing face and grabbed a bowl to put some cereal in. Kat tugged on red hair until Sky was forced to turn around and look into Kat's golden eyes. "Logan's scent is all over you no matter how much you shower I can still pick it up on you skin and I bet he will to so, as your oldest and dearest friend, you owe me an explanation as to why you smell like cigar smoke and embarrassment."
"Kat he was sitting close to me while I was working. He hugged me a few times to try and comfort me over the situation yesterday. He was with me most of last night because neither of us sleep very much, that's it." Kat studied Skylar's face a moment longer before stepping away and cleaning up her breakfast dishes. "So what did you tell Prof. Xavier?"
"I think I wanna do it." Sky smiled into her coffee as Kat walked out and none other than Gambit walked in. Quickly she tried to find an excuse to leave the kitchen.
"Gambit sure is lucky dis' morning getting' to eat in the company of such a lovely lady." Sky rolled her eyes and started to walk past the sinfully handsome Cajun. "Come on now girl. There's no need to leave just 'cause ol' Gambit is here. If I promise not to speak to ya will you sit and eat with me?" Skylar sighed and sat at the table with her coffee while Gambit rustled around in the kitchen before sitting down with several plates in front of him. They sat there drinking an eating in silence for awhile before Sky finally broke down.
"Would you please say something?"
"Gambit said he wasn't gonna say anything."
"I know but I don't think I can just sit here and listen to you eat so please speak." Gambit smiled and leveled his red gaze at her.
"How about you talk and Gambit listens?" Skylar sipped her coffee while she thought of what to talk about.
"I can't think of what to talk about."
"You like your work right? Talk about that." Immediately Skylar brightened up and her mouth could not be stopped. She spoke about the plants she'd manipulated, the medicines she created, even the classes she'd taught at various universities. Gambit simply smiled and watched her while she went on about her research. Sky hadn't even noticed that he'd been sliding her food from his plate so she could eat while she spoke. Gambit laughed when Skylar had somehow gone from speaking about her work to talking about how she and Kat met.
"Wait so un petite chat actually got picked on in school?" Sky nodded took a large bite out of a bagel.
"Kat was new to our school and 12 year olds are cruel. Some guy caught a glimpse of her ears and started teasing her and all I could do was stand up to him so one thing led to another and me and Kat had to go to the principals office for beating the crap out of this boy. That was how we became friends, it was out of dumb luck that we both turned out to be mutants. Her mom used to make me use my powers to help her grow herbs and vegetables for the bistro she owned."
"So her mom knows?"
"Her mom was so excited to find out her daughter was 'gifted' with such abilities. She was always like a second mom to me."
"Do your parents know about you?" Sky looked into her now empty mug.
"I want to tell them, but I've been rejected before and I'm not ready to have my parents push me away." Gambit placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder which, to her surprise, comforted her.
"Don't worry chere you'll tell them when you're ready and they're gonna love you just the same." Skylar leaned into the gesture and smiled up at him for a moment getting lost in his haunting red eyes. "What did you mean you'd been rejected before?" And just like that the spell was broken. Sky plucked Gambit's hand off her shoulder and stood up to leave.
"That's not something I'm going to talk about with you…and my name's not chere." Skylar left Gambit sitting at the table with a mild look of shock.
"I told you she had a list of issues a mile long." Kat smiled at Gambit from the door way while he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Gambit don't understand her. One minute she's smilin' and chattin' away the next she's back to givin' me the cold shoulder! Gambit hasn't said a cruel word to dat girl and still she pushes me away." Kat sympathized with the Cajun and for some reason she actually wanted to help him with Skylar.
"Listen Gambit I've heard about your track record with women and despite the stories that put you in a less than flattering light I feel almost obligated to help you with Skylar." Gambit looked at the tiny female with hope in his eyes.
"You mean you're gonna help me win Sky?"
"Whoa whoa whoa I didn't say that. I'll help you to make her like you, but anything beyond friendship is up to you. I don't get off on playing matchmaker even if you two would make a good couple." Kat sat on the dining table and stole a piece of Gambit's toast. He waited anxiously for her to speak again. "Skylar has not had the best of luck when it comes to guys and it's made her cautious. The only guys she trusts are her brothers, her dad, and for some reason that Logan guy."
"Wolverine?"
"Yeah I think it has something to do with the fact that she can read his emotions like a book. Sky can handle blunt."
"So I need to make her trust me." Kat shook her head and tapped her index finger on his nose.
"Wrong. You need to make her want to be around you. Trust is going to take time, but companionship you can have within a matter of days. Make her like spending time with you, be the person she seeks out for comfort, and for the love of god stop calling her chere because it only pisses her off." Gambit pushed Kat's finger away and gave her a confused look.
"Why does she hate it so much? It's just a pet name."
"It's a name that has no meaning like 'sweetie' of 'babe' Sky's always hated pet names like that. The point of a pet name is to show that you care about someone so you might as well find one that suits the person you're giving it to. I agree with her." Kat hopped off of the table and smiled at Remy's perplexed face. "If you want to get closer to Skylar then you should ask her to play poker."
"What?"
"Sky loves playing cards. Her brothers taught her how to play and she's always had a knack for poker. You like cards so why don't you guys have a friendly game tonight?" Kat left Gambit to sit on that thought. Gambit pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling them, stopping when he pulled out the ace of hearts. If cards be the way to her heart them dis might be easier dan Gambit thought.