CH.6
"No."
"Sky you'll have fun."
"No."
"You love playing poker."
"No." Skylar glared over the rim of her glasses at Kat who had been hovering over her the entire afternoon.
"It's just going to be a friendly game of cards with some equally friendly mutants who want to be friends with you." Sky rolled her eyes and spun around in her desk chair. "Oh no, don't you spin away from me Skylar Jezline O'Riley. You are going to speak with me about playing cards with the boys." Sky swiveled back around and sighed as her friend sat in the middle of her desk staring her down.
"Alright alright I'll play poker tonight with Remy and all the other boys, but if he calls me chere even once…" Kat squealed with delight and jumped off the table to spin her friend around in the chair until she was dizzy.
"I promise he won't call you chere! Oh Sky I know you'll have fun and we might even be able to make them play for money. I'll tell them to count you in for tonight." Kat ran off with a new found purpose in life which only made Skylar laugh at the giddiness her friend was now feeling. Kat had always been easily excitable and Sky could do nothing but stand back and watch her go. Sky turned back to flowers she'd been treating before Kat had burst through her lab door. The Ghost Orchid that was on the table was a delicate specimen and Kat's excited vibrating had caused the flower to suffer. Sky used her abilities to help the plant and absently started talking to the rare bloom.
"Maybe Kat's right, I should lighten up and give Remy a chance. He was nice this morning and he was a pretty good listener. Maybe I should give him a chance what do you think?" The flower gave a weak nod and Sky put it back in its protective glass and smiled to herself sliding her hand into her pocket only to find a something inside it. What she pulled out was a playing card, the queen of hearts. "When did he…?" Sky tried to act upset, but only managed to grin at the playful gesture and slide the card into her lab journal before closing it and locking it away in you desk. "Remy LeBeau, I am so out of my depth with him."
Kat was making bedroom eyes at Nightcrawler from across the poker table which caused Sky to elbow her. Kat hissed at her under her breath with made her laugh. Remy opened several packs of cards to begin shuffling while scoping out the other players. Kurt was flirting with Kat, Scott and Logan seemed to be in the middle of an argument regarding Dr. Jean Grey, and Sky was watching the cards dance between Remy's talented hands.
"You girls do know how to play right?" Scott turned to face them just as they looked at each other and started laughing.
"We know how to play, Sky actually really good, but if you don't think of us as a challenge then maybe we could make this game a little more interesting." That got Gambit's attention.
"Whatcha have in mind chat?"
"Why don't we play for cash?" Gambit was all for the idea as was Logan and Kurt. Scott was hesitant, but after Kat's baiting he couldn't back down from her challenge. Once the game started it was apparent that Kat hadn't lied about Skylar's ability to play, but Remy was still winning more hands than she was. Once Kurt, Scott, and Kat had both pulled out of the game Skylar decided it was time to get serious. Suddenly Sky couldn't be stopped and Logan was out quickly.
"Seems like she'd been holding back," Logan mused to Kat as he watched Remy lose another hand.
"Yeah, she doesn't like taking money from me so while I was still in the game she held back so I didn't lose any more money then I had to. Now that I'm out of the game she's out for blood. I wasn't kidding when I said that she was good at this game, in fact I think the only time she loses is when she wants to." Gambit watched in amazement as Sky turned over her hand to reveal three of a kind beating Gambit's hand.
"Girl you're better than you let on." Sky smiled at his amused expression and waited for him to deal the next hand.
"I never said I wasn't good and this is going to be my last hand so let's end this right."
"What you got in mind?"
"Winner takes all." Remy laughed and extend his hand to shake on it. The second the cards were dealt Remy was all business just like Skylar. Kat could hardly contain her excitement while the two players studied each other for tells and planning the best strategies for victory. With each card laid out Gambit appeared to get cockier and cockier and when the last card was flipped he was sporting a full on smirk.
"Sorry girl but Gambit's got you beat dis time."
"Let's see them Cajun." Gambit showed his cards revealing four of a kind. Skylar exhaled, "Damn Cajun that's a good hand." Remy reached over to collect his winnings when Sky put her hand over his to halt it, a spark of electricity shot through her, "but mine's better." Sky turned over her cards revealing a straight flush leaving Gambit gaping at her. "What, not used to losing?"
"Gambit ain't never lost when he sets his mind to winning." Skylar smiled and handed the money she'd won to Kat.
"Here kitty Kat go buy yourself something pretty and put the rest in the bank." Kat laughed and walked out with Kurt following after. Scott had left once he was out of the game and Logan hand wandered off without saying a word leaving Remy and Skylar alone.
"You goin' back that that lab of yours?" Sky shrugged.
"I've put in a lot of hours in the lab, but there is always more I can do."
"Why don't you take a break from that and walk with me for a bit. Remy'll be the perfect gentleman, you liked talkin' with me dis mornin'." Skylar looked into Gambit's red and black eyes and couldn't help but smile at him. He was actually trying to get to know her.
"Alright, but I don't have to answer anything I don't want to and don't get handsy with me." Gambit chuckled and gestured for her to lead the way. She led them outside so they could walk amongst the plants she so loved. Remy quickly questioned her about her card playing skills.
"How'd you get so good at cards then?"
"My brothers taught me when I was little. It was one of the few things we could all do together because of the age differences."
"How many brothers you got girl?"
"5, all of them older than me. The oldest has 12 years on me and the youngest has 3."
"What're they're names?"
"Patrick, Ian, the twins Shawn and Shamus, and then Collin. Poker is how we all put ourselves through school."
"So you a t'ief jus like Gambit."
"I wouldn't say I'm a thief I just liberate the pocket of wealthy students so put the less fortunate through college." Remy listened to Sky talk about her college life when he became very curious about her years in grade school.
"So tell Gambit what you were like in high school."
"What were you like back in high school?"
"Didn't go, besides I asked you first."
"Alright how about you guess and I'll tell you if you're right or not." Gambit nodded.
"Ok well you're real smart so probably first in your class. Horticulture club, liked by everyone, prom queen." At that Skylar laughed, "what, did I get something wrong?"
"You're right about me being smart, but I wasn't number one in my class, Kat was, I hated history so I was only number 16. We didn't have a horticulture club, but I was a member of the gardening club however my passion was actually dance."
"Dance?"
"Don't look at me like it's so unbelievable. I loved dancing back then. As for the prom queen thing I never had a chance. I was liked in high school, but I wasn't the head cheerleader. I did go to the dance with the prom king though."
"So this prom king he…"
"I'm not talking about him." Gambit immediately dropped it and moved on to a safer topic. He and Sky continued to talk until pink streaks could be seen in the morning sky. Gambit walked Skylar to her room, but was unprepared for the sweet look she gave him because her guard was down. Remy cupped her face and ran his thumb under her tired eyes.
"Didn't I say keep your hands to yourself?" Remy smiled at her, she resisted the urge to lean into the gesture and stepped away to put space between them.
"Aw Têtue you're killing me, and Remy thought we were havin' a moment." Skylar smiled which made him grab his heart like it was giving out. "Alright you win Gambit will leave you to rest."
"Good night Remy and thank you." Gambit gave her a suave bow and left as she gently closed the door. "You are way out of you're depth with this one Sky. Don't get in any deeper then you have to." Skylar sighed and turned out the lights to climb into her bed that for the first time she realized was cold and lonely. That last thing she thought before she drifted to sleep was what did he call me?