The next morning, Rogue woke up with a headache.
She probably needed to stop drinking that much, especially strong flavors like bourbon. She never drank bourbon for god's sake, maybe that swamp snake was influencing her in a bad way. What happened to the girl that literally drank everything but whiskey? She knew Logan loved whiskey every once in a while, but beer was his everyday drink. Erik preferred fancier drinks like gin tonic or martini and the other psyches really didn't have the luxury to pick a favorite since they were way, way back in her mind.
Okay, from now on, she wasn't going to drink if not necessary. No, bullshit, she knew she was going to, but she was going to choose what to drink herself.
She rolled onto the other side of the bed, facing the bathroom door and realized that shower was on. She sighed, recalling yesterday's incident in which she literally touched herself fantasizing about someone else's memory. A part of her was shrugging it off, as if it was like reading a harlequin novel but a major part of her was deeply embarrassed by the fact that they were someone else's private fucking memories.
Not to mention, it was his memory.
She wasn't denying the fact that the man was like a walking Greek god, with the body of a warrior and a face of a lover. She licked her lips at the thought, he was pretty much the main character from every romance book she had ever read, an old soul with a bad boy persona. She knew from experience that he was a ladies man and wasn't someone to settle down. He looked like the type to enjoy the thrill of a new face every night.
And Rogue? She was a woman who didn't like changes, because changes meant problems and that's all she had in her life. It was like a heartbeat monitor at the hospitals, really. One moment she was at peace and the next she was fighting for her life at the Ellis Island. Heartbeat rate normal, then high.
Again, everything was nice until her home, the mansion, was attacked by Stryker's army and losing Jean at the end. Heartbeat rate normal, then up to the ceiling.
Then she was, again, back to normal after some grieving and taking the cure. And Jean was somehow resurrected and Magneto flew her to San Francisco, Logan ending up killing the woman he loved and Professor dying because of the Phoenix. Heartbeat rate normal, then up to the fucking space.
In conclusion, she didn't like changes. No, more like she loathed changes. She wanted peace and persistence and she thought the only person who could give her what she wanted was herself and that's why she was on the road discovering herself.
That was, of course, until she met Remy.
It wasn't like he was preventing her from exploring herself, on the contrary, he was pushing her to discover more. However, she still wasn't feeling all too comfortable with his way of thinking –such as the heist. But hey, that was exploring, wasn't it?
She gave herself a good stretch and got off the bed, wearing black cotton shorts and half sleeved matching top. It was one of the first things she had grabbed from Bree's store, a girl needed some pajamas for bed after all.
She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and turned on the television, grabbing a bottle of water nearby. Eyes on the screen, she nearly choked as a pair walked down the red carpet, flashing million dollar smiles at the press. Emma Frost looked stunningly beautiful in her white dress and her date was of course, Sebastian Shaw looked all cleaned up in his overly expensive looking suit. She literally ran towards the bathroom door as to knock on it, trying to let Remy know that the people they were going to steal from were on the magazine programs. But she found her body slam against a rock hard statue and she fell back but the fall never came as a pair of arms grabbed her by the waist.
"If Remy had known y' were eager t' join him in the shower, p'tite, he would wait for y'," he whispered huskily, his breath inches away from her face as he held her tighter.
Taken aback for a moment, she couldn't help but let her eyes travel all around his upper body. He was damp from the shower, his hair loose on his broad shoulders and some water drops were dripping sweetly down his chest. She sucked in her breath and mentally slapped herself for checking him out in a situation like this, so she slapped his shoulder and he let out a chuckle, releasing her off to her feet.
She pointed towards the screen and rolled her eyes at him. "Ah was tryin' to let you know that Frost and Shaw are having red carpet moment."
That got his attention and he got all serious, stepping up towards the television and turning up the volume.
The greatest socialite gala is being held at no other place than the marvelous Las Vegas. Having said that it will be a fundraiser for children in need, elitists all around the glove are expected to join the spectacular gala. Rumor has it, one handsome multi-millionaire has already given his word to donate more than half a million to the Hellfire Club and earning our hearts by his affectionate generosity.
Remy furrowed his brows at the mention of the millionaire, trying to figure out why he was making a major guest appearance. More importantly, it was no longer at its previous place, but the gala was relocated in Las Vegas. His mind was racing with upcoming theories, like why it was happening in Vegas. Was there a threat? No, were there any other unwanted guests other than himself?
Rogue sensed his tenseness and bit her lip, she knew she was new to this all, but relocating wasn't supposed to be something good, right? She watched as he let himself fall to the couch, leaning back as his eyes never left the screen. He was overthinking and it was obvious, it wasn't like they couldn't get into the building in Vegas, was it?
"Are you a good one?"
"Hm?" he muttered, one hand rubbing his temple as he still watched the screen.
"Are you a good thief?"
His eyes snapped at her figure, chewing on her lip nervously as her green eyes fumed with questions. He cocked his head and blinked, what kind of a question was that? "Oui," he eyed her carefully, trying to figure out where this was headed. He really wasn't in the mood to brag about being the best, when he knew he was the best.
"Then we're good, sugah," she shrugged and sat beside him, earning a puzzled look from him. "If you can get into buildings without getting' caught, you can do it in any building, right?"
"I need t' be prepared, chére," he shook his head. "I need floor plans, structure plans and whole new level of security data. Not sayin' I can't, I definitely can, but it just means more work and we have a short time."
Rogue thought about the information he gave her, letting all that sink in. Okay, so he needed to work and she was no help, of course. If he needed some solitude, she could give it to him. Easy.
"Okay, swamp rat," she said, after a moment of silence. "You do your thing, plan your breakin' in. And me, Ah'll live you alone with your homework and have day off by myself, how about that?"
Remy eyed her very carefully, unsure of what do to obviously. She sighed and rolled her eyes in return, she wasn't going to run away. It wasn't her habit to abandon the mission when things got rough even if it were twisted as this. "Ain't goin' anywhere, Cajun," she assured him. "Ah'm just givin' you some space to work."
He was still doubting things, but he knew he needed to work his ass off all day. He had to make phone calls to get the information he wanted and he knew by heart that she would just ask too many questions on how he did gather those info. It was actually nice of her to offer some space, but he was also considering the fact that she could run off now that plans have changed. "Just need a couple of hours," he said finally, his crimson eyes darting dangerously at her.
She shrugged and got up, grabbing her nicely folded clothes from the chair and headed to bathroom.
He suppressed a loud growl. How the fuck everything was twisted in just a single day? Her progress was heartening, he was being more and more confident in himself to teach her things and of course, he was more than happy to know they would succeed the heist. Now he was fucked and he needed to get his head together if he wanted to keep up with the situation.
Rogue came back a couple of minutes later, all freshen up and looking stunning. She pulled off looking just beautiful without even trying and it was actually strange for him to acknowledge that. Of course he had met women who were beautiful even without make up, but she looked breathtakingly pretty. She was dressed in black jeans and knee high casual boots, a matching tank top and her leather jacket –that was even considered basic attire and she was still stunning.
"Remy?"
Fuck, he wasn't following but rather drooling at her effortless beauty. He hummed something back as if he was listening and she eyed him suspiciously, but let it go. She waved a hand just to say nevermind and grabbed her burner phone. "Call me if you need anythin'," she said, fixing her hair and turning over to walk over to the room, but he grabbed her arm gently and looked at her briefly, before putting a credit card in her palm. She blinked in surprise and was about to protest when she remembered having no cash, thanks to the very swamp rat.
So she sighed and accepted the card anyway. "Thanks," she muttered nervously. "But Ah'd be happy if Ah solved my own cash problem, you know, Ah'm broke since you robbed me –and yes, Ah'm remindin' you this again. Maybe Ah can go to the bank today, would that be a problem?" she asked, not asking for permission of course, but rather she was trying to know if it was okay to carry her own credit card when they were on a mission and they were kind of laying low. Her real name on a card would be bad, wouldn't it? Bu then again, maybe it wouldn't.
A grin appeared on his face when she mentioned the robbery once again, he shook his head. "Sorry, p'tite. Y' gonna have t' use this one for a while, feel free t' use it however y' want."
She gave him a pout and felt her shoulder sulk in momentarily before she looked at the card in her hand. A platinum?
Hold on, who the fuck was Robert Lord?
Giving her an amused look after seeing the confusion on her face, he dramatically took a bow in front of her and grabbed her gloved hand, giving a brief kiss on top of her hand. "Robert Lord, at your service," he announced, a mischievous spark in his crimson eyes.
Rogue shook her head in disbelief but a matching grin appeared on her lips. "Good god, Cajun, you're full of surprises," she said, sighing. "And here Ah thought it was stolen or somethin'."
"Steal, moi?" he looked horrified and kind of offended, but shook his head playfully. "Never, chére."
She groaned. He was impossible, but she didn't fight the idea of him being charming anymore. She didn't try to hide that she was amused, when truthfully she shouldn't have, really. She was going against her morals and her beliefs for the last couple of days, yet she wasn't feeling bad and she decided that it wasn't normal.
"It's yours, right?" she double checked it, sure of herself that she would feel horrible if that was someone else's card. Not that she was going on a shopping spree, but it wasn't right even if she bought a single coffee with another person's card.
He let out a soft chuckle and gave her a nod. "Fake alias, y' get used t' it after a while."
She nodded back and turned towards the door. Casting a final glance in his way, she literally drank his look and repressed a sudden sigh at his unreal body. He was still wrapped in a towel, his hair less damp than he was before, but still he was watching her in that shape and she realized she was holding her breath. Before she made it more obvious that she was checking him out, she quickly waved a hand awkwardly and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind.
When she got to the lobby, she came across the fact that she didn't think the whole plan through. The closest town was about a fifteen minute drive and she didn't think about the car either. Shrugging off the uneasiness, she decided to call a cab but she remembered having no cash and there was no way she would walk that far under the sun.
She let out an exasperated sigh and put her hand in her back pocket in a meaningless motion, however she frowned when her hand touched something. Grabbing the thing in her pocket, her eyes widened as she looked at the one hundred dollar bill in her hand. Where the hell did that come from?
Oh, that swamp snake.
A soft smile appeared on her lips and she shook her head in disbelief. Okay, she was going to take a cab and get to the nearest town to have some time of her own, which she did.
The cab ride was a little boring, the driver didn't want to be bothered, nor did she. He dropped her off in some place that looked quite like the town they had visited a day before, she found herself in the closest coffee shop as soon as possible and ordered a cinnamon latte. Since absorbing Remy's memory last night, she couldn't get rid of the scent of cinnamon out of her head. And she sighed softly at the delicious flavor when she took a sip, reminding her of southern breeze.
Almost felt like home.
Walking in the town with her take away latte, she came across an old library and cheered silently. It was one of her guilty pleasures back in the mansion, she would sneak out of her room in the middle of the night and go to the library to find some solitude. Xavier had created such a beautiful and large library and everything was accessible to the students. She even found some of her harlequin novels there, no kidding.
This library, however, looked ancient and dusty. At first, Rogue thought nobody was around, but she realized there was an old man wiping off the dust off the books in another section. He was small, his spine kind of bent inwards due to his old age and he was wearing two different eyeglasses. Rogue walked up to him and waved a hand. "Hi," she said, eyes on the dusty books he was trying to clean.
"Oh," the old man smiled. "Hello, dear."
"Do you mind if Ah take a look around?" she asked nicely, she didn't know if the library was open to public after all.
"Not at all!" he gave her a cheerful sound. "Feel free."
Rogue gave him a sheepish smile and began walking around the sections. Her favorites were romance novels, of course and the section was right there in front of her. Instinctively, she reached out for a book and read the back cover. But surely she wasn't going back to the hotel with a dirty book, she looked horrified thinking about the teasing Remy would do if he ever saw that book.
Shaking her head, she put the book where it belonged and walked into a different section. This was rather a small library and the books were all kind of damaged and dusty. She pouted, it wasn't what she had imagined walking in, but still it was okay.
She accidentally bumped her shoulder into one of the shelves, and made a face. She didn't really drop any book, but the name of the section caught her interest. Architecture. Her fingertips wandered around the books to see if any of the names caught her attention and she huffed after not finding anything. New York's Most Magical Properties, Top Ten Architectural Mysteries in Chicago, Unbelievable Hotels and Buildings in Las Vegas, Southern vs Northern Houses, Canada's Most Viewed Properties.
There was nothing interesting, no wait. She quickly grabbed the third book in the first shelf and quickly looked through the pages. She wasn't sure which building the gala was going to take place, but from the knowledge she had gotten from Remy, these people weren't the type to rent or buy small properties. Their taste in places matched their ego perfectly.
Returning to the first section where the old man was doing some cleaning, Rogue greeted the man again. "Ah wanna buy this," she informed, showing him the book she was holding.
"That old thing? Such an odd choice," the old man smiled. "Are you an architecture student?"
She bit her lip. "Yeah."
"By all means, take it," he waved a hand nonchalantly.
"No, Ah can't take it," she protested. "Ah can pay, it wouldn't be right."
"Dear, no one usually ever goes over Architecture section. Those books will turn into dust someday, if you need it, just take it," the old man shrugged, a smile on his lips. "You would make me happy, at least I would know that it's for a good use."
Good use? Well, she wasn't sure.
She sighed and thanked the man nervously, he grabbed an empty shopping bag and placed the book in and waved a hand, she walked out of the library with a little guilt. The man was kind enough to give her the book for free and she was going to use it for heist purposes. How very noble of her.
She was drifting off to feeling ashamed when someone bumped into her and she turned back with a glare. "Hey!" she exclaimed, as the man didn't seem to apologize since his back was facing her. "Watch where you're goin'."
"What did you say?" The man began but soon after he cut himself off, turning around as he took off his hood and furrowed his brows. "Rogue?"
Holy shit.
"John?" she frowned, confusion all over her face. "What are you doin' here?"
He raised his brows, looking confused as her. "What are you doing here?" he asked back in a defensive position, unsure of how to react in this situation.
Rogue shrugged, fixing her posture to look less irritated. "Okay, no answers on this one then," she offered and he simply nodded his head.
He eyed her from head to toe, trying to decide what was new and different with her. The Rogue he knew was annoying in his dictionary and he hated that, but this Rogue however looked rather nice, as in badass –or maybe it was because she was dressed in all blacks, but she still looked confident. Something he appreciated in his kind. "You look different."
"So do you," she replied back, a hand on her hip.
"Mags is gone," he shrugged. "I've been here and there, it does that to some people."
"Ah know," she said, studying him back. "Ah'm glad, though."
John let out a snort, but he looked rather amused. "We never saw things eye to eye, Rogue, so I already figured you'd be glad."
"Yeah," she trailed off. "Still, Ah'm sorry that it didn't work out for you."
John looked at her carefully, seriously something was different with this girl. He even felt sympathetic towards her, which was even more eerie. "It's alright," he said, a hand on his blonde hair. "Don't really think Bobby would've said the same thing, but who the hell cares."
Rogue gave him a nonchalant shrug. "Ah wouldn't know," she wrapped an arm around herself. "It's been a while since Ah last saw him."
Oh, so that was new. They had broken up.
"You dumped him or he dumped you?"
She rolled her eyes, here came the John she knew. "Not that it's any of your business, nor does it matter, but it was me."
He let out a whistle. "Didn't know you had it in you," he grinned, making her resist the urge to roll her eyes again. "Do you have some time?" he asked casually. "I really need a drink and I'd like the company."
Rogue hesitated for a moment. John was nothing but a dick to her when he was around, even when he left, so she really didn't understand the sudden friendliness. However, he had found a place in somewhere –even if they certain somewhere was Magneto's sick little group of mutants, and he had lost it. So yeah, he was back to being an outcast again and she was a friendly face from his past.
"Okay," she found herself saying, following after him as he began walking into the second street to walk into a bar. Much to her surprise, the bar was open and it was kind of crowded. John easily blended in the crowd and she looked like a teenager whom just witnessed something so cool.
Sliding into the nearest bar stool, he ordered a beer and looked at her, she did the same and they exchanged looks before their drinks arrived. Fuck, it was weird to just casually chat with this guy who literally tried to kill her friends –but hey, that was life, wasn't it?
"So, why did you dump him?" John asked out of the blue, taking a sip from his beer.
She sighed out loud, but maybe it would feel good to talk to him since he was a part of her past, too. He had been there, he had lived there. He had known her friends, they were once his friends too. "Ah got the cure," she revealed the elephant in the room, waiting for him to verbally spit out the verbal vomit but strangely, he didn't.
"Pathetic move, but okay," he shrugged. "Then?"
She gaped. "Who are you and what did you do to Pyro?" she asked in disbelief before she took a big sip from her beer.
John gave her a small grin. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "I just don't give a fuck anymore, you know?" he added, not really caring about some mutants betraying their nature especially since he knew from some of his colleagues that it wasn't permanent.
Yeah, she knew.
"Okay," she continued. "Ah got the cure, so Ah wasn't there when shit went down in Alcatraz. Anyway, when everything was over, we decided to give it a shot at bein' a normal couple. Didn't do much of it, lots of arguin' and fights. And he still went on and cheated and that was even before when the cure failed."
John looked at her in disbelief, his jaw dropped at the certain word. "Cheated as in?"
"Fucked someone else," she snorted, gulping down her beer and he quickly repeated her action. There was silence for a moment before a series of questions appeared in his mind.
"With who?"
Rogue gave him an annoyed look, not at him, but rather annoyed at the topic. "Kitty."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he said, his fingers playing with his favorite lighter. "That really shouldn't come as a huge surprise, that bitch was always following him around. But I never took Drake to be the cheating type."
She cocked her head, ordering another round of beers. "You and me both, sugah," she sighed. "But even after everything Ah don't really hate him, don't think Ah can, you know? Not that Ah don't hate what he did, 'cause Ah fuckin' do, but he wasn't always bad."
John sighed and nodded his head, eyes fixed on his beer. He didn't hate him either, sure he liked teasing him and sometimes resented his stubborn thick headed skull, but really Bobby Drake was a likeable guy. "You know," he began, his face down. "I blamed you a lot, for ruining what I had with Bobby, but it was him. It was just easier to fucking blame it on someone else," he admitted. "And for fuck's sake, you were so annoying with all the can't touch me and stay away behavior, I wanted to punch you numerous times."
Instead of taking offense, she actually laughed out loud at his comment. "Screw you, John," she shook her head, feeling strangely amused. "You can't touch me, what can Ah do about that? Put on a t-shirt that said can't touch this?"
He looked at her seriously before bursting into laughter. "Oh, fucking hell. Rogue makes a joke and it's a good one, we are doomed."
She shook her head playfully and drank her beer. He made a cheers gesture and both gulped down their second drinks. "Ah make good jokes, fireboy," she rolled her eyes. "You just don't know it."
John lit a cigarette with his lighter and turned towards her, eyes on the shot glasses then back at her –as if asking her if she would want to take shots. She eyed him back and narrowed her eyes, she would never turn down a challenge and him of all people should have known that.
First pair of shots were neat vodka, both successfully emptied the glasses. The second shots were mixed with vodka and tequila, and this time she made a face after she drank it, but he didn't seem to mind the burning sensation in his throat. And the third shots, oh god, fucking killed her throat.
She closed her eyes and let out a laugh. "Ah've never been drunk during the day," she said, looking at him. "You're a bad influence."
He snorted. "The story of my life, sheila," he shook his head and he cleared his throat softly. "Did he say anything about me?"
"Who, Bobby?" she furrowed her brows, accepting another beer from him. "Yeah, all the time."
"What did he say?"
"He was sad as hell, John," she shrugged softly. "He would snap at people whenever your name came up."
"So, he missed me."
"Yeah, he did."
"I missed him too."
Rogue looked at him and for the first time, she acknowledged what the hell was missing from the duo. He had fucking loved him, John fucking loved Bobby and she gaped at that. "Fuck," she let out after a long silence, finally having the words to say. "Ah never knew."
"You weren't supposed to," he said, drinking. "I didn't even know back then, it just fucking happened. Another reason to hate you, right?" he gave her a nervous laugh.
She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Taking a deep breath, she did the only think that was easy and drank half of the glass, making a face after that. Her mind was beginning to feel dizzy and something else gave her uneasiness too. Guilt? She had nothing to do with this, it was between her ex-boyfriend and her former friend, so what was there to feel guilty about? Nah, maybe it was pity –not in a bad, mean way but rather, she was feeling for John. He had so much passion, so much drive inside him that just turned into a something twisted. He took all his anger and his rejection and turned them into hate, using it as a weapon for the mutant cause.
All because the man he loved chose her.
She gave him a sigh and eyed him slowly. "Ah don't know how he feels about you," she stated. "But you're responsible for your damn self, John. You can't keep blaming people for everything that's ever happened." She shook her head when he was about to protest. "Ah know you might not be doin' that now, but you used to. You may be a changed man now, so move on. If it's meant to be between you two, you'll eventually find your way back, right?"
John nearly choked on his drink when she said the last sentence and cast a look at her. "Oh, my fucking god. Never in a million years, would I imagine talking about this with you of all people."
"Ah'm not that bad," she said, giving him a grin. "Ah did care about you back then, you were my friend whether you like it or not. Instead of sulkin' like a five year old, grow the fuck up and live your life."
"Hold up," he shook his head in disbelief. "Am I talking to Mystique right now? The Rogue I knew was never this chill to begin with and you're telling me to fucking live my live? What the fuck happened to you, sheila?"
Rogue shrugged, gulping down the rest of the beer. "Ah left the institute."
He made a dramatic gesture, hand on his forehead and mouth gaped at her in shock. "What?" he asked, eyes widened. "You left? Why?"
"Didn't feel like it used to be, you know," she sighed. "Everyone's gone, John. Ah just didn't feel attached to the place like Ah used to."
"I take it Wolverine left too?"
"Yup."
He nodded. "Yeah and stuck in a place with your ex and the girl he cheated with was enough to drive you insane and you left. Ballsy move, Rogue, for the first time congrats."
She gave him a soft smile. "Ah feel good," she said, realizing the fact for the first time since she left the mansion. "Is there a better way for a gal to explore the world other than to go on a journey?"
"Journey," he repeated with a sigh. "Are you a one hundred percent sure that you and Logan aren't related?"
She laughed out loud and gave him a little shove. Feeling the drinks kicking in, she tapped on the counter with her hand and let her eyes travel through the screen on the bar, trying to decide what to order next. John did the same before he ordered a couple of more shots and much to her surprise, they were flaming shots.
Rogue rolled her eyes at his choice of drinks, but went on with it anyway. One of the drinks wasn't flaming like the rest, so he did a trick with his fingers, letting it on fire. She smiled at his proud look and let him have the first round.
The music that was being played in the bar was a little loud and was encouraging people to feel more alive. As the time passed, it became more crowded and she was surprised to see a place full of customers in such a small town. A girl was sitting next to John and she was eyeing him from head to toe, Rogue suppressed a laugh and grabbed a shot, lifting it up in a cheers gesture.
"Na zdrovia." he cheered lively and gulped his shot down, unaware of the woman next to him.
Rogue shook her head with a laugh and sent him a confused look. "Was that Russian?"
"Yeah," he grinned proudly. "Learned from a boy in Moscow."
"Moscow," she repeated with a matching grin. So he hadn't been as depressed as she originally thought, he had been travelling and seeing people. But still, a part of him was still in New York which was something she could relate. Blinking away the unwanted thoughts and analysis, she grinned and leaned in a little. "The girl next to you is checkin' you out."
John looked confused before casting a glance at the blonde woman, offered her a soft smile and turned his head back to his former friend. "What can I say?" he shrugged, feeling a little uneasy at the sudden interest. "Don't swing that way."
Rogue couldn't help but grin at his openness, especially after they had never been close before. But here he was talking to her as if they were best of friends, being open and accepting and she was quite confused with all of that. The only thing that was actually comforting was the fact that he was one of her oldest friends, someone who had known her ever since she took a step into the institute. He knew every damn thing that ever happened to her, until he left the mansion of course.
And he offered to pay majority of the drinks as well, which was very odd for him.
She had to double check that it was Pyro and not some shapeshifter either.
When she felt like she couldn't handle any more drinks, she leaned back to her stool and looked around. People began dancing with the pumped up rhythm and she felt the lights were moving. After a moment, she realized it wasn't the lights but the world. Her head was spinning.
She looked at the blonde man as he put a hand on the counter to support his weight, he was as fucked up as she was. She closed her eyes momentarily, but she realized it was worse when she opened them. She needed to get some fresh air and the cigarette smoke wasn't helping any.
"John, Ah think Ah'm gonna take off," she informed him, he looked up from the position where he laid his head down the counter and gave her a nod. Before she got up, he grabbed a napkin and asked for a pen, writing his number and handing it to her.
She grabbed the napkin and nodded. Neither of them was in a talking position, he offered her his number so she could call him if she wanted, because the night had quite been easy and enjoyable for both of them. No questions asked about their jobs or the fuck they were doing at the moment, they just were an old face in a new world.
She grabbed the shopping bag and walked out of the bar. The cold breeze hit her as soon as she was out and she took a deep breath to calm her mind. A couple of deep breaths later, the world was no longer spinning.
She stopped a cab randomly and tried to keep her eyes open through the whole ride to the hotel and she tried hard not to look at the traffic lights since it only made it worse. Giving a twenty dollar bill to the driver, she dizzily walked into the hotel and it was truly a miracle she remembered the name of the place she was staying.
Knocking on the door of the room, she tried to keep still but her body failed her and she leaned into the door sill. The door opened immediately and Remy literally shot daggers at her with his crimson eyes. "Where the fuck have y' been?" he asked harshly and she literally winced at his tone.
"Out," she tried, walking past him to lay down on her soft and sweet bed. She looked at her bed longingly before he grabbed her arm and turned her towards him.
"Are y' drunk?" he asked, furrowing his brows disapprovingly. She eyed him carefully, or at least as carefully as she could. He was wearing a black shirt and matching trousers, his shoulder length hair was messy, making him look effortlessly handsome.
"No," she argued, trying to let her arm loose but his grip was tight. She tried a couple of more times only to fail miserably and she gave him an annoyed huff in return, her steps trying to keep her balance.
"Putain d'enfer," he shook his head. "Y' are drunk."
She rolled her eyes as best as she could. "So what, Ah drank a little," she said, still unable to free her arm. "Are you plannin' on lettin' go of me, swamp rat?" she protested, trying to wiggle her arm out of his grip and he did as he was told, he let go of her arm but she wasn't prepared and it was exactly when she tried to pull, eventually ended up falling backwards.
He grabbed her just in the right second, his arms wrapped around her waist like a snake and slowly lifted her up. Her green eyes fixated on his reds, blinking heavily as he didn't let go of her. It was then he realized that her gloved hands also clenched on his arms, trying to keep her in balance. He gave her a sigh before he let his finger swipe a messy white streak behind her ear, which was coming to her eyes and she closed her eyes in comfort. She realized some warmth on her cheek, only to realize his half gloved hand was caressing it softly. She didn't dare to look away from his beautiful eyes.
He should have been mad and he was, but as soon as she walked in, his anger turned into relief. He was so damn worried and he hated being worried. Caring for other people, other than his loved ones, wasn't something he was familiar with and she was making him worry for her, he hated that.
They did agree on for a couple of hours of solitude and it was nearly midnight. He had every right to be pissed, especially since he was attacked by Sabretooth a couple of days ago. A series of paranoid questions appeared in his mind, driving him insane with possibilities.
"Let's get y' to bed," he mumbled softly, earning a slow nod from her and removing his arms.
She walked towards the bed and grabbed her pajamas, quickly disappearing into the bathroom as he stared at her. She had been out and drinking, not answering her damn phone and not making any contact with him. Of course, he had been furious. But now, he realized that his upcoming anger was turning to be about her drinking alone or with company, and he didn't have a fucking clue on why he was being upset about that fact.
She came back with her black shorts and her half sleeved top, her hair still in a messy ponytail. She rubbed her temple and looked at him, only to realize he was staring at her exposed legs. Her face flushed with red and she cleared her throat. "Can Ah have some water?" she asked, pulling the sheets aside.
He handed her the bottle and cocked his head. Fuck, he wanted to bomb her with a lot of questions –many of which wasn't his business but anyway, but she looked exhausted and like she was about to pass out anytime soon. "The phone was with y'?" he asked at least, making her frown and cast him a puzzled look.
"Of course it was."
That made him snort. "Care t' tell me why y' didn't answer?" he shot her an annoyed look, but he asked as softly as he could possibly manage with his frustration.
"What are you talkin' about," she reached out and grabbed her folded jeans, hands digging into the pockets and finding the phone. She looked at the missed calls and gaped at him.
Oh.
8 missed calls.
Her green eyes fixated on his face, which looked flat as hell. Somehow she didn't hear the phone ringing at the bar or maybe somehow it went into silent mode. But either way, he was worried and it was because of her carelessness. "Ah'm sorry," she began, closing her eyes at the dizziness. "Ah must've not heard it, the music was loud and we were talkin'." She kept on blabbing as she waved a hand in the air nonchalantly. "But that's not an excuse of course."
The music? She was at the bar. Of course she was, she had been drinking after all. But what did she mean by we were talking? Same uneasiness hit him and he hated that again, she had company.
She remembered she still had his credit card, so she grabbed her jeans again and got frustrated when she couldn't find the card. Thinking it was the best idea, she shook it upside down letting a couple of things fall to the floor and she actually chuckled when she realized it wasn't the best idea.
Good god, she liked being drunk.
He was still standing close to her, his face showing no signs of discomfort whatsoever. His eyes focused on the items being spread on the floor, his credit card, a napkin and some cash with pennies. He reached out and grabbed the napkin, as she picked up the cash and the card.
There was a messy writing on the napkin, a phone number with the name John as if it was written by a toddler. He suppressed an annoyed snort as he gave it back, as she handed him the credit card, putting the cash on the nightstand. "Thanks," she said in an amused tone. "And also for the cash, you sneaky Cajun," she added with a grin, trying to blink away the sudden spinning of the room.
His mind was still on this John as she spoke, so he just nodded his head. His silence was odd and unnerving, so she did something else without thinking through. She took a step forward and brushed his lips with her own, stunning him all over. He was taken aback, so much that he didn't even have time to respond when she stepped back and gave him a soft smile, before letting her body fall onto the bed with a satisfied sigh, covering herself with the sheets as he stared at her dumbfounded.
"Goodnight, swamp rat," she muttered, closing her eyes and curling herself into a ball under the sheets.
It took him a moment before he found his voice. "Night, chére," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear. Casting a final glance at her sleeping position, he sighed and walked towards the couch.
She didn't even notice that he was back to his couch, her mind was spinning enough to drift her into a deep sleep. Before she did, however, she suppressed a giggle at the thought that she had literally promised to stop drinking this morning.
And she got drunker than ever the very same day.
Maybe it wasn't bad after all.