If you're reading the "T" version of this story on FFN, the second part of this chapter is going to have about three-fourths removed. You're definitely going to miss anything I wouldn't want my 14 yo daughter reading. You won't, however, miss a ton of important plot details as I will be sure to revise it so you can still get the main idea of what's happening in this chapter.

I will say there are some insinuations and implied situations, though nothing is detailed. I really had a hard time figuring out what was "T" and where to cut things without losing a lot of the important plot details. There was a fair bit of editing and a bit of re-writing. If you feel like this is still too much for a "T" rating, please let me know and I will gladly take suggestions for how to fix it to be more appropriate for that audience. (I'm talking to you, Birdy! *wink* )
I do feel like I did a pretty decent job, however. There is definitely nothing explicitly, and I know my teenager has seen PG-13 shows/movies that have more explicit content. *facepalm*

There ARE Some weird/disjointed areas where it seems to jump around or be very abrupt. Apologies, but this is kind of a result of cutting out 10 plus pages of content to make sure it's appropriate for the rating. Hopefully it is still enjoyable and doesn't detract from the story.

~X~X~X~X~X~
GETTING WARMER
CHAPTER 28: ONE NIGHT ONLY
~X~X~X~X~X~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Rogue shot upright from the slightly charred sleeping bag as she was torn from the throes of her most violent dream yet. Her whole body ached and, as she felt Gambit sit up quickly and put his good arm around her back, she tried not to lash out at him.

"Merde," his groggy voice murmured near her ear. "'S'okay, petite. I gotcha. Fais dodo, chère," he mumbled groggily.

Rogue barely registered his words as she alternately gagged and hyperventilated, trying to brush his arms away from her. She felt sick and claustrophobic, and absolutely didn't want to be touched – even by Remy.

Sensing her still rising panic, he sat up and tried to comfort her. "Rogue, you alright? What happened petite?" Remy removed his hand from her shoulder, placing it on her knee, instead.

Immediately she flinched at the touch, and tried to crawl away from him. Remy caught the sheen of her sweaty, tear-soaked face in the faint sliver of moonlight and instinctively knew this Apocalypse-induced vision had been MUCH different than the last.

"Rogue, come back to me, chère. Tell me what happened. Where you hurt?" Remy coaxed as she choked on a sob. She was desperately trying to clamor away from him, but she was shaking so badly she could hardly sit up. "You with me?" She didn't respond, other than the frenzied attempt to get away, and he couldn't tell if she was still in the throes of whatever vision she was experiencing. He just knew that the threat of those guards was higher than ever, and he couldn't risk her leaving the safety of the overhanging tree. "Stop, chère. Come 'ere."

When she shook her head no and tried to escape the warmed confines of their makeshift lean-to, clawing at the tattered sleeping bag and occasionally retching, he simply reached out, and, hauling her gently by the waist with his good arm, pulled her back under the low-hanging branches.

"No! NO! Please… please don't. Don't touch me!" the southerner shrieked, begging in between sobs as she wrapped her arms around her midsection.

"Fais dodo, petite. Shh. S'okay, Rogue." Remy soothed her gently, unsure if she was still ravelled up in the throes of another Apocalypse induced vision. The way she tended to walk, talk, and run away during those 'dreams' made it nearly impossible to tell if she was addressing him, or someone in her mind.

"Remy's here, I got you now." He ducked his head, trying to see if she was indeed awake, and was heartened by the fact that at least her eyes were open. Dread twisted in his stomach, however, as she continued to choke and gag. His spine stiffened as she cried almost uncontrollably. Something was very, very wrong. Even the last vision, when they'd both awoken in tears, hadn't been so emotionally tumultuous as this. His latent empathy was practically screaming at him, and he had to quell his body's own instinctive reaction to her fear and pain.

When she didn't quiet, Remy pulled her into his lap, cradling her head against his good shoulder. "Rogue, y' gotta calm down petite. Remember to breathe. It's all right; it's over now. S' just a dream. Breathe, ma chère. Fais dodo, remember? Just a dream. Shh."

In his best french lilt, Remy sang softly, his right hand smoothing up and down over Rogue's bare arm. "Fais dodo Colas, mon petite frère. Fais dodo turaus du lolo…" Goosebumps littered her chilled flesh, and he rubbed a little more vigorously while pulling the tattered sleeping bag over her knees and sock-covered feet with his injured arm. Sitting across his lap with her knees drawn up to her chest protectively, the shortened black dress rode up on Rogue's thighs almost indecently, but Remy was far too concerned about her mental state to notice.

As he continued singing quietly, rocking her in his lap as if she were a small child, he felt her start to relax ever so slightly. With her arms wrapped tightly around her abdomen, she allowed him to continue the rhythmic swaying, almost melting into him. Still, another dry heave followed a shudder, and a gush of liquid emotion escaped her eyes.

Remy hugged her to his chest a little tighter, his own eyes stinging from unshed tears when she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Her face was wet with anguish, and his breath caught. Her suffering was so acute, so heart wrenching, that he was starting to feel a little hysterical himself. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and encouraged her to do the same. "Dat's right chère, jus' breathe. In and out. In…" he took a deep breath through his nose to demonstrate, "and out." He released it slowly through his mouth. "Fais DoDo…"

Continuing the process a few times, Remy spoke gently and soothingly to the terrified girl as he continued to rub her back and arm rhythmically, breathing in unison with his words. Only when she had stopped sobbing and began to pattern her breathing with his own did he dare loosen his grip on her.

"Bien petite. Dat's good. Y're safe now. He can't hurt y' here."

She sniffled quietly in response, and Remy felt her chin wobble against his collarbone.

"Y' wanna talk about it?" he asked gently, but she violently shook her head in a silent 'no.'

He let it be and simply continued to rock and soothe her. Rubbing her back gently, he sang 'Fais dodo' again, the words slowly melting into a quiet hum until long after his legs had fallen asleep.

~X~

After nearly 20 minutes, Rogue's breathing finally returned to normal and she took one last shuddering breath before she spoke, cutting off Remy's barely audible humming.

"Is there any water left?" she whispered quietly in the darkness. Her voice was harsh and cracked from crying, and Remy's heart broke for her all over again.

Without removing her from his lap, he reached behind them and grabbed one of the water bottles. It was almost full, but Rogue quickly drained it as she sucked down the cool liquid to soothe her throat. Wiping her mouth with the back of her bare arm, she replaced the cap on the now empty container and handed it back to Remy.

"Thanks," she muttered softly, resting her temple against his good shoulder once more.

"O' course chère. Do ya need anything else?"

She shook her head silently.

"Are y' hurt?" he asked, tilting his head to try and see her face.

Still enveloped in his arms, she turned away from his gaze and shrugged. She could still feel her body throbbing from what Apocalypse had done to her in the vision. The physical pain was slowly fading, just as it always did when he hurt her during her dreams, and it didn't feel like she was bleeding at least.

"Is that a yes, or a no petite?" Remy asked after her moment of contemplation.

She shrugged again.

"Well if'n you don't know, mebbe Remy just needs to check for himself, oui?" There was a playful tone to his voice, but his question had a rather undesired reaction.

"No! I don't… You can't! Oh gawd Remy!" The dam overflowed, pouring out more tears as she buried her head into his chest, one hand clinging desperately to his shirt.

Her voice was muffled and panicky when she finally spoke again. "It was awful! Ah thought for sure it was real. It always FEELS real, but this time…" She took a deep breath to calm her quaking limbs and words before continuing. "He pretended to be you and … " she trailed off, "and then he wasn't you anymore and we fought, but he was too strong and fast and he …"

She stopped as her face turned a few shades paler than normal and gained a hint of green. "Ah don't ever wanna go back t' sleep Remy. Please, y' gotta help me stay awake! Ah can't keep doin' this. Ah just… Ah'd rather die than go through that every night!"

Remy pulled her back to look in her eyes. They were brimmed with fresh tears that threatened to spill down her face as she gazed at him with the most hopeless, lost expression he'd ever seen. His heart cracked, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. His good hand rubbed up and down her arm while his left rested across her lap.

"Can only imagine de things he been showin' ya - doin' to ya - in d'ese visions. Its awful, and probably de worst kinda painful, but it ain't …" He struggled to find the right words, something to give her hope and make her see reason despite her desperation. "But you're HERE, and you're STRONG, and we'll get through it, together, chère. I'm not going to let him get you, and even if he did, de world aint gonna end, d'accord?" With a little bit of effort, he reached up with his left hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"We been workin' so hard, an' you're leagues away from where ya started. And if'n de worst does happen, me an' yer friends will be dere t' get you back. Nothin' I can say will make dat pain and sufferin' go away, but I promise you ain't gonna have to deal with it alone, d'accord? You'll have Kitty, and Kurt, and Logan, and all your friends to help you. And you'll have me, too. I'll always be here for you, Rogue, and I swear I ain't gonna let him hurt you."

Even as the words slipped from his mouth, he recognized them as a lie. He had no control over future events, and promising her something like that made him feel like absolute scum. Perhaps most disconcerting, however, was the fact that his heart wanted it to be true. He knew without a smidgen of a doubt that he would gladly forfeit his own life if it meant sparing her an ounce of pain.

Rogue snorted and sniffled simultaneously. "Yer a horrible liar Remy LeBeau." Her voice was sad and withdrawn as she coiled in on herself again.

"Actually petite, Gambit's a pretty good liar," he joked, as he stroked the back of her hair.

"No," she stopped him, "Ah mean you're horrible AND a liar. Ya can't make promises ya can't keep Remy. You can't stop Apocalypse from … from getting what he wants. He's too powerful. Ah know. Ah've seen what he can do!" She looked up at him again with anger, fear, and pain in her eyes.

"Rogue," Remy explained, "Even if he does turn you, we already destroyed most a' those loopholes dey was worried about. One: we took care o' dat whole 'emotionally withdrawn' problem for de most part, hmm?" He lifted a finger on his left hand, and brought his right thumb up to stroke away more of her tears. "Plus, Remy finally got you t' open up and talk t' him, so y' ain't so closed off. I know lots about you now so I can use all those little personal bits t' bring y' back. And two: we worked on your fear of your powers and touching." He looked triumphant and ALMOST certain as he ticked off the two excuses on his fingers and smiled. Rogue reached for his hand and timidly lifted up the third finger, her green eyes flicking to his for half a blink before she averted her gaze.

With a reluctant sigh, Rogue wrapped her arms around her midsection again as she turned away. "There's still one more piece though," she muttered. "And that might just be enough that these last few days won't even matter."

~T~T~T~

She sounded so broken it made him heartsick. "I know petite," he replied with a heavy sigh. "I know. Remy can't honestly tell you dat he hasn't thought about it, but I can't - an' I won't - do anyt'ing like dat. Je promets. If I tried som'pin like dat, I'd be no better den Apocalypse."

He lowered his gaze and licked his lips as her shoulders slumped. What would she think of his admission? Would she be disgusted by him? Would she feel deceived? Betrayed? Fearful?

When she didn't move from his lap immediately, he took it as a good sign and slowly raised his eyes to her face. She was gnawing thoughtfully on her lower lip and staring up at the minuscule sliver of moonlight that remained in the night sky. He knew she was pondering something big, but wished she'd just come out and say it.

Resigning himself to her inevitable reaction of rejection and disgust, Gambit dropped his arms from around her and shifted uncomfortably as he tried to regain circulation in his legs. The movement was enough to snap Rogue out of her miniature daydream and, without looking in his eyes, she turned towards him.

"What if … what if Ah wanted you to?" she whispered quietly.

Remy's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "You don't mean dat Rogue; yer just scared 's all," he brushed off the implied suggestion, but moved one hand to the swell of her hip for reassurance.

"Well, yeah, Ah'm scared Remy! Heck, Ah'm terrified! But, the way Ah see it, if we've got any real chance of keeping me in mah right mind, we darn well better cover all our bases! And Ah do mean ALL of them."

Rogue's heart was pounding in her chest as she dared to meet his eyes. Had she really just asked him to …? Yes, she had. The dumbstruck expression on his face confirmed it. She couldn't tell if he was shocked, reluctant, confused, disgusted, or all of the above. Personally, she was practically shaking with a completely new kind of nervousness and fear.

Gambit sighed deeply and Rogue held her breath as she waited for his reply. "No petite," he said finally, "I won't do it. You don't deserve dat."

"People go through a lot of crap they don't DESERVE Remy, but it still happens. We can't stop it any more than we can keep the sun from shinin' or the moon from changin'." Rogue's voice rose steadily as she gained momentum and flourished upwards at the menacing celestial body.

"It's gonna happen whether we like it or not, whether it's fair or not, whether we DESERVE it or not. And, Ah for one would rather it happen on mah own terms, how AH want. Ah wanna be in the driver's seat for this one and Ah'm not waitin' for some maniac to make me his bride!" By the time she was finished, Rogue was red in the face and breathing heavily from her tirade.
Remy nearly whistled out loud. It was going to be hard to argue with that. Still, there was no way he could console his own conscience if he agreed to her proposal. Rogue was willing to take Remy over the alternative, but it wasn't what she really wanted. She was just scared. He couldn't let her make a mistake like that just because of what MIGHT happen, could he?

"Rogue, I… I can't. I just can't." he said at last, hanging his head.

"Yes, you can. Ah KNOW you can." Her voice fell and she looked away. She sniffled lightly, but tried to hide her emotions. "You just won't," she said quietly.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Rogue felt the hot sting of his refusal begin welling up inside her chest, and, rather than let Remy see her cry over it, she tried to extract herself from his lap.

Ah crap. This was one heck of a losing battle if he'd ever seen one, but …

As Rogue moved to climb out of his lap, Remy abandoned all hope of chivalry and, turning her face to his, captured her mouth with his own. The kiss was soft and demanding, cautious and urgent, and nothing at all like the harsh, lust-induced one he'd stolen at the spring.

Slowly, he started to remove his lips from Rogue's - afraid she had actually changed her mind - when she leaned in and kissed him back. It was still soft and sweet, but there was more urgency now. At the same time, however, she was timid. The southern belle was new at this – at least physically – and her shyness was starting to peek through as she kissed him. Remy smiled as her lips timidly caressed his, but the gesture apparently scared her off since she quickly pulled back.

"What? Am Ah doin' it wrong or something?" she snapped, hiding her embarrassment behind sass and irritation.

Remy grinned again, his smile widening as he gazed at her pink tinged cheeks. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he simply gazed at the incredible woman in his lap. "Non," he said at last. "I'm just kinda surprised 's all." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially in her ear, "You're a VERY good kisser ma chère."

Rogue blushed furiously and ducked her head into his chest, but wasn't able to dwell on it for long. Remy chuckled low and dipped his head to drop a kiss on the soft, sensitive skin behind her ear, producing a little gasp. Pleased with her response, Remy placed a second kiss behind her other ear, earning him a soft moan this time. When he lightly caressed her bare arm, she shivered. As his hand traveled slowly along her shoulder blade, she leaned back into his touch with a contented sigh.

Remy felt himself reacting to every little sound and movement from Rogue and knew he was going to have an extremely difficult time controlling himself. He sat back and took a moment to breathe, one hand resting comfortably on her exposed knee as she sat in his lap and the other rubbing up and down her back.

He looked up at the night sky through the trees, amazed at the beauty there. Despite the minute sliver of moonlight that remained, the stars shone as brightly as ever. Remy could make out the Big Dipper from within the canopy of trees, and the familiarity of the simple constellation helped him feel more at ease. With a deep breath he let the night wash over him, calming his nerves and pulse.

A symphony of crickets surrounded them in the little grove, assuring Remy that they were alone in the wilderness. An occasional owl broke up the cacophony of evening sounds, adding to the peaceful ambiance, while the trees danced softly in the light breeze, creating a comfortable temperature for the two.

Rogue shivered slightly, bringing Remy back to the moment. He took a deep breath as he looked down at her. She was still sitting across his lap, her sock-covered feet dangling off his outstretched knee and her arms tucked shyly around her middle. Inhaling again, he carefully lifted Rogue's chin up so he could look her in the eye.

"Rogue?" he asked, his voice suddenly serious. "Are you absolutely certain 'bout dis? 'Cause it'll be harder f'r us t' stop once we truly get goin'. Sometime's d' mind don't work so good when d' body does d' thinking." His pulse was still racing, but at least he'd been able to get his hormones under some semblance of control for the time being.

Rogue slowly looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with desire, apprehension, a touch of fear and… there it was again. That same damn emotion he'd seen in her eyes from the moment he'd first asked her to follow him – to trust him.

Trust.

The stupid little glimmer that had eluded him for the last four days was something as simple as trust. He'd seen it before of course, but not often. Even his previous female companions never showed much trust in him - and with good reason. Overall, he wasn't really a trustworthy person. He had used women to get what he wanted and then left them as soon as his objective was reached. There were only a few people that had ever truly trusted him and, well…

"Yes."

Remy refocused his eyes to meet Rogue's, startled from his reverie by the confident yet soft sound of her voice.

"Quoi?" he asked, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"Yes," Rogue repeated again a little more strongly, "Ah'm sure. This is what Ah want. Ah DO want this to be special - with you."

Remy licked his lips as he looked away, taking another deep breath. He couldn't afford to read into her answer, at least not now, and her consent was all he really needed.

Too bad he wasn't so certain.

Regardless, he nodded his head and closed his eyes to reign himself in. It was going to be a long night and he would need every ounce of control in order to make this as comfortable and meaningful as possible.

"Bien," he whispered, his left hand gingerly reaching out to cup the side of her face. "Because I intend to MAKE it special." His voice dropped low, taking on that sultry, intoxicating tone that was purely Remy. It was his next words, however, that made her tremble.

"VERY special."

Rogue was fairly certain Remy could hear her gulp as she licked her lips nervously. Before she could come back with a face-saving retort, however, the feeling of his lips pressing hot and demanding against hers forced her into silence.

The southern girl's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she closed them, mentally forced her guard down, and finally gave in to everything that had been building between them over the last few days. The torrent of her senses coming to life after all this time had her practically frozen in place as she tried to work them out in her head - and body, but she soon reveled in every sensation. the firmness of his mouth, which lacked the forcefulness of the kiss he had stolen at the hot springs, the deliberate yet gentle caress of his fingers, the strength of his legs as he held her in his lap.

Remy kissed her lips again, tenderly, then once more before slowly dropping his hand and pulling away. She was too quiet, too still, and he was certain she wasn't ready for this - had thought better of it.

But, just as his heart began to feel the twinge of rejection, her hand was suddenly on HIS neck, pulling the Cajun toward her as she pursued his lips. Remy didn't need his powers to sense the thrill - and desire - in her kiss. This time it was the southern belle who was demanding and passionate. Any hint of shyness or trepidation was gone, and Remy's breath caught in his throat as her tongue caressed his upper lip.

It was all the reassurance he needed, and suddenly the two were tangled together, hands awash in each other's hair, lips caressing, nipping, and tugging as the unspoken tension between them reached a crescendo and promptly exploded.

Remy lost track of how long they'd been kissing. He'd never been a fan of long, drawn-out make out sessions, but with Rogue it was as if her lips were pure oxygen and he needed every kiss just to breathe. Then, she shifted suddenly to straddle his hips and this time the Cajun had to stifle a gasp of surprise and pleasure. Their tongues danced again as Rogue wound her fingers through the hair on both sides of his head.

Pulling his head back slightly by his hair, Rogue's mouth descended hungrily. Remy nearly moaned. He could not fathom how a girl who'd never so much as held hands with someone could be such an incredible kisser.

Rogue had - since the moment Remy's lips touched hers - completely, utterly, and irrevocably given herself over to the sensations she had been trying so hard to quell since he'd first gazed at her so … appreciatively… on their first day together. Back at that cave, when she'd had to use his coat to cover herself, she'd been furious with him. But now, she could no longer deny that even then she'd felt attracted to him.

In this moment, as she sat atop Remy's hips and practically devoured his mouth, the southerner felt something more awaken within her mind and body; like a piece of herself had been missing - simply waiting to be freed from its prison. She felt giddy and animalistic, happy and heady all at once. It was as if she'd unlocked some secret key to her own personality that allowed her to feel, well…

Everything.

Without warning, Remy's hands were on both sides of her face, pulling her away, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the confused pout she gave him. She was flushed, cheeks and collarbones washed in pink, with swollen red lips and an almost drunken look in her eyes.

"Gotta - gotta slow it down cherie," he began, catching his breath.

Rogue bit her lip and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart - and hormones - but quickly smirked down at him. "Sounds like a 'You' problem, suga'," she teased, then purposefully kissed his lips again. This time, however, the frenzied urgency had dissipated slightly, and her kiss was far more tender, sweet, and thoughtful.

Remy almost sighed contentedly until she pulled away from his mouth and nibbled on his ear lobe instead. "Dieu, chère," he practically groaned, his hands caressing slowly down her arms and along her hips. As she shifted a third time, Remy forcibly pushed her back. "M' serious, Rogue. You need t' slow down a bit pour moi. Sides, dis night - it be all for you mon amour."

Remy tried to keep his best poker face as the phrase left his lips, but he was shocked by his own words. He'd slipped. A simple term of endearment that may have gone unnoticed by Rogue, but to Remy it was like a sucker punch. It was a sentiment he'd only used with one other woman - one he'd known for years before uttering.

Mon amour. My love.

Five days with Rogue and his subconscious already knew and accepted what the man himself could not …

He was completely, utterly, irrevocably in love with this girl.

Remy cleared his throat, hopeful that she would brush it off as another silly pet name in their game. "No need t' rush, chèrie. Just 'cause y're doin' dis t' stop Apocalypse don't mean we can't take it slow."

He deflected. Brought up Apocalypse to shift her focus away from his Freudian slip: words that meant little to some, but everything to Remy. Clearly his cover had the desired effect on both counts. She wasn't considering the implications of his pet name, and he could sense that it had also stifled her frenzied desire.

Rogue sat back further, still on his knees, and wrapped her arms around herself.

Nope. He'd damned-well steam rolled it. Ground it into the dirt like a cartoon coyote.

"Hey. Hey, m' sorry." Remy could have smacked himself for shattering the mood like that. He'd wanted to distract and slow her down, not hit the breaks entirely. He caressed her cheek with his hand and kissed her forehead as she dropped her face to stare at the discarded sleeping bag.

"Dat was stupid. M' sorry petite. S' just…" He ran his hand through his own hair, embarrassed. "S' just dat if you keep on like dis, Remy ain't gonna get a chance t' do dis proper." He lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes.

"Y're sexy as hell, Rogue. Ain't never… Ain't never met anyone like you, and I don't… I don't want to screw this up." He slowly leaned forward, his hand still on her chin, and he nearly sighed in relief as a tiny smile flitted across her lips before she closed her eyes and shifted toward him.

Rogue smiled lightly. She knew he was sincere in his admission over being afraid of messing things up...

He NEVER got that flustered when he lied.

She kissed him again, letting him know without words that he was forgiven. She couldn't stay mad at him, anyhow. Not after he'd fought off a bear to save her. Plus, he was freaking adorable when he acted shy and sheepish like this. She was more timid, however, worried that she had come on too strong initially. Remy LeBeau was definitely a man who preferred to have the upper hand; perhaps she had offended him with her fit of dominant passion.

Remy nearly sighed in relief when Rogue kissed him after his foot-in-mouth moment. It was sweet, tender, and full of a different kind of energy: trust, affection, curiosity, and perhaps even something more. He wasn't going to dwell on that right now, however, and he continued to kiss his river rat softly, his hand moving to her neck and hair.

As their lips continued caressing one another - soft and almost chaste - Remy could feel her growing apprehension. He kissed the corner of her mouth as his free hand caressed over her covered hip and up her side, eliciting a murmur of surprise and pleasure.

"Course, next time…" he kissed behind her ear.

"Remy'd be happy…" another below the jawbone.

"To let you do…" His thumb rubbed gently along the side of her waist as he continued to trail kisses down her throat, his other hand still on the back of her neck.

"ANYTHING ya want t' moi." He punctuated his sentence by gently nipping her collarbone.

After a moment, Remy pulled away yet again, smiling broadly even as his eyes were clouded with lust. Rogue wore a similar expression, but with a deep, hungry pout rather than a smile. She was still sitting on her knees, straddling him from the middle of his crossed legs.

"Dieu, you're beautiful," he commented, feeling like he was staring at the Mona Lisa for the very first time.

The southerner blushed anew, her hands reflexively coming up to cover her breasts under his intense scrutiny. Her eyes slanted away, the intense adoration in his gaze nearly overwhelming her senses. "Silver-tongued devil," she murmured, but the corner of her mouth turned up in a smile, nonetheless.

"True though," he quipped back. Remy's own grin was wide, his red irises dancing.

"Look at me ma chère." Once Remy had her gaze, he gave her the most charming, loving expression he could muster. "Just breathe, okay? Don't need t' be scared none, mon coeur. Just remember t' breathe. You can trust me, Rogue."

"Anna." Her voice was so quiet, it sounded more like a sigh than a syllable.

"Quoi?" (what) he asked, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"Mah… Mah name's A-Anna. Anna Marie." Her voice trembled as she spoke, but her green eyes never left his red on black ones.

"Anna," he repeated. As Remy's smile grew, happy and adoring, he kissed her again, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. The fact she had entrusted him with both her name and her body was like walking out of The Louvre with the Mona Lisa under his arm. It was all his best hopes and worst fears wrapped up in one, and he was lost in her. In every inch of her. Body, mind, and soul.

Smiling with adoration, he peppered her forehead, cheeks, and eyelids with kisses. He was as caught up in the whirlwind of his own emotions, and, as tendrils of her feelings leaked through his uncontrolled empathetic response, he knew she was feeling something close to the same.

~X~

Rogue was drowning. Flooded by a sea of desire, emotion, and RAWNESS, so deep it was like staring into the abyss of the darkest ocean. She had surprised even herself by whispering her own name, by giving him that final piece of everything that she is, was, and ever would be. She had laid herself bare for this man in every possible way. Body, mind, and soul.

Apocalypse had been right. She had handed Remy her body, her heart, and the hammer. 1 A touch of anxiety raced through her as she wondered what he would do with those things - those bits of herself and those proverbial walls he had shattered. Would he be as trustworthy with something so precious as her heart and the last bit of herself she had sequestered away from the cruelties of the outside world?

She hadn't spoken her given name, nor had she heard it uttered by another, since she was 4 years old. Her mothers had refused to call her Anna Marie, and that little girl they'd adopted had been lost and alone ever since, always building up the walls around her past and her heart. But hearing her true name whispered from Remy's lips with such adoration and reverence was like the emotional equivalent of being wrapped in his loving embrace. Like coming home.

Swallowing hard, Rogue kept her eyes shut tight. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze, that intensity from those incredible red on black eyes. Not when she was so raw and open before him in every possible way. Finally, she gambled on opening her eyes, praying that he wouldn't see just how lost in him she was. The Cajun awarded her with another adoring smile and kissed her once more.

~X~X~X~

Rogue's fingers ran through Remy's slick, sweaty hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her abdomen close to his heart. "That was…" she panted as she came back to her senses, "incredible."

The Cajun replaced his sober expression with a smirk before looking up at her. "Bien." he replied, kissing her swollen lips once more. "Dat WAS what Remy was goin' for. Just sorry it had t' be in de woods, and not a proper bed. Mais, it's prob'ly still better than a cave in Antarctica.3 "

She giggled as he flopped down alongside her on the sleeping bag and gathered her into his arms, pulling her back against his chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin', ma columbe. Just happy t' be here wit' you." His smile was wide as he grinned and gave her a quick peck on the cheek

In an expert move, she twisted slightly in his arms to lift her mouth to his, slanting a satisfied, happy kiss across his lips. Pulling back a moment later, her green irises shone with so much emotion she felt like her heart would burst. She turned back around, snuggling closer to his chest as the night air whispered over skin.

With a stupid, love-sick grin that wouldn't leave his face, Remy tugged the sleeping bag out from beneath them with his good arm and draped it over their glistening bodies. His back and shoulder weren't exactly throbbing, but he was definitely aware of his injuries. Ignoring his body's warnings, he kissed Rogue's temple tenderly as he made sure to tuck the sleeping bag carefully around her.

Sighing in contentment, Rogue wrapped her own arms over his as they snaked around her waist, then snuggled further against him. Her head rested on his right arm as they warmed each other in the cool night air. Remy kissed the back of her head one more time and closed his eyes, enjoying the blissful moment.

"Ya know," her voice whispered against the wind. "If the stars unalign or whatnot tomorrow, that means this might be mah last chance - mah only chance - without mah powers. Ah'd really like to make the most of it, if you're so inclined." She swallowed hard, trying to keep the emotion from her voice, but failing miserably.

Remy tilted her head sideways toward him and kissed her tenderly. "Not de only, ma colombe. Je te promets." (I promise you)

~X~

Hours later, Remy stood and carefully wrapped girl up in his duster. She was already sleeping soundly - so soundly he wondered if even an attack by Apocalypse's guards would wake her. Rogue was completely, utterly exhausted and he smiled at the peaceful, happy expression on her face.

The Cajun listened to the sounds of the early morning darkness and knew it would be dawn soon. Despite the tiredness of his limbs - and extremities - he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. His mind was too worked up, his heart and head a jumble of juxtaposing feelings and thoughts.

So, he gathered his clothes, shoes, and both water bottles (he'd already refilled them twice) and headed to the river nearby. Remy knew he definitely needed a bath after everything they'd done last night and the cold water would do him good. Hopefully it would help soothe his muscles AND his mind.

A few minutes later the red-eyed mutant stepped into a calm, off-channel area and gingerly walked into the icy water. Once he was almost waist deep, the Cajun held his breath and dunked his head into the water, careful not to get his bandages wet. He popped up again almost immediately and shook his head.

The cold water was DEFINITELY helping calm down his sore muscles and his racing thoughts. He'd suggested a good many things to her during their hours together, including a promise that he wouldn't let tonight be their last - powers or not.

Now that his mind was thinking more clearly, he realized how ridiculous he had been. She was an X-Man and Remy an Acolyte. He was bound by contract to Magneto, and he knew neither his employer nor her adopted family would ever allow such a relationship to occur.

Being together would be dangerous for both of them, but mostly for Rogue. Remy had many, MANY enemies who would love to discover that he finally had a weakness they could exploit.

He was in love.

He'd finally given in and fully accepted it last night after she'd shared her name with him. Moreover, that was the instant he realized just how much he loved her. Neither of them were perfect - far from it, in fact - but they were PERFECT for each other. He'd never felt such a connection to anyone before, not even Belladonna, whom he'd known (and once loved) for years.

And the realization that he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Rogue was both thrilling and terrifying. The thought of his enemies finding out about her - using her to get to him - was a risk he could never take. He would never be able to live with himself if he put her in harm's way. With the sheer number of villains that would gladly harm her just to get to him, he knew there was no other way. Despite the screaming of his heart and soul, he could never be with her.

Remy dunked his head under the water again and rubbed his hands through his sweaty hair, trying to scrub away some of the literal - and figurative - grime. He stood again and angrily scrubbed the rest of his body.

He'd stolen Rogue's innocence, her trust, and her heart, and now he would have to betray her like the scoundrel he was. Hot tears formed in his eyes and the card thrower splashed more cold water on his face and steeled himself for what would inevitably come once she woke. With any luck, the X-Men would find them by tomorrow and a rabid Wolverine could skewer him.

Until then, life would be hell - for both himself and Rogue.

~X~X~X~X~X~

1 Reference to Rogue and Gambit miniseries (2018) #4. Thanks RSF for the citation!

2 X-Men Legacy #234

3 Cave in Antarctica - reference to Uncanny X-Men 348-350, in which Rogue and Gambit are captured and have their first real moment of intimacy in a cave in Antarctica. The idea of having Rogue throw this comment out there (after Apocalypse's visions of her 'dire' possible futures) was fully A.J.'s idea, and I LOVED it.

Thanks to RedStrandofFate and AJ (as always) for your help in revising and editing this chapter!