X-men Evolution Fan Fiction ❯ Starting Today ❯ Chapter 7

AN: Okay, until I say otherwise, we're in flashback mode.

O-o-o-o-O

"So like, who was THAT, Rogue?"

Kitty's voice woke Rogue from her reverie like a splash of cold water. The dreamy tune that had played in the back of her mind ever since she stepped into Gambit's…… Remy... Play make believe with Remy... arms died, leaving the cold light of reality and the normal babble of psyches in her head. Strange, the whole time she had been dancing with Gambit she hadn't heard them, just the music playing in her mind. She had to admit, it was kind of nice for a change. In fact the whole experience had been just short of perfect. The handsome stranger, the dreamy music, dancing all night long wrapped in a man's arms, all the elements of a perfect fantasy. And that was the problem, it was a fantasy. The handsome stranger was no stranger, he was her enemy. The passionate kiss that should end such a fantasy was no more than a brush of lips on her glove and never could be more than that. Not that she WANTED him to kiss her.

Stop kidding yourself Rogue. When you weren't gazing into his eyes you were staring at his lips, wondering how soft they'd feel. Damn you Gambit, or Remy, or whoever the hell you are. Damn you to hell and back.

And damn me for wishing.

"Hell if I know who he was, Kitty. He had a mask on, or didn't you notice?"

"So you spend the entire night dancing with a guy, and don't even know who it was? " Scott had come up to them by this time, and was giving her this disapproving look.

"I can't believe you guys. Everyone's always going on about how I need to get out more and socialize, and then when I do I get the third degree!"

"But we're just curious Rogue. You don't like ever dance with anyone, or participate at these kinds of things. We just think it's really cool and want to know more! "

"I just think it's really irresponsible, draping yourself all over a strange guy all night without finding out who he is. You don't know the first thing about him." Scott looked ready to go into lecture mode by this time.

"Stow it Cyke. I didn't elope with the guy, we just danced. Are we leaving or what? I'd like to get home and go to bed."

"Fine Rogue, whatever."

O-o-o-o-O

Remy was in a haze of desire. He'd just gone through several hours of the sweetest torture, and he didn't think he'd ever been so turned on in his life. But just from dancing? What the hell? Just holding this girl in his arms had done things to him that an hour or so of bump and grind in a club had never managed to do. Her hair soft against his cheek, her slender but strong arms around his body, the tickle of her breath against his skin shot straight through his nerves and left him tingling.

After that last dance he had to fight the urge to drag her back to his bed and bury himself inside her; unless he couldn't make it that far in which case up against the wall of the school building would work too. Forbidden fruit had never had such a pleasing shape.

Maybe that's what it was, why thoughts of this femme were driving him crazy. The idea that there was one woman in the world whose skin he could never taste or touch, whose body he could never explore, were setting his thieving instincts into high gear. To touch Death in its sweetest form and live to remember it was a challenge like no other. To be among the best of the New Orleans Thieves Guild one had to love to live dangerously, and the man that attempted to taste this particular fruit would be doing just that. But what is life without risk?

But it just wasn't her formidable power that was the only obstacle. His Chere was one of Xavier's pets, trained by both Mystique and the Wolverine. He had no doubts about his ability to charm any girl, but he knew right off the bat that this one wouldn't be easy, which only makes things more interesting. His last few conquests had been way too easy; he needed something truly special to slip under his belt, and this jewel shone too temptingly to resist. Yes, once he had won her over, taken her to his (and her) satisfaction, he'd conquer this fire in his veins

So Remy set off back to the base, going over the best ways to get and hold this femme's attention, all the while ignoring the faint whisper in the back of his mind that the best and brightest jewels weren't just worn once and thrown away.

O-o-o-o-O

For once Rogue was looking forward to a Monday. Kitty had been bugging her all weekend about her mysterious dance partner. Not even threats to tell a certain fuzzy elf about exactly why good little Kitty-cat had wanted to look "exotic" for Mardi Gras were enough to dissuade her. And Scott wasn't much better. Rogue barely stopped herself from choking on breakfast when Summers had made the comment that for all she knew, her handsome stranger could have been working for Magneto.

So it was almost gleefully that she escaped her teammates at school and made her way to English class, which thankfully she didn't share with any of them. With her love of books, English was easily one of her favorite classes. But something was off today. For some reason she felt like she was being watched. The feeling continued through the entire day too, that someone's eyes were on her relentlessly, but she couldn't shake it. She started feeling a little paranoid, checking around her constantly, but she couldn't figure out what or who it was. By the end of the day she had decided she was just getting paranoid from the anti-mutant heckling that had been building up since the Sentinel battle over a week ago, but she still decided to go to the park after school and take a break from everybody.

Settling back against a tree in a corner of the park, she opened a book and had soon lost herself in Stephen R. Donaldson's world of Mordant. She had read and re-read almost everything put out by Anne Rice and Stephen King, and had decided to broaden her horizons a bit. There was a bit of a nip in the air, but the sun was pleasant and her coat kept her warm against the chill.

Suddenly she experienced that feeling of being watched again and raised her head sharply. Looking around she didn't see anyone until her eyes fell on the nearby bench and the lean figure reclining on it. He was dressed in a tight pair of jeans and plain black shirt, with the familiar trench coat hanging off of him. The partially cut off gloves he wore accentuated the shape and length of his fingers, and she couldn't help remembering those same fingers stroking her hands through her gloves while he held her close. A black headband kept back his hair and he wore sunglasses, but she knew that behind those shades she'd see a beautiful pair of red and black eyes, and that those eyes were fixed on her. She was surprised and slightly shocked to see him again, but she thought she hid it well.

"What do you think you're doing here, Swamp Rat?" Her voice was calm but wary.

"Tis a free country, right Chere? Besides, after Friday Remy thought we'd be familiar enough for you to use his name."

"Friday? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm certainly not familiar with you. Besides, if it looks like a swamp rat and smells like a swamp rat.."

"Come now, Friday Remy had the pleasure of spending the evening in this most beautiful girl's arms. Or are you going to deny that we danced? Given how close you were holding Remy, you should know for a fact that he doesn't smell." He wore a little smirk on his face and his voice had dropped to a low, intimate level.

"It was Mardi Gras, or as close as one can get to it up here. Everyone was masked. I had no way of knowing who I danced with. Besides, Swamp Rat, Mardi Gras is make believe, it has no connection real life. It may as well as never have happened. And I'll call you whatever the hell I want. " She had gotten up by this point and was shoving her book back into her bag in preparation to leave.

"But maybe Remy wants it to have happened. And surely you were gazing into Remy's eyes long enough on Friday to remember them by now. " He slowly removed his sunglasses and walked over to her, watching her intently.

"What do you want with me, Gambit?" She sighed in frustration. Those damned eyes; she could never look away from them when he looked at her like that. Their heat caught and held her, promising a fire within to surpass her own. Fires were dangerous though, both his and her own. What good is fire when one must freeze her own heart? Best not to start one at all.

"Just to know the pretty femme that Remy held in his arms a little better. It was the most fun he's had in ages, vertically that is. " This last part was whispered in her ear and she could feel his finger trail lightly up her arm. Fighting to control the shiver that went through her at his touch, she moved quickly away from him and started backing off.

"I don't think so Swamp Rat. I'm not interested in whatever game you're wanting to play, and since you know about my power you should really know better than to even try. Besides, Cyclops isn't here now and you can't blackmail me anymore."

Remy grinned. "So you do admit to having danced with me."

Rogue looked she wanted to spit in his face. "I'm done talking to you now Cajun. Just leave me the hell alone." Giving him one last glare, she swiftly started walking out of the park.

Remy's grin just got a little bigger and he leaned back against the tree she had been sitting under.

"I'll see you around, Chere"

Rogue didn't look back but somehow she just had the feeling he was watching her walk away.