“Get out Gambit.”

Remy LeBeau pouted, looking sadly at the beautiful woman. “You injure, chere. Such pain you inflect on dis one’s heart.” Rogue rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“Remy, there are so many other women you could be spending all this energy on. You really need to get out.”

Gambit closed the distance between them and let his eyes slowly travel along the length of her body. She might as well have been nude for how he thoroughly appraised her with his red irised eyes. She felt a small thrill as he stepped really, really close. He leaned down to where she was sitting at her desk, and breathed huskily, “Non, ma belle. Remy really needs to get in.” His deep voice reverberated through her.

Rogue closed her eyes, a bit mesmerized. His voice is so damn HOT.

He was about to kiss her and her eyes bolted open. She pushed him harshly away. “Do you have some kind of death wish, Cajun? Ah can kill you, or weren’t you paying attention at your orientation meeting?”

He shrugged, nonchalant. “Remy knows chere, he jus’ don’t care." She stared at him, convinced he was insane. She turned back to her notes, intent on ignoring him. Remy found himself amused by her refusal to acknowledge the attraction she felt for him. Once again he took stock of her body.

This was a woman filled out in all the right places, possessing curves that were made for a man to caress, to hold, to grasp. Her long legs seemed to go on forever, encased as they were in nondescript grey trousers, and he easily imagined them tightly wrapped around his waist. She wore a turtle neck sweater which despite its bulk, still hinted at the voluptuousness underneath. His eyes riveted to her lips, like ripe berries just begging to be bitten. He could feel himself harden, envisioning her under him, above him. Naked.

Mon dieu, how I want this woman.

Remy pulled her up from the chair, pressing her up against the desk with the length of his heated body. He looked deep into her beautiful, catlike emerald eyes which were now wide open, startled. “’Dis one needs to taste you,” he murmured, returning his gaze to her lips, his body tense.

The scent of his arousal was powerful and she instinctually purred low in her throat. Knowing that this gorgeous man wanted her was setting her on fire.

This is nothing like Bobby, she thought dazedly, this was a man. A very sexy, sexy man.

“No Remy, we can’t” she breathed, afraid for him. Tears filled her eyes and he caught his breath at the sight of them. His entire being reacted badly at the sight of her distress.

Dere is somet’ing about ‘dis girl.

Every nerve ending in his body told him not to release her, but he did, telling her, “Remy will figure out a way to be wit’ you chere.” With that he left, sending a wink in her direction before disappearing through the preschool door. Rogue remained leaning against the desk for a while, needing the support, trying to settle herself. This was a new twist, this extreme physical sexuality she was experiencing.

She needed a cold, cold shower.



*****




Gambit relentlessly pursued her, day after day.

“Remy, you can’t keep coming in here like this.” She was helping put away the toys that were strewn about the preschool room. “Ah don’t know how many times Ah have to tell you.”

He raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. “Why not, chere? Les petit enfants do not seem to mind.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the four giggling children. Smiling slightly at them but cutting her eye at him, Rogue tartly told him, “You need to stop. You’re distracting them, and it’s difficult enough as it is to get them to pay attention."

His red eyes glowed. “Dis one is distracting you as well, no?”

At her glower, he tapped the top of his forehead lightly with the staff he always carried. “Your wish is Gambit’s command petit’.” With a flourish, he bowed deeply and exited the room, complete with his trademark wink. With him gone, Rogue helped the children gather their things before handing them off to their caretakers. The young students left noisily, bumping and jabbing at each other, requiring the adults to chastise them several times before they settled down and made their way to their quarters. Finally alone, she took a deep exaggerated breath, massaging the back of her neck.

She was so tired.

On top of the kids being particularly uncooperative today, her college correspondence courses were taking their toll on her. Sometimes she wished she had chosen to go away for college. But with her mutation, and its complications, it was too dangerous. Besides, she was where she needed to be, where she belonged.

But a break once in a while would be nice, she thought wistfully. She picked up Logan’s scent just outside the preschool door. She looked at him calmly as he appeared in the doorway.

“Any plans tonight kid?”

She took in the sight of him and she couldn’t help but appreciate the male before her. The tight jeans and black t-shirt he was wearing molded over every sinewy muscle on his perfect body. He cocked an eyebrow at the expression on her face, and she noted that it looked different than when Remy did it. With Logan it was more - erotic.

She straightened up and shook her thoughts away. Ah must be more tired than Ah thought.

This was Wolverine, the X-Man who wanted her kicked off the team. He was persona non grata now. “Ah’m tired Wolverine,” she informed him irritably, grabbing her totebag from the back of the chair nearby, “What do you want?”

Logan felt his temper flare but he tamped it down. He stepped closer towards her. “I thought we could spend some time together."

She stared at him.

“What?” she blurted. He stopped by the desk she was standing at, thumbs tucked into his front jean pockets. “Haven’t talked to ya in a while kid. We’re due.”

She placed her bag on top of the desk and turned to face him expectantly, hands on hips. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him. After running his fingers through his hair, he sat down on the desktop next to her. He casually stuck out his long legs, crossing one over the other.

“I know yer avoidin’ me. Get over it, it's annoyin'.”

She blinked.

How was it possible that he could get her from zero to sixty in one second flat on the anger scale? To top it off he was actually smirking, completely aware of how angry she was becoming. Her face was turning a flattering shade of red, and her eyes were flashing. Logan found himself enjoying the view.

Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she replied, “Ah didn’t notice. Ah’ve been occupied.”

His own eyes flashed. “Occupied with what?” he asked, in a too calm voice. She shrugged.

“Ah’ve been busy. Doing a little this, doing a little that."

“Doin’ a little swamp rat?”

Whoa.

She stared at him, confused, and he glared at her, angry. Seeing that he expected an answer, her own anger boiled over. “What or Who Ah do is none of your business Wolverine.” She moved to pick up her things again.

His hand whipped out and grabbed her gloved hand, effectively stopping her. “It is my business, kid.”

“No, it's not,” she told him through clenched teeth, viciously adding, “go find a new runaway to play bodyguard to.” His sharp intake of breath told her she struck gold.

His arms flexed as his hold on her hand tightened. “I don’t want ya hangin' around Gambit.”

“Ah don't care what you want." She lifted her head, refusing to allow him to intimidate her.

His face shuttered closed. “He’s only after one thing Marie,” he informed her coldly. “Once he gets it, he’ll be gone.” He let go of her hand and stood up to his full height.

Logan wasn’t prepared for the tears that suddenly swam in her eyes. She seemed to shatter and she dropped her face into her hands. Instantly he took her into his arms, guilty for hurting her.

“Hey kid, I’m sorry. You had to hear it from someone.” He paused, listened intently, and then stared at her. Rogue’s shoulders were shaking, but not from crying.

She was laughing.

He released his hold on her and she doubled over, laughing so hard and so loudly that he could only stare at her, dumbfounded. Catching sight of his face sent her into further hysterical peals of laughter, barely catching her breath as she fell against him. She held her sides together as though they were splitting apart. Finally, Rogue managed to calm down and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh god,” she gasped, “Ah so needed that!”

Logan continued to stare at her, disturbed. Seeing this, she stepped back, tilting her head up to look at him. “Do you think Ah ever forget that Ah'm untouchable?” she asked him, in a voice close to a whisper. She didn’t look away fast enough and he caught the pain that shot across her face. Ducking her head, she quickly walked out of the room, leaving in her wake the unmistakable scent of her misery.

Logan let her go, not knowing how to comfort her.



*****




Remy and Rogue became inseparable.

Remy flirted outrageously with Rogue, and she blossomed under his adoring attention. Most of the inhabitants of the school enjoyed seeing her so happy and carefree, so unlike the pensive, quiet person they knew up to now.

Most. Not all.

Logan was spending a lot of time in the Danger Room; tearing apart it’s replicated villains in attempts to release his growing frustration. He envisioned it was Gambit that he tore to shreds everyday and that helped. A bit. He imagined them together in his mind, Marie and the swamp rat, laughing together, touching each other… With a roar, he leapt into the air and brought his claws clean down through the Level Ten Sabretooth. He felt no satiation when his oldest enemy flickered away in defeat. He stayed in a crouching position as the Danger Room changed from the forests of Alberta into the gleaming steel expanse that it really was. Slowing his breathing, he waited for his healing factor to do its work.

His thoughts remained on Marie.

It’s not that he didn’t want her happy. Rogue was finally acting like the young woman she was, laughing and quick to smile, silly and fun-seeking. It just bothered him that no one felt the way he did about Gambit. He had a heavy mistrust of the mutant that the X-Men accepted so easily into their midst. Remy LeBeau was not what he appeared to be, there was more behind him than just being a New Orleans thief. Wolverine could smell it.

The professor agreed that Gambit was not very forthcoming about himself, and so did Scott. But Charles Xavier expressed his disappointment that Wolverine could be so judgmental towards the new X-Man. He stated that everyone had a right to keep to themselves, to be taken at face value, and respected. Logan pointed out that Rogue was too trusting, easy pickings for a snake charmer like Gambit. Logan insisted that he was taking advantage of a young, innocent girl. But the rest of his team mates disagreed with him, especially that dick One-Eye who had the stupid idea that Rogue was a grown woman, capable of handling Gambit ‘s advances, or anyone else’s, on her own.


Bullshit.


With a grunt, Logan stood up and made his way to the locker room. Rogue still needed someone to look out for her. Yes, it bothered him to know that he used to be the one who could make her laugh, the one she would turn to with that happy look on her pretty face. He missed the times they spent together, talking, or just saying nothing, each doing their own thing, but still near each other. He missed keeping her company those nights when his nightmares invaded her dreams, safe in his arms until she fell asleep. He was grateful she was finally free of his nightly hell, but he liked knowing that there was a part of him inside her, part of her. And now even that was gone.

He regretted being so tough on Rogue, he saw now that Scott was right. He caused the gaping hole between them. A Cajun swamp rat sized hole.

After a quick shower, he made his way up the several flights of stairs, avoiding the common room. They would likely be there, and he didn’t want to deal with the constant urge to slice Gambit’s hands off the few times he did see them together. Especially when he saw those hands on Rogue, on her waist, on her thigh, in her hair...

Retrieving his leather jacket from his room, he retraced his steps and jumped down the stairs a landing at a time in his haste to get out of the school. He could hear Rogue’s laughter coming from the front entrance and he growled low in his throat. He stood there, wrestling with the impulse to go to her. Closing his eyes, he bit down hard on his cigar and forced himself to leave through the side door for another night of hard booze, tough fights and fast women.

The roar of his motorcyle caught Rogue's attention. Catching the look on her face, Remy wrapped his arm around her waist and playfully bit at her shoulder. She protested, laughing, and allowed him to lead her back inside the school. Thoughts of Logan disappeared as she basked under the glow of his spectacular eyes.
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