Remy Etienne LeBeau (_gumbo) wrote in marvel_prep, @ 2013-09-22 12:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | gambit, rogue |
Log: Saying Without Saying
Characters: Rogue and Remy LeBeau
NPCs: --
Timeline: September 17, 2013 - evening, late [backdated]
Location: Central Park
Description: Remy has some things he needs to tell Rogue.
Rating: PG-13
Rogue was nervous.
Okay, so what else was new? Lots, apparently. Enough to spur Remy LeBeau to actually have something to say. Granted, she had just spilled her guts to the Cajun, but it wasn't like before where he could just easily dismiss her words. No, this time she wasn't going to leave him with any doubt and turned up the physical proof of her affections. No, this time it was serious, however natural and easy and right it was to do. But he said he wanted to talk and that he had some things—"just some things"—to say and Rogue could only wonder what that that all meant until she could actually meet him which wasn't going to be until later and that made her nervous. Giddy and free, but nervous all the same. The the space where self doubt tried to worm its way inside, and twist in her guts, Rogue filled it with determination.
In the meantime, she had things to do. Rogue continued her investigations into the tunnels and after a few hours it felt like she was chasing ghosts. Unfounded rumors. People living in the sewers. Right. Frustrated, she knew it was time for a break, which was just as well, because it was time to meet Remy. She'd get cracking again soon enough, but she just needed a breather. Literally. The irony that she was going to do this to de-stress was not lost on the River Girl.
Dressed in her layers and layers like she used to do, but not for the same reasons, Rogue waited for Remy. It was dark and the foot traffic was thinning out. She kept to the darker parts of the park since she was A.) unregistered and B.) impersonating a homeless person. "Impersonating." That made Rogue laugh. Fiddling with the drawstring of her hoodie, she laid low until the Cajun made his presence known.
----
Central Park was a big place, but Remy had an inkling of where she might be. He left his bike stashed on a side street where it was less likely to be bothered and walked the rest of the way to the park, following the darkened paths that were lit occasionally by lamps. Being out in the city as an unregistered mutant didn't bother him, so much. Not when he'd spent most of his time in New York already up to questionable things. But Remy still kept an eye out. One never knew when you were being watched, and it was always better to be safe than sorry. A contingency plan was a part of life for a thief.
Happening upon her, Remy chuckled to discover Rogue in layers and hidden beneath the shield of clothing like she had been when he first met her. It was a reminder of how far she'd come in that small space of time, and it brought a raised eyebrow from the Cajun but no drilling questions as to her recent activities. They had other important things to talk about. And he had a calculus test to study for.
"Can almost pretend to see de stars out here, non?" he commented, coming to stand beside her with his hands in his jacket pockets and head tipped back to admire the darkening sky. Tipping his head to look at Rogue, Remy offered a smile in greeting, "Sorry to keep you waiting, petite. Had to stay after and talk to de teacher."
---
Rogue gave Remy a thin smile in return once he came to stand by her, but the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. It wasn't that she was unhappy, no, just worried and waiting to gauge his reaction to all of the things she had told, and showed, him. But she was glad he turned up, even late as he put it. Was he? Rogue wasn't wearing her watch and kept her phone hidden underneath all of her sloppy clothes. "Ah think Ah might see one," she remarked, her grin slowly tugging the corner of her mouth once more. She couldn't and she didn't, but said so all the same for the sake of their banter that she had grown so fond of.
"Nothin' doin' anyways," she returned easily, friendly even. "Ah needed to come up for air at some point." She then dipped her head to catch his eye, "Ah didn't get you in trouble with all those texts, did Ah?" She asked, slight concern marking her expression.
----
"Nah," Remy shrugged. Maybe, but it didn't matter. He met her gaze and held it for a moment, unsure where to begin, unsure if he should, if he shouldn't, unsure of a lot of things just then. But there was one thing he knew for certain without needing to fret over.
"I don't know how you did it, chere. But I ain't gone a day where I didn't tink about you, ever since we met." He reached out and stretched his fingers to touch the white of her hair, tenderly threading it and curling it around one knuckle. "You mean a lot to me. Dat's why I gotta tell you some tings." Pulling his hand away so that the lock of white came undone in its wake, Remy let out a slow sigh, "For your own good."
----
At his words, words Rogue had been waiting to hear for a long time, her heart gave a flap and then threatened to bust out of her chest, what caused her to twitch as if he jabbed her once, quick, in the gut.. The words were heavy, but they didn't drag her down. No, instead buoyed her up, a swarm of butterflies suddenly flapping around inside of her guts. It was an odd sensation, to be sure, and one that Rogue had never experienced. Well, maybe once before, but that was a long time ago. She didn't flinch when Remy reached out to touch her hair, instead relished the touch and Rogue seized her lower lip between her teeth. She had not been expecting that, what was it he had once said about taking a leap of faith? Indeed
She didn't interrupt, but let him finished, and when he did she just gave a nod. There was something dark there, brewing behind her green eyes, usually clear. "Sounds serious," she murmured. "Hold up..." They could get to whatever Remy wanted to tell her in a minute, she just wanted to hold onto this feeling for a moment or two longer, selfish as it was, but not really. Her intentions were good. She had promised him something, first. Rogue had been huddled up on a hillside near a bridge that had been carved out of the landscape and stood to her full height, which, at the moment, on the incline, brought them eye to eye.
A touch for a touch, Rogue pulled Remy into a hug, and not her usual around the middle kind either. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close, as so his head rested against her shoulder now that they were near enough in height. She put her hand to his back and rubbed there. "Breath... Okay?" There was strength in her arms and not just the physical kind. Pulling him back just enough to look him in the eye, again, Rogue gave a small smile. "That's how Ah would've done it before." She said as if to ask if that was okay.
Rogue's face scrunched a teeny bit after that. "Nah, fuck that, its how Ah'm doing it now."
----
Remy's tender smile slowly faded and he looked down, unable to meet her regard. Though he had seen the darkness behind her eyes, he knew there was a shadow in his own that he had to keep her safe from. Especially after their text conversation where she described all the difficulties she had because of her powers, all the lives she'd had to live when she touched someone. It was a dark path he was walking these days, while she was trying to make right. And worse, if he got tangled up in her while he was still tangled up in Shaw and his agenda, then who knew what could happen.
The problem was, they were already tangled. They'd been tangled up for a long time.
Remy's hands had come to rest on Rogue's waist when she pulled back after the hug, and he took her advice and just breathed, a sardonic smile crossing his lips because here she was, the girl with so many problems, giving him advice on how to cope. "You know, belle," he murmured softly, fingers tightening on her waist and pulling her against him when he lifted his devil's gaze to meet hers again, "You may be a petite sprite of a ting, but you got some use in dem twigs you call limbs." He smirked.
----
Was this a dream? If so, then Rogue never wanted to wake up. But that's how it was when they were together. It wasn't until other people entered the equation, that things got confused and twisted all around. It was always moments of giddy light-headedness, marked by extreme sorrow. And Rogue didn't want to let go. She refused to let go. When he sighed against her, relaxed even, she let out a breath. It just felt right. Didn't he realize that? She breathed him in and briefly regretted that she didn't smell better herself. Eh, he was always making cracks about the Mighty Mississippi, what'd he expect?
"Reckon so," she drawled easily, but watched him carefully. "Reckon Ah been 'round the block once or twice, too." Rogue let silence slip between them, just holding him for a long while before speaking again. "You gonna tell me somethin', sugar?" She asked finally, but held him close to her still. Rogue raised a hand to his temple to brush aside an errant piece of hair, not that his hair ever looked bad or was out of place. Rogue just wanted to touch him. Why? Well, because she loved him.
"What's goin' on behind those eyes of yours that you feel like you can't tell me all the time?"
----
"Rogue..." Remy started, searching her face a moment as though he'd find something there that would give him an out, a reason to not go through with it and keep her in the dark and blissful ignorance about him and his not-so-great things. A way to keep her looking at him like she was with such care and concern and feeling. He'd really give anything to feel like he deserved something like that.
"Smoke?" Letting go, Remy took a step away and reached into his jacket, looking down again to get the cigarettes he had promised to bring her. His heart was beating faster and making his chest feel tight. Smoking was just to stall, but he needed a moment to gather his thoughts without being under the piercing forested regard of Rogue and her expectant expression.
----
"Remy." Rogue returned, grinning now. "Sure," she replied easily.
She wasn't surprised that he was trying to stall, in fact she had come to expect it. It just made her smile at this point where as before she might have been annoyed or even disappointed, but Rogue found his response amusing. Or rather, she was amused by it. It was all about perspective, wasn't it? And really, after a week of running around at night and through the sewers, she was tired and didn't feel like kicking up a fuss. Being homeless was hard work, so she was agreeable to talk or not talk as the case may be, whatever he wanted, but surely even he had to admit that at this point he needed to say something. Right?
"But lets sit, 'cause Ah'm tired. My dogs are barkin'."
----
Cigarettes passed out, lit, and smoke curling towards the sky, Remy realized he was still not prepared, but he rubbed the back of his neck and let out a soft sigh, holding his cigarette between two fingers where he crouched while Rogue sat. "Look chere," he began again, crossing one arm over his knees and lifting his eyes to meet hers, "I don't know what you saw when you and Bella touched, but Remy ain't a good person. Hell," he chuckled softly, shaking his head, "I been trying to tell you dis for a long time and you won't believe me. But I need you to."
His voice was a low murmur that might be missed and blend with the sound of the city in the background if she wasn't paying close attention. "Fact is, I work for some people who ain't after sunshine and rainbows. My skills are theirs, by my oath or by... fuck, let's call it blackmail. Dat's what it is." He took a pull from his cigarette, angrily, and let the breath out in a testy stream that lit his eyes a little, the red glow a tell for his mood. "Dey used Haroun against me. When he died, I thought I was free of dem. I was gonna leave. But he found sometin' closer to home. Somehow he got my brother. And look..."
Remy shook his head and let it hang down, dangling his arm between his bent knees where he was crouched, dragging gloved fingertips across the grass, "I ain't telling you dis so you ken try to fix it, Rogue. Tellin' you so you... so you keep your distance. I... like you." He swallowed and held her gaze for a moment, long enough for the angry demon light to fade from his eyes. "Soon as dey find out I... dat you mean so much to me, 'nuff to drop everytin' and go help you, den you just join de line of fire. Like Haroun did."
It didn't matter to Remy, and it wouldn't matter to Shaw how indestructible Rogue was or wasn't. She was more vulnerable in so many other ways.
"Dat's why I..." He sighed again and shut his eyes, shaking his head once before taking the cigarette to his mouth again.
----
Rogue hung back a bit and let Remy direct the conversation wherever he wanted. She didn't say anything, nor did she fix him with those piercing eyes of her, and found that the more she remained quiet the more Remy actually told her things. About himself. About his situation. About what had been going on...apparently since summer. The mention of Haroun's name had her guts twisting up inside, but otherwise she just sat there and smoked her cigarette, quietly listening.
It was a lot to take in, to be sure, but it was interesting information nonetheless. Rogue couldn't say she was exactly surprised, either, she knew something was going on. She just didn't know what, but given Remy, who he was, and the vague things that Bella Donna was able to reveal to her, it made sense.
"Looks like all we're missin' is a bottle of scotch," was the only thing Rogue said when Remy cut trailed off, calling back to their conversation so many months ago after Haroun died when Remy was on the brink of telling her all of this before. Rogue shut her eyes for a brief moment and scratched at the side of her nose, taking a minute to process things, herself. When she looked back at Remy her expression was serious, she understood the gravity of what he was saying, yet when she spoke her words were calm, measured.
"So, what are you gonna do then?" The question was asked with a snap inhale of smoke.
----
Remy let out the breath of smoke he had, watching her take it in and fighting off the urge he had to wish he could retract all of his words. He didn't feel better to have told her. He knew he wouldn't have. But it was the right thing to do, the path they were taking, how tangled they were. She had a right to know.
He let her question hang in the air between them, studying the burning end of his cigarette that was held lightly between two knuckles. After a prolonged moment of silence, he just shook his head, "Gonna do what I'm told, Rogue."
----
Flicking her eyes to finally meet his, she drew her eyebrows in and resisted the urge to raise one at him. "An' for how long you you plannin' on keepin' up with this song an' dance, sugar?"
----
"Long as I want my kin to live. Or until I get an edge." Either way, nothing was going to happen fast. There was no quick fix for a delicate situation like this. Not with Shaw and his power, his far reaching hand that had found an inside with the Thieves Guild and knew all of Remy's secrets. It was another reason he wanted Bella Donna back home where she could be safely outside of Sebastian's reach and under her father's guard. As far as he knew, Shaw didn't have a connection in with the 'Sins.
----
From within her mess of clothes, Rogue produced the playing card he had dropped into her pocket from long ago, even before the conversation on the grass with the scotch, probably in the exact same hoodie, no less. She didn't hand it over, just held it up. It was hers as far as she was concerned and wasn't going to be giving it up so easily.
"Ain't none of us pure, Gambit, but this means Ah ain't goin' nowhere. But it sounds like what you're tellin' me is that its not my problem. Ah can respect that. ...Until it becomes my problem. And then you need to let me know when it is a problem." And Remy could take that whatever which way he wanted, but Rogue wasn't going to push.
She wasn't going to push because it sounded like whatever troubles Remy had landed himself in, Rogue didn't want to get involved anyways, but there was something else that she needed to say. "Ah ain't gonna tell you how to live your life, Remy, but Ah ain't gonna leave out to dry neither. Ah just want to be there for you, okay? 'Cause… 'Cause, well, Ah reckon' Ah've taken a shine to you."
Stamping out her cigarette, "C'mere, c'mere," she beckoned him over to her, closer. "Ah ain't gonna do anythin' dumb. Dummy. But you gotta promise me you gonna do the same."
----
Remy's chuckle rumbled low in his chest and he moved closer at her beckoning, putting an arm around her again, "D'accord." It summed up how how he felt about all she had said. She seemed to understand, and he appreciated that, could relax in the knowledge that she wouldn't go hunting for names, follow him in the shadows like Laura might, or worse, find the name of who he was working for, her own roommate, and try to fix it herself. It would just end in more tears if she tried. She was right, it was not her problem and he wouldn't be making it her problem, one way or anther. If he had his way, not that he ever did, she'd be far removed from all of it. But the universe always had a way of turning him on his ass. He was just preparing for that inevitable day. And he needed to talk to Shaw. The man wasn't completely unreasonable. He just put Remy on edge in inexplicable ways.
Remy stood and tucked her against his side, both arms around her and his eyes closing briefly as his chin came to rest against the crown of her head. Right now, in this moment, she was safe an sound, and they were good. Maybe he'd taken a shine to her, too. In fact, he had never stopped. He wasn't one to just let things go when it came to his feelings. But Rogue was a wildcard and one day the timing, their tangled mess, would sync up and it would knock everyone off their feet.