Fic: Auld Acquaintance (X-Men: Wolverine/Gambit)
Title: Auld Acquaintance
Author: wook77
Fandom: X-Men (movieverse and bastardized comicsverse)
Pairing: Wolverine/Gambit (Logan/Remy)
Rating: PG
Wordcount: ~9200
Warnings: Spoilers for X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Summary: Finding an old friend again doesn't change anything at all.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no matter how much I beg.
A/N: written for the request of "general how Gambit joined the X-Men" by zanzou_chan at slashfest. Bastardized comicsverse mixed in with movieverse including spoilers from the leaked X-Men Origins: Wolverine trailer/movie. Though I speak French, I'm definitely not a native speaker let alone a Creole French speaker thus possible misusage of French. Many many thanks to my beta the_rainbow_jen. Obviously all mistakes are my own.
Straining as he stood on tiptoe, Gambit shifted and rolled his shoulders before dislocating them and leaping into the air. The pain was fierce and continued long after the pop stopped echoing in the cell. By the time the pop echoed, he had flipped the chains and cuffs to the front of him. It was short work - now that he could use his mouth and the pick he'd hidden in his inner cheek - to free himself. As he sunk the pick into the lock, he heard a steady dripdrip that had nothing to do with his shoulders and every thing to do with the water coming in through the trapdoor at the top of the oubliette cell.
The water could only mean one thing. Cursing under his breath, Gambit shimmied up the chains to the trapdoor and pushed on it. When it didn't give, he cursed out loud before shimmying back down the chains and looking for something, anything, to charge.
"Gambit no' happy. N'est-ce pas t'aime," Gambit muttered to himself. He'd never thought he'd be back here. Given the choice between here or hell, he'd pick hell. Then again, this was his version of hell on Earth. As the dripdrip of the water increased to a steady beat that reminded Gambit of his racing heart as it echoed off the walls of the oubliette. "Merde. Be dead don't get out o' here."
Climbing up the chain, he kept going until he reached the top and pressed against the door. When it didn't budge, he shimmied down the chains before once more looking for something to charge. The dripdrip turned into a small, steady stream of water running down the walls and through the door. There were a couple inches of water already as he scanned. The water only meant one thing and that was that the dam was about to break. Gaze turning frantic, he scanned the room again and again until there in the corner he could see a small piece of paper floating.
Gripping it tightly, he cursed how wet it was and slowly charged it, drying it out as the water went up to his ankles. Praying, he fully charged it and then tossed the scrap skyward, causing it and the trapdoor to explode. Superheated metal debris rained down around his head. A small piece caught him across his cheek but the sting was nothing compared to the fierce need to get out of the cell before he drowned.
He shimmied back up the chains and then sprinted down the labyrinth until he reached the control room. The doors were wide open while his staff, his coat and his cards were no where to be found. Unwilling to waste any more of his rapidly dwindling time on the search, he ran for the exit, slogging through a foot and a half of water. As the incline increases, the force of the rushing water impeded his motion but he finally reached sunshine.
When he reached the top of the rise, he found Stryker tied to a rock.
"Gambit? Free me, quickly!"
"Yeah, homme, Gambit be freein' ya in just a minute," he said snidely as he walked past. "Then he be just lettin' ya pop him right back in that cell so you can play with me some more, yeah?"
"The dam is going to burst soon. Free me and I can fly us out of here before it does."
"Gambit make his own way, n'est-ce pas? It be jus' like you taught him." With that and a sarcastic salute, Gambit made for the woods. He heard Stryker yelling behind, "Gambit! You can't leave me here!" right before the dam broke and water roared down the hill. Picking up speed to a full run, Gambit raced for high enough ground that he wouldn't drown.
A feeling of complete terrified loss made him look back just in time to see a plane lift off out of the water.
Logan.
~~**~~
As he walked through the streets of New York, the news caught his attention as he watched mutants warring with one another as humans tried their best to defend themselves. Snorting at the ideals of both parties of mutants, Gambit had just started to turn away when he saw Wolverine climbing a pile of debris before killing a red-haired woman. The heartbreak on his face matched a swell of emotion within Gambit. It was patently obvious that Wolverine had loved the woman he'd killed to save the people stuck on the island.
The name of the school flashed on the television and Gambit made a note before continuing on his way. Curiosity was going to kill him some day. Until that day came, he had a school to find and an old compatriot to reunite with.
~~**~~
Gambit rubbed his temples to reduce the headache brewing just beyond. If he let it, the headache would explode into a migraine, just the thing he didn't need as he watched the mansion. He'd heard about the artwork and the valuables. He'd also heard about the death of the owner. With grief high, attention would be low and, for a thief like him, that provided a perfect opportunity.
His grin cocky, he leapt the laser perimeter line, ducked under the next trap and went back to the bike he'd hidden in a small wooded section off the road. Easy pickings, he crowed to himself and, after mounting the bike, rode through the gate to the front door.
Xavier's School for Mutants, the sign read as Gambit walked up the steps. Aware that a camera was on him, he resisted the urge to touch the bo on his hip or the cards in the pocket of his duster. The fact that he was wearing a duster was enough cause for suspicion from the members of the household. Instead, he straightened his collar, pulling the hair from beneath it; made sure his sunglasses were straight and then rang the bell.
After a minute or two, he rang the bell again. A beautiful black woman with bright white hair opened the door.
"Yes?" she asked as she stood in the small opening. She left the door open halfway and Gambit was impressed by the way she carried herself. From his research, this would be Storm.
"I hear dat Xavier's a place people come when they in need," Gambit said while inclining his head respectfully.
"It is. Are you in need?"
"Oui, cher, Gambit be in special need." He pushed a bit of charm into his voice. "Mon powers…"
"Come in, we'll talk in the profess - my office as long as you aren't a complete danger to the students." He nodded in response and the door opened the rest of the way and she gestured for him to enter. After he entered, she shut the door and started down the hall, saying over her shoulder, "You can take the glasses off."
"Thanks but no, not here." Gambit touched his hand to his forehead as he walked past a young group of women.
"Your choice, this way." That was the last of the conversation as he followed her through the halls. He took in the artwork, the vases, and the sculptures as he casually calculated what he could get for them from his contacts. The school was beautifully appointed but that was secondary to the reason he'd come. As he continued to catalog and ignore the impulse to scan the hallways and open doors for a certain face, they quickly approached the main office. "In here, please."
"Merci beaucoup, cher, Gambit appreciate de chance to talk to you." Gambit touched his fingers to his forehead and bowed slightly before entering the office. The door shut behind them.
"My name is Storm. I'll assume from the way you're speaking that yours is Gambit?" She took a seat behind the desk.
"Oui, je suis Gambit."
"And your need?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Gambit's powers, dey be on de fritz. Having problems controlling dem." He reached into his duster pocket and pulled out a card. Charging it slightly, he watched as it smoked and then stopped charging it abruptly before forcing a frown. "De card should be charged. Can't tell what sort of charge Gambit get when he tries."
"And your glasses have something to do with this?"
"Non, cher, Gambit wear dem cause people tend to stare when dey see his eyes." He pulled off his glasses and looked at her. He was prepared for some sort of shock or perhaps revulsion but, instead, she smiled at him.
"You have lovely eyes. There's no need to hide them here. You'll find that we are very accepting of physical signs of mutation. Dr. McCoy is in residence right now and he might be able to help you with your powers. Until then, let me show you a room." With that, she stood and started towards the door while Gambit gaped at her. Just that, one little show and a revelation and she offered him a place? What sort of trusting idiocy was this? When she turned to look at him, his bemusement must have showed because she smiled at him once more and said, "Our doors are always open for those that need. For those that come simply to take advantage, we have safeguards in place. Come along, Gambit."
They walked back through the mansion and Gambit felt the stares as he followed her up the stairs and through the hallways. He'd known his eyes would get stares, no matter how much this group might profess acceptance of physical mutations. When he heard giggling behind him, he turned and caught two teenaged girls staring at him and whispering. Touching his fingertips to his forehead, he sketched a quick bow and then winked before continuing on his way. Giggles erupted once more and he grinned. Perhaps this wouldn't be nearly as tedious as he'd predicted.
"We have quite a few students here with a wide variety of ages. I expect that you shall bear the age difference in mind," Storm said without turning to look at him.
"Gambit hears you," he said as he followed along. It wasn't like he'd been planning on acting on any sort of flirtation. He enjoyed flirting but acting on it was something else entirely.
"Then we won't have a problem. We have a few empty rooms at this moment in the staff wing. Your room is next to a couple of traveling professors." She opened a door and gestured. "Your motorcycle can be parked in the garage. It's to the side of the house. Doctor McCoy will be in contact with you as soon as you're settled and he's ready. We have an open policy in the kitchen. Feel free to explore the Mansion but the basement is, for the most part, off limits at this time."
"Mais oui, cher, Gambit hear you loud and clear." He accompanied the acquiescence with a respectful tilt of his head.
"You're welcome to explore the grounds. I need to get back to work." She smiled at him and then left him alone in the doorway of his room. He watched her walk away and then went into the room. It was small enough that there wasn't much need to explore but he did take a moment to look out the window and see the trellis spanning between his window and the one next it and reaching from the roof to the ground. It'd make leaving at night much easier than sneaking back through the mansion if he could just figure out the pattern of the sensor sweep. It wouldn't take long for that, especially if he had a moment to hack into the computer system. Reaching out to test the stability of the trellis, he almost fell when he heard a familiar gravelly voice behind him say, "Going somewhere, bub?"
He took a moment to get himself under control. This wasn't exactly how he'd planned on seeing Wolverine again. He'd wanted to be fairly blasé, perhaps a bit sarcastic, maybe strike a pose. Anything but half out a window with his ass in the air and on display. Remembering what their previous interactions had been like, Gambit got himself and his hormones under control and, pushing a bit of charm into his words, turned and said, "Jus' thinkin' 'bout roses, mon ami. Dey be beautiful dis time of year, n'est-ce pas?"
"Sure you were just think about the roses, bub." Wolverine leaned against the doorjamb as he spoke. The casualness of his pose belied the way that his muscles tightened, ready for anything.
"Quite a friendly welcome for ole Gambit, mon ami." Gambit pulled out a cigarette and started to light it with his fingertip.
"No smoking in the mansion. It sucks but rules are rules."
"Yeah?" Gambit grinned and then leapt out the window, grabbing the trellis and climbing up it until he reached the roof. It held his weight as he scaled it. Once he reached the top, he looked down and laughed at the sight of Wolverine staring out the window, looking up with a bemused expression on his face. "Coming, homme?"
Wolverine's face disappeared without a word. Ignoring any disappointment, Gambit held on to his cigarette again and lit it with a fingertip. He looked out over the grounds as he contemplated the observations from outside the fence and how they would fit with his observations from inside the fence. Just as he was aligning them to test later, a creak behind him betrayed the fact that he was no longer alone.
"Took you long enough, homme," he said as he turned to look at Wolverine. "Am almost done with de cigarette. You be fresh out of company soon."
"Think you're a clever one, don't you?" Wolverine sat next to him and held out his cigar. "You going to do that fancy lighting trick you tried down below?"
"Sure ting, Gambit can do it easy." He touched the tip of his finger and lit it. "Dey stink, though. You always did have poor taste in smokes."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized the tactical error he'd just made. Even worse, Wolverine realized it, as well, and tensed, staring at him.
"Say that again?"
"Gambit hear all 'bout how you smoke de nasty cigars all de time. You be on de news."
"You're lying."
"Now you insult Gambit. Dat not nice, mon ami." Gambit acted affronted and started to swing back to the trellis when Wolverine held on to his arm tightly. The unexpected touch even though the fabric of his clothing and duster woke up long buried memories that overwhelmed him.
"How do you know me?" Wolverine pulled him closer, so close that Gambit could feel breath stir his hair on the back of his neck. He resisted the urge to lean in to the touch and see where it would go. "What do you know about me?"
"You lay off Gambit or he make you." Gambit could feel the violence quivering underneath Wolverine's skin and he knew just how deadly the claws could be. When they started to come out, he grabbed a card, charged it and then tossed it into Wolverine's face. Wolverine reared back and touched his face as it started to heal and Gambit danced to the side. "Told you, homme, Gambit have no problems with you and he no' want any problems either. You want a problem wit' him, do', he be happy to reciprocate."
"You little shit. Just tell me what you meant by what you said." Wolverine's claws finished coming out and Gambit didn't make the mistake of only watching them. "We won't have a single problem if you do."
"And if Gambit don't, den what?" Gambit moved further to the side as Wolverine stalked towards him.
"Then we have a problem."
"Gambit tell you. He see you on de news and dat be dat." It was the truth to a point and Gambit saw Wolverine's nostrils flare as he scented for a lie. He braced for the attack but Wolverine only continued stalking towards him.
"I don't believe you," he said but he didn't sound entirely convinced any longer.
"Den you don' believe him but he be telling you de truth, homme. Gambit, he no' be so good at the English, n'est-ce pas? He jus' a dumb ole Creole boy grow up speakin' de French." Gambit held his hands from his side, hoping that if it looked like he was unarmed Wolverine might turn away from fighting and believe him. He concentrated on his mood and what he was giving off on the off-chance Wolverine might sense it, making himself seem as harmless as possible. "Why not put dem away, we have a bit of a smoke and we make like friends."
The claws retracted but Gambit stayed wary. "I'll find out the truth eventually."
"Gambit be waiting for de day. Until den, you want a smoke?" Gambit pulled out the packet of cigarettes and offered one, knowing full well that Wolverine only ever smoked his cigars.
"Light this," Wolverine ordered as he held out the cigar that he somehow hadn't lost a hold of. Gambit nodded and touched his finger to the tip. They smoked in silence for a moment, Gambit lighting a second cigarette as he'd lost the last one in the fighting. "Interesting talent you have there, Gumbo."
Wolverine's remark floated in the air as Gambit's heart sped up at the familiar nickname while his head swiveled to look at the man next to him.
"What you call Gambit?" The quiver in his voice could hopefully be written off to anger. At least, he hoped that it could.
"You got a problem with it," Wolverine paused and then added, "Gumbo?"
"Between you calling Gambit a liar and now dis, Gambit be tinkin' you no' like him." Gambit tried to not think about what memories the nickname brought back, the shared missions and training, the way that they learned to fight together, the way that Wolverine would pin him down during a sparring match and the way that Gambit would let him. Perhaps Wolverine remembered more than he'd let on, definitely more than his source had thought. Then again, Sabretooth had never been very reliable and it didn't matter that Sabretooth hadn't known it was him.
"Don't like anyone. I wouldn't take it personally." Wolverine continued to puff on the cigar. Gambit laughed and Wolverine turned to face him, quirking an eyebrow. "Like I said, hell of a talent."
"Isn't nearly as impressive as you healing."
"You owe me a new shirt. This is one of my favorites."
"Mais non, you shoulda let Gambit go when you had de chance."
"Why the hell do you keep referring to yourself like that?"
"Is habit, mon ami." Gambit won't get into the history of the reasons. He'd rather not think about the past and, to an extent, what he said was the truth.
"Guess there're worse habits. Like wearing your glasses when it's going dark." Wolverine gestured towards Gambit's face.
"Gambit, he used to it."
"What're you hiding?" Wolverine stared until Gambit felt forced to take the glasses off. When he did, he watched for any sort of reaction at all but Wolverine didn't give him one.
"Dese," he gestured towards his eyes, "people don't seem to react well to dem."
Storm's voice echoed up from the open windows as she called for Wolverine. "Logan?"
"Be down," Wolverine yelled back while Gambit tamped down the disappointment at the interruption. "The eyes are pretty enough, someone doesn't like 'em, tell 'em to get lost, easy as that."
With that, Wolverine got up and left; Gambit watched him go. So far, his time here had gone much better than he'd ever conceived of. He'd been accepted, given a room and had a few moments alone with Wolverine. Perhaps, if the doctor was able to put some of his shields back in place, he could consider this mission completely accomplished.
Sighing to himself that it wouldn't be accomplished until he found out if Wolverine remembered or not, he got up and left, shimmying back down the trellis until he got to the ground. It was short work to make his way to his bike, take it to the garage and then grab his bags. As he was coming around the corner, he was concentrating too much on how long he should stay and not enough on his surroundings. When he crashed into something, he fell backwards but quickly regained his balancing, flipping and landing in a crouch, cards in his hand.
"Wow, that was pretty awesome." Gambit watched as a young man pushed himself off the ground. The awe in his voice made Gambit grin. Straightening, he walked over and offered a hand. "How'd you get moves like that?"
"Good living, homme."
"Guess you're new around here, huh? I'm Bobby, though people also call me Iceman."
"Je m'appelle Gambit," he said as he gave the hand a quick shake and then let go. "Oui, je suis nouveau, just got here a few hours ago."
"Oh cool. You meet everyone yet?"
"Non, just Storm and Wolverine."
"Dinner'll be soon. You'll get to meet a few of us, what's left, anyway." Bobby looked uncomfortable, like he'd said too much.
"Seen de troubles on de tv. Also seen what y'all been doing." Gambit gestured towards the Mansion. "Gotta get ma stuff inside."
"I'll walk with you and then show you the dining room, if you'd like." Bobby hesitated and then rushed to add, "That is, if you don't already know where it is. You probably got a tour."
"Non, no tour for Gambit. He get shown a room and dat be dat. Appreciate the guide."
"Come on, I'll show you." With that, Gambit followed Bobby as he walked through the mansion, talking about this room and that, pausing to introduce him to some of the inhabitants that they crossed paths with. By the time they made it to his room to drop off his bag and then back again, Gambit felt a bit overwhelmed with the names and faces though he had made a mental note of everyone. It would just take one more meeting to confirm that he remembered each correctly. After all, one never knew when that sort of information would come in handy. By the end of the week, he would know their sleeping habits, their eating habits and just what talents they had. With Bobby willing to talk to him so much, Gambit pulled pieces of information from him, mentally filing that along with the names and faces.
As they made it to the kitchen for dinner, Gambit learned about Jean and the way that she'd died. The TV hadn't shown him the background, the way that she'd gone after the Professor and the way that Wolverine had run around after her, trying to save her only to have to kill her in the end. He was absorbing that, ignoring what it might mean to the reason he'd come, when Bobby stopped in front of him.
"This is Dr. Hank McCoy. We call him 'Beast' though, for, err, obvious reasons," Bobby said before flushing.
"Nicely put," said one of the girls at the table. "Nice and polite."
"Everyone calls me 'Gambit'," Gambit said, offering a hand and ignoring the way that Bobby and the girl started bickering back and forth.
"I understand you are in need of my help."
"Oui, ma powers, dey be a bit unpredictable."
"I've some time directly after dinner, if you'd like. The sooner we start, the less likely it is that something will blow up unexpectedly, yes?" McCoy chuckled at his own joke and Gambit forced a smile.
"That'd be fine, homme, merci."
"And there is who I was hoping would be able to help with the testing," McCoy said just as Gambit's neck started to itch. "Wolverine, would you be so kind as to join Gambit and myself after dinner for a bit of experimentation?"
"What d'ya need from me?" Wolverine entered the room and grabbed a plate, moving around the table so that he sat across from Gambit.
"You'll see."
"Not like I have anything better to do," Wolverine offered begrudgingly.
"Your willingness to help knows no bounds of grace or polish."
"You don't keep me around for polish or grace."
"Speaking of grace, you should've seen the move Gambit here did when we bumped in to each other. I'd love to learn that," Bobby interjected.
"Mebbe I try to teach you." Gambit looked around the room and tried to get a feel for the way that everyone was reacting to him. "It a bit of natural talent and a bit of training."
"Yeah? Where'd you get that training?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah, why not tell us about where you got that training," Wolverine added, glaring at him with arms crossed as he pushed back against the chair, tilting it backwards.
"Been so long, Gambit no' can remember." He added some charm to his voice in an attempt to distract from the line of questioning.
"Dinner is served!" Storm called out as she entered the room with a tray laden with food. Gambit stood and hurried over, grabbing the tray from her. "Thank you."
"My pleasure, truly all mine." And he wasn't just referencing the chivalry. Instead, he was quite grateful for her timing as he wasn't at all comfortable with the way that Wolverine looked at him, the appraising and calculating glare that let Gambit know that his slip from earlier wasn't forgotten or forgiven.
Thankfully, conversation moved away from Gambit and his past as they all ate. When it ended, Gambit stood to help clear the table but was shooed away as McCoy headed towards the door. "Come along, young man. You, as well, Wolverine."
Gambit nodded at Storm and the rest as they cleared the table and then followed McCoy into the basement of the mansion. "We have a room for this sort of thing; it's a marvel of technology. I think you'll be well impressed with it."
"Oui? That be interesting."
"What I'd like is for you, Gambit, to test your powers, give me an idea of what happens in a variety of circumstances. We'll try everything from calm to when you're under attack. That is where our friend, Wolverine, comes in."
"Gambit get to blow up Wolverine?"
"Not like you haven't tried it already, bub."
"You've already had an altercation? Why am I not surprised with that, Wolverine?" McCoy raised an eyebrow.
"Not my fault."
"Of course it wasn't." Gambit could hear the sarcasm in McCoy's words as they entered the room. "We call this the Danger Room."
"It be interesting," he said politely as he scanned the metallic walls.
"Stay here a moment, I'll turn this on. Please try to refrain from having another altercation until I ask," he said with a pointed look towards Wolverine.
Gambit waited for Wolverine to say or do something while they stood there but, instead, they remained quiet, an uncomfortable silence that had Gambit making a point of not looking at Wolverine or moving.
"At this point, I'd like to see a normal usage of your talents. If you could step aside, Wolverine," came a detached mechanical voice. Wolverine smirked and stepped to the side while Gambit grabbed a few cards out of his pocket and, charging them at various levels to make it appear that his powers fluctuated and tossed them, one after another, into the air, watching as they exploded in a shower of sparks and ash.
"Very good, now with a bit more to it." The room filled with a street scene. "If you could aim at the targets."
"What targets?" Gambit asked right before something came flying at his head. With a muttered curse, he grabbed more cards and tossed them at the flying targets. When one came too close, he flipped backwards until he was about twenty feet from where he'd been.
"And now we'll add Wolverine to the mix." The scene changed again and Wolverine disappeared from view, hidden by a building that sprang into life. He had barely any warning before he was embraced, crushed from behind. With a snarl, he stepped on Wolverine's instep and then, when the grip relaxed just a fraction, he grabbed a card and tossed it behind them. A crater appeared in the sidewalk and they were both thrown forward. When Wolverine released him as they fell, Gambit rolled away from him, grabbing cards in one hand and his bo in the other.
"Want to try dat again on Gambit?" he taunted as he crouched and waited. Wolverine smirked and released his claws. Without any further warning, Wolverine rushed towards him and swiped. Gambit tossed cards and then flipped over Wolverine, landing behind him and hitting the back of his knees with his bo. "You need to be a bit faster, homme. You too slow."
"Been trying to play nice, bub, what with this being a test but ya want a real fight, I'll give ya one."
Wolverine pivoted and came at him again, one hand swinging as another started. Gambit dodged the first and tossed a card towards the second. He overcharged the card and it ignited as it touched the claws, exploding violently and sending ash into Wolverine's eyes while his hand smoked, the scent of charred flesh filling the air.
"That will be enough," came the disembodied voice again. "Please cease."
"You all right, homme?" Gambit hurried to Wolverine as he clutched his face. Gambit pushed back Wolverine's hands with one hand and tilted his face up with the other. "Gambit, he no' mean to make it so bad."
"I'll be fine." Gambit watched as the burnt flesh started to heal.
"It still hurt, non?" His fingers traced the path of the healing, lightly brushing. It reminded him of the past - the missions, the fighting and the making up. Wolverine's face turned peculiar and Gambit realized that he was getting hard from touching Wolverine's face. McCoy bustled into the room, interrupting the moment as Gambit stepped back and Wolverine stood up.
"Thank you for your assistance but your presence is no longer required," he said, dismissing Wolverine. With one last enigmatic look towards Gambit, Wolverine left the room. "Please follow me to the lab. I'd like to continue this there. I've a few questions for you. This way, please."
When they were in the lab, McCoy turned towards him, clipboard in hand. "Whatever you aren't comfortable answering, please let me know. However, I do ask what is medically necessary."
"Oui. It be all good."
"Name?"
"Remy LeBeau."
"Age?"
"Thirty-seven."
"Truly?"
"Oui."
"I assume that your powers have something to do with the lack of physical signs of aging?"
"Oui. I be able to be faster, too."
"Any other talents?" Gambit shook his head, unwilling to disclose the charm to anyone. "Any other physical mutations other than your eyes and preternatural speed?"
"Non, not that I'm aware of."
"Do you heal faster?"
"No' really. Heal jus' like most folks."
"Well then, strip and we'll get the physical out of the way." Gambit stared at McCoy as he said it. "You have a problem with that?"
"When you say strip, what you mean by dat?"
"Strip to your underwear." Gambit continued to stare at him. "You don't have underwear on?"
"That be no' of yo' business."
"I need to do a physical examination. Your clothes will be an impediment. Surely you've had one before."
"It been years." Gambit made a conscious effort not to remember the lab with Stryker and the examinations and tests. He especially didn't want to remember getting patched up after the various missions. He did better when he ignored them.
"We can do a partial examination, then, but I'll need a full work up soon."
"Yeah, all right, homme," Gambit said, intending to never follow through with it. He took off his duster and then his shirt, making sure that his cards were within reach. McCoy filled the lack of conversation with explanations of what he was doing and why, what results he received and a running commentary on Gambit's physical health.
"Interesting scars," he remarked as he measured one set. "These look like burns. Was this from your mutation?"
"Non, dey be from something a long time ago." His tone didn't allow for a follow up question and McCoy went along with it.
When the examination finally ended, he put his clothes back on and then made his way upstairs into the room he'd been assigned. After stripping, he crawled in to bed, tossing and turning as his brain went over the day and he relived each of the experiences, looking at the nuances and information. Bobby would be a great source of information, gregarious and possibly quite trusting. Storm was obviously battered by all the various recent events and emotionally fragile. McCoy was an interesting case; he'd be harder to fool than the rest.
Then there was Wolverine. He was so similar to what Gambit remembered and yet so very different, as well. Add in that he wasn't at all certain that Wolverine didn't remember along with his gaffe earlier and Gambit didn't feel that his footing was at all secure. He was playing with fire and it was bound to get him hurt. Still, a smoke with him, a couple of sparring matches and then touching him, it was almost enough if Gambit wasn't such a greedy thief.
But he was a greedy thief and he had to know just what it was that Wolverine remembered and just what he didn't. He had to know if Jean had meant the world to him or if he'd ever thought of Gambit. He wondered if… if Wolverine still had nightmares, a question that was answered as he heard the heavy breathing and the muffled moans next door. After getting up and pulling on a pair of shorts, Gambit made his way into Wolverine's room and called out from the doorway, "Homme?"
When he didn't get a response, he shut the door and asked, a bit louder, "Wolverine?" With no response coming from Wolverine, he crept closer and changed to a more intimate tone, "Logan? Wake up."
Before he could react, Logan sprang out of bed, grabbed him and slammed him against the wall with one hand while the other, claws out, flashed towards him. Gambit ducked, leaving his arm pinned to the wall and barely avoided the claws. Even as he shook with adrenaline, he said in a soft, intimate voice, "Logan, snap out of it, cher. It be all right: you jus' wake up."
He reached out his free hand, resting it on Wolverine's face. Fingers gentle, he touched the skin that had completely healed where he'd been burnt during their altercation. "Wake up, cher."
Wolverine's eyes cleared and he jumped back, releasing Gambit's arm. "What the hell you doing in here, Gumbo?"
"Gambit, he hear you thrashing around, came in to see if mebbe you need help." His voice was back to normal conversational tones.
"Don't need your help."
"Gambit see dat, he leave you alone to whatever it was." Gambit started towards the door.
"Wait." Gambit paused at the command and then felt Wolverine's breath on the back of his neck, the heat of him behind and he braced for the touch, wanting it enough that he could feel it. The want was so fierce that he swayed backwards and realized that the touch was real, that Wolverine had his hand on Gambit's shoulder, hand heavy and warm where it rested. "Thanks."
"Welcome, homme," Gambit said and resisted the temptation to turn and touch back or maybe even reach a hand up and rest it over Wolverine's. Instead of doing anything he'd want to do, he made his way back into his own room.
~~**~~
Breakfast, the following morning, wasn't nearly as awkward as Gambit had thought it might be. Mostly, it had to do with Wolverine not being anywhere around. He chatted with Bobby and Rogue, learning about them and the mansion, the recent events and barely sharing any information about himself at all.
"So you two a couple?" he asked as he watched them interact with one another.
"Yeah," Bobby said as Rogue stared at him. "What? We are."
"Gambit no' mean to cause problems with his questions. He leave you to it." He stood and left the kitchen as the pair of them started to talk. As he walked towards the grounds to do some exploring, McCoy called after him, hurrying to catch up.
"Are you wearing underwear today?"
"Pardon?" Gambit stared at the blunt question. He could've sworn he heard a snort of laughter from nearby.
"For the full physical exam? Are you prepared for it? Properly attired?" This time, Gambit knew he heard laughter.
"We do dat another day, yeah? Gambit, he no' ready."
"No time like the present. You wouldn't want someone to get hurt because you delayed an examination, would you?" McCoy quirked an eyebrow and then continued, "We'll do it tomorrow. Wear underwear."
Before Gambit could respond, McCoy wandered back from where he came, leaving Gambit staring after him in bemusement. He shook his head and then started out the main doors.
"Going somewhere, bub?" Wolverine's voice repeated the words from just yesterday, making Gambit freeze in place.
"Was thinking of taking a quick walk." Gambit turned and faced Wolverine.
"I'll come along."
"No' necessary. Gambit find his way jus' fine without you."
"Wasn't offering, was tellin' ya."
"You no' trust Gambit?"
"Never trust anyone, I wouldn't take it personally." Wolverine brushed past Gambit, shoulder touching shoulder. Gambit's hand touched the spot and then he hurried after Wolverine.
"You be a hard man to understand," Gambit said when he caught up.
"No sense in doing anything easy."
The mansion disappeared from view the deeper into the woods they walked. The woods were peaceful and, considering there was no further conversation, Gambit found that he could concentrate on the man beside him and the various camera locations. He made mental notes of each of them though the temptation to steal and make a quick getaway slid further and further from his mind.
"You going to tell me what you know?" Gambit wasn't at all prepared for the question that came out of nowhere.
"Don' know what you're talking about, homme."
"I think you do," Wolverine said as he turned and was suddenly too close to Gambit for comfort's sake.
"I tol' you all you need." Gambit slid a hand into his pocket, fingering a card. Wolverine's hand grabbed his wrist.
"You haven't told me why you get so aroused near me." The words were low and went straight to Gambit's gut and cock.
"Dat a figment of yo' ego."
"Yeah?" Wolverine's free hand brushed Gambit's cock. "That a figment, too?"
"Not fair, homme, not fair at all. Gambit no' here for dat. Dere's no need for dat." He sounded desperate but couldn't quite bring himself to care. "He tell you all dat is important. You let him go and he no' have to hurt you again."
"All's fair in love and war."
"Which is dis, den? It be love or war?"
"You tell me," Wolverine said, voice still low.
“You let Gambit go." Gambit didn't want him to, not really, but for his own mindset and sanity, he needed it.
"No." Wolverine's mouth started to move towards Gambit but he turned his face.
"This no' right. You be toying wit'… wit' me." Gambit felt Wolverine's hand skim up his arm to grab his neck, tilting his face before pressing nose into neck. The inhalation tickled Gambit's skin, causing goosebumps to raise.
"You don't like cat and mouse?" Wolverine pulled Gambit closer. "Tell me what you're here for."
"Gambit tol' you and de doc and Storm, he here to get help with his powers."
"Bullshit."
"It be de truth. He need help, see you all on de television and come here."
"Bullshit." Wolverine breathed in again, the deep breath tickling once more. "I can smell the lie."
"Gambit no' lie. He here cause he see you on de television."
Wolverine let go abruptly, stepping back and glaring at him. A scant second later, Gambit heard crunching twigs and Bobby's voice as he called out for Wolverine.
"Over here," Wolverine snarled in response before turning back to Gambit. "This ain't over. Not by a long shot."
"Gambit tink it is."
"Think in one hand, spit in the other. See which one fills up faster."
"We have to go suit up," Bobby said as he joined them.
"Yeah?"
"They're on the move." Gambit knew that they were speaking in code and that it was for his benefit. There was something else going on, something that had something to do with the part of the basement that was off-limits.
"Full team?" Bobby nodded in response to Wolverine's question. "All right, let's go," Wolverine said before turning back to Gambit. "Remember it."
Gambit highly doubted he'd forget the conversation and the feel of Logan's hand on his cock or the touch of face to neck.
~~**~~
Thankfully, Wolverine didn't have a chance to find Gambit alone again in the next week. He'd had the physical exam with McCoy, unable to shake the tenacious doctor from the path he'd chosen. There was some discussion about his shields and that they might require strengthening to help him control his powers.
When another week went past and Gambit had managed to successfully avoid being alone with Wolverine, he found himself wondering if, perhaps, he should leave. He'd confirmed that Wolverine was fine and he'd also determined that the artwork wasn't all that valuable, mostly fakes. Hi-quality fakes but fakes nonetheless.
Gambit learned more and more about the inhabitants of the mansion. He saw the way that the students looked up to the professors and the way that those same professors disappeared every once in a while. When he questioned Bobby about it, it was the only line of questioning Bobby wouldn't answer. McCoy was mum on it, as well.
He started on his third week of avoiding being alone with Wolverine when he heard muffled noises from next door in the middle of the night. He got up and walked over, knocking lightly on the door. The expected lack of response came but he opened the door regardless only to find Wolverine sitting on the bed and looking at a photograph.
"Sorry, homme, Gambit, he hear something and wonder. He leave you alone now." Gambit backed out of the doorway only to stop when Wolverine spoke.
"You're awfully curious for someone that doesn't have a thing to hide."
"Gambit jus' no want you to hurt yourself."
"Can't do much more to me than I've already done." Wolverine opened the drawer of the night table and slide the photograph in. Gambit caught a glimpse of the photograph, enough to see that it was of the red-haired woman.
"She a friend?"
"None of your business," Wolverine snarled as he stood, walked over and grabbed Gambit before he had a chance to react. "None of your damned business."
"Yeah, homme, Gambit understand. You let him go now." He wondered why he was constantly asking Wolverine to let him go instead of just forcing the issue. The thought disappeared as Wolverine slammed him against the wall and pressed their bodies too close together. Gambit felt the erection rubbing against his own.
"She's none of your business."
"Gambit knows. He only wonder cause you didn't look so good."
"Why do you care?"
"Gambit cares cause he does."
"That don't make any sense."
Gambit slithered his arm around so that his hand could touch Wolverine's face. Before he thought too much further, he pressed his lips against Wolverine's, kissing lightly. "He care cause he does. Simple as dat."
"You kissed me."
"Oui. You kill 'im now for dat o' you let him go?" Wolverine stepped back and Gambit hurried out of the room.
~~**~~
In the morning, he looked for Wolverine and the man wasn't anywhere to be found. He didn't show up for meals and he didn't stay in his room all that often. Gambit wondered if, perhaps, it had been the way that he'd wanted so much that night, wanted to do more than a quick press of lips. The Wolverine that Gambit knew would've pursued it, asked questions and demanded answers. The lack of questioning answered some of Gambit's own questions about just how much Wolverine had changed.
When a few weeks went past without Wolverine putting in an appearance, Gambit decided it was time for a break. With his memories of the past fresh in his head, he left the mansion, promising to come back for more testing.
Alkali Lake was much bigger than he remembered, even with the flooding being the last memory. As he walked along the beach, he couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. He'd been stupid to come up here, stupid and lost in the past. He couldn't get it back no matter what. Wolverine either didn't remember or didn't want to remember and one was just as painful as the other.
The slight whistling noise saved him as he shifted his weight just as Wolverine lunged over a boulder towards him, claws out and ready to strike. "What the hell you doing?"
"Why'd you follow me?" Wolverine got up and stalked towards him. Gambit circled, keeping his face towards Wolverine as he moved.
"I didn't."
"Lil out of your way, ain't it?" Obviously Wolverine didn’t believe him but considering it was the truth, Gambit wasn't sure how to proceed so he pushed a bit of charm into his voice.
"I didn't follow you. Jus' came here. Heard 'em talkin' 'bout it at the mansion and wanted to see for myself."
"You gonna tell me what brought you here or am I gonna have to beat it out of you?" Wolverine's tone stayed even and steady, as if he were conversing on the weather. They kept circling as Gambit tried to figure out exactly what he should tell Wolverine about how much he knew. Eventually, he decided to just put it all out there, either Wolverine would or wouldn't accept it. Either way, he'd know if Wolverine remembered.
"Yo' screams when they poured in the adamantium, dey echoed all 'round de facility. I hear dem in mon dreams sometimes." Gambit used the same conversational tone that Wolverine had used. "It was rough there for a bit, none of us were certain you'd make it. Yo' body, it fought and fought but eventually, you started moving 'round. Made me nervous how much the stuff changed you. Yo' beast, he was always close to de surface but dis, dis changed tings, made de beast mad all de time."
"You were in Weapon X with me?" Wolverine sounded disbelieving. "You're what? Twenty? Twenty three?"
"Gambit be thirty-seven, homme. And he no' in the Weapon X. You were Weapon X. Gambit just along for de ride. He be one of de sidekicks." And more, he wanted to tell Logan about how much more they'd been but he didn't, not right now. "Stryker, he be an interesting one. Smart, too, knew just how to play people. He get Gambit just where he wanted him just like he got you, Sabretooth, Deadpool and some others. We all fall in line and do jus' what he want until you got smart and some of us, we follow you away from de project."
"How'd he get you?" Gambit heard the unspoken question of how'd he get me in there so he answered both.
"Stryker promise me dat mon famile, they be all right, he make certain tings for mon pére et mon frére go away if I cooperate. Don't know how he got you, you never said for real though I hear dat you were facin' execution. He good wit de promises, not so good wit' de follow through. Gambit be dumb to tink dat he hold on to his word but what'd Gambit know? He jus' a dumb Cajun kid at de time." Gambit sighed and then continued, "Anyway, when Gambit see you on de television, he wondered about you, came here to see if you de same or if you better. See if maybe you remember ole Gambit. He find out you don't remember anything. Now that he has his answers, it be time for him to move on."
"Took you this long to wonder if I remembered you?" Wolverine sounded disbelieving and Gambit understood it.
"Mais non. It take Gambit all dese years to come see you face to face. Gambit check in on you every once in a while, just to see if you all right, needing any o' his assistance."
"Why?" There was the question that Gambit didn't want to answer as he hadn't a clue how to explain without giving too much away. It was too soon after Jean's death, too soon after Logan's loss for Gambit to remind him what they'd been.
"We be bonne amis, homme. Friends look out for friends, n'est-ce pas?"
"Friends don't wait almost twenty years to catch up on old times." Wolverine stalked towards him and Gambit held up his hands, pushing even more charm into his voice.
"Gambit no' wait all dat time. When you go after Stryker? Gambit try to go along and he get caught jus' like yous amis. He barely make it out of dere before de water come in. Later, he see you in San Francisco when you climb dat debris and kill de girl. He see yo' face and he know dat you need a friend. He wondered if maybe he be dat friend so he came." Gambit waited for a response, watched Logan's face and didn't see a thing. Resigned to the lack of reconnection, he backed away from Wolverine, heading towards his bike at the top of the hill. "It obvious, though, you no' need Gambit. You do jus' fine witout him."
"Where you going, bub? You don't get to decide that it's time to leave." Wolverine rushed him and Gambit danced out of the way.
"It a free country, homme, and Gambit be a free man. He get to leave whenever he feel like."
"Oh no you don't, not when there's plenty of things you haven't told me." Wolverine grabbed his arm and pulled him in, bringing their bodies far too close together for Gambit's comfort.
"What you want from Gambit?"
"I want you to tell me what we were. ‘Good friends’ is bullshit."
"We be good friends and teammates." At Gambit's words, Wolverine thrust into Gambit's hips.
"Bullshit."
"It de truth one way or another." Wolverine's lips on his neck had him moaning, tilting his head to bare more of his neck.
"We fucked."
"Oui," he moaned as Wolverine bit his neck.
"Weapon X. Tell me about it." With that Wolverine let Gambit go before hooking his claws into Gambit's shirt, just below his neck. "Make it good."
"Yeah, all right, Gambit do dat." Gambit stepped back and then headed down the beach towards where the bunker had been. With Wolverine's stubble burn on his neck, he felt more centered instead of off-balance as he'd expected. Perhaps it was the possibilities and the hopes that made his grin turned cocky as he turned his head to look back at Wolverine. "You coming?"
He didn't wait for Wolverine to join him. He'd follow, Gambit could trust in that. "Dis place, when we here, it be full of people, Stryker's soldiers and then dere was us. We not all that big of a force but with the way that we all have our talents and, well, it‘d’ve been easy enough to take over. Dat one of the reasons it be almost easy for us to walk away."
Gambit gestured towards the bunker. "When you left coupla years ago, you left de doors open so dere be nuttin' we can get out of de bunker. But de memories, dey be fresh in ma tête. Gambit, he barely make it out of dere when you blow it up. Gambit have to walk against the flooding water but he see what you did to Stryker. He agree with it."
"You were here?"
"Oui. Gambit get hisself captured, stuck in a cell jus' like yous amis. Only difference is yous amis get out wit' help, Gambit get out by hisself. Back den, though, we kept de people dat we sent out to fetch. We told dat dey be bad ones but dunno 'bout dat no more." Gambit paused as he gathered his thoughts and determined what he wanted to tell. "Stryker, he remember Gambit and he make it worse, break Gambit's shields, make his head hurt and his powers go a bit off. It hard to regain control but Gambit does, mostly. It just be every once in awhile dat Gambit blow tings up he no' supposed to. Stryker no' finish what he started cause you came in and distracted him."
"Yeah?"
"Dunno how to do dat. Gambit be a dumb Cajun boy wit' only his memories. You flood any proof Gambit could give. Believe him or no'." Gambit turned towards Wolverine and held his hands out. "He be telling you de truth."
"Prove it." Wolverine walked towards him and Gambit let him hold on to his arms and give him a shake before letting him go.
"Can't." Gambit kept the charm up and said, "He don't know if you remember or no'. He tell you dat he train wit' you, he blow you up a couple of times and you beat the shit out of him a couple of times."
He gave a rueful laugh and then reached a hand up to Wolverine's face, cupping his cheek. "When you get your adamantium, he be dere, he talk to you when you recover. He hurt for you but he… I can't prove any of it."
The ringing phone interrupted whatever it was that Wolverine had been about to say as he reached for it and glared at the caller id. "What?"
Gambit strained to hear but he couldn't hear anything at all, not even enough to identify if the caller was male or female. Wolverine's face continued to harden as the conversation continued. When he flipped the phone closed, he turned towards Gambit and said, "This conversation ain't over, Gumbo."
"Course it no'."
"Come on." Wolverine grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the hill. "Storm needs help."
"Dis about where you all disappear to all de time?"
"Yeah. You're getting a hell of an introduction to the X-Men. We'll worry about the suit later. For now, we can use you," Wolverine said and then turned to face Gambit. He pulled Gambit in to his chest, bringing them in line. This time, it was Wolverine that pressed his lips against Gambit's. The feel of Wolverine's tongue in his mouth, teeth touching and noses brushing, made Gambit's heart rate increase. Wolverine pulled back and said, "That conversation ain't over yet either."
"Gambit look forward to it."
As always, I'd love to hear what you thought.
Author: wook77
Fandom: X-Men (movieverse and bastardized comicsverse)
Pairing: Wolverine/Gambit (Logan/Remy)
Rating: PG
Wordcount: ~9200
Warnings: Spoilers for X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Summary: Finding an old friend again doesn't change anything at all.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no matter how much I beg.
A/N: written for the request of "general how Gambit joined the X-Men" by zanzou_chan at slashfest. Bastardized comicsverse mixed in with movieverse including spoilers from the leaked X-Men Origins: Wolverine trailer/movie. Though I speak French, I'm definitely not a native speaker let alone a Creole French speaker thus possible misusage of French. Many many thanks to my beta the_rainbow_jen. Obviously all mistakes are my own.
Straining as he stood on tiptoe, Gambit shifted and rolled his shoulders before dislocating them and leaping into the air. The pain was fierce and continued long after the pop stopped echoing in the cell. By the time the pop echoed, he had flipped the chains and cuffs to the front of him. It was short work - now that he could use his mouth and the pick he'd hidden in his inner cheek - to free himself. As he sunk the pick into the lock, he heard a steady dripdrip that had nothing to do with his shoulders and every thing to do with the water coming in through the trapdoor at the top of the oubliette cell.
The water could only mean one thing. Cursing under his breath, Gambit shimmied up the chains to the trapdoor and pushed on it. When it didn't give, he cursed out loud before shimmying back down the chains and looking for something, anything, to charge.
"Gambit no' happy. N'est-ce pas t'aime," Gambit muttered to himself. He'd never thought he'd be back here. Given the choice between here or hell, he'd pick hell. Then again, this was his version of hell on Earth. As the dripdrip of the water increased to a steady beat that reminded Gambit of his racing heart as it echoed off the walls of the oubliette. "Merde. Be dead don't get out o' here."
Climbing up the chain, he kept going until he reached the top and pressed against the door. When it didn't budge, he shimmied down the chains before once more looking for something to charge. The dripdrip turned into a small, steady stream of water running down the walls and through the door. There were a couple inches of water already as he scanned. The water only meant one thing and that was that the dam was about to break. Gaze turning frantic, he scanned the room again and again until there in the corner he could see a small piece of paper floating.
Gripping it tightly, he cursed how wet it was and slowly charged it, drying it out as the water went up to his ankles. Praying, he fully charged it and then tossed the scrap skyward, causing it and the trapdoor to explode. Superheated metal debris rained down around his head. A small piece caught him across his cheek but the sting was nothing compared to the fierce need to get out of the cell before he drowned.
He shimmied back up the chains and then sprinted down the labyrinth until he reached the control room. The doors were wide open while his staff, his coat and his cards were no where to be found. Unwilling to waste any more of his rapidly dwindling time on the search, he ran for the exit, slogging through a foot and a half of water. As the incline increases, the force of the rushing water impeded his motion but he finally reached sunshine.
When he reached the top of the rise, he found Stryker tied to a rock.
"Gambit? Free me, quickly!"
"Yeah, homme, Gambit be freein' ya in just a minute," he said snidely as he walked past. "Then he be just lettin' ya pop him right back in that cell so you can play with me some more, yeah?"
"The dam is going to burst soon. Free me and I can fly us out of here before it does."
"Gambit make his own way, n'est-ce pas? It be jus' like you taught him." With that and a sarcastic salute, Gambit made for the woods. He heard Stryker yelling behind, "Gambit! You can't leave me here!" right before the dam broke and water roared down the hill. Picking up speed to a full run, Gambit raced for high enough ground that he wouldn't drown.
A feeling of complete terrified loss made him look back just in time to see a plane lift off out of the water.
Logan.
~~**~~
As he walked through the streets of New York, the news caught his attention as he watched mutants warring with one another as humans tried their best to defend themselves. Snorting at the ideals of both parties of mutants, Gambit had just started to turn away when he saw Wolverine climbing a pile of debris before killing a red-haired woman. The heartbreak on his face matched a swell of emotion within Gambit. It was patently obvious that Wolverine had loved the woman he'd killed to save the people stuck on the island.
The name of the school flashed on the television and Gambit made a note before continuing on his way. Curiosity was going to kill him some day. Until that day came, he had a school to find and an old compatriot to reunite with.
~~**~~
Gambit rubbed his temples to reduce the headache brewing just beyond. If he let it, the headache would explode into a migraine, just the thing he didn't need as he watched the mansion. He'd heard about the artwork and the valuables. He'd also heard about the death of the owner. With grief high, attention would be low and, for a thief like him, that provided a perfect opportunity.
His grin cocky, he leapt the laser perimeter line, ducked under the next trap and went back to the bike he'd hidden in a small wooded section off the road. Easy pickings, he crowed to himself and, after mounting the bike, rode through the gate to the front door.
Xavier's School for Mutants, the sign read as Gambit walked up the steps. Aware that a camera was on him, he resisted the urge to touch the bo on his hip or the cards in the pocket of his duster. The fact that he was wearing a duster was enough cause for suspicion from the members of the household. Instead, he straightened his collar, pulling the hair from beneath it; made sure his sunglasses were straight and then rang the bell.
After a minute or two, he rang the bell again. A beautiful black woman with bright white hair opened the door.
"Yes?" she asked as she stood in the small opening. She left the door open halfway and Gambit was impressed by the way she carried herself. From his research, this would be Storm.
"I hear dat Xavier's a place people come when they in need," Gambit said while inclining his head respectfully.
"It is. Are you in need?"
"Oui, cher, Gambit be in special need." He pushed a bit of charm into his voice. "Mon powers…"
"Come in, we'll talk in the profess - my office as long as you aren't a complete danger to the students." He nodded in response and the door opened the rest of the way and she gestured for him to enter. After he entered, she shut the door and started down the hall, saying over her shoulder, "You can take the glasses off."
"Thanks but no, not here." Gambit touched his hand to his forehead as he walked past a young group of women.
"Your choice, this way." That was the last of the conversation as he followed her through the halls. He took in the artwork, the vases, and the sculptures as he casually calculated what he could get for them from his contacts. The school was beautifully appointed but that was secondary to the reason he'd come. As he continued to catalog and ignore the impulse to scan the hallways and open doors for a certain face, they quickly approached the main office. "In here, please."
"Merci beaucoup, cher, Gambit appreciate de chance to talk to you." Gambit touched his fingers to his forehead and bowed slightly before entering the office. The door shut behind them.
"My name is Storm. I'll assume from the way you're speaking that yours is Gambit?" She took a seat behind the desk.
"Oui, je suis Gambit."
"And your need?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Gambit's powers, dey be on de fritz. Having problems controlling dem." He reached into his duster pocket and pulled out a card. Charging it slightly, he watched as it smoked and then stopped charging it abruptly before forcing a frown. "De card should be charged. Can't tell what sort of charge Gambit get when he tries."
"And your glasses have something to do with this?"
"Non, cher, Gambit wear dem cause people tend to stare when dey see his eyes." He pulled off his glasses and looked at her. He was prepared for some sort of shock or perhaps revulsion but, instead, she smiled at him.
"You have lovely eyes. There's no need to hide them here. You'll find that we are very accepting of physical signs of mutation. Dr. McCoy is in residence right now and he might be able to help you with your powers. Until then, let me show you a room." With that, she stood and started towards the door while Gambit gaped at her. Just that, one little show and a revelation and she offered him a place? What sort of trusting idiocy was this? When she turned to look at him, his bemusement must have showed because she smiled at him once more and said, "Our doors are always open for those that need. For those that come simply to take advantage, we have safeguards in place. Come along, Gambit."
They walked back through the mansion and Gambit felt the stares as he followed her up the stairs and through the hallways. He'd known his eyes would get stares, no matter how much this group might profess acceptance of physical mutations. When he heard giggling behind him, he turned and caught two teenaged girls staring at him and whispering. Touching his fingertips to his forehead, he sketched a quick bow and then winked before continuing on his way. Giggles erupted once more and he grinned. Perhaps this wouldn't be nearly as tedious as he'd predicted.
"We have quite a few students here with a wide variety of ages. I expect that you shall bear the age difference in mind," Storm said without turning to look at him.
"Gambit hears you," he said as he followed along. It wasn't like he'd been planning on acting on any sort of flirtation. He enjoyed flirting but acting on it was something else entirely.
"Then we won't have a problem. We have a few empty rooms at this moment in the staff wing. Your room is next to a couple of traveling professors." She opened a door and gestured. "Your motorcycle can be parked in the garage. It's to the side of the house. Doctor McCoy will be in contact with you as soon as you're settled and he's ready. We have an open policy in the kitchen. Feel free to explore the Mansion but the basement is, for the most part, off limits at this time."
"Mais oui, cher, Gambit hear you loud and clear." He accompanied the acquiescence with a respectful tilt of his head.
"You're welcome to explore the grounds. I need to get back to work." She smiled at him and then left him alone in the doorway of his room. He watched her walk away and then went into the room. It was small enough that there wasn't much need to explore but he did take a moment to look out the window and see the trellis spanning between his window and the one next it and reaching from the roof to the ground. It'd make leaving at night much easier than sneaking back through the mansion if he could just figure out the pattern of the sensor sweep. It wouldn't take long for that, especially if he had a moment to hack into the computer system. Reaching out to test the stability of the trellis, he almost fell when he heard a familiar gravelly voice behind him say, "Going somewhere, bub?"
He took a moment to get himself under control. This wasn't exactly how he'd planned on seeing Wolverine again. He'd wanted to be fairly blasé, perhaps a bit sarcastic, maybe strike a pose. Anything but half out a window with his ass in the air and on display. Remembering what their previous interactions had been like, Gambit got himself and his hormones under control and, pushing a bit of charm into his words, turned and said, "Jus' thinkin' 'bout roses, mon ami. Dey be beautiful dis time of year, n'est-ce pas?"
"Sure you were just think about the roses, bub." Wolverine leaned against the doorjamb as he spoke. The casualness of his pose belied the way that his muscles tightened, ready for anything.
"Quite a friendly welcome for ole Gambit, mon ami." Gambit pulled out a cigarette and started to light it with his fingertip.
"No smoking in the mansion. It sucks but rules are rules."
"Yeah?" Gambit grinned and then leapt out the window, grabbing the trellis and climbing up it until he reached the roof. It held his weight as he scaled it. Once he reached the top, he looked down and laughed at the sight of Wolverine staring out the window, looking up with a bemused expression on his face. "Coming, homme?"
Wolverine's face disappeared without a word. Ignoring any disappointment, Gambit held on to his cigarette again and lit it with a fingertip. He looked out over the grounds as he contemplated the observations from outside the fence and how they would fit with his observations from inside the fence. Just as he was aligning them to test later, a creak behind him betrayed the fact that he was no longer alone.
"Took you long enough, homme," he said as he turned to look at Wolverine. "Am almost done with de cigarette. You be fresh out of company soon."
"Think you're a clever one, don't you?" Wolverine sat next to him and held out his cigar. "You going to do that fancy lighting trick you tried down below?"
"Sure ting, Gambit can do it easy." He touched the tip of his finger and lit it. "Dey stink, though. You always did have poor taste in smokes."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized the tactical error he'd just made. Even worse, Wolverine realized it, as well, and tensed, staring at him.
"Say that again?"
"Gambit hear all 'bout how you smoke de nasty cigars all de time. You be on de news."
"You're lying."
"Now you insult Gambit. Dat not nice, mon ami." Gambit acted affronted and started to swing back to the trellis when Wolverine held on to his arm tightly. The unexpected touch even though the fabric of his clothing and duster woke up long buried memories that overwhelmed him.
"How do you know me?" Wolverine pulled him closer, so close that Gambit could feel breath stir his hair on the back of his neck. He resisted the urge to lean in to the touch and see where it would go. "What do you know about me?"
"You lay off Gambit or he make you." Gambit could feel the violence quivering underneath Wolverine's skin and he knew just how deadly the claws could be. When they started to come out, he grabbed a card, charged it and then tossed it into Wolverine's face. Wolverine reared back and touched his face as it started to heal and Gambit danced to the side. "Told you, homme, Gambit have no problems with you and he no' want any problems either. You want a problem wit' him, do', he be happy to reciprocate."
"You little shit. Just tell me what you meant by what you said." Wolverine's claws finished coming out and Gambit didn't make the mistake of only watching them. "We won't have a single problem if you do."
"And if Gambit don't, den what?" Gambit moved further to the side as Wolverine stalked towards him.
"Then we have a problem."
"Gambit tell you. He see you on de news and dat be dat." It was the truth to a point and Gambit saw Wolverine's nostrils flare as he scented for a lie. He braced for the attack but Wolverine only continued stalking towards him.
"I don't believe you," he said but he didn't sound entirely convinced any longer.
"Den you don' believe him but he be telling you de truth, homme. Gambit, he no' be so good at the English, n'est-ce pas? He jus' a dumb ole Creole boy grow up speakin' de French." Gambit held his hands from his side, hoping that if it looked like he was unarmed Wolverine might turn away from fighting and believe him. He concentrated on his mood and what he was giving off on the off-chance Wolverine might sense it, making himself seem as harmless as possible. "Why not put dem away, we have a bit of a smoke and we make like friends."
The claws retracted but Gambit stayed wary. "I'll find out the truth eventually."
"Gambit be waiting for de day. Until den, you want a smoke?" Gambit pulled out the packet of cigarettes and offered one, knowing full well that Wolverine only ever smoked his cigars.
"Light this," Wolverine ordered as he held out the cigar that he somehow hadn't lost a hold of. Gambit nodded and touched his finger to the tip. They smoked in silence for a moment, Gambit lighting a second cigarette as he'd lost the last one in the fighting. "Interesting talent you have there, Gumbo."
Wolverine's remark floated in the air as Gambit's heart sped up at the familiar nickname while his head swiveled to look at the man next to him.
"What you call Gambit?" The quiver in his voice could hopefully be written off to anger. At least, he hoped that it could.
"You got a problem with it," Wolverine paused and then added, "Gumbo?"
"Between you calling Gambit a liar and now dis, Gambit be tinkin' you no' like him." Gambit tried to not think about what memories the nickname brought back, the shared missions and training, the way that they learned to fight together, the way that Wolverine would pin him down during a sparring match and the way that Gambit would let him. Perhaps Wolverine remembered more than he'd let on, definitely more than his source had thought. Then again, Sabretooth had never been very reliable and it didn't matter that Sabretooth hadn't known it was him.
"Don't like anyone. I wouldn't take it personally." Wolverine continued to puff on the cigar. Gambit laughed and Wolverine turned to face him, quirking an eyebrow. "Like I said, hell of a talent."
"Isn't nearly as impressive as you healing."
"You owe me a new shirt. This is one of my favorites."
"Mais non, you shoulda let Gambit go when you had de chance."
"Why the hell do you keep referring to yourself like that?"
"Is habit, mon ami." Gambit won't get into the history of the reasons. He'd rather not think about the past and, to an extent, what he said was the truth.
"Guess there're worse habits. Like wearing your glasses when it's going dark." Wolverine gestured towards Gambit's face.
"Gambit, he used to it."
"What're you hiding?" Wolverine stared until Gambit felt forced to take the glasses off. When he did, he watched for any sort of reaction at all but Wolverine didn't give him one.
"Dese," he gestured towards his eyes, "people don't seem to react well to dem."
Storm's voice echoed up from the open windows as she called for Wolverine. "Logan?"
"Be down," Wolverine yelled back while Gambit tamped down the disappointment at the interruption. "The eyes are pretty enough, someone doesn't like 'em, tell 'em to get lost, easy as that."
With that, Wolverine got up and left; Gambit watched him go. So far, his time here had gone much better than he'd ever conceived of. He'd been accepted, given a room and had a few moments alone with Wolverine. Perhaps, if the doctor was able to put some of his shields back in place, he could consider this mission completely accomplished.
Sighing to himself that it wouldn't be accomplished until he found out if Wolverine remembered or not, he got up and left, shimmying back down the trellis until he got to the ground. It was short work to make his way to his bike, take it to the garage and then grab his bags. As he was coming around the corner, he was concentrating too much on how long he should stay and not enough on his surroundings. When he crashed into something, he fell backwards but quickly regained his balancing, flipping and landing in a crouch, cards in his hand.
"Wow, that was pretty awesome." Gambit watched as a young man pushed himself off the ground. The awe in his voice made Gambit grin. Straightening, he walked over and offered a hand. "How'd you get moves like that?"
"Good living, homme."
"Guess you're new around here, huh? I'm Bobby, though people also call me Iceman."
"Je m'appelle Gambit," he said as he gave the hand a quick shake and then let go. "Oui, je suis nouveau, just got here a few hours ago."
"Oh cool. You meet everyone yet?"
"Non, just Storm and Wolverine."
"Dinner'll be soon. You'll get to meet a few of us, what's left, anyway." Bobby looked uncomfortable, like he'd said too much.
"Seen de troubles on de tv. Also seen what y'all been doing." Gambit gestured towards the Mansion. "Gotta get ma stuff inside."
"I'll walk with you and then show you the dining room, if you'd like." Bobby hesitated and then rushed to add, "That is, if you don't already know where it is. You probably got a tour."
"Non, no tour for Gambit. He get shown a room and dat be dat. Appreciate the guide."
"Come on, I'll show you." With that, Gambit followed Bobby as he walked through the mansion, talking about this room and that, pausing to introduce him to some of the inhabitants that they crossed paths with. By the time they made it to his room to drop off his bag and then back again, Gambit felt a bit overwhelmed with the names and faces though he had made a mental note of everyone. It would just take one more meeting to confirm that he remembered each correctly. After all, one never knew when that sort of information would come in handy. By the end of the week, he would know their sleeping habits, their eating habits and just what talents they had. With Bobby willing to talk to him so much, Gambit pulled pieces of information from him, mentally filing that along with the names and faces.
As they made it to the kitchen for dinner, Gambit learned about Jean and the way that she'd died. The TV hadn't shown him the background, the way that she'd gone after the Professor and the way that Wolverine had run around after her, trying to save her only to have to kill her in the end. He was absorbing that, ignoring what it might mean to the reason he'd come, when Bobby stopped in front of him.
"This is Dr. Hank McCoy. We call him 'Beast' though, for, err, obvious reasons," Bobby said before flushing.
"Nicely put," said one of the girls at the table. "Nice and polite."
"Everyone calls me 'Gambit'," Gambit said, offering a hand and ignoring the way that Bobby and the girl started bickering back and forth.
"I understand you are in need of my help."
"Oui, ma powers, dey be a bit unpredictable."
"I've some time directly after dinner, if you'd like. The sooner we start, the less likely it is that something will blow up unexpectedly, yes?" McCoy chuckled at his own joke and Gambit forced a smile.
"That'd be fine, homme, merci."
"And there is who I was hoping would be able to help with the testing," McCoy said just as Gambit's neck started to itch. "Wolverine, would you be so kind as to join Gambit and myself after dinner for a bit of experimentation?"
"What d'ya need from me?" Wolverine entered the room and grabbed a plate, moving around the table so that he sat across from Gambit.
"You'll see."
"Not like I have anything better to do," Wolverine offered begrudgingly.
"Your willingness to help knows no bounds of grace or polish."
"You don't keep me around for polish or grace."
"Speaking of grace, you should've seen the move Gambit here did when we bumped in to each other. I'd love to learn that," Bobby interjected.
"Mebbe I try to teach you." Gambit looked around the room and tried to get a feel for the way that everyone was reacting to him. "It a bit of natural talent and a bit of training."
"Yeah? Where'd you get that training?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah, why not tell us about where you got that training," Wolverine added, glaring at him with arms crossed as he pushed back against the chair, tilting it backwards.
"Been so long, Gambit no' can remember." He added some charm to his voice in an attempt to distract from the line of questioning.
"Dinner is served!" Storm called out as she entered the room with a tray laden with food. Gambit stood and hurried over, grabbing the tray from her. "Thank you."
"My pleasure, truly all mine." And he wasn't just referencing the chivalry. Instead, he was quite grateful for her timing as he wasn't at all comfortable with the way that Wolverine looked at him, the appraising and calculating glare that let Gambit know that his slip from earlier wasn't forgotten or forgiven.
Thankfully, conversation moved away from Gambit and his past as they all ate. When it ended, Gambit stood to help clear the table but was shooed away as McCoy headed towards the door. "Come along, young man. You, as well, Wolverine."
Gambit nodded at Storm and the rest as they cleared the table and then followed McCoy into the basement of the mansion. "We have a room for this sort of thing; it's a marvel of technology. I think you'll be well impressed with it."
"Oui? That be interesting."
"What I'd like is for you, Gambit, to test your powers, give me an idea of what happens in a variety of circumstances. We'll try everything from calm to when you're under attack. That is where our friend, Wolverine, comes in."
"Gambit get to blow up Wolverine?"
"Not like you haven't tried it already, bub."
"You've already had an altercation? Why am I not surprised with that, Wolverine?" McCoy raised an eyebrow.
"Not my fault."
"Of course it wasn't." Gambit could hear the sarcasm in McCoy's words as they entered the room. "We call this the Danger Room."
"It be interesting," he said politely as he scanned the metallic walls.
"Stay here a moment, I'll turn this on. Please try to refrain from having another altercation until I ask," he said with a pointed look towards Wolverine.
Gambit waited for Wolverine to say or do something while they stood there but, instead, they remained quiet, an uncomfortable silence that had Gambit making a point of not looking at Wolverine or moving.
"At this point, I'd like to see a normal usage of your talents. If you could step aside, Wolverine," came a detached mechanical voice. Wolverine smirked and stepped to the side while Gambit grabbed a few cards out of his pocket and, charging them at various levels to make it appear that his powers fluctuated and tossed them, one after another, into the air, watching as they exploded in a shower of sparks and ash.
"Very good, now with a bit more to it." The room filled with a street scene. "If you could aim at the targets."
"What targets?" Gambit asked right before something came flying at his head. With a muttered curse, he grabbed more cards and tossed them at the flying targets. When one came too close, he flipped backwards until he was about twenty feet from where he'd been.
"And now we'll add Wolverine to the mix." The scene changed again and Wolverine disappeared from view, hidden by a building that sprang into life. He had barely any warning before he was embraced, crushed from behind. With a snarl, he stepped on Wolverine's instep and then, when the grip relaxed just a fraction, he grabbed a card and tossed it behind them. A crater appeared in the sidewalk and they were both thrown forward. When Wolverine released him as they fell, Gambit rolled away from him, grabbing cards in one hand and his bo in the other.
"Want to try dat again on Gambit?" he taunted as he crouched and waited. Wolverine smirked and released his claws. Without any further warning, Wolverine rushed towards him and swiped. Gambit tossed cards and then flipped over Wolverine, landing behind him and hitting the back of his knees with his bo. "You need to be a bit faster, homme. You too slow."
"Been trying to play nice, bub, what with this being a test but ya want a real fight, I'll give ya one."
Wolverine pivoted and came at him again, one hand swinging as another started. Gambit dodged the first and tossed a card towards the second. He overcharged the card and it ignited as it touched the claws, exploding violently and sending ash into Wolverine's eyes while his hand smoked, the scent of charred flesh filling the air.
"That will be enough," came the disembodied voice again. "Please cease."
"You all right, homme?" Gambit hurried to Wolverine as he clutched his face. Gambit pushed back Wolverine's hands with one hand and tilted his face up with the other. "Gambit, he no' mean to make it so bad."
"I'll be fine." Gambit watched as the burnt flesh started to heal.
"It still hurt, non?" His fingers traced the path of the healing, lightly brushing. It reminded him of the past - the missions, the fighting and the making up. Wolverine's face turned peculiar and Gambit realized that he was getting hard from touching Wolverine's face. McCoy bustled into the room, interrupting the moment as Gambit stepped back and Wolverine stood up.
"Thank you for your assistance but your presence is no longer required," he said, dismissing Wolverine. With one last enigmatic look towards Gambit, Wolverine left the room. "Please follow me to the lab. I'd like to continue this there. I've a few questions for you. This way, please."
When they were in the lab, McCoy turned towards him, clipboard in hand. "Whatever you aren't comfortable answering, please let me know. However, I do ask what is medically necessary."
"Oui. It be all good."
"Name?"
"Remy LeBeau."
"Age?"
"Thirty-seven."
"Truly?"
"Oui."
"I assume that your powers have something to do with the lack of physical signs of aging?"
"Oui. I be able to be faster, too."
"Any other talents?" Gambit shook his head, unwilling to disclose the charm to anyone. "Any other physical mutations other than your eyes and preternatural speed?"
"Non, not that I'm aware of."
"Do you heal faster?"
"No' really. Heal jus' like most folks."
"Well then, strip and we'll get the physical out of the way." Gambit stared at McCoy as he said it. "You have a problem with that?"
"When you say strip, what you mean by dat?"
"Strip to your underwear." Gambit continued to stare at him. "You don't have underwear on?"
"That be no' of yo' business."
"I need to do a physical examination. Your clothes will be an impediment. Surely you've had one before."
"It been years." Gambit made a conscious effort not to remember the lab with Stryker and the examinations and tests. He especially didn't want to remember getting patched up after the various missions. He did better when he ignored them.
"We can do a partial examination, then, but I'll need a full work up soon."
"Yeah, all right, homme," Gambit said, intending to never follow through with it. He took off his duster and then his shirt, making sure that his cards were within reach. McCoy filled the lack of conversation with explanations of what he was doing and why, what results he received and a running commentary on Gambit's physical health.
"Interesting scars," he remarked as he measured one set. "These look like burns. Was this from your mutation?"
"Non, dey be from something a long time ago." His tone didn't allow for a follow up question and McCoy went along with it.
When the examination finally ended, he put his clothes back on and then made his way upstairs into the room he'd been assigned. After stripping, he crawled in to bed, tossing and turning as his brain went over the day and he relived each of the experiences, looking at the nuances and information. Bobby would be a great source of information, gregarious and possibly quite trusting. Storm was obviously battered by all the various recent events and emotionally fragile. McCoy was an interesting case; he'd be harder to fool than the rest.
Then there was Wolverine. He was so similar to what Gambit remembered and yet so very different, as well. Add in that he wasn't at all certain that Wolverine didn't remember along with his gaffe earlier and Gambit didn't feel that his footing was at all secure. He was playing with fire and it was bound to get him hurt. Still, a smoke with him, a couple of sparring matches and then touching him, it was almost enough if Gambit wasn't such a greedy thief.
But he was a greedy thief and he had to know just what it was that Wolverine remembered and just what he didn't. He had to know if Jean had meant the world to him or if he'd ever thought of Gambit. He wondered if… if Wolverine still had nightmares, a question that was answered as he heard the heavy breathing and the muffled moans next door. After getting up and pulling on a pair of shorts, Gambit made his way into Wolverine's room and called out from the doorway, "Homme?"
When he didn't get a response, he shut the door and asked, a bit louder, "Wolverine?" With no response coming from Wolverine, he crept closer and changed to a more intimate tone, "Logan? Wake up."
Before he could react, Logan sprang out of bed, grabbed him and slammed him against the wall with one hand while the other, claws out, flashed towards him. Gambit ducked, leaving his arm pinned to the wall and barely avoided the claws. Even as he shook with adrenaline, he said in a soft, intimate voice, "Logan, snap out of it, cher. It be all right: you jus' wake up."
He reached out his free hand, resting it on Wolverine's face. Fingers gentle, he touched the skin that had completely healed where he'd been burnt during their altercation. "Wake up, cher."
Wolverine's eyes cleared and he jumped back, releasing Gambit's arm. "What the hell you doing in here, Gumbo?"
"Gambit, he hear you thrashing around, came in to see if mebbe you need help." His voice was back to normal conversational tones.
"Don't need your help."
"Gambit see dat, he leave you alone to whatever it was." Gambit started towards the door.
"Wait." Gambit paused at the command and then felt Wolverine's breath on the back of his neck, the heat of him behind and he braced for the touch, wanting it enough that he could feel it. The want was so fierce that he swayed backwards and realized that the touch was real, that Wolverine had his hand on Gambit's shoulder, hand heavy and warm where it rested. "Thanks."
"Welcome, homme," Gambit said and resisted the temptation to turn and touch back or maybe even reach a hand up and rest it over Wolverine's. Instead of doing anything he'd want to do, he made his way back into his own room.
~~**~~
Breakfast, the following morning, wasn't nearly as awkward as Gambit had thought it might be. Mostly, it had to do with Wolverine not being anywhere around. He chatted with Bobby and Rogue, learning about them and the mansion, the recent events and barely sharing any information about himself at all.
"So you two a couple?" he asked as he watched them interact with one another.
"Yeah," Bobby said as Rogue stared at him. "What? We are."
"Gambit no' mean to cause problems with his questions. He leave you to it." He stood and left the kitchen as the pair of them started to talk. As he walked towards the grounds to do some exploring, McCoy called after him, hurrying to catch up.
"Are you wearing underwear today?"
"Pardon?" Gambit stared at the blunt question. He could've sworn he heard a snort of laughter from nearby.
"For the full physical exam? Are you prepared for it? Properly attired?" This time, Gambit knew he heard laughter.
"We do dat another day, yeah? Gambit, he no' ready."
"No time like the present. You wouldn't want someone to get hurt because you delayed an examination, would you?" McCoy quirked an eyebrow and then continued, "We'll do it tomorrow. Wear underwear."
Before Gambit could respond, McCoy wandered back from where he came, leaving Gambit staring after him in bemusement. He shook his head and then started out the main doors.
"Going somewhere, bub?" Wolverine's voice repeated the words from just yesterday, making Gambit freeze in place.
"Was thinking of taking a quick walk." Gambit turned and faced Wolverine.
"I'll come along."
"No' necessary. Gambit find his way jus' fine without you."
"Wasn't offering, was tellin' ya."
"You no' trust Gambit?"
"Never trust anyone, I wouldn't take it personally." Wolverine brushed past Gambit, shoulder touching shoulder. Gambit's hand touched the spot and then he hurried after Wolverine.
"You be a hard man to understand," Gambit said when he caught up.
"No sense in doing anything easy."
The mansion disappeared from view the deeper into the woods they walked. The woods were peaceful and, considering there was no further conversation, Gambit found that he could concentrate on the man beside him and the various camera locations. He made mental notes of each of them though the temptation to steal and make a quick getaway slid further and further from his mind.
"You going to tell me what you know?" Gambit wasn't at all prepared for the question that came out of nowhere.
"Don' know what you're talking about, homme."
"I think you do," Wolverine said as he turned and was suddenly too close to Gambit for comfort's sake.
"I tol' you all you need." Gambit slid a hand into his pocket, fingering a card. Wolverine's hand grabbed his wrist.
"You haven't told me why you get so aroused near me." The words were low and went straight to Gambit's gut and cock.
"Dat a figment of yo' ego."
"Yeah?" Wolverine's free hand brushed Gambit's cock. "That a figment, too?"
"Not fair, homme, not fair at all. Gambit no' here for dat. Dere's no need for dat." He sounded desperate but couldn't quite bring himself to care. "He tell you all dat is important. You let him go and he no' have to hurt you again."
"All's fair in love and war."
"Which is dis, den? It be love or war?"
"You tell me," Wolverine said, voice still low.
“You let Gambit go." Gambit didn't want him to, not really, but for his own mindset and sanity, he needed it.
"No." Wolverine's mouth started to move towards Gambit but he turned his face.
"This no' right. You be toying wit'… wit' me." Gambit felt Wolverine's hand skim up his arm to grab his neck, tilting his face before pressing nose into neck. The inhalation tickled Gambit's skin, causing goosebumps to raise.
"You don't like cat and mouse?" Wolverine pulled Gambit closer. "Tell me what you're here for."
"Gambit tol' you and de doc and Storm, he here to get help with his powers."
"Bullshit."
"It be de truth. He need help, see you all on de television and come here."
"Bullshit." Wolverine breathed in again, the deep breath tickling once more. "I can smell the lie."
"Gambit no' lie. He here cause he see you on de television."
Wolverine let go abruptly, stepping back and glaring at him. A scant second later, Gambit heard crunching twigs and Bobby's voice as he called out for Wolverine.
"Over here," Wolverine snarled in response before turning back to Gambit. "This ain't over. Not by a long shot."
"Gambit tink it is."
"Think in one hand, spit in the other. See which one fills up faster."
"We have to go suit up," Bobby said as he joined them.
"Yeah?"
"They're on the move." Gambit knew that they were speaking in code and that it was for his benefit. There was something else going on, something that had something to do with the part of the basement that was off-limits.
"Full team?" Bobby nodded in response to Wolverine's question. "All right, let's go," Wolverine said before turning back to Gambit. "Remember it."
Gambit highly doubted he'd forget the conversation and the feel of Logan's hand on his cock or the touch of face to neck.
~~**~~
Thankfully, Wolverine didn't have a chance to find Gambit alone again in the next week. He'd had the physical exam with McCoy, unable to shake the tenacious doctor from the path he'd chosen. There was some discussion about his shields and that they might require strengthening to help him control his powers.
When another week went past and Gambit had managed to successfully avoid being alone with Wolverine, he found himself wondering if, perhaps, he should leave. He'd confirmed that Wolverine was fine and he'd also determined that the artwork wasn't all that valuable, mostly fakes. Hi-quality fakes but fakes nonetheless.
Gambit learned more and more about the inhabitants of the mansion. He saw the way that the students looked up to the professors and the way that those same professors disappeared every once in a while. When he questioned Bobby about it, it was the only line of questioning Bobby wouldn't answer. McCoy was mum on it, as well.
He started on his third week of avoiding being alone with Wolverine when he heard muffled noises from next door in the middle of the night. He got up and walked over, knocking lightly on the door. The expected lack of response came but he opened the door regardless only to find Wolverine sitting on the bed and looking at a photograph.
"Sorry, homme, Gambit, he hear something and wonder. He leave you alone now." Gambit backed out of the doorway only to stop when Wolverine spoke.
"You're awfully curious for someone that doesn't have a thing to hide."
"Gambit jus' no want you to hurt yourself."
"Can't do much more to me than I've already done." Wolverine opened the drawer of the night table and slide the photograph in. Gambit caught a glimpse of the photograph, enough to see that it was of the red-haired woman.
"She a friend?"
"None of your business," Wolverine snarled as he stood, walked over and grabbed Gambit before he had a chance to react. "None of your damned business."
"Yeah, homme, Gambit understand. You let him go now." He wondered why he was constantly asking Wolverine to let him go instead of just forcing the issue. The thought disappeared as Wolverine slammed him against the wall and pressed their bodies too close together. Gambit felt the erection rubbing against his own.
"She's none of your business."
"Gambit knows. He only wonder cause you didn't look so good."
"Why do you care?"
"Gambit cares cause he does."
"That don't make any sense."
Gambit slithered his arm around so that his hand could touch Wolverine's face. Before he thought too much further, he pressed his lips against Wolverine's, kissing lightly. "He care cause he does. Simple as dat."
"You kissed me."
"Oui. You kill 'im now for dat o' you let him go?" Wolverine stepped back and Gambit hurried out of the room.
~~**~~
In the morning, he looked for Wolverine and the man wasn't anywhere to be found. He didn't show up for meals and he didn't stay in his room all that often. Gambit wondered if, perhaps, it had been the way that he'd wanted so much that night, wanted to do more than a quick press of lips. The Wolverine that Gambit knew would've pursued it, asked questions and demanded answers. The lack of questioning answered some of Gambit's own questions about just how much Wolverine had changed.
When a few weeks went past without Wolverine putting in an appearance, Gambit decided it was time for a break. With his memories of the past fresh in his head, he left the mansion, promising to come back for more testing.
Alkali Lake was much bigger than he remembered, even with the flooding being the last memory. As he walked along the beach, he couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. He'd been stupid to come up here, stupid and lost in the past. He couldn't get it back no matter what. Wolverine either didn't remember or didn't want to remember and one was just as painful as the other.
The slight whistling noise saved him as he shifted his weight just as Wolverine lunged over a boulder towards him, claws out and ready to strike. "What the hell you doing?"
"Why'd you follow me?" Wolverine got up and stalked towards him. Gambit circled, keeping his face towards Wolverine as he moved.
"I didn't."
"Lil out of your way, ain't it?" Obviously Wolverine didn’t believe him but considering it was the truth, Gambit wasn't sure how to proceed so he pushed a bit of charm into his voice.
"I didn't follow you. Jus' came here. Heard 'em talkin' 'bout it at the mansion and wanted to see for myself."
"You gonna tell me what brought you here or am I gonna have to beat it out of you?" Wolverine's tone stayed even and steady, as if he were conversing on the weather. They kept circling as Gambit tried to figure out exactly what he should tell Wolverine about how much he knew. Eventually, he decided to just put it all out there, either Wolverine would or wouldn't accept it. Either way, he'd know if Wolverine remembered.
"Yo' screams when they poured in the adamantium, dey echoed all 'round de facility. I hear dem in mon dreams sometimes." Gambit used the same conversational tone that Wolverine had used. "It was rough there for a bit, none of us were certain you'd make it. Yo' body, it fought and fought but eventually, you started moving 'round. Made me nervous how much the stuff changed you. Yo' beast, he was always close to de surface but dis, dis changed tings, made de beast mad all de time."
"You were in Weapon X with me?" Wolverine sounded disbelieving. "You're what? Twenty? Twenty three?"
"Gambit be thirty-seven, homme. And he no' in the Weapon X. You were Weapon X. Gambit just along for de ride. He be one of de sidekicks." And more, he wanted to tell Logan about how much more they'd been but he didn't, not right now. "Stryker, he be an interesting one. Smart, too, knew just how to play people. He get Gambit just where he wanted him just like he got you, Sabretooth, Deadpool and some others. We all fall in line and do jus' what he want until you got smart and some of us, we follow you away from de project."
"How'd he get you?" Gambit heard the unspoken question of how'd he get me in there so he answered both.
"Stryker promise me dat mon famile, they be all right, he make certain tings for mon pére et mon frére go away if I cooperate. Don't know how he got you, you never said for real though I hear dat you were facin' execution. He good wit de promises, not so good wit' de follow through. Gambit be dumb to tink dat he hold on to his word but what'd Gambit know? He jus' a dumb Cajun kid at de time." Gambit sighed and then continued, "Anyway, when Gambit see you on de television, he wondered about you, came here to see if you de same or if you better. See if maybe you remember ole Gambit. He find out you don't remember anything. Now that he has his answers, it be time for him to move on."
"Took you this long to wonder if I remembered you?" Wolverine sounded disbelieving and Gambit understood it.
"Mais non. It take Gambit all dese years to come see you face to face. Gambit check in on you every once in a while, just to see if you all right, needing any o' his assistance."
"Why?" There was the question that Gambit didn't want to answer as he hadn't a clue how to explain without giving too much away. It was too soon after Jean's death, too soon after Logan's loss for Gambit to remind him what they'd been.
"We be bonne amis, homme. Friends look out for friends, n'est-ce pas?"
"Friends don't wait almost twenty years to catch up on old times." Wolverine stalked towards him and Gambit held up his hands, pushing even more charm into his voice.
"Gambit no' wait all dat time. When you go after Stryker? Gambit try to go along and he get caught jus' like yous amis. He barely make it out of dere before de water come in. Later, he see you in San Francisco when you climb dat debris and kill de girl. He see yo' face and he know dat you need a friend. He wondered if maybe he be dat friend so he came." Gambit waited for a response, watched Logan's face and didn't see a thing. Resigned to the lack of reconnection, he backed away from Wolverine, heading towards his bike at the top of the hill. "It obvious, though, you no' need Gambit. You do jus' fine witout him."
"Where you going, bub? You don't get to decide that it's time to leave." Wolverine rushed him and Gambit danced out of the way.
"It a free country, homme, and Gambit be a free man. He get to leave whenever he feel like."
"Oh no you don't, not when there's plenty of things you haven't told me." Wolverine grabbed his arm and pulled him in, bringing their bodies far too close together for Gambit's comfort.
"What you want from Gambit?"
"I want you to tell me what we were. ‘Good friends’ is bullshit."
"We be good friends and teammates." At Gambit's words, Wolverine thrust into Gambit's hips.
"Bullshit."
"It de truth one way or another." Wolverine's lips on his neck had him moaning, tilting his head to bare more of his neck.
"We fucked."
"Oui," he moaned as Wolverine bit his neck.
"Weapon X. Tell me about it." With that Wolverine let Gambit go before hooking his claws into Gambit's shirt, just below his neck. "Make it good."
"Yeah, all right, Gambit do dat." Gambit stepped back and then headed down the beach towards where the bunker had been. With Wolverine's stubble burn on his neck, he felt more centered instead of off-balance as he'd expected. Perhaps it was the possibilities and the hopes that made his grin turned cocky as he turned his head to look back at Wolverine. "You coming?"
He didn't wait for Wolverine to join him. He'd follow, Gambit could trust in that. "Dis place, when we here, it be full of people, Stryker's soldiers and then dere was us. We not all that big of a force but with the way that we all have our talents and, well, it‘d’ve been easy enough to take over. Dat one of the reasons it be almost easy for us to walk away."
Gambit gestured towards the bunker. "When you left coupla years ago, you left de doors open so dere be nuttin' we can get out of de bunker. But de memories, dey be fresh in ma tête. Gambit, he barely make it out of dere when you blow it up. Gambit have to walk against the flooding water but he see what you did to Stryker. He agree with it."
"You were here?"
"Oui. Gambit get hisself captured, stuck in a cell jus' like yous amis. Only difference is yous amis get out wit' help, Gambit get out by hisself. Back den, though, we kept de people dat we sent out to fetch. We told dat dey be bad ones but dunno 'bout dat no more." Gambit paused as he gathered his thoughts and determined what he wanted to tell. "Stryker, he remember Gambit and he make it worse, break Gambit's shields, make his head hurt and his powers go a bit off. It hard to regain control but Gambit does, mostly. It just be every once in awhile dat Gambit blow tings up he no' supposed to. Stryker no' finish what he started cause you came in and distracted him."
"Yeah?"
"Dunno how to do dat. Gambit be a dumb Cajun boy wit' only his memories. You flood any proof Gambit could give. Believe him or no'." Gambit turned towards Wolverine and held his hands out. "He be telling you de truth."
"Prove it." Wolverine walked towards him and Gambit let him hold on to his arms and give him a shake before letting him go.
"Can't." Gambit kept the charm up and said, "He don't know if you remember or no'. He tell you dat he train wit' you, he blow you up a couple of times and you beat the shit out of him a couple of times."
He gave a rueful laugh and then reached a hand up to Wolverine's face, cupping his cheek. "When you get your adamantium, he be dere, he talk to you when you recover. He hurt for you but he… I can't prove any of it."
The ringing phone interrupted whatever it was that Wolverine had been about to say as he reached for it and glared at the caller id. "What?"
Gambit strained to hear but he couldn't hear anything at all, not even enough to identify if the caller was male or female. Wolverine's face continued to harden as the conversation continued. When he flipped the phone closed, he turned towards Gambit and said, "This conversation ain't over, Gumbo."
"Course it no'."
"Come on." Wolverine grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the hill. "Storm needs help."
"Dis about where you all disappear to all de time?"
"Yeah. You're getting a hell of an introduction to the X-Men. We'll worry about the suit later. For now, we can use you," Wolverine said and then turned to face Gambit. He pulled Gambit in to his chest, bringing them in line. This time, it was Wolverine that pressed his lips against Gambit's. The feel of Wolverine's tongue in his mouth, teeth touching and noses brushing, made Gambit's heart rate increase. Wolverine pulled back and said, "That conversation ain't over yet either."
"Gambit look forward to it."
As always, I'd love to hear what you thought.