To Love A Swamp Rat

"You sneakin' swamp rat!" she hissed, still giving him the death-glare. He wished he could tell her how much he'd rather make her smile than be the cause of that look. "Ah just wish you'd feel a little guilt for spyin' on me!"

He raised his hands placatingly. "Easy, cher. Remy just enjoyin' de show, non? Kinda wished you'd picked number fourteen, though."

The flush of rage on her cheeks quickly became one of shame. "You... you... aw, that's it! Ah'm givin' Beast a piece of mah mahnd first, and then you'll pay..." She made to move past him and he slipped around her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Let me go, Cajun!" she yelled.

"Non, petit, don't go after Hank. He didn't have not'in' to do wit' me findin' out," Remy said, trying to calm her down.

Rogue scowled. "Well then, how do you know? He's the only other one with the password for them."

He stroked her cheek with the back of his gloved hand. "Remy got his ways," he said cryptically. "Know about dose t'ings you got hid under your undies, too."

She flushed a deeper crimson and sagged against him. "Gawd, you must think Ah'm a nympho," she muttered, horrified.

He pressed his lips to her hair. "Non, Marie," he whispered. "You just lonely."

A tear rolled down Rogue's cheek before she could stop it. "Ah'll always be lonely, thanks to havin' such bad luck Ah get the worst possible power."

Remy was silent for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He hated it when women cried, but it had never been more painful than when she did. When he did manage to speak, his voice was husky. "Let me take you out, show you a good time, cher. You deserve to get out and have some fun."

She pulled free of his grip and turned to face him, her expression suspicious. "You wanna go on a date, knowin' you can't get so much as a goodnaht kiss?"

He grinned, his normal suavity returning gradually. "Wit' you, Remy take what he can get." He took her gloved hand and raised it to his lips to kiss. She felt him slip something into her hand. It felt like a playing card, and Rogue knew before she looked that it was the Queen of Hearts.

She looked at it for a moment, considering, before she smiled at him. "All raht. We'll take what we can get." She forced down the little voice in her head that said it would never, could never be enough. It wasn't like she really had any kind of chance for a physical relationship with anyone anyway. So she leaned in to kiss him, holding the playing card between their lips.