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Sitting on the bed, Rogue watched Remy work on the computer. Well, maybe working was a generous observation. Lucifer paced in front of his eyes over and over again, before finally sitting on the keyboard. Remy put him down on the floor, careful not to wake Oliver who was sleeping on his lap.
"Damn cat" he mumbled as the critter climbed onto the desk for the umpteenth time.
Remy gave up and decided on his best option; rested his chin on the kitty's back and continued with his task.
"Do you want me to rescue you from that evil villain, sweetie?" she asked without moving from her spot, mesmerized by how adorable and terribly sexy he looked.
Remy swiveled the chair around and looked at her with a disdainful gesture.
"I've been looking up info on Gariga for hours and all you've done is look sexy in that robe," he punctuated with a mischievous grin.
"I remind you, sugah, that I have spent all morning with Emma, learning to look like old money," she grumbled back.
"Oh, poor thing, spa, shopping, beauty session...the hard work" Remy said getting up from the chair and crawling over the bed. When he tugged on the sash of her robe, the "fuck" that slipped from his lips and the look on his face was worth all the money spent. In less than a second, he had her against the sheets with his big, calloused hands trailing her body.
"No kissing, swamp rat," Rogue said pulling her face away. "That's three hundred dollars' worth of makeup."
Remy dropped down on top of her. " What has this poor Cajun done to deserve this torture?"
Rogue rested a hand on his head and leaned her cheek against his hair.
"This is just for you—when we get back from the mission you can do with my makeup, my hair... with me whatever you want" she whispered, feeling Remy tighten his embrace and bite her shoulder, mumbling something she didn't quite understand.
With promises made for a fun end to the party, Rogue got up to get dressed. She had bought a white suit. She pulled the jacket over the intricate lace pattern of her bra and tied the single button.
"Put this in your ear," Remy said as she made sure everything was perfect about her look in front of the mirror.
Rogue took the small piece from his hand and immediately gave him a look of disbelief.
"Stark Industries?" she said allowing a hint of reproach to creep into her voice. "Have you been stealing from Tony again? Forge can make earpieces like these in his sleep.
"Stark was in the press saying he had improved his security system, and it was now infallible," he replied with a playful grin.
Rogue smiled at her husband's cocky smile and had to restrain the urge to ruin her makeup and undress him right there and then.
________
Rogue waited inside the limo they rented. Nervous. She fixed her hair in the mirror and sighed.
"You're going to do great," she heard Remy say; and as usual his voice was a haven of peace.
He was somewhere in the building listening to everything, waiting for her to find out where their target was.
The doorman opened the limousine door and Rogue held out her gloved hand for him to help her out of the car.
"Mrs. Valentine?" he asked politely in a thick British accent.
She just nodded and looked at him as Emma had taught her.
"Remember you have to be polite but superior, as if everyone owes you their lives and you are too precious to say it, but not for others to notice."
"Miss, please" she replied without looking at the worker. Carefully touching up the diamond necklace that adorned her neck, she remembered some of Emma's other advice.
"Besides you have to look like you have no money, because it's ugly to look like money, but at the same time you have to look like a lot of money."
She would never have thought that being rich required such bullshit.
The man led her to the hall, where another distinguished gentleman was waiting for her, but still not the man they were looking for.
"Good evening. Come with me Miss Valentine, Mr. Gariga is waiting for you," said the man.
"That's our man," whispered Remy. She put her hand to her earrings so that the sound as it clinked against the earpiece worked as a response.
Gariga was a businessman, well-positioned—he owned half the buildings on the Upper East Side. Besides being a filthy rich landlord, he was a founder of every known anti-mutant association. He had friends in the government, in the military and in the press. A functional asshole who had gotten a list of all the mutants working in those places, many of them undercover for the Quiet Council.
So, there she was, pretending to be interested in one of Gariga's mansions to get hold of the list and erase all traces of it.
"Let me have your hand," said the attendant as he stopped by a door. Rogue obeyed without a second thought and the guy placed a nullifier on her wrist.
"Excuse me?" she asked in annoyance.
"Mr. Gariga is very cautious, you never know when a mutant might attack."
"It's insulting. Do I look like a mutant?" she asked, trying to remove the device. It was impossible. "Plus, it's ugly and tasteless."
"Don't worry, it's harmless, as soon as you leave the meeting we will remove it," replied the man, visibly embarrassed.
"Merde," Remy cursed through the earpiece.
"I'll keep it in mind during business," Rogue mumbled trying to sound arrogant and tugged the sleeve of her suit to cover it up.
On the other side of the door, Gariga was waiting for her. He was an attractive man, tall, brunette and with a false smile on his face. He scrutinized her brazenly and when Rogue introduced herself, he didn't take his eyes off her cleavage. She felt too helpless without her powers, naked.
"Mon cœur, are you OK? Your heart is going to burst," Remy said in concern.
Rogue wished she could answer him. Ask him to keep talking. Make him sing her something, anything to relax her. She knew she could knock the man out without flinching, that she didn't need her powers for that. But still...
She initiated small talk, moving around the office confident and defiant. The man boasted about his business success and his holdings. Rogue feigned interest, trying to hide her displeasure whenever he laid eyes on her.
Suddenly, and without knocking, Remy, in waiter's attire, appeared with a tray of canapés and a pair of sunglasses.
"Who the fuck are you?" growled Gariga in disgust.
"The service, bro," he replied, faking a thick New York accent.
"Bro?" Gariga repeated in disbelief. "I'll call security."
"Relax, man...I'm just the staff..." Remy said, moving awkwardly with the tray in his hand until he bumped into her. "Sorry about that, Miss," he apologized, moving around her as he passed the tray from one hand to the other. His movements seemed slow and awkward; she knew it was all pretend.
Gariga walked up to the table and a few seconds after pressing the panic button, a couple of men as big as trunks came through the door.
"Get this idiot out of here," he ordered.
"Hey, no need for insults..." said Remy, taking off his glasses.
"A filthy mutant," Gariga shouted. "I'm sorry Miss Valentine, I don't know what's going on."
The boys rushed at Remy, who moved like he was high, dodging the idiots as he laughed.
Rogue looked at him, seemingly frightened, but all she wanted to do was leap into action and put an end to the pantomime that was annoying her.
In one of his dodges to avoid the guards, Remy grabbed her wrist, and she faked a surprised cry as she tried to free herself.
"Excuse me, miss, you dropped your earring," he said with an exaggerated smile, subtly stroking her palm as he left the sapphire in her hand.
"Don't touch me, monster," she growled grumpily, trying hard not to meet his eyes. She was always amazed at Remy's ability to get his hands on someone's jewelry without so much as a touch.
"Get rid of him," Gariga said to the two thugs.
They lunged at him, one of the thugs grabbing Remy from behind and the other hitting him.
Gariga put a hand on her waist and led her out of the room. Rogue had to try not to look back as she walked away, feeling the tingle of the kinetic charge on her wrist.
***
"It's time to end this charade" Remy said, reverting to his natural accent as soon as Rogue and Gariga left the room.
Just as the man was about to deliver another blow. Gambit took off his jacket with a slight movement of his shoulders, freeing himself and elbowing the guard who hit him, in the nose.
While turning, he pulled out his bo staff from a pocket and hit the one behind him in the chest. The man backed up a couple of steps, Remy pinned the staff to the floor and seized the movement to kick him down. Turning to confront the one standing, he almost got hit with brass knuckles that grazed his face.
" That was rude, mon ami," he pointed, taking advantage of the dodge, to deliver a sharp blow to his temple that left him unconscious. "Désolé, this is going to hurt," he added punching the jaw of the other guy, as he tried to get up.
Satisfied with his work, he sighed and sat down in the chair, leaning back and popping a canape into his mouth.
***
Not long after Rogue went back to the office, Remy was sitting with his legs up on the table, smiling. He had a cut on his cheek. It was bleeding.
"You look disappointed, chère," Gambit said without breaking his smile.
"I was coming for a big rescue, but I see you've managed on your own."
"I don't know whether to be flattered or embarrassed, Roguey."
Rogue sighed exhaustedly.
"Come and kiss me," she said. "I had to kiss that creep and I feel terrible."
Remy stood up, dead serious, and crossed the room in two steps, staring into her eyes and grabbing her face with both hands to plant a loud kiss on her lips. He kissed her right cheek, her left cheek, her forehead, her eyelids and her nose. Covering her with kisses until she burst out laughing, overwhelmed by so much affection.
"Thank you," Rogue murmured, leaning against him.
"At your service," he whispered back.
They left the room and headed for Gariga's. He was still unconscious on the floor. Remy managed to delete the list from the guy's computer, but there were other copies they needed to erase.
"We'll have to take this asshole in front of the Council to erase his memory," Rogue sighed as she kicked him with the toe of her foot.
"You take care of that, I'll erase the other copies from his house," Remy replied.
______
She came home tired and sweaty and went to the soft music coming from their room. Remy was waiting for her in the bathroom, barefoot, wearing only pyjama bottoms. He had filled the bathroom with candles and had a bottle of wine for refreshment. Rogue leaned against the door frame.
"I think I'll get you a “world's best husband” mug," Rogue said, taking off her jacket to reveal the intricate lace of her bra.
"A mug, huh?" Remy asked, devouring her with his gaze as he approached.
" Hmm-mmm," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. Remy held her close to him.
"Would you be mad if I put you in the tub with your clothes on?" he whispered in her ear.
"Deadly mad," she replied, nibbling at his neck, making sure to leave her mark.
"Should I take the risk?" Remy asked again.
"You definitely should, sugah," Rogue replied, taking a small leap to wrap her legs around his waist. With a chuckle Remy turned and walked to the bath with her in his arms.