Of Ferals and Thieves
It was the nightmares, Remy decided, that was the worst part of being back. Haunting visions of death and betrayal that wouldn't let him sleep. It would wake him up, breathless and shaking from the intensity of it.
Maybe if he got a decent night's sleep he would better defend himself against the taunting jeers and mistrustful glares of the other X-Men.
It had been hell from day one. The Professor was off on business for three months, Logan had disappeared, and Storm had been powerless when Scott told Remy to live in the boat house. Far enough away from the others but close enough to keep a watch on the thief.
Though, Remy mused as he sat in front of the fireplace, blanket around his shoulders, it could be worse. 'Dey coulda killed Remy right off quick iffen dey wanna. Not like dis t'ief gonna do much anyway.'
He poked at the fire with a stick that he had wetted down, trying to get the fire burning better.
At least Storm and Beast had kept away the pranksters that would do him harm. The first few days Remy was in the boathouse, there was no power and no running water; Bobby, Warren and Forge had cut them both off. Ro and Hank had turned them both back on and had warned death on the next person who tried to mess with the old place.
But that hadn't stopped the taunts and jeers being sent his way.
Denied access to the team Danger Room exercises.
Sitting away from the table during dinner.
Bobby and Warren calling him a whore and a slut.
Storm and Hank being forced to shun him.
Rouge practically hanging on Bobby when Remy was around.
That last one was what hurt him the most. Seeing the woman he still loved kissing, hugging and rubbing up against another man just to spite him.
Remy didn't know what his purpose in life was anymore and if all those gloomy emotions didn't send him to suicide, then Remy was a stronger man than he gave his self for.
There was a sudden noise outside that shook Remy out of his dark thoughts. He grabbed his Bo Staff and his deck of cards (the X-Men let him keep the staff; Storm snuck him the cards) and crept slowly to the door, body tense and ready for action.
There was another loud bang, this time followed by a grunt or groan of some kind. Remy reached for the doorknob and as quietly as he could, he locked it. But the lock made a click as it locked and the noises outside stopped. For one panicked filled moment, his mind raced with possibilities, each more terrifying than the next. Was an intruder? Was it some foe that had taken out the mansion and had come here, hoping to find more victims? Or was it the X-Men, here to kill him?
That last one was perhaps the most frightening of all. Bobby and Warren would be the ones in front, with Rouge right behind them. Those three seemed to really have it out for him. They're the ones that are always there when he messes up. When he went to the mansion at dusk to wash some of his clothes-the boathouse didn't have a washer- Bobby had frozen his clothes that were in the wash, and hid the ones that were in the dryer. Storm had raised some Cain about it, but the most Remy had got out of it was Storm buying him two new t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and a tank top and sweat pants to wear for sleep. He washes his stuff in the sink now.
Three banging knocks on the door in front of him brought Remy back to the present. "Who dere?" He called, hoping he sounded at least a little intimidating. He hadn't had anything to eat in about a week and the only exercise he got was when he felt good enough to stroll to the lake.
"Hey, kid open up!" A familiar feral growled. "Don't make me force my way in there, Cajun."
Remy's eyes widen as he hasten to open the door and let Logan in. He stepped in, looking around the room as Remy closed the door and locked it. Remy turned to stare at Logan. The feral, as always, filled the room with his presence. His height did nothing less for his appearance, hair as wild as ever, gaze sharp and taking everything in, and his physique was still all hard muscle and barely restrained power.
Logan's form always made Remy drool before -but back then it was more jealousy than anything-and it still did, but not of past reasons.
The feral always made Remy feel safe, even when the two weren't on the best of terms. Remy felt like that if he needed help, Logan would always be the one to get him out of trouble, if need be. And now, after all that's happened, the thief needed to be comforted.
"What are ya doin' in the boathouse, Cajun?" Said mutant's gruff voice roused Remy out of his mental Logan admiring.
"Uh…de team t'ought it would be better to have Remy in de boathouse." He lowered his gaze towards in the ground, not daring to look at the formidable mutant. His voice was small and submissive as he said, "Iffen de Wolverine not wan' Remy here, he can go-"
"You ain't goin' anywhere, Cajun." Logan's low growl cut off Remy. "I don't like what the rest of the team has done, but as soon as I got back, Storm and Hank were beggin' me to come here."
Remy snapped his head up to gape at Logan. At his shocked expression, Logan continued. "They said that ya haven't been coming outta the boathouse for dinner and when they bring ya food, ya don't answer their knocks."
Remy's shock quickly turned to shame. He pushed himself off from the door to walk past Logan and sit on the couch. He put his face in his hands. When he felt the couch dip with weight, he breathed out a long, quivering sigh.
"When I was left…there," Remy began, voice low, third-person dropped and accent thinning. "I thought fer sure that I was gonna die. There was no way I was gonna live to see the only people that made feel like I belonged, 'specially after what I had done. Then I made it to the Savage Lands and from there, it seemed to get better and better. When the X-Men found me, I was so, so, so happy. I could finally patch things up with Rouge and be part of a family again, somet'ing I hadn't felt since I was with the Thieves Guild. But then…" Remy faltered, his breath caught in his throat.
Logan waited, giving the kid some time.
"Instead of the open arms and sincere apologies I had expected, I was met with hating glares and turned backs. They hate me, they loathe me and to be honest, I don't blame them. All I am is a stupid thief, a whore, a murderer, and I would do anything, anything, to get their trust and approval back."
Remy broke down then, loud, shuddering sobs that shook his whole body.
He cursed his self ten-fold; why would Logan give a shit about his angst and past demons? Why was Remy LeBeau, the mighty Gambit, Master Thief Extraordinaire, bawling like a baby in front of Wolverine?
He was broken out of his self-loathing by said feral getting off the couch, hauling him over his shoulder fireman style and walking towards the bedroom. Remy was surprised, and when Logan kicked the bedroom door open, the thief was wondering what was going on.
Logan threw Remy on the bed, the smaller male bouncing on the unexpectedly comfy bed. But before Remy could ask, the older man was pinning him to the bed, arms on either side of him. Their faces were quite close, to the point that they were share breaths.
"Listen to me, Remy." Logan's voice was a low but gentle growl, his steel blue eyes holding Remy' red on black ones. "You are NOT worthless. You are NOT stupid. You are NOT a slut or a whore or a murderer or whatever the hell else those bastards call you. You are one of the most beautiful, intelligent, kindest, cockiest, arrogant, smart-mouthed pain in the ass I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." He lowered his head to nuzzle the speechless mutant's neck. It tickled slightly and Remy let his shields drop so he could see and feel Logan's emotions.
Concern. That made the empath very happy to know someone was worried about him.
Anger. Anger at the team for making him feel worthless and anger at the boy himself for believing it.
Sadness. To know that a person Logan cared for was feeling such pain made him-the Wolverine-want to cry.
Frustration. He couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Love. Lust. Want. Need. Desire. All of these swirled and blended into one, overpowering the others that made it hard to breath. Remy was breathless with the intensity of such emotions that he had to grip the larger male's biceps to keep from falling forward.
"Remy."
His name in a love/lust thick voice was the only warning Remy had before his lips were captured by Logan's and then being pushed on his back to the mattress. The thief knew where this was heading and he also knew that the feral would still be there in the morning. And all the times after that.
For the first time, the young man felt safe and loved. He felt invincible, with Logan at his side, where he would stay there always, with open arms and a heart full of love.
Remy let himself drown in Logan, in his emotions, in his promises, and in the pleasure he offered all night long.
~Mid Morning: The Next Day~
It was somewhere around nine o'clock when Scott, followed by Jean, Rouge, Warren and Bobby, strolled into the kitchen. They had a blast at the Danger Room session-even if the guys were sporting a few new bruises- and were going to get some well deserved breakfast when they stopped dead at the scene before them.
Professor X was chatting with Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and to their surprise…Gambit.
They were all shocked and a little bit worried. Scott had banished Remy to the boathouse when the thief had returned. Most of the X-Men were disgusted by what the young mutant had done and wanted Scott to kill him outright. Because of Wolverine, Storm, Beast and a few others had pleaded for him, however, Scott thought it would be best just to send him far enough away so as not to taint the students with his presence but just close enough to watch with careful and glaring eyes.
This was all done while the Prof was away on business, of course, and by the time he returned, Scott had thought the traitor would have been dealt with…permanently.
He thought wrong.
"Ah, Scott. So good to see you again." Charles said. The mind reader's usually kind eyes were sharp with fury. The others turned their attention to the stock still leader. "Come, sit. There is much I want to discuss with you."
Cyclops glanced to seek help from his supporters but found that-with exception of Jean-they were trying to sneak away, not wanting to face Professor X's ire.
"But where are you three going, hmm?" Hank's voice rang out. Angel, Rouge, and Iceman stopped, their eyes wide with fright.
"Yes, where indeed? We have much to talk about with you three as well." Storm's tone had the same electricity as the lightening she controlled.
The five of them stood where they were for a moment before daring to sit down at the table.
Xavier was sitting at the head of the table, anger so real one could touch it.
To his left stood Hank, the docile doctor looking every inch of the ferocious beast he was codenamed for.
Sitting next to him was Storm, where the smell of ozone in the room could be traced to.
At the Prof's right was Gambit. The thief looked ragged; black rings sagged under his eyes, body almost painfully thin but he had the same fight and mischievous glint in his eyes he had before Antarctica. He looked each of his tormentors in the eyes, any fear or submission in them gone, replaced by bravery and pride.
But the one that Scott, Jean, Rouge, Warren, and Bobby were afraid of the most was Wolverine. The mutant had a look of pure savage rage on his face and curled an arm defensively around Gambit's waist. Given the word, the feral might've ripped them to shreds without a hint of remorse.
All in all, the five knew, just knew, that they were in deep shit now.
"As you know," Charles began. "I was to be away on business for about three months. But I was called back to the mansion after a chat with Logan on the phone."
Scott sharply turned his head towards the man, locking eyes with the one who ratted them out. Logan held his glare, giving him one of his own. The arm around Remy's waist tightened until the younger man was almost sitting his lap.
"I have learned some troubling information." Scott turned his attention back to Xavier. "Scott, Remy is a part of our team, and from I have gathered, you aren't treating him as such. Exiling him to the boathouse, turning a blind eye to his mistreatment at the hands of other team members, tormenting him yourself; these are just a few of the things I've heard, and frankly, I am NOT happy with you." He looked to the others. "Or any of you, for that matter."
He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "So, after much thought and consideration, I have decided on your punishment." The five stiffened, sweating through their teeth. "Scott and Jean, you are hereby relinquished from your roles as X-Men team leader and co-leader." He silenced their wails of protest with a raised hand and a sharp look. "Not only that, but all of you are on leave from any and all missions, Danger Room sessions, and teaching duties-barring only dire emergencies-until further notice."
There was a stunned silence in the room. Every jaw was dropped. Even Storm, Hank and Remy were shocked at the harshness of the punishment. He might as well as sent the five to their deaths for the impact it caused. The only one not affected was Logan, who was smirking, his sharp canine teeth showing.
"In addition, I now give the titles of Team Leader and Co-leader to Wolverine and Gambit."
That made Logan's jaw drop to the floor. 'Me?' He thought incredulously. 'Team Leader?' He looked over to Remy. The empath sensed his disbelieve and upon his feelings of doubt, broke out his megawatt smile, lighting the room and chasing away Logan's negative emotions.
The couple knew there would be protest, but where they thought it come from Scott and Jean, it came from somewhere else.
"BUT PROFESSOR!" Rouge shrieked, knocking her chair back and slamming her hands on the table. "Why in the name of all things Good would you let Wolverine and that…murdering traitor-" She spat the words. "-Lead the team!? It's a ticking time bomb!"
Charles eyes blazed with a sudden wraith that made Rouge wish she hadn't said anything. "I most disappointed in you, Anna Marie." The use of her full name caused Rouge to step back. If the Prof was resorting to that, then she knew he was pissed. "I had hoped that due to your romantic past with him, Remy would have a warmer welcome than he did. I was wrong to place my hope and trust in you."
Rouge's shoulders started to shake and tears were welling in her eyes. "Just be grateful that I had not cast you out from the X-Men, like I had wanted."
She gasped, not wanting to believe the Professor could be so cruel. Rouge ran out of the room crying, Bobby hot on her heels. Remy watched her go with something of an indifferent gaze.
Warren stomped out next, muttering curses as he went. Jean clasped her hand in Scott's, guiding the ousted leader out of the kitchen before he did anything he regretted.
There was a tense quiet that settled over the rest of the occupants. Finally, Xavier said, "Well, that was tiring." He rubbed his temples. "I think I will excuse myself to my study." He left, stopping to pat Remy on the back.
"Yes, I think my plants need my care right now." Ororo stood as Charles left. She hugged Logan and kissed Remy on the forehead.
Hank left without a word, only a small smile and a nod of the head towards the other two men.
Only Remy and Logan were left. Logan stood, dragging Remy up with him. He still had an arm around his younger lover's waist and Remy latched onto him with both arms thrown over his shoulder. They walked to the older mutant's room, Remy burying neck in Logan's neck, his smile burning into his amour's skin.
Once they got into the room, the Cajun was quick to push the Canadian on the bed, attacking him with kisses.
"Y' gonna make a great leader, mon cher." Remy whispered.
Logan laughed lightly at his boy's praise and enthusiasm. "Yeah, but now ya havta listen to my every command." The last three words were little more than a lusty purr. He flipped their positions to straddle his lover.
"Hmm, yes but I will always do so." Remy purred back.
Logan genuinely smiled and sweetly kissed him. "Love ya, Rems."
Remy returned the smile and the kiss. "Je t'aime aussi, mon tout."
Then he once again drowned himself in the lust and love, reminding his self that everything would be alright as long as he had Logan's hand and heart to hold.
~Author's Note~
ERMERGERD SHE'S BACK. That I am, that I am. 8D.
Anyway, I'm finally finished with anything school related so now I can work on my stories and stuff. I wanted some Logan/Remy love with post Trial/Antarctica angst, but I didn't want a straight up PWP. But at the same time, I wanted just enough to let people know what they were doing. I also wanted to portray some of the X-Men as bad guys.
Maybe later I'll write something that doesn't have Cyke, Jeanie, and little Miss Priss Rouge bullying poor Remy LeBeau. (I love his last name; I love his last name SO MUCH IT HURTS.) But Warren will forever be the person to pick on Remy, while Bobby-Boy with either goes along with it willing or Warren brainwashing him.
But yes. Enjoy this, won't you please? At least leave a review so I can make it better.
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine. Marvel owns them. Nor do I make any profit from my writings.
Until we met again!
LemonWicky
~~Edit~~6-24-2013
Haha...noticed some stuff that needed to be fixed. If there's anything else, please tell me! And I also wanna thank the person who left a comment like...the same day I put this up! So...THANK YOU VERY MUCH! And please check out my other story 'Sakura Skylark'! It's from an anime called Katekyo Hitman REBORN!. So if you would please look at it, much happiness would fill my heart!