Title: Drag Lines

Summary: Rogue suddenly started getting her nails done. Bobby wonders why—or he would if it wasn't so freaking hot.

Completed: 18/12/2013

Bobby stared boredly out the window of the mansion, watching as some of the younger mutants played with the hose outside. A large part of him wanted to go join them, but the other part knew it was just way too hot out there for him. Even before his mutation had developed, he had never done well in the heat.

Sam sat beside him, idly playing with his Play-box on the couch, waiting for Bobby to decide to do something. The Southerner had no problem with the weather out—and normally would be outside with the kids, but he felt guilty at the thought of leaving his best friend to melt in the house on his own.

Bobby started tapping his fingers against the wood on the arm of the couch anxiously. As much as he hated the heat, he hated just sitting around more. Why couldn't Storm make it a little cooler on the mansion grounds or something so he would have physical energy to move and relieve his cabin fever. It had been too hot to move for a freaking week!

"If you're bored, let's do something," Sam offered, never taking his eyes off his racing game.

"Like what?" Bobby groaned. "I feel like I'm gonna fall apart just thinkin' about movin'."

"I think Mr. McCoy mentioned that they were filling the pool today," Sam offered again. "But he hasn't said it's done yet." Bobby groaned in frustration and sank further into the couch.

"Hey Bobby, Sam," the two boys leaned their heads over the back of the couch to look at the sweet brunette that had called out to them. She was in a tight pink tank top with the straps of her purple bathing suit peeking out, and jean shorts. "Rogue and I are like, going to get our nails done if anyone asks, k?" Bobby narrowed his eyes a bit and adjusted himself so he was leaning on the back of the couch and properly looking at the Senior X-Men.

How the hell could she be so cheery is such miserable heat?

"Don't people have to touch you to do your nails?" He hadn't intended for that to sound as mean as it had—but the heat was making him cranky. Kitty narrowed her eyes at him and huffed.

"The women doing your nails wear gloves, Bobby. Jeeze." He rolled his eyes and strained to look behind her, wondering if Rogue had heard him. He didn't see her. "Anyway, as soon as Rogue comes down stairs, we're leaving."

As if called, Bobby heard someone thump down the stairs, and Rogue ask Kitty if she was ready to go. Sam and Bobby watched the two girls leave and walk down the yard toward the street.

Bobby collapsed against the couch again and Sam sighed; the fearless leader of the New Mutants was about to start whining like a two year old again.

"You're brave, homme." The 19 year old boys stiffened as Gambit leaned against the door in a pair of board shorts and a too-large t-shirt, his shaggy hair almost falling into his eyes without his cowl. "That could'a gotten ugly."

Bobby looked away, ashamed of himself despite his bad mood. "I didn't mean it that way," he mumbled with a pout. He didn't know where the ex-thief had been standing to hear him, but had no doubt that it was referring to his comment about Rogue.

He had been genuinely curious how the untouchable girl could get her nails done—or why she would for that matter. She always had her gloves on, so it wasn't like anyone ever saw her hands.

The only person she could even touch was Gambit. His powers had evolved about 6 months after he arrived at the Institute allowing him to charge biological things. Rogue absorbed that energy instead of his life force.

Gambit just nodded and answered "That's why I didn't blow you to kingdom come." Sam visibly gulped. Bobby might have been too out of it to understand how lucky he was, but Sam certainly understood; Gambit didn't take kindly to people mistreating or being ignorant towards Rogue.

"No one ever sees her hands, what's the point?" he asked out loud. Gambit got a far off look in his eyes and a smirk danced across his lips, making Sam wonder what had gone through his head.

"And that's why you can never keep a woman," he answered with his usual cocky banter. "You need to learn to unda'stand why they do what they do." Bobby glared with what little energy he had left.

There was an awkward pause as Gambit stared down the ice-manipulator. Eventually he just scoffed and stood up, instead deciding to lighten the mood.

"Would you feel betta in the pool?" he jabbed over his shoulder with his thumb, still grinning. "It's cold, but it's full."

Sam jerked away as Bobby suddenly leapt over the back of the couch, bounding across the room and out past the Cajun with a burst of energy Sam didn't know he had in him.

"That's the fastest he's moved in a week," Sam muttered, calmly walking over the chuckling man. Remy just patted his shoulder and followed the younger blonde outside.

They arrived in time to see Bobby strip out of his shirt and cannonball into the water, resurfacing a couple seconds later and sighing in relief.

Gambit chuckled again, but followed his lead lifting his shirt off and tossing it onto one of the beach chairs. Sam just stared at his back as he dove into the pool with the brunette.

He had angry red drag marks running down and across either side of his back, blemishing his otherwise perfectly tanned skin.

It suddenly dawned on him why Rogue would go with Kitty once a month to get her nails done.

He caught Gambit's eyes as he resurfaced and blushed, shook his head and jumped into the water, not bothering to take his shirt off.

"I think I get it," the blonde muttered to the grinning Cajun after he broke the surface of the water and wiped his long bangs out of his eyes. Bobby hardly seemed to know they existed, frolicking around as if he had never seen water before in his life.

"Get what?" the red eyed mutant asked innocently, although Sam was pretty sure he knew what he was talking about.

"Even if we can't see them, someone certainly enjoys Rogues nails." Gambit grinned and winked at the blushing mutant before ducking the blonde under the water.

"Bein sur."