Commitment-Phobia

     2.   Anna Raven walked along the boardwalk, all covered in grease and oil. Work that day, was hard and dirty, just the way she liked it. The two bikes that had looked as if it stood no chance of ever looking or even working well again, was all fixed up, waxed, polished, and ready for pick- up. Another successful day for the former X-Man at her relatively 'normal' job as a mechanic.

        As she saw the sun beginning to set in the horizon, she stopped and gazed at it. It was absolutely gorgeous. Remy and her had settled down at Valle Soleada for a couple of months now, mostly at her insistence. The minute their journey had brought them there, she knew that was where she wanted to call home. The close-knit community of mutants and humans alike, was extraordinary to observe. It almost made her feel like she had been successful at being an X-Man, even if that dream of peaceful co-existence, lived in a small community like Valle Soleada.

        Within days, they had found a terrific beach house with a decent price. Rogue even walked around, and introduced herself as Anna Raven. She didn't know why she chose the name Anna, but it had been the first name to come to mind. And Raven, well, even if Mystique had been the worst possible mother, she was the only family Rogue had ever known. So, Raven felt fitting.

        For the first couple of weeks of living in Valle Soleada, Rogue became quickly bored with just doing nothing for most of the days. Sure, it was great couple of weeks of playing honeymoon with Remy, but she felt that she might as well make use of her time. Plus, they still had to pay off a mortgage, and even though Remy insisted that he had a great amount of money stashed up, she still wanted to experience this new 'normal' life to its fullest.

        She began her job hunting, and had applied for every job listing in the papers from being a waitress to a construction worker. At one point, she almost took an offer of being a bartender at the local club. However, Remy would not let her take the job, insisting that he wanted his "chere" home at night in his arms, where she belonged. She finally found a job at the local auto body shop, and her skills and knowledge of cars and especially bikes, impressed her boss very much. Yes, Anna Raven was definitely happy. She had a sweetie, a house, a normal 9-5 job, and a life to call her own.

        Anna looked down at her watch, and realize it was getting quite late. Remy would expect her to be home in twenty minutes. So, Rogue turned and continued home.

        ***

        Remy Lebeau, dressed in a 'kiss the chef' apron, was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He was making his famous seafood gumbo. He added in some cayenne and tasted his concoction. It tasted perfect. He smiled, he hadn't expected anything less than perfect.

        Remy checked the time, and it was almost ten to six. Rogue should be home in ten minutes. Perfect, he thought, he had ten minutes to spare. Remy ripped off his apron, walked to the family room, and sat down on the couch.

        The last couple of months had been blissful. Sure, he didn't like much of Valle Soleada in the beginning. In fact, the only thing he really liked about the place was the heat, and the living by the beach which meant Rogue wearing a bikini on a daily basis. Yet, he come to love the place because Rogue loved it. That's all that really mattered at the end of the day for him. Seeing his Rogue happy, made him happy.

        Although Rogue insisted in getting herself a job, Remy refused to look for one. Mainly because he knows he doesn't have to work or listen to no power-tripping boss. Plus, he never worked an honest job in his entire life, and he had no intention of starting when he knew he had money, and even if he didn't, money isn't hard to get for a skillful thief like him. It amused him that Rogue became a mechanic though, she always came home so dirty, and her appearance never ceased to turn him on.

        He had never really thought they would actually settle down anywhere, though. In fact, a part of him still believes that they will get up and leave one day. He was never the type to settle down, and so being in this place, at this very moment, excited him and scared him. It excited him and scared him for the same reason; simply not knowing what the future holds for him and Rogue, and how he will or will not be changed by it. Never would he had ever thought of settling down with one woman since the whole fiasco with Bella Donna. Hell, he didn't even think that counted since, he was just a young lad at the time. For as long as he can remember, he had always made a vow to not be tied down with a woman, because it meant his freedom of doing whatever he wants, will have to be sacrificed.

        But at the same time, there was no other woman like Rogue. She was so incredibly strong, passionate, and beautiful. A woman like her can make a man do anything, and at the very moment, if she had walked in and asked him to go jump off a cliff, Remy knew he would have done it. And what made Rogue even more amazing, was the fact that she understood him, like nobody ever did. He knew that she was willing to give him everything she had and more, if he simply asked. It still boggled him, how love can be so deep and untainted. At his weakest moments, he almost felt he didn't deserve it or her. Let's just say those moments don't come very often.

        "Honey, Ah'm home!" Rogue called from the door.

        Remy got up and went to greet her at the door. "Mon Dieu!" he cried as he saw how filthy and dirty she was. "Looks like mon chere crawled into a sewer and decided to go swimming." He commented still looking her over.

        Rogue stuck out her tongue at him, and then asked him wisely, "Sugah, y 'sure yah don't wanna take back what ya just said?"

        Remy chuckled at her childish threat and responded, "Actually, Remy take dat back. Mon chere look like she gotten in a mud wrestling instead."

        "Fine! Since, ah've already been in a match today like ya said, then ain't no point for us to go a round tonight, eh?" She replied coolly.

        "Aww, chere, y'know Remy don't mean dat. Just teasin ya. C'mon mon ange, Remy will kiss you and make it all better." He replied as he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a big kiss.

        Rogue pulled away from him, "A kiss still ain't gonna mean y'll be getting some tonight."

        "C'mon, Roguey, you know y'll want it as much as dis Cajun. Why don't we go repeat de show from dis mornin'?" He whispered into her ear, and gave it a little nibble. He can feel her knees go weak as he did that.

        "Swamp rat, ah hate ya." Rogue said weakly.

        Acknowledging this was her way of saying yes, he lifted her up into his arms. "Sure you do, petite. Dat's why you got dis Cajun all dirty to join ya in the shower, non?" Without giving her a chance to answer, he bend down, kissed her, and carried her off to the bathroom, where the shower was waiting once again.

        * * *

        "Sugah, ya really outdid yourself this time. Dis is de best gumbo, ah've tasted in a long time." Rogue said with her mouth full.

        Remy laughed as he watched her eat the gumbo hungrily. It was nearly 9, and they had spent more time in the shower than expected. However, they had taken a detour to the bedroom, before they even came back to the kitchen to eat. He wasn't surprised that she'd be hungry after all that 'exercise'.

        "Chere, don't parle avec ta bouche full. Plus, dis gumbo ain't no different from all de other times, Remy made it." He replied, and then a realization came to him, "Unless. you never liked my gumbo from before!" He said, as he pointed a finger at her in accusation.

        Rogue almost spat all the gumbo out as she saw how humorous he looked at the moment. She swallowed what she had in her mouth, and trying really hard not to laugh, she said, "Umm, umm. of course ah did, sugah. Ah meant, best gumbo in a long time dat's umm."

        "Fine. So de truth comes out! Mon chere never liked Remy's gumbo from before. Fine!" Gambit said, as he pouted like a little boy who just been told he can't have his desert. Rogue still trying not to laugh, put her bowl of gumbo down, walked over to a moping Remy, and plopped herself down on his lap.

        "Of course, ah loved your gumbo from before. Ah just meant that, umm, you hadn't made gumbo in a long time. That's why it's been a long time since ah've eaten good gumbo." She said trying to convince him that was the truth, although she knew the real reason was that he usually overloaded his gumbo with cayenne.

        "Right, dis t'ief ain't a fool. I can smell a liar from miles away." He said defiantly, trying to stay mad at her, and holding back from laughing, because usually the situation was the other way around.

        "Did ya pick dat up from Wolverine? How many times do ah have to tell ya, dat sniffing around ain't a normal thing t'do?" She commented, but getting no response from him, not even a smile. She realized that she'll have to start playing dirty. "This position isn't comfortable at all, sugah. Hold on, ah'll get back to our conversation as soon as." Rogue shifted from her sideway sitting position on his lap, to straddling his lap. "Much better. Now what we're we talking about?" She asked flirtatiously, as she can see that Remy was trying really hard not to break.

        "Dat ain't gonna work. I'm still mad at ya!" he said strongly and tried to look away from her.

        "Really, now? Man, it's hot in here, Remy, don't ya think? Don't mind me if ah take off my shirt, k?" She said, took off her shirt, and threw it behind her. She wrapped her arms around Remy and lowered her face to his inches from kissing him. "Ya still mad, sugah?"

        "Umm.hell with it!!" He cried as his hormones got the better side of him, and found himself kissing Rogue, and touching her all over.

        After a few minutes of making out like there was no tomorrow on the chair, he slowly got up with her legs wrapped around his waist, carried her to the couch, and laid her down. There he proceeded to kiss her entire body all over, and mumbling sweet French talk as he was doing this. As he made her way back to her lips, he whispered, "Je t'aime toujours."

        "Ah love ya too, sugah." She whispered back, as he started doing some serious sucking on her neck.
        "Remy, do you evah think that y'll ever be wit anyone besides me from now on?" She asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.

        Remy moved back up to her lips and right before he kissed her, he answered, "Non. Not in a million years. You're the only one I want, chere."

        Rogue stopped him from kissing her, and he laid on top of her, noses touching, and eyes staring into each other. "Then why don't we get married?" She asked softly.

        Married? Did she just say married? Remy thought. Remy got up off her hastily, and moved to the other end of the couch. What is she talking about, he thought. Marriage. I can't get married. Well not again, anyway. Why de hell can't I though? He asked himself. He looked over at her, and seeing that her eyes were full of confusion, and waiting for an answer, he began to panic even more and turned away. Man, it's getting hot in here. I need to get some fresh air. He thought as he was convinced that he was suffocating at this point.

        "Umm. chere, Remy." He started to say, as he turned his head to her again, her eyes looked hopeful.

        "Remy need some fresh air." He responded quickly, as he can hear her heart drop.

        "Umm. Remy need to run to the store for. umm. some. milk too! I'll be back in ten minutes!" He said rapidly, got up, grabbed his keys, and ran out the front door.

        "Dammit, Lebeau, you're such a fucking chicken." he cursed himself as he soon as he got out of the house.

 

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