Disclaimer: Ooooh..havin'a ball!!! Just wanna say! Thanks Vicki!! *MUAH MUAH* The girl's great! Done soooo much fer me! Anyhoo...Characters below belong to Marvel. Not makin' money(though desperately needs lots!)..so don't sue! :o)

Hate Is An Understatement
by Diana Othman

Chapter 2

It was a long-deserved break. The X-Men had just returned from another mission on Muir Island. Professor Xavier had a very important role for Rogue to play, and she had graciously accepted it. Hopefully, the others would stop referring to her as a child. She was given the honour of helping Cyclops out with their plan of action. It went splendidly and she was congratulated incessantly afterwards. Bobby made a joke out of it, he had sculptured an Oscar trophy out of ice and handed it to her, pressing her to make a speech. They all had a good laugh, even Gambit joined in the fun.

She had come a long way. It had only been two years ago when she could not control her awesome powers and was almost thrown into the dark abyss of insanity after absorbing Carol Danver's powers and mind. She shuddered and forced herself to forget. It was a day for merriment at a park within campus grounds.

"Hey, Mississippi Mudpie....Why don't you come here and show your stuff?" Warren called from the side of the lake where he was twirling a basketball effortlessly.

Rogue smiled sweetly,"Y'all watch yerselves now." Without hesitation, she swiftly picked herself up and ran towards Warren. Bobby and Hank were in on the game too.

Her smile faltered a little though when she saw a shirtless Gambit standing around, obviously intending to join the game also. Jean stepped in and they were split into two teams, Jean, Rogue and Bobby on one team, Gambit, Hank and Warren on the other. Betsy took it upon herself to give the ball the first throw. They all held their respective places. Gambit's team got the ball first after the usual flip of a coin.

As soon as the ball was in the air, everybody charged for it. Elizabeth "Psylocke" Braddock knew what was good for her and quickly moved out of the way; she was not going to die in a stampede. Jean caught the ball first at the same time Gambit threw himself at it. Unable to stop he bumped into Jean, knocking both of them onto the ground.

"Sorry chere," Gambit laughed as he held her slim waist to stabilize her leverage.

"Quite alright, Remy," Jean gasped between laughter, still holding the ball.

There he goes again, Rogue thought to herself, rolling her jaded eyes heavenward. The snake's workin' his way in.

Rogue caught a glance of Cyclops shifting uneasily under the tree where he had been watching the game at how intimately Gambit held his wife. Rogue felt sorry for him and a more powerful surge of anger shook her. How could he? Sure, Gambit was by all means a kid just like her but he had enough charm for all the men in the team. She hated the way he wove himself so close to the women in the X-Mansion. They were like sisters and even possibly like mothers to her, she was just not ready to share them yet.

He was not only physically attractive; it was the way he moved and the way he talked women into a frenzy which spelled trouble...With a capital T! He added an air of excitement to the X-mansion, his fresh humour, his charm and his very dangerous charm. Rogue swore to herself to keep a close eye on him. There was more to the young Cajun than what he was showing. Rogue sighed. She hated surprises.

"So y'all gonna keep delaying the inevitable or continue with the game?" Rogue drawled coolly which earned her approving nods from Bobby and Scott.

"De inevitable chere?" Remy arched his brow, finally letting go of Jean's smooth waist. "Dis should be interestin'."

Rogue snorted.

"What's so interestin'? My team's gonna kick yer sorry butt, we're gonna win, game over...End of story."

Bobby chuckled. Scott smiled at Rogue's death threat. Logan grinned at the two youngest X-Men who stood opposite of each other, cool and haughty.

" 'S dat right chere?" Remy inquired sarcastically. "Well den, it just comes t'show dat y' don't know me much."

With lightning speed, Gambit turned around and snatched the ball out of the hands of an unsuspecting Jean. He ran towards the basket.

"Oh no ya don't!!!" Rogue called out and ran after his nimble form. The game was over between the two teams but it was just the beginning for the two young Southerners who ran off far into the distance where the lone pole of victory stood.

"No fair...Y'all planned that all along!!" Rogue whined as Gambit scored the first basket.

Gambit smirked, enjoying Rogue's pricking discomfort of being one point behind and teased, "Yeah well...y' snooze y' loose."

That was it, he hit a nerve. Rogue hated losing. Hell...She hated him! Rogue grabbed the ball and almost immediately Gambit tackled her. She strutted, expertly maneuvering the ball at her will, bouncing it on the ground beneath her and catching it swiftly behind her. Gambit eyed her graceful movements watching it as if in slow motion, the soft flexes of her young body. He studied her motives and when he finally had enough, he chose an opportune time and snatched the ball.

"Hey!" Rogue cried and went after him again.

Rogue's reflexes were good and she learned to observe Gambit as well as he did her. Soon she retrieved the ball once more and before Gambit could react, she threw it high into the air and it landed smoothly onto the ground...after passing through the hoop, of course.

It was a tie.

The game got more intense, both determined to win, both determined to prove their point. Although they weren't too sure what points that they were trying to make. Call it teen angst.

Gambit was bouncing the ball as Rogue looked on, body still, muscles stiff. Remy's jaw hardened, trying to anticipate her next move. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as did he. Remy's broad shoulders hunched, back bent as he continued to bounce the ball. Rogue pounced for it, Remy shifted his position in defense and in doing so Rogue tripped on his thigh sending both of them sprawled onto the ground. Rogue groaned as she felt a sharp pain momentarily stabbing her side as she fell on her back.

It was all a blur for a while. She opened her previously squinted eyes only to stare right into Remy's handsome face. Their eyes locked, her green orbs with his red-on-black. Remy was supporting himself on his elbows. Suddenly he was rendered mute, he couldn't move. He stared into her deep, sparkling wide emerald eyes, transfixed by their beauty....her beauty. Their breathing relaxed, in fact they stopped breathing altogether. He was just so afraid that so much as a breadth should escape him, the fragile vision before him would turn to dust and slip away. Her skin looked silky-soft, Remy's fingers itched to touch even for just a moment. Her perfectly sculptured face never left his chiseled one. Her sooty lashes hooded her eyes which turned slightly misty...Beckoning him.

Rogue liked what she saw. Her eyes traced his strong jaw to his soft, reddish brown hair which was cut short, long bangs falling attractively around his eyes tangling with hers. Yes, their faces were that close. Her eyes continued its journey from his beautiful face to his firm shoulders, and muscular biceps.

He's been workin' out, Rogue thought approvingly.

Her focus back to his smoldering eyes. Rogue sensed his body moving in closer into hers, his face coming nearer and nearer still, his lips about to descend over her soft ones.

"Snikt!"

The trance was broken as Remy and Rogue looked up to see Wolverine towering above them, still intimately entwined.

"Got a problem with the Gumbo, darlin'?" he growled, his claws protruding out of his clenched knuckles.

Suddenly realizing their awkward positions, they got up and dusted themselves.

"Nuthin' ah cain't handle, Wolvie..." Rogue mumbled as she walked away.

She turned around sharply and shook her finger at the Cajun.

"This ain't over yet, Mr Lebeau."

She threw him the ball which Gambit caught smoothly. Logan smiled briefly at the double meaning of her words. Gambit just stared stupidly after her holding onto the ball stiffly. Finally he did move, passing by Wolverine as if he did not exist muttering to himself like an aimless madman.

"It's only physical It's only physical It's only physical It's only physical It's only physical It's only physical..."

Logan chuckled at the little mantra Gambit was chanting.

Continued in Chapter 3.

Down-Home Charm / Fan-Fiction / Fan Artwork / History Books / Photo Album / Songbank / Miscellania / Links / Updates

Legalese: Rogue, the X-Men, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are Trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. and are used without permission. This is an unofficial fansite, and is not sponsored, licensed or approved by Marvel Comics.
• Privacy Policy and Submission Guidelines