X-Men belong to Marvel. Charlotte is mine. No profit, no harm. Feedback, please?

by Kerri

Remy stopped to look in the rec room on his way upstairs. It was late, nearly 2 am, but a light was on and he was curious to see who was still up. Maybe someone who would distract his thoughts long enough for him to fall asleep. These days sleep didn't come easily. He was on the verge of asking Jean or Charlotte to give him a 'suggestion' just so he could rest.

Ororo, Charlotte and Rogue were all in there watching TV, a stack of videos piled on the sofa table along with the leftovers of a midnight feast. There were worse things than spending the night hours with three beautiful women, he told himself.

"Hey, kid," Charlotte greeted him with a smile.

Rogue looked over at him with disdain from the recliner she sat in, then turned back to the movie. "Ya smell like a bar."

"Funny, dat's where I been," he said, just to irritate her. He plopped himself down on the couch between Storm and Charlotte.

Who turned away from him in haste.

"What?" he asked, all innocence.

"Perhaps you would feel more comfortable after a shower?" Ororo suggested kindly.

Charlotte chose a more direct method. "What she means, Remy, is that you smell like stale beer and cigarettes." She leaned a little closer, then fanned the air. "And some really cheap cologne."

"How cruel you are to poor Gambit," he told them, demonic puppy dog eyes looking piteously at them. He sighed, working his best pout.

They weren't buying it. He never could pull one over on these two. "Maybe you're right." He took in the ladies' state of undress with an appreciative glance. They were all wearing their pajamas and looking quite comfortable. This could be fun, or at least relaxing. "I come back when I'm cleaned up an' ready for bed."

Ororo laughed softly. "I remember you sleep without clothing, Remy. I would not suggest you return in that state." She patted his arm affectionately.

"Non, 'less it is a request?" His eyes flickered over to Rogue, but she was still pointedly ignoring him.

With a sigh he got himself up and headed for the stairs.

Storm turned to say something to Charlotte and found her staring at her hand.

"Did you cut yourself?" Charlotte asked her.

Ororo's hand was sticky with smears of drying blood. "No. It must be Remy."

Rogue looked over. "He hurt himself?" Now that he was gone she let her concern for him showed. "Someone needs to check on him."

Remy started undressing as soon as he got inside his bedroom, shedding his clothes as he made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower sounded like the best idea he'd ever heard. Just to lean against the shower wall with hot water pouring over him....heaven!

What would make it even better would be a woman to share his shower with him, a soapy full body massage with a certain Southern Belle.

He reached into the shower and turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up. When steam billowed out of the stall he stepped under the flow, a groan of pure pleasure as the tension and stiffness washed away, closing the glass door behind him.

A noise from the bedroom caught his attention. The soap in his hand heated up briefly till he remembered where he was. Must be one of the ladies checking on him. Maybe Rogue.

That thought aroused the devil in him. He saw a shadow between the bathroom doorjamb and the door. Rogue? The woman who gave him more grief than any other woman in his life, a voyeur? She ignored him, insulted him, looked down on him, now spying on him? God, he hoped so.

An evil smile broke out at the thought. It was too good an opportunity to miss, the chance to expand her world with the glories of Remy LeBeau, master thief and scoundrel.

He finished his shower slowly, taking time to rub the soap over his skin, imagining her hands stroking his flesh, keeping one eye on the shadow by the door. A few moans escaped him. His eyes closed with the sensations running through him. For a blissful moment he believed she was in here with him under the water. Reluctant to leave the fantasy he shut off the water and reached for a towel.

The shadow was gone.

Downstairs he found them still sitting where he'd left them. He sat himself down again between Ororo and Charlotte. "Better?"

Charlotte leaned in for sniff. "Much."

He turned to Ororo. "An' you, chere? Gambit not offendin' you now, non?"

Storm's face reddened slightly. "Ah, no." She swallowed. "I have had enough television for the evening. Good night." She rose and disappeared quickly.

"What's wi' her?" Rogue asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "Guess she's tired." She was tired, too, but she couldn't sleep. Logan was out on a mission and the bed felt empty without him. She generally didn't sleep more than a couple of hours a night till he returned, then didn't get out of bed for several days after unless she absolutely had no choice. "You still bleeding?"

Remy stretched himself out over Storm's previously occupied spot, resting his head on a pillow in Char's lap. "Huh?"

"Hey," she protested, "what if I wanted to lie down?"

"Plenty room for two, chere," he sassed back, watching Rogue for any reaction. She still paid no attention to him.

"I don't think so," Charlotte answered back, brushing the hair of his forehead and pinching his cheeks in her best 'maiden aunt' imitation. The stand off between the two of them was getting on her nerves. "Storm found blood after you left. Was it yours?"

"Non. Bar fight." Ororo? In his room? He'd never considered her to be the peeking type. Interesting.

Ororo stood in front of the open windows in her attic loft, letting the cool night breeze fan her warm cheeks. She hadn't meant to spy on Remy but finding him in the shower, the glass cubicle clear enough to see him in full naked flesh, caught her by surprise. Her reaction to him puzzled her. Scared her, too. She'd known him to long for this to happen.

It was most inappropriate to her to feel this wave of desire for her friend, especially when she knew it would only be a matter of time before he and Rogue worked their problems out. She blamed it on her exhaustion, on the loneliness she felt, on the lack of companionship in her life. She would have reacted the same way if she had found any of the other men disrobed, wouldn't she?

Wouldn't she?

End.

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