Chapter 1

Gambit looked the waitress up and down from behind his dark sunglasses as she approached the table. A pair of long, sexy legs beneath the blue uniform skirt. The matching blue shirt pulled tight against her ample bosom, with just enough cleavage showing to tease without being particularly revealing. Her hair was tied back, brown, except for a band of white from her forehead. Green eyes looked at him.

"Mornin' sugar. Ready to order?"

"I'll have the big breakfast, with the waffles and orange juice, and a coffee," Gambit replied, then glanced down at her chest again, his eyes landing on her name tag. "Marie."

"No problem," she said, a slight smirk on her face as she wrote down the order on her notepad.

Gambit watched as she turned and sauntered back to the counter. Although he turned his head, he continued to watch her from behind his glasses, confident she wouldn't notice him noticing. The waitress made some very fine viewing.

Before too long she arrived back at his table, and Gambit enjoyed a closer glimpse of her cleavage as she bent over to put his order on the table.

"Anything else I can get you?"

"How about your number?"

"Sure, I can get you the check now, if you really want it."

Gambit snickered and grinned at her.

"I'll wait."

"I had a feelin' you were gonna say that."

Rogue, a slight smirk on her face, turned then to approach the next table to collect their order, then headed back to the counter.

"You're so lucky," sighed Lisa. "That man is hot. Why do all the hot guys end up in your section?"

"Oh please," Rogue scoffed. "The hot guys do not always end up in my section."

"Whatever. Can we swap?"

"I really don't think so, sugar."

"Damn," Lisa sighed.

Rogue chuckled and collected her next order. It was nice being able to bear so much skin without worrying about hurting anyone. When it was announced that the 'cure' was only temporary, Rogue had a little freak out, but her power had come back so slowly that she had been able to figure out how to control it in the time it took to restore itself.

A little later, Rogue returned to Gambit's table with the bill. He flirted with her again, she dismissed him and in the end was generously tipped for her trouble. He came back again the next morning.

"Back again, huh?" she mused. "Ready to order?"

"What? No 'good morning' this time?"

"Mornin', sugar."

"Name's Remy," he smiled to her before giving her the same order he'd made the day before.

"Coming right up."

She returned when his food was ready and pretending to ignore the way he checked her out while she put his things on the table. Yeah, if he thought he could hide what he was doing behind those glasses of his, he was dead wrong.

"So, what's a southern gal like you doing this far north?"

"Waiting tables, what does it look like? Anything else - on the menu - I get getcha?"

"If you sit on the menu, can I get you?"

"Sure, you can. In trouble," Rogue responded.

She didn't grin until after her back was turned to him, and he chuckled.

Much to Gambit's disappointment another waitress served him the following morning.

"Where's Marie?" he inquired.

"This is her day off, dahl," Kathy replied.

"Back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Friday and Saturday too."

"Merci."

Kathy snickered to herself as she returned to the counter to put his order in and made a mental note to tease Rogue about it when they shared a shift tomorrow.

"Asking about me, huh?" Rogue mused. "What didja tell him?"

"Oh, just which days you were on."

"Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome."

"Aww, c'mon, Marie," Lisa grinned at her. "He's hot."

"He's a perv," Rogue replied shortly.

"Hey, I'll take him if you don't want him."

"No way. He's in my section, and he's a big tipper."

Kathy and Lisa smirked at each other. Then Kathy's order came up and the door bells chimed as another customer came in.

"And speaking of tall, dark and handsome," Lisa commented. "Look who just walked in."

Rogue rolled her eyes. She made her next delivery, then made her way over to Gambit.

"Mornin' sugar. Ready to order?"

He gave her the same order he had the last three days.

"Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful you are, chérie?" he inquired as she wrote down his order.

"Frequently. Personally, I think they only say it so they'll get their food faster," Rogue replied dryly.

Gambit grinned as she walked off, enjoying the sway of her hips as she moved. He wasn't entirely certain if she was putting it on deliberately or if that was just how she walked normally.

"There you are," Rogue said pleasantly when she returned with his food. "Anything else you want from the menu?"

He grinned, amused at the way she rephrased the question.

"Not from the menu."

"'Fraid I can't help you then, sugar."

"Maybe I just want a refill on the salt. That's not on the menu."

Rogue glanced over at the full salt shaker and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want a refill on the salt?"

"No. But you could help moi if I did, right?"

"Yes," Rogue conceded.

"Just wanted to point that out."

"Of course you did. Enjoy your meal."

Gambit smiled after her as she headed to the next table.

Like clockwork on Friday morning, Gambit ordered what was becoming his usual.

"What are you doing tonight chérie?"

"Washing my hair."

"That don't sound like much fun. How'd you like to go out with me instead?"

"My last boyfriend cheated on me with my roommate."

"So, you're saying you're single?"

"I'm saying I'm not interested in dating anyone right now, sugar."

Suffice to say, Gambit was not particularly happy with rejection, but had noticed that she hadn't actually said a flat out 'no'. Naturally he interpreted this as meaning "I really do want to go out with you, I just don't want to admit it". He could work with that.

"I bet I could make you forget all about him," he said when she returned with his breakfast.

"Who?"

"See? It's working already."

There was a flash of confusion across her face before Rogue remembered talking about Bobby and she rewarded Gambit with a smirk.

"Cute. Enjoy your meal."

"Not gonna ask me if there's anything else I want, Marie?"

"I already know the answer to that question."

Every morning for the next three weeks, Gambit showed up for breakfast. He went to the same table, and every day barring Sundays and Wednesdays got served by Rogue. He was starting to enjoy mornings. He definitely liked baiting her and amused himself with the way she would brush off every attempt he made at asking her out.

Sadly the morning banter was due to come to an end. Gambit finished casing the place he'd been planning to rob, and did the job one Friday night. As his route back to the hotel took him past the diner, he noticed it was open early - remembering belatedly that it was a 24 hour diner - and decided to drop in for a celebratory meal.

"Mornin' sugar," said Rogue as he walked through the door. "You're in early."

Gambit's eyes fell on her with pleased surprise.

"Why chére," he said. "I had no idea you worked the early shift."

"And now you do. The usual?"

"Actually, I think I'll have somet'ing different this morning."

"Okay, let me know when you're ready to order."

Gambit looked around, noting the emptiness of the diner.

"Wanna sit with moi for awhile? Before the rush gets here?"

"I really shouldn't."

Gambit shrugged and sat down at his usual table. He picked up the menu and pursued it for something suitably celebratory. Now if only he could talk the waitress into going out with him...

The door opened and a rowdy group came in. Rogue looked up at their arrival with a smirk.

"Well, well," she said. "Look who the cat dragged in. I didn't know you knew what it looked like this side of a sunrise."

Gambit glanced over at who the waitress was greeting with such familiarity. Four men of varying ages, all dressed in jeans and black leather motorcycle jackets.

"That joke's getting old, Rogue."

Rogue?

"Not as old as you."

"You watch your mouth girl, or I might just report you to management for being rude to customers."

"Have you ordered anything?"

"No -"

"Then you not a customer yet, rude boy."

There was some chuckling as they sat down at a table and Rogue glanced over at Gambit.

"You ready to order yet, sugar?"

"Sure."

"Be right back guys," Rogue said cheerfully as she sauntered over to Gambit. "What'll it be?"

She raised her eyebrows as Gambit rattled off a rather junky breakfast, but wrote it down and read it back to him.

"Friends o' yours?" he inquired. "Rogue?"

Rogue smirked at him.

"Perhaps," she replied as she left his table.

Rogue put the order in, than wandered back to her friends' table.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Oh good. Hey, you're up for tonight, right babe?"

"Always."

"Excellent."

"You know where it's being held?"

"Uh huh. I took a ride the other day too."

"Good, good."

They then went on to place their orders. As she was handing theirs in, Gambit's showed up and Rogue brought it over to him.

"Merci, ma chére," he said. "Y'know what could make this a really great day?"

"The sun rising?"

Gambit took the liberty of taking her hand.

"If you might consent to letting moi take you out. Perhaps tomorrow, since you're busy tonight," he said, kissing the back her hand to punctuate.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Non. C'mon chére, I have to be moving on soon, and I would hate to be left wondering what could have been."

"Well, that's even less incentive to say yes, sugar. I'm not really into flings."

"What about one night stands? you into them?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Hey, Rogue, that guy bothering you?" called one of the men.

"Not as much as you do, Joss," Rogue retorted without even looking at him.

"I think I like 'Rogue'," Gambit mused. "Suits you better than 'Marie'."

"I don't believe you know me well enough to know just how roguish I am."

"I'd like to."

"Let go of my hand, snake charmer."

"Not even one li'l date, chérie?" Gambit asked as he complied.

"Enjoy your meal," Rogue responded as she walked away.

Almost as soon as Rogue's back was turned, the young man known as 'Joss' stood and strode towards Gambit. He put on hand on the table and pointed at him with the other.

"Listen here, you keep your paws off my woman, you got that?"

Gambit regarded him for a moment before responding:

"I apologise," he said smoothly. "I was under the impression that the belle fille was single."

"Whatever. Just back off. And what kind of a freak goes around wearing sunglasses in the dark anyway?"

Joss reached out for him. Gambit let him take them off and smirked as Joss dropped them in shock, seeing his red on black eyes.

"Mutie!"

"Where?" Gambit asked looking around innocently.

Joss backed off.

"You, you freak!"

"I'm sorry boy, you must have moi mistaken for someone else. I ain't a 'mutie'. I'm Le Diable Blanc," Gambit amused himself by taunting him.

One of Joss' friends swore and another stood and started to pull out his gun.

"What the devil is going on here?" Rogue demanded, unaware of her pun.

"He's a mutant," were the calm words of the one man who hadn't otherwise responded. "Or alternatively, 'the white devil'."

Rogue caught Gambit's eyes.

"Well I can see that. Now put the gun away, Baz. As in Now. And you! Joss! Get the hell away from him, or I'll throw you'll out, you hear me?"

Rogue crossed her arms and glared at Joss.

"Joss," she said warningly.

Joss wilted under he gaze and stalked back to the table.

"My apologies, Remy," Rogue said. "The riff-raff around here have no manners."

"Nothing I'm not used to, chérie."

"Have a free dessert - unless you've had enough sugar - it's on them," Rogue went on, glaring at the four.

"Aww, Rogue - " Baz started.

"Hey, you're the one who brought a gun in here, stupid. I swear, if I ever see you point that thing at anyone again, I'll knock you under for a week, you got that?"

"Got it."

Gambit chuckled. Whatever her relationship with these guys were, she had them suitably cowed under her gaze. Well, he did have to leave to make the drop, but maybe he'd come back and see if he couldn't pursue the enchanting Marie - Rogue - further. He had a feeling she'd be well worth it.

Rogue turned then and picked Gambit's glasses up off the floor. He enjoyed a good look at her cleavage while she did so, and wondered if she may have given him the view this time deliberately.

"There you go sugar," she said.

"Merci," he replied. "I have to say, chére, I love the way you have these guys under you thumb."

Rogue grinned at him.

"It's my mutant power," she said in a joking tone. "I make men weak at the knees."

The guys made the amused noises of those hearing an ongoing joke, and Gambit chuckled. There was, however, a serious glint in her eyes behind the mischievous expression on her face that made him curious. Very curious indeed.