Title: Explosions

Rating: T

Summary:Explosions are fun to watch, but sometime it's just as interesting to watch things simmer. One-shot. ROMY!

Disclaimer: I don't own squat, If I did own it, Romy would have been together from the first episode.

Tabitha "Boom Boom" Smith liked to watch things explode, even before her mutation popped up. She liked to think of it as fate that she got the powers she did. The loud KABOOM that rang in her ears after she tossed one of her little cherry bombs made her heart race. She liked to watch situations explode too. So when Gambit, the Cajun thief and former Acolyte came knocking at the door asking to join the team, and the professor let him she grabbed some popcorn and settled to watch things explode.

The first explosion happened when Gambit came down stairs after getting settled into his new room. Logan grabbed him by the collar of his trench coat, slammed him against the wall, and pointed his claws directly at his throat. The tips pressing right against his adam's apple. "Don't talk to her! Don't touch her! Don't go near her! Don't even look at her wrong or they'll never find the pieces!" No one had to guess who "she" was. Now any sane person would have responded with a "Yes sir!" and promptly shit their pants when faced with an incredibly pissed off Wolverine, but not Gambit. He gave Wolverine a shit eating grin, and looked down pointedly at his claws which were currently glowing an eerie pink. "They might not find my pieces, but they'll at least find a few of yours. As far as she goes, why don't we ask her just how much she wants Remy around, non?" Logan growled and pressed his claws just a little harder into Gambit's throat as a warning. Slowly the charge was drawn out of Logan's claws. Logan growled another warning, turned his back and left.

The next explosion happened an hour later. Kurt and Rogue walked in the front door after a day of sibling bonding (Kurt's idea and Rogue couldn't say no) and turned to go into the rec room. Gambit sat sprawled across the couch, watching the doorway more than the television. They both stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of him, and Gambit grinned broadly. "Aren't ya gonna welcome me to the team Cherie?" Before anyone could respond Kurt teleported next to Gambit and telelported them both out onto the front lawn. Everyone ran to the windows to see and hear what was happening. "You stay away from meine Schweitzer or they will never find the body!" Now considering that was the second death threat within the hour, any normal person would have packed up and headed for the hills. Not Gambit. He gave Kurt the same cat ate the canary grin he gave Logan and shrugged. "I can't make you any promises mon ami." Kurt shouted a few choice words in German (curses and threats is what everyone guessed) before teleporting back inside to look for Rogue. But Rogue was already gone, she slipped upstairs to her room during all the excitement. She stayed up there the rest of the day and night, avoiding everyone, especially Gambit and except Kurt who was bring her food.

The third (but most certainly not the last with Gambit around) happened the next morning at breakfast. Rogue finally came out of her room but she put as much distance between herself and Gambit as she could. Constantly slipping away as he tried to approach her. Finally as she tried to slip out of the room unnoticed Gambit trapped her between a wall and his body. "You never did welcome me to the team River Rat, and if I didn't know any better I might think you're trying to avoid this Cajun." Rogue tried to slip under his arm but he blocked her any which way she moved. "Back off Gambit!" Her voice a quiet hiss. "Non" His voice a velvety whisper with just a hint of amusement. Having enough of his game, Rogue placed both hands on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could, sending Gambit tumbling to the ground. "Merde! Chere what the hell was that about?" He stalked back over to her, at this point they had everyone's attention but before anyone could make a move he grabbed Rogue by the shoulders and did what no one really expected. He kissed her. And then passed out. "Merde!" Rogue was struggling to get her suddenly charged gloves off and threw them in the air just before they exploded. "Damn Cajun!"

A few weeks later while Tabitha was stashing a few things in the boat house for later that night when she and Amara were planning on sneaking out (if they could get past Wolverine) she heard two distinctly Southern voices coming closer. Not wanting to be found and questioned, she did the only thing she could. She hid. From her hiding spot she could see out of a window, and she watched Gambit and Rogue walk along, talking casually which was unusual for them. Everyone was used to seeing them fight, or at least seeing Rogue fight with him while Remy just kept flirting with her. But just now as she watched them sit down, Rogue pulling a book out of the bag Gambit was carrying and Gambit pulling out a deck of cards, they were calm and sincere and... was Rogue flirting with Gambit? As Rogue began to read, quickly becoming absorbed in whatever book she was reading this week Gambit stopped paying attention to the game of solitaire and just watched her. After a few moments Rogue looked up, apparently feeling his eyes on her and blushed a deep crimson. They talked quietly for a few minutes, Remy positioning himself so he could lay his head on Rogue's lap. There was a softness in her eyes that Tabitha had never seen before and when Remy reached out to brush a her white bangs out of her eyes that softness was replaced by heat. She watched the heat simmer between them for a long drawn out moment and wondered if Gambit was going to kiss her again. Instead Rogue said something and Gambit just grinned at her. They went back to their book and game respectively but continued to glance at each other every now and then.

Tabitha still likes to watch things explode but she learned that some times it's just as interesting to watch things simmer.