Author: Makes Rain Woman (makes_rain_woman@h...)Title: House Arrest; this is chapter 4.Fandom and Genre: X-Men romantic slashDisclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel Entertainment Group and 20th Century Fox, not me! Nor do I have any stake in the Cartoon Network or "Dexter's Laboratory". I'm not making any money, just having fun. No copyright infringement is intended.Pairing: Wolverine/GambitRating: NC-17 (YES! Really it is!)Summary: Wolverine and Gambit are kicked off the team and Cyclops sentences them to stay home while the X-Men are on a mission. Bet he never thought this would happen...Feedback: is very nice! :)Archive: Please ask me first! :)Lots of love to Bobbi, Rebop, Peg, Lee, and Chris for all their support! Contrary to popular belief around the mansion, Remy LeBeau was not a high maintenance man when it came to his appearance. A quick shower and shave, blow-dry and comb, throw on some clothes (and everything looked good, no worries there), and he was ready to go. The only reason he was ever late to a morning appointment was because he simply hated to get out of bed. Knowing just how fast he could be when he needed to, he'd had no doubts that he would make it to the kitchen first and get breakfast cooked for him. No doubts until now, when he stood before the sink, toothpaste in hand, and realized that he'd left his toothbrush upstairs in Logan's bathroom. "Oh LeBeau, you so smooth," he laughed to himself as he searched the vanity drawers for a new toothbrush, already knowing there wasn't one there. Skipping brushing this morning was just not an option. Jean-Luc had put hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars into Remy's pearly whites, which had been anything but after ten years of neglect. The countless hours in the dentist's chair were among the many memories Remy preferred not to revisit, so he had brushed and flossed religiously ever since. As much as he hated to lose the race, he had no choice but to go and retrieve his toothbrush. He ran a hand through his auburn locks, in deep thought. They weren't even a full day into their relationship, but it was already clear that each of them maintaining their own room was not going to work. He walked out into his bedroom; it was slightly larger than Logan's, and, naturally, decorated better. Maybe he could convince Logan to move down here with him. / Provided I have the courage to ask. / After Rogue had shot him down on the offer to share a room not once, not twice, but three times, his confidence in being a good partner had wavered. Then again, Rogue had weakened most aspects of his self-esteem. Looking back now, he could see that all the effort, all the work and dedication he had put into trying to save their love had nearly destroyed him. Why he'd let her walk all over his heart so often he wasn't sure. He was sure that she'd return from this mission and come crawling back to him, begging for forgiveness, swearing she hadn't meant it when she'd said "Ah really mean it this time!" But this time, there was no way in hell he was taking her back. Not now that he finally was happy. He'd gone to Logan's room the previous night with the intent of splitting a pizza and sharing a few beers, nothing more. But he loved the turn of events! Logan - the real Logan, not the complete bad-ass he always pretended to be - was everything Remy had ever dreamed of and more. Remy really wanted to kick himself for never having realized that Logan was interested in him all this time (all these YEARS!)...but a man who could hide his thoughts from telepaths could obviously keep his feelings from an empath as well. There was no way Remy could have known. Remy had been able to tell from day one that Logan was bisexual. It all came out in his body language and the way his eyes lingered on the spandex-covered male bodies a little longer than a straight man would deem appropriate. Early on, though, Remy had doubted Logan would ever admit this to himself, much less act on it - he was so completely in love with and devoted to Mariko, despite the distance between them and all their problems. Believing that Logan would eventually marry her, and hoping he would, as it was so obvious how much he loved her, Remy had settled into the heartache of chasing Rogue. Then, Lady Mariko died. It was the only time Logan had ever broadcast his emotions openly enough for Remy to pick up on them. The thief had never experienced such pain before; it had completely overwhelmed him to the point of tears. He still bought Jubilee a lovely gift every so often in gratitude that she'd never told anyone about the sobbing mess she'd found him in that day. During his crying fit he'd come to the painful conclusion that Logan would never recover from his loss enough to love again. But as they say (whoever 'they' are), time heals all wounds. There'd been a million setbacks along the way, but slowly, surely, the light had returned to Logan's eyes...and those eyes began to wander again. Remy had to give Logan credit - he was a very difficult person to be sneaky around, but Logan had apparently been admiring him from afar for quite some time. In his own defense, though, he had been a little preoccupied with trying to give Rogue the incentive to learn to control her powers, or least wear a collar once in a while. Nothing had ever worked, not even the night he'd bared his soul and told her how much he wanted to get married and raise a family... Remy snapped himself out of his musings. None of this was solving the dilemma of his missing toothbrush. Frustrated at himself for sometimes having the attention span of the child he'd never gotten to be, he started toward the door and opened it to find a very smug-looking Logan in the hallway. / Merde. / "Hi, cher." Logan smiled broadly and gave Remy his toothbrush. "Hey, Rem. Thought ya might need this." Remy sighed and smiled. "T'ank you, Logan. I'll only take a second, 'k?" He rushed off to the bathroom. "Take yer time," Logan replied, entering Remy's bedroom and taking it in. The room was a little cluttered, but not messy. Three bookcases packed full with more books in piles throughout the room, beautiful paintings on the walls and propped up in corners, a very high quality stereo system and stack upon stack of CDs. Logan gritted his teeth at a memory of Rogue, after one of the many times she'd dumped the Cajun, making the snide comment that he'd probably stolen everything he owned. Stupid bitch. He heard a swish and spit and then Remy came back into the bedroom. "So cher, who makes breakfast now?" Logan had been pondering that himself since he'd stepped out of the shower and noticed a second toothbrush in his bathroom cup. He leaned against one of the corner posts of Remy's bed. "We could go out." "Non," Remy laughed, lifting his sunglasses off his dresser and putting them on. His face grew very stern. "'I want at least one of you at home at all times! And you can only go out for emergencies...or groceries, maybe. But this is a punishment, darn it, not a vacation, and don't you forget it!'" Logan barked with laughter. "Shit, forgot about that. Ya do a good Cyke, Remy." Remy snorted and tossed his glasses aside. "T'anks. Could do it perfect if only I had somet'ing stuck up my ass." "That can be arranged." Shit. The words wore spoken before Logan had even realized he'd thought them. To his credit, the thief did manage a quick look of shock, but then he just grinned and closed the distance between them in just two graceful strides. "Hmmm, someone woke up wit' his mind in de gutter." Remy braced one graceful arm against the bedpost above Logan's head and leaned inwards, trapping him. / Christ! Does he have any idea what he's doin' to me?! / Logan felt the room temperature begin to rise. "Is that a problem?" "Au contraire, I rather like it." Remy brought his sharply chiseled face so close to Logan's that their noses nearly touched. A slow heat burned in his luminous eyes. "But what makes y' so sure I'll let y' be on top?" "What if I ask nice?" Logan growled soft and low, tilting his head up and capturing Remy's mouth, the tingling traces of cinnamon toothpaste mixed with Remy's own unique flavor re-igniting the fire in his belly. He smiled inwardly as Remy's surprised gasp turned into a pleading whimper, begging for more. Logan gladly obliged, deepening the kiss, plundering Remy's mouth with his tongue. In a surge of bravery he slid his hands under the hem of Remy's well-worn denim shirt to massage the tender flesh at the small of his back. With every kiss, every touch, every sound of pleasure that escaped Remy's lips, Logan became less nervous, and wanted, needed Remy even more. And his resolve to take things slow was gradually slipping away. As was Remy's. The Cajun moaned in response to Logan's touch. Remy twined one hand in the thick black hair at the nape of Logan's neck and let the other fall to Logan's waist. He impatiently tugged the flannel shirt loose from Logan's jeans, sighing when his hand finally made the sin-to-skin contact he so desperately needed. His fingers whispered feather light up Logan's flank and chest, brushing softly against one hard nipple. Remy felt the growl his action caused rumble in his partner's chest as much as he heard it from deep in his throat. That primal sound sent a shiver up and down Remy's spine and his swollen cock strained against the confines of his jeans in response. He pulled Logan closer and felt Logan's erection rub up against his thigh. Remy let his fingers trail down the firmly muscled torso and began working open the top button of Logan's jeans. But fear returned. Remy stopped as soon as he felt Logan's body tense up. "Cher? You OK?" He opened his shields just a bit and sent out a gentle calming wave. Logan sighed, relaxing under Remy's influence. "Sorry, Remy. Didn't mean ta freak ya out like that." "Did I do somet'ing wrong?" Remy asked softly, his tone indicating that he was convinced that he had. "Hell no, Remy! Why would ya think that?" But Logan already knew the answer: Remy had never been able to do anything right in Rogue's eyes. The thief put up a good front, but deep inside his self-esteem had been shattered. Logan made a mental note that they would have to work on that. "Trust me, you're doing everything right. Jesus, I want ya so bad I can almost taste it!" "But...?" Remy urged, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "But that's just it." Logan forced himself to meet Remy's eyes. "I don't want us to get caught up in th' heat of the moment and end up regrettin' it, ya know? We agreed ta take things slow an' I don't wanna break that promise." To Logan's surprise, Remy let out a sigh of relief mixed with laughter. He gave Logan a fierce, loving smooch. "Ah cher, je suis desole! Dis all feels so right, so comfortable, I forget dat it's new and you don' know how t' read my intentions yet." "Which were?" Logan was more than a little curious...and relieved to see that they were still apparently on the same page. Why rush fate? "Well," Remy purred, one hand running lazily down Logan's chest, "seeing as how dere's all dis pent-up sexual frustration here, I jus' t'ought I'd see what I could do about it. Take matters into my own hands, so t' speak." His hand cupped the bulge in Logan's pants and gave a quick squeeze to accentuate his point. "Mais, if y' don' like dat idea..." The rest of his comment was cut off in a soft moan as Logan's fingers teased his hard on in return. "Ooooh, cher, seems as t'ough y' DO like de idea..." "That I do," Logan murmured, placing his free hand behind the nape of Remy's neck to help pull that lovely Cajun mouth down on his. Remy had conceived the perfect solution: intimate, romantic, not an earth-shattering act but a million times better than each of them retreating to their own bathrooms. This would take the edge off just enough for them to be able to think about other things...like breakfast. More like lunch now at the rate they were going. With agile, experienced fingers Remy unbuttoned Logan's shirt with flicking his tongue in and out of Logan's mouth, taunting, teasing. Logan removed his hand from Remy's crotch long enough to pop the row of snaps running down the front of his shirt, and then they were bare chest to bare chest again, grinding against each other, both grinding at the sensations. "Where?" Logan rasped. Floor sounded good, shower sounded better. "Bed," Remy breathed, pulling Logan away from the bedpost as he moved, crawling backward onto the mattress with a dancer's grace. Bed sounded perfect. Logan followed his lover to the head of the mattress on hands and knees, a soft growl in his throat like an animal that wasn't quite tame. "Thought ya said somethin' 'bout satin sheets, Rem," he teased, running his palms over the smooth cotton duvet, the cloth cool against his searing skin. "Satin SHEETS, cher," Remy emphasized, a sly smile on his lips as he pulled off his shirt. "Soon as I find a down-filled satin comforter I'll get one." "Maybe I'll get ya one fer Christmas," Logan offered, stripping off his own shirt and tossing it on the floor to join Remy's. Remy reached out and pulled Logan up against him. "Hmph. Dat's a romantic present, bed linens. Ain't dat for de eighth anniversary or somet'ing? Gifts should have a little more oomph, n'est-ce pas?" Logan laughed. "Fine. A comforter an' some body butter." He began kissing a wet hot trail down Remy's throat. Remy groaned and shivered. "Mebbe. What flavor?" "Strawberry." "Mmmm, now you talkin', cher!" Logan chuckled again, but his laughter progressed into an aching sigh at the sensation of Remy's hands at his crotch, working open the buttons one at a time, then tugging at the snug boxer briefs. When his cock finally bobbed free from the prison of his clothing, it took all his willpower to keep from coming in Remy's hands right then and there. He heard a soft murmur of delighted approval, and then he had to clasp Remy's shoulder to steady himself as those nimble hands began stroking him. Strong sure hands with lightly work-roughened skin. Logan let out a long moan, then realized he wasn't holding up his end of the bargain. "Slow down, Remy." He quickly unbuttoned and unzipped Remy's pants, relishing the Cajun's sexy gasps. He pushed the red silk away from Remy's throbbing erection. "Damn," he breathed, spellbound. Long and lean and very sexy, like all things Gambit. He had to fight back a sudden urge to take Remy's dick in his mouth. Instead he wrapped his fingers around it and gave one firm experimental stroke. "Mon Dieu, Logan!" Remy hissed. He eagerly resumed his caresses to Logan's cock. "S'il te plait, don' stop, cher!" They paused only long enough to strip off their pants, then quickly settled into a sensuous tandem, fisting each other in rhythm, holding on to each for support, lips locked in a heated battle whenever they could catch enough breath. But the heat between them soon raged into a fever, and the need for release became greater than the want for finesse. "Fuck, Remy!" Logan could feel his orgasm building, dangerously close. He gripped Remy's shoulder harder, not wanting to bruise the satiny flesh but at the same time not caring too much if he did. He also tightened his fingers around Remy's erection, precum lubricating each stroke. His own cock burned. "Remy...God...please, harder!" "Ahhhh, mon cher, mon coeur, dat feels so good!" Remy immediately fulfilled Logan's request, taking a snugger hold on his cock. His free hand found purchase again in Logan's hair; he braced his forehead against Logan's, struggling to maintain his position. His already ragged breathing became shorter and faster as climax neared. "Oh, oh cher, ooooh, Mon Dieu!" And he came, back arched, head suddenly thrown back, hair dampened dark by sweat, and a scream escaping him that could only be described as the voice of a horny angel. His seed erupted fire hot over Logan's hand. Logan was positive he'd never experienced anything even half this erotic in his entire life. Then the emphatic backwash swept over him, Remy's orgasm projected into his mind and body and heart and soul in crystal clear perfection, and it pushed him over the edge. The release rocked his entire being; he heard himself roar, heard Remy cry out when he felt it too. Remy's hand kept moving, hot and slick with Logan's own cum. It felt to both of them as if it would never end. Eventually, the squall began to die down, their bodies relaxed. They held each other for long trembling moments, Remy's slow Acadian drawl whispering a beautiful hybrid of English and French, Logan's rough Canadian accent surprisingly tender. At long last, Remy caught his breath. "Merci, cher. Mon Dieu, dat was good!" "God, was it ever!" Logan lifted his head off Remy's shoulder and pulled back, smiling at the sight of those sated red eyes. "We shoulda done that years ago. Sorry I've been so blind." "Pffft. We'll jus' have t' make up for lost time now, non?" His grin was wicked, but his eyes held softness and affection. "We needed dat, cher." "Yup. And I need another shower. So do you, it looks like," he noted, running a hand down Remy's sticky, sweaty torso. "Oui. We could take one together." Statement, suggestion or plea, it was hard to call. "That sounds real nice," Logan sighed. He kissed Remy softly. "You lead th' way." Remy laughed as he eased himself off the bed, knees wobbly. "You jus' wan' to take advantage of de opportunity t' see my ass, cher." "Yup." And he definitely enjoyed the view and Remy walked into the bathroom, tight hard butt flexing with each step. He looked down at his twitching cock. / Down, boy. / "Cher? Y' gonna join me or not?" The shower was already running and steam began to drift out the bathroom door. Logan quickly composed himself. "Right behind ya, Rem." He went into the bathroom and stepped behind the shower curtain. Remy was already shampooing, eyes tightly shut to keep the suds out. Logan stood still and watched for a bit. "Ya sure are cute all sudsed up." "Pffft. Quit being cute an' started bein' handsome at sixteen." But he blushed a little anyway. He tilted his head back to rinse. "Help y'self to de shampoo, cher." Logan was briefly distracted by the sight of that long graceful body arching under the stream of water. "Huh? Oh, yeah." He squeezed out a palmful of shampoo and began working up a lather. "Aw, cripes! It smells like fruit!" "Papaya," Remy clarified, wiping the water from his eyes and reaching for the conditioner. "Gets rid of frizzies and fly-aways." "Yer hair ain't like that." Logan ducked his head under the water to rinse. "'Zactly. I `spose it would be silly t' ask if y' wan' some conditioner?" "Very." Logan grabbed the soap, which thankfully didn't smell like anything edible, just like soap. He lightly soaped his body while Remy watched, entranced. "You so beautiful, cher." Logan froze, the soap paused just above his navel. His heart melted at the sincerity in Remy's eyes. But be damned if he knew how to respond. `Thanks' was the cheap, easy way out; `You too' sounded lame, though Remy really was the beautiful one. "Cher." Remy's voice was low and soothing. "No one ever said that to you before?" "No...not...nothing like that," Logan stammered. Remy pulled him into a wet, soapy hug, their bodies sliding together deliciously, and gave him a very soft, open-mouthed kiss. "Better get used t' hearin' it, cher. Now quit bein' a soap hog." They finished showering and dried off, somehow resisting the urge to snap towels at each other. After collecting their clothing from its various locations and dressing, they made their way down to the comms room. Cyclops had indeed called in a report at 0700, and while he sounded disappointed that he'd had to leave a message instead of talking to one of them personally, he didn't seem angry. He stated that the team had made it safely to wherever they were, and that he would be checking in at least once a day. Nothing more. "So, Logan, when y' got de beer las' night, was dere anyt'ing in de fridge dat looked good for a late breakfast or an early lunch?" Remy flipped the switch for the kitchen lights and squinted briefly at the glare from the metal surfaces. Logan shrugged. "Dunno. Wasn't thinkin' `bout it. Ya sent me for beer, I looked for beer." "Really got a one-track mind sometimes, don' you?" Logan slapped him on the ass. "Sometimes." "Behave!" Remy warned, though he looked extremely pleased. He opened the refrigerator door and sighed. "One of us really needs t' go to de store." He had better luck in the freezer compartment. "Meat and taters," he announced, tossing a bag of hash browns and a package of beef sausage on the counter. "Good enough." Logan gave Remy a quick kiss on the cheek before gathering up the food and heading toward the stove. "I'll cook this time, but I'm expecting somethin' nice an' spicy fer dinner." "Heh." "Hey, you have ta behave too!" Logan hefted one of his cast iron frying pans out of the cupboard and set it on a burner to warm. He glanced over at Remy, now perched on the countertop, swinging his legs back and forth. For the first time Logan really noticed the shirt Remy was wearing. "Never woulda pegged ya as a Western-style shirt kinda guy, Rem." "Dis old t'ing?" Remy picked at the shirt's already frayed hem. "Did some cattle rustling wit' de guild. My las' big job before de exile." "An' ya had ta dress cowboy ta pull t'ings off?" Logan quickly sliced the sausage with his claws and dumped it into the pan. It immediately began to sizzle. "Oui. Mon frere, Henri, was `spose t' lead de heist, but we discovered right away dat he was allergic to horses. I took over, and he ended up driving de get-away stock trailer." He smiled at the memory. "Was pretty fun, really. Different. Nice change of pace from liftin' art and jewels." Logan added the shredded potatoes and a handful of dried onion flakes to the frying meat. "Ya miss th' Guild, Rem?" "Oh, I do, cher," Remy answered passionately, jumping off the counter to get the coffee maker going. "At least, I miss de old days, how t'ings used t' be. Running de pack ain't nearly de fun of running WITH it." After adding a generous amount of salt and pepper, Logan gave the contents of the pan a thorough stirring. "Yer...wife in charge in yer steed?" "Her an' Theoren, one of de t'ieves." Remy chuckled as he poured water into the coffee maker. "It's one o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Do you know where YOUR estranged wife is?" "Bite me, Gumbo." "In de kitchen? Kinky." Logan sighed. "You're terrible!" Remy curled up behind Logan at the stove, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Is dat a complaint?" Logan turned his head and gave Remy a quick smooch. "Absolutely not. So after we eat, what's on tap for th' rest o' the day, darlin'? I'm not too familiar with this lazy Saturday business." The Cajun purred at being called "darlin'". "Well, mon cher, mos' normal folks wit' lazy streaks watch cartoons on Saturdays." "Sounds like a waste of time." "Dat's de point." Logan snorted. "If you're gonna waste time, waste it drinkin' beer, bub." "De originals on de Cartoon Network make more sense after a few." / God, if Jubes ever finds out about this... / "OK. We'll give it a try. But if it sucks we're doin' somethin' useful, alright?" "D'accord." * * * "Answer me one thing." Remy lifted his head from its resting spot on Logan's belly, which made a surprisingly wonderful pillow. "Quoi?" "Why is Dexter th' only one in his family with a Russian accent?" A warm, throaty chuckle. "Dat I don' know, Logan." He snuggled back against his lover. "Dere, dat wasn't so bad, was it?" Logan gently stroked Remy's dark red hair, as soft as spun silk. "Nothin's bad with you around, darlin'." Remy's breath caught in his chest. "Oh, cher." He twisted around and hugged Logan tightly. "T'anks for indulging me a little." "Anytime," Logan assured him. He patted Remy's back. "Now, lemme up. Rain died down. I'm gonna get the mail." Remy moved just enough to let Logan get up, then plopped back on the couch. "Jus' have t' be a little bit productive, huh cher?" "Just a little. This is all I'll do today, I swear!" he promised over his shoulder as he went out the front door. Remy lay blissfully on the couch, wondering what they'd do once Logan returned. A few more hours of talking would be nice. With footrubs. The mere thought of Logan's strong, strong hands massaging his toes made his entire body tingle. / Let's see, I think I still have some of that peppermint foot lotion... / SLAM Remy was instantly on his feet. He'd lived the in the House of Angst long enough to know the difference between an accidental door slam and one made on purpose. But what in the mail could have made Logan that angry? He quickly made his way to the foyer. Remy didn't need to use his empathy to feel the waves of pain and anger rolling off Logan. He knew his lover had sensed him but Logan made no acknowledgement of Remy's presence. All of the mail had been dropped in a careless pile on the floor, except for the one envelope clenched tightly in Logan's hand. Remy slowly inched closer, as if approaching a wounded animal, until he was able to see what the piece of mail that Logan was staring at was. A letter addressed to Japan in Logan's handwriting. Marked `Return to Sender' in Yukio's. Yet again. "Cher," he said softly. "Let's go sit down and talk about dis." Logan heard Remy's offer. He knew he should take it. But instead, he did what he was notorious for doing. He pushed Remy aside and stormed off toward the Danger Room. Big mistake.