Gambit greeted Rogue with a long drawn out kiss.
"Aww," Rogue said. "You miss me?"
"I always mis yo' when yo'r away," Gambit replied with a smile. "Last year was a killer."
Rogue giggled.
The last couple of weeks had been awkward. Rogue didn't want Gambit to think she had been avoiding him, but being 'pretend engaged' was driving her insane, just as much as not being around him was. Instead she distracted herself in plans to take the remaining student body to Genovia for a couple of weeks, starting on Monday. This was her last chance to spend some time with Gambit before they left, so...
"Now, I have a wonderful evenin' planned fo' us," Gambit said. "But first... lunch."
Rogue smiled, and Gambit escorted her out to his car and they drove down to one of the more expensive restaurants. Rogue's only problem with expensive restaurants was that she was so unused to the kind of food they served, she never knew what to order. Fortunately, Gambit had gained some rather extensive experience, especially over the past year where Johnny wouldn't have abided by anything less, and helped her pick something.
After lunch, they headed out to the cinema to watch the Fantastic Four, during which Rogue got quite indignant about Ben's fiancee Debbie, muttering something about how he's better off not with that superficial little snot-face. Gambit chortled at that.
When the movie was over, Gambit took Rogue to the park.
"Remember dis place?" he teased.
"Mmm, yes," Rogue smiled. "We met here."
The smile fell, remembering other things that had happened. Gambit noticed and put his arm around her. In silence, they walked over to a pond with a small waterfall, and leant over a railing. Gambit pulled a pack of card and a ring out of his pocket.
"Here's yo'r ring back," he said.
"Oh, thanks," Rogue replied.
She studied it for a moment, then reformed it back to it's original shape, and put it back on its rightful finger. It was only then that she noticed what Gambit was doing with the cards - charging them with kinetic energy and holding them with what little telekinesis that he had just above the pond. Rogue gasped as she saw the shape they took: Will you marry me?
Gambit grunted, and the cards fell to the water's surface and exploded.
"Longest I've ever held dem," he observed.
Rogue chewed her lip, not knowing what to say, or do. She swallowed.
"This... this doesn't have anything to do with... with Bellah Donnah does it?" she asked nervously.
"Yes -" Gambit began.
"Remy -"
"It was her inta'ference dat caused me ta come ta my senses," he said so decicively, that Rogue was silent. "Rogue... I've been tryin' ta protect yo'. From me. I don' exactly live da most honest life, and people have and will again seek ways ta get ta me. If we ever married, dat means comin' after yo' will be method number one. Da best way ta protect yo' would be ta simply stop associatin' with yo', but... call me selfish but I can' stand even da thought of dat."
Rogue smiled.
"But I... I kno' yo're not helpless," he went on softly, "and dat you have a mind of yo'r own, so... so I thought... I thought I would let yo' decide whether yo' want to take the risk. Frankly, I hate dis. I hate bein' pretend engaged. I'd rather be engaged fo' real, or not at all."
"Ah feel the same way," Rogue said.
Gambit reached into his pocket again and pulled out a ring box.
"So... so if yo' are willin' ta take da risk o' bein' married ta me..."
He started to open it, but Rogue moved forward and kissed him soundly.
"Marriage is a risk on its own," she said, touching his cheek tenderly. "Ah know it sounds corny and cliche, but Ah would rathah die young spendin' muh life with you, than live long without you."
Gambit kissed her back.
"Well, I hope we live long together," he replied.
Rogue grinned.
"Ah would prefer that also," she said as Gambit opened up the box.
"I know yo' said that yo' didn' like diamonds on account of dem being white and colourless and everytin'," he said as he took the ring out and put it on her finger, "but I didn' feel right gettin' an engagement ring with no diamonds on it. I figured you might like the pink variety, though."
"Pink diamonds?" Rogue exclaimed. "Aren't they terribly expensive?"
"Nothing I can't afford," Gambt replied. "And nothing yo' don' deserve, Cherie."
Rogue admired the ring on her finger. It was yellow gold with a beautiful ruby heart in the centre. There were four small pink diamonds, two on each side of the ruby, and two more small rubies on the other side of the diamonds.
"Oh, Remy," she said. "It's beautiful. Ah love it."
She reached around and gave him a hug and a kiss.
"Not as much as Ah love you, of course."
"Of course," Gambit smiled, and kissed her back.