Gambit stared at Rogue as she came down the stairs. It wasn't that she always looked so sexy in her form-fitting, brown leather motorcycle gear, it was because that white streak in her hair was gone.
"Chere?" he queried. "What happened t' your hair?"
Rogue grinned at him.
"Well, Ah figured Ah should probably go as 'Marie' tonight, instead of your wife," she said. "And Ah'm the only one Ah know with a white streak. If this guy is Friends of Humanity, Ah'll probably have an easier time getting to him if he doesn't think Ah've married a mutant, let alone are one. Besides, the way things are going with the X-men Ah'm gonna have ta get used ta undercover work. The colour's only a spray - it'll wash out in the shower."
"Bon," Gambit replied. "Yo' look strange wit'out it."
Rogue chuckled.
"I'll go on ahead. Give me twenty minutes then come," he instructed. "Head over t' the bar, 'notice' the game and then ask Barney about it. He'll get yo' on the table, if one o' the guys doesn't invite yo'."
"Okay."
**********
A ride on their motorcycles and twenty minutes later, Rogue sauntered into Barneys. At the door she glanced around, her eyes landing briefly on Gambit at the poker table, then wandered casually to the bar.
"What'll it be?"
Rogue ordered and while Barney was getting it for her, glanced over at the poker game. One of them caught her looking.
"Hey sweetheart," said Reece. "Care to join us? You can be my good luck charm."
Rogue rolled her eyes and collected her drink before sauntering over.
"Evenin' boys," she drawled. "Texas Hold 'em, huh? What's the buy in?"
"Five hundred," Horace told her. "Small blind is ten, large blind is twenty."
"Deal me in," Rogue replied as she sat down next to Frank, which was the only spare seat.
"Delighted," Horace said.
Rogue waited out the current round and then got dealt into the one that followed. It was easy enough to get a look - multiple looks - at Frank's ring. It was definitely Friends of Humanity. Now the only question was what was a member of the Friends of Humanity doing in a mutant-friendly bar?
Rogue looked at her cards. An ace and a four, both hearts. Gambit and Horace had already put in the blinds.
"Fold," said Reece.
"Call," Rogue said, putting in her bet.
Frank and Kevin both called. Gambit folded and Horace called. Kevin dealt the three cards that made up the Flop: nine of hearts, eight of spades and seven of hearts.
"Raise 20," Horace said.
"Call," Rogue said and Gambit smiled with his eyes behind his glasses.
"Raise 40," said Frank.
"Fold," said Kevin.
Horace and Rogue both called and Kevin dealt the fourth community card which made up the Turn. All three checked when they saw the three of diamonds, so Kevin dealt the River; ten of hearts.
"Raise 20," said Horace as he moved his bet in.
Rogue's eyes flickered to him and then to the cards in the centre. She was confident she had the best hand, having a flush to Ace. Given the cards in the middle, the only way someone could beat that was if their two hole cards were the eight of hearts and either the six of hearts or the jack of hearts. The odds of that were enormous.
"Raise 50," Rogue said. "Ah do like these nice round numbers."
"100," said Frank, meeting her bet and raising it. "I like round numbers too."
"Fold," said Horace, setting his cards aside.
Rogue considered once again, this time her eyes considering Frank's resources and hers.
"Raise 200," Rogue said, pushed in her bet and smiled winningly at Frank.
"Are you sure you want to be doing that?" Frank asked.
"Of course," she replied smoothly. "Ah wouldn't have done it if Ah didn't want to."
"I'd just feel bad about taking money from a lady."
"Well, aren't you the gentleman? If you're so worried for muh financial situation, then Ah guess you'd better fold then," Rogue replied in a sultry voice.
"I don't think so," Frank replied. "I raise..."
Rogue smirked when she realised that Frank had named the total value of her chips left.
"Well, Ah guess Ah'm all in then," Rogue said, pushing in her chips.
"Your loss," Frank said and turned over his cards.
When the first card Frank revealed was the eight of hearts, Rogue caught her breath. However, much to her relief, the second card was the two of hearts.
"Flush to ten," Frank said with a smirk.
"Well now," Rogue replied. "Ain't that just a pretty hand? But Ah'm afraid, sugah, Ah've got the better one."
She revealed her ace and four of hearts with a smile. "Flush to ace."
Frank's face fell as Rogue collected the pot and the cards were gathered up and handed over to Gambit.
"Nicely played, chere," Gambit said as he shuffled the cards with one hand. "That leaves yo' a little low on cash there, homme."
"I can manage, mutie," Frank replied tersely.
"Well," Rogue said. "At least you don't have a blind this round, right sugah?"
"Barney," Frank called. "Another beer please."
Barney brough the beer over while Gambit dealt the cards one-handed. Reece was up first and decided to call. Rogue folded as did Frank. Kevin raised, Gambit folded. Horace and Reece called. Gambit dealt the Flop and Horace folded after Kevin raised again. Reece called. Both checked for the Turn and the River, and Kevin won with two pairs.
The cards were passed onto Horace, who shuffled. Gambit glanced at the clock and then at Kevin's chip with a slight smile on his face. Kevin caught him.
"You are not going to get me tonight, Gambit," Kevin said smugly.
"What's this?" Rogue asked.
"If we clean Kevin out too early in the night, he hits the bar, gets a little too drunk and ends up throwing a chair at someone," Gambit replied.
"By someone, he means him," Reece said with a smirk. "It's usually Gambit's who's responsible."
"I'm pretty good at ducking chairs," Gambit said cheerfully.
"Thanks for the warnin'," Rogue replied.
Horace dealt the cards. No one raised on the first round. Gambit and Reece folded. Horace dealt the Flop and Reece cursed under his breath when the king of diamonds, the jack of spades and the three of diamonds were revealed. Rogue folded. Frank obstinately went all in. Kevin and Horace called.
Everyone checked on the Turn, which was a two of diamonds. The River was Kevin raised, Horace raised and Kevin called, these new bets going into a side pot. Horace revealed his cards, the king of spades and the five of hearts, winning the round with three of a kind.
"Well," said Frank when he couldn't beat Horace's hand. "That's me out for the night."
"Ah'm sorry ta hear that sugah," Rogue replied, holding out her hand. "And we were just getting ta know each other too. Some other time, perhaps?"
"I'd be delighted," he replied.
He quickly skulled down the rest of his beer then took Rogue's hand. Rogue absorbed him just for a moment so that the lines that marked the use of her power wouldn't be evident and Frank promtply collapsed. As soon as he slipped lower than the table she kicked her absorption in again. Kevin got up when he thought that Rogue needed help getting Frank up.
"My oh my," Rogue said. "Ah guess you had a bit more ta drink than ya should sugah. Hello?"
"Weird," Kevin said. "Didn't think he drank that much."
**********
Later:
Rogue was already back at home when Gambit came in through the door, slamming it shut behind him. They'd left the bar at different times.
"Was it really neccsary to absorb him?" Gambit demanded.
"Ah'd say so," Rogue replied. "FoH doesn't just hang out at mutant-friendly bars for the fun of it ya know."
"All I asked fo' was a second opinion on the ring," Gambit insisted angrilly.
"And finding out what the FoH is up to is part of muh job," Rogue pointed out. "Ah don't know why you're so upset, Remy."
"I don't like yo' absorbing people!"
"People or you?" Rogue snapped back. "Look, Ah know Ah'm having problems with these... these micro absorptions, but this is what muh power is and you know that. You knew that from day one!"
"Both. Damn Rogue. I don't know who yo' are any more - literally," Gambit replied hotly. "Sometimes I feel like when I talk t' yo', I'm talking t' me, or t' Ms Marvel, or t' someone else altogether. I feel like I haven't seen yo' in months. And now you have another bastard in your head? Another personality to contend wit'?"
"Remy - "
"But it doesn't really make much different any more does it? I'm losing yo'."
"No -"
"You're slowly killing me."
"Please -"
"I love yo' Rogue, but I just don't know how much longer I can deal wit' dis."