Work Text:
In years past, Gambit looked forward to the challenge of prepping a Thanksgiving dinner for the mansion on his own. It was a point of pride. He got to break out his most complicated recipes, and amaze everyone with his perfectly basted turkey with his signature spice rub…But as the days drew near this year around, he felt dread fill his heart. Things had been simpler in years past, even last year when Kitty, Kurt, and Evan had joined them for the first time. The Musilm butcher Gambit got halal meat from didn't have turkey, but he did have duck, so he prepared a small duck for Lady Ororo and Evan, saving bones to make them soup in winter, and then he just had to be sure to have side dishes prepared for two ready for them. Kitty, despite kosher cooking being very new to Remy, was relatively easy to cook for. She had wanted to try traditional americana foods her first year so he had to just make sure his current recipes met guidelines, and many germanic side dishes without meat or dairy overlapped with Kosher requirements so most of what he prepared for Kurt so he didn't miss home while away for this mid week holiday could be eaten by her aswell…
But then the Institute started bringing in more students this year, from new and diverse backgrounds: ones with pallets that were not entirely compatible with traditional western foods, ones with sensitivities to things like milk, or some with allergies to certain foods, and so on. And in truth Gambit had enjoyed learning to cook for each of them to accommodate their needs. Hell, Kurt brought back the idea of a “Weird Food Club” so that Gambit could practice different cultural dishes upon request of the club via a mix of a lottery system and a vote. Wednesdays became the favorite day of the week for all club members as they waited after dinner to see which recipes of what they had each submitted for the week Remy would take a crack at the next day for the main supper entre (other options still being prepared for those who couldn't eat the chosen recipe, of course, but in much smaller portions). But all those weeks of new and experimental cooking had gone to his head a bit, and his risk taking nature had caught up with him as he finally bit off more than he could chew.
Most students would not be able to go home for Thanksgiving, whether the issue was family tensions, distance, or expense, most were saving heading home for the holidays for the December break instead. With that in mind, in October he had asked for a recipe from every member of the “Weird Food Club” that they would want to see on the Thanksgiving table, not jist something to accommodate their needs. He thought it would be the best thing for those kids forced to stay, to have a little slice of home during such a time.
…. He had kinda forgotten how many people were part of said club. It was not just him, Kurt, Kitty, and Evan anymore. Now they had Amara, Roberto, Jamie, Ray, Jubilee, Rahne, Bobby, Sam…practically all the new recruits actually. Over ten separate new dishes…and Xavier still is going to want a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and enough pie for everyone to have a slice, and now that the grocery shopping was done and he was staring from the floor at the general store’s worth of ingredients he has just barely managed to haul in…he was beginning to regret his ambition.
But he couldn't go back on his promises. Most of them couldn't afford to go home for such a short time, or didn't have a home, safe or otherwise, to go back to in some cases. And he knew what that felt like all too well…and the relief of being able to spend the holiday at a table after such times…they deserved to feel at home here, like he was made to be, to be welcomed at their table like family. Family didn't let each other down based on inconveniences.
Remy rubbed a hand down his face. “Gambit could really use some brandy right now…” he bemoaned.
“You know you ain't allowed to drink. Would a helping hand do instead?” A voice from behind him said. Remy looked over his shoulder to see a familiar figure, a young lady with duel colored hair dressed head to toe in black. Her eyes, even under the veil were a bright, piercing green. A color that always caused a twitch to the side of his mouth. “Well?” She asked.
“Oh, chere, non is alright! Remy don't need no help!” He assured, getting to his feet and trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong, “Remy just need a few minutes rest from haulin all dis in.” he then smiled and slipped an arm around Rogue’s waist. “But…. Iffin you wanna give Gambit some comfort on his break…he’d love to curl up next to ya in de den for a bit~” he teased gently.
Rogue rolled her eyes at him before taking his hand off her hip and gently smacking his cheek with his own palm. “Ya don't gotta act tough for me sugah,” she teased, “Ah ain’t Bobby. Don't gotta shoo me off from sneaking your almond bark chocolate.”
Remy groaned in annoyance. “you think he woulda stopped tryin to steal it after he accidentally took a chunk of mah bakin chocolate instead…” he grumbled.
Rogue raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You mean the unsweetened stuff that magically got left in the almond bark chocolate tin?” She teased.
“Don't got a clue what you talkin about, cher,” he lied with a smile.
“ANYWAYS,” Rogue continued, back onto the main topic, “I know how to cook. Somewhat. Mah mama was blind after all, when I was old enough n Mystique wasn't around I had to help her cook.”
Remy raised an eyebrow. “Ah thought you had servants and all that…” he questioned, “ya know…stately home and all that.”
“We always had a maid, a stable hand, n a carriage driver, but when Ah became school aged any other hired help was cut to afford tutors,” she responded, “n by that time, Mama thought me smart enough to follow her instruction in the kitchen. Point is, Ah can help, and you clearly need it, so let me.”
Remy hesitated. He would love to have her in the kitchen more than anything but…well he had planned for a bonus dessert recipe just for her as a surprise. Since coming up north he had missed many comforts from the south, but one unique delight he’d grown fond of since coming here were cranberries. They weren't his favorite fruit, but they helped curb his cravings for many sweet and tart southern fruits that doubled in price if they could be found fresh up north. And he especially liked a little recipe he found: candied cranberries. He missed his chance to pet her try some last year, what with her only joining mid December and the treat certainly not lasting that long from Thanksgiving, but this year he could. “Well…there special foods only Gambit knows how to cook,” he argues, “special diets n all that.”
“Then you worry about that, I’ll worry about the ‘traditional’ stuff,” she argues.
“what, like de turkey?” He questioned.
“Why not? I know how to cook meat, including poultry…” she said, putting her hands on her hips, “Ah ain’t gonna get anyone sick…”
“You ever cooked a turkey befo?” He questions, “Ain’t like cookin a chicken…”
“What you think ah can't handle it?” she questioned, “Ah can follow a recipe.”
“Turkey easy to mess up, maybe some other time ah can teach ya wit lower stakes,” he starts but is cut off.
“We could work on that one together! What? You think ahm gonna spoil everythin just by standin too close?!” she snapped, “What is your problem?! You never had an issue with me bein in the kitchen while you were cooking before.”
“Non non!” he starts trying to fix his lie, “ah mean, Remy just don't want you ta get burned or-wait no!”
“Oh so now ya think ah’m dumb enough not to use a pot holder or basic common sense!” she growled, “is that really what you think of me?! Or are you so prideful that you can’t stand the idea of a woman helpin you out? Ah thought better of you…”
“Non! Cher you know dat-” he tries but she turns around and starts marching off.
“Fine, you can't handle me stepping in on your domain of sorts, then I'll leave. enjoy your solitude, but when you pass out from exhaustion, ah ain't savin your burnt bir-” she cuts him off but stops when he grabs her arm.
She turns to look at him and sees a guilty look in his eyes. “Remy don't…non he want you to help. He want it more dan anytin.. it’s just,” he starts, “Remy was gonna surprise you wit somethin he was gonna make tonight. Ah can't surprise you iffin ya in de room watchin me cook…” He ran a hand through his hair, “please stay…ah just conflicted…Remy do need an extra hand n ah’d love it iffin it was yours. Just…”
“Was it the candied cranberries?” She replied, cutting him off.
He blinked at her. “Quoi?” he replied, “how did ya-”
“You’ve been gushin about them since October n sayin how much you wanted me to try em,” she stated flatly, with an amused smile, “n then all last week you suddenly hushed up, n when people asked you about iffin we were gonna have cranberry anything this year, you kept hemmin and hawin actin like it was too late in the season for good berries, you weren't sure…n then Kurt n Kitty have been bouncing off the walls because they saw you had bought a bushel today…”
Remy facepalmed. This is what he got for letting Kurt help him unload the groceries. “Merde…” he muttered, “de whole school probably knows now don't they?”
“Yeah…You really shouldn't let mah brother in on anythin you want kept secret. It's going to end up being heard by Kitty at some point and by that point there’s no stopping the spread of that information,” she commented, “Girl works faster than a telegraph line.”
“Yeah…Remy should have realized dat…” he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose, “well…dere goes dat plan…”
“but also any reason you had for me not to stay,” rogue pointed out. He smirked at her.
“Very true cherie,” he said wrapping both his arms around her now, “Mehbee Gambit show you how to make de treat…you get first dibs on em dat way! Den it still a special treat for mon cherie…”
She smiled up at him. “Ah’d like that…then maybe ah could surprise you with it some time,” she responds, slipping her arms around him and closing the distance some.
The boy hummed in delight at the thought. Him coming in from helping set up the danger room, or coming back from running errands out in the cold, and being met with the sight of Rogue waiting for him on the couch in the parlor with a big bowl of the sweet syrup coated berries and a warm blanket to share. “Remy would love dat,” he admits, so tempted to press his forehead to hers but managing to resist, “It settled, Remy make you his sous chef tonight…but first?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh?” she questioned.
“Remy still tired…Quick cuddle in de den first?” He practically pleaded, “come on…Remy close de door to it to make sure we aint bothered…”
Rogue rolled her eyes. “Fine…ten minutes…then you and ah are makin them candied cranberries first,” she relents, trying to hide her smile as she sees his eyes light up. He deserves a treat…and she can allow herself a bit of one as well. After all, they would be handling the entirety of Thanksgiving prep together. A quick public cuddle was more than deserved… and maybe a few more while things were in the oven… and hopefully they could sneak a few taste tests from the fruits of their labor!!
Bonus: some thanksgiving art ive done in the past for this au
