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Rogue walked down the quiet dark halls of the mansion, her footsteps echoing eerily as she did so. It was well past the 9 pm curfew, and none else were stirring. It made things feel…haunted almost. Patches of cold between air vents, shadows that danced as bulbs flickered a little, the freezing wooden floors. Rogue both loved it and hated it, but she had tried to sleep and found she couldn’t so here she was now, wandering the mansion like a specter herself trying to find her way to the library or the main fire place in the den if she could manage.
Under normal circumstances you would worry about waking people or getting in trouble, but the building was so empty for the holidays. It was the week of Christmas, and almost everyone had headed home when school was let out the previous week, even those who did not celebrate were visiting family, such as Evan and Kitty. Forge headed home to his tribe too, bringing all sorts of fancy foreign goodies from the ports with him for his family to enjoy in the cold months ahead. Even Logan and Professor Morph were spending a few evenings in New York City as a gift to each other; going skating, enjoying the decoration, and attending productions of the nut cracker and swan lake before christmas eve. The only ones left were the Summers brothers, Rogue herself, and a handful of staff, and to be honest, she really could feel the emptiness left behind without everyone’s presence.
She had to admit, it was a bit of whiplash. Less than two weeks ago she had sought refuge in the home of the x men, and had been welcomed with as much warmth as at the feast of the ghost of Christmas Present himself…but now, as the house had come to almost a quiet stand still and she had no where to go herself…honestly, she felt like she had wondered into Scrouge’s glimpses of what Christmas Yet to Come had in store for him.
She stopped on her way down to the den and gripped her arms as it fully dawned on her: this would be her first Christmas alone without her family, and as much as they had betrayed her, that thought truly stung. This time last year her and Irene would be coating pecans in chocolate and caramel and waiting for Mystique to come home with luxurious gifts from up North. She never stayed long enough for Rogue’s liking as a young girl, just six days from christmas eve and then gone by new years, and mostly observed festivities rather than participated herself, but despite that and the fact that at the moment she didn't want to be in a room with either woman who raised her, she couldn't help feeling crushed a little at the thought of never having that again. Things would never go back to how they were before, and holidays like this would never quite be the same. Unlike the others, she could never go home for the holidays, for even the Summers boys and Charles considered this place their home…
Rogue found herself rubbing tears away from her eye and suddenly felt ashamed. Why did she still mourn her relationship with Mystique and Irene? After seeing Mystique’s memories, after knowing all they put her through and what they put her friends through…why on Earth did she care she couldn't go home to them? Was there some part of her still loyal to them and the brotherhood? Was she still fooled by their ruse in some way?
“Stupid stupid…” she muttered to herself with a sniffle as she made her way downstairs as swiftly as she could. As she did she heard the distinctive sound of music playing over a phonograph, specifically Christmas carols, and smelled the smoke of the fireplace already being lit. Rogue blinked, pausing her thoughts and turning to the direction of the sound, only to see light coming from the den. She hesitated for a moment despite her curiosity. It wasn't as if it could be Logan who was up… so it must have been someone else who was up past curfew, or at least someone who wouldn't care near as much. And so she tiptoed closer. As she peered into the warm glow of the den, the light of the fire caught the sparkling czech glass ornaments on the tree in the corner beautifully, she found the light also caught another quite pleasing sight: one Remy LeBeau, a santa hat messily sitting over his head and a scarf round his neck, his coat draped over the arm chair he was in, focused heavily on something he was holding over a bucket full of shavings with a whittling knife in his other hand. He was carefully working the material, currently carving one into what appears to be the shape of a sheep.
She stepped forward towards him, softly as she could, aided in her stealth by how focused he was on his task, the only thing seeming to distract him was the christmas carols he had playing in the background that he was humming along to currently.
“Ohh tidins o comfort n joy…” she could hear him mutter as she got closer. It made her smile. Only when she was practically next to him did he seem to notice someone else was there. In doing so, he turned his gaze to her, the light of the fire dancing in his red on black eyes as they grew wide with surprise at her presence. They then shifted to full amusement as he smiled at her. “Well well well, bonjour, Cher! Here to keep me company?” He asks.
She smirked at him before leaning on the arm chair. “Ain't that supposed to mean good day? Not exactly day time, is it?” she teased.
Remy simply shrugged. “Is past midnight, right? So issa new day!” he retorts, “what ya doin up so late…or early? However you see it.”
She shrugs. “Can’t sleep. Too quiet round here,” she notes.
Remy chuckles in response. “Usually de problem be de other way around…” he notes.
“Well everyone basically disappeared over the weekend…so its…eerily quiet,” she elaborates.
“Here ah thought ya liked eerie,” he prodded further earning him an eye roll.
“Look, it's just weird, ok?” She says, “this place was so noisy when I got here…now it ain't…” she sighed, looking away into the fire, “ah ain’t used to it. Especially not this time of year…”
Remy’s eyes softened at that and his smile fell. “Oh? Ya mamas celebrated Christmas?”
Rogue froze. “I- well...It ain't like I miss THEM…cause I don’t!” she defended, backing up, “It’s just…I miss well…ugh…” she huffed and turned away from him. “Most everyone got a place to head for the holidays. Somewhere they can go to feel at home…the other students…they all went home, Forge went home, Ororo left with Evan, Logan and Morph are visiting Morph’s home town, Alex and Scott were adopted by Charles so this is their home, Dr Maccoy similarly lived here so long under Charles’ protection for his condition it is a home for him, and this is one of Xavier’s family estates so this literally is a home for them….” She explains, “I…I don't got that. This…this place is too new, and it’s nothing like what I knew…”
“It good it not like livin under Mystique tho, non?” Remy asked, concern in his eyes.
“Yes but…ugh!….” she pinches the bridge of her nose, “...Everything is so different, n this stupid holiday is all about family n togetherness n hearth and home n…how the mansion just cleared out made me realize…I don't got that anymore. I have friends, sure, but… I don't got a home to go back too…don't have parents anymore, I’m emancipated, nobody has custody over me…” she says, still not looking at him, “For the first time in a long time…I’m feelin like I’ll truly be by myself on the one day of the year nobody should be…”
There was silence between them. Rogue bit her lip, starting to regret saying anything. She must have sounded awful to him, moping over the fact that Mystique and Irene weren't her parents anymore…she certainly felt awful for admitting it. Awful and selfish, especially after how much he had helped her. She should be better off without them. Everything should be right with the world, right? But it wasn't. There was still a part of her that wanted them…well Irene at least…near her to some degree. She wanted things to feel like years ago, when Christmas was a happy occasion. When Mystique wouldn't shout at her…well for the most part…when Irene and her would cuddle up and watch Rogue enjoy her new gifts…well usually they were seated in chairs on the opposite side of the tree now that she thought about it…when Mystique would join them for christmas dinner and enjoy the food she and Irene prepared…disregaurding the last few that got interrupted because of magneto…but still…that feeling she had at the time…now…
She was caught off guard as she was pulled into a hug by Remy. She gave a muffled yelp to start but was quiet when he pulled away. “Iffin it helps…das how Gambit felt last few years…” he admits, “I…well…you know how things are at de moment with mah family…” He looks down and shrugs, guilt seeping through her as it dawns on her. The seven year ban…she thought, I can't believe I forgot…”
“Oh Remy I’m sorry I didn't mean to-” she starts but he cuts her off by raising his hand.
“Lemme finish,” he responds, “I aint mad at ya. None one bit. I was just tryin to say, Remy knows what it feels like. Your situation is more complicated for sure but…” “Remy gets it…you hurtin real bad cause of this… it feels weird knowing you can't go home instead of bein somewhere purely cause you wanna be,” he explains, looking down on here with a smile, “but on de bright side, even if this place can’t feel like a home for you yet…well, you got someone to feel homeless with, hein?”
Rogue blinks back some wetness in her eyes before smiling. She looks down and away to hide her blush. “This your best way of askin a girl to spend the night with ya, sug?” She teases, voice cracking slightly, “could use some work…”
“Fair…but look at dat fire, petite,” he nudges his head back at the blaze, “in dis big drafty mansion? How can ya resist somethin so delightfully warm?”
She chuckles before nodding and following him back. They opted to sit on the sofa instead, next to each other and Rogue continues to watch him carve as the old carols play. She wondered if they had been recorded in the south by chance. Were it not for the recording crackle, it sounded just like how carolers on the streets of their little Mississippi town would, and she could almost hear Irene calling her to help her find her purse to make a small donation out of courtesy and the clink of dropping nickels and pennies into their bucket. She smiled to herself a little.
“Whatcha makin?” She asked.
“Christmas gifts…” he replied, “been stayin up makin trinkets for people so ah don't look like a broke ass…” he gave a chuckle after that."I mean…I have some money…just not enough to buy everyone a gift.”
“I see,” she notes, “Who’s the sheep for?”
“For one it’s a pirate sheep, see the eyepatch n hat?”
“No not really…”
“Well it is,” he huffed, “n it’s for Kurt.”
She blinked at him. “But, he’s already left for Christmas…”she says.
“So? He Catholic. It can be a three kings day gift instead, no big deal,” he replies, blowing some of the shavings off, “sides, his family does that whole, gifts in the shoes thing early in December.”
“So?” She asked.
“So, his usual gifts are already late, he won't mind one more,” he replies, “he said he was ok with it! Honest!”
“Sure…” Rogue said, rolling her eyes, “boy is too kind to you sometimes. I say you still owe him for helpin rescue me, now I say you owe him twice.”
“Fair enough. Remy make him a second pirate sheep den!” he replied, causing her to chuckle. Rogue leaned on him letting herself relax. She felt herself drifting as she heard ‘Silent Night’ play on the record. It was funny, between that, the crackling fire, and Remy’s company…she was feeling a lot more at home than she had in a while.
.....
Bonus:
Little 1910s style greeting card for yall for the holidays!!!
