๐๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ผ
Gambit x mutant reader
Plot: A mission gone wrong forces you into hiding, leaving Gambit determined to bring you home.
If there was one thing everyone at Xavier's School agreed on, it was that Gambit and you were exhausting.
Neither of you were dating.
Neither of you admitted to liking the other.
Yet somehow every mission ended with the two of you shoulder-to-shoulder, teasing each other as if the rest of the team wasn't standing right there.
"Would y'all just kiss already?" Logan muttered one afternoon after watching Gambit effortlessly catch you when you slipped off the roof during training.
"I slipped," you protested.
"You jumped."
"I absolutely did not."
"You absolutely did."
Remy smirked, one gloved hand still resting around your waist. "Remy's got quick reflexes, chรจre."
"You were showing off."
"For you? Always."
Heat rushed into your face.
"You flirt with everyone."
"I do."
"So I'm not special."
His red-and-black eyes lingered on yours a second too long.
"Didn't say dat."
Then he let go before anyone could notice how quiet he'd become.
Your mutation wasn't flashy.
At least... not at first glance.
You could copy another mutant's ability through skin contact.
For a few minutes.
Sometimes hours.
Long enough to be useful.
Too long, however, and your body began storing traces of every power you'd ever borrowed.
That was where your bangles came in.
Silver bands wrapped in tiny engraved flowers.
Professor Xavier had helped design them years ago alongside Forge after your mutation first manifested.
The bangles acted like reservoirs.
Every copied mutation flowed into them instead of remaining inside your nervous system.
Without them...
Forge had once looked you straight in the eye.
"Don't ever take them off."
You hadn't.
Not once.
The kitchen smelled like pancakes.
Jubilee nearly choked on orange juice when Gambit reached over your shoulder to steal bacon directly from your plate.
"Seriously?" you sighed.
"You weren't eatin' it."
"I was literally reaching for it."
"You were thinkin' about reachin' for it."
You narrowed your eyes.
"I hope someone steals your cards."
He gasped dramatically.
"You wound me."
"I try."
He leaned closer across the table.
"So hostile."
"Maybe because someone keeps stealing my breakfast."
"You could always share."
"You could always ask."
"I prefer de mystery."
You grabbed another piece of bacon.
He stole that one too.
"Remy!"
The dining hall erupted into laughter.
Storm shook her head.
"Children."
"We're adults," you argued.
"Then act like it."
Neither of you did.
Mission day arrived sooner than expected.
A mutant extremist group had taken over an abandoned hydroelectric plant outside the city.
Multiple hostages.
Heavy weapons.
Power dampening technology.
The Blackbird landed less than a mile away.
Cyclops addressed the team.
"Same assignments. Gambit, you're withโ"
"Her," Gambit answered before Scott finished.
Scott blinked.
"I wasn't going to separate you."
"Smart man."
You bumped your shoulder against Gambit's.
"Don't get cocky."
"Too late."
The fight started almost immediately.
Explosions echoed through the corridors.
Nightcrawler teleported civilians to safety.
Wolverine tore through reinforced steel doors.
Storm's lightning lit up the sky outside.
Meanwhile...
"You missed."
"I was aiming behind you."
"Sure you were."
A laser blast shot toward Gambit's back.
Without thinking, you grabbed Rogue's arm as she sprinted past.
Super strength flooded into your body.
You caught the beam generator and hurled it through a concrete wall.
"There," you said.
"I hit him."
Gambit grinned.
"You'll never let me forget dat."
"Nope."
Then everything changed.
The villain emerged.
Not alone.
The mutant wore strange technology wrapped around both forearmsโmachines humming with unstable energy.
Forge's voice suddenly echoed through your communicator.
"Those readings aren't normal."
The villain laughed.
"I've spent years collecting mutant signatures."
Your stomach dropped.
"...Collecting?"
Energy surged from the devices.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Mutant abilities.
Copied.
Artificially stored.
Your bangles grew warm.
Then hotter.
You frowned.
"Remy..."
He looked over.
"What is it?"
"My bangles..."
Hairline cracks spread across the silver flowers.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
Your heart stopped.
"No..."
The villain released another pulse.
Your bangles screamed.
Not literally.
But the sound of metal under impossible pressure filled your ears.
"Everyone move!" Forge shouted over comms.
"They're overloading!"
The first bangle shattered.
Silver fragments exploded across the battlefield.
Time froze.
Every mutation your bangles had safely stored over the years flooded back into your body all at once.
Your veins glowed gold.
Then blue.
Then crimson.
Your vision blurred.
You could suddenly hear every heartbeat for miles.
Feel every gust of wind.
Every electrical current.
Every living thing.
"No..." you whispered.
Your skin sparked.
Ice spread beneath your feet.
Flames erupted from your opposite hand.
Telekinesis lifted chunks of concrete into the air.
Storm's weather manipulation mixed with Iceman's cryokinesis.
Colossus' strength.
Kitty's phasing.
Nightcrawler's teleportation.
Jean's telepathy.
Dozens upon dozens of borrowed mutations collided inside you.
You screamed.
The hydroelectric plant exploded outward.
Everyone was thrown backwards.
"Y/N!"
Remy hit the ground hard before scrambling to his feet.
You were floating.
Eyes glowing white.
Power pouring off your body in violent waves.
You couldn't hear anyone.
You couldn't even hear yourself.
Only noise.
Endless noise.
"I can'tโ"
Buildings began collapsing.
You looked toward the team.
Logan.
Storm.
Scott.
Jubilee.
Remy.
Fear crossed every face.
Not because they were afraid of you.
Because they were afraid for you.
Another surge built inside your chest.
If it releasedโ
Everyone would die.
You made your choice.
With tears streaming down your face...
You teleported.
Then vanished.
"Find her!"
Remy was already running before Scott finished speaking.
Nothing.
Nightcrawler searched.
Nothing.
Cerebro found only scattered bursts of unstable mutant energy before they disappeared again.
One day passed.
Then three.
A week.
No sign of you.
The mansion felt quieter.
Jubilee stopped setting a place for you at breakfast.
Storm watered the flowers outside your empty room because you always forgot.
Logan pretended not to notice your untouched jacket hanging by the front door.
Remy...
Remy searched.
Every day.
Every night.
Every lead.
Every abandoned town.
Every forest.
Every place he'd ever heard you say was peaceful.
He barely slept.
Barely ate.
He carried something in the inside pocket of his coat wherever he went.
A small velvet box.
Weeks before the mission, he'd secretly asked Forge to help him.
"They gotta be stronger," he'd said.
"And prettier."
Forge had looked up from his workbench.
"Prettier?"
Remy cleared his throat.
"She likes flowers."
Forge smiled to himself.
"I'll make them look like they bloomed from silver."
Remy never got the chance to give them to you.
Not before everything fell apart.
Three weeks.
Twenty-three days since the hydroelectric plant.
Twenty-three days since you vanished in a flash of unstable energy.
Twenty-three days since Remy had slept more than a few hours at a time.
Every lead ended the same way.
Too late.
The traces of your mutation never lingered long enough for Cerebro to lock onto them. By the time the X-Men arrived, you were already gone.
Until now.
"Scott."
Remy's voice crackled over the communicator.
"I found somethin'."
Cyclops straightened in the War Room.
"What is it?"
"Plants."
"...Plants?"
"Whole forest's growin' where it shouldn't."
The abandoned botanical conservatory sat deep in the Louisiana swamps, its cracked glass dome swallowed by vines thicker than tree trunks.
Nature had reclaimed every inch of it.
Flowers bloomed through shattered marble.
Roses climbed broken statues.
The air shimmered with pollen that sparkled faintly gold.
None of it should have existed.
Storm stared upward.
"This all happened... in three weeks?"
Forge scanned the area.
"No."
He frowned.
"It happened in a few hours."
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.
Your mutation had copied countless abilities over the years.
One of them belonged to a mutant who could accelerate plant growth.
Without the bangles...
It never stopped.
"She's here," Remy whispered.
No one questioned how he knew.
He just...
Did.
"Wait."
Scott caught his shoulder.
"If she's unstableโ"
"I know."
"If she loses controlโ"
"I know."
"We should have a plan."
Remy's jaw tightened.
"I got one."
"And that is?"
"I'm bringin' my girl home."
Scott sighed.
"You still haven't told her how you feel."
"No."
"So technically she isn't yourโ"
Remy was already walking away.
The greenhouse was almost beautiful.
Sunlight poured through broken stained glass overhead, scattering colors across the endless sea of flowers.
Butterflies drifted lazily through the humid air.
Birds nested in vines hanging from the ceiling.
It would've been peaceful...
If not for the destruction.
Every few seconds, reality seemed to... twitch.
A flower would suddenly freeze solid before instantly blooming again.
A cracked pot floated into the air.
Lightning danced between leaves without burning them.
Gravity shifted for a heartbeat before settling.
Dozens of powers.
Constantly fighting for control.
At the center of it all...
You.
Curled against the roots of an enormous flowering tree.
Your knees hugged tightly against your chest.
Your clothes were torn from weeks of surviving alone.
Tiny cuts covered your hands.
Your wrists were bare.
The absence of your bangles felt wrong.
You looked exhausted.
Remy had never seen you look so...
Small.
He took one careful step.
A twig snapped beneath his boot.
Your head shot up.
Your eyesโ
They weren't glowing one color.
They changed every second.
Gold.
Blue.
Green.
Red.
White.
Like every borrowed mutation was fighting for dominance.
"...Don't."
Your voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Chรจre..."
"Don't."
The flowers around you began trembling.
"I said don't come closer."
"I don't know what's happening to me," you whispered, your voice cracking beneath the weight of your own fear as your hands trembled against the sides of your head.
The powers finally weakened enough for your legs to give out beneath you. You collapsed onto the cracked marble floor, your breathing uneven as vines slowly withdrew from the pillars around you.
"I hear everyone's thoughts," you admitted shakily, squeezing your eyes shut as though it might silence the endless voices echoing through your mind.
Your fingers dug into your hair.
"I hear voices that aren't there," you continued, your words barely audible over the ringing in your ears.
Telepathy.
"My bones feel too heavy," you murmured, curling further into yourself as every muscle in your body ached beneath the borrowed strength.
Colossus.
"Then... then I feel lighter than air," you said helplessly, looking down at your feet as they drifted several inches above the ground before settling again.
Angel.
"I blink and end up somewhere else," you confessed, letting out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob as blue smoke briefly surrounded you before fading away.
Nightcrawler.
"I touch flowers and forests grow," you whispered, watching fresh blossoms bloom through the cracks in the marble around your knees without meaning to.
Your own mutation.
"I don't know where I end and everyone else begins," you cried, tears spilling freely down your cheeks as your voice finally broke completely.
You buried your face in your shaking hands.
"I don't know who I am anymore," you sobbed quietly, every word sounding smaller than the last.
For a long moment, Remy simply watched you.
Not with fear.
Not with pity.
Just heartbreak.
His chest tightened painfully at the sight of you trying so desperately to make yourself smaller, as if hiding from your own powers would somehow make them disappear.
He took one careful step forward, making sure every movement was slow enough that you could stop him if you wanted.
"There you are," he said softly, relief slipping into his voice as though finding you had finally allowed him to breathe again.
Your head slowly lifted.
"...What?" you asked weakly, confusion flickering across your exhausted face.
"I been lookin' for you," Remy replied gently, his eyes never leaving yours.
"You shouldn't have," you muttered, dropping your gaze to the floor as guilt settled heavily in your chest.
"I was always gonna," he answered without hesitation, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I would've hurt you," you argued quietly, your fingers curling into the sleeves of the oversized hoodie.
"You didn't," he insisted, shaking his head once.
"I almost did," you whispered, unable to meet his eyes.
"You protected me," Remy corrected softly.
"I wasn't trying to," you admitted, frustration creeping into your voice.
"But you still did," he replied, offering you the smallest smile.
A confused crease formed between your brows.
"...What?" you asked, glancing up at him.
He nodded toward the floor surrounding him.
"Everything else got hit," he explained calmly.
Your eyes followed where he gestured.
The shattered marble.
The uprooted trees.
The broken glass scattered across the greenhouse.
Then...
The untouched circle around him.
Not a single crack reached his feet.
Not one vine had wrapped around him.
Even the fire had curved around his body instead of burning him.
Your lips slowly parted.
"I..." you breathed, realization washing over you.
"You've been keepin' me safe this whole time," Remy murmured, warmth filling his voice despite the sadness lingering behind it.
Fresh tears rolled down your cheeks.
"I didn't even realize..." you whispered, staring at the untouched ground between the two of you.
"I know," he replied quietly, his expression softening even further. "That's why I'm here."
He reached into his coat.
You sniffled.
"What?"
From inside his jacket, he carefully pulled out a small navy velvet box
Nestled inside were two beautiful gold bangles, handcrafted with twisting vines wrapping around each band. Tiny roses, lilies, jasmine blossoms, and forget-me-nots had been carved into the metal so delicately they looked as though they'd bloom at any moment. Small moonstones rested between the petals, catching the sunlight in soft iridescent flashes.
"You remembered..." you murmured, blinking back fresh tears.
"'Course I did," he replied gently. "You always stop to look at flowers."
You looked up at him, disbelief softening your exhausted expression.
"You noticed that?" you asked quietly.
"I notice everythin' about you, chรจre," he confessed before he could stop himself.
The words lingered between you.
Neither of you spoke.
The only sound was the quiet rustling of leaves overhead.
Remy's ears flushed pink as he cleared his throat, suddenly very interested in the bangles instead of your expression.
"I..." he started awkwardly. "May I?"
Your gaze dropped to the empty space around your wrists where your old bangles had once rested.
The bruises were still there.
You slowly held your hands out toward him without saying a word.
Remy understood.
Carefully, he set the velvet box beside him before reaching for the first bangle. His gloved fingers brushed lightly against your wrist, his touch so gentle it almost didn't feel real.
"You don't have to be scared anymore," he murmured as he carefully slipped the silver bangle over your hand.
The engraved flowers caught the sunlight, the tiny moonstones glowing with a soft, silvery light.
The moment it settled against your skin...
The chaos inside you hesitated.
The voices quieted.
The buzzing beneath your skin dulled.
You let out a shaky breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding.
"...Remy," you breathed, your eyes widening.
He smiled faintly.
"One more."
He reached for your other hand.
This time, you didn't flinch.
His thumb absentmindedly brushed over the bruises circling your wrist before he carefully slid the second floral bangle into place.
The instant it clicked shut...
A pulse of warm silver light spread from both wrists.
The bangles hummed softly as they synchronized with your mutation.
One by one, the borrowed powers began settling into place.
"...Are you going to kiss me?"
Remy's eyebrows shot up.
"You askin'?"
"I've waited long enough."
His grin spread slowly across his face.
"Thought you'd never ask, chรจre."
He gave you every chance to change your mind, lifting a gloved hand to gently cup your cheek. His thumb brushed lightly across your skin as he searched your eyes one last time.
When you leaned into his touch instead of pulling away, the last of his uncertainty disappeared.
He closed the distance slowly.
Your foreheads touched first.
Then your noses.
You smiled, feeling his quiet laugh against your lips.
Finally, he kissed you.
It was soft.
Careful.
Like he was making sure you were really there.
Your fingers curled into the front of his coat as you kissed him back, and for the first time in weeks, the world around you stayed perfectly still.