Playing Her Cards Right

Serena and Gambit had spent the afternoon going over the rules of Poker again and practicing keeping her face neutral and her tells non-existent. She was certainly still a novice, but she was excited to go and play a little and watch Gambit. She had a feeling that watching him play Poker was going to be a huge turn on for her. For that evening she decided to wear a black dress. It was a little bit shorter than the red one she had worn the night before to go dancing and had spaghetti straps. It was plain black, but looked anything but plain on her. She wore strappy black high heels and left her hair down in slightly messy waves. For her makeup, she did a subtle cat eye with liquid black eyeliner and put on a dark red lipstick. She spritzed on some perfume that Gambit had bought for her and then grabbed her clutch. She was thrilled at the reaction she got out of Gambit when he saw her walk out of her room.

"I take it you approve," she said with a playful grin.

Seeing Serena in that dress made his mouth feel as if he had just stuff it with cotton. He waggled his tongue like a dog that was panting and he waved his hand as if he had burned his hand. “Very hot,” he said and her smile made the whole ensemble even more sexy. Gambit wore his suit again but it had been dry cleaned and pressed and he wore a new purple silk shirt underneath it. He wore his hat and the gold necklace Serena had bought him during their shopping spree.

Happy pulled out the limo for them and while in the limo Gambit put up the driver separator and discovered with his fingers what she was wearing under her dress. The casino was a short drive and they waited for Happy to open the door. When they filed out they were practically treated like royalty though most of that was just do to the limo. They made their way inside and Gambit checked them into their room which until now was a surprise for her.

“I get the sense that you don’t sleep away from the tower much. Well, tonight we have all the privacy we want,” he whispered into her ear. They got into the elevator and then got off at the 4th floor, to the sights and sounds of a massive casino. Gambit extended his arm for her to take and they strolled out into the casino floor. “How bout some blackjack or craps to get us started?” He suggested and they stepped up to one of the craps table. Several men and women were playing and Gambit purchased a set of poker chips for them. He handed them to Serena, 10 blue and 10 red chips. The blue were $50 chips and the red were $100. He had not taught her about craps so this would be ‘trial by fire’.

Serena had never set foot in a casino before, although she knew that her parents liked to go to Las Vegas every so often. She was always left at home on those trips. However, before they headed to the elevator to head to the casino floor she was surprised to see Gambit stop at the check in desk for the hotel portion of the establishment and check them into a room. The very idea of spending the night in a hotel room with a man was enough to make her cheeks flush. She didn't have anything with her, but she had a feeling she wasn't really going to be sleeping. That made her cheeks flush even more.

After they were checked in they got into the elevator and then got off at the 4th floor. The moment the doors opened Serena was overwhelmed by sighs and sounds. There was music playing, there were people yelling and cheering, there were the sounds of the slot machines. The place was packed with people everywhere she looked and the excitement in the room was palpable. She grinned as she took Gambit's arm and walked with him out onto the floor. This was all new to her so she was trusting Gambit to be her guide. They walked over to a craps table where Gambit purchased some chips for them. Serena had not learned craps so she glanced at Gambit.

"Alright, what do I do?"

Gambit tilted his head toward Serena so she could hear. They still had a moment before it was their turn so he had time to explain the basics. “Well, you put your bets on the squares over there,” He pointed by the dealer on the green felt. There were blue, black and red squares. “Go ahead and put a blue chip on a blue square,” Gambit said. “Any 7 on your roll of the dice is 4/1. That means 4 times your bet, you win back. If you bet against a roller you put chips in the red square,” He said.

“A roll of anything but a factor of 7 and you lose your bet and the dice until it comes around again,” he said. Once the dice got to them He gave them to Serena. She rolled a 3 and a 5 and the dealer used his chip sliding tool and slid their chip into a small chute and it was gone. He passed the dice to the next person, a older woman in a white, sequence dress. “Its ok, lets try another,” he said and put another $50 chip down. The players were winning and losing but nothing significant. Once the dice made it back to them he held them. “Ok, I’ll throw them this time, how about some love for luck?” He asked and demonstrated that she was to blow on the dice. Once she did he tossed them. They came up a 3 and a 4, “Craps to the lovely lady,” The dealer said and they placed 7 more chips on their 1 chip. “Pass or ride,” The dealer said. “We won a 7 on our first throw, and that lucky. Seven to 1 odds,” he said. The dice was in his hand again and he held them toward her to blow on them. When she did he threw them and they bounced then stopped. A 2 and a 5, ‘& to the lucky lady,’ The dealer said and those near them clapped. They exchanged the chips for mostly red ones and they brought them drinks. A cosmo for her and a bourbon for him. Needless to say they continued to roll it all forward and after about 20 minutes they had accumulated thousands of dollars in chips. Gambit took them and kissed Serena’s cheek as they headed to the blackjack tables.

“We did good, you are our luck tonight,” Gambit said.

It took Serena a moment to figure out the game, but once she figured out the rules she began to really have some fun. She and Gambit got onto a winning streak and she was thrilled to see the chips begin to really pile up. She didn't need the money, but it was freeing to have some money suddenly that wasn't her parent's. A group of people had gathered near the table to watch their winning streak and several people recognized her as Serena Stark.

After nearly 30 minutes they decided to play something else. Serena took her Cosmo and sipped it as they headed to the Blackjack table. A couple of seats had opened up so they each took a seat. They played for a while and Serena won a few games and lost a few as well. As a professional gambler Gambit was doing better than she was, but she was still having a lot of fun. After leaving the Blackjack table they headed over to a Poker table. There was only one spot open so she let Gambit sit and she stood behind him to watch him play. As she had expected, watching him play was a huge turn on for her and he would soon find her kissing his neck a little and playing with his hair.

Gambit certainly stood out among the other player but this wasn’t a private game. Still the stakes drew out to over $5000 on one of the hands. The game was texas holdem and they dealt 2 cards down then 5 more cards. As each successive card is dealt more bettering ensued. Once Gambit figured out the other’s tells, it had taken him losing a few hands, he began to win. And he continued to win even though Serena was distracting him a great deal. On the last hand that some old woman they had seen before was betting against him. Gambit rubbed the back of Serena’s knee sensuously as he felt her hand on the back of his neck and in his hair. The woman had the makings of a flush which would beat his 6s, 3 of a kind. She pulled the bet forward and one by one the others folded except Gambit. She tossed in $10000 more in a raise but Gambit saw a tiny twinge on her lip. “I probably should have folded but I have to see what your holding,” Gambit said and pushed all of their chips into the pile in the center of the table. The woman shook her head and flipped over two black card...no flush and Gambit’s 3 of a kind won the hand. The people around them cheered and Gambit excused himself from the table.

“Bank those to my account,” he said then reached into the pot, drew out a couple chips then tossed them to the dealer as a tip. “Thank you sir,” The man said and Gambit stepped away with Serena toward the massive bar that was bathed in neon lights. “You were being VERY distracting,” He chuckled as he held her hand and raised it up and kissed it. “You cherie mwen are my good luck charm and my charming good luck,” he said happily. They took a seat at the bar and he ordered them more of the same. The music was booming so they had to raise their voices to hear one another.

“You are an incredible woman Serena Stark,” Gambit said then clinked his glass to hers. “You hungry tonight Or should we...order room service,” Gambit said.

Serena grinned at Gambit. "Room service...definitely room service."

...An hour and a half later Serena lay with Gambit in their massive bed while Gambit ordered the room service. Their clothes were strewn about the bedroom and the bedding was mussed. Their hotel room was actually several rooms and was bigger than most New York City apartments. Their room, which had already been a suite was upgraded for free to the best room they had when the hotel learned that it was Serena Stark. Their room service and champagne was comped and they had already gone through half a bottle of high end champagne.

After Gambit got back into the bed she snuggled up against him and rested her head on his chest. "So, how long did it take you to become as good a player as you are now?"

Serena continued to surprise Gambit and in bed he thought that perhaps that he had created a monster. A monster will claws he thought as he rubbed his shoulder. He was certain her nails had made  him bleed but he didn’t see any blood on the sheets. It was an actual relief to be able to just lounge with her. He twined his fingers in her hair and felt her warm breath and her occasional kisses on his chest. The bed and the space around it was thrashed and they were on their second bottle of champaign. His eyes glowed red in sublime contentment.

“I think it pretty much came natural to me. I sometimes wonder if  luck was part of my mutation but I choose not to test that,” He chuckled. “I was a teenager on the street when I learned how to play dice games. Late teens for blackjack and poker. I dont usually play anything else and when I was old enough to go to the casinos I started winning,” he said. Gambit being who he was his alcohol tolerance was very good but it still made him sleepy.

“Logan told me you were pretty set on someone named Peter before me. I suppose I should have expected that you’d have suitors. You are a Stark after all. Just the same all I want is your company...well, and your amazing body as well,” he said and his face grew into a very wide smile. “I don’t know how its done with your family but, I don’t think I aim to share you cherie. I know you’ll likely go back to finish your college but meeting you, getting to know you, it makes a man think about stickin round an seein what he can do ta keep himself in your heart,” he said in his chick creole drall.

They had a little while until their room service would arrive so Serena relaxed against Gambit and listened as he told her how he started gambling. She lightly caressed his chest with her fingers. When Gambit mentioned Peter she looked up at him. The truth was was that she did miss Peter, but Gambit made her feel happy again. She didn't know what the future held for her, but she decided not to worry about that and to just focus on each moment and enjoy it. More than anything else Gambit had taught her that.

"Then stay...with me."

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Natalya was tossing and turning in her bed. Her comforter had been pushed half off the bed and her sheets were tangled around her. She was sweating and mumbling in her sleep. Logan's room was next to hers and suddenly he would be awoken by the sound of her yelling in Russian in her sleep. Over the past few years Natalya had taught Logan some Russian and he would know that she was in great distress. She was yelling "No" over and over again and each time she yelled it out her voice got louder and she sounded in more and more distress.

Gambit smiled. “Then I will,” he said simply. Room service knocked on the door and Gambit had Serena lift up so he could get it and tip them. There were thick, soft robes in the bathroom and he tossed one to her and put one on himself. He tipped the man then rolled the cart up to the small dining room that was just off the bed. He flipped the cloches off the food. Steak filets, shrimp cocktails, a seafood pasta dish, salads, roasted vegetables and several different kinds of desserts. There was a bottle of red wine and also a white depending on what they wanted to eat. He stepped back into their room as Serena was getting up. As she sat on the bed and stretched he went down onto his knees before her and kissed her passionately then hugged her tightly for a time before he let her get up. He helped her into her robe, kissing her all the while and then playfully he lifted her up into his arms and carried her to the dining room. The smells and colors of the food were vibrant and amazing and he heard her stomach rumble. He laughed as he set her down and pushed her chair in for her. Gambit poured the wine for them then shifted his chair so he was much more near her at the table.

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Logan had tried to sleep but being attuned to Natalya’s noises and the sounds she made when she slept made it impossible for him sometimes. He had moved his bed long ago so it was right next to her wall. The rooms here were fairly well sound-proofed but as close as he was and with his advanced senses he heard everything usually and tonight was so different. He could already tell tonight was a bad one. Since he had known her, she had been rather...verbose in some of her descriptions about what they had done to her. Torturing and raping her as a child were among the worst and that alone made him want to vomit and then claw everyone’s hearts out and rip off their heads! That was not all of it either and not the worst by far.

Natalya was usually a quiet woman except when she vehemently disagreed or felt that she had to speak up. Sometimes though, when it was just the two of them, she had opened up to him. She had a keen mind and well, thought about things just like most people did. She had opinions and ideas, hopes and dreams just like everyone else but they only seemed to bubble up to the surface seldomly when her own personality superseded her training. At first her responses to him were far from truthful but that was her training again that held her real personality on a tight leash. It had loosened its grip on her over time and he was able to see the real Natalya inside. And Logan loved that woman. He loved her more than he had loved anything or anyone in his life. His love was a bonfire that constantly raged within him and because of who and what they were. He knew he could never be with her the way that he so desperately wanted. He had thought he had learned his lesson from his love for Jean Gray, an X-Men but apparently he didn’t.

He was up and out of bed in a flash and he hopped into a pair of black jogging pants and a white tank top. He had a fair amount of hair all over his body and a hard, thick musculature that made him look stout but didn’t slow him down. He left his room and hurried to her door. He opened it, closed it behind him and then hurried up to her bed. He saw that she was still sleeping but heard her voice shouting ‘No, no, no!’ Over and over. He slid onto her bed from the bottom, the safest way he had come to learn and slid in behind her. He pulled her toward him off of her pillow and wrapped his thick arms around her. He drew her head up against his chest and arm then brought his face down to the back of her head. He could feel how sweaty she was, her nightmare had been a very bad one. “Shhh, its alright, shhhh. I’m here Natalya,” He murmured over and over softly as he straightened her hair with his fingers. He kissed her hair in between his murmurs and held onto her as if he never intended to let her go.

Logan would feel Natalya suddenly awaken as he put his arms around her. The first time he had awoken her after a nightmare she had attacked him. Steve and Tony had each gotten punched and so Logan was now the only one who dealt with her nightmares. He would feel Natalya tense up even more and her breathing temporarily stopped as the realization that it had just been a dream began to set in. Usually Natalya was quiet after a nightmare, but tonight Logan would suddenly hear her begin to cry. These weren't quiet tears either. Her body was racked by sobs.

"They made me kill you all," she managed to say between her sobs. "You were the last. I didn't want to do it, but they forced me to. They made me cut off your head."

Logan held onto her and nuzzled her head. “No, no that’s not you Natalya. It’s just a bad dream,” he said as he kissed her hair and rocked her back and forth with him. “Shhh, shhh, it’s alright, we’re all alright,” he murmured. “No one can tell you to do anything you don’t want to do now,” he said as he smoothed out her hair. It was damp but also very silky to touch. The right half of his body was on the bed and his left was half over her cuddling her into his body. “It’s just a bad dream Natalya, just a dream,” he murmured softly in between his gentle kisses.

Logan never really thought about what he did when he did this. He just did what came natural. And he never thought much about it after. Nor did he ever speak of it nor her dreams unless she did.

Natalya slowly began to calm down and her sobs lessened. Logan was the only person who could calm her down after such a nightmare. Natalya trusted him completely and knew that he cared about her. Feeling his strong arms around her holding on to her tightly brought her a sense of comfort she could get nowhere else. In his arms she was safe...and she was loved. Logan was the only one who had seen this side of her...this completely raw, vulnerable side. He was the only one who truly understood that the tough outer layer she put up was dangerously thin and she was constantly plastering cracks that would begin to form.

"Hold me tighter," she whispered.

Logan did as she asked and pressed in on her even tighter. The muscles in his left arm strained and he felt her hand grab hold of his forearm and pressed it into her chest. He made soothing sounds and continued to press his face and mouth up against the side of her head. He tried to maintain his breathing as in the past hers would sync with his in a few minutes. He was very tired from lack of sleep but he knew he couldn’t leave her until she had reconciled her nightmare. Each time he had left to soon in the past she likely had another nightmare. Remaining with her though wasn’t a bad thing or even unpleasant. Moments like these when he comforted her were the closest he could get to Natalya. Probably the closest he would ever be to expressing his love for her.

Natalya felt Logan's arms tighten around her even more. For anyone else it would have been too tight, but not for her. Within a few minutes he felt her breathing slow and her heart rate returned to normal. She was at peace in his arms and she slowly fell back asleep...

...She didn't know what time it was when her eyes slowly opened, but she could see sunlight streaming in through the windows. She began to stir and it was then that she felt his arms still around her. They had loosened, but remained encircled around her in a protective embrace. She slowly rolled over and as she did she found herself looking up into his eyes. Neither of them said anything, but the feeling that passed between them was undeniable. She reached up and gently touched and caressed the side of face with her hand while never taking her eyes off of his.

Logan didn’t leave her room like he usually did. For reasons he couldn’t explain he didn’t leave her room this time. He continued to hold her even after she had fallen back asleep. When morning came he was very tired but he hadn’t moved from where he was and had become very stiff do to that but he didn’t really care. She needed him and that was all that mattered.

He felt her stir and when she rolled over he saw her dark eyes looking into his. They were very close right then. Their bodies up against one another and a lot of unsaid words had passed between them. Between their eyes as they searched within the others for permission to do what their hearts wanted to badly right then.

“I...love you Natalya,” Logan said softly and his heart threatened to beat so hard it could tear out of his chest. Feeling it all was one thing. Saying it outloud. Saying it to her was another thing altogether. His initial instinct was to apologize for it but in truth he wasn’t sorry. She had earned his love and respect and he would not deny them to her face or ever.

Natalya looked deeply into Logan's eyes. Some people might call Logan feral or dangerous and unstable, but not Natalya. The two of them understood one another better than anyone else ever could. Logan was not just her partner, companion, and best friend...he was her soul mate. Looking up into his eyes she knew that just like she knew that the sky was blue. He completed her and balanced her out. He made her feel...normal...and not like a monster. He had saved her in more ways than just one and she had never felt what she felt for him for anyone else. It was so strong that it threatened to overwhelm her. They had pushed aside their feelings for far too long and had given up their lives for everyone else. It was time for them to be happy and to do something for themselves.

"I love you too Logan...so much."

‘Ut oh’ Logan said in his head. He had vowed long ago not to let this happen. He and Natalya were fighters, warriors who fought alongside one another. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! He didn’t understand how this ‘thing’ between them had grown so much that he spent more effort fighting against it than fighting the evils of the world. He certainly wasn’t fighting now and he reached up with his left hand and touched her face.

His expression had suddenly become very serious as he looked into her eyes. ‘Just kiss her you coward!’ He yelled at himself inside his head but his arm would not bend and pull her toward him. His eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips and back again. “God damn you,” he whispered then pulled her toward him.

The moment their lips touched it was all over. They would never be able to go back to the way things had been before. The wall that they had constructed between them had finally collapsed and the love they felt for one another came flooding out. More than anyone else on this planet they deserved love and they had found it with each other. Natalya wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and pulled him closer to her as the kiss continued.

Her lips were better than he could ever had imagined. Add in her arms around his neck and her body up against him and Logan was in complete bliss. He was in that space between ‘could never happen’ and ‘Oh my god, is this really happening?’ And he never wanted it to end. She shifted until she was atop him and her kissed were fast and furious upon his lips. Her hands were all over him, exploring and taunting him as his hand pressed her middle down onto his hardness. He grunted as she lifted up but as her hands went to lift up her shirt they both heard a knock at the door.

“Natalya? We’re mustering for an assault just before dawn, get ready,” the voice said and it sounded like Isabella. After a moment they heard the same knock on Logan’s door and the same words. Logan shook his head. “No, I want you now!” He grumbled but they both knew that they only had about 10 minutes before Isabella would come back. He looked up at Natalya with her hands still poised to rip off her shirt. “5 minutes?” He said questioningly. And then he saw the shirt fly off and hit the ceiling fan then fly into the wall.

It was a mad scramble of flying clothes and then he was inside of her. Words for what they were feeling were no longer required or possible really and vigorously, almost violently they made love to one another. After only 3 minutes He felt her begin to shudder as a very powerful orgasm hit her and then shortly after he came and shared in her shudders of divine pleasure that had been building up for years. “Oh god,” Logan said as his body jerked atop her. Natalya pulled his neck down again right after and assaulted his lips with her own as her passion for him ran wild. Getting out of bed, let alone leaving the room was the most difficult thing Logan had had to do in a very long time. And it was not easy to believe that that feeling would persist after today. Such things were never taken for granted with what they were constantly up against. As there may never be an ‘after today’ for them. He jumped out of bed as she did and dressed as she flung herself into the shower. He was out and then back into his room in a flash and then he to was in the shower even though it hadnt warmed up yet.

Kate was already up and ready. She had stayed at the Tower that night, though in one of the guestrooms. Steve was also ready to go and they stood alone together in silence. Kate was wearing her old Avenger's suit and it was bringing back a lot of memories, some good and some bad.

Natalya had showered very quickly. She tried to keep her mind from thinking about what had just happened between Logan and herself and to switch into "agent mode", but it was almost impossible. She and Loan had waited so long for this moment and it had finally happened, though it had been a little rushed. There was so much they needed to discuss and figure out, but it would all have to wait until later. As Natalya looked over at the bed that Logan had just occupied with her she couldn't help but smile...a real, genuine smile...a smile of pure happiness because for the first time in her life she was happy...very happy.

She finally managed to get dressed and she pulled her hair up into a ponytail before going out to meet the others. She found Steve, Kate, and Pharaoh ready to go. Kate glanced over at Natalya and then did a double take when she saw her smiling, though she didn't appear to be aware she was doing it because when Natalya saw Kate looking at her she quickly stopped.

Isabella had knocked on Serena's door twice and had received no answer. She finally opened up the door to check on her and was surprised to see her room empty. She walked down to Gambit's room and found his room empty as well. She didn't know where they could have gone. Their beds looked untouched, like they hadn't slept in either one and there was no sign of them in the Tower. She checked in with a security guard who informed her that they had gone out last night, but had not returned. A check in with Happy revealed that he had dropped them off at a casino and hotel, but he had never been called to go and pick them up. Isabella was angry at discovering this. Neither one of them had told anyone where the were going or that they didn't plan on coming back to the Tower. She had been counting on them being apart of this and now they were going to be down two. She tried to reach Serena on her communicator, but to no avail.

Tony approached her and she looked at him. "Serena and Gambit aren't here. They apparently went to a casino and hotel last night and haven't come back yet."