Begin

Gambit feels a headache forming as the two ferals snipe at each other. There had been maybe an hour of blessed silence, full of jerky distraction and his music echoing out of the speakers.

And then the arguing began.

God, so much arguing. Snarky remarks, kicking of seats, and angry retorts. These two have so much pent-up anger at each other that it is getting really hard not to light up the van with his powers. His mental shields around his empathic powers are straining under the onslaught. You’d think they’d run out of jabs after three hours.

He pulls off a rest stop and jumps out. They can figure out what to do here on their own. He needs a soda. And some trail mix. He heads straight to the vending machines and then the bathrooms. Afterwards he finds a outside corner of the building and hides for a spell.

He dips his soda and stares at the concrete by his boots as he sits in the ground. He lets his shields slip a little, absorbing the happy families, the frustrated travelers, and giggly kids. He chews on a few peanuts. He feels a flash of deep trembling rage and knows the ferals are fighting again. He takes another swig, letting the fizz bubble and pop on his tongue. It stings and he swallows it down.

Aw hell.

He needs a plan or he’s going to kill these ferals. Or they are gonna kill him with their stupid arguments.

He presses the bottle to his forehead as his brain aches. Gambit slowly draws back up his mental shields as he continues to think through his problem. He needs to distract them. Both of them. Wolverine was a fine navigator, but high ways made that task undemanding. So something demanding mentally. And Sabretooth-

Well the guy always wants a fight. The only things on base that got him to cooperate was food, which Gambit does not have enough of for a whole trip, promise of food, and sometimes tv. Which… not an option. But maybe the radio? God. Hed hate them arguing poltics probably worse than he hates their petty squabbles now.

But maybe… make them un-petty??? Interesting?? Or get Sabretooth to hone in on something.

Gah.

His stupid brain hurts too much from them arguing to come up with a plan.

They had four more hours of driving until they hit the first town they would be staying in. He just has to survive. And pray that there is no major traffic delays.

“There you are shrimp.”

Sabretooth growls as he stands in front of Gambit. Gambit tilts up his head and scrunches his nose.

“Yeah, yeah. Just takin’ a break, me. Restin’. Like youre supposed to at a rest stop.”

“Runts getting nervous. Wants to go.”

“If the kid needs to sit longer we can stay longer.”

Wolverine bites out, likely just to continue to be on the opposite side of Sabretooth. Gambit lifts his shades and stares the two of them down from his seated positon.

“Dont suppose y’all just gonna sort out your problems in the three minute walk back to the van?”

They both blink at them as he gets up and shoves passed them.

“Figures. Come on minous, we got a long ways to go and a short time to get there.”

Sabretooth snorts and Wolverine snarls.

“Whats so funny?”

“Kids quoting movies at us. What? Never watched a movie in that prissy mansion runt?”

Sabretooth teases and Wolverine starts at him only to be interrupted by Gambit’s expanding bo staff.

“Hush! Neither of you need to be squabblin’ like five-year-olds in a dumpster!! Wolverine, re-check our travel course. Now! I want a clear idea of how many miles we got left till the first town. And Sabretooth, I need you to give me a rundown of all the supplies that be ridin’ in the back with you.”

Wolverine opens his mouth and Gambit knocks it closed with his staff and a glare.

“Unless you be givin’ me what I asked for, you’re gonna shut your yappin’ trap and get in the stinkin’ van.”

They both blink a little stupidly at him and then get moving. He lets out a huff and gets back into the driver’s seat.

They do as he asks after a moment and he accepts the information.

“Right. We got four more hours and some food for a paltry dinner while I drive. I don’t need nothin’ so Sabretooth give it over for me to divy up that bit o’ ham the X-men packed and the bread.”

Sabretooth hands the food over, seemingly continuing his respect of Gambit’s domain over food in general at Magneto’s base.

“You should eat too kid.”

Wolverine mutters and Gambit fixes him with a nasty glare.

“Dont feel like it so I won’t. My headache’s makin’ it a might hard to be hungry. Heres your portion.” He passes it and then passes the other portion back to Sabretooth. “Now, its evenly divided so dont go tellin’ me its not fair. Or I will blow up the food you do have.”

He fixes Sabretooth with a glare and the feral huffs but hunches around his food. Good. he’d do it. Or shove it in his own mouth, damn the scars that would come afterwards.

Gambit revs the engine and starts driving on the highway again. After a little bit, Wolverine touches his arm.

“What?”

Gambit says, a little huff with how hard his head is pounding.

“I have some Advil. And half a sandwich is better than none.”

The feral’s voice is tinged with apology. Gambit’s eyes flick from the road for a second and he breathes. He should accept it. This is his team for right now as much as its annoying and stressful.

“I can’t take the Advil. But I’ll take the food.”

Advil would make him sleep and there’s no way either of them will drive while he’s sleeping. He takes the half a sandwich rips it in half and hands half of it back. Wolverine makes a noise and Gambit rolls his eyes while refusing to take the food back.

“If you get hungry like Monsieur Chat, Id rather you’d eat more than less.”

“Cant take the advil?”

Wolverine asks and Gambit shrugs while swallowing down the sandwich bit and grimaces as his head thuds at his own chewing motions.

“Oui. Cant.”

He states easily and Sabretooth huffs.

“Why do you even carry around that stuff runt? Not like you need it.”

“I have a bunch of kids, Creed. Sometimes I carry stuff to help others. And if your werent such a selfish-”

Annnd they are both yelling again. Gambit tries to yell over them and they just ignore him. Screw it. He turns up the radio dial, flips to his favorite song on the tape, and blasts it to drown out the two yelling ferals. He sees Sabretooth gripping his ears and Wolverine is wincing.

He turns the volume down once the song ends and makes no remark on the entire event. The next song starts playing and he taps out the rhythm, soft and repetitive. This was a mix tape his brother had made for him, an eclectic mix of songs that were soothing and familiar. The original is still back home, but his brother had made him a copy. Several actually due to all of their moving around on missions.

The silence lasts for a bit and every time the arguing starts to pick it up again, Gambit spins up the volume on the radio again ignoring any threats launched his way from behind or the grumbles from beside.