“Need a lift, kid?”

Marie frowned at the familiar question. Hadn’t they already done this a week ago? He was even wearing the exact same hooded sweatshirt zipped down to the center of his chest, revealing the singlet beneath. ‘Kid’ no longer sounded like a term of endearment to her ears. She thought that it was cruel for him to repeat that same question given the last time she’d heard it had been the most significant conversation they’d shared in months and even then it was just…

What had it been?

He’d neither encouraged her decision, nor tried to talk her out of it. Just made some insulting comment about taking the cure for ‘some boy’. And now what was he going to do? Make another non-committal speech about her leaving, and end it with ‘I’m not your father, I’m your friend.’

If he were really her friend he would have known that she didn’t need to hear that question again. He would have talked to her long before she left to get the cure. He would have cared enough to take a stance either way. He would have cared enough not to ignore her this past week.

Maybe that last part wasn’t fair. She’d heard about what had happened, what he’d had to do at Alcatraz. She’d sat next to him at Jean Grey’s funeral, seen the pain on his face. It should have counted for something that he was trying, that he was attempting to have some kind of conversation with her through his grief.

But it didn’t.

Without taking her hand off the doorknob, she turned to regard Logan. She looked down at the duffle bag she had in her other hand, then back up at him.

She didn’t bother hiding the anger in her voice, or on her face. “No.”

“Why not?”

His tone was neutral, but she saw the sadness in his eyes. It was the only sign she had that told her he wasn’t as well as he looked, that he was still feeling the after effects of the battle.

“Because.”

Logan arched an eyebrow, and for a moment she saw the old him.

“Ain’t much of a reason, kid.”

Marie bristled at the nickname. “Well, I ain’t much of a kid anymore.”

She turned back to the door.

“You running again?”

Marie clenched her jaw. Was he feeling nostalgic or something? She spoke without turning to look at him. “Don’t you have anything original to say?”

She missed the look of hurt on his face, but heard him sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Please Marie, let me give you a ride.”

She heard the unfamiliar note of pleading in his voice, and turned to look at him. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okay.”

Logan gave her a small smile and walked up to her. Marie sucked in a small breath at his closeness, her eyes drawn to his. Logan didn’t break eye contact as he took the duffle bag from her, easily slinging it over his shoulder. Marie tried to hide her disappointment at the fact that his hand had never touched hers, not even a little. She’d taken the cure just for moments like these, and he had just denied it to her.

She looked away, clearing her throat. “Can we get going, please?”

Logan wrenched open the door, not even letting her go through first as he headed to the garage. Marie considered asking him if they could take Logan’s bike, that way she wouldn’t be able to talk to him; wouldn’t have to try and have a conversation with him, but she kept her mouth shut as Logan dropped her bag into the trunk of Cyclops’ old car. She silently got in the passenger seat, a weird feeling of déjà vu striking her as she remembered escaping in a very similar car, also belong to Scott Summers, after Stryker attacked the school. Her hand unconsciously went to her left wrist, disappointed when she found no tags wrapped around it. She looked up to find Logan’s eyes on her. He’d seen the movement. She tried to smile, but didn’t quite carry it off. She turned away so she could grab her seatbelt from behind her and avoid Logan’s intense stare.

Logan started the engine. “Where to?”

Marie replied as she clicked her seatbelt in place. “’Ro found me an apartment near NYU.”

She handed him a piece of paper with the address.

Logan looked at her. “You going to college?”

Marie chewed her bottom lip as she looked at him. She couldn’t quite work out if he looked offended or impressed. Funny how sometimes those two expressions were very similar when they appeared on his face. “Yeah.”

Logan gave her a curt nod before putting the car into gear. “Good for you.”

Marie nodded in agreement, not really knowing what else to say. She lost herself in thoughts of college and her studies, what it was going to be like on campus. She would be able to walk around without fear of killing anyone if they brushed up against her. She rubbed her bare arms.

“Cold?”

Marie turned her head to look at him. “No, just still getting used to having so much of me, you know, exposed.”

Logan nodded as he kept his eyes on the road, not bothering with a verbal reply. Marie turned to look out her own window. Silences had never been awkward between them, not like now. At least, she was pretty sure they hadn’t been. Maybe she just never noticed it before. She felt like all these unsaid things were hanging in the air between them, but if she tried to think about them, tried to work out what they were, they just evaded her.

Logan’s voice, though quiet, startled her.

“Would you have even said goodbye?”

Marie spoke before thinking. “Would you have even cared?”

She only felt a little regret at having said it, sparing a glance in Logan’s direction, quickly turning her attention back to her window when he started to turn his head to look at her.

“That’s unfair, Marie.”

The little knot of regret vanished, replaced again by anger.

“Is it? It’s not like you’ve spent any real time with me lately. Or even before—” She left it unsaid, knowing he’d fill in the blank. “I doubt you’d even have noticed I was gone.”

Logan growled in warning. “Marie.”

This time she turned her attention on him, staring at him as he kept his eyes on the road. “No, Logan. Don’t even try and deny it. Ever since Alkali Lake you’ve had fuck all to do with me and you’ve shown fuck all interest in me.”

“Don’t swear.”

She was disappointed that he hadn’t even tried to refute what she said. She turned to look out her window. “Fuck you.”

Even though she wasn’t looking, she could imagine Logan’s brows going lower, his teeth bared at her words. He didn’t say anything though, just kept driving. Marie frowned at this, thinking that he should be biting back. She wasn’t about to apologize though; she didn’t want to use kid gloves when it came to the man in the car with her. She shouldn’t have to—this was the Wolverine. She was sick of hiding her anger just because Jean was dead and he was mourning her.

Maybe she was being selfish, but where was he when she needed to talk about the cure, about how it could change her life? She’d had to work through that on her own, so he could now work through his grief on his own.

Marie sighed. What was she turning into?

Before she could apologize, Logan stopped the car in front of an apartment block.

“We’re here.”

Marie flinched at the harshness of his tone.

“Logan—”

She watched him close his eyes briefly as he exhaled through his nose. They sat in awkward silence, and again Marie was struck with the thought of the air being thick with things left unsaid. She wanted desperately to know what they were, but she wouldn’t get a chance.

She sighed as she undid her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride, Logan.”

He shrugged. “My pleasure.”

Marie raised her eyebrow; Logan just returned the gesture, daring her to say something. She got out of the car as Logan popped the trunk. He came around to the back of the car and grabbed her duffle bag. Marie held out her hand to take her bag, but Logan held onto it.

“Not so fast, Marie. I want to check out this place of yours.”

Marie frowned at him, but dropped her hand when it was obvious he wasn’t going to give up the bag. She got her keys out of her pocket, and lead Logan up to the door.

When they were inside her apartment, Logan dumped the bag on the sofa, and then walked around. She heard him give the occasional grunt when he walked into each of the rooms. Seeing as there was only the one bedroom, bathroom and the dining/kitchen/living area, it wasn’t a very long inspection.

He came back into the main room. “Not bad.”

Marie shrugged, her arms crossed over her chest. “I like it just fine.”

Logan gave her a look that she didn’t know how to interpret. She suspected that if she still had him in her head, she’d know what it meant.

“Call me if you get into any trouble, okay?”

Marie gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

Logan frowned, a low growl coming from his throat. “Ever since you took that cure, you’ve been a real pain in the ass.”

Marie returned the frown. “Like you’d know.”

Logan gave her that weird look again. She really wanted to know what it meant.

“See you ‘round, Marie.”

“Bye, Logan.”

He gave her place one last look before showing himself out.

Marie sighed as he shut the door behind him. He’d never even touched her, or tried to. She had at least expected a hug goodbye. She grabbed her bag off the sofa and took it into the bedroom. Time to get unpacked and settle into her new life.

Marie couldn’t sleep. She’d been staring at the digital clock next to her bed for the last three hours, watching as each minute seemed to go by interminably slow.

It had been a week since she’d left Xavier’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters. In that week she had chastised herself countless times for her behaviour towards Logan, picked up the phone to call the mansion, only to hang up after two rings; and written a dozen letters, the ashes of which now lay in the bottom of the wastebasket.

Knowing that she hadn’t patched things up with Logan was only partly to blame for her insomnia. The other part was that tomorrow was her first day at NYU. She’d be starting her life as a college student and to say she was excited was an understatement. She wondered, as she watched the clock change to show another minute passing, whether all the other students were feeling this excited, or if it was just her.

Before she realised what she was doing, her hand had pushed back the covers, and her feet were leading her into the main room to the telephone on the kitchen counter.

Marie sighed. She desperately wanted to call Logan, talk about tomorrow. Although he had never been a heavy sleeper, she figured calling at 3am was hardly the right step to be taking to try and fix things. If she were still with Bobby Drake, then maybe she’d be itching to call him. But she wasn’t, and she suspected that Logan still would have been her first choice to call. She sighed again, her fingers running through her long hair as she walked back to bed. The next few hours would not go by quick enough.



Marie had a stupid grin on her face as she walked out of her second lecture. She had just been in a class full of students, and not had to worry about killing them once.

“Hey, kid.”

The familiar voice pulled her up short. Logan stood, arms folded across his chest as he leant against the wall opposite her. He looked for all the world like his being there was an everyday occurrence. That was until she looked at his face. The arrangement of his brow, and the way his eyes darted around told her that he would have been happier to be fighting off some gigantic monster than be here.

She walked up to him, clutching her big pile of books awkwardly. “Don’t call me kid. What are you doing here?”

The corner of Logan’s mouth curled, and his face relaxed as he focused on her. “Nice to see you too.”

Marie smiled. “Sorry, but you were the last person I expected to see.”

Logan shrugged, his face suddenly tensing. “You don’t want me here?”

Marie shook her head, her eyes going wide as she tried to reassure him. “No, no it’s not that. I like that you’re here. I just wasn’t expecting it is all.”

Logan relaxed again. “Figured you might need a little support.”

Marie looked at him. “You trying to protect me from the big bad learning?”

Logan frowned. “Don’t make fun of me, kid.”

Marie scrunched her nose at the nickname, but let it slide. At least he was talking to her. She suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say, so just stood there looking at him.

Logan cleared his throat. “So you got another class now?”

Marie shook her head. “Nope, I’m done for the day.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “It’s only just gone twelve.”

Marie grinned. “I know, isn’t college great? I managed to arrange my timetable so I could be finished early everyday.”

Logan nodded. “You hungry?”

Marie shifted her hand to catch a book that was trying to make a break for freedom.

Logan grunted. “Let me help you with those.”

Marie froze at the feel of Logan’s fingers brushing over hers as he took the books from her. She remembered to breathe a moment later, but she could feel a blush begin to creep up her neck towards her face.

She tried to ignore the quickened beat of her heart, avoiding Logan’s gaze as she spoke. “Food sounds good.”

Logan started walking towards the exit. “So is there anywhere good on campus?”

Marie shrugged, trying not to smile at the sight of Logan carrying her books. “It’s only my first day. It was enough for me to remember where my classes were.”

Logan looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “What about near your place?”

Marie bit her lip as she considered the options. “Yeah, I can think of a couple places.”


Marie relaxed into the booth, glad that the brief car ride to the burger bar had been far less tense than the last time she’d been in a car with Logan. She saw his eyes drift from the laminated card to her bare hands and arms, and she took her hands off the table, placing them in her lap.

Logan cleared his throat when he realised he’d been caught. “You look nice.”

Marie smiled shyly as she looked down at the blouse. “It took me, like, half an hour to get ready this morning. I just couldn’t work out what to wear. Nerves, I guess.”

Logan nodded, his eyes dropping back to the menu.

Marie tried to concentrate on hers, but couldn’t. “I’m sorry.”

Logan looked at her. “What for?”

Marie chewed her lip, wiggling in her seat under Logan’s intense stare. “For being such a brat last week. I just… I’m sorry.”

Logan shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

Marie frowned. “How can you say that? I was being such a bitch.”

Logan looked away, watching as a waiter worked his way to their table. The waiter abruptly turned back around when Logan frowned at him. “You don’t need to apologise. What you said was pretty much true. You could have maybe picked a better time to tell me, and maybe even a better way, but it’s too late for that now.”

Marie looked at him. “I was being so selfish. I mean, you’d only just said goodbye to Jean and there I was telling you to fuck off and stuff.”

Logan dropped the menu on the table. “I said it’s fine. You’d obviously been holding back that stuff a while.”

Marie took a deep breath before reaching a hand across the table, placing it on Logan’s. They sat there frozen, both of them looking at her hand on his. It felt like hours before Logan turned his hand over to clasp hers.

He gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry too.”

Marie’s brows knitted in confusion. “What for?”

Logan rubbed the back her hand with his thumb. “The past few years. Last week. Everything.”

Marie gave him a cheeky smile. “I’ll only let you apologise for one thing, so pick something.”

Logan returned her smile half-heartedly, his brow going even lower as he gave it some serious thought. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you took the cure.”

Marie felt her jaw go slack, and it took a conscious effort for her to close it. “Logan…”

When he looked at her, Marie felt her chest tighten. He looked miserable, and guilty, and tormented. He looked worse than at Jean Grey’s funeral, and that was saying something because Marie was sure that he would have cried if he hadn’t thought he’d needed to present the image of a stoic Wolverine.

“I need you to forgive me, Marie. I need us to be friends again.”

She tried not to make a noise as the grip on her hand tightened. “Of course we’re friends.”

He looked at her. “Do you forgive me?”

Marie’s eyes dropped to the table. If she kept looking at him, she was sure that she would wind up crying, in fact her eyes were already going blurry. “Of course.”

Logan’s grip loosened, but his thumb kept rubbing the back of her hand. “Look at me when you say that.”

Marie took in shaky breath, determined to fight the lump in her throat. “I forgive you, Logan.”

Logan let out a hiss of breath, releasing her hand as he ran both of his through his hair. He moved his shoulders like he’d just been relieved of some great burden. Marie sniffed, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand as she tried to remove any evidence of her crying. She knew it was futile, Logan wouldn’t miss anything with those super-senses of his, but she had to try.

When she looked up, his face had gone back to that slightly gruff calmness that she thought suited him so well. She gave him a shaky smile when he raised his eyebrow.

“Do we even bother with the food now or skip straight to the hug?”

Marie’s smile strengthened. She slid out of her seat and collapsed into Logan’s arms, her cheek against his. She heard him growl and assumed he was directing it at someone staring at them.

She shifted so she was more comfortably arranged, her knees on either side of his leg, her arms around his neck. “I missed you so much.”

Logan hugged her tighter. “Me too, darlin’.”

Logan paused at the sound of laughter and more than one voice coming from the other side of Marie’s door. He frowned, thinking how it sounded suspiciously like the kind of noise all those adolescent girls back at the mansion made.

He took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the frown as he knocked on the door. He heard footsteps, followed by the sound of a lock turning, and a chain being removed.

Marie’s face appeared. “Hey, sugar.”

Logan’s eyebrow quirked at the term, but he smiled. It sounded so right coming from her. “Hey, darlin’.”

He looked her up and down, feeling a deep growl of approval begin to rumble low inside him at the sight of her exposed skin. She wore a black singlet and little black shorts, knee-high striped socks covering her legs. Marie tilted her head, apparently trying to work out whether he was checking her out or not, brown eyes sparkling with curiosity. Logan made no attempt to hide the fact he’d been looking at her, showing her a toothy grin that made her cheeks start to turn pink.

A blonde girl appeared behind Marie, her blue eyes glittering with interest. “Ooh, who’s the fine looking wild man?”

Logan bit back a smirk at the sight of Marie’s face turning from pink to red, her eyes pleading him for help. He just crossed his arms over his chest, his hazel eyes watching her intently. He too was interested in hearing how she’d introduce him. A redhead joined the blonde, and a brunette stood up by the sofa, craning her neck to see what was going on.

Marie cleared her throat, waving in Logan’s direction. “Logan.” Her eyes darted from him to the other girls, then back to him. She looked down when she saw him watching her. “He’s… he’s my friend.”

The blonde looked him up and down. “Friend, huh?”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “You got a problem with that?”

The blonde’s eyes widened at the edge to his voice. She shook her head quickly, and then backed up a bit to let him in. Logan draped his arm around Marie’s shoulder, pulling her against him.

Logan smiled. “Am I too early?”

Marie shook her head as she bit her lip. “No, we were just finishing up.”

The redhead’s eyes were flicking between him and Marie, and Logan couldn’t help the look of amusement that crossed his face.

“You gonna introduce us, or what?”

Marie let out a little gasp. “Oh, sorry. Logan this is Cindy, Lisa and Helen.”

Typical, thought Logan. The blonde was Cindy; the meek little brunette over by the sofa had inclined her head when Marie said ‘Helen’, so the redhead had to be Lisa.

He looked down at Marie. “Study group?”

She nodded in assent, moving away from Logan to start packing up the books spread out on the coffee table.

The blonde had gotten over her fright, and was now narrowing her eyes at him. “So, Logan, what do you do?”

He saw Marie falter as she moved, but she didn’t turn around. “I teach.”

Three sets of eyebrows went up at this piece of information.

“Where?” The question had come from the redhead.

“A school in Westchester.”

The blonde, Cindy, looked skeptical. “Which school?”

Logan frowned, his patience wearing thin. “The School of Hard Knox.”

He heard Marie choke back a giggle. He couldn’t believe that the three girls were actually standing there giving what he had said serious thought, like they were trying to work out where the school was and if they knew anyone who went there. He resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair in frustration. He decided instead to watch Marie as she moved around the room, hips swaying, and hair swishing. Again, a low rumble was building up in his chest and he wondered where it came from. The reaction he was having to Marie was new. Must be the skin, he thought. All that beautiful, creamy, smooth skin.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. They’d only just got back to being friends two days ago. This was not the time to be considering anything more.

He nodded at the three girls as they filed out, his ears pricking up at the blonde’s parting comment to Marie.

“You have to tell me everything tomorrow, okay? I want details.”

Logan raised his eyebrow at Marie, and that full on blush was back, her cheeks burning bright red as she shrugged.

She stood awkwardly by the door, not daring to move in closer towards him. “Ready to watch the game?”

Logan nodded, taking a seat on the sofa. Marie cleared her throat, busying herself with grabbing snacks from the kitchen. She handed him a bottle of beer as she sat down next to him.

“Thanks, darlin’.”

Marie smiled, her hand disappearing down the side of the sofa as she looked for the remote. “You’re welcome.”


Half an hour later Logan’s arm was around Marie’s waist as she leant back into him. Both were watching the hockey game, but Marie suddenly tensed as the hand that Logan had draped around her crept up under her tank top, his fingers making lazy circles on the bare skin of her stomach. She felt her body heat up, a blush blossoming on her face. Her breathing became shallow and she was barely aware of the little moan that slipped out of her mouth. She tilted her head back when Logan’s hand decided to venture a little higher up her body, stopping just shy of the underside of her breast. Her fingers gripped tightly to his other hand, and her eyes fluttered closed when she felt Logan’s lips brush the outer shell of her ear. She twisted awkwardly in his hold, trying to get her lips to his. Logan’s hands suddenly disappeared from under her shirt and out of her grip, and before her brain could figure out how, she was in his lap, his lips on hers.

Marie moaned, shifting so that she straddled him, her hands grabbing onto his shirt collar as his tongue skimmed her bottom lip. She made him wait a little longer before opening her mouth, Logan’s hands slipped up under the tank top, his palms sliding over her bare skin. His tongue slid over hers, taking in the taste of the Chinese food and ice tea that still lingered, and then he let out a growl as he identified the sweet, salty taste that was all Marie. Marie rose slightly, her hands moving to grip his hair as she pushed her tongue against his, looking to gain access to his mouth. She could make out the faint traces of cigar, pressing her body into his as he let her explore his mouth. One of Logan’s hands moved down to grip her ass, smiling into her mouth when he heard her moan of approval as he squeezed it.

Marie nipped his bottom lip as she broke the kiss, her eyes slightly out of focus when she looked at him. “That was new.”

Logan looked at her like he’d just realized what they were doing. He stood up, placing her gently on the ground before taking her arms from around his neck. “I’m sorry, but you were there with the skin and I just had to.”

Marie tugged on his t-shirt as he made a move towards the door. “Hey, don’t run away on me now. And don’t be sorry.” She smiled at him. “I’m not.”

Logan shook his head, a hand running through his hair. “I shouldn’t have done it.”

Marie now had both her hands on his shirt, but she knew if it really came down to it, she wouldn’t have the power to stop him if he chose to break away. “Logan, don’t sweat it. Seriously.”

He turned so that he was facing her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I just… I don’t think I’m ready.”

Marie’s eyebrows rose slightly at his words. She never thought she’d hear them coming from Logan. Then again, she hadn’t really been expecting that kiss either. “That doesn’t mean you need to run away.”

Logan’s hand dropped from her shoulder. “You don’t understand. If I don’t leave now, I’ll never leave.”

Marie chewed on her bottom lip, looking at him with big, brown eyes. “And that’s bad?”

Logan sighed, pulling her into a hug, his chin resting on the top if her head. “Yeah it is. If I stay now, I don’t think it’ll be for the best.” He pulled back, lifting her chin so she’d meet his gaze. “I don’t want this to become something we’ll regret, and that’s what it’ll be if we start something now. It’s too soon.”

Marie frowned. “It doesn’t feel too soon.”

Logan gave her a half-smile. “That’s the problem.”

He kissed her forehead and stepped back from her, pulling her hands from his shirt. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Marie wrapped her arms around her waist. “Yeah, right.”

Logan looked at her, a playful growl coming from his lips. “I will, promise.”

Marie looked down at the floor. “But you won’t be coming over, will you?”

She looked up when he had said nothing, shocked at the regret that was plainly written on his face.

“I can’t.”

Marie frowned, trying to find some anger to replace the sadness she was feeling. “Can’t or won’t?”

Logan turned away, heading to the door. “Pick one.”

Marie stood staring at the closed door, her fingers on her lips as she tried to work out what had just happened.

Marie looked up as a dark shadow fell across her notebook. She shielded her eyes from the sun, smiling when she recognised hazel eyes and a toothy grin.

"Hey, darlin'."

She scooted over, allowing Logan to sit next to her. "Hey, yourself."

Logan swung his leg over the bench, choosing to sit sideways. He nodded at each of her little friends sitting around the table before turning his attention back to Marie. She was looking at him with those brown eyes, and he just knew he'd made the right choice in coming to the college. His confidence wavered when she frowned at him.

"What happened to calling me?"

Logan clenched his jaw, determined not to look whipped in front of those three teens. "I hate phones."

Marie raised her eyebrow, and Logan smiled inwardly at the fact she still had some of his characteristics. "So why make a promise you can't keep?"

Logan leant forward, bringing his mouth close to her ear. He didn't need anyone hearing what he'd say except Marie. Besides, it let him bask in the scent of her. "'Cause I didn't want you thinking that I was done with you yet." The corner of his mouth curled when her body tensed, and her musk went up just enough to let him know she wasn't done either. "And I thought coming here would have been a nice surprise."

Marie turned her head a little, her eyes darting to his mouth. "Why wait a week?"

Logan tilted his head. It hadn't been a week had it? "Shit, darlin', I'm sorry. Didn't mean it to be so long."

Marie looked at him. "So… you're not 'done with me'?"

A low rumble vibrated in Logan's chest, his eyes darkening when she licked her bottom lip. "No."

Her mouth came closer, her breath mixing with his. "Does this mean you're ready?"

Logan's hearing picked up the awkward shifting of the other three girls, but he didn't care. Let them watch. "Yeah."

Marie sucked in a breath, and she suddenly turned her head away. Her cheeks were burning bright red, and she refused to look at Logan. "You had to come here to tell me that?"

Logan's lips brushed the outer shell of her ear. "Yeah."

She kept her head turned, closing her eyes as she let herself enjoy his closeness for a moment. "You couldn't have just, you know, picked somewhere a little more private?"

Logan grinned, his eyes flicking towards the three girls before looking back at Marie. "This is a college, right? Just giving them a little extra education."

Marie turned her head, her brown eyes looking at him with a mixture of amusement and shock. "I don't think I really want to be giving any kind of practical demonstration right now."

Logan's hand caressed her back. "You got anymore classes today?"

Marie bit her lip, her body starting to sway as Logan continued with his light touches. Instead of words, her reply came out as a little moan. She looked at him and shook her head. Logan nodded, his hand disappearing from her back, leaving her looking annoyed.

He smiled, jumping up from the bench. He packed up Marie's things and grabbed her hand. "She'll see you girls tomorrow."

Marie made no protest as Logan all but dragged her towards the parking lot. He dropped her bag in her lap as she took the passenger seat, only just avoiding slamming the door on her leg in his rush to get going. They didn't speak all the way to her apartment building, and again, Logan all but dragged her up to her place, huffing with impatience as she fumbled for her keys. When she had taken her keys back out of the lock, Logan picked her up, kicking the door shut with his foot as he grunted for her to wrap her legs around him. Marie complied, her arms slipping around his neck for good measure. He looked at her before capturing her mouth, the kiss hungry and forceful, his tongue demanding entrance. Marie parted her lips, moaning as his saliva mixed with hers. She let out a gasp as she suddenly found herself pressed into a wall, her head knocking against a picture frame.

Logan took one hand off of her, ripping the frame from the wall and tossing it onto the sofa. He gave Marie a grin at the look on her face. "It's not broken."

She nodded, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair as she allowed herself a moment to regulate her breathing before pressing her lips to Logan's. This time it was her turn to invade his mouth, and he let her. She again tasted the faint trace of cigar, but now there was something else too. She let out a little moan as she realised she was tasting herself. Logan's grip tightened on her hip, holding her against the wall as he let his other hand slip under her top. Marie's back arched off the wall as his thumb brushed the underside of her bra.

Logan grunted as the grip she had on his hair tightened, and nipped her bottom lip. "I may have that whole healing factor thing going on, but damn if that still doesn't hurt."

Marie's mouth formed a wicked smile, her eyes half-lidded with lust. "You still like it though, don't you?"

Logan let out a growl, his heated gaze answering her question as he pulled his hand from under her top. Using his lower body to keep her pinned, Logan tore the material, exposing her pink lacy bra. He raised an eyebrow at the garment, his already tight jeans becoming unbearable as his eyes wandered over her chest. Marie's skin turned pink under his intense scrutiny, nearly matching the colour of her underwear.

He held her arms as she tried to cross them over her chest. "Let me look, darlin'."

Marie nodded, her eyes focusing on anything but him as he took his time admiring her. Hazel eyes roamed over her pale skin, memorizing every exposed inch. Logan’s hand moved up to cup the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. Marie’s cheeks were still flushed, but there was a determination behind her eyes. With her free hand, she trailed her fingertips down the side of his face, following the jaw line. She held his gaze as her fingers skimmed over his lips, the corner of her mouth curling at the intimate touch. Logan briefly kissed her fingertips before moving in close to her, there was no rush in the way he kissed her, no force. He let go of Marie’s other hand, letting her wrap her arms back around his neck. His kisses created a trail down her throat, and he paused to pay careful attention to where he felt her pulse through the tender flesh. Marie let out a gasp, her fingers gripping his hair. As he moved down her body, his kisses getting closer to her breasts, he stopped as Marie’s body went rigid in his grip, her hands pushing against his shoulders. He looked up into an uncertain gaze.

“I don’t think I’m ready.”

Logan straightened up, concern across his face. “For us, or sex?”

Marie gave him a small smile. “Definitely not the ‘us’ part, more the sex part. It’ll be, you know, my first time and all.”

Logan nodded, guiding her back down the wall, setting her gently on her feet. “Sorry, I just couldn’t wait, not when I finally knew what I wanted.”

Marie’s smile grew in confidence, and she wrapped her arms around him, her face pressing into his chest. “I know, and I’m glad. I just need a little more time.”

Logan stroked her hair. “Whatever you want, darlin’.”

Marie looked up at him. “I want to go put on a non-ripped t-shirt, that okay too?”

Logan chuckled, releasing her from the embrace.

Marie turned back to him as she neared her bedroom. “Just so you know, I totally forgive you for not calling, or anything, for a week. If this is what happens when you’re late, I don’t mind at all.”

Marie wondered what the hell she had been thinking. Logan had been all but offering himself on a platter and she had backed down. She smiled as his nose nuzzled into her hair. At least he was still here, in her bed. She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that he was sleeping in his t-shirt and jeans. Given the fact that she could sleep in next to nothing, and not hurt him, she had been hoping that he might have stripped down. No such luck. Maybe it was her punishment.

She twisted in his hold, turning to face him. He let out a moan, rolling onto his back. Marie laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, her fingers tracing the lines of his abdomen through the white cotton. She felt the heat radiating off him through the material and she bit her lip in indecision. Her brown eyes flicked up to look at his face, the gruff features highlighted by the streetlight coming through the blinds. She flattened her hand on his stomach, watching it rise and fall in rhythm with his steady breathing. She released her bottom lip, and carefully pulled Logan’s arm from her shoulder as she sat up. She looked at him, watching to see if he noticed her movement before she straddled him.

She held her breath to see if he’d wake up, but he continued sleeping. Her slender fingers gripped his t-shirt, gently tugging it free from the waistband of his jeans. For some reason she felt a giggle build inside of her, thinking it strange that a man who was just this side of wild tucked in his t-shirt. She bit her lip in an effort to keep any noise from escaping her lips. When the t-shirt had been freed, she carefully pulled it up his body, exposing as much of his torso as she could. She held her breath again, waiting to see if Logan would notice the cool air on his skin.

When she thought it was safe, she ran her fingers over the taut muscles, following every line and groove, savoring each moment of contact. She smiled when his stomach twitched in reaction to her touch. Scooting back so she was resting on his thighs, she bent forwards, bringing her face close to his abdomen. She glanced up towards his face, checking again to see if he had woken up. Satisfied, she kissed his skin lightly before darting her tongue out and licking it. Marie retraced the path she had taken with her fingers moments earlier, but this time she used her tongue, tasting Logan. When she reached where his t-shirt now rest, she used her hands to push it up and hold it in place, allowing her access to his pectoral muscles, tracing their lines with her tongue. Still holding the t-shirt out of the way, she continued her exploration, focusing on his left nipple. She licked around the areole before gently sucking on the nipple, her tongue flicking over it. She risked a look up at Logan’s face, the corner of her mouth curling as she nipped the hard nub. He didn’t seem to react, and Marie moved her head to repeat the same action on the right nipple. Just as she had it between her teeth, she felt a tug on her hair, and looked up to find Logan’s hazel eyes gazing at her, eyebrow raised.

“You often molest men while they’re sleepin’?”

Marie released his nipple, raising her head to look at him properly. “Only the ones with adamantium laced bones.” She stretched her body, moving up just a little bit to let him know she was well aware of his erection pressing into her belly. She smiled when he hissed out a breath. “You like that, sugar?”

Logan’s grip on her hair tightened as he raised the upper half of his body, allowing his free hand to grip her ass and push her further up his body. Marie gasped, shifting her hips as she found out exactly how much he liked it, the feel of his erection rubbing against her sent a ripple of pleasure through her body. Logan smirked as her brown eyes became hooded, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. Marie’s fingers tugged at his t-shirt and he obliged her by raising his arms, letting her take off the offending garment. She pressed her hands flat against his pectorals, and pushed him back down on the bed. She ran her hands over his chest, and then down his stomach before her feather light touches found the trail of hair that disappeared behind the waistband of his jeans.

She looked at him. “Think maybe it’s time for these to come off?”

Logan shook his head. “Fair’s fair, darlin’.”

Marie heard the distinctive noise of one of his claws being released, and she shivered in anticipation, her fingers gripping his waistband. Logan raised the claw and in two swift moves he had cut the straps of her nightgown, the black silk falling down and exposing her upper body to the cool night air. Logan retracted the claw, his cock growing harder at the sight of her milky white breasts, her rose-colored nipples standing erect. He slid one hand up her side, settling it on her hip, his thumb massaging her skin in steady circles. The other hand he reached out and trailed his fingertips down the valley between her breasts. He took her left nipple between thumb and forefinger, squeezing it gently, experimentally, watching her reaction. Marie’s head tilted back as she bit her lip, her chest thrust forwards. A low growl emitted from Logan’s throat and he held onto her while he sat up, dipping his head down to take the nipple into his mouth. Marie’s fingers gripped his hair, holding him to her breast as he nipped and sucked until the hardened nub had become red and swollen. She writhed in his grip, her lower body moving against his as he did the same to her other nipple, the sounds coming from her changing from gasps to moans. The scent of her increasing arousal invaded Logan’s olfactory nerves and he moved his mouth from her breast to her throat, sucking on the mark he had left earlier before capturing her mouth. Marie moaned loudly as his tongue worked against hers, her breasts pushing against his chest. She increased the rhythm of her hips, breaking the kiss to let out a loud moan as Logan pushed two fingers against her clitoris, rubbing it through her panties. Her head fell back, Logan’s other hand gripping her hip and stilling her movement. Using his two fingers, he pushed aside her panties, slipping them into her slick heat. He growled at the feel of her, his fingers massaging her clit until Marie starting pulsing, her moans dying on her lips when the friction started to become too much. He soon had her shuddering, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she came, his name tearing from her lips in a cry.

Logan withdrew his fingers, bringing them to his mouth, his eyes on Marie’s as he licked them clean. Her face was flushed, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps as she watched him with half-lidded eyes.

“You like that, darlin’?”

Marie nodded; her grip on his shoulders the only reason she was still sitting. She gave him a lazy smile. “Uh huh.”

Logan tangled his hand in her hair, pulling her into a kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, tasting every inch. Marie let out a moan, her body sagging against his. Logan lay back on the bed, bringing her with him.

He rolled them over, careful not to rest all of his body weight on Marie. “You ready for more?”

Marie’s eyes widened slightly as he rubbed against her meaningfully. “Healing factor kicked in, huh?”

Logan made a noise of assent as he tore the rest of her nightgown from her body, kissing his way down to her stomach. He looked up at her, making sure she watched as his tongue dipped into her navel. Marie smiled at him, squirming as she felt the axis between her thighs begin to pulse with new want. She watched as Logan’s eyes darkened, lifting her hips so he could remove the last scrap of material on her body. He knelt over her and Marie’s eyes drifted to where his hands were making short work of the button fly on his jeans. She couldn’t help the flush that blossomed on her skin at the sight of his hard length, already sticky with pre-come.

Before Logan lost the jeans, he pulled a foil packet from the back pocket, his eyes on Marie as he rolled on the latex. “Darlin’ I swear if you’re suddenly going to back out now, you will be the death of me.”

Marie giggled, shaking her head. “Not gonna happen, sugar.”

Logan nodded, kissing his way back up her body until he had settled his hands on either side of her head, keeping his adamantium laced bones from pushing down on her. “You know you’re beautiful, right?”

Marie ran her hands over his chest and over his shoulder blades as she lifted her hips to his. “You know you talk to much, right?”

Logan growled, positioning himself at her entrance. Marie bit her lip in anticipation, her eyes holding Logan’s gaze as he started with shallow movements, letting her adjust before thrusting into her, burying himself to the hilt. Marie gasped at the brief moment of pain, and then moaned as Logan’s tongue and teeth found his mark again. Her fingers entangled themselves in his hair, and she arched off the bed as he pulled out and thrust back in, a strangled moan escaping her lips. Logan growled something into her ear and Marie somehow got the message through her lust-dazed mind, and clenched her inner walls around him, Logan’s groan making her smile. She started lifting her hips to meet his thrusts, gasping as it allowed her to take more of him in, his coarse pubic hairs tickling her clitoris. Logan began to feel her pulse around him, the look on her face pulling him closer to the edge and as he felt her shudder and shake beneath him, he came hard, growling out her name as she screamed his, her fingernails breaking the skin on his shoulder blades and drawing blood. Logan carefully rolled over, gripping Marie’s hips to keep their bodies connected.

She gratefully collapsed on top of him, her damp hair covering her face as she tried to get her breathing under control. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she murmured something just before sleep enveloped her.

Logan stroked her back, his other hand pushing the hair out of her face. “Me too, darlin’.”

The first sound that broke through Marie’s dream was the alarm clock. The second sound was an angry growl, closely followed by said alarm clock smashing against the wall. She smiled, rolling over and burying her head in between Logan’s outstretched arm and chest, her hand stroking the hair on his chest. He smelt like warmth and sleep and she could definitely get used to waking up next to him.

“Ya’ll know there’s an off-switch, rahght?” Her voice was thick with sleep, causing her accent to become exaggerated.

Logan grunted, his arm curling around her. “Ya know there’s better ways to wake up, right?”

Marie lifted her head, her hair obscuring her vision, but she could still make out the smirk on his lips. “Oh yeah?”

Logan nodded, his eyes still closed. Marie’s head turned as she pushed her hair out of her face, and her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Logan’s lower body saluting the morning air. She bit her lip and smiled, turning her head back towards his face and planting a tender kiss on his torso.

Logan let out a growl of a very different nature, his eyes opening and looking at her as his hand slid down to rest on her hip. “Much better ways.”

“Sorry sugah, but Ah got classes to get to.” She pushed away from him, about to get out of the bed when Logan’s hand closed around her wrist. “Hey!”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Hey? Hey yourself, darlin’. No way you’re getting’ outta this bed that easily.”

He yanked her back towards him, his hand tangling itself in her hair as he pulled her mouth to his. Marie moaned as she placed a hand on his chest for balance, her lips parting to accept his tongue.

When they broke apart, she was having trouble breathing. “Ah really have ta go ta class, Logan.” She bit her lip as his hand slid up her body, his thumb brushing over her nipple. “Ah mean it… Ah really have ta…”

Logan smiled; his eyes watching her as she tilted her head back while his hand kneaded her breast, little sighs escaping her lips. “You have to what, darlin’?”

Marie brought her head back, looking at him with unfocused eyes. “Hmm?”

“You were saying you had to do something.” Logan kissed the creamy skin of her breast, his whiskers sending a shiver through her body. “What did you have to do?”

Marie’s brow creased, and her fingers gripped his hair as she straddled him and pushed her chest into his face. “Ah don’t remember.”

Logan smirked, latching onto a proffered nipple. Marie squirmed as he nipped and sucked, and Logan’s eyes turned dark as he smelt her arousal and felt her ass rub up against his erection.

He released the swollen nipple, his voice husky. “Tell me you got condoms.”

Marie looked down, giving him a guilty look. “In the drawer.” She reached over, twisting to open it. She sucked in a breath as Logan’s fingers slipped between her silky folds, stroking her sex. “Sugah, you’re not making it easy.”

Logan grunted, too focused on the way she pulsed under his touch. He looked up as Marie began to move, shifting herself so that she was now sitting on his thighs. She gave his cock a tentative stroke with her fingers, smiling as his hips jerked in response. Logan growled, and Marie tore the foil packet open, rolling the latex onto his hard length. When she was finished, Logan sat up and grabbed her, unceremoniously impaling her on his erection. He lifted her by the hips, guiding her into a rhythm until he felt her begin to take over, grunting as she became more confident. Her moans filled the room and he flipped them over, no longer interested in letting her control what happened. Marie gripped his shoulders and gave a loud moan as Logan slammed into her, burying himself in one thrust. She hooked her legs behind him and Logan pulled out all the way, thrusting in deep again as Marie tilted her hips, taking him in further. Logan growled as he bit the mark on her neck, turning it a deeper shade of purple as he sucked on it, thrusting into Marie as she clenched around him, his muscles trembling as he came. He managed a couple more strokes, Marie crying out as she climaxed. Logan captured her mouth, silencing her breathy moans. Marie arched off the mattress, her fingers tangling in his unruly locks as she slid her tongue over his. Logan nipped her bottom lip appreciatively, pulling out of her carefully as he collapsed on the bed next to her.

Marie sighed. “You were right. Much better.”

“Better believe it, darlin’.” Logan got off the bed, padding over the waste paper basket by Marie’s desk.

Marie watched his ass appreciatively, her hand running over the smooth skin of her stomach as she enjoyed the post-coital afterglow.

“Ah, Marie?”

She frowned at the note of uneasiness in his voice. “Yeah, sugah?”

Logan turned to face her, inclining his head towards the trash. “You should probably know the condom broke.”

Marie propped herself up on her elbows, her frown deepening. “What?”

Logan ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame it. “There was a tear.”

Marie was now off the bed, coming towards him on shaky feet. “Tell me this is your idea of a bad joke.” Her eyes widened when he shook his head. “Logan, how can you look so calm?”

He raised his eyebrow and shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. “’Cause we don’t actually know that anything happened.”

Marie shifted her weight from foot to foot, trying to find something to do with her hands. In the end she placed them on her hip, giving Logan a menacing look when she caught him smirking at her naked body.

“I’m in the middle of havin’ a nervous breakdown and you’re standing there leering at me! What the fuck, Logan?” She shoved him, not doing much other than making him look at her with amusement. “Do you want to be a daddy? Are you ready for that?” She started pacing back and forth, stopping only to glare at him some more. “And quit fuckin’ laughin’ at me ya canucklehead. I’m about ready to find out if you’re manhood will grow back or not.”

The amusement disappeared from Logan’s face. “Marie—”

“Don’t be all ‘Marie’ with me, sugah. You fuckin’ did this to me. And what are we gonna do, huh? You got a plan, Wolverine? You got some way of dealing with me getting pregnant?” She turned to face him. “So come on, Wolvie. Let’s hear whatcha got.”

“You’d move in with me at the mansion.”

Marie raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? That’s your big plan is it? Me moving back to the mansion. What if I don’t want to? What if I was happy here, Logan?” Her voice started to crack. “What if I was actually enjoying my life for a fucking change?”

Logan stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders. “Marie, calm the fuck down. We don’t know anything yet.”

Marie screamed in frustration, breaking out of his grip and storming into the bathroom. The sound of the door slamming echoed through the apartment and Logan was left standing in her bedroom wondering exactly what he had done wrong to incur the wrath of the powers that be.

He grabbed his jeans, pulling them on as he stood outside the bathroom door. “Marie, open the damn door.”

“Fuck off, Logan!”

Logan sighed, leaning against the door. “Darlin’, don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit here?”

The bathroom door wrenched open and Logan was faced with a furious Marie. Apparently he’d just dropped himself in the shit even further.

“Overreacting? I’m overreacting?” She stormed past him back into the bedroom. “He thinks I’m overreacting.”

Logan glanced around, looking to see who she was talking to. He watched as she randomly pulled on bits of clothing until she stopped in front of the mirror.

She howled in annoyance at the sight of the inside out t-shirt and pyjama pants. “I can’t go to class looking like this.”

Logan came up behind her. “So don’t go to class.”

Marie looked up, meeting his eyes reflected in the mirror. “I’m going to go to class, Logan.”

He nodded. “Okay, so just put something else on.”

Marie huffed, looking around. “Well, what do you think makes a good ‘I might end up pregnant 'cause my stupid boyfriend broke the damn condom’ outfit?”

Logan hooked his arm around her waist, holding her against him as he rest his chin on the top of her head, looking at her in the mirror. “You look good in anything.”

Marie gave him a half-hearted smile. “Except this.”

Logan wrapped his other arm around her. “Especially this.”

Marie sighed, placing her hand over his. “I still can’t wear it to college.”

“I know.”

She met his reflected gaze. “And I’m still pissed at you.”

Logan grinned. “I know.”

In hindsight, it was easy for Marie to admit that she had overreacted when Logan had told her the condom had been torn.

To her credit though, it had only been her second time and she’d only been de-virginised less than 12 hours prior. She had the right to freak out if there was a chance that she would wind up pregnant when she’d only just started having sex. After she’d calmed down and found a more appropriate outfit to wear to college she’d remembered that there were things like birth control and the morning after pill.

Birth control had never been something she’d considered; after all, she’d thought she’d have poisonous skin forever, what chance would there ever be for sex? She’d really only thought to buy condoms that night things with Logan had taken a more intimate turn. Despite the fact he’d stopped before anything could happen, she found herself thinking she should be prepared, just in case.

She’d used her computer lab at college to search for information on the morning after pill and in the end had decided that she couldn’t. She felt like it was a violation of a woman’s body.

Her hand drifted to her stomach and she rubbed it. She was finding it hard to coalesce her thoughts even after two weeks of thinking about it. She was finding too many parallels between her taking the cure, and her options for the current dilemma, making her less sure of herself.

She’d taken the cure, readily renouncing her mutant genes, but she was finding that the thought of terminating any life growing inside her with a tablet sickening.

And there she was, getting ahead of herself again. She didn’t actually know she was pregnant, not yet.

Again her hand rubbed her flat stomach.

She had to admit though, despite her many vocal contradictions to the contrary that day, if she was indeed pregnant, the thought of carrying Logan’s baby wasn’t off-putting in any way. In fact, a small part of her was openly embracing the idea. She’d loved the man since they’d first met. She hadn’t always been in love with him, but she’d certainly loved him.

She shifted her head so that she could observe him. He was leaning back against the wall next to her bathroom, cigar tucked in the corner of his mouth. His eyes locked onto hers and that ever-expressive eyebrow raised. She gave him a small smile, turning her attention back to the ceiling.

Marie didn’t know if he loved her. She knew that there was something between them, and that it was enough to keep him coming back, keep him in New York.

And it was enough to keep him calm in the face of Marie’s headless chicken act. She wondered whether there wasn’t a part of him too that liked the idea of a little Logan, or a little Marie.

Now she placed both hands on her stomach, trying to imagine what it would be like, growing something inside her.

She broke out into a grin. A month after taking the cure here she was, de-virginised and wondering whether she was pregnant. She bit her lip to hold back the hysterical giggle rising inside her. She couldn’t help it; it was kind of funny.

She’d spent years lamenting the loss of human touch, and with one injection she’d got that back. And now she had Logan too.

Marie frowned. Would she have had Logan if she hadn’t taken the cure? Her momentary happiness dissipated, replaced by doubt. He never would have had reason to give her a lift because she’d never have had this apartment. And they sure as hell would never have been able to get all naked and sweaty. Her fingers touched her lips. And there never would have been that first delicious kiss.

“Somethin’ wrong, darlin’?”

She turned her head. Logan had moved off the wall and was making his way to the sofa. She lifted her legs to let him sit down. His hands rubbed her shins when she placed them on top of his thighs.

She didn’t feel like holding her head up awkwardly, so she lay back down, her eyes returning to the ceiling. “Do you think we still would have…” she struggled to find a way of putting it, “hooked up if I hadn’t taken the cure?”

Logan let out a low, rumbling laugh. “I don’t ‘hook-up’ with anyone, darlin’.”

Marie hit him with the heel of her foot. “I’m trying to be serious.”

She heard him exhale, the scent of his cigar filling her nostrils.

“You want to know if I’d have still fucked you if you were untouchable?”

“Yes.”

There was a long pause before Logan spoke. “Killer skin would never have stopped me, Marie.”

She shifted, propping herself up on her elbows so she could look up at him. “Really?”

Logan nodded, taking a drag on his cigar. “Really.”

Marie tilted her head. “So what—”

She didn’t get a chance to finish the question. The air was broken by the sound of an alarm going off.

Logan looked at her. “It’s time.”

Marie nodded, swinging her legs around and getting to her feet. “At least you didn’t throw the oven against the wall to stop it.”

The smile she gave him didn’t reach her eyes, but he chuckled anyway. She walked into the bathroom, closing her eyes as she stood in front of the vanity. Her fingers blindly searched before clasping around a thin plastic stick. She heard Logan’s footsteps over the sound of her heart thundering in her ears.

“Here goes nothing.” She didn’t know whether she was talking to herself, or Logan.

She opened her eyes, first looking at her reflection, and then regarded Logan in the doorway before her gaze dropped to the pregnancy test. The breath she’d been holding came out in a hiss.

She looked at Logan who had his arms folded over his chest. “I’m not pregnant.”

He gave her a curt nod, pushing off the doorjamb and enveloping her in a tight embrace.

Marie buried her face in his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. “I’m not pregnant.”

“I’m not pregnant.”

Her words were quiet, and Logan wondered if she was relieved or sad. Nothing came across in her voice, and her scent was still laced with anxiety. He gave her a curt nod, holding her close to his chest.

“I’m not pregnant.”

He felt her pounding heart begin to slow, and heard little sniffs coming from her as she tried to keep from crying. Logan frowned, using his index finger to tilt her head up. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she chewed on her bottom lip.

Logan cleared his throat, keeping his voice low. “Marie…” He trailed off, not really sure what to say.

She gave him a nervous smile. “I’m okay. What about you? I never really asked what you were, um, hoping for. Or wanted.”

Logan tucked some of her platinum hair behind her ears, looking at her while he tried to work out what it was he was feeling. His eyebrows rose slightly when he identified the emotion. “I ain’t gonna lie darlin’, have to admit I’m kinda disappointed.” He frowned, trying to articulate his thoughts. “Guess I wanted a kid—our kid—more than I thought.”

Marie pressed her face back into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Logan gave a quiet chuckle, his hand stroking her back. “Don’t be. Besides,” he tugged on her hair to get her to look at him again, “just means we get to keep practicin’. Gotta teach you how to put on a condom properly, and you know, that’s gonna take some serious man hours.” He smirked. “Could take days. Months even.”

Marie smiled. “Is that right?”

Logan nodded, backing her against the vanity. “Yep.”

He dipped his head and kissed her. Marie’s fingers gripped the back of his shirt as she parted her lips, letting Logan slide his tongue over hers. It was a slow, sensual kiss that left her breathless when they broke apart.

Logan kissed her forehead and looked at her. She had that frown on her face again, the one from earlier. “You sure you’re okay?”

Marie shook her head, then nodded, then shook it again. Finally she shrugged. “I don’t know, for some reason today I just keep wondering whether…”

Logan pulled back, his hold on her a bit looser. “What?”

Marie looked down at the floor. She sucked in a deep breath before looking at him. “I just keep wondering whether you’d be with me if I was untouchable. Whether you’d still want me if I hadn’t taken the cure.”

Logan’s frown lowered. “I told you before that killer skin never would have made a difference.”

Marie nodded, her eyes downcast. “I know, but I guess I just keep thinking what did. I mean, why now?”

Logan cocked his head, a low growl coming out. “You think you’re just a fuck to me?”

Marie shrugged, her arms dropping from around Logan. “I don’t know. I mean it’s not like we ever talk about it.”

“We’re talking now.”

Marie turned her head, trying to look at anything but him. “So, do you…” She took a breath, summoning the courage to look at him. “Do you love me?”

Logan’s face didn’t change as he held her gaze. “Yes.”

Marie’s lips parted, she hadn’t really thought that his answer would be put that simply. “Even if—“

Logan cut her off. “Even if you were all untouchable and you could kill me when we kissed.” He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Anything else?”

Marie smiled nervously, shaking her head. “No.”

Logan’s eyebrow was still raised. “Somethin’ you want to say to me?”

She tilted her head, eyebrows drawn in confusion.

Logan let out an exasperated sigh. “Three words, darlin’. Second one starts with ‘l’.”

Marie had the decency to look mortified. “Logan, I’m so sorry.”

Logan was starting to grow impatient. “Don’t be sorry, just say the damn words and we can declare this conversation over.”

Marie smiled, rising on tiptoes. “I love you.”

“Damn straight.” He turned his head when she went to kiss him. “Sorry, darlin’ but there’s something we gotta do first.” He took her hand, leading her from the bathroom to the bedroom. “Tell me you still got some scarves.” He started opening and closing drawers with his other hand. “And gloves. We’ll need them too.

Marie watched him. “Scarves are hanging in the wardrobe, gloves are in that drawer.” She pointed to the tallboy in the corner. “Why?”

He pulled her along, opening the closet. His fingers rubbed each of the scarves until he gave a grunt of satisfaction. He pulled an Ivory coloured gauze scarf out, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed to where she said the gloves would be.

He picked a pair of her old opera gloves, handing them to her. “Put these on.”

Marie looked at him confused, but did as he instructed. She watched him rifle through his duffle bag by the bed.

He gave her smug smile as he pulled out a pair of leather gloves. “Knew I still had these for a reason.” He pulled them on as he walked back over to her.

Marie looked at her own gloved hands, then up at him. “You going to tell me what this is all about?”

Logan shook his head, taking the scarf into his hands. “Nope.” He stepped closer to her. “I’ll show you.”

He lifted the thin material over her mouth, and then pressed his lips to hers. Marie’s arms slipped around his waist and she parted her lips with a little sigh, her mind processing the feel of his tongue through the gauze. Logan steadily walked her backwards as he explored her mouth, smiling when he felt her tongue begin to push against his. He sucked on it through the material, her sweet taste still strong despite the barrier. Marie moaned, and the smell of her arousal had Logan rumbling deep in his chest.

He pulled back to look at her. Her breath was causing the scarf to puff up, and he pulled it from her mouth. She smiled at him, her brown eyes hooded as she gripped his collar, pulling him back towards her.

Logan shook his head. Marie frowned, but smiled as he gripped her hips and lifted her up, pressing her against the side of the wardrobe. She hooked her legs around him as his hands pushed up the short skirt she was wearing. His upper body held her in place as he slipped a hand between their bodies, two gloved fingers pushing aside her panties.

“Fuck, Marie. You’re wet already.” He felt her hot and pulsing through the leather, his fingers sliding between her silky folds. He rubbed her clit, making her arch off the wall as she gripped his shoulders. She tilted her hips into his touch, and he pushed them inside her with a growl. “And so damn tight.”

Marie gave him a lopsided smile, her eyes hooded as she rocked against his fingers. She moaned when his thumb began massaging her clit. One hand slipped from his shoulders and her fingers blindly sought the scarf he still held. She pulled it from his grip, using both hands to place it over his mouth. She captured his mouth, greedily pushing her tongue past his lips. Logan curled his fingers inside her, making her moan. Her head fell back, but her hands still held the scarf in place over his lips and he took the opportunity to suck on the tender flesh of her throat.

“Logan.”

He looked up at the sound of her voice. Her eyes sparkled beneath dark lashes.

“I want you inside me.” She clenched her inner muscles around his fingers, and her hands moved down to unhook his belt. Her fingers made short work of the button fly and her gloved hand closed around his engorged length. “Now, sugah.”

Logan hissed out a breath as she stroked his cock, making the scarf flutter. He shook it from his face, his hand slipping from between her legs. “Back pocket, only don’t put it on.”

Marie smiled, her slender fingers finding the foil packet. Logan took it from her taking it between his teeth as he gripped her hip harshly. “Don’t move.”

He released a claw, cutting a slit in her underwear. He sheathed the claw and tore the foil packet open with his teeth before rolling on the latex with one hand. Marie’s hands gripped his collar and he thrust into her, nostrils flaring as her musk shot up. He pulled out, and thrust back in deep. Marie moaned and started rocking her hips, trying to get him in deeper. He pound into her hard, causing the wardrobe to move a couple inches. Both of Marie’s arms went up and she gripped the top of the closet, clenching around Logan. He groaned, his hands slipping from her hips to her ass as he felt her begin to pulse around him. Marie looked down, finding Logan watching her with dark eyes. A scream tore from her throat and she came hard. Logan growled as he continued to thrust into her, watching her mouth form a silent ‘o’ as her body shuddered. A strangled moan escaped her throat as the sensation became to much and she climaxed again. Logan grunted as he finally let himself go over the edge, the relief rolling through him as he came.

Marie’s arms dropped onto his shoulders, and she looked down at him. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps and her heart thundered in her chest. Logan grinned, finally letting her kiss him without the scarf.

Marie giggled when they broke apart. “You’re pretty good at this spur-of-the-moment stuff.”

Logan smirked. “Not really. Been thinking about this for a while.”

Marie’s laughter died in her throat. She looked at him shocked. “Really?”

He nodded. “Really.”

Suddenly her mouth curved into a wicked smile. “So what else did you think up to get around my former mutation?”

“I’ll show you.”

Marie blinked against the harsh fluorescent lighting, squinting as she tried to get her bearings.

“Logan?” Her voice was scratchy, like she hadn’t talked for a while. She looked down, picking up a tube that was attached to her arm. She saw the white covers, the sterile surroundings, and the patronising calm blue walls. She was in a hospital. Fear started to take hold. “Logan?” Her voice was stronger this time.

“S’okay darlin’, I’m right here.” Logan scrubbed his face with his hand, getting out of the chair in the corner to stand by her bedside. He lifted a hand, stroking her hair.

Marie visibly relaxed, closing her eyes and taking in his familiar scent. Then her face contorted in pain, and her hands flew to her ears. She let out a groan. Voices filled her head, creating an unbearable level of white noise.

“Marie, darlin’, stay with me.” Logan grabbed her shoulders, holding onto her as she tried to curl up into a ball. “Just breathe, okay?”

“Easy for you to say, bub.”

Logan frowned at the familiar growl lacing her voice. It looked like his personality was making itself known again. He stepped back a bit as she bared her teeth, trying to shake off his grip.

Suddenly she was limp again, tears rolling down her cheek. “What’s happening?”

Logan cocked his head. The voice wasn’t Marie’s, and the scent of fear rolled off her in waves. Sobs started wracking Marie’s slender frame and he pulled her close, her face pressing into his chest. He stroked her hair. “Ssh darlin’, it’s okay you’re safe.”

This time when she spoke, he was pleased that the voice was definitely hers.

“My powers are back, aren’t they?”

Logan’s frown deepened and his hold on her tightened. “Yeah.” What else could he say? He held her for long minutes, until her body stopped shaking.

Marie pulled back, looking up at him. She wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I drained someone.” This time it wasn’t a question and Logan could only nod.

Marie sucked in a breath, frowning as she tried to remember and sort through the noise in her mind at the same time. “So far it’s only you up there and… Oh my god!” Fresh tears started rolling down her cheeks. She let out a gasping breath. “Helen!” She pressed her face back into Logan’s chest. “I didn’t kill her did I?”

Logan began stroking her hair again. “No, darlin’. She’s… She’ll be fine.” He hated hiding the truth from her, but now was not the time to let Marie know the girl was in a coma. He tried to lighten the mood. “Guess I should thank you for putting me down as your brother, and not your father.”

Marie looked up. “What are you talking about?”

Logan tried not to grimace at the wet mess his t-shirt was turning into. “I’m your emergency contact.”

Marie nodded absently. “Oh yeah, forgot about that.”

Logan gently pushed her back onto the pillow. “Close your eyes, darlin’, get some rest.”

Marie’s hand gripped his shirtsleeve. “Promise me something?”

Logan nodded, stroking her hair. “Anything.”

Marie swallowed back the new lump in her throat. “When they let me go, promise me we’ll get out of here. Promise you’ll take me away.” She struggled to stop the tears from spilling. “Please, Logan.”

Logan kissed her forehead lightly. “Don’t worry darlin’, I’ll take care of everything.” He looked at her. “Anything in particular you want packed?”

Marie shook her head, her eyes drifting shut as her grip on his sleeve loosened. She mumbled something, making him smile. Logan watched for a bit longer, making sure was definitely asleep before turning on his heel and stalking from the hospital room. He had to go and pack their things, trade the car for a truck and he’d come back for her. He was going to get her out of New York as quickly as possible, before anyone at the mansion cottoned on to what was going on. Last thing Marie needed right now was a nosey bunch of X-Geeks crowding around her.


Marie moaned, her dreams turning into nightmares as she relived the moment she absorbed Helen, her memories mixing with Logan’s nightmares from being turned into the Wolverine. She cried out, her eyes snapping open. Logan’s gruff face appeared, and she clutched his shirt, shaking and sweating.

Logan made soothing noises, holding her to him. “I’m so sorry, Marie.”

Marie kept her eyes open, afraid to close them again. “Not your fault.”

Logan grimaced. “I know, I just—you shouldn’t have to deal with this again.”

Marie looked up at him. “I thought it was gone for good. Three months of being ‘normal’, figured I was well and truly cured. I guess nothing in my life is meant to last.” She swallowed back the growing lump. “It’s even worse the second time around.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “The nightmares?”

She shook her head. “Not being able to touch.”

Logan kissed her, holding her to him. It was at least a minute before her mutation began to take affect. He let her go reluctantly, giving her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe this time you can learn control.”

Marie sniffed. “You think so?”

Logan nodded. “Now come on, let’s get out of here.”

Marie let Logan carefully take out the needle in her arm, before taking the clothes he offered her. She changed in front of him, leaning on him occasionally while she still tried to regain her strength. She pulled on the gloves last.

Logan tapped his temple with a finger. “How is it up there?”

Marie shrugged. “At the moment, you’re the loudest. I think you’ve scared Helen.”

Logan tried not to grin. “And Magneto?”

She shrugged again. “Still no sign of him so far.”

Logan took her by the hand, guiding her out of the hospital. He’d signed the release forms earlier, so he only acknowledged the nurse attending the station with a curt nod. Marie tugged on his hand, making him stop.

She was looking into a room. “Is that her room?”

Logan frowned. “Marie, I don’t think—”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish, letting go of his hand to walk into the room. She smiled nervously at Helen’s parents, stammering through an introduction. They smiled sadly, the mother giving Marie a hug. Logan hung by the door, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her talk to them. The mother was wiping tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. The father kept his eyes on his daughter, not really acknowledging his wife or Marie. Finally Marie looked at Helen, her hand flying to her mouth as the mother told her that she was in a coma.

Logan smelt the tears before they fell down Marie’s cheeks, quickly walking to her side and putting a protective arm around her.

“You didn’t tell me,” she whispered. Her voice held only a little accusation, but it was enough to have Logan feeling guilty.

“Was waiting for the right time.”

She looked up at him. “And when would that have been?”

He shrugged. “Years from now?”

Marie didn’t laugh. “I’m so sorry.”

The mother looked at her. “What for, sweetheart? You didn’t do anything.”

Marie opened her mouth, and then closed it. Now was not the time to be outing herself as a mutant. “I’m still sorry.”

The mother nodded. “You’re a kind girl.” Her eyes fell back to her daughter. “Just like Helen.”

Marie gave the mother a brief hug, following Logan out of the room. She didn’t say anything until they were in the truck.

“I never got to say sorry to David’s parents.”

Logan looked over at her as he started the engine. “Does it help?”

Marie met his gaze. “Honestly?”

He nodded.

“A little. But it still hurts, knowing that I did that.” She turned to look out the window, watching the buildings as they went past.

Marie sat curled up on the sofa. An open book lay long forgotten on her lap as she watched the rain come down outside, the water beating against the window. She turned her head at the sound of the door opening, smiling at the sight of Logan shaking the rain from his hair. He set the paper bag on the table, returning her smile as she closed the book and set it aside to make her way over to him. The long grey sweater she wore stopped just above her knees, and he looked at her legs in appreciation before wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

Marie buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent before releasing him to grab plates for the Chinese food. She set the mismatched crockery down on the little table in the small kitchen area, giggling as Logan snaked an arm around her waist and nuzzled her hair. He released her to grab two beers from the fridge, sitting as she opened the bag of take-out.

The sound of the heavy rain outside filled the comfortable silence they shared, interrupted only by the noises of satisfaction Marie occasionally made as she savoured her meal.

Logan brought the bottle of beer to his lips, pausing when she looked at him.

Marie’s chopsticks hovered over her plate as she looked at him thoughtfully. “I think I’m ready.”

Logan took a long sip, regarding her. He knew what she was talking about, but asked the question anyway. “Ready for what, darlin’?”

Marie picked up some chicken and popped it into her mouth. “To go back. We’ve been here long enough. I’m ready.”

Logan nodded. “We’ll leave first thing tomorrow.”

She looked at him, slightly surprised. “You don’t mind?”

He chuckled quietly. "Marie, we came to Seattle for you to heal, I wasn't expecting it to be a permanent change. If you think you're ready, we'll go back."

Marie reached across, stealing some of his pork. “You’re not even going to ask?”

He tilted his head. “Ask what?”

“If I meant the mansion or college.”

Logan picked up his beer, taking another sip. “Doesn’t matter much to me, so long as it means you’ll be happy.”

Marie smiled, nodding once as if that concluded the conversation. “Good. So, can I have some more of your pork?”

Marie entered the mansion's kitchen and paused to take a long look at Logan while he worked under the sink. His muscles rippled under the singlet he wore, his movements punctuated by the occasional grunt of frustration.

“We’re not even back a day and they got you working already?”

Logan grunted loudly, cursing at the uncooperative pipe, “Not even getting paid for this either. Some bullshit excuse about it being good for the team.”

Marie bit her lip in an attempt to stifle her laughter. She leaned back against the counter, her gaze fixing on the bit of flesh exposed as the singlet worked its way up. “You get breaks?”

“Probably, right now I just want to get this fucking thing fixed.” Logan hit the pipe angrily, emphasizing his frustration, before the banging suddenly paused. His tone was slightly suspicious as he spoke to her, “Why do you ask, darlin'?”

Marie shook her head, “No reason, I was just thinking about stuff.”

Logan threw the wrench down and pulled himself out from under the sink before raising an eyebrow. “What stuff?”

She walked over to him, carefully positioning a foot on either side of his hips, “Oh, you know...” she hedged before moving her hips a little, hinting where her train of thought had taken her.

A deep, rumbling growl emanated from Logan’s chest, and he grabbed her hips to pull her down on top of him. “We’re not even back a day and already you want to fuck in the kitchen?”

Her hands ran over his protected chest, her gloved fingers softly pulling at the chest hairs protruding out over the top, “This is a school, right?” She kissed him briefly, “Just giving them a little extra education.”

Logan groaned as she peppered quick kisses over his jaw, her lower body gyrating against his, “The door's still open.”

Marie looked at him, smiling as his hands started wandering toward her ass. “What’s the matter, sugar? Afraid of getting caught?” She nipped at his throat, her tongue darting out for quick tastes. “Or maybe getting kicked out?”

One of Logan’s hands tangled in her hair, pulling her back far enough to look at her with smouldering hazel eyes. “Considering no one said two words at you moving into my room, hardly think they’re gonna kick me out just for fucking you in the kitchen.”

Marie moaned as his other hand gripped her ass, pushing her against his growing erection.

Logan smirked, licking the tender flesh of her throat, “I just don’t want anyone else getting a look at you.”

Marie gasped as his licks became quick nips that bruised her flesh, “Then I guess I should go close the door.”

Logan nodded, now occupying himself by kneading her breast through the top she wore. He growled when she shifted, and got to her feet. Closing the door quickly and flicking the lock for good measure, she giggled as Logan's arm wrapped around her the moment she was close to him. He pinned her between the sink and his body, eyes dark as his hands slid down her sides to toy with the hem of her short skirt. His fingers slid up and under it, making a noise of approval as he felt her already wet. Marie’s head fell back as he began massaging her, her gloved hands gripping tightly onto his muscled shoulders.

Logan dipped his head, his mouth coming close to her ear, “Wish I’d known about your fetish for sex in the kitchen before, would have fucked you in here a long time ago.”

Marie turned her head, her lips brushing against his. “Not so much the place, as the company.”

Logan smirked, his ego inflating at the knowledge that he, and he alone got her this wet. “So how do you want to do it, darlin’?” He could think of several ways, but he was giving her the chance to decide.

Marie’s breath became ragged as he increased the pressure. “I want you…” she trailed off, her breath hitching as the tension built up in her body, "I want you from behind." She flushed as the words came out, biting her lip as she watched his face.

Logan’s expression didn't change as he kissed her briefly, struggling to keep the predatory grin off of his face, and his nostrils flaring at her obvious arousal at the thought. Who was he to deny her?

“On the floor, or against the counter?”

Marie was having trouble focusing on his question, her body already beginning to shake as he continued to tease her clit. “Counter.”

She moaned loudly, her body tensing with the onset of orgasm. Her eyes opened to slits as she realised they were moving, but she didn’t care as long as his hand was still between her legs, his fingers still massaging her clit. She placed her hands on the hard surface, allowing Logan to position her just right. His hand disappeared from her legs and she huffed in annoyance.
Logan ran a hand down her back, gripping her hip as he released a claw on his other hand. Marie tensed slightly at the sound- but trusted him not to hurt her, as one quick flick of his wrist cut a slit in the stockings she wore. His hand slipped back around her waist, his fingers resuming their ministrations as his free hand took a foil packet from his back pocket. He popped the buttons on his fly, freeing his throbbing erection. Tearing the condom wrapper with his teeth, he could feel Marie begin to pulse under his touch as he sheathed himself in the protective latex. He took his hand away, ignoring her vocal protests as he gripped her hips, and positioned himself at her entrance. Her protests caught in her throat as he plunged into her, burying himself in one thrust. He pushed against her hips, pulling out only to thrust back in seconds later, Marie moaning loudly all the while. She began matching his rhythm, clenching around him with each thrust. He grunted, his hands moving up from her hips to her breasts, and teasing at the taut nipples through her cotton top. Her breath came out in puffs, each thrust now punctuated by a moan. Logan felt her shudder around him, and he put his hands back on her hips, gripping them harshly as he slammed into her. Marie cried out his name as she climaxed, Logan following her shortly after, grunting as he bit into her shoulder and bruising her skin. He stayed inside her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he whispered into her ear, his words making her smile.

“Me too, sugar.”

He pulled out of her gently, and turned her around to face him. Her gloved fingers stroked the surprisingly soft hair on either side of his face, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Her lips brushed against his and she gave a contented sigh.

Logan nipped her fingers as her caresses neared his mouth, “You handling life so far back at the mansion?”

Marie nodded. “Yeah,” she smiled broadly, “love the fact that I'm sleeping in your bed.”

Logan watched as her smile faltered slightly. “But?”

She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Hate having to wear all this stuff again.” She wiggled her gloved fingers.

Logan kissed her forehead, his hands running through her silky mane. “I know, darlin'. But Hank said he'd help you, right? Try and work out some sort of trigger?”

Marie looked up at Logan, nodding. She'd seen his eyes glaze over while they'd met with Dr. McCoy, but she had appreciated the support, “Yeah.”

Logan stepped back, placing the used condom in the trash and buttoning himself back up. “At least you got that whole online study thing going on, right? Not like you're giving up your other life completely.”

Marie nodded, her fingers hooking over Logan's belt and pulling him closer again. “And it's not like I don't have you.”

Logan kissed her a bit longer this time, holding on for a few seconds even after her mutation activated. “You'll never have to worry about that, Marie. You're stuck with me.”

She gave an exaggerated sigh, pulling a face. “Now you tell me. I thought I'd made it clear from the beginning that my interest in you is purely physical.” Her lips curved into a wicked smile, “I only want you for the sex.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, his eyes already turning dark as he breathed in her scent.

“Is that right?”

She nodded, “Yep. And as my paramour, I feel that it is your duty to let me have my wicked way with you in every room of this mansion.” She paused for a moment, considering her words, “And the grounds.”

Logan looked at her, fighting back the urge to growl as she pushed her hands against his chest.

“But first, you should probably finish that little handyman job don't you think?”
With a wink, she sashayed over to the kitchen door before unlocking it and slipping out—a satisfied grin plastered to her face.