At the tail end of the briefing, Professor X asked for comments from Iceman and Rogue, the newest members of the X-Men. The first words out of Rogue’s mouth were: “I want to learn how to fly.”

The team was still solemn in the wake of Jean’s sacrifice at Alkali Lake, but that bold and rushed statement did cause Storm and Iceman to smother grins behind their hands. Professor Xavier, refined as ever in an Armani suit, nodded his acquiescence.

“Yes, another pilot would be most helpful.”

Rogue, who had been on the edge of her chair for the entire meeting, relaxed a notch. She could handle death, and was grieving for Jean in her own way…but the fact that the lives of the entire team had been in her hands when she made the decision to fly a jet that she had no idea how to control, well…her priorities as a member of the X-Men were clear. Learn how to fuckin’ fly the plane.

A knock sounded on the door. Before anyone could stand up, a head poked through the wood.

"Knock knock. Don’t bother getting up.” A girl, no more than sixteen, walked straight through the closed door, a file folder tucked securely under her arm. “I got it, Professor!”

Charles Xavier smiled. “Good work, Miss Pryde.”

---

The team returned from their successful mission to the Oval Office; it was also Iceman and Rogue’s first mission as official X-Men. Rogue wriggled out of her uniform, the leather still stiff and hard to move in. She showered and changed back into her street clothes; jeans, a tight black t-shirt with a plunging neckline, and black opera gloves. She’d managed to get a grip on her mutation in the last few days, could control it for long periods at a time, but wasn’t ready to ditch the gloves completely.

He met her on the way out of the women’s ready room.

“Hey.”

She looked him up and down. He was in his standard uniform of tight jeans, a white undershirt and a leather jacket. His hair stood up in wild spikes, and his distinctive facial hair needed grooming. He looked exhausted.

“Hey yourself.” He had been distant the last few days, mourning Jean’s death in private. Rogue was wondering when he was going to turn up at her doorstep; he always did.

He rubbed a hand over his face, sniffed once. “Can we talk?”

---

She flopped down in the overstuffed armchair that was shoved into the corner of his quarters, he cracked open a window and stood by it, smoking a cigar.

“What’s up?

“I’m not sure I want you on the team.”

Her eyebrows hit her hairline. “Excuse me?”

He stubbed out his cigar and sat on the bed opposite her, hands clasped between his knees. He looked at her from under furrowed brows and she realized for the first time how close he was to losing it. He looked like an animal in a cage, on the verge of panicking.

“I already lost Jeannie. I can’t lose you too, kid.”

Her heart lurched at the raw pain in his hazel eyes. She assured him. “You’re not going to lose me.”

His teeth clenched. “I almost did. You…on the plane…you fell out of a fucking plane, Marie. You could have died.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Jesus, Marie…how can you be so nonchalant? Weren’t you scared?“

She slid out of her comfortable seat onto the floor, kneeling in front of him.

“I was scared, at first. But then I just…wasn’t. I knew someone would save me.”

“You didn’t know Kurt could teleport.”

“Yeah…but I knew a wolf, a powerful telepath and a weather goddess wouldn’t leave me to die.”

“Marie…you can’t go through life depending on people.”

She sighed. “I know. But I can depend on the X-Men.”

He was a loner by nature; he wasn’t used to caring this much about anyone and it was eating him alive. Because she knew he wouldn’t, she slid her hands around his back and caught him to her in an impulsive hug. He returned the embrace with equal strength and let the last week of chaos and exhaustion wash over him. So much hurt and loss. Logan wasn’t trembling so much as twitching every now and then, an involuntary muscle spasm. It was the closest to losing emotional control he would allow. His arms were anchored around her back, her hair a fall of chocolate and snow-white silk against his cheek.

He wasn’t sure he meant to kiss her but he was burying his face in her hair, losing himself in her warm and comforting scent; her hair parted and then his mouth was against her bare neck. The animal was so close to the surface that before he could help it he licked her neck, tasting the salt of her skin.

She pulled away, staring at him with eyes so dark they were almost black.

“I’m sorry, kid. I didn’t mean…it’s late, you should go.”

She stood slowly. “You’re right. It is late.”

He watched her move to the door. Instead of opening it, she locked it and in one smooth motion drew her shirt over her head. He growled softly as she sauntered back to the bed, standing above him in her black lace bra, jeans, and super long gloves. One by one she peeled the gloves down her arms.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said raggedly, the animal in him straining against the tight leash of desire.

“I know.” Rogue straddled one of his legs, draped her arms around his tense shoulders. She glanced pointedly at the bulge in his groin.

“We can’t.”

“We can." She bent and bit him softly on the throat. Instinct made him catch her mouth with his as she leaned back. His lips crushed hers cruelly before he regained control and pushed on her shoulders.

Now his growl was rough. “I don’t wanna use you, kid.”

She licked her lips, swollen from his kisses. “Why do you think you’d be using me?”

“A few days ago I was kissin’ Jeannie.”

Rogue shrugged. “So? A few days ago I was kissing Bobby. If you’re using me then I’m using you, sugar.”

Wolverine growled, low in his throat, clutching her bottom in his hands and pulling her closer even as he tried to tell her no. “So why aintcha with Iceman right now?”

“I don’t want him. I want you. Need you, Logan, please-”

He understood about need. Suddenly it didn’t matter to him how young she was, that it might ruin the bond that connected them. They had always needed each other, now they just needed something other than friendship. They needed to be alive with each other.

He placed a hand over her breast, pressed his palm against her aroused nipple. He worked the rough fabric against her sensitive skin, grinning as she shuddered at his touch.

“Have you ever let Bobby touch you like this?” he rasped, feeling a hot surge of jealousy at the thought of another man with her.

She shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders and against his chest. “Uh-uh. Just you, only you.”

A growl from him, a dangerous and pleased sound that grew deeper as she rubbed herself against his thigh. He grabbed her hips, stilled them.

“Gotta take it slow darlin’ or else I’ll come in my pants like a kid.”

She shook her head, sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit it. “Don’t go slow. I want you to fuck me.” Her harsh whisper, honest and sweet, and his cock swelled to the point of pain. Any thoughts of taking it slow flew out the window as she moaned into his mouth, shuddered in his arms.

“Don’t move.” Out came a single claw. With a quick flick of his wrist, her bra fell away in two pieces. His mouth replaced his hand over her breast and he sucked hard at her nipple. Rogue cried out, arched against the foreign sensation of a tongue on her skin. She tugged on his shirt; he got the hint. His mouth left her long enough to tear his t-shirt over his head before it was back, trailing hot kisses between her breasts, up her throat to her mouth. While his tongue busied itself with her sweet taste, his hands fumbled with the zipper of her jeans, raking it down and pulling her pants and panties off in one strong motion. The smell of her arousal hit him like a brick; he slid a finger between her legs and it came away dripping wet.

He groaned, bucked his hips at her. “Fuck, Marie-“

Naked and in his lap, she grinned and fumbled with his belt. “Off.”

‘Off’ was right. Hands that were shaking with need ripped at his belt so hard he tore off a belt loop on his jeans. She reached for his fly but he grabbed her hands, pushed them away.

“Gotta be careful with the zipper, baby, I don’t have underwear on.”

Jesus, was she purring?

He stood. Carefully but also not slowly he maneuvered the zipper down without catching any sensitive bits in the teeth. He shoved the jeans down, kicked his legs free and crawled onto the bed with his Marie.

She placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart. “You’re beautiful, you know.”

He looked at her, really looked at her. It was dark by now and moonlight filtered into the bedroom through the blinds. Her skin was unblemished, perfect in the silver light; the white streak in her hair positively glowed. “So are you.”

Rogue grinned. “Thanks, sugar.” And ran her hand down his chest to stroke his erection. His head fell back, his teeth bared as he hissed in pleasure. Her thumb circled the head, smeared the wetness that had gathered at the tip down his length.

"Fuck.” He pulled her under him. Her knees came up, her thighs making a natural cradle for his hips. Part of him wanted to make her finish, take the time to pleasure her until her come ran down her thighs, on his cock as he poised himself to slide inside her, but the animal’s mating instinct outweighed the man’s consideration. He slicked himself along her sex before pushing inside, past her virgin barrier. He grunted; she was so tight and wet and he was so hard-

“Uuuhhh, Jesus, Logan!” Her hands clutched at the muscles of his arms. The pain was fleeting and soon her hips were twisting beneath his, trying to draw him in deeper. His animal drive responded to the smell of sex and blood, and he shoved all the way in to the hilt.

A guttural groan spilled from his lips. “There we go. Deep inside.” He grunted in pleasure as her sex dripped wet heat around him, down his balls; she was so ready for him it was obscene. He worked her hard, pounding into her so roughly her bare bottom bounced against the mattress with each stroke. Her hands found his hair, pulled sharply. He grinned in response, wrapped a heft of her chocolate hair around his fist and pulled just as hard. Her dark eyes opened, met his.

"More,” she moaned, mindless in the growing pleasure.

He flared inside of her, longer and harder than he had ever been before. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his cock, in time with the rhythm of his hips as he slammed into her again and again. Rogue twisted under him, shuddering violently. "Fuck yessssssssssssss," she hissed, "Harder, go harder!"

"Uuuhhhnnn," he groaned, his eyes fixated on the point where his body welded to hers, watching as he buried himself in her over and over again. He all but snarled the words through his sharp teeth. "So close."

Her head thrown back, eyes closed, his hands gripping the mattress on either side of her head, she began to shudder. "Please make me come, please God, fuck me, make me come," Rogue moaned.

He wasn't going to hold back, didn't plan on anything but using her for his own satisfaction, but he heard her plea, felt her body stiffen in his arms. He was going blind to everything, but managed to slide his free hand between their bodies, to where their sexes were joined, and he sought out her clit, stroked it once, twice, then pinched it hard. That was all it took for her to scream in his ear and come on his cock, hot wetness flowing down her thighs. He felt her come on him and buried himself as deep as possibly inside her, held himself there as his release took hold, spurting deep into her, crying out- "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" Eyes squeezed tightly shut; he buried his face between her breasts, collapsing in a blissful heap.

Eventually he came to his senses and felt her pushing weakly at his chest. She was gasping.

“Air…need air.”

He rolled off her, gathered her in his arms and pulled her against his side. Her thighs were wet with their combined orgasms and she was glowing.

"Sorry, sugar…as much as I love you naked on top of me, that adamantium skeleton is kind of heavy.”

He grinned, buried his face between her breasts. God, it had been a very long time for him, and it had been even longer since he’d been with someone he’d cared about. It was like chicken soup for his nerves.

Rogue stirred against him. “I should get dressed.”

Before she could roll away he grabbed her around the waist, cemented her to his body. “Why?” he growled.

She looked confused. “I was going go back to my room and get some sleep.”

His arm tightened around her, his head lowered to nip at her earlobe. “Yer not goin’ anywhere, Marie.”

“But…” She brushed her hand against his rough beard. “I’m okay if you want me to go…I’m not gonna latch onto you or anything just cause we-“

“Marie?” He was kissing his way down her belly. He was ready again.

“Yeah?” His tongue was on the inside of her thighs.

“Stop talking.”

---

"Unstoppable" by the Calling

Come and lay right on my bed, sit and drink some wine
I'll try not to make you cry
And if you'd get inside my head, then you'd understand
Then you'd understand me
Why I've felt so alone, why I kept myself from love
And you became my favorite drug
So let me take you right now and swallow you down,
I need you inside

If we had this night together
If we had a moment to ourselves
If we had this night together,

then we'd be Unstoppable

Do you think that this is right, or is it really wrong
I know that this is what we've been wanting
And all this is burning in my soul, it fills up to my throat
It fills up till my heart is breaking

Now, we can both learn
Somehow, you'll see it's all we have
Love, it keeps us together
and I need love

When I wake up without you, knowing you're not there
I'm only feeling half as good
Well I'm gonna find a way
To wrap you in my arms, you make me feel alive