Rogue shouldn't have been surprised when she opened her apartment door to find the Wolverine with her Chinese delivery in his hand. He'd become her constant companion the past week as she went about her daily activities. She'd first spotted him on Monday when she stopped by her favorite coffee shop for a latte. Then on Tuesday he was across the street when she came out of the cleaners with her laundry.

At first she thought it was a coincidence; New York City was a large place, but it wasn't so large that she hadn't seen an X-Man or two in the crowds over the years. On Wednesday afternoon she knew for sure it wasn't an accidental sighting. The Wolverine was letting her know he was following her and more than likely he'd been trailing her for longer than a week.

She was pissed with herself for not noticing. She'd become complacent, and in her line of work that was not a good thing. Rogue contemplated leaving her little studio apartment, but she'd grown attached to it and was reluctant to leave. It was the first thing she had done completely on her own, making every decision by herself down to the last detail.

Rogue had no trouble identifying Wolverine from her early years with the Brotherhood, but she'd never seen him up close and personal. The second time he was at the coffee shop, their eyes met and she couldn't look away. Deep inside her something splashed like a drop of coloring added to water that slowly blossomed until it filled her entire body.

She'd always dismissed the romantic notion of eyes meeting across the room as pure foolishness for the gullible, yet she couldn't deny something passed between them. If the smile that crossed Wolverine's face was anything to go by, he'd felt it. She hurriedly turned away only to see him smirk when she looked back over her shoulder. He knew she'd felt it too.

After giving the situation some thought she decided to make plans for a quick departure if Wolverine or the X-Men made a move against her. For the time being she'd cleared her calendar and waited for the game to unfold.

Rogue turned her attention back to the man in front of her; her gaze wondered up his body from his cowboy boots, to his faded blue jeans, topped off with a t-shirt that only emphasized his muscular build. She tried to hide the fire blossoming again; she didn't do one-night stands, but she could see herself reevaluating that policy for him. "I hope you tipped him well. He's a good delivery boy."

Logan looked her over; she was wearing lounge pants and a cami that accentuated her curves. She was the same young woman he'd left behind to change the future, and his fingers itched at the thought of resting a hand on the swell of her hip. He reined in his desire before he gave himself away. "It better be worth it."

She smiled at him this time, relaxing a little. "Well, come on in and find out." Rogue purposely turned her back on him and walked toward the kitchen area letting him close the door behind him.

Logan surveyed the apartment as he took the few steps to the kitchenette. The couch that ran the full length of her brick wall that even he would be able to stretch out on amused him. A television was across the room next to a small, wood desk and the bed was barely visible in the corner behind a bookcase and a ceiling to floor curtain.

She pointed at the counter top that doubled as a dinette, for him to put the bag down on. Rogue began to unload the food when he took a seat on one of the stools. "Lot of food for one person," he commented.

"I like leftovers, and a person never knows when they might have unexpected company." She turned to the cabinets for plates. "Besides, leftovers are easier to deal with when I'm not around much."

"So I've read." Logan had made it a priority to go through her file with a fine-toothcomb before talking with her.

She smiled over her shoulder. "I bet that file is thicker than the average beach read."

He gave a short laugh. "Not exactly light reading."

"Curiosity killed the cat," she said as she dished out food. Although Rogue was interested to hear what the X-Men knew about her, surely he hadn't tracked her down to discuss her file.

Logan took the hint and filled her in, between bites. "Raised by Mystique during your teens. Parted ways with the Brotherhood at seventeen. Dropped off the radar for a few years, though your name's been linked to a mutant named Gambit during that time. You started out with petty thefts and heists and in the last couple of years have graduated to espionage and freelance work suited to your particular skill set."

"Not too bad." She fished the last beer from the fridge and offered it to him, getting a bottle of water for herself. Rogue should have known you couldn't keep everything from the X-Men. They'd made it their business to keep an eye on any high profile mutants. Having been involved with Mystique would put her high on their list. "Anything else worth remembering."

"Assassination." That paper had made it's way into Rogue's file; but after reading the details, it didn't sound like her M.O. and Logan had shuffled it into Mystique's file with a few added notes.

Rogue shook herself from her momentary paralysis. She cursed under her breath. Since leaving the Brotherhood, and later Gambit, she'd been very careful in her selection of work. Glancing at Wolverine and his questioning stare hurt, and it irritated her even more that she cared what he thought. Damn it, why did his opinion of her matter at all?

She feigned a smile. "That's new. I don't remember taking a job like that."

Logan gave a small nod. "Didn't figure it was you," he said, before he went back to eating. He was glad to know Marie's life in this timeline hadn't turned down that road.

There was a hint of trust in his gaze and she was unsure of what she had done to earn it. Every time she looked at him there was a connection that she couldn't define, and her attraction to him wasn't just physical. When he focused on her, she felt a deeper emotional association that made her uncomfortable.

Rogue sat down and stabbed at a piece of broccoli. What on earth was this man doing to her? He was sitting in her kitchen like they got together a few times a week and had supper. Why did she like that idea? That thought was almost as perturbing as the relief that flooded her when he took her word about the assassination without batting an eye.

She rested her chin in her hand, watching Wolverine eat her take out and drink her beer like they were an old married couple. He looked pleased - well as pleased as Wolverine allowed himself to appear. She couldn't remember the last time someone trusted her and had the ability to put her at ease. In fact he was so at ease with her that her mind was racing with naughty thoughts. Rogue bit her lip; she was positive with him, she would regret none of it.

She caught the contented sigh before it could escape her lips. What did she think, this was some damn romantic movie and she'd gotten to the good part where she finds her soul mate? She hadn't been the starry-eyed in... well, ever. Not even Gambit had done this to her. Their relationship had been a simple, mutually beneficial, working partnership.

"Is this the yearly file update or some whacky new recruiting program?" She still had no answer as to why he was even there.

Logan gave a snort and almost smiled; she still had a sense of humor. The circumstances of her file might have been different this time around, but underneath it all she was turning out to be his Marie. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You want a lie or the unbelievable truth?"

Rogue had to concentrate on his question, because the alternative was something else entirely. What was it about the set of his jaw that made her want to place kisses up the length of his neck? That made her wonder if his jaw would still be set like that as she sucked on his… Answer the question Rogue! She cleared her throat; ignoring the funny look he gave her.

"I hear enough lies in my line of work. Let's try the truth first." Seeing what she and Wolverine did with their lives on a daily basis, the truth must be far fetched for him to call it unbelievable.

He took a moment and guessed the cliff note version would be better in this situation than the master's thesis. Marie had never had the patience for long, drawn out explanations. "Three months ago I was in an alternate timeline." When her eyebrows shot up, he added, "If you want I can get Hank...Beast to send over some research on the Quantum Theory of it all."

Rogue scrunched her face up in disgust. "No, that's okay, I'll take your word for it."

This time he did smile, because Marie kept showing through this Rogue in little ways. "Anyway, in that timeline you were an X-Man and we were...friends. When I discovered you weren't one of us in this timeline, I wanted to check up on you."

"What made you switch timelines?" When Rogue was young, Mystique had spun a tale that at the time she'd thought was for entertainment, but now...

"Did an odd sort of time travel to put an end to the Sentinels before they devastated the world. When the past changed I woke up with no memory of the past fifty years that everyone else remembers." He studied her; she seemed to be accepting it. They were off to a good start. He was hopeful that she was as accepting of the rest of his story when the time came.

She furrowed her brow. "Does this have to do with that mess of Magneto's back in the early seventies?"

He nodded, taking a swig of beer.

Why not she thought? She knew Mystique had once been Xavier's "sister" and grew up in the mansion with him. Was Wolverine's story any crazier?

Rogue watched him; he didn't give any hint of back pedaling under her scrutiny. But there was something off about what he'd said. Was he tracking down all the people that weren't with the X-Men in this timeline?

She closed her eyes in concentration. What had he said? "Friends? Are you looking up all your old friends and eating supper with them?"

"No," he laughed a little. "I haven't."

"Why not? Why am I so special?" Rogue curiosity was really piqued now. Why had she been singled out? What was between Wolverine and her that he made a point of reading her entire file and finding her within three months?

He lifted an eyebrow at her question.

Unless... "Next you'll be telling me we were lovers."

He didn't laugh. The whole time he'd kept tight control of his emotions, but now she caught a twitch at the corner of his mouth. She was on the right track. "We were lovers!"

Rogue wasn't asking this time; she saw the desire flare up in his eyes at her declaration. She was confident that they had been lovers in this other timeline of his. She got a small thrill out of the thought that he was at her apartment to try and seduce her.

"Are you here to seduce me? Time traveling for a booty call?" She gave him a satisfied smirk when he choked on his beer. Here was the unflappable Wolverine; from the stories she'd heard, trying not to do a spit take in her kitchen.

The choking dissolved into a laugh. "It's not like that," he insisted.

"Sure," she said, nodding slowly. "Then tell me Wolverine, why are you here?"

Logan was caught. He couldn't explain that she'd been his everything; best friend, confidant, and general reason for living. Being her lover had been a privilege, something he hadn't expected, but could no longer separate out from how he saw Marie. Friends or lovers, he needed her in his life in some capacity, and he wasn't going to get anywhere by staring her down.

Rogue pouted, "Tall, dark, and silent; huh?" Winking at him, she set down her half eaten spring roll, wiped her hands on her pants, and walked to the middle of the living area. "I'll make it easy on the both of us." She placed a hand on her hip and gave him a saucy grin. The way he looked at her put fire in her veins, she wanted to know if he could back that look up. "Come on, you know what I like. Show me what you got, cowboy."

Logan started to say something, but she'd already put all the pieces together. Marie was as sharp as ever. He wasn't sure what he expected to happen by showing up at her apartment, he had planned on taking his time and work on getting her to fall in love with him all over again. Yet there she stood challenging him, and he was reluctant to not show her.

"No, don't deny it." She lifted her arms away from her body in a non-threatening manner. "Come on, or are you all bluster?"

She would be a good poker player, she was raising the bet and it was his turn to ante up. His body was not oblivious to her challenge and he was working to control his libido. All he needed to do was display his understanding of her body, a simple touch here and there; and then they could go back to eating.

He raised an eyebrow and strode over to stand in front of her. His mind drifted back over the years, looking for the exact touches he wanted to use to elicit the response he wanted. This play was best done with subtlety.

Her lips curled up in a seductive smile, teasingly she asked, "Is there a name you want me to scream, or is Wolverine fine?"

A wolfish grin spread across his face and he began to move around her, making sure to let his knuckles brush against her outstretched fingertips. Marie used to be fascinated with his hands and he'd always gotten a bit of a thrill when she touched them. He smiled to himself. The first touch had been for selfish reasons; the rest would be about what Marie enjoyed.

Rogue felt an electric jolt shoot through her body at the slightest touch of his hand and an intense heat spread out from her abdomen. She told herself it was because it had been so long since she'd been intimate with anyone. It had been five years since Gambit and he was the last person she'd allowed to get this close to her. It had nothing to do with the fact that Wolverine sent a tingle up her spine every time he looked at her. She refused to admit he had slowly become a permanent part of her fantasies.

Logan ghosted his fingers up the underside of her arm, starting at her wrist. At the same time he inhaled her scent as he came to stand behind her; he could tell those little touches were already working their magic. His body ached from the smell of her arousal, and she was so close he wanted to pull her to him and show her what a good fit they were. Instead he whispered in her ear. "Wolverine will do, but I prefer Logan."

Her legs were trembling and she didn't think they would hold her upright much longer. He'd barely touched her, but his hot breath caressing her shoulder and then her neck had made her wet for him. She leaned back, rubbing her body into his. He was driving her toward the edge and she didn't want to waste this chance.

He placed a firm hand on her hip, letting the other hand cup her breast with his thumb slowly circling her erect nipple. She rewarded him with a small moan and he adjusted his movements to extract a second one.

Rogue suddenly turned around, not only was she pulling him down for a kiss; but she was pushing-dragging him onto the floor. She freed herself of her pants on the way down and she had his fly unzipped when they hit the floor.

Three months Logan had dreamed of this. Every night since waking up in this timeline, his body yearned for Marie. The last time he'd been able to touch her, a kiss was all they were allowed. Now she was above him, freeing his hardened cock and straddling him so he could feel how hot and wet she was. He grit his teeth as she dropped down on him, throwing her head back with a gasp.

Holy hell, it had been too long and his body was shaking with need for her. He wanted to hold back and take his time, but he could smell how close she was. Knew how far gone he was when he placed his unsteady hands on her hips.

She rose up trying to gain traction with a hand on his shoulder. He thrust upward as she ground down on him. Her fingernails dug into him when she began to moan. She was pulsing around him as he thrust into her a final time.

The white, hot explosion blinded him; setting off sparks up and down his spine. When he finally caught his breath, he was staring into her eyes.

Rogue was leaning over him, both hands on his chest for balance. She'd been surprised by the intensity of her orgasm, even now her legs shook and her thoughts were fuzzy. He had the most interesting color of hazel eyes, yet the depth of emotion there frightened her and she had to look away.

"I'm sorry." Logan brushed her hair way from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Her brain snapped to, what the frell was he apologizing for? Then out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a light flush on his face from embarrassment.

"I didn't mean for everything to happen so quickly. I'd hoped we would take it slow."

"You'll have to show me some other time." She moved to get up, grabbing her pants from the floor as she headed for the bathroom. "And maybe next time you'll get to hear me scream your name."

Leaning back on an elbow he watched her walk away. The sway of her hips made him smile. Marie was as sexy as she had ever been; her sass still in place, added to the effect she had on him.

But everything had happened in a flash, had been too brief. He remembered the 'promise' he'd made to himself in the alternate timeline. There was time now and he still wanted to relearn her curves. Since they had started down this road, why not continue?

He didn't want to let her get away, but instead build on the bond they shared. Last time he and Marie had friendship before a physical relationship. This time he would need to work it backwards.

Rogue stood for a second in the bathroom doorway putting her thoughts in order. She'd been right that she didn't regret sex with Wolverine. Logan, she reminded herself with a smile. Her only problem was how fleeting it had been. There was a promise of more than this brief encounter, yet she had no idea of how to prolong their time together without it sounding like she was begging.

Turning on her heel she gasped, stunned to find him right there. She put a hand on his chest to keep from falling into him. There had been stories of how silent he was on his feet, but she'd never believed them until now. She'd hate to be hunted by him, although that sexy smile and the uplifted eyebrow gave her the impression he was stalking her right now for a singular purpose. Maybe she wouldn't have to beg after all.

"Why wait?" he asked in a low, gravely voice with a serious edge that made her shiver in anticipation. His tone indicated that there would be nothing hurried this time. He lightly drug the flat of his nails down her spine, at the small of her back he applied a bit more pressure and scratched up the length of her back. Rogue stopped herself mid-purr and squinted at him in mock indignation.

Her mind raced for something smart and sassy, but all that came out was a small 'huh'. The desire was back in his eyes, the hard lines around them softened and a small smile creased his lips as descended for a kiss. She found that she couldn't keep eye contact with him too long, the passion there was still overwhelming. However he didn't seem to mind too much as she slowly stripped him of his clothing.

She had never been as glad as she was at the moment to have control of her mutation. Logan's hands were reverent, prayerful even, upon her heated flesh. She hadn't wanted to beg earlier; but now that he was attentive to her every moan and sigh, she had no problem sounding needy.

When he finally gave into her demand and settled between her thighs, it was all he could do to remain in control. He set his jaw and forced himself to hold a slow, steady pace. This time he was relieved Marie wouldn't meet his gaze; there was something in her eyes that would have finished him quickly.

The way she said his name, begging him for release was what ultimately did him in. He lost his rhythm as she climaxed, sending him over the edge after her.

Lying languidly beside him, Rogue idly wondered if this was simply a booty call or if Logan would want to make this a regular thing. She decided not to worry about it for the moment, as she was content to let it be for now.

Though when he shifted, untangling himself from her and began to locate his clothes; she tried not to show her disappointment. Teasingly she asked, "Had all you can handle, Sugar?"

"No," he chuckled, pulling on his pants. "I'm supposed to meet up with some people."

"You really didn't plan on this?" The other stories she'd heard about him didn't jive with this idea.

He leaned down for a quick kiss. "I thought we might talk, maybe eat together…" he trailed off shrugging and pulled his shirt over his head.

Rogue kneeled on the bed in front of him. She tugged on the hem of his t-shirt, straightening it out. "Didn't figure you'd get dessert, too?" she asked, pressing her full breasts into him as he tried to tuck his shirt in his waistband.

Stopping what he was doing, he put a finger under her chin and gently tilted her face. When their eyes met, he replied, "Marie, you've never been just dessert."

She gasped and he kissed her softly, before pulling back, sucking lightly on her bottom lip. An involuntary tremor traveled down her spine and she wanted to pull him back into bed, but he was already stamping into his boots. He left her there with a vow to be back on Sunday morning.

Sitting back, she pulled the sheet up around her. How did Logan know her name? His story had just enough truth to be real, but it hadn't mattered to her at the time. But her name, she'd never told that to anyone. She'd been young when her parents died and she ended up in a group home. While there she'd picked up the nickname, soon no one remembered her given name.

The day she walked away from the institutional family, as the staff pretended it to be, she took the name Rogue with her. Never during the six or so years with the Brotherhood did she ever tell anyone else; not even Mystique, or Gambit later on. Rogue knew that she must have trusted Logan, overly so, to tell him her name.

What was she doing? Was she dumb enough to consider a long-term relationship with someone she'd met only hours ago? Love, even content were not words she had ever associated with her life. She knew nothing of love, and contentment could lead to deadly complications in her career.

For the first time she could remember Rogue contemplated her future. She just as hastily discarded her train of thoughts as afterglow. She was a rogue. End of story.

~*~

Lay down with me;
Tell me no lies.
Just hold me close;
Don't patronize.

---

Rogue opened the door to once again find Logan with a square styrofoam container in his hand. He slipped passed her, placing a kiss on her cheek on the way. She wanted to laugh; the only thing missing was the declaration of "Honey, I'm home".

That thought was comforting and a little unsettling at the same time. He'd kept his promise, and she was glad to see him again. Possibly even a little excited about the prospects for the day, now that he was here. But she was also uneasy about where these get-togethers were leading.

Logan had put the food in the microwave and was pulling the orange juice out of the refrigerator. He reached into the cabinet and smiled at the jelly jars that double as glasses. There seemed to be a few things that were hardwired into a person's subconscious.

Sitting down opposite him, she scrutinized the large chunks of deep-fried…something. "What are these?" she asked, picking one up.

"Cinnamon roll pieces, dipped in French toast batter, then deep fried. Thought you might enjoy it." He took a bite and raised an eyebrow at her.

Cautiously she nibbled the chunk in her hand. Her eyes went wide and she quickly took a larger bite. "Oh my word! Where on earth did you get these?"

A smile of satisfaction crossed Logan's face. "Little café in Wyoming."

"I would have thought the South for sure. Gambit knew all the best places and there was never anything like this."

They ate in silence. Logan had wondered at her connection to Gambit, what had made her leave the Brotherhood, and led her to Gambit. "Remy LeBeau?"

Rogue licked the maple syrup from her fingers and simply nodded. He noted that there was no accompanying emotion connected to the name. He prompted again. "How did you end up with Gambit?"

The corner of her lips quirked up a little at Logan's interest. "Mystique had some dealings with Gambit that ended on less than pleasant terms. When I left the Brotherhood at seventeen, it seemed the perfect way to thumb my nose at her."

She held no particular fond memories of Remy, he'd been a part of her life and she'd moved on. "What's to know? Gambit taught me to use finesse and helped me polish my image." She shrugged a shoulder. "It was … nice while it lasted."

Once again Logan noticed the lack of feeling, even her choice of the word nice was devoid of emotion. He had to wonder how much of the past Rogue remembered this way. Was there anything in her past remembered warmly?

She'd risen to take the empty plates to the sink. The smile playing at the corner of her lips again. "You wouldn't be jealous of Gambit, would you?"

He snorted at the thought; he was with her now and that is what mattered. "Darlin', I don't do jealous."

Sauntering around the counter, Rogue climbed onto his lap. Stroking a sideburn, she laid her Southern accent on thick. "Not even a little, Sugar?"

The amusement left his eyes and was replaced with a fierceness that surprised her. "No." His voice with heavy with the same fierceness and left no question as to ever playing a game of that nature with him.

A possessive arm snaked around her waist, pulling her to him. Capturing her lips, he thrust his tongue into her mouth. After her initial astonishment at his suddenness, she relaxed, letting him show her what he wanted. The kiss was hard and demanding, like nothing she'd experienced before.

When she pulled back for a breath, he let out a low, rumbling growl that sent a shiver through her. "Mmm…" The lines around his eyes softened and he seemed to be fighting an internal battle. Rogue didn't know the battle, but she knew she wanted him to continue what they started. The kiss and the firm grip of his hand on her inner thigh were intriguing.

Logan wanted to tell her he loved her, but he wasn't sure she would understand yet. He didn't want to spook her and end up starting all over again. Instead he would do his best to demonstrate his need for her.

It didn't matter what timeline it was, this was Marie; she was the same person. Her smell, her personality; might be in slightly different proportions, but she was still his and he was hers.

He adjusted his hold on her and stood up, cradling her. Another growl of satisfaction escaped at her squeal of delight. He made his way to the bed and none too softly deposited her on it. The desire in her eyes inflamed the fire in him.

Rogue squirmed under his gaze and felt the rush of heat between her thighs. His nostrils flared and she noticed for the first time the animalistic tendencies he normally kept caged coming to the surface.

"That's a nice outfit." Logan's voice was raspy, barely containing his need. "If you want it to stay that way, you best take it off."

He'd already shucked his boots and shirt, and was unbuckling his belt when his words sunk in. Quickly she shimmied out of her pants and was pulling her top off as he kneeled beside her, cock proudly jutting out from his body. Her stomach tightened in excitement, she knew this was going to be different from their last encounter.

With one smooth thrust, Logan entered her. She titled her head to the side with pleasure, baring her throat to him. He closed his eyes to her pale flesh, he was barely holding on as it was.

She readjusted her body beneath him, and he gave up all pretense of trying to remain in control. The fervor that was driving him left no room for softness. He retained enough presence of mind to not draw blood as he bit her shoulder when he came the first time.

Later Rogue got a small thrill from the bite and finger shaped bruises on her body. They'd been frenzied in their lovemaking, he'd been rough and she'd reciprocated with a wildness she didn't know she possessed.

She'd marked him as well; no one would ever know, but she knew every scratch and fingernail crescent she'd placed on him. There had even been an odd gratification as he hissed out a breath when she'd bitten his chest. He knew he'd been marked, too.

Her smile faded. What on earth was she doing? Her need for Logan, for his touch, his mere presence; was disturbing. A rogue did not develop sympathies.

The sounds of Logan rummaging through her fridge for leftovers greeted her when she opened the bathroom door. Rounding the corner; she saw him, still naked, piece of half-eaten fried chicken in his hand. He raised an eyebrow at her, even white teeth tearing another bite from the drumstick.

She could handle this situation without emotions being involved or her feeling the need to run. It would start with a nice leisurely afternoon of sex with Wolverine.
~*~

I'll close my eyes,
Then I won't see
The love you don't feel
When you're holding me.

---

Rogue stared at the number then back at the boy sitting across the room. This job was supposed to be nice and easy. Find a mutant runaway, return him home, and collect the cash. Easy peasy.

Finding the boy was simple enough, getting him 'home' was turning out to be the hard part. The client had lied about almost everything, except the boy's name. No surprise there. Alex turned out to be a telepath who didn't want to go back to the client's house. Nor did he want to go home to his real parents in White Plains.

"Yeah," Logan answered on the first ring.

"Hey," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm at your place." His voice was low and sexy, hinting at something else.

Reflexively she smiled; her apartment had become their usual meet up place. "Maybe later, right now I need a favor."

"Shoot."

"A young, telepathic friend of mine needs a lift to Xavier's." Rogue was taking a chance that the X-Men would take in a kid she called a friend. They had no reason to trust or help her.

"Where are you?"

Rogue gave him the address of a café a couple of blocks away that should be mostly empty this time of day. "And Logan?"

"Yeah."

"Not you. He's already iffy about this plan. I don't need your-growly-self scaring him off." She heard Logan's snort of laughter.

"Got it, Darlin'."

An hour later as Alex finished off his second order of fries, two women entered the café. Rogue identified the older, redhead as Jean Grey; however the younger woman with her Rogue couldn't put a name to. She was momentarily perturbed with herself for not keeping up-to-date with the identities of the younger X-Men. Even though she went to great lengths to make sure none of her jobs involved dealings with the X-Men, she shouldn't be so lax in that department.

Rogue pasted on one of her best business smiles and hoped Alex wouldn't pick up on her distrust.

Jean strode over to them purposefully, acting as if she were meeting old friends for lunch. "Rogue, I'm Jean Grey and this is Kitty Pride." Alex eyed them wearily as they sat in the chairs on the other side of the table. "Logan mentioned you had a friend who needs a place to stay."

Rogue had to give Jean credit, she was calm and to the point. This was obviously not her first time picking up a scared mutant. Rogue turned her attention to Alex. "Logan is the friend I told you about, they all live upstate at the same place."

Kitty's brows knit up briefly in confusion. Jean's smile never faltered and Rogue suspected that Jean was aware of what kind of friend Logan was. She quashed the uneasiness that came up at other people knowing about her and Logan.

"What about you? You're not coming?" Alex asked Rogue. Kitty shrugged and Jean turned up her smile as if she were inviting Rogue along.

"Not today, Alex. But you have my number and you can call me if you need to." Alex squinted at Jean and then nodded to their own private conversation.

There was more talk about the school and the other mutants that lived there. Rogue was positive she was leaving this boy in caring, capable hands. She only hoped Alex took full advantage of the chance he was being offered. After watching the three of them drive off in the school's SUV, Rogue started the walk back to her apartment.

Rogue wondered about Kitty Pryde; they were about the same age and might have been friends if she'd ended up at Xavier's. Could she have turned out like Kitty, helping others instead of being like Mystique and only helping herself? She didn't want to think about how her life could have been different.

By the time she unlocked her apartment door she was in a sour mood. Logan threw her a smile over his shoulder from the stove. He didn't have a key and right then she didn't want to know how he'd gotten in. Probably sweet-talked the Super's wife.

Slamming the door, she marched passed him to the refrigerator. A quick glance told her he was cooking steaks and frying potatoes with bacon. Damn him and his need to take care of her.

Yanking a bottle of rum out of the freezer, she poured two fingers worth in a glass. Unceremoniously she downed the liquor and refilled the glass. Logan tossed her a questioning look. "Might want to slow down."

He'd received a text from Kitty to let him know everything had gone smoothly. The hand-off of the kid shouldn't be the reason for Marie's agitated state.

"Screw you," she scoffed, downing the second drink of rum. She glowered at his patient smile, but put the rum back after pouring one more measured drink.

"Maybe later," he replied, putting the steaks on plates next to the potatoes. "Right now, how about you put some food with that liquor." When they sat down to eat Logan switched his tea and her rum.

Rogue felt like sulking. He was right of course; the last thing she wanted was for him to be holding her hair back while she puked. He'd do it too, of that she was sure. Maybe even rub her back the whole time.

She could count on her hand the number of times she'd gotten tipsy, never drunk. Alcohol loosened her tongue; therefore she was careful how much she drank on the job. She would be a talkative drunk and that was never in her best interest. In private, she rarely had the two drinks she'd just downed that close together.

Her anger ebbed slightly; she wanted to be mad at the world, but Logan had fixed her favorite foods and she couldn't find the energy to be spiteful to him. He'd even cooked it perfectly, the bacon and potatoes crisp and the steak rare. It was these little things that made her think he knew her better than he let on.

They hadn't talked much about their supposed time together in his alternate timeline, but she was beginning to suspect there had been more to the relationship that simple "lovers". What if… No, there were no what if's for her, her past was what it was. Not everyone had the luxury of changing the past for the better.

There was a fire burning a hole in her gut that had nothing to do with the rum she'd consumed. "Is this a reward for making the right choice?" she asked, finally letting the bitterness at her past spill over.

Logan peered at her from under his eyebrows. "No, if you remember I was here when you called."

Rogue glared down at what was left of her food, the food he cooked for her, and turned her anger elsewhere. "Damn people anyway. Always trying to take advantage of some kid on the streets."

He said nothing, figuring this rant was fueled as much by her past as the day's events. She'd gotten up and was pacing the floor. He gathered from her continued venting that life with Mystique was tolerable as long as she was useful. Apparently, she'd outlived her usefulness when one of Mystique's schemes went horribly wrong and Sabertooth almost killed Rogue. She was only alive because Sabertooth was careless. Rogue had fled with her life, Creed's memories, and the stripe of white in her hair.

When that was out of her system she slowed down, but continued on about general unfairness. Logan had to smile at the way Marie waved her arms around; the way she gestured when she was upset reminded him of the past. The first time he'd seen her in this timeline he'd worried about her being too different from the Marie he loved. However, these episodes reassured him that the woman before him, no matter what her life experiences, was his Marie.

Rogue finally trailed off and cast a glance over at Logan. The way he was looking at her put butterflies in her stomach. What was it? Stepping closer, was it …adoration? This was new. No one had ever looked at her with anything that even came close to this.

She started to brush past him and he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "You're beautiful when you're angry."

Rogue sucked in a breath. The hard lines of his face softened and a smile played at the corner of his mouth. She thought he was going to declare his love. In a panic, she crashed her mouth on his.

If not for his quick reflexes the stool he'd been seated on would have been kindling underneath them. He returned the kiss, and let her take the lead.

Since he was giving her free rein, she pushed him further back until they hit the wall. That look was still in his eyes and she was determined to rid him of whatever notion was floating around in his head. This wasn't about love, this was sex.

Breaking the kiss, she scowled at his buckle when it refused to budge. Logan took the opportunity to nibble his way down her neck. He'd noticed she seemed intent on proving something to him and he made a mental note to talk with her later. At the moment, he didn't think he could slow her down for a straight answer.

She finally won the struggle with his belt and shoved her hand down his now open jeans. Pushing the denim down, she sank to her knees in front of him.

Rogue would show him that she was not to be cherished. Cupping his balls, she began to stroke his already hardening cock. She flicked her tongue across the head and was rewarded with a grunt. Needing no further encouragement, she took him into her mouth.

She found satisfaction in his hands balled tightly next to the straining muscles of his thighs. His eyes were squeezed shut and his jaw set like she remembered the first day they ate together.

"Marie…stop…" he panted hoarsely. She continued her ministrations despite his attempts to pull her up and away from what she was doing to him. He gave in when she sank her nails into his hip, signaling her determination to continue. He came biting his bent index finger to mute his coarse cry.

Sitting back on her haunches, she studied his face. She hoped she'd erased any trace of affection he might want to show her. She left him, breathing heavily leaning against the wall, and walked to the bathroom. A shower would help her clear her mind and decide on where to go from here.

When she was finished she took her time. He was out there waiting for her; after all she hadn't heard the apartment door. She hadn't come up with a plan to deal with what she'd done, either. Her options were limited since she hadn't bothered to bring clothes in the bathroom with her.

Hoping for the best she opened the door and was greeted by a fully clothed Logan stretched out on her bed. His head was resting in his hands and the look of adoration was still in place.

As she saw it she had two choices. First, she could completely ignore him and go about getting dressed. Second, she could go on the attack. Rogue chose the second option and crawled up on the bed next to him. After a quick survey, she straddled his hips. He gave a low growl and she put her lips to his in a forceful kiss.

He could see that this was headed down the same road as earlier; he needed to head her off and take control of the situation. He secured her in his arms and rolled over so he was on top. Pinning her with his weight, he broke the kiss and placed a soft fleeting kiss at the corner of her mouth. Then he placed the same kiss on the other side. She turned her head to try and kiss him, but he backed away.

Squirming underneath him, she made a frustrated sound. "Do you want up?" he asked, fully prepared to turn her loose if that is what she wanted.

He could see the confusion in her eyes turn to panic when he thought of saying he loved her. It was obvious he had a telltale sign Marie had decoded.

Was he rushing things or did she not reciprocate his feelings: Perhaps it was the alcohol she'd consumed?

Slow and easy, Logan would tell her how he felt without using the one word she seemed to fear. He kissed his way down her body, whispering how he longed for her closeness, and how he missed her when he was gone.

---

Logan had said he loved her, but she'd put it down to sex talk. Rogue had lain half on him, playing with his hair trying to make it lay flat without success. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the hard lines around his eyes soften and a smile caressed his lips. "I love you," he said sleepily.

He could have meant almost anything. I love what you do to me, I love the way you feel underneath me, or that he enjoyed sex with her. It could have been a million different things that had nothing to do with his feelings for her personally.

Yet Rogue lay awake in the early morning hours thinking it over. What exactly were Logan's intentions toward her? A little peek wouldn't hurt; he probably wouldn't even feel the tiny pull it would take. Lightly she skimmed her fingers over his bicep, letting her mutation pull at his skin. She broke contact when he shifted in his sleep, mumbling as he did so.

Lying quietly beside him, she waited for his breathing to return to a normal sleep quality and his heart rate to even out. Shit! She could hear his heart beat, could smell the perspiration that had dried on his skin from sex. Everything was clearer, sharper; painfully so.

This was only a small taste of what Logan dealt with on a regular basis and Rogue was having problems sorting it all out. One of his thoughts came to the front and she now understood his affinity for cigars and alcohol. It helped to dull his senses enough to deal with all the information. She was positive drinking and smoking in the wee hours of the morning would be a dead give away to her indiscretion.

Instead she concentrated on the rhythm of her own heart until she gained the equilibrium to sort out his thoughts and memories. The first distinct thought that separated itself from the jumble she'd absorbed was about her. Logan thought she smelled like summer, like sun-kissed skin and rain on a hot afternoon. The Marie of his old timeline smelled the same, maybe a tad more rain, but the same.

Most of his well-defined thoughts were of her and Marie of the other timeline. He viewed them as the same person; the mix of traits were slightly different, but she was his Marie and he loved her. This was the emotion she kept seeing in his eyes. It ran deep and intertwined with who he saw himself as, what he thought kept him human.

Rogue hastily left his side and started the shower hoping the hot water and steam would help her drowned out his feelings for her. If she was being truthful, which right now she had few other options, she admitted she didn't like herself or her life all that much.

She saw nothing in herself that he could love. It made no sense to her, how could he love the way her breath hitched when he was near, the way she smiled at him, rolled her eyes, and god-forbid her sass that no one liked. He'd cataloged hundreds of little details about her, of why he loved her. Everything from the way her body fit his and how she dug her fingers into his biceps; all the way down to the stripe of white in her hair and the color of her eyes. He even loved her when she was angry.

The trust he'd bestowed on her when the first met, the faith he had in her, was because he believed he understood her completely. Finally, she boxed up all of his thoughts and memories and tucked them away out of reach. She didn't want to comprehend any of those things; they should be left in the past where Marie was.

Rogue stepped out of the shower with only his heightened senses, which where quickly fading. She'd made a mental checklist of things to do this morning. First was to find a job that would take her out of town for a while. She told herself she wasn't running, but taking some time to come up with a plan. A better plan than waiting around for Logan to show up at her door.

Scratch that. First on the list was to fix a huge breakfast with lots of protein. Logan's mutation burned a lot of energy. No wonder he always brought food.

~*~

You can't make your heart feel
Something it won't.

---

Rogue knocked on the passenger window of the older SUV, holding a coffee cup where Logan could see it. He leaned over; opening the door for her, and taking the extended coffee before she climbed into the passenger seat.

"Took you long enough," he said teasingly.

Holding her nose in the air, she replied haughtily, "There are only Starbucks here, I had to find a real coffee shop."

She'd called over an hour ago letting him know she was back from her business trip. Regretfully, he'd informed her he was on a stakeout and no she couldn't distract him on this one. He'd finally agreed to a cup of coffee.

They sat in silence several minutes before he asked about her trip. "Just a little corporate espionage. Some fight over a recipe for sauce that I couldn't even taste a difference in." Shrugging she added, " What do I know? At least it paid well."

Nodding, Logan skipped right to the matter at hand. "Missed you."

She smiled over at him, "I know." It came out sassier than she'd planned, but he only snorted and took a sip of his coffee.

Rogue was unsure if she missed him like he meant. His lack of presence in her life during the past week had been noticeable, which was a first for her. She'd thought of him often, but didn't want to say it had been out of fondness. Although, when she'd arrived back in New York City she'd called him, because she had an itch only he could scratch.

Now, here she sat next to Logan, sipping coffee and horny as all get out. He'd made it clear on the phone there would be no make out session in the backseat of the vehicle. She hadn't brought him coffee to mess up his surveillance; instead she'd hoped to entice him into hurrying to her apartment once his shift was over.

However, she'd have to go about it in such a way that didn't start a discussion. There was something about his demeanor, something she couldn't put her finger on that led her to believe he wanted to talk. Talking would only lead to statements about emotional attachments. She knew from peeking at his thoughts before she left that Logan had more than a couple of emotional attachments to her. A type of affection she could not reciprocate.

Rogue was more than willing to take care of his physical needs. Physical pleasure, she could give and take as needed, but emotions were not part of her make up. Her heart was simply a muscle that pumped blood around her body. Discussing such topics would not endear anyone to her and she was positive the reverse was true too. One only needed to look around and observe the destruction declarations of love brought.

"Anything exciting happen while I was gone?" she asked, trying to turn the conversation to a benign subject.

"Let's see, drank some really good scotch with a nice cigar and kicked some ass. Nope, nothing new." She saw the spark in his eyes; for a man who wanted an uncomplicated life, he was rather complex. "How about you?" he asked.

"I got this new coat and some boots." To show off her boots, she placed a foot on the dash. The coat, a long, dark green wool that fell past her knees, had grabbed her attention when she first glimpsed it in the store window. The knee high, leather boots were a must to complete any outfit.

Logan looked over and swallowed hard. Marie had owned a coat very similar to that in the other timeline. She'd been overly fond of that coat, even when it started falling apart at the seams. It was nice to see her in it again, but the not so innocent look on her face made him suspect she'd peeked at some of his fantasies. He could see the conversation he'd hoped to have was becoming unlikely.

"Coat's a little warm for this time of year." He hoped his voice came across more nonchalant than he felt.

"It is, but I came up with a solution."

He turned back to her, brow furrowed. She was casually resting her hand, with the coffee cup, on her raised boot. His eyes traveled the length of her bare leg to her inner thigh.

He set his coffee in the cup holder before he spilled it on himself. "Marie…" he rumbled out, sounding more pleading than he intended.

Putting on a pouty look, she unknotted the belt that held the coat closed with her free hand. A coat and boots. Her entire outfit consisted of nothing more than her coat and boots. Not a stitch more. With no success, Logan tried to banish the images of Marie walking around the city in her present condition from his mind.

He stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. His body could not be willed into submission. Looking at his watch, he determined there were only fifteen minutes left before his shift was over. He could make it fifteen minutes.

Rogue smiled proudly, she'd accomplished her chosen goal with a minimal of effort. She was fairly certain he would be more than willing to scratch her itch.

Suddenly, Logan broke out in laughter. Not a reaction she had planned for. When his laughter faded, she noticed the softening around his eyes and steeled herself.

"I love you," he said with a trace of merriment in his voice.

She congratulated herself for remaining indifferent to his statement. Reaching over, she patted his leg with the patience one shows an over exuberant child. Setting her coffee next to his, she opened the door to step out. She flashed him quickly before retying her belt. "Don't make me wait too long," she said, then shut the SUV's door.

He watched her sashay her way down the street. Resting his head on the steering wheel, he wished the SUV didn't smell like Marie. If he went to her place, and he knew he was going, there would be no talking. Only sex.

Working it backwards was turning out to be harder than he thought.

~*~

Morning will come,
And I'll do what's right;
Just give me till then
To give up this fight.

---

Rogue studied Logan's tall frame stretched out on the couch. She'd almost jumped when she first spied him there in the morning light. Damned if she had yet to figure out how he kept getting into her apartment. This time he'd entered in the middle of the night, she hadn't even noticed until she walked through the living area on her way to make coffee.

Judging by the rips in his shirt and the stains on his pants, he'd been in an altercation last night. When breakfast was ready she called him. He'd mumbled something incoherent and rolled to his side. She let him be while she went about her morning routine.

Last month, when she'd gone away on business, she'd used their time apart wisely. She'd detached herself from any emotions her mutation had picked up from Logan. Those were his thoughts and feelings, not hers.

In the past, Rogue had been accused of being emotionally distant and lacking sympathy. She was sure it often seemed that way, but emotions and sympathy got in the way of analyzing a situation, kept a project from the desired outcomes. Emotions were a weakness and Wolverine of all people should understand that.

Despite him wanting a discussion when she came back, he seemed accepting enough of their current situation. Why would he want to upset the apple cart reaching for something that might be unattainable? It was best to leave good enough alone.

She'd acquiesced to his presence in her life, not an easy thing for her. Didn't grumble at his feet on the coffee table or his watching hockey. Who knew there was so much hockey on TV? In fact she'd allowed the bag he'd dropped beside the dresser to stay. The bag didn't demand conversation; it was a simple statement of the fact that he would occasionally need fresh clothes when at her apartment.

Mid-morning, Logan finally stretched and appeared a little less like a corpse. Walking over, she handed him a fresh cup of coffee after he sat up. "Long night?"

"You could say that." He gulped down the coffee, ignoring the burn, and raised an eyebrow at Marie's quizzical expression.

"Is that you?" she asked, leaning in and sniffing.

"Uh yeah, the rain took care of the worst of it."

"Must have been some fight?" She'd wanted a kiss, but was thinking it might not be such a good idea.

"Nah, short and messy. Best take a shower." He stopped at the kitchen to refill his cup and grab the bacon left on the counter before moving on to the bathroom.

"Do I need to wipe down my couch?" she yelled, after him.

---

When he exited the bathroom, Marie was laying on the bed flipping through a magazine. Turning her head slightly, she raked her eyes down his body, biting her lip at the thought of a clean Logan.

"You could have joined me," he said, eyes sliding down her nude backside. She'd gone back to 'reading' the magazine, although he could smell her growing arousal.

"Sounds nice, but not in that dinky little shower." Lazily she flipped a page, "You could lose the towel and join me."

Marie was obviously in a mood to play and he didn't mind. "I don't know, you look pretty engrossed in that article."

"You could try a distraction." She emphasized the last part by wiggling her bottom.

"I'll think about it." Logan could hear the almost silent huff as he turned back to the bathroom to hang up his towel.

She had a small smile of triumph on her lips when he returned to lie on his side next to her. However, he wasn't going to make it that easy on her, he was determined to get her to talk about something deeply personal. He made sure he wasn't touching her and waited until her smile faded in uncertainty. "Tell me what you want."

Rogue blinked several times, she rarely talked during sex. He always seemed to instinctively know how to make her feel good. She'd never though of telling him what turned her on. "You know… ," she felt her face flush.

"Maybe I want to hear you say it." It was barely a whisper against her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine. He pulled the magazine from her and tossed it on the floor. "Tell me."

Closing her eyes, she fought back the nervousness rising in her stomach. It was just sex, she could do this. "I like when…your big, warm hands are on my ass." The last part came out in a rush before she lost her nerve.

Logan placed a hand on her butt cheek, fondling it. "Like this."

"Yes, both." She moaned softly as he kneaded the other cheek. It was like telling closely held secrets. She knew Logan wouldn't kiss and tell; otherwise she wouldn't even attempt this. "Spank?" she whispered.

He growled quietly at her sharp intake of breath, after the distinct sound of his hand on her flesh. There was more he wanted to do, but he waited silently, resting his hand on the swell of her buttocks.

Rogue lowered her head to the pillow, face turned away from him. Exhaling, she said, "You're too far away."

He inched closer, pressing his erection into her hip and letting his breath caress her shoulder. What was this thing he did to her? He was always pushing her limits until she willingly stepped out of her comfort zone.

Sex with Logan was never monotonous. Hesitating in thought, she was unsure what she wanted. No one had ever asked her what she wanted, especially sexually. He was the first person she'd known that kept her interests in mind in every situation.

Confronted with making a choice, she was uncertain if she could even tell him out loud. Keep it simple, she told herself.

"Lower…move your hand lower." Rogue hoped his enhanced hearing would enable him to decipher what she knew to be barely audible.

Logan let his hand drift over the rise of her buttocks, pausing at her inner thigh until she moved her leg allowing further access. "Mmm…" His pace was agonizingly slow, but the way his fingers followed every dip and curve of her body kept her silent.

Marie lifted her hips up slightly, but he refused to do anything more than tangle his fingers in her curls. He knew she wanted more; he could feel the rising tension in her body that matched the heat of her arousal. It was important that he remain patient, this was turning out to be almost as difficult for her as admitting that she possessed emotions.

She gave a small-frustrated sound. "My…" she felt the burn spread across her face again, "…clit."

He parted her moist folds to circle a finger around her clit. Even though she sighed with pleasure, it only wound the tension higher.

Hoping Logan would take nonverbal directions, she rose up on her knees while pushing him to kneel behind her. "Please," she whimpered, "slowly."

He did as instructed, sliding into her wet heat and setting a slow rhythm that made her moan. She gripped the sheets tightly, he knew even though this was pleasurable for them both; it wasn't necessarily bringing her toward climax. Stopping, he leaned over. "Marie, what do you need?"

Resting on her elbows, she enjoyed the feeling of him pressed so closely to her. She didn't want to change positions, but her mind was muddled. "I…I don't know…"

Slipping a hand across her stomach, his fingers rubbed against her clit. He was rewarded with a gasp and a buck of her hips. "Yesss," she hissed through clenched teeth.

A few more careful strokes with his fingers and she muffled her cry into the pillow as she spasmed around him. He remained still while her breathing returned to normal.

Repositioning herself on her hands and knees, she glimpsed Logan over her shoulder. His eyes were tightly shut and jaw set. She moved experimentally, his hands gripping her hips. Soon he began to move with her.

"No," she stopped. "I want you to stay still."

His eyes snapped open, catching her looking at him over her shoulder. He grinned at her. "Okay."

She began rocking back and forth, setting a pace that made him grip her hips even tighter. When it became apparent he was having a difficult time not moving, she began to slam into him causing him to grunt. "Come for me."

Surprised by his obedience, she didn't complain as he rode out his own orgasm by thrusting into her. Her knees gave way and he rolled to the side to lie next to her. It took several minutes for their breathing to calm.

"See, talking wasn't that difficult."

Rogue knew what he getting at. "It's not the same thing."

"Why not?" he asked. "They're both about a feeling, a need."

She had no answer for him.

---

After lunch, Logan lay on the couch flipping through TV channels. Rogue joined him, molding her body to fit his, pulling his free arm around her. "Oh, that looks good."

"It looks cheesy," he commented, before finding a hockey game.

"Ugh, hockey." She mocked him by making noises as if she were dying.

He chuckled but continued to watch the game. "I could teach you the finer points of the sport."

"No, thanks." She began rubbing against him, moving his hand to her breast. "You could teach me the finer points of something else."

Logan threw a leg over her lower body drawing her tighter, restricting her movements. Placing a kiss on the crown of her head, he said, "We could simply enjoy the time together."

Sighing, she added, "We could talk."

Immediately, he shut the TV off and rearranged them so he was on his back and she was cradled in the crook of his arm. Rogue was shocked at the suddenness with which he gave her his undivided attention. Though, she supposed she shouldn't be, he'd tried to start serious conversations several times in the past month that she'd avoided like the plague.

Idly, she played with his hand. He was good with his hands, very good. They fascinated her.

She remembered watching the X-Men once when she was younger from a distance. Mystique had used it as a training exercise, pointing out the different X-Men and their abilities and weaknesses. Wolverine had been singled out as "that son of a bitch". Rogue knew even then it was because he was so deadly when he popped the claws.

Yet she lay there now, tracing between his knuckles with a finger, she knew his hands were skilled in other ways too. Such conflicting information, pleasure and pain, all encased in such a nice package.

"Can I see them?"

Logan moved the hand she'd been playing with away from her and let the claws slide out. Her eyes widened; he'd forgotten that this Marie had never seen them up close.

She examined them carefully, running a finger along the spine, heel to the sharp tip. "They're warm." He couldn't watch as she slipped her finger back down the face toward his hand. "Do they hurt? When they come out."

"Every time."

She furrowed her brow, but said nothing as he flexed and the blades slid back in. Resting her head on his shoulder, she took his hand again and inspected it even closer. "Tell me how we met in the old timeline."

"You could take a look." He offered it as a simple solution to the question, though he hoped if she did it might solve their other problems.

"No, I'd prefer to hear you tell the story." Rogue didn't want her head flooded with someone else's emotional baggage. Especially Logan's, not now that she had cleared her mind of his feelings.

She listened to the story unfold, from Canadian bar to Statue of Liberty. Propping herself upon his chest, she looked him in the eye. "You did not save my life that many times."

He laughed, "I did." Holding his hand up, he added, "Scout's honor."

"Why would you do that?" She studied him closely. He shrugged, but she saw the lines around his eyes soften. She braced herself for the words that never came. The moment passed and still she waited, her only reward was a lopsided grin.

Finally, she laid her head down on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat steadily, but the muscle in her chest, that only circulated blood, had faltered. There was something wrong with hers and she didn't know why it would choose this moment to stop working properly. It had never shown sighs of being faulty before today.

Maybe if she lay quietly for a while longer her heart would start working again. She was concerned that it had some how been crushed or that she was having a heart attack. Surely, Logan would inform her if her heart had stopped beating.

Logan looked down at her resting peacefully in his arms. He wished it could be like this between them all the time. No matter what he did Marie wouldn't discuss their relationship. She never seemed to be able to find peace in her life.

Since she'd come back over a month ago, he'd tried to play along. He'd worked hard to be content with merely being with her, thinking if he kept telling her he loved her, she'd come around.

There was a time in his life when sex had been enough in a relationship, but he found that was no longer true. Loving Marie and being loved by her had turned his old life on its ear. He knew he couldn't keep going like they were. It hurt too much. The knife piercing his heart only drove deeper with a twisting motion. This was the worst pain he'd ever suffered.

~*~

'Cuz I can't make you love me
If you don't.

---

Three whole days. Outside of the week she'd been out of town, this was the longest she'd gone without talking to Logan. Six months she'd known him and she'd reduced herself to living for the next time he stopped by.

Rogue tried not to think about that. If she did she was afraid she would find it unreasonable behavior. No, she didn't need to think about it.

Instead she concentrated on her heart problem. It still gave her random fits of palpitations. After doing careful research, discarding silly theories such as heartbreak, she'd given up caffeine. She must have been drinking too much coffee. There was no other logical explanation for the way she'd felt lately.

She'd thought about mentioning it to Logan the last time he was over. He'd been tense, almost edgy. It was possible he could benefit from giving up something too. Although, she was willing to bet his healing factor took care of all his ills.

Three days. Maybe she should call and make positive he was okay.

"Yeah." At the sound of his voice, Rogue's heart did an odd sort of flip. She found it weird, this one felt as if her heart could be working properly again.

"Hey," she replied. "I'm at my apartment."

There was a pause. "I can't come." Logan's voice sounded different, far away.

"Busy?"

"Trying to work something out."

"Will you come by when you can?" There was a lot of noise in the background and she wished for the first time in her life that someone else was safe.

"Yeah, might be a few days."

When he did show up four days later in the evening, he looked like he'd been on a week long drunk. He smelled of stale beer and staler cigarettes.

"I can't stay." Logan had never avoided anything in his life, but now he avoided her gaze. She kept searching his face for something.

He didn't want to tell Marie it was over, that he couldn't continue on this way. But he didn't think he could go on pretending anymore. If he picked up his bag she would at least know he wouldn't be around much anymore. That was what he was telling himself; because he didn't want to admit after all he'd gone through for a better future, they didn't have a future at all.

Logan had promised her the time travel wouldn't change their relationship. In the end, Marie of the old timeline had been right to doubt him.

Rogue followed him into the bedroom and almost ran into his back when he stopped to grab his bag of clothes.

"Need a change of clothes, then I'll be out of your hair." He gave a half-hearted smile.

The colored votive candles on her dresser reflected in the mirror and threw odd patterns about the room. She looked so pale in the soft light. It transported him back to the moment in the monastery when he made his fateful decision.

She placed a trembling hand on his sideburn, running a thumb over his cheek. This past month Rogue had done everything she could think of to make him tell her again. If she could just hear 'I love you' once more, the dying muscle in her chest might be jumpstarted. But there seemed to be no right combination to make him say those words.

He let himself be pulled to the bed. Logan didn't put up any argument as she pushed down his jeans and pulled up her nightshirt. When he entered her, he buried his face in her neck breathing in her scent. It brought him some measure of warmth and hope. The tear he shed at what was destroyed by changing the past was lost in her hair.

Later at the door, bag over his shoulder, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. This time she had to turn away from the depth of emotion in his eyes. The kiss tasted like goodbye. It was full of regret and sorrow, and he'd held her as if he was committing the way she felt to memory.

Rogue went to stand at the window like she always did, but this time he didn't look up. He hunched his shoulders against the cold splatters of rain. Logan had said his farewell the only way he knew how.

Why then, since she wasn't emotionally attached, did it feel as if her heart were turning to a cold, dead stone in her chest at the same instant it felt like it was going to explode?

~*~

"Yeah," came Logan's gruff greeting.

"Hey." Rogue had spent the last hour playing over in her mind what she was going to say to him. She tried several times to open her mouth to do anything more than take in a shaky breath.

Maybe if she told him she was at her apartment like she used to, he would rush over to be with her. She knew that routine wasn't going to happen again, despite the countless times that short conversation was all they needed in the past. Instead she went over and over again everything in her head until it sounded perfect and she knew he would understand. Still none of it would allow itself to be spoken.

Finally, she heard someone speak to him, a muffled voice too low for her to make out what was being said. "I gotta go." She heard a twisting in his voice.

Rogue hesitated, and when the quiet stretched on too long she said, "I'm sorry." There was so much she was sorry for, but most of all for not being willing to change, not being able to have the conversation he needed. The conversation they needed.

Just before the line went dead she thought she heard a faint, "I know".

She glared at her phone. At least he'd answered, let her listen to him breathe. It wasn't as good as when he curled around her; gently breathing across her heated flesh, but it was something.

The call time blinked off. Oh lord, he'd hung on for twenty minutes while she said nothing. Why would he do that?

Why would she do that? She was a rogue, the Rogue. She didn't let herself get attached to people.

She almost threw her phone; she really wanted to throw it. It would hit the brick wall and shatter into unusable pieces, but then she wouldn't have his number anymore. Without his number, she wouldn't be able to call him anymore. If she couldn't call him, he wouldn't be able to answer anymore. And if he couldn't answer, she couldn't listen to him breathe anymore.

Wiping a tear from her face, she stared at it glistening on her finger. This was the first time in a long time Rogue could remember crying. Logan was slipping from her and she didn't know how to get him back.

The first week after he left she'd tried to pretend that he would be back; she refused to think otherwise. Give him a few days and he would be knocking at her door, breakfast in hand. They would pick up where they first started.

The second week she was too stubborn to admit Logan wasn't coming back. She started to look at job offers to fill the time until he called, but that depressed her; she needed to be close and every offer required travel.

Rogue began to hate her apartment, down to every last detail. He'd left his mark on every single square inch of her and it, and the memories of them were everywhere. How could she possibly miss someone so much? Did Logan miss her this much and would his healing factor take care of the pain?

---

"Hello!" Rogue looked at the phone questioningly before ending the call. Her speed dial must have glitched. It wasn't like she'd been dialing that number multiple times a day since he quit answering.

At first it didn't concern her; he'd eventually pick up, he always did. Four days later he still hadn't answered and she was trying to press redial less than five times a day. She reasoned that less than five was a sane amount for trying to contact a person, anything more might be construed as stalking. Not that she hadn't considered stalking Logan.

"If you are--" Rogue hung up the phone quickly. That same perky voice again; it had to have been a glitch. He'd replaced her already. He replaced her with a bubbly woman, some tramp probably completely unlike Rogue herself.

She took a deep breath. Logan wouldn't do that. It had only been three weeks and only five days ago he'd answered to listen to her say nothing.

"Don't hang up!" came the rushed voice through the phone.

Rogue put a hand on her hip, she'd give the hussy a chance. "Okay."

"He's gone on an assignment and left his phone. Wolvie'd kill me if he knew I answered it." Rogue rolled her eyes; the wench already had a pet name for him. "I only answered because this is the umpteenth time I've heard it ring and I thought it might be important." The floozy made an expectant pause.

No way was Rogue going to say anymore then she had to. Besides it would interrupt her contemplation of assassinating this trollop as soon as she could.

"Alrighty… you must be Rogue. Kitty mentioned you two might be an item. I don't know what happened, but if there is anyway it could be fixed…"

"Uhm…" This didn't sound right. Why would the other woman want her to reconcile with Logan? And why did it no longer bother her that others knew about their relationship?

"You know Wolvie, he's all gruff and grouchy. But lately he's been miserable and is making everyone else around this place miserable." The woman stopped to suck in a breath.

"Oh." Rogue was beginning to think she'd over reacted and misjudged the perky voice on the other end of the line.

"Wolvie's always had his tragic past thing going, until he found you. I never thought he could stay in a stable relationship, but he was almost happy. Not that Wolvie's ever happy. So if you could manage to kiss and make up with him before the strain does the rest of us in, it would be much appreciated."

Rogue sighed, how did this become so complicated. What started out as a challenge to the Wolverine to prove himself, turned into a relationship with feelings she couldn't even put words to.

"Great! He should be back tonight or tomorrow."

That had to be one of the strangest phone conversations Rogue had ever been party to, and in her line of work she'd had some doozies.

Logan was miserable, too. Was he miserable enough to give her a second chance? Would she be able to tell him what he needed to hear?

Rogue's life before Logan held nothing she couldn't walk away from. Love and contentment weren't words she had ever associated with her life, maybe it was about time she gave them a try.

She had a day to make the plans she needed, real plans this time.

~*~

Rogue stood in the entrance hall of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. When she'd arrived and saw all the 'students' moving about she knew it wouldn't be as easy as knocking on the door and asking if Logan could come out and play. She'd quickly found the secretary's office and inquired after him. The secretary's smile never left her face when Rogue game her name, but she could feel the telepathic probing at the edges of the mind.

She could feel them watching her now. Not the students that passed by, but there were others, probably X-Men, keeping an eye on her. Cyclops had shown up and started a conversation with the secretary. He wasn't hard to recognize with the glasses, however he appeared too quickly after she'd talked with the secretary to be coincidence.

Rogue was too good at her job not to notice the increasing tension around her. It was best to remain casual; she continued to stare out the large windows at the autumn landscape beyond. Idly she thought she could get used to this place; even with the strain her presence was causing, she could sense the calm that could be found. There was something to be said for stability and reliability, two things her life had always lacked.

Distinctive footsteps sounded in the hallway behind her and she tightened her grip on the oversized weekend bag. She turned to face Logan as he came to a stop beside her. For an instant she wanted to drop her bag and fling herself into his arms, but she was afraid that he would not reciprocate. Better to hold onto her bag, it was safe and would not reject her.

"Yeah." Logan's voice was cool, his face expressionless. He missed nothing, not the white-knuckle grip on the bag or the green coat whose depths Marie was trying to hide in. She looked calm and collected, but her apprehension was palpable.

They stood for a while saying nothing, yet he would wait as long as she needed. Marie had come to Xavier's of all places; he could let her take her time. He knew from the last few months it was futile to push her, it got them nowhere but hurt.

Finally, Rogue forced her mouth to form the word "Hey". For such a little word it seemed monumental. She wanted desperately to kiss him; maybe she could convey her feelings to him in one touch like he did to her. But they were in a school surrounded by X-Men waiting for her to make a move and she didn't want it to be construed wrong.

"Could we talk somewhere less public?'' she asked. There was no way she could say anything with all these people watching.

Nodding, he took her bag and led her down a hall. They stood silently waiting for the elevator. Once inside, she asked, "Are you sure they want me walking around here?"

Logan gave her a wry grin. "If you want, Mystique or Magneto could probably give you a floor plan."

"Good point."

They exited the elevator and walked down another hall to the last room on the floor. A quick inspection confirmed it as Logan's suite. This upper level was quieter than the entrance hall and didn't have the prying eyes of wary X-Men. Xavier and the others must really trust Logan's judgment to allow him to bring her up to their living quarters without any further security measures, she thought. Rogue guessed they didn't really need to frisk her with two very powerful telepaths in the building.

Logan placed her bag at the end of the couch and taking her coat draped it over a nearby chair. He took a seat on the couch near the end, angling his long legs to rest on the coffee table. Most people thought of him as impatient and there were a few items that he had no patience for, but Marie wasn't one of them.

Rogue had made her way to the window. "Nice view."

He only grunted in reply. The silence stretched on, however she noticed there was no mounting tension, no push for her to spill her guts and get it over with. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that first evening he didn't mean for everything to happen so quickly. One more thing that didn't match the myth that was Wolverine.

"How long would you have hung on last week?"

"As long as you needed." It hadn't been what he wanted, but he had listened to her breathing on the other end of the phone. He knew she was thinking of him and he could believe she cared for him enough to let out a shaky breath or two.

She let her shoulders slump. Logan loved her even more than he was willing say and she was suddenly afraid what little she could offer wouldn't be enough. "I know you wanted to have this talk a while ago, but I wasn't ready. Don't know if I'll ever be ready. I'm not good at letting people in."

Clouds floated peacefully by outside the window. Rogue wished the turmoil she felt could be replaced by such a peaceful existence. She sighed heavily, something else her life had lacked. That wasn't entirely true, the time spent with Logan she had been able to grasp at contentment.

What was love anyway? Somewhere buried inside was a long ago, forgotten Sunday school lesson. Love is patient, love is kind. But what came with that? …without love, I am nothing.

Logan smelled the tears before they began to trickle down Marie's cheeks. He couldn't force her to do anything, but he could offer her comfort. "Come here."

She turned when he shifted positions. He thought she was going to refuse, or maybe even bolt from the room. Her warm brown eyes were filled with confusion and pain, but there was nothing else he could say or do to take it away. He'd tried and the most he could do right now was be a shoulder to cry on.

If she made the wrong decision at that moment she felt she would lose everything that she wanted. Logan was worth giving up her old life for, but how did she know it would work out? Could it be that was the first step in knowing what love was, involved stepping into an uncertain future with only hope to hold onto?

Rogue snuggled down into his embrace, taking strength from the support he freely gave her. In the past she would have loathed the sniffling idiot she'd become, yet that past held little for her other that mounting bitterness at life.

"I missed you." She played with a button on his flannel shirt. "I miss eating take out with you. I miss trying to annoy you while watching hockey, the smell of your cigars, your favorite beer in the fridge, and the stupid way you hang your wet towel back up so neatly."

He snorted at the last one. "Is that all?"

"No, there's another list." She burrowed deeper into him, letting out a sob. "But I don't know what love is. There is a vague memory of my parents, but it's been so long and you're the first person that has cared for me beyond what I could do for them."

"I peeked," Rogue wiped her nose on her sleeve. "At your memories."

Logan stopped rubbing soothing patterns on her back. "And?"

"It scared me, with how much you…" She placed a shaky hand on his heart.

This was her sticking point; he now understood that she couldn't see herself as worthy of love. Couldn't even think of herself in those terms.

"Love you?" he supplied.

She nodded, a sob wracking her body. The relief spread through her body, she hadn't ruined everything. There was still a chance he would be willing to try again. "I didn't know how much it meant to hear you say it until you quit telling me." Rogue looked up at him through watery eyes. "I tried to put all these feelings into physical actions. I thought the sex would be enough, because I didn't understand that you needed to hear it also."

Shifting around, she kneeled beside him, looking Logan in the eye. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to say those words out loud. And it's selfish of me to want to hear you say it and not tell you in return."

Marie was right; he hadn't wanted to admit that not hearing her say 'I love you' had been a blow to him. In the other timeline one of the things that won him over had been how freely she'd told him. Logan had even grown accustomed to her whispering those words to him around others.

"Does it help to know that I like you more than dark chocolate?" At the confusion on his face, she rushed on, "It's okay. I know I rank ahead of a fine hand-rolled Cuban cigar and a smooth aged Scotch." She held her bottom lip between her teeth in anticipation.

The hope radiating from her drained some of the tension he'd been holding onto for months. Logan was optimistic there might come a time when she would tell him once more. Until then, he would need to start looking for her declaration of love in other ways.

"There!" she sounded squeaky. He raised an eyebrow at her and she took a breath to calm her frazzled nerves. "You were thinking about saying it." That was better, and some of the pain she'd been feeling from her broken heart was fading.

"How…" he began, but didn't trust his voice to continue.

Leaning forward, Rogue skimmed her fingertips from his forehead around his eye to his cheek. "All the hard little lines soften." Her fingers traveled further down to the corner of his mouth. "And this hint of a smile plays right here." She let her hand drop. "Then your eyes fill up with… emotion and you let me in, make me feel a part of something bigger and better than myself." Closing her eyes, she continued, "You make my heart flutter around in my chest and I can't breathe…"

He watched the hope grow and a little bit of peace settle on her features. Opening her eyes, a ghost of a smile crept onto her lips. He took a chance that they might both be ready, and said the words he could no longer hold back. "I love you."

This time she did fling herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly. "I know." Being back in his embrace made her feel safe. "I like you way more than chocolate," she whispered.

Logan continued to hold her. He knew that as long as she was trying he would be able to give himself to her again. Marie had made her way to the mansion and had even talked openly about her feelings. This was a huge leap from anything else in the last month.

He honestly didn't think they would make it this far. The last time he'd seen Marie at her apartment had been overwhelmingly painful, but he'd still been unwilling to admit how much it hurt to see her and have no connection. When she had called last week he knew he made the right choice; just hearing her voice broke something inside that he didn't think could be repaired.

He'd worked hard for his face of stone and the resolve to not give in. It almost abandoned him when he saw her in the foyer; he'd wanted to take hold of her on the spot, but his gut told him to wait her out. Sitting here, with her in his lap, felt right. They had an understanding that he could work with and build on.

She sat back onto his lap, and laid her head on his shoulder. "I missed this, being with you." She started fiddling with the collar of his shirt. "I could get used to this, if you're okay with it?"

"We could give it a go." He kissed the top of her head. After a few minutes, he finally asked. "What's with the bag?"
"I had this grand plan, my all or nothing plan." Rogue looked at him coyly through the hair that had fallen across her face. "I let my apartment go and got rid of all my stuff. If we couldn't patch things up then I was going to start over from scratch."

Tucking her hair behind her ear, he kissed her softly. "You need a place to stay?"

A look of concern crossed her face and she nodded. "I didn't want to think past talking to you."

Huh, he could certain understand the reasoning behind that position, given the last few months of their relationship. He'd acted the same exact way at one point or another. "Well, you could stay here. If you think you can put up with the way I hang up my towel and telling you that I love you--"

She cut him off. "Yes!" Clearing her throat, Rogue tried to sound less desperate. "I mean, sure that would be nice."

Finally, without making a move, Logan said, "We should probably get you unpacked."

Nodding her agreement, she added, "Do we need to right now? I'm kind of comfy." He simply kissed the top of her head again. Unpacking could wait, now that she was back in his arms again.

~*~

"Couldn't you at least pretend, once in a while, that I can sneak in without waking you up?" Rogue asked, adjusting the spray of the shower. She stood under the hot water letting it melt away the ache in her shoulders.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Logan blinked at the bright light absently scratching his bare chest. "The three of you were gone a long time."

"Well, yah. We were at a mall with Jubilee." Through the glass of the shower wall, he watched her begin shampooing her hair. She talked a little louder as she scrubbed her head. "Why didn't anyone tell me that girl could shop?"

Laughing, he responded, "Didn't realize you needed to know. How did you end up at the mall anyway?"

Marie, Kitty, and Jubilee had been sent out that morning to investigate some anti-mutant activity. Before today Marie had only gone out on runaway pickups. She had a knack for making the kids understand it was a chance to get their act together and decide what they wanted out of life. Once back at the mansion, she became a fierce watchdog to make sure no one pressured the kids into anything.

"The assignment was a bust and with the mall only minutes away, Jubilee got permission to go there instead." Peeking around the glass wall, soapy washcloth in hand, she added, "DO NOT EVER get in that girl's way at the mall. Kitty had to fake a leg injury so we could eat lunch."

Logan watched her warped figure behind the glass and smiled. Jubilee had been the first person Marie had talked to at the mansion. He knew it had been hard for her to get used to Jubilee's personality, but over time and with Kitty's mellower attitude, the three of them had become friends. He knew that Marie sought them out when he was away and had even gone out for a movie or three with them.

"Anyway, supper time came and went. I swore I'd have you shred her favorite yellow jacket if we didn't stop." Rogue knocked on the glass indicating she was finished and he could step in if he wanted.

Shortly after arriving at the mansion, Logan had showed her exactly how much room the shower in his … their suite had. When he'd been gone for extended periods of time, this became her favorite place to welcome him home.

Home...huh…she couldn't remember ever using that word in connection with any place she'd lived. She couldn't deny she'd made a home at the mansion, more from Logan's sheer force of will than anything else. He'd treated her as if she belonged and was part of the staff. Everyone else followed suit.

He was still out there leaning against the wall. Maybe he needed some encouragement. "We stopped at a nice restaurant. They had the best chocolate cake I've ever had. It might take the top spot on my list." She was daring him, inviting him into the shower for a late night romp.

Rogue turned, wiping the water from her face to find herself staring at Logan's wet, hairy chest. A year later and there were still times he was able to surprise her like this. Usually when he was hunting her and she'd learned not to mind at all.

Her hand followed the water as it cascaded down his chest, over his abdomen to the base of his erect penis. Apparently, she'd pushed all the right buttons with the cake comment. A growl rumbled through Logan's chest and her eyes snapped up to his face.

"I think I need to remind you that the top of the list belongs to me." His eyes were dark with desire as he placed a possessive hand on her hip. Leaning down, he kissed her hard, walking her back into the wall of the shower.

He let her up for a breath, whatever she was going to say turned into a squeak as he hoisted her up his body. Logan pushed her firmly against the wall, adjusting her legs around his hips and kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself into him.

This time when he let her catch her breath, she said, "Not too bad, but that cake was really good." Giving her a look of mock indignation, he reached between them and rubbed the head of his erection on her wet folds. "Mmm, that's better."

He gave Marie a wolfish grin and began to ease her back down the wall. "No." she let out frantically, holding on to her current position.

"No, what?" he asked, halting her progression.

"No piece of chocolate cake is ever going to take your place." She wiggled, trying to keep from slipping further down his body. She gave a frustrated huff, "Don't make me beg."

"But I like it when you beg," he whispered, once again letting his cock slide over her sensitive flesh. She nodded acknowledgement, but moved her hand to guide him where she wanted him.

She was more than ready for him and he let out a grunt as he easily slid into her. He stood still a second finding the correct balance of her weight for the rhythm he wanted to set. Having none of it, she began to move independently of him.

He stilled her movements by flatting her against the wall. "Let me…," he readjusted them, finding the pressure they both needed. This time when he began to move she let out a small moan.

She clung to him, eyes closed, head lolled to one side in pleasure as he pistoned in and out of her. "Say it," she begged him between breaths.

He sank his hand into her hair, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I love you."

Her fingernails dug into his biceps and a leg slipped down his hip as she began to convulse around him. Crashing her lips onto his, she thrust her tongue into his mouth.

Breaking away from their clashing tongues for a breath, she nibbled her way up his jaw line. "Fuck me," she whispered into his ear, biting his lobe. He slammed into her several more times before loosing his rhythm and spilling into her. God, he never grew tired of this with Marie.

Legs and arms trembling from their love making, he stumbled back to sit down heavily on the bench built into the wall. Marie straddled his lap and gave him a lazy kiss. He leaned back against the cool tiles of the wall, resting his hands on her hips.

It had been a whole year and a handful of months since the day she walked into the mansion and back into his life. He'd never failed to be amazed at the second chance fate had given them. At first it had been bumpy, what relationship didn't have its share of potholes. But Marie had worked hard to verbalize when she could and he'd encouraged her to be open and honest.

Slowly, she'd even let the others in the mansion into her life. He suspected that she'd even sought out Ro and Jeannie on occasion for advice. Today's excursion with Kitty and Jubilee left little doubt in his mind as to the bond Marie was building there. The relationship with the men was a little harder to qualify, but if Danger Room sessions were anything to go by, they had gained her trust for the most part.

Logan had learned when to recognize that she was trying to say she loved him. Often it was a kiss on his sideburn or a squeeze of his hand when he told her. His favorite was when she stated that she liked him more than chocolate. He smiled at that thought.

He'd once walked in on the X-Women oohing and aahing over a box of expensive chocolates. Marie, knowing he was watching, had carefully selected one. Then stared at him as she sank her teeth into it. The tenderness on her face and the lust in her eyes had led to him dragging her to their room. The love making that followed was intense and though she didn't say anything he'd noticed an increase in sideburn kisses and hand squeezing when he hadn't said 'I love you' first.

Logan ran his hands up her side, cupped her perfect breasts. He shifted slightly underneath her; arrange himself so his hardening cock pressed against her belly. Damn, this place for its excellent water heater.

Rogue smiled, playing with his hair, trying to make it lay flat. After numerous attempts in the past; she'd given up believing his hair would do anything other than stand up at odd angles, no matter the length. Yet, she continued to play with his hair because it calmed him. Her, the Rogue, doing something for someone else purely because they enjoyed it. The funny things love and being loved made you want to do.

She sighed contently, not even trying to hide the fact that she was happy. Content and happy. Hell, she'd even throw in 'in love' for good measure.

After all the time she'd wasted denying that she possessed feelings at all, it no longer frightened her to admit to herself she was in love with Logan. Probably not at first in the coffee shop, but there had been something undeniable that grew into love.

Now, kneeling here on his lap in the shower, she felt light-hearted and carefree. He was running his hands up and down her sides, occasionally nuzzling her breasts, almost purring. The Wolverine; content, happy, and in love. Since the day he helped her unpack and start building a life with the other residents of the mansion, he'd been very free with telling her 'I love you'. Rogue had tried the best she could to let him know she felt the same way, but looking down at him, her heart fluttered in her chest.

"I love you, Logan."

He froze, tongue stuck out to lick a nipple. Straightening up he looked her in the eye, the surprise of it written plainly across his face. Maybe she had been able to sneak up on him. She gave him an impish grin.

Logan returned the smile. "Say it again."

She took his face in her hands, barely containing the laugh bubbling to the surface. "Do I get a reward, if I do?"

Quirking an eyebrow, he pulled her down for a kiss. She backed away, tugging on his bottom lip. "I want something bigger," she said, rising up on her knees. Slowly, she lowered herself down on his cock, and then repeated the maneuver several times.

"Tell me," he said, through gritted teeth.

She ground down onto him. "Make me."

The hands on his shoulders were shaking, her eyes full of need, but there was a challenge also. He could tell she wanted to say it again, but after all this time he was willing to play this little game with her. Logan lifted his hips away from the bench, giving her better access to his full length.

He placed his hands on her hips, locking her to him as she continued to grind down. "Marie!" He knew he was pleading, mostly whining, but he really didn't care at the moment. She'd said she loved him and he was bound and determined to hear it again.

Her head was thrown back, body quivering with effort. "Oh god, yes…I love you," she said, dragging him over the edge after her.

She collapsed on him, breathing heavy as they both came down from the high. He held her tightly in his arms; a rumbling growl working it's way up from his chest.

Rogue peered at him, a smile firmly etched on his face. It had felt good to say it, not only once but twice. "Don't get too smug, mister." Lightly, she smacked his arm. "That was sex talk."

He laughed. This had been a long time coming and he would let her play it however she needed to, because he knew it to be true. "Whatever you say, Darlin'. Whatever you say."

Burying her face in his neck, she inhaled deeply of his scent. Warmth and comfort washing over her, she knew it had taken her too long to say those three little words. But this was perfect timing for them both. "I love you," she repeated, just to make sure it wasn't afterglow.

~*~