Sunday mornings at the mansion were even more casual than Saturdays, if that was possible. Absolutely nothing was ever scheduled for this day that had anything to do with academic pursuits. Students and teachers alike would roam around the grounds or take off in their cars for shopping excursions or a little adventure. There was always a cold buffet in the informal dining room with food appropriate for any meal.

Rogue woke up at 9:17 a.m. She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face into her pillow, wishing that the sun would just quit shining on her face, dammit! After a few minutes of not being able to get back to sleep, she lifted her head up and squinted around the room with bleary eyes. It looked like Jubilee was still in bed, although Kitty appeared to be long gone.

Rogue got up as quietly as she could. She threw a glance at the bathroom that was connected to their room, but at the moment she wanted more sleep! There had to be something that she could do to fall back into oblivion. It didn't take time for her foggy mind to come up with the perfect solution.

The hallway was quiet as she left her room, closing the door oh-so-gently behind her for Jubilee's sake. Rogue padded down the ten or so feet until she stopped in front of a familiar wooden door. She pushed it open and shuffled across the room. Crawling into bed had never felt so good, she was sure. Neither had snuggling up to the warm body at her back. She shut her eyes and let her mind start to drift back to the welcome darkness of dreams.

"Marie?"

Damn him, couldn't he just be quiet?

"Marie, baby, what're you doin' here? And pink pajamas with blue clouds on them?" He had the audacity to sound amused by her favorite pair of pajamas.

"Ah'm tired, Logan. Ah want sleep. The damn sun was in my room. Your room faces west. You're warm, and Ah like to be next to you. Yes, dammit, pink with blue clouds. You got a problem with that, sugah?" Rogue felt proud that in her half-dead state she was still able to produce seven relatively coherent sentences. Even if her voice was slurred and that damn accent was showing up in it again.

"Of course not, darlin'," he responded, and she noted with sleepy approval that his strong arms were wrapped around her waist now, pulling her closer.

"Didn't think so."


* * * * *

Logan lay there with her in his arms for more than an hour. He enjoyed just watching her as she slept, looking down on the side of her face that wasn't pressed against the pillow. Marie was so beautiful, and it amazed him that she was his. He also found it pretty funny how she'd come into his room and gotten into bed with him like it was the most natural thing in the world. There weren't many people who trusted him like that.

Something that worried him was that, except for her face, her entire body was covered by her pajamas. She even wore long silk opera-length gloves. Logan didn't like to think that Marie suffered in any way from her mutation, and he knew it must be hard for her to not even be able to sleep like other people, even other mutants. He preferred to sleep nude himself, and he wondered how Marie was going to take that. He guessed the fact probably hadn't registered with her in the mostly-asleep state she'd been in. He disentangled himself from her just long enough to put on the gloves he'd worn the night before.

He was laying there just thinking through all of the changes in his life over the last year when Marie truly woke up at 10:22. He could tell from the frown on her face when she opened her eyes that she didn't remember coming in here. That worried him a little, until she smiled slightly and cuddled against him again.

"Logan? Are you awake?" she asked, poking his arm lying over her waist then twining her fingers with his.

"I have been for more than an hour, Marie," Logan replied, squeezing her briefly. "Welcome back to the land of the living, darlin'."

"The land of the...Logan, what am I doing in here, sugar?" Marie asked, turning in his arms to face him.

His hazel eyes were lit with amusement. "You stumbled in here at about 9:20 and crawled into bed with me. I wasn't just gonna throw you out, sweetheart, so I decided to wait and let you wake up on your own," he told her.

Marie groaned and shook her head. "I can't believe I did that. I don't remember coming in here, which is pretty sad," she said. He could tell when she noted that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Her eyes widened and she slid one hand down to his hip.

"Logan, are you wearing anything?" she asked, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

"Not a thing, darlin'. You know me." It was a statement of fact because, yes, she did. His hand found the silk scarf that had somehow managed to get under his pillow during his sleep. He pulled it out and placed it over Marie's face. Then he kissed her until they were breathless and pressed together so tightly he was sure that he'd die if they moved in any way. He pulled back and took the scarf away so that he could see her face unobstructed again. She was blushing a pink bright enough to match her pajamas.

Marie's happy, desire-filled expression melted away as soon as he was a few inches away from her. He wondered at that until she said, "What if I'd accidentally touched you in my sleep? My face wasn't covered, sugar, you could have—" she started to say.

"Don't worry about it, Marie. I mean it. I was awake, and that's all that matters. We'll just have to be very careful, darlin'. Not really a big deal," Logan said. Obviously he'd let go of her for at least a minute at one point, because he was wearing gloves. Which meant she didn't have to flinch when he ran a finger down her cheek.

Rogue closed her eyes for a second, trying to will the growing panic into submission. "But what if we're not, Logan? What if I touched you, or vice versa, and you...gods, Logan, you could get hurt so bad...I don't want...Damn, how are we gonna do this?" She turned onto her back and looked up at the ceiling with despairing eyes.

"One day at a time, Marie. And even if you did touch me, we'd both feel it in time. Even if we were asleep. I'm not exactly a heavy sleeper," he said dryly.

Rogue shook her head. "But I am! If I couldn't feel the pull, couldn't know...and not just sleeping, Logan. It's not right, you not being able to touch me whenever you want. Me not being able to touch you. Can we survive that?" she asked quietly, turning to stare into his eyes, pleading with him to answer her honestly.

Logan shrugged and pulled her into a hug while making sure that her hair was between her cheek and his bare chest. "If we try hard enough, darlin'. If we both want it bad enough. You—you do, don't you?" he asked, suddenly uncertain.

Rogue looked up at him and smiled shyly. "Of course I do. I'll always want you bad enough," she said, suddenly getting mischievous enough to run her gloved hand over his chest, lightly playing with the nipple that was closest.

"Marie..." he growled out warningly.

"Yes, Logan?" she asked with that grin of hers that always made him wary. Only now the wariness was mixed with arousal.

"Darlin', remember what I said last night?" Logan asked her, his voice strained as her gloved hand explored the rippled muscles of his abdomen.

"Hmmm...something about slow. But, sugar, I really don't want slow," Marie purred out.

Damn her for that smile. And damn him for finally getting some ethics. "Marie, c'mon, darlin', just give us a while. Please?" he asked, hoping that the woman in his arms wouldn't be immune to his version of the puppy-dog look.

Marie pouted, but her hand did settle in a relatively safe zone. Although he was pretty sure it was almost as bad to have the silk covering her palm and fingers resting at his waist as it was to have them roaming over him. Still, he at least was able to think again.

"I'm hungry," Logan told her abruptly as his stomach growled.

Marie giggled. "I can tell. Why don't we go get some breakfast, then?"

"Lunch," Logan corrected, sitting up in bed and pulling her up too.

"Whatever." Marie grinned. "Actually, I've got an even better idea. We'll get ready for the day, have lunch, then go somewhere on the bike," she suggested. The look she gave him through her lashes told him that she had some idea what she'd like to do in when they got to that vague "somewhere."

It sounded like a good plan to him, so he said, "Sure, darlin'. You go back to your room. Try not to take too long. I'll meet you downstairs in half an hour."

Logan playfully shoved Marie out of bed and she laughed until she saw that the blankets had come with her and the man she loved was now sitting nude in front of her. He wasn't embarrassed to admit that he was very evidently happy to see her, too.

"Well, Logan...ummm...I...I should go get ready," Marie said. He could see that she couldn't take her eyes off of the part of him that apparently she found fascinating, and it was making it harder for him to remember why exactly he'd said they should go slowly. He reached over and pulled a pillow into his lap.

"Yeah." That was all he could force out, and it was so much more a growl than an actual word.

Marie stood up quickly, and that's when he was sure that she was going insane because she just started laughing. He raised an eyebrow at her and she just pointed to herself, to him, to the blankets on the floor and then waved around at the room in general. Suddenly he could see the humor in their situation. Yes, she was standing in the middle of his room, his blankets piled around her ankles while he sat naked on his bed shielded only by a pillow.

"Go get showered and dressed, Marie," Logan said with a smirk.

Marie did leave, laughing to herself all the way out the door. She paused in the doorway to wink at him and blow a kiss, and then she was gone down the hall. Damn it, she hadn't closed the door either.

Logan sat there for a few minutes and just let himself drift. He liked that he could do that after being around her. Didn't mean she'd tamed him, either, just that she'd given the human part of him a little more space for a while.

Finally he got up, discarding the pillow as he went, and shut the door. Then he picked his blankets up off the floor and headed for the shower. Definitely would need a cold one this morning. Not that it'd help him much later.

That thought just made him grin.

Jubilee was still in bed when Rogue crept back in. She was careful not to wake her friend, who'd gotten home at some point in the night while Rogue was already asleep, as she got some clothes from her closet and headed into the bathroom.

In Rogue's opinion, someone who loved humankind dearly enough to give them the gift of hot water pulsating on tired bodies invented showers. There was no other way to explain how someone could come up with this wonderful contraption, she thought as she stood under the jets and let the hard sprays of water hit her muscles.

"Mmmmm..." she murmured as she squeezed some of her favorite rose-scented shampoo into her palm and massaged it into her hair.

Shower time had been the only time she could go sans clothing for a long time, letting all of her skin show and just not caring. She had to be careful so much that sometimes she'd go take a shower just to defy her own skin. It didn't want to be bared? Well, fuck that anyway!

She rinsed her hair quickly and soaped down her body. As she performed these mundane tasks, her mind wandered off in the direction it usually did. Logan.

It was terrific to feel his hands on her, but the whole clothing-barrier thing was so frustrating. She wondered if there'd ever be a time when they didn't have to be careful, when she'd feel his hands on her body without some damn cloth between their skin.

'Down, girl,' Rogue told herself. After all, they'd barely gotten to first base and she was already wishing for no-clothes sex with the man she loved. And he'd just been reminding her that they were trying to take things slowly. She understood why. They'd been such terrific friends ever since his return, so close that one of them couldn't be mentioned without the other's name popping up into the conversation, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easy for everyone to accept them as a bona fide couple. Well, everyone except Jubilee and Kitty, of course. Those two wouldn't be able to get over dinner last night any time soon.

She let the water wash the soap off her body as she thought about how everyone else would react. It was really hard to tell with some people. 'Ro would probably be happy for them. She'd been so kind to Rogue since her arrival at the mansion, and she knew that Rogue's feelings for Logan went so far beyond a crush that they were in a completely different galaxy. The Professor would accept the change the way he accepted everything else that was positive in her life, she was sure. He was always encouraging her to become closer to everyone around her, and he definitely approved of her friendship with Logan.

Scott's possible reaction worried Rogue a little. He definitely acted like some sort of older brother/mentor towards her. Not that she usually minded. He was okay, even if he acted a little like he had a stick up his ass sometimes, as the Logan in her head liked to point out. Scott hadn't liked it when Remy, who'd come to the school a week or two after Rogue, had hung around her, flirting and trying to play her and making Jubilee miserable. He didn't get that Rogue could take care of herself, and that Remy was just trying to cover up his own insecurities by being as flippant about life as he could be. What he was going to do when he found out that Logan had finally told her that he loved her and they were together...well, it might not be pretty.

The one person whom Rogue didn't even want to make a guess about was Jean. The mansion's resident doctor and alpha bitch X-Man hadn't really been all that close to her in the year she'd been at the school. Add to that the fact that she flirted with Logan every chance she got, or tried to anyway, and you got a dangerous mixture that Rogue just couldn't stand to think about.

Finally satisfied that her tired body had been rejuvenated by the hot water and steam, Rogue turned off the tap and stepped out onto the fluffy bathroom rug. She grabbed a towel off the rack beside the shower stall and dried her hair and body as well as she could. Her clothes sat on the sink counter, ready for her to slip into. She dropped the towel and scrambled into the jeans and long sleeved white shirt, mindful that Logan had said to hurry and knowing that she'd taken her own sweet time with her shower.

Glancing at the waterproof clock sitting on its little shelf by the mirror, Rogue groaned when she saw that it read 11:03. It seemed like she could never take a short shower. Oh, well, her man was just going to have to deal with it. She very much doubted her showering habits were going to change any time soon.

Rogue stopped in the bedroom only long enough to pull on her leather gloves, wrap a sheer white scarf around her neck, and slip into a pair of white running shoes. Then she was out the door and jogging up a flight of steps to get to the room of the one person who could dry her hair in two minutes. She didn't even care that she might be waking him up as she pounded on the door.

"Whassit?" came the muffled reply to her not-so-orthodox knock.

"It's Rogue. I need your help for a second, Johnny," she told him as loudly as she dared.

The door opened a crack and a pale face peeked out at her. "Huh?"

"You're so not a morning person, Johnny. Have a little too much to drink last night?" Rogue asked as she pushed into the room.

"Dammit, Rogue, it's too early in the morning—" St. John started to say hotly, running his fingers through his already-messy hair.

"It's after 11 already, and I need you to dry my hair for me," she interrupted him ruthlessly. "Two minutes, Johnny. That's all it'll take. Then I swear I'll leave you in peace so that you can get back to sleep." Rogue gave her friend puppy-dog eyes just to see if that'd sweeten his mood any.

St. John wasn't any more immune to Rogue's sad brown eyes than any other male would have been. He sighed and raised his hands, smiling a little when she chuckled and turned so that he could reach her wet hair.

"So, why're you in such a hurry to get ready today?" he asked as he used the heat radiating from his hands to dry the brown locks he held.

"Well, Logan and I are having lunch and then going cruising on the bike, and he told me to hurry," Rogue explained sweetly.

St. John grunted a little. "Yeah, I'd do everything I could to get ready a little faster too if that man told me to. He's one scary dude when he wants to be," he said.

Rogue twisted her head around and grinned at him. "That's not why I'm hurryin'," she said happily.

St. John raised his eyebrows. "What happened last night that made you so giddy?" he asked.

"What?!" Rogue practically shouted, turning to face him so fast that he couldn't get his hands out of her hair in time. She ended up very close to him, which she could tell made him extremely nervous, and not because of her skin.

"Ummm...well, Kitty...that is, Bobby and Kitty were...they were here last night and...and Kitty said how you were going to Logan's room to watch the game and how he was checkin' out your ass at dinner last night, and she was sure that watching the game wasn't all you two were gonna be doing," St. John said in a rush, finally disentangling his fingers and stepping back.

Rogue felt her blood begin to boil. Really, that's how angry she was. She moved closer and closer to St. John until his back was pressed against the open door.

"I do not want to be gossip fodder, Johnny. It's one thing for my friends to tease me to my face. I don't mind that. But when rumors start about me I am not a happy girl. You know what happens when I'm not a happy girl, doncha?" she asked quietly.

She knew he remembered the way she'd practically destroyed the gym after she'd heard that everyone was saying she and Bobby were sleeping together. Even though it had been nearly a year since the incident, everyone was careful not to spread untrue gossip about Rogue around.

"Sure, Rogue. She was just letting us know what she hoped would happen. Don't be too mad at Kitty. You know we're all rootin' for you," St. John said with his best reconciliating smile.

Rogue glared at him for another long minute before she let the smug smile she felt inside surface. "Well, you can all be happy then, 'cause something did happen last night," she told him.

St. John's eyes widened. "What?" he asked eagerly.

Rogue turned around. "Finish drying my hair and I'll tell ya," she said imperiously. When his hands were in her hair again, drying it, she continued. "Well, I pretty much spent the whole game practically in his lap, which was great in and of itself. You know I love being close to the man. After the game we started...ummm...talking. One thing led to another and we were kissing. Mind you, we were on a bed, so we were able to get nice and close. Afterwards, we talked, and it turns out we love each other so bad it's probably gonna drive us nuts," she said, grinning to herself.

"Kissed?" St. John asked. She could feel that he was almost done.

"Yeah. We used the scarf I was wearing as a barrier." Rogue couldn't help it that her voice was a little sad there. The kissing had been amazing, but it would have been so much better if the scarf hadn't been a necessity.

St. John must have realized what she was feeling, because he put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around so that he could hug her. "Don't worry, Roguey. You'll get the hang of it one day," he whispered into her hair. He didn't have to clarify what he meant by that. They both knew he was talking about her mutation.

She let herself stay in his arms for a few moments, just letting the comfort he was offering wash over her. It felt good sometimes to lean on her friends for support, especially considering how rare those occasions were.

Rogue pulled away. "I'd better go. Logan's probably waiting for me," she said with a smile that was more than enough thanks for St. John.

He grinned. "Yeah, you don't want to keep your boyfriend waiting," he teased lightly, ruffling her hair. "You wanna brush that before you go?" he asked.

Rogue rolled her eyes and tugged on a lock of hair. "I guess I should. Don't wanna look bad for Logan," she said.

St. John grabbed a brush from the bathroom he and his roommate Bobby shared. He grinned when he handed it to her. "Rogue, you could never look bad," he told her.

Rogue just shook her head as she ran the brush through her now-dry hair. "You keep saying that, Johnny. My ego needs a boost every now and again," she said with a laugh. She handed the brush back to him and wiggled her fingers in his direction. "Gotta go. Have a nice Sunday, Johnny. Enjoy getting' back to sleep," she said. His groan made her smile grow.

She hurried back down to her floor and down the hall to Logan's room. He was pulling a flannel shirt on over a black tee shirt when she opened his door, and he grinned at her for a minute before frowning.

"What was that St. John guy doin' so close to you?" he asked, coming closer to put his arms around her.

"Jealous, Logan?" Rogue asked with a wicked grin. When he growled, she just shrugged. "The girls here have another name for Johnny. We like to call him 'The Human Hairdryer.' That boy could make a fortune using his mutation for the good of females with wet hair and no time to get ready," she said, giggling.

Logan shook his head, but Rogue was happy to feel him relax against her. "You look gorgeous, sugar," she told him, hoping to sweeten his temper. It worked.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Marie," he told her, leaning down to nuzzle her neck through the scarf she wore.

"Mmmm...Logan? Lunch?" Rogue said in amusement. Not that she didn't want him to stay right where he was, of course. But his stomach wasn't the only one getting vocal about being empty.

Logan growled a little, but it was mostly for show because he lifted his head and smirked at her. "Anything you want, darlin'," he said.

Rogue couldn't help pressing her body against his even more tightly and purring into his ear, "I'll get back to you on that one, sugar." Yep, a definite reaction there.

They held hands on the way down to the dining hall. Rogue wanted everyone to be aware as soon as possible of the new order of things, and she guessed that Logan wanted the same thing because just before they entered the large room, he let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her waist instead.

There were about twenty or thirty students eating when they walked in, and damn if every one of them didn't raise his or her head and stare as they crossed the room to the buffet. Rogue was sure that the whispering starting up right after was just about them, but she forced herself to be calm. It was one thing to have untrue things said about her. People speculating on whether she and Logan were together was different. She told herself that enough times that she almost believed it by the time they had loaded their plates with food and headed towards the X-table.

Scott was sitting there, and he didn't look too happy to see them. Well, he never really seemed all that happy to be anywhere near Logan, but that wasn't the point. He looked specifically displeased to see the two of them walking so close, and when Logan leaned down and whispered, "I love you," in her ear just before they reached the table, Scott's face turned red. Rogue was pretty sure it wasn't because he was blushing.

She was right. As soon as they sat down, Scott said coldly, "Don't you have anything better to do than hang all over a teenage girl, Logan?"

Rogue saw red then without having to touch Scott. She didn't wait for Logan to reply before jumping right in. "Don't get all high and mighty here, Summers. Logan's not the only one who is attracted to someone younger. Or does your precious Jean not fit into that particular equation?" she asked nastily. The five-year age difference between Jean and Scott was something she had learned about from him, and she would have felt bad for using it against him if he hadn't said what he did.

"That's not the point, Rogue. You're too young, and Logan shouldn't be taking advantage of your inexperience to make you...do things you might not do otherwise," Scott said stiffly. He was persistent; you had to give him some credit for that much.

Rogue put her plate down so hard that the table rattled. She leaned forward until her nose was inches away from Scott's, and she said low and dangerously, "I haven't been young for a very long time, Cyclops. You don't stay inexperience when you've got three people rattlin' around in your brain. I know things you don't even want to think about. I know the what it is like to live with the smell of burning human flesh for three years, to taste the ashes in the air each day and wonder if I'm inhaling my parents. I know what brands feel like on the skin of my wrist, what being suspended in a vat of water is like. I can still hear the screams of young children as they are torn from their mothers' arms and thrown into living bonfires. I can feel my claws ripping into the stomach of a man trying to kill me, and I know what it's like to be hungry and cold and not care if the trucker picking me up is gonna try for the kind of payment I don't want to give just so long as I can get to the next city. That is who I am, Scooter. Not some 'teenage girl.' I haven't been a little girl for a very, very long time. Don't insinuate that I am ever again." Her eyes blazed into his with such intense anger that he was flinching away from her as she spoke.

Logan's hand on her arm pulled her back. "It's okay, Marie," he said. He voice radiated pride. He looked at Scott as he sat down and pulled Rogue into his lap. "Get over it, Cyke. She's right."

Scott stared at them for a long minute before standing up abruptly. He stalked out, for once forgetting his dirty dishes lying on the table.

Rogue slid out of Logan's lap, but not before pressing a kiss to his cheek where his sideburns protected his skin. "I love you, sugar," she told him softly.

They didn't talk as they ate. Both were too busy thinking.


* * * * *


Logan finished his lunch, which consisted of a ham and mustard sandwich, potato chips and a beer, in record time. Marie wasn't quite so fast, but he enjoyed just watching her eat. She was still mad as hell and not bothering to hide it. He caught those death glares aimed at the door Scott had exited through.

Finally, Marie's plate was empty. He held out his hand to her. "Ready, darlin'?" he asked.

She smiled at him, her first real smile since her encounter with Scott, and wrapped her fingers around his. "Always am, Logan," she said. He knew she meant for him to take it the way he did, and that made him growl low, white-hot desire coiling inside him.

They dropped their plates off at the window that opened into the kitchen, and then Logan began pulling Marie towards the back of the mansion. He suddenly just wanted to be alone with her. He was gonna kill anyone in the garage, he swore to himself.

Thankfully for the health of everyone, the garage was empty. Logan wasted no time in pressing Marie up against one of the walls by his bike. He'd wanted to do that ever since she'd yelled at Scott.

"That little outburst you let off earlier was great, darlin'," he said low into her ear. He felt her tremble, and there was no use in denying that it did all sorts of good for his ego. Not to mention other parts of him.

"He shouldn't have said what he did," Marie said firmly. She wrapped one arm around his neck and ran her free hand down his chest.

"Damn straight. Your age isn't a factor here, as far as I'm concerned. I know you, Marie. I know what you've got torturing you in that beautiful head of yours. I'm part of it, part of you. Just like you're a part of me," he told her even as he buried one hand in her hair to bring her bare mouth inches away from his own while his other hand cupped one gently curving ass cheek to bring her hips tight against his.

"Logan," Marie whispered. He loved how she said his name like that, low and breathless and full of the same hot desire he felt.

He slid his hand out of her hair to pull the scarf she wore over her lips. The feel of her soft mouth, wet and hot through the sheer material of the scarf, was enough to drive him to the brink of insanity. He pressed his lips against hers, opening them so that he could slide his tongue inside. God, she shouldn't know how to rub her tongue against his just like that, or how to run her hand down his back and thigh while she was doing it. He was glad she did know, though, because it gave him an excuse to give her exactly the same treatment. Fair's fair, after all.

He slid a knee between her thighs, and her legs parted for him so easily that he moaned. It felt so good to feel how hot she was even through the layers of denim they both wore. Hot and wet, and he wanted to touch her there, but she just felt too good pressed against him. He didn't want to move her even a little bit.

Her gloved hand slipped under the hem of his tee shirt. The feel of butter-soft leather winding through the hair on his chest, teasing his nipples, demanded that he growl and retaliate in kind. His own leather-clad hands rubbed their way up over her ass and over the skin of her back until he reached her bra strap. That was easily undone, and then he enjoyed the sensation of both of his hands full of her wonderfully round breasts. The little whimpers she was making low in her throat just urged him on. His mouth wandered down her jaw, taking the scarf with it, and her neck received a long session of worship-filled licking and sucking that was sure to leave marks. The thought of him marking her a little pleased the animal side of him to no end.

A noise behind him reached his desire filled brain, and he raised his head sluggishly to look around. Logan almost cursed when he saw what—or, rather, who—had made the noise.

Jean and Ororo stood in the doorway to the garage, both staring at the couple twined around one another. Jean's hand was at her mouth and she looked vaguely ill, but a grin was shining out of 'Ro's eyes. She looked happy to see them in this position.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jean asked. Outrage filled her voice, and Logan suspected it wasn't because he and Marie had been going at it in the garage, a relatively public place, but because they'd been going at it at all.

"My turn," he told Marie softly. Quiet amusement filled her eyes.

"Be my guest, sugar," she returned in a low whisper that only he would ever have been able to hear while reaching behind her back to refasten her bra.

Logan turned to face the two woman whose eyes were glued to the scene in front of them. He raised an eyebrow. "What do you think, Jeanie? Or are you and Scott the only couple around here allowed to make out in dark corners?" he asked sarcastically.

Jean's face darkened in anger. "We do *not* make out in dark corners, or anywhere public for that matter! And this isn't even close to what could be considered a dark corner! How could you two do something so demeaning like this where anyone could walk in on you?" she asked, apparently not noticing how his hands were twitching.

Logan was aching to let loose his claws, but he stopped the reflex as best he could. Instead, he attacked verbally. "Demeaning? What's more demeaning, Jean, a woman who's already taken throwing herself all over another man or two people in love expressing that love physically?" he shouted. "What the fuck is worse?"

She blanched at that. "I never threw myself at you! And besides, even if I had, you've always been more than willing to take what I've offered," she shot out at him.

Logan growled. "Never, not once has anything gone beyond flirting with us, Jeanie. And it's not because you care about your own fucking relationship, because you don't, or you wouldn't respond at all. It's because I respect you and who you are to take it any farther, and because I know you don't feel that way about me. You just see me as a quick fuck, someone it'd be great to be in bed with for a while. Don't think I never saw that, because I did. The idea of messing around with me excited you, but that's it. After a while, the thought of being between your legs didn't even faze me, Red. You're not the great sex goddess you seem to think you are. And I've finally realized that I've got more in my future than one quick fuck after another, and *damn me* if I'm going to let you take that away from me! Stay out of my fucking life, and stay out of Marie's, or so help me you'll never see either of us again! That clear?"

Jean opened her mouth but all that came out was a gasp. 'Ro, beside her, nodded. "She understands, Logan, and she'll listen to you," she said, taking her friend's arm in a firm grasp. She was leading Jean towards one of the convertibles when she turned suddenly and said, "Congratulations." Logan could hear the strangled, garbled sound that Jean made as she was forced into the passenger side. He only relaxed when the car was out of site down the driveway.

Marie slipped her arms around him from behind. "That was great, sugar," she said. She pressed her forehead into his back and sighed. "I'm glad 'Ro's happy for us. I thought she might be," she told him.

He cupped his hands around hers, holding her tightly to him for a minute before pulling away.

"You ready for that ride?" he asked.

Her eyes glinted. "Sure, Logan, but only if I get to drive," she said with a grin.

All of his anger was forgotten when he thought about Marie in front of him on the bike, his arms around her waist. She actually wasn't bad on a motorcycle. He'd taught her how to ride one himself a month ago, and she'd gone out on her own several times since, returning with herself and the bike unharmed.

"Anything you want, darlin'," he said, getting onto the bike and letting her settle in front of him.

She flashed him a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "That'll come later, sugar," she said as she revved the engine.

He didn't know where they were going, but he knew he was going to enjoy getting there, being there, and coming home. All because he was with her.

* * * * *


At the moment there were two things Rogue loved most in the world. One was the machine she was straddling because there is nothing like riding a motorcycle down almost-rural back roads and feeling the purring beneath you. And yes, damnit, the bike purred to her. The second thing she loved even more than the bike was the man sitting behind her and currently attempting to drive her insane with his hands.

His right hand was running up and down the top of her thigh, the fingers making little circular patterns on her jeans. His left hand was being just as naughty, snuggled up beneath her breasts with apparently no intention of moving any time soon. Which was probably worse than moving, in her current state.

"Logan," she said warningly over the commlink in their helmets.

"Yes, Marie?" He was laughing. Not a lot. Logan didn't burst into gales of laughter or anything. But she could tell that what he was doing to her amused him. And aroused him, if what was pressed against her ass was any indication.

"Dammit, Logan, I'm trying to keep us on the fucking road, and you're not helping!" Rogue said, shaking her head a little.

"Do you even know where we're going, darlin'?" Logan asked. She almost forgot his question because his right hand decided to rest on her stomach, not even an inch away from—-

"You'd know if you were paying any attention to where we are instead of trying to drive me insane," she said curtly. Then, feeling sorry for her tone, she pressed herself back against him for a second and sighed. "Sorry, sugar. Just look around as we go. You'll figure it out. Your 'I'm too tough to be smart' routine doesn't work on me, you know."

All Rogue heard was a grunt, which was fine with her. At least his hands were still. Not exactly in places that were conducive to their health when in relation to the fact that she was the one controlling the motorcycle, but still nonetheless.

"You know you like my hands," Logan said softly after another minute. Damn him, he was right, and they both knew it.

"Later, sugar, later. Okay?"

"Okay."

Now, maybe she'd get some relative peace until they reached their destination, which happened to be Rogue's favorite place to be outside of the mansion. Full of cigar and cigarette smoke and the sound of clatter balls, it was the kind of place she'd loved to come to for relaxation even before she got Logan in her head. She'd discovered it a month or so into her stay at Xavier's and was now considered a regular. She'd started to bring Logan with her when he returned, and now they came every chance they could get. Today, however, would be their first visit as a couple.

"The White Wolf," Logan growled happily behind her. Rogue grinned because he'd finally figured it out, and even though they were only halfway there, she'd expected him to realize it a lot sooner.

"Yep," was her only answer.


* * * * *


Logan was glad that Marie was so good on the bike because it meant he could concentrate on the way she felt pressed back against him. On how she felt under his hands. Not that she let that go on for long. Yeah, she was right, no use her getting hurt because he was distracting her. It'd been fun, though. When he'd realized their goal, having Marie driving gave him some time to think.

Every time he and Marie had gone to the White Wolf before this, they'd been rather obviously friends. He'd made sure of that. Did want anyone getting the wrong idea about what kind of girl Marie was. That meant, of course, that a lot of men, from her age on up, had hit on her from as close as they could possibly get with him in the way, all throughout the course of each night. Dense as he was, he hadn't been able to figure out how she drew the attention of practically every man in the vicinity, but he'd always made sure to let those assholes know that he wasn't going to let them give Marie any shit.

Now he was going to be in the pool hall, surrounded by men who would be looking Marie up and down in that damn disgusting way and women who'd probably be giving him the same treatment. He wasn't conceited about his looks, but it'd take a dead man to not notice the way the women seemed to prefer him.

So, he was taken and Marie was taken, and he had a bad feeling about what was gonna happen. Not that he was going to mention that to Marie. After all, pool did have some advantages for a man who'd decided to take things slow with his woman, not the least of which was the fine view he'd be getting of her pretty little ass. An ass which he was *not* going to think about at the moment because he wanted to be able to walk into the hall comfortably, thank you very much.

She skidded to a halt in front of the White Wolf. She loved to do that because it drove him crazy, since he hated the sound and the thought of what might happen if she ever lost control. Logan got off first and then slid his arm around Marie's waist when she hopped off. Shit, he loved the way her breasts bounced when she moved like that. Marie slipped her own arm around his waist and they were good to go.

The few regulars sitting outside at this time of day raised their eyebrows a little and nodded. Logan nodded back in the usual manly fashion and Marie smiled.

"Hey Jack, Joe. Anyone good in?" she drawled out. "I'm in the mood to play two against two today. Logan and I want to beat some ass."

"And there's no one in there better'n the two of you, li'l girl, if that's what you're asking," Joe replied. He returned her smile, and Logan had to remind himself not to growl. These men weren't a threat to him. No, no, not at all.

Nevertheless, the ushered Marie into the hall quickly. A cloud of smoke enveloped them as soon as they stepped over the threshold, and Logan breathed in deeply. This was his kind of place.

"Who'll be our first victims today, Logan?" Marie asked, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't know," he said slowly, taking a look around. The occupants of the White Wolf had definitely noticed their arrival. The men were ogling Marie and the women were looking at her enviously. He felt a mixture of possession and pride that he'd never felt before. The possession, yeah, that was familiar. But the pride...he'd never have imagined that he'd feel pride over other people noticing how gorgeous Marie was, especially now that they were more than friends. "Looks like Joe was right. Let's just lay each other today." He stopped and realized what he said, then corrected, "Play. Play each other."

"Sure, Logan. Do you want to pay for the table, or do you want me to?" Marie asked him. She grinned up at him mischievously.

" I will," Logan said firmly. He didn't believe in the woman paying for anything, even if the outing was a casual one between friends. Casual this was, but friends...they were that and beyond.


* * * * *


Rogue watched Logan go pay for their equipment while she stood just inside and to the left of the door. She scanned the room, noting the usuals in the crowd, as well as a few people she'd never seen before. One was a man who stared boldly at her, his eyes scanning her body before meeting her own slightly narrowed eyes. He just smiled and started towards her.

Logan appeared by her side then, equipment in hand. He handed her stick to her and led her to their table with one arm slung around her waist. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed the man who was now glaring speculatively in their direction.

"Don't pay any attention to him, darlin'. Just play," Logan advised. Well, that answered that question.

"That could be taken several ways, Logan," Rogue said low, flashing him a grin.

He raised his eyebrows. "I know."

They settled into play then. Rogue broke, and Logan sunk the first ball, a stripe. Occasionally one or the other would give an extra shake of the ass before a shot, just for each other's benefit.

Fortunately for the game, this didn't really distract either of them. Logan won, for once, with the eight ball in the side pocket. He grinned at Rogue, and she mock-pouted.

"This means we'll just have to play again. And this time I'm gonna win, Logan," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She sighed when he just grinned at her and motioned that she should break.

The second game was a little tenser because the man who'd been staring at Rogue since she entered was edging closer and closer. Rogue could tell that Logan was keeping an eye on the guy, to make sure that he wouldn't try anything. Whenever the guy moved closer, Logan's shoulder muscles flexed. It kind of amused her because he'd never had a reaction like that in all of the weeks they'd been coming here.

"Your shot, darlin'," Logan said after he hit the cue ball to a spot where he thought she wouldn't have any shot at all. As Rogue examined the table, she knew better.

"Thanks, sugar," she said with a grin. She leaned over the table and took her shot, hitting the cue ball into one of his stripes, which then knocked into another of his stripes before sending her solid four into the middle pocket.

"I guess I get to go again," Rogue said sweetly, laughing a little at the way Logan just shook his head and sighed.

"Sweetheart, why don't you try a go with me? You're already beating this bum. I could give you a much better game," the mysterious man said, smiling smugly. He moved closer to her.

Rogue heard Logan growl, but she held up a hand to stop him. This was something she could handle. "I so do not think so, asshole. Unless you didn't notice, this man is my guy, and he's not very patient with idiots like you who try to hit on me. So get lost," she said coldly, turning back to make her shot, which she missed.

She felt him come even closer to her, leaning down to whisper, "I don't think he looks so dangerous, sweetie. You need a real man, anyway," he said, running a hand down her back to cup her buttocks.

Suddenly he was gone. Rogue looked back to see him swinging in midair, Logan holding him by the collar.

"Oh, I'm man enough for her, bub. Now I think you should get out of her like the lady suggested, before I decide to lose my patience," Logan said on a growl. Rogue looked at him with shining eyes.

"No fighting!" the man behind the counter said, even though he was used to this sort of thing and the rule was broken at least once a week. Not usually during the day, though.

"Let the little man down, Logan, and let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving," Rogue said. She slid an arm around his waist, pressed against him, then whispered in his ear, "And it's not just food I'm hungry for."

Logan looked down at her and grinned. There was a gleam in his eye when he said, "You're right, darlin'. Suddenly I'm really hungry, too." He casually flung the guy away, not watching where he landed, and they walked out the door without finishing the game.

After all, some things were more important.