The room was dark, except for the slight light that crept from behind the almost shut bathroom door. Theyīd taken to leaving a light on, what with Rogue getting up so much throughout the night.
This night was no different to all the others for the past few months. Rogue tossed and turned around in the bed, twisting the sheets around her tighter and tighter until the man laying next to her would gently pull her closer to him and in turn sort out the blanket chaos. He was never fully asleep, rather resting, with his senses always on edge; just waiting for something to happen in which heīd have to spring into action to help the woman next to him. He always watched her, and he didnīt need to have his eyes open to do that. His connection with her was so deep that he could feel her pain, happiness, anger and love for him from a mile away.
Normally she would just snuggle into him, and he would drape his arm around her. That was in the early months. Now her swollen belly was far too big for him to cuddle, and he simply had to settle with placing his arm protectively ‘onī her.
Even the sense of calm that she got around him, the sense of peace, was barely enough to keep her dozing for these past few weeks. But despite Loganīs unrest at her difficulty sleeping he knew it would be any day now. And then there would be an entirely different reason for unrestful nights. A situation which Logan had never thought he would find himself in, but was becoming increasingly accustomed to, even to the point of excitement.
Rogue twisted around in the bed, getting tangled up in the sheets and moving around so much that she would perch precariously on the edge of the bed, until Logan would carefully draw her back into the safe centre. Frustrated she wiggled, and never before had she wanted to lie on her stomach so much, but her big belly got in the way.
Finally exhausted and irritated from not being able to sleep properly she carefully placed Loganīs strong arm beside him and padded over the soft furry carpet to the bathroom. There she could read a book in the light without waking up Logan. Sleep wasnīt going to come tonight for her. Glancing at the clock she was relieved to find that it was 5:43am, at least sheīd got *some* sleep and hadnīt pulled an all nighter. What she hadnīt realised was that Logan wasnīt asleep either. When his Rogue or as he affectionately called her by her real name, Marie (lost on so many others) couldnīt sleep or was troubled, he wasnīt a happy man.
Quietly the door closed and Marie picked up one of the books from a stash she had placed in there just for this purpose. Hearing the noise and noticing the lack of body heat radiating from beside him, Logan got up quietly and went to the bathroom. Just as he was about to knock, his eye caught the nursery door open, and drawn to it he entered and scanned around.
So many fond memories in this room, and the baby wasnīt even born yet. He recalled the day that the X-Men gang had started to work on the nursery. Marie was just barely showing, and even some of the students had turned up to help clear out all the junk in the old training room. He suspected that some stuff had gone for a walk that day, but the community at the house meant that pretty much everything was shared.
At first Logan was a bit nervous as to how Marie would act, being pregnant at such a young age (she was only 20) and being around all her friends who still giggled when they saw a hot guy on TV. Marie took to it like a charm, she was cool with it, she was excited and she decided that if her friends werenīt then they werenīt worth worrying ‘bout.
Luckily Marieīs friends were more than he gave them credit for, and Jubes and Kitty were already yapping on about being stand in aunts. When Logan heard them use the term midwife he got a little worried though. More than how Marie reacted to the others around her, Logan was worried that Marie would be sad that it was him she was having a baby with. He knew in every fibre of his body that Marie loved him and he respected her too much to doubt it, but he worried that she *could* have done better. Look at his track record. The first time theyīd met, he was prepared to leave her to freeze in the snow. Then that night heīd pierced her with his three claws while he was asleep. Not a good first impression. The next day heīd sworn to protect her, and 30 seconds after he failed and she was taken.
Yet despite all his failures of her Marie insisted on seeing the good side of everything. He *had* stopped and picked her up, he *had* given her his healing powers, twice, and heīd followed up on his promise to protect her. Marie loved him, for each of his imperfections she said she had one to match, personally he thought she didnīt have a flaw. But whatever happened, Marie loved Logan and Logan loved Marie and sometimes things that are so unusual are the things that work out the best. He had found love and decided not to tempt Murphy.
Picking up his thoughts of the nursery, he remembered his horror at discovering that Scott was a master craftsman, and offered to build a crib for the baby. At first Logan was horrified by the idea of Scott offering to do such a thing. But then he realised that this was his baby he was thinking about, and that no petty feelings would get in the way of getting the kid everything she, or he needed and wanted. That was the second cornerstone in his life. There was a time where all he had to take care of was number one, and now he had two number one priorities, Marie and the baby. And of course his friends, but Marie and the baby were his world.
Thinking of Marie and his world reminded him that heīd got sidetracked from keeping her company in the bathroom. With a last glance he turned around and exited the room. Reaching the door, he decided to knock, no matter how much Marie said she loved him, she was still a *little* emotional right now, and he didnīt want to set her off by barging in on her, no matter how many showers they had taken together. Smiling at his wicked little thought he furtively knocked on the door.
“Marie? Sweetie, you alright?” he asked with concern. He heard the sound of footsteps moving behind the door and then the door handle moved, gently the door opened and there stood Marie, with her fuzzy slippers, big maternity ‘pjsī and a robe on to keep warm. She was the picture of perfection, an angel who looked so radiant with a hidden(and not so hidden) beauty. Every time Marie stood in front of him with her big belly he got all excited, and any memories of being a ‘manly man who earned money fighting in barsī flew away and all the way back to Laughlin City.
“Just thought you might need some company. Iīm not going to sleep anytime soon, so…”
“Oh Logan!” she gushed as all the emotions flared up all at once. “I just canīt sleep! Every time I try and turn around I canīt ‘cos my stomachs in the way, and you know I like to sleep on my stomach!” she whined. “I just want to sleep.”
“Well you know, it shouldnīt be long now, soon youīll be able to sleep on your stomach all you want,” he offered. Unfortunately there wasnīt much he could do.
“Itīs alright for you,” she pouted.
Logan couldnīt help but notice the way her bottom lip stuck out as she pouted, and all he wanted was to kiss her lips softly. He didnīt however think that this was the time…
“Well,” he began, “for the moment all we can do is make the best of the situation at hand. Let me in, Iīll keep you company.”
Despite her desire to keep pouting, all she really wanted to do was talk to Logan, not read in the cold bathroom. He was an awfully good listener, and he let her rant on all she wanted. He spoke to most only when he found the need to. But with Marie, he felt the want to listen and talk, she was the most interesting person heīd ever met, and he liked that she could predict when he was about to speak, so he didnīt seem like he was butting in.
“No,” she stated.
Taken aback he thought that she meant that she didnīt want him to keep her company in general, and for a second a fleeting face of hurt covered his features. The he realised she wasnīt finished.
“Itīs cold and uncomfortable in there, weīll just go to bed and talk there,” she suggested.
This idea was more than acceptable to Logan. Marie plodded over to the bed and stared down at it, deciding on the best way to lower herself down that didnīt involve landing on the floor. Logan, noticing her dilemma clambered into the bed and crawled over, sat on his knees and helped her down onto the mattress. With a tired sigh she lent back onto her pillow. Gently, Logan pulled her toward him. It was now 6:15am, and maybe Logan couldnīt soothe Marie to sleep. She was too far along for that.
But even though they had promised words, nothing really needed to be said, because even the simplest touch can have a thousand meanings. Still they chatted about the future and their baby, and Logan laid his hand protectively on her stomach again. Slowly she fell asleep to the sound of his voice, knowing full well that itīd be there in the morning. And so would she and the baby. One big happy family.
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Story Notes:
Feel free to write back. This is my first Logan/Rogue fic so...