It was getting late in the evening of February 14th, and the denizens of the X-Mansion still awake had the run of the place. Xavier told the group the day before he had to "reestablish connections with an overseas contact," everyone knew he meant Moira, and so the X-Team was left to bask in the serenity of being left unsupervised.
An impromptu party struck up when the senior team members gathered in the rec room after the younger students were all in bed for the night. Over the course of the evening champagne was duly consumed while conversations flowed freely, but afterward the team was left without a suitable activity in which to engage.
"So, what do we do now?" Jubilee asked from her position on the couch, head tipped over one armrest.
The pragmatic Jean responded first with "Well, it is getting somewhat late—We could just turn in…"
This was met with a murmur of negativity from all corners, but still no ideas were brought to the fore.
Suddenly, Kitty brightened. "I have an idea!" she noted as she scampered up to her room to retrieve something whose identity only she for the moment knew.
Three minutes later (after much banging and crunching that left the senior team members concerned), she phased down through the floor holding aloft a portable karaoke machine!
She addressed the group shyly. "I thought it would be a nice idea if we all dedicated a song to the people we care about…"
Though the guys eyed it warily, the women seemed more receptive to the idea.
Jean smiled at her and proved first to respond. "Kitty, that's a wonderful idea. Now…The question is, who's gonna start?" Her smile turned wicked as she shot a thought at Ororo. *Why don't you do something that'll turn your Cajun's head? You're really good, and it would give the rest of us a place to start.*
Ororo sent a thought back, her own smile growing wicked at the silent conversation. *Not a bad idea—And I have just the thing…*
Kitty proceeded to plug in the machine, and `Ro spoke up. "I think I'd like to go first…"
"Go for it!" Kitty told her, making a last minute adjustment and stepping away to make room for the Windrider.
A few seconds of silence followed as Ororo picked through the preprogrammed tracks, hoping her chosen track was among them. She hit one and gave another Grinchlike smile.
A melody began trailing from the speakers, one spirited and sensual as the Big Easy. Her voice was a purr to rival Eartha Kitt's when she began to sing.
//Come on baby let the good times roll/Come on baby let me thrill your soul/
Come on baby let the good times roll/Roll all night long...//
During the few seconds between verses, Jean and Ororo shared another secretive smile. The boys were over in their corner giving Remy blazes, since `Ro's little "tribute" apparently made certain what they'd already speculated with regard to the Cajun's love life. The rest of the girls just started to giggle, they, too gaining confirmation of the swirling rumors. `Ro's number continued as the music signaled a new verse.
// Come on baby yes this is it…/This is the something I just can't miss…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Roll all night long…
Come on baby while the thrill is on/Come on baby let's have some fun…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Roll all night long...//
Between the guys' torture and `Ro's distinct brand of teasing, Remy was by now a peculiar shade of mortified that could be found some indeterminate place between fuschia and tomato. But, as usual, the `Cajun never lost his cool! With a wink to `Ro "on stage," as it were, he shook off the blush and leaned back in his seat, arms behind his head and ankles crossed, clearly enjoying the show. He threw the guys a smirk, by now entirely at ease. Still the Windrider's sultry voice scorched the speakers.
// Come on baby just close the door…/Come on baby let's rock some more…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Roll all night long…
Feels so good…/When you're home…/Come on baby…/Rock me all night long…
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Come on baby let me thrill your soul…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Roll all night long…/
Feels so good…When you're home…Come on baby…Rock me all night long…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Come on baby let me thrill your soul…/
Come on baby let the good times roll…/Roll all night long...//
Ororo finished the song with a flourish, purring over the final line a coy, seductive phrase in French – "Lessais les bon temps roullez."* She then bent down coquettishly with a twitch of her hips to turn off the main unit, setting the mike down atop the box and striding over to her lover. Enveloping the two in a tiny fog bank, no one could see when she gave him a passionate kiss! The mist dissipated, and the two went to snuggle in a back corner of the room. Scott chose to go next, despite the fact that the guys were still taking entirely too much pleasure in pestering Gambit, as dying catcalls still resounded. He broke free from the group and took the mike. Surprisingly, his choice was an `80's number. He looked right at Jean, smiled, and began to sing—remarkably well!
// It's poetry in motion/She turned her tender eyes to me/as deep as any ocean/as sweet as any harmony/mm - but she blinded me with science!//
Jean smiled, ducking her head at the unexpected flattery, Ororo took a moment to look up and smile, and Rogue, Jubes and Kitty just laughed, glad for once not to be the ones in the spotlight. Scott continued.
//She blinded me with science!"/and failed me in biology/When I'm
dancing close to her/"blinding me with science - science!"/I can
smell the chemicals/"blinding me with science - science!"/"Science!"//
He finished the last verses with an amused flourish, bringing in a great deal of applause. Having seen Rogue's smirk from the "stage," he inclined his head a little, giving her what in anyone else would have amounted to a wink and stepped down for her to take his place. Her presence was almost completely ignored over the catcalls shot Scott's way, and it took a minute or two to ride out the wave of derision, but she knew her efforts would be worth it. A devious grin spread across her face. Mock-shyly, she clasped her hands in front of her and gave a wink.
"Why, Ah wonder just what it is Ah should do…"
Pretending the idea just occurred to her, she knelt down and accepted a CD from Jubilee, who just gave her a wink and a huge grin. "Why, Ah know…"
Popping the CD into the top of the player, she cued a track and waited. A few plaintive piano notes drifted out to signal the beginning of the number. Marie was the impeccably demure Southern Belle now, irresistible. She pouted as she began to sing.
//Ah was feelin' done in…/Couldn't win…/Ah'd only evah' kissed before…//
Kitty, aware of the part she was expected to play, piped up "You mean she's—"
Jubilee returned the answering murmur, "Uh-huh…"
//Ah thought theah's no use getting/Into heavy petting…/
It only leads to trouble/And…seat wetting!/
But now all Ah wanna' know/Is how ta' go…/
Ah've tasted blood an' Ah want more…//
Jubilee and Kitty, playing their roles to the hilt, chimed in in the background with "More, more, more…"
//I'll put up no resistance./I want to stay the distance/
/I've got an itch to scratch. I need assistance!/
/Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me/I want to be dirty/
/Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me/Creature of the night!//
Those who weren't smiling before were now. Most of them shot Logan a leer and a wink—They knew the conduit had learned to control her power the summer before, though she attempted to keep it a secret. Of course, there's something Marie pointedly chose to ignore—
Nothing's a secret in the Xavier Mansion very long! Marie continued, she herself sending Logan a wink as she sang.
//Then if anything grows, while you pose,/I'll oil you up and rub you down.//
As her two friends once more gave the callback (Down, down, down…), Marie ran her index finger down through the air in front of her, as if doing the same to Logan's chest. She managed one Lolita little giggle before she could finish.
//But that's just one small fraction/of the main attraction/
You need a friendly hand/and I need action!/
Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me/I want to be dirty!
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me/Creature of the night!//
She turned off the speakers to resounding applause, still giggling madly. She even let her hair fall across her face to try and hide her flushed embarrassment. Passing close to her friends, she noted in a stage whisper "Ah can't believe Ah just did that!"
Jubilee whispered back, "You bet! You were great! Three more seconds an' we would'a found out if spontaneous human combustion actually existed! I swear you'd be the only one with the power ta' kill that man, Rogue—And I don't mean in that "drain-him-dry-through-his-skin" kind'a way, either! Go get `im, chica!" she finished with a wink.
Rogue gave a wink and lifted her left pinky coyly to the side of her lips as she ducked down at the knees in a clear mockery of a curtsey. Amidst whistles, cheers and catcalls, Marie strode of the room to reach Logan. Leaning down, she whispered something in his ear, likely some obscene suggestion just enough to drive him mad and leave him wanting, then left the room and headed up the stairs. Waiting what for him was a discreet amount of time (approximately ten seconds, if he managed that!), Logan followed. In likely less time than it took to consider the act, he was at Marie's threshold. Opening the door to him, she closed it behind him when he stepped in. Before she'd had time to process what had happened, she was in his arms with him kissing her breathless!
"Happy Valentine's Day, Logan…" she whispered. Those were, of course, the last words he allowed her to speak for some time to follow...
Finis
If you want to hear what the songs sound like, just cut-and-paste the links below:
"Let the Good Times Roll"
http://www.ohsclassof56.com/Various%20Artists%20-%20Let%20The%20Good% 20Times%20Roll%20-%20Shirley%20and%20Lee.wma
"She Blinded Me With Science"
http://paranoia.dyndns.org/~adam/junque/Thomas%20Dolby%20-%20She% 20Blinded%20Me%20With%20Science.mp3
"Touch-a (Touch-a Touch-a) Touch Me" (Rocky Horror)
ftp://archive.rhps.org/pub/mp3/austr92-09.mp3
(You may have to go to www.rockymusic.org first. Once there, click on "Sounds," then "Mp3 files." The Australian 1992 cast is a fave. Download this one for best results.)
Or, try this one:
http://www.playitagainrocky.com/music/touchme.mp3
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
Post-X2. There's Remy involved, and Jean's back. Was inspired by a fic at the DolphinHaven called "Talent Show" by Andrea Falls. Owe both her and the fic a heavy debt in terms of concept, i.e. "karaoke" but nothing direct. It's good. It's fun. Read it! Lessais les bon temps roullez is, of course French for "Let the Good Times Roll."