Marie stretched awake, groaning as her back cracked and cursing when she felt a knot in her shoulder. The oversized armchair in Logan’s room was clearly not meant to be slept in. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled letting her know she was being watched, something that happened a lot since she got a good dose of Logan’s senses. She tilted her head to see Logan, fully awake, watching her.
“Oh thank God. You’re ok.” She let out a breath she had been holding since she drained him. “You are ok, right?” Her eyes roaming over his body, checking for physical injuries she knew she wasn’t going to find.
“Yeah, I’m fine. How about you? You’re the one that was stabbed.”
“I’m fine.” He shoots her a skeptical look before suddenly moving his hand over to her stomach and before she register what he’s about to do, he lifts up the edge of her shirt. All she can think is, thank goodness I was too tired to take my bra off last night, because the shirt is lifted to the point that her green cotton bra is showing. He shows no interest in the underwear or what’s in them, just runs his finger softly over where he knew he hurt her. She shuddered slightly, not used to such an intimate touch.
“You see, I’m fine. Now can I have my shirt back please?” He looks slightly embarrassed and that got a smirk out of her.
“How long I’ve been out?” He was expecting a couple of hours, a day at the most, he was not expecting her to start biting her nails, looking guilty. “How long?” he growled.
“Well, you passed out on Saturday morning and it’s Friday morning. I’m so sorry.” He ran an unsteady hand through his hair. He’s never been taken out of commission before and the first to do it was this tiny slip of a woman. It was almost funny in a way.
“Shit you got nothing to say sorry about. You were just saving your life, if I hadn’t of hurt you in the first place. I’m sorry I stabbed you.” She gave a little laugh, thinking how funny that would look on a greeting card.
“It’ ok.”
“No it’s not. If it wasn’t for your skin you’d be dead. Shit! What if you couldn’t put your skin on in time? You could have died.” His voice was getting louder, less gently and more self-loathing.
“No!” She yelled, not liking where this was headed. “You don’t get to decide if I’m ok with it or not, and just for the record I am. Even if I would have died, I wouldn’t have blamed you. I know what you were dreaming about. I know why your first reaction was to attack first, ask questions later.” He was confused at how she knew and it showed on his face.
“I got you in my head now, Logan,” He was a very strong yet calming presence in her mind. When she first absorbed him, he kept telling her he wasn’t angry with her, that she made the right decision to turn her skin on. “I got your cravings for cigars, I got enough of your memories to know how to drive your motorcycle back to the mansion that day and I know what happened to you.”
She knew what he was dreaming of that morning and it was horrible. She got a good dose of it the first night she leaned back in the folding chair in the medlab to get some sleep. Flashes of being submerged in green liquid. Choking on it, drowning in it. The pain rolling through her as something sharp, a scalpel maybe, slices to the bone and some contraption holding skin and muscle open, stopping the body from healing itself. The searing, blinding white hot pain as liquid adamantium is poured onto bones, reinforcing it, making it stronger. The monsters in their lab coats as they toasted each other with champagne, congratulating one another on perfecting an unstoppable killing machine.
She tried her best to suppress the shudder that ran up her spine but failed. He noticed it and for the first time in his life felt like he was going to be sick. He had added another burden, another hellish ordeal to her life, and he was disgusted with himself. She again sensed his thoughts drifting towards guilt so she smiled softly at him and shrugged her shoulders.
“I stole your mutation, I took it without asking. I brought this on myself. And if it means I get to see another day, another birthday, live the rest of my life…then that’s a price I’m willing to pay. I just have nightmares. It’s you I’m worried about. You actually lived it.” He’s known her for only a couple of weeks and yet she cared more for him than anyone he’d ever known in his remembered life. “Anyway,” She said, deciding to lighten the mood, “some of your memories are actually interesting.” She smiled evilly at him, her eyebrow arched in a good imitation of him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, let’s just say I could teach porn stars a few things with the memories I got from your head. Oh relax. I didn’t look too close at them, I just saw some flashes mainly.” Yeah right. Shaking the thought, she got up and stretched again slowly, trying to get out all the kinks that a few nights sleeping in a chair gets you.
“How long you’ve been in the chair?”
“That chair,” she points to it “Since Wednesday night.” He shakes his head. “But before that I was using the metal chair in the medlab. Now that wasn’t a fun few days, my back hurting and my ass numb. I was so happy when you were moved in here.” He was about to ask why she stayed by his side, why she cared, but there was a small knock on the door.
“Rogue, are you up yet? I need to check on Wolverine.” Jean’s official doctor voice came through the door.
“Yeah, Jean. He woke up a second ago, I’m just saying my apologies, one second.” She yelled towards the door and then lowered her head to whisper in Logan’s ear. “Oh, forgot to tell you, I never mentioned the part where you stabbed me. Don’t argue with me, just go along with it. Everyone is already scared of you without finding out what happened. Now don’t go tell ‘em them truth, because you’ll only make me look like a liar.”
She had bumped into Scott outside of the medlab after they brought Wolverine. He questioned her on what happened and she answered as honestly as she could. Then she started to lie. She said that every morning before she sets out for the day she puts her skin on for a few minutes before she shuts it, just to make sure it’s really off. Wolverine was sleeping when she did it today but he woke up and touched her and then he just dropped. She was thankful she was smart enough to put his jacket back on and zip it up so no one saw the three slices and blood stains on her shirt.
She gave him a wide smile before she ran across the room and opened the door.
“He’s all yours Jean. I made my peace with him, thanks for waiting.” She brushed past the doctor and walked down the hall. Seeing the Professor, she waved at him and went straight into her room and the first time in a week slept in a bed.
“Thank you Wolverine.” Jean said politely as she took his blood pressure.
“For what?” None of the softness in his voice that he used with Marie.
“For accepting her apology and not making her feel this was in anyway her fault. She had a hard time with her mutation when she was growing up and she’s too young to be feeling guilty or sad about her it. Actually,” she said absentmindedly as she checked his reflexes “I have never seen her look this happy, not since Bobby.”
“Listen not that I’m complaining or anything but don’t you guys use the medlab for stuff like this? Why am I in my room?”
“You’ll have to ask the Professor. I was out on a pick up and when I came back you were moved into your room without my consent.”
“Yeah. Fine I’ll talk to Chuck about it.”
“You wish to speak to me, Wolverine?” Logan looked up to see Charles at the threshold of his room. “May I come in?” Logan nodded. “How are you feeling? You gave us all quite a scare, especially Rogue.”
“Feel fine. Can you call off the doc?” Jean narrowed her eyes at him, before the Professor telepathically told her to ignore it and to please leave them. She collected her things and left. Xavier folded his hands in his lap and waited for the younger looking man to speak. “Why am I in here and not the medlab?”
“You have Rogue to thank for that. She came to me and asked that you might feel more at ease waking in a setting that was not of a medical nature. She came to this conclusion after reliving some of your darker memories.” *Shit there she goes being all caring again.*
“So you know what happened to me? You know what I see in my head?”
“No, I would never look into your mind without permission, but Rogue does and I trust her judgment. She thought it best if you were moved and I approved the decision. You need not worry, I am sure Rogue will not tell a soul of your ordeal. She has a strong sense of morals that we all respect.”
Xavier did not move. He knew another question was coming and he had an idea as to what it would be. After Wolverine was brought in unconscious, the professor couldn’t help but acknowledge the feelings Wolverine was projecting. What he got was worry and great amount of care for Rogue. Xavier knew what really happened in the woods but he wasn’t telling, all that mattered was it was an accident and all turned out well. When Rogue came into his office days later begging for him to be moved, she projected her feelings about Wolverine.
“Red just said she never seen Rogue this happy, what do you think?”
“I just saw her in the hallway and indeed she seemed to have a smile on her face that all but disappeared after Bobby and Carol. She’s happy. Whatever is making her feel this way, I hope it continues.” He then gave Wolverine a knowing smile before he excused himself.
Logan sat on his bed, trying his best to hide his smirk. He made her happy. He put that smile back on her lovely face. It was the first time in his life that he did something good, something he was proud of that didn’t include fighting.
He didn’t even want to think about the memories of his sex life she got. There had been a lot of women. A lot. Some two or even three at a time. There was something about kicking a guy’s ass in a cage that got women’s panties wet. He knew he had a body to die for, he worked hard at it and was complimented on it tons of times, usually in bed. But now, with theses memories in Marie’s head, where she could see everything he did and with who, he suddenly felt ashamed and regretful. And that just made him feel uncomfortable.
He need to go a few rounds in the Danger Room to clear his head.
He had just got out of the shower and was putting on his sweatpants and t-shirt when there was a hard knock on his door. He knew who it was before he opened it. Scooter.
“What do you want?” He growled as he opened the door. A lesser man would’ve ran away, but Scott was the leader of the X-men, he was not allowed such luxuries.
“I heard you were up and I wanted to talk to you.” There was no kindness in his tone.
“So talk.” He spat out. Scott looked like he was going to suggest they do it in private but the thought of being alone in the Wolverine’s room changed his mind.
“I want to know what you were doing that night with Rogue.” Logan shook his head, amused by the fatherly tone.
“She was walking and I offered her ride, she said she didn’t want to go home so we had a few drinks, fell asleep and I don’t remember shit after waking up the next morning. Now if you don’t mind” He started to close the door in the younger man’s face when –
“Just stay away from her. She doesn’t need someone like you in her life.” The direction of the door was reversed and Wolverine grabbed Scott by the shoulder.
“What the fuck do you mean by that.”
“You have a reputation Wolverine. It wasn’t a problem, what you did in your spare time was none of my business as long as none of the kids see your ‘little friends’. But I’ve noticed the way you look at her and then she spent the whole week you were out cold by your bed. She never left, not even to eat, she had Georgie bring her up some food. I want to know if there’s something going on between you two.”
“It’s none of your business.” He said his mouth slanted in a half smile.
“It is my business if you’re trying to put the moves on her. She’s too classy for you. She’s not a ten dollar hooker like you’re used to. She’s special.” He sighed and ran a hand over his face. “You won’t be able to give her what she needs and if you try you’ll only hurt her in the end. You’re not her type, you’re not what she wants, needs.”
“If that’s the case, why are you so worried?”
The two men stared at each other, hate in their eyes. This is how Rogue found them, in a weird standoff that sort of reminded her of those westerns she used to watch with her father.
“Am I interrupting something here?” She looked at them warily. “Well?” She looked at Scott, but he quickly looked at his feet and backed up from Wolverine. She looked over to Logan, who had some sort of smartass remark but once he saw the look in her eyes, he raised his hands in surrender, shook his head and took a step back. She had to bite back a smile at the sight of big bad Wolverine retreating. “Give me a moment here.” She told Logan, who walked into his room, closed the door and preceded to hear every word they said thanks to his sensitive hearing.
“You want to tell me what that was about?” She asked softly.
“It’s just … You been spending a lot of time around him. What’s going on between you two?” Scott asked again.
“Scott. I love you. I really do, but I’m not a little girl anymore. I can choose my own friends without anyone putting in their two cents.”
“Fine. I hope you know what you’re doing.” Then he turned around and walked away, leaving Rogue to shake her head in annoyance. She sighed and turned to knock on the door.
“He took that well.” Logan said as soon as he opened the door, his body framing the doorway.
“I knew you would listen to us. You’re nosy.” She pushed passed him into his room, smiling. She couldn’t help it. She seemed to do it a lot around him.
“I heard what you did for me.” She gave him a confused look. “That you had me moved from the medlab because you thought I might not like waking up there. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Yeah but no one ever gives a shit about what I would like or want or how I feel, at least not that I remember. You do. I wanted to thank you for that.” She noticed how uncomfortable he was at expressing himself so she looked at the floor and whispered ‘you’re welcome’ as he cleared his throat and walked away from her. She felt a little sad that no one has ever cared about him before.
He seemed pensive and maybe even a little miserable. She didn’t want that so she tried to cheer him up.
“You know,” she started in a cheery voice “I would say your life story sucks worse than mine but you did have all that sex, so I win… or lose. Depending on how you look at it.” He laughed, well more like an amused snort and muttered ‘smartass’.
“What are you going to do about Scott and everyone else who get on your case?” He asked as he lit a cigar.
“Fuck ’em. I really don’t care what people think. I like hanging out with you. I just do. You make me smile and laugh.” Her face flushed at revealing her feelings.
“That’s a first.”
“What is?”
“Usually I scare people. Not make them smile.”
“I’m not scared of you.” She said so matter-of-factly, that he was taken aback.
“You should be.” He growled in warning. He felt something for her and he wanted to protect her, even if that meant she had to stay away from him. He could be a nasty, destructive, violent man. He didn’t want her getting hurt. “You don’t know how fucked up I am”
“I may not have experienced it first hand, but I *have* seen it.” She tapped the side of her head. “You’re up here now, memories and all. I’m not scared. Plus if you ever get out of hand, I’ll drop you. Don’t look at me like I can’t. Did you forget you were in a coma? Even with your healing factor, you were out for six days. I did that.
“Anyway, you may not believe it but we’re a lot alike,” She walked towards the door and opened it. “Except for all the sex you had. How you had time to eat or fight, I’ll never know.” She walked through the door and before she closed it she turned and tilted her head to look at him. “You know, you’re a big guy. Tall, pretty muscular. I would have never guessed you were that flexible.” She laughed out loud as realization that she had very vivid account of his sex life in her head wash over him.
“You said you didn’t look too close at my memories.”
“I lied.” She smiled. “Bye.” And she walked to her room.
She was right. They were both alike. They both had a fucked up past and more emotional baggage than should be allowed. They both just wanted… needed someone to take them as they were. He wasn’t sure if their relationship would progress but he was sure he at least had a genuine friend for the first time in his life.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm almost done with Ch7 and I'm 99% sure that ch8 will be the last one. So... yeah that's it. Enjoy.