Really it was just another night at Madam Rhion's Emporium For The High Class Woman, but something was different and his gut was telling him that he had to pay damn good attention to it. Just then the scent of yet another woman who was looking for something a little different hit him. Glancing up from the couch where he sat, he noticed the red head. She was familiar to him somewhat, but the scent was off. It smelled slightly of the mustiness of a scaled creature. But spicy too.
She sat across from him waiting for his acknowledgment.
Giving her a raised eyebrow in indication that she should make her proposal; he waited.
"I have an unusual request to make of you, Wolverine, and Madam Rhion recommended you for the job." At his nod, she continued, "I have a daughter, she is very beautiful, here's a picture-" Taking the proffered pic, he couldn't help but feel his heart seize and his pants grow several sizes smaller. She was more than a simple 'beautiful'. She was striking, gorgeous, stunning, resplendent, remarkable, and any other word one could find in a dictionary to describe one such as she. "but she has a condition. Her skin prevents skin on skin touch. This has caused her much woe as you can imagine, thus leaving her without the companionship of a man. At this juncture of her life it is not only odd for her to still be a virgin but also emotionally painful. I was wondering if you could be persuaded to relieve her of that burden, as well as a few other provisos? I am more than willing to pay a goodly sum, after all, it is risky."
"When and where?" were his only two questions. He would've done it without the money, but the woman was quite insistent upon it. Not to mention Rhion would expect him to be able to contribute something this month. And she preferred that he not get it by doing cage matches. Mainly because she hated to see him get hurt. But it was also the fact that she would always scream, "NOT THE FACE! OH GOD, NO! NOT THE PACKAGE!! NOOOOO!" all of which made him laugh, because she knew he always healed just fine.
He was being paid not just for sex; the requirements of the job were threefold. One, he was to become Rogue's friend. Two, he was to be her bodyguard. Apparently, she had some enemies high up that wanted her dead. Three, and this was the one he would've done for the girl anyway, was to become her lover. It was contract work, not your usual for a male escort, but whatever, spanning a year. In that year, he was to stay monogamous, woo her, protect her and make her feel as though she wasn't so isolated.
Rhion knew the particulars to a degree, seeing as she was his 'manager' after all, and she was also a good friend.
He was thinking on all this as he pulled up to the park where the girl, Rogue, spent much of her time. Climbing off his 46' Indian, he sauntered over to find her. Making himself comfortable leaning against a tree, he simply watched for awhile, enjoying the view.
She had a tendency to continually tuck her hair behind an ear. And to bite her lip. The first screamed innocence but the second made his groin tighten to something beyond pain. All he wanted to do was stalk over there and nibble on that plump bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth, tasting whatever lip gloss she was wearing.
Rogue presently pulled out a small pack of cigarettes and lit up. As she exhaled, the spicy scent of cloves and tobacco washed over him. Underneath that smoke was a hint of cherry.
Grinning, he realized it was the same kind of smokes that Rhion had a penchant for, Djarum Cherry Cloves. Gotta love a woman who didn't care about little things like lung cancer, sometimes. Rogue also seemed to prefer using matches, and the one she just used appeared to be her last. Realizing it was an opening that he couldn't pass up, he made his move.
Ambling over, he casually sat down next to her.
She glanced up at him slightly startled by the fact that someone had approached her. Everyone at the park knew not to bother her because she always preferred solitude and rebuffed anyone who attempted conversation. But he smiled at her a little and gestured to the cigarette hanging from her fingertips.
"Might I possibly have one of those? It's been awhile since I had a clove." Digging out her pack, she passed it over to him gingerly, but as he took it from her, his fingers brushed her gloved ones. Rogue couldn't help but let out a tiny gasp at the jolt of electricity that passed between them. It had been so long since anyone other than her mother had touched her, she didn't know what to do.
Blushing furiously, she ducked her head as he inhaled on the freshly lit cancer stick in his long boned hand. With quick little looks in his direction, she studied him as he gazed out at the park coolly. An aquiline nose leading down from a high forehead, a mouth that looked like it probably frowned a lot, but she could still tell that his bottom lip was much fuller than the top. Eyes that were an appealing shade of hazel seemed at first glimpse to be too sharp and stern, but the fine lines at the corners softened them. His cheekbones were high but the sides were masked by long sideburns. Yeah, so side burns as big as his were out of style, but it fit. Broad shoulders sloping down to well-muscled arms and she didn't want to be caught looking so she stopped herself right there.
Besides, she needed another cigarette to calm her nerves. She knew it was a gross habit but then again she did have her aunt Carol's invulnerability, it made her lungs like steel, so basically the smoke wouldn't do much to her at all. Searching her pockets for a match, she was surprised for the third time when a silver lighter flashed flame at the tip of her clove. Breathing in, the point glowed for just a moment.
"You're welcome." He smiled at her again, one of those half smiles curving his lips slightly upward, despite the fact that she hadn't said a single word to him since he sat down.
When three thirty came around she got up and waved to him as she walked off.
The next day came and she was again in her spot just taking in the sights of others going about their normal lives. After an hour or so the man came by once more, seating himself next to her. This time he offered her one from his pack. She didn't say a word to him the whole time, and he said nothing to her either. They just sat and watched life go by until it was three thirty. Waving her silent goodbye to him, she walked off like the day before.
It went on like that for a little over a week.
Part of him was getting impatient with this. He could smell shyness coming off her in waves, but also her interest that wasn't quite arousal. It was different from what he was used to, a woman who simply refused to acknowledge her own sexuality, but he knew that each day she was getting closer to talking to him. Another step forward was gained every time he sat down with her.
The tenth day when he seated himself down though, she said, "Hi," with a smile on her lips. It was the first major progress he had made. So he ran with it.
"Hey, I'm in serious need of some coffee, would you like to come along?"
When she rose to follow him, he had to suppress a whoop of success.
After they got to the small cafe and made themselves comfy, he ordered a triple espresso, with two sides of chocolate cake.
Rogue stuck to peach tea.
"Eh, that doesn't have enough caffeine in it, darlin'. This is a place where absurd amounts of coffee and cake are consumed. Not tea." He knew she could go either way on that statement and he was glad when it resulted in a chuckle.
"Well, after this I guess I'll switch to a mocha latte with a raspberry flavor shot and two more of espresso. How's that for caffeine? Thank you by the way for the cake. I love Death By Chocolate."
"It's all part of my plan, darlin'. No woman can resist chocolate. Even if they're allergic." he said as he leaned both arms on the table, looking up at her from under arched eyebrows.
"Oh, what plan would that be, hmm?" she said somewhat suspiciously.
"Oh, you know, the get to know you one, where you give me your phone number and we go to a movie or some such." She looked tempted, but a little nervous, so he kept going. "Or, you know, we could just meet here every day instead of the park."
"Alright, I can do that." That seemed to ease her somewhat, and that was the start of her actually talking to him. Mutual light flirting began shortly thereafter.
"So, what is it you do when you leave? Got a boyfriend that just can't be without you for too long?" He knew she didn't have one but he wanted to act as much like he didn't know anything about her as possible.
Later after she left, he sat back thinking that getting her to trust him wasn't going to be as hard as he thought.
Every week it seemed as though their relationship progressed a little more. A month after he first sat with her, she consented to go out to dinner with him. Over which she told him of the fact that she was a mutant. Nothing that he didn't already know but still, she was trusting him with that info. He assuaged all her fears of his possible dislike of that fact by telling her about his senses and the healing. No need to mention the claws, doctors and the inability to float from the extra 100 or so pounds of adamantium. Compared to him, her skin was just a small fly in the ointment.
The week after that they went to a dinner and a play. And after the play she wound up at his apartment.
Kicking the door closed behind him, he draped his leather jacket on the coat rack. Rogue just looked around showing some slight discomfort. Which wasn't unusual considering she got skittish if he even gave her a light hug, and here she was, in his 'inner sanctum' as Rhion tended to call it. OK, so he liked his apartment to look nice, so what? The Asian theme soothed something within him that just plain and beaten furnishings, would never have accomplished.
Coming up behind her, he made a gamble. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he kissed the back of her head. Then releasing her, he walked to the kitchen as though what he had done were completely normal. She just gaped at him.
"You know what my mutation is, why did you do that, Logan? I could've hurt you!"
Shaking his head as he made up some coffee Vietnamese style, he tsked. "No, Rogue, I don't think so. I was bein' careful, I didn't get any skin. I knew what I was doin'. You need to relax some, it would do you good." Finished putting their coffees together, he put them on a tray with some biscotti.
Placing it on the small oriental table in front of the couch, he motioned for Rogue to make herself comfortable. "C'mon, have a seat, Rogue, you know I ain't gonna bite. If it'll make you feel better, I promise to warn you next time. OK?"
"I just don't want to hurt you. You're the only person who isn't afraid other than my mother. And... I just don't want to loose that. I know it's selfish. But... I like being around you, and if I hurt you... the likelihood of you wanting to stick around, let alone still being my friend, would be nil."
"True in the sense that I want to be more than your friend, but it would far from scare me off. I always go after what I want. Besides, you know I heal." Waving off her fears, he slowly put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest after catching her eye so she knew what he was about to do. "You should just go with the flow sometimes Rogue, let yourself go. If I did catch a bit of your skin, it wouldn't do any lasting damage. Might drain me some but it'd be worth it."
Surprisingly enough, she encircled his waist with her arm, burrowing into his warmth a little deeper. "Even if it wasn't lasting, it would still be hurting you, and I don't know how I could bear having done that. You're so good to me, and I really just don't want to loose that. Besides being... um... together isn't really possible. The whole deadly skin thing would put a damper on it."
"Hmm, we'd just have to be creative that's all, and you may not have a dirty mind, darlin' but I sure as hell do. But if you're not ready, that's fine, I got all the time in the world." In reality, he didn't but he wanted to make her as at ease as possible.
"I've never even been kissed, Logan. I wouldn't know the first thing about being with a man. You're better off with someone who can give you touch, and who knows how to please a man."
"Darlin', if you want kisses all you gotta do is ask. Here-" Tilting her head up with his gloved hand, he made her look in his eyes. He knew he was probably moving too fast, but being in such close quarters with her for the first time after what for him was a horribly long wait, he just couldn't make himself slow down. "Take off your scarf." She pulled back from him some to do so and he took it from her shaking fingers. Gently, he positioned it over her face. Leaning in gradually, watching her eyes widen in surprise, he touched his mouth to hers.
At first it was sweet, but he had to step it up, he could taste her melon lipgloss and feel the heat of her mouth. Nudging her lips open with his tongue, he let it drift inside her. By this point, her gloved hand was buried in his hair, holding him close to her, while the other was clinging to his back. Her small whimpers and sighs spurred his kissing on, and he found himself stroking her back languidly and massaging a breast with the opposite one.
He had to pull back, catch his breath and gain some equilibrium. As much as he wanted to take her, to show Rogue all the considerable knowledge at his disposal, he knew that it would be too much. But he kept up his lazy caresses on her back while shifting the one on her chest to her side.
"Any time you want one of those, just ask if you don't feel secure in simply doing it. I'll always be happy to provide." Kissing the top of her head, he pulled her against his chest yet again while she tucked her head in, safely facing away from his neck.
"Thank you." It was a heartbreakingly tiny whisper and she was trembling in his arms. "I never thought I'd have that."
The contract could go and fuck itself, he decided. "You'll always have that. I'll always give you what you need, Rogue." No woman had ever affected him the way she did. And there was no way- NO way- he'd ever give that up if he could help it. "Stay here tonight. With me. Nothing goes any farther than you want Rogue. Just stay. Please." Logan was fairly certain he'd never said 'please' to a woman and meant it the way he was saying it now. It was as close to begging as he'd ever gotten in his memory.
"Are you sure Logan? I'm... I don't think I'm ready for more than what we've done so far right now though. I'm sorry. I want to give that to you, but-"
"Shhhssh, darlin'. Just stay. Everythin'll be alright."
She pulled back again from him and looked into his eyes and he could feel his heart stop. This was important. This moment would be etched into his psyche no matter who stole his memories. "Promise?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I promise, darlin'." And just like that, everything was OK. She spent the night with his face firmly planted in her hair. While it was a little risky, she felt just as much as he did, that it was worth it. It was his first night in a good long while that he was nightmare free, and for her it was the first time since childhood where she felt wholly safe.
He awoke to the alien feeling of being well rested. But the scent in the room was soothing and it urged him not to move from right where he was. Shifting to relieve some of the tightness in his jeans, his memory of the night before slammed into him.
Looking down at the woman in his arms, he felt a small smile playing across his lips. She was so soft, and at some point in the night had shifted so her face was buried again in his chest. A gentle nudge at his side followed by purring revealed his cat, Loki, to have come out of hiding as well. He was more comfortable than he could remember ever being. On the one hand, there was a beautiful woman in his arms and on the other what he counted as his best friend other than Rhion at his back.
"Yeah, you like her too, don't ya, Loki?" he whispered as the large cat walked over his side, almost hitting some sensitive parts, to curl into the space between Rogue's body and his stomach.
Gradually, Rogue drifted into wakefulness. She started to rub her face against the warmth in front of her, listening to the steady thrum of a strong heartbeat. At the touch of soft gauzy material her eyes opened fully to see Logan leaning down to kiss her. A part of her wanted to panic at the suddenness of it all. He was supposed to warn her before doing that. She was in an unfamiliar place, with a man she wanted to be more than friends with, but didn't want to risk hurting. Another more dominant side though, hungered and looked forward to his firm mouth on hers.
Parting her lips, she welcomed his tongue into her mouth, sucking on the scarf covered appendage eagerly. Running her hands up and down his sides and back, she began pressing herself closer to him when a meow of discontent surprised her into jerking away.
"Sorry, I didn't introduce you to Loki, he normally doesn't come out if there's anyone but me around. Let alone curl up to someone else. It means he likes you." Logan wanted to curse his pet for interrupting what looked like a promising make out session. He hadn't expected Rogue to kiss him back so quickly, nor the arousal that had flooded her scent.
"He's beautiful, Logan. Can I, can I pet him?" Receiving a nod, she gingerly reached out to stroke the huge black and grey. Loki arched into her hand, growling and purring in the same breath. *Meeowwgrrr*
"Take off a glove, Rogue." She looked at him in shock. "Trust me. He's covered in fur. You won't absorb him. C'mon, go ahead."
Slowly, she pulled off a glove, and Loki, as though sensing any sudden movement would scare her, waited. When her pale hand was revealed Loki started to purr harder before her hand even made contact with his fuzzy steel black/grey body. Rubbing his broad head into her abdomen, he just basked in her touch. Rogue just didn't know what to do. She hadn't touched any living thing without her gloves since she was 12, and that was a traumatic event. Manifesting and therefore absorbing her aunt Carol when receiving a hug was one of the most horrible times of her life. It led to her mother and she fleeing their home, because everyone was mad at her for killing Carol.
But she wasn't hurting Loki, just bringing him the pleasure of a good petting. Grinning, she gazed at Logan, and he couldn't begrudge her the feeling of unadulterated touch. So what if he wasn't gonna get that make out session right now. He was giving something to her that no one else had ever tried to, or that she had allowed herself to accept.
After Loki was satisfied with his rubdown and padded off, Logan offered to do the same for Rogue. She looked like she really wanted to but was still scared of possibly hurting him. "Alright, I'll make you a deal, darlin'. You can touch me wherever you want -with your gloves off, mind you - if it's covered by my clothes. Any where at all." This seemed like a better idea to her but still a little risky. At least she'd be in control of where the touching was going on, whereas if he was touching her she wouldn't be able to see that it was safe.
Removing her other glove, she reached out with trembling fingers, checking every few moments that Logan was still looking at her with hooded eyes. "Go ahead, darlin', I'm itchin' to feel your hands on me." Finally allowing her hands to rest on his tummy, she slowly rubbed in circles, widening ever so leisurely up to his chest and shoulders, down those arms she had loved waking up enveloped in. Logan was making rumbling noises low in his throat, not unlike Loki at receiving her touch. In a fit of bravery, Rogue leaned down to start kissing his torso gently, then when she heard his moans of pleasure she made them into open mouth ones, caressing him with her tongue through his shirt. "Oh god, Rogue. Feels so good." Sliding a leg over his, she situated herself on instinct over him, all the while licking, kissing and giving light nibbles on all the parts she could easily reach. "Kiss me, Rogue. Please. Oh god. I- I got the scarf, kiss me. I want your mouth on mine, darlin'."
When she glanced up at him, he could see her eyes were blissed out and drunk on her ability to touch him without fear. Stretching her body out over him, she leaned up, cupping his face through the scarf. Licking his bottom lip like he had done to her the night before, she took the invitation of his parted lips. Exploring his upper body with her hands, she did the same to his mouth and face with her lips, teeth and tongue.
Logan guided her leg all the way over his hips while she was too distracted by investigating his physique. Flexing his hands on her waist, he gently ground up into her all the while still taking in her kisses. She pulled back from him some, moaning in pleasure, and he belatedly wished he had the remote to his CD player. There was some seriously good music on it that would make her too relaxed and beguiled by the magic that was touch, to even think about stopping.
No sooner had he thought this, his Dead Can Dance collection turned on. Never was he so happy that Loki had a tendency to walk on the remote for the stereo as now. 'The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove' thrummed in time to the rhythm he was establishing between them.
"Lo- Logan w-wait... wait." Forcing himself to stop urging her on and to pull his face from her neck, he looked up at her, Rogue's features distorted somewhat by the scarf still covering his face.
"What's wrong?" Plucking the soft material from his face so he could study her expression more, he noticed that she was blushing furiously and looked as fidgety as he'd ever seen her. "Rogue?"
"I'm sorry, Logan, I- I should go." Her attempts to leave the bed were halted by his arm around her waist.
"Rogue, I-" Running long gloved fingers through his mussed hair, he looked at her, feeling more like a buffoon than he ever had in his life. He knew right then and there that he pushed too hard, too fast and he could loose her this very second. That scared him. "I shouldn't've pushed. I'm the one who should be apologizin'. If, if-you still want to leave then ok, but- um. Hell, I don't know what to do here, darlin'. I want you touch me, I want to touch you and make you feel good. I'm not makin' excuses, but when I woke up and was smellin' you in the room, it was the most rested I'd ever been. And you felt so good in my arms, touchin' me, kissin' me all over. I got carried away. I don't regret feelin' you or anythin' but I do lament the fact that I drove you so far without stoppin' to check things out with my brain first."
Rogue still looked at him unsure as to what to do too, but she didn't want to hurt him. He obviously thought that she was upset by the touching. In reality she just had to make that appointment with her mother. And that was what she was really worried about. Her mother. Last time they'd talked her father's men were closer to finding them.
"Logan, you're wrong, you didn't take me anywhere I didn't want to go. I just have to keep a meeting with someone. I'll see you at the café tomorrow?" Cocking her head to the side, she rested her still ungloved hand on his hair.
"You sure? I really don't wanna blow it with you, Rogue, I'll tell you that right now. Don't know how I'd forgive myself for not comin' through for you." He looked so uncertain that she had to make a real gesture of acceptance to show him that what they had done was alright with her.
"Logan, you know Rogue isn't my real name?" At his quirked eyebrow and nod, she forged ahead. "No one has called me it since I was 12 but, it's Marie. I'd like it if you used it from now on, just when it's you and me though, OK?"
His quick grin flitted across his face as he stroked her cheek with strong fingers. "Thank you, Marie. Call me tonight, huh?"
She nodded as she grabbed her gloves and left.
Shutting the door after Marie left, he flopped himself down on the couch. Well, now he wasn't worried about having pushed her. Hell, she seemed just as eager as he was, but now... This meeting. It troubled him, he could smell her apprehension coming off her in waves at the thought of whatever it was about.
Giving her a few more moments to get ahead of him, he grabbed his jacket and trailed her, after all he was supposed to be protecting her as well as getting into her pants.
Pulling up to the complex she and her mother lived at, Marie could tell something was definitely wrong.
There were three black unmarked SUV's sitting there, and inside were people in what looked like leather uniforms. Recognition hit, and panic would've followed, but her training kicked into gear. It was the X-Men. She made herself pull out of the parking lot, they might recognize the car, and she needed to do some surveillance.
Making her way as casually as possible, she after all looked much different now than at age 12, she bumped into a familiar chest.
"Shhhshh, darlin', act normal. Take your gloves off and put your arm around my waist. Get on my other side too. Lean into me, and act as lovey dovey as possible. Whoever these fuckers are, they mean business, and we need to be careful."
Marie looked up at him surprised at his taking charge of the situation. "What kind of 'business' do you mean?"
Shaking his head, he just led her to a bench near the parking lot. Logan's advanced hearing allowed him to hear the conversation taking place in the leading SUV.
Man: 'I don't know, Jean. You shouldn't have killed Raven. The girl is still missing, and we could've gotten information from the blue bitch.'
Jean: 'Cyclops our orders included taking Raven out. It's unlikely that she actually was caring for the child. Besides, Marie would be 22 by now, no reason for her to even live with her mother.'
White haired female: 'Some of her things were found in the apartment. And a couple of phone numbers, as well.'
Cyclops: 'I know, Storm. We should tell X about those. He will decide if we should attempt to achieve contact through that medium or not.'
Jean: 'At all costs, Cyclops, we need that girl. It's for her own good.'
After a brief pause:
Jean: 'X says to pull out. Objectives to be completed later. He will use the CB to try and find the girl again.'
Cyclops: 'Retreat commencing. Let's move out. Rendezvous at the X-Jet.'
The vehicles pulled out and split up, it was all too uniform and pat for Logan's comfort. And the talk of an 'X-Jet' meant that these people had money. Lot's of it. And if Marie was familiar with them, he assumed that 'Raven' was her mother. Holding her closer, trying to curb the anger at the nonchalant taking of someone's life, especially one that was important to Marie, he fought to keep his voice level. "Marie, they said they killed a person named Raven. And they're looking for someone. A girl, 22. Don't worry though, I'll take care of you, but you gotta tell me what's goin' on. And you can't go back to your apartment. It ain't safe."
The sensation of Marie pulling away from him was odd, he thought she would've held him back all the harder. But it was the ice in her voice and the cold, cold murder promised when she uttered, "Raven is- was, my mother. They will pay. They've hunted us for ten years. It stops now." She started to rise into the air, a power he didn't know about, but he grabbed onto her foot before she got too high.
"You have to get down! There's too many witnesses, damnit! Talk to me. C'mon, talk. We're safe enough right here for now. It's hiding in plain sight. Tell me what the fuck is goin' on. I will defend and help you with everything I got in me, darlin' but you -must- to tell me -everything-. Got it?"
She turned her normally warm brown eyes on him, and they were now green. It was eerie, almost like someone else was in control.
"I know you. You're Wolverine. Raven and I always thought you could be the one to keep Ro- oh, I do believe she told you her real name... to keep Marie safe. I heard about you through the lab I was held in. After I was released and found out about my niece, well, I knew why she was born. And believe me it wasn't out of love for Raven that Charles sired this child. Nor her brother, who is that man in the SUV. She's his ace in the hole. The last card to be played when the shit hits the fan and the government makes its move to take out the average mutant. His little band of merry men, it's really an army. Yes, it's to defend mutants and humans from being killed needlessly by those in power. But he does not care that the ends do not justify the means. I would touch her as often as possible in hopes that she would manifest at some point while I was touching her. That way I could protect her on the inside as well as give her gifts, while her mother could take care of her outside. Flight, invulnerability and super strength, all of those are very useful. They weren't supposed to find us though until later. Until she had taken in Raven and gained control of her mutation."
Logan just stared at her incredulously. "You think taking over Marie's body and raping her -mind- is protecting her? I sure as hell wouldn't want to be related to you."
"Look, are you going to help her or not? Because if you aren't you can just leave. I can take care of things on my own. Besides, Marie knows I'm here. She also knew what her mother and I were planning. So, are you in or not?"
Squaring his shoulders and shaking off the urge to gut this woman, who he couldn't really hurt because after all it was Marie's body, he led her to his bike. "We go back to my place, plan and resupply." Impossibly strong arms wrapped themselves around him, as he sped off to his end of town.
The security on the grounds was top notch he had to give them that. Logan had called in some old favors and was flanked by Marie/Carol on one side, Gambit, Pyro and Warpath. On the other was Bishop, Nightcrawler, Rhion's twins Psyn and Zion.
"Ok guys, the plan is simple. We got civilians and minors to worry about. The real danger is Xavier. He's a top notch tp, with possible tk abilities, but that fact is speculation. You know who your targets are and their powers? Good. Get in, subdue 'em, get out. Keep in your pairs. Do not leave a member behind if it can be helped. These guys have trained with each other for years, so they'll be difficult to tackle. Stick to your objectives and -do not-deviate. Questions?" Logan stopped talking and glanced at them.
Logan wasn't expecting any, the briefing he and Carol/Marie had created was thorough. It'd taken them a week to get this all worked out to his satisfaction and here they were: about to kill one of the most powerful telepaths in the world. That was the goal. Xavier, while a good mutants rights activist, used all of those around him with a calculating skill that reminded Logan of a chess master. Or in Carol's words; "A fucking spider who weaves a pretty web, complex and commanding. And then he sits back waiting for you to get stuck, so he can poison your mind, use you up, spit you out and save the leftovers for a midnight snack."
Carol and he made a beeline to the garden entrance. Leaving behind Nightcrawler with the telepathic twins, ostensibly to get out any members who got injured, but really to get Psyn and Zion away should something go wrong, like the team getting detected too early. Warpath and Pyro made for the rear, Pyro's time in high school there making for quick access. Gambit and Bishop waited for the signal in their minds relayed by Psyn to start the bombardment on the uninhabited parts of the mansion.
Breaking in was a breeze and Carol/Marie with Logan stalked their way silently toward the back where the Professor's office was. Behind that would be the entrance to his quarters. He fought to keep his claws in until they'd be needed. No one knew about them but the twins, no need to possibly let knowledge of all his abilities possibly slip. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that Carol knew about them too.
Easing the door to the boudoir open, they came face to face with their target who was accompanied by a handsome aging man, with full silver hair, and cold blue eyes.
"I was expecting you, Carol. Come to kill me? I don't think that would be in Marie's best interests. She is after all my child. How would she deal with her father's death, hmm?"
Carol didn't say a word as she squared off with the Professor, but her eyes did flash brown for just an instant. Logan looked at the other man, realizing that this one was probably more of a threat to himself and Marie than Charles was. There was something in his eyes that spoke of the chill and horror of the grave and pain. A telepathic 'click' to the twins, relayed the command to start a full on attack by the teams. But another quick double click on his physical comm alerted Nightcrawler to get Zion and Psyn out in ten minutes even if the fight wasn't done.
"Ah yes, you must be the Wolver-" The man's sentence was cut off by an explosion in the front of the house where Bishop blasted down the door. In the back where the greenhouse was another concussive blast shook the foundations.
Pyro set fire to the kitchens causing mayhem and disorder as the fire alarms went off. All those in residence began an evac to safer places away from the building.
A furrow of concentration creased the Professor's forehead, as he was apparently trying to get into Carol's mind. Her eyes flashed over to brown fully now, and Marie advanced. Years of training culminated in this moment. She knew what her father had wanted of her, she was to be his vessel when his body grew too weak to support him. She was to be his avatar, an avenging angel swooping down from on high, forcing humans and mutants to cohabitate using all his considerable mental powers that she would then contain.
He had killed her mother, driven her aunt to feel the need to commit suicide through absorption. He'd taken everything from her. And he wanted more. She wouldn't give it to him. Marie lived up to her name, Rogue in an instant, spinning quickly when she was near enough to touch her "uncle" Erick, grabbing his head and breaking his neck in the process. It was just in time to stop the thrumming in Logan's body from the metal all over him. Behind her as she sought to control Erick in her mind, Logan lunged, taking the Professor's head off spraying Marie/Carol with her father's blood.
"C'mon, darlin', we gotta book." Tugging on Marie's arm, he was halted at the door by the red head that Marie's mother had impersonated that first night, when he was hired.
"I won't let you take Rogue, whoever you are." Her red hair started to crackle and her eyes changed much like Marie's had when Carol took over.
"JEAN, STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Surging forward, she tangled with the woman when Jean didn't listen. Seizing Jean's hair, she bashed her skull on to the ground once, twice, thrice, knocking the older woman out cold. Slinging the limp body over her shoulder, she and Logan ran from the building as the fire trucks came tearing up the drive.
Dashing out to the garden, she saw who she was looking for directing the students into orderly groups, supervising the other team members. "Scott! Take Jean!" Her half brother looked more surprised than anything, to see his grown up little sister making her way to him with his debilitated wife over her tiny shoulder.
"How-?" Shaking her head, she just looked at her brother in sorrow.
"No time, Scott. Charles is dead. I killed him. You don't know what he was planning for me." She left out the fact that Logan had killed the Professor, but Marie knew that Scott wouldn't handle it well at all if he knew that. "I need to leave. As do my associates, we can not be found at the scene. We can't be implicated. If we go, it'll look like the government did it, and Jean can take it to Congress thus making sure that no MRA gets passed because of this. That's what Dad always said he wanted, this time we need to make sure that's what happens."
Before she could spin around and walk off, Scott grabbed her arm. "Marie, come back? Contact me, somehow ok? 'sides I still have your Guaca-mole."
Her eyes softened at her brother's earnestness, she knew he was the one who let his wife pull the trigger on her mother, but it was understandable from his side of things. Looking into his visor for a moment she came to a decision, "Treehouse still up?" At his nod, she continued, "Two weeks. Sleepy hour, alright?" Again receiving a nod, she strode off followed by a watchful Logan.
The weeks following the incident at the Xavier mansion were more of a blur than anything else for Logan and Marie. It seemed every time they were going to do something just for them an emergency came up. The small group was in hiding from the law, even though they had not been implicated in the occurrence.
Finally, it came time for Marie to go to the tree house just off the mansion's main grounds. 'Sleepy hour' was her code from childhood for the time that her mother would at last go to bed, checking on Marie and her step son, Scott, one last time before doing so. Usually, that time was ten minutes past three in the morning.
Climbing up the ladder, instead of flying, just for the sake of nostalgia, she mused on how much the place was the same. Upon reaching the top rung, she heard a crunch beneath her feet, causing her to tense.
A familiar strong hand stroked her calf as Logan came up from below. "Shush, darlin', it's just your friendly neighborhood letch." Giggling at his antics, she finished pulling herself up and over the floor, giving Logan a truly priceless view of her tush. "Hey, darlin', what're the chances of me gettin' a crack at this later?" he whispered huskily at her, swatting the bottom in question.
"That's my baby sister's ass you're smacking there, man. Might want to lay off until you can be alone, hmm?" Directing the rest of the statement to Marie, Scott tilted his head to the side. "Thought you'd come alone. Remember tree house rules?"
"Thhhpt. He insisted. And I'm stronger that you now Scoot-scoot. What I say goes."
"Now, now, Peanut, is that the way to greet the older brother who has gone to the trouble all these years of keeping Guaca-mole?"
Marie reached out to Scott child-like with grasping little hands as she leaned against Logan's broad chest. "Gimmee, Scoot-scoot." She pulled out and dusted off her baby sister pout, something which he'd never been able to resist obeying.
Pulling out an old battered squeaky stuffed animal shaped like a mole, he placed it in her hands. "Marie, I thought I'd never see you again. Hell, a part of me didn't want to. Contrary to popular belief I did know what Dad had in store for you. I just couldn't bear the thought of him defiling you like that, Peanut. So I did my best to mess the missions up- god and everyone thinks I'm so anal, if anyone knew that... but the that last one. You know how much I loved your mom, Peanut, and she was the closest thing I had to one. I wanted to get a warning out to her. But, Dad was watching me. I think he suspected, and had Jean pull the trigger." Seating himself heavily on the floor, he looked up at Marie sadly. "What are you going to do from here? You do know that he left everything to you, right?"
Marie shook her head. She hadn't known that, but it would make sense, his plan for when he would die included taking over her body. So of course he'd still want control of his estates.
"I don't want anything, Scott. I don't belong here. I don't think I ever really did. It only was ever you, Mom and aunt Carol who cared. But you're the one who was raised to take over, even if it was only for appearances. You've earned it."
"Take some money and land then, Marie. Get away for awhile with your man. Go on and be happy, Peanut. There's Xavier land all over the world. It's yours too."
Logan felt the need to butt in. "Raven left some stuff. I-uh... found the info in an envelope at my place." He cringed internally at the lie, but Marie needed to know about what her mom left her. "You got Darkholme land in Alaska, Australia and Germany. So, ah... looks like you're pretty much taken care of there." He glanced at Marie and could tell she didn't buy it for a minute, but she was going to hold out on questioning him until later.
"So, where do you think you'll wind up, Peanut?"
"Probably Alaska, no one would look at my being gloved as strange. And they speak English, unlike in say -Germany-, and all I know is English. Well, just English unless you include pig Latin?"
Grinning, the trio sat and reminisced for hours.
Logan rubbed his hands together in glee as he stood in their bedroom. Tonight was the night he and Marie would -finally- consummate their relationship. Sure, he'd shown her a dozen ways to scream his name, but it wasn't the full monty. It'd been a wild ride to this point, six months after his contract was accepted he was now in Alaska with the woman of his dreams. And it was about fuckin' time.
He'd been in the doghouse at first after explaining the whole 'male escort' and 'contract' thing, and it'd taken months to convince Marie that he really loved her. Over the last few weeks though, she'd actually become pretty aggressive. Using her strength to push him into walls and start kissing his chest while holding his arms above his head. Logan had to say, that was one hell of a turn on. She'd come a long way from the young woman who wouldn't acknowledge her sexuality, to this vixen who demanded his touch as often as possible. It didn't even matter where they were. Once, when she just couldn't wait, she had dragged him into the bathroom of a McDonalds for a little making out.
Oh yeah, and there came the tug on his shirt from behind. A hand sliding up his stomach and one down the front of his pants, gripping his hardening length through his trousers. Kisses and nips on his back, and it got so good he just wanted to throw her on the bed.
Marie, though, had other plans. Giving him a quick shove, he landed with a 'thump' and before he could turn over she grabbed his hands and whispered in his sensitive ear, "Uh-uh, shoogs. Your ass is mine. Remember, no further than I want right?"
"Damn, Marie. You know how to make a man sweat," was all he could groan as his gloved hands were tied together with one of her scarves.
"After all, Logan, you've been a naughty boy." Kissing the back of his head sweetly, she scooted down his prone form, reached underneath him to undo his pants and pull them down, revealing the ninth wonder of the world, his ass. She had decided that his chest was the eighth, it was magnificent and she always liked to spend a lot of time snuggled into it. But his behind was firm and well muscled just like the rest of him and it was getting harder every day not to give it a firm spank. "One in need of a little spanking."
"God- Marie," was all Logan could choke out before the first firm slap on his cheeks fell. "Ugh. Ma-"
"Uh-uh, Logan. You say, 'Please, ma'am' every time you want to ask for something." Each word was interspersed with a gentle strike.
"Oh god. Uh... Please, Ma'am, oh. God..." Now normally, Logan wasn't into the whole 'tie you up and spank' deal but Marie wasn't hitting too hard, and all she was doing was showing her control of the situation. It was something he suspected she needed, to feel in charge when so much of her life others had wanted to take the decision from her. Besides, it actually felt really fucking good how she was doing it. Light yet firm swats at the bottom of his cheeks near the top of his thighs, that was definitely some sensitive skin. "Please, Ma'am, I've been bad. Oh! Hmmm."
Marie gave him one final tap and a pinch on his butt. She giggled, "No, Logan, you've actually been a very, very good boy."
"Gonna give me a treat then, Ma'am?" he growled as Marie turned him over so he could see her. And if he wasn't harder than ever before from her playing, he was now. "Good god, Marie!" Logan thought his cock would explode into little smithereens, just from the sight of her.
She was clad in a sheer silver body stocking that had openings in it, but also she had scarves draped over her as well. Taking one from her arm, she draped it over his face. Leaning forward, she sucked at his bottom lip, nipping it when he parted his lips invitation. "Uh-uh, shoogs." Kissing the corners of his full mouth, she trailed up to his eyes, licking the lids, then nibbling his perfectly shaped eyebrows. "But I do have a treat for you..." Shifting, she positioned her moist entrance over his silk gauze covered face.
Letting him breath in her scent, she hovered, waiting until he started to whine and strain to lap at her. Still just out of reach of his questing tongue she eased down slowly. His hot searching member parted her folds quickly, seeking out the source of the sweet smell filling his world and his lungs. Licking at the inner labia, he tickled her with his skilled tongue for a moment there, then eagerly skimming upward to her bundle of nerves, and back down again thrusting deep into her femininity.
Marie let out a shriek as he delved into her repeatedly. Rocking her hips with and against his mouth, she came in a shattering wave of pure liquid crack bliss. Afterward, she fell over a little, trying to catch her breath, with her lily white, silver clad toushy in the air.
Distracted by the view, Logan was surprised to feel another scarf draped over him, this time on his painfully raging erection.
And with his hands still stretched out over his head, leaving him unable to do anything to urge Marie on, and they were positively itching to get a handful of each of her cheeks in them. To pull her back as she began to tentatively lick at him so he could again bury his face in her center. Tasting, sucking and consuming her.
But he was forced to simply wait, his view of what she was doing to him hampered by that beautiful ass in front of his face, barely out of reach. Still, he could feel her juicy lips wrapping around the head of his cock, and sucking at him. Her gradual slide down his length, slow and torturous, was pure ecstasy. Right then, he thought he was dying from the sensation. It wasn't that what she was doing to him was all that different, nor was it the precautions, that could be taken as kinky, it was the wait, the feelings he had for her, and she for him. Logan tried to hold on, Marie had barely even started. But he was so heavy with need, so swollen that just few moments in, his hips snapped upward before he could stop them, an agonized shout of mind boggling pleasure torn from his tight throat.
Marie flinched in surprise a little, she wasn't expecting him to finish so quickly. The flavor of him on her lips and in her mouth, the power rush it gave her made her ache with want even more than she had before. Pulling from between her breasts the foil package she had hidden there, she removed the scarf from his hips, and replaced it with the condom. Gliding it down his still hard length, he twitched about in her hands.
She knew what she wanted next, but Logan's pesky shirt was an irritant she didn't want to deal with. Tearing it from his body, getting it caught on his still bound arms, she muttered an, "Aw fuck, screw it," as she ripped the remainder to shreds. All the while, Logan was moaning and begging for more. When she finally got that pesky thing off him, she remembered his pants. Those were still down around his ankles. Which was all well and good, it went with her theme of control. Removing her last scarf from around her hips, she draped it over that magnificent chest. After all she wanted to be able to still kiss and nip him there while she rode him to oblivion.
Grasping him in her delicate hands, she maneuvered him finally to her aching entrance. Sliding it through the juices of her prior release, she held him there, teasing until he started to beg in broken sentences for her to, "Please, ma'am. Please, -god-, do it. Do it NOW!" while shaking and twisting beneath her hips, she felt she'd waited long enough. Pushing down on him, she was expecting a painful pinch. All she felt was Logan's thick girth filling and stretching her.
Easing up, she buried her face near his ear, letting him feel her breath panting against it wetly. Ramming her hips back down on him, she let him hear her moan. Continuing to slide up slowly then slam down, she told him everything. How much she loved him, how hungry he made her, how wet and satisfied, how safe she felt. How happy.
He answered in kind, interspersed with swears as she clenched around him. Logan accused her of trying to make him forget his name, when he had important things to do like make her scream it. In any format at all. She could yell on all she wanted about a 'hot, burly man' it was still his name.
When she was on the verge of collapsing, she kissed him once more through the sheer scarf covering him.
Disengaging from Logan for what she thought was the last time that night, Marie found out that he had other plans.
Somehow he had worked his hands free of the scarves, and was busily kicking his pants from his lower legs. Grabbing her by the hips, he pulled her so her back was against his chest. "Not so fast, darlin'. I ain't done with you yet." Reaching for the box of condoms on the nightstand, he got himself sheathed in record time.
Bending her over as gently as he could while fighting the instinct to show her -his- dominance, he nudged her thighs apart. Pushing into her with two long leather clad fingers, he massaged her internally for a moment while his other kneaded her behind. "You been teasing me, Marie. Now I'm gonna have you." She whimpered and bucked her hips frantically against his hand, seeking release. Pulling his dripping hand from her drenched sex, he positioned his thighs outside of hers while tucking her hips back into his. Allowing himself a predatory smile as his thick, flared tip brushed her, he slipped agonizingly slow into her.
Marie was struggling to get him hilted, seeing as she suddenly didn't feel so exhausted, at a more -satisfying- pace. Leaning over her, he moaned into her ear. "Marieee... don't even try it. It's my turn to play." Still her desperate attempts at wiggling did force him to speed it up a bit. He couldn't hold himself back for more than a few seconds.
Restraining her with a firm grip on her hips, and a mouth locked on the back of her neck, he rammed into her, eliciting a scream of the best kind. Releasing his jaw, he went back to flick his tongue quickly over the bare shell of her ear. "You gonna scream for me, Marie?" At her desperate moan and nod, he started a heavy and hard pace. With each thrust her head snapped back, voice begging for more.
Leaning back some, he still held her round silver covered bottom against his lean and tan hips. Though by now Marie had her upper body lax on the bed. Her arms were too tired to hold herself up, and gave him a wonderful view of them. Looking down at their bodies, Logan could see the joining of their sexes. The pink flesh surrounded by soaked auburn curls, that he knew he'd be taking another sampling of later, peaked out from the slit of her body stocking.
Just at the sight, not merely the feel of that heavenly part of her body, he could feel his testicles tightening. Sinking into her faster and more firmly, Logan watched the play of their bodies. At the moment that he could feel the cool heat radiating and pleasure yanked from his body at the focal point of his manhood he could tell Marie was shuddering out her release as well. Impossibly strong vaginal muscles squeezing, milking, pulling him in deeper.
When he came back to himself, he knew he must be squashing Marie, but he just didn't want to move from the heaven of his current position. Moaning manfully, Logan attempted to lever himself off of her, only succeeding in pulling himself out and collapsing back down on her.
Somehow, Marie had enough energy to laugh at him though. It shifted him a little and it was annoying. All she did though in response to his grumbles was laugh harder. Then using some of that super strength rolled him off his nice warm spot on her soft body. "Grr... why'd ya do that woman!? I was comfortable. Now, my ass is cold on this side of the bed."
"Quit whining, Logan, it doesn't become you. Besides, I'm about to snuggle with you anyway." Lifting one of the silk bedclothes that had come off the bed to cover him with, she cuddled herself into his side. "So, when are you going to be able to do that again?"
His eyes were closed and he had a peeved expression. "Less talkin', more sleepin'. But just lemme put it this way, babe: if you think the last six months were exciting then you won't be ready for the rest of your life. Though I'm sure you'll enjoy the ride." So saying, he pushed her head back down on his chest and they both fell asleep with happy well satisfied smiles on their faces.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
Y'know, I was reading Hooker!Rogue for the first time in January of last year, and this idea has been bugging me since then, over a whole frickin' year. Why is it that a lot of us write a Hooker!Marie but no Hooker!Logan? Sure there are the couple out there where he's either a stripper on the side, or he's a porn star. But what the hell? I want to be able to pay to get his services! Oh, and I just couldn't help but add myself as a side character. It's not an important role; I'm just his Madam. Heee! Also I do not condone smoking. I may be a smoker myself, but it's just a nasty habit one is better off not starting. But if you are going to smoke, smoke something that tastes good damn it. The Djarum Cherries and Vanilla ones are just to die for. *smokers hack * Literally. Also a bit of Thanx: To Valeria Corina for the wooing with chocolate cake. And the other *winkwink * things Wolvie will be using. Also to White Queen who triggered the answer to this question: "What is the hardest alloy known to man?" to which I said "What is Logan's THANG." And after that I said, "It may be cartilage but it should be counted as metal. Because there's nothing harder than a man with a healing factor." As well as some of the notable quotables in here. We were coming up with different names for Hugh/Logan/Sex Machine/HotBuns etc cuz really it's all just the same guy. So my answers were: Rogue: "Why hello there, you big burly piece of manflesh!" a.k.a. Logan... Logan: "That's my name, darlin', don't wear it out, cuz you'll be screamin' it later." More thanx also goes to Jordansgrrl for all of the above as well. And for giving me a much needed kick in the pants. Ohhhh shit... the A/N's were almost a page in word....oops. And if I don't stop my thanx right now, even though there are many, many others who helped, the notes will go more than a page in my word doc...... Start date: 1/10/03 Finish date: 3/14/2004 Beta's notes: Pretty Man! *chortle* Logan is Julia Roberts. *ahem* Don't tell him I said that. I like my appendages where they're at, thank you.