Rogue was nervous. She didn't quite understand what it was she was picking up from the quiet, considering looks Logan kept giving her, but that, combined with the absolute silence on the drive back to the mansion had her biting her lower lip and twisting her fingers together in her lap.
She stopped the lip biting when she caught Logan narrowing his eyes in a predatory manner. But her fingers - those she kept twisting. Trying to shake her nerves by thinking the situation through rationally, Rogue cataloged every moment since they left the jewelry store. Logan had been fine when they got on the highway. He had been fine when she was flipping through radio stations, and he had been fine when she switched it off entirely in disgust at not being able to find a single good song to listen to. Then she had settled back against her comfortable black leather seat, yawned a bit, stretched her arms forward, and then she had lifted them behind her head to hook her wrists on her headrest, finishing her stretch by straightening out her legs and arching her back.
Rogue's fingers froze in her lap as realization hit her. Casting a quick look at Logan from beneath lowered lashes, she saw that he was, indeed, staring at her chest. His look this time wasn't predatory, but more musing and hinting at confused as his eyes flitted down to her clasped hands and then up to her face.
Feeling a blush burn her cheeks, Rogue tilted her head down so her hair swept forward and hid her face from him. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a soft, deep laugh compete with the low purr of the Bentley's engine.
Her face flaming brighter than before, Rogue cursed Logan under her breath. She was willing to bet her favorite teddy bear that he thought she had been flirting with her earlier stretching. And then she cursed herself for even having teddy bears at her age, which made her scowl when she realized there was no logic behind her last thought.
"Logan, look," Rogue began, swallowing hard, "I, uh, think we need to talk about how things are going to, uh, be the next few weeks before the wedding. I mean-"
"Can it, kid," Logan cut her off. "No point in trying to plan anything. Things are going to turn out however they turn out."
Rogue hesitated before blurting anxiously, "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
Logan shrugged as he turned into the mansion's driveway. "It means we take it one thing at a time. First thing being that we're gonna grab some breakfast in the kitchen and head up to your room and watch the morning news."
"And after that?"
"We'll see," he said in a softly suggestive tone, pulling the car into the garage.
Rogue's heart stuttered. What the hell was going on, she wondered wildly. Was Logan actually thinking of trying to seduce her? She got out of the car in silence and started walking around the hood. When Logan placed his hand low on her back, she jumped in surprise and danced a few hasty steps away from him.
Logan frowned uncertainly. "You okay, kid?"
"Fine," Rogue replied shortly.
Pausing mid-step, Logan stared hard at her as he searched for words. Finally giving up, he shrugged and said, "If you say so. Just trying to figure out what has you acting so weird all of a sudden."
"Me?" Rogue asked in disbelief. She was strangely comforted when Logan's right eyebrow winged upward.
"How am I acting weird?" he challenged.
"You were staring at my...my...you were staring!"
"News flash, kid. I'm a guy. We stare."
Rogue's jaw grew slack at his ready admission. "I...but why?" was all she could come up with.
Logan laughed. "Come on, kid. I know you're not as clueless as you were pretending to be a few days ago. I see something I like, I'm going to look. And you've got a lot I like."
"But you haven't even seen - " Rogue clapped her hand over her mouth, embarrassed by what she had been about to say.
Laughing again, Logan shook his head slowly. "You know, it's weird. I've known you for over ten years, but all of a sudden in the last few weeks, I haven't been able to figure you out, kid."
Rogue couldn't keep from snorting. "So you seeing me as a woman has suddenly made me three dimensional and too complex to size up?"
"Hell no. Women have always been two dimensional to me - I like them and they have their uses. Nothing else to worry about."
"Pig."
"Probably. You've always been three dimensional, though, kid. I know who you are and what you want, and I know what place you have in my life. Or I did. Well, I still know what place you have, but it's changing and you're not acting like I thought you would and...hell, I don't know." Logan's tone was suddenly disgusted.
"It's unsettling."
"Damn right it is," he returned.
"You're unsettled," Rogue said, smiling widely.
"Uh, yeah, darlin'. I think we just covered that."
"The tough, stoic Wolverine is unsettled. By me." Laughter laced the last two words.
Logan growled and uncontrolled mirth spilled from Rogue's lips.
"Dammit, I don't have a damn clue where I stand with you right now. Go ahead. Laugh it up while you still can, kid, but you're just as unsettled as I am. And if you're not, by the end of this week, I'm going to make damn sure that you are."
"Ha!" Rogue crowed. "And how do you think you're going to make that happen?"
Smirking at her, Logan stepped quickly forward, crowding her until she took a step back. Her knees hit the Bentley's front bumper and she ended up sitting awkwardly to the right of the winged hood ornament. Placing his hands against the hood on either side of her, Logan boxed her in and put his face mere inches from hers.
"Like this," he said in a rough voice and kissed her.
* * *
Just like the last time, Rogue wasn't quite sure how much time had passed or how, exactly, she ended up lying across the front of the car. All she knew was that Logan's strong shoulders beneath her fingers felt wonderful and the hood of the car was still warm from the engine. When Logan lifted his lips from hers, she made a soft sound of protest and twined her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.
Lifting her heavy eyelids to look at him, Rogue wondered vaguely if she looked as shell-shocked as Logan. He licked his lips and swallowed before speaking.
"Hey, kid, listen. I know you said you - "
"Aww, don't ruin a great sex scene with talking!" The loud voice at the door made Logan jump in surprise and the claws of his right hand shot out, screeching against the hood next to Rogue's head. He whirled around to face the intruder, pushing Rogue behind him with his left hand.
"Holy shit," the voice said faintly.
"What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" Logan roared angrily. "Shit! You should know better by now."
Rogue sat up behind him, placing her hand soothingly against his back. The voice sounded familiar.
"I didn't expect you to nearly shishkebab her head!" Rogue narrowed her eyes at the bright, angry tones. It couldn't be, she thought, peeking around Logan's broad shoulder.
"Jubes?" she said in disbelief.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry! I'm still living out of boxes and my computer's in storage, so I've been sneaking a few minutes at a time on public computers and saving drafts in my email. And if all goes as planned, I'm going to be moving again in the next 2-3 weeks, so postings are going to be sporadic for the foreseeable future. I'll make it all up, I swear! I have two new stories planned, but you won't get to see them until after Last Chance and Gauntlet are finished.