Logan’s POV
Steele, the dog, I found out was a German shepherd mixed with a wolf. He’s a good dog; he follows Marie into every room, always alert, always watching. That dog loves her. I can tell. She had told me that he had shown up at the diner looking for food, so Marie had started putting a plate outside with a bunch of food scraps on it. Ever since then, the dog had become quite loyal to her. It’s always good to have somebody that’s loyal around.
I clinch my jaw, turning onto my side and facing the opposite wall. I had once been that loyal person for her. /I/ had been her friend… and then I went and screwed everything up. So, it’s not all my fault really. She could have told me… she could have said something to the fact that Storm and I being together bothered her. But she didn’t. That’s just like Marie. No matter what’s happening, she doesn’t complain… even if it’s hurting her… even if it’s ripping her apart inside. And to think it was me doing that to her. Hmph. Some friend I am.
I hear her shift in her sleep. She had me sleep on the couch. I guess I deserve that. If I were her, I wouldn’t want to lie next to the person that broke my heart either. I miss her though. I want to hug her and I haven’t even been able to give her half of that. She forgave me… but only partway. I’m here, aren’t I? I’m allowed to stay in her apartment… but I can barely even touch her.
I shift again so I’m lying on my back. The couch… it’s not the greatest thing to sleep on, but it’s better than some of the other things I’ve had to lay on. I hear Steele jump off the bed and quietly pad out to where I am. I look up and see him standing at the end of the couch by my feet. He stares at me for a moment before coming around the side. I reach out a hand, rubbing his head and scratching behind his ears. His tail wags slightly and he whines at me. “What’re you complaining about, ya mutt?” He just whines again before nipping at my hand slightly. He backs away and moves back to the hallway. He then stops and stares at me before whining again. I sit up now, watching him for a moment before tossing my blankets aside and moving towards him. Steele leads the way down the hall to her bedroom. I stop at the door, looking at Marie as she sleeps.
Actually… she’s not asleep. She’s not facing me, but I know. Marie never sleeps on her side. She’s always slept on her stomach. The moonlight is coming in through the window, reflecting off her china doll skin. Her brown hair is in a tight bun on the back of her head. Such a shame too. Her hair looks better when it’s down especially if it’s being lit up by the moon. I admit, Rogue’s a beautiful woman and yeah… I was physically attracted to her… but I didn’t want to hurt her. Marie was my friend… my family. I only wish that I hadn’t been so stupid and had just-
“Logan… do you need something,” she asked, almost in a whisper. She always had a strange knack of knowing when I was around. That explained how she’d managed to avoid me while she had still been at the mansion.
I don’t answer for a moment, looking over at Steele who was now sitting by the empty side of the bed. It was now or never, I guess. I had to tell Marie. I move a little further into the room, trying to tuck my hands into the pockets that didn’t exist on the sweatpants. I finally settled for squeezing my hands into fists. “Yeah, Marie. I do…” She rolled over before sitting up, looking at me. “I need… I need you.”
Her perfect little mouth opened and then closed again. Her face was now half hidden in shadow, but I could see her expression clearly. All kinds of emotions ran across her features: Happiness, hurt, sorrow… and fear. “Logan… I…”
“Marie… I was an asshole. I didn’t know I was hurting you and I’m sorry. I /need/ you…”
She just stared at me, sitting there in the dark. I moved a little closer to the bed, moving like you might around a skittish horse. Her eyes then darted down to my chest. Good… she sees the tags she got me for Christmas. I don’t think she ever realized I wore them… constantly. She slowly slid out of the bed, staring at the tags. She hardly wore anything… just a pair of short shorts and a sports bra. I could tell she still worked out. Her stomach was tight and her arms and legs had some nice muscle tone to them… and yet, she still had curves that could kill a man. The shorts were sitting low on her hips, the waistband a good 2 inches below her naval. She reached a hand out and touched the tags, flipping them over in her hand to read the engraving. Suddenly, she smiled and it felt like I had just been lit on fire. I had missed that smile so damn much. It wasn’t that ‘I’m-shy-but-thanks-for-the-compliment smile’ nor was it the ‘I-think-this-kind-of-a-funny-situation smile’. It was the ‘I’m-happy-beyond-words smile’.
“You’re wearing them…”
“Of course I am, darlin’. You gave ‘em to me.”
She looked up at me then, blinking a few times before she released her hold on the tags. She slid her small arms around my neck, standing up on her toes to give me a hug. I close my eyes, wrapping my arms around her waist tightly. God, I had missed this… her hugs… the way her body felt against mine. I was going to make the best of this. I don’t want to push her, so we’ll take some time, get back into our friendship and see where all this goes to from there.
She let me sleep in the bed with her. She cried a little into my shirt for a while before she finally fell asleep. Both my arms were wrapped around her, her head pillowed on my chest. Now this… this, I could get used to.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Ahem... pardon me for my lateness.
Chapter End Notes:
Well, off for Christmas break... maybe you'll see another chapter before next quarter for college begins?