I could get used to this – wakin’ up with my girl curled against me, our legs entwined, our hearts beatin’ as one. I could get used to the feelin’ o’ being wanted – needed – by someone. Used to the heady sense of …….. of belonging.
I can hardly remember how we got back to the mansion last night – the details o’ that mundane drive through the fast approachin’ dawn aren’t important anyway, an’ they’re overshadowed by the powerful memories of our love-makin’ in the jeep – memories so vivid they cause a stir of remembered interest in my groin. I remember kissin’ an’ cuddlin’ with Marie on my lap until the first tinge o’ pink in the sky warned of the coming dawn an’ remindin’ us we had to get home before we were missed. The driver o’ one of the trucks parked near the exit leaned out of his window as we approached, thankin’ us for one helluva show, his eyes still glassy after jerkin’ off to our performance. He wanted to know if we’d be back the followin’ evening.
I gave him a wolfish smile an’ said we’d consider it.
God knows how we managed to get upstairs to my room. With Marie walkin’ backwards in my arms as she smothered my face with hot, demandin’ kisses, it’s a miracle we didn’t fall over something an’ break our fool necks. I vaguely remember Scott yellin’ something as we bumped against his bedroom door in our sex-fuelled fumblings, but Marie had her tongue in my ear at that point an’ my senses were going crazy. I could hardly recall my own name, let alone make a coherent reply.
I remember Marie whisperin’ my name as we made love once more to the first chorus of birdsong outside my window, only to fall asleep in a tangle of arms an’ legs, our love-lust finally sated.
For now …….
I feel Marie stir against me an’ I tighten my grip around her waist, hearin’ her whisper my name softly in response. Even in sleep she’s aware of me – she knows I’m here – an’ I can’t help nuzzlin’ into her neck, breathin’ in the sweet scent of her an’ knowin’ she’s mine. She belongs to me – body an’ soul – an’ the beast within howls its approval.
We have a fine mate, the Wolverine an’ I. An’ one day she’ll bear us many fine cubs.
What the ……..? There I go again. What the hell is wrong with me lately? Anyone would think I wanted to be a father, or something.
An’ why the hell not, bub? The beast stirs an’ flexes its claws, makin’ its feelings known in no uncertain terms. It writhes within me, uncoiling like a snake, testing the boundaries of its prison. I’ve never known it to be so single-minded in its intent, completely convincin’ me of its willingness to take me over an’ push my human psyche to the background in order to get what it wants.
An’ what it wants is Marie. It wants our mate.
I won’t let it happen. I won’t let the beast have her. She’s mine. The beast can howl all it wants – it can throw itself against the bars of its prison until it’s bruised an’ bloody – but I will not relinquish control. When I make love to Marie, it’s me that’s movin’ inside her. Me she’s caressin’ so tenderly an’ invitin’ to kiss her mouth.
Me.
The man.
Not the beast.
The man can be soft …….. can be gentle an’ lovin’. The beast would take her hard …… make her bleed …….. break her. I can’t let that happen. The man must remain in control. Always.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t torment the beast a little. Make it watch while I do all the things it would like to do itself.
An’ it howls now in desperation because it knows what I’m gonna do …….
Marie sighs in her sleep an’ I let my hand rove upwards, skimmin’ her silky skin until I reach the lower swell of her breast. My thumb caresses the gentle curve an’ she arches into my touch like a flower deprived o’ sunlight, mewlin’ a little as I begin to move my fingers in tiny circles, makin’ their way slowly towards that little nub o’ flesh that just aches for my attention. Dreamily, she pushes back into my chest, unconsciously opening herself up to my rovin’ hand, an’ I scoot over slightly, lettin’ her roll onto her back as I take her breast fully in the palm o’ my hand an’ squeeze gently.
She moans softly, her little pink tongue dartin’ out to moisten her lips, yet she is still asleep, her eyes tightly closed but flickerin’ slightly as her body responds automatically to my caresses. She is so in tune with me now that she reacts to the slightest o’ touches an’ I wonder if she is dreamin’ right now. Does she dream of me? Can she see herself as I see her – a vision of heavenly beauty on snowy white sheets, writhin’ sensuously under her dream lover’s hands? Does she reach for him an’ beg him to take her, to fill her completely an’ utterly with his love – to make her his?
God, what I wouldn’t give to be a telepath right now ……..
Lowerin’ myself down, I cover her breast with my mouth, teasin’ the nipple with my teeth, lathing it with my tongue until it forms into a tight little peak. Satisfied with my achievements, I let my hand rove downwards now, skimmin’ her soft curls, nudgin’ her compliant thighs apart to settle between her legs, my heart thumpin’ as Marie moans her arousal an’ grinds against my hand. A surge o’ wetness answers my questin’ fingers an’ I groan my own need as I feel my cock harden in response.
I can’t wait any longer. I move to position myself in the cradle of her thighs, sighing as I feel her body shape to mine, welcoming me home. The beast howls, egging me on, willin’ me to take her before she wakes. But I will not. That is the animal’s way. It is not mine.
I touch my lips to hers, kissin’ them gently as though for the very first time. Marie stirs beneath me, her eyelids flutterin’ as she opens them an’ gazes up at me, dreamily, still half asleep. Her hair is strewn across my pillow an’ I plunge my fingers deep into those silky tresses, windin’ it around one digit an’ flickin’ it under her nose. She laughs an’ screws her eyes shut as she tries to fight the sneeze that is buildin’, pushin’ my hand away with a squeal, an’ I kiss her again – briefly – chastely. An’ then her body lifts up to press against mine an’ she smiles, registerin’ the fact that I am hoverin’ above her, poised between her legs, waitin’ – hopin’ – for the permission to enter her an’ take what’s rightfully mine.
“Hey, Logan …….” Her voice is soft, silky with sleep, an’ I smile down at her, losin’ myself in the biggest pair of come-to-bed eyes I have ever seen.
“Hey, darlin’, I breathe in return. “This is your early mornin’ wake up call.”
“Oh, goody.” She wriggles against me, nudgin’ my cock an’ makin’ me hiss at the sensation of her slidin’ heat. “Ah’d hate to sleep over an’ miss all the fun.”
Darlin’, that’s exactly what I’ve been waitin’ to hear.
I push my hips forward, easin’ into her nice an’ slow. Marie gasps as I fill her, wrappin’ her legs around me an’ pullin’ me in deep, admittin’ me to her inner place with nothin’ short of unconditional trust.
Our love makin’ is slow an’ easy, as I strive to prove my devotion to her in the only way I know how. Once again, I am struck by the difference between this an’ our previous couplings. It’s as much about pleasurin’ the other as it is about fulfillin’ our own needs an’ desires an’, for once, my own preference for fast an’ rough sex is pushed behind me as I move slowly inside her, wantin’ to take her as high as possible before I tip her over the edge. We take our time, kissin’ an’ nippin’ at each others flesh as we move as one, pausin’ every now an’ then to simply enjoy the sensation o’ being joined an’ to touch each other, Marie’s hands rovin’ my body, explorin’ every inch o’ me as we slowly an’ inevitably move towards the anticipated climax.
When neither of us can hold back any longer – when our breath is comin’ in short, uneven gasps an’ our bodies are coated in a fine sheen – I raise myself up an’ begin to thrust, beggin’ her to join me, to come with me to that high place an’ never look back.
We both come at exactly the same time, our bodies shudderin’ in unison as our passion ignites, sendin’ us spirallin’ out of control. Totally spent, I collapse on top of her, keepin’ my weight on my elbows as my head spins with the intensity of our synchronised orgasm.
An’ as I slowly regain control o’ my senses, I nuzzle into her neck an’ breathe those three little words that I never thought I would hear myself say.
“I love you, Marie. God, I love you so much …….”
Marie fists her little hands into my hair, pullin’ my lips to hers so that she can kiss me. “Ah love you too, Logan …….”
It’s almost three in the afternoon when we finally emerge from my room an’ make our way to the kitchen to restock our energy levels. Strangely, our kitchen is never empty – no matter the time o’ day or night, it acts as a veritable X-Men magnet, pullin’ people towards its homely warmth, beggin’ us to partake of its well-stocked cupboards an’ friendly atmosphere – I swear it’s got a life of its own. This occasion is no different. Ororo an’ Scott are nursin’ steamin’ mugs o’ coffee at the table an’ Kitty is butterin’ muffins at the counter. There is a soft buzz o’ gentle conversation in the room, which stops the second Marie an’ me enter.
Scott suddenly becomes intensely interested in the contents of his mug, but ‘Ro beams at us warmly, an’ Kitty turns from the counter with a grin.
“There you both are! Geez, Rogue, we thought you were gonna stay holed up in Wolvie’s room all day!”
I growl at mention o’ that damn nickname – the blasted firecracker’s got a lot to answer for – but Marie places a calmin’ hand on my arm an’ blushes prettily. Kitty offers her a muffin which she accepts and moves to the table with it on a plate, pullin’ out a seat next to ‘Ro.
I help myself to a mug an’ move to the coffee maker, feelin’ Scott’s eyes on me all the way. “What time did you both get home last night?” he finally asks.
“I dunno.” I turn an’ lean against the counter, wrappin’ my fingers around the steamin’ mug. “Sometime around dawn, I think.”
“Logan won the cagefight!” Marie declares, proudly. “You should have been there, Storm! He was amazing!”
“Did you win a cup?” asks Kitty, pausin’ in the act o’ butterin’ another muffin to check me out intently.
I shake my head. “Nah, jus’ money. Enough to pay off the repairs to my bike, I should think.”
“Speaking of which, you had a phone call earlier, Logan.” ‘Ro looks at me over the top of her mug, those blue eyes o’ hers missin’ nothin’. “Someone by the name of Mike? He said your bike is ready to pick up.”
“Good.” I nod, an’ reach over to steal Kitty’s freshly buttered muffin, causin’ her to snort in annoyance an’ swipe at my thieving hand with the butter knife. “I’ll jus’ grab something to eat an’ head over an’ get it. You comin’, Rogue?”
“Sure.” Marie nods happily, lookin’ adorable with a smear o’ butter on her chin, but Scott shakes his head at her willingness to join me.
“Sorry, Rogue, but we need you here for the rest of the afternoon. The Professor says you’re overdue with your progress report into your control and Jean wants to run some tests.”
Marie looks crestfallen. “Can’t it wait?”
“No. I’m sorry. You did promise to keep working with the Professor when you finally gained your control ……..”
“Ah know, ah know ……..”
“…….. and the tests are imperative to ascertain whether you are experiencing any side effects to all the additional …….. contact.”
Scott glances at me as he says this an’ I can’t help raisin’ the obligatory eyebrow.
Marie looks up at me with heavy eyes. “Ah’m sorry, Logan. The tests are important. With all that’s happened lately, ah’ve been putting them off.”
I wave my hand, dismissively. “Hey, no problem, Rogue. It’s only gonna be a trip to the shop an’ back anyway. An’ I’ll have ya all to myself when I get back ……..”
Marie nods happily an’ blows me a kiss. “Lookin’ forward to it, sugah.”
Scott lets out a snort. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you two, get a room!”
“We’ve got one, thanks. Which I intend to make full use of when I get back.” I shove the last o’ the muffin in my mouth an’ swallow almost without chewin’. “If I set off now I can be back in time for dinner.” I gulp the still scaldin’ hot coffee an’ reach around Kitty to place the mug on the drainer. “Nice muffin, by the way,” I add with a grin.
“Next time, butter your own,” she responds quickly, but her tone is light an’ there is a twinkle in her eye as she smiles back at me. Seems as though I’ve suddenly gained something of a fanbase.
I grab a set o’ keys from the motor pool, detour around the table to drop a farewell kiss onto the top o’ Marie’s head an’ head off to the garage. I’ve opted to take one o’ the mansion’s trucks – the open back will accommodate the bike nicely an’ save me from having to take a taxi to the auto shop.
I’m just about to drive off when I catch a voice callin’ me – the engine is runnin’ an’ I would have missed it if not for my enhanced hearin’.
“Wait! Hey, Wolvie, wait up!”
I stop an’ roll down the window, frownin’ when Jubilee pops her head in at the passenger side. “Whaddaya want, kid?”
Jubilee pops a pink bubble at me. “Roguey says you’re heading into town?”
I nod. “Yeah. So?”
“Can I beg a lift?”
“Look, kid, I’m not runnin’ a taxi service here ……..”
“Oh, come on, don’t be such a grouch, Wolvie. Would it kill ya to drop me off at the drugstore? I’m gonna lighten Rahne’s hair tonight an’ I need to pick up some dye.”
I run a hand through my own hair, instantly doubtin’ Rahne’s sanity. “Are ya sure that’s wise?” Anyone with an ounce o’ sense wouldn’t let Jubilee anywhere near their crownin’ glory. Or anythin’ else, for that matter.
Jubilee takes my query as a ‘yes’ an’ hops into the truck beside me, poppin’ her gum as she plants her sneakered feet on the dashboard. I guess there’s no point in tryin’ to move her without resortin’ to some form o’ bloodshed an’ so I sigh in resignation, idling out o’ the garage an’ down the driveway, while Jubilee assures me that Rahne has wanted to lighten her hair for years but never had the courage to do so until now. I only hope the girl knows what she’s let herself in for.
Once on the main pull into town, Jubilee leans forward an’ begins to search the radio for something to listen to. I indulge her for a moment or two, in the vain hope that she might actually hit on something we can both enjoy, but when she nods in satisfaction an’ begins tappin’ her fingers to a god-awful din that sounds like six cats being strangled – badly – I lean forwards to turn it off.
“Hey! I like that song! What’s the matter with you?”
She reaches for the radio again, but I slap her hand away. “Leave it.”
Jubilee bounces back in her seat, grunting in annoyance. “What, you don’t like music?”
“I like music just fine, Jubilee, but that …….. whatever it was ………. didn’t even come close to being remotely called music. It was just noise.”
“Well, excuse me if we don’t all like Japanese arty stuff an’ country.” Jubilee folds her arms defiantly an’ glares across the cab at me.
“I don’t like country ……..”
“No? You strike me as a country kind o’ guy, Wolvie. Must be all the flannel an’ denim ……..”
I allow a growl to rumble in my chest, briefly entertainin’ the idea o’ guttin’ the kid an’ hidin’ the evidence in the trees somewhere. Bad Logan. Killin’ your girl’s best friend really isn’t the way to get into her bed tonight.
I make a valiant effort to be nice.
“Will ya stop callin’ me that damn name? Have some respect, will ya?”
“I like it, it’s cool! What’s the problem? Besides, you can’t be the bad-ass Wolverine all the time. There’s got to be a softer side to you in there somewhere, fighting to get out. No? Well, it was just a thought.”
“Look, how would you like it if I called you Whizz-bang or Fizz-bit all the time, huh?”
Jubilee shrugs. “Whatever floats your boat, I guess, Wolvie.”
I sigh an’ give up. The girl obviously has no sense o’ reason. I wonder if being annoying is just a natural ability on her part, or whether she has to work at it. You know, take lessons an’ pass a test, or something.
I turn my concentration to the road an’ idly keep a look out for a likely place to bury the body ……..
We drive in silence for a time. Traffic is light at this time o’ day an’ there are no major hold-ups, so we’re makin’ good time. At this rate, we’ll get there an’ back in no time at all.
Maybe I can talk Marie into some pre-dinner lovin’ ……..?
“Wolvie! Look out!!”
“What the ……..?”
The rocket comes outta the trees at the side o’ the road too fast for me to avoid, although I have a damn good try, to no avail. It hits on the front driver’s side, sendin’ us into a skid, which turns into a somersault as the tyres dig into the road. The world spins crazily around us as the truck careens helplessly across the road, takin’ me an’ Jubilee along for the ride.
There’s a crash as we hit the trees, the sound o’ splinterin’, an’ then sudden stillness. I open my eyes to find myself lyin’ on what was once the inner roof o’ the truck, Jubilee stretched out beside me, groanin’. It’s a miracle she wasn’t killed.
My first priority is to get us both out o’ the truck an’ to safety. Whoever fired that rocket can’t be far away an’ it was certainly no accident. This was a deliberate attack.
It looks like my carbonadium wieldin’ buddies are back ……..
Only now they’re armed with more than just bullets.
I pop the claws in my right hand an’ slice through the door on my side o’ the truck, kickin’ it free with a well placed boot. I crawl out o’ the wreck, then reach back in to drag Jubilee free. She groans as I give her a quick once-over – no broken bones, luckily, but she’s sportin’ one hell of a gash on her forehead an’ she’s semi-conscious, probably sufferin’ from concussion.
I gather her into my arms an’ make for the trees, just as I hear the whoosh o’ displaced air behind me an’ another rocket slams into the side o’ the truck. It explodes in a plume o’ fire an’ superheated metal, the blast knockin’ me off my feet as a wave o’ burnin’ heat flows over an’ around me. I can smell something smoulderin’ an’ with a jolt o’ sudden clarity I realise it’s me.
This isn’t good. I need to get Jubilee to safety. I struggle to my knees just as something sharp thunks into my back. There’s a single moment o’ numbing emptiness an’ then suddenly I am in a world o’ pain. My whole body feels as though it’s on fire – my nerves are screamin’ an’ my muscles spasm, an’ I can’t even cry out because my jaw is clenched tight. I topple forwards, landin’ over Jubilee, who groans as my weight presses into her. I try to move, but my muscles have seized an’ all I can do is shudder in agony as the drug I’ve obviously been shot with courses through my veins.
I am powerless to react as I hear the sound of approachin’ footsteps. Something pokes me in the back – the barrel of a gun? – an’ then I am flipped over onto my back, my eyes squeezin’ shut as the glare from the burnin’ truck assaults my senses.
An’ as I slowly fall into the black abyss of unconsciousness, I hear a chillingly familiar voice ………
“Well, well. Looks like we got two for the price o’ one ……..”