Logan took another swig of beer and pouted. No, the Wolverine didn't pout, but Logan sulked. He told himself he was comfortable with sulking.

Marie had been so busy as of late that he was afraid she was going to miss their annual Christmas Eve gift exchange. True, she'd already received the gift from him, but she always had something for him and he would be damned if he was going to let the exchange go the way hockey night had.

Hockey night had become their tradition shortly after he returned the first time. Saturday nights, for three years running, during hockey season they met in his room and watched together. It hadn't mattered what else might take place later, but they watched hockey together before going their separate ways afterward. The only time either of them had missed before now was due to a mission. And he could count the number of times that happened on one hand. Now though she was too busy.

Ever since… Logan tried not to think about it. In fact, he spent just over a month trying not to think about the way she strutted around the mansion, since that fateful day he'd taken her to Charlene's.

Marie had a new confidence in her appearance. She used to wear multiple, loose fitting layers. A single form-fitting layer that left little to the imagination had replaced those layers. Left little to his imagination.

At first he didn't want to believe the difference was due to better undergarments. But more that once he'd seen patterns, peeking out from the neckline of Marie's shirt, he remembered from the cashier counter at the boutique.

Logan wasn't the only one noticing the change in Marie. Every man in the mansion was giving her a second look. He'd caught her more than once flirting with several individuals. Logan didn't know why it distressed him so much.

Marie was entitled to flirt with whomever she wanted. He certainly never thought of her in a sexual manner. Sure he'd noticed her nice figure back when they first met, but she'd been scared and in need of help. Yet now he couldn't look at her and not notice her fine figure. Curves in all the right places that he wanted to lay his hands on.

For several months now, even before the shower incident, his mind would drift off. The bra-buying plan had only fueled the fire where Marie was concerned.

Logan finished off his beer and went to get another. Marie and bras. He didn't want to think of Marie in a bra. Marie without a bra was better. No, that wasn't right. Or was it?

Damn it, that wasn't the point. It was Christmas Eve. Their night. He would fight tooth and toenail to keep their night.

He slumped back down on the couch again, sulking. Marie wasn't a child who could be dictated to. She had her own life to live and didn't need him demanding things of her she didn't want to give.

Logan was surprised when Marie entered his room. He cursed himself for sulking and not paying attention to his surroundings.

"Sorry, I'm late. I just got finished." Marie took her customary seat beside him, placing a wrapped package on his lap.

Relief flooded him. He wouldn't have to fight for this night to remain theirs, not this year. He took a good look at her. She was in an oversized jersey and sweatpants. Thank the Lord. He wouldn't have to spend the night looking at pert breasts or adverting his eyes from silk covered cleavage.

"Since we've established my poor college student credentials, the thought of making something for you was really appealing." She smiled brightly at him. "Go ahead open it."

Logan set his beer on the side table and carefully unwrapped the package to reveal a scarf. Huh. Not something he thought she would give him. However, he didn't want to disappoint her, she was practically bouncing on the cushion next to him. Which, even he could see that bouncing did all kinds of interesting things to her chest under that oversized shirt.

The paper slid to the floor as he put the scarf around his neck. Holding up the ends, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her handy work. One end was neat and tidy; the other was a mess of unevenly spaced, lumpy stitches that left the end oddly warped.

"You should've seen the first half dozen or so attempts," she laughed. "The more I worked, the more it reminded me of us."

"How so?" he asked, running his hand along the scarf from the misshaped end to the area where it gradually smoothed out. He could see that Marie had put a lot of time and effort into this project. This was what she had been so busy doing the last month. Maybe giving up a hockey nights for a little while wasn't a complete loss.

"Our relationship started out like this sad end over here," she said, pointing to the warped side. "There was a connection, but no real idea of how we fit together. With time and patience, we slowly figured out how to smooth out the rough spots so it all holds together nicely."

When she put it that way, he gave her a lopsided grin. "I like it."

Rogue laughed with delight. This might be easier than she thought. As long as he didn't pull a jackass move like he was prone to do when confronted with his feelings for her. "It will hang beside your coat and never get worn."

Logan snorted. "True, but I like that you made it for me." He fiddled with it a minute more, before asking, "Why a scarf?"

Her face turned scarlet red and she looked away from him. "Uhm…There was a thought, or maybe one of your memories about a scarf." She peeked up at him. "It only dawned on me later that my idea for the intended use and your thoughts were complete opposites."

He stared at her, eyes wide. There had been inklings about Marie and her many scarves, but he'd buried those deep in the back of his mind.

Rogue brushed passed his surprised look, trying to avoid a jackass moment. "Anyway, that's not your only present."

Logan eyed her, then looked behind her toward the other end of the couch and the door. He hadn't seen her bring anything else in. Admittedly, he'd been sulking, so it was possible. His eyes slid back to her face. Marie's smile was secretive and there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Her smell was off; it was alluring, but that wasn't new. A little bit of apprehension thrown in? This next present must be a big deal for her to give.

"Lean back, get comfortable, and close your eyes." He complied with her commands. Rogue took a steadying breath. Most likely he could sense her nervousness; but if she could pull off this next part and get him to give up his stubborn ways, it would be a good Christmas for them both.

She scrutinized his muscular frame. It would be better if his shirt were off, though that could be fixed later. "Hmm…can you stretch your arms out further?" Opening one eye, he peered at her, resting his arms along the back of the couch. "Perfect."

"How big is this gift?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing you can't handle," she said as she stood up. "And no peeking!" He smiled and closed his eye again. She would die of embarrassment if he caught her mid act and the failure rate would be higher.

Logan could hear her bare feet on the floor and the muted sound of fabric being moved. Usually he wasn't big about being on the receiving end of a surprise, but for Marie he didn't mind as much.

"Ya' know I realized something while I was making that scarf." He felt her weight dip the cushion next to him. "We're pretty much on the same page about things."

Her hand landed on his shoulder. There was a slight pressure as if she were keeping her balance. "Marie?" It was a questioning whisper, left thick and heavy between them as he felt her straddle him. He pressed his eyes shut even tighter when she settled her weight on his lap.

So far, so good. Logan wasn't so thick headed to not have an idea of what was going on and he hadn't said anything more or made a move. Those were hopeful signs, because her 'gift exchange' depended on his participation. A lot of participation.

She carefully leaned forward for a kiss. Remembering the 'healing kiss' from a month ago, she tried to make this one as unlike that as she could.

Her warm lips covered his. They were soft and pliant; Marie was making no demands of him. It was a simple invitation he didn't know how he should respond to. He knew he wanted to respond and could already feel himself growing hard, but was that what she wanted? Or was this simply a kiss, nothing more?

Rogue backed away and whispered, "I hope ya' don't mind, this present isn't wrapped."

Logan's eye flew open. Don't look down, don't look down, don't…too late. On his lap sat a naked Marie. No oversized jersey or sweatpants in site. She wasn't even sporting any of the bras or panties he'd bought her.

His mind raced. He should say something, do something, but what? The thing he knew would be expected of him, would be to tell her to stop. But he was afraid she might.

He could pick her up and move her off his lap. To do that would require touching her pale, soft, deadly skin. He weighed that out a second. Passing out as a result of touching the untouchable would be worth it. Or not, because if he passed out, that would be the end of the gift exchange. He shifted uncomfortably beneath her.

Marie sat up straight, making her breasts jut out nicely. Creamy flesh with taut, pink nipples were staring him in the face. His eyes followed her hands as they came to rest on her hips, then travel further down to the dark curls and her parted thighs. "I'm a dead man," he mumbled.

"Could you repeat that, Sugar? I don't have your enhanced hearing."

Letting out a breath he'd been holding, Logan rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension building there. He cleared the lump from his throat. "I'm a dead man," he repeated waving a hand at her naked body.

"Not if my calculations are right." She laughed lightly at his confusion. "Why I never rummaged through the memories of people in my head for how they control their mutation, is beyond me. Turns out it is akin to releasing and retracting your claws."

Rogue saw his jaw take on the hard set of a decision being made. She was suddenly fearful this last step had been too far and too fast. Though if the flare of desire was anything to go by… "I'm sorry did you want to be wooed? Or maybe you'd like me to run and get some mistletoe?"

He growled and a pleasant rumble went through her. "Just trying to make up my mind of where to start."

She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt. "While you decide, let's get rid of this." Logan let her pull it up and over his head then toss it on the floor behind her. "These can go too." She unbuttoned his jeans and he raised his hips as she scooted down his legs pulling the denim with her. When Marie was done, she settled back on his legs where she'd been. She splayed her hands across his chest biting her lip as he rested his hands on her hips.

He could sense her trepidation, she'd been very bold to this point, but now she seemed at a loss of what to do. Pulling her down for a kiss, he took his time carefully exploring her luscious mouth. They'd had their rough patches and he wanted to make sure things were smooth from here on out.

Rogue pulled back invigorated, yet still uncertain how to proceed. She'd envisioned her actions up to the point of getting Logan to acknowledge he wanted her; the rest was a little fuzzy on details. At this point it seemed like cheating to peek at his thoughts; besides those ideas were over a month old. What did he want now?

"Marie, are we still on the same page?" he asked, gliding his hands up and down her sides. She nodded, "The big challenge was getting us both naked at the same time. The rest, I thought, would take care of itself." Shrugging, she played with the hair on his chest. "As much as I want you, this is all new to me."

Kissing her again, he said, "Maybe it would be better to slow down and wait."

"Wait for what? There will never be a better time." Rogue didn't like the set of his jaw. He was trying to reason out a decision he was making that would only complicate things. Reaching down between them, she tentatively explored the head and shaft of his cock with her fingers. She had his complete attention. "You want this, don't you Logan?" she asked, making experimental strokes and noting the way his hips began to move with her hand.

"Yes," he hissed out, letting his eyes slide closed and his head rest on the back of the couch. Leaning forward, she placed a series of kisses to his throat. He rumbled in pleasure, relaxing even further. Rogue made the final decision to make this happen and stopped the slow strokes she'd been making. His hands moved to cup her breasts, when she positioned herself above his cock.

Logan grit his teeth at the achingly slow progress. He didn't want to hurry her, but this was not helping his self-control. Her soft hands alone had been overly stimulating. Now that she was lowering herself, inch-by-inch, it was almost too much. He tried to concentrate on rubbing her hard nipples between his fingertips. That and breathing. Slow, deep breathes.

Finishing her descent, she pressed herself up against him. He moved his hands to skate up and down her backside. It was possible she needed a couple minutes to rest. No matter what he wanted, Marie had indicated this was her first time, and he'd do everything he could to restrain his libido. Think happy thoughts, he told himself. Only at this moment, happy thoughts lead back to Marie and how well their bodies fit together.

"Marie, can I…" He moved carefully underneath her.

Rogue giggled, the discomfort had passed quickly. She'd stopped to savor their coupled bodies and then thought about seeing how long Logan could take sitting like they were. It was wicked, she new it, but couldn't resist testing his control. "Is there something else you want to do, Sugar?" she asked, teasingly.

He growled and quickly maneuvered them so they were stretched out on the couch with her on the bottom. Her giggles turned into a squeak, though a smirk settled on her lips and he decided to kiss it from her mouth. Readjusting them for better leverage; Logan set a slow pace, grinding into her every time he buried himself. Her lips were so close to his that he breathed in the small puffs of air she exhaled.

She was watching him intently, moving with him, pulling him deeper. Rogue was losing focus; she'd wanted to see the moment he lost control. To watch his eyes squeeze shut in ecstasy, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to fight the pleasure that was washing over her. Finally, she gave up the struggle and let the tight spiral coiling in her to explode outward.

She was vaguely aware of Logan loosing his rhythm and going still as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. When she could focus again, he'd collapsed on her. Resting on his elbows above her, he was placing kisses across her face. She wanted to laugh; maybe later she would request a second chance with their shower scene. Who knew you'd work up such a sweat during sex? She'd take this workout over the Danger Room, anytime.

In the early morning, she stretched under the blanket Logan had pulled over them from the back of the couch. He stirred behind her, rubbing his stubble on her neck in an attempt to kiss her. "Merry Christmas," Rogue whispered, happily.

"Want to work on making it joyous?" he asked, gliding his hand across her stomach.

She laughed in response, pressing her bottom into his groin. "This has been the best gift exchange yet."

~*~
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