Rogue stood up so fast her chair almost toppled over. "Me!" she shouted, raising her hand at the same time.
Everyone's attention was suddenly on her; even Logan's who usually loitered near the back of the room leaning on the wall. She could feel his eyes boring holes into her and she hazarded a glance his direction. He was no longer leaning but was in his BS stance, as she liked to call it.
Feet shoulder width apart, arms crossed over his chest, shoulders squared, basically an impenetrable wall of muscle. This was the stance he used when calling someone out on their bullshit. Logan was calling her out on what he considered her foolishness.
A flush of embarrassment began to burn its way across her face. Looking at those present for the meeting still staring at her expectantly, she slowly lowered her hand. Something else entirely different began to ignite a fire up her spine and the embarrassment faded. She didn't know if it was gumption, her inner Iris, or what, but she had nothing to be ashamed about.
Clearing her throat she found her voice. "Sorry, I meant that I would like to volunteer to help Ms. Frost at the West coast school."
Collectively all eyes swung from Rogue to Logan and a few team members hastily moved out of the direct line between them. So it had come to this. The other X-Men had seen the way they circled each other these days and didn't want to be in the line of fire when the confrontation came. By all appearances, they were expecting it to happen now.
Jubilee and the Professor were the only people in the room not affected by the mounting tension. Jubilee was adding something to a spreadsheet she had recently taken to carrying around. Rogue just knew that there was a betting pool going on as to the outcome of her relationship with Logan. She'd be damned it she was going to let anyone win today.
Rogue held her chin high and waited for the Professor's reply. Xavier looked up from his steepled hands, calm and cool as ever. "Of course, Rogue. Why don't we talk after the meeting?"
She nodded her acceptance and sat back down. Turning she looked for Logan, to glare at him triumphant in her defiance, but he was no longer in the room. Her grand gesture of rebellion felt empty.
Afterward, Kitty and Jubilee walked with Rogue to the Professor's office. Kitty was trying to be supportive. Jubilee, on the other hand, didn't hold back. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"
Rogue kept her eyes straight ahead, still a little hurt over the betting pool. "I could use the change. Besides, it will give you two more space."
"You don't need to move to Cali to do that." Jubilee had resorted to walking backward to look Rogue in the eye. "Just move up to Wolvie's room."
"Are you suggesting I throw myself at him and continue to be taken for granted?" Rogue paused outside the office wincing at her own words. "Are you?"
Kitty shook her head. "No, honey. It's just-"
Jubilee cut in, "Logan will come around eventually and in the meantime, there is nothing wrong with getting some hot sex while you wait."
Both Rogue and Kitty stared at Jubilee slack jawed. Rogue finally stammered, "What the...forget it. I have a meeting with the Professor." Rogue opened the door as Kitty dragged Jubilee away.
Rogue collected herself as the Professor closed the file he'd been reading. The following half hour was spent discussing Ms. Frost's requirements and assuring him that she was serious about helping. In the end, he agreed that a change in scenery could not hurt for the few months she'd be gone.
Exiting Xavier's office Rogue ran into Logan, literally. He'd been waiting outside and after removing her face from his chest; she gave him an apologetic smile. It would have to do in place of a verbal apology for running into him, for wanting to leave, heck even for following him like a puppy for so long.
Her voice was untrustworthy at the moment with him so close. So close she could reach out and touch him, simply lift her hand and run it through his hair like she had done all those nights ago. The thought of it, of his body pressed against her, made the heat pool between her thighs.
Logan had his entire argument laid out in his head. When Marie had persisted with the idea of leaving the school at the meeting he'd been upset. He'd left the room abruptly, angry with her. He needed a cigar, maybe a drink to help settle his mind and think things through. Problem was he'd already smoked through his stash and was looking through his travel bag for a cigar and had come up empty handed.
Only while saying a few choice words did he realize he was mad at himself, not her. All this time he'd taken advantage of her doting without giving anything in return. When he thought they might have straightened out a few things and got on the right track, he'd stuck his head back up his ass and let her down. And that was putting it mildly.
No, he had some major repairs to make to their relationship and he couldn't do that if one of them wasn't at the mansion. So swallowing his ego he decided he needed to talk her into staying. He was willing to plead with her if he had to; anything to give him the time to figure out exactly where she did fit into his life. He still didn't know the answer to that question, but he knew that he had to keep her from going. Even though she was still here, he'd missed her constant presence and had wondered if that was the face of things so come.
That had been his intention as he waited outside Xavier's office until Marie face planted into his chest. At the close proximity, he completely forgot his entire defense. He'd instinctually put an arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall over. The only thing he could think of with her in his arms was kissing her.
Yet he'd fucked up monumentally not only once but twice and he knew kissing her would be the wrong approach. When he was sure she wouldn't fall he let his arm drop. She stared at him, her hand rising almost to his hair before she stopped. Her scent hit him hard; he breathed deep taking in even more of it. Maybe kissing her wasn't as far fetched as he thought.
Rogue saw his nostrils flare and knew she was dead to rights. She did the only thing she could think of; avoid him, walking to the elevator like she'd never seen him.
Damn him if he didn't follow, slipping in right before the doors closed.
They stood silently in the elevator; she wanted nothing more at that time than to escape to the safety of her room. A month had passed since their last shared elevator ride and a passionate kiss, that same amount of time since he'd thrown all that away to shamelessly flirt with Jean.
She had taken it in stride, after some yelling and a fit of tears, and looked at it as a sign. A sign that she needed to change, that she was stuck in a rut and wouldn't be able to get on with her life if she didn't do something different. She'd made small changes at first trying to break bad habits.
Rogue had already dropped game night television; it was mostly a holdover from her dad that had allowed her to spend time with Logan. She didn't need to do that anymore. A tweak or two to her schedule made sure she didn't 'randomly' run into him during the day. She'd even gone as far as to change what she wore in the attempt to make herself into a different person. Wearing long skirts and dresses made her rethink the way she moved, something she hadn't done since shedding all those protective layers of clothing.
Then at the meeting, Professor Xavier had mentioned Ms. Frost needing a volunteer to help at the San Francisco school for several months. Rogue had seen it as a golden opportunity to put some much-needed distance between her and Logan. The only hitch in her unexpected plan to leave was how he had handled it. He took off all the time, so it hadn't occurred to her that he would react as he did.
Logan took advantage of Marie being lost in thought to push the elevator button for his floor instead of hers. It wasn't until they were halfway down the hall that she noticed the change. Quickly he guided her by the elbow to his room before she had the presence of mind to protest.
Closing the door behind them he hoped to lay out the case he'd built earlier. Instead, he was met with anger.
"You can't just push me around." Rogue stood, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed, but her scent was thicker with arousal than before.
It clouded his thoughts, made him want to press her up against the wall and finish what they started so long ago. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "We need to talk. Without an audience."
"Maybe I don't want to talk." She crossed her hands over her chest, but she knew her voice had lost some of its conviction as she thought about giving him a chance to explain.
"Just give me a minute."
With a heavy sigh, she was about to say okay when she spied his packed bag by the door. Stepping over to it, she picked it up holding it out at him. "Really?"
"It's not what it looks like."
"It looks like you were planning on beating me out the door," she said letting the bag drop to the floor between them. Why should it bother her so much? She was planning on leaving, even stated as much to the entire staff.
Logan felt the anger rise in him at the fact he'd once again, without thought, put an obstacle in their way and gotten her back up yet again. Another hurdle they would have to navigate around. He stepped over the bag and walked her back to the wall. "Give me a chance."
"How many do you need, Logan?" She let the sarcasm seep through to hide her true feelings.
He was too close. His presence sucked the air out of her lungs, leaving her hot, confusing one kind of passion with another. If she stayed by the door, she could easily step out into the hall to safety. Even as she acknowledged this she knew she didn't want the protection the hallway offered. She wanted Logan; she wanted the allusive welfare only being in his embrace brought. Security from her thoughts and all of their problems.
She needed space, needed to get him away from her so she could think clearly. A spur of the moment decision made her push him away, trying to make him step back. But her hand on his chest felt right and she couldn't muster anything beyond a weak shove.
He grabbed her wrists, not understanding what he was attempting to do. The move to stop her turned into him roughly pulling her against his body. She huffed looking up at him, desire flared in her eyes. Her scent overwhelming him. They hung suspended in that moment somewhere between anger and passion until it was finally broken by his mouth covering hers.
By the time her back hit the wall she was already working at his belt buckle. God help her, she knew there would be no interruption this time and she was glad. She bit his bottom lip when he thrust into her. He pressed her hard up against the wall as she pulled his t-shirt over his head. The buttons of her blouse soon pinged into the distance when he clawed at her shirt.
There wasn't enough friction. Not enough movement in that position. She pushed them off the wall. He struggled to walk as his pants crept down to his knees. They bounced onto the bed with her on the bottom.
Rogue braced herself, digging into his flesh. Pulling him deeper as he pounded into her. She admitted with what little thought she had left that they were destined for this. Their first time was never meant to be gentle. It wasn't in their nature. Fast and hard somehow felt right.
He was above her, lost in the drive to fill her. She was breathless beneath him, his name repeatedly being wrung from her lips. Logan wanted this to be so much more for her than what it was. Not to mention that it was doing nothing to convince her to stay. No matter what he told himself, a good hard fuck wasn't the argument he needed to give her.
Tensing she clung to him when her orgasm hit her. She watched moments later, the veins in his neck bulging as he growled in release. With one last effort, he rolled them over so she straddled him.
Rogue lay with her head on his chest listening to his heart slow to normal. "Damn."
He grunted in question.
"Jubes probably won the pool."
"Hmm..." Made sense to him, Jubilee knew a lot of what went on in the mansion. It wasn't the first pool she'd won; she was good at reading people even if she never sounded like it.
Marie squirmed, filling his head with other thoughts. He began to run soothing circles low on her back and placed a kiss on the crown of her head. Logan wanted this to be the end of problems for them, but he knew that it would take more than sex to fix what was wrong. He had resolved though to make the second time softer. She let him undress her and show her the tenderness he felt for her.
Rolling over, Rogue looked at the clock. It was late; she could probably make it back to her room with minimal fuss. She crawled out from under Logan's arm and began to search for her clothes.
He'd propped himself up to watch her. "Stay."
She didn't say anything as she examined her blouse. Tossing it over the footboard, she found his t-shirt and tugged it on instead. Sitting down on the edge of the bed she pulled on her shoes. She finally spoke, "I can't."
"Why not?" Logan asked, reaching out for her.
She took his hand and held it, playing with the spaces between his knuckles. "I love you."
He hesitated; he shouldn't have, he knew he should return the words and smooth things over. But he wasn't sure, didn't want to take a chance and be wrong. That act in and of itself could hurt Marie more than not saying it in the first place.
Letting go of his hand she leaned in for a kiss. "And that's why I can't stay," she whispered. Getting up, she straightened her hair as best she could. "I'm hopelessly in love with you."
Logan remained quiet; he didn't have an argument for that. She smiled at him, and he could see the sadness in her eyes he couldn't combat. He pulled her down for another kiss, hoping to convey his need for her.
Resisting the urge to let him make love to her again, she stood, waving a hand at him and the bed. "This doesn't change anything, we're right back where we started. You still can't decide how I fit into your life. And you're a habit I can't quit."
Rogue turned to leave and paused with her hand on the doorknob. She couldn't trust herself to look at him. "I'm still going to San Francisco, Logan." The door opened and she was gone.
He eased himself back on the bed. A week and she would be gone, miles away. That disturbed him more than he cared to admit. Was this how she'd felt every time he'd left?
Logan wasn't sure he liked that feeling, the feeling that she wouldn't be there for him to talk to, argue with, or even just to sit down next to her.
~*~
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