When the Blackbird landed after the fight at Alcatraz, Rogue waited patiently as the X-Men disembarked. Everyone was accounted for and she let out a sigh of relief. There was a teenager with them dressed all in white and not a single hair on his head. He seemed as reluctant to leave Kitty’s side as Bobby was. 

Rogue tucked that observation away for later because it was Logan that held her attention. In his arms was Dr. Grey. By the way he was holding her, Rogue could tell that Dr. Grey was dead. Studying his face, she didn’t know what she expected, but a sense of peace wasn’t it. 

When the others had passed by she fell in step with him, intent on helping him any way she could. He’d unconditionally supported her in her times of need it was only right that she do the same for him. In the med bay, he carefully laid Dr. Grey on one of the beds as if she were only asleep. 

Logan seemed unwilling to leave and Rogue saw her chance to help. “I’ll stay with her,” she said, knowing he liked to shower after missions. 

He gave her a grateful smile and glanced at Dr. Grey one last time before disappearing in the direction of the locker rooms. Rogue had to wonder at him arriving barefoot and in spare school-issued sweats kept on the jet. She knew he’d analyzed all the specs for the X-Men’s uniforms and had found them formidable, so what force had he run into that left him without a shred of said uniform left to wear? 

Peering at Dr. Grey’s body, Rogue was grateful she wasn’t there to see the destruction firsthand. Dr. Grey would forever remain the caring teacher and mentor of her memories. She was glad too that for most of the students at the mansion that would still be the case. 

Studying the dead woman for several minutes, she tried to see her as she’d been in those video clips already circulating the internet and failed. All Rogue could see was the doctor that showed her kindness when she first arrived. She’d been professional and gentle, soothing a runaway’s fears. No wonder Logan had fallen for her. 

Rogue decided to do the one thing that she could for Dr. Grey, which was to make her more like the woman everyone had known. Pulling up one of the lab stools she found the wipes that were kept in the med bay for such purposes. Taking off her gloves, knowing she couldn’t hurt the doctor any longer, she began to wipe all traces of dirt and blood from the doctor’s hands and face. 

Before long she found herself wiping down her clothing and shoes and wondering if Dr. Grey would be buried here by Mr. Summers’ memorial stone. She thought she might suggest as much; she’d have to ask when she saw Storm again. Hopefully, it would be something like she’d helped arrange for the Professor and Mr. Summers. It might help put the recent events into the past. 

Soon enough Logan returned, and she waited quietly with him, both of them lost in thought. “It’s going to be a long night, why don’t you head upstairs,” he finally told her. 

There was a moment that she wanted to protest but knew it wasn’t a good time for one of their arguments. Instead, she simply nodded and made her way to the locker rooms to change out of her uniform. Magneto hadn’t faked them out this time and ultimately her staying at the mansion as a sentry wasn’t needed. 

Tugging on her regular clothes, she changed her mind. There was nothing more she could do physically, but she could be there for him emotionally. Grabbing her gloves, she walked back to the med bay and curled up in one of the chairs for visitors. 

“Thanks,” he said after a few minutes. It was a comment full of gratitude and as heartfelt as the kiss he placed to the crown of her head.

~~~~~~

The memorial service was a quiet affair with everyone still in shock from the events of the past week. Once again Logan didn’t put in an appearance, not that Rogue expected him too. He would grieve in his own way and time.

Bobby insisted on sitting by her this time also, only she didn’t reach out to hold his hand. She let Kitty do that, let them console each other. What they’d seen and what they’d had to do was not something she’d been there to understand. She’d find her solace later sitting next to Logan while he drank his beer. 

Storm met the challenge of headmistress with a sense of determination. At times she lacked some of the Professor’s eloquence, but never his passion. By sheer force of will, she held the school together and moved them all forward. She even had Logan dutifully playing his part. 

It didn’t take long for Rogue to break up with Bobby. He was resigned, but she’d seen the way he looked at Kitty and she didn’t want to hold on to him. They all had first-hand knowledge of how this setup worked out and she wanted no part of making all three of them miserable. 

Surprisingly, she wasn’t as upset about the breakup as she had thought she would be. With all the changes taking place, there was more than enough to keep her busy in her new staff support role. It also gave her time to think about what she wanted in life. Rogue knew for certain she never wanted to feel like she had at the cure clinic waiting room, panicked over doing something for the wrong reasons. 

At the end of most days, she found herself in Logan’s company. It started as an easy way to wind down at the end of the day, no judgmental looks or whispers, just quiet companionship. Sometimes when he didn’t feel like explaining the finer points of hockey or she wasn’t up to teasing him they’d sit together lost in their own thoughts. Because of this, she was probably the only one to see the chinks in his armor. 

The school, its scheduled life, the properness of it all wore on him. It wasn’t a life he’d wanted, but an obligation he needed to fulfill. Logan was determined to be there for those that needed him, to support Storm as she limped the school and X-Men along for the months after Alcatraz. 

It became Rogue’s job to work magic with his schedule so he had downtime to find a smoky bar and put him on missions to help alleviate his pent up aggression. She didn’t mind being that buffer between everyone’s needs and wants. If she ran around doing that she didn’t have to dwell to the lack of control in her own life. 

Logan’s room was the one place she didn’t layer up. The place she could kick off her shoes, curl up on the couch, and be herself. He had no expectations on her and most of the time forgot about her deadly skin. 

The day had been long for both of them and she sat next to him sulking. Sometimes the pressure of carrying on, repeatedly answering the phone to condolence calls months later, grated on her. She knew she wasn’t alone, often he caught the looks thrown his way. Everyone knew what he’d done to save them all and the peace it brought him the first night hadn’t lasted. 

Tonight he was brooding on the painful pattern of his life. At least that was Rogue’s guess. It wasn’t unusual after those times when people recognized him. The fear or occasional disgust crept upon them, not something a man with heightened senses missed in others. 

The hockey game played quietly on the TV while he drank his beer. She didn’t really care for either beer or hockey, but tonight she had to wonder if a beer might help. Holding her hand out for the beer he promptly put a bottle of water from the end table into her hand. Sighing, she glanced at him. 

She loved the fact that they knew each other well enough that they didn’t have to speak. That was her normal signal for water or whatever snack they were sharing. Obviously, this time she needed to verbalize what she wanted. 

Holding out her hand again, she said, “Beer.”

Logan snorted at her. Turning to face him, she raised an eyebrow in imitation of his usual gesture. The attempt earned her a smile and a firm shake ‘no’ of his head. 

“Why not?” she asked. At times he would let her get away with murder, this was such a small thing for him to balk at. 

“State law,” he replied, draining the can. Setting the empty on the end table, he pulled another from the six-pack.

“So? Like you ever care what law you’re breaking,” she sassed. She reached over for the new can that he simply held away from her with a mocking smile on his lips. 

“Don’t need ‘Ro on me for underage drinking.” That was true, though his tone indicated that he’d break that rule just to annoy Storm. But Storm wasn’t here and Rogue knew he was amusing himself with annoying her instead. 

This was her kind of entertainment because she could pester him in return. She got on her knees almost in his lap and grabbed for the beer again. Problem was with his longer reach she was never going to get hold of the can and she knew it. 

Precariously she balanced herself on him and the couch, teetering on the edge of falling. His arm was slung around her waist restraining her from her goal and keeping her from toppling from her perch. Suddenly she was aware of his warm breath below her ear. 

Easing back slightly, she caught the raised eyebrow and a mischievous look in his eye. Nothing about this was safe. “Logan…” It was meant as a question but sounded needy.

“Your skin?” he asked before his lips met hers. 

All of her kisses to this point had been disasters or at least problematic and she was tentative. Her first kiss with Bobby had scared him at the magnitude of her powers and he was always hesitant thereafter. Logan knew her power better than anyone and he didn’t pause. 

She was so lost in the feeling that she forgot to watch for the warning signs of her mutation. When it finally dawned on her that the heightened passion might not be all hers, she drew back sharply. Quickly, she studied him for regret, but the only thing she found was a cocky grin.  

He looked no worse for the wear and put the beer back down on the end table. Pulling her into his arms, he shifted her around so that she was seated in his lap. She placed a hand to his bearded cheek, a familiar look on his face from when he was enjoying a fight. Though she knew from the pull moments ago that he wasn’t seeing her as a challenge, but rather that he was taking delight in the feel of a beautiful woman in his arms. 

Encouraged by that thought, Rogue tugged him down for another kiss. He closed the distance willingly, this time he slid his tongue across hers with purpose. One arm held her securely around her back, the other moved slowly from her hip to cup her breast. 

She was holding back her mutation with all her might, wanting this to last as long as possible; however, lack of oxygen did her in first. She lay back in his arms breathing deep, proud of herself for holding her mutation at bay for the duration. Logan was doing his part of not taxing her control by leaving only light kisses along her jaw and down her neck. 

His hand was back on her hip, holding her firmly, pressing her body into his. There was no mistaking the growing hardness of his cock on her soft curves. She bit her lip at the thrill of that knowledge traveled through her. This was Logan, he could find a woman anywhere and here he was, his body reacting to her in a very sexual manner. 

He’d made his way to the v-neck of her shirt and his tongue darted out leaving a damp trail between her breasts. Gasping, she thought of his willingness to go further, a thought that made her wet. She heard him inhale her scent and his grip on her loosened. 

“Marie?’ The tone he used carried so many questions. How far were they going? Were they prepared for the consequences of sex on their friendship?

Quickly she turned those over. She didn’t truly know the answers. The entire mansion had been busy struggling to move on and for her, that struggle helped keep the pain of not having control at the back of her mind. 

Now Logan was offering her the chance at not just groping and kissing but actual sex and she was afraid. What frightened her most was her complete inclination to throw her one true friendship away for a few minutes of pleasure. Rogue felt the distance between them grow with each passing second. 

He sat back against the couch and she could see the hesitation in him too. His own doubts about using her for release were setting in. She leaned in for another kiss, which he readily accepted, but she could tell from the tension in his shoulders that he was trying to control his impulses. There was one thing she could do that wasn’t quite trampling on their relationship. 

A blowjob was one of those things his memories gave some time to and she understood it to be a tension reliever. She’d spent her fair share of time thinking about oral sex, something she didn’t think she’d ever get a chance to try out. His past memories let her know that he compartmentalized this differently, that he wouldn’t expect her to do this when they hung out. It was the perfect first step into experimenting with sex and the thought of doing it was making her hot. 

Sliding from his lap, she settled on the floor between his knees. He watched her with a mixture of dark desire and doubt, she hurriedly lowered the band of his sweatpants before either of them changed their minds. Pausing she held his hot cock in her hands. Timing had to be right or this might end terribly.

Damn her for being so comfortable in his presence. It had become a habit to not only kick off her shoes in his room but to also take off her gloves and scarf. Tonight she couldn’t remember where she’d laid any of them. 

It was best to start simple and test out this idea before worrying about the ending. Using the extra material of his sweatpants as a makeshift glove, she slowly licked the head of his member. Rogue glanced up to see if the move was met with approval or not. His eyes were half-closed and his jaw clenched, she took that as a good sign. 

If she kept to short moments of contact this just might work. Logan didn’t seem to mind all of the experimental licking and scant seconds of sucking, but she was starting to become frustrated at how little she knew of her own limits. About to give up and apologize, she spied her scarf pushed down between the cushions from when she’d grabbed for the beer earlier. 

She could make that work because it would be too embarrassing to ask him to jack himself off while she watched as she planned a second ago. Pulling the scarf free, she floated it over his hardened flesh. The silk material was one of the thinnest scarves she had and smiled at the thought of the gift giver knowing what she was about to do with it. 

Rearranging his sweats so there would be nothing else between her and him but the silky material, she cautiously engulfed his cock with her mouth. It was strange at first, but as soon as the material was wet it clung to him like a second skin. She imagined it would be almost the same feel as with a condom. 

Following the remnant of his memories, she did the best she could. He was overly quiet and if it weren’t for his hand in her hair, she would have thought she was doing it wrong. Logan was a tough, harsh man but the gentle way he smoothed her hair away from her face left her with a different understanding of him. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, he obviously knew his way around the female body yet this tenderness with her was surprising. 

His hips began to move with her and she stopped, unsure of how to respond. One look let her know he’d been on the edge. His other hand gripped the couch tightly, and he was panting heavily. He said nothing but followed her every move through heavily lidded eyes. It gave her a thrill at the unexpected power in what she was doing. 

Keeping eye contact, she put her mouth on the tip of this cock and gently sucked. A low rumble went through his chest and she took him fully into her mouth. This time when his hips began moving she didn’t stop. Soon there was an added warmth and a new sharp taste. The material captured most of his semen and made it too awkward to continue. 

Sitting back on her feet, she watched him somewhat disjointedly, clean himself up. After exchanging a smile, Rogue turned to sit on the floor between his legs. The smile stayed for a few moments as her mind wrapped itself around the possibility of sex in the future. Being close to another person didn’t feel like the stumbling block it once had. She heard him open the beer can from earlier and she rested her head on his knee, at peace with her choices for the first time in a long time. 

He took a long drink before his hand went back to her hair. She didn’t think she’d find this kind of contentment after her mutation manifested and especially not with the turmoil of the past year. Yet here she was sitting at Logan’s feet, the taste of him still fresh in her mouth, satisfied. It might not be skin to skin contact but it was touch neither of them was afraid of. 

The quiet was broken by the muffled sound of her phone. He dug it out of the couch cushions where her scarf had been, pulling her gloves with it. The phone rang a couple more times in her hand, going unanswered as she stared at the lock screen notification.

Logan only grunted and continued to stroke her hair, maybe he could sense the distress building in her. He’d never been one to push her for a confession, knowing she’d tell him if she felt she wanted to share. At the moment, she just wanted to hug his leg tight and steal some of his strength. 

“It’s my parents… I called them after Alcatraz,” she paused, mind racing. “Didn’t think they’d call back.”

His hand stopped, letting her hair slip from his fingers and she knew he wanted to say something to reassure her. There wasn’t really anything to say. He knew her parents hadn’t made contact even after Xavier had tried to open a line of communication. She suspected Logan was trying to find words that weren’t the equivalent of ‘fuck’em’.

Slowly Rogue stood and reached for her gloves that lay on his leg. On instinct, she leaned further in and kissed him. He returned it even though she made it brief. Standing back up, she saw her own feelings reflected on his features. The contentment was gone.

At the door she pulled on her shoes, she needed to make this call in private. She hesitated to leave, a foreboding overtaking her. The comfort she’d found this evening was slipping away, and she feared it was going to be permanently lost to her. 

“Night, Logan,” she murmured before opening the door. 

His answering, “Marie,” rang hollow. 

The visit had been too long and in the end, Rogue had made an excuse and left a few days short of the two weeks planned. There was that saying, ‘you can’t go home again’. It was true. Her home with her parents wasn’t any different, everything was exactly as she remembered it. However, she’d changed, and that was a problem. 

Her bedroom hadn’t been touched, all her pictures of friends were still tacked up on the corkboard. She saw most of them around town later with her mom; they were as she remembered them. The breakfast table in the kitchen wobbled like always, and even now she wasn’t allowed to put her feet on the couch. 

Everything was as it had been, so comfortable she could have fallen right back into her old life like she’d never left. And that put her on edge, made her feel like she was waiting for the proverbial other shoe. The shoe did eventually come a few days before she left and it wasn’t entirely unexpected. 

Right now she simply wanted to be back at the mansion where she could answer those condolence calls and work magic with everyone’s schedules. In the evenings she would sit on Logan’s couch and pretend to be interested in hockey. He would let her put her feet on the couch because he wanted her to be comfortable. 

The taxi pulled up in front of the mansion and Rogue gave the driver a sizable tip, partly for the late hour and partly because he’d been good at not talking and leaving her to her own thoughts. There were a few scattered lights on even though it was passed curfew. One of those lights was the main office and that was her first stop.

“Oh, thank the goddess!” Storm said, stepping over to greet Rogue in a careful hug. Jubilee waved at her from behind the desk. 

“It’s good to be missed,” Rogue said, curious at the late evening work and Storm’s obvious relief. “What’s up?”

“That man…” Storm paused. 

Rogue felt the electricity in the air and knew at once she was referring to Logan. “Danger Room session?”

“If you can call it that,” Jubilee snickered from her spot at the desk. Storm shot her a look that made Jubilee throw her hands up in surrender. 

Logan at times didn’t take the simulated practices as seriously as Storm would like. Or there was the alternative, when he took them all too seriously. Storm hadn’t found the right way in which to use Logan’s skills on the team yet. They would get there, but until then Rogue usually ran interference. 

“I’ll talk to him,” Rogue said with a smile. In fact, she thought later in the week she might approach the two of them about splitting the team or forming a new one. With the animosity after Alcatraz, even with a friendly President and like-minded Secretary of Mutant Affairs, another team might not be a bad idea. Actually, Hank and Logan got along well, it might be time to put that friendship to the test. 

Storm sighed, “Rogue, I’m glad you’re back and not just because you can handle Logan.” Waving her hand at the desk, she added, “The rest can wait until you're ready.” She patted Rogue’s shoulder before bidding the two women goodnight. 

They followed her out of the office, Jubilee lingering until Storm was gone from sight. “Girl, she sure lit him up good.” Jubilee made a zigzag motion like lightning. “Kaboom!”

“That bad?” Rogue winced. She knew there had been threats before but assumed they’d find a way to work with each other on this. Then again, they were both under enormous pressure to make the school run smoothly and carry on Xavier’s legacy. 

“I know they're only holograms, but he had a body count going.” Jubilee added, part awe and part disgust, “It wasn’t pretty.”

They parted at the elevator, with Rogue going up to the staff rooms and Jubilee headed out. Rogue thought about going straight to bed, it had been a long day and everything could wait until the morning. All except one thing, seeing Logan. The talk they needed to have about making the school run well could wait, but she wanted to let him know she was back. She was staying, her parents had failed to lure her with her old life. 

To be sure he already knew she was at the mansion, probably heard the taxi turn off the main road. He would have naturally tuned his senses into that ‘intrusion’ to determine if it was a friend or foe. Once he established it was her, he’d move on to other things. She’d seen him do it on other occasions as people came and went, nothing a casual observer would notice, but something she did after imprinting him over a year ago. 

It was a common courtesy between friends she told herself. Yet she couldn’t convince herself of that completely. They’d left things at an awkward spot when she’d gone to see her parents. He’d acted his usual nonchalant self, it was her life, but there had been a mix of emotions in his eyes she hadn’t seen before and her own mind was in turmoil over their physical encounter and what it meant to their friendship. 

Love wasn’t something either of them spoke of. She thought she’d loved Bobby, but she wasn’t even sure of that anymore. The pain of breaking up didn’t last. It was the pain of being alone, isolated by her mutation that lingered. The pain that her friendship with Logan helped ease. 

In the past, she knew sex and love weren’t something Logan often associated with one another. His feelings toward women in general, beyond sex, were murky at best. Some stood out here or there for different reasons and that included his feelings for her. Everyone guessed he’d been in love with Dr. Grey, but he’d never said so nor had Rogue picked up on anything of the sort the night they kissed. 

At the moment, she was positive it was need that drove their friendship. Few others tried to understand them, he was solitary by nature of his feral instincts, her by her skin. It took effort most other’s didn’t care to put forth. For them it was simple, something clicked early on and friendship came effortlessly. It didn’t hurt that he’d saved her life and she kept him from going crazy from life at the mansion now. 

Rogue paused outside his door then knocked lightly. She didn’t wait for a response but slipped into his room. They’d done away with the pleasantries like that long ago. The knock wasn’t even necessary as she had yet to surprise him with her arrival. 

Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she dropped her bag by the door. He hadn’t been watching TV; it wasn’t even on, and he wasn’t in the main part of the room. Closing her eyes, she let the day fall away and her senses settle. 

Peering at the bed she saw where he’d been, there was enough light coming through the windows to reveal a fifth of whiskey on the nightstand. She couldn’t see him but felt him stalking her, and she squashed the urge to say something sassy to draw him out. The anticipation made her skin prickle and her heart beat faster.

He was in a dangerous mood. She’d seen him hunt down the enemy before in the Danger Room and remembered back when Stryker’s forces invaded the mansion but had never been on the receiving end. Tonight he was hunting prey that could kill him and that worried her. It also helped tamp down on her excitement, her speculation of why he was in such a mood. 

Her ears adapted to the quiet, and she thought she heard him breathing near the bed. That would only be possible if he wanted her to hear him. He was drawing her out instead and she couldn’t resist the temptation.

Cautiously, she went several steps further into the room angling toward where she thought he’d been. A growl from behind stopped her in her tracks. He wasn’t touching her but she could feel the heat from his body. Nothing else gave him away besides a tightening in her stomach.

There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Home had been everything she wished and everything she feared it would be. Yet not a bit of it was what she needed and none of it felt right. 

It all came down to one thing, the cure. All those months ago she didn’t take it to control her powers or to get closer to someone. She certainly wasn’t going to take it to stay at home again. “They wanted me to take the cure,” she whispered. 

“Did ya?” he breathed into her ear.

“No,” she answered with the same conviction from their talk before the X-Men left for Alcatraz. 

Logan grunted in reply. It wasn’t approval or rebuke, but a simple acceptance of her choice. His words of advice from that night came back to her, and she gave them voice, “I need to find another way, something better.”

Taking the final step, he closed the space between them. His hand splayed out across her stomach pulling her back into him. She wondered what his senses were telling him. He probably could tell her cabby smelled of garlic or possibly the sweet little old lady she sat beside for hours that smelled of peppermints. However, with his hard flesh pressed against her backside, he was more than likely concentrating on how aroused she was. 

She wanted this, needed this to prove to herself she’d made the right decision. That touching wasn’t beyond her control, that she could learn a way to make it work. And he was precisely the right person to show her the possibilities. 

Rogue tilted her head to the side, letting him have access to her neck. At first, she could only feel his breath as he tested her scent, sending goosebumps out before him. That was followed by a series of light lingering kisses that were meant to test her mutation as she found out when he remained a little too long. Yet he thought he might have the timing down and put thought into action with a lick back up her neck.

Damn, he’d been thinking about this while she was gone. A theory that started with a blowjob and saliva being a barrier of sorts. He was right, the slow drag of a wet tongue lasted longer. She’d only gotten the thoughts off the top of his head and she had to wonder what he was going to do with this new knowledge.

He didn’t make her wait long as he carefully slipped his hand down her pants, making sure he didn’t touch her skin. Any other time she’d be embarrassed at the oversized boyshort underwear she had on for comfortable travel, but they turned out to be great coverage for her skin and what he was doing. His expert fingers found her clit through the material and circled it. 

She tried to move, hoping for better leverage but he’d have none of it. His other arm crossed over her chest and he rested his chin on her shoulder. Reaching back with one hand she grabbed onto his hip and wrapped her other hand around his arm for support. All at once, his hand on her chest moved, thumbing her nipple, and she gasped.

Her mind was drawing a blank at what to do as this was beyond anything she’d done before. With his continued ministrations, she wanted a kiss but when she tried to move again; he held her in place with his teeth at her shoulder. It wasn’t painful, only a firm grip leaving her wanting more. 

“Logan,” she moaned plaintively.

A growl reverberated up and through her, making her squirm. He finally relented so that she could turn her body enough to get a good kiss. She was too excited and not concentrating properly, and her skin reacted almost immediately. The images that filled her head were not helpful in the least.  

Rogue pulled away to find her equilibrium, hating the loss of his embrace. The things he wanted to do to her, the sexual need pounding in his veins was breathtaking. What he’d been doing to her was nothing in comparison. 

She couldn’t wrap her head around it all. “Show me,” she murmured.

The cocky grin that greeted her should have been a warning and would have been to anyone else, but she took it as a good sign. This time when he pulled her to him, he kissed her hard, his hands automatically going to her waist, starting her pants on a downward trajectory. He ceased all contact a second before her mutation kicked in. 

Deliberately, he slid her pants and underwear off so that there was as little contact as possible. She got a good look at him for the first time. He was shirtless with only his flannel pj pants on, one of those concessions he’d made for living in the mansion.

Once he’d pulled off her shoes and pants he peered up from where he’d kneeled. She was reminded of their reversed positions from before she left. Fighting an urge to step back to protect him, she could see he’d already taken precautions. His hands firmly gripped her hips with her long t-shirt between them.

She could only watch as he leaned in. His breath stirred the curls covering her mound. The seconds ticked by like slow heartbeats until his tongue darted out for a quick taste of her. Her breath was caught in her throat at him wanting something so intimate from her. The second flick of his tongue lasted longer, once again testing his theory out. His tongue slid along her wet folds as far as she would let him until she thought her knees would give out from weakness. 

Dragging herself away from the pleasure, she kneeled next to him on the floor. She dared a slow kiss, groping at the flannel of his pants to take hold of his cock. He growled at her, jerking his hips as she stroked him. Wrenching them down to lay on the floor, he ended up between her knees, making her invitation clear. 

Logan fumbled for something on his nightstand and she realized when he came up with a condom that he really had been thinking about this. It warmed her heart a little that this need wasn’t one-sided and he wanted this to work for her. She felt silly for a split second staring at him as he rolled on the condom, working around his flannel pants and her half-dressed in her shirt. 

The embarrassment didn’t last long as he leaned over her, his eyes dark with desire. His kiss made her dizzy with their intertwined desire and heightened her own need. She was learning the timing of her mutation better than before and knew she should draw back when he suddenly entered her. There was an unexpected pain then a soothing as her power took hold of his healing factor. 

Breaking the kiss, his head hung above hers so that they still shared the same air. His jaw was set, his body tense and she knew this wasn’t from her mutation, it was from his. The pull this time was only a trickle but it allowed her a new look at his heightened senses. 

It was all laid bare for her to see. His animalistic tendencies, the feral nature that was driving him. The need was so raw, so real her own passions rose up in response. 

Rogue was glad she’d kept her gloves on instead of discarding them like she usually did in his room. They were her oldest gloves, threadbare from too much use. With them, she was able to feel the hair on his chest almost as if she had none on at all. 

Moving her hands down his sides, she tried to readjust her position. It was enough to get a sly grin out of him and an experimental thrust. Her eyes must have gone wider than she thought because his smile turned wicked and he started a slow steady pace that made her forget the hard floor under her back. 

Soon she no longer cared about anything else but the rhythm. He picked up the pace, and she became lost in the need. Her imagination had been lacking when she thought of wanting the entire package. All that was steeped in romantic notions but this was straight up unadulterated sex and it was wonderful. She wanted to do so much more but the tightening was building faster than she expected. 

It was as if he sensed her need as he ground into her sending her over the edge. Even in her state of euphoria, she felt him tense, hips jerking erratically as he found his own release. She was still coming down from her high when he rolled away to dispose of the condom.

Rogue laid next to him on the floor letting her breathing and heart rate even back out. This first taste of intimacy was too quick for her, but she wasn’t surprised due to the state he’d been in and her own need to know. It was exhilarating, and she knew from his memories it could be so much more. 

After a few minutes, she propped herself up on her side. “Logan?” she asked, running her gloved fingers across his chest. 

“It’s whatever you want it to be,” he said, voice still thick with need. 

Moving, she straddled his thighs so she could look him straight in the eye. “Dr. -”

He cut her off with a gruff, “Ain’t got nothing to do with this.”

She’d seen that but needed to hear that whatever had been between those two had died with her. No matter what this was, Rogue didn’t want to be a stand-in. 

“Hey,” he said, softly placing a hand on her knee. “You’re… I need you.”

She smiled down at him. “I make it tolerable here.” It wasn’t any big revelation, he did the same for her.

“More complicated than that,” he said. 

“But not love,” she stated firmly, hoping to buttress her own feelings in the matter. 

His eyes searched her face, and he finally gave up. “Don’t know,” he admitted, and she heard the hint of sadness in his voice. 

He’d moved his hand away as her skin started to react. She was glad; she didn’t want to know the complicated part. She was comfortable with the need, the want; with him allowing her the freedom to touch and explore. They shouldn’t try to make it something it wasn’t.

Good sounded awful in her head. He was right it was complicated. It wasn’t love, not yet, might never be; but it did lessen the struggle of life and that was enough.

“So we’re okay with this?” she asked, scooching up to his hips.

“You tell me when it doesn’t work for you,” he replied, pulling her down for a kiss. 

The little boosts of healing had left her feeling energized and wanting to work it off. It was an edgy high that if it went unchecked would leave her restless. If just these small sips of Logan’s mutation did this to her, it was no wonder he was always restive. 

Thinking of the first night when her mutation caused him to pull back, she imitated his response and kissed her way down his jaw. She liked that she could prolong the skin to skin contact this way. With her gloved hands, she traced the muscles of his chest and abdomen. She worked her kisses further down his neck and to his chest, while his hands settled on her hips. 

He repositioned her, pressing her down to rub on his hardening flesh. She hadn’t expected this. Well, she did have his memories and knew it was a possibility, but thought since they were working off tension that would be it. Then again, things had been bad enough that he got struck by lightning.  

Stopping, she peered up at him and his raised eyebrow. Lust was a fine thing and there was plenty of it written on his face. She’d had enough healing that being sore tomorrow wasn’t going to be an issue. 

“Like this?” she asked. Maybe her imprinting had picked up on those times that sex was more memorable because this went against the general theme of him being in the dominant position. 

“If you want,” he said. There was an underlying current to his answer. He didn’t just mean her on top but to have another go was completely up to her. 

This broke any anticipation she’d ever had for her first time. She spent so long hungry for this moment, afraid she’d never get a chance. Now the man she trusted most in this world was offering her an experience she hadn’t thought likely so soon.

Locating where the box of condoms fell from the nightstand, she handed him one. A pleasant rumble went through his chest and she gave him a shy smile holding up her gloved hands as an explanation. This time she watched him carefully as he rolled it on, minus the embarrassment. It wouldn’t hurt her to learn this part either, gloves weren’t always going to be a good excuse because there might be situations that she would need to be the one to do it. 

Without hesitation, she sank down on him when he’d finished. She sat there a second while he glided his hands up and down her thighs. It was most definitely one of the best feelings she’d ever experienced. There was a small thought of what would make it better, she pushed that to the side as she wasn’t ready to go there. 

Bending over, she kissed him briefly. Then again, more deeply after adjusting herself for a more comfortable position. She moved tentatively, small shallow moves so she could concentrate on kissing. 

A growl of frustration made her glance up as he rested his hands on her hips again. Tilting her slightly, he moved her in a deeper motion. Gasping she arched away from him; the pleasure intensified, coiling. 

Rogue caught the smug smile on his lips before she closed her eyes to fully enjoy the movement. It wasn’t long before his hands found her peaked nipples amid the fabric of her t-shirt. Pushing up her shirt, he palmed them against the lace of her bra. She moaned when he sucked the lace and all into his mouth.

She didn’t know if it was the lace that added a rough quality that made her stomach tighten even more or if that was natural. Her legs started shaking as she rode him, slowing to try and prolong the sensations. If she stopped to catch her breath, she was doubtful that she could find the right pressure again.

Logan seemed intent on her breasts and between his mouth and fingers, she was sure it would be her undoing. When he slipped the lace down, she thought about making him stop for fear of miscalculating her mutation. He paused, his hot breath making her nipple even harder, but the moment his tongue swirled around it was the last straw. 

The cry that escaped her throat was beyond her control as she spasmed. Slowing, she backed away, her breasts suddenly overly sensitive. He reached for her, to pull her to him. She almost resisted until she saw his face and the clenched jaw. He was close. 

Relaxing, she let him guide her. She kissed him when he began thrusting up to meet her hips. One of them was making a low, needy sound and another orgasm sweep through her as he went rigid, spilling himself. 

This time it took him longer to disentangle himself from her to clean up. When he was done, he coaxed her up to the bed. The energy she’d felt just a little while ago was gone. She was done in and didn’t feel ready to leave yet. There didn’t seem to be any rules to this, and she hated to make any and muddle things. 

“You can stay,” he commented, probably sensing her lack of energy. 

“Don’t wanna impose,” she answered, stifling a yawn. 

“Can move to the couch,” he said, turning to his side away from her. “Fall asleep there half the time, anyway.”

He had her there. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to fall asleep on his couch at the end of a long day. The next morning she’d head back to her room when he got up for the morning. They were both early risers, and it never caught the attention of the staff or students. 

“Logan?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s this theory about water surface tension?” she asked. He was a more thoughtful man than most people gave him credit for, probably why he and Hank got along so well. Yet this theory intrigued her because it was strictly about her mutation. 

He let out a low sexy chuckle. “A few more kinks to work out before we test that out.” 

Rogue lay there letting her mind wander at the thought of them, kinks, and water. She was beginning to realize that there was so much more to sex than all that romantic stuff she always wanted. 

“Get some sleep, kid.”

She sighed in contentment. Her world wasn’t perfect and tonight wasn’t going to fix her problems. It was a comfortable arrangement she and Logan had, downright congenial if she thought about it and that should give her pause. However, right now they both needed something to get them through the day and into the next. She’d be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth and the Logan in her head agreed. This was enough for the time being.