She was mad at him. Maybe mad wasn’t the right word for it. She was furious at him. He got the distinct impression that if it wouldn’t mean her direct departure from Xavier’s she would have liked to rip the adamantium right off his bones.
When he came to the car was jerking to right, then snapping back to the left, swerving all over the thankfully deserted road. He could smell the anger and tension pouring off her as he slowly eased into reality. And then he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He opened his eyes.
It only took her a mere second to register his conciseness. If it was possible her face got even more flushed. She began swatting and beating his arm, swearing at him at how he ruins everything or some crazed talk like that. He took the beating, just because she had drained too much of his energy for him to do much else.
Either the tremors were back or she was just shaking with fury but one unstable hand on the wheel and the other pounding on him did not make for a comforting driving situation. And she drove like that the whole way back. He thought he actually screamed once as they neared way too close to the trees on the side of the road, only to be wiped back across the street.
It took four times as long to get back to Xavier’s but he was whole so he wasn’t complaining. As soon as the car came to a stop she jumped out and slammed her door shut. It rocked and teetered from her super human strength but never actually fell over. He watched as she stomped off towards the door, muttering in a thick twang he had no hope of deciphering. Except for he was pretty sure there was an ‘ass’ in there.
He stayed in the car for a little while, just enjoying the dark (she had turned off the lights on her way out). He couldn’t help but grin at the thought that it was their third kiss. Twice when she was with the Brotherhood and now tonight. And it was easily the best one yet.
*************************
“Well you slept in late,” Scott pointed out as Logan came dragging his feet into the kitchen. He grunted at the other man. What he need was coffee and now.
Scott continued taking groceries out of the bags and stocking them away but he kept watching Logan out of the corner of his eye. The other man was practically shuffling his feet across the kitchen floor. His big paws of hands fumbled pathetically with the coffee marker. It was all Scott could do not to laugh when growling at it evidently wasn’t going to make it work.
“Late night?” He guessed.
Seven hours of sleep and he was still no where near up to words so Logan gave him another nondescript grunt in response. He dragged his heavy metal body to the island and plopped it down onto a stool. The coffee was disgusting and everything was sore; he finally managed a word, “Fuck.”
“Logan, we need to talk,” Scott said as he shut the pantry door.
Logan cocked an eyebrow at him, looking up from his cup. Only woman and Summers said ‘we need to talk’. Scott followed it with a loud sigh as he moved closer to him and Logan wondered if he was going to give him some commitment speech.
“I know she’s very attractive,” Scott started off, with another sigh. “And I’m sure her background holds some kind of alluring quality for you. But--”
“What the hell are you talking about, Scooter?”
Scott sighed, again, and it was all Logan could do to keep the claws in. “You know what I’m talking about. Rogue.”
“And? What about her?” He took a big gulp of his coffee, thinking it was missing something important. Like scotch.
“About you starting a physical relationship with her,” Scott’s teacher voice kicked in. “It’s not a good idea, Logan. Forget for a second we can’t be sure where her loyalties lie. But what about her? She’s new here, no one talks to her. You’re taking advantage of her loneliness. She probably thinks you really care for her, when you’re just doing Xavier a favor. If you keep it up and she finds out— she’s going to be crushed.”
Logan snorted and scratched his muttonchops. “First off, mind your own damn business. Secondly, I don’t think you know how she thinks very well. Third, I ain’t doin’ shit ‘physically’ with her so relax.”
“She called Kitty ‘bub’ this morning.” Logan choked on his coffee, sending it flying across the counter top. “That’s what I thought. You touched her. More than willingly, I’ll bet.”
The rest of his coffee was quickly emptied down his throat. Scott grabbed a rag out of a drawer and threw it to him. The Fearless Leader crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter, obviously waiting.
“Fine. I kissed her, happy?” He went about cleaning up the spilt coffee, merely in the interest of not having to look at Scott’s face. “We went out last night. This prick picked a fight and we were beating the shit out of ‘em– all very innocent. Then the bastard went a stabbed me and it was a whole different fight, place got trashed. Anyway,” he shrugged, throwing the soiled rag back at him. “We left. It was dark, adrenalin was pumping, she was there, I was there, the claws were out, she wasn’t shaking. Nothin' happened, her skin drained the crap out of me so it didn’t get very far.”
Scott seemed to relax, putting the rag in the sink. “So that was it? Just post-fight adrenalin?”
“Her eyes–“ Logan started then seemed to catch himself. He coughed and fiddled with the empty cup in his hands.
Scott narrowed his eyes at him, stepping closer. “What about her eyes?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” Logan quickly dismissed him, waving his hand and jumping to his feet. Even with his back turned he could feel Summers’ eyes boring into him and he swore at his loose mouth, or brain, which ever was responsible for the slip. He busied himself with refilling his cup and the glaze was still there. Finally his patience snapped and he rounded on him, “What?!”
“You like her,” Scott stated.
“Screw you, One-eyed.”
“That’s not a no. Holy shit, you actually like her.” He shook his head, a small smile played across his lips then quickly dropped. “The Professor is not going to like this. He’s not going to like that you got in a bar fight with her, but he’s *really* not going to like this.”
“You gonna *tattle* on me?” Logan huffed in disbelief.
“No.” He sighed again. “No, of course not. But he’s a telepath, Logan. And you tend to project.”
“Well I’m not going to. Because I don’t like her. She’s just a good fight,” Logan said but it sounded like complete shit even to him.
Scott nodded, although Logan wanted to knock that smirk off his face. For added annoyance Scott patted his shoulder as he walked past him and out of the kitchen.
*************************
“What’s *she* doing here?” Kitty screeched as her and Peter walked out onto the lawn.
“Xavier,” Storm answered. “He wants her to sit in during training, since she’s part of the team. But she’s not allowed to participate.”
“Good,” Kurt rolled his eyes. “So the Brotherhood can know all our tactics?”
“She’s not Brotherhood anymore,” Peter pointed out, but quickly sank back down when Kitty, Storm, and Kurt glared at him.
“Just ignore her,” Storm commanded and they walked further out on the lawn.
Scott and Logan joined them a few minutes later and they began tactic training. Today they were suppose to work on hiding, one of Logan’s favorite things. It was basically a big game of hide and seek. Everyone ran off into the woods surrounding the mansion and tried to cover their tracks as best as possible, while finding an appropriate place to hide. They’d take turns on being ‘it’ and once you were found you had to help them find the others.
It was a game Logan always won, both finding and hiding. They already knew he would before they began but they were suppose to learn from it, in theory anyway. Practice makes perfect and all that. Storm actually got close this time, being able to fly above the tree tops helped a lot. But she still wasn’t able to find the Wolverine.
Rogue couldn’t really see much of the action. Occasionally one of them would walk in or out of the forest, evidently if it was their turn to be it or something. None of them called out to her or even spoke to her so she tried to just ignore them too. She had brought her paper out because Xavier told her she couldn’t participate. But all the sitting around wasn’t doing her control any good.
She never felt better than she had last night, after the fight. She felt whole, in control, and purely herself. Until Wolverine went and ruined it. His kissing was amazing, true; her skin felt like it was on fire. But he made her feel too good, awoke her skin too much and it evidently had to have more of him. Then the shaking was back, Carol was furious with her, and she wasn’t the least bit tipsy. He just ruins everything. And she was damn tired of just sitting here.
After Kitty wondered around for forty-five minutes and still hadn’t found anybody Scott called it for the day. They all came out of the woods, a collective unit seeping out through the dense tree-line. Slowly they started separating, Scott going to check on a fence he saw down while waiting for Kitty to find him, everyone else headed back towards the mansion.
Kitty, Peter, and Kurt went on about what they wanted to do tonight, maybe go see a movie or just stay in? Storm had pulled Logan a little farther back from the younger members. She asked him if he planned on meditating today. He said he didn’t know, probably though. She said he was welcomed to come to her room, she had a fountain and jasmine set up in her mediation space. He was welcome to use it. Maybe they could mediate together?
A distant screamed pulled them all out of their conversations. Their heads turned up towards the noise. A green blur was hurtling down from the sky, arms and legs flaying, her terrified screaming cutting through the wind.
“Logan!” Scott yelled from the trees, like Logan needed clarification as to who it was falling at record speeds towards the ground. He took off towards where she was coming down. But he wasn’t doing to make it, Logan knew, he was too damn far away, the metal in him making his body too slow.
Scott, however, was much closer and broke out into a dead run, quickly closing the distance. He barely got there in time but was able to open his arms just as she collided with his body. Scott was able to catch her but her speed sent them both crashing to the ground.
They landed in a tangle of limbs, neither moving. The X-Man rushed to their assistance only to be stopped by Rogue screaming again. A bright red laser shot from between the two bodies, scorching a line in the grass before taking out two trees in the distance.
“Rogue!” Logan yelled as they came up to him.
She came flying off Scott’s body, sliding on her butt and hands far away, her eyes clenched tightly shut. “NO! No don’t touch me!!” He stopped dead in his tracks at her ear piercing scream.
“Scott!” Storm yelled, kneeling down beside her friend. She pulled his head into her lap, but he didn’t respond. He was unconscious, his skin as cold as ice. “You did this!” The goddess screamed, “You attacked him!”
“No, no I didn’t—“ Rogue choked out, tears flowing from under eyes lids as she scooted further back away from them.
“You bitch!” Kitty snarled, “Take out the leader first, huh?! That’s what Mystique sent you for!” She launched herself towards Rogue only to stopped by Logan’s big body.
“Hey! HEY!” he yelled louder when he obviously wasn’t getting her attention. “Knock it off! It was an accident.”
“The hell is was, she did it on purpose!”
“Stop it!” He yelled, gently pushing her towards Colossus. “It was an accident and this isn’t get Scott help, is it??”
“Come on, Kurt, help me move him,” Peter’s timid voice cut through the tension. They carefully lifted him and went back into the house, a fuming Kitty reluctantly behind them.
Storm stood slowly to her feet. She looked up at Logan, her voice strained as she said, “I want her out of here.”
“‘Ro, you can’t think she’d fall out of the sky on----”
“I don’t care if it was on purpose!” She snapped. “I want her out.” She turned and left, closing any possibility of discussion.
Logan didn’t give a second thought to the anger goddess’s words and instead turned back around to the crying girl on the ground. He took a few slow steps towards her.
“Alright, darlin’, I’m right in front of you,” He said softly, “Jus’ keep your eyes shut tight, okay?”
She nodded, screwing her eyelids tighter shut. “Logan, it hurts–“
“I know,” he said, although he didn’t really. He moved to her side and slowly slid an arm around her back and under her knees so she’d know what he was doing. He was half afraid she’d jump back in terror at his touch but she just tried to get her eyes closed tighter, as if it was possible, and let him lift her into his arms.
He moved through the mansion as fast as he could, not wanting any to drawl any attention to them. It was hard to carry her with the tremors going through her body, but he tried to keep a secure grip. He just hoped one of them didn’t force her to open her eyes and he’d have to repair a wall. Or a few kids behind it. The stairs were the most difficult. She must have known, because she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying in vain to steady herself against his mass.
Her room was too far away, he was afraid he was going to drop her any minute as it was. Instead he kicked open his own door and carefully set her on the bed. His heart constricted in his chest as she started shivering on top of the tremors.
“You cold?” He asked, not caring about the quiver in his voice.
She nodded and he moved to the closet, snatching one of the extra blankets down from the top shelf. He wrapped it around her for her, because her arms were already wound tightly around her body.
“Ahm sorry, Ahm so sorry—“ She started to stammer out.
“Hey,” he kneeled down in front of her, rubbing her hands through the blanket. “You didn’t do anythin’ wrong. It was an accident.”
“Ah jus’— ah was bored an’ ah missed bein’ in tha air. And then it jus’ stopped. Bottom jus’ dropped out from under me...oh god. Ah didn’t mean to, ahm so sorry–“
“Shhhh, it’s okay. I know. I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, Summers’ll probably thank you for letting him save your life. He likes doing that kinda stuff.” The joke didn’t help, her tears kept flowing around the outer curve of her cheek bone and on to the blanket.
“I’m goin’ to be right back, okay?” She didn’t say anything for a minute and he could smell her fear hitch up. “I promise,” he added and she eventually nodded.
Logan moved as fast as he could, down the two doors from his. When he came back he made sure to announce his presence, since he was sure part of her fear was for revenge from his team members.
“Here, this should help.” He said and slid one of Scott’s extra pair of red-lens glasses onto her face. He checked each side to make sure they fit. The ends were too long and stuck out past her ears, emerging out of the tangled brown locks, but the sides of the lens were flush against her face. “Okay, darlin’. Try opening your eyes now.”
Her gloved hand came out from under the blanket to touch the glasses and he figured that meant she’d opened her eyes, although he couldn’t see them.
“Better?” He asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence. Her eyebrows would knit together, forming wrinkles on her forehead and he could tell it was from pain. He just wasn’t sure if it was her eyes or her head. The urge to stop her tremors by just holding her tight to him was nearly impossible to fight. Especially since it was something he wasn’t use to. But he figured the last thing she probably wanted right now was to be touched again.
The realization made him feel like a real ass for last night, something he was sure she’d agree with. As much as he didn’t want to admit it he was pretty damn proud of himself for it. The Wolverine takes what he wants, and he wanted her. The possibility of deadly skin had done little to frighten him away.
But then again, that wasn’t entirely true. He kissed her because he thought she had control, which, now that he thought about it, was completely stupid. She had very little of it.
“I’m sorry,” he hated that word. “For last night.”
She lifted her head and the absence of those clear sparkles jewels tore at him “Tha kiss or tha fight?”
“Neither, really,” he admitted when her tone seemed a little playful. “Jus’ that I ‘ruin everything’.”
She gave a light, little laugh. “Yeah, ya should really knock that off.”
He mentally breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t mad at him. Well, not anymore. And he wanted to kiss her again, but she was still shaking and continuously pushing the glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Scott’s glasses. That thought really killed his mood.
“Scooter givin’ you any trouble up there?”
“Who?” He touched a finger to the glasses. “Oh. No. No. He’s fine. Nice guy.”
He groaned. Why is it that everyone thought that?
“Logan?”
Her weak voice startled him and his hand shot to press against her back, afraid there was going to be a repeat experience of the incident in the bar. But her breathing stayed fairly regular so he let himself breath too.
“Ah don’t know where am suppose to go.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, confused. “Go?”
“Ah can’t stay here.”
“The hell you can’t,” He snapped. “You’re not going anywhere.”
"The others—"
“Will get over it.” he finished for her. Unable to resist it any more he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She flinched but he made no move to pull away. After a second he pulled her to him, leaning her against his side and she immediately laid her head on his shoulder. A big jerk would go through her body and he’d tighten his grip. Soon they lessened and she fell asleep.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
See, this is why you give feedback. Ask, and you just might receive. You’re welcome, ct_xfan. :)