She grabbed his left arm as he swung, using the momentum to give her leverage. She snapped it down and around, ducking under it. She could break his arm if she could manage the right position. Before she could crack the bone on her knee, he used her thigh as a way to push himself off and flip back over, releasing his arm from her grip.
Rogue ducked away from his foot before he cracked her in the side of the head and reached for his shoulders. He blocked her and twisted, wrapping his arm around her neck, flipping her around and forcing her to her knees, squeezing off her air supply. She jammed her fingers under his arm to break the air block, shoving her chin down so he'd lose the grip. When she managed to get the angle, she bit as hard as she could. He cursed and let go.
She rolled forward and struggled up to her feet, putting some distance between them while she coughed and choked in air. She'd have a welt around her neck after this. He swung again and, this time, she managed to grip his shoulders after a block. She'd been trained to follow with a knee to the nose at this point. She shoved his shoulders down and shoved up hard and low with her leg, nailing him in the lower abdomen instead. He let out a grunt of air and fell to his knees, spitting up blood.
“That fuckin' HURT, Logan!” She turned and rubbed at her neck, wincing at the rawness.
He straightened out slowly, one hand still holding his stomach. “That wasn't a lethal blow, Marie.”
She glared at him over her shoulder. “I didn't feel like breaking my femur tryin' to break your adamantium laced nose,” she spat. And there was her stupid accent again!
He grunted. The only acknowledgment she was going to get. She sighed and walked over to the side of the room where floor-to-ceiling mirrors lined the wall. She lifted her chin and groaned at the red welt rising up on her skin.
He walked up next to her, pulling at his gloved hand. “Here.”
She glared at him. “I don't want it.” It was an all-out lie. She lived for hits of power.
He growled back. “You're on the team because I train you this hard. I train you this hard because I know I can heal the damage. Your damned choice, Marie.”
She glowered and reached for her own glove, yanking on the fingers. “You're such a tight-ass.”
She reached for his hand. He grabbed her arm and flipped her head over heels so that she ate the mat with her whole face. She blinked in shock and felt the beginnings of blood dripping from her nose.
He leaned down over her and growled. “Next time make the hit.”
He grabbed her hand and wrenched her around to a sitting position. By the time he let go, she'd gotten enough of a draw to fix her nose and neck. She could hardly smell the sweat in the room. She was getting good at this individual pull. He shook off the dizziness and cracked his neck. Turning he walked to leave the room.
“And watch your fuckin' mouth, Marie.”
Her jaw dropped. “You're one to talk,” she hollered. The door slammed behind him and she'd swear she could hear him chuckle.
XXX
She punched away at her Lit assignment with annoyance. She flipped a few pages in her book and then slammed it shut. She kicked the foot she had tucked up on the chair out and kicked her trashcan. It bounced off the nightstand and almost tipped over her clock. She glowered at the red numbers. 10 p.m. She'd decided to take a full load this summer in an attempt to catch up to others her own age. She'd managed to do it, but she was getting sick and tired of so much homework on top of full time training with the team.
Her body was sore despite Logan's small hits and she only had so much room in her head for Storm’s rigorous strategy classes. Hank piled on first-aid and field trauma sessions and Logan added a mess of auto mechanics on top of everything else. They'd expanded the team to include Warren Worthington III. His beautiful wings always made her fingers itch.
Then there was Jubilation. She'd gone off to college last year and had not enjoyed herself, citing irreconcilable differences between herself and the dorm RAs. So she was back and training with the rest of them while taking online classes like her. Storm had mentioned they might have a new addition soon. Some guy from the south, like her. Gumbo or something, Logan had said.
She let her head fall back, closed her eyes and brought her leg back up. It had been an overall cruddy day. She wanted it to be over.
The knock on her door startled her. She looked up to see Logan standing casually, arms crossed over his chest. “Sleepin’ sittin' up?”
She dropped her foot. “Wouldn't be the first time.”
He'd caught not only her, but all of them, Bobby, Kitty, Jubes..., falling asleep over their plates at dinner or homework or lessons at some point or another. Kitty had actually snoozed off so much during dinner one night after Logan had kicked her ass in session that her face slipped from the supporting hand to plop into her bowl of spaghetti. They'd laughed it up plenty. But it was a testament to their overall state of exhaustion.
He shrugged. “Rest of 'em don't have a full schedule of classes like you.”
That was true enough, she thought. They'd all been enjoying a summer free of classes while she spent nights staring at her computer screen in volatile levels of wakefulness.
He sauntered over and pulled over a chair, flipping it backwards. He swung a leg over, straddling it. He rested his arms on the edge.
“Came to check on you.” He gentled his voice. “You were off today.”
She bristled at that. “I recall having been the one to rupture your stomach, not the other way around.”
He shrugged. “I let it happen.”
She stood up in indignation. “The hell you did!”
He reached for her arm and pulled her back down into her seat.
“Relax, Marie. I ain't here to bite your head off over it.”
She brought her foot back up and rested her chin on her knee. Absently, she flipped some pages in her Lit book. “I was distracted.”
He nodded. “By?”
“Just...” She sighed and flopped her foot down, leaning back on her chair. “...Things. Nothin' important.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Important to who?”
She took a deep breath, spearing her fingers through her hair. “To anyone, Logan.”
He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper and string. He held it out to her. She looked at it strangely.
“You gonna open it?”
She looked up at him. “Wha...”
“Your birthday may not be important to you, Marie. But some of us might think it a nice occasion. Nineteen, right?”
She blinked. “How did you..?”
She'd never told anyone her name, birthday, even where she came from. Annoyingly, they knew she came from Mississippi. It was hard to miss with her accent and all but that was unavoidable. No one in the mansion knew any other details about her. That was how she'd wanted it.
Even Logan, who had the distinction of being the only exception to that rule, never called her Marie in front of anyone else so she was pretty sure that information was protected.
He'd been privileged with that insight during a ridiculously stupid time of her life. She hadn't regretted her decision to tell him, but it hadn't been the smartest thing she'd ever done in hindsight. He could have been anyone. She'd run into plenty of nightmarish individuals at that time. Then again, it seemed to have turned out pretty well.
He shrugged. “Have my ways.” He lifted the package a tiny bit. “You gonna take it or what?”
She reached out and grabbed the package with her gloved hand, looking at him warily. She turned it over in her hands a couple times before she looked up at him.
“You haven't told anyone...?”
He sighed. “Jesus, Marie. No. Now open the damned present.”
She grinned and raised her brow. She hadn't received a birthday present in three years. The thought made her a bit sad.
He gave her his own raised brow and she laughed. Turning to the little package, she tried to untie the knots. Her gloves always got in the way. He offered to help but she shook her head and told him to just wait. She placed the small package in her lap and pulled off her gloves. Picking up the package once more, she smiled at him.
“I can't believe you got me a present.” She pulled at the knots. Logan smiled proudly.
Finally, string gone, she tore at the paper until she was left with a small box. She opened the lid to find a silver chain. She glanced back at him and he nodded for her to look closer. She lifted the chain and placed the box on her desk. She let the pendent fall into her other hand and she looked more closely at it.
It seemed... “Is that...?” She jerked her eyes up. “St. Jude?”
He nodded. She looked down at the beautiful artistry. Spun silver had been beautifully worked into the image. It was only the size of her thumb but she could see the intricately detailed work. She turned it over and her mouth fell open. Marie was engraved gracefully on the back.
He sat there watching her. She felt the flush creep into her face. “How did you know?”
He sighed and cleared his throat. “Like I said, I have my ways.”
She gaped at him. She smiled and looked at her beautiful present again. “Does your way include reading minds?” she asked. “Because that's just about the only way you could have...”
Her laughter died down abruptly mid-sentence and she looked back up. He must have noticed her dismay because he shifted uncomfortably.
“You read my file.” It was a simple statement.
He sat up a bit. “Does it matter?”
She stood up, gripping the necklace in one hand. “You read my file!”
He raised his hands, his voice soft. “Only some of it. I needed to. It was important.”
“Important?” she gasped. “My personal, private, conversations with the Professor?”
“Yes.” He he said sternly. “Even those. Look, Marie. I was trying to look out for you.”
“Did you get a kick out of them?” she asked derisively.
“Jesus. No, Marie.” He looked almost disgusted.
“Those were private, Logan.” She could feel the embarrassment climb up her spine.
“I know.” He placated. “Look, I tried to skip over that stuff but..”
“But, what?” She could feel the pressure in her eyes. Damn it! She'd spent so much time trying to forget all that. She'd gotten it off her chest with the Professor and her nightmare was supposed to have died with him. She'd counted on that.
“I needed all the information I could get. You don't talk about any of that stuff, so I got it myself.” He was angry, but not at her. He wanted her to think it was OK, that he'd been right to sneak around. She grew angrier still.
“You're one to talk, Logan.” She covered her eyes with one hand. Gritting her teeth she desperately tried not to cry. She pulled it away and glared at him, the sting becoming unbearable. “You won't say two words together about Jean. But I don't push you. It's obvious it hurts too much so I let it be. Why couldn't you have given me the same courtesy?”
The force of her words forced his breath in and he took a step back like she'd slapped him. He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “Marie,” he said softly.
“Don't.” She snapped. She turned away bringing her fists up to press against her traitorous eyes. The necklace was still gripped in her hand.
He actually advanced on her. He pulled at her waist, turning her to face him. She jerked back, finding it impossible to keep the absolute mortification from rising in her throat. He reached again, this time trying to place one hand on her hair. She shrieked, “Don't touch me!”
He jerked his hands back, but the one he'd placed on her hip brushed up and brushed against her skin just over her jeans. She felt the draw. She felt her skin open up and she felt her senses deepen. She wasn't prepared. Her skin wrapped around his mutation and violently grabbed at his thoughts. Worry. Contrition. Fear. Tenderness.
She realized they weren't her own thoughts and threw herself back, trying to break contact. She opened her eyes and noticed Logan leaning on her dresser heaving for breath, face pale. She'd almost knocked him out.
His eyes found hers and her head shook briskly side to side. No...oh God, no. She tore her eyes away from his and brought her hands up slightly, looking down upon them. She opened her fists and the necklace fell to the floor. She didn't even notice as a sickening dread washed over her. Her skin crawled with sensation, itching to take more.
“I didn't....” She could hardly say it. “I didn't mean it.” She glanced up and felt the first tears finally run down her face. “I...”
He found his footing and reached for her again. “Marie...” He looked... God, he looked tender.
The mortification curled in her stomach and became terror. Her only protection against hurting people was falling to pieces. Touch. All she'd needed to do was not touch, and she could at least participate in society. Oh, God. She felt her skin open up, felt it reach again. For what? She turned to run out her door.
“Rogue? What...?” Bobby's figure came around the corner just as she ran through it. They collided and fell to the floor. Her skin exploded madly and reached out, finding the sweet, intoxicating feel of his immense mutation. She felt it latch on and then violently yank, harder than it had ever yanked before.
The hit was so fast, so violent, she wasn't prepared for the intrusion. His panic came through and melded with her own. She could feel his heartbeat in her ears and revolted. She didn't want his heartbeat!
She clenched her eyes and threw herself back, falling back into her room. She slammed into the chair, flipping over and collapsing to the floor as she felt cold seep into her veins. She shoved back blindly with her legs until her back hit the dresser hard, knocking several things to the floor around her.
Frost tinged her fingers and her breath came out as crystals. When she looked up hysterically, Bobby was collapsed on the floor. His skin was pale and veins stood out on his neck.
“No!” she shrieked. “No!”
“Marie!” She could hear Logan but she couldn't see him. Her vision doubled and then tripled. It disoriented her and only served to panic her more. She felt his hands grab at her and dig into her hair. He turned her face and shook her. “Marie! Stop!”
Bobby's confused and panicked thoughts invaded her mind. His heartbeat slowed in her ears. Delicious frost built up around her vision. “Marie!” Logan yelled.
She felt it creep over her face down her neck. So addictive, so amazing. She couldn't stop it, didn't want to stop it.
She looked down when she could see through the ice better to a handheld mirror that had fallen off the dresser and she was surprised to see Bobby's eyes. Iceman's eyes. Hers. Iced over. It was spreading through her face, down her neck. It was consuming her. She looked back at Logan and suddenly didn't want it anymore. She didn't want to drown. “Logan...” She gripped at his shirt, he was looking at her so intensely. God, she couldn't turn it off. It spread over her shoulders and down her hair. “Help me...”. His eyes grew terrified and he gritted his teeth. Something pierced her skin and the world went dark.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Had a hard time writing this chapter. I'm trying to make everything fit together so over and over again, I had to re-vamp, change and outright pull out portions. Finally, I have to where I'm happy with it. Please do review as I really enjoy them.
Chapter End Notes:
I think we need a Logan point of view next, don't you?