Author's Note: This is my first X-Men fanfic, so forgive me if it's not to your liking. Some background info...
Marie/Rogue (I'll be referring to her in the story by both names) is twenty-one and Logan/Wolverine (I'll be referring to him as Logan most of the time) is the same as in the real-life movies. Everyone is alive and humans don't really take notice of mutants.
Marie/Rogue has a good friendship with Kitty/Shadowcat (I'll refer to her as Kitty). The relationship between Bobby/Iceman and Marie/Rogue never happened.
Warning: This is a Marie/Rogue x Logan/Wolverine romance fan-fiction. If you are against the pairing don't read it! People say that their relationship is father/daughter, but I can see a romance (especially since I'm making Marie/Rogue twenty-one).
There is brief swearing in this chapter, and there will be in future chapters as well as increased tension and sexual activity.
Chapter One: Loading the Bus to "Fun Times"
Marie couldn't believe she was packing for a trip that didn't involve any superhero missions, defeating villains, or saving people from their doom. The Professor had declared the team deserved a break, so he planned a trip to the nation's capital. Yes, Washington D.C.! Marie knew there were endless things to do and see in that city compared to life at the Institute in Westchester, New York.
Sure, New York was nice and all, but it wasn't everyday Marie was able to unwind and relax for a whole week. Plus, Kitty had an itinerary printed out for herself and Marie. Kitty had given Marie the blue sheet of paper one day after a session in the Danger Room. Marie was just now getting a chance to scan over the agenda. It was very obvious that Kitty was planning to spend a lot of time at the Fashion Centre in Pentagon City. Marie could guess why.
Ever since Marie was able to harness her poison skin, Kitty insisted she needed a complete make-over. Marie admitted in her head that she needed some new clothes. (She was tired of being so hot from her layers of coverage.) However, she wasn't about to tell Kitty that she agreed. Knowing Kitty, she would go overboard with revealing tops and scanty shorts. Kitty had changed a lot now that she was nearly twenty-one herself like Marie.
Marie placed the last outfit in her small suitcase (she always traveled light) and double checked she had everything to leave. Then Marie returned to her previous thoughts.
Kitty's fashion choices were great for Kitty, but not for Marie. Marie wanted to have a new style she could call her own. She didn't want anyone to influence her choices. Although, she might make an exception for a certain member of the X-Men...
Logan had always been out of her reach. Marie's feelings for him had always been jumbled and unsure from the moment he let her in his truck and gave her something to eat. At first, Marie didn't know what to think. But recently she was becoming more and more certain of what she thought about Logan.
…...
Why did Marie have to mess with Logan this way? He had to keep telling himself that she was too young, and she deserves someone better than him. He wouldn't let himself steal away her life.
As soon as Chuck announced the grand trip to D.C., Logan had been panicking. And that wasn't something he was accustomed to, either. Marie could do that to him. Make him feel things that he hadn't before or didn't want to.
Kind of like right now. Logan had always had feelings for the girl, but now she was a woman. And if Logan wasn't mistaken, she was starting to have feelings for him, too. Or had she always liked him?
It doesn't matter, he told himself. Marie needs someone more stable than me. A man that will be able to provide for her and not be stupid and reckless.
But you can provide for her, the other person inside his head said. You can make her happy. You don't have to watch her be in someone else's arms. She can be in yours.
Shut up, Logan told his other self. He shoved some random clothes in a bag and grabbed his jacket and slipped on his dog-tags as he left his room.
…...
The buses were huge. Even though only twenty students were going, they were taking two buses. The people that were going were allowed to choose which bus they wanted to ride on. Marie had signed up for the second bus with Kitty. Also on the bus would be Ororo, Kurt, Jean, Scott, Bobby, and Logan.
Marie's heart had skipped a beat when she saw his name on the form in the meeting room. It was right under hers! So she had packed her best jeans, cleanest shoes, and most tempting shirts (which wasn't much). She had also brought along a wide variation of gloves – from long satin white ones to sexy black leather ones. She knew she didn't need to wear them anymore, but she had worn gloves for twenty-one years. It wasn't a habit that could be easily broken.
Beginning her path to the other side of the bus, a sweet, refreshing fall breeze rustled Marie's long dark hair and the two ghostly white strips on either side of her face. The bus was a coach, a cardinal bus from Middlebury, Indiana. That meant a huge section of the bus opened on one side to a spacious compartment for her to put her luggage. Marie was keeping a small bag with her that contained personal hygiene items, a camera, a watch, cash, and mints. She was also keeping a pillow and blanket with her that could all be stored in the overhead compartments on the bus.
As Marie rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was Logan helping everyone stash their luggage in the bus wearing a white muscle tank under a navy blue three-quarter-length flannel shirt that was neatly tucked into crisp denim that complimented his coffee and cream cowboy boots well. In other words, he looked hot.
Even though she knew she was blushing, Marie began walking again, slowly, careful not to trip and make a fool of herself in front of him.
…...
Logan was doing his best not to drool. He was putting Kitty's abnormally massive suitcase (that was still light as a feather to him) in the bus compartment when Marie stepped into view. And did she look good.
A dark green long-sleeve shirt that hugged her curves and skinny jeans with black all-star converse. She had a small brown bag strapped to her back and was wheeling a matching small suitcase behind her along with two other small things he couldn't make out. Her hair was pulled back into a partial ponytail. As always, she wore minimal make-up (Logan loved that she didn't obsess over her appearance like other females he knew). What surprised him was seeing the younger mutant without her trademark gloves.
He knew that she was able to control her powers – there had been a huge to-do to celebrate – but she had continued to wear gloves anyways. Logan thought it was cute. Her hands were smooth and her fingers long, thin, and graceful. Her fingernails appeared to be – what did they call it? Paris-topped? No, french-tipped. To Logan, they were gorgeous.
Then he realized how close she would have to be for him to be able to make out such small details. Logan focused back on reality and saw her standing about two feet away from him, her suitcase positioned in front of her. She was wearing an extremely sexy smile.
Logan dropped Kitty's suitcase which landed on his foot with a sickening thud.
"Dammit," he muttered as he rubbed his foot. Why did that kid have to pack like she was moving to D.C.?
"Are yeh alright, Logan?" Marie asked him, placing a hand on his arm to steady him. Her touch and her voice – damn that accent – was too much for Logan. His arm muscles tightened in reaction, and when he spoke he stuttered.
"Y-yeah, I'm . . . I'm, uh, fine." Logan felt heat rushing to his cheeks.
"Ah'll get the luggage," Marie said. Before Logan could protest she picked up Kitty's suitcase with two hands and was moving it to the compartment.
"Let me get it, Rogue," Logan said. He placed his hand on the handle which, incidentally, Marie had one of her hands on. Logan shuddered when he touched her – not because her hands were cold or even because of her powers – but because her hands were warm. Logan could hear her pulse quickening to a nearly inhuman rate.
He looked up at her with a questioning look. Marie's skin tone changed from ivory to scarlet in a matter of seconds and she pulled the suitcase away slowly, while Logan kept his eyes locked on her rich chocolate brown orbs.
"Uh, I'm going to board the coach," Kitty said, interrupting the silence. Logan had completely forgotten she was still standing there.
Marie swung the suitcase into the compartment and then put her own away; Logan continued to stare.
"Ah think we'd better get on the bus, Logan," Marie said calmly, avoiding his penetrating gaze.
"Hm? Oh, right, yeah." Logan nodded in agreement and moved over to the door leading to the coach. He stood beside it and gestured for Marie to go inside first. He wondered if he was overdoing the whole "gentleman" bit.
…...
"Thanks," Marie said somewhat awkwardly. Marie was greeted by a man wearing a white long-sleeve dress shirt under a black vest on which was pinned a gold name-tag that read "Steve". Black slacks and black tie-up dress shoes completed his look. He looked about sixty (he had silver-blue thinning hair), but he acted as if he were in his prime. Marie shot him a smile and continued to examine the rest of the transportation device she would be sleeping on that night.
Ororo and Kurt were seated very close to one another right in front, Jean and Scott not too far behind them. Kitty and Bobby were in the middle giggling over something Kitty was showing him on her iPod. Probably iFunny.
Marie made her way to the back and attempted to swing her carry-on into the overhead compartment above her seat. However, the shelving unit was ever so slightly above her reach – Why on earth do they gotta be so high? she wondered impatiently – so the bag swung back down. Then she felt a broad, strong hand on her shoulder. Logan.
…...
He took the bag in one hand and placed it above with his own carry-on. Then he reached for the other things she had.
"A pillow pet?" Logan was laughing hysterically.
"Yeah, so? Ah ain't never old enough for comfortable sleepin' materials," Marie defended herself, shuffling her purple fleece blanket and rainbow unicorn pillow.
I can think of some comfortable sleeping materials that aren't too old for you, the animal inside Logan thought. Logan told it to stuff it.
Logan put the pillow and blanket up above as Marie took a window seat. Logan took the seat directly behind her.
Then a female voice came over the speakers on the bus.
"This is the bus you're going to be on for all of your tours that have been previously arranged. You'll find an itinerary at the front of this bus. There are trashcans in the front and back of the bus. This bus will be like you're home for the next week, so keep it clean. There will be a movie selection playing on the TV's above you– and yada yada yada.
He pulled a cigar out of his pocket and struck a match just as the speaker said, "There will be NO SMOKING allowed on the coach at any time."
Logan leaned across the aisle seat to see a female dressed in the same attire as the bus driver, Steve, staring directly at him.
This was going to be a long trip.
The bus started to drive away from the Institute at about 7:30 P.M., and despite the salty tour guide, Logan was feeling kind of . . . well, giddy. It may have been because of a certain mutant sitting in front of him, positioned just where Logan could see her from her tiny waist up.
In case you didn't catch on, the POV changes from third person limited Marie to third person limited Logan or vice versa after series of periods. In my opinion these characters are fairly true to most versions of the X-Men. If you don't think so and you have some constructive criticism to offer, let me know in your review or a PM. The real tension will start in Washington D.C.
Until the next chapter...
-A.M. Williams