A/N: Story takes place between Logan and Ororo leaving the mansion and their return.
After parking his bike, they made their way to the door. Logan walked a step behind Ororo so he could admire her ass and how it shook in the tight pants she wore. He knew she was wearing a thong because he felt the small triangle of fabric right above the expanse of her luscious rear when he had a weak moment and his hands knew no boundaries.
The gasps and the catcalls from the other males broke him out of his trance. It wasn't until that happened that Logan snapped out of his preoccupation of her outfit to realize that she was like a lamb heading into a slaughter house. Bad analogy, he knew, but it was the truth and he had to make sure that his girl knew what she was walking into.
Gently tugging on her arm, she looked back him and stepped beside him.
"Logan, what is it? Aren't we going to go in?" she asked, oblivious of the lust filled glares directed her way.
"Yeah but ah wanted to tell ya something before we did," he said, rubbing the back of his head, a nervous habit. He normally wasn't one who minced words but when you are dealing with a strong yet sensitive weather goddess who happened to be your girlfriend, you tend to tender certain things and words carefully. "Ro, ah appreciate the effort you put in yo outfit tonight," he said, giving her an appreciative once over again.
"I sense a 'but' coming," she replied, crossing her arms across her chest.
"But ah won't be the only one appreciating the outfit," he said, considering his next words, "So if ya have any trouble, just call out 'pineapple' and ah'll come running."
"Pineapple?" she asked, a white eyebrow raised questionably as a slight smile played at the corner of her luscious mouth. Damn this woman was sexy as hell tonight, he thought, unconsciously licking his lips but quickly snapping out of it.
"Yeah," he said, guiding her toward the door with a hand on her lower back, "Ah tried to find a word that wouldn't be used in a place like this."
"You know I can take care of myself, do you not," she replied before they reached the door. He stopped her again and pulled her close, whispering in her ear, "I know baby but in this world, it's the man's job to handle thangs. So as yo man, that's my job and I'm asking you to let me do my job, okay?"
"Fine," she whispered back.
He knew that she didn't appreciate the macho man bullshit but hey, it was his world and he knew the rules. All he needed for her to do was to follow his lead.
"Thank you, baby. I promise to make it up to ya," he replied, rubbing her leather clad body, making her grunt softly.
"I will hold you to that," she replied, kissing his neck.
Growling low, he turned her toward the entrance. The bouncer at the door recognized him and immediately cleared the way for him and his lady, giving her an appreciative glance. Logan read the question in the bouncer's eyes and nodded, letting him know that Ro was his lady. The bouncer knew the drill and began passing the word that the black chick with white hair was the Wolverine's girl and not to be fucked with.
Cass met them a few feet from the door, being alerted by his bouncer. Cass gave Ororo an appreciative once over and an approving nod to Logan. "Welcome to my humble abode, Ms…?" Cass asked, bowing slightly.
"Ororo but feel free to call me Ro if you like," she replied her African accent pronounced, accepting his outreached hand.
"Ms. Ororo, it's a pleasure," Cass said, laying it on thick, kissing her hand. Hearing the low growl from his best fighter, Cass quickly released her hand and gave Logan an apologetic look, "You know Logan, I think Ms. Ororo would be comfortable in our newly established VIP section for our high rollers. I have a reserved seat for the date of our prize fighter. Please follow me."
VIP section? High Rollers? What the hell was Cass talking about, Logan thought as they followed Cass toward the floor that surrounded the slightly elevated cage in the middle of the arena.
Café Cass was one of the more popular biker and trucker hangouts in the area. Located on the outskirts of town, the Café, as it was called, sat adjacent to an old mill that had been retrofitted into a fighting arena. During the year, the mill was rented out to the locals for various events, but Cass reserved the last month of the year as a time for fighters to qualify for the Café Cass Holiday Party. Each fighter had to fight in several of the mini tournaments to secure a place in the roster for the Holiday Party.
Logan had fought his way through the tournament the year before and had taken the local amateur fighting world by storm. He was undefeated in the 18 matches he fought in to become the champion. In the seven year existence of the Holiday Party, they had never had someone to be completely undefeated. Seeing the situation as the potential money maker that it was, Cass put the word out early, using Logan's record as a lure for the serious fighters, resulting in one of the bloodiest series of tournament's the Café had ever seen.
Now, that the big day had arrived, Cass was beside himself. The arena was filling quickly and he even had for the first time, some heavy gamblers, willing and able to drop large stacks of cold hard cash on their favorite fighters. Cass was happy that he had the forethought to establish the VIP section. He knew just by looking at Ms. Ororo that she was someone special to Logan, which meant that if anything were to happen to her, he and his establishment would suffer the wrath of the Wolverine.
Cass, a lifetime gambler, knew when to take a gamble and when to walk away. In this case, the safety of the beautiful Ms. Ororo wasn't something he needed to gamble with, especially with her dressed like that. He knew a ton of guys in the audience were just itching to get their hands on a fine piece of ass like her, especially with her exotic features, chocolate hued skin, long white hair, and a body that created an immediate need for more room in the pants of many of his patrons. He could sense the heated stares from the others, both male and female, as they made their way down to VIP.
His front door bouncer was good at reading people and signs and had hit it on the head when he passed the word to his boss that Logan wasn't going to tolerate any disrespect toward his beautiful companion. Cass, getting the message, assigned two more of his biggest and best guys to the VIP section to ensure her safety.
"Here we are, milady," Cass said, directing her to a soft cushion seat alongside one of the aisles. The caged ring sat several feet away, providing those on the floor a bit of protection from the blood sprays that had become the norm at the arena.
"Thank you, Cass," Ororo replied.
"Yeah, thanks Cass. All this new?"
"Yes. Since your last fight, the world has been abuzz and we had a record number of entries vying for a spot in the Holiday Party so that one of them could take on the Wolverine. It's been crazy and chaotic and I owe it all to you," Cass replied, thanking Logan off handedly for the increase in business, "And Ms. Ororo, one of our lovely waitresses will be over soon to take your drink order. Order whatever you like, it's on the house."
"Why, thank you Cass. That is very sweet of you," she replied, looking from the owner to Logan.
"If you're ready, Logan, I would like to show you to your room in the back, where you can relax before your fight," Cass told him. Seeing that they needed a moment, Cass said, "I will wait for you by the backroom entrance."
"Alright," Logan replied, his eyes never leaving Ororo. Finally, Logan thought, taking her in his arms and getting a much needed kiss. She returned it and smiled at him as they pulled away.
"Good luck, my love," she said, tenderly touching his cheek.
Taking her hand, Logan planted a kiss in her palm and replied, "Ya give me the luck I need, beautiful. Now get comfy and enjoy the show. I'll see you soon, darlin'," he said, leaning in to whisper in her ear, causing her to giggle and blush. She swatted his arm and told him he was being bad.
Kissing her one more time, Logan left and made his way to the dressing room, following Cass's scent. The night flew by with the fights lasting no longer than 10 minutes. It seemed that some of the fighters were more interested in the black beauty in front row than their opponent. The more focused of the pair took advantage of the distraction and made short work of disqualifying the other guy.
Of those fighting, one person stood out among the others. T'Challa better known as Black Panther had heard of the fights from one of the bars he frequented while in the states on business. The King of the African country Wakanda, T'Challa enjoyed coming to the states to experience all that the United States had to offer, including the anonymity it provided since his face wasn't well known this side of the Atlantic.
He had plowed through the amateur fighters and now, earning the spot as the challenger to the prize fighter, he headed back to the dressing room to get ready. As he walked pass the VIP section, his eyes fell on one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. "Good evening," he called out to her as he passed.
She responded with the same. He looked surprised when he heard her distinct African accent. Stopping in his tracks and turning back to her, he said in Swahilli, "Udhuru kwangu. Ninasikia lafudhi. Ambapo ni kijiji yako?" *Translation – Excuse me. I hear an accent. Where is your home village?*
"Mimi ni kutoka Kenya. Na wewe?" she replied, getting to her feet. *Translation - I am from Kenya. And you?*
"Mimi ni kutoka Wakanda. Jina langu ni T'Challa." *Translation - I am from Wakanda. My name is T'Challa.*
"Nice ya kukutana na wewe T'Challa. Jina langu ni Ororo." *Translation – Nice to meet you T'Challa. My name is Ororo.*
"Nzuri." *Translation – Beautiful.*
"Excuse me," Ororo said in English.
"Jina lako maana nzuri. Nasikitika kama mimi mashaka wewe. Je, tunaweza kuzungumza tena baada ya vita?" he replied, quickly, seeing that it was time for him to go. *Translation - Your name means beautiful. I am sorry if I offended you. Can we talk again after the fight?*
"I am sorry but that would not be a good idea," she replied in English.
"Why not, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked in English, mindful of the bodyguards that stood nearby.
"I do not think my boyfriend will like that."
"Oh, my apologies. Well, Ms. Ororo, it was a pleasure speaking with you this evening. Maybe one day our paths will cross again," he said, taking her hand and kissing it gently.
"Maybe," she said noncommittally, "Good evening, Mr. T'Challa."
I will see you again, Ms. Ororo, T'Challa thought as he turned and walked away, headed to the backroom. This I promise.
Twenty minutes later, the annoucer came over the loud speaker, announcing the main event.
"Our challenger, the only person other than our prize fighter to remain undefeated hails from unknown parts of the world. Ladies and gents, put you hands together for T'Challa!"
The crowd roared, hearing the name of the current favorite.
As he walked past her, T'Challa gave Ororo a wink and she smiled politely in return. Damn, she's beautiful, he thought, stepping into the ring, Now I see why the other fighters were distracted.
T'Challa's eyes wanted to go back to met those of the beautiful Ororo but he told himself after the match, he would speak with her again. Boyfriend be damned. He also made a mental note to get his staff busy on figuring out who she was and where she was so he could see her again.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys, and girls, truckers and bikers. You have seen this man in action and therefore needs no introduction. I present to you, the Wolverine!"
The crowd went wild and maintained the roaring cheers, whistles and applause as Logan made his way down the aisle. Once he got in eyeshot of most of the arena, the crowd erupted again, their noise nearly deafening.
Inside the ring, T'Challa's eyes fell on Ororo and he saw that she had gotten to her feet, clapping excitedly. He looked up as his opponent made his way down the aisle, a cigar dangling from his lips. He wore no shirt and jeans. T'Challa watched with narrowed eyes as the Wolverine stopped where Ororo stood and took the black beauty in his arms and kissed her, while his hand cupped her behind possessively.
So that's the boyfriend, T'Challa thought, rolling his neck to loosen the muscles. I guess I'm just going to show her that I'm the better man.
"You alright, darlin," Logan whispered in her ear.
"I am now," she replied, kissing him again.
"Good. See ya in a few," he replied, walking away from her and stepping into the cage as the announcer stepped out, locking the door behind him.
After the bell rung, the fight began. It lasted nearly three hours, each combatant giving as good as they got. It became a contest of stamina and unfortunately, T'Challa was weakening. Logan, seeing this, went in for the kill, sending the man to lala land with a series of lefts and a sweet uppercup that laid him out on his back.
The crowd went wild, rushing from the stands, crowding around the ring, chanting Wolverine's name. As his hands were raised in the air in victory, his eyes landed on the one person who mattered and saw that she was being shielded by the large bodyguards. She was jumping up and down, cheering along with the others.
After the mini ceremony where Cass presented him with a belt and a large fake check, Logan with the help of a few bouncers, fought his way over to Ororo. She threw herself in his arms, not caring about the blood that stained the upper part of his body.
"You were great!"
"Ya think so?" he asked, pulling away to look into her beaming face.
"Absolutely!" she replied her smile bright. He noticed that it dropped a little as his opponent was being helped back to the dressing room.
T'Challa stopped where they were and said to Logan, "Great match. You are a formidable opponent."
"Thanks. Ya not to shabby yourself," Logan said, shaking the hand T'Challa extended.
With a nod to Logan, he turned his attention to Ororo. "Again, it was a pleasure meeting you my dear. Mpaka sisi kukutana tena, nzuri." *Translation – Until we meet again, beautiful.*
Logan growled low. "Ikiwa unataka kuishi, wewe kuendelea kutembea, bub," Logan said warningly, his arm tightening around her waist. *Translation - If you want to live, you will keep walking, bub.*
"I was only being friendly to a beautiful woman. No harm intended," T'Challa replied in English before making his way back to his dressing room.
"Logan, when did you start speaking Swahilli?" Ororo asked as she watched him as he watched T'Challa's retreating figure through narrowed eyes.
"Its just something ah picked up along the way," he replied, guiding her down the aisle toward his dressing room, determined not to let her out of his sight.
"And why wasn't I made aware of this fact?"
"Ya never asked," he replied, drawing a swat from her.
"Oh, you," she said, smiling as they walked along the corridor.
"So what did he mean when he said meet again?"
"I spoke with him briefly after his last fight. In hearing my accent, he began to speak to me in my native tongue. It was refreshing to hear someone speaking my native language and we engaged in a short conversation. Nothing more," she told him.
"How did he know that Swahilli was your native tongue?"
"A lucky guess, I presume. He is from Wakanda, a country that borders Kenya and I am guessing that he heard something in the way that I spoke and decided to try it," she replied, feeling the tension in his arm, "Is there a reason why you are asking me these questions?"
"Just curious."
"You sure its not jealously?" she asked, stopping a few feet short of the door marked Prize Fighter.
"Ro, I...I just wanted to make sure that he wasn't trying to steal my girl is all," Logan replied honestly, whispering in her ear, knowing that he wouldn't be able to live that down if the bouncers had heard him..
"That my love is something you do not have to concern yourself about. I love you and no one else," she whispered back, tenderly touching his cheek briefly before heading toward the door being held open by one of the bouncers.
Seeing her interact with the Swahilli speaking fighter had awakened the beast within him and the beast wanted to lash out at the man, to protect what it thought was his. Though they had only been dating for a short time, they had been teammates and close friends for several years. Because of this, Logan considered it a done deal with him and Ro. Now all he had to do was make it official.
When they entered his room, they found Cass there smiling with a large padded envelope.
"You did great, Logan. So much so that I added a small bonus to your winnings! Please make plans to join us again next year. I'm putting in my request in for your presence right now so noone else will lure you away. Have a good evening and don't be a stranger," Cass replied hurriedly, knowing that his unexpected appearance wasn't appreciated, "And make sure to bring Ms. Ororo back when you come."
"Thanks Cass," Ororo said, walking over to the owner and kissing his cheek, "For everything. I had a lovely time."
"Um, it was my pleasure, Ms. Ororo. And please, make sure to return. We would love to have you visit us again," Cass replied, his pale face turning red with embarrassment, "Have a Merry Christmas."
"I think you just guaranteed that we will have drinks on the house for the next year," Logan replied, leaning up against the vanity, watching his woman work.
"Why do you say that, my dear Logan?" she asked innocently, walking back over to him, "I simply thanked the man for his hospitality."
"Yeah, ya were thanking him but he was thinking that ya were flirting with him. I'm sure if ya tried, ya could have gotten anything you wanted."
"Unfortunately, at this moment, he could not have given me what I wanted," she replied, standing in front of him.
"Really?" he asked, running his hands up and down her arms, "And what would that be?"
"A kiss from you."
Logan smiled and leaned in but Ororo stopped him with her hand. He growled his annoyance at her hand and looked into her eyes for an explanation.
"Patience, my love. You can have all the kisses you want, after you take a shower."
Logan chuckled at that, remembering then that he was still covered in blood.
"As you request, my love."