A/N: The fic will switch back and forth between Logan and Ororo, offering the perspective of each. Enjoy!
-Xavier Institute, 11 PM-
The thing they don't tell ya about enhanced senses; the thing nobody prepares you for is how everything is amplified. Every second of every moment is an overload of information. Every color is brighter, every sound sharper and more crisp; it can be beautiful.
Sometimes even terrifying.
For the most part I've developed my own way of filtering things out.
People think I smoke cigars because I like to… well I do, but I didn't always.
I took up the habit because the most powerful sense I have is my sense of smell and I find the smell of a good cigar better than the kaleidoscope of scents that most people carry with them everyday.
Between a persons' natural scent and all the artificial scents they cover themselves in, a body can go insane filtering through that. In fact the only time I don't have stogie plugged in my jaw is when I'm around her.
My Ro's scent is clean, natural and soothing, especially when she's happy or excited. When I'm with her I want to be aware of every single nuance, so I can commit it to memory. I let every one of my senses go wild when I'm with her, which, at least tonight, leaves me with a problem.
I now need to replace every one of those sensations with something else.
The Danger Room is good for that.
After going ten plus rounds with a couple robot drones, the sight of my caramel colored beauty writhing in ecstasy is replaced by the sight of gleaming steel.
Soft skin, replaced by hard metal.
Moans of delight become the screech of Adamantium tearing circuitry.
The scent of orchids, rain and arousal are replaced by oil, wires and sweat.
Which brings me to the kitchen in the middle of the night, to burn the sweetness of Ororo's taste from my mouth with Brandy.
Of course I wasn't expecting company.
"How does Ororo feel about you roaming the halls at night, shirtless?" Cyclops seems to have bounced back from his ordeal pretty well. Kids tougher than I thought. Braver too, considering he's got himself a healthy dose of my Brandy in front of him.
"What's wrong Cyke, intimidated by the sight of a real man?" I didn't think Mr. Straight n' Narrow even drank alcohol, let alone knew where my private stash was.
"If I am," Scott chuckles, filling his glass. "It's only due to that carpet of fur you call chest hair."
"Ladies enjoy having something to run their fingers through, Scooter." I watch as he takes a big swallow, only wincing slightly at the burn. "Keep that up though, you'll catch up in no time." I take a seat across from him at the small table and I note with amusement he jumps a bit. I think he still is wary of me; trusts me but keeps his guard up.
I respect that.
Funny thing is; I'm starting to respect him too.
All the bad blood between us stemmed mainly from our mutual affection for Jean. More of a rivalry than anything else. With that gone, the kid was tolerable. Might even be okay if he'd let Hank remove the rather large piece of wood embedded in his backside.
"How's Jean?" I ask as Cyclops fills my glass.
"She's still having some bouts of nausea, but other than that fine…" Jean, Betts and Rachel all used Cerebro to purge our existence from the minds of certain individuals. During the wipe, they realized that wiping their minds was fine, until they turn on a computer. Who knows how many databases we're cataloged on…
Jean then had the bright idea to force them to not only forget, but to download any information they had stored and destroy it. Performing a mind wipe was hard enough, but having them perform additional complex functions was taxing.
All the girls were suffering from exhaustion related symptoms, but Jean caught the brunt of it.
"They really kicked our asses Logan…"
I nod and take another sip. I'd rather not think about that night; what I almost lost. What everyone here ended up losing. The lie I had to tell to keep us from falling further into disharmony.
"We weren't prepared…" I offer, knowing how hollow that sounds. If it hadn't been for Rachel, who knows where any of us would be right now. Dead? Captured? On the run?
"We were supposed to be!" Scott exclaims, before taking another sip. "But you're right; we weren't and that's gotta change…" He helps himself to another glass, ignoring the glare I give him.
Ororo's making me lose my mojo…
"And I suppose you have an idea about this…?"
Cyclops breaks into a smile: "I might have one or two… sure…"
"So do you plan on draining my reserves dry, or do you wanna clue me in…?" I snatch the bottle from his greedy grasp. I have no issue sharing my drink with the man, but he doesn't have my healing factor. If he keeps going he'll be nursing a wicked hangover tomorrow.
"Over a game…?"
"Fine." I stand up from the table, still holding the bottle. "You rack…"
-Institute grounds, daybreak-
I have to hand it to One-eye; he came up with a pretty solid solution. Splitting the senior mutants into two teams and then having the kids train under their peers is a good idea. Before, if you weren't an X-man the training you got was pretty basic stuff, but now everyone who was old enough was gonna get some schooling. Learn how to work effectively as a team; using each other's strengths to cover each other's weaknesses.
If we're attacked again, we won't be caught hopelessly unaware again.
I was surprised he decided I head up the X-men Black team, but I guess since I became the default leader in his absence it makes sense. I may not particularly like it, but it makes sense.
I also can't argue with his decision to give the Popsicle his own team. He's proven himself capable in combat, the others respect and like him, so as long as he doesn't let things go to his head he should be fine. It was the other choice that bothered me.
Cyclops wants Aaron to head up his own team.
Kids' my flesh and blood, so even though I didn't raise him myself; I feel like I know him pretty well. And knowing him I'm not sure he's the best person to be in charge of a team.
Cyke looks at the kid and sees someone like himself; someone who's been trained their whole life to lead. What he doesn't realize is that Chuck taught Scott how to protect himself and others, while doing as little harm as possible.
Aaron was not brought up with the same restraints. He couldn't be. The world he grew up in was much more dangerous, especially considering who and what he is.
The first of his kind; a mutant with two separate and distinct power sets. And probably the only other mutant in the world who could survive the Adamantium bonding process. Yuriko may have survived, but she was more machine than mutant at the end of it all.
Which is why I feel the best thing for him would be to get away from fighting for a while. Leave behind the killing and just be a normal teenager for once in his life. At least as normal as it gets around here.
But the second Cyke told him his idea he jumped at it.
"What's done is done…" I mutter to no one in particular while I start cooling down from my run. This is my favorite time of the day; when I can be alone with just the sights and sounds of nature around me.
Of course that's not meant to be.
"Aaron…" I nod at the sweaty figure approaching me. It would seem I'm not the only one who enjoys a morning jaunt. The fact that I've never noticed him on the trails before now means he's not only good at staying downwind, he also sneaky as hell too.
"Dad…" He bends down to his toes stretching his hamstrings. "You don't agree with Cyclops decision…"
"Does it matter?" I snort, pulling on my ankle to stretch my quadriceps. Doesn't beat around the bush does he? Of course neither did his mother.
"As a matter of fact; yes, it does." Aaron turns to face me, still stretching his legs. Looking at his face I can see it is important to him. Not really remembering my father until recently and even then not really being around him for very long, I underestimated what my opinion would mean to him.
Even with all the things his done in his life he still wants his old mans' approval. Can't deny that makes me feel pretty good.
I sit down in the damp grass and I motion for him to join me, he does so reluctantly.
"Listen," I begin once he settles into a comfortable position. "You've got the skills, the training and the ability to be a great leader-"
"But?"
"Do you have the heart?" I ask watching his face to see his reaction. "When you wanted to kill Welling, I told you that killing him wouldn't bring you satisfaction-"
"And I didn't!" He interrupts again and I sigh in exasperation. I wonder briefly if this is how Chuck felt when he had to deal with me.
"But do you believe, in your heart that killing; that taking lives unless absolutely necessary, is wrong? Or were you just willing to let Welling live because I asked you to?" When I first got here I was just as bad as him, Chuck helped me deal with all the rage inside me. Now I guess it falls to me to help him.
He takes a moment to consider what I'm asking him before he responds. "You can't ask me to change years of thinking overnight and I can't promise you that my way of thinking will change… but I can promise you that I will try to change. And that I will never teach anyone in my charge to be a killer."
His eyes stare back at me with conviction and sincerity and I nod. "Then that's good enough fer me." I stand, cracking my neck and I stick out my hand. "But I'll be keeping a close eye on you…"
He laughs and takes my hand in his grip. "You and Rachel both then… thanks. Thanks for trusting me with this... I… just thanks…" I can see he wants to say more, but this is as new for him as it is for me. With time, I guess it'll get easier, I hope it will…
As he turns to walk away, he looks back. "I think someone's waiting for you up there…" he points to the top of the hill but he doesn't need to. I caught her scent the second she came out the patio doors.
-Patio-
I make my way slowly over to her, not because I'm tired or apprehensive, but because I love looking at her.
Her hair blows lightly in the wind about her shoulders, framing her serene face. It draws me to Ororo's gorgeous blue eyes, sparkling like sapphires have a depth to them few people notice.
But I do.
I see her in a way no one else can. Not because of my mutation, but because I actually look beyond the obvious. Beyond her exotic beauty and her supple shape.
Although that isn't always easy to do.
The curves of her shape outlined by the robe she has cinched tightly to her waist, same robe she wore that night in the kitchen. The night I first ran my hands over skin softer than silk, tasted lips sweeter than chocolate…
Coming off her body is the scent I love, but there's something else attached to it.
Anxiety.
"Up early ain't ya darlin'?" I ask looking up at the first few rays of light breaking through the haze of fog.
"Like you, I've never found much use for sleeping in…" She blushes at the doubting eyebrow I raise at her and adds. "…at least not by myself…"
I know she wanted me there, by her side, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't lie there and not…
"Logan, last night…" She shifts her weight as she stands, twisting her hands nervously and I wonder if she's embarrassed about what I did. "… did you leave because you did not want… me…?"
I have to blink a few times before my brain registers what she was asking. "What the f- Ororo darlin' I always want you! Every flammin' second of every damn day!" Fact was looking at her standing there, cute and insecure made me want to throw her over my shoulder and drag her off to some spot in the woods.
There's a nice spot by a small pond where it's enclosed on all sides by apple blossom trees…
"How could you even think that!" I ask, a bit harder than I meant to, as she flinches a bit.
Good going Logan, she's feeling insecure and you practically rip her head off…
I grab her shoulders firmly and press my forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, I just- I just never want you to think that…"
"Then prove it." She whispers strongly, regaining that presence she's always had.
I look down to see her eyes and there's a determined steel in them. "'Ro…" Not three days ago she was in a coma, with none of us sure when she would wake up, if ever.
"No. I am not some delicate flower, whose petals will disintegrate if you touch them…" She speaks firmly pushing me away slightly, catching me by surprise. "I am a woman." As if to emphasize that fact she undoes her robe to reveal that she is completely naked underneath. "I am your woman." she continues placing my hand on her firm breast. Both of us let out a sigh of desire. "In need of my man. Will you continue to deny my needs?"
The way she asks that question, causes the beast within me to snarl. It's a challenge; plain and simple.
Prove yourself worthy of her heart Wolverine! It screams.
A growl makes its way up past my throat.
She shivers; not in fear but in desire. She wants me to ravage her, wants me to claim her. Before I can utter a word of warning she drops the robe and takes off down the hill towards the trees.
-The woods-
I follow, allowing her scent to lead me to her. A ripple of joy runs through me as I stalk her. This is the side of myself I've always kept hidden, buried. I discard clothing on my way, until I'm as naked as she is.
It feels good.
She hides her trail well, careful not to break too many twigs, or bump into any trees, but as long as the wind remains moving, I'll never lose track of her; a fact I'm sure she knows.
I come to a stop behind a tree, a look into the small clearing beyond it. There I find my prize, lying on her back, head tilted to the sky, with her hand buried in a set of curly locks not on her head. She playfully rubs her fingers around their intended target.
I watch hungrily as she teases herself and me, her hips arch slightly off the ground. Although her eyes are half closed, I know she knows I'm here.
Watching.
She places a moist digit in her mouth, swirling it with a moan before removing it and returning it between her legs. This time, with purpose she pushes the finger into her warmth. A soft hiss escapes her lips as she pumps the finger in and out in a slow pace.
I step from behind the tree, making my presence known by purposely crushing a twig under my heel, but she doesn't stop what she's doing. In fact she increases her speed, filling the quiet area with the wet sounds of her actions.
Her eyes flutter open to meet mine and her gaze drops below my waist.
Taking in my solid length she licks her lips and crawls towards me.
It is the single most thrilling and erotic moment I've ever had. I remain completely still, afraid that any movement will end it. She grabs my hardness in her hands, stroking it softly.
I look down and realize she is not just giving me a hand job, she's marking me with her sent. Another growl of warning rumbles through me, and she looks up again. Relaxed by her eyes, I breathe in her scent again.
Orchids… arousal… Rain… earth… submission…
Squeezing hard, a few drops leak from the head and she captures it with a finger. I watch mesmerized as she leans back, taking that same finger and rubbing it all over her sex.
She's marked me, now she's marking herself.
Before I realize it, I've picked her up in my arms and pinned her to a tree.
The bark is rough and jagged, but she doesn't let out a single complaint. She wraps her arms around my neck as I lift her hips flush with mine.
Her legs wrap around me and I lower her onto the only thing I denied her last night. She moans loudly in my ear, with a sound I've never heard from her before. I sniff along her neck.
Orchids… arousal… Rain… earth… love… happiness…
I switch our positions so that my back is to the tree and I guide myself in and out of her with firm slow strokes. Her yelps of delight are delicious to my ears, driving me to plunge deeper. I grip her cheeks hard in my hands, bruising the soft flesh she returns the favor by digging her nails into the back of my neck.
The pain is sweet.
My mouth crashes against her shoulder, suckling the soft flesh and her groans become more frantic. My thrusts pick up in speed and her face contorts in a mask of the indescribable. She yells loud enough to cause the birds in the trees to take flight, before clamping down on the side of my neck and biting with all she's worth.
I can feel her walls, spasm around me during her release, while she continues to scream into the bruised and broken flesh of my neck. Her whole body vibrates wildly in my arms as she rides out her orgasm.
I drop to my knees, staying sheathed in her hot core and she releases her grip on my throat. Had I been an ordinary man, she may have succeeded in doing more than leaving a mark. Her eyes meet mine, half lidded in ecstasy, with no apology in them; only desire. I take another deep breath.
Orchids… arousal… Rain… earth… submission… satisfaction… desire…
I allow her to lay against the grass, causing me to slip from her. I look at the gorgeous form beneath me in awe.
I've lived a long time; seen quite a few beautiful women in my life. Aaron's mother for one. But as much as I loved her, she pales in comparison to what I see before me now. This is the indescribable beauty that so many poets and writers have tried to capture with words.
And failed.
She slides her finger between her still quivering legs, capturing a healthy dollop of her fluids. She lifts the finger to my face and waits. I grab her wrist hard, sucking and nibbling her finger. She smiles and hooks her leg around the back of mine, her intent obvious.
She wants me back where I belong.
I oblige her by sliding slowing back into her warmth. Her eyes widen taking in every inch with joy. I lift her hips up so that the angle of my penetration allows me to graze her most sensitive spots with each thrust.
The bed of grass and tree branches feels cool against our hot bodies, both of us flush from our exertions. It isn't long before the two of us are moaning our delight in unison. The fit of our bodies is perfect.
I press my chest firmly to hers and nuzzle her neck, breathing in her scent again.
Orchids… arousal… Rain… earth… want…
Her nipples drag luxuriously against my chest causing them to harden to steel and she pulls my mouth to hers. She kisses me, long and sweet, our first real kiss since this whole thing began. I can feel her hips lifting off my hands as she works beneath me, making her way towards another explosion.
I pull from the allure of her plump lips bite her neck in much the same way as she just bit mine, with far less force. There may not be much Logan left here, but there's enough. Instead of gasping in pain, she sighs in happiness straining her neck to offer me more of its sweet surface.
I taste her.
And even through the sweat, dirt and grass, she's still as sweet as ever. I can feel my own release steadily approaching and I raise my eyes up to look at her.
So beautiful.
Her fingernails dig into my forearms and with a snarl she pushes me away.
My confusion only lasts a moment, as I watch her scramble to her feet and arch her butt towards me. I follow coming up behind her, she braces herself against the tree and in one swift thrust I'm buried to the hilt again.
She lets out a wail of delight, her knees buckling a bit.
With my hands firmly on her hips I pound into her mercilessly, nearly lifting her off the ground with each thrust. Her arms, obviously weary of hold herself up against my assault, drop from the tree to her sides.
I grab her wrists and drive my self deeper into her. She finds a new way to scream. The pace is furious and animalistic. We grunt and growl our way towards heights neither of us has before reached. Again, for me everything is magnified.
The sounds of our groans of delight and our bodies meeting together in a beautiful symphony. The scent in the air is a mixture of her, of me of life all around us.
It's perfection.
She frees her arms from my grip and grabs the tree her face is dangerously close to, using her newly gained leverage she throws her hips back against every thrust. We both grunt over the struggle for dominance.
After matching me thrust for thrust for a while she screams at the top of her lungs and collapses to her knees. I follow her down, not wanting to break our connection.
Seeing her shake in orgasmic bliss, brings me to my own ending and I grab her hips and drive with everything I've got. She's falls completely to the ground, with me pressed flush against her. The two of us each quaking with our mutual release.
I try to keep most of my weight off her, but my arms give out under the strain and I fall completely on her. Before I can scramble to relieve her of my weight, she reaches behind me pulling my back down.
"Peace, Wolverine… I will not break…" The first words spoken since she discarded her robe are thick with passion and fatigue. I nuzzle the fresh bruise on her neck and lick at it softly.
A sweet giggle passes through her lips.
"Tickle?" I ask, noting how my voice sounds just as rough as hers.
"Simply laughing at the irony…"She turns her head, but remains on her stomach. "I dreamed of this… long before you returned to us… but I feared you would be disgusted at such a fantasy…" I slide from her warmth and she sighs with the loss, but turns over onto her back. Though I'm nowhere near as hard as I was before, I'm hard enough for her to deposit me back inside her.
I groan as she squeezes the sensitive muscle within her. "Shows what I know, huh?" She asks rubbing my face tenderly.
XXXX
I have no idea how long we've been lying next to each other, but the sun in the sky tells me that by now everyone else will be awake. Getting inside with our dignity intact will be impossible now.
"Ro…?"
She groans and snuggles up closer to my chest. "No. Do not say it…"
"We should- ouch!" she pinches my nipple hard and I roll her over onto her back ready to retaliate. "Darlin' you should know better than to tease a wild animal…"
She looks into my eyes completely unafraid. "I'm prepared to be punished… severely…" she challenges in that sultry tone that instantly makes my dick twitch. I'm about to respond with what we both want, until the sound of laughter hits my ears. They're still a good ways away, but they are definitely outside.
Ororo, seeing the conflict in my eyes, sighs and gets to her feet. "Fine. I suppose we better get back…"
She begins walking back the way we came, and I catch up to her grabbing her. "Didja forget yer naked darlin'?" She turns to me and smiles wickedly.
"As are you…"
"So, you got any ideas how we can get out of this without causing a scandal…?"