The Ideal Boyfriend

"There you go! Drink it up now…" Logan encouraged, as he placed a hot cup of coco in front of a sniffling Marie.

"Thanks Logan…" Marie responded quietly, as she grabbed for the cup and gently blew off the steam, before taking a quick sip.

After taking a sip, she gently placed the cup down on the table in front of her, and let her hands place themselves lightly around the cup, as her eyes watched the drink for no particular reason.

"So…is their anything you want to talk to me about?" Logan began, in an attempt to avoid the uncomfortable silence of the moment.

"No…" Marie began, as Logan watched her closely, nodding his head in confirmation, before silently wondering how best to approach the situation.

"Now I uh…I don't want to sound as if I was snooping or anything but…I did hear you, earlier on, cry…" Logan began pausing to study Marie's unchanging expression before continuing. "You were in Jean's room-"

"What? No I wasn't! I wasn't! You were mistaken I wasn't anywhere near Jean's room-"

"Marie calm down! Christ all mighty-"

"Why would I be near Jean's room? You're not making any sense! I wasn't anywhere near Jean's room-"

"Marie! It's ok! Relax!" Logan tried to make his voice heard over Marie's hysterical one. When Marie stopped trying to deny being in Jean's room for a moment, Logan took that particular moment to continue with what he was trying to say to Marie.

"Now Marie…I know you are upset over a certain thing-a boy maybe?" Logan replied, covering his tracks by mentioning Marie's sadness as being by a boy and not by Jean.

"Uh…yeah" Marie replied untruthfully, as she moved to wipe her nose with her sleeve, before Logan reached behind him for a Kleenex to give to Marie.

"And uh…this boy. This boy has been saying hurtful things to you?" Logan asked, leaning in slightly as his attention showed itself as being focused on Marie's words.

"Yeah…but its not her-I mean his fault" Marie began, kicking herself when she realized that she accidentally said 'her' instead of 'his'.

"I see…" Logan commented, as he handed Marie another Kleenex to use. "What's going on with this boy? Why is he being a prick?" Logan asked, as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"It's hard to explain…"

"Then take your time. I'm all ears'…" Logan encouraged, his face a picture of calmness, which was unusual for the big thrill seeking man.

Marie placed the cup to her lips again, her eyes darting from one side of the room to the other, as she worked to think up something to say that wouldn't expose her relationship with Jean to Logan.

"Well, he doesn't want to be open with our relationship-"

"why?"

"Because she's afraid-"

"'she's' afraid?"

"I meant 'he' is afraid!" Marie replied, her hand rising to her face as she realized that she made yet another stupid mistake.

Logan watched the girl with an unwavering gaze; leaning back in his chair he pondered the next set of questions to ask Marie.

"This boy is ashamed of you?"

"No!"

"Then why wont he accept you as her girlfriend?" Logan asked, knowing that he said 'her' instead of 'him', in an attempt to trick Marie into telling the truth. Maybe it would have been a better idea if you pretended not to know that Marie is gay… Logan thought to himself before adding, Nah! The kid is going to have to face it sooner or later…and besides! There's nothing wrong with being gay-so Marie should at least admit to me that she is! Since I am her most trusted friend! Logan thought to himself, before focusing on Marie's next words.

"Don't you mean 'he'?" Marie responded with a fake laugh. Oh shit! Does he know about Jean and I? Oh God please! Jean will be so upset with me! Marie thought to herself, as she tried to wipe the look of fear from her face, as Logan continued to stare the girl down.

"I don't know. You tell me?"

"Logan…I uh, I uh…my boyfriend-"

"don't you mean girlfriend?"

Marie couldn't help but react to the question with a look of fear and shock. As much as the girl wanted to deny the inquiry, she knew from the look on Logan's face, that there was no way out of the question. She knew that even if she lied and said no, that Logan would call her on her bullshit, and that would be the end of that. So, with great difficulty, Marie struggled to admit the truth to an awaiting Logan.

"Yeah…I uh. Logan. I uh…I'm gay" Marie stated, her eyes looking away from Logan's.

"Thought so. I mean, after watching and hearing what Jea-I mean…what you were talking to your girlfriend about-"

"Oh. My. God! You know?!?" Marie exclaimed, rising from her seat in shock, not even bothering to try and catch the toppling over chair.

"Now calm down Marie! I don't want you to make a huge deal out of this-"

"Jean is going to kill me!" Marie interrupted, as more tears streamed down her face.

"Relax kid! I didn't mean for you to know-stupid me let it slip out! Just hear me out before you start crying on me again!" Logan pleaded, his hands outstretched as if he were taming a lion.

"Now Marie…I'm not against you and Jean. And I sure as hell am not upset about you being gay! I'm all for whatever decision you make. But if there's one comment that I have to make about you and Jean…its that I'm not sure if Jean is ready to have this sort of relationship with you" Logan explained, as Marie cried harder at Logan's truthful comment.

"She loves me I know it!"

"I don't doubt that she does…its just, I don't think she can handle it. But that's just my opinion…" Logan replied before adding thoughtfully, "but I don't really know what Jean is like when Scott is out of the picture…so I guess I shouldn't judge a situation that I'm not really involved in"

"she loves me…I know it! It's just…she's so afraid that we're going to get caught and she's going to be sent away to prison…she's just so paranoid sometimes and she gets frustrated-"

"and says hurtful things to you?"

"Yeah…I know she doesn't mean them! She's just…lost I guess, she doesn't know what she should do!"

"That still doesn't give her the right to say such hurtful things to you! Not to mention to tell you to go find a guy to pretend to love so no one will suspect your relationship!" Logan hissed as he shook his head in disapproval.

"You heard her say that?"

"Yeah…I guess I wanted to make sure that my suspicions were valid-so I followed you to the med lab…" Logan explained, showing no remorse for spying on Marie. Marie laughed slightly, as she moved to pick up the chair that was lying on the ground. And as she pulled up the chair to sit on, Logan returned to his seat, and folded his hands neatly on the table. "Marie…I wont tell Jean that you told me about the relationship-"

"you have no idea how much I appreciate that!" Marie replied, her face brightening slightly in response.

"Yeah, yeah…" Logan answered, pretending to be a tough guy once again.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you do me a favor?" Marie asked, her eyes lightening up as an idea surfaced in her mind.

"If you want me to buy you beer…than all right! But only this one time-"

"I hate beer! But that's not what I was going to say…"

"Oh…" Logan responded shortly, shaking his head from side to side, as he waited for Marie to tell him the favor that she wanted him to do.

"Well, you know how Jean wanted me to find a guy to have as a pretend boyfriend?"

"Yeah?"

"Well…" Marie began before Logan's eyebrows rose in realization in what Marie was going to ask him.

"Don't even say it! No way kiddo! I ain't dating you!"

"And why the hell not?" Marie responded harshly, clearly offended by Logan's response.

"Kid! I'm old enough to be your father for Christ sakes!"

"So…"

"So? So that's sick! Disgusting! Ewwwwwwww!" Logan finished with an extremely amusing facial expression that made Marie giggle, before returning to her look of resolve.

"You have to! You know my secret! I promise that we wont have to do anything…we just have to pretend that we're together-"

"Marie! You want to see me spend the rest of my days in prison! No means no! And that's final!" Logan exclaimed, as he made sure that Marie understood that he was laying down the law.

"Come on Logan! Jean wants me to get a boyfriend! I need one-but I don't want one…and since you know the secret, than you can pretend to be my boyfriend and I wont have to actually be with you…" Marie explained, hoping that Logan would understand. Logan eyed the girl in annoyance; he shook his head, and silently wondered why he had to get involved.

"No means no Marie!" Logan repeated as clearly as he could, as he tried to ignore Marie's sad expression. "Why don't you try Bobby? I'm sure he'll be thrilled to be with you!" Logan began, laughing in response to the look on Marie's face at the mention of Bobby's name.

"I have an idea…" A voice purred from some hidden location.

"Whose there?" Logan growled, his claws out and ready for battle.

"Me…" Kitty responded with a smile, as she fazed out from the wall on the far side of the room, and made her way towards a now panic stricken Marie.

"I knew you were a lesbian…" Kitty began as she flashed Marie an insinuative grin.

"Logan…help…" Marie begged, as she didn't like the look of the grin Kitty offered her.

"Damn it Kitty! How much do you know?" Logan asked, as Kitty tilted her head to the side and eyed the ceiling as if it were of interest.

"Enough to know that I can be of assistance" Kitty replied, as Marie eyed the girl with a puzzled look.

"Just don't tell anyone Kitty…" Marie almost pleaded as Kitty brought her eyes to rest on Marie.

"Sure thing Rogue. Now, since there's no way in hell that Logan is going to pose as your boyfriend. Not to mention that your gay…how about I take his place and be your new girlfriend?" Kitty insisted innocently, as Marie's mouth dropped at the very idea.

"It could work Marie! For starters, Kitty already knows what's going on…and, no ones going to get arrested if you pose as Kitty's girlfriend" Logan stated, as Marie bit her bottom lip in thought.

"I don't think so-"

"What? Why?" Kitty and Logan exclaimed at once.

"Because…I'm not ready to be out! And I'm afraid that Jean will be upset that I'm hooking up with another woman instead of a man" Marie pointed out, much to Logan and Kitty's dismay.

"You got a point there…" Logan agreed, as Kitty silently fumed, which was unnoticed by Marie or Logan.

"Is it to late to try out as Rogue's new boyfriend?" Came a thick Russian accent, coming from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Are you kidding me? Piotr knows to?" Marie replied, hands up in the air as the big muscle man entered the room with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry Rogue…your secret is safe with us!" He stated truthfully, his smile adding to his handsome features. "And who knows? Maybe Jean will smarten up when she sees you with me!" Piotr replied thoughtfully, adding a smile to Marie's formally gloom features.

"Yeah…maybe she will" Marie replied with a nod of her head, as Kitty watched on with a look of jealousy. "You know the drill right? The most we'll do is hold hands, hug, and a quick peck on the lips…but only so everyone will know that I'm with you…" Marie instructed as Piotr nodded his head in agreement.

"I understand! Besides, I see you more as a friend rather than a lover-if you don't mind me saying" The big man replied, as Marie nodded her head in agreement.

"Then we have a deal?" Marie asked, as she moved towards the man, her hand outstretched and waiting to shake with Piotr's in show of the agreement.

"Deal…" Piotr agreed, taking Marie's hand in his own and shaking it firmly, but not to hard since he didn't want to crush the poor girl's hand.

"Well, that went well!" Logan commented, as Kitty gave Colossus the dirtiest look she could muster, before eyeing Marie thoughtfully.