Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made by this work.
"Morning." Ororo said with a sleepy smile.
"Back at ya." Logan said throatily, leaning in to kiss her as they laid in bed together.
"What time is it?" Ororo asked, nestling closer and resting her head against his arm.
"Doesn't matter, don't got anywhere to be." Logan argued, walking his fingers up the swell of her hip.
"Good point." Ororo purred, nuzzling her nose against his chin and feeling the scruffy stubble that would earn him a shave soon enough.
They'd spent a few days in Toronto before catching a flight home, his vacation extended by a full month after everything they'd been through. Sure enough the agency had smoothed over the theft with the owner and the museum, no trace of the robbery known to the public besides some small articles circulating the local papers about some 'gang' violence taking place in Chinatown. Laying in bed they felt like the lives they longed to build together could finally resume, just them and their daughters.
"It's quiet." Ororo noticed.
"Pretend it's a good thing. They've been gettin' along after everything they've been through." Logan argued, trailing a finger down her back.
"That tankless water heater was a good idea..." Ororo conceded with a kiss, again thinking he needed a shave.
"Yup." Logan replied, stretching with a yawn.
"I smell coffee..." Ororo smiled.
"I smell bacon..." Logan said with a rumble of his stomach.
Wondering who was cooking breakfast, they figured they'd have to get out of bed at some point but for now resisted the tempting aromas wafting through the house. Last night they'd taken the whole family out for dinner, joining with Yukio and Amiko who were staying in town for a few days before catching a flight back to Japan. Just as Ororo had thought, both Jubilee and her had hit it off with Rogue playing chaperone to them at the movies. With the children gone, they'd enjoyed a few drinks at a cocktail bar recounting old times then both ladies had played mouse to Logan's cunning cat.
"I smell..." Ororo said, drawn back from her musing as she looked to Logan.
Before she could finish though the fire alarm started blaring and they turned to another in resignation wondering if they really had to get out of bed.
"Smoke..." Logan grumbled.
Throwing the blankets off, he looked around the cast off clothes and found his boxers and slacks from the night before. Rising from bed herself, she ignored the garments and found her silken robe in the closet, catching Logan throwing an appreciative look to her as she passed by. The horrid beeping finally ended but in it's place the clear sound of the two girls arguing broke out.
"Figures. You go get the shower ready, I'll go see what our little ladies are up to and meet you there." Logan said.
"See you there." Ororo replied, admiring him in passing herself and thinking how she longed to lather his back and kneed his shoulders under the hot spray.
Taking care to walk down the steps silently and avoiding that one that always creaked underfoot no matter how many times he'd thought he had it fixed, Logan leaned against the wall to survey the scene. Jubilee was eyeballing some toast whether it was salvageable while Rogue cast off some eggs, or at least that was his guess anyway. The coffee pot was full, and a plate of bacon sat on paper towel by the stove. Tomatoes sat sliced on a cutting board, lettuce washed and ready in a colander in the sink.
"Shi...eeep!" Jubilee nearly swore as she noticed him, catching herself with the warning look her father threw her way.
The skillet joined the charred eggs in the trash as Rogue startled and spun to spy him leaning against the wall, smirking at her before walking in with eyes only for the coffee pot. Pouring a small cup, he snatched a slice of bacon and waved it around the kitchen in question.
"Now just what're you two up ta?" Logan asked.
"Well we were trying to make ya both breakfast in bed, but brat there forgot to check the eggs." Rogue accused.
"What! You were doing the eggs, I was getting the bacon sammiches ready!" Jubilee snorted, throwing a burnt slice at her.
"Well look how well ya did that, ya figure out how ta burn water too!?" Rogue snarled.
Sipping his coffee and letting the two vent their vexations, he stood aside and pinching pieces of bacon and adding a slice of tomato to his felony theft after salting it. Wondering if he'd jinxed it earlier, he swirled his coffee in his cup trying to figure out which blend they'd used. It was a bold roast with a smooth finish, not his usual breakfast blend. Finishing his last sip he felt ready to try and bring peace to the kitchen if only long enough to catch a shave and have a long, luxurious shower.
"Ladies?" Logan asked, both girls turning on him looking apologetic.
"Yes?" They said together.
"Rock paper on who cleans up the skillet, no arguments. We both appreciate what ya were tryin' ta do, just next time make sure yer both on the same page." Logan said, pulling his youngest into a hug and rubbing his scruffy cheek against hers while tossing a wink to his eldest.
Treading up the steps to the bath, steam wafted out as he threw the door open and ducked in trying to keep a draft from reaching his love. Admiring her silhouette behind the glass, he looked to see the sink already full of steaming hot water for his shave. Pulling the old silver straight razor out, he gave it a quick sharpen on the leather and set it down to lather up.
"Is everything alright?" Ororo asked above the spray.
"Yeah, they were tryin' to treat us ta breakfast in bed it seems." Logan said, passing the razor down to then rinse it clean.
The tempered glass door of the shower swung open, Ororo slipping out with her eyes meeting his in the mirror. Pressing her chest against his back, she watched him shave with swift yet flawless swipes that didn't miss nor err as to call a crimson stain to his face. When they'd first met she'd called him on the anachronism but he'd laughed it off and said sometimes the old ways were the best. Drying the blade and setting it back where it belonged, he turned to let her inspect his handy work.
"Perfect." Ororo said, trailing a finger down his jaw to find it smooth and silky.
Feeling her fingers slide down his chest to settle on his hips, they slipped between them and undid his slacks to let them fall to his ankles. Digging her thumbs into the hem of his boxers, they joined in short order as he took her into his arms. Guiding her off to the shower, they lathered attention on another with their hands roaming their soapy flesh and sliding through their slick hair. With nowhere to be but breakfast and no worries of the steamy spray running cold, they enjoyed the moment for what it was and lived in it to the fullest.
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"Is that another text from Remy?" Jubilee asked, stretching out his name with a playful lilt to her voice.
"That's none of your business." Rogue growled, typing away on her phone as the two walked out on the rolling property.
"Tell him I said Hey Hot Stuff." Jubilee teased, stuffing her face with her last bite of her bacon and tomato sandwich.
"It's not Remy." Rogue sniffed haughtily.
"Then why were you smiling like someone gave ya a puppy?" Jubilee countered, kicking a pinecone off into the brush.
"I read something funny." Rogue said, though as she looked to the latest text coming in once again she smiled blissfully reading it.
Grinning full of mischief, Jubilee watched Rogue wandering on with her eyes on her phone and not her path. Waiting for her moment, it came as her elder sibling tripped over a rock.
Catching her just enough to keep her from a face plant, the moment Rogue was back on steady feet Jubilee showed her just how fast she could be diving after the fallen phone and putting distance between her.
"Give that back!" Rogue screamed, giving chase.
"Oh Chere, I miss you like a flower misses the day! To know the silk of your lips again and to taste their sweet wine fills my dreams, the time away a torment simply unbearable." Jubilee read aloud.
"Oh I'm gonna to thump you so hard!" Rogue yelled.
"My days are meaningless without you by my side, my nights utter oblivion to be suffered waiting for the dawn. I will see you again soon on the new moon when you can breath life into my shattered self, to wait longer than that I could not bear." Jubilee giggled, rushing off to a favourite tree.
Rogue saw her phone vanish into her siblings back pocket, watching amazed at how easily she scaled up to a high branch with leaps and swings and vaults. Standing below feeling her anger rise as the phone reappeared, Jubilee ignored the threats reading the latest text coming in with a trilling bell.
"Huh, it's from Amiko. Here, catch." Jubilee said blandly, dropping the phone for Rogue to snatch in a panicked breath.
"You! Ah! You can't stay up there forever!" Rogue spat, looking to the message.
"You're right." Jubilee said, running along a strong limbed branch and leaping to a nearby tree.
Thinking her sister to be deranged and mad, two trees later she figured this must be some twisted bit of fun for the younger girl who then landed off in the distance to bolt back to the house. Shaking her head, she started typing her reply to her friend wishing some of her could have rubbed off on Jubilee in their brief time together.
You're coming over tonight? Rogue typed in reply to the news. Leaning against the tree she waited for the reply and admired he view. The mountains were a grey shadow on the horizon, still a promise she had to remind her Pappy Logan of filled with a longing to explore them. Yes, we were invited over for dinner. I google mapped your place, it's pretty. Smiling, Rogue had to admit that without a doubt. Taking a picture of her view, she sent it in the next text and promised to take her out to see the stars tonight. Can't wait, see you tonight.
Slumping down against the tree, she rolled through the grass and stared up at the azure sky and the willowy clouds drifting slowly overhead. Closing her eyes she listened to the sound of the breeze rustling the blades of green around her and the dancing through the leaves. Breathing in the moment she could catch the hint of meadow flowers and the hint of the river running through the land. It wasn't like the home she knew, but it was coming to grow on her in a way that had her falling in love with it just the same.
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"Where's yer sister?" Logan asked of his youngest as she came trampling in out of breath, making a bee line to the fridge for a drink.
"Rogue? Uh, chatting her boy toy up and texting Amiko." Jubilee said, gulping down water so long to gasp for breath.
"You two behavin' yourself?" Logan asked pointedly.
"Nothings on fire or broken, so does that count?" Jubilee asked smugly.
"Well, if she calls ya out fer a few rounds downstairs I ain't gonna go battin' no lashes." Logan returned pointing at her with his mug.
"She's gotta catch me first." Jubilee grinned full of teeth, racing off to her room.
Shaking his head with a smirk, he looked to Ororo who was smiling demurely at the antics of the two. Nibbling on a strawberry from her fruit salad, she went back to admiring the works in an auction catalogue. Rocking his chair back to turn his gaze on her, she pointedly ignored him albeit with a playful kick under the table.
"Window shopping?" Logan asked.
"Just seeing if any fakes are being passed off." Ororo replied pleasantly.
"Oh? Knew ya were good darlin', didn't know you were that good." Logan chuckled.
"Professional pride, when you happen to ahem, know what happened to a piece, it becomes a little insulting if people go around passing off fakes that might have ones past employer questioning the authenticity." Ororo said with a hint of indignation.
"Makes sense." Logan admitted, trailing his toe up her silky calf.
"Of course I do admittedly have some accounts with honest earnings in them, even declared to the government with all the T's dotted and I's crossed." Ororo replied.
"Thought it went the other way around." Logan chuckled.
"Well admittedly I may have had to bend the truth here and there." Ororo smiled up to him, flipping the page with her eyes falling on the items listened in high gloss.
"So I guess that's what came couriered the other day." Logan said, nodding to the catalogue.
"I hope you don't mind, they way I hear it that was a contract your employer lost out on some years back." Ororo teased.
"Me? Nah, figure they'll find out what cuttin' corners costs 'em in the long run someday." Logan chuckled with a wink.
"Oh don't you dare tempt me Logan." Ororo threatened, her toe finding his chair to playfully push a bit closer to the precarious edge it balanced on.
"Well, sound o' things after our Honeymoon I just might have ta find ya something to keep yerself busy with." Logan chuckled, gripping the table in one hand and the counter in another.
"Now that, my love, sounds interesting enough in itself. Just what sort of honest work could you find for me, oh the possibilities are absolutely endless." Ororo purred.
"Well, we'll just have ta wait and see no won't we." Logan growled throatily, righting his chair and settling back down.
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Jubilee was staring at the email in her inbox in sheer disbelief, ready to go get her Dad when she decided this was one of those moments best to ask for forgiveness than go asking for permission. Hitting the accept, a new window opened up to her facebook page. She had it locked down tight, given who her father was that was common sense as much to protect herself and privacy against the world as against him. Looking at the page of the requestee, she knew there was no way in hell she was getting scammed by a poser having met him in person.
"Wow..." Jubilee said, finding some album of photos dedicated to the forging of two swords named after a movie.
She stayed away from any pictures of him that looked as if they were done by a professional photographer, warning bells had her thinking that nothing good would come from it. Finding an album labelled 'Places I've Been' piqued her curiosity, opening it up to find pictures taken from around the world. A lot looked as if she would have seen them being talked about by someone on the news, a picture of some war correspondent with their voice being played alone describing the scene.
With tears rolling down her cheeks she couldn't help herself, for every one that had her ready to close the window she found another two of him standing with a child helping bring a smile to their face, be it with much needed food or aid, or just some crazy antics. There were many of just amazing vistas, deserts spreading out and dense jungles. Cities new and old littered them, wondering just who had taken all the ones of him. Noticing the message waiting, she opened it up to read.
Heya Hawaiian Punch, you asked your Big Daddy first right? Yes, no, just wanna know if he's gonna put a hit out on me girl. Wade's message read. Giggling at the movie referenced as much as her new nickname, she started typing out her reply. Well, he told me never to talk to strangers but you're his friend and you know Uncle Vic too so...;) Jubilee typed out, hitting the reply button and waiting. Sneaky, I like it. Still means I'm a dead man but I can respect that. Oh, I hope you weren't going snooping through any pictures. I need to figure out how these permissions work. Reading it, Jubilee opened another window and threw it to her other screen to browse the other albums.
The titles were self explanatory, Guns, Girls, Good Times. Dad would ground her to forty if she opened up any of them and she figured her newest friend would probably end up in a shallow grave somewhere. Yeah don't worry, I only checked out Places I've Been. Pulling that folder open again, she found it easier to look at the pictures of kids not much younger than she was because she saw they saw in him just what she had seen. Nice knowing ya kid, your Big Daddy is gonna kill me tonight. Wondering at the question, Jubilee typed her hasty reply. Tonight?
Yukio didn't tell you all? I'm her date, they don't call her the Wild One for nothing let me tell you. Jubilee read, another message piling on top. Actually can I pay you to forget that bit. Grinning, she started wondering what her silence was really worth, too bad she really liked him in a same but different sort of way she liked Uncle Vic. Her silence had been bought that time too at the faire when someone thought she was getting kidnapped and had security called. This one's on the house as we're Buds. I'll help ya figure out that permission stuff tonight, see ya then. The reply came back as just a smiley, one she was mirroring.
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Authors Note : Sorry for the lack of updates, been trying to work on another story as the inspiration flowed. Just wanted to bring back some of the fun and everyday mischief and tribulations of the new family in this one. I'll be sure to get another one out soon after I've had a chance to flesh out the ideas swirling in my head now. Toodles!