Own nothing boo hoo hoo
Chapter 13
Marie admired her new gloves with shining eyes. She had wanted to cry so much when Logan had given them to her yesterday but she hadn't– she had cried enough around him and on him come to think about it to last a lifetime. He was the first person to give her a present for no particular reason in nearly a year and it had came as a shock to her after all, she had done nothing to deserve them.
She was wearing the satin evening gloves Logan had bought her. They were so gorgeous and classy and they fit her hands and arms perfectly not to mention that the deep green was her favourite colour.
Marie was sitting on the bed cross legged waiting for Logan to show up. Tonight was the night of the monthly disco dance thing that the professor held for the older students. After what had happened with Gambit she had alienated herself even more from the other students, trying her best to ignore the stares and whispers that followed her wherever she went and she didn't feel too comfortable with the idea of spending the night around them.
She sighed heavily. She didn't really want to go tonight. She had never even been to a dance at her school before her mutation had shown up and the last night like this at the mansion she had stuck around for about half an hour before escaping. But she had promised Logan that she would try so she would.
"Baby you are spending too much time alone. You really do need to try darlin'," her mental Logan chirped in.
"Besides, he'll be there the whole time," he added reassuringly within her mind.
"He" meaning Logan. She still didn't know why he referred to the real him as a different person. It was all very strange.
The Logan in her mind seemed to be acting a bit funny lately as well. Like he was trying to shut himself of from her and she didn't know why. The real Logan was just as protective as always and was always there for her every night as he had been from the beginning.
She remembered with some embarrassment when she had woken up a few nights ago to find him on top of her. It hadn't been unpleasant, actually she had liked it but it had been very...intimate. She blushed at the very thought of the word. She had been lying on her back under the covers and he had one strong arm thrown across her waist, holding her hip gently and one of his leg was thrown over both of hers trapping her against him, his head resting comfortably on her breasts. She had had no idea what to do. It was the first time in days that she had woken up in the middle of the night naturally without having a nightmare or without Logan having a bad dream so she could not remember if she had ever been in this position before always too occupied trying not be sick than worrying about her sleeping position.
She could feel her cheeks begin to burn as she remembered how he had nuzzled her top breathing deeply and holding her tighter when she had tried to move away slowly from him. Not seeing anything else to do she had tried her best to relax and go back to sleep – that had been easier than she had thought it would be and when she woke up in the morning she was laying back on her side with Logan's face buried in her hair, he nuzzled the back of her neck occasionally while his breath tickled her neck. Marie was amazed at how many times she woke up in the morning with him like that and she was even more amazed the he had managed to avoid touching her bare skin with there only being a few strands of her hair between her deadly neck and his skin...
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and bring them back to what was happening tonight.
The one good thing was that she did not have to worry about Gambit showing up as the professor had told her he was away from the school for the weekend – she hadn't asked questions but had just accepted it as a gift from the gods. So at least she would not go all crazy on them tonight because of that - there was plenty of other reason for her to go crazy but not that one.
She had had to find some nicer clothes as well. Last time she hadn't really participated but this time she was going to at least look like she fitted in. She knew that no one would want to dance with her but, well...she would look like she was trying at least.
She had found a lovely pair of jeans that fit her in one of the many boxes of clothing that was kept in the mansion for any new students and she was wearing a dark blue top with three quarter length sleeves that gaped wide from her elbow and it had laces up each side of her body that tied at the waist. With the top, her silver hair and the dark gloves that Logan had bought her she looked very Gothic– her mother would not approve one bit. But then her mother would not approve of her sleeping in the arms of a fully grown man every night either (even if nothing questionable was happening between them) and she would probably have had a fit if she had seen the position that she had been in the other night. She sighed angrily, cutting of her thoughts of her mother. Even after all this time she was still thinking of home and of what her mother would think of her actions. Well her mother gave up that right after life at home had became unbearable...
She dragged a gloved hand roughly across her eyes, the material soaking up tears that she hadn't even realized had started to fall.
Stupid home.
Stupid hormones.
Stupid parents.
She looked at the darker patches on her gloves where her tears had fallen and clambered from the bed, stamping life into her sleepy limbs. She looked at the clock.
Logan should be here soon.
He had classes to teach up until half an hour ago and when she had came to their room she had seen the drawers wide open with missing clothing so she guessed that he had gone for a shower and would be getting changed.
She walked to the mirror balancing on top of the dresser and ran a brush quickly through her hair once more. She had let it dry by itself and so now instead of her usual straight style it was curling round her face and down her back in dark and silver waves. She remembered how thrilled she had been when she had found a pair of straighteners in a restroom in one of the roadside bars the day before she had met Logan. Of course the straighteners had belonged to a woman that her mother most definitely wouldn't have approved of but she had been a really nice lady and had done her hair for her.
She paced the room nervously waiting for Logan to appear.
This was going to be a really, really long night, she thought to herself as she flicked aimlessly through a history book – something that Erik really didn't approveof. He said the facts and dates were all wrong and it drove him crazy inside her mind.
The door of the room finally opened and Logan walked in rubbing his hair with a towel and his shirt only half buttoned up. She shook her head and smiled at him as he shut the door carefully behind him.
"Ready darlin'?" he asked her throwing the damp towel on the bed and turning to face her looking confused when she continued to chuckle to herself.
He looked so boyish with his half dried hair and half buttoned shirt.
"What?" he asked her, giving her a half smile. Confusion was written across his face and he was frowning slightly.
He is so cute.
She walked up to him and patiently finished buttoning his shirt for him before reaching behind his neck and running her fingers under his collar, straightening it out.
She stepped away from him and looked at her handy work. He no longer had the boyish cuteness about him. Now he was handsome in his usual dark, dangerous, knee meltingly sexy way.
"Now we can go sugar," she told him faking the excitement terribly.
He gave her that look that said that he could read her mind before he reached out and fingered one of her curls with a gloved hand.
She loved that about him. He always wore gloves around her making her feel less worried about accidentallytouching him and putting her more at ease, allowing her to be more free with him than any other in the building. Everyone else expected her to be the one that took the precautions and it was nice to have someone else share the responsibility.
"I know you don't want to do this darlin', but I want you to know that I am proud of you for trying," he told her softly tucking the curl behind her ear.
His words went straight to her heart. He was proud of her. The knowledge infused her with a new sense of determination. She was going to make it through tonight if it killed her...or Erik – she could feel the other mutant cringe inside her mind at the idea of spending time in the company of hyper dancing teenagers and she appreciated how uncomfortable Logan must be feeling also at the prospect since he didn't exactly like big crowds either.
She hugged him carefully avoiding his skin not wanting to risk blubbering again if she started talking.
"Well sugar lets go party," she smiled pulling away from him slowly.
Logan walked down the stairs with Marie next to him. He really was proud of her. He knew well enough that she hated going to her classes everyday and facing the other students so he could not help but be proud that she was going to spend time that she did not necessarily need to with them. He no longer hid the fact from the rest of the school that he and Marie were close – after all, since the whole Gambit incident and with him catching her and holding her, the class in the danger room at the time had made sure that their relationship had become the public knowledge of every student in the school. Of course they didn't know about what happened at night nor would they if he had anything to do with it - but from what he had heard some of the students had some pretty vivid imaginations about just what was going on between them. Rumours had flown about the school the day following the accident. Some were saying he was her brother. Some were saying she was his daughter. Some were saying she was Magneto's daughter or granddaughter (depending on what version you happened to hear at the time) some were saying that he had picked her up in a less than reputable kind of bar – that one he had heard from Xavier so he had been left to guess just what "less than reputable" meant, but it didn't take much thinking and he had wanted to rip whoever had started that rumour about his Marie to pieces.
After what had happened last night with Jean he had not seen her and he was more than happy to keep it that way.
Marie looked beautiful tonight with her hair curly instead of straight and she was wearing her new gloves and with the gloves a shorter sleeved shirt than what she normally wore which had been his aim. He wanted her to feel as normal as any of the other girls in the building. Well...as normal as somebody who is a mutant could be anyway.
They were only halfway down the stairs and the heavy sound of the music was already assaulting his sensitive ears. He didn't like the modern dance music it was far too loud and crazy sounding but Marie was braving the noise and the people so it was the least he could do to be there for her.
They had covered music in one of their question nights and he had discovered the Marie had a wide taste in music, ranging from Broadway musicals to 70's pop and classical. He had found a spare radio in one of the rooms that wasn't being used and had moved it to their room. One day he had walked in on Marie dancing around the room to Lionel Richie. For the first time since he had met her she had actually looked her age when she had been jumping, hopping, sliding and spinning about the room singing along to "Running With the Night". She had looked so adorable when she had realized that he was standing in the doorway and a blush had stained her face a bright red.
He had learned that day that his Marie had quite a voice on her, his heightened hearing picking up her voice over the music that she was singing to. He also learned that she could dance. Even if she had just been mucking about she had some moves that could match and beat any of the others in the building.
He himself could dance but only with a partner, he thought it was a bit stupid to just stand in a dance floor surrounded by other people dancing by yourself. It was dumb - plain stupid in his opinion. But his opinion had quickly changed after seeing Marie.
Now that they were at the bottom of the steps he gripped Marie gently by the elbow and guided her towards the room where the music was coming from.
"You know Logan we could always hide in the rec room and watch a DVD. I hear there is quite a collection in there," Marie whispered to him hopefully and he could smell her panic beginning to rise as she unconsciously moved her hand into his and gripped it tightly. Logan was glad for his metal bones at that point for he had a feeling that Marie would have broken any normal persons hand with her grip.
Seeing that no one was around and wanting to reassure her he raised her gloved hand to his lips and placed a quick kiss on the back allowing himself the small show of affection.
"We won't stay long darlin' I promise and I won't leave your side once," he promised her.
Logan watched as her eyes flickered with indecision until she gave him a small smile and nodded her head slowly.
"But do not expect me to talk to any of these children," she hissed before slapping her spare hand over her mouth and blushing furiously her eyes clouding over for a second or two before clearing.
I hate it when she does that.
"Sorry. Erik will behave now," she mumbled and he laughed out loud.
She gavehim an annoyed look and dug her elbow into his side.
He was in love with a girl who had a seventy year old mutant rights activist in her head. Not to mention that she had him in her head as well. Whenever he thought of that it kind of freaked him out since he didn't know for sure how much the him in her head had of the real him or how much of his feeling she knew.
"It's not funny Logan its stuff like that that freaks the other kids out," she reminded him, but all he did was give into the urge to wrap his arm around her waist and tug her into the side of his body. He remembered the story she had told him of Magneto finally having enough of Ororo's teaching technique and giving the weather goddess a piece of his mind and the class an hour long lecture – all through Marie. Yeah that had sure back stepped things on the making friends side of Marie's recovery.
He led her to some seats that had been pushed up against the wall to make way for the dancing and she sat down still frowning at him. His Marie had a really cute frown.
Stop it Logan!
"I'm sorry darlin'," he apologised, by some miracle managing to keep his voice steady and his expression contrite.
"Yeeaahh sure you are Logan," she giggled and he let out a mental sigh of relief. He was forgiven.
He sat down next to her and tried to focus all of his senses on her, trying to block out the mind numbing music and the violently flashing lights – tonight he would be having nightmares.
He watched as the throng of teenagers spun about crazily on the dance floor and compared it to the way he had found Marie moving to the music not too long ago.
Yip they were all lousy dancers he decided with a nod of the head.
"You OK sugar?" Marie asked him over the music.
He nodded his head. He was going to get her to dance. But how?
"Don't feel like dancing darlin'?"
She turned to him and gave him that look that said "don't be stupid Logan" or "ask a stupid question get a stupid answer".
"Too many chances of an accident happening Logan someone could easily touch my face or something," she mumbled to him.
OK. Looked like he was aiming for a slow song then. He could do slow songs. Surely she wouldn't mind dancing with him.
After sitting and watching the dancers for a few more minutes he got to his feet to get them both a drink. Unfortunately no alcohol was allowed at these things, it was lemonade and water all the way he nearly snarled at the very idea but swallowed it before it could escape his throat.
Ignoring the looks he got from Ororo and Scott (still no sign of Jean) he headed back to Marie when the volume of the music began to drop marking the end of the ear drum splintering song. Before he made it back the next song began. He was prepared for a whole new assault on his ears but was pleasantly surprised when a soft melody began to play over the speakers.
Grabbing the opportunity he put the drinks down on the table near where they had sat and reached out a hand to Marie.
She dragged her eyes away from the now abandoned dance floor and stared between his face and his hand in shock. Her scent was thick with apprehension.
"Care to dance darlin'?"
Please say yes, please say yes.
"Logan I don't know –"she started but all the time she was reaching towards his hand and he gripped it firmly with his own as soon as she laid it in his.
He pulled her to her feet and led her to the now empty dance floor.
What is it with these kids? Don't they know how to dance properly?
He found the slow beat of the song and began to move, holding her close and tightly by the waist as he slow danced her around the makeshift dance floor the lights that had been flashing violently during the last song were now staying still and he was glad of this.
Come bring me your softness
Comfort me through all this madness
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again
She was as stiff as a board in his arms and he looked away from her quickly to see that everyone was staring at them.
Well screw them. They need to see that she is safe to be around. Stupid, dumb kids.
Leaning down he spoke reassuring in her ear lifting the hand that he wasn't holding and putting it on his shoulder before returning his hand to her waist. He was in heaven holding her so close.
Come give me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again
She finally began to soften in his arms, swaying morefreely with him as he circled the floor with her. Just like every night when he held her close he marvelled at how small and slight she was even with the few extra pound she had finally managed to put on - much to his relief.
I was half, not whole
In step with none
Reaching through this word
In need of one
He began to pay attention to the lyrics of the song and realized that he had been lost in the world before he had found Marie. He felt like he belonged for the first time in fifteen years. Someone needed him for himself and no other reason.
Come show me your kindness
In your arms I know I'll find this
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again
Lying safe with you I'm born again
As the music sped up slightly he spun her from his body and back into his arms swaying her quicker to the music. She was smiling brightly at him - fully relaxed within his arms now. He took advantage of this, dipping her to the music.
Come bring me your softness
Comfort me through all this madness
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again
They glided past a group standing by the side of the floor and he could smell the thick, nauseating scent of jealousy and anger. He felt the growl build deep in his chest as a natural reaction to this and made a mental note to put the kids through hell come their next danger room session.
Come give me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again
He gave that to Marie every night, he made her feel safe, and he was proud that after the hell that had been his life he was of some use to the girl that he loved.
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again
I was half, not whole
In step with none
Reaching through this world
In need of one
Come show me your kindness
In your arms I know I'll find this
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again
Lying safe with you I'm born again
He dipped her slowly as the music dyed away and her eyes smiled into his.
"Wow," she whispered as they straightened up still holding on to each other.
"You've just given me my first dance Logan," she told him softly her smile growing brighter.
He smiled back at her amazed at the transformation one simple dance had brought to her. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were flushed. She looked truly happy.
"Thank you," she whispered to him.
Hi everyone. Here I give you mega fast update number 2 :-) and I think this could be classified as fluff.
I thought that this song totally fit them. If you haven't heard it before it is called "With You I'm Born Again" sung by Billy Preston and you can hear it on YouTube.
Please let me know what you think.
Thanks
:-)