Chapter 31: Operative Word is Sleep
Rogue went in and sat down on her bed. Her heart was pounding and she felt flushed. What if he wanted to sleep with her? She knew he liked her and all, but was she ready for that sort of "plunge" into the world of physical contact? His kisses were the stuff of her dark and secret dreams; ever since her mutation had surfaced, she'd wondered what it would feel like to have a man hold her and kiss her like that. Her body was buzzing with sensation and arousal; if Wolverine wanted to take the kissing further, she wasn't sure she'd have the strength (or the will) to turn him down, even though she knew it would be moving much too fast.
He was back, softly closing the door behind him. He was bare-chested and wearing a pair of cut-off sweatpants. He carried a bundle of clothing with him. "Here," he said, tossing them to her. "Brought you some stuff, if you don't have anything to sleep in."
Mystified, Rogue pawed through the clothing. There was another pair of knit shorts and a couple of tank tops.
He went on, "I didn't know if you had anything to sleep in that shows any skin. I figured you can wear that if you want, and I'll sleep in here with you, and we don't have to stop touchin'."
Rogue glanced up at him, open-mouthed with surprise. That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever offered to do for her.
Logan misinterpreted her expression. "Not like that, Rogue. Even if you can touch, that's no reason for rushing things between us. I said sleep, and that's what I meant."
She blushed a little, but looked him in the eye. "But what if this is the only time I'll ever be able to touch?"
He shrugged, motioning for her to change her clothes while he turned his back. "Then when we get to that point, we'll think of something else. I'm not gonna rush ya, darlin'."
Rogue changed quickly into his sweatpants-shorts and tank top, and then went up and slid her arms around him from behind. Resting her bare cheek against his naked back, she sighed happily… and sleepily. "Thanks, Wolvie," she murmured.
He turned around and put his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "Let's get you to bed before you fall asleep right here and I'll have to carry you."
Rogue gave a half-hearted chuckle. "You cain't tell me Ah'm too heavy for you, Logan. Why, you must weigh close to 300 pounds!"
"All the more reason not to add your 120 to it," he said crisply. Keeping his arms around her, he manoeuvred her over to the bed and laid her down on it. "Roll over," he ordered. He crawled in behind her, slipping one arm beneath her head and wrapping the other around her waist. He pulled her close, his bare legs touching hers, his cheek against her cheek, and his hand slipping under the edge of her shirt to stroke the soft skin of her belly.
"You've got the most gorgeous skin," he murmured.
She huffed a sleepy laugh. "Yeah… too bad it kills people."
He pressed a kiss gently behind her ear. "Not tonight, it don't. Go to sleep, darlin'."
Rogue slept, and after a while, Logan did too.