Title: Hero's Return

Author: aranenumenesse

Email: aranenumenesse at yahoo dot com

Rating: NC-17

Summary: "It is me, kid. And it's good to be back."

Series: War Hero

Category: AU

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I just loan them for a while from Marvel and 20th Century Fox.

Archive: Go ahead if you like it. But please, notify me if you take it.

Spoilers/Continuity: No spoilers

Genre: Romance

Author's notes: Brief epilogue. I may continue down this path later.

"… And then that fucker had the guts to tell me to fuck off! Can you believe it?" No. Honestly she couldn't believe how somebody had had the guts to listen this asshole longer than ten minutes. Office rat. Dressed as a biker. "Regular" in a biker bar. Yeah, honey. Tell me another good one.

"But that's enough of me. Tell me, what is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" And jokes are getting older every minute…

"Waiting for me. At least I hope so." Low, gruff voice from behind the jerk. Her whole face lit up upon hearing those words, and she brushed past wannabe biker who had tried to pick up her.

"Logan! You're back!"

She couldn't believe her eyes. Just six months ago he had left her. Walked away. Broken man in tattered clothes, barely keeping himself in check. There he stood now, looking like his old self. Wide grin, cocked eyebrow, those impossible hair and muttonchops. She flung herself to his arms squealing from joy. Logan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi, kid. Missed me?" Missed him? That was an understatement. First weeks had been roughest. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She couldn't breathe. But his promise to return eventually had kept her going. Now she was rubbing her face to his chest. Solid, warm chest, all muscle. His hands around her secure and warm. Shoulders wide and straight.

"It really is you this time. Isn't it?" She wanted to be sure. She leaned her head to his chest, face turned upwards, trying to capture his gaze.

"It is me, kid. And it's good to be back." He smiled and planted a soft kiss on top of her nose.

She couldn't keep her hands off from him. When he ordered a beer she stood behind him, hands wrapped around his waist, face pressed between his shoulder blades. When they walked to the table she clung to his hand, running her fingers over hard muscles over and over again.

"Come here…" Logan smiled and scooted her to his lap. She sat there, straddling him. He pressed his forehead against hers, locking his eyes to hers. What she saw made tears well up inside of her. Warmth and joy filled his gaze now. There was not a trace of the hollow husk that had stood on her doorstep just six months ago.

"What have you been up to?" She asked. She was still straddling him, leaning her head against his shoulder. His other hand was wandering on her back, drawing lazy patterns.

"The usual. Drinking. Fighting. Thinking…"

"Where did you go?"

"Canada. I have a cabin up there. Spent winter there."

"So, getting a regular beating and freezing your nuts of does this to you?"

"Well, usually I'm the one doing all the beating…" Logan smirked.

"But I think I did freeze my nuts off. At least it felt like that. Maybe you should check if they're still there?" He continued. She wiggled on his lap, rubbing her hips against his, concentrated look on her face.

"Oh, no need to worry! Feels like it's all there!" She giggled when his lower parts took a raising interest to her presence.

"Maybe we could see later if it still works properly?" Logan whispered to her ear, lifted her off from his lap and went to order another beer.

Works properly? Was he really talking about what she thought he was? About the very thing she had been dreaming from the beginning? Or was he just his old self, throwing teasing innuendoes to left and right?

"Logan… About that test-drive… Were you serious?" She asked when he returned, placing a shot of tequila in front of her.

"Yeah."

"You do remember we never…"

"I remember how things used to be. I'll be straight with you. I want you. In every possible way." She threw back the shot, grimacing the bitter taste of it.

"One thing I learned during those years. Life is fucking too short and expendable. No use beating around bushes. If you want me, you'll have me."

"What the hell are we waiting for then? Next Christmas? Lets go!" She stood up and dragged him after her, leading him out.

"My bike's parked there." She walked to direction he had pointed.

"Went to see Xavier, and they still had it," he explained when her eyes landed on his old motorcycle. Black and chrome. She felt little like crying when she sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso. Just the way they had used to do dozens of times before the war. Happy, lazy days at Xavier's, perfect for fixing the big monster now purring under her. Perfect for little trips to surrounding countryside. She pressed her face between his shoulder blades when engine roared. Few tears rolled from her eyes.

She was crying in earnest when bike rolled to a halt in front of her porch. Logan cut of the engine, and for a moment they fumbled awkwardly, but finally she was sitting in front of him on the bike, face buried to his chest, still crying.

"Hush… We don't have to hurry. I didn't mean we had to do everything now. We have got time…"

"No! Don't you dare to back out on me now!" She pummeled his chest with her small fists. He grabbed her hands easily with one of his own, and lifted her face with his other hand.

"I'm not backing out." He lowered his face and brushed her lips with his. Soft kiss, warm puff of air, scent of beer and tobacco.

"I just want you to know we have no hurry. We'll go as slow, or as fast as you want to," he continued, wiping tears from her cheeks with his thumb. He released her hands, and she brought them to his face, stroking gently his muttonchops, combing her fingers through his unruly hair.

"I have waited for nearly nine years for this moment. I think I'm entitled to be little hasty and emotional," she whispered and leaned to kiss him.

Kiss they shared now was deeper. Her hands were roaming over his body, slipping under his jacket, trying to push it off from his shoulders. Logan chuckled softly when she whined and tried to tug open the buttons of his shirt.

"Little hasty? Maybe we should take this inside before you take me here. Don't want to offer a free show to neighbors…" He stood up and scooped her to his lap. Her lips latched to his neck, just above the jugular, and her blunt teeth grazed it lightly. That tore low growl from his chest. Suddenly his jeans were all too tight and clingy.

Combined scent of their arousals filled the small room. They had gotten as far as to her kitchen. She had bit his throat, hard. He had slammed her against the fridge, and in less than a minute her clothes were off and she could feel his cock throbbing at her entrance. His forehead was pressed against hers. Eyes screwed tightly shut. His whole body shuddering.

"Don't… This is too fast… I don't want to hurt you…" He hissed when she nudged with her hips, trying to pull him deeper. She wrapped her legs around his waist tighter, and let go of his shoulders, taking his other hand to her own, guiding it between their bodies.

"You won't hurt me…" His knees nearly buckled when he felt her sex under his fingers, all wet and ready. He stroked her slick folds lightly before guiding his cock there again.

Short grimace crossed her face when he sunk in, breaking through a barrier. He stopped moving, first confusion, then pride and sudden shame clashing inside of him.

"You haven't done this before?" Her legs around him trembling a bit, insides constricting from discomfort.

"Kid, look at me…" When she opened her eyes he took a gentle hold from her jaw.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It doesn't matter. You're first. That matters to me…" His lips, nearly crushing hers with a bruising kiss, cut off longer explanations, and he started to move his hips, easing in and out of her tightness slowly.

"Marie…" There was a frantic, pleading look on his face. He was ready to come. She wasn't, not by a long shot. She smiled and stroked his face.

"Let it go… We have got time." As if on command, she could feel him harden and lengthen inside of her. He clung to her even tighter, and cried softly when he came. He leaned to her panting, nearly crushing her between his body and the fridge door. She didn't mind. She loved to feel his hard and warm body against hers. All too soon he pulled out and backed off from her, letting her legs slide back to floor. When her knees buckled he cradled her to his arms, carrying her to the bathroom.

She stood in the bathtub and he cleaned her gently, spreading her lower lips with his fingers, massaging her sore folds with lukewarm water from the shower. When he was done he helped her out and wrapped her to a fluffy towel, pushing her to toilet seat.

"Wait there." He washed himself and dried of. Picked her up again. Carried her to her bedroom.

"Can I stay?" He asked almost shyly when tucking her under a blanket. She nodded, little surprised of his timid behavior. He lay next to her, curling his massive body around hers, sighing contended.

"I love you, Marie."

Strange beeping sound pulled her out from her slumber. Bed was cold and empty. Logan was gone. At first fear washed over her, but then she heard his voice from the kitchen. He was talking with somebody. A phone. He had gotten a cell phone? She couldn't hear the words, but judging by the tone of his voice conversation would be soon over. She sat up and wrapped the blanket around her. It smelled like herself, and Logan. It was warm. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up." Logan stood in the doorway. There was a smile on his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Xavier called. He wants me to go back." He started collecting his scattered clothes.

He was leaving. After all these years she had gotten him to herself for few hours, and now he was leaving. She clutched the blanket around her tighter, trying to keep her face neutral. She was not going to cry. He had fulfilled his promise. He had promised to return. He had never promised to stay.

"Scott arrives in half an hour," Logan said, hopping on one leg, tugging his jeans on. She nodded. Didn't dare to speak.

"Oh, God I hate flying. But this is urgent…" Logan muttered, looping his belt on. She focused her eyes to the dangling belt buckle. Suddenly it disappeared from her view when Logan crouched in front of her and tilted her face upwards so that he could look her straight face-to-face.

"I'll be back later tonight."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. You really thought I was going to leave you? After what happened?" She nodded dumbly and started peeling the blanket off from around her. Logan licked softly her exposed nipples before planting a brief kiss on her lips.

"We have some unfinished business. You're not only one who has been waiting for nine years. And after those years I'm not satisfied just for a quick fuck against your fridge. I want more."

Later that evening when he returned, he proved his words. For several times.