Disclaimer: Not my characters, just my imaginings.
"No way." She just kept changing behind the row of lockers that stood between them in the women's changing area. "Ain't gonna happen, darlin'! You might as well put your own clothes back on 'cause you're not going," he bellowed.
"You can't stop me. You've got nothing to say about it," she shot back, with just as much intensity.
"Like hel-" he was cut off by the sight of her rounding the corner with the black leather suit hugging her curves and her hand on the zipper she was tugging up. He watched as it pulled the two edges together to conceal the milky purity of the skin running up the center of her torso. Lord, her skin was beautiful. Pristine and looking smooth as silk, it was enough to make a man cry knowing it was that beautiful, flawless expanse that kept her from knowing the intimacy of another's person's touch. His pupils dilated as his mind suddenly raced with thoughts of what he'd love to do to that skin. The rising zipper tugged her breasts together giving him a glimpse of shadowy cleavage that would haunt him for ages. It was the realization of what could happen to all that lovely skin, the image of it coated with scarlet blood, the vision of those sparkling eyes dimming as they had twice before that brought him back to their argument and the reason for it. Yanking his eyes back to her face flushed with wrath, he started in again. "You are not going on this mission," he enunciated clear and low, a growl behind every word as the Wolverine fought to break free and protect her from herself.
One small finger began jabbing his chest as she ranted back. "I AM going on this mission and any other mission where I might be useful. You can't keep me from contributing just as much around here as anyone else." Her hair was tousled from her rapid clothing change and the passion for what she believed in lit her features, making it look like she practically glowed. Her eyes darted over his face searchingly before softening the littlest bit. She knew he was only concerned for her safety. This was something she really needed to do, though. She then appealed to him, "How could you deny me the chance to make something good of this thing that keeps me from ever really living? Are you really going to keep me from finding anything positive at all in it?" The mute pleading that screamed from every line of her body was something he stood no chance against.
It started with a rumble, and then exploded in a roar as he bashed a clenched fist against the nearest flimsy metal door, leaving it folded in on itself in his wake. He knew it was futile to keep arguing with her. She was going, whether he liked it or not. She was stubborn as a damned mule and most of the time he loved that about her. He just hated when it interfered with him looking out for her. He even knew she would probably be fine. It was that slim chance that she wouldn't be, that something he couldn't protect her from would come up that had him boiling with frustration right now. This wasn't just those stupid pukes that they were dealing with here, it was the renewed Magneto and he was almost certain to have Sabertooth with him along with who knew who else. He wanted to tear the whole locker room apart in his rage, but it still wouldn't do any good. Logan knew he ought to be grateful she even cared enough to try getting his approval. It wasn't just the man who needed convincing though; it was the beast within, too. Logan may know in his head that she was as ready as any of them, but Wolverine only saw the risk, the danger, the inability to protect completely that would come with this confrontation and he was having a hell of a time accepting it.
With chests heaving from the intensity of their emotions, the strong young woman and the jaded older man faced one another. "Fine." Before her smile could fully bloom, he added, "But only if you stick close to me." His gaze bore into hers. She grinned while nodding at him. One brow lifted as did the finger he poked her way in emphasis, "I mean it, now. Right with me the whole time or next time, you stay put here," he warned. It wasn't like she hadn't been on missions before, but whenever he knew Magneto or Sabertooth would be present, he'd always found a way to keep her from going. Knowing what Buckethead had already put her through and that he was almost useless against the guy frankly terrified him because he knew he couldn't protect her properly when the megalomaniac was around. Sabertooth wanted nothing more than to get to him, except maybe Storm, and also knew a surefire way to do that was through the woman standing before him with a grin about to burst forth.
She rolled her eyes, but complied. "Yes, sir!" she giggled while saluting him.
He stalked off to get into his own gear, mumbling along the way about sassy southern belles and something more about lacking respect for ones betters. After he was out of sight, she spun, giddy with excitement. She stopped when other voices intruded. "He does realize this is the women's locker room, doesn't he?" one team member asked as a small cluster of women emerged from their refuge in the back of the room.
Ororo's cultured tones answered for Rogue, "I do not believe it makes the least difference to him. Some things preclude the social niceties." Her graceful hand rested on Rogue's shoulder momentarily before moving towards the exit.
"Well, I think it's kind of sweet," Jubilee interjected. Even Rogue's jaw dropped at that. She swung to gape at her friend before shaking her head and making her way to the hangar. Long ago Rogue had completely given up trying to understand the complex workings of Jubilee's mind. They were close friends and Rogue adored her, but Jubes' twisted attempts at explaining her logic always left her friends confused and sporting huge headaches. Shaking out her hair and tugging it up into a sleek ponytail she adopted her game face. She was Rogue at times like this. When it was time to fight, to be physically aggressive, the Rogue took over and Marie faded to the background. It was the same for several of the team. Especially Logan.
Her thoughts turned back to their confrontation. She made light of it at the time, but they both knew she was promising Wolverine something and it wasn't to be done halfheartedly. Logan would be upset, but forgiving if something prevented her living up to that vow, but Wolverine wouldn't even let breaking her promise be an option. The Rogue had sworn to remain close and the Wolverine would ensure she did it. Rogue wasn't a fool. She was part of him and having both of Logan's identities in her head made it impossible to not realize these things. Protective didn't begin to describe the absorbing, overwhelming need to keep her safe. She knew he didn't think she couldn't handle herself. She was one of their best in hand-to-hand combat. She dominated in the Danger Room. They both knew it. When she'd heard who they were going up against tonight, she knew he wouldn't want her there and had braced to battle him as well as their enemies. Knowing how he felt, though, she was very aware of the need to be true to her word.
With that in mind, she moved to sit at his side in the plane and kept herself at his side or covering his back during every phase of the mission. There was a skirmish just as they were finishing up. More Acolytes arrived and got in the way. She wound up fighting the one they called Gambit. He positively infuriated Rogue with his sly innuendo during their scuffle. The jerk could throw double entendre with the same agility he tossed out his charged playing cards. She knew he had to fully aware that she couldn't touch and found it insulting that he would throw it in her face that way. She never lost focus, though, and beat him like a drum before Wolverine grabbed her wrist yelling, "Let's go!"
The Blackbird took off and the debriefing took place immediately upon landing. The mission was deemed a success. "We prevented them obtaining the computer files and managed to retrieve not only the encrypted information, but some additional files and samples from the lab." Ororo nodded in response and only instructed the samples delivered to Hank before dismissing them to get some much-needed rest.
A little later that night, she was sipping a cup of hot tea on her way down the hall when Logan called her name as softly as possible. It was very late and pretty much everyone else was asleep. She changed direction and leaned against the frame of his open door. "C'mere," he beckoned with his hand. She pulled one leg under her as she settled on the end of his bed. Logan threw a shoe at the door to shut it and sat back with his ankles crossed, his feet resting near her leg. He studied her taking in the soft black yoga pants that dragged against the floor because they were a bit too long and her bare toes tipped with pale polish peeking out from the hem. His look moved up her body admiring the way her thin, dark green T-shirt brought out the sparkle in her eyes. Her abundant long hair was bunched into a messy ponytail with strands slipping down to curve around her face, framing it in white and auburn.
"You okay?" he wanted to know.
"What do you mean?"
"I heard what Gumbo was saying to you tonight. After some of the other things you've let slip lately, I figured it might've bothered you more than usual." He shrugged with one shoulder. "Just wanted to be sure you were alright."
Knowing he really wanted to know, she took a moment to really study her own reactions. "Yeah," she finally sighed, "I'm fine. It did bother me. I mean, sometimes it just gets to be too much and it takes a while for me to push it all back down, ya' know?"
He nodded, because he did understand… all too well. "It ain't as bad as you think, you know."
If anyone else, anyone at all, had said that Marie would have become enraged instantly. This was Logan, though, and he'd not only stunned her with his unexpected remark and its implication, but she was so hurt that her breath was stolen for a moment.
He held up one hand, "Just hear me out." She nodded mutely, swallowing back the tears of hurt that were welling up in her luminous eyes. "I know, well no I don't, but I can imagine how much it must hurt to think about never touching another person skin-to-skin without absorbing them and hurting them." He lowered his head and shook it sadly before looking up again. "I've thought about that more than you know since meeting you, Marie. It tears me up inside to know what you have to deal with." Now he leaned forward earnestly, "This thing in your head, though… this idea that you'll never be able to have a real relationship with a man, never have children, all of it… It just doesn't have to be that way, darlin'."
He sat back and ran a frustrated hand through his already mussed hair. "This heart-to-heart stuff don't really come natural to me." With a sigh he went on, "Damn, Marie, I came up with at least fifteen ways round that mutation of yours even before Sabertooth jumped me that first day. Anyone with any imagination at all who wants to can work it out easy enough." Seeing her shocked expression he blurted, "Well, it just ticks me off to hear all these comments you make about this stuff when I know it ain't so."
Marie opened her mouth to speak, but it was impossible to choose which of the many responses running through her mind faster than Kitty could spend money at the mall she should say out loud, so she just clamped it shut again. "Just think about it, would ya'?"
"O-okay, Logan." They both sat immersed in their own thoughts for more than ten minutes before she spoke again. "There's somethin' I've been wanting to ask you about, but I don't want you to get mad, okay?"
His eyes narrowed, but he nodded his assent. With that kind of build up he was wary about what she was going to come out with next.
"Well, you remember when we talked about Jean and you the other night?" Again a mute nod in response. Her fingers were twisted practically to knots in her lap as she forced herself to continue. "The thing is, I'm confused about something." His head tilted, but that's all. He'd thought he was pretty clear on things that night. "I heard you." A blank look while waiting for a better explanation. "I heard you tell Jean that you'd already given your heart to someone when she talked to you about me." Which was really none of her danged business anyway! Marie couldn't help thinking. "And it sure sounded like you meant her, the way you were looking at her and all." She raced on to assure him, "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything. I'd come down to check on you and then realized I prob'ly shouldn't interrupt y'all."
He inhaled deep, long, and slow. He remembered exactly what she was talking about. It was that moment when he knew Jean knew the truth. He shouldn't be surprised since he'd let her in his mind that first night. It was the only time they both openly acknowledged that truth to one another, though. She knew his secret and would keep it for him. "All I can say, darlin', is that it wasn't what you thought. She knew what I meant by it and never forgot where we stood. She knew she wasn't the one."
There it was again. He could see her struggle with whether or not she should ask what she really wanted to know. The little crease between her brows while she sipped her cooling tea was pretty damn cute. He waited to see if she would ask this time. A wry twist of her lips and a tiny huff of frustration and he knew she'd given up again. "That clear things up now?"
"I guess so," she grunted. He chuckled. Sometimes she even sounded like him.
"Are you gonna finish that?" he asked indicating her cup with a tilt of his head.
"No. It's gettin' cold."
He held out his hand and she passed it over to him. Pulling open the drawer in his nightstand, he took out the bottle stashed there, and added a healthy splash of alcohol to what was left in the mug. Setting the bottle aside he took a large swallow before passing it back to her. "Drink up. It'll help you sleep." She did as he said and he couldn't hold back the chuckle at her face crinkling up in reaction to the whisky.
His sock-clad feet nudged her bare one to get her attention. Logan tossed her one of his plaid flannel shirts, whose sleeves hung well below her hands. While she tugged it on, he slid down to his pillows and held out one arm in invitation to join him. "You ready to go to sleep yet?"
Settling the oversize shirt that smelled wonderfully like him over her shoulders, she nodded and scooted up beside him, snuggling up at his side, her head on the long sleeved shirt encasing his shoulder. He tugged her gloves off, pulling on his own and she reveled in the heat seeping into her skin through his clothing, the texture of his body hair rough through the thin cotton. Logan pulled the covers over them both, making sure she'd be warm enough through the night. Her head lifted with him as he reached for the light switch. Blanketed in quiet and the cozy closeness they shared, they both closed their eyes. "Night, darlin'"
"Good night, Logan." She sighed, "Sugar."
He smiled in the darkness and wrapped both arms around her to hold her close.