Marie was surprised at how efficient she had become at tuning Remy's bitching out...despite her enhanced hearing.
He went on and on and how she couldn't be trusted and how Logan was just a womanizer who preyed on anything with a pussy. She just sat there, picking at her nails as he angrily paced a track in the carpet in front of her in their room.
When a moment of silence presented itself, she looked up to see if he was finally done, but instead, was confronted with his expectant face...almost as if he was waiting for her to respond.
She raised her eyebrows, "What?"
"Weren't you even fuckin' listenin' to me?"
Marie rolled her eyes and muttered, "Was tryin' not to..."
Remy threw his hands up and shook his head, "I want to make this work, Marie! The only reason I'm stayin' here is 'cause I thought this could be a new start for us! I can't do this when you're doin' the same things you were doin' in New Orelans."
She suddenly yelled, "I'm NOT! I'm lookin you in the eye and telling you I am NOT sleeping with anyone else in this damned mansion. Now would you put your big boy pants on and stop whining? I didn't know I wasn't allowed to have any fuckin' friends, but now I know. I am sooo sorry. Next time I want to go take a piss, I'll be sure to consult with you first so that you can make sure I'm not fucking someone else in the bathroom."
Marie stood, stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
She hated it when Remy got like this. His insecurities were infuriating to her...especially since he currently had no reason to be insecure. She refused to allow someone to tell her what to do and who she could hang out with...even if he was her "boyfriend".
Marie wandered out to one of the back porches of the mansion and found Logan sitting on the steps with one of the two six packs he'd purchased earlier that day.
He glanced at her before taking a deep swig of his beer, "Didn't see you at dinner...I didn't cause too much trouble, did I?"
"Nah. Remy causes enough trouble for himself." She walked over to the steps where he sat and motioned toward the empty space beside him, "This seat taken?"
Logan eyed her for a second before favoring her with a slight smile, "All yours, kid."
Marie plopped down and sighed. They sat in silence as she eyed his beer. He followed her eyes to his beer, smirked, then opened and handed her an ice cold bottle.
"You sure you're not a telepath?"
He grunted, "Heh. You aren't all that hard to read."
Marie took a sip of the beer and sighed happily, "It's nice out tonight..."
Logan looked at her gorgeous profile and nodded, "Sure is..."
She glanced back at him as she took another sip of her beer, "So...there's no Mrs. Wolverine?"
He sighed, "Nah."
"Not the settling down type?"
Logan eyed her for a second and internally debated on whether he should tell her that he WANTED to settle down...he just never seemed to be able to. Even when he hooked up with "nice" girls, he ended up cheating on them. He just hadn't found the right one yet...
He hated himself because of that.
Logan simply shook his head, "Just never happened for me. How long have you been with the swamp rat?"
Marie got a far away look in her eyes and sighed, "Fo as long as I can remember."
He raised both eyebrows, "Wow. Sounds like a match made in heaven."
"I wouldn't say that..."
Logan liked the sound of that. If she wasn't happy, he still had a chance. As they continued to talk and drink beers, Logan couldn't help but admire everything about her. As tough as he was, this chick had a hold of him...and he couldn't quite explain why.
He was taken with her the way he'd never been taken by any girl since he woke up on 3 Mile Island 15 years ago...
Their conversation was interrupted when Storm came outside, "Oh. Hello you two...I was just coming out to do water my garden...Marie, I believe Remy was looking for you."
Marie rolled her eyes at that last bit and sighed as she collected the empty beer bottles he'd piled up, "Welp...I guess I should call it a night."
Logan nodded as Storm walked between them and down the stairs toward the garden that was set several feet away from the mansion. The weather goddesses eyes turned white as she made rain shower down on the perfect circle that made up her garden.
Marie and Logan both laughed a little and shook their heads, "Who needs a water hose when you have Ororo Munroe?"
Logan nodded and took one final swig of his last beer, "I'm gonna be outta beer thanks to you."
She winked, "I'll find a way to make it up to you..."
He let out a small chuckle as he watched her bound away.
When she arrived in her room, Remy was there, fidgeting on their bed. He sighed, "You were with HIM...weren't you?"
Marie rolled her eyes, "Yes. And to answer your next question...No, I didn't fuck him."
Remy grumbled, "There's a first for everything."
"You know what? THIS, is not working anymore. I'm tired of fighting with you. There's nothing holding us together anymore...and now that we're here, it just seems to have gotten worst for whatever reason...either way, I'm sick of it."
He panicked at the thought of losing her. Remy quickly jumped up and grabbed her face, "Love is holdin' us together...don't say that Marie...I promise I'll do better. I'm sorry. I'll stop bein' a jealous bastard." She sighed and tried to look away, but Remy's grip on her face was unrelenting. She closed her eyes, but he favored her with a gentle shake, "Look at me..." Marie finally looked into his eyes, "Baby...I love you. I've loved you for fifteen years...you've been my world for all these years. Can't you see that? I can't let you go...I love you too damned much."
"Remy-"
He spoke quickly, "Marry me."
Marie sighed. This wasn't the first time he'd proposed marriage. It wasn't the second...third or fourth time either. Each time, her answer had been "no" and she assured him that wouldn't change. Before she would speak again, spoke up quickly, "I know you don't wanna do the marriage thing...how about we have a baby?"
Her eyes widened as she yanked away from him, "Have you been drinkin'?"
Remy took her hands, "Think about it, belle. It'd be perfect. Just you, me and a little one. You wanna be here so you can set down some roots...well here we are...with jobs, I'm not breakin' any laws and we gotta legit place to live. You said you wanted a family one day..."
"Yes! One. Day. Preferably a day when I knew my full name or where I come from or who my parents are. I don't have a legacy to give a kid! Get real, LeBeau! I refuse to even think of startin' a family til I know who the hell I am!"
Remy sighed. He knew Marie wouldn't fall for such a cheap, contrived trick...but it was worth a try.
At this point, he figured it was probably only a matter of time before Logan and Marie connected the dots and discovered that they were connected. At least if they had a kid, she'd be tied to him and feel, in some way, obligated to make their relationship work if all hell broke loose.
Somehow, they made it to Christmas without a blow-up regarding Marie and Logan's pasts. Remy and Marie had never bothered to celebrate the holiday, but things were getting festive around the school and Marie seemed to really be getting swept in the mood, so he knew he was going to have to buy her something.
After weeks of pondering, he settled on an expensive designer bag. Marie got him a customized deck of cards and a new cane with "Gambit" engraved on the side. Inside the cane, there was a hidden sword that would come in handy for those times when his manipulation of energy just wasn't enough.
On Christmas Eve, the staff gathered in one of the large dens for refreshments and drinks. Logan watched as Remy possessively clutched Marie's waist to him for several minutes before leaving the party. He ran across Peter, Bobby and John, who seemed to be on their way toward the kitchen for their own fun.
Logan pulled out six 20 dollar bills out of his pocket and held them up in front of the boys faces, "Wanna make some quick cash?"
John nodded eagerly, "Hell yes."
"Forty for each of you if you go in there and tempt the swamp rat with a poker game. I want you to take him to the cafeteria. Now, if you take this money and disappear..." Logan released the claws on his right hand, and immediately, his point was made.
The boys nodded and hurried on their way. Leaning on the wall in the hallway, Logan watched minutes later as Remy stepped out of the den and began heading to the cafeteria with Peter, John and Bobby, fancily shuffling and flipping cards in the air as he walked.
Logan smirked. He knew the swamp rat wouldn't be able to resist a gambling challenge.
He quickly slipped back into the den and immediately went over to Marie. He put a hand on the small of her back and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Come with me...I wanna give you your Christmas gift."
Marie gave a curious smile, then quickly followed him out of the room, "I didn't know we were exchanging gifts."
Logan smirked over his shoulder as he led her down the hall, "Well, I knew you really wanted this...so I got it for you. Besides, you keep me sane in a room full of hormonal teenagers...and for that, you are a fuckin' saint."
He took her up to his room and made her wait while he pulled her gift out of the closet.
She gasped and covered her mouth when he revealed that he had purchased the picture of the little girl they'd seen in the art shop in town, "Logan...Oh my god...I can't believe it..."
"You like it?"
Marie nodded eagerly and smiled widely. The smell of her tears surprised him and made him immediately panic, "Oh shit...you OK?"
She wiped the lone tear that fell to her cheek and nodded, "It's amazing. This is amazing. I love it...I'm-I'm speechless..."
Logan chuckled, "That would be a first."
Marie gave a eye roll, but continued smiling, "It's amazing, Logan. Thank you."
"The lady at the art shop said it originated in Canada. Her cousin owned a property there and when she died, they found this painting and a few others just like it in the cabin. Most of them were already sold, but this was one of the few left. It's by an unknown artist."
Marie laughed, "How mysterious..."
After a few more seconds of staring at the painting, she smiled and kissed his cheek. The contact was meant to be quick...innocent...chaste...but they both felt a bolt of electricity that spurred them both into a sudden, immediate flurry of action.
Before either of them could comprehend what was actually happening, Logan had tossed the painting onto the bed, grabbed Marie by the waist and slammed her up against the wall as he practically attacked her mouth with his own.
Marie fisted her hands in his hair and eagerly pressed her body against his.
Unlike the countless times she had cheated on Remy, there was no underlying regret or lack of fulfillment...this was right. She felt whole.
Having Logan pressed against her made her feel more complete than she'd felt in the entire 15 years of her known existence.
They nipped and bit at each others lips as they hungrily kissed. Marie felt the air tickle her bare stomach as Logan ripped open her shirt.
Briefly moving his lips from hers, Logan whispered as she yanked his plaid shirt off of his shoulders, "I've needed you since the moment I laid eyes on you, darlin'."
He buried his face in her neck as her hands worked feverishly to unfasten his large belt buckle, but a quick knock on the door made them immediately still their movements. They'd been so caught up in each other, they didn't hear their ill timed visitor coming.
"Logan? You in there?"
They immediately recognized the owner of the voice to be Peter.
Logan growled, "What!"
"Gambit is looking for Rogue. Is she uh...in there with you?"
Marie's eyes went wide as she looked at Logan, who sighed and took a step back away from her, "Nah. Last I saw, she was taking a walk on the grounds. Tell him to check the garden."
"Oh ok. Thanks!"
She let out a breath as they both listened to Peter's retreating footsteps. They were both still panting as a result of their unfulfilled desires when Marie tied the tattered remains of her shirt back together and ran a hand through her hair.
"Wow..."
He nodded, "I know..."
"What were we thinkin'?"
Logan smirked, "We weren't. I think that's the best part about it..."
Marie smiled, "I dunno what to make of you...
He looked into her eyes and nodded in agreement, "Ditto..."
Before he got lost in her chocolate orbs, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "You should go before gumbo realizes you aren't in the garden and comes lookin' for you."
She nodded and walked over to the bed before grabbing the painting, "Thanks again Logan...and uh...Merry Christmas."
"Yeah. You too, kid."
And with that, Marie retreated to her room.
She decided to temporarily hide the painting behind the dresser so she wouldn't have to bother with explaining to Remy that Logan, of all people, gave it to her. Marie undressed, being sure to shove the tattered remains of her shirt to the very bottom of their hamper.
Marie was enjoying the warm beat of the water and recounting her heated kiss with Logan when the shower curtain was suddenly ripped back. Damn...she had to stop tuning out her surroundings like that...
Remy stood there, looking her up and down. For some reason, she felt the need to cover herself, so she quickly crossed and arm around her breasts and cupped the area between her thighs.
Her flustered boyfriend took no notice as he glared at her, "Where were you?"
"I came in here to relax and shower. Where were you?"
Remy's eyes darted about a little. He knew Marie would be pissed if she found out he was gambling with some of the students, so he just cleared his throat and ran a hand through his long hair, "I was just gettin' some air. Talkin' to a couple of the boys...hurry up and get outta the shower. I wanna give you your Christmas gift."
Marie nodded before slowly pulling the shower closed again. As soon as she heard him close the bathroom door, she let out a sigh of relief.
Ten minutes later, she emerged dressed in a very conservative long sleeved tee shirt and pajama pants.
Remy was sitting on the bed with a big box with "Burberry" emblazoned on it. Marie raised her eyebrows, "What's a 'Blueberry'?"
"Bur-berry...and it's a really expensive purse, belle. Thought you might like somethin' name brand for once."
Marie laughed softly as he opened the box to reveal a plaid patterned leather bag. It was nice...but she honestly couldn't see the fuss. Remy seemed proud of his gift, so Marie didn't say anything other than thank you as she feigned interest in the purse, then set it aside and gave Remy his new deck of cards and cane.
He seemed to love them.
That night, for the first time ever, she laid down in bed beside Remy without the intention of propositioning him for sex.
Remy fell asleep without really noticing.
Marie, however, stayed awake that night, staring at the ceiling.
She may not have realized it yet, but the real reason why she wasn't interested in Remy anymore was because her body had finally gotten a taste of her true mate...and now, he was the only one she could ever truly desire.
Review please! I'm sorry for the long absence. Haven't had much time to do any updating recently, so I had to work on this chap little by little. Also, sorry about the lemon-teaser! I figure I should keep you guys on the edge of your seats a little bit longer!