A/N: ArielleMoonlight has posted her western cowboy one-shot AU with a gritty Rogue and no mutations. So, please check that out in her ongoing series, Between the Sheets.
That also means it's time for my take on the humorous friendship of Logan and Rogue as they enter newfound territory in their relationship. Please enjoy the story and let me know your thoughts.
My prompt this time is: Friends with benefits. So, expect a little smut along the way.
From Dawn to Dusk
"How many more times? We're not discussing your endless stupidity until I calm down," a fuming Rogue pointed out, nose wrinkled and a socked foot tapping frenziedly on the elevator floor. "You're an empty-headed ancient asshole proudly telling an entire lawn full of new recruits I touch myself in my sleep! What's wrong with you?!"
With an unlit cigar hanging from his lips, Logan sighed and snapped the lighter closed. "Those panties of yours will need surgically removing if you keep this up. All I've heard for the past half hour is you bellyaching over nothing."
"My panties have every damn right to be in a twist, and I'll holler until my throat's red raw and words of damnation fly from my livid lips. No one outside took me seriously after you opened your big mouth, Wolverine. Yes, I have every right to holler and twist each pair of panties I own until you're right where you belong. Do you hear me? I won't rest until you're in the hottest, fiery pits of hell. I swear to all that's holy, you best do me a favour tonight and choke on that cigar."
The elevator doors glided open, and he glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "This is you when you're calm, huh?"
"Right now, I'd happily send your metallic ass to the fiercest, angriest depths of the netherworld," she warned, marching into the empty hall with clenched fists.
"You should've told me that body lotion sparkled when it dried," he groused, walking in the same direction.
Through gritted teeth, Rogue glared at him as they reached the bedroom door. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise the Wolverine needed to moisturise his ass each morning. It gives a new meaning to the crack of dawn, doesn't it?" Her glare intensified. "You can't let me sleep longer than five minutes without plodding around, scowling, and rubbing yourself with my lotion."
"Hey, I'm doing you a favour, remember?" he grumbled, opening the door and letting her walk in first. "With your ass turfed out of your old room, you had nowhere else to go, and for the record, you're touching yourself for longer than five minutes each night."
The seething Southerner flopped onto the bed. When her old roommates turned hostile and with every room in Xavier's currently occupied, he took her in, and they did nothing but argue from dawn to dusk because they annoyed each other.
"Are you timing me touching myself in my sleep?" she asked in a clipped tone. "I'm sure Kitty Pryde will wobble her tiny tits together in excitement over you using that gift she bought last Christmas. I mean, a stopwatch comes in handy sometimes, right? Especially when you have me sleeping beside you."
"If you two got along, you wouldn't be here now," he answered gruffly, unlocking the window latches and poking his head into the chilly evening air as he lit the cigar. Last year's Secret Santa bullshit had almost driven him into an early grave, and the fallout continued to this day. "And don't go blaming me for your problems. You spend half the night congratulating yourself as your fingers mine for fuck knows what."
Already dressed in her nightclothes, Rogue tugged the duvet snugly to her chin and turned a hateful glare on the ceiling. "Why couldn't you keep those details in the bedroom, Logan? Did the new recruits have to know I touch myself in my sleep?"
"Get over it already. It was just an icebreaker after a shitty speech from Hank. Every time the fire alarm goes off, he heads out onto the lawn and bores everybody half to death. I was doing them a favour."
She flung a pillow straight at his head. He caught it, scowled, and tossed it back. As the clock struck midnight, they faced off with each other.
"You did them a favour by telling a story about me touching myself in my sleep. Have you any idea how that makes you sound? And don't mention ice. I've gone off it since I slept with Bobby."
His brow furrowed as he exhaled a haze of smoke. The news wasn't entirely unexpected but caused a commotion in the Wolverine's head. "You kept that quiet."
Collapsing back on the bed, she puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Because I'm worried you'll announce it at the breakfast table tomorrow. Forget I said anything, okay? It's just another mistake, and do you know what? I'm sick of the sound of your voice."
Logan chuckled at the ball of attitude that had sprouted in his bed. "That agreement we made after you took the cure still stands," he said, flicking cigar ash onto the dying hydrangea bushes.
Her gaze flickered to the clock, and she smiled gently when she realised the time. "I don't need you fighting my battles for me. I'm not a kid anymore; anyway, the fight ended when I lost my bed, friends and teaching post."
He puffed on the cigar and glanced at the bed. "Yeah, and you've taken over my goddamn life. You're in my bed, and I'm letting you teach one of my classes tomorrow."
"It's not the same, and this is all Bobby's fault." Her eyes snapped closed as a blush swept over her face. "He didn't even do it properly. I swear my inner thighs are clinging to nothing but cherry peelings, but the rest of the fruit's still lodged where the sun will never shine.
Logan's brow furrowed at how she admitted everything under the guidance of a bit of booze. He worked through the words that almost set his tongue on fire and sidestepped the drama. No, he couldn't offer that without sounding like a goddamn pervert. "That's too much information even for the new recruits to learn. You best get some sleep and chase the last of that beer away, you hear?"
"I know, don't start nagging," she responded with a roll of her eyes. "No one needs a nagging Wolverine in their life."
An hour or so passed before Logan joined her in the bed. He sighed heavily and set the alarm. As he busied his hands with the timer, a soft Southern groan from his sleeping partner snapped him from a dozen thoughts centred around the Danger Room.
Rogue moaned tenderly into the pillow with pouty lips, releasing a lengthy sigh of lust. "Logan," she whispered, an entire hand creeping past the filigree panties. "Mmm, Logan, that's nice."
"Only nice, huh?" he snorted in amusement and tugged the sheets back. Just as he thought, she once again mined for all that was right with the goddamn world. Shaking his head, he watched those fingers do a poor job in a heated and cramped space. Chuckling to himself, he pulled the duvet over her shady business dealings and left her to it as he settled down to sleep.
The next morning, Rogue complained about tiredness as she walked with Logan to the kitchen. She felt a hundred times older than him and twice as grouchy as nine o'clock approached at a breakneck speed. "I feel like I haven't slept," she said moodily, sidestepping a glaring Kitty Pryde on the staircase.
Logan looked between them and snorted, overtaking the glaring match on the stairs. "I'm not surprised and quit moping, or you'll be late for your first class," he said, keeping watch over his shoulder in case a fight broke out.
Storm appeared from the late Professor's office with a warm smile, holding a beautifully gift-wrapped package. Sparkles and glittery tweed wrapping paper decorated the perfectly presented present. "Happy Birthday, Rogue."
His gaze snapped to the Weather Witch, and he frowned. Shit, it was Rogue's birthday. He'd forgotten Rogue's fucking birthday.
"Thanks, Storm, but that looks expensive. I hope you didn't waste all your money on little, old me," she said worriedly, racing down the last few steps with a tentative smile.
Storm hugged the Southerner and handed her the gift. "You deserve to have a special birthday, especially after what happened last week. And I agree with Hank's words of wisdom. I'm sorry Bobby's taken leave of his senses and pitted friends against each other, but I'm proud of you for handling his misbehaviour with such positivity."
Left out of the goddamn loop, Logan watched the conversation and listened in with a questioning scowl. What had Drake done apart from sleep with Rogue and make a fucking mess out of everything? The dumbass couldn't take her virginity without fumbling and causing a ruckus. Like she said last night, she didn't even feel like he popped her cherry properly.
"You're gonna be late," he warned with a heavy sigh because she loved nothing more than making an anxious entrance, always behind and forever searching for her non-existent teaching skills.
Rogue smiled at his badgering and thanked Storm again. She carried the unopened gift, following Logan to his class. "You're not coming inside with me, are you? They're only new recruits with baby faces. I can handle the pressure. I'll be fine."
He paused outside the classroom, out of sight of the students. "Just remember to stick to the plan."
Distracted by his sudden interest in teaching skills, Rogue nodded and entered the room alone. At every desk sat youthful-looking boys who joked and chatted to friends. None of the noise died down, even when she attempted to introduce herself at the front of the class. She set the gift on the table and sighed to herself. This wasn't working because no one feared her like they did Logan.
"Hey, guys," she called out, hands on her hips. "If you quiet down, I can teach today's class."
"Teach us what exactly? How to touch ourselves? We already know how to jerk off, but thanks for the offer," one of the louder, ruder, brasher boys shot back, making the other students snigger.
A crestfallen Rogue stared at them. Every single student thought the words at her expense were hilarious. She watched their faces contort into sneering laughs. It was no better than facing a room full of school bullies. They degraded her each time she tried to teach, kicking her non-shimmering behind from pillar to post as the class descended into mayhem.
Logan remained outside the classroom, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He scowled as he listened to the laughter and continuous jibes. This was all his goddamn fault. Before stepping in and reading them the riot act, he waited to see if she could handle it herself.
She stood her ground and approached the boy's desk. His personality was like a black hole with teeth and foaming arrogance. He destroyed everything in his path, often reducing old teachers to tears before he arrived at Xavier's.
"And what's your power?" she questioned in a friendly tone, wanting to keep the conversation civil.
"I can make girls like you cum with one touch and also do this," he declared, pointing to the gift-wrapped box on the desk.
Gazing over her shoulder, she watched in horror as her only birthday gift dissolved into a puddle of glossy, iridescent water spilling to the floor.
Her devastated gasp and the relentless teasing and misogyny tossed her way were enough to goad a scowling and bad-tempered Logan into the room. He stalked over to her side, a hushed silence falling over every inch of the classroom. Each student suddenly looked terrified and afraid for their life as he angrily gazed around, daring them to try that shit with him.
"This here's Rogue. She's smart, capable, knows her strengths and is a good friend to those who don't deserve it," he said gruffly, resting his protective hand on her shoulder. "She's a valued member of the team. You'll respect her or have me to deal with, that understood? I said is that understood?"
She gazed at Logan, surprised by the masterful turnaround. Last night, he told her to get over it, and today, he stewed beside her, taking on the new recruits. Of course, this wouldn't have happened if he learnt to keep his mouth shut about her touching herself at night. Then again, she still felt grateful for his intervention because she was out of her depth teaching tearaway students who had intimate details of her extracurricular activities.
The cocky, grinning boy who had ruined the birthday gift slumped in the chair and stretched his legs out, eventually resting his feet on the desk. He blew a mocking kiss at her. "Is your biggest strength touching yourself, Rogue? Aw, you look like you're about to cry. Come here, and I'll kiss your pussy better."
Suddenly, Logan surged forward, taking the classroom full of students by surprise as he sprung on quick, self-assured feet with a deafening snarl. Rogue grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling against the plaid until her grip loosened and his claws unsheathed. Her calm and questioning tone quickly heightened into a shriek as he launched himself at the boy. "Logan. Logan? Logan!"
That evening, Rogue banished all thoughts of birthdays from her rambling mind and gifted herself an early night. She spent the good part of an hour apologising to Storm that afternoon, still none the wiser what the present had been. She gazed down at her bare hands and tugged at a loose thread on the plaid duvet. The pattern matched Logan's style, harmonising the bed with the contents of his closet.
"Hey," she greeted when he wandered into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
"Hey," Logan answered gruffly and started to undress. "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday."
"I'm going to pretend it's nothing but a normal day anyway." It was like a millstone around her neck, taunting and confrontational because another year had been wasted. What did she have to show for the last twelve months? Nothing but trouble, strife and a partially taken virginity. "Can we talk about that boy in your class today? I'm wondering if maybe you went a little too far. You really scared him with your claws."
"He's lucky I didn't carve him up like shish kabob," he grunted angrily, still furious over the entire episode. "If I have my way, he'll be dumped at the nearest bus station first thing tomorrow morning."
Rogue rolled her eyes to the heavens and beyond. "That's the last time I invite you to dinner at a Turkish restaurant," she sighed, slipping out of bed and tugging her nightwear into place. Prodding at her molars with her tongue, she frowned. "I forgot to floss my teeth."
"That's the least of your worries," he responded, stripping to his heavily diluted shade of lime green boxer shorts. "Look at this."
She entered the bathroom and searched through the sleek medicine cabinet, glancing over her shoulder when he appeared in the doorway. "They suit you." She shrugged when he scowled. "That's a compliment, Logan."
"I'm not fishing for compliments," he grumbled, prowling toward her and pointing to the haphazard stitching across the crotch of the shorts. "How many times have I told you to keep your clothes separate from mine, huh? And I know your handiwork, Rogue. Look right here at this stitching peeling away."
Snapping a length of floss, she twirled it around her dainty fingers and glanced down at his crotch. "Okay, so I accidentally dyed your panties several shades of green, and when I saw the hole, I stitched it up with the skills my mama taught me."
"They're boxer shorts, not panties," he growled, pulling the forest green thread away. "And judging from this, she had no goddamn skills to pass on."
Rogue glared at him as she flossed her teeth. "Hey, I come from a long line of ladies who sew, and it's not our fault you're packing a mountain, not a molehill in your underwear." Her gaze lingered on his crotch longer than necessary because the more she scrutinised the size, shape and scope, the less it matched Bobby's bulge. "Is it meant to look like that?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Logan demanded to know with narrowed eyes, sounding defensive of his crotch.
"It's just different from what I'm used to," she explained, her face flushing scarlet the longer she stared. "I mean, with Bobby, I only saw it once. Just one paltry, stinking time before we did it, and I don't remember the bulge being any bigger than Woodall."
He sniffed the embarrassment rolling off her in waves as she explained herself. "What's Woodall?"
Busy flossing her teeth, she finally glanced away from his crotch. "It's a molehill in Mississippi. The biggest mountain we have back home and the highest point in the state. It's nothing special to look at - more like a grassy pimple than a hill."
"Yeah, well, I ain't packing anything like that," he explained smugly, leaning against the vanity. "Do you know something else? I've been thinking most of the day, and I figure it's the best way to make up for a missed birthday, so I'm just gonna come out with it and lay all the cards on the table." He observed her watching him. "How about we fix this dream talk and make it a reality?"
With the floss wedged firmly between two molars, Rogue frowned at her reflection for several seconds. "I don't understand."
"Friends with benefits. We've both got itches to scratch, right? We're already sharing a bed, so what's the difference in getting to know each other's bodies? It's not like you haven't seen me naked before."
She stared at him like he'd professed a love for sparkly dresses, singing show tunes in the shower, and line-dancing Thursdays. As the offer sunk into every crevice of her stunned mind, she slung a series of words at him as an afterthought. "I didn't mean to walk in on you shaving down there."
He heaved a sigh when she brought the subject up again. "You've got a real unhealthy obsession with my ass."
"It's the first shimmery, hairless and moisturised butt I've ever seen," she muttered with a blush, watching him stalk out the door as she fought to free the stubborn strand of floss.
"You told a whole slew of new recruits that I moisturise my ass," Logan complained gruffly, traipsing back to the bedroom with clenched fists after another nightly fire drill.
Rogue calmly tapped her socked foot against the elevator floor and sighed at his fuming, scowling and surly face. She stepped onto the landing and followed him with a knotted smile riding the crest of a satisfied smirk. "I'm sorry. Those silly words of mine just tumbled from my lips."
"No, you're not, and no, they didn't," he snarled, reaching the door. "You any idea how hard I've worked to scare them shitless?"
"I don't know what came over me. One minute I was shivering on the lawn in the wild wind, and the next thing I know, I'm making a speech about your ass," she said, overtaking him and opening the door. "It can happen to anyone, and I'd take that as a warning."
"A warning, huh?" He narrowed his eyes at her back. "I've met crooks with more loyalty than you."
She flopped onto the bed with a smile and traced the intricate shadows on the ceiling. As Logan clambered in beside her, grumbling and growling under his breath, her thoughts turned to the friends-with-benefits proposition. She weighed the pros and cons, and her mind settled on a solution as soon as it pictured the hidden peak with no valley bulging in the swirl of green boxers.
The minutes skated by, and the eager announcer on TV enthusiastically declared a blow-by-blow account of a fight on the screen. Logan shifted the pillows, piling them against the creaking headboard and checking out the bristling battle between opposing hockey players and their sticks. He chuckled at the ruckus, ignoring his roommate's advances until she brushed a kiss against his cheek.
Turning his full attention to her, and with a furrowed brow, he snaked a restless hand against her waist. He stroked her hip and focused on his only friend's flawless, ashen face.
"I can be loyal," she explained, scooting closer until their thighs touched. "Do you want to know why?"
"Go on," he muttered, eyes darting back to the screen when the fight intensified.
"I've come to an important realisation tonight," she replied thoughtfully, gazing at him.
Logan patted her hip and focused on the scrap spilling into the crowd. "Uh-huh." He settled against the stack of pillows, sinking into the cotton and feathers. Reaching for the remote with his free hand and upping the volume, he never looked away from the brawl.
Growing tired of being ignored, Rogue dropped a truth bomb on his lap. "The same day Bobby slept with me, he cheated with Kitty, then told her I lied about being his girlfriend. That's why I fell out with Kitty, lost all my friends, my bed, my boyfriend, my sanity, and the reason I'm stuck here with you."
His gaze snapped to her, and he scowled, forgetting all about the scrapping on TV for the moment. "Say the word, and I'll kick his ass in training tomorrow."
"I'm dealing with my heartbreak like a grown-up while plotting revenge, crying in the shower, mending holes in your underwear, and living off buckets of mint choc chip ice cream, but there's something you can do for me," she admitted, watching his head turn to the TV again. Sighing, she abandoned the words and chased the romance away with a roll of her eyes. "Just watch the game in peace, Logan. Everything's fine."
When the ice hockey final was called off due to the stadium-wide brawl, Logan switched the TV into standby mode with an entertained chuckle. "That's a real famous game, you know. Hell, I would've handed over my left lung for a seat right behind the dugout."
With her back turned to him, Rogue frowned into the creased pillow. "You've seen it before?"
"Yeah, it's a favourite of mine. I must've watched it at least a dozen times." He reached for her hip again, eager to return to the conversation about a potential friends-with-benefits meet and greet. "Anyway, what were you saying earlier?"
"It doesn't matter," she replied, a little hurt by his reluctance to listen to her pouring out those confused feelings of lusting, liking and perhaps even loving. "Just forget I ever said anything, Logan."
"Don't give me that. It sounded important." He was only digging himself a deeper hole without realising it. "Hey, look at me. We've got at least an hour and a half until your birthday ends. How about I show you my gift, huh?"
Glancing over her shoulder, the frown intensified as it settled on his face. "If my words sounded important, why didn't you listen to me instead of watching a game you've already viewed a million times?"
Logan scratched at the month's worth of stubble on his jaw and seemed stumped for a minute or two. "Yeah, you've got me there," he admitted gruffly, his palm sliding from her hip. Working on thawing the rage in his roommate's gaze, he smirked and slowly inched his fingers down the flowy fabric of the robe until he reached the apex of her thighs. He cleared his throat to gain her attention, gruffly winked, and then skated his warm palm under the brushed cotton material. "And I've got you, Darlin'."
Rogue's frown faded, replaced by flushed cheeks and a welcoming smile. "That's a corny line, but I'd still offer it some sweet tea," she whispered softly, never once breaking the passionate look between them.
He drummed his fingers teasingly against her naked sex. "You ain't wearing any panties."
An appreciative squeak left the Southern spitfire's pouty lips, and the blush intensified. "I kept twisting them until they snapped."
Chuckling, Logan remembered their earlier fight and continued to tease her as he blindly slid a single finger into the silken sex. "Uh-huh. What about that raw throat of yours? You think you'll be doing any hollering tonight?"
When he guided his finger in an exclusive loop, further words of fluster and encouragement springboarded from her lips. "Possibly," she murmured, embarrassment evaporating when he pinched a sensitive bundle of nerves. "Definitely!"
He shifted his posture and leaned down to kiss her lips. "You know, I could get used to this," he confessed huskily.
Gasping in discomfort when he slid the uncomfortable finger deeper inside her, she watched him break the kiss to whisper something unsettling in her ear. "Are you serious?" she questioned, her eyes widening in stunned surprise.
Logan nodded, withdrawing his finger and settling between her thighs. "You're right. Drake didn't finish the deed, but don't worry, I'll handle things from here on out."
"I'm still a virgin," she muttered, gazing at his tickled face. "All this time, I've been beating myself up for letting Bobby Drake take my virginity and break my heart on the same day, and he's a slacker because the job was never finished. Oh my God, he's a lazy lover, Logan! He even gloated to his friends and told John Allardyce I thanked him afterwards. I swear to God, I'll give him a piece of my mind the next time I see him."
With a furrowed brow and the heaviest of sighs, he eyed Rogue for the longest time as she ranted about Drake. "You've harbouring feelings for the asshole."
Rogue gazed at Logan, searching his face and stumbling onto one conclusion: The Wolverine was jealous. "I hope Bobby burns in hell for what he did to me. He played games with my heart, destroyed my friendship circle, and trashed my future plans like a dirty horndog on a solitary diet of crack cocaine. I hate his guts, and if I could get away with it, I'd hogtie him to the outside of a rocket ship and wave as he jettisoned into the burning sun." She knocked her hand against his knee. "Has this moved on from a friends-with-benefits thing?"
Schooling his rugged face into a reassuring look, he dialled down the jealousy and redrew matters in the pseudo sand. Crossed lines were further muddled by hidden feelings and muddied analogies. "The ball's in your court, but I figured it's nothing more than the cards I put on the table."
"Okay," she responded unhurriedly and cautiously, desperate to avoid spilling any further secrets that would jeopardise the healing of her shattered heart. Her gaze dropped to Logan's crotch, a shocked giggle suppressed when her eyebrows knitted together scornfully. "I'm lousy at sewing."
Logan looked down, catching sight of his hardened member poking out the yawning tear of the boxer shorts. Lifting his intense gaze, he locked eyes with Rogue. The silence intensified the unsaid stances on a developing and shifting relationship. They shared a heated stare until the fire alarm sounded again.
"For fuck's sake," he snarled, determined to hunt down the serial prankster. "I can't go down there like this."
Giggling, Rogue brushed the robe down and scooted past him, patting his proud member. "Time to pack up your baggage."
"Hey, I'm serious. The geeks will think I'm turned on by the sound of the goddamn alarm," he complained gruffly, craving the touch of her hand.
"You don't care what people think of you," she replied knowingly, wandering to the door and pausing when he failed to follow. Gazing at him, she noticed the temperature rising in the uncrowded space between friendship and lovers. A blanket of bravery began to cloud her unsure thoughts. "I guess I'm a lousy lover too. Do you need my help?"
"Depends on what you're offering?" he countered, eyebrows shooting to his hairline as she shed the robe and dumped it in a tidy heap on the floor. Suddenly smirking, he held out his outstretched arms to welcome her home. "Yeah, I could get real used to this."
A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts. Did this hit the spot and would you like more of this bickering, friends-until-we-die but slowly slipping into lovers couple?
And it's ArielleMoonlight's turn next.
Also, there haven't been any stats working on this site in over a month. I have no idea if anyone is reading this, so please say hi if you're enjoying these one-shots, two-shots, etc.
