It was only when they were back at the mansion that Marie realized that Logan was wearing a suit. Not just some cheap, off the rack suit, but an expensive tailored one. The thought caused her to burst into hysterics. Rationally, Marie knew that it was because she needed a release after all the recent stress she had gone through, but the sight of Logan in a suit was still an odd one.
“Rogue, are you all right?” Jean asked, sparing her a quick glance as she cut the remains of Logan’s shirt from his upper body. It had taken them only a few minutes to fly from Washington to Westchester so Jean had opted to wait for them to land before cleaning Logan’s injuries.
In the midst of her hysterics, Marie nodded her head. “Ah’m fine, Jeanie. Logan fixed it all. Damn fool.”
As she gazed down at the deep gouges on Logan’s chest, Marie’s maniacal laughter turned into loud, hitching sobs. Even though he was unconscious, the Logan in her mind was whimpering and mewling in pain. Wanting to comfort him, Marie staggered towards the table and began to smooth her fingers through Logan’s hair.
It’s all right, sugah. We’re safe now, Marie whispered to him in her mind.
The only response she got from Logan was him purring softly in the depths of her mind.
“Is he gonna be all right?” Marie asked the doctor, her fingers not still in Logan’s hair.
Without hesitation, Jean nodded her head. “It may take a little while, but Logan will eventually make a full recovery. You know him. He won’t stand for anything less and put up a fight to get what he wants.”
That was most definitely true. Her internal Logan was grumbling his assent. Not that there had been any serious doubts in her mind. This was the same Logan who had touched her three times and was still breathing. The fact that he even wanted her around after such events was a shock in and of itself. One little accident an the touch of her skin and Marie could kill whoever she was touching. For some strange reason, though, Logan still seemed to want her around. Marie might even go as far as to say that he craved her touch.
“How’d ya’ll get Logan inta a suit? Ah could barely get him to change his shirt everyday,” Marie inquired as she watched Jean tape the wounds on Logan’s chest closed.
Jean smiled at that, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “We told him that he needed to wear that suit to blend in and that if he didn’t I’d sedate him and lock him in the restraining area in the lower levels. Thankfully, Logan had the presence of mind to come back here to change. I don’t even want to think about what he wears under his jeans.”
“Trust me, ya don’t,” Marie grumbled before thinking of what she was saying. “Ah swear that man doesn’t know the meanin’ o’ the word underwear.”
“I think that was a little too much information,” Jean stammered, her cheeks turning bright red.
In her mind, Logan was cackling with glee. Or as much glee as the mighty Wolverine could manage.
Jean worked in silence the rest of the time, glancing occasionally at Marie who refused to leave Logan’s side. There was no way that Marie was going to leave Logan until he woke up. Marie didn’t actually trust anyone but herself to really put Logan’s best interests first. She knew what Logan needed better than Jean or any of the others.
“You should probably go lie down, Rogue. You need to rest after your ordeal,” Jean said as she removed the latex gloves she was wearing.
Without the slightest pause, Marie shook her head. “Ah ain’t leavin’ Logan. Not till he wakes up.”
“You’ll be of no help to Logan if you exhaust yourself, Rogue,” Jean rationalized. “Now I realize that you care about Logan a great deal, but you need to think of yourself. You’ve just been through an extreme trauma. You could very well be dead right now were it not for Logan. He put himself at great risk to transfer almost all of his regenerative abilities to you. Now you may be all right physically, but you still need to rest.”
Marie shook her head again. “Ah don’t think ya understand, Jeanie. Ah can’t leave Logan. If Ah go so much as five feet away from him, Ah get this big growly guy in mah head. Not the funnest thing in the world, if ya get mah drift. So it’s easier if Ah just keep Logan happy.”
Jean walked over to the machines that were attached to Logan and began checking the readings. Marie watched her for a moment before turning her full attention back to Logan. She longed to press a kiss to his forehead, to his cheeks, to his nose... but to do that would cause more harm than good.
“Ya shouldn’t have done this,” Marie told Logan as she ran her gloved finger along his cheek. “Ah woulda been just fine without ya lettin’ me take all yer energy. Don’t get me wrong, Ah’m grateful fer what ya did, but Ah think it was very foolish doin’ it. An’ Ah plan on yellin’ at ya fer at as soon as yer better.”
No you won’t.
Marie rolled her eyes at the intrusion in her head. “Very cute, Logan.”
“Logan is awake?”
Startled, Marie spun around quickly. “Wish he were, Jeanie. It’s just Logan jabberin’ away in mah head. How’s he doin’?”
“Better than I thought,” Jean admitted as she checked the last machine. “In fact, I don’t see any problem with moving Logan up to his room. The bed is big enough so that you can get some rest without straying too far from Logan’s side.”
I like this.
“You would,” Marie teased, running her finger along his bottom lip. “Now quiet down, we’re gonna take you upstairs.”
You’ll stay with me?
“You know it, sugah,” Marie whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head where his skin was covered by his thick hair.
Logan was silent after that except for the gentle purr that Marie could hear thrumming through her entire body. Had the situation not been so odd, Marie would have found it incredibly comforting. As it was, she was having a hard enough time coping with the fact that she was having a conversation with Logan in her mind.
With the aid of her powers, Jean was able to transport Logan to his room. Marie kept to his side the entire time, holding his hand tightly in her own. Logan seemed to relax even more when she did that, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards ever so slightly for a fraction of a second.
Kids that the passed in the hallways stared at Logan in awe. The legend of the Wolverine was notorious even after such a short time. Since that first night when he had accidentally stabbed Marie through the chest, there had been all sorts of things whispered about him. Marie had heard a great many of these stories before she had left with Logan for Alkali Lake.
Marie trembled at the thought of what had happened at Alkali Lake and Logan got downright furious. He was growling dangerously and Marie knew that if there was a little Logan walking about inside her head, he would have his claws out and be stalking all over the place. That image made Marie smile.
How could the image of a one inch Logan, claws extended, stomping around and cursing not make anyone smile?
“You’ll let me know if there’s even the slightest change in his condition,” Jean ordered as she carefully lowered Logan onto his bed. “I’ll be back to check on him at dinner. I’ll bring you some dinner as well.”
That being said, Jean turned and left the room.
The fact that she was being left alone with Logan-- in his bedroom, to boot --shocked Marie. Even though Logan was unconscious and was likely to remain so for quite some time, Marie hadn’t expected Jean to be so understanding. She had thought that they would keep Logan in the med lab and try to distract her as much as possible just as they had the last time she had almost killed him.
“Ah’m so sorry, sugah,” Marie whispered as she stretched out next to Logan. Propping herself up on one elbow, Marie molded her body to his. She reached down with her other hand and smoothed her hair away from his face. Marie loved to touch Logan. He was the only one who wasn’t afraid to let her touch him.
Not your fault, kid. It was my choice, Logan told her, his presence flaring once again in her mind to comfort her.
The fact that Logan was comforting her when he was the one who was unconscious brought tears to her eyes. “Ya shouldn’t have ta do anythin’’ like that. Ya shouldn’t be riskin’ yer life like that.”
Marie could all but see the disbelieving glare that Logan sent her way. You know that I’d do anything to protect you, kid. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let anything happen to you.
Sniffling, Marie wiped away the tears that began to fall. “An’ ya think that Ah like seein’ ya this way, Logan? Ah hate that Ah can’t touch ya without doin’ somethin’ like this t’ ya. It hurt so much.” It hurts me too, kid, Logan admitted. I never thought that not being able to touch someone could hurt like this. It’s like... like an ache that won’t go away.
Marie stared at Logan in awe, unable to believe the thoughts that he was radiating to her. “Ya sure Ah didn’t fry yer brain, sugah?”
Course not, kid, Logan told her, blunt as can be. Haven’t you figured out already that I love you with everything in me?