Chemistry
by Nick

Dedication: For Jemi, my beta, who definitely came up with a better title than I did. I couldn't have done it without you. To A.K., who promised to read, even though it's a weird story.
Series: None
Pairing: Wolverine/Toad/Rogue
Disclaimers: They aren't mine. They belong to Marvel. The only thing that I can truly claim is Toad's middle name, because I made that up. I mean, what horrid individual would curse a kid with 'Mortimer'????
Rating: NC-17 m/m interaction, m/f interaction, m/m/f interaction. Underage sex, so if that bothers you, shoo!
Notes: I can't help being a sap. The story has a little angst and a lot of schmoop. The story is in Toad's point of view. I think that's self-explanatory.
Timeline: It has been a year since the events of the first movie, and it's winter in New York. Magneto has escaped from prison, and Logan has come back to the mansion from Canada.
Summary: Toad learns he can touch Rogue. He tries to use it to his advantage, but things really never go as planned.

The boss was back less than a day, and I was already on a mission. I don't know why Magneto wanted the young girl so much, but I was supposed to get my hands on her. It didn't matter how, as long as I remembered not to touch her bare skin.

I figured they wouldn't expect an attack on their home turf. Besides, the X-mansion had a security system even a six-year-old could figure out. And for a guy like me, that meant easy access 24/7.

It was only a half-hearted jump that got me over the twelve-foot privacy fence. I landed quietly into a snow bank and, using the trees for cover, made my way to the house. My enhanced hearing and smell helped me avoid the security cameras. Someone's careless mistake, leaving a window cracked open, provided me an easy way inside.

I made my way through the kitchen and into some kind of TV room. A smell hit me and I froze, trying to locate the source. My eyes landed on the body asleep on the couch, and I couldn't believe my luck. It was her, Marie. All I had to do was just reach out and grab her...

My excitement got the better of me. I stepped forward and bumped into a table. It wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to make her sit straight up and open her eyes.

We looked at each other for a second. Before I could reach her and knock her out, she let out a scream that could've doubled as an air raid siren.

Without thinking, I reached her and wrapped my fingers around her throat. "Shut up," I snapped. Her eyes went saucer wide and she opened her mouth to say something, but I squeezed a little harder. "Not a sound. Get up and come wit' me or I'll break yew're pretty neck."

"Yer gonna have ta go through me, bub."

Wolverine. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. But then there were more voices on the stairs and I realized reinforcements had arrived. "Bloody hell," I muttered, turning to face them.

The animal had his claws out and ready. The one-eyed preppy boy was there with his doctor girlfriend, and so was the white-haired bitch who'd tried to microwave me. I pulled Marie in front of me to use her body as a shield. "Dew yew think yew can kill me b'fore I break 'er neck, then?"

Wolverine growled, took a step forward. The One-Eye put a hand on his arm. "Logan, stop. He's touching her."

I blinked. Damn, and Magneto had warned me not to touch her, too. But I wasn't weak like he had been, wasn't in pain like he had been... "It seems yew don'na affect me, hmm?"

She whispered softly, "Please, let me go. You're hurting me."

I loosened my grip only a little; I didn't really want to kill her before I got her to Magneto. "Start walking backwards wit' me, and don't try anything cute."

The rest of 'em kept a far enough distance not to worry me much. We got to a sliding glass door that led outside, and I used my tongue to open it. "Keep comin'," I growled in her ear.

As soon as we stepped outside, I used my tongue again to slam the door shut. Then, throwing her over my shoulder, I made tracks for the far wall. But, as usual, the 'brave and mighty X-Men' were not to be outdone. The glass door behind me shattered and suddenly the girl yelled, "Move left, quickly!"

I don't know what possessed me to listen, but I was bloody glad I did. The ground where I was running suddenly turned to a pile of black ashes. I whirled around to see what happened and the second blast from One-Eye's visor came flashing toward me.

It was only by the grace of God that I managed to jump out of the way. But by that time, Wolverine was almost on top of me and I was still dancing around red flames...

I put her down. "Run," I said. I'd get her another time; it was time to get out while I still could. But luck ran out on me. I dodged out of both Wolverine's way and the immediate blast from the visor in just enough time to get smashed into a tree by a small tornado. I felt my head snap backwards and I saw stars.

I hit the ground, dazed slightly. I managed to get to my feet only to be tackled again by a concrete block with legs. No, it was Wolverine, but the same thought applied. He growled and punched me low in the stomach, sending new waves of pain crashing through me. I spat in his face, wriggling out of his grasp, and ran for the wall. I was almost two feet in the air when he leapt after me. His claws hit my lower leg and I couldn't stop my scream of pain.

We landed in a heap, still on Xavier's property. I wrapped my tongue around one of his arms and pulled hard. He lost his footing, but rolled with me, grabbing my tongue and hanging on tight.

Why wasn't my slime hurting him?

"Healing ability," he answered, and punched my in the face.

I must've asked aloud, and not remembered. I reeled in my tongue, and kicked at him instead.

He caught my foot in an iron grasp and held it, twisting my leg. I flipped over but still landed hard, and got all the air knocked out of my lungs. Before I could draw a breath he was straddling my chest, and one paw (hand?) was wrapped around my throat. "Let's see how ya like it, ya slimy bastard."

Magneto had trained me not to give in easily, but I was running out of options fast. I spat again, covering his mouth in slime, but he effortlessly sliced it off with his damned claws. "Sorry, bub. Got anything else?"

Arrogant bastard. Sure I do.

I moaned softly and let nature take over for me. Enjoying his rough attention wasn't hard to do. Wolverine was playing right into my hands; question is, would he give into his animal lust?

He stiffened, and I bucked my hips. He was already hard, and it surprised me a little. I thought it would take more effort to get him aroused. Nice to know I'm not the only guy who could get horny so fast. (Score one for a mutation.)

I bucked again and his eyes changed, the pupils dilating just enough for me to notice. Even his scent changed, the anger still there but animal arousal slowly taking over. I moaned again, and carefully lifted my hands to cover his. Then, closing my fingers over his, I silently urged him to squeeze my throat harder.

"Fuck," he whispered, and tightened his grasp.

I moaned again, not having to act so much now. Damn, he had great strong hands, and he was so hot anyway...

He growled, and I wiggled under him once more. "Please..." I managed to get out, before I felt the black stars starting to explode behind my eyes. "Please..."

He didn't let go; I came in my pants. I couldn't help it. Fuck the mission; this was too hot to stop.

It seemed to suddenly hit him, what he was doing and with whom. He inhaled sharply and froze. "Ya sick fuck."

I grinned and he smashed my head into the ground once. I was captured, and it was worth it. The black stars were swimming in my vision again, but I didn't care. I'd find a way to get myself out of the mess I'd made. In the meantime, I really needed to breathe...

Everything hurt. Even my hair hurt. I opened my eyes, disoriented, and tried to figure out where I was.

Only when I turned my head to my left did I remember. Marie was sitting next to me in a chair, asleep. Her hand was intertwined with mine, and she wasn't wearing any gloves.

I ran my thumb over her fingers and wondered what it would be like to not touch anyone. She must've been desperate for a touch, must have been desperate for a caress...maybe desperate enough to take me as a lover. Maybe I still had a way to drop her right into Magneto's hands.

A really unkind plan started to form in my mind, and I grinned. Magneto had taught me how to block out the telepaths, so all I had to do was act accordingly...

Gee. I got to screw a virgin AND fuck over the X-Men. Did life get any better?

I rubbed my thumb over her dainty fingers again and moaned pitifully. Her eyelids snapped open and she sat up straight. "Don't try to move, you'll only hurt yourself."

I dropped my eyelids to half-mast. "Where..."

"You're in the MedLab. You got...hurt."

I blinked lethargically. "Oh. Fell onto Wolverine's fist, did I?"

She bit her lip; I could tell she was trying not to smile. "Logan knocked you out. You've been here for three days."

Damn it! Three days lost already?

"I should go get Jean. She'll want to check you out."

I nodded and winced; that part I didn't have to act out. Wolverine had quite a powerful left hook; my ears were still ringing. It wasn't only his powerful left hook that landed you, idiot.

I couldn't stop the stupid smile from forming on my mouth. He was so hot. Not like Sabertooth; that guy was all snarls and paws. No. Wolverine oozed sex like expensive cologne. The way he walked, the way he stood, the way he flicked out those ferocious claws... definitely all male.

I wondered if bringing me off annoyed him.

I hoped so.

"Something funny?"

I blinked. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed Jean Grey approach me. "No. Not really."

She gave me a glare that would've melted an ice cube. "The Professor asked me to make sure you were comfortable."

"I'm touched."

I tried not to giggle as she clenched her jaw. "Do you need anything?" She asked through gritted teeth.

Take yew're clothes off and we'll see.

I'd rather sleep with Sabertooth, you little slime ball.

I tried to act embarrassed, and felt my face flush. Maybe I'd get that acting award after all. Yew're a tele... tele... whaddya call it?

Telepath, she answered back angrily.

"Oh," I said aloud. Then, I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I wouldn'a said that out loud, yew know. I didn'a know yew'd snoop through my thoughts or nothin'. I'm sorry."

I thought she was gonna fall over. Then, she took a step back. "I didn't mean to pry... Wait a minute! Why the hell am I apologizing to you?"

She made a noise of disgust and wrung her hands. For a minute, I think she was tempted to strangle me, but I raised an eyebrow and said, "Even tired, yew know I could take yew down and disappear b'fore yew'd 'ave a chance to get up."

When she smiled, it unnerved me a little. It was definitely not a nice smile. "Oh, did I forget to mention one little thing?"

"What thing?"

"Look at your ankle."

I raised my head slowly to keep it from spinning off, and looked. 'It' looked like an ankle cuff; it was about an inch wide and tight against my skin. "What the bloody 'ell is it?"

"It's a tracking device. You try to leave, and we'll find you no matter where you go. And, should you decide to try and take it off, get ready for the shock of your life. You think what Ororo did was bad? Wait."

I looked into her face, realizing she wasn't joking. Well, shit.

You think I'm happy we're stuck with you?

I didn't understand. "Why're yew stuck wit' me? Why'na just kill me?"

"Because the Professor wants to run some tests on your skin, its toxicity, et cetera. You can touch Rogue. We want to know why."

Great. I'd been looking for an opportunity to hang around Rogue, and the bitch handed it to me on a silver platter. "So yew wanna use me as a guinea pig?"

"More of a dissection frog. But don't worry," she sneered softly. "I won't make it hurt. Much."

Now THAT was a comfort. Before I could get another shot off, her boyfriend came in the room. "The Professor has a room prepared upstairs for him. Can he leave the MedLab?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, Scott. He's all yours for now."

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling that this plan of mine was going to be an extremely painful ordeal.

I followed Scott down the hallway carefully, not wanting to tread into argumentative turf. Actually, I was just dying to ruffle the whelp's feathers, but you can't seduce a girl if all her friends hate you.

What? Just because I'm 'single and carefree' doesn't mean I don't know anything about dating. I had a girlfriend once, before the changes in my chemistry made me a freak.

Anyway.

He walked quickly and turned right into an open door. "This room will be yours while you're here."

Bugger! I wonder what kind of room they'd give to someone they didn't hate? The ceiling was high; it seemed miles above my head. It even had its own bathroom off to one side. When I was a kid, I'd never seen anything like it that was "mine"; the only people who had stuff this grand were the rich bastards who paid to fuck me. "I'm staying 'ere?"

He stared at me in the same neutral expression he always seemed to wear. "Is there something wrong with the room?"

Come on, Mortimer Brandon, remember those manners you learned so long ago. "No, it's grand. I just can'na believe... I was expectin' somethin' with bars on the windows, that's all. Thanks."

Okay, so if I impressed the brat, it didn't show. "Did Jean explain to you your anklet?"

"The tracking device that'll shock me if I take it off?"

"Yes."

"Guess she did, then."

"The Professor is holding a meeting tonight at six to discuss this... situation. Logan will be here at 5:45 sharp to escort you to the meeting room." I caught the implied, 'be ready or we'll kill you'.

I nodded. "Anything else?"

"Try not to wander far," he said. I swear he smirked at me when he closed the door in my face.

I looked around the room curiously, opening a closet and a chest of drawers. Figures. No clean clothes. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, wincing at the small wound left on my forehead. An animal's healing factor was great, but mine worked nowhere as quickly as Sabertooth's or Wolverine's. Well, at least it worked a little. I walked into the bathroom to access the damage done, and winced when I looked in the mirror. I still had a gash on my forehead, and one of my eye sockets was more blackish then green. "Bloody hell," I sighed, leaning my head on the mirror. "This'll never work."

"What?"

I looked over my shoulder, not surprised to find I'd been walked in on. It was Marie. "Don'na yew believe in knockin'?"

"I did. You didn't answer the door."

"May-bay I 'ad a reason? Yew took a chance, might've been bathing in 'ere."

She turned sixteen different shades of red and I could smell the curiosity pouring off her. Damn, maybe this could work after all. Don't spook her.

"What won't work?" She asked, hesitantly.

"My new living arrangements," I sighed dramatically. "So why're yew 'ere?"

She held up laundry. "I was supposed to put clean clothes in the drawers for you, but I fell asleep downstairs. But you knew that," she added, blushing again.

I gave her a charming smile. "Thanks."

Then it struck me. "How did yew know what sizes..."

"Jean knew. She read the labels in your clothes."

Right. That was it, then. No one had been prying in my head. Whew. I held out a hand to her. "Can I 'ave 'em, then?"

She nodded and passed over a shirt and slacks. It was a little weird, standing next to someone shorter than I was. It made me smile for a moment.

"What?"

"I was just thinkin' how nice it is bein' taller than someone," I said. Gain her trust. Make her laugh.

She gave me a lopsided grin. "Must be new to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call me short?"

The girl blushed so red I thought her face would explode. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever yew say."

She shifted from one foot to the other hesitantly. "I..."

"Yeah?"

"Why did you want to take me?"

"I was ordered to do it."

"Why?"

I got to answer honestly this time. "I don'na know why. I didn'a need to know why, I just got the assignment."

She frowned. "I really should hate you. I mean, you've done nothing but try to kill me since I first met you."

Okay, I might not be the most intuitive bloke (I am a man, after all), but I could sense a 'but' coming out of that statement. "But?" I prompted.

"I can't help but be curious... I can't help but wonder..."

"Why I can touch you?" I finished.

"Yes." The word left her in a great rush of air. "Why you of all people? Why not Jean, or Scott, or Ororo, or..."

"Wolverine?"

Damn, she was emanating such a smell of arousal that I was temporarily overwhelmed. "Logan has nothing to do with it. I just meant I wanted someone other than you to be able to touch me."

"Sorry," I said. "Yew're stuck wit' me."

She frowned thoughtfully. "Only until Jean and the Professor can find out why you can touch me, though."

I had a weird feeling that she knew something I didn't. She stared at me a moment longer, then got embarrassed. She swirled around and walked out, slamming the door behind her. "Well, that went bloody well," I groused to myself. Then, stripping down, I stepped under the hot water and tried to relax.

The meeting consisted of Jean Grey, Cyclops, the Wolverine, and Xavier himself. I sat quietly in the chair I was directed to, trying hard not to fidget, and waited for them to start screaming, lecturing, or throwing rocks.

"We don't do things like that," the Professor said softly.

"What?"

"We don't throw rocks or scream."

Just bloody great. Oh great lecturer, please 'step' forward. It was mean, I know. Xavier couldn't step if his life depended on it. I at least got the pleasure of watching him frown slightly.

"I would remember that there are four of us and one of you, Mortimer."

Eww, yuck, yuck, yuck. I suddenly felt six years old again, when my mum slapped me across the face for talking back. Don'na speak ta me that way, brat! and WHAM! Black eye. Bloody nose. Then Da' came home and would belt me one. My house was so fun as a child.

"If you don't like Mortimer, what do you like?"

He was so soft spoken, so polite. I started to get that dizzy feeling again, the same one I had in the MedLab. "Get out o' my 'ead," I snapped, throwing up a mental wall so fast that his hands flew to the sides of his head. "Bunch of bloody busybodies, what?"

Wolverine (Logan, as Rogue had said) grabbed me by the front of my shirt and shook me. "What d'ya think yer doin', bub?"

"Logan, I'm fine," the Professor replied. To me he said, "Someone taught you well to build defenses, Toad."

"Seems I needed the lesson," I said in retort. "Yew wanna know something? Ask."

"Why would you be willing to help us?" Jean Grey asked.

Think, think, think. "It doesn'a seem I'll be getting out of 'ere wit' out giving yew what yew want, does it?"

"We want to know why you can touch Rogue," One-Eye said. "We want to know if, by replicating a certain chemical in your skin, we can give Rogue the ability to touch others. So she can live a normal life."

Well, isn't that sweet. "I don'na know what it is that makes me able to touch 'er. I just know I can."

"We're going to run a series of tests to determine that, Mortimer," Jean Grey said.

Bloody bitch. Okay, I can play along. "Brandon," I said.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

I put on a pained expression. "Call me Toad. Call me Brandon. Call me Bran, if yew really want to. But don'na call me Mortimer."

"Bran?"

That was Logan. "My middle name," I explained. Okay, good. Nothing really personal, nothing I couldn't handle answering. See? I can be social. I can, I can. I am the little Toad that could.

"Well, Brandon, we'll get started on a series of tests tomorrow." That was the good doctor again.

"Yes," Xavier agreed. I could feel him trying to poke around in my head some more, and I firmly shut him out. "I think there's only one thing more we need to discuss for now. Your ankle band."

"What about it?"

"You cannot leave the school premises while wearing it. If you do, it'll send off a transmission that we will be able to follow."

"Yeah, I heard this part before. And if I try to take it off, I get shocked."

"That's not all."

There's more?

"If, at any time, you put one of the students or my people in danger, I have the ability to end your existence. I will be watching you very closely, Toad. Don't make me have to hurt you."

Cor, it was just like being with Magneto. Don't fuck up, Toad. and Get it right, Toad. No difference between the two of them.

"There's a huge difference. I will protect those I care about with every fiber in my body. Magneto would hurt those he's supposed to care about because his morality has been twisted. Consider it."

Wolverine put a hand on the Professor's shoulder. "Easy, Chuck."

I got glares from all around the room. Finally, Cyclops broke the tension by saying, "Come, let's go to dinner. The kids will wonder where we all went."

Logan grabbed me by the arm and I allowed him to drag me down the hallway. With my mental shields firmly in place, I began to alter my plan. Get the girl to like me. Find a way out of the bracelet.

Seduce the Wolverine. Oh yeah. That one would be for my own personal satisfaction.

Dinner was a somber affair that had me sitting between Rogue and Wolverine. I didn't eat much, just pushed the food around on my plate with my fork. Twice during the meal Rogue turned to me and opened her mouth to say something, but refrained.

"Right, that's it," I said, pushing my chair back. "If anyone needs me, yew'll know where I'll be."

I stomped out of the room and down the hall, stopping when I got to the front doors. He said off the property, not outside...

I pushed the door open and walked into the cold night air. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself and stared up at the night sky. What was I doing here? All I really needed to do was get the girl, get rid of the ankle device, and get the hell out. That was it. So why was I trying to make this harder on myself?

Footsteps sounded behind me. Marie. "The cold air always helps me clear my head, too."

I turned to face her slowly. She didn't look at me, just kept talking. "Ever since I found out I was a mutant, all I wanted to do was die. Then I met up with Logan and the rest of the people here. They helped me deal with my mutation, accepting me for who I am and not judging me because of my chemistry. Then your boss showed up and tried to destroy the first bit of happiness I had."

She turned to me, looked me straight in the eyes. "I've just begun to accept my mutation completely, a year later. Then you show up again and bring me a blessing and a curse. You have the ability to touch me. You also have the ability to destroy my life. Half of me wants you to stay here. The other half wants you as far away as you can possibly be. Do you have any idea how confusing that is? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me, to want to touch you when I should be terrified of you?"

I shook my head no.

"I'm seventeen years old," she continued. "Most girls my age are dating, holding hands with their boyfriends. The first boy I ever kissed ended up in a coma for three weeks. I almost killed Logan a couple of times, and all due to some freak chemical in my skin. When I touch someone, I absorb his or her life-force. I take a person's energy and make it my own. When I touch a mutant, I absorb whatever ability they have, like Magneto's ability to use that machine. I can't touch anyone, ever, for fear of killing an innocent."

"Except for me."

"Except for you," she agreed. "With you, it's different."

I couldn't help but be curious. "How so?"

"When you were unconscious, I spent a lot of time holding your hand, marveling at the feel of another person's skin on my own. Instead of absorbing your life-force, I seemed to be able to absorb your emotions and memories."

"Like what?"

She sat on the steps and gestured for me to do the same. "Like what?" I repeated, suddenly uncomfortable.

"You joined the Brotherhood because you hate humans, and fear them. You think they'll all hurt you and reject you, like your parents did. You resented your mutation because it made you different than everybody else. So when Magneto came along and offered you a home, and hope... you fell in with him out of desperation. But he needed you to serve a purpose. Don't deny it," she said, when I started to cut her off. "You know it's true. That made him no better than the family that abandoned you when you needed them most, did it?"

Living in my thoughts was scary enough. But hearing them pour out of someone else's mouth was a combination of horror, shock and pain. "Stop," I pleaded.

"You continue to work for him because you feel you have no other place to go. You feel that no one wants you, no one cares about you. You've got all the moves to defend yourself, and you use them to keep people from hurting you. But you built up walls around yourself so people couldn't hurt you emotionally, either. You use sarcasm to cover fear, anger to cover sadness. I might not be able to physically touch people, but I can touch them mentally. I can touch their hearts. I think that's much more important than any physical touch, don't you?"

I jerked to my feet and drew back a hand to hit her, but she didn't even flinch. "Guess all those psychology courses in school helped me accurately analyze the pictures in your head, huh."

I was angry and confused; my fist dropped harmlessly to my side. Maybe that's why I was stalling. Maybe it was better to be looked after and despised by these X-Men then used, ignored, and discarded by Magneto.

I turned away from her, walked a few paces into the snowy yard. "Toad?" She asked.

"What?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe you need me as much as I need you?"

I stiffened. "I don'na need anybody."

She rose from the steps and walked next to me so we were standing side-by-side. Then, she intertwined her bare fingers with mine and squeezed gently. "Okay," she said softly. "Okay."

I couldn't sleep. I'd let a mere slip of a girl try and sway me from my mission.

Don't you mean Magneto's mission?

That was the little niggling voice I refused to acknowledge as my conscience. "Shut up," I snapped into the silence of the room.

But doesn't it seem strange? Yew spent a year successfully staying alive. Then suddenly Magneto's back and he has you running in circles again.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, pained. Lying down wasn't helping. I got up and threw on a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt. Then I quietly slipped out of my room and down the stairs. FOOD , my empty stomach protested. Kitchen, here I come.

I wasn't the only one up for a midnight snack. I got to the doorway and paused, noticing Wolverine by the sink. He was in pajama bottoms, bare-chested, and guzzling milk straight from the carton. When he finished, he set the carton down and belched. Then, never turning to see me, he said, "Ya gonna stand there all night?"

"Wasn'a sure I was welcome."

"If ya had hit Marie, ya'd already be dead."

I didn't doubt the sincerity of his words. "Yew were listenin'?"

"Someone had to go after her and make sure she was safe. When ya ran out, she followed ya. Kids. They don't think."

He was eating cold steak slices off a plate, and my stomach chose that moment reawaken with a growl. He raised an eyebrow and sighed in exasperation. "Here," he said, pushing the plate down the counter and toward me. "Eat. Ya didn't do anything at dinner but rearrange yer plate."

I picked up a slice of meat and chewed thoughtfully. "Did yew hear much?"

"All of it," he said, swallowing the piece of food in his mouth.

I paused. "Yew gonna mention it to the Professor?" I asked casually, reaching for another piece of food.

"No," he said. "When I first got here, Xavier went creepin' around in my head. Didn't like it much. So I'll make a deal with ya; help the kid as best ya can, and the conversation stays here."

That sounded easy enough; I was stuck here, anyway. "Right."

We ate in silence for a few moments. "She's very young," he said suddenly.

I made a noise of agreement. Where was he going with this?

He stopped eating. "Look. I know ya got a good sense o' smell. I know that you can tell that she's at an age where any touch feels like somethin' special."

Don't tell me I was gonna get a lecture on the birds and the bees! "Are yew warnin' me off 'er? I can'na help her reactions to a touch, Wolverine. She's young, sure. She's excitable. I touch her, she gets wet."

I barely had time to duck the punch he swung. "Don't ya ever talk about her that way again!"

"All right! All right!" I replied, blocking, ducking, and backing out of range. "Bloody hell! Are yew more worried that I'll hurt 'er, or more jealous that yew can'na touch her yourself?"

Not the right thing to say. I didn't even get a chance to react before he was on top of me, straddling my chest, snarling in my face. "I care deeply for Marie. An' I don't want her first time being with some twisted pervert!"

Fucking accusations. Fucking accusations about sick little fucked-up me. Well, fuck you Logan, here it comes. I lashed out at him with my tongue, pushing him off me and knocking him into the refrigerator doors. "Sod off!" I yelled. "Dew yew think I was born enjoyin' that? Let me tell yew somethin', Logan. Men don'na care what yew look like when yew have a tongue that'll bring 'em off in seconds! And I didn'a care what they did, as long as the bloody bastards paid! Hew was I to say 'no' to the cash that got me food an' shelter?"

The room got deathly still until the kitchen light flashed on and a grumpy-looking Cyclops snapped, "What is going on down here?"

We'd knocked over a few pots and pans, and Logan's weight had dented the fridge door. We glared at each other accusingly. "Nothing," Logan finally said. "We were just talkin'."

"Tone it down, then. You're scaring the children, and the rest of us really would like to be able to sleep." He looked about to add something else, but he didn't. He turned on his heel, stalked out of the room, went up the stairs and presumably to bed.

We watched him leave, and the silence remained for a moment more. "So that's yer deal, eh?"

"Among other things," I sighed. "Yew don'na spend weeks on the streets of London wi'out doin' somethin' to make money."

Bloody hell. I'd been awake less than twenty-four hours, and I'd been analyzed by almost everybody in the building. Both of the telepaths had tripped around my head. Marie had taken my feelings when I had been knocked out. And now, after being called a pervert, I had voluntarily blurted out information I'd never told anyone else. "Why dew yew all keep tryin' to figure me out?" I bit off, suddenly. "All yew need from me is help for the girl. Yew don'na need anythin' else."

"That's not the way it works around here. Xavier and his people don't take without giving back. They don't use and discard people. They genuinely give a damn about every mutant alive. Even you."

I pulled out a chair at the table and sat down. I felt like I was experiencing sensory overload. He leaned against the counter and looked me over. "So have ya tried to get the anklet off yet?"

I didn't respond. He continued. "If ya had been really desperate ta get out o' here, ya woulda tried ta get it off already. But ya aren't ready ta leave yet, are ya? Yer curious. Marie was right. Ya need to be here as much as Marie needs ya here."

When I get angry, I fight sloppily. It never fails. I got up and tipped the chair over, swinging at him. "Yew don'na know anythin' about me!"

It came as no surprise to me that he caught my hand. It surprised the hell out of me when he yanked me forward so we were pressed chest-to-chest. "I think yer afraid that I know ya too well, kid."

Too much information, too much information... I was freaking out. Smells, thoughts, feelings, everything I had managed to suppress for years suddenly rose to the surface. Sure. I could've denied his statement. I could've wrapped my tongue around his throat and choked him. I could've kicked him in the balls and fought harder.

I was tired of fighting it, fighting the concern and warmth these people emanated whenever they were around each other. Their caring was a palpable thing. And I wanted a part of it, God help me, I really did. So I chose to relax into his iron hold. I chose to put my head on his chest and snuggle into him. I wanted to feel his warmth, enjoy the clean, masculine scent of him. It was mine, if only for a moment. It was all mine to take.

He released my fist and warm arms encircled me. "You've been a tough guy fer a long time, kid. But it's time ta stop bein' alone and angry. It's okay ta let people in. If I can, anyone can. And if they'll accept someone like me into their inner circle, then they could learn to accept ya, too."

I could smell the salt of the tears forming in my eyes, and I blinked them back. Don'na cry, idiot, I chided myself. But Logan didn't care. He ran a hand up and down my spine with such infinite gentleness that I felt the dam break. "That's it," he encouraged. "Let it out."

He held onto me for what seemed like forever. And when I had sniveled myself out, he only held me tighter so I couldn't pull away. "Yew know," I said, pressing closer, "yew were the last one I expected this from."

"Well, don't tell anyone," he chuckled. "You'll ruin my reputation as a hard-ass."

I smiled against his fur. I realized what our body contact was doing to him; he was trying hard to hide it, but he couldn't lie to my nose. "Logan..." I purred, rubbing against him.

He set me back from him a step or two, looked me in the eye. "Not the way I do things, kid. I don't help someone ta get something from it. Now go ta bed."

I started to protest, but he put a finger over my lips. "Things come in time, not in a rush."

I couldn't believe my ears. He was interested? In me? Did I just fall into the Twilight Zone? Testing things out, I licked his fingertip, thrilled when he groaned softly. "Kids. Ya don't think."

"I'm not a kid," I said, frowning.

"Yeah ya are," he said, smiling at my dismay. "Ya just need ta remember it once in awhile."

"Yew gonna teach me?"

He chuckled. "Yer gonna learn a lot from all of us, kid. I promise ya that."

I rolled my eyes, turned, and headed for the stairs. It seemed I was stuck with a new nickname.

It also seemed I was stuck with Logan. And that was just fine with me.

One Week Later

The only ones who still glared at me were Jean Grey and the Professor. Everyone else had taken to basically ignoring me, except for Logan and Rogue. Which was okay by me, too. Getting to know two people on a relatively social level was difficult enough. Little did I know I was shy and tongue-tied more than half the time. This caused great amusement, and I heard WAY too many tongue jokes to count.

Anyway.

I had convinced Logan that I didn't pose a threat to Marie. Even though I had blocked out the telepaths, I couldn't lie to Logan's nose. Ever. I even tried a couple times, just to see. He always called me on it, the bastard. But that was cool, too. At least I managed to stay out of trouble.

Which meant I was due for something terrible.

The shit hit the fan when I was least expecting it to. The day had been cold, but no new snow was falling, and I had convinced the two of them to leave me alone for an afternoon. Honestly, I had been cooped up inside too long and desperately needed to get outdoors. So they left me to my own devices. That was the first mistake.

The second mistake came in the form of a direction choice. I walked out by the boat house. It was nice, looking at the still-frozen lake, breathing in the fresh air from under a layer of coats. Hey, I'm an amphibian. We don't do cold weather well.

I spied an oar hooked onto the boathouse wall, and went over to inspect it. It wasn't this short little paddle, but an oar. It was maybe eight feet long and thin, with a rounded end to cut through the water. It was a perfect play toy for me.

Okay, so I get to brag a moment. I love weaponry, and I'm bloody good with it. I swung the oar over my head like a staff, thrusting into an imaginary opponent. I started twirling it slowly, moving in circles, working the oar faster and faster until it was a blur.

Then came the worst mistake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone sneaking up behind me. Natural reaction took over sense, and before I knew it, I'd knocked my would-be attacker down and had him pinned to the ground with a paddle in his face.

Her face.

Jean Grey glared up at me and I dropped the paddle to the side. "Yew all right?"

She didn't get up and didn't answer. I offered her my hand but she jerked back. "Don't touch me," she spat. "You could've killed me with that thing."

"I didn'a mean to. All I saw was someone creepin' up behind me," I explained. "Did I hurt yew?"

"Like you'd care," she snorted. "Back up."

I took a step backwards. "I'm sorry," I said, honestly.

"Liar," she said. "You know, Toad, I'm really impressed. I don't know how you ever managed to gain Logan's trust, or Marie's, but I see right through this little charade. I don't need to be a telepath to know you're only here to do us all harm."

I didn't respond; I didn't want to buy into her bullshit. She cackled gleefully. "See? You can't even answer me because you know I'm telling the truth! Why are you still here, Toad? Why haven't you tried to leave?"

"Cause Marie needs me. And I like it here."

She got up, and before she turned to go, she said, "I used to think that all mutants deserved a chance for redemption. But watching you play this charade makes me sick. If Marie didn't need you, I 'd throw you out so fast your head would spin. But you'll never be worth a second chance, Toad. Don't forget it."

If she had stuck a knife in my chest, it wouldn't have hurt so much. I watched her head for the main house. It hurt. Damn it. That's what happens when you open yourself up to feelings and emotions and all that crap. You get hurt.

I sat down on the ground, shaking. She was right. I didn't belong here. Marie had learned to live without touching, and so far the tests Jean had done hadn't brought a solution to light. All I was doing was wasting everyone's time, including my own.

But where to go? What to do?

It would be easier for everyone if you just weren't here.

I wasn't sure if that was my conscience, or Jean Grey sending me messages. Either way, the message was right. I didn't need to do any more damage than I already had.

I looked to the lake. Freezing to death would work, but I was too chicken to jump in the water. Besides, I wouldn't drown. Again, froggish misfortune.

Then it hit me. I hadn't thought about taking off the anklet bracelet since I got here. I hadn't wanted to hurt myself, hadn't wanted to leave. Take it off, Bran. Take it off and it's all over. Yew get your just desserts, and these people get their lives back.

It was so easy. I just reached down and played with the clasp. The world exploded into color, and then there was nothing.

The next time I opened my eyes, everything hurt. Damn, but it was getting old waking up confused.

"Brandon?"

"Marie? What're yew doin' in Hell?"

"You're not dead." Her voice was low and filled with concern.

"Can't even kill myself properly, can I?"

"Don't say that!" She snapped at me. "What the hell do you think you were doing out there today? First, you ask Logan and me to leave you alone. Why? So you could kill yourself?"

"You don'na know?"

"Know what?"

"You didn'a touch me," I said.

"I can't touch you, your hand's bandaged up."

Oh. "Who bandaged me up?"

"Jean did. Logan's the one that found you, half-frozen and charred. What were you thinking?"

"Didn'a want to be anymore trouble."

"You're not making sense. You haven't been trouble, not to me."

"Jean."

"What about Jean?"

"Hates me."

"Bran, she doesn't..."

"Hates me," I whispered again. "I'm too much trouble."

Her brow knitted. "Mortimer Brandon Toynbee, did you do this because of something Jean said?"

I didn't answer. "If you don't answer, I'll get Logan to sniff it out of you."

I chuckled and it hurt. "Hold still," she ordered. "Come on. Tell me the truth."

I couldn't destroy her faith in her friend... "It wasn'a all Jean."

"But she said something."

"Leave it be," I said. "I'll live, I'll leave, and things will go back to the way they were before I ever showed up."

"And where would you go? What would you do? There's no way I'm letting you walk out that door, not now. Not when..."

She stopped and her breathing hitched. "Marie?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Not just as I've come to actually like you," she sighed. "I like you. You try to be awful and obnoxious, but I don't care, because deep down you're really nice."

I didn't know what to say. "Marie."

"Hush. Right now I want you to get better for me, okay? I'll take care of everything else. I promise. But you rest, and don't worry about it anymore."

I tried to protest, but I was too tired. She smoothed my hair out of my face and got up. I watched her leave and shut my eyes tight. She had just said the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me in my entire life; she said she cared.

I got better in the next few days. Jean got nicer in the next few days. I asked often what had been said, but neither Logan nor Marie would confess. I suddenly realized I was awfully glad they were on my side, instead of against me.

My hand healed quickly enough, but my ankle kept getting rubbed raw by that damn band. It was painful to walk, and even more painful when I had to get poked, prodded and stabbed in the medical lab. I didn't complain.

I didn't want to complain and give that bitch the satisfaction of hearing me. But Marie knew I hated it. And so did Logan.

Logan. He'd become my most trusted ally in the house, next to Marie. I found myself more than once in the kitchen at midnight, hoping he'd show up. He often did, and he'd talk to me and listen to me. Normally, he'd start a conversation with a question and then look at me expectantly. I couldn't help it; something in his gaze made me want to spill my guts to him time and time again.

He never criticized. He never judged. It was the best kind of therapy I'd received in my life, the ability to talk openly and honestly to someone without being afraid, knowing he'd never tell anyone else.

And then he kissed me.

I hadn't realized I was in love with him till that very moment.

"Bran?"

"Hmm?" I replied.

"I wanna take ya ta bed."

I giggled. "By all means, then."

"Yer not just a quick lay, ya know."

It was obvious that Logan had become attached to me, too. "Logan. Yew've been so good tew me. Yew're the closest friend I've ever had. The best friend I've ever had. If yew wanna take me tew bed, please dew."

It was all he needed. One second I was sitting on a kitchen stool, the next I was hanging in his arms like a baby. "Logan, put me down!" I hissed. "My legs aren't broken!"

"Hush," he said. "I'm takin' ya out to the boathouse, kid."

"Are yew sure yew meant to say bed me an' not kill me?"

He glared down at me and I shut up, curling into his body heat. Damn, I'd never admit it, but I really liked it when he went caveman. It was sexy. And it was turning me on.

He took a deep breath and chuckled low in his throat. "Soon," he promised. "Soon."

I was ready right then and there. All I wanted was his body. I wanted his caring. I wanted his warmth.

I wanted his heart. How do you tell someone that?

I didn't have to. We made it to the boathouse in record time, I'm sure. He put me down and went in first, turning on a lamp. I followed behind him and blinked. When I thought of boathouse, I thought of a dank, wet place to stick a boat. But this place was nothing like that. It was more of a spare apartment, with a little living area, a kitchen, and a bedroom. Sure, it was small. But it was cozy. Safe. Secure. Almost like Logan himself.

"This is where I stay most of the time. I'm only in the mansion when they ask me to be."

"Yew mean, yew live out here?"

"Yea."

I looked around. "I think I'm jealous."

He chuckled, and I stepped into his arms. "Logan, tomorrow, I'm demanding the full tour. Tonight, all I want to see is the bedroom."

"Is that an order?"

"Sort of." Logan wasn't the type anyone with a brain would order around. It was weird. I knew I could take Logan in a fight, but I didn't really care about that anymore. I no longer thought of him as 'the enemy' or 'the competitor'. He had become to me exactly what I'd said: a friend. Maybe a mentor.

And soon to be a lover.

I swallowed hard, ducked my gaze to look at him through my eyelashes. "Logan, would yew please give me a tour o' your bedroom?"

He cupped a hand under my jaw and lifted my gaze to meet his. "Gladly," he replied.

Then his mouth came down hard on mine and his tongue parted my lips. I groaned and closed my eyes, allowing him to thoroughly examine my tonsils. Since my hands were free, I put them to good use: I untucked his shirt from his pants and slid my fingers along the warm, well-muscled skin of his back. He released my mouth and growled at me lazily. "Logan," I whispered. "Please."

He stepped back from me, tugging his jacket and shirt off in one fluid motion. "Strip for me."

I did, and quickly. I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of physically. Between my love of exercise and my mutation, I had a shape any male would want, abs, pecs and lats all defined and ready for anything. (Okay, and I admit it. I'm not badly hung, either.) But I was used to stripping down and going down for a john who paid me to.

I was in no way ready for Logan to pull my naked body flush against his, allowing our erections to brush. It sent electric lightning up my spine and I stiffened. "Easy," he soothed. "This isn't about speed. It's about pleasure."

I was suddenly glad he was a few inches taller than I; it gave me the perfect opportunity to nuzzle into his neck and lick the skin I found there. Who needs to make an audible reply, when you have animal lust on your side?

But he put a hand in my hair and stopped me from my explorations. "I need to hear ya say ya want this, too."

I couldn't help but love him, could I? "I'm more than okay wit' this, Logan. Take me to bed. Claim me as your own."

He growled and I internalized a grin. Oh yes, he liked that idea. Claiming is a big thing. When wolves mate, they claim each other for life. Being Logan's for life wasn't looking all that bad to me, either. I imagined a tattoo on my ass that said: PROPERTY OF THE WOLVERINE. I started grinning like an idiot.

He looked at me with an eyebrow raised, and I explained. The idea made him grin, too. "That's not such a bad thought," he said.

"Logan!" I protested.

He chuckled and scooped me up again, this time not stopping until he deposited me on his bed. I landed with a soft WHOOSH and then lost my breath again as he landed on top of me. He rolled so he was on his side and I was sprawled on my back next to him. "Hold still," he ordered firmly.

I did, but it was hard to breath with him touching me and kissing me. His lips traveled over my face, my neck, my chest; he licked my nipples until they were so sensitive I could barely stay still. His mouth moved lower, along my stomach, and lower still to my calves. I didn't hold back anything from him, knowing we were well out of earshot from the house. And he seemed to get more and more turned on by every little sound.

Before I knew it, he had my legs spread and was lapping at my balls, slowly trailing wet kisses down to my anus. His tongue swept over me once, twice; I was yelping as if in pain, it hurt so nicely. "Logan!"

He was over me again, this time with my legs over his shoulders. He carefully slid greasy fingers into me. "Where'd yew get lube?" I asked breathlessly.

"Butter from the fridge," he replied. Then his mouth descended upon mine again. "Ya okay?"

"Yeah. It feels so bloody good," I purred. I didn't need to act. He could smell and feel every place in my body that made me squirm and beg for more. No one had ever taken me so thoroughly or properly before. It was amazing.

Soon one finger went to two, and two to three. I was slick and ready for him, and begging him to continue. "Logan, please. I'm gonna die 'ere."

He entered me with just the head, practically folding my entire frame in half, and stopped. "I'm not gonna break," I informed him.

He chuckled. "Kid, yer gonna learn the meanin' of slow if I have to beat it into ya."

I arched an eyebrow. "Really? Yew mean we might 'ave to dew this over and over?"

He chuckled again, then roared as I clamped down hard on him. I squeezed harder, pulling him deeper into me. "Toad!"

"Tsk, tsk. Back to formal names?"

He shook sweat out of his eyes. "Brandon. Slow. Down."

"Later," I pleaded. "Now I just want yew fucking me 'arder."

I think I managed to break what little control he had left. I could feel the sudden change in personality; he knew he couldn't hurt me, didn't have to worry about me breaking or anything. It was like opening Pandora's Box, and all the most amazing things in the world suddenly came out.

Each thrust rubbed my sweet spot, and it was Heaven. Each thrust bent me further, and it was Hell. I wrapped my fingers into his shoulders and held on as I was literally pounded into the mattress. Every time I'd cry out, he only thrust harder until I felt my balls tighten and...

..and he clamped a hand around the base of my cock, sending all of my come slamming back into my balls. I yelped in pain, and he stopped moving. "Who do ya belong to?"

"Logan!" I protested.

"Who do ya belong to?" He growled again.

"I belong to yew," I said, and then turned my head to one side to expose my neck to him. "Make me belong to yew."

He sank his teeth into my neck and released my cock from its prison within his fist. I came screaming so loudly I was sure I'd awakened the entire state, not only the neighborhood.

Logan took two final thrusts and came in me, filling me with heat again. He collapsed on top of me and our bodies stuck together sweatily. "I said slowly," he grumbled good-naturedly.

I laughed. "Later," I promised. "I just... I wanted yew so badly, Logan."

"I know. I wanted ya, too."

"It's such a new feeling," I confessed.

"Lovin' someone, or feelin' loved?"

"Both," I said, embarrassed. "Do yew love me?"

"Yeah. What about ya? Who do ya love?"

I didn't answer at first. Then he surprised me. "I know ya love Marie. Do ya love me, too?"

I wasn't used to this vulnerable side of Logan. I didn't even know he had one. I wrapped my arms around his back and held onto him tighter. "Yew bet your ass I do."

"And if ya love Marie, will ya take care of her?"

I pulled my head back so I could look him in the eye. "Why're we talkin' about this now?"

"Because I feel a bit..."

He said the last word so softly I couldn't hear him. "What?"

"I feel guilty for calling you a fucked-up pervert."

"Logan, yew don'na 'ave to feel guilty. Yew an' I, we weren't friends then. Not lovers. Not anything to each other but enemies."

"I know. But yer not anything like ya first seemed ta be."

"Yew aren't either," I reminded him. He grinned. "Logan, if your givin' me your blessing..."

I felt him pinch my ass hard, and I squealed. "Ya hush," he said. "I'm not sayin' anything of the sort."

"So what are yew sayin'?"

"I'm sayin' that I want ya to give her what only ya can. I just wanna know that she'll be happy. And I'll be happy."

"I will do everything I can to make her happy. And I'll do anything yew want to make yew happy. Promise."

"Anything?" He asked mischievously. "Anything at all I want?"

"Logan..."

I never had a chance to finish my reply before he pounced again.

If anyone knew the truth, they didn't say anything. Jean Grey gave me just as many dirty looks as usual, so I wasn't really sure if she knew or not. I'm sure the giant hickey on my neck was a giveaway. Even I couldn't heal that fast. Yet in any case, I didn't care. I was happy. Content. It was the first time in years I felt truly alive, and I wasn't gonna let her ruin it for me.

She had me seated on one of the examining tables, shirt off, with little plastic suction things on my chest. Marie sat across from me, smiling. "You look like the Frankenstein monster with all of those wires coming off of you."

"He looks like that anyway," Jean muttered, just loudly enough for both of us to hear her.

"Sod off," Marie snapped.

I blinked. Wasn't that my line?

"Oh, God help me, he's rubbed off," Jean snapped. "Marie, don't say that!"

I started to snicker. "I think it was kinda neat."

Marie and I sat there snickering for a minute until the doctor stabbed me in the arm with a needle. "Ouch!" I exclaimed. "Give a guy a warnin'!"

"Sorry," she said sweetly. "This'll help relax your muscles so I can do a bone density scan."

"What's that?"

"She's going to stick you in a CAT scan tube and take X-rays of your bones," Marie explained.

"Doesn'a hurt?"

"No, you big baby," Marie giggled.

I sighed. I couldn't believe I was volunteering for pain. "All right."

After a few moments, I started to feel dizzy. "Wha' was in tha'?"

"A sedative."

"Jean! You said you were giving him a muscle relaxant, not knocking him out!" Marie exclaimed.

"I have to take his ankle band off to get a proper reading in the CAT scan. I don't want him going anywhere in the meantime."

"Naught goin' anywheres," I slurred, feeling my entire body sinking. "Stayin' ear."

"Jean, he doesn't need that anymore. He's not leaving, and he's not going to hurt me or anyone else."

I couldn't hear what the doctor replied; I was too busy fighting to stay awake. "M'rie?"

She stroked my head gently. "Don't worry. It'll be gone when you get up. Though it'll take you awhile to wake up, Bran. Okay?"

I don't remember nodding off, but I do remember waking. I couldn't even sit up after the tests were done. Then Logan came in. I guess Marie had asked for him, because he picked me up and brought me to the couch in the TV room. "Sit here," he said, handing me the remote. "It'll wear off in awhile."

I looked at my ankle; it was bandaged up. "Wha'?"

He understood. "When Jeannie took it off, she realized the skin underneath was all torn up. She couldn't bring herself to put the damned thing back on."

"Oh," I nodded sleepily. "Thank Marie?"

He chuckled and softly stroked the side of my face. "Ya got it, kid."

I don't have a clue what I was supposed to be watching, it all looked like snow. I kept fading in and out of consciousness, aware that things were happening around me, but not having a clue what was going on. The drug was either unbelievably powerful, or she'd given me a double dose. Probably the latter.

It was eleven when I finally opened my eyes completely. The room was almost dark; a lamp down the hall provided soft light. I stretched my arms and tried to flex my legs.

I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't feel my lower half. Then I realized why.

There was someone asleep on top of me.

I looked at Marie's face; her eyes were closed, her breathing was deep. Oh yeah, she was definitely out of it. She was sprawled on top of me, lying with her face on my chest and most of the rest of her between my legs. I groaned softly. This is so not good.

Actually, it was too good, that was the problem. I gently tried to slide from under her, but she shifted and one hand snaked up under my tee-shirt. Wait. When did I put on a tee-shirt?

I smelled the shirt; it smelled like Marie and faintly of Logan. Yew're wearin' one of Logan's shirts.

I couldn't help but grin. So, I was stuck here with her. I wondered if my lover knew. I wondered if he's set it up. Torture me, Logan, I thought grinning, shifting to get comfortable beneath her.

I wrapped my arms around her, careful not to wake her, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was at that moment when I realized why Logan felt for her the way he did. She was beautiful, innocent, sweet, caring, and gentle. She was a lady.

And I was in love with her, too.

How the bloody hell could yew 'ave ever wanted to take advantage of 'er? I thought, angry with myself. She's too good for yew.

She woke suddenly. "Bran?"

"Yes luv?"

Her face positively radiated. "What did you call me?"

I swear I felt my face flush. "Umm, nothin'?"

"That didn't sound like nothing," she replied.

"I'm sorry, Marie. I won't do it again."

"Not even if I asked nicely?"

"What?"

"I liked that," she said softly. "A lot."

"Oh. Ooooo..."

The light went on, and I got it. "Yew like that?"

"Mmm-hmm. But I have to ask, what were you just thinking about?"

"Were yew pickin' up on my emotions again?"

"Sort of. I felt self-loathing. Anger. And then, love."

Damn it all to hell. "There's anger, again. No," she said, furling her brow. "That was fear."

"Stop that," I admonished. "Jeez. 'S hard enough to tell a girl yew fancy 'er wit' out her reading it off yew first."

She sat up straight. "What did you just say?"

I thought for a moment what I had blurted out, then screwed my eyes tight and hid my face in my hands. "Oh, bloody hell," I said. "I didn'a mean ta say that."

"You 'fancy' me?"

I couldn't look at her in the eye. She should hate me forever for saying something so stupid.

"Bran?"

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Bloody stupid of me to say..."

She cut me off and gave me that radiant smile again. "That makes things much easier," she sighed. "I love you, too."

It was that Twilight Zone experience again. "Huh?"

"You make me feel special," she said shyly. "You listen to me and smile with me and act grumpy with me. You've been so nice in the past week. It's like you had this whole other person living in your body just waiting to be let out. Someone who could laugh and tell terrible jokes and get tongue-tied. Someone who remembered what smiling was like, and someone who was willing to deal with Jean and her experiments without ever really complaining. You know, you and Logan are a lot alike. You both act like a couple of tough guys, but your both a couple of marshmallows on the inside. It's no wonder I fell for you."

She had me right up to the last sentence, when I felt like someone threw ice water in my face. I quickly untangled myself from her and got up. "Bran?"

I didn't answer. "Did I say something wrong?" She tried again.

"Which is it, Marie," I asked. "Dew yew luv me? Or am I just a good substitute for Logan, because yew can touch me and not him?"

She came up behind me, put a hand on my arm. "That's not what I meant."

"Are yew sure?" I asked. "Look, this is the first time in my entire life that I've put m'self in a place where I could get my feelings crushed. If yew aren't sure about sayin' it, or think that may-bay this is just because I'm the one yew can touch, then I'm askin' yew to tell me now. We can pretend I never said it, but if yew wanna go on wit' this, I have to know. I have to know I'm not just a replacement..."

She tugged on my arm and I turned. Then, cupping my face in her hands, she stood on tiptoe.

And kissed me.

I didn't respond for a minute, but she pressed her body closer to mine and showed no signs of letting go. Hesitantly, I moved my mouth over hers, catching her soft sigh. My head swam with the gentleness and sweetness of her kiss, and only her need to breathe made me release her. "Yew're sure?"

"I love you. I'm sorry I didn't say it right the first time."

"And... I'm sorry I doubted yew," I said, embarrassed. "I should've trusted yew."

"No. I'm glad you said... I promise I'll not hurt your feelings. Look, Bran. I know about you and Logan, I know you love him. I could feel it... and maybe I just made a mistake when I thought about you and me. Okay? But, if you love me too, I really want to be able to love you properly. And love you without hurting you. Or getting hurt. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. Marie, do yew really think it possible to luv two people?"

"Of course I do. Now... take me to bed?"

I choked. For the first time in my life, I actually choked. "Are yew sure... dew yew think... won't yew be worried..."

She chuckled, then kissed me again. "You'll take care of me."

"Cor, cut me to the quick, luv," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Are yew sure yew've never done this before?"

"Just because I'm a virgin doesn't mean I'm an idiot," she said. "I have friends. I have books. I have Internet access."

"God bless Bill Gates," I chuckled.

"Who?"

"It was like forty years ago, the guy who revolutionized computers. Never mind," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "That's not the discussion I want to be 'aving right now."

She giggled, then squealed as I scooped her up in my arms. "Hush!" I ordered. "If yew do that, they'll probably all stampede the TV room and think I'm killin' yew!"

"Right. Quiet. I can do that."

"Remember yew said that in an hour," I teased.

She smacked my arm lightly and clung to me as I carried her up the stairs. I slowly opened the door to my room and locked it behind me, setting her on the bed. "Cor, yew're so bloody beautiful," I said, stepping back from her.

She lowered her eyes. "You're not so bad yourself."

I sat on the bed facing her so our knees were touching. Our bodies leaned together and we were kissing again, softly. I opened my mouth, traced my tongue over her lower lip and sucking it into my mouth. She gasped a little, and I let go. "Yew okay?"

Her face was flushed and she looked like some sort of child-vixen. I got harder by the seconds. "I just never experienced kissing. And certainly nothing like that."

"Careful, luv, or yew'll never get out the door past my ego in the mornin'."

She giggled. "Can you kiss me again?"

Oh, twist my arm. Our mouths met again, and this time she mimicked my actions, chewing softly on my lower lip. I made a small noise of encouragement, and she sucked a little harder. I kept kissing her, tiny kisses, and ran my hand up her arm. "Yew can touch me, yew know," I whispered into her mouth.

Cautious fingers ran up my arm, over my collarbone, and down the front of my shirt. "Shirt's in the way," she muttered.

I leaned back from her and pulled the interfering article over my head, tossing it into a corner of the room. She started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing, but I put a hand over hers. "No rush," I said. "C'mere an' kiss me."

She smiled and I knew I'd said the right thing. We kissed awhile longer this time, and she was running her fingers over my ribs, chest, and stomach. She got to a spot right beneath my navel and I guffawed.

She jerked her hand back. "Ticklish?"

"I guess I am," I admitted. "But it didn'a hurt."

She put her hand on the sensitive skin again, touching lightly, and I felt my muscles tense under her fingertips. "You have an amazing body," she said. "I can feel each individual muscle move."

I didn't know how to respond to that one; no one had ever bothered to care about me in the past. "I... thank yew."

Her hand started to drift lower until it was almost in my lap. Then, her eyes widened and she yanked her hand back. I caught her hand in mine and brought it back to my lap, placing her fingers over the lump in my pants. "S'okay," I said through gritted teeth. "Touch. Experience."

"Are you hurt?"

I burst into soft laughter. "On the contrary, it feels great. But yew're killin' me, luv, with that gentle touch o' yours."

I think she realized the power she had over me at that moment. An attractively naughty smile spread over her face, and she tightened her grip on me. "How's that?"

I jerked. It took all of my willpower not to tear off her clothes, flip her over, and bury myself inside her. "Christ."

Nimble fingers undid the button on my fly and tugged down the zipper, stroking my bare skin for the first time. "You're not wearing any..." Her face turned red.

I raised an eyebrow. "Didn'a think yew'd ever dew this, eh?"

"No," she said. "It's... cool."

I think that was a new one; no one had ever referred to my dick as 'cool' before. She stroked her fingers up and down my shaft, watching with wide eyes as it expanded and sought her touch. "Marie? Yew mind stoppin' for a minute so I don'na embarrass m'self?"

She stopped and I breathed a deep breath. "How about we get a bit more comfortable?"

I needed a minute to get everything under control again. How mortifying. Even with an animal's staying power she had me ready to explode in minutes.

She unbuttoned her shirt slowly and slid it off her pale shoulders, letting it drift to the floor. I leaned forward and kissed her neck, trailing wet kisses across her collarbone and down over the mounds of her breasts. She was gasping softly and pressing her chest closer to my face, silently begging for more.

I reached behind her with one hand and undid the clasp of her bra, sucking one of her now-bare nipples into my mouth. I whirled my tongue around it, felt it turn into a little peak in my mouth. Then, I turned my attention to her other nipple, giving it the same attention. She was moaning above me, and I stopped. "'Ave to be quiet," I said, pressing a kiss upon her lips. "Yew'll wake everyone up."

"Quiet. Right."

"I can do that," we both chimed, then started to laugh. I kissed her again and then got up, kicking off my shoes and undressing completely. Her eyes got huge and she looked away, blushing. "Bran," she started.

"I'm no' gonna do anythin' yew don'na want me to."

She looked in my eyes, blinked. Then, she got up and slowly undressed for me. She was beautiful, and soft, with just the slightest womanly curves... "I don'na know how I'm gonna survive this," I said.

She giggled and came to me again, this time jumped into my arms giddily. I caught her easily and we fell back on the bed, her on top of me. She gasped as I rolled to the side so she was on her back and I was on my side next to her. "Just relax. I wanna explore yew. And hush," I added, licking her nose.

She stayed relatively quiet as I worked a path over her body. I examined every pore, licking her navel, kissing the soft flesh between her toes. She was moaning steadily now, and I was practically drilling a hole in the mattress. Okay, now. Get her ready.

I wormed my way between her thighs, placing gentle kisses all over each one, moving up and to her stomach again. I kissed the spot over her womb, the same place she tickled me, then used my tongue to trace a path down into her brown curls. She reached out for me and I caught her hand, tangling it in my hair. "Easy," I purred. "It'll feel good, I promise."

"It...already...does..."

I let my tongue out, just a little, tracing her inner folds and sliding into her, using my saliva as lubricant. She was making sounds again, biting her lip and thrashing her head. I stopped for a moment to watch her. "One day, I'm gonna 'ave yew shake down this building, luv."

"Soon," she threatened.

I chuckled, and lowered my head between her legs again. A sharp tug in my hair stopped me. "Want you in me."

"Marie..."

"Want you in me!" She hissed.

I couldn't say no. I moved my body over hers, bracing myself on one arm. "Give me yew're 'and."

She did. I guided her to my cock and closed her hand around it. I showed her how to guide me inside her, closed my hand over hers and moved so I was just barely inside her. "Marie, this may hurt a little."

"It's okay."

I pushed in, just a bit. Then a bit more. I felt her contract around me and paused, reigning everything in. "Okay, put yew're 'ands on my shoulders, and when it hurts squeeze down. Okay?"

She put her hands on my shoulders and braced herself there. I entered her with one clean thrust, and swallowed her scream in my mouth. And then I froze. She sobbed for a minute, writhing beneath me. "Marie. Marie. Breathe, luv. It only lasts a second."

She took deep breaths, started wiggling around experimentally. Then, she curled her fingers into my shoulders. "Wow."

I chuckled. "I haven'a moved yet."

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Told yew so," I said smugly.

She giggled. "Would you move, then?"

I took a tentative thrust, and she raked her fingernails down my back. "God!"

"Good or bad?"

"MOVE!" She hissed.

Oh yeah. Definitely good. I thrust a bit harder this time, feeling her clamp around me again. Angling slightly up, I pushed into her again, once again catching her scream in my mouth. We moved together, and for awhile I couldn't feel where I ended and she began. She started panting my name, over and over, digging her fingers deeper into my skin.

"Bran!" She cried, and came for the first time in her life.

I gritted my teeth and stopped moving. She spasmed around my cock, and I fought for dear life to hang on. After a minute or two, she settled beneath me. "Why aren't you..."

"Wanna make sure yew're okay."

She stretched up, kissed my eyes, my nose, my lips. "You're horribly charming, you know that?"

"Just don'na tell."

She giggled in my ear then suckled on the lobe. Her hands roamed from my back to my ass and she pulled my tighter against her. "Please?"

I came without ever taking another thrust. Her voice, her smile, her smell undid me.

After the room stopped spinning, I allowed myself to collapse on the bed beside her. Then, I pulled her into the crook of my shoulder and she tossed her leg across my waist. "That was amazing," she said.

"I'd be inclined to agree," I replied. "I luv yew."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

She curled into me and closed her eyes. I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Go to sleep. We have a long time together, pet."

She started to snore softly and I kissed her again. "A very long time."

We didn't get up until Marie heard the Professor scolding her telepathically. At that point, we both scrambled for the shower and dressed quickly. She beat me down the stairs and to the breakfast table by seconds, where everyone was waiting.

And staring. There was nothing like making an entrance. "Sorry," she mumbled, blushing hotly.

Well, if they were unsure before, they were totally sure now. Logan looked at me and raised an eyebrow, and I felt my own face flush greener. "What?" I snapped, sitting down.

He grinned and growled. Then his growl turned into uproarious laughter. "Ya should see yer faces," he roared.

Trust Logan to be supportive when everyone else looked ready to shoot me. I started to chuckle too, and Marie looked at both of us like we'd gone mad.

Thank God laughter is contagious. Suddenly, Scott Summers, of all people, choked on his food and snickered. Within minutes, the majority of the table was laughing. Even the Professor was smiling. "It seems you've found a place here with us after all."

Tentatively, I dropped the shield blocking him from my head. His eyes widened slightly. "I guess yew can call it an invitation this time," I said softly. "I don'na have anythin to hide from yew. Not anymore."

Charles Xavier gave me this warm, parental smile. It made my chest ache. "Welcome to the family," he said.

Jean pushed her chair back and left the room. I started to get up, but Marie put a hand on my arm. "Let her go. She'll need to come around in her own time."

I nodded and kissed her softly, starting another round of good-natured hooting and cat-calling. I put my head on her shoulder and whispered, "Are yew sure I can'na kill them?"

"Positive," she whispered back.

I let out a sigh and sat up again, taking a bite of my meal. Rogue got up and got herself another slice of bacon. "Anyone else want any?"

Logan made a noise and she giggled. "Right. Dumb question. Anyone other than Logan?"

No one raised a hand. She got a piece of bacon and handed it to Logan, then unthinkingly ruffled his hair. "You are so mean sometimes!"

But nothing happened.

"Marie, let go!" The Professor said, trying to quickly avert disaster.

"No, don't!" Logan said, grabbing her by the arm. Her bare arm. "Chuck... nothing's happening," he said, his eyes widening.

Marie looked faint; I jumped up and reached her just as her knees started to give way. "This isn't possible," she said, her body falling into mine.

Scott grabbed hold of her other hand to help steady her. Still, nothing happened. "Professor, what is this?"

"We need to get you to the MedLab, young lady. You too," he said, looking at me.

I nodded and followed them down the hall with Logan and Scott following closely. Jean met us in the doorway. "This is incredible. I have a theory, but I'd like to test it out."

"Of course," the Professor said.

"Good. Brandon," she said.

It took me a minute to realize she was talking to me. She'd never used the name in any other way but a curse or sarcasm. "What?" I asked.

"I want you to spit in a cup for me."

"Jeannie?"

She shook her head. "I'm serious, Logan. I think I have an idea."

So I spat, and we waited. She made a face, and then poured my toxic slime right onto her bare skin.

Even I started to yell, "Are yew out of yew're mind!" until I realized nothing was happening to her. We all stared in amazement. "What happened?" I asked, completely confused.

"It must've happened the very first time you touched her," Jean mused.

"What did?" Logan asked, looking as lost as I felt.

"Your slime was toxic, now it's not. Marie couldn't touch anyone, now she can. It's like the two skin types suddenly connected and cancelled each other out. It must've happened the first moment you two came into physical contact with each other."

"Yew mean, when I first choked 'er."

Marie put a gentle hand on my arm. "That's the past. You've changed a hell of a lot."

Everyone looked at her. "Marie, your language, please," the Professor scolded lightly.

"It's his fault." She pointed a finger at my chest, and I put a kiss on it.

"So, you're saying that he doesn't have toxic slime anymore? And she can touch people now?" Logan looked a bit shocked. "That means when you spit in my face..."

"It wasn't your healing ability that saved you. I'd already turned non-toxic by then. This whole conversation sounds so weird," I said, shaking my head. "Oh, the joys of mutation."

"I guess I got lucky, then," Logan chuckled.

"I guess I did, too."

Everyone gawked at me, and I covered my face with my hands. "Did that sound as pathetic as I think it did?"

"Yes," Jean answered.

I ignored her and looked at Marie. She was staring at her hands like she'd never seen them before. "Sweet'art?"

"I can touch people." She sounded amazed.

"Yeah, luv. Yew can."

She looked at me, then at Logan. He looked back at her, and I would've had to be blind to miss the hunger in both their eyes. The total adoration they shared for each other. I had been lucky enough to have both of them, and I knew what I had to do.

Let them have each other, too.

I opened my mouth to say something when suddenly a piercing alarm went off over my head. One of the students, a young boy ran into the room. "Professor! Professor! We're under attack! There's this really huge mutant in the yard, and he's got Jubilee, he's threatening to kill her if we don't come out with..."

He trailed off and looked at me. "Him," he said softly. "And Marie."

"Is he alone?" I asked.

"No. He's got others. They're surrounding the school. Four or five, but I couldn't see them."

"Mystique. Sabertooth. Magneto," I cursed softly. "I don'na know who else he's got wit' them, but it's not enough to..."

"This isn't your fight," Jean Grey calmly put in.

I looked at her darkly. "The 'ell it's not. Whose fight is it, then?"

"Ours."

"Yew're afraid that I'll help them."

She didn't need to answer, I could see it in her eyes. I knew exactly what I had to do. I pulled up every wall from deep within me and grinned. "Too bad, Doc. Yew're absolutely right."

I grabbed Marie and yanked her out the door, then slammed it behind me. Luckily, most of them were too shocked to react quickly. "Bran!"

"Shut up," I snapped, running for the doors with her. "Yew were so easy, weren't yew? C'mon, bitch, don't drag your feet."

She was sobbing and I felt like the biggest scumbag on earth. I smashed open the doors to the garden and came face-to-face with Sabertooth. "Hallo, Vic!"

He growled and dropped the girl he was holding. "Where've ya been, ya stupid fuck?"

"Plans went awry," I explained, shoving Marie bodily toward him. "I couldn'a get away with the girl until some reinforcements arrived."

"Well, ya got 'er. Magneto'll be pleased," he growled.

"Yes, Toad. I'm very pleased."

I turned quickly to see Magneto coming toward me. "How'd you get out of the house?"

"Really good acting ability," I shrugged nonchalantly. "When I convinced them I was redeemable, I used it to my advantage. I've just been biding my time."

Marie was still in tears, sobbing over and over "It can't be true."

I yanked her hair. "SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BRAT!"

Oh, jeez, was Logan gonna kick my ass later but good. She screamed in pain just as the brave X-Men emerged from the house. "Eric, let her go!"

That was the Professor. Magneto just smiled. "It seems I have better skills than you, old friend."

They stood there glaring at each other for a moment, and I shivered. I couldn't try to connect to the Professor, I knew Magneto would probably catch on. Could Jean trust me, just this once? Jean, listen to me. Get the Professor to stall for a few minutes until Mystique shows up. Then have your boyfriend fry the whole damn group of us. I'll make sure to have Marie out of the way by then.

Why the hell should I trust you?

Jean, yew haven'a trusted me since I first got here. But if I'm willing to have your boyfriend kill me, and still worry about Marie, then yew just bloody well might wanna trust me this once.

I'm going to regret this, I heard in my head, and then silence.

It seemed to work for a minute; the Professor lowered his tone of voice. He and Magneto spoke back and forth for awhile and then fortune smiled on me. Mystique appeared and slid into Magneto's grasp.

Jean, do it now.

I jerked Marie away from Sabertooth and pushed her to the left. "Run!" I snarled.

She didn't hesitate. Just as she was getting out of range I dodged too, only to hear a blast and agonized pain behind me. I stopped, turned, and silently cheered. Then I looked to Marie.

Who was being chased by Sabertooth, who had obviously managed to move before the blast hit.

I ran like I'd never run before, trying to catch them. I heard a commotion behind me and realized the others had started into the chase, too. I saw her run out onto the frozen pond, and I screamed at her to stop. It wasn't sturdy enough to hold her weight, and it certainly wouldn't hold if Victor Creed followed her onto the ice.

He followed. The ice broke. She froze stock still for a moment, and then disappeared into the freezing water.

I bellowed aloud, "Take out Creed!" and pulled my shirt over my head. Without thinking, I dove into the water.

And froze almost instantly. Amphibians do not mix well with ice water! Bloody Hell! I started to shake and forced my eyes to stay open. I couldn't see her anywhere. Where was she?

My toes were numb. But I forced my still-working feet to propel me further into the lake so I could find her. I saw her, about three feet down and fifteen feet away. Come on, tongue, don't fail me now.

I was so cold, I could barely reach her. But by some stroke of luck I felt my tongue connect with her arm, and I started reeling her in. Then, I kicked upward to escape the freezing water and to take a breath.

Except I couldn't surface. There was ice over my head, and it was still solid.

I was going to die, and I was going to cause Marie to die, and I had fucked up once again. I kicked at the ice, too tired and cold and weak to do more than hurt my foot. I tried again, but it was useless. Please, God. I know we haven't been close, but please don't let her die...please don't let me fail her.

It wasn't God that answered my prayers, but Logan. I saw six claws glint in the ice above me, then I was being hauled up through the hole he'd made and so was Marie. Vaguely I heard people yelling, and I saw Scott Summers pick up Marie and take her to the mansion. "Marie..."

"Hush," Logan growled at me. "Keep quiet, ya need to save energy ta stay warm."

My teeth were chattering so hard I thought my jaw would unhinge. I couldn't feel anything else except shooting pain where he was touching me. "Logan, hurts."

"I know. Ya got frost bite and yer probably gonna get hypothermia if ya don't shut up."

I think I smiled; I couldn't feel it. He was gruff because he was worried. Then it struck me that he was carrying me like a baby. We're gonna 'ave to discuss this when I wake up...

I was warm, snuggled into bed. I tried to roll over but found I couldn't; there were bodies on either side of me. Bodies?

I cautiously opened an eye. Logan was curled up around me on my left, Marie was draped across me on my right. "'Alo?"

Both of them woke with a start. "You're awake," Marie said, softly.

"Was I asleep?" I couldn't remember, everything was a blur.

"Ya almost froze ta death," Logan said.

That was just the jump start my brain needed. "Marie," I sighed, relieved. "Yew're okay."

"Thanks to you."

"What happened to the others?"

"Scott got clawed, and it sliced his arm up, but other than that, everyone's fine. The Professor has Magneto, Mystique, and Creed held down in the lower levels of the facility until we can turn them over to the police."

"Why not me?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Why would he give you to the police?" Marie asked. "You saved my life."

"I almost got yew killed," I whispered. "I betrayed your trust. I handed yew over to Sabertooth, and yew almost died."

She snuggled closer to me. "You did what you thought was necessary to catch them. I don't blame you for what happened, Bran. It wasn't your fault."

"If I'd never come here..."

"Look, enough." That was Logan. "Face it, kid. We like ya, and yer stuck with us."

I grinned. And then I suddenly realized where I was. "We're in the boathouse."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm naked."

"Mmm-hmm."

That was Logan again. I felt my face flush. "Yew both are naked."

"Good thing he has enhanced senses," Marie muttered darkly.

"What exactly happened after I passed out?" I asked. "And how long have I been out?"

"A few hours. Hmm, let's see. Scott managed to revive me almost immediately. So I was fine. But you were in trouble. We couldn't get your body temperature to stop falling."

"So we brought ya to the boathouse, and piled on the blankets, and tried ta warm ya up."

"Okay. Then what?" I asked.

Marie continued. "That wasn't working either. So Logan stripped down and curled around you."

"Ya shoulda seen the expression on Jean's face," he chuckled.

I tried my best not to grin. "Where is Jean now?"

"Well, we sent her away because Logan's as good as a space heater..."

"Hey!"

"...and you warmed up pretty quickly from there. But I was still cold, so I tucked in next to the two of you."

"And I slept through all of this?"

"You were unconscious. You were trying to avoid hypothermia. You almost died."

"No, I must've died."

"How come?" Logan asked, curiously.

"Cause this must be Heaven, though I think I ended up here on accident."

They both started to laugh at that one. "So, do you feel okay?"

"More than okay."

Marie giggled. "I think he's starting to wake up some."

"Yeah, an' yer not the one gettin' stabbed in the hip."

"Logan!" I protested, feeling my blush turn deeper.

Marie giggled again. "What do you think we should do while we're here?"

"Hmm. Bran?"

"I think yew two should make love. Yew've been wantin' to dew it for a long time."

Neither one of them were prepared for that, and both started to protest at once. I held up a hand. "Tell the truth. Yew know I'm right. Look, when I first got here, I wanted to steal Marie away and seduce Logan."

"Really?"

I glared at him and he attempted looking less enthusiastic. "However, I wasn'a expecting for any o' this to happen. But it did. Now that yew can touch people, Marie, I think yew should take advantage of it. If not wit' me, then wit' Logan. But that's it," I added.

She looked hesitant. Logan did not. I pulled Marie across me and into Logan's reach. "Yew know yew want him."

She reached a hand out, placed it on his bare chest. "I've always wanted..."

"Me, too," he said. "Me too."

Suddenly Marie practically threw herself across me and into Logan's arms. He was whispering her name over and over, tears running down his face. I smiled. Both of my lovers had found something special with each other. I knew a part of me should've been jealous as hell, but I couldn't bring myself to be angry. I was too happy for them.

Logan shifted next to me so Marie was straddling his waist. She was sobbing on top of him, kissing his face, running her fingers over his arms. He wrapped both arms around her and held on tightly.

I took it as an opportunity to move off the bed and kneel behind her. "Marie, just relax, okay?"

"What are you..."

I lowered my mouth to the pucker of her ass and licked it gently. She cried out and thrust her hips forward, eliciting a low growl from Logan. "Whatever ya did, do it again," he ordered.

I stroked his solid length with one hand, touched my tongue to her clit this time. Then, gently, I guided him into her wet heat. They both moaned. It was a wonderful sound.

She didn't move at first, but Logan moved beneath her, and she gasped. I watched as he slid in and out of her, the muscles in his legs clenching and unclenching rhythmically to keep her body pleased.

And when she came, screaming his name, I knew I had probably just witnessed the most beautiful thing I'd ever be able to see.

I rolled to the side in an effort to give them a bit more space. Well, I tried to roll to the side, anyway. Within seconds I found myself pinned face down to the bed. "An' where do ya think yer goin'?"

"Umm... nowhere?"

He let his body weight drop onto me, pressing me even further into the bed. I groaned as he wedged a knee between my legs. "Ya feelin' neglected over here?"

"No," I said, barely able to say the word. My body was too busy transferring all of my blood to my dick. Who had time to breathe?

Logan planted a kiss on the back of my neck and lapped at the skin there, and suddenly breathing seemed highly overrated anyway. Luckily, my lungs went on autopilot, and it was the only thing that kept me from passing out. His tongue moved lower down my spine and over the curve of my ass. "Open to me, Bran."

A soft gasp came from the bed next to me and I looked to Marie. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. "Marie?"

"Don't stop," she said softly. "I never could've imagined how beautiful this could be..."

I opened my mouth to answer, but Logan chose that moment to spear his tongue into me. I whimpered instead. Over and over he rotated his tongue until I felt like Jell-O. Then, just when I thought I couldn't stand anymore, he stopped. "Get up on all fours."

I scrambled to obey. I wanted him, really, really wanted him. I felt him part my ass with his fingers. When he met no resistance, he removed his fingers and entered me with a quick, hard thrust.

He was still slick from her and he slid into me easily. When I clamped down on him, he groaned. "Oh no. Not again. SLOWLY."

I grinned. "Dew yew think yew can'na control yourself wit' me?"

He chuckled. "I kin try."

I closed my eyes and waited for that first delicious thrust. It felt like lightning exploded behind my eyes. I took a deep breath and wiggled beneath him, silently giving him the go-ahead. He didn't take the offer. He didn't even move. "Logan?"

"Shh," he said, putting a kiss on my back. "This time we do it my way."

"But..."

"What part of 'shh' don't you understand?" Marie asked pointedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe I need something to keep my mouth occupied."

She turned pink and Logan chuckled. "You two," she scolded.

"I think it was a good idea," Logan said, supporting me. "Get out from under those covers."

She was still blushing when she pulled the sheet down and exposed herself to us again. "Cor, luv. How could yew ever hide anythin' that beautiful?"

Her eyes went doe soft and filled with joy. "You're so nice to me."

"Yeah, well, that's what I was thinkin'," Logan grumbled darkly.

She giggled. "I know. I love you, too."

He got impossibly harder in me as the affection left her lips, and I bit back a groan.Damn yew, Logan, MOVE!

My plea went unanswered and I sighed. "Marie," I managed. "Come sit on the pillows in front of me."

She moved, placing her ass on the pillows and her legs on either side of my arms. Still on all fours, I could dip my head down so my face was about six inches from her. "Scoot forward," I encouraged.

I suddenly got cuffed in the side of my head. "What's that tongue o' yers good for if ya don't put it ta good use?"

Oh. Duh. I flicked out my tongue so it teased her clitoris, and she bucked. Hey. This is fun! "Logan, won't yew please dew somethin'?" I purred, thrusting back and further impaling myself on him.

"Aww, shit," he said, and snapped his hips. I groaned. "Oh bloody hell, do that again..."

It was probably the most sexy thing I've ever done. Every thrust of Logan's hips sent me slamming deeper into Marie with my mouth, and every time she pushed forward I pulled back, clamping down harder on Logan. I came in minutes, doing my very best to take Marie with me over the edge. She spasmed around my tongue and yelped. "Sensitive!" she gasped.

I knew the feeling. Logan was still thrusting inside me, hitting my sweet spot every time. I couldn't keep still beneath him, it felt so intense. I cried out as he bit down on my neck, and stiffened as I felt him come inside me. "Oh, God," I said, collapsing on the bed.

He rolled off me, cuddling me to his chest, and tugged Marie down to a prone position on the other side of him. "Ya know," he said conversationally, "one day we'll have to get the meaning of slow."

I laughed, and curled up to sleep.

Six Months Later

So Magneto, Sabertooth, and Mystique ended up in the custody of the State of New York. Jean Grey still hates my guts, and I still don't care. But we've learned to tolerate each other now. And I found out that, if I talk long enough and bug the shit out of him, Scott Summers really does have a personality.

And I have two lovers, two more than I'd ever expected. Two more than I could've ever asked for.

I am sitting on the now - defrosted dock, staring at the beautiful blue lake and wondering how my life got to be this way. How I, Mortimer Brandon Toynbee, alias "Toad", ended up falling in love, finding a home, and making a life for myself. How I went from being a terrorist who hated the 'good guys' to being the P.E. teacher at a "School for the Gifted".

Life really deals a strange hand when you're not expecting it. But I adapted.

So I'm sitting here, minding my own business, when suddenly I sense someone behind me. "Hey."

Logan chuckled. "Hey yerself. Aren't ya supposed ta be teachin' now?"

"I let them out early," I said, feeling my face flush. "I felt kinda weird today, needed the air."

"Weird how?"

"Just thinking about everything that's happened," I said. "About how things were when I first got here. About how things are now."

He sat next to me, peeled off his shoes, and stuck his feet in the water. "Ya ain't thinkin' of leavin', are ya?"

"Jeez! No! Yew couldn't drag me out!"

He visibly relaxed. "Good. I'd have ta kick yer ass."

I chuckled and scooted closer to him. Sure enough, he put an arm around my shoulders and I snuggled closer. God, I'd come to need his strength and Marie's softness as much as I needed air to live. I once thought it was a weakness to depend on others. Now I find it a blessing.

"What're ya thinkin' about?" Logan asked, curiously.

"I'm thinkin' about that conversation I had with Marie when I first got here. She asked me, 'did yew ever stop to think that maybe yew need me as much as I need yew?' and I told her I didn'a need anybody."

"An' now?"

"I need all of this: the school, the kids, Marie... yew..." I paused. "I dew need people, Logan. More than I ever thought I could."

His words echoed Marie's on that night so long ago. "Okay," he said, cuddling me closer. "Okay."

The End