Title: Figuring It Out - Part Three
Author: White Witch
Email: whitewitch@poetic.com
Rating: R
Summary: It takes more than just pencil and paper to figure things out.
Feedback: Yes, please. Flames included. I just love having those bad ones. Really perk me! NOT! Just give it to me. I can handle ‘em.
Archives Rights: Fanfiction.net. You want just ask.
Disclaimers: Own nothing. Except the plot. If there’s actually one here. Hehehe... Any new characters are mine. Fox and Marvel take credit for the characters.
Author’s Notes: My first attempt at UST. Hehehe…Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I recommend you to listen to the song: Talk Show Host by Radiohead while reading this fic. It plainly sets the mood, I think. Especially when things get hot! Hehehe...I was listening to it while writing. Also, THANK YOU, MARISA, for beta-ing me!!!! Doing a series ain't easy without making lots of mistakes - grammar, spelling, etc. Glad I found her!!!;)

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PART THREE

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Radiohead - Talk Show Host lyrics

I want to, I want to be someone else or I'll explode
Floating upon the surface for
The birds, the birds, the birds

You want me, well fucking well come and find me
I'll be waiting with a gun and a pack of sandwiches
And nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing

You want me, well, come on and break the door down
You want me, fucking come on and break the door down
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready...

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The deal with Magneto was that Wolverine hated him. Simple as that. He was the only grandfather of a mutant that was powerful enough to take him on. The only wrinkled mutant that didn't even have to put up a fight to torment him with a gut-wrenching pain. Thus, it made sense for him to shun this mutant. Even fear him. 

But right now, he wouldn't have it any other way than to desperately want Erik to hurt him. Let him rearranged his insides. Ripped out his claws and made toothpicks out of them. Squeezed him into one big adamantium pulp. Forged him into nothing more than just blades for a blender. Whatever. Anything. 

Anything for the pain. Anything more merciful than to deal with this one hell of a stubborn woman.

"ROGUE!" 

"Fuck off!"

The door slammed in his face. A loud crack was heard. He knew it wasn't the door. His nose was broken, being hit hard by the thick wood. 

He sighed, shaking his head. What had he gotten himself into?

He waited several seconds before the nose finally healed. In times like these, he definitely agreed with Wheels that his mutancy was a gift. A useful gift, especially around this woman who had too much strength for her size. Now, if only his gift could heal his pride --

He growled. With the attitude she was displaying, he should have just swaggered off. The Wolverine wouldn’t waste his time with this kind of woman.

He sighed again, leaning slightly on the door.

But Logan, the human part of him, had to be dignified and stand his ground. By whatever reason, he had to stand outside her door and was willing to sacrifice HIS bad-ass reputation by pleading, no worse, by begging.

“Rogue?!" He gave several loud knocks on the door. At least there was no one around to witness this. 

"You know, Logan." Shit! "If you want her to open that door, you gotta be nicer." Someone up there just didn't like him.  

He turned to find a grinning Kitty behind him. He never did like cats. Big, hairy yellow ones or cute little pink ones.

But Kitty didn't care what Logan thought. She was only too happy to have phased into a scene ripe enough for good gossip, possibly for months to come. One that went, "Wolverine found begging outside Rogue's room. Have they finally confessed? Is sex really necessary?" Great headlines, she thought. Now I just need to find Scott. 

Logan, however, didn't have time for little pricks. He wiped the blood from his nose and barked, "I know what I'm doing!"

"Sure you do." An even bigger grin from her. "Why don't you try knocking softer? She can hear you better that way when you beg --Yikes!" She phased out just in time before he could strangle her. 

Everyone's just begging to be killed these days, he thought. If only he could do that to the one behind the door.

He heaved his chest miserably. One last try, he was giving this one last try. "C'mon, Rogue! I'm sorry about that painting, ok?!" 

“ Leave. Me. Alone!” He winced at the yelling. 

Okay, what did Kitty say? Nicer? Damn, if he hadn't really wanted to make it up to her, he wouldn't be so nice. Just break the damn door and make her listen.

He paced outside the door. Why was he even doing this? 

So she liked him. Now he knew. It wasn't a big deal to him. It didn't make any difference either. He wasn't a fifteen-year-old boy getting all nervous and awkward about it. It was the women who swooned over him. So he was just there about the painting and the figure drawing issues. Simple. Just two things. Nothing else.

He stopped. Might as well. Since everyone was going to know what he was doing from that Kitty kid, he might as well stoop even lower. 

"Rogue?" he asked, softer in his tone now. "Ok, you know what, you don't wanna hear my apology, that's fine with me. But I don't want you to fail your class because of me.” 

Whoa! He didn't even know he had THAT in him. At least that should work. He was nicer now, wasn't he? You're doing great, bub. Chicks dig you. Yeah, it should work.

He ran several rough fingers through his wild hair. Then, he waited.

Nothing.

The other hand came up to brush aside several stubborn wisps from his eyes. He waited again.

The doorknob didn't turn. 

Fuck, forget it! All this nice shit wasn't taking him anywhere when he could have --

The locks unlatched. The door creaked as it opened slightly. She peeked behind it, gazing up at him, ever cautious and doubtful.

“Why should you care?” The door refused to budge from its narrow one-inch opening. 

He went closer and leaned against it. 

"Does it matter? C'mon, I’m free now. You can, you know, draw me again.”  A lift from his eyebrows, a tilt of his head and then a slightly cheeky smile.

If other women couldn't resist that look, surely Rogue couldn't. He just had to wait a little bit more. Like in five, four, three, two --

The door whined as it opened wider.

"Ok, Ah'll sketch you. That's all!" She stepped aside, arms across her chest, showing too clearly she wasn't really making it easy for him.

“Hey, your call.” It didn't really matter to him. Not much anyways. As long as he was here and she was letting him in. Besides, like Jubilee had said, she didn't draw well. He was doing her a favor. She couldn't play difficult for long. Had to forgive him sometime. But it wasn't as if he needed it.

"So…" He began looking around her room. It was best he focused on the real purpose of his visit. "Nice place you've got here." 

"You ain't here for a tour, Logan. Take off yer clothes. Ah don't have all day." A loud bang when the door was closed.

Ouch! Apparently, someone was grouchy as ever.

Yeah, grouchy but different too, he thought. There was no bruise-like eye make-up, no dark-colored lips and no pale foundation. What happened to Goth Rogue? That sex goddess in black leather? And here he was hoping to meet her in person after two weeks of absence. Not that he didn't like her all natural before him -- Whoa, what's that? 

His nostrils had flared. Something sweet had invaded his senses. It wasn't intrusive. It wasn't atrocious. Instead, there was a softness about that scent, an air of sensuality. He breathed deeper. It calmed him. His nostrils flared again to see where it was coming from. It smelled like -- Rogue. Shit! She smells even better like this! 

He shook his head, frowning slightly at the distraction. The woman was simply fair and pink now, no black or hard leather and yet it caused such an effect on him. And that long hair which used to swish carelessly on her shoulders was now all tied up in a ponytail with only the white streaks on either sides of her face. She was simply plain. Surely it couldn't make him feel - feel so - nice?! What the f --

"Well? Go on!" But the harsh remark was quick to remind him she was still nasty. 

So nastiness deserved something even cruder. "And I thought we were taking it slow, baby."

A hard glare from her. 

He loved it. 

"Just take them off!" She moved away from the door, tucking in a corner of her baby-T. 

Damn. He hadn't realized before she could still looked so sassy even in a t-shirt. But, shit, why do they make t-shirts so small these days? So small that he could tell too clearly how well-defined those breasts of hers were. He could tell how round and firm --so not wearing anything under that shirt! Fuck! But those arms, those exposed arms -- He didn't know seeing them so well-toned and so fair could be such a turn on. And, since when did he have a thing for arms? 

"When yer done, sit on the bed." She bent slightly to pull her drawers.

Oh yeah! Nice pair. How his hands itched to fondle -- Whoa, hold on a sec! That was not what he was here for. But the sweatpants were too long for her, he noticed. They gathered at her ankles as she stood. She looked really comfortable in them. It was queer how the thought of that warmed his chest. 

He breathed out harshly. Focus, bub, focus!

"On the bed?" He asked, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Yeah." She pulled out a pencil from a tin can.

Then silence slipped between them. 

She flipped the pages of her sketchpad. 

He unbuckled and unzipped. 

And then, the creaking of the bed broke their peace.

"Comfy, Logan?"

There was definitely no concern in her tone. She didn't really trust him. Why should she? One moment he was a bad ass and suddenly he was trying to be --

"You wanna make it better?" He spread his legs.

What did he think she was?! She wasn't going to give him a -- "Ah've better things to do!"

Argh! Please forget that she was thinking of him as nice. The guy was still as crude as ever. Even cruder that he was now all naked before her. He was probably enjoying it, being the egomaniac that he was. He was probably thinking he was doing good for her, knowing how the rest of the female population would just die to be in her situation now.

Yeah, she could see it now - females from 13 to 40 or whatever, were going to envy her for the rest of her life.

"Logan is naked in your room right now?!" Several screams from them. Some suffering from fainting spells. Others all wide-eyed and too eager to hear the details.

But, of course, she being disgusted at the thought of it would go, half-heartedly, "Yeah. Joy. Hooray. "

Several more screams from them, no doubt. "So did you guys --”

That would be the point where she would love to kick all their asses. A good outlet for all her angst and frustrations directed at that hairy mutant.

She sighed. That would be the day. But now, her figure drawing was more important. Her arts degree was more important. Nothing else was important. Not even a hard bodied, perfectly muscled, very masculine, very hot-looking, very naked Wolverine.

Tucking the pad under her arm, she approached him. She gave a slight tug on her short gloves to make sure her wrists were covered. All precautions were taken when someone was fully exposed to her and she needed to touch him to pose him properly. She may dislike him but it didn't mean she would hurt him. 

She stood beside his legs. He is just a model. He is just a model. He is just a model.

"You don't mind do you?" Shit! Models weren't supposed to talk. 

Leaning forward, she pushed him back, gesturing to him to lean back on his elbows. Have to answer him sometimes soon, Rogue.

"What?"

"You don't mind if I'm a little hard?" 

"Yer not being difficult, Logan. Well, not rahgt now." Which was the truth. He WAS quiet. She had thought he would have disliked her touching him and pushing him here and there to get the pose right. Others would have been tensed and afraid of her touches considering that she was showing more skin than usual. It felt good that he wasn't like that. So he wasn't making it hard for her.

But Logan chuckled. 

A quizzical look from her. 

"No, darlin'. With me naked and you looking so hot and touching me…" he paused, catching her eye and then looked down, "I can't help it if I get hard. You don't mind do you?" 

What the -- ?!  A look of total astonishment on her. He never stops! Well, two can play the game, mister!

"Well, Logan," She looked down. "Ain't nothin' Ah can do if you do get hard." 

Her small gloved hand deliberately settled too high up on his thigh. Then, she dragged it away so slowly, so very slowly and gave him a really sly look. 

"Yer problem." A wink to top it off.

It rendered him speechless. 

And she scores! She stifled a grin.  That oughta teach you somethin', bub!

"Now, don't you move." She stepped back, already sketching before reaching her chair. 

Then they were quiet again. 

Only the soft scratching of pencil on paper was heard. 

But only five minutes, someone was already bored. Seriously, he WAS bored. He liked it better when they were quarrelling. Besides, his pride was hurting. Well, just a little. He was supposed to make her speechless with his playing of words and yet she caught him unaware with her touch. That touch on his thigh. Damn, if he hadn't had much self-control -- well, she should pay for that teasing. Nobody teased the Wolverine without a mark to show for it. 

"You know, it's kinda unfair that I'm naked and you're not."  

"Ah'm figure drawin', Logan. Not havin' sex with you. There's a difference." She was obviously irritated.

"Well, we could change that." He would just love to see this button being pushed. 

"You are such a perv! Does everythin' have to be sex with you?" A familiar frown on her features whenever he got on her nerves. 

"Hey, just suggesting. Just because we can't get along, doesn't mean we can't have sex." Any second now...

The shock on her face was too clear to miss. 

And he scores yet again! He grinned too widely at that. His turn to mark the scoreboard. Nothing wrong with having fun. That was a good button to push. The fastest one to get her all riled up. 

"Why you -- !" It was supposed to be something nasty from her. 

"Yes?" A cool reply from him.

The very nerve of him! She couldn't stand him. He knew how she hated it whenever he related sex and her skin. No matter how subtly he put it, she knew he was doing it. It hurt sometimes, but hell, most of the time, it really fumed her. He knew she couldn't do it. Never would because of her skin. And yet he was always baiting her with that. Baiting her to have sex with him. Just to get on her nerves. How sadistic was that?! 

She had enough of it. With the painting accident, she was willing to forgive although she wasn't making it easy for him. But this, this was too much. She was sick and tired of his perverted mind. 

Well let's just show him how much Ah don't know! She breathed deeply to cease her anger. 

"You know, yer rahgt." 

That threw him off guard. "I am?" He actually sat up.  

Putting aside her sketch, she stood up and sauntered slowly towards him. Deliberately swinging those small, curvy hips too widely. Purposely stepping too hard to let the breasts bounced. She knew he liked to stare. See if you can handle this, jerk! 

"You know," The mattress shifted as she clambered on top of him. She pushed him back until he laid fully on the bed. "Ah've always wanted to know how you feel under me."

A blink from him. His mouth slightly opened. 

Didn't expect this, did you? She straddled his firm stomach. Her hands rested on each of his shoulder. Her exposed skin purposely hovering close to his own. He wouldn't dare to move or touch her. He was afraid of her skin. Everyone was.

Then she leaned further into him, making sure her breasts touched his chest. His heat singed through her thin shirt, making her nipples peaked obviously under her shirt. They tingled as she brushed against him. It made her breathing changed. 

Damn, he feels so good, so warm. His chest feels better than it looks and  -- whoa, Rogue! She steadied herself. This wasn't what she was aiming for. She wanted to teach him a lesson, for goodness sake! Not she, learning his body parts!

She pushed herself up slightly. The contact on his chest never breaking. Her mouth hovered closely to his ear. 

"So." She whispered hotly, satisfied as she heard him hiss.

"Ah'm thinkin," purposely breathing heavily into his ear, "that we should start with me lickin' yer neck." 

A warm blow from her on his neck. "Then, nibblin' it. Kissin' it." 

Mmmm... She hadn't realized before how good he smelled. Wow...he smelled really fresh. No tanginess of spices and tobacco. No bitterness of sweat. Simply fresh, sweet and earthy, making her all sensuous, all sexy and all feminine. It made her all too willing to only revel in his scent and nothing else. Nothing else. 

She shut her eyes. Her head grew light. Get a grip, Rogue! The mental slap woke her.

She turned back to him. So where was she? Oh, yeah, the neck part.

"You like that?" A breath inhaled. "Lo-gan."

She felt his chest rose and fell slowly under her.

"Then when Ah'm all satisfied, Ah'll start feelin' yer," She paused. Well, good points would always required good dramatic pauses. Make all the wait all worthwhile.

"Yer wonderfully. Strong. Hard." Again another heave of breath from him. 

"Chesssst." She hissed softly. 

This was kind of fun. If this was the only to keep him quiet, she should have done this a long time ago. She pushed herself up and looked down on him. 

His hazel gaze had darkened. 

Her smile faltered at his intense look. Is he - is he aroused? Seriously, she hadn't done this before, getting all dominant on a man. She couldn't get a man in the first place with the skin and attitude. She didn't even know she could pull this off. She was improvising along the way. All the hours surfing very useful sites for a lonely girl like her apparently paid off. But still, he surely couldn't be aroused. She wasn't doing anything but talking. She should know since -- well those guys on those websites had to be touched by those women.

So she wasn't going to be taken in by it. 

She tilted her head, leaning closer to his face, smiling again. Her face hovering only less than an inch away. Her white streaks brushing against the sides of his face. "Would you like me to lick yer nipples too?" 

She watched him blinked in a daze. She stifled her laughter. That was so lame. But, hey, he was quiet, meant it was working.

"Would you like me to go lower, Logan? Lickin' you all the way down. Down to yer navel. Dippin' mah tongue inside. And then Ah'll stop." He baited her. Well, now was her turn.

A soft moan from him, sounding more like "No, lower."

"But Ah have needs too." A pout from her. God, don't Ah?

Another heavy fall of his chest under her. 

"Will you lick me too, Logan?" Yeah, that would be so nice. She sat up, well aware that he could see what lies beneath her shirt. Then she returned again to his ear.

"Make me moan, Logan." A mere whisper from her. "Make me beg for more. Make me scream yer name. Logan, oh Logan. More, more, more."

Damn, Logan, if only -- 

A soft groan escaped him.

It spurred her on. 

"You know," Her voice was high and breathless.

"If you feel me really well, Ah can," She wetted her lips with her tongue. "Feel other parts of you. Long, thick, hard part. Making it really moist, really hot."

"Oh, Rogue..."

She sat up, surprised to hear her name from his lips. She saw how his eyes were tight-shut. A very deep frown on him.

Well, well, well. She couldn't help it but be smug. Really smug about it. He didn't look all that strong anymore. Where's the big, bad Wolverine now?

All out in the open for you, Rogue. The thought brushed lightly against her mind. Yeah, he was all vulnerable now, only to her. She could do anything to him. And he would let her. Let her continue her torment and he wouldn't move. So if she touched him -- Dangerous, Rogue. But her hands were gloved. She wouldn't kill him. 

Just a tiny touch. She let her fingers lightly touched his chin. No response from him. She dared further. This time allowing only a feathery caress on his muttonchops with her palm. She smiled. The coarse hair tickled her as it pricked her gloves. 

Her curiosity mounted as more sensations of her touch invaded her senses. But her fingers only dared to hover over his face where hair didn't grow. They hovered over the perfect curve of his nose. They yearned to feel the deep lines between his thick brows. They wondered about the feel of his soft lashes. 

And then, they stopped over his thin lips. 

She wasn't aware she had leaned closer. Too close as her face hovered over his. She didn't realize her own full lips had parted, feeling all tingly and wondering about the feel of his --

But his eyelids flew open. 

She withdrew immediately, scolding herself at the same time for being so distracted.

The smug look returned to her face. "How's that, eh?"

Silent.

She was definitely a winner. 

She laughed, pushing herself off him. "Try gettin' smart with me about sex again, mister! Just because Ah can't touch doesn't mean Ah can't handle a man in bed!" 

But the growl stopped her. It stunned her. Well, wouldn't it if she had felt it resonating from him into her body? 

"Where do you think you're going?" Another growl. 

He grabbed her waist, not all caring if his hands had nearly touched her exposed skin.

A frown from her. "You had yer fun, Logan. Ah had mine. So it's fair. Let me finish my drawin'." 

"No." The word wasn't expressed in anger nor was it demanding. It was spoken softly, earnestly. It was a plea.

And 'No' was the right word. No way was she going to submit to him. 

"It’s supposed to teach you a lesson, you ass! Just because Ah can't have it and guys don't get turned on by me, doesn't mean Ah don't know how to do it." It hurt her every time she willed herself to confess her reality. 

But she wasn't finished. "So stop foolin' around! This sketch is really important to me." 

But he wouldn't let go. He held her still. 

"Trust me?"  He took her gloved hand from his chest.

Her frown deepened. Surely he couldn't do anything dangerous. He was harmless not being able to move under her. She had more power over him. Even if he dared anything funny, she could give him a really good jawbreaker. 

She nodded. 

He smiled. "Just showing you something, darlin'." And he led her hand behind her. Let the fingers curled and enclosed on something very warm, very thick, very long -- 

Her eyes grew wide. 

His smile grew wider. "I think you've taught me too well." 

She couldn't utter a single word.

"You wanna stop playing and do something about it?" His turn to whisper. 

He forgot he shouldn't touch her. But it was tempting. So tempting. To have her straddling him, making him all achy, he couldn't stop his fingers as they treaded on the elastic band of her sweatpants. Wanting only to pull them off her. God, he wanted her so badly. Very badly. Skin or not.

"Will you let me, Rogue?" He saw her features above him softened. She seemed as dazed as he had been before as he stroked her sides.

She was so beautiful, intoxicating for him. How could she ever think no guys would get turned on by her? Hell, he was. For some time now. So to have her say all those things to him -- hey, he wasn't stupid. He knew what she was doing. He was confident he wouldn't be affected by it. He was a man of action not words. Thus, she wouldn't be able to get through him. But, somehow, he couldn't figure out what it was, her mere whispers made him feel all lost. Made him will himself to her words. This was more than just pretended intimacy. There was definitely something more between them. Something like --

"Stop it, ok?!" The cry surprised him.

She pulled herself off him and hovered beside the bed. He forgot at times she could fly. 

"Stop it! It ain't funny! Did Jubilee put you up to this? You guys makin' a bet or somethin'? Tryin' to see who can fuck me without gettin' killed?"

He was stunned. He had seriously wanted her. Whatever gave her that idea?

"Enough, ok? You had yer fun." She landed on the floor, trembling.

He struggled to get up. "Hey, nobody asked me to do this. I want--" 

"Ah don't know what kind of sick game yer playin'. Comin' around, bein' nice to me, wantin' to help me with my drawin' and - and -- It ain't funny! Just - just leave!"

He stood up, anxious to explain. "Rogue, I'm not--" 

"Yer dangerous, Logan. Ah've seen what you can do. Especially when you can't get what you want. So it's best you go before yer animal or whatever it is, get unleashed, ok? Leave before anyone gets hurt." She opened the door.

He stood shocked.

Wordless.

His jaws clenched tight. 

"Go!" His clothes were thrown at his face.

She was right about one thing. He had to leave now or he would hurt her.  

Fuck! He couldn't understand it but apparently being nice didn't work at all.