Title: First Christmas (Sequel to Surprise Me)
Author: Leah
E-mail: [email protected]
Pairing: Logan/Marie, Scott/Kitty (yay!)
Category: Romance
Summary: ...three French hens, two cute babies and a potbellied Winnie the Poooooooooh...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them (except for the twins) so please don't sue.
Logan held her lovingly in his arms, kissing her soft brown hair and murmuring his love against her temple. She sighed sleepily and burrowed closer to the comforting warmth of his shoulder. Logan smiled at that little sound. Her every sound, her every touch was precious to him. He still couldn't believe he was given such a miracle. Somewhere down the road he must've done something good, something worthy for him to deserve such a blessing in his life.
"Has she burped yet?" Marie asked softly from the doorway of the adjoining room.
Logan looked up to smile at his wife before returning his gaze to his seven-week-old daughter. "Not yet. She's probably waiting for her brother to finish up."
Shifting their son who was nursing at her breast, Marie walked over to her husband and sat on his lap. She was dressed in one of Logan's shirts with the top three buttons undone to allow her son access to her breast. She settled on his free shoulder to watch her daughter blink sleepily in her father's arms.
"Ah, heaven on earth," Logan sighed contentedly. "My daughter who has yet to burp, my beautiful wife and my son who's feeding at his mama's breast right here in my arms."
That earned him a kiss from Marie. "Aren't we too heavy for you?"
He gazed at her warm, brown eyes. "It's a sweet weight I'd gladly bear for the rest of my life."
"Hmm, wait till these two grow up and you'll surely change your mind."
Logan touched his son's soft cheek. "Hey, little guy. Save some for papa." He threw Marie a naughty look. "I'm taking my turn later." Logan watched, fascinated, as after giving him two healthy babies, Marie could still blush. He was obsessed with her milk-filled breasts and since they couldn't make love yet, he contented himself with kissing and sucking on them.
"He's a greedy one, your son," Marie observed with pride in her voice as she watched her baby suck frantically on her swollen breast. "Takes after his father."
Logan chuckled. He kissed the top of his daughter's head, his son's and leaned up to catch Marie's lips in a loving, heartfelt kiss. "Merry Christmas, darlin'. This is my best Christmas yet. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with my family."
Tears misted Marie's eyes as she beamed. "We *are* a family, aren't we?" She touched her forehead onto his. "Merry Christmas, Logan. I'm so happy right now I could burst!"
Giving her one more kiss, Logan settled her more tightly against him and closed his eyes, savoring the Christmas morning with his wife and babies. Three years ago he didn't think he'd live a life like this, meet a wonderful woman like Marie and have two beautiful babies. He didn't even remember how he spent his past Christmases because he had been too jaded, too preoccupied with surviving day to day, and too alone to acknowledge its meaning in the greater universe, much less to his life. In all essence of the word and as far as his mind could recall, this was his first Christmas.
Just then, little Patrick let go of his mama's nipple and blinked up at her. Marie immediately swung him gently over her shoulder. As if on cue, little Lisbeth jerked against her papa's muscled shoulder and the twins promptly burped. The proud parents laughed as the milky sweetness of the babies' breaths filled the air. The babies settled back on each of their parents and sighed sleepily.
"They're so beautiful," Marie murmured in wonder. "We make beautiful babies, Logan."
Logan chuckled. "You did all the work, baby. These two take after you."
Marie made a disbelieving sound. "Have you seen Patrick's eyebrows quirk? They're just like yours. I can already see him charming the ladies with just a lift of an eyebrow."
"Is that what my eyebrows did to you?" he teased.
"Among other things," she countered. "I'm glad Patrick takes after you. I'd want him to be as wildly handsome as his father."
Logan grunted. "Well, I'm glad Lisbeth gets her quiet disposition from her mama. My ears bleed everytime Patrick wails! I don't think my ears could take another screaming baby. The only time he's quiet is when he's sleeping. Like right now." He nodded towards his son. "Jesus, just look at him, lying like an angel in your arms."
Marie shifted Patrick gently in her arms to bestow him a loving kiss on the head. "That's not the only time he's quiet," she remarked, leading him on.
"Oh, yeah. He shuts up when he's latched on to your breast."
She gave him a teasing grin. "Like I said, he takes after his papa."
Logan felt a hot tide rise up to his face.
Marie laughed and kissed him lingeringly on the mouth. "I love you," she breathed tenderly.
Logan returned the kiss with a deep caress of his own. "Right back at you, darlin'. Now let's get these two to bed. Lisbeth's drooling all over me."
They marched to the adjoining nursery where they put the babies in separate cribs. The cribs were against the wall and in between them was a special stand for Winnie to be perched up on--doing what he did best, his imitation of a Buddha while watching over his two, tiny charges. It was Logan's idea to put Winnie there, something which amused Marie as she'd noticed how Logan's gotten so attached to the stuffed toy. Lisbeth went to sleep without a fuss but Patrick's face scrunched up and his little arms and legs waved in the air. Logan's keen sense of smell picked up the overwhelming smell of baby poop.
"Whoa!" He crinkled his nose comically and passed a hand back and forth in front of his face.
"You're still not used to it, huh?" Marie laughed.
"I don't think I ever will," Logan said in a funny voice as he transferred Patrick to the changing table and started to unfasten his soiled diapers.
"I'll see to Patrick," Marie suggested. She was about to reach for a fresh diaper on top of the dresser when Logan stopped her.
"No," he said in a determined voice as he focused his attention on his squalling, red-faced son. "I've faced bloodier messes than this. I'm sure I c--" his breath caught in his throat as he struggled to breathe through the smell. "--can handle this."
How she loved this man. All gruff and tough on the outside but such a softie on the inside. Who would've thought that the badass Wolverine would take on the challenge of changing diapers?
"I love you, you know."
Logan noted the choked quality of Marie's voice even through his son's cries. She didn't get tired of saying those three special words and he didn't get tired of hearing them. He looked up to catch his wife's adoring look and his throat tightened at the sight. Her long, brown hair with the platinum streaks lay softly on her shoulders, setting off her youthful face. In her misty, brown eyes he saw the love reflected in them. His expression softened as his heart called out in response to that love.
"Just because I volunteered to do the dirty job here?" he asked flippantly yet gruffly.
"Oh, you betcha!"
Straightening up, Logan momentarily forgot Patrick's pressing problem. He needed Marie in his arms. "Come here, wife."
Marie sailed into his arms and pressed herself up against her husband's magnificent body. She encircled his neck with her arms and pulled his head down. Logan parted her lips with his own in a deep, passionate kiss. He pulled her to him, grasping her buttocks in growing desire. He was kissing his way down her neck, sucking on her sensitive flesh when Patrick let out an attention-grabbing wail. They reluctantly released each other.
"Why don't you head on down to the kitchen and make us two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top while I see to this little guy's comfort. What do you say?" he panted out.
Still completely flustered by their kiss, Marie nodded. "Okay." She turned around only to turn back again to face him. "You don't drink hot chocolate. You hate hot chocolate," she stressed. "It's pansy stuff."
Logan had reached for a fresh diaper and was already raising Patrick's plump little legs. "I did say that, didn't I?" His brow furrowed. "Hell, Marie, it's Christmas morning and I can do whatever the hell I want." He gave her a wink before going back to his task.
Marie smiled at that. "All right," she said, already going to the bedroom in search of her robe and bedroom slippers. "But you'd better drink it all up if you don't want me to force it down your throat!"
"Yes, darlin'" he called out agreeably. When Logan heard the door shut closed, he leaned down to speak to his now calm and comfortable son man to man. "Now that your mama's gone downstairs, let's give her a Christmas morning surprise, hmm?"
In response, Patrick blew a bubble and gurgled happily.
"I see you got my love for giving your mama surprises." Logan carried Patrick back to his crib. He got something out of the dresser drawer and went back to hover over his son. He fussed over him for a while before going over to her daughter and doing the same thing. When he was through, he fixed his gaze on the yellow, potbellied bear and a slow, mischievous smile spread over his face. "And you, my friend, are in it, too."
*********************
Kitty filled her hands with the soft, fleshy dough and began to knead it. Her small, capable hands with the strong fingers and short, unpolished nails made quick work of it, pressing and molding the dough until it achieved the desired texture. She flattened it out with her palms and began to cut circles out of it using a cookie cutter. She could feel his eyes on her like he was touching her, following every movement of her hands. If it weren't for the burning smell, she would've let him look all he wanted.
"I-I think the sausages and the bacon are burning," Kitty stuttered.
"Wha-what?" His concentration on Kitty's working hands broken by the sound of her voice, Scott glanced at the pan and his useless hand holding the tongs. "Oh, shit!" He quickly turned the sausages on the other side and took out the shrunken, burnt bacon slices. He gave her s sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. I was just looking at your hands..." Scott had found Kitty in the kitchen making coffee when he went down. He had remembered that she volunteered to cook breakfast. He had offered to help her and she accepted, making small talk as they worked alongside each other. Scott found himself enjoying cooking with Kitty. He loved to cook and apparently, so did Kitty. Jean hadn't cared to learn how to and it had been nice to share his love for the culinary arts with another person. It was while she was kneading the dough for the biscuits that he had noticed her beautiful hands. He didn't have a hand fetish or anything but for some strange reason, Kitty's hands had appealed to him. Kitty was a shy girl who always had a smile to give to everyone but of all the things to notice about her, he had to notice her hands. Not that he had intended to notice her, no. It just happened that he did.
Kitty raised her floured hands and turned them up for inspection. "Oh, why? Do I have, uh, dirt on my hands?"
Chuckling, Scott dumped more bacon into the pan. "No. It's just that... you have beautiful hands." He dropped the tongs on the pan with a loud clang as what he'd said sunk in. Did I just say that? he asked himself disbelievingly.
A soft blush stole onto Kitty's cheeks. She couldn't help it. Flattery from the man you're in love with was like manna from heaven. "I do?" Her heart skipped a beat but she still brought her hands up to look at them closely. "But they're just ordinary-looking hands. They're not even long, elegant and french manicured like Dr. Grey's..." When Scott's head whipped around to look at her, she paled at the slip she made. The X-men leader and Dr. Grey weren't together anymore. It had been two months after their breakup but everybody was still careful about mentioning their names in each other's presence. "I'm sorry, Mr. Summers. I didn't mean to--"
Scott just shrugged and returned to poking at the sausages. "It's all right, Kitty. Don't go walking on eggshells around me regarding Jean. It's not a sensitive topic." He gave her one of his heart stopping, bedimpled smiles. "And don't you think you should call me Scott by now? It's been more than a year since you graduated. I'm not your teacher anymore."
"Sorry... Scott. Force of habit, I guess." Kitty tore her eyes away from his delectable mouth. Instead, she busied herself with placing the round biscuit dough on a baking sheet.
Turning off the burner, he placed the sausages and bacon on the large serving dish standing by and then watched her hands at work. There was something like reverence in his voice when he pointed out, "They're small and quick. Your fingers are just the right size and length and I like the shape of your nails. Your hands look soft and graceful and..." He stopped himself as he realized he was already spouting poetry about Kitty's hands. He looked up to find Kitty blushing furiously. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. He kicked himself mentally in the head. All he seemed to do was apologize for his behavior when he was around her. Wait. Scratch that. It was all *they* seemed to do when they were around each other. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Kitty got another baking sheet and arranged the second batch on it. "It just feels weird to hear things like that about your hands," she said shyly.
"Well, I'm only telling the truth." He went to the fridge and took out the carton of eggs.
She glanced over at him timidly. "Thanks, Scott."
He paused halfway into opening the carton and said almost to himself, "I like the way you say my name." He bit his tongue the moment the words left his mouth. He couldn't seem to control his impulses when Kitty's around. What the hell was happening to him? First he waxed poetic about her hands, and then he said his private thoughts out loud. He was acting like a lovesick idiot. No, he wasn't attracted to her. Of course not. It was just that Kitty had a sincere, honest face that always encouraged him to talk and share his feelings, he rationalized. Yes, that would be it.
Kitty's heart rate sped up but she pretended not to hear what he had said. They would only end up apologizing to each other over again. She placed the two baking sheets inside the oven and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. She saw that Scott was already beating the eggs so she got out the mushrooms and tomatoes for the omelet.
They worked in companionable silence as they talked about the day's itinerary. Kitty asked Scott if there were any guests coming but she got no response. She glanced at him and saw him once again staring at her hands, the wire whisk dangling from his fingers. She looked down curiously on her tomato juice-stained fingers as she had been slicing the tomatoes. Her fingers were wet and glistening and looked *delicious*--Scott couldn't understand why "delicious" popped into his mind but it was the appropriate adjective to describe Kitty's fingers at the moment. He wanted them in his mouth.
As if their minds were attuned to each other, Scott and Kitty slowly looked up from her hands and locked gazes. Kitty was confused and excited at the same time. It thrilled her to know that Scott liked her hands but she didn't know what it meant. His ruby glasses hid his expression from her but his mouth looked tight around the corners. He didn't look pleased at all. But how could Scott be pleased when he felt himself grow hard at the thought of putting her fingers in his mouth and sucking the juice from them?
The tense moment was broken by Marie's merry entrance into the kitchen. "Hey! Merry Christmas! You guys are up early."
Startled by Marie's voice, Kitty's knife hand jerked, nearly cutting herself. Trying real hard to act normally, she grabbed a dishtowel and wiped her hands as she turned around to hug and kiss her friend. "Marie! Merry Christmas," she greeted warmly.
"I was helping Kitty with breakfast," Scott explained with exaggerated cheerfulness as he offered his cheek for Marie's kiss. "Merry Christmas."
"What are you doing here? Isn't it the twins' feeding time?" Kitty asked.
Marie walked over to the cupboard and took out two large mugs. "Done with that. Logan's putting them to bed already."
"Logan--hogtied and domesticated. Who would've thought?" Scott chuckled.
She fixed him a narrowed, knowing look. "Oh, you'll get your chance, Scott Summers." Marie glanced pointedly at Kitty and she raised an eyebrow when Kitty blushed and looked down. "Logan's got a craving for hot chocolate. That's why I'm here." She opened more cupboards as she hunted for the cocoa mix and marshmallows.
"He's craving for hot chocolate?" Scott asked incredulously.
"Weird, isn't it?" Marie replied. "I think that being a father has made him more...wholesome."
"I think that's sweet," Kitty gushed.
"So if I drink hot chocolate right now, you'd find me sweet?"
Amused, Marie watched the exchange between the two. Something was definitely up. She could see Kitty was shocked by Scott's remark but she had to restrain herself to not laugh out loud at Scott's even more shocked expression. He probably couldn't believe he had said what he did. She noticed the misplaced mistletoe hanging above the kitchen doorway and got an idea. She knew a more effective place for that. Marie sprinkled some more little white marshmallows over the steaming hot chocolate before going over to the doorway to pluck the mistletoe. Scott didn't notice her as he was busy apologizing to Kitty for the nth time.
"So," Marie interrupted Scott's pathetic apology. She was rocking on her heels with an arm raised up between Scott and Kitty. "I'm heading up with Logan's hot chocolate." She pinned the mistletoe on the cupboard directly behind their heads.
Scott cleared his throat as he followed Marie's movements. Kitty completely missed it. "Breakfast will be in a few minutes, Marie," Kitty told her.
Marie gave them a big, wide smile. "Oh, we'll be back down shortly." She waited for Kitty to notice the mistletoe but she only continued to smile quietly at her. Exasperated, Marie pursed her lips to point at the kiss-inducing sprig.
Kitty finally got message and turned her head. Her eyes grew big as she shifted her gaze from the mistletoe to Scott.
"Hey, look! A mistletoe! You get to kiss!" Marie exclaimed.
Scott gave her a wary look.
"What?" she drawled out. "Now's not the right time to break tradition. It's bad luck."
"It is?" Kitty asked apprehensively.
"Of course, not, Kitty," Scott snapped.
Marie stomped her feet. "It is! Now go on and kiss each other."
Breakfast and apparently, his inhibitions forgotten, Scott dropped the whisk and hauled an anxious Kitty against his chest.
"But, Scott--" she protested.
"Come here, Kitty-cat," Scott whispered before pressing his mouth to hers in a sweet, soft kiss.
Marie beamed with pride at her efforts. They didn't know it yet, but they were right for each other. Marie had known about Kitty's unrequited love for Scott. Now it seemed it had a chance to be reciprocated. She got the mugs and left the two to deal with what had happened.
*****************************
Logan just came out of the bathroom when Marie arrived. Marie sat down on the bed and waited for her husband to join her. He noticed immediately the smug expression on his wife's face. He raised an eyebrow in query.
"Scott and Kitty are making breakfast in the kitchen."
He sat down beside her and took the mug that she offered, sniffing it delicately. "And?"
"They kissed," Marie revealed with a grin.
"What?" Logan was about to sip the sweet brew but Marie's announcement stopped him. "Scooter and Kitty?" He threw back his head and gave a full, rich laugh. "That damned son of a bitch is finally getting what he deserves!"
Marie raised the cup to her lips and drank deeply. "What do you mean?"
"Remember how he was against us marrying because you were so young and I was, well, older? Now he's in a similar situation, hah!" On their fourth date, Logan had proposed to Marie and when Scott found out, he had exerted every effort possible to delay the wedding. Logan hadn't liked that.
"Well, I wouldn't think that far ahead."
"I thought you said they were kissing?"
"I placed a mistletoe above their heads," she said sheepishly.
"Ah, I see. Playing the matchmaker now, are we?"
"Kitty's been in love with Scott since God knows when. But I can tell that Scott will come around soon."
Logan took one more sniff of his hot chocolate before downing everything in one gulp. He came up coughing and sputtering. Finally, he gave a shudder.
"Are you all right?" Marie took his empty mug and together with her own, deposited them on the bedside table.
"God, but that was sweet!" He made a gagging sound. "Not to mention the most wholesome drink I've ever put in my mouth."
"Then why the hell did you ask me to make you some?" she asked belligerently.
"Because I wanted you out of the room, that's why!"
Marie looked she was about to explode in indignation when Logan pulled her to her feet. "Come on. I've got something to make you smile."
In the nursery, Logan led her to the cribs where their babies were sleeping peacefully. Marie threw him a questioning glance before checking out the twins.
"Look up," he instructed, which Marie did. She almost did a double take when she saw Winnie's newest underpants. Well, not exactly.
A loud gasp, then Marie's hearty, spontaneous laughter rang through the room. Thank goodness the babies didn't waken or there would surely be chaos.
"Oh, my God, Logan!" Tears of mirth ran down her cheeks as she tried to control her laughter. "I swear, you're obsessed with that bear!"
Logan chuckled as he moved to wrap his arms around her waist from behind, letting her relax against him as they admired their two little angels dressed in diapers and cute, little red hanging shirts--just like Winnie's. To sympathize with the babies, Logan replaced Winnie's old boxers with a large cloth diaper with two large safety pins sticking out at the sides. "The shirts are Winnie's gift to the babies. Patrick and Lisbeth, in turn, gave them his own diapers. It's a fair gift exchange in my opinion."
"Right. Don't think I don't notice how you give that bear special treatment, Logan. You're even trying to make the babies dress like him!"
"Well, they already look like him anyway. See those bellies? With the way they're feeding, they're going to have potbellies soon!"
"You have a soft spot for Winnie, admit it."
"Okay, I do," he confessed. "He's the family mascot! He's been with us since our first date."
"Even before that, actually," Marie interjected.
"Yeah. So he really should have a special place and a special role in our family."
"Careful, honey. Your soft side is showing."
"God forbid," he growled against her neck.
Sobering up, Marie snuggled up against Logan. "You're so good to us, Logan. You're a good husband and a good father. Patrick, Lisbeth and I are so lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one, Marie. Without you and our kids, I would be nothing."
They fell silent, basking in the moment of being together and watching their sleeping babies. After a while, Logan dropped a kiss on top of Marie's head. "Let's get ready for breakfast, darlin'. I'm starving."
But Marie wasn't ready to go down yet. She had a surprise of her own. She turned around in Logan's arms to face him. "You think you can go without food for, say, 10 minutes more? I have to give you a special Christmas gift."
"But I thought all our gifts are under the big tree downstairs?"
"This one you can't put under the tree."
Marie backed him out of the nursery to push him sitting on the bed.
"Marie?"
She shed her robe and unbuttoned her shirt. She had gained weight but they all added to her delectable curves. Her breasts were full and swollen. Lush. "Merry Christmas, 'darlin'. The doctor said I could."
Logan lit up like a Christmas tree. "You could?"
"Yes," Marie laughed delightedly as she removed her white cotton panties.
Logan had barely stripped his white T-shirt and his sweats off his ankles before Marie climbed onto his lap and toppled them onto the center of the bed.
"I think I'm going to like this gift the best," he grinned.
"You'd better." Her mouth fastened onto his as they started the magic that only their bodies could make.
Logan and Marie's Christmas morning was well spent. Never mind that they completely skipped breakfast.
Author: Leah
E-mail: [email protected]
Pairing: Logan/Marie, Scott/Kitty (yay!)
Category: Romance
Summary: ...three French hens, two cute babies and a potbellied Winnie the Poooooooooh...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them (except for the twins) so please don't sue.
Logan held her lovingly in his arms, kissing her soft brown hair and murmuring his love against her temple. She sighed sleepily and burrowed closer to the comforting warmth of his shoulder. Logan smiled at that little sound. Her every sound, her every touch was precious to him. He still couldn't believe he was given such a miracle. Somewhere down the road he must've done something good, something worthy for him to deserve such a blessing in his life.
"Has she burped yet?" Marie asked softly from the doorway of the adjoining room.
Logan looked up to smile at his wife before returning his gaze to his seven-week-old daughter. "Not yet. She's probably waiting for her brother to finish up."
Shifting their son who was nursing at her breast, Marie walked over to her husband and sat on his lap. She was dressed in one of Logan's shirts with the top three buttons undone to allow her son access to her breast. She settled on his free shoulder to watch her daughter blink sleepily in her father's arms.
"Ah, heaven on earth," Logan sighed contentedly. "My daughter who has yet to burp, my beautiful wife and my son who's feeding at his mama's breast right here in my arms."
That earned him a kiss from Marie. "Aren't we too heavy for you?"
He gazed at her warm, brown eyes. "It's a sweet weight I'd gladly bear for the rest of my life."
"Hmm, wait till these two grow up and you'll surely change your mind."
Logan touched his son's soft cheek. "Hey, little guy. Save some for papa." He threw Marie a naughty look. "I'm taking my turn later." Logan watched, fascinated, as after giving him two healthy babies, Marie could still blush. He was obsessed with her milk-filled breasts and since they couldn't make love yet, he contented himself with kissing and sucking on them.
"He's a greedy one, your son," Marie observed with pride in her voice as she watched her baby suck frantically on her swollen breast. "Takes after his father."
Logan chuckled. He kissed the top of his daughter's head, his son's and leaned up to catch Marie's lips in a loving, heartfelt kiss. "Merry Christmas, darlin'. This is my best Christmas yet. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with my family."
Tears misted Marie's eyes as she beamed. "We *are* a family, aren't we?" She touched her forehead onto his. "Merry Christmas, Logan. I'm so happy right now I could burst!"
Giving her one more kiss, Logan settled her more tightly against him and closed his eyes, savoring the Christmas morning with his wife and babies. Three years ago he didn't think he'd live a life like this, meet a wonderful woman like Marie and have two beautiful babies. He didn't even remember how he spent his past Christmases because he had been too jaded, too preoccupied with surviving day to day, and too alone to acknowledge its meaning in the greater universe, much less to his life. In all essence of the word and as far as his mind could recall, this was his first Christmas.
Just then, little Patrick let go of his mama's nipple and blinked up at her. Marie immediately swung him gently over her shoulder. As if on cue, little Lisbeth jerked against her papa's muscled shoulder and the twins promptly burped. The proud parents laughed as the milky sweetness of the babies' breaths filled the air. The babies settled back on each of their parents and sighed sleepily.
"They're so beautiful," Marie murmured in wonder. "We make beautiful babies, Logan."
Logan chuckled. "You did all the work, baby. These two take after you."
Marie made a disbelieving sound. "Have you seen Patrick's eyebrows quirk? They're just like yours. I can already see him charming the ladies with just a lift of an eyebrow."
"Is that what my eyebrows did to you?" he teased.
"Among other things," she countered. "I'm glad Patrick takes after you. I'd want him to be as wildly handsome as his father."
Logan grunted. "Well, I'm glad Lisbeth gets her quiet disposition from her mama. My ears bleed everytime Patrick wails! I don't think my ears could take another screaming baby. The only time he's quiet is when he's sleeping. Like right now." He nodded towards his son. "Jesus, just look at him, lying like an angel in your arms."
Marie shifted Patrick gently in her arms to bestow him a loving kiss on the head. "That's not the only time he's quiet," she remarked, leading him on.
"Oh, yeah. He shuts up when he's latched on to your breast."
She gave him a teasing grin. "Like I said, he takes after his papa."
Logan felt a hot tide rise up to his face.
Marie laughed and kissed him lingeringly on the mouth. "I love you," she breathed tenderly.
Logan returned the kiss with a deep caress of his own. "Right back at you, darlin'. Now let's get these two to bed. Lisbeth's drooling all over me."
They marched to the adjoining nursery where they put the babies in separate cribs. The cribs were against the wall and in between them was a special stand for Winnie to be perched up on--doing what he did best, his imitation of a Buddha while watching over his two, tiny charges. It was Logan's idea to put Winnie there, something which amused Marie as she'd noticed how Logan's gotten so attached to the stuffed toy. Lisbeth went to sleep without a fuss but Patrick's face scrunched up and his little arms and legs waved in the air. Logan's keen sense of smell picked up the overwhelming smell of baby poop.
"Whoa!" He crinkled his nose comically and passed a hand back and forth in front of his face.
"You're still not used to it, huh?" Marie laughed.
"I don't think I ever will," Logan said in a funny voice as he transferred Patrick to the changing table and started to unfasten his soiled diapers.
"I'll see to Patrick," Marie suggested. She was about to reach for a fresh diaper on top of the dresser when Logan stopped her.
"No," he said in a determined voice as he focused his attention on his squalling, red-faced son. "I've faced bloodier messes than this. I'm sure I c--" his breath caught in his throat as he struggled to breathe through the smell. "--can handle this."
How she loved this man. All gruff and tough on the outside but such a softie on the inside. Who would've thought that the badass Wolverine would take on the challenge of changing diapers?
"I love you, you know."
Logan noted the choked quality of Marie's voice even through his son's cries. She didn't get tired of saying those three special words and he didn't get tired of hearing them. He looked up to catch his wife's adoring look and his throat tightened at the sight. Her long, brown hair with the platinum streaks lay softly on her shoulders, setting off her youthful face. In her misty, brown eyes he saw the love reflected in them. His expression softened as his heart called out in response to that love.
"Just because I volunteered to do the dirty job here?" he asked flippantly yet gruffly.
"Oh, you betcha!"
Straightening up, Logan momentarily forgot Patrick's pressing problem. He needed Marie in his arms. "Come here, wife."
Marie sailed into his arms and pressed herself up against her husband's magnificent body. She encircled his neck with her arms and pulled his head down. Logan parted her lips with his own in a deep, passionate kiss. He pulled her to him, grasping her buttocks in growing desire. He was kissing his way down her neck, sucking on her sensitive flesh when Patrick let out an attention-grabbing wail. They reluctantly released each other.
"Why don't you head on down to the kitchen and make us two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top while I see to this little guy's comfort. What do you say?" he panted out.
Still completely flustered by their kiss, Marie nodded. "Okay." She turned around only to turn back again to face him. "You don't drink hot chocolate. You hate hot chocolate," she stressed. "It's pansy stuff."
Logan had reached for a fresh diaper and was already raising Patrick's plump little legs. "I did say that, didn't I?" His brow furrowed. "Hell, Marie, it's Christmas morning and I can do whatever the hell I want." He gave her a wink before going back to his task.
Marie smiled at that. "All right," she said, already going to the bedroom in search of her robe and bedroom slippers. "But you'd better drink it all up if you don't want me to force it down your throat!"
"Yes, darlin'" he called out agreeably. When Logan heard the door shut closed, he leaned down to speak to his now calm and comfortable son man to man. "Now that your mama's gone downstairs, let's give her a Christmas morning surprise, hmm?"
In response, Patrick blew a bubble and gurgled happily.
"I see you got my love for giving your mama surprises." Logan carried Patrick back to his crib. He got something out of the dresser drawer and went back to hover over his son. He fussed over him for a while before going over to her daughter and doing the same thing. When he was through, he fixed his gaze on the yellow, potbellied bear and a slow, mischievous smile spread over his face. "And you, my friend, are in it, too."
*********************
Kitty filled her hands with the soft, fleshy dough and began to knead it. Her small, capable hands with the strong fingers and short, unpolished nails made quick work of it, pressing and molding the dough until it achieved the desired texture. She flattened it out with her palms and began to cut circles out of it using a cookie cutter. She could feel his eyes on her like he was touching her, following every movement of her hands. If it weren't for the burning smell, she would've let him look all he wanted.
"I-I think the sausages and the bacon are burning," Kitty stuttered.
"Wha-what?" His concentration on Kitty's working hands broken by the sound of her voice, Scott glanced at the pan and his useless hand holding the tongs. "Oh, shit!" He quickly turned the sausages on the other side and took out the shrunken, burnt bacon slices. He gave her s sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. I was just looking at your hands..." Scott had found Kitty in the kitchen making coffee when he went down. He had remembered that she volunteered to cook breakfast. He had offered to help her and she accepted, making small talk as they worked alongside each other. Scott found himself enjoying cooking with Kitty. He loved to cook and apparently, so did Kitty. Jean hadn't cared to learn how to and it had been nice to share his love for the culinary arts with another person. It was while she was kneading the dough for the biscuits that he had noticed her beautiful hands. He didn't have a hand fetish or anything but for some strange reason, Kitty's hands had appealed to him. Kitty was a shy girl who always had a smile to give to everyone but of all the things to notice about her, he had to notice her hands. Not that he had intended to notice her, no. It just happened that he did.
Kitty raised her floured hands and turned them up for inspection. "Oh, why? Do I have, uh, dirt on my hands?"
Chuckling, Scott dumped more bacon into the pan. "No. It's just that... you have beautiful hands." He dropped the tongs on the pan with a loud clang as what he'd said sunk in. Did I just say that? he asked himself disbelievingly.
A soft blush stole onto Kitty's cheeks. She couldn't help it. Flattery from the man you're in love with was like manna from heaven. "I do?" Her heart skipped a beat but she still brought her hands up to look at them closely. "But they're just ordinary-looking hands. They're not even long, elegant and french manicured like Dr. Grey's..." When Scott's head whipped around to look at her, she paled at the slip she made. The X-men leader and Dr. Grey weren't together anymore. It had been two months after their breakup but everybody was still careful about mentioning their names in each other's presence. "I'm sorry, Mr. Summers. I didn't mean to--"
Scott just shrugged and returned to poking at the sausages. "It's all right, Kitty. Don't go walking on eggshells around me regarding Jean. It's not a sensitive topic." He gave her one of his heart stopping, bedimpled smiles. "And don't you think you should call me Scott by now? It's been more than a year since you graduated. I'm not your teacher anymore."
"Sorry... Scott. Force of habit, I guess." Kitty tore her eyes away from his delectable mouth. Instead, she busied herself with placing the round biscuit dough on a baking sheet.
Turning off the burner, he placed the sausages and bacon on the large serving dish standing by and then watched her hands at work. There was something like reverence in his voice when he pointed out, "They're small and quick. Your fingers are just the right size and length and I like the shape of your nails. Your hands look soft and graceful and..." He stopped himself as he realized he was already spouting poetry about Kitty's hands. He looked up to find Kitty blushing furiously. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. He kicked himself mentally in the head. All he seemed to do was apologize for his behavior when he was around her. Wait. Scratch that. It was all *they* seemed to do when they were around each other. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Kitty got another baking sheet and arranged the second batch on it. "It just feels weird to hear things like that about your hands," she said shyly.
"Well, I'm only telling the truth." He went to the fridge and took out the carton of eggs.
She glanced over at him timidly. "Thanks, Scott."
He paused halfway into opening the carton and said almost to himself, "I like the way you say my name." He bit his tongue the moment the words left his mouth. He couldn't seem to control his impulses when Kitty's around. What the hell was happening to him? First he waxed poetic about her hands, and then he said his private thoughts out loud. He was acting like a lovesick idiot. No, he wasn't attracted to her. Of course not. It was just that Kitty had a sincere, honest face that always encouraged him to talk and share his feelings, he rationalized. Yes, that would be it.
Kitty's heart rate sped up but she pretended not to hear what he had said. They would only end up apologizing to each other over again. She placed the two baking sheets inside the oven and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. She saw that Scott was already beating the eggs so she got out the mushrooms and tomatoes for the omelet.
They worked in companionable silence as they talked about the day's itinerary. Kitty asked Scott if there were any guests coming but she got no response. She glanced at him and saw him once again staring at her hands, the wire whisk dangling from his fingers. She looked down curiously on her tomato juice-stained fingers as she had been slicing the tomatoes. Her fingers were wet and glistening and looked *delicious*--Scott couldn't understand why "delicious" popped into his mind but it was the appropriate adjective to describe Kitty's fingers at the moment. He wanted them in his mouth.
As if their minds were attuned to each other, Scott and Kitty slowly looked up from her hands and locked gazes. Kitty was confused and excited at the same time. It thrilled her to know that Scott liked her hands but she didn't know what it meant. His ruby glasses hid his expression from her but his mouth looked tight around the corners. He didn't look pleased at all. But how could Scott be pleased when he felt himself grow hard at the thought of putting her fingers in his mouth and sucking the juice from them?
The tense moment was broken by Marie's merry entrance into the kitchen. "Hey! Merry Christmas! You guys are up early."
Startled by Marie's voice, Kitty's knife hand jerked, nearly cutting herself. Trying real hard to act normally, she grabbed a dishtowel and wiped her hands as she turned around to hug and kiss her friend. "Marie! Merry Christmas," she greeted warmly.
"I was helping Kitty with breakfast," Scott explained with exaggerated cheerfulness as he offered his cheek for Marie's kiss. "Merry Christmas."
"What are you doing here? Isn't it the twins' feeding time?" Kitty asked.
Marie walked over to the cupboard and took out two large mugs. "Done with that. Logan's putting them to bed already."
"Logan--hogtied and domesticated. Who would've thought?" Scott chuckled.
She fixed him a narrowed, knowing look. "Oh, you'll get your chance, Scott Summers." Marie glanced pointedly at Kitty and she raised an eyebrow when Kitty blushed and looked down. "Logan's got a craving for hot chocolate. That's why I'm here." She opened more cupboards as she hunted for the cocoa mix and marshmallows.
"He's craving for hot chocolate?" Scott asked incredulously.
"Weird, isn't it?" Marie replied. "I think that being a father has made him more...wholesome."
"I think that's sweet," Kitty gushed.
"So if I drink hot chocolate right now, you'd find me sweet?"
Amused, Marie watched the exchange between the two. Something was definitely up. She could see Kitty was shocked by Scott's remark but she had to restrain herself to not laugh out loud at Scott's even more shocked expression. He probably couldn't believe he had said what he did. She noticed the misplaced mistletoe hanging above the kitchen doorway and got an idea. She knew a more effective place for that. Marie sprinkled some more little white marshmallows over the steaming hot chocolate before going over to the doorway to pluck the mistletoe. Scott didn't notice her as he was busy apologizing to Kitty for the nth time.
"So," Marie interrupted Scott's pathetic apology. She was rocking on her heels with an arm raised up between Scott and Kitty. "I'm heading up with Logan's hot chocolate." She pinned the mistletoe on the cupboard directly behind their heads.
Scott cleared his throat as he followed Marie's movements. Kitty completely missed it. "Breakfast will be in a few minutes, Marie," Kitty told her.
Marie gave them a big, wide smile. "Oh, we'll be back down shortly." She waited for Kitty to notice the mistletoe but she only continued to smile quietly at her. Exasperated, Marie pursed her lips to point at the kiss-inducing sprig.
Kitty finally got message and turned her head. Her eyes grew big as she shifted her gaze from the mistletoe to Scott.
"Hey, look! A mistletoe! You get to kiss!" Marie exclaimed.
Scott gave her a wary look.
"What?" she drawled out. "Now's not the right time to break tradition. It's bad luck."
"It is?" Kitty asked apprehensively.
"Of course, not, Kitty," Scott snapped.
Marie stomped her feet. "It is! Now go on and kiss each other."
Breakfast and apparently, his inhibitions forgotten, Scott dropped the whisk and hauled an anxious Kitty against his chest.
"But, Scott--" she protested.
"Come here, Kitty-cat," Scott whispered before pressing his mouth to hers in a sweet, soft kiss.
Marie beamed with pride at her efforts. They didn't know it yet, but they were right for each other. Marie had known about Kitty's unrequited love for Scott. Now it seemed it had a chance to be reciprocated. She got the mugs and left the two to deal with what had happened.
*****************************
Logan just came out of the bathroom when Marie arrived. Marie sat down on the bed and waited for her husband to join her. He noticed immediately the smug expression on his wife's face. He raised an eyebrow in query.
"Scott and Kitty are making breakfast in the kitchen."
He sat down beside her and took the mug that she offered, sniffing it delicately. "And?"
"They kissed," Marie revealed with a grin.
"What?" Logan was about to sip the sweet brew but Marie's announcement stopped him. "Scooter and Kitty?" He threw back his head and gave a full, rich laugh. "That damned son of a bitch is finally getting what he deserves!"
Marie raised the cup to her lips and drank deeply. "What do you mean?"
"Remember how he was against us marrying because you were so young and I was, well, older? Now he's in a similar situation, hah!" On their fourth date, Logan had proposed to Marie and when Scott found out, he had exerted every effort possible to delay the wedding. Logan hadn't liked that.
"Well, I wouldn't think that far ahead."
"I thought you said they were kissing?"
"I placed a mistletoe above their heads," she said sheepishly.
"Ah, I see. Playing the matchmaker now, are we?"
"Kitty's been in love with Scott since God knows when. But I can tell that Scott will come around soon."
Logan took one more sniff of his hot chocolate before downing everything in one gulp. He came up coughing and sputtering. Finally, he gave a shudder.
"Are you all right?" Marie took his empty mug and together with her own, deposited them on the bedside table.
"God, but that was sweet!" He made a gagging sound. "Not to mention the most wholesome drink I've ever put in my mouth."
"Then why the hell did you ask me to make you some?" she asked belligerently.
"Because I wanted you out of the room, that's why!"
Marie looked she was about to explode in indignation when Logan pulled her to her feet. "Come on. I've got something to make you smile."
In the nursery, Logan led her to the cribs where their babies were sleeping peacefully. Marie threw him a questioning glance before checking out the twins.
"Look up," he instructed, which Marie did. She almost did a double take when she saw Winnie's newest underpants. Well, not exactly.
A loud gasp, then Marie's hearty, spontaneous laughter rang through the room. Thank goodness the babies didn't waken or there would surely be chaos.
"Oh, my God, Logan!" Tears of mirth ran down her cheeks as she tried to control her laughter. "I swear, you're obsessed with that bear!"
Logan chuckled as he moved to wrap his arms around her waist from behind, letting her relax against him as they admired their two little angels dressed in diapers and cute, little red hanging shirts--just like Winnie's. To sympathize with the babies, Logan replaced Winnie's old boxers with a large cloth diaper with two large safety pins sticking out at the sides. "The shirts are Winnie's gift to the babies. Patrick and Lisbeth, in turn, gave them his own diapers. It's a fair gift exchange in my opinion."
"Right. Don't think I don't notice how you give that bear special treatment, Logan. You're even trying to make the babies dress like him!"
"Well, they already look like him anyway. See those bellies? With the way they're feeding, they're going to have potbellies soon!"
"You have a soft spot for Winnie, admit it."
"Okay, I do," he confessed. "He's the family mascot! He's been with us since our first date."
"Even before that, actually," Marie interjected.
"Yeah. So he really should have a special place and a special role in our family."
"Careful, honey. Your soft side is showing."
"God forbid," he growled against her neck.
Sobering up, Marie snuggled up against Logan. "You're so good to us, Logan. You're a good husband and a good father. Patrick, Lisbeth and I are so lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one, Marie. Without you and our kids, I would be nothing."
They fell silent, basking in the moment of being together and watching their sleeping babies. After a while, Logan dropped a kiss on top of Marie's head. "Let's get ready for breakfast, darlin'. I'm starving."
But Marie wasn't ready to go down yet. She had a surprise of her own. She turned around in Logan's arms to face him. "You think you can go without food for, say, 10 minutes more? I have to give you a special Christmas gift."
"But I thought all our gifts are under the big tree downstairs?"
"This one you can't put under the tree."
Marie backed him out of the nursery to push him sitting on the bed.
"Marie?"
She shed her robe and unbuttoned her shirt. She had gained weight but they all added to her delectable curves. Her breasts were full and swollen. Lush. "Merry Christmas, 'darlin'. The doctor said I could."
Logan lit up like a Christmas tree. "You could?"
"Yes," Marie laughed delightedly as she removed her white cotton panties.
Logan had barely stripped his white T-shirt and his sweats off his ankles before Marie climbed onto his lap and toppled them onto the center of the bed.
"I think I'm going to like this gift the best," he grinned.
"You'd better." Her mouth fastened onto his as they started the magic that only their bodies could make.
Logan and Marie's Christmas morning was well spent. Never mind that they completely skipped breakfast.