The morning after would be awkward, or at least Marie was convinced then it would be. It didn't lessen the pep in her step when she quickly walked down the hallways to his room. Oh, she had no illusion about them being allowed privacy for long, the good professor surely would send a babysitter for her. The one sent would probably see themselves more of a bodyguard for her but, really?

She snorted to herself. They had no clue about how well she could handle herself. And handle Sabertooth. Handle him real well, that silky length smooth in her hands, sans gloves...

Rogue shook her head. There was something about that man that made her lose track of everything else. She briefly wondered if it was some feral mating instinct, inherited from her adopted gifts. Food for thought. Storm joined her from an adjacent stairway and Rogue stifled her need to roll her eyes. Babysitter indeed. She pointedly ignored the woman, briskly taking the last steps to the room Victor temporarily occupied.

"Victor swung the door open just as she was about to knock. Of course he'd heard them coming. She almost blushed, because he shamelessly opened the door dripping wet, wearing just a towel around his hips. Marie floundered for a second and he raised an eyebrow, a smirk quirking just the corner of his mouth.

Storm cleared her throat and Marie whipped her head around, the other woman momentarily forgotten in her gawking. He never failed to impress her with being more stunning than she could dream.

"Breakfast soon?" He asked causally.

"I..uh, yeah."

Eloquent, Marie. She mentally facepalmed.

"Good. I'm starving. Let me put on some clothes? Or should I go like this?" He leered at her.

"Clothes is necessary."

She answered, because they were. Not that she wanted him to wear them.

He barked a laugh and returned inside, leaving the door open, obviously intent on giving her a good eyeful of Sabertooth. She glanced at Storm but the other woman had turned her back on the scene, arms crossed over her chest.

"He's quite shameless." Storm pointed out, a tinge of pink raising on her cheeks.

"That, he is." Marie answered.

Sabertooth laughed again, abs flexing distractingly under smooth, tanned skin. Rogue almost drooled. Almos

"Well I was raised with Wolverine. Sort of." He pointed out amusedly, pulling his pants on.

Of course, he had to go commando. Because Rogue wouldn't have enough problems to focus anyway.

He held his arm out for her to take, showing off those rarely used 1800's manners and it charmed the southern belle in her.

"Why, thank you, Sir." She smiled at him.

"Would you do me the honor of showing me the dining room, my Lady?" He asked her with an amused glint in his eyes.

She laughed and tugged him with her, eager to get some food. Out of the corner of her eyes, Rogue saw Storm watching them with an incredulous expression. She could understand the confusion. Even Rogue herself had a hard time grasping that she was with Sabertooth.

All conversation came to a halt when they entered the dining room, everybody gawking at them. It was still strange, the way she didn't mind. Let them stare. She was comfortable in her own skin for the first time since she was a child. She was a woman now, not a blushing, awkward girl who was so shy, she had a hard time being the center of attention even in a crowd of just a few of her friends.

They headed for the counter where the food was waiting to be devoured and was she ready to heed emthat/em call? One had not experienced famine until you had been a feral. She was piling her plate with scrambled eggs when Jubilee sidled up to her.

"Way to go, girl! You have caught a really sweet piece of meat." She stage whispered to Rogue.

Ont theother side of her , Sabertooth snorted. Of course he'd heard that. And it was probably her intent. Jubilee grinned unrepentantly.

"Oh, yeah he is! But he's mine." Rogue growled playfully, baring a fang with her smirk.

"I know. Wouldn't dare poke him with a stick. But that's a good thing. Means you're safe, girlie." Jubilee waved to Sabertooth

"Hi, I'm Jubilee, Rogue's best friend. If you stick with her, you're stuck with me too. And you better not break her heart." She mock threatened him, her typical positivity defusing the threat.

"Good to know she has someone watching her back." He acknowledged.

"Jubes is a real gem." Rogue said.

She was appreciating both her friend and her man even more. It would be wonderful if they could, if not get along, at least be on speaking terms. Wolverine's standoffishness to the exuberant girl had always bothered her.

By the time they say down at a table, the chatter had resumed and they were blissfully left to themselves. Jubilee had grabbed an apple and bounced away, leaving "the two lovebirds to their own devices" and Rogue was relieved. She needed to work everything out with Victor before she felt ready for the cross exam that was sure to follow and the introduction of her bubbly friend to her undoubtedly volatile boyfriend.

"You OK?" He searched her face.

"Yes. I'm more than OK. It's daunting but I'm relieved. No more sneaking around. I can show you off to the world now."

He rumbled a low laugh but stretched across the table to entwine their fingers.

"That, you can. And I can get you a better car."

"Hey, Iem like/em my car! I always think about you when I drive it. Reminds me of how we started out."

"You can still keep that car. You can have whatever you want."

"The only thing that matters is that I have you."

He smirked, that infuriatingly teasing quirk of his mouth.

"Cheesy, but true." He agreed.

Marie rolled her eyes and he pulled her forward over the table to press his lips to hers. Marie melted into the kiss, food and the others in the room forgotten until someone catcalled. Victor smirked against her lips, ending the kiss with licking her upper lip.

"We should get out of here." He murmured.

"Yeah." Marie's answer was breathy, her face flushed.

She grabbed their plates and hastily put them in the dishwasher, following him outside.

"I'll be back for class on Monday." She said as she passed Storm in the hallway.

They wouldn't leave his apartment until then.

Two months later, in a cafe

"So..." Jubilee hesitated.

It got Marie's attention, because Jubes just wasn't one to beat around the bush. She looked up from her coffee and waited for her friend to spit it out.

"Well, now that you have Sabertooth and all. How do you think of Logan?"

"As a friend. It's still strained, but I consider it a friendship on hold, not lost."

"So, if someone wanted to date him...

"I'm in a relationship. I can't expect him not to get involved with other women. Lord knows he's had his share of ladies while I was still pining for him."

You wouldn't mind, then?"

I'm still not fond of the typical skanks he has a tendency to pick up, but if he was seeing someone nice, someone special, I would just be happy for him." It was the truth. Marie had thought about it on more than one occasion.

"And you wouldn't be angry if it was someone you know?"

This was turning very specific. Marie narrowed her eyes. Was Jubilee trying to let her down easy because Wolverine was already seeing someone?

"No, I guess not. It depends. I mean, I wouldn't be ecstatic if he was seeing Mystique. Or Kitty. Just... Ugh."

She still couldn't get over that, in spite of it turning into something far better than spending her life in a hands off relationship. It had hurt her so deeply, it would probably always be a little scar of betrayal on her heart.

"Relax, chica! He isn't seeing anyone. Not yet, at least. But you know, he should have a real firecracker."

Jubilee smiled. Marie looked at her friend, comprehension slowly dawning as she studied the girl's dreamy expression.

"You want to date Wolverine?" She asked.

"I want to try to get him to agree to one date for starters. Baby steps, chica."

"He couldn't get a better girl courting him." Marie approved with a big grin.

Three years later, Sabretooth's and Rogue's house

"We're here!" Jubilee exploded out of the car in her characteristic exuberance.

Marie stepped out on the porch, arms crossed and a wry smile on her face. Her best friend was easily recognizable: still in love with all things yellow.

"Omg, chica! You look beautiful! And you have adopted his smirk." Jubes laughed and ran to the other young woman.

Wolverine stepped out of the car at a more sedate pace, looking around to take in the surroundings. It probably appealed to just feral nature, being at the edge of the thick forest a few miles from the nearest town. Marie waved to him and he smiled. emIt was a good look on him./em She thought.

Jubilee tackled her, Marie catching the small woman with ease, hugging her friend. Her strength and balance had increased tremendously since she first started seeing Sabretooth.

The big feral stepped out of the house, body relaxed, a smile lacking the predatory anticipation so often seen, stretching his lips. Marie did not miss the momentary tension in Wolverine's body as his older brother came into view, even as the younger feral forced himself to relax almost instantly. She wasn't surprised. Even if the brothers got along much better now, almost all mutants behaved that way when facing Sabretooth.

"Hi, firecracker." Sabretooth addressed the woman clinging to his mate. "Hey, brother. Don't just stand there, come on up here. I have Molsons in the fridge."

The promise of his favorite beverage kicked the younger feral into gear and he came up the stairs as Marie put Jubilee down.

"You finally made it." Marie said to her former crush and hugged him.

Wolverine grunted in affirmation, still not a man of many words even if he'd lightened up considerably since Jubilee started to drag him out on, in the beginning reluctant, dates. Marie was happy for them both. Jubes had managed to convince the stubborn man that it was a good thing they started out when she was young, so they'd get more years together. Marie almost laughed at the memory of Jubilee reasoning that if they got weird looks now because she was young, she would own it when she was a cougar in her old age with a man looking thirty. Wolverine had spluttered as Jubes had just steamrolled him and changed the subject like that was that.

After the initial objections, the equally stubborn, bubbly, young woman had managed to convince the grumpy feral that it was a good idea, or maybe he'd just given up?, and they had become an official thing.

Marie couldn't be happier, as Victor really wanted to be on, if not good, then at least ok terms with his brother and the big feral seemed to genuinely like Jubilee. She had a family, and what a family!

15 years later, Sabretooth and Rogue's house

"Fox, get back here! You and your brother is going to clean up that mess or so help me!"

Rogue ripped around the corner at top speed, chasing her wayward daughter, the nine year old going for the trees. Rogue could hear Jackal, the girl's twin brother, crashing through the underbrush, not yet agile enough to be stealthy, and really too hurried to try. What Rogue couldn't hear was her husband, but she knew he was up there somewhere in front of them, ready to pounce on the unruly puppies. She could smell him and the kids should be able to do that too, but they weren't thinking. It looked like this would be a double lesson, a valuable one at that. Rogue's lips curled up in a smirk, showing off lengthened fangs.

It reminded her of the beginning, when Sabretooth had taught her how panicking made you all the more easy to catch, especially when you stopped to use your senses. She had been so clueless back then. Their kids would never be spared the importance of being able to fight properly, even now at their young age. Of course they moderated their strength during practice, but both their puppies were already formidable opponents, capable of holding their own quite well.

Oh yes, this turned out to be quiet the opportunity to teach them that running blindly was a very bad idea.

Then they'd get to clean up the kitchen

25 years later

Rogue curled up close to Sabretooth, staring into the flames of the small campfire. They were out camping for a few days, the forecast had promised nice weather and with the twins old enough to not need a babysitter any more, they finally indulged in a little alone time for mama and papa feral.

"You know, other parents probably go to a hotel or a spa for getting a kid free weekend." She mused out loud and Sabretooth snorted.

Would you like that more than this?"

"No, it's just a little... funny. But I like it better out here. And I really don't care if I'm in a luxury hotel or in a tent, as long as I'm with you."

He hummed in agreement, pulling her with him as he laid down to look at the stars. She really liked it out here, the ever present increase in technology and modernization of the world left her feral senses frazzled at times and she often wondered how Sabretooth dealt with it. He had really seen the days when he could still pass as part of folklore, a time when man and animal roamed the earth to greater extent than machines.

So much time had passed, and more time was to come. Rogue had hardly aged since she met him, her emtalent /emleeching his ability to heal. Sometimes she wondered what the world would be like in fifty years, but then she always stopped herself. That time would come. Better live in the moment.

Some days, she still couldn't believe how lucky she was. When she walked into that bar what seemed like ages ago, she was truly aiming for losing her virginity. Now here she was, stretched out along the muscular body of the man that had time and again proven that he exceeded her dreams. They had two wonderful kids at home. A tear slid down her cheek, and of course he picked up the smell right away.

"What's wrong, darlin'?"

He pulled her up on top of him and kissed the wet trail on her cheek tenderly.

"Nothing. I'm just happy. I have a wonderful family. I have you. Sometimes, I still can't fathom it. I love you so much."

"Better believe it, because you have me for all eternity. And I love you."

His hand slid down her sides, the smooth stroke soothing yet still setting her body alight and she leaned in to capture his bottom lip between her teeth. He smirked against her mouth, hands cupping her ass to press her closer and she could feel that he wanted her.

When he tugged lightly at the hem of her shirt, she lifted up to make it easier for him to tug it off. It was better than having him rip yet another of her shirts. She sat back to peer down at him in the moonlight, his pupils blown wide with arousal, fingers trailing his chiseled chest. He was still as beautiful as that first day. And he was hers.

Rogue rocked back and forth a few times and he groaned at the friction. She knew he could smell her arousal. It didn't make her any more prepared when he growled low in his throat and flipped them. She squealed excitedly and giggled but surrendered immediately.

Clothes were tugged off rather frantically, but then he took his sweet time. He laved her clothes and her wet center with his slightly rough tongue and Rogue stared up at the sky without really seeing it. Her back arched when he growled and as he slipped two fingers into her, she came almost instantly with a primal keen.

Her pulse was settling, breathing calming down, when he carefully laid on top of her, nipping and kissing her shoulders and neck. When she felt ready, and that did not take much time with all that smooth skin against hers, she wrapped her legs around his hips and he greedily took that offer.

Sabretooth licked at the mark he left on her neck all those years ago and as he slid into her, he growled.

"Mine."

Oh, yes, she was his. She knew that he would mark her again by the end of this coupling, and she wouldn't dream of objecting.

He was her's too.