And Along Came Delirium

“Dammit Jean!”

“Professor!”

“Language Cate, please,” Xavier sighed.

As she did every morning while the rest of the X-Men, save for Remy and Piotr, were in school, the punk girl was in a session with Professor Xavier and whoever was brave enough to be her guinea pig.

Not only were she and Xavier trying to figure out the particulars of her mind-control, but she was also learning how to fine-tine her empathy. That morning Storm was out, Beast was home schooling Jamie, Remy and Piotr were working out on their own in the Danger Room, and Logan, who normally volunteered, had flat out refused.

“When she has me do something other than ‘hop like a bunny,” he’d snarled, “I’ll help the kid out. Until then, no dice.”

Cate couldn’t help it--he was so darned cute hopping around the Professor’s office. But because of her love of seeing the Wolverine behave so uncharacteristically, she was stuck with Jean whose morning class had been cancelled. Xavier had been most excited to see how Cate would fare against a formidable telepath. At first it had gone well--she had been able to get Jean to sing ‘I’m a Little Teapot,’ and do the Hustle.

Then, irritated because her mental shields weren’t keeping Cate out, she’d purposely used her telepathy to kill her concentration, hence the older woman’s outburst.

~I’ll gladly watch my language if you tell Red to keep the intimate details of her date with Warren out of my head, Prof~ Cate told him telepathically with a shudder. ~That’s just plain wrong.~

Another sigh escaping his lips, he just shook his head. The two women were like oil and water. Not even he could figure out why they didn’t get along. Since Cate’s arrival, they’d only treated one another with disdain and if they were to work together as X-Men, that would have to change, as would many of her other relationships with some of the other inhabitants of the mansion.

~I’ll speak with her, Cate, but I must ask you to please watch your language around the mansion. There are young students here. And I do apologize for what happened this morning. It has been taken care of.~

~Yeah, I know Professor X.~

“I believe that we have done enough for now,” Xavier said out loud. “Take the rest of the morning and the afternoon to yourself, Cate. You did quite well.”

“Thanks, Prof,” she replied sincerely. She really did appreciate him taking her in, especially with the manifestation of her new powers. Despite her aloof demeanor, she was dead set on learning to control them. And contrary to popular belief, tunk unk didn’t get off on being able to force folks to make fools of themselves. It was just her way of having a little fun while she worked her ass off while learning to manage them.

Cate rose and headed for the door, but stopped just shy of opening it.

“Er, thanks for helping Jean,” she muttered to the redhead and hightailed it out of there. If she were lucky, she’d catch Remy and Piotr whomping the crap out of each other. That was always a good show--especially when they were all sweaty. Tasty.

Concerning Jean, it wasn’t that she disliked the telepath, per se. It her constant air of superiority that got on her last nerve. That and the fact that she’d dumped Scott on his ass for Warren which had forced the stick lodged in his ass up even farther.

Cate and Scott had an interesting relationship. He was the shit-kicking fearless leader and she was the slacking teammate that would get them all killed, the overage delinquent, the ‘Bad Influence.’ Really--he called her that.

“Bring Rogue home an hour late and I’m branded for life,” she grumbled while entering the DR’s observation room and taking a seat. “Fuckin’ tight ass.”

She was still stinging from that day’s training session with he and Logan. Literally. She replayed the event in her mind while unconsciously fingering her bruised side.

Pre-breakfast Danger Room sessions were the bane of each X-Man’s existence. Except for Cyclops and Wolverine, that was. Those two lived for morning training--the earlier the better.

The torturous training was required for each team member, but Delirium, who came to the mansion somewhat lacking in fighting technique, not only had to endure regular DR sessions, but hand-to-hand combat training with Cyclops and the Wolverine every morning before the rest of the team was even out of bed.

Being that the Wolverine was a sexy beast and her team leader was a cycloptic Adonis, she really shouldn’t have minded, but anyone who made her get up that early was instantly on her shit list.

Apparently, she was on Fearless Leader Boy’s shit list that morning, because he was absolutely relentless in his attacks on her, at least verbally. Basically, the session had consisted of him taking her down roughly and telling her that she wasn’t cut out to be an X-Man, she had no respect for the Professor and the Institute, and she’d rather fuck around with Gambit than become a full member of the team.

“Why *are* you here, Delirium?” he’d spat venomously, circling her before his next attack. “To get a free ride and corrupt valuable members of the team? Do you get off on getting Rogue and Gambit in trouble? Hell, are you using Gambit to get off?”

*That* pissed her off. She knew that she had a lot to learn about living with a bunch of people and getting along and all that bull, but her friendship with Remy was none of his business. Bringing it up in training was unacceptable and hot leader or not, she wasn‘t about to put up with him talking to her like that.

While she didn’t react with words (she didn’t do that much since the incident that brought her to the mansion) Cate instead projected of hof her hurt and outrage at the mutant. The intensity of her feelings knocked him right on his bum, much to her delight.

“I don’t know what crawled up your ass, Cyclops, but you have no *fucking* right to speak like that to me--especially not during training and not in front of my instructor. You have an issue with me, take it up with me when we’re not in uniform, asshole.”

At that she’d walked out without another word or another glance at the prone man. She’d been AWOL for the rest of the morning until her session with the Professor, not wanting to run into Cyclops again. And since Wolverine had seen the entire exchange and knew that the young man was mainly at fault, she hadn’t been penalized for missing the team DR session.

The older man had viewed the entire exchange in the observation room, not quite believing what he’d just seen. It was not Scott’s style to be so rough, so accusatory, especially towards a teammate, even Delirium.

It was obvious that she was a little rough around the edges. That’s why the Canadian liked her.

She was a tough broad and despite her, well, personality flaws, she was trying to make something of herself besides than a delinquent, devil-may-care punk. She was trying to take some responsibility and learn to control the mutations she’d been gifted with.

The blue-haired woman had a lot in common with him--she drank, she smoked, and hell, they were both hedonists at heart, enjoying pleasures of the flesh. It was going to take her time to reconcile her libertine ways with those of being an X-Man.

When he found her in the Observation Room later that morning, it was obvious that she was paying no attention to Gambit and Colossus in the Danger Room below and thinking about her exchange with Scott.

“What’s goin’ on in that blue head ‘o yours, kid?”

She spun around in her chair, a bright smile on her face. Cate was always happy to see Logan. He was another one of the few that she got along well with. Not that he didn’t give her hellish chores when he caught her sneaking in or out or drinking in her room, but it was very safe to say that they were friends. Good friends even.

“Just fantasizing about kicking the shit out of One-Eye,” she replied sweetly. “What’re you going here?”

“Makin’ sure that Colossus and the Cajun don’t do too much damage to my equipment.”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

She turned her attention to her dueling friends, pleased to see that they were, indeed, all sweaty and had forgone their uniforms, battling out in civvies. And somewhere along the line, they’d ditched their shirts. Yes, Remy and Piotr were finee spe specimens. But she didn’t dig them like that, not like she did--

“Ugh, not going there. But accusing me of using Remy,” she sniped. “That’s fucking ridiculous.” Besides Rogue and Logan, he was the only real friend she had. Granted, she got along well with the other ex-Acolytes, but it wasn’t the same.

Logan took a seat next to Cate, trying not to chuckle at the pout on her lips. He managed to resist and instead he put an arm around her, letting the mutant rest her head on his shoulder.

“Ya don’t gotta tell me, Cate. I know you and Gumbo got a lot in common-- got a bond. Scott doesn’t understand it. The kid’s jealous, is ya ask me. And don‘t worry ‘bout Cyke gettin’ away with this morning. Gumbo‘s already volunteered to put him through an extra Danger Room run as punishment for his unacceptable behavior toward a teammate.”

Cate stared at him, her eyes as big as saucers, her mind only registering the statement regarding a jealous Scott.

“Did you hit your head during morning drills, Wolvie? Scott jealous of me and Remy?”

He raised a questioning eyebrow. Hadn’t she realized that the Wolverine always knew what he was talking about?

“Yeah, jealous. C’mon--ya get here and ya get close to the hardest people to get to know in the Institute--the Cajun, Rogue, and me. He lost his best friend when Jean left him for Warren. Besides--the kid’s attracted to ya.”

Cate knew that he’d definitely knocked something loose. There was no way that Stick-In-The-Ass Summers had a thing for her. Jean Grey was the perfect example of his kind of girl and Cate was her total antithesis. Besides, she’d never gotten any kind of lusty vibe from him and she made that point to Logan.

“Have you forgotten what my mutation is? I know when someone’s attracted to me, Logan. All I get from Scott is loathing and contempt and--”

“And lust if ya were payin’ attention, darlin.’ I know it when I smell it,” he grinned.

She just shook her h “Y “You’re nuts, sweetie. Ray, St. John, they think I’m cute. I’ve even caught you checking me out a couple of times in my uniform,” she smirked. “But as far as Scott goes, your sniffer’s broken.”

Logan grinned at that. Hell yes he’d checked her out. Cate filled out her dark navy X-Man uniform quite nicely with her full breasts, well-defined waist that flared into very shapely hips, and an ass that wouldn’t quit. She also had gorgeous face--despite the hardware. With her high cheekbones, full red lips, and big green almond-shaped eyes flecked liberally with gold that positively sparkled when she was happy, his friend was definitely a looker and honestly, there wasn’t an X-woman who wasn’t.

The X-Girls had grown up (the new recruits not included) and time was being very, very good to them. There were some days in the Danger Room he’d excuse himself and let Cyclops take over because he couldn’t take watching the ‘girls’ in their skintight uniforms. They all had curves that should be illegal and mouths that were made to do something besides eat with and speak. There was only so much a man could take! Particularly when said man also wore a skintight uniform and had bits of his own that could be readily seen on occasion.

But while Cate, Jean and Kitty were hot little things on their own, it was their Southern spitfire that caught his eye from day one. Logan was aware that it made him a perverted old man, but once she’d turned eighteen, he’d stopped admonishing himself. At least then it was legal to lust after her.

The lusting had become almost unbearable with the arrival of the sto stockings. Gone were the opaque black tights and bulky over shirts. Come to stay were sheer body stockings. Most were black, but there was the occasional absofuckinglutely sheer as could be nude ones. So nude that he was almost convinced he could touch her and feel nothing but her silken white skin. He wanted to both fall to his knees to thank and yet damn to hell whoever helped her find them. Of course that person happened to be Cate.

He wouldn’t damn to her hell, but only because she was such a good friend to Rogue. And to him. In fact, he wouldn’t mind some ‘quality’ time with Cate--on a friends with benefits level. And from the scent that sometimes surrounded her when he was near, the little punk wouldn’t mind either.

Logan winked and smiled at her.

“Yeah, I’m guilty, darlin.’ Got a problem with that?” he teased.

“Hell no, Logan,” she stated frankly. There was no way in hell she‘d refuse the buff X-Man. “But I know who you really want...”

“Don’t start, kid,” he growled. “Not unless ya want me to start on the *asshole* whose pants you wanna get in. And don’t deny it. Ya want him as much as he wants you, Cate. Opposites attract and all of that bullshit.”

‘Damn him and his intuition,’ she thought. But it was true--there was something about that preppy boy wonder that made her want to throw him down and have her wicked way with him. Perhaps it was because he was most definitely a virgin and she wanted the honor of deflowering the man. Just the thought of being the one to bring Scott‘s sensual side to the surface made her wet.

Catching her changed scent, Logan gently lifted her onto his lap with her back against his chest and made a show of inhaling deeply as if to prove his point. He then rested his chin in the crook of her shoulder, his lips barely grazing her ear.

“My sniffer’s never wrong, darlin.’ Hell, I’m never wrong,” he whispered, his gravelly voice doing nothing for her aroused condition. His large hands gently made their way down her sides, purposely brushing against her breasts, and came to a stop atop her knees. Abruptly he pulled them wide open, her spread thighs releasing her arousal thick into the air. “Ya smell good, Catie,” he breathed, her scent driving his burgeoning hard-on. “But is it for me or the kid?”

“Both,” she murmured. Cate ground her ass into the erection beneath it and leaned against his broad chest. “How ’bout you, sweetie? Did the hard-on pressing into my ass come from thinking about sweet little Rogue or the chick with the wet panties writhing in your lap?”

“Mmm, both, darlin.’ How ’bout we go somewhere and take care of this little situation.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N~I know this one was kinda long, so thanks for hanging in there! Next up we got some of that yummy smut!