The Healing Process

Title: Enabling
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Character are not of my design. Song "I Dont Wanna Think About It" belongs to Wild Strawberries.
Summary: Dealing with the repercussions of the morning after. Logan might be seen as somewhat OOC in a few parts.
Author's note: Thanks to W6C's and Martia Neher for beta-ing this thing for me. I never realized the extent of my insomnia until a few obvious things were pointed out. That's why I love second opinions. Lina: Thanks, that's sweet. Dendey: That's the mental picture I get when I think of the little wench. I have never liked her and I don't plan to start anytime soon. Here's a spoon, eat up. Gimpy: I know! Poor guy barely gets any "me" time in stories. Intellects can make for some pretty interesting love partners too. Kitty Devoire: Yes Maam! *salutes* You know this is pretty hard to do when you're all the way down there. Maybe you could come back up to my level? *grin*


There were hands on his body. Running all over his skin like they were on a mission to imprint their shape into his flesh. The strong fingers gripped hard and bit into the tissue. The weight descending on him was comfortable and Hank felt himself being pulled towards it. Warm breath teased his ear making him shiver as he lifted his head back for more. A huffed chuckle vibrated the air around his head and Hank sighed. Lips rested just barely on the edge of his ear and a rasping growl transformed his name into something almost obscene.

"Hank..."

"Hank, wake up man."

Henry McCoy snapped awake in an instant and jerked upright. A sharp hiss rushed through his teeth when his muscles screamed in protest over being moved so quickly. Bobby Drake snickered and patted the Beast's broad shoulder.

"You gotta stop falling asleep in here. One of these days you might get stuck in this position."

Hank grumbled something that could have been an agreement. He wiped away the slobber that dribbled from his chin and leaned back slowly in his large chair. A good long stretch to remove any kinks in his muscles followed by a satisfying yawn and the good doctor was feeling almost right. He gave Bobby and inquizzative look and glanced at the clock. Ten in the morning.

"Might I inquire as to what has brought you down to my dungeon at such an hour? When it is the norm for you to remain in repose until mid-day?"

Bobby gave a shrug. "Thought I'd pay you a visit. Plus, I wanted to get away from all the drama in the kitchen."

The iceman was now shifting uneasily from one foot to another and rifling through a stack of papers, looking positively nervous. Hank sighed and rubbed his still tired eyes.

"So, I take it you have become enlightened to the goings-on in the mansion last night?"

Another shrug. "Got the gist I guess."

Hank shook his head and stood. "Well, you will be getting no information from me, if that was your objective."

He walked out of the office and made his way toward the medical supplies cabinet with Bobby right on his heels. The younger man had to very nearly jog to keep up with the Beast's space swallowing gait.

"Come on Hank, don't recite that stupid "hypocratic oath" or "doctor, patient confidentiality" crap. I'm your best bud."

Hank smiled softly. "My apologies, dear boy, but seeing how it was my medical expertise Mr. Logan required; I'm afraid the "confidentiality crap" is the only answer I can provide you with for now."

"For now? So you'll tell me later?" Bobby asked with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

Hank turned to face the young man after having found the things he needed. "Absolutely not." He answered as he walked by. Bobby gave an indignant squeak and spun himself around. A curious look suddenly came over him and he tilted his head.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"I'm going for a follow-up with a patient." Hank stated matter-of-factly.

Bobby's eyes lit up. "You mean your going to see Logan aren't you? Can I come, please? I'll stay out of the way I promise, I could be your nurse."

Hank snapped his bag closed and turned to face Bobby. "No. Bobby this is my responsibility as a doctor. I take my work very seriously and I can not allow you to accompany me simply for curiousity's sake. The situation is delicate enough as it is." A shameful look fell on Bobby's face and he fiddled uneasily with his hands. Hank smiled and reached out to place a paw on his shoulder. "Sorry, maybe if it was a simple prostate exam..." he said with a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. Bobby's face screwed up with that imagery.

"Great, watching you explore some guy's butthole is really something I'm gonna look forward to." This got Bobby a laugh as Hank picked up his bag and walked toward the door.

"It might be good preparation for when your time comes." There was another high-pitched squeak from Bobby as Hank made his exit, chuckling softly to himself.
======================

Logan heard the light knocking at his door. He growled and turned over to bury his head in the pillow, desperate to alleviate the throbbing at his temples. His mouth was sticky and dry and his throat was like sandpaper. Not the best thing to wake up to. Of course, he had been through worse in his long, long lifetime.

Another gentle series of raps forced an irritated snuffle from the feral and he viciously tossed aside his pillow; any meager hope of returning to sleep completely ruined. In his state of drowsiness and exasperation, Logan foolishly leapt from his bed and was promptly hit with a pulsating dizziness accompanied by acute nausea. He groaned softly and fell to his knees, clutching his aching head.

On the other side of the door; Hank's delicate sense of hearing allowed him to bear witness to the sounds made by his patient and without hesitation the doctor swung the door open and bounded inside. Upon seeing Logan curled on the floor with his hands on either side of his head, Henry hastily shut the door to grant some privacy and rushed to the man's side.

In a voice laced with genuine concern, Hank asked his teammate what had happened. When Logan realized who it was that was next to him, he forced his bleary eyes open and did his level best to look embarrassed. With something akin to shame, the loner X-man unwound himself and scooted away from the furry man of science and medical practices.

A large, calming hand stopped the man from straying too far. His eyes bounced from the blue mutant's face to the floor and then off into open air. A patient sigh was all that succeeded his show as Hank set down his medical bag.

"What're ya doin here Blue?" Logan asked trying to retain what he hoped was a casual air. A flash of amusement lit intensely blue eyes as Hank dug around in the bag for his instruments.

"I believe you were informed that I would be requiring a follow-up examination. It is standard procedure."

Logan fought to keep the confusion off his face as Hank went about checking his blood pressure and pulse. Did the doctor have some sort of elixir that erased his memory or something? The guy was acting like his behavior from only hours ago had never even occurred and that all was right with the world.

A dark sinking feeling washed over him and a jaded voice chided him softly; saying that the good doctor had no reason to lose sleep over the actions of a pitifully desperate old man. With this in mind, Logan let his face fall into a passive cover. He was after all, the master of pretending.

So for the duration of the exam, a silence permeated the room, which Henry did not question out of politeness. Contrary to Logan's beliefs, the good doctor indeed remembered every detail of what had taken place the night before. He had hardly slept a wink following the confession Logan thought had gone unheard. Confusion and no small amount of lust had eaten at him until Hank's nerves were so frazzled he'd finally passed out from pure exhaustion; hence the erotic dream he'd been having before Bobby had woken him. Now, McCoy had no clue what he was expected to do about it.

Logan continued to stare straight ahead while he urged his body to ignore the warmth of Hank's touch. The light brush of silky fur incessantly provoked minute shivers and raised goosebumps across the Canadian's hyper-sensitive skin. The desire to strip naked and lose himself in the feel of such a luxurious pelt pushed itself to the front of his mind. Logan pinched his eyes shut and tried to concentrate on calming his wild urges.

It was too little too late however, for Hank's nose had already begun picking up the small wisps of arousal coming from the man in his care. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks and his heartrate accelerated ever so slightly. The fingers that had been pressed to Logan's wrist to monitor his pulse unconsciously began a timid exploration of the skin beneath them.

On pure impulse, Henry leaned forward until his nose was inches from Logan's neck and inhaled quickly. A deep, earthen aroma as wild as the outdoors sang to his senses, beckoning to the animal buried beneath the guise of a white lab coat.

These actions did not go unnoticed thanks to Logan's gifts. The tension in his face eased slowly in response to the other mutant's explorations. Very slowly, the feral's shoulder relaxed and his head tilted to allow access. His silent invitation was eagerly snatched up and a rough, wet tongue blazed a path over the exposed skin. Logan drew a sharp breath as a jolt struck him like one of Storm's lightning bolts.

"Hank..."

Meet me in the doorway
I'll be painting pictures of gates
you were so crazy
I was so chaste
I don't know what happened to me
I dont know

The whispering of his name in a rough, shuddered tone broke the doctor from his spell. With a quick shake of his head he pulled back to put distance between the two of them. Hank cleared his throat loudly and swept his gaze about the floor in an attempt to keep from seeing Logan's expression. He hastily snatched up his bag and stumbled to his feet. His eyes remained on the floor as he mumbled a parting remark to the other man.

"Everything appears in order. Please notify me if there are any abrupt changes."

By this time Logan too had found his feet and despite some slight swaying from the sudden drop in blood pressure, he managed to remain upright. He ignored the shaking in his hands as he took a tentative step toward the shaggy scientist.

"Hank?" he asked, and this time, the doctor was forced to make eye contact and what he saw took his breath away. Logan's eyes were glazed with barely contained ardor and his expression was weighed heavily with urgent need.

Hank could feel his body screaming with the impulse to erase that look from the other man's face. Logan took another step and now Beast could clearly make out the plea written in his gaze. With no other choice than to break eye contact, Hank looked away and hurried for the door. It closed softly behind him as two words chased him down and followed him all the way back to his lab.

"Don't go..."

I dont wanna think about it
I dont wanna think about it
===========================

Henry McCoy remained secluded in his dungeon for a majority of the day, trying in vain to keep his mind busy to avoid thinking of the open despair in his seemingly unbreakable teammate. Unfortunately, this was a time when his thoughts were at their most varied and no amount of distraction seemed sufficient to wipe that memory from his senses. Those two harmless words upon his departure sank their meaning deep into his bones until he felt on the brink of sanity.

It wasn't the lust that had frightened Hank. He had, long ago, found it somewhat idiotic to try to seek a preference for one gender over another when it came to areas of carnality. The desire he understood; it was the blatant need in the other man that had shaken him up.

McCoy had always pictured Logan as a man that "needed" no one. Of course he had to remind himself that Logan was just that, a man. Humans were genetically a pack oriented species, needing companionship in the form of family and friends. Wolverine would be no exception; especially considering the man's animalistic nature, which would make that need even stronger.

Hank pulled back from the sample he had been studying only half-heartedly and rubbed his tired eyes. There was a considerable rumbling from his midsection which helped to remind him that he had not eaten anything for quite some time. Maybe a meal would help to provide the break his mind and nerves so sorely needed. After doing a little light cleaning around his station, Hank emerged from his hovel on his way to the kitchen.

There were few bodies occupying the galley when he arrived, which Hank found himself thankful for. A quick peek through the fridge provided a few leftovers from breakfast, which were quickly seized along with what was left of a jug of milk. Hank then made a beeline for a table occupied by Ororo who appeared to be sipping tea while browsing through a magazine. She offered Henry a warm smile as he sat down and an immaculately trimmed eyebrow arched in amusement at the plate the Beast had put together.

Hank simply shrugged as he proceeded to dig in and Ororo went back to her reading. The doctor took this time to leisurely look about him as he ate and noticed the darling couple of Xavier's mansion seated at another table with Scott looking considerably worse for wear. Hangovers were never a joyous thing to experience, especially with a houseful of rambunctious youngsters; a few of which were crowded together near the door, chattering about something Hank had no interest in.

The scientist was ready to return his attention back to his meal when a sudden air of tension caused the hairs along the ridge of his back to stand up. Hank's gaze slid over to the table where Jean and Scott were seated and noticed the rigid set of the team leader's spine. He followed the man's line of sight and recognized Logan as he walked through the door, looking as casual as the day was long. Hank swallowed down his mouthful of food and tried to ignore the heat in his chest.

Logan dragged his weary body to the fridge and pulled out a beer. As he twisted the cap, there was a hiss of rapidly released pressure from the glass bottle, which immediately caught the resident doctor's attention. Wolverine felt the man's disapproving look upon him and flicked his eyes over to meet Hank's gaze while taking a drink; challenging the large mutant to do something about it. The doctor's blue eyes narrowed in irritation and McCoy loudly cleared his throat to get his attention. Logan cast him an innocent look, then shrugged and took another sip.

Hank crinkled his nose out of annoyance and pushed away his plate. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair as he regarded the other man with a cautious eye.

"Logan, as a physician I must advise you against consumption of alcohol for the time being. I would be loathed to force a ban on the substance from this residence should you refuse to comply."

Logan gathered from the look in the other man's eye, it was not an empty threat. He grudgingly walked over to the sink and dumped the remaining contents of the bottle down the drain. Hank nodded his head in gratitude, before resuming his lunch.

Logan brushed his hands on his jeans and turned to make his way back out the door. There was the faintest flicker of motion from the other table and Wolverine stopped in his tracks. Turning to Scott, he cocked an eyebrow.

"Got somethin' ta get off yer chest Cyke?"

Jean creased her brow at her husband and Scott parted his lips in an unapologetic sneer.

"You really have some balls Logan."

"Scott..." Jean tried to interject.

Logan shifted to fully face the team leader. "No, let the man speak. Come on Scoot, let's have it."

The hairy man's voice was eerily calm and Scott pushed back his chair to stand up. "You fucked my wife! How long has this been going on?"

Ororo continued to keep her eyes on the magazine in front of her while Hank watched the exchange between the two men with his mouth agape. Jean clutched her husband's arm and tried to get his attention.

"Scott, that is enough..."

"Few weeks." Logan answered truthfully.

Jean dropped her forehead into her open hand. Scott's face turned almost as red as the ruby quartz lenses of his shades and he looked down at his wife with an accusatory glare. "Weeks! You've been at this for weeks?!"

Now it was Jean's turn to leap to her feet, her expression a cold mask of outrage. "About the same length of time you've been fucking Warren!"

That caught Storm's attention and the magazine dropped from her hands from pure shock abd Hank nearly choked on his own breath. Scott's face fell and Hank could only guess at the expression in his eyes. Jean planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "What? I'm a telepath Scott, did you really think you could hide?"

"But...LOGAN?" Scott shouted back at her. Jean pouted her lips.

"What's the matter Scott? Are you jealous because I got to him first?"

Now it was Logan's jaw that fell open and a grimace crossed his face. "I didn't need ta hear that," he muttered quietly.

"Please, what interest could I possibly have in this hairy dickhead?" Scott asked in disbelief. "He's supposed to be so honorable yet he goes out and screws another guy's wife. The fucker is nothing but a sleaze. Maybe now Xavier will see that and kick him out on his ass, like he should have done a long-"

A loud rattling from the table where Hank and Storm were sitting cut Scott's words short and drew everyone's attention. Hank was to his feet and fixing them all with a glare that could have only been described as deadly. Ororo actually shuddered.

"If you would all be so kind as to take this argument elsewhere, there are those of us who would like to use this area for the purpose it was originally intended." Hank requested heatedly. "Your sordid business does not need concern anyone outside your own circle. Should you be incapable of coming to some sort of civil agreement then I will personally see to it that Xavier removes each and every one of you three from active duty upon his return."

Hank kept his voice low despite the fact that he was quivering with fury. Logan was quick to take a hint and slipped silently from the room. Scott and Jean both stood stunned for a few moments with their eyes wide. Hank raised his brow and gave a quick jerk of his head. This seemed to drive the point home and they beat a hasty retreat.
As soon as they were gone, Hank slumped back into his chair with a groan. Ororo reached over and placed a steadying hand on Hank's massive forearm and the doctor offered her a wavering smile. He rapidly consumed the rest of his meal and was soon on his way back to the quiet of his lab.

You rendered me conscious
You cut my innocent face
I'm not really bitter
then again I'm not amused
I just wanna kick you til you cry I loved I really loved you
========================================

Hours later, Hank had given up on trying to accomplish anything of significance with his latest research and was now huddled over his desk, sorting through several months' worth of neglected reports. It helped to calm the rage that had been running a course through his veins. It was some sort of hell to sit there quietly while Scott had been content to verbally bash Logan.

No attempt had been made by Logan to goad the leader's anger or even to defend himself. He'd merely stood there and let the other man hurdle his insults. Perhaps he'd felt deserving of the crude remarks.

However, that didn't make Hank feel any better about the treatment that Logan had been dealt. The least they could have done was attempt some courteous behavior for the sake of the young ones. They didn't need to be a party to that sort of discussion.

Hank sighed and rubbed the back of his aching neck. He'd been so immersed in what he was doing that he failed to notice even now, the arrival of the very man he was brooding over. Logan approached the preoccupied scientist with a step made silent by years of training. He was nearly on top of the other man before smoothly clearing his throat. There was a startled gasp and a flurry of scattering papers as Hank swiveled around in his chair. A bemused grin greeted him and he brought a hand to his bulky chest as he let out a breath.

"Logan...good gracious you startled me." Hank told him and in turn he received a small chuckle

"Looks that way." Logan replied, then the smaller man leisurely squatted down and began collecting the wayward papers. Hank bent over in his chair to assist.

"Thank you," he murmured, still slightly embarrassed.

Logan just gave a shake of his shaggy head as he handed his stack off to Hank. "No problem."

The furry doctor was quick to avert his eyes lest he linger too long on the play of Logan's chest muscles showing through the open front of his flannel shirt. The Canadian settled his elbows on his thighs for a moment before standing upright again. Hank tried to busy himself with straightening out his stray reports.

"So, to what do I owe this impromtu visitation?" he asked.

Logan leaned back against the wall near the door. "Just wanted ta say thanks fer the save earlier."

Hank tried to quell the blush he could feel rising to his face. He swallowed and cleared his throat softly as he replaced some documents into a folder.

"What makes you assume it was you I was trying to save?" Hank asked. Damn, he hadn't meant for that to come out sounding as cold as it had. There was a slight tic in Logan's jaw but his face never faltered from its steady show.

"Also wanted ta apologize fer the way I been actin'. Kinda been puttin' a lot off on ya-"

"Why did you do it Logan?"

He didn't need to ask what Hank was referring to. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he tried to think of how to explain it. In the end he just decided to go with the truth.

"I was sick a feelin' lonely. It was sorta nice ta feel like maybe, someone needed me fer a change...even if it was purely physical. And ya know...if ya can't be with the one ya want..."

"Logan, don't."

"Come on Hank," Logan's tone took on a sudden edge. "ya think you denyin' it is gonna make it not true? I've tried that already. All it left me with is an ache in my gut and three days o' lost sleep."

"So, what? The affair between you and Jean was my fault?" Hank asked with a twinge of disgust.

Logan shook his head. "Did ya force me inta bed with Jean? Were ya standin' over me and demandin' I sleep with her? No, what happened with Jean was me makin' one helluva bad decision."

"I believe that is putting it quite lightly. I myself am no stranger to desolation but it has never driven me to the arms of a married woman." Hank snapped in a tone that carried its own edge of poison.

Logan growled and advanced forward, planting one hand on either side of McCoy as he remained seated in his chair. Hank felt himself pressing further into the back of the chair in a somewhat misguided attempt to escape the man's imposing presence.

"I aint you Blue." Logan rasped.

Henry felt his pulse quicken with irritation and a hint of lust. The heat from Logan's body permeated even his thick coat and there was no hope of ignoring the multitude of sensations he was experiencing. A glimmer of gold flashed across Logan's narrowed eyes and a deep rumbling rattled his chest. With frightening speed, he lunged forward and pressed his lips to Hank's. A moan from his own throat caught the doctor off-guard and without heed his lips parted eagerly to allow Logan unobstructed access.

The other mutant took what was offered and plunged his tongue into the warm cavern. A muffled gasp followed the invasion and Hank's hands reached up underneath a loose fitted shirt to skim the hard muscles of Logan's back. The man made a faint noise of approval and slipped a knee over the blue scientist's thigh, wedging it into the open space between the arm of the chair and that thickly muscled leg. Logan was now practically straddling Henry as he continued the oral exploration.

Sooner than either would have liked, the kiss was broken in favor of oxygen. Hank panted softly while Logan moved his assault to other areas of the doctor's person. That talented tongue found the tip of a pointed ear and a sharp canine grazed the cartilage. Hank drew a breath, then remembering something from the previous night, he gently pressed his claws into the skin of Logan's back. He was rewarded with a sharp growl and a small thrust of the man's hips. Hank felt a ridge of hard flesh press into his belly, eliciting another hearty growl from the stocky mutant above him.

The doctor shivered at the sound, feeling his own body's response to the erotic assault on his senses. His enormous hands, so precise and delicate when administering treatment, roamed impatiently over rapidly heating flesh before stopping to roughly grab the feral's ass through his well-fitted jeans. The shameless moan that was breathed into his ear aroused him beyond belief.

Logan was now wantonly grinding himself against his teammate, his breath coming out in labored pants. He arched his back, almost folding his body in half and Hank actually retained enough presence of mind to wonder at the man's impressive display of flexibility. Still the ever diligent physician, Hank found himself worried that the act was causing Logan discomfort and in short order began urging his friend back upright.

The canadian allowed himself to be repositioned without fuss, resting his chin on top of the blue mutant's head. His frantic movements had slowed to only the occasional hitch of his pelvis. Logan threaded his fingers through the blue-black hair styled naturally in a design so similar to his own and took a moment to regain his bearings. As badly as he needed the good doctor, he didn't want this to be some mindless race for physical release. Henry was worth so much more consideration and restraint and Logan would be damned if he was gonna let his unchecked urges screw up something he'd dreamed of for so long.

Meet me in the doorway
I'll be wearing Middleton's lace
It's as sterile as chess
nobody'd guess
you were touching me between the love of God and sister mercy

Something suddenly penetrated the haze of lust clouding the small room and Logan scrambled off Hank's lap to stand at a respectable distance near the edge of his desk. The scientist gave his friend a confused and somewhat wounded look before the sound of doors opening drew his attention. He exchanged a look of understanding with the other man and peered out his office window to see who the untimely guest was.

Hank gave a small groan when he noticed Bobby Drake approaching them. The younger man carried his usual oblivious expression as he practically skipped toward the open door of Hank's private office.

"Hey buddy, just wanted to see how the thing with Log-" Bobby's chatter stopped the minute he set eyes on a stoic looking Wolverine. Hank shifted uncomfortably as he attempted to conceal his fully formed erection, not an easy feat in and of itself.

"Drake." Logan drawled with a complete lack of interest.

The iceman turned wide eyes to his doctor friend and used his doe-like expression to plead for a rescue. McCoy sighed heavily and addressed Logan while rubbing his forehead.

"I do not believe you to be requiring any further care after this Logan. Everything is very much in order and I am giving you a clean bill of health."

There was a short grunt from the ill-tempered man and one last menacing look thrown in Bobby's direction before he stalked from the lab. Hank turned toward his desk and hunched over with his elbows resting on the metal top. He could feel the inklings of a massive headache beginning but refused to risk embarassment by going to look through his supply cabinet for aspirin.

Bobby scrunched himself into the corner where the desk met the wall and peered down at the distressed team surgeon. "So, how'd it go?"

There was a short crash and a pale blur went streaking from the med-lab in a frantic hurry to escape the curious wrath of one Dr. Henry McCoy.

I dont wanna think about it
I dont wanna think about it
Think about it...