The idea for this story came to me one morning while I was half asleep and it just went from there. I wanna thank LT and especially Deke for all their beta help on this and Elektra for leads on research and basically just listening while I rattled :-).
This is another one of my odd jumbles of Movieverse and comic canon. It's Movieverse Logan with comic book Logan's background although I've taken some liberties with the timeline of Logan's epiphany.
I've also taken some literary license with the existence of burlesque theaters in New York City in the 40's since Mayor Fiorello La Guardia actually began shutting them down in 1937 but I'm sure you all don't really care ;-)
Disclaimer: Logan and anyone else you recognize belong to Marvel and 20th Century Fox. Everyone else is mine but I'm willing to share 'em. I'm poor and not making any money of this so please don't sue me.
Feedback: Fugu me, man!
Rosie's place was on the Upper West Side off Amsterdam Avenue in the 60's, an area which had become a haven for the many Puerto Ricans who were moving to New York. She had a nice one-bedroom apartment in the basement of a brownstone.
"There's beer in the ice box, Logan. Or you'll find a bottle of rye on top if you like. Why don't you pour us both a glass?" Rosie suggested. She switched on the radio and fiddled the dial until she found music and then disappeared into the bedroom.
Logan found the bottle in question and began opening cupboards until he found two glasses. Returning to the living room he was brought up short by the sight of Rosie in a very sheer red negligee that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. His eyebrows crept up into his hairline as he took in her slim waist, full round hips and abundant breasts topped by large dark nipples. He smiled a lopsided grin and handed her a glass.
"You don't waste any time do ya, darlin'?"
"I don't believe in wasting time. If I see something I like, I take it."
He grinned lazily and sipped his whiskey. "Does that mean ya see something ya like?"
She placed a hand to his cheek. "Yes, guapo, I like it very much."
Logan took her drink from her and set both of them aside. Sliding his arms around her waist he gazed down into her smoldering black eyes and whispered, "I like what I'm seeing too."
He could feel her nipples burning into his chest through the gossamer fabric of her negligee and the cotton of his shirt. She pulled his face to hers and began greedily sucking on his lips. He felt himself harden instantly. He was so ready for this. He began walking her back to the couch pushing her down onto it when he felt her legs hit the edge.
He started unbuttoning his shirt and she reached up to undo his belt buckle and fly. "I see I'm not the only one who doesn't believe in wasting time," she panted breathlessly as she pushed his trousers down his muscular hips. He kicked off his shoes and removed his pants completely. Before he could remove his boxer shorts, she had her hands inside and was stroking his penis.
"Ay, papi," she groaned. "Loganito esta muy gigante. Rosie needs him NOW, Logan." She pushed his boxers roughly down around his ankles. He scarcely had a chance to get them off and regain his balance before she was pulling him atop her and wrapping her legs around his waist. He was a little bowled over by her urgency. Sure he was horny as hell but he would have liked to go a little slower. He was always willing to indulge a lady though.
He knelt between her open thighs and brushed his penis against her opening. He was surprised to find her already wet. She squirmed beneath him.
"What are you waiting for?" She demanded. "Do it! DO IT!"
He thrust into her in one fluid motion. She began moving against him immediately and he knew if she kept it up he wouldn't last long at all. He grabbed her hips to still them.
"Rosie, darlin', I'm sure ya wanna enjoy this as much as I do. If we don't slow down a bit I'm gonna be finished before ya know it and yer gonna be pretty angry with me."
"Pero. . . but, Logan. . . "
"Shhh, darlin'."
She smiled up at him prettily and he began thrusting slowly and evenly into her again. Closing his eyes he let out a ragged breath, relaxing into the sensations. He gave a contented sigh but it rapidly turned to a frustrated growl as Rosie began moving against him frantically once again. She raked her nails across his back and Logan lost any semblance of control he'd managed to garner and he came with a great shudder. Rosie shrieked his name in his ear as she came.
He quickly caught his breath and was about to apologize for his lack of control, but Rosie gave a deep, sated breath. She kissed him, rolled into his arms and was asleep within seconds. Logan gave a bemused chuckle. Pulling the quilt off the back of the couch he covered them both and then he too went to sleep.
* * * * *
Logan was sitting up against the headboard of Rosie's bed smoking a cigar. The early morning light was just beginning to creep through the small window high up on the wall. He looked at the redhead curled up next to him, her face burrowed into her pillow, red hair fanning across her back and arms. They'd had sex several more times throughout the night and she'd been as overeager and demanding as she'd been the first time. While Logan was certainly feeling more relieved physically, he couldn't actually say it had been one of his most memorable evenings with a woman.
He looked at the sleeping woman again. She was insatiable and she'd damn near worn him out. Many women had told Logan he was insatiable, that his sexual stamina was exceptional. He'd never thought about it much, just taken it for granted. But then there were the usual bull sessions when men got together and even though bragging and embellishing was expected on these occasions it soon became clear that he was unique.
Logan sighed and contemplated a sunbeam that was slowly moving across the wallpaper. There were other things about himself that he knew were unusual as well, like the fact that although he'd been born before the turn of the century he didn't look a day over 30. He might have just dismissed that as luck or heredity but then there was the fact that he'd never been sick a day in his life. Not even a sniffle or a bruise. There had been several wounds during the war that should surely have killed him, would have killed anyone else, but he'd survived them. There was one particular recovery from an abdominal wound the army doctors had categorized as nothing short of "miraculous."
It troubled him sometimes because he knew he was different than other people, that there was something about him that wasn't "normal." He just didn't know what it was. And he tried not to dwell on it.
He glanced over at Rosie drooling peacefully on her pillow. Yes, it had definitely been an interesting night but not something he wanted to repeat again anytime soon. A quick glance at the alarm clock told him he had just enough time to run back to his room downtown to shower and change before he had to be at the theater.
Quietly he slipped his clothes on and crept out the front door. He hoped Rosie wouldn't be too angry that he hadn't said goodbye.
Refreshed from his shower and a quick breakfast at a greasy spoon, Logan whistled as he entered the theater. He nodded to Pops, checked-in with Joe and made his way to grab a mop and bucket from the utility room. The stage was thoroughly mopped each day before the shows started and today he'd pulled duty.
He noticed a young woman standing by the announcement board pinning up a notice. Her back was to him but he could see she was petite and slender, dressed in a white and navy striped wool dress and matching spectator pumps. Her honey blonde hair hung down her back and when she turned he saw the front was pinned up in fashionable rolls that framed her heart-shaped face. Sapphire blue eyes shone out from under dark eyebrows and Logan couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her. His eyes took in her figure again. The dress was demure with a high neck but it didn't conceal her alluring curves and he guessed she was one of the strippers, a guess confirmed when she began climbing the stairs to the dressing rooms.
He walked over to see what the notice said. "Efficiency apartment available in downtown Brooklyn. Quiet neighborhood, nice building. $10 a week. Won't last. See Brandy!"
Logan mentally slapped his head. Brandy! No wonder she seemed so familiar. Looked like he could kill two birds with one stone. He could get out of his hotel, which was costing him considerably more than $10 a week, and introduce himself to Brandy all at the same time.
He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door that said "Brandy Alexander and Windy Gayle." The brunette known as Windy answered the door.
"Oh, hi!" She said. "The new stagehand, right? What can I do for you?"
"Is Brandy here?"
At the sound of her name the blonde got up from the dressing table and came to the door. She was wearing a silk dressing gown that clung to her skin in a way that told Logan she hadn't put on the tulle illusion just yet.
Windy retreated to continue getting dressed.
"I don't believe we've met yet," Brandy said holding out her hand. "I'm Brandy Alexander."
Logan took it in his. "I'm Logan. I'm new on the stage crew."
"Yes, I'd heard Joe hired a new hand yesterday. How can I help you, Mr. Logan?"
"Just call me Logan, and I was wondering about the room in Brooklyn."
She smiled. "'Just Logan?' Don't you have a first name?"
Logan looked surprised that she asked. "Well, yeah. It's James, um Jim, but everyone calls me 'Logan.'" He shrugged.
"Ok, 'Just Logan.' I'll call my landlady and ask her to hold the room. Can you meet me there before work tomorrow? You can take a look at it and she can meet you. It's 110 Park Place, apartment 2A. Come around eight o'clock."
"Great! I'll be there."
Just then Rosie came around the corner eyes flashing.
"There you are, mi amore." She said silkily, although Logan could hear the admonishment in her tone and he mentally braced himself. She slithered up to him, molded her body to his and clasped her arms around his neck. Logan noticed that Brandy wasn't missing any detail of this. Her sapphire gaze slid between Rosie and himself. "You were a very naughty boy and left Rosie without saying goodbye this morning."
Logan gently disengaged her hands and took half a step back. Rosie's black eyes snapped dangerously.
"I apologize, Rosie. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to disturb ya," he said.
The redhead smiled coolly and ran her finger across his lips. "Well, guapo, just make sure it doesn't happen again. Comprende?"
She turned to Brandy menacingly. "And you, puta, make sure you stay away from my man or I'll rip every hair out of your bleached head."
Brandy's sapphire eyes blazed fire but her voice was steady when she said, "Don't worry, Rosie. You know me better than that. I'm not the one around here with the reputation, after all."
Rosie raised her hand, ready to smack the smaller woman, but Logan caught her wrist in an iron grip.
"Rosie! What the hell do you think yer doin'?"
"Teaching this bruja a lesson!"
"For what? For talkin' to me? I think you'd better behave yerself."
She pulled her arm out of his grip. "Just make sure that you don't talk to her again, or there will be trouble, guapo!" She turned on her heel and angrily stalked off.
Logan turned sheepishly to Brandy.
"I'm sorry about that, darlin'."
"Listen, Logan. I live in a family building in a nice neighborhood. I have a small child to think of. If you're going to take this room, Rosie can't be part of the equation. I can't stop you from seeing her but she absolutely can't come home with you. I can't have any trouble starting where I live and as you can see there's no love lost between Rosie and myself."
"Understood, darlin'. I'm beginning to think that last night might have been a bit of a mistake on my part."
"Oh, I know it was, Logan," Brandy said laughingly.
"Hey, Logan!" Joe called from below. "You mopping here or what? Curtain is in 45 minutes and there's scenery to set!"
"Sure, sure! Coming!" Logan called over the railing. "Gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow at eight."
Logan watched Brandy's act avidly at every performance that day. It was clear to him that she was a trained and talented ballet dancer and he wondered what had happened besides being widowed that had sent her to burlesque rather than the ballet or Broadway.
He couldn't take his eyes off her when she danced. She was so lithe and graceful. She was also incredibly beautiful and like Joe had said, very classy. She wasn't as blatant as some of the other strippers, either in presentation or in figure. While some of the other girls, like Rosie, where almost unnaturally well endowed, Brandy had small perfectly formed, full round breasts and a slim waist that tapered down to slender but well-rounded hips. He found himself wondering what her nipples looked like under the rhinestones and mentally scolded himself as his breathing sped up.
He didn't get another chance to talk to her when the shows were finished for the night and he was disappointed. He finished up and pulled on his coat. He was almost out the door when he heard Rosie behind him.
"Logan, mi amore," she purred. He turned to face her. She was standing jingling her keys. "You aren't sneaking out without escorting me home, are you?"
"No."
"Good. . . " she began only to be cut off when Logan began speaking again.
"No, I'm not sneaking out and no, I'm not escorting you home."
Her mouth fell open and the black eyes snapped fire. "What??" She shrieked.
"You heard me, Rosie. I'm not going home with you." He sighed and ran his fingers through his thick hair.
"Look, darlin'," he began gently, "last night was very nice. I enjoyed it very much and you're a swell kid but it's probably better if we don't get involved. You understand."
"No! I don't understand! It's that Brandy puta, isn't it?"
"No, Rosie. It has nothin' to do with Brandy. I just don't think we're suited for each other, that's all."
"Don't do this, Logan." She said in a threatening tone.
He shook his head. "Sorry, darlin'." He put on his hat and gloves on and walked out the door, her shriek of frustration echoing down the alley.
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