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!
Nina woke early the next morning and stretched luxuriously. Logan's arm was thrown possessively over her waist and she could feel his muscular chest and taut belly rising and falling gently against her back. She lay quietly and savored the peaceful feeling of waking up in her husband's embrace.
They'd made love several more times before falling into an exhausted and sated sleep. Nina was starting to feel a tingling sensation between her legs at the thought of all the wonderful things she and Logan had done last night and she blushed. She wanted him again and it was shocking. She'd gone from someone who never thought about sex at all to a woman who was going to wear her husband out before the honeymoon was even over!
She snuggled her rump back against Logan's belly and felt him stir.
"Greedy wench," he mumbled good-naturedly against her hair. "Are you trying to kill me?"
She snickered and wiggled her posterior against his growing erection. "No, I'm just trying to claim what's rightfully mine as your lawfully wedded wife!"
He threw his leg over both of hers, hugged her closer and began nibbling on her shoulder, which was peeking out of the covers. She giggled and rolled onto her back.
He smirked down into her face. "Now listen, woman. I didn't bring you to Manhattan just so you could debauch me every waking minute. A man needs some nourishment once in awhile and some fresh air and sunshine."
She pouted. "But I want to debauch you," she said petulantly.
He flumped back onto his pillow, "Well, if you must," he groaned in mock distress.
She gave a delighted squeal and attacked his lips with gusto.
It was late morning before they finished breakfast and room service came to clear away the dishes.
Logan had showered and shaved and was dressing while Nina bathed. He could hear her singing while she splashed in the tub.
He sat down to await her with the paper. She emerged awhile later in a fitted black wool dress that had large black and white plaid diagonal patch pockets attached at the hips and trimmed with big shiny black buttons. There was a golden yellow silk scarf tied around her neck.
He looked up when she entered. "Did you make that too?" He asked.
She nodded, smiling proudly as she spun so he could inspect her.
He took both of her hands in his. "What do you want to do today, darlin'? We could go Christmas shopping at FAO Scwharz for Mikey; maybe take in the show at Radio City? Tonight I'll take you to dinner at Trader Vic's and then I've got a surprise."
She laughed delightedly. "More surprises? Logan, you're spoiling me! I think I'd like to go shopping today and do Radio City tomorrow."
He held up the plaid waist length cape that matched her dress and she slid her shoulders into it. He watched, fascinated as she buttoned it to her dress with the matching buttons at the shoulders. She perched a matching beret atop her head, pulled on a pair of yellow gloves that matched her scarf and picked up a little black suede box purse.
Logan donned his sports jacket and overcoat and escorted her to the elevator.
"Nina, honey," he said when they emerged on the sidewalk, "I have something I need to pick up before we go to FAO Schwarz."
He led her down Fifth Avenue two blocks to the corner of 57th Street and stopped in front of a large brownstone building.
"Here we are."
"But Logan, this is Tiffany's!"
"Sure is, darlin'." He started to enter but she planted herself in the middle of the sidewalk and didn't budge. It put him in mind of a puppy tugging on its leash and he chuckled. "They don't bite in here, Nina it's alright."
"Logan, what could you possibly have to pick up in here?" She asked him suspiciously.
He shot her a grin. "Why don't you just come in and find out." He held out his arm to her and she reluctantly gave him hers and followed him into the jewelry store.
An elegant looking sales woman greeted them as they approached one of the counters.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Yes, I'm here to pick up something I ordered the other day." Logan handed the woman a copy of a sales receipt.
"Yes, of course, Mr. Logan. I'll only be a minute."
"Logan, what did you do?" Nina hissed under her breath. She shut up when the sales woman returned with two velvet boxes in the distinctive Tiffany robin's egg blue.
She donned a pair of white gloves and opened the first box, which was flat and square, and pulled out a strand of perfectly matched cultured pearls for Logan's inspection.
"I trust these will be to your satisfaction, sir," she said holding them out to him. She slid an oval mirror across the counter and placed it in front of Nina. "Would madam like to try them on?"
Nina looked from the woman to Logan, her confusion evident on her face.
"They're a wedding present," he held them out to her, "for you."
Dazedly she turned and offered him her neck. He latched the diamond clasp and she turned to the mirror. The ecru colored pearls looked luminescent against her skin and they looked perfect with the high v-neck of her black dress. Her bright eyes sought his face. He was grinning broadly.
She didn't know what to say but the sales woman came to her rescue. "Perhaps, Mrs. Logan, you'd like to try on the matching earrings?" Her jaw dropped. Earrings?
Logan took the smaller box from the sales woman and held it out to Nina. She opened it and found a pair of drop earrings, each one consisting of three pearls exactly like the ones in the necklace arranged in a little triangle. Her hands were shaking and it took her longer than usual to get them into her ears. When she had them on she turned her head slightly to admire them in the mirror.
Logan leaned close to her ear. "Maybe when we get back to the hotel later you can model for me in nothing but the pearls," he whispered wickedly. Nina blushed and bit her lip to cover a smile.
"They're the most beautiful things I've ever owned," she told him. "I don't know what to say except thank you."
Logan turned to the sales woman. "The lady will wear them out, I think."
"Of course, sir. Let me just wrap the boxes for you," she said with crisp efficiency, coming back several minutes later with a shopping bag for them.
When they were back out on Fifth Avenue, Nina turned to him and said, "Logan, you really have to stop being so extravagant, especially where I'm concerned."
He hugged her close. "Nonsense, darlin'. I've got some money salted away and I'm determined that my wife is going to have the things a beautiful woman deserves to have." He stopped her when she began to protest. "Shush! I'm you're husband, don't argue," he told her with a smirk.
They spent a pleasant afternoon doing Christmas shopping along New York's most fashionable street. Nina had given Logan explicit instructions not to buy her anything for Christmas, the pearls, she told him, were more than enough. He laughed and promptly ignored her, saying she needed to have something under the tree on Christmas morning. They had lunch in Saks, and returned to The Plaza laden with packages not only from FAO Schwarz but also Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, Arnold Constable, Best & Company, and several other stores.
Nina collapsed on the couch, kicking off her shoes. "Shopping is hard work."
"Do you want me to order some tea or something from room service?" He asked.
She shook her head. "I think I'm going to lie down and take a nap before dinner. What time is our reservation?"
"Seven o'clock."
She kissed him on the cheek. "Wake me at five thirty, honey." He quirked his eyebrow at her. She drew herself up and tried to look haughty. "Well, if I'm going to have dinner at Trader Vic's I'm going to want to look stunning, you know."
"You always look stunning."
"You're biased," she told him and went to the bedroom to lie down.
Logan poured himself a whiskey from the amply stocked bar and sat down to relax with the afternoon paper.
At 7:00 o'clock sharp, he escorted his stunning wife into Trader Vic's. She wore a dark blue satin dinner suit of a floor length fitted skirt slit to the knee and extending to a small sweep in back and a fitted jacket with a hood that was drawn over her blonde curls. She'd hand beaded the front of the jacket herself in a stunning floral design and she carried a white fox muff in lieu of a purse. Her make-up was a tempered version of what she wore on stage and Logan thought she looked like a movie star. It was all set off to perfection by her new pearls. Heads turned to catch a glimpse of the attractive couple as they were escorted to their table.
Nina excitedly sampled all the Polynesian dishes Logan ordered and the two of them sipped Trader Vic's famous Mai Tai's out of Tiki head glasses adorned with paper parasols. She giggled at the sight of her terribly masculine husband twirling a tiny pink umbrella.
After dinner she headed for the elevators but he took her arm and pulled her out the front door.
"Surprise, remember?" He said as the doorman hailed them a cab.
"Oh! And we need to travel for this surprise?"
"Yep," he confirmed as he handed her into the taxi.
The cab pulled away from the curb and turned right onto Broadway heading uptown. At 72nd Street she eyed Logan curiously, at 90th Street she shifted forward in her seat as the cab crossed onto Lenox Avenue. At 125th Street the cab pulled over and deposited them onto the sidewalk.
She looked up at the marquee over her head, which read "Savoy."
"The Savoy Ballroom?"
"We're going dancing, darlin'."
He paid their cover and they entered through the glass doors. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra were blasting away on the bandstand and the place was packed with people of every class, color and social status in all modes of dress Lindying, jitterbugging and jiving enthusiastically. They fought their way to a vacant table and sat down to bask in the riotousness for a few moments. Logan ordered them both drinks from a passing waitress.
The band broke into "Take The 'A' Train" and Logan stood up.
"Dance, darlin'?"
She placed her hand in his with a big smile and let him lead her to the dance floor. He placed an arm around her waist and began expertly executing the steps to the Lindy, leading her around the dance floor. Nina was ecstatic to find that he could do more than just Fox Trot with her to Sinatra!
They danced until Nina begged to sit, her feet beginning to swell in her heels.
They stumbled home tipsy and exhausted in the small hours of the morning.
"Logan that was so much fun!" Nina exclaimed as she fell back on the bed. Logan chucked his tie on a chair next to his jacket and crawled up next to her. His head propped on his hand he looked down into her face.
"I know how much you love to dance, sweetheart. I wanted you to have a chance to do it while you weren't working." He sat up and took one of her feet in his hands. Slipping off her shoe he began to rub her arch. "How are your feet?"
She moaned with pleasure. "Oh, that feels so good!" He reached over to her other foot, removed the shoe and began massaging that one.
"Did anyone ever tell you you have sexy feet, Nina?"
She lifted her head off the bed and gave him an amused look. "Logan, ballet dancers never have sexy feet. They have horrible, malformed, callus covered feet."
"Oh, baby," he said placing a kiss along one delicate arch, "yours are the furthest thing from that I've ever seen." He placed another kiss on her ankle and began gently moving up her leg, pushing her skirt up as he went, until he reached the top of her nylon. He paused and looked up at her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
She raised her head again wondering at the lack of activity and he gave her a wolfish grin before lowering his mouth to the garter clasped to the top of her stocking. Taking it firmly between his teeth he manipulated it until it opened. He lightly touched his tongue to the skin of her thigh and began pushing her stocking down with his lips. He heard her soft sigh of satisfaction as he worked his way back down her leg. By the time he repeated the process with the other leg her hands were fisted into the blankets. He slowly stripped off the rest of her clothing, unwrapping her like she was a rare gift, covering each newly exposed patch of skin with another kiss, until she lay before him in nothing but her pearls just as he'd imagined her that afternoon.
He gazed at the beautiful vision she presented with dark eyes smoldering with desire. His breath caught in his throat when he saw it reflected back in hers.
He practically ripped his clothes off, desperate for the feel of her bare skin against his. When he stood naked beside the bed she held her arms out to him.
"Come here and let me thank you properly for these gorgeous pearls," she said huskily, a siren's look in her eyes.
He could do nothing but surrender to the call, sinking down next to her with a groan, tangling his limbs together with hers. She surprised and pleased him by being the aggressor, pushing him back against the pillows and covering him with urgent, passionate kisses.
After last night and this morning he knew she was no longer an innocent. She was still inexperienced but she was damned eager to learn. Gently he grasped her hips and positioned her over him, guiding himself into her while he urged her down with his other hand. She gasped and fell forward, her hands on his chest and he pressed her hips against him with his hands. Her eyes were shut and her head thrown back as she basked in the sensations they were creating. Logan reached between them and began caressing her clitoris. She cried out and began moving with him faster and faster.
Her face reflected the sheer pleasure of the moment and Logan drove her movements. He pulled her hips up until he was just barely inside her and than plunged into her again.
"Oh!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, 'oh'," he agreed shakily.
They created a complementing rhythm, riding together towards exquisite bliss.
"Nina. . . " he managed in a strained voice.
She didn't get a chance to answer the emotion she heard in his voice before her release broke over her, her limbs shaking like a leaf in the breeze. She heard Logan's roar of pleasure as he spilled inside her and collapsed against his chest.
"I love you, Logan."
He pulled the covers up over the both of them, his arms closing around her back.
"I love you to, Nina darlin'."
She moved to his side and curled against his heat with her head on his chest. "That was. . . wow." She smiled at his snort of satisfaction. Grabbing a handful of the silky hair covering his chest she tugged it playfully. "Conceited man!"
"Hey, hey! What are you trying to do? Pull it out by the roots?"
"Nothing more than you deserve for being so full of yourself."
He pulled her closer. "I didn't hear any complaints."
Nuzzling his neck she whispered, "And you won't either," hearing the answering rumble in his chest.
Sighing contentedly she thought how she wanted nothing more than to spend every night for the rest of her life just like this and fell into blissful sleep.
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