Title: Gift for Silverelf

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: X-Men

Pairing: Wolverine/Nightcrawler

Rating: R

Disclaimer: These characters and their world are as not mine as they could possibly get.

Summary: Kurt is sick and Logan does his best to cheer him up and get him in the mood

Notes: Written for Silverelf for the winter holidays, 2004

Gift for Silverelf

     "You know, I think Professor X had that put in so this thing could actually seat more people." With his arms crossed over his chest and leaning back casually against the side of the jet, Wolverine cast a glance back at the row of seats. "However I find myself to be standing. Again."

     Gambit smiled and couldn't help chuckling a little. He was stretched out on the row which had space and belts enough to sit four people. Rogue was strapped in on one end, with his head in her lap and her fingers gently, absentmindedly pulling through his dark hair. "Ah seen to recall a certain blue, furry mutant takin' up dis very spot here a day 'go," Gambit said, and by the twinkle in his red eyes they all knew he wasn't talking about Beast.

     "That was different," Wolverine replied. "He was injured. And not feeling well." Unfortunately, the latter had been the cause of the former as Nightcrawler simply hadn't been as agile as usual and received a few scratches across the chest from Sabertooth because of it. The injury had been minor enough, but combined with a light fever and other symptoms of a head cold, Wolverine had helped him back into the X-Jet and encouraged him to stretch out along the seat while Wolverine tended to his wounds on the way home.

     "How is the elf feeling?" Rogue asked, looking sympathetic for Logan's benefit.

     Wolverine shrugged. As he had been away on the mission with the others, he really had no idea. "Better, I hope. Guess we'll see." He sighed inwardly and closed his eyes to wait out the rest of the trip.

     They reached the manor not much later, thanks to the unnatural speeds of the X-Jet, for which they were all very thankful. They made their way through the belly of the mansion and then up to the school portion. After that, some went to the kitchens and others up to their rooms. Logan, however, caught sight of something blue in the living room and headed in.

     On either side of the fireplace were boxes stacked several high, some empty and turned on their sides and some still packed full of what was also strewn around the room haphazardly: Christmas decorations. In the corner, not more than four feet from the couches, stood a tall partially decorated Christmas tree. It sported a dozen ornaments and several rows of tinsel and light strings which wound around parts of the tree. It looked like the lights had been put on last and whoever had done it had stopped halfway through, realizing they should have gone on first. The tree, in its not even half completed condition, looked pitiful.

But not quite as pitiful as the mutant curled up on one of the sofas. Kurt's head was on a cushion, which was on top of another to give it some height. Green tinsel was wrapped loosely around him in an even worse way than the tree. Kurt was curled with his arms bent and pulled to his chest alone with bent knees, curled in a tight ball on one end of the sofa. His tail was wrapped around his front to keep the warmth and his limbs all together. However, several ornaments were hung from his tail, shiny, large red and gold balls. The spaded end of his tail, which was only an inch or two from his face, was covered in a handkerchief.

Logan sighed and shook his head. He carefully walked across the room through the sea of decorations from wreaths and stockings to crates of ornaments and plug-in candles that were strewn about the room. "Kurt?"

     At the sound of his name, Kurt stirred, then shook with coughs. When he shook, he jingled and Logan noticed a string of tiny silver bells tied around Kurt's ear which had been against the cushion. Kurt dabbed at his nose with the handkerchief on his tail and opened his eyes weakly. "You're back," he said, smiling weakly. Then he shivered.

Logan nodded. He picked up a Christmas throw for a chair and unfolded it, looking at the bright red and green pattern of poinsettias. He went to drape it over Kurt but Kurt pushed it away. He broke out of his ball of warmth to brush off the ornaments and the hat. When he tried to extricate himself from the tinsel, the bells jingling with every move he made, he winced in pain and a hand moved instinctively towards his chest. Logan frowned. "Still hurting?"

     Kurt nodded. "Trying to sleep it off." He coughed and winced again. "Unsuccessfully."

     So Logan bent down and helped unwrap Kurt. It was easier said than done, as the tinsel was wrapped around his upper arm and interwoven in a mess. Finally, Kurt gave up. He pulled the bells off, eliciting a loud jingle from them, and teleported out from the tinsel, onto the other side of the sofa, on top of the Christmas pillows someone had piled there. They were shaped like Santa, Mrs. Claus, reindeer, and gingerbread men, among others. "Die Kinder," Kurt explained, tilting his head towards the mess of the room around him.

"The... kids?" Logan guessed at the translation.

     Kurt coughed and nodded. "Tired me out und zen tied me up vhile I vas asleep."

Logan grinned playfully. "I'd like to do that in reverse. Tie you up and then tire you out..."

     Kurt's face gave a flicker of a smile. But the expression faded as quickly as it had formed. "ehhhKTchuhhh! AkkkTchhh!" he sneezed into his handkerchief. "Adyway, sniff, sniff! Sniff!" He rubbed the handkerchief beneath his nose. "I sink I am tired out already."

Logan nodded. "Do you feel like going up to bed?"

     Kurt shrugged. He didn't feel much like moving, actually. That included walking up the two flights to their room as well as teleporting up there. He closed his eyes with a bored sort of sigh. Logan poked at him, gently but persistently, and when Kurt opened his eyes, he couldn't help but break into a full-blown smile.

     Squatting in front of him was Logan, wearing a bright red Santa Claus hat, slightly askew on his head. "That's better," Logan said, placing a kiss on Kurt's lips. "Though not nearly enough." If Kurt wasn't in the mood for sex, the least Logan could do was to cheer him up and get him in the mood for Christmas. It was a time to be around friends and loved ones. And as Logan considered Kurt both, he wanted Kurt to feel better.

     So Logan got up and searched through a few boxes. Curious, Kurt propped himself up and watched. He passed up figures for a manger scene, more lights, and an electric train set. When Logan could not find what he was after, he allowed his claws to come out on one hand and used them to slice open some of the still-sealed boxes. After a few more minutes, he withdrew something and crossed the room with it at once. What it turned out to be was a CD, and in no time, the gentle and uplifting tune of O Tannunbaum was filling the room. Logan closed the doors to the room while he was up, so the noise would not wake any of the others.

     When he squatted back down in front of Kurt, he saw that the furry, blue mutant was smiling brightly now. "Now it feels a bit more like home," he said. Then he used his tail to rub the handkerchief under his nose. "Of course, so does zis cold." He sniffled softly. "I always seem to catch a cold at zis time of ze year." His nose twitched and he buried his nose completely in the handkerchief. "ahKTchhhh! AKkchuhhh!" He sighed. "In Germany ve celebrate Christmas at at ze beginning of ze month. Ze tventy-fifth of December is vhat ve call Family Day. And ze day after is a day for visiting friends. I loved my friends at ze circus and the monastery... but it is not ze same." He had not known about other mutants, or about his true origins. But now that he did have friends, he was still not used to celebrating the holidays. The fact that he had another holiday season cold was not helping. "Needless to say, zis is not my favorite holiday," he said dejectedly.

Logan nodded in understanding. As it was a holiday to be with the ones you loved, Logan wasn't very used to enjoying himself during this time of year, either. Even if he had spent happy Christmases in his past, he couldn't remember any of them. Though he had hoped this one might be something he wouldn't want to forget. Of course, the only way to get that would be to lighten Kurt's mood a bit.

     He looked about the room and spotted an opened box of candy canes. Deciding that there was no better time to start, Logan got up and retrieved it. He pulled out one and tore the plastic down partway. His grip on the thin candy was tight, but he was careful not to break it. He closed his eyes to concentrate on the task of eating it. Well aware that he risked looking like a young school girl with a lollypop, Logan made a point out of eating the candy cane. His stroked the shaft with gentle licks, circling around it slowly. Then he gave the top one last lick before sliding the whole end into his mouth. Knowing that Kurt was watching, he then pulled the candy cane out, then slid it back in again. He repeated the action until he heard a small gasp from Kurt. Logan opened his eyes to see the mutant staring at him with wide eyes. "Would you like some?" Logan asked, trying to sound casual.

     Kurt nodded emphatically but when Logan tilted the candy cane in Kurt's direction, Kurt shook his head. "Zat is not ze part I vanted."

Logan grinned. He pulled back the blanket to see a welcoming bulge in Kurt's pants. After unbuttoning and giving a few tugs, Logan abandoned the candy cane and knelt on the floor amidst some wrapping paper and ribbon so his face was at the proper height.

     Before anything more could happen, however, Kurt gripped the side of the couch as his body tensed up. His eyes slammed shut and his nostrils flared. The sneeze wavered on the verge of striking for a moment while he brought his tail and handkerchief over. "huh-huh-AHTchhhhh! IhhKChuhhh! AHKChhhhhh!" He sniffled into the handkerchief, keeping his eyes closed. "Entschuldigung."

     Wolverine smiled. "That's a pretty long way to say 'excuse me'." Kurt nodded, sniffling some more and rubbing his nose into the handkerchief. Logan sighed almost silently. "Look, we don't have to do this. I just wanted to cheer you up a little. If you're not feeling well enough... I can take you upstairs to bed if you would rather."

     Kurt shook his head. "I am vell enough, Volverine." He gave his nose a strong blow, then pulled his tail away. Logan still looked skeptical. So Kurt used what little energy he had in him to teleport over to the door, which he locked. It would not do to have any of the kids barging in on them. Then he 'ported across the room and scooped something up. A third teleportation had him up on the ceiling, and a fourth saw him sitting sideways in Logan's lap.

     "You're sure, then?" Logan asked, stripping off his shirt. Kurt did likewise, nodding. Then he gestured up at the ceiling. Logan looked up to see a sprig of mistletoe. He chuckled. "Guess that means you're sure." He gave Kurt a soft kiss which got stronger as it went along. So strong that Kurt leaned back a bit under its pressure. Logan put a hand on the small of Kurt's back to steady him. His hand then snuck beneath Kurt's shirt, fingers sliding over soft blue fur.

     Kurt grunted and closed his eyes, leaning forward into Logan. He kissed Logan's chin and neck, and then started kissing down to one shoulder. Logan made quick work of the rest of their clothing, dropping it all into a pile in front of the couch. Then he pinned Kurt down on the couch.

     "Wait," Kurt requested, holding his finger up as the universal sign. He took the handkerchief from the end of his tail and cupped it to his face. "hahh... hahhACtchhhhhh! AKChhhh!"

Logan fingered the Christmas blanket as he waited for Kurt to finish blowing his nose. "All right now?" Kurt nodded a bit miserably. Logan considered the situation for a moment. "I think you need something more, actually." And what he had in mind was a hat. The Santa hat was still perched on his own head, with the pointy parts of his hair on both sides holding it in place almost perfectly. But, as he looked around, he could find no other Santa hats. What he did see, however, made him smile. Logan stretched an arm out and his claws shot out as well. One purposefully stabbed a wreath of holly leaves, twigs, and candles that was just out of Logan's reach. He pulled it back and set it on Kurt's head. The fuzzy, blue elf looked quite festive now, and was smiling as well. There was nothing like a hat to get one into the right mood. "There we go now," Logan said, seeing that Kurt was in a good enough mood to continue now.

     He was gentle with Kurt at first. He was always somewhat gentle but he was especially so now as Kurt was sick and injured. He kept his eyes trained on Kurt, looking carefully for any sign that Kurt was uncomfortable or needed to sneeze. But Kurt had relaxed and was starting to truly enjoy what Logan was doing. Unlike Logan, he closed his eyes. And he smiled as Logan took him.

     Halfway through, Kurt pressed his middle finger beneath his nose. His breath was already coming in uncontrollable, lusty gasps. Logan touched him, and the sensation of the large, warm, calloused palm wrapped around his cock made him moan. He lost track of himself a few moments after Logan quickened the pace. But Kurt still did not sneeze until after the rush of adrenaline had gone, which was only after both Kurt and Logan had reached the point of ecstasy and passed beyond it.

Logan retrieved the handkerchief immediately, cupping it to Kurt's face. Kurt covered Logan's hand with both of his own to press it hard against his nose. "Akkkshphhh! AhKShphhhh! Ahkkkshphhh!" Logan started to pull away, but Kurt's eyes stayed shut and his hands stayed in place. In fact, several of Kurt's fingers rubbed the back of Logan's hand as he shook with the urge to sneeze again. "ahh... ahhhh... ahhhKRShphhhhhh!" Kurt pulled his hands away with a relaxed sigh that did not make him sound quite as relaxed as he had a few moments before when he had been bucking and bursting beneath Wolverine. Logan rubbed Kurt's nose, folded the handkerchief, and rubbed again to be sure it was dry.

     "Are you all right?" Logan asked. He still sounded a bit breathless. He kissed Kurt gently.

     But as he went to pull away, Kurt repeated his gesture from a few moments ago. He pressed his hands against the back of Logan's head, feeling thick brown hair and the fuzzy white bottom edge of the hat. He kept Logan in place and kissed back. It was a kiss filled with all sorts of emotions, not least of which was cheer. When he released Logan, they were both smiling. Kurt's nose was running, and Logan wiped his own nose where it had touched Kurt's, then wiped Kurt's again. Kurt kept smiling, albeit a bit shyly. "I am better zan all right," he confessed. He straightened the hat on Logan's head and chuckled at it, knowing Wolverine would never let anyone else see him looking so silly. It would completely ruin his image. "I am definitely in ze Christmas spirit now."

"Oh yeah?" Logan lay down on his side, sliding in-between the side of the couch and Kurt. Kurt lay back against him as Logan wrapped bare, muscular arms around him.

     "Ja," Kurt nodded. Whether the CD was set to repeat the one track or whether it had cycled through the whole CD and was back to where Logan had started it, the lovely version of O Tannunbaum filled the room now. "Ve can finish the decorations, zen I vill make you some lebkuchen in the shape of angels and snowmen." He yawned powerfully. "After I take a short nap und get rid of zis cold in my nose."

Logan nodded in agreement and hugged him tightly as Kurt mustered up the energy and teleported them upstairs to bed. Logan had barely pulled up the covers when Kurt began to snore.