~*~
Her heartbeat was thrumming in her ears as his hand came closer to her cheek. His bare, uncovered hand that was dang near the size of her entire head when he made a fist. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the first cautious brush of his fingers against her skin, then came a bolder more certain touch. Finally the large palm of his hand craddled her cheek.
Rogue opened her eyes and blinked up at the mutant touching her. "It works," she whispered, reaching up to press his hand closer with a still gloved hand of her own. "Hank, it works."
The large blue furred mutant gave her a wide smile that was charming in spite of, or maybe because of, the sharp canine teeth. "As I postulated when we realized that if your hair was harmless that a thick enough layer of hair, or rather fur in my case, would be enough protection from your mutation to prevent the inadvertent absorbsion of my mutant state."
"In small words that means I can touch you," Rogue said with a grin for his long winded explaination.
"In short, yes," Hank McCoy answered with an even wider grin of his own. "So long as our skin doesn't actually come into contact we should be fine."
"Good," Rogue said, turning serious quickly. "Cause I really need a hug right now."
The mutant best known as Beast pulled the untouchable girl to his fur covered form and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Ready, willing, and able when ever you wish, my dear."
~*~