It was an unwritten rule between them, when they drank they talked. Neither were sure how it started. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they both had secrets. Maybe it was because they were closed off from the rest of the mansion. Or maybe it was because when they were together they finally felt connected to something, someone. How it started didn’t matter, it only mattered that it started.

Beer was usually the alcohol of choice, since the buzz was slower and allowed them to talk longer without intoxication mumble interfering with comprehension. What they talked about depended on their week, day, hour, but when life was ‘normal’ and ‘calm’, at least for a mansion full of mutant teenagers, they would pull out all the guns.

“Coke or Pepsi?”

“Seriously that is your first question?” He raised an eyebrow at his companion, when she smiled and shook her head in confirmation he sighed. “Pepsi, since it has more sugar.” She smiled and took a drink of her beer. “Day or Night?”

She returned his questioning eyebrow lift with one of her own.

“Payback, it’s a bitch.”

“Night.”

“Reason?”

“It’s quieter and we finally have time alone to drink…and talk.” He was happy with her answer and took his own drink of beer.

When they talked like this they turned it into a drinking response game. The first player asks an either or question, second player replies with reason. If the questioner agrees with the answer he or she drinks, if not they retort, when a debate is won or conceded too, the loser finishes his or hers current drink. And every drinking night ends when one or both of them is drunk and/or exhausted.

Hoping to start their first debate of the evening she asked, “Deaf or Blind?”

He paused and thought for a second. They had no official rules about time, since sometimes the questions required some thought, especially if one wanted to avoid or start a debate. “Blind. Just because you can’t physically see, does not mean your other senses will not aid you in seeing. Look back at classical literature, the ‘prophesiers’ of the stories are always blind, and yet they see all.”

“But what of the beauty of the night sky with the stars shining bright, or the warmth of seeing the sun rise after a night of storms?”

“I could see the beauty of the night sky through stories of the constellations on how the gods created the universe. I could feel the literal warmth of the sunrise and hear the animals waking just the same without seeing the oranges and reds. Without my hearing I would not be able to hear movements of my enemies, hear the laughter of my friends, or have this conversation with you.” Seeing she saw his point he smiled. “Drink up Marie or lose gracefully.”

She had just opened a new beer, and though it was only her second the chugging made the alcohol go straight to her head. She drank and waited for his question.

“Rain or Snow?”

“I’ve lived half my life in rain, and the other half in snow. I think I’m ready for some sunshine.”

“That’s not an answer, finish up.” She had forgotten the pussy rule, if you waver from the either and the or question you must finish you beer. And thus she chugged down her third beer. Now she was forced to answer the question with a slightly fuzzy brain. “Snow, it hides faults while covering everything in a pure blanket.”

Logan smiled and took a drink of his beer.

“Book or Movie?”

“Movie, because I can’t hear you reading.”

“What?” She had the right to ask him to re-explain answers if the original is too vague.

“Say you have a book or movie, when you are sitting their reading a book you ignore me, but if we are watching the movie then we are enjoying it together.”

“I could read to you.”

“Or you could just finish that beer, because I know you will always think the book is better.”

“Not always,” he raised his eyebrow, “Okay so ninety-five percent of the time…okay fine I’m drinking.”

Logan waited for her to finish her beer and to open another before asking, “Flavor or Plain?”

“What is the item?” He shrugged his shoulders not really caring what she addressed the question too. However, by now she was feeling the affects of chugging her last three beers and was ready to take their questions to a different level. “Well personally I just don’t see the appeal of cherry flavored condoms. Not to mention how anything flavored cherry or grape reminds me of medicine. Which is not a memory I would like to recall if I should ever be tasting flavored condoms or underwear for that matter. So I would have to go with plain, defiantly good old normal condoms.”

After about two seconds, he laughed. He out right laughed at her answer. “Logan you know the rule.”

He couldn’t stop laughing long enough to chug his beer. So they found themselves as a stand still until he could control himself. “Marie, darlin’, you have to admit that was outright funny.”

“Chug your beer Logan, or forfeit the game.”

He finally chugged his beer and waited for Marie’s daring return question.

“Love and Lost, or Never Love at All?”

“Love and Lost.” He didn’t even hesitate, as if he had thought of this question many times throughout his known life.

“Really?!”

“You don’t agree?” He was surprised how shocked she was by his answer, but he never thought she would disagree with him.

“No, and I wouldn’t think you would either. Between the two of us we have lost everyone who as or might have loved us, and personally I never want to feel that rejection ever again.”

“What if it wasn’t rejection but natural lost, as in death?

“And feel this amount of pain ten times worse and know for a fact there is no way to get that love back?

“Cynical?”

“Coming from you?”

“I’ve never not wanted love. It just has not been the right place and time, yet.”

“What about Jean?”

“We’ve talked about Jean.”

“Still she was an option.”

“I didn’t love her.”

“What about in the past you can’t remember?”

“I don’t know. I can’t talk about that time honestly, you know that.” He needed to turn this conversation back towards her, so he could find out what was keeping her from love. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why are you afraid of love?”

“Well let’s see, the first boy I kissed went into a coma, then my parents kicked me out, that show’s love if I’ve ever seen it. My next boyfriend went after my best friend, and what family and friends I have found at the mansion will always keep me at arms length. Love is not for the girl with poisonous skin.”

“What about me then? I am also an outsider, no one really talks to me, everyone stays a safe distance, am I to have love?”

“That is by choice Logan, people have not abandoned you, you have abandoned society.”

“And yet I feel as if I have the right to love.”

“Love is not a right. It is a gift given by God.”

“How do you know?”

“God gave Adam, Eve.”

“Well then God gave every man a woman.”

“Maybe, but the converse is not always true.”

“I believe it is.”

“Prove it.” Marie said as she finished her fifth beer.

Logan smirked, he knew she was a bit drunk, sure she drank with him often, but she rarely chugged three beers in less than thirty minutes.

“That smirk is not proof.” He still did not responded, but instead moved from being across from her to sitting next to her. “Logan what are you doing?”

“Proving every woman was given the gift of love.” He turned her to face him, and gently placed a gloved hand on her cheek. “Marie, your God gave you a man to love, we were just too blind to realize the love you share.”

“Logan, my mind is way too buzzed for this nonsense.” She attempted to pull away from him and ultimately leave their conversation for the evening.

He dropped his hand from her cheek, but grabbed her elbow to restrain her, “Are you running?”

“Only from this conversation,” She said as she again tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn’t release her elbow.

“Not yet, I’m still proving my point.” He said as he started to gentle rub her arm, while taking hold of her other arm too.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“Don’t run from things you don’t understand.”

“Everybody has running instincts, Logan.”

“Then run towards me,” He said as he let her arms go, but she remained seated. “You say love is a gift, what if this God of yours gave you me?”

“What are you talking about Logan?”

“You got kicked out of your home, and ran right into me.”

“It took me awhile to get that far,” Marie said sadly.

He did not let her comment stop him from explaining, “You told me once that when you made it to Laughlin City you were ready to give up, but then you found me. I didn’t understand it at first, but I get it now.”

“What are you saying?”

“We were given each other. You saved me from the life of a Canadian wonderer, got me to care again, and I was there to save you from Magneto and to be your friend.” He paused, took a deep breath and slowly continues, “Maybe we were given to each other for more than friendship.”

Marie started to draw away from again, but did not go as far as to move towards leaving. “Logan I don’t think we should be talking about this now.”

“Why not?”

“Because…”

“You know I’m right.” He gently raised her chin so their eyes met. “Let me prove to you that it is better to love.”

A tear left a trail down her cheek until it was caught by Logan’s forefinger. He took his finger and kissed the tear. He then leaned in and kissed her. He was slow and quick, romantic and clever. He was everything she ever needed and wanted in a man.

As their lips parted, they rested their foreheads together, with a small layer of hair separating their skin. Both of their eyes were closed as they whispered. “No more running?”

“Only if you run with me.”

“No more hiding?”

“Wolverine’s don’t hide.”

“We die together?”

“We will live together.”

She opened her dark eyes to his light ones. “Okay, prove me wrong.” He smiled and softly kissed her again.