The Fighter Still Remains
“Logan, wait!” Incredibly, she was running after him. He just continued up the stairs, reaching the tiny room Toby had lent him and banging the door behind him. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the battered dresser; his shirt was stained with blood. He tore it off, balling it up, and stuffed it, along with the scarf, into his knapsack. He searched the bag savagely for another shirt.
The door opened. “Wait. Please. I need to explain—“
“Get outta here.” He dragged the new t-shirt over his head, not looking at her.
“No.” She actually came a step into the room. “Just listen. I know what you are—“
“Yeah? Then you know more than you should.” He shoved what remained of his belongings into the knapsack and slung it over one shoulder, grabbing his leather jacket from the foot of the bed. “Out of the way.”
“I’m a mutant too.” She didn’t move, and now she had his attention. “What just happened—my mutation’s my skin. I absorb energy from people. You asked me why I wear the gloves, remember? Before I learned to control it, I needed them all the time, so I learned to play pool wearin’ them and now it just doesn’t feel right without them. But it takes me a minute to get it turned on or off, so when I thought you were going to touch me—I just didn’t want to hurt you.” She ran out of breath.
He stared at her. “What? ”
“My skin,” she repeated. “If you’d touched me just then—I didn’t have it back under control yet. You’d have passed out like that other guy.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
That was possibly the most incongruous sentence he’d ever heard in his life. He let his knapsack fall back onto the bed. “You dropped that guy using your skin?”
She nodded. “I suck their energy out. He’ll be all right—I didn’t hold on too long.”
He took a step towards her. “And that’s why you wear gloves.”
Another nod. “It just kinda became my style, you know? That and, um, the scarves.” She was still holding the second glove in one hand. Now she pulled off the one she still wore, and put them both down on the dresser. “I just wanted you to know that. And—thanks for saving my life, and everything.”
He reached over her and closed the door behind her. He heard her heart rate increase a little, but she didn’t try to move away from him. “Don’t think those are gonna fit me.”
“No,” she agreed. “They probably won’t.”
“You got this thing turned off?” He really hoped so, because she was inches away from him now.
“Yeah—“ He brought his mouth down on hers, hard, and her hands came up to his face as she kissed him back. He let his jacket drop to the floor and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer. His lips moved down her neck; when his teeth scraped against the edge of her collarbone she moaned and he pressed her back against the door, his hands sliding under her shirt, reaching up to cup her breasts. Her tongue darted out and along his ear and he let out a growl. “We should go,” she whispered. “Before the police get here.”
Fuck that. But she was right, and reluctantly he raised his head, tugging her shirt back down. “Where you want to go, darlin’?” Her brown eyes, looking dazed with something else now, met his.
“My apartment’s about two blocks from here,” she said. “If you want.”
“You sure?” He held her gaze, willing her to give him permission. Christ, I want her naked. Now.
“Oh, yeah.” He kissed her one more time, lingeringly, and then let her go. He retrieved his knapsack and jacket while she straightened her hair and clothing.
“Don’t forget your gloves,” he reminded her, and she gave him that slow smile again.
“Come on, sugar.” She picked them up and held out a hand. He took it and let her lead him back down the stairs, into the bar.
Incredibly, there was no sign of the fight. People were already trickling back into the place, and there was no hint of any of the combatants. Toby came out from the back as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked surprised. “You leavin’, buddy?”
Buddy? Logan was expecting something more like Get out of my bar, freak. “Thought I’d better, before the police got here.”
Toby brushed that off. “This’s the Big Easy, man. The police like it when you work out your problems without having to bother them.” His experienced eyes took in Marie’s still-slightly-disheveled state. “Still…maybe you got someplace more interestin’ to be, eh?”
“Gonna make sure she gets home safe,” Logan replied gruffly.
“Yeah?” Toby looked amused. “Yeah, you do that.” He chucked Marie under the chin and Logan saw that she was blushing again. “Take care of that hero of yours, ‘kay, chere?” She let go of Logan’s hand long enough to put her arms around Toby’s waist. He patted her head fondly. “Thought we were gonna lose our good-luck charm for a second there.” He held out a hand to Logan as he let her go. “See you soon, then, my friend.”
Logan shook his hand and then put a hand on Marie’s waist to guide her out of the bar. Several of the regulars, regathered around the bar, cheered as he made his way through the already-crowded room. He hurried her on a little faster, ignoring them, but Marie turned and waved a goodbye. She pressed against him as they went out the door.
“You know you just became a legend in the Vieux Carré, right?” She gave a throaty chuckle. “They’ll be bragging for years that they were here the night the Wolverine took on the Royal Street crew.”
He grabbed her arm and brought her to a halt. “Where the hell did you hear that name?”
Her brow knit. “Toby. He loves to tell stories about his days as a fighter. They all tell him he’s makin’ things up.” She wound her arms around one of his, looking up questioningly. “Why? You don’t like being called that?”
Slowly, he shook his head. She smiled a little hesitantly.
“Okay. Logan.” She tugged on his arm. “C’mon. It’s this way.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
So what would you do in Marie's place? Yeah, me too.