“So? What have we got so far, Roguey?”
Marie grinned across at Kitty as she held the piece of paper aloft in her hand. She cleared her throat theatrically.
“1 - Stop being so grouchy all the time.
2 - Stop smoking so many cigars.
3 - Stop drinking so much beer.
4 - Stop calling Scott a pansy-ass.
5 - Stop brooding in the kitchen at 2am.”
Marie’s smile faltered as she read the last one.
“6 - Stop lusting after Jeanie.”
“…and do Rogue instead,” Jubilee cut in, following it with a loud pop of her gum bubble.
“Shhh!” Marie hissed, turning to frantically scan the room. “He might hear you.”
“Think I care?” Jubilee declared boldly. “One of my New Year Resolutions is to stop letting that big lug intimidate me!” However, Jubilee also gave the room a once over. She shrugged, relief clearly visible on her face. “He’s left anyway.“ She smirked. “Probably for a smoke, beer, brood and deep ponder about how much of a pansy-ass Scott is and how hot Jean’s ass is.”
Marie frowned. “Hey, there’s more to Logan than that.”
“We weren’t the only ones who wrote that list, chica!” Jubilee pointed out.
“I know, but I meant it jokingly.”
Kitty gave her arm an apologetic squeeze. “We know, sweetie. Ignore us. We’re just jealous that you get to spend so much more time with the sexy beast than the rest of us!”
“Speak for yourself!” Jubilee snorted. “There are plenty of cute residents our own age...Pryo, Bobby, Colossus...where are those guys anyway?” She stood up, hands on her hips, eventually spying them playing poker in one corner of the rec room. “Ah...” Heading off in that direction she stopped to turn back to her friends. “You two coming? It looks like they’re playing for M&M’s.”
“Count me in,” Kitty gushed, eyes focusing on only one of the players. She knew Rogue wasn’t interested in Bobby as more than a friend or else she would have put an end to her feelings towards the sweet iceman. “Rogue?”
“Nah, count me out. You go. I’m content to sit by the fire and ponder my own Resolutions.”
When they had gone she smiled contentedly to herself. It had been a good Christmas. The institute certainly liked to celebrate and she certainly had no objections. It was a warm, friendly, place and she already looked upon it as home.
Her parents had even sent her a present this year, her second at Xavier’s School for the Gifted, although they remained frustratingly distant when the subject of meeting up again had been broached by the Professor. It seemed they were still having difficulties facing up to the fact that their daughter was a mutant. But Charles was convinced that it was only a matter of time before they came around, joking that he could be a master of persuasion after all.
Nothing, however, made this Christmas more special than the simple fact that Logan had stayed at the institute over the festive season. He was still his usual unsociable self but he was around, and that was the main thing. He had even bought her a present too and she found herself fondly caressing the bottle-green scarf around her neck. She had bought him a box of the finest Cuban cigars and she could tell from the uncharacteristic look on his face that he had been touched. She peered down at the list of New Year Resolutions they had made for him. Hmmm, so much for resolution number two. On a sudden impulse she screwed up the list and threw it onto the fire deciding that she wouldn’t want Logan to change anyway. His little quirks were what made him who he was. The man she loved with all her heart.
“Burning the evidence, kid?”
Marie literally jumped out of her skin. “Damn it, Logan. One of your New Year Resolutions should be to stop creeping up on people and scaring them half to death!”
He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, kid.” He gestured to the sofa. “Mind if I sit?”
“It’s a big sofa,” she grinned back. Inside her stomach, however, the butterflies were already stirring.
Logan sat down and made himself comfortable, muscular arms stretching along the back of the sofa behind him...and Marie, much to her delight. “Resolutions, eh? Load of bullshit in my opinion. If you can’t make a decision and stick with it at any time of the year, ya aint strong enough to see it through.”
“Yeah, but it’s like a new beginning, an’ all. Making a new start for a new year.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been sucked in by all that nonsense?”
She shrugged. “What if I have?”
He regarded her in disbelief but Marie was reassured by the mischievous glint in his eyes. He folded his arms, depriving the back of her head of his subtle contact, much to her disappointment. “OK..let’s hear em.” He regarded the flickering firelight before them, gesturing with a curt nod of his head towards the flames. “Or was that what ya threw in the fire?”
She felt herself colour a little. “Oh, um, no. That was something different.”
“Then shoot.”
“Well,” she started uncomfortably. “1 - to keep working with the Professor to try to control my mutation. I wanna be able to touch...” she hesitated before adding somewhat shyly, “...and be touched...in 2007.”
“You will, kid. You will,” Logan returned softly.
She smiled at his confidence in her. “2 - convince my parents that I’m not a freak and neither is Xavier’s a freak-show, as they always like to call it. That the people here are normal and just want to be loved and appreciated as much as the next person.” Marie felt tears prick at her eyes. “I just want them to want me as their daughter again.”
Anger flared up into Logan’s face. “Their loss if they choose to keep their heads up their asses.”
Marie sniffed and laughed at the same time. “Gee, thanks for the gross visuals, Logan. But hey, thanks for caring.”
“Told ya I’d take care of ya, didn’t I? I keep my word, kid.”
He looked at her like he did on a train two years ago, when he had first made a promise that had changed her world. And yet, the look in his eyes seemed different now. More intense. And somehow desperate.
For a long moment a strained silence fell between them and the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and other people’s conversations, but even the latter seemed muted and distant to Marie.
“Anything else?” Logan prompted, taking Marie by surprise. It was usually her who started up the flow of words again.
“Just the usual, I guess. Eat healthier, exercise more, stop biting my nails, lose a bit of weight-”
“Don’t talk a load of shit, kid. Ya got all the right curves in all the right places, believe me.”
Marie felt a little shiver run down her spine. He had obviously been doing his share of looking and appraising to make that kind of remark. At that moment she wanted so much to tell him that she was in love with him but fearing he would either laugh in her face or close up and run again, she remained silent. Besides, she was only seventeen. A kid, just like he always called her. It would seem wrong even if she felt in her heart that it was so very right.
She shrugged again. “Guess we women are never happy with the way we look.” She suddenly met his stare. “How about you? Making any resolutions yourself?”
“I told ya, kid. I think they’re a waste of time and energy.”
“But if you had to make at least one,” she persisted, determined to gain a little deeper access into that tormented soul of his. “What would it be?” She chewed down upon her bottom lip nervously as she watched him, knowing that he hated being pushed, and fearing she had inched him into a corner.
He stared deep into the fire, seeming mesmerised by the rising and falling of the flames and at first she thought he wasn’t going to answer her. She was just about to give up and change the subject when he turned to her again.
The look in his eyes made her stomach flip. She had never seen him regard her with so much longing or so...so...hungrily, as if she was prey he wanted to devour but for a totally different reason. When she tried to swallow it was with some difficulty and her throat burned with an emotion she had never experienced before.
“Patience,” he finally replied, voice heavy and weighted with expectation.
“Patience?” she asked, initially puzzled.
Giving her a final heated look he stood up to leave but not before moving in one last time to whisper into her ear: “Work it out, darlin’.”
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Chapter End Notes:
The end is a little bit cryptic but I hope you get it ok.