His muscles were pumping as he ran through the edge of the forest, his senses awake and aware as he raced through the lush overgrowth of the mansions grounds. The sweat that glistened his body was already cooling him down as he gave one final push through the trees and jogged to a slow stop beside a suddenly flustered Storm.
“Logan!” she gasped as she steadied her hand around her cup of coffee and her other one clutched her chest in surprise.
“Breathe, ‘Ro,” he responded as he approached the stairs of the small kitchen patio.
Her fine eyebrows screwed together in confusion as he smiled ruefully at her and ran a hand through his hair, the trademark peaks catching at the end of his fingertips.
“Morning,” he spoke when she continued to stare at him.
Giving her a minute, he leaned over the railing and glanced at the rising sun. The after affects of his run vibrated through his body pleasantly.
“Morning, Logan,” she replied as she finally collected herself but he could tell from her tone she was still put off.
He figured he’d let her figure it out for a few minutes as his eyes scanned the grounds, his mind traveling to the young woman he’d left in his bed earlier. He wasn’t sure of the last time he felt so attentive and alert to the world around him, he felt refreshed and he knew Storm was wondering the same thing.
He thought about brooding a bit after he’d left Rogue satisfied in bed. Thought about trying to think and question about how everything came to work out in some way for him but he couldn’t wipe the roguish smile off his own face. She’d come back to him. Come back home and it was what she wanted.
That little piece of the woman he knew who was just his Marie was alive and vibrant and was in his world again and even though he knew it was going to be a new tentative ground for them, he was up to the challenge and the Wolverine was no loser.
“Is everything alright, Logan?” Storm asked wearily breaking into his train of thought.
He turned and smirked at her. “Fine.”
Her eyebrows rose up comically towards her white bangs and her eyes bulged.
“Logan, I know things didn’t work out exactly but...”
Her eyes dropped to the floor and her shoulders sagged with her own sadness and he knew it was time to get her out of the dark.
“’Ro,” he began but a voice interrupted him.
“There you are.”
Turning he smiled at the southern tang as Rogue approached him and snuck in under his arms.
“Rogue!”
Rogue smiled tentatively at Storm and nodded. “Mornin’ Storm.”
“Rogue, you’re...” Storm began only to excitedly drift off as her eyes darted back and forth between himself and Rogue.
Setting her coffee down on the railing firmly, Storm smiled at them both and stated, “I’ll get you both some breakfast.”
With that she turned on her heel and briskly walked into the kitchen with almost a skip.
Rogue eyed him in concern, her hand then coming up and blocking out the sun.
“Is it just me or did the sun suddenly get brighter?”
Laughing, he pulled her closer.
“That was really less eventful then I thought it was going to be,” she murmured as she glanced back at Storm through the kitchen.
“She’s just happy that’s all, not a lot to be happy about around here lately.”
“A lot of work to be done,” she replied looking up at him.
“We’ve gotten by,” he shrugged.
His hands tightened on her waist, knowing how much he’d only been getting by.
Rogue nodded slowly.
His nostrils flared and he tilted his head towards the kitchen.
“It smells like she’s cooking up a feast.”
“I don’t deserve that.”
Gazing down at her he kissed her temple. “Maybe, but she does.”
Slowly, her head tilted up at him in her familiar intuitive way and an open smile was directed his way.
“You guys have done a really good job.”
Her eyes drifted towards the still dilapidated shed and she frowned.
“I suppose I should really work on some new plans for the shed.”
“Yeah, maybe one that’s invulnerable to you.”
“Very funny,” she replied and mocked punch him in the shoulder.
“I’m sure we can find you plenty of things around here to do that you’re talented at.”
“Oh, yeah,” she replied playful and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. “Seems like I’ve already found one thing.”
His eyebrows rose up at her implications. “Yeah, but darlin’ only I get those benefits.”
She twisted out of his grip and headed towards the doors, with a shuffle of her hips she smirked at him. “We’ll see.”
Growling, he pounced after her and caught her around the waist as she laughed at him.
“Breakfast will be ready soon,” Storm called.
Rogue stilled in his grip and eyed the plates laid out on the table as Storm provided breakfast.
“It shouldn’t be this easy,” she whispered.
He squeezed her reassuringly. “But it is, so let it go.”
Tapping his cheek she replied warmly, “When did you get so insightful.”
“When I opened my eyes to the possibilities,” he finished with a shrug not caring how sentimental he appeared.
He waited for her to object, knowing that one night would not be enough to drag down all her walls but with a blink of her gorgeous eyes she simply nodded at him and smiled as she moved to sit at the table with a newfound ease.
The last bit of the tension he’d felt still somewhere buried inside of his body after the run melted away and he sat down beside her with relief.
“By the way,” she started as she reached for a glass of orange juice. “I ran into Bobby and Pete earlier.”
He was unable to hide the low rumble of an aggravated growl.
She shrugged effortlessly. “They weren’t a problem not really,” she paused and laughed briefly. “Pete hardly batted an eye in surprise but Bobby…well I think that will take some time.”
“It won’t if the ice-prick knows what’s good for him.”
Ignoring his outburst she rolled her eyes and continued,“Jubilee caught me in the halls and I’ve been ordered to a sleepover tonight with her and Kitty.”
Narrowing his eyes at her she merely laughed.
“Don’t give me the puppy dog look, it’s one night.”
He pretended to look mildly offended.
As Storm laid a plate in front of Rogue, he reached over and grabbed a sausage off of it before she could complain.
“I thought I was the only one you had sleepovers with.”
Raising an eyebrow at him, she rubbed the dribble of sausage juice from his lips. “But we don’t sleep sugah.”
He felt his body responded to her sugary drawl and her touch, their eyes locked on each other but Storm suddenly dropped his plate in front of him.
Sitting down the weather witch sat across from them with an amused smile.
“Thanks, ‘Ro,” Rogue replied over the table.
Storm shrugged but the smile remained. “No problem, I’d hate to think what Logan would have come up with if he’d attempted to cook.”
“You know ‘Ro, if these eggs weren’t so damn good, I think I’d be offended.”
Feeling a realm of contentment he knew he was regularly paranoid of, he simply let himself ride it out and as he glanced at his friends, his teammate to his lover, all he could think was it was a good beginning to a great day and it was as effortless as that, and for once he wasn’t looking for a fight.
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