He was beautiful. Marie’s mouth went dry when he walked into the cage that dominated the centre of the room. The bartender placed a cup of water in front of her and she gulped it down quickly. He had to ask her twice if she wanted anything else, maybe something that had a price associated with it. She was too transfixed by the muscles rippling just under the skin of his back to respond so the bartender walked away with a grumbled curse.
It took Marie a moment for her to realize she was practically drooling at the sight of him merely rolling his shoulders. She forced her gaze away and scolded herself. She was hungry, homeless and had no immediate prospects of getting out of this town anytime soon. She should be more worried about surviving the winter. Still, she shied away from the reasons behind her racing heart and knotted stomach that had nothing to do with the aching grumble that indicated her hunger for food…nothing else, right? She had the sudden urge to shed some layers, which was both ridiculous in winter and dangerous for those around her. Was it just her or was it hot in here?
And then she remembered David. David who was in a coma because of one simple first kiss. It was more than a splash of cold water. It was a river of freezing water that drowned every warm feeling and nearly imagined curiosity. Marie didn’t deserve touch and she certainly didn’t want it if it meant more pain.
So she did her best to ignore the man in the cage. The man that she couldn’t help noticing growled and roared like an animal and took a beating with his teeth bared in some facsimile of a smile. A man that they called the Wolverine. She did her best not to watch but she winced with every grunt of pain and even she could smell the blood over the overall stench of the bar. When she heard the crowd calling for more of his blood she couldn’t help but peek. Before long Marie was helpless to the need to watch. Her stomach knotted even tighter at every blow he took and for once her fear was for someone else.
For a moment he looked towards her and Marie could have sworn their eyes met, if only for an instant. Her breath caught and for that instant his eyes shone gold. His gaze was like fire and so hungry she felt weak when faced with it. He looked so angry and yet she felt her body flush under his gaze. She was confused by the mix of awe and fear she felt for him. The Wolverine deserved her awe but clearly the fear she felt for him was misplaced. Even when he went down he only came back harder and meaner. And when the referee tazered him he seemed to shake it off.
When he came towards her Marie’s heart sped up in excitement. It disappeared when he sat at the other end of the bar but it didn’t surprise her. No one like him would even notice anyone like her. She was pathetic.
She stole glances at him, trying not to be too obvious. Up close he was wild looking and angry. A scowl seemed to be permanently etched into the lines on his face. Marie hadn’t realized she was into hairy, growling men until this moment. His hair intrigued her, two points that seemed as permanent as his scowl. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and stroke the sideburns that ran down his face. And wasn’t that embarrassing? Because she definitely wanted to lick along his jawline and taste him.
It was because she was watching him with such scrutiny that Marie saw the man he’d beat in the cage come up behind him. She wanted to call out a warning but it felt like her heart was in her throat and it was choking her with fear.
It was so fast. A few angry accusations and demands, a fist thrown into his stomach and suddenly the bartender had a shotgun pointed at him. She screamed a warning but he was already moving. The shotgun was sliced cleanly in half with blades that slid just as quickly back under his skin as they had out with a noise that sounded something like *SNIKT*. A few seconds and he was walking out the door and possibly out of her life. At that moment Marie made her decision. She was going with him whether he wanted her to or not. He was a mutant just like her. Whatever else he was didn’t matter.
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Marie felt fear like she’d never known when Logan told her he would drop her off wherever she wanted. She’d just found him and already he was trying to get rid of her.
Of course being cast out was nothing new for her. Marie’s own parents had forced her to leave after they had discovered she was a mutant. An abomination, they had told her. Who could blame them after what she had done to poor David.
Tears stung her eyes when she thought of David. Sweet and eager to please. She hadn’t been in love with him, not like he had claimed to love her. The love he spoke of was soft and gentle. It was a warm, comforting thought in a world that she had been an outcast in, even before her mutation surfaced. Marie hadn’t loved David, but in time she could have. She’d liked his smile; all dimple with a shy quirk of his mouth. He made her laugh. Made her feel she was beautiful, when in reality she was just a plain girl from Mississippi with big brown eyes and a nearly shapeless figure.
David was the only one who had believed Marie would actually be capable of going to Alaska like she dreamed. He was the only one to believe she could do anything she wanted to. Even her parent’s aspirations for her were set in stone. Marry a nice boy, settle down and have children. She wasn’t a genius by far but she did want something more for herself than what they envisioned. She was good at art and that was just plain fact. All her art teachers said she had a gift. Even if she wasn’t confident in herself, David had more than enough confidence for the both of them. She missed him. Even the small bit she had in her head had begun to fade. Marie had made it thus far with his encouragement alone and she wasn’t sure if she could go any further without it.
His encouragement surprised her, shocked her even. He didn’t hate her. The part of David in her head didn’t hate her at least. The real David was in a coma back in Mississippi. The David in her head seemed real enough though. He would reminisce about his childhood and share happy memories with her that she soaked up. His had been a life full of friends and family that loved him and wanted to be around him. Marie’s parents were barely able to look at her, much less show any form of affection. It was if they had sensed she was different from the moment she was born. David chose that moment to resurface briefly. He no longer spoke to her but she got a feeling of calm and reassurance. He had always let her know she was blameless for his current state.
Marie desperately wanted to believe him when he had assured her she wasn’t a freak. It wasn’t her fault she was a mutant. It was only her burden. Some days it was hard to remember even that simple comfort, feeble as it was. It was hard when her parent’s accusations rang in her ears, too loud to drown out. She was a freak. She’d brought this on herself. She was a sinner that no one could love. She was a murderer. With David’s voice fading it was hard not to let her parent’s words haunt her.
All her confidence was gone. Her vow to stay with him no matter what was lost in the insecurity always just beneath the surface. Still she was desperate enough to plead with him.
“Please don’t leave me.”
He glanced at her. “Look Marie, I’m not leavin’ you. Just wanted to give you another option. You aren’t stuck with me.”
Her relief was so intense she felt tears threatening to spill. She blinked them away in anger. Somehow she felt a connection with him, more than a kindred spirit, and she wasn’t going to let him leave her because she couldn’t keep it together.
“ I wanna stay with you Logan,.” her voice firm. This is what she wanted.
The quick grin he flashed her stirred the butterflies in her stomach. He was beautiful. Not just handsome but beautiful like an animal would be if you glimpsed them in their natural environment. Self-assured, wild and deadly. Marie couldn’t help the blush that warmed her cheeks. He quirked a brow in amusement and she had to resist the urge to reach out and trace the outline of his lips. Marie forced herself to focus on something else.
“You should wear ah seatbelt.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Darlin I heal.” Marie felt her traitorous face heat up at the unintentional endearment. Still she would not be deterred.
“Logan, Ah’m serious.”
He growled but if he was trying to scare her into submission he failed. The growl had a completely different effect. She shivered and felt heat flush across her body. Her breath hitched when Logan growled again. Deeper, longer, and with a note that made her ache for something she wasn’t sure of.
“Marie.” The way he said her name, she wasn’t sure if it was a plea or a warning. She hoped the former.
“Logan?”
When his eyes met hers, hers widened. The hazel had been replaced by gold, his gaze hungry. Just as she moved to reach towards him her attention was caught by something else.
Marie screamed as a tree fell in front of the truck. Logan slammed on the brakes with a curse on his tongue. She watched in horror as they hit the tree and he went flying out of the window.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry I've taken forever to update!! I have my laptop back...have had it for awhile but I was distracted by all the other wonderful fics...I know lame excuse...However with my laptop back the chapters should be a little longer from here on out. So much easier to type on an actual keyboard...not sure if the longer chapters are a good thing. I have a tendency to ramble. Not really satisfied with how this chapter turned out but here it is anyway!
Chapter End Notes:
Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. :) Please review...it would give me joy...