It had been long and tiring day, filled with work, work and more work. This and that needed patching up, had to pluck off bullets and look after the kids so that they didn’t go and hurt themselves to the tranq darts those commandoes left behind. He had been running up and down stairs and corridors. Now all he wanted to do was to go to his room, lock the door behind him and sleep. Sleep until his limbs stopped shivering, and his eyes didn’t feel like they had been sanded over anymore. Only one task separated him from his bed. He had to go and pick up Marie from the mall. She had called half an hour ago, complaining that she had gotten lost from Jubilee and the rest of the crew.
He took Scott’s bike. Easier to navigate through clogged streets with it than one of the Xavier’s SUV’s.
“And let’s face it…” He huffed when walking past the black van.
“They cramp my style. I’m no soccer mom.”
Right. Who was he kidding? If he wasn’t coaching Xavier’s junior athlete team in gym class, he was driving them around from one game to another with Xavier’s mini-bus, or picking up stray residents from different locations. Nobody else had the time to do it. He was the only one with spare time in his hands due to the lack of teaching license.
“Hi. Looking for a ride?” She spun around quickly, relieved look on her face, and run to him.
“I was so scared! Do you have any idea what kind of people loiter around here at this hour?” She asked, climbing behind him and wrapping her hands around his waist.
“I do. That’s why I don’t ask you kids to get lost and wander around alone out here. Where’s the rest of your merry pack?” He asked, jostling her hands a bit until her grip felt secure enough.
“Well, duh! I wouldn’t have called to you if I knew where they were!”
“What ever… Is there something you need, or can we go home?” She could hear from his voice that the latter option was the right answer. Now that she was sitting here, whole body pressed against his, she could practically feel exhaustion radiating from him. It was coming somewhere deep inside of him, soaking through his skin and saturating the air around him. He was wiped.
“Let’s go home.”
To her surprise he didn’t pick the straightest route that would have taken them to the mansion in less than half an hour. He chose smaller side road instead.
“Forgot to eat earlier,” he explained after stopping in front of a diner. And he didn’t want to part her company too soon. She was the one person from the whole bunch living under the same roof with him that didn’t annoy the living crap out of him.
“You really should take better care of yourself,” She chided him gently when they walked in and took seats from the counter. He had a grayish hue on his skin and black blotches around his red rimmed, bloodshot eyes.
“You think so?” He asked, eyeing the menu, trying to decide what to eat. Finally he gave up and shoved it to her.
“You pick something. I’m too fucking tired,” he said, rubbing his eyes. She ordered burgers and fries for both of them. They sat and waited in silence. Either of them felt the need to talk. To her it was enough to be around him, to him just the sound of her heart was nearly revitalizing. It didn’t erase aches from his used up body, but it soothed his mind.
“You need a day-off.” He nearly choked to his fries.
“Day-off? Sure! As soon as Ororo finds two or three extra pairs of hands, why not…” he snorted. He had never been much of a team player, but after everything what happened Jean’s words had come back to haunt him. Good guys stick around. He had done that. It was the least he could do, stay around and look after those who survived. His way to mourn and honor her. His way of proving himself that he was more than just an animal that Stryker had tried to make out of him.
“You’re no good to anybody if you tear yourself apart. Sleep late tomorrow. Kick back and relax. Come to the city. Have a beer. Just be you. You’re entitled to it.” He wanted to do it. Wanted everything Marie told him he would deserve. But he didn’t want the extra package that would follow him around the whole day if he dared to take his mind off from the work. Memory of a dead woman.
“I just need some sleep. Tomorrow I’ll be better. Eat up and lets go,” he urged her, munching away last of his fries. She huffed and finished her soda, pushing away her plate. He eyed her half eaten fries, gaze flashing briefly over her hollow cheeks. She had lost weight. Look in her eyes told him not to question it. He shrugged his shoulders, dug up his wallet and paid for their meal.
“What the fuck…” He sat up confused. Sun streamed through opened curtains to his bed. There was a tray on his nightstand. A thermos, empty mug, sandwiches and a note. “Good morning. I took the liberty to turn off your alarm clock. I hope you slept well.” Handwriting was Marie’s. Scent that floated in the room told him she had just left. Sound of the closing door had woken him up. Ten o’clock. He started to go through tasks he had planned for today. Some painting. Few panels needed changing. Couple new walls to student dormitories. And he was already late for his self-defense class.
“Just wait until I get my hands on you…” He tried to growl, but that growl turned to a pleased groan when he opened the thermos and a scent of fresh coffee wafted out. All images of maiming a certain little goody-two-shoes fled and gave a room to more mellow ones. He wouldn’t skewer her for this. Maybe little spanking would be enough to remind her not to mess up his schedule never again.
He had just finished his shower, and sat on the bed, pulling on jeans, when there was a knock on the door.
“Just a minute!” Most likely Ororo. All ready to electrocute his hairy ass for sleeping late. When scent of vanilla and peppermint tickled his nose he grinned smugly. Not Ororo. Tinker-Bell. He yanked the door open, grabbed Marie’s arm and hauled her in, putting on the most furious snarl he had in store.
“Don’t you never… Ever mess up my plans again…” He had her cornered, just a hint of claws peeking from his knuckles. He had waited her to scream, but the reaction was quite the opposite. She stared at him, hand pressed to her mouth, holding her breath. And she was giggling. Fucking giggling at him!
“What?” He barked, trying his best not to let a smile of his own to ruin his threatening posture. She reached one, gloved finger to his face, wiping something sticky off from the tip of his nose. A small goop of raspberry jam. He had finished his breakfast after the shower, and one of the sandwiches had had said jam on top of it.
“I just came to see if you’re ready,” she said, taking a napkin from the tray and wiping the jam on it.
“Ready for what?” He asked, hunting through drawers for a shirt.
“For your day-off. I’m taking you out, so that’s a no-no! Take this,” she said snatching worn looking flannel shirt from his hands and shoving a black T-shirt to him instead.
“I already told you it’s not…” Small finger pressed against his lips and cut off further excuses.
“Grab your coat and we’re good to go. I talked this over with the Professor, and he said it was a good idea.”
“Look, this is nice and everything, but you can’t seriously think that I’m…” He had parked the bike to a back alley of a bar after consulting the owner of the place. He knew the man well enough to know Scott’s bike was safer there than in any other possible place. He had taken a beer and she had drunk a soda. After that she had taken him to see a movie. Some overly romantic comedy. He really couldn’t even remember the plot or if it even had one to begin with, but he knew he would remember how she clung to his arm and sighed deeply at the end of it for the rest of his life. Now she was tugging him after her from that same arm, nearly hard enough to pull it out of its socket.
“A spa? Marie…”
“Come on, you big wuss! You’ll love it!” Wuss? He hauled her to him, dangling her above the ground with one hand, other keeping her chin up, eyes glued to hers.
“Wuss? Little girl… Are you forgetting to whom are you talking to?” He nearly growled, face only inches from hers.
“Duh! Not! You really think I would drag Scott in here? Even though I happen to know he wouldn’t make such a fuss out of this…” He dropped her like a sack of potatoes, and she had to grasp his wrist to stay in balance.
“Spa it is.”
He was quite sure even Scott wouldn’t go as far as to accept this kind of treatment. He lay in a some kind of bathtub that was filled with mud. Some sort of clay mask was slowly drying on his face. Marie lay on a tub next to his, covered from head to toe in similar fashion, pearly white teeth flashing. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“This is supposed to make you relax and purge all kinds of toxins. After this we go to a hot bath and soak there for a while.”
“Can’t wait. This suspension is killing me.”
“Aww… Logan… What would you rather do? Soak up in here and do nothing, or rebuilt the whole fucking mansion from the scratch? Because that’s what you have been doing lately.”
“I would rather have a beer and a good fu…”
“That kind of things weren’t on my ‘to do’ –list. I’m quite sure you’ll manage those on your own,” Marie intervened quickly, blushing slightly under her mud mask.
“Look, kid… I really do appreciate this… This all you have been doing,” he started when they sat at café outside of the spa.
“But…?”
“Yeah. There’s always that. I like to spend time with you. I have to admit I kind of liked even that spa-thing, but just because you were there. Those are not really my idea of entertainment and relaxation.” Marie scrunched her forehead.
“I know those are not your things. But those are the only places I can get in. I can’t take you to a bar. Well, technically I could take you there, but they wouldn’t let me in…”
“Wouldn’t let you in?” Logan asked, raking his eyes over her and tilting his head.
“We’ll see about that. Come on,” he said standing up, taking her hand and pulling her after him.
She eyed her surroundings suspiciously. Tiny flat was filled with all kinds of frilly knick-knacks, feather boas, glittering dresses, leather and chains. She stood beside Logan, who was talking with the owner of the place. They were seemingly old friends. She really didn’t want to know how close friends Logan and busty blonde were, but she had a bad feeling she would eventually find it out.
“Nothing trashy. I don’t want her to look like a…” Logan grew silent, word stuck in his throat.
“Always the gentleman. I think I know exactly what you’re looking for. And she’s just the right size…” Woman said, turning around and going to a locked closet. She returned shortly, carrying a pile of black leather.
“This should do the trick.” Logan just stood there. For a moment all three of them stared at each other questioningly, then blonde pushed clothes she was carrying to Marie.
“Go on. Try it out,” she urged her.
“I’ll wait outside,” Logan said and turned to leave. Amused laughter made him look back.
“And I thought you two were shagging!” Blonde giggled. Marie looked about ready to dissolve from the scene through the floor.
“Cut it, Lee. Just make sure she gets in with me.”
Lee. So that was her name.
“Isn’t that nice. Leave a poor girl with a complete stranger. I swear I will smack some manners to that brute some day…” blonde muttered and extended a hand. After a brief moment of hesitation Marie shook it.
“I’m Lee. Old friend of Logan’s.”
“I’m Rogue. A friend, too. And I really have no idea what he’s up to now.”
“Figures. He doesn’t talk too much. He wanted me to make you look old enough to get in to a bar with him. Are you in?” Lee asked, taking the folded leather from her hands.
“I guess I am. Do your worst,” Marie grinned. Lee started to feel nice enough.
“I will…”
When Lee called him back to her tiny apartment, and he saw his comrade in crime again, Logan nearly swallowed his tongue. There was nothing trashy about her. Long hair neatly combed, let loose and falling over her shoulders, all the way to the small of her back, white bangs shining with a stark contrast against dark brown tresses. Just a hint of make-up to accentuate her features. Figure hugging, sleeveless dress made out of thin, soft leather. Knee high boots made out of same material. Leather gloves covering her hands up to her elbows. Everything grayish black, except long silk scarf around her neck. Forest green, color bringing out her eyes and lips completely different way than he had ever seen before.
“But because the neckline is so low, she’ll need some kind of jewelry. I might just have…” Lee returned to her dresser, but Logan called her back.
“Don’t bother. I know what she needs,” he croaked.
“And Lee? Thanks. I owe you one,” he shouted over his shoulder while steering Marie out.
“This was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday, but…” She could only gasp when Logan brought the necklace around her throat, clasping it. Thin silver chain held a small piece of shiny almost grey material. It was a tear shaped lump of adamantium, attached to the chain with very delicate web made out of silver.
“I will never take this off,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a hug. He answered to it little awkwardly, not used to that kind of show of emotions.
“Well, that way you’ll always know who to turn if you need anything…” He felt something wet in the corner of his eye and pulled away from her embrace, covering the sudden tightness in his throat by coughing a bit.
“And something more… You don’t have to take this, but…” Small velvet box. She took it from him and opened it. A ring. No engravings or Stones adorned its smooth silver surface. She looked at him puzzled.
“Logan?”
“Not that kind of ring,” he said, nearly laughing at her unsure expression.
“It’ll turn off your skin. As long as you wear it against your skin you can safely touch other people. Now, you don’t have to take it, but I thought…” All the while he had been talking she had been tugging her glove off. She had slipped the ring to her ring finger.
Her lips brushing against his cut off further explanations. Kiss was brief and chaste, more of a slow sweep, but it was enough. Enough to make him stutter.
“Marie… Kid, I… I don’t…” She chuckled at his dazed expression.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me,” she said, raising to her toes and placing another brief kiss to his forehead.
“Do I get to see your idea of relaxation now?” She asked, nudging him with her elbow gently to bring him out of his trance-like stare.
“Uh… Sure. Sure. As soon as I can figure where to…” His head was swiveling around almost desperately. Then he seemed to find what he was looking for. The same bar they had left Scott’s bike earlier.
“Can’t really order you a soda in here. Drink slowly,” Logan said, placing a glass of wine in front of her, and taking a seat across the table, placing his beer in front of him with a little unsteady hand. He could still feel the warm whisper of her lips over his. Tingling feeling it evoked in his chest. Slight buzz in his head. Limbs heavy as lead. He was fucking drunk and he hadn’t touched the beer yet! He realized she had kissed him just because she could do it now. He just happened to be the lucky bastard standing close enough when she put on that ring. And she was just a kid. Okay, her eighteenth birthday was next week, but compared to him she was probably a toddler at best.
“Logan?”
She had to ask twice to get his attention.
“There’s no cage in here. And all waitresses have clothes on. Are you sure this is your kind of place?”
“This is our kind of place. I was planning to take you out drinking when you were old enough. This would have been the place.”
“You’re not drinking. Is there something wrong with your beer?” Was her next question. He was oddly reluctant to drink. Cold beer would wipe off that warm, tingly feeling her brief kiss had left to his lips.
“No. Nothing wrong with it,” he sighed, brought the pint to his lips and took a sip, nearly choking on to it when Marie’s eyes went wide, and heavy, clawed paw landed on his shoulder.
“Isn’t this nice. Runt and his bitch. Having a great time?” Sabretooth hissed to his ear.
“Back off, Vic. I’m not here to start a fight…” He muttered. Sabretooth’s claws dug in his shoulder painfully through his jacket.
“That’s a shame. I was expecting a little action,” he shivered when Victor’s coarse tongue swept over his earlobe. Fucker was marking him. And Marie looked positively scared, frozen to her seat, eyes glued to Victor’s hulking figure.
“Why don’t you run off to your master, like a good little kitten?” He asked. Victor snarled and dug his claws deeper. He could feel them pierce his skin. They sat deep enough to tear a chunk out of him if he tried to move.
“I was having a good day. Then I saw you… We still have a score to settle. It wasn’t very nice to throw me off from that statue. Do you have any idea how cold and wet water can be at that time of year?”
“It happened fucking year ago. Get over it already, Vic…” Sabretooth’s other paw landed on his other shoulder, massaging almost gently tightly coiled muscles in there.
“I will get over it soon enough… If you wish to keep your bitch in one piece, you will get up from this chair and follow me…”
She had watched in utter terror when Logan stood up and followed bigger mutant almost docilely. Now he was walking back to their table, smug grin on his face.
“Fucking moron. Walked straight out. I told Marcus not to let him back in,” he said sitting down and taking another sip from his beer.
“Marcus?”
“Bouncer. He’s a mutie, too. Can turn to liquid. Vicky-boy can claw him as much as he likes, but he will not get past Marcus.”
“I was so worried!” He got his lap full of Marie. Her warm, lithe body wrapping around him, face pressing against the side of his neck.
“Hush. Big mean cat went away. No need to worry about him anymore,” he whispered and rubbed her back in soothing motion. It felt weird, to feel her warm, bare skin against his palm instead of cloth. But it was good feeling.
“What if he’s waiting for you when we leave?” She asked, tensing and pulling away from him, eyes seeking his.
“We’ll worry about that if it happens. I know him and I know Marcus. Vic hates to get wet. Marcus won’t hesitate to use his mutation. I could bet Scott’s bike on that at the moment Vic’s on his way home, soaked to the core.” And if he wasn’t, he was going to get his gut full of cold adamantium for scaring Marie.
“I’ll go and get us something more to drink. Why don’t you go and see if there’s some good music in that piece of junk over there,” he proposed, pointing at the jukebox standing in the corner.
“Found anything interesting?” She gasped from surprise when Logan leaned against her back, trying to read titles over her shoulder.
“I don’t even know half of these!” She huffed. Logan shrugged his shoulders, smiling a little.
“Nobody but Earl knows around here. But it’s mostly good stuff. Don’t really know from where he has dug up all these songs. Let’s see…” He leaned even closer, running his finger over labels, looking for something. Finger stopped briefly over “Alice Cooper: Poison”, but continued fast, trailing lower. She chose a song and pressed play before he had the chance. “Poe: Wild”. She hadn’t heard it before, but Logan obviously had. He raised his brows.
“Really?” She had to take a big gulp from the wine he had brought her when she started listening the lyrics. Light make-up did nothing to cover the blush that crept over her cheeks.
“You choose the next one…” She muttered retreating back to their table.
He had listened that song over and over during his journey, while searching his past. Not that he cared about music, but something in this particular song made his ears perk up every time it played in the radio. “3 Doors Down: Here Without You”. At first he had tried to brush it off. Then he had started to wonder what made him notice it at first place. It wasn’t until she came to his mind, that he realized what made him take notice. He had been missing Marie.
“And now that I have made a complete ass out of myself…” She started.
“Don’t. I like this song. No need to be embarrassed. I don’t think that you choose this to send a message. Shouldn’t have teased you like that,” Logan said, listening the lyrics of the song she had chosen. They suited her well. She wasn’t as shy and naïve as people tended to think. Soon enough song ended, and the one he had chosen started to play.
“I chose this on purpose. Missed the gang back here while I was away last winter. For some reason this one was the most popular one. Every fucking station had this on their play list. Several times a day. Kind of grew on me, I guess…” He confessed, standing up.
“I’ll go and get a beer.”
She watched his retreating back and listened the lyrics. She could see him clearly, sitting on a campfire, in the middle of nowhere, hands curled around a cup of coffee. Thick layers of snow covering the scenery around him. Alone and cold. Suddenly she felt like crying. And giving him yet another hug. She sprinted after him, nearly tripped over, but managed to find her balance just in time to avoid collision with a wooden support beam, skirted past it and stumbled against Logan’s back. Next thing she knew she was pinned against the counter, two lethal metal claws on both sides of her neck, third extending slowly and scraping the hollow of her throat.
As soon as his attacker’s identity registered he retracted his claws and hauled her up on her feet, backing off couple steps.
“Christ! Are you alright, kid?” He asked, eyes locked to her throat, searching for possible damage. She just stared at him mutely, gaze fixed to his knuckles.
“Marie! Are you alright?” He snapped his fingers in front of her face and that seemed to bring her out of her stupor.
“Jesus! Remind me never to scare you again!” She huffed, remembering to breathe again.
She had briefly seen her whole life with him flashing before her eyes. Every little conversation, every situation from the moment she had first seen him in that dive in Laughlin City, to the moment her hands collided to his back just few seconds ago. Funny. Most people claimed that moments like this made them remember their whole life, even their childhood, but all she had seen was really just snippets from here and there. Every brief, and little longer moment she had spent with him.
“Hold that beer. I think we need something stronger,” he said to the bartender. Man hadn’t even batted a lid during the whole commotion, but now he nodded and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, clunking it and two glasses in front of him.
“On the house.”
Golden liquid burned going down her throat, but when it reached her stomach, that burn settled to a pleasurable feeling of warmth. Logan had thrown back three shots in the time it took her to consume one.
“Calm down. Nothing happened,” she tried to reassure him.
“Nothing. Right. I just nearly skewered you. What the hell were you doing anyway, sneaking up on me like that?” He asked
“I wasn’t sneaking up. I tripped over. Chose to collide with you rather than that counter.”
“Next time choose anything else but me. Even a fucking harvester would be a safer choice…” It started to look like evening was over. Worry and hurt were clouding his eyes.
“A harvester couldn’t bring me back afterwards. To me you’re the safest possible choice in any given situation,” she said, scooting her chair closer to his. She started to feel little tipsy, and it was hard to keep straight face when she saw everything in double.
“But I think I have drink enough for tonight. Can we go home?” She asked yawning, knowing he was just looking for an excuse to leave. Relief flickered briefly over his features.
“Yeah. We can go home. Tired?” He asked, ruffling her hair. She nodded and let him help her up.
“Will my coach turn to a pumpkin soon?” She asked, taking a glimpse of herself from the mirror behind the counter when they walked past it.
“What?”
“Haven’t you seen Cinderella?” She asked.
“No. Who’s she?”
“It’s a fairy tale, you silly! It’s about this poor girl. She has an evil stepmother and evil stepsisters. Then there’s a prince and a fairy godmother who makes her a beautiful dress and coach from a pumpkin so that she can go to a ball, and that prince falls in love with her. But there’s a small problem. At midnight spell wears off, and she has to leave before that, so that prince won’t see how poor she truly is…”
“Lee is a fairy godmother? Wait until I tell her that! She won’t believe her ears!” Logan was laughing when they walked out of the door.
“And that will make you Cinderella. Who’s the prince?” He asked, still laughing. That laughter ended up to a rather embarrassing snort when his gaze met hers.
“I don’t do fairy tales, Marie.”
He couldn’t sleep. He knew she was on the other side of the wall. He could hear her tossing and turning in her bed, as sleepless as he. After his rejection… Rejection it had been. They had both been drunk, but that didn’t change the fact that she had confessed her feelings towards him. And he had thrown that confession to the ground and stomped over it.
Their ride back to Xavier’s had been silent. Parting at her door uncomfortable. Either had had nothing to say. He wanted to take it back. He really wanted to be that prince Charming, sweeping her off from her feet, but he knew he wasn’t the right material for that role. He wasn’t a prince. Closest comparison he could dig up was a distant memory about another tale about a girl in a glass coffin, surrounded by dwarves. She had been poisoned. Old woman, selling apples. She had poisoned half of an apple, eaten the good part herself and given the poisoned one to the girl.
“I’m no prince. I’m that fucking apple…”
He was adding the second layer of lacquer to the wooden paneling outside of Xavier’s office when he detected her presence. She kept her distance, but she was there. Hidden in the shadowed staircase, watching. Uncertainty. Hesitation. Fear. Hint of hope. Sadness. He kept his back turned. Sweep of brush, dip it to the can. Another sweep. His vision started to blur. Her eyes were drilling a hole to his back. Sweep after sweep. He knew he should stop. He would ruin the surface soon if he kept adding more layers. He forced himself to lay down the brush and close the can. Scent of the stuff was giving him a nasty headache, and fumes clogged up his airways. There was no other reasonable explanation why he felt so fucked up and beaten. He collected his tools, all the while feeling her emotions washing over him, crashing to him like waves to a cliff. Suddenly he couldn’t get out fast enough. He escaped her to the foyer leading to kitchen, nearly knocking over herd of students in his haste.
She didn’t know what to think anymore. Yesterday had been perfect, up until the moment she had accidentally startled him. After that evening had gotten weird. Logan had gotten weird. And that weirdness had carried over the night to this day. She couldn’t forget the look on his face when she had kissed him. She couldn’t forget his almost cruel words when they were leaving from that bar.
“I don’t do fairy tales, Marie.” And that was a big fucking lie. He didn’t do fairy tales? If that was true, then she must be imagining her whole life in here, when in reality she lay stiff, frozen solid in a snow bank, somewhere near Laughlin City, because her prince charming had turned out to be an ugly frog who had dropped her to the side of the road and kept going, never looking back.
He was putting away his tools in the garage when she walked in. Door slammed shut after her, and he could hear her locking it.
“You know better than that. Should know. That door won’t hold me.”
“I didn’t lock it to keep you in. I locked it to keep others out. We need to talk.”
“What’s there to talk about? I thought we said everything last night.” He didn’t turn to look at her. He kept his hands busy, pouring turpentine to a glass jar and plunking the brush he had used in there to keep it soft. He reached for the lid, and it slipped from his fingers, skittering over the floor and ending at her feet. He huffed frustrated and swiveled around, claws erupting from his hands.
“You may be some fairy tale princess for all I know, but I’m sure as hell no prince. I don’t think even those Grimm brothers could conjure up anything as fucked up as I am. Stay the fuck away from me!”
“Would you stop that already? You can’t scare me off. I know you won’t hurt me…” Suddenly she was pinned against the wall, razor sharp metal claws hovering over her throat.
“What makes you so sure?”
His warm breath was tickling the side of her neck and she could feel his chest expanding against hers. She knew he was gauging her mood, taking in her scent. Suddenly he huffed and retreated, claws sliding back inside his arms.
“I could have hurt you last night.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Not this time… Open that door, kid. Let me out.”
“We are not finished yet.”
“Yes, we are…” He was pacing restless in front of the door. He looked about ready to claw off the lock.
He wanted to get out. He had to get out. He wasn’t going to deal with this. He wasn’t going to deal with angsty, teenaged brat. He wasn’t going to, because that would have meant dealing with himself, too, and he was quite sure that was an alley he didn’t want to turn to. Only God knew what lurked in those shadows. He wasn’t ready to face himself. Not even close. Thin sheen of perspiration rose to his skin. Trapped. He was fucking trapped, and there was nothing he could do. This wasn’t like back then when he was kept in that lab. This time there was nobody to maim. Just him and his captor. Marie.
“I can’t do it. Let me go. Now.”
“Why? Give me a reason.”
“I just can’t. Open the fucking door. Please, Marie.” He looked so miserable right then, eyes pleading, shoulders slumped. She didn’t have the heart to continue the third degree anymore. She gave him the key.
“What about…?” She was twirling the necklace he had given her last night.
“Me keeping my paws off from you is part of the package, kid. I can’t… I won’t hurt you.”
He stayed in his room, behind a locked door for the rest of the day, until he was sure she had gone to bed. He had fiddled with his backpack, thought of leaving hovering just under the surface.
“Can’t even do that…” He kicked it frustrated. He couldn’t very well just leave after he had promised to help her if she needed any help. He couldn’t leave the team. Scott was slowly coming to terms with Jean’s death, but it would be a long journey before he was ready to take on responsibilities of a team leader again. Professor and Ororo needed him around the mansion. Everybody was quite reluctant to hire outside help. He didn’t blame them. Stryker’s attack had left them vulnerable in many levels.
When he heard her door closing and locking for the night he crept out. Sudden small noise made his ears perk up. Silent cuss, coming from her room. Something small hitting the wall. Clinking noise when it hit the floor. Ring. He winced. It hadn’t been easy to come by. Had taken him nearly a year to obtain it. Time didn’t matter. Look on her face and her reaction had made it all worth it. And now… One fucking lousy night and she apparently couldn’t stand that small scrap of metal near her anymore. He raised his fist hesitantly, knuckles hovering inches from the smooth wooden surface, but in the end he splayed his fingers and just grazed her door silently.
“Just tried to help you out, kid…”
She waited until she could hear Scott’s motorcycle pulling off before coming out from her room. Only one driving that beast nowadays was Logan, so it was quite safe to assume he had left. For good? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. Wasn’t going to allow herself to care. She had taken off the pendant and the ring he had given her, and sealed them to an envelope with a small note. She walked in his room and left the envelope to his bed, on his pillow.
For one night she had spent in heaven. She had actually been naïve enough to think that he had gotten that ring for both of them. Now it was quite clear it was meant only for her. And that was something she couldn’t accept. Gift of that magnitude would keep her in debt for the rest of her life. She knew Logan wouldn’t see it that way. He would never, ever collect that debt. No. For that he was too fucking chivalrous. He wasn’t the prince Charming. He was her knight in shining armor, riding pure white stallion. Protecting her from life, never letting her down from her tower.
“Where’s the fucking dragon when you need one?”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
This story contains elements from several fairytales and movies. Beowolf, Hellraiser, Lord Of The Rings, Hansel And Gretel, Cindrella... There's probably even more, but complete list would probably be longer than the whole story.