[Reviews - 20]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story |
Printer Chapter or Story |
ePub eBook Chapter or Story |

Has been viewed 635 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan's and Scott's conversation (alluded to in Chapter 16)
Chapter 28 “ Clearing The Air

Relationship Status “ married

This conversation was alluded to in Chapter 16 “ Secret’s Out

He was working under the hood of Ororo’s Chevrolet Sonic to keep himself busy, especially after having arrived at the conclusion he had. He had thought long and hard about this, knew it was something he had to do in order to move on and look to the future. He needed to lay the past to rest if he was to provide a secure, stable life for his mate. It was something completely foreign to the Wolverine and to be honest, he was not looking forward to it. The Wolverine had never had to swallow his pride and admit he was wrong. Especially to someone like Scooter.

A quick sniff of the air lets him know that he was about to have company. At least, he didn’t have to go tracking him down. He looked up from under the car’s hood to see Scott leaning against the garage door. From the look on the goody-goody man’s face, Logan knew it was time for a serious discussion.

It was the first time he was seeing the fearless leader since he and Ororo had returned from Canada and learned that the golden couple’s relationship was no more. Nonchalantly, Logan closed the car’s hood and went over to the cooler that he kept in the garage and grabbed two cans of beer. Tossing one to the Boy Scout, he said, “Somethin’ I can do fer ya?”

Scott caught the beer in mid-air and popped it open. He took a healthy swig. “Yeah…”

Logan raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

“What’s your intentions now that Jean and I are over?” Scott blurted out.

Logan sputtered on the mouthful of beer he had just drank. What the…? He sure as hell wasn’t expecting that question. He grunted. “Straight ta the point, eh Scooter?”

Scott breathed a sigh of relief now that his monumental question was out in the open. “Well?”

Logan walked over to sit on the floor, his back resting against the wall, his hands dangling between bent knees. He didn’t even blink when Scott slinked up next to him and took up a similar position.

Both men sat sipping their brew, gazing straight ahead, looking at nothing of importance. Their minds were on the changes they had gone through in past few months. Minutes of silence passed between them until Logan spoke up. “My intentions huh? Ya wanna be more specific?” He hedged.

Scott turned and looked him dead in the eyes. “Your intentions towards Jean. I mean, the path is now clear for you to make your move. Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”

Logan nodded, pretty much knowing that was where Scotty boy was headed with his line of questioning. He turned to Scott, knowing what his answer was going to be. “Honestly, Scooter, I ain’t got no intentions towards Jeannie. I don’t want her. Truth is, I ain’t ever been in love wid Red and I never really wanted her as much as ev’ry one seem ta think.”

Scott’s head, as if robotic, rotated slowly towards Logan. The shock was apparent on his face. Did the hardnosed, crude man just spoke those words? He had to be dreaming? “Did I just hear you correctly?”

“I don’t know if ya believe me or not, but I was wrong fer comin’ between ya and Jeannie, but…” Logan exhaled loudly, then took another mouthful of beer. “I know what I put ya through and I had no right ta do that.”

Logan was attempting to amend the wrongs he had meted out to Scott since he joined the X-Men. It was something he had a hard time with and most certainly didn’t like because he felt it exposed a weakness he was nowhere near ready to admit exist, but he owed it Ororo to try and bury the hatchet with Scott. “Ya know Cyke, I’m man enough ta admit I was wrong playin’ wid ya like that, tryin’ ta come between both of ya.”
Scott stared at the feral mutant intently, seeing genuine repentance for the first time. “That hurt like hell, didn’t it Logan?”
“Ya have no idea, Cyke.”
“So why the hell did you act like an ass all this time?”
Logan glanced at the younger man before answering. He gave off no negative vibes, just a sincere curiosity. “Well, to be honest, it was fun toyin’ wid ya that way. And…” Logan sighed, running an agitated hand through his raven locks. “I just saw Jeannie as a way ta make me forget the one I really wanted.”

“Ororo.”

“Yeah…”

Logan grunted before getting up and going to the cooler for another beer. He raised one towards Scott’s direction and upon getting his nod, tossed it to him.

Scott sighed, popping the new can opened. “Look, Logan, since we’re manning up and all, I guess I should admit that I should have stepped to you from the beginning and let you know that Jean was mines and you needed to back off.”

Logan remained silent, sensing the younger man wasn’t finished. “I should have told you in no uncertain terms to take your sniffing and games elsewhere.”

Logan snickered. “Ya should have,” he admitted. “Maybe I would have gotten it sooner.”

“I should have given you one nice blast through that adamantium head of yours.”

Logan grinned, letting him get away with that quip. “Fer what it’s worth, I told Jeannie that ya’re a good man. I told her that I wasn’t goin’ ta continue our game no more and that she should focus on lovin’ ya and being happy wid ya.”
Scott’s snort rang out in the silence that followed Logan’s declaration. “Much good that did.”
“Look Cyke, I ain’t in the business of givin’ counselin’ advice. All, I can tell ya is ta do what is right fer ya.”
The bespectacled man nodded. “What’s it about you that these women go gaga for?”

Logan roared with laughter. “So ya want my secret?”

“I mean, Jean, Ororo, hell, even Marie, Jubilee and Kitty,” Scott scoffed. “You’re bad-mannered, crude, hairy and ill-tempered. You have no positive traits as far as the eye could see, but yet they go crazy over you.”

“What can I say? The ladies just love the Wolverine,” Logan replied flippantly.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, before either man spoke again.

“So, you and Ororo, huh?”

Like everyone else, save for a selective few, Scott knew that he and Ororo were together, but had no clue that they were married. Logan quirked an eyebrow, deliberating how much of his relationship with Ororo to reveal. “Yeah, so?”

“Just treat her right and we won’t have any problems,” Scott replied.

“I thought ya weren’t so gung-ho on the idea of us bein’ tagether in the first place.”

Scott sighed. “Despite what you may think, Logan, I want ‘Roro to be happy. She deserves it after the whole shit storm with Forge. She needs some lasting happiness.”

Logan growled upon the mention of his rival’s name. He prayed he never had to set his sights upon the spineless mutant maker again.

“Hurtin’ ‘Ro ain’t even an option. Just know that I would rather die before I hurt her.”

Scott peered at the older man through his quartz glasses. What he saw astounded him for the second time since he sought the feral out. “Well, I’ll be damned. You really are in love with her.”

Logan grunted before finishing off the beer. He turned his head to address his teammate. “Ya got a problem wid that?”

“No. Although you’re both polar opposites, I could see she feels the same way about you.” Scott stated. “Your behavior and personality could use much improvement and you could definitely benefit from anger management classes.”

Logan nodded, a facsimile of a smile twisting his lips, letting him get away with another jibe.

“Why Scooter, I didn’t think ya cared,” Logan joked.

“Yeah, well don’t let this get to your head and think that we’re buddies now.”

“Hell no! I ain’t that crazy.”

After a few minutes of silence, Logan murmured. “What ‘bout ya and Jeannie?”

Scott sighed. “Honestly, I have no idea,” he answered glumly.

Logan remained silent. Here he was happily married and here Scooter was heartbroken. Despite everything that transpired between them, he wouldn’t wish this kind of pain on the one-eyed leader. Begrudgingly, he admitted a newfound respect for Scott. “I hope ya ain’t waitin’ fer a hug or somethin’.”

Scott’s face contorted in mock horror. “Good God, no! Don’t even joke about something like that, Wolverine.” He rose from his position on the floor, tossing the empty beer can into the trash. “By the way, you’re still an ass.”

With that said, he moved towards the exit. "And I can’t wait to let everybody know that the macho Wolverine got down on his knees and begged for my forgiveness,” Scott threw over his shoulder, making a speedy exit through the door after delivering the dig, as if at any minute the unstable man would pounce on him.

“Yer word against mines, one-eye,” Logan bellowed, before throwing his head back and laughing, thinking about Scooter’s sudden bravado and their ceasefire.





You must login () to review.