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Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan and Ororo lament their lack of time with each other
Chapter 38 “ Absence Makes The Heart Fonder

Relationship Status “ married

When he returned, she was going to convince him that they both needed some alone time. They both definitely needed a nice relaxing break from everything. She hadn’t seen her husband in damn near two weeks, as the X-Men had been extremely busy solving the world’s problems. The Wolverine was currently away in Pakistan, leading a covert ops team of Cyclops, Gambit, Beast and Colossus, attempting to put a halt to Magneto’s grand plans to acquire a nuclear warhead. She, along with Rogue, Shadowcat, Nightcrawler and Iceman, had not too long returned from Nepal, where they had aided with the rescue and cleanup after the strong magnitude earthquake that had ravaged much of the country.

Ororo was at her wits’ end. As the world’s problems continuously mounted, demanding the services of the X-Men, her relationship was taking a back seat and she didn’t like it. Of course missions had kept them apart before, but not this long. Sure, this was what they signed up for when they had adopted Xavier’s dream as their own, but damn it, she needed to be in her mate’s presence, needed to feel his love. The man was her drug and dear Goddess, she felt like a drug addict going through withdrawal at this very moment. And that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part for her was that she felt as if she was living in a vacuum with him being away. It was as if his absence had taken her life force and replaced it with nothingness. She now realized that it had always been like this for her from the very beginning. Looking back, she had recognized that Logan’s absences from the mansion and the team had always left her feeling a sliver of emptiness. That sliver had continuously grown into a gaping hole as she became aware of and accepted her feelings for him.

But at this moment, lying in the bed she shared with him, it felt as if that gaping hole had metastasized into an endless black hole and there was no way out except being safe and secure in his arms. Their six month threshold of wedded union had past a few days ago and not being able to properly celebrate that with him had her all out of sorts. Maybe she was acting like a young school girl in love for the first time, but this was her man and she missed him beyond what worlds could say. And it didn’t help that she was unable to hear his gravelly growly voice either, as the mission demanded all his time and concentration.

That old adage was surely true. Absence did indeed make the heart grow fonder. But surely that was expected, especially when talking about two people who had something unique and quite special together. Their relationship was by no means perfect. They argued with each other and got on each other’s nerves at times, but reminding themselves and each other of how much and how long they had to fight for what they now had, always kept them grounded and devoted to each other. She was awed by simply knowing that Logan, the onetime outsider, was dedicated to making what they have work. That in itself had lend a new level of strength and commitment to their relationship.

Of course, thinking about him like this always reminded her of how privileged she was to love him and be loved by him. Everyone, including her, at the beginning, had thought that he was an uncaring brute because of the brash, rude and rough persona he had projected to the world. She thanked the Goddess every day that she was able to see past that disguise and get to know the loving and caring man that laid underneath. Yes, he was still rough around the edges and downright mean at times, but that was her Logan and she would have him no other way.

Sighing now, she turned over to his side of the bed and planted her face in his pillow, inhaling his unique scent. A few seconds later, she flung the covers off of her, hastily stripped her clothes off and rushed to the balcony, where she let the cool night air caress her skin before soaring into the cloudless sky. As she climbed, twisted and turned through the sky, Ororo sent a message to her husband on the winds that followed her command, “Hurry home soon, my love.”

***

Christ! For a man who had spent most of his long life as a loner, it was ironic to now experience how much loneliness could mess with one’s psyche. He knew his ‘Ro had a lot to do with that. That woman was truly his home, his haven and his salvation. And now sitting here in the mountainous region of Kashmir under the cover of darkness with danger coming at them from every direction, when instead he wanted to be wrapped up in Ororo’s warmth really drove home those points for him. He was brooding and wasn’t in any mood to be sociable with his teammates. They in turn knew when he was in one of his moods and wisely left him to his own thoughts. So, he sat quietly on his designated pallet and observed his colleagues from under hooded eyes and wished more than anything that he was home enjoying the simple pleasures of life with his wife. Yes, the mission was of the utmost importance and it had to be successful at all costs, but he’ll be lying if he said he gave a damn about Magneto and his plans for the nuclear warhead. Sure the United States government was paying them quite handsomely for their work, but when it all came down to it, no amount of money was worth him being away from Ororo this long.

He supposed that he was still caught up in the haze of newly wedded bliss. After all, they had just marked the six month threshold of being married, and not being able to see, touch, smell or hear her for that significant part of their lives had, to say the least, not bode well for the poor fools who had dared challenge him in their quest to get to Magneto. Hell, he couldn’t even call her to hear that titillating, smoky voice that was distinctively hers and it was driving him insane. He was behaving like a lovesick chump but dammit to hell, this was his woman and he missed her badly.

They had all thought that the mission would at least take five days, at most seven to complete, but not damn near two weeks. The time away was quickly eroding whatever patience he had in the first place. He had to constantly keep himself in a state of calm, reminding himself that because the mission was such a complicated and sensitive one, there was no room for error and most certainly no room for him losing control. It was a constant struggle, but he was hanging on…just barely. Hopefully, it would all be over tomorrow when they would launch their surprise attack when the transaction for the nuclear weapon takes place.

It said a lot about how far he had come since his first days of being a member of the team, when all he really desired was to spend his every waking moment with ‘Ro and making her happy and safe, not saving the world. Hell, the adrenaline rush he use to get every time he went into battle was no longer there. The buzz he would get from engaging in combat or conducting a mission was now replaced by his desire to work hard at being a better husband and mate to Ororo. It spoke volumes to the level of happiness and solidity she had brought to his once lonesome life.

Thinking about her always humbled him and reminded him how fortunate he was to have her in his life. Before her, solitude, instability, misery and rage were all he knew. He was the ideal recluse, the outsider that didn’t go around forging any emotional bonds. The ideas of family, home and commitment never registered with him until her. She represented everything good and worthwhile in his life and he wouldn’t dare relinquish them.

Muffling a frustrated groan, he quickly rummaged through his uniform’s pockets for the remaining piece of the lone cigar he had been scrimping on for the past two days. When his fingers grabbed the stub, he crammed it between his lips and went searching for his lighter. Pulling the zippo out of the side pocket of his pants, he flipped it and lit the cigar. He almost groaned in satisfaction at his first pull. As the nicotine coursed through his veins and he felt the healing factor rapidly expelling the poison, he sent a message to his wife, hoping that her Goddess will somehow get it to her, “Be home soon, darlin’.”





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