Things were relatively quiet for the next week; everything settled down after the upheaval his sudden arrival and introduction as a teacher had caused. The students began learning simple hand combat moves and Logan found himself with a new problem; the students began using what they were learning against each other outside of the classroom. He hadn’t anticipated that happening for several more weeks and was unsure of how to handle the situation. The resulting injuries kept Jean and Hank quite busy and finally they asked him to step in and do something about it. So for the first time that he could ever think of, he found himself having to sit the students down for the ‘responsible use of power’ talk.
He was rather surprised that not only did they all listen to what he had to say, but most of them took it to heart. And although the number of fights that broke out after his speech declined sharply, many squabbles were still solved, or even started, by the use of their mutant abilities. But he figured he’d said enough to them on that particular subject and that it now fell under the jurisdiction of the professor and Jean.
Despite the appearance of normalcy, Logan had his hands full his second week back and often worked late into the night trying to determine what each student’s strengths and weaknesses were. He spent some time with Ororo when he was able but it was nothing substantial; mostly a quiet moment or two stolen in the greenhouse. But he was unable to begin her lessons on how to ride his motorcycle. She seemed sympathetic and patient but Logan still felt a twinge of guilt whenever he thought about the bet he’d made.
So, after a particularly grueling lesson on Friday, and before he had to meet with Charles for his weekly progress report, he strode into the greenhouse and tossed her the keys to his bike.
A gleam of joy lit up her eyes and she practically ripped the helmet he offered out of his hands. She ran from the greenhouse, her joy infectious. Logan couldn’t help but chuckle that such a simple thing as learning to ride a motorcycle could change the often regal and dignified woman into an exuberant child.
He sat behind her on the bike, reaching around her to show her the controls as he told her what each one did. Then he had her start the bike and they were off. He let her go at her own pace, helping her to steer and shift whenever she drifted or seemed to need an extra set of hands. He had never thought to find such a situation so enjoyable but he found himself laughing quietly with her when she fumbled the controls or was heavy handed with the throttle. A few hours passed quickly without him realizing it as he let her drive wherever she wanted.
As the time passed, and she became more confident in her abilities, he let his hands fall down to her waist, where he rested them lightly on her hips. Her scent drifted back to him on the breeze and he found himself suddenly wondering how soft her hair was. Without thinking, he leaned closer to her and inhaled deeply, almost reveling in the scents of sandalwood and vanilla that combined with Ororo’s own unique earthy smell. He found himself enjoying her scent immensely and wondered why he had never noticed how intoxicating it was before now. But he was broken from his thoughts by a mental query from the professor.
Logan, have you forgotten what day of the week this is?
Logan swore softy under his breath as the mental projection broke his pleasantly relaxed mood. No, Chuck. Me and ‘Ro just lost track of time. She asked me to teach her how to ride my bike and she was havin’ such a good time that I forgot about our meetin’. We’ll be back at the mansion in a few minutes.
There was a sense of amusement from the professor before he spoke again. I shall see you then.
And then Logan was alone in his own mind once more. Logan leaned forward and spoke in Ororo’s ear to be heard above the roar of the engine and the passing wind. “Sorry to break this short darlin’, but Chuck needs ta see me.”
She nodded and they headed back to the mansion. When they got there, Logan slid off the bike and turned to hurry up the stairs when Ororo’s voice stopped him. “Logan?”
He turned back to her and she smiled at him as she tossed him the keys and the helmet.
“Thank you. I enjoyed that very much.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Her scent rose around him subtly and he grinned at her.
“Anytime darlin’. Glad ya enjoyed it.” And he watched her walk away, back towards her greenhouse and her plants. For a moment or two, he felt the urge to blow off his meeting and follow her.
He knew that in the greenhouse, it would peaceful and quiet while the mansion could often not contain the chaos caused by its residents. But with a heavy sigh, his sense of duty won out and he trudged up the stairs.
He ran into Jean in the hallway again; only this time he was so distracted that he didn’t catch her scent until she had collided with him.
She flew backwards after hitting his chest and he reached out to steady her. “Logan, I’m sorry. I came to find you and tell you the professor is looking for you.”
Logan smiled as he dropped his hand. “I know; he caught ‘Ro and me out on the road. I got back as soon as I could.”
A confused look swept over Jean’s face. “’Ro?”
“Yeah, I’m sure ya’ve seen her around; can’t miss her. Tall, dark skin, blue eyes, white hair; controls the weather.”
Jean shook her head. “You and ‘Ro?”
“Yeah, she beat me at a game of nine ball and I promised to give her lessons on how ta ride my bike.”
Jean didn’t bother to hide her skepticism. “Ororo Munroe asked you to teach her how to ride a motorcycle.”
“Yeah, why’s that so hard ta believe?”
After a moment or two Jean shrugged. “I guess I just never thought she had any interest in it.”
“Me neither, until she asked. She’s a natural.” He leaned in closer and dropped his voice, speaking to her softly, flirting with her, teasing her. “Anytime you want Red, I’ll teach ya how to ride for free.” His double meaning was clear as he stared at her. He waited to see if his words would get a rise out of her or if she would simply ignore him.
A small smile lit her face as she shot back with her own innuendo. “No thanks Logan, Scott already taught me how to ride; a long time ago.”
“Well, if ya ever want a few pointers, come see me.”
She stepped closer, letting her voice drop, becoming suggestive. She even reached out and touched his cheek gently, watching his nostrils flare with excitement. “Don’t hold your breath.” With that parting shot, she walked off and left Logan chuckling softly as he went to meet with the professor.
Scott? Jean called to him through their mental link not bothering to wait to tell him about the latest gossip until she had found him. Do you have a minute?
He responded almost immediately. Yeah what’s up?
Jean didn’t bother to hide her confusion and suspicions when she replied. You are never going to believe what I just found out. She told him quickly about running into Logan in the hallway and discovering that Logan and Ororo had been seeing a great deal of each other outside of the classroom.
Scott scoffed. Logan? Come on that guy is nothing but a pain in the ass. You can’t seriously believe that something might be happening between them.
Jean shrugged mentally. I don’t know; all I know is that I haven’t seen much of her lately and both of them have been in really chipper moods. Hey you don’t think they’re…
Scott stopped her sudden mental image and shivered. If they are, I don’t want to know about it. Don’t put that mental image in my head Jean. There was a slight pause from him and then. Who would have figured she had such bad taste.
Sometimes honey, taste has nothing to do with it. She gave a slight mental giggle as she broke their connection. She decided that maybe it was time to seek out Ororo and get the truth straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
She found Ororo in her greenhouse humming as she tended to her plants. Jean studied her closely as she approached wondering to herself what looked different about her.
Whatever it was, it was subtle. Her clothes and hair looked the same but the air about her, the way that she carried herself had changed slightly and Jean couldn’t seem to put her finger on it.
“Good morning Jean. Do come in, unless you plan on standing there, staring at me for the rest of the evening.”
Jean blushed slightly and sat down next to her quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.” She watched Ororo work for several moments before her friend looked up at her with a questioning look on her face.
“Did you come here for a specific reason or am I supposed to guess what you needed?”
Jean chuckled even as she pondered how to begin. “I know that I’ve no right to know, but I have to ask, as a friend, is it true?”
Ororo did not look away from the plants she was tending. “Is what true?”
“Did you really ask Logan to teach you how to ride his bike?”
“Of course I did; how else would I have gotten lessons. You know damned well that Scott and Remy had refused to teach me; though Goddess knows why.”
She sounded calm, but Jean could sense the agitation and irritation the memory provoked. Jean also noticed that Ororo began patting the dirt around the new plants a little more forcefully than was needed as she continued talking.
“They said I might hurt myself. Damned sexist men anyway. Somehow, my abilities must have slipped their minds; as if I could not hurt myself riding the winds. No, they did not want to teach me simply because they look at their motorcycles as extensions of their male egos.”
“Ororo!”
“Oh come off it Jean, we both know the truth; even if you will not admit it. Tell me, has Scott given in to your request to teach you?” Jean shook her head. “You see. I had to find someone to teach me. And since Logan was already willing to kick my ass in class, I assumed that teaching me how to ride was a minor request.”
Jean shook her head ruefully, giggling a bit at the mental image Ororo’s words produced. She had to admit, she was curious about Logan’s teaching techniques; especially after seeing the results he was having with many of the students. “Is he that rough on you?”
Ororo dusted off her hands and reached for a watering can, the smirk on her face clearly visible. “You have no idea; sometimes I leave his class with every part of my body bruised and strained. And because of his abilities, he barely breaks a sweat.”
Jean chuckled, understanding the underlying frustration that might cause her friend. “So what do you do?”
“I go to my room, take a very hot shower and plot how to throw his ass onto the mat.”
They both laughed for several moments. Jean reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes as she came to the real reason why she had sought Ororo out. “I thought, for a second when he told me that maybe there might be something more to it.”
Ororo turned and looked at her closely. “More, what do you mean by more?”
This time Jean blushed a bit as she tried to stammer out an explanation. “Its just that everyone said he took you out for a drink, and you have been spending a lot of time together, so naturally I just thought…”
Ororo stilled. “Thought what Jean?”
“That maybe you guys might be an item.” She held up her hands as Ororo opened her mouth to reply. “I know, I know it seems a bit far fetched.”
“Does the concept of him finding me attractive really seem that far fetched?”
Jean looked at her in shock, never intending for Ororo to think that no one would find her attractive. “Good God no Ororo, its just that I know how Logan can be; he can be pretty intense, sometimes even overwhelming.”
Ororo’s eyes went cold and her face stilled even as Jean realized what she had just unintentionally implied with her statement. “And you thought I could not handle him.”
Jean could feel herself losing control of the conversation and suddenly wished that she had kept her mouth shut. “Yes, I mean no, I mean…” She took a deep breath and tried to catch her thoughts; the entire conversation had gotten way off base and out of control. “Listen Ororo, I just wanted to come out here and have a bit of girl talk and see if it was true. I have no intention of treating you like Scott and Remy would. I won’t tell you to stay away from him, or tell you he’s all wrong for you if that’s how you feel about him; its really none of my business. But I just came to say, please be careful.”
“You are right it is none of your business. But I do appreciate the gesture, no matter how badly it is delivered. And as for your question, no we are not an item. Logan and I just like spending time together. He does not judge me or expect anything more than I am willing to give. He simply sits with me and talks about the students, his class even his past, what little he remembers of it. And he likes to be around me because I understand him and can relate to him more than most others here.”
“I’m not sure I follow you. What do you mean that you can relate to him?”
“We are a lot alike; both of us are driven by emotion and we are both passionate people. But for me, letting my emotions loose, even for a moment, poses a great risk to everyone around me. We both know that I could level this entire region with a mere thought.”
Jean reached out and touched her shoulder, trying to offer her friend some comfort as she admitted that particularly difficult and dark truth. “But you don’t.”
Ororo shook her head, looking up into the beautiful blue sky. Jean could feel her friend’s powerful mind reaching out towards the unseen currents of weather that surrounded them. She watched and sensed a feeling of calm come over Ororo as she turned back to her.
“No I do not. And I do not because I have learned the mental discipline to keep my emotions under tight control. Logan, believe it or not, is the same. His berserker rages are also sparked by strong emotions. He has managed to learn a semblance of control and it has allowed him to walk among us as a somewhat civilized individual.
“But he and I both know that everyday we walk a fine line between controlling our abilities and being controlled by them. I understand him, and he understands me, because we can both relate to the desire to let go and damn the consequences. We are kindred souls, he and I.”
Jean pondered what Ororo had said for a moment and decided that enough soul searching had been done for the day. She reached up and kissed Ororo on the forehead before she turned and left the greenhouse. “You know where to find me if you need to talk ‘Ro.”
Behind her Ororo sighed as she pondered just how many rumors were likely to circulate about the friendship she was developing with Logan. She hoped for his sake, that he not only remained oblivious to them, but that the rumors remained mere hints.
[Reviews - 127]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story |
Has been viewed 3473 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story | - Text Size +
You must login () to review.
