Weeks after Alcatraz Island:

The heat surrounding mutants and the cure seemed to have died down somewhat. Hank was doing everything he could to bridge the gap between mutant and human affairs, yet it was probably only a matter of time before somebody else somewhere crossed the line between acceptance and dominance and things would get out of hand again. However things were calm on that front right now and for the moment that was just fine.

Ororo Munroe, leader of the X-Men and newly dubbed headmistress of the Xavier Institute, felt a bit overwhelmed at first with having to take over the school seemingly overnight but she was determined not to let its current and future occupants go without a safe place to go when the world turned them away. After news of the passing of the Professor, Scott, and Jean had spread, former X-men and friends such as Nightcrawler, Gambit, Banshee, Beast (from time to time), and even Emma Frost (to the chagrin of some) offered their assistance as instructors and adult figures for the children.

As for Wolverine, he informed Ororo that he was leaving for a few days to “take care of a few things”. She hadn’t necessarily been surprised by that but what did surprise her was his assurance of returning. At some point she half expected him to take off and grumble about how it wasn’t his problem but she felt that something in him had changed. Whether it was because he just hadn’t figured out where to take off to yet or maybe he finally felt like he had a home at the mansion, she wasn’t completely sure. Ororo hoped it had more to do with the latter but with Logan sometimes you just could not gauge his intentions unless he wanted you to know them.

After really about a day and a half or two, upon returning it was Wolverine who approached Storm explaining his final decision of sticking around to help train some of the kids. Much to her carefully hidden delight she would later find that she had a friend, among other things, in Wolverine.

************************************************************************

The somewhat-still-newly-dubbed X-Men consisting at the moment of Bobby, Colossus, Kitty, Jubilee, Rogue, and Angel were all settling into young adult life at the X-Mansion.
A few of them such as Colossus and Rogue slipped into the roles of student teachers at the Institute with Rogue taking the helm in some Humanities courses and Colossus using his artistic prowess in art classes as well as assisting Logan with his physical education classes.

In Rogue’s case, she had opted to not take the cure with the affirmation that she was who and what she was and that was the end of it. She knew it would be a long, hard road but she saw herself as an example, not only to herself but to the other students as well, that being a mutant wasn’t something to be ashamed of.

“This is me Bobby,” she had told him the day he found her in her room.

He slowly approached her taking her gloved hands in his bringing their interlaced hands to her eye level in the hopes of driving his point home.

“I’ve never wanted anything else,” he replied, his sincerity evident in his tone as he brought her to him in an embrace that spoke volumes of his relief at having her back and safe.


Present Day (one year later):

It was late at night and everyone in the house was asleep save for one person in particular. Logan was restless tonight which wasn’t the product of any nightmares seeing as he hadn’t even been to sleep yet. He was wrestling with the idea of going down to the Danger Room thinking that maybe a little physical exertion of the athletic persuasion would tire him out enough for him to get in a little sleep. Opting to just wander around the halls this time around he found himself heading towards the kitchen hoping to either snag himself a beer from his stash or something to eat.

He stopped in his tracks after he caught the scent of rain, vanilla, and….*sniff*….Ben & Jerry’s Karamel Sutra ice cream?

*’Ro* he mentally confirmed.

Judging by the fact that she was up and about at this time of night meant that maybe she was just as restless as he was. He remembered witnessing night after night of her anger and sadness personified through rain and howling winds after the Alcatraz incident. He knew it was her and that she was crying because he could smell her tears and hear the sound of her sobs. Inwardly it tore at him more than he’d freely admit though he hadn’t really explored the why of it, just sort of stuffed it down. During the day she seemed fine but he knew that she was going through the motions of running the school and everything else. The others, particularly Beast, tried talking to her but she never really opened up about how she felt and chalked it up to the fact that she was just a bit tired. It was more like as if a part of her went with the Professor, Scott, and Jean.

As he got closer to the kitchen he also remembered another particular incident complete with vivid lightning and crashing thunder that shook the very foundation of the mansion.

~ He ran to Ororo’s room to see if he could try and calm her down. When he got to her door he found that it was locked. He pounded on her door to get her to open it but she yelled at him over the thunder in no uncertain terms to leave her alone. Saying nothing in reply, the claws of his right hand sprang forth making quick work of the door, threats of potential bodily harm by prolonged electrocution be damned.

“I told you to go away,” she said forcefully enough to make anyone else want to tuck tail and leave the room as fast as their legs could carry them. Fortunately, he wasn’t just anyone. She was sitting on the end of her bed looking up at him with her eyes a bright white with the only illumination in the room coming through the window in the form of bright flashes of lightning from outside making the scene look like something out of a horror movie.

“Tough shit darlin’ because I ain’t goin’ anywhere,” he shot back walking towards her and firmly planting himself next to her, his weight on her bed making her dip closer to him slightly. Not being one much for company at that moment, Ororo tried to get up and walk away and leave him behind in the dark but he wrapped a heavy arm about her shoulders to prevent her from doing that very thing. Realizing he wasn’t going to budge no matter what degree of attitude she gave him, she let out a long withheld sigh signaling to him that for once she wasn’t going to fight him.

“Does the pain ever really go away?” she asked in a faraway voice not really expecting an answer.

Logan thought about her question for a minute. He knew he didn’t have all the answers and he couldn’t magically take her pain away but he knew a thing or two about pain and loss. Instead of lamely patting her on the back and giving her some safe, mechanical answer like “it’s gonna be okay” or “things’ll get better” he figured he’d just go for it. Taking one of her hands in his with a gentleness even he didn’t know he possessed he decided to just give it to her straight.

“No it doesn’t really go away but ya learn ta live with it and move on. I know you’re hurtin’, a lot of us still are. I know I haven’t known Chuck, Scott, or Jean nearly as long as you have but I don’t think they’d want ya to run yerself into the ground or bear everythin’ on your own,” he answered her softly. Now he wasn’t exactly the go-to guy for doling out advice on life to anyone by any means but he was driven by this sudden overwhelming need to try and make everything better for her.

Turning her now blue eyes back to him he could tell by the thoughtful expression on her face that she was mulling over what he had said. “You have a point Logan, it’s just…” Ororo was silent for a beat, trying to collect herself as well as her rampant emotions, “I don’t know, it’s just difficult. I just keep going over and over it in my head; there had to have been another way. Even back at Alkali Lake, I should’ve done something, anything. Then maybe things wouldn’t have had to get to this point. Charles and Scott would’ve been fine and we could’ve helped Jean.” Ororo finished with a resounding boom of thunder as she was beginning to get angrier at herself for her own self proclaimed shortcomings in past events.

Getting irritated by the fact that she was taking all of the blame for things that nobody, let alone her, had control over, Logan fixed her with an intense stare, “Look, Jean made the decision ta leave the jet that day on her own alright. She didn’t let any o’ us help her, remember? You think I didn’t wanna run out there and yank her ass back in? You think I wasn’t pissed at her fer doin’ that but she didn’t want anyone ta do shit! That was her choice.”

Ororo was a bit taken aback by his sudden outburst. Logan on the other hand ignored that and instead chose to continue.

“That Jean died once that water rushed over her an’ the person we got after was just a shell. Took me a hell of a time ta realize it I’ll give ya that, but it’s true. Phoenix or not, the last thing I wanted ta do was run her through but she was outta control and don’t tell me that you could’ve stopped her some other way because she woulda dusted ya like tha professor before ya could’ve even thought about stopping her.”

“Logan, you don’t….”

“No, you don’t know how many times I thought the same things you’re thinkin’ right now. You’ll go insane thinkin’ that way trust me on that and I ain’t got much to go to get there, but you do.”

“It’s hard not to think that way.” Ororo replied bringing her eyes from her fisted hands in her lap up to look into his.

“I know,” Logan took a breath in an attempt to calm himself a little. He didn’t really intend to lecture her. He’d been wanting to say something to her and as a result his words just sort of bubbled out before he could stop.

Taking his eyes from hers as if she would see something he didn’t want her to, he confessed, “Ya know when I close my eyes I can still feel my claws goin’ through her and the weight of her body in my arms when she finally went limp. Wanna know tha last thing she said t’me?”

He let that question hang in the air for second. Ororo said nothing not wanting to interrupt him. He needed to vent just as much, if not more than she did. “She asked me ta save her an’ when I did what I had ta do, she just smiled at me. I swear ya coulda knocked me over with a damn feather then,” he said on a humorless, self-mocking chuckle. “Hell when she woke up in tha med lab and I asked her about Scott, she had no idea what she did ta him…..”

Ororo could see that he was struggling a bit with what he wanted to say, the furrow of his brow getting deeper by the second. “When she seemed ta remember, she begged me ta kill her. I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t….” said Logan, the tail end of his account coming out as almost a whisper. “Irony’s a bitch that way…” he scoffed, his eyes locking back onto Ororo’s.

“Goddess…..” Letting Logan’s words wash over her, Ororo couldn’t help but feel that maybe she was being selfish. Here she was wallowing in every emotion under the sun: sadness, anger, pain, and even confusion; although she could only imagine that he was surely feeling the same things tenfold after what he had to do in order to save everybody.

“Logan, I didn’t mean to lay this all on you or cause you to rehash everything. I won’t even pretend to know how you must’ve felt after….”

Logan didn’t give her a chance to finish, “Stop. I don’t wanna hear apologies or anythin’ like that. This ain’t about who’s hurtin’ more or who has the right to feel a certain way. We were all raked through the fire bare-assed an’ already bleedin’. We all did shit that’s nothin’ ta write home about and yer walkin’ around here like yer just fine while tryin’ ta be everythin’ for everyone else, but what about you huh?”

She would not have readily admitted it, but Logan was right. After Alcatraz, everything was changing at a fast pace. She was now headmistress, leader of the Xmen, and she made her best efforts to keep a brave front, not for herself, but for everyone especially the children. Their lives were uprooted as it was and she felt it wouldn’t do them any good to see her break. She vowed to herself that she wouldn’t, not in front of them.

“I’m not tellin’ you not to feel the way ya do. Ya wanna be sad and get angry, go ahead. It’d be worse if ya didn’t.”

“What about you?” How the children were coping was foremost in her mind but Ororo was genuinely concerned about him as well. They may have had moments when they butted heads but she didn’t see him as just a teammate, they were friends too.

Logan gave a noncommittal shrug at her question, “Got me there ‘Ro.”

“‘Ro?” She quirked her brow at his use of her newly abbreviated name.

“Hey old age makes me colorful, sue me.”

She let out a brief chuckle at his humor. “We’re a mess you know that right?” she added with a slight shake of her head.

Logan smirked at that, “You bet yer ass we are.”

The rest of that night was spent with him just listening to her as she finally voiced everything she kept inside. Through his conversation with her, he realized that what stood between Ororo and her emotions was her control. Unlike Ororo he didn’t have to be in control all the time because he had moments where he could just get away and be angry and brood without flooding everything within a ten mile radius and then some. Going by the previous display outside, he had to give her credit for her control that was for damn sure.

Even Logan told her some other things that opened her eyes as to how he was affected by what had happened. Eventually they both ended up dozing off in her room. The next morning for some reason neither one them felt odd or sheepish about what had happened during the late night/early morning hours. Their conversation never went beyond the confines of her room and they fell into a sort of camaraderie and friendly flirting that did not go completely unnoticed by the others in the mansion. ~

Logan understood how she felt then, hell he was the one that had to kill Jean before she took out everyone on the island and God knows who else. He wasn’t proud of it, but in retrospect he thought about what Ororo had said to him before the battle: ~ Are you going to be ready to do what you need to do when the time comes? ~ They both made decisions that night that weighed on them both, but to Logan the weight lessened every so often when he found some understanding in Ororo. He only hoped that on some level maybe she found some in him as well.

Finally arriving at the threshold of the kitchen, Logan leaned against the doorframe crossing his arms over his white tank top clad chest taking a moment to just observe her. She was sitting with her back towards him on a stool at the kitchen island absently tapping her spoon in and out of the pint of ice cream. The dimmed lighting in the kitchen bounced off of her white satin robe covered curves. Breaking out of his reverie and choosing to make his presence known, he willed his feet to move forward silently letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Coming up behind her peering down over her shoulder he whispered, “Fishin’ for something in there darlin’?”

“Goddess Logan!” Momentarily startled, Ororo dropped the spoon, her hand flying up to her chest over her heart. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t have a chance to become aware of his presence.

“Ya want I should ring a bell next time?” he replied smirking at her heading to the refrigerator.

“No, next time I expect a full on parade,” she retorted turning her head to stick her tongue out at him while swiveling her stool around to fully face him.

“Duly noted,” he mock saluted her turning back around to browse through the contents of the refrigerator taking mental stock of what he found and whether or not he wanted any of it. *Hhm …crap…. sniff….moldy crap….brightly colored jello-ey stuff with gummi bears floating in it, Jubilee’s crap….leftover crap….*

From her perch Ororo was attempting to suppress her giggle at the view Logan presented. He was slightly bent over digging into the refrigerator looking like he was searching for buried treasure. For a moment her semi-giggling stopped and she found herself taking in his sweat pants covered backside. In a flash Logan closed the refrigerator doors coming up empty handed and turned back in her direction. Swiveling her stool, Ororo went back to her ice cream pushing the fact that she almost got caught ogling her good friend’s rear end to the deepest corners of her mind.

Settling into the stool next to her, swiveling it to a position in which he was facing her profile, Logan slowly turned his head from side to side eliciting crisp cracking sounds from his neck. “Can’t sleep huh?”

“Not really,” she said before taking a small hit of her ice cream, “funnily enough I was so tired earlier I thought I’d be out once my head touched the pillow. How about you…nightmares?”

“Nah, you could run me over with a semi right now and it still wouldn’t knock me out” he said. Gesturing to her ice cream he asked, “You got an endless supply of that stuff or what?”

“Hey don’t knock it until you’ve tried it pal,” Ororo said in mock defense grabbing a spoonful, “here, try some.” Logan eyed the gooey mess clinging to the spoon. “Come on, stop staring at it like you’re Superman and I’m shoving kryptonite in your face. Or are you scared someone’s going to walk in and see big, bad Wolverine eating ice cream?” she teased. When he opened his mouth to no doubt answer her with a witty retort she spooned it into his mouth before he had a chance. Having no choice now, he swallowed it letting the cool mass slide down his gullet. “Hnnh, not bad.”

“Not bad? You’ve just had the privilege of sampling one of the holiest substances on Earth bestowed upon you and that is all you can come up with?” Ororo told him adding a bit of dramatic flourish for effect.

“’k, it’s like an orgasm in my mouth,” Logan said holding up his hands in surrender, “that better?”

Ororo cracked up at that, clamping a hand over her mouth so as not to wake up the whole house, not expecting quite an answer like that to come from him and thinking about the masses of innuendos in that one statement. “That’s perfect,” she answered wiping the tears from her eyes.

Logan couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from quirking up into a smile thinking how beautiful, relaxed, and unrestrained she seemed to be at that moment. Not really wanting it to end just yet, he decided to mess with her a little bit. “Sooo ya gonna share that or keep it only for yerself?” he asked making a grab for her ice cream. “Oh, now you want some…,” she said while sliding the carton closer to herself and out of his reach.

Inching forward to the point that her shoulder grazed his chest and his fingers almost brushed the container he replied, “S’posin’ I do.”

“Well, this is the last one after all…” Ororo supplied looking at the ice cream, still sliding it farther away from him. Logan moved closer to her to the point where he was practically in her face.

“So?”

Looking up, blue eyes meeting hazel, Ororo didn’t really know what came over her when she lifted a finger to his chin, but she was up for making some fun trouble.

Logan halted his movements when he felt her soft touch on his skin. He froze, plain and simple. All he could do was stare at her as he registered the downward path she was taking.

Ororo continued her ministrations, sliding her finger down the column of his throat, briefly mesmerized by the seemingly nervous bobbing of his Adam’s apple as she lazily dragged her finger over it. Logan wasn’t too sure what she was doing not that he really cared at the moment because it felt good. If she were to ask him what day of the week it was, even that would’ve been a toss up right now.

Finally reaching her destination, Ororo hooked her finger in the top of his shirt, pulled and unceremoniously dribbled a bit of the cold dessert down his shirt.

At the unexpected cold sensation on his suddenly heated skin, Logan let out an uncharacteristic yelp.

“Enjoy!” She winked at him, rising quickly from her stool to make an escape. However, Logan recovered just in time to catch her before she reached the doorway to trap her between the steel refrigerator doors and his body. Ororo grinned at him, “Hi.” The positively feral grin on Logan’s face made it clear that she was well and truly stuck, his hands braced on the doors behind her with his forearms on either side of her head.

“Goin’ somewhere after pullin’ that stunt?” he all but growled, eyes almost glowing in the dim light.

Trying not to laugh at his obviously ruffled feathers, with an air of nonchalance she answered, “Hmm, to which stunt are you referring?”

“Ta the one drippin’ down my chest…”

“Ah yes that one….opportunity presented itself, couldn’t bear to waste it,” bringing a hand to his chest she softly patted his shirt purposely pressing the mess further into the shirt and his skin, “but don’t worry, it’s warm now.”

*Tell me about it* Logan internally grumbled to himself.

Stilling her hand with one of his own he warned “Ya know it’s not nice ta tease ‘Ro,” his voice such a deep rumble that she felt it all the way down to her toes with him being so close. “What’s the matter Logan, afraid you can’t take it?” Ororo stated quirking an eyebrow, mischievously egging him on.

Leaning closer so that his fuzzy cheek brushed hers, a breath away from her ear he whispered, “I can take anythin’ ya got darlin’, real question is can ya handle the payback?”

Ororo felt an odd stir within her that she didn’t really want to name at the feel of the warmth radiating from his body coupled with his breath fanning her ear. Her mind screamed at her to get away, but other parts of her told it to shut up.

Pulling back a bit he was met with her smirking face, blue eyes twinkling in challenge as if saying “bring it on.” He felt something surge through him when he looked at her then. Whether it was due to the fact that she didn’t seem intimidated by him in the least or because as the days went by he kept finding her ridiculously sexy to him, he had no idea really. Like every other time, he tried pushing that feeling back. Only this time he didn’t think it was a feeling that he wanted to bury again under lame excuses.

Before he could stop himself, Logan leaned forward closing the already miniscule distance remaining between them, softly brushing his lips against hers. Expecting her to pull away or push him back enough to deliver an electricity laden slap across his face or something, he let a groan escape his lips when she fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Logan slowly nibbled on Ororo’s lips a bit until she parted them, granting him entrance. He could taste the lingering sweetness of the ice cream as he plundered the silky recesses of her mouth. Allowing himself to get lost in the kiss, he wouldn’t have stopped if not for the vital need of oxygen in his lungs.

When he pulled back, they were both breathlessly gazing at each other in silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Ororo was the first to somewhat awkwardly utter any type of response. “Umm, I should be heading up; I’ve got class in the morning.” *Nice segue Ororo* she chided herself.

Moving his hands back down to his sides, he stood there for a second. His desire muddled brain coming up with the only quick, coherent reply it could muster he said, “Yeah, I got a Danger Room session in tha mornin’…….”

Silence.

“Uh, go ahead, I’ll get that.” Logan gestured behind him to the forgotten, now melted pint of ice cream on the counter.

“Thank you, goodnight Logan.” That was all Ororo could think of to say to him as she willed her legs to move and carry her back upstairs as fast as they could without totally looking like she was running away from him.

“’Night ‘Ro.”

Listening to her quick footfalls down the hallway he remained glued to the spot while staring into the empty space in front of him that she once occupied. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he muttered to himself “What just happened?”

************************************************************

Jubilation “Jubilee” Lee sauntered into the study area currently occupied by one Ms. Kitty Pryde, making her presence known by unceremoniously dumping her books onto the desk and depositing herself into a chair across from Kitty with a muted thud. “Ugh, am I the only one that feels an intense need to bathe after Frosty’s class?” huffed Jubilation “Jubilee” Lee, throwing her hands up in exasperation after suffering through yet another Biology II lecture given by the aforementioned Emma Frost.

“C’mon Jubes, she can’t be all that bad,” offered Kitty, smirking at her friend’s entrance complete with drama queen-esque flourish.

“That’s easy for you to say Pryde, you don’t have to put up with her and her yuck-factor.”

“Yuck-factor?” Kitty sometimes teased Jubilee about how she had a knack for practically formulating her own language and jokingly termed it “Jubilese” and this was a prime example of yet another new one.

“That’s right oh Phasing One, yuck-factor. She’s got this look about her like she’s taken one too many trips around the block with one too many drunken sailors,” Jubilee commented twirling a finger around in the air, “I mean I could get herpes or something just breathing the same air, plus she struts around this joint like she owns it, especially when Storm’s not around. I’m telling you if I were Storm I’d clock her.”

“Hmm, violent much Jubes?” Waiting for Jubilee and Peter so they could begin their cram session for their finals, Kitty welcomed a bit of distraction since her brain was nearing spontaneous combustion with all the studying she’d already been doing. Even though she loved learning about new things and ideas and found that it came pretty easy to her, a girl needed a break every now and again.

“Hey it’s my happy thought, fetch me some fairy dust and watch me fly.”

“Sorry I’m fresh out, although we both know Storm probably wouldn’t do that to Frosty,” Kitty shot back absently tapping her pencil on her Ancient Civilizations book.

“Maybe not in front of us, then again that’s why I said if I were Storm.” Jubilee gestured to Kitty by raising her hands up, spreading her fingers wide, and bobbing them up and down in Kitty’s face. “Read between the lines Smarty-Pants, between the lines.”

Kitty flipped her off feigning insult but she had to laugh at Jubilee’s mini tirade. Even though she did not have Emma Frost as a teacher, upon her first meeting with “Frosty” she felt that something was off about her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about Emma just rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was because she seemed to have this uppity I’m-too-good-for-the-room and by-the-way-my-shit-doesn’t-stink quality to her or because she just didn’t seem like she even wanted to be there as if being at the Institute was a colossal waste of time. If it was, why the hell was she even here? The general student body got along with the rest of the adults for the most part and then there was the monkey wrench known as Emma Frost.

“Hey, do you remember when we had Dr. Grey for Genetics I?” Jubilee asked interrupting Kitty’s musings.

Thinking back with a smile on what she would’ve termed “the good ol’ days” or the “pre-Frosty invasion era”, Kitty replied “Are you kidding me? I still remember that in-class project where we had to make those models of DNA strands using gum drops and those little candy straws.”

“Yeah, that was great,” Jubilee said with a grin.

“It must’ve been, considering you ate our project,” Kitty recalled with mock annoyance trying to hide her amusement, “we had a perfect model too.”

“Hey I was hungry, besides Dr. Grey thought it was hilarious and she didn’t flunk us for it because she was cool like that. Try something like that with Frosty and it would be off with our heads,” Jubilee added running a finger across her throat imitating a cutting motion.

Truth be told both Kitty and Jubilee missed Jean, Scott, and Professor Xavier a great deal. Even after a year a feeling that something was missing still loomed in the air. They didn’t need to vocalize that to each other because they already knew how the other felt. Every now and again one of them would bring up fond memories about them. Jean was one of their favorite teachers along with Storm and some of the others because Jean wouldn’t make any of the students feel stupid no matter what question they asked and she was always available if anybody had a problem. The same sentiment was felt for both Scott and the Professor as well.

There was a beat of silence between the duo until Peter entered the room, a notebook and his Ancient Civilizations book carried in one large hand. “Sorry I’m late Katya, I was held up in the Danger Room with Wolverine, he was even more hardcore today if that’s possible.” He made himself comfortable as he settled his broad frame into the seat next to Kitty.

“It’s okay, I had some live entertainment.” Peter chuckled at Kitty’s reference to Jubilee knowing how “spirited” she tended to be.

Noticing the slight flush in Kitty’s cheeks at Peter’s presence, Jubilee decided to exact a small form of revenge after her friend’s little remark. On the other hand, she didn’t think it was revenge per se just more like speeding things along and Jubilee was always happy to help. Leaning forward, head innocently cocked slightly, chin resting on folded hands with her elbows on the desk, she began her attack. “What’s shakin’ tall, dark, ‘n massive? Kit-Kat here was just raving about how you look in your Xmen uniform.” Peter raised a curious eyebrow at that while Kitty shot her a look that told her to shut up or bear the wrath of God. Of course being Jubilee, that action only encouraged her further. “Mmmhhm that’s right and what was it that you said? Something about how ol’ Petey here’s in possession of godly thighs powerful enough to choke a mighty grizzly bear?”

If only they were upstairs then Kitty would at least be able to phase herself to the ground floor and away from all this. Sure she liked Peter, who wouldn’t? On the outside he seemed pretty intimidating just by sheer size alone. However, as Kitty got to know him more and more she found he was nice, sweet albeit a bit shy, very intelligent, and probably knew more about art than she thought any male ever could. Then there was her baser self that shouted *I’d rob the U.S. Mint if it meant I’d have an endless supply of quarters to bounce off that ass!* or something equally if not more shallow but unerringly true. Yet she wasn’t quite ready to disclose those details to him yet, particularly in front of the captive audience comprised of the one-woman broadcasting service known as Jubilee. Instead she decided to change the subject and fast. “Aaaanyway, Operation: Cram for Storm’s Final is officially in session, seeing as it’s my last year as a student I’d kinda like to pass.”

“Oh, wait!” Jubilee stood up abruptly causing her friends to startle a bit at her sudden movement, “Don’t start without me, I’ll go get us some snacks.”

That left Peter and Kitty all by themselves thanks to Jubilee’s trek to the kitchen. Why the hell all of sudden was Kitty nervous? It wasn’t as if she’d never hung out with Peter by herself before. *Reign it in, Pryde.* She had to think about something to talk about to ease her tension and pass the time until Jubilee came back no doubt with an armload of brightly colored, sugary/salty snacks.

“So how about that Danger Room, huh?” Peter just smiled at her knowing full well what she was trying to do. He figured he’d indulge her and let her off the hook, at least until a more opportune moment.


************************************************************

It was the end of the day, homework was collected, and classes were dismissed for the day. However the day seemed far from over for Ororo as she still had papers to grade and a final exam to prepare for her students. The fact that she had to use a considerable amount of effort to keep her eyes from closing at certain points during the day didn’t exactly help matters either. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she thought to herself, *That is the absolute last time I stay up that late…at least on a school night anyway.* Then again a bout of insomnia was not the only culprit behind her sleep deprivation.

As much as she almost didn’t really want to think about it, that kiss with Logan essentially blasted any chance she had of getting to sleep. It was nice she had to admit…okay it was better than nice. At certain points during the day, her mind drifted back to that moment. She remembered the warmth of his body, how it seemed to envelope her as well as how solid he felt beneath her fingers. She wondered what had gotten into him to kiss her or better still what possessed her to pull him closer. The more she thought about it, the more she came up empty. *Get a grip, it’s not like you’ve never kissed someone before.* That much was true, but that someone was never Logan. Besides in her mind she knew that for Logan, Jean was the end-all, be-all of female existence. They’d talk about her every now and again although she wouldn’t get too terribly personal, as it seemed to be a still healing wound she didn’t want to pick at only to bear witness as it bled. She recalled how fiercely he defended and fought for her upon her return. Sure she’d experienced a few and far between pangs of the green-eyed monster, but it was nothing she really paid attention to because it wasn’t a situation she thought she had business getting in the middle of. Now did it make her a bad person? Not necessarily, she was only human. Did that make her a bad friend to Jean and Scott? She questioned that herself a million and a half times over.

Ororo sighed audibly, “Oh, there’s so much to do, so much to do, and not enough hours in the day,” she said aloud to no one in particular. Maybe she was reading way too much into what happened, but she realized she’d have to have a conversation with Logan about it sometime. Kiss or no kiss, as far as she and Logan went, just friends, they were just good ol’ friends and teammates. *Sure, I can take that and fertilize the entire grassy expanse of the mansion grounds.*


************************************************************

Danger Room sessions were over for the day. Logan was by himself in the men’s changing room, hands braced on either side of the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He spent a considerable portion of the day painstakingly berating himself for seemingly not being able to rid himself of thoughts of Ororo and the previous night. His frustrated mood spilled over into the Danger Room sessions because at one point he thought maybe he had pushed the students too hard today…..just maybe.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. “What the hell is your damn problem, bub? It’s only ‘Ro, it jus’ happened, it’s over, end o’ story.” Here he was, the mighty Wolverine acting like some pansy assed kid who’d never been kissed before. Through his musings he came to the realization that it wasn’t kissing Ororo that bothered him because he’d do it again. It was the odd way it made him feel that he couldn’t quite put a name to and he wasn’t sure that he even wanted to. Between sessions, his mind would wander and there were moments when he recalled the feel of her with an almost frighteningly intense fury that was beyond even him. It was also during those moments where brief thoughts of Jean would flash in his mind as well.

His last words to Jean were that he loved her, and he did. She was one of the few besides Marie that seemed to give two shits about him. He remembered when Jean first woke up in the med lab as well as when they were pawing at each other like there was no tomorrow. As good as it should’ve been, somehow it just…..it just felt off, almost wrong. Of course it wasn’t really Jean at the time what with that whole Phoenix mess. However when all was said and done, her heart was well and truly with Scott as much as he ignored that fact most of the time. Jean would never love him like that and he knew it, he figured he’d just revel in the few fleeting moments that they had shared before everything went to Hell. *Ignorance is bliss, eh?* “Grrr,” he let a low growl slip from him thinking that he was losing it for sure if he was being chastised by his own conscience.

The question that remained now was what was the deal with ‘Ro? What exactly had changed? Why didn’t she stop him? Why didn’t he stop himself? Why the hell was he reading so damn much into what happened? It was never this complicated when it came to Jean. *Well ‘Ro ain’t Jean asshole. ‘Ro doesn’t coddle you like yer an idiot, she has the balls ta get in yer face and give it to ya straight whether you like it or not, when ya think ya have her figured out, ya realize ya have no clue. ….. oh, and she’s fuckin’ gorgeous in that exotic kind o’ way….. *

He swore for the billionth time that day, gripping the edges of the sink so tightly that if he applied any more pressure it would surely give beneath his palms. If his conscience spontaneously materialized in front of him, he’d stab it.

*Yeah keep wishin’ fer it, might do ya some good ta kick yer own ass.*

Logan pushed himself away from the sink with an aggravated grunt. Shaking his head vigorously he rumbled, “This is stupid.” His brain was going a mile a minute with his thoughts scattered into a jumbled, barely coherent tangle. Both man and beast were thoroughly confused and they realized that they didn’t like it. Not. One. Damn. Bit. He stalked off deciding that he had to go find Ororo. He had to talk to her and he had to talk to her now.

“Ororo!”

From her desk, Ororo winced at the slightly shrill call of her name wafting into her classroom from down the hallway. Lo and behold, it was Emma. For that moment she was glad she didn’t have Logan’s sensitive hearing. When he first met Emma he told Ororo about wanting to claw his own eardrums for nothing else if only to be put out of his misery.

Most likely Emma was no doubt seeking her out to voice a complaint thinly veiled as concern over someone or how certain things were run in the mansion. More often than not, that was what consisted of the majority of the conversations that went on between her and Emma. There were some moments when Emma had a point, which were few and far between as it was, but Ororo was beginning to feel she was going to get to the point where she was going to snap. Honestly, there was only so much bickering and negativity she could take from Emma. Ororo had been headmistress of the school for a year now and so far things were running smoothly with the odd bumps along the road and a veritable mountain of paperwork, but that was to be expected. However, Ororo being Ororo she figured she’d try to give her the benefit of the doubt. Trying seemed to become more difficult to do as time went on.

Almost walking right past Ororo’s door, Emma finally noticed her.

“Oh there you are, I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you Ororo dear” she said in that voice that dripped with feigned politeness and borderline condescension.

Wonderful. Emma just seemed to have a knack for having some sort of problem with someone for some reason or another. At times, Ororo wasn’t one hundred percent sure if it was just the way Emma was or if it was some latent mutant ability only just now making itself known. Granted there were moments when Emma’s feelings were warranted. However, you take a mansion full of active children, hormone-driven teenagers, and adults with different personalities there are bound to be disagreements but some of Emma’s “concerns” were more often self-centered and borderline childish. Now it’s not that Ororo didn’t care, far from it really, but even she got annoyed at times. Then there were some of the students that had discussed some of their own problems with Emma with her. Never one to really keep her true feelings and opinions on the inside, Jubilee was particularly vocal about her grievances.

At that inopportune moment, thoughts of Wolverine flitted into her mind. She wished she could be as unabashedly honest as Jubilee and tell him how much he really affected her. It was a kind of honesty that her sense of self-preservation just wouldn’t allow. Aside from the physical attraction she felt towards him, when it came right down to it, she felt different when she was around Wolverine. Sure she had told him some things that she hadn’t talked about with anyone else because she felt a certain degree of freedom with him. Along with that freedom came vulnerability and her little slip last night in the kitchen was a crack in the walls she kept around her heart and if she didn’t somehow stop the crack from getting bigger, she’d reach a point where she’d be powerless to stop them from shattering altogether.

Realizing that Emma was droning on, Ororo decided that maybe she should actually pay attention and shelve her rampant thoughts for the time being. Putting her best face forward, Ororo mentally shook herself. “What can I help you with Emma?”

Emma proceeded further into the classroom coming to a stop when she fully reached Ororo’s desk at the front of the room. “Did you not hear a word I just said? I wanted to talk to you about Wolverine.”

As if conjuring him up by the mere mention of his name, Logan silently appeared in the doorway behind Emma. Emma didn’t seem to notice and Ororo, despite the fact that it was sort of mean however she wasn’t in the best of moods, thought twice about alerting her to his presence.

Placing her pen down on her desk, Ororo directed her full attention on Emma. “Hmm, what about Wolverine?” she asked wondering what he could’ve done to her that was so wrong. *He probably did something that annoyed her, like maybe breathe.*

“A few of his students arrived late to my class today citing that they were kept later in his. Now the reason for my bringing this to your attention is due to the fact that I do not wish for that to become a habit.”

That was what the bellowing down the hallway was about? Ororo could understand Emma’s irritation but the drama was not needed.

“Has it been occurring on a regular basis?”

“No, but I do not appreciate the lack of respect for my class sessions with the students.” Emma added snappily as if what Ororo had asked her was outrageously stupid.

“I understand that, however why not speak with Wolverine directly? There may have been a good reason for it. If not, I’m sure you both could come to an understanding so it won’t happen again.” Ororo may be the headmistress but she expected instructors to exercise enough professional decorum to try and solve issues between themselves first using her as an intermediary if the situation should reach an impasse.

Emma gave her a look that begged the question “Are you serious?”

“I do not wish to deal with him only to have my comments brushed aside as if I am not a part of the faculty of this school.”

“If you’d approach him in a less demanding fashion, I’m sure he would respond in kind Emma. No one around here is just someone to be “dealt with”, everyone works together here, I know I shouldn’t have to remind you of that.”

“I did not come to talk to you to be scolded like a child Ororo.” Emma added, getting offended.

“Maybe it would not sound as such if you would try to talk to me and not at me. Besides I am not scolding you, I am merely familiarizing you on how to better approach the situation without causing any unnecessary stress on yourself or Wolverine.” Ororo replied as calmly as she could.

*Nice save.* Logan thought to himself, sure that there were some other choice words Ororo really wanted to say to her. He had to admit one thing though, Ororo was sexy when her feathers were ruffled.

“Hmph, fair enough, however if you do not speak with Wolverine, I will.”

*Apparently I was speaking to myself.* Ororo sighed inwardly.

At that, Emma turned around with a flip of her blond locks momentarily freezing on the spot when she caught sight of Logan in the doorway. “Wolverine,” was Emma’s curt acknowledgment of him.

“Frost,” was all Logan said, not for lack of better commentary, he was just enjoying the look on her face at the realization that she got caught by him in the midst of trashing him. He stepped out of the doorway into the classroom, putting his hand out towards the door none too subtly showing her the way out.

Gesturing towards Emma after she walked out the door in a huff, Logan offered, “I’ll hold her if you deck her.”

“That will not be necessary Logan, but I’ll take a rain check?” Ororo said with a wink and a smile.

“Jus’ tell me when, don’t say I never did anythin’ nice for ya.” Logan sauntered towards her desk, his backside taking up residence on the corner of it next to her as he sat down propping his elbow on his thigh as if he belonged there. “Somethin’ tells me this ain’t tha first time she’s come gripin’ about me, eh?”

Picking up her pen, Ororo attempted to concentrate more on the papers in front of her and less on the man next to her taking up the corner space of her desk. How he managed to look all kinds of naughty just by sitting there was beyond her. “I almost expected her to tell me you were the Boogeyman.”

Waggling his eyebrows, Logan said, “Maybe I am.”

Choosing not to dwell on any subject that would lead to a full on conversation about him, her, or the night before, Ororo kept the topic on Emma and her little scene. “She’s like that with practically everybody and everything. She just has to realize that it’s not always going to be her way. Does she bother you?”

“No, I don’t give a rat’s ass what she thinks o’ me, it’s just that broad raises my hackles sky high. Why’s she here again?”

“It seems to be that way for quite a few others as well. As to her setting up shop here, she felt like she owed it to Charles or something like that and I couldn’t exactly tell her to…...”

“Fuck off?”

“That’s one way of putting it.

“It’s tha only way. So what’s yer deal with her?”

“Let’s just say we’ve had our problems in the past.”

“Feelin’ like talkin’ in riddles now darlin’?”

“Not really, I’m just saving that one for another time. You wouldn’t begrudge me one of those out of sight, out of mind moments after that little display now would you?”

“Gotcha.” Whatever happened between her and Frost, Logan wasn’t going to push her on the matter. If there was something to tell, it’d be up to her if she wanted to tell him. For the moment, there were more pressing matters at hand, well at least for him. He had a nice view from where he sat. Her hair was longer now and swept up into a neat ponytail with a few tendrils hanging loose on the side of her face, not in a disheveled way, on her it was elegant. That’d be one way to describe her as she had this bearing of regality about her that probably brought even the toughest guys to their knees.

Ororo felt Logan’s eyes boring into her. He was silent, too silent if that was possible. Ororo tore her eyes away from her papers to glance up at him to find that he looked like he was in another world. “Is something the matter?”

“What?” He blinked. *Shit.* Truth be told she could’ve told him his hair was on fire and he still would’ve been sitting pretty.

Ororo wanted to smirk at his reaction. “You’re staring.”

“You gonna melt or somethin’?” Eh, no point in coming up with something to cover up the fact that he’d been caught. Sarcasm, it’s a thing of beauty.

*Maybe.* “Very funny.”

He might as well get to the point already. “Ya know as interestin’ as it is talkin’ about ‘ol Frosty, that’s not why I’m here.”

“Mmm, somehow I had a feeling.” *So much for evasive maneuvers.*

Logan felt it was time to go in for the kill, “So about last night…."

“Yes, about that. Things got a bit out of hand and it just happened.” Her words came out in a stream that sounded ridiculously lame, even to her.

He wasn’t buying that for a second. “Seems like ya wanted it to happen.”

“Excuse me but I didn’t exactly hear you screaming bloody murder.” She was on the defensive now. He was into it just as much if not more than she was. Besides, it wasn’t like she forced him, he was a big boy.

“You accusin’ me now?”

“I’m not accusing you of anything; I’m just stating a fact.”

“You sayin’ that ta convince yerself or me?”

“What do you want me to say Logan?”

“Why don’t ya try bein’ honest instead of pullin’ this ‘oh it was nothing’ crap with me. That’s not yer style.” It bothered him sometimes when she brushed things off like it was nothing when he knew otherwise. She was honest with him before, why wouldn’t she be now? *Stubborn woman*.

“And what exactly is my style?”

This conversation wasn’t going very well at all. “Ya don’t do things unless you want to…”

As Ororo fought the urge to knock Logan off of her desk so he’d unceremoniously land on his ass and tell him she didn’t need a lesson in “Ororo: 101” from him there was a soft knock against the open door by which Kitty made her presence known. “Hey Logan.”

Nodding his head in greeting, he replied with an easy “Sprite.” At first, Kitty was abhorred to him calling her that but she got used to it. After a while Kitty told him that she figured since he had to put up with Jubilee referring to him as “Wolvie” in front of practically any member of the general population, she could stand to cut him some slack. But he had respect for Kitty because he had to hand it to the kid; she proved that sometimes it was the little ones you had to watch out for. She was tougher than she looked.

Judging by the odd feeling of tension in the air and the feeling that she had most likely interrupted something, Kitty added somewhat awkwardly, “Um, Storm there’s someone here to see you.”

“Thank you Kitten, I’ll be there in a minute.” Ororo said with a smile betraying her true feelings at that moment. Which by the way, what were they exactly? She was getting irritated that he seemed to be placing the blame on her but part of her was endeared to the fact that it affected him to the point where he felt he had to confront her about it. If that made any kind of sense; she wasn’t exactly sure.

“No problem.” Looking from both Logan to Ororo and noticing the way they were practically eyeballing each other she decided to make herself scarce. “See ya.”

Logan smirked at how fast Kitty took off but made no comment instead zeroing in on Ororo. “I ain’t convinced ya know. Fact is I think yer scared. What’s tha matter ‘Ro? Embarrassed about fraternizin’ with the Boogeyman?”

Ororo rose from her chair somewhat slowly drawing out her reply and taking some girly satisfaction in the fact that his eyes were following her. “Ok, you want me to be honest?” Never taking her eyes from his, she told him, “First of all, the very last thing I am is afraid of you. Secondly, don’t flatter yourself.” As he was about to voice his thoughts at that, he was effectively silenced by a wave of her hand, signaling that she wasn’t done yet. “Oh and am I embarrassed by what happened last night? I would be if I didn’t enjoy it so much.” And with that she was out the door before he could respond. Two could play at this game and true to form, Ororo gave as well as she got.

“Hnnh, well damn.” He wanted honesty and in some form or another, he got it.