He sighs as he takes another sip of beer. His birthday is coming and he doesn't feel any excitement. Since the recovery and awakening of captain Steve Rodgers he's learned a lot about himself he wished he never knew. His birthday this year will put him over the century mark. One hundred years of killing, being a pawn, and too much pain for one life. He takes another swig from his bottle and continues thinking his sullen thoughts. He's been distant from his family for the past few days.
In between his dark thoughts he thinks of his wife. His beautiful, loving, kind, twenty six year old wife. He wonders how a woman so young and beautiful could want a man like him with a past so horrific. She's been his since she was seventeen. They kept their relationship quiet. Not because they were ashamed, but because they wanted to develop their feelings for each other in private, with out the prying eyes and ears of the mansion. When she turned eighteen they officially admitted to their relationship. When she was nineteen they were married at the westchester courthouse. She's given him so much happiness and joy in the form of her smile, her laugh, her blue eyes, and the small touches she gives him through out the day to show her affection. She's also given him three children. "Oh god....I'm an old man and an old man" he groans to himself.
"Hey love" his wife says as she enters the kitchen with a few groceries. The kids run into the house give him some hello hugs and go about their business. Ororo still has their youngest strapped to her as she puts up the food.
"Ro, do you regret marryin me so young.....havin pups.....I'm no good fer ya" he says solemnly
She knows her husband has been depressed lately and doesn't take offense to his remarks. She walks over to him. "Babe, I've loved you since I first saw you. I had a primal attraction to you that scared me because I was fifteen and didnt know what it meant at the time. But it's you baby, it's always been you" she told him reassuring him of her commitment to him.
" It's always been you too darlin. Your my mate, we have pups( rubbing Johan's head, the baby turns his head to sniff his fathers wrist and nuzzle it, Logan smiles) I love you babe....I'm just old." He says softly.
" you know what we haven't done in a while...." She ask him
"What's that?" He says resting his head on her shoulder
"Go for a drive and see stuff" she says excitingly.
"Hell lets do it, get the pups in the truck" he says helping her up.
They get their older kids in shoes and put a few jackets in the trunk of Logan's Chevy avalanche and they take off. They are all having a good time in each others company. Logan is letting himself relax and enjoy his family.
"Hey dad dad" his son James says to him.
"Yea boy" he says
" what's dat?" He says pointing out his window.
He sees a small building painted with bright colors. There is a sign above it that says "How Sweet It Is". He looks at his wife. "I don't know son lets see". They pull into the gravel parking lot, Logan gets out and stretches before opening the door and unbuckling his daughter, Kendall, before helping her out. Then he helps James. Ororo holds Johan as they walk up to the building. They walk through the door they discover a candy store. Their older children eyes grow wide and big smiles paste on their face. Ororo smiles as well. Logan knows she has a sweet tooth.
The store is full of giant lollipops, gum balls, a wall of everything gummy, licorice, hard candy, candy bars, cookies. Everything you could think of. The family is still taking it all in when a tall older man comes from the back room.
"Well hello there" he greets them with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
"Hi, how are you" Ororo says before getting pulled to the gummy section by Kendall. James follows his big sister and mother excitedly. Logan goes over and talks to the old man and watch his family enjoy themselves.
" you have a beautiful family young man" the old man says to him. Logan hangs his head a little but accepts his compliment.
"Thank you" he says softly watching his kids drag their mother through the store.
"How long you been married" the old man makes small talk.
"Seven years" Logan says proudly. Logan notices the gold band brightly shining on the old mans finger. "What about you?" He ask him
"Umm, lets see......I've been off the market for a good eighty years, give or take, I called her my wife before it was legal for us to marry, ya'see....my wife was from Trinidad and I was a soldier from America...I was stationed there I was hell I don't know seventy three or four.....but I looked younger...way younger, so I lied and said I was orphaned and the army took me. Sent me to ft. Benning Georgia, ship me to Trinidad, I met the most beautiful girl, but she was fourteen. So after feeling sick with myself and being mean to her, I became her friend....she would bring me food and keep me company when I worked at night, didnt believe my age till I showed her my real birth certificate. She wasn't scared though, she liked me being different. Imagine a skinny white boy like me with a curvy island goddess. We married on her eighteen birthday and we moved to France for my next station. She's been gone from me for some time now, but I don't think on it too much, I still feel her around me. I'll see her soon enough." The old man finishes nodding to himself slightly.
Logan takes it all in quietly. He smiles to himself.
"Sorry to bore ya, I'm just an old man" he says
"Trust me, ya didnt.....ummm if ya don't mind me asking how old are ya?" Logan hopes he isn't pushing his luck.
"I'm one hundred eighty seven years" he says proudly "what about you...wait let me guess....your a good ninety eight" the man says
"Ninety nine....but how'd ya know" Logan ask baffled
"Boy get old as me you can smell another that walks with the beast inside him from three counties away" the old man winks and smiles at him knowingly.
"Claws?" Logan ask
"Fangs" he answers.
The two men nod to themselves and continue to go onto lighter matters.
The shop door opens again and two boys run in happily calling to their grandpa, a darkskin woman with bright brown eyes and thick jet black hair in dreadlocks past her shoulders walks in with a short light skin man behind her. "Hey old man" the woman calls to her. The mans smile is wide and beaming with pride "we'll your catching up to me ain't ya girl" he shot back to her hugging her tightly. "This is my daughter kailyn-jace, don't let her look fool ya she over the hill with me an you she's in her eighties. This is her husband Justin, she robbed the cradle fer him" his daughter shot him a look and shook Logan's hand before going after her boys.
"Ok babe, were done" Ororo says placing the kids treats on the counter with hers.
"Ok darlin' that it?" He ask making sure everyone has what they need and want.
"You dont have anything" she points out to him. Logan looks up at the shelf behind the counter. He picks out the assortment of salt water taffy. Ororo gives him a perplexed look. "Of all the great stuff here, you pick taffy....." She says raising an eyebrow
" well what can I say, I'm old" he smirks at her and she smiles back. While Logan finishes up the payment Ororo goes outside to get the kids back in the car.
"Excuse me sir, you were an American soldier?" Logan ask
"Yup, airborne all the way" he says
"Why come to Canada?" Logan ask
"I was born here" the old man says. "I made my way to America when I was just out seeing stuff, my family wasn't happy when I wrote em to say I had joined the army, they cut me off do I said screw em and went on with life" the old man says handing Logan his change.
"I understand that" Logan says before shaking his hand and turning to walk out.
"Young man" the old man called to him. Logs turns around. " I never caught yer name" he says
"James Logan" he answers
"Nice ta meet ya James Logan, I'm Darius howlette. Come back and see me" the old man smiles warmly
"Will do" Logan says before walking out.
Logan and his family ride around for a little longer before heading home. Logan felt a strange connection to that old man and didnt know why, but that was a subject for another day. When they get home they eat dinner and give their babies baths and put them in bed. He and his wife cuddle on the couch watching Netflix and holding each other. Right when the clock strikes midnight.
"Happy birthday my love" she says softly kissing him deeply "how you feeling now?" She ask him.
"Hopeful" he says before kissing her and picking her up. She begins to giggle as he carries her to their bedroom and locks the door.
"You sure your not too old, do we need to get hank in a Skype call to tell you if your healthy enough for activity" she teases him while wrapping her legs around his hips
"I'll show you I'm healthy enough" he growls in her ear before wrapping his arms around her.
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