Ororo awoke in stages, feeling her body slowly coming alive around her as she dozed in her bed. The sunlight that streamed through her window was her first sensation; its warmth caressing her skin, inviting her to wake up and greet the day. She slowly became aware of other sensations from other parts of her body; there was first the feel of the soft sheets on her skin and the weight of the bedding along the length of her body.
Then as she awoke further, the sensations around her increasing and becoming more detailed as the world around her pressed in, she could feel the texture of the sheets and began to note her arms and legs coming alive as well. Until she could feel each gentle breath as her chest rose and fell, her heart beating in rhythm with those measured breaths.
Her mind too awoke in stages, at first simply registering the tactile sensations around her and progressing until she could once again consciously sense the environmental currents around her. She lay there floating in those unseen eddies, reveling in her reconnection to the Goddess and the elements. This was a welcome morning ritual; one she had quickly discovered was vital to both her mental health and the continued stable control of her powers. She had ignored the need once; and had suffered the entire day for her pride; she did not care to ever repeat that mistake.
As her mental function increased, thoughts came into her mind at random. At first, these thoughts were minor ones; things that she had been thinking of as she slept and dreamed the night away. These gave way to thoughts of more substance and pertinent to her recent experiences. She found her mind focusing again and again on Logan and their night out together. She smiled, her eyes still closed as she recalled the events of the night before.
She had enjoyed herself a great deal; pleasantly surprised that he was not only willing to do what she wanted, but he also seemed to enjoy himself. Although, she was a bit surprised that he had soundly trounced her at the miniature golf game. And the entire exchange at the pizza parlor had been quite entertaining. She was pulled from further thoughts as there was a quiet knock on her door. She groaned softly, hoping the person at her door would leave as she pulled the covers over her head trying to recapture the pleasant morning glow.
Wake up sleepy head, I know you’re in there. I can hear you.
Ororo groaned softly, sitting up as Jean opened the door.
She ducked as Ororo threw a pillow at her and fell back into bed. “From your mood I would say that it didn’t go well.” She sat down next to her friend on the bed.
“If you must know Jean, it went very well. However, my present mood has more to do with your timely interruption than anything that happened last night.”
Jean smiled.
“Pleasant dreams?”
“Pleasant thoughts; which you were so kind to pull me from.”
“Well, if it helps I come bearing gifts.” As she spoke a tray floated into the room with a veritable breakfast feast overflowing it.
Ororo looked at the tray in disbelief and felt her stomach growl loudly. “Jean, we cannot possibly eat all that.”
Jean shrugged. “Probably not, but then I wasn’t exactly expecting you to be alone this morning.”
Ororo reached for another pillow, mindful to aim carefully so as not to spill the food that Jean had so thoughtfully brought.
Jean held up her hands in surrender as she chuckled. “Okay, okay I mean I was hoping you weren’t alone this morning. To tell you the truth, I just couldn’t decide what I wanted this morning. Come on, eat with me; we’ll save the leftovers for tomorrow morning.” She reached out as the tray settled onto a nearby table and two mugs of hot, fresh coffee floated to them. “Now, spill I want details. How was it, what did you talk about, how many times did he kiss you?”
Ororo laughed as she sipped her coffee not really surprised at the eager tone in her voice. Jean had been that way for as long as Ororo had known her; they’d had many similar conversations the morning after a first date. “Really Jean; what childish impulse could possibly possess you to believe I would be the type to kiss and tell?”
Jean nearly choked on her sip of coffee, the urge to laugh nearly undoing her at the moment she was forced to swallow. “Really ‘Ro, you aren’t fooling anyone. You’re projecting and I can feel the nearly uncontrollable urge you have to share with me. So start sharing.”
Ororo chuckled pleased that her blossoming relationship with Logan was not affecting her long time friendship with Jean. She was not sure if she would have been willing to step away if she had discovered that Jean had indeed felt something negative.
Perhaps before their first date she would have been willing to step away; after all her friendship with Jean was a great deal more important to her than the possibility of a relationship with Logan, or anyone else for that matter. But not now; not after she had discovered a new and unexpected side to Logan; a side that she was very sure that even he was unaware of. She needed time to explore that side and understand just why she brought it out of him. And more importantly, why that side of him drew her to him, like a moth to a flame.
Thankfully, she and Jean had been friends a long time and Ororo knew her well enough to know that Jean would likely never make such a demand of her in the first place. Jean was often brutally honest, often telling the truth of her feelings when deep inside one would hope that she would tell a little white lie; if she was angry, or hurt or sad, she told you; and if she wanted you to be happy she meant it.
But Jean was not petty; she had never made demands upon their friendship that Ororo was not prepared to deal with and accept as the normal course of that friendship. So she had no real fear that Jean was hiding her true feelings or even lying to save Ororo’s peace of mind; still it gave her a moment of thought to wonder how she might have reacted to a “what if” situation.
“It was a lovely evening Jean, despite the interruptions.” As the two of them ate, she told her quickly about the course of their evening ending with the impromptu picnic dinner in the greenhouse.
Jean of course wanted to know a great deal more. “Did he kiss you good night? Was he a gentleman or did you have to make him step back?”
Ororo laughed at the barrage of question fired at her; most of which she knew that Jean most likely already knew the answers to. “I had no idea that you were so interested in my love life.”
Jean laughed but rolled her eyes. “Come on Ororo, we both know you’ve led a quiet and celibate life these past few years. Tell me that you’re on your way to breaking that celibacy.”
Ororo finished her breakfast, mulling over a second cup of coffee as she rolled her eyes at Jean. “Really Jean, you should know me better than that. I do not make it a habit of just jumping into bed with every man I find attractive.”
Jean nodded as she watched the empty dishes stack onto the tray, driven to do so by her will and abilities. “No, you don’t. But then again, none of them have been quite Logan’s caliber either.”
Ororo arched a delicate, white brow at her friend “And what caliber would that be?”
Jean wiggled her eyebrows appreciatively as she replied. “Rough and ready sex machines.”
Ororo chuckled even as she worked up a properly indignant tone. “Jean! What would Scott say if he were here?”
She shrugged. “Hey, I’m spoken for not blind.”
Ororo shook her head as she took a sip of her coffee, thinking back on the heated look in Logan’s eyes. The look that she had felt on her even when she had not been looking at him directly; the look that caressed her skin like the gentle hand of a lover.
“No you are not; although, I do not think being blind would truly help either.”
Jean floated her own cup toward the tray, and stood wondering just how they could have managed to eat so much. “So are you going out with him again?”
Ororo’s voice was quiet and thoughtful. “Yes, I am. I truly enjoy his company.”
Jean smiled warmly, seemingly pleased. “Good; maybe after a few dates we can do a double date. We could drag Hank out of his lab and get him and Remy to watch the children.”
“We shall see.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to your pleasant thoughts then. But don’t stay in bed all day or the students really will start talking. Oh, and tonight we’re going to start the discussion of the holidays.”
Ororo resisted the urge to roll her eyes; they had this conversation every year; and nearly every year was the same. Last minute plans pulled nearly everyone but her away from the mansion. She had long ago found a new family in her fellow X-men when she came to live at the mansion. But sometimes they forgot that she was family as well. Despite the spirit behind the celebrations, Ororo still felt somewhat undecided on how she felt about them. As a result she often avoided celebrating them. She had not expected that to change this year.
She groaned loudly. “Must we?”
“Yes, we’re going to be having a few more than last year.”
Last year had been one of the few years that had seen others staying at the mansion with her. Remy and Hank of course, but she had been surprised when Scott and Jean and the professor stayed as well.
“Besides, if we don’t do this, Remy might end up cooking again. Do you want to be able to eat the food or do you want to have third degree burns in your mouth like last year?”
Ororo chuckled as memories of last year’s dinner floated to the forefront of her mind. She had not realized that Scott could chug that much water without coming up for air; or that Hank’s fur color could be changed by simply getting him to imbibe large amounts of spicy food.
Of course, the man had then felt the need to spend the next week trying to find a way to change it back. But by the time he had discovered it, his fur had been well on its way back to its normal brilliant blue hue.
“You forget that I am quite acclimated to Remy’s cooking; I happened to like his gumbo last year; perhaps if everyone had iron stomachs. However, in the interest of keeping the peace and preserving the mouths and digestive tracts of all present, I believe I shall volunteer to cook this year. I can keep Remy out of the kitchen better than you.”
“Deal; but I would like to get a dinner list together so we can decide what to serve. That way, when I send Scott to the store, he’ll know exactly what we need.”
“Poor Scott; I did not think he would volunteer to go shopping again after the fiasco with the old lady and the last can of cranberry sauce. If I did not know any better, from the way he tells it, it might as well have been the last can in all of creation.”
“He didn’t exactly volunteer; but then I don’t plan on stepping into the fray if I can send him in instead. He may be smart enough to think he can avoid it somehow, but I know he’s more afraid of me then he is of some old lady’s handbag.”
Ororo laughed gently at the mental image evoked by Jean’s words. “Well then, perhaps we should send Logan with him as reinforcement. Remy can have the van running in the parking lot.”
shook her head. “That would be something to see; but I’d hate to send all of them off together, alone. Who knows what they could talk themselves in to? That’s all we need is for them to start talking to each other and thinking and getting ideas. They might decide that they’re not as afraid of hurting our feelings as we seem to think they are. Or at the very least, convince Scott that he’s ‘the man’ and not as afraid of me as he should be.”
“Goddess forbid we cannot have that. Send in Scott then, alone. But make sure you reward him afterwards.”
“That’s the only reason I keep convincing him to go out for me in the first place.”
Ororo laughed as Jean quietly shut the door, leaving her to enjoy the rest of her quiet morning. She lay in bed for a few moments, letting her thoughts wander trying to recapture the magic she had felt that morning upon awakening. But it was no longer the same as it had been and after a few moments, she gave up and decided it was time she began her day.
She stood, walking softly towards the large picture window. Without thought to the outside temperature, she threw it open, as wide as she could. Her mutant power had already told her that the weather outside was mild, if chilly and that the sun was shining brightly. She sighed to herself that it was Saturday and the mild weather would more than likely encourage the children outside to play. She would have loved to discard her pajamas and let the suns soothing warmth touch every inch of her.
Many of the adults within the mansion knew that Ororo was very uninhibited when it came to nudity. After all, she had grown up in Africa and had never been exposed to the severe sense of modesty that most Americans felt necessary to a healthy society. She was accustomed to feeling the elements on her bare skin and relished the intimate connection to the goddess it often afforded her.
And if she was less than discrete with some of the other adults in the mansion, most had learned to simply turn their heads and look the other way. They did not judge her for something basic to her very being. They had long ago learned that for her, nudity had very little to do with sexuality.
But she did make an effort to be discrete around the young students; she understood well the raging hormones of the young men and their nearly idyllic fascination with her as a female of the species. Still, it would have been nice to feel the sun warming her body as she rode the higher air currents, letting them awaken and exhilarate her as she was buffeted by the air around her.
Realizing that riding the winds under the winter sun without a stitch on was not really an option, she decided to take a shower. She gave into the urge to pamper herself that morning and relished the experience, taking her time as she enjoyed the sensation of hot water running over her smooth skin. The pampering continued as she lathered herself with moisturizer and attended to her normal beauty rituals.
As she stepped back into her room to dress, she found herself wondering where Logan had gone off to. She had half expected him to show up at her door at around the same time that Jean had. But an hour had passed since her fabulous breakfast and he had yet to make an appearance. She decided to go looking for him. She dressed quickly suddenly eager to find him and spend the day with him. As she opened her door, she noticed the piece of paper that had been posted to it. She pulled it free wondering why Jean had not mentioned it when she brought her breakfast. She recognized Logan’s handwriting as she read her name on it. Puzzled she unfolded it.
‘Ro,
Sorry, didn’t want to wake ya; I kept ya up so late I didn’t want you to miss gettin’ any sleep. Chuck snagged me early this mornin’, just before dawn. He needs me ta go into Canada and bring back another kid. He says it shouldn’t take long but I’m expectin’ it ta take a couple of days. Sorry darlin’. I really was lookin’ forward to movie night tonight. I’ll be back as quick as I can. By the way, yer cute when ya snore.
Logan.
Ororo reread the note, a flash of indignation coming over her; that he would even suggest that she snored. She smiled slightly as she contemplated revenge; she found herself very eager to get her hands on him. Then the rest of it sank in; the euphoria fading as she folded up the note. She sighed quietly as she did so and wondered just what she was going to do to make the time fly faster.
Ororo knew that the only way to keep her mind from the relatively slow passage of time was to keep herself occupied. So she made an effort to do just that. She spent a few hours in her greenhouse; pruning some of the larger plants, transferring seedlings and pampering some of the more exotic plants as she sang several songs from her African tribal heritage.
Once she’d had her fill of plunging her hands into the soil, she answered an impulse to leap into the sky and spent nearly an hour riding the winds. Diving and dipping and whirling; sometimes simply floating and letting the sun warm her exposed skin. She relished the physical contact with the weather currents around her. When she landed, she was in a much better mood, her sagging spirits having been greatly lifted by such simple things.
The day faded into afternoon and then darkened into night and there was no word from Logan. She had not expected him to have returned so quickly; after all he’d thought it would take a couple of days. But something began to tickle and grow in the back of her mind; it was subtle, starting out as a vague feeling that she could not place. She put aside as simple worry on her part and tried her best to ignore it.
That evening, she decided to still show a couple of the movies that she and Logan had picked out. But she decided to wait until he returned to show him The Sixth Sense. As she sat in the living room, watching the children as they in turn watched the movies, she pondered the past week. So much had changed in such a short time; she wondered how a change in their lives could seem so significant and yet still feel as if it was merely an affirmation of what had always been.
It felt, once they admitted to their attraction, as if somehow they had spent nearly all the years they had known each other together in some close and intimate way. Nothing sexual, despite the underlying current of passion and attraction that was between them still the friendship always seemed intimate on a number of levels.
If Ororo could describe it, she would say that they had spent years getting to know each other, understanding each other all the while searching for the one who would complete them, only to discover afterwards that perhaps they completed each other. The thought warmed her heart even as it reawakened the tickling itch she had felt earlier. Ororo frowned slightly, concerned at the sensation she could not place. She decided to go speak with Jean or the professor as soon as the movie had finished and discuss the mission that Logan had been sent on.
Two more days dawned and passed slowly for Ororo and still no word from Logan. She truly tried to keep busy but after two days even she was unable to hide her worry.
Remy had taken over his self-defense class but he refused to spar with Ororo; when she asked he had simply spouted some verbal nonsense about brothers not hitting their sisters.
Ororo had merely rolled her eyes and sparred with a body bag instead; trying unsuccessfully to pound out her feelings of uncertainty and unrest.
The professor had told her that as far as he could tell, everything was going according to plan. Logan had arrived at an undisclosed location undetected and was beginning the recon work he needed to do to get in and get out with the kid intact.
Ororo knew well how good Logan was at what he did; she had seen it first hand several times; they all had. But she could not quiet the itching sensation that had lodged itself in her brain and would not let her be.
It had not diminished an iota; in fact it had merely intensified as time passed. She could feel the itching beginning to spread from her mind to her body. She felt an overwhelming urge to act; go after him, question Charles further, even force the truth out of him if necessary; so long as she did something. The tickle sang in her very blood, trying to goad her into action; nearly driving her mad. She had nearly reached the breaking point when she heard the professor’s mental summons calling all the X-men to meet him in the hangar. Her heart in her throat, she raced down into the bowels of the mansion. Her blood racing as she pushed the fear and panic back down.
I am being foolish. The man is indestructible. He can take care of himself. She reached the hangar, fear and uncertainty forming a cold ball in the pit of her stomach. She was halfway across the hangar when she saw his head pop into view as he came out of the jet. The others were also approaching the jet or standing around it as she drew a deep breath, a relieved grin appearing on her face.
“Logan.” She did not realize she had even spoken until the echo of her voice reached her ears.
He looked up at her and stopped as she ran up to him, nearly throwing herself into his arms. He reached out, drawing her into his strong arms and she shivered slightly with relief that the uneasy sensation in her mind had quieted. He reached up to touch her face gently, a slight grin on his face.
“If I’d known ya’d missed me this much darlin’, I’d have left earlier.”
She laughed gently at his gentle jibe, embracing him once more relishing the feel of his arms around her.
There were several surprised looks that passed between several other members of the team; only Scott and Jean seemed completely unfazed. Somehow it seemed that some of the other members had not heard any of the rumors that had been flying around the school about the two of them. If they had ever hoped to keep their relationship secret from the other members of the team, they had just failed miserably.
“Logan, I take it the mission was a success.”
Logan reluctantly released Ororo, keeping a firm grip on her hand as he turned to the professor, who had just arrived. He half turned and gestured at someone that still remained inside the jet, hidden from view of the others.
He came forward slowly out of the shadow and Ororo’s heart nearly broke at the vacant, distant expression in his young face. He was so young, a boy who had seen too much and could not bring himself to forget.
She let go of Logan and reached out to him as he stepped out of the jet. The boy looked at her hand, unsure of what to do. He looked at Logan who nodded subtly. Slowly, he reached out and took her hand as she led him off the jet.
“Welcome home child, welcome home.” She said quietly and the professor and Jean stepped forward to take him.
He turned once to stare back at them as he was led away, his eyes curious and uncertain. But Ororo could see trust beginning to grow in them already.
Things settled down a bit for the rest of the day; Jean and the professor whisked the boy off for treatment; both medical and psychological. Ororo followed Logan into the depths of the mansion to stow his gear and dispose of his uniform. He watched her closely wondering about the public display in the hangar. She was quietly putting some of the equipment away when he came up behind her, touching her gently. She was tense, he could see; more importantly he could smell it on her. She turned her head at his touch, not turning around as she put the last piece of equipment away.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell ya in person bout the mission ‘Ro. I was going ta but when I walked in ya were sleepin’ so peacefully; I couldn’t bring myself ta wake ya up.” He winced as she turned and jabbed him in the stomach. He grabbed her hand and held her tight to keep her from hitting him again. “What the hell was that for?”
Her lights danced with mischief. “I do not snore.” Her tone indignant as she glared at him.
He couldn’t help himself, he laughed uproariously as he held her. Relieved that the tension had begun to leave her, he leaned in and kissed her gently.
She melted against him, the remaining tension simply fading. Several moments later, he pulled away.
“I need ta get outta this uniform darlin’. And I need a shower; I feel pretty gritty.”
She smiled gently reaching out for the zipper on his uniform jacket, pulling it down. She had seen Logan wearing very little many times over the years they had known each other. And she had appreciated the view he had provided.
Then the exposure had been innocent, a common place occurrence in the time they spent together as team mates and friends. The goddess knew how many times she had observed him surreptitiously watching her from the tree line as she danced nude in the sky. But this time was different; this time there was an underlying current of attraction running between them. She marveled at the intensity of desire she felt as she drew open his uniform jacket and slid it off him. She ran her elegant hands through his ample chest hair feeling it rise sharply as he drew in a deep breath.
“You feel wonderful to me.”
He reached up, taking her hands in his own, kissing her again. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
She touched him again, teasing him.
He shuddered. “Darlin’ yer makin’ it real hard ta take this slow.”
She chuckled as she let her hands drop down to her side. “I never noticed how tongue tied you become when aroused.”
He chuckled, grabbing a nearby towel and disappearing into the men’s shower room before removing the rest of his uniform. He stuck his head out long enough to toss out the rest of his clothes and fix her with a level stare. “Darlin’, when the time comes we’ll just see how well you’ll be able to talk.”
She chuckled as she left him to his shower.
Logan hadn’t intended to fall asleep in Ororo’s room; he hadn’t even intended to lay down on the bed. But he hadn’t slept in nearly two days; he hadn’t been able to once he’d freed the boy; not when they were trying to escape and running for their lives. And the wounds that he’d taken during the entire mission simply added to the strain. Simply put, he was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Ororo had seen this easily enough; and thought her welcome home had recharged him a great deal; as had a hot meal and a shower, it couldn’t make up for the lack of the past few days.
And so, he had simply nodded off while they lay together talking quietly. Actually she had been doing all of the talking; he had merely been listening and commenting now and then. As he drifted off, he felt her kiss him softly on the forehead, drawing the covers over him as he slipped under.
The images came slowly, vague and hazy as he slept; evoking emotions and sensations that he had thought well and truly buried. He could feel himself floating in a tank of water, it pressed upon him warm and soothing. Through the haze he could see a mask on his face delivering air to him as he was held under the surface of the water. The images suddenly changed, choppy and incomplete and incoherent as raw emotion assaulted him. He felt pain, unimaginable pain as he thrashed in the water, trying to get out, trying to escape the fiery pain suddenly covering his body. He roared, he screamed, he raged as he fought against the restraints that held him.
He could see vague silhouettes of figures above him, beyond the wall of water, watching him, poking him, cutting him, hurting him. Something settled heavily into his body, the pain fading from that part and moving upwards as he screamed and raged. Suddenly the pain was gone but still he screamed. The man had given way to the beast and in his bestial rage he continued to fight, to escape, to free himself from those that caused him pain.
The restraints that held him gave, slowly at first and then snapped. He surged upwards, ripping away the mask as he leaped from the tank. The figures around him scattered in a panic as he came forward, fangs bared, his throat emitting harsh guttural growls.
He lifted a hand and new pain shot up his arms. He looked down to see the weapons that he had been given springing from his very flesh. A fierce light of understanding entered his animal-like eyes as a vague thought from the man within drifted to the surface.
With a fierce cry, he leaped among the figures, slaughtering them where they stood, their screams echoing loud and shrill off the cavern walls around them. A few moments later he stumbled from the carnage, nude, covered in blood, the rage satiated for the moment.
Logan jerked awake suddenly, a low growl on his lips as he felt the beast within press upon his mind. Fighting a sense of panic and the urge to flee, he swallowed the noise and tried to push the beast back down. It went, reluctantly but quietly and a sense of calm came over him once more.
He looked over to see Ororo sleeping next to him, still sleeping; ignorant of the disturbing dream that had just visited him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed , holding his head in his hands as he tried to calm the dark emotions the dream had provoked.
The last time that he’d dreamt of the damned lab, he’d nearly killed Rogue; he’d run her right through before he could stop himself. She’d saved herself by nearly killing him; he still couldn’t think too closely about that night without breaking into a cold sweat.
He looked back over his shoulder at ‘Ro’s sleeping form and felt himself shudder at what could have happened to her in the throes of his terror. He stood quietly and left the room, not wanting to endanger her further if the dream should return. He managed to make it back to his room and into his own bed. Still exhausted and despite the lingering traces of the dream, he fell back into a deep, undisturbed sleep.
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