CHAPTER TEN
“Here you go…”
Ororo couldn’t keep the look of pure excitement and anticipation off her face as the waitress placed the plates of food before her, hot and fresh and beautiful.
“And for you, sir…”
Logan watched the undeniably youthful expression as it played across her features, looking past the arms of their server as she positioned their respective meals. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have to assume the woman hadn’t eaten in days, as she didn’t hesitate to unwrap the provided silverware from their paper napkin prison, and dug in.
The waitress smiled pleasantly, wrapping her hands with her spotted apron, and turned appreciative eyes to Logan. “That be all for ya?”
He nodded, picking up the monstrous double cheese and bacon burger before him. “Thanks.”
For the first several minutes, they ate in silence, and appreciated it. The two had stopped for a rest and a bite to eat at one of Wolverine’s favorite out-of-the-way, all-night diners along Hwy 95, after Wolverine had sworn he’d heard her stomach growl louder than he does. He didn’t really need to convince her to stop for the short rest, and the two found themselves engaged in light conversation, albeit extremely safe from any hot topics”of which Ororo could name more than a few.
Now, she buried her head as she attacked the short stack topped with whipped cream and strawberries and eyed their companion sausage links and Southern-style hash browns. She realized the ride to The Institute was nearing an end, and the closer they got, the more she began to rethink this decision. After all, she wasn’t necessarily looking forward to meeting all these new faces, or to being bombarded with the inevitable questions, nor to the expected confrontation with Charles Xavier himself, one of the most imposing people she’d ever seen (on television, that is). After so long on her own-- making her own rules in life--Ororo suddenly didn’t know how to deal with the prospect of regulated communal living.
“Is that good?”
She looked up suddenly from her plate, realizing she’d stopped eating with a forkful of pancake still hovering and dripping strawberries and cream. “Hm? Oh, yeah, yes, it’s very good. Thank you, again…”
He watched her as he brought the burger up to take another bite, sensing her drifting thoughts. “No problem.”
Before he could say anything more though, she looked at the fork with some contemplation, and smiled wistfully. “You know, it’s been a long time since I’ve had anything like this. I think my father used to prepare something like this for me…on the weekends, if I recall. When I saw it on the menu, I could almost smell it from back then…”
“You and the folks were close?” He alternated between the sliced pickles and the spicy French fries at his side.
She shrugged, laying the fork down as her mouth suddenly went dry. “As close as you can be when you’re five years old. Most of my memories of them have faded so over the years…the pleasant ones, at any rate.”
He kept looking at her, studying her expression, which ran the gamut between concentrating on wistfulness and sorrow. He could tell the exact moment she was thinking of their last seconds alive. “It’s hard, ain’t it?”
She looked up then, as though he’d interrupted her train of thought. “Pardon?”
“Lettin’ go of the past. It’s hard. ‘Specially when there’re some parts that don’t make much sense anymore”if they ever did.”
She watched him now, curious at his decidedly knowledgeable tone. Ororo realized it wasn’t like Logan to talk about his own past”as they’d broached it little when she’d been at his apartment that one night”so now she was puzzled. Pushing the plate aside slightly, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table to support her chin on her hands. “Yes…I suppose it is. Hard. Hm, you sound as though you know a lot about the subject, Logan.”
He grinned sadly at the invitation to open up a little, feeling his reflexive tendency to avoid such requests. After a moment’s thought, he met her inquisitive gaze, “I suppose I do.”
She kept the eye contact, knowing full well that was all he was going to say on the matter. It only made her curiosity of him and his life even greater, if that were possible at this point. Ororo had to admit she knew very little of this man she’d chosen to trust so much; it was a wish of hers that”along with a cure for her disease”she may also learn more about her mysterious new friend.
Logan couldn’t help the slight smirk as he pointedly drew his eyes away from hers and returned his attention to his meal. He could sense the curiosity rolling off of her, but that wasn’t what made him grin; it wasn’t every day he met a gorgeous woman who Smelled like she wanted him…He’d picked up on it the moment she’d opened the door of her Brownstone to him, and suspected this alleged attraction was behind her sudden disappearance, and perhaps why she’d wanted to leave without him.
---
After they’d finished the meal, it was back on the road for a few hours, until it became blatantly apparent that if he didn’t stop Ororo would probably have fallen off the motorcycle, she was so drowsy.
“Wanna rest somewhere a while?”
She nodded, thankful, and he slowed to a coast as they approached a spot by the road that barely escaped resembling the Bates Motel. Logan unpacked her things quickly, not trusting the expensive-looking luggage to be there when they returned, and activated the security lock on the Harley’s ignition. It was one of his favorite rides, after all.
“I promise, just a couple of hours, tops. I just need to rest my eyes.” She held out her hand to take one of the bags, but he shook his head negatively, walking up to the little office of the motel.
“Hey, take as long as ya like darlin’. I ain’t necessarily in any hurry…” he let the rest of what he was going to say hang in the air, and purposely didn’t turn to meet the questioning gaze he knew would greet him.
When they entered the office, the petite but precocious-looking old lady behind the desk looked up at them, then smiled as she removed her hand from the shotgun adhered to the underside of the wooden desk (which, of course they couldn’t see). “Well, how’re you folks doin’ this evenin’? Kind of late fer young’ins like you to be out; dangerous, too.”
Ororo could just barely hear the low growl from Wolverine, evidently feeling they could do without the sermon or the Mothering. She smiled pleasantly at the elderly woman, coming up to the counter. “Hello. If you have a room to spare, we’d be happy to get out of the night air.” As an after-thought, she turned to Logan, “One room is alright, isn’t it? I only need a few hours’ rest.”
He nodded, unbothered. “Sure. I ain’t plannin’ on sleepin’. One room’s fine.”
The little lady hopped off of the stool she’d been perched on, and slid it over to the corkboard only a few feet away with the rooms’ keys tacked there. Climbing on it with a sureness of someone several decades younger, she stood there eyeing the silver and gold trinkets as though deciding among the most valuable. While her back was turned, she crowed, “You know, I like a young woman with manners. Can’t find many of them these days…little tarts are as foul as the boys, I tell ya. You got yerself a perty lil’ girl there, son; better hang onto that one, I say.”
‘Ro tried to hide her giggling, as she swore Logan turned a light shade of pink in the face. She leaned over to the counter as the old woman slid the log book close to them, signing her name. As she handed the woman the 50 dollar bill, Logan cleared his throat and quickly gathered her bags and headed for the door.
As he left, the old matron gave ‘Ro a purely innocent look. “Did ah say somethin’ wrong, Dearie?”
Ororo accepted the key from the woman and gave her a warm smile. “Not in the least…Good night.”
“’Night. Oh, and if’n ya ain’t stayin’ too long, you can check out ‘fore noon, and get half of this back.”
“I appreciate it, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer you keep it.”
The woman gave ‘Ro a near toothless grin, and winked at her. “Sleep well, Hon. Don’t let ‘im wear ya out…heehee…”
Shaking her head, barely able to restrain from bursting out in laughter, Ororo caught up with Logan, who was walking toward the cluster of rooms only a few yards away. “What a pleasant woman…”
She heard the growl again, as he slowed just barely for her to catch up. Glancing at her, he muttered, “Old bird needs to mind her own business, ya ask me.”
“Why, Logan, shame on you!” The playful tone escaped Ororo’s lips, her eyes twinkling at him in the darkness, “She was just joking.”
“Oh, an’ what about me ‘wearin’ ya out’?? Was that a joke, too?”
She tried not to allow the blush to touch her own face as she peered at him. “You heard that?”
“Mm-hm.” He took the keys from her and unlocked the door to Room 127, bringing her bags in and setting them on the floor.
‘Ro’s chuckle turned to one of slight embarrassment, as she realized what he must think at the fact that she hadn’t corrected the woman. “Hey, I didn’t mean to offend you, Logan. I just thought it was kind of cute, that’s all. I apologize, if”“
“You don’t need ta ‘pologize fer anythin, ‘Ro. Ain’t like my feelin’s were hurt or anythin’. Just don’t like people in my business, is all. Even cute old ladies.”
She relaxed a little at the slightly playful tone at the end of that last statement, as he stacked her bags near the door, and locked it behind them. Turning to the neatly-made bed, she sat down on it for a second before sighing and leaning over, her aching back blessing her at feeling the welcomed cushion of the mattress. “Goddess, that feels good…”
Logan pulled the single chair of the room close to the television set (which looked like its cousin may have been a b/w) and turned it on, keeping the volume low. With his back to her he manually flipped through the plethora of stations (nine total…). “If the light from the tube is too bright, just lemme know, alright?”
When she didn’t answer, he turned to repeat the question, but found the tired woman already asleep. Walking over to the bed, he watched her sleep for a few seconds; her face was calm, with lips slightly parted as she breathed. Her nostrils flared every few moments, as her eyes moved behind the lids. Sliding out of his heavy leather jacket, he draped it over her shoulders carefully so as not to wake her, and brushed a few random white curls out of her face. They were soft and smooth as silk, feeling just like he imagined the clouds they resembled would.
Turning away, Logan went to the nearby window and cracked it open, then returned to the chair where he promptly pulled out a cigar, and settled in to watch the last few minutes of a Conan O’Brien rerun.
---
About 4:47 a.m…
Logan’s face contorted as his senses struggled to wake him from dozing. Initially, he couldn’t imagine why he was getting warning signals, but then the Wolverine’s instincts took over, reminding him that until he opened his eyes and saw there was no danger, all he needed to know was that there were warning signals.
His eyes popped open suddenly, and he nearly fell from the chair, turning his head
around in the darkened room. There were no explosions, no group of rogue mutants from the Brotherhood or killer Sentinels; nothing. As he surveyed his surroundings in the dark, the only sounds he could make out were his own breathing, and the soft moans of despair.
‘’Ro?’ He came around to the side of the bed, where she’d curled up into a fetal position, but was evidently struggling in her sleep. It must’ve been her sounds of a
nightmare that had awakened him. “Ororo?”
She didn’t respond, as the dream seemed to intensify and her hands clutched at anything within grasp. Abruptly, she let out a terrible sound like a wounded animal, and
Logan’s hackles rose as he heard the not-so-distant thunder beyond the room’s walls. Belatedly, he realized it wasn’t him, but the instantaneous static electricity in the atmosphere around them. “Ah, shit…”
He kneeled close to the bedside, and tentatively reached out to her, but then drew back swiftly when her body began to waver as if blown by a strong wind. “What kinda friggin’ nightmare are you havin’??” He reached out again, and this time received a not so pleasant shock when he touched her skin. “Agh…’Ro. Ro!”
The ‘tickle’ of the lightning must have jolted her slightly, because all at once her eyes opened toward him, but instead of meeting the cool blue gaze, Logan saw only a cloudy white”which flashed a dangerous crimson he remembered all too well…
“Don’t you touch me...I won’t let you do it to me again..!” her voice was distant, almost an echo, and his eyes widened at the malicious intent there.
“Ororo, darlin’, wake up!” he fairly shouted it above the rising wind in the room, which was beginning to pick up lighter objects like pillows, magazines…then lamps. As he saw this, he could feel his knuckles itching feverously, and bit back the feeling.
When he spoke, something flickered in those eyes, something that evidently told her he was not who she wanted to dismember. The stiff breeze and the rumbling thunder died almost instantly, and her irises returned slowly. Ororo looked at him then, surprised to find him backed against the wall with an equally dangerous expression on his face. He’d been near to using force, and so decided the best way not to hurt her would be to get as far away as possible.
“L-Logan...?”
He hesitated, but then came to kneel before her as she dissolved into tears, the realization of her night-terror as just that, apparently too much to bear. She’d been close”for the second time”to doing him real, physical harm. Logan touched her arms gingerly, but felt no charge, and then vigorously rubbed them as if she were a hypothermia patient. “Hey, it’s alright, yer awake now…”
‘Ro could only shake her head, unable to release the image burned in her brain. After so many years the Man still haunted her nights, and even now seemed to hold some unholy control over her. She knew what these dreams meant. They usually preceded the Need to Feed… “Logan…I’m so sorry..!”
She leaned into his embrace as he reached for her, feeling the trembling and sensing the fear rolling off of her like a perfume. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, darlin’…it’s okay.”
For several moments he just held her as she tried to let his steadying embrace and soothing voice calm her fear. He wasn’t at all sure what it was she thought she’d seen that would inspire such obvious hatred, and maybe he didn’t want to know. He knew he did want it to stop. As she leaned against him, Logan touched her face carefully, as if it was the most fragile glass, and he relaxed as well, when he felt her warm breath against his fingers. “Logan?”
He didn’t look down when her hand reached up to close around his fingers. She didn’t brush them away, however; for several tense seconds she just held them, as if the touch gave her all the strength she needed. Leaning up, Ororo watched him through watery eyes, not wanting to trust the sudden change she had wished to feel in the air between them. Logan observed her carefully, as if for some sign of his next direction. “Ororo, I…”
He couldn’t seem to find the words he knew he needed, and the frustration it caused was evident on his face. All he wanted was for her suffering to stop, but somehow what he thought was the appropriate words failed him.
Ororo waited patiently for him to continue, her heart beating a little faster in anticipation. She squeezed his hand in comfort, and when he looked up at her again, she smiled warmly at him, even as a last tear fell, caressing her cheek; marring the delicate skin with its salty trail of pent up despair.
Transfixed by it, Logan met her gaze again, but this time instead of speaking, he slowly leaned forward, and gently brushed her lips with his. Still grasping his fingers close to her face, Ororo took a sharp intake of breath; he hesitated, their faces less than a hand’s breadth apart, foreheads touching barely. It reminded him of that night in his apartment, when she’d been so close to him, he felt like he was drowning in the scent of her all around him. Even then, just as now, he could hear both their hearts beating wildly in tandem, and when she moved in suddenly to kiss him, the sound was literally music to his ears.
Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel
Open and closed within your eyes
I’ll place the sky within your eyes.
There’s such a fooled heart
Beating so fast in search of new dreams,
A love that will last within your heart
I’ll place the moon within your heart.
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you.
Every thrill has gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all.
But I’ll be there for you…
As the world falls down…
(Falling)
Falling down
Falling in love…
Since that night, Logan had secretly wondered what this fair-haired angel would taste like, and as that thought became a reality, he wasn’t disappointed. Holding her face carefully despite his instinct to show her exactly how much he wanted her at that moment, Wolverine deepened the kiss, savoring the soft, feathery feel of her hair between his fingers and the plump fullness of her bottom lip as he pulled on it gently with his own. He could hear her response to that subtle act”the breathy moan of approval, low and seductive”and could feel it as well, as she leaned into him for more.
I’ll spin you Valentine evenings
Though we’re strangers till now,
We’re choosing the path between the stars
I’ll leave my love between the stars.
As the pain sweeps throughMakes no sense for you.
Every thrill has gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all
But I’ll be there for you
As the world falls down…
Feeling his level of excitement reach a point where it wasn’t comfortable any longer, Logan reluctantly drew away from her, watching as she kept her eyes closed, face tilted, with a smile as delicate as her features. She seemed to be savoring the kiss, almost reliving it, and then finally came back to him and the real world, touching the tips of her fingers to her mouth gently. She opened her eyes to him, now sparkling with a different emotion all too welcome. “Damn…”
Logan’s eyes widened momentarily at that blasphemous announcement, as she seemed to realize her own somewhat uncharacteristic reaction and grinned sheepishly. He couldn’t deny the familiar feeling tingling over certain parts of his body, and chuckled softly, watching her. Damn, was right.
TBC…
