He found her in the Rec Room, pouring over what looked like an extensive grocery list (one that had such items as jet fuel and liquid nitrogen, he noticed dimly). It was late at night, past midnight, and all the kids had long since gone to bed.

"Some day, huh?" He set one of two cold beers down in front of her, prompting a quirk of an eyebrow at him. He arched one right back.

Sensing the challenge, she half-smiled, grasped the neck of the bottle and took an easy swig, completely missing the amused shake of his head. How the hell she got away with nursing a Molson like she'd done it all her life and still come off like royalty was just beyond him, even now.

"I was beginning to think it would never end." She admitted after a moment. Beer was not her usual choice (it had been, years and years ago) as she normally had tea at this time of the night. Drinking with Logan was an exception, though."And to think, it is only the thirteenth. I believe that the worst is yet to come."

"Ya got that right." He plopped down beside her with a heavy sigh. "Ain't nothing worse than being in a mansion-full of crazy hormonal mutant teenagers on Valentine's."

She took a contemplative sip of beer. Each new year had brought with it the addition of more mutants, and it seemed that there was a new relationship every week. It wasn't hard to see why Valentine's was steadily becoming more and more chaotic within the Institute.

"I didn't think anything would match the excitement of last year." She said, smiling serenely. "It seems that I'm proven wrong every time."

"We didn't have the Cajun, last year." Logan grumbled around his own drink. "I swear, if I catch him puttin' the moves on Rogue one more time..."

She can't help the quiet, throaty chuckle that bubbles up from her lips. "Really, Logan. They weren't even doing anything when you 'caught' them."

"You weren't there, 'Roro. They were alone in her room, and they were-..."

"- Talking. I believe the term is talking, Logan." She smiled, thinking about Rogue and one of the mansion's two newest residents. "Though I do think Remy was doing most of the talking. It's rare for Rogue to give him the time of day, if at all." Despite Rogue's adamant and continued denial, it was easy to see the growing attraction between the two. No one had expected that development, Logan least of all, but Ororo was of the opinion that the contact was good for the reclusive girl.

"But if that is a scandal," she continued, "then sharing a beer with you in the dead of night surely must be downright illicit, my friend."

That at least got him to calm down. He tilted his head her way, smirking and wiggling his thick eyebrows at her suggestively. "For you, darlin'? It could be."

Her lips pursed together in an effort to contain a smile. She failed.

"Scooter and Jeannie weren't... official or whatever, that time either. And I gotta admit, it was pretty fun seeing Cyke blow a fuse over the flowers that Wings sent over for Jeannie today. Dunno what the rich kid's thinking, but flowers? Really? What kinda pansy still does that, anymore?"

"I, for one, thought it rather sweet of him."

"You're just saying that 'cause he sent you flowers too, darlin'."

Well, who was she to deny that? Bouquets of gorgeous carnations were delivered to the Institute earlier in the afternoon, for Jean, Rogue, Kitty and herself. Her own bouquet had been a beautiful selection of white and delicate blue blooms, like a summer sky... A token of thanks, each card had mentioned, for the ladies who helped rescue an angel from New York's sewers a lifetime ago.*

Jean and Kitty had both been instantly enamored, Rogue's cheeks had colored very prettily and the skies were suspiciously cloudless, bright and sunny for the remainder of the day. Naturally, the boys made a fuss of things, in part because Warren was scoring huge points with the girls without even having to be present, but also because they'd helped in the rescue too – why didn't they get anything? ("Well, next time ah talk to War, ah'll let him know you guys want valentines too; that work for ya?")

Logan scowled at the obviously happy smile on her face, and she took that as her cue to keep the conversation running.

"Jubilation was not with us this time last year, either." She mused. "I'm glad she persuaded her parents to send her back… although Valentine's Day seems more like April Fools' with her and Bobby around."

"Doesn't help that 'bout half the chaos today was their fault." His ears were still ringing from when Kurt had struggled to keep from hurling profanities at them. Turns out that, while certainly very pretty, Jubilee's fireworks just didn't belong inside elaborate, frozen figurines. They appeared to have a tendency to explode rather violently, and the shrapnel had in no way been kind to Kurt's newly dry-cleaned clothes. The mansion still smelled like sulfur from the resulting chase, and Logan was pretty sure the hallways were still echoing with their shouts. Hank (whose own enhanced senses were giving him hell) was the only one who managed to keep up with them and subsequently get them to calm down long enough to settle the issue.

"You shoulda let me have them for a DR session tomorrow, 'Ro. Jubes and Icecube've had it a long time comin'."

"It was an accident, albeit an unfortunate one… And they did swear to make it up to Kurt. Jubilee even took him to the mall to find something nice for Amanda." Her voice was somewhere between entreating and amused. "At least give them tomorrow free. Some of the girls have been preparing for this day for weeks, now."

Logan snorted. "Don't have to tell me twice. Half-Pint's practically been living in the kitchen, though I hate to call whatever those things she makes 'chocolate'." He paused. "Maybe feeding 'em to Avalanche won't be so bad after all."

She glanced at him sharply. "I do hope you don't plan to meddle in that aspect of Kitten's life, Logan. She has hard enough of a time, trying to sort out what she feels for Lance, and now Piotr."

The look he gave Ororo was one of disbelief and what might've been worry. "What, Half-Pint and Petey? Seriously? I thought she might've had a teeny crush on the big guy, but..."

It was difficult not to laugh at how his suddenly worried frown made him look almost endearing. "It's just a crush, Logan. Although, she did end up buying him a box of chocolates imported from Russia the other day, after she bought Lance's box of See's..."

His scowl deepened. He liked Petey well enough, a lot more than he did Lance, even. But how old was the Russian, anyway? … Or the Cajun, for that matter. The feral mutant bristled. He had a thief, a punk and potentially a Russian farmboy on his hitlist? Not that he would do anything – except maybe terrify them a little. Or a lot. Hopefully the latter…

A slender hand made its way to rest on the crook of his elbow, Ororo's calming, lilting voice bringing him back into the conversation. "- really nothing to worry about, Logan. It's a harmless crush." She looked so sure of herself, so serious and anxious; she probably thought he was gonna try something. He smirked.

"Just a crush," He repeated. "Like the one the Cheyenne kid has on you, eh?"

It was a mansion-wide secret by now, the way Kurt's normally enthusiastic friend would suddenly seem to run out of words whenever Ororo spoke to him. Just that afternoon, Logan happened to enter the Rec Room just as Forge was hightailing it out. When he walked in, he'd found Ororo looking a strange mixture of bemused and flattered, a single red rose clasped loosely in her hands.

Now, he watched in fascination as her cheeks turned a dusky, cinnamon color and she rolled her eyes a little. She hid an amused smile behind her hand. "Yes. Something like that."

But before Logan had the chance to poke any more fun at her, she cleared her throat and tilted her head slightly away and deftly changed the subject. "… In any case, I believe I spied Tabitha sneaking about, today. We may have to keep an eye on her, in case she tries something... disruptive, tomorrow. "

Funny how little things like that betrayed her oft-hidden pride and slight imperiousness. He smirked, but decided to let it go for the moment. "Yeah, I noticed. Don't think she did anything, but I'll keep an eye out. I betcha she'll manage to get away with somethin' anyway, as usual." He'd give Chuck a heads up in the morning; the girl was gonna burn a hole in their financial assets for repair and reconstruction. "Kid needs a boyfriend, someone to keep her outta trouble."

"Normally, Amara does a fine job of the latter all on her own." Ororo remarked. "I do believe she and Roberto have plans for tomorrow, however."

"Yeah?" He straightened in his seat, suddenly interested. Magma and Sunspot, eh? Who knew? "What, they all pairin' off now?"

She chuckled, shook her head. "The ones who aren't plan to go out as a group tomorrow afternoon, after school. I offered to chaperone, but they... let me down, to put it mildly." She recalled the determined look on their faces, politely but outright refusing her offer. Even young Jaime had asked if they could go out on their own this once, which surprised her.

Logan's eyes narrowed in what she assumed to be suspicion, but she decided to beat him to the punch before he could get a word in edgewise. "I don't think they're getting into any trouble. They're just growing up, I suppose, and wanting some independence. Sam and Ray will be there, and they are certainly responsible enough..."

He looked at her oddly. "Wasn't gonna say that, darlin'. Better safe than sorry, though; I'll get X to tail 'em or something."

Oh. "Actually, Laura will be joining them."

That made him backtrack. "No shit?" They were talking about the same girl, weren't they?

"Yes. Danielle and Rahne managed to convince her to join them; apparently they do not take no for an answer." She tilted her head at him, wonderingly. "What were you going to say, just now?"

He paused, long enough for her curiosity to be genuinely piqued, and shrugged nonchalantly. "Was just wondering why you'd offer to play watchdog to the kids on Valentine's Day. Don't you have plans or some such?"

She blinked; was that it? She shook her head, tendrils of her hair coming loose from the ponytail she had it in. "And whatever gave you that idea, Logan? I haven't had reason to celebrate in the years you've known me; you know that."

"Huh. Yer right. Neither have I, now that I think about it." He sat his empty bottle down on the table before them. She did the same, and gave him a curious look.

"Logan?"

He'd turned to her now, voice casual… like he'd been asking about the weather, she mused. (Ooh. Bad pun, Ororo.) But those dark, knowing eyes of his were glimmering with a playful confidence...

"Think maybe we oughta change that?"

Goddess above, her heart skipped a beat. "And just what do you propose we do?"

He shrugged and leaned back into the couch. "Nothin' much. Maybe take ya out for a ride on the bike, stop someplace nice for dinner, head down to Harry's for a beer… The kids've been running around the whole day, and they'll be running around tomorrow. Figured you might want ta get away for a bit. Sound good to ya?"

It sounded lovely, actually. It was times like these that she was reminded that the big, bad Wolverine could be exceedingly thoughtful when he wished to be.

A thought occurred to her, her smile turned coy. "Why, Wolverine, are 'putting the moves on me'...?" How scandalous, she added in the privacy of her mind.

He matched her smile with a wicked grin of his own. "Depends. Is it workin'?"

She laughed. "Perhaps." Like a charm.

"So, whaddya say darlin'?"

It was the kind of question that they both knew he already knew the answer to. She smiled softly.

"Consider it a date."

-end

author's notes
*See the X-Men Evolution comic (issue #08) for the story behind this. I've chosen to see the comic as somewhat canon because. Come on, how is a fight between Storm and Callisto not awesome? (Plus, if we go by those comics, Storm and Logan (and the Prof) had the mansion to themselves for at least a year, before the Scott and Jean joined them. Plot bunnies? Oh, yes. In spades.)

... Nooot entirely happy with this, but there you go. Belated Happy Valentine's!