He'd been working like a dog for nearly four months straight, organising, training, teaching, summer months filled with kids and older students returning to help out.
She'd been in the middle of the maelstrom herself, sorting, diverting, changing into someone who could organise, help out and run several classes all by herself.
But it had been seeing him sitting down after a large party that had been thrown for six kids who's birthdays co-incided with each others. He'd been clearing up the party hats and favours with everyone else, when he'd just picked up a small hat and had sat quietly down with it. His hands running over the small cardboard item as his eyes had taken everything in about it, as if he was trying to remember something from his own past.
She hadn't disturbed his thoughts but Ororo's quick entrance had spoken for her and he'd just dropped the usual mask over his features again and they'd gone to save someone again.
People were becoming mutants again, the 'cure' was no such thing, only a suppressor and even then it worked only fifty percent of the time. She'd been blessed with her own 'gift' again only five weeks after she'd originally taken it. It wasn't a problem, she'd found the switch because of it, teh sensation of it coming back had made her realise where the control of it was in her mind. She could still touch but she kept covered anyway, just in case.
When she'd been doing her nightly rounds of the beds she'd caught Jubilee in the kitchen and her thoughts ahd returned to Logan as they caught up over coffee.
"Ah'm not sayin' he don't have one Jubes, just that Ah wonder when it is. Ah mean in all the time he's been here he's never celebrated anythin', not even when Pete proposed to Kitty."
Jubilee nodded over her mug, the steam coming from it could've stripped wallpaper the coffee was that strong.
"True Roguey babe, but it's not in his nature to celebrate. He's much happier with the whole 'let me do what I do' stuff, I mean when it's your birthday he *never* turns up." Marie ducked her head at that and looked out of the windows, her skin colouring a little. Jubes picked up on her friends telling silence immediately, "Oh come on spill!"
Marie wondered if Logan would mind her telling Jubes about their small tradition and decided he'd have to share her with someone at sometime in the future.
"He collects me at night, we drive, we sit and watch the sun come up. We don't talk, we just 'sit' then we get breakfast somewhere on the way home." She noticed her friends wide eyed stare, her own face beginning to blush vividly. "He even blew off Emma for me, *that* didn't go down well. She left soon after."
Jubilee blew out a huge sigh, "Yeah good riddance to bad rubbish there, even wiht her kick ass accent." Jubes and Emma had originally gotten on until she'd figured out that Emma was making a serious play for Logan and had the daggers drawn for Rogue.
"So what are you thinking then? Sagittarius, Aries? Can't see him being a Aquarian, not enough brooding or thinking going on in that bod." Jubilee suddenly smiled as she reached for the rack next to the cooker where the recycling went.
Pulling out a battered mag she spread it out on the counter top, a group of male models were splashed across the three page spread, dressed in different styles of clothing. Aries was a football player, Taurus was a chef, Libra was a lawyer but it was Scorpio that caught both of their attention. Jubes tapped her finger on the picture, a smile lighting up her features as she smiled, "Got to be Scorpio Rogue, just read it."
Shoving over the mag to her she read the type next to the picture, 'Scorpio tends to be moody, secretive, sexually active but distant to those who are close to him, a need to protect what's important to him is paramount, a fighter, seeks perfection in his work and mind, a deep soul who opens up for a very select few.' The words seemed to fit Logan to a 'T', even the picture seemed to echo his own style and look. Jubes gum snapped as she beamed at her, "So what's it say they want for presents?"
Marie read down the list, seeing several sexual gifts and suggestions but even though their friendship was quite solid she didn't think he'd appreciate her laid out on his bed in nothing but chocolate.
One suggestion did catch her eye and she shoved the mag back her finger still on the idea, "Think it'll work?"
Jubes looked at the line and her smile quirked up a notch, "Maybe chica, maybe. Just need the rug rats asleep thats all." Nodding to herself the plans began to be made over ice cream.
The day was setting up to be another bastard of a day, his bike had suddenly developed an oil leak, the kids dorm on the third floor had been wrecked by someone who'd had a bad dream and trashed three rooms before they'd been brought out of it. The grounds needed cutting, horses needed re-shoeing and he was at full stretch as well as teaching. He was beginning to wonder just when the extra help he'd been promised was going to appear, Ororo seemed to like working him like a horse. Sighing he walked back into the kitchen expecting the usual noise and ruckus of a normal lunch time.
What he got instead was silence, the tables were empty and a pale note was on the large table at the end of the kitchen. Walking over he plucked the note up, inside was a small message written by a hand he knew very well. 'Large fridge, bottom shelf and don't drop it.' Frowning to himself he opened up the fridge, there at the bottom was a small box. One from the cake store,and the images of birthday's ran through his head. Ororo hadn't told him of any birthday's coming up, she usually gave him good warning ahead of time. A little confused he just took the box to the main dining hall where the parties were held mumbling to himself about being left out of the loop again.
Opening the doors to the main room there were no streamers and no kids, confused he began to track Marie's scent through the halls. He found her eventually at the old library, flinging the door open he saw a small table set up for two. There was a wonderful view of the grounds and forest from here, the trees always soothed his nerves and many nights he'd come up here just to get away from everyone. Marie came out from behind a shelf and walked over to him, plucking the box out of his hands and put it on the table. She was dressed to go out, simple dress, cut to flatter her shape and her hair piled up on her graceful shoulders. Coming back for him she guided him to a chair and seated him so he could see out of the windows. Opening the box in front of him so he could see what was inside, a selection of the finest sushi money could buy, salted meat, sliced so thin you could see through it and a bottle of what looked like aged whiskey. Before Marie seated herself she smiled and kissed the side of his face quickly, "Happy birthday sugar."
He sat in silence for a while as Marie tucked into her own salad that was sitting on her plate, just letting him be, letting him take in what had happened to him. That she'd noticed his need and had just done something about it. Quietly he picked out the sushi and began to eat, the view and company all he needed to complete the gift she'd organised for him.
He did wonder how she'd done it and when they were leaving the library together to go to the town Jubilee was herding kids inside to clean up. All she said to him was "Scorpio baby, scorpio!"
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Author's Chapter Notes:
A bit of a challenge to me, thinking about birthdays (my own is coming soon) and I just wondered what Logan's would be....