“I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, Chuck. But I think you should try something else,” Logan snarled at the professor as he watched Rogue’s face. She had a breathing mask covering most of it; the iron lungs pushing air in and out of the nonfunctional body. “Whatever you’re doing in there— it ain’t working.”
They had only been sitting in the med lab for about twenty minutes but time seemed to stretch on and on as she didn’t so much twitch an eyelid.
The older man shook his head, wheeling away from her bedside. “I’ve been trying to separate Ms. Danver’s persona from her own. But I’m beginning to think that’s not possible. Not without causing irreparable damage.”
“No shit,” Logan grunted. He tried to pull his chair closer but his knees were already pressed against the side support of the bed. “I’ll tell you what you’re gonna do next.”
Shocked by his statement, Xavier narrow his eyes at him.
“You’re gonna stay the hell out of her head,” Logan commanded. “You putting her through that shit everyday....its amazing she has any damn brain function at all.”
Xavier sighed, nodding his head. “Yes, yes, of course. She needs an appropriate time off.” He pressed the open button on the door but Logan yelled out to him again.
“Why didn’t you stop?” Wolverine was starring down into the girl’s face when he growled the low, threatening words at him.
“Because I couldn’t be sure it was her,” Xavier explained with a weighted heart. “It could have been Carol or whoever else she has absorbed into her psyche. But, Wolverine, this romance you intend—“
“Good bye, Chuck.” Logan stopped him.
“I mean it, Logan. She needs to concentrate on healing. It can only be detrimental to her recovery if you—“
“Hey,” Logan snapped, finally dragging his face away from hers to glare at him. “He who sends her to the med lab does not get to decided what’s good for her health, eh?”
Xavier swallowed his comment and decided to retreat instead. Time stretched on well into the evening. Logan alternated from standing and walking around her bed to sitting beside her. The room was in silence except for the constant beeping of the machines around them. There was nothing more that he wanted to do besides claw them to pieces. But he restrained himself, seeing how she was attached to them so they had to be doing something important.
Another hour went by before the med lab door slid open. His chin was resting on the side of the bed, by her arm and he was too tired to lift it to see who it was. But he could hear the clacking of sandals and the strong scent of jasmine invaded the room.
“Hey, ‘Ro.”
“Logan,” she greeted, laying a light hand on his back. “I could stay with her for a little while. If you wanted to take a break.”
He lifted his head to see if there was any mal-intent in her face but she wasn’t looking at Rogue. She was watching him, her face soft and comforting, back to being the friend he thought she was.
“Nah,” he shook his head, returning his glaze to Rogue. “I’m fine. Thanks though.”
“At least let me bring you something to eat,” she pleaded.
“No thanks. I’ll leave in a bit,” he said although he made no move to act on it.
Ororo lingered as well, hovering just behind him. Reluctantly she pulled her eyes from his face down his eye line to Rogue. “Is she going to be alright?”
Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair making it stick up more wildly around his head. He fell back with a thud against the back of his chair. “I dunno. She did this once before. But it wasn’t this bad. And it’s too risky for Xavier to go in and check. His god damn mental explorations stuck her here in the first place.”
“I seriously doubt the professor would----“
“I don’t care if it was on purpose,” he interrupted her, a tired smirk on his face.
“Touché.” She smiled at her own words being thrown back at her. It quickly fled her face as she glanced nervously down at her feet before facing him again. “I’m sorry, Logan, for not believing in you.” His eyebrows knitted together in confusion so she went on, “I mean it. You believed in her and I should have believed in you. I guess I just let my prejudices get away with me. I am truly sorry, my friend.”
“It’s okay, ‘Ro. I never told you I believed in her and I never expected you to like her. She’s rebellious, crass, she’s----“
Storm’s twinkling laughter stopped him. “She’s your female counterpart. ‘God thought about you, and so I am here.’— it’s poetry.”
“It’s a bit much. I’m sure there’s plenty of twisted assholes out there just like us. Xavier told me to keep her company, that’s all I’m doing.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “And lying to yourself.”
“Yeah, that too,” he agreed, looking back down to the comatose face.
“Alright, I’m leaving for a minute,” he sighed and slowly pushed to his feet. “I need to get a shower anyway.”
“And a cigar,” she guessed following him out of the room.
“Especially a damn cigar,” he agreed looking back to the occupant lying torpid on the bed in the center of the room.
So he went immediately outside to smoke a cigar, puffing away until he had the entire Cuban burned out. He took his time in the shower, however. The hot water burned and trailed down his skin. Then he released the patiently waiting claws, the pain from their exit through with the sheering heat of the water combined with such intensity it immediately cleared his head of anything else.
As he got dressed he felt more like himself and ready to go back down to the lower levels. When the doors to the med lab slid open everything was how he left it. Her chest was still slowly rising and falling and the machine beside her was still keeping its constant pattern of beeps.
He stopped near the foot of her bed and lightly laid his hand over her sheet covered thigh. “Come on, Rogue. Wake the hell up already,” he gently commanded her. But she remained static under the blurry translucent masked and he sighed moving to his chair.
Logan sat, sagging all the way back. A few more minutes stretched by and he deliberated getting Xavier and try for a peek inside or just going outside for a quick smoke to sooth his rapidly tensing nerves. After another ten minutes he decided a cigar was in order. Xavier could go screw around with somebody else’s head for a while, though.
But just as he stood to his feet Rogue’s whole body jerked and he was suddenly meet with wide, crystal clear green eyes. “Hey, hey.” He laid a heavy hand on her stomach to hold her down. “Calm down.”
Her naked hands shot up, scratching at the side of the mask wrapped around her face. “Get this damn thing offa me!” Her muffle voice came through the plastic.
“Alright, darlin’, just relax.” She let her hands fall to the side of her head at his words. Once her hands were out of the way Logan reached around and unhooked the clasp on the side of the mask. He carefully lifted it away from her and over her head, sliding it down her hair before throwing it carelessly over the machine.
She took a deep breath. “Strawberries.”
“What?”
“Ah like strawberries,” she said more to herself. She blinked a couple of times before her eyes focused on him leaning over her, one of his eyebrows raised to his forehead.
“You alright?”
“Fine. Let me up,” She pushed on his cover chest and he backed away a little bit so she could sit up. “How long have ah been down here?”
“‘Bout six hours. Another power play?” He guessed.
She sighed rubbing her forehead as she swung her legs around the side of the bed. They adjusted until he was standing between her legs, careful to stay far enough back from any exposed skin. “Not exactly,” a tiny groan escaped her as she rubbed the heel of both her palms over her temples. “More like an anarchy induced battle royale.”
“Which is exactly why you’re not seeing Xavier for a while,” he informed her, trying but falling to keep the growl out of his voice.
She looked up to him, startled. “What? And who tha fuck do ya think you are?! Ah have ta—“
“I’m going to help you,” he cut her off.
“You?” she said in disbelief.
He crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his dark blue eyes at her. “Yes, me. Don’t look at me like that.”
Rogue laughed, and put her hands behind her back then leaned back on them. “Ah was in ya room an awful long time an’ ah didn’t see any damn certificate for Dr. Wolverine.”
“I keep it at my beach house.” She grinned at his answer but he kept her from arguing saying, “As I see it all Xavier’s way has gotten you is two black outs and a bloody nose.”
Her grin didn’t fade as she kept her eyes on his face. Logan found himself not nearly as uncomfortable under her constant glaze as he thought he’d be and found himself matching her instead.
“Come here,” she finally said, sitting up off her hands.
A breathless “what?” escaped him as he actually took a step back, not trusting the sudden little glint in her eyes.
“I wanna give ya a kiss on that spiky little head of yours.” She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him back the distance he retreated. He grinned himself but put his hands on her shoulder where she was covered by her shirt to keep from being pulled any closer.
“I haven’t helped you yet,” he pointed out. “But I gotta slightly different idea for a thank you kiss.”
She laughed letting go one of her grips to tuck some loose white strands behind her ear. “Don’t ya eva learn ya lesson?” she asked.
He relaxed his arms and leaned in, a sly smirk on his face. He whispered in a deep, vibrating voice, “You said it yourself, darlin’, I’m not that smart. Takes me *years* to pick something up.”
“Damn,” she huffed, suddenly out of breath. “If that hadn’t come outta that evil muttonchoped mouth of ya’s, ah’d almost say it was romantic.”
He groaned, overly dramatic and fake. “Please don’t.”
“Logan, they had chicken sandwiches or hamburgers so I brought—“ Logan and Rogue’s heads turned to the new voice just as Storm looked up. A slow creeping blush spread across her face as she notice them. To cover it she cleared her throat and stuttered out a “hello” to Rogue.
“What is it with ya people an’ food?” Rogue asked, successfully breaking the triangle of tension.
“It’s a rare disease we suffer from.” He opened his hand out to Ororo, but made no move to leave his position and step closer to her. “Thanks, ‘Ro.”
She nodded and made up the distance, handing him the plate. She watched was he sat it out the bed beside Rogue’s leg then cleared her throat again, looking up to the other girl. “So, how are you feeling, Rogue?”
“....Fine...” Rogue answered slightly reluctant and scared.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Ororo managed an uncomfortable smile and nod. “So, um,” she turned to Logan, “I’ll see you two later. Goodnight.”
Rogue watched her leave, completely unmindful of Logan bent over her leg as he took a giant bite out of the hamburger, keeping the blood and juices dripping on the plate. “Is she gonna kill me?” She asked seriously when she was sure she was gone.
Logan straightened up, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth as he looked at the door. He shrugged and faced Rogue again. “She might. You should probably try to make sure you don’t step on any of her plants. Just to be on the safe side.”
“Right,” she snorted, grimacing at the rest of the hamburger as she pulled a tomato out of the dripping mess and ate it. “Like tha hell ahm goin’ anywhere near her damn plants. Can ah go now?”
“Sure. We’ll start on my way tomorrow morning.”
“Whateva ya say, sugah.” She laid a hand on the back of his hair to pull his head down, making good for the kiss she promised earlier. He let her, until a certain point. When he was level with her face he moved in, swooping in and seizing her lips with his. She ‘mmpf’ against his mouth in surprise but he pulled away before she could push him.
His head fell heavy to her chest as he tried to regain his breath and settle his heart from his healing factor having to kick into over drive. He grinned to himself, despite the overall pain still ebbing through his body. Because her hand was still resting in his hair and her chest was heaving nearly was badly as his.
“Ya know,” her warm breath coasted in pants gently past his ear. “Ah didn’t have that problem with Xavier.”
**********************
Logan unrolled the mats in the grass beside the wildflower garden. It was a little cool outside for him to be wearing his wife-beater but he always wore it when he worked out. Along with the bare feet which were now wet from the grass. He smelled her coming, even through the flowers near by, honey and roses. She must have been barefoot too because he didn’t hear her.
“Mornin’.” He turned around to see her walking up. Sure enough she was barefoot; the rest of her was covered in a form fitting black leotard with an X-Man sweatshirt zipped up over it. A sweatshirt she cut completely up to just under her chest, he noted. “How you feelin’?”
“Grumpy,” she sneered at him as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “Ya know, if ya didn’t want me to squash tha hell outta Storm’s plants ya shouldn’t have brought me out here at ass crack in tha mornin’.”
“It’s quiet.”
“It’s sick.”
He grinned and sat down on one of the mats, folding his legs over each other. “Just park your ass in the grass, darlin’.”
She huffed and plopped down not particularly delicately on the mat across from his. He waited for a second, looking expectantly at her. She cocked an eyebrow up at him. He sighed and maneuvered her legs for her so that she mirrored him.
“It’s called the lotus position,” he informed her, laying his hands lightly in his lap.
“‘Course it is,” she sassed as she did the same with her hands. “Alright, kimosabie, whatca got for me?”
He shot her a warning glance but she seemed very unimpressed. “We’re gonna meditate. You breathe---”
“How is breathin’ gonna get rid of Carol?” She asked skeptically, interrupting him.
“We’re not getting rid of Carol,” he said in an exasperated grunt. “She’s not real. She’s just a figment of your imagination.”
“A figment of mah imagination that’s tryin’ ta kill me,” she elaborated.
“Yep,” he nodded. “That just happens to be something I’m familiar with.”
“And ta stop it ya---”
“Meditate,” he finished for her with a stern nod. “Inner peace. Great shit.”
She huffed and stretched her legs out. “What is God’s great name makes ya think this is gonna work?”
He growled and moved her legs back. She rolled her eyes at him but kept the position he up her in. “Because you weren’t shaking at the bar,” he explained.
“Right. Until ya ruined it.”
“Well, I’m fixin’ it. You weren’t shaking because you were---”
“Drunk,” she supplied for him.
“At peace,” he offered a different terminology.
“So why can’t ah jus’ keep a hip flask like any good southern girl?”
“Because if you’re gonna be on my team you have to be sober.”
“Ya----”
Logan pointed a finger in her face, stopping her. “Are always sober,” he finished. “Now just shut up and listen to me.”
“Alright, ah’ll play, jus’ because ya so cute.” The corner of her mouth twisted up in a small, coy smile.
He matched it with a smirk of his own. “Right back at you, darlin’, only reason why I’m helping. Okay, close your eyes and clear your mind.” He tried to follow his own instructions but her snort made him open his eyes back up to glare at her.
“If ah could do that---”
“Zip it,” he barked. She bit her bottom lip, obeying him.
Logan closed his eyes again, opening one quickly to make sure she was following his lead. “You have to go to an altered state of consciousness. Forget Carol, forget all the voices. Focus your mind on one thing, your breathing.”
He breathed a deep breath in, and then slowly released it. It took a couple of times of repeating it before she joined in, copying him. Their breathing fell into perfect sync after a few cycles and he began to think she had it so he let himself began mediating. But it didn’t last.
“Ya not gonna feel me up while mah eyes are closed, are ya, sugah?” She broke the cycle, her voice obviously trying to suppress a giggle.
“No,” he said gruffly, keeping his eyes closed as well. “Stop screwing around.”
“Ahm sorry,” she shook her head wildly, refocusing herself. “Okay. Breathing. In, out, got in. Go on.”
He opened his eyes to make sure hers were closed and she was still in the position. Sure enough, she had straighten her back like his, waiting patiently with her eyes closed.
“Just let your mind dissolve and free it of all thought,” he went on, closing his own eyes and taking another deep breath, this time she immediately followed suit. “Let your mind fade away. There’s only your body, your breathing, your surroundings and my voice.”
She took an extra deep breathe and then exhaled it and he fought the proud grin from coming to his face. “Center yourself,” he went on. “Connect yourself to everything around you. You are one with you, one with your environment.”
He stopped to breath with her. “Good. Leave your mind, leave your body. Deep breath. Good, relax, connect with the wind, breath it in and make it part of you.”
Slowly he let his voice float away. Their breathing quickly became synchronized. As they went on, keeping the constant cycle Logan began concentrating on his own mediation. But instead of connecting with the wind as he had instructed her he focused on her breathing and centered himself on it. They became unaware of the time that past around them, unaware of anything except for the even mellowing breathing.
That was until Logan’s enhanced hearing picked up an alarm clock going off in one of the room floors above them. He figured thirty minutes must have passed, that'd make it six o'clock. Reluctantly he opened his eyes to find Rogue completely unaffected. Her eyelashes were laid softly against her cheeks and her face was the picture of serene as she went on mediating, even though he wasn’t breathing along with her.
He smiled and gently laid a hand on her ankle to get her attention. Her eyes fluttered open at his touch. “How do you feel?” He asked.
She moved her hands behind her and laid back on them, stretching her legs out beside him. She looked up her body and smiled back at him. “Better, actually.”
“See. And no jerking. Or bloody nose,” he boasted. “We’ll meet every morning and I bet you the twitching stops.”
“Mornin’?! Why can’t we do this durin’ tha day like a normal person?” She pouted.
“I told you, because it’s quiet. You aren’t disciplined enough to do it with all the daily noise.”
Suddenly her smile altogether changed and that little glint sparked up in her eyes. She moved onto her knees and crawled over to him so that her hands were on either side of his hips. “Wanna test mah control?”
He looked into her eager face and sighed. His hands grabbed her upper arms and pushed her gently out of his face. “I’d love to, darlin’, but I think I should tell you something first.”
She narrowed her eyes in confusion at him. And he swore at himself as disappoint danced across her face before she could mask it.
“Listen, Rogue. You should know Xavier asked me... TOLD me,” he corrected himself, running a hand through his hair. “Told me to stay with you. When you first came.”
She blinked a few times but her mask was still up so he just went on. “But that’s not why I’m doing this, any of this. I kissed you that night. And last night. Not because of anything he said or anything. He’s even a little mad about it. Which, I don’t give a shit about, but I just want you to know that I’m doing this because I want to----”
“Logan!” She stopped his rambling with a gloved hand over his mouth. “Sugah, shut up.”
His eyes went wide and she smiled reassuring at him. “Ah know exactly what he told ya. Ah know exactly how ya feel; ah know everything.” She taped a finger to her temple. “Ya kissed me. Twice. If ah didn’t know ya pretty well before, Wolverine, ah think ah got a good picture now.”
He took her hand in both his and gently lowered it away from his mouth. “So you’re not mad? Crushed? Just think I’m trying to get you to feel like you fit in?”
She shook her head. “It’s not what ya think ya doin’, so it ain’t what ah think ya doin’.”
“Good. Now, ‘bout your control,” He tugged on her imprisoned arm, pulling her towards him. She squeaked and had to quickly brace herself so her face didn’t collide with his chest. She lifted her face to be met with a mischievous, wolfish smirk only a few inched away from her face. All the air quickly rushed out of her lungs as he leaned down and she braced herself for his touch and hopefully not his energy.
A loud deep cough sounded right beside them just as their lips were about to touch. They turned their heads at the same time, a similar threatening glare on their faces.
“Sorry,” Peter mumbled. “Uh...Logan, Scott says he wants to see you.”
Logan growled, flashing canines at the boy. “Fuck off, Tin-man. Tell him he’ll see me when I want him to.”
Peter took a step back from him, nervously rubbing a hand up and down his arm. “He said I was suppose to tell you it was really important and to not take no for an answer...”
“Son of a bitch!” Logan swore and untangled himself from Rogue. He got to his feet and stomped away from them, claws shooting out of his knuckles before he even reached the mansion.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry, no interior decorating Wolverine. Because, really, I think we’d all have to worry about our own mental stability after that. :)
(P.S. Hundred points say ya’ll can’t come up with the name of the poem Storm quotes. MUHAHAHAHA!)
(P.S. Hundred points say ya’ll can’t come up with the name of the poem Storm quotes. MUHAHAHAHA!)