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I can hear the couple fighting right next door
Their angry words sound clear through these thin walls
Around midnight I heard him shout “unfaithful woman”
And I knew right then the axe was gonna fall
It's because of me
It's because of me
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He heard the change as soon as he entered the cafeteria. The usual hubbub of conversation died away, and then started again as a buzz of whispers and murmured comments. To anyone else it would have been a blur of white noise, but with his sensitive hearing he couldn’t let it fade into a meaningless haze. Disjointed phrases whipped out against his unwilling ears, wrapping around him like a lash.
“...big fight last night...”
“...probably been going on for months...”
“...can you believe it?...”
He felt the tension ratchet up between his shoulder blades, but he kept his face blank and impassive. He loaded up his tray as usual and headed toward the staff table. He was the fucking Wolverine. What did he care what a bunch of twerpy tweens were talking about?
The chairs where Scott and Jean usually sat were notably empty, and to Logan’s surprise Xavier had joined Ororo and Kitty and Jubilee. Logan sat down warily across from Xavier.
Ororo’s blue eyes were icy with anger. “I have a class to prep,” she said curtly, leaving the table before Logan was even seated.
Kitty stared at her oatmeal, her face pink. Jubilee met his eyes frankly, however, snapping her usual gum.
“Hi Wolvie,” she said, with an edge behind her unnaturally cheery voice. “What’s new?”
That pulled an involuntary growl from him, and he dug into his bacon and eggs with single-minded purpose.
Jubilee rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Kits. Let’s get a workout in.”
Kitty practically scurried from the table in Jubilee’s wake, leaving Logan alone with Xavier.
Every few moments Logan flicked his eyes up to find Xavier watching him calmly over the rim of his cappuccino.
“Somethin’ to say?” he finally growled, unable to bear the silent scrutiny for even a moment longer.
“Yes, I do have something to say, Logan.”
Logan threw down his fork, leaning sullenly back in his chair.
“I have a revised class schedule for you.” Xavier pulled a piece of paper from his breast pocket, carefully placing it on the table in front of Logan.
“A...what?”
He warily pulled the paper closer, and then even closer, squinting at the neat type before looking skeptically back up at Xavier.
“Are you kiddin’ me?”
Xavier continued to regard Logan placidly. “There are two more weeks in the semester. Scott’s classes have all been reassigned now that he is on...indefinite leave.”
Logan shoved the paper back across the table. “Yeah, well I’ve been thinkin’ I might take a trip myself...”
“I’m sorry, Logan,” Xavier interrupted. “I just don’t believe that we can spare you at present. Your travel plans will have to be postponed. Is that going to be a problem?” The keen blue eyes were steady, and Logan was the first to look away.
Logan leaned back in his chair, his hands clenched into tight fists under the table. Hadn’t he told himself that it didn’t matter, that he could walk away from this place without giving a damn? And yet...
“I don’t know shit about Trigonometry,” he finally muttered.
“Well then, Logan,” Xavier murmured serenely, pushing the paper back his way. “Perhaps you had better study.”
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Story Notes:
Two things I never thought I’d do -- a song-inspired fic and a Logan-Jean-Scott love triangle -- but it stuck in my head and wouldn’t come out until I wrote the damn thing. AU I guess, because everybody's still alive. And don't worry, it's still pure Rogan at the core of it. :-)
Chapter End Notes:
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