Permission (Co-written with chasemd) | Non-prompt
[Past tense, before Chase and Rogue's Bahama's storyline - but for Logan it's set before THIS and THIS]
Chase stood in the ample foyer of Xavier's School for something or other prestigious sounding thing, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his leather jacket. He was trying not to look conspicuous, even though he was more than convinced he had a red flashy sign above his head declaring NOT A MUTANT! NOT A FUCKING MUTANT! BORING PERSON ALERT!
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The teenage lad with far too much acne to be healthy had assured Chase he would go get Logan for him. Chase hadn't exactly even been sure how to request to see Rogue's mentor/pseudo big brother parental type unit. He'd just asked for Logan and hoped to fuck there was only one of them. Though, in a place this big, Chase was sure there was a possibility there might've been ten of them. Hopefully ten without claws, though. He wondered if he could ask Logan to put the safety catch on the claws, just for the duration of the conversation. Or maybe even just big foam gloves or something. Or maybe they could have the conversation through one of those two-way mirrors like they had in jails? That would be safe, right?
His stomach churned with nerves and felt distinctly like he needed to take a nervous piss. No way was he using a bathroom here though. How could he be sure it wasn't going to fry him to a potato chip or suck him into a vortex to another realm? He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the two girls staring at him as they walked by, his face burning. Man, where was the guy? Probably had to come from that other realm…
Logan stalked through the school, his brows arranged in their trademark frown as he headed for the foyer. The kid that had come to get him had soon run off in the opposite direction, apparently under the impression that being a messenger wasn't such a great job after all. Truth be told he had been grateful for the interruption. He had been about to impale himself with his own claws just to have something interesting to do. There was only so much Valley Girl speak he could listen to before he wanted to tear his hair out and eat it.
Sometimes teaching these kids seriously tested his patience. Give him the DR with Sentinels, or a fight with Sabretooth any day.
Logan's nostrils flared as he caught a familiar scent, and for a moment he thought maybe the kid had got it wrong, and Rogue was here. She'd been smelling like that doctor for months now. As he entered the foyer, a slight feeling of disappointment hit him as he saw it wasn't Rogue, but her lover. There was an underlying scent of hospitals coming off him, and Logan fought not to growl. He had an instant aversion to those places. He also caught the hint of jasmine that represented Rogue.
Chase didn't look as upset as the last time Logan had seen him, but he still arched an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. "Somethin' wrong? Is Rogue okay?" Surely Chase hadn’t found out about him and Cameron. Right? His confidence wavered for just a second and the Wolverine suddenly became concerned that maybe he was about to suffer some kind of man-to-man chat he really didn’t want to have.
Chase spun around and the minute he saw Logan, he wanted to bolt in the opposite direction. He bounced a little on the balls of his feet, reminding himself why he was here and how important it was. At least, it felt important to him. He just hoped Logan didn't get angry about it.
He swallowed and shook. "No," he began, his voice a little choked. He cleared his throat again. "At least, I hope not. I was just...um... wondering if we could... I have to ask you something. She's not here," he added pointlessly. Then just to make himself look like an uber dork, "Sorry."
Logan relaxed, the tension easing from his features as he gave a curt nod his head. Relief flooded him, and he concentrated on the doctor. Rogue was safe, and his secret was safe. "Nothin' to be sorry about, kid. You wanna go somewhere and talk?" There were few quiet places in the mansion, but Logan knew of one or two. "I'd offer ya a drink, but technically I shouldn't have it on the grounds, and I really don't want the kids learnin' where my stash is."
Chase nodded. "No, it's okay. I'm sure booze would just make me look like a bigger idiot anyway. I don't have a good track record with it. Not in a bad way!" he added quickly before Logan thought he was a threat to Rogue. "I just turn into a real dork. At least... a bigger one than I'm coming across as now." He made a small horrified sound at himself and pressed his fingers into his eyes.
"Somewhere to talk would be good. These kids here are creeping me out."
"Ya know, if I felt like bein' a mean bastard I'd ask ya if the kids creepin' ya out was 'cause they were mutant but I know you ain't got a problem with that." He walked a few paces past Chase and jerked his head to indicate the doctor should follow him. Logan led him out of the mansion and into the connected garage, a place where the kids weren't really allowed to go except during an automotive class. He leaned back against a blue sports car, and folded his arms across his chest. "So what's on your mind, doc?"
Chase froze in the middle of the garage. This was really not how envisaged it. Not that he had envisaged anything, its just when he didn't envisage it, it wasn't in a garage. Although, the sports car was really cool and he wondered briefly what the backseat was like. His blue eyes flicked anxiously to Logan. He could smell people, not read their thoughts, right?
"Um, well, you see... I just wanted to... I mean, you're her family. At least, the closest thing she has to a family. And I'm not saying that you're her father, or even like her father, even though I'm sure you'd be proud if she was your daughter... It's just that, you see, you’re kind of like her big brother type thing and I just wanted to get it right and all..." He stopped, clamping his mouth shut. What the fuck was he doing?
Logan quirked an eyebrow, suddenly wishing he at least had a cigar on him. He was trying to follow the rambling, and part of him wished Rogue were there just because he could at least understand her rambling. He figured she would have translated. He let out a small growl, and sighed. "Look, you're gonna have to give me somethin' to work with here, Chase. I'm guessin' this has somethin' to do with Rogue, but she ain't in trouble."
"No, no, she's not. She's on her way home from Vegas." Chase scratched his head nervously. "She thinks I had to come to New York on business, probably a surgery thing because, you know, that’s what I do... I think a surgery would be less painful than this right now..."
He paced a little, one way, then the other and ended up back in the place he started. "I've, um, come to ask your permission!" he finally blurted out.
Logan blinked, then started to chuckle as he looked at the blond man in front of him. He honestly hadn't seen anyone so nervous, and it was mean for Logan to laugh, but he couldn't help himself. "If this is about the birds and the bees, I think we both know you are well past the stage of askin' for permission."
Chase blinked. "Sex? No. That's just..." It had thrown his train of thought and his forehead creased a little as he tried to work up the courage to start over again.
There was more pacing and he felt his face burning before he stopped and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I-I want to ask your permission to ask Marie to marry me."
Logan stared at him, anything he'd been about to say dying on his lips. His mouth curled into a wry smile and he snorted as his arms dropped to his sides. "Marie's got a mind of her own, you don't need my permission."
Chase's stomach was still hiding tight up under his ribcage. "I know she has, but... but you're the only person in the whole world she completely trusts. You've protected her and I know you love her. You were there for her when her parents weren't. I'm asking for your permission because I know you wouldn't let her be with just anyone, and I wouldn't do this if you thought, for any reason, that I wasn't good for her or right for her."
Logan ran a hand roughly through his hair, and pushed off the sports car to do a little pacing of his own. In the back of his mind was the notion that he might have to deal with a very angry Southern belle if she knew the two of them were discussing her future without her present.
Still, he remembered Rogue saying that she wanted a family with this guy. Logan tried to work out what to do with his arms, and finally just folded them back across his chest as he turned back towards Chase. "About the only thing I care about is you keepin' her safe and happy, and you seem to do a pretty okay job at that. Just know that if you ever hurt her I will do more than hurt you in turn."
Chase had a slight sense he either wanted to throw up or cry. But only maybe a little of both. He just wanted to do the right thing and he figured this was the right thing, but obviously he'd gotten it way wrong. He felt like an idiot and his face throbbed with an embarrassed heat. He seemed to have a good load of people left and right warning him not to hurt her. Maybe it was an omen. Maybe he was just destined to hurt her and the whole marriage thing was a ridiculous idea. She was a mutant and he wasn't. She had scary people like Logan to make sure she was safe and well... what good could be possibly be to her?
He took a step back towards the door. "Yeah, I, um..." How long would it take if he turned and ran like a gigantic wuss? He was already having second thoughts about proposing to Rogue. If he stuffed it up this early, how could he pull off the ultimate? "You wouldn't have to worry because I'd as sooner kill myself if I did that." The door, Chase. Leave.
Logan suddenly felt guilty, and he wasn't even sure why. It wasn't like he particularly cared the majority of the time he hurt someone's feelings, but this was someone that meant a lot to Rogue, and so he'd be sure to hear from her if the doctor went home to her in worse condition than when he left.
"I know, ya told me that before when you were here after... When ya first came here." He exhaled slowly through his nose. "You love her?"
"More than I ever thought I could love anyone. Or thought I deserved to," Chase said honestly, his resolve still teetering uncertainly.
"Then marry her," Logan told him. "If my permission is gonna help, then I'll give it to ya."
Chase remained silent, though his eyes were searching Logan's face again. That reactionary want to run was still niggling in his stomach. He knew it was his own insecurity more than anything Logan had said. Maybe even on some distance level, Chase had been hoping Logan would say no because that would be easy and Chase would've had an excuse not to be standing over the gaping canyon of emotion. If there was ever a time to change his ways, it was now. Fear versus love, as cheesy as it sounded. Fear of commitment, fear of getting too close to someone and losing them, fear of losing Rogue, fear of hurting her. He just had to find the balls to realise it was all worth it.
"I should go. But thanks, for listening. And thanks..." He waved his hand a little. "I... it means a lot."
Logan gave a nod of his head. "You're welcome," he replied gruffly, though he wondered if he really had done anything to help. The doctor still looked nervous and scared.
Chase nodded and took a couple of steps back towards the door and then turned. When he got to the door, he paused and looked back. "I'm, um, taking her on holiday for a week. To the Bahamas. She's never been to the beach, so I wanted her to experience that. I'll look after her," he promised.
Logan blinked, and tried not to betray anything with his expression. He already knew about the trip from Allison. He and the lady doc were planning their own little ‘sleepover’. He gave a nod, and hooked his thumb over his belt. "See that ya do."
Co-written with chasemd. justalilcontact and allison_md referenced with permission | Words: 2,240
Chase stood in the ample foyer of Xavier's School for something or other prestigious sounding thing, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his leather jacket. He was trying not to look conspicuous, even though he was more than convinced he had a red flashy sign above his head declaring NOT A MUTANT! NOT A FUCKING MUTANT! BORING PERSON ALERT!
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The teenage lad with far too much acne to be healthy had assured Chase he would go get Logan for him. Chase hadn't exactly even been sure how to request to see Rogue's mentor/pseudo big brother parental type unit. He'd just asked for Logan and hoped to fuck there was only one of them. Though, in a place this big, Chase was sure there was a possibility there might've been ten of them. Hopefully ten without claws, though. He wondered if he could ask Logan to put the safety catch on the claws, just for the duration of the conversation. Or maybe even just big foam gloves or something. Or maybe they could have the conversation through one of those two-way mirrors like they had in jails? That would be safe, right?
His stomach churned with nerves and felt distinctly like he needed to take a nervous piss. No way was he using a bathroom here though. How could he be sure it wasn't going to fry him to a potato chip or suck him into a vortex to another realm? He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the two girls staring at him as they walked by, his face burning. Man, where was the guy? Probably had to come from that other realm…
Logan stalked through the school, his brows arranged in their trademark frown as he headed for the foyer. The kid that had come to get him had soon run off in the opposite direction, apparently under the impression that being a messenger wasn't such a great job after all. Truth be told he had been grateful for the interruption. He had been about to impale himself with his own claws just to have something interesting to do. There was only so much Valley Girl speak he could listen to before he wanted to tear his hair out and eat it.
Sometimes teaching these kids seriously tested his patience. Give him the DR with Sentinels, or a fight with Sabretooth any day.
Logan's nostrils flared as he caught a familiar scent, and for a moment he thought maybe the kid had got it wrong, and Rogue was here. She'd been smelling like that doctor for months now. As he entered the foyer, a slight feeling of disappointment hit him as he saw it wasn't Rogue, but her lover. There was an underlying scent of hospitals coming off him, and Logan fought not to growl. He had an instant aversion to those places. He also caught the hint of jasmine that represented Rogue.
Chase didn't look as upset as the last time Logan had seen him, but he still arched an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. "Somethin' wrong? Is Rogue okay?" Surely Chase hadn’t found out about him and Cameron. Right? His confidence wavered for just a second and the Wolverine suddenly became concerned that maybe he was about to suffer some kind of man-to-man chat he really didn’t want to have.
Chase spun around and the minute he saw Logan, he wanted to bolt in the opposite direction. He bounced a little on the balls of his feet, reminding himself why he was here and how important it was. At least, it felt important to him. He just hoped Logan didn't get angry about it.
He swallowed and shook. "No," he began, his voice a little choked. He cleared his throat again. "At least, I hope not. I was just...um... wondering if we could... I have to ask you something. She's not here," he added pointlessly. Then just to make himself look like an uber dork, "Sorry."
Logan relaxed, the tension easing from his features as he gave a curt nod his head. Relief flooded him, and he concentrated on the doctor. Rogue was safe, and his secret was safe. "Nothin' to be sorry about, kid. You wanna go somewhere and talk?" There were few quiet places in the mansion, but Logan knew of one or two. "I'd offer ya a drink, but technically I shouldn't have it on the grounds, and I really don't want the kids learnin' where my stash is."
Chase nodded. "No, it's okay. I'm sure booze would just make me look like a bigger idiot anyway. I don't have a good track record with it. Not in a bad way!" he added quickly before Logan thought he was a threat to Rogue. "I just turn into a real dork. At least... a bigger one than I'm coming across as now." He made a small horrified sound at himself and pressed his fingers into his eyes.
"Somewhere to talk would be good. These kids here are creeping me out."
"Ya know, if I felt like bein' a mean bastard I'd ask ya if the kids creepin' ya out was 'cause they were mutant but I know you ain't got a problem with that." He walked a few paces past Chase and jerked his head to indicate the doctor should follow him. Logan led him out of the mansion and into the connected garage, a place where the kids weren't really allowed to go except during an automotive class. He leaned back against a blue sports car, and folded his arms across his chest. "So what's on your mind, doc?"
Chase froze in the middle of the garage. This was really not how envisaged it. Not that he had envisaged anything, its just when he didn't envisage it, it wasn't in a garage. Although, the sports car was really cool and he wondered briefly what the backseat was like. His blue eyes flicked anxiously to Logan. He could smell people, not read their thoughts, right?
"Um, well, you see... I just wanted to... I mean, you're her family. At least, the closest thing she has to a family. And I'm not saying that you're her father, or even like her father, even though I'm sure you'd be proud if she was your daughter... It's just that, you see, you’re kind of like her big brother type thing and I just wanted to get it right and all..." He stopped, clamping his mouth shut. What the fuck was he doing?
Logan quirked an eyebrow, suddenly wishing he at least had a cigar on him. He was trying to follow the rambling, and part of him wished Rogue were there just because he could at least understand her rambling. He figured she would have translated. He let out a small growl, and sighed. "Look, you're gonna have to give me somethin' to work with here, Chase. I'm guessin' this has somethin' to do with Rogue, but she ain't in trouble."
"No, no, she's not. She's on her way home from Vegas." Chase scratched his head nervously. "She thinks I had to come to New York on business, probably a surgery thing because, you know, that’s what I do... I think a surgery would be less painful than this right now..."
He paced a little, one way, then the other and ended up back in the place he started. "I've, um, come to ask your permission!" he finally blurted out.
Logan blinked, then started to chuckle as he looked at the blond man in front of him. He honestly hadn't seen anyone so nervous, and it was mean for Logan to laugh, but he couldn't help himself. "If this is about the birds and the bees, I think we both know you are well past the stage of askin' for permission."
Chase blinked. "Sex? No. That's just..." It had thrown his train of thought and his forehead creased a little as he tried to work up the courage to start over again.
There was more pacing and he felt his face burning before he stopped and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I-I want to ask your permission to ask Marie to marry me."
Logan stared at him, anything he'd been about to say dying on his lips. His mouth curled into a wry smile and he snorted as his arms dropped to his sides. "Marie's got a mind of her own, you don't need my permission."
Chase's stomach was still hiding tight up under his ribcage. "I know she has, but... but you're the only person in the whole world she completely trusts. You've protected her and I know you love her. You were there for her when her parents weren't. I'm asking for your permission because I know you wouldn't let her be with just anyone, and I wouldn't do this if you thought, for any reason, that I wasn't good for her or right for her."
Logan ran a hand roughly through his hair, and pushed off the sports car to do a little pacing of his own. In the back of his mind was the notion that he might have to deal with a very angry Southern belle if she knew the two of them were discussing her future without her present.
Still, he remembered Rogue saying that she wanted a family with this guy. Logan tried to work out what to do with his arms, and finally just folded them back across his chest as he turned back towards Chase. "About the only thing I care about is you keepin' her safe and happy, and you seem to do a pretty okay job at that. Just know that if you ever hurt her I will do more than hurt you in turn."
Chase had a slight sense he either wanted to throw up or cry. But only maybe a little of both. He just wanted to do the right thing and he figured this was the right thing, but obviously he'd gotten it way wrong. He felt like an idiot and his face throbbed with an embarrassed heat. He seemed to have a good load of people left and right warning him not to hurt her. Maybe it was an omen. Maybe he was just destined to hurt her and the whole marriage thing was a ridiculous idea. She was a mutant and he wasn't. She had scary people like Logan to make sure she was safe and well... what good could be possibly be to her?
He took a step back towards the door. "Yeah, I, um..." How long would it take if he turned and ran like a gigantic wuss? He was already having second thoughts about proposing to Rogue. If he stuffed it up this early, how could he pull off the ultimate? "You wouldn't have to worry because I'd as sooner kill myself if I did that." The door, Chase. Leave.
Logan suddenly felt guilty, and he wasn't even sure why. It wasn't like he particularly cared the majority of the time he hurt someone's feelings, but this was someone that meant a lot to Rogue, and so he'd be sure to hear from her if the doctor went home to her in worse condition than when he left.
"I know, ya told me that before when you were here after... When ya first came here." He exhaled slowly through his nose. "You love her?"
"More than I ever thought I could love anyone. Or thought I deserved to," Chase said honestly, his resolve still teetering uncertainly.
"Then marry her," Logan told him. "If my permission is gonna help, then I'll give it to ya."
Chase remained silent, though his eyes were searching Logan's face again. That reactionary want to run was still niggling in his stomach. He knew it was his own insecurity more than anything Logan had said. Maybe even on some distance level, Chase had been hoping Logan would say no because that would be easy and Chase would've had an excuse not to be standing over the gaping canyon of emotion. If there was ever a time to change his ways, it was now. Fear versus love, as cheesy as it sounded. Fear of commitment, fear of getting too close to someone and losing them, fear of losing Rogue, fear of hurting her. He just had to find the balls to realise it was all worth it.
"I should go. But thanks, for listening. And thanks..." He waved his hand a little. "I... it means a lot."
Logan gave a nod of his head. "You're welcome," he replied gruffly, though he wondered if he really had done anything to help. The doctor still looked nervous and scared.
Chase nodded and took a couple of steps back towards the door and then turned. When he got to the door, he paused and looked back. "I'm, um, taking her on holiday for a week. To the Bahamas. She's never been to the beach, so I wanted her to experience that. I'll look after her," he promised.
Logan blinked, and tried not to betray anything with his expression. He already knew about the trip from Allison. He and the lady doc were planning their own little ‘sleepover’. He gave a nod, and hooked his thumb over his belt. "See that ya do."
Co-written with chasemd. justalilcontact and allison_md referenced with permission | Words: 2,240