The Warmth on the Street [Logan]
Author: bantha_fodder
Title: The Warmth on the Street
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men
Summary: the different ways home
Written for: sullensiren
Pairing/scenario requested: Rogue/Logan. Post X3 with Rogue's powers coming back and Logan coming to terms with Jean's death. Bonus for a road trip.
With thanks to zeplum and liminalliz
***
When he closes his eyes, he sees Jean's face; powerful and beautiful and it's a little bit selfish but mostly altruistic when he thinks he's glad old One Eye never shared that moment with him.
He's never been a sap, though, and he keeps his eyes open.
*
He hears Rogue as she sashays down the corridor, but until he turns the corner he can't quite convince himself that it's her. The scent of her is not quite familiar, like a new perfume that clings to her, and he blinks twice at the hair she's dyed red to hide the white, and he blinks again at the air of confidence fueled by the vast expanse of skin she bares to the world.
"Aren't you cold?" Logan asks, and looks around for Bobby.
"Not even a little bit," she says, though her skin is covered in goose bumps.
Her grin is not quite Rogue, and Logan turns away.
*
The funerals seem to go on for weeks; days and days of mourning and a sky filled with rain. "Hey, Storm," he says, once, his hand on her shoulder. "Think maybe it's time to see the sun for a bit?" She tilts her head towards him, but he's not sure she sees his face.
"Not yet, Logan," she answers, "Not yet, but soon."
He trusts her, and she's right; three days later and the clouds melt away.
He busies himself, doing the things she gives him, and teaching art like some sort of parody, and he looks away when she can't stop crying.
It's the least he can do.
*
"I'm sorry, Logan," she says, later.
"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asks.
She rests her hand on his neck; leans forward and kisses the top of his head.
He knows what she means.
*
The guilt of his failings sits heavy upon him, and he keeps his ears open, and knocks on Rogue's door when it's just her in there. "Hey, Rogue," he starts, and she rests two fingers upon his lips.
Her skin is soft, and warm, and she smiles at him.
"It's Marie now, Sugar," she says. He nods, because he understands using a name you've never given yourself.
"How're you feeling, Marie?" he asks.
"I'm good," she says. "I feel good." She runs one hand down her bare arm, and rests the other on Logan's cheek. "Don't I feel good?"
He nods again, and turns away.
*
It's not the same.
*
Ororo gives him things to do, and he'd suspect her of trying to keep him busy and out of her hair but for the way he keeps running into her.
It's not usual for him, but he cares, and he pours a glass of juice and pushes it into her hand. "You okay?" he asks, and her smile is soft.
"No," she says, and she laughs before she cries.
He hugs her, a big fat bear hug that hides her from the world, and she laughs into his shoulder and he holds her until she's done. "You done?" he asks her, quietly, and she nods.
"Yeah," she says.
They sit there in silence, on the floor in the kitchen, until the sun starts to shine through the window.
"I gotta go," he says, and it's not running away, it's just. "I'll be back."
"I know," she replies, and pushes him away.
*
He takes Cyke's bike, because dead or not, it's still a beautiful bike. He thinks it's a homage, of sorts, and doesn't think about it again.
He doesn't ride out to any place he's ever been before. He rides and rides further north until he's skirting the border, then he turns and rides south until he's sweating. He looks conspicuous in his leather with the sun shining so bright, so he buys a pair of sunglasses and sits there on the boardwalk, the bike for a chair, as he watches all the kids on the sand.
He bites down on the end of a cigar, and thinks about buying presents.
*
Ororo never wants the stuff you can buy, so he doesn't buy her anything. But for Kitty he buys a book, and he's heard about Piotr's painting thing so he buys something arty. He passes one of those stores with burning incense wafting through its door, and in there he buys Jubilee some ugly looking earrings. He buys some chocolates and some candy and some ugly-ass souvenirs, and when the crap he's buying makes it difficult to close his bag, he wonders when he became such a sap.
He buys Marie a bikini, a ridiculous white and black stripey thing, because he guesses it's probably the sort of thing she likes, now.
*
It occurs to him, as he's leaving town, that he has no idea what he'd buy Jean.
It doesn't matter, of course, but it says a lot.
*
Driving through the gates, seeing the ivy and the shape of the school rising over the hills, Logan gets a funny feeling in his stomach.
In anyone else it might be the familiar feeling of home, but Logan puts it down to the bad chilli he had for lunch.
He knows he's lying.
*
He's known her, mutant and non-mutant both, and it's ridiculous to think he can smell the difference in her genetics but he likes the smell of her less, now. She's smoother and harder but she's still his same little girl, so when she feels a little different, when she walks past and what he feels is familiar, he clears his throat.
"Hey, kid," he says, and she turns.
"What's up, Sugar?" she drawls, and her fingers curl around the bare flesh of Bobby's wrist.
Logan shakes his head. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he says, and she laughs, long and loud, before sashaying away.
He's been wrong before, and he has to learn humility some time.
*
When she screams, it's long and loud, and it echoes through the mansion.
"I didn't mean to," she shrieks.
*
When she runs, he lets her go.
END
Title: The Warmth on the Street
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men
Summary: the different ways home
Written for: sullensiren
Pairing/scenario requested: Rogue/Logan. Post X3 with Rogue's powers coming back and Logan coming to terms with Jean's death. Bonus for a road trip.
With thanks to zeplum and liminalliz
***
When he closes his eyes, he sees Jean's face; powerful and beautiful and it's a little bit selfish but mostly altruistic when he thinks he's glad old One Eye never shared that moment with him.
He's never been a sap, though, and he keeps his eyes open.
*
He hears Rogue as she sashays down the corridor, but until he turns the corner he can't quite convince himself that it's her. The scent of her is not quite familiar, like a new perfume that clings to her, and he blinks twice at the hair she's dyed red to hide the white, and he blinks again at the air of confidence fueled by the vast expanse of skin she bares to the world.
"Aren't you cold?" Logan asks, and looks around for Bobby.
"Not even a little bit," she says, though her skin is covered in goose bumps.
Her grin is not quite Rogue, and Logan turns away.
*
The funerals seem to go on for weeks; days and days of mourning and a sky filled with rain. "Hey, Storm," he says, once, his hand on her shoulder. "Think maybe it's time to see the sun for a bit?" She tilts her head towards him, but he's not sure she sees his face.
"Not yet, Logan," she answers, "Not yet, but soon."
He trusts her, and she's right; three days later and the clouds melt away.
He busies himself, doing the things she gives him, and teaching art like some sort of parody, and he looks away when she can't stop crying.
It's the least he can do.
*
"I'm sorry, Logan," she says, later.
"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asks.
She rests her hand on his neck; leans forward and kisses the top of his head.
He knows what she means.
*
The guilt of his failings sits heavy upon him, and he keeps his ears open, and knocks on Rogue's door when it's just her in there. "Hey, Rogue," he starts, and she rests two fingers upon his lips.
Her skin is soft, and warm, and she smiles at him.
"It's Marie now, Sugar," she says. He nods, because he understands using a name you've never given yourself.
"How're you feeling, Marie?" he asks.
"I'm good," she says. "I feel good." She runs one hand down her bare arm, and rests the other on Logan's cheek. "Don't I feel good?"
He nods again, and turns away.
*
It's not the same.
*
Ororo gives him things to do, and he'd suspect her of trying to keep him busy and out of her hair but for the way he keeps running into her.
It's not usual for him, but he cares, and he pours a glass of juice and pushes it into her hand. "You okay?" he asks, and her smile is soft.
"No," she says, and she laughs before she cries.
He hugs her, a big fat bear hug that hides her from the world, and she laughs into his shoulder and he holds her until she's done. "You done?" he asks her, quietly, and she nods.
"Yeah," she says.
They sit there in silence, on the floor in the kitchen, until the sun starts to shine through the window.
"I gotta go," he says, and it's not running away, it's just. "I'll be back."
"I know," she replies, and pushes him away.
*
He takes Cyke's bike, because dead or not, it's still a beautiful bike. He thinks it's a homage, of sorts, and doesn't think about it again.
He doesn't ride out to any place he's ever been before. He rides and rides further north until he's skirting the border, then he turns and rides south until he's sweating. He looks conspicuous in his leather with the sun shining so bright, so he buys a pair of sunglasses and sits there on the boardwalk, the bike for a chair, as he watches all the kids on the sand.
He bites down on the end of a cigar, and thinks about buying presents.
*
Ororo never wants the stuff you can buy, so he doesn't buy her anything. But for Kitty he buys a book, and he's heard about Piotr's painting thing so he buys something arty. He passes one of those stores with burning incense wafting through its door, and in there he buys Jubilee some ugly looking earrings. He buys some chocolates and some candy and some ugly-ass souvenirs, and when the crap he's buying makes it difficult to close his bag, he wonders when he became such a sap.
He buys Marie a bikini, a ridiculous white and black stripey thing, because he guesses it's probably the sort of thing she likes, now.
*
It occurs to him, as he's leaving town, that he has no idea what he'd buy Jean.
It doesn't matter, of course, but it says a lot.
*
Driving through the gates, seeing the ivy and the shape of the school rising over the hills, Logan gets a funny feeling in his stomach.
In anyone else it might be the familiar feeling of home, but Logan puts it down to the bad chilli he had for lunch.
He knows he's lying.
*
He's known her, mutant and non-mutant both, and it's ridiculous to think he can smell the difference in her genetics but he likes the smell of her less, now. She's smoother and harder but she's still his same little girl, so when she feels a little different, when she walks past and what he feels is familiar, he clears his throat.
"Hey, kid," he says, and she turns.
"What's up, Sugar?" she drawls, and her fingers curl around the bare flesh of Bobby's wrist.
Logan shakes his head. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he says, and she laughs, long and loud, before sashaying away.
He's been wrong before, and he has to learn humility some time.
*
When she screams, it's long and loud, and it echoes through the mansion.
"I didn't mean to," she shrieks.
*
When she runs, he lets her go.
END