|
Title: Eighteen
Past the Hour
Author:
Terri
Email: xgrrl26@yahoo.com
Rating:
PG-13, swearing
Summary:
Short sequel to Eighteen Cities in Twenty-One Days. We take a peek into Logan's
head at eighteen past the hour, each hour. He's mostly using profanity and
working out his fluffy bunny feelings for Rogue.
Series:
Eighteen #3
Feedback:
Please! With whipped cream on top?
Archive:
Ask, and I'll say yes.
Comments:
Once again, thanks to all who gave such wonderful feedback on Eighteen Cities!
This is threatening to become a full-blown series, and I felt like our heroes
needed a break from being chased and attacked, but I felt like they also needed
to do a little relationship work. And so, a day in the life kinda thing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:18
Fuck, I'm
just not a morning person. The fucking sun isn't even up yet. Not all the
way. I ain't gettin' up yet either.
7:18
Mmmm...Warm
here. Smells nice. Good.
Something
moving. Oh yeah, Marie. She must be waking up. Be careful. Maybe move her
over just a little. Bare skin awfully close to my neck there.
"Hey, darlin'"
"Hey."
"You awake?"
"Mmmph."
Oh-oh.
"Watch it,
your face."
"Whoa. Sorry."
Shit, that
was a hell of a flinch. She's wide awake now. Shouldn't scare her like that.
"No problem."
How come
she looks so cute when she wakes up? Lotsa women look like hell.
"What time
is it?"
"It's early."
"You getting
up now?"
"Yeah, might
as well get a move on."
8:18
It's not
fair. She takes twice as long in the bathroom, and she always makes me go
first in the shower. Shit, I hope she's not using my razor to shave her legs
again. Damn thing gets dull real fast that way.
"Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Did I leave
my shampoo in my bag?"
"Hang on."
Packed light, especially for a girl. Not much in here in the way of - there
it is. "Got it."
I wonder
if I should - ah, ok, she's sticking her arm out from behind the shower curtain,
problem solved. "Here ya go."
"Thanks."
Oh, now that's not fair, either, her sticking her head out to say thanks.
She's all wet and naked in there. And now I know for sure she wears my tags
in the shower. That's gonna make a nice addition to my fantasy life.
9:18
Fucking
thing. This is the third time that wire got loose. Gonna have to get out,
in the snow, and fix it again. Fuck.
I know there's
some pliers back in here somewhere. We've gotta get a different car. This
old heap ain't gonna make it through another winter. Wish she'd picked a
better car.
Ah ha, there
you are, you little fucker. Stay put this time. Ouch, dammit, scraped my
knuckles on the engine block. Dammit. Fucking wire.
"Sorry."
Shit, did
I say any of that out loud? And when did she get out of the car? Aw, fuck.
"It's fine."
"It was
the best car I could get with the money I had. Sorry."
"I didn't
mean nothin'."
"I know."
Have to
pay attention to what comes out of my mouth. She's gotta be pissed. Here I
am bitchin' about the car when she had to haul my unconscious ass across three
states and fend for herself against the fucking US Government and that mother-fucker
Sabretooth.
"You did
good pickin' the car. It's just a loose wire, nothin' major."
"It's annoying
the hell out of you, though." She's smilin'? Well, good, she can't be that
pissed. Just have to be less of an asshole.
10:18
"Have I
mentioned how much I love having a big breakfast?"
"Every day."
Damn, this girl can eat. Pancakes, eggs, sausages, home fries, the whole
deal. 'Course she don't really eat much other meals. Why is that?
"Why *do*
you always eat so much at breakfast?"
"You worried
I'm gonna put on some weight, sugar?"
Shit, forgot
the whole women and eating thing. That was a no-no. "No, just wonderin'."
"Breakfast
food is cheapest. You get the most bang for your buck, and it keeps you full
for most of the rest of the day."
Hmm, makes
sense. Smart girl.
11:18
"It's not
that I don't like country music, I'm just saying, can't we listen to something
else for a while?"
"Like what?"
"See if
there's a top 40 radio station or something."
"OK."
Damn radio
reception is for shit.
"There -
there's one."
I want it
that way.....tell me why.....
"This sounds
familiar." Why the hell is that?
"Yeah, it's
a Backstreet Boys song."
"Why the
hell would I know a Backstreet Boys song?"
She's laughin'.
What's so damn funny?
"Probably
same reason I know every George Jones song. You must've gotten it from me,
Logan. Unless there's something you'd like to tell me....."
"Fuck."
12:18
She's drawin'
somethin'. I wonder what. She's been drawin' for a half hour. Still need
to find an art supply store somewhere. Wanna be sure to get her what she
needs.
She looks
like she's concentrating so hard. She gets so absorbed in it. That's really
her gift.
Dammit,
bump. Gotta look out for the fucking potholes. Gotta be hard to draw when
we're drivin'.
Wonder what
it is. She likes to draw me, maybe it's me. She has a serious thing for some
of my features. The other day, she was on about my ears. Fuck, I don't think
anyone else has ever noticed my ears. Except, you know, to try to rip them
off in a fight or something. That one Sabretooth got healed real good.
Maybe she's
drawing her. Wonder how she does that when she's not lookin' in a mirror or
somethin'. I guess she knows what she looks like. Maybe I can ask her to
draw another bike. She could probably manage that with pencil and paper.
1:18
"Oh, be
patient, I'm almost done."
"Are you
gonna tell me what it is then?"
"Maybe."
I like it when she teases me. Nobody teases me. Probably because they're
afraid I'll kick the shit out of them.
"Is it me?"
"Hey! I
draw other things besides you."
Got her.
"It is me, isn't it?"
"Well, I
can't help it if you're a compelling subject."
"C'mon.
Show me."
"Oh all
right, I guess it's as done as it's going to be."
Damn, what
part of me is that? Oh, OK, my knuckles. With a little scrape on them? I
don't have a - wait a minute, I did, this morning for a second. When I was
fixing the wire. She drew it from memory.
"Well?"
"Why'd you
draw that?" Weird part to focus on. Claws under there and -
"It caught
my attention."
"Hmm." Wonder
if she *is* pissed about this morning 'cause the scrape was when I was bitchin'
about -
"What?"
"Dunno.
You mad about what I said about the car?"
"Nope."
"That's
when I scraped 'em, when I was fixin' the car and bitchin'."
"No, it
just happened to catch my attention in the middle of your bitching."
"Hmm."
"You don't
like this one."
"It's a
real good drawing."
"But it
bothers you."
"I guess.
I don't like that part of me."
2:18
You know,
this sucks. She should know I can't say things and make them come out right.
And now she thinks I didn't like her drawing. I'm just not good at this shit.
And she's
all quiet, just starin' out the window. Fuck. Usually when I fuck up, she'll
say something. She's pretty good at calling me on shit.
"Hey, kid?"
"Yeah?"
"You're
quiet."
"Yeah. Thinking,
I guess."
"OK."
3:18
"Logan?"
Shit, finally.
I thought she was never gonna talk. "Yeah?"
"Can I ask
you something?"
"Sure."
Just as long as you keep talkin' to me.
"I can guess
why you don't like the claws - I mean, they weren't your choice, and bad
memories, I understand - but why don't you like your hands, your knuckles?
I mean, that's you, part of you."
This is
what she's been thinkin' on for the past God knows how long? Why I don't
like my hands?
"Yeah, I
guess."
"Hmm."
"I don't
know what to tell ya, kid. I just don't like 'em. Don't let it bother you
or nothin'."
That wasn't
the right thing to say. She's wearin' the sad look.
"You have
beautiful hands, though."
4:18
"Wanna stop
for somethin' to eat soon?"
"Sure. I
am getting a little hungry."
"OK."
"Are we
gonna stop for the night tonight, or are you thinking about driving through?"
"Dunno."
Could stop at a motel, still enough towns around down here. Wanna get some
distance, though. "What do you want to do?"
"Doesn't
matter to me. I could sleep in a bed again, but on the other hand, we could
save the money we'd spend on a motel. If you do want to drive through, you
should let me drive a while after we stop."
"OK."
"I like
your hands." I shoulda known she hadn't forgotten about that.
"Good. You
drew 'em real good."
"It bothers
me that you don't like them because I wonder how you can not like something
that makes me feel so good."
The hell?
Not that that didn't sound good, but - she musta caught my look 'cause there
she goes blushing. Damn, that looks all kinds of good on her. You know, it's
times like this I realize, if I was honest with myself, I'd admit that I
wanted her from the word go. But even I'm not that big an asshole. Well, that,
and once we got to Chuck's there was no way. They'd kinda frown on it a little
more than bar owners and fight announcers woulda.
"I-I mean,
when you touch me." More blushing. Shit, she's gonna turn beet red in a minute.
"I mean your hands feel good when you touch me. Even through gloves or clothes,
I like it." She's tryin' to get herself together now, to explain it right.
I know that look in her eye. "See, there's three kinds of people who touch
me."
"Yeah?"
"People who
make me feel uncomfortable, people that I don't mind touching me, and people
that feel good. You're pretty much the only person that's ever felt good."
Damn, I
could kiss her right now. I could pull right over on the side of the road
and kiss her for that.
5:18
"Don't you
want nothin' else?"
"No, but
I think I'll take the other half of the sandwich with us for later."
She didn't
eat much. Wonder if she's OK. She seems OK, but what the hell do I know?
"I'm gonna
get some pie."
"Maybe I'll
steal a bite." God, I wonder if she knows how her eyes shine when she teases
like that.
"Yeah? Who
said I'd let ya? You can get your own dessert."
"I just
want a bite." Damn if that didn't come out all seductive. Little vixen. "You
don't usually mind sharing with me." I swear, she's pouting. It's sexy.
"I'll make
you a deal. Bite of the pie if you make me another drawing." Two can play
at that game. And you like it when I touch you, so I'm just gonna grab that
little gloved hand. Start touching you.
"You have
anything special in mind?" Her breathing changed. Got her.
"Maybe another
bike?"
"I could
do that, but....." Got a touch of the devil in her eye. She's up to something.
"Yeah?"
"Well, if
you're going to make a request, I thought you might ask for a picture of
me, you know, or a particular part of me."
Shit, shit
shit. Now that's fucking tempting, and she's just smiling over at me with
those big full lips and smelling real good and -
"It's going
to have to wait until daylight, but I'd be open to suggestion."
Fuck. I
have some prime suggestions, girlie.
"You pick.
A part of you, though. Nothin' better than that one picture of you that you
sent before."
"Flatterer."
Now she's rubbing my hand back. Little flirt.
6:18
"I vote
motel."
"You tired
already?" Shouldn't take her up on it when she offers to drive. She's still
got the headaches and I can tell it bothers her, especially night driving.
"No, no
I'm fine. Just have that insane urge to sleep in a bed."
"Gotta suppress
that."
That's a
smile I like. Her pleased smile. When I've done something to please her.
"Want me
to drive some?"
"In a little
bit. I'm OK."
7:18
"There's
really not that much to tell, honest."
"I wanna
know."
"I just
kind of lugged you across Arizona. I grabbed some day labor jobs and did
paintings with the canvases I had left. Not much more to tell."
"Why don't
you wanna talk about it?"
She's getting
pissed, I can tell, but ever since I made a joke about me being out for so
long, she's been real quiet and I wanna know what the fuck -
"It's just
stressful to think about. I was scared, and I didn't know what was going
to happen to us."
"I'm sorry,
kid."
"It's OK.
It's over now. I just....I just don't really like to talk about it."
Maybe I
shouldn't push her. God knows there are enough things she just lets me drop.
"Hey - you
don't hafta be OK now, you know. I can take care of us now."
Oh shit,
that was wrong, she's gonna cry. Is she -she's pulling over. Aw, fuck.
"Marie -
"
Ooomph.
She's gonna hug the life outta me. Shit. She's crying, really crying now.
Maybe that was the right thing to say.
8:18
"I can drive
a little more, really."
"Nope. I
got it covered."
Didn't know
there was still so much in there about what happened. She's still crying a
little. Should've been paying attention better. Take my head out of my ass
once in a while. I've been still letting her do stuff that maybe I shouldnta.
Fuck.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, darlin'.
You just sit back and close your eyes, OK? I'll let you know when we come
up on a motel."
"OK."
I gotta
say something before we start driving again, and it's not gonna come out
right, but fuck it.
"Look, Marie,
I'm gonna take care of us now. I promise. I haven't been good at keepin' that
promise, I know. I was almost too late when Magneto got you, I was nowhere
to be found when Sabretooth got you. You're the one that had to take that
bastard out in Texas, and you're the one that had to get me outta that house
in Los Alamos and deal with all the fallout. That's gonna stop right now.
Got it?"
"We're a
team, Logan, partners. I can carry my own weight."
"You carried
me a whole fucking lot these past few weeks. My turn." I sound mad. Fuck,
I didn't mean to be so -
"I wish
I could kiss you right now."
Fuck, when
she looks at me like that, God, I wonder if she knows what that feels like
for me. I wonder if she knows what it does to me.
"Come here."
The scarf. I can use the scarf to kiss her and I'll be careful and -
God, she
tastes good, even through the scarf. Want her. Bad. God.....
Get it under
control, Logan. Can't throw her into the back seat. She's not ready. She's
not ready. She's not ready.
"OK?"
"Very."
She's all flushed again, damn.
"OK."
"Hey - thanks
for catering to my emotional breakdown."
"Anytime,
kid."
9:18
I've never
seen someone look so pretty when they sleep. She always gets embarrassed in
the morning because she thinks she looks weird and her hair gets all messed
up. She drools on me sometimes too, and I always tell her I don't mind, but
I know she's embarrassed by it.
She had
to be scared to death to face Sabretooth at that campground, but she held
her ground and took him down. For the second time. Those goddamn x-geeks weren't
doin' any better at keepin' her safe than I have. And that's a damn poor
state of affairs. She deserves a lot better.
There she
goes again, moanin' a little in her sleep. It's a nightmare, I can tell. She
starts to toss and turn and she frowns and crinkles her eyebrows. She's had
a couple since we've been on the road, since Westchester. Probably mine. Fuck.
I gotta
quit fucking up with her. I've done as much bad as good where she's concerned
and I gotta start making up for it.
10:18
"Logan?"
"Shh." Stay
asleep, don't wake up.
"Where are
we?"
"Found a
motel."
"Are you
carrying me?"
"Yeah, just
go back to sleep, darlin'. I'll put you in the bed."
"I was having
bad dreams....."
"I know.
It's OK. They're just dreams." I can never think of anything good to say
to her when she wakes up from a nightmare. She always makes me feel better,
and I can't remember her ever sayin' anything, just hangin' on to me real
tight and - oh yeah, got it.
"Are you
coming to bed with me?"
"Yeah, just
let me get your shoes off. And your gloves."
"No, Logan,
leave them on."
"No, baby,
I'll put mine on."
"Come to
bed with me."
"Right now,
darlin'."
11:18
"No..."
What the
fuck?
"No, please...."
God, it's
Marie. Nightmare. Fuck, I thought she'd gone down into deep sleep. Fuck.
"Stop...."
"Marie,
shh. It's OK."
"Don't....."
I could
kill that fucking bastard Sabretooth. Or Magneto, or Mystique, or those government
fuckers, or whoever is screwing with her in her dream. I am gonna kill them,
as soon as I get the chance. They're fucked as hell, they just don't know
it yet.
"Please....."
"Shh....."
"Logan -
"
"Shh...."
"Don't leave
me."
Oh God.
It's me, it's me in her fucking nightmare. God. It's me.
"Mmmph.
Logan?" She's up now.
"I'm here,
I'm right here." Fuck, I scared her too. I scared her bad. She couldn't still
think I might leave, after everything she - well of course she does, or she
wouldn't be having nightmares about it, dumb ass. Fuck. Of course she does,
I left her once in New York and I would've left her in Nevada if she hadn't
just about exploded her own head. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She must fucking hate
me for that.
"Sorry.
Didn't mean to wake you."
How can
she do that? How can she just roll over into me and move her hands over my
chest and say she's sorry for waking me after she's having a fucking nightmare
*about* me? Goddamn it, I -
"Logan?
You OK?"
"Yeah. I'm
right here, darlin'. You just go back to sleep. I'm not goin' anywhere."
"Did I say
something?"
"You were
dreamin' about me leavin'. Don't you worry about that any more, OK?"
I gotta
make her understand. I don't wanna be one of her nightmares, please, God.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
12:18
I just wanna
watch for a while. You look so pretty when you're asleep. You're havin' good
dreams now, I can tell. You got that little smile on your lips.
I'm gonna
take care of you, baby. You're the only person I've ever given a shit about
and I'm not gonna let you down. I'm gonna make sure you know that too. Everything's
gonna change, from here on out. I promise.
|