Lamentations

by Majestrix Windrider

Companion to "Am I?" Not neccessarily a sequel, but third in that continuum.

            I smiled as she came closer. Ororo looked good enough to eat in her track pants and sports bra. "Are you ready?"

            "The question is, are you ready." I laughed. She wanted me to teach her hand to hand combat, so she could be better prepared besides her powers. I agreed, never could spend too much time with her, which was a first for me.

            "I'm serious. I don't want for you to hold back." She started to stretch and I forgot what I was about to say. "Logan."

            "What?" I snapped out of the thoughts I was having, smiling sheepishly.

            "I said, I don't want you to hold back. I want to learn all you can teach me." She smiled enthusiastically as she pulled her hair back in a rubber band.

            "I'm not, but I'm not going to treat you like you're Sabertooth either." I smirked, watching her.

            "Why thank you." She said dryly, cracking her knuckles. "Are you ready?" We were in the training room, blue mats to each bare metallic wall. Our voices echoed slightly, the padding beneath our bare feet spongy, perfect for absorbing shock.

            " 'Ro, you know, we've got the whole day to do the combat training. We can go back to your room, and have a little workout there." I appealed to her, coming closer. She smiled as I stepped right up on her, the broad of my chest on her arm. Turning, she put her arms around my neck and gave me a real juicy kiss before letting me go. "So I'll take that as a yes." I said, picking her up quickly.

            "No! Logan, there is no time like the present!" She protested, laughing at the look on my face.

            "Sure there is. Like 2 o'clock. That's a perfect time."

            "In four hours? We can take a break in four hours." Okay, perhaps it wasn't the best of moves, but I did it. I opened up my arms and let her drop to the floor. She hit with a most definite ungraceful squeak, anger in her eyes. Ororo surprises me at times, and this was one of them. She wind milled her legs and caught me in the back of my heel, causing me to crash to the floor.

            Let me tell you, getting jarred in anyway with a lot of metal on your bones hurt, even with the mat on the ground. It wasn't that bad, but I groaned loudly for her benefit. She stood over me, a look of concern on her gorgeous face. I closed my eyes weakly and she knelt down, and through the narrow slits that my eyes were open I could see a ton of cleavage. "Logan, I'm sorry. Are you-" She couldn't continue as I grabbed her arms and threw her over my shoulder.

            I turned just in time to see her hit the wall hard, falling to the ground below. I cringed and walked over to her, and extended my hand. "Perhaps I was a bit rough on you since it is your first-" Ororo took my hand and spun closer, elbowing me in the armpit and kicking me in the head. If I hadda known she could extend her leg so her foot went behind her head, I could have used that last night.

            I reeled back in shock and conflicting pain, and felt that mind clouding tingle when my healing factor is repairing big damage. My face cleared and my eyes uncrossed, just in time to see Ororo come back at me. If I could have, I would have laughed. She looked so intense, so focused. She tried to jab me in the neck, but I caught her arm and twisted it around, forcing her on her knees. She couldn't see me smiling, so I leaned close and enjoyed her scent. Cinnamon and vanilla, slightly scented with soap.

            "You wanna give up now?" She struggled in my grip, but she wasn't going anywhere. I grabbed her other arm as it came up to strike me, causing her to be totally trapped. "Oh come on Ororo. You did good. I mean, for a girl." I knew that would infuriate her, and boy, was I right. She slammed her head into my face, and I dropped her arms, falling onto my back.

            She waited until I rose, on guard as I stood. "Come on Logan. I thought you were better than this." I laughed slightly and advanced, holding my arms in front of me, crossed in front of my chest as a guard, just running straight at her. Her big brown eyes, the eyes I know I could drown in if I tried, were wide with slight fear as I came closer. I picked up too much momentum to stop, or be stopped, so her kicks to my ribs were basically worthless. I slammed into her with a lot of force, slamming her into the wall.

            She landed on the ground, looking more than a little winded. "Come on 'Ro. Wanna call it a day? I won't tell anyone. You're doing good." She staggered to her feet, and I realized more than one reason why I loved her. My heart seized up and I knew I had a blank look on my face. Loved? LOVED? What in the hell?

            I didn't even see the blow, just left my body a big ass target for her to decide how to hit. She delivered a stinging roundhouse to the side of my head, catching my chest with a knee jab in the diaphragm. I groaned as I dropped to the mat, catching myself with my hands. Her foot went to kick me in the face but I caught it, using it to swing her around slightly, her form (very sexy I might add) slid along the mat, coasting to a stop a few inches from the wall.

            "You're tougher than I thought." I admitted, standing again. She stood as well and glared. "What?!" Damn, women can't take compliments.

            "Nothing. Come on." My shoulders slumped on their own. "I don't want to fight anymore!"

            "You know, you whine."

            "I don't 'Ro. Scooter whines. Real men don't whine." I snorted and went on the offense, meeting her with a barrage of punches. She dodged five before I nailed her on the side. She broke away doubled over, and for a second I was scared I had hurt her, seriously hurt her. " 'Ro, you okay?" I ran over to her and knelt down.

            She uppercut me. Uppercut me. I stumbled back at least five feet before hitting the mat. It hurt to move my jaw while it healed. Damn, she could have broken it. That's my girl. I smile when the pain is gone, and raise my head just in time to see her throw a kick. I catch her foot again and threw her, and she hit the mat angrily.

            She wants to be good. She doesn't like being helpless in any situation. I hadn't seen her best in hand to hand, and already she was good. There wasn't a whole lot I would need to teach her. I stood and sighed. "What?" She asked me, raising an eyebrow, in that way that makes me want to just jump on her and make love to her for hours.

            I shook those thoughts out of my head, for right now that is. "You're good."

            "Thanks." She cocked her head. "What do I need to know?" She stood in front of me.

            "You don't defend your left side that well, or your back. You also hesitate when you kick, like you don't want to." She frowned slightly and shrugged.

            "I don't know. I don't particularly like fighting." I rolled my eyes.

            " 'Ro, we fight. That's what we do." She looked angry for a second, but it passed and she nodded her head.

            "Move on."

            "You also need to stop leaving yourself open to being thrown. You're not that heavy, and someone with a good sense of balance and some strength could really make you fly." The thought of someone touching my 'Ro made me want to go and kick some people's ass. Maybe I would start with Cyclops….

            "Want me to gain some weight?" Ororo smiled slightly.

            "Hell no. I didn't say that." I shook my head and threw a punch. It glanced off of her shoulder as she fell back in surprise. I came forward and caught both feet in the chest, hard. I fell back again and groaned, the wind knocked out of me. I didn't want to get up anymore, and decided not to. I turned my head and Ororo was still on the ground, breathing hard.

            "You know," She said, laughing slightly, "We're two sweaty, tired people. Lets do this later."

            "Now you want to listen woman." I laid there, looking at the ceiling. I was comfortable, somewhat, and didn't really want to move right then. "Tomorrow." I said.

            "Tomorrow." She agreed, rolling over and rising to her feet. She came to stand over me, and I grinned.

            "Come to join me?"

            "You're sweaty." She said, smiling.

            "Yeah, so? You are too."

            "Okay. I'm going to take a shower."

            "Then so am I."

            "Alone."

            "That isn't fun." I frowned. She laughed and shook her head. A lot of her hair came out of the band, an abrasion on her cheek where she had slid against the mat. I winced and sighed. "Does it hurt?"

            "Does what-oh. No. It hurt at first, but hey, It will heal."

            "Yeah, but will it scar?"

            "I don't get scars." I raised an eyebrow. "It has to do with my mutant powers. Now matter what, I don't scar." She shrugged. "Want lunch?"

            "Hell yeah."

            "Must you be profane?"

            "Must you be profane?" I mimicked in a high pitched voice. She kicked my in the ribs and I laughed. "Yeah I want some food." I got to my feet and yawned.

            "After your shower." She held her nose as I got nearer. I narrowed my eyes and started to chase after her. She squealed and ran into the women's shower. I didn't have the energy to join her, so I just went to the men's.

            Stripping down, the hot water felt good as it massaged my tired muscles. Ororo was right in the next room, giving me a chance to sort through what I had become preoccupied with when I was sparring. Did I love her? We'd been going out for about 7 months, and I'll admit I've never felt like this with any other woman, including Jean. I did love her. I loved the way she knew she couldn't change me, the way she didn't want to change me. The way I could talk to her without feeling embarrassed or stupid. I'm not a stupid guy, I just don't like talking about my feelings. And why should I, they're private. Well, the ones deep down, like the feeling I had now about Ororo.

            I just wanted to be there for her, protect her and make her happy. Hell, she turned me on like no woman ever has, just by walking by and smiling. Hell of a lot to make me stay home from the bar, trying to find some cheap thrill in some nameless woman who liked my biceps. Ororo had class, grace, and intellect, and she's the person I start measuring women against.

            I do love her. I don't have any thought of my future without her. All of my future plans involve her, her being with me. But seven months. How could I be sure it was love? I thought I loved Jean. Jean. Well, what can I say. She was the first person I saw, the most out eye catching person. Jean made you look a long time admiring her beauty, but Ororo made you look, then look again to make sure what you saw wasn't some hallucination.

            Ororo's curves where Jean's angles, and they excited different parts of me as I pursued them. Jean was of animal curiosity. She smelled really nice. Kindness and compassion in one wrapped up red package. The sole fact that she was Scott's made me chase her longer than I would have. I just don't like that man. Why does he go around with a large stick up his ass? His wife could move it, if he asked her to.

            I was interested in her in the beginning, but then Ororo started registering. I would find myself looking at her at times, noticing little things. Like she smiles the most when she's outside, or she gets cabin fever when it rains and storms. She has such a big heart, and the kids know it. They come to her with their problems and she listens, really listens.

            You could drool looking at that woman move. I mean, damn. She walked past me one day and it took all of my self control not to just wrestle her to the ground. I had too much respect for her. That was the difference between her and Jean. I liked Jean true enough, and I think of her as somewhere along the lines of a friend, but I don't quite respect her. Not that she's done something, it's just the opposite, she hasn't done anything to gain it.

            Not even a week after I came back we were in battle, upper New York, in a swamp. That's what it should have been called, a swamp. The land was weak and watery, and I couldn't move much, just sinking.  Scott was basically ineffectual, his beams blowing up mounds of wet dirt into the air. Mystique was dodging them easily, nailing hits like crazy. Jean had Toad, learning from her earlier lesson and using her telekinesis to throw him against different trees, his tongue telekinically wrapped around his waist.

            I was up to my armpits, and angry as shit. Sabertooth was deadlocked with 'Ro, and she was holding her own. He scratched a long rent down the side of her uniform, opening the tight leather from her waist to her armpit. It was clear that she wasn't wearing a bra, and that really got him going as he smacked her hard in the jaw, sending her flying. He ran after her, his bulk making it hard to run as he sank down into the muck a couple of inches.

            'Ro had just collected herself as he landed on her, crushing the air out of her lungs. He licked her face and I fought the mud harder, angered beyond belief. I looked at Jean and Cyclops, to see if they could help. Toad was out, but Jean was just playing with him about 10 yards away, swinging and spinning the guy through the air, slamming him into trees.

            I yelled for her to help 'Ro, but she was too intent on making the guy pay. Scott was still fighting Mystique, who was tiring slightly, but way too busy to help. I fought harder but the mud clung to me and my metal like it wanted me for lunch. Ororo was struggling as Sabertooth pulled her to her feet, his hand holding both her arms back behind her. Her efforts only made the rip split farther down, her brown hip coming into view. "Yeah girlie. Keep goin', cause one way or another, you're gonna scream for me." He licked her ear and 'Ro shuddered, and I roared.

            I was so angry, frustrated and pissed off, and I couldn't  do a damn thing about it. Jean could have, but she couldn't, or didn't, want to hear me. I roared again and Sabertooth looked at me curiously, for once taking his eyes off of 'Ro. She stopped struggling and concentrated, and her eyes turned white. He dragged her over as he came, and knelt down close enough so I could smell his nasty breath.

            "You know runt, I think I'll punt your head like a football." I looked at Ororo and smiled.

            "I don't think so bub." I grinned as Ororo let loose. I felt the wind that came down with the lightning bolt. It felt like her, her in the wind as the biggest ever bolt of lighting hit Sabertooth straight in the face. The light consumed them both, he held her so close that she was struck too. My heart stopped beating for a second and I stopped breathing. She couldn't have survived that. She didn't have a healing factor, even my face was burned, which was rapidly healing.

            To my amazement Sabertooth sailed clear out of the forest, the splintering of trees going on for a while before I heard a thud. Ororo was perfectly fine, not a singe or sign that she just got hit by lightning. She looked down at me, eyes still white, and it was right then that I realized she was breathtaking. Absolutely and totally breathtaking. She closed her eyes and staggered slightly, but I felt the winds build up and start to swirl around me, the mud releasing me slowly but surely as it was pushed from my body.

            She lifted me up into the air, and put me down beside the Blackbird, where the ground was firm. My eyes didn't leave her form as she stood again shakily. She held her side as she made it over, Jean running over to Scott, slamming Mystique into a tree so hard I heard something snap, and it wasn't the tree. They were so wrapped up in themselves that they didn't notice Ororo as she came closer.

            She still moved gracefully as ever, pain on her face as I realized there was blood seeping through her hands. She made it to me and I asked her if she needed help. She looked at me and shook her head no, and walked with her head held high into the plane. I followed her, not saying anything as a deep interest started for me. It made me want to know what made this woman tick.

            Sitting down in the navigator seat she quickly turned on her station, turning as Jean and Scott came in and closed the door. Scott was holding what we were fighting for, a nuclear warhead Magneto was going to use on the White House. We lifted off, and I couldn't keep my eyes off of the back of Ororo's chair, throughout the entire trip. That's when it started.

            Turning off the shower, I toweled off and emerged, good smelling and wearing clean clothes. Ororo was waiting for me, her hair still wet as she stretched carefully. "You okay?" I asked, coming closer, my wet feet making a little noise on the mats.

            "Yes, just a bit sore." She winced as she rotated her shoulder. "Already." She laughed. I took her by the waist and gave her a kiss, no longer a reason for me to hold back. When we parted she smiled, and looked me in the eye. Jean never did that. "What was that for?"

            "Nothin'. Why does it have to be for something?" I asked quickly, realizing it did mean something. All my kisses meant something to me when I kissed her.

            "It doesn't." She looked like she wanted to say something.

            "Spill it."

            "I love you." I started smiling like an idiot. "What?"

            "I love you too darlin'." She beamed and kissed me again.

            "Logan, you've made me so happy today." She smiled and I smiled too. I loved someone, and they loved me back. Is this what all those mushy love songs kept singing about? Well damn, I'd have to listen to one now.

            "I try." I buried my nose in her hair as we just stood there, holding each other. "So what do I get?"

            "What do you want?" Her voice got that breathy quality it did when I started kissing the spot behind her ear.

            "You know what I want." I traced a pattern down her neck with my tongue, my finger sliding down the front of her tee shirt. She shivered in my arms and I immediately hardened, almost to the point of pain.

            "What about lunch?" She asked, dropping her gym bag as I tilted her back slightly.

            "What about it?" I looked her in the eye and kissed her, the last words said for a long time.