Moonlight lit the huge lawns in front of the mansion, and fresh snow was falling, covering the footprints of the children that had dented the first snowfall that morning. Everyone else had gone to bed, but Kurt Wagner sat at Logan's bedroom window, silently watching the empty gardens. He smiled to himself as he remembered his own childhood, travelling in the cold countries where there was a lot of snow. They would build snowmen and have snowball fights, and compete to put down the most footprints. Logan was asleep, and had not yet realised that Kurt had moved from the bed. Kurt put his hand against the window, feeling the cool glass as he longed to be out there, in the snow. Nobody would know. Nobody would see. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on the window pane, cooling his face. He stood there for a minute, before coming to a decision. With a small iwhoosh/i Kurt teleported to the ground just outside the window he had been staring out of. Logan, Wolverine, was almost animal, and his senses were keener than anybody else's. The noise Kurt made when he teleported woke him up, and he felt that Kurt was gone. He knew sometimes Kurt went to sit by the window, and look out at the world; missing the travelling family life of the circus, but he was not there now. Logan walked over to the window, and looked out; quickly spotting the indigo skinned figure wandering on the grounds, marking the snow with oddly shaped footprints. Logan smiled when he noticed Kurt was wearing one of his jackets. He turned away from the window, grabbed a different jacket and slipped out of the room.
Logan padded down the stairs as quietly as he could; waking anybody up would mean the private snow would not be private anymore. He quietly let himself out of the front door, and crept up behind Kurt, who was still just wandering around, looking like he'd never seen snow before.
"Hey, kid," Logan said, almost into Kurt's ear. Kurt physically convulsed as Logan made him jump, and spun around quickly.
"Ah! Logan! Don't do that to me!" Logan just laughed.
"Why are you up anyway? Especially out here in the cold? And is that imy/i coat?"
"Ja, it's your coat. But all of mine are downstairs. I was awake and…I saw the snow that nobody had stepped on. It's so beautiful. I wanted a chance to be out in it before anyone else was."
"All right then. I'm feeling generous. You can keep my coat on. For now."
"Well, danke," Kurt retorted, sarcastically. Logan smiled.
"You know your footprints are really weird?" Kurt looked back and laughed too.
"It looks like a bird has been walking across the snow." Kurt reached for Logan's hand. At first Logan tried to pull away, but Kurt held on and they walked together in silence, leaving two lines of footprints leading away from the mansion school, into a small wooded area to the left of the house. Logan pushed Kurt against a tree, and kissed him roughly. Kurt smiled into the kiss and teleported away before Logan could do anything. Logan could smell Kurt, hear him, but not see him. Yet.
Suddenly something cold hit him on the side of the head. Kurt had thrown a snowball at him. "So much for before the kids step on the snow! You iare/i a damn kid!"
Kurt laughed and threw another. Logan still could not see him, but he knew he was close. iThere!/i Behind that tree. Logan snook around and jumped on Kurt, pinning him to the ground.
"Right. You're dead now!" he grinned.
"I beg to differ, mein freund! Very much alive!"
Logan's smile widened. "I love it when you're like this, you know. Sometimes you can be so moody and serious!"
"So can you. Maybe it's the snow? It seems to have an effect on people."
"Maybe. I'm still going to kill you for throwing that, Kurt. I'll give you a head start. And ino/i teleporting!"
"Not fair!" Kurt smiled, but struggled free and ran across the lawn again; using his hands and feet to run, like an animal. Logan let him get a few metres away, before getting up and following him, easily catching up and jumping on him again, the two of them rolling over, getting freezing white powder in their hair, on their face, on their clothes. Logan shook the snow from his hair, and brushed most of it out of Kurt's with his fingertips. He buried his hands in Kurt's silky soft hair and kissed him again, urgent and rough like he always was. Kurt kissed back with softer lips, Logan feeling the rough skin of Kurt's scars. Kurt buried his own fingers in Logan's hair, pulling at the tangles he had acquired from moving about in his sleep. Kurt liked the feeling of Logan's mouth twitching when he felt the sharp pain. Kurt wrapped his long tail around Logan's waist, pulling their hips together, still running his fingers through Logan's hair. Logan bit Kurt's lip with desire as they pressed together, sliding the coat from Kurt's narrow shoulders. Kurt raised his body so they were chest to chest. Logan slid his hand up Kurt's loose cotton t shirt he slept in, and made him gasp; Logan's fingers were freezing from the snow. They began to feel warmer as Logan traced Kurt's muscles, or scars. Kurt smiled and slid his tail under Logan's coat and shirt, tracing ihis/i lines of muscle. Logan moved his hands down. "Not all the way, mein liebster," Kurt panted, feeling the cold more than Logan; he was thinner, and was lying in the snow. Logan nodded, and put his hands inside Kurt's underwear, touching his erection, making him breathe in quickly, and jerk his hips at the sensation. Kurt began to press his fingers into Logan's skin as Logan moved; and moved his hands downwards as well. They stayed kissing all the time, and Kurt moved down occasionally to kiss Logan's chest. Logan took Kurt's t shirt off, and he shivered a little in the cold air. Logan wasted no time in putting his arms around Kurt again, and licking at his bare shoulders and neck. They resumed the touching and kissing and moving again, Kurt still shivering as they did so, until eventually they both came. Kurt pulled his t shirt and Logan's jacket back on, and sat up. He realised how tired he was, and yawned. Logan laughed and picked him up. Kurt smiled at how strong Logan was, and they went back to bed. The clock read 2:00am and Kurt quickly fell asleep.
About two hours later he woke up again. His head hurt and he was cold all over. His throat was very dry, so he crept to the bathroom to get a glass of water. It hurt when he swallowed. Kurt was suddenly taken over by a coughing fit. He groaned and shuffled back to bed, dragging his tail limply behind him. Kurt buried under the covers; waking Logan up. "You okay kid?" he asked, sleepily.
"Ja, ja fine," Kurt whispered back, his voice hoarse. In truth, he wanted to tell Logan that he wasn't, he was ill, and he wanted to be held, but the Wolverine wasn't the soft sentimental type. He probably wouldn't appreciate Kurt clinging on to him. Kurt turned away and tried to sleep again. He hoped he would be well enough to teach the children later. He finally drifted off again near dawn, but was woken after what seemed like only minutes, by Logan getting up. Kurt didn't feel any better; his nose was blocked now.
"You sure you're okay kid? You look…I don't know…kind of pale."
"Ja, Herr Logan. But I think I'll stay in today."
"Sore throat? Your voice shows it."
"Yeah. I think I have the 'flu."
"Lovely." Logan said, sarcastically. "I warn you now kid, I'm not so good at the whole "taking care of people" thing."
"You've taken care of me so far."
"But not when you've been iill"/i
Kurt laughed shakily. "I'll be fine in a few days. If you could just explain to everyone why I can't take my classes that'd be great. Oh, and could you find me a box of tissues?"
"I'll do my best." Logan went to get a shower, and get dressed for his day of teaching the kids instead of Scott Summers, Cyclops, who wasn't feeling up to much, since the death of Jean Grey. Logan came out of the bathroom, and sat back down next to Kurt.
"Come here, kid," he smiled, pulling Kurt into a hug carefully; after all, Kurt was ill. Kurt rested his aching head on Logan's shoulder, and wrapped his arms around Logan too. "I'm not as cold as you take me for y'know kid."
"Glad to hear it. I'm feeling better already," Kurt coughed.
Logan smiled, and they stayed there for a few minutes; Logan stroking Kurt's back to soothe him.
"I have to go now. I'll come and see you later."
"Dankeschön, Logan." Kurt said, gratefully, then sneezed.
"Gesundheit," Logan said, as he walked out of the room.
"Hey wait! How do you know the German? You haven't been learning have you?"
"Nope. Just something everyone used to say whenever anyone sneezed. Not so much any more though. Gone out of fashion I guess."
Logan went downstairs to the shared kitchen, and found Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, making toast and setting out cereal for the mutant children, who the school was a safe haven to. "Good morning Logan," she greeted him. She glanced behind Logan, and still did not see his roommate. "Where's Kurt today?"
"Morning 'Ro. He's ill. Staying in bed with the 'flu."
"Oh the poor thing!" Storm gasped, rummaging in the cupboards and fridge for a glass and some orange juice. "I'll give you some things to take up to him."
"Thanks a lot, kid," Logan smiled gratefully, accepting the tray Storm handed him. He took a piece of buttered toast from the plate nearest him and went back upstairs, ignoring Storm's objections and annoyance. Logan didn't bother knocking, and pushed open the bedroom door with his shoulder. It was his room first, after all. It was still technically his, Kurt just shared it. Kurt himself was sitting up in their bed with the blankets wrapped around him, deep in a book.
"Watch it kid, you're getting your germs everywhere!" Logan made Kurt jump again and he pretended to be angry.
"Shouldn't you knock first? It's rude to just barge in you know. What if I'd been doing something…inappropriate?"
"It's imy/i room. I let you sleep here actually. And If I'd caught you at something, I'd probably have joined in."
"Do you only ever think of sex, Logan?"
"Of course not! What do you take me for? Sometimes I think about food."
"You iare/i terrible, mein freund!"
"That's been said, many times before." They both laughed, and Kurt had another coughing fit afterwards. "Hell, you're really sick aren't you?"
"Maybe, but it's not too bad. I've put up with worse. Anyway, why have you come back so soon?"
"Storm's sent some stuff up for you. Let's see…Orange juice? Works every time."
"Ah, right now, I am ready to believe your sweet lies." Logan passed Kurt the glass of fresh orange, and Kurt drank it all.
"Oh, iwunderbar/i. Now my lips are all sticky."
"Stop being so picky! You hungry? Storm's given you toast, cereal, chocolate?! Yoghurt, pain killers. Several different varieties of pain killers actually…cough drops, sleeping pills….woman's gone over the top there…a cup of tea, a glass of water, some coca cola?! And some tissues. Now you can blow your nose. Pleasant."
"I think I'll have some painkillers and toast, bitte Logan."
"I wanted the toast!"
"Stop being childish. Besides, you've already had some. You can eat the cereal."
"Can't I eat the chocolate?" Logan joked.
"We'll split it." Kurt sneezed, took two painkillers, and daintily nibbled at the toast.
"You can't even eat like a man," Logan laughed. "You sit there inibbling/i toast. Why not just bite it?"
"I iam/i biting it. Just not taking two bites and finishing it. iYou/i can't eat properly, you're barely even chewing that cereal!" Logan ignored this remark and continued eating Kurt's breakfast. Finally Logan had to go to start teaching the children, so he took the tray with him.
"Don't go mein liebster!" Kurt wailed.
"Have to kid. I'll see you after each class; it's not like I'm far away."
"Well if you come back, you might very well catch me doing something inappropriate. But don't I at least get some attention from you?"
"Do you need to ask?" Logan kissed Kurt gently on his orange juice stained lips, and pulled him close. They broke apart and Logan left again.
For the rest of the day Kurt stayed in bed, reading books that would help him learn English properly. Some of his other friends came to see him, but he wouldn't let them get close like he did with Logan; he knew Logan wouldn't catch his illness, and he didn't really want half the school to feel as bad as he did. Kurt fell asleep in the afternoon, and missed Logan's visit. When he looked at Kurt sleeping, Logan realised how beautiful Kurt really was, and what a shame it was he was ill, so he couldn't do much with him later. Kurt woke up in the evening, and read some more, reflecting on how boring being ill was. When Logan came to bed, he was feeling slightly better.
"I spent all damn day thinking about you, kid. How are you feeling?"
"Better, danke. I thought of you a lot, too." Kurt wrapped all he could around Logan; sitting in his lap, and wrapping arms, legs and tail around Logan, kissing him first. Logan kissed back, but Kurt broke away suddenly. "Hey wait what?" he began, but then Kurt sneezed again.
"Maybe not that much better, mein freund. I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling up to…anything tonight." Kurt rested his head on Logan's shoulder again, and curled up against him. Logan laid them both on the bed, and Kurt soon fell asleep again, his breathing measured and soft against Logan's cheek. Logan stroked stray hairs away from Kurt's face and kissed him gently; he looked so small and childlike. When he was better Logan could do what he liked to him, be rough and satisfy his sexual desires. But when he was ill, Logan could try to be a bit softer, look after Kurt and make himself feel good at the same time. Logan almost wished Kurt would get ill more often.