X-men Evolution-verse
F/M, Very slight M/F Tickle Fic
Summary: Logan reunites with X23, and ends up in a situation where he has to explain a subject that he never envisioned he would do in his lifetime.
"Alright, ya lil' pukes. Today's lesson involves stamina, evasive maneuvers, anticipatin' yer opponent, an' developin' important leadership skills. Ya know what that means, don'tcha?" Logan lifted a brow as he addressed all the students gathered in front of him on the lawn.
"We...gotta run the whole gauntlet again?" Scott volunteered with a grimace, hoping that he was wrong, but Logan's smirk immediately told him otherwise.
"Bingo." All the students groaned in unison as Logan growled and crossed his arms over his chest..
"Quit yer belly achin'. You'll thank me fer this later. Now get into groups o' three an'...," Logan paused as he then caught a scent in the air; one that was very familiar to him and actually made him smile slightly. Apparently it didn't go unnoticed by the students.
"What is it, Mr. Logan?" Kitty asked as Logan shook it off and looked up at the crowd of kids who were all staring at him.
"Hm? Uh...tell ya what, lets say we call it in early fer today. There's somethin' I gotta take care of."
"But Logan, we barely started...Aargh!" Kurt began, but was quickly elbowed in the gut by Rogue to silence him.
"Well gee, we just hate t' hear that, Logan, but whatever yah say! See yah later!" She called as her and all of the other students quickly raced away; happy to have escaped one of Wolverine's grueling training exercises.
Normally Logan would have growled at their lack of respect for his efforts to prepare them for future battles, but right now he had other things on his mind.
Turning away from the mansion, he wandered off into the woods next to the property to track down the scent he had smelled mere moments before. It took him about a mile and a half into the trees before the scent was overpowering, letting him know that he was very close to whom it belonged to.
His ears then picked up the sound of someone jumping out of a tree he had just passed and landing behind him. He felt no threat though despite this being having practically gotten the drop on him as his claws remained sheathed and a smirk grew across his face.
"Glad to see yer still around. Thought ya were long gone when I first seen that Hydra ship go down," he turned to face the young feral mutant, who stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Thought you knew me better than that since essentially I am you," X23 said with a tight smile as Logan gave a nod.
He noticed she had abandoned the leather outfit he'd last seen her in for a more casual dress of a t-shirt, jeans and boots, which was exactly what he was wearing. He smirked, realizing that she really was essentially him in many ways.
"Huh. Yeah, I suppose yer right. What brings ya to this side again?"
"Just thought I'd say my last goodbye before I disappear for good." Logan's expression sobered as he stepped towards her, placing his large hands on her shoulders.
"Ya don't gotta do that. Just come back to the school with me. You'll be safe there, an' we can help ya. Me, the Professor, the students...all of us."
"I've told you before that I can't be helped. There's no un-programming what's been done to me so just forget it," she wrenched herself away from his touch, making Logan instantly frown.
"Don't say that. It's never too late, just take a look at me. I can help ya find yer way..."
"I said forget it! I'm better off on my own," she growled stubbornly and plopped down onto a fallen tree trunk while Logan gave a heavy sigh before taking a seat next to her.
"Well, I guess yer pretty much free now. Go where ya want, do what ya want. Got an idea on what any o' that might be?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll probably just end up wandering the countryside and staying out of view. I don't want Hydra to get wind of the fact that I am still alive and..." Logan's mind drifted off as she continued to talk.
He wished she would stop being so stubborn and just accept his offer to come live at the school with the other children who were like her. Though he couldn't blame her since she had obviously inherited that stubborn streak from him, in addition to still being young and rebellious.
He had to find a way to persuade her. But how?
"...Maybe I'll even leave the country. Go see Japan. You've been there, haven't you? Logan? Logan?" She looked over at him to find he was staring at the ground, apparently not listening to a word that she was saying. This instantly triggered her annoyance.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" She growled, giving him quick a poke in the ribs to get his attention. Logan yelped as he started and slipped off the tree he was sitting on, sliding right into the dirt and sending up a small cloud of dust.
Laura stared down at him in surprise before he came to his senses and glared up at her.
"Watch it, kid!"
"I barely even touched you! I didn't think it was going to hurt!" She shouted as he slowly got to his feet.
"Ya didn't hurt me," Logan avoided looking her in the eyes, confusing her even more, which in turn flared up her anger.
"Then what is your problem?!" She spat in frustration while he continued to avoid the subject.
"Nuthin'...ermm...just forget it," he muttered as he dusted himself off a bit and sat back in the spot he had been in before, leaving Laura with unanswered questions. They sat there in silence for a minute with Laura making frequent glares over at him until she remembered that she was basically his clone.
Since they shared DNA she possibly had the same weak spot there that he did, or whatever it was that made him act so strangely. That was something that needed to be investigated immediately.
She lightly pressed on the same spot on her ribs where she had touched him and felt her skin began to crawl. Another prod into that area caused a faint shiver to run down her back combined with the urge to flinch away from her own hand before she slowly pulled it back and sat there in wonderment.
"What is that?" She spoke quietly, turning back to where Wolverine was still dusting dirt off of his pants.
"What is wha-Aaagh!" He was more aware this time and simply jerked away when she gave him another light jab in the side, "Wouldja stop that?!"
"I want to know what that is. I can feel it too. Now tell me, what is it?" She reiterated as he stayed silent for a moment, seeming like he was trying to come up with an answer. After a minute of him rubbing his chin in thought and scratching the back of his head he finally cleared his throat and replied.
"It's, uh, hard to explain. It's nuthin' bad...well I guess, dependin' on how ya look at it." Laura just lifted a brow at him, waiting for further explanation as he then thought of another approach.
"Well here...might be easier to show ya...," he reached towards her as she eyed him warily before he briefly wiggled his fingers across her stomach, applying light pressure. Laura jumped as she quickly pushed his hand away with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Wh...Why am I smiling?" Amidst the smile she was looking at him with genuine concern, which he found slightly amusing.
"That's what it does. When a person is touched in certain areas it makes 'em smile, an' even laugh. I don't know why, that's just how it is," Logan shrugged as the young mutant rubbed at the spot where he had touched to try to get rid of the itch.
"That's so...weird," she sort of frowned while Logan nodded in agreeance.
"Yeah, I know. Some outdated evolutionary crap that hasn't phased out yet." Still X23 remained curious and pursued in her inquiry.
"What is it called?"
"It's called ticklin'. What I just did was tickle ya, an' a person who reacts to bein' tickled is described as ticklish," he did his best to explain the different uses of the words and she seemed to understand.
"So all you have to do is touch someone like that and it will force them to laugh?"
"If they're ticklish then yeah," Logan shrugged as Laura's interest in the topic grew.
"Is it just those two spots that it will work on?"
"No, well really it depends on the person. Most people seem to have at least one spot where they're ticklish." Laura nodded and appeared to have been reminded of something.
"Now that I recall, I seem to remember seeing a woman on the street making her baby laugh simply by touching him. I didn't know what she was doing then, but now it all makes sense."
"Well nowadays it's intended purpose is fer just that; to help create social bonds between parents an' their babies. Unfortunately a lot o' people don't grow out of it an' remain ticklish even as adults. An' I hate to tell ya, but if yer a clone o' me then ya prob'ly won't grow out of it," he almost blushed with that admission, but it was the truth.
"So we're...ticklish?" She cocked her head, unsure if she had used the word correctly as Logan nodded with a snort.
"Yeah. Gotta say that was a pretty cruel joke fer mother nature to play on me."
"Oh. I've never experienced this tickling before," she shook her head and looked down at the ground.
"Ain't surprised. Doesn't seem like the kinda thing that Hydra would be into. But ya might wanna get used to it if ya let people start gettin' close to ya. When someone deems ya as their friend then fer some reason it gives 'em permission to find out every lil' thing about ya," Logan rolled his eyes, knowing that from experience.
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Are we not supposed to like it?"
"Some people do I suppose. Just gotta make up yer own mind about it," he shrugged his broad shoulders as Laura looked back over at him.
"How about you? Do you like it?" She asked with a thoughtful look in her eyes as he squirmed a bit in his seat and struggled with his reply.
"Err...it's a lil' complicated. I wouldn't say I like it, but I dunno. I guess my tolerance fer it depends on who's ticklin' me," he shrugged again as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Does anyone even actually try to tickle you?" She found the thought funny that anyone would be that bold, though Logan immediately nodded with a grunt.
"Hmph, unfortunately. The kids don't know, thank God, but my friend, Ororo...since she found out she just can't keep her hands offa me."
"Can't you just stop her from doing it?"
"Heh, well I could try, but I don't really want to, if ya get what I mean," Logan gave a crooked grin as Laura eventually nodded like she understood.
"Oh, ok. Because you like when she tickles you."
"No, because I...errrr...you'll understand when yer older. But I mainly let 'er because it makes 'er happy. She seems to like makin' me laugh fer some reason," Logan couldn't help smiling a little as he thought about it.
"Probably because she never sees you do it."
"Yeah, I guess. Though she probably likes hearin' me beg fer mercy even more," he shook his head as that last statement he made finally registered inside Laura's head. The thought almost made her laugh on her own.
"You...beg for mercy?" She smirked over at him as he frowned when he saw the look of judgement on her face.
"Don't look at me like that, bub. Ya dunno what it's like to have someone pin ya down an' tickle ya 'til yer in tears," he tried to argue his case, but it was having the opposite effect as Laura simply snorted in disbelief.
"Tears now too? Hmph, so much for the legendary Wolverine. Are you sure I'm your clone?" Laura grinned mockingly, but then let out a giggle as Logan reached over and gave a playful squeeze above her knee.
"Yeah, I'm sure, ya lil' shit. Now don't make me help ya figure out where else yer ticklish."
"Was that a threat?" She remembered how he had first tickled her stomach so her hand quickly shot out to his belly as she wiggled her fingers over it in the same way that he had. She was delighted when she saw it worked as Logan doubled over in laughter before squirming away to stand up.
Though now she was confused by his retreat.
"Why did you move away?" She asked genuinely as Logan raised a brow and looked at her like she was crazy.
"Uh...'cause ya tickled me..." Laura's face contorted as she looked confused again.
"So it is a bad thing then. Since you want to get away from it." Logan shook his head with a sigh, finding it strange that he had to thoroughly explain this topic to someone; something he never thought he would do in his extensive lifetime.
"No, it's just the normal response. If ya tickle anyone they'll try to get away, or at least try an' get ya to stop somehow. It's an involuntary reaction 'cause yer body is try'na protect ya."
"But if it's relatively harmless then why do you need protecting?" Logan growled a little and immediately facepalmed.
"...'Cause yer body doesn't know that. It doesn't know that someone is just try'na tickle ya. It just anticipates that someone is about to attack ya in vulnerable areas that could easily kill ya an' so it reacts to defend those areas. Why it makes ya laugh though, no one really knows. May be some kinda sign o' submission."
"Oh ok. I think I get it now," she laughed softly after a moment, making Logan tilt his head questionably.
"What?"
"Sorry, that was just strange. That's the first time I've heard you really laugh," she smiled up at him as he grunted and stood there with a big arm wrapped protectively around his middle.
"Yeah, well...I don't go practicin' it. 'Sides the first time we met ya were try'na kill me. Don't think I was much in the mood fer laughin' then."
"Still it was kinda...nice. Could I hear it again?" Her smiled turned into a grin as Wolverine lifted a brow and let out a low growl.
"Well I can't do it on command. An' if ya think I'ma just let ya tickle me again then yer...," he trailed off as she stood with a smirk and began to move towards him, making him put his hands up defensively.
"Uh uh, don't ya dare. Stay right where ya are." He shook his head as her slow approach had him backing up to keep the distance between them. In a last ditch effort to dissuade her he popped his claws out and gave her a more menacing growl, which made her pause in step.
"Why don't you want to be tickled?"
"'Cause it's embarrassin'. An' I ain't gonna make it easy fer anyone aimin' to try," he re-sheathed his claws, but remained on guard against her until finally she sighed.
"Fine. I won't tickle you." Logan's eyes narrowed in a way that told her that he didn't believe her one bit.
"I promise," she added and sat back down with her hands placed at her sides. Logan seemed satisfied with that, and after a moment his body relaxed as he sat beside her once more. They were quiet for a minute before Laura finally spoke.
"I didn't know you were such a chicken." Logan's head quickly turned to glare at the little smirk plastered on her face.
"I ain't no chicken, kid," he growled as she now glared dangerously back at him.
"Don't call me kid..."
"But that's what ya are."
"And you're a chicken."
"I am NOT a chicken."
"Too scared to let me tickle you? Yeah, sounds like a chicken to me," she was grinning again at having gotten in the last word.
"Oh yeah? Ya wanna see how it really feels? Ya asked fer it," he smirked and plunged both hands underneath her arms as he furiously wiggled his fingers around...and got no reaction from her. After a moment he slowly stopped and removed his hands as a confused frown came over his face.
"Huh."
"What? What is it?" Laura asked curiously, searching his brown eyes for the answer before he turned his head away.
"Nuthin', I just thought that...never mind," he waved her off with his hand as he hunched back over in his seat, but she knew exactly what he had been thinking and didn't hesitate to call him out on it.
"Did you think that I would be ticklish there because you are?"
"Uhh...no. No, course not, it was just a guess," Logan's stammering and noticeably moving his arms in closer to his sides told Laura that he was hiding the truth.
"You know I can tell you're lying, right?" She saw a slight blush appear on his cheeks, though he tried to hide it. He knew damn well that she could tell by how his scent had changed, but he still denied it.
"Heh, I...I ain't. It's just a common spot fer people to be ticklish so I tried it."
"Sure. Whatever you say," Laura smiled with a roll of her eyes. She then turned her head to conceal her smirk as she began to scheme, quickly putting her plan into play.
"Well...guess I should be moving along now," she got to her feet, and as she had predicted Logan quickly jumped up in protest.
"No, wait. Just think about it fer a minute...it doesn't have to be this way. Ya don't gotta be on the run, ya can live a normal life...well as normal as a mutant can get. Ya can have friends...a family...An' all ya gotta do is take my hand...," he held his hand out to her as she looked at it from the corner of her eye and appeared to be thinking about it.
"C'mon, darlin'...," Logan urged as she glanced up to see his eyes had softened and he was smiling warmly. Hesitantly she reached out and placed her hand into his and gently squeezed it, finding an even bigger smile now on Logan's face.
"Knew ya'd reconsider. Now how 'bout we head back an' I'll taa-HEYYYY!" He shouted in surprise as Laura's grip tightened and she rolled over, taking him down to the ground with her and flinging him onto his back.
She almost felt guilty about deceiving him, but not quite as the thought of what she was about to do re-entered her mind.
With the quickness of her being knelt beside him and digging all fingers into both sets of his ribs Logan found that he had no time to put up his defenses like he normally would. He'd left himself wide open and now there was absolutely no way he could keep himself from laughing.
"N...No! Quit it! Ahahahahahahaa! Stahahaap!" He squirmed in the dirt with his arms frantically clutched about his sides as he tried to keep her hands off of his torso. Laura's eyebrows lifted as she stared down at him.
"Wow. You really are ticklish," it sounded like she was teasing him, but in reality she was surprised and it only made her want to explore this further.
"Dahahaammit! Yahaha trihicked meeheehee! Cuhut it ouhout, kid!"
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?! Hmm, lets see if you really were lying to me about being ticklish here...," she smirked and began mercilessly tickling him underneath his arms, instantly making Logan's struggles more energetic and his laughter more hysterical.
"Bahahaha! Noohohoho! Dohohon't tihickle me thehehehere!" Laura eyes lit up, looking more intrigued with the increase in his responses.
"So one can be more ticklish in some spots than in others. Now I see why you were trying to hide it. What about here?" Her fingers skittered over his collarbone and shoulders as Logan was gratefully now reduced to just giggling.
"Nohot...Not as muhuhuch...Now gehet offa meeheehee, ya puhunk," he still scrunched up his shoulders as he grinned and wiggled on the ground.
"Not so fast. I'm still learning here. Now lets try this spot again...," she wildly started scratching all over his stomach, breaking him down into hard laughter once more as he tried to block her hands with his own. She easily got around them as she squeezed his waist down to the sensitive area above his hips.
"Stahahap it! Learn ohohon yersehehelf! Ohahahahah! I caahaan't take this shihihiiit!"
"Don't tell me you're going to start begging for mercy?" She smirked as he was able to lift his head and give her a look of challenge with just as cynical of a grin.
"Nnnn...Nohot to yoohoou, kihihiddo!"
"We'll see about that...," she dove right back into his armpits again as he howled and thrashed around helplessly.
"Aaahahahahaha! You'll hahahave to k...kihihill meee!"
"Is it possible to tickle someone to death? Wait, don't answer that. I'll find out myself," her fingers wriggled around like crazy underneath his arms, and if Logan didn't know better he would swear that she had done this before.
She had adapted quite easily to this whole tickling thing; carefully seeking out his most sensitive spots, and manipulating her fingers to using the right pressures and speeds when she found what would get the best reactions out of him. It wasn't too hard with how ticklish he was, but still he was sort of impressed.
Despite that though he was still doing his best to try to escape. Wolverine was a master tactician and quite agile for his stocky build, but everything that he was she was even better; the results of science determined to make the ultimate weapon.
He attempted to roll away and get to his feet, but it's like Laura knew his every move even before he did, and immediately had him knocked back onto the ground and laughing again. To him it felt like she was everywhere at once, and he couldn't keep up with where she might strike next.
When she moved down to squeeze his knees the sensations quickly had Logan sitting up in high-pitched giggles, nearly headbutting her in the process as he tried to grab onto her hands. Though he just as quickly found himself curled up again on his back once she switched to tickling his ribs some more.
"Shit! Staahahahahaap!"
"What's that? Are you begging?" Laura grinned, fully enjoying this new social interaction that had been bestowed upon her. Logan shook his head and tried to push her torturing fingers away, though that just left him open for said fingers to inflict relentless tickling on his belly as he howled in laughter.
She was merciless. Not even Ororo had tickled him this badly, and he found in this short time that he had already laughed to the point of tears. He saw her eyes light up when she noticed the wet streaks now running down his cheeks. She figured she was close to getting him to beg now.
"You know, I just remembered something else. When I saw that woman tickling her baby I noticed that she got him to laugh even more just by saying some weird phrase. I think it went something like...coochie coochie coo!" She vigorously squeezed Logan's very ticklish sides simultaneously and set off a trigger.
Wolverine completely lost it as he bucked and rolled on the ground, cackling uncontrollably, and before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth he was frantically begging her for mercy.
"AHAHAH! AHAHAHAHAhaahahah! Alriihihight, kihid! Okokok-Nohoho moooore! Eeheehaahahahaha! Pleeheehease! Ya wihihin! I gi...give uhup!"
"What was that about having to kill you before you'd beg? You're just all talk, aren't you?" She shook her head with a laugh as she kept digging into his ribs.
"Fihiihiine! Ya gohahah...got meehee! Jeezus! Haahahahahahaha! Stoppit! I caahaahaan't taahaake no mohohore!" With a smirk Laura finally pulled her hands back, leaving him giggling and crumbled in a ball on the ground; his clothes and arms covered in dirt from all of his struggling.
He caught his breath before slowly uncurling himself and then laid flat out on his back.
"Yyy...Ya...Ya lil' shit," he smirked up at her as she couldn't help but giggle at his position as she sat back down on the log.
"I'd say you're the definition of ticklish." Logan rolled his eyes before sitting up and wiping at the remaining tears with the back of his hand.
"Tell me somethin' I don't know."
"Sorry, I just can't believe it with your reputation and all. I think that could be counted as a weakness...you're ticklish pretty much all over." Logan grunted and got to his feet as he started to dust himself off.
"Well that's two curses I have then; Immortality, an' bein' really ticklish," he sighed and sat down next to her.
"I don't know...Despite the begging I kinda think you enjoyed it," Laura gave him a nudge as Logan looked over at her with a scowl followed by another eye roll.
"Yeah, 'bout as much as Sabretooth slashin' my guts out," he muttered, but when she gave him an unconvinced smile he couldn't hold his facade for long and smiled back.
"You know that actually wasn't that bad of an exercise. It had all the elements of a proper fight aside from the pain, but I still got you to surrender all the same." He nodded, realizing she had a point.
"Hmph, yeah that's probably why ya were so good at it even though ya never done it before. Don't think I'll be arrangin' no tickle fights in my classes anytime soon though. The kids would think I've gone crazy."
"Yeah, you're right. Plus they might want to get in a little one on one sparring with you and then...," she broke into chuckles as she imagined the end result. Logan growled, knowing that she was picturing him on the losing end.
"I'd just tell 'em I'm not ticklish. They'd believe it, I mean look at me," he swelled up the sizable muscles in his chest and arms and gave her his most intimidating glare, though all she did was laugh again since she knew better.
"Maybe. But eventually one of them would get brave and try it. Then you'd be doomed; the students would easily out best the teacher."
"Not if I had ya at my back," he relaxed his body with a smirk as she tilted her head and slid off the log to get behind him.
"Like if I were behind you? And I was the one showing up the teacher?" She unexpectedly dug into his armpits with her wiggling fingers as Logan immediately roared with laughter.
"Nohohohohoo! I meheant prohotectin' meeheehee!" He was squirming so hard he almost fell over, but then she stopped and plopped beside him once more.
"I know what you meant, I just wanted to see if it still worked," she was grinning, looking really pleased with herself while Logan shook his head.
"I really don't need ya as an enemy. Knowin' my weakness an' all," he blushed slightly as Laura just laughed.
"So I guess it's safe to say that you're the most ticklish under your arms?" She asked as he replied without even thinking about it.
"Almost, but the soles o' my feet are even worse. Heh, last time 'Ro tickled me there I made some noises that I ain't proud of."
"I see. Good to know...," Laura was smirking as Logan got nervous when caught her looking down at his boots.
"Stop that. Ya better not even try," he frowned, cursing himself for giving that information up so easily as he tucked his feet underneath the fallen tree.
"Can't say it won't happen, what with all the time I'll be spending hanging around you at your little school," she smiled slightly, causing Logan to do a double take as his face instantly brightened up.
"Wha...Huh? So yer gonna come back to the institute with me?"
"I've decided I'll give it a shot. I figure there's a lot more I can learn about myself from you." Logan was grinning really big now as he stood up tall.
"Ya won't regret it, hun, I promise. Lemme introduce ya to the Professor. I reckon he ain't got the best impression o' ya. Ya know, since ya attacked everyone in yer path that day ya came to try an' kill me," Logan chuckled as she looked down at the ground in shame.
"Yeah, I guess I never apologized for that." Wolverine patted her shoulder.
"Don't sweat it. Ya were only goin' with what yer instinct told ya. As far as ya knew I was somehow involved in what they did to ya, though ya know better'n that now, right?" She nodded, getting to her feet as well.
"I do. But I'm still sorry."
"Yer forgiven. Just don't ever try to kill me again," he laughed softly, now making Laura smirk.
"I won't try to. I mean, it won't be my fault if you're accidentally tickled to death." Logan facepalmed and shook his head with a groan.
"Jeezus, darlin', yer makin' me reconsider lettin' ya anywhere near the school."
"It's too late to take it back now."
"Yeah? Just watch me," he was joking as he smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, expecting a snarky remark back from Laura but she only smiled.
"Thank you." Logan was confused by her response.
"Fer what?"
"For all of this. I don't think I've ever smiled this much in my whole life."
"Yeah, well we'll work on that. Help ya sort through all yer emotions. After what those people put ya through ya deserve to have some good times in yer life. Plus I'll have to pay ya back fer attackin' me," he playfully poked her in the ribs, making her twitch and giggle.
"We'll see about that. I'll have to get used to this whole new life, I guess. But until then I suppose I can just learn from you," she reached over and tickled his stomach as he squirmed away with a deep chuckle.
"Hahah, fine. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Just do me a favor an' don't let the other kids know about this. Gotta try to keep my reputation, ya know?"
"I can't promise that. I mean, if they find out that I'm ticklish then naturally they're going to start having some thoughts about you."
"Well just gimme a warnin' ahead o' time, so I can make arrangements to leave town," he was obviously joking, and even though Laura got that the thought still made her turn serious.
"You would never really leave me...would you?" Her eyes began to turn sad, making Logan's face soften as he smiled and put an arm around her shoulders to pull her into a hug.
"Never, darlin'. Yer stuck with me, an' there ain't nothin' ya can do about it," he then realized what he was doing, knowing that Laura wasn't used to such signs of affection, "Um...sorry." He started to pull away.
Deep down her instincts were telling her to shove him away, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she found herself putting her arms around him to bring him close again as she buried her head into his chest.
"No, it's ok, I...think I like it," she said as Logan smiled again.
"Well looks like we're already makin' progress. Lets say we head in now. That is, if yer ready," he pulled back and looked into her eyes as she took a moment before giving a firm nod.
"Yes. I'm ready," she smiled with Logan as he then put a hand on her shoulder and began to lead her through the forest back to the Xavier mansion.
Laura's mind was racing, knowing that there was going to be a lot of confusion and struggles with adapting to her new way of life, and that made her worry. But there was also excitement in not knowing exactly how it all was going to play out, and that was more than enough to set her at ease.
Not that she thought she needed it, but Wolverine was dead-set on taking care of her, and made it his responsibility to help her fit in with social norms. Of course he himself was not perfect as he still had his own struggles, but in the end he really was proof that someone like her could be seen as normal.
Their journey was silent for the first half a mile before a thought came into Laura's head that made her smirk.
"So...can I call you Dad?"
"Don't push it, kid," Logan responded with a low growl, but there was also an implication of amusement in there somewhere.
"Tell you what, you don't call me 'kid' and I won't call you 'dad'...Dad," she grinned and poked his side as she uttered that last word, making Logan flinch sharply as he barked out a laugh.
"Ahalright alright, ya got a deal...kid," Wolverine smirked defiantly as he attempted to return the ticklish poke, but was deflected by the swat of her hand.
She said nothing, but gave him a threatening smile that told him that he was definitely going to be in for it later, and he didn't fail to notice her give a sideways glance down at his feet.
A shudder ran down his back as he made a mental note to himself to start wearing his armored uniform boots from that point on.
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Was wanting to get this finished when the 'Logan' movie came out, but ran into writer's block. Here it is now though! I thought the idea was cute with Laura not knowing what tickling was, and Logan reluctantly having to spell it out for her curiosity. XD