"Stogies and Eternity"
"Do you really want to know what I see when I look at you Logan?" Storm asked.
"Yah I do…I think." Logan replied, not as sure of what would be said about him as what he said about her.
She smiled and winked at him. "Stogies and Eternity!" she barked with confidence.
"Har har Ro" he replied, disappointed in her response filled with stereotypical Loganesque antics. "After what I sai…"
"My father wore Eternity, did you know that? I don't believe I've ever spoken to you about him."
"Eh...no. You never mentioned..."
"Sadly, I do not remember much about my parents anymore. I remember their essence; - the kind of people they were. Outside that I've lost many details from my childhood, and what memories remain are fading. But I do remember his cologne - Eternity. It was my mother's favorite, so he wore it often. I remember spraying it on him every morning before he went to work. It was my job to put it on him; and we both enjoyed it immensely. He smiled every time I sprayed it on him.
After he died, I kept his last bottle. It was one of the few things I kept with me as a child. Eventually I lost it and most of my other possessions, but it didn't matter because every time I smelled it, it reminded me of him.
Then you came along smoking your cigars and wearing the exact same cologne. I remember one evening in the mansion you walked by after a date. You were puffing on a cigar despite my repeated requests not to smoke inside. I made a comment to you about the stench of your fowl cigar and you responded by telling me that stogies and Eternity made an irresistible combination for the ladies. I laughed, thinking Calvin Klein would not agree."
"I remember that." Logan snorted. "You didn't seem very impressed with my attitude."
"I was not. Every time I smelled my father's cologne...your cologne...mixed with the stench of your cigar, I felt my father's memory being besmirched. Eventually I realized you wearing it had nothing to do with him. I got past it but I still held it against you for the thoughts I endured."
"Jesus Ro, I couldn'ta known your father wore it! I mean..."
"I know Logan. Allow me finish." she interrupted, hinting at what was to come.
She shifted her eyes and sighed before continuing. "Do you recall in my early years with the X-Men how much my claustrophobia affected me and how you treated me when it spiked?"
"Yah, you held your own in a battles Ro. Despite how bad it affected ya, you always pulled it together."
"Yes, much in part to your confidence in my abilities. Once in the Morlock tunnels pursuing Jean and Scott, I had a very difficult time traversing the narrow passages. You never assisted me, allowing me to work through my battles by myself. Do you know how I got through that particularly dfficult claustrophobic episode?"
"Focus and a strong mind."
"Thank you. You are right. I focused on the confidence you had in me. When I needed more inner strength, I focused on your scent: Eternity and cigars. It reminded me of my father, how I felt when he was in my life. Yet it was different somehow...more. Perhaps it was the cigar or maybe it was the combination; I don't know, but I felt safe. I knew you would never let me be harmed."
"Of course not Ro, I'd never let anything happen to you. I'd die before that..."
"I know, and I thank you for your loyalty and commitment. That is why I have come to love the scent of stogies and Eternity.
When I look at you Logan, I see everything a woman could want in a man. I see someone strong like steel; who will single-handedly take on an army Apocalypses to keep me safe. When you hold me in your arms, I close my eyes and rest because I know I am safe.
I also see someone as soft as silk; someone who looks so deeply into my eyes that he sees my soul; my very essence. When I think nobody understands me Logan, I look at you and know that you do. Just one glance from your peircing eyes tells me you understand exactly what I need...whether its a kind word, a soft touch, a reality check, or just to be left alone.
So yes, Logan. when I look at you I think of stogies and Eternity."
Logan let the words sink in then looked at her with a slightly crooked grin and winked. He put a few more logs on the fire and settled back in, eying Storm fiercely. Storm couldn't tell if he was sizing her up like prey or wondering what to do next; not that it mattered. She slowly licked her upper lip, tilted her chin in and eyed Logan...like prey.
Stay tuned for more (and it won't take five years this time).
