Author's Note: This is probably the shortest chapter so far: but a big step for Melaney happens in this chapter, and I thought where I ended was the best place. A little fluff, a little protective Logan, and a little angst: all wrapped up in one pretty chapter. Enjoy!
The next time I wake up, it is to a bright sun trying its best to burn through the roof of my tent. Stretching to pop out the kinks from sleeping on the hard ground, I smile lazily as the memories from last night pass through my head. Yesterday had started off good, went bad, and ended very good. It has been too long since I actually just relaxed and laughed; Kurt was a very interesting and likeable person, and it was impossible to not relax around him. I'm positive I can already count him as a real friend; there is just something that draws me to him, like gravity. He is certainly the nicest guy I've ever met – two emotional meltdowns and not once has he even looked at me funny. That's a very good trait in a friend.
I relax back against the sleeping bag, content to just lay there until Ororo makes me get up, when a movement in the corner of my eye startles me. Oh god, was that a snake?!
My breath catches in my throat and I slowly turn my head, trying not to startle it into attacking. When finally I see it, I choke back relieved laughter because it isn't a snake, it's Kurt's tail, twitching lazily to whatever he is dreaming about. His head is by my feet and he is as far away as physically possible in the small tent; which is only about a foot and a half away. I lay there for a minute just watching that lazy twitch before finally I decide to just do it. Watching his face carefully for any sign of stirring, I reach a hand out and lightly touch his tail; he doesn't move or anything so I take my chances and study the appendage curiously. Lightly so I don't disturb him, I trace a line down the side under the spade top, surprised to find it is soft, covered in short, dark blue fur that feels like velvet against my fingertips.
Now hopelessly curious, I try to look it over more, but it's constant twitching makes this extremely difficult. Growling in slight frustration, I push the tail to the ground, trapping it against the tent floor; after a moment of struggle, it wraps around my wrist instead, the pointed tip laying in the crook of my elbow. Smiling, thoroughly amused, I use my other hand to trace along the edge of the point; the tail tightens around my arm.
"What are you doing?"
I'm so surprised, I can't help the squeal or my form shimmering. Guiltily, I look down at Kurt. He has his head propped up on his hand, grinning with some unreadable expression in his yellow eyes.
"Nothing..." Is my pathetic attempt at innocence; if my trapped arm isn't evidence enough, the embarrassed flush on my cheeks proves me guilty. Kurt raises an eyebrow and his tail taps purposely against the inside of my elbow. I can literally feel my face burning. How hot can a person get before they combust? Is the tent fireproof? I hope so...
At the quota for my weekly limit of embarrassment, I try to turn the tables. "Well, why are you in my tent?"
He quickly turns confused, "You asked me to stay."
"Huh?" I'd remember that, wouldn't I? With how exhausted I was last night, probably not.
"I was leaving," He waves to the tent flap, "And you asked me to stay." At my continued confusion, he grins, "You actually said, if I remember right, 'Bitte, Kurt, bitte stay', and how could I, as a gentleman, refuse?"
My face is never going to regain its normal color. And I can't even accuse him of lying, because I remember it now. How the last thing I wanted was for Kurt to leave me here alone. I could try to justify it as wanting him to keep me safe from Magneto, but I didn't. Well, I did, but that wasn't my motivation last night. I just really didn't want him to leave me.
Seeing my reluctant defeat, Kurt starts laughing, and when he doesn't seem about to stop anytime soon, I pull my arm away from his tail and storm out of the tent. And right into Logan's very solid chest: nose first. I jump away with a small cry of pain, my hand coming up to rub my nose. He looks down at me with a raised eyebrow, questioning and more than a little amused. I shy away, suddenly very much aware of how this is going to play out.
And on cue, Kurt falls out of the tent, calling, "Laney! Please don't be mad; I'm sorry!" The grin still on his face doesn't help, not one bit.
Now, Logan's look is demanding. But, God forgive me, I could only be thankful it was Logan and not Ororo this was happening with.
"Kid, you have five seconds to explain why he was in your tent." Logan growls.
"Five! That's not near-"
"Three." The hiss of his blades emphasizes his point.
"Okay! Okay! I got terrified by Magneto, Kurt made me feel better, we went for a walk and apparently I conked out on him and he had to carry me back to camp and apparently I was too tired to think because I asked him to stay and he's way too nice to say no so he slept with me." I pant, having said all of that in one breath,but then I rethink that last part and mentally slap myself, "Not with me, but 'in-the-same-tent' with me."
Logan's eyes narrow at me, clearly searching for any sign of dishonesty, before he turns to Kurt and points a single blade at him, growling, "This can cut through steel; love to see how quickly it goes through that tail."
Said tail whips closely around Kurt's waist, his arms closing over it protectively, his eyes wide and panicked.
Logan moves his blade to point at me now. "Jet, thirty minutes. We're going to Alkali Lake." I manage a nod.
When Logan is out of hearing range, I collapse into giggles.
"Why are you laughing?!" Kurt exclaims, his tail flicking behind him fiercely. I wonder if this is as close to mad as Kurt can get.
Gasping for breath I manage to get out, "Protective... Logan...!" Obviously, this doesn't clear anything up. After a moment more, I am calm enough to say, "Logan. He's not used to being so passively protective. It's always slice and dice first, don't bother to ask questions later."
A little clearer now, Kurt tilts his head, "Then why does he try now?"
A bit of my amusement drains away. I scratch the back of my neck, biding my time, "He, um, he blames himself for my kidnapping; he was supposed to meet me and he was late, giving Magneto the opening he needed. The guilt makes him a little more protective and kind to me."
I expect an awkward silence, but really maybe not because this is Kurt, and he seems to always know what to say or do. So before I can even begin to feel awkward, he pipes up, "Well, I like my tail, so I will be on my best behavior around him."
Smothering a giggle, I throw an arm around his waist and pull him towards the smolders of the fire; the smell of rehydrated eggs is in the air. "Come on, Blue, time for breakfast."
The good mood of the morning ends halfway through camp tear-down. A fight between John and Bobby, something about John almost burning down a tent, causes the light feeling in me to grow heavy and a second later, as I watch Storm reprimand them both, I finally give into the somber tension everyone else is giving off.
I can't deny the truth of our situation anymore. There is a good chance we will not succeed in this mission; if we fail, the Professor will kill every mutant in the world and that will be the end of that. No Ororo, no Logan, no Professor, and no... my breath catches, no Kurt, who's already been hurt by this Stryker man and who is too sweet and kind to imagine gone. But, I pause and look around the campsite again, watching as Bobby and Rogue tear down the last tent, John snuffs out the fire, and Logan, Dr. Jean, and Ororo load the supplies back on the jet. Even Kurt is helping, teleporting the heavier supplies into the jet. All of their faces are set: they know they may not live another day: but they are not resigned. We still have a chance, I realize; if only because we are trying and we will not stop until we are dead. A morbid thought that surprisingly helps me a lot; a weight lifts from my shoulders and the blurring edges of my form burst into clarity.
Either we will win or we will die.
The acceptance of this fact gives me the strength to get moving, to grab a bundled up tent and take it to the jet. Maybe this is how they: Storm, Wolverine, Dr. Jean: go so confidently into danger. In the end, there are only two outcomes.
AN2: Hope you enjoyed. I want to thank my new friend, , for her many reviews. :) I logged on to my email and almost fell out of the chair when I saw all of the review alerts. Hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to leave a review: they make me update faster.
German Translation
Bitte - Please
