Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made from this work.
Standing at the door with the halls of the school lost to shadows, she watched him walk off after their time together. The confessions they shared out at the edge of the trees had been a bitter sweet moment for them both, painful pasts bringing them closer. Slipping a wool glove free, Marie pressed her hand to the glass and relished the cool touch against her bare skin. He had expressed a longing to play his guitar as they parted, still enjoying the quiet evening herself too much to retire for the night. Clasping her hand, she looked to the fogged afterimage left after her touch, running a finger through it before wandering off.
Slipping her glove back on, more to ward off the chill, she could already see the hint of frost on the lawn catching the light cast by the lamps dotting the old estate. It held a magic all it's own spying the trail she left behind, coming finally to the stone walk that would lead on to a usual haunt. As she neared she saw foggy breath wafting on the still evening air, amber light casting a shadow down the walk. It didn't surprise her to find him there, but with a breath taken she didn't smell the usual aroma she would find, just the hint smoke from the chimney. Rounding the corner she saw him there dressed in a flannel jacket and stubbornly refusing to wear a hat.
"Hi." Marie said softly.
Looking to her from behind a dog eared paperback, Logan gave a beckoning nod as he sat there on the brick and stone rail of the stairs. Tiptoing up them, Marie leaned against her accustomed patch of wall beside him.
"What's got you up at this hour?" Logan asked, his thumb running along a page to flip it.
"Seemed like a nice night for a walk." Marie confessed, just not saying with who.
As if just taking note of the crisp air and the starry sky, Logan looked around and gave a slight nod in agreement. Leaning forward to steal a glance at the cover, she smiled thinking it suited her image of him, skipping forward to rest against the stairs and stare up to the night sky for a time.
"Poetry?" Marie asked after a look to him.
"Yep." Logan softly replied, his eyes looking over the book again, a playful hint of challenge in them.
"Is it any good?" Marie asked.
"Yep." Logan said after a long pause, another page turned only for his thumb to pinch the pages as he let it dangle between his knees.
"Don't stop on my account." Marie said honestly fearing she might have interrupted him.
"Nah, kinda nice just to take a break and let it all sink in." Logan said, giving her a playful slap with the book.
With moue of feigned offence she spun to lean over the rail and stare him down, Logan just eyeing her in kind. Offering her the book, she took it and smiled before hopping up on the rail to flip to a random page and start reading.
"Just my opinion, but it's better to start at the start." Logan said, reaching to pull her close amidst a few laughs as his questing fingers found ticklish places.
Never fearing his touch, always gentle despite his gruff demeanor, she settled down with him resting her head against his chest. Laying there with her legs dangling over the rail, she struggled with the pages, her gloved fingers fumbling until he reached down to flip the first for her.
"You just butt your head whenever ya need one turned." Logan said as he gave her a pat.
Listening to him reading with her in a whisper of his gravelly voice, Marie knew she wasn't alone feeling moved by the prose. His voice accented everything she read, giving the first of many light butts against his chest in request for a page to be turned. The night was full of magic moments for her, from listening to records with Jono and their confessions before, to this tender one shared. Feeling her spirits renewed, a peace fell over her with a knowledge she was ready to move on.
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Turning the key to his door to find it unlocked though he had been sure he had locked it, the first thing Jono noticed was the lingering scent of paint taking him back to childhood days of school and back alleys oddly enough. Reaching a hand for the light, he stopped short hearing a hushed whisper calling for quiet.
'Alison?' Jono questioned for her alone, noticing her presence in the darkness.
"Close the door." Alison whispered, Jono doing just that as quiet as could be.
Loosening the straps of his chest, light spilled dispelling the darkness to see her laying on his sofa looking up to him. Her eyes fell upon his chest, a bit of sadness in her gaze he felt but too somehow finding beauty at the sight.
'Lookin' for me, luv?' Jono voiced, settling down on the sofa with her and wondering just why she wasn't on the bed instead.
"Wasn't planning on it, but I ended up stumbling in on a surprise meant for you." Alison whispered, a yawn interrupting her at a point.
Feeling her mischief clearly and a sense of pride, he looked about his room and took notice for the first time just the reason for the aroma of paints. Climbing to his feet he reached out, tapping a finger against it and finding it still just the slightest hint damp. Like back alley bars he had played in, the walls had been painted in graffiti. Spotting the albums he reached out to touch one, slowly spinning to take it all in. His television sat at an odd angle, of all things resting on top of it a super nes half way hooked up.
Even a shelf had been added with a mix of books and dvds, running a finger along them to pull one out, some secondhand paperback. Looking down to her, he saw her just smiling fondly at him from her prone place on the sofa.
'What...who...' Jono stumbled for words, just seeing her point off to the bed.
Realizing just how distracted he had been with it all, he felt for the first time the other swirl of emotions and teasing thoughts hinting at dreams, quietly stepping up to his bed then. Curled up in the blankets a slight form lay with only a shock of black hair poking from them. Slipping the covers back, he was only half surprised at who he found laying there sleeping peacefully, her waking presence usually filling a room as if to make up for her tiny self.
"She said it was a house warming gift..." Alison whispered from the sofa having leaned over to watch.
As fondly as she said it, he caught an undercurrent of melancholy mixed in that left him wondering. Settling the blanket back and brushing his surprising but welcome guest's hair, he sat down at the edge of the bed. With his eyes wandering the walls he admired the covers that littered them and the likenesses captured, spying hidden in all the initials PR.
'The backpack?' Jono questioned, Alison just nodding with a silly smile writ across her lips.
"For her to know and you to find out." Alison whispered, reaching out to poke him to punctuate the statement.
'Why?' Jono asked lastly, amazed at how much had been done.
"Well, you can ask her in the morning. I think it'd be rude to wake her after everything she's done, and from the rumors that go around the school you do that at your own risk." Alison teased, resting her hand on his knee and giving a squeeze.
'You crashing in my pad too?' Jono asked seeing how sleepy she really looked.
"There's some silly school rule about girls and boys not sleeping in the same room, I'll chaperone." Alison whispered, a yawn at the end as she curled back up on the sofa.
Rising to his feet, Jono walked about and let his jacket fall from his shoulders to lay it across her while watching his light dance in her eyes. Mouthing a silent thank you, she settled back down to sleep with hardly any time passing until he felt her drift off. Finding his way to the recliner, he sat down and tightened the straps on his chest bringing darkness to the room again. By feel alone he found his headphones and threw them on, picking up his guitar and turning on the amp. With the volume turned low lest the music escape, he thought of the day and the endless parade of moments that had welcomed him to call this place home. Playing for those moments he sought to etch them on his wounded soul feeling the pain and guilt he had lived with for so long slowly soothed.
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Author's note - Just another short one, but it just felt right. Hope to have more soon.
