(((WARNING This chapters subject contains the mention of suicide.)))
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Authors Note: I do not normally give trigger warnings, but I will here. This is a subject that I can speak about and relate to my OC on a personal basis with. This story I do not wish to avoid sensitive subjects like this, so this will not be the last chapter dealing with this kind of sensitive subject and others like it. I rated this story M for a reason. If you or someone you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide please reach out and call your national suicide hotline. There are people out there who care and want to help.
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The rest of the week was uneventful, they didn't see each other until Vacation started. But, that entire two weeks every night Laura would sneak into his room in the middle of the night. They would spend their time tangled in the sheets, sprawled on the floors, pressed up against walls, or soaking wet in the shower. Each night there would be more passion and each night boarders pushed little by little. Some nights she would rest in his room with him, others she would sneak out as the sun would come up to start her own day in the partially empty school.
But as soon as the first week of classes started Logan hadn't seen much of Laura other than having a meal or two together or seeing her in class twice during the week. Especially after they had almost been caught by two girls in his classroom after his last class on the first day. But he would also watch her from time to time out the running track. That's what he found himself doing right now, his arms crossed over his chest leaning a shoulder against the windowsill. She had been out there over an hour now and she didn't have any signs of slowing down. He didn't hear as Storm came up behind him, standing just behind him looking over his shoulder at what he was watching.
"She's got real potential," Strom said in her quiet voice a smile on her face as she glanced at him. "Colossus said she's excelling in his Physical Education class, he said he saw her in the gym yesterday lifting more than, in his words, 'someone so scrawny looking should', " she said with a bit of a laugh.
Logan lifted a brown, hiding the fact that he had been jerked from his concentration on watching her so hard as he turned slightly looking to Storm. "Yeah, she has some endurance that's for sure. I have a hunch that the Professor didn't just want her to be here as a student, to be honest," he responded to Storm casually.
"You're always the one to suspect the worst Logan," Storm smiled to him as she moved a bit closer to the window watching with him. "I think he was just wanting to help a troubled kid, age doesn't matter when you need help. If I recall, the Professor brought you here to help you too," she said simply putting her hands on her hips.
Looking down, pausing, he looked up again and gave a little smile nodding, "yeah, you recall correctly. Guess the Professor knows just when someone needs rescuing."
"He did for all of us and so many others. She's no different in that way, but I can tell you've gotten a little attached," she said with a warm smile.
Logan's gut dropped like the bottom of the floor just fell out from under him as he turned to look at Storm quickly. "What do you mean?" he dared to ask.
"Just that you've kinda got her under your wing like you had with Rogue when she came here with you," she clarified, oblivious to the strike of panic that he was feeling. Though, it was quickly relieved when she had said this. The knot in his stomach stayed though as he looked back out the window leaning back on the windowsill again.
"I can just relate, kid seems to have seen a bunch of shit already and has a lot more coming if she's as much like me as she seems to think," he mumbled, feeling more comfortable talking to Storm. Then again, he could always be honest with her, Ororo was always easy to confide in, to a point, she had such an easy going personality with people she already trusted.
"A healing factor?" she asked him, not knowing much about the new student really.
"One that brought her back from the dead. It's not fast but it's there, who knows what else," he shrugged, not giving more detail than he thought he should. He was still a teacher after all, and Laura knew that.
"Well, maybe being here will change how she looks at things. It did well for you, and everyone who's come through those doors," she said with that hint of enthusiasm that she always had.
"You're right," Logan said simply as he pushed off, moving away from the window. "I hope that she's doing well in your class at least," he said walking down the hall with Storm walking alongside him.
"There could be some improvement, but I feel as if English isn't her strong suit. Though, Hank expressed the same for her in Math and Science with him," Storm said with a shrug. "But, she's young and probably feels no interest in what's happening in classes like those."
Those words deeply stung Logan, 'she's young' like he didn't already feel that he was being a creepy old man enough. Storm wasn't wrong, though, most 21-year-olds didn't want to be cooped up in a classroom. "Well, hopefully, that changes as she gets use to it," he said cooly just as the bell rang.
The classes that we're currently going we're ending with the signal of the bell. Storm gave a smile to Logan and excused herself as she had an English class to go teach. Logan on the other hand still didn't have another class till the next period. He had one in the mornings, and one closer to the end of the day. As students were rushing around, getting their books and heading to their next classes he went to have lunch in the quiet little kitchen down the hall from his room.
Just as he sat down at the table by the window, Laura had come into the same kitchen. She was dressed out of her athletic shorts and tank top, that was supposed to be a t-shirt but she had taken the scissors to. Instead, she was dressed in a pair of tight red plaid skinny jeans with black ankle boots, and a Rancid t-shirt that she had cut slits into the back so it was open and hanging down. Her long brown and white hair was pulled back into a ponytail showing off the large ⅝ plugs she had, something he hadn't seen her do yet but he liked it.
"What are you having cause that's what I want," she said as she walked over looking to the plate of potatoes, roast beef, and green beans that were leftovers from a larger meal.
"Leftovers," he said nodding to the fridge, "there's some left."
"Cool," she said casually as she made her own plate, heating it up before sitting across from him at the small table by the window. Just as she sat down, the next bell rang and the last few students rushing to class were seen running by before the halls were all quiet again.
"I saw you out running track again, thinking of joining the team?" He asked her. This was the part that was hard for him, the casual talk. Talking like there wasn't anything going on between them. What he really wanted to do was kiss her, tell her how hot she looked and see that smile she gave when she knew that she was turning him on. But instead, he had to speak to her like he was her teacher, out from the privacy of closed doors.
"Maybe, I've not given that much thought," she replied as she started to eat her arms resting on the table as she did. Her wrists visible to him again showing the long scars down her left wrist. He had been meaning to ask, but through the two weeks break, they were occupied with… Other things that kept him distracted.
Logan paused a moment to watch her, he could hear that no one was nearby or even walking down that same hall. He decided now may be the best time to speak up. "What happened to your arms there?" he asked as he reached out taking her left hand that was on the table turning it to look at the scar there.
Laura was quick to yank her arm away, setting it on her lap under the table out of his sight. "Hell of a question to just come out and ask," she said looking at him with a cold look, a look he saw from her once before. The look she gave him at the diner telling him about when she found out about her abilities.
"I had wanted to ask since the gym," he said quietly. He knew that she knew just what he meant. His face was firm as he responded, expecting now for her to maybe storm off or snap. Over the two and a half weeks together he learned she had a temper.
"Their from something that didn't work," she snapped quickly with her come back.
"Did you tr-"
"To off myself? Is that what you're going to ask?" she snapped again, her icy blue eyes pointing daggers at him.
"Did you?" he questioned, he wasn't going to back down. Though he hadn't seen such an angry look on her face.
"Yes," she answered coldly. "I told you at the diner there are times I wish I would have stayed dead in that shallow water. Didn't I?"
Logan's eyes held shock, he didn't expect such a blunt or even such an angry answer from her. He frowned and looked at her sincerely. "Laura, I'm sorry, I was just asking…"
Laura frowned, lowering her head and setting her fork down, her other hand going under the table as well. He could tell she was rubbing her wrist. "Yeah. Yeah, I know, look, it's not my shining star moment ok? And it obviously didn't work," she said quietly putting her arms back on the table.
Again, Logan reached out taking her arm, thankful she didn't pull away this time. He held the back of her wrist so his thumb would trace over her scar and he quietly said to her, "I tried it too."
Laura's mouth fell open slowly, her eyes darting over his face down to his hand that held her wrist and back up to him. "You?" she mumbled, "Mr big, strong, manly man?"
He chuckled, nodding lightly. "Yeah me, we all go through dark times. We learn to pull through and get past them, though. Just have to look for those good times," he said stroking his thumb over her wrist once more before letting go. He let go sooner than he wanted, he wanted to hold her but knew that it would be hard to explain that where they to get caught.
It took Laura a few moments before she said anything else her eyes down to her plate. "You're right, most people don't understand." There was a long pause, she looked up to him leaning back in her chair as she sighed. "You said, I don't know for sure if I could die or not"
"Yes, I said that," he responded quietly.
"I have a really good notion that I can't. I told you about my accident, now this... " Laura paused yet again, this time chewing at her lip piercings as she always did when she was nervous. "The list of things that don't work is fairly long. I was in a really dark place for a while. But I'm past that, not proud of it, but I'm past it."
Logan nodded, understanding well just what she meant. He was sure that thought had crossed lots of kid's mind here. Parents kicking them out, disowning them, damning them for what they were. It wasn't uncommon to see the stories on the news of that happening to kids who didn't know there was a place like this where they were accepted. He gave her a small smile after a moment, "I'm glad, things here would be less interesting without you around."
Laura laughed softly as she leaned back in, her elbows on the table her head resting in her hands. "I'm glad I'm of some use," she said with a lighter smile. Her icy blue eyes much less cold than they had been a few moments ago.
Just as Logan opened his mouth to respond the bell rang again. Time had passed so much faster than he had expected as he looked up at the time. The sound of children leaving their classes soon followed as he turned watching Laura shovel as much as what was on her plate into her mouth before getting up. She cleaned the plate and put it away before looking to Logan, just now managing to swallow and speak. "I have to get to class… Big blue and hairy doesn't like it when you're late to Science," she said with a laugh.
"Hank, and don't give him to much trouble. He's a smart guy, and you could learn something," he said getting up to do the same knowing he had a class to teach himself.
"Fine, fine" she smirked as she was walking past him, giving him a smack on the ass. "I'll be seeing you later," she said with a wink heading to her Science class with Dr. Hank McCoy.
Logan smirked as he turned watching her walk away, he wished instead, he could have been taking her to his room after that. But instead, he had to shake those thoughts from his head as he headed to his own class.