Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
I woke late again, but this time I was wrapped up in Logan's arms. One arm draped over my waist, the other wrapped around my chest. The memories of the previous day were still hot in my mind, and I slid my arms over his.
After we'd both come down from the high, we spent the day just talking. Well, I talked. He still seemed hesitant when it came to talking about his life, at least the parts that didn't include me. But I was much more willing to be patient, now that I knew it was worth it.
"Mornin', Red." He still sounded half asleep, but he was awake enough to squeeze me tighter against him and press a kiss to my neck.
Red… I'd never noticed before how my whole body seemed to come to life when he called me that. It was like a fire, that sparked, burning brighter with every whisper of that name, every touch of his skin against mine.
"Mmm… morning." I rolled over to face him.
He took hold of my chin, leaning in to kiss me softly. I wanted to just stay like that for hours, but I was starving. I kissed him again, before turning to climb out of bed.
He stopped me, pulling me back in, this time for a deeper, more passionate kiss.
"Logan, I need to eat." I whispered, between kisses.
"Does that mean we have to get dressed?" He sighed.
I laughed. "Well, it means I have to get dressed. You could always stay here and wait for me to come back, but that could take a while." Gently pushing his hands off me, I climbed out of bed and walked to my closet, looking for something to wear.
I grabbed a pair of jeans, and a cute, lacy, black button-down shirt. But I'd only managed to put on my jeans and bra before Logan picked me up, carrying me over to the bed and carefully placing me on my back.
"Hey!" I yelped, laughing. "I'm trying to get dressed."
"And I'm trying to kiss you." He leaned down, pressing his lips to the part of the tattoo that was visible beneath my bra.
I bit my lip, caught between my hunger and my need for him to keep touching me. "Logan…"
"Fine." He sighed, helping me off the bed. "But, I'm bringing you back here, as soon as we've finished eating."
Pulling my shirt on, I gave him a sly smile. "I'm hardly going to say no to that." I buttoned up my shirt, making sure that it covered the bite on my shoulder.
"Ready to go?" He asked, once he'd thrown on his clothes.
"One more thing." I stood on my toes, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss him. "Thought I should get that out of my system."
He gently pushed me out the doorway, sliding his hand into the back pocket of my jeans. I blushed as we walked down to the kitchen.
Bobby and Scott were at the table, eating lunch. When they saw us, Bobby sighed.
"Damn." He fished his wallet out of his pocket. "You were right."
"What's going on?" I sat down across from them, as Logan went to make coffee.
Scott took the cash from Bobby. "He thought the two of you would last a week before you fell into bed with each other."
"You should have said something, Bobby." I laughed. "If you'd cut me in, I would've held off."
He looked past me, making sure Logan was out of reach. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"Fuck off." Logan called out.
"Alright, Bobby. Let's leave the two lovebirds to their food." Scott stood up, practically dragging Bobby out of the room.
Logan sat down beside me, placing a coffee and a bowl of my favourite cereal on the table.
"You remembered." I whispered, looking at up at him.
He nodded. "I've forgotten a lot of things in my life, but nothing about you." He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close. "Now eat up, so I can take you back upstairs."
"It's not easy to eat when you're touching me." I replied, with a smile.
"I've got a couple of things that I can do." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I'll see you in my room soon."
I took a deep breath, pulling myself together. As I ate my breakfast, I wondered whether I would ever get used to his touch. Or if every single time he touched me would always feel as exciting as that first time.
After basically pouring my breakfast down my throat, I made my way back upstairs. I pushed the bedroom door open, finding Logan just walking out of the bathroom from a shower. He was wearing just his pants, and they sat so low on his hips.
"There's something you've never told me." I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
He grabbed my waist, effortlessly lifting me up. "What's that?" His hands slid down my back.
"You've told me what everyone else smells like. But you've never said what I smell like to you." I rested my forehead against his, unbuttoning my shirt.
"Right now," He carried me over to the bed, placing me down and lying on his side next to me. "You smell like me, which is sexy as hell." Pushing my shirt aside, he pressed a kiss to my chest. "But you've always smelled like cinnamon and pine trees to me. You remind me of home, of safety."
I touched his face, feeling happier than I'd been for a long time. My worries about who was searching for me were gone, and all that existed was the two of us. But before I could say anything, I heard Xavier's voice in my head.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to see you urgently.
I sighed, kissing Logan once. "Hold that thought. The professor wants to see me, but I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
He nodded, letting me go. I quickly buttoned up my shirt, kissed him again, then ran to the office.
"What's going on?" I asked, sitting across the desk from Xavier.
"I've received word that there was an attack on your family's village. The men you fought off before, they returned in larger numbers." He hesitated, clasping his hands together on the desk. "Your aunt… she was killed."
I sat there, in numb silence, unable to even think.
"And I know who is searching for you." He continued. "It's not what we thought. Victor Creed was not hired. He hired those men to look for you, and when you came here, he lashed out to punish you."
"But why?" I held back my tears, even though my heart felt like it was ripping apart inside me. "What does he want from me?"
He shook his head. "I don't know, but given his past history, I would guess it has something to do with your relationship with Logan."
"What do I do?" I asked.
"For now, there's nothing we can do. I don't know where he is." He gave me a comforting look. "I will let you know if I find him, but I felt you needed to hear this now."
I nodded, standing up. "I… thank you."
Stumbling out of the office, I quietly panicked my way up the stairs, where I almost ran into Logan. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me steady.
"I've got you, Red." He whispered, picking me up and carrying me back to his room. He carefully put me down on the bed, sitting beside me and holding me close.
"He killed her." I pulled my knees to my chest, not looking at him.
"Who?"
I didn't want to say it, because I knew it was going to make him angry. "Victor. He's the one behind this. He hired the men to attack my aunt's village. He sent them back there, and they killed her."
I felt his body tense, and I turned to touch his face, but he shoved my hand aside and stood up. He looked like he was about to run, so I ducked past him and stood in front of the door.
"Logan, don't do this." I pleaded. "I can't get through this without you."
"I…" He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor. "He's spent most of our lives trying to destroy me. But he finally left me alone, over twenty years ago, because there was nothing left for him to take from me."
I watched him, wiping tears from my face. I wasn't going to let this overwhelm me, I'd come too far for that.
"I can't lose you, Annie. But he'll keep trying to hurt you, because hurting you will destroy me."
Walking over, I climbed into his lap. "You won't lose me. But if you go after him, you know he'll just come straight here."
"I know… I just want to keep you safe." He slid his hands up inside the back of my shirt. "I would do anything to keep you safe."
I nodded, wrapping my arms around him. "I know. And if I thought it would help, I wouldn't stop you. But if you go, and he comes for me, there's no one here who knows enough about how he thinks to stop him." When he didn't reply, I ran my fingers along his jaw. "You know I'm right."
"I wish you weren't." He pulled me close, my chest against his.
"Me too." I kissed him. "But I'm scared, and I just lost the one member of my family who still cared about me. I need you right now, because I don't think I'll cope if I'm alone in this."
"I'm not leaving, I promise." He ran his fingers through my hair.
I wiped my eyes, getting up and walking to the bathroom. Splashing some water on my face, I took a deep breath. Everything seemed to hurt, both inside and out. Isla had taught me how to embrace my powers, but also how to stop shying away from my past. My parents had deserted me, kicking me out when my mutation presented, but as soon as I turned up at her door and told her who I was, she took me in, no questions. And now she was gone, I had no one I could call about how to deal with this.
"What can I do?" Logan asked, walking over to me.
"I'm gonna go get changed. Do you still hide alcohol in here? I need a drink."
He pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I think I can find something for you."
I walked next door to my room. I really was not in a tight pants mood, I just wanted something comfy. Stripping off, I pulled on my over-sized hoodie and a pair of booty shorts. Logan had seen me at my worst dressed and best dressed, so I didn't think he would judge me or anything. Frankly, I wouldn't have cared if he did.
Pushing Logan's door open, I found him pouring two glasses of bourbon. He handed one to me, gently pulling me into his lap. I drank it quickly, taking a deep breath as the warmth of the alcohol spread through my body.
"Slow down, Red." He took the glass from me, putting it aside.
I pouted, annoyed. "I just want everything out of my head for a while."
"I know, but if you're still the same lightweight you used to be, you don't want to be slamming this back."
"I spent four years in a tiny village. Drinking was basically the only activity there was." I bit my lip, smiling a little at the memories. "I drank so much in the time I was there, that I probably should have died. So," I took his glass, downing it too. "I've probably still got another few glasses before you need to be concerned."
He grabbed me by the hair, pulling me in close. "You have no idea how sexy you are right now."
"I've got a pretty good idea. But if you kiss me, maybe I'll have a better idea."