Disclaimer: I do not own X-men, Marvel does. No profit was made from this fic.
A.N.: Alrighty, a HUGE apology for the misspelling of Rogue in the last chapter. I know how to spell it, but for some reason my mind checked out. It was about 1am when I was writing the fic, so that might be why I was such an idiot. I want to thank all those who reviewed the last one and politely pointed out the error, and managed to overlook it and comment on the fic itself. This chapter takes place a few days after the last one and is from Logan's POV, set in movie-verse. Enjoy.
The Girl, the Animal, and the Thief Ch. 2
By Threnody
Logan drew in a deep breath placing the cigar back in his mouth. He looked out the window gazing on the full moon shedding its light over New York. It had been four months since he had left the mansion. He'd gone up north to where Xavier had told him the abandoned military buildings were, but he hadn't found much. Most of the buildings had been destroyed, the files and records along with them. He had managed to find a bit of information that could help him find out what happened to him, but he didn't have the resources to research what he'd found. A month later he had decided to return to the mansion. There he would have access to the school's computer and memory banks.
His hand idly reached up and scratched at where the dog tags used to hang. He missed her. In all his fifteen years of life all that he could remember, he was alone. He had woken up alone and naked, lying in the snow with no clue as to who he was except the tags. He had managed to survive on his own that day and the fifteen following years. But when he'd met her, he'd found someone who needed him. Someone he could protect. He still wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to not leave her in the middle of the road. Perhaps he had just been tired of being alone. He had always been too compassionate.
He stood up from the stool, throwing some money down on the counter and left the diner. He walked to where his bike was parked and took off down the deserted highway. The wind whipped at his face causing his eyes to water. He nearly flew down the lonely road, racing toward the only place he'd come to think of as home. As much as he hated to admit it, part of him was looking forward to seeing them all again. Even that idiot Scott. He had missed how easy it was to insult that one-eyed freak. Plus, he grinned slightly, he needed to remind Jean that if she ever realized what a joke Scott was, he would be more than happy to do the man's job that the kid couldn't.
But there was something else pushing him home so fast. Something he couldn't explain with his senses, but a feeling in his gut that he was needed. Somehow he knew it was connected to Rogue, and that for some reason she needed him. He suspected that Xavier was behind this feeling, but he didn't care. If Rogue needed him, he was more than willing to come back. He'd promised to protect her, and he always kept his word.
A little over an hour later he pulled up to the gates of the mansion. He punched in the code that Xavier had given him before he left and the gates slowly opened. He sped through as soon as there was enough room to enter. As he raced towards the garage area he noticed thing seemed slightly different. He came to a stop in front of another bike. His eyes narrowed into slits as he inspected it. At first he thought that Scott had just gotten another bike, but the smell was wrong. He leaned down and sniffed at the seat. The smell was faded but he could tell it wasn't Scott's. It was someone he didn't recognize. He frowned and continued into the house.
As he neared the kitchen he stopped as he heard someone in it. He walked closer slowly and soon smelled Rogue's light scent. He was about to walk in and greet her when he heard some one else enter the kitchen. He immediately recognized the scent from the bike. He stopped, waiting to find out who this new person was.
"What are you doin' up so late, chere?"
Logan's eyes narrowed. A man. He sniffed at the air again, memorizing the man's scent. He felt a growl build in his throat as he smelled the hormones the man was emitting. He was attracted to Rogue. Logan immediately felt a dislike toward the man.
"Ah just couldn't sleep, that's all Remy." Rogue answered placing a kettle on the stove.
"Any particular reason why, petite?"
"N-no. No reason really." Logan could almost see the blush creeping across her cheeks. He heard the man chuckling slightly and felt the anger growing in his stomach.
"Maybe all you need is someone to tuck you in an' kiss you goodnight, no?"
Rogue's voice was small and timid when she answered. "Remy, please, you know Ah can't--"
"Hush, chere. Gambit don' mind. It will be alright petite. Trust me."
Logan wasted no time stomping into the kitchen and making his presence known. He got a look at the stranger for the first time, and his dislike for him grew. He was clad in nothing but flannel pajama pants, one hand resting on Rogue's shoulder, leaning down towards her. The expression on Rogue's face was one of terror, excitement, and desire all mixed into one. She looked once again like the frightened young girl he had first met. When she saw him relief and joy flooded her face and she cried out his name, running toward him. She buried her face into his leather jacket and he turned his attention toward the other man standing in the room. He glared at him with all the anger he felt, silently warning him to stay away from Rogue. A normal man would've coward away from the intensity of the glare, but Gambit met it and returned one of defiance. Logan felt his anger increasing and was ready to produce his claws when Rogue looked up at him and began talking.
"Ah'm glad you're home Logan. Ah missed you." She pulled away from him and reached toward the neck of her nightgown. She pulled out the dog tags he'd left and lifted it off around her head. "Do you want these back now?"
He smiled slightly and reached for the tags. He understood what returning these meant for Rogue and figured he might as well stay for a while. With this Cajun around he figured Rogue needed as much protection from him as she needed some one to talk to. Rogue had never really opened up with the other X-men as she had with him. Jean had told him that Rogue had a crush on him, maybe that was why she trusted him. Of course it could also be that she knew him better than he might even know himself. He still wondered how much she had been able to see when she absorbed his memories.
"Thanks for taking care of them for me darlin'." He stated gruffly, smiling down at her. "Why don't you head on up to bed. It's late and we can talk more in the morning."
She nodded, smiling brightly and left, forgetting all about the Cajun. Logan stood in a wary silence with the stranger, each glaring suspiciously at the other. Before Gambit could react, Logan had grabbed him by his arm and swung him roughly against the kitchen wall. He raised his other fist and extended his claws, touching the tips of the metal against Gambit's neck. Gambit's eyes widened and he decided it would be better to cooperate than to try and fight against the burly man.
"You must be Wolverine. Rogue's told me all about you."
Logan only growled and stared into the other man's red eyes. "You stay the hell away from her, you hear me? You'll do nothing but cause her pain, and that's the last thing she needs. I know what you're after and you just steer clear, Cajun swamp rat, or I'll make sure you regret it."
"But, mon ami," said Gambit, grinning slightly. "You can't control matters of the heart."
Logan growled again and pressed his claws tighter against the man's neck, causing a few drops of blood to appear. Gambit's eyes became slits and he glared at Logan. His hand groped around the counter until it came in contact with a coffee mug. He instantly filled it with a kinetic charge and was about to bash it down upon Logan's shoulder when it flew from his hand and hovered about a foot from them. The two men looked to the direction of the doorway where Professor Xavier and Jean were staring at them, looking displeased.
"Scott will be quite upset," Jean said as she exploded the mug within a telekinetic bubble. "That was one of his favorite mugs."
Logan merely grunted and stepped away from the Cajun. They continued to glare at each other until Xavier cleared his throat to draw their attention.
"Logan, it's good to have you home. Why don't we go into my office and we can talk. Remy, you go on back to bed."
Gambit stared at Logan a moment longer before turning to leave. Before he could move Logan's hand snaked out and grabbed his arm. Logan pulled him in nose to nose and growled.
"I'll be watching you, swamp rat."
Gambit yanked his arm out of Logan's grip and glowered at him. He then stomped out of the kitchen. Jean followed him after murmuring a greeting to Logan. His eyes stayed on her as she walked out of the room. It was good to see her again; he had missed the way her deep auburn hair wafted around her face.
"Well Logan," said Xavier, "Shall we retire to my office?"
Logan nodded and followed the man into his office. He sat in a chair in front of the desk as Xavier took his place behind it. Logan looked around the room, noticing that not much had changed since the first day he had "accidentally" wandered into the office. He supposed that he had changed quite a bit, but the mansion had remained the same. Except for a new addition.
"Who the hell is that punk kid?" Logan growled.
Xavier chuckled at Logan's display of fatherly protection. "His name is Remy LeBeau. He appeared on the property about a week ago, claiming that he was coming to enroll in the academy. He saved Rogue from what she described as 'a bunch of ninjas'. They were looking for a thief whom Remy later explained was himself. He said that the attackers were a rival guild, though he would say no more than that. So far, he has been an excellent student, working hard and applying himself to the material.
"His gift is the fill small objects with kinetic energy, which then causes them to explode on impact. He seems to be in control of his gift already, he even has a refined technique of charging playing cards and throwing them at the enemy. This leads me to believe that he has already had training in regards to his powers, however he claims he has not. We do not know much about his past other than he was raised in New Orleans. Like you he seems to have many secrets hidden in past."
Logan clenched his jaw and stared out the window. Secrets had never done him any good, and they caused him to like this kid even less. He understood why this guy was after Rogue, and he hated him for it. Rogue was something unattainable. She was unwillingly innocent, and could make any man feel powerful. But there was something more about this Cajun that Logan didn't trust. He seemed familiar somehow and he inspired a great anger and distrust in Logan that he couldn't understand.
"Well Logan," said Xavier, snapping him out of his thoughts, "We kept your room unoccupied. You know the way. We'll talk more in the morning. I'm anxious to hear what you found. Good night."
"Good night."
Logan stood and made his way up to his old room. An odd sense of peace filled him as he entered the familiar room. Somehow he had always felt like he belonged here. He wasn't sure if he enjoyed the emotion or not. For so long he'd been on his own and that was what he had come to trust. The feeling of belonging to a family was new to him something he couldn't quite trust. He wasn't sure if he would ever learn to trust he other X-men.
He sighed and lay down in his bed, trying to move his thoughts elsewhere. Life had been so much more simply before he'd run into Rogue. There had been no one depending on him or trusting him. He'd been free to come and go as he pleased. It would be easy to return to that life, he mused, except for Jean and Rogue. Somehow he didn't think he could ever leave them. He growled in frustration and punched the pillow. Getting up, we walked over to the window, staring up into the bright moon. Life had been simpler, but much lonelier.
The next morning Logan got up early and went down to the gym on the campus. A few students were there, but for the most part it was empty. He needed time to think and felt the need to exercise his body. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle the situation with the Cajun. Killing him was the first thing that came to mind, but he soon dismissed the idea. He felt things were going to be more difficult than he wanted them to be. The kid was too stubborn to just give up with the warning he'd received last night. In fact, from the look of things, he'd pursue Rogue just to spite him if nothing else. And Rogue would be just as difficult to deal with. It was obvious she had some sort of attraction for the boy and if he tried to interfere, she might take offense. He scowled and toweled some sweat off his brow. He hated dealing with things like this. Everything was so damned complicated with people. He found himself wishing he could just rip the Cajun's throat out and be done with it.
"Good morning Logan."
He stopped and turned toward the Jean's voice. He had been thinking harder than he realized. He hadn't even noticed her arrival. He frowned again realizing how vulnerable he had left himself. This whole thing was making him soft.
"Don't look so happy to see me. I might get a big ego." Jean joked lightly, feeling his frustration. "What's got you thinking so hard?"
Logan sighed and sat down on a bench. Jean sat down next to him, patiently waiting for an answer. He let all that he was feeling wander through his mind again, contemplating on which words would best describe the source of his frustration.
"Rogue and that idiot."
Jean chuckled softly. "I knew it would bother you, I just didn't realize how much. You worried about her?"
Logan nodded and Jean watched him for a moment. She could feel his anger and love for the girl. She also knew that like every man he didn't have a clue how to go about dealing with something like this. She smiled slightly and patted his shoulder.
"Just talk to her Logan. Just say what you feel, she knows that you care about her and want to protect her. But you have to realize that she may reject what you have to say, but at least you'll have said it. I know you'd probably rather just kill Remy, but talking to Rogue is a better solution."
He just sat there for a moment, staring into space. He considered Jean's words, and figured she was right. He did need to talk to Rogue. Unfortunately talking wasn't one of his talents. He sighed again in frustration and pushed himself away from the bench, muttering about a shower.
He let the cold water wash over him as he made plans for how to approach Rogue. This wasn't going to be easy for him. He turned off the water and reached for a towel. He picked up his watch from the pile of clothing and looked at the time. It was 9 o'clock. She would probably be up by now, and it was Saturday so she didn't have classes. He finished getting dressed and set out to look for Rogue. He ran into some students whom he recognized as friends of Rogue and asked if they knew where she was. One of them said she went out to the field to sketch. He thanked them and quickly walked out to the field. Halfway into the field he picked up her scent and followed it until he found where she was lying face down in the long grass with a sketchbook in front of her.
"Hey Rogue. Mind if I sit down?"
She sat up quickly and smiled at him. "Of course not Logan. Have a seat."
They sat in silence a moment. He played with a blade of grass, trying to figure out how to bring the subject up. He didn't want to make her angry enough to walk off, but he had a feeling that it would end that way.
"Ah'm really glad you're back, Logan," he looked up as she spoke, seeing the relief and honesty in her eyes. "Ah really did miss you."
He smiled at her slightly, reminded once again why he was so worried for the attention-starved girl. She'd secluded herself so much from the people around her because of her fear of accidentally touching them. For some reason she felt safe around him, and he wanted to do what her could to protect her.
"I'm glad I came back too, Rogue. There's something I need to talk to you about..."
"What is it?"
He sighed and rubbed his face. Well, here goes. "It's about that-about Remy."
He heard her slight intake of breath and felt her stiffen next to him. He continued before she could say anything. "I don't what you feel about him Rogue, but this guy is dangerous. There's something about him that I don't trust and I don't think you should get too close to him."
"He saved my life Logan."
"I know he did darlin'. But he was also the reason your life was in danger. Those guys weren't chasin' after him for no reason. He's dangerous, and I've seen the way he looks at you. You can't trust him. He's only gonna end up hurting you Rogue."
She sat in silence, glaring angrily at the grass. He watched emotions play over her face. He could see her anger, embarrassment, and pain. He cursed himself as tears welled up in her eyes. He was mad at her for being so fragile, and mad at himself for feeling that way. He knew this wasn't going to be easy when he got into it, but still hated dealing with it. Once again he found himself wishing he could just kill that idiot kid.
Rogue stood up slowly, avoiding his eyes. In a low voice she said, "Ah can take care of myself Logan."
His anger flared up at her pride and he jumped to his feet, towering over her. "No, you can't. I said I'd protect you, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. That idiot kid is gonna do nothin' but hurt you, and I'm not gonna let that happen. Just stay away from him and you'll be fine."
Rogue's emotions built up inside her, mingling together until there was nothing she could do but give a frustrated cry and hit Logan across the arm with her sketchbook. She then turned and fled, running off in the direction of the forest.
"Rogue!" He called out after her. "Marie!!"
But she didn't stop. He considered following her, but realized that in her current state, she wouldn't be too happy to see him. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. That hadn't gone quite the way he had wanted it to. Slowly he began to make his way back to the mansion. He didn't understand that girl. He had figured she would be upset, but couldn't understand what she'd gotten so mad about. He growled and thoughts of killing the swamp rat filled his mind. He needed a drink. Dealing with people was just too much to handle without a good, stiff drink. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the forest. He hoped Rogue would calm down soon. He felt a strange sensation that he should follow her and make sure she was all right. But he pushed it aside, not wanting to make her more angry. He fingered the tags resting on his chest and hoped she would be ok.
* * *
A.N.: Sorry the 2nd chapter took so long. It was longer than I had planned on it being. Just a few quick notes. Cyclops fans, don't flame me. This ch. was Logan's pov and the comments on Scott were his and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author. I'll try to write chapter 3 soon, but I've got a lot to do, so I don't know how soon it'll be up. I will write it though. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last one. Sorry for any grammatical errors that I didn't notice. ^-^
A.N.: Alrighty, a HUGE apology for the misspelling of Rogue in the last chapter. I know how to spell it, but for some reason my mind checked out. It was about 1am when I was writing the fic, so that might be why I was such an idiot. I want to thank all those who reviewed the last one and politely pointed out the error, and managed to overlook it and comment on the fic itself. This chapter takes place a few days after the last one and is from Logan's POV, set in movie-verse. Enjoy.
The Girl, the Animal, and the Thief Ch. 2
By Threnody
Logan drew in a deep breath placing the cigar back in his mouth. He looked out the window gazing on the full moon shedding its light over New York. It had been four months since he had left the mansion. He'd gone up north to where Xavier had told him the abandoned military buildings were, but he hadn't found much. Most of the buildings had been destroyed, the files and records along with them. He had managed to find a bit of information that could help him find out what happened to him, but he didn't have the resources to research what he'd found. A month later he had decided to return to the mansion. There he would have access to the school's computer and memory banks.
His hand idly reached up and scratched at where the dog tags used to hang. He missed her. In all his fifteen years of life all that he could remember, he was alone. He had woken up alone and naked, lying in the snow with no clue as to who he was except the tags. He had managed to survive on his own that day and the fifteen following years. But when he'd met her, he'd found someone who needed him. Someone he could protect. He still wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to not leave her in the middle of the road. Perhaps he had just been tired of being alone. He had always been too compassionate.
He stood up from the stool, throwing some money down on the counter and left the diner. He walked to where his bike was parked and took off down the deserted highway. The wind whipped at his face causing his eyes to water. He nearly flew down the lonely road, racing toward the only place he'd come to think of as home. As much as he hated to admit it, part of him was looking forward to seeing them all again. Even that idiot Scott. He had missed how easy it was to insult that one-eyed freak. Plus, he grinned slightly, he needed to remind Jean that if she ever realized what a joke Scott was, he would be more than happy to do the man's job that the kid couldn't.
But there was something else pushing him home so fast. Something he couldn't explain with his senses, but a feeling in his gut that he was needed. Somehow he knew it was connected to Rogue, and that for some reason she needed him. He suspected that Xavier was behind this feeling, but he didn't care. If Rogue needed him, he was more than willing to come back. He'd promised to protect her, and he always kept his word.
A little over an hour later he pulled up to the gates of the mansion. He punched in the code that Xavier had given him before he left and the gates slowly opened. He sped through as soon as there was enough room to enter. As he raced towards the garage area he noticed thing seemed slightly different. He came to a stop in front of another bike. His eyes narrowed into slits as he inspected it. At first he thought that Scott had just gotten another bike, but the smell was wrong. He leaned down and sniffed at the seat. The smell was faded but he could tell it wasn't Scott's. It was someone he didn't recognize. He frowned and continued into the house.
As he neared the kitchen he stopped as he heard someone in it. He walked closer slowly and soon smelled Rogue's light scent. He was about to walk in and greet her when he heard some one else enter the kitchen. He immediately recognized the scent from the bike. He stopped, waiting to find out who this new person was.
"What are you doin' up so late, chere?"
Logan's eyes narrowed. A man. He sniffed at the air again, memorizing the man's scent. He felt a growl build in his throat as he smelled the hormones the man was emitting. He was attracted to Rogue. Logan immediately felt a dislike toward the man.
"Ah just couldn't sleep, that's all Remy." Rogue answered placing a kettle on the stove.
"Any particular reason why, petite?"
"N-no. No reason really." Logan could almost see the blush creeping across her cheeks. He heard the man chuckling slightly and felt the anger growing in his stomach.
"Maybe all you need is someone to tuck you in an' kiss you goodnight, no?"
Rogue's voice was small and timid when she answered. "Remy, please, you know Ah can't--"
"Hush, chere. Gambit don' mind. It will be alright petite. Trust me."
Logan wasted no time stomping into the kitchen and making his presence known. He got a look at the stranger for the first time, and his dislike for him grew. He was clad in nothing but flannel pajama pants, one hand resting on Rogue's shoulder, leaning down towards her. The expression on Rogue's face was one of terror, excitement, and desire all mixed into one. She looked once again like the frightened young girl he had first met. When she saw him relief and joy flooded her face and she cried out his name, running toward him. She buried her face into his leather jacket and he turned his attention toward the other man standing in the room. He glared at him with all the anger he felt, silently warning him to stay away from Rogue. A normal man would've coward away from the intensity of the glare, but Gambit met it and returned one of defiance. Logan felt his anger increasing and was ready to produce his claws when Rogue looked up at him and began talking.
"Ah'm glad you're home Logan. Ah missed you." She pulled away from him and reached toward the neck of her nightgown. She pulled out the dog tags he'd left and lifted it off around her head. "Do you want these back now?"
He smiled slightly and reached for the tags. He understood what returning these meant for Rogue and figured he might as well stay for a while. With this Cajun around he figured Rogue needed as much protection from him as she needed some one to talk to. Rogue had never really opened up with the other X-men as she had with him. Jean had told him that Rogue had a crush on him, maybe that was why she trusted him. Of course it could also be that she knew him better than he might even know himself. He still wondered how much she had been able to see when she absorbed his memories.
"Thanks for taking care of them for me darlin'." He stated gruffly, smiling down at her. "Why don't you head on up to bed. It's late and we can talk more in the morning."
She nodded, smiling brightly and left, forgetting all about the Cajun. Logan stood in a wary silence with the stranger, each glaring suspiciously at the other. Before Gambit could react, Logan had grabbed him by his arm and swung him roughly against the kitchen wall. He raised his other fist and extended his claws, touching the tips of the metal against Gambit's neck. Gambit's eyes widened and he decided it would be better to cooperate than to try and fight against the burly man.
"You must be Wolverine. Rogue's told me all about you."
Logan only growled and stared into the other man's red eyes. "You stay the hell away from her, you hear me? You'll do nothing but cause her pain, and that's the last thing she needs. I know what you're after and you just steer clear, Cajun swamp rat, or I'll make sure you regret it."
"But, mon ami," said Gambit, grinning slightly. "You can't control matters of the heart."
Logan growled again and pressed his claws tighter against the man's neck, causing a few drops of blood to appear. Gambit's eyes became slits and he glared at Logan. His hand groped around the counter until it came in contact with a coffee mug. He instantly filled it with a kinetic charge and was about to bash it down upon Logan's shoulder when it flew from his hand and hovered about a foot from them. The two men looked to the direction of the doorway where Professor Xavier and Jean were staring at them, looking displeased.
"Scott will be quite upset," Jean said as she exploded the mug within a telekinetic bubble. "That was one of his favorite mugs."
Logan merely grunted and stepped away from the Cajun. They continued to glare at each other until Xavier cleared his throat to draw their attention.
"Logan, it's good to have you home. Why don't we go into my office and we can talk. Remy, you go on back to bed."
Gambit stared at Logan a moment longer before turning to leave. Before he could move Logan's hand snaked out and grabbed his arm. Logan pulled him in nose to nose and growled.
"I'll be watching you, swamp rat."
Gambit yanked his arm out of Logan's grip and glowered at him. He then stomped out of the kitchen. Jean followed him after murmuring a greeting to Logan. His eyes stayed on her as she walked out of the room. It was good to see her again; he had missed the way her deep auburn hair wafted around her face.
"Well Logan," said Xavier, "Shall we retire to my office?"
Logan nodded and followed the man into his office. He sat in a chair in front of the desk as Xavier took his place behind it. Logan looked around the room, noticing that not much had changed since the first day he had "accidentally" wandered into the office. He supposed that he had changed quite a bit, but the mansion had remained the same. Except for a new addition.
"Who the hell is that punk kid?" Logan growled.
Xavier chuckled at Logan's display of fatherly protection. "His name is Remy LeBeau. He appeared on the property about a week ago, claiming that he was coming to enroll in the academy. He saved Rogue from what she described as 'a bunch of ninjas'. They were looking for a thief whom Remy later explained was himself. He said that the attackers were a rival guild, though he would say no more than that. So far, he has been an excellent student, working hard and applying himself to the material.
"His gift is the fill small objects with kinetic energy, which then causes them to explode on impact. He seems to be in control of his gift already, he even has a refined technique of charging playing cards and throwing them at the enemy. This leads me to believe that he has already had training in regards to his powers, however he claims he has not. We do not know much about his past other than he was raised in New Orleans. Like you he seems to have many secrets hidden in past."
Logan clenched his jaw and stared out the window. Secrets had never done him any good, and they caused him to like this kid even less. He understood why this guy was after Rogue, and he hated him for it. Rogue was something unattainable. She was unwillingly innocent, and could make any man feel powerful. But there was something more about this Cajun that Logan didn't trust. He seemed familiar somehow and he inspired a great anger and distrust in Logan that he couldn't understand.
"Well Logan," said Xavier, snapping him out of his thoughts, "We kept your room unoccupied. You know the way. We'll talk more in the morning. I'm anxious to hear what you found. Good night."
"Good night."
Logan stood and made his way up to his old room. An odd sense of peace filled him as he entered the familiar room. Somehow he had always felt like he belonged here. He wasn't sure if he enjoyed the emotion or not. For so long he'd been on his own and that was what he had come to trust. The feeling of belonging to a family was new to him something he couldn't quite trust. He wasn't sure if he would ever learn to trust he other X-men.
He sighed and lay down in his bed, trying to move his thoughts elsewhere. Life had been so much more simply before he'd run into Rogue. There had been no one depending on him or trusting him. He'd been free to come and go as he pleased. It would be easy to return to that life, he mused, except for Jean and Rogue. Somehow he didn't think he could ever leave them. He growled in frustration and punched the pillow. Getting up, we walked over to the window, staring up into the bright moon. Life had been simpler, but much lonelier.
The next morning Logan got up early and went down to the gym on the campus. A few students were there, but for the most part it was empty. He needed time to think and felt the need to exercise his body. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle the situation with the Cajun. Killing him was the first thing that came to mind, but he soon dismissed the idea. He felt things were going to be more difficult than he wanted them to be. The kid was too stubborn to just give up with the warning he'd received last night. In fact, from the look of things, he'd pursue Rogue just to spite him if nothing else. And Rogue would be just as difficult to deal with. It was obvious she had some sort of attraction for the boy and if he tried to interfere, she might take offense. He scowled and toweled some sweat off his brow. He hated dealing with things like this. Everything was so damned complicated with people. He found himself wishing he could just rip the Cajun's throat out and be done with it.
"Good morning Logan."
He stopped and turned toward the Jean's voice. He had been thinking harder than he realized. He hadn't even noticed her arrival. He frowned again realizing how vulnerable he had left himself. This whole thing was making him soft.
"Don't look so happy to see me. I might get a big ego." Jean joked lightly, feeling his frustration. "What's got you thinking so hard?"
Logan sighed and sat down on a bench. Jean sat down next to him, patiently waiting for an answer. He let all that he was feeling wander through his mind again, contemplating on which words would best describe the source of his frustration.
"Rogue and that idiot."
Jean chuckled softly. "I knew it would bother you, I just didn't realize how much. You worried about her?"
Logan nodded and Jean watched him for a moment. She could feel his anger and love for the girl. She also knew that like every man he didn't have a clue how to go about dealing with something like this. She smiled slightly and patted his shoulder.
"Just talk to her Logan. Just say what you feel, she knows that you care about her and want to protect her. But you have to realize that she may reject what you have to say, but at least you'll have said it. I know you'd probably rather just kill Remy, but talking to Rogue is a better solution."
He just sat there for a moment, staring into space. He considered Jean's words, and figured she was right. He did need to talk to Rogue. Unfortunately talking wasn't one of his talents. He sighed again in frustration and pushed himself away from the bench, muttering about a shower.
He let the cold water wash over him as he made plans for how to approach Rogue. This wasn't going to be easy for him. He turned off the water and reached for a towel. He picked up his watch from the pile of clothing and looked at the time. It was 9 o'clock. She would probably be up by now, and it was Saturday so she didn't have classes. He finished getting dressed and set out to look for Rogue. He ran into some students whom he recognized as friends of Rogue and asked if they knew where she was. One of them said she went out to the field to sketch. He thanked them and quickly walked out to the field. Halfway into the field he picked up her scent and followed it until he found where she was lying face down in the long grass with a sketchbook in front of her.
"Hey Rogue. Mind if I sit down?"
She sat up quickly and smiled at him. "Of course not Logan. Have a seat."
They sat in silence a moment. He played with a blade of grass, trying to figure out how to bring the subject up. He didn't want to make her angry enough to walk off, but he had a feeling that it would end that way.
"Ah'm really glad you're back, Logan," he looked up as she spoke, seeing the relief and honesty in her eyes. "Ah really did miss you."
He smiled at her slightly, reminded once again why he was so worried for the attention-starved girl. She'd secluded herself so much from the people around her because of her fear of accidentally touching them. For some reason she felt safe around him, and he wanted to do what her could to protect her.
"I'm glad I came back too, Rogue. There's something I need to talk to you about..."
"What is it?"
He sighed and rubbed his face. Well, here goes. "It's about that-about Remy."
He heard her slight intake of breath and felt her stiffen next to him. He continued before she could say anything. "I don't what you feel about him Rogue, but this guy is dangerous. There's something about him that I don't trust and I don't think you should get too close to him."
"He saved my life Logan."
"I know he did darlin'. But he was also the reason your life was in danger. Those guys weren't chasin' after him for no reason. He's dangerous, and I've seen the way he looks at you. You can't trust him. He's only gonna end up hurting you Rogue."
She sat in silence, glaring angrily at the grass. He watched emotions play over her face. He could see her anger, embarrassment, and pain. He cursed himself as tears welled up in her eyes. He was mad at her for being so fragile, and mad at himself for feeling that way. He knew this wasn't going to be easy when he got into it, but still hated dealing with it. Once again he found himself wishing he could just kill that idiot kid.
Rogue stood up slowly, avoiding his eyes. In a low voice she said, "Ah can take care of myself Logan."
His anger flared up at her pride and he jumped to his feet, towering over her. "No, you can't. I said I'd protect you, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. That idiot kid is gonna do nothin' but hurt you, and I'm not gonna let that happen. Just stay away from him and you'll be fine."
Rogue's emotions built up inside her, mingling together until there was nothing she could do but give a frustrated cry and hit Logan across the arm with her sketchbook. She then turned and fled, running off in the direction of the forest.
"Rogue!" He called out after her. "Marie!!"
But she didn't stop. He considered following her, but realized that in her current state, she wouldn't be too happy to see him. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. That hadn't gone quite the way he had wanted it to. Slowly he began to make his way back to the mansion. He didn't understand that girl. He had figured she would be upset, but couldn't understand what she'd gotten so mad about. He growled and thoughts of killing the swamp rat filled his mind. He needed a drink. Dealing with people was just too much to handle without a good, stiff drink. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the forest. He hoped Rogue would calm down soon. He felt a strange sensation that he should follow her and make sure she was all right. But he pushed it aside, not wanting to make her more angry. He fingered the tags resting on his chest and hoped she would be ok.
* * *
A.N.: Sorry the 2nd chapter took so long. It was longer than I had planned on it being. Just a few quick notes. Cyclops fans, don't flame me. This ch. was Logan's pov and the comments on Scott were his and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author. I'll try to write chapter 3 soon, but I've got a lot to do, so I don't know how soon it'll be up. I will write it though. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last one. Sorry for any grammatical errors that I didn't notice. ^-^