Three sets of eyes stared holes into Logan. Or rather, two sets and Cyclops. Luckily, the holes stuff wasn't literal.
"I don't see how my sex life is any of your concern," he said casually.
"Sex. Life." Scott rolled the words across his tongue. "Your. Sex. Life."
Logan leaned in closer to Jean. "He okay?"
"*He's* fine," she sputtered. "Dear God, Logan, she's eighteen."
Without thinking, he corrected her. "Nineteen." Something told him that remembering Mara's birthday hadn't won him and points with this particular group."
"She's a child." Even the Professor sounded awed. In a bad way. Bummer.
"She's a drifter. So am I. We met, we liked each other, and so we drifted together for awhile." Maybe a little simplistic but, essentially, it was the truth. The cold, callous, well-rehearsed truth.
"You had sex with her?"
Logan raised an eyebrow at Scott. "Did someone lobotomize him since I left?"
"Is that a yes?"
"You jealous, Jean?" This was going badly. He had no business discussing this with them. He ought to have gone after Mara. She, at least, he owed an explanation.
"Answer the question."
He sighed. "Yes. I had sex with her. Happy?"
"More than once?"
"We were together for a year. And don't ask me how many time 'cause I didn't count." Three hundred and six times. A man was still allowed to lie.
Ororo chose that exact moment to make her entrance. "This doesn't look like a homecoming."
"Logan slept with Scarlett Winoa," Scott supplied.
"She and Rogue left my classroom only five minutes ago."
"Not today." A growl built slowly inside Logan but he held it in.
Apparently, he was not the only angry member of the meeting. "Before she got here," Scott bit.
"Oh." If possible, Ororo looked less happy about the revelation than Logan. "Oh."
"As much as I love the idea of everyone sitting in judgment of me as a group, I have someone to talk to," Logan growled. He turned.
Scott grabbed his upper arm. "No. You stay away from her."
"Listen, Cyclops-"
Jean's soft but insistent voice interrupted. "Logan, she didn't seem thrilled to see you. At least, wait. Let's all," she placed a hand on Scott's shoulder, "all give her a chance to be alone. Rogue will take care of her."
"They're friends?" Logan's voice was taunt but his body-language said he accepted her statement. She nodded. "I'll go unpack." I'm not leaving, he sneered silently. Can't get rid of me now.
_________________________________________________________________
If running was her strong suit, hiding was far from the best of her abilities. Rogue found Scarlett sitting, listlessly in the middle of her own bed. This is my best friend, Rogue though reverently, and she is in pain. The danger signs were all there - this could turn out messy.
Rogue studied the unmoving woman on the bed. A little older than herself, Scarlett had always seemed so world-wise. World-weary it now was evident. But by simple appearance, she looked just like any other teenager. Sweetly but not drastically pretty. Long strawberry blonde hair that could probably use a cut. Large soft blue eyes, doe eyes. Full lips - too big really. Scarlett was slight with a tad bit too much breast and too little hip. If asked to describe her, Rogue would have said that Scarlett had great legs and the best crooked smile on Earth. But, overall, she was just like any other girl. Sadder. Quieter. Nicer, maybe.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You don't have to eat my hood."
A wry smile curled one side of Scarlett's mouth. "Good to hear." There was a moment of silence as Scarlett formulated the question they both knew she had to ask. "Marie...you and Logan-"
"Friends. Just friends." Scarlett nodded and Rogue plunged on. "But you two..."
"It was different...out there. Here is safe but...before, I'd never been safe before..."
"Before Logan."
"Maybe. I don't know. It just happened, you know?" A heavy sigh. "They're all talking about it, aren't they?"
Rogue grimaced. For a private person this would be hell. "Probably. They want to protect you."
"From Logan? They're about two years too late."
Taking a seat on the edge of Scarlett's bed, Rogue ventured, "Would you have accepted their help then?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes "No. Does it matter that I don't really want it now?"
"Ummm...no."
For a moment the girls simply stared at one another. Then, slowly, they dissolved into weary giggles. "Marie, I don't want to be around when this little meeting breaks up. Can we-?"
"Any movies you wanna see?"
"We don't have permission to leave. We'll get in trouble."
Shrugging, Rogue pulled Scarlett to her feet. "Let's risk it."
"I don't see how my sex life is any of your concern," he said casually.
"Sex. Life." Scott rolled the words across his tongue. "Your. Sex. Life."
Logan leaned in closer to Jean. "He okay?"
"*He's* fine," she sputtered. "Dear God, Logan, she's eighteen."
Without thinking, he corrected her. "Nineteen." Something told him that remembering Mara's birthday hadn't won him and points with this particular group."
"She's a child." Even the Professor sounded awed. In a bad way. Bummer.
"She's a drifter. So am I. We met, we liked each other, and so we drifted together for awhile." Maybe a little simplistic but, essentially, it was the truth. The cold, callous, well-rehearsed truth.
"You had sex with her?"
Logan raised an eyebrow at Scott. "Did someone lobotomize him since I left?"
"Is that a yes?"
"You jealous, Jean?" This was going badly. He had no business discussing this with them. He ought to have gone after Mara. She, at least, he owed an explanation.
"Answer the question."
He sighed. "Yes. I had sex with her. Happy?"
"More than once?"
"We were together for a year. And don't ask me how many time 'cause I didn't count." Three hundred and six times. A man was still allowed to lie.
Ororo chose that exact moment to make her entrance. "This doesn't look like a homecoming."
"Logan slept with Scarlett Winoa," Scott supplied.
"She and Rogue left my classroom only five minutes ago."
"Not today." A growl built slowly inside Logan but he held it in.
Apparently, he was not the only angry member of the meeting. "Before she got here," Scott bit.
"Oh." If possible, Ororo looked less happy about the revelation than Logan. "Oh."
"As much as I love the idea of everyone sitting in judgment of me as a group, I have someone to talk to," Logan growled. He turned.
Scott grabbed his upper arm. "No. You stay away from her."
"Listen, Cyclops-"
Jean's soft but insistent voice interrupted. "Logan, she didn't seem thrilled to see you. At least, wait. Let's all," she placed a hand on Scott's shoulder, "all give her a chance to be alone. Rogue will take care of her."
"They're friends?" Logan's voice was taunt but his body-language said he accepted her statement. She nodded. "I'll go unpack." I'm not leaving, he sneered silently. Can't get rid of me now.
_________________________________________________________________
If running was her strong suit, hiding was far from the best of her abilities. Rogue found Scarlett sitting, listlessly in the middle of her own bed. This is my best friend, Rogue though reverently, and she is in pain. The danger signs were all there - this could turn out messy.
Rogue studied the unmoving woman on the bed. A little older than herself, Scarlett had always seemed so world-wise. World-weary it now was evident. But by simple appearance, she looked just like any other teenager. Sweetly but not drastically pretty. Long strawberry blonde hair that could probably use a cut. Large soft blue eyes, doe eyes. Full lips - too big really. Scarlett was slight with a tad bit too much breast and too little hip. If asked to describe her, Rogue would have said that Scarlett had great legs and the best crooked smile on Earth. But, overall, she was just like any other girl. Sadder. Quieter. Nicer, maybe.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You don't have to eat my hood."
A wry smile curled one side of Scarlett's mouth. "Good to hear." There was a moment of silence as Scarlett formulated the question they both knew she had to ask. "Marie...you and Logan-"
"Friends. Just friends." Scarlett nodded and Rogue plunged on. "But you two..."
"It was different...out there. Here is safe but...before, I'd never been safe before..."
"Before Logan."
"Maybe. I don't know. It just happened, you know?" A heavy sigh. "They're all talking about it, aren't they?"
Rogue grimaced. For a private person this would be hell. "Probably. They want to protect you."
"From Logan? They're about two years too late."
Taking a seat on the edge of Scarlett's bed, Rogue ventured, "Would you have accepted their help then?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes "No. Does it matter that I don't really want it now?"
"Ummm...no."
For a moment the girls simply stared at one another. Then, slowly, they dissolved into weary giggles. "Marie, I don't want to be around when this little meeting breaks up. Can we-?"
"Any movies you wanna see?"
"We don't have permission to leave. We'll get in trouble."
Shrugging, Rogue pulled Scarlett to her feet. "Let's risk it."