Nikkola quickly became accustomed to life at the school. The children were fond of her, and she became comfortable with everyone on the teaching staff, as well. Since she was fluent in Russian, French and English, Charles soon asked her if she would teach some classes, which she immediately agreed to. Her days fell into a rewarding routine, and she fell in love with her new surroundings.
The seasons changed twice, and soon the adults were spending their mornings sipping coffee, watching the students playing in the snow. Occasionally they would join them, although the children had a habit of ganging up on their teachers and throwing them in the snow. The only two who were never overpowered were Logan and Nicole, who were too strong to be overcome.
Nicole was noticing more and more that Logan would often stop what he was doing to watch her. She never gave any indication that she was affected by these long gazes, but every time she felt his eyes on her, her pulse would flutter wildly and she had to force herself from blushing. They never spoke, but those glances were as good as words to the telepath. To the rest of the mutants living at Xavier's school, it just seemed that she would fall silent suddenly, and no one except Logan knew what was really going on. And the more she observed Logan interacting with others, the more she was falling back into love with her husband.
The days passed quickly, and one morning Nikkola woke up to see fresh snow covering the school grounds. She always woke up many hours before the students did, and since her room had a small balcony on the ground level, she would sit outside and enjoy the quiet and stillness. This morning, though, was different.
Nicole was up before everyone else, like she usually was, but she sat out on her balcony to think, instead of enjoying the peace and quiet. Bundled in sweatpants and a bulky sweater, she had her bare feet propped up on the railing, even though the temperature was well below freezing. It had been exactly seventy years since she had exchanged vows with Logan and their distance still preyed on her heart, although she saw him everyday.
She drew a shaky breath and let it out slowly, watching it puff on the cold air. This will not be a good day, she thought to herself, and took another slow breath. Her sensitive nostrils caught a scent on the air, and she turned her head slightly. It smelled like wind and freshly cut grass and she could feel her heart starting to beat faster. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure leaning against the outer wall of the house, and she turned her head fully to see Logan, his arms crossed and his dark eyes watching her.
"Mornin', Nikka." Her heart pounding, Nicole drew her knees up to her chest and tucked her toes under the hem of her sweater.
"Good morning, Logan. Did you sleep well?" He nodded, then asked her the same. When she nodded as well, they fell into a silence that was long, but not uncomfortable. Finally, Logan cleared his throat and looked as if he was trying to decide something. Nicole watched him expectantly, and was not surprised when he vaulted lightly over the railing and stood beside her, arms crossed again. She could feel that he was trying to say something, but didn't quite have the words yet. She smiled encouragingly, and after a moment he crouched beside her.
"I've been wantin' to talk to you for a while, but I don't think I ever got up the courage 'til now." Nikkola's eyes widened in feigned surprise.
"The Wolverine...without courage? That is something I never thought I would hear." Logan rolled his eyes at her. After another moment, he reached hesitantly for her necklace, slipping it over her head. Her wedding ring still was still hooked beside her dogtags, and Logan quickly pulled it off the chain, replacing the necklace around her neck. At that moment, Nicole noticed that he was wearing his wedding band, and her heart started to beat even faster. Logan could see the flush along her cheeks and at her throat, and he could feel her pulse fluttering at the base of her thumb when he took her hand.
"So...happy anniversary, Nikkola." Nicole watched silently as he slid her wedding ring onto her third finger, and then sat gripping her hand in his.
"I've been doin' a lot of thinkin'. And watchin'. And even though I can't remember the years we spent together, I'm rememberin'...what it was like to love you, Nikka. And...I think that love always thing is still true for me too, even though I didn't know about it until we found each other again. There's always been somethin'...I don't know what it was, but I always felt like it was there."
He brushed away a tear that had rolled down her cheek and stood, pulling her with him. His voice dropped slightly, as if he was hesitant to say the next part. But Nikkola wrapped her arms around his slim waist and smiled up at him in encouragement. Logan took a deep breath.
"And I've noticed, that whenever I touch you, I remember. I've been wanting to sit down and talk, and let you tell me everything, and...right now is as good of a time as any, so..." His voice died, and he quirked his eyebrows at her.
"And anyways, you know what I'm going to say, right?" Nicole laughed at his expression, her gaze soft. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up and pressed her lips to his cheek, then whispered something Russian in his ear. Logan smiled back down at her, then opened the sliding glass door, picked her up in his arms, and carried her into her room, closing the door and the drapes behind them.
Much later, Nikkola brushed Logan's hair out of his eyes, her gaze soft as she remembered.
The way his eyes glistened in the soft light after they kissed.
The way both their hearts leapt when he told her he loved her, and when she told him the same in return.
The way every whisper of skin on skin brought back a memory.
The first time they made love after twenty years; Nikkola soft and tender, Logan hesitant and gentle. Afterwards, holding him in her arms as he wept for his now regained past.