A/N: Hello loves. Back for this short update. I'm glad to have been able to write something after such a long time. It's been too long. My apologies.
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Scarlet flipped through her notes without paying attention to them, not listening to Scott as he talked at the front of the class. A spark lit up the corner of her notebook, but she shut it down with a thought. She couldn't let a careless slip like that cause a flare to happen in the class and cause a bigger problem. Especially if her powers were only starting to cooperate with her again. Something that she was trying to prove to the adults of the mansion.
If only they would listen to me more, Scarlet thought, spinning her pen around her fingers. Only a select few of them really care to listen to me at all. And they're the only ones that really call me 'Scarlet' instead of 'Maria' because why would people call me by my preferred name if I didn't mean something to them? Ey, Scooter?
Scott seemed to turn his head in her direction for a moment, but she didn't acknowledge him with a real look. Scarlet's brow furrowed when the corner of her notebook sparked with flame again.
Odd.
Scarlet captured the flame with her fingers and crushed it out.
This doesn't feel like mine…this has snarky anger attached to it. Which means…
Time seemed to flow more slowly for Scarlet as she focused her mind on all of the things in the classroom. She could see everyone who was sneaking texts under their desks and behind books. Those who were daydreaming. The careful notetakers. The…ew…girls who had a crush on Scott. And those playing with their powers the best that they could without being caught.
Pyro's gaze was focused on her as he flicked a finger in her direction, sending a spark her way. Time resumed its normal flow and Scarlet caught the spark before it could touch her desk. She smothered it and turned it into a spider that jumped back in the direction of Pyro. Pyro yelped and fell out of his seat, scrambling to get away from the spider that sat on his desk. But when Scott turned to look at the noise source, the spider has already disappeared into the air, leaving Pyro gasping at nothing.
Scarlet scratched out a note while listening to Scott chew out Pyro for disrupting his class. She could easily feign innocence because no one had seen her move. And no one would remember if they had. Only she and Pyro knew and only one of them were mildly believable in the eyes of Scott given the track record for acting out in class. For now.
I'm probably going to end up paying for this later, Scarlet thought, tapping her pen on her notebook and feeling something crawl onto her lap. She reached down and pet it. I guess you've got to live a little to make sure that no one messes with you…Wonder what Fuzzy Hair is going to think of this?
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Logan was working on his motorcycle when someone tapped him on the ass with their foot. He let out a little growl and turned his head to glare at them, but it was only Scarlet. She had a straw in her mouth as she sucked on a frozen drink of some kind and held a box of mixed donuts in the other. A hot coffee floated beside her, wobbling a bit. She smirked at him with her scarlet eyes glinting as she stood there behind him.
"Problem?" she asked, popping her ruby lips off that straw.
"You seem to have a problem with kicking my ass," Logan commented, throwing down his tool and straightening. He grabbed the hot coffee out of the air and sent her a look. "And with listening. What'd I tell you about using your powers like this?"
"Um, to not to?" Scarlet said, rolling her shoulder. "Because it's bad and blah blah blah." She shook the box of donuts. "Want one or two or more?"
Logan sniffed the coffee, hot and black like he liked it. "I guess."
"Good. You get three," Scarlet said, dropping the box of donuts on the tailgate of the nearest truck. "I get the rest." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm feeling sweet today."
The older mutant chuckled. "Sure. Sweet toothed."
"No, no! I was sweet!" Scarlet insisted, kicking her booted feet out. "I smiled at the barista and said 'thank you' to him." She pulled something out of her pocket. "He gave me his number."
Logan snatched it out of her hand and tossed it, earning a laugh from Scarlet. He growled and took a sip of his coffee, trying to hide his smirk.
"You wouldn't have called him anyway," Logan told her, shaking his head.
"No, but you didn't have to yank it out of my hand, Mr. Grabby," Scarlet shot back, tilting her head to the side. "I'm not exactly yours to keep from talking to other guys."
A low growl built up on Logan's chest before he could suppress it. She had a point. She wasn't his. And how could she be? She was a student – a much younger student. Someone he had promised to protect and teach. Mentor only. Guide. Help grow into her powers.
But for some reason, he kept getting pulled in. He wanted to be pulled in. He wanted to be pulled in closer to her. To know what it was like to really be part of her world and – God, what was the matter with him?
I can't think all of this, Logan thought, taking another sip of his coffee and feeling the burn of the bitter liquid down his throat. She's underage and too fragile…And still, I…No…
"What did you get up to today, darling?" Logan asked, trying to distract himself.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "I had school. I did school things. I did my homework in ten minutes because woo, look at me. I'm smart." She huffed. "I had to deal with Pyro being a douche and trying to mess with me during Scooter's class though. That was entertaining."
"What?" Logan asked.
Scarlet shrugged. "Pyro kept trying to light my notebook on fire from across the room by shooting sparks at me. So I turned one of the sparks into a spider and threw it back at him. Got him in trouble because he freaked out. He got caught, I didn't. He's super pissed off. Will probably try to come for me again outside of class and start another fight. Oh well. I'll show him up again."
Logan shook his head. "You ain't going to do anything like that."
The dark-haired mutant looked at him as she fished out a donut and took a large bite. "I'm not?"
"Fuck no," Logan stated, hardening his eyes. "You're in no shape to fight anyone and the last person in the world I want you fighting besides Magneto is Pyro. Every time you two fight, one of you almost dies. And that's what he wants. He wants you at that breaking point, Maria, and I'm not about to let that happen."
"But the bastard keeps messing with me," Scarlet muttered, pointing her finger out at the world. "He keeps poking at me with his words and his stupid powers. And Logan, it's getting so annoying having to deal with his bullshit. Let me deal with him my way."
"No, you're going to let me handle that punk," Logan told her. "And you're going to suck all of his bullshit up until I deal with it. Because I'm not about to let you get expelled for taking on someone who's not worth your time. I'm not letting you get in trouble with Chuck for intentionally hurting another student, even if it's that bastard." He took a step towards her. "Do you understand?"
Scarlet huffed and sucked fiercely on her straw, but didn't answer.
"Maria," Logan growled.
"Fine!" Scarlet snapped, releasing her straw again. "I won't touch Pyro! I'll leave the fucking bastard to you because you think I'm so weak right now that I can't handle anyone without dealing with the consequences on my own. Fine. Just fine. Deal with him yourself."
She shoved the donuts towards him and threw her partially eaten donut in the box. The girl stood up and walked around the truck.
"Where the hell are you going?" Logan demanded, watching her walk towards the entrance to the garage.
"Away from you," Scarlet called over her shoulder.
Logan cursed and threw down his coffee, not caring that it spilled everywhere. He ran after Scarlet and swiped her legs out from underneath her, sending her crashing towards the ground. But the girl was quick, she caught herself and flipped back to her feet. Turning, Scarlet glared at him as he approached her once more.
"You don't want to fight me right now," Scarlet warned him, shaking her head a fraction of an inch to each side.
"No real powers," Logan instructed her. "Just your strength, speed, and healing. That's it." He charged at her again. "And I'm not going to take it easy on you."
Scarlet growled and dodged him before planting a kick in the middle of his back. "Perfect."
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Scarlet was covered in grass stains, dirt, and sweat after two hours of straight up fighting with Logan. Teachers and students had tried to intervene, but Logan had sent them off and Scarlet had ignored them. People had come to watch, but Scarlet moved them – with permission – to a place where students couldn't see and wouldn't get hurt by their rough fighting. The two panted for air as they clashed and Scarlet aimed for Logan's lower leg, but he was firm against it, holding her in place.
"Got to…be smarter than…than that, darling," Logan ground out, his grasp on her tight.
Scarlet growled and twisted in his arms. She stomped on his foot and scratched at his arms. She managed to get purchase and threw him over her head, twisting his arm behind his back. The girl pressed her chest against his back and brought her lips to his ear.
"Just learning patience, Funny Hair," she purred, eyes dancing. She pulled back and kicked him forward. "Let's see what else you've got."
Logan wheeled around and knocked her legs out from under her again before she could stop him and pinned her. Scarlet growled as she looked up at him, her eyes staring up at him. Feral black meeting feral black.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Logan stared down at this creature that challenged him and had to admit that she was a fighter, keeping him on his toes for over two hours as they fought for no reason except to get her anger out. He hadn't told her that. He had wanted her to feel something. That he hadn't given up on her. That she could still fight. That he knew she was still strong enough to face her enemies, even though he hoped to God that he wasn't one of them.
"Get off," Scarlet growled, baring her fangs as she lifted a hand to strike him.
Logan caught her by the wrist and held her hand still, staring at it in fascination. Something seemed different now that he was slipping farther into feral mode. He could smell her. He could sense more of the things that she was hiding as if he was supposed to be able to from the get-go. A sense of belonging hit him and he looked at her eyes once more, pulled in by their darkness.
"Get off!" Scarlet repeated, this time sounding weaker as she held his gaze.
The older mutant bent his head and tasted the Forbidden Fruit.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: I hope you have enjoyed. I will see you in the next update whenever that comes. Much love and many thanks. -Scarlet