What was supposed to be going to get a drink turned into being gone for a full week.
He was an ass for that; he definitely knew. He needed to clear his head the best way he knew how to.
He was having a child with his teammate.
Storm was attractive; he was drawn to her. He always was drawn to her; toying with the fact that even though they had different ways in expression, they were just alike in a sense. They were both primal individuals, who'd lost more than an average person could handle. They both knew just how fucked this world could truly be. Yet they bumped heads like nobody's business .
Logan's experiences made him rough and unapologetic; Ororo's made her soft and empathetic.
It's a wonder they both agreed on Xavier's fight; though they went about them in different ways.
He shouldn't have left her hanging; that much he knew, and he was going to try his best to make things as right as they could be.
He walked into the mansion that night.
He didn't need his nose to know she was in the kitchen; she made tea every night before she went to bed.
Sure enough she was sitting at the table with her small white China cup.
She looked up at him expectantly; he forgot she could see in the dark.
"Hey uh, I just wanted to apologize, for pretty much everything. For not staying the first time, for bein so wrapped up into my own head and not thinking about you. For coming back and still not thinking about you, and for leaving this last time. I needed time to clear my head and get all my extracurricular activities out before I settle down and have someone running around here calling me 'Daddy'." He heard her sharp intake of breath.
"You went through a lot and in my selfishness I didn't take the time to think about it. The girls ripped into my ass though- sorry, my butt. Helped me realize how much of a dick I was being- damn it, I'm sorry. I've never imagined being a dad; never wanted to cuz I have too many loose ends and I've lost people I've loved because of 'em. But this baby is here and no matter what I said; I know I can't watch you growing with my baby inside ya and not be apart of anything. I jus hope you're not too mad at me and let me."
"I'd never take that opportunity away from you Logan. Regardless of how I feel. I'm afraid myself. I wasn't supposed to be capable of carrying a child so I never entertained the thought. And now that I have the chance; the factors surrounding it are extremely complicated to put it lightly." She said.
She slid her hand down over her belly and smiled softly.
"I feel movement all the time lately. Would you like to feel?"
He moved over next to her and sat. She grabbed his hand and placed it over her belly. He felt a slight little bump from under her skin and something strange filled the pits of his stomach.
He felt warmth .
He felt calm.
He felt like things would work out just fine.
"I'm terrified; We know that Stryker and his men could be back at any time. They may take me now; or wait until our child is here and just take them. I'm trying to remain as stress free as possible but it seems as though that's near impossible." She closed her eyes and sat back.
"The team thinks I should leave and go hide but I can't do that. Then who runs the school and the X-men? I just have to be prepared."
"We have to be prepared and we will be. They're not taking either one of ya. I put that on my life. We're gonna be okay."
She let a small melodic hum and then opened her eyes with a tiny smile.
"Thank you Logan. I'm going to head off to bed now. I will see you in the morning?" She stood and looked at him with a questioning brow.
"For sure Darlin."
She let out that little hum again as she headed out of the kitchen.
"Goodnight Wolverine."
"Goodnight Storm."
The next morning all eyes were on him as he came down the stairs. Three sets were glaring at him.
"I'm here to stay girls. Back off." He said with a chuckle
"You better be; I'll light you up. I don't care about your healing factor." Jubilee said with a fierceness that made Logan chuckle.
"I hear ya Firecracker."
Ororo walked into the dining hall and grabbed a plate of fruit and a muffin.
"You better be feeding my baby some meat Storm." He said to her half jokingly.
She looked up at him. "I drink protein shakes to make up for my lack of meat. I can't do it but I won't force a vegetarian diet on our child I promise." She said with a slight smirk.
"Okay; I wanna learn about all this stuff. Like I wanna know all the stuff I missed and what I can figure out from now on." He sat down next to her.
She looked him in the eye for a few seconds; he stared back hoping that she could see he was genuine.
"That would be perfectly fine Logan. I can uh- show you a website and an app I have on my phone to keep you updated day by day."
Logan could feel the eyes on him. He knew this was a character change from what most of the students and everyone else knew about him.
People always assumed he was just some rough hard man who didn't care about anyone. That was true to an extent but when it came down to the ones he cared about Logan was fiercely protective.
Breakfast ended and he followed Storm up to her room.
"When do we find the out what the baby is?"
"Actually very soon; I'm 20 weeks and my ultrasound is at the end of the week. We should be able to find out then. My hunch is a girl."
"Well have you thought of names and stuff yet?" He asked sitting on her bed as she walked through her room grabbing clothes for the day.
He watched her as she moved. She was like water; graceful and smooth. Everything about her gentle and peaceful to see but could be dangerous to touch based on your actions.
You could jump right in and drown; or just as easily slide in and tread peacefully.
She'd be a great mother; he had absolutely no doubt about it. She was the mother figure of the school long before becoming headmistress. The kids seemed to gravitate to her naturally; her soothing voice and calm demeanor more than likely the factor.
She let out that hum.
"I was partial to naming a girl after my mother in some way. A boy I do not know. Did you have any name in mind?"
She came out of her bathroom with her hair down around her shoulders.
It had grown significantly since the short hair cut she'd had.
Her silk gown ended just below her rear and her belly protruded slightly in the front.
Long mocha legs that went for miles treaded as she walked back and forth in her haste to get ready.
She was a sight to see.
"I like the name Kendall. I think it could work for either one."
"I like Kendall. Kendall N'Dare Howlett? For a girl.
Then we'd have to figure out a middle name for our boy."
"Well what's your dads name?" He asked.
"My father was named David. Kendall David Howlett?"
She walked out of her bathroom as Headmistress Storm. Her pencil skirt suit and heels; with her hair pulled back into a low bun.
It was so unlike her; he wanted to rip the clothes off of her and pull the bun right out of her hair. Watch her wild and free, out in her garden or walking the halls in her long maxi skirts with the slits in the side.
This was too uptight; even for her, and he didn't like it.
"You ever get tired of it? Being all uptight and stuff? Like I know we ain't all that close but this ain't you. You're wild type like me even though you ain't as open with it as me. But still pencil skirts and heels? That ain't you." He said.
"There's no one else to do this job Logan. Henry is the only one and he has his own stuff to take care of. I'm the best fit. And yes it stressful but the pencil skirt comes off at the end of the day." She said grabbing her jacket and shrugging it on.
Logan willed the image of her peeling out of her clothes away from his mind.
"Still Storm this ain't how you should be doing shit."
She flashed a sharp look at him.
"So what would you recommend Wolverine? That I just say forget this school and just do what I want? Someone had to be the responsible person here. Please don't sit up here and chastise me as if you know me! You don't even call me by my name."
His nose flared in anger at her tone.
"Sorry for trying to fucking care!"
"Shoot me for being used to you not caring." She said with a roll of her eyes.
He was in front of her so quick she backed into the wall, eyes wide before they narrowed and she raised her chin up at him.
Never one to back down.
"Who said I ain't never care? What the fuck do you know about me?" He snarled.
"Actions speak louder than words. The only person you ever remotely cared about anymore than yourself is Rogue and Jean. Sorry that I don't take well to your sudden care about me all because of our child."
Her brow was furrowed for a second and she dropped her eyes down to her feet for a second before her eyes met his again with fire burning behind them.
"Again who said I only cared about ya because of this baby? Who said I ain't never care about anyone else? You don't like me making assumptions about you so why you being a hypocrite?" His voice was low and calm.
"I- I am done with this conversation right now Logan. I have a class to start." She said quietly, eyes down turned. She looked up and gasped.
Their faces were inches apart. The room was quiet and charged. He was hyper aware of her heart beating hard and out of her chest.
"Well I ain't."
And he leaned in.