Flag on the Play
Part V
A/N: Sorry about the long delay. I decided to wrap of my Remy/Ro story first!
"I have to pee," Ororo yelled down the dark hallway towards the only lit room. Logan was in there putting on his shoes. "Where's your bathroom?"
"To your right," he yelled back.
Logan heard the bathroom door shut then a few seconds later the sound of her relieving herself. "You really did have to go, didn't ya?" he said as he walked to the hallway and stood in the entrance of his bedroom.
"Why are you listening, you perv?"
"Couldn't help it. Sounds like a racehorse."
Ororo's comeback quickly changed from an indignant remark to a high-pitched scream. The small powder room was windowless. She missed the bright lightning that briefly turned night into day. There was no warning…only the deafening pop of a power transmission tower being taken out somewhere nearby and the subsequent building-shaking roll of thunder.
The power was out. Logan would have laughed at the sound of her fumbling and cursing in the small 5x5 room if he himself didn't also have the shit scared out of him. "You all right?" he asked after he regained control of his rapidly beating heart.
"Shut up!"
Logan mumbled a prayer to the Almighty pleading for strength and patience. "Stay put. Let me get the flashlight," he said to the closed powder room door as he slowly made his way to his kitchen. He felt his way through until he reached the pantry.
"Hurry up. I can't see," Ororo said through the darkness from the entrance of the kitchen.
"You can't follow directions either. I told'ya to stay put," Logan griped back as he pulled out the flashlight. He hoped the battery still worked in it. He hadn't had much use for a flashlight while living in the city. If he were at his lake house in the Adirondacks he wouldn't be as worried. He liked to go there, cut the power, and just rough it because it kept him connected to his woodland roots. "Shit."
"What's wrong?" Ororo asked.
"Batteries' dead."
"Great."
Logan refrained from responding directly but didn't keep his growl of frustration inside. She was trying to be aggravating, he knew that, and she was doing a damn good job of it too. He knew he didn't have more batteries and decided to change course. Candles. There were candles all over the apartment thanks to Raven.
He didn't have to search too long for a lighter. He enjoyed an occasional cigar and kept a few lighters around the place.
Just as Logan lit the first candle more lightning lit up the sky and another round of thunder erupted. And if it were possible more rain fell from the sky. "So…" Logan said, "Ready to go?"
Logan couldn't see the fear on Ororo's face but he heard it in her voice over the thunder. "I'm not going out there!"
"What? You afraid?" he asked as he moved around the room lighting more candles.
"No," she drawled. "It's too bad to drive right now. There are probably no traffic lights either. We can wait it out."
"Well, darlin', you may be in for a long wait." Logan said just before another bought of thunder rumbled. Logan waited for a barrage of insults to come his way after he'd let his usual female endearment slip from his lips but none came.
"That's okay," she simply said.
"Fine with me." They stood awkwardly across from each other not quite sure what to do or say. Logan still hadn't figured her out. Was she trying to run some elaborate game on him? If she was or wasn't she was still there in his apartment and it was getting late and he was tired. He'd played hard that day and if he wasn't going to get laid he wanted to hit the hay. "You're still wet. I'll get ya something better to put on," he said after eyeing her pulling at the tiny slip of dress.
"Thank you."
Logan arched a bushy brow at her through the dim light. He'd gotten used to her insults and the niceties were truly perplexing. He eased back down the hallway and reappeared with a pair of black drawstring cotton warm-up pants and a plain white tee. "Alls I got," he said as he tossed them to her.
"This is fine. Thank you again."
Another non-bitchy response. What was with the one-eighty? "There's more candles on the counter. I'm going to bed. You're welcomed to the couch." He turned and headed back towards his bedroom when she didn't respond.
Ororo stood frozen to the floor. Her fear wouldn't let her move. She saw the lightning bolt outside the picture window and her hair instantly stood on her arms and she knew what was the follow. Even though she expected the sound it still caused her to jump. She couldn't let him leave her alone! "Wait!" she said and waited to see if he reappeared. He did. "Is it too late to take you up on that drink offer?"
He didn't know what she was up to but he was still tired and he really didn't want to play. "Wines' in the fridge. G'night."
"Don't you want to have some with me? You know, I don't want to drink alone," Ororo said lamely.
"Look, I had a rough game today…"
"Just…one," she said not waiting for him to finish his explanation. She added a little extra bit of sauce to her voice. She hated having to use her sexuality to get what she wanted but that was all he seemed to be remotely interested in. She wouldn't let him completely get the wrong idea…just an inkling of one to have him stay.
Damn it. Logan knew he was thinking with the wrong head again. This chick had jerked him around enough tonight but the idea of having that smart mouth of hers' filled with his cock more than made up for the verbal abuse and attacks on his ego. "A'ight…" he said as he moved back into the kitchen.
Ororo relaxed as much as she could in spite of the storm raging outside. Hopefully it would stop soon and she could get back to the hotel.
Logan watched her out of the corner of his eye as he found a wine glass. "Red or white?"
"White. I haven't eaten in some hours; red would be too much on an empty stomach."
Logan grunted his acknowledgement. He opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle of white. Since the power had just went out it was still cold. She hadn't eaten so he gathered some other items for his impromptu houseguest…a container of potato salad, angel hair pasta in vodka sauce, and a fruit salad. All of which came from various nearby restaurants.
Ororo slipped the t-shirt over her head and over the dress. Logan's back was turned towards her and she took the opportunity to slide off her thong before quickly pulling on the sweatpants. Less than a minute later she'd wiggled out of the tiny dress.
"How do you broads do that?"
Ororo gritted her teeth at the term he used to describe women. Normally she would have ripped him a new one but she wasn't in the position to piss him off. "Do what?" she asked instead.
"Change clothes without even giving the tiniest of glimpses," he said as he walked towards her and gave her a glass of wine then placed the bottle on the coffee table along with a can of beer for him self.
"I don't know. Practice," she said.
He shrugged and moved back into the kitchen and grabbed the food, balancing them against his chest and a plate and utensils in his other hand. "Brought you some food since you ain't ate."
Ororo was somewhat surprised. "Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you." She sat and placed her glass on the table. "What is it?"
"Just some odds and ends. No big deal. "'Tator salad, spaghetti, fruit," he said as he sat too. He reached for his beer and opened it as he watched her open the containers. "Sorry about the spaghetti being cold."
"No," she said as she took a big mouthful. "It's good. Thank you again."
Another flash of light lit the sky. His eyes were directly on her this time and that's when he saw it. The fear. Sure enough when the rumble of the thunder sounded she cringed. She put the pasta down and grabbed her wine glass and took long gulps of wine.
"Yer afraid? Is it the thunder or the lightning?"
"Both," she admitted then immediately began to fume when she heard the sounds of his low laughter. "It's not funny," she snapped.
"Like hell, it isn't. You've been a huge bitch all night, acting like nothing can touch ya and something as simple as a thunderstorm got yer tail between your legs."
Logan expected her to bite his head off but she didn't. Her response was soft and childlike, "It's not funny," she said again. The sound of her voice almost made him feel ashamed. Almost. He laughed even louder.
"Jerk," she said as she reached for the wine bottle and filled up her glass again.
"It's nature. I enjoy it since we get so little of it here in the city."
"Whatever you say. I can do without it in the city and elsewhere."
"Ya ain't lived until you've seen an electric storm light up the sky over a snow capped mountain. It's a beautiful thing."
"I'll take your word for it," she deadpanned.
"So…" he said then took a swig of his beer, "what you so afraid of?" He could see the wheels turning in her head. She was trying to decide if she'd tell him or not. The longer she sat in silence the more he wanted to know.
"Well," she finally said. And as she did another rumble sounded and this time she didn't hide her anxiety. "Um…when I was a kid there was a thunderstorm, it sounded a hundred times worse than this. It probably wasn't but I was a kid, you know?" she asked and continued when he nodded. "Apparently there had been a drought and everything was really dry. There was a lot of lightning. I was in my bed and lightning struck a tree…a big tree…split it in two…set it on fire. Half of the tree stayed rooted and the other half, flames and all fell right into my bedroom."
"No shit?" Logan said astonished.
"No shit," she supplied. "I woke up with a burning tree in my room. Scariest moment of my life. Ever since then I've been afraid of lightning and thunder."
"Wow…"
Ororo smiled, probably for the first time that night. "Thanks for the wine. It's helping," she said as she lifted the glass towards him and took another long sip.
"No problem," he said then watched her as the night lit up again. She really was afraid. "Ya know, you aren't half bad when you're scared to death."
"You aren't half bad when you're not being an asshole."
Logan laughed. He had a nice laugh. "Are ya kidding me, dar…I meant "Roro," he corrected. "I've let ya call me names, insult me, bleed all over my shit, then eat my food and drink my alcohol. I'm a helluva guy."
This time she laughed. "You deserved it. You were being rude."
"So if I'd been nicer," he said as he moved closer "we wouldn't have had to go through all of this. Ya know, just got to the good stuff?"
Ororo stood abruptly then sat just as suddenly when thunder rolled above. "Absolutely not! Look, I know you're used to women falling all over you but trust me. I'm not interested."
Logan sat back. "Damn, seriously?"
Ororo laughed in disbelief. "Is it so hard to imagine?"
Logan grunted as he soaked in her words then laughed him self. "Well…yea, it is. But you can't blame a man for tryin'"
"First of all, I don't date athletes…especially professional athletes, been there, done that. So don't try anymore based on that alone. Secondly, you're not my type."
"Lemme guess, you like pretty boys…men in suits."
"No…" Ororo drawled. "Well, yes to men in suits but…they don't necessarily have to be pretty…just taller."
Logan's mouth dropped. "Damn, darlin', I haven't heard that excuse since I've played college ball."
"I'm really tall and well, you aren't. I mean no offense," she said with her hands raised in an appeasing gesture.
"None taken…I guess," he mumbled. "So who was the athlete you dated? What'd he play? Soccer?"
"No," Ororo said. She didn't even notice the flashes of light outside. Logan had her full attention. "Basketball."
"Anyone I've heard of?"
"Probably."
Logan nodded. "What'd he do? Cheat?"
"To say the least."
"Are you surprised? Like you said, women throw themselves. Players don't stand a chance."
She tucked her leg under her and turned to face Logan fully. He was an insider. He knew how the other side worked. And he was going to give her answers. But we'd been together for a while. We met in college. He was a good guy," she began to spill. "We didn't date then though. We met at an alumni event. He told me he was always interested but was too afraid to say anything back then. We started off slow. I didn't just jump into bed with him like some groupie! It was a real relationship. Or so I thought."
"What happened?" Logan asked.
"That's what I'd like to know. After a year I found out he had cheated on me. I forgave him when he promised not to do it again. Less than a month later…again! Someone different. Then one lie after another and a paternity suit!" Logan made a sound akin to a gasp but manlier. "I know! Finally I'd had enough. He really hurt me. I loved him. The thing is…he couldn't tell me why. I still don't know."
"What is there to know? He wasn't the one for you. The right one will come along. Just wasn't him." Logan knew he should take his own advice as soon as he heard the words slip from between his lips.
Ororo settled back, deep in reflective thought. As she did she reached up and began removing the pins from the damp tangled bun. Logan watched as she finger combed her white hair in silenced disbelief. He was sure that damn ponytail was a Madonna Blonde Ambition fake.
"You know," she said as she glanced back over to him. "I think I'll take that advice."
Logan and Ororo had an actual decent conversation once the bickering and insults stopped. She learned that he was actually Canadian and enjoyed the outdoors. He told her of his injuries and his plans to retire and spend more time in his cabin in upstate New York. He'd even told her about Raven. They'd bonded farther over their loathing of gold digging groupies. Before long they had shared well into the early hours of the day.
"Rains stopped," he said.
"I noticed an hour ago," she smiled.
She really had a great smile Logan thought. She's smart too. Got her own money. And ain't trying to get into my pants. Well, she can't be perfect.
He's not as shallow and conceited as he pretended to be. He's actually nice. And really interesting. If he didn't do what he did for a living we could possibly get to know each other a bit better. Damn, he's so short…
"You want me to take you back to your hotel?"
She shrugged. "It's late but if you want me out of your hair…"
"Naw, I don't mind. You can stay." He stood. "You can bed down on the couch. I'll get you some cover."
"Thank you, Logan. Sorry for being such a pain. I really do appreciate all you've done."
"No problem, Darlin'. I'll just take it out on Remy and Scott on the practice field."
The thunder outside woke Ororo instantly. It had stopped raining but for some reason the thunder and lightening had started up again. She pulled the cover up under her chin. She'd learned to cope with her anxiety during storms in New York but these Gulf Coast storms were something completely different.
She was sure she'd never heard thunder quite this loud before. Maybe they were the same but the noise from New York and the tall buildings deadened the sounds. It didn't matter the logistics. All she knew is that she was going to crawl out of her skin.
She jumped up from beneath the cover and walked quickly down the hallway. She tapped lightly on Logan's door then entered not waiting for a response. He lay on his stomach, his broad upper body exposed and his legs tangled in the comforter.
Ororo padded softly over to his bed. "Logan?" she called then again before he finally answered through a sleepy haze. "Do you mind?"
"Come on, darlin'," he said then gestured for her with wide arms.
She slipped beneath the covers and he wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe and fell into a sound sleep.