Chapter 3:
As they said their good nights and started to walk back to their rooms, Logan pulled Eve aside. "Um, the Professor said something about you wanting to work on combat training?"
Eve's eyes widened."Oh yes, if you have the time. I mean, I could probably get by on my own, but it's been a long time since I've had the cause to use those types of skills and I'm out of practice."
Logan nodded gruffly, "It's no problem. We can start tomorrow morning if you're up for it. I get to the gym by 5:30 AM for some weight training and a run, but we can move that back since you will probably be tir…"
"I'll meet you at 5:30. I'll be the one running laps," she smiled devilishly. Logan raised his eyebrows, "We'll see about that."
He walked her to her door and waited for the others to close, "I, uh, also wanted to apologize for our mutual friend," he said as he nodded his head towards Remy's room. "He's kind of forward, especially when women aren't previously aware of where his charms have been." His eyes looked away as he recalled Remy's previous conquests, some of whom included Rogue and Jubilee, older students at the school, who technically weren't off limits since they were 19 now and training to be full X-Men.
Eve touched his cheek to pull his eyes back to hers, "Don't worry. I've had 5000 years to learn that people like Remy often have short attention spans. I'm sure he won't be a bother for much longer. There's only so many times a man can be let down." She turned to open her door and looked back, "But it's sweet of you to care. Goodnight Logan." She closed the door behind her.
Jesus Christ, thought Logan. What the hell was that? He turned to go to his room and when he was finally lying on his bed, looking up to the ceiling, all he could focus on was the lingering warmness on his cheek and the trace of her scent that she had left with him. I'm gonna need another shower.
Eve woke up at quarter to 5 and changed into a sports bra, capri track pants, and a warm up jacket. She tied her track shoes and tucked her necklace into her bra for safekeeping. She always wore it. The only tangible reminder of the past she allowed herself to hold onto.
It was still dark as she went down to the kitchen to grab a banana and fill up a water bottle. Morning was her favorite part of the day, because so very few people took advantage of it. She was at peace in the morning.
As promised Logan found her running laps at 5:30 when he walked into the gym. Her hair bounced in the high ponytail and he cursed silently at the sight of her without her warm up jacket on. This is going to be interesting, he mused.
Eve saw him come in and ran over to meet him on the mats. She was sweating a little and the beads that trickled down her chest did not go unnoticed by him. She stood with her hands on her hips in a power stance, "Good morning, " she said, a little too cheerfully, "what's the plan?"
"Um, since you're warmed up, we can jump straight into some sparring. I'd like to see where you are at before I create a training schedule."
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"
"Just come at me and try to knock me out or somethin'. And no power stuff," he said wiggling his fingers at her. "This is pure muscle skill."
"No problem, kiddo." Logan was so taken aback by her nickname that he almost let her first strike get through his defenses, but he blocked her at the last second.
She doubled back and started to circle him, eyes staring like a predator at it's prey. For a non feral, she sure acts like one, thought Logan.
Eve pounced and feinted a punch to his jaw but swung a foot behind his leg, tripping him backwards. Annoyed, he twisted up to grab her by the middle and used his body weight to force her down on her back. He straddled her hips and held her arms down with his own. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than that, darlin'."
"Oh, you mean like this," Eve said as she kicked her legs up to wrap around his arms and flip him backwards onto his stomach. Before he could get up, she was on top of his back, folding his wrists behind him so he couldn't move. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "How's that...darlin'?"
Her breath on his face made the Wolverine come alive with desire. He rolled his body onto his legs and swung his torso so she fell hard onto the mats. While she recovered from having the wind knocked out her, he grabbed her wrists and pressed his knees down on each of the inside of her thighs so she couldn't use her legs against him.
Both of them breathed hard and Eve struggled a few moments before looking at him and smiling said, "I give." Her eyes seemed to smoulder underneath him. Her breasts heaved and he heard her heart beating fast. He glanced down her bare torso and suddenly realized that he had spread her legs open in order to get her to give up. After the adrenaline of the fight, he was in a comprising position if he didn't want the animal inside him to take over. He quickly got up and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Uh, that was good. You aren't as out of practice as you thought." He threw a towel over to her and said, "We can call it quits for today. I'm gonna go for a run in the woods. You comin'?"
"Sure," said Eve, a little surprised. They had only been fighting for 10 minutes, so why were they stopping? Maybe he'll pull some stuff on the run. Try to surprise me.
They got outside and headed for the trees in a medium jog, Eve matched Logan's strides perfectly which surprised him. Most of the students in his class struggled to even finish his rigorous routines, let alone keep up with his pace. Logan decided to test her limits and picked up his pace.
Eve started breathing a little harder and said, "So you wanna play that game, huh?" She started to speed ahead, breaking into a full run. Yelling back over her head, she shouted, "Come and catch me, if you can." Then she disappeared into the trees.
Logan couldn't resist a chase and he sped after her. When he didn't see her along the trail, he stopped to find her scent and when he caught that addicting spicy floral mixed with sweat and pheromones, the Wolverine took over and he went for a hunt.
He wandered into a meadow and her scent trail started to get stronger but messy since she had run a few circles to throw him off. Hmm, she knows how to hide, but not from me. He could see some movement in the corner of his eye in a tree and pretended to double back while really circling around to sneak up behind her. When she couldn't see him anymore, Eve carefully shimmied down the tree trunk and started to head back across the meadow, when Logan growled and leaped on top of her, pinning her to the sweet grass like he had earlier. Eve used her powers to pull his shirt from behind and flip them both so she was on top of his hips. Then she manipulated the roots underneath him to wrap around his wrists and ankles so that he couldn't move. Logan hoped that she wouldn't stay on top of him for long, otherwise it would be difficult to hide his arousal from her.
"Mwhahaha, I am triumphant!" Eve yelled, as she made muscle arms in the air. "Yeah, yeah, play fair, will ya'? Those roots are starting to cut into my wrists," he growled.
Eve noticed that there was indeed a little bit of blood pooling at his hands and got up immediately, apologizing furiously, "I'm so sorry. It's my damned competitiveness. It doesn't bring out the best in me." She slapped her hand to her forehead and groaned, "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Let's go the infirmary. Dammit."
"Whoa, whoa. Hold your horses," Logan cried at her. "A little blood don't bother me much. Look." He held out his hands and she watched in surprise as the minor woulds knit themselves together almost instantly. She brushed her fingertips across where the wounds had been, finding them to be smooth. Logan shuddered at her touch. "That's incredible. What exactly is your power?" she whispered in awe.
"I heal...fast. Oh, and I'm a feral, so a little game of hide and seek is more like playtime than a challenge, darlin'." Eve blushed, then looked confused. "But, I sense metal in your body. That can't be from your healing factor, can't it?"
*snikt* The blades flew out of his other hand and he held it up for her. "You're sensing this. Goes through out my whole body. In a some ways it relates to my healing powers, and in some to my feral side." Eve traced the blades up and down, running one of her fingers along the sharp edge and getting a cut. "Jesus! Be careful!" Logan said, grabbing her hand, then finding the wound was already closing, just like his would have.
Eve chuckled, "I have my own tricks. How do you think I look this good after 5 millenia? Speaking of which, that must mean that you're not quite the age that you look either, are you?"
"Um, Jean and the Professor seem to think I'm nearly 150." They started to walk back towards the mansion. He saw her smile a little as she looked away before saying, "You don't remember?"
"No," said Logan, going silent. Eve sensed his discomfort and changed the subject "You know, it's nice to meet someone who understands the challenges of immortality. It brings a certain maturity to your mindset."
Logan remembered her nicknames for him and Remy. "So is everyone just a kid to you?"
Eve glanced at him."Not everyone." She said, touching her necklace. "There have only ever been two people that I've been able to see as more than a child." She closed her eyes, "And who have been able to see me as more than a mother."
"What happened to them?" Logan asked, knowing that the conversation might lead past his threshold for sensitivity, but unable to resist knowing more about her.
"They were both warriors. War changes people." She grimaced and turned away from him, not wanting to continue the conversation in case she started to tear. She barely knew this man and crying was not comforting to most people.
Logan swallowed, knowing only too well what she meant. He could tell that she was fighting back tears for him and he took a chance by saying, "You know, I'm not good at the whole talking thing, but my hearing's better than anyone else's, so..." He rolled his eyes at the cheese sputtering from his mouth.
Eve looked over to him and said, "Thank you. I do appreciate that." They continued to walk in comfortable silence and Logan considered reaching for her hand, but then a heavily accented voice called out and Logan groaned as Remy strode over to them. "Hey there, ma chere. Remy here's been lookin' for you all mornin'. How 'bout some breakfast before the Professor has his little meetin'."
"Thanks Remy, but I should really head back to shower. I'll see you both later." She ran off to her room and Remy let out a low whistle as he watched, "My, my. That Eve sure is like a fine wine, a full-bodied delight, for sure."
Logan growled and grabbed his shoulder, "Watch it, bub. She's a class act and don't deserve you drooling like that." Logan let him go, "Besides, she's not as hypnotized by your charm as you think." He started to walk away and Remy ran to walk next to him.
"Oh, I think she might warm up ta me. Remy's not a one trick pony. Challenges are my specialty."
Logan slammed Remy against the concrete garden wall, "I mean it, Cajun. If you go after her, she's not a use it and lose it type. So if I find out that's what your intention is, you'll find yourself with a few less arms than you had before."
Remy pushed him away and bounced up to the top of the wall, out of Logan's reach. "Well, well, well. Look's like Remy's got some competition. No worries there, mon ami. Let the best Cajun win." With a wink, he bounded away, leaving Logan to fume. Competition? He certainly was attracted to Eve, but who wouldn't be. He'd noticed even Storm and Jean's heart raced a little faster around her. She was captivating, but from what she said earlier, there were only 2 people that had been so lucky as to win her affections. 2 people in thousands of years! I don't stand a chance, but at least the Cajun don't either.