Indomitable Will, Tender Heart - 16
Author: Taryn
Email: Write
Me!
Rating: Strong R (language - this chapter)
Disclaimer: Don't own them, yadda yadda. See Chapter 1...
Author's Notes: Thanks to Karen for the fine
*tweaking* of this chapter, and a bottomless cup of coffee with cream
goes to Heather for allowing
me to paraphrase her wonderful summary of a particular section -
Thanks, chica! Oh, and does anyone out there (besides me)
remember those Fondue Pots that were so prevalent in the early
70's?
I swear, EVERY family had one - were they *issued* or something?
Anyway, for those who don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about:
Fondue consists of metal or ceramic containers that you heat
stuff such as cubes of cheese, bars of chocolate or marshmallows (i.e.
anything edible that melts easily) in. Then you'd use these long,
funky-looking forks to
dip chunks of bread, pieces of fruit and various other food into the
melted goo and eat them! It may sound a bit weird, but you
haven't lived til you've tried a chunk of crusty bread smothered in
cheddar cheese, or a slice of banana covered in warm chocolate....it's
heavenly!
-------------------------------------------
"Whew, I'm glad that's taken care of. Having to work on a holiday
really sucks."
Logan stubbed out the cigar but didn't respond as he waited for her to
climb in, shutting the door for her and walking around to the driver's
side. Out of the corner of her eye, Marie watched him get behind
the wheel and start
the car, putting it in reverse and heading back down the dirt road
toward
the highway. He'd sounded so - relieved? happy? - on
the
phone, and she could've sworn she'd even seen him grinning behind the
windshield
of the RAV4 as she disembarked from the Blackbird, but now.....his mood
had
abruptly shifted and he seemed tense and - angry? Resting her
head on the backof the seat, she smiled over at him apologetically.
"I really didn't mean to be gone so long. We actually finished up
almost two hours ago but after I got back to the Mansion, Scott drove
me
into Manhattan so I could pick up a few things for our New Year's Eve
tonight."
She jerked her thumb in the direction of the brown bag that Logan had
placed on the floor behind the passenger seat.
"Wasn't payin' much attention to the time." His manner was terse
and he didn't return the smile or even glance at her. "You
weren't the only
one workin' on a holiday." - Okay, that was harsh. Shit.
- Even as he cursed himself, he could feel the rage coming back,
the itch beneath his knuckles almost
maddening in its intensity. The car was filled with both his
scent and Marie's, but mingling with hers was...GRRR! While
he realized his silence and clipped replies were, undoubtedly, hurtful,
he didn't have enough of a handle on his churning emotions to offer up
anything even remotely positive at the moment.
He'd arrived at the pickup site ahead of the Blackbird, watching it
descend several minutes later with barely contained anticipation.
He couldn't help grinning like an idiot as the ramp was lowered and
Marie appeared. Damn, she looked good - cheeks flushed, her hair
coming loose from its once immaculate french braid, and her black
outfit clinging to her in all the right
places. His grin faltered, however, when the pretty boy - visor
still
in place but now wearing civilian clothes and carrying a bulging paper
bag
- emerged from behind her. Logan's hands clenched involuntarily,
a snarl replacing the grin as he felt his hackles rise. Dammit....why's
he always gotta be sniffin' around her like that? Grrr, she can
walk down the ramp on her own, asshole!
Before he realized he was doing it, Logan had opened the door and
started to get out of the car, fully intending for the pretty boy
- What was his name? Oh, yeah...*Scott*...- to see
that Marie was with him, and if she needed any assistance he was more
than willing to provide it. He froze then, half in and half out
of his
seat, as the young man put the bag down and held his arms out to Marie
in
an invitation. She smiled and moved without hesitation into his
embrace,
returning it with one of her own. After a moment, they drew apart
but
Marie continued to hold his hands in hers and said something which
prompted
the man to shake his head and laugh. As Logan watched - exiting
the
car and claiming what was his all but forgotten - Marie leaned in and
kissed
*Scott* on the cheek. Picking up the paper bag, she'd started
toward
the RAV4, turning once to wave in the direction of the Blackbird before
finally
giving her full attention to Logan and favoring him with a bright
smile. Yeah, she's smilin' at me, but *Scott* gets hugged and
- GRRR
- kissed. Fuck!
The silence in the car was almost tangible and Marie frowned. Okay,
something is definitely bothering him. I think maybe I'd better
just come right out and ask, 'cause I really don't want to spend the
rest of the night guessing or have this ruin our celebration....
She cleared her throat, pondering how to put the question to him before
finally settling on the no-nonsense, direct approach.
"Logan....is everything okay? Have I, um, done something to upset
you?"
"What?" He looked at her then, his expression a mixture of
surprise and something else that Marie couldn't identify.
Directing his attention back to the road, he shook his head.
"No. I mean, yeah, uh, everything's fine." He gave her a
sideways glance. "Why would ya think that?"
"I-I don't know. You just seem...quiet, I guess." A
lot more than usual, which is really saying something!
She hunched down in the seat and stared out the window.
"Sorry. Just forget I mentioned it."
Way to go, dumbass...now she's convinced she did somethin' wrong and
you're pissed at her. If the filled bag behind her was any
indication, she'd obviously put a great deal of thought and effort into
making their first
-...and the way I'm goin', the last... - holiday together
a special one, and Logan cursed himself yet again for not being able to
control
- or at the very least hide - his reactions. Shit!
Somehow,
he had to make this right, and quickly....before he managed to ruin the
rest
of their evening -....and any chance we got of havin'
somethin' together... - as well.
"Nah, I'm the one who should be apologizin'. It's been a helluva
long day and I-I'm just...tired." He sighed. "Ya didn't do
nothin' wrong...."
"Long day, huh?" Marie was teasing him, but her tone had an
underlying weariness as well. "I thought you weren't paying
attention to the time?"
She's got me there. Heh. "I only checked the
clocks once an hour." He quirked a rueful smile in her
direction. "You know...just to make sure they were all workin'
properly."
"Of course." Marie giggled and Logan could feel himself starting
to relax again. "It's a good thing you were there to keep an eye
on them." Suddenly feeling shy, she looked down at her fingers
entwined in her lap, opting for a change of subject in the hope that he
wouldn't pick up on the shift in her scent. "So, I take it you
and Winston got along okay without me?"
He shrugged. "We survived." Then, in a softer tone; "I
think he missed ya, though."
"Hmm..." Marie had maneuvered her body so that she was slightly
curled toward him in the seat, and her eyes had drifted closed.
"I missed you,
too." A split-second later, her eyes snapped open and she
blushed, stammering,
"Uh....I mean 'you' as in both of you. I missed you both..."
Logan could feel another idiotic grin coming on but he hid it with a
cough, covering his mouth with his hand. Aww,
hell. If she can admit
it, so can I. "We both missed ya, Marie."
Her eyes, shadowed only moments before, lit up in delight. "You
did?" He knew she wasn't talking about the cat.
"Yeah." His quiet admission made her heart soar but she squelched
the urge to throw her arms around him, ever mindful of not scaring him
off. Down, girl....he just said he missed you.....not
that he wants to ride off into the sunset with you!
Nothing less than torture could have forced her to admit it had been a
constant struggle to keep her mind on her job during what had -
thankfully - turned out to be a rather routine mission. Per their
usual, she'd chatted about
nothing and everything with Scott in the Blackbird during the pickup,
but
when he'd quietly offered to take her into the city later to run her
errands,
Marie knew her *secret* was out. Her daydreaming had gotten so
bad
that, at one point, Jubilee pulled her aside and demanded to know who
the
new guy was, hissing that Marie had better come through with some
'serious
details' because her own love-life was sucking ass at the moment.
Her
friend moaned that aggressive shopping, followed up with a major Ben
&
Jerry's binge - and living vicariously through Marie - were the
only
bright spots in the hopelessly pathetic existence that was her
life. Smiling, Marie had promised that they'd go shopping - and
binging - together in the very near future and she would tell-all
then....or, at least, as much as she could in good conscience!
While she wasn't willing to share Logan
with anyone just yet, she had to admit that it stemmed less from a
sense
of propriety than from the fact that there simply wasn't much to tell
at
the moment. It was her fervent hope, however, that perhaps by the
time
she hooked back up with Jubes there would be!
No, it hadn't taken the team long to realize that she had it bad for
someone and, for a moment, she'd been tempted to find a mirror
and check her reflection, wondering idly if *I'm In Love!* had suddenly
and inexplicably appeared on her forehead? Professor Xavier had
even sent her home with a bottle of his most expensive champagne and a
knowing smile. Then again,
he was a telepath.... In all honesty, though, Marie knew she
really
hadn't made much of an effort to hide it, and why should she? For
the
first time in....well, in a long while, she felt truly happy. Of
course,
her life hadn't been anything to complain about before: she had
people
who cared about her, a steady job and a comfortable home. But now
-
if she played her cards right - she might have just found the right
person
to share it all with and that would make everything perfect, as far as
she
was concerned.
They arrived at the cottage a few minutes later and Logan grabbed the
bag while Marie took the keys from him and unlocked the front
door. Hanging up her coat, she gave Winston a scratch behind the
ears, indicating to Logan
to just set everything down on the kitchen counter for now while she
went
to take a quick shower and change her clothes. He responded with
a
gruff nod, letting out a sigh of relief once she'd disappeared down the
hallway.
The Wolverine was more than a little wild - chafing at the smell of
another
alpha male on what it considered to be its female - and in the close
confines
of the car, a great deal of restraint on Logan's part had been required
to
keep it from grabbing Marie and erasing the unwelcome scent from her,
replacing
it with its own. In truth, the constant struggle against his more
animalistic
nature was beginning to wear him down and he wasn't at all certain just
how
much longer the Man would continue to be victorious.
He was sitting on the couch with Marie's book in one hand and a beer in
the other when she emerged from the bathroom. Her still-damp hair
hung in loose waves around her face and shoulders, and she had changed
into a deep
blue sweater with a plunging v-neck and sparkly buttons, and a pair of
faded
jeans. Though she wore no makeup, her cheeks were pink and her
eyes
were bright, and Logan was completely spellbound by the sight of her - God,
she's beautiful....she looks so soft, and she smells so damned
good....like
somethin' lemony and - anticipation? - as she paused in the
doorway
on her way into the kitchen.
Nervously, he scratched his jaw. "Didja want me to show ya what I
got done in the guest room now?"
At the strangely intense expression on his face, she flushed and
glanced away, quelling the sudden urge to fidget. "Um, that's
okay....it can wait. I'm starving, so I was gonna unpack what I
brought and start our
dinner....that is, uh, if you're hungry now? A thought suddenly
occured
to her and she added, "You did remember to eat something while I was
gone...right?"
Oh, I'm definitely hungry, baby, but food ain't exactly gonna curb this
appetite... "Yeah, I ate." That wasn't
exactly a lie - he had eaten an apple. "..But I'm ready for
somethin'
more." He closed the book, smirking to himself at Marie's quiet
intake
of breath. "..'Anythin' I can help ya with?"
She covered the blush by scooping her hair away from her face, and
shook her head. "Thanks but I've, uh, got it handled. You
just sit and
relax...."
In his opinion, someone who'd been playing superhero for the last
several hours deserved to relax more than he did, but Logan knew better
than to argue the point with her. With a start, though, it dawned
on him that he'd forgotten to tell her about the phone calls that had
come in while she was out saving the world.
"Hey, Marie...I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner but, uh, two people
called for ya while you were gone. The messages are still on your
machine." He made a split-second decision not to bring up his
conversation with Beth at the moment. That can
definitely wait... "I think they were invitin' ya to some New
Year's parties..."
"Oh, okay...thanks." To his surprise, she didn't seem all that
interested. "That was probably Kate and Stephanie who
called. I'm sure they've already
left for the parties, so I'll just call them back sometime next week..."
Logan frowned. "Are ya sure, darlin'?" He rubbed the backs
of his hands, dreading her answer but knowing it was only fair that he
at least give her an out. "I mean...ya don't hafta stay here with
me if there's a party out there that people want ya to go to.
I'll be just fine by myself --"
"Don't be silly, Logan." Marie smiled reassuringly. "I'm
not going anywhere. This is our holiday.....remember?" Oh,
God - does he want me to leave? I know he said he missed
me, but maybe that
was just to let me down easy and he'd really rather be on his own again?
Her heart sank and she turned to go before he registered a difference
in her pulse or her scent.
As she went into the kitchen, a feeling of utter relief washed over
him. She had a chance - hell, a couple of 'em - to go
out tonight, but she wants ta be alone with me! He
found a more comfortable position on the couch before opening the book
again, his heart close to bursting in his chest.
Thirty minutes later the cottage was filled with a multitude of
delicious smells that were making his mouth water, and he responded
eagerly when Marie called to him from the kitchen. Entering the
room, he saw heaping platters and steaming bowls of food arranged on
top of the table and across the counters. He shook his head in
amazement, unable to stop staring at the feast spread out before
them. "Marie, ya really shouldn'ta gone to all this trouble..."
"It's okay....I really didn't." Her smile was sheepish.
"There was no way I could fix all this stuff myself after being gone
most of the day so, um...I sorta cheated." At his puzzled look,
she shrugged. "The cooking was done by a really terrific
restaurant in Greenwich Village -- I just placed the order and picked
it up!" Reaching into the cupboard for two wine goblets, she
added with a grin, "..and the Professor even gave me a bottle of
Cristobal champagne for our toast!"
At his silence, she glanced over her shoulder at him, a frown replacing
the grin. "..You don't mind that it's restaurant food....do you
Logan? You know, some of their recipes are almost as good as the
ones my grandma used to make!" She swallowed, turning to face
him. "I, um-- I really wanted to cook for you myself, with it
being a special occasion and everything....but then Charles called this
morning and --"
"Hey..." Logan took the goblets from her and set them down on the
counter. Grasping her hands in his, he captured her attention, a
serious
expression on his face. "I appreciate all the effort ya made and
everythin',
but Marie....ya didn't hafta do all this for me." She blushed
under
his heated gaze. Shit, when she does that I can't think
straight....or at least not with my brain, anyway. "Dammit, I
ain't sayin' this right, but....well, I'm happy just spendin' time with
ya, darlin'. I
don't need a buncha fancy food or expensive booze to enjoy that, ya
know?"
She made him happy? Her heart soared and it was all she could do not to
throw her arms around him and crush him to her. No,
way, girl...that
would probably just freak him out. You've gotta keep playing this
cool
for now.... Settling for squeezing his hands instead, she
gave
him a brilliant smile. "Th-thanks. That really means a lot
to
me.....you know, that you like spending time together. Um....I
like
being with you, too." Suddenly feeling shy, she moved away from
him
and picked up the wine goblets again. "But hey - we've gotta eat,
right?
So, since I went to such an enormous amount of trouble, slaving over
the
takeout menu..." she winked at him, "..I really think we should just
enjoy
it before it all gets cold....whaddya say?"
He smirked and shook his head in a show of defeat. I love how
she gives as good as she gets. I don't think anybody ever did
that with me before. 'Makes me wanna take her and -- Whoa.
Shit. 'Can't be thinkin' like that right now, bub. Dinner first
and then maybe - hopefully - we'll have dessert later...
"Sounds like a plan." He moved over to the table, casually
standing behind the chair in an effort to hide his burgeoning
erection. Gazing with a hungry fascination at all the delectable
offerings, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Where do we start?"
A few minutes later, Logan was carefully balancing two plates piled
high with fried chicken, green beans with ham, deviled eggs, mashed
potatoes, corn
bread and spiced apples while Marie followed behind with another beer
for
Logan and coffee for her as they made their way out to the living
room. She turned on the TV as the fireplace blazed to life and
neither of them wasted
any time digging in. Conversation was non-existent, as they were
simply
content to eat together and enjoy one another's company while watching
the
various holiday programs, Winston sitting at their feet and eagerly
accepting
handouts from Logan.
Their strangely familiar - even intimate - comaraderie struck Marie as
comfortable, if not a little surreal....it felt almost as if they'd
done this many times before. Of course, that wasn't the case, and
she found herself wondering just how - and why - this bond had somehow
formed between them? Their differences were great and the
obstacles facing them were surely nothing less than enormous, yet it
was as though
they'd both been mysteriously compelled to walk this path. Was
there truly such a thing as kismet? Could something that
appeared to be a random occurence - a cosmic twist of fate - actually
turn out to be one's destiny in disguise? While Marie didn't know
the answers to those questions, there was one thing she was certain of:
no one and nothing in her life had ever felt more right - more perfect
- than Logan did. That has to mean something...it just has
to!
"That was amazing, Marie." Logan abruptly patted his stomach,
sitting back with his legs stretched out in front of him. She
glanced over from
her own nearly-empty plate with a twinkle in her eye.
"Thanks....I'll be sure to pass your compliments on to the chef."
Realizing that he wasn't making a move toward the kitchen for seconds,
her eyebrows arched in
surprise. "Don't tell me you're full after only one helping...?"
"It was a big helpin'." Raising the can of Molson's to his lips,
he groaned. "I couldn't eat another bite if I tried." He
nearly choked
on the mouthful of beer when she playfully told him that she was
counting on his appetite returning in time for dessert
later. Jesus, darlin'....I'll admit my mind's been in
the gutter, but it really ain't helpin' when ya say stuff like that...
His reaction to her not-so-innocent comment wasn't lost on Marie and
she fought back a smirk as she quietly finished her
dinner.
The smirk disappeared and it was her turn to sputter around a sip of
coffee when he looked at her pointedly and said "Well, you're the
expert on all this holiday stuff. So what kinda celebratin' didja
have in mind for us now?"
After another good cough managed to clear her airway enough for her to
speak, Marie glanced at the DVD clock - it was only 10:21PM and still
too early for
the Times Square countdown. Standing up, she indicated the
remains of
their meal. "Why don't we get this and the kitchen cleaned up and
then--"
she looked up at him with a glint in her eyes. "-- I seem to
recall
something about a surprise...?"
Logan carried their plates and silverware to the counter while Marie
spooned leftovers into sealed plastic containers and placed them in the
refrigerator. Filling the sink with hot, soapy water, she slipped
the dirty dishes in to soak and turned to face him expectantly, certain
that he could hear - if not
see - her heart pounding in her chest. Clearing his throat, he
murmured
"It's in the guest room". Moving aside to allow Marie access to
the
hallway, he fell in behind her, feeling much more anxious than he cared
to
admit. As she snapped on the overhead light Logan hung back
slightly,
wanting to see the look on her face and feeling more than a little
ridiculous
when he realized he'd been holding his breath.
The smell of paint and freshly-cut wood permeated the air and Marie's
smile widened in approval as she moved into the center of the room,
taking it in from every angle. The supplies they'd gotten had yet
to be removed and
there were still traces of sawdust in a few places, but now the
doorframe had been completely replaced with new lumber and the area
inbetween the frame and the lightswitch had unblemished drywall
installed. On top of all that, everything had been repainted to
match the rest of the trim-work around the room. Other than a
dropcloth still draped over the headboard of the bed, there was no
evidence that anything untoward had ever happened in there in the first
place.
"..You even moved all the furniture back and swept the floor!"
Marie turned admiring and grateful eyes on him. "Logan, you
really didn't need to go all out like that --"
"..S'okay. I wanted to. Hell, the mess was my fault, so
it's the least I could do..." He jammed his hands in his pockets and
his body language was fidgety. "I still gotta file down a coupla rough
spots and paint 'em, and then get the rest of the sawdust outta here,
but it's almost good-to-go."
"Well, it looks terrific to me just the way it is. Besides,
having a little sawdust laying around reminds me of my dad's workshop
back home in
Mississippi." Her tone grew wistful, but she recovered herself
and fixed
him with a brilliant smile. "I just can't believe it....you did
such
an amazing job. This really looks professional!"
Pretending to take offense, he gave her a wounded look. "Whatsa
matter? Didn't ya think I had it in me?" Marie giggled and
swatted him on the shoulder, but her tone grew serious. "I never
doubted you for a minute, Logan. If there's one thing I've
learned about you in the short time we've known each other, it's that
you're a man of your word. When you say you're going to do
something - or not, as the case may be - that's all there is to
it." Suddenly feeling self-conscious under his surprised stare,
she
rubbed her arms with both hands as if warming them but added softly
"..And I just wanted you to know how nice it is, being able to trust
and believe in you that way, and how much I respect you for that."
Jesus, baby...ya got a way of speakin' right to my heart. And
I know for a fact nobody's ever said they 'respect' me before.
Problem is - I ain't so sure I deserve all that faith ya got in me....
He scowled as he felt his eyes growing hot, looking away from her and
then down at his feet. "Yeah, well....I know what it's like to be
fucked-over. It ain't a good feelin' and I sure-as-hell don't
need anybody gettin' hurt that way cuz of me..."
Her heart constricted and tears sprang to her eyes. It just
blows me away that, even after being used and hurt so badly, he's still
able to treat others with respect. Where does that kind of
strength and discipline come from? Swallowing hard, Marie
extended her hands. He only hesitated a moment before accepting
them, idly stroking her small fingers with his larger ones. Her
eyes were shining when she finally spoke. "I really love my
surprise, Logan. Thank you so much for all the hard work you did
in here. You went above and beyond what was necessary and
that really means a lot to me...."
An odd look passed over his face then and he shifted his weight,
letting go of her hands and raking his fingers through his hair.
"Uh...that ain't the surprise, Marie."
She blinked. "It isn't?" Shaking his head, he gave her a
lopsided grin. The moment of truth. I just hope
she don't hate it... "Nah, it's...uh, right here --" He
pulled the dropcloth away from the headboard and stepped
back. At her sharp intake of breath he winced and glanced away,
unable
to watch her reaction this time.
"Oh My God..."
The solid piece of oak had been transformed from a plain headboard into
a work of art. At first the carvings appeared to be fanciful
scrolls and curlycues, but as Marie moved closer it literally changed
and took on
a new depth before her astonished eyes. No, she realized - they
weren't
carvings, exactly, but delicate etchings....leaves and vines
were woven together, and the overall effect seemed
to be a combination of both oriental and celtic influences. As
she
ran a trembling finger over one of the leaves, Marie suddenly realized
with a jolt that Logan must have worked the gouges from his claws into
the
designs: they were so expertly done, in fact, that she could no
longer
tell where the damage had originally been.
Turning to face him, her mouth worked but she found that she was
suddenly incapable of speech. Whether intentional or not, she
couldn't help but
be struck by the parallel between what he'd done with the headboard and
their
lives before they'd met one another. Sometimes the hurt can't be
'sanded
out' and the wounds won't just disappear. But if you're willing
to
work with the wrongs; viewing them from another angle...changing and
adapting
rather than cursing or denying them....perhaps it was possible to
create
something new and beautiful out of the remains of that which was broken
and
ugly?
She was still gaping like an idiot as his expression switched from
anxious to apologetic and it was Logan who finally spoke up first, the
words all coming
out in a rush. "I, uh, probably shoulda just asked ya first,
before
I went ahead and carved it all up like that, but Marie - there ain't no
way
to get rid of the...claw marks that I made without sanding the whole
damned
thing more than halfway down --" He gave her a sideways
glance. " -- So, anyway, I figured maybe I could just...well,
decorate it or somethin'....ya know, to hide the damage...and then --"
He trailed off as Marie's mouth snapped shut and she sat heavily on the
end of the bed, still staring at the headboard. Logan frowned,
his
nervousness and apprehension escalating with her continued
silence.
If she liked it, wouldn't she have said so by now? Dammit!
I shoulda known better than ta mess with it without askin' her
first.
Surprise, my ass. Yeah, she definitely looks surprised.
Fuck.
What the hell was I thinkin'? As if I could possibly make
somethin'
right after I fucked it up in the first place......Shit!
"Uh...if ya don't like it, that's okay. I mean, I
understand." His voice was rough and he was furiously rubbing his
knuckles. "When I figure out where I got some money stashed, I
can just getcha a brand new one and --"
His voice trailed off again as Marie looked over at him, her cheeks
suddenly wet with tears. Biting her lip, she shook her head as
she tried to regain
control over her emotions, finally swallowing hard. "Logan....I-I don't
know
what to say." Clearing her throat, she tried again, her voice a
mere
whisper. "It's the most beautiful th-thing I've ever seen
and...I guess I'm just - having a little trouble, here, um, wrapping my
mind
around the fact that you did this...." She trembled but her smile
was
steady. "..that you made this...for me." Wiping her face
with
her sleeve, she shook her head again. "This is the sweetest, most
loving
thing anyone has ever done for me."
Well, damn. Does that mean I actually did somethin' right for
a change...? Feeling as though he was back on firm
ground, more or less, Logan quirked a grin. "Even over and above
savin' your life?"
Marie smiled back. "Well, you know....saving my life was really
sweet, in an 'oh, shit - no choice' sort of way. But this --" She
glanced back
at the headboard in awe, her eyes filling up again. "You did this
because you wanted to....just to make me happy."
Shuffling his feet, he looked at her from under his eyebrows.
"Uh...did it work?"
She was up and standing in front of him in one swift movement, wrapping
her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. "Like a
charm.
It's just...amazing and I really, really love it." Tilting her
head
back, she placed a kiss on the warm skin of his throat and then -
suddenly
feeling shy - hid her face in his shoulder. "Thank you....from
the
bottom of my heart."
Stunned, Logan brought his arms up around her, breathing deeply of her
scent, his heart skipping a beat as he reveled in the unexpected but
more-than-welcome opportunity to hold her.
Laying his cheek on top of her head, her hair tickling his nose, he
mumbled,
"My pleasure, darlin'."
Time seemed to be suspended and neither one of them was anxious to
resume their normal roles: those of the young but
no-longer-innocent woman yearning for that which she feared didn't
exist and the cynical, jaded man fighting to distance himself from what
he knew existed but believed he could never have. They stood that
way for a lingering moment, unconsciously swaying a bit while
luxuriating
in the combined warmth and solid feel of their connected bodies.
Finally Marie drew back, taking no small amount of delight in the fact
that Logan seemed just as reluctant as she was to end their
embrace. Glancing away from his heated gaze, she smoothed down
her hair and said quietly "Um...I have a surprise for you,
too....but, really, it pales in comparison to - this."
"Marie..." He was still somewhat in a daze over what had just
transpired between them and the word came out sounding more like a low
growl. "Dammit, ya really shouldnta --"
"Oh, don't worry - I didn't." Now separated from him completely
and turning toward the door, she laughed at his confused
expression. "Come on. Let's go back out to the living room
and I'll get it for you."
"Okay....yeah." Logan nodded absently. His heart was full
but his arms were now empty. He hadn't wanted to let go of her - ever
- and it was a struggle to force himself back to reality. "..Be
there in a minute....I just, uh, gotta answer nature's call first."
After using the facilities, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth,
finally leaning heavily on the edge of the sink. He didn't bother
looking at his reflection in the mirror - he knew what would be staring
back at him and
he wasn't at all certain that he wanted to face it. Hope.
Raw,
unadulterated hope...the likes of which he'd never allowed himself to
consider
before...and with good reason. What the fuck am I
doin'? I know
what Marie said, about carin' for me and all that shit, but there ain't
no
way in hell a girl like her could want a guy like me. It's too
damned
much to hope for, but here I am doin' exactly that. Fuck.
With a resigned sigh, he stood back and ran his hands through his hair
in an effort to tame it. The guest room's almost finished,
the holiday's just about over, and I guess I'll be hittin' the road
again real soon. Thanks to Marie, I'll have the memories to take
with me, but....damn. Hazel eyes scowled back at him and he
shook his head resignedly. See? That's what fuckin'
happens when ya get your hopes up, bub. Ya never shoulda gone
there.
Winston was next to Marie on the couch and she was flipping stations on
the TV when he rejoined her in the living room. On the coffee
table
sat a strange-looking contraption consisting of two shiny silver pots
covered with lids that each had a small lit candle under them. A
large bowl off to one side was filled with a variety of fruit - chunks
of banana, ripe strawberries and orange slices. As he sat down
next to her on the couch, his nose picking up the rich, mouth-watering
aroma of chocolate, he cocked a curious eyebrow at her. Marie
gave him a bright smile as she handed him a fresh beer.
"Ready for dessert now?"
His body reacted immediately and he wasted no time sitting down next to
her in an effort to hide it. Taking a long pull from the can, he
chuckled. "Depends on what ya got in mind...."
It was impossible to mistake the flush on her cheeks, even in the
firelight, but she kept her voice even. "Well, I figured you've
probably never had - or even heard of - Fondue before," she indicated
the items on the table. "..And I haven't had anyone over to use
it with...so I thought maybe we could enjoy some together!"
"Uh...Fondue?"
She took the lids off the silver pots and Logan could see that there
was melted brown goo in one and something white and sticky in the other
one. "Yeah. I guess these were all the rage in the late
1960's and early 1970's....not that I was around back then! My
mom had one, though, and
we always used it on holidays and for special occasions. This is
chocolate,
and that's marshmallow." She picked up a long metal rod with two
prongs
at the end. "Here, let me show you how it's done. You're
going
to love this!"
Logan had his doubts that the strange looking contraption in front of
him harbored anything remotely edible, but her enthusiasm was
contagious so he was happy to just go with it. Marie speared a
strawberry and proceeded to dip it into the melted chocolate.
Then, with a wink, she motioned for Logan to lean toward her. He
did so, feeling a bit foolish - though any excuse to get close to Marie
was fine by him - and opened his mouth as she popped the fruit
in. He had to admit it was good, even if the delivery
method was a bit strange. Quirking a grin, he swallowed and said
"My
turn now, darlin..."
She didn't recover her composure as quickly that time, but shyly
accepted the slice of orange dripping with chocolate that he offered
her. They took turns feeding each other and while Marie hadn't
intended for that to happen, there was something wonderfully intimate
and even erotic about it and she was more than willing to go along for
the ride. Logan seemed to be enjoying himself as well and the
edgy expression he'd worn when he first
entered the living room had finally vanished.
"Ooomph....I swear I've probably just gained ten pounds from this
stuff!" Marie was the one to sit back and pat her stomach this
time around. "But what a way to go, huh?"
"Yeah, it was real good." ~ And those extra pounds would look
nothin' but good on ya ~ Logan took another pull from his beer.
"Helluva surprise. And you were right - I don't remember ever
havin' Fonda before."
"Fondue," Marie giggled. "But, um, that wasn't the
surprise." At his curious glance, she reached behind her and
removed something from under
one of the toss pillows on the couch, presenting her closed fist to
him.
Logan opened his hand and she placed four wrapped cigars in his
palm.
When he realized exactly what they were, all he could do was stare for
one
long moment.
"Shit, Marie...they're - these are Cubans! "
"Yes, they are. And don't tell me I didn't need to or I shouldn't
have...." she frowned and wagged her finger at him but her eyes were
twinkling,
"...because I already told you I didn't. They're from Professor
Xavier,
and he sends his best wishes for a Happy New Year."
Logan scratched his head, frowning. "I appreciate this, darlin' -
I really do - but, uh...what exactly did ya tell him about me?"
"Oh, I didn't give him any details or anything!" Marie was quick to
reply. "I would never betray your confidence, Logan. I hope
you know that...?" At his gruff nod, she breathed an inward sigh
of relief. "I just mentioned that I was...well, you
know...spending the holiday with a guy that I met
recently, and - um, that you're really special to me. That's all."
Warmth flooded his veins. So, I'm special to ya, huh?
"Thanks. That...means a lot." He realized he was rubbing
his knuckles
and forced his hands to be still. "And you're, uh, pretty special
to
me, too."
Marie was practically glowing. "Yeah?"
He nodded, his eyes soft and crinkling slightly at the corners.
"Yeah."
The silence that followed was both comfortable and filled with
anticipation. Ain't no doubt about it...even if those fuckers
get ahold of me again, there's no way they'll ever erase the memory of
this night. Taking a final pull from his beer, he sat
the empty can down on the end table and settled back against the couch,
preparing to get comfortable. Marie flipped through the channels
again, finally deciding on one and bumping the volume up
slightly. Then, she settled back as well, snuggling in against
his side. Logan started at the unexpected gesture but -
recovering quickly
- slid his arm around her, drawing her even closer to him. Her
head
lay gently on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed
by
her proximity and her scent....a combination of lemony Marie-smell and
pure
happiness? She was happy just being with him? It seemed too
good
to be true, but his nose had never been wrong and he knew this time
wasn't
any exception.
Oh, yeah... Logan smiled, his arms tightening around her
gently. Right back atcha, darlin'.
-----------------------------------------------
Posted May 2002
