Fall Apart To Love

Title: Fall Apart to Love

Disclaimer: I don’t own the x-men or any of the characters associated with them. :( I so wish I did! We’d have so much fun.

Jean crossed the room to sit next to Logan and she let out a long, slow breath. “Logan, I don’t know what you want, but --”

He interrupted her, “You know what I want.” He gripped the neck of his beer bottle tightly and didn’t quite look her in the eyes. Jean’s eyes softened and she gave him a sad, pitiful smile.

“Maybe, but Logan, this isn’t just about want here. This has to do with my life, Scott’s life, your life,” she explained and Logan shook his head but she continued before he could speak. “We have to stop this. I know how I FEEL, but I don’t know how you--”

“You know how I feel,” he said roughly. “You’ve known, so don’t give me this speech, darlin’.” Logan looked up into her eyes then, his gray orbs dark and hurt. Jean stared into them for a the short moment he allowed them to show any of his inner struggle and then she frowned at the stab of pain those eyes caused in her heart.

“Logan, you and I, we...we lead different lives. We...I love Scott, that’s all that matters,” she reached up to caress his cheek softly but he pulled his face away and diverted his eyes.

“So? And how do you feel ‘bout me? I know it ain’t nothin’,” his voice was hard and distant and Jean had trouble not letting the tone get to her. She also had trouble coming up with an answer to his question.

“I love Scott,” she said softly wanting nothing more then to just be able to not be in the room as his eyes turned up to catch her own again. Logan grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, slowly and she didn’t protest even when she could feel his hot breath against her lips. He had his eyes so close to hers she lost herself in the sharp gray and the way the light was reflecting out of his eyes, which made him look thoughtful.

“Jeannie, I don’t care what you feel about him. What ‘bout me?” he asked as he tilted his head slightly, his breath was warm and moist and being that close to him made her feel a little light headed.

“Logan, don’t do this. I love Scott,” she said and Logan’s lips curved downward quickly before he leaned forward and kissed her. He pushed desperately, afraid she would pull away. But she didn’t push him back right away so he wrapped his fingers in her long red hair and allowed himself a quick rush of hope and relief.

Jean let the feel of his lips overrun her and she let his tongue slide between her own. She put her hands on his shoulders, not sure if she wanted to pull him closer or push him away. Her mind knew it needed to make the decision quickly as she felt his fingers press against her scalp and his other hand gripping her waist. She made her decision.

“Logan,” she said as she tightened her fingers against his shoulders. Logan slowly leaned back just enough to look into her eyes. “Logan, stop this. We need to stop this now.” She knew the words would hurt, they hurt her. But it was for the best. Logan winced, his eyes closed for a brief second and when they opened again they weren’t his. They had to be somebody else’s. The dull blank look in his eyes made her ache, she had caused that. She had let him get this close to her. She had allowed this flirtation to go too far and now it was hurting people. Herself and Logan very much included. “I’m sorry,” she said softly as if that would help ease the pain.

Logan retreated further from her. He leaned back and turned his face from hers. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cold and solidly hard. Jean stood and when Logan didn’t move she made her hasty exit. She expected that she could not help the situation any by staying and Logan always worked things out better on his own.

It was the next day that they learned Logan had left during the night, without a word of goodbye. He would not return for another 2 months without a word.

Heartbroken but not defeated Logan again continued to pursue Jean Grey. She again could not entirely deflect his advances because of her own attraction to the man. She knew she did not love him now...after time and thinking had allowed her to re-assess the situation. But she did find Logan very attractive on a more...primitive level. But she knew his feelings for her were not the same, he loved her. She could feel it every time he moved near.

She, being the good girlfriend, did not permit more then mere flirting though. Over the next few months she could feel Logan’s irritation and deep, hidden depression growing but she could do little to help him through it. Since, she was the one causing all the conflicts within him.

And four months after his arrival, the day she knew would eventually come, came. The day she had been hoping for with all her heart and dreading with every ounce of her soul. Scott proposed to her and she joyfully said “Yes” but also a part of her wanted to say “no” so she wouldn’t have to break the news to Logan.

In the end, she couldn’t break the news to Logan. She felt he deserved to be one of the first to know, but not before one other person, her best friend Ororo.

“That is wonderful news!” O exc exclaimed, hugging Jean tightly before letting go with a bright smile on her face. “I am so happy for you! When is this wedding going to take place? A fall wedding would be most beautiful with the trees changing and there would be those soft breezes, a calm sunny afternoon. It will be wonderful!”

Jean laughed at her friends enthusiasm and shook her head. “We haven’t decided yet. But that does sound very appealing. I’ll have to run that idea by Scott.”

“Please do,” Ororo said and leaned over to hug Jean once more. “I am just so happy for you! You two deserve such happiness more than anyone I know.”

“Thank you, Ororo,” Jean said with a smile, letting this feeling of joy seep into her for as long as she could before she had to let it go to deal with the serious issue of Logan. “Scott and I ARE very happy.”

“Good, I am glad,” she said and Jean nodded. Something in her face must have shown her inner struggle though because Ororo frowned and put a hand on her knee. “Something is wrong though. What is it, Jean? Are you not sure?”

“No! I’m sure I want to marry, Scott,” she answered quickly. “It’s just...well, it’s Logan.”

Ororo frowned along with her. “Oh no. What has he done? He has not taken the news lightly I assume.”

Jean shook her head, “He doesn’t know yet. You are the first person I’ve told. Nobody except three of us know so far. It is that I’m afraid of how Logan WILL take the news.”

Both of them fell silent in thought, Ororo didn’t know how to answer her friend. She, herself, barely knew Logan. He was so closed off from the rest of the X-Men. Yes, he through in his insults or quick humorous comments there and then but as far as knowing a person, Ororo knew little about him. Except that he was in love with Jean, everyone knew that.

“Well,” Ororo began, “all I can say is the best way to get through to him would be to tell him as soon as possible.”

Jean shook her head again and looked Ororo in the eyes. “I don’t know if I can tell him.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to hurt him anymore then I already have,” Jean answered and looked down at her hands in her lap.

“So, you are just going to let him find out through the grapevine?” Ororo asked.

Jean’s cheeks reddened and Ororo leaned back, she knew something was going on now. “Well, I was hoping I could convince you to tell him for me.”

“WHAT?!” Ororo shouted as she stood up in surprise. “Jean, I cannot do that!”

“Why not? I can’t do this, Ororo. I want to be happy, I can’t if I look into his eyes, I can’t,” Jean pleaded, she reached up and grabbed Ororo’s hands. “Please, for me?”

Ororo sighed at the puppy dog eyes Jean was batting at her and finally relented. “Fine, I will tell him. But you owe me for this. He is going to bite my head off...or worse,” she muttered. Jean smiled and hugged her friend and Ororo accepted the embrace happily, but she knew she had a hard day ahead of her now.

For Ororo, Logan was not that hard to find, since turning a corner they almost ran into each other. She jumped in surprise and he chuckled at her before letting his lips fall to that trademark frown of his. He was shorter then she, by a good half a foot, but held himself in such confidence that you would think he were the tall one. His bulk was great but not overly so. He had his long, dark hair grown out in chaotic strands that were brushed back in a very un-orderly fashion. Also, the rough facial hair ran down his jaw and he was wearing it more neat then he usually did today.

“Hey, ‘Ro. You seen Jeannie anywhere?” he asked quickly.

Ororo straightened herself and answered, “Yes, I have. But I would really like to speak with you for a moment, Logan.”

“Can it wait, I need t’ get goin’,” he said and was already moving past her, but she grabbed his thick arm, amazed at the width of it. His surprised eyes turned toward her. But she also felt a wall of impatience hit her from the way his posture stressed the need to get moving.

“No, it cannot. Please, Logan,” she said seriously.

“Ok...fine. What is it?” he asked and crossed his arms.

Ororo suddenly felt nervous under his stare and the public area of the hallway. She knew it would be best to let Logan deal with this away from people. “I think it would be best to talk about this somewhere more...private,” she said. “Come with me,” she grabbed his wrist and before he could protest pulled him after her. She dragged him to up to her room and shut the door quickly behind them and turned to face a very confused Logan.

“’Ro? Are you ok?” he asked.

“Yes, I am fine,” she said and decided to get to the point as quickly as possible. “You just might not like my news very much, is all.”

Logan frowned and again crossed his arms. Ororo suspected he did that as a defensive maneuver, to make himself seem bigger and push out the muscles in those thick arms of his.

“What is it then?” he asked impatiently and not at all nicely.

“It is to do with Jean,” she said and immediately had Logan’s undivided attention. His body tensed, getting ready for what kind of news about Jean, she wasn’t sure. But it made her nervous that she had already begun this wrong by alarming him so. She didn’t know his moods well enough to pull this off successfully.

“I know how you feel about Jean, and I know that this will upset you,” she said and decided to get on with it at the sharp, angry look in his eyes. He definitely was not a patient man. “Jean is getting married, Logan. She’s marrying Scott.”

The corner of Logan’s mouth quirked up in the beginnings of a smile for a moment, but as his eyes continued to watch Ororo, that smile fell dramatically. He could tell by her stance she was not joking. Ororo watched as his arms fell and his fingers tightened against his palms into fists.

“Married?” he asked, unbelieving. “When...when did this happen?”

“Scott proposed to her last night, she told me this morning,” Ororo answered him.

Logan stepped back to let his body fall to a sitting position onto the edge of Ororo’s soft bed and it creaked under the sudden and unfamiliar weight. He shook his head and Ororo could do nothing but stand there. She was unsure on how to treat this situation. Would a man like Wolverweepweep or hold it all in and not except any comfort? He didn’t strike her as the weeping type.

He suddenly laughed loudly and Ororo gave him a glare. “So, she sent ya to come tell me ‘cause she couldn’t do it herself? Is that it?” he asked.

“That is for the most part, yes,” she said. “Jean just wants to be happy, Logan. Let her be happy. She loves Scott. If you love her you can understand that. I’m sure you will be invited to the wedding.”

Logan growled deep in his throat and Ororo sighed wearily. He suddenly sprang to his feet and his eyes, his eyes were something wild. Something Ororo only saw in him in battle. His angry cursing and the sudden sound of his claws unsheathing alarmed her out of her thoughts.

“Invited to the wedding!” he growled at her. Logan moved to walk past her but she stood in his way. “There ain’t gonna be no wedding,” he said. His claws slid back into his hands as he reached for her, but she moved first. Ororo moved without thinking. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her body close to his in a tight hug. Logan’s body tensed and went completely still and Ororo closed her eyes and waited for the worst. But after a moment, Logan still hadn’t moved.

“’Ro, what are you doing?” he asked softly.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked down at the white t-shirt that moved down his back. “I...I am comforting you.”

“Let go o’ me,” he said.

“Do not make things difficult, Logan. Let Jean be happy,” Ororo said, tightening her arms around him. Whatever she did, she couldn’t let him out of this room until he understood that he had no chance with Jean. Her fingers grabbed the material of his shirt and she could feel the hard muscles of his chest pushed against her body. She wasn’t going to get a tighter hold on him then she already had.

“Darlin’, if ya don’t let go o’ me,” he threatened as he grabbed her shoulders and she could feel herself being pulled back. But she held onto him.

“Jean does not love you, Logan,” she said and Logan’s hands stilled. “She does not love you. She loves Scott. Logan, you must except that. She has always loved Scott. You must except that.”

His body was still for the longest time and he didn’t say anything until finally his arms fell to his side and Ororo felt a him take a deep breath, his chest pushing up against her own. Then she felt him trying to back away from her.

“Let go o’ me,” he said quietly and his tone made Ororo let go slowly. She let him back up until her hands were resting on his shoulders and she could look down into his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she said softly. Logan grabbed her hands in his lif lifted them off his shoulders and just grunted at her words. Then he stepped passed her and out of the room. Ororo watched him go, even stared at the closed door for a little while, wondering how she could help her fellow X-Man through this.

The next day came and Ororo had seen not a hair of Logan anywhere. Though from the talk and way everyone was stepping lightly through the mansion, she was most certain Logan was still around. Most everyone had heard about the wedding and then later that night, the confrontation. Logan had finally found Jean and the discussion that ensued was not pleasant. The walls had even begun to shake when Jean had gotten a little too upset. But in the end, it was finished without anyone being harmed. Just a little spooked.

Then she found him, in the most unlikeliest of places, as she was heading toward her garden. He was just sitting on a bench outside the mansion. His eyes were turned to the trees that lined the perimeter of the mansion grounds. He had a beer bottle in one hand a lit cigar in the other. The cigar he brought to his lips and puffed on for a few seconds before he sighed and let his hand fall again. As she approached she saw him sniff the air but not one other thing about him changed.

“How are you doing, Wolverine?” she asked, trying to keep it somewhat distant, not sure if he would appreciate her caring.

He never looked up at her when he answered roughly, “I’m fine.”

She stood there and watched him but he said nothing further. “May I?” she asked and motioned to the bench space next to him.

He shrugged and put his cigar in his mouth, “It’s a free country,” he said around it. She frowned at him but sat next to him.

“You seem to be doing better,” she said conversationally. He grunted at her.

“What did ya expect? Tears? Blood? Guts?” he asked. His eyes roamed over the scenery before him but he still had not looked at her directly. The smoke of his cigar wafted into the air and it carried it toward Ororo. She wrinkled her nose at it.

“You did seem quite upset last night, I have heard,” she said. Ororo brought a breeze, coming from the other direction to push the cigar smoke away from her. She didn’t want to ask Logan to put it out. He seemed to enjoy the things.

His lips quirked up at the sudden change in wind current and he brought the cigar from his mouth. “Well, last night was not a good night,” he said.

“So, is today any better?” she asked.

“No.”

Ororo smiled and put a hand on his broad shoulder. “Your days will get better, Logan. I understand your pain, they will get better. Jean...she is not your true love, is all.”

Logan looked at her then and his eyes were terrifyingly calm. “I guess not, ‘Ro. I guess not,” he said.

And so began a bond...a friendship that Ororo had no idea would come of such events. Logan and she grew closer as the next couple months passed. They would bump into each other in the hall and an entire day of being in one another’s company would come of it. She learned so much about him. It amazed her at how complex he really was. She had always thought of him as a very simple, straight forward man. But there were small things that he would find fascinating like the track of a deer in the woods or the slightest tick of an eyebrow. He once told her about the small things in people’s faces that gave everything they were thinking away. The way a person blinked, the way their nostrils moved with their breathing. She had learned that Logan wasn’t simple minded, he was just natural. He brought everything down to it’s basic animal level and she respected him for that skill.

Logan continued to act as normally as possible...for him. Though it was hard not to lose it when he saw Jean and Cyke together, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. But surprisingly to him, it did seem to get better, slowly. Especially with Ororo’s help. As he found a friend in her, the pain of Jean eased in him. He still had a place he belonged. She was always there if he needed her, not that he let her know he needed those talks...or just her company sometimes to keep himself from going insane. She was more wise then she let on and knew the pain that came with heartache. So, he found her counsel very helpful.

Three months later, in the midst of October, mutant children were cluttering around the mansion, thrilled to be getting a day off from studying and work to attend Jean Grey and Scott Summers’ wedding. They decided to have it on the edge of the large lake behind the mansion, a beautiful scene that nobody had to travel far to reach. And Storm provided the surety that the weather would remain good.

The wedding wasn’t for a few more hours though and Storm had a few minutes to kill before she had to join Jean, to help her prepare. She was already wearing her dress, as maid of honor, that Jean had picked out. She, herself, loathed the thing because one, it was pink. But another, it was such a light pink it was almost white which made her very conscious of her white hair. She thought she just looked silly running around the mansion halls looking as if she were dressed as a ghost for Halloween.

But at that exact moment, she wasn’t worried about what she looked like. Ororo wanted to find Logan before she was to be tied up with Jean and the goings on of the wedding. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be around much once things got underway. In fact, she was having unusual difficulty finding him now. This wasn’t going to be an easy day for him and knowing that made her heart ache for him. He did not deserve this, but that was how love worked.

She questioned a group of students in the hall and they seemed to know the general direction on where he was, because he had passed them earlier. Ororo hurried on but after a few minutes of moving through the halls, she saw no sign of him. She had to give up and head back upstairs. Jean would need the customary help and she had things to organize before the wedding could go on. Logan would have to wait. Hopefully he would wait.

Logan stalked through the halls. He knew Ororo was trying to find him, he could smell her behind him. The strong perfume she was wearing for the occasion made it easy for him to tell. He kept ahead though, working to avoid her. He wanted nothing to do with this entire day. He wanted to act as if he didn’t exist for a day. When her scent fell away and he felt like he was alone again he sighed and headed for the Danger Room. That was the one true place he could go to avoid everything and everyone.

He felt bad about avoiding Ororo. She was only trying to help, he guessed. But he didn’t want that kind of help right now. He just wanted to unleash his anger on something. Logan passed a few joyfully loud kids in the hall and cringed at the smiles on their faces. Everyone was so happy today. It made his stomach twist painfully and he just wanted them all to go away. The smiles only reminded him of his own damn pain.

He entered the Danger Room and let out a sigh of relief. He was safe. Logan thought for a moment then smirked as he activated the program he wanted. It was time to forget about things for awhile.

By the time he stepped out of the Danger Room he knew he came out too early. The silence in the hallways told him that the wedding was just starting or was in the middle of taking place. He growled to himself. He couldn’t go hide from it outside, because that’s where it was. So, he headed upstairs to his room to lock himself away from the outside world. At first he avoided the window. He knew the view his window had and he didn’t want to see any of it.

But soon, Logan found himself pulling the curtain back and looking out of the mansion grounds. All the occupants of the mansion minus him were out there. Rows of chairs set up, facing the lake. Xavier was right at the front. Three men were lined up off to the side just a bit. Colossus, almost too big for the tux he was wearing. Gambit was also one of them, looking entirely uncomfortable in his own tux. Then Nightcrawler, his tail swinging happily behind him. Logan shook his head and his eyes moved around the two people in the center to the other side, three women lined up there. Rogue was standing tall, always looking somewhat defiant. She might be the least happy of the people down there because of her mutant limitations. These types of situations always upset her, where she found it hard to picture herself in them, like getting married. The second woman up was Jubilee, who kept fiddling with her dress. Then, the top of the line was Ororo. Logan’s eyes rested on her for a few moments. He hadn’t seen her yet all made up for the wedding. And she looked beautiful. She looked the most comfortable of all the men and women there in her attire. She seemed to bask in the white glow the bright sun sent around her. Logan smiled at seeing the smile on her lips. Then his smile faded as he let his eyes continue to the couple that everyone else was already watching.

Jean and...Scott. They were both watching the priest, standing as close as the situation would allow. Logan’s lips tightened. But he didn’t find himself angry at seeing the two of them together. He found himself regretful and sad. Jean. He had lost her. The most important thing to come into his life since he could remember, and he lost her. She wouldn’t come back. He lowered his head and walked away from the window. Scott was a lucky man.

Then he heard cheering and closed his eyes. Well, Jean wasn’t free anymore. She was now Jean Grey-Summers and Logan had no claim on her if he ever truly did.

Ororo smiled softly at the party in front of her. Everyone was having a wonderful time. Jean and Scott were beautiful together but they had gone awhile ago, to celebrate by themselves. Ororo had changed out of that dreadful dress as quickly as Jean had left. Everything had gone smoothly and joyfully though. The children were having fun but it was growing a bit late for some of the younger ones. Ororo, herself, was enjoying the evening but the close quarters were starting to grate at her. She decided to step outside for a bit of fresh air and join the dancing soon. She hadn’t danced yet anyway. Everyone else had their partner to dance with here.

She stepped outside quickly and breathed in deeply. The air was clean and cool. She smiled to herself and began walking toward the lake. She was alone, well, she thought. Until she heard a soft noise coming from around a large tree next to lake. It was a bit away from where the wedding had taken place earlier. As she came closer, the noise became more clear as it happened a couple more times. It was as if something small was falling into the water. A soft *plunk* noise every time. Ororo moved closer to the tree and could make out a figure sitting up against the trunk, facing the water.

“Logan?” she asked into the night air. “Is that you?”

“The one and only,” he answered roughly. Ororo frowned and moved closer. She could make him out now and he was holding something. A small box. He took something out of it. And then she realized what it was. The boxes of chocolates Scott and Jean had thought would be nice to give one to everybody in the mansion. She shook her head sadly at the way Logan concentrated on the piece of chocolate.

“She left this at my door,” he said. Ororo stepped even closer and settled on the ground next to him. His large shoulder hiding part of his face from her view as he held the chocolate up. “I didn’t even notice it at first. Guess everyone got one,” he continued. He brought the chocolate to his nose and sniffed it before pulling his face back and tossing it into the water with a soft *plunk*. Ororo watched him take another chocolate out of the box. Then she noticed the small piece of paper inside the box.

“What is this?” she asked as she grabbed it. Logan said nothing but let his arm fall, the chocolate forgotten. He looked over at her and said nothing still. Ororo gave him a glance then looked down at the paper. She read it by moonlight. The words were written in a neat hand and she immediately recognized it as Jean’s.

Logan,

I know how hard thll mll must be on you. It’s hard for me also, knowing that I’ve caused you pain. But please, except my apology for being blind to your feelings and allowing things to get so complicated. I am sorry. But I hope we may move past this and you will be happy again. I hope we will still remain close. As friends.

Love,

Jean

Ororo sighed as she lowered the paper and looked up at Logan. She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned close to kiss him on the cheek. “She is not the one for you, Logan. You will move on to many happy days, I promise.”

“Thanks, ‘Ro,” he said and smiled.

“For what?” she asked with confusion in her voice. He leaned back against the tree trunk and looked up at the sky.

“Fer knowin‘ what to say right at the right times,” he said. Ororo watched him and smiled. His eyes sparkled under the moon yet they still seemed...lonely. Ororo felt for him immensely and moved closer to lay next to him. She rested her head between his shoulder and chest. Logan gave a surprised grunt but gave no sign of discomfort so she remained there.

His body was warm and hard. Muscles where most men never even thought it possible to have muscles. She smiled at that. If he weren’t so hairy, he would be the poster body for any man on a romance novel cover. She couldn’t hold back a small laugh at the image that sparked in her mind.

“What?” he asked. His chest vibrated with his low voice and Ororo jumped in surprise. It felt nice, she decided. She shook her head and patted his stomach.

“Nothing. It is not important,” she answered him. “How have you been holding up the entire day?” She decided it was the time to try and get him to maybe open up to her a bit more. To help him work through what he was dealing with. She felt it was better to get things out in the open so it became easier to identify the problem and solve it. Not that this was particularly a problem to be solved.

Logan sighed and she liked the feel of him doing that too. She could feel the muscles in his upper chest working as he raised his arm to scratch his cheek. “Well, darlin’, that’s a good question,” he said. “I’ve given up on the being angry shit, if that’s what ya wanna hear.”

Ororo smiled. “That is a good thing, I think. A step in the right direction.”

“Sure,” Logan grunted.

“You should have come, Logan,” Ororo said.

“What?”

“You should have come to the wedding, instead of hiding.”

Logan laughed loudly at that. “Yeah...sure. That was not my scene at all, darlin’. And I think everyone was a little bit happier that I didn’t show my face.”

“Logan!” Ororo said and sat up to look into his eyes. “It would have helped you accept--”

“I accept it! I understand that they’re together now, ‘Ro! I understand. Still don’t make it stop hurtin’ though,” he said quickly then snapped his mouth shut and grumbled angrily to himself.

Ororo scooted closer on her knees moves her hand softly onto his shoulder. “I am sorry, Logan. I did not mean to--”

Again, he interrupted her, “It’s alright. I’m fine.” He turned to her, their faces close and she could see. There was no loneliness in his eyes. It was gone all of a sudden.

“Logan, you will be happy again,” she said and smiled. “Why don’t you come inside with me and dance. I’ve had nobody to dance with all night.”

“You’re beautiful, ‘Ro,” Logan said softly, his eyes locked onto hers. She smiled and felt a slight change in the way things were going.

“I saw you earlier. I was up in my room, looked down at the whole weddin’ thing. I saw you. You were so beautiful in that dress, why’d you change?” he asked.

“That dress? OH, that horrible thing!?” she asked and laughed. Logan just nodded.

And the moment her eyes fell to meet his again he leaned forward and put his lips to hers. She gasped in surprise and was shocked enough that she couldn’t react immediately. Logan’s lips were warm and softer then she could have ever imagined. He breathed in deeply and pushed his lips against hers with a little more force. Ororo let herself fall into the moment and kissed him back before she could stop herself. But it didn’t take long before she realized she couldn’t do this. She pushed at Logan’s shoulders.

“Logan, stop,” she said softly. Logan looked into her eyes, both of them slightly out of breath and he started leaning in toward her again before she could say anything more. She pushed against his shoulders again. “Logan, you’re upset.”

“No, I’m not,” he said, his voice low and dark. He kissed her neck softly and Ororo for a moment wished she could let him continue. Maybe she would in different times and different circumstances. But definitely not now.

“Logan, you’re upset,” she repeated and pulled his face back. His eyes came up to meet hers.

“’Ro, please,” he said in a whisper and Ororo’s heart almost broke with that tone. There was something desperate there. Something so alone and isolated. And the words themselves through her off, she didn’t know what to do with a begging Logan. She wanted to help him, but not like this. And his insistence and her nervousness were pushing at her temper.

“What?” she snapped. His eyes searched hers and then he lowered his head.

“I don’t know,” he said. He moved away from her.

Ororo pushed herself up and stood tall over him. “Logan, you cannot accomplish anything by turning to something that will cheapen the one friendship you have!” she said, and knew the moment she said it that she shouldn’t have. She wished for words back but her own pride wouldn’t let her apologize for this one. He had been out of line.

“Is that so? Then I guess ya shouldn‘t waste your time out here then! Go back to your party,” he growled at her.

“Sometimes, Logan, you are impossible!” she said then turned quickly and walked back to the mansion. Half way there though, she let the events play back in her mind, and wished she could take back some of her actions. Things might have gone smoother. Now she was unsure where Logan and she stood with each other. The more she thought about it the worse the situation got.

Ororo couldn’t return to all the smiling faces that night. She could only think of Logan and his pain. His inability to let himself be happy. She wished she could help him. But he asked it of her in ways she couldn’t do. What was she to do come morning?