Hiding

All hail Marvel Comics- I'm only borrowing their characters to play with mine. All the fab XMen and characters you know come from their fruitful minds- not mine. lyrics from "papa won't leave you henry" belong to Nick Cave and not to me- I could only aspire to write as beautifully as he does...

Please review! Please! Have..no..clue..what...I'm...doing.....ahh


Inside the store Logan was overwhelmed by the strong scent of the oil burning on the counter. Tobacco Flowers…He remembered the scent and had a vibrant memory pop into his head to go with the recognition of the scent. A flash of dark hair, shining in the sun, small hands reaching up around his neck and pulling him close. Eyes, an unnatural green with small black slit pupils and a mouth deeply lined in red opening to reveal small sharp canines that seemed out of place in such a mouth. A moan, and the cat eyes shut tight, head thrown back, hair spread out against the upholstery of the old muscle car he’d been driving back then. Logan’s eyes closed, and he felt his heart rate increase, and the temperature of the room start to rise.

“Well. As I live and breathe….Logan? Didn’t figure you to be in the market for anything I sell…not these days anyway….” A voice cut into his thoughts and his eyes opened quickly, knowing exactly whom he’d see in front of him. Those same cat eyes, that same dark hair and those dark lips barely covering the wicked grin she shot him. She bounded over the glass counter in a move that was distinctly non-human. As she walked up to him, he caught a glimpse of the long tail that swayed behind her. She wore jeans now- not the indecently short miniskirts she’d worn when they were together. A simple t-shirt with a painting of the moon had replaced the lace-up bustiers and corsets she’d worn then too. He saw the pointed heels of her boots and smiled to himself- no doubt she was still wearing the laced up kidskin stiletto boots she’d had custom made. “They make me so much money!” she’d told him when he’d stared dumbfounded at the invoice for the boots. He dragged himself back to the present again to fulfill his duty to his friend.

“Roisin.” He cleared his throat. “It’s been a long time. No, I’m not here…shopping.” He looked over at the display cases full of an assortment of sex toys and bizarrely shaped objects all over the shelves. The leather outfits on the wall were not the type he could imagine the fearless leader putting onher,her, despite his hatred of spandex outfits.

“I didn’t think so. You never had much use for ‘traditional’ toys, did you?” She shot that same wicked grin at him again and he backed up a few steps.

“Look, Roisin, I know you’re probably not happy with me- I mean, after what happened with us.” He looked down at the floor quickly and then back at up her. The grin was still there, but her eyes had narrowed and the tail was swishing back and forth angrily. Her hand shot out and he felt the stinging slap and the slicing of her nails.

“Hmph. Thought for sure you would have blocked that. Not like you couldn’t smell, or maybe just feel that I was going to do that.” Roisin sighed heavily and walked over to the front door, flipping the “open” sign to “closed”. She locked the door and then turned back to him, sliding down the door and sitting on the floor. Her head fell forward and her hair fell over her face. He had a quick flashback to a song she's made him listen to over and over- something about Her hair was like a curtain
Falling open with the laughter,And closing with the lies, But the ghost of her still lingers on,Though she's passed through me
And is gone... - she'd played it over and over again, sometimes while they just sat and talked, other times while they fucked.

Her hand reached out and played with the frayed hem of her jeans. He saw that her nails had retracted to a more normal looking length- still razor sharp and filed into beautiful points. They were painted a deep red like her lips and he had another flash of memory about that same mouth doing things that had made him beg and cry. He shook his head, trying to shake the very memories from his mind. He had a mission, damn it. He wasn’t going to let the mess he’d made of things with Roisin Austin stop his from helping his friend. He took a deep breath.

“I knew you were going to do it. I didn’t stop you because I deserved it.” He sighed and walked over to her, crouching down so he could look into her face. He pulled her hair back from her face and looked into her green eyes.

“Roisin. I need your help. A friend-“ her eyes narrowed again and she flashed her teeth.

“The redhead?” hisshissed, standing up and striding over to the counter where a pack of cigarettes lay next to an ornately carved lighter.

“No- not Jean. Is that the lighter I got you in Japan?” He asked, forgetting about her hissing at him and the hatred he could feel emanating from her at the mention of Jean Grey. The lighter was something he’d bought in Japan and sent to her, an apology of sorts. Two years after he’d disappeared.

“Yeah. Should have gotten rid of it. Tried to a few times…but…” Roisin looked up at Logan, small tears glittering in her eyes. “Whatever. It’s the past. It was a long time ago, and I’m a big girl. What do you need, Logan? I’m busy. I have to do inventory tonight and I’m expecting a shipment sometime tonight and I just…don’t know how to deal with you being here after all this time.” Roisin slinked over to where Logan was and put her hands on his chest, looking up into his face. He tried to turn his face away but her hands held his jaw in place.

“You know what? It’s the past yeah, but you were a shit. You treated me worse than garbage- disappearing like that, just taking off, no word, nothing! I thought you were dead. And then I saw you with her. Why couldn’t you have just told me there was someone else? I’d think someone of your age would have mastered the graceful blow off by now.”

“Roisin, I’m sorry. I was wrong to treat you like that…I know that. I knew it then, too. There were things going on that you can’t possibly understand, that you couldn’t possibly know about.”

“What, the X-Men?” She looked nonplussed. “What do you think, that I’m stupid? Hmm Wolverine…. could that possibly be the same person as Logan? I’m not a fool Logan, not all the time anyway. I knew what you went off to do. I just don’t why you couldn’t just tell me you were running off to join a super hero group to get into some redhead’s panties.” Roisin shot him that same wicked grin and for the first time Logan noticed that along with the increasingly bizarre sex toys and leather and PVC outfits on the wall were weapons. Lots of weapons. Big axes, swords, daggers and what looked an awful lot like a medieval mace. She followed his gaze and laughed hollowly.

“Oh come on, Logan. What would I do with any of these against you? I know all your secrets, remember? Besides, if I killed you I’d definitely have to think about you again. What do you want? What is this favor that is not for the redhead?” The phone on the counter rang and Roisin stomped over to answer it, stiletto heels clicking hard against the flagstone floor. She stumbled on the tiles and tried to play it off as though she hadn't. He knew better than to call her on it. Her clumsiness was something that bothered her deeply.

“Dr. Jekyll and Mistress Hyde’s? Can I help you?” Roisin was fidgeting with the cash register when the caller said something that obviously displeased her. She turned and threw the phone to Logan, her eyes colder than they’d been so far.

“Do you mind telling me why you’re getting phone calls at my store?” She was furious and she leapt back over the counter and went into the back of the store behind heavy blood red velvet curtains. Logan cursed silently. Who was calling him here anyway? The only person who knew where he was going was Kurt. If Kurt was calling him here…then there was likely to be trouble.

“Logan? I need to get out now. I have a bad feeling and I can’t stay here- not with all these children around. I need to get out now. Nothing in particular has happened, I just have a bad feeling. Where are you? Where is this place?”

Logan told Kurt to teleport to post office across the street and that he would meet him there.

“Roisin?” Logan called into the back of the store. He heard a wine bottle slam down on a table.

“WHAT?” She shrieked back at him. For a brief moment he remembered how unpleasant it had been to argue with her. Flying plates, screeching and sharpened nails all came back at him like a bad music video, complete with the music she listened to that he'd never quite gotten into. Truth be told, he hadn't heard anything new he'd liked really in 40 years.

“I need your help. My friend- Kurt- he needs your help. He’ll be across the street in a minute- he needs a place to hide out. I was hoping you could help us. Well, him. For me.” Roisin came back out through the curtain. Her makeup was smudged under her eyes and she had her arms crossed in the classic defensive posture. She looked up at the ceiling and nodded. Logan could see what his sudden appearance was doing to her and he felt guilty- he'd fucked things up years ago but she was the only person he thought he could trust with Kurt.

“Fine. Bring him in here. Make it quick though- I have things I need to do.” She turned her back to him and returned to the back room. Logan distinctly heard the sound of a cork being ripped out of a bottle again. Roisin hadn’t drank when they’d been together. Of course she’d only been 17 then. Shaking his head, Logan unlocked the door and ran out into the dark street. It was only 6 pm but already dark. He looked over to the post office and listened for the distinctive BAMF that would tell him Kurt had arrived safely. A moment later he heard it and smelled the brimstone and sulfur. Kurt looked around quickly and ran up to Logan.

“Logan, mein freund. Where are we going?” The teleporter looked awful, Logan thought. Though his indigo colored fur made it hard to tell, Logan was pretty sure he could see bags under his friend’s eyes. His friend’s clothing was all rumpled, a white button down shirt and blarousrousers looked like they’d been slept in. Barefoot as usual- it was hard to find shoes to fit over his unique feet, and Kurt seemed to be barely able to stand.

“What is it Kurt? You seem out of it. Let’s go inside. In there-“ Logan pointed to the storefront, knowing that Kurt would be able to see enough of it to teleport them both inside. Instead, to his surprise, Kurt started walking towards the store, his tail hanging listlessly behind him.

“Too tired to ‘port.” He said quietly as Logan opened ther. r. Logan was shocked. Kurt was too tired to port? This thing must be bothering him more than he's let on. For him to be this beat, he must not have slept in days.They entered the store and Logan saw Kurt’s eyes widen. He looked all around him- at the sex toys, some phallic shaped and others distinctly not in the ‘human’ sense of phallic anyway; PVC costumes and leather and spikes and studs, whips, chains- not the usual thing for a man of Kurt’s predilections.

“What kind of place is this?” Kurt whispered. Logan chuckled.

“Someplace no one would ever think to look for a man of God, that’s for sure.” Logan heard Roisin humming to herself in the back room, glasses clinking in the sink as water poured.

“Roisin…Can we come in the back?” Logan called out. Kurt looked over to his friend, noticing the faint redness on his cheeks.

“Lock the fucking door.” Was the only reply. Logan shrugged at Kurt’s shocked expression and he went to lock the door. He pushed a button by the door and a heavy metal grate slammed down in front of the shop window. Sighing, Logan took Kurtthe the shoulder and led him behind the glass countertops, smiling at his friend’s gaping at the merchandise for sale here. They pushed the curtains open and Logan heard a sharp intake of breath.

“She has a tail.” He said quietly. Roisin was at the far wall, trying to re-hang a poster that had somehow fallen. Logan assumed she’d accidentally knocked it down during a tantrum. Likely one that had taken place only a few moments ago. He did feel bad, barging back into her life like this, 10 years after he’d disappeared. He’d sent her postcards now and again, and he smiled a little to see that the ones from Japan were hanging on the wall. Roisin growled and turned around, holding a tack in one hand. She took one look at Kurt and gasped. Kurt instantly flinched. He could feel all the times that people, other mutants, everyone he'd ever met in fact had reacted in the exact same way.

“I’m sorry- Logan- we should go. This was a bad idea, we can’t expect her to put me up, I mean, I’m a total stranger, she doesn’t know me from Adam, and look at me, I mean, I look-“

“Beautiful…,” she thought. Roisin stared at Kurt, eyes wide, tail up and not moving. Her cat eyes took him in bit by bit- deep indigo fur, golden eyes, pointed ears, curling black hair, fangs not unlike her own, and his hands! His hands, with three looong fingers, totally not human and for some reason, totally mesmerizing.

“You look…like…”she broke off, staring at him.

“Like a demon?” he said bitterly, bristling at the intense way she was gazing at him.

“No silly…like a blue Clark Gable.” She grinned, pointing to a poster hanging on the wall behind her of an old black and white movie with a picture of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Kurt moved forward and walked over to the poster of the two classic movie stars. He put his hand on the poster and turned back to Roisin, smiling a little for the first time in what felt like days.

“It Happened One Night”. That’s one of my very favorite movies, bildschön. Are you a fan of other classic movies?” Kurt turned to look at Roisin. She was positively glowing, Logan noticed. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all. Maybe he could make it up to Roisin and show Kurt he wasn’t a demonic freak all in one go. Oh, and save his friend’s life too.

“Yes…I do…I have a whole bunch here. Maybe we can watch some together? I’m sorry. I didn’t even introduce myself, I’m”

“Oh sorry- Kurt Wagner, meet Roisin Austin. Roisin, this is my friend Kurt. He is the one who I need you to help.” Logan smiled, pleased to see that Roisin seemed to have taken to Kurt so well. Kurt too looked more pleased than Logan could remember seeing his friend for some time.

“Kurt, what kind of help do you need exactly?” Roisin suddenly looked uncomfortable. She looked at Logan accusingly.“What did you tell him about me? Did you tell him I was a whore?” Her eyes bore right through him. Logan shook his head furiously, shocked that she would think so low of him. Guiltily he admitted to himself that she had no reason not to think so.

“No! Of course not, bildschön. Logan told me that you used to be friends and that you were kind and would possibly consider helping someone in need. He said that you’ve done that before. Take someone in, not the other. Not the die Nutte thing.” Kurt looked somewhat shocked that someone could think that his friend Logan would say such a thing.

“Look, Fuzzy Elf…Roisin has good reason to be hesitant to trust me. I wasn’t very good to her. I treated her very poorly in fact. That she didn’t just throw me out the moment I walked in is a testament to her character.” Kurt looked from Logan to Roisin. Her eyes were watering and she was shaking.

“Kurt. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t automatically place you in Logan’s category. I know nothing about you, only that you need help. Despite Logan’s history, I know he’s a good man and that he does what is right. Nowadays anyway." She smiled again and put her hand out for Kurt to shake. Instead, he took her hand in his own and kissed it. typical Kurt, Logan thought, he's like a walking 1930's film, except for the blue fuzzy elf thing...