In Fear of Three Little Words

Glad ya'll are still enjoying the story. Sorry I didn't get to post this morning. Things have been hectic and I had to get to work early. I'll try to post a couple of chapters tonight, but I like to do a read through for last minute corrections before posting. I'll see what I can do. Enjoy.


Chapter 26


A mile from home, Logan pulled off the road into an overlook and put the SUV in park. Kurt glanced over at him with a questioning expression.

“Almost there, elf,” Logan stated.

“Why are we stopping?” Kurt asked in a dismal tone.

“Cause you’ve been in a funk ever since we came down off that mountain.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just feeling down, that’s all.”

Logan reached over and stroked Kurt’s face, feeling fur beneath holographic imagery. Kurt closed his eyes and nuzzled against Logan’s hand.

“This is going to be very hard, Logan.” Kurt looked up and those eyes, even with the image inducer on were enough to make Logan melt.

“I know, sweetheart,” Logan said with a sigh. “But it’s the only way we can make it work. We keep hands off while on grounds. We say nothin’ that will bother anybody. We have to maintain some sort of distance for the sake of the Institute’s reputation.”

“But when can we be together? Only these occasional weekends? This is going to kill me.”

“I know it feels that way. I feel it too. It’s only until you graduate from high school. Then it won’t look so bad, you and me.”

“But that’s months from now. Months, Logan. It might as well be eternity.”

“You’re not makin’ this easy.”

“I don’t want it to be easy...maintaining a distance when we see each other every day. While the others know how we feel about each other, but pretend for them that nothing is there.”

Logan let out a frustrated growl, but Kurt didn’t flinch from him, not his gaze nor his body.

“I knew you hadn’t signed off on this thing yet, elf. That’s why I stopped. To get things straight.”

Kurt sighed and laid his head back against the headrest. Outside, the sun was setting, dipping down below the horizon in one last glorious burst of color. The peaceful view did nothing to quell the storm inside Logan’s mind, the one tearing at his heart.

“Sweetheart----”

“Stop calling me that now before you accidentally do it at home,” Kurt injected.

Logan rubbed his face and ran his fingers back through his hair. “Kurt, I don’t want this weekend to end like this. We had a great time. We’ll do it again soon. I promise.”

Kurt nodded without looking at him. “I’m sorry.” Finally, Kurt glanced over at Logan. “I had a wonderful time too. All of it. It just hurts...to think I will see you every day, but I can’t touch you or even share something with you that makes me laugh or makes me sad. That I will have to be careful all the time.”

Logan unfastened his seatbelt and reached for Kurt again, smoothing hair back from Kurt’s eyes. “We don’t have to take this thing to the point of ridiculous. You wanna talk, we’ll talk. You wanna go for a walk, we’ll do that. It doesn’t mean we have to be strangers to each other.”

“Why are we doing all the compromising?”

“Cause we’re the ones bringin’ the problem to the Institute.”

Kurt gave a reluctant nod.

“Unfasten your seatbelt,” Logan said.

Kurt looked at him with confusion. “Why?”

Logan grinned and moved closer, reaching across Kurt to unbuckle the belt. “Cause I wanna kiss you real good before we leave.”

“Oh,” Kurt said with a grin of his own. “That’s a good reason.”

Logan pulled Kurt closer, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s warm body. Kurt was as eager as he and the taste of him filled Logan’s mouth, filled his senses up with that same need and desire. Logan fought to bank his urge to take Kurt right here, needing to find a way to be happy with a kiss.

For a kiss might be thst tst they could steal now and again, a touch of hands, a brush across silky hair or soft fur.

He finally pulled back and met Kurt’s gaze. “We’d better get goin’, elf. We don’t want the Professor sendin’ out the troops to find us.”

Kurt licked his lips and reached out to touch Logan’s face. “It’s not infatuation.”

Logan offered Kurt a sad smile. “No, sweetheart, it’s not.”

They buckled their belts and Logan wheeled the SUV back onto the road and headed for home.

The gates opened and the lights of the Institute greeted them. Logan pulled into the open garage and shut off the vehicle. He reached over and squeezed Kurt’s hand then let go and climbed out.

Together they put away the fishing gear, gathering their bags and readying to face whatever greeting they got inside.

“About time you two got back,” Rogue said from the elevator doorway.

“Rogue,” Kurt said. “Hi.”

Rogue strolled out and gave them a smile. “Have a good time?” She gave Kurt a wink and raised her eyebrows at Logan.

“Uh, yes,” Kurt replied and Logan saw color rising in Kurt’s cheeks. He didn’t know the image inducer could do that, but obviously it did. “Very good.”

“Great. Well sorry to hurry ya, but the Professor sent me down to tell ya we’ve got a meetin’ about to start. He’s got somethin’ to tells us and won’t until you two get there.”

“Rogue,” Logan said just as she was about to turn away. “Did he send you or were you the only one willin’ to come?”

“Let’s just say I volunteered, okay?”

“Hmmm. Great. What’s this meetin’ about?”

“I don’t know, but the Professor went to Washington this morning after he got a call. He just got back a little while ago and called us all together. We were just waitin’ on you.”

Logan grabbed up their bags and followed Rogue into the elevator.

“So, how is the atmosphere up there?” Logan finally asked. “Are we welcome or not?”

Rogue placed a gloved hand on Logan’s arm. “You know how it is, Logan. Some are accepting, a few aren’t. But overall, I think you’ve got the majority on your side.”

“What about Kitty?” Kurt asked.

Turning to Kurt, Rogue restrained a grin. “She’s comin’ around. I think your biggest problem with Kitty was that you didn’t confide in her.”

They stepped off the elevator and made their way down the hall to the Community room. Inside, voices sounded, conversation and a few laughs. Logan dropped their bags beside the door and entered.

Every face turned their way and all conversation died.

“Welcome home,” Logan muttered to Kurt.

“Hope you had a great time,” Kurt muttered back.

“Well, our meeting can start,” Charles said, his gaze meeting Logan’s. “Glad to have you back, Logan...Kurt.”

“Thanks. Now what’s this all about?” Logan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms against his chest, hoping this wasn’t a group meeting about him and Kurt.

Kurt stood beside him, the tension in the boy’s body steaming off like heat.

Charles cleared his throat. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

“Is this about Trask?” Scott asked. He stole a glance over at Logan and Kurt then turned his attention back to the Professor.

“Yes, indeed it is.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Doc,” Logan said. “Spit it out. And let’s start with the good news, if you don’t mind.”

Charles nodded. “An official inquiry has begun into Trask’s research facility and it’s purposes. Also Trask has been ordered before a Senate subcommittee to answer allegations of “improper” behavior regarding our formal complaint against him.”

“Formal complaint. Is that what it’s called these days?” Logan asked with sarcasm. “What about criminal charges? Kidnaping? Confinement? Torture?”

Kurt shuddered beside him.

Screw everybody.

Logan put an arm around Kurt’s shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. Kurt looked at him with a grateful expression.

“One thing at a time, Logan. We will expect such charges to be brought against him and with the help of some friends in Congress, I’m certain we shall have some satisfaction in that matter. And, for now, the facility has been shut down.”

Murmurs of approval raced around the room.

“That is good news, Charles,” Ororo stated. “Now, tell them the bad news.”

Charles looked down then back up, focusing his gaze on Logan and Kurt. “We received some very disturbing news about Trask.”

“What, Professor? Tell us,” Kurt said, his voice carefully controlled.

“Bolivar Trask has disappeared, taking with him prototypes of the technology he has developed.”

Logan glanced over to Kurt. The boy looked stunned, but Logan wasn’t nearly so surprised.

“He could be anywhere, Charles,” Logan said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t prepared someplace to go in case somethin’ like this happened.”

“Yes, and he has garnered a following as well,” Charles agreed. “Some on his team have disappeared with him. We can only speculate, but it’s highly likely they have joined Trask in his self imposed exile.”

“Exile, my ass,” Logan muttered. “He’s gone into hidin’ so he can do as he pleases and not have the government controlling his experiments. He probably has private financial backing as well.”

“That’s what we fear,” Charles replied. “That’s the greatest danger right now.”

“Damn it. I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

“It’s my fault, Logan,” Kurt said. “I stopped you.”

“It’s no one’s fault.” Charles’ voice rose above the sudden clamor of conversation. “You did the right thing. We do not have the right to take life just because we have the means to do so.”

“So what do we do now, Professor?” Jean asked. “Do we look for him? Go about our lives as if he isn’t an imminent danger to us all? ”

“SHIELD is in charge of finding Trask and bringing him in. We shall let them do their job,” Charles replied. “Now, I’m sure Logan and Kurt are tired from their trip and school is in session tomorrow. We’ll be considering our own options over the next several days. This meeting is adjourned. Logan. Kurt. May I have a word with both of you before you retire?”

“Sure. Why not?” Logan said with a sigh. He settled into a chair and Kurt did the same next to him.

Charles rolled closer and tried for a pleasant expression, but the worry lines around the Professor’s eyes and mouth concerned Logan.

“So, did your weekend away resolve anything?” Charles asked.

Logan glanced over to Kurt then back to Charles. “Yeah, it resolved that the elf and I want to be together. This isn’t infatuation on either of ours’ parts, Charles. But before you get all in an uproar over how this is gonna affect the Institute, don’t worry, we won’t embarrass you. We won’t sully the Institute’s name. We’ll keep our distance from each other around here within reason and keep everything all up and up. But we take time out, away from the Institute, for each other.”

“You’ve both thought this out thoroughly then?”

“Yes,” Kurt offered. “It’s...not exactly the way I want it, but if it’s necessary, I’ll deal with it.”

“I see.” Charles looked thoughtful. “That’s not the answer I was hoping for.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t,” Logan replied. “But it’s the best offer we’ve got to give. And it’s a big compromise on our part.”

“I agree. Perhaps more than you should.”

“Huh?” Logan said.

Charles let out a sigh. “I may regret this, but your willingness to forgo your own desires tells me much about both of you, your integrity, Logan and, Kurt, your maturity. In general, the students have been far more accepting of a possible relationship between you two than I had expected. Perhaps more than their parents would be, but until that is a problem I’m not going to worry about it overmuch.”

“So what’s that mean in English, Charles?” Logan asked.

Another sigh of reservatescaescaped the Professor. “It means that as long as there is no overt display of...affection, I see no reason for us to live in denial of the fact. And the fact is that you two are having a romantic relationship. Just be discreet. That’s all I ask and expect.”

“So who are the holdouts?” Logan asked, amazed at this sudden turn of events. He glanced over to Kurt again and saw the kid trying hard not to grin. There was a brightness in Kurt’s eyes that had been missing all day.

“Scott has grave reservations.”

“I knew it,” Kurt injected. “Who else?”

“Well, actually, no one else has come right out and said anything negative. I’m afraid you may have to put up with some teasing and perhaps some juvenile remarks from a few of the young men.”

“Sam and Ray?” Kurt asked with a sour expression. “And Bobby, no doubt.”

Charles tried not to smile. “Perceptive of you, Kurt. But as I said, just be discreet and I think things will die down in a few weeks.”