Vacation

Chapter rating: PG-13

Chapter 4


“I hope we haven’t forgotten anything this time,” Rogue said while they were sitting in the car, headed to Xavier’s cabin out in the woods.

Logan, who was driving, grinned at her with a cigar squeezed in between his lips.

“You *always* forget something,” he said. “Although you can’t figure out what before you need it!”

“That’s comforting...” the young woman muttered and leaned back in the front seat. It was soon 4:30 AM in Friday morning, and Rogue, together with Logan, her boyfriend for the past two years, was headed to he professor’s old cabin to spend the coming weekend there.

They had had no opportunity to notify Charles this time, since he, as a total surprise, had gone off somewhere with Magneto. They believed it was okay anyway, since Xavier had told them at several occasions that they could use the cabin whenever they wanted. He never went there himself anymore, so it was just good the cabin didn’t go to waste completely.

“Did you bring the serum?” Logan asked.

“Yes.”

“Good... Did you bring your allergy medicine?”

“Yes.”

“Did you bring... your birth-control pills?” Logan asked scowling, in fear that Rogue might refuse to have sex with him in case she’d forgotten them.

“I believe so,” she replied.

“’Believe’?”

“Alright, I brought them,” she said and rolled her eyes as she grimaced dramatically.

“That’s good, since I don’t believe I’m ready to be a daddy...” Logan muttered.

“Or then you aren’t ready to be without sex for three days!” Rogue retorted.

Now Logan grinned teasingly and turned his head to look at her. “No, I won’t... You can blame yourself for being so irresistible!” he said and placed his right hand on her naked thigh and squeezed. Rogue smacked his hand and gave him a reproachful look.

“No rubbing in the car, please! Keep your eyes where they belong.”

“And where is that?”

“On the road, for example. I don’t wish to die in a car crash when I’m not even 20 only because my horny boyfriend can’t keep his hands off me even when he’s driving!”

She pulled down her short denim skirt, so it covered a little more of her thighs than it did before. “We’ve got all weekend,” she said then, to cheer him up. “Try to restrain yourself until we’ve reached the cabin.”

Rogue thought of last time they were up at the cabin. It was roughly two months ago, and it hadn’t been warm then, but intensely cold, and they had had to light a fire in the fireplace to get some warmth in there.

Charles had not been there in a very long time, and the cabin was no longer in a good condition. Probably he hadn’t been there since last time he was there with Magneto, in the late seventies. That made Rogue think of Charles again, and where he had gone with his lover.

“You don’t know where the professor went?” she asked Logan.

“Nope. Probably he went away with Mags so they could get some privacy. Like we do now. And I can’t exactly blame them... The mansion is really no place for privacy and romance.”

No, that was true. Especially not for the school’s headmaster, and despite his responsibilities even Charles needed to get away from the stress at times and enjoy life, and perhaps something more.

“But I think it was Erik’s idea,” said Logan. “Old Charlie ain’t that impulsive!”

“No, probably you’re right. Erik surely had to drag him along,” Rogue said, smiling at the thought.

She wondered once more where Charles and Magneto had gone. She thought about a cruise, but recalled that Charles’ physical handicap made it difficult for him to travel by public transport, like ships, airplanes, etc. A car, with Erik as the driver, was probably a much better choice.

“We’re there soon,” Logan said and interrupted her thoughts. They had driven through the small society Dark Score, which was barren and quiet at night, without Rogue even noticing it. But Logan was right; they would soon reach the cabin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was dawn, but not quite as bright as it would be later, when they arrived at their destination. Rogue and Logan could first see its log roof peep out between the treetops, and then the entire building, surrounded by its large, overgrown garden.

Quite a few bushes and high grass concealed Magneto’s deep blue Mazda to Logan when he parked his car in the garden, although not where Magneto had parked his, but instead closer to the backdoor, on the other side of the house.

Rogue looked questioningly at him. “Logan? Where...-”

“Can you remember how stiff that door was?” Logan said. “We’d better get in this way.”

Rogue had to admit Logan’s statement made sense, and simply shrugged her shoulders.

Logan pulled out the ignition key and stopped the car engine. For a while he just sat in the car, totally quiet, and regarded the old, yet still impressive log cabin, resting his hands on the wheel.

“Imagine,” he suddenly said. “A whole weekend - all to ourselves!”

Rogue laughed and put her hand on his arm. “I didn’t know you were that desperate to get away,” she replied. “Now I suggest we go inside and check if it’s still the same as it was last time we left.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Logan grinned and jumped out of the car. Rogue followed him outside, and she too stood still for a while, watching the big, dark block towering over them, partly thrilled, partly a little anxious.

The cabin and its surroundings were peaceful, but somehow the thought of being alone in the middle of the forest was also a bit frightening. But then she thought she was being ridiculous. Of course she wasn’t alone. She had Logan!

“Are we bringing the bags?” she asked him while they approached the back entrance. There were three steps leading up to the door, and certainly, a ramp there too, that had enabled Charles to move when he was here.

“No,” Logan replied. “At first we’ll check if we can even get inside this way. I can’t really recall where to find the key...”

While Logan was thinking where he’d placed the key, Rogue approached the door, put her hand on the doorknob, not really intending to try anything when she pressed it down.

The door was unlocked. The discovery made Rogue gasp in surprise, and she reflexively backed one step.

“What the fuck...” Logan exclaimed when he saw what happened.

“Did we forget to lock it last time we were here?” Rogue asked apprehensively.

Logan shrugged. “Apparently. But I think it’s alright. I can’t imagine anyone coming here to break in. Now we at least don’t have to look for the key! Marie, I think you can bring the food, so we can get it into the fridge quickly. It will take some time for it to get going, as you know.”

Rogue did what Logan suggested, and brought their cool bag which contained the food they had brought - it was quite much; Logan had a huge appetite - while Logan went to the trunk and lifted out their two bags containing clothes and other things.

When they reached the darkness of the cabin, Rogue fumbled for the switch and found it surprisingly quickly, turning on the kitchen lights.

At the first sight they noticed nothing strange, but then the table caught Logan’s attention. What he saw made him both surprised and anxious. There was an opened wine bottle, two empty but recently used wine-glasses, two unwashed plates, plus a lot of other evidence that someone - two of them, judging from the leftovers - had recently sat there and consumed a meal.

“Marie!” Logan hissed sharply and motioned to the table with his head. Rogue spun around at once, aware of Logan’s tone. And she saw it too; clear evidence that someone had recently been in the house.

Suddenly it didn’t seem so strange to find the door unlocked. Rogue was instantly terrified and nearly dropped the cool bag. The traces were fresh, and it was very probable that those who had left them were still inside.

“Logan, someone’s here!” she whispered with terror shining in her eyes.

Logan put his finger across his mouth and gestured at her to be quiet. He used his superhuman senses to try grasping a movement or a sound somewhere in the house, but he heard nothing. He clenched his teeth and flexed his jaw-muscles.

Rogue barely dared to breathe.

“I hear nothing,” Logan mouthed at her. “But someone - some people - are here. I’ll take a look around. Stay here, honey.”

“Logan, no way!” she hissed in terror. “You’re *not* leaving me alone here! If you’re going, I’m coming too!”

Logan frowned grimly. “No, Marie. I’d better go alone. You’ll be safe here.”

“Safe shit!” Rogue whispered and gave Logan a look that said he was crazy. “Hell no! I’ll be safest with you.”

Logan sighed, but he gave in. Probably his girlfriend was right. “Alright, come on! But be quiet!”

Rogue approached him and seized his arm. She very much looked like a terrified little mouse, with her large, wide-open eyes and white face. “What if it’s some runaways?” she whispered anxiously. “Maybe they’re murderers! Or mental-patients!”

“Schh!” Logan hissed. “I said be quiet!”

Rogue said nothing more. She just buried her nails in Logan’s forearm as they slowly, in stealth, left the kitchen.

The living room was empty and dark. There were no obvious traces of the intruders. The next place Logan examined was the bathroom. The door was closed, and with Rogue hiding behind him, Logan snatched it open, and almost expected to see someone stand behind the shower drapery, but the bathroom was empty.

There was water on the floor though, and two toothbrushes, standing in a mug on the edge of the washbasin. There was also a newly opened tube of toothpaste. Logan’s eyes passed over the bathroom and its content.

“So it’s at least someone who cares about hygiene...” he murmured quietly.

“Where do you think they are?” whispered Rogue and pulled his sleeve.

Logan knew the answer, of course. Besides the bedroom there weren’t any other rooms left on the first floor. And since the intruders had obviously taken time to eat, shower and brush their teeth, it was logical that they also felt safe enough to sleep.

“In there,” Logan whispered and nodded at the bedroom door. “Or else they’ve gone upstairs. But we have to check the bedroom.”

“Do you hear anything?”

“No. But we have to check.”

With Rogue clinging to his arm, Logan slowly moved toward the door leading inside the bedroom. When he wasn’t more than two feet away, he said, “You have to let go of me now, Marie. I might need to extract my claws, and then I need free arms.”

Rogue was hesitant. “Are we really looking inside?” she asked, her voice weak and trembling from fear.

“No,” Logan whispered back. “*I* am looking inside. You’ll wait over there.”

“Can you hear anything now?”

“No. If they’re in there, they’re being awfully quiet.”

“I guess they’re asleep.”

“Yeah, I hope so...”

Logan started to move toward the door quietly and carefully. Even when he stood pressed against it, he heard absolutely nothing from inside the bedroom.

I really hope they’re asleep, if they’re here... he thought while he carefully placed his hand on the doorknob and tried to press it down without making any sounds. He opened it on ajar and looked inside.

Two figures were lying in the bed, two males, who Logan immediately identified as Charles Xavier and Magneto. They were both completely naked and lay tightly pressed against one another with their bodies entwined. Their heads were on the same pillow and they had no quilt over them. Who would want that in this heat? The two elderly men were peacefully and soundly asleep and didn’t seem to have noticed that Logan had opened the door.

Quickly he passed his gaze over the room. On the floor he saw a wine-red robe, but besides that no other clothes were visible.

After watching them for a while, Logan didn’t know whether to start laughing or crying.

So this is the place you were in such a hurry for? he thought and almost smiled. Alright, you aren’t intruders, but I had preferred not to find you here right now.

After a while Logan gently closed the door and backed away from it. Rogue was instantly there, grabbing his arm. She wasn’t sure if Logan’s reaction relieved her or worried her. Did it really seem like he was grinning? At least he didn’t seem ready to start fighting.

“Well?” she hissed. “Is there someone inside?”

“It’s Xavier and Magneto,” Logan said with a snort. “They’re sleeping like dead. They didn’t seem to notice I saw them.”

Rogue’s chin almost dropped to the floor. “Xavier and... Logan, you ain’t joking, right?”

“Nah. Look inside yourself if you don’t believe me, but they’re naked. Both of them.”

When Rogue realized the situation, she had trouble suppressing laughter. She put her hand to her mouth, and managed to get out, “And now?”

Logan just shrugged. “We’re going back home again. What else? I don’t think they’d be over-thrilled to see us here, I imagine.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Erik suddenly woke up to the sound of a door closing. When he had gotten over the primary confusion, he noticed he was lying pressed against his lover’s warm, soft body, in a bed. But where were they?

Right. The cabin.

Slowly he opened his eyes, and found out it was already quite bright, although not yet day. Dawn? Probably.

Whatever had woken up Erik, it didn’t seem to have disturbed Charles. The telepath was sleeping heavily in Erik’s arms, leaning his head against his shoulder, pulling deep, wheezing breaths. “Charles?” Erik whispered.

Charles didn’t respond now either. It was probably too early to get up, and Erik still felt tired, so he decided to try going back to sleep. But before he had closed his eyes, he heard sounds from the hallway outside again. It sounded like voices this time. Hushed, dull voices, seeming to be conversing, but it was impossible to hear what they were saying.

Erik grew cold as ice. Voices! Unless he heard ghosts, it had to mean there were intruders in the house! Someone - some people - had broken in during the night.

Oh, God! What would happen if they came inside the bedroom?

I have to do something, Magneto thought. It might be my imagination, but I don’t think so. I have to check. It is the only right thing. They mustn’t hurt Charles...

Carefully Erik disentangled from the telepath’s naked, warm sleeping body and sat up in the bed. Charles didn’t wake up, but confined himself to murmur something unintelligible and shiver. It was obvious that he missed the close physical contact.

Erik almost let his fingertips brush Charles’ cheek. He was surprised at how vulnerable his lover looked while sleeping in this large bed. So small and helpless...

Erik pulled his hand back. He remembered what was happening, and there was no time to lose. He could still hear those hushed voices talking out there, and he was now sure it wasn’t imagination.

Magneto jumped out of bed and started looking for something to bring as a weapon. He approached the wardrobe and opened its door. Inside was a bag with golf clubs. They hadn’t been used for over 40 years, not since Charles - whose hobby had been golfing - last used them. Erik didn’t play golf, and although Charles could no longer do it himself, he had let the clubs remain in the closet, perhaps too nostalgic to get rid of them.

Now Erik pulled out one, and gave it an inquiring look. The club was made of strong, stainless steel. It had to do. He rose again, holding the golf club, when he recalled he was stark naked.

Erik didn’t want to leave the room in his naked condition. He wasn’t freezing, but he felt exposed and vulnerable. He sighed. Another memory from the war.

Quietly he bent down and picked up Charles’ wine-red silk robe and put it on. He had hung his own clothes in the closet, and didn’t want to bother taking them out.

He threw one last glance at Charles’ sleeping form before he quietly pattered to the door, pressed down the doorknob and opened it, inch by inch. At last he looked outside. The hallway was as quiet and barren as it should be. Wonder what time it was? Somewhere between four and five AM, Erik believed.

He stood still, pressed up against the wall for a while, ready to swing the golf club, or even throw it by magnetism. He waited for one minute. Two. The voices seemed to have stopped now. Had the intruders left?

Erik almost started hoping that was the case, but he soon got a reason to reconsider. He heard the sound of a door being opened - although not the main entrance, but rather the door leading to the kitchen - and then footsteps approaching him.

Erik held his breath. Should he stay here and wait until the intruder came? No. That was a bad idea. He was fully visible here in the hallway, and therefore an easy target.

I have to act *before* he does, Erik thought and with quiet, quick steps - glad for being barefoot - sneaked toward the kitchen.

A large shape came toward him just when he rounded the corner and prepared to look inside the kitchen. Erik gasped, but managed to suppress a startled cry, and swung the golf club without any second thoughts.

He had no time to see what was happening, but he felt the club hit something, and then he heard an angry roar. But the figure did not fall, but grabbed the other end of the club before Erik could swing it again, and tore it out of his hands with huge strength. Erik tumbled backwards and collided with the wall.

He suddenly heard a strange although familiar sound, //Snikt// of sharp metal being extracted.

Erik screamed when two strong hands grabbed his upper arms and slammed him against the wall once more, only a second later. He heard the intruder give an angry grunt. Erik raised his head, and for the first managed to see the man he’d attacked.

It was Logan. Erik’s chin almost dropped to the floor when he found himself staring up into the other mutant’s grey-blue eyes, trying to understand what was going on.

Logan seemed equally puzzled. He had a wound in his forehead, which continued into his hair, caused by Erik’s swinging golf club. The wound closed itself within a few seconds, and left Wolverine unharmed, but with a thick, angry wrinkle between his brows.

Erik’s first feeling was relief, but then came the anger.

“God damn it, Logan!” he exclaimed. “You asshole! You almost scared me to death! What were you doing? Let go of me!”

Then Logan seemed to notice he was still pressing Erik against the wall. He released him at once and stepped back. He still said nothing.

“What are you doing here?” Erik asked, before the back door was opened again, and a clear but tired woman’s voice sounded, “Logan? Did you bring the cool bag? We should be leavi...”

Rogue. Her eyes widened when she saw Logan and Erik stand opposite each other in the kitchen, both staring sheepishly, first at each other, then at her.

Erik crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?” he repeated.

Rogue suddenly started flushing violently. “We...we were just...”

“Leaving,” Logan finished dumbly.

“Yes, leaving...”

“I thought you were burglars!” Erik called. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“I’m sorry,” Rogue began. “But we didn’t know... We thought...”

Erik sighed and made an overcome gesture with his hand. “No, no, it’s alright,” he said wearily. “You couldn’t possibly know, I understand. But you should probably go home. Charles and I...”

“Yeah, we were just going leave,” Logan explained. “We thought we’d spend the weekend here, but when we noticed... well, that you guys were here, we decided to leave. I was just getting this cool bag... I’m really lucky to have this healing factor...” he then muttered and rubbed his neck. “You almost knocked my head in, Mags!”

“And you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Magneto retorted.

“Please, Logan, can’t we just...” Rogue began, but she didn’t finish her sentence because a voice, seemingly appearing from nowhere, broke her off.

“What is going one here?” suddenly Charles asked, and made everyone jump. He had wheeled to the doorway in his wheelchair, and was watching the scenario, anxious and confused. He was clad in a robe, similar to the one worn by Erik, though his was white. Probably he had taken it out of the drawer before he came.

Charles’ gaze wandered between the other three mutants, and from there to the golf club now lying on the floor. “Erik, what...-”

Erik sighed and put his hands over his face. Anyway, Charles was awake, and he craved an explanation. “You explain,” he told Logan in a flat voice.

Logan told Charles the same version he’d hastily told Erik, and the telepath listed with interest, and filled the missing pieces by reading Logan’s thoughts.

“How did you know it was us?” he asked. “Did you look inside the bedroom?”

Logan just shrugged, and if one hadn’t known him so well, one could have believed he was flushing. “Well...”

“Didn’t you see our car?”

“No, I parked mine on the other side, near the backdoor. And you know how overgrown...”

“Yes, I understand,” said Charles.

“I’m truly sorry,” Logan said apologetically. “I’m sorry for scaring you. We’d never have come here if we’d known...”

“It is alright,” Charles said mildly. “You couldn’t possibly know. Erik and I got the idea to go out here as late as this morning. What are you going to do now?”

“We’re leaving at once, so you can go back to sleep,” Logan replied seriously.

“To the mansion?”

“Yeah.”

“No, stay here,” Charles offered. “It’s a long way back there, and you should rest. There’s another bedroom upstairs, all set. You can go there, if you wish. There is room for all of us here.”

Directly after Charles had said this, Erik turned to him and looked at him with a mixture of surprise and anger. “Charles...”

“I don’t know...” Logan said hesitantly, watching Rogue. “We don’t wanna force ourselves in...”

“You’re not. I insist,” Xavier said resolutely. “Go upstairs and rest.”

“I’ll be happy to,” Rogue said and gave the professor one of her sunny smiles. “Logan?”

Logan looked hesitant for another while, but then he gave in with a shrug of his shoulders. “Well, okay, if it’s alright with you...”

“The room is all set,” Charles assured him. “You’ll be comfortable there.”

“Alright,” Logan said and picked up his bag again. “Let’s do so...”

“Sleep for as long as you want.”

“Thank you, professor Xavier,” Rogue said and let her hand rest briefly on Charles’ shoulder before she followed Logan to the stairs leading to the top floor. They had never slept up there before, but Xavier rig right; the room was all set. There were sheets and bedding in the bed, and a wardrobe and drawers to put their things in.

The room was slightly smaller than the nether bedroom, but the bed was large and looked comfortable, and Rogue was sleepy.

Without doing much, they undressed and crawled into bed, to get at least a few hours of relaxing sleep after the long drive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I can’t believe you let them stay, Charles!” Erik snapped when Logan and Rogue had gone upstairs, and the two elder men had gone back into their own bedroom. “This was supposed to be *our* weekend, Charles! That we’d have to ourselves! That is the reason we went up here! To get away from all the others! And then they come up here, and you let them *stay*!”

“Erik, please calm down,” Charles tried softly. “There won’t be any problems. We have one floor each, and...”

“Charles, you don’t get it!” Erik said irritably. “We won’t have anything to ourselves! They will... We will not have more privacy than fish in an aquarium! How could you?”

“Now you’re being unfair,” Charles said quietly. “I have promised Logan and Marie that they can use the cabin whenever they want, and they could really not know that we were here. I couldn’t just throw them out. You do realize that...”

Erik snorted. “Well, you know how well Logan and I come along! We can barely tolerate each other at the mansion, and here...”

Erik sighed, pulled his hands through his thick, grey hair, and then took his robe off. His slim, naked body gleamed like silver in the dim morning light tfounfound its way in through the blinds. He came and sat down on the bed edge beside Charles. When he spoke again, his voice was flat and tired.

“We might as well go home again, and leave the cabin to them,” he said. “This won’t suit anyone of us anyway.”

“No, we won’t,” Charles replied calmly and placed his arm around Erik’s thin shoulders, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I believe it can be really nice. If we make an effort. You too, Erik. It won’t work if you won’t at least try. You can do that, right? For me?” he begged and squeezed Erik’s shoulder.

“I don’t know if it’s any use...” Erik murmured gloomily.

“Of course it is,” Charles said determinedly. “We came here to get a nice and relaxing weekend, and we will. But you have to change your attitude, Erik. Try to be positive.”

Erik sighed again and looked Charles in the eyes. “Positive?” he said.

“Yes. Can you try that?”

“We’ll see,” he said finally. “I will try, but I won’t promise anything beyond that. What do you say, shall we sleep some more? It is only twenty past five. It is too early to get up.”

“Hmm,” Charles said, leaning his forehead against Erik’s. “Let’s do so.”

Charles slipped out of his robe, and they settled in the bed with their limbs entwined, just as before. When they slept together, neither of them ever slept with any clothes on. The feeling of the other’s bare, warm skin was so wonderful.