Unchained Instinct ( Complete)
folder
X-Men - Animated Series (all) › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
91
Views:
21,477
Reviews:
76
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
X-Men - Animated Series (all) › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
91
Views:
21,477
Reviews:
76
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own X-Men Evolution, or any of the characters from it. I make no money from from the writing of this story.
Chapter 63
A happy late Thanksgiving to those of you that celebrate the holiday. To the rest, hope you are looking forward to Christmas.
It's sunny and cold where I am...and not a tornado in sight. Thank the gods for that!!
I've got a few more chapters to post. So here goes. Enjoy.
Chapter 63
“Cassandra? Where are you going?” Hank stood in the doorway of the infirmary watching Cassie pack her clothing into her overnight bag. His heart tangled up in a knot and tried to crawl up his throat to choke him. She still looked frail, the bruises on her face slowing fading but still apparent.
“Home,” she said without looking up, her voice distressingly shaky. “I...need to go home.”
Hank moved into the room, trying not to show his trepidation. “I’m not sure you’re ready, Cassie. Please, stay a few more days. Just to be certain.”
She stopped then and looked up and in those eyes Hank saw pain and something else he couldn’t identify.
“I can’t, Hank,” she said and her voice nearly cracked with strain. “I need to go. I need to find my life again. I know it hasn’t been that long, but it seems like a lifetime since I slept in my own bed...woke up in my own house.”
“But....” Hank glanced around, looking for some way to convince Cassie not to go...not yet...not so soon. “But Mystique is still free. She might come after you again.”
Cassie shook her head. “Don’t use Her against me, Hank. That kind of tactic doesn’t become you. Mystique isn’t after me. I was nothing but a tool...a weapon to use against Kurt and Logan. She used me well and discarded me. I know I’m lucky to be alive, but Mystique has no more use for me and you know it. And I’m of no use here either. Logan isn’t ready for help and Kurt...oh that poor young man.” She shook her head and looked away, sounding on the verge of tears.
“Kurt may need you, dear Cassandra,” Hank said, closing the distance between them.
She nodded. “He may and he knows where to find me, how to call.” She sat abruptly on the bed as if her legs had grown weary and were about to collapse. Hands went to her face, rubbing at her tears.
Hank sat beside her, enclosing her small frame with his arm around her. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder, her body so tiny wrapped in his bulky arms. He rocked her gently, murmuring in a soft tone.
“It’s going to be all right, my darling. Let me take care of you. Let me ease your pain.”
“Oh Hank,” she said, turning her face and pressing a wet cheek to his chest. “It’s all so unfair. Kurt has suffered so much and now he has the fight of his life ahead of him. He doesn’t deserve to keep suffering like this and neither does Logan. I don’t know if his and Logan’s relationship can survive another trauma. I don’t know if it can survive what I saw in Logan’s eyes.”
Hank smoothed Cassie’s hair, stroking the strands with a gentle touch. “Only Kurt and Logan can decide if their love will endure, Cassandra.” He lifted her chin and met her teary gaze. “You tried to talk to Logan, didn’t you?”
She nodded and few more tears slid down her cheeks. “It was like looking into hell. It was like trying to talk down a rabid animal about to pounce and chew you to bits. I’ve never seen Logan like that. He’s been difficult and uncommunicative. He’s been sullen and sometimes down right scary. But never, ever had I feared for my life...until that moment this morning when his claws shot out and I thought he might truly turn them on me.”
Hank patted her shoulder and fought back momentary irrational anger at Logan.
No, do not blame the victim for his pain. Do not let your love for Cassandra turn you against a friend who has suffered so terribly.
With a sigh, Hank pulled back and wiped the tears from Cassie’s face. “My dearest Cassandra, you are a good and brave woman for trying to help Logan. But you’re right, he’s not ready for anyone’s help including yours. So do not blame yourself and if you are ready to go home, then I will call a taxi and send you home.”
He pushed up off the bed and walked a few paces, turning back to her. “I must confess though, that my reasons for not wanting you to go were simply excuses to hide my true intent.”
Cassandra rose. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“But I must, my dear,” Hank insisted. “My reason is selfish. I don’t want you to go, because I want you to stay.”
The expression on Cassie’s face tore at Hank’s heart. Not confusion. No, she understood well enough. Yet, perhaps a different kind of confusion, one of her own heart and mind.
“I care for you, Cassandra,” Hank continued in the face of Cassie’s silence. “I....” He turned away, fearing to say the words to this normal, petite and pretty young woman.
Then Hank smelled her come close, lilac shampoo wafting to catch at his senses. Her hand touched his arm, scarcely able to wrap half way around his wrist. “Hank... I love you,” she said, nearly choking on the words. He turned to see the anguish on her face, the confusion in her eyes. “I love you, Henry McCoy, but I don’t know how to make this work. I don’t know how to feel, how to live with loving you. I never dreamed my little boring life would take the turn it’s taken. I don’t know if I’m ready to have my life change so very much.”
“Oh my darling, Cassandra.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I understand. You have a right to a normal life, my dear...with a normal man. Not some hulking blue beast who’s best asset is that he quotes Shakespeare well.”
She looked up at him, pushing back a little. Reaching up, Cassie stroked Hank’s cheek, her fingers trailing through his fur. He turned his face and kissed her fingers.
“You are no hulking beast to me. You have a beautiful soul and a beautiful mind. I love your eyes and your big strong arms around me. Please, give me some time to think...to recover from all that has happened so quickly. I’m only going to my home, not running away...not from you...not from Mystique...not even from my failure with Logan.”
“If that is so, Cassandra Martin then I’ll send you home with my blessing and my love.”
Cassie’s smile lit up Hank’s insides, his heart swelling with the knowledge that she did love him.
“Then that’s all I can ask,” Cassie said and moved to continue her packing.
It's sunny and cold where I am...and not a tornado in sight. Thank the gods for that!!
I've got a few more chapters to post. So here goes. Enjoy.
Chapter 63
“Cassandra? Where are you going?” Hank stood in the doorway of the infirmary watching Cassie pack her clothing into her overnight bag. His heart tangled up in a knot and tried to crawl up his throat to choke him. She still looked frail, the bruises on her face slowing fading but still apparent.
“Home,” she said without looking up, her voice distressingly shaky. “I...need to go home.”
Hank moved into the room, trying not to show his trepidation. “I’m not sure you’re ready, Cassie. Please, stay a few more days. Just to be certain.”
She stopped then and looked up and in those eyes Hank saw pain and something else he couldn’t identify.
“I can’t, Hank,” she said and her voice nearly cracked with strain. “I need to go. I need to find my life again. I know it hasn’t been that long, but it seems like a lifetime since I slept in my own bed...woke up in my own house.”
“But....” Hank glanced around, looking for some way to convince Cassie not to go...not yet...not so soon. “But Mystique is still free. She might come after you again.”
Cassie shook her head. “Don’t use Her against me, Hank. That kind of tactic doesn’t become you. Mystique isn’t after me. I was nothing but a tool...a weapon to use against Kurt and Logan. She used me well and discarded me. I know I’m lucky to be alive, but Mystique has no more use for me and you know it. And I’m of no use here either. Logan isn’t ready for help and Kurt...oh that poor young man.” She shook her head and looked away, sounding on the verge of tears.
“Kurt may need you, dear Cassandra,” Hank said, closing the distance between them.
She nodded. “He may and he knows where to find me, how to call.” She sat abruptly on the bed as if her legs had grown weary and were about to collapse. Hands went to her face, rubbing at her tears.
Hank sat beside her, enclosing her small frame with his arm around her. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder, her body so tiny wrapped in his bulky arms. He rocked her gently, murmuring in a soft tone.
“It’s going to be all right, my darling. Let me take care of you. Let me ease your pain.”
“Oh Hank,” she said, turning her face and pressing a wet cheek to his chest. “It’s all so unfair. Kurt has suffered so much and now he has the fight of his life ahead of him. He doesn’t deserve to keep suffering like this and neither does Logan. I don’t know if his and Logan’s relationship can survive another trauma. I don’t know if it can survive what I saw in Logan’s eyes.”
Hank smoothed Cassie’s hair, stroking the strands with a gentle touch. “Only Kurt and Logan can decide if their love will endure, Cassandra.” He lifted her chin and met her teary gaze. “You tried to talk to Logan, didn’t you?”
She nodded and few more tears slid down her cheeks. “It was like looking into hell. It was like trying to talk down a rabid animal about to pounce and chew you to bits. I’ve never seen Logan like that. He’s been difficult and uncommunicative. He’s been sullen and sometimes down right scary. But never, ever had I feared for my life...until that moment this morning when his claws shot out and I thought he might truly turn them on me.”
Hank patted her shoulder and fought back momentary irrational anger at Logan.
No, do not blame the victim for his pain. Do not let your love for Cassandra turn you against a friend who has suffered so terribly.
With a sigh, Hank pulled back and wiped the tears from Cassie’s face. “My dearest Cassandra, you are a good and brave woman for trying to help Logan. But you’re right, he’s not ready for anyone’s help including yours. So do not blame yourself and if you are ready to go home, then I will call a taxi and send you home.”
He pushed up off the bed and walked a few paces, turning back to her. “I must confess though, that my reasons for not wanting you to go were simply excuses to hide my true intent.”
Cassandra rose. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“But I must, my dear,” Hank insisted. “My reason is selfish. I don’t want you to go, because I want you to stay.”
The expression on Cassie’s face tore at Hank’s heart. Not confusion. No, she understood well enough. Yet, perhaps a different kind of confusion, one of her own heart and mind.
“I care for you, Cassandra,” Hank continued in the face of Cassie’s silence. “I....” He turned away, fearing to say the words to this normal, petite and pretty young woman.
Then Hank smelled her come close, lilac shampoo wafting to catch at his senses. Her hand touched his arm, scarcely able to wrap half way around his wrist. “Hank... I love you,” she said, nearly choking on the words. He turned to see the anguish on her face, the confusion in her eyes. “I love you, Henry McCoy, but I don’t know how to make this work. I don’t know how to feel, how to live with loving you. I never dreamed my little boring life would take the turn it’s taken. I don’t know if I’m ready to have my life change so very much.”
“Oh my darling, Cassandra.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I understand. You have a right to a normal life, my dear...with a normal man. Not some hulking blue beast who’s best asset is that he quotes Shakespeare well.”
She looked up at him, pushing back a little. Reaching up, Cassie stroked Hank’s cheek, her fingers trailing through his fur. He turned his face and kissed her fingers.
“You are no hulking beast to me. You have a beautiful soul and a beautiful mind. I love your eyes and your big strong arms around me. Please, give me some time to think...to recover from all that has happened so quickly. I’m only going to my home, not running away...not from you...not from Mystique...not even from my failure with Logan.”
“If that is so, Cassandra Martin then I’ll send you home with my blessing and my love.”
Cassie’s smile lit up Hank’s insides, his heart swelling with the knowledge that she did love him.
“Then that’s all I can ask,” Cassie said and moved to continue her packing.