Chapter 3
Few days into settling in the mansion, Logan did indeed get comfortable. He wasn't as shy as Charles and Hank were, he didn't mind walking up to the refrigerator for a can of beer in his underwear. Of course, he didn't walk around half naked in the middle of the day, he's a decent person, but he didn't hesitate to at night. Erik seemed to grow atleast a little fond of them, not bothering to address them with fancy names, yet Logan could still sense him holding back on multiple occasions, catching his travelling eyes when attention wasn't focused on him.
Logan didn't bother, letting himself relax after a while. He's been tense for the last few days, trying to catch any sign of resistance and lies only to be left empty-handed. A part of him was a little disappointed at the lack of thrill, but the bigger part of him was left satisfied, knowing their future isn't endangered. Their progress grew comically fast, Erik agreeing to sign the contract with them almost too enthusiastically, making Logan stand on his toes for the few days.
He woke up at the bumfuck of an hour, sighing as he got up. He didn't bother pulling on a shirt, pulling on a pair of pants as he quietly slid out of the door and headed to the kitchen. The mansion, at this hour, was luckily almost vacant-looking at the lack of people and sound, but he almost preferred it that way sometimes. He likes company, sure, but barely anyone can handle his company. He frowned when the thought passed his mind, which he quickly abandoned, opening the fridge to grab a can for himself.
He stood in the kitchen for a couple of minutes, before heading to his room with the can still present in his hand. He passed a few rooms, hearing no sounds come from them. He stopped once he passed a room, uncertain to whom it belonged. He stopped, seeing the door slightly cracked open, the lighting dark but still noticeable. It wasn't very far from other rooms, but it did stand closer to Logan's. A calm, intimate 70's music played, Pink floyd he'd guess, but wouldn't bet on it.
A voice hummed with it, Logan barely recognising it by the calmness it held. He was convinced who it was when he moved slightly foward, noticing the slim figure sprawled on his stomach on the bed, reading some sort of a book while humming with the song. The hair, still in the previously made bun, was now mostly fallen out, only a few strands holding the rest up. It was almost comical how it didn't look bad at all on Peter.
Luckily the man didn't notice Logan, who was wondering why he was still standing silently at the door. Maybe he was scared he'd make too much sound with moving, maybe it was the sheer surprise seeing the other so calm. He had a tired expression on his face, his lips upturned slightly as he mouthed a few words from time to time. His clothes were now switched, some long shirt hanging off of him, covering his back, almost reaching his knees.
His guess was he didn't wear pants, which wasn't much of a guess, and why the hell would he be guessing that? He shook his head, deciding to leave when he noticed the man drop his book, now turning on his back. His head hung almost off the bed, and Logan could now clearly see the shape of his side profile. His eyes closed, his mouth opening just slightly, maybe not even letting out a sound. Maybe just a sigh, but he couldn't know because of the music covering the sounds.
His gaze travelled down the body, seeing his stomach hitch. He noticed Peter's other hand tracing down his body, up and down, repeating the motion slowly. His eyes were still closed, though sometimes they flickered open, only to close again. A small, almost unnoticeable smile appeared Peter's his face, and Logan was snapped out of his mind. He felt exposed, suddenly aware of what exactly he was doing. He shifted, trying to make little sound as he moved, reaching for the door with his hand, closing it silently as he exhaled. That was weird. Not like him.
He laid on his bed, taking a sip of his now lukewarm beer, which was almost forgotten as he stood there. He blamed it on the final relaxation he felt in days, but it was hard to ignore the slight tightening of his pants as he shifted. He signed, trying to catch any signs of sleep that was now almost gone. He frowned, closing his eyes as he turned, turning off his wandering thoughts. After minutes of laying in silence, he finally nodded off into a dreamless sleep.
.....
He was woken up by his alarm, this time only sighing as he turned it off. They didn't have to wake up early, since the meetings lessened ever since Erik agreed to sign the contract, but Logan decided to keep up his schedule. Not like he can sleep much anyway. The sun wasn't up yet, though it illuminated light as he glanced at the window. He got up, grunting as he sat at the edge, palming his face. His actions from last night still weren't completely forgotten. He got up, picking a shirt Raven offered to wash along with some other clothes from the three of them, since they were running out fresh clothes.
The woman, despite her snarky personality, was a sweetheart. She didn't talk much with him, but when they did they found many relatable points to which they agreed with, making Logan less wary of her. He silently approved of the woman when the woman was prepared to listen to his complaints, even when he didn't agree to. He was grateful for the thought, but he'd much rather suffer in silence than complain to a person he'd met a few days ago. That was pathetic on a level Logan didn't dare to reach.
He walked to the bathroom, luckily empty. Another bonus with waking up early was having the bathroom for himself, not having to awkwardly knock on the door just to hear somebody scream 'occupied!'. He closed the door, dropping the shirt on the side as he dropped his other clothes, hopping into the shower. He sighed, not really comfortable with showering at the early hour, but he did it anyway. He stood still, letting the water slide down his shoulders before he finally started working.
He hopped out, grabbing a towel just in time before the door opened again. He needs to learn to lock the fucking door. To his luck, Peter's hand was on the knob, his eyes widening and Logan's quick attempt to cover up. His eyes travelled down at his almost exposed abdomen, grinning, making Logan growl in irritation. "Did your dad ever teach you to knock?" He basically grunted, a disappointed frown painting his face. Peter's smile didn't falter, his eyes finding Logan's again as he spoke.
"I don't know, it seemed to do me good 'till now." Logan rolled his eyes again, which he seemed to do a lot these days. "Get out." He grunted at him, his face unimpressed at the teasing words, making Peter lift his hands in defense. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm invisible." He said, his hands on his hips as his eyes focused on the towel covering his junk. His face was still a little tired, his hair tousled from sleep. "Out." He said louder, his voice laced with irritation. Peter rolled his eyes, turning around. "Okay, fine. Tough crowd." Logan held his growl as Peter exited.
His eyes caught Peter's, possessed by something he couldn't recognise. He could sense the tension between them in the moment, trying to bury it as his head turned, unfortunately unable to afford moving any further. Before he could shout another word out, he was already gone, just like that again. He sighed, already tired from the encounters.
He got dressed quickly, making his way back to his room to light up a cigar he brought with him. He knew there'll be a need for it, but he didn't expect the cause would be a titillated teenager of the main person they were here for. He was sure if he did too much or got pissed off too hard the youngster could use it for his advantage, and the last thing he needs right now is to screw up the contract Hank and Charles work so hard to get.
He laid on his bed, putting a hand behind his had to support it as he smoked. The morning was still early, and he was sure everyone still slept or just minded their own business, not in the mood to socialize just yet. After some time, Logan got up from the bed, the breeze from the opened window making its way inside the now chilly room. He put the cigar off, making his way downstairs.
He was sure none of them were awake when he heard muffled voices echo through the hall. He checked the living room, seeing Charles and Hank be entertained by Peter. The younger man was mostly listening to the pair talking, occasionally throwing a word in and shooting a look which made Hank stumble upon his own words for a split second. Logan could see the satisfied smile on Peter's face every time he managed to do it.
A sudden surge of anger shot through him, the brat was acting too inappropriately for his age, or position for that matter. He saw no Erik in sight, Charles looking a little gloomy as he sat, occasionally chuckling at the other two. Hank looked impressed by Peter, which Logan wouldn't blame him for. He did surprise him too when he broke his childish persona.
Before he could slam the nearby wall, he walked inside, not bothering to maintain eye contact with anyone as he sat on the other side of the sofa, making space between him and Peter. He muttered a small 'mornin'', earning a happily returned 'good morning' from Hank. The young man's eyes turned to him, a small smirk appearing on his face as he spoke with Charles, averting his eyes and turning back his attention to Charles. He held in a growl, he didn't get here just to be disrespected by some kid.
He grabbed a glass, pouring some alcohol that stood on a table. He didn't bother looking at the label, not caring what kind of alcohol it is, any would do at this point. He laid his head on his head, his gaze travelling to Peter's wondering hand. He noticed how it grazed Hank's leg, just slightly, the man almost himself not noticing as he did. Before Logan could mindlessly blurt something out, Erik joined their room.
He saw Charles' eyes light up ever so slightly, almost making Logan smirk in return as he noticed the action. Erik greeted them, nodding to Logan, which he didn't bother ro reciprocate. He brought the glass to his mouth, ignoring any subtle glares Charles was now throwing at him. The man sat in a smaller sofa, greeting them with cliché choices of small talk, to which Hank excitedly responded. Logan didn't bother, only muttering a short answer when it was directed towards him.
Erik offered them breakfast, which they all accepted, following the man to the dining room. He didn't waste time as he sent Raven to the kitchen, the girl rolling his eyes, throwing a mild snarky sentence as his hand shoo-ed her to it. Hank smirked as his head was tiltes down, his face reddening madly when he caught Logan's knowing gaze. Logan only nodded, not really sure what meaning it held, but seeing Hank's lips upturn slightly, he knew it had to hold a positive meaning.
Peter sat a few chairs away, opposite of him. He looked distracted enough not to try and hold eye contact with Logan, but he did notice his antics. His eyes stared at a point in front of him, his tongue mindlessly travelling at the bottom side of the glass, making Logan's eyes focus on it despite his opposing. His gaze got averted once again when Raven entered the room with a tray of cups, seemingly remembering their preference of drinks.
As he involuntarily glanced back, he found Peter's eyes already on him, almost wryly looking smile now present on his face, as if mocking him. He averted his eyes, not bothering to glare at the guy, it didn't faze him anyway. He knows he has to confront the kid soon, since it looked the other isn't planning to back out any time soon. He'll have to be careful with his words, one offense and their deal with Erik is in trenches. And the last thing he needs is to ruin the opportunity for Charles and Hank. Him too, of course, but he doesn't depend on it as much as the two do.
They finished with breakfast, none of them bothering to small talk. Erik invited them to his office and lab departments, which Hank gladly accepted, Charles giving in with some sweet talk from Erik. Of course, if a small smile and a whispering of his name counts as sweet talk. By the flabbergasted look on Charles' face, he'd guess it does. Logan rejects the opportunity, ignoring the small, joking 'awh's leaving their mouths, smiling as they left the table.
He sat for a second, watching nothing in front of him, until he gets up with no words, heading for his beloved alcohol cabinet. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey, picking a clean looking glass from the counter and pouring the drink in. Just before he could take a sip, he's stopped by a sudden voice. "Y'know, that's dad's favourite bottle. It'd be a shame if he knew." Logan looks at Peter for a split second, sipping on the glass, muttering a low 'go bother your dad, kid'.
Peter wasn't fazed, closing up on the man slowly, Logan doing his best to act oblivious to him, turning his head away. He sees Peter jump on the counter, his legs dangling at the side as he watches Logan. Before Peter could make another move, Logan finally speaks. "Look, kid, you gotta stop with this." Peter tilted his head, acting oblivious to his words, making Logan almost sneer. "C'mon, kid. Don't act dumb with me, it ain't gonna work."
Peter's eyes changed from amused to almost dark, the same smirk still present on his face. It almost looked natural on him by now. He jumped off the counter, now looking up at Logan with a sly smirk. "So, what? Ya think I'm hitting on you?" He slides closer to the man, the eye contact left unbroken. His face moved closer, no almost standing on his toes. "You think I wanna fuck you?" The lewd words were whispered almost innocently, yet the slurry voice didn't let it slide.
Logan, almost taken aback by the sudden straightforwardness, stilled, quiet for a few moments. "Listen, kid-" He was interrupted by the other, who was still in front of him, his mouth now close to his ear. He could still see him smile, a subtle smile, almost dark as his eyes. "I'm not a kid." Logan almost snorted at the words. "You can't even drink yet." Peter looked at him again, his eyes not challenging him. "What makes you think that?" He circled Logan, grabbing the same glass that was now sat on the counter, chugging the rest of Logan's drink without a faze.
Though a little impressed, Logan rolled his eyes, grabbing the now empty glass from the younger man. "You do that and your dad's gonna kill me." Peter now chuckled, his eyes rolling. "You think he cares?" Logan's eyebrows liftes at that, but he quickly dismissed it. It's not his problem. "Look, kid. We're trynna do somethin' here, and you're making it harder than it's supposed to be."
Peter grinned at those words, now standing next to him, Logan's eyes still moving with him. "Why? Am I distracting you?" Logan's throat dried, not knowing the right answer for the question. Peter didn't let go, his eyes almost lighting up, creeping closer to him with the teasing smile. "Am I distracting, Logan?" His voice was soft, almost silky. A bait. Logan shook him off, grunting. "Get lost, kid." He tried, but could see his failure when Peter seemingly took the words as a personal victory. "C'mon, Logan. Don't act dumb with me. It ain't gonna work." He chuckled at the end, stepping on Logan's nerves even more. He hated how the words flew so naturally out of his mouth.
"Come find me when you change your mind." Logan didn't answer yet, his throat impossibly dry. His anxiety rose, hopefully no one is around to witness this hell of a conversation. This isn't happening. Before he could give him a weak answer, Peter was already gone. He sighed, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He almost collapsed against the counter, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.
Clearly, the kid isn't taking it seriously. Sure, he isn't a kid, but compared to Logan, he as well could be. He sighs again, whipping his head around. Fortunately, he was alone in the kitchen. If he has to tell the kid off a few times more, then so be it. He could just ignore him completely, showing his uninterest. But deep inside him, a primal feeling is brewing that he dares not to acknowledge. He's the adult, he should be responsible. Even if it's not his problem. Now it is.