Try

It had gotten to a point where he knew he was sulking, and he hated it. So tonight, he had finally forced himself to not reject Kurt’s invitation to a night out at the Green Lagoon and act social for some hours. Over the course of time, more and more familiar faces had shown up, all with the same kind of sorry expression in their eyes - because, somehow, the whole damn island had already caught up on the latest gossip of Jean breaking up with them.

“It’s way harder for Cyke, you know”, he pointed out to Kurt once they were alone again and took another sip of his freshly opened beer. 

And of course, it was. Rarely he had seen the man as happy as here on Krakoa with Jeannie and the kids. That was the way it should have been, he thought. The two of them had surpassed so many hardships, achieved so much and, through time, chosen each other again and again that it was hard to believe there could have been any ending at all. 

With him, he already saw it coming the day it started. He was just the little adventure Jeannie wanted to add to her marriage to spice things up for a bit, because, at the end, leaving a man like Scott for any other option was pure insanity. But then, shit, who would have said no to an opportunity like that? The two most attractive people to walk this island asking him to join their relationship? 

“Just one of the reasons why you should talk, really.”

Talk. Yeah, for a tiny, ridiculous moment there he believed that there could have been something worth talking about between them. Because, sure, Jeannie might be gone, but the two of them, they were still there. And that had to mean something, didn’t it? All those years he had always had his back, where he had worked so hard just to keep his hands clean, they had to mean something. 

They were friends, right? (Preferably the kind of friends that didn't mind living with each other. Even though Scott's sense of tidiness could be infuriating, and watching his boring, ever-continuous daily routine sometimes lead to frustrating disagreements about who got to use the shower or oven first. Preferably the kind of friends who semi-regularly ended up in the same bed together, too. Because nothing about that could ever be boring or frustrating with Scott.)

But then, the moment was over and Cyke asked for space. A day turned into two, then three. And by now, a week had gone by in which he hadn’t heard from him. Clearly, that was a no. A no to whatever possibilities there might have been for a future between them.

“Well, the way it looks like, he doesn’t want to talk to me. So he won’t.”

“Being an introvert doesn’t mean you get to run away from every problem you don’t want to face.”

But even if they would talk, what good could possibly come from that now? He couldn’t fill the hole Jean left between them, and he couldn't take Scott’s pain away. He wasn’t good with these things, either.

Realizing his mood wouldn't get any better today when he reached the end of the bottle, he decided to excuse himself and head towards the woods to clear his head a bit.

Just as he sat down at his favorite spot at a quiet spot, he was starting to hear the footsteps of two people approaching, fast. In fact, they were running. As much as everyone kept talking to him about how Krakoa was a safe space - that they didn't have to constantly be on edge anymore - he couldn't have turned his instincts off if he tried. In a split second, he was off the ground again, hair standing on end, ready to sheath his claws. 

Then, a familiar scent reached his nose. He dared to breathe again. Sure, dealing with a Summers was not something he had wanted to add to his To do list today, but getting rid of Cable would only impose a mild inconvenience. The boy’s stubbornness was clearly in no way inferior to those of his older counterpart, however, he was usually a lot more impressionable. And fine, maybe he had taken a liking to him in that time he had been part of his family.

He sniffed again. Cable, one of those damn Cuckoo girls, and…a baby?

Moments later, he had to face the fact that, of course, he had been right about the odd trio.

“Logan!”, Nathan panted, “We need your help.”

Logan sighed and took a look at the baby again.

“You kids are moving awfully fast these days.” 

Hadn’t he been clear enough a last week? Right now, he wasn’t in the mood to play babysitter. Sure, he might owe the kid one, but no one had specified if these goddamn markers had a time limit where they expired. As far as he was concerned, they pretty much had a lifetime. Which might as well just mean forever, the way things were looking.

“She’s one of the abducted mutant babies we just saved and -”, the girl started.

“Seems like you got the situation perfectly under control.”

It didn’t really, if he was being honest. They both smelled deeply worried, even though the child was clearly no longer in danger.

“It's about Scott”, Cable said.

“Stryfe has him. I don’t know for how long, it could have been days -”

Logan froze. No. This couldn't be. Scott was sitting at his home, moping around, missing Jean and avoiding him, but most certainly safe and unharmed.

“When the clone that had this baby was dying…we went into his mind to find out more about his plans. But what we saw was Scott, and there was something wrong with him - we couldn't really get much more information, and we need to get there fast.”

“Get where?”, Logan asked, already tensed up for what he expected the answer to be.

If the boy had asked him only a few days ago to help him figure out the whereabouts of Stryfe, the chances were damn low he had figured that out on his own yet.

“Look, we know this might sound ridiculous”, the Cuckoo girl started carefully.

“But”, Cable continued, “it seems like they never left home.”

Logan snorted. This had to be a joke.

“You think nobody would realize that?”

“I haven’t been there for a few days. Rachel isn’t home a lot with X-Factor going on and all…”

“And Alex? Has anyone seen him lately?”

Both of the kids shrugged and Logan’s heart sank further. They didn't need to repeat the question.

“Alright, I’m in. Let's go.”

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Returning to the Summer House after his shameful retreat last time made his heart feel even heavier. While you could still tell this was his home, his scent in the rooms was stale. The kids were wrong. The man hadn’t been here for days. 

How could he not have checked on Cyke once, even after a full week?

There was the fresh scent of another Summers, and as they worked their way further into the building, a healthy and unbothered Alex came in sight, digging a spoon straight into a cereal cardbox boldly labeled “S-C-O-T-T” in capital letters.

“What?” 

Alex raised his head as if he could feel their judgemental looks on him.

“There aren’t any other groceries in the house. Scott didn't restock them.”

Like he would usually, every Thursday before 1pm. Again, his stomach churned.

“Have you seen him?”

Nathan’s voice was steady, but fierce, like it tended to be when deep down, something was eating at him, and his uncle’s brows furrowed. Logan felt his jaw clench. The last thing they needed now was getting Havok involved, a potentially out of control one at that.

“What do you mean? He was with you the last time he was here. Did you lose him? And where is that baby coming from?”

While the kids started to give some answers, Logan pulled away from the useless chatter and started moving further into the house. He felt himself tense up when he passed his and Jeannie’s old bedroom, but forced himself to push away the memories and concentrate. Mourning what had been between the three of them couldn't help save Cyke now.

But damn, if anything, what was left of his scent was even weaker in here. Gritting his teeth, he turned and made his way back towards the entrance. Nope - the Summer house was a dead end. If they wanted to stop wasting time, they had to head out of here as soon as possible.

Back in the kitchen, he found a smiling Alex, completely enamored by the baby in his arms and emitting an absurd amount of oxytocin levels. He shot the kids a questioning look that was only answered with some quiet motions towards the front door.

“I might have nudged him a little”, the Cuckoo girl explained, “but he did think she was really cute.”

“Fuckin’ telepaths”, Logan sighed, not

trying to hard hide the thankfulness behind his gruff demeanor.

The hallway seemed terribly empty without Jeannie's belongings hanging next to the door, and even though he knew he shouldn’t, he left his eyes there a little longer than necessary. It took him almost a minute to realize what he was staring at was more than a trigger for his nostalgia, and so the kids were already giving him worried glances.

“Please tell me you two can also see the camera up there. Did Slim go paranoid recently and install a new security system?”

“I doubt he wouldn't have told us.”  Now, Cable’s eyes were also set in the small device in the corner. 

The way he had still so casually included Logan in the household stinged a little because of course, it had been on accident - the way things were looking, he doubted Slim would be telling him anything right now, least of all decisions involving the home he had shut him out of.

“I don't think this was Cyclops.” The girl’s voice made both of their heads turn around.

“Unless he built a whole basement during the week.”

To her feet, there was a steel trap door the size of a dezent TV. Well, there was definitely no way to miss that. If this thing had been here even three days ago, Scott would have noticed immediately. 

“It’s asking for identity confirmation”, she took a glance at Nathan. “Want to give it a try?”

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What followed was a near endless descent on a wide ladder, with seemingly each step leading them further into darkness and freezing temperatures. While the kids argued it was unlikely that Stryfe would leave such obvious evidence if he were still around to hide it from them, they still thought it was important to bring him up to date. 

The thought of a young Stryfe clone so similar to Nathan that he could walk right into his home and fool his family was indeed alarming, but he was quite confident Esme and himself would be able to look right through the illusion with their mutant abilities.

“I wouldn't be so sure. Not when he's prepared, at least. We could be walking right into a trap.” The boy didn't sound nearly as confident anymore as he did above ground.

Logan couldn't deny he also felt more on edge with each step that seemed like it didn't bring them closer to anything. He took another sniff in the air. Besides him and the kids, there still was the faint scent of Scott in the air, just like, if not stronger, as it had been in the house. Filled with new hope again, he took the next step a little too enthusiastically and almost stumbled when he encountered hard concrete and an even floor instead of another step on the ladder. Then, another round of surprise followed when suddenly, bright lights turned on in front of them, giving sight to a spacious, circular room they were about to enter. 

After a brief moment of shock - but no, they were still alone, the lights must have been turned on automatically - he started to analyze their surroundings. There was a small bed next to the folding table with a variety of books lying around; on the other side, some furniture resembling a kitchen, with the only device that could be actually useful for cooking suspiciously looking like a more updated version of a microwave. The most noteworthy part, however, definitely were the monitors. There were four of them, surrounding a round table at the end of the room. Even though all they were showing right now were pitch black screens, Logan had no doubt there was a connection to the camera in the house that he would rather not think about.

With his blood boiling up, he almost lashed out at Cable when he poked his shoulder to point at something behind them. 

And shit. When he turned around, there was another door on each side of him.

“I can't tell where they lead - it's dark again. But I’m pretty sure if Scott is down here, it's in there”, he said.

They decided to split up and leave Esme in charge of guarding the entrance. None of the high-tech stuff was left as soon as he entered the right opening of the tunnel. Everything was dark and smelled like lifeless, cold stone. If he was already shivering, he could only imagine how bad it had to be after a few days down here. But there also was Scott’s scent, and that had to mean something. They couldn't be that far apart from each other by now. 

God, of course Cyke had to go and get himself into danger headfirst. That guy just wasn't able to keep himself out of trouble without his wife holding his hand or Logan pulling him out of the dirt before the worst happened. Ex-wife, he corrected himself on second thought. But from what it looked like, that didn't mean he got to quit the job too without things going south.

Step after step after step he was taking, seemingly without making real progress. Inbetween, he had passed two more heavy doors made out of ambiguous material, both unlocked. 

Had he grossly overestimated the distance after all? Plus essentially, everything looked the same.

Another door. He hesitated. Had he been here before?

Just when he was about to give into the urge to growl in frustration, a telepathic message brushed his mind.

“Logan, I fucked up.”

A wave of Cable’s anxiety swapped over with the delivery of this rather calm statement, just to be pulled in again a moment later. Still, it made Logan unclench his jaw and realize he dealt with an overwhelmed teenager and not someone who was being obnoxiously vague on purpose.

“Hold on, kid. Where are you?”

“Close. I can feel you.”

It was true. After he pushed through the door and took another sharp turn to the left, there was the dim flashlight of the boy’s cellphone giving sight to him crouching next to an unconscious Cyclops. Panicking, he held his breath and also got down close to him - on first sight, he seemed physically fine, and was breathing regularly.

“What happened?”, he demanded, harsher than he initially wanted to. But fuck, this looked serious.

“I don't know! He was frantic and confused when I found him, and wouldn’t recognize me. Talking didn't help, so I reached out to him and…That was stupid, I know. I have no idea what’s been done to him before, what if I set something off?”

Logan forced himself to take a deep breath and stay in the moment. What might have seemed stupid in hindsight was understandable considering that in a family full of telepaths like that, slipping messages into each other's heads probably came as naturally as breathing. Even without being able to see his eyes, over the years, he had learned to tell when Scott slightly lost focus behind the visor and he and Jean were opening up a conversation for their minds only. Even though he would have never admitted it, it always lead to a pang of jealousy in his gut and the feeling of being excluded from something. It was painful to acknowledge this was a level of connection he could never reach with anyone. A level of connection he could never reach with Scott.

And damn, how they needed Jeannie now. She would have known what to do.

The kid, instead, was still rambling.

“I’m a shit telepath. I don’t practice enough. I - I should have been the other guy for this.”

“Nathan. Quit the Summers self-blame spiral and start working with me. How did you find him? Any sign of Stryfe?”

There was no smell of blood, and as he carefully patted Cyke’s body down, he didn't find anything out of order. If the air was still clear, it was probably best to get him to the healing gardens as fast as possible to find out what was really going on.

“There are some cells further up the tunnel, but I ran into him here. He must have already freed himself and was looking for an exit.”

Of course he did. Scott might have already had a backup plan in mind, just in case this exact scenario happened.

“Alright. Can you help me pick him up?”

“Guys, you might want to take a look at this.”

Esme’s message startled both of them, and caused Cable to jump up on his feet again. 

“Fuck.”

Obviously conflicted, the kid’s eyes darted between the dark tunnel that would lead him back to the and Logan hunched over his passed out father.

“Go. I’ll take care of him.”

The words came naturally, but as soon as Cable was gone, the silence between him and the unconscious Scott weighed even heavier on him. Filled with the need to do something, he grabbed the other man’s hand and squeezed it. 

“You’re gonna be alright, Slim. Don’t worry. We’ll get you outta here.”

Useless. In a heartbeat, he regretted staying behind and letting the kid deal with whatever was up front. If the roles were reversed, maybe he could have felt like he was actually helping. This way, he was just sitting on his butt and muttering empty platitudes. Still, there also was his wish to not leave Scott's side, and even the urge to do more than this and pull him in his arms. But they had never been like that, and Slim could hardly agree or disagree with anything at the moment.

Contemplating if pulling closer to him would do the situation any good, he almost flinched in shock when he felt a slight movement of the fingers in his hand. 

“Slim? Can you hear me?”

Maybe it was bold to hope, but his senses rarely deceived him.

And really, a moment after that, the grisp on his hand did get stronger.

“Logan?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

He refrained from asking if he was alright - it was obvious the man was not okay.

Slowly, Cyke’s free hand reached up to check for his visor automatically, followed by a silent exhale.

“You came for me?”

Scott still didn't turn his head towards him, but also kept the firm grip on his hand.

“Of course I did. I’ll always come. As long as you let me.”

“Was that…was that Nathan before?”

“Yes. Yes, Nathan did also come. We’re just waiting for the kids’ green lights and then we’ll leave this place.”

Scott didn't answer this, and Logan could feel his hand slowly pulling away.

“Any sign of Stryfe?”, he added after the silence went on for so long he worried the other man’s consciousness was slipping away again. Hoping it would help him stay awake, it was probably worth to try and make it about the mission.

“The clone? He is so young. Looks almost exactly like Nathan.”

“Yeah, so I’ve been told. Well, he sure as hell won't smell like Nathan, so that little piece of shit can’t trick me.”

With his strength coming back, Scott slowly sat up and pulled his fingers out of Logan’s hand completely.

“He hasn’t been here since at least yesterday, maybe even longer. I…I’m sorry, I had a hard time keeping track of the days passing.”

“It’s all good, Cyke.” 

Carefully, he reached out and put a hand on his back. Scott didn't flinch, and even seemed to relax the tiniest bit at the touch. 

“Take your time.”

“I think…I think something went wrong. He’s been away for too long.”

“We think so too. His telepathic shields around the entrance were down.”

The sudden realization that, otherwise, they might still be searching for him, made him sick. This time, he gave into the urge to take Scott into his arms and although he stiffened up again a bit, he did not push him away either, which Logan counted as a success.

“It was impossible for me to figure out his motives. But he kept me here…playing his mind games for days…and just left?”

“Well, I’m damn glad he left. Besides, I wouldn't look too hard for logic in the actions of someone who calls himself the chaos bringer.”

He didn't like this one bit. Despite Scott's efforts to remain calm and collected, he still reeked of his inner turmoil. And no matter how much he much he wanted to know what was tearing him apart inside, if Scott didn't want to, he wouldn’t let him into his thoughts. That and the fact there was no way he could be sweet and gentle and patient like Jeannie and help him out when words couldn't explain what he had experienced. 

But, there had also been all those times where Jeannie hadn't been able to get through to him as well. The times where Jeannie had become increasingly frustrated, too, and Scott, in return, just increasingly withdrawn and both had been unfair to each other. 

There was no easy solution for this, no clear path to follow. The only thing he really could do now was to silently sit here with him.

Logan took a deep breath to remind himself what he knew about the other man. Cyke was probably the strongest man he knew. Logan wouldn’t follow just about everyone, but he had proven himself worthy plenty of times. Why was he drowning in so much worry this time? Something had changed between them, or maybe he was about to realize what had been between them all the way along. 

After a while that seemed like an eternity, Cyke started to speak again.

“I didn't recognize my own son. I could have really hurt him, Logan.”

“From what it looked like, it seemed more like he was the one who got you hurt. You got us quite worried there for a moment.”

“I’m sorry.”

Cyke lowered his head.

“I was trying to keep the clone out of my head. That’s the last thing I remember. He should have never gotten that far in in the first place.”

“Slim, a telepath of Stryfe’s level can essentially do whatever he wants.”

“I was unprepared. I was…vulnerable. With Jean and you leaving - I let my guard down for a second, when I should always be -”

The words took a few moments before they reached Logan’s brain and then, a few more before he actually understood them. 

“Me leaving? When did that happen? You asked me to go away!”

It was hard to hide the anger in his voice, even when he was still so full with concern on the inside. But right before there could explode and ruin whatever chance there still was for fixing this mess, a light squeak from the metal door behind them made him freeze.

“We’re getting company. And somehow I doubt it's the pleasant type.”

Logan was on his feet within seconds, only to be held back by a firm hand on his shoulder. 

“Logan”, Cyke hissed, suddenly lucid as he was thrown back into his element when faced with immediate danger.

The boy who stepped into the dim light didn't have much in common with the Stryfe he had come to know in the past. Being dressed and not only wearing his hair, but even the same expressions on his face like Nathan it was easily understandable how even Scott had fallen for the trick. Both his suit and the gun he wore across his back looked like something that Cable could have picked just as well this morning; for a moment, he wondered if he also sounded like him when he opened his mouth. 

He did, however, not smell like Cable, even though his scent was different from what he had expected. In his imagination, this Stryfe version always stank of this new, almost plastic like stench new clones tended to carry around with them for a while, a scent clearly indicating that they hadn't been around for too long, and how the way they had gotten here didn't include a womb. But this clone smelled like he had already chosen what shampoo he preferred, what sauce he usually put over his pasta and how many days in a row it was acceptable to wear the same shirt. Like he had already started to live a life. Like he already was a person.

“Of course, I knew you’d eventually manage to escape”, he said in the exact same intonation Logan would have expected Cable to speak.

“Now that we’ve both had our fun, how about we get on with the plan and I’ll mind wipe the two of you and the girl, then get rid of the original?”

Logan didn't need to have heightened senses to notice the horror ripping through Scott's body. Still, his tone was controlled and diplomatic when he spoke.

“Let them go. I’ll go back with you and do whatever you want - there’s no need to hurt my son. Or -”

“You will do nothing like that, Slim.” 

Deciding the events had gotten way past a point where negotiations were still an appropriate tactic, Logan sheathed his claws and ignored Scott's waving hand motion trying to call him back. Even if there was a back-up plan hidden somewhere in his friend’s head for this, he wasn't going to leave him alone with this bastard anymore, and be it for one second.

“Or”, Cyke repeated calmly, “you decide this isn’t what you want. You stop this - because it's not too late for that - and break all ties with Stryfe, and we can help you achieve amnesty on Krakoa.”

“Wolverine?” Suddenly, Esme’s voice was in his head again. 

“We have problem. Stryfe might be in the building right now.”

“Well, it's a little late for your warning”, he shot back.

“You’ve seen him?”, Nathan butted in.

“Seen him? He's right in front of my nose. And your old man here is showing some serious signs of Stockholm syndrome. We could use some help soon before I lose my temper and things get real ugly.”

Scott was still babbling nonsense about a possible future for the guy, which made Logan's skin crawl; and the clone himself was still silently listening with an expression on his face that would have caused him to soften up on Cable, because he tended to use it when, for once, he was really listening.

“I’m coming in now”, Nathan declared.

In the next seconds, everything happened so fast it was all a blur in Logan’s head. He remembered the door opening and the kids slipping in; he also remembered throwing himself in line of fire when the clone pulled out his gun and aimed for their heads.

What he had no recollection of, however, was how and why he ended up with the clone's lifeless body at his feet. Did he do that? No, he didn't even touch the boy. Did Nathan shoot first? But there had never been a gunshot. Did Slim…? Turning his head, what he found was an equally confused Cyclops standing right behind him.

“Shit!”

It was Cable who spoke first.

“Stryfe must have caught up with his plans and got rid of him.”

Slowly realizing the meaning of his words, Logan lowered his head expecting the distinct, bitter smell of cyanide, but there was nothing. 

“He probably installs a fail safe like this in all of his clones”, Cable, who had moved next to the body, continued. 

Carefully, he turned the clone on his back with a concerned look on his face.

“Nothing. He’s gone.”

“He shut his mind off, just like that?”, Cyke asked, still puzzled. “The insight he could have given us into Stryfe's plans…”

“Gone”, Nathan groaned. “At least we know some things.”

“It looks like he was able to resist Stryfe’s initial brainwashing and has been doing his own thing for a while”, Esme started explaining.

“There is a detailed log book in the monitor room. That's what he was charged with: monitoring the Summer House to collect all the details in how Nathan interacted with his family…so that, in the end, one of them could replace him. Seeing how Nathan was treated with so much love while he was created only to serve Stryfe as his lackey - it slowly drove him insane. His last entries sounded like he was filled with hatred for everyone in this house.”

Another life built only to follow orders and destroy the lives of others. Not even just this one - at least a dozen more, he remembered what Cable told him about his first encounter with the clones. He couldn't help but think about sweet little Gabby and her sisters he never got to meet, about what they had to go through for similar reasons. 

Somebody had to get rid of Stryfe. Not chase him off or poke around in his head a bit or whatever this mind wiping event recently had been. No, they had to get rid of him for good. When he looked over at Nathan, he didn't need to be a telepath to see they both had the same thought.

“There’s no way this whole construct was built for this purpose”, Logan muttered finally, mostly because he felt like something had to be said, and because bloodthirsty words of vengeance weren’t what Scott needed now when he was still so fragile.

“No. It's way older”, Scott agreed. “I can’t believe I didn't notice anything when I made the layout for the house. God, I thought I’d been thorough -”

“One can hardly be more thorough than you, Slim. Stryfe probably protected this place like a treasure”, he tried to rationalize.

“Logan, you heard her. I endangered my family, there’s hardly an excuse for that.”

This time, it was Nathan who turned towards his father. 

“Dad. Stop.”

To Logan’s surprise, the boy walked up to Scott and wrapped his arms around him. Every version of Cable he had come to know was about as much into sentimentalities as his father was. Up to this point, he would have bet the teenager’s hormonal rage fits were about as emotional as a conversation between these two could get. 

Well, maybe he’d been wrong. Unintentionally, his gaze met Esme’s, who shot a quick smile in his direction.

“I might have nudged him a little bit. But, you can't tell me they didn't both need it.”

Scott didn't pull back from this hug, and for a second, Logan felt his jaw clench up and the doubts creep in again. 

Did he go too far before? Made him uncomfortable when all he wanted to do was sooth him?

But then again, Scott had let him be there for him in a moment of vulnerability. He knew what might seem like a small thing to other people actually meant a great deal coming from Scott, and he still remembered the sliver of sadness in his voice when he talked about how he thought Logan had left him.

It was Esme’s voice in his head that suddenly pulled him back to the here and now.

“Now, look away.  He’s about to feel really embarrassed, because he is a dumb boy like that.”

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Later, when they had left the field to the rest of X-Force, the kids had returned the baby to its original family and they all gathered together with various drinks ranging from tea over soda to beer of, even Logan had to admit, acceptable quality, Scott came back to him again. Having just finished a conversation with his brother,he needed a moment to collect himself before he spoke. 

Then, the moment passed and Scott still seemed tense, holding onto the lemonade into his hands like a lifeline. 

Something was up. Logan couldn't tell if it was the good kind or bad kind of up.

Scott opened his mouth, hesitated, closed it just to open it again.

“I’m sorry for what I said before. Of course, I know I was the one who sent you away. But if I didn't - would you really have stayed? For me, without Jean?”

“Of course I would have. But would you have let me? I’m not exactly Jeannie either, you know.”

“But this, right now, this isn’t about Jean. It's about you and me”, he replied sheepishly, fidgeting with his bottle.

“So there is a you and me?”

Logan carefully moved closer to Scott, who was still avoiding his gaze.

“I don’t know. But I’d like to try. If you’d like that, too.”

And yes, just earlier this night, he had been angry at him for sending him away back then. But in the end, what would he have punished him for? Shutting him out in a moment where his emotions threatened to run haywire - being Scott? After all, Scott was the man he wanted. And who miraculously, despite all of his shortcomings, wanted him too.

Slowly, Logan took his hand again.

“I think I might’ve already been trying for a really long time.”