Chapter 8
Deciding to give Logan and Storm some space for a much needed catch up, Wade leaves the two mutants to find Laura, who’s playing some distance away in the field with Mary Puppins.
She doesn’t turn around from where she’s giggling and cheering Mary on, as the little dog lets out her zoomies, running circles around Laura and the jet.
When her laughter dies down, her voice wavers for only a moment, but it was enough for Wade to hear it. “Is he going to be okay?” Laura asks.
“I think so.” Wade moves to stand beside her, “And if he’s not, we’ll be there for him.”
They’re quiet for a moment as the two of them watch Mary roll over onto her back and wiggle in the grass.
Laura speaks up, tone soft and genuine. “Thank you.”
Confused, Wade turns to face her, “For what?”
She meets his eyes, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “For being there for him whenever he needs you. I don’t know how to help him when—“ She trails off, as she frowns, hurt flashing behind her eyes, before continuing. “When it’s all too much for him.”
Wade clicks his tongue as he wraps an arm around Laura’s shoulder, tugging her gently so their shoulders bump each other’s. “Logan having you in his life is more than enough.”
Laura gives him a skeptical look, so Wade continues. “I think that you remind him that not everything he does— everything he is— is bad, because how could it be whenever you exist? You’re his own flesh, blood, and arguably cool, but weird as hell bone.”
Laura scoffs, rolling her eyes, as she punches him in the arm that’s wrapped around her, but Wade can see the genuine smile that threatens to pull at the corners of her mouth.
“Thanks, Wade.” She mumbles out, tension the mercenary hadn’t noticed until now eases out of her.
Mary pants, long tongue lolling out of her mouth as she lies on her back in the field, staring up at her papa and big sister.
“Hey.”
Wade and Laura both turn around as Logan approaches them, looking much calmer than he had when they first arrived.
“You guys ready to go?” Logan questions, fond little smile pulling at his lips at the sight of the two of them.
“Mhm.” Laura hums in confirmation, as she turns back around to grab Mary.
“Are you?” Wade questions, tone genuine.
Logan sighs, “Yeah, as ready as I’m gonna be.”
It was enough reassurance for Wade.
“Okie, Peanut, but remember!” Wade beams, “You can always hold my hand if it becomes too much for you or just because you want to.” He winks at him.
Logan rolls his eyes, but waits with Wade for their girls.
“Kid, about earlier…” Logan moves to walk beside Laura, as Wade follows closely behind. “I know what it sounds like, but I promise Wade’s not a cannibal—“
Laura has a visceral reaction as the bridge of her nose crinkles in disgust, “Oh, ew, gross! I know he’s not a cannibal, but I don’t need to know about your guys’ weird, role-playing sex life either.”
“Our what?” Logan startles, baffled as he freezes in place. Laura speeds up her pace, taking the jet’s stairs two at a time to get away from this situation, as Mary’s tongue bobs up and down on each step she takes. “We haven’t— we’re not—“
Laura interrupts Logan, as she shouts back, “You know I like Wade, and I’m happy you guys have each other, but this is not my business! I do not need to know what the two of you get up to in your spare time. I already have enough trauma as is, and I don’t need any more!” She disappears around the corner and out of sight.
Logan lets out a strangled groan of embarrassment as he buries his face into the palms of his hands.
Wade reaches a placating hand out to pat Logan’s shoulder, “Aw, there there, Peanut—“
Logan growls at him, shaking Wade off, before stalking off to stomp up the steps.
Moving to follow him, Wade giggles, before calling after Logan, “You know, she definitely thinks you’re a bottom!”
As everyone takes their seats in the back of the jet, view of the cockpit’s windshield hidden away, Laura sits across from Logan, Mary still in her arms, as Wade takes the seat directly beside him.
The older man, face still red from humiliation, looks up from where he clicks his seatbelt into place as he shoots a questioning look at Wade, as if to ask him why he chose that seat over literally any other.
Wade only smiles at him as he buckles up as well.
Logan’s attention snaps to Laura after what he doesn’t hear. “Kid, be sure to buckle up. Please.” His tone is serious, but turns pleading at the end as he accidentally lets his panic slip out.
“I will, don’t worry.” Laura tries to reassure, as she sets Mary in the seat beside her so she can grab her seatbelt and click it into place, before grabbing the dog again and holding her so she won’t fall.
Logan lets out a sigh of relief, before jolting in his seat whenever the jet rumbles back to life with Storm and Scott as their respective pilot and co-pilot.
In wordless offering, Wade holds his hand out to Logan.
Logan doesn’t respond, as his eyes dart down before grabbing it and squeezing Wade’s hand tightly.
Wade rubs his thumb in soothing shapes across the back of Logan’s rough, calloused hand.
They stay like that, hands intertwined, the entire flight to the X-Mansion.
ᯓᡣ𐭩
By the time the jet shuts off after it parks underneath the opening of the X-Men’s basketball court and inside its hangar complex, Wade’s convinced Logan has broken his hand at least twice from how hard the mutant was squeezing it.
Not that Wade will ever complain, the last thing he wants is to make Logan feel bad— or worse, make Logan feel like he isn’t able to rely on and find comfort from Wade whenever he needs it.
As they all pile out of the jet, Wade takes Mary Puppins from Laura as she grabs her single duffel bag— that Al forced her to bring— from Scott.
She turns to leave before Scott stops her, “Laura, wait, about the training simulation—“
She tenses, and Wade can tell from the way her posture stiffens that she’s nervous about what he has to say about her actions earlier in the week.
Scott goes to open his mouth before closing it again, mouth twisting in thought as he glances over to Logan who’s staring him down, daring him to say something that would upset him as the girl’s father.
His gaze turns to Wade next, who simply raises the damaged skin where his brows would be at him.
Laura’s still waiting, shoulders tense, and grip tight on her bag.
Finally, Scott sighs in resignation, “I need to apologize, I’m sorry, Laura. It was never my attention, and it never will be to make you feel the need to run away. This is a safe place for all of us, and I’m sorry I didn’t make it feel like one for you.”
Laura’s silent for a moment longer, as if in waiting for the other shoe to drop the second she lets her guard down, but it never does.
She lets out a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Scott. I—“ Her nose wrinkles up as she cringes, “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have stolen your car. That kid deserved to be punched though.” She adds in as an afterthought.
Logan snorts, as Wade turns to see him trying to hide the grin on his face with a convenient scratch of his cheek.
A small smile pulls at the corner of Scott’s mouth, as he shakes his head. “You really are just like your dad, aren’t you?”
Laura smiles, but it’s directed past Scott and at Logan instead. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
Wade’s the two of them fondly as Storm steps beside him, “I always saw Logan to be a family type after witnessing firsthand how good he was with the kids here. I’m glad he is finally getting the chance to have one with Laura.”
Wade directs his attention and smile to the woman instead as he voices his agreement, “Me too.”
Storm reaches forward, and lets Mary, who’s still in Wade’s arms, sniff the palm of her hand, before the dog enthusiastically licks her.
She lets out a small laugh, before pulling away from the dog and gently petting the top of her head instead.
Her dark brown eyes are soft as they glance up to Wade’s, studying him carefully, before her smile spreads the smallest bit wider. “I’m glad he has you to share that family with.”
Wade freezes, heat burning his face as warmth rapidly blooms inside his chest. He lets out a startled chuckle at her words, “Wait what—”
But Wade’s left in confusion as he watches Storm’s retreating form as she turns to leave the underground garage into one of the numerous connecting tunnels.
Stopping at the doorway, she glances over her shoulder at the mercenary behind her, “I look forward to learning more about you, Wade.”
And with that, she leaves the room, consecutively leaving Wade baffled at the fact that not only did she think Logan and Wade were together, but also that the Storm, objectively one of the coolest X-People, knew his name.
Wade couldn’t help but wonder if Logan told her about his and Wade’s supposed engagement.
And if he did, then what happened to only telling people if it’s necessary?
But more importantly, what exactly did Logan tell Storm about him to elicit that sweet reaction from her?
His heart flutters at the thought as he turns his attention to Logan, who’s already looking at him.
Logan smiles at him, it’s a soft little thing that doesn’t help with the rapid beating of butterfly wings in Wade’s chest.
He needs to talk to Logan about it sooner rather than later.
As Scott begins to lead them out of the garage, going on about something that Wade tunes out, Laura moves to flank Logan’s side as Wade tries to shake off his distracting thoughts.
Logan holds a hand out for Wade as he passes by him.
The mercenary hesitates for only a second or two before shifting Mary in his arms so he could take Logan’s hand into his own.
“Still doing okay?” Wade asks, barely above a whisper as to not attract attention from their impromptu tour guide.
“I am, yeah.” Logan murmurs back, fond smile still on his face as he laces their fingers together.
Laura pauses her stride in front of the two of them, and holds her hands out for Mary. So, Wade passes the dog to her before she walks ahead of them, probably to give the pair a little bit of privacy as she steps in line with Scott and asks a question that Wade doesn’t quite catch as they make their way into the sub-basement, past the empty danger room and up to the ground level, where Scott opens the doors to reveal a random, sprawling hallway with students bustling around.
Wade gives Logan’s hand a gentle squeeze before murmuring back to him, “As much as I love holding your hand, are you sure this is a good idea right now?”
Logan’s smile falters, as his brows furrow, “What do you mean?”
Everything in Wade is screaming at him not to continue this conversation, to shut it down with a dirty joke, but Wade needs the clarity more than he needs Logan’s hand in his again. “You don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea about us, right?” He tries to joke, but it falls flat. “I thought we said we’d act like a couple only if we have to.”
Wade stops walking whenever his hand is tugged backwards, as he turns and notices that Logan paused in the middle of another one of the many, winding X-Mansion hallways as Scott and Laura, unaware, continues on without them and up a staircase.
Students brush past them, on their way to their next class talking and laughing, before doing double-takes as reverent whispers fill the room, asking their friends or fellow pupils if that’s the Wolverine and if so, then who’s the guy he’s holding hands with?
Logan pulls Wade to the side of the hall, out of the way of the kids. His hand is still intertwined with Wade’s.
Logan holds Wade’s gaze, as he tilts his head in genuine confusion. “I’m holding your hand because I want to, Bub, not because I’m putting on an act. Not to mention, I don’t care what the X-Men, or anyone for that matter, think about us.” He arches a questioning brow at Wade, “Why? Doyou?”
Wade shakes his head, “Definitely not, I just thought…” He sighs, before continuing again, “That makes sense, I guess, forget I said anything!” He smiles at Logan and swings their hands together nearly hitting a student as she passes by, who ducks out of the way just in time as she glares at them before running off. “I mean, after all, you already told Storm about us,” Wade lets out a small laugh, “Why would it matter if anyone else thought the same?”
Logan‘s eyebrow shoots up even higher. “What do you mean I told Roro about us? Did you say something?” He questions, “Because I haven’t told anyone about… that.”
Wade’s nose scrunches in offense, as he shakes off the way his heart plummets at Logan’s words before pulling his hand back from the older man’s and crossing his arms over his chest instead. “Okay, first off, that?” He reiterates, voice taking a bitchy lilt, “Ouch, I’m literally your fiancé? And that’s our engagement sanctifying our love to the world you’re talking about like that?”
Logan scoffs, before rolling his eyes at him, “What do you want me to do? Kiss you to make it better?” He ridicules.
“Yeah, actually, I would.” Wade responds, deathly serious.
Logan rolls his eyes again, waiting for Wade to relent and answer Logan’s previous question, but the younger man doesn’t.
Logan scoffs, “Seriously?”
Wade simply stares back, challenging him with lips tugged into a tight frown.
Logan lets out a deeply exasperated breath, as he takes Wade’s hand back into his own, before bringing his head down to place a gentle kiss on the back of Wade’s scarred hand.
He raises his eyes up to peer at Wade through his lashes, “Happy now?”
Wade scrunches his nose again in pretend thought, before vehemently shaking his head and taking his hand back from Logan. “Nope!” He pops the ‘p.’
Logan lets out a low growl, “Come on, Bub, quit playing games. What did Ororo say?”
Wade merely shakes his head again, before crossing his arms back over his chest. “No, it doesn’t matter what she said about… that.” He spits the last word out with venom.
A muscle in Logan’s jaw twitches, as he squeezes his eyes shut. He sighs, as frustration visibly ebbs out of him, and he opens his eyes again, full of determination, to meet Wade’s.
Logan reaches his hand forward, but instead of grabbing Wade’s hand again, he reaches up. He trails two gentle fingers along Wade’s cratered cheeks as he softly traces down and across his jawline before stopping at his bottom lip.
Mesmerized by his careful, yet precise actions, Wade can only watch as Logan moves his hand to cradle Wade’s cheek, before leaning in and placing a feather-light kiss to the corner of his lips where Logan’s thumb was only mere seconds ago.
Pulling back ever so slightly, a small smile tugs at the corner of Logan’s mouth. “Better?”
Wade grins, “Definitely.”
Somebody clears their throat from behind the two of them.
Hazel eyes widening as something similar to recognition, panic, then grief flash across his rapidly paling face, Logan tenses, but doesn’t turn around to face them.
Wade’s attention shifts from Logan’s to the person a few feet behind the older man, as she leans against the doorway of a classroom with a look of intrigue, and a warm smile directed towards the both of them.
Wade takes in her fiery red hair, before meeting her eyes.
As Wade stands there with Logan’s gentle hand still cradling his cheek, and the corner of his lips still tingling from where Logan had just kissed them, all the mercenary could think was uh oh.
Jean Grey raises a brow at him, as her smile grows the slightest bit wider. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.”