Chapter 9
Logan’s movements are slow as he pulls his hand back the slightest bit from Wade’s face, but still close enough that the younger man could feel the calloused skin of Logan’s palm hovering over his own scarred cheek.
Wade’s eyes dart from Logan’s to Jean’s, from a haunted look to one of kindness and warmth.
The silence stretches on for a beat longer, until Wade decides to break it. After all, people don’t call him the merc with a mouth for nothing!
“This is so fucking awkward!” He giggles out, “Hi, Jean Grey— or, wait, which one am I talking to? There’s literally like three of you. You’re not Madelyne Pryor, are you? I would feel like such an asshole right now if I confused both of you. I know you’re basically the same person, but also, like, you’re not? And no offense to your husband, but full offense, how the fuck can he confuse both of you for that fucking long? Anyway, I’m pretty sure you’re Jean Grey—“
Snapping out of his daze, Logan’s eyes narrow as he shoots Wade a look. “Stop talking.” He grits out, as his arms fall to his sides.
Wade slaps a hand over his mouth, before removing it just as fast. “Oh fuck— sensitive subject, right? So sorry, I just want to make sure I know which one I’m talking to. But also, why the fuck are there so many of you? I can’t tell if Marvel loves you or hates you! But more importantly, how did all of you fall for the same dorky ass guy, and none of you for this fine piece of ass right here—“
Logan slaps his own hand over Wade’s mouth this time as he lets out a nervous chuckle and takes his first, real glance at Jean, brows furrowed as he shoots her an apologetic look, before turning back to Wade again. “Stop. Talking.”
“Mmrph mh.” Wade mumbles out in protest, then licks Logan’s palm.
Logan frowns at him, but doesn’t flinch. “That’s fucking disgusting, but I’m not moving my hand unless you promise not to say anything else.”
Wade tilts his head at him, giving Logan a sarcastic look.
“Nod your head if you agree.”
Wade rolls his eyes, but does.
Logan removes his hand, before wiping it on his jeans.
Wade smacks his lips, “You know I love the way you taste, but when was the last time you washed your hands—“
“Oh my fucking God, shut the fuck up—“ Logan starts, interrupting him in utter disbelief until a soft laugh comes from closer behind him.
“Oh,” She breathes out, trying to stifle her laughter. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. I just didn’t expect our first reunion again— or technically first meeting, to go like this, Logan.” She smiles at him, before turning towards Wade, and holding out a hand for him to shake.
So Wade leans forward, past a quiet Logan as he does.
“I am Jean Grey, thank you for checking with me, not many people do.” She releases his hand, before a curious look crosses her eyes, as she glances to Logan, then back to Wade again. “And you must be Logan’s… partner, I presume?”
Wade opens his mouth before closing it again and panicking, as he spins towards Logan for help.
What the fuck is he supposed to say?
That yes, he is in fact Logan’s partner?
But what kind of partner is she asking about?
More importantly, what kind of partner is Logan comfortable with saying they are? Work partner? Partner in mercenary crime? Partner partner? Cowboy partner? Is he just supposed to casually drop the fact that they’re engaged without discussing it with Logan first? No, he can’t do that, not with Jean—
Jean’s eyes widen with a gasp, as her hand flies up to cover her mouth.
What was that reaction for? It’s not like Wade said it out loud—
Oh.
Oh no.
“I’m sorry,” Jean’s quick to rush in, “I didn’t mean to pry and listen in on your thoughts. It’s a force of habit of being a teacher here for me to watch out for the kids safety. That is not an excuse though, and I do apologize.” She lowers her hand, to reveal a sympathetic smile as she glances between the two of them. “I’m sorry to have ruined your announcement, but congratulations on your engagement. The two of you seem truly happy together. I’m relieved to see you found someone who you feel so passionately about and who feels just as strongly for you, Logan.”
Fuck.
Anxiously, Wade slowly faces Logan, mentally preparing himself to be penetrated by the older man and not in a fun way, only to find that his eyes are red-rimmed and full of emotion.
Wade can’t help but think that there must be so much Logan wants to say to her, so much that he needs to say.
He can’t explain why his heart clenches at the thought, but maybe he should leave.
As Wade takes a step back, Logan takes a shaky breath before snaking a hand down to wrap around Wade’s waist, pulling him closer and holding him in place.
Logan clears his throat, not that it does much to help as his voice wobbles as he speaks to Jean for the first time again. “Thanks, Jeanie. That means more than you know.”
Her eyes crinkle the smallest bit as her smile widens at the old nickname, “I can tell.”
Just as soon as it came, Jean’s smile flickers for a second, before dropping completely. “Oh, Logan—“
“Don’t— don’t read my mind.” His words waver again, as Wade can feel the older man’s body shudder against his.
Wade sets the palm of his hand over the one Logan’s resting on the mercenary’s hip, before giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Jean’s eyes follow Wade’s movements, before giving Logan a sympathetic look. “I don’t have to read your mind to see that you feel guilt for what happened in your universe.”
Logan flinches, as if her words stung, as his hold on Wade drops and he takes a step back.
Wade reaches out, grabbing Logan’s shaking hand.
Whether consciously or not, the older man pulls away from him.
“Logan—” Jean tries again, now reaching her hand out only for Logan to flinch back as he squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, before opening them again. Her hand stays suspended in the air between them before it falls back down to her side. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I can tell it’s still a sensitive subject, but I need you to know that if your X-Men were truly us, we wouldn’t blame you for what happened.” Her entire demeanor softens, as her voice becomes even gentler than before. “It wasn’t your fault, Logan.”
“You don’t know that.” He snaps as he takes several steps back as if he were a cornered animal.
“Peanut—“ Wade starts, but Logan cuts him off.
“Don’t.” He growls out, but it’s directed at Jean, not Wade.
For a split second, Wade swears he can see Logan’s anger flicker into something more akin to guilt at his outburst.
However, it doesn’t last long.
It also doesn’t take heightened senses to hear the thundering footsteps down the staircase, as Logan whirls around to come face to face with Scott.
“What’s going on here—“ The younger mutant questions, brows furrowed, only for Logan to growl, causing the man to immediately cut himself off.
“Logan, what’s wrong? Are you okay?“ This time it’s Storm as she descends the staircase behind Scott, stopping short on the last step and blocking off another means of escape for the frantic Wolverine.
Logan inhales shakily, then again, as if he can’t fill his lungs with any oxygen. His hand shoots to his chest, as he takes another deep breath before backing himself against the wall. “I can’t— I can’t do this right now. Get out of my fucking way. Please.” He snarls out at Scott.
Logan’s breathing is growing shorter and shallower by the moment, as he tries to move around the man, only for Jean to surge forward and wrap a light hand around Logan’s wrist, attempting to keep him in place.
She frowns, as he jolts, ripping his hand out of her hold.
Voice breaking, she lets him go. “Logan—“
He doesn’t wait to hear the rest of Jean’s words as he bolts out of the room, past a confused Scott and concerned Storm, slamming through the first door at the ending of the hallway.
Neither does Wade, as he takes off after Logan.
Without looking behind himself, Wade calls out to the three distressed X-Men he abandons in his haste. “I’ve got him, but someone find Laura—“ He whips his head back, only for a second as he meets both of the women’s dejected eyes and Scott’s unreadable ones from behind his glasses, instead noticing the way his brow furrows as a frown tugs at the corner of his mouth, before turning back as he rounds the same corner Logan had just burst through, “—And don’t follow us.”
ᯓᡣ𐭩
Slamming through door after door, barely catching the tail end of Logan as he bolts through another room, Wade can feel his lungs screaming at him as he struggles to keep up with the mutant’s enhanced speed.
“Peanut! Wait—“ Wade pants out, as he shoves past students who are probably chewing him out, but the blood rushing in his ears drown out all sounds except for the beating of his own heart.
Finally, Logan takes an abrupt turn, shoving into a bathroom. His claws leave an ugly, deep scratch across the door as it slams shut behind him.
Wade heaves out a breath as he races in behind him, just in enough time to see and hear a stall door towards the back sway on its hinges from the force it was pushed open with.
Wade briefly checks underneath each stall for shoes— much to his luck, finding none— as he makes his way over to Logan’s.
He can hear the man struggling even worse than Wade is to catch his breath, but his heart aches at the sound as he realizes it’s not due to physical exertion as the younger man’s was caused by.
“Peanut—“ He wheezes out as he lifts a hand to push open the stall, only to find it locked.
“Logan, please,” Wade’s voice breaks, “Let me in, I’m here, Peanut, you just have to let me in.”
He receives no response except for the same uneven breaths as Logan hyperventilates.
“Fuck.” Wade hisses out, as he sinks to the bathroom floor.
As much as Wade wants to army crawl across the cool, sticky tiles all the way underneath the stall door to be a physical anchor for Logan, he knows better than to touch somebody in the middle of a panic attack without their explicit consent, lest he make everything worse by overwhelming his friend.
Especially when said friend is the Wolverine.
So, instead, he would have to be a verbal anchor, and that? That’s something he can do.
Instead of chattering away like he always does, Wade adopts a soft, even tone, as he talks about what he thinks Al is up to right now while they’re away, to what she’ll have for dinner that night, and how many days he reckons she can go before asking Wade and Logan to come back home to help her with faulty plumbing or a broken table leg when they both know she would have taken a hammer to it herself just to find an excuse for them to visit her sooner. Or how Al would insist they bring Laura and Mary back with them to make sure they’re “feeding her girls” over there.
This goes on as Wade takes careful note at how Logan’s gasping gulps of air, settle into trembling breaths, before finally evening out again as Logan lets out a small, shaky chuckle from behind the stall as he hums in agreement over something Wade had said.
Finally, the mercenary hears the lock click, as he scoots out of the way for Logan to push the door open.
Wade watches the older man carefully, taking notice of the way his damp hair clings to his forehead from anxiety sweat, and the way that Logan is adamant about avoiding Wade’s gaze as he steps out of the stall.
Pulling himself to his feet, Wade follows the older man to the sinks as he turns on the cool side of the faucet and splashes his face.
Whenever Logan raises his head back up to grab a paper towel, Wade’s right there, handing him a wad of it himself.
He’s quiet for a moment, staring at the napkins in Wade’s hands before meeting his eyes. “Thanks.” He mumbles out, accepting it, but the intonation of his gratitude isn’t lost on Wade as he knows Logan didn’t just mean it for the paper towels.
A soft smile makes its way across Wade’s lips, “Of course, Peanut, what are fake fiancés for?”