Cold Front
Kurt stood by the window, watching the snow swirl lazily outside, the world beyond Xavier’s mansion painted in soft, white layers. The flakes fell quietly, as if muffling the world’s usual noise, creating a sense of stillness. The winter cold had settled in for the season, turning the institute’s sprawling grounds into a frozen landscape.
He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. Despite the warmth of the mansion, the sight of all that snow was enough to make him feel the chill creeping in. Kurt had never liked the cold much—something about it felt too still, too empty. His mind wandered to the mission ahead, and an involuntary sigh escaped him.
“Getting soft, elf?” Logan’s voice came from behind, startling Kurt from his thoughts.
Kurt turned around to find Logan standing in the doorway, as gruff and casual as always, though now bundled in his usual thick jacket. Kurt could smell the faint scent of cigar smoke lingering on him.
“The snow reminds me of home” Kurt said with a sheepish grin, motioning to the window. “Back in Germany, winters were harsh, but there was always something comforting about the familiarity of it.” Kurt shivered.
Logan crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, his sharp eyes taking in Kurt’s expression. “Still not a fan of the cold though, huh?”
Kurt chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not particularly.”
Logan gave a low grunt in response, but didn’t say anything else. His gaze lingered on Kurt, and for a second, Kurt felt the warmth of it, the quiet weight of a stare that lasted a beat too long. He glanced away, feeling his face heat slightly despite the cold.
Logan finally pushed off the doorframe and walked over to Kurt, his boots making soft thuds against the polished floor. “We should get moving. You packed yet?”
Kurt nodded, glancing at his bag by the bed. “Ja, I’m ready. Though… I can’t help but feel unprepared.”
“Unprepared for what?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kurt hesitated, glancing out at the falling snow again. “Everything,” he muttered, more to himself than to Logan. “The mission… the quiet that comes with this weather. There’s something unsettling about it.”
Logan scoffed softly, but there was no mockery in it. “You’re overthinking, bub. It’s just another job.”
Kurt’s tail flicked nervously. “I know. But the professor said it was delicate, and you know how those things go.”
Logan moved closer, his presence solid, comforting him in an odd way. “Trust me, elf. We’ll handle it.”
Kurt swallowed, his nerves not entirely settled. He knew Logan was right—they always handled things, even when the odds were stacked against them. But that familiar tension was back between them, like a thread stretched too tight, barely holding on. It had been creeping into their last few missions, into the moments where they were alone together, and it gnawed at Kurt more than he cared to admit.
He had tried to dismiss it, bury it beneath their usual banter, but lately, it was harder to ignore. The way Logan’s voice lingered in his head longer than it should. The way their proximity made Kurt’s heart skip, and not just from the usual rush of adrenaline before a fight.
Kurt ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair, closing his eyes briefly as he whispered under his breath, his words quiet but familiar: “Heilige Maria, Mutter Gottes, bitte für uns Sünder, jetzt und in der Stunde unseres Todes...”
Logan, leaning against the doorframe, glanced over.
“You still doin’ that?” His tone wasn’t mocking—just that familiar, rough curiosity Logan always had when it came to Kurt’s faith.
Kurt opened his eyes, offering Logan a small smile. “Ja, of course. It helps.”
Logan huffed, crossing his arms as he eyed Kurt. “Can’t say I get it, but I know it means somethin’ to you.”
Kurt shrugged, looking out the window again at the snow-covered grounds. “It’s a comfort. Keeps me grounded, especially when things are… uncertain.” His voice softened at the end, almost as if the words carried more weight than he intended.
Logan didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched Kurt with that quiet intensity of his. “Uncertain, huh?” There was something in his voice—something that felt like he wasn’t just talking about the mission.
Kurt chuckled softly, turning back to face him. “You could say that. It’s nice to believe in something, Logan. Especially when everything else is…” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely to the window, the falling snow, the world beyond them. “...so unpredictable.”
Logan’s gaze stayed on Kurt, and for a split second, something softened in his expression, though he quickly hid it behind that gruff exterior.
The silence between them thickened again, filled with the weight of what wasn’t being said. Kurt could feel it—the tension, the strange pull that had been growing between them for weeks. It made his heart race in a way that had nothing to do with fear or nerves about the mission.
Logan shifted his stance, breaking eye contact and looking down at his boots. “Just… don’t go askin’ for a miracle on this mission, alright? We’ll handle it.” His tone was lighter now, the seriousness brushed aside like a layer of snow.
Kurt smiled, feeling that familiar warmth return. “I’ll leave the miracles to God, mein Freund. We’ll do the rest.”
Kurt’s heart skipped again, and he quickly looked away, unable to hold Logan’s gaze any longer. The silence stretched out between them, heavy with things neither of them seemed ready to say.
“Our train leaves in an hour, we better get on the road soon.” Logan said, breaking the silence.
Kurt nodded, already reaching for his bag. The moment had passed, the tension still lingering but now tempered by the pressing reality of the mission. They had something to focus on, something that wasn’t… whatever this strange, unspoken thing between them was.
As they made their way downstairs, the mansion was quiet, most of the students outside enjoying the snow. The only sounds were their footsteps echoing through the halls and the soft hum of the heating system working overtime against the chill outside.
Logan glanced over at Kurt as they reached the front door. “You good with trains?”
Kurt smiled, pulling on his coat and wrapping his tail around his waist to keep it warm. “I prefer teleporting, but I suppose trains will do for now.”
Logan smirked. “We can’t all get around by puffing into smoke.”
They stepped outside into the biting winter air, and Kurt shivered immediately, tugging his scarf tighter around his neck. The snow was falling harder now, and the cold bit at his skin through the thin fabric of his coat. Logan didn’t seem fazed by the weather, of course. He never did.
As they trudged through the snow toward the car waiting to take them to the train station, Kurt couldn’t help but glance at Logan again, his heart beating a little faster than he was willing to admit. He hadn’t thought much about it before—the way they always seemed to end up paired together on missions. The way Logan seemed to seek him out, even when there wasn’t a reason.
It was easier, Kurt thought, to chalk it up to their teamwork, their natural chemistry in battle. But there was something more to it now, something that hovered just on the edge of his thoughts. Something dangerous and unfamiliar.
He shook the thought from his head as they climbed into the car. Logan shot him a quick glance, his expression unreadable as always, before they settled into silence for the drive to the station.
The snow continued to fall as they drove, and Kurt found himself watching it again, trying to ignore the warmth of Logan sitting next to him in the small, enclosed space. They had a mission to focus on. Whatever this was would have to wait.