Bargaining
The silence was deafening.
Logan couldn't bring himself to meet Wade's eyes. How could he?
Even when the words left his mouth, Logan knew that he had reached a new low. You do nothing for me, he had said. Meaningless words, obviously. Words so untrue that it was almost comical. He knew it, and Wade knew it.
It must've been mere minutes since then, since he delivered that show-stopping line, but it felt like an eternity. He would've done anything to take it back.
But it was too late. He had already seen it: the hurt, the betrayal, painted all over Wade's face.
He stayed silent. It was the least he could do. Looking at the ground, his claws slid back into his hand. The motion was eerily silent, like even insentient metal was capable of feeling shame.
Logan didn't know what he was expecting. To get slapped? To get kicked in the balls? To get a series of curses yelled, screamed at him?
He would've gladly taken it all in, to hear every single word and feel every hit, anything to earn a fraction of punishment for the unforgivable. But what followed was so much worse, so unbearable that it would haunt him every day for the rest of his life.
"I'm sorry."
what?
His head darted up, the softly spoken phrase making his throat go dry. He was met with Wade's blood-shot eyes, raging anger simmering behind them. But that wasn't what caused him to flinch, no. It was the pain he saw in them.
"Wha-"
"I'm sorry," Wade interrupted, his voice cracking. He didn't know if he could continue, the lump in his throat constricting every word he managed to forced out. But the undeniable bitterness he felt drove his determination to speak. "I'm sorry for staying. Sorry for hoping."
The words hit Logan like a physical blow, striking a sharp ache through his chest that he didn't think he was capable of feeling. He couldn't talk, he just stupidly stood there while Wade continued,
"I hate you. But most of all, I hate myself." He wore a grim smile, eyes now on the ground. Wade didn't even try to blink back the tears that welled up, only letting out a watery laugh as a few drops hit the floor. "God, who was I kidding?"
Wade looked up, a weary look in his eyes as he regarded the man through his blurry vision. "Hey, peanut?"
The older man refused to look up, instead bowing his head lower.
"Look at me, just this once."
When the request was promptly ignored, Wade sighed, the sound shaky. "I just want to know, what I ever saw in you."