Hot To Go
The sand was warm and the sun was hot. Waves splashed as they welcomed their guests. The X-men all pulled up to the private beach in different cars. The team of mutants were on a much needed vacation. Logan and Morph pulled up last, riding with windows down in Wolverine’s jeep with hair flying in the wind. The younger of the two stepped out as soon as they parked, dressed for the occasion in a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned and halfway off their shoulders, revealing their chest and the countless scars that inhibit it, and a pair of dark green swim trunks. Logan, however, was in a plain black t-shirt that he threw off and into the back of the jeep as soon as he got out and a pair of cut-off jean shorts that look like he was the one who made them that length.
“Y’know it’s a private beach, you can relax if you want.” The shorter man grunted to his friend. Morph was in their more ‘human’ looking form.
“Oh I know, my natural form just burns easier. Plus I wanna get a tan, the plain white just turns this weird pinkish-red color if in the sun for too long.” Morph gave a big smile back, thankful for having such a thoughtful person caring for their comfortability. They looked down at Logan’s chest, damn did it look good.
“Hah alright, just don’t want you overdoin it before tonight.” Logan gave him a smirk.
“Tonight? What? The boardwalk?” Morph looked at him quizzically, if he didn't know better, it sounded like Logan was flirting, but he was old, and social convention was far beyond him.
“Yeah, something like that.” He winked at his taller friend, knowing damn well what he was doin.
“Dude, what?” Morph continued to stare with a confused smile on their face. Did Logan like them back? Was this him flirting? Was this a dream, or illusion, or-. No, today is real and they would not question it.
“C’mon, all the water is gonna be pissed in by the time we get there if we keep dallyin.” The furry chested man started to run towards the water where Jubilee and Gambit were spraying each other with water guns. Gotta keep it a surprise he thought to himself.
“DUDE, WHAT?” The taller of the two started to run after him, more confused than before. They watched as the little hairy bullet threw his towel aside and jumped in, right between Jubilee and Gambit, splashing them both.
“Your turn!” Logan called back. Morph ran and leaped into the air, and halfway into the jump with a shit-eating grin on their face, they transformed into the Blob, not only splashing the three already in the water, but also anyone unfortunate to be within a 20 foot radius.
Scott’s glasses got splashed off of his face and his relaxed look turned into an angry scowl as Jean handed the glasses back to him. “You two haven’t even been here thirty seconds, and you've probably already caused a tsunami halfway across the ocean!” He stood with his hands on his hips like an angry dad.
“Oh Scott, they're just having fun, let them be.” Jean rested her head on his shoulder. Morph turned to see if Logan was showing any signs of jealousy and he just grinned and laughed a hearty laugh back at them, not even noticing the girl he was supposed to be going after.
“Guess I overdid it” Morph laughed out and tried to cover for staring at their friend. They changed back to the form they chose for the day.
“Nah, that was perfect” Logan slapped their back playfully, then held it there for a few seconds longer than normal, and a few inches lower as well. “That was a good one, Kev.” He followed up with.
Kev , they hadn’t been called anything close to their real name in a long time, let alone a nickname from it. They became so flustered at everything Logan was doing, it all seemed like he was trying to flirt but there had been no sign of reciprocation throughout their whole friendship, and Morph was fine with that. Why was he doing this now, in front of everyone? The ride here was the same way too. Logan was more physical than before while talking with them, slapping their knee and putting his hand on the back of their chair. Little things like that. Could he actually be flirting with me? They were trying to comprehend what was happening when they felt something hit their back, right in the spot where their biggest scar is. Snapping them back to reality and feeling a rush of anxiety.
“Oh shit. Hey I did not mean to hit you there.” Jubilee shot them with the squirt gun and was trying to apologize. They just turned to her and got a mischievous grin on their face as they dove under water. Jubilee let out a high pitched squeal and the next thing she knew, she was riding on the back of a white dolphin. The two of them started chasing after the other members of the X-men in the water, Jubilee squirting anyone within range, laughing the whole time. This went on for a while until she accidentally hit Storm, who was sunbathing next to Jean.
“Alright,” Storm began, with a smirk plastering her face now too, “My turn.” She stood and raised her arms and conjured a huge wave that drove the two wreaking havoc out of the water and spit them out onto the sandy beach.
The two of them laughed as Morph changed back and flipped their hair out of their face. By the time they cleared the sand and salt out of their eyes, Logan was standing over them, holding out his hand to help his friend up. They took it, stood, and whispered “Dude what is up with you today?” But before the stronger man could answer, Jubilee interrupted.
“Hey Morph, it is a private beach, you can be yourself if you want.” She meant well but it just annoyed Morph. They just wanted Logan to answer their questions.
“They burn less like this.” Logan answered for them. He turned to Morph and asked “You ok?” hand still in hand.
“Oh yeah I’m fine” Jubilee sarcastically answered, standing up and wiping sand off of her legs. “Not like I also got swept up in the tidal wave.”
“Yer sturdy, you’ll be fine.” He remarked.
“Oh what, and I’m not?” Morph acted offended to joke at Wolverine.
“No, it’s just..” Logan looked down, flustered now and dropped their hand, “I just wanted to make sure.”
“Oh” Morph’s heart dropped, he was just being protective, it happened every once in a while, where Logan would worry a little too much over them especially after they returned. He wasn’t flirting, he was just being a good teammate. “Well I’m fine. I am an X-man too, y'know?”
“I just wanted to make sure.” He repeated. His gray eyes met their brown ones. His eyebrows were furrowed and expression was hard, becoming less readable than before.
“I’m fine, big man. ‘M tougher than I look. I survived a sentinel blast,” they puffed out their chest, a little bigger than it should’ve been for dramatic effect and tapped it, “remember?”
“Hah, yeah I remember,” his eyes lingered on their chest for a minute, more worry plagued his face but it quickly dispersed when he was hit in the face with a blast of water “Hey-“
“Hey yourself old man!” Jubilee stuck her tongue out, clearly annoyed that she didn’t get any of the attention.
Wolverine charged at her, throwing a shoulder into her waist, grabbing her, and ran and threw her in the water. Morph laughed and chased after the two.
The rest of the day went on like this until the sun began to set and the team went off towards the cottages where they were staying.