YOU'RE LOSING ME ✦ WOLVERINE

CHAPTER FOUR

THAT NIGHT, AFTER Clara had finished working for the day, she and Logan walked over to Jerry's bar together.

"Ah, look at my regulars, coming in together!" Jerry exclaimed, standing up from his seat behind the bar. "What can I get you guys?"

"Let's start the night off for me with a margarita," Clara said, taking her usual stool. This time, Logan sat down right next to her, their arms brushing from how close they were sitting.

Her right arm brushing against his left.

Calm the fuck down, Clara thought to herself, keeping her face neutral. "A whiskey," Logan said, and then turned, looking down at Clara. "How long do you usually stay here most nights?"

"Just long enough to get at least a small buzz going," She replied. "Which translates to...At least three hours."

Logan raised his eyebrows at her, and asked, "Do you not get drunk easily?"

"To be honest, I've never been drunk before. So...Yes?" Clara replied, and Logan chuckled, replying, "Well, we'll have to change that at some point."

Once Jerry had set their drinks in front of them, he sat down to watch some TV. For once, he had a sitcom on tonight. Scrubs, she was pretty sure it was called.

"To becoming drinking buddies?" Clara asked as she raised her glass for a cheers. Logan smiled over at her, a cigar lit and hanging from his mouth.

"To becoming drinking buddies," He said, taking the cigar from his mouth so he could drink.

From spending so much of the day together, they were coming to form a camaraderie with each other. Today was the first day Logan had looked...Better. Not so worse for wear, so grief-stricken. Clara doubted she would get to the bottom of that, but for the time being...It felt nice to have a friend, even if it would be for a short while.

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For once, that night, Clara and Logan talked more as the night went on, as they got more drinks.

At one point, the TV started to get a bit staticky, and Jerry stood up to slap it. Clara looked over, tilting her head to the right, watching Jerry. Logan glanced over at her from the corner of her eye, wondering why she was watching him. But before he could question it more, the TV began working again, and Clara looked back down at her drink, blinking a few times.

"So, what made you decide to open up a business here?" Logan asked, taking a drag off of his cigar. Clara looked over at him, and he internally startled. Her eyes were slightly lighter than usual, and he could tell it wasn't the lights making them look...Weird.

"Oh, it was honestly a pretty impulsive decision," She replied, and Logan could see her eyes changing color, slightly darkening back to their usual color. "I researched small towns with no auto body shops, and this was one of three that had popped up. I didn't want to be too far away from my family, too."

"Do they live in the city?" He asked, and she nodded. "So at least only an hour away."

"What about you? Where does your family live?" She asked, and took a sip off her drink. Her eyes had finally returned to normal, and Logan had a small inclination to ask her about it, but...He'd only known her for three days. She didn't know he was a mutant, this wasn't like the situation with Marie where they'd known each other as mutants right off the bat.

"They're in Westchester," He replied. "They're all teachers, which...I was one, too. But I don't think I was very good at it. Which was partially why I left."

Clara itched to ask why he had mostly left. But she had a feeling it was probably too sore a subject for him...Probably why he was grieving.

"Well, I think with some practice and lessons of your own, you could probably become a great teacher," Clara replied, bumping her shoulder against his, earning a smile out of him.

He bumped her shoulder back, and asked, "What about you, then? Have you always worked at auto body shops?"

"You know, the only time I didn't was when I was in England," She replied, "I was a full-time mom back then. My father was supporting me since I had just had my son."

"And when you came back to New York?"

"I started working for a bit so I could send my son off to a private school for a couple of years. I..." She trailed off. How the hell was she supposed to explain the gap of time where she'd been held captive by HYDRA? That's not a normal, everyday thing for someone to go through. "...I worked at a prison, actually, during that time. One of those rehabilitation ones."

He looked over at her with an eyebrow raised, and she had a feeling he didn't believe her story one bit. But he didn't push, at least. Just took a drink of his beer, and looked back at the TV.

Clara didn't realize how out of shape she was with being normal. She was used to being around people who either knew absolutely nothing about her (Jerry), or her family, who knew everything about her.

She looked at the clock that hung on the wall above the counter behind the bar, they had only been here for an hour and a half. She turned her attention back to the TV, but was starting to get antsy. Was it because of Logan, a new person? She shouldn't want to know all that she could about him. She was only working on his motorcycle, and that was it. She unconsciously began nervously tapping her fingers on the bar counter.

Logan looked over at her, and tapped her hand, then laid his over it so it laid flat down on the counter. "You okay?" He asked, and she looked over at him, coming back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm just tired," Clara lied, and he took his hand back. "I'm gonna call it a night, I think. Besides, I'll be working tomorrow on your bike again."

He nodded, then asked, "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Across the street?" The response burst out of Clara before she could help it. "I mean...Sure. You can walk me home."

She hadn't locked any more than two locks on the shop's front door, so she at least wouldn't embarrass herself by unlocking four or more of those locks in front of him. He didn't need to know how paranoid she still was.

"Have a good night, Jerry!" Clara said to him, and he waved to her, replying, "Have a good one, Clara!"

She got up from her stool, and Logan followed suit, following her out of the bar. Clara crossed her arms to keep the nighttime chill away, and Logan stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Do you mind me asking what got you so nervous back in the bar?" He suddenly said before they began to cross the street.

Clara had to keep herself from sighing. How do I explain to him that even though I've known him for three days, know next to nothing about him, that I'm starting to like him more than I should? She thought to herself.

"Oh, just got antsy thinking about my best friend," She lied. "We haven't chatted on the phone in a few weeks. I was just worrying about her." Not a complete lie, at least. It had been a few weeks since they had talked.

"Well, I hope you sleep better tonight then," Logan replied, and they stopped in front of the shop's door. "I'll see you tomorrow? Around ten, let's say?"

Clara nodded back to him, giving him a small smile. "Sounds good to me. Goodnight, Logan."

"Goodnight, Clara," He replied, watching as she unlocked her door, and stepped inside.