Another Life

Part 13

The mansion was quite—too quiet, considering the usual chaos that filled these halls. With most of the team cleaning up. I was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping a beer, when Jean walked in, her expression set with a kind of determination that immediately put me on alert.

"Logan," she said, her voice firm but playful, "you're going to help me cook dinner tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?" I asked, taking another sip of my beer. "I'm not exactly the cooking type."

Jean smirked, moving closer. "Because I'm asking you nicely," she replied, putting her hands under my white tank top running her smooth fingers up and down my muscled stomach, giving me a look that dared me to argue.

I sighed, setting down my beer on the counter. "Fine! But only because you asked nicely." I muttered trying to hide my amusement. "But I'm warning you, I'm not much for cooking."

Jean laughed, sliding her hands out from under my shirt. "Don't worry," she said, reaching for an apron and tossing it to me. "I'll walk you through it. Besides, how bad could it be?"

I caught the apron, giving her a skeptical look. "Famous last words," I grumbled, but I tied the apron around my waist anyway.

She started pulling out ingredients out of the fridge, her movements quick and efficient. "We'll start with something simple," she said, handing me a knife and a pile of vegetables. "You chop, I cook."

I stared at the vegetables like the toxic waste. "Chop, huh?" I said under my breath, picking up the knife. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya."

Jean rolled her eyes, rolling up her apron and slapping me with it before wrapping it around her hourglass shaped waist.

I started chopping, trying not to think too much about how domestic this all felt. Me. Logan, the Wolverine, making dinner. Hell, if Rogue saw me right now.

"You're surprisingly good at this," Jean commented, glancing over at me as she stirred the pot on the stove.

I snorted, "don't sound so surprised, beautiful," I said. "I've got more skills than just killing and being good in bed, you know."

She chuckled, her eyes twinkling with joy."I'm sure you do, Logan."

We worked in silence for a while, the only sound of laughter and sizzling of food. This was peaceful, I've waited for this my entire life. Peace and with Jean.

"So," Jean said after a moment, her tone casual, "how've you been holding up? With everything going on."

I glanced at her, noting the concern in her eyes. "I'm fine," I said, gruffly, focusing on the vegetables in front of me. "Been through worse."

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn't convinced. "I know you have," she said softly, "but it's okay if you're not fine, you know. It's okay to talk about it." She walked over planting a kiss on my neck leaving her lipgloss stain on my skin. "We're a team, we have each other."

I met her gaze, her green eyes filled with sincerity that took me by surprise. "Yeah," I said finally, nodding. "I guess we are."

She smiled for a moment, I forgot about the vegetables, the kitchen, the whole damn mansion.  All I could see was her.

"Alright," she said, breaking the moment. "Let's get this dinner finished before everyone starts getting hangry."

We fell back into our rhythm, working together to finish the meal. As the smell of cooking filled the kitchen, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. It was strange, unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.

By the time food was ready, the rest of the mansion had started to come alive. The team slowly made their way into the kitchen, drawn by the smell of a home cooked meal.

"Look at the new couple," Rogue teased as she entered, "didn't know you could cook Logan, let alone that he was a chef and had an assistant."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I grumbled, but there was a grin plastered on my lips.

Jean just laughed, handing out plates. "Hope you're all hungry," she said brightly. "Dinner is served."

Everyone dug in, and for a while, the finding room was filled with the sounds of laughter and conversation. I leaned against the wall, watching everyone interact, feeling a strange sense of joy and contentment settle over me.

Jean caught my eye from across the room as she usual did, her smile soft and genuine. I nodded, lifting my beer in a silent toast.

I walked over, bent down and placed a kiss on Jean's head. Everyone smiled, everyone happy and well fed.