X's and O's - The Nina and Logan Years

2001, Pt. 2

"Stryker's at Alkali Lake." Jean announced, after Nightcrawler, or Kurt, let her read his mind. Colonel William Stryker was holding Charles and Scott there, as well as the kids who had been abducted the night the mansion was attacked. 

"That's where the Professor sent me, there's nothing left," Logan countered.

"There's nothing left on the surface, Logan. The base is underground."

The jet was down, delaying them until they could get it back up and running again. They could be grounded for a while. 

Logan found Nina. "Hey."

"Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

He gave a brisk nod. "How are we doing?"

She cast a dejected look at the jet. "Not good. It'll take a good four or five hours before we can get it off the ground, at least."

"That's not what I meant."

"And I'm worried about about everyone. Charles, Scott, the kids..."

"And I'm worried about you."

"I'm worried about you too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean, where we're headed-"

She was cut off when he kissed her. "Logan-" She pulled away before she could get too lost in it like last time. "-Last time we did this, we got distracted, and the kids were attacked-"

"That wasn't because of us, the mansion was getting attacked anyway."

"I know, but - we need to focus on the task at hand. We don't have much time."

"Nina-"

"Please, don't make me do this," she insisted. 

"Do what?"

"This." And she walked away, leaving him there.

He stood there for a few moments, rejected, before jumping when Jean appeared. 

"Don't tell me you saw that. Or heard it."

"Unfortunately I did," the other redhead confirmed. "Look, Nina's my friend, and before that she was my mentor when I was a kid. Let me offer you some insight: girls flirt with the dangerous guy, Logan. They don't take him home. They marry the good guy."

He considered this. "I could be the good guy."

"I'm sure you could, but the good guy sticks around. You have to show her that. Remember, this is Nina's life, you can't just put all of your attention on her and then run away again. You have to show her, prove to her, that you're really committed, that is, if you really are-"

"I am," he cut in. 

Jean gave a small smile.  "Then think about it." 

Meanwhile, Nina hurried off for some alone time, however, did not find it. 

"Troubles of the heart?" a familiar voice said. She could hear the smirk around his words.

"Erik, don't."

"You always proved easy to fall in love with."

"And you always proved a notorious flirt. At least I didn't lead people on," she responded pointedly and stalked away. Erik's shit was the last thing she needed right now. 

---------------------------------------------

The base at Alkali Lake as gone, buried beneath the flood, all for the better. For the X-Men, everyone was back home at the mansion, safe and sound.

Only not everyone. 

Logan found Nina standing out on the balcony overlooking the school grounds. With Jean's loss and getting everyone back to the school safe and sound, they had barely had a moment to speak to each other about anything, let alone what he wanted to speak to her about.

"Hey."

She turned at his voice and smiled when she saw him. Despite the joy in her smile upon seeing him, it was still a sad, tired smile. "Hey."

"How're you doing?"

"All right, and you?"

"Okay, yeah."

She shook her head. "I've known Jean since she was just a kid, watched her grow up within these walls, and now-" She cut herself off and shook her head again. "And how about you, since regaining your memories?"

"You and the Professor were right, it wasn't pretty, but it's part of who I am, my past, an important part. It helped make me into what I am today."

"Yes. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you."

"Yeah, but I let them, with some if it at least."

"Still."

They were quiet for a few moments, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. 

He broke it. "I'm thinking of sticking around for a while."

This perked her up. "Yeah?" she said, almost cautiously. 

"Yeah, permanently."

She stared at him.  "Really?"

"Yeah. I know what you're thinking: it's not great timing cause we're all grieving-"

"Can you read minds now? Is that a new mutant power you have?" Her lips quirked into a smile, then turned serious again. "You know, something I've realized in this extended lifetime is that things can change so quickly." Like with Jean, she didn't need to add. 

"I can be the good guy, I can stick around," he said, recalling Jean's words from just days before. Thanks, Jean, he thought, and hoped that wherever she might be now, she knew how grateful he was to her. 

Now she smirked. "Oh, can you?"

"Yeah, and if you give me the chance, I can prove it to you-"

She cut him off. "Oh shut up-" She jumped up and laid a kiss on him. 

His arms instantly went around her middle, holding her against him, elevated above the ground, all while deepening the kiss. 

Things had been horribly upended in the last little while in various ways. But right here, right now, they were starting to feel right again. 

(Yay, they're official now! ;) 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))