Fervent Feelings

X3 Chapter 14 - Stun & Stammer 'Em

My eyes flutter open, the dim light of the moon casting soft shadows across the familiar ceiling. The room is quiet, almost eerily so, but there's a presence— I tense, my senses sharpening as I push myself up, tossing the covers aside.

"Whoa, it's just me." A firm but tender hand presses gently on my shoulder, coaxing me back into place. The touch is familiar, and grounding.

I squint into the darkness, the outlines of the room slowly coming into focus. The scent of leather and cigar smoke lingers faintly in the air, unmistakable.

"Logan..." The name escapes my lips, a mix of relief and something deeper, something I'm not ready to face. My body relaxes, sinking back into the bed as I rub my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness. I rest my head against the headboard, letting out a slow breath.

"The professor put you to sleep," Logan says, his voice low and rough, tinged with something I can't quite place. "Didn't know how else to calm you down." His gaze shifts to the nightstand, where Scott's sunglasses sit, a reminder of everything I've lost.

I follow his gaze, then glance around the room. It's like stepping into a memory, with everything exactly as I left it. "It looks... the same..." I murmur sluggishly.

"When you died—or rather, when you were left behind—Scott insisted it stayed the same," Logan explains, his voice thick with regret. "He refused to accept the idea of anyone else taking your room. The professor, who seemingly lied to everyone, agreed, not wanting to upset your brother any more than he already was." He nods, his eyes roaming the room, taking in the details that have remained untouched by time. "I found myself in here a couple of times... It'd be late at night, and I'd wake up from a nightmare, and for some reason, I'd always end up here."

His words hang in the air, heavy with unspoken pain. The thought of Logan, haunted by his past, seeking solace in the remnants of my presence, tugs at my heart. Maybe it's my mutation, or maybe for once- it's my own feelings.

"I was going to come back," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But a nagging voice grew in my head. Erik's words haunted me. He said you all didn't think twice about my loss... That I was just a hindrance to you all." My eyes drift up, meeting Logan's gaze, searching for some kind of reassurance.

Logan sighs, the sound rough and weary. He moves to sit on the edge of the bed, the frame groaning under his weight. For a moment, he's silent, trying to get his thoughts to form into words, something I know he can struggle with. Then, finally, he looks at me, his gaze momentarily flickering between my eyes and my lips.

"Look..." Logan begins, his voice softer now, more vulnerable than I've ever heard it. "What Erik said... it's bullshit. Yeah, we all got our own demons, and maybe we didn't show it the right way, but losing you—it hit us hard. It hit me hard." He pauses, swallowing thickly, the tension in his shoulders betraying the calmness of his words. "You were never a hindrance, Y/n. Not to me. Not to Scott. Not to anyone."

His words, spoken with such raw honesty, broke what little sanity I had left. The wall I've built around my heart cracks, and for the first time since I left, I feel the full weight of the grief I've been carrying. The tears come undone, hot, and relentless, streaming down my cheeks as the reality of it all crashes down on me.

Logan shifts closer, his hand finding mine, squeezing gently. "We've all made mistakes," he murmurs, his voice like a balm to my wounded soul. "But you were never one of them."

"Stop talking..." My voice shakes, the urgency is clear. My gaze flickers between Logan's eyes and his lips, the tension between us thick and undeniable. Before I can second-guess myself, I close the distance, pressing my lips to his.