Fervent Feelings

X-Logan Chapter 26 - The Comfort Of A Laugh Track

~~~TW - mentions of verbal abuse.~~

~~Also proof reads? who proof reads? not me clearly.~~

I shift in my seat, watching Logan's gaze flick outside, catching sight of the family struggling to wrangle their horses. His jaw tightens, a subtle sign of the internal struggle brewing inside him. He doesn't want to stop.

"No, we have to keep going. Someone will come along," he mutters, his tone gruff, almost like he's convincing himself more than anyone else.

"Someone has come along," Charles replies calmly, eyes forward, not missing a beat.

Laura, seated in the passenger seat, watches Logan closely. There's a spark of curiosity in her eyes as if she's studying him, watching how the sight of people in need tugs at something deep inside him—something rusty and long buried. He glances at Charles, conflicted, before letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.

The car begins to move again, and we veer across the highway toward the stranded SUV and trailer, stuck deep in a ditch. Charles inches closer to me, and I can feel the anticipation rolling off him in waves as Logan pulls the truck to a stop.

"Roll down the window, please," Charles urges softly, his voice gentle but firm.

I comply, pressing the button and watching as the window lowers with a soft whir. Outside, the horse wranglers are still struggling, their voices tense as they try to calm the spooked animals.

Charles closes his eyes, taking a slow, deliberate breath. I watch, fascinated, as the distressed horses suddenly grow calm, their frantic movements easing as they start to walk toward us. He's guiding them—mentally, effortlessly as if he's done this a thousand times. Even at his age, his power flows with an ease that leaves me in awe.

Laura hops out of the truck, her small figure framed by the oversized pink sunglasses perched on her nose. Logan steps out too, watching the professor with a look of mild confusion, maybe even surprise. The family, now visibly less frazzled, looks around, equally puzzled by the sudden change in their horses.

"Hey, you, uh, need a hand?" Logan offers, his voice softer, tinged with a rare tenderness that makes me instinctively smile for reasons I can't explain, but if I had to try I would say...familiarity.

With a little effort—though likely nothing for Logan—they manage to push the SUV out of the rut and reattach the trailer. The older man of the family taps the hood cheerily with his gloved hand, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Ah, good, got it." His voice is warm, filled with gratitude as he looks toward his wife and son, smiling. "Come on, let's go home."

Laura, curious as ever, makes her way to the trailer and props herself up on a tire, peering through the small window to watch the horses. She seems almost entranced by them and I can't blame her after being raised in what was essentially a cage.

"Thank you so much for your help," the woman says, stepping forward and extending a hand. "I'm Kathryn."

Logan hesitates for a moment before accepting the handshake. "James," he responds, his voice gruff but polite.

"And this is my son, Nate," Kathryn adds, motioning toward the teenage boy beside her.

"Hi," Nate mumbles shyly.

"Hey," Logan hums, barely glancing up.

Kathryn's gaze shifts to Laura. "That's your daughter?"

Logan stammers for a moment, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, that's, uh... Laura." He half turns, pointing toward the truck where Charles and I sit. "And that's my dad. Chuck." Charles smiles and waves, completely unbothered by Logan's half-baked introduction. "And this is Y/N... uh, a close family friend."