Love That Burns

twenty

Your nightmare fueled flames had done more damage to the building than anyone had thought. The whole school was forced to live in the hotel for a month. Though, the parents who were willing did come and get their children quickly. You couldn't help but feel terrible about the whole situation, despite what others had tried to tell you.

Logan and you continued to share a room and a bed. You always started out on different sides of the bed only to wake up cuddled together. Neither of you said anything of it.

You busied yourself throughout every day with caring for the students there at the hotel. Logan busied himself with keeping an eye out on you. He didn't want to tell you that you had been catching items on fire in your sleep. Or been crying out and thrashing around. Logan had become a master at not waking you while he put the flames out or holding you tightly so that you weren't able to hurt yourself. He knew that there was more going on in your mind than you had yet to admit and he hated it. So for now, Logan would have to be content to doing what he could.

Finally, it was the last night in the hotel. But you and Logan seemed to be the only ones on edge about it.

It would be the last time you shared a bed with him. And it killed you to even think about. You sat on the bed, staring at Logan as he brushed his teeth. He caught your eye in the mirror and quickly spit out the tooth paste.

"What's going on?" He asked turning around.

"Nothing," you said, shaking your head.

"You don't gotta do that."

"Do what?"

"Lie to me. Act that you're protecting me or some shit. I can handle whatever you're thinking." You looked down at your lap. Logan sighed, coming over and sitting in front of you on the bed. "Talk to me."

"I'm... overwhelmed..." Logan stayed silent at your admission, letting you continue. "I was tortured. My free will stripped from me by the man who rescued me from homelessness and ruined our lives."

"Homelessness?"

You sighed. You had forgotten that Logan didn't know—or remember—your story. "I was homeless because of my father. He killed my mother for being a mutant. He was going to kill me too... I didn't know about my mutation until that night."

It was then that Logan realized that you had told him everything you knew about his past and the past you shared, but nothing about your individual past. "How old were you?"

"Early teens. I was in my late thirties when Stryker found me on the streets... before I killed him, he tried to appeal to me. Tried to remind me that I wouldn't be where I am today without him... it's the truth. For better or worse... the thing is, is that he called you the animal but I'm the one that ended up killing him."

"He was an evil man."

"I've learned that that doesn't always justify actions. You could've killed him too and didn't."

"I didn't because you were standing there. If you hadn't been, it would have been a whole different story." You stayed silent. He moved closer to you. "What else is bothering you?"

"A lot," you mumbled.

"Tell me."

"I... I don't wanna be a burden."

"You never could be, sweetheart. Not to me."

You could have melted right then and there. If you only knew how much Logan truly meant that. How much he was doing for you without your knowledge, that he never intended to tell you about.

You opened up to Logan that night. About everything. Your past before meeting him, what happened after Charles found you. Your overwhelming emotions about recent events. Logan listened intently, giving comments and light touches when necessary but mostly just there.