winds of change ~ wolverine

eighteen

We ended up at a kebab place five minutes down the road, the three of us sitting in plastic red chairs and huddled over our food.

I dusted off the last of my order, leaning back in my seat and cradling my full belly. "Delish." I hummed contentedly. 

Andy echoed my sentiment, wiping her fingers with the napkins and laboriously pushing herself up to stand. "I'm gonna go pee."

"Go piss gi-" 

She stopped me before I could get it all out. "Oh God, don't start." Laughing to herself, she rounded the corner and disappeared into the bathroom.

I watched Logan, who had been unnervingly quiet since we left the club. Groaning as the food shifted inside me, I leaned forward on the table. "Okay, what's up? You've got a look."

He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head curiously. I matched the tilt with a smile, waiting for him to fess up and getting the feeling that I was miles more drunk than he was. "Does that kind of thing happen often?"

I frowned, taking a moment to realize what he meant. "You mean that ass back in the club?" He nodded tightly and I bit my lip as I thought of a way to put it. "That was... slightly worse than average content-wise, and it absolutely never ends like it did tonight. But the badgering part was pretty run of the mill." I watched his barely veiled frustration, putting my elbows on the table and sitting up a little straighter. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"Does it not bother you?"

I sighed, turning my rings to give my hands something to do and because I could feel myself losing focus while staring into his eyes. "Of course it bothers me. The only way I could get a night without it is if I went out wearing a plastic bin bag... and even then, you never know." His frown deepened and I softened up inside at his genuine concern. "And yeah, wearing a bin to the club would be novel for a while, but... you know, it's nice to put on cute clothes sometimes and go out with your friends and feel pretty without having to fend jerks like him off."

He shook his head, a little gleam returning to his somber eyes. "The clothes don't make you pretty, Bailey."

I gasped, a bit scandalized. "I thought you said you liked this outfit!"

Logan laughed, the sound rumbling out from him like warm rain. "I do like the outfit, you idiot. I'm trying to say that the clothes have nothing to do with you being beautiful."

Gaping in surprise, I slowly began to smile. Not knowing what to say to that, I just got up from my seat and rounded the small table to stand in front of him. Placing a hand on his shoulder to steady myself, I left a sweet kiss on Logan's cheek. 

Standing up straight again, I leaned against the side of the table instead of sitting back down across from him. I was too drunk to analyze the unreadable look on his face, so I said, "I would say the same to you, but you pretty much wear the same thing every day so I think you already got it down."

He smiled and my eyes were drawn to the faint dimples in his cheeks. I was struck suddenly by how adorable they looked on an otherwise astoundingly intimidating man.

Hearing Andy's heeled boots turning the corner, I pushed my hair out of my face and forced myself to look away from him. She emerged with a hand on her stomach and a grimace on her face. "Drink and kebab do not mix well."

I chuckled at her expression, walking up and putting her hand over my shoulder to help her back to the table, a little glad for the distraction. Even drunk, I knew enough to be worried about what I might say or do if Logan kept saying such sweet things to me. "They do actually, but you and kebab do not mix well, ever."

"Why did you let us come here then?" She groaned.

"You threatened to gut me if we didn't stop here to eat."

I helped her slide into her seat and Andy immediately slumped forward with her head in her hands. "You should know better."

I rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, smiling in amusement where she couldn't see me. "I really should." I grabbed my wallet and headed to the counter to pay. As the late night cashier stood from his seat to ring me up, Logan appeared at my side with his own money in hand.

I put my hands on my hips, looking up at him. "I'm paying, Logan."

He scoffed like I'd told him a joke. "Oh is that why I have my wallet out?"

Shaking my head, I smacked the cash down first with a triumphant smirk. Before the cashier could take it, Logan slid it back and handed him his cash instead. The cashier glanced between us and quickly slotted Logan's money into the register.

I narrowed my eyes. "That wasn't fair."

He accepted his change, smiling and offering me back my cash. "You can get the next one."

I shook my head with a poorly concealed smile. "That's what you said last time, and the time before that." 

Logan just smirked down at me. "Is it?"

Scoffing in disbelief, I took my money from his hand and jammed it fiercely back in my wallet. "I will get the next one, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

In response, Logan threw an arm over my shoulder as we walked back to the table to collect Andy's crumpled form. "Sure you will, bub."