| Summary: Danielle and Logan
share the beginnings of an unusual kind of relationship |
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| Jean
looked out the window of the Professor's office. It was the eve
of the end of the first week Danielle had spent at the school.
She was outside enjoying her afternoon walk in the courtyard and was
promptly joined by Logan. "Logan is spending a great deal of time with our new resident," Charles stated. "Yes," Jean replied blankly before returning her attention to the couple outside. The courtyard was filled with activity. There were several of the younger residents playing Frisbee and others grouped together in chat. Danielle and Logan walked together in silence and keeping just enough distance in respect of each other's personal space. Yet, it seemed more likely that they were in some way afraid of being close. "Somethin' on yer mind?" Logan asked. "Nothin' I can't handle myself," Danielle replied. She was thinking about the threats her ex-boyfriend made when Logan rescued her. "Hum..." he growled. She walked a little ahead of him, stretching and soaking in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. A light breeze whipped around them. Logan raised an eyebrow as he watched her black skirt rise up as the wind caught it. He took note of her incredible figure – so feminine and yet so strong. His eyes ran up the black tights to her round and firm backside, which brought a sly smile to his face. He continued his journey of her letting his eyes follow the line of her back, up over her shoulders and then to the mane of long wavy dark brown hair with golden highlights. She glanced over her shoulder, as the sunlight cast a golden glow in her chocolate brown eyes. Her feral instincts had informed her that she was being scrutinized. He could see the animal in her and he noted how her eyes took on a feline look – a light golden hue began to shine in them. "See somethin' ya like?" she snidely asked. Logan didn't respond but the half smile that curled up on his lips was enough of an answer. Logan rarely smiled, so when he did, it usually meant he was deeply affected. "Logan is fascinated with her," Charles said. "Of course, he would be. He's got new prey to chase," Jean said sarcastically. Charles instantly picked up on the hint of jealousy in Jean's voice and her quick remark opened her mind to him. "Well, I think there's more to it than just having a new adult female on campus. He's responding to her in ways I think even he is unaware of. I think he likes how she mirrors him in so many ways. He is very curious," Charles said. Xavier's telepathic abilities searched Logan's mind. He found thoughts of curiosity and typical male interest. She was a woman who shared his same gifts and primal tendencies. Yet, for some odd reason, curiosity and interest were mixed in with feelings of fear. Charles wondered why Logan would be afraid when he always seemed to have a way with women and right now was obviously demonstrating a certain interest in Danielle. He began to sift through the jumbled thoughts and heard Jean's voice – girls flirt with the dangerous guy, then they marry the good guy. Logan was clinging to the words that had been said – those words of rejection. It didn't matter that he was strong, handsome, and in his eyes, capable of being the good guy – he had been rejected – something Logan had trouble handling. Emotions were things he had no ability to rapidly heal. All he could do was bury them deep down inside. "What are you picking up with Danielle?" Charles asked Jean while still focusing on Logan. "I don't think you want to know what she's thinking. I can understand his curiosity. He has someone here who is so much like him - from the feral personality to the mutant healing ability. He has someone whom he can really connect with," Jean replied. Charles snickered softly. There was no question Danielle found Logan attractive, yet even for her, there was an underlying fear. Logan was indeed curious but his instincts kept him distant. Danielle stood by the Koi pond and realized it was getting a little chilly as the sun was setting. Wrapping her arms around herself, she held fast not to think of the chill that was running through her body. Logan sensed her discomfort and quickly shed his leather jacket without her seeing what he was doing. He gently laid the jacket across her shoulders and she accepted the gift. His hands rubbed her shoulders trying to bring some extra warmth to her and he felt her tense up and a low rumble of a growl sounded from deep inside her. Logan quickly backed off. Danielle pulled her arms through the jacket sleeves and turned to him. She didn't make it terribly well known, but her senses were surrounded with stimulations. Her primal drives were sparked by the intimate closeness of Logan's jacket – worn in some places, having seen a lot of miles of travel, and it smelled so strongly of him. To her, it had an intoxicating scent of pure male strength that wafted from the leather and filled her nostrils. She was stirred with his closeness as well. Logan listened to her growl and responded with a growl deep in his throat. Danielle, for the first time since arriving to the school, looked Logan over thoroughly. She observed the look of physical superiority – a body of strong build with a hidden enhanced skeleton of metal and weapons encased inside his arms. His looks were very male and rugged with strong features, brown hair and sweeping sideburns. He was a man of unknown age, unmeasured strength, and had engaged in a lot of military action. Logan was a warrior – a brave soldier whose newfound mission was to protect his adopted family. Yet, his light brown eyes revealed a hidden pain – a pain of having had been constantly on the run, of not knowing his true self, and having only the nightmares to provide some flashbacks to a past he may never know. As much as he was determined to start fresh, as he declared during the Alkali Lake mission, he still longed to feel complete. And, he wore his jeans way too tight. She cocked her head in silent acceptance of everything he is. But, even though he was superior she felt an urge to prove herself against Wolverine. Danielle moved towards him – her hand reaching out and grasping his side. He jumped nearly a mile high since it was one of his ticklish spots and he was quick to guard it. Danielle looked at him slyly sensing his defensiveness and she reached for his side again. Logan backed away with a smile cutting across his face. "You ain't gonna do that, now are ya?" he asked. "Do what? Tickle the hell outta ya? Naw, not me," she said boldly while increasing the speed of her pace to catch up to him as he continued to back away. Logan quickly turned and broke into a fast run. Danielle sprinted after him in pursuit and caught him. Charles thought Logan let her – his longer strides would have easily kept him ahead of Danielle. Danielle tickled him furiously and Logan laughed deeply and almost to the point of tears. He pleaded for mercy as he defenselessly dropped to the ground on his back. She pinned him down and looked deep into his eyes as he caught his breath. "Ya know, Rogue is right when she says you need to smile more. Ya got a cute smile," she said. Logan hated to admit it felt good to smile. It was something he rarely did. He was too used to being angry and hateful of the world – a world that hated and feared him because he was different and even more so that he was a living killing machine. He withdrew into himself not understanding her willingness to be such a friend to him. Logan had sensed her compassion that first time they met in Canada. "Give up?" Danielle asked Logan. "I ain't done with you yet," Logan replied snidely. "Give it yer best shot," she replied before getting up. He sprang to his feet and before she could respond, he had her tied up in his arms. Logan growled as she tried to fight for her freedom. As she slipped out of his tight grip, she quickly turned around and prepared to defend herself. Logan's knowledge of martial arts didn't help him – she was a good opponent, although she was not as polished as he was. They pushed and shoved each other in attempts to intimidate the other. Some of the children gathered around as the rivals began to square off. They were curious as to all the aggression but fearful of the seriousness of the attacks that were ensuing. Danielle wailed loudly with her voice filled with primal rage, and she charged at Logan. Her kicks and punches landed with accuracy and were loaded with pain. Logan retaliated with equally dangerous strikes, but he controlled the urge to let his claws spring forth. "This shit has got to stop. What kind of example are they setting for those kids?" Scott said snidely. "They are just sparring - quite like what we saw in the dining hall the other morning," Charles said. "Why would they need to fight with each other? If Logan and Danielle wanted – you know, to get close – then this doesn't make sense," Scott added. "The evolution of this particular line of mutation has certainly shown a very feral nature," Charles commented. "Great. Xavier School for the Gifted is now a petting zoo," Scott remarked. Danielle ran off into the woods. Logan followed her – slinking into the dense growth of maple trees and underbrush. Danielle had made it a point to travel downwind of Logan making it difficult for him to pick up her scent. He sniffed the air then crouched down close to the ground looking for tracks. The Wolverine was now loose – the predator was hunting his prey. His fine-tuned ears listened for even the slightest crack of a twig under foot or the brush of a tree branch against his leather jacket she was now wearing. Dusk made for better cover as well and Logan knew she was pulling out all the stops to make catching her very difficult. Logan climbed one of the larger rock outcroppings giving him a vantage point to scan the area. His light brown eyes saw nothing. His ears picked up nothing and there was no scent in the air that might lead him to her. The hunter now felt hunted. A primal fear began to build up from deep down in his gut. The animal wanted to run – to escape the threat he now felt. He jokingly called out to her. "OK, Danielle. You win this round," he said. There was no reply. He headed back out into the courtyard and there she was standing with her arms crossed in front of her. "Where ya been?" she joked. The kids giggled around her as Logan stood several feet in front of her. He growled loudly and she responded with an equally threatening sound. He rushed after her – the fury of the Wolverine was in control again leaving behind Logan the man. The scent of restrained desire filled the air between both the predator and the prey. But, who exactly had which role was undisclosed. Logan smartly swept her feet out from under her, but she quickly recovered. He lunged for her and she bolted in the opposite direction. His hand grasped her shoulder and they tumbled to the ground. Logan pinned her down under the weight of his body and held her wrists together over her head. Danielle tried to hide the delight she was experiencing in feeling him on her – the warmth and hardness of his body thrilled her to the core. She struggled again getting free and both rose to their feet. Danielle didn't get far when he grabbed her around her midsection bringing her to a quick stop. Logan held her tight bracing her body firmly against his. She stopped struggling for a moment and inhaled deeply the scent that was all Logan's. But, she was not about to make things easy. She tilted her head back and took his chin between her teeth threateningly holding on with just enough pressure to demonstrate her lack of fear of him. He found the nip rather arousing, and she quickly picked up his change in scent. Logan felt her squirm again but never relinquished his hold on her, and they sank to the ground. His primal urges were becoming stronger – the hunter had caught his prey. He sat with her still held tight in his arms. Logan felt her taut body against him. She was coiled up ready to spring if he even let up on his grip just a little bit. He felt her warmth and listened to the soft growl she emitted. Logan let up on his hold just enough to allow one hand to gently stroke her arm wanting her to relax. What he could do now shook him to think of the audience before him. Danielle felt his heat and could hear the rushing sounds of his blood racing through his veins – veins pumping with increased volumes of adrenaline and testosterone. Feeling him loosen his grip was just what she needed. She used her shorter stature against him and weaseled her body around until she was able to face his throat. Her unusually sharp canines grasped his windpipe firmly but gently. He knew she had the instinct to kill, but this action was not one with deadly intention. It was something very different. Her bite was almost like a loving caress, and he reveled the feel of her teeth on him and the warmth of her breath as it breezed on his skin. His body relaxed with her unusual type of attention, and she knew he was becoming too aroused. Danielle held him for several minutes but realized he was not releasing his steel grip, and she enjoyed how he responded to her aggressions. Yet, both of them realized where this all could lead, and that there were a dozen children watching them. Logan let go of her slowly. She studied his light brown eyes looking into the depths of a lonely soul. He wanted so badly to kiss her and as he began to lean towards her, Logan noticed Jean and the Professor in the window observing them. He backed off to the disappointment of the children and quickly got up to offer Danielle a hand. Danielle felt him retreating and decided she might have been misinterpreting his actions, especially after noticing Jean watching. "Yer one hell of a fighter. Ya take advantage of every opportunity," he said running his fingers through his hair and trying to shake off the arousal that had begun to overcome his body and mind. "A girl's gotta protect herself," she replied in a matter of fact way. She shook off the grass from her skirt before realizing Logan was standing before her. Danielle looked up into his eyes again. He looked back with equal intensity before allowing his hand to sweep aside the long lock of hair that fell over her eye. "Yer a little rough around the edges, but I bet I could show ya a few ways to clean up yer moves," he said. He walked behind her taking her arms and showing her a few maneuvers. "Try keepin' yer center of gravity like this," he demonstrated. He was Weapon X – the perfect killer – a man with an animal heart and primal rages that made him the best soldier any army could have in their possession. His body had been altered – his skeleton inhumanly strong, his arms sheathed the sharpest blades known to mankind, and he had unlimited regenerative abilities – all this making him nearly indestructible. She was trying hard not to get overly excited. She glanced over to a few of the kids mimicking their poses. "Ya eva thought of teaching?" she asked. "Never was good at expressin' what's on my mind," he replied. "Yer doin' a good job now. Somehow, I could see ya teachin' these skills of yers to the kids. Look at them," she said. She turned around to face him and Logan shrugged his shoulders. He never thought of himself as a teacher – an alcohol-drinking, cigar smoking, cage-brawling, womanizing bastard – a monster created by the sick mind of a warped individual – a man tortured indiscriminately, sliced open and physically changed into a killing machine - that's how he saw himself. For a brief moment, he marveled at how Danielle didn't fear him – she rivaled him in so many ways – and he allowed just a hint of pride to be expressed on his face. "Hey kids, come here. Logan is gonna show us some stuff," Danielle said gathering up the children. "Danielle, I ain't good at this," Logan balked. "Well, give it a try," she replied. Logan huffed deeply as Danielle shot him an angry glare. It took him a moment to compose himself, but then he started off showing the kids a few simple defensive moves. Danielle crossed her arms in front of herself and watched as Wolverine conducted his first class. After a few minutes, Logan felt more at ease forgetting the students were in their early teens. The soldier was conducting his first drill and Danielle took delight in it. "Now, this is very interesting," Charles said. "Look at the way the children pay attention." "I would pay attention, too, if I had a teacher that was capable of dicing me up if I misbehaved or didn't listen," Scott snickered. "I think this is a good idea for Logan. Danielle is making him focus on something other than his problems," Jean replied. "This might be just the thing Logan needs," Charles said. The sun had fallen behind the trees and it was getting dark. The children thanked Logan for the lessons and begged him for more the next day. Hesitant to agree, he said he would think about what he could show them. The children all ran inside to wash up for dinner, as Logan confronted a smiling Danielle. "Ya look fantastic with them," Danielle said. Shyly, Logan half smiled before saying, "I'm not used to kids." "Ya did fine and I actually would look forward to a few more lessons myself," she replied. "Ya think ya might be interested in a rematch in the Danger Room at some point?" Logan asked. "Yer on. I would get some ice ready," she replied. "Ice? What for?" Logan asked. "For the ass whooping I'm gonna give ya," she responded and walked off. Logan watched her leave. The gleam in his eye was bright enough for even Jean to see from far away. "That's one hell of a way to flirt with someone," Scott said. "I like the influence she is having on him," Charles replied. Jean saw Danielle coming inside the mansion and she excused herself to go talk to her. "Danielle, do you have a moment?" Jean asked. "Sure. What can I do fer ya?" Danielle replied. "Can I ask you about what just happened with Logan outside?" Jean asked innocently. Danielle snickered. "You mean our little shoving match?" "Yes. What was it all about?" Jean asked. "Just pushing his feral buttons to piss him off a bit," Danielle responded. "You mean like tormenting him into a rage," Jean said. "I guess you could say that - like play-fighting," Danielle responded before going back to her room to shower and change for dinner. Jean remained where she stood for a moment contemplating what she just heard. Then, she heard Logan walking in, as his heavy work boots sounded on the hard wood floors. "Logan..." Jean was quickly interrupted. "I heard ya askin' Danielle. We're just goofin' around," he grunted. "Oh?" Jean pried while watching Logan head down the hall. As he passed by Danielle's room, his pace slowed and he sniffed the air. He paused for a moment and closed his eyes obviously enjoying whatever scent he was inhaling. Then, he proceeded on to his room. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As time went on, it seemed that Logan and Danielle were spending more and more time in each other's company. However, there were emotional walls up on both sides. Many times, Danielle and Logan could be found in the gym working out together – their constant harassing made each other work harder. "C'mon, wimp. You could do better `n that," Danielle snidely remarked as Logan raised an eyebrow and lifted the weighted bar on outstretched arms. As his muscles strained to lift the iron, Danielle delighted herself in watching him. His arms tensed; his chest tensed; his abdominal muscles tightened. Everything about him was silently turning her on. Of course, Logan would have his revenge – tormenting her as she tried a little kickboxing with him. He would dance around the ring not allowing her a target to strike at. "What's the matter, darlin'? Can't catch me?" he would provoke. With a snarl, she lunged pushing him against the wall and digging her nails into the sweaty bare flesh of his sides. She lifted her knee within striking distance of his most precious body part. "Ya better watch it or else," she threatened. Logan knew she meant business. With a quick maneuver, he grasped the underside of her knee and pulled her off her feet. He pinned her down under his full weight as she struggled to try to free herself. Logan snickered wisely knowing he wasn't letting her go. The fight for freedom was pointless. The harder she tried the stronger he held her. She finally relinquished the struggle just lying under him. Her hands journeyed down over the sweaty flesh of his sides, and Logan could only begin to wonder what she was up to. He quickly grabbed her wrists figuring the thought of tickling him was dancing around in her mind. "What? Don't trust me?" she asked sarcastically. Logan raised an eyebrow again. "No," he grunted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After dinner, a few of the male residents had gathered in the TV room to watch a football game. Logan sat on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table and sucking down a beer. Danielle popped in, hopped onto the couch next to him, grabbed his beer and took a long swig. Logan looked at her curiously raising an eyebrow to her bold attitude. Taking Wolverine's beer away was dangerous. Of course, the young boys snickered at Logan's curious response and Danielle's boldness. She kicked back and leaned against Logan's shoulder. A collective `oooo' was heard from the boys. "You only think yer tough," she said arrogantly. Logan looked into her eyes seeing a very bold and self-assured woman at his side. His eyes narrowed as he raised his clenched fist and released his claws. They shimmered from the glow emanating from the TV. Danielle ran her finger over the top of one claw, took another swig from the beer bottle and nestled down by his side again. "You aren't gonna give him back his beer?" Bobby asked nervously. "Nope," she replied even though she could now hear a low rumbling growl coming from Logan. She narrowed her eyes and peered at him sternly and growled back. Logan sensed there was no use and sheathed his claws. Danielle then returned the beer bottle and left him. She returned with two fresh bottles, one of which she handed off to him. Logan silently accepted it and quickly downed the entire bottle. The boys watched him finish, slam the bottle on the coffee table and release such a belch that they couldn't help but giggle. Danielle was not about to be outdone and did exactly the same thing. Logan's reaction was unsuspected – he didn't get mad – he smiled instead. Her attention turned to the TV as the Giants scored a touchdown. |
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