"Like a force to be reckoned with
A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss
I will love you with every single thing I have
Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess
Or calm waters, if that serves you best
I will love you without any strings attached"
Two ~ Sleeping At Last
(A/N: Can I just say how much I LOVE this song??? When I first listened to it, I immediately thought Logan's love for Johanna! UGH it's so beautiful!)
The ride back to Salem was silent.
For Logan, because he was still trying to focus on calming the Wolverine —refraining from thinking of the many, unspeakable possibilities that could've happened; if Logan hadn't shown up just in time to get his mate.
As for Johanna? Well... she was just trying to control her emotions... and also her nausea —admiring the car's vintage interior that she really didn't want to ruin.
When Logan finally calmed, he spoke first.
"Ya sure yer okay, sweetheart?"
Noticing Johanna wince made his stomach sink. Logan could smell her fear trickling back, and he hated that he'd scared her. Cursing himself, Logan grit his teeth. The world is scary and messed up as it is, and he should be the last person Johanna is afraid of. But what Logan didn't know, was that Johanna was starting to dislike the word Sweetheart, remembering Mike and what had happened —and what could've happened— all over again. She'd eventually have to tell him to stick with a another nickname. Darlin sounded pretty nice.
"I'm okay, Logan," Johanna reassured him. "Really, I swear... I'm just... sorry. For everything," Johanna looked away, tears welling up in her eyes.
Logan's brows were furrowed, jaw clenched. He knew what everything had meant, taking him back to when she had stormed off earlier that day.
"Well... ya should be—" Logan grunted, shaking his head. "The Wolverine and I... we were really worried about ya."
Johanna frowned. "Oh... um... well... after what happened, I didn't think you would be worried. Or even care," she mumbled under her breath, staring at her hands.
Brows raised, Logan blinked deeply and scoffed. "Ya didn't think I'd ca— Darlin," Logan said slowly. "It's gonna take a lot more than a couple punches to the chest to make me give up on ya. Because other than Jean and Hank, I was the one who cared for you the most when you were in that coma. Sat at your bedside every day and night. Talked to ya. Read to ya. Even fell asleep a couple times in the infirmary." Logan cracked his neck —wincing as if he was recalling a bad memory. Even with his rapid healing, Logan was still cursed with gaining the occasional crick in his neck if he slept wrong.
"And then," Logan paused, taking a deep breath. "After almost a month of enduring what felt like my own personal hell... ya finally wake up... and then just take off. You were way beyond pissed—"
"But—"
"Yeah... for the right reasons, sure." Logan rolled his eyes. "But..." he stressed, "—look where that got ya? You being pissed, turned ya into a reckless firecracker, Anna! And sometimes, actin' all explosive, can get ya hurt. Or killed." Logan abruptly stopped after Johanna's eyes widened.
The last thing Logan wanted to do, was scold Johanna, like a child. Because she wasn't one. But what he did want, was for his mate to get the message. And Logan hoped she did. Because now that Orion is dead, a lot of people were after Johanna.
Amongst the dark circles in the government, like the Friends of Humanity, and organizations that are independently run, like the Sapien League, Johanna was most definitely the main topic of their discussions nowadays.
A Class Five Hybrid, Logan could just imagine them —the enemies— marveling. As if she, his mate, would ever belong to anyone else, but him.
Johanna was being hunted. The most powerful feral, besides Logan, Victor, and Laura, and now... the most wanted. Johanna's powers —lying just beneath the surface, ready to be explored— haven't fully manifested yet. And for Johanna to be paired to a mate like Logan, she had to be strong. She could be the perfect weapon —a Hybrid who could copy other mutant's powers. Who knows what or who Johanna could become, molded by the hands of evil?
Now —more than ever— Logan had to protect her. Teach her. Guide her.
After a long, and quite uncomfortable, stillness —mostly spent avoiding Logan's gaze— Johanna blurted out, "I feel funny for some reason." Her stomach was now bubbling, bile starting to rise. Taking a couple deep breaths, saliva was now thicker in her mouth.
"Darlin', are you oka—"
"Oh, no!" Johanna gasped, unbuckling her seatbelt and sticking her head outside the window. Soon after, she started to gag, and then... she threw up. After letting the cool air rush against Johanna's face, occasionally rubbing her back in circles, Logan gently pulled her back in.
"Feelin' better?" Logan asked.
Johanna nodded, giggling as she wiped her mouth —slowly propping her boots up on the dashboard.
"What did that asshole serve you, anyway?" Logan rubbed her shoulders, while his other hand gripped the wheel.
"I had some Iced Teas from Long Island. It tasted kinda tart at first," Johanna sighed, smiling lazily. "But then, it was really good."
Iced tea from Long Island.
Taken aback, Logan studied Johanna for a brief moment, realizing that she was actually serious; letting a little snort escape.
"Darlin'... ya do realize that ya drank a lot of alcohol tonight, right? Which explains why you're kinda buzzed."
Johanna narrowed her eyes, her mouth slightly agape.
"But I'm not even allowed to drink alcohol, silly! I'm only..." Johanna paused, squinting, trying to focus on the thin, updated radio screen; which she couldn't quite see very well. "Wait, what day is it?"
Logan paused, trying to remember as well. "Thursday."
"Month... and date?" Johanna asked, rubbing the sides of her head.
"September fourteenth," he stated slowly. "Why?"
Johanna frowned, looking disappointed.
"Well... never mind, then. I'm twenty one now. Yesterday was... my birthday."
Logan's brows raised as he stared off into the distance.
Twenty one.
His mate was young... but not too young for people to judge them, considering Logan still looked like he was —roughly— in his early thirties; despite him almost being two hundred years old. Thinking about it a little more, Logan rolled his eyes in the process. Scott and Jean would likely have a problem with it; because they criticize and fuss about everything.
Though... Logan never —old timeline or new one— cared about their opinions, much less their "approval", to begin with. So, he'd just have to make sure the rest of the X-Geeks, as Logan liked to call them, were in "agreement" —basically Logan's version of them just butting out and shutting the hell up— and came to terms with the fact that Johanna was his mate.
And they would. Oh, they would.
"Look," Johanna huffed. "Can't we just agree that I'm not buzzed, and you're just a little... fuzzy?" she asked, shaking her head as she hiccuped. "I drank fur glasses of Long Aslan—"
"Aslan?"
"Long Iceland." Johanna slurred.
"Iceland now?" Logan purred, cocking a brow —wondering just how much of this would Johanna remember in the morning.
"Long Island! And stop distracting me, Wolfgang!" She grumbled, playfully smacking his arm.
Wolfgang, Logan thought. Now that's a first.
"Look... Loran—"
"Loran? Who's Loran? Because it ain't me!" Logan barked. God, he couldn't help himself. She was just too easy to tease right now.
"Logan! Listen—" once Johanna's voice began to crack, Logan stopped laughing.
"You're right," Johanna began. "I was being reckless. And stupid! And this is the second time you had to save me... and I was a jerk to you, and you didn't deserve that because you were just trying to help me," she took a —much needed— deep breath. "I just... I'm just... messed up, okay? I don't know who I am anymore, or what the hell I'm doing! You might as well just dump me somewhere, because I'm dangerous. Bad things seem to happen when I'm around! I'm just... horrible!" Hugging herself, Johanna couldn't hold it in anymore, heavily sobbing as she clutched her sides. Without any hesitation, Logan quickly pulled over at a rest stop and unbuckled his seatbelt.
If this was just any other woman crying —preferably a friend, like Rogue or Storm— Logan would've probably offered a kind word, or maybe even draped his arm around her shoulder. But besides those two moves, Logan had absolutely no clue on what to do next. Rolling his eyes, he could just hear his sister now. "You're such a robot, Logan!" Laura would tease. But maybe... she had a point. Because frankly, Logan wasn't even great at handling his own emotions very well, much less someone else's.
Though, looking back at the broken, young woman sitting next to him —who was wiping more tears that seemed to continue overflowing— Logan had to remind himself, yet again, that Johanna wasn't just any other woman. She was his mate.
And his mate... was upset.
Giving himself over, allowing his instincts to take full control, the Wolverine shoved Logan aside and took the reigns; gently pulling Johanna into his lap. And he let her cry for a while, knowing that she really needed it; relishing the feeling of her being in his arms. And to say that Logan merely liked it, was a complete understatement. Johanna's scent was overwhelming, intoxicating —realizing only now, that his mate smelled like honey and peppermint; scents that he didn't even realize he loved, until this very moment.
Softly purring —something Victor taught him many, many years ago— seemed to calm Johanna's nerves; her breathing, somewhat, steady now. Logan began to softly pet her curls before speaking.
"Anna, you're not horrible. Or dangerous. And... just forget what I said before, because ya don't need to be sorry. Especially for... actin' like a normal, human being. The Wolverine and I..." Logan paused. "—when we saw ya back there, and you needed our help... I just got fucking angry... at myself."
"Why?" Johanna sniffed.
"Because," Logan sighed. "I shoulda followed ya. Made sure you were alright. Ya shouldn't've had to be alone... and ya were."
"But... you stayed behind... because you hated me," Johanna mumbled.
"Never," Logan held her tighter, shaking his head. "To be honest... I was just too damn stubborn. Fightin' against my instincts, which I shouldn't've done. The entire time you were gone, the Wolverine wanted us to go after ya. I just... didn't want ya to feel suffocated... like a prisoner or somethin'. But I promise you... I'll never, ever hate ya. Look at me, Anna." Logan gently guided her chin with his forefinger, tipping it up. And God, her eyes were warm and gorgeous.
"You could hurt us —both wolf and man— a million times, and we'd still love ya. Always."
Johanna blinked a couple times. Wait... did... he just say...
"You... you love me?" Johanna couldn't believe it. Especially since... she was starting to have feelings for Logan too.
"Hell yeah," he smirked. "You're all mine, and I can't get enough of ya. You're a little spitfire, y'know that?" Logan poked Johanna's ribs until she began to giggle; which sounded like music —a symphony— to his ears. She probably had a good voice too, and he hoped she did, because then she could sing to him. And maybe even to our pups one day, the Wolverine hoped.
Johanna suddenly stopped giggling, looking somewhere else —anywhere else— avoiding his gaze; a hot tear racing down her cheek. Logan gently wiped it away, slowly caressing her soft skin.
"What's wrong?"
Johanna shrugged. "We kinda just met, and you don't even know me. What if... you find somethin' you don't like, and then you stop loving me? And you just... leave."
Logan let out a deep breath through his nose, mulling over what she had said; smelling a hint of fear wash over her from that last word. In his lap, Johanna suddenly looked so small and vulnerable. And he couldn't help but wonder, what exactly happened in her past, making her afraid? Afraid of him —or anyone, really— leaving her. How could Logan prove to Johanna that he wasn't going anywhere? And if they did happen to get separated for some reason, Logan would always find her; her sugary scent permanently ingrained into his memory.
Logan gazed into Johanna's eyes for what seemed like hours —forcing himself to not focus on her lips.
"I don't know you. You're right," Logan admitted. "But... it doesn't mean I don't want to. Because I do. I really do. You're different, Anna. Special."
"Really?"
"Really," Logan said firmly; sensing Johanna was feeling a bit better. She just needed some encouragement.
"Like, for one thing..." Logan quickly thought about some of his most popular setbacks. "I'm too damn stubborn. I also have a short temper. And... I tend to get frustrated sometimes when I can't put my thoughts into words."
Johanna nodded. "Well, I think you're doing great... with the words," she said, realizing instantly that her compliment —along with mostly everything else she was saying— came out all wrong; her cheeks feeling warm.
Logan smirked. He knew what she had meant, but he still thought it was cute —even using the word cute was foreign to him. But when it came to Johanna, it was as if Logan was evolving into a different person —a better man... for her. And Johanna didn't even know what she was doing to him, making Logan feel things he'd never felt before —and how he was already tightly wrapped around her soft, slender finger.
And truthfully, Logan was content. Like a teenager being in love for the first time, Logan didn't know what the hell he was doing either... and all he wanted to do was just kiss her. But —for the first time— the Wolverine was against it; ordering him to remember to take things slow. To take care of his mate.
Until she was ready to be claimed —adding a small bite mark on her neck, showing her full acceptance as his mate— Logan would just have to wait for her. And for the first time, Logan was in agreement. She was his mate, after all. And he would do anything for her. Even if it meant being a gentleman and acquiring his only weakness; patience.
"What if," Johanna drawled, "we made a pact?"
"A pact?" Logan asked, skeptically.
"Yeah!" She chuckled, wiping away a tear. "What if we swear to never leave?"
Logan nodded. "Okay... and to never run off if we're mad?" Logan cocked a brow, really saying it for the both of them; since they were alike in so many ways.
Johanna nodded, smiling sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah... that too."
"Okay... so no runnin' or leavin'. I can do that."
"But you have to swear on something important." Johanna said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's part of the pact, Wolfgang."
Squeezing her hip, Logan playfully narrowed his eyes. "Someone's gettin' a little bossy."
Johanna cocked a brow. "Well someone's a little buzzed!" she laughed, pointing at herself.
Logan shook his head and chuckled —mumbling a whatever under his breath.
Giving Johanna one last playful glare, Logan rolled his eyes and thought for a moment. He didn't have much in his life. It had been like that for as long as Logan could remember. And it was always just him and Victor. And then just him for a while. And then, after the Liberty Island incident —when Logan remembered Victor again— they had reconnected. Now, he had his brother, his sister, and his mate —and Logan couldn't ask for anything more; fully satisfied with his little pack.
"Alright... I swear on my brother's grave," even though Logan knew Victor would never die, "to never leave you or run when the goin' gets tough."
Johanna was taken aback. "Wow... okay then..."
So... he had a brother, she thought. Now, Johanna wanted to know any and every little detail about Logan; especially if he had any more family members. But, her sudden curiosity would have to wait.
"I swear... um... well, if we're swearing on graves," she paused. "Then... I swear on my mother's. And... my cousin's," she muttered. "I don't know if he's still alive, but... they were my only family that I cared about."
Logan nodded. So, something must've happened to her cousin too? Hell, life really wasn't fair to her, Logan thought.
"Well... it's settled then," Logan grunted, gearing the subject away from her fallen loved ones. "Ya know this is forever, right, baby?" Someday, Johanna would know that Logan had meant both their pact and their bond. Someday.
Looking into his eyes, Johanna saw something she'd never seen before. It was as if she was staring right into her future, their future, and all she could do was she smile.
"Forever," Johanna murmured. "I think it has a nice ring to it," she said confidently.
Logan nodded. "Forever, then."
Starting the car, Logan couldn't help the grin that was now plastered on his face. His life, his purpose, his future, was sitting right next to him —gazing into the night sky; the wind blowing through her river of soft curls. And Logan couldn't believe it. How he, of all men, was given such a wonderful mate, who was perfect... for him.
If she was truly a Hybrid, Johanna would live as long as him. Someone who wouldn't die, leaving him —once again— alone. And for as long as they both have breath in their lungs, they would keep each other grounded —Logan teaching Johanna everything there is to know about mates, and what a real man should look like —never abandoning her. And Johanna, going through a full syllabus on how to be patient, loving, and open.
For centuries, Logan kept everything inside; bottled up. No one ever truly seeing him... entirely. But her? His mate? His Anna? Well, slowly, but surely, she was opening up that bottle. And eventually, she'd come to love him —fully. No barriers. No secrets. Just acceptance and true love.
"Forever."
"Forever."
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