Logan stared at Kurt, worried.

His lust had outdone itself and finally withered away, replacing it with profound concern for the younger mutant. They were still on the large island in the kitchen, Logan hovering over him, Kurt not bothering to wake up, the air that drifted from his slightly ajar mouth so subtle in nature as if he was sleeping.

"Shit." Logan swore under his breath.

The one time he had sex with the kid and it nearly cost them both. He knew all those years of going without would eventually catch up to him… but he was kind of hoping it wouldn't end such as it did. Of course he couldn't take all the blame. If Kurt hadn't seduced him with those golden eyes that flashed with hunger and those teasing words laced with decadence, then maybe none of this would've come about in the first place. Surely he was aware of Logan's lack of self-control when it came to such things? Did he take advantage? If so then he really was to blame for the ill-timed upshot.

'You don't tempt a snake with bait and expect it not to strike.'

He grabbed Kurt's shoulders and shook him roughly. When that didn't work he decided to give the blue demon a firm backhand smack across the face, grumbling in frustration as nothing happened. A ripple of nauseating panic inundated his soul as the irrational thought of Kurt never waking tore through his brain, unsettling his viscera. Underneath the despair, however, there lingered… utter disbelief.

He was Wolverine, turbulent and powerful. The beast feared nothing, everyone feared him. That's what it should've been like, until the eerie creature named Nightcrawler made his sudden appearance.

Since that time Logan had always felt the need to protect the mutant as if he was one of his own. That same need soon turned to desire of another kind, one even Logan couldn't comprehend then. Part of him didn't want to, so he kept it to himself. But the Big Man Upstairs only knew of Logan's struggle every time the kid was around, especially when Kurt had the habit of walking out of the shower half-naked with just a damp cotton towel to obscure the gold mine underneath. Why is it that Kurt was the only one to make him feel this way?

Bad enough he suffered from intense heat, the result of undying passion, and that they were both men. But it'd be worse if anyone discovered their secret relationship. Rumors travel quicker than one can blink in the institute, and who knows what will become of it all or how the others would receive the info. The professor and Jean—ever the open-minded ones—would probably accept the couple (Lord, was he really using that term?). As for Scott and the rest… Well, he didn't want to contemplate it.

"Mmm…"

A groan uttered from Kurt temporarily distracted Logan from his anxieties, which were most likely the cause of paranoia. He was certain of it.

"Kurt?" Logan gently stroked Kurt's cheek in an effort to awaken him. "Hey, Kurt, c'mon kid! It's about time you returned to reality. Come on back to me."

Kurt's eyelids fluttered open partially for a second and then fell again, and opened fully on the second attempt. He tried to grin and gave the elder mutant a lidded stare, a haze of torpor paling his generally luminous eyes. He sat up, but not without exerting himself, the pain jetting throughout his petite body causing the action to be more difficult than it should have been. A grunt escaped Kurt as he managed to at least support his weight on his elbows.

"Easy kid, you don't need to overexert yourself. Not in that condition… What? What's with the shit-eating grin?"

"That's the first time you've used my name in a while," Kurt explained in an appreciative tone. "It must mean you were really worried about me. Wow, Logan, if I had known how much you cared about me I would've confessed my love a lot sooner."

"W-What?" Logan sputtered and flushed strongly. The moment died then, and his embarrassment faded in favor of indignation. "Yeah, well… don't get used to it kid. I'm not expecting much and I assume you aren't either. Perhaps it's better that way… And rub that smug look off your face before I do it for ya!"

Kurt's grin did not waver. Without warning he started to laugh, so hard that he clutched his raw sides that felt as if they'd split apart any minute. The laughter quickly quieted as Logan's countenance turned more severe. But his face softened a bit when Kurt lovingly caressed the stubble on his chin. How could he possibly stay mad when Kurt did something like that? The kid was more trouble than he was worth, and yet Logan was too damn addicted to that trouble. He saw it as a challenge.

'Some challenges are meant to be avoided.'

"Listen kid… what I have to say… isn't easy for me. And it'll probably break your heart. But I figure it's better to draw the line here, rather than deal with the heartache later. You don't want to be in a relationship with me. We're better off keeping our distance from each other as much as possible. It'll be beneficial for us in the long run. Trust me on this one."

"Logan," said Kurt, now serious. "I know you're afraid of what could happen. But isn't that part of loving someone? Staying by their side, no matter what? To get stronger by enduring? No one said relationships were simple, but that doesn't mean they have to be hard either."

Logan sighed, part of him touched by the youth's words, part of him vexed due to his obstinacy. Kurt just didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation. A lot of bad could only come if the relationship was pursued any further. He was so sure of it. Maybe because he wanted to be. In truth—one he'd never care to admit aloud—serious relationships unnerved him greatly. Let's just say the last relationship he was in hadn't ended on a good note.

'And that's an understatement.'

"Kurt, I'm serious!"

"So am I."

"….. You're not gonna give up, are you?"

"Nope! Not until one of us takes our last breath."

"Well there's a thought…"

"Logan, what are you…"

The sentence trailed off as Logan abruptly covered Kurt's mouth, pressing his index finger to his lips in a gesture of silence. Kurt searched Logan's dark eyes questioningly until he heard what the other mutant had heard: footsteps. They were light and determined as they approached the kitchen.

"Hey, I just met you. And this cra~zy. But here's my number. So call me, maybe?"

That voice… that singing… that song…

"Shit, it's Kitty!" Logan hissed.

In his desperation, Logan roughly snatched Kurt and they fell clumsily from the island to the tiled floor, grunting in pain as they rolled around, limbs flying in every direction. While attempting to untangle themselves from each other, Kurt's prehensile tail inadvertently enfolded itself around the metal leg of a nearby stool and tipped it over with a deafening crash within the dead silence of the institution. He jumped at the unanticipated sound, trying to stifle his giggles because of his startled reaction. Logan, who was currently beneath him, glared and threatened to claw his tail and tongue off if he failed to keep them under control.

"H-Hello? Is somebody there?" asked Kitty in a terrified manner. "Scott? Mr. Logan? Kurt?"

From the distance of Kitty's voice, Logan knew she had made it to the kitchen and was on the other side of the island. Just around the corner she would discover her friend and training instructor lying on top of one another in a very awkward position, which would lead to a very awkward, albeit an interesting dialogue.

"Kurt, I swear if that's you trying to scare me again, I'm, like, so going to kill you!"

Dread had left her tone in favor of resentment. This wouldn't be the first time Kurt played a cruel trick on her just to witness Kitty pissing herself (it almost happened once… well twice actually). There was a mild wind, so soft it was like someone blowing a puff of air on one's skin. It had to be Kurt… or it could've been a slight draft drifting through a crack somewhere. Either way it was alarming. As she tiptoed around the corner of the island, small hands clutched to her equally small bosom, her heart paced in apprehension. But she found nothing and breathed in relief.

XXX

For Logan, one thing was definite: Teleportation will never cease to amaze him.

One minute they're on the ground, Kurt chuckling like an imbecile while he nearly shits himself, and the next second they're in Logan's room, on his bed of all places. Too bad Kurt couldn't make a beer materialize out of thin air; he could use one at the moment.

"That was a close call," he said, regulating his oxygen intake. That little… scene… or whatever one would call it had caused his breathing rate to quicken. Not something that transpired often unless he was in the heat of battle.

"Ja, you can say that again." Kurt's eyes widened a bit, but other than that he seemed fine. "So… what do we do now?"

"What the hell do mean? How about you go to your room and get some sleep? And I'll do the same."

"I have a feeling sleep is the last thing on your mind." He roughly massaged the erection starting to form between Logan's legs, receiving a deep moan from within Logan's throat.

"Shall we go another round?" Kurt purred.

Logan stared at him for a couple of minutes, trying to make the wisest choice, but desire fought and won.

"Ah, hell…"

He knew he'd regret this night.