King of Hearts

People have a funny way of thinking about love. They think love is true to form. A happy ending having to do with being with your soulmate. Some twist it around to a darker side. Use it as a means of gaining the upper hand on a person to gain control of them. A powerplay between the two with one blinded. Others use it as an excuse to gain revenge. Yet a stronger man will take love as journey to go on a noble quest of purpose to prove themselves to their significant other.

It is a strange thing, love. A fickle piece of fate no one ever sees coming and yet can recongize it in others from a mile away so easily. For most it sneaks up on us like a thief in the night. Coming closer and closer to the heart before stealing it away. Leaving you reeling wondering what had happened. Afterwards you try to build defenses, swear to be prepared for the next time it comes.

Not this time a person may say. Never again will you will fall for it. Yet again it happens leaving you just as broken as before. Like a drug addict craving the next hit.

My relationship with Logan is one such example. Actually, anyone who knows him even remotely will tell you he has a way of just barrelling into things. He's the reason they say "a rhino in a China shop" because he's just not meant for handling delicate things. Though I have to say, underneath all the tough skin and adamantium bone he does have a heart. Just look right below his admantium rib cage, it's there.

While I contemplate all this I'm outside the Xavier Mansion looking out over the lake. Smoking a cigarrette wondering belatedly whether I should leave or not. Go out for a ride, go into town, and just stay there for a couple of days. A week maybe befor coming back. No particular reason except to remove myself from the situation. Inside Logan is no doubt still snoring away one of the reasons I'm awake in the middle of the night. Man sounds like a dinosaur when he snores. I swear I saw the windows rattling as I moved about the room searching for my packet of cigs.

I let the smoke stream out from between my teeth. Wondering if I look like a demon doing that with my red on black eyes. Wonder if I actually tried it I could scare a person should I come near them. Intimidation has never been my thing. Gambit is one for trickery, subtletly. He waits in the shadows until he can come within striking distances, snatches what he came for, and disappears into the thin air before the victim knows what happened.

There's a creak behind me on the boards. There's a small walkway stretching about twenty feet into the lake allowing for students to go out swimming in the lake. You're not supposed to, of course, but they do it anyway. I glance over my shoulder wondering who could be up at this hour with me. To my surprise it's Logan, leering at me as he approaches. I feel a mischief grin begin to cross my face. The man would kill me if I told him he's cute when he's frustrated. I'm apparently the only person that thinks so.

"Rims, where the hell is my lighter?" Logan says without preamble. Can't help it if my smile grows wider at that.

"Dunno, cher, what did you do with it? Remy hasn't seen it since yesterday." I answer with a shrug of my shoulders. A complete lie, of course. I have it in my coat pocket as we speak. It's a zippo lighter with a silver wolf etched into it howling at the moon. Logan frowns his eyes narrowing when I say that. He knows I have it. Question is, how far is he willing to go to get it back?

"Cajun, give it back. This is the only time I'm going to ask you nicely. No games tonight." Logan says with a low growl. I take on an inquisitive expression as if I have no idea what he's talking about. Rock back on my heels as if I have all the time in the world.

"And what if Remy doesn't want you to be nice?" I say casually. I see Logan's brow quirk at that as he shift subtlety. I do my best to hide another grin coming to my face. Truly, one of the amazing things about Logan is that he very simple needs. People have often asked me how I've managed to so easily master him. Funnily enough, it's easy.

Just give Logan what he wants and he's the happiest man in the world. Here is what you give a Wolverine to soothe him:

1) Beer. (LOTS of beer)

2) Cigars. Any brand will do, but at least make sure they're of decent quality.

3) Food. Preferably cooked not raw.

4) Sex.

5) Talk to him once a in a while.

Of course, I put a lot of emphasis on one through three. That will usually keep him sated for a good long while. Of course, the key is to introduce number four into all this. Early if you can, but not the first. A wolverine has to know you'll take care of him. Not only do you give him what he needs to survive, but if he can deprive pleasure from you as well, then all the better.

Five is a bit more complicated. Probably the hardest to do considering Logan doesn't talk much to begin with. When he does, though, you have to listen carefully. Be honest with him, tell him the truth. Trust Remy when he says this, he can tell when you're lying.

Like right now. I have something he wants. His lighter so he can smoke a cigar. Logan will usually come out here to the lake in order to clear his head. A couple of times he's ventured out into the woods around the mansion to live rough. I never follow him out then. I leave him alone knowing he needs the space.

"Don't be cute with me. I'm irritated as hell and tired. Give me the lighter before I take it from you." Logan says his tone slightly softer. By now anyone else they would be sporting a few bruises. Since it's me I get a bit more patience. Logan is willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. A bit more warning before he really loses it. Instead I take out the lighter taking a couple of steps back until I'm at the end of the wharf.

"Try to, cher, and Remy will drop it. And last he heard you don't swim to well." I say dangling the lighter out over the water. Logan frowns at this taking few steps forward. I take several more back and pretend to drop it. Logan bristles at the teasing and for a moment it looks as if he's about to rush me. Then seeing I still have it, he lets out a snarl.

"Cajun, I swear to hell you drop it-"

"You swear what, mon glutton? To punish Remy for his insolence? Come on now, you're the stronger man here. Surely you're not scared of playing a little game to even the odds a bit." I say to draw him in closer. Logan lets out an irritated sigh as he glowers at me. He's in no mood to play with me. Shame, I had something nice planned for him.

"Listen, Gumbo, how many times do I have to tell you to stop stealing my shit? You have at least fifteen lighters or more to choose from. Why do you always take mine?"

"The ones you bought for Remy, cher? He doesn't like any of them. This one is his favorite. It works better than the others." I say. Which isn't actually true. Logan has bought me several zippo lighters better than his. They're lined up on the bookshelf side by side for me to use. All ranging from the cheap plasitc bin in a three pack to the twenty dollar zippos with designs on them. It's my own little collection.

"Yeah, well, that's mine Rims. Only decent one I've got. You throw it in the lake neither of us is gonna get to use it. Last chance. Give it back or else." Logan threatens. His fists are clenched ready to punch something. Or someone in particular.

I sigh. He's called my bluff. Instead of handing it back I pocket the lighter and drop my cigarette on the wharf. Grind it out under the toe of my boot. Logan frowns as I continue to stand there refusing to hand it back to him. Yes, I know, it's childish for two full grown men to be arguing over a lighter. But this has been a feud that has been going on for quite a long time. Ever since we first started…dating? I don't know if that's the correct word since we were both living in the same house when we decided to make our relationship a romantic one. So to speak. Quite literally it seemed like we both woke up one day and decided to be together.

"You're really hell bent on getting on my nerves today, aren't you? First the lighter, than my shirts…is there anything of mine you haven't taken yet? Maybe I should start doing the same to you. Take your shit until you give me back mine."

"Remy would steal everying but one thing back, cher. Besides, Remy really doesn't have anything you want anyway." I tell him. Logan rolls his eyes at me. It's hard to tell when the man means to act on his threats. Usually he does, but with me it's harder for him.

What makes it harder is we're both men. Logan is old fashioned to say the least. He's a gentlemen, of sorts, to women. He has a soft spot for them and always has. With other men he's all punches, bristles, drinking, and barfights. He's not bothered with punching Scott in the stomach if he gets angry.

One time before I had made my intentions known to him I had been walking down the hallway. Logan was on the other side walking in the opposite direction. For some reason or other (I'm assuming he was pissed off) he suddenly shoved him to the side and kept on walking. After that whenever I saw Logan coming down the hall I would walk in a different direction no matter where I was going. I didn't want to suffer another bruise on my side again for simply being in his personal space.

"What do I have that you don't?" Logan demands of me. I sigh looking him directly in the eye as I say it. How could this man be so dense?

"Never mind, cher. Here you go." I hand him back his lighter without argument. Even Logan seems surprised I've relinquished it so easily.

I glide past him, brushing my hand over his shoulder. A silent invitation to either follow me or stay out there by himself. After a minute he comes after me a low growl of pleasure echoing in his throat as he wraps his arms around my waist. Burying his head in my neck as he bites down on my skin. I gasp because it's such a surprise, but yet I saw it coming. Knew it was going to happen long before he did it.

Even as he leads me away from the lake to the woods I wonder. I wonder how I never saw it before between us. How of all people did I choose him? Such a strange question even as we both shed our clothes and he pulls me down with him onto a bed of leaves.

Logan is the king of my heart. Here, he holds all the cards. I have none. And quite frankly, I'm hoping I have an ace up my sleeve if a time ever comes for me to play my hand.