xp_logs | [Marie, Logan] (backdated to yesterday) Between the newsreel and your tiny pain

Pure post-mission fluff. Requires heaps of insulin. Buy stock in it.

Marie cut some aloe stems from the plants in the greenhouse, then decided to use Logan's shower to get clean. Once she was done, she settled herself in the middle of the bed to watch the news, catch up on emails, and put aloe on her hot, scalded skin. It wasn't bad, just a little painful, and it would peel and itch too, she expected. The sun was bright in the room and it was warm enough that she was comfortable in spite of the water drying on her bare skin.

When classes were over, Logan headed upstairs. He stopped on the second floor, but knew with a sniff that Marie wasn't there, so he turned and climbed the stairs to the third floor. If she wasn't in his room, he'd go find her. There'd been a mission and he knew she was back; he wanted to hear all about it. A grin stole over his lips as he pushed the door open. The smells of Marie and aloe filled his nose, and the simultaneous sounds of fingers typing on a keyboard and CNN told him that his search was over.

When the door opened, Marie looked up to see Logan coming in. "Hey, you. You missed the fun." She ran fingers through her wet hair, getting the last of the slightly sticky aloe off of them, and gave him a bright smile.

Logan closed the door behind himself and walked over to sit beside her on the bed. Her skin radiated heat from the burns and there were blue-purple patches blossoming over her arms and back. "Guess I got t'go last time." He eyed the bruising. "Wasn't nearly as much fun, though, as it looks like yours was."

"There was a bit of conflict, yes," she said negligently, closing her laptop and pushing it aside. "Nothing special. You know how easily I bruise."

"I already read the mission report," Logan pointed out. " 'Neutralisin' targets' sounds a lot like Scott-speak for 'kickin' ass'..."

Marie giggled and shook her head. "He's awfully cute when he's being all serious, isn't he? Yeah, I suppose we did. It was really a case of the right tools for the job. What really matters is that no one else got hurt."

Logan traced one of her bruises -- a fist-sized discolouration on her upper arm -- with a fingertip. "What really matters," he said dryly, "is that /you/ didn't get hurt."

"I won't argue with that," she said, more serious now. "I was careful." She leaned in for a kiss.

Whatever he was going to say was lost in the low hum of approval that buzzed against her lips as she kissed him.

When Marie pulled away, she nuzzled his cheek gently, like a cat seeking attention. "I love you, you know."

Logan ran his fingers through her hair, petting her as he nodded. "An' y'know that I love you, right?"

"More than anything?" she asked, leaning into the contact.

"More'n anythin'," he agreed, letting his nails scrape gently over her scalp. "'m yours, y'know. 's how it works."

Marie shifted to lean into Logan's chest with a contented sigh. "It's nice to hear you say it," she said quietly. "Today's been the best day so far."

Logan snuggled her against him. "Yeah?"

"Of course." She reached up to stroke his face lightly with her fingertips. "Woke up with you, skipped my run," her smile was impish, "but for good reason, learned new stuff in training, got to go for a fly down to Austin, had a nice little scuffle, and came home to you. Don't think life gets much better than that."

He purred quietly, nodding against her fingertips. "Think y'might be right, at that. Yer day sounds pretty damn good. 'specially the part about skippin' yer run," he said with a small smirk.

"Mmm. I thought it was very mature of me, not over-training and all after yesterday's run," Marie said with mock-righteousness. "See? I do learn."

Logan's smirk grew. "Y'sure do. 's one a the things I like about ya. Yer a fast learner."

"I have this teacher who's a great motivator." Marie stretched languidly, enjoying the twinges of her burns and bruises. That kind of pain was like little gold stars every time she moved, marks of a job well done all over her body.

Logan's tongue rasped lightly over the red-purple skin of her shoulder, where bruising met burning. "Mm. Do ya, now?"

"Oh yes," she said, laughing a little. "I think he's absolutely perfect. I'm a very lucky girl."

He chuckled quietly. "Think I'm a bit jealous of 'im. Perfect, huh?"

"Yeah." Marie settled back in his arms, shifting a bit so she could look up at his face. "Even the parts where he's not. I don't expect him to understand that necessarily, but it's true. I love all of him."

Logan's grin faded and he looked at her quietly for a moment before leaning down to brush a kiss over her lips. "He's a very lucky man, t'have a woman like you love 'im that much. 'm sure 'e knows just how lucky he is an' 'm bettin' he feels the same way 'bout you."

"I think he does. I lose sight of some things, but I never doubt that he loves me, even when he makes me cry. I just hope I make him as happy as he makes me." She brushed her fingers over his mouth. "I want it to last. Even when it's not easy."

"It will." Logan gave up the pretense. "There's nothin' I want more'n you, nothin' that matters more'n you. You got all the power here, baby, an' I don't mind that a bit."

That startled her and Marie was quiet for a little while, looking up at him seriously as his words sank into her awareness. Her seriousness faded a little, replaced by a soft, almost secretive smile. She reached up and pulled him to her for a kiss. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I love you," he answered, dipping his head for another kiss.

"I know." She laughed merrily and laid back on the bed, pulling him over on top of her. "I love you too."