xp_logs | [Logan, Marie] Walk me to the corner now

Backdated to Saturday, after Logan comes home from the bar. Discussion of Scott, hockey, college, and rooms.

Logan climbed the stairs alone, having left Scott in the garage. Something about making sure Logan hadn't damaged his precious car. He'd never live it down, he thought. Scott had beaten him -- a severe drubbing, football announcers would call it -- at pool. Twice.

Still, it was a good time, he decided, opening the door to his room and smiling at what he saw there.

"Hey, honey. Did you have fun?" Marie was curled up in bed, wearing her favourite dark green nightie, reading a book. Her freshly-washed, still-damp hair was loose around her shoulders. She reached for her bookmark when Logan came in and put the book aside to give him her attention.

Logan gave half a shrug, and nodded, leaning down to pull off his boots. "Beer an' billiards," he said. "Great way t'spend a Saturday night."

"Mm. He beat you properly, did he?" Marie grinned impishly and crawled toward the end of the bed to lie there with her chin in her hands, watching him.

Logan left his socks and boots in a pile on the floor and walked toward the bed, throwing his jacket back over his shoulder, where it landed on the pile. He frowned at Marie, grumbling. "Twice."

"My poor baby," she said, with absolutely no sympathy whatsoever. "I guess you'll have to go out and play more so that doesn't happen again." Her expression was extremely affectionate and amused at once.

"With /him/?" Logan laughed, surprised, and flopped down on the bed beside her. "We'll see. He wasn't too thrilled with th'idea a goin' out drinkin' with me."

"He's a big boy," Marie said. "If he'd wanted to leave he'd have driven home himself or called a cab. And you two didn't have a single fight?" She leaned over to kiss Logan. "I'm so proud."

"None that required fists'r anythin', anyhow," he said, grinning, and leaned in to return her kiss.

"And look, no locusts." Marie laughed and snuggled up to him. Then she got a little more serious, frowning. "How not okay is he?"

Logan tilted his head, considering his answer. "I dunno what his problem is," an' I don't care, "but he ain't doin' great. Real stressed-out, needs some time t'breathe, at least, an' that's one thing this place don't give much of."

"I'll talk to him," Marie said, kissing Logan again. "If I don't get anywhere, I'll talk to Charles. And if you can stand the pain of being beaten at pool once in a while, and it doesn't break your personal ethics too much, maybe you can drag him out of the house again some time."

Logan shrugged. "If he'll go with me, I don't mind the comp'ny." He nuzzled in for a kiss, due payment for being nice, he thought.

Marie hooked a finger in the collar of Logan's shirt and pulled him close for a very thorough kiss, taking the time to express her appreciation for him properly. "I think it'd do you good to get out more, too," she said, when she was satisfied that she'd made herself clear.

"Mm," he murmured, agreeing with her. "Speakin' of, I got tickets t'see the Flyers at the Devils* t'morrow afternoon. Wanna go?"

"You coming too?" Marie teased. "Of course I want to go."

"Good. We'll leave after lunch." Logan leaned in for another kiss, sealing the deal.

Marie kissed him and then sat up, stroking his back and looking first at him and then at the room. She took in the heap of his jacket and footwear by the door and got up. "Don't think I plan to keep picking these things up forever," she said, looking over her shoulder at him with an affectionate smile. "So our plans for tomorrow are set. And we're not running away from home too, right?" She laughed at that, knowing that they'd discussed doing just that more than once.

"Not t'day," Logan said, watching her pick up after him. "Prob'ly not t'morrow either."

Marie put things where they belonged and stood by the door, looking around her. "Now that I can make plans for getting on with life, I figure I shouldn't waste any time. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going anywhere," she said. She leaned on the door, looking over at Logan with a wistful smile.

"Not unless y'want to, baby," Logan assured her. "You gonna reapply t'Manhattanville, now, an' see if y'can start in th'fall?"

"I think I might do something like that. But I don't think I'll be going full time. I've decided to quit teaching after this semester so I can put more time into the team and my studies." She pointed at her bedside table where there was a course calendar for the college. "I was already looking at courses, and I think I can make it all work and still have time for you in there."

Logan glanced over at the table, at the course calendar. "Glad t'hear it." He'd been hoping that once Marie's problems with the military were taken care of, she'd reconsider college. Which reminded him, he'd have to go see Pete about that bitch doctor soon.

"I think it's for the best," she said, coming back and sitting on the bed near Logan where she could pet him, "it'll be a relief to move off of the second floor." She ran her nails lightly over the back of his neck. "I love the kids, but they're about driving me crazy. I know they don't get it, and frankly, I don't want them to go through what I did in order to understand. It doesn't make it any easier to be around them."

It took a moment for him to realise what she was talking about, and then he blinked. She'd said she was going to stop teaching. And she wasn't going to live on the second floor anymore. Moving in with him? He hoped that's what she meant. "Y'prob'ly shouldn't a ever been down there, if it was makin' things harder for ya, baby. I'm glad yer gonna do somethin' t'make it easier on yerself."

"Well, it's about time I did," she said pensively, scritching absent-mindedly as she spoke. "I need to take care of myself, or I won't have anything left. And I can't do that if I'm living down there and going to college and putting time in on teams."

A trace of a smile danced over his lips and he purred quietly under her fingers. "Then ya know what t'do. Chuck won't mind if ya quit teachin', I think. He's a smart guy. An' I'm sure we c'n work somethin' out with yer livin' arrangements..."

She looked down to see him smiling and kissed him. "Work something out? There's plenty of vacant rooms around..."

"Mmhm. An' there's a mighty nice vacant half-room right here..." He tugged her down for another light kiss.

"You sure you want to put up with me?" she asked. "Last chance."

"I think," he said with a smirk, "I gave up my last chance when I stopped th'truck headin' outta Laughlin City."

Marie looked at him for a long, thoughtful moment and then shook her head. "The things you get yourself into," she said affectionately, then kissed him. "I love you."

"Think I c'n handle th'consequences," Logan said, a serious look on his face. "Love you, too, baby."

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*in this world, it'll be Devils and Leafs in the final because, why not?