Eighteen by Eighteen, or 324 Square Feet

Title: Eighteen by Eighteen, or 324 Square Feet Author: Terri Email: xgrrl26@yahoo.com Rating: PG-13 Summary: Sequel to Eighteen Stories About Us. Logan and Rogue make a little pit stop at a very little hunting lodge. Series: Eighteen #25 Disclaimer: I don't own them. Wish I did, but I don't. Archive: Ask, and I will happily provide Feedback: Please! Although the surgeon general warns nice feedback may lead to sequels. Author's Notes: I felt like they needed a little bridge, a little interlude. This is probably the one that's least closely tied to the "eighteen" format, but it kinda felt OK to me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It looks....." "It looks like hell, I know. Don't worry, though, darlin'. We ain't stayin' here forever, just long enough for me to make some money. It's a good central spot to lots of the fight circuit bars. And it's little as hell, but it's all mine, I own it, and it's pretty secluded." "It's fine." "We won't be here long, maybe a few days. I can get enough in a few days to move on, then we'll head west like we talked about." "Logan - are you sure you want to do that? I mean, fight for money." "Yeah. Can make a lotta money quick. Been a while since I've been around, too. Can probably get some good action." "Are you sure you won't get hurt?" "You know me, darlin'. I heal from damn near anythin'." "Um, OK. If you say so. Just - be careful, OK?" "Don't worry, baby. I won't get hurt." "Not just that - I don't want to lose you, OK? You're pretty much all I've got." "Well, don't worry about that. Nothin's gonna happen to me, I swear. But - you know, just in case you ever lose track of me for a little bit or I get kidnapped by the government or somethin', you can always go to Jubilee. She'll help you if you need it." "But that's not going to happen, right?" "Um, right. Right." "Logan?" "Just forget I said that, OK?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So how big is this place?" "About 324 square feet. Eighteen by eighteen." "Hmmm. It reminds me of that little hut they lived in on Gilligan's Island." "You remember that?" "Weird, huh? I think I must have watched lots of TV as a kid or something because I can remember the Oscar Mayer song too." "The Oscar Mayer song?" "You know - my bologna has a first name, it's o-s-c-a-r....." "Oh yeah...." "I remember the conjunction junction song too." "What was that one?" "Conjunction junction, what's your function? Hookin' up words and phrases and clauses....Hey! Are you laughing at my singing?" "A little. Honey, don't worry, you've always loved to sing." "And let me guess - I've always been just as tone deaf as I am now...." "Yeah, kinda." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "And you live here how often?" "Once in a while, when I'm fightin' the circuit in Alberta. Just until that run is over, then I move on. Probably a month or so outta the year, on and off. It's not really meant to be a house or nothin'. Just a huntin' lodge." "You know, it has a certain charm. Some furniture, a few paintings for the walls, it could be......cozy." .......................... "Logan? I was just joking. I was just teasing you. I really don't mind." "Oh. OK." "Hey, are you all right?" "Yeah, fine." "Did I say something wrong?" "No, no. You just, you said that to me once before. When we first met, you took one look at my camper and you said it looked cozy. It looked like shit, but you were bein' nice. Tryin' not to offend me." "Oh. Well, sure, I can see that. It seemed like I was a pretty nice person." "Yeah, you were. Are. You are." "Logan? I was just teasing again." "Oh. Um, sorry. I'm not really sure sometimes." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Shit. I forgot about the roof. Sorry." "No, no it's OK. It just kinda surprised me. That one drop came down right on my nose." "Sorry, darlin'." "No problem." "We'll get some better accommodations soon, OK?" "I really don't mind being here. It's fine." "You're bein' a pretty good sport about it, darlin', but I know it ain't the Ritz." "Have I ever stayed at the Ritz?" "Um, no, ah, not that I know of." "Well, OK, then. No worries." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "There's no heat and no water, but we'll figure somethin' out tomorrow, in the mornin'." "OK. Is there - um, an outhouse or something?" "Ah, no. Sorry 'bout that." "It's fine. I guess I'll just, um, get in touch with nature, then." "I think there's some paper towels in the Cherokee if you need 'em." "OK." "There's, um, there's an oil lamp over there. We can light it when it gets dark." "OK." "And there's some old clothes here - you can see if there's anythin' you want. I don't need no more clothes - we'll just leave the rest here." "OK." "There's um, a sleepin' bag around here somewhere. We can both fit in, I think." "Logan?" "Yeah?" "You're acting a little weird." "Sorry." "It's OK. Just - is something going on? You seem a little hyper." "I just.....I just wonder what you must be thinkin' about all this." "All what?" "This - here. This place. And me fightin'. You know, that." "Um, well, I'm glad you had this place so we can stay somewhere safe. And I'm not wild about the idea of you fighting, but, you seem OK with it, and you said it'll make money, which we really, really need. I kind of don't know how to help us out there right now. So I guess I feel a little guilty about it." "Hmmm. OK, darlin'." "What did I used to do to make money? I did do something to help out, didn't I?" "Yeah, you painted. You painted and sold some of them." "Really? People bought my paintings?" "Oh, yeah, you've sold quite a few of 'em." "Maybe later, when, you know, when we get out of here, I can get some stuff and start painting again." "If you want. No rush." "Did I do anything else?" ................... "Logan?" "You once got some day labor work. When I was sick, you hadta do that. You didn't like it, I don't think, and I don't want you doin' it anymore. Painting works better. Do that." "Um, OK." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sorry 'bout this. I never got around to gettin' any furniture." "The sleeping bag should do fine. It'll fit us both." "Yeah. It won't get that cold tonight, but we'll need it." "You're going out tomorrow to fight?" "Yeah. Don't really know whether to take you with me or not." "I kind of want to go." "Some dangerous places, darlin'." "I met you in one of those places, though, right?" "Yeah, but...." "It just - I'd rather not stay here by myself." "Yeah, I know, but you don't wanna be around that crowd." "You could keep an eye on me." "I guess so...." "Unless....unless it would distract you from the fight?" "Maybe a little, but I ain't worried about that so much as I worry 'bout you gettin' grabbed outta the crowd when I'm not lookin'." "But I could get grabbed here if I'm all alone." "Yeah. Shit. Kinda dangerous for ya either way." "I'd really rather go with you." "OK. We'll just have to be careful." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It's nice and warm in this." "Yeah. It is a little chilly tonight." "Logan?" "Yeah?" "I like it here." "Really?" "Yeah. It's - I've never been here before, right?" "Right." "It's something new, something for just us. You know. This us." "Yeah......" ............................. "No - don't - you don't have to stop. That was OK." "I'm just not sure....I wasn't sure if it was OK to touch you like that." "It's OK. I liked it." "I usedta rub your head a lot when you had headaches." "I had them because of whatever's wrong with my brain, right?" "Yeah. But you seem OK lately." "Yeah. But I still like the head rub, though." "All right, darlin'." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sorry. Sorry." "No - it's, it's OK." "Just got a little carried away there." "No, it's OK. I just - I was surprised a little to feel your hand there, that's all." "Sorry." "I, um, it's OK." "Shit." "Don't - um, you don't have to turn over." "Sorry, darlin'. I didn't mean to do that. Got carried away for a second." "Really, it's OK." ..................................... "Logan? Can I still - do you mind if I lay like this?" "No." "You sure? You feel a little tense. I don't have to put my arms around you like that. I can turn over and put my back to yours and - " "No, don't. Don't, OK? You're - you're fine." ................................................ "Logan, can I ask you something?" "Sure." "Is this weird for you?" "A little." "Me too. But not that weird, you know? It feels familiar. It feels familiar to have you touch me and to hold you like this." "Well, good. Good. I'm glad, darlin'." "I can tell. You don't feel that tense anymore." "Yeah....I always did feel better when you were close to me." "Good. I like that. And hey - you don't really have to feel weird about it, you know? I understand, and I don't mind that you touched me there. I just kinda wasn't quite ready for that. That's all. I'm not mad or anything." "OK. 'Cause I didn't mean to just, um, do that. I don't wanna push you." "I know. You're really, really not. You're doing good with that." "Thanks, darlin'." "You've done a really good job at taking care of me this whole time." "Really?" "Yeah. I think so." "I didn't know. I still kinda don't know what to do sometimes." "You're doing pretty well so far.......You know what? Now you feel totally relaxed." "I am." "Falling asleep?" "A little." "Me too.........You know, I really do like it here, Logan." "Just 324 square feet, darlin'. Ain't nothin' much." "Yeah, yeah. But it's got you."