diademlogs | [ CLOSED ] post-event/dec. catch-all.

[ How'd he get here? Little help from a friend, let's just say that.

But now it's only him and his motorcycle. The old Harley's frame is twisted, handlebars in need of replacement, plenty of bodywork. There's streaks of blood on the side, bits of something like a bizarre goop. Logan, on the other hand, is none the worse for wear, other than the red on his jeans.

Though Scott's gonna make a big fuss, anyhow. Look, as far as Logan's concerned, he did a decent job keeping his bike in one piece. It's not like he's careless with the old girl, but there's not much he can do about getting bodied by a—

Whatever. It came out of fucking nowhere.

When Scott looks up, he'll find Logan with one shoulder resting against the garage's frame, obviously having just arrived with his busted bike in tow, tipped over on its crumpled body outside the garage. The usual racket in the Scrapyard rattles his teeth.

Logan lifts a hand in greeting and stuffs his phone back in his pocket. Hey, Scotty. ]

Edited 2025-11-29 20:10 (UTC)

[ Knock knock? What in the ever hell does that-

Scott looks quizically at his phone for a good second or two, and is about to respond, when he looks up and-

-Oh. Well, there's his answer. It's a good thing Logan can't see him roll his eyes so hard beneath his ruby quartz glasses. But he'd be able to see Scott take a breath and let it out in a sigh. Look, it's not as if it's going to take him another hour to finish whatever he's currently working on. Just a few more adjustments and he's done. But Scott keeps a timetable for a reason. He wants to keep things orderly. Logan's bike is not set to be fixed in another couple of minutes.

Turning his attention back to his task, Scott tightens the bolt before him and drops his tools. Takes the nearby towel to wipe off some grease and grime on his hands. Raises his shirt to wipe a bit of sweat on his brow. And then, he approaches Logan, hands falling to his hips. ]

You're early. [ He sticks his head out momentarily from the garage door to see Logan's bike. Sighs again. Frowns. The poor old girl.

Then he glances back at Logan. Gives him a good once-over. Red on his jeans, same as the ones on the bike. ] So, what happened? Who did you fight?

[ Don't worry, Logan's not expecting Scott to drop everything for him. What he is doing is showing up to bother Scott while he finishes up whatever it is he's working on, seeing as he'd already made it to the Scrapyard. What was he gonna do, wait politely outside?

Nah. ]

Big, hairy. Didn't say much. Threw me about two hundred feet.

[ Then he got back up. His motorcycle did not. Logan frankly doesn't give a damn what happens to his body—he's a self-repairing unit—but his bike can't do the same thing, meaning it costs money to fix. And even if he doubts Summers is gonna charge him an arm and a leg—or at all—they still gotta scrounge up enough for the supplies and parts. And yeah, he could've done it himself, found somebody not Scott to help him out. Scott's not the only mechanic he's familiar with in the Diadem.

But there's a reason he came to Summers.

He nods at the car Scott's got jacked up. ] You need a hand?

[ Scott looks back at the car he's been working on, then glances back at Logan. ] I'm almost finished with it.

[ Returning to his task, though, Scott remembers what he himself told Logan last month when they investigated that serial killer. We rely on each other. ]

But if you wanna help, you can attach back that last rotor.

[ Momentarily gazing back at Logan, he nods towards the disc. Basically, these are just finishing touches now. He can put them back himself but if Logan's willing to give a helping hand, Scott won't turn it away. Even if a few months ago, he absolutely would've. He's protective of his own projects, you see. Another testimony to how far they've come in their (still) complicated relationship.

As soon as he returns to the rotor he's still attaching, Scott turns to Logan. ] So, big and hairy, huh? Kinda like you. Any reason why you'd think he threw you about two hundred feet?

[ If Scott had turned him down, Logan might've shrugged it off and gone back to watching. And bothering him. But Scott points to the rotor, and Logan reaches for it and the pad that attaches. ]

Hilarious. [ He squats down. ] Well, I tried to make nice, but she mostly roared and slobbered on me, so. Not the conversational type. Probably got too close to a nest or somethin'. You know how those zones are.

[ Full of shit nobody understands, least of all him. He goes in blind, does his best not to get torn up, and usually makes it out with at least a few scratches. There's a reason he goes out there alone still for the most part. Only a few times has he brought somebody else, and when he does, he never stops at the places that look dangerous.

When he's on his own, on the other hand... ]

Anyway. [ He offers Scott the wrench when he's done with the rotor. ] Figured you were bored out here all by your lonesome.

[ And who better to change that than him. ]

[ Oh, that immediately elicits an amused snort from Scott while he uses the wrench Logan gave him. ] And you think you're the company I've been craving for while I'm out here all by my lonesome?

[ Even out loud, it sounds pretty ridiculous. The thing is, months ago, Scott probably would've just given Logan a deadpan stare at that comment. Or maybe a quip that's teetering to annoyed. But now, Scott finds it amusing. He doesn't know what this says about their relationship, but perhaps he's not quick to get annoyed at Logan anymore. Even if he still absolutely gets irritated by the man every now and then. Like showing up earlier than discussed.

As soon as Scott's finished with the rotor after one last twist, he sets the wrench down and pats Logan's shoulder, smirking. ] Fat chance, Logan.

[ Standing up, he glances towards the garage door. ] You do realize you're gonna have to stay here with me while I fix your bike, right? [ Because inasmuch as Logan's not the most ideal company for Scott, it's probably worse for the other mutant. ]

[ There's a flash of teeth, crooked. Aw, look at that. Maybe Summers is gaining a sense of humour. ]

Thought a team leader would want a challenge.

[ That's his job, y'know. Keeping Scott on his toes. But also, yeah, he just needed Scott's help for once, and he figured the whole...relying on each other thing. He'd give it a try. Truth is, it wasn't like he wasn't already doing that. Scott just wasn't there by the time he learned how to play nice with others.

Sometimes.

He sits back on his haunches. His eyes roam toward Scott's motorcycle parked nearby, then back. Hm. He's not as trapped as Scott's thinking. ]

Believe me, I ain't thrilled about it, either. But the sooner we finish the job, the sooner I'll be out of your hair.

[ So it means he's staying. And he plans to lend a hand. ]

Not if it's you.

[ Which is honestly only half true because Logan has been a challenge to him ever since the man arrived at the doorsteps of the Institute. Half false because it's not as if Scott wanted the challenge in the first place. He just didn't have a choice.

In any case, Scott looks back at Logan the second he drops that single word - we. He raises an eyebrow at that, but it's more out of curiosity than incredulity. ]

You're planning to help?

[ Did Logan suddenly become a good mechanic during the years he's dead or something? Because that's the vibe he's getting for some reason. Not that it's unlikely, just. Unexpected. Scott didn't think Logan has the patience for it. Fixing stuff requires tons of it, which he doubts Logan even has. ]

I can get my tools just fine, Logan. Don't need someone holding up a wrench for me. [ It's not said out of annoyance, mind. Scott's just trying to wrap his head around this arrangement. He wouldn't mind that Logan stay here while he's fixing the man's bike. But he expects he's the only one who's going to fix it. ]

[ His eyebrow lifts. Really? What's he look like, Vanna White? ] What, you think you're the only one who knows an engine? I was working choppers before you were born.

[ He's just not as good as some of the guys he used to run into at the shop. Good enough to get himself on the road, not nearly to make it a gig. And out here, Scott's gonna be quicker with it. Scott knows the yard better, probably has connections with the Junkers by now, and Logan's not interested in wasting an extra week trying to figure the way shit works on this planet: every custom engine and part and makeshift gear that you wouldn't need to worry about if you were someplace else where you could order a part over the phone. Now that, he hasn't got the damn patience for.

So yeah, he did come here because he needed Scott, and because it'd take twice as long for him to do the same job. But not exactly for the reason Scott's thinking.

Leave it to Summers to assume he's the only guy in the world who can do something. ]

Look, you want my help or not? 'Cause I don't got a problem hitchhiking out of here.

[ Scott has to fight the amused snort that almost left his lips when Logan tells him he had been working on choppers even before Scott was born. Okay, old man. Sometimes, it's so easy to forget that Logan's older than he seems because of how much of an immature child he can be. ]

Alright, calm down. Don't get your panties in a twist.

[ Delivered with a dry tone, even if there's a hint of amusement laced to it. His eyes wander towards his own bike, putting two and two together. ]

You mean you have no problem stealing my bike to get out of here. [ He turns to Logan with a knowing, if not pointed, look. He knows where your brain's headed, big guy. Can't outsmart Scott Summers. ]

Fine, I'll let you help. If you promise to actually stay.

[ And not steal his bike, thank you very much. He just managed to outfit it for wintertime: new tires, oil change, the works. He doesn't need someone, who just totaled his own bike by the way, to go out and about with it.

Even if, at the back of Scott's mind, this seems like a very tall ask knowing Logan. And, at this point, he thinks he knows the other mutant well to assume. ]

[ Let him help, like Logan isn't doing him a favour by getting this wrapped up quick. Logan's expression is exasperated, but not so annoyed he's changed his mind. His lips twist knowingly. ]

I promise I'll leave a note.

[ Sure. He'll stay. He doesn't ask where Scott's been tucking himself in at night. He figures one of the tents, maybe on a bench inside the garage. Doesn't matter; he can sleep anywhere. Temperatures have plunged, though the cold doesn't bother him none, even if the heat in the Scrapyard leaves plenty to be desired.

When Scott's cleared out some room for the next job, Logan hauls the Harley in. The frame might be busted, but the engine's not so bad. The Panhead's already been rebuilt once, he thinks—hardly looked fresh out of the factory by the time he got to her. If there's one upside, they might as well take advantage while she's apart and slap a few modifications in.

They work. Not without some bitching from Scott and grouching from Logan, but they make it a couple hours without a fistfight. Might've been unheard of two months ago. When the sky dims, Logan walks off—not far, just down the other end of the Scrapyard where a truck sits idle, grill balanced precariously on the flatbed.

He returns with three hotdogs and a handful of skewers: enough to feed either a party of four, or one man and a Wolverine. ]

I caught Charles penning some little invitations. [ There's no point in telling the Professor he can just send a text or make a call. The man will never do it. ] So expect one next week any day.

Edited 2025-12-07 04:35 (UTC)

[ Logan's right. He is doing Scott a favor for helping because the sooner they do get this done, the faster Logan's out of his hair. The thing is, Scott's pride doesn't allow for admitting he needed the help, even if it's for his benefit. He's a team player, sure, but in a hobby he really likes? Not usually.

That, and well, he'd come to tolerate Logan every now and then, anyway. For how often he complains about the man, Scott never really makes necessary steps to avoid him.

So, he lets Logan help. Some of the time he's lecturing Logan about the proper usage of tools. Other times he's sighing and just. Letting Things Be. This is fine. Everything's fine. For Scott, it's like when another kid in the playground starts playing with your toys the wrong way. It's annoying, but most times with Logan is, anyway. Scott has learned to mute a lot of his irritation.

When Logan walks off, Scott just lets him, still busy with his task. It's not until he actually returns with food that he looks up at the guy. He stops what he's doing to prepare the old rickety grill they have outside the garage for whenever they have occasional barbecues. ]

Not surprised. I actually thought that's what he was going to talk to me about when he visited last week. [ About a holiday gathering etc since they usually host one back home around this time. ] Turned out, he told me he and Erik are dating. Again, not completely surprised.

[ They both have their own way of doing things, Logan 'cause he's an old dog, Scott because he's an uptight sonofabitch. But Scott doesn't argue as much as he normally might've, and in return, Logan's temper doesn't flare nearly so hot.

Though at one point, he did consider chucking a brake pad at Scott's face. (He didn't.)

He sets the pack of dogs and skewers down, and lets Scott sort out the grill while he cracks the cap off his beer with a claw. He slides it over for Summers. ]

Yeah. I know. [ He opens his own beer. The bottle hisses. ] He sure knows how to pick 'em.

[ At least Charles told Scott finally. Wasn't like he was doing a great job of keeping it under the radar. Logan didn't need to sniff it off of him to have a pretty good idea what was going on. Ten years ago, Logan would've found that reason to insist Charles was making a mistake. These days...

Well, he did rescue Rogue. In the end, she was always the sticking point for Logan when it comes to Erik—what he did to her, when she was just a kid, that's not something you forgive. And he hasn't, but maybe getting her out when Logan couldn't, it counts for something. A little. Enough that Logan has kept up his streak of staying out of Magneto's way, as long as Erik stays out of his.

And as long as he doesn't pull some shit again. ]

What'd you say?

That I'm happy for him.

[ Scott's response is almost immediate as he takes the beer from Logan. He takes a sip, puts it down, and continues working on the grill. ]

He was really nervous before telling me, Logan. I - [ His jaw tightens. His brows draw together. ] - don't like seeing him like that. Even if I still don't like Erik, the Professor should be happy with whoever he chooses.

[ He'd protest, sure, that's out of the question. Same as when he did when Charles insisted Logan come with them on that mission to save Rogue. But, at the end of the day, Scott feels Charles deserves happiness with the person he'd want to be with. He'd still feel protective over the Professor, but he shouldn't outright bar the man from dating anyone he dislikes. That's too personal. And he doesn't want Charles to end up choosing between his students and the person he loves. ]

Good thing I don't anymore. [ Scott lets that settle for a beat or two, furtively eyeing Logan while he works the grill just to see what the other mutant's reaction would be.

The thing is, when Scott gave Erik a chance, he also learned to separate this Erik from the Erik they know back home. Sure they're the same person, but the choices people make define who they are in the end. And if this Erik chooses to stay on the better path, he won't end up like the Erik they know back home.

Even if Scott's an uptight sonofabitch, he also believes in second chances. He wouldn't be here with Logan if he didn't. ]

But my opinion on Erik isn't the only reason why the Professor told me. Remember that time when we can feel other people's feelings, like we're connected to them? Well - [ This time, Scott fully turns to Logan. ] - my connection with Erik lingered.

[ Logan's expression is unsurprised. He'd told Charles the others would trust him the same as Logan's always trusted him. Good to see he was right. In the end, it's not about Erik. It's about Charles—and Logan knows where they all stand there.

His leg stretches out from where he's perched on an overturned milk crate. ] He doesn't want to drive you away.

[ An edge of protectiveness laces that statement. Yeah, the Professor's responsible for all of them. Doesn't mean Logan doesn't feel responsible for him, too. Always has, in his own way, but especially now. He re-met Charles at a low point, alone, without his students. He knows what it took for Charles to find himself again, and he doesn't want to see him slipping down that road a second time. So if having his little romance with Erik helps with that, so be it.

He's about to add something else when—

He blinks. Okay. Not the curveball he saw coming. ]

Excuse me?

Edited 2025-12-07 16:00 (UTC)

[ Yeah, that's true. In the end, Charles doesn't want to turn him away. It's as plain as day with his body language before revealing to him the truth. So, he can only agree with Logan there.

The clarification, and surprised response he receives from Logan, though, earns a sigh from Scott. He doesn't even know where to begin with this, but he feels it's necessary to let Logan know. Hands falling to his hips, Scott frowns. ]

Heard that right. It happened once here, at the Scrapyard. The Professor told me I might continue to feel Erik's feelings moving forward, if they're strong enough. [ Whatever that entails, he'll leave that up to Logan to imagine. ]

And he might also feel mine.

[ Which isn't a bad thing given he's usually in control of them. Save for that one month he'd like to bury in his mind.

Scott levels Logan a look. ] Which begs the question if I'd also feel yours at one point. [ Given what happened in that motel during that fateful night everything went to shit. ]

Edited 2025-12-07 16:52 (UTC)

[ Logan's brows furrow. Look, tolerating Erik hanging around is one thing. But him in Scott's head? Now that, he doesn't like. At all. And yeah, yeah, none of them chose this. He still doesn't like it. Scott can pretend his feelings are under wraps all he wants, he's still got them, and that puts Erik far too close to the rest of them than makes Logan comfortable.

He sighs. He hates this fucking place. ]

Hope you drive him crazy, getting a look in that brain of yours. [ How many mental checklists does Scott go over in a day, like, a hundred?

Logan takes a pull on his beer. The very notion makes him wince. ] Sure as hell hope not. I doubt it. [ Maybe he's got his own to admit to. ] Already linked me up with somebody else.

[ Yeah, it happened to him, too, and not with the person he might've expected. Except, in a way, it is. He didn't see it coming until it came. Then it sort of. Clicked. He's got a hard time admitting the reasons why it clicks, but he can't pretend it makes no sense. The problem might be, it makes too much goddamn sense. ]

[ Scott only gives a small, amused smile at Logan's suggestion. He knows how the other mutant feels about Erik. He's not going to pretend they can all get along someday, even if that's ideal. The important thing is they aren't at each other's throats. For all their sakes, and above all else, for Charles'. ]

Poor unfortunate soul whoever that might be.

[ Scott comments with a snort regarding whoever Logan's linked with. He doesn't care who this poor unsuspecting person might be. He has a hunch. Whatever Logan's deal with this person is, he can keep it. As long as he's not linked, and will never be linked, to Logan then Scott can rest easy. Is being connected to Erik any better? No. But, at least, this way, he can keep an eye out on the older mutant. Not that Erik has given him any reason to be suspicious ever since accepting their allyship.

He turns his attention back to the grill. It's coming along. In a few, he already starts cooking the hotdogs. Taking a swig of his beer, Scott continues.

But this time, his voice is soft, distant. As if he's not completely here. ] Some night that was, huh? Feels like it was just yesterday.

[ The thing is, Scott knows he's not completely here anymore. Not really. A part of him died when he found out he did back home. Most nights he feels he's just existing, staring up at his ceiling. He wonders what if the next time he opens his eyes, he'd be finally knocking on death's door.

Work at the Scrapyard has given him newfound purpose. Something to chase. Because beneath all this, the real junkyard lies deep within.

He flips a hotdog. Takes another sip of his beer. ] Glad I found work over here.

[ Scott doesn't ask; Logan's got no interest in saying. He wonders if Scott thinks he knows—if he's assuming Karen or Laura—or if Scott's aware of what Wade Wilson did for him that night, hauling him out of his own head. He's only told Charles, but it's not a secret, either. ]

Not that unfortunate. [ Is the only answer Logan gives: wry, but honest, too. That's the thing. There's a dozen people he'd have hated inflicting whatever bullshit lurks in his mind, in his heart, but Wade is different. Wade jumps into traffic when he's bored. Wade can feel the agony of shredding his entire leg to the bone, and shrug it off 'cause to him—to them—it's nothing new.

He's not saying it, but the real reason he doesn't want Scott connected to him is that. Yeah, he doesn't like anybody worming inside him on principle alone. He likes even less the idea that Scott or whoever might...whatever. Absorb his pain or his nightmares or the bullshit that makes him lose track of where he is sometimes. He doesn't need to feel any of that responsibility with Wilson, you know? They're the same breed of screwed up. He can't damage Wade any more than Wade's already been fucking damaged.

Anyway. This is fine. It's not the worst. Him here with Scott, talking like they're actually friends. (Might be they're getting there.) He even lets Scott handle the grilling without giving him shit over his technique. His finger drums against the glass bottle, still frosty in the evening chill. ]

Me, too. [ He means it. ] I, uh— [ He huffs through his nose. ] I'd look in on you sometimes back then. Teaching your little shop class. [ Lurking, he means, just outside of view. ] Don't think you ever saw me, but...

[ Seemed nice. Scott and Jean, and the kids that looked up to them. And he remembers thinking—with a dark curl in his chest—there were mutants out there living entirely different lives than the hollow one he led. The type of shit he told himself he wouldn't have, wasn't for him.

Still isn't. He'll never be that. That thing that lives inside guys like Scott, it's not in him. Either never had it or he got it carved out long ago. But he's got something else a bit in between. Something he's learning to be okay with. And maybe, as a result, he's learning to be okay with Scott, too. ]

[ Not that unfortunate, only receives a passing glance from Scott. Well, that pretty much confirms his guess on who it might be. And frankly, he thinks it's a match made in heaven. They both understand each other's freak, and it's something he absolutely doesn't want any part of. Never in a million years. He might not be knowledgeable about how these things work, but he's banking on the fact he's already linked with someone else so he doesn't have to be linked to any of... that. One less thing he needs to worry about.

Speaking of which, he flips two more hotdogs, skewers an already cooked one and gives it to Logan. He ruminates on the other's words while he takes another swig of his beer. ]

I saw you. [ He starts, flipping a hotdog then turning to look at Logan. ] At the time, I relished in it. Me inside teaching while you look, probably feeling lost and not fitting in. While I'm accomplished, well-liked.

[ Scott lets those words sink in for a second or two, before his lips tug up into a faint, albeit apologetic, smile. ] Should've let you in. Sorry. [ And he means it, offering another skewered hotdog to Logan. ]

What we have... you and me, Logan - [ His brows furrow a bit, as he continues to grill the remaining hotdogs. ] - will always be complicated. But I'm owning my part in it. I should've been better.

[ Reached out to Logan more. Have more patience when it comes to building some form of good relationship. In the end, what probably hurts, is that Scott knows he won't have the luxury of time to do this back home. He'd be snuffed out even before he arrives to this place with Logan. They've both cheated out of a good working relationship.

So, here he is. Here they are now. In a foreign planet riddled with complicated diffusion zones as complicated as they are. And Scott Summers promises he'd put in the work. They have the chance now and he doesn't intend to waste it. ]

[ His forehead wrinkles. Should it sting? Maybe. Maybe back then, it would've. Maybe back then, he'd have indulged in the way his teeth have always sharpened too easily, too quickly, tearing open all the sore spots he can see in someone else just because he can. Would've told Scott about taking over his precious shop class 'cause he wasn't responsible enough to keep up after Jean was gone, and then he'd died, and guess the school never needed the great Scott Summers as much as they all thought, did they?

He doesn't. He takes the hotdog and tugs it off the skewer. ]

Don't recall anybody appointing you as the school saint, Summers. [ Wasn't really anybody's job to handle him: not Scott, not Charles. He wasn't one of the kids, and he wasn't some charity case wandering the streets looking for a handout. He was on his own for a long time. It's what he knows best. In nearly every memory he's scrounged up, he's alone, and he's good at it. Finding people to stick around with was always gonna be complicated for him, and even now, sometimes he find the reluctance rising again. He's just better at shouldering past it these days because he's got people who mean more to him than running off by himself.

He stuffs the second hotdog in his mouth and wipes his hand on his jeans. For a while, he turns what Scott's saying over in his head. Scott's trying to make peace, and he's not gonna say he doesn't appreciate it. He does. But there's something else, too, that he's never said to Scott, something that—if he's being honest—was starting to change even before Scott was truly gone, and only solidified in the years that followed. ]

You wanna know why I came to you and not somebody else, even though I knew you'd give me shit for fucking up my bike?

Edited 2025-12-08 21:29 (UTC)

[ Well, no one has to appoint him to be. Scott thinks it's up to them to be better, which he's now owning up to regardless of how it might come off to Logan. Being smacked at the face with the news that not only is your girlfriend dead, but she also killed you is something that really shook Scott to the core and prompted a lot of rumination on his end. Making peace with Logan once and for all is one of them.

The question, though, makes Scott lift an eyebrow. He never really thought of the reason why Logan came to him and not to anyone else. He mostly thought it was because they're X-Men. And that mutants stick together no matter where they are.

Which is still probably one of the reasons why. ] I'm all ears.

Because I knew you'd give me shit about it. [ It's as simple as that. When it comes to Scott, he knows what he's getting. He knows how they're like, the two of them, and these days, he's good with that. Maybe he almost doesn't mind Scott's specific brand of being a pain in his ass. Besides, now that he's spent a bunch of time trapped in a cockpit with Magneto, he's popped all the aneurysms he's gonna have for the next century.

He reaches for his beer, wedged between a couple of cinder blocks. ] You don't gotta play nice with me, Scott.

[ A casual remark on the surface, but after a second, Logan looks away, thumb rubbing along the neck of his bottle. After what happened to Jean, he just...he doesn't think there's a whole lot Summers did, or can do, that'll overshadow that stain. If there's one thing he could've at least managed, it was to save her. And he couldn't and he didn't, and now they're here, and he isn't sure how it is Scott's the one apologizing to him. It feels wrong. It feels like he's getting something he doesn't deserve, and it's all the more complicated by the way he never thought he'd find himself here.

Some part of him's not ready for this even weeks later. The idea that after Jean's death, he would be with the love of her fucking life, asking him to fix his bike, listening to him say shit like I should've been better to you.

Sure. Maybe, maybe not. But what's that actually matter in comparison? ]

[ For some reason, Scott almost expected this answer. For how complicated their relationship is, sometimes he prides himself of knowing where to place Logan in a scale. Of knowing what his reactions would be, what words are going to form out of his mouth. Then comes the why of it all, and sometimes that's when Scott kind of fluctuates on. That's where Logan becomes a bit unpredictable. Just a little game in his head he likes to play. ]

But I want to. Contrary to popular belief, I can be nice. [ Sarcasm dripping, there.

He flips a hotdog, starts to skewer the ones that are already cooked. ] You shouldn't be used to people treating you like shit.

[ Just because you do are the words he doesn't add because Scott can be nice. Sometimes. ] I can be nice if want to. I can also be a dick if I want to.

[ He hands the new batch to Logan. There's one more left and he's reserving it for him. Scott takes a swig of his beer. The thing is, this time, he kind of understands the why of it all. Logan's so used to people treating him like shit that it's the only thing he knows how to deal with. Which makes his initial reaction to him all the way back home even more diabolical, at least in Scott's eyes.

But perhaps that's not all. Maybe Logan's also just used to being broken physically, that he also chases it emotionally. It kind of makes sense, in his head, but it's something Scott wants confirmation on. ]

[ Somehow, that quiets him, like he didn't expect to hear it said to his face, and he sure as hell didn't expect to hear it from Summers. Something he'd have thought Charles would say to him, but not Scott.

For a heartbeat, he sees what it is that Charles saw in Scott, too. He never got to talk to Charles about it. If the Professor regretted the way he didn't know what to do about Scott after Jean died. Suppose it's not hard to figure out the answer, if he knows anything about Charles.

He doesn't believe in second chances the same way. But he does believe in taking what he's got in front of his eyes, and right now, Scott is what he's got. He's here. Been nearly six months, and Scott hasn't gone anywhere. Logan's started to expect him to be around. Each time his phone dings, he finds himself thinking it might be Scott who needs him. When he's considering backup, Scott's one of the small handful he contacts, and it doesn't feel so strange these days to assume that Scott'll be there—walking, breathing, like he wasn't gone for years.

When Logan finally answers, his tone's lighter. Playful, if you squint. ] And if I said I like you with a little bite?

[ He digs out a couple of buns from the bag he'd grabbed and sticks one of the dogs between them before offering it back to Scott. They both gotta eat. And he hasn't been unaware of how much time Scott's been spending in the Scrapyard, by the way. Scott's not absent, not like that, but he can tell the man's still getting away from things for a bit, and while he's not here to call it out, he just. He's noticed.

Maybe that's the other reason he showed up. Doesn't matter if Scott asked for his company or not. Hanging out all alone in your head's no good for anybody. Ask him how he knows. ]

scott.

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