Those long, cold November evenings...

[pryde_and_grit]

Victor snagged his coat and stormed down the halls of the heli-fortress. He'd never tell anyone, but he really hated living up in the air. Having his feet off the ground made him edgy all the time...

Misery had come by to 'see' him before leaving for the SHIELD summit. They were held once a year, all the leaders and their team captains had to attend. Two weeks alone, from Thanksgiving to mid-December. And she always made sure that he knew what he'd be missing. Damn, it been years now and he still shook with need every time she touched him.

So here it was, down time again, and he'd be alone...

...well, mostly alone. "Yo, Runt!" he snarled when he made it to the team housing hall. "Wakey wakey, I need a buddy else I don't get to leave!"

Comments

[adamantiumloner]

"What are we, Boy Scouts?" Logan scoffed, but behind the attitude there was teasing.

"If nothin' else it's fun to set shit on fire."

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Nah, they take away your merit badges for killing." he chuckled "But it's fun to chase them."

[adamantiumloner]

"Killin' is a survival skill," He pointed out. "Ain't their thing always be prepared or somethin'?"

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but in a 'helpin mankind' way. If it was about real survival I'd lead a troop!" cause that'd be fun as hell!

[adamantiumloner]

"Lucky for the kids it ain't. Wouldn't be surprised if SHIELD caught on to that idea at some point, though."

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Oh, they already make publhc service vids they show in the schools." he admitted bleakly "Worlds goin to hell again..."

[adamantiumloner]

"World's always been a hell hole."

He might not be able to remember a whole lot, but even so he knew that to be true.

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but t gets better and it gets worse." he held up his hand and waffled it back and forth to illustrate his meaning. "Some years everyone smells like fear and anger, some years most people don't. Like before world war II, whole damn country was near screaming with nerves..."

[adamantiumloner]

"You remember World War II?" Logan gives him a skeptical look.

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Yes Runt, I've avoided extreme head trauma." he tried for sarcasm and hit sad instead.

[adamantiumloner]

His first reaction was to glare at Victor, but then he caught the kind of morose note in the other man's voice and it threw him.

He didn't know where it had come from or how to react to it.

"Lucky you." It was all he could think of to say and he immediately devoted more attention to the menu.

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, lucky." he was really starting to rethink dragging Logan around...

...it felt too much like old times. To late now though.

"Lemme guess, apple pie, no trimmings?"

[adamantiumloner]

Logan quirked an eyebrow at Vic, then nodded and passed the menu back.

"Yeah. I like stickin' to the classics."

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"There's a difference between classic an boring." Victor sighed mockingly. He was getting a brownie chunk milkshake! "But I guess you ain't got much imagination to spare at the moment. We'll try again on the way back."

[adamantiumloner]

"Ain't nothin' wrong with apple pie," He argued. "There's a reason it's stuck around for so long."

Because it's good.

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Because you eat it." he chuckled, digging into his shake. "It's an old legend passed down in the food industry 'Always have that pie or Logan will get you...' you're kinda like the modern day 'wee folk' that people set out booze and bread for..."

[adamantiumloner]

Logan eyed him, bemused.

"Wee folk? You sayin' I'm short?"

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"I'm saying you're a creepy little urban legend." he snorted. "You help some folks, destoy others...modern replacement for the fae an shit."

He leaned back in his seat and quirked an eyebrow. "Hey...how come the girls always talk an blush over you an not me?" sure he was taken but flirty waitresses were good for the ego!

[adamantiumloner]

"Hm," He gave a snort to Victor's clarification and cut off a piece of pie.

"I dunno, 'cause yer butt ugly?"

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Nah, I'm too chiseled for that. You must haue some kinda pheremones of your own. Animal magnetism or somethin." he sighed with mock sadness. "Oh hell, the waitress just unbuttoned her top a bit. Think she's comimg to offer you ice cream..." there were advantages to seeing ouer the top of the booth, such as forewarning!

[adamantiumloner]

"Right." It was an effort not to roll his eyes to Victor's reasoning. His eyes did widen some, though, when Vic gave him the heads up on the waitress.

"Cripes. You done stuffin' your face yet?"

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Sipping, not stuffing." he corrected with a smirk. "Why, wanna bolt? I can leave the rest..."

[adamantiumloner]

"I ain't boltin'," He grouched, very much doing just that. "We're burnin' daylight hangin' out here."

[twisted-kit.livejournal.com]

"Well, you might as well. That hunching flinch is almost the same thing..." he laughed and threw some bills down on the table. No, the waitress didn't get a big tip. "No harm in looking boy, and you know Mis doesn't care...so what's the hang up? Remember you were married or something?"

[adamantiumloner]

"I-- " Logan's defense was cut off by Victor's last words.

"I was married?" Victor was probably just screwing with him, but he did seem to know more than Logan did about things from the past.