Work Text:
The plane breaks down near Rhode Island, just barely on the boarder of Connecticut. Luckily they were not in the air nor did they have much cargo besides their civilian clothes and the survival gear that the plane is always equipped with, but this doesn't make it anymore frustrating when the plane rumbles and coughs out smoke into the cabin and into their faces. It's easy to escape back through the open door, but when Scott tries to restart the engine again he's rewarded with sparks this time and a whole shutdown of the system. It quickly becomes apparent that they are stuck if they stay here— even all the backups and phones either aren't even on the plane or also shutdown without the plane's energy— and it also becomes very clear that this is going to be a long adventure, however it goes.
They are only here to see a potential student and were only grouped purely because Charles wants them to work together more, and Scott doesn't have the gall to tell Chuck otherwise, even when it's obvious to Logan of his distaste towards the fact. Logan can't necessarily complain though— he too grows a slight snarl at the prospect of working with Scott, regardless of his heart that yearns for companionship. Not that he would admit it of course, even to himself, that Scott is the only candidate who would be perfect for a friendship and honesty is the only other masculine option in the school for it that doesn't involve Hank McCoy. Logan already knows enough about the Beast, and at this point is starting to look for more. Still, somehow Scott Summers doesn't seem a likely candidate.
This is not saying Logan hasn't thought about it— being friends with Scott— real, authentic friends that can pat each other on the back without a fight or just stare a little too long at the other without a glare. It does hurt sometimes though, Logan is willing to admit. It hurts to see other people be around Scott and just feel purely safe with him, hurts to walk into a room only for Scott to immediately leave. He tries not to act like it, but Logan's stare does linger on Scott's back when he departs.
Maybe that's why Charles ropes them together, but the idea that an outside force had to make Scott partner up with Logan makes Logan even more defensive and raw feeling, like salt in the wound. But they do get the job done relatively easy and fast together, regardless that the student didn't want to go with them and decided to stay with their supportive parents.
Then the plane breaks down with a hitch of sound and now they are stranded in a valley filled with snow.
Logan can see the frost on the windows and can smell the scent of a snowstorm coming, the door open to let smoke out and let fresh air in. The winds toss and turn outside, whistling by the open entranceway. Scott has already cursed a good couple times at the plane but is obviously not entirely hopeless yet, standing inside the cockpit and headset sitting lopsidedly on half his head as he presses more buttons, regardless that the power is obviously off. Only the backup generator is on to illuminate the controls, but even then the energy doesn't go to their phones. Maybe if Hank was here he could rewire something, but he's not, and Logan definitely can't do it without destroying something more so.
He watches as Scott bangs on the control panels a bit more times but doesn't stand around for long— when the power went off at the second attempt to start the engine, he instantly turned and started to sort through their gear under the compartments in the seats. There's some fire blankets and life rafts, but he goes for the thick wool blankets and any jackets someone else left here, along with freeze dried food packets. He takes the items and four meals just as Scott rips the headset off his head and huffs frustratingly.
"Come on." Logan says, already shuffling past the other mutant and out the door. Even just on the steps to lead to the ground, the change of temperature is very apparent and the winds hurl at his exposed skin in spiky sensations.
"Logan!" Scott shouts after him, a more surprised yet still harsh tone of voice. "Logan, we can't just leave the plane here."
Logan eventually turns back to Scott, a quirk of an eyebrow. "Yeah? Well we can't wait for someone to rescue us without knowing we need it. Besides," He turns his head to look around the valley and the oncoming storm. "No one is going to come out here anytime soon."
Scott is clearly unsupportive of this, but Logan's logic stands even when Scott wishes there were some other solution. He stands in the airplane's door, sticking his face barely out into the wind, though he seems bitter and uncomfortable with the cold weather. Logan doesn't wait much longer for the other mutant to follow before stepping down into the snow— it hardly comes up to over the soles of his boots, but it still makes a more noticeable impression in his movements when walking. He can see the grey grass in his previous footprints, but as he trudges through the valley snow gradually starts to increase in the air and covering everything it touches.
Scott does eventually follow, if not begrudgingly. He's a silent shadow, not one to always speak his displeasure, but Logan can still practically feel the heat of Scott's gaze on his upper back. It's not like Scott is primarily mean either, he just always seem to mistake Logan's own defense as a personal attack, though Logan tries not to think about it too much. Scott is Scott and Logan is Logan, and they will never work.
They get to the nearest gas station just over an hour of walking, and at this point Logan has thrown one of the wool blankets over himself and gave one to Scott, who does similarly. They have made no attempts at conversation or even to look at the other, but not entirely because of their equal distain for the other— it's difficult to look up into the snow on Logan's part, but even with Scott's visor he doesn't necessarily do anything either— still, Logan is obviously in his habitat whilst Scott looks very uncomfortable in the wet.
The gas station is primarily red accents and no company but for the teenager working the cash register. The kid gives them directions for the nearest phone booth and Scott immediately punches the X-Men's number in, Logan taking the chance to shake off his hair and the blanket from snowflakes. There's a long ring as the phone line connects to the school back in New York, and then Hank is answering with a confused voice. Scott talks swiftly but clear enough for Hank to understand their circumstances, and in one moment of compatibility, both Logan and Scott groan in anguish when Hank says that the snowstorm is affecting the school as well and no one will be able to fly out to them anytime soon.
"You can't even send the small jet?" Scott asks desperately despite that Hank has already told him negative, a hand in his hair as he leans against the phone booth. Logan leans just on the opposite side to listen, but as it grows obvious that no one is going to rescue them, he turns his head to look around.
There's two cars in the parking lot— one the kid's and the other must be the manager's. Securing the blanket around his shoulders once more, Logan leaves the conversation to look at the pickup truck with the big wheels and strong engine. It sits on the edge of the parking lot, snow skidding under his feet on the pavement when he gets to the side of the truck. He can still vaguely hear Scott trying to convince Hank, but then there's the phone ringing as the call hangs up with a "Sorry, Scott" from Hank.
He isn't gentle this time— Scott slams the wired phone back into its slot, does it a couple more times when he keeps missing, and curses very loudly. In the storm, no one can really hear him except Logan, who looks unimpressed at him. Running his hands down his face and then back into his hair, Scott huffs, not entirely sure what he should be feeling or doing right now. He hardly even acknowledges Logan anymore, even with his body language. He's exhausted, physically and mentally from this long day and mission, and being here with someone as either nonchalant or as brutal as Logan isn't exactly helping. Logan isn't faring much better, but at the same time he's more calm about it which in turn makes Scott more irritable.
Logan watches him from the truck, a simple expression on his face. He's never sure what to think about Scott— to be angry or jealous or begrudgingly compliant with him— but either way he hotwires the truck more efficiently than he would otherwise be, the cold making him want to work faster, and drives the truck to the phone booth to where Scott is. Scott doesn't even complain about Logan stealing a car when he gets in the passenger seat. Then Logan puts the truck out of park, puts it in drive, and presses the gas.
An Avril Lavigne song comes through the radio and neither of them are energetic enough to even turn the station as the song flows through. There's a cross hanging from the rear view mirror and the map navigation works on the screen regardless that there's a small crack in it, and the heat works perfectly fine that Logan doesn't have it in himself to complain or even talk at all. There's hardly even an awkward silence besides the radio— they are equally tired and burnt out to muster up the emotion.
Half an hour passes easily between the two, and Logan can't even tell if Scott is awake with his visor on. The storm still rages but it's relatively calm to drive through and not a lot of other people are on the roads. It's easy to lull into a meditative state, only driving through long stretches of pavement.
"You know," Scott suddenly says a little more into their drive, startling Logan from his concentration. "I don't think I've ever actually stolen a car before."
Logan pauses everything besides his driving, processing his thoughts and the situation, not expecting Scott to start a conversation now. Even when they ventured here in the jet the trip was short enough to not talk or even try to, and it's not like they ever try to regardless. It's always Jean or Charles that try to make them talk, or it's Scott giving orders to the team, it's never just Logan one on one. Makes the older mutant hesitate, despite how he won't admit that.
There's a little pause before Logan replies awkwardly. "I don't even remember how I learned to hotwire one." He can't help but say it a bit tensely, but only from surprise and not knowing at all how to communicate with Scott, who has not moved at all to indicate he heard him. But Logan does want to keep the conversation flowing, regardless how difficult it may be.
"I know I learned it during the second War though." He adds, a bit more relaxed. Scott does tilt his head slightly more to Logan this time, as if also surprised Logan is trying to keep up the talking.
Scott hums in acknowledgment. "What was it like?"
"Brutal." Logan admits gently, and can't stop the words from coming out. "There was always mud everywhere, mixed with the blood. I'm glad it's gone and over with, but sometimes..." He stops, acutely aware he's going to say something very vulnerable to Scott, perhaps for the first time, and that fact alone spurs him on just enough to say it.
"Sometimes I don't think I can live without the fight, like I was made for it." Scott doesn't turn to him anymore, but Logan can hear his sharper inhale of breath that he takes. Everything about the other mutant is very apparent, just then— Scott's clean scent mixed with the metallic smell of the heat behind his visor, the way his hand is positioned on his own thigh, his soft breathing. It's very too much for Logan, and he almost backtracks and gets defensive again before Scott replies.
"Sometimes I wonder if I was made for this." He says, surprising Logan with his genuineness. "I like leading the team and helping the students, but sometimes I think about high school and how I had to drop out because of my mutation. I wonder who I could've been without it." He slumps in the passenger seat, but he's otherwise still, as if trying to gain back control over himself. A stray clump of hair sticks over his forehead, Logan looking at him carefully through the mirror, and Logan can't help but think really hard about what Scott just said and this situation in general.
"I think all mutants think that at some point." Logan quickly says again but doesn't regret it either, yet is unprepared to be so rocked by Scott's reply.
"Even you?" The other mutant says a little too heavily, now turning back to look at the side of Logan's face. Logan doesn't meet his gaze, not used to being so vulnerable, and continues to drive.
"Always." His tone is gentle yet weighted, some emotion he can't place pricking behind his eyes.
Scott only acknowledges the answer by turning back forward, but Logan can tell he's thinking really hard about something. Nonetheless, the conversation stalls and the radio picks back up in swaying early 2000s music, something Logan has heard the school kids listen to, and basks in the familiarity of that. Logan starts to once again get lost in the language of driving, but even then there's always an afterthought of the conversation they just had. His brain keeps circling back around to the way Scott had to drop out, and wonders who he would be without the burden of a mutation. Logan thinks Scott would still be a good teacher, if not a social worker or therapist, but it also makes Logan sad, in a way. He wonders absently, if Logan would've ever met Scott without their mutations, and finds it surprising that he's glad they have met.
"Scott?" He asks, only trying to see if the other mutant is awake still.
"Yeah?" Scott murmurs, obviously tired and barely thinking coherently.
"For what it's worth, I am glad you have your mutation, because now you're an X-Men." Logan confesses, the closest he'll ever get to admitting he really cares about Scott and their whole dynamic, and that they've met in this life. Even without blatantly saying that, Scott seems to understand if his smile is anything to go by, but thankfully doesn't quip on it.
Scott eventually does fall asleep not ten minutes later, but Logan is happy to avoid any potholes so he can sleep soundly. They get to the school two and half hours later, and as they pull up into the winding driveway, there's a fresh layer of snow on everything, making everything picturesque. The storm has stopped but it's still slowly snowing, just calmer and softer, and the truck wheels crunch the driveway's gravel as Logan puts it in park. Scott wakes up with a yawn and a hand through his hair just to mess it up more, making Logan secretively smile as he opens the door to get out. Scott sits there alone in the truck for a moment, regaining himself but also rethinking their conversation with an added weight.
Logan unloads the truck of their blankets and meal packets that they never ate, tucking the folded blankets under one arm as he waits for Scott to come. It's night out now, with a cloudy sky from the snow, but as Logan looks up into the night and getting snowflakes on his eyelashes, he looks at Scott with a newfound curiosity. The other mutant stumbles out the truck from his sleep induced body, and he doesn't really smile at Logan, but he does grip his shoulder on his way past. Logan takes what he can get, and shakes his head, smiling fondly.
It's one of first many moments of contemplation of their relationship, but he remembers this memory more vividly than the rest. The way the snow gets caught on Scott's hair, his white teethed smile and sharp jawline, the way his hand is firm on Logan's shoulder even in that fleeting moment— and Logan will always come back to this day and time, long before they really became friends, especially when it snows out.
Logan looks in the sky one more time, snowflakes silhouetting his face, and follows Scott back inside.