Breathe
Summary:Â When Logan ups and leaves the X-Men out of the blue, he finds himself deep in the mountains of Alaska where he gets caught in a snowstorm and is rescued by a girl named Zofia and after a year of living with her, Logan tries to find a way to confess his love to her.
Fandom: X-Men, Marvel
Characters: Wolverine (Logan), Zofia (Original Female Character)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: PG-13/PG (more on the PG-13 side)
He didnât know what happened or how, but all he knew was that something or someone had blindsided him, catching him off guard. And after the struggle with whoever it was (strange, the smell of his attacker wasnât familiar so his attacker wasnât that damned Sabertooth), Logan found himself caught in an avalanche and after thatâŚ.
It was nothing, but cold darkness until he woke up and found himself in this small, cozy log cabin. He was wrapped up in what felt like a blanket and a furry pelt (it was a blanket made out of some kind of animal hide from what he could tell). It was relatively warm in the room, so warm in fact he almost fell back asleep but when he smelled the sweet aroma of whatever was cooking, his stomach growled and it was then he saw her.
Long brown hair and blue-green eyes. And of course she had been sitting in a chair, just crocheting or knitting (Logan never knew the difference between the two) and at her feet was a beautiful white furry dog (and from the looks of it, it was a boy, just around two years, maybe three). The dogâs barking had caught her attention and she immediately spoke.
And from their first exchange, Logan felt something stirring in his heart, something about her made Logan want to stay with her.
All of that happened almost a year ago. He couldnât believe that it had been close to a year since he left the Xavier Institute, it was at random and for no reason. He just packed a bag, got on his motorcycle and left. Sure, he left a note saying he was leaving, but not even he was sure whether heâd be back or not.
âHeh.â The corner of his lips pulled back into a smile as he stood at the pile of wood, his metal claws unsheathe. A white mass of fur entered his field of vision and Logan glanced at the dog. This dog gets really attached to anyone it encounters and Logan couldnât help feeling attached to the mutt. The beautiful fuzzy white marshmallow of a dog stared at him, ears perked as itâs blue eyes met his.
âThink that'll be enough firewood, Max?â He asked. The dog barked, his tail wagging furiously as he now rose to all four legs. Logan often wondered how the mutt could stand outside in this cold weather for a long time, waiting for him to finish chopping up some wood. He allowed himself to smile as he reached out, the claws on his knuckles retracting as he did, and ruffled the fur behind Maxâs ear.
The dogâs eyes closed for a few seconds, the dog relishing in the attention he was given.
Logan retracted his claws and grabbed a few logs, hoisting said firewood to his shoulder, âCome on Mutt.â He said teasingly and as if on command, Max barked again and bounded after him, close on his heels.
The walk back to Zofiaâs cabin was a relatively short walk but walking through this freezing snow, it felt a bit longer than usual. But Zofia had made sure Logan dressed appropriately (and he wasnât about to turn her request for firewood down, after all, he liked being alone as much as he enjoyed being around her). And the scenery was quite nice and he didnât mind the cold much (he survived in worse conditions).
As soon as the cabin was in sight, Max sped up, running at full speed, to the small stone steps leading to the door. Logan chuckled at seeing the dog, now looking back at him, waiting for him to open the door for him, and possibly for food. As soon as he opened the door and stepped in, letting Max inside as well, Logan was greeted by the comforting warmth coming from the fireplace and the smells of food (Zofia was one hell of a cook! One more reason to stay and ma-).
Logan quickly dismissed the thought as he felt the familiar warmth blooming in his chest.
âLucy, Iâm home,â Logan called out in a teasing tone as Max barked.
âLogan?â Came Zofiaâs voice. She came out from behind the curtains that led to a small backroom that was Zofiaâs bedroom (Logan slept on a roll out cot that was placed in one corner of the room when it wasnât used). He couldnât help feeling surprised and joy at seeing Zofia in her beige sweater, blue jeans, and her hair.
Her usual wavy hair had been twisted into a low ponytail, leaving a few wisps of her hair to hang about the sides of her face. It made the woman lookâŚ.
Well, he couldnât describe it exactly, but sexy would be too much in describing sweet gentle Zofia.
Not hearing his voice, Zofia reached out for him, feeling just a bit alarmed. Of course, Logan wouldnât just stop at saying his usual, âLucy, Iâm home!â joke when he entered. He would start asking about her day and what she was up to. It just how he was (at least from what sheâs seen during the year heâs been living with her--she never did ask about his past. Her daddy always said men--and women--don't have to talk about their past unless they want to, and what happened in the past stays in the past).
âLogan?â Zofia started again. This time she took a few steps towards where his voice came from. Max, having been trained to help her, walked by her, using his body to gently nudge her and guide her. A smile graced her lips as one of her hands brushed against Maxâs soft fur.
Logan snapped out of his trance.
Damn it, Logan, ya gotta stop being captivated by her! Sheâs just like any other woman. Except for one thing, Zofia was blind. She wasnât helpless for she still knew what the world looks like, but having turned blind when she was really young due to a childhood injury, Logan ended up treating her with a little more care than he would with Jean or Storm, or any other woman he met.
Logan smiled and reached for her, mumbling an apology.
âSorry snowflake, seeinâ you with your hair prettied up took me by surprise.â
His words made Zofia blush with embarrassment, a pink tinge gracing her usual creamy colored skin. Zofia felt a bit flustered (and flattered) at the comment, her heart starting to pound hard in her chest as she walked towards him. But when she took another step, Max stepped at the same time as her, but his paws landed in front of the woman, making her trip and stumble over him. The moment she started to fall, Zofia felt a small twinge of fear spreading through her, but in the same instant, Logan called out to her, fear in his voice.
She expected to feel the hardwood floor when she fell, but instead, she felt something soft and warm embrace her as she fell. It wasnât Max because the texture of whatever she grabbed onto didnât feel like dog fur. It felt like the soft leather of a jacket, the thin material of a flannel shirt, and something warm likeâŚ
Skin?
âL-Logan?â Zofia whispered, her voice almost quiet. Confusion could be heard in her tone.
His hold on her tightened a little as he answered her.
âYeah, itâs me, Snowflake. You ok?â Logan asked quietly. The soft graze of her fingertips on the skin at his collarbone made him shiver, but Logan was able to contain himself (save for holding her a bit tighter of course).
âY-yea, I think so, thank you.â She murmured against his chest. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. A strange wave of emotions was washing over as she remained in his embrace like this. This was the first time anyone, who wasnât related to her, held her so intimately like this. Most people would try avoiding her or treat her like she was completely fragile. But never has anyone ever treated her like this.
âYou gave me quite the scare.â Logan felt her trembling a bit in his arms and he felt his own heart beating just as fast. Holding her close, Logan could smell a sweet aroma coming from her neck. It was perfume but it was just a small sprinkle. Enough that it wouldnât overpower his acute senses. (Damn if Rogue and Jean didnât sprinkle that stuff on so heavily sometimes. Itâd drive him to seek out a skunk! Well almost).
âIâm sorry.â He heard her whisper. It almost sounded like she was about to cry but thatâs always how Zofia sounded when she whispers.
Just how in the world did whatever âGodâ up there knew he longed to hold her like this. Did someone really want him to have happiness at long last? Or is this going to be another of those moments where someone like Sabertooth would show up and just destroy his happiness in one fell swoop? Yeah, it happened with Silver Fox (Even though that was more or less a fake memory but his feelings for Silver Fox were real, he was sure of it). And it could easily happen again. This one thought made Logan tense, his hold on Zofia loosening some. As if expecting his sworn enemy to burst through the windows or the door, or even the roof, Logan sniffed for his scent, his eyes looking for signs of the bastard.
âLogan?â her soft voice snapped him out of his paranoia and he looked down at her in time to stare into her gray eyes. Had she sensed his unease?
âIs something wrong?â Zofia asked, feeling a bit uneasy herself. Was he feeling the same anxiety and nervousness as her? Or was he just regretting holding her this long? Itâs not as though she resisted being held this close to him. In his voice, under that gruffness, she could hear the soft tenderness when he spoke to her. It wasnât the tone of voice one would get when in an awkward situation or pitying someone. It was the voice of one who is in love. She had noticed when that tenderness slipped into his voice and sheâs been waiting for something to happen since.
Logan blinked, immediately calming down and relaxing. Good no Sabertooth to ruin this life. He then chuckled at his own idiocy. He hasn't seen the damned fool in over three years (as far as Logan knew, Sabertooth was, well, he was dead). He wasnât going to let ghosts of his past ruin this new life for him. And nothing was going to harm Zofia, heâd make sure of that. As if to reaffirm his silent vow, Logan hugged Zofia closer, burying his face into her soft hair.
âL-Logan.â Zofiaâs voice came out as a soft gasp. She heard his heartbeat, soft, and steady, and the smell of firewood and pine trees. Yeah, thatâs how Logan smelled to her, with a slight hint of those cigars he was so fond of. It was a wonder he didnât have lung cancer yet.
âNo oneâs ever gonna harm ya. I'll make sure of that because I love you, Zofia.â His breath tickled her ear as he said this.
Zofia felt her heart jump to her throat and for a split second when they pulled apart slightly (though Loganâs arms were still around her waist), she looked at him and really saw him. Logan felt Zofiaâs hand gently touched the side of his face, her fingers taking in what sheâs touching. He didnât know how being blind works exactly but he knew this was her way of seeing the world. Logan took one of her hands into his and pressed a kiss to her palm. Warmth spread through her body and she smiled.
Her senses painted the perfect image in her mindâs eye. Wild dark blue-black hair, stubble on his chin, and usually fierce blue eyes now staring at her with such affection and tenderness. It made her feelâŚ
Excite? Joy? Love?
It had to be a mixture of all three. But whatever this feeling was, it felt nice. And she wanted it to last.
A giggle escaped Zofiaâs lips. Pushing herself to stand on the tips of her toes, Zofia smile and wrapped her arms around his neck.
âIâve been waiting for you to say this for a long time.â And with that said, she pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. That one kiss felt like a shockwave and it made her pulse go fast. Logan just smirked and returned her kiss with one of his own.
âGood to know youâve been waitinâ.â He teased. As they shared a few more kisses, Logan shut the door with his foot, his arms still holding Zofia close.
---
He didnât know when or how it happened, but Logan (or maybe it was Zofia) guided them to the back room where the two had given in to each other. It was dark now and his mind was blank, though thoughts of Zofia were still in his head, for once in his life, he felt at peace. Logan laid there in the bed with Zofia curled into his side, her head rested on his chest and his arms were still wrapped in his arms. Gods, just how long has it been since heâs felt this happy? Zofia was receptive of his yearning for her, even though it was her first time.
Logan chuckled and kissed the top of her head, making the woman groan in her sleep. He looked from his lover at seeing Max stretching his body out, paws stuck up in the air as the dog slept.
The Mutt knew what he was doing. He thought with an inward chuckle. Logan reached over barely stirring Zofia from her slumber as he pets the dog on his belly.
âThanks for givinâ me the push, Max,â Logan whispered softly. The pitbull-husky mixed dogâs fluffy tail wagged from the attention and his eyes opened. Max then rolled over onto his stomach and crawled closer, laying his head on Loganâs lap. The mutant chuckled at this and scratched the dogâs ear.
For once everything felt right, and Logan didnât think of what could go wrong. All he could do was lay there with Zofia and Max next to him and watch as the first snow of the early morning twilight begin to fall.
