Long Road Home (the_wolverine) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-12-15 04:20:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, alyssa hamilton, logan howlett (wolverine), river tam |
Pancakes, beer an' bacon
Who: Logan, River and Alyssa
What: Thanksgiving trip to Lake Tahoe
When: End of November
Where: Lake Tahoe, also a diner near where he died last year
Status: complete
Rating: R for racy situations
Logan had eventually selected Lake Tahoe for their Thanksgiving getaway. Not only was there a world class ski resort, there was the lake itself and numerous fantastic views. Per Alyssa’s suggestion, he’d booked a room with a very large bed - He might be pessimistic, but if Alyssa wanted to be optimistic, then he was willing to go for it. Besides, one could always hope, right?
The truck had been loaded up with luggage and a few surprises, and then he’d picked up the girls and headed out of town. It was a long drive, but he figured it would be worth it. There were at least two places he wanted to stop at on the way up, one of which that would require a fifteen minute hike. Probably through snow.
That’s why he picked them up at the crack of dawn.
River has the seat by the door for now, so she can watch the landscape change as they drive along. It’s very early and she still isn’t quite awake yet, but she’s thrilled to be here.
Considering this is her first official relationship of any sort, it’s starting off with a bang. Or something like that anyway. She smiles and strains her eyes to see the first hint of snow, reaching over to grope for Alyssa’s hand, wanting to touch someone. To touch Alyssa.
It’s a good feeling. River can’t remember the last time she’d felt so… soft. And contented. And warm.
Alyssa isn’t fond of getting up early, but nevertheless, she’s packed up and ready to go when Logan and River come calling. She’s zoning out when River reaches for her hand, but she doubles down and wraps her arms around River, snuggling into her touch and kissing her cheek gently. Her head turns to grin at Logan, and she can’t help but chuckle. “You look like you always get up this early.”
There might be a certain part of Logan that enjoys dragging the girls out of bed so early. He sleeps very little, five hours typically, so getting up while the sun is still rising isn't a chore. And it wasn't the first time he'd dragged people out at dawn. His dreams with Kitty involved a lot of that - though that had been more training than pleasure.
He glanced at them and chuckles. "Don't sleep much. Ask Kitty some time bout when I was training her. Poor girl didn't know what sunrise was before that."
Their snuggling is still weird. Not a bad weird. An unused-to-it weird. Whatever it was they were all doing is new territory for him - and considering the century plus of experience in his head, new territory for Logan is a rare thing.
River usually gets up early to get in some rehearsal time before classes start, but not typically when it’s still dark out. Still, they’re going on an adventure and it seems appropriate that it start before dawn.
“If we stay up until sunrise we should be able to sleep in,” she puts forth. An offer for a possible romantic evening, read about only in novels and magazines. But staying up to watch the sun rise while wrapped in blankets has always sounded like something enjoyable.
She squeaks a bit when Alyssa pulls her close but resettles quickly enough, happy to be able to see out the window and also lean against Alyssa’s warmth and be able to breathe in the scent of her shampoo.
Alyssa’s aware that Logan’s somewhat on his guard for things that could go wrong, but she firmly believes that with enough effort and kindness, things can go right. They both deserve for things to go right, after all, and they’re both willing to work at it. “Have you been here before, Logan?” Alyssa knows she hasn’t, and doesn’t think River has. Alyssa sighs when she’s snuggled into, and closes her eyes. Alyssa’s own shampoo smells of coconut and vanilla, but River’s is different and Alyssa enjoys trying to place it.
"Not personally. Well I've been to Tahoe but never at a resort." He scratches at the scruff on his cheek, deciding that 'I killed some men there' is probably not good conversation. He puts his hand on Alyssa's knee and rubs it lightly. "Gonna be a few hours. Figure we'll stop some place to get lunch. Know a place. Gives us time to... talk."
He wants to check on that place anyway. The details surrounding that whole place are still fuzzy, but he remembers helping the waitress out. And then he remembers dying in the snow a few miles down the road. Real death.
Logan got better. Eventually. But he wants to make sure those skinheads hadn't ever come back.
(River’s shampoo is raspberry scented.)
“Years and years ago when we were small and still being a family.” She tries to stretch her arm back to scratch at Logan’s head or the back of his neck, wanting to complete the circuit. “Not this exact place, but close enough. They made me ski. Very impractical way to get around, skiing.”
Of course Logan wants to talk. Planning and planning, to make him feel less anxious. That’s fine, they can plan. Or try to plan, as well as anyone can plan these sorts of things.
“You don’t strike me as a resort sort of person anyway,” Alyssa chuckles.” She squeezes his hand, looking at him with concern. She smiles at River and lifts her hand to her lips, kissing the knuckles lightly. Alyssa marvels at how small River feels in her arms, and wonders if that’s how men have felt when they’ve held her. It’s no wonder men are a bit mad about shagging, it’s a heady thing to feel powerful and large without having had to really do anything.
“Talk about what?”
The scritching is nice, but Logan has to keep his eye on the road so he can't enjoy it as much as he would otherwise.
"Us," Logan says. "Just...want to make sure of things. Would hate to assume shit." Or mess things up. Logan has never had a good track record with relationships, let alone one with two women at once. He generally tries to avoid fooling around on people - he'd once turned Jean down because she was still married to Scott.
“I’ll go first,” River volunteers. She might as well be helpful, since this is technically her fault. “I liked Logan for a while. Technically I tricked him into a date, and he was a gentleman. But he said it wouldn’t work, and I was sad but if he was happy I could be happy for him. I didn’t want to be selfish.”
An extra scratch behind the ear for Logan before she goes on. “And then I got to know Alyssa better, and realized exactly why Logan didn’t want to lose her. Started to realize that being around Alyssa gave me similar feelings as being around Logan.
And now we’re going to a ski lodge together. I think that catches us up with where River Tam is in all this.”
River’s compliment makes Alyssa blush furiously, and she bites her lower lip. “I love Logan more than words, and I have for a long time. I’m not scared of losing him by anything less than death or a natural disaster. And you, River, you make me feel the same butterflies in my stomach. I feel comfortable and happy with you, and I want to see where that goes too. I think as long as we all communicate like this, we can’t go wrong.” Kissing River had been magnificent, and Alyssa wants to do it again.
That hasn't entirely been what Logan has been asking but then he isn't entirely clear on it himself. But they are being adorable and he has to stare straight ahead because TOUGH MANLY THINGS. Does he have to say things? Make emotions? He's just started to come to terms with his feelings for Alyssa.
"I uh, meant things like. Kissing and shit. It doesn't always have to be all three of us there." Like they don't have to do everything as a trio, though some stuff is nice. And he doesn't even mean pervy stuff. Mostly. "But uh." He loves Alyssa. Part of him always has. It's just difficult to say it out loud. Not a problem he usually has, really. And River is someone he's come to care about a great deal. But again saying it... Logan scrunches up his face and finished. "You know."
Logan’s gruffness gets a giggle from River and she flicks the back of his ear. Silly boy. “Use your words.”
But she does take pity on him, and nods in agreement to his (very brief) statement. “No, it doesn’t have to be all three of us there. That would be exceedingly difficult to schedule, even while Alyssa is staying with me. I don’t mind you two doing things without me. I’m sure you have already, it would be silly to assume otherwise.”
“It goes other ways too, though,” Alyssa offers. “You and Logan can do things without me, and you and I can do things without Logan.” Smiling, Alyssa leans forward to give River an eskimo kiss, feeling her pulse quicken and her cheeks go red at the contact.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Logan replies. He shifts in his seat a little, rolling his eyes at them but he doesn't really feel jealous. Alyssa looks so happy. So does River. Happiness is this thing that was so fleeting at times that you have to grab it when you can. Something Kitty taught him.
"Just didn't want hard feelin's." It probably isn't going to be as easy as it looks right now. But like anything they'd have to work at it. At least that feels like some kind of goal.
River feels so happy, and she can taste Alyssa’s smile when they get close. Even Logan is smiling in his own way. She nuzzles at Alyssa with a purring sort of noise and does her best to curl up against her, within the confines of the truck.
“You know by now that I don’t like to hide feelings. That just leads to danger and upset. I’d say if I wasn’t happy with something. Promise.” She holds out her pinkie for whomever feels they want to seal the promise with her.
Alyssa takes River’s pinkie and gives it a firm shake. “I’m very much the same way. If I’m upset, someone will hear about it.” Being so close to River feels like pink champagne, the bubbles of giggles making her damn near effervescent. Logan hits her like whisky, but River is absolutely something bubbly and sweet. “The only thing you have to promise, Logan, is that you’ll tell us things instead of brooding until they go away. Because they don’t go away. They never will.”
Logan seems to brood for a moment, though it was half to mess with them. "Okay. That's fair enough."
He reaches over, putting his arm around the both of them and squeezing. They are entirely too cheerful for his own good, but then his type swings one of two ways.
Part of him worries what others might think, but he puts that out of his mind for now. "Hope you're hungry, we're almost to a nice diner."
Logan’s arm around them feels like home and River tries to burrow even closer. Like Alyssa, she gets different feelings from both of them. Feelings that are still tricky to pin down, but what she does know is they both make her feel giddy and peaceful at the same time. Strange sensations.
“Absolutely starving,” she declares with a light bite at Logan’s hand to prove her point. Eating before sunrise felt too strange, so breakfast is welcome.
Alyssa giggles at River’s pluck and begins to root around in her handbag for lip balm. It’s one of those rare mornings where she’s not wearing much makeup, but she does like to keep her lips soft. Besides, it gives her something to do while she’s watching River and Logan and marveling at how adorable they are, how much love is obviously present. Logan’s so good at denial, it makes Alyssa start to chuckle anew. “So. Pancakes and beer for you, Logan. I don’t know what breakfast food you like, River.” It’s heady, so many things to discover about someone, especially since Alyssa knows Logan as well as she knows herself.
Logan swats lightly at River, but he doesn't seem perturbed at the biting. But then, Logan likes biting.
"Pancakes, beer an' bacon," he corrects. Bacon is important. Bacon is life.
By "almost" Logan actually means closer to an hour, so there's plenty of time to talk about food. There's already snow at that elevation, pristine and freshly fallen. The diner is located at the top of a hill, overlooking a sea of evergreen trees.
“It depends entirely on the mood of the day, but I will very rarely say no to pancakes. Chocolate chip being the best, of course.” River swats back at Logan, helpfully. Affectionately, pushing at the side of his head.
“What sort of breakfast food does Alyssa like, now that we have established the general love of pancakes.”
Alyssa laughs, watching River and Logan play like grumpy puppies. “I like all of the breakfast food, I’m English.” She’d murder someone for a full English breakfast, though. Not like she ate it more than once a year, but it was funny how simply because she couldn’t have it, now she wanted it more than ever.
"She means really greasy shit with perverted names," Logan corrects. He smirks at them, before finally turning off the road to pull up to the diner. Parking, Logan gets out to stretch his legs. The air smells crisp, and the chill sucks at the warmth from his skin. He waits for the women to get out of the truck, hands in his pockets as he sniffs for signs of trouble.
“But the English eat beans for breakfast, correct? That is an item that is offered.” Which is -- strange, and not River’s preference, but she does try to remain as open minded as possible. About most things, breakfast included.
It does feel good to stretch after being in the truck for so long. As nice as the closeness is. River raises her arms over her head and stretches with her whole body, standing up on her toes. Like a flower reaching for the sun.
“We do as part of the breakfast. And our beans aren’t as sweet as the ones here. I’ll make you an English breakfast sometime,” Alyssa smiles. She wants to hold both of their hands but knws that probably won’t earn them any favours with the early morning patrons, so she snuggles her hands into her jacket pockets. She’s wearing riding boots instead of heels, if only to keep her feet warm. That, and heels aren’t exactly snow shoes.
“But here, I’ll be getting American breakfast. Your bacon is so good! Different from home, but I like it a lot on toast.” She cobbles her own breakfast together, putting a fried egg and bacon on the toast she gets after slathering the toast with jam.
Logan greets the waitress like he knows her (her name tag reads Ria) and she seems shocked to see them, then delighted. Word of his death seemed to have spread. He’s satisfied she’s okay, and the skinheads haven’t been bothering them in the last year. His own order is simple. Beer. Pancakes. Three pounds of bacon. “This time last year I was mortal again. Think I’m going to enjoy the fact I can’t get a heart attack now.”
Not that he ever talks much about the time he was mortal and the time he was dead for a month.
River can’t help but boggle slightly at the sheer amount of food that Logan orders, and she tuts a little. Chocolate chip pancakes for her (because it’s a vacation and she can indulge) with orange juice.
And a few stolen pieces of bacon from Logan’s stack.
“I can’t do that,” she says, pointing to the jam and bacon and eggs on Alyssa’s plate. “Too many conflicting flavours confuses the tongue. It’s upsetting.”
Alyssa laughs when Logan orders so much bacon, and shakes her head. “It’s like we’re dating Ron Swanson,” she murmurs. Logan might get the reference, she’s not sure. But she busies herself spreading apricot jam onto one slice of toast before buttering the other and making a bacon and egg toasty with it. “It’s something I learned in boarding school. The food was rubbish there, but if you confuse your tongue, sometimes you can get it all down. Better to have a full belly than to be hungry until tomorrow, yeah?”
"Who?" Logan shrugs his shoulder. "Lyssa's gotta point. Was the same way in the military, or any time I've been stuck somewhere where the food was less than desirable." Which was more times than he cares to count. "But my sense of taste is super, so I still taste everything."
He eats slowly, in no particular hurry to go.
River boggles at both of them, completely bewildered. Yes, logically, it is better than starving. But at the same time, the idea of displeasing textures or tastes or anything like that in her mouth makes her shudder, visibly. “I can’t,” she says more firmly, finding relief in the absolutely acceptable texture and taste of her pancakes.
And boarding school makes her frown. Obviously not the school from her dreams, that would be impossible, but all the same. She takes Alyssa’s hand, whichever one isn’t holding a utensil, and squeezes it tight. Because they’re both here, with her, and she’s not at The Academy and all three of them are safe.
Alyssa notices River’s shudder and squeezes River’s hand in return. “You don’t have to,” she murmurs. Texture issues are something she understands - her friend at boarding school couldn’t eat any jellies for that reason, and Alyssa just figures it’s one of those things, like disliking certain flavours. But the frown makes Alyssa look at River for a moment, scanning her to make sure she’s okay. “Dreams?” The idea of River having anything less than nice dreams makes Alyssa set her jaw. Alyssa’s learned how to handle her dreams, but she remembers the nights when she woke up screaming with blood on her teeth from biting her own lips in fear.
"You do what you need to do," Logan assures River. "Don't change for either of our sakes. Or change how you do things."
He looks up, eyeing them a moment before reaching over and squeezing River's shoulder. He doesn't say anything. It's up to River how much she really wants to talk about or if she wants to darken the mood right now. But he understands. After all, he'd been made, just like her.
This is why she’d fallen in love with Logan in the first place. Because he knew where she’d come from, what she had been put through. He knew the pain of being made. So the weight of Logan’s hand on her shoulder, the gentleness in Alyssa’s voice. It all helps calm her.
“Dreams,” she agrees in a small voice. “The Academy.” She glances at Logan, since he knows that name well. Then to Alyssa she adds, “I was in a school. For special children. Smart children. But they were only there to hurt us.”
She takes her hand and squeezes it hard. “I’ll explain. Later, in the car or the cabin. Not here. Not a good breakfast topic.”
“I can guess what they wanted you for,” Alyssa rumbles. It’s not as low a rumble as Logan’s, or as fearsome, but Alyssa has her own strengths. “You can tell me whenever you want, and it doesn’t have to be this trip. When you think it’s right. I’ll tell you about my powers and my grandfather, and my scar.” Each of them have their little tale of darkness, and she wonders if it’s not what makes them care about each other so much.
"No, it ain't a breakfast topic," Logan agrees. He pops some bacon into his mouth, squeezing River's shoulder again. But darkness shouldn't be hidden away. He's spent a hundred years hiding his away. That hasn't gotten him anywhere. "But talk when you're ready. We'll always listen."
He finishes his meal first, waiting on the girls to finish. He doesn't want to rush them, even though they've still got a long drive. But they have a lot of days left still.
“Thank you.” There’s no more of Logan’s bacon to steal, so she steals a piece of Alyssa’s that escaped the jam, and finishes off her breakfast as well.
It feels so good to have people listen. To have them understand. Her parents never did in the dreams, and even though Simon tried he never fully could comprehend what went on there. Maybe she didn’t want him to. Maybe it was better.
And here, he hasn’t dreamt of it all yet. Just the beginning, with her encoded letters.
She shakes her head to rid herself of bad thoughts and kisses Alyssa’s hand, then Logan’s. “Can I sit in the middle this time?”
Smiling, Alyssa nods. “Of course you can sit in the middle.” Alyssa eats like a bird and as such, didn’t order much food, though she’s eaten nearly all of what she did. “I like the window anyway.” She likes to watch where she’s going, where she’s visiting. “How much longer is it, Logan?”
Alyssa eats like a bird and Logan never lets her forget it. He looks at his watch. “We should get there about two or three. Just in time to check in an’ get our cabin.” Where they’ll be somewhat alone. In the middle of nowhere, with a fantastic view. But alone.
Not that Logan gets nervous but between the two of them he figures they’d find ways to actually kill him.
“Such a drive,” River sighs, dramatically slumping against Alyssa. “Do we have a back up plan in case of emergencies? Extra supplies, so we don’t need to resort to cannibalism right away.”
Mostly she’s teasing, recalling a conversation her dream self had with her dream brother, which makes her smile and she snaps her teeth at Logan on the way out of the diner.
Out in the parking lot she stops to stretch again, since it will be such a long ride. There’s no barre obviously, but she braces against the side of the truck, swinging her leg back out and up, over her head, toe pointed just so.
Alyssa moves to walk outside with Logan and River, giggling at how River plays with Logan. “I’ve got some granola and almond butter in my purse?” She admires River’s form, and shakes her head. “I should have spent more time in ballet. I did hip hop dancing and it’s fun, but not nearly as pretty. You’ll have to teach me.” Alyssa looks back at Logan, then giggles. “We can try to get Logan to do the splits.”
Logan snorts. "The backup plan is I go hunting and bring back a deer. You'll never starve as long as I got my sniffer." He taps his nose. "Can pick up a deer ten miles away. Among other things."
He watches River stretch, then clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck. "Hey. I might be stocky but I'm flexible." Then he ushers them into the truck so they could get going. Luckily for them he doesn't do the tour guide thing and point out 'that's the meadow where I died'. He figures that's too morbid for the mood.
It actually starts snowing a little by the time they make it to Tahoe. Logan stops by the registration desk to get the keys, then drives them out to the cabin. It's a quaint little cabin nestled in the woods, with a large window in the living room facing the direction of the lake below them.
River probably should have dressed more warmly for the car trip than she did; a dress and leggings are not good snow clothes, even with the combat books and overlarge sweater she wears over them.
But she’ll change when they go out and explore properly, for now she’s just happy to not be in the car. Spinning pirouettes in the snow.
“Look out!” she calls, balling up snow in her bare hands and chucking it at whomever is closest.
Alyssa darts out of the truck and immediately starts making snow angels even though she’s dressed very similarly to River. Giggling when she gets plunked in the head with a snowball, she makes one and tosses it at River, aiming more for her back than anything else to make it fun. But Logan gets one aimed at his head; she knows he can avoid it anyway. The chill makes Alyssa’s pale cheeks go pink, her hands going red with cold.
Plenty of excuses for snuggling close on the ride up, Logan notes. He slips out of the truck, watching them as they play in the snow. He ducks a snowball. “Hey!” Logan puts the truck between them, then rolls up a ball and plunks it right at a snow laden tree branch above Alyssa.
“Not fair!” River calls, pointing at Logan’s cheating method of hitting the branch. “Not fair, against the rules!” Not that there are any rules, but oh well.
Instead of throwing more snow, she runs and grabs Alyssa around the waist and kisses her cheek, brushing snow off her. “Are you wounded awfully?”
Alyssa laughs, shaking her head like she’s a dog and the snow is water. “Oh, ‘m fine,” she smiles, snuggling into the hug and kiss. “Mostly just cold. I brought my sloth jammies, they’re so warm.” And Logan will laugh. She wonders if they make moose kigirumi and makes a mental note to check. “Oh, we should make hot chocolate. But the real kind.”
“What rules, darlin’?” Logan laughs, grinning as they kiss. “Let me get your shit into the cabin then you can catch yourselves some colds. Or you can warm up under a nice blanket in front of the fireplace.” He turned to unlock the door. Indeed there is a fire place, complete with bearskin rug in front of it.
“Warm now, more snow later,” is River’s compromise. She rubs her hands over Alyssa’s arms to warm her just a bit, then grabs her backpack to bring it inside, leaving Logan to do the heavier lifting.
Once in the cabin she’s into everything, opening cabinets to peer inside and mostly remembering to close them when she’s done.
“What is your real kind of hot chocolate? I wasn’t aware of a fake kind.”
Wrinkling her nose at the bearskin rug, Alyssa smiles and moves to the kitchen. “Lots of people make hot chocolate with that powder stuff.” Not her. She’s brought some candy bars and a bit of milk from the petrol station which she begins to warm in a saucepan. “It just tastes better.”
Logan doesn't mind the heavier lifting. Once the luggage is secure in the closet (he tends to live out of a suitcase when on vacation), he walks to the window to look out towards the lake below them. All he needs is a flannel shirt, an axe, and a beer in his hand and he'll be right at home.
"I actually own some land. Up in the Canadian Rockies," he says. "Cabin up on a mountain. No electricity except for a generator. Kitty says I should install solar panels."
Well. River could hardly say no to melted candy bars, that sounds fantastic. She watches Alyssa stir the sauce pan, chin on her shoulder, snuggling happily.
“Electricity is necessary when you’re not a grizzly bear like Logan,” she points out, ever helpful.
“Solar panels would be less disruptive to the environment,” Alyssa offers. She hums as she grates chocolate into the saucepan, using whole milk. They might gain five pounds from it, but it does taste better this way. She snuggles backward into River, smiling and looking off at Logan. “Let me guess, there’s beer in the fridge already?”
“Beer, some other stuff more suiting to ladies,” Logan teases. He did retrieve a beer. Which will end up in any hot cocoa. Because that’s kind of his thing. Beer. And cigars too but he hasn’t brought any out of consideration for the two of them. And burning the cabin down wouldn’t be a good time. He sinks into a nice cushy chair. “Okay darlins. What do you want to do today?”
River’s spent all her time cuddling up to Alyssa, which is fantastic and she loves how receptive Alyssa is to her affection. But it’s starting to feel uneven, so she makes her way over to Logan’s chair and curls up in his lap, settling herself comfortably.
“Definitely snowmen.”
Laughing, Alyssa can’t help but giggle at ‘darlins’. Logan was an idiot, but he was their idiot. “Snow angels too. I want to light the fireplace, but I’ll check the flue first, don’t want to smoke us all out.” What, she had Google, she could research things.
Having a woman in one's lap was one of life's simple pleasures. Logan rests his hand on River's hip, rubbing his thumb lightly. "Well I did promise you somethin' like that."
He nods at Alyssa. That was a good idea.
It's a little surreal up here, all Logan can sense is the three of them and animals. The nearest other cabin is hundreds of yards away and there's no one in it and the main resort is miles away.
“I don’t know about flues. All our fireplaces were false. Just for show.” Every mansion has to have a fireplace in the library, she’s fairly certain. But that doesn’t mean her parents knew how to maintain them, or taught her how to.
The hand at her hip makes her hum and she noses against Logan’s jaw, like she’s wanted to for so long. At least if nothing comes of the three of them, she’ll have this moment here.
“I can make a fire, though. Girl scouts. Father insisted.”
The idea of having a fireplace makes her nose wrinkle, and Alyssa shakes her head. She garnishes the three cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows, carefully bringing them out. “Between the two of us, we have Logan’s survival skills,” Alyssa winked. “But he’s older than us, so he’s a cheater anyway.” She toes off her boots and sets them carefully by the door before moving to fuss with the flue. Fussing over her loved ones is how she shows she cares.
"A fake fireplace." Logan snorts, like that was somehow some kind of crime against comfort. Few things beat a fireplace, except for maybe the cliche about making love in front of one. Logan tilts his head back a little, letting River nuzzle in more. "Don't think you'll need to worry about that. Weather should be clear, we won' be stranded. An' you probably don't want to watch me clean a deer anyway."
“Gas lit. With ceramic carved logs.” River happily accepts the hot chocolate, adjusting her position in Logan’s lap a little so they hold their mugs and snuggle at the same time. Once she grows bolder and more comfortable, she intersperses her nuzzles with soft little kisses just under Logan’s ear.
And maybe the smallest of nibbles.
“Please don’t kill anything in front of me. I can’t eat it if I’ve seen its face.”
Alyssa, on the other hand, can’t see all the adorable happening in front of her because she’s on her back in the fireplace, crouching her tiny frame so she can see if the flue is clear of soot and debris. She’s wiggling things and moving a poker around, and comes out with a halo of ash on her bright red hair. “I need a shower, but the fireplace is as clean as one can be.” But she smiles at Logan and River, giggling a little. “I’ll be back soon.”
"I'll keep that in mind then."
River is trying to kill Logan. But he pats her thigh and nods towards Alyssa. "You can go join her if you want." It's a joke, for the most part but it’s not like he'd mind. Or mind River staying in his lap.
“I am very comfortable.” There’s a brief thought -- a memory of a dream. Stretching out on a coffin. Cool metal against her skin.
She giggles and presses her nose to Logan’s neck, setting the cocoa on a table so as not to spill it by accident. “I’m not dirty.” She could probably use freshening up after the car ride, but this is the first chance she’s had to be alone with Logan, after all the time she’s been alone with Alyssa, and she plans on taking it.
"Well if you're comfortable I ain't gonna make you move." He sniffs, then moves his hand to rub a circle into her lower back, all warm and comforting. "An' you smell nice so you're probably right."
Well, she feels she can trust Logan’s sense of smell, at least, given the way he is. River hums happily at the petting, though she squirms a little to straddle his lap so they’re face to face.
Nuzzling is nice, but seeing Logan is better.
She settles there, fingers combing through his hair slowly, nosing at his cheek. “I’ve kissed Alyssa,” she offers, to get an important conversation started.
Logan looks up at her, raising his eyebrows but not objecting to the change in position. He moves his hands to her legs, the warmth of her skin readily apparent through her leggings. "And how was it?"
River takes a deep breath when Logan’s palms touch her thighs. Bracing herself in a way. “Very soft. It made me flutter. Here.” She presses her palm to her heart. “And here.” The hand moves down to her stomach. “The same sort of fluttering I got when she was touching my hair, when we were holding each other on the sofa. But more intense. Brighter. Hotter.”
His nostrils flare, like he's taking a breath to steady himself as River's words and actions sank into him. Brighter, hotter, more intense. Logan squirms a little underneath her, then moves one hand over hers on her stomach. "What do I make you feel?"
“The same, but -- “ River worries at her lip with her teeth, trying to find the right words. “Darker, but not in a wrong way. Alyssa is champagne and you’re whiskey.” She doesn’t drink much of either but the words come to her head from somewhere, and they fit right so she uses them. “Alyssa I’m still adjusting to, but you’re an old want that’s never gone away. It goes deeper.
Do you understand?”
Feelings can be different between different people. Logan nods, letting her know he understands. In some ways, Alyssa is that way to him. Or someone like Jean or Mariko. He's lived too long and loved too much to ever be able to empty his heart of some of the people who have moved in, but there's always room for more. No matter how much he professes to wanting to be alone, even Logan can admit to himself that that was a lie.
He slides his hand behind River's neck, and pulls her in for a kiss.
Oh thank god. River sighs in relief and gives Logan a soft noise of encouragement. After all, he’s the one most nervous about this entire situation.
(She can imagine Alyssa with an ear pressed to the door right now and fights back a giggle.)
She presses both palms to his chest, stroking slowly up and down, both indulging herself with the chance to feel the sturdy muscles there and trying to coax him out a little. Keep the kiss going.
And he is nervous. About their dynamic, about fucking up what he has about both of them, what other people might think. There's a whole slew of reasons to be nervous, but at least kissing River isn't one of them. He's pretty easy to coax out, and seems more concerned with making sure she's okay with it.
It’s a very nice kiss. Logan’s lips are rough in a way that sends shivers all over her back, and his hands -- god, the things she imagines about his hands.
She tries to slide closer, press as tight against him as she’s able to with a needy noise. It’s good and it’s what she needs but it also feels like not quite enough.
Fuck but she feels good pressed against him like this. His fingers dig into her hips, one hand sliding around to her backside to hold her closer. His body trembles, in that way of someone who is barely restrained. Like a wire pulled taut. His other hand begins to move up her side.
That’s perfect, that’s what she wanted. For him to let go even just a little. “Yes,” she whispers, smiling and nodding a little as she presses down against him. “Like this. I want this. Your hands on me. Your mouth…”
River trails off, slightly distracted, and kisses him again, sucking at his lower lip.
He growls into her mouth, grasping at her breast. She's won, somehow, and he doesn't really care, except part of him feels guilty with regards to Alyssa. But she's probably okay with this. Whatever 'this' actually is and River probably deserves better than the way he's wanting to have her right now.
Logan doesn't generally do making out except as part of foreplay. But he's at least pretty good at foreplay. Which River is only a few choice words and 'okays' away from having.
“Good,” she assures him, stroking fingers through his hair, pressing into his touch. Rolling her hips down again. “I won’t break, I promise.”
This might have to be continued later in the evening, and that’s fine. She’s just happy that it’s started and Logan is touching her like she’s thought about far too many times to count.
"I'm gonna need a shower," Logan rasps. He groans, rolling his hips up into her, which is ample evidence to his claim. It's too easy to get his hand into her shirt, and it's halfway there.
"Might not break, but..." Well it would be her first time and Logan doesn't want to make the same mistake he did with Alyssa. (which isn't necessarily a mistake but if he'd had a chance to do it over he'd at least try to make it a little more special.)
And doing right by Alyssa is important, maybe she should be here, or maybe River deserves just him the first time (and just Alyssa the first time with her) because threeways were complicated when you weren't comfortable with each other yet, but absolutely amazing when you were. Assuming River is ready for anything at all.
Which sets Logan's mind to Alyssa and River together and all the ways he could make them both lose their minds which isn't helping his current state.
Fuck how does he get himself into situations like this?
"You need to be sure that anythin' you do with is is because you want to an' not because you think we want it."
There’s a small, frustrated noise there and River drops her forehead against Logan’s shoulder. “It’s very much, isn’t it? So much to think about. To -- orchestrate.
But.” She takes Logan’s hand and puts it under her sweater, over her breast, so he can feel her heart. “We’ll keep discussing. Maybe you’re not inside me this trip, but there are other things we can do. All three of us. And then some time in the future, just the two of us -- River and Logan -- we’ll go on another date. And then you can have me, properly. All of me.”
His hands squeezes, and caresses gently. He won't say no if she wants him inside her (and her phrasing only makes his heart beat faster and might have had the opposite effect as intended. Depending on her intention.)
Logan pulls her head into another kiss, because there is only so much discussion that can be done.
She does, but it seems unfair to try and slip her first time into their weekend with Alyssa. But like she said, there are other things they can do. She reaches between them to press the heel of her hand against the front of her jeans, her breath hitching.
River has watched things, of course. Kissed a few boys. But never has she touched someone like this, so intimately, and he’s hard and hot under her hand and she whimpers against his mouth.
Alyssa is apparently having the Longest Shower Ever and River Tam is Literally Trying to Kill Him. Logan approves. He pushes her shirt up, wanting to touch more of her, to hear her breath hitch like that again, to make her whimper. It's something that's almost better than where her hand is now, but he kisses her in a way that telegraphs just how badly she's affecting him.
Or at least that's what he's trying to do, instead of focusing on her hand or the heat of her body against his pelvis.
“Here -- “ River laughs and pulls her sweater off, tossing it to the floor. Logan is more than warm enough for her, and she wants him to touch her just as much as he does.
She hasn’t forgotten about Alyssa, of course, but she thinks, somehow, that Alyssa might not mind finding them like this. Maybe she’s taking so long to give them time, which would be kind of her.
So River undoes the button of Logan’s pants and slips her fingers inside, stroking the lowest part of his stomach not because she’s trying to kill him, not exactly, but she also is trying to decide if she should push her hand all the way inside or not. If now is the right time.
Logan takes in the eyeful that River has so kindly given him, his nostrils flaring as she teases him. He looks up into her eyes, cupping her face and stroking his thumb along her cheek. No pressure, no matter how badly he wants her hand lower. He also can't decide if it would be more of a turn on or awkward instead if Alyssa had bad timing.
She probably wouldn't let him live it down. She disappears for twenty minutes and he gets River's hand down his pants.
Well she can make up for it by putting her hand down Alyssa’s pants too, later, if Alyssa wants? She’s all for fairness.
“Is it okay?” she asks, brow furrowing and fingers retreating a little to rest against his stomach instead. Maybe she went too far. She hadn’t considered that.
He nods. "Yeah. It's okay darlin'." He might be, its sounding like he's begging. And he's also all for fairness, especially where Alyssa is concerned. "Really you don't need permission where that's concerned."
She just wants to touch Logan, just to see what it feels like. For as long as she can, until they have to stop. So she pushes her hand fully inside his pants, over his boxers palming him with another hitch of breath, another soft little noise.
River rests her forehead against Logan’s while she tries to catch her breath. He’s so warm and she isn’t quite sure what to do with herself now that she’s here. So she kisses him again, hungry and needy and all enthusiasm without much finesse.
Logan grumbles softly, a sort of rough, growly sound that's half contentment and half need. He leaves whatever she wants to do up to her, kissing her back and exploring her torso with his hands.
Though he'd be the first to admit that without the question mark of Alyssa he'd probably already have carried River over to the bed and gotten her legs around his head.
If that had been voiced out loud, River would point out that without the question mark of Alyssa, Logan would never have even tried anything at all with River, thanks very much.
But as it stands (ha), Logan is too busy growling to say anything, and River rubs her palm against him, arching her back and pushing into his hands eagerly.
Alyssa had finished her shower ages ago, actually, and sat on the bed in the master bedroom with a book. She is, however, quite thirsty, and is trying very hard to tiptoe to the kitchen without interrupting exploratory handjobs and making outs. She’s doing a very good job until she stubs her toe, and hisses with the pain of it. Fuck. Hopefully they’ll think it’s the fridge? To facilitate that, she stands stock still in the kitchen, hoping they’ll ignore the damp girl in one of Logan’s undershirts and a pair of his boxers.
It really is great, with River's hand around him and her breasts in his. He'd just gotten started on lavishing loving attention with his mouth on them when Alyssa stubs her toe.
Her hiss draws Logan's attention, and he looks momentarily guilty (though he shouldn't be, but hell this thing is still new and freaky).
River laughs breathlessly and gives Logan one last, soft kiss before drawing her hand away slowly. Now that she knows a little more what she’s doing, what Logan likes to do, she feels more prepared going into whatever tonight might bring.
“Later,” she promises with a nuzzle and a kiss to his cheek, and then she goes over to the kitchen to kiss the corner of Alyssa’s mouth, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s waist to snuggle close.
“Thank you. It made for a good start.”
“I’d have given you longer, but I was thirsty!” Alyssa smiles at River, then looks over at Logan and giggles. “I was going to try to get a glass of milk and then go take a nap. I’m sorry!” She tips River’s head down toward her, gently, then tiptoes up to kiss her lightly on the mouth. All the better to keep Logan’s blood in the same southern area.
It is...definitely keeping blood going south, and Logan is certain they were both trying to kill him. He's already pretty exposed, but getting up will only be worse and he's going to need that could shower. Or to hump snow.
"A good start she calls it."
“There will be more later!” River giggles, giving Alyssa a more proper kiss. Letting it linger, because Logan seems to enjoy it.
She noses at Alyssa’s cheek, already in an affectionate mood after -- well, everything with Logan. She doesn’t mind who she’s touching right now so long as someone lets her touch them. “Are you staying out here or going to nap?”
Alyssa sighs contentedly at the kiss, running her fingers through River’s hair and scritching at her scalp. “Depends on what you two decide to get up to. Poor Logan,” she teases, still on tiptoes, gently nipping at River’s neck.
"If you two wanna be alone I can go hump the snow," Logan joked, still not quite able to tear his eyes from the two of them.
Another laugh from River as she pushes her head into Alyssa’s hand with a purr. “Poor Logan,” she echos.
But she holds her hands out to him, gesturing for him to come close. This is what this weekend was for, wasn’t it? For the three of them to find balance. And River would be more than happy to pay attention to both of them, and get affection from both of them.
Alyssa chuckles and motions for Logan to come closer too. “Really, I think you’ll be okay. You’ve lived through being shot, you can endure this,” she purrs. Because really, Alyssa’s already absurdly comfortable with the situation.
Why with the purring? Logan got up, coming over to them. He's comfortable with the situation too, it's them he's worried about. He knows how it looks, so it's generally up to them. Whatever 'it' might actually be. But he slides an arm around each of them. "This better, darlins?"
Almost better. River grumbles a little as she tries to sandwich herself in between them. “Maybe we should all take that nap.”
Or at least be horizontal in a bed. Because touching while standing up has its difficulties. “I want to be between you,” she clarifies. “At least to start. We’ll make it all work.”
Chuckling, Alyssa wraps her arms around River and strokes Logan’s shoulders with her fingertips. “We’ll practice.” Which is as dirty as it sounds, and makes her giggle.
Logan has to take a ragged, shuddery breath, River's body warm against his and Alyssa's fingertips like gentle flame against his skin. "I ain't going to say no to practice. And besides, might be easier with you between us right now anyway." It was, in a way, for River while they were here, and she should be spoiled with attention.
River looks positively gleeful, and gives them both a firm kiss. “Then it’s decided. Come join me and afterwards we can nap.
And then play in the snow.”
Nothing like having a schedule to work with, really. She takes their hands to squeeze them, then dances off towards the bedroom. Somewhere along the way her leggings are lost, because who needs to have their legs covered in a situation like this?