Old Flames Die Hard (January 2015)

Logan looked down at the number then up at Natalya. He frowned uncertain of what to really say. She had likely called in a few favors for him. He shifted and kissed her lips. “I owe you one,” He whispered. “A big one,” He said as he looked into her eyes. He pulled his phone from his pocket and shifted back onto their bed to call her.

Kayla was on her exercise bike when her phone went off. The number was just a number but she wanted to take a break. Even if it was a telemarketer she could entertain herself with giving them a hard time.

“Kayla, this is Logan…

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Kayla had agreed to meet Logan at 3rd Rock, a bar not very far from the Tower. He wore his black leather jacket, a white t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. He never wore a scarf of gloves or a hat, even in winter. He got himself a beer from the bar and moved over to a table near the back. His hair wasn’t long but his beard was somewhat unkempt, just the way Natalya liked it.

Kayla had had a feeling Logan was going to track her down after that night. He had seemed rather surprised to see her, which wasn’t odd considering she was supposed to be dead. She had been equally surprised to see him. She knew he was an Avenger now but had not thought about seeing him until he called.

She agreed to meet him at the bar and walked in wearing a pair of black jeans, knee high leather boots, a forest green sweater, and a leather jacket. She spotted him at a table towards the back and approached the table.

“Hey.”

Logan didn’t know why he was nervous. It wasn’t as if he had anything to offer Kayla nor her him. Whatever they ‘were’ whatever they had been they weren’t any longer no matter what happened right now. When he looked up at her though and heard her voice he suddenly felt warmth flood into him.

“Hey,” he said as he gestured and invited her to sit across from him. They used to side side by side, he remembered that. She liked to hold hands while they ate. Kayla was beautiful with long, dark waves. He recalled feeling her hair on his face as she leaned over him. He remembered that she liked to be on top. She liked up looking up at her as they made love. He remembered what her breasts felt like in his hands and he surreptitiously rubbed his hands together then rubbed his palms on his jeans. Logan tried to relax but his anxiety seemed to continue to grow. That and the feelings of confusion and distrust that hit him. Did she remember his keen sense of smell? She must because she was wearing the perfume she knew he liked...or ‘remembered’ he liked. Logan sighed a long, soothing sigh.

“I’m trying to figure out where the fuck you were all this time and why you didn’t try to find me,” he said and couldn’t manage to keep irritation out of his voice.

Kayla had not expected to fall in love with Logan. She had been a Hydra agent and was sent to spy on him. They had met at a bar where she had worked and one thing led to another. They had had incredible chemistry, especially sexual. However, she had fed information about Logan to Hydra. She had lied to Logan too. She hadn’t told him that she was a mutant like him. She had regenerative abilities and therefore did not age. That was why she looked like she was still 25.

She had not actually been pregnant with his son. That had been a lie too, one to tie him to her and gain his trust. However, despite all of this she had developed feelings for him.

She sat down across from Logan instead of beside him. She had expected his question and already had a cover story ready to go.

“I was taken by Hydra. They told you I was dead, but I wasn’t. I was taken to a Hydra bunker and was there when SHIELD destroyed the bunker. All of the prisoners were rounded up by SHIELD and when they realized I had skills the CIA could use I was given a job. I was told you were dead. That’s why I never looked for you.”

Logan frowned. Well, it ‘could’ be true. Logan thought. He had disappeared off the grid for a time. “But, you had to know I wasn’t at some point, why didn’t you contact me, I was an X-man and an Avenger and it wasn’t a secret. What happened to our son?” he asked.

Kayla sighed and ran a hand through her hair before a server came over and she ordered a beer. She waited for the server to leave before answering Logan with a lie. “I had a miscarriage. He was never born.” She saw one of Logan’s hands on the table top and she reached out and gently took hold of it. “I missed you so much.”

Logan’s first reaction was to pull his hand away but something, he did not know what, held his hand in hers. “Kayla…” He began in a soft, strained voice. “I’m...sorry about what happened. But...If I knew you were alive,” he said as he looked up into her eyes. “I would have looked for you. I would not have stopped until I found you...you have to believe that,” Logan said feeling sick as guilt flowed through him just then. A deep, seeded guilt as if a part of himself was breaking. They had been so happy together. It was all his fault. He knew that much.

“I…I’m married now,” He said in a rasp of regret. Not for marrying Natalya, he loved her dearly. But for how this all played out. He had not even thought about how young she looked. It hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Kayla smiled a little when she didn't feel Logan pull his hand away from hers. She started to caress his hand with her thumb when he suddenly told her that he was married. She blinked in obvious surprise. She had not known that. Logan and Natalya were an important part of the team, but they weren't as well known as the others, and though their wedding had been formally announced to the public, it was not made into a big deal, like Steve and Kate's wedding had been.

"Wow...that's...unexpected," she admitted. She became quiet for a while as she found herself growing upset. She had hoped to get back together with him...but if he was married...Then a thought came to her. "This woman...your wife...can she regenerate, like you and I can?"

Logan frowned at first and looked down at their hands. Hers, like his, was young. She should be 45 or so. He looked up into her face. She was not 45 or even 35. “I don’t understand, how can you regenerate?” he asked.

Kayla looked at Logan. "Because I'm a mutant too. I have accelerated healing and regenerative abilities like you. You and I could live together...forever. Your wife...you'd have to watch her die. Do you want that?"

Logan frowned again and this time he did remove his hand. “How? When, how did it happen?” He said suddenly. She wasn’t a mutant when they were together. Unless she was and she had not told him. He could not remember though if he had ever seen her hurt.

Kayla sighed again and looked at Logan. She felt him pull his hand away and she paused a moment as the server brought over her beer. She took a sip and then looked at him again and once again she lied. "I wasn't a mutant when we were together. It happened after I was captured by Hydra. I was experimented on and developed those mutant powers...but not before I lost the baby," she said as she forced tears to come to her eyes. She looked down at the table as the tears began to slip down her cheeks. "That baby was all I had left of you and they took it away from me."

Logan suddenly a wave of sadness come over him and he took up her hand himself and squeezed it. “Oh, Kayla, I’m so sorry,” he said and placed his other hand there to. “Truly I am. I wish we have found one another...But, you’ve done well for yourself. I mean...I’m surprised you’re still single. You look great,” He said trying to cheer her up. He took away one of his hands.

Kayla began to feel that she was winning Logan over. She needed to keep this up. She looked back up at him and into his eyes. "No man could ever compare to you Logan. I'm still in love with you. You and I belong together and we could be together...forever. We could try having a baby again. Doesn't that sound incredible?"

Logan’s eyebrows drew up at what Kayla said. As his mind translated the quick words he had to admit, she did make sense. She wouldn’t die, Natalya would eventually die. They could have a family. Natalya would never have children. The problem was, he loved Natalya. He didn’t love Kayla. He didn’t even really know her anymore. She had the same face and body but she was a trained operative now. The Kayla he knew was a sweet, loving woman.

Logan furled his brow and groaned. “Kayla...please…” he said softly.

Kayla could see Logan's mind working. Clearly, he was considering what she had said. That gave her some hope. Though he was continuing to fight against her, she decided to flirt with him and she gave him a little grin. "That reminds me of what you used to say to me in bed...but much more...aggressively. We had...a lot of fun."

Logan smiled and nodded. “Yes, we did. We were...happy. I mean, I was happy,” he said not wanting to put words into her mouth.”So do you live nearby? Are you seeing anyone? What’s happening for you these days?” He asked trying to divert her away from rhe more intimate conversation that he felt could break out between them at any moment.

Kayla didn't want to push Logan so she let off the gas a little. They talked and drank some beers and then ordered some food. They talked about what they had been up to and even reminisced a little as well. "Could I come back with you to see the Tower? I've always wondered what it looked like inside."

Logan thought about that for a moment then shook his head. “I’m not certain that would be such a good idea...tonight anyway. Maybe some other time,” he suggested as he gestured for another beer. Once the water was brought another beer and left he took another sip of his.

“So, do you like your life? Are you happy Kayla?” He asked. He saw her shift her hair and tilt her head. She did that when they were together. She knew he loved to see her neck. He was looking at her as well.

Kayla did her best to hide her disappointment. She began to think though that she wouldn't be able to seduce him in his own home anyway...not with his wife around. She would need to get him back to her place. She began to remember all the things that Logan liked. She had worn the perfume she knew he loved and now she shifted her hair and titled her head so her neck was exposed. She saw him looking at her and she knew he was on the edge.

"Work is work," she said softly and then looked into his eyes. "But am I happy? No. How could I possibly be happy without you?"

Logan was very flattered, Kayla was a very beautiful woman. “Kayla,” he said with a smile. He didn’t blush but he felt like he should be. “I can’t believe you don’t have someone special. But I guess that’s not easy when your working so much. You don’t want me, you want your career I think,” he said trying now to reason with her.

Kayla kept her eyes on Logan's. She didn't look away. "No, I want you Logan...all of you," she said in a sexy, husky whisper.

Logan swallowed hard and felt his throat go dry. He felt his will folding and he didn’t know why. He did love Natalya. He knew that by part of him, the part that felt horrible for what he had put Kayla through. She had lost everything. “Kayla...please…” he said softly. He didn’t come there to sleep with her but now that he saw her and talked to her. He felt her pain and remembered his own. He didn’t want to betray Natalya like this. They were so close...she was his responsibility. Her love was a priceless thing. .

Natalya knew that Logan had gone out. He had told her as much. However, it was growing late and she was starting to get worried about what might be happening. She finally decided to call him. She dialed his number and his cell phone began to ring. Kayla kept Logan's gaze and she wondered what he was going to do...

Logan didn’t even need to look at his phone to know who it was. The time had flown by and it was now 11:30. He looked up at Kayla who had that look in her eyes that wanted him to take her back to her place. He had seen that look before. So he did th only thing he could do, he grabbed up his phone.

“I should...take this, excuse me a moment.” He said and got up out of his chair and stepped away toward the pool tables to talk to Natalya.

“Hey, i didn’t even realize the time,” he said. She would be able to hear the bar noises in the background.