Title: Outside Looking In
Author: Phoenix (lifefromfire@crosswinds.net)
Character/Pairing: Logan, Scott, no pairing.
Rating: G
Archiving: Want it? Take it. Just give me credit.

Summary: Logan ponders Scott's expressiveness (or lack
thereof) and finds unexpected insight.

Disclaimer: As the title says, not mine. <g> They belong
to Marvel (I think). I make no money.

Notes: This is based solely on movie canon. This isn't a
drive by anymore. This is a full scale stampede! There
will probably be more bunnies tonight . . . today . . .
whatever . . . <g> Please let me know if I've totally
screwed up Logan's voice and characterization...

*Outside Looking On*
by Phoenix
lifefromfire@crosswinds.net

If ever there was someone who takes the phrase "fearless
leader" too seriously, it's Scott Summers. *Cyclops*.
Right. Not that I'm much better. Faced with choosing a
code name or being given one, I stuck with Wolverine.
From bar brawler to super hero.

Right. Back to the dickhead. Excuse me, the fearless
dickhead. If he projected any more calm he'd be dead.
Would make for a great poker face, though. If he could
unbend enough to play cards. Take now, for example.
Not that I'm watching him. I'm watching Jean, he just
keeps getting in the way.

I can't hear what they're saying, but I've got a pretty
good idea what's going on. She's asking him for
something, and he's telling her he's got better shit to do.
With a woman like that, I'm having as hard a time
believing him as Jean obviously is. She's got this wrinkle
in her brow and a hurt look in her eyes, but she just nods
and turns away.

And one eye just stands there and looks after her. Same
half blank expression he turned on me when I wouldn't
shake his hand. Has he even got more than one
expression? I haven't been around long, but I can already
read Jean pretty well. 'Course, Jean is worth watching.

Still, I think the only time Summers ever showed any
expression was when we were all strapped to the inside
of the head of the Statue of Liberty. He had his eyes
screwed up so tight I swear he thought the things were
going to fall out of his head. He looked scared, but he
was still clinging to the shreds of control.

Aw, shit. I just got a flash of insight into the head of a
dick. Hang on. That came out all wrong. Hell with it. It
just hit me that the one time I've tacked any emotion
onto the golden boy was the one time I've seen him with
his glasses, visor or whatever off. Just his face, his
closed eyes.

I'm watching him watching Jean now. I pull back my
focus off his face, let myself take in the body language.
Let my nostrils flare and take in his scent.

I'm a damned idiot. It's obvious now. He's leaning after
Jean, his shoulders slumped almost unnoticeably, his
eyebrows sunk low enough to disappear behind the red
glasses. His scent hints just a little of fear. Yeah, fear.
That she'll leave him? That she doesn't see behind the
glasses, either? It doesn't matter, it's there.

He turns, slower than normal, and starts down the
hallway in the opposite direction. His body straightens
out, and I read determination in it. If I look close, I can
see that he's set his jaw. But when I don't think about it,
when I just glance at him, my eyes go first to
impenetrable red lenses.

Does anyone even notice how they dominate his face?
They hide his mutation, sure. They also hide his...I don't
know. Humanity maybe. Figures his girl would be a
telepath.

Do those glasses have to be mirrored? How much of the
fearless leader is a mask anchored in ruby quartz? I've
been jabbing at him with words, trying to break the shell.
Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough for cracks.

Maybe I shouldn't be making the cracks. Maybe I ought
to be making a door. Those guys need a leader, and I
could do with one less enemy.

**The End**