Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Twelve

Bruce groans slightly as he wakes, aware that something is off in his, slash, his and Eli's apartment. She's been here every night for the last two months. Even Ricky has moved in, the dog comfortable on Bruce's couch. What woke him though is a lack of Eli. He reaches across the bed for her but it really is empty. He sits up and then climbs out of his bed to find her. He rubs at his eyes shuffling into the next room finding Eli sitting in the open window in the kitchen leaning out to smoke.

"What's wrong?" he asks, she glances to him and shakes her head wafting her hand to get rid of the smoke.

"Nothing" she answers as he moves towards her. "Just couldn't sleep" he touches her shoulder softly and moves to the kitchen counter to make tea for them both.

..............

Bruce nurses his almost empty mug of tea as Eli stands with hers moving to set it in the sink. Eli yawns pressing her hand to her lips and rubbing at her eye with her free hand, Bruce smiles and stands moving to stand at her back.

"I want to try something" he whispers pulling her closer, she sighs contently resting her head back against his shoulder, his hand curling around her stomach and comes to rest against her ribs. He's become more bold in the last two months. Pushing his poor heart rate to near breaking point each time he gets too bold. They almost incurred the big guy coming out once, Bruce's eyes had turned that wonderful green before they managed to talk him back.

"Bruce" she whispers touching his arm.

"Trust me" he tells her and leads her back towards his bed.

"You know I do" she assures him, he nudges her nose slightly and then nods to the bed, she smirks and sits down on the edge of the bed, Bruce nods again towards the pillow. "Alright, I'm going" she offers with a smirk. "Impatient" she teases, he chuckles and climbs onto the bed with her. Bruce lays over Eli and kisses her, this is the first time Bruce has taken the lead. He'd give her a look, or he'd stroke her arm softly and she'll know that he wants to test his limits but he's never initiated it. This is new. But good. He cups her cheek softly as she draws her hand up his arm around around his shoulder, her legs shifting around his waist. His watch starts to beep, steadily increasing. But Bruce has got this. He wants this. He wants her. He's finally feeling comfortable enough, confident enough, good enough, to start is. She smiles against his lips. It's heated, definitely going somewhere this time. And then someone is knocking at the front door. Bruce pulls back and groans.

"Seriously?" he complains, Eli kisses him softly, Bruce rolls next to her letting her up. "It's 3am" he adds, she smiles softly at him before leaving the room.

.................

Eli opens the front door and smiles, definitely pleased by the person standing on the other side of it. Despite definite sex being interrupted.

"Logan?" she asks seeing her twin brother on the other side of the door.

"Hey" he greets.

"It's 3am" she repeats Bruce's complaint. "And you're in Brazil" Logan nods.

"Yep" he answers. "Can I come I?" he asks her, she nods and pushes open the door, Logan walks into the apartment just as Bruce sits up in bed.

"How did you find me?" Eli asks her brother shutting the door behind him. Logan raises an eyebrow and taps his nose.

"You told me you were heading to Rio" Logan offers. "I just followed my nose" he turns to Bruce. "Logan" he points to himself.

"Oh" Bruce breaths recognition crossing his feature. "Bruce" Bruce offers, Logan looks to Eli.

"We're kind of together" She tell Logan.

"He's your boyfriend?" Logan asks.

"Yeah, I am" Bruce interjects, Logan snorts. Eli gives Bruce a small apologetic smile, but he shakes his head with his own smile letting her know it's alright, this is Logan.

"Beer?" Eli asks Logan who nods and follows Eli into the kitchen, Eli moves to the small fridge and opens it as Logan moves towards the small table. "So what are you doing here?" she asks him.

"I heard about Stryker" Logan states sitting down at the table, ruffling Ricky's fur on his head.

"I dealt with it" Eli argues setting a beer in front of her brother before taking the seat across from him. "We" she corrects looking to Bruce. "Dealt with it" Logan leans closer to Eli.

"Is he a mutant?" Logan asks, she raises an eyebrow at him. "Bruce. He smells...I dunno, different"

"No, not a mutant" she answers. "But....unique" she offers, Logan raises his eyebrow, she shrugs a little and opens her beer. "How'd you hear?" she asks, Logan shrugs and twists his beer bottle top on the table. "Logan" she pushes.

"He came to see me" he answers. "Taunted that he went after you.....

"Did you kill him?" Bruce asks from the doorway. Logan looks to him.

"No" Logan offers regrettably. "He slipped away....kept me busy with his men"

"Coward" Eli growls her claws growing and then retreating. Logan grabs her wrist and shrugs.

"Slimey bastard slips away every time" Logan offers for Bruce who nods. The room falls silent, each one of them pondering Stryker. Bruce breaks the silence by clearing his throat and leaning up a little.

"Okay, I have to ask, the curiosity is eating away at me....Eli is....Lupus?" Bruce asks, Eli nods. "So what does that make you?" Bruce looks to Logan who smirks.

"The Wolverine" Logan offers, leaning forward, Bruce catches a glimpse of the military tags around his neck too. "The animal thing kinds runs through the three of us"

"Three of you?" Bruce asks.

"I told you I had brothers" Eli offers. "Plural"

"Yeah, but you never talk about....I mean, I've only heard you talking about Logan"

"Victor is..." Eli struggles a little. "Me and Logan have somewhat control over our animal aspects..Victor less so"

"He's tried to kill us on several occasions" Logan adds, Eli rolls her eyes a little. "He was always somewhat jealous" Logan offers. "Me and Eli, we're twins, it's...a different bond, stronger bond"

"No, Victor's just a raging psycho" Eli corrects standing. "Crash if you want" Eli offers and takes Bruce's hand. "We're going back to bed" she pulls Bruce along with her as she heads into the bedroom. Bruce climbs into bed as Eli pulls her hair up before joining him.

"He seems nice" Bruce offers as Eli curls up against his side.

"Logan?" she asks and then laughs, Bruce smiles. "He's brooding and grumpy..."

"Like you" he teases poking her nose, she playfully swats at his hands as he laughs.

"I am not brooding" she argues rolling over to straddle his waist.

"Well...less so recently" he offers, she smiles. "You smile more, I mean, it was months before I saw you smile"

"Life is hard" she tells him, he nods and pulls her down to kiss him, she sighs contently against him, letting his hands roam over her. She pulls back a little. "You should know that Logan has enhanced hearing too" she points out, Bruce groans and sets his head back against his pillow, Eli smirks and nuzzles into his neck. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her head.

"I was so close" he offers, she nods.

"We'll get there" she assures him. "There's no rush, I'm not going anywhere"