Following Instincts

Ebb And Flow

It was sheer luck that Logan hadn't woken up as early as usual, because if he had, he'd have noticed very early that his keys were missing. He'd have very likely gotten disruptive with the perpetrator, and he'd have very very likely started a fight.

But none of that was the case.

In fact, Logan had started to wake up at his usual time only for K to throw her leg over his waist and refuse to let him go. "No. I've earned my lazy wake up," she informed him. "And that includes you being here in bed." When he opened his mouth to argue it -just a little - she reached up and covered his mouth with a whisper soft 'shhhhh'. Not that he was in the mood to argue with her on it.

So, by the time the two of them finally decided it was time to move, Scott was waiting by the coffee maker as it finished brewing. "Still in recovery mode?" he had to tease, though there wasn't much mirth to his tone. Especially considering the fact that he hadn't gotten any closure on his issues. Not when so much of what Scott needed to do hinged on what Logan was up to.

"Somethin' like that," Logan agreed, though it was clear to him very quickly that Scott's playful tone was a thin veneer. He watched Scott out of the corner of his eye as he helped the twins settle in at the table then walked over to get coffee for himself and K. "Got a little time to clear up some crap before things get movin', eh?" He'd expected Scott to speak a little faster, but it wasn't until he had filled both mugs, picked them up, openly watched Scott from two feet away and then turned back toward the table before Scott actually opened his mouth.

"Yeah. That's ... a little time," Scott's voice faded off in spite of himself then cleared his throat, and for an instant, Logan could have sworn Scott wanted to joke around a little more. But that was, of course, wishful thinking. Especially when the next words out of his mouth were: "I'm going to need you to finalize your schedule for fall sooner rather than later."

"I thought that's what you were doin' with Charlie the past few days," Logan said with a frown while K got the little ones settled in with a bite to eat.

Scott paused, the muscle at his jaw working under strain as he tried to choose his words carefully. There was so much wrong with that sentence and Scott wasn't sure which part was even setting him off at this point. The almost lazy tone to Logan's voice on something that would make or break any one of the dozen schedules Scott had already laid out ahead of time since Logan had been so hard to corner to make one plan? Or was it the fact that he insisted on calling the professor 'Charlie' or 'Chuck' or any number of other nicknames that wasn't respectful or appreciated by anyone? Or maybe it had more to do with how easily Logan could drift between one group or another like he just belonged there.

Scott let out a slow breath and wrapped his hand around the keys in his pocket that he'd stolen the night before, realizing for an instant that he was falling back into old patterns. All of this had been resolved. Mostly. Then he caught Logan smirking at K and again his irritation flared up. It was a little of all of that, sure. But it was the fact that Scott- no, the team needed Logan to stay close and he was flaking off with the Avengers. Again. Like he had nothing and noone to answer to, and what was worse, K seemed to be going along with it.

"I can't do that until I know if you'll be available or not," Scott said through his teeth - his meter slow as he tried to keep his temper. "And before you tell me that Captain Rogers will be calling, I'd like to remind you that it hasn't ever happened yet when there needed to be coordination. It's pretty clear that the Avengers still don't give a damn about how or if this place runs. Especially when they're getting everything they need."

It was a slap - and a good one. And Logan took it exactly as the attack he'd heard. His easy smile slipped in a blink and he narrowed his eyes at Scott, reading between the lines at the blatant 'you don't care about the school' that had slipped into Scott's commentary. Whether or not he meant Logan to be lumped in with the rest of the Avengers really didn't matter anymore. Not just then.