THE ILLUSIONIST WOMAN

ten. Angelic Touch

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"OKAY, ARE YOU SETTLED in? Do you need anything?" Ximena lightly knocked on Logan's door once she changed into her pajamas. A navy blue slip that was hardly covered by her light blue robe sitting on her shoulders. Dark brown waves of hair tumbled down the right side of her head. Her heart shaped face wiped clean of makeup.

Logan could see the prominent dark circles underneath her eyes now; however, he still thought she looked heart stopping.

He nodded, glancing around himself at the queen bed in the colorful bedroom she allowed him. Rubbing his hands against his sweatpants he finally met her friendly gaze. "Maybe some company."

Rolling her eyes, Ximena should've seen that coming. She padded deeper into the room, sliding her finger across the cherry wood dresser. The atmosphere felt so domestic, so beautifully cozy. She waved her hand on top of the bed spread and gently sat down beside him. "For a little bit, but then I'm heading to bed."

Logan leant back against the head board, showcasing his bare, muscled chest with a comfortable ease. Ximena struggled to not let her gaze linger there for too long. She didn't want to see his arrogant expression. That sneaky grin on his lips.

"So tell me about Daniel Ortis. Married, huh? Didn't take you for the type."

Her eyes rolled, pursing her lips with attitude. "And what exactly are the qualifying characteristics to fit in the marriage material category?" He unhelpfully shrugged, smirking all the same as he crossed his large arms over his chest.

"You're avoiding the subject."

"No I'm not --"

He arched a brow, challenging her objection. Closing her mouth, she sighed. Tucking her bare legs to the side, she traced designs into her skin. "In 1976, I was a fresh faced twenty five year old getting married to the love of her life. My mama was just glad that I found someone who could see past my mutation so she could have grandchildren and not worry about her daughter becoming a spinster." Ximena chuckled at the memory of her mother, a distant ache clenching her heart.

"At the time, my abilities were unstable. Daniel... let me practice with him. He was so supportive. From altering his dreams, to bringing his consciousness into different realities. I see now that it wasn't a good idea."

She placed a hand on her heart to unconsciously showcase her ache. Her gentle smile dragging down at the corners. "What happened?" Logan nudged, laying a warm calloused hand on her knee.

"Daniel had trauma, ptsd is what they diagnose it as now. But whenever he had his episodes, I would try to change them -- alter them so his memories of first coming to America never happened." Her breath caught for a second before she steadied herself. "I drove him crazy, Logan. He -- he didn't know the difference between reality and an illusion. Couldn't distinguish if we were actually sitting down for dinner, watching a movie or in another one of his dreams.

It got so bad one day during an episode that he wouldn't listen to reason. I couldn't talk him off the edge..." Ximena bit her bottom lip as they trembled, scrunching her eyebrows deeply as she remembered the day perfectly. "He suddenly got real calm. The calmest I've ever seen him... and took out a gun with steady hands."

Ximena grew still, lips barely moving as she mumbled the words. "He shot me," She pointed just below her rib, centimeters from her belly button, "Right here... and then put a bullet in his mouth."

Logan abruptly sat up, getting closer to her as if he suddenly didn't hear her clearly. His face conveyed a series of conflicting emotions, ones that Ximena could mirror with little difficulty. "Mena..." He was speechless, looking over her with deep concern.

"I died. I did. I know I did because, when I opened my eyes next -- you wouldn't believe where I was or what I saw... it damn well wasn't heaven." She grabbed at her head, pulling her fingers through from root to tip roughly. Her eyes wide with horror as the things she witnessed flashed past her vision. Haunted her on the daily. "Somehow, I'm like a door between two different worlds, its why I can't die, never age. I now know the true extent of someone's nightmares. I can show them cruel things... things that could scar them for years and that kills me."

"I used to make everyone fear me... and yet, I ended up fearing myself."

Ximena hastily wiped as a tear slipped down her cheek, but as soon as she did, more started zipping passed. Logan felt a deep yearning within him, his heart somehow breaking further for her.

He did the only thing he thought to do in this moment. Opening his arms, he reached for her silently sobbing frame. "C'mere," He beckoned earnestly and Mena fell into his arms.

Her tears fell onto his chest as she burrowed into his embrace. He pulled her closer, not caring that her thighs were parted on each side of him. Or that he was hugging an emotional girl, comforting her as she wept.

His lips sat against her chocolate colored hair, eyes closing gently as he rubbed his hands down her back and arms. "Whatever shit you went through... I'm letting you know now that I see you, Mena. I see you."

She sniffled, moving her cheek so it was resting on top of his heart. The constant thump of it calmed her down, brought her back to earth. Just like before on the balcony, he kept her centered. Her warm brown eyes fluttered close listening to the rhythmic beating.

And before she knew it, both Logan and her had fallen asleep. His words repeating in her head like a gentle lullaby.

I see you... I see you.

...

THE BRIGHT MORNING LIGHT of the sun crept in through the cream curtains of the window adjacent Logan's given bed. He breathed deeply, snoring soundly as his nose tucked into the wild mane of Ximena's hair. His arm was wrapped around her waist possessively. It was as if he was protecting her from some unknown source. The hem of Ximena's night gown rose up, allowing his warm, large hand to lay on her bare back.

Ximena shifted as the rays of the sun hit her eyeline. Her long lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks as her nose scrunched adorably. Sleepiness clouded her senses and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

She was pleasantly surprised to find herself face to face with Logan's bare chest. It raised up and down calmly. A reasonable amount of curly black hair dusting the width of his chest, down until it disappeared in his sweat pants.

Naturally, she was curled into his strong frame and her cheeks heated at the realization of his caressing her side. Ximena started to remember the night before. Her full on hysterical sobbing. The concerned and frankly, uncomfortable expression marring Logan's face. She could understand he didn't know what to do in the presence of a crying woman.

Not that she blamed him. It was the intensity of the moment that caught up to her. The guilt of coming back to life when Daniel died. She felt she should've stayed dead, at least, the darkest parts of her did.

Eyeing Logan's face from below, she contemplated her next moves. She wanted to get up and out of bed. However, Ximena knew if she moved his arm, he'd wake up and that seemed inconsiderate of her somehow. Especially, because she kept him awake with her sniffles in the first place.

Her deeply buried shyness elevated to the forefront of her mannerisms as she decided to wait. She closed her eyes once more and simply enjoyed the peaceful moment. The lulling sound of Logan's deep breaths. Weirdly enough, their legs were intertwined. His hairy limbs scratching against her own as he shifted. Ximena didn't particularly mind it. It had been a long time since she shared a bed with someone other than Ororo when they had their wine and movie sleep overs.

"You mumble in your sleep, you know that?" Logan's baritone, husky voice verberate onto her ear drums. He sounded borderline hungover and grumpy, although one of those was impossible for him to feel.

Ximena immediately knew he wasn't a morning person and her lips curled at the corners with humor. "Oh really? What was I saying." She played along with a light tone, keeping her eyes closed as nudged her forehead against his chest.

When he didn't answer, Ximena's eyebrows furrowed. She peeled her mocha peepers, leaning back to get a clear view of his face. Logan was frowning, staring at the wall in front of him before he slid his squinted gaze to her. "Couldn't make it out, but it sounded like a chant."

She flinched, his response catching her off guard. "A chant?"

For that moment, Logan could tell on her face that she was starting to get worked up again. He slid his hand up her back, underneath her slip and tugged her closer to his frame. Ximena was no chest to chest with him, feeling his heart beat melding with her own. This instantly seemed to calm her, and Logan was befuddled by how he knew exactly what to do.

"Listen... When I died, I told you I saw something -- horrible." She swallowed, peering up at him with a subtle admiration. Despite the light red rim around her eyes from crying the night before, she was still enrapturing. Logan observed that the sun brought out the warmest color in her irises. A deep honey, that provoked him to both protect her and conquer her all in the same breath.

He had to strain himself to focus on what she was saying. Trailing his finger tips over her shoulder in a dizzying pace. "You never said what it was."

"That's because it was a who," This drew his attention instantly. "Not a what."

"Who--"

A knock on the hardwood door interrupted their conversation. This caused two things to happen at once. Ximena sat up on her elbow, unraveling her legs from Logan. And then Logan, groaning lowly underneath his breath as he pressed his back further into the pillows.

"Ximena, are you up?" That was Jaime's voice.

The Illusionist glanced to Logan when he heavily rolled his eyes, laying his arm that was around her waist behind his head. She lightly pushed his shoulder and moved to stand up. Her cheeks bloomed a lovely tangerine as she pulled down her navy blue slip to cover her ass. The discarded robe, finding it's way back on her arms.

She opened the door slightly, peeking her head through to smile at Jaime gently. Her hair was uncombed, falling in large waves over her shoulders. An exasperated hint in her squinted stare.

Jaime didn't look pleased to see her in someone else's room. His glasses recently pushed back on the bridge of his nose as it scrunched subtly in disdain. He eyed her appearance, lingering on her night clothes and the skimpiness of them. "Jaime, good morning."

Shaking himself from his disappointment, he smiled at her shortly. "Hey, I came to get you because Adora says she's feeling contractions."

Ximena brightened, a grin taking over her heart shaped face. "Oh my god, really? Okay, okay. I'll be down quickly." She started to close the door, before pausing, reaching for Jaime's wrist. "Tell her to walk around the backyard to keep the labor active. I'll meet her there."

"Yeah, yeah okay..." He scratched the back of his head anxiously, shifting his gaze behind her to try and see who was inside. Although, he had an idea. "Is Logan in there?"

The short brunette sighed, hoping he wouldn't ask and annoyed that he actually did. "I don't think that's any of your business, Jaime. Listen, just tell Adora what I said and I'll forget you asked me something incredibly entitled." She sent him a saddened smile, laying a brief hand on his arm before she closed the door in his face.

She didn't want to be mean, but she had boundaries and she certainly wasn't one to bend those because her friend was jealous. Logan deserved privacy too, not that he actually wanted it. The man was smirking at her when she turned around. Flexing his arms as he pulled on a shirt with a careless tug.

"Are you ashamed of me, Mena?"

Her blank expression cracked, a chuckle slipping passed her lips as she tied her robe in place. "No more than you're willing to rub it in Jaime face that we slept together."

"Sleep." He reasserted, roughing his hair up with one hand. "And that's all we did."

"You got a problem with that?" She challenged, padding closer. The more near she became, the more she had to adjust her chin to stare him down. Logan thought it cute, like a kitten making demands to a lion. She was either brave or foolish.

"Yes," He stated truthfully.

Logan ran his hand through her tangled hair all the while bringing her closer. His large hand guide her head to gander up at him, awaiting his next move. Anticipating his temptation with anxious breath. "All I hear are words. What are you going to do about that?"

A deep rumble in his chest made an electric shock run down her entire body, lingering in her core. His grip on her hair tightened and Ximena wondered if he could hear her resounding purr of satisfaction. Logan looked to about to kiss her. His distance shortening. The hunger in his eyes growing. However, when he was a breath away, ghosting the flesh of his lips against her own in a tantalizing whisper, she turned her head.

His lips stopped short of landing on her cheek. Logan's nose brushing her supple cheek affectionately.

"Do you mind if I call you James?" She pronounced it in a Spanish accent. Curling her tongue around a Y instead of a J. Logan blinked, relaxing the tension in his hand on her hair till he was smoothing the locks away from her face.

He narrowed his eyes at her, fixing his stance to stand straighter. "Do you want to call me James?" Logan mocked her accent, chuckling when she made a move to hit him.

"Aye, I can't help it. That's how Hispanic's say your name. Not my fault your as white as sheetrock."

Logan pointed at her scoldingly, smirking when she jeered at it, nipping at him. "What would your parents say if they found out you were about to kiss a white man?"

She rolled her eyes at his joke, spinning on her heel to leave the room. "My mama would roll over in her grave and make sure to haunt me for the next decade just so she could throw fucking shoes at my head and pop up in my mirrors to critic my clothes when I least expect it."

"That was... incredibly detailed."

Ximena nodded, opening the door before looking over her shoulder. "She told me that speech on my fourteenth birthday, followed by a homemade tres leches cake. 'Feliz cumpleaños, no traigas a casa un gringo!' Then the neighbors came over to drink all our beer."

Logan's eyebrows pinched with an unsure smile as he followed her out. "Sounds like a great family." The sound of Ximena's laughter echoing down the hall filled his ears before she closed the door to her bedroom to get dressed for the day.

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Unedited. 6/10/21

We got Ximena's back story in this chapter and I just want to protect my baby at all costs. Poor baby just wanted to help. Plus, she saw something in Hell --maybe? Hehe

Let me know what you thought of this chapter, comment, vote! Xx