Against Jean’s wishes, Logan had disentangled himself out of his infirmary bed past the midnight hours and quietly made his way up through the mansion. He knew where he was heading, even though his feet seemed to be subconsciously guiding him. Logan slowly crept up the staircase with his bare feet in silence on the luxurious floorings of the mansion. Doors of student dormitories led down the corridor, and Logan his nose towards one of the doors. This was the room Rogue had been sleeping in on her first night here. Clearly she had been moved back for tonight after the events downstairs.
With a hand slowly coiling itself around the doorknob, Logan pushed on into the room quietly. “Marie?” he whispered softly, eyes scanning the bed that lay near the window. Milky moonlight washed over her form, giving her appearance an ethereal glow. She moved, but it did not seem to be a reaction to Logan’s presence. She moved again, and with a growing concern, Logan continued into the bedroom, coming towards her bedside.
Her bed covers were tousled, partly on the floor and a crumpled mess over her writhing form. Her distressed face was apparent even in the gentleness of the light, Logan receiving glimpses of it as her head moved side to side in her grief.
“Marie?” he called a little louder, leaning over the bed as he watched her worriedly.
Her legs suddenly kicked the remainder of the covers her, her bare legs still trying their hardest to kick against an unseen object. Her hands had coiled into fists, skin turning white from their tight grasp. A sheen of sweat could be seen over her face, distressed pants heaving from slightly parted lips as she suffered in her sleep.
Unable to witness it any longer, Logan placed a hander against her nearest clothed area – her shoulder – and squeezed as he repeated her name firmly, “Marie! Wake up, just wake up.”
Her tightly shut eyes flew open with a terrified glaze. The instant she noticed the shadowy figure besides her, she let out a horrified scream, automatically shoot up into a sitting position. Logan jerked back in alarm, her scream unexpected and painful to his hearing.
Rogue was gasping quietly as she stared at Logan, her eyes wide and startled. “L-Logan?” she uttered softly.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, coming back to her side once she was calming down. He kneeled down on the floor besides her bed.
She quickly nodded her head in response, a shaking head wiping the beads of sweat from her brow. “Nightmare..” she whispered, before looking over at him slowly, “It involved you.”
“What?” asked Logan softly, his concern redoubling in his face. “What happened?”
“It was yours,” she answered, staring at him, “Your nightmare.. y-your.. memories.”
Logan bowed his head slowly, a hand squeezing their fingers into his head he sighed, “God..” The nightmares were bad enough without aeighteen year old girl having to experience something that never happened to her.
Rogue shivered a little, her eyes averting from him, “They’re horrible,” she whispered before closing her eyes.
“Is this because you touched me? Y’know, when you borrowed my powers?”
“Must be, I started acting different too..”
“Jean said that.. and I saw the evidence.”
Rogue swallowed slowly, “The first boy I ever kissed was the first one I hurt. He ended up in a coma for three weeks, Logan. It’s so hard to explain, but.. I can still feel him inside my head,” a hand gestured to her temple slowly, “and it’s the same with you.”
Logan closed his eyes slowly as he lowered his head. This last thing this girl needed was someone like him meddling with her day to day thoughts. “What do you mean..” he whispered quietly, “when you say you can feel me inside your head?”
“I can’t explain it,” said Rogue softly, “But you’re there, somehow.”
There was a pause between the pair, leaving them sat in silence under the ghostly light of the early morning moon. Rogue had picked her gloves up off her bedside table, idly studying them as if in contemplation of putting them on.
Then suddenly, she made a gasp, quickly worrying Logan, “What is it?”
Rogue turned her head towards him, hands now hurriedly entering her gloves. “You.. you have a scent - !”
“I – what?”
“I recognise your smell!” continued Rogue, who quickly pushed to the edge of the bed and took Logan’s face in her palms. “It was much stronger earlier, the powers must be wearing off but – “
She buried her nose into Logan’s hair, leaving him with a bewildered look on his face as she directed his head with her hands. “That’s amazing,” she said softly, “can you smell other people like this, all the time?”
Looking up at her, Logan managed a small smile and nodded, “Yeah. Enhanced abilities in my senses, like an animal.”
“You smell – “ she inhaled deeply from his hair again before pulling back, “like a forest, a really rich sort of scent, leafy.”
Logan laughed quietly at her obvious delight at the discovery.
“What do I smell of?” she asked him quickly.
Logan leant forward, although he didn’t need to, gently taking a clump of long brown hair in his palm and bringing it to his nose. Beyond the honey aroma of the girl’s shampoo choice he discovered her natural odour; it was a light and gentle scent, a freshness like recently fallen rain in early spring flowers. He pulled back, looking up at her slowly, “Like spring,” he answered, leaving her looking jubilant. He had never seen such a smile on her face, for it was normally tainted with a deep unhappiness and a forlorn if distant frown.
“It’ll probably be gone soon,” Rogue murmured quietly, “the Professor said that I borrowed your powers, and that by morning, they will have disappeared.”
Logan stood up slowly, moving to pick up the covers that had fallen from her bed. He was watched by Rogue as he returned them over her form, “You should try and get back to sleep,” he said quietly, “I can stay here though.” Rogue obediently lay back down as he pulled the covers up to her chest.
“Tuckin’ me in?” asked Rogue with a slight smile playing at her lips. Logan exaggerated his actions for a moment, patting the duvet over her form and smoothening out the covers. “Do I get a bedtime story? Goodnight kiss?” continued Rogue, but she did blush a little at the latter of her words, having not really expected herself to be brave enough to come out with something like that in front of the Wolverine.
Even he looked a little taken aback himself, but straightened with a small grin, “Sorry, just tuckin’ you in,” he answered. He made his way to her side once more and crouched besides her sleeping form. “I’ll stay here,” he whispered quietly, turning serious. “If you start having nightmares, I’ll wake you up.”
Rogue extended a gloved hand across the bed slowly, “I’ll sleep better if I know you’re here,” she murmured, fingers securing themselves around Logan’s palm.
Logan smiled slowly as he watched her, “Alright,” he said softly, then gently lifting her hand and brushing her clasped fingers with a light kiss, “Goodnight, kid. Don’t forget, I promised to take care of you.”
“I know,” whispered Rogue softly as her eyes blinked slowly. They were beginning to ache with tiredness, and she could feel them getting heavier the longer she tried to keep them on Logan’s shadowy face. She repeated her words softly before they slipped shut, and her grip relaxed on his hand. “I know..”
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