Author's Note: This is my first X-Men: Evolution fix and kind of experimenting a little. Please let me know if any characterization or dialogue seems off!
He was sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the hockey game on TV.
Rogue crept into the room and sunk slowly into an armchair, watching Logan's face stay focussed on the screen the whole time.
"What do you want, Stripes?" he asked without looking at her, making her jump.
"Nothin. I'm just...just watchin the game."
Logan turned to look at her. "Since when do you watch hockey?"
Rogue hesitated for a moment and tried to put on a defiant look. "Since when do you care what I watch?"
He shrugged and looked back at the screen. "Suit yourself, kid."
She tried to watch the action but kept stealing glances at Logan. The man seemed focussed on the game, his body unmoving except for the steady rise-and-fall of his breathing. Rogue thought about the muscles behind the movement. She'd seen the Wolverine in training and in battle. She knew the power in his chest, arms, and shoulders; how they worked when attacking a foe, real or simulated. She tried to imagine other ways they could work: Logan slipping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him, laying her head on his chest...
"You okay Stripes?"
Rogue snapped out of her daydream. "What?"
Logan eyed her. "You're staring."
She blushed and turned her head. "Sorry, I...I was just thinkin about some stuff."
Logan released his claws and popped the top off of another of his 'special sodas' he kept unlabeled in the pantry, and off limits to students. "Yeah, I think about 'stuff' sometimes too." He took a swig of his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, I've got two ears if you wanna wait till the period's over."
Rogue nodded and looked back at the screen. She tried not to think about "stuff" anymore but the effort only strengthened "stuff's" presence in her mind. The image of Logan from a late-night encounter earlier in the week entered her thoughts: the instructor, sweaty and shirtless, prowling the halls as she returned from the bathroom. He'd barely acknowledged her, and the sound he'd made when he did was more of an animalistic growl than a greeting. She hadn't been focussed on his etiquette though.
Now she curled up tighter in the chair, still focussed on that image while viewing Logan in her peripheral vision. The idea of him half-naked melded with that of him cuddling and comforting her, and she imagined how warm his skin must be. Then she thought about her own skin, and wondered if it would feel warm or cold compared to his. She couldn't test her skin with anyone else, but maybe Logan would be a little different...maybe the Wolverine had enough strength to let her touch him for a few seconds...or for him to touch her...in ways no one else could...
Logan sniffed the air and Rogue immediately tensed. She crossed her legs and hoped she hadn't gotten too careless with her thoughts. He didn't say anything, though, and kept focussed on the action on the screen.
He muted the TV as the period ended and focused his attention on her. "So...'stuff' huh?"
"Yeah...just stuff," she answered, trying to avoid eye contact. She hadn't really expected him to listen to her, and wasn't sure what to talk about.
He waited a couple of long, awkward minutes before clearing his throat. "This 'stuff' wouldn't happen to involve certain...feelings, would it?" He seemed just as uncomfortable as she did.
Rogue wasn't sure how red her face could get without her makeup starting to melt off and didn't want to try it now. "No, I just-"
"I hate to be harsh, Stripes, but it ain't gonna happen. You're setting yourself up for heartbreak."
She bit her lip, embarrassed at having been caught. "I'm not. I mean, I know nothin could happen, specially with me-"
"Now don't go getting down on yourself, it's got nothing to do with you. Scott and Jean have been eyeing each other since they met, they're both just too damn stubborn to admit it."
Rogue tried to control her surprise, and the little bit of relief that went with it.
"Wouldn't matter who you were," Logan continued. "Looks, popularity, smarts, powers, whatever, none of it would make any difference. She's the only girl he's ever really considered."
He sighed and looked away from her. "I know what it's like, always feeling like you're alone. Sometimes you have to be, to protect yourself, and everyone else. Sometimes you wish things were different, wish there was someone you could share it with...You create someone who doesn't really exist, or obsess over someone you shouldn't." He looked back at her. "But that's not the only option, Stripes. I won't lie to you, you're gonna have a harder time than most. But you can still get there. Find someone when you least expect it. A nice young guy who can keep up with all your craziness. Someone who's good for you. Good to you. Cause if he ain't..." Logan popped open another bottle with a claw. "Well, he wouldn't be getting anywhere near you if he ain't."
She smiled a little. "Thanks."
"Yeah, well..." Logan mumbled as he turned the volume back up. "If you're gonna watch ya might as well come sit over here. Can't see half the action from that chair."
Rogue was startled for a moment, then slowly got up before pausing.
"I ain't gonna bite," he said.
She sat down next to him, still somewhat stiff and both turned their attention to the game. Logan was right, hockey really wasn't Rogue's thing. But she stayed and watched. Rogue tried to curl up into the back of the couch to get a little more comfortable.
She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but at some point she briefly woke up as she felt a blanket being laid over her. A hand brushed gently against her hair before she heard footsteps walking away. She fell back asleep listening to a gruff voice mumble about teenagers and their hormones.