Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

AN: Okay, so I just want to make sure this is all very clear: THIS IS NOT AT ALL ATTACHED TO MY SERIES "STAND TOGETHER." This story is a completely separate entity that I wrote. But I thought that I'd post this in the downtime of the series for those of you that need a little Rogan snack. So check it out and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

It was late, and she was mostly asleep, but she knew she heard it. The low rumble of the motorcycle. It was hard not to hear. Her room was right at the front of the building, and she could hear all vehicles coming and going. And this time, she knew it was him.

Rogue didn't check this time though. She laid flat on her back, in her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. For a while after he left, every time she heard the sound of an engine, she would run to her window and look to see if it was him. It never was.

She grew out of that eventually. After a year, she would only check at night. It seemed like a Wolverine thing for him to show up in the middle of the night. After two, she would only check if she was absolutely certain that it was a motorcycle. After three, she stopped checking all together.

Seven years. Wolverine had been gone for seven long years. He'd left shortly after she came back from getting the cure. And even now she remembered the day.

Rogue had noticed his strange behavior. She had known him long enough to know that he was getting antsy. He wasn't one to stay in one place for too long. Now, he was getting ready to go.

She staked out the garage, knowing that he would be taking the bike. He showed up around midnight, a knapsack on his back, and she could tell immediately that he was surprised to see her. "Why don't you ever say goodbye?" she asked.

He sighed. "It's complicated, Kid."

"I get it," she said, getting up from where she sat in front of his bike. "You don't ever want to be tied down. You need the change." Her hips swayed as she moved closer to him. "I just want you to say goodbye when you leave."

He looked down at her with a smirk. "It's hard to say goodbye to you, Kid."

Her spunky demeanor had dwindled at his words. "Then, don't go, Logan," she said quietly. "Please stay…"

He tore his gaze from her. "You know I have to go. This just isn't the place for me right now."

"You're my only friend here," she replied softly.

He looked back at her, a question in his eyes. "What about Iceman?"

She glanced at her feet, her hair falling into her face. "He and Kitty…" She sighed. "We broke up. He's dating her now."

"Rogue," he said. He sounded ready to tell her that he was leaving now and there was no stopping him.

But she interrupted, "If you leave, what do I have here?"

He eyed his bike. She knew that it was calling to him as well as the road. It wasn't her place to stop him, but she wanted to try. "You'll find another friend. And I'll be back."

She didn't believe him. "Right."

"I don't have anything for you to hold onto as a promise this time, Kid," he said in a strained voice. "There's nothing."

Her eyes met his. "This will have to do." She boosted herself to stand on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the lips.

He was taken by surprise and the kiss was too short for him to react in any way. "Just promise me you'll come back," she whispered.

Promises weren't something that Logan did, she knew that. Unless they were to her. "I promise."

She gave a small, painful smile and started to walk away. He watched her in silence until she stopped, turned, and said, "Take care of my heart for me, will ya?"

But she didn't give him a chance to respond. She just walked out of the garage.

Rogue wondered if he ever thought of that night. Of that one kiss that she gave him. She wondered if he ever realized that by being away for so long he had broken the only thing she'd ever given him.

X X X X X

The dining area was loud with the voices of all the students and other teachers when Rogue came down for breakfast that morning. She was already dressed for the day in a tight, black pencil skirt, a light blue blouse, and a pair of black heels. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, giving her a professional look. She greeted the few students that greeted her as she went towards the kitchen for coffee. Jubilee, her best friend, was there, waiting for her with a cup of coffee in her hand. "Here you go, honey," she said, handing Rogue the coffee.

"Thanks," Rogue replied, taking a sip. Perfect, Jubilee got it perfect every time.

The two girls had met when Rogue had first arrived at the school, but they'd never been real close. However, when Logan had left and Rogue had broken up with Bobby, Jubilee had stepped up to be a friend. Now, you hardly ever saw one without the other.

But today, Rogue's talkative friend was strangely quiet. "What's wrong?" Rogue asked, quirking a skeptical eyebrow.

Jubilee shook her head. "You don't want to know," she said, taking a sip of her own coffee.

Rogue sighed. "I know he's back, Hun. You don't need to hide it from me."

Her friend's body relaxed. "Oh, good. I just… I know…"

"Jubilee," Rogue said, turning to face her friend and placing her coffee cup down, "I'm fine. I heard him come home last night." She rotated her coffee cup mindlessly. "I haven't seen him yet, but I'll be fine. I stopped loving him a long time ago," she insisted, picking up her coffee and taking a drink.

"Then why haven't you dated anyone since you broke up with you-know-who?" her friend pried with a sly smile.

Rogue choked slightly on her coffee and coughed. "Wh- what?"

Jubilee smiled. "Aw, honey, you didn't even realize, did you?"

"I've been on dates," was her defensive reply once her coughing stopped.

"Oh, right," the vibrant mutant said sarcastically. "You've been on dates. But you haven't dated, not since… you know. There's a big difference, honey."

Finally, done with this conversation, Rogue picked up her coffee cup and headed toward the door as Jubilee hopped onto the counter. "I just haven't found a guy worthy of my full attention," she called over her shoulder.

But, without looking where she was going, she bumped into another person. "Oh sorry, I-" she started to say. However, at the sight of the mutant she bumped into, she became speechless.

Logan grinned at her. "Nice way to say hello, Kid," he said.

The shock wearing off, Rogue straightened out her clothes and gave a polite nod. "Nice to you see you, Logan. If you'll excuse me, I've got some papers to grade." She swerved around him and went back into the dining hall, her heels clicking against the tile floor.

Logan stared after her then looked to Jubilee. "What's her deal?"

Jubilee shrugged, hopped down from the counter, and said, "No idea," before heading the opposite way.

He chased after Rogue, catching up with her near the staircase. "Whoa, hold up, kid," he said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. She stopped and turned to face him, her mouth a thin line. "You haven't seen me for years and you can't even manage a hello?"

She stepped down a few stairs until she was at eye level with him. "If I wanted to say hello to you, Logan, I would've when you came home last night. Now, pardon me," she said as she turned to go back up the stairs, "as I mentioned before I-"

"You knew I was here?" he asked in disbelief.

She sighed heavily, her hand gripping the rail so tightly her knuckles were turning white, and turned on her heel to face him. "Yes. I heard you arrive last night. I don't sleep well, and I happened to be awake when you came in."

"You could've come to see me," he said, trying to keep a positive attitude. "I was excited to see you."

She sighed again. "Well, I'm sorry that my excitement has worn down after seven years. Now, pardon me, I have things to do." And with a finality, she turned and went up the stairs, leaving Logan standing in the foyer, confused as to what had just happened.

AN: I hope you all like it! It was just something that I whipped up while I was working on "Going Back Home." I'll post chapter two next Wednesday. So please review!