Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.

Midnight Swim

Summer at the school was a very uncomfortable time for Rogue. Physically and emotionally.

She got so hot in all the clothes she wore for everyone's protection, and it hurt to watch the other girls show off their bathing suits and tank tops.

It was hard to watch them all outside, playing with water balloons or in the pool while she stayed inside, drinking a cold soda, listening to music or working with the Professor on her powers.

They were focusing on the two things they agreed were most important; her face and hands. The Professor kept saying that she was close to controlling her power in those areas, but she wasn't sure she believed him, but she kept working. She would not let herself stop.

Sometimes on a summer night she'd take off her gloves and walk bare foot through the garden, feeling the cool grass between her toes and the soft wind between her fingers, letting it play with her long hair.

And one July, she was caught.

"Sleepwalkin' kid?"

Rogue jumped and whirled toward the voice. "Logan?"

There he was, sitting on a bench, a cigar in his teeth. "What're you doing out this late?"

"Enjoying the evening."

"It's after midnight."

Rogue just shrugged.

Logan got to his feet, put out his cigar and tossed the remains into the rose bushes. (The Professor wouldn't like that, Rogue thought to herself.) "How often do you do this?"

"Maybe a couple nights a week. I just need to feel the grass and wind."

He jerked his head toward the garden entrance, so Rogue caught up with him as he began to stalk off. "I know you don't like summer."

"I used to." Rogue replied. "Back when I was normal, back when I could show off like all the other girls, and have water fights with the neighborhood boys."

They continued on in silence, until they halted at the swimming pool.

"Logan, what-"

But Logan picked her up and tossed her into the pool, giving her just enough time to let out a squeal before she splashed beneath the water.

Rogue surfaced, pulling her long, now wet, hair out of her eyes as he dove in to join her. "What was that for?"

He snorted as he swam over to her. "You don't get to swim during the day, but you never thought to do it at night. I thought I'd introduce the idea to you."

Rogue frowned. "I don't swim in my nightgown Logan."

"Why not? You don't have a suit, do you?"

"For a reason." Then she gave a sly smile. "Why, would you like to see me in one?"

"Gimme your hand." Logan said, ignoring her teasing.

Rogue blinked. "What?"

Logan, instead of waiting for her to pull away like she was starting to, he grasped one of her arms and raised it above the water.

Rogue struggled to swim away. "Logan, no. Don't touch me."

He ignored her again and slowly laced his fingers through hers.

'Oh please.' Rogue begged silently, holding her breath and closing her eyes.

But a minute passed. Then two. No pull. No pain.

She opened her eyes and saw him giving her a lopsided grin. "Who told you?"

"Storm may have mentioned it to me."

"I haven't mastered it you know." Rogue said, while feeling disappointed that she hadn't been able to make it a surprise like she had wanted to.

Logan just shrugged.

Rogue was now flooded with impulses, to hug him, to stroke his cheek, even to kiss him, but she wouldn't let herself give in to such thoughts.

Logan was different in that aspect.

It was only a moment later that he was kissing her with those rough lips she'd longed for. It didn't last long, as they found it was rather difficult to kiss and tread water at the same time.

"I'd say you have it down better than you think." He said.

Rogue could have laughed at the whole thing. Being tossed into a pool in the middle of the night in her nightgown, getting the two things she had wanted most, a kiss and someone to hold her hand, both from the person she most wanted them from, and all in the swimming pool.

But instead she wrapped one arm around his neck while her other hand held his.

The End