The Savage Lands

15:03 (3:03 pm)

Day 3

"Ah wish we could stay like this forever."

Logan sighed and stroked Rogue's hair.

"I know."

He felt little drops of hot wetness fall on his chest.

"Are you crying?" He asked, concerned.

"Uh-uhuh...." Rogue managed between sobs.

He put his other arm around her.

"Rogue....don't cry....shhh....it's ok....."

She sniffled.

"Ah'm-ah'm just thinking-what-what it'll be l-like b-back home...."

He swallowed noisily. Home was a place he tried to keep his mind off of.

"E-everything will be d-different...ah won't b-be able to t-touch you..."

He pulled her closer.

"I know...I know..." he soothed. "But we'll always have the memories."

She broke out into fresh tears.

"But m-memories aren't good en-nough!"

He inhaled deeply.

"We'll figure it all out then," he said. "Don't worry about it."

**********

He stayed awake long after Rogue had drifted off, thinking.

~What *would*things be like at home~ He wondered. ~Would they be together?~

He looked at Rogue, sleeping peacefully by his side, and felt guilty.

~Had he used her?~ He hoped not. He didn't like the idea of anyone using the beautiful young woman in his arms, least of all him.

~Do I love her?~ The thought struck him hard. ~I don't know, do I?~

He knew beyond a doubt that she was his friend, maybe his best friend.

But did he love her? He finally decided to shove the matter aside, as he had done with so many things, and think about it later.

************

Rogue woke up later, energized by her nap.

She remembered where she was and what she had done earlier, and she smiled.

She cuddled closer to his side, feeling secure and protected in his arms, as she never had before.

Her mind idly began to drift, and she saw flashes of the moments before played in her head.

Then a thought struck her. ~Does he love me?~

She thought back to those precious moments. He certainly acted like he did.

But he hadn't told her, hadn't said anything when she was crying.

~We'll always have the memories.~

She bit her lip.

Did he see their relationship as a thing of the past already? Or was this even a relationship?

She tried to deny it, but the facts remained. A cold feeling overtook her.

~He used me.~

She sat up and gazed down on his sleeping form, his peaceful face, free for once from expressions of pain from his nightmares.

~The bastard used me.~

She got up wearily and walked to the water, shivering as she stepped in to wash herself.

~He used me.~ The thought played itself over and over again in her head as she collected her clothes and put them on, not paying attention to her surroundings, not noticing the people slowly creeping up on her.

She saw at the last minute and tried to scream, but it was too late

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