Taking care not to draw too much attention to herself, Rogue hugged the jacket tighter around herself as she took a seat in the Rec. Room. The entire room, which was very strange and rare, was completely empty except for her. It seemed as if at every waking hour of the day, someone was doing something in the Rec. Room, whether it was watching t.v., playing games, or just taking a nap on the couch. The room was always occupied - except for now.

The emptiness sent a chill up Rogue's spine and again she wondered at Logan's reaction to seeing Scott and her cleaning up the kitchen. Okay... so Scott had tickled her to the ground and had held her in a very ummm, seemingly inappropriate position when he'd barged in.... and the past few days she had made it a point to spend more of her time with Scott when she'd realized how much Wolverine's nostrils flared whenever they were together or even talking to each other. But, besides that, she had no idea what the big deal was.

She could heard Logan's feet stamping down the hallway, and as they got closer and closer to the Rec. room, Rogue had to fight the urge to jump right up and run. Had she gone too far?

"Rogue," Logan said her name, but avoided looking at her as he entered through the doorway. It seemed as if he were calculating his own movements, trying to find out exactly why he'd asked her to come in there. He paced the room, fighting back the incredible surge of anger and confusion that was escalating in him. When he forced it down, forced down the need to roar and pop the claws, forced down the swelling anger he couldn't seem to control, force down the desire to show her what she could really have, he finally spoke.

"What the hell is going on with you?"

Rogue sputtered, not exactly sure how to respond. She'd been prepared to answer his queries about her relationship with Scott, with which she had planned to answer with a simple it's none of your business.' But, this... was different.

"Uhh, I- uh, uh....," she stumbled for the words, finally remembering simple ones from grade school. "What do you mean?"

"You!" he growled, stopping his pace and finally turning to face her. "You and Scott.! What kind of game do you have going?"

Involuntarily, Rogue felt her jaw drop in surprise. "Game? I don't know-"

"Are you doing it just to hurt Jean?" he asked, interrupting her. "Are you helping Scott in some kind of stupid conspiracy to get them back together?!"

Rogue's mouth dropped further, and she winced as the jawbone cracked. What the-? She wasn't helping Scott get Jean, Scott was unsuspectingly helping her get Logan! She couldn't believe how the man had gotten so confused... or how he could be so dense. "Now wait a minute," she shouted, jumping up from her seat. "I'm not helping Scott do anything!" The idea that Scott could come with anything as sneaky or brilliant as she had was absurd.

"Then why are you spending so much time with him?!" he hurled back at her.

"Maybe because ah lak him!" She suddenly bit her lip, aware of the effect her temper was having on her usually subtle southern accent.

Logan's eyes flashed, and he stepped closer to her, his nose suddenly sniffing the air as if detecting the lie on her. "Do you?" he asked, his voice low and taunting while a small smirk appeared on his face.

"Ya know what, Logan?!" Rogue asked, shaken considerably. She had no idea exactly what that man had smelled on her, but by the expression on his face, it couldn't be anything in her favor. She had lost control of the situation way too quickly, and she was desperately trying to get it back. "Maybe yer jealous!"

"Hah!" The smile grew wider on his mouth, but it seemed to reflect a slight bitterness to it.

"Ya ahre!" she shouted, gaining hope from what she hoped was a faltering blink on his part.

"Why would I be?!"

Rogue stared. "Because ya luv meh," she replied softly, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

Logan swallowed and stepped back. "Well," he replied gruffly, his voice slightly hoarse. "I promised I'd take care of you, kid." He ran his hand through his hair, suddenly completely unsure of himself.

"That's not what ah meant." She could see him shifting his weight from one foot to another, could see his hazel eyes shifting from every object in the room except for her, and she could almost swear, with the faded remnants of the supersonic senses he had given to her so long ago, she could smell the faint scent of fear. "You love me, Logan."

His body tensed immediately, and he could only gaze at her with a helpless expression in his eyes. "Of course I do, kid. But, just not the way that you're thinking." He held his hands out palm facing up in front of him, as if offering an explanation. "I'm with Jean..."

Rogue's eyes narrowed suddenly. He was still with Jean? All over the mansion she'd heard rumors about the two splitting up, or deciding to spend time dating other people.

That's the last time I ask Jubilee for information again, she thought with annoyance. She could hardly believe that just a few minutes before, she had been worried she had taken this thing too far.

Obviously, she hadn't gone far enough.

"I understand, Logan," she said, clearing her throat and rushing the words maybe a little too quickly. "I'll see you later, okay?" He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and only attempted a wary smile at her, breathing a sigh of relief to have made it through that awkward moment alive.

With that, she squeezed his hand and left the room, the wheels in her mind turning so rapidly she herself could barely keep up with them. A slow smile spread out across her face. Since Logan seemed to have such a hard time picking out the obvious, she would have to stop being so subtle.

Scott leaned up against the wall, sipping another can of - unshaken - soda. He listened to her speak with keen interest, his eyebrows shooting up and his mouth curling devilishly into a smile as soon as he heard what the plan would have in store for him.

"Hmmmm," he murmured, rubbing his chin, as if debating with himself. "You actually think that would work?"

Rogue grinned back at him, quickly grabbing the soda can and taking a sip from it. Scott frowned, and she could tell that he was glaring at her through his ruby red glasses as she handed it back to him. "It's fool-proof," she assured him with a smile. "If it doesn't work, I'll eat mud. I swear." To prove it, she crossed her fingers over her heart and pointed to her eyes. "Promise."

"Fine. I'm in."