Thunder growled deeply, rumbling across the night sky followed closely by the sharp brilliance of lightening. As rain beat on the roof of Xavier's School for the Gifted, Logan and the other instructors wandered through the dorms, checking on the students. Satisfied that none of the younger ones were frightened, and none of the older ones had snuck out, the teachers returned to their respective sanctuaries.
Logan, however, continued to circle the mansion. There was no way he could even pretend to sleep tonight. He winced with every roar of thunder, his sensitive ears ringing. He appreciated his hyper-hearing ability on missions, but cursed it when he wanted rest.
He was about to head downstairs, his right foot lingering on the lower step, when he picked up on a sound foreign to the raging storm. He drew back, pausing as he listened. Then he dropped his head in exasperation and sighed. Grumbling, he strolled over to her door and tapped his knuckle against the wood.
Moments later, the door clicked open and a puffy eyed face poked out into the dimly lit hallway. Logan was taken back by the sorrow glazed in her moist eyes and the blotches covering her usually porcelain skin. Her nose was red no doubt from all the tissues she must've been using.
"Hey, kid," he murmured, worried. "You look like shit."
Rogue, fresh tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, shook her head and turned away, shuffling back to her bed. Logan hesitantly followed her inside, closing the door gently. He steadily came to hover at the foot of her bed, watching as she curled up, clutching her pillow. "What happened, kid?"
Her body quivered as she muffled her sobs with her satin pillow. Logan ignored his own discomfort, his concern for the fragile life in front of him overpowering everything else. He tentatively crawled onto the mattress, settling in beside her. He peered at her, searching for answers. His chest tightened at the heartbreaking sight of her open pain. He instinctively reached out, pulling her to him.
She cried into his shoulder, staining his white T-shirt with her salty tears. She pressed herself against him, balling up in his embrace. The comfort of his arms broke the final thread of her restraint, allowing her the bittersweet freedom of releasing all her misery, frustration, and anger.
He held her, stroking her silky hair and rubbing her back in soothing circular motions. He felt useless, unable to take away her aching. He couldn't protect her from this. He could save her from their enemies, but he couldn't shield her from her own inner demons. He'd promised to take care of her, and he did his best, but it just wasn't enough. He couldn't make her happy.
Rogue sniffled, her crying subsiding as exhaustion crept in. She shifted, snuggling into the curve of his body. Logan, his arms lovingly cradling her, felt her breasts rise and fall, her breathing growing deeper. The arm underneath her began to tingle, but he refused to disturb the sleeping angel.
He brought his other hand up, softly caressing her smooth cheek. Gingerly, he leaned down, his lips tenderly grazing the corner of her mouth. "Sweet dreams, kid," he whispered. At least she would find dreams tonight.
He didn't know why she had been crying; he doubt he ever would. But he knew he'd given her what she needed: a friend. It wasn't as heroic as taking a bullet for her, which he'd do in a single breath, but it was just as selfless.
By morning, he was gone. It didn't surprise or hurt Rogue in the slightest. Instead, she smiled faintly at the memory of his tender heart. It was the simplicity of his kindness that would live with her forever.
REVIEWER REPLIES Sorry if I missed anyone.
Empathy, DarkRoses, Crazy4horses, Nemesis, Aquarius Angel, Wapps, ThePrincess, Jackia, Mysteeqgurl, TheWolf, Orli: Sorry I'm not replying individually like I usually do. Yet, I wanted to tell you all basically the same thing. Thanks for your reviews! Because of them, I've decided to add on. And as long as there is such a continued interest, I will keep writing! I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you so much.
Sparkling: Logan would never want his soft side known. Typical.
CassandraLee: I updated Through Time! Now aren't you proud of me?
Pinkfuzzyone: He's very picky on whom he's soft with, though. I'm just glad Rogue is one of his weak spots! I love those two!
Vegeta: Short and sweet can be a good thing, right? We don't always need a big romance, right?
Trunksblue: I prefer them to be lovers, but a deep friendship is wonderful, too.
Purpleant: I think he's the only one who understands her. I wouldn't be surprised if he did little things like this for her. Thanks for the review!
LoganLover: Only friendship? Or do you tipsy over into romance, too? Personally, I think they make a bittersweet couple. I just wish she were a little older.
Jo: Aww, thanks so much! And you're right: I'm hopelessly addicted to these two. It's an illness. I'm sure of it.
Sugah-crystal: I thought about it. Then I thought about it some more. Finally, I wrote this. Hope you liked it!
Karin: I really appreciate your kind words and refreshing review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was aiming for "magical", but wanting it to stay in character. Thanks for reassuring me.