Logan flopped down onto the couch with a sigh, root beer in one hand and the television remote in the other. He'd let Hank run the Danger Room session this evening, much to the relief of his students. He just didn't feel up to dealing with much at all today. He felt so frustruated and confused by what Kitty had done- even a bit betrayed. All afternoon he had imagined what Kitty and Lance must have been like last night...it just kept running over and over through his head.

It was getting late. A few students straggled through the hallways, making their ways back to their rooms or to the library for some reading. None of them bothered Logan, he made it clear that the couch was his right now by the way he was sprawled out across its plush cushions. Besides, no one else in the mansion were too partial to watching hockey.

- - -

The girls got home around 9 p.m. Jean, Rogue, and Jubilee headed inside, but Kitty excused herself and said she wanted to take a short walk around the institute to stretch her legs before bed. The others let her be, and disappeared into the building.

As she walked around the west side of the mansion, Kitty saw a flickering light shining through the lounge windows and reflecting off the damp grass on the other side of the glass. As she got closer to the room itself, she could see that the lights were off but the television was on. Taking a detour, she slipped herself through the wall and tiptoed over to the couch. Nothing but a few roughed up pillows and the remote. Someone probably just forgot to turn off the tv when they went to bed. She reached for the remote, but felt a sudden sense of uneasiness when she felt that the cushion was still warm.

"Kitty..." Startled, she jumped and turned around quickly, pressing herself up against the back of the couch. Logan was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and his face difficult to make out in the darkness. His voice was quiet and sounded almost strange.

"I'm sorry, I thought someone had forgotten to turn it off. I'll just go..." The occasional bursts of light from the tv screen lit his face enough for her to see that it held a stern and deep expression. He looked almost sad, or perhaps it was anger in his face that she saw. She couldn't quite tell, and it made her nervous.

"What's the deal, kid? What happened last night? Are you trying to hurt me? Are you trying to hurt yourself? I care about you, Kitty. I want you...to be happy. Please talk to me." He was pleading with her. She couldn't think of anything to say. She didn't know where to begin. She didn't want to begin.

Unfortunately, she could not keep a tear of frustruation from running down her face. It glimmered as it made its journey. He almost moved towards her, but held back.

"I don't want you to throw any more chairs at me, Kitty. I don't want to cause you grief or make your life more difficult. I just want things to be friendly between us again. I miss you, kid. I really do." He made an attempt to smile, but he looked too sad to be convincing. She found her voice, though it was cracking with her effort to keep from breaking down. "Me too. I've been so stupid, Logan. I thought things would be better if I had sex with Lance. I thought you weren't coming back, that you had given up on me...I thought it was all you wanted in the first place and he's always liked me and you left and...and I wanted someone to love me, but I was stupid-" her words were jumbled and she could feel her knees shaking, her mind going blank, except for an incessant white noise. She couldn't think. She was crying, tears were streaming down her face like waterfalls now.

Her shaking legs buckled and gave way, but luckily Logan had crossed the room as she had spoken and he dove to catch her as she collapsed, holding her up and close to his own body, not sexually but lovingly. He felt how weak she was; how fragile her limbs were and how light her breath was, even though she was sobbing into his shoulder. He half-carried her around to the other side of the couch and sat down, letting her fall against him and into his embrace once more. She clutched at his soft cotton shirt, pressing her face into his chest as she cried. Everything was being released with these tears, all her pent up anguish and self-loathing forcing its way out in this moment between them.

- - -

Logan tentatively lifted a hand to her head, stroking her hair gently and pushing it out of the way. He didn't know how to comfort her, but he hoped that being here with her would be enough. She only looked up at him once, her eyes wide and apologetic, eyeliner running in streaks down her cheekbones. Then she had buried herself back into his chest, her body heaving with the effort of so much emotional release.

He couldn't help but think of how perfect she felt in his arms. This was what he wanted - minus the crying - and it sent a surge of guilt through him when he realized he was getting a little bit turned on having her this close to him. He wished it could just be enough to love her without wanting her, because that was the last thing she needed right now. Yet he had such a desire to hold her tighter, to lift her chin and kiss those soft lips and run his hands along her body's contour...

No. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment and willed those thoughts away. She was relaxing in his arms now, exhausted and motionless. So vulnerable and beautiful. He leaned back slightly against an overstuffed pillow and thought to himself that he would sit here just a little longer before bringing her to her room. He didn't want to disturb her just yet, now that she had slipped into sleep. Her long legs were laying gently across his, one arm still resting on his chest, the fingers loosely pressed into his shirt. He imagined that he could lay here forever like this...

In no time Logan had also fallen asleep, with his arms still wrapped around Kitty's body lovingly and protectively.