The flowers in the vase are withered; it's been too long since he visited, but a man can only take so much guilt and grief, and Logan has borne more than his share, even in the short span of life he can remember.

She lies still, fair and cold as frost, her skin unresponsive to his touch -- to anyone's touch. It's what she'd wanted, but at such a high price, he doesn't think it's worth it. He thinks she'd say the same, if she knew then what she knows now. If she knows it now.

They tell him she's a vegetable, she'll never wake up, her heart just doesn't know it should have stopped that day, three years ago, when she believed Magneto's lies and let him use her, willingly this time.

Her heart has never stopped; it's the biggest, strongest thing about her and always has been. It's why he loves her, why he could never resist her even when he knew resisting was the wise thing to do.

He holds her hand and tells her about his life, about what goes on at the mansion, about new kids and old friends, and how Xavier is still managing to keep them free of the MRA, but it's always a near run thing.

He presses kisses to her cool skin and whispers things that would make the nurses blush if they could hear, but he doesn't care. He'd tell the world how he feels about her if he thought it would bring her back to him.

He doesn't cry anymore. After the first visit, he'd gone back to the mansion and locked himself in his bathroom until the tears were spent. He doesn't think he's got any tears left at this point.

He rises, smoothes her hair back and places a lingering kiss on her forehead, willing the surge of her power to begin, but it doesn't. It won't. It hasn't the last thousand times he's done it, and the thousand and first is no different.

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. He wonders if he'll be living in a room next door to her soon.

Love you, he whispers against her ear and again when he kisses her lips, so soft and cool to the touch.

He is at the door when the silence is broken.

Love you, Logan.

He really is going mad, because he cannot have just heard that, and yet, he knows he did. He returns to her side, quick as lightning.

"Rogue?"

"Hey," she says, eyes fluttering open, squinting against the light.

"Oh, God, Rogue."

She struggles to sit up, muscles slack from disuse. He joins her on the bed, propping her against him, cradling her to his chest.

"Did it work?" she asks, holding still, avoiding contact. "Logan?" He feels the tear roll down his nose, sees it drip onto her skin. "Why are you crying?"

"It worked, darlin'. It really worked." His voice is full of hesitant wonder.

He has no more tears for sorrow, but now he's crying tears of joy.

end