She was too busy pondering her essay for the professor to notice where she was until she stopped, mid-sentence in her mind, outside of Logan's room. The door was partway open.
Whenever Rogue touched someone, she felt a pull, their essence drawn from their bodies into hers. A touch for more than the briefest of moments could kill. Through the open door she felt that familiar pull in reverse.
It had been a year with no word of him. Rogue had almost convinced herself that it had been a childish infatuation, that she had grown up, and with it, moved on. "Logan?" she called, her gloved fingertips rapping hesitantly on the doorframe. She tried to ignore the crack in her voice, told herself the flutter in her stomach was from skipping breakfast to make headway on her homework.
"Hey, kiddo. Come on in." he called. Logan was in the bathroom just off his room, shaving. Having claws at the ready was practical well beyond the missions the professor sent him on or his own reconnaissance. As he drew his hand across his face, the adamantium blades did a nice job on his stubble.
As Rogue entered the room, he looked up, catching sight of her in the mirror. His eyes widened. Kiddo? He thought with a start. How long _have_ I been gone? Logan turned. He gave his head a shake, trying to clear his mind, and managed a wry smile. "Did you miss me?"
"Not really." It had become a ritual. As Logan finished toweling off his face, she threw herself into his arms. Her curves startled him. Definitely not a kid anymore, he thought, giving her a quick squeeze and stepping back.
Rogue tried to mask her disappointment. "Did you find anything?"
"They don't seem to like me much in Canada." He reflected on the look of horror on the General's face when he'd stumbled upon Logan just south of Alkali Lake. And the next three futile weeks spent trying to get answers out of soldiers sent after him. Ultimately, his claws had turned them all into shish kebab rather than sources. Inexplicably, the soldiers had stopped coming, and the trail had run cold. He'd come back for Xavier's advice.
"How long are you back for?" she asked, hoping for a response she didn't actually expect.
"I just need to talk to the professor. I don't know beyond that. Nice to see you too, kid." This one was for effect. Something about the way Rogue had trusted him on the train, and how delighted she was whenever he showed up at the school, had snuck its way into him, and the Wolverine had started to think of her as part of his pack. Desperate as he was to uncover his past, he was tired of being a wolf without a pack. Yet some part of him was still resisting.
"Logan..." she was debating how to protest that she'd grown up when a knock at the door broke the moment. It was Jean. Rogue felt her chest deflate.
"Hey, Logan," Jean smiled from the doorway, making no move to enter Logan's room. "The professor's looking for you."
Jeannie. Logan froze and turned toward the door, helpless to stop what he felt next. Nothing. For all the time he'd spent aching for Jean, his first thought when he looked at her was, Where is it? "Hey, Jeannie. How's Scott?"
Jean took a breath and caught his eyes in hers. She felt the faint wave of loss tinged with relief, and exhaled. "Just fine, Logan. I'll tell him you missed him."
"Whoa, I wouldn't go that far. I just haven't had enough target practice lately."
Jean raised her eyebrows. "We missed your sweet disposition. Welcome back." With that, she turned back down the hallway away from the room she shared with Scott. She needed a minute to herself before returning to him.
Suddenly aware of how alone he was with Rogue, Logan cleared his throat. "I, uh...I guess I'd better go see the professor. I'll catch up with you later."
Rogue could only nod. Her cells still painfully aware of the body they'd just held, she returned to her room and closed the door. With a whimper, she sank down against the cool wood, banging her head back hard against it. The only thing worse than Logan being gone was having Logan there. And the only thing worse than having Logan love Jean was having him _not_ love Jean. What was stopping him, then, unless it was her?
Logan loped down the hallway. Rogue? Wolverine, you are a faithless old lecher. He decided to go for a run before visiting Xavier, afraid of what the professor would see in his mind.
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