“Hey...hey, kid. Wake up.”
I slowly opened my eyes when I heard a familiar voice and felt two strong hands on my shoulders.
Logan was kneeling in front of me and I could see worry on his face.
I must have fallen asleep right there in the hallway, I realized as I let him scoop me up in his arms and carry me to his room. I still felt as though I was half asleep; everything around me was nothing more than a blur.
Without speaking or resisting, I let Logan put me in his bed and tuck me in like a little kid.
Something in the back of my mind told me that I should get up and go, that I would only end up hurting him if I stayed, that it was too dangerous...but I didn't have enough strength left to get up and walk away from him yet again.
When Logan was about to grab a pillow and get ready to sleep on the floor, I stretched out my hand as far as I could, holding on to the hem of his t-shirt.
I didn't need to say anything, he understood the look in my eyes and slipped under the covers next to me.
It wasn't until then that I realized I was freezing, I was only wearing a t-shirt after all and it had been cold out in the hall.
“Logan...” I whispered. I didn't even know what I wanted to say. I was tempted to just tell him everything right then and there. But I knew I couldn't. It would hurt him and that was the last thing I wanted...he had gone through enough pain because of me, three times now. Three times of saving my life...
'Damn right,' Logan's voice said in my head. 'See, I care about you. And you pull shit like that, flinging yourself out a window. You could have talked to me...no wait, shit, I wasn't there. Sorry 'bout that, kid. But you can talk to me now.'
“I can't,” I tried to say, but it was nothing more than a shallow breath.
“You can't what?” Logan asked me and cupped my face with one hand, wiping away a tear that I didn't realize was rolling down my cheek.
“What's wrong with you, Rogue?”
I started sobbing once more and pressed my face into his chest, my shoulders shaking and my fingers clutching his shirt.
“I can't, I can't tell you...I can't do this...I'm sorry...”
He didn't ask anymore questions and I was glad. I wasn't ready to talk to him, and who knew if I'd ever be. I shouldn't even be here, strictly speaking...it was dangerous.
But Logan was strong enough, I kept telling myself to calm myself down. He would be able to defend himself if Magneto tried anything. He wouldn't get hurt...he was the only one I could be around without having to worry too much...he was strong enough...
The last thing I felt before I drifted off to sleep again was Logan's hand stroking my hair and my back, whispering soothing words into my ear.
I opened my eyes and found myself sitting on top of Logan, pinning him down with only my mind.
He was roaring in pain and trying to escape me but I didn't let him move.
One by one, I broke the bones in his body. Whoever said adamantium was indestructible obviously had no idea what Magneto could do. He had made me begin with the claws, bending them until Logan had started screaming and then slowly break them.
By now, we had made it all the way up his arms and to his ribs. I had to concentrate very hard to keep every bone I had broken from healing, but Magneto helped me do it.
I felt tears on my cheeks yet again and I noticed I was screaming as well, feeling the pain Logan was feeling because seeing him suffer was more than I could bear...especially if I was the reason for his suffering.
This was really the most cruel thing Magneto had done to me yet. Usually, he kept my mind paralyzed and I came back to consciousness only after he was finished with whatever his plans were.
But it seemed to give a particularly big amount of satisfaction to make me see what he was forcing me to do this time.
Logan and I were looking at each other and screaming out our pain together as we heard the cracking sounds his bones made.
I could tell from his face that he had no idea why I was doing this to him, no idea what was actually going on.
And I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, that I didn't want this, that I had no choice...and that it broke my heart to hurt the man I loved.
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