Rogue woke up slowly out of a surprisingly deep sleep. She stretched one sore limb after another, arched her back, and then flopped back into the cushioning mattress. It took a while for her sleep-fogged brain to register why she felt so completely relaxed, but then the memories of the previous night’s events began playing through her mind. Her eyes popped open and blood rushed to her cheeks when she remembered the feel of Logan’s hands and mouth on her body doing things she had once daydreamed of but eventually gave up on when her friendship with him blossomed.
Rogue stared up at the ceiling above her head, her eyes tracing the white plaster swirls while her mind raced as she considered her last words before leaving Logan in the locker room. In the bright light of day—well, all right, the cracks in the white blinds shading her room from the outside room showed a darkly overcast sky, so it wasn’t all that bright out—their encounter and the challenge she had been given seemed less than wise. She valued Logan so much, relied on the friendship they had built; she was afraid to allow anything to continue that might interfere with that. At the same time, the fragment of Logan that resided in her mind growled at the notion that she would be able to persuade him to give up the hunt just as he’d finally come to his senses and gotten her scent. A lot of her scent, he amended wickedly.
The sense of enjoyment that Logan-in-her-head felt at the notion of pursuing and catching her was enough to send Rogue jumping out of bed. A mad scramble through her drawers produced a long-sleeved green T-shirt, black running shorts, and black leggings which she threw on. She pulled her hair into a messy pony-tail, crammed her feet into socks and sneakers, and then she trotted downstairs. Thankfully it was Saturday, and apparently it was early enough that not many students and none of the adults were stirring yet. Rogue didn’t encounter anyone as she made her way outside to the track that circled the grounds of the school.
Her feet pounding on the ground as she broke into a full out run and the wind whipping past her calmed Rogue’s mind slightly. She attempted to lose herself in the sensations, used them to distract herself and the voices in her head that were clamoring to gain her attention and offer advice or opinions on the situation. Her legs and arms pumping, she entered a wooded area that eventually thinned out to the trees that bordered the small lake at the western edge of the property. As she slowed to enjoy the sight, she became aware of the sound of heavy footsteps behind her. A quick glance over her shoulder informed Rogue that Logan was running not far behind her.
She squelched an irrational desire to pick up her pace—actually, to sprint. First, Logan might take that as a challenge in either an innocent or not-so-innocent way.
He was a better runner than she was despite the weight of his adamantium skeleton, so best not to provoke him either way. Rogue also didn’t want to give him the idea that she was uncomfortable around him, even though she was a little bit unnerved to see him running after her on the heels of her internal debates. So she kept up her steady jog even as his longer stride at away at the distance between them.
“Mornin’, darlin’,” Logan said as he pulled forward next to her.
“Yeah, it is,” Rogue huffed, rolling her eyes just as she always would when he tried to act like being awake early on the weekend was a good thing. Since both of them were usually awake thanks to shitty sleep and nightmares, Rogue usually hated pretending that she liked it. She suspected that Logan wasn’t even pretending, which only made her grumpier.
“Sleep well?” Logan’s question blindsided her, and then he picked up his pace before she could reply.
Rogue stared after him, her cheeks bright red for the second time that morning. She hadn’t expected even such an indirect reference to their late night activities, although since this was Logan she wasn’t sure why she ever thought he wouldn’t mention it. Her brain sputtered uselessly for a few seconds. Knowing that her chance was dwindling with every step he ran, she called out a retort. “Like a baby, sugar!”
A small kernel of satisfaction glowed within her, despite her best efforts, because it was the truth. Last night had been the best sleep she had gotten in what felt like ages. Whether she liked it or not, that satisfaction grew when Logan shouted back, “Me, too!”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry this one is a little short--I wanted to get back into this one, but I didn't have a lot of time today. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
Chapter End Notes:
I'll try to get more for this tomorrow. I've got several days of a very boring required class ahead, so I have a feeling more fanfic will be written than notes. LOL