Soft, padding footsteps made Logan look up from his seat on the couch, in front of the warm fireplace that crackled with life. It was nearly two in the morning, so he expected nobody to be up in these far hours into the night. He didn’t really care to get up and check on who it was; it was probably one of the teens sneaking into the kitchen for a late night snack, or one of the younger ones awakened by a nightmare. So Logan sat there, waiting for the person in the kitchen to get whatever they needed and hightail it back to their room, leaving him in serene peace once again. Logan’s enhanced senses picked up a soft sigh, some mumbling that was incoherent to him, another sigh, and finally footsteps again, but this time, they were coming towards the den where he sat.
“Logan?” Ororo’s soft whisper sounded raspy with sleep, her voice mingling with the crackling fire. She walked closer to him until she finally seated herself on the couch in one swift motion. Logan could feel her natural warmth radiating off of her. Their literal closeness to each other would never have happened if she was fully awake, something that he silently wanted to take advantage of.
“Yeah, ‘Ro?” His eyes briefly scanned her attire. She wore a knee-length milky white silk robe tied at the waist. She was barefoot, but didn’t seem to mind much as she curled her feet underneath her, running a caramel hand through her short hair.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” She asked him before a yawn took over her slowly.
He waited until her dainty little mouth closed again, “I’d say the same for you.” Logan looked at her again as she shrugged and turned her attention to the dancing flames in the fireplace.
“Can’t sleep…” Ororo said quietly, but he could still hear her crystal clear. She rubbed her eyes, “Too much paperwork…”
“Yeah, I can see that,” he said sarcastically. A few hours ago, he had caught her in her office, still up doing paperwork, yet half asleep. He recalled the amount of coaxing it took for him to deliver until she finally, yet drowsily, agreed to go to bed.
“Mmmm…bad dream…couldn’t…”, she paused to yawn again, “…go back t’sleep…”
He shrugged his shoulders yet again, “Look pretty tired ta me, ‘Ro.” He felt her head rest against his shoulder, “Couldn’t…slee…”, her eyes drifted close,“…lonely…”
Her last words, before she drifted off, slightly surprised him. Lonely? She had the whole damn school to take comfort in, minus Jean, Scott, and the Professor. Still, why come seek comfort with him? Was he so worthy for this harmless little contact between them?
He glanced down at her on his shoulder.
She looked…peaceful.
Logan wondered if she wouldn’t mind waking up tomorrow morning asleep with him on the couch, for he didn’t want to move her. She seemed at ease with him, hands involuntarily falling on his chest, head now in his lap.
Logan shifted so they were both in a laying position, Ororo tucked safely under the embrace of his arms around her torso.
The flicker of the fireplace was dimming, its glow losing its flames. Sparks cracked again, desperately searching for more wood to devour, but it was spent, as were the two forms on the couch.
Logan closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, the first good one he had in long time.
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