The Savage Lands
18:32 (6:32 pm)
Day 2

"It's getting pretty cold." Rogue shivered and rubbed her arms. "Ah can see mah breath."

Logan groaned.

"You doing okay, shugah?"

He nodded. "I'm fine."

A few minute white flakes began to drift down from the sky. "It's snowing!"

Logan looked up. "Ain't that funny."

Rogue glanced at his bruised face. "Thanks for what you did for me, back there."

He snorted. "It was nothing. You'da done the same for me."

"Ah guess. But still..."

They fell silent.

"Snow's fallen' faster. We should look for a cave or somethin'."

"Where're we gonna find a cave?"

Logan grinned. "We're surrounded by miles of rock and you ask where're we gonna find a cave?"

"Well, ah don't see any," said Rogue sheepishly.

"Keep your eyes open then."

"Stay close, Rogue, I can barely see you."

Rogue leaned into Logan. "Ah'm real cold."

Logan put his arms around her. "I know."

Another gust of wind blew a thick flurry of snow into their faces.

"We gotta keep going. Keep warm."

He pulled her upright and studied her. Icicles were forming around her nose and mouth, and snow had settled in her hair and eyelashes, making her look like a ice sculpture.

"C'mon Rogue. Keep goin'. Please."

Rogue looked back at his eyes. She had to keep going. "But...ah'm so...tired..."

Logan's eyes widened in alarm. "You're tired?"

"Uh...huh..." She was drifting off.

"No, Rogue, you can't fall asleep on me!" He shook her.

"Ah'm...sorry...shugah..." Her eyes were starting to close.

"Rogue! Stay awake! Rogue! Rogue!"

She struggled to open her eyes. "But...ah'm tired..."

He put his hands to her face. "I know, I know, but you gotta keep going! Or else you'll freeze." He shook her again.

"Rogue, once we find some shelter I'll let you sleep. Stay awake. Please!"

She raised her head. "Ah....ah'll....try....help me..."

He turned away, trying to remember which smells where which. Dammnit, he thought to himself. What does a cave smell like again?

He inhaled deep and tried to concentrate.

Caves are kinda, well, musty, aren't they?

He sniffed again, blocking out the other scents.

Cold, Earth, Snow, vanilla...that's Rogue...

He paused to smell Rogue again.

Wind, Cave, Water...wait a second...Cave!

He sniffed again.

"Rogue! Rogue! Rogue!" He shouted, shaking her hard. "I found a cave! It's this way!"

He began dragging her through the snow towards the scent of the cave.

"There! Rogue! I found one! Rogue!"

To his horror, he realized that she had nodded off.

The Savage Lands
19:02 (7:02 pm)
Day 2

Logan hauled Rogue into the vacant cave, cursing as he hit his head on a stalactite. He laid her down on the floor farther into the cave, and started stripping away her frozen clothes.

"I wish you were awake so you could do this for me," he whispered, then realized that wasn't entirely true. He frowned and focused on getting off her boots. Picking up the bag, he took out the blanket and wrapped it tightly around Rogue, and with a final tuck he leaned back on his heels.

What else brings heat? He thought. Fire. Build a fire.

He set to making a makeshift fireplace from the small sticks and leaves that littered the cave's floor. Eventually he had a small fire going, and he fed the dry leaves into the leaping flames.

Maybe body heat would help, too. He pondered getting in with her, then decided against it.

A few minutes later, Rogue's eyes fluttered and she groaned. "Logan?"

"Shhh. I'm right here."

Rogue yawned. "S'cuse me. What happened?"

Logan looked at her. "You passed out. Don't you remember?"

Rogue shook her head, then noticed her surroundings. "Where are we?"

Logan sighed. "In a cave."

Rogue frowned. "How'd you find one, shugah? Ah thought our powers weren't working."

"They aren't."

"Then how'd you find it?"

"I dunno."

Rogue fell silent, watching Logan's back.

"What's wrong, shugah?"

Logan looked at her. "Nothin'. Just thinkin'."

She lay down, propping her arms up with her elbows and leaning her chin in her hands. "'Bout what?"

He fed another stick to the fire. "Nothin'...I shouldn't say." He got up and walked to the mouth of the cave. "Snow's still fallin'."

Rogue studied his profile. "You sure you don't wanna tell me?"

He didn't answer for a while, but continued gazing out into the snow. "I...just thinkin' about home," he said finally.

Rogue frowned. "Do ya miss it, shugah?"

He turned. "Do you?"

She shrugged. "Well...ah dunno. It's just...Ah kinda like it here," she confessed.

"What do you like about here?"

She looked down. "It's just so...nice...ah guess...being able to touch other people."

He frowned. "But I'm the only person here."

She bit her lip. "Exactly," she whispered without looking up. She blushed.

Logan stared at her. Did she just say what I think she said?

"What did you say?"

"Ah said...exactly."

He was standing right over her now. Gosh, ah must be red as a beet! She thought.

"Exactly what?"

He was kneeling beside her.

"Exactly...you..."

She trailed off as their lips met.