Just a short, fluffy ficlet, set some time after S2. I originally wrote this and posted it to my LiveJournal on August 22, 2006.

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Logan snapped awake, his senses on full alert for seemingly no reason at all. He slid on his glasses, the room coming into focus, and relaxed when he saw Max curled up in the chair across from the bed.

"How long have you been there?" he asked, rubbing his hand wearily over his face.

"Not long. Sorry I scared you."

"It's fine." He pulled himself up to a sitting position and switched on the bedside lamp, flooding the room with a soft yellow light. Her face was paler than normal, her hands clasped tightly on her lap. Max was rarely nervous. "What's up, Max?"

She jumped to her feet, shaking her head. "Nothing. Never mind. I'm gonna go."

"Max, wait. Max!" He got to his feet and reached for her arm, freezing and cursing himself when his fingers brushed against her bare wrist. Here we go again. Max glanced down and then up at him, and her expressionless eyes told him everything he needed to know. That and the fact that he wasn't dropping dead.

"There's a cure."

"Yeah." They stood motionless for a moment, their eyes locked. Finally, Max shook her arm free. "Just thought you should know. See ya."

"Just wait a damn minute," he said, grabbing both arms this time. The contact sent a shock through his system.

"What?" she said, deliberately avoiding his eyes. "This doesn't change anything. I'm still with..."

"No, you're not," Logan said matter-of-factly. "You never were. Don't lie to me."

Max took a deep, shaky breath. "You knew?"

"Of course I did. I know you, Max." He ran his hands up her arms to grab her shoulders, pull her closer. His face inches from hers, he said hoarsely, "If you want to run away, you're gonna have to come up with a better lie."

"What if the virus comes back?"

"Then it does. But God, Max, isn't it worth the risk?"

After what seemed like an eternity, Max rose up on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his stubbled cheek. "Logan, I..."

His hand cupped her face. "Later," he said, bending his head to kiss her.

He'd spent months trying to forget the feel of her mouth on his, trying to keep himself from imagining his hands tangled in her long, dark hair. In an instant, the memories came flooding back, mingling with the reality of her in his arms, her fingers clutching at his bare back as he deepened the kiss.

He stumbled back into a sitting position on the bed, Max's knees on either side of him. She leaned back to peel off her shirt. Logan pulled her close, breathing in deep as she pressed a kiss to his neck, his shoulder. This all felt like a dream he'd had once, maybe was still having, but sunrise was hours away yet and he wasn't going to ask any questions in the meantime.

end