maskormenacelogs

WHO: Rogue & Hux
WHERE: Hux's house (De Chima)
WHEN: May 2 (backdated)
WHAT: Reunited after Rogue ported out for two days.
WARNINGS: Emotions, tba.

She'd left. She'd been gone two days and she hadn't even known it.

There were no new memories when Rogue had woken up at the Porter again because of course there wouldn't be — there was nothing for her to return to. If they had failed in their plan, then she was dead, and if they had succeeded...

The hour drive to Hux's house took twice as long because of how often she had to stop the car and pull herself together again. She didn't cry, but there were a few panic attack-like episodes on the journey. Minutes that felt like hours while she was out in the middle of nowhere in the dark of night, moments when she was sure she'd be pulled back to the Porter, told this was all a mistake and sent back through to the nothingness that awaited her.

It was close to 3:00 in the morning when she finally pulled into the drive and stepped out of the car on wobbly legs. Her hand shook slightly as she slid the key in the lock, and she toed off her shoes without thought once the door was shut behind her.

I'm home.

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He knew that realistically, neither of them could promise not to leave. It was up to the Porter but that didn't mean he would simply accept it or be happy about it. There were times when he thought he heard her in the kitchen only to find it dark and empty.

Hux wasn't someone who usually missed the company of others. He had spent decades learning how to survive on his own and not depend on anyone else. But he had to admit that he had gotten used to Rogue being here, they were able to talk to each other honestly without him having to be on guard, and most importantly, he trusted her. Not something that he took lightly.

He hadn't known what to do with himself over those two days, not knowing if she would come back. The last of the brownies she had made were gone now. That night was another sleepless night as he decided that since he was up, he might as well get some work done. At first, he wasn't sure what he was hearing when he heard her key in the lock, slowly closing his laptop. Only one other person had the key to the house.

He quickly made his way downstairs, not bothering to put his robe on over his pajama pants and t-shirt as he headed down the stairs to see Rogue standing there. "You're back."

It surprised her a little to see him appear so quickly, looking less like he was ready to attack a burglar and more like... Like he'd been hoping it was her. They had just gone through this, of course, but it had been in reverse order, and as much as she cared for and trusted Hux, she didn't have him in her head. There was no knowing how he felt about her in return, whether those emotions held a candle to her own, and she'd been just fine with that. Years of never being the first priority for anyone had led her to expect that to be the same for everyone she met, but now in that dark house, she wondered if things might be different here.

"I'm back," she echoed, her hands falling to her side, keys still held loosely between her fingers. "I'm sorry I was gone." And then, quietly, she added, "I didn't want to go."

She'd been on her way to work. It was supposed to be a normal day at the office, followed by a normal night at home. Why did nothing good in her life ever last?

He headed down the stairs towards her, relieved that she was back. It wasn't just that she cooked and had a talent for making baked goods, it was the fact that he felt as if he could trust her without hesitation.

And yes, he actually had missed her company.

"I know," he said, not sure what do for a moment before reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder which was a significant gesture as he normally was not someone to initiate any kind of personal contact.

"Welcome back."

Having a friend here, someone she could be useful to and feel appreciated by, had been a truly wonderful thing for Rogue. Far too many years had passed since she'd last felt that. Their friendship might be a strange one, but she wouldn't change it for anything in any universe.

Was that selfish of her? ...hadn't she earned the right to be selfish?

"Thank you," she murmured, reaching up to set her hand on his and give it a gentle squeeze. The significance of the gesture was not at all lost on her. Not was the late hour. Frowning slightly, she squinted up at him and asked, "Why are you still awake? This is late even for you."

"I haven't been able to sleep," he admitted as he pulled his hand away and headed towards the kitchen in order to heat up water. He didn't think he would be able to sleep for a bit now and decided that they could use tea or coffee. He wasn't sure what she went back to or if, like him, it was just a jump into the future with no memory of the passage of time.

"I thought I might get some work done while I was awake at least," he said as he turned on the kitchen light and started the water boiling. A useful skill she had taught him.

Sleepless nights were nothing new for them, but she didn't delude herself into believing it wasn't connected to her absence. After the gesture he'd just made, how could it not be?

Following him to the kitchen, she watched him for a moment before taking two mugs down from the cupboard. She wasn't going to be getting sleep anytime soon either and she didn't feel like leaving him alone.

"Have I missed anything exciting?"

He decided on black tea, taking down the bags while waiting for the water to boil. "You didn't miss anything particularly interesting," he said after a moment of reflection.

"Work has been the same, other than gaining a new client." He hadn't started the search to replace her- how could he? That would mean admitting that she wasn't coming back and as ridiculously sentimental as it was, he didn't have it in him to replace her, especially so soon after she left.

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