Title: "Companionship"
Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: PG due to mild language
Summary: A moment with Logan and Charles as they reminisce over lost loves. Set not long after Mariko's death.
Warnings: Het, Slash
Disclaimer: Charles "Professor X" Xavier, Logan/Wolverine, Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr, Mariko, and Ororo "Storm" Munroe are © & TM Marvel comics, not the author, and are used without permission. Everything else is © & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

They stared into the crackling fire for hours on end. The elder man with the gentle soul and reassuring smile was the only company the shorter man would tolerate that night. Not a word was spent between them, but they enjoyed the quiet companionship as they retraced old memories.

When at last the elder moved to leave, the quiet was broken by his friend's gruff but soft voice. "Does it ever get any better?"

Charles looked into Logan's eyes. He would not tell him a lie, but he did not have the heart to tell him the whole truth. "Eventually, the pain does dull, my son, for you learn to live with it." As I have mine. "But you never forget the love of your life."

"I don't want to forget her. It just . . . " his voice dropped to a choked, barely audible whisper as he gathered all his courage to admit, " . . . hurts so much."

"I know." Charles placed a gentle, comforting hand on Logan's as his own thoughts turned back to his beloved Erik.

The two were found sitting side by side in the morning, Charles sleeping soundly with his hand still covering Logan's while Logan's beer dripped onto the carpet. Ororo quietly covered them both, cleaned Logan's mess, took his beer, and went on about her day.

The End