He shrugged, clicking on a light in the middle of the table. "Couldn't sleep. I thought maybe... It seemed like it might be quieter here."
"Quieter? It's almost two in the morning. The whole school is quiet," she protested, sitting down across from her friend.
"Not the whole school," Scott muttered below his breath. "This just seemed like the place to go. I like the way the books smell."
The white-haired woman smiled fondly. "Me too. The Professor's office smells like books too. It's... comforting."
"Yeah."
Her expression grew more serious. "Please, tell me what's wrong."
Scott shifted uneasily in his seat, head down. "It's... uh... I could hear... feel... uh..."
Suddenly Ororo's eyes widened. "Goddess, I'm sorry! I should have... oh..."
He shook his head. "You didn't know. Hell, I wish I didn't know. I mean, it's been three months. I thought the bond was getting weaker, then tonight..." his words trailed off, leaving behind a painful silence.
Ororo covered his hands with hers. "I'm sorry, my friend. It's hard enough for you without this." She bit her lip and searched for something, anything, that might be of comfort. "It will probably fade in time."
Scott nodded, not questioning whether she meant his bond with Jean or Jean's relationship with Logan. "Yeah. Probably." He managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Ro."
"Anytime." She clasped his hands tighter for a moment, then stood. "Go back to bed. You need sleep."
"Yeah, sure. I'll go in a few minutes."
Ororo nodded, then walked out of the room. Scott clicked off the light, plunging the room into darkness again.