Leaning his forehead against hers for a moment, he said simply, "I love you," putting a slight emphasis on love, as if that explained exactly how he'd done it. And for him, it did explain; he'd listened to her, he committed her stories to memory, because they were parts of the whole that made up Marie LeBeau, Rogue.

Reaching up, he brushed at her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the dampness still on her cheeks. He pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling back before either of them could make it more than just a lingering kiss. "Let's find places to put all these, and then get ready for bed."