Seated quietly on her outdoor balcony patio sofa, Ororo looked up at the dimming sky. Mixtures of blues, pinks, purples, and oranges were all blended together and fading slowly into midnight black. The forest trees of the estate swayed softly in the wind, lulling anyone to sleep if they stared for too long. Ripples were made in the small lake, which was surrounded by the trees, creating a funhouse mirror affect if a reflection was made present. The cold autumn air had no affect on the headmistress and weather witch, her powers granting that ability. She admired the land and all its beautiful nature it exhibited.

Her eyes darted to her balcony entrance when she heard the soft creaking of doors being opened. The smell of worn leather, beer, and some forest wood related scent that she couldn’t quite place assaulted her nose. Ororo never turned her head to greet the person, for she already knew who it was accompanying her.

Logan leaned against the doorway for a few moments, watching Ororo look out into the perishing sunset. The glow of the evening made her chocolate warm skin look even more immaculate than it already was. She had her legs crossed, black high heel shoes dangling off her feet. Her chin rested in her hand, one elbow propped up on the armrest of the patio sofa. Her other hand lazily cradled a cup of tea, fingers slowly rubbing the handle of the cup.

After observing her for a few more minutes, Logan made his move and sat down on the opposite side of the furniture she rested in, silent.

That’s the way Ororo and Logan liked it when it came to their evening rituals of sitting together quietly in peace, only breaking the silence when one of them felt the urge to vent to the other.

Logan was the first to crack the silence, “S’cold out, ‘Ro, you should get a jacket on…”

She glanced over at him, “I can handle the cold.”

Logan looked at her questionably then she added, “Courtesy of my powers.”

He gave an understanding nod then, after a few minutes, he asked her another question, “Where’d you grow up?”

A small laugh escaped her lips and Ororo looked down, remembering her rather adventurous past, “Africa.”

Logan turned his head in her direction, “Africa?”

She looked at him and nodded.

“Did yer parents like it there?”

And that’s when he regretted the question, when Ororo tilted her head up to the sky, voice breaking, “My parents died when I was five.”

Dammit… “Look, ‘Ro, I didn’t know tha--”

She cut him off, “It’s alright, don’t be sorry for not knowing.” Turning her head from the sky, Ororo gave him a sad smile, “It wasn’t your fault…”

When he noticed the nostalgic look on her face, he couldn’t help but inquire, “What happened?”

She looked at him, brought her knees up on the sofa and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees.

“When I was very young, a plane crashed into my home in Cairo and…killed my dad almost instantly…my mom was buried next to me, she died a little while later…I don’t know how I survived, but I did. All I really remember is my mother’s voice and…suffocating darkness…” She looked at him again with glossy eyes, only to be met with sympathetic ones.

She added a little more, “It left me with claustrophobia.”

That one didn’t surprise him so much, “That’s why yer always wantin’ ta be out in the open, right?”

“Mmhm…” She smiled, “Want to know more?”

Logan shrugged, “Why the hell not?”

Ororo chuckled then continued, “Well, after I dug myself out…I lived the life of a theif in the Cairo streets and--”

“You? A thief?”

Ororo smiled as she brought her fore finger to her lips, “Shh…that’s now our little secret…”

“Fine…go on.” Now he was interested.

“Alright…let’s see…Oh! A few years later, I traveled South to Kenya, that’s when I discovered my powers,” Ororo laughed quietly and added in a near whisper, “I was worshipped as a goddess for a time…”

Logan wasn’t sure if he should’ve raised his eyebrows or widened his eyes, so he did both, “A goddess? Damn ‘Ro…”

Well, she sure as hell fit the roll… He thought silently.


“After that, Charles came and offered me a life in his mansion, ” Her voice was filled with a sad sort of sarcasm as she leaned forward, “Now, here I am, running the school, telling you about my little secrets.”

“Nothin’ wrong with that, darlin’…but it feels good t‘vent, don‘t it?”

Ororo smiled, “I guess we both need that. What’s on your mind?”

You.

Should he really tell her? Nah, he had somethin’ up his sleeve anyways…

Logan took the alternative, “I finished workin’ on one of Cyke’s old cars. The thing actually moves.”

“You got it working?” She questioned with a regretful, yet surprised tone.

“Why? You wanted t’get rid of it or somethin’?”

Ororo bit her lower lip, “Maybe…”

He let out a few chuckles and looked towards the last of the sun’s glow disappearing over the trees. She would be heading to bed soon, and he would stay outside for a couple more minutes, waiting until he could hear her slow, even breaths of sleep. Then he would go through her room to the door, stealing a few last looks of the goddess as she slept. Little moments like that unnoticeably drew him to her over the few months since they had lost their family.

The few minutes they spent together on Ororo’s balcony assured them that they still had each other to seek comfort in. To Ororo, comfort that he hadn’t left her yet, even after the horrendous events of Alcatraz. For Logan, the very presence of her calmed his feral side, something he would forever be grateful for.

Their evening ritual was almost over and Ororo stood up as she always did; stretching her arms sideways and rotating her wrists, head thrown back while inhaling fresh air. Her muscles relaxed and she walked towards the balcony door that lead to her room.

Logan quietly got up from his seat, making sure Ororo didn’t notice his intentions until the very last moment. He stealthily creeped his way behind her.

Her hands made contact with the cool handle and she pushed the door open.

Ororo still thought he was sitting down, so she didn’t bother to turn her head, “Mmmm…G’night, Lo--”

Logan gripped her waist and rotated her around quickly until she faced him, deftly catching her lips with his own. His hands remained on her hips as Ororo adjusted to the sudden contact.

Surprised, Ororo took a few moments before finally processing the position she was in. Nothing overwhelmed her, Logan’s warm lips against her own being the only thought occupying in her mind.

About time…

Logan softly broke off and quickly made his way to the door, not looking back at her as he was gone in a flash. The action was completed with almost complete reluctance, but the temptation to go back in there and rip her clothes off was overruled by his own little plan. Take it slow. They would eventually connect more deeply, but for now, he had to give her time to think about the kiss. Would she want more? Or would she see his intentions only as friendly flirtations?

Only time would tell.

He stalked off down the hall to his room, leaving a breathless Ororo.

She touched her lips softly, fingers trembling with that schoolgirl-who-just-kissed-the-bad-boy glee. Her hands moved to her hot, color-flooded cheeks, confirming her feelings for Logan.

“What just happened?” Ororo asked herself in a whisper. Her eyes glanced over to her warm and inviting bed, feet finally making motion to her dresser. As she changed and as nightfall claimed the sky, Ororo contemplated the possibilities of another kiss…

…When their next sunset ritual came.

Chapter Two - A Moonlight Chance

“C’mon, c’mon…” Ororo clicked the ‘print’ button on her computer frantically. She swam her fingers fluidly over the keyboard in an effort to end the error that was keeping her from printing next month’s world history class schedule. Fresh air awaited her on her balcony, not to mention the mansion’s resident wild man, the Wolverine.

Ororo looked up as the familiar glow of the evening’s sunset spilled through her office window. Her head snapped to the printer that finally decided to cooperate with the headmistress. She scurried over to mechanical device and almost ripped out the schedule in her rush. Quickly stuffing the paper in a slim manila folder, Ororo tossed it onto her desk and ran out of her office, nearly colliding with one of her students.

“Sorry,” she murmured absently, not even looking at Jimmy as she maneuvered around and patted him on the head. The young boy laughed to himself as he watched his teacher hurry up the staircase to her room. None of the students really knew what went on up there at the same exact time every day with their headmistress. Most guessed it had something to do with Logan.

Most were right.

Ororo stopped herself just behind the closed balcony doors. She was late, and she knew it, but that only made her more nervous. Toss that in with the unexpected, spontaneous kiss she received from Logan last evening, and the result would be one high-strung, flustered weather witch.

She blew her white bangs from her eyes and tentatively opened the door with a shaky hand.

“Logan?” Ororo whispered softly, “Logan, are you here?”

The confidence that she was lacking a few seconds ago finally donned itself upon the woman as she pushed the door open completely. She was going to talk to him about last evening if it was the last thing she did. Every distraction that day had centered back to the feel of his lips brushing against hers with such warmth and welcome, but then gone in a flash.

Suck it up, Ororo, you can do this…

She called for him louder, “Logan?”

Her eyes scanned the small area. It was getting darker by the second and there was no sign of Logan, who was supposedly late as well.

Shoulder’s sinking, Ororo walked over to the edge of her balcony and looked out to the glistening lake. As always, ever since Alcatraz and the death of her family, she found the same relaxing presence of nature before her. The lake, the trees, the soothing winds, and the multi-colored sky, it was all breath taking, no matter how many times she came up here.

The only thing missing was him.

“Logan…Where are you?”

Suddenly, Ororo’s eye caught sight of a disturbance in one of the trees near the estate’s small body of water. Curious, she summoned a strong wind to carry her to the source of the ruffle of leaves. Her white hair, that was now beginning to glow off the coming moonlight, was somewhat tousled when she landed. Twigs snapped audibly and the grass swayed as she padded across the ground, coming nearer and nearer to the tree.

Crouched in the opposite direction of Ororo, a silhouette of a man loomed in the shadows. His eyes cautiously trailed her figure as she moved around the area. He decided to make himself visible when his ears picked up a whisper of his name coming from her lips.

“’Ro?” Logan called quietly, not wanting to startle her too much.

It didn’t work.

“Logan!” Ororo whirled around to face him, hand on her chest, “Don’t do that to me!”

The Canadian smirked and looked up to the sky. There was a swirl of faint purples and deep blues, foretelling the soon coming of night. Ororo and Logan’s ritual was long overdue, leaving them both off schedule and uncertain with what to say to the other.

Ororo shook her head, hand leaving her chest as she circled the tree, searching for whatever had brought her down to the lake in the first place. Once. Twice. Three times she went around the tree in circles, making quite a sight of herself in front of Logan.

He chuckled, “What the hell are you doing?”

She pressed her fingertips to her lips, signaling for the man to be quiet, “Looking for something.”

Logan cocked his head to the side, ignoring her warning, “What are you looking for?”

Ororo gracefully collapsed on the soft grass with a sigh after she couldn’t hear anything more, “Never mind. I guess it’s gone now.”

The palms of her hands rested against the soft cold earth, supporting Ororo as she leaned back to look up at the darkened sky that was generously dotted with milky white stars. The moon was only a mere crescent shape, but it’s rays shined down on the lake and the rest of the land like a great spotlight.

Beside her, Logan sat in a similar fashion, “What’s gone?”

Ororo shook her head, “It was nothing. I guess I was just imagining things.”

They sat in semi-comfortable silence for a while, just like they did on any other sunset on her balcony. The change of location was somewhat calming, yet unnerving for the both of them.

Ororo was the one who mustered up her courage and finally spoke, “Logan,” he turned to her, “About…last night,” she touched her lips faintly in remembrance, “I just…I wanted to know if you felt like talking about it,” he noticed how her voice just slightly ebbed in desperation.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He questioned.

Halfway into her nod, Ororo paused, determined to talk about last night, “Logan…why weren’t you…”

“…up there today? Up there at your balcony?” Logan finished for her in a nonchalant tone.

Her eyes searched his for an answer, causing Logan to look away. He noted almost instantly how the glow of the moonlight shining down on the lake nearly matched the pulsating vibrancy in Ororo’s curious eyes. Following his gaze to the sparkling water, Ororo lost herself in the beauty of the moment.

“To be honest, I wasn‘t sure of anything anymore,” he stated as if it was the most painful thing in the world to say, “When I left your room,” he caught her attention, “I couldn’t think straight, ‘Ro,” Logan ran a hand through his hair, nervously waiting for a response. Ororo smiled warmly at him.

Logan did not know what it was, but the woman had done something to him that he could not even begin to comprehend. Every time he caught her smile, whether it be at something she saw funny, or at an exceedingly bright student in her class that had just answered a question correctly, Logan always felt himself go dizzy under the effects of her smile.

With her lips still curved up, Ororo blinked several times, “I…Logan, I don’t know what to say,” she let out an exasperated sigh, “I’m not very good at this.”

Logan chuckled, “Makes two of us.”

She finally caught his gaze and their eyes remained entranced to the other. Ororo drifted back to the kiss, What made you do it? Her heart screamed for an answer as she spoke to Logan without using words, suddenly wishing at the moment that she were some form of a telepath.

“’Ro…”

Would you do it again? Resounded in the corners of her mind.

Subconsciously, Ororo’s face inched closer to his as that pounding question echoed over and over again. She nearly asked him out loud, mouth open, but instead of feeling the words drift from her lips, something warm briefly touched them. It was when she opened her eyes from her daze did she notice that Logan was kissing her. Again. Taking the chance she didn’t get before to give back, Ororo quickly leaned in her body closer to his. An electric tingle-like feeling ran down her spine, and she briefly wondered if that had to do with her powers. She weaved her cinnamon brown hands into his thick wild hair and combed the dark locks. His own traveled up Ororo’s back to her neck and he massaged the area gently to make her torso arch into him closer. Their faces were both flushing with heat and she was nearly sitting in his lap as they broke off in need of air.

Logan looked up to the stars and back down to Ororo and smiled, “Y’know, I never really pegged you t'be interested in the dangerous, beer-drinking, feral type,” he chuckled.

She smiled back, “And I never thought you’d be into overstressed, head-strong, headmistress kind of women.”

At that statement, he quickly kissed her again with just as much passion as before. When he pulled back, he brushed his calloused fingers through her impossibly soft white hair.

“Did I change your mind about me?” Logan whispered into her ear, causing her to darken considerably against his cheek.

Ororo smiled and whispered, “You have no idea.”

The moonlight was a wonderful thing.