[Reviews - 11]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story |
Printer Chapter or Story |
ePub eBook Chapter or Story |

Has been viewed 2465 times

- Text Size +




It was fake and forced he thought as he stood in the doorway watching. No one else seemed to take notice of it, no one but him. No one else seemed to care, no one except him, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why he cared, but he did care, a lot.
The nudges and ‘hellos’ from the passing children pulled him from his reverie and he patiently waited until they had all filed out of the classroom before he entered, just inside the doorway.

“Hello Logan,” She greeted her façade still in place as she flashed him a 100-watt smile, which caused him to frown a bit. “Is there something you needed?”

“Yeah you,” He replied and she stilled in her action of straighten papers on her desk to look up at him curiously. “I’m taking you to lunch.” He finished and she gave an enlightened expression.

“Well thank you but I don’t need an escort, I have to finish here,” She said as she moved to the Blackboard and began cleaning it. “Then I shall join you and the students in the lunch hall.”

“I’m not taking you to the lunch hall, we’ve got reservations to that new Marina restaurant…tha one you were telling Rogue about. Said you wanted to go there sometime, well let’s go.” At his words she regarded him with a look of confusion.

“It is a tempting offer Logan but we shouldn’t leave the children alone.”

“Come on ‘Ro, you know they’re hardly alone and barely ‘children’. ‘Sides the new teachers you hired are ‘adults’ and the older kids always look after the smaller ones, you know that.”

“Yes, but I still have to-“

Her words came to an abrupt end as Logan stalked over to her and gently grasped her arm and tugged her from the room.

“Sorry darlin but I’ve made the reservations and I have my mouth set on seafood now, so we’re going.”



They had walked in silence through the Mansion and remained silent until they were in the car driving down the long winding driveway.

“You want me to put tha top up?” Logan asked.

“No, it is a beautiful day, please keep it down.” Ororo replied as she titled her head back and closed her eyes as the sun beamed down on her face. He stared at her out of the corner of his eyes, his eyes roamed over her profile; first to her forehead, then to her eyes, then her nose, and finally resting upon her lips, which housed a smile that was actually genuine.

“I just didn’t want to mess up yer hair, I know Rogue has a girlie-fit if I leave the top down.” Logan said and Ororo giggled a bit as she reached up and tugged out the two pins that had held her hair in a tight bun atop her head. Her thick, long white tresses tumbled down, spilling over her shoulders and about her face.

“I never mind the wind in my hair Logan. I have never been that girlie.”

“Good ta know,” He grumbled with a smirk as he pushed down on the accelerator even more, and Ororo threw her head back, her hair flying wildly about her and let out a loud boisterous laugh. And Logan couldn’t help but to smile.



“Sorry ‘Ro, I didn’t know there was a dress code.” Logan apologized for the umpteenth time as they leaned over the railing along the dock.

“It is ok Logan, the vendor food here is good and so is the company,” She said throwing him a sweet smile, which he could tell wasn’t forced at all. “Besides this view is way better.” Logan had to smile and nod at that, for the view was spectacular.

“Still, I owe you a rain check I’m still taking you to that restaurant, so don’t give me such a hard time, next time ok.”

“If you’re willing to wear a suit and tie, it is a once in a lifetime, must see, event. So you shall hear no complaints from me.” She joked as she leaned over a bit and bumped her shoulder against him. And Logan chuckled despite himself.

“Its nice ta see that.” He said as he looked directly at her, and as if she knew what he was talking about, her smile instantly faded and she dropped her head a bit, letting her hair hide her. “You don’t smile much anymore.”

“What are you talking about Logan, I smile all the time.” She said as she lifted her head and plastered on a fake smile to appease him, but he saw it for what it was.

“Yeah, you throw out ‘those’, “ He waved his hand at her face. “All day but you and I both know its all for show. Yer just keeping up appearances.” And realizing she had been found out she let the smile crumbled and ducked her head a bit, trying desperately to swallow back the tears that were fast approaching. “I know ya got a lot on yer shoulders right now, and I know a lot of it are things I can’t help you with, yer the ‘headmistress’ now and with that come a lot of responsibility, I get that. But ‘Ro you didn’t even take time to grieve.”

“There was no time Logan, after what happened with the cure and the showdown against Magneto, Jean and the other mutants, we have to work twice as hard now to win trust back. And now the Professor isn’t here…” She let the words die on her lips.

“But I’m here,” Logan spoke softly to her and she lifted her watery eyes to meet his eyes. “And…so is Hank and the newbies. Things are going fine right now. Hell we haven’t had any action in months now.”

“You sound disappointed.” She said with a smile.

“You know me darlin, I like a spot of violence every now and then.”

“I just don’t…” She paused not sure of what to say nor how to say it.

“You don’t want ‘them’ to worry.” Logan finished for her and she nodded her head. “I get that but walking around faking it all day has got to be nerve wracking.”

“And it’s very exhausting too.” Ororo added with a giggle. “But I’ve been doing it for so long now, I doubt I could stop even if I wanted to.”

“How long?”

“What?” She asked as she stared at him now, his question throwing her a bit.

“How long have you been ‘fake’?”

“It’s a long story.” She sighed.

“I’ve got time and I’m damned curious ta be honest. Yer a hard woman ta figure out. Everybody else I’ve meet at the institute I had figured out within moments of meeting them, but not you. With you just as soon as I thought I had you pegged you do something ‘out of character’, or at least what I deemed as out of character for you. Then I had to go back to the ‘Who Is Ororo Munroe’ drawing board.” She stood stunned staring at him, her heart swelled a bit at the fact that he had actually cared enough about her to even try to figure her out, and even more so over the fact that he was asking her to tell him about how she felt and what she thought, about who she was. No one else besides the Professor ever had. And seeing the serious look in his eyes told her that he meant what he was saying, that he ‘really’ did want to know her, caused that barrier she had built within herself, that shielded her from others, it break a bit and she felt herself opening up some.

“It started when I was a street urchin I suppose. I’d flash a sweet smile to one of the market owners to seduce him out of an apple or some bread; hunger was a constant companion back then. And I was just 5 and all alone with nothing to offer except a smile or pleading words, and I loathe begging. I would rather go hungry than beg and many nights I did just that.” Logan simply nodded silently urging her to continue. “It worked for a time those smiles, until I was about 7 or 8 and I learnt a hard lesson about men, and that its not always wise to flirt for food, no matter how innocent you may intend it to be.”

“Someone hurt you?” Logan asked as he turned from her to stare out at the water with hard eyes and clinched jaws and fists.

“Not in the sense you are thinking, not ‘then’ no, but many tried but I always managed to get away, and soon I joined up with others like me children of the street left to fend for themselves, and we were a family. We looked out for each other and it was with them I learned to be a master pick pocket.” These words made Logan’s eyes shoot back to hers.

“You a pick pocket?” He asked skeptically.

“Yes, me and not just a pick pocket there has yet to be a lock invented that I am unable to crack. But that skill came later when I met Remy.”

“Remy?”

“That’s another story for a later time.” Ororo said with a smile and Logan nodded and took a mental note to remind her to tell him about ‘Remy’ later. “So, as I honed my skills as a thief I also perfected my smiles, to become more charming and cunning I suppose.”

“I can see that, you flash your gorgeous smile and a fella doesn’t care much about being robed.”

“Ah yes, the point is to distract him.” She said now flash Logan a ‘gorgeous’ smile. “But soon that too became a problem.”

“The same old problem?” Logan said more as a statement than a question and Ororo nodded her head.

“Yes, it seemed the older I got the more men grabbed and the harder it became to fight them off, and so I left the streets of the bustling city for a more rural village. I was about 12 then, I had hoped that I could find my mother’s tribesmen and they would take me in.”

“And did you?”

“Yes, and soon after I arrived my mutation fully manifested itself. I had no ‘real’ control over it, but I could muster some rains to water the crops and fill the wells. Once the villagers discovered my ‘powers’ they began worshipping me. They thought I was a Goddess, sent from the heavens to save and protect them.”

“Well, I can see why they’d think that.”

“Yes, I suppose I can as well. I did love the attention and for a time I began believing the hype and acting ‘God like’. I was such a foolish child.” She said with a heavy sigh. “I did not know until the Professor came to me again that my actions had terrible consequences. He told me what I was and showed me the devastation my actions had caused.”

“People got hurt?” Logan asked.

“Yes and some died.” She said softly and her body gave an involuntary shiver and Logan instinctually shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulder, which pulled her from her bad memories. She smiled kindly at him. “Thank you Logan, but I do not get cold.” He arched a brow at her words. “Part of my mutation. Extreme cold and extreme heat have never really affected me. I usually stay a constant temperature.”

“So you never sweat that must be nice.” Logan chuckled.

“Well after some of your Danger Room sessions I have been a bit ‘moist’.” She giggled.

“Guess I’m gonna have to create a program just for you, ‘Operation: Make Storm Sweat’.” This caused Ororo to laugh outright. “My new mission in life is to make you sweat.” Logan continued to tease, and Ororo laughed harder, and clutched her sides. Logan too laughed at her mirth. “I’m glad ta see you laughing ‘Ro. Its been a long time since I’ve seen it.” Logan stated and Ororo calmed a bit, but her smile remained.

“I find it easy to laugh and smile with you Logan. It seems I cannot ‘fake it’ with you.”

“Haven’t met a woman yet who can,” Logan threw out with a wink, and Ororo giggle and rolled her eyes at him. “You don’t ever need to pretend with me ‘Ro. I understand the restraints yer under. Like you I have t stay in constant control, otherwise people could get hurt.” Ororo nodded her understanding. “So just know you’re not alone in this, I’m here and I got your back.”

“Thank you Logan, sorry I have not relied on you more…it’s just that…”

“I’m not a man that stays in one place very long.” Logan said and Ororo nodded. “Well, that’s how I’ve always been at least for as long as I can remember. But things are different now, now I have people ta look after.”

“Yes, you have a home now and a family,” Ororo commented with a smile as she gently placed a hand on his arm. “Whether you like it or not, we think of you as family. And in a way you and I are the patriarchs for the children.”

“Yeah who are probably trashing the house and throwing a party as we speak, what do ya say we head back.,” Logan said and Ororo took a deep breath and smiled as she nodded her head. They headed off the docks back to the car, both dropping their trash in a bin on the way out. As they approached the car Ororo who had been walking arm in arm with Logan, leaned over and swiftly kissed Logan’s cheek.

“Thank you Logan.”





You must login () to review.