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“The liquor store just called, Logan; they’re running out of beer.”

“Stuff it, Summers.”

“Quit making yourself such an easy target.”

“So, T’Challa, how long have you and Ororo known each other?” Hank made an attempt at small talk, but pretty much nailed the main question on everyone’s mind on the first go.

“Since she was a teenager, barely old enough to wear lip gloss.”

“Was she even into lip gloss?” Bobby elbowed Kurt, who shrugged before biting into a short rib. “She never struck me as much of a makeup girl.”

“Isn’t that about the age when girls wear a training bra?” Alex muttered.

“This is Ororo we’re talkin’ about, buddy; she didn’t have to ‘train’ for anything, she came fully equipped!”

“Zip it, Popsicle, my drink could use some more ice cubes, if ya catch my drift.”

“You don’t put ice in beer,” Bobby sneered. “Not like you’re waiting for ‘em to get warm, anyway…”

“On occasions such as these, I regret that my father never had the chance to meet his future daughter-in-law. He loved my mother’s feistiness. He would have loved Ororo, too.”

“Why didn’t he get ta meet her?”

“Pardon?”

“Why…didn’t…he…get…to…meet…herrrrrr?” The look T’Challa gave me was priceless: One part incredulous surprise, and two parts “Who the f***d’ya think ya are, a**hole?”

“I had to return home to Wakanda to resume my training to be king. I met Ororo while I was on walkabout.”

“Walkabout, eh? That fancy ‘royalese’ fer ‘sowing yer royal oats?’”

“Of course not!” His body language’s calm enough, but I can smell that faint jump in his temperature and hear his pulse thundering like there was a grain of truth in my slam. Maybe I will enjoy this little shindig, after all…

“So why didn’t ‘Ro head back ta Wakanda with ya, then? Thought ya’d wanna bring yer sweetie home ta meet mom an’ dad, wouldn’t ya? She sure is the type o’ girl ya wanna bring home?”

“That goes without saying; my mother adores her!”

“She probably would’ve back then, too, eh?”

“No…YES! She wouldn’t have had a problem with Ororo personally, but…”

“But…?” This beer’s tastin’ pretty good; I might just savor it a while. T’Challa’s staring at the bit of lime in his tonic like it just grew horns and read him the daily stock quote.

“But I had responsibilities to take care of, to my father, and to my kingdom. I wouldn’t have had a kingdom to offer her if we hadn’t gone our separate ways when we did.”

“Nope. Ya would’ve had yer queen.” Damn, this is some good beer.

“Good things are worth waiting for. Even queens.” T’Challa sucked on the lime wedge thoughtfully. “And she’s worth the very best, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” Hank agreed.

“And it’s way overdue. She deserves to be happy,” Kurt chimed in. “Give me one of those, Logan, before you drink them all.”

“How do ya plan on makin’ her happy?”

“Living, waking, breathing and doing every last little thing to suit even her silliest whim,” T’Challa deadpanned, “all of the usual things.”

“Smart man,” Scott quipped.

“You forgot ‘supply truckloads of chocolate on demand’ on that list. Whenever she has PMS. And footrubs. Can’t forget the footrubs.” Alex popped a beer nut into his mouth as he stared at the Dora Milajae’s uniforms, wondering if a good strong breeze would lift their brief skirts that one extra inch toward making them the entertainment for the night, instead of just bodyguards.

“Like all that sissy shit was so helpful with you and Lorna.”

“Up yours. I’m just talking about all the stuff T’Challa should do to keep Ororo from tearing him a new one on the way to the altar.” Alex scarfed a few more beer nuts. “Of course, if there’s any of your old girlfriends or anyone else that you think of as ‘the one that got away, waiting in the wings…’ yer takin’ yer life in yer hands, buddy.”

“I still haven’t found a few bits and pieces of my ass from when she handed it to me during what would have been the reception, and it was him she was pissed at,” Bobby pointed out, jerking his head toward Alex. “So yeah, better to have your mind good and made up now.”

“Ororo’s the only one for me.” T’Challa drained his gin and tonic and set the glass on the banquet. “She was my first love. She’s my greatest love. And she’ll be my last. “

“Sure,” Scott muttered. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear…?”

“Nothing.” Scott reached for the beer nuts. Logan’s sharp hearing picked up what sounded suspiciously like Scott mimicking his “…and she’ll be my LAST” in a tone that managed to be both denigrating and nasal. “Never was MY last, pal, despite the best of intentions…”

“What’s Scott muttering about over there, tovarisch?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Dear lad’s just wishing the best for the bride and groom,” Hank hedged. His own sharp ears had picked up the thread of their discussion, too, muttering and all.

When were the strippers coming out?

“So…she’s yer greatest love, eh?”

“Without a doubt.”

“You and Ororo talked much about yer marital expectations?”

“What, like picking out china patterns and whether to buy a dog?”

“Butt out, Bobby,” Logan snarled over the rim of his beer.

“We’ve had the chance to catch up and bring a few things to the table.” T’Challa was wearing a smug little cat-that-got-the-canary smile and had a funny look in his eye. Suddenly Logan realized Ororo’s little mission in Kenya to “find herself” may have also found her in Wakanda…he wondered how much time she spent “finding” T’Challa while she was there? Hadn’t she said something about seeing T’Challa again as she flew off into the proverbial sunset?

Hmmmmmm…Once again, Logan kicked himself for jumping on the Blackbird with everyone else and heading back home to Westchester so hastily. Wouldn’t have been such a big damned deal to stay behind. Ororo had laid down her needs, though; she wanted some time off to breathe and stretch her wings.

If Logan had it to over again, he would have made the time for “one more for the road.” If he’d have known that moment when she told him she needed to “find herself” was the last he’d ever see of her as a single, desirable woman ripe for the plucking, he wouldn’t have been so quick to say that he “understood.” Screw understanding. “Understanding” did nothing for him when Mariko left him at the altar.

“You two plannin’ on havin’ any kids?”

“We’ve talked about it. Ororo lost her parents at an early age, and she was an only child; family is very important to her.”

“So’s a happy marriage.”

“We can have that.”

“She’s always held up Reed and Sue’s as a good example,” Kurt murmured.

“Really?” Reed beamed.

“You two have been together for so long, tovarisch, and you and Susan seem to be equal partners?”

“Ever wonder how she manages to find the time for it all?” Alex mused.

“Nope.” Bobby reached for a chicken wing. Alex shot him a disgusted look.

“Ya know what else goes along with having a kid when yer wife’s a mutant…what if yer kid ends up with powers?”

“Then I’ll call the contractors to have the palace reinforced,” T’Challa chuckled.

“T’Challa, if there’s one piece of advice I could give you, and God help me for never being able to follow it myself “ it’s to just be there. Be there for Ororo, be there for your children, be there to take care of things in your home. There comes a time…let’s just say there comes a time when you have to hang up the damned suit.” Scott’s eyes were hard to read beneath his ruby quartz goggles. “The bastards who want to destroy the world and kill all of the mutants and take over everything will always be there. They aren’t going anywhere. But if you’re lucky to have even that much, you only have one wife. One woman who makes it worth it to wake up every morning. And if you’re truly blessed, you’ll have children together that have the best parts of you and Ororo both, and you don’t want to miss out on one bloody minute. There’s always going to be times when ‘happily ever after’ feels like twenty-five to life…”

“…and people wonder why I can’t commit,” Johnny groused into his kamikaze.

“…but don’t f**k it up. Don’t be secretive about how you feel. Don’t bottle it all up.”

“Dude, Jeannie was a mind reader, hello?”

“Don’t assume that meant she knew me inside and out.” Scott bit savagely into his short rib. “Always make time for her, T’Challa, if you value your marriage, your life, and your sanity. Don’t make stupid excuses for why you have to take off on a long mission. Shit, knowing Ororo, good luck trying to get her to stay home and wait for you!” Logan paused in building the first tier of his beer bottle pyramid to glance at Scott with uncharacteristic admiration.

“Amen to that,” Kurt mumbled.

“No kidding,” Bobby scoffed, stirring his drink with his straw. He took a sip, made a face, and generated a jagged hunk of ice, dropping it neatly into the glass with a plop.

“Take it from me, if I know about anything, I know about this. You and Ororo had something special when you were young, and you have something special now. But she isn’t necessarily the same girl now that she was then. Things change. That whole ‘love at first sight,’ rush of teenage hormones thing doesn’t last forever. Don’t get me wrong; the first time Jean and I laid eyes on each other, the earth actually did move…”

“I always did want to study that phoenix effect of hers more closely, especially on seismic activity,” Hank pondered.

“Really?” Reed’s eyes lit up. Bobby sighed and headed back for more beer nuts.

“But when the honeymoon’s over, that’s the real test of whether or not you made a big mistake. My honeymoon with Madelyne involved giant squid and a shark nearly taking my leg off.”

“Classic,” Johnny smirked.

“Mind yer manners, Johnny boy, the man’s tryin’ ta make a point.” Ben’s craggy brows looked as grim as his name.

“Why should T’Challa take advice from a guy who’s had two marriages go down the toilet?”

“Didn’t I tell ya ta mind yer manners?”

“Don’t make him remind ya again,” Logan growled. SNIKT.

“You don’t want to miss your kids’ childhood. It doesn’t take much. One day, you’re just running late for a well-baby checkup. The next, you’re staring eye to eye with a grown man, or a grown woman who you hardly know at all.”

“Ya won’t get ta know Ray any better if ya keep holdin’ her at arm’s length and lettin’ Emma run the show.”

“Did I ask for your advice, Logan?”

“Ya did as soon as ya mentioned ‘big mistakes’ and ‘Jeannie’ in the same breath, pal. Still think ya have a funny way of grieving the love of your life.”

“You’re right. Abusing my healing factor on cigars and beer, showering my friends in profanity, and sleeping with thieves and assassins who want to kill me is a much better way of dealing with my problems.” T’Challa opened his mouth as if to say something, then decided against it. Then he opened it again.

“Who’s ready for the entertainment?”





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