Desire
And x-men evolution fanfic, featuring Storm, by Remedy=Chill
Storm sat quietly in her garden. Nothing needed tending or attention, and so she sat, calmly, spending time with her plants and enjoying their quiet beauty. She knew that under normal circumstances she would have been relaxed and peaceful after spending so much time here.
But today, that was not the case.
She sighed appreciatively at the passionflowers that grew along the mansion's latticework. They were a deep and hearty purple. She could smell their deep and enticing musk from across the garden, but still, she stood up and crossed the distance that separated them.
"I remember when you were nothing but cuttings." She told the plant, caressing its vine under its leaves.
"I put one of you in each corner of my garden." She told the flower. "And I told you to grow together to make a border for this place." She smiled.
"And you did beautifully my friends." She made a sweeping motion with her arms to indicate the surroundings. "But…"
She smiled sadly. "Oh, don't worry for me." She told the vine.
"I just thought…" She smiled again and cast her eyes about the garden before leaning in like a conspirator.
"I thought I would have met someone by the time you had grown together." She smiled again and shrugged. "But it was not to be."
She let hr head fall slightly to one side. "Yet." She told the flower. Because I know better than to think otherwise.
She felt the peacefulness begin to settle over her at last.
"Thank you my friend." She whispered to the flower. "You always seem to make me feel better." She winked at the flower and shot it a coy smile.
It seemed to radiate warmth and affection back at her.
She sighed, unexpectedly, and began to wander back towards the garden gate.
"Storm?" Xavier spoke directly in her mind.
"Yes?" She replied in soft telepathic tones.
She could feel Xavier smiling on the other end of the conversation.
"I have a guest who will be staying the weekend with us. I thought you might enjoy meeting him. Are you busy?"
Xavier was always so polite. She enjoyed his gentlemanly qualities as the rarity they were.
"Not at all." She replied mentally. "Are you in your study?"
She knew that Xavier often met with new people in his study.
"Yes, but please, enter from the house rather than the outside."
"Certainly Charles." She replied softly, adjusting her course to another door
"Oh, and Storm?" He prompted.
"Yes?"
"The passionflowers are lovely." She could hear him taking in a deep breath on his end and she understood that her memory of the flower smell was filling his mind as he did so.
"Thank you Charles." She beamed a wide and genuine smile. I will be sure to tell them that you said so.
Storm followed the back of the house as she walked, headed for the door by the kitchen.
"Hey Storm." Kitty smiled at her from behind her oversized sunglasses. "Do I owe you a 'thank-you' for this great day out here?"
Storm felt a childish humor rising within her. "Not today child." She smiled coyly as she passed.
"A day like today makes me feel like I'm in love." Kitty told her. "Even when I'm alone."
Storm stopped and turned her head slowly to face the young girl. Kitty, sensing something, lifted her sunglasses to look Storm in the eye.
"No matter where you go, or what you do in this life child, never loose that ability – that connection to life on its most basic terms. Treasure it always."
Kitty nodded several times, quickly. Storm could do that; speak with such authority and regality so as to humble and silence her audience. And when she did it with her audience's best interests at heart, it became easy to see the 'Goddess' aspect of the woman.
Storm smiled softly and intimately at the young girl as she lay back in her chair and beamed with joy at the simple act of being outside and at one with nature.
Storm turned back to the house and stepped inside.
Immediately, the dark wood and dim lighting of the mansions interior caused her to pause. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the change.
Scott was sitting quietly in one of the red leather chairs outside the library. He seemed engrossed in reading Plato's Republic.
She tried not to disturb him, but he looked up anyway.
He smiled slyly and nodded once.
Something about his manner drew out her curiosity and she slowed her pace and caught his eyes through his sunglasses.
"Going to meet the Professor's newest find?" He asked.
"Someone he wants me to meet." She admitted. "Is he a new mutant?"
Scott smiled back, too slowly and too knowingly for her taste. She had always found Scott to be a 'no-nonsense' sort of person. Smugness certainty didn't look right on him.
"I don't want to ruin the surprise." He told her. "I met him earlier – almost an hour ago." He smiled, showing more teeth than she had ever seen him use. "And I'm glad I didn't miss the chance."
"Then I wouldn't want to keep them, or myself, waiting." She quipped.
Scott nodded enthusiastically and cast a glance at the closed doors to Xavier's study.
"Why not meet me back here after?" He asked her. "We can compare notes."
She looked slightly confused.
"Trust me." Scott smiled.
"Alright." She touched one hand absently to her chest in curiosity and turned her attention down the hall.
She rapped softly on the door.
"Yes, Storm." Xavier called through the door. "Please enter quickly and close the door behind you."
She quickly stepped in to the room and closed the door.
The room was almost pitch black. A single candle burned on Xavier's desk.
"Storm. This is Jared Fox." Xavier nodded to the darkness on his left. Storm could see nothing. "Jared is quite sensitive to bright lights" He explained.
"Yes." The deep baritone purred. "I apologize for any inconvenience."
He seemed to float out of the darkness at her.
He was taller than her, by a few inches anyway, and wore his hair long, but tied back behind his neck. His skin was smooth and pale like soft white marble. Obviously he had not seen daylight in quite some time, if perhaps ever.
He extended her a hand, sensing that she could not yet see in the darkened room.
She took his hand and he led her over to one of the chairs in front of Xavier's desk. She lowered herself slowly and retracted her hand. In the candlelight she noticed that he was wearing gray suede gloves.
He smiled at her and pulled off his gloves, laying them on the edge of the Professor's desk.
"I am," He began. "Extremely pleased to make your acquaintance."
His eyes were an electric and piercing blue that seemed to cut through the darkness of the room and look right through her.
He offered her his hand again and she reached out to shake it. When they touched, there was an almost electric sensation of current flowing between them.
"Extremely pleased, indeed." He smiled again, she felt lightheaded, and for just a minute - the entire room seemed to smell of passionflowers.