Summery: Ororo is having a bad day with a little help from a furry blue angel Piotr finds the courage to comfort her.
Authors notes: Just a little one shot that came out on a rainy day. It is a totally separate world from my other stories. Please leave your reviews or comments, pm are also welcome. Ps, been having issue with symbols not appearing at scene changes sometimes. So if that happens here I'm sorry. I am trying to figure out why it's happening.
Special thanks to: Beanie McChimp who's wonderful Roco story planted the seed for this story. (You should check out all her amazing stories.)
Angel on my shoulder
"Hello my friend. I am sorry it has been so long. You know better then most how crazy things can get. Please do not think I have not forgotten about you. There is not a day that goes by where I don't think of you, miss you. Sometimes when I am alone it's like I can feel your presences. Of course I look around to find no one is there. It's both comforting yet madding; I suppose not even death could stop your trickery. I am not one for praying. If I did, I would pray firstly that you are at peace. Next I would pray I would hope that you are and always remain the angel on my shoulder."
(*********************************)
The sky started to go gray on what should have been a sunny day. Piotr knew she was going to be crossed with herself. Ororo hated it when her emotions changed the weather with out meaning to. He wondered if she would land quickly stealing herself away in her green house to shed her tears in peace? Or might she circle the sky letting the rain mask her tears? Whatever Ororo chose to do Piotr had decided to bare witness to it. Feeling it was the very least thing he could do since he could find no way to ease her pain.
Ororo would have been sad on this day regardless. However this year had taken a particularly hard toll on her. There was the divorce, having to fight fellow comrades in arms and people she loved like her blood. Not to mention the X-Men as whole where holding on by a very thin thread. What really made Piotr's heart ach was to know she was holding on by a very thin thread.
They all were grief stricken over Kurt's death. Though Ororo and Logan seem to still feel his loss as if it had happen yesterday. They usually spent this day together, drinking bad German beer while they swapped tales of the Amazing Nightclawer. But whether by choice or by chance Logan was away so she had endured the day alone. If she truly wanted Ororo could have sought the company of others. Sadly that was not her way, she would always much sooner give comfort to others than to seek it out for herself.
Piotr had actual prayed last night to be able to find some way to help her, comfort her, to ease Ororo's burden in the smallest of ways would feel like a great achievement to him right now. A last nothing came to him no matter how he wished it would.
She was always a fascinating muse even in her pain, although the goliath of a man found it hard to watch. Not trying to take advantage only needing something to do with his hands Piotr pulled out his sketchpad taking a seat on the covered porch when she made her overhead approach.
The rain poured down hard, the winds howled but none of it mattered to Ororo. She rode the winds with all the grace and fury be fitting her name. Masking her cries with the howling wind.
Silly as it seemed even to him, Piotr stopped his drawing for a minute to ask for help from someone he wasn't sure could hear. "Can you see this my friend? Maybe you could find away to ease her pain? Please help Ororo heal her heart. I was never a part of those private conversions you two shared. Yet I remember that they were many of times she would come back after one of your walks with a smile on her face when before there was none."
Piotr kept watching and sketching till he noticed the rain starting to die down. He laid down his pad to stretch. Only the wind picked up again blowing the page he was working on across the lawn. The mutant also know as Colossus was pretty fast for a man weighing 250 pounds, standing at 6', 6". Yet he still wasn't fast enough to catch up with the page. Ah, I can't let her see that!
As he lumbered after the elusive page Piotr was reminded of another time he went chasing after his drawing...
(**********************************)
It had been down cast all day however the breeze had been warm and the sun was trying it's best to break threw the clouds. Piotr thought he might still catch Ororo tending to her out door garden. He had started a drawing of her there the week before and held hopes finishing it. Piotr rushed outside but just as he got there Ororo was readying herself to take off. Right before she was out of sight he saw the expression on weathered witch's lovely face was not her usual one. Usually after spending some time in her garden the goddess's expression was very peaceful. Today however she looked so melancholy that it froze him where he stood.
Piotr was startled out of his frozen state when he heard a familiar bamf from behind him "Ah, someone is not a very happy weather witch today."
Piotr simply shook his head replying "Da", to his blue haired friend.
" I don't suppose she told you what has upset her mein freund?"
"Nyeht"
"Well I guess that is no surprise, Ororo rarely tells anyone." Kurt stated while running a three-finger hand threw his indigo locks.
Suddenly the warm breeze turned cool and picked up greatly in strength. The sketch that Piotr had planed to work on flew out of his book. "Not now," Piotr groaned out as he started to chase after it.
"Not to worry my friend, I will gladly assist you!"
"Nyeht, Kurt that is not… uh necessary." Piotr sighed as Kurt bamfed off. The former acrobat landed just in front of the page scooping it up off the ground. Piotr made his way slowly over not really looking forward to facing Kurt. "Uh, thank you very much comrade. It would have taken a great amount of effort on my part to retrieve it."
"It was nothing", Kurt waved off with one hand while the other hand started to give the much lager man his drawing back. Before Piotr's fingers had graced the edge of the paper Kurt pulled it back to have a better look. "Mein gott! You too? Haha, we should all start a club or something, ja?"
This is exactly what I was afraid of. Afraid, how ridiculous for a grown man to be scared for others to know he has a crush? Piotr found he couldn't help himself, in his fear or in his crush of Ororo.
Besides being a breath taking beauty Piotr had come to know Ororo as kind, caring, wise and a fierce warrior worthy of great respect. Her exotic features only wrapping for the bigger beauty she held inside.
Piotr held no hopes or illusions of anything. He was simply a slightly younger man with a crush. Although still fairly young herself Ororo was a worldly woman who had been threw and seen more things then most people would in a lifetime. Piotr felt she could have her choice of many men who would probably make a more suitable partner for her than he. Including the swashbuckling charmer who was standing in front of him.
"Uh…I know not what you speak of my friend." Why couldn't I be in my metal form right now? This way I wouldn't have to worry about blushing.
Never one to push Kurt was kind enough to let Piotr slide with a wink and an "oh, my mistake then. I have no idea what I am talking about either." Kurt stopped to scan the drawing once again. "Piotr this is really wonderful."
"Thank you."
"You should show this to Ororo. I wish I had that fine a gift to give her." Kurt said with a wistful sigh.
Now it was Piotr turn to do the winking. It was no secret to anyone that Kurt's feelings for Ororo ran some where between more then friendship to deep abiding love. Well it was no secret to anyone except Ororo. Piotr saw that while wise and perceptive in many things Ororo was often oblivious to the power she held over men. "So give her your heart felt words, I am sure it would do more then fine." Piotr chuckled as he nudged Kurt forgetting his own strength and nearly knocked his friend over.
"Please, looking at the two of us who do you think has the better chance?"
Piotr looked down at the shorter man with a cocked brow. "Are you really sure about that?"
Piotr watched as Kurt's face became a pool of uncertainty. "Nien, not for sure. All I know for sure is I am a big blue furry chicken."
"Is blue and fury any worst then metal and grey?" Piotr shrugged.
Just then the lady they were speaking of landed in front of them. "Hello, gentlemen," Ororo greeted her fellow teammates looking less despondent. Yet in the lady's eyes one could still glimpse that not all was well under her smooth surfaces. Both men said their greetings with a warm smile as she went by.
"Привет Ororo"
"Hallo Ororo"
She nodded at both men before making her way back inside. "She looks better, but you can see something is still bothering her. I think one of us should go talk to her." Kurt said looking at Piotr like he knew exactly who it should be.
"Nyeht, nyeht you should go. I wouldn't know what to say." Piotr hung his head, feeling to be of very little use right now. It was frustrating for him sometimes, feeling like he was only of use if something needed to be hit or moved.
Kurt placed a hand on one of Piotr's broad arms, "just because you don't know what to say does not mean you have nothing to say. I am sure once you got in there you will find the right words just come out. Even if they don't a lot of the time all a person really needs is an understanding ear. Maybe a big strong shoulder to lean on every once in a while."
"Thank you, I am sure you are probably right. However I still think you should be the one to go, as you two are closer. You're also the best at getting her to open up."
Kurt made a smirk as he replied, "Oh so I'm the best at what I do and what I do best is get insanely beautiful woman to cry on my shoulder." Kurt smacked a hand to his forehead mumbling, "where did I go wrong," before taking off in a puff of smoke.
(*************************************)
Piotr couldn't argue with that. Kurt and Ororo always had a way with each other. A way the Russian mutant knew Ororo was missing, especial today. So he thought the absolute last thing she needed was to see the picture that was blowing right at her. However the sketch reached Ororo's feet before he did.
Once the paper landed on her foot Ororo picked it up right away. As Piotr watch her soulful cobalt eyes gaze at the sketch it seemed like the whole world had stopped. Only it was just his feet. Piotr do not move nor say a word till Ororo finally looked up from the paper to him.
She was quite the sight. Dripping wet hair plastered to her face, neck and shoulders. Eyes wide crystal clear pools hanging above plump quivering lips. Her clothing completely soaked clinging to supply skin, covered in tiny beads of water.
She looks so raw and beautifully. Had he not been standing just a feet away from her Piotr might not have been able to fight off the urge to capture her in such a pure form. But up close he could not ignore the pain he felt his picture must have caused. "Ororo, please forgive my carelessness I never meant for you-"
"Piotr this is…goddess you captured the fine edges of cheek bones, the curve of his lips… even that one perfect spiral curl that came right down the middle." Ororo stopped; taking one trembling hand she wiped away a stray tear. "This is the very last time we danced, how did you…?"
"I was not there but Kurt spoke of it once so vividly it felt as if I had been."
Ororo bobbed head while pulling the corners of lips into a small smile. "Yes, he always did have a way with words." Ororo went on never taking her eyes off the sketch. "He must have gone into quite the detail for that is the dress to the letter… even my hair." Oh Kurt, I will always regret not telling you what that night meant to me. I will always wonder what might have been if I had just asked what it meant to you. "May I have this?" She asked with a true smile making Piotr's heart feel ten times lighter.
"Da, of course I would have given it to you sooner only I did not really think it was any good."
"No you're right it's not good. This is just like him, truly amazing. Thank you my friend, I shall treasure it always. When I look at it not only will I be reminded of him but of you as well, this is just what I needed today."
"You are most welcome Ororo." Feeling like he couldn't possibly get out on a better note than that the gently giant turned to leave. Finding that for some reason his feet felt glued to the ground. Ok, I get it. Once he decided to turn back around Piotr found that his feet moved just fine. "I know you miss him. Especial at a time when you need him most it cannot be easy. I fear I do not have Kurt's way with words, yet I do believe I am a good listener."
Piotr didn't know what he expected Ororo to say. I am fine. Go away get out of my business. He surely didn't expect more tears to fall from smiling blue iris while she told him, "thank you Piotr. I really don't feel much like talking right now. Maybe I could lean on your shoulder and just cry for a little while, if that's ok?"
Piotr couldn't help but smile a little despite the sadness of the day. While his friendship with Ororo had grown closer over the years. Piotr still had not found a time or way to be there for Ororo in the way she always seemed to be there for everyone else. Now he was getting that chance. Some how he was confident that he wouldn't let her down.
Piotr opened up his arms and with out hesitation Ororo stepped into them. He couldn't have cared less that she was still wet. Her scent was fresh; clean like the rain she had been flying around in and Piotr inhaled deeply taking it in. Musing how despite being a statuesque woman Ororo still felt small wrapped up in his arms.
Feeling her trembling Piotr fought off the urge to scoop up his team leader and carry her inside, knowing she wouldn't like that. So he offered her an arm instead, she took it then they walked back inside.
From the shadows of a near by tree stepped out a very happy mischief-maker. "Way to go Peter I knew you could do it," he said to no one as he watched the pair walk away. Kurt was beyond a lot of things now. But he was not beyond caring for those who had meant so much to him in life. Especial caring for her, the one he never got around to letting know just how much he cared.
From the time his soul left this plane there was never one day that went by were Kurt was not at Ororo's side for at least a small part of it. He had sworn for long as she drew breath that would always be. However he couldn't be with her all the time and trouble just seem to find Ororo. Now that Kurt had found someone to help him watch over her he thought, maybe now I could relax a bit, maybe.
He was also hopeful that maybe with a gently nudge Piotr might realize that the deepest loves often start out as just a crush, his most surely had.
Knowing she was in good hands Kurt was off to check on his next charge. It's amazing what one turn of a page can get you. Hmm… I wonder where Logan has run off to now?
The end…
Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed this please check out my other stories. Please post in reviews. They really do motivate writers to work harder and do more stories.