The Good of Washin' Windows
By: Siona
*****
His tri-fingered hands were becoming sore and wrinkled all over, and his feet were tired of sticking to the brick walls of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but Kurt Wagner's persistence was as clear as he was blue.
It had been nearly a week since his chance encounter with the X-Men that ended up with him being dragged into something that he knew absolutely about, and yet, had been a key part of the whole thing. After all the excitement he'd gone through, Kurt would have been quite glad to have gone back to the Munich Circus and return what he chose to call a "normal" life, but his drug-influenced attack on the President of the United States had labeled as a wanted man. To his dismay, he knew that he would never be able to go back to the one place he had ever felt safe. Not just for his sake, but for those of the people he loved.
Almost immediately, he'd been accepted by both the X-Men and their pupils, despite his unintentional actions and odd, if not demonic, appearance. He was determined to be worthy of their trust, so he had taken over quite a few chores around the mansion, much to the happiness of the children.
Kurt hummed an old circus tune as he sprayed the glass with Windex, wiped it clear until his reflection shown, and clambered over to the next one. It was quite dirty on the outside, and it was impossible to see inside due to steam covering the pane facing the room.
"I wonder how that is," pondered Kurt aloud. But, whatever the cause, he had to clean it. Since his hands were full, and his toes sticking to the wall, he used his lengthy tail to unlock and open the window.
He was wearing goggles, to protect his eyes from the residue of the Windex, and now they completely fogged up, rendering Kurt blind. With the back on a hand, he wiped them free of the steam. Once he could see again, he nearly fell off the wall.
There, in the middle of the bathroom, stood Storm. Completely naked. Her back was turned to him and she was brushing out her arctic-white hair. Her body glistened with droplets of water and, for half a second, Kurt truly believed she was an angel. His face grew warm, but his hands and feet were as cold as ice. His tail twitched uncontrollably, like it was having its very own seizure.
That, of course, was when he dropped the bottle of Windex. He gasped and grabbed for it, but it landed on the floor with a dull thud. Storm cried out and whirled around, quickly wrapping a fluffy towel round her form.
"Dammit, Artie, what did I -"
When her gaze fell on Kurt, she pulled an all-out Tex Avery pose: eyes as big as dinner plates, jaw hanging, her hair practically standing on end. Kurt could only imagine he looked the same way.
"Ah.." He gave a weak smile and a friendly wave. His tail still quivered violently. "Guten Morgen?"
Before he could even react, a gust of wind swept him out the window, off the wall, and over ten feet away into the garden. He landed right on top of roses.with rather large thorns.
"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Kurt quite nearly swore, and it would not have been pretty if he hadn't been so faithful to his beliefs. All he could do was dab at his posterior with his rag cloth and clutch his rosary, desperately praying for forgiveness.
Rogue, Artie, Bobby Drake, and Peter Rasputin happened to be in the garden and had witnessed the whole entire thing. Bobby and Rogue shook with hopelessly tried to conceal their laughing.
Artie pointed and snickered, "She don't like it when ya do that, trust me!"
Peter Rasputin said nothing. He only sat on the stone bench and continued to draw. Half a moment later, when Kurt had begun to pluck stickers out of his behind, he gave the older mutant a big Russian grin and showed him his masterpiece: there, sitting on a lead windowsill, sat a hilarious cartoon version of Kurt Wagner. Eyes bugged from their sockets, tail sticking out straight as a broom handle, hair sticking out everywhere and buzzing with electricity. Upon seeing the drawing, the other three students gave up their act and exploded in laughter that could be heard all over campus.
Kurt didn't share the sentiments. He winced as he pulled one last thorn out and began to walk into the mansion, head down. The last thing that the foursome heard the blue mutant say was:
"I believe it is about time to get out my tattooing knife again."
*****
His tri-fingered hands were becoming sore and wrinkled all over, and his feet were tired of sticking to the brick walls of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but Kurt Wagner's persistence was as clear as he was blue.
It had been nearly a week since his chance encounter with the X-Men that ended up with him being dragged into something that he knew absolutely about, and yet, had been a key part of the whole thing. After all the excitement he'd gone through, Kurt would have been quite glad to have gone back to the Munich Circus and return what he chose to call a "normal" life, but his drug-influenced attack on the President of the United States had labeled as a wanted man. To his dismay, he knew that he would never be able to go back to the one place he had ever felt safe. Not just for his sake, but for those of the people he loved.
Almost immediately, he'd been accepted by both the X-Men and their pupils, despite his unintentional actions and odd, if not demonic, appearance. He was determined to be worthy of their trust, so he had taken over quite a few chores around the mansion, much to the happiness of the children.
Kurt hummed an old circus tune as he sprayed the glass with Windex, wiped it clear until his reflection shown, and clambered over to the next one. It was quite dirty on the outside, and it was impossible to see inside due to steam covering the pane facing the room.
"I wonder how that is," pondered Kurt aloud. But, whatever the cause, he had to clean it. Since his hands were full, and his toes sticking to the wall, he used his lengthy tail to unlock and open the window.
He was wearing goggles, to protect his eyes from the residue of the Windex, and now they completely fogged up, rendering Kurt blind. With the back on a hand, he wiped them free of the steam. Once he could see again, he nearly fell off the wall.
There, in the middle of the bathroom, stood Storm. Completely naked. Her back was turned to him and she was brushing out her arctic-white hair. Her body glistened with droplets of water and, for half a second, Kurt truly believed she was an angel. His face grew warm, but his hands and feet were as cold as ice. His tail twitched uncontrollably, like it was having its very own seizure.
That, of course, was when he dropped the bottle of Windex. He gasped and grabbed for it, but it landed on the floor with a dull thud. Storm cried out and whirled around, quickly wrapping a fluffy towel round her form.
"Dammit, Artie, what did I -"
When her gaze fell on Kurt, she pulled an all-out Tex Avery pose: eyes as big as dinner plates, jaw hanging, her hair practically standing on end. Kurt could only imagine he looked the same way.
"Ah.." He gave a weak smile and a friendly wave. His tail still quivered violently. "Guten Morgen?"
Before he could even react, a gust of wind swept him out the window, off the wall, and over ten feet away into the garden. He landed right on top of roses.with rather large thorns.
"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Kurt quite nearly swore, and it would not have been pretty if he hadn't been so faithful to his beliefs. All he could do was dab at his posterior with his rag cloth and clutch his rosary, desperately praying for forgiveness.
Rogue, Artie, Bobby Drake, and Peter Rasputin happened to be in the garden and had witnessed the whole entire thing. Bobby and Rogue shook with hopelessly tried to conceal their laughing.
Artie pointed and snickered, "She don't like it when ya do that, trust me!"
Peter Rasputin said nothing. He only sat on the stone bench and continued to draw. Half a moment later, when Kurt had begun to pluck stickers out of his behind, he gave the older mutant a big Russian grin and showed him his masterpiece: there, sitting on a lead windowsill, sat a hilarious cartoon version of Kurt Wagner. Eyes bugged from their sockets, tail sticking out straight as a broom handle, hair sticking out everywhere and buzzing with electricity. Upon seeing the drawing, the other three students gave up their act and exploded in laughter that could be heard all over campus.
Kurt didn't share the sentiments. He winced as he pulled one last thorn out and began to walk into the mansion, head down. The last thing that the foursome heard the blue mutant say was:
"I believe it is about time to get out my tattooing knife again."