Disclaimer: I don't
own the X-Men, yada yada yada…
February
14th – Early morning…
Rogue and Gambit sat
at the breakfast table discussing plans for their highly-anticipated romantic
Valentine's day evening when Logan walked by.
"Hey Sugah, you and
Storm got plans tonight?"
"Plans?! What fer?!" he grumbled.
"Wolverine Mon Ami,
surely you're joking? 'S Feb'rary 14th
– day of amor."
"Yeah Sugah, you
don't have anything planned for Valentine's day? Ah can't believe that"
"Valentine
Smalentine! You expect me ta get all
gussied up jus' so some greedy business exec with a slick marketin' plan can
make a killin' offa me like he did on you two saps? 'Got better things ta do with my money!" Logan growled as he
walked out of the kicthen, leaving Rogue and Gambit in a state of disbelief.
"Merde, De gonna be a
storm t'night."
"Ya got that
right! An F5 with an attitude aimin'
right fer his hairy hide. Ah wouldn't
wanna be in his shoes when Storm finds out about HIS plans for the evening."
Logan smirked. He heard their comments even though he was
half way down the hall. He took satisfaction in knowing they had no idea what
he had planned for Storm that evening. "Rookies!" he grumbled to himself with a satisfying grin. "Bet all they got planned is dinner and an
evenin' in front o' the fireplace….and Gumbo thinks he knows what romance
is!"
He, on the other
hand, planned the night's activities with the same zeal he would use on a
mission against Apocalypse – with preparation starting 7 weeks prior. His Valentine's day idea was first conceived
on Christmas day while watching Storm open her present: a pendant with the letters R and L on it
standing: for "Ro-Lo". Seeing her smile planted the seed in his
mind and he immediately dusted off the ol' noggin and started planning. Now all he had to do was carry out his
mission – to give Storm a Valentine's day she would NEVER expect – or forget.
What he had conceived
of was a bit out of character for him - the rough and tough adventurer, but
then; since he started dating Storm, he felt like a completely different man –
a better man. He wanted to do something
for her that showed her how he felt – as well as shut the yaps of a few nosey
X-Men that firmly believed she should be committed for dating him. He'd heard the phrase "Beauty and the Beast"
one too many times and was mad enough to skewer the next person that used it.
Storm returned to the
mansion a little before 6 that evening. Professor Xavier sent her and some of the other X-Men on a scouting
mission of a suspected FOH chapter in DC. Although FOH members were there, the only thing the X-Men witnessed was
a bunch of mutant-hating rhetoric; which while not eventful, still took its
toll on Storm. She could think of 20 or
30 things she'd rather do than baby-sit a bunch of closed-minded bigots and was
looking forward to a relaxing evening – starting with a nice long bath.
As she walked into
her bedroom and turned on the light, something caught her eye. There on her bed lay two perfect red roses
and an envelope on top a heart shaped silk pillow.
"What a wonderful
surprise!" she said to herself as she picked the roses up and smelled
them. The intoxicating scent easily
subdued her and quickly erased all traces of the day's events from her mind. The smile she displayed as she opened the
envelope and read the note was a pretty good indicator that whatever Logan had
planned for her that evening would really hit the spot.
Two red roses, one heart we share
A love so strong, a bond so rare.
The night is yours, if you desire
I'll kiss the ground and light the fire
Her smile grew from
ear to ear as she held the poem and roses close to her heart. This surprise was something she NEVER would
have expected from Logan. He was like
that though – he often made big plans but never talked about them; opting to
surprise her instead. It seemed
Valentine's day was no exception to his rule.
The last line of the
poem confused her though. "Kissing the
ground" was something Logan would never do. It was more like something he would tell an adversary as he pounded his
head in it. It wasn't until she looked
down that she understood the nature of the uncharacteristic remark. There at the base of her bed lay a trail of
Hersey's kisses leading into the bathroom.
"He really DID kiss
the ground! How sweet!"
She collected the
kisses and walked into the bathroom - nearly dropping everything when she saw
what awaited her. The entire bathroom
was lit with scented candles. A glass
of champagne and plate of her favorite chocolates and fruit lay near the
already drawn bath, and a basket of her favorite oils and accessories sat at
the foot of the tub. She stood in the
doorway nearly a full minute before entering. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"My God! I cannot believe he did this." she
cheerfully said as she slipped out of her uniform and into the warm water. "I never would have expected this from
him. That man! He really does surprise me sometimes."
As she sat and
enjoyed her bath, she recalled a conversation she had with some of the X-Women
a few days prior. They discussed the
"romantic" side of their men, which eventually lead to a debate over whose man
was the MOST romantic. Though each
woman claimed their man to be the best, Rogue seemed to win the battle when she
listed some of the things Remy did to win her heart. Storm's claim to have the most romantic man was met with a sudden
and outrageous burst of laughter from the other women – but she was the one
laughing now.
Although she would
normally stay in the water for hours; anticipation got the better of her and
after only 45 minutes she was ready to find her man and reward him. As she reached for her towel she noticed it
wasn't there. Instead, just below the
rack lay a neatly folded oversized Egyptian cotton towel on a heated pad. When Logan planned something, he REALLY
planned it. He knew she REALLY loved
Egyptian cotton, and the thought of anything other than the very best and
softest cotton against her perfect skin was unacceptable.
On top of the towel,
lay two more red roses and a second envelope. She quickly opened it and read the note inside.
The search begins with clue number one
A night of romance, passion and fun
A gift from the heart, my love to you
To find your present, take a bird's eye view
She knew exactly what
it meant and quickly dried off and dressed. She wore the dress from the night of their first date – the dress that
made his claws pop out. The memories of
that evening convinced her it would be perfect for this occasion as she was
definitely in the mood to make his claws pop out again.
She ran down the hall
through the main doors and immediately took off into the hair heading for the
rooftop of the west wing. Logan went
there every now and then when he wanted to clear his head and didn't want
anyone to find him. Part of the
intrigue of that particular location was enjoying the climb it took to get
there. One day while doing aerial
acrobatics, Storm spotted him and when asked about it, he told her he wanted a
"bird's eye view" of the grounds. Just
as she cleared the roof, she spotted what she was looking for – two more red
roses lying on top of a small beautifully wrapped package and an envelope.
Her excitement ran
high but her demeanor remained calm as she opened the package – taking great
care not to tear the wrapping; this was truly something she wanted to
savor. Inside lay something she never
knew existed – a picture of her and Logan on their first date at Paganini's in
a book-shaped frame. She vaguely
remembered seeing a photographer there, but couldn't recall being asked if they
wanted their picture taken. The picture
showed the two of them dancing; her arms resting on his shoulders and his
around her waist; both staring into each other's eyes – the perfect moment
captured for eternity. The other side
of the frame held a poem written to her.
My Angel
My angel, you came from above
On the sound of wings of a dove
Sweet words are your song
I've waited so long
To hear as you whisper of love
The touch of your skin is so soft
Your hair by the wind set aloft
Beauty, desire
My heart set afire
By passion I've thought of so often
Your eyes, like an angel I see
Your beauty has mesmerized me
The power you wield
Yet never you yield
And still my heart belongs to thee
Yes, we are one it would seem
Together, love's highest esteem
Unknown when we started
Now love won't be parted
My heart's longing met in this dream
For the second time
that night, her heart fluttered as she pulled the roses and Logan's poem close
to her. He was definitely NOT known for
his poetic side. After all, the
probability of Wolverine writing poetry was slightly lower than that of Cyclops
getting sloppy drunk and dancing the funky chicken…yet here it was in her hands
- a poem written for her by him. She
knew their love was strong but never believed she inspired him in such a
way.
She opened the
envelope and read the note:
The search is still on, it does not end here
When a dozen you hold, will the end draw near
The watery spot where you once came to me
And held me that night holds clue number three
With gift, letter and
roses in hand, she once again took to the skies. This time, her destiny was the dock on the pond just a short
distance from the mansion. She
remembered the night he referred to in the clue – the night she came to him
when he had nightmares about their relationship. The dock was also where he first told her he loved her and where
they faced their relationship's first real challenge – Wolverine's tragic
past. It had long been a special place for
them and was only fitting that it was the location of one of their Valentine
activities.
As she walked onto
the dock, she saw the item she was searching for – another present with two
more roses and an envelope on top. Before she opened the present, she sat on the dock and smelled the roses
– smiling and thinking about how wonderful life had been since she first
started dating Logan. Never before did
she imagine she would find someone that knew and understood her so well. Never before did she imagine she could love
someone so strongly or have that love reciprocated so greatly. Never before did she believe someone could
be so romantic and make her feel like the only woman in the world; and never
before did she imagine that person would be Wolverine – someone so opposite her
that the very thought made most people laugh. The old saying was definitely true – opposites really did attract.
She carefully
unwrapped the present and opened the box seeing something that truly touched
her heart. What lay inside was a photo
album with a wooden cover. The faces of
her and Logan were carved into it with the words "Life with Ro"
underneath. As she ran her fingers over
the carvings, she thought back to the first time she witnessed Logan's unique
artistic side – when he intricately carved their names into one of the trees on
the Academy grounds. Wolverine was very
talented with his 6 claws, but everyone assumed that his talent stopped at
slicing and dicing adversaries. Nobody
expected him to have an artistic side as well. As much as he kept to himself, it was a logical assumption; it was also
wrong.
As she looked through
the album, she found herself very surprised by its contents. It wasn't just a photo album, it was a
record of their entire relationship including momentos, photos and handwritten
notes showing the entire history of their relationship – from their first date
throughout the horse carriage ride they took just 4 days prior.
She knew this wasn't something he normally did – he wasn't big on sentiment and could care less about keeping a bunch of old papers around. This album was done with the specific purpose of giving it to her – to tell her how much he enjoyed being with her and how he loved the things they did together. If ever anyone questioned his dedication, they now had the answer.
She opened the
envelope and read the next clue.
Tell me my love, did
I make you smile
The effort was there,
was it worthwhile?
Life is the blossom,
but love is the root
To find number four,
wanna go for a scoot?
She collected her
gifts and flew to the garage; all the while wondering how long it took him to
plan all of this, and if any of the other women were having as much fun as she
was that night. He had already given her
a night to remember and she had long since thought about ways of doing the same
for him. The inviting smile on her face
as she approached his "scoot" was evidence of a few ideas she planned to enact
once she found him.
There on his seat lay
2 more roses, a small case and another envelope. In the case was something that made her gasp – literally: a beautiful diamond necklace with matching
earrings and bracelet. She couldn't
believe her eyes. Just two weeks prior,
they were shopping in New York when they passed by a jewelry store; that's
where she saw it - THAT very set. "Keep
dreamin' Ro!" he said as he tried to pull her away from the window. "That thing costs more than a good used
car!" "I will have it someday…this I
promise." she said as she walked away. He was right though, it was VERY expensive and although it matched her
classy personality and style perfectly, the hefty price tag made it very
impractical. She couldn't believe he
spent that much money on her."
"Logan!" she
yelled. "Where are you?" She wanted to see him right then and there
and couldn't wait another minute. She
absolutely HAD to thank him for everything: their entire 10-month relationship and all the wonderful gifts he had
given her that night. When he was
nowhere to be found, she opened the envelope and read the next note.
The smile on your face, was it worth a kiss?
To show these diamonds - what true beauty is
Come to me Love, as fast as you can
The place where we met when all this began
She quickly put the
jewelry on, grabbed everything and jumped in her car – breaking traction as she
pulled out of the garage. Flying to him
probably would have been faster, but she didn't want to risk damaging the gifts
and flowers. As fast as she could, she
drove to the city and to the place where it all began – Paganini's. As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw
his HMMWV parked in the corner. She
parked her car and ran into the restaurant looking for him.
"Miss Munroe, how
good it is to see you again." Luther the maitre d' said as she ran up to the
podium.
"Have you seen
Logan?" she said, catching her breath. "Is he here?"
"Mr. Logan left this
for you." he said with a cunning smile as he handed her two red roses and an
envelope.
"Another clue?! Where is he?!" she said as she tore the
envelope open. Luther's smile turned
into a giggle as he watched her read the note; not noticing who was covertly
standing behind her against the wall.
She quickly unfolded
the paper and read the message.
Look behind you Darlin'
She turned around and
saw him standing about 15 feet away holding a dozen roses and a large box of
chocolates.
"Lookin' for me
Darlin'?" he asked as he started walking up to her; expecting a hug and a kiss
for the evening's efforts. He got is
hug all right - a running bear hug that knocked him to the ground, pinning his
hands beneath hers. The roses and candy
flew everywhere, but she didn't care – she wanted her man, and she finally had
him! She wasn't letting go for
anything.
"What the…?" he said
as he laid on the ground smiling. She
sat on top of him, silently admiring him for all he was and all he did. The fact that she was speechless (and the
flying tackle) proved to him that his plan worked – perhaps a little too well. He never saw her show such affection in
public; and NEVER could have imagined such a display in an upscale restaurant
like Paganini's.
"You okay Ro? Say something!" he said with a giggle. His request was rewarded with a kiss – an
extremely passionate one that made him the envy of every man in the lobby.
"How is that for
saying something? And I will be SAYING a lot more tonight."
She finally let him
up, but not before giving him another kiss and hug.
"I love you
Logan. I never imagined I could be this
happy. Thank you."
"Darlin' it's me that
should be thankin' you! All the
happiness you've given me over the last 10 months…more than I can
remember. I love you Ro!"
Luther applauded them
as the finally made their way to the podium. "Thanks Bub – I owe ya one." Logan said as they were escorted to their
table. They relived their first date
that night and celebrated their love amongst all the other Valentine's Day
couples – returning to the mansion around 11pm.
As they walked into
the mansion, they spotted Remy and Rogue nestled by the fireplace in the rec. room
talking lovingly to each other. Logan
couldn't help but snicker.
"Hello Remy, Rogue –
how was your evening?" Storm asked as they walked in.
"Good food and de
beautiful girl, n'est ce pas…Rogue? Life don' get much betta dan dat!"
"I wouldn't be so sure
Remy." Storm said with a smile.
"What's dat s'pose ta
mean Chere?"
"Oh, nothing – by the
way Rogue…that conversation we all had last week…I was right – no two ways
about it!"
"What?!" she said
looking at Storm, then at Logan and back at Storm. Logan smirked – he didn't know what they were referring to, but
he knew it had something to do with him and the day's events.
"Rookies!" he said
looking at Remy and Rogue and laughing. "An F5 with my name on it eh?"
Remy and Rogue looked
at each other in a state of shock.
"Good night you two"
Storm said as she turned toward the door, pulling Logan with her. "By the way – if you hear any unusual animal
sounds coming from around the lake…do us a favor - don't investigate."
"Stormy," Remy
inquisitively said. "With dat beast
around, we hear animal sounds all de time. What make you tink we investigate now?"
"Remy…" she said as
they walked out the room. "Who said
anything about HIM?"
Remy and Rogue were
left speechless as their jaws nearly dropped to the ground.
***The
End***
Please review this story – tell me what you think of it. Constructive criticism really helps me out.
[KB1]cliche