Disclaimer's: Well, I still don't own it, but if I did... Gambit, here I come! I'm not scared of Rogue... At least not that much...
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I hurried out the mansion door and headed towards the left like Jean said. It wasn't too hard to figure out where Storm went. Her smell was leaving a clear path. (Right now, she smelled like the wind and tears. Great, she really was crying.)
The trail was almost too easy to follow. I found Storm sitting by the little brook that ran through the woods. It was the same one that passed by the back of the mansion.
"Storm," I said, "Everyone's worried about you. Why don't you come back now?" At least she appeared unharmed. The scent of tears was still fresh, though.
She didn't answer, but she didn't try to run away from me. I decided to take that as a good sign and sat down next to her. She moved away. Damn.
"Storm, darlin', listen," I tried again, "You've got the whole mansion worried, and if I don't bring you back, they'll come after you and me. Do you really want them to see you like this?"
She didn't answer. Damn times 2...
"Storm, this is getting ridiculous," I said, "I'm sorry if you're upset with me, but don't take it out on me like this. I'd like it if we could talk rationally about why you're reacting like this. Please?"
Still no answer. Damn times 3...
"'Ro," I said. I tilted her face towards mine, "Don't you think we should go back now?"
She jerked away, "I'll come back now, Logan," she said, "Just don't kiss me again."
Now it was my turn to pull away, "What?" I asked. I thought maybe kissing her had been a little out of line, but I never thought it would cause this kind of reaction!
"Storm?" I said, "What's really wrong?"
"Nothing," she said, avoiding my eyes.
"I mean it," I said, "It can't just be the fact that I kissed you. It was out of line, yes, but I never thought I was a bad enough kisser to induce fear into you."
A faint grin touched her lips, "It wasn't that it was a bad kiss," she said.
"Then what is it, 'Ro?" I asked, "You're terrified of me kissing you. That's not a normal emotion."
"How would you know what's normal with me?" she snapped, "You don't know me at all."
"That's not true," I said, "I know you well enough to hold an intelligent conversation with you."
She turned away, but I went on, "Your favorite color is white. Your favorite song is when Hank plays Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. You say it relaxes you. You love to swim, but hate being in a bathing suit. Your favorite food is anything that Scott hasn't cooked; you don't like the way he does the meat. There's nothing more important to you than keeping us all safe because you think of us as your family. You'd do anything for any of us and the feeling is mutual."
Tears spilled down her cheeks, "You love us all 'Ro," I said, "And yet, right now, you hate me and are terrified of me touching you. Why?"
She turned away, "I don't hate you, Logan."
"You're acting like it," I said, "What's wrong?"
"It doesn't matter," she said, "You know about me, but you don't know me. No one does."
"Then tell me," I said, "I can listen. Tell me why you can't let me get close to you. It's not just me, I can tell."
"You're right," she said, "If anyone else would've said they love me, I would treat them the same way I'm treating you." She got up, "I'm ready to go back now."
"Whatever you say, 'Ro," I got up and followed her back to the mansion...
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I lay in my bed that night, thinking about what Storm had said. At least I knew it wasn't anything personal against me. Now it was a matter of figuring out why she would push away anyone. There has to be a reason. You don't just out of the blue decide, 'Hey, let's exclude all potential males out of my life!' You just don't...
A knock came to my door.
"Who is it?" I called. No answer. Hmm, "Come in."
My door opened. It was a tear streaked Storm. I got up and walked over to her, "'Ro? What's wrong?"
She didn't answer. I led her over to the bed and sat her down. I knelt in front of her, "What's wrong? Darlin', talk to me."
Still no answer. Maybe she doesn't like to talk around me. Then why did she come here? Maybe...
"Come here, darlin'," I said. I moved onto the bed next to her and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned against me.
We stayed like that for awhile. Then she leaned back and looked at me, "I want to tell you a story, Logan," she said, "If you still think you want to hear it."
"Talk to me," I said. She leaned back against me and started to tell me a story..
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"Once upon a time," she started, "There was a girl with a gift. She was always alone. She never had anyone who really understood her. Her parents were dead and she knew no one else to turn to."
"Then, one day, a man named Charles Xavier found her. He took her away from a place where people revered her as a goddess. He taught her many things and showed her that people weren't all bad and neither was life. He unspoiled her from a life of being treated like a queen."
"While she was with this man and his students, she did a great many good things. She helped save lives and she met many good people who were learning to love the world just like herself. She fell in love, like many people do."
"Peter Rasputin, Colossus to the rest of you. He was a good man. You knew him. He was part of our first mission as an X-Men. There was nothing he loved more than the simple things. I admired him for that. Many of the team did."
"I loved him more than anything. There was nothing I wouldn't do for him. I thought that maybe we'd get married. He helped me to forget about all the pain I felt. Then, he left for home. He missed Russia so much. I didn't want to go with him. I loved all the good I was doing here. I couldn't leave the X-Men. He did. He left; I stayed. And now, no one can ever make me leave him behind in my heart. The last I heard, he was married and had a daughter. It could've been mine, but I wouldn't give up what I loved for him. I couldn't."
I looked at her. Her eyes were tired.
"That's why this with you scares me, Logan," she said, "I care about you. A lot. Maybe more than about him. He was my best friend and I don't want to replace him, but you make me want to. I don't want you to leave like he did."
So that was it. The truth was out. That's why she thinks everything's a fling. Now she thinks that no matter how long you're with someone, it doesn't matter. They can still leave...
I tilted her face up to mine, "I won't lie to you, darlin'," I said, "I won't promise I'll be around forever, because I know I won't and I don't like lying to the people I love."
She looked at me.
"I'm not one to say what you should or shouldn't do," I said, "But if you want to let something that could be forever slip away, fine. That's OK. It's OK not to want to get your heart broken. If you want to try, I can't guarantee you won't get your heart broken. Right now, all I know is it breaks my heart to see you in pain."
She kept looking at me.
"I do know," I said, "That I'd rather have my heart broken than break yours. So if you want to not be with me, that's OK. But I have to tell you, about what you asked before, right now, I will love you tomorrow and every day after that I can see. I don't know if it will turn out that way, but if it does, I think it would be great."
She kept looking.
"I love you, darlin'," I said, "Now, it's up to you. I won't kiss you anymore if you don't want me to. If you want me to, you'll have to ask, or kiss me yourself. I'm not going to hurt you now."
She leaned away from me and started to get up. I unwrapped my arms from around her waist and let her get up. She stopped about halfway and put her arms around my neck. White eyes met black ones and lips met lips.
I don't know how long we stayed like that. Time passed very slowly. Almost like it wasn't moving at all. I hated to break up the kiss but having a healing factor doesn't mean you don't need to breathe...
We pulled apart and looked at each other. She smiled, "If I didn't know any better, Logan," she said, "I'd think maybe we could try this kiss again."
"I think you know a lot," I said. We smiled and kissed again. This was definitely better than the first kissing attempt I made. The kiss was changing from a sweet kiss to a passionate kiss. I went with it. Who knew where we'd end up?
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Well, are you happy? I hope so. I figured I'd better get them together soon before I had a mob on my hands... You like the way I did it? I hope it wasn't too mushy for Logan. I just tried to make him sound a little romantic as we all know he can be if he really tries... Review and give me feedback. I also need to know if I should end it here. Should I write more about their relationship or just leave it at they got together? I don't do NC-17 stuff, so don't expect anything too graphic if I write more, K?
Thanx, ja ne! The Management