I Dare You To Love Me

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize in this fic does not belong to me.

Author's Note: We are nearing the end, my friends… hey, that rhymes! (rolls eyes) The next chapter will take a little longer to post because it's going to be one of the most important parts of the story and I am suffering from writer's block ^-^ Alison Sky, me, Trunks-Girl, evolutionary spider, you guys rock! ^-^

CHAPTER EIGHT

Standing at the top of the stairs was a teenage girl who looked way too beautiful to be Kitty Pryde. The silky powder blue gown, with just the slightest hint of sparkle, emphasized her eyes and creamy, flawless skin. Her hair was twisted up in a stylish ponytail and fell in rich chestnut-colored, glossy curls to her shoulders.

Damn! was the first coherent thought that entered Pietro's mind as the girl descended the stairs, her delicate pink lips curved in a somewhat nervous smile. He was tempted to ask if she was really his date, but as soon as she got closer, he realized that, underneath the sophisticated, beautiful exterior, the bubbly valley girl was still there, in the innocent sparkle of eyes as clear and porcelain blue as an angel's.

"You're gorgeous." The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Kitty was surprised. She hadn't expected him to say that. She hadn't expected him to look so good in a tuxedo, either. The black suit brought out his green-blue eyes and went well with his silvery hair and pale coloring. She giggled. "Like, thanks. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Ahem." Logan cleared his throat, bringing the two teenagers back to the real world. Pietro made eye contact with him and Logan bared his teeth slightly. The message was clear: Touch the girl and you die.

The speed demon gulped.

The X-men seemed to have gotten over their astonishment. "You look great, Kitty," said Jean. "I especially like your hair."

"Marie styled it," Kitty smiled at Rogue. "Although it was, like, very painful."

"Yah're welcome," said Rogue dryly.

Scott stood up. "Let's get going. We don't want to be late." He nodded to the grandfather clock, which showed the time to be a quarter to eight.

"Have a good time, and be back before midnight," Logan growled as the X-men left, with the exception of Rogue and Kitty.

"Aren't you going to the prom?" Pietro asked Rogue, who rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course Ah am goin', Ah am not wearin' this fancy dress for nothin', ya know… but thing is, Ah'm hitchin' a ride with yah."

"WHAT?" Pietro exclaimed. He did not want to ride with Goth girl. "Why?"

Rogue gave him a disdainful look. "There ain't enough room for all of us in Scott's car. Ah already asked Kitty about it and she said it was alright." Actually, we just wanted to make sure you wouldn't hold her at gunpoint and demand a ransom of a hundred billion dollars, or something like that.

"I didn't think you would, like, mind," Kitty said hurriedly.

Pietro strangely wanted to smash his head against the wall for making his date look so guilty. "I don't mind. It's cool." He blinked, remembering the corsage stuffed in his pocket, and fished it out, holding it out to Kitty. "For you, by the way."

Her face lit up and he felt the crazy urge to kiss her. "Ohmigod, it's so beautiful!" she gushed. "I, like, totally love it! Thanks!" She looked at him expectantly.

Silence.

"Yah gotta pin it tah her dress," Rogue informed him.

Logan suddenly came nearer, looking so menacing that Pietro wanted to disappear. "Does he really have to do that?" The expression on his face made it clear that he didn't want the silver-haired mutant to be touching anything near Kitty's chest area.

"Yeah. It's, like, tradition."

"All right." The older man sighed. "But that better be all you're gonna do, Speedy."

Pietro tried to control his trembling fingers as he pinned the corsage to the front of Kitty's dress under Logan's intent glare. When he was finished, she smiled softly at him, a smile so lovely it made his heart skip a beat. Shit, what's happening to me? he silently wondered.

Logan escorted the three of them to the doors of the mansion. "Have her back before midnight, Speedy," he told Pietro with an undertone of a threat. "And keep your hands to yourself. No funny business, got that?"

The speed demon mutely nodded. And as he steered his car past the gates of the X mansion, with his drop-dead beautiful date beside him and a Goth girl in the backseat, he felt lucky to have gotten out of there alive.