AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to dragonlady sakura, gethmane8, Saki, and S.W.H
for the faithful reviews! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I almost
dropped the end of the story altogether, but I couldn't let it end on that
sappy note.
"Okay, class, as we have already discussed, the World War II Debate is tomorrow. However, now I am throwing you a curve ball: you must argue the topic that you were originally opposing." The class of 68 students omitted a uniform groan, and many heads were heard banging upon their desks in frustration. "So, if you were assigned to support the Axis, you will now be a part of the Allies, and visa versa. Oh, I don't want to hear a single complaint! I specifically told you that your grade would rely more on how well you knew your opponent's argument than how well you knew your own. However," she added, noting the large grin on Alex Summers' face, "procrastinators will not be rewarded; I am still collecting your index cards for your original topic." Alex dropped his grin and slumped forward in his seat. "You presentation will be worth forty percent..."
Ororo felt her own voice drifting away, as she began to think of Victor. It had been seventeen days since she had first reconnected with him again, and their love had grown dramatically in that short time. She visited his subconscious daily, with Jean's help. Each day, they seemed to become closer than ever before, as if the relationship that had severed five years ago had began fresh on that evening, three weeks ago. Between her monotone instructions, she glanced at the clock. Four more hours until she could see him again.
Suddenly, her thoughts were disrupted by the loud swing of her classroom door. Dr. Hank McCoy walked in, signaled for her to come outside, and then shut the door quietly. Ororo turned to the now-bustling room. "You have five minutes until the end of class. In that time, you can re-organize your notes for tomorrow. You have the rest of the day to get together with a classmate if you are not yet prepared, though you should be. But remember that I shall be asking Cerebro to cross-reference all your material, and I will give any linked matches a score of 0."
With that, she stepped outside into the perfectly quiet corridor, where her enormous friend was pacing and twirling the blue fur of his knuckles. She immediately recognized his nervous habit. "Hank, are you alright?"
He gave a weak smile and motioned for her to follow him. "We should probably speak in a more private setting." Once inside his office, he handed her a small glass of water and gently seated her upon a comfortable sofa.
"Hank," Munroe commanded, tense with worry, "tell me what is wrong."
"Ororo," he began, somewhat shakily, "it appears that Victor has awoken from his coma. We tried our best to subdue him, but-"
She felt her heart skip a beat and then pound with excitement, as the glass in her hand clanked to the floor. "I have to see him!" she cried, through a small bit of laughter.
"No, Ororo, you don't understand-" But before Hank could get another word out of his mouth, she had risen and flown at top speed down the hallway. She impatiently pressed the elevator button twelve times before she realized that it had to be broken. Shrugging, she ran to the stairway, but was met with a harsh blow.
Victor, who was walking unaided and fully clothed (though his shirt was badly riddled with several unmistakable slashes of Wolverine's claws), had run into her. Without so much as a second glance, he stomped out of the lobby and into the morning sun.
Ororo, hardly believing this inexplicable twist of fate, yelled after him. "Victor! Victor, wait!!" She yanked the doors open with a gust of wind and pelted after him with incredible speed. "Would you wait one second?!" He grasped his arm and forcibly turned him to face her.
"For what?" he yelled. "Another one of your speeches? I don't know what the fuck you want with me, but I ain't about to-"
"No!" Ororo screamed. "No, for once, you listen to me. I am sick and tired of your shit! If you truly love me, take this one chance to be hap-"
"What?" Something changed in his eyes, and he stopped pulling away from her. "What the hell did you just say?"
"Oh my god," she breathed. "You do not remember."
"Look, I remember you, the fiery bitch, and self-righteous, old Baldy sniffing around in my mind, invading my privacy." His eyes began to take on a violent luster. "And I remember telling myself that I'd give you a proper thank-you as soon as I got out."
She ignored his remark. "Oh, drop this charade. I know how you feel about me. I-" He rolled his eyes and walked away from her. Ororo caught up with him and matched his strides with some difficulty. "I know everything. Look, if you will just-" She stopped him with a huge gust of wind. A few chunks of ice flew into his hair, and she realized for the first time that the weather had suddenly become dark, drizzly, and cold. She tried to suppress her feelings and put on a strong front. "If you will just look into my eyes and tell me honestly that you do not feel anything for me, I will walk away." She paused. "And never bother you again. Ever."
He lowered his face so that he was at her eye-level. "I have never felt anything for you. When we fucked, when we built the house together, every time I told you I loved you, there was nothing there. You were my frail, an interesting little creature I liked to toy with. But you started to get in the way when you had a history with half of all my clients, so I got rid of you. And I haven't regretted it since."
Ororo felt her insides go cold, but set her jaw firm. "Fine," she said. "Then go. And never come back." Before he could turn away, she stormed off, forgetting her front, and let the world go cold. The skies became black and sleet pelted down all around her, making her face and fingers numb. She wanted nothing else in the world than to be entirely numb.
THE END
"Okay, class, as we have already discussed, the World War II Debate is tomorrow. However, now I am throwing you a curve ball: you must argue the topic that you were originally opposing." The class of 68 students omitted a uniform groan, and many heads were heard banging upon their desks in frustration. "So, if you were assigned to support the Axis, you will now be a part of the Allies, and visa versa. Oh, I don't want to hear a single complaint! I specifically told you that your grade would rely more on how well you knew your opponent's argument than how well you knew your own. However," she added, noting the large grin on Alex Summers' face, "procrastinators will not be rewarded; I am still collecting your index cards for your original topic." Alex dropped his grin and slumped forward in his seat. "You presentation will be worth forty percent..."
Ororo felt her own voice drifting away, as she began to think of Victor. It had been seventeen days since she had first reconnected with him again, and their love had grown dramatically in that short time. She visited his subconscious daily, with Jean's help. Each day, they seemed to become closer than ever before, as if the relationship that had severed five years ago had began fresh on that evening, three weeks ago. Between her monotone instructions, she glanced at the clock. Four more hours until she could see him again.
Suddenly, her thoughts were disrupted by the loud swing of her classroom door. Dr. Hank McCoy walked in, signaled for her to come outside, and then shut the door quietly. Ororo turned to the now-bustling room. "You have five minutes until the end of class. In that time, you can re-organize your notes for tomorrow. You have the rest of the day to get together with a classmate if you are not yet prepared, though you should be. But remember that I shall be asking Cerebro to cross-reference all your material, and I will give any linked matches a score of 0."
With that, she stepped outside into the perfectly quiet corridor, where her enormous friend was pacing and twirling the blue fur of his knuckles. She immediately recognized his nervous habit. "Hank, are you alright?"
He gave a weak smile and motioned for her to follow him. "We should probably speak in a more private setting." Once inside his office, he handed her a small glass of water and gently seated her upon a comfortable sofa.
"Hank," Munroe commanded, tense with worry, "tell me what is wrong."
"Ororo," he began, somewhat shakily, "it appears that Victor has awoken from his coma. We tried our best to subdue him, but-"
She felt her heart skip a beat and then pound with excitement, as the glass in her hand clanked to the floor. "I have to see him!" she cried, through a small bit of laughter.
"No, Ororo, you don't understand-" But before Hank could get another word out of his mouth, she had risen and flown at top speed down the hallway. She impatiently pressed the elevator button twelve times before she realized that it had to be broken. Shrugging, she ran to the stairway, but was met with a harsh blow.
Victor, who was walking unaided and fully clothed (though his shirt was badly riddled with several unmistakable slashes of Wolverine's claws), had run into her. Without so much as a second glance, he stomped out of the lobby and into the morning sun.
Ororo, hardly believing this inexplicable twist of fate, yelled after him. "Victor! Victor, wait!!" She yanked the doors open with a gust of wind and pelted after him with incredible speed. "Would you wait one second?!" He grasped his arm and forcibly turned him to face her.
"For what?" he yelled. "Another one of your speeches? I don't know what the fuck you want with me, but I ain't about to-"
"No!" Ororo screamed. "No, for once, you listen to me. I am sick and tired of your shit! If you truly love me, take this one chance to be hap-"
"What?" Something changed in his eyes, and he stopped pulling away from her. "What the hell did you just say?"
"Oh my god," she breathed. "You do not remember."
"Look, I remember you, the fiery bitch, and self-righteous, old Baldy sniffing around in my mind, invading my privacy." His eyes began to take on a violent luster. "And I remember telling myself that I'd give you a proper thank-you as soon as I got out."
She ignored his remark. "Oh, drop this charade. I know how you feel about me. I-" He rolled his eyes and walked away from her. Ororo caught up with him and matched his strides with some difficulty. "I know everything. Look, if you will just-" She stopped him with a huge gust of wind. A few chunks of ice flew into his hair, and she realized for the first time that the weather had suddenly become dark, drizzly, and cold. She tried to suppress her feelings and put on a strong front. "If you will just look into my eyes and tell me honestly that you do not feel anything for me, I will walk away." She paused. "And never bother you again. Ever."
He lowered his face so that he was at her eye-level. "I have never felt anything for you. When we fucked, when we built the house together, every time I told you I loved you, there was nothing there. You were my frail, an interesting little creature I liked to toy with. But you started to get in the way when you had a history with half of all my clients, so I got rid of you. And I haven't regretted it since."
Ororo felt her insides go cold, but set her jaw firm. "Fine," she said. "Then go. And never come back." Before he could turn away, she stormed off, forgetting her front, and let the world go cold. The skies became black and sleet pelted down all around her, making her face and fingers numb. She wanted nothing else in the world than to be entirely numb.
THE END