Tolerance
By: Kryptonite
A/N: Okay I 've finally finished. Definitely different than what I had thought was going to happen and a lot quicker. The whole thing without any formatting is 21 pages. Oh well, that's still a lot of words :D I hope everyone who reads, reads until the end and understands what I'm trying to say, there is a moral in here. Thought I did write it out as Rae's thoughts. Please review if you read, I want to know what you think.
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"Make it worse!" he bellowed, now drawing the attention of the host at the front of the restaurant.
"I think you may be a part of the problem," murmured Ororo, as she glanced back towards the woman.
"Me?" asked Kurt uncertainly.
"Or maybe I should say 'us'," she amended, releasing his wrist.
Kurt paused for a moment, blinking as this information sunk in. "Is it because…"
"You're white," concluded Ororo, staring up at him with a wry smile. "And I'm not."
The tall man clenched his fists and spat something in German. Ororo couldn't understand what he had said, but she assumed that it had been particularly nasty and something he wouldn't normally say. She turned away from him, staring down at her half-eaten meal.
"I'm not very hungry anymore. Can we please go home?" she beseeched.
"Nein. That is what she wants," he replied, waving his hand in the offender's direction.
"Kurt," Ororo whispered desperately. "I honestly think I'll be sick if I try to eat."
He paused for a moment, staring down at her eyes, which burned with anger, shame, and hurt. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and hold her until the world vanished. Instead, Kurt let out a heavy sigh and nodded somberly.
"As you wish, fraulein."
The ride home was tense. Ororo refused to speak or to even look at Kurt. Her eyes remained locked on the winding road ahead. Her thoughts were a tangled mess; overhead clouds were beginning to build up and a light drizzle began. Kurt sensed that she needed the time to think, to sort things out, and remained quiet.
By the time they arrived back at the mansion, Ororo had mastered her emotions. Stars were once again blinking down through the clearing cloud cover. Half way across the front lawn, Kurt hung back. Ororo stopped and turned to him. He was fidgeting nervously.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, her voice strained.
"About tonight…"
"Just forget it, Kurt," Ororo interrupted, sounding sharper than she had intended.
"Nein," he insisted, taking a step toward her. He reached out and carefully brushed a loose wisp of hair away from her face. She pulled away slightly. "I know you must be angry…"
"Angry?" she spat. "Angry? Come on, Kurt. You heard what she called me. All because she didn't like the color of my skin!"
"I know," Kurt replied softly, ducking his head.
Ororo let out a disgusted noise. "I'm sick of it, Kurt. I'm sick of the stares I get in public. If it's not because I'm a mutant, it's something else. I'm sick of the whispers, the pointed fingers. I'm sick of the hate! Sometimes I wonder if Magneto isn't right, if this world wouldn't be better without them…"
"You do not mean that," he argued.
"No, Kurt. I do. I hate them." Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Her stomach churned and for a moment Ororo thought she was going to be sick there in front of him. "I hate them, Kurt. I hate all of them."
"Nein, fraulein. Nein," murmured Kurt comfortingly, reaching out and trying to pull her into his arms. Ororo resisted, pushing away.
"You don't understand," she stated vehemently.
"What do I not understand?" he replied, a hint of anger in his voice.
"You just don't understand," repeated Ororo, withdrawing into herself. Nothing mattered to her but her own pain. She wanted to go somewhere alone to lick her wounds. She wanted to be left alone.
"Do I not understand the jeers? The looks of fear and hatred?" spat Kurt, his eyes narrowing. He reached down and tore the image inducer off of his wrist. The hologram projection flickered and died. He gestured to himself. "Do you really think that I do not understand how it feels to be despised, fraulein? Nein. You are too wrapped up in your own self-pity to realize that you are not the only one who has suffered."
Ororo stared dumbfounded at the man in front of her. Kurt had never before raised his voice, had never lost his cool. And now he was glaring angrily at her, his lips twisted into a grim frown. The look on his face only made Ororo want to cry harder.
"I…I'm sorry, Kurt," she muttered lamely. She looked away, too ashamed to look him in the eye.
"Whatever," he replied moodily.
"I said I was sorry! What more do you want?" snapped Ororo.
(A/N: The rest is my own.)
" I guess I can't ask for anymore. Good night." Kurt teleported away and Ororo stormed angrily through the door and into her room where she could cry as she long and hard as she wanted.