Chapter Three
Ororo slept until ten in the morning, waking briefly to eat something, and then went back to bed. When she awoke again, two hours later, she finally got up. Taking a long shower and combing out her hair, Ororo brushed her teeth. She felt moderately refreshed, but was still tired from the long night. She came down the stairs and found Jean and Scott arguing good-naturedly over a pancake and Wolverine and Rogue discussing politics.
"Did you just get up, Ro?" Scott asked, pushing a chair towards her with his foot. She sank down onto it.
"No, I was up earlier, I just went back to bed." She sighed, picking up an apple and rolling it around on the table. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked.
"We could go see a movie?" Rogue offered. "There's some new action thriller out, lot's of blood and guts, some explosions, generally cool stuff."
"Why do you like those movies, Marie?" Jean asked with a touch of exasperation. "Why can't you ever go see a nice romantic comedy."
"Ew, chick flicks?" Marie asked, making a face. "Those things are always so predictable."
"Yes, unlike the action films," Jean said sarcastically.
"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, Red," Rogue said with a grin.
Jean rolled her eyes, about to retort when the doorbell rang. The students weren't supposed to answer the door, so Jean heaved herself to her feet. "Don't trouble yourselves, I'll get it," she said when none of the others so much as moved to get up.
"I appreciate it, Jean," Wolverine said with a grin.
Jean ignored him and headed for the door. She returned with a sly smile on her face and a dozen white roses in her hand. Ororo looked up in surprise as Jean laid them in front of her. "What are these?" she asked.
"These were just delivered for you, Ororo," Jean said with a twinkle in her eye. "Perhaps from a certain someone we all saw you kiss last night."
Ororo blushed. They had seen that? She shook off the embarrassment; what did she care if they saw her? She was a grown woman and she could do what she pleased. She picked up the card.
Liebling,
I hope you enjoy the roses. When I saw them I thought of you.
I also hope you will not think me too forward when I tell you that I have
made reservations at a restaurant for us tonight. I have only a moment
before I must leave for work, but I will call you later to confirm.
~Your Overt Admirer,
Kurt Wagner
Ororo smiled as she read the card, a warm feeling stealing over her. He really liked her. Her smile widened. She really liked him too. She did not notice until she had finished reading the card that the others were all looking at her expectantly. "What?" she asked, a little perturbed.
"Oh nothing," Rogue said, a little smile on her face.
"Yes, nothing," Jean added, an equally small but just as smug smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Wolverine was also giving her a speculative look. "So, who's this guy you're goin' out with?" he asked.
"None of your business," Ororo said.
"His name is Kurt Wagner, she met him at the club last night," Scott said, filling him in.
Ororo glared at the leader of the X-Men, "Thanks a lot, Scott!" Ororo said angrily. "You had better not go snooping around with your over protectiveness in full swing," Ororo warned. "If you so much as growl at Kurt you will be dodging lightning bolts for a week!"
"Look, I just want to make sure he's not trying to take advantage of you," Wolverine said in his defense. "Let's make sure his intentions are honorable."
"I can take care of myself, Logan," Ororo said with a small grin. "I'm a big girl." "The one you should worry about it Marie, she's been throwing herself at every guy she's met in that club for over a week now."
Rogue suddenly looked very guilty, refusing to meet Wolverine's eyes. "I wouldn't say 'throwing myself'," Rogue said quickly.
"I would," Scott said with a snort. Marie glared at him, then stood up and left the table.
Ororo just shook her head and ignored the drama going on around her. Suddenly she was in a really good mood. She stood up, newly energized. "I guess I'll go put these in some water," she said, standing and picking up her roses. With that she left the room.
The phone rang around five thirty. Ororo hurried into the hall to find six-year-old Tiffany Browning holding an animated conversation with someone on the other end. "I don't know anybody with that name," she said carefully, her little tail twitching in confusion. "Maybe I should ask the teachers?" she asked. "Ok, I'll ask someone." She turned around to find Miss Monroe watching her with one brow raised. "Uh-oh," she said.
"Tiffany, honey, you are not supposed to answer the phones," Ororo told her, taking it from her.
"But it rang and no one was here," Tiffany protested.
"Next time let it ring, someone else will get it," Storm said.
"Ok, the man said he wanted to talk to Or-ora," Tiffany said importantly. "Who is that, Miss Monroe?"
Ororo's hear skipped a beat. She scolded herself, the immaturity of such a reaction to a mere phone call was wildly inappropriate. She had just met the man after all. "That's my first name, Tiffany, now go on out and play." Ororo watched her skip off and turned her attention to the phone. "Hello?" she asked into the receiver.
"Did I call at a bad time?" a German accented voice asked, his tone rich with amusement.
"No, you just got the wrong little person on the phone," Ororo replied. "Sorry about that, the smaller one's aren't supposed to answer it."
"So I was led to understand," Kurt replied. He had overheard Ororo and Tiffany's conversation. "So, what do you teach?" he asked.
Ororo grinned, "A little bit of elementary and Calculus," she replied.
"An interesting mix," Kurt commented. Then he turned the subject back to the reason he had called.
"So, have you decided whether you will come with me to dinner tonight?" he asked, trying not to sound too desperate.
"I'd love to," Ororo said. "I hope that didn't sound desperate," she thought suddenly self-conscious.
"Great, I'll pick you up at eight," he said.
"Oh, Kurt?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes?" he asked, bated breath, hoping she hadn't just remembered a previous engagement.
"How dressy is this place?" Ororo asked.
"About as dressy as last night's club, I'm afraid," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "There are not many fancy restaurants that will serve a blue man without too many stares."
"I understand," Ororo said, and she did. "I'm looking forward to it," she told him warmly.
"I'll see you then," Kurt said. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye," Ororo said, hanging up and releasing a long drawn out sigh. Now to figure out what to wear! She headed up to her room, calling for Jean and Marie as she did so. This was going to need some serious thought and who better to help her choose than her best girlfriends?
Ororo slept until ten in the morning, waking briefly to eat something, and then went back to bed. When she awoke again, two hours later, she finally got up. Taking a long shower and combing out her hair, Ororo brushed her teeth. She felt moderately refreshed, but was still tired from the long night. She came down the stairs and found Jean and Scott arguing good-naturedly over a pancake and Wolverine and Rogue discussing politics.
"Did you just get up, Ro?" Scott asked, pushing a chair towards her with his foot. She sank down onto it.
"No, I was up earlier, I just went back to bed." She sighed, picking up an apple and rolling it around on the table. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked.
"We could go see a movie?" Rogue offered. "There's some new action thriller out, lot's of blood and guts, some explosions, generally cool stuff."
"Why do you like those movies, Marie?" Jean asked with a touch of exasperation. "Why can't you ever go see a nice romantic comedy."
"Ew, chick flicks?" Marie asked, making a face. "Those things are always so predictable."
"Yes, unlike the action films," Jean said sarcastically.
"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, Red," Rogue said with a grin.
Jean rolled her eyes, about to retort when the doorbell rang. The students weren't supposed to answer the door, so Jean heaved herself to her feet. "Don't trouble yourselves, I'll get it," she said when none of the others so much as moved to get up.
"I appreciate it, Jean," Wolverine said with a grin.
Jean ignored him and headed for the door. She returned with a sly smile on her face and a dozen white roses in her hand. Ororo looked up in surprise as Jean laid them in front of her. "What are these?" she asked.
"These were just delivered for you, Ororo," Jean said with a twinkle in her eye. "Perhaps from a certain someone we all saw you kiss last night."
Ororo blushed. They had seen that? She shook off the embarrassment; what did she care if they saw her? She was a grown woman and she could do what she pleased. She picked up the card.
Liebling,
I hope you enjoy the roses. When I saw them I thought of you.
I also hope you will not think me too forward when I tell you that I have
made reservations at a restaurant for us tonight. I have only a moment
before I must leave for work, but I will call you later to confirm.
~Your Overt Admirer,
Kurt Wagner
Ororo smiled as she read the card, a warm feeling stealing over her. He really liked her. Her smile widened. She really liked him too. She did not notice until she had finished reading the card that the others were all looking at her expectantly. "What?" she asked, a little perturbed.
"Oh nothing," Rogue said, a little smile on her face.
"Yes, nothing," Jean added, an equally small but just as smug smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Wolverine was also giving her a speculative look. "So, who's this guy you're goin' out with?" he asked.
"None of your business," Ororo said.
"His name is Kurt Wagner, she met him at the club last night," Scott said, filling him in.
Ororo glared at the leader of the X-Men, "Thanks a lot, Scott!" Ororo said angrily. "You had better not go snooping around with your over protectiveness in full swing," Ororo warned. "If you so much as growl at Kurt you will be dodging lightning bolts for a week!"
"Look, I just want to make sure he's not trying to take advantage of you," Wolverine said in his defense. "Let's make sure his intentions are honorable."
"I can take care of myself, Logan," Ororo said with a small grin. "I'm a big girl." "The one you should worry about it Marie, she's been throwing herself at every guy she's met in that club for over a week now."
Rogue suddenly looked very guilty, refusing to meet Wolverine's eyes. "I wouldn't say 'throwing myself'," Rogue said quickly.
"I would," Scott said with a snort. Marie glared at him, then stood up and left the table.
Ororo just shook her head and ignored the drama going on around her. Suddenly she was in a really good mood. She stood up, newly energized. "I guess I'll go put these in some water," she said, standing and picking up her roses. With that she left the room.
The phone rang around five thirty. Ororo hurried into the hall to find six-year-old Tiffany Browning holding an animated conversation with someone on the other end. "I don't know anybody with that name," she said carefully, her little tail twitching in confusion. "Maybe I should ask the teachers?" she asked. "Ok, I'll ask someone." She turned around to find Miss Monroe watching her with one brow raised. "Uh-oh," she said.
"Tiffany, honey, you are not supposed to answer the phones," Ororo told her, taking it from her.
"But it rang and no one was here," Tiffany protested.
"Next time let it ring, someone else will get it," Storm said.
"Ok, the man said he wanted to talk to Or-ora," Tiffany said importantly. "Who is that, Miss Monroe?"
Ororo's hear skipped a beat. She scolded herself, the immaturity of such a reaction to a mere phone call was wildly inappropriate. She had just met the man after all. "That's my first name, Tiffany, now go on out and play." Ororo watched her skip off and turned her attention to the phone. "Hello?" she asked into the receiver.
"Did I call at a bad time?" a German accented voice asked, his tone rich with amusement.
"No, you just got the wrong little person on the phone," Ororo replied. "Sorry about that, the smaller one's aren't supposed to answer it."
"So I was led to understand," Kurt replied. He had overheard Ororo and Tiffany's conversation. "So, what do you teach?" he asked.
Ororo grinned, "A little bit of elementary and Calculus," she replied.
"An interesting mix," Kurt commented. Then he turned the subject back to the reason he had called.
"So, have you decided whether you will come with me to dinner tonight?" he asked, trying not to sound too desperate.
"I'd love to," Ororo said. "I hope that didn't sound desperate," she thought suddenly self-conscious.
"Great, I'll pick you up at eight," he said.
"Oh, Kurt?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes?" he asked, bated breath, hoping she hadn't just remembered a previous engagement.
"How dressy is this place?" Ororo asked.
"About as dressy as last night's club, I'm afraid," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "There are not many fancy restaurants that will serve a blue man without too many stares."
"I understand," Ororo said, and she did. "I'm looking forward to it," she told him warmly.
"I'll see you then," Kurt said. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye," Ororo said, hanging up and releasing a long drawn out sigh. Now to figure out what to wear! She headed up to her room, calling for Jean and Marie as she did so. This was going to need some serious thought and who better to help her choose than her best girlfriends?