Kage-robot-of-darkness: Piotr choked because St. John's comment was unexpected, and he still thought that hotdogs were really made of dog. I mean, how many times does a known thief tell the truth? P.S. thanx 4 the reviews!

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Chapter 12
Pop the Question Already!

After dinner, Gambit, Piotr, and St. John were on the couch watching TV. Well, they weren't really watching TV, because St. John had control of the new remote and was channel surfing. Gambit and Piotr sat and quietly plotted how to get the remote.

* * *

Aidan and Jennie were in Jennie's room doing girlie things like painting their toenails and putting their hair up in hot curlers.

"Why are we doing this?" Aidan asked.

"Because we can," Jennie replied. "Plus, I don't think Colossus would willingly let us paint HIS toes red, do you?"

Aidan snickered. "I suppose not... But John probably would."

Jennie smirked and muttered, "Yeah, he'd do anything for you."

Aidan looked confused. "Huh?"

"What? Don't you like him?"

"Of course I do!" Aidan crossed her legs on the bed. "But what does that have to do with him doing things for me?"

"He likes you too, y'know." Jennie sat down behind Aidan and began putting the curlers in her hair.

"Yeah, so?"

"So... what're you two gonna do about it?"

"What d'you mean? We're living together, aren't we?"

"Well, so are Piotr and I, but that doesn't mean there's anything happenin' there. Too bad, though. Russian and Cajun are a pretty lively mixture, eh?"

Aidan giggled. "Well, what do you want me to do? Ask him on a date or something? I'm sure that'll go over well. Two pyromaniacs share a romantic CANDLELIT dinner. Details at eleven. We'll be on the news again."

"Nobody said the dinner had to be candlelit."

"What other kinds of first date dinners are there? He's not takin' me to a McDonald's."

"Want me to drop some hints? Huh, huh, huh? Maybe he'll ask you." Aidan caught Jennie's smirk out of the corner of her eye. It revealed a little bit of evil mixed with mischief.

"No!" Aidan smacked Jennie's hand away from her hair and turned to face her. "I know that smirk. You did that before Gambit sent that fleet of cards at me at the wharf. We all know how well that turned out."

"Oh, come on! I'll behave myself! I promise. Subtle hints, Aidan. Subtle..."

"Subtle?"

Jennie nodded.

"Subtle like: 'Hey, John! Aidan wants to go on a date! Ask her now!!!'?"

"So you DO wanna go on a date!"

"That's not what I said."

"Then what did you say?" Jennie leaned closer, hoping to pull off the annoying stare that always got her way.

"I said... nothing... Just roll my hair and shut up."

* * *

St. John passed channel 18 for the twentieth time. Gambit looked at Piotr and Piotr nodded.

"Hey, Pyro! Fire!" Gambit yelled and pointed to the wall behind St. John.

"Where?!" Pyro yelled excitedly, dropping the remote.

Colossus leaned over the arm of the Lay-Z-Boy, grabbed the remote and hid it behind his back.

Pyro turned around and looked for the lost remote. "Hey, you blokes. That wasn't funny. Now where's that blasted remote?"

Gambit decided it was time to take John's mind off of the TV for a while. "So, mon ami, what's up wit you 'n dat femme fire starter?"

Happy-go-lucky Pyro suddenly became defensive. "Nothin's up, mate. Jus' the usual. She starts a fire, we play with it, you kill it."

"Come now, comrade," Colossus interjected, "you cannot say that you do not have feelings for the young lady."

" 'Course I do, mate! Who wouldn't? She's the greatest. A Fire Goddess. I've said it before, y'know."

"We know," Gambit said, "but you haven't said anyt'in' about HER. Jus' that she creates fire... An' we all know that you love fire."

"More than anythin'," Pyro replied, trying to regain some dignity after his last outburst.

"Anything?" Colossus questioned.

"Well... emm..."

"We thought so," Colossus replied.

"So what if I like 'er?" Pyro asked, abandoning dignity. "Can't a guy like a sheila? Is it a crime or somethin'?"

" 'Course not," Gambit said. "If dat was a crime, Gambit be locked up fa life!"

"Why not ask her to dinner?" Colossus suggested.

Pyro slumped in the couch. "She'll say no."

"Why's 'at?" Gambit asked.

"She doesn't like me, mate. She just puts up with me."

"You do not know that," Colossus said, feeling sorry for the un-insane part of Pyro.

"Yeah, I do."

"Prove it," Gambit ordered. "Ask 'er out. If da fille says 'no', den we'll quit botherin' ya."

"But, I- I dunno- How d'ya ask a sheila out? I've nev'a done it before."

Gambit stood up from his spot on the floor. "Come wit' Gambit." He put his arm around Pyro and led him to his room. "He'll give ya some advice you'll neva fahget."

Colossus stood up and followed them. Poor John would need all the help he could get.

* * *

Pyro sat in Gambit's swivel desk chair, Gambit was perched at the foot of the bed, and Piotr stood in the doorway in metal form.

"Emm, exactly what're y'gonna teach me?" Pyro asked, slightly apprehensive.

"Well, for starters, quit stammerin'," Gambit replied. "Dat definitely doesn't sound confident."

"But, emm, I- I'm not confident."

"Dat's not da point. Jus' SOUND confident. You could be anticipatin' ta get ya ass knocked in da mud, but jus' sound like ya know what you're talkin' 'bout."

"But do not forget," Colossus warned, "too much confidence could become arrogance. Not all women like a lot of arrogance. Some prefer men who are soft-spoken."

"Okay," Pyro said, as he stared at the ceiling looking as though he was memorizing calculus equations. "Confident, not arrogant... soft-spoken..."

"Den, what'cha gotta do is be romantic. All da gals like romance. Y'know, a guy that'll sweep 'em off their feet."

"Remy is right. But do not overdo the romance. You do not want to be tacky."

"Romantic, not tacky... confident, not arrogant..."

"An' don' fahget," Remy warned, "da fille is number one. Please her. Do what she wants ta do."

"Good point," Colossus said.

"Please the sheila... confident, not tacky; romantic, not arrogant... I'm nev'a gonna get it!" St. John threw his hands up in despair.

"Calm down, mon ami, you'll get it. Be cool... suave... calm..."

"Breathe," Colossus said, noticing Pyro's slightly purple face.

Pyro exhaled dramatically and slumped in the chair. "All this thinkin' 'urts me brain," he muttered.

"Try not ta t'ink," Gambit instructed. "Jus' do what comes natural."

"Yeah," Pyro said, "but that's set stuff on fire!"

"Remy, maybe you should help him with his posture. It will get him to stop thinking for a while," Colossus suggested. Actually, Piotr needed a good laugh and thought that this would be the ticket.

"Good idea. Now," Gambit said standing up, "stand up."

Pyro obeyed.

Gambit gave Pyro a quick overlook. They boy was tracing something in the carpet with his right foot, his arms were swinging haphazardly at his sides, his shoulders were hunched, and his head was down. Gambit leaned toward Colossus and hid his mouth with his hand. "Dis gonna be harder than Gambit thought."

Colossus raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

Gambit clapped his hands and Pyro snapped to attention. "Dat's betta," Gambit muttered. "Now, keep ya head up. Don' droop. Droopin' ain't how ta get a lady ta like ya. Dis is where da confidence comes in."

Pyro's fingers began to nervously twitch. Gambit noticed. "Don' do that."

Pyro immediately stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Dere ya go. But don' keep 'em in dere too long. Don' wanna be all sweaty when ya hold 'er hand, no?"

Pyro's eyes widened. "Hand holding? What d'ya mean hand holding?"

"What?" Gambit smirked. "Ya t'ink goin' on a date don' involve touchin'?"

"No, not that, but... hand holding?"

Piotr smirked inwardly. Poor John was really nervous. Time for some words of wisdom. "Now, John, do not get all worked up. What happened the day you took her from the Car Yard?"

"We hung out at the rock quarry," he responded. "Talked 'n played with fire."

"Were you nervous then?"

"No..."

"There you go, then. Just think of the date like you are hanging out. Be yourself... just do not burn anything."

"That simple, eh?" Pyro asked sarcastically.

"Listen ta the Tin-Man," Gambit said. "He's right. Don' be nervous, be y'self."

Pyro sank back into the chair, praying to any and all Gods that he wouldn't mess this up.

* * *

Aidan took the last hot roller out of her hair and Jennie checked her toes.

"So, are you gonna ask him or not?" Jennie asked.

"I don't know, all right?" Aidan snapped, running her fingers through her hair. "Just lemme think about it."

"Don't take too long, though. He may get the idea you don't like him," Jennie teased. She stood up and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Aidan asked.

"Cucumbers for the face packs," Jennie replied and walked into the hall.

They boys weren't in the living room anymore, and the TV wasn't on. Good God, did Magneto come after them? The TV was never off. She then heard voices in Gambit's room. She walked up to the door and knocked.

"OW!!"

Piotr turned around and quickly de-metaled himself. "Sorry, Jennie. I forgot."

Pyro stuck his head around Piotr's arm. "Crickey! It's Medusa!"

"Ha, ha, John," Jennie muttered.

"Hey! Dat's Gambit's femme you're talkin' 'bout, Aussie-boy!" Gambit's voice floated out of the room. He stepped around Piotr, prepared to give Jennie a hug. "Hey, chère, how- eeg!"

"You're funnier than John, Remy. Really a riot," Jennie said dryly.

"Sorry, chère, but ya gotta warn us when ya show up like 'at." He gave her a hug.

"Cute..." Her eyes flickered. "So what were you boys talking about?"

"Nothing," all three said in unison.

Jennie put her hands on her hips. "Now, I know something's up. What's going on?"

"Nothing," they replied.

"Fine," Jennie said, "I'm gonna go get my cucumbers."

"Food?" St. John's spirits perked up for a split second before Gambit stomped on his instep and innocently smiled as Jennie left for the kitchen.

* * *

Aidan and Jennie had their faces covered with cold cream and were eating the cucumber slices.

"It took you a while to get that cucumber," Aidan stated.

"No, it didn't."

"What did you tell him?" Aidan asked, slightly scared.

Jennie held up her right hand. "Nothing. I swear."

"I don't believe you."

"I swear, Aidan. I went to get the veggie and saw that the boys were having a slumber party in Remy's room. I asked what they were doing and they wouldn't tell me. Of course, this is after St. John yelled out that I was Medusa..."

"Okay, then," Aidan said, still a little leery. "I'm gonna go chip the mud off my face."

She stood up and went to the bathroom. Jennie lay back on her bed and popped another slice of cucumber in her mouth.

Suddenly, St. John stepped into the doorway. "Hey, is- aaahhhh!"

"Knock it off, John," Jennie said, irritated.

"Crickey, sheila! What'd ya do to y'face?"

"It's beauty cream, you moron."

"Well, y'better take it off then, 'cuz it ain't workin'."

Jennie threw her alarm clock at him. He ducked, clock scraping his back. "Chill out! I'm jus' lookin' for Aidan."

"She's in the bathroom."

"Y'know when she'll be back?"

"Sorry, John, I'm not God. Try again later." This time, she threw her lampshade and it hit him in the head.

"All right! I'm goin'!"

John closed the door behind him and bumped into Aidan.

"Hey, John," she said.

"Uh...hey, sheila. What's new?"

"Not much that you don't already know about. You live here too, y'know."

"Oh... right..." John looked over Aidan's shoulder and saw Remy and Piotr in Remy's doorway. Remy was mouthing the words 'well, go on already', and Piotr looked like he was ready to slap the Cajun.

"Emm, well, I, uh, I was jus' wonderin' if..."

"He's stammerin'," Remy whispered to Piotr.

"Hush," Piotr whispered back.

"... i-if you would like to, uh, goonadatewithme??"

Aidan looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"I thought so," St. John muttered and sulked into Remy's room.

Aidan watched him walk away and wondered how many times he was dropped on his head as a child. She went back to Jennie's room.

* * *

"What da hell's da matter wit you?!" Remy yelled.

"Now, comrade, I do not think that yelling is such-"

"Shut up!" Remy yelled. "Why'd ya stammer? Stammerin's not confident. You must be confident."

"But I told ya she did'n' wanna go out with me, mate. She jus' proved me point." He spun desolately on the swivel chair.

"She did not prove your point," Piotr said. "You proved your point."

"Eh?" Remy and St. John were both confused.

"You spoke so fast, Pietro would be jealous," Piotr explained. "She did not understand you."

"Hell, WE barely understood ya," Remy muttered, " 'n we knew what you were sayin'."

"Ask her again, and speak slower this time," Piotr said while pushing St. John out the door.

The door shut in his face. "Bugger," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Aahh!" St. John yelped and spun around. It was Aidan. Oh dear God... "Em, nothin', sheila, jus'..."

"Were you trying to ask me out on a date?" Aidan asked.

Oh Lord, was she telepathic too? What was he gonna do? "Well, y-no, um, ye-maybe, uh... yes I was."

Aidan smiled.

Was smiling good? He always smiled when he was happy. But when he was happy, other people were mad... usually because their stuff was on fire. But that wasn't the point. He asked her out and she was smiling. So was it good or bad?

"So...?" St. John asked, hoping he didn't sound like an idiot.

"Don't say 'so...'" Aidan said, "you sound like and idiot."

St. John felt his heart tear into teeny, tiny, little, irreparable pieces.

"Where are you taking me, and what time are you picking me up?" Aidan asked and kissed his cheek.

Did he say irreparable? Maybe with a few paperclips and some duct tape... He watched Aidan walk to her room. When she was out of sight, he whipped out his lighter, made a basketball and net, and took a shot. "He shoots; he SCORES!!"