A/N: Fluff warning!! I placed this fic under Humor/Romance for a reason.
Yes, there were some slight mentionings of an Aidan/Pyro romance, but this
chapter is giving you what you want. More than just mentionings. If you
really didn't want 'more than mentionings', then, well, too bad, it's my
story... Also, as a side note, I know the ending of this chapter seems
final, but there is an epilogue on the way!
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Chapter Seventeen
After the Date
St. John didn't feel like he could open his eyes. Nothing felt broken, though. But he had a bugger of a headache. Suddenly his eyes shot open. Aidan!
He stood up on wobbly knees and looked around. Rogue and Kurt were still knocked out, Wolverine was checking on Jean and Scott, and Aidan...
Where was she?
He continued to scan the surrounding area.
There she was. Over by the fountain. He rushed over to her and discovered that her head was bleeding.
"Oh, bugger..." he muttered, wrapping his arms around her. "No... Aidan? Aidan, wake up, love."
She didn't respond, and her head lolled back and forth in his arms.
"No..." he whispered.
"NO!"
* * *
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were on the couch. Piotr was in charge of the remote and turned the TV to Comedy Central.
"I think I understand..." Piotr said.
"Understand what?" Jennie asked.
" 'The Night of the Cow'," Piotr replied. "It is called that BECAUSE nothing good happens to the cow!" With a short laugh, Piotr actually smirked. "That is quite funny."
"It's three a.m.," Remy pointed out. "Shouldn't da kids be home by now?"
Just as he finished his sentence, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway was heard.
"Here they come," Jennie said. "Pretend we weren't waiting up for them!"
The door swung open to reveal John holding Aidan in his arms.
Everyone's smiles melted off their faces.
"Oh, my God, what happened?!" Jennie yelled, half hysterical.
"We 'ad a little problem," John said, devoid of emotion.
"She's bleedin', mon ami," Remy said.
"Yeah..." John acknowledged. "We got a Band-Aid or somethin'?"
"You will need more than a Band-Aid, comrade," Piotr said. "Follow me."
John followed Piotr to the bathroom where they proceeded to bandage Aidan's head wound.
Jennie sank onto the couch.
"You okay, chère," Remy asked.
"Remy, none of us have ever come back from a battle like that. Not even when you guys fought Apocalypse..."
He sat down next to Jennie and put his arm around her. "She'll be all right, chère. Aidan's a fighter. It'll take more dan a bump on da head ta put out dat fille's fire."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I sure hope you're right..."
* * *
St. John gently placed Aidan's lifeless body on his bed. He kneeled down next to the bed and held her hand in his. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, a single tear escaping the confines of his eye. "Some bang up first date we 'ad, eh?"
* * *
Darkness.
Pain.
John...
Aidan's eyes fluttered open and closed again. She should be dead. She remembered the Corvette, the movie, the fight... oh, no... Rogue, Kurt... John... Did she save them? Or were they all dead?"
"John..." she moaned.
St. John, who had been sleeping half on the floor and half on the bed, opened his eyes.
"John?" she whimpered, opening her eyes.
John looked up. She was awake! He let go of her hand and placed his hand on her cheek. "Aidan? You all right? Speak ta me, love."
"John," she smiled. "You're alive."
"Yeah," he smiled back. "You sure packed a wallop, though. Hurt like the devil."
"Rogue, Kurt. Are they okay?"
"Yeah," he said, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. "They were gettin' up as we were leavin'."
Aidan let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
Without moving his hand, John pulled himself onto the bed. "I'm so sorry for forcin' ya t'use your powers like 'at. I didn' realize..."
"It's okay," Aidan said, placing her hand over his. "Really. Everybody's fine."
"But I almost lost you..."
"There was no other way," Aidan reassured. "It would've happened sooner or later."
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right," Aidan said, straining a little as she tried to sit up a bit. She paused and thought for a moment. "You called me 'love'."
"Oh," he realized, "I'm sorry. I fahgot what you said about-"
"That's so sweet," Aidan said, smiling.
"Really?" he asked, returning her smile. "Well, then, how 'bout this?"
He placed his hand on her jawbone, leaned forward, and kissed her. As he deepened the kiss, Aidan brought her hand up to his neck.
They stopped kissing and were literally nose-to-nose.
"That's sweet too," Aidan whispered and then kissed him.
St. John's hand moved to her hair as he sank into her arms.
* * *
A few hours later, a partially clothed Aidan lay on her right side. Behind her, a half-naked St. John slept with his arm draped protectively around her waist. She felt him move and he kissed her collarbone.
"You awake, love?" he whispered, his voice smoky with sleep.
She rolled over to face him and wrapped her arm around his neck. He kissed her forehead and smiled.
She smiled back, looked him in the eye and said, "I love you."
St. John didn't even blink. He hugged her tighter and replied, "I love you, too."
Aidan nestled closer to his strong chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart.
Tha-thump...tha-thump...tha-thump...
She fell asleep in his arms and the nightmares never came back.
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Chapter Seventeen
After the Date
St. John didn't feel like he could open his eyes. Nothing felt broken, though. But he had a bugger of a headache. Suddenly his eyes shot open. Aidan!
He stood up on wobbly knees and looked around. Rogue and Kurt were still knocked out, Wolverine was checking on Jean and Scott, and Aidan...
Where was she?
He continued to scan the surrounding area.
There she was. Over by the fountain. He rushed over to her and discovered that her head was bleeding.
"Oh, bugger..." he muttered, wrapping his arms around her. "No... Aidan? Aidan, wake up, love."
She didn't respond, and her head lolled back and forth in his arms.
"No..." he whispered.
"NO!"
* * *
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were on the couch. Piotr was in charge of the remote and turned the TV to Comedy Central.
"I think I understand..." Piotr said.
"Understand what?" Jennie asked.
" 'The Night of the Cow'," Piotr replied. "It is called that BECAUSE nothing good happens to the cow!" With a short laugh, Piotr actually smirked. "That is quite funny."
"It's three a.m.," Remy pointed out. "Shouldn't da kids be home by now?"
Just as he finished his sentence, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway was heard.
"Here they come," Jennie said. "Pretend we weren't waiting up for them!"
The door swung open to reveal John holding Aidan in his arms.
Everyone's smiles melted off their faces.
"Oh, my God, what happened?!" Jennie yelled, half hysterical.
"We 'ad a little problem," John said, devoid of emotion.
"She's bleedin', mon ami," Remy said.
"Yeah..." John acknowledged. "We got a Band-Aid or somethin'?"
"You will need more than a Band-Aid, comrade," Piotr said. "Follow me."
John followed Piotr to the bathroom where they proceeded to bandage Aidan's head wound.
Jennie sank onto the couch.
"You okay, chère," Remy asked.
"Remy, none of us have ever come back from a battle like that. Not even when you guys fought Apocalypse..."
He sat down next to Jennie and put his arm around her. "She'll be all right, chère. Aidan's a fighter. It'll take more dan a bump on da head ta put out dat fille's fire."
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I sure hope you're right..."
* * *
St. John gently placed Aidan's lifeless body on his bed. He kneeled down next to the bed and held her hand in his. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, a single tear escaping the confines of his eye. "Some bang up first date we 'ad, eh?"
* * *
Darkness.
Pain.
John...
Aidan's eyes fluttered open and closed again. She should be dead. She remembered the Corvette, the movie, the fight... oh, no... Rogue, Kurt... John... Did she save them? Or were they all dead?"
"John..." she moaned.
St. John, who had been sleeping half on the floor and half on the bed, opened his eyes.
"John?" she whimpered, opening her eyes.
John looked up. She was awake! He let go of her hand and placed his hand on her cheek. "Aidan? You all right? Speak ta me, love."
"John," she smiled. "You're alive."
"Yeah," he smiled back. "You sure packed a wallop, though. Hurt like the devil."
"Rogue, Kurt. Are they okay?"
"Yeah," he said, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. "They were gettin' up as we were leavin'."
Aidan let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
Without moving his hand, John pulled himself onto the bed. "I'm so sorry for forcin' ya t'use your powers like 'at. I didn' realize..."
"It's okay," Aidan said, placing her hand over his. "Really. Everybody's fine."
"But I almost lost you..."
"There was no other way," Aidan reassured. "It would've happened sooner or later."
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right," Aidan said, straining a little as she tried to sit up a bit. She paused and thought for a moment. "You called me 'love'."
"Oh," he realized, "I'm sorry. I fahgot what you said about-"
"That's so sweet," Aidan said, smiling.
"Really?" he asked, returning her smile. "Well, then, how 'bout this?"
He placed his hand on her jawbone, leaned forward, and kissed her. As he deepened the kiss, Aidan brought her hand up to his neck.
They stopped kissing and were literally nose-to-nose.
"That's sweet too," Aidan whispered and then kissed him.
St. John's hand moved to her hair as he sank into her arms.
* * *
A few hours later, a partially clothed Aidan lay on her right side. Behind her, a half-naked St. John slept with his arm draped protectively around her waist. She felt him move and he kissed her collarbone.
"You awake, love?" he whispered, his voice smoky with sleep.
She rolled over to face him and wrapped her arm around his neck. He kissed her forehead and smiled.
She smiled back, looked him in the eye and said, "I love you."
St. John didn't even blink. He hugged her tighter and replied, "I love you, too."
Aidan nestled closer to his strong chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart.
Tha-thump...tha-thump...tha-thump...
She fell asleep in his arms and the nightmares never came back.
