Kurt laughed dutifully at Kitty's joke as they turned the corner, then allowed himself to fall slightly behind the others. The group had tired of the board games they'd been playing, at Scott's suggestion, and were now moving on to a movie. Naturally there were differences of opinion on what kind of movie to watch. Truthfully Kurt had no preference, it wasn't like he'd be paying attention anyway. So far, no one had noticed his distraction; of course if they did they'd never guess to whom his negligence was due. It was at that moment that Logan passed them in the hall.
Wolverine sniffed, then inhaled sharply and turned back to stare in puzzlement at the group of passing students. For a second he was certain he had smelled 'Ro. A suspicious man by nature, Logan was unable to simply shrug this off and let it go. He filed it away in his memory and proceeded to the Danger Room.
It was just before dinner and Kurt was watching TV. After about thirty minutes he realized he'd been staring unblinkingly at a the screen and still had no idea what was going on in the movie. He stood up and stretched to work our the kinks of sitting so long without moving. He turned off the television and was about to leave when Logan stepped up behind him.
"Mornin' Kurt," he said, his voice carrying no inflection whatsoever.
Kurt stiffened then relaxed, turning with a wry grin. "Gutt abend," Herr Logan. Before the older man said another word Kurt knew that he knew. He was also certain that Logan wouldn't tell anyone; it wasn't his way.
"There's a strange scent that's been following you around all day, bub," the man said, his eyes completely flat. The perfect non expression.
Kurt nodded solemnly. "I'm trying out a new cologne." Kurt's expression dared the man to challenge him.
"You should be careful getting in enclosed places with that fragrance," Logan told him casually, as if they weren't having a bizarre coded conversation. "Those fumes can really choke you."
Kurt smiled. "I've heard there are certain dangers to be aware of when they build up," he replied.
"Explosions are not unheard of," Logan remarked.
"I'll be careful," Kurt told him. Kurt raised an eyebrow, "You aren't going to tell me that this particular scent is a bit mature for me, are you?"
"Bub, it's no business of mine what you wanna wear," Logan replied. He turned and began to walk away.
"Logan?" Kurt called out. The man paused, slightly turning. "Thank you for your advice."
"No problem," he said. And then he left for dinner.
____________
Ororo lay on the top of the mansion, watching the stars wink into sight one by one. She had been up here all day, just thinking. After hours of contemplation, and a few short naps, she had come up with three undeniable points on which to decide her case.
One, she really liked Kurt. He was kind, he was intelligent, and he was very, very attractive. She didn't understand how she had overlooked him for so long. They had that much in common at least, both of them were used to being in the background. No matter how he joked and laughed, no one was close to him, no one looked closer. She felt like he understood her, and she hadn't felt that in a long time; like he was the one she had been waiting for. Of course, the fact that he was an incredible lover also figured in. She indulged in a moment of awe for what he could do with that tail of his. She found it easy for her to imagine falling in love with Kurt Wagner.
Point number two, Kurt was seventeen. Granted, everyone said age didn't matter, but she didn't think the Professor would see things that way if his twenty-six year old employee started a relationship with his seventeen year old ward. The illegality, not to mention the impropriety, of the situation would be impeachable. And even if everyone *here* approved, and no one called the cops on them, nine years was an awful lot. They lived in a different era, for the goddess' sakes. Despite their attraction and complimenting tempers, there would be some age barriers that would interfere.
Point number three, the effect it would have on the inter-team relationship. What if they started something together, and it didn't work out? Would the team's unity suffer? Could their romantic involvement compromise the team's stability or ability to work together? Of course if they tried and it did work, if it made the team closer, what then? Would their feelings for each other get in the way of their duty to the X-Men. Would they be able to put the welfare of the team above the welfare of each other?
So now she only had to decide. Was the opportunity of a new love worth potential heartache, probable misunderstanding, and possible chaos in the ranks? She closed her eyes and saw Kurt lying almost atop her, his beautiful yellow eyes were filled with understanding and desire. All for her. She couldn't pass up this chance, because it might never come again. She wanted him, and she would have him. She worked hard for this dream of a better place for mutants and she would be damned if she would let a chance for personal happiness slip by merely because she was too afraid of possible consequences.
Ororo stood up, "Only one thing left to do," she thought with a beatific smile. "Find Kurt."
This proved easier said than done. Ororo had meandered through the halls in search of Kurt for over twenty minutes. Granted, the place was huge, but not *that* huge. Finally she stooped to doing the unthinkable, she carefully approached Kitty's chattering group of friends.
"And then she told him that if he kept bothering her he'd walk away singing a different tune, literally," Kitty said with a laugh. "You guys should have seen his face!"
"Excuse me, Kitty?" Ororo asked with careful neutrality.
"Yes, Miss Munroe?" she asked with a bright smile.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where Kurt is?" she asked.
"Um, like, sorry, I don't know where he is." She frowned, "I told him to go watch TV or something because we were going to, like, talk about his birthday presents and he, like, left."
"Thank you, Kitty," Ororo said, beginning to turn away. Suddenly she stopped and pivoted back. "Kitty, did you say his birthday?" she asked, trying not to sound extremely interested in the answer.
"Yeah, Kurt's birthday is two days before mine, and mine's, like, only five days away." "I asked him if he wanted to share a party with me, but he said that he was keeping his low-key so he didn't steal my glory." She smiled, "Isn't that nice of him?" "Of course I'm going to get him a present anyway 'cause he's such a sweetheart," she told the older woman.
Ororo smiled and politely extricated herself from the teens. "I guess I'll have to think of something to give him as well," she thought with a grin. Definitely time to reformat her plan of attack.
____________
Wolverine sniffed, then inhaled sharply and turned back to stare in puzzlement at the group of passing students. For a second he was certain he had smelled 'Ro. A suspicious man by nature, Logan was unable to simply shrug this off and let it go. He filed it away in his memory and proceeded to the Danger Room.
It was just before dinner and Kurt was watching TV. After about thirty minutes he realized he'd been staring unblinkingly at a the screen and still had no idea what was going on in the movie. He stood up and stretched to work our the kinks of sitting so long without moving. He turned off the television and was about to leave when Logan stepped up behind him.
"Mornin' Kurt," he said, his voice carrying no inflection whatsoever.
Kurt stiffened then relaxed, turning with a wry grin. "Gutt abend," Herr Logan. Before the older man said another word Kurt knew that he knew. He was also certain that Logan wouldn't tell anyone; it wasn't his way.
"There's a strange scent that's been following you around all day, bub," the man said, his eyes completely flat. The perfect non expression.
Kurt nodded solemnly. "I'm trying out a new cologne." Kurt's expression dared the man to challenge him.
"You should be careful getting in enclosed places with that fragrance," Logan told him casually, as if they weren't having a bizarre coded conversation. "Those fumes can really choke you."
Kurt smiled. "I've heard there are certain dangers to be aware of when they build up," he replied.
"Explosions are not unheard of," Logan remarked.
"I'll be careful," Kurt told him. Kurt raised an eyebrow, "You aren't going to tell me that this particular scent is a bit mature for me, are you?"
"Bub, it's no business of mine what you wanna wear," Logan replied. He turned and began to walk away.
"Logan?" Kurt called out. The man paused, slightly turning. "Thank you for your advice."
"No problem," he said. And then he left for dinner.
____________
Ororo lay on the top of the mansion, watching the stars wink into sight one by one. She had been up here all day, just thinking. After hours of contemplation, and a few short naps, she had come up with three undeniable points on which to decide her case.
One, she really liked Kurt. He was kind, he was intelligent, and he was very, very attractive. She didn't understand how she had overlooked him for so long. They had that much in common at least, both of them were used to being in the background. No matter how he joked and laughed, no one was close to him, no one looked closer. She felt like he understood her, and she hadn't felt that in a long time; like he was the one she had been waiting for. Of course, the fact that he was an incredible lover also figured in. She indulged in a moment of awe for what he could do with that tail of his. She found it easy for her to imagine falling in love with Kurt Wagner.
Point number two, Kurt was seventeen. Granted, everyone said age didn't matter, but she didn't think the Professor would see things that way if his twenty-six year old employee started a relationship with his seventeen year old ward. The illegality, not to mention the impropriety, of the situation would be impeachable. And even if everyone *here* approved, and no one called the cops on them, nine years was an awful lot. They lived in a different era, for the goddess' sakes. Despite their attraction and complimenting tempers, there would be some age barriers that would interfere.
Point number three, the effect it would have on the inter-team relationship. What if they started something together, and it didn't work out? Would the team's unity suffer? Could their romantic involvement compromise the team's stability or ability to work together? Of course if they tried and it did work, if it made the team closer, what then? Would their feelings for each other get in the way of their duty to the X-Men. Would they be able to put the welfare of the team above the welfare of each other?
So now she only had to decide. Was the opportunity of a new love worth potential heartache, probable misunderstanding, and possible chaos in the ranks? She closed her eyes and saw Kurt lying almost atop her, his beautiful yellow eyes were filled with understanding and desire. All for her. She couldn't pass up this chance, because it might never come again. She wanted him, and she would have him. She worked hard for this dream of a better place for mutants and she would be damned if she would let a chance for personal happiness slip by merely because she was too afraid of possible consequences.
Ororo stood up, "Only one thing left to do," she thought with a beatific smile. "Find Kurt."
This proved easier said than done. Ororo had meandered through the halls in search of Kurt for over twenty minutes. Granted, the place was huge, but not *that* huge. Finally she stooped to doing the unthinkable, she carefully approached Kitty's chattering group of friends.
"And then she told him that if he kept bothering her he'd walk away singing a different tune, literally," Kitty said with a laugh. "You guys should have seen his face!"
"Excuse me, Kitty?" Ororo asked with careful neutrality.
"Yes, Miss Munroe?" she asked with a bright smile.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where Kurt is?" she asked.
"Um, like, sorry, I don't know where he is." She frowned, "I told him to go watch TV or something because we were going to, like, talk about his birthday presents and he, like, left."
"Thank you, Kitty," Ororo said, beginning to turn away. Suddenly she stopped and pivoted back. "Kitty, did you say his birthday?" she asked, trying not to sound extremely interested in the answer.
"Yeah, Kurt's birthday is two days before mine, and mine's, like, only five days away." "I asked him if he wanted to share a party with me, but he said that he was keeping his low-key so he didn't steal my glory." She smiled, "Isn't that nice of him?" "Of course I'm going to get him a present anyway 'cause he's such a sweetheart," she told the older woman.
Ororo smiled and politely extricated herself from the teens. "I guess I'll have to think of something to give him as well," she thought with a grin. Definitely time to reformat her plan of attack.
____________