RogueFanKC: Actually, Cobra was nowhere near. They were avoiding the heroes, remember? And Zartan was too busy plotting to pay attention. Tactless is fun. Thank you for putting me on your "Favorites".
Chapter 15: Romantic Interlude
Todd and Althea lay in his hospital bed, arms wrapped around one another, breathing slowly and deeply in blissful slumber. Lifeline entered, but stopped when he saw the two teens. He smiled, and backed slowly and quietly out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.
Bree walked over to him. "What's going on?" she asked. He grinned. "They're... taking a short break," he told her.
"What?" asked Bree. She peeked in through a window set next to the door, and smiled. "Oh."
Lifeline wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He nuzzled his chin gently against her neck. She turned, and smiled at him.
"Mr. McCoy?"
Hank turned around, and found Wanda standing in the doorway behind him. He set down the book he'd been reading, and stood. "What can I do for you, Wanda?" he asked.
She shifted nervously, not meeting his eyes. "Um... are you busy right now?"
"No," he answered, confused.
"Because I could come back later, if you want," she told him.
"What's going on?" he asked her.
"Um..." she fidgeted.
Hank felt very confused. The Scarlet Witch was acting very unusual. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked. "I can call Lifeline if you need."
"No!" she blurted out, then... blushed?
"Wanda... what's going on?" he asked again.
She looked up, into his eyes, for the first time since she'd entered. Her eyes were filled with... something.
Hank never saw it coming. Wanda crossed the few short steps to where he was standing, leaned in and up, and kissed him. Then, she turned and fled, leaving a very confused Hank standing there.
"What was that all about?" he wondered.
Jinx and Logan were going at it. The less said about that, the better.
Lance, Kitty, and Piotr were taking a walk. Kitty was between the two boys, in an effort to keep them from fighting. But the two were strangely silent.
Finally, Kitty couldn't stand it any more. "What's going on?" she asked them, stopping.
They glanced at each other, then looked at her.
"What do you mean?" asked Lance.
"Nothing is going on," said Piotr.
"Something's wrong," she told them. "Ever since Logan brought you back, you've both been acting really strange."
"Um..." Lance started.
"Heh... Strange?" Piotr chuckled nervously.
"What's going on? Tell me!" demanded Kitty.
"While we were trapped," Lance said in a rush, "we tried a coin flip for who would get to see you most for two months. We flipped it eighty-eight times, and every time, it ended up on its side."
"Which is not natural," continued Piotr. "We are not sure what is going on, but clearly, there is something."
Kitty looked stunned, then angry. "You flipped a coin over me?" she shouted. "I... You... Aargh!" She stormed away, leaving the two boys.
"Oh, boy," groaned Piotr.
"We really did it this time," moaned Lance.
"Want to go get some of BA's coffee?" asked Piotr.
"It's like you read my mind," Lance told him.
A fuming Kitty strode into a building. Wanda was there, curled up in a chair. Her face was bright red.
"What's going on?" asked Kitty.
"Iksmcy," muttered Wanda.
"What?" asked Kitty.
"Ikssdmrmcy," Wanda said a little more clearly.
"What?" Kitty asked a third time.
"I kissed Mr. McCoy," Wanda said, her cheeks flaming.
Kitty forgot about Lance and Piotr, and stood in disbelief. "Like, oh my gosh!" she squealed. "That's... I mean... Mr. McCoy?"
"Yes," groaned Wanda.
Kitty sat down in front of her and crossed her legs. "So, what happened?" she prodded.
Wanda looked at the floor. "I didn't mean to," she said. "I mean, I was just walking through a hall, and I saw him reading, and then I was kissing him, and then I ran away and came here. This is so embarrassing..."
"I think it's totally cool!" exclaimed Kitty.
Wanda looked at her. "Are you on drugs?"
Kitty was bouncing excitedly. "I mean, Mr. McCoy's been really mopey, and even though it's, like, totally gross, this could be really good!"
"Because if you are, I want some," Wanda continued.
Hank walked around for a while, until he ended up at the cafeteria. Lance and Piotr were there, sipping out of some mugs. She both looked perfectly calm.
"I think I'm building up a tolerance," Lance told Piotr.
"Da," agreed the big Russian.
"Me too," said the flying pink pig hovering in between them.
Hank wandered over to where they were sitting.
"Avalanche, I have a question," he told Lance.
"What?" asked Lance.
"Do you know why Wanda just kissed me?" asked Hank.
Lance and Piotr did the Mother of all Spit Takes. "What?" gasped Lance.
"Ugh," Piotr wrinkled his nose.
"She said something about liking you earlier, at the funeral," Lance said, thinking, "but I didn't know she was being serious."
"Apparently, she was," Hank sighed. "It's not like she's a bad girl at heart... or unattractive... or-"
"That's enough!" yelled Lance. "Really don't want to hear it!"
"I agree completely," Piotr made a face. "Why do you not ask Pietro."
"He's too busy streaking with Xi," Hank told them.
"Now there's a haunting image," groaned Lance.
"I don't think I'll ever recover," said the flying pig, fading out.
"Is there a psychiatrist in the house?" moaned Piotr.
"Last I saw, Beach Head was trying to kill him," Lance grinned.
"Help!" screamed Psyche-Out.
"Get back here and die!" yelled Beach Head, chasing after him.
Flint and Lady Jaye were in Flint's office.
"I'm glad we're married," said Flint.
"Me too," Lady Jaye told him.
"Anything's better than what those idiots are going through," continued Flint.
"You said it," agreed Lady Jaye.
Todd was the first to stir. He looked down at the sleeping form of Althea, wrapped in his arms, her own arms around his waist. He smiled, and gently stroked her hair with one arm. "I love you," he whispered.
"Lovutoo," she muttered in her sleep. They lay there, at peace.
Next time: Four new people come into the story. What are they doing here? And what secrets will they reveal? Tune in next time, for chapter sixteen of Misfits In Time!