A Valentine for Storm
by
Imag
Disclaimer: All references to characters belonging to the X-Men Universe are © and TM the Marvel Comics Group, 20th Century Fox and all related entities. All rights reserved.
Rogue and Gambit sat at the breakfast table discussing plans for their impending romantic evening when Logan walked by.
"Hey Sugah, you and Storm got plans tonight?"
"Plans?! What fer?"
"Wolverine Mon Ami, surely you're joking? 'S Feb'rary 14th ‚ day of amor."
"Yeah Sugah, you don't have anything planned for Valentine's day? I can't believe that"
"Valentine Smalentine! You expect me ta get all gussied up jus' so some greedy business exec with a slick marketin' plan can make a killin' off me like he did on you two saps? 'Got better things ta do with my money!" Logan growled as he walked out of the kicthen, leaving Rogue and Gambit in a state of disbelief.
"Merde, De gonna be a storm t'night."
"Ya got that right! An F5 with an attitude aimin' fer his hairy hide. Ah don't wanna be in his shoes when Storm finds out about his 'plans for the evening.'"
Logan smirked. He could hear their comments even though he was half way down the hall. He took satisfaction in knowing they had no idea what he had planned for Storm that evening. "Rookies!" he said with a satisfying grin. "Bet all they got planned is dinner and a night in front o' the fireplace."
He, on the other hand, planned the night's activities with the same zeal he would use on a mission against Apocalypse ‚ with preparation starting 7 weeks prior. His Valentine's day idea was first conceived on Christmas day as he watched Storm open his present: a pendant with the letters R and L on it standing: for Ro-Lo Combo. Seeing her smile planted the seed in his head and he immediately dusted off the ol' noggin and started planning. Now all he had to do was carry out his mission ‚ to give Storm a Valentine's day she would NEVER forget.
Storm returned to the mansion a little before 6. Professor Xavier sent her and some of the other X-Men on a scouting mission of a suspected FOH chapter in DC. Although FOH members were there, the only thing the X-Men witnessed was a bunch of mutant-hating rhetoric. The event still took its toll on Storm though. She could think of many better things to do than babysitting a bunch of closed-minded bigots and was looking forward to a relaxing evening ‚ starting with a nice long bath.
Something caught her eye as she walked into her bedroom and turned on the light. There on her bed lay two perfect red roses and an envelope on top of a heart shaped silk pillow.
"What a wonderful surprise!" she said as she picked the roses up and smelled them. She smiled; opening the envelope and reading the note.
Two red roses, one heart we share
A love so strong, a bond so rare.
The night is yours, if you desire
I'll kiss the ground and light the fire
Her smile grew from ear to ear as she held the poem and roses close to her heart. This surprise was something she NEVER expected from Logan. He was like that though ‚ he often made big plans but never talked about them; opting to surprise her instead. It seemed their first Valentine's day was no exception.
The last line of the poem had her confused though. "Kissing the ground" is something Logan would never do. It was more like something he would tell an enemy as he pounded his head into it. It wasn't until she looked down that she understood the uncharacteristic remark. There at the base of her bed lay a trail of Hersey's kisses leading into the bathroom.
"He really DID kiss the ground! How sweet!"
She collected the kisses and walked into the bathroom, nearly dropping everything when she saw what awaited her. The entire bathroom was lit with candles. A glass of champagne and plate of her favorite chocolates and fruit lay near the already drawn bath, and a basket of her favorite oils and accessories sat at the foot of the tub. She stood in the doorway nearly a full minute not believing her eyes; it was as if he read her mind.
"My God! I can't believe he did this." she said as she took her clothes off and slipped into the water. "I never would have expected this from him."
As she sat and enjoyed her bath, she recalled a conversation her and some of the X-Women had a few days prior. They discussed the "romantic" side of the men in their lives, which eventually lead to a debate over whose man was the MOST romantic. Though each woman claimed their man to be the most, Rogue seemed to win the battle when she listed some of the things Remy did to win her heart. Storm's claim to have the most romantic man was met with a sudden and outrageous burst of laughter from the other women ‚ but she was the one laughing now.
Though she would normally stay in the tub for hours; anticipation got the better of her and after only 45 minutes, she was ready to find her man and thank him. As she reached for the towel rack, she noticed her towel wasn't there. Instead, just below the rack lay a neatly folded oversized Egyptian cotton towel on a heated pad. When Logan planned something, he REALLY planned it. He knew she REALLY loved Egyptian cotton, and the thought of anything other than the very best and softest cotton against her perfect skin was unacceptable.
As she reached for the towel, she saw two more red roses and a second envelope lying on top. She quickly pulled out the note and read it.
The search begins with clue number one
A night of romance, passion and fun
A gift from the heart, my love to you
To find your gift, take a bird's eye view
She knew exactly what it meant and quickly dried off and got dressed. As she looked for something to wear, she came across the dress she wore the night of their first date ‚ the dress that made his claws pop out. The memories it brought back convinced her it would be perfect for this occasion as she was definitely in the mood to make his claws pop out again.
She ran down the hall, through the main doors and took off into the air heading for the rooftop of the west wing. Logan went there every now and then when he didn't want anyone to find him; part of the intrigue was enjoying the climb it took to get there. One day Storm saw him as she descended from some aerial maneuvers and when she asked him about it, he told her he wanted a "bird's eye view" of the grounds. Just as she cleared the roof, she spotted what she was looking for ‚ two more red roses lying on top of a small beautifully wrapped package and an envelope.
Although her excitement ran high, her demeanor remained calm as she opened the package ‚ taking great care not to tear the wrapping; this was truly something she wanted to savor. Inside lay something she never knew existed ‚ a picture of her and Logan on their first date at Paganini's in a book-shaped hinged frame. She vaguely remembered seeing a photographer there, but didn't recall being asked if they wanted their picture taken. The picture showed the two of them dancing; her arms resting on his shoulders and his around her waist; both staring into each other's eyes ‚ the perfect moment, captured for all eternity. The other side of the frame held a poem written to her.
My Angel
My angel, who came from above
On the sound of wings of a dove
Sweet words were your song
I've waited so long
To hear as you whispered of love
The touch of your skin was so soft
Your hair by the wind set aloft
Beauty, desire
My heart set afire
By passion I've thought of so often
Your eyes, like an angel I see
Your beauty has mesmerized me
The power you wield
Yet never you yield
Yet still my heart belongs to thee
Yes, we are one it would seem
Together, love's highest esteem
Unknown when we started
Now love won't be parted
My heart's longing met in this dream
For the second time that night, her heart fluttered as she held the roses and Logan's poem close to her. She opened the envelope and read the note:
The search is still on, it does not end here
When a dozen you hold, will the end draw near
The watery spot where you once came to me
And held me that night holds clue number three
With gift, letter and roses in hand, she once again took to the skies. This time, her destination was the dock on the pond just a short distance from the mansion. She remembered the night he referred to in the clue ‚ the night she came to him when he had nightmares about their relationship. The dock was also where he first told her he loved her and where they faced their relationship's first real challenge ‚ Wolverine's tragic past. It had long been a special place for them and was only fitting that it was the location of some of their Valentine's day activities.
As she walked onto the dock, she saw the item she was searching for ‚ another present with two more roses and an envelope on top. Before she opened the present, she sat on the dock and smelled the roses ‚ smiling and thinking how wonderful life had been since she first started dating Logan. Never before did she imagine she would find someone that knew and understood her so well. Never before did she imagine she could love someone so strongly or have that love reciprocated so greatly. Never before did she believe someone could be so romantic and make her feel like the only woman on the planet; and never before did she imagine that person would be Wolverine ‚ someone so opposite her that the very thought made most people laugh. The old saying was definitely true ‚ opposites really did attract.
She carefully unwrapped the present and opened the box seeing something that truly touched her heart. What lay inside was a photo album with a wooden cover. The faces of her and Logan were carved into it with the words "The Best Times of My Life" underneath. As she ran her fingers over the carvings, she thought back to the first time she witnessed Logan's artistic side ‚ when he intricately carved their Storms into one of the trees on the Academy grounds. Wolverine was very talented with his 6 claws, but everyone assumed that his talent stopped at slicing and dicing enemies. Nobody expected him to have an artistic side as well. As much as he kept to himself, it was a logical assumption; it was also wrong.
As Storm looked through the album, she found herself very surprised at its contents. It wasn't just a photo album, it was a record of their entire relationship. There were movie stubs, tickets, momentos and photos with handwritten notes showing the entire path of their relationship ‚ from their first date throughout the horse carriage ride they took the previous weekend.
She knew this wasn't something Logan normally did ‚ he wasn't big on sentiment and could care less about keeping a bunch of old papers around. This album was done with the specific purpose of giving it to her ‚ of telling her how much he enjoyed being with her and how he loved the things they did together. If ever anyone questioned his dedication to her, they now had the answer.
She opened the envelope and read the next clue.
Tell me my love, did I make you smile
The effort was there, was it worthwhile?
Life is the blossom, but love is the root
To find number four, check out my scoot?
She collected her gifts and flew to the garage, wondering how long it took Logan to plan all of this, and if any of the other women were having as much fun as she was that night. He had already given her a night to remember and she had long since thought about ways of returning the favor. The inviting smile on her face as she approached Logan's "scoot" was evidence of a few ideas she had once she found him.
There on his seat lay 2 more roses, a small case and another envelope. In the case was something that made her gasp ‚ literally: a beautiful diamond necklace with matching earrings and bracelet. She couldn't believe her eyes. Just two weeks prior while she was shopping in New York with Logan, they passed by a jewelry store. That's where she saw it - THAT very set. "Keep dreamin' Ro! That thing costs more than a good used car!" he said as he tried to pull her away from the window. "I will have it someday. . . this I promise" she said as she walked away. He was right though, it was VERY expensive and although it matched Storm's classy personality and style perfectly, the hefty price tag made it very impractical. She couldn't believe he spent that much money on her."
"Logan!" she yelled. "Where are you?" She wanted to see him right then and there and couldn't wait another minute. She absolutely HAD to thank him for everything: their entire 10 month relationship and all the wonderful gifts he had given her that night. When he was nowhere to be found, she opened the envelope and read the next clue.
The smile on your face, was it worth a kiss?
To show these diamonds - what true beauty is
Come to me Love, as fast as you can
The place where we met when all this began
She quickly put the jewelry on, grabbed everything and jumped in her car ‚ breaking traction as she pulled out of the garage. Flying to him probably would have been quicker, but she didn't want to risk damaging the gifts and flowers. As fast as she could, she drove to the city and to the place where it all began ‚ Paganini's. As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw Logan's HMMWV parked in the corner. She parked the car and ran into the restaurant looking for him.
"Miss Munroe, how good it is to see you again." Luther the maitre d' said as she ran up to the podium.
"Have you seen Logan?" she said, catching her breath. "Is he here?"
"Mr. Logan left this for you." he said with a cunning smile as he handed her two red roses and an envelope.
"Another clue?! Where is he?!" she said as she tore the envelope open. Luther's smile turned into a giggle as he watched her read the note; not noticing who was covertly standing behind her against the wall.
She quickly unfolded the paper and read the message.
Look behind you Darlin'
She turned around and saw Logan standing about 15 feet away holding a dozen roses and a large box of chocolates.
"Lookin' for me Darlin'?" he asked as he started walking up to her; expecting a hug and a kiss for the evening's efforts. He got is hug all right - a running bear hug that knocked him to the ground, pinning his hands beneath hers. The roses and candy flew everywhere, but she didn't care ‚ she wanted her man, and she finally had him! She wasn't letting go for anything.
"What the. . . ?" he said as he laid on the ground smiling. Storm sat on top of him, silently admiring him for all he was and all he did. The fact that she was speechless (and the flying tackle) proved to him that his plan worked ‚ perhaps a little too well. He never saw Storm show such affection in public; and NEVER could have imagined such a display in an upscale restaurant like Paganini's.
"You okay Ro? Say something!" he said with a giggle. His request was rewarded with a kiss ‚ an extremely passionate one that made him the envy of every man in the lobby.
"How is that for saying something? And I will be SAYING a lot more tonight."
She finally let him up, but not before giving him another kiss and hug.
"I love you Logan. I never imagined I could be this happy. Thank you."
"Darlin' it's me that should be thankin' you! All the happiness you've given me over the last 10 months. . . more than I can remember. I love you Ro!"
Luther applauded them as they finally made their way to the podium. "Thanks Bub ‚ I owe ya one." Logan said as they were escorted to their table. They relived their first date that night and celebrated their love amongst all the other Valentine's day couples ‚ returning to the mansion around 11pm.
As they walked into the mansion, they spotted Remy and Rogue nestled by the fireplace in the rec. room talking lovingly to each other. Logan couldn't help but snicker.
"Hello Remy, Rogue ‚ how was your evening?" Storm asked as they walked in.
"Good food and de beautiful girl, n'est ce pas. . . Rogue? Life don' get much betta dan dat!"
"I wouldn't be so sure Remy." Storm said with a smile.
"What's dat s'pose ta mean Chere?"
"Oh, nothing ‚ by the way Rogue. . . that conversation we all had last week. . . I was right ‚ no two ways about it!"
"What?!" she said looking at Storm, then at Logan and back at Storm. Logan smirked ‚ he didn't know what they were referring to, but he knew it had something to do with him and the day's events.
"Rookies!" he said looking at Remy and Rogue and laughing. "An F5 with my Storm on it eh?"
Remy and Rogue looked at each other in a state of shock.
"Good night you two" Storm said as she turned toward the door, pulling Logan with her. "By the way ‚ if you hear any unusual animal sounds coming from around the lake. . . do us a favor - don't investigate."
"Stormy, with dat beast around we hear animal sounds all de time. What make you tink we investigate now?"
"Remy. . . " she said as they walked out the room. "Who said anything about HIM?"
Remy AND Rogue were left speechless as both of their jaws dropped.
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