The Sword And The Shield (X-Men) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Chapter Fifty-Two: An Old Flame

An Old Flame

         

Belle's POV

All the adults have left the grounds for some convention. I guess the company of a silly eighteen year old girl wasn't needed. With them all gone, that left Dan and I in charge of the kids, which is quite the task. The morning started off with them playing a game of hide and seek, and Dan making a comment about it being like we had twenty kids, which makes me slightly uncomfortable.

I can't help but think about Aaron when I'm with the kids. They adored him, and I there is no doubt in my mind that if he were here, the whirlwind of preteens would do as he commanded.

It's not that Dan isn't doing a good job, he's surprisingly paternal. He's been running around the house for the last two hours with the little ones, and I'm not going to lie, it's really attractive.

I don't have as strong of an endurance, so I plopped down on the couch and that's where I've been for the last twenty minutes. The kids run laps around me, but if I cover my eyes and pretend to hide they go along with it and keep on going.

Things between Dan and I have been getting better. He doesn't spend all day in his room anymore, in fact he spends more time in my room than not. We spend a lot of time listening to music, I don't like headphones but he prefers to block out all other sound. I'm thinking about getting him a personalized set of headphones with skulls and lightning bolts on them.

"Izzy! Iz-" He sees the look of annoyance in my eyes, knowing fully well that I still prefer Belle. Only one person has every called me Izzy and every time I hear it I think of them. "Belle. Right. Hide me." He dives behind the couch as a herd of children run up to me, each one breathing more heavily than the next.

"Dan? Danny? Where is he?" They all yell at me collectively. I attempt to cover my ears with small pillows but it's no use.

"I don't know! Check the kitchen!" I wait until they're gone before turning around, walking straight into a kiss from Dan. When I open my eyes I find myself staring into two doe eyes and a smirk.

"We make a great team, don't we sugar lips?"

"Sugar lips?" I smack him on the head with a decorative pillow that has some cheesy line about following your dreams stitched into the side. "You ruin every good line with a terrible pet name."

"Honey hips? Ladybug eyes?" I suppress my uncomfortable laughter and turn my back to him.

"Those don't even make sense!" He tries to peek around my mound of blue hair but I keep moving away. "Now get gone before I tell the kids you're here." A wave of hot air hits me, sending my blue curls everywhere and leaving me alone again.

There's a knock on the front door, forcing me to find the energy to stand up from the couch. I've never been one for looking through peepholes, despite how cautious I naturally am. That is my first mistake.

My second was seeing the blue eyes and blond hair and thinking it was Aaron, but that isn't possible. His eyes aren't kind like Aaron's, and his hair is long, curly and unkept. I watch, paralyzed, as his biceps flex in his sleeveless T and he grips onto the doorframe. I forgot about his fingerless biker gloves. "Hiya Izzy."

"W-Wes..." I back away from the door, the name of my abusive ex dripping from my lips. For every step he takes I step backwards, not wanting to be within three feet of him.

"Miss me?" He smirks cruelly, showing me the wisp of smoke curling off his tongue. "I missed you." I stumble backwards and fall to the floor, but I continue to crawl until my back hits the stairs. "Are you at all curious to know where I've been for the past year and a half?" He leans in closely. The heat radiating from his skin causes my eyes to water. "Greenland."