Reconsider [XMEN AU]

E i g h t

        Dalisay was led to a small alcove near the back of the house, filled with rooms of students and staff. Ms. Munroe opened the door to Dalisay's room, revealing a rectangular room with mint walls and mahogany flooring. Two windows faced the surrounding fountains of the back of the mansion and shrubs of violet delphiniums and crimson carnations. A twin bed sat along the far wall, opposite a small desk and dresser. It was cozy looking, slightly small but all Dalisay's own, something that was hers alone. 

        "Thank you," Dalisay expressed softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. 

        "It's our pleasure, Dalisay. The bathroom is right through that door," Ms. Munroe pointed to a white door beside the tall dresser. "And you'll share it with Illyana Rasputin, another student here. She's not here at the school right now; she and her brother had some family manners to attend to, so you're free to freshen up."

        "Could I borrow a change of clothes?" Dalisay asked hesitantly, running her fingers through her oily hair.

        "Of course." The kindly woman replied with a nod. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, startling Dalisay. In a few moments, her pupils dilated,  and she gave Dalisay a comforting smile, noticing her worried looks, however her light blue eyes held a worry that Dalisay could not explain. "Don't worry dear, it was just the Professor thinking to me." Ms.Munroe said wih an airy chuckle. "I'll have someone send down a few things; I'd do it myself but I have to...well a friend of mine is in trouble." She turned to leave, and hesitated at the door. "I should return soon. Are you sure you'll be alright, Dalisay?"

        "Yeah. And thanks again." She supplied quickly, and scurried into the bathroom.

        Eagerly, she stripped off her ripening t-shirt and cargo pants, her skin slick with sweat and exhaustion. Dalisay turned on the water to its highest setting, and stepped in, the steaming water stinging her skin for a while before she soon grew accustomed to it. She scrubbed at her limbs with some sort of lemon-scented soap, and massaged the suds into her hair. It had been such a long time since she'd been clean; really clean and full and not worrying about where she would spend the night or what she would have to steal to fill her stomach the next day. Dalisay rinsed herself off, and stepped out shakily, steam filling the bathroom. The tile floor was cool to the touch, and Dalisay stared at her hazy reflection in the mirror for a few minutes, running her fingers through her wet, dripping locks. The face that looked back at her belonged to a tired, forlorn woman; bags under her eyes, scars lacing her skin, but her eyes were still young, despite their hard exterior. At times, it was difficult for Dalisay to recognize herself, with all that she had endured she felt as if she should look like a haggard old woman by now. Alas, she was still a woman in her twenties, an age she begged to outgrow. She wasn't young at heart, nor was she so immature in her mind, but her body declined the maturity she so desperately needed, and let she deserved to have by now. 

        With a soft, empty sigh, she wrapped herself in a towel, and stepped  back into her room. Unexpectedly, Kurt stood beside her bed, his back to Dalisay, humming and setting down a bundle of clothes, presumably from Ororo.

        Dalisay cleared her throat, a lopsided smile resting on her cheeks. How had he not noticed her before?

        Kurt spun around to face her, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he snapped it shut. Dalisay almost laughed, if it wasn't for the sheepish look in the poor man's eyes.

        "I vas just..." He couldn't seem to find the words to finish his sentence and it seemed, out of habit, he switched to German. "Tut mir schrecklich leid..." I'm terribly sorry. "Ich wollte nicht zu stören.​" I didn't mean to intrude. "Ich wollte Sie nur ein paar Dinge zu geben." I just wanted to give you few things. 

        "Mach dir keine Sorgen. Kein Schaden war getan." Don't worry about it. No harm was done. Dalisay answered hastily, "Danke." Thank you. 

        She really didn't feel uncomfortable, standing here in her room in a towel. Much less had separated her and a man before, so it wasn't as if she was frightened. However, she could tell Kurt was. "I'll see you at dinn-"

        Before she could finish her goodbyes, he'd teleported out of the room, a soft haze of smoke wafting where he'd stood. She stared at the mahogany flooring beneath her feet before a moment, shaking her head. She hadn't realized how naive he was. He was like a child. As Dalisay's eyes drew upward, she realized, foolishly, that her towel had slightly slipped from her chest.

        Oh no no no. That was not supposed to happen. Kurt probably thought she was trying to seduce him...a guy she'd JUST met. God, he probably thought she was a whore. 

        A dirty, grimy whore.

        Well, so much for that friendship, Dalisay couldn't help but reason pessimistically. Silently, she changed into the pair of velour lounge pants and the t-shirt Ororo had let her borrow, a New York Knicks t-shirt nonetheless. Dalisay didn't know Ororo was from New York. The woman was regal, elegant, and a mystery. But Dalisay liked that about her. She had hidden pieces of herself in order to take care of others. The perfect mother. Dalisay wondered why she didn't have children of her own. It wasn't like she couldn't of found a husband, with her looks and personality...

        Stop being so nosy, Dalisay. She chastised herself silently, shaking out her still-damp hair. One of these days she would just cut if off, she'd already decided. Time for dinner, Dalisay.

        She left her room quietly, her footsteps practically silent against the hardwood flooring underneath her feet. As she made her way down the hall, she could feel eyes on the back of her neck. Slowly, Dalisay turned around to face the gruff, burly man she'd seen this morning. Logan. 

        "Can I help you?" She asked him tightly, her lips set in a firm frown. "Or is there some other reason why you're staring at me?"

        "Calm down, lil' girl. Wouldn't want you to have a hissy fit." He replied, a small smirk resting on his very hairy face.

        "Shut the fuck up." Dalisay replied, turning back around. He probably thought she was another one of those trust-fund girls, who'd had the sorry luck to be born with the X gene. Well no, that was not Dalisay, and she was tired of people assuming that was her. "I don't need your bullshit, not today."

        "Well I don't need your attitude, but it looks like we're both getting somethin' we don't need." Logan answered, his voice thick with a gruff sort of anger. "What's your name, kid?"

        "Dalisay." She answered, wanting to roll her eyes. "And you're Logan." Talk of the campus, bad-boy extraordinaire, Dalisay didn't really care. All she knew was that he was rude to Ororo, and Marie... Rogue, whatever the fuck her name was, cared about him. 

        "Nice to know I'm known." He laughed, coming to walk beside her. Logan glanced at her attire, his eyebrows furrowing. "Don't you have clothes of your own? Why're you wearing Ro's stuff?"

        "Because I don't have anything else. I came here with the clothes on my back." She mumbled, staring at her bare feet. Dalisay didn't like explaining things to people, especially people who thought they knew everything about her, like this jackass. All she wanted to do was eat, thank Ororo, and go to bed. 

        Logan hesitated a moment before he spoke. "Where'd you come from, kid?"

        "Far far away." Dalisay replied in a whisper. Far, far away.