Sparring Lessons
by Siubhan
siubhan@siubhan.com

Posted 7/27/00

This story assumes the reader is familiar with Toad's backstory from the comics. If you're not, check out his bio on the Marvel Web page. The story occurs a day before Toad's first scene in the film. Thanks to Laura Cooksey for the X-Men accuracy beta.

"Yo, Toad!"

I sigh and look up from my work. "It's Mortimer."

Mystique rolls her eyes at me. "Whatever. Time for your fighting practice."

"I'm busy," I say, turning back to my job.

"You can finish that later," she says, slinking over to stand by me.

"Magneto wants this painted."

"Magneto also wants you to improve your fighting technique before his war comes. And it's 2:00."

"It is?" I've lost track of the time again. I've never been that good at details. Stripping off my goggles, I say, "Fine, but I need to finish this as soon as we're done. I have to put on a second coat tomorrow."

"So you call him Magneto, but you don't want me to call you Toad," she notes as we head to the sparring room.

"Toad's an awful name."

She shrugs. "It's descriptive."

"Exactly." If I'd actually gotten to pick my own name, I would have picked something cooler. I mean, Mystique is such a great name, and Sabretooth sounds really vicious. Toad? I sound like a joke.

"Stop being so ashamed of yourself."

"Easy for you to say."

She stands and glares at me, hands on hips, then shakes her head and says, "You need help. So, we're just going to spar today."

"Okay," I say, bouncing from foot to foot. Now that I'm actually here, I'm impatient. I want to start and be done with it. She's just going to wipe the floor with me anyway. Might as well get it over with.

"Who do you want for an opponent?"

I shrug. "Cyclops?"

"He doesn't really spar." She scowls. "None of them do. It's so annoying."

"Yeah, but it's fun beating the snot out of an X-Man."

"You'll get no argument from me, but if I'm going to take a shape, I'm also going to take their fighting style. So let's be realistic."

"Then Sabretooth, I guess. I mean, unless you want me to practice dodging blasts again."

"No, you're already pretty good at that. What you need to practice is staying focused at close-range." Suddenly a wicked grin crosses her face. Oh shit. "How about you pick on someone your own size?" And then she morphs into the last person I expect to see.

"You seriously expect me to fight Darth Maul?"

"Why not?" she says, voice low and gravelly. I hate it when she gets in character. She's so good at it that I forget it's her. "He's your size, an excellent martial artist, and now that I think about it, looks an awful lot like you."

"No he doesn't!" I protest.

"Same nose, same mouth, same social skills...shall I continue?"

"No." Damn her. "Let's just do it."

"Remember, use your legs," Mystique/Maul says as she/he advances on me. Damn, this makes my head hurt. "Don't try to use your arms. Go with your strengths. And focus."

"Fine." I circle her...him, and next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor in a daze.

"You were distracted," he says, reaching a gloved hand down to help me off the floor.

"You kicked me in the head!" I cry indignantly.

"I do that. Didn't you watch the movie?"

"No." Like I could go out to the movies looking like I do. I glare at him, rubbing the sore spot on the side of my head, and stare him in the eyes. He does look kinda like me, only like a better-looking version of me. As if there could be a worse-looking version. "You made him look like me on purpose," I grouse.

"No I didn't," he replies, those weird golden eyes burning at me. "This is exactly how I looked in the film."

"Doesn't it hurt not to blink?"

He laughs, then says, "Again?"

I rub the sore spot some more, then crouch and wait. Go with my strengths? Fine. He'll regret it.

He advances, a blur of motion, and I jump, landing hard on him with a satisfying crunch. Laughing, I jump away.

And get kicked in the head again.

He straightens up, rolling his shoulders with a wince, and says, "You got in one attack, but then you got cocky. Ow."

I look up from where I'm sprawled on the floor and grab his ankle with my tongue, yanking his foot out from under him, smiling as he hits the ground with an indignant expression. He makes a dive for my tongue, but I've retracted it before he really has a chance. "Dammit!" he yells.

Ha! Got him. "How'm I doing, teach?" I ask with a grin.

He stands up, rubbing his butt and scowling. It's a pretty scary look on him, actually. "That hurt."

"Good." I ease myself off the floor, keeping a wary eye on him.

A grin splits his face. "Good job. You didn't get frustrated when you had a setback."

"Again?" I ask, lowering myself into a crouch.

"No," he winces, rubbing his butt some more. "You got me good." A wicked grin splits his face again, and I find myself swallowing hard. "But it would be a shame to waste this body, wouldn't it?"

Oh god. She can't mean... "You're shitting me."

He shrugs. "They look so much alike. It would be fun to see how they fit together."

"You can't mean it. This is me we're talking about."

"I never joke about things like that, do I, Toad?" he purrs, striding purposefully in my direction, golden eyes smoldering.

"M...Mortimer," I stammer. Damn, here I am, reduced to a pity fuck, and I'm taking it. My body's begging me for it. And she knows it. I see his eyes looking pointedly at my crotch.

"So, what else can you do with that tongue of yours?" he asks, hands reaching out to unfasten my jacket.

"Stop it," I hiss. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. She's doing this just to make fun of me. I know it. Dammit, why can't I just walk away?

He leans over, mouth next to my ear, and purrs, "You know you want this."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask helplessly as he peels my jacket off of me.

"I want to play," he replies, then starts nibbling on my earlobe.

Oh god.

I swallow hard, trying to find some way to resist this, but I can't. Not when his hands are roaming over my chest, and his breath is hot in my ear. I've dreamed about something like this for years, but never thought it would actually ever happen to me. My brain's rapidly switching off, but before I lose it altogether, I gasp, "I don't have much practice." Might as well warn her, although it's a lie. The only practice I have is solo.

"I don't care," he breathes, then plants his mouth on mine.

Oh god. This is better than I'd ever dreamed. I had no idea. His clothes melt away, and we fumble together with mine. I hop awkwardly out of my pants and he's on top of me, pushing me to the ground, his body against mine, and I had no idea skin on skin felt so delicious. How could I?

His tongue is hot against my skin, tracing circles across my chest, and suddenly I'm terrified that I'm going to come on the spot. No...this can't end yet. I might never get another chance like this again. I think he notices, because he looks up at me and says, "This is a game for two. You'll last longer if you play along."

"I...I don't know what to do," I admit sheepishly.

"Remember, go with your strengths," he says, running his tongue across his upper lip.

I nod wordlessly, and snake my tongue out, pushing him onto his back and tracing the lines tattooed across his hard body as I run my fingers across his scalp. Horns. I've never seen a mutant with horns before. Cool. He's purring now. I'm doing that. I'm making him purr. And he tastes...I don't know what he tastes like. I've licked a lot of things in my time, but this is different.

I like it.

Go with my strengths. Okay, there's one thing I know how to do. Hope this doesn't freak him out or anything. Wrapping my tongue around his erection, I start pumping it. His head snaps back with a hiss and his hands scrabble across the floor. Yeah, he likes it. And I've still got two free hands. Let's see how accurately she's made this male body. Okay, right hand fondles the balls, left hand slowly works its way in towards the prostate...

Yep, here he comes. Heh, she's not quite the perfect male body. Nothing comes out. Pity. I wanted to taste some more.

Familiar yellow eyes look up at me before morphing back to that eerie gold, and I swear the tattoos waver a bit. "Damn, Toad, if people knew you could do that, they'd be lined up around the block to wait their turn."

"You're out of character," I note, settling back on my heels and staring at him as he lies sprawled on the floor. He looks nothing like me. He's handsome and powerful. I'm green and warty. I don't know where Mystique gets off saying we look alike. Hunh, maybe I should get a tattoo.

"And you, dear boy, deserve a reward," he says, crawling over to me languidly. "Name it."

"You don't need..." I stammer, flush rising to my cheeks again.

"This is not an option," he growls, dipping his head to nip at my neck, and I feel all rational thought start shorting out again. "I think I know what you'd like." He straddles my lap, and I gasp as he suddenly pushes me into his body. I want to say something, but all that comes out is a moan, and I try to thrust deeper in. Oh...it's so sweet. So hot and tight. I had no idea...

"Breathe," he whispers in my ear, and I draw in a ragged breath, clamping my eyes shut and thrusting blindly. He's stiffening in my grasp, and I bury my face in his shoulder, breathing him in, clutching him tightly against me. I can't get deep enough. Almost there. Just a little more. Please just a little more... Oh god...

I belatedly realize that the howls I hear echoing off the walls are my own.

As my head clears, he wraps his arms around me and says, "You're shivering."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I mumble against his skin, clutching him tightly and blinking back tears. I can't believe this just happened to me.

I feel an odd shifting, the sudden scrape of scales across my cheek. "Let me get your clothes," she says.

"Stay," I whisper. "Please."

"Want me to change back?" she asks.

"I don't care. Just stay. Just for a minute."

Her thin fingers thread through my hair, stroking gently. "I had no idea, Mortimer. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

I nod.

"Okay. I'll stay. But I have to leave again soon. Senator Kelly has an appointment with his aide in a few hours."

"Mustn't disappoint Magneto," I say, feeling an odd pang.

She takes my chin in her hand and says, "We'll do this again. I promise."

"You don't have to..."

"I want to."

Liar. She just feels sorry for me. Ah, hell. I'll take it. A pity fuck is better than no fuck. "Okay." I slowly pull away and start sliding into my clothes, not meeting her eye. I don't think I can look at her right now.

"I didn't know you liked boys," she says.

"I don't," I shrug.

"I can be someone else next time. It should be fun to see what you can do with a woman's body. You were really good, you know."

I snap my head up to look at her as I tuck in my t-shirt. "You're kidding."

"I told you, I don't kid about things like this." Is she blushing?

Heat is rising to my cheeks again, but this time I don't mind.

A grin splits her face, her teeth eerily white against blue skin, and she says, "I have to go."

As she turns and walks toward the door, I call out, "Princess Leia."

She turns and shoots me a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"Next time, I want you to be Princess Leia in the slave girl outfit."

"You little perv!" she cackles. "It's a deal."

END

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