Disclaimer: Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler and all the other X characters are the 
property of Marvel Inc. This story is written purely for fun, and I make nothing 
from it. Ariella is my character, I hope you like her! This story contains 
material suitable to readers aged 18 and over- consider yourself warned! 

Technical note: Kurt was an “aerial acrobat” before his days in the X-Men; I 
chose to make him specifically a trapeze artist for my story, because the 
trapeze is something I imagine most readers will be familiar with and therefore 
find it easier to visualize the stunts. I couldn’t find a lot of technical info 
on trapeze artistry when I was researching this story, so I elaborated. Hope it 
sounds okay! 

Non-flammable feedback always welcomed at: Bombshell_chic@hotmail.com 




When the circus came to town. 


By Bombshell 



The huge canvas flaps that were normally pulled back to make the entrance to the 
Big Top were securely lashed to the ground. Kurt pressed gently against the 
fabric, looking for a slack area to slip though. It was all pulled taut, so Kurt 
took a step back, and cast a surreptitious glance over his shoulder. It was 
three a.m.- he was certain all the circus staff were sound asleep in their 
makeshift village nearby, but still, he had to be cautious. 

With a characteristic “Bamf!” he teleported inside the tent. He’d been there 
earlier in the evening, image inducer in place, watching the show. He’d enjoyed 
himself thoroughly, and had especially delighted at the aerial and high wire 
acts. Watching them made him ache at the memory of his days as a trapeze artist 
in the circus. Life had been much simpler back then. These days, he felt like 
the only gravity-defying stunts he got to do were in the Danger Room, or on 
assignment. Somehow, that just took the joy out of it…. 

He knew it was probably a bad idea being there, if he were caught, he’d have a 
heck of a time explaining himself. The circus folk he’d grown up with and worked 
along side of for all those years were remarkably open and accepting of his 
strange appearance. He knew they admired his abilities and gentle humor, and so 
didn’t really care that he was so extremely different. But times had changed, 
and Kurt knew he couldn’t count on these people being so generous. He’d left the 
image inducer outside; there was no point wearing while he was alone, and if it 
fell off mid-air, it would certainly be badly broken when it hit the ground. 
Kurt moved to the ladder and climbed swiftly to the platform. The trapeze were 
tethered to the platform. He untied the two, letting them swing free in the air. 
He decided to cheat, and instead of climbing down then up again, he teleported 
over to the opposite platform, and freed the one trapeze there. He took the bar 
in his hands, testing his grip and the weight of the device, then when it all 
felt right, he pushed off the platform and swung in an arc through the air. 

He kept his eyes on the other trapeze. They were starting to slow down their 
swing, but Kurt leapt easily to the closest. He leaned back, drawing his legs to 
his chest, then up over the bar. He hooked his legs over the bar, gripping it 
tightly, then released his hands and hung upside down. He swung briskly, back 
and forth, enjoying the simple pleasure of gliding though the air. He sighed, 
and let himself down on his arms again. He swung himself around so he could see 
the other trapeze, then pumped his legs to gain some momentum. He released the 
bar and glided to the opposite trapeze, catching it squarely between the 
opposable toes on his large, oddly shaped feet. He kept the momentum going, and 
traveled back and forth between the bars, practicing the old moves he 
remembered. They came back to him easily, and still felt as natural as 
breathing. He looped around the bar, hung by his knees, the caught the other 
trapeze with his hands. He let the momentum swing him out and then back, then 
passed over to the other bar. 

He moved gracefully through the air, his grip and timing perfect, until he let 
his concentration slip ever so slightly. He was contemplating retiring from the 
superhero life and running away with the circus when he miss-timed his swing, 
and released the bar too early. He saw the other trapeze coming at him, too far 
away to grab. Gravity began to take hold, turning his forward momentum into 
downward momentum. He passed under the trapeze, and instinctively reached up 
with his tail. He barely grabbed the bar, but his prehensile tail was strong 
enough to hold.  His body jerked as it suddenly stopped falling, and the sudden 
pressure on his tail strained his back. He hung semi-upside down; facing the 
ground for a moment as the trapeze slowly stopped swinging. He stared down at 
the net as he moved over it. He’d fallen plenty of times, but luckily there had 
always been a net to catch him. But he hated to fall. He was annoyed at himself 
that he’d come so close to it. He hated the neck-jerking, stomach-churning 
bounce after the impact, and the way the ropes burned and scraped any bare skin 
on impact. 

“Nice save!” a voice called to him. 

Kurt’s body tensed as he hung upside down. He looked up suddenly, unable to see 
who had just spoken. 

“You’re out of practice, but I bet you had pretty good form once.” 

It was a woman. She was on the platform behind him. Kurt swung himself up on the 
bar, and took a sitting position upon it. The regarded each other evenly, but 
Kurt’s heart hammered in his chest and he cursed inwardly at himself. Not only 
had he nearly fallen, he’d also allowed himself to be discovered. 

“Did you used to be a trapeze artist?” She asked him. She was very calm, and 
really seemed not to care that she was chatting to a stranger with blue skin and 
a tail. 

“Yes, I grew up in a circus in Germany. Many years ago.” He told her. 

“I grew up it this, too. It never really leaves your blood. I tried to go off 
and do other things, but I guess I just found I was happiest here, up in the 
air.” 

Kurt studied her. He recognized her as one of the trapeze artists from the show 
that night. She was especially good. She seemed to still be wearing her costume, 
a blue-sliver leotard and fishnets tights. She picked up the hooked stick on the 
platform and reached out, snaring the nearest trapeze. She swung out over the 
net, and drew herself up into a sitting position on the bar, facing Kurt. She 
swung gently back and forth, studying him. 

“So that’s not a costume you’re wearing, huh?” She asked him. He shook his head 
no. Now that she was closer, he could see it wasn’t a costume she was wearing, 
either. The fishnets were real, it seemed, with modest briefs over them, but the 
top part of her leotard was simply painted on. She was bare-breasted and covered 
with swirls of silvery blue body paint. From a distance you couldn’t tell at all 
she was topless. But up close Kurt could see her perky nipples and round little 
navel. He found himself at once aroused and fascinated by her. 

“Are you a mutant?” She asked boldly. 

“Yes.” Kurt told her. “I’ll leave if you’re uncomfortable or scared. I really 
shouldn’t be in here, anyway.” 

She shook her head slowly. “It’s okay. I don’t care. You’re obviously not here 
to cause trouble. And I figure mutants are kinda’ like us circus folk, in that 
people don’t trust us too much, but we don’t always deserve a bad reputation.” 

Kurt smiled at her “You are so very right.” 

“You can stay for a while and practice, if you like. That’s what I came to do.” 

“Thank you, fraulein. My name is Kurt, by the way.” 

“Ariella. And it’s my real name, not just a stage name” she told him with a 
smile. 

They moved to opposite platforms. 

“You do remember how to swing a girl around up here, don’t you?” She called out 
to him teasingly. 

“It’ll come back to me in about fifteen minutes, I’m sure. I’ll try not to drop 
you until then!” 

He swung out onto the center trapeze, and hung by it from he knees. Ariella 
swung out from her platform, then released her trapeze and flew through the air. 
Without missing a beat, Kurt grabbed her wrists firmly, and the momentum swung 
them towards the other side of the tent. Kurt could see the third trapeze moving 
towards them. He released Ariella’s wrists, and she caught the trapeze, swinging 
away from him. 

“And back again!” She called to him. She spun around at the apex of her swing, 
facing Kurt again, and worked up some momentum before launching herself at him. 
He delivered her safely to the other trapeze. They both alighted on their 
opposite platforms. 

“Not too rusty at all!” she called to him. 

“That felt great!” Kurt enthused. 

“Let’s see what else you can do.  And I want to see some fancy stuff with that 
tail-thing of yours. That’s too good to waste!” She told him. 

For the better part of an hour the worked on increasingly complicated and daring 
combinations, stopping only to re-chalk their hands. Kurt was helping her 
practice a double flip combination; Ariella would do two free flips it the air, 
before Kurt would catch her on the center trapeze, then she would do two more 
aerial flips before catching the back trapeze. It required extremely precise 
timing, but was an impressive and fun move. 

Kurt watched her as he swung on the center trapeze. She completed the first 
flips perfectly, and he caught her without missing a beat. She smiled up at him 
as they swung together towards the next trapeze. Kurt looked up to see it 
swinging towards them in perfect time. He released her wrists, but for a split 
second, she hesitated, and continued to cling to him. Then quite suddenly, she 
released him, and lunged towards the trapeze. The precision was ruined, and Kurt 
could see what was about to happen. Ariella’s fingertips were all that touched 
the bar, and it peaked and moved away before she could get a grip on it. She 
began to fall so quickly that she was almost on the net before she yelped with 
surprise. She hit hard, taking most of the blow on her shoulders. Then she 
bounced and came down hard again. Kurt waited until he was at the highest point 
of his swing, then let go of the bar. He spun midair and landed feet-first in 
the net, as far away from Arielle as he could managed, so he wouldn’t fall on 
her. His feet went out from under him as he hit the net, and he flipped onto his 
back. The thick netting rubbed abrasively against his neck and arms as he fell. 
He rolled into a sitting position and crawled over to Ariella. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

Ariella sighed. She nodded; looking both pained and annoyed. 

“I don’t know why I did that.” She gingerly moved her left shoulder around, 
testing it out. 

“Should I go get some help?” 

She shook her head. “My shoulder feels a bit strained, but it’ll be all right. 
I’m just gonna’ lie here for a few minutes, okay?” 

Kurt nodded. “You hesitated.” 

“Yeah. I think that maybe I was enjoying myself too much. It’s all your fault.” 
She gave him a wry grin. 

“I’m sorry….” Kurt murmured. 

“Don’t you dare apologize.” She looked up at him intently. “Most of the other 
performers I work with have lost their love of being up there. They just go over 
the routine, and that’s it. Sure, it’s just about perfect every time, but 
there’s no spirit, no challenge. I don’t think they even hear the crowd cheering 
any more.” 

She looked so sad at the idea. Then she gave a small shrug. 

“It’s nice to hang out with someone who’s still interested.” She whispered. 

Kurt gave her a sad smile. He smoothed some loose strands of her blond hair back 
off her forehead, then lay down beside her. He tried not to stare at her 
breasts, but it was hard, considering how close she was to him. Her left breast 
was touching his arm, and he could feel the hard little nipple press against 
him. 

“Do you always go up there topless” He wondered aloud. 

“Sure. All the women do. We just paint ourselves up so we don’t freak out the 
families!” 

They both chuckled at the thought. 

“Have you ever been up there naked?” she asked him. 

Kurt laughed heartily. “No. Most people have a hard enough time dealing with the 
sight of me when I’m dressed.” He joked. 

“I’ve seen stranger-looking people out there.” Arielle told him. 

They lay silently side by side in the net for several moments, enjoying each 
other’s company. 

“Have you ever done it on a net?” she asked Kurt. 

Kurt laughed quietly. “No.” 

“Neither have I.” 

They were silent again for several moments. 

“Do you want to?” 

Kurt became very aware of the hard nipple pressed up against him. He also became 
aware of his own hardness. 

“We really only just met.” 

“So?” Ariella sat up slightly, and moved her body over his. She leaned in and 
kissed him gently on the lips. She lingered there for a moment, and Kurt 
returned the kiss. She ran her fingers through his thick blue-black hair, and 
caressed his face. He reached up and unfurled her hair from its tie, then rang 
his fingers through it. He moved his hands down over her body, feeling the 
make-up smear under his fingers. 

She reached down and began to unbutton his shirt, kissing his neck as she went. 
She pulled his shirt open, stroking the blue fuzz of his chest. 

“I’ve never seen blue body hair before!” she marveled. 

“If you think that’s impressive, wait until you see what’s in my pants!” he 
joked. 

She looked at him, wide-eyed and amazed. Without hesitation, she reached for his 
trousers. She eased his pants down to his knees, then went for his briefs.  She 
smiled as she gently pulled him free. 

“Blue all over!” she murmured. 

“And what about you?” He wondered, looking at the metallic blue paint smeared on 
his hands and wrists. 

“Why don’t you have a look?” she asked him coyly. 

He pulled her briefs and the fishnets off, trying hard not to tear the delicate 
weave of the stockings. She wore a simple black g-string under the outfit. He 
hooked his thumbs in the sides and pulled it off. He pressed his hands to the 
smooth white flesh of her thighs, leaving blue make-up handprints there. She 
giggled what she saw what he’d done. He moved his hands back up to her breasts, 
and began to massage her nipples. She leaned in and they kissed deeply. 
Ariella’s hands explored his body. She loved the way his fuzzy skin felt under 
her fingertips. She moved her hands down, and touched his erection. She had been 
surprised, but not totally disappointed to discover that, as far as size and 
shape went, he wasn’t that different to a regular man. He was a much richer 
shade of blue, she noticed, as she cupped his balls in her hands and squeezed 
them gently. Kurt moaned with appreciation. He could feel himself begin to throb 
in her hands, but wanted to let her be in charge. She straddled him, sitting 
over his thighs so she could continue to touch him. 

“I think you’re just about ready.” She murmured, stroking him evenly. “You know 
what… I’ve never had sex with a blue person before!” she grinned down at him. 

“Neither have I.” Kurt admitted, caressing her painted breasts. She chuckled. 
“You’re my first mutant, too.” She told him. 

Kurt suddenly felt sobered. “That’s not why you’re…. Just so you can say you’ve 
had a mutant?” 

“No!” she cried, looking rather insulted. She sighed and smiled. “I’m doing this 
so I can boast that I’ve done it on a net, remember? Now, will you just lie back 
and relax….” 

She leaned down and kissing him firmly. Kurt slipped his hands down to her hips 
as she moved up over him. She gripped the base of his shaft as she pushed 
herself down on it. Kurt moaned as began to move atop him. She sighed with 
pleasure, setting up a slow, strong rhythm. Kurt lay back and let her do the 
work. He was barely aware of the rough fiber of the ropes rubbing against his 
naked body. He concentrated instead on the friction Ariella was making. She ran 
her fingers over his body as she moved over him, her eyes half closed. He pulled 
her down to him again and kissed her, caressing her hair and breasts. She put 
her hands over his as he fondled her breasts; gently exploring his oddly shaped 
fingers. Kurt wriggled his prehensile tail free from beneath him, feeling it 
curl and uncurl unconsciously with pleasure. Ariella grabbed it, startling him 
slightly. She put the pointy tip to her lips, and licked it gently. She stroked 
her tongue up and down, as though she were fellating it. 

Kurt moaned with appreciation. “Tail sex. This is new to me” he joked. 

“You are so strange” she murmured, gently appraising him. 

“That’s not what a man needs to hear during lovemaking.” He told her with a 
small smile. 

“Strange in a sexy way.” She amended, continuing to tease his tail with her 
mouth. “Fascinating. Exotic. Erotic.” She added with a grin. 

“That’s more like it.” He flicked his tail away from her grasp, and played it 
against her nipples. She gasped slightly at the strange sensation. 

“It has a mind of it’s own.” He told her. 

Her skin was glistening with sweat, her breathing getting tighter. Kurt was 
holding back, trying to give her time for her pleasure to build. His breathing 
was steady and controlled, but he could feel his climax rising, not far off. She 
moved over him, her thrusts becoming shorter and firmer. The friction felt 
wonderful. They were silent again as they worked themselves closer. Her 
breathing was turning into panting, accompanied by little moans with every 
thrust. Kurt lay back, eyes closed, enjoying the noises and the silken feeling 
of her. He became aware of the involuntary grunts of pleasure escaping his 
chest. He swallowed hard, feeling his orgasm rising. 

“Ariella….” He whispered. 

She moaned, pressing her hips to his almost frantically. He held her firmly as 
she moved tightly over him. She gripped his shoulder, pressing her fingers into 
his flesh as she began to come. Her eyes opened slightly and she watched him 
with a small smile on her lips. Her back arched and she cried out, thrusting 
against him. The sensation of her body seizing in ecstasy against his sent him 
over. His hips jerked, and he thrust forcefully up into her. She cried out in 
pleasure again, feeling his hot seed spill inside her. He grunted and smiled up 
at Ariella, then sighed and panted lightly as the sensation slowly subsided. She 
continued to move against him, slowing down to gentle, languid thrusts. She sat 
atop him for several minutes, catching her breath. Her skin glistened with a 
combination of sweat and body paint, which was now smeared everywhere, and Kurt 
could see lots of it on him, despite his blue skin tone. Her hair was 
wonderfully tousled, her eyes slightly glazed. She moved off him, and lay down 
gently beside him. They kissed and held each other silently for a long time 
before she stirred. She licked her lips nervously. 

“Um….” She muttered. “I don’t know what time it is, but I think the crew are 
going to be in here to pack up soon….” She looked a little chagrinned. 

“It’s okay.” Kurt reassured her. “If you need me to go….” 

“I’m sorry. I wish we could spend more time together. I don’t go around just 
picking up guys, you know…. Loving them and leaving them….” 

Kurt shook his head. “I don’t think that. I know what a strange thing circus 
life is. And trust me, my life hasn't gotten any simpler since I left it.” He 
gave her a wry smile, which she returned. 

They helped each other dress in the awkward confines of the net. Kurt, as ever 
the gentleman, insisted Ariella take his shirt, now that her painted costume was 
all but sweated off. They crawled to the edge of the net and gently tumbled off. 


“Why did you leave the circus?” she asked him. 

Kurt smiled sadly. “A businessman wanted to buy the troupe and move us from 
Europe to Texas.” 

Ariella looked confused. “Texas isn’t so bad.” 

“He wanted to take me out of the aerial display and put me into the side-show….” 


Her jaw dropped slightly, and she stared at him silently for a moment. 

“What an asshole!” she spat. 

“You’re not kidding.” Kurt retorted with a grin. He drew her into his arms and 
held her, chuckling silently. She looked up at him. 

“I hope we get to see each other again.” She told him. 

Kurt nodded. “Next time you guys come through town….” 

Ariella nodded absently. She continued to study him. 

“Well, if you ever want to run away with the circus, I could probably hook you 
up….” 

Kurt smiled; the temptation of daily aerial displays and nightly lovemaking on 
the net with her was almost too much. But it gave him an idea. 

“Next time you’re in town, there’s something we need to try….” He suggested. 

“What’s that?” Arielle wondered. 

Kurt smiled mischievously. “Have you ever done it up on the actual trapeze 
itself…?” 




The End