Title: Pryde and Wisdom in Triplicate

Pryde and Wisdom in Triplicate: Rain, Sun, Moon

Rain

The first time she ever really sees London the way it's meant to be seen, she's with Pete. She's seen the rain in the United Kingdom before, of course, having lived in the lighthouse and on Muir Island, but she's never before seen it fall like it can only fall in the middle of London on a summer night.

It's the day after Dream Nails. They've decided that, since their reappearance on Muir will simply bring questions or, more likely, blatant interrogation, they should take another night, get a room, and truly learn to appreciate what is beginning. As a matter of fact, they had taken time to appreciate several times before venturing out for dinner.

Pete has taken it upon himself to show her London, even though she's been here multiple times. He insists that she's never really seen it, and they end up in some dismal, yet marvelous pub near Camden Lock. He's drinking pints and smoking too many cigarettes. She's drinking gin and tonics and for the first time, allowing herself to simply regard Pete—no… that's the wrong word. She's blatantly checking him out without shame or premise. After all, he's doing the same to her, and through their easy banter and debate, she feels herself truly relaxing for the first time in ages.

After the pub, they go outside and decide to walk back to the hotel, rather than call a cab. They walk most of the way in easy silence, holding hands and looking around. Pete is smoking with his free hand and occasionally pointing something out to her. She notices, but doesn't comment, on the fact that, surprisingly like Kurt, Wisdom walks on the street side of the sidewalk. He has demonstrated, in fact, throughout the entire trip, subtle tricks that give her the impression that Pet e Wisdom is a bigger gentleman than anyone at Muir will ever believe. He paid her bar tab, for example, despite her protests that it was Brian's money anyway, and only looked mildly tempted to spend Braddock's cash. Yes, Pete was definitely surprising her.

However, the biggest surprise of the night comes, not from Wisdom, but from the sudden deluge of water that promptly begins to pour from the sky as soon as they make it a few blocks down the street. Kitty finds herself and her clothes instantly drenched. Pete grabs her hand and they leg it up the street until they are safely sheltered under an awning.

The rain picks up with a ferocity that London has developed over her existence. As Kitty watches, transfixed, despite Pete's grumbling and shaking of his now soaking trench coat, the rain actually begins to fall with such force that it's falling sideways. She thinks to herself that she's never seen anything so frighteningly powerful, and yet incredibly vulnerable as a London when it rains.

Pete takes her hand then, and she turns to look at the blue eyes that she's quickly falling in love with against her better judgment. He backs her against the front of the building and she lets him.

When he kisses her, she wraps an arm around his neck, and uses her other hand to grab a handful of his shirt and pull him to her, as if he needed the encouragement.

Pete stops kissing her, when he hears the rain slow, and pulls back to observe his handiwork. Kitty's lips are completely swollen and bruised and her eyes are slowly starting to dilate with feelings that he's pretty sure she didn't know she had until a mere day ago. He grabs her hand and pulls her down the block towards the hotel.

As she follows, flushing slightly despite her confident stride, he thinks to himself that he's never seen anything so frighteningly powerful, and yet incredibly vulnerable as Kitty Pryde. He knows, at this point, that he's a goner. What scares him is that he doesn't care.