Author's Note: This is one of the oldest Kurtty fics I've written. I pretty much scribbled it into one of my notebooks and almost forgot about it for the past several months. Warning: the ending isn't exactly a happy one.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So Close and Still So Far

Over and over, they keep getting reincarnated. Not that they truly remember, of course—no one remembers a previous life when the current life has enough difficulties. Nonetheless, there is a certain sense of déjà vu each time Kurt and Kitty's paths cross.

In the first life, Kitty is terrified by the very sight of Kurt. And no wonder—he is a demonic-looking creature with blue fur, yellow eyes, fangs, and a spaded tail. Kitty does everything she can to discourage Kurt from spending time with her: avoiding him, yelling at him, even insulting him. But Kurt is persistent, and eventually, Kitty warms up to him. And with each life, their meeting is a rocky one, although in later lives, Kitty's initial fear becomes mere discomfort and uneasiness.

With every life, fate has an almost sick enjoyment of toying with Kurt. He always ends up falling for Kitty, the girl he considers his closest friend, and he is never sure if she feels the same. At times, it will seem that she does, but then she will be pining for someone else, and Kurt will sit back and watch it all, masking his hurt with a smile.

The closest Kurt and Kitty ever come to a happy ending is in the current life. They meet when he is sixteen and she is fifteen. He falls for her almost immediately, and she soon strikes up a friendship with him. It has been over a year since then, and Kurt believes it is time to take his relationship with Kitty to the next level.

Watch.

One night, Kurt asks Kitty if she would come into his room.

"You said you wanted me to meet you here?"

"Ja, I did. I need to tell you somezing."

Kurt pauses, hesitant, and Kitty looks at him, waiting.

Finally, he blurts out, "Keety, I love you."

Kitty's eyes widen, and she opens her mouth as though to say something, but Kurt plows on.

"I know you probably don't love me, and I vouldn't blame you if you don't, I mean, I barely love myself at times, but I just zought you ought to know, and if you're gonna reject me, at least—"

It is at this moment that Kitty steps closer to Kurt, puts a hand at the back of his neck, and kisses him on the lips, effectively stopping his rambling.

A few seconds later, Kitty breaks off the kiss. "Does that answer your question?" she asks.

Kurt stares at her, then a small, sly smile crosses his face. "I may need a little reminding," he replies in a low tone.

And with that, Kurt presses his mouth to Kitty's. Her arms wrap around his neck, while his hands find their way to her waist.

Kitty feels a jolt within her as Kurt slips the tip of his tail underneath her shirt, lightly stroking the skin of her back.

She pulls away from him, breaking out of the kiss, but is still in his arms. "Kurt, what are you doing?"

Kurt's face flushes slightly. "Sorry, am I going too fast?"

"You want to...?" Kitty's voice trails off.

"Yes." Kurt tightens his grip on her waist. "It feels like I've been vaiting forever...and now zat I know you love me..."

Kitty looks at the floor. "Kurt...I don't know...I've never—"

Kurt gently lifts Kitty's chin to look her in the eye. "So let me be ze first."

Any protests from Kitty are forgotten as she gazes into Kurt's yellow eyes. A second later, she crushes her lips to his. And from that point on, if any warning bells are going off in Kitty's head, she ignores them completely.

They pay dearly for that night. A week passes, and a mission gone wrong results in Kitty's death.

Kurt is only dimly aware of the battle raging around him. All he sees is Kitty on the ground, struggling to breathe as blood—her blood—seeps into her uniform. He kneels before her and takes her into his arms, but there is nothing he can do. Kitty bids Kurt goodbye, the light in her eyes fading out.

This has happened before, Kitty dying. And it will continue to happen. The cycle remains unbroken. Kurt and Kitty will be born, meet, become friends, but will never become more due to circumstances beyond their control.

Over and over, it is always the same. They are so close, yet never close enough.