Midnight Clear
Disclaimer: I own neither X-Men: Evolution nor "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."
A/N: Slight AU. Evidently in the couple years it's been since Evo ended, Kitty and Bobby had something going on, and she and Remy have become good friends (I always thought they would be). Domino is there too because she's my favorite, you just don't see her.
Enjoy!
The halls were quiet as the snowfall outside the windows, except for the music drifting from the multi-purpose room off the main entrance. The guys had brought up the Christmas tree that afternoon, from a lot downtown, and set it in the corner of the large, open room, leaving the girls to do the decorating.
And they had, until most of the younger ones could put off their homework no longer and Jean, bothered by another bout of false labor contractions, needed to lie down.
Only Betsy was left, humming along with the radio someone had plugged in across the room and standing on a ladder to reach the highest branches of the sweeping tree. Warren, who had been watching from the doorway, spread out his wings and flew to her side, catching her by surprise as he lifted her bridal-style into his arms. He carried her to the floor, setting her down, and held out a hand. "Dance with me, Bets?"
She grinned and gave him a mock curtsy in her torn-up blue jeans. "I would love to."
Forge was not far behind, leading Storm by the hand and pulling her into a slow dance, enraptured by the sparkling light reflected in her eyes. She sighed and leant her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck as he whispered the words to the music in her ear. Oh rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.
Jubilee had begged Bobby to drive her into Bayville, since she had a million people yet to do Christmas shopping for and it was one more excuse to hang out with the X-Man she'd been crushing on since the day they met. They were just getting back, stomping their boots at the door and tugging off gloves and hats ("It's really coming down out there!"), when Bobby happened to glance into the multi-purpose room and stopped in his tracks.
"What?" said Jubilee, staring over his shoulder at the two couples dancing and lost to the world.
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Hey, um, Jubes…you wanna…"
"Yes!" She took his hand, cheeks flushed, and he dimmed the lights as they passed through the doorway, putting an arm around her waist.
As the sky darkened before the floor-length windows of the multi-purpose room, more of the mansion's inhabitants wandered downstairs and paired off, word slowly spreading of the unplanned dance that was going on.
Remy was taking the front stairs two at a time, hands shoved in his pockets and keeping a lookout for Rogue, when he just missed tripping over Kitty, who was curled up on a bottom step and blinking very hard.
He dropped down beside her. "What's wrong, Kit Kat?"
She took a shuddery breath. "Nothing. I'm okay."
He raised his eyebrows.
"No, it's nothing. I mean, Bobby and…he and I, and he and Jubes, oh, Rems, they're so cute…" She sniffed.
He stood up and she sat straighter, wondering if he might simply walk away from her. But, instead, he offered a hand. "Chaton, would you do me de honor of a dance?"
She blushed slightly, accepting his outstretched hand, letting him help her up, and they entered the multi-purpose room together.
For all the years of training she had done in the Danger Room, Kitty was a hopeless dancer. She could do the kind of dancing they did at school events, but this was actual grown-up slow dancing, and Remy was a thousand times better at it than she was, just as she had always known he would be. Kitty had seen him, once or twice, take Rogue out back on summer nights and dance with her under the stars. He certainly hadn't lost any of his proficiency at it over the autumn months between then and now.
"Are you okay?" he whispered to her, twirling her around, and Kitty nodded, very aware of his hand on her back.
"Yes, thank you."
"Need t' talk about anyt'in'?"
Yes, do you think Iceman would melt if we turned the thermostat up too high?
But Kitty was never one for revenge. Give her a few hours to cry and a diary to pour her heart out to, and she would be all right.
A diary? Or a cute guy who was willingly serving as a captive audience. No one ever asked Kitty to talk, though she had plenty to say. She bit her tongue. "I'm sorry. You should go look for Rogue."
"I haven't seen her yet," he replied. "She'll come down when she's ready."
Bobby and Jubilee were taking a break from the dancing, talking and laughing on the other side of the room.
"Am I an annoyance to people, Remy?" Kitty asked, eyes fixed momentarily on the blissful couple.
"Non. Just to Rogue," he told her, grinning.
"Well, sure. It's fun to annoy Rogue sometimes," she said.
"I know, right?"
Kitty smiled, then shook her head. "I think sometimes about if I hadn't ever, like, come to the Institute, you know? Like if I stayed in Illinois…if I never got my powers…"
"Dere'd be people missin' you here. Saying, I t'ink jus' what we need t' make dis mansion a home is a peppy fille who's a morning person and can't cook t' save her life."
"Thanks a lot."
"If you were gone, Roguie wouldn' have her bestie… Kurt wouldn' have his partner-in-crime…Petey wouldn' have somet'in to blush about every time y' walk into de room…"
"Really?" That's cute. She'd always thought Piotr was a sweetie. But…"I spent all my time growing up feeling like there had to be something bigger than my life; it was boring, it was normal. And then there was! But it was a little more than I bargained for."
"Would you go back, if y' could?"
"No," she said resolutely. "I wouldn't give up the X-Men for the world."
"But if you knew what was coming, before y' got your mutation, an' you could opt out, y' might've."
She concentrated on not stepping on his toes. "Maybe…I don't know…I've been thinking about it a long time…" Another glance at Bobby, and she sighed. "But I don't know. What would you do?"
He was silent a moment, gazing out across the multi-purpose room, before giving her a ghost of a smile. "Remy, he's had 'is ups an' downs. His cousin, Etienne, died a long time ago, 'fore Remy come here t' work for Magneto. An' he lost his Bella…he an' her were friends once, till her daddy and Jean-Luc fig'red out what was going on and felt de need t' step in an' ruin it.
"Dere're a lot a' t'ings Remy's not proud of doing…contractin' under Magsy ain't de least of 'em."
She stumbled slightly as he slowed down beside the Christmas tree, strung with a dozen strings of red, blue, green, yellow lights; he took her elbow and steadied her again. "Mais, Chaton, if none a' dat had happened, I wouldn' be here now. I wouldn' ever a' met Roguie, or you, or Johnny, or Piotr."
"That's true." She giggled. "What a tragedy that would be, huh?"
"I certainly woulda lost out."
They were nearly forehead-to-forehead; she could feel his breath on her lips. "Kitty," he said.
"M-hm?" It was making her dizzy. He must have helped bring the tree home, because he smelled like pine needles.
"You know how Rogue an' de Professor and I have been workin' on getting Rogue's powers under control?"
"Yes sir. She like, never talks about it. Going well?"
"Oui, très bon. I have a question for you…"
"Yeah?"
"I got her dis…" He took his hand from Kitty's waist, dug into his pocket and pulled out a little velvet box, flipping it open to reveal a jeweled ring. "I was t'inkin' mebbe Christmas Eve…I was gonna take her t' dat new restaurant in Bayville."
Kitty could barely contain a squeal of delight. "You're going to propose? Rems, that's fabulous!"
He broke into a huge smile. "'S okay wit' you?"
"Are you asking for my blessing? You have it a hundred times over. Have you talked to Logan yet?"
"Oui, last night. Dat's de t'ing, though. "
"What is?"
"He's been on my case ever since I came to de Institute…I want what's best for Rogue, Kit. An' Wolvie, he's havin' trouble wit' the idea dat I deserve her. I don't, honestly. An' dat fille's so good at hidin' her feelings. If y' t'ink I won't make her happy, I want y' to say somet'in'. S'il vous plaît…oh crap dere she is."
Sure enough, Rogue was leaning on the doorframe, scanning the room and looking lonely. Kitty turned to Remy (who was having trouble taking his eyes off Rogue) and brushed a strand of hair away from his face. "You can't tell her I said this…"
He made an x over his heart with his finger. "Promise."
"…But I've never seen her happier than when she's with you."
His eyes lit up, bright and beautiful. "Really?"
"Really really." She smiled.
"Merci, Chaton. You're an angel."
The two were silent for a minute; he was sneaking peeks at Rogue and it didn't take long for Kitty to pull their dance to a halt.
"Can I—is it okay if I—" he said.
She laughed. "Go ahead."
He bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then disappeared into the crowd to join his Rogue at the door, taking her in his arms, being his usual cocky self. Kitty stared after him, heart stinging, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. She was on her own. Again.
Until, "Um…Katya?"
It was Piotr. He was smiling down at her, cheeks red. "Would…would you like to dance? I am afraid I am a bit clumsy at it, but I would be very happy if you might be willing to give it a try with me."
Kitty caught Rogue waving at her from across the room. Go for it, Sugar. Bobby was over there, too, still flirting with Jubilee, but Kitty decided she would be able to face them. Think of passing up her life at the Institute? Never.
"Sure, Pete. That would be wonderful."
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heaven's all-gracious King … and the whole world [shall] give back the song which now the angels sing.
God bless and Merry Christmas!