The photo she had of them that normally rested peacefully on her bedside table was thrown to the floor, glass split in the frame.

Kitty laid in her bed, covers kicked to the edge, shivering in her pink cardigan. She wasn't cold – this was just what always happened when they fought. Her emotions totally possessed her. She couldn't even remember why she was mad. But she was. Furious, actually. The yelling, the fighting, the names and things they both wished that they could take back, they encircled her brain – her conscience was set on replay. Perfectly polished nails gripped at the roots of her hair, mangled and undone from its usual perfect pony tail.

It took her agonizing minutes, but at long last, she remembered. The fight was about her. Amanda Sefton.

---

She was at Kurt's locker again. This was the third day in a row. A perfectly tanned hand of the shiest girl in his class was brushing indigo locks from his face, the sweetest of smiles on hers. Oh, how anger had bubbled deep inside Kitty when she witnessed that. And he didn't even do anything to stop her! Kurt couldn't be that oblivious.

Could he?

Surely he knew she had been flirting with him.

Right?

Revenge. The word itself was satisfying. The thought made her mouth water. Here Kitty stood, brilliantly blue eyes staring coldly across the hall, her fresh manicure ruining itself as she clawed her locker door. That was it; this called for something drastic. She took off down the hall, sandals clicking with each step she took, determination hinted in the frown of her brow. She knew what she would do.

There he was, standing at the soda machines, just as she had hoped. Kitty slowed to a reasonable pace now, though anticipation still echoed in the clacking of her heels As she neared, she stared, her heart rate slowing to its normal tempo. Something about him still was dark and mysterious – misunderstood – it was what had drawn her to him in the first place. But that was before. Now, he was just a grungy Neanderthal. He was nothing. Nothing could compare to Kurt.

"Oh! Hey, Lance!" she called with a bright, yet forced, smile and a friendly wave.

The earth shaker turned, a hint of surprise in his eyes, then something that seemed to echo a bit of…sorrow. Ever since Kitty and Kurt had hooked up, though they hardly called it 'official' yet – they claimed they didn't want to cause an uproar with the others at the Institute -- Lance had dreaded her friendly calls in the hall. Nonetheless, he replied with a sarcastic salute and a signature bad-boy smirk.

"Hey, Pretty Kitty," he cooed in return, his tone a seductive sort of sing song.

She could practically feel vomit rising into her mouth. Katherine Pryde's lips twitched up into a sad excuse of a smile. She used to think the pet name was cute, but now it only made her nauseous. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, she took a step closer. A long glance was casted over her shoulder. It may not have looked conspicuous, but she couldn't help it. He would come sauntering down the hall any time now. His Chemistry class was this period.

"So, like, how are…things?" said the girl, hissing the 's' as a means of emphasis. It wasn't hard for Kitty to come off as flirtatious, but her head wasn't in it. Another look was casted over her shoulder. A sweet whistling crept down the corridor.

Maybe this would take his mind off of little Miss A-man-da.

"Well, I—"

Lance never got the chance to answer her. Kitty, though much shorter than he, had taken him by the neck and pulled him down, lips colliding like trucks. The footsteps Kitty had heard behind her had fallen silent. Slowly, crystalline eyes opened and her stance dropping heavily to the heels of her feet, lips no longer attached to his. Hesitantly, reluctantly, she turned to see just what she expected;

There stood Kurt Vagner, jaw unhinged, frozen in horror – disgust haunting his every feature – false blue eyes wide, stunned. The shock only lasted moments before melting away into sheer fury. The crawler couldn't control himself.

"Kitty…Vhat the hell are you doing?"

The lanky freshman couldn't move, other than the slight quavering of weak ankles. Her mind was full of things she could have shouted in return, but nothing came out. Kitty's jaw hung loose, lips quivering. She wasn't the one that should be angry now, but her features said she was. Usually pale cheeks were illuminated with rosy color, and her lips were pouted out. It took a false eternity, but eventually she swallowed, hard, and marched herself right up to Kurt, chin high, eyes steady. He didn't flinch or falter, just stared down at the young Pryde.

The false confidence in her shattered. She only felt tears overwhelming her now, her frail frame shaking in her trendy Capri pants. No right words were forming, so she just shoved past him, huffing a single dramatic breath. With a whirl, Kurt spun around and caught her by the elbow, his grip tight.

"Care to explain yourself?" he prompted, boyish brows furrowing over unforgiving eyes. If looks could kill, than this was a nuclear war. Though her body ached to turn and bore into his gaze, fall into his arms and cry, it just wasn't going to happen.

She couldn't even muster a simple reply for him. A single tear slithered down a flawless porcelain cheek. With a shake of her head, she phased through his grasp and hurried down the hallway. The way her name was uttered shrouded in a thick German accent used to always make her melt. But now it just echoed down the hall and against the lockers, making her heart ache. Nonetheless she wouldn't look back.

She was already late for History.

---

The walk home was a long one, but it was what she needed. Time to gather her thoughts, which was the motive for turning down the ride Jean and Scott had offered. When she finally pushed through the heavy Institute doors, disappointment surged all through her. It wasn't deserted like she had hoped, students bustling all about. She had gotten her hopes up too high. She had to admit though, she was relieved to push open the door of her bedroom to find the bed opposite of hers empty. Rogue mustn't have been home yet. She pushed the door shut behind her and turned the deadbolt, satisfied with the low sounding click. There would be no visitors tonight.

That's how the girl who walked through walls ended up here, curled up on her bed. Her pillow was tucked beneath her arms, hugged tight against her torso. She buried her face into pillowcase, tears pooling in the cloth. A shaky sigh escaped her lips. Oh, if she could take it all back in a breath, she would. Kitty would give anything.

"I bet he hates me," she muttered to herself, eyes welling up from the mere thought.

"You vould lose that bet…"

Kitty sat up with a start, sucking in a harsh breath of air, thick bundles of chestnut hair tumbling over her bony shoulders. There stood Kurt in the corner of her bedroom, his inducer shut off. Here, he was Nightcrawler, goofy blue fuzzball. But the laughter that usually rang out from deep inside her never came. Instead, she felt extremely embarrassed with her flushed face and puffy eyes. She turned her gaze away, tucking a lock of silky chocolate hair behind her ear.

The crawler's eyes still laid upon her. Though he was too timid to admit it, he thought she was gorgeous after she cried. He would love to say it to her, for he thought it may earn a smile, but when he opened his mouth, he choked. It probably sounded much better in his head than it would aloud. A long moment passed before he cleared his throat, taking a slow step toward her.

"I, uh, like you vith your hair down," he attempted with a faint smile.

Hesitation was in every move the teleporter made as he inched closer and closer to the girl on the bed. The hard eyes that had stared him down in the hallway were now soft, staring up at his navy face. She wanted to say something, to jump up and hold him, but her body wouldn't let her. Kitty looked away. With no argument – nor invitation – Kurt slowly lowered himself to her bed, sitting beside her feet. Coyly, the crawler's tail wriggled its way over bare skin of the girl's feet. Kitty jolted, giving a squeak, earning a crooked grin from the boy on her bed.

No such luck with her, however. Kitty pouted out her plump bottom lip and pulled her legs away, holding them close to her chest.

"Why are you here, Kurt?" she huffed, blowing a lock of hair from her face.

"I'm here to find out vhat that kiss vith Lance vas all about…"

Kitty's mouth opened, but the air between them remained empty. Nothing seemed right to say. She couldn't explain herself, because…well, the reason wasn't good enough. She couldn't believe that she would ever even consider doing something like that. She knew it would hurt him. Was that really what she wanted? At the time it sounded so great! After all, that's what he had done to her. Though his was maybe – just slightly – less intentional than hers. With a slanted pout and an lazy shrug of her shoulders, she heaved a great sigh and flashed a sarcastic sort of smile his way.

"Well, like, it got your attention, didn't it?" she sang.

The way Kurt's brow folded over smoldering acid eyes made Kitty's stomach knot. She nipped at her lower lip and turned her cheek yet again.

"Is that vhat you vere trying to do?" he inquired, leaning into her. Kitty's shoulders hunched, her body quaking for a mere moment. She was going to be sick. She couldn't stand the thought that she had upset him that badly. What was she thinking!? But when the brunette turned back to look into the eyes of the nymph, she didn't see a face of rage, but a smirk of a devilish little elf – the exact thing he was – smirking right back at her, fangs exposed and gleaming with pearly essence.

"Ugh!" Kitty scoffed, giving him a hard shove, Kurt tumbling to the floor in a bundle of laughter. He couldn't help it! "Were you joking this entire time?" she snarled down at him, throwing her arms up. Nightcrawler looked up at her. His grin never flickered away. Slowly, he stood, legs bent in their usual crouch, held tall on the balls of his feet, walking steadily on his two toes.

"Of course I vasn't kidding, Kitty," he said, approaching her bed once again. The satin sheets were soft, even against the coat of fur that lined his skin. With a high-pitched hmph! Kitty whirled with her back to him, her arms crossed over her chest. She no longer had any intention of him getting close to her. This made a sad sigh slowly escape from the Wagner's lips. "Katzchen," he began, sitting again, fuzzy blue hands on her frame, one on her shoulder, the other at her cheek. "Please?"

Silence once again. He wouldn't speak another syllable until her sultry eyes met with his. At long last, she caved, heaving a shallow breath before turning to meet his gaze. A grin not so devious graced his lips this time.

"Anyzing that you do to get my attention is going to make me feel…well…happy. I just can't help it," he explained, removing his hands from her face, to replace their grip around a single pale hand. A kiss was placed on slender fingers. Color rushed to her face. Damn her body for doing things that she couldn't control on queue. It earned another toothy smirk from the nymph. Oh, how badly she wanted to pull away, but she couldn't – she wouldn't; this moment was too perfect to ruin with her own self inflicted embarrassment, accompanied by a wicked temper.

The clock on her wall ticked on. Nothing was said, even as the slender second hand ticked around and around and several times past the bold XII. Kurt's gaze never left her, even as Kitty's own eyes flickered away every so often. Though she loved it how their souls seemed to bore into one another when they would lay in the dark like this, eyes locked, entranced by the love they shared, she couldn't take it now.

"Like, why are you staring at me?" she finally spat, fed up with the awkwardness that had erupted between them.

Kurt merely chuckled, running hand through his indigo hair. Though she'd never admit it out loud, she loved his hair. Incredibly, it was somehow softer than the rest of his fur and it flowed flawlessly over his temples like ink spilling down a page, and hung perfectly at the nape of his neck. She ached to run her own cool fingers through it. Heat tickled at her face at these thoughts. Mentally, she scolded herself. She would keep her cool.

"I'm vaiting," he replied meekly, letting out a lazy yawn as he fell back against her bed.

The Shadowcat's eyes narrowed. "Waiting for what?"

The smile was quickly wiped from the elf's face. He propped himself up on his elbows, his head tilted to the side, just so. A hairy hand crept over hers, resting on the frail skin. "Vaiting for you to tell me vhy you vere trying so hard to get my attention." His voice was soft, barely audible. He wanted so badly as to know why – why, oh, why – she'd do such a thing. Was it really just a cry for attention? She had his attention, she meant the world to him.

"Amanda."

The word came so fast that Kurt wasn't quite sure if he had heard right. "Huh?!" he choked, his eyes fluttering wide.

Again, Kitty sighed. If she didn't have to explain all of this to him, she wouldn't. Why would she want to come off as some jealous girlfriend? But that's what she was….wasn't she? A shaky hand fixed a flawless pony tail before reluctantly continuing. "I saw…you and Amanda talking at your locker again today." The periwinkle optics of the girl quickly shot up. Kurt's own eyes at softened at her, though the glossy yellow still swirled with genuine confusion.

"Ja," prompted he with a cock of his head, "so vhat?"

Kitty merely shrugged. What was there left to say? How was she to explain herself when she didn't even understand herself? In actuality, Kurt did nothing wrong. But something inside of her just…snapped. Maybe that was all the explanation she needed.

"I…don't know," was the beginning of her answer, the words coming slowly from her lips, like she had to sort them carefully to properly phrase her thoughts. As she toyed with her sleeves, Kitty's eyes slid up to meet with Kurt's. They hadn't left her profile. Awkwardly, she shrugged. "Seeing Amanda…and you, just….taling like that, and her touching you – it just…It drove me crazy! I couldn't control myself." Now that she admitted her feelings out loud, Shadowcat felt…ashamed and embarrassed. It all sounded so silly, out in the open like this. But Kurt didn't look at her like she was crazy, which, in all honesty, was the reaction he was expecting. Instead, he reached out a three-fingered fuzzy hand and caressed the satiny skin of her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Katzchen," was his reply to her, his eyes, like his voice, soft and apologetic. "I didn't know that vas vhat upset you. I vish you had told me." At this, Kitty nodded. She wished she had just told him, too. It would have saved her a lot of time and unnecessary lip contact. Leaning closer now, the nymph continued. "You know there is nozhing between me and Amanda now, yes?"

Hoestly, the Pryde wanted to nod, wanted to tell him 'yes', but she couldn't. Even when she tried to utter the little white lie, her voice caught in her throat, making her heave a shaky cough. So, after a short moment's silence, she shook her head, slowly, eyes glued to the bed spread. "No, I don't know. I like to think there isn't, though. You know? But, it hasn't, like, been that long since ya'll split."

With a sour twist of his mouth, Kurt shook his shoulders. "That doesn't mean anyzhing…I don't vant her anymore, Kitty." Taking her hands into his and drawing them close to his face, he placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. And again. And again. The brunette couldn't help but smile. With an impish grin, Kurt pressed his forehead to hers, locking their gazes. "All I vant is you, Katzchen."

Now, that wasn't all too cheesy, was it? Nah, it had to be, the way she doubled into a fit of giggles, cheeks stinging from the stretch of her smile. At first, the crawler looked quite hurt, but eventually, he, too, got caught in the laughter. "Hey," he barked between breaths. "It vasn't that funny!"

"No, no, you're right," she agreed with a wave of her hand, her jostling torso settling as she caught her breath. As she leaned into him now, her nose to his, a thin brow raised curiously, her eye gleamed with a teasing sort of sparkle. "So, elf boy, what makes you so sure that I want you too?"

He twisted his mouth thoughtfully, rolling his eyes up. It was all a play face of course, which caused Kitty to roll her own eyes as she waited. At long last, he gave a shrug, allowing a broad and brilliant grin dominate his features. In the most suave of ways, he leaned in, taking her lips into his for a quick, gentle kiss. When he pulled back, he gave a soft, boyish chuckle before proceeding to whisper:

"Chicks dig the fuzzy dude."