Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evo. It'd be back on air and have like three more seasons and a lot more gay.
Author's Note: This fic was actually written as a non-powered AU for my fiction class in college. I got an A. I passed being fanfic trash. #goals. Also was heavily inspired by "The Gambler" by FUN.
Neither of them wanted to go to the Winter Formal. They didn't have dates, and each was dragged there by their respective friends. Todd didn't know why he was here, since all three of the Brotherhood boys would either be meeting girls, or just staring at them from afar as he knew Freddy would. Kurt was with Kitty, Jean, Rogue and the other girls who would all be meeting the boys, or being stared at until their actual boyfriends arrived.
This left the two dateless boys standing awkwardly around the drink table, Kurt staring off into the crowd, and Todd scuffing his shoe on the ground. They exchanged a quick glance before looking back to their respective "distractions." Todd thought that the Winter Formal was just that, and seeing Kurt who was in a black blazer and slacks, felt a little under dressed. Kurt on the other hand was holding back snickers at Todd, who sported a light blue tux that looked like it was from the eighties and clearly wasn't an exact fit for him.
"You got a problem?"
Kurt turned to look at the grump who'd been standing away from him. At the sight of the rather mousey looking man who being almost a head shorter than him, trying to seem intimidating, Kurt lost his cool and let out a hard laugh.
"The hell's so funny yo?"
"I'm sorry, really I am. It's just; you look so ridiculous in zat outfit."
"Hey shut up, it wuz on sale. Lance said I had to wear something good for this thing. And what about you, huh? You ain't even dressed to impress."
"Vell I vasn't planning on trying to impress anyvun here."
Todd made another grumble and took his place against the wall as he was before, but next to Kurt this time, and the two stood in the silence that was only broken by the upbeat music and laughing of other schoolmates.
"..."
"..."
"Vhy vould you even wear zat?"
"Oh come on man, I may have a reputation for not being 'classy' but I can still dress up."
"Oh ja, you're zhe epitome of class."
"You wanna go dawg?"
"Vat like go dance?"
Todd froze for a moment and looked between Kurt and the crowd that was still all in their own moments of the music. Kurt looked at Rogue and Tabitha, who were dancing together, in what looked like an attempt to spite the boys who'd been asking them to dance all night. Todd caught on to what Kurt saw and snickered, knowing the guys were probably cursing to themselves and trying to restore their egos.
Kurt ran a hand through his chin length hair and sighed.
"Vell if zhey can do it, zhen so can ve. Ja?"
Todd looked back at Kurt, who gave him a toothy grin and held out a hand. Todd felt warmth creep into his cheeks and looked down at his shoes. He still had his muddy sneakers on, since he said dress shoes always hurt his feet, plus he had to keep some of his own style.
"Hey, ve're in the last year of high school. Ve can do vhat ve vant."
Todd thought back to the guys he'd been living with. They were his brothers and they were his family in a way, but he wasn't sure just how they would react. He'd never been one to impress them much, even when he tried, so why try to? Screw em if they have issues. He took Kurt's hand and was lead out to the floor as a cheery pop song came on and they soon fell in line with the crowd.
Kurt stood with his arms folded, looking down at the hood of the car in front of him, Todd's legs sticking out from underneath the machine. He could hear him poorly singing along to a song he must have playing through his headphones, which would explain why he hadn't heard Kurt come in or call for him. He stood there for two more minutes before giving a light kick to Todd's foot. He heard a clang and saw the legs jump under him.
"Yo I'm busy here! I'll get to the next job when I get to it!"
"Is zat anyvay to talk to your favorite customer?"
Todd rolled out from under the car and gave Kurt a roll of his eyes.
"Oh yeah, my favorite one who never seems to be able to make sure his car has basic maintenance."
"Maybe I just like to see you?"
"We've been together for seven years dawg. You see me every day."
"And yet, here I am."
Todd sighed and rolled back under to finish up his work as Kurt started to roam around the workshop. It had been a few years since graduation, and Kurt had moved on to teaching at the mansion. Todd on the other hand, had found a calling in mechanical work and got a job at a car shop. When Lance found out he had almost cheered like a schoolgirl. Eventually the pair had moved out and gotten an apartment for the two of them. Living together had taken some getting used to, but they worked all things out with time of course. He looked over the large table where Todd had various gadgets, and machines he was designing. He flipped through the pages of blueprints and paused on a few of them; an alarm system, an automatic cat feeder, and even something that looked like a boat. This lead Kurt to think about whether or not a life by the seashore would be something he would like. He'd only lived in a small village in Germany, before moving into the mansion with the others.
"Vould you vant to move to zhe ocean?"
"What?"
"Zhe ocean. Like living out by zhe sea?"
"Hell no."
"Vhy?"
"Too much salt. I never liked salty things."
"You ate my parent's food zhough."
"You really think I'd turn down anything your ma made? That woman is a culinary genius."
"Did you actually like any of it?"
"Eh mostly. You're still my favorite flavor of anything German."
Kurt laughed and turned back as Todd rolled out from under the machine again and hopped to his feet, rubbing his oily hands on his dirty work jeans. He gave Kurt a wry smile and he crossed over to meet him as they exchanged a kiss. Todd turned to look back at the car.
"Hey you gonna take her for a spin?"
Kurt looked at him curiously following Todd's eyes to the front driver's side. He walked over and opened the door to see a long stemmed red rose lying on the seat with a small velvet box next to it. Kurt could only stare as Todd quietly shuffled behind him and muttered.
"You know I'm no good at romantic shit, but I know you like surprises so uh, surprise."
"Todd…"
"I mean you don't have to answer yet, unless it's no then I mean I'd kinda rather not hear that. But if it's yes then I can wait."
Kurt spun around and wrapped his arms around Todd tightly, the shorter man freezing up before slowly returning the embrace.
"After so many years togezher, vhy vould I ever say no, to somezhing like zhis?"
"Iunno, maybe cause I'm just a bum from Brooklyn who fixes cars, and fell in love with someone out of his league?"
"You're my bum from Brooklyn zhough."
Fifty. How Todd had made it to fifty amazed him. He honestly had felt back in his younger years that he would be living in a small apartment by himself and crawling into a bottle, the same way his dad had. He didn't think he'd be spending the day having an actual party with his husband, and the two kids coming in for the day.
Marie was always busy, but still made time to call home once a week and was studying politics in college, with plans to raise herself up and become a speaker. She'd always been a firecracker and wanted to make a change in the rights of people, things like more equality and more freedom.
Lance on the other hand was more laid back, wanting to be a teacher. He wanted to make a change through others, not wanting to be on the front lines. He saw the world in a brighter sense and often somewhat butted heads with his sister, but Kurt was always quick to come between and even things out.
As Todd adjusted his glasses and put his now graying hair into a ponytail, he could hear Kurt rummaging around through the kitchen. He went down the stairs and saw him up on his toes and getting a sugar bag from the highest shelf.
"Are you seriously gonna bake me a cake?"
Kurt jumped in surprise, but still held his balance as he lowered back down to the ground and placed the sugar among the other ingredients.
"Vhy not? It's a special birthday for you. Ve have been togezher for long enough zhat I zhink it's time I do."
"Whatever dawg. Just don't make it into a poison rock."
"I'm not Kitty, zat's her specialty."
Todd gave a laugh as he walked out the front door and looked out at the green rolling hills, speckled with occasional wildflowers, in front him. He preferred the countryside, and they needed to make the move for a few reasons. Bayville was just such a cluttered mess and the cold winters were bad for him. Lance also didn't react very well to cold, and when he was young and contracted pneumonia, the doctors said perhaps a cleaner environment would be better for the boy. Kurt was perfectly happy with the move himself, having said the little two story house reminded him of his old home.
Todd looked around to make sure Kurt was still baking, and went out to sit on the bench they had built for the porch. He took a cigarette out and lit it and took a slow drag from it. Kurt wasn't exactly approving of his bad habit, but Todd said it wasn't a big deal and that he had heard tell that his grandfather smoked for all his life and died at eighty. Todd mused on this for a moment and thought that perhaps this meant he only had thirty years left. That was enough time for grandkids to show up, right? Grandkids. Jesus now I do feel older, he thought to himself.
Kurt was starting to mix the batter in a large bowl on the counter when he heard the phone ring. Reaching over to grab it from the wall cradle while still trying to carry the bowl and balance it on his leg, he clicked the answer button.
"Guten tag...Ach Rogue yes today is zhe day. Vhen vere you planning to arrive?"
Slowly moving back to the counter, fitting the phone between his shoulder and ear, he listened intently to his sister ramble on about lazy flight attendants and how businesses were better run in Mississippi, than whatever this little country town they'd moved to was. Kurt pointed out that most people would've said the same about her home state, which she scoffed at and just said that her state was an example of what other should try to be.
"Anyvay, Marie vill be glad to see you as vell. I just hope you brought zhe drinks...Vait, vhat is even in zat?...Mein Gott, zhat sounds deadly."
As he started to pour the batter into one of the trays he had set out, he heard the front door opening and a cheery conversation. He saw Lance and Todd walk in with arms around each other's shoulders and cackling at some story Lance seemed to be telling. Kurt gave Rogue a quick goodbye and said he'd see her later as he hung up and gave his son a warm hug.
"Kid was just telling me about some of the new lessons he came up with, something bout idiotic phrases?
"Idiomatic, dad."
"That's what I said wasn't it?
Todd never was a believer in God. He'd lost most of his faith when his father had left his family and the rest when his mother told him at twelve that she hadn't wanted another man in her house since then, Todd included. Kurt was born and raised Catholic and made an effort to walk the two miles to the church in town every Sunday. Kurt felt as if he was spry enough to do so, despite having hit sixty, so when he felt the sudden pain in his chest and a lack of breath, his first thoughts were to pray to God. His second was that he was in the middle of the country road and couldn't move enough to even reach for the phone is his pocket. Todd wondered if maybe miracles, or something of the like, were a thing. But it didn't feel good enough. When he went looking for Kurt, who'd been gone for two hours, the last thing he expected to find was Kurt on the side of the road. Looking at him now in hospital bed, so cold and pale, Todd still felt angry.
"The fuck did you have to go out there for…All you ever had to deal with from those kinds of people was shit. Just for being with who you loved. And I never understood why you still went out there. All I ever see on the news is those people shouting about what's wrong with us and yet you never let it get to you. Even when I wanted to kick the bastards stupid faces in you told me that we just needed to let'em go. That for all the spiteful things that people say or do, that as long as we had each other, not a damn thing they said mattered."
It had been an uphill battle, being both mutants and in a homosexual relationship. But after gay marriage had passed, it was a matter of time before the public had begun to consider mutants in good standing. That didn't change the fact of course that some small sects still persecuted both groups. Kurt said these people were ignorant and foolish, that God wouldn't care about how you were born, blue furred, web toed, or loving another man.
Todd leaned forward and took Kurt's hand in his and rested his head on the bed, choking back a sob.
"So you better not leave me yet, cause I can't handle anything in this world without you. It ain't your time, and it ain't mine. We're in this together, remember? So you keep living got it."
Todd looked up to the still face of the man he'd spent the last forty-some years with, who was steadily breathing with the help of the nearby machine. He gripped Kurt's hand tighter and gave him a weak smile as he lied his head down and tried to breathe in the smell that was distinctly Kurt. A smell that reminded him of what it meant to be loved. From their first dance, to their proposal, dinner with Kurt's family, the wedding Todd improvised his vows at, buying their first home, adopting their kids and raising them, as he tried not to be what his parents were. Through it all Kurt had been there, and even through the sterile hospital bedsheets, he could still smell Kurt and every memory that flooded through his head reminded him just of what he meant. And it broke his heart all the more to think that this may be their last night together.
Kurt sat quietly in a plush armchair that Marie had bought for him after the incident and watched as a pair of grandkids raced after their German shepherd that Todd had gotten, saying how now if he decided to walk to church still then he'd have someone to call for help. Todd came in from the cold outside, wrinkled and worn from time, but still with his same old attitude. Kurt waved him over and Todd shuffled over to him and knelt down, wincing slightly.
"Whatcha need?"
"Vould you light up zhe fireplace? It's getting razher cold out."
"Wait a sec, the German doesn't like cold?"
"Some zhings change, ozhers don't. I've never lost my accent after all."
"That's just cause you're weird."
"Vhatever you say, dood."
"Shaddap."
"I love you."
"Love you too."
Todd slowly rose back up, exchanging as kiss along the way and began to stoke the fire. Kurt glanced over to him as Todd turned back and started shouting at the kids who were running around the kitchen where Lance and Marie had been setting up the dinner for the holiday meal. Kurt sighed contentedly looking at the family and life he had made for himself and leaned back to bask in the joy that it brought him.