Quick Summary: Days after Kitty returns to the X-Men, she and Kurt wake up naked in each other's arms and aren't entirely sure how they got there. Will their relationship become easier or infinitely more complicated? Sequel to Parts of a Whole.

Longer Summary: This is set in the comics universe, somewhere around Uncanny X-Men #444 (when the X.S.E. is formed) and the beginning of Whedon's Astonishing X-Men (when Kitty returns to the X-Men, but just before the mutant cure happens or Colossus is resurrected). This is a sequel of sorts to another story of mine, called, Parts of a Whole. You don't necessarily have to read that one first, but if you enjoy this one, you'll definitely like that one, too :) And be sure to check out part 3: Whole into Parts!

As always—review if you like, but most of all enjoy!

Disclaimer #1: I don't own any of the X-Men or make a dime from imagining their between-panel exploits.

Disclaimer #2: Remember, heroes always practice safe sex!

A Different Sameness

Chapter 1: Morning

For several seconds, Kurt heard the buzzing in what he thought was a dream. It was his favourite type, in which his arms and tail were entwined around the warm, naked body of a beautiful woman. Eyes blinking open wearily into a hangover-hazed consciousness, he realized it wasn't a dream at all, and the body tangled with his was not anonymous. With a rush of remembrance and anxiety he realized that his arms and tail weren't hugging just any naked woman; his hand was nestled between the breasts, his tail curled around the bent thigh, of a naked Kitty Pryde, groaning now as her arm crawled out from under the blankets to mash the alarm clock into silence.

"Hey..." she mumbled, giggling sleepily as he uncoiled his tail a bit too quickly. "That tickles..."

Taking his attempt to extricate himself as an invitation to greater comfort, she rolled over and collapsed onto his chest as he released her body, rubbing her face against the grain of his fur while her hand stroked his ribs. Kurt released a slow breath as her smooth, firm body snuggled into his. He considered how easy it would be to forget his misgivings and surrender back into oblivion under her touch, his mind drifting back to a series of scattered memories of the night before...

...fingernails cutting through his fur... heavy weight of hair on his face... a firm, sure grip sweeping down his tail...

Kurt forced his eyes open, squeezing Kitty gently as he whispered softly into her ear.

"Katzchen... your alarm..."

With another groan, Kitty stirred. Her hand grew still against his side as he felt her breathing get quicker and lighter, eyelashes flickering against his chest. Then, in a sudden flurry of movement, she pushed herself upright, eliciting a small sound of protest from Kurt on behalf of the clumsy elbow she unknowingly delivered to his breastplate. Propped up by a hand pressed awkwardly against Kurt's chest, she made a quick survey of her surroundings. Looking up at Kitty's immodestly exposed breasts hovering above him, Kurt couldn't quite resist the lopsided grin that spread across his face.

"Good morning to you, too."

Kitty's eyes shot downwards, registering a sudden, full awareness of his presence. She dove quickly back into the bed, folding her arms under her breasts, over the sheet.

"So I guess this isn't a dream?" she asked.

"If it is, we're having the same one," he offered.

The joke didn't seem to register with Kitty, whose face maintained a blank, unreadable expression as she stared up at the ceiling. Fighting warring compulsions to offer a comforting touch or teleport miles away, Kurt settled for trying to talk.

"I guess we should... talk about what..."

"We don't... you don't have to if...

"No, it's okay... I mean, I didn't..."

"Me neither, but..."

Their fractured attempts to speak disintegrated quickly into a silence neither one of them, full consciousness returned, seemed equipped to breach. In addition to a growing headache, Kurt felt a cold shroud enrobing his heart with the emergence of an unwanted thought he couldn't quite keep out: This was a mistake...

"Katzchen, I..."

He was interrupted by a knock on the door, resounding like a klaxon through the too-quiet room. They both listened to a second round of knocking before either of them could think what to do.

"Who is..."

Kurt's question was interrupted by Scott Summers' voice calling from the other side of the door. "Kitty? Are you in there? Is everything okay?"

"Damn it!" Kitty hissed, hurling herself out of bed and calling back in the direction of the door, "I'm fine, Scott! Just overslept. Give me two secs."

Keeping his eyes discretely averted from the spectacle of a fully naked Kitty rifling through her closet for a spare uniform, Kurt got out of bed and started to gather his own scattered clothes off the floor.

By the time Kitty emerged from the bathroom a few seconds later, Kurt and all trace of him were gone. Kitty paused for a moment, staring at the rumpled pile of bedsheets. A series of fragmented, alcohol-hazed memories flickered through her brain as she tried to decide whether to be angry or grateful to Kurt for his disappearing act.

...her thumb dipping into a heavy velvet crease of bellybutton... the forked tip of a tail swishing between her shoulder blades... the tickle of lips and fur behind her ear...

"Kitty?"

"I'm here, Scott!" Kitty said, hurrying to the door. "Sorry for the delay. Stayed up too late, I guess."