This chapter came unexpectedly. I was just avoiding my work load when the motivation to continue this popped up and I complied. I have no will power, I know. I'm still not entirely sure whether or not to make this a long-term project, so let me know if you'd like a full story out of this!
For now, enjoy the un-beta'd chapter that I wrote while watching too many Friends episodes.
By the time Anna and Kitty had come to an agreement over what to do with the hungover Remy in their living room, it was far too late for Anna to go back to sleep. Instead, she opted to prepare herself a bacon sandwich for breakfast (as well as to annoy the drunkard still on the couch with the smell) and keep an eye on Lockheed whilst Kitty went to find their neighbour. Said cat was now rubbing against her legs and mewing loudly.
"Ya know you can't have any, Lock. Kitty will smack meh." Anna flipped the bacon pieces over before bending down to pick the Russian Blue up. He stretched a paw out to the pan and she pulled him back. "I'll get ya some real food instead."
Lockheed rubbed his cheek against her's and nipped her chin. Anna flicked his nose and glared at him. His large yellow eyes just stared back, as always. Kitty spoiled him too damn much for his own good. The Southerner muttered to herself and went to rummage through the semi-empty cupboards, swatting Lockheed's paws when he was about to knock something over. It was like having a toddler, honestly. He finally left things be when Anna grabbed a tin of cat food and yanked the top off.
"Much better." Lockheed then began to mewl loudly and jumped out of her arms, bumping into her shin in an effort to get his meal. "Behave yourself, ya lil' bastard..."
The cries continued anyway until Anna emptied the can into the food bowl, but once the cat went quiet, the apartment guest spoke up.
"Ta gueule... Doesn' he shut up...?"
"You first, Swamp Rat." She could feel his glare on her back but she couldn't find any energy to throw a stronger one back. Besides, he was suffering enough with a hangover and once she started eating her sandwich in front of him, she'd torture the Cajun enough to last her a few lifetimes. That's what you get for breaking into my apartment, douchepants.
For the meantime, she'd have to deal with listening to his groaning and whining.
0XX0
For as long as she could remember, Kitty Pryde had only ever been scared of three things: Spiders; creepy old guys following her home, and adult responsibilities. Okay, maybe that last one was more than just one thing but that wasn't the point. Talking to others had always been one of her strengths; an area which Anna failed in so Kitty made up for it. It was one of the many things that made them work so well together over the years.
However, she was now dreading having to speak to Piotr Rasputin, their Russian neighbour who lived just across the hall.
Kitty stared up at the 19 number plate on the green door and held her knuckle just an inch away, biting at her lip. She had only come across Piotr a few times since moving into the building, and they had only shared a word or two in those brief moments. She honestly knew more about him from the women in the laundry room than from actually speaking to him. Things like him being an art school student (or graduate? No one seemed to agree on which); knowing English better than the 'thugs' down the street; always willing to lend a helping hand to with five kids on the second floor, etcetera etcetera. Hell, she only knew his name because the postman had slipped the wrong letter into their mail box one day and she hadn't noticed until she had opened it.
Despite all these facts proving that nothing bad would come out of actually having a conversation with the guy, Kitty was absolutely terrified to her deepest core. Why? Not because he was actually really cute and apparently single, noooo.
Never.
"Anna is gonna kill me if I don't hurry up..." Kitty remarked to herself, holding back a shudder at the thought of leaving her best friend alone with the hungover Remy for too long. He'd probably end up like Jean's ex-boyfriend from high school. That was something she never wanted to see again. "Okay okay, I can do this!"
Without a second thought, Kitty banged her fist against the door and quickly stepped back from it. There were some muffled voices before the door cracked open, revealing a short blonde woman with big blue eyes and a face that could be accurately described as a plum. Not the tall dark-haired man Kitty had expected.
"Privet?" The woman asked in a thick Russian accent, idly running her nails down the wooden door and staring up at Kitty. She stared right back.
"Uh...is Piotr awake? I need to talk to him..." Kitty fiddled and twiddled with her fingers, only sparing the girl a glance here and there. The blonde tilted her head, making her hair fall past her shoulder and then perked up before shouting something in her mother tongue. A deeper voice replied in the same language and Piotr appeared behind the girl, looking down at Kitty with the same blue eyes. Fear gripped at her once again and she couldn't make out any words.
"Can ve help you?"
"U-Um, yes yes!" Kitty laughed nervously and tried to hide her red face in the folds of her oversized pajamas. "Uh, do you know anyone called, um, Remy LeBeau? 'C-Cause he's on our couch and said he was looking for you..."
Piotr's face fell into a grim scowl and the blonde girl patted his shoulder, talking to him in Russian. He nodded and lifted an arm to let her pass, his expression still not lifting. Kitty looked him over with a raised eyebrow, watching as he ran a hand over his face.
"I..." He started, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding Kitty's gaze. "I am terribly sorry about him, miss. Remy can...be difficult. He hasn't done any damage?"
"No! No, noooo." Kitty swallowed and tilted back on her feet, smiling as naturally as she could. Judging by Piotr's face, she probably looked like The Joker right now. Whoops. "I thought he was a burglar first, and Anna's just mad at him for waking her up so early on her day off. He's also got a killer hangover, which didn't help with Anna's mood at all."
"Huh." Piotr raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, opening his door more. Kitty made a point to try and not stare at his bare arms - He must work out a ton, they're huge - but was failing in that entirely. "Illyana will take while to get the things. I can get him off your couch."
"That'd be great! Great, thanks." Kitty replied as she stepped aside to let Piotr pass her. He called back to Illyana in his apartment before shutting the door behind him. She smiled up at him and hid her face again when he returned his own to her. They stood together in the hall in silence for a few moments, then Piotr spoke up at last.
"Shall ve go?" He asked, making Kitty nearly jump out of her skin. She skittered for a second but quickly recollected herself and cleared her throat. Spinning on her heel, she came face to face with the shiny 20 on her own door just a few footsteps away. Listening carefully, she couldn't hear any evidence of a fist fight or screaming match, so Anna hadn't come to kill Remy yet.
That was good, so far.
0XX0
When the door to the apartment finally opened again and Kitty walked in with Piotr trailing behind, Anna and Remy were in the middle of an all-out glaring match. Lockheed was sitting next to Anna on the kitchen island, innocent to the shenanigans happening. Kitty looked between her room mate and their uninvited guest, then announced herself.
Anna and Remy both turned their heads to her, but Remy immediately cursed and buried his face into the couch.
"Hey, Kitty." Anna said with a mouth full of bacon sandwich. Lockheed mewed with her. "Hey, Piotr guy. Welcome ta our humble abode. Mind the drunk asshole."
"Bitch face..." Came from the couch.
"You don't normally make friends so fast. Must be Christmas." Kitty put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at Anna.
"You're Jewish."
"Beside the point! He's leaving now anyway." Kitty marched over to the island, whacking Anna over the head and then picking Lockheed up to cuddle. Anna grumbled and finished her breakfast, then ran her fingers through the white strands of hair that framed her face. Why white bangs? Because screw anyone that asks, that's why. Or at least that's what her dad had always told her since she'd been his 'lil' bug'.
"Da, sorry for the trouble." Piotr said as he made his way over to the couch Remy was sprawled over. "I vas not even aware Remy was in the city."
"Stark invited moi to de opening party." Remy groaned as Piotr lifted him up into a sitting position. "Ami paid for de train, den we had a drinkin' contest 'n' my head is gon' explode, Pete."
"No vonder. What happened to your shirt?"
"Ask me when I'm not 'bout to die."
Piotr pulled Remy up onto his feet and held him upright as he turned towards the ladies, wearing his best apology face. "I'm sorry again about all this. Is there anything I can do for help?"
"Keep him far away from us." Anna muttered and then yelped when Kitty elbowed her in the side with a 'don't screw this up' look in her eye. She glared back.
"We'll let you know, thanks. I'm Kitty, by the way. Grumpy Cat here," If that was Remy sniggering at the stupid nickname, Anna was gonna gut him. "is An– Ah! Rogue, Rogue!"
The stripe haired Southerner smirked and snatched her pinching nails away from Kitty. Totally worth the shoulder slap she got straight afterwards.
"Nice to meet you both." Piotr went on, unaffected by the madness between friends. "Have nice day."
As Piotr half dragged/half carried Remy out of the apartment, Kitty waved to them cheerily while Anna counted down to the minute she'd finally have peace again. Before the men excited out of the door, Remy managed to look over his shoulder at them and smirk once again.
"Adieu, mesdames."
Piotr shut the door behind them with his foot and it echoed in the silence all around the room.
"He was quite a looker for a drunk guy–"
"Kitty, no!"
0XX0
"Why didn't you go to Belladonna's, Remy?"
The two Russian and Cajun residents of the big lush apartment sat together on a large corner sofa in the living room, all holding their own mugs and sipping from them. Remy was also holding a damp cloth to his forehead and leaning into Illyana's shoulder rub. He narrowed his eyes at Piotr and swallowed.
"Y'know how she woulda reacted seein' moi like dat. My shoulders still hurt like merde from de last time she got pissed off." He shook his head and groaned, clenching his free hand to avoid rubbing the spot. Even with the way he felt now, he could feel the numbness. Maybe the asprin could deal with that once the hangover was over with.
"Remy," Illyana shifted in her seat, reaching over to put her mug on the coffee table. Piotr lifted it and slipped a coaster underneath. The young blonde tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, then slowly rubbed Remy's arm. "Bella is vhat ve in home call, 'a bitch'."
"Illyana." Piotr warned. Remy facepalmed.
"Vhat? It's true."
"Two points." Remy lifted his hand up and adjusted his oversized shirt. "First: it's 'at home', Illyana."
"I'm still learning, pridurok."
"Second: Bella is not dat bad." The Russian siblings threw glances at each other. "She has moments, mais she knows 'n' is gettin' better."
"If you say so, priyatel'." Piotr shook his head and sipped from his mug, sighing through his nose. Illyana sat back and crossed her arms, hunching her shoulders over. Remy just groaned and covered his eyes.
"...Why's y' neighbour called 'Anna'?" He asked, earning a pair of loud groans from the two on his sides. "I'm curious. It's not a real name, Pete."
"That's not her real name." Piotr replied, sipping from his mug again. Both Remy and Illyana looked to him, wide eyed and curious. Thinking about it, Remy thought he had heard the Kitty girl say something before screaming the name. "Katya called her another, but I think there's good reason for 'Anna'."
"Which is?" Remy probed, raising an eyebrow. Illyana repeated him and leaned over with a smirk. Piotr frowned at them both (they were so troublesome together when they wanted to be) but relented.
"I do not know, but I vill respect them. You two should."
"Nah." Remy smirked and chuckled, his deep brown eyes sparkling with a devious glint Piotr never trusted. "Dis Cajun is gonna investigate."
