Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution.
Five years had passed since he'd left everything he'd ever truly loved behind. He had to, before he killed someone. Kurt looked down at his salad, pushing the leaves around silently. It was their anniversary today. A waitress, a little plump with curled brown hair and kind green eyes, walked over and smiled. "Doing alright, sweetheart?" She asked, petting Kurt's shoulder lightly. Kurt nodded, pushing his plate away and fishing the money to pay or it out of the front pocket of his dark-green trench coat. "You want that to go?" Kurt shook his head and pulled his hat lower, standing up and leaving the money on the counter. "Okay. Take care, now." He nodded slightly, walking out into the heavy rain. No one else was out that day. They were all safe at home with their families. Tears fell down Kurt's cheeks as he thought about his family. The Wagners had probably given up searching by now, the X-Men probably wanted nothing more to do with him, and Toad… A soft sob escaped Kurt's throat before he forced his tears away and walked into a run-down apartment, abandoned and empty. It was his home now, at least until he moved on again. He curled up in his little corner, shivering and peeling his coat off to use as a blanket. At last, he let his tears flow as soft sobs rocked his body and lured him to sleep.
II
He hadn't smiled once in the past five years. He had stopped going to school, barely ate anymore, and almost never left his bed. Lance sat with him, running his fingers through mousy hair while Pietro and Fred watched. They had hoped things would go back to normal once the whole ordeal was over, but things had only gotten worse. A soft knock was heard from the door. Pietro bolted to answer, admitting a soaked Evan. "Any news?" Lance asked, hand coming to rest at the very top of Todd's head. Todd sighed and buried his face in his pillow as Evan walked over, shedding his coat and excepting the towel Fred offered. Despite the atmosphere of the room, Evan smiled.
"We've found him."
II
Kurt stretched slightly and pulled his coat away with his tail, yawning and climbing to his feet. It was still dark out, but he couldn't stand the nightmares or his growling stomach any longer. He made his way slowly back to the café and sat in his usual booth, a blonde waitress coming over this time. "Evening, Fuzzy. The usual?" She asked. Kurt nodded, ignoring the 'fuzzy' part, and let his head rest on the table while he waited for his salad and water. He heard the doors open behind him, but didn't turn around. Even when he caught a very familiar swampy scent, he tried to ignore it, preying he was wrong. A young African-American man stepped up beside him and lifted his hat to get a better look at his face.
"Dude, you know you're a wreak, right?" Evan asked, looking at his best friend sadly. "We missed you back at the Institute, things have been pretty dead without you around." Kurt just closed his eyes and turned away, ears drooping. "There's someone else who missed you more, though." Kurt looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Crawler. Long time." Todd said softly, crouching his own way in the floor to look up at Kurt. "Why'd you leave? Did I do something wrong?" The was the last straw. Kurt jumped from his booth, arms finding their way around Todd's waist as a heartbreaking sob escaped, followed by many more.
"No. I did." He whispered. Todd's eyes widened slightly before he put his arms around Kurt's shoulders, squeezing him gently. "I wanna go home."
"Then lets go." Todd said, pulling Kurt to his feet and supporting him carefully. "We've been looking everywhere for you. They left your room at the institute open for you, and I'll be right across the hall." Kurt smiled, wiping his eyes. The blonde waitress watched all this and smiled as the group walked out to the jet waiting outside. She waved slightly before returning to her cleaning.
II
Kurt smiled softly as he snuggled into his soft bed, warm and clean for the first time in a long time. Todd watched from the door as Scott and Lance pulled the covers over him, Logan looking the window. "Sleep tight now, and remember, we're just down the hall." Scott said, brushing some of Kurt's hair away from his face. "You gonna be okay?"
"Ja. I'm okay now." Kurt said, purring softly and yawning. "Good night."
"Night." Lance said, walking out with the other two right behind him. Todd stayed just a little longer before walking over to the bed and leaning down to give Kurt a soft kiss on the forehead.
"Night, Crawler." He whispered.
"Night, Toad." Kurt whispered back without opening his eyes. Todd closed the door on his way out and settled into his own bed across the hall. As he dozed off, he couldn't help but smile. The Crawler was home at last.
The End.