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I Think That Possibly Maybe I'm Falling for You
December
Kitty made her way across campus to Professor Xavier's office. She was in a good mood today. It was the last week of school for the semester. Even though this meant it was also finals week, there was a bounce in Kitty's step. She was sure she had aced the exam she had just come from, and Professor Xavier had said he had a surprise for her.
She came to the office and knocked on the door although it was already opened. Her mentor smiled at her. "Come in, Kitty," he said with a definite note of fondness. The petite brunette did as she was told.
The professor rummaged through the papers on his desk. "Ah, here it is," he said cheerfully. He handed her one page from the stack he held in his hand. She took it, curious.
It was a mock up of the Acknowledgements page for the professor's new book. Kitty guessed that the rest of the papers he was holding contained the actual contents of said book. Kitty's brown eyes scanned the document quickly. A grin broke out over her face.
"'And Miss Katherine Pryde, without whose keen mind and devotion this book would not have been possible,'" Kitty read. She looked up from the page, stunned. The professor was still smiling. "Thank you so much," she said with all the sincerity she could muster. It was really too kind of him to include her especially since her internship was a paid one, which was practically unheard of for glorified grunt work.
"It is absolutely true," Professor Xavier assured her. He continued to look on at her fondly. "You can keep that copy. I'm sure there must be someone you want to share the good news with. Enjoy your holidays, Kitty. I'll see you after the new year." The professor made a shooing motion, but Kitty could tell he meant it in an affectionate way rather than a rude one.
Professor Xavier had been right, of course. She could think of someone she wanted to tell. Kitty couldn't keep the smile off of her face even as she trudged through the snow towards the coffee shop. Her grin only seemed to widen as she reached the door.
The café was now decorated for winter. Gone were the leaves and pumpkins of fall. In their place were wreaths and snowflakes. The corners of the windows and door had been made to look as if they were frosted over, adding to the cozy aura the café radiated.
Kitty pushed the door open and made a beeline for the counter where Bobby was standing. "Hi," he said enthusiastically. "Before you say anything, I have two words for you. Gingerbread latte."
She made a face. "That sounds disgusting," she said. "I have something to show you." Kitty handed over the piece of paper to him with a flourish. Bobby took it and read it. Kitty saw his face light up in understanding.
Bobby came out from behind the counter and wrapped her in a tight hug. "That's so great. Congratulations, Kitty."
"Thanks," she answered. The smile she'd had all afternoon made its way back to her face. Bobby went back behind the counter to return the paper to her. Kitty followed after him as far as she dared, which put her right in front of Scott's office door. The older man arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Bobby returned with Kitty's copy of the Acknowledgments.
Kitty took the sheet of paper back and tucked it into her bag carefully. She wondered idly if she had a picture frame…
"So I have good news, too," the blond boy told her. "Or news, at least."
The brunette's attention immediately went back to her friend. "Yeah? What's your good news?" she wanted to know.
"Today I registered to take the CPA exam. It's in May, just a few weeks before graduation."
"That is good," Kitty agreed.
Bobby nodded, smiling. He opened his mouth to say something when –
"Hey, guys," Clarice said in her quiet voice. She pointed at something above their heads. Kitty tilted her head back to see that there was a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the doorway of Scott's office…which they were standing under.
The brunette girl immediately felt her cheeks turn pink. She ducked her head and snuck a glance at Bobby. His face was red, too.
He caught her staring and met her gaze. "It is tradition…" he pointed out.
"A Christmas tradition. I'm Jewish, remember?"
She'd thought about following Marie's "take a risk" advice in the few weeks since Thanksgiving. This might have been a good time to do so. But as much as Kitty wanted something to happen between them, she didn't want it to be because of a silly tradition. She wanted it to be real.
It was Scott who settled the matter. "I don't care what you do on your own time, but do not kiss Kitty while you're still on the clock."
Bobby gave her a "what are you gonna do" sort of look and shrugged. "So what can I get you?" he asked, their awkward moment apparently forgotten.
"Something festive," Kitty decided. Bobby brightened and she suddenly remembered his earlier suggestion. "Except gingerbread," she added quickly. "I'll have a medium peppermint mocha."
"You're no fun," Bobby told her. "You want it to go, or are you gonna stick around for awhile?"
"I could be persuaded to stay," Kitty replied.
"I get off in half an hour," Bobby said. "If that's a good reason…"
The brunette nodded. "For here, then." She took out her wallet and counted out the $3.50 the cash register showed her the mocha cost.
Bobby started preparing her drink. While she waited, Kitty's gaze wandered over to the mistletoe. She wondered what it might have been like…and then quickly shook her head. Not like that. Not because of some silly tradition that doesn't even apply to you.
"Hey, earth to Kitty." Bobby's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked over at him, forcing a smile.
"Sorry, just daydreaming," Kitty said. Which was true, at least. She picked up her steaming mug and took a small sip. "This is actually warm," she teased.
Bobby grinned. "Well you know, sometimes I like to mix it up and actually do my job."
"If only you did that more often," Scott complained loudly. As usual, Bobby ignored his boss.
Kitty took her drink over to one of the couches. She sipped it for awhile, reveling in this happy afternoon she was having. Eventually she pulled out her notes for the exam she had in the morning, but Kitty only looked them over halfheartedly. The brunette was confident she was going to do well. And the last thing she wanted was to stress herself out and ruin the good day she was having.
True to his word, Bobby came over to join her about half an hour later. He opened his messenger bag and pulled out his laptop. Kitty watched curiously as he opened a site detailing what each of the four portions of the CPA test consisted of.
He stared at the page for a long time before groaning. Kitty frowned as Bobby buried his face in his hands. "Why did I do this to myself?" he asked her, voice muffled.
"Because it's what you went to school for?" Kitty ventured.
Bobby removed his face from his hands. "Oh yeah," he said, as if this had not occurred to him. "Why did I go to school for this?"
Kitty shook her head. "That I do not know." Bobby went back to hiding his face. Kitty patted his back in what she hoped was a comforting manner.
After awhile, the blond boy looked up again. "Maybe I'll just work here for the rest of my life," he said.
"Oh, I'm sure Scott would love that," Kitty remarked dryly. She reached over and took his laptop so she could examine the site herself. After a moment, she found a link marked Study Resources. She clicked on it. "Look," Kitty said as the page came up. "A lot of these practice tests and study guides you can download. It won't be so bad."
Bobby leaned over so he could see what she was trying to show him. "You're right," he said. He took the computer back and studied the page carefully. He clicked on a few of the downloadable resources and saved them. "Believe it or not, I think I do remember most of what I've spent the last four years learning."
The brunette smiled. "I believe you," she replied.
He sighed and opened one of the study guides he had just saved. He started going through it. Kitty went back to her own studying, though she knew she probably didn't really need to. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, each busy with their own topics.
Eventually, Kitty put her own materials away again. If she looked at her notes any longer, she was going to forget all of it. Beside her, Bobby was frowning at the laptop screen again.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just wondering again why I did this," Bobby answered.
Kitty leaned over him and pulled the site up again. "Look at this," she said, pointing. "Most of this is multiple choice. And if you remember as much of it as you think you do, you'll be okay. You have five months to prepare. You have to pace yourself. Start with the easier stuff and work your way up."
"I guess you probably know what you're talking about," he mused.
"I do," Kitty agreed with a small smile. "Come on, I'll help you," she offered.
He looked at her gratefully. "Yeah?"
She nodded. "Of course."
Little by little they went through the contents of the test. Kitty opened a document and made a list of all the material he should brush up on, assigning each one a number from 1 to 10. When she was finished, she showed it to the blond boy.
"I have been doing it wrong all these years," Bobby announced after looking it over. "Is this really how you study for all of your classes?" Kitty nodded. Bobby just stared at her, looking amazed.
Right was it was getting awkward, Scott appeared. "We're closing," he said.
Kitty could hardly believe it was already so late. Sure enough, the tiny clock in the corner of the computer screen said 8:58 p.m. The sky had gotten dark around them and the café had emptied without either of them noticing.
"But Kitty's helping me study," Bobby offered. "You know, so I can actually use my degree and get a job that's not here."
Scott hesitated. "Well…" he said. He was clearly trying to weigh the pros and cons of letting them stay. "Do you have your key?" he asked Bobby. The blond boy nodded. "And you'll turn off the lights and set the alarm when you leave?" Bobby nodded again. "Kitty, will you actually make sure he does everything he says he's going to do?"
Kitty smiled. "Sure." Beside her, Bobby made a noise of disbelief.
"Okay," Scott conceded. "Do not make a mess. I'll know it was you." He turned on his heel and walked to the door. "Goodnight," the manager called over his shoulder.
The petite brunette watched him go. "He's going to be a nervous wreck the rest of the night," she observed.
"Probably," Bobby agreed. "But can you believe he doesn't trust me after how long I've worked here? Wait, on second thought, maybe don't answer that."
Kitty laughed, shaking her head. "I won't," she promised. "Do you maybe want to actually study something now? You know, since that's what you told Scott we were doing?"
He let out a dramatic sigh, but he clicked on one of the practice tests obediently. There was silence again for awhile as Bobby went through the multiple choice questions. It announced a score – 89 – at the end.
"See, that's not bad," Kitty said encouragingly. "And now between this test and the list we made you have a good idea of what you'll need to study the most."
"Ah, but this was just the multiple choice. There are still the simulations and the written portions," Bobby pointed out. He saved the page with his score before opening a new tab and going to Google. He angled the laptop away from her as he typed something in. "Here's a cheerful statistic," Bobby remarked. "Last year, less than half of the people who were taking the CPA exam for the first time actually passed."
Kitty narrowed her eyes. "You're selling yourself short," she told him seriously. "And doing that is going to set you up for failure."
"Yeah?"
She nodded, expression firm. "Yeah." Kitty reached over and took the computer again. She thought for a moment, trying to get the wording correct. When she had, she hit enter and showed him what came up. "Look at all this advice you can follow from people who have done this. Okay? You're going to be fine."
He moved closer to her, peering at the screen over her shoulder. "All these people say the same things you did," Bobby observed. "Start with the basics…give yourself plenty of time…"
Kitty grinned. "I told you I knew what I was talking about," she said. "I know you know this stuff." Kitty bumped him playfully. "You might not be able to make coffee, but you know how to do this."
"Low blow," Bobby muttered. But he smiled at her briefly and she knew they were okay. He didn't look away from her even after his smile faded. "Thank you. Your support means a lot," he told her quietly.
"That's why I'm here," Kitty told him.
Bobby turned the laptop off. "I'm tired of thinking for tonight," he told her. She nodded sympathetically. She didn't envy him, to be honest. He put the computer in his bag and leaned against her heavily, his cheek pressed against her hair.
"Comfortable?" Kitty asked, amused.
"Not really," he said. "It would be better if you were taller."
Kitty pushed him away. "You don't get to sleep on me if you're going to complain about my height," she said.
He looked at her with puppy dog eyes. Kitty felt her resolve soften. She tucked her feet under her so that she was a bit taller. "Better?" she asked as he settled against her once more. She felt him nod against her shoulder.
"How are your finals going?" Bobby questioned after awhile.
"Good," Kitty answered without hesitation. She felt a lot more confident about them than she had about her midterms two months ago. "And yours?"
The blond boy sighed again. "They'll look better to me after I sit for the CPA exam," he said. "Hey, have you talked to your mom?"
"No," Kitty said, a little sadly. It was hard, but Bobby had been right on Thanksgiving. She hadn't deserved that kind of treatment. So she hadn't made any attempt to talk to either of her parents. When they wanted to act like adults, she'd be waiting.
Bobby lifted his head from her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kitty," he told her, sounding sincere. "Believe me, I know how that is."
Kitty realized that she'd never heard him talk about his family. His "work family" sure, but not his actual family. But now was not the time to bring it up. Instead she said softly, "It's late."
He fished his phone from his pocket. "Yeah, it is," he replied. "It's after 11:00. And I know we both have finals in the morning." Bobby stood and offered her a hand, which she accepted. He pulled her to her feet easily. "If you wait for me to lock up here, I'll walk you home."
Kitty shook her head. "You don't have to do that." But even as she said the words, she had a feeling Bobby wasn't going to take no for an answer.
He was nice about it, at least. "I know you can take care of yourself," he said. "But it's kind of late and it's cold and dark. I'll feel better if I know you get home safely." His blue eyes were serious as he looked down at her.
"Okay," she agreed, mostly because she thought it was sweet that he wanted to take care of her.
"Get your stuff and follow me."
She did as she was told, bundling herself into her winter coat and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Bobby did the same.
The brunette followed at his heels as he crossed the shop to Scott's office. He turned off the lights. "Okay Kitty, once I put the alarm code in, we'll have exactly one minute to get out of the building before it goes off." She could just make out Bobby's grin in the darkness. "This is my favorite part of closing."
"Of course it is," Kitty said.
There was a panel on the wall under the light switch. Bobby held his phone out so he could see and swiftly punched in a four digit code. He shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed Kitty's hand, his fingers curling through hers. The blond boy wove expertly through the coffee shop, tugging her in his wake.
They made it out with about ten seconds to spare. With his free hand, Bobby fit his key into the lock on the door and turned it. He smiled at her as he put the key away. "Told you it was fun," he said.
"It was a little fun," Kitty admitted. He still hadn't let go of her hand.
Bobby seemed to realize this as well. He released her. "You lead the way."
They walked to her apartment in silence. Like before, it was not an awkward silence but a comfortable one.
"Nice place," Bobby remarked when Kitty pointed out her building. Kitty pushed open the door to the lobby and led the way up to the third floor where her apartment was.
"I'd invite you in…" Kitty began as they came to her door.
"Some other time," Bobby agreed.
They continued to linger outside Kitty's door. She didn't want to say goodnight yet. "Thank you for this, Bobby," she told him. "You're sweet."
Bobby gave her that smile, the one that made her heart beat faster. He didn't say anything though. He looked like he was thinking about something. The longer the silence lasted, the weirder it was.
"What is it?" Kitty asked when she couldn't stand it anymore.
"It's just…earlier, with the mistletoe at the café…"
With everything else that had happened that day, Kitty had almost forgotten. "What about it?" she asked, curious.
"I wanted to," Bobby answered. "Not in front of everyone like that, but I wanted to."
Kitty could hardly believe what she was hearing. Bobby…had feelings for her? It looked like Marie had been right after all.
"So can I?"
She grinned at him now. "Do you always ask a girl's permission before you kiss her?"
"Not usually," the blond boy admitted, "but I wanted to make sure I wasn't misreading anything."
"You're not," Kitty whispered.
He smiled and angled his head down towards hers. Their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. Bobby's hands slid onto her hips, pulling her closer.
When they broke apart, both had grins on their faces. "That was nice," Kitty said, feeling shy. "I'll, um, see you tomorrow, I guess."
"Definitely," Bobby agreed. "I'll have your usual ready?"
Kitty stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again. "You know what," she said after breaking the kiss, "why don't you surprise me?"