Chapter 21: Sunrise
Disclaimer: I wish I owned it.
A/N: I decided to add a couple New Mutants in this chapter; they will be OOC because I don't know much about them.
A/N2: Rahne and Jamie are both 11, and Bobby is 15.
oOo
Kitty blinked up at her ceiling and turned in her bed to see that she'd woken up later than normal. ~Not again. ~
She fell from her bed and looked around her room, Marie was still fast asleep in her bed, but unlike the last time Kurt had failed to wake her up, the boys were not making enough noise to wake the dead outside her door.
She licked her lips and walked through the door, her bare feet making no noise as she padded down the hall. When she reached Kurt's door, she paused for a second before going in.
Her boyfriend was curled up in his bed, the covers having somehow ended up on the floor. His chest rose and fell with his breathing and she was pleased to notice that he seemed quite peaceful and relaxed.
~Guess he's just catching up on missed sleep. ~ While quite a relief, she was a little disappointed that he was asleep.
She shrugged mentally and grabbed the blanket from the floor, gently throwing it over him before she kissed his cheek and left the room.
A few seconds later she came back in and grabbed one of his shirts from his drawer, grinning as she pulled the black material over her head.
Blanketed by the material of her boyfriend's clothing, she wandered around the mansion, eventually ending up pulling on her shoes and wandering around the backyard.
She sat on the dew covered grass and watched the sun rise, lighting up the dark sky. It was then that she heard the soft sound of someone walking up behind her.
"You alvays steal my clothes." She turned, smiling, to see Kurt leaning against a nearby tree, shirtless and his hair slightly messy from sleep.
"How'd you find me?" she questioned as he walked over to sit next to her.
"I voke up and vas vatching the sunrise from my balcony, vhen I saw you valking around down here." He kissed her temple and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
She grinned up at him and they sat in silence, watching the Sun, rise in the East.
"So…what do you want to do today? After all, my parents aren't here anymore, and everyone else is going to be busy."
He grinned, "Vant to hijack Scott's car?"
Kitty grinned back, "We have to get ice-cream too, can't go without ice-cream on a Saturday." He smiled and kissed her forehead with a relaxed sigh.
The Sun had risen completely by now, so they trekked back up to the mansion. Entering the kitchen, they found Storm preparing breakfast, and Logan in his regular seat at the table with his customary coffee and the paper.
Ororo greeted them with a smile, "Good morning, you two."
"Guten Morgen, Fraulein Munroe."
Kitty smiled back. "Morning Mr. Logan." Kitty took a seat across from the gruff man who grunted in response.
"So, vhat's for breakfast?" Kurt looked over Ororo's shoulder.
"Bacon and eggs…yes Kitty I have vegetarian choices for you." The brunette girl grinned thankfully at her instructor for answering her silent question.
"Mornin'!" Marie stumbled into the kitchen, running a hand through her hair to tidy it. "Kurt…why are you damp?" the blue mutant looked over himself to see he was covered in a thin blanket of moisture.
"Oh, I vas outside earlier, blame the seasons." She shook her head and grabbed a plate to dish up her breakfast.
Breakfast was a mainly silent affair as everyone was still in the process of waking up. Ororo was really pulling out all the stops to cook enough food for everyone, and that included their guests.
Footsteps, preceded several of their guests as they entered the kitchen and Kurt, sensing a possible disaster, disappeared out the door and 'ported away.
Kitty looked after her friend with a sad expression, "I hate that he has to do that." She sighed and pushed away from the table, putting her dirty plate in the dishwasher.
She walked past a blonde boy as she left, and she sent him a small glare as he looked her over. Kitty quickened her pace away from the kitchen, but unfortunately, the boy had decided to follow her.
"Hey! I'm Bobby!" he smiled at her, but Kitty pushed past him, "What's your name?" he came in front of her again.
"Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat, and I wouldn't mind getting to my room right about now."
He grinned, "Kitty huh? Well, Kitty how'd you like to go on a date with me?"
"She's taken, buddy, so back off." Kurt appeared behind Bobby, his inducer on, and his arms crossed.
Bobby turned, "By who, you?"
Kurt continued to glare at the boy. "Yes, now leave her alone."
Kitty smirked inwardly, "You might want to listen to him, the last guy that bugged me ended up black and blue." She couldn't keep the smirk out of her voice or off her face.
Bobby didn't seem to understand what he was up against and just smirked, "Come on, really? You expect me to believe that this guy across from me could actually hurt someone?" he laughed and Kurt raised a hand to his inducer, his normal appearance appearing in a matter of seconds.
"Look again." Kitty crossed her arms as Bobby turned, and paled dramatically. Kurt was just standing there, glaring with his arms crossed, but he made for an intimidating picture. The young teen gulped and Kitty took pleasure in walking past him to stand next to Kurt.
"Next time, don't make me use my appearance to scare you." Kurt wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, "Oh and a quick note, Jean, ze red-head, is vith Scott, and Rogue is my leetle sister, so hands off both of zem." The two friends turned and walked back down the hall, both trying to keep their faces neutral.
"Should I turn my inducer back on?"
Kitty shook her head, "No, if people are going to live here, they're going to have to get used to the fact that mutants don't always look the same as humans. It's a fact that they're going to have to live with."
Kurt smiled, "Alright, but if one person screams I'm turning it on."
"I can live with that."
They walked back upstairs, passing a few of their guests, all of which were shocked by Kurt's appearance, but no one spoke to them until they met up with a young girl and boy. The girl had short auburn hair and the boy was about her same height with brown hair.
"Hey, aren't you Kitty?" the girl questioned.
"Um, yes." The girl grinned, "I'm Rahne and this is Jamie, we met Evan and Rogue last night."
"That's how we know who you are."
"But we don't know who the boy beside you is."
Shadowcat and Nightcrawler stood in stunned silence, "Uh, I'm Kurt Vagner."
Jamie tilted his head to the side, "Uh…you looked…different last night."
Kurt chuckled, "Yes ze vonders of holograms, huh?"
A look of understanding crossed over the two young teens faces, "Oh…hey, could you direct us to the kitchen, we're kinda lost." Kitty gave them directions and the two friends scurried down the hall.
She smiled at her boyfriend as they continued down the hall, "Told you, some people are more understanding than others."
He rolled his eyes but smiled, "Alvright, you have me, I'll wear my inducer less around ze house."
"That's all I want."
oOo
Kurt tapped his pencil against his notebook, staring out the window of the Library as the rain came down in sheets, making it impossible to see. Not that you would've been able to anyway seeing as it was coming close to two in the morning.
He sighed and looked down on the blank sheet of paper he was supposed to be creating his English project on, barely restraining himself from bashing his head against the table repeatedly. The assignment was to draw, or write about something or someone that inspired you, and made you think. The piece had to have meaning, and it was due the very next day.
He growled and was about to slam his book shut when he stopped himself, Azazel's control over him had made him a lot more short tempered, and he hated that he had to catch himself from snapping at his friends all the time.
He shook himself, "Alright Wagner, time to stop the pity party, go to the Professor tomorrow and ask him to take a look in your head to see if anything's been messed with." He muttered to himself in German.
He looked back out the window, listening to rain and sighed again, tomorrow, or actually today, as it actually was, was his birthday, his seventeenth birthday to be more specific. He didn't know his actual birthday, so his parents had gone with the day they found him: November 25.
"What are you doing up so late?" Kurt turned to see Jean approaching him, clad in a silk blue robe, her hair pulled back in a loose braid for sleeping.
"Just some homevork I'm having trouble vith."
She sat across from him. "It's not just that, I was getting a drink of water and I felt a blast of anger…what's up?" he stared into her emerald eyes and saw nothing but caring in them.
He sighed and put his face in his hands, "I'm messed up."
"What? No you aren't."
"Nein, you don't get it. Vhen, he took control of me, he messed with me enough that I actually vanted to do vhat he told me. Now, I get angry at the slightest thing…It's starting to scare me, Jean. I'm vorried zat one day, I won't stop myself, and I'll hurt someone I love." The last part was whispered and his head had sunk so low that his forehead was touching the table top.
A small, warm hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked up to see Jean smiling softly at him, "I can take a look…if you let me."
He gave her a grateful smile, "Vould you?" she nodded and he gave her another smile, "Danke, Jean."
She smiled, "What are friends for?" he closed his eyes and she placed her hands on either side of his head.
"I need you to lower your mental barriers…there, now hold still, and stay calm." Kurt took deep, even breathes, letting Jean into his mind.
The red head got a look of concentration on her face and gently started going through Kurt's mind. Thankfully, he 'led' her to where she needed to look.
The 'feeling' of "Ah ha!" went through them both and Jean took a look at the black band that had been wrapped around Kurt's emotions and thoughts. The aura that surrounded the band radiated hate, and evil, but Jean didn't hesitate to start at it. She tried to cut through it, and break it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a deep growl that sounded absolutely feral, but she pressed on until the band was gone and all that was left was Kurt's regular emotions and thoughts.
She pulled back carefully and opened her eyes to see two bright, golden eyes staring back at her. She jumped a bit in surprise but then registered that Kurt was smiling broadly.
"Danke, Jean that feels so much better."
She smiled back in return, "I've never done anything like that before...Did it work?"
He grinned, "If it didn't, you would be dead by now." She cocked her head to the side and he shrugged, "Vhile you were working, I nearly went back to that weird, angry version Azazel had turned me into, I opened my eyes and nearly attacked you."
He looked away, but she placed a hand on his shoulder to turn him back to her. "But you didn't."
He grinned. "Danke, again, Jean."
She smiled and ruffled his hair as she stood, "Finish up that project, then get some sleep."
"Guten Nacht, Jean."
"Good night, Kurt." She left the way she came and Kurt turned back to his paper, before getting a happy smile on his face and putting pencil to paper.
The lead created dark and light marks as he shaded and outlined the image. When he was done, what was left was a very accurate drawing of the mansion, with all the X Men standing in front. He was glad that he had seemed to capture their personalities well in the photo.
Dead center was the Professor, his eyes twinkling as he smiled. Jean and Scott were next to him, Scott grinning and standing proud with Jean at his side who had a soft, caring expression on her face. Next was Rogue, who had Evan in a headlock, the boy was grinning and trying to get out of the Goth's grip to no avail, he had his skateboard in one hand. Logan had his arms crossed and was smirking as he stood next to Ororo who looked torn between laughing at her nephews plight and helping him. Hank, looking decidedly human wore his lab coat and stood behind the Professor. Finally, Kitty was kneeling on the ground on the other side, he himself (he'd drawn himself looking human of course) was behind her with his hands on her shoulders.
A few hours later he was tucking his now completed project into his bag and falling into bed, still fully clothed but a smile on his face.
oOo
Kitty fell through her door, yawning and stretching her arms above her head walked down the hall towards Kurt's room; she'd gotten dressed in auto pilot that morning in a warm white sweater that was heaven to the touch and a pair of dark wash jeans.
She knocked on Kurt's door, "Wakey wakey Fuzzy! Time for breakfast!" she waited for a few minutes, but heard no sounds of movement beyond the door. She sighed and walked through it to see Kurt sprawled across his bed still in his clothes from yesterday.
"Pulled another all-nighter, did we?" she asked no one.
"Alright, time to wake up blue boy." She grabbed his ankles and started tugging him until he fell off his bed.
He hit the floor with a thump that was echoed by a moan and a few well chosen German phrases.
"Must you do zat?" he spoke into the floor.
"Yep, now get dressed." She nudged him with her foot and leaned down. He groaned but pushed himself up, yawning as he stumbled over to his closet, revealing his fangs.
He turned as she continued to stand there; "Are you going to watch me get dressed or somezing?" she shrugged and started making his bed. He rolled his eyes but quickly changed into a dark red sweater and a pair of brown cargos, he paused for a moment before pulling on a black version of the boots from his uniform, it was starting to get cold and fur only kept you so warm. He grabbed his multifunctional watch, and did a double take at the calendar.
~Oh, right, it's today. ~ He sighed sadly and turned on his inducer, cloaking his appearance and putting on a smile.
"Come on, if you tighten the sheets anymore I won't be able to move them to get to sleep tonight. ~Which I wish was sooner. ~ he grabbed his school bag and the two headed down to the kitchen.
When they reached the eating area, Evan and Scott were already making quick work of their food while Rogue and Jean ate at a more relaxed pace. The rest of their 'family' greeted them before going back to their meals.
Their guests had left awhile ago and their new students wouldn't be coming until next year.
Kurt grabbed a bunch of pretty much everything before sitting next to Jean in one of the only empty chairs with Kitty on his other side.
"Did you get your project done?" the telepath questioned him.
He grinned, a bit less forcefully and nodded, "Ja, I'll let you know vhat I get." She nodded and smiled at him before going back to her fruit salad.
Kitty smiled and left Kurt to his food, starting up a conversation on Scott, asking him what he was doing for the Christmas holidays which were fast approaching.
oOo
Marie looked over at her adoptive older brother and frowned in worry, he'd been acting strangely depressed, and she had no idea why. When a conversation from a few months ago came back to her and she felt like smacking herself.
[Flashback]
"Hey Kurt?" the blue mutant looked up from his book; she could see he looked tired from his sleepless nights recently.
"Ja Marie?"
"I was just wonderin…when's yer birthday?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "Vhy?"
She shrugged, "You're mah brothath, and little sisters should know when their older brothah's birthdays are."
He shook his head, "November twenty fifth, well actually zat's ze day mein parents found me…" he trailed off and Rogue didn't try and pick the conversation up again as her brother fell back into his book.
"You should try reading Dracula, it's a great book." He smirked and the conversation had fallen into one about books, the whole birthday thing forgotten.
[End Flashback]
Her eyes widened, today was November 25! Her brother was seventeen today, and she didn't even remember.
Kurt pushed away from the Lunch table, "I'll see you guys later."
They waved him off and Rogue spoke up as soon as he was out the door, "Today's his birthday!" she blurted out.
"What?" Evan gave her a confused look.
"Today is Kurt's seventeenth birthday, Ah can't believe Ah forgot!" she exclaimed wanting to hit her head against something.
"Wait, how do you know?" Kitty asked.
"Ah asked him, but Ah didn't remember until now…oh God Ah feel so stupid!"
"Marie, Marie relax we can fix this." They group fell into plans, and were coming up dry when Scott and Jean came over.
"Hey, what's up?"
"It's the K-Man's birthday, we have to do something for him, and it has to be awesome." Evan exclaimed, his eyes glinting.
Scott nodded in agreement, "Count me in, it has to be great, it needs to make up for the last ten years." His friends nodded and Jean and Scott started adding to their planning.
"Okay, well I can keep him busy while you guys set everything up." Kitty stated as their plans were finalized.
"I can make the cake, Scott you're on lights duty." Jean started.
The shaded boy nodded, "Evan, you need to get the backyard set up, alright, Ah'll get mah Dad to help you." Spyke grinned in appreciation at Rogue.
"Alright, Rogue, you need to go shopping for the presents." He returned.
"Done." The southern girl agreed as the bell rang.
"Alright people, now, just make sure Kurt doesn't catch on." Scott was stumped as to how they'd pull that off.
Kitty grinned, a tad evilly, "Oh, I will, and I will enjoy it." She skipped off, her mind full of ideas, that she was pretty sure Kurt would enjoy too.
Scott looked after her in confusion, "What was that about?"
Marie shook her head; she forgot that everyone else didn't know about Kurt and Kitty. "Let's just say…they finally stopped being idiots."
Evan cocked an eyebrow, "More specific please."
She groaned, "Kurt and Kitty are goin' out! Happy?"
Evan stared at her, "Finally!" he exclaimed, attracting some attention, but he merely sat down, completely unembarrassed.
"Um, how about we just go to class and we'll meet up later?" the friends dispersed, Jean and Scott still a tad thrown at the fact that they'd just learned that Kurt and Kitty were together.
~Well, it was bound to happen sometime. ~
oOo
The cold wind bit at his exposed face as Kurt trudged down the stairs to his car.
"Kurt! Wait up!" the hologram hidden mutant turned and gave Kitty a smile as she ran towards him. She was nearly to him when she slipped, she shut her eyes as she fell when strong arms wrapped around her waist. Opening her eyes she found herself in Kurt's arms.
"Thanks for that Fuzzy." She gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek as he set her upright. "Hey, you wanna go to a movie or something?" she asked him, looping her arm with his.
"Uh, sure, vhy?"
She shrugged, "I don't have any homework and we don't have a Danger Room session planned for the evening."
He grinned. "Ja, vhy not?" They went over to the blue car that Kurt drove and jumped in, turning on the heat as soon as the vehicle roared to life.
"Thank God you left the top up; this wind came out of nowhere." She held her hands in front of the heater. He smiled at her and pulled out of the parking lot, driving in the direction of the theatre.
"So, vhat movie do you vant to see?"
She thought for a minute, "How about that new horror?"
He shook his head, "Kitty, you von't sleep for a veek."
She shrugged, "Yeah, but I can just hide my face in your shoulder like I always do." She smiled, while she hated horror movies with a passion, she loved getting to cuddle up to Kurt, it was probably the only reason she stayed in the room when it was Rogue's turn to pick the movie for the night.
He chuckled, "Alright, horror it is." He found a parking spot and the two headed into the warm theatre.
oOo
A/N: Voila! Next chapter: Kurt is stunned and everyone else enjoys pulling one over on the Fuzzy Dude!