She let her fingers slip over the chain that kept his tags in their place around his neck, wondering why she had entered the bathroom at all when he had called for her. The feral grump had decided for a bath instead of a shower – surprisingly enough for a cat. "

What the hell are you still wearing these for ?" she asked.

It took him some seconds to answer.

"They remind me."

„Of the good old times ?" she asked, realizing how bitter the words had sounded.

He didn´t seem annoyed, though. "Of old scores to settle", he answered lowly.

"How is it that you didn´t notice me ?" he asked after a moment.

"I was… preoccupied." She had hesitated too long to choose the word.

"You mean you were off guard", he mused she answered.

She only sighed.

He relaxed a little, letting his head rest against the bathtub´s rim. "I mean it´s in your blood, isn´t it ? It´s an instinct. Still, I took you by surprise several times", he mused.

She let her hand rest on his shoulder for a moment. "Don´t get me wrong, but I am not like you, Victor. I don't use these abilities instinctively."

He chuckled lowly. "No one´s like me, honey."

She brought her other hand to his other shoulder, her small fingers digging surprisingly forceful into his muscles.

He grabbed one of her wrists in a fast powerful move. "But the empathy", he stated, sounding suddenly quite annoyed. "Do you little bitch really think I´d buy your caring housewife show ?"

His grip around her wrist tightened and she suppressed a sound of pain.

„And do you really think I still need skin contact to take in your emotions ?" she asked back, her voice calm.

She told the truth – he had seen her using her mutation to scare away that guy at the bar – putting the fear of God into the man easily and within seconds without any contact.

"Let go", she told him lowly – still calm, but her tone more demanding than begging.

Victor hesitated. It wouldn´t take any effort to break her delicate bones. It would serve her right for trying to cheat on him. Teach her some of the respect she had obviously forgotten about over the years. Actually, he was surprised that he hesitated at all – regarding the fact that she would heal anyway.

"Let go!" she repeated when he didn't react, adding a soft "Please!" after another instant.

"Have you ever broken your wrist before ?" he asked in this kind of casual but threatening tone of his.

She bent forward a little to bring her mouth closer to his ear.

"Have you ever drowned ?" she whispered.

She flinched when he grabbed the front of her shirt with his free hand, so fast that she couldn´t avoid it, and forced her to lean in closer.

"Are you threatening me, moth ?" he asked, surprised.

"Let go!" she said, this time half groaning.

He released her, noticing the marks his grip had left.

She sighed silently, trying to overcome the pain he had caused.

He half turned for a moment, throwing her a dark side glance.

"Do you really think you could confront me ?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes behind his back.

"I couldn´t drown you", she admitted softly, half smiling at the contended growl he gave as an answer.

"But I could make you do it yourself", she added casually.

She squealed, this time more in surprise than in pain, when he yanked her from behind him to the side of the bathtub, staring down at her.

"I think you´re a little overconfident!" he snapped.

"Stop pushing me around, will you ?" she snapped back.

He released her again and she massaged her hurting wrist with the other hand.

"Did Xavier really train you to use your mutation to defend yourself – or just your ability to pretend ?" he asked.

She kept sitting where he had pulled her to, right besides the bathtub, watching him for a moment.

"Regarding our mutual past", she answered, choosing her words carefully, "did you really think I would have accompanied you willingly, knowing I would be right at your mercy again ?"

He didn´t answer – just stared.

She put her arms around her knees, returning his gaze. Unexpectedly, she smiled, a mischievous smile that let her look like a girl.

„I don´t need to wash your back to realize that you´re up to something, Victor. Though it´s still confusing. You may not have told me everything – but you didn´t lie to me so far, either."

They looked into each other´s eyes for a moment. Then he leant back, growling lowly.

„Except one point", she added softly, getting back to her feet.

He grabbed her arm for the third time since she had entered the bathroom, though carefully this time.

"And what point would that be ?" he asked, now looking up to her.

"You don´t need somebody´s help to cool down nowadays, do you ? You control it. That raises the question what you would pay me all the money for."

He loosened his grip and let his hand slip down the inner side of her arm down to her hand, admiring the now dark marks he had left there.

"Still glad that I am back ?", he asked, ignoring her last comment. Her hand looked like a child´s, resting in his larger one.

"Just don´t leave me alone outside here for the night", she answered lowly. "Scares the hell out of me."

"Regarding our common past", he stated, mockingly repeating her words from before, "one should think you would prefer a night on your own to a night with me." His polite tone made her shake her head softly. "And I always thought bats love the night."

She laughed for a moment, and though it had been a short and low laugh, the tone of it told him clearly that she felt still – or again – at least halfway comfortable around him. At least more comfortable than some hours before.

"Moths love the fire", she only answered before she left.