As it turned out, Rogue and Kurt didn't make it to class. Seconds after
they had left Dr McCoy in the science department, the bell rang. Almost
instantaneously, the deserted halls became crowded with kids, all anxious
to get home and start the weekend.
Walking out of the school building, Kurt squinted in the bright sunlight. It hadn't gotten any cooler and he knew that by the time he made it back to the institute he would be in need of a shower. He was already beginning to sweat.
"I thought that we were done for when Mr McCoy walked in on us like that," Rogue was saying "Did you see the look on his face?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Next time you want to cut class, lets find somewhere a bit more secluded."
"Hey, you got out of math didn't you?"
He grimaced, "Yeah, and I'll have to come up with some excuse for Anderson by tomorrow."
"Ah, forget about Anderson," the girl shrugged, adjusting the strap on her bag "I've got enough work to do tonight without getting any more from him."
Kurt flashed her a grin. "Hey, I am thinking, since we are now officially teenage rebels, lets skip the work tonight."
Rogue looked at him doubtfully. "I thought that you had a history report to write up or something."
"Yes," the dark haired boy agreed "but I also know that they're playing a great movie at the cinema tonight. Want to come?"
She paused in the middle of the pavement, eyes lowered uncertainly. "I don't know, Kurt."
Kurt walked up to stand beside her. "If we're going to be friends, it means that we actually have to hang out now and again," he said gently. She looked up and he broke into his customary teasing smile. "Besides, how could you possibly pass up on an evening alone with yours truly?"
She laughed at him and nodded happily. Kurt was pleased - she really did have a lovely laugh. "Alright, but it better not be no slushy romance."
"Blood and guts, I swear," he promised faithfully.
They continued to walk together. The sun shone down brightly, and the sky was a clear azure blue. They were in no rush and wandered leisurely past the cluttered groups of students, the occasional whisper of a breeze making the tree leaves rustle overhead. They were about to cross the road when they heard a familiar voice calling after them.
"Hey! Wait up, you guys!"
They turned in unison to watch as Kitty came running towards them, her dark ponytail swinging behind her. She stopped beside them, dropping her bag and resting one hand on her hip, panting heavily.
"Scott and Evan are waiting in the car park, do you guys want a lift or not?"
Kurt and Rogue exchanged glances. Kurt shook his head. "Thanks, but I think we're okay walking."
Kitty looked at him uncertainly, glancing suspiciously at the girl standing next to him. "How come you didn't show for Anderson's class today? We were worried."
The boy shrugged. "I've decided to try my luck as a juvenile delinquent."
Rogue tucked a strand on hair behind her ear. "Listen to you! You skip one class and you think you're James Dean."
"What can I say? I'm bad to the bone."
Kitty looked at them both, her wide blue eyes darting from Kurt, to Rogue, and then back again. She chewed on her glossy pink lip thoughtfully. "Hey, I'm sorry if I was kind of out of it at lunch. I guess I must have seemed like a totally jerk, right?"
The other girl was about to agree when a sharp elbow from Kurt silenced her. She folded her arms sulkily.
"Well I just wanted to apologise," Kitty giggled nervously, pulling at the front of her cardigan "Maybe the heat did get to me a bit after all."
The raven-haired boy smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "It happens to the best of us."
She grinned gratefully. There was a short silence as they all stood awkwardly, not looking at each other. Finally Kitty picked up her bag, swinging it over a shoulder. "Well if you guys are sure about that lift, I'll catch you later at the Institute?"
Kurt nodded and raised his hand in a wave. "Sure. See you there."
The girl in pink nodded and walked lightly down to the parking lot. He watched her for a moment before turning away. He began to cross the road, Rogue at his side.
"Well," she started, looking ahead "I guess she's not all bad."
"No. Maybe you should try to get to know her a little better. Who knows, you might even be friends one day."
"Why? So we can have sleepovers and paint each other's nails? Argue about who has the dreamiest boyfriend?" Rogue snorted in contempt "I'd rather date Toad."
He chuckled to himself. "Alright, forget I said anything."
She ran a gloved hand through her soft brown hair, watching him closely.
"So, what are you going to do about her? If she does get it together with Lance? I mean," she added hurriedly "it probably won't even happen."
Kurt shook his head. "It will. And if not with Lance, then with someone else. I'll get over it, she deserves to be happy. Besides," he raised his eyebrows teasingly "I've got the hottest girl in Bayville going to the movies with me tonight. What more can a guy ask for?"
Rogue punched his arm and laughed. "You'd better believe it, hairball!" She knew that he was only joking, but it made her feel good anyway.
They smiled and looked at each other. Suddenly, things didn't seem so bad.
They began the walk to the Institute, side by side.
A pair of unseen eyes watched them from the shadows. Across the street from the two mutants, a woman stood next to an expensive car. She painted nails tapped listlessly at the hood, a thoughtful look in her dark eyes.
Raven Darkholme.otherwise known as Mystique.
A breeze shifted through her short brown hair, making it flow against her face. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows were pulled together in a wistful look of longing. She sighed sadly. Why did she torture herself like this?
She knew the answer already. Neither Kurt nor Rogue would have ever believed it if she had told them, but the truth was that she still loved them. With all her heart she wanted to tell them that.but it was impossible. She had forfeited their love years ago, and now it was too late to change things. They would never accept her as their mother - a fact which pained her more deeply than they would ever know.
But despite her pain, she felt something else now. It had been growing slowly inside of her for some time now, but she had only fully realised its power when she had watched the two walking together. She was proud of her children.
It was true that Mystique could never be a part of their lives, and that she would never know the love of a child. But if Kurt and Rogue cared for each other.were friends.
Then maybe all of her suffering hadn't been in vain, and a part of her love could live on in them. The thought was a strange comfort to her.
With a sad smile, she watched them walk away.
Walking out of the school building, Kurt squinted in the bright sunlight. It hadn't gotten any cooler and he knew that by the time he made it back to the institute he would be in need of a shower. He was already beginning to sweat.
"I thought that we were done for when Mr McCoy walked in on us like that," Rogue was saying "Did you see the look on his face?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Next time you want to cut class, lets find somewhere a bit more secluded."
"Hey, you got out of math didn't you?"
He grimaced, "Yeah, and I'll have to come up with some excuse for Anderson by tomorrow."
"Ah, forget about Anderson," the girl shrugged, adjusting the strap on her bag "I've got enough work to do tonight without getting any more from him."
Kurt flashed her a grin. "Hey, I am thinking, since we are now officially teenage rebels, lets skip the work tonight."
Rogue looked at him doubtfully. "I thought that you had a history report to write up or something."
"Yes," the dark haired boy agreed "but I also know that they're playing a great movie at the cinema tonight. Want to come?"
She paused in the middle of the pavement, eyes lowered uncertainly. "I don't know, Kurt."
Kurt walked up to stand beside her. "If we're going to be friends, it means that we actually have to hang out now and again," he said gently. She looked up and he broke into his customary teasing smile. "Besides, how could you possibly pass up on an evening alone with yours truly?"
She laughed at him and nodded happily. Kurt was pleased - she really did have a lovely laugh. "Alright, but it better not be no slushy romance."
"Blood and guts, I swear," he promised faithfully.
They continued to walk together. The sun shone down brightly, and the sky was a clear azure blue. They were in no rush and wandered leisurely past the cluttered groups of students, the occasional whisper of a breeze making the tree leaves rustle overhead. They were about to cross the road when they heard a familiar voice calling after them.
"Hey! Wait up, you guys!"
They turned in unison to watch as Kitty came running towards them, her dark ponytail swinging behind her. She stopped beside them, dropping her bag and resting one hand on her hip, panting heavily.
"Scott and Evan are waiting in the car park, do you guys want a lift or not?"
Kurt and Rogue exchanged glances. Kurt shook his head. "Thanks, but I think we're okay walking."
Kitty looked at him uncertainly, glancing suspiciously at the girl standing next to him. "How come you didn't show for Anderson's class today? We were worried."
The boy shrugged. "I've decided to try my luck as a juvenile delinquent."
Rogue tucked a strand on hair behind her ear. "Listen to you! You skip one class and you think you're James Dean."
"What can I say? I'm bad to the bone."
Kitty looked at them both, her wide blue eyes darting from Kurt, to Rogue, and then back again. She chewed on her glossy pink lip thoughtfully. "Hey, I'm sorry if I was kind of out of it at lunch. I guess I must have seemed like a totally jerk, right?"
The other girl was about to agree when a sharp elbow from Kurt silenced her. She folded her arms sulkily.
"Well I just wanted to apologise," Kitty giggled nervously, pulling at the front of her cardigan "Maybe the heat did get to me a bit after all."
The raven-haired boy smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "It happens to the best of us."
She grinned gratefully. There was a short silence as they all stood awkwardly, not looking at each other. Finally Kitty picked up her bag, swinging it over a shoulder. "Well if you guys are sure about that lift, I'll catch you later at the Institute?"
Kurt nodded and raised his hand in a wave. "Sure. See you there."
The girl in pink nodded and walked lightly down to the parking lot. He watched her for a moment before turning away. He began to cross the road, Rogue at his side.
"Well," she started, looking ahead "I guess she's not all bad."
"No. Maybe you should try to get to know her a little better. Who knows, you might even be friends one day."
"Why? So we can have sleepovers and paint each other's nails? Argue about who has the dreamiest boyfriend?" Rogue snorted in contempt "I'd rather date Toad."
He chuckled to himself. "Alright, forget I said anything."
She ran a gloved hand through her soft brown hair, watching him closely.
"So, what are you going to do about her? If she does get it together with Lance? I mean," she added hurriedly "it probably won't even happen."
Kurt shook his head. "It will. And if not with Lance, then with someone else. I'll get over it, she deserves to be happy. Besides," he raised his eyebrows teasingly "I've got the hottest girl in Bayville going to the movies with me tonight. What more can a guy ask for?"
Rogue punched his arm and laughed. "You'd better believe it, hairball!" She knew that he was only joking, but it made her feel good anyway.
They smiled and looked at each other. Suddenly, things didn't seem so bad.
They began the walk to the Institute, side by side.
A pair of unseen eyes watched them from the shadows. Across the street from the two mutants, a woman stood next to an expensive car. She painted nails tapped listlessly at the hood, a thoughtful look in her dark eyes.
Raven Darkholme.otherwise known as Mystique.
A breeze shifted through her short brown hair, making it flow against her face. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows were pulled together in a wistful look of longing. She sighed sadly. Why did she torture herself like this?
She knew the answer already. Neither Kurt nor Rogue would have ever believed it if she had told them, but the truth was that she still loved them. With all her heart she wanted to tell them that.but it was impossible. She had forfeited their love years ago, and now it was too late to change things. They would never accept her as their mother - a fact which pained her more deeply than they would ever know.
But despite her pain, she felt something else now. It had been growing slowly inside of her for some time now, but she had only fully realised its power when she had watched the two walking together. She was proud of her children.
It was true that Mystique could never be a part of their lives, and that she would never know the love of a child. But if Kurt and Rogue cared for each other.were friends.
Then maybe all of her suffering hadn't been in vain, and a part of her love could live on in them. The thought was a strange comfort to her.
With a sad smile, she watched them walk away.