Everything Important

Chapter Two: Girl Talk and Waiting Up

Kitty heard the voices in the hall and sat up to listen. The digital clock read 4:19 am.

A female giggle with a southern accent stifled itself in the hallway outside her door. Kitty lay back down and pulled the blankets tight around her. A moment later the door opened quietly and then clicked closed. Kitty turned over to see Rogue leaning back against the closed door.

"Rogue!" Kitty shook her head and whispered. "It's four thirty in the morning. Where have you been?"

"On a date." Rogue bit her bottom lip.

Kitty turned on the small reading lamp by her bed.

Rogue looked wild and energized. "Ah have never been kissed so much, in mah life." She breathed.

"What?" Kitty forced herself to wake up. "But how did you … ?"

"Silk." Rogue hissed in a whisper. "He kissed me through a silk scarf." She exhaled as though trying to calm down.

Kitty seemed lost in the thought. "That's romantic." She admitted at last.

"Ah know." Rogue sat down on the edge of Kitty's bed to face her. "His name's Abair. He's about to take a job with the Professor." She took a deep breath. "And he's definitely not afraid to touch me." She smiled wide. "He wore gloves and a long sleeve shirt, and he held me all night long."

Kitty took a deep breath and shot Rogue an envious look. "Is he cute?" She asked.

"He's real thin, and tall. With blue eyes and dark, spiked hair." She suddenly jumped topics. "And he knew the band!" She looked amazed. "The Dysfunction. He grew up with the bass guitarist in Canada – and he's seen them play on three different continents." She sounded impressed. "When they saw us, they hauled us up on stage and we spent the show on the roadies couch – like five feet from the band, off to one side, but on the stage."

Kitty looked blown away. "That's cool." She said.

"Ah know. Ah never had a date like that in mah life."

"Did you dance together?"

"The last two songs." She smiled. "They were slow songs."

"Now I'm jealous." Kitty told her. "Did he kiss you good night?"

"Just now, outside the door." She bit her lip again and looked away with an expression of guilty pleasure.

"What made you laugh?" Kitty asked, betraying herself as having been awake.

"Ah," Rogue looked away, unsure.

"I can keep a secret." Kitty told her.

"Promise?" Rogue asked "No matter what – never repeat it?"

Kitty considered this carefully. "Okay." She said softly. "I promise."

"He said he wanted to wrap me in silk." She bit her lip again. "And nothing else."

"And you laughed?" Kitty asked.

"Ah was nervous." She explained enthusiastically.

"What happened then?"

"He said he was serious. And he kissed me."

"And what did you do?" Kitty was hugging her knees, looking for all the details she could find.

"Ah let him." Rogue answered, laughing.

"And what if he did, like really, you know, want to wrap you in silk?"

Rogue bit her lip again and stood up off the bed. She turned down her own blankets, kicked off her shoes and lay down.

"Rogue?" Kitty prodded.

Rogue turned her head to face her friend. "Ah don't know." She said at last. .

And Kitty shivered at the thought as she turned out the light.

"Rogue?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Any more like him around?" She hoped.

"Not in mah life." She replied dreamily.

"Let me know how it goes?" Kitty sounded anxious. "If you do?"

"Alright." Rogue said before quickly adding a "Maybe."

Kitty sighed, staring up at the ceiling and feeling wide-awake. "Way romantic." She sighed out loud. "Way."

Elsewhere in the mansion Xavier stopped Abair as he was heading down the front stairs.

"Did you have a nice time?" Xavier asked, having obviously waited up for them to return.

"Incredible." Abair stood, sadly. "What I mean is – She's incredible."

He eyed Xavier suspiciously. "Did you know I would feel this way?" He asked.

Xavier opened his awareness to the young boy. He seemed to glow in a soft golden haze and after a moment Xavier could feel what he felt. He was utterly captivated by her. But it's something more too …

And then Xavier felt it. He's in love!

Xavier felt inflated and empowered beyond belief. He tried to pull himself back and reign himself in, but the feeling permeated the room and it was difficult to separate himself from the intoxicating emotion.

"No." He said softly. "I had no idea." He paused. "I thought … You reminded me of her." He finished.

"If I had known about her I would have come for Thanksgiving when you invited me." He admitted. "And I would have stayed."

Xavier considered this. Thanksgiving. He thought. That would have made things interesting. (For details see 'The Secret' by R=C)

"The car – do you mind if I keep it – until it's time?" Abair asked.

"Not at all." Xavier told him. "Are you comfortable in the guest house?"

"Extremely." He returned.

"It's quite a situation we have here, isn't it?" Xavier asked.

"No." He said quietly. "She knows I'm leaving and I told her tonight it's virtually impossible for us to ever see each other again after I'm gone."

"Didn't she ask why?"

"I told her I couldn't discuss it because of the security clause." He shrugged. "I copped out, didn't I?"

"Not at all." Xavier caught his attention. "You were on a date and it's hardly a pleasant thing to discuss under the circumstances." Xavier stiffened in his chair. "You were almost … chivalrous." He smiled.

Abair stood on the stairs and looked at the Professor for a long moment. "Thank you." He said quietly. "For trying to make me feel better."

Xavier smiled softly and weakly at the experienced young man. "You'll find the tickets you requested on the hallway table in the guest house, with a gas card. Am I to assume that Rogue will be joining you?"

"I hope so." He said. "Or else I'm probably not going."

"Then convince her to go and take her with you. You'll both love the show. I promise." Xavier spoke quietly.

He nodded a few times, as though searching for a reply. But "Okay" was all he said.