Kurt opened his eyes. The sun was bearing down now that it was noon and he
had to shield his eyes from the glare. Taking a step back, Kurt was now
under the shade of a nearby tree.
In front of him was the circus. They had arrived the night before and were putting up the circus. Huge trailers were parked on the farthest side, with the rooms of the circus performers contained inside. Small, but necessary for a circus that travels all over the world.
The big top was bright yellow and blue stripes, and was just now being finished. It's flags waved in the slight breeze, announcing the exciting acts within. Members of the circus wandered around, helping to set up the booths outside the big top and carrying seats into the tent.
Kurt heard a loud growl and looked over to see a man leading a lion on a leash into it's cage. He was one of the few members of the circus that Kurt had recognized so far. The man was enormous, 7 feet and pure muscle. He had shaved his head and had earrings covering his ears, but in reality was incredibly shy and quiet. The Strong Man, as he was called, also doubled as the animal trainer. He would put on a safari outfit and hat, and no one would recognize him. The elephants obeyed him perfectly, and the lions were his best friends.
The Strong Man locked the cage that was used for show in the circus, smaller but more extravagant than the places the animals really stayed.
Kurt saw a few acrobats he didn't know go by, and ticket men. Deciding to stop putting it off any longer, he stepped out of the shadows and walked straight across the fair grounds. An old woman, the fortune teller, walked in front of him with a scrutinizing eye. Then she smiled, her blackened and spaced out teeth even worse than the last time Kurt had seen them.
"I see you're back boy. Nice to have you again." The old woman gave him a half-bow, her large golden earrings and sets of beaded necklaces jingling together.
"How did you know it was me?" Kurt double checked that his inducer was working, although this was once a place where he never had to hide his face. A place where people paid to see his real self.
"I am not a fortune teller for nothing, Kurt." With a croaky laugh the old woman walked to her booth, to prepare for those who wished to know what only she could tell them. Nightcrawler wondered for the millionth time if the old hag was a mutant, but knowing her, if she was she would keep it to herself.
Kurt walked behind the big top, trying to look casual. The crowds never started showing up until the sun set, and if a circus performer he didn't know caught him, he might end up in trouble.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw something red go by. He darted behind a game booth that, for the moment, was unmanned. He peeked over the wooden table to see another flash of fire go by. Fur standing on end, the mutant shuddered but refused to look away.
A boy stood stock still, his head down, and eyes closed. His orange hair was loose and fell in front of his face. His hair was cut short, short enough that he could spike it up when needed to. Kurt felt something in his chest tighten as he gazed at his fire angel.
Then the boy's bright green eyes opened, and a small match in his hand burned brighter than before. Then it spread out around him, becoming a huge massive fire, orange flames licking their way across the field, leaving only blackened ash behind them. When a large circle had been made, the fire stopped. The boy held his hands together, just barely touching, and concentrated on the space between them.
The flames curled upward into the air and flew at the red head. They swarmed together like bees, before flowing through the boy's fingers and into a small, single flame. He held it for a moment longer, before clapping his hands the rest of the way together, snuffing out the small orange light.
St. John Allerdyce brushed his hands off, looking content and happy at his work. The area was cleared of the tall weeds and grasses, and all without having to do another more strenuous than raising a finger. Kurt took in the appearance of the boy and committed it to his memory, for later. He wore a white tank top that showed off the boy's muscles, average for a boy of his age. A red silk button up shirt covered his perfect shoulders and biceps, much to Kurt's chagrin. He wore big baggy black jeans, which had obvious signs of being with him for too long, namely the burn marks at the very bottom.
Nightcrawler felt himself gulp loudly in the back of his throat. He had known that this moment was going to come, so his fear seemed foolish. Try telling that to his heart, which was going for a world record speed at the time. Clinging desperately to the wooden booth, he raised himself up and took a shaky breath. 'It's just Pyro. Why am I so nervous?'
Puffing his chest out with a deep breath, Kurt strode toward the other mutant. Pyro's eyes immediately fixed on the attractive boy approaching him. The annoying itch of remembrance began to bother John as he watched this bold boy come closer and closer.
"Listen, we're not really set up yet. If you want to see the circus you can....." John trailed off as the boy continued coming closer, till they were only a few feet apart. Up close the déjà vu seemed to get stronger, and John began squinting at him, as if the image in front of him was just a blurred version of something he should know.
"What's wrong John? You don't recognize me?"
'Now that's strange.' John thought as he was taken by surprise at the boy's thick German accent. 'Maybe he saw our show when we were in Germany, but he looks so damned familiar.'
Kurt took the silence as a no, and heaved a melodramatic sigh. He reached with one finger to his inducer and hit the power button. He felt the air around him shimmer, and was prepared for a surprised gasp as his true blue self appeared. But it never came. He cautiously looked up into soft green eyes that had suddenly come miles closer.
"Kurt...." John reached out and gently brushed the hair from Kurt's face and made the blue elf grin like an idiot. Unable to hold it any longer, Kurt lunged forward, wrapping his arms around John's neck. For the first time in 2 years, the person Kurt touched didn't flinch away. His arms wrapped around him, squeezing him softly, not deterred by the feel of blue fur.
"What are you doing here? We all tried to find you when you left, but we couldn't."
"Why didn't you ask the fortune teller?" Kurt winked up at Pyro as he let go of his neck and stood staring at the boy's face. Kurt smiled, and didn't feel like he had to be constantly hiding his fangs. John had a certain...fancy for Kurt's teeth.
"You know her. The more she told us, the more confused we got." Pyro flashed a bright smile that lit up the emerald of his eyes and Kurt felt his heart melt again. "So what have you been doing here?"
Kurt snapped out of his moment of zoning out and wondered what he should and shouldn't tell his old friend. John saw his hesitation and quickly wrapped one arm around Kurt's shoulder.
"It doesn't matter, why don't we go say hi to the gang."
"I'd really rather not." Kurt laughed and dug his toes into the ground, stopping them both in mid step. John sent a smirk to him but gave up, not wanting to wrestle a devil into a place he didn't want to be.
"Well, lemme take a look at you." Pyro stood back and rubbed his chin as he walked in a circle around Kurt. Still dressed in his Nightcrawler uniform, every muscle and curve of Kurt's body was shown, and Pyro intended to see every one. As he walked around behind Kurt, admiring how much the boy had filled out in the past two years, Kurt swung his powerful tail at John's leg, wrapping around it.
John just looked strangely at the appendage before trying to pry it off. Kurt held tight and turned around to watch the other mutant battle with his snake-like blue tail. John grinned, enjoying the other boy's strange version of flirting.
"We'll see which mutant can keep a hold on who." John reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of matches, grinning maniacally. Kurt paused, shifting on his feet, unsure of how intense he wanted this thing to go. As a pyrokinetic, John had a short and uncontrollable temper. But his smile told Kurt that he wasn't being serious.
Kurt unwrapped his tail and stood up, relaxing again around his best friend.
"You've changed a lot Kurt. Last time you were here, you would have battled me to the bitter end before letting go." John winked and returned the matchbox to his pocket.
"Hey, I haven't changed that much. I just didn't feel like starting a big fight and gathering an audience."
"Nah. You're not the same old Nightcrawler I used to know, you've changed too much." John turned his back to Kurt, smirking the whole time as he baited the boy.
"I have not changed!"
"If you say so." John spun around and took Kurt forcefully by the face, pressing his lips against the shorter boys. Kurt instantly fell against him, pressing his mouth up against Pyro's. Few at the institute ever gained enough courage to hug him, let alone kiss Kurt. He had forgotten how good a warm mouth against yours can make you feel.
Pyro gently rubbed his thumb across the short fur on Kurt's face, ruffling it and smoothing it back out as he pressed his tongue against Kurt's lips. The boy played back, his tail swishing behind him like a happy dog's.
Eventually John pulled away from the kiss, enjoying the site of Kurt with his eyes still closed and his mouth hanging open. Those perfect teeth, with their unique canines. John hadn't kissed many people, but none of them felt like Nightcrawler. He was one of a kind.
"Hm....you're right. Things haven't changed too much." John leaned down, tauntingly letting his cheek brush Kurt's as he whispered in his ear. "You still taste like sulfur."
Kurt snorted and brought his tail up in between them, running it tantalizingly across Pyro's chest. The boy grinned happily and Kurt leaned up slightly, so he could look him in the eyes.
"And you still taste like an ashtray."
Pyro swung playfully at the demon elf, but he had ported to a safe distance, and blew a kiss at the other mutant before taking off on all fours. Pyro gave chase, quickly taking out and lighting a match. He threw a fireball in front of where Nightcrawler was running, making a wall of flame to stop his path.
Kurt's blank eyes widened as the fire spread in front of him, around him, burning him, suffocating him. He clamped his hands down on his head and fell to his knees, trying to make his mind stop thinking. Anything to make the fire go away.
Pyro saw Kurt fall to his knees and worried that he had let the fire burn too close, or become to strong. He put it out with his mind and immediately ran to Kurt's side. The boy was shivering and jumped when John put his hand on his shoulder.
"Kurt? What's wrong?" he said in a soft tone, trying to comfort his startled friend. Kurt looked up at him with his pale white pleading eyes and Pyro immediately took him in his arms.
"It's happening again."
Pyro held him at arms length so he could look into his eyes.
"What's happening Kurt?"
"The nightmares."
John became very quiet before he helped Nightcrawler to his feet in silence. It had been 5 years ago, when Kurt was 12 and his teleporting powers were just then manifesting that they had found him. He had joined their circus in Germany and traveled around Europe with them for 3 years, before mysteriously disappearing.
Pyro remembered his nightmares. He remembered from when they had been freshly scarred memories. The circus had entered a small town, not even a town, but more of a village in the mountains of Germany. While everyone was setting up the circus, Pyro, a bored 13 year old had wandered into the town and heard something. As he ran into the town square, he saw a mob. They had grabbed onto a small boy, and were now tying him to a large wooden pole.
John's fury raged as he remembered how they were continually punching the boy in the face, and people too far away to do that were throwing things at him. Blood had been running from a cut on his head, and one of his eyes was swollen nearly shut. Had the boy been able to, he could have easily escaped the angry crowd. But one too many hits to the head had stopped his ability to teleport, and he was losing too much blood now to even be able to stand.
When John saw the villagers grabbing torches and bringing them to where the boy was tied up, he began to feel his rage building. The disgusting men threw the fire at the boy's feet, letting it ignite the straw and hay around the pole. It spread quickly to the stake the boy was tied to, and the flames snapped at his feet. His head was beginning to thrash back and forth, unable to move himself from over the fire that would soon engulf him if he didn't move.
Pyro ran forward until he was nearly in the flames. The villagers turned on him then, and one man made the foolish move of grabbing onto one of his arms. Pyro turned with icy green eyes on the barbaric oaf and the fire raced towards him, like a snake through water. The man let go of Pyro and turned to run away, but he was too late. The inferno coiled around him, burning his clothes and flesh and bone in one red flash. Now the villagers felt fear for the young boy, his wild eyes warning them from coming closer.
Pyro turned and held his hands out, controlling the fire, seeping it away from the wooden stake and the innocent boy who was tied tightly to it. His head lolled to one side, and he was obviously unconscious. John's temper began to spike and with it the fires raced for the villagers, catching onto everything in their path. Ensuring that the flames wouldn't come within ten feet of himself and the boy, Pyro let them loose. Fire is a greedy and vicious thing if not controlled, and when it was released, it swept through the town, devouring it.
John called a small bit of fire to him and burnt through the back of the ropes holding down the boy. He fell flat onto the ground, and for the first time John got a good look at his face. It was blue, with the exception of the blood running from a gash on one side. He had no clue what color the boy's eyes might be, for he was still unconscious John knelt beside the boy who was obviously a fellow mutant and picked him up. The smell of burnt fur and flesh overwhelmed him, but he fought down the nausea and looked at the boy's feet.
For a second he thought that the fire had burned off most of the boy's toes, but then he realized that the boy must only have two toes. Sure enough, when he checked his blue hands, there were only three fingers on each. John could tell that the burns that crisscrossed along the boy's feet and calves would need to be treated soon. The fur had taken most of the damage, but beneath there was scorched skin. Focusing on the smoldering flesh, Pyro cooled the wound before walking with the boy in his arms through the fiery village.
"I-I'm all right John." Kurt's voice startled John out of the memories and he realized he had been kneeling beside the boy and holding onto him like a vice for the past ten minutes. He blushed a little as he stood up and helped Kurt to his feet.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing. I guess....." Kurt bit his lip and his brow turned down. Pyro put a comforting hand on his shoulder and waited patiently. "I had a nightmare about ......about that village again."
"You used to have them all the time Kurt. But you were never afraid of fire outside of the dreams. Hell, you and I used to perform together every night in the circus, and you would be dodging through flames like they were hoola hoops."
Kurt finally smiled again, albeit a brief one.
"But that was only because you helped me with it. You used your powers."
"To stop the nightmares, yes. But I couldn't do anything about your fear. I couldn't have, you were never afraid of it before."
"I know. It's just." Kurt sighed heavily. He found himself doing that a lot lately. "Last night, when I dreamt about it again. I...I was sleepwalking."
Pyro arched an eyebrow at him. He had never seen Kurt sleepwalk in all the years they had lived at the circus together, even on the nights when his dreams had him screaming in pain.
"And I kinda sleep ported too." John whistled.
"Well that's a new one."
"I know. I even went so far as to attack my friends." John's eyebrows shot up.
"You? Attack someone?"
"I know, right. Apparently I did a lot of damage too. But I..." Kurt grabbed onto his head and Pyro immediately went to comfort him, fearing that he was about to have another episode. "I can't remember anything. What if I had killed them?"
John hugged Kurt, giving him some comfort in his pain. He smoothed out the boy's hair and held onto him tightly.
"You never would have Kurt. I know you. I know you couldn't do that." Kurt breathed in the scent of the boy's shirt and chest. Everything that touched Pyro began to smell like ashes and charcoal. Nightcrawler had forgotten how good someone could smell.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Hey, I have an idea." John let him go and Kurt felt like pouting for a second but instead listened to what the pyrokinetic had to say.
"Why don't you perform with us while we're in town? It oughta cheer you up."
Kurt looked less than thrilled. 'What if someone I know came to see the circus? They might recognize me, or even worse, it could be some of the X- Men.'
"I don't know...." He said out loud, shuffling his feet in the blackened dirt.
"Come on. It'll help you get over your problem. Who better to help you with a fear of fire, than it's very own master." Kurt felt his heart jump again as Pyro grinned sensually at him. He wasn't sure why, it was probably the pyromaniac in him, but whenever Pyro began talking about fire, he seemed to radiate and draw people in like moths to a flame.
"Maybe." John grinned even more before grabbing Nightcrawler by the elbow and tugging him along.
'What have I gotten myself into?'
* * * * * * * * *
Thank you all so much. I love the fact that I'm actually getting reviews for this. ^_^ I figured it'd be a bomb since there are so few slash/yaoi X- Men Evolution fics out there. Well, finally some Kurt/Pyro action, and there will be more in the next chapter.
Cheers for Min-kat for hitting the nail on the head and having seen the picture of Kurt tied to a stake that inspired the whole Pyro thing. ^_^ go you!
In front of him was the circus. They had arrived the night before and were putting up the circus. Huge trailers were parked on the farthest side, with the rooms of the circus performers contained inside. Small, but necessary for a circus that travels all over the world.
The big top was bright yellow and blue stripes, and was just now being finished. It's flags waved in the slight breeze, announcing the exciting acts within. Members of the circus wandered around, helping to set up the booths outside the big top and carrying seats into the tent.
Kurt heard a loud growl and looked over to see a man leading a lion on a leash into it's cage. He was one of the few members of the circus that Kurt had recognized so far. The man was enormous, 7 feet and pure muscle. He had shaved his head and had earrings covering his ears, but in reality was incredibly shy and quiet. The Strong Man, as he was called, also doubled as the animal trainer. He would put on a safari outfit and hat, and no one would recognize him. The elephants obeyed him perfectly, and the lions were his best friends.
The Strong Man locked the cage that was used for show in the circus, smaller but more extravagant than the places the animals really stayed.
Kurt saw a few acrobats he didn't know go by, and ticket men. Deciding to stop putting it off any longer, he stepped out of the shadows and walked straight across the fair grounds. An old woman, the fortune teller, walked in front of him with a scrutinizing eye. Then she smiled, her blackened and spaced out teeth even worse than the last time Kurt had seen them.
"I see you're back boy. Nice to have you again." The old woman gave him a half-bow, her large golden earrings and sets of beaded necklaces jingling together.
"How did you know it was me?" Kurt double checked that his inducer was working, although this was once a place where he never had to hide his face. A place where people paid to see his real self.
"I am not a fortune teller for nothing, Kurt." With a croaky laugh the old woman walked to her booth, to prepare for those who wished to know what only she could tell them. Nightcrawler wondered for the millionth time if the old hag was a mutant, but knowing her, if she was she would keep it to herself.
Kurt walked behind the big top, trying to look casual. The crowds never started showing up until the sun set, and if a circus performer he didn't know caught him, he might end up in trouble.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw something red go by. He darted behind a game booth that, for the moment, was unmanned. He peeked over the wooden table to see another flash of fire go by. Fur standing on end, the mutant shuddered but refused to look away.
A boy stood stock still, his head down, and eyes closed. His orange hair was loose and fell in front of his face. His hair was cut short, short enough that he could spike it up when needed to. Kurt felt something in his chest tighten as he gazed at his fire angel.
Then the boy's bright green eyes opened, and a small match in his hand burned brighter than before. Then it spread out around him, becoming a huge massive fire, orange flames licking their way across the field, leaving only blackened ash behind them. When a large circle had been made, the fire stopped. The boy held his hands together, just barely touching, and concentrated on the space between them.
The flames curled upward into the air and flew at the red head. They swarmed together like bees, before flowing through the boy's fingers and into a small, single flame. He held it for a moment longer, before clapping his hands the rest of the way together, snuffing out the small orange light.
St. John Allerdyce brushed his hands off, looking content and happy at his work. The area was cleared of the tall weeds and grasses, and all without having to do another more strenuous than raising a finger. Kurt took in the appearance of the boy and committed it to his memory, for later. He wore a white tank top that showed off the boy's muscles, average for a boy of his age. A red silk button up shirt covered his perfect shoulders and biceps, much to Kurt's chagrin. He wore big baggy black jeans, which had obvious signs of being with him for too long, namely the burn marks at the very bottom.
Nightcrawler felt himself gulp loudly in the back of his throat. He had known that this moment was going to come, so his fear seemed foolish. Try telling that to his heart, which was going for a world record speed at the time. Clinging desperately to the wooden booth, he raised himself up and took a shaky breath. 'It's just Pyro. Why am I so nervous?'
Puffing his chest out with a deep breath, Kurt strode toward the other mutant. Pyro's eyes immediately fixed on the attractive boy approaching him. The annoying itch of remembrance began to bother John as he watched this bold boy come closer and closer.
"Listen, we're not really set up yet. If you want to see the circus you can....." John trailed off as the boy continued coming closer, till they were only a few feet apart. Up close the déjà vu seemed to get stronger, and John began squinting at him, as if the image in front of him was just a blurred version of something he should know.
"What's wrong John? You don't recognize me?"
'Now that's strange.' John thought as he was taken by surprise at the boy's thick German accent. 'Maybe he saw our show when we were in Germany, but he looks so damned familiar.'
Kurt took the silence as a no, and heaved a melodramatic sigh. He reached with one finger to his inducer and hit the power button. He felt the air around him shimmer, and was prepared for a surprised gasp as his true blue self appeared. But it never came. He cautiously looked up into soft green eyes that had suddenly come miles closer.
"Kurt...." John reached out and gently brushed the hair from Kurt's face and made the blue elf grin like an idiot. Unable to hold it any longer, Kurt lunged forward, wrapping his arms around John's neck. For the first time in 2 years, the person Kurt touched didn't flinch away. His arms wrapped around him, squeezing him softly, not deterred by the feel of blue fur.
"What are you doing here? We all tried to find you when you left, but we couldn't."
"Why didn't you ask the fortune teller?" Kurt winked up at Pyro as he let go of his neck and stood staring at the boy's face. Kurt smiled, and didn't feel like he had to be constantly hiding his fangs. John had a certain...fancy for Kurt's teeth.
"You know her. The more she told us, the more confused we got." Pyro flashed a bright smile that lit up the emerald of his eyes and Kurt felt his heart melt again. "So what have you been doing here?"
Kurt snapped out of his moment of zoning out and wondered what he should and shouldn't tell his old friend. John saw his hesitation and quickly wrapped one arm around Kurt's shoulder.
"It doesn't matter, why don't we go say hi to the gang."
"I'd really rather not." Kurt laughed and dug his toes into the ground, stopping them both in mid step. John sent a smirk to him but gave up, not wanting to wrestle a devil into a place he didn't want to be.
"Well, lemme take a look at you." Pyro stood back and rubbed his chin as he walked in a circle around Kurt. Still dressed in his Nightcrawler uniform, every muscle and curve of Kurt's body was shown, and Pyro intended to see every one. As he walked around behind Kurt, admiring how much the boy had filled out in the past two years, Kurt swung his powerful tail at John's leg, wrapping around it.
John just looked strangely at the appendage before trying to pry it off. Kurt held tight and turned around to watch the other mutant battle with his snake-like blue tail. John grinned, enjoying the other boy's strange version of flirting.
"We'll see which mutant can keep a hold on who." John reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of matches, grinning maniacally. Kurt paused, shifting on his feet, unsure of how intense he wanted this thing to go. As a pyrokinetic, John had a short and uncontrollable temper. But his smile told Kurt that he wasn't being serious.
Kurt unwrapped his tail and stood up, relaxing again around his best friend.
"You've changed a lot Kurt. Last time you were here, you would have battled me to the bitter end before letting go." John winked and returned the matchbox to his pocket.
"Hey, I haven't changed that much. I just didn't feel like starting a big fight and gathering an audience."
"Nah. You're not the same old Nightcrawler I used to know, you've changed too much." John turned his back to Kurt, smirking the whole time as he baited the boy.
"I have not changed!"
"If you say so." John spun around and took Kurt forcefully by the face, pressing his lips against the shorter boys. Kurt instantly fell against him, pressing his mouth up against Pyro's. Few at the institute ever gained enough courage to hug him, let alone kiss Kurt. He had forgotten how good a warm mouth against yours can make you feel.
Pyro gently rubbed his thumb across the short fur on Kurt's face, ruffling it and smoothing it back out as he pressed his tongue against Kurt's lips. The boy played back, his tail swishing behind him like a happy dog's.
Eventually John pulled away from the kiss, enjoying the site of Kurt with his eyes still closed and his mouth hanging open. Those perfect teeth, with their unique canines. John hadn't kissed many people, but none of them felt like Nightcrawler. He was one of a kind.
"Hm....you're right. Things haven't changed too much." John leaned down, tauntingly letting his cheek brush Kurt's as he whispered in his ear. "You still taste like sulfur."
Kurt snorted and brought his tail up in between them, running it tantalizingly across Pyro's chest. The boy grinned happily and Kurt leaned up slightly, so he could look him in the eyes.
"And you still taste like an ashtray."
Pyro swung playfully at the demon elf, but he had ported to a safe distance, and blew a kiss at the other mutant before taking off on all fours. Pyro gave chase, quickly taking out and lighting a match. He threw a fireball in front of where Nightcrawler was running, making a wall of flame to stop his path.
Kurt's blank eyes widened as the fire spread in front of him, around him, burning him, suffocating him. He clamped his hands down on his head and fell to his knees, trying to make his mind stop thinking. Anything to make the fire go away.
Pyro saw Kurt fall to his knees and worried that he had let the fire burn too close, or become to strong. He put it out with his mind and immediately ran to Kurt's side. The boy was shivering and jumped when John put his hand on his shoulder.
"Kurt? What's wrong?" he said in a soft tone, trying to comfort his startled friend. Kurt looked up at him with his pale white pleading eyes and Pyro immediately took him in his arms.
"It's happening again."
Pyro held him at arms length so he could look into his eyes.
"What's happening Kurt?"
"The nightmares."
John became very quiet before he helped Nightcrawler to his feet in silence. It had been 5 years ago, when Kurt was 12 and his teleporting powers were just then manifesting that they had found him. He had joined their circus in Germany and traveled around Europe with them for 3 years, before mysteriously disappearing.
Pyro remembered his nightmares. He remembered from when they had been freshly scarred memories. The circus had entered a small town, not even a town, but more of a village in the mountains of Germany. While everyone was setting up the circus, Pyro, a bored 13 year old had wandered into the town and heard something. As he ran into the town square, he saw a mob. They had grabbed onto a small boy, and were now tying him to a large wooden pole.
John's fury raged as he remembered how they were continually punching the boy in the face, and people too far away to do that were throwing things at him. Blood had been running from a cut on his head, and one of his eyes was swollen nearly shut. Had the boy been able to, he could have easily escaped the angry crowd. But one too many hits to the head had stopped his ability to teleport, and he was losing too much blood now to even be able to stand.
When John saw the villagers grabbing torches and bringing them to where the boy was tied up, he began to feel his rage building. The disgusting men threw the fire at the boy's feet, letting it ignite the straw and hay around the pole. It spread quickly to the stake the boy was tied to, and the flames snapped at his feet. His head was beginning to thrash back and forth, unable to move himself from over the fire that would soon engulf him if he didn't move.
Pyro ran forward until he was nearly in the flames. The villagers turned on him then, and one man made the foolish move of grabbing onto one of his arms. Pyro turned with icy green eyes on the barbaric oaf and the fire raced towards him, like a snake through water. The man let go of Pyro and turned to run away, but he was too late. The inferno coiled around him, burning his clothes and flesh and bone in one red flash. Now the villagers felt fear for the young boy, his wild eyes warning them from coming closer.
Pyro turned and held his hands out, controlling the fire, seeping it away from the wooden stake and the innocent boy who was tied tightly to it. His head lolled to one side, and he was obviously unconscious. John's temper began to spike and with it the fires raced for the villagers, catching onto everything in their path. Ensuring that the flames wouldn't come within ten feet of himself and the boy, Pyro let them loose. Fire is a greedy and vicious thing if not controlled, and when it was released, it swept through the town, devouring it.
John called a small bit of fire to him and burnt through the back of the ropes holding down the boy. He fell flat onto the ground, and for the first time John got a good look at his face. It was blue, with the exception of the blood running from a gash on one side. He had no clue what color the boy's eyes might be, for he was still unconscious John knelt beside the boy who was obviously a fellow mutant and picked him up. The smell of burnt fur and flesh overwhelmed him, but he fought down the nausea and looked at the boy's feet.
For a second he thought that the fire had burned off most of the boy's toes, but then he realized that the boy must only have two toes. Sure enough, when he checked his blue hands, there were only three fingers on each. John could tell that the burns that crisscrossed along the boy's feet and calves would need to be treated soon. The fur had taken most of the damage, but beneath there was scorched skin. Focusing on the smoldering flesh, Pyro cooled the wound before walking with the boy in his arms through the fiery village.
"I-I'm all right John." Kurt's voice startled John out of the memories and he realized he had been kneeling beside the boy and holding onto him like a vice for the past ten minutes. He blushed a little as he stood up and helped Kurt to his feet.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing. I guess....." Kurt bit his lip and his brow turned down. Pyro put a comforting hand on his shoulder and waited patiently. "I had a nightmare about ......about that village again."
"You used to have them all the time Kurt. But you were never afraid of fire outside of the dreams. Hell, you and I used to perform together every night in the circus, and you would be dodging through flames like they were hoola hoops."
Kurt finally smiled again, albeit a brief one.
"But that was only because you helped me with it. You used your powers."
"To stop the nightmares, yes. But I couldn't do anything about your fear. I couldn't have, you were never afraid of it before."
"I know. It's just." Kurt sighed heavily. He found himself doing that a lot lately. "Last night, when I dreamt about it again. I...I was sleepwalking."
Pyro arched an eyebrow at him. He had never seen Kurt sleepwalk in all the years they had lived at the circus together, even on the nights when his dreams had him screaming in pain.
"And I kinda sleep ported too." John whistled.
"Well that's a new one."
"I know. I even went so far as to attack my friends." John's eyebrows shot up.
"You? Attack someone?"
"I know, right. Apparently I did a lot of damage too. But I..." Kurt grabbed onto his head and Pyro immediately went to comfort him, fearing that he was about to have another episode. "I can't remember anything. What if I had killed them?"
John hugged Kurt, giving him some comfort in his pain. He smoothed out the boy's hair and held onto him tightly.
"You never would have Kurt. I know you. I know you couldn't do that." Kurt breathed in the scent of the boy's shirt and chest. Everything that touched Pyro began to smell like ashes and charcoal. Nightcrawler had forgotten how good someone could smell.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Hey, I have an idea." John let him go and Kurt felt like pouting for a second but instead listened to what the pyrokinetic had to say.
"Why don't you perform with us while we're in town? It oughta cheer you up."
Kurt looked less than thrilled. 'What if someone I know came to see the circus? They might recognize me, or even worse, it could be some of the X- Men.'
"I don't know...." He said out loud, shuffling his feet in the blackened dirt.
"Come on. It'll help you get over your problem. Who better to help you with a fear of fire, than it's very own master." Kurt felt his heart jump again as Pyro grinned sensually at him. He wasn't sure why, it was probably the pyromaniac in him, but whenever Pyro began talking about fire, he seemed to radiate and draw people in like moths to a flame.
"Maybe." John grinned even more before grabbing Nightcrawler by the elbow and tugging him along.
'What have I gotten myself into?'
* * * * * * * * *
Thank you all so much. I love the fact that I'm actually getting reviews for this. ^_^ I figured it'd be a bomb since there are so few slash/yaoi X- Men Evolution fics out there. Well, finally some Kurt/Pyro action, and there will be more in the next chapter.
Cheers for Min-kat for hitting the nail on the head and having seen the picture of Kurt tied to a stake that inspired the whole Pyro thing. ^_^ go you!
