Flickering Souls

Chapter Twelve: Kurt and Scott Come Home Drunk

Rogue pushed on towards the muffled sounds in the darkness. She had originally tried to ignore the noises. But for the last half an hour it sounded like someone was trying to swim up the front stairs.

She walked up right on Kurt who was beginning to climb the stairs. He jumped when he saw her and she flipped on the light.

"What the hell's going on out here Kurt? I've been listening to you for a half an hour now."

"Sorry. I'm just really buzzed." Kurt smiled smugly.

"Excuse me?" Rogue looked him in the face. "You're what?"

"Stoned, smashed, hammered, twizzeled, twisted …" He was counting them off but running out of fingers.

Scott raised his head off the floor and pointed at Kurt. "… And in trouble ..." He added before collapsing, grinning, on to his face.

Rogue looked down at Scott. For a moment, she was angry and disgusted. But after a second or so of watching him stir in his stupor she realized how odd a moment it was and that it had to have been equally as odd an evening to have led them here.

And her heart melted just a bit.

"Kurt, just … help me get him up to bed." She said at last, imploringly.

Kurt smiled again. "It's not a good idea." He shook his head slowly. "Vhen he's up, he's ill." Kurt informed her. "He laid down the whole ride home."

"You drove? You? In your condition?" She looked at him in disbelief. "Have you lost your blue, furry, little mind?"

Kurt looked offended. "I'll have you know I teleported Scott and then the car to the mouth of the access road behind the mansion. I only drove it a few miles. I vas too tired to 'port again." He shrugged slightly. "Or … maybe I vas too drunk."

Rogue relaxed slightly. The access road formed an "L" that bordered the mansion property and no one but the gardener ever really used it.

"This was still monumentously stupid Kurt. What the hell is wrong with you …" She looked to Scott "Two?" She finished.

"I've just been … Out of sorts." Kurt shrugged apologetically and rubbed the back of his neck distractedly.

Scott lifted his head. "I'm mad at Abair." He volunteered absently.

"Who?" Rogue asked.

"Oh sure." Scott accused her. "You say that now."

Rogue cast a glance to Kurt who shrugged in return.

"Lucky bastard." Scott commented to no one in particular.

"What …" She shook her head and finally smiled slightly. "You're really are trashed, aren't you?" She asked him finally.

"Did I sing some thing?" Scott seemed hazy and tried to roll over to see Kurt.. "Kurt … Did I …?"

"Ja." Kurt grinned wide. "It vas a karaoke bar." Kurt assured him in a friendly tone.

Rogue sighed. "I'm just gonna wait and yell at you in the morning." She decided out loud.

"I wish you would." Scott volunteered.

"Amen to zat one brother." Kurt nodded, shoving his hands in to his pockets and rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes and back again.

"But without yelling." Scott added. "Just with blankets."

Kurt snickered and Rogue sighed, casting her eyes to the heavens. "Would you like a blanket Scott?" She asked.

"Yes please." He chirped quickly.

Kurt looked her in the eye and shrugged. "Cold floor." He explained stepping past her toward the nearest linen closet. He pulled out two heavy wool blankets and began to saunter slowly back down the hall.

Rogue shook her head. "How much did you drink tonight?" She asked him.

"Myself? Half a pitcher of beer total." Kurt told her. "I didn't really like it." He handed her a blanket and spread the other over Scott who curled up appreciatively underneath.

"But you have the makings of a serious drinking problem." He said cheerfully to Scott.

Kurt snatched the other blanket from Rogue and slipped it under Scott's head.

"Thank you." Scott told him.

"You're welcome." Kurt nodded and smiled at him.

Scott shook his head at though the drinking problem comment had just registered.. "And I do not." He announced. "I just like limes."

Rogue tisked her tongue and stalked away, dropping in to one of the leather chairs in the next room.

Kurt sighed inwardly and then followed her in.

"Listen." He began. "I vant to apologize."

She turned and looked at him.

"We should have invited you to come." He announced.

She shook her head. "Kurt …" Way to miss the point … And … thanks, Ah think …

He interrupted her. "Please, let me finish." He smiled. "But it vas kind of a stupid macho guy thing and it was best to just get it out of our systems and move on." He dropped in to the chair opposite her.

"I thought since we had the next few days alone, now would be da time. And I know it vas stupid, but we needed this one." Kurt sighed.

"Why Kurt?' She shook her head. "What's been on your mind lately? I can tell something's wrong."

Kurt let his eyes drop. "You remember when Jean recruited me to steal for her?" He volunteered.

"Yeah?" She replied hesitantly.

"You remember how guilty I felt afterward?" He seemed pained by the memory.

"Yeah." Rogue whispered.

"Well, it did something to me." He shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it. Not really."

He cast her a glance. He could tell that she wasn't going to let this go.

"It's like I burned out my ability to feel things." He admitted. "I know dat I should feel … something." He shrugged. "I would give anything just to feel guilty over what I did again." He shook his head. "It's almost like I'm too tired to feel things." He looked her in the face. "But I'm not."

Kurt continued. "I mean …It's Christmas and I'm not going to be with my adopted parents." He sighed. "And I don't feel any way about it."

"Have you told this to the Professor?" She asked, concerned.

"No." Kurt admitted.

"Will you tell him when he gets back?" She pulled her hands up to her chest in worry. "Please?"

Kurt swallowed and nodded, then looked away. "Ja." He sighed. "And I'm sorry I made you worry." He added quickly.

Rogue pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "All a part of our friendly curbside service." She smiled softly.

A moment later she asked. "Do you know what's wrong with Scott?" She ventured.

"I could make a list after tonight." Kurt assured her. "But he's been complaining about this guy Abair on and off. I think Scott's hot after this guy's girlfriend."

"What?" Rogue was shocked.

"Or his ex-girlfriend. He wasn't very clear."

"Oh." Rogue looked out towards the hall where Scott was softly snoring. "He's been lonely without Jean, hasn't he?"

"I think so." Kurt agreed. "It was funny. He didn't seem to vant me to know who the girl was." Kurt smiled. "Blue might be her favorite color or something." He shrugged.

Rogue chuckled lightly and then something occurred to her.

"Kurt?" She ventured, intrigued and amused. "What did Scott sing?"

Kurt smiled proudly. "We decided to pick songs for each other to sing." He looked sneaky too.

"So what did he sing?" She asked again.

"It vas called … Stand by Your Man." Kurt grinned wide.

"Kurt!" Rogue was shocked. "How could you?"

He pointed one finger at an imaginary karaoke machine. "G –4" He pushed two imaginary buttons. "He vas pretty good too." Kurt grinned.

"Really?" Rogue asked.

"No." Kurt informed her plainly. "I think he's tone deaf."

"And I figured that YMCA would get our asses kicked." He grinned

Rogue laughed out loud. "Well, I hope he got you back. What did he make you sing?"

Kurt grinned wickedly. "I guess I still owe him a song." He laughed out loud.

"Kurt!!" She threw a throw pillow at him and he caught it, then slipped it behind his head.

"I know." He smiled wide, shrugged and sighed. "I should feel like an ass."

But, quite obviously, he didn't.

He seemed to sober up suddenly. "We've come a long way together, haven't we?" He asked quietly.

Rogue could feel the weight on his mind. "Ah guess we have." She smiled softly.

"Long strange trip." Kurt smiled, looking relaxed and drunken again.

He paused for a moment. "You know, if you ever move on … Get married or move out on your own or anything …"

Rogue looked at him sideways. This speech sounded practiced.

"I just vanted to make sure that you know; You can alvays count on me. For anything I can do. Like family."

Rogue relaxed in to the idea.

"No matter vhat the future holds." He said it softly, but pronounced it clearly as though he was sober. "No matter vhat."

"The same goes for me Kurt." She said softly. "You know that, right?"

"Even if I get married or move out on my own?" He had closed his eyes and lay his head back against the chair. "Even if I marry a snobby little prissy wife who cant stand you?" He laughed to himself as he spoke.

"I'll enjoy teasin' her is all." Rogue smiled back. "And harassing her every Christmas." She promised.

Rogue sat back and bit her lip. Something did not feel right but she dismissed it as residual concern over Kurt's drinking and driving.

Kurt leaned back and smiled, although secretly he had his doubts as to whether or not he really belonged here at the mansion.