X-Men Evolution is a trademarked product from Marvel, all the characters are owned by Marvel and not me. This is a work of fiction based off of said series. I make no money off this, yadda yadda yah.
"In The Garage" - by Val Shrum (kiyonekatz at yahoo dot com)
Authors Notes: Clarification of last notes. What I would do is make a separate story as the R rated 'chapter', over in the R section, as this story is fine without an R rating (I think it would disappoint people looking for a good R story if I transferred the whole story over :).
Chapter 27
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"You are just something else!" Kitty playfully pushed Lance as they exited the dining room.
"What, what?! You guys know how I am, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I just like to goad Summers every chance I get." Lance grinned.
"You do realize that pissing him off only makes him far more determined to despise you, right?" Kitty stepped into the front room. She stretched her arms tiredly.
Lance side-stepped and slipped in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled Kitty close to him. "I don't care. Not important." He touched his chin to her shoulder, then said in a soft voice, "Hey pretty Kitty, I'd like to talk to you for a second... outside? Alone. That'd be fine, right?"
Kitty nodded, "Sure. We can talk on the porch. They know I'm not going to go anywhere." She slipped out of his hold and took his hand gently. They walked to the door and stepped outside. Kitty sat down on the porch.
Lance took his place beside her. He leaned back on his hands as he looked up into the night sky. "That was a good dinner. Thanks for letting me stay over." His eyes focused over on Kitty. He smiled at the girl, forgetting why he even asked her out here.
"Yeah, like I'd let you leave without eating? I know how you guys live over at the boarding house. Not exactly healthiest conditions." Kitty brought her knees up, leaning forward and resting her elbow on her right knee, tilting her head to watch Lance. "So what's up?"
"Oh! Right." He leaned forward, scratching his head. "You said you're off being grounded by next week, right?"
"Sure. I've been good thus far."
"Okay... well... have any plans for uh..." Lance thought about it, "Two Saturdays from now?"
Kitty vaguely caught the hint, "Well, I've been waiting for someone to ask me to like... go to that prom thing that happens to be going on then. So far, my dance card has been empty. I guess I'm just not as popular as I used to be. My boyfriend has been really insensitive and hasn't asked, either." She grinned.
Lance swallowed hard. He started off with a bit of a stammer. "Well uh... so... Wanda got this call the other day for us. For all of us. Bayville High wants me, you, Kurt, and Wanda to play as the inbetween band for the prom."
"..." The look on Kitty's face was priceless. It dropped from the light humor it had before to almost a sullen gasp. "You've got to be kidding me. And you said 'No', right?"
"Not... exactly." Lance looked nervous. "We have to call him back, but the time is short. They saw us in the contest and liked it. I know, I know... no more band, no more of that stuff... but it's a paying job. It's also probably one of the few legitimate ways I can step foot inside of Bayville High School without getting arrested."
Kitty sighed. "Oy. Seriously. Lance, I'd be all for skipping out on prom just to hang out with you outside of it. I mean, it's only my junior year. It's not a landmark for me. But it IS for Kurt. Did you even consider his feelings on it?"
"He said it was fine! It'll be like three sets of fifteen to twenty five minutes each. We pick what songs we want to do, clear it with the powers that be and make sure we don't have a conflicting set list with the other band... then we get to go to your prom for free! All the other time can be spent dancing and doing date like things. Just... Kitty, it's a really good opportunity. What does it matter if we're there on stage or at home watching movies? It's still us."
"But it's not! It's so different. It's like... one of those important dances that could be a milestone event in most kids lives. I'm not sure if I really want to remember my first prom as being on stage and entertaining my classmates instead of actually being one of the classmates. It's like that whole mutant-separation thing all over again. I'm still not equal."
"Because you're COOLER than that!" Lance snapped with the quick comment. He went back to pleading, "You don't even have to play the guitar much, if at all. You can practice on the five or so songs we already know and just play female vocalist for most of the night. I need you there, Kitty. I wouldn't even be asking if I hadn't already cleared it with the others. I know you're not much for this band thing, and I respect that. It's just that I keep thinking about how much fun it'd be and how awesome it would be to just... prove people wrong."
Kitty smiled. Lance seemed quite passionate about the subject. She reached over and pushed his hair back, "So... we go to prom dressed to kill. Do the prom-like stuff... and we get to perform about fifteen to twenty songs throughout the course of the night inbetween all the fun?"
"Something like that. We have to show up early with our equipment, except for the drumset... wait, are you really okay with this?"
"Not really. Not too much. But you know what? Who cares about normal? It sounds like it'd be far more fun than if we went like everyone else. I say... sure. Let's do this." Kitty pulled her hand back. "They'd be paying us to be there. So.. why not?"
"You mean it?! Awesome!" Lance practically tackled Kitty in a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you! I'll make it unforgettable! I promise!"
She practically shrieked under Lance's excitement. Kitty hugged him back, "You'd better."
"Oh wow, this is so great! Wanda and Kurt'll be so stoked. You know this means we'll have to start practicing next week, after you get off groundation, right?" Lance pulled away and looked her over.
"I was afraid of that. It's for a good cause, though. I'll just have to cope. And maybe I'll try to learn some more songs with you guys. Try, of course, being the key word here."
"Don't downplay yourself, you'll do great." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Kitty blushed, "Okay. I guess we should also coordinate our outfits... y'know, considering that I can't dress too formally and you have to dress up a bit."
"Are you saying I can't dress myself?" Lance raised an eyebrow.
"Noooo, I'm saying that it'll be a lot easier to dress each other for the occasion with a credit card or two." Kitty nodded.
"Oh... OH! I get it. Of course." He nodded.
The door opened up from behind them as Wanda stepped out. "Is everything cool?" She wondered.
"Everything is fine, Wanda. Kitty said yes." Lance stood, then offered Kitty a hand to be helped up. Kitty took the help graciously.
"Yeah, he had to promise me your soul in return though. Sorry, Wanda." Kitty put a hand on her hip and smirked at Wanda.
"You see me complaining?" Wanda shrugged and glanced at Lance, "We leaving soon?"
"Sure. I'll meet you by the jeep and I'll say goodbye." Lance nodded.
"Alright. I have to wish Kurt 'Goodnight'. Be right back." Wanda opened the door to go back inside, "Oh and Kitty? Thanks for going ahead with this."
"Anytime, Wanda." Kitty nodded, slipping her hands into her pockets. "So you planned this, huh? Sneaky, Alvers."
"Sneaky? Not me. Wanda insisted we do it today so we can give the guy a call back and get ourselves onto this job. She likes that whole... income that isn't her fathers sort of thing. I can't help but wonder how much she remembers from before. I'm not too worried. She's a lot easier to live with now."
"I can only imagine." Kitty started to walk over to the jeep with Lance. "Let's hope that this doesn't work out to be a total disaster, okay? I can't even believe I'm doing this."
Lance laughed, then pulled Kitty into a warm embrace as they made it to the Jeep. "It'll be fantastic. You don't even know how happy this makes me." He smiled.
"Oh, I do. And you WILL pay for it." She grinned mischieviously.
"I don't like that tone..." Lance looked nervous.
Kitty laughed and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. She pulled away and whispered into his ear. "Just kidding. Don't worry, okay?"
Wanda approached the two again, "You guys seriously need to get a room." She climbed into the passenger side seat.
Kitty pulled away from him and stuck her tongue out at Wanda. She looked back at Lance and smiled. "See you later."
"Right. Later, pretty Kitty. Goodnight." He climbed into the jeep and started it up. Lance gave a final wave to Kitty before he put the vehicle in gear and drove off into the night back to his home.
***
Almost two short weeks had filtered by. With practice and school, it was nonstop work. But the excitement and determination made the time seem like it was just not enough.
The school bell rang. It was Friday, the night right before the 'big night'. Kitty and Kurt left the school building together as she pulled a pair of sunglasses over her eyes.
"Oh Kurt, I think I need to get some serious sleep tonight. Desperately."
"You still need to go shopping with Lance." Kurt reminded.
"Oh crap, that's today? Right... at least we don't need to practice today. I don't think I could take another day, to be honest."
"You don't have to. Relax, Katzchen." Kurt put his hands on her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "I know how much you love shopping. What's with the sunglasses?"
"To hide these terrible bags under my eyes. I got messed with like... by everyone today."
"Well, Miss-Wanna-Be-Scott-Summers, you have a date. And I think he's here." Kurt pointed over to the parking lot again to where Lance sat in the jeep waiting for Kitty.
"Right. A date. I'm ready for anything." She smiled at Kurt, "So you already got your stuff picked out?"
"Ja. Amanda helped a little bit. This fuzzy dude doesn't need MUCH to look good."
"Just remember you've got to play drums dressed like that, okay?" Kitty looked him over skeptically.
"Of course I know that! Sheesh." Kurt put an arm on Kitty's shoulder. "Now go! I'll catch up with you later." He pushed her forward.
Kitty stumbled and glared back at Kurt. She threw her bookbag at her friend, "Take that back to the institute for me, okay? Bye." Kitty then walked over to Lance's jeep. "So, you ready for one of the most painful experiences in your life?"
"Excuse me?" Lance looked confused.
"Shopping with a girl." Kitty climbed into the passenger side.
"Oh, right. What's with the uh... shades?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Chemistry homework, early morning training session, breakfast duties..." She yawned, pulling her seatbelt on. "This weekend I've been given a break. A few free days at last. So I'm a little tired. I don't want you to see me looking all tired and strung out."
"I bet you look fine." Lance let out a laugh as he drove them toward the Bayville mall.
"I don't look fine." Kitty pouted.
"I'll be the judge of that." He pulled the jeep into the parking garage, finding a space and locking up. He stepped over to Kitty's side, opening the door. "M'lady..."
Kitty climbed out. "Why, thank you sir."
Lance closed the door behind her then positioned himself in front of her. He smiled and reached up with his hands, carefully pulling the sunglasses off from over her eyes to sit softly on top of her head, "There. Beautiful."
At first Kitty looked like she was going to protest, but didn't when she looked at his smile. She took one of his hands into hers and gave a squeeze. "Okay... so... let's go shopping."
"Just be gentle with me." He almost sounded scared.
She laughed, "I'll try my best. This is just punishment for the last two weeks."
"Great..."
They headed into the mall and quickly looked for a directory. The hardest part was finding outfits that looked nice enough to be worn to a formal event, and yet still casual enough to be on stage performing in. Kitty looked over the listing and pointed out a store. "That one looks good. Let's try there. They've got a lot of nice clothes. Slightly higher end, but not too fancy."
"Lead the way. I have no clue what I'm doing here."
"You lie. I bet you go shopping for fun." She tugged him along to the store in question.
"Oh, you've got me. I'm such the mallrat. Jubilee took lessons from me." Lance's tone dripped of sarcasm.
Kitty nudged him playfully before they entered the store in question. "So, how do you think we should do this? Should we like... color coordinate?" She walked over to a rack with dresses on it.
"... uh... I guess? Like how do you mean?"
"Well... like we match our outfits to the same colors. It does sound kinda stupid." Kitty shook her head.
"No, not at all." Lance looked over the dresses, a bit lost in the selection process. "That'd be nice, since we'd be the front people on stage too. How about... I dunno, red?"
"I don't want to wear a red dress though." Kitty hummed and pulled a dress off the rack. A black and white checkered dress. She held it up to herself, going just barely at her knees. The top has a moderately low cut u-like neck and normal straps. "What about this?"
"How... ska-like." He tilted his head. "I kinda like it though. Hold onto that."
Kitty nodded. She said, "Y'know, I can add a red belt and we can just go with the red-black-white combination."
"Really? Okay. So I should find a red shirt?" Lance asked.
"Sure." She pointed over to that section and took his hand with her free one. "How red?"
Lance looked through the different shades. He grabbed onto a nice button up collared red shirt. Nothing too dark, but not bright either. The shirt itself made of a soft, silk-like material. He held it against his chest. "This one?"
"Ooh, nice. And you said you've never done this."
"I haven't."
Kitty pointed over to the mens slacks, "Go ahead and grab a pair of black pants and a belt. You should probably stick with a black one."
"Okay." He thought about it. "What, are you picturing me dressed up?"
"Why not?"
"Isn't that bad luck?" Lance wondered.
"No, it's bad luck to see the bride before a wedding. I think we're safe for now." She laughed and picked up a wide red belt that matched the same shade as Lance's shirt.
Lance did as he was told, getting a pair of pants and a belt. "Sorry... I don't know about these traditions."
"There's no tradition to it, Lance. It's just a dance." Kitty continued to look over accessories. She found a red headband to match things.
"... and now what else do we need? Shoes?" Lance looked at his arm full of clothes.
"Oh right. Shoes." She made a face, "I'm so not going to wear dress shoes. Oh man that would suck so much having to play guitar and dance in non-broken-in heels."
"Okay, so let's get some Doc Martin boots. Go for the whole nine-yards if we're going to break traditions." He smirked.
"I don't think they sell those here. Let's pay for this and head over to a shoe place."
"Shouldn't we try them on?"
"We can do that later. I'm tired, okay?" Kitty whined, "We can always bring it back if it doesn't fit right. It's the right size for me. Did you pick out your correct size?"
"Well yeah." Lance rolled his eyes.
"Then I don't see a problem. Let's go." She took his items from him and went to the nearest counter.
Lance caught up to her as she was paying for the items, "Why're you in a rush? Shouldn't we enjoy ourselves?"
The lady behind the counter bagged the items. Kitty looked at Lance, "...sure, but... I dunno. I just want to be in and out. I'm in that mood where I just want to be away from people... and we totally put this off to the last minute. It's just gotten to me." She took the bags as they were handed to her. Kitty gave one to Lance, "It'll be fine after I sleep. Okay? Tomorrow I'll be refreshed and ready for anything."
"I believe you. Okay." He took the other bag from her and carried both. "So... shoe place now. Then I get to treat for lunch."
"OoooooOoooOoh, can we get smoothies?" Kitty smiled.
"Sure Kitty, whatever." Lance turned into the nearest shoe place.
It didn't take long for them to pick out a matching pair of red boots. Kitty's pair was a little longer than Lance's, mainly because she thought they'd look better with the dress. One final stop at the Hot Topic to grab a checkered tie and they had completed their shopping experience in record time for Kitty. One quick stop at the food court for said smoothies, and they were off to the Brotherhood boarding house to try things out.
"Okay, so you take my bedroom and I'll change in the bathroom. I wouldn't wish the bathroom on anyone." Lance sorted the clothes out on his bed. He grabbed what was his and headed out. "I'll be in the living room. Just tell me when you're ready."
Kitty locked the door as he left. She didn't need Pietro or Todd accidently barging in when she wasn't fully prepared for it. She carefully changed out of her school clothes and slipped on the dress. Her hand awkwardly reaching back and zipping it up completely. She pulled the belt around her tightly and then slipped on the boots. She sat down on the bed, lacing them up patiently. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror. "I can't tell if I'm going to prom or to a nightclub dressed like this." She said to no one in particular. Kitty moved back to the door and unlocked it. "Okay, Lance! I'm ready..."
Lance was a bit quicker than she was. The most notable thing he had done was with the shirt. He kept the first two buttons undone, keeping the tie loose to give it a bit of style along with leaving it untucked from his pants. He came down the hall and tapped on the wood, opening the door to his bedroom. "Ready or not here I..." His voice stopped in his throat as he viewed the young woman before him. He had seen her in a dress before, that wasn't anything new. However, it's always the first moment of taking in the way she wore it, the way she looked in it that got him. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. "..uh... wow."
Kitty asked, "... what do you mean, wow?" She crossed her arms over her chest, a little nervous. "Something not right?"
"No! You look... it's good. It looks great." He stepped toward her.
"What's this, just-climbed-out-of-bed style of wear?" Kitty started to mess with the untucked shirt. He pushed her hands away.
"Hey hey... it looks better this way. I've got a coat that'll go over it too." Lance paused and looked into her eyes. "... so... can I have this dance?"
"But there isn't any music." Kitty looked back at Lance, unsure of what he meant.
"We don't need music." He stepped forward. Lance slipped his arms around her and started to move slowly back and forth, like a slow dance.
Kitty complied, putting her head against his shoulder and giving a gentle hug. One arm draped around his neck, the other set hesitantly on his arm. A long moment of dancing together to only the sounds of their hearts beating. He kept the dance steady until he finally reached down and lifted her chin, giving her a warm kiss on the lips.
"Ahem." Announced a voice from behind them. "You should really save that until tomorrow." Wanda crossed her arms, slightly entertained by the behavior of the couple.
Lance pulled away from the embrace. "No, really?"
Kitty blushed and said, "... yeah, we've got tomorrow to dance. To real music." She smiled. "Let me get changed and I'll head home. I think I need sleep."
"Cute outfits, though. You both look fabulous." Wanda smiled.
"Thanks, Wanda." Kitty started to untie her boots.
Wanda dragged Lance out of the room to allow Kitty to finish changing. Lance dressed back into his street attire.
'One more night. Tomorrow is going to rock.' Lance thought to himself. He took Kitty home and could barely sleep - for he was too excited about actually being able to go to prom and perform with the girl he cared about so much. Longest night ever for Lance Alvers.
***
"In The Garage" - by Val Shrum (kiyonekatz at yahoo dot com)
Authors Notes: Clarification of last notes. What I would do is make a separate story as the R rated 'chapter', over in the R section, as this story is fine without an R rating (I think it would disappoint people looking for a good R story if I transferred the whole story over :).
Chapter 27
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"You are just something else!" Kitty playfully pushed Lance as they exited the dining room.
"What, what?! You guys know how I am, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I just like to goad Summers every chance I get." Lance grinned.
"You do realize that pissing him off only makes him far more determined to despise you, right?" Kitty stepped into the front room. She stretched her arms tiredly.
Lance side-stepped and slipped in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled Kitty close to him. "I don't care. Not important." He touched his chin to her shoulder, then said in a soft voice, "Hey pretty Kitty, I'd like to talk to you for a second... outside? Alone. That'd be fine, right?"
Kitty nodded, "Sure. We can talk on the porch. They know I'm not going to go anywhere." She slipped out of his hold and took his hand gently. They walked to the door and stepped outside. Kitty sat down on the porch.
Lance took his place beside her. He leaned back on his hands as he looked up into the night sky. "That was a good dinner. Thanks for letting me stay over." His eyes focused over on Kitty. He smiled at the girl, forgetting why he even asked her out here.
"Yeah, like I'd let you leave without eating? I know how you guys live over at the boarding house. Not exactly healthiest conditions." Kitty brought her knees up, leaning forward and resting her elbow on her right knee, tilting her head to watch Lance. "So what's up?"
"Oh! Right." He leaned forward, scratching his head. "You said you're off being grounded by next week, right?"
"Sure. I've been good thus far."
"Okay... well... have any plans for uh..." Lance thought about it, "Two Saturdays from now?"
Kitty vaguely caught the hint, "Well, I've been waiting for someone to ask me to like... go to that prom thing that happens to be going on then. So far, my dance card has been empty. I guess I'm just not as popular as I used to be. My boyfriend has been really insensitive and hasn't asked, either." She grinned.
Lance swallowed hard. He started off with a bit of a stammer. "Well uh... so... Wanda got this call the other day for us. For all of us. Bayville High wants me, you, Kurt, and Wanda to play as the inbetween band for the prom."
"..." The look on Kitty's face was priceless. It dropped from the light humor it had before to almost a sullen gasp. "You've got to be kidding me. And you said 'No', right?"
"Not... exactly." Lance looked nervous. "We have to call him back, but the time is short. They saw us in the contest and liked it. I know, I know... no more band, no more of that stuff... but it's a paying job. It's also probably one of the few legitimate ways I can step foot inside of Bayville High School without getting arrested."
Kitty sighed. "Oy. Seriously. Lance, I'd be all for skipping out on prom just to hang out with you outside of it. I mean, it's only my junior year. It's not a landmark for me. But it IS for Kurt. Did you even consider his feelings on it?"
"He said it was fine! It'll be like three sets of fifteen to twenty five minutes each. We pick what songs we want to do, clear it with the powers that be and make sure we don't have a conflicting set list with the other band... then we get to go to your prom for free! All the other time can be spent dancing and doing date like things. Just... Kitty, it's a really good opportunity. What does it matter if we're there on stage or at home watching movies? It's still us."
"But it's not! It's so different. It's like... one of those important dances that could be a milestone event in most kids lives. I'm not sure if I really want to remember my first prom as being on stage and entertaining my classmates instead of actually being one of the classmates. It's like that whole mutant-separation thing all over again. I'm still not equal."
"Because you're COOLER than that!" Lance snapped with the quick comment. He went back to pleading, "You don't even have to play the guitar much, if at all. You can practice on the five or so songs we already know and just play female vocalist for most of the night. I need you there, Kitty. I wouldn't even be asking if I hadn't already cleared it with the others. I know you're not much for this band thing, and I respect that. It's just that I keep thinking about how much fun it'd be and how awesome it would be to just... prove people wrong."
Kitty smiled. Lance seemed quite passionate about the subject. She reached over and pushed his hair back, "So... we go to prom dressed to kill. Do the prom-like stuff... and we get to perform about fifteen to twenty songs throughout the course of the night inbetween all the fun?"
"Something like that. We have to show up early with our equipment, except for the drumset... wait, are you really okay with this?"
"Not really. Not too much. But you know what? Who cares about normal? It sounds like it'd be far more fun than if we went like everyone else. I say... sure. Let's do this." Kitty pulled her hand back. "They'd be paying us to be there. So.. why not?"
"You mean it?! Awesome!" Lance practically tackled Kitty in a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you! I'll make it unforgettable! I promise!"
She practically shrieked under Lance's excitement. Kitty hugged him back, "You'd better."
"Oh wow, this is so great! Wanda and Kurt'll be so stoked. You know this means we'll have to start practicing next week, after you get off groundation, right?" Lance pulled away and looked her over.
"I was afraid of that. It's for a good cause, though. I'll just have to cope. And maybe I'll try to learn some more songs with you guys. Try, of course, being the key word here."
"Don't downplay yourself, you'll do great." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Kitty blushed, "Okay. I guess we should also coordinate our outfits... y'know, considering that I can't dress too formally and you have to dress up a bit."
"Are you saying I can't dress myself?" Lance raised an eyebrow.
"Noooo, I'm saying that it'll be a lot easier to dress each other for the occasion with a credit card or two." Kitty nodded.
"Oh... OH! I get it. Of course." He nodded.
The door opened up from behind them as Wanda stepped out. "Is everything cool?" She wondered.
"Everything is fine, Wanda. Kitty said yes." Lance stood, then offered Kitty a hand to be helped up. Kitty took the help graciously.
"Yeah, he had to promise me your soul in return though. Sorry, Wanda." Kitty put a hand on her hip and smirked at Wanda.
"You see me complaining?" Wanda shrugged and glanced at Lance, "We leaving soon?"
"Sure. I'll meet you by the jeep and I'll say goodbye." Lance nodded.
"Alright. I have to wish Kurt 'Goodnight'. Be right back." Wanda opened the door to go back inside, "Oh and Kitty? Thanks for going ahead with this."
"Anytime, Wanda." Kitty nodded, slipping her hands into her pockets. "So you planned this, huh? Sneaky, Alvers."
"Sneaky? Not me. Wanda insisted we do it today so we can give the guy a call back and get ourselves onto this job. She likes that whole... income that isn't her fathers sort of thing. I can't help but wonder how much she remembers from before. I'm not too worried. She's a lot easier to live with now."
"I can only imagine." Kitty started to walk over to the jeep with Lance. "Let's hope that this doesn't work out to be a total disaster, okay? I can't even believe I'm doing this."
Lance laughed, then pulled Kitty into a warm embrace as they made it to the Jeep. "It'll be fantastic. You don't even know how happy this makes me." He smiled.
"Oh, I do. And you WILL pay for it." She grinned mischieviously.
"I don't like that tone..." Lance looked nervous.
Kitty laughed and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. She pulled away and whispered into his ear. "Just kidding. Don't worry, okay?"
Wanda approached the two again, "You guys seriously need to get a room." She climbed into the passenger side seat.
Kitty pulled away from him and stuck her tongue out at Wanda. She looked back at Lance and smiled. "See you later."
"Right. Later, pretty Kitty. Goodnight." He climbed into the jeep and started it up. Lance gave a final wave to Kitty before he put the vehicle in gear and drove off into the night back to his home.
***
Almost two short weeks had filtered by. With practice and school, it was nonstop work. But the excitement and determination made the time seem like it was just not enough.
The school bell rang. It was Friday, the night right before the 'big night'. Kitty and Kurt left the school building together as she pulled a pair of sunglasses over her eyes.
"Oh Kurt, I think I need to get some serious sleep tonight. Desperately."
"You still need to go shopping with Lance." Kurt reminded.
"Oh crap, that's today? Right... at least we don't need to practice today. I don't think I could take another day, to be honest."
"You don't have to. Relax, Katzchen." Kurt put his hands on her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "I know how much you love shopping. What's with the sunglasses?"
"To hide these terrible bags under my eyes. I got messed with like... by everyone today."
"Well, Miss-Wanna-Be-Scott-Summers, you have a date. And I think he's here." Kurt pointed over to the parking lot again to where Lance sat in the jeep waiting for Kitty.
"Right. A date. I'm ready for anything." She smiled at Kurt, "So you already got your stuff picked out?"
"Ja. Amanda helped a little bit. This fuzzy dude doesn't need MUCH to look good."
"Just remember you've got to play drums dressed like that, okay?" Kitty looked him over skeptically.
"Of course I know that! Sheesh." Kurt put an arm on Kitty's shoulder. "Now go! I'll catch up with you later." He pushed her forward.
Kitty stumbled and glared back at Kurt. She threw her bookbag at her friend, "Take that back to the institute for me, okay? Bye." Kitty then walked over to Lance's jeep. "So, you ready for one of the most painful experiences in your life?"
"Excuse me?" Lance looked confused.
"Shopping with a girl." Kitty climbed into the passenger side.
"Oh, right. What's with the uh... shades?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Chemistry homework, early morning training session, breakfast duties..." She yawned, pulling her seatbelt on. "This weekend I've been given a break. A few free days at last. So I'm a little tired. I don't want you to see me looking all tired and strung out."
"I bet you look fine." Lance let out a laugh as he drove them toward the Bayville mall.
"I don't look fine." Kitty pouted.
"I'll be the judge of that." He pulled the jeep into the parking garage, finding a space and locking up. He stepped over to Kitty's side, opening the door. "M'lady..."
Kitty climbed out. "Why, thank you sir."
Lance closed the door behind her then positioned himself in front of her. He smiled and reached up with his hands, carefully pulling the sunglasses off from over her eyes to sit softly on top of her head, "There. Beautiful."
At first Kitty looked like she was going to protest, but didn't when she looked at his smile. She took one of his hands into hers and gave a squeeze. "Okay... so... let's go shopping."
"Just be gentle with me." He almost sounded scared.
She laughed, "I'll try my best. This is just punishment for the last two weeks."
"Great..."
They headed into the mall and quickly looked for a directory. The hardest part was finding outfits that looked nice enough to be worn to a formal event, and yet still casual enough to be on stage performing in. Kitty looked over the listing and pointed out a store. "That one looks good. Let's try there. They've got a lot of nice clothes. Slightly higher end, but not too fancy."
"Lead the way. I have no clue what I'm doing here."
"You lie. I bet you go shopping for fun." She tugged him along to the store in question.
"Oh, you've got me. I'm such the mallrat. Jubilee took lessons from me." Lance's tone dripped of sarcasm.
Kitty nudged him playfully before they entered the store in question. "So, how do you think we should do this? Should we like... color coordinate?" She walked over to a rack with dresses on it.
"... uh... I guess? Like how do you mean?"
"Well... like we match our outfits to the same colors. It does sound kinda stupid." Kitty shook her head.
"No, not at all." Lance looked over the dresses, a bit lost in the selection process. "That'd be nice, since we'd be the front people on stage too. How about... I dunno, red?"
"I don't want to wear a red dress though." Kitty hummed and pulled a dress off the rack. A black and white checkered dress. She held it up to herself, going just barely at her knees. The top has a moderately low cut u-like neck and normal straps. "What about this?"
"How... ska-like." He tilted his head. "I kinda like it though. Hold onto that."
Kitty nodded. She said, "Y'know, I can add a red belt and we can just go with the red-black-white combination."
"Really? Okay. So I should find a red shirt?" Lance asked.
"Sure." She pointed over to that section and took his hand with her free one. "How red?"
Lance looked through the different shades. He grabbed onto a nice button up collared red shirt. Nothing too dark, but not bright either. The shirt itself made of a soft, silk-like material. He held it against his chest. "This one?"
"Ooh, nice. And you said you've never done this."
"I haven't."
Kitty pointed over to the mens slacks, "Go ahead and grab a pair of black pants and a belt. You should probably stick with a black one."
"Okay." He thought about it. "What, are you picturing me dressed up?"
"Why not?"
"Isn't that bad luck?" Lance wondered.
"No, it's bad luck to see the bride before a wedding. I think we're safe for now." She laughed and picked up a wide red belt that matched the same shade as Lance's shirt.
Lance did as he was told, getting a pair of pants and a belt. "Sorry... I don't know about these traditions."
"There's no tradition to it, Lance. It's just a dance." Kitty continued to look over accessories. She found a red headband to match things.
"... and now what else do we need? Shoes?" Lance looked at his arm full of clothes.
"Oh right. Shoes." She made a face, "I'm so not going to wear dress shoes. Oh man that would suck so much having to play guitar and dance in non-broken-in heels."
"Okay, so let's get some Doc Martin boots. Go for the whole nine-yards if we're going to break traditions." He smirked.
"I don't think they sell those here. Let's pay for this and head over to a shoe place."
"Shouldn't we try them on?"
"We can do that later. I'm tired, okay?" Kitty whined, "We can always bring it back if it doesn't fit right. It's the right size for me. Did you pick out your correct size?"
"Well yeah." Lance rolled his eyes.
"Then I don't see a problem. Let's go." She took his items from him and went to the nearest counter.
Lance caught up to her as she was paying for the items, "Why're you in a rush? Shouldn't we enjoy ourselves?"
The lady behind the counter bagged the items. Kitty looked at Lance, "...sure, but... I dunno. I just want to be in and out. I'm in that mood where I just want to be away from people... and we totally put this off to the last minute. It's just gotten to me." She took the bags as they were handed to her. Kitty gave one to Lance, "It'll be fine after I sleep. Okay? Tomorrow I'll be refreshed and ready for anything."
"I believe you. Okay." He took the other bag from her and carried both. "So... shoe place now. Then I get to treat for lunch."
"OoooooOoooOoh, can we get smoothies?" Kitty smiled.
"Sure Kitty, whatever." Lance turned into the nearest shoe place.
It didn't take long for them to pick out a matching pair of red boots. Kitty's pair was a little longer than Lance's, mainly because she thought they'd look better with the dress. One final stop at the Hot Topic to grab a checkered tie and they had completed their shopping experience in record time for Kitty. One quick stop at the food court for said smoothies, and they were off to the Brotherhood boarding house to try things out.
"Okay, so you take my bedroom and I'll change in the bathroom. I wouldn't wish the bathroom on anyone." Lance sorted the clothes out on his bed. He grabbed what was his and headed out. "I'll be in the living room. Just tell me when you're ready."
Kitty locked the door as he left. She didn't need Pietro or Todd accidently barging in when she wasn't fully prepared for it. She carefully changed out of her school clothes and slipped on the dress. Her hand awkwardly reaching back and zipping it up completely. She pulled the belt around her tightly and then slipped on the boots. She sat down on the bed, lacing them up patiently. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror. "I can't tell if I'm going to prom or to a nightclub dressed like this." She said to no one in particular. Kitty moved back to the door and unlocked it. "Okay, Lance! I'm ready..."
Lance was a bit quicker than she was. The most notable thing he had done was with the shirt. He kept the first two buttons undone, keeping the tie loose to give it a bit of style along with leaving it untucked from his pants. He came down the hall and tapped on the wood, opening the door to his bedroom. "Ready or not here I..." His voice stopped in his throat as he viewed the young woman before him. He had seen her in a dress before, that wasn't anything new. However, it's always the first moment of taking in the way she wore it, the way she looked in it that got him. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. "..uh... wow."
Kitty asked, "... what do you mean, wow?" She crossed her arms over her chest, a little nervous. "Something not right?"
"No! You look... it's good. It looks great." He stepped toward her.
"What's this, just-climbed-out-of-bed style of wear?" Kitty started to mess with the untucked shirt. He pushed her hands away.
"Hey hey... it looks better this way. I've got a coat that'll go over it too." Lance paused and looked into her eyes. "... so... can I have this dance?"
"But there isn't any music." Kitty looked back at Lance, unsure of what he meant.
"We don't need music." He stepped forward. Lance slipped his arms around her and started to move slowly back and forth, like a slow dance.
Kitty complied, putting her head against his shoulder and giving a gentle hug. One arm draped around his neck, the other set hesitantly on his arm. A long moment of dancing together to only the sounds of their hearts beating. He kept the dance steady until he finally reached down and lifted her chin, giving her a warm kiss on the lips.
"Ahem." Announced a voice from behind them. "You should really save that until tomorrow." Wanda crossed her arms, slightly entertained by the behavior of the couple.
Lance pulled away from the embrace. "No, really?"
Kitty blushed and said, "... yeah, we've got tomorrow to dance. To real music." She smiled. "Let me get changed and I'll head home. I think I need sleep."
"Cute outfits, though. You both look fabulous." Wanda smiled.
"Thanks, Wanda." Kitty started to untie her boots.
Wanda dragged Lance out of the room to allow Kitty to finish changing. Lance dressed back into his street attire.
'One more night. Tomorrow is going to rock.' Lance thought to himself. He took Kitty home and could barely sleep - for he was too excited about actually being able to go to prom and perform with the girl he cared about so much. Longest night ever for Lance Alvers.
***
