disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Marvel, except Jenny who is MINE! (though I have been known to share if you ask nicely.) I expect to make no money off this fic. Dammit.
Human and the Demon
by Dizi
Chapter 9
Jenny and Kurt reappeared in the attic.
Trying to jerk away, she cried, "Let me go! I don't need your pity!"
"Ve need to talk," he began, keeping hold of her arm.
Jenny kicked him in the shin and he let go. Instantly, she ran to the door, opened it, and ran down the stairs. Looking over her shoulder she saw Kurt following her.
Facing the wrong direction, she didn't see Bobby and Hank and ran right into them.
"Jenny? What-" Bobby didn't get the chance to finish as Kurt caught up to her, took hold of her arm and teleported them away.
"Do you think we should be concerned?" he asked Hank.
"Under other circumstances, my response would be negative, but our young friend did not appear to be a willing travel companion." Hank responded with a frown. "It may be wise to ascertain their current location and offer her our assistance."
"Right. What you said."
This time Jenny found herself in the med-lab as having seen Hank, Kurt knew it was empty.
"Please allow me to explain," he quickly began.
"I heard you loud and clear yesterday," she interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave yet."
"I did not mean I vant to stop spending time vith you. I only meant zat I vas not ready to see you zen." Kurt tried again, and knew he wasn't being clear. Seeing her inching towards the door, he moved in front of it, blocking the only exit.
"That makes it better." Jenny's voice dripped sacasm. "Just when did you think you'd be ready to see me? And what was I supposed to be doing in the meantime?"
"You do not understand." He sounded as frustrated as his body felt. In her efforts to get away from him earlier, Jenny had kept rubbing against him and his body had reacted predictably.
"What's not to understand?" she demanded. "You stopped coming 'round, stopped spending any time with me, didn't take my phone calls or call me, and then you straight out said you didn't want see me. What I don't understand is why!"
"I.. Urgh!" While he tried to figure out how to tell her how he felt, he heard voices in the hall.
"Ah don't get it, Remy." he could hear Rogue say. "Why we going down herah if you're looking for Jenny?"
"Remy t'ink Wolverine in de Danger Room, an' he find dem quick." Remy's voice was closer.
Swearing under his breath in German, Kurt took Jenny's arms in a firm grip.
"Not again." she muttered before he teleported them away.
As Remy passed by the med-lab he smelled the tell-tale scent of sulfur. He also swore under his breath, but his words were in French.
"It's cold down here!" Jenny complained, on the far side of the hanger bay while watching her breath.
"Zey vill not zink to look here." Kurt explained, letting her go but keeping an eye on her.
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Jenny tried to stay angry as she didn't want him to see how much she hurt. She knew he was probably aware - thanks to Remy - but he didn't need to see it first hand any more than he had.
"I did not know you vere blaming yourself." Kurt said quietly. "I vould have said somezing sooner."
Jenny went completely still and carefully avoided looking at him.
"Jenny? Please talk to me." he begged softly.
She bit her lip and reached up to rub at her left shoulder.
Kurt took her hand to stop her, knowing she would rub the scar tissue raw. "Jenny?"
She tugged her hand and he let go. "Just tell me what I did wrong?" she whispered. "What's wrong with me? Maybe I can change..."
"Liebling." It hurt him when she flinched at the word. "You did nothing. It vas me. I haf no control."
"I don't understand! Control of what?" Jenny's teeth were starting to chatter.
"I... You are so beautiful. Nien." He stopped her when she started to interrupt. "You are, but you are not ready and I..." he faltered.
"Ready for what?" she was rubbing her arms.
There was a scuffling sound as the door to the hanger bay opened.
"I believe the inclement weather would prevent him from bringing Jenny here." they heard Hank say.
"Oh. I didn't think of that, just that there wouldn't be anyone here. After Remy said he found out they'd been in the med-lab, the hanger bay was the first place I thought of that would be empty." Bobby's voice held a trace of defensiveness.
"I'm sure you are correct in the lack of residents occupying this part of the facility but I cannot imagine Kurt would subject Jenny to these temperatures."
Kurt had been walking quickly to Jenny intent on grabbing her again. At Hank's words he looked at her and realized how cold she was. He had been so intent on talking to her that he had paid no attention to the temperature.
This time she didn't fight him as he teleported them away, hoping for someplace warmer.
Hearing the bampf and seeing the smoke Bobby crowed, "See, I told you!"
"Hmmm, I will listen to your reasoning more closely in the future." Hank promised. "We need to contact Remy on the communicators to inform him they have again changed locations."
"Ohhh." Jenny moaned clutching her stomach and plopped down on the bed. She was grateful to see the guest room that was temporarily hers and for the prospect of getting warm, but... "I don't feel so good. Can we please stay still for awhile?"
"Ja," Kurt was genuinely contrite and couldn't believe he'd subjected her to so many teleports when she wasn't used to it. He had not handled the situation well today. "I promise, no more."
"Good." She pulled her hand away from him. He had been rubbing her fingers trying to help her get them warm faster. "And stop touching me. I don't want you to touch me."
"I understand." His throat went tight thinking about her past. 'How could she ever want someone close to her in that way?' he thought in despair.
"You don't really want me and I don't need your pity." she continued bitterly. "So please just stop."
"Don't vant you." he repeated in astonishment. "Vhat do you mean? Zat is vhat I haf been trying to tell you. I vant you too much."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Of course. That's why I see you all the time and we spend so much time together lately," she bit out sarcastically. "Because you want me so much you can't stay away."
"Somezing like zat." he muttered, seeing how stupid his reasons sounded when she said it like that. "I thought zat I vanted you too much and you are not ready..."
"Did you think to mention it to me? Even Harry thought we should have been sleeping together. I kept waiting for you to... and then you just stopped." she paused as she somewhat came to understand his convoluted thinking. "What happened, Kurt?"
"Ze night I stayed vith you, do you remember it vell?" His eyes were intent.
"Yes. That was nice, wasn't it? I kinda thought it would be then-"
"You had a nightmare." Kurt interrupted. "I knew zen zat you vere not ready, so I said nothing."
"But-but.. that was nothing! Don't you people talk in this place!" she took a calming breath before explaining. "Kurt, let me first remind you that I have never been afraid of you in any way. Now, how well do you remember that night? Because when I have a nightmare I don't usually go back to sleep. I feel the need to get up and do something afterwards, that's where all the cleaning came from. I don't get them like I did when I first came here but I'll always have them, and you need to know that." She took his hand in hers and his heart leapt. "That night you were with me, I felt so safe and- and cared for that I went right back to sleep. I've never done that before. Do you understand?"
"You are saying because I was zere it vas better for you, zat I did not cause ze nightmare?" his voice was both incredulous and hopeful.
"Exactly." she beamed at him like he was a star pupil.
"Wunderbar!" he pulled her to her feet and twirled her around with a relieved laugh.
"Kurt," Jenny's face had turned green. "I think you should stop-"
"Zis is wondevoll! I am so sorry for everyzing, liebchen." He was still turning them in circles.
"Kurt..." she was able to turn her head enough to miss him but not the bed and a good portion of the carpet as lunch made a reappearance.
"Yer sure he's takin' her all over against her will? That don't sound like the elf." Logan tried to clarify.
"I agree. Kurt has never mistreated a woman and he has affection for Jenny." Ororo concurred. She had met Remy and Rogue on the way to the Danger Room and accompanied them to find Logan.
Remy confirmed, "Jenny say no when he take her from de library."
"And she was running from him when she came down the attic stairs." Bobby said through the comm unit.
"Couldn't see 'em in the med-lab though," Rogue added trying to be fair.
"Nor were they visible in the hanger bay." Hank supplied, also through a comm badge. "We would simply like to ascertain if she is in need of assistance."
"Last time I butted inta her business, Jenny handed me my head and I didn't get any coffee." Logan growled. "If they're workin' things out we should let 'em alone. Ain't our business."
"An' if dey not? Kurt, he been actin' strange, non?" Remy pointed out, knowing Logan wouldn't be able to resist.
"Perhaps he is right, Logan." Ororo urged.
He sighed. "Fine, but if it's nothin' I ain't gonna be happy, got me?"
"Oui."
"Sure thang."
"Of course."
"Your meaning is quite clear."
"Um, how 'not happy' are we talking here?"... (scuffle) .. (smack)... "Ow! Hank!"
Hurring to the bathroom, Kurt got a washcloth and a glass of water. He carefully wiped her face as Jenny moaned pitifully.
"Do not vorry, I vill take care of you. Ze effects do not last long, you vill be better soon." He reassured her.
"It's not that, I'm actually feeling better now that I've thrown up." Jenny grimaced and gestured at the room in general. "But look at the mess."
Kurt laughed. "I vill take care of zat too."
"And it got on my clothes and I didn't bring that many with me." She pulled the flowed blouse away from her body and wrinkled her nose.
"Once I finish zis, you vill not need clothes for avhile." he promised with a wicked grin.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm still mad at you. All you had to do was talk to me."
"Let me clean ze floor and I vill vork hard to earn your forgiveness." he swore playfully but with a serious look in his eyes. He knew they would both remember this for a long time.
"That has possibilities." she crossed her arms. "After you clean the floor."
"Alright, we talked ta Bishop and we know where they're not." Logan said as the whole group went upstairs.
"Dat don' help, homme, dey not anywhere 'cording to him." Remy said peevishly.
"Means they're somewhere without a camera. Since I need a shower, I'll check the other bedrooms on the way. Then you'll just have ta wait 'til I'm done or look on yer own."
"We could check the storage closets and places like that." Bobby suggested.
"You seem quite versed in the hiding places around the mansion." Hank observed.
"He should be with all them pranks." Rogue glared at the offender who grinned at her. "Needs 'em often enough."
Logan paused outside Jenny's room. "They were here but ain't no more. Smell's like someone was sick though. Probably Jenny."
"De man made Jenny sick." Remy clenched a fist. "We need to find dem."
Logan moved on giving just a cursory sniff at each door, knowing Kurt wouldn't invade someone else's room. At Kurt's room he paused and cocked his head as he listened and sniffed the air.
Raising a brow, he smirked at the group following him around as he crossed the hall to his own room. "They're busy."
From inside they could all hear a voice that was easily discerned to be Jenny's. "Oh my god!"
They all exchanged looks, but it was Remy who said, "Best not be gettin' a foot-rub dis time."
Jenny was awake first the next morning and hurried down to the kitchen.
She was just setting the oven timer when Kurt came in. Ignoring Scott sitting at the table drinking his coffee and reading an old newspaper, he kissed her neck and trailed his lips to her left shoulder and the scar he was just able to get to by tugging on the shirt collar. Jenny giggled and arched her neck to give him better access.
"I like zis shirt, geliebt." Kurt's tail inched under the shirt Jenny was wearing which hung mid-thigh, past a pair of shorts.
"Too bad. It's mine now, and don't think I'm giving it back." She turned around and put her arms around his neck.
"You are not supposed to be vorking." He said in an accusing voice as he backed her up against the refrigerator and placed his hands on each side of her head and bracing his body against hers, effectively pinning her in place.
"I just felt like baking." Jenny said innocently. "I didn't even wash the dishes. Scott tried to stop me, but since he can't bake..." her words were cut off by his mouth.
A few minutes later someone attempted to interrupt them by clearing their throat. Neither stopped.
"Excuse me!" Betsy shouted, finally getting through. "I need the milk, please."
They both blinked at her. Blushing, Jenny pullled his tail out from under the shirt and then cleared her throat, "It's almost done. Why don't you go ahead and sit down, sweetie."
She got out butter and jam and placed them on the table, and when the timer went off she had serving plates ready. By then, the scent had drawn the rest of the inhabitants and the table was full.
Jenny placed the plates on the table and took the chair Kurt held out for her with a smile.
When one of the plates came to her she passed it on without taking one, and Scott frowned at her. "Don't you want any? You sure wanted to bake them."
She grinned, "No, I ate earlier. Besides, I already had my muffin this morning." Her brow creased as several of the others choked at her words. How many people knew about that? she wondered.
Leaning closer, she whispered low in his ear so only Kurt - and most likely Logan - could hear, "I had stud muffin."
Both men choked on their breakfast, and Kurt said gasping and still catching his breath, "Sie necken mich."
Jenny's eyes blazed. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, "You take that back! I am not a tease. I didn't say no once yesterday evening or all night! You led me on for two weeks! You're the tease!"
There were several more chokes and sputters around the table.
"Chere, dey didn't need to know dat. Remy don' mind doh." Remy chuckled as Rogue slapped his arm none too gently.
Holding up a hand, Kurt took a sip of water before explaining, "I said 'sie necken mich' not 'sie sind necken'."
"Oh, that's alright then. Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm not that good at German." She took her seat again, avoiding everyone's eyes as she realized what she had just done and trying to pretend nothing unusual had happened, before saying primly, "And yes I am. You deserve it. I should have woke you up and made you bake."
"Yes, geliebt." Kurt hid his own smile. "I vould not mind. I can bake, and ve vould have spent ze time vaiting ze same vay."
"I know I said 'no physical exertion'." Hank commented to the room in general.
Scott looked up, carefully keeping the smile off his face. "She didn't wash the dishes."
"Nope, Kurt can wash the dishes." Jenny gave them all a smug smile, pleased with the thought. "And clean the bathrooms, and several other things I can think of."
"Whoa, you're in trouble." Bobby laughed. "I bet she can come up with lots of chores."
"Geliebt," Kurt murmured bringing her hand to his lips. "I thought zat ve could do somezing together, ja? I haf an idea for some dancing and have a program vorked out for ze danger room."
"Eeewww. I don't think that's such a good idea." Jenny wrinkled her nose. "I really don't like those simulations. I did one with Logan once, and Bishop said I didn't do it right."
"Ya ran outta the room, darlin'. That ain't how its done." Logan chuckled.
"I panicked!" Jenny defended herself. "I did what he'd been teaching me to do, then he said I didn't do the simulation right!"
"You still won," Bishop reminded her.
"Not zat kind of program." Kurt interrupted amid the laughter, while under the table his tail again inched under the shirt. "Ve can do somezing fun, not training."
"I don't know." Jenny smiled, squirming in the chair slightly in response to his tail moving against her. "The resident doctor says I shouldn't do anything 'physically exerting'. Maybe I should just watch you work for awhile and see how contrite you really are before we make any plans."
"I do not believe she could get any more physically exerting after all evening and all night." Hank said with dry amusement, though he was serious in his concern for her physical well being.
Kurt snaked his tail out and then it moved up the inside of her thigh in a slow caress. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, "I am very, very contrite and I vill be happy to prove it to you, Geliebt."
Choking and coughing on the juice she'd been drinking, Jenny stood abruptly making his tail come out of her shorts. "I seem to need more juice. Anyone else want any?" she asked brightly, blushing deeply.
His eyes dancing, Remy smiled slowly at them, "Remy want a nice long tail like dat. Where can he get one?"
Getting up to start on the pans in the sink, Kurt grinned back at him. "It is not ze length of ze tail. It is vhat you do vith it."
Kurt did find himself doing many chores, but the breaks were worth it as frequently it was Jenny pinning him to the wall - or the floor, counter, or any available surface - when it wasn't him trying to get out of chores by kissing her. If Jenny caught on she didn't say anything, unless he tried to go further before finishing the assigned task. Then she cited "physical exertion" and made him stop to finish.
After they spent the afternoon in Kurt's room, he talked Jenny into trying the Danger Room program and they spent the evening ballroom dancing.
While they slept the snow stopped. Jenny made him do more chores until the roads were clear enough for her to go to work at Harry's the next day and made him promise to pick her up to continue to prove how 'contrite' he was.
to be continued.
German key:
geliebt - beloved
Sie necken mich - you are teasing me
Sie sind necken - you are a tease
note:
GothikStrawberry- Were you really worried? I went to a lot of trouble to put them together! But it couldn't all be easy. Remy did the big brother thing pretty good, didn't he?
Elizabeth Robbins- Hey, it was a guy thing! And, uh, I did have Logan wait a whole damn year to explain things to Jubes in 'Waiting'. Damn, I'm really mean. I never realized that before.
S- Did that sound like a complaint? NO, No, no! Review as many times as you want! I actually plan to have 20 chapters at this point. I just have to force myself to write the last two. I hate endings. And if you know someone that IS good at action/adventure you can send them my way...
Jinxeh- It was a real toss up, wasn't it? Kurt came real close to getting really hurt... and I'm not talking about Remy! Oh well, he wised up in the end, and I'm pretty sure Jenny kept him very busy to make him pay for it.
affreddiefan- I see Charles as being very 'human'. He and Scott are just really responsible and into 'being a role-model'. (clears throat) I'm actually in the process of writing an adult story for aff that really shows him as 'human'. Um, are you over 18?
CaptainTish- I tried to put 8 and 9 together as one chapter but it would have been way too long because I had too much fun popping them all over the mansion. And, uh, we'll just assume they talked privately about the massage because I forgot to put that part in and didn't want to rewrite after you mentioned it. Sorry.
B Oots- Just in time! I almost missed you. Not specifically about him, but he thought she was still too traumatized for a full relationship.
Hope the big make-up lived up to expectations. Next chapter takes us in a whole new direction, but it's not until next weekend because first you get another short-story. Yes, it's another one! I think it's cute and it was inspired by something Irbis said to me in an e-mail. Too complicated to explain, but "Doing the Dishes" will be posted Wednesday.
Sorry no bigger hint on 10, but like I said it goes in a new direction. I'll warn before hand that it had to happen. Just had to. It leads up to the possible adventure story that could take place in chapter 14. If nobody wants to do it, I might feel capable of it someday, but I just don't right now.
Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi