After the Apocalypse.

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men and do not make any profit out of them.

I thought I was going to die today. I thought we weren't going to stop Magneto and Rogue wouldn't be able to complete the mission and that thousands, millions of people would be killed, and I'd die.

Lance and his band of merry dumbasses saved the day, the world. Those boys we X-men have been making fun of for years saved our lives. I guess there's a lesson to be learned here. Can't say I'm sure what it is though. All I can think about is Lance. Why'd he do it?

Kitty got out of bed; she wouldn't be able to sleep until she asked him. She silently walked through the door trying not to wake Rogue. A lot of the mutants injured were down in the medical bay; others had been diagnosed with minor sprains or concussions and told to just rest up at the mansion. Lance, uninjured had taken a guest room just down the hallway.

Kitty reached the door, she took a deep breath, she was nervous but couldn't put a finger on why. She looked up and down the hallway, checking that nobody was about. Satisfied she wasn't being watched she silently phased through the door. Safely through she turned herself tangible and jumped when there was a loud crash. She'd been to close to a corner table; it and a probably antique vase went crashing to the floor.

She saw the shadow that was Lance sit up in his bed.

'Kitty is that you?'

'Oh hi Lance.' Event thought she knew e couldn't see her she put on a nonchalance expression. There was an uncomfortable silence.

'Did you want something?'

'No not really.'

'Then why are you in my room.'

'Um… sleepwalking?' Kitty mentally kicked herself.

God it's just Lance why can't I ask him.

She took a deep sigh and sealed herself to talk to him. She walked over in the dark and perched nervously on the edge of the bed. He went to talk but she interrupted him.

'Look Lance why'd you do it?'

'Do what?'

'Uh, save the world?'

'Oh that.'

'Yeah that.'

'I just, well you know.' The shadow that was Lance's hand went up to run through his hair.

'No I don't.'

Lance sighed deeply.

'I asked myself if I wanted to be a hero or villain.'

'And you choose hero?'

'No, I decided I'd prefer to be a average teenage boy living with his parents in the suburbs, but as that's not going to happen might as well save the girl of my dreams.'

He said with a little shrug as if to say 'no big deal.'

Kitty stared at him shocked.

'Here let me.' Lance reached over her shoulder and turned on the lamp that stood on the bedside table. The sudden flood of light made Kitty blink her eyes finally came to focus on Lance sat up in his bed. She gasped; his body was covered in deep black bruises so that barely an inch of his chest was its normal couler. One side of his face was completely swollen, black-eyed and split lipped. It appeared Kitty herself had got off a lot more lightly than she originally thought. Unintentionally her fingers reached over to touch the bare bruised flesh of his upper chest. She immediately withdrew them as if burnt.

'S, sorry.' She blushed.

'It's okay.' He said softly.

'You, you died it to save me?'

'Yeah. Don't care about the world but you, that's different.' His voice had now lost it's so what quality and had become throaty and a little shaky.

Kittys heart thudded hard against her chest. He'd visited his life to save hers. Was she really that important to him?

'Lance.' She breathed.

His hand went to cup his face.

'Shush.'

He looked straight into her eyes and she suppressed a gulp.

He leaned in slightly stopping before he touched her lips.

She closed the space between them their lips touching gently.

He deepened the kiss.

Kitty could hardly breath, her heart was beating fast and there were butterflies in her stomach.

They pulled apart his fingers still gently playing with her hair.

They stared at each other with mirrored goofy grins.

Lance couldn't stop grinning he wanted to sit there looking at her all night but he knew he couldn't.

'You shivering, you should go back to bed.

Wordlessly with confidence that surprised the both of them she lifted the covers and carefully got into the bed so they were lying facing each other. Lance smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist dragging her close to him. They lied together sleepily and quietly for a few long moments.

'Kitty.'

'Hmm.'

'I'm sorry about the school car park.'

'No I'm sorry I shouldn't have called you a' She stopped not wanting to remind him of what she'd said.

'A hood.'

'Yeah. You're not a Hood. You're a hero.'