Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men…I wish I owned Kurt…*gets a glazed look*
Chance and Circumstance
Kitty woke up…again. Her head didn't hurt quite as much as the last time, which was a blessing. She had been in med-lab for well over a day now, and she could tell. Her skin felt gritty and dirty, her hair hung in lank strands on the pillow…and she felt the dried crusting of blood in her nostrils. It was enough to over power any objections her body might have to moving.
She sat up with a barely stifled groan and waited for the world to stop spinning. Once it had she could see the med-lab…and her guardian, Kurt. He was sitting in a chair next to her cot, head tipped back, exposing his interestingly contoured throat, as he slept. His tail was twitching back and forth in the sign of some inner agitation, perhaps a bad dream. By the looks of him, and his rumpled fur, he had been there all night…watching her.
She felt the briefest stirring of a pleased blush, but ruthlessly reminded herself that in Kurt's eyes, she was not a woman, but a child...a child in need of constant watching at the moment. She shifted around slightly and felt her legs sink through bed. Oh…shit…It was starting already…losing control of her powers…
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She must have made some sound because Kurt snapped his head up and looked at her "Was machst du da liebchen?" he mumbled blearily from his chair. When she didn't answer, he grew worried and reached forward to cradle her cheek "Katzchen?" It disturbed him to see her silently start crying as his hand passed through her face.
She looked up at him with a blue-eyed teary expression that nearly made him start sobbing "All I wanted was to get clean…" She sounded so lost…She looked back down at her phased legs, her bruised and battered face simply looking tired…worn…as if life was throwing far too much at her at once. It was such a jaded expression, and for the first time, Kurt wondered if she had phased out of his arms on purpose.
"Katzchen…don't cry…yours truly shall go run a bath for you while you get your legs out of the bed…" He wanted nothing more than to lean forward and brush her phantom lips with his own, but instead, he walked to the bathroom and started the water running.
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Kitty snapped out of her morbid contemplations as Kurt offered to go run her a bath. He truly is the sweetest man I know…She caught the goofy smile that tried to cross her features and instead concentrated on going solid…or at least more solid than she currently was.
In the end, she ended up slipping down through the bed entirely and crawling out from under it, much to her body's protestation. She just wanted to lay curled up on the floor after that particular maneuver...but Kurt was going through the trouble of running a bath for her. Whether he was doing it out of a simple desire to help her or any other, it would be rude to simply pass out here…she giggled that's right…crawl into a hot steamy room with the hottest person you know in order not to be rude…
Her limbs didn't seem to want to move though…okay, scratch the crawling in…he can come get me…How entirely un-romantic. If there was any sign from God that she would never date Kurt, this was it…laying on the floor and watching his ankles come into view.
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There is nothing more disturbing than seeing the one you love curled on the floor in pain and exhaustion…but he couldn't help but smile at her determination. He gently picked her up from the floor, carrying her gently into the bathroom. "You're bath is ready liebchen"
She made a few half-hearted protests as she sat in his arms, and then leaned her head against his chest in complete weariness and surrender. Then it occurred to him…she would need help bathing...he felt his face flush and his heart start to race at the prospect I should fetch one of the girls…Storm or Rogue perhaps…Even as he thought this, his rogue body was setting her gently on the counter and taking her socks off…
He drew in a hissing breathe as he saw the bruises and scrapes that mottled her skin like bestial patterning…great curving lines traced her ribs like giant black fingers…angry red lightning bolts that would soon fade to deep purple ran across her back. One particular scratch ran from her collar bone to her…to her…he tore his gaze away from her chest and helped her slide into the water.
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She nearly swallowed her tongue as Kurt started undressing her; it seemed the need to help a friend had overcome his usual gentlemanliness. She was shocked at the anger she saw smoldering in the depths of his eyes as he traced the bruises and scratches she seemed to have accumulated in her fight…his touch was gentle though as he helped her into the bath. If she had been any less tired the tickle of his fur on her bare skin would have been torturous, as it was, she simply accepted it…sliding into the hot water with a blissful sigh.
At least I don't mind Kurt seeing me naked…She could think of a score of other X-men she would have been uncomfortable around, but Kurt made it all seem natural. Not embarrassing, not lustful…just soothing, caring. She would have to ask him how he accomplished it someday…but for now she simply leaned into his touch as he helped her wash her hair.
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He thought he could handle helping Kitty with a simple bath. He had thought that…now he wasn't so sure. I should have put bubbles in the water…yep, bubbles would help…from where he crouched, massaging shampoo into her hair, he had a very explicit view of…
He could feel his mind trying to check out, as well as a few other natural reactions…so he closed his eyes. You can't have her; you can't have her…verdammt! How do I get myself into these situations? All told, it was a very long bath…no matter what the clock said.
He only came back safe territory when Kitty was wrapped up in a giant towel and sitting in his arms once more as he carried her back into the med-lab…to see Hank. Sitting on a stool and looking at the two with a raised eyebrow. Kurt was thankful yet again that his fur hid his blush so well. He laid the now sleeping Kitty back on the cot and turned to face his blue furred compatriot. "She wanted a bath fruend Hank…"
"Undoubtedly I assure you"
Kurt drew a blanket over Kitty and excused himself, embarrassed enough for one day.
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End of that amusingly short chapter, I would like the take the time thank everyone that has reviewed this story so far…I would do it by name, but you know who you are, and the site won't let me on to see reviews…