Note's by sketch (aka Authors note) Hey guys, sorry this chapter was late, as stated before, Irony and I went to otakon. Quite the adventure, actually. At any rate, we came back exhausted, but had to get right back to life. Work and summer semesters and social lives. But after this, we're going to be a bit more on schedule. Tentative time for next chapter is on sunday. For now, hope you all enjoy this one.
-Sketchy out
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Tape had failed to fix Toad's leaky ceiling. The sooty dawn hours found him on the floor, knees to chest, unable to sleep and before the sky turned flesh-pink, he was downstairs, choking down a poptart that was only a –little- moldy.
Toad ate alone. He had expected mockery for the carpet-lines running like barbed wire on his cheek, but somewhere in the night, both Fred and Lance had taken ill, making bathroom-privileges a higher priority. Pietro just obstinately refused to get out of bed.
Sometime between bathroom trips, Lance pulled Toad aside, spoke briefly with sick-sour breath, and kicked him out with a dismal wad of cash so he wouldn't 'catch the bug'. The skinny boy obeyed without a fuss. He couldn't say he had already been sick because that would lead to other questions.
Questions he didn't know how to answer.
It was early enough that, even walking slow, Toad was at school before the bell rang. Early for the first time that year. Sure he wasn't going to attend classes, but showing up was half the credit right? Behind cold bleachers, the teen counted his money. Hardly enough for a hotel- certainly not enough for a room AND food. Cursing colorfully, he stuffed the bills back into his pocket.
A sound of air combusting, followed by the smell of brimstone marked the arrival of the X-man Todd had been waiting for.
Kurt had been up at the usual time, as if he'd been going to school. That had been two hours ago (his fur was nothing if not high maintenance, and it took just over an hour to clean, dry and brush ), so he was looking as bright and cheery as he would on any day, though instead of oddly pale skin it was dark shiny fur showing on his face and hands, and of course the tail swaying calmly behind him.
Kurt did a quick look-around for Todd, and white teeth flashed in a grin when he caught sight of the other boy.
"Ah, Guten morgen...Herr Tolensky. How are you? "
Tilting his head with slight curiosity, Kurt approached the Brotherhood member.
"To be honest, I didn't think you'd show up."
Settled with his back against the bleachers, Toad leapt up at the familiar porting sound. Sallow fists tightened and it was only by sinking nails into palms that the boy didn't attack out of habit. "Uh...well…" Mentally prying his fingers open, Toad held them at his sides, as stiff as Nightcrawler was casual. ".. I'm here." He couldn't tell if the X-man was disappointed or not. Fuzzy was certainly grinning, but he tended to do that naturally anyway.
If Nightcrawler was just humoring him… well, he'd take what he could get. Licking his lips, Toad carefully met the other's scalding eyes. "So, uh, what do ya want to do?" Ideas. He needed ideas. Racking his brain, Toad went through what he would do if he were alone. "We could sneak into a movie. It would probably be dark enough…or… uh…"
Snagging thumbs into his pockets, Toad felt the scant allowance. A grin spread suddenly over his wide mouth. "Hey Fuzzy… how do you feel about spray-paint?"
Kurt's ears perked up, bright eyes blinking curiously.
"Spray paint?... I... Don't know. I've never used it before..."
Kurt didn't know why he was so relaxed right now. Normally being around Toad put him on edge... Maybe the fact that they'd decided to meet under an established truce...
Or maybe the way Todd had thanked him, albeit quietly, yesterday had meant more to him than he thought.
It...did feel nice to think that someone who'd hated him didn't hate him anymore. One more person in the world who could at least tolerate him, looks and all.
"Vhat would we be painting?"
At the other's question, Toad could feel himself smirk. Could Nightcrawler, all jokes and softness, actually be conned into some graffiti? It was getting more appealing by the second. "Whatever we want, dawg." Toad rolled his shoulders. "Whatever, wherever. That's the whole point."
On his own turf of conversation now, the teen spoke aloud, confidence creeping in unnoticed. "- we can get the stuff from the mall, there's always some there. A quick poof there and I'll go in and get 'em. Then there's the question of what and where.." But they could decide that later."
"Umm...Alright. I think I have a 'porting spot near there...Hah, one that's good for two people this time."
Kurt stepped up to the smaller boy, offering one of his furry hands for Todd to grab hold of.
"Is the north entrance okay?"
Memories of the previous night splayed uninvited across Toad's mind. Hidden to the world among branches and leaves, the teen had laughed genuinely. At that moment, they weren't fangs and knuckles. Just two mutants smiling like complete idiots.
It had been nice.
Reddening, Toad took Kurt's hand. Like most of the rest of him, his fingers were hairless, giving them an almost slippery texture. "Yeah, that's perfect."
The skinny teen was ready for the 'port when it came, but landing it still sent him staggering foreword. "Whoa… I dun know if I'll ever get used to that…" He shifted slightly, as if testing to make sure he had arrived in one piece before heading off. "Hang out here for a tick, ok? I'll be right back… think about what you wanna say."
Kurt stayed in the shadows of the alley he'd teleported them to. Feeling nervous about being in a somewhat public place without his inducer. He'd come to rely on that thing so much... He'd –needed- to. The alternative was...just never going out... He'd had his fill of that in Germany.
He sighed lightly, and kept an eye on the alley entrance while he thought about what Todd had told him to.
Somewhere where he had something to say, huh? Say what? Just whatever he wanted? Huh...That...wasn't an easy thing to do.
He didn't want to do it at the institute. That was his home, the one place where he didn't -have- to say anything to be satisfied... School? Maybe... But it didn't feel quite right...
Well, go at it from a different angle. What did he want to say?
That was much easier. He thought of that right away...
And now he knew where he wanted to do it too.
Inside the Bayville Mall, people gave Toad strange looks, all the usual- 'shouldn't you be in school', 'you look like you're up to no good', and classic 'goddamn what a fugly kid'. When the teen paid, his money was scrutinized before being accepted.
It wasn't until he was back out in the sun that the teen breathed easier. True, spraypaint burned through money like a match, but it was worth it. At the entrance to the alley, the Brotherhood member squinted hard. There was a reason his … enemy?… acquaintance? There was a reason for why Kurt was called 'Nightcrawler'.
"Hey! Night-creep?"
Tail curling and uncurling in anticipation, Kurt couldn't help but smile happily when he saw Todd come back through the alley entrance.
"Over here! I think I might have thought of something."
A voice gave away the other mutant's location. Lines in the Toad's thin arms stood out as he lugged his bags over. Kurt was looking at him. And smiling. Leaving disbelief and suspicion to duke it out, the delinquent made a poor attempt to return it. "Oh yeah? Ya wanna share?"
Kurt took a quick look at Todd's newly gotten supplies before taking one of the bags from him, trying to lighten the load. "Vell, when you have something to say, you want it where people vill notice. A place people go to or care about. So... I was thinking... City Hall? There's a small grove of trees and bushes in the back that would hide us vhile he work. But it's an important place, so people would still notice later..."
Kurt paused, and bit his lip, looking at Todd and hoping for approval.
"...Is that a stupid idea?"
The skinnier boy's eyes were perfectly round, sour-colored, marbles by the time Nightcrawler had finished. Surprised didn't even come close. City Hall? City Hall?! Nightcrawler wanted to vandalize the most important building in town.
Impressed despite himself, the amphibian gave a grin that showed all his yellow teeth. "Wow, Fuzzy… I didn't know ya had it in you!"
Adjusting his grip on the purchases, he nodded. "Yeah…" Excitement wriggled in the teen's belly like a thick, black, worm. "Yeah, let's do this!" It was a dangerous sort of high, all sting and sharp edges. Distracted, the amphibian clasped Nightcrawler's free hand and laughed. All thoughts were on the pretty canisters in his bags, what they could create, and what deserved to be.
Kurt held Todd's hand tightly, a shiver going up his spine, as if he could feel the anticipation coming off the other boy.
"O-okay. Here we go then!"
The familiar feeling of moving through nothing enveloped them both, and they ended up between a brick wall and some very tall hedges, only about two feet between the two objects, but enough room to move around in.
Kurt glanced around nervously, making sure no one else had seen them come in.
"...Vhat now, Toad? We can't be here long, or we'll be spotted, so..."
Grinding his teeth, Toad waited for the after-port instability. Sure enough, it came like a rock to the head. He dropped his bag, but managed to keep both feet solidly under him. With practice, it was slowly getting easier.
Nightcrawler's words turned his thoughts to the matter at hand and the delinquent tried to shake off any lingering vertigo. "Right, right. First put yer stuff down." Plastic crinkled like static as Toad removed the cans and set them in easy-reaching distance. "Now pick a spot on the wall and just… do it." As he spoke, the amphibian picked up a canister and shook till it rattled. "Ya can do words, or a picture, whatever."
Expertly, he popped off the lid. There was a hiss, like breath through teeth, and paint fizzled through the air. Between trees and concrete, Toad breathed in, the acrid smell as familiar as city streets.
"The colors are labeled on the side… And Fuzzy? Make it good. These things last…" Something flickered in Toad's eyes. "At least… they're supposed to." After a moment, he realized he had been spraying the same spot and hurriedly picked another color.
Kurt picked up one of the cans, holding it gingerly and looking at the wall with hesitation.
They were...just going to paint right on it?
Kurt bit his lip and looked over at Todd. The teen was already hard at work, hands moving with practiced motions, making it look as easy as breathing.
Kurt looked back to the wall. A blank canvas that wasn't his.
… Well, he'd make it his. For a little while.
Kurt popped off the lid of the can he'd been holding. His tail snaking around another can in the bag and holding it at the ready.
Black paint oozed over the brick, slowly taking on the form Kurt was imagining. Albeit crafted a little clumsier than the ideal.
What he wanted didn't take long to make. Only three colors, and not a single can completely used.
It was a strangely shaped plume of smoke. One exactly like Kurt brought into being every time he teleported.
Now, he just needed to add the words.
Tail digging around in one of the bags for another can, Kurt looked over to see how Todd's progress was going.
It wasn't supposed to matter. When Toad had offered the spray-painting offer, it had been out of fun, half a joke. Now, with Nightcrawler near, it seemed… important somehow.
The skinny teen faced the wall as one would an enemy, his canister's decisive cuts spilling color, vivid and incriminating. The motions were competent and his yellow eyes were cloudy with memories of another time, other painted walls… a different life. The tip of Toad's lengthy tongue showed between his teeth as he worked.
Swathes of color laced the wall like veins, in crisp ribbons and jagged twists, chaotic and energized. Like a disjointed dream, figures began to appear- just limbs, orange arms and bellies of green rust. They twined violently, almost intimately.
Then came the red.
Streaks of it slashed the mural's face and Toad didn't stop spraying until the can gasped and choked empty. Caught up in the moment, he didn't see the leak, or how it caused paint to gush over his fingers. It was only when the boy looked at his dead canister that he noticed. Dropping it, he impulsively pressed both hands against the wall, directly in the center.
When he drew them away, the imprint of his webbed palms remained in scarlet. A signature.
Kurt stared at the smaller boy, at his stained hands and the wall that he'd been violently coating in red mere moments ago. Something was wrong with him. Something that lay deeper than the thin layer of paint on his hands.
Kurt, even as sheltered as he'd grown up, could tell that.
But he didn't know what to do.
Had he been someone else, like Jean or Scott, maybe he would've been able to know -what- was wrong. Maybe there was something symbolic they would've noticed that he simply couldn't recognize.
Then maybe they could talk to him about it, the kind of encouraging talk that they could also do much better than he could.
But as it was, Jean and Scott weren't there, and Kurt couldn't think of what to say... Not to Todd, at least.
Kurt turned to the wall again, a new paint can in his hand, and began to write over the picture of smoke.
The letters weren't fancy or elegant, but they were stark white. Clean and bright and noticeable. Stating one thing, and only one. The one thing that Kurt was never allowed to let people know. The one thing his true blue self would never get to say aloud in a place that everyone could take notice.
'I was here.'
Kurt dropped the can, and stepped back to look at what he'd made.
It felt...Good.
He looked over at Todd, still wishing he could tell what was wrong with the boy. But not expecting to.
...And maybe Todd preferred it that way.
"Vell... I suppose that's all I have to paint..."
Kurt looked at Todd's work. Bold colors and harsh strokes.
"...Vhat about you?"
Toad's throat closed and he found himself unable to answer.
There was a long pause before the scrawnier teen turned his head. Silently and unblinking, he gazed at Kurt. Then greasy eyes slowly cleared and he cracked a sheepish smile. "Yeah… yers looks good, yo. You ain't half bad at this."
The sun had moved since they started and their shadows were growing. Students would be out of school, heading out to their various activities. Fingering the sides of his jeans, Toad felt for the little money left. "Ya wanna grab a bite to eat?" At the mention of food, his stomach folded painfully in on itself. The last thing he had eaten was the god-knows-from-where poptart. And before that, the flies in front of school.
"Hey! What are you kids doing back there?" An authoritive voice blared suddenly through the trees. There was another shout, a separate voice muffled by foliage, and something about calling the police.
"Dammit!" Toad cursed, but he was grinning. Darting foreword, he caught Nightcrawler firmly by the wrist and yanked hard. "Don't just stand there, dawg… Run!" Deviantly giddy, the Brotherhood member dragged him along.
Kurt felt adrenaline pump through his system, liquid fear shooting through his veins.
They'd been spotted. And he didn't have his inducer.
The panic was enough to make him freeze to the spot, horrid flashes of what would happen to him flashing before his eyes.
But Todd pulling at his hand was enough to snap him out of it.
Kurt let himself be pulled along, fumbling with his feet for a few steps before matching Todds pace.
They followed the path between the wall and hedge, away from the voice that had noticed them.
Laces hit the ground with frenzied snaps as they fled. The amphibian's jutting knees ached to bend, to hop more quickly away from danger. Resisting the urge, he gripped Nightcrawler's hand more tightly. The X-man had been struck stupid by the loud accusation. If Toad left him alone, there was a chance he would get caught.
Wait… why was that a bad thing? He didn't keep his own powers hidden too closely, and it was Nightcrawler after all, his long-term enemy. Even with the maggots of thought squirming in his brain, Toad kept running-
-But their cover only lasted so long. The trees and hedges that had kept Kurt's true form safe ended only a few feet after the edge of the building, and they were about to run right into the open.
Out of the shadows, out of the safe haven that Kurt -had- to stay in.
He couldn't be spotted, he just...
He couldn't.
He needed to be somewhere, anywhere safe.
Todd burst out into the sunlight, his hand still linked to Kurt's.
Kurt's hand was the only thing that the sun touched before he 'ported.
Once.
Twice.
Three times, each time dragging Todd along with him.
By the time the smoke cleared, Kurt was gasping, trying to keep his footing on the soft carpet of his own room.
Safe, and out of view.
Suddenly, there was a jarring wrench. Toad cried out as the ground vanished. On the second lurch, he closed his eyes, and by the third he was clinging to Nightcrawler like a full-body leech.
The ports stopped as quickly as they started. Pressed close, Toad could feel Nightcrawler's chest moving with short, fast breaths. The other's too-quick heartbeat crashed against his own. Forcing sallow lids open, he looked up to see that Kurt's golden eyes were wide and glowing, completely terrified.
White fangs glinted like knife-tips.
"Jeez, get a grip!" With his free hand, Toad latched onto the other mutant's wrist, steadying as best he could. Over the X-man's shoulder were a bed and strong, solid walls. The place smelled faintly of old smoke. Nightcrawler's room? "C'mon, Kurt, we're safe now."
Kurt closed his eyes hard, swallowing at the same time.
His mouth was dry, and his whole body shook lightly.
Three 'ports was easy enough to do. But add in another person, the fact that they were in motion during parts of the trips, and the fact that he'd been high on an adrenaline rush...
Well, it was enough to make even his stomach a bit queasy.
Shaking his head and adjusting his footing so he was better balanced, Kurt glanced around the familiar space of his room.
Big and open, sunlight flooding through a balcony window, and the few personal possessions he'd brought from Germany.
It may feel a bit like a prison on his worse days, but right now it seemed like the best place on earth to be.
"I-I'm okay..."
Kurt looked down, suddenly realizing that Todd had latched onto him during the 'ports.
Kurt's face, which had been paled from fear before, now flushed violet.
"I-I...Uh... Sorry about that...I panicked."
"Naw, really?" The pounding against the wrong side of Toad's narrow chest slowed, indicating that Nightcrawler was calming down. Good. He didn't think his body could take another poofing freak-out. "S'all good-.."Realizing their position, the teen quickly released Nightcrawler and stepped back.
Instantly, a shadow swam over his vision, blackening the room. Toad's belly was virtually numbed to hunger except for the tapeworm sensation of trying to eat itself. Despite not feeling it, the days of scant or spoiled foot were catching up. "Ng…" When the darkness passed, Toad was still standing and idly proud of the achievement.
Taking in air, he looked around the room. "I'm guessing this is yours…" With a slightly strained hop, Toad landed on the bed and sprawled out in an excuse to get horizontal and hope that the walls stopped spinning. "Nice digs, yo."
Kurt's eyes narrowed slightly, a stray bit of instinct reminding him that not long ago, Todd was his worst enemy, and now he was on his bed.
But the hostility was quick to die. He and Toad had been...on amazingly good terms. They weren't best friends or anything, but Kurt couldn't really say Todd was on his hate list anymore...
"Jah, this is my room. The professor was very generous. He thought that it would be better if I had room to move around, since I didn't really have that in Ger-...many..."
Kurt's words slowed, and he stared at Todd, complete disbelief on his face.
He hadn't registered it through the shock of 'porting so many times, but now that he calmed down, he'd realized-
"You...Called me by my name."
Lying down, Toad's cotton-headed feeling lessened. Behind his skull, the teen rubbed callused knuckles over Nightcrawler's sinfully soft pillow. It was almost unnerving how the X-man's mattress gave against his weight and didn't have any extruding pointy springs to snag skin on.
His brow creased at the other's words. Called him by name? What name…? Toad boggled a moment, then gave a startled twitch. Dammit, he screwed up. 'Nightcrawler' was his enemy, a 'good guy', and X-man. Kurt was just… Kurt.
Feeling the other's panic, he had been talking to Kurt.
"Oh yeah? Well… it doesn't mean anything." The delinquent leaned up on his arms, murky eyes daring the other to call his slipup. "And it's not like I haven't called you by it before." Straightening up, he frog-crossed his legs and looked away.
Through the window, Toad could see the sky. It was slinking towards evening, but this time, he couldn't go home. "Anyhow…Kurt…" the name tasted strange in his mouth, empty of battle-reared insult. "I should be heading off. Gotta find a place to stay for the night. Ya got anything quick ta eat around here before I leave?"
Kurt's ears drooped slightly.
If Todd had called him by his name before, then he certainly couldn't remember it.
It was too bad, it felt nice to be something other than 'Fuzzball' or 'Nightcrawler'.
"Um...Sure. One second."
Another teleport and Kurt was in the kitchen, grabbing a tray and piling food on it while he tried to sort out the thoughts in his head.
...What did Todd mean by 'find a place to stay for the night'?
Back in Kurt's room, the Brotherhood boy felt his chest contact tightly, but he bit his tongue and ignored it. The usual 'bamf!' of displaced air had left him unattended and, curious, he scooted off the bed.
With unabashed ease, the thief's pick-pocket hands tugged open drawers and went picking through the X-man's things.
-x-x-x-x-
Two minutes later Kurt had a decent stock of food. A few pre-made sandwiches, chips, sodas and fruit. That was his usual lunch. But he'd doubled the amount this time, to help feed company.
As he picked up the tray, Kurt wondered if Todd could even eat this much. He was pretty small, both in height and weight.
Shrugging off the thought, Kurt 'ported back to his room.
"Back. I hope you like ham and swi-...Vhat are you doing?..."
Kurt felt the fur on the back of his spine stand on end, and anger bubble in his stomach.
Leaving the Toad alone. In his own room. Wow was he ever stupid.
How did he NOT expect the punk to look for something to steal?
"Get out of my stuff, Toad. NOW."
Checking a drawer, Toad's thieving gaze had been drawn to an expensive-looking shine. Reaching in, the delinquent reached in and withdrew a small cross. He looked it over, thumb running over the smooth surface appreciatively. It was the color of Nightcrawler's eyes.
Attempting to place the damning object back in the drawer, Toad felt the chain catch around his fingers, tight and incriminating. Of –course- Nightcrawler chose that moment to return, poofing in with the scent of ashes.
Toad had never seen the X-man so angry.
Recoiling defensively, the boy curled pale lips back in a snarl. "Like I'd want your junk anyway!" He forcibly ripped the cross from his hand and shoved it back in the drawer. "This.. I…" The amphibian gagged on his words. Unable to meet Kurt's accusing gaze, he backed away and felt guilty eyes dart to the terrace. The ground was one strong hop away.
Kurt felt his chest tighten, hurt and anger still burning up his insides after Todd had put back one of the few precious things Kurt had.
Burning yellow eyes stared at Todd for a while, conflicting thoughts of what to do now reflecting in them.
It was only when Kurt thought about what Todd had almost stolen that he decided.
A cross, it was a symbol of love and forgiveness, a reminder to give those same things freely to others, despite the pain it sometimes brought to give it.
Kurt sighed, and turned towards the bed, tail not quite dragging on the ground, and words in his mother tongue mumbled to himself.
"...Ich war dumm, Ihnen zu vertrauen..."
He set the tray down on the mattress, then sat down beside it, crossing his leg and grabbing one of the sandwiches.
He glanced up at Todd, who he was pleased to see looking at least a bit regretful. If only he could tell if it was regret for what he'd done, or for getting caught.
"...Are you going to come eat or not?"
Standing still, the delinquent kept every nerve pricked, ready for an attack that never came.
Watching the X-man's movements carefully, his feet shifted against the carpet. When Kurt had set down the hindering tray, there was no sign of violence. Even the German words weren't right. Instead of insulting, they sounded almost… sad.
The insanity reached its high point at Kurt's selfless offer of –food-. Suspicious, Toad shot another look at the balcony, but the prospect of nourishment kept him from jumping. Carefully, deliberately, he made his way to the bed. When Nightcrawler still didn't lash out, the boy snatched a sandwich with his tongue and leapt back. There was a bulge as it traveled down the amphibian's gullet and it dropped to his stomach like a ball of needles. It hurt when Toad's stomach expanded, but the pain sent much-needed energy through his limbs.
Kurt stayed where he was and the Brotherhood boy almost wished he'd scream or try to fight. He could handle outbursts, he'd had plenty of practice! This? Not so much. Creeping back to the bed, the skinny teen warily sat down.
After taking a tentative fistful of chips with no consequences, he couldn't take it anymore. "What is your problem!?" Oily fingers pulled at his hair agitatedly. "I mean, you just saw me-… and now you're offering me –snacks-?" The boy's stomach twisted with something other than food. "That's… that's…" Leaning over, Toad turned his face. "C'mon Fuzzy. Just hit me already." He pointed to one cheek. "Go ahead. I know you want to."
Kurt stared at Todd. The traces of hurt were still there, buried under other things, but the anger wasn't present.
In fact, the most dominant expression conveyed in them was more of an...
'Are you crazy' look.
"I...Don't -vant- to hit you."
Kurt shifted nervously in his seat, shying away from Todd's offered target.
"I don't really like hurting people. It's one thing if it's protecting something, or self-defense, but...You're not exactly doing anything now, dude...Except freaking me out."
Kurt squinted at the other boy, gaze directed towards the smaller boys throat.
"...How did you swallow that thing whole? Didn't that hurt or something?"
When Nightcrawler refused the free punch, Toad huffed in frustrated bewilderment. He had just given the furry mutant a chance to get back at him, and been flatly turned down. With that in mind, the boy couldn't concentrate on the his rival's question. "Uh… well.." Toad stalled by opening a soda and taking a few gulps.
Nothing about the furry mutant's behavior made sense- all the stupid warmth and kindness was getting under the his off-color skin. Swallowing finally, Toad swiped his tongue around his lips, and nodded. "Yeah, kind of. But I don't usually have time to stick around and chew, y'know?"
Resting elbows on knees, the youngest Brotherhood member fidgeted, teeth-clipped nails tapping the side of the soda can in an erratic rhythm. "Hey Fuzzy? Why ain't you… ya know-" Trying to bash my face in "-mad?" And as long as he was awkwardly asking things. "And er… what did you say before? In German, I mean."
Kurt paused, and looked away from Todd, focusing straight ahead instead.
"...I didn't say anything important...Just talking to myself."
Kurt drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them and letting his tail curl around his feet.
"And I vas mad...furious... But vhat good is it to stay that way? If I stayed mad at everything in my life that I didn't like...Well, my life wouldn't be vorth much if I always hated everything, would it?"
Kurt looked back to Todd, only his eyes moving.
"And you shouldn't eat like that. You might overdo it and vomit it up. And you shouldn't waste food."
Was it just him, or was there was something akin to sorrow buried in Nightcrawler's voice? Giving an absent nod, Toad picked at the food. His hunger-shrunken stomach complained and, after a few more bites, he gave up.
Nightcrawler's usual smile was gone and that left him looking –weird-. The fur and fangs were normal, but this..? Even when they fought, Nightcrawler would –always- grin and smirk. Taking a deep breath, Toad shifted closer to the furry mutant. "Uh… Night-creep? Kurt? About before, I'm.. I'm…" God, why was it so hard to say? "Well… you know."
Kurt turned his head towards the smaller boy, a soft smile on his face, one devoid of all the humor and cheerfulness of his normal expression. Yet it was still happy, somehow.
"Thank you. That means a lot...Todd."
The X-man cleared his throat, and his tail untangled from around his ankles to snatch a soda from the tray, the tip of the tails spade snapping it open before he took it with his hand.
One swig of the stuff, and Kurt had managed to throw back up his usual smile. Overly cheerful and joking.
"Okay, so you've gotten me curious. Why do you need to find somevhere to sleep tonight? Did you guys finally destroy that boarding house? Because I think there's a bet going on between Evan and Scott about how long it vill take you guys to do that."
Todd again huh? If it had been anyone else, he would think they were making fun of him. As it was, Toad just fell backwards on the bed and stretched contentedly. "Naw, nothing like that. I just got kicked out. It happens sometimes." With a full belly and comfortable topic, the teen grinned easily. "Like when Pietro brings back girls at four in the morning or Freddy gets drunk. Heck, we've even kicked Lance out when he was having a really bad fight with Kitty."
That time, 'Avalanche' nearly brought the roof down. Toad's grin faltered as he realize that was probably where the leaks in his roof had come from in the first place. "Anyway, the rest of the guys are sick and they're sort of… quarantining themselves until it passes."
Kurt tilted his head, ears perked up in curiousity.
"They're all sick?...Vait, is it that bug you had yesterday? If you've had it once shouldn't you...You know, be immune to it or something?"
Feeling more relaxed and a good deal less hurt about Todds attempted thievery, Kurt uncurled his posture, letting his legs dangle off the edge of the bed, and leaned back until he was half-laying down, propped up by only one elbow.
"...And vhen is Lance -not- fighting with Kitty exactly? I hear her vent about him nearly every day now."
Toad let out a rusted laugh. "Oh man, I know right! He'll storm around for hours. Sometimes I think he likes the idea of dating Kitty more than actually doing it."
Craning his head, the teen shifted until he could see Nightcrawler's face. When he felt the tray's edge poking against him, he brought a foot up and pushed it away till it rested precariously at the edge of the bed. "And yeah, it looks like the same disease I had. I know I probably won't get it again, but if I go back, I'd have to tell them I got it and I…I can't have them worrying about me."
Absently picking at the blanket under him, Toad sighed. "So now I've got to find a place. I'm thinking either sneaking in somewhere, or just crashing behind the bleachers."
Kurt's ears drooped.
Sleep behind the bleachers? That was stupid. What if it rained, or got cold?
And if he went somewhere else, he could get caught...
And...
Well there was a nice list of bad things about either plan.
But Todd didn't have any alternatives...except...
"You could stay here if you want to..."
Kurt swallowed back the screaming thoughts about what kind of trouble that could get HIM in.
He wasn't about to let Todd get sick again, even if it meant having Wolverine sniff Todd out and need to have a very awkward and stressful talk with the adult.
"I have some spare blankets and pillows around, so making the room usable for two is pretty easy."
The notion of sleeping outside wasn't new to the Brotherhood member, but it hadn't sweetened with age. Last time he had been woken up by a couple who had come home early from vacation to find him between the sheets so the X-man's offer was snapped up instantly.
"Whoa, ya mean it?" Springing to his feet, Toad landed in a crouch directly in front of Nightcrawler. "You ain't kidding, right? Cause you can't take it back now!" From his looming position, the teen grinned down at Kurt and pushed his luck. "Is it sort of a… bed and breakfast deal? With food in the morning?"
Glancing around the room, he tried to see it as his new sleeping quarters for as long as it took for the Brotherhood Bug to die down. Then, suddenly realizing how his inspections could be taken, he sheepishly looked back at Nightcrawler. "Oh, dun worry. I uh… won't take anything…" Thoughts of late-night-snacks crossed his mind. "… nothing important, anyway."
Kurt's eyes were wide, golden gaze locked onto his rivals face.
He had...Kind of expected Todd to turn him down.
Or at least...Not look this happy/ excited.
Though...it wasn't a bad surprise to have him do this instead.
"Um...Jah, I would appreciate you not taking anything... If you need something, you can just ask me for it."
The X-man looked away from his looming rival, feeling flustered and not really knowing why.
"So what -do- you need? I know blankets and pillows, but do you need a... spare toothbrush or something-..."
"Ya trying to say something?" The amphibian's voice was flippant and taunting. It was true the halfway house's water usually cut off, but he'd heard too many hygiene snarks to be offended
Besides, people's reactions were almost worth it.
Having his pre-enemy below eye level was rare and Toad wasn't about to waste the opportunity. Leaning over, the teen braced his arms on either side of the furry mutant. Staring directly down, the Brotherhood member grinned, making sure to display every crooked and discolored chomper. "Huh, shadow-boy?"
Kurt instinctually leaned slightly away from the other boy, but tried not to look at him.
That plan failed within seconds.
Golden eyes stared up into sickly amberish one, eyes locked in an unsaid challenge.
"Vhat I was trying to say, is that I doubt you brought a toothbrush with you. I don't know if you brush your teeth or not, maybe the color has something to do vith your slime. But I thought I should at least -ask-."
Kurt's nose wrinkled slighty.
He'd gotten used to Todds smell a long time ago. That happened when you ended up rolling with them in the dirt all the time. However just because he didn't find it a -bad- smell didn't mean it wasn't a far too strong one.
"I WILL say that there's a bathroom with a shower just across the hall. You can interpret that however you vant, mein freund."
Unnaturally smooth fingers drummed out a beat on the mattress below. For Toad, hot meals and baths were the same. Few and far-apart. He had stopped missing them a long time ago. "Ha! Whatever dawg. You-" The delinquent's thoughts 'ported. Wait, what had the German just said? Mein freund?
Freund. To Toad's ears it almost sounded like…
Blinking, the amphibian suddenly drew back, dark eyebrows pinched high on his skull. "Did.. did you just-" Turning away, the teen ran a hand aggressively through his greasy hair and when he spoke again, it was to the far wall. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds kind of alright…. the shower, I mean."
Toad got to his feet with an insect-like fluidity, all thin limbs and jagged bones. "So the bathroom's real close right? No chance of getting caught by four-eyes or anything?" When he looked back, a provoking smirk was cut across his face. "And hey, I'll just use your brush while I'm there." Again, the delinquent flashed his teeth. "That cool with you Fuzzy?"
Kurt raised an eyebrow at the other boy, eyes half-shaded in a sarcastic expression.
"Sure, I hope you have fun vith my dog brushes. All five of them."
Kurt sat up on the bed, arms raised and tail straight as he stretched out.
"And jah. If you take a left when you leave this room, then the bathroom is the first door on the right. It's only ten feet avay or so."
Done stretching, Kurt let one hand fall onto the mattress by his side, and the other grab the tray that had been scooted to the edge of the bed, dragging it and its scant but appetizing portions back to his side.
"Spare towels are on the rack. And there should be generic soap on there too. Most of us have some specific stuff we use, but we keep it in our rooms, mostly."
"Left then right. Gotcha. I'll be back before you want me." Crossing the room, Toad felt his skin prick with dozens of thistle-barbs. As a practiced home invader, the delinquent knew how far ten feet could be. "Grab the blankets and stuff, kay? And, uh, dun tell anyone." Clasping the doorknob, he pressed a cautioning finger against his wry lips. "You're part of this too. If I go down, I'm dragging your fuzzy tail with me."
Ironically, after his leaden words, the Brotherhood boy made it into the shower without incident. Letting out a startled hiss at the hot liquid's first kiss, he fiercely scrubbed himself down and watched the water turned murky where it touched him. Layers upon layers of grime corkscrewing down the drain and while he waited for it to run clear, Toad experimentally sniffed the shampoos- a spicy-smelling black cylinder, a masculine brown one… there was also a disturbingly pink, heart-shaped bottle that clogged the his with the scent of flowers. Still gagging from its effects, Toad found a clear, unscented kind, which he promptly finished off.
A number of brushes were set neatly in a holder and he grinned when he saw that a number held familiar, blue, fuzz. Nightcrawler hadn't been kidding. Picking a human-customed one at random, the teen scraped it against his scalp. With tight teeth, he yanked out matts and snarls until the bristles ran through without snagging.
Finally, -finally-, stepping out, Toad caught his reflection in the mirror. Wet, he seemed even scrawnier than usual, hair clinging like a damp rat. Without the barrier of cloth, his knife-edged ribs jutted out, nearly slicing through flesh. As he sighed, the boy pulled out a towel and wrapped it around his skinny waist. Soon the trademark studded wristbands were firmly back over his wrists, but when he looked at the rest of his clothes, he hesitated. They were still covered in dirt and muck.
Either he could put them on, or-
"… Dammit." Bundling the garments into his arms, Toad snatched another towel and carefully draped it over his arms and shoulders. Before he could change his mind, he darted out of the bathroom and made for the sanctuary of Nightcrawler's room.
Kurt hummed pleasantly, finishing up the makeshift bed he'd made on the floor.
He'd 'ported down to the storage closet (which was really more of a room), and after what he thought to be far too long a search, grabbed two sleeping bags that they had around.
Using those as a padding, Kurt tossed a couple blankets over the makeshift mattress, putting the pillows at the head and straightening it all out so it looked nicer.
The one thing Kurt was -not- going to give up was his bed. Even if Todd had taken a shower, it was where he drew the line. But he'd tried to make a good substitute to make up for it.
Kurt heard the door open and shut in an instance, and he looked up, smiling to greet his guest.
"Hallo again Todd, how vas y-..."
Kurt's eyes widened to near painful levels, his whole body freezing up in shock.
Todd was...Not wearing clothes...
Kurt's face blazed with heat, the mix of red blood flooding to his cheeks and blue skin and fur making his face turn violet.
Worst part was, he couldn't seem to look away.
"V-v-vhat are..."
With a huff of swamp-scented breath, Toad dropped his clothes in a heap on the floor. "The shower would have been a complete waste if I put these back on." Sprinting had loosened the fluffy towel around his waist and as he rested jutting vertebrae against the door, the cloth hung crooked from his protruding hips. "I thought maybe ya could wash em for me."
Nightcrawler hadn't blinked since he entered the room and, unconsciously, Toad tugged the second towel so it covered more of his right arm. "Jeez, what's your problem? It's like you've never seen a guy in a towel before." Rolling his eyes, the delinquent pretended to shiver and halfway through it turned real. "Anyway, I'm freezing my ass off. Lend me some clothes, will ya? Or do you -want- me to run around nude?"
Kurt ripped his eyes away from the Brotherhood member, looking at the ground instead.
"Um...Jah, sure, one second."
Kurt got up and walked stiffly to his dresser, avoiding looking at Todd as though it was a sin.
Kurt dug through the drawers contents, eventually pulling out a plain white teeshirt and throwing it towards Todd, still not looking at him.
The blue boys motions repeated until a pair of loose sweatpants and boxers had been thrown Todd's way.
"J-just so you know, there are holes in those meant for my tail. They're made at the base of the spine, so it's not indecent or anything, but th-thats how they are..."
Webbed hands caught the clothes evenly. "If you haven't noticed, I'm used to holes in my clothes." Holding Kurt's shirt up, Toad eyed the sleeve length. Not perfect, but it would probably be ok. Moving to pull the towel from his shoulders, the teen stopped and coughed intentionally. "Uh…do ya mind, dawg?"
It was only when Nightcrawler had turned completely away that he let the cloth slip, exposing a stark red symbol on his right shoulder.
The other towel followed suit and Toad slipped into his pre-enemy's clothes. The fabric slid over his skin, soft as a blade's flat side. When he was dressed, the only thing that remained of his own were the two studded cuffs still encircling his wrists. "Ok, I'm done."
Kurt turned back, still tense from his earlier shock. His posture relaxed only slightly when he saw Todd was clothed, but his expression went from a deer in the headlights to a well practiced jokers smile.
"Ah, they're a decent fit. I don't know if I should be glad that you have something to wear or be annoyed that we're that close in size."
Kurt glanced over at the spot he'd made for Todd on the floor, motioning to it with his tail.
"I hope that'll be alright. I can get more blankets if you need them. But for now-"
Two bursts of sound and smoke took Kurt across the room, where he snatched up the other teens dirty clothes, holding them at arms length and giving a mock-horrified expression to his audience of one.
"-I'd better take care of the biohazard. Be back in a bamf."
Another 'port, and Todd was alone in Kurt's room, and Kurt found himself likewise in company down in the mansions laundry room.
He was thankful for that.
He tossed the clothes and some soap into the washer, running on autopilot as he started up the machine.
One hundred times twenty three was two-thousand three-hundred.
Being burned at the stake probably hurt like hell.
Girls sure were pretty.
…
No good.
It didn't matter what he thought of, what he tried to force into his mind. The only thing he could think about was the image of Todd with only those two towels on. A pictured burned into the deepest part of his mind.
"...Warum ist das passiert? ..."
-x-x-x-x-
When Kurt didn't immediately poof back, the delinquent had to raise a quizzical eyebrow. Surely, after his thieving incident from before, the X-man wasn't leaving him alone… Seconds passed and the lingering smoke began to stink of trust. Choked by it, Toad quickly hopped out onto the open terrace. The sky was splashed red and blood-orange, but he didn't look up. Something soft and painful had slithered under the teen's ribs and made a thorny nest.
Why was the X-man so… stupid?! Kurt, with his sparking eyes and kitten soft fur and-
"Oh, no…" Dropping low, Toad buried his face against webbed hands. Cracked nails sank into his skull, as if trying to claw the other out. "No, no, no!" Escape was only a hope away, but the railing might as well have been iron bars.
"…. God-dammit."