Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, locations and concepts belonging to Marvel Entertainment. No claim of ownership is made or implied by me in using their property. No part of this work is intended for material gain of any kind. It is intended for the sole purpose of creative exercise and the entertainment of others.
"I am going to regret this, aren't I?"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. I just want to try something out with my powers."
"Then my doom is assured."
"All right, knock it off, buster." Kitty did a quick circuit around Peter, carefully evaluating him from every angle. Mathematical formulae flowed effortlessly through Kitty's mind as she gauged mass, density and an assortment of other variables, each calculation coming to her with as much ease as items in a shopping list. Her gaze might have lingered a little more than was strictly necessary, but she liked to be thorough.
Peter indulged her scrutiny with bemused tolerance, waiting until she returned to her point of origin before he spoke again. "Do I dare ask what you have in mind for my part in this?"
"Only if you want some really creative answers." Kitty allowed herself a moment's giggle at the sight of Peter's reddening cheeks before she decided to let him off the hook. "I've been thinking about that last fight against the Sentinels. The ones from Ray's future."
It also happened to be Kitty's first true battle with the giant, mutant-hunting robots. Between them and the horror known as Nimrod, time travel had played a part in each of her encounters with Dr. Bolivar Trask's legacy.
Peter gave a slow, solemn nod. "The ones the Beyonder sent."
"Well, yes, but that's totally unrelated."
To his credit, Peter made no sign and spoke no words of doubt at that. "It was not one we will soon forget, I think." After a moment's thought he added, "This is regarding that trick you devised."
"Bingo."
"It certainly took the Sentinels by surprise, didn't it?"
Kitty beamed at him. "Hey, if Doug and Warlock can do it, why not us?"
"I don't think what they do works quite the same way as what we did."
"That's putting it mildly," Kitty said, "Which is why we need to practice."
Peter kept his face aggravatingly neutral. "And you wish to do this now," he said.
"Well, yeah. As long as we're holed up here in San Francisco we can't exactly drop by the Danger Room, and who knows when we might have to pull an encore?" Kitty stood straight as a tuning fork at the ready, braced for any objections Peter might offer.
The teasing smile which formed on his lips was far from an objection. Kitty had seen that smile plenty of times, prelude to some deceptively mild observation, though usually directed Logan's way. "Perhaps I should be thankful you haven't sprung this on me without any warning," Peter said.
The joke was harmless enough, but it sparked a swirl of memories that brought a quick flush to Kitty's cheeks. Her old habit of ambushing him had often been combined with impulsively stolen kisses, and those days were long done. "Sure. That's what friends are for, right?" Peter probably didn't need a reminder of where their relationship currently stood; He was the one who dumped her, after all, but she thought it was a good idea to reinforce a few boundaries anyway. At least he'd taken to heart her request never to call her 'Katya' again.
"That is true," Peter said, acknowledging Kitty's point without drawing attention to it. They were still feeling their way around their new friendship and much of it involved careful evasion of the elephant in the room that was their previous romance.
"So how about it, then?"
Peter seemed to weigh her proposal over in his head, expression just guarded enough to make Kitty fear he'd try to refuse after all. He opened his mouth, closed it, and shrugged.
"I'm ready when you are."