Author's note: enough with the notes… they interfere with the reading… lolzz… enjoy guys…

"Defiance for Love"

Lance hurried downstairs and yanked open the door.

"Kitty?"

"Lance." She said; unable to speak anything else. They both stood there, looking at each other for what seemed like ages. For a change, the Brotherhood's house was quiet as everyone arched their necks to see who lance's visitor was, but nobody dared to speak a word for the fear of what will happen next.

Kitty shivered due to the cold wind. It seemed to bring lance out of his stupor and he backed up from the doorway.

"Please come in; its freezing outside." He said.

Kitty stood looking at him as yet another shiver rippled through her body. "No." she said.

Lance looked taken aback. Granted, she'd called him a hood, but if he had nurtured any hope that she might just not mean it; it was all shattered.

She'd come to reprimand him a little more.

"Lance—"she started, looking to catch his gaze which he purposely fixated above her head.

She'd never grown accustomed of his height and always felt tiny in front of him. And it certainly didn't help that he seemed adamant on looking at some point above her head.

"What?" he spat. If she'd come to tell him off; well, he didn't need it. She couldn't tell him anything worse than what she'd already had, anyway…

Kitty recoiled at his tone. He sounded so angry. Her heart battered against her rib cage. Tears fell down from her eyes and she noticed that all the big words she'd planned for a proper apology that she thought he deserved from her had vanished. She couldn't stop the tears; nor could she bring herself to breathe.

Lance stiffened. Of all the things; he hadn't expected this. He knew that she was soft and emotional but she'd never before cried in front of him.' Do something, you blithering idiot!' he mentally shouted at himself.

But he didn't know what to do. He wasn't even sure why she was crying. Had he really hurt her that much by attacking the X-geeks? Was she really crying because she was here to end this forever? It was easy when he'd told her it was over and that that he understood that. It was hard to actually see it happening.

'whatever; I cannot let her cry like this."

However, before he could so much as move his hand to comfort her; she looked him in his eyes and said in a hoarse voice—"I'm sorry, Lance. I'm so, so sorry."

Lance stood dumbstruck. She was apologizing to him for calling him a hood! He looked at her, she was shaking. Due to the tears or due to the cold; he could not fathom. Her beautiful face had a seemingly endless stream of tears flowing through them. She broke the eye- contact and looked down at her feet, again repeating her words—"I'm really sorry, Lance. Please forgive me."

"Hey, it's okay kitty." He said stepping close to her and pulling her face up to face him. He cupped her face in his hands, wiping the tears off her face and said to her, bending down to look in her eyes—" you don't need to apologize, Kittycat. It's okay.'

"No, it isn't." sobbed Kitty "I hurt you real bad. I was so rude—like you would be so right to break up with me, Lance."

If anything; her crying had increased and so did her shaking. Lance pulled her in a tight embrace and pulled her in; motioning Peatro to close the door.

He held onto her as she shook visibly in his arms.

"But I'm not angry at you, Kitty. "He said—"Kitty, I – I love you."

Peatro fell down from the sofa. Toad dropped the remote on the floor. Tabitha felt a smile creep up her face. Kitty looked up at him uncertainly. Lance wiped off her tears and nodded at her and said—'whatever happened was unfortunate, I know; but it was in the heat of the moment. But even if you don't think I'm good enough for you, I still love you."

"I don't think like that Lance. I think that you're perfect for me. I never meant what I said—I just… oh , I'm so sorry, Lance…"said Kitty and buried her face in his chest. Then said lightly—"I love you too, Lance."

Lance tightened his embrace and planted a light kiss in her hair.

"I know you do Kitty. And your love is enough for me to fight with everyone else." he said.

Kitty's POV:

I pulled the heavy rag curtains from the window; from where Lance had placed them at night to stop the wind from bellowing in the room. Sunlight seeped in through the window, which for some reason was lacking all the glasses.

It had rained last night and so I had decided to stay at this place. Lance was still asleep. I saw his bandaged hand and felt a stab of pain through my heart. Was I really the only one in his life whom he wasn't dangerous to? He was dangerous even to himself.

Last night, while cleaning the dishes, Tabitha had told me that he'd had an accident and injured his head and hand the night he'd stayed out. And that yesterday; on knowing that I'd fainted; he'd taken to it as his own fault and broken the glass of his room's window; increasing the damage to his already damaged hand. I had a hitch that I was the cause of his accident too; Tabitha was just being good enough by not pointing it out.

I felt guilt flowing through me. His injury was due to my fault. I'd caused him so much pain, not only emotionally but as it appeared; physically too.

And in turn, he'd loved me so much. He had even forgiven me easily. He hadn't even asked for any explanations… just like that, he'd given me a place in his room to stay; like he'd given me a place in his beautiful heart…

I went and lightly kissed his cheek. He mumbled something and snucked deeper in his pillow. I decided not to wake him up. He'd stayed up till late in night, cradling me in his arms to keep me warm enough to help me sleep.

Just as I was backing away from his bed, I noticed his wallet on the bedside stand- that is; if one could call an overcrowded stool that…

I carefully placed the dollar bills that were lying beneath it, inside it and reminded myself to gift him a nice wallet for his birthday. It was however, adorned by a picture of us from the carnival. I smiled at the old remembrance. Suddenly, I noticed a silver piece dangling from it. I pulled it out slowly.

It was a bracelet. And the same one that I'd seen a few days before at the jewellery shop in the mall.

Oh my god!

He bought it for me!

My eyes swam with tears. At that moment, I was sure of one thing that was the most evident truth of my life—this guy, sleeping so calmly in front of me, capable of causing much trouble- yes; this guy loved me more than anything in this world. And I could feel that the feeling was mutual.

And though I wasn't going to tell him this; but he could fight with the X-men as much as he wanted or the X-men and the Brotherhood could behave as childishly as they can, for all I can say is that I'll never ever hurt him like this ever again.

Because I was in love with him.

He was my life.

Lance Alvers, I will die for you if you ask for it.