AN: disclaimer I don't actually know German. .
Kurt arrived to the park in question, checking for the markers she had noted. Rachel would be off the path a ways, she had said, away from the usual traffic coming and going. When he initially made it into the park, a couple spotted him and gave disapproving glances, both for his appearance and the smell plus smoke that accompanied his arrival. He gave an apology for the later, though the two were quick to leave. No matter, his attention was taken, and he could already spy his afternoon's companion.
He decided against porting over to her, walking up the more ordinary way and instantly offering a smile. As before, she was dressed modestly. Jacket, long sleeved blouse, a skirt just past her knees and thick tights, a scarf around her neck, long brown hair hanging down around her. Office appropriate, earth tones, much like the first outfit he'd seen her in, though this one lacked the blood stains.
"Guten Tag, Fraulein."
"Herr Wagner." she repeated the inflection without any difficulty, and motioned for him to join her.
"I must admit, you didn't strike me as the picnicking kind." he confessed, making the comment playful and getting no expression at all in return.
"I come here when I can. The open space and sunlight lets me go unbothered usually." she made the response casual, handing him a pre-packed bowl with lid.
"I'm glad you're recovered, are you healing alright?" his tail pointed to her side where the wound had been but she just nodded and passed a plate with chunk of bread to him.
"William is used to patching me up. I haven't had an excuse to cook for anyone in some time, I hope you're not a vegetarian? Perhaps I should have asked..." William being her brother, who had already left a poor taste in his mouth. The man was trying to be friendly enough towards the man who'd brought his sister in, but referring to her mutation as an accident had definitely rubbed Kurt's fur the wrong way.
"Do you end up in these situations a lot?" he might barely know her, but the concern came naturally. Instead of answering him she changed the subject,
"How's the soup?" she asked, opening the lid on her own bowl to show lamb stew. Cuts of meat, carrots, potatoes, bacon, a thick brown broth. Not vegetarian in the least but the smell alone was accomplishing her task in distracting from his question (as he was not, in fact, of that particular persuasion). He allowed the reprieve, turning to his own bowl to try a bite. As he suspected, the meat all but melted on his tongue. Very good distraction.
"Ist fantastisch!" he couldn't help but go back for more, earning a gentle smile.
"Well, I figured feeding you was the least I could do. Not that I expect you behave so for reward."
"I'm not complaining." Kurt laughed in return, and her own smile grew. She still sat with a good amount of space between them, and very rarely looked him in the face. More often her eyes would flick over his features and avert again. He couldn't quite pin it as shy, the rest of her mannerisms were too certain.
"Oh! I also brought cider." she pulled the second thermos out of her bag and held it out for him.
"Vielen dank. This really is good." The cider, also still warm, was just as perfected as the soup, cinnamon and clove fragrant.
"I understand pumpkin spice is popular, but apple cider is far more traditional." she declared decisively.
"It certainly is." he agreed, making fast work of the soup provided, slowing down to make it last longer.
"Do you usually run around rescuing damsels in your free time? Not that I'm complaining either." her tone was making an attempt at being playful, and he took the invitation naturally.
"All in a day's work for-"
"The Incredible Nightcrawler?" she finished with a grin, remembering his previous boasts. He didn't realize he was so predictable.
"Ja, my reputation precedes me! Not to spoil the mood, but I do want to know," he grew serious, "Why those men were after you?" normally he might not ask such a question, but he had found it a bit odd that she had a stab wound, and yet none of the men had weapons that he could remember. While he had been more concerned with her recovery at the time, afterwards that had stood out to him. He got the impression there was something he didn't know. She responded without hesitation, though the line of conversation wiped the smile from her face. She went from pleasant to a careful blank mask in a single second. Now her tone was much as it had been the first moments they had met.
"The same reason they would come for you. They fear, what they do not understand. And I have proven to be nothing short of terrifying it would seem." fair enough point, her head tilted to the side in consideration, eyes bleeding to black again as a chill seeped into his bones and drew a shiver from his muscles.
"Though you don't seem the kind to run away so easily." in that moment her voice may as well have been a growl, the breath of a beast trailing over his fur, jaws filled with sharp teeth opened and hovering close to him, wide enough to swallow him whole. Though the sensation was unnerving, he knew it was little more than her gift at work, and pushed through to answer her,
"Do you want me to run?" instantly the atmosphere was yanked back, her brow furrowing in thought and eyes clearing. After a moment, she looked away and spoke softly enough that he had to lean in to hear her properly,
"It would be easier if you did that now."
The defeat and expectation in her voice was all too familiar to him. He couldn't help but reach forward and place one hand over hers, though the motion made her all but jump and attention snap to the simple touch. Her skin was cold, the frightful sensation tugging at him again with the contact, but he held steady on his course. He didn't back down from the trapeze all those years ago, and he didn't back down now. Confusion playing over her features, he spoke gently.
"Rachel, I know what it is like to think the world hates you. That there is no place for you here. That what makes you different is a curse. I don't know where I would be right now, if not for a good man finding me and giving me a home. With others much like, and yet not like, myself." he paused, slowly withdrawing his hand, her gaze following it. He knew that too, how important a simple touch could be at times. She might not look out of the ordinary, but he suspected the sensations which surrounded her had provided just as much trouble as if she looked like...well something like him.
"Have you heard of the Xavier's Institute?" he offered, only for her to shake her head and raise her knees, resting her arms on them idly with her dishes set aside.
"Well, if you are ever interested, I think it could be a very good place for you to visit sometime. If you would like."
"Are there more there like you?"
"Well, not quite like me, but it is a home for other mutants, ja."
"There's no one else quite like you?" she offered, smiling again.
"Hmmm, well I certainly haven't seen other fuzzy blue elves around, but if I do I'll be sure to let you know!" at last he earned a laugh, if it was short and quiet before she was shaking her head at him. Ah, but she looked much better with that warm glow.
"I'm glad you liked the meal, though I should probably get home soon. If I stay out too long...well I can only seem to keep the disquiet down for so long."
"Is that what you call it?" she nodded her head, collecting the empty vessels and returning them to the bag.
"Ah, danke! Again, it truly was wunderbar! If you'd like, I could walk you home?" she'd already collected the few dishes before he could offer to assist there.
"Go all the way home? With a strange man I've only just met? Well, that would be an adventure wouldn't it?" she teased, but after a moment gave nod.
"If you would like, I can't see any real reason to object."
He helped her fold the blanket, and offered an arm.
"Well then, fraulein, lead the way." she eyed the offered arm as the blanket too got tucked into her bag. She hesitated, but after a moment accepted, eyes staying on the path and face flushing slightly. For someone with the power to terrify, he had to admit she was pretty cute once you got past the other-worldly atmosphere.
AN: a lot of detail is being left out on purpose, you'll learn more as this goes on and especially in the next two chapters. Gotta have those baddies after all, but I wanted to focus mostly on Kurt's perspective for the beginning.