Coffee Shop
Summary: An old coffee shop and a chance meeting.
Disclaimer: I stake no claim to X-men. Inspired by Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg.
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you
Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, I wanna come too
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you
John could see that Kitty was startled and confused by him, she hadn't understood why John had snapped at her. Instead of backing down with an apology like he expected, she simply asked him what she could help him with, after she realised that John was annoyed with her humming, she simply nodded and turned back to work on whatever it was she was hunched over. John didn't hear a peep from her after that. The issue was handled so simply and efficiently that John found himself without reason to expel his anger and could only go back to reading his book while moping sulkily. By the end of the day he found that the coffee shop wasn't such a bad spot and made a mental note to return the next time he needed some time away from the mansion.
Maybe it was the dirt cheap prices or maybe they had drugged the coffee so that people would turn into zombies if they didn't get their fix whatever the reason was, the coffee shop was always packed to the brim like sardines. John was surprised that he had somehow managed to secure the same spot each time he went back. It was probably the fifth time around that John had visited the place when he found a hipster with way too tight jeans seated in the spot he had taken to. The hipster was typing furiously away on his laptop and John knew that there was no hope that Mr Tight Jeans would be leaving anytime soon. He lamented darkly and mumbled about the jeans being too tight to be comfortable in while he swerved his head about to find an empty seat. John smirked when he noticed Kitty had an unoccupied seat opposite from her.
"Mind if I sit here Kit-kat?" he asked only after he plopped down into the dismal looking chair.
"Well looks like you already made yourself comfortable Allerdyce," Kitty said as she lifted her head up from the paper she was working on.
"Yea, Lady Luck's smiling upon you today, Mr Tight Jeans over there took my usual spot so you get to have my company," John stated while he jerked his thumb over towards the hipster.
John stretched his leg out in front of him opened to the page he had last left off while Kitty nodded before burying her nose in her notebook.
That was the start of a somewhat routine John and Kitty had. It was an unspoken agreement, whoever got to the coffee shop first would save a spot for the other.
"So why are you always here?" John blurted, he wasn't sure what had prompted the question, it wasn't a special day but today he felt like talking.
"Weren't you looking for peace and quiet? Jubilee's chatter gets slightly overwhelming when I am working on a paper." Kitty asked before answering his question as she wrinkled her nose and tapped her pen on the table.
"It's a coffee shop, why are you drinking hot chocolate in a coffee shop?" John asked ignoring her question.
"Well… it's on the menu and I like chocolate," Kitty answered and sat crossed-legged in the armchair.
"Always fancied you to be a strawberry kind of person," John stated.
They talked about silly mundane things like John's latest prank on Bobby or why the sky was blue. Their conversation was simple, easy and often punctuated by Kitty's laughter.
No one understands me quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me
Certain things reminded John of life before he met Professor Xavier. Hot dogs made him sick in the stomach. Now, hot dogs and him, they had a long history. He didn't always hate hot dogs. In fact, he used to love them, a little too much in his mother's opinion. He'd ask for it at every meal. That prompted his mother to declare embargo in the Allerdyce household. Hot dogs now became sometimes food and was reserved for special occasions like if John did well in school or was good boy. The loving environment he grew up in turned to ashes when his control over fire manifested. The love in his parents eyes had turned into fear. He could and would never forget the day he was abandoned. His mother had brought him out into the city on the pretense of spending time together while running errands. He had trusted things to go back to normal and expected nothing more. The last memory he had of his mother was her buying him a hot dog bun and promising to be back as soon as he had finished it. John waited but she never did return. That was the day he started hating hot dogs.
"Hey Allerdyce, we are having hot dogs for breakfast, come on, I saved you some!" Bobby shouted from the kitchen.
John's stomach wrenched. He had to escape the mansion which was why he now found himself at the coffee shop. He guzzled down the mug of black coffee in front of him and scowled.
"Pancakes always make me happier," a gentle voice stated as he found a stack of pancakes placed in front of him.
John looked up to find Kitty sitting opposite him. She started writing in her notebook and wordlessly John started to shovel the pancakes down his throat. Somehow Kitty knew what he needed.
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you
Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you
I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine, now I'm shining too
Because, oh, because I've fallen quite hard over you
John mouth lifted in a half smile. Kitty's eyes twinkled with mischievousness, it was Halloween and Kitty had come up with a plan to prank Bobby. Not many of students at the Xavier's Institute knew that they had become friends and John and Kitty used this fact to their advantage. Kitty had started a story about the mansion being built over cemetery grounds and John supported her story. With a little edging on from John, they had managed to convince Bobby to go on a mission with the purpose of proving John and Kitty wrong. Their target, Bobby was to spend the night in the mansion grounds to prove that there was nothing supernatural out there.
"Oh are you in for a ride tonight," John thought to himself while flashing a secret smile at Kitty.
Bobby was on the edge as he stalked about the grounds. John and Kitty had decided to wait for Bobby to let his guard down before they started their attempt. As soon as Bobby had heaved a sigh of relief, Kitty was intangible and sinking into the ground. She reached up and wrapped her hands around Bobby's ankle while John made a groaning sound. The look of startle that Bobby had when he saw a hand wrapped around his ankle was priceless and the scream that came from his mouth moments later was pure gold. Kitty tugged at his ankle and pulled him towards the ground before letting go.
"Come join us," John moaned while setting a circle of fire around Bobby.
This sealed the deal for Bobby and he made a run for the mansion like a headless chicken. As soon as Bobby was out of hearing distance, John and Kitty burst out into laugh, tumbling on the floor.
If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone
The spot opposite him was empty today, Kitty had gone back home for Hanukkah. John didn't go anywhere for the holidays, he had nowhere to go to. Bored at the mansion he decided that he would head out for a breather and found himself at the coffee shop again. He was halfway through the book when he heard someone plop down on the seat opposite him. He half expected it to be Kitty but knew that there was no way she'd be back so early into the holiday.
"Can I help you?" his mouth twisted into a scowl as he looked at the stranger opposite him.
"Hi, I noticed you a couple of times, there was always a girl with you so I never got the chance to say hi," the girl spoke enthusiastically.
"The seat's taken," John stated with a glare before going back to his book.
John heard the girl leave wordlessly and he breathed easier.
All of the while I never knew
All of the while, all of the while it was you
John didn't know much about Kitty before their encounter at the coffee shop. To the John from before, Kitty was simply a girl that walked through walls, scored straight A's and had extensive knowledge on technology. He didn't know anything more about her. The coffee shop had changed that, it was as if someone had switched the light on and John could see so much clearer. He was a moth flocking towards the fire, completely captivated by Kitty Pryde.
"Hey John," Kitty walked in and flopped down into the armchair.
"Hey Kitty, I love you," he blurted, closing the distance between the two and planted a kiss on her lips.
John smiled into the kiss as he felt Kitty kiss him back.