driftfleet | [snuggle up real close everyone]

[She's not the only one to think of Piotr, how he went strange after he was trapped in his metal form forever. Bobby reminds him of Piotr then and does now; some of the brightness of Kurt's rage can be attributed to redirected anger at Bobby.] I knew something was wrong when we came back from the battle, but I thought--he'd just reformed, who the hell wouldn't be on edge after coming that close to dying? You remember what it was like. [The close calls, the wounds that would've been fatal or crippling if their reaction time was just a fraction slower.]

But he didn't. He acted like himself, but it was wrong. Too many edges in his smiles, his eyes were too hard. Eventually we all knew something was wrong, but by that time all of us were run ragged and there was never enough time-- [Kurt stops, shakes his head, forces himself to get back on the topic. Again.] Don't be angry with Jean for letting me. If there was anything left of Bobby, we both knew he'd make an excuse to reign himself in if it was me. And he did. I put him in a situation where he'd have to kill me or fight me fair, and he chose to fight.

I remember. [It's all too clear what she remembers, but of course there were other times. Who hadn't had a close call? She knows how the time goes too. Like there is never enough of it. Never a full night's sleep. Never a day to yourself. Never any way to really unwind except the battle. If you couldn't learn to take a certain amount of release and joy in it then you weren't going to last. It's something that makes her sick when she thinks too hard on it now, but it was survival. That pressure and lack of time also kept them safe in a way. It was like the arrow you can't remove because it's keeping things in place. It hurt like hell, but it's so much worse when you finish pushing it through, or worse, pull it back out.]

I'm not angry. Not at anyone. [Not even Bobby. What does shattering do to a person? Was it his fault? But her point in this moment is more that she's not angry at Kurt either. Not for what he had to do. And not for waiting to tell her.

She wants to say "we never get a break" but they did, didn't they? Somehow being abducted is their break. It's ridiculous and she doesn't agree with them taking people like this and yet...it's given her more than it took which is more than she can say for so much of her life. She says nothing, waiting to see if there is more he's willing to tell. She's not sure she wants to know how Kurt killed Bobby, but she won't shrink away from it. She's made of sterner stuff than that.]

I wish you were angry with me. It would be easier. [It would be an outside pressure to fight against, maybe literally if their argument turned physical. That was something he never could do with Linda that he missed from his years with Damask; his was tough, but she was still human. Emma could match him blow for blow and then some if they lost their tempers and powers became involved.

He tells himself he doesn't miss that jolt of fear. The man his wife loved was better than that.]

He was.. when we were fighting, he asked me why I couldn't let anything go. Bobby was trying to convince me to walk away from the war, let myself enjoy life in a better world. Find someone to love and maybe get married again. [Closing his eyes, he huffs out a soundless laugh.] I don't know if he was trying to be cruel, or if there was still enough left of Bobby for him to still be looking out for me. I don't know if I should let myself wonder at all; I still would have killed him.

[She shifts closer, wrapping an arm around his back and coaxing him to lean on her.] Sounds a little like what I said to Piotr after he was hurt. That we should leave completely. Maybe start a family of our own. Seems like the selfish thing, but maybe it can be the right thing. [She doesn't know if it would have been for them, but maybe it would have helped heal his spirit. Or maybe the isolation would have driven her to realize how far gone he was sooner when there was still time to salvage something—her life if not both their lives. But it's not about her and in a broader sense those are things she'd like to see for Kurt. She just wants him happy whatever path gets him there.]

Sorry I'm not angry. Maybe you'll annoy me into it some other time.

And instead of starting a family with him, you came here and adopted a vampire. Should I be warning your boyfriend about your overactive maternal instincts? [His tone is strained, but there's genuine humor in the tiny smile that crosses his face. He probably shouldn't be joking right now, but thinking of Bobby's face distorting and melting into nothing hurts like burying his wife.

Kurt swallows hard against the lump in his throat, smile fading like a memory.] Linda wanted children. I warned her exactly how much of a terror I was to my mother and I swear that just made it worse. My wife was a lunatic.

I didn't adopt a... Okay, I kind of adopted a vampire. [She rubs his back as he continues. Might be those overactive maternal instincts.]

You would be a good father.

I'm sorry. That you lost her. That you lost them both. If the Atroma try sending me away I'm clawing my way back. [No getting complacent somewhere else like she did here with the prison. This is different. This is Kurt.]

There's no 'kind of' about it, Kitty. You adopted a man who's probably been around a lot longer than you. [For all that he's busting her chops, Kurt can understand why. Sascha invokes protective instincts easily enough that Kurt wonders how strong the fear of vampires must be in his world, given the man's mentioned being shunned. He assumes Sascha's received his fair share of violence for it.

One corner of his mouth twitches up, and Kurt shakes his head.] You have more faith in my paternal abilities than I do. The father figure I had as a child was horrible, with my luck I'd be just like him. [Which is his way of trying to ease into another secret he'd kept from Kitty much longer than the past few months.]

We'll meet in the middle. [Because of course they will. She leaves and he'll follow her, regardless of where the path leads. What fear has he of other worlds, he who grew up in figurative hell?]

Edited 2016-06-02 16:35 (UTC)

[She knows Sascha has been around a lot longer than her for sure now. He admitted as much to her, but he sounded so timid and unsure in admitting it that she wasn't about to pass that information along easily. It's Kurt, so it's not like she absolutely wouldn't tell him, but she's not volunteering it.] He could use a little direction and less hate. [So more affection, not that she lists it that way.]

I have a lot of faith in you in general. [She does look at him curiously here though, wondering if he has more to say about it and thinking about what she and Hank spoke about—the actual father. She doesn't exactly know how to bring it up. His offer to meet her in the middle makes her smile though.]

Of course we will.

And you could use something to take care of. Again I ask, do I need to give Winn a friendly warning about this? [He is not, apparently, going to let this go. He's also not serious about it, if the faint smile wavering on his face is any indication.

And just like that, he loses his nerve. It's the same thing across the years; Kurt feels guilty about not being upfront with Kitty about the nature of his relationship with Victor, goes to tell her, and chickens out in light of the possibility that she might not trust him any more.] So much faith you put in the devil. Have I told you how glad I am that you're here?

Hush you. My needs are being met. [Softer.] Besides, the last time I was responsible for young people it didn't turn out so well. [Seeing as they all died (as far as she knows). And yes, the thought of that scares here when she thinks about having her own children. Not to mention having lived in some truly unstable places not suitable for it. She doesn't want to lose herself down that rabbit hole right now though.]

You aren't the devil. And you are always welcome to repeat that at much as you want. [She smiles warmly at him.] You were saying something about a father figure?

[His hands move to cup her face gently, a gesture born of the desire to comfort and make sure she's paying attention to him.] That was Piotr's doing, not yours. You understand? You did nothing wrong, Kitty; he failed them. Not you.

[Kurt holds her line of sight for almost another full minute before relaxing slightly, his tail twitching.] I was. I'm not sure I want to say anything else; there's been a lot of attention already on the subject. It makes me uncomfortable.

I trusted him. [And it was a mistake. It got her students killed and then it got her killed. But not one she was completely alone in. They all trusted him. She still nods after a moment, trying to accept his words.]

[She should probably leave it at that, but the words slip out.] One of them told you?

We all trusted him. None of us realized he wasn't the Piotr who painted Russian winters and New York sunsets was dead until it was too late.

[His mouth twists now, eyelids lowering as he looks at the bed. A muscle in his jaw jumps, his voice carefully steady.] I know the name. He was Weapon Omega's minister of death. I also know who was and was not there when I was a child needing protection.

We did. [Part of her protests that she spent more time with him. Knew him best. But in the end she has to start letting go of these things or they're going to drag her down and that's a stupid thing to do with a second chance.]

Kurt... [The "I'm sorry" isn't said but it still hangs in the air. She rubs his arm. She hadn't recognized the description and certainly she wasn't around for Weapon Omega's reign.] Hank told me of him. I didn't get a name, but I wasn't sure how to tell you. [Which isn't the same as wasn't going to tell him.]

[He didn't really mean to include her in that grouping, because of course she of all people knew something was wrong. But she also had the best reason to think that he would still love her, that he would never lay a hand on her in anger.

His own hand comes up to rest over hers, squeeze gently in silent reassurance.] You know, I miss the days when I thought Victor Creed was the prime example of my mother's bad taste in men. Turns out it was worse than any of us realized.

[Her eyes widen at that revelation.] Ewww. [Disgusted, but in a harmless sort of way.] She could do so much better. [Or could have. They aren't talking about someone likely to still be alive.]

[Kurt shrugs, and adds as nonchalantly as he can:] Man did well enough by Clarice. Tried to do well enough by me, but I think that bastard's best as a father to girls. And at least my mother never bedded Weapon X. I know you adore the man, but you also never had to walk in on him and Jean. [Now it's Kurt's turn to pull a face.] I considered celibacy after that, I swear I did.

[She looks confused as she listens and sorts that out in her mind. She agrees that he was good for Clarice. Hell, it's why she forgave the man who tried to take her to the pens. The comments about Logan and Jean are heard, but she expects that kind of detail from Kurt. The other was a surprise.] He was there? He raised you?

[Kurt nods, looking back up at her.] For a very short time, when I was small. He left to join Apocalypse when I was.. five? Six? All I remember of his leaving was he tried to call me outside and then hearing him and Mom yelling at each other. After that it was just me and Mom living in that cabin. I didn't see Creed again until I was fifteen and we were on the battlefield.

Why didn't you tell me before? [How had she never noticed? Were there looks or exchanges between them that she missed when Creed joined up?]

And give you more of a reason to be afraid of me? Kitty, by the time he joined us the man had been out of my life longer than he'd been in it, and it's not as though I ever called him vater anyway. He's always been Victor to me.

[There's a sting when he mentions her fear, because she had been once upon a time. She'd been afraid of all of them, but Kurt was so different and she shied away from him a little more and a little longer. Of course he picked up on it.]

You know I'm not afraid of you anymore, right?

[Kurt sighs.] I know, Kitty. And I don't blame you for being afraid of me. I was afraid of everyone when Erik brought me back. But by the time it didn't matter any more, it.. didn't matter. It never came up before now.

Hell, the only reason I gave a damn about the other half of my parentage now is that Xavier was being coy about it. Before that, the last time I'd thought about it was back when Victor first joined us and I asked him point blank if he'd fathered me.

[She nods. She gets that there are things people don't know about her not because they're a secret but because they just haven't come up. She hopes he knows he isn't going to drive her away. Not with something like that certainly. Victor turned out to be the monster she assumed when they met and Kurt wasn't choosing any of his involvement with him.]

I guess he said no?

He was able to narrow it down to three potential men. Him, another mutant my mother was trying to form an alliance with, and the man she was actually married to at the time. [One corner of his mouth twists upward in a crooked grin. He honestly finds it funny. He certainly doesn't show any shame or judgement on his mother's choices at the time.] Mom swore that I wasn't the Baron's and that my father had the gene for fur, so I sort of assumed it was either Victor or a fourth man he didn't know about. Turns out Azazel has the gene for it too.

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