Disclaimer – I do not own x-men evolution, if I did, I would be extremely happy…
It was cold. Extremely cold. Kurt shivered in his thin clothes as he waited outside Bayville High for Scott to pick him up. It was unusual for Scott to be even a few seconds late, never mind the ten minutes he had been standing there.
His tail was actually shivering.
And he was sure he'd be turning blue by now if it wasn't for the fact he was already blue.
Stamping his feet, Kurt decided just to give up and teleport to the mansion, then he could get Xavier to tell Scott wherever he had gotten to and then all would be solved.
And he'd be warm.
Shivering again, he moved from his spot by the tree and started to walk down the path until he could find a safe place to teleport, his mind still half focused on why Scott hadn't turned up as promised.
Perhaps something had come up?
Perhaps they were in a mission?
Or worse?
He stopped and glanced behind him, perhaps he should really be waiting by the tree for Scott, just in case…
Shaking his head, he mentally argued that the professor would have contacted him and explained things. He usually did when something like this happened, or Jean, especially when he was needed.
Maybe he wasn't needed.
Maybe they didn't want him, where fed up with his looks and behaviour.
Moving on sharply, Kurt growled and tried to banish the dark thoughts before they poisoned his already shadowed heart and soul. They all liked him, they were all his friends, they said so all the time.
But then again, they could have been lying to him.
Trying not to hurt his feelings since they all knew he was so sensitive about them – a fact that annoyed him still. They were his feelings, not something that everyone should know, even if it was for his best interest.
How did they even know it was for his best –
"Watch where you're going!"
Blinking, he reeled and focused on Wanda who was glaring at him, her darkened eyes narrowed. "Well? Where was your head because it certainly wasn't here!"
He stuttered. "I vas just…vorried about mien friends – have you seen zhem?"
"Those x-geeks?" She rolled her eyes. "Rogue mentioned something about going to the mansion early for some meeting."
"A meeting?" They had left him? Kurt felt his heart and stomach plummet as a cold fear grasped him.
Blinking in surprise, Wanda touched the blue mutants shoulder, feeling unsettled that she could feel his fur but couldn't see it because of the image inducer. She realised he was trembling. "Don't worry, they're fine."
"Ja." Looking at the ground, he pushed past and started to walk again.
Following, and slightly worried, Wanda matched his pace. "What is up with you? I answer your question – which I didn't have to – and you clam up." She frowned. "You think they've left you behind deliberately?"
"I never said zhat!"
"You never denied it either."
Damn, she was good. "I vas just…going to get some coffee – I had just forgotten about zhe meeting, zhats all."
"I don't believe you."
"It's true!"
She linked her arm with his. "Then you won't mind me joining you."
This was going to be a long cup of coffee…
Admittedly, she had acted extremely out of character, out of the role she had built for herself. But she couldn't help it, she felt a bit guilty about telling the blue mutant that his friends had left him – though why she wasn't sure and she was trying to tell herself off for her moment of compassion.
Another reason for the coffee was that she hadn't spoken to the blue mutant, except in battle but even then he was oddly…chivalrous. And he hadn't acted all cold to her just for being in the Brotherhood.
Or perhaps that was just his surprise at her talking to him.
Whatever the case may be, he wasn't looking particularly happy, just sitting there and stirring his coffee, his hologram hands looking odd as he did so.
She tapped the table.
Looking up, Kurt smiled weakly. "Traurig, I'm vorried."
"Then why don't you phone them?"
"Zhey'll zhink I'm just being paranoid – zhey keep telling me to 'get a life' – don't zhey know how hard zhat is for me." He sighed and looked at his hands. "But you don't vant to hear about zhat, tell me, vhy are you out and not at zhe brotherhood house?"
"They were bothering me."
"Fair enough." He looked down at his coffee. "How is your relationship vith your father at zhe moment?"
Where did that one come from?
As if on cue, Kurt blushed. "I didn't mean to pry! Just…ignore me, just ignore me, every vun else does."
Wanda resisted the urge to shake him and tell him that he wasn't some pathetic puppy that had to follow everyone around blindly every time he was kicked. She smiled coldly instead. "Things are…liveable. He's not dead, unfortunately, but he isn't trying to control my life either – we have an understanding. Yourself with your mother?"
He cringed. "Vhat vun?" The blue mutant chuckled at the flicker of horror on her face. "At home, zhey are fine. Here…liveable, to quote yourself."
She quirked an eyebrow. Perhaps not all the x-geeks where that bad, this one was certainly not a brainwashed fool like Scott. But…did he see her as nothing more than a brotherhood fool? "Cute."
"Ah, chicks dig zhe fuzzy dude." He grinned, his hologram showing his fangs to an extent. "But zhat is not vhat you meant, ja?"
"Not quite." She looked at her coffee and decided why not, after all, he had asked personal questions from seemingly thin air. "What do you think of me?"
He choked.
Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea.
Kurt smiled softly. "I vould love to get to know more about you, you are a very strong villed person."
"Thank you." Wanda didn't know what else to say apart from… "So I'm not just 'another member of the brotherhood' then?"
"Vhy vould I zhink zhat? Every vun is different, every vun is unique in mind, spirit and in vhat zhey believe. Vhy vould zhat be limited only to zhe x-men? Or to just humans or mutants?" He sighed. "Traurig, I'm not in zhe right frame of mind to be a pleasant conversationalist."
"I don't mind." She really didn't. "That's the reason why I left, no one talks or else all they do is act like they're all that's in the world, when they're so obviously not." Wanda smiled at the thoughts.
Nodding, the blue mutant stood. "It vas a pleasure talking to you, Wanda, I hope ve do so again, and soon."
Wanda also stood, not too sure what to do and so offered her hand to him.
He took it, lightly turning it so that the back of her hand was displayed before lightly kissing her knuckles. With a sweeping gesture, he bowed and left, chuckling, smiling a small smile that was so very different to his usual hollow grin.
The scarlet witch was aware of her smile and, glancing at the only other person in the coffee shop, the waiter, she waved goodbye.
He instantly started to clean up and she skipped out of the place, wondering why such a basic gesture from the blue mutant had made her feel so…special.
Maybe it was because he was the only person to have openly touched her without fearing a hex bolt…
As soon as the woman was gone, the man at the counter shook his head, taking a step back before kneeling down and smiling at the young woman that was tied up and gagged. He pulled the thing free of her mouth, chuckling as she just whimpered instead of trying to scream.
"So what do you think of those lovebirds?"
She pathetically whimpered something.
"That's what I thought, now, sleep." The man produced a case from his pocket and removed a needle from it, injecting her with a bright fluid. "And pleasant dreams, you wont remember a thing, little lady." He stood again, waiting until she had fallen asleep before leaving, tossing the apron aside.
Not knowing why really, Kurt had chosen to walk most of the way to the mansion rather than teleporting. On the way, he mostly thought about Wanda and the small conversation they had had together. For once, he never even thought about the constant worries in his mind about being discovered or anything.
It was quite…liberating.
For once in his life, he felt truly free, like he could fly.
Laughing, he flung his arms up and spun round in a slow circle, something sharp hitting him in the shoulders. Wondering why mosquitoes where out in such freezing cold weather he stopped, blinking as his eyes swam.
His last rational thought was what he should do, the X-men, and then, suddenly he thought of Wanda again, wondering if they would chat again.
If he would get to see that soft smile that was so gentle on her usually frowning face.
Or if his nightmares had truly caught him.
Her mind busy, Wanda eventually just gave up trying to think rationally and instead let her mind wonder about Kurt. She was slightly surprised to have discovered that she had found someone who had doubts about things and even admitted them.
And also, the idea that she wasn't the only one intimidated by people was welcoming, it helped her mind relax slightly and again, she found herself smiling.
It was a record, two true smiles in one day and to think, she hadn't smiled in weeks and twice in one day! All because she had thought a certain blue furry mutant and…and nothing would come of it.
Reality felt bitter as she realised that if she ever did want to talk again to Kurt it would have to be under similar circumstances and when would that be? She didn't like the idea of getting close to anyone, all she did was want to talk to him.
But no one would understand that.
Neither of the groups seemed to understand that people could talk civilly and get on, that they weren't polar opposites.
Hah, a witch and a demon.
Smiling for the third time that day, she cuddled her arms against the cold before frowning at a sharp sting on her exposed arms.
Then everything blurred and she found herself panicking as her limbs went dead, her last thought was…
Was whether she would get to talk to Kurt again, if he would make her smile…?
Around the table, the various x-men sighed and sat back in a mixture of boredom and disgust. They had been summoned to a meeting that was covering the basic issues of accidental exposure of mutants to humanity.
They were all fed up of the safety talks.
Rogue tuned out as another, this one from Ororo, started up. She half wondered whether Kurt had been given the message about the meeting, if so he was probably burning time at the park or stuffing his face with gut bombs.
Though she did feel bad about the fact that just because he was an extremely noticeable mutant, he was going to have to get a separate set of lectures and routines to follow if he was exposed.
It wasn't really fair but that was life. Looking up, she realised she had been asked a question.
Life was so unfair.
Pietro glanced up briefly as Fred entered the main room, eclipsing the television with his bulk. The Blob grinned happily, sitting down with a huge bowl of popcorn for them all to eat as they watched a film.
Toad sighed. "Where's my honey bun?"
The speedster frowned. "Wanda went out, something about your stink."
The Brotherhood nodded, unbothered at this.
"She'll come back when she wants." Tabitha took a handful of the popcorn and turned the volume up with the remote.
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