Pretend

Kurt and Kitty

It's New Year's Eve. The X-mansion is literally leaking visitors and the champagne is flowing like rainwater.

Kitty Pryde is standing in the hallway, thinking about the past couple of years and how absurd it seems to be having a party with everything that's gone on lately. She's already had several glasses of champagne, as well as quite a few gin and tonics. She's drunk, she knows, and it makes her moody. Sullen even. She'd rather drink scotch, but it reminds her of Wisdom, and she can't afford to feel any worse tonight.

She hears footsteps in the hallway behind her. She turns prepared to tell whomsoever it is to go to hell. She stops and her face breaks into a grin at the sight of her best friend.

"Kurt! I didn't know you'd arrived!" She's been absent from the party for about two hours now, and as Kurt step toward her, it's evident that he wasted no time finding and depleting the Dinkel Acker. He's tipsy, but not drunk. Kurt never gets drunk. It's not gentlemanly.

"Ja. I have been here for a while now, Katzchen. At least," he looks at his watch, "6 or 7 beers." He's wearing a tuxedo. He looks dashing, of course. She's wearing a blue silk wrap dress that she bought special. "You look, beautiful, liebechen. Really you do." He steps forward to hug her, and she lets him. It feels really good to hug someone who really cares about her.

"I heard about Amanda. I'm sorry things are so rough there." She gestures with her champagne flute. Kurt nods.

"And I am sorry about Piotr. You are both my dear friends, but I really hope that things turn around for your sake." Kitty shakes her head.

"I don't want him." Kitty realizes, for the first time, that she and Kurt are standing quite close. An idea begins to form in her head.

"I did not say that you did, Katzchen, I simply wish for you to be happy. If only temporarily."

"I know, Fuzzy." Kitty moves closer. She knows that it's probably the alcohol, but she doesn't care. "I appreciate that." Her hand moves up to his cheek and she caresses the soft blue fur. "A lot." She kisses him.

He returns the kiss. She wasn't sure that he would, but he does. He's every bit as good a kisser as she thought he would be. He's a sort of artist where kissing is concerned, in fact, and she finds herself reaching up to pull him closer as he places large three-fingered hands around her waist to do the same.

She wonders how far this is going to go, and as of his hands makes its way up her torso, she realizes that they've taken an irreversible step.

Oh, he'd stop if she wanted him to. He's a gentleman, after all. But, she doesn't want him to. She needs this, and so does he.

They separate and she smiles at him. "Happy New Year, Fuzzy."

He smiles back showing white pointed teeth. "To you as well, Schatz."

She takes his hand and pulls him towards the stairs. He lets her.

She's not Amanda. He's not Wisdom. But, for tonight, they can make themselves believe that they could be happy with someone, anyone, else. For one night, it won't hurt to pretend.