Kurt sat on a wall with his back to the school building, shoulders hunched. His arms were draped across his knees, and he was leaning on them. He sighed, letting his long hair fall over his face. More things had been said about the way he looked. The word "demon" had been used more than once. Kurt's new friends he had made at this school had tried to help; shouting back at the bullies, telling him to take no notice, not to let it get to him, but they didn't understand. It wasn't the bullies that got to him, it was himself. It was being reminded of his looks. They would never understand. They were normal. They didn't have blue fur. They didn't have a tail. Their eyes and ears were ordinary; they even had pupils. From the outside, you couldn't tell they were different, they were mutants. Everyone could see Kurt was a mutant, though. He wanted to fit in with the real world. His image inducer helped, but everyone at the school knew about it now. Kurt laughed aloud at the irony of his situation. Pretty much all of the other student's at Xavier's school knew who he was, but hardly any of them were willing to actually even talk to him. Mostly they stepped away from him as if he was dangerous. And maybe he was; but only as dangerous as anyone else in the school. Kurt sighed again, shivering slightly as a cold breeze blew; ruffling his fine fur.

They didn't understand, and they didn't care, not really. He had seen it in their faces; indifference, even pity behind the sympathy. He didn't really blame them; they had enough problems of their own. It was hard to be a mutant, whatever you looked like. Kurt felt tears welling up in his eyes, and tried to blink them back. He sniffed and gave up, ashamed, trying to be as quiet as possible; crying into his hands. Kurt wished he was a child again. When a child was upset someone would always be there, tell them what they wanted to hear, tell them everything would be all right.

Someone sat down heavily on the wall next to Kurt and immediately started fidgeting. "Hey man, I don't ido/i the whole, other people crying thing very well." Kurt looked up sharply, hastily wiping his eyes and blushing a deeper shade of blue under his fur. "Toad," he growled, "You tell anybody, and I'll…" Kurt tried his hardest to sound threatening; Toad was one of the main group; the Brotherhood they called themselves, that hated him and started almost every incident. Kurt made to get up, or at least shuffle away, but a hand closed around his wrist. "Your secret's safe with me, yo. And the name's Todd. You think I wanna be called the Toad huh? Nah, man. It's always been everyone else. 'There goes Tolensky Toadface' or 'Let's see what Todd the Toad's gonna do without his lunch money!' I know how you feel, man. It ain't easy to look so different." Kurt was confused.
"Nein, no it isn't," he sighed. "But it still didn't stop you joining in, did it? 'Freak' and 'devil' I heard you say." Todd let go of Kurt's wrist; instead slipping an arm around his shoulders. "Ach, get off me slimeball!" Kurt spat. Todd began to look upset.

"Yeah? iYou/i try still lookin' so dirty, no matter how many baths you take. Try bein' pale, even green in the sun. And there's the patches. I'm not even slimy, bro, just nobody's ever bothered to get close enough to figure that out. You and me, bro, we got a lot in common. You look me straight in the eye and tell me you don't want me here, honest and true, and it's done. My hand's gone and I'm jumpin' up the nearest tree." Kurt looked into Todd's eyes, and opened his mouth to tell him to go away, laced with insults, and closed it quickly. In those eyes Kurt saw his pain reflected, saw compassion, and the boy Todd really was; a decent person who wanted friends. Could have so many friends if people got to know him. There was something else in Todd's eyes…affection? Lust? Love? Whatever it was, it was directed at Kurt. In the end, Kurt ended up apologising and collapsing against Todd, letting the other boy put his arms around him; grateful for it.

The wall was ridged and uncomfortable, so Kurt teleported them both on to the grass next to it, falling slightly as he landed so his head was on one of Todd's legs, which were stretched out. Todd began to stroke Kurt's hair, feeling the acceptance. Kurt closed his eyes and breathed in Todd's scent.

"You know, you smell nice," he murmured. And Todd did. Everyone thought he was disgusting, because he had the nickname Toad, and his skin was a pale greenish colour; with sandy brown hair. The hair actually suited him, and looked good, Kurt noted. Everyone said Todd Tolensky was ugly. True, he didn't have as perfect, sculpted features as Lance and Pietro, who were another two of the Brotherhood, but he was still good looking, in an asymmetrical, unique way. Kurt thought Todd smelt of aftershave, and a strange sweetness, like grass. Todd smiled; not many people had paid him compliments before.

"Well you smell pretty damn fine yourself, yo." Todd moved from Kurt's hair, and stroked the fur on his arms and face. "I always wanted to know if you felt soft like a cat…or coarse, y'know? And you're soft. I'm glad." This time it was Kurt's turn to smile. Todd shifted, and lay down next to Kurt, still with an arm around him. Kurt felt something stir in him, and put an arm around Todd, too. Up until now, he'd thought it was one sided. But now he wanted Todd, too. Todd was slightly taller, and placed his head on top of Kurt's by leaning sideways. Kurt rolled on to his side, and moved as close as he could to Todd, wanting the comfort, wanting the warmth, the understanding he got.

"I could make you so happy, you know," Todd whispered, thoughtfully. "If you'd only let me." He sounded mournful. Everyone always left him quickly.

"I want to make you happy, Todd, mein freund. I want us both to be happy." Kurt looked up and Todd's eyes widened; a smile playing on his lips.

"You have beautiful eyes Kurt, bro, nah, you're beautiful all over."
"Und you are so…wie heisst…handsome." Kurt was not familiar with this part of English. Nobody had given him any need to learn it thoroughly. "You mentioned patches? I see none."

"No, there aren't any on my arms or legs, man." Todd sat up and lifted his shirt and Kurt sat up with him, and saw darker green squares, with rounded corners, on his sides.

"Interessant…I like them!"

"Really? You ain't just saying that are you?"

"Nein, nobody else has them do they? They're yours. Just yours…and maybe mine," Kurt said playfully, cheering up after the earlier insults. He looped his tail around and stroked Todd's stomach with it. Todd put a finger under Kurt's chin, and raised it so they were eye to eye. He moved closer, and then his lips were on Kurt's, soft and warm. Kurt closed his eyes and kissed back, his first kiss, so perfect, and let Todd push him back down again, and place his knees on either side of him. Kurt slid his arms and tail around Todd, and raised his chest from the floor; pressing close to Todd again, who broke away and pulled off his shirt, moving his hands to Kurt's. "I have to confess, liebchen, I've never done this before…"

"Me neither. We'll work it out together, yo."

"Sounds good. But I don't want to go much further tonight…" Kurt surrendered his shirt.

"I understand, bro," Todd said, stroking Kurt's fringe back from his face, and pulling him close. "I'm just glad we're doing this."

"Ditto," Kurt pressed up against Todd again, eager to feel his lips, to feel the sincerity and charge that was undeniable between them.

They stayed kissing for a while, but eventually Todd broke away, looking troubled.

"What's up mein freund?"

"Ah…nothin' really. I'm just tryin' to figure out what I'm gonna do when everyone finds out. I wanna get serious with you Kurt, and they all hate me anyway…"

"It won't matter when they find out. They'll be jealous of you. And they don't iall/i hate you. I know iI/i don't. We'll see how we go, ja?" Kurt yawned. "But I'm tired now. I'm going to bed."

"Me too, bro." Kurt put his arms around Todd and teleported back to his room.

"Would you stay, liebchen?" Todd yawned, and smiled a reply, settling on the bed with his arms tightly around Kurt.