Very much NSFW fic continued from yesterday:
Fracture Fourteen: Stimulus and Response
The minute Ms Rosa was out of earshot, Kitty voiced her thoughts. "Okay, that was like, *weird*… What’d she say to you, Kurt?“
Kurt was still hanging on to her sweater like a drowning man clutching at straws. He was shaking like a leaf and trying to control rapid breathing while staring straight ahead.
_Oh crud._ He was looking mighty unstable, like a bunch of his Masks were fighting over who was going to be in charge. _*JEAN*!_
Kitty hugged him, smoothing his hair for him as she cooed at him. "It’s okay. It’s okay. Calm down. It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s like, over, okay. We’re here. The predator’s gone.”
He forced himself to let go of her clothing, and stuttered out, “Th-th-that-t-t-t-t w-was c-c-c-c-clos-s-s-s-se…” just as the rest of the team wandered over there, looking natural.
“That still you, Kurt?” Kitty asked. “Nobody else coming out?”
“I’m okay. I’m still me. They’re going *nuts* in here, though.” Kurt pushed himself upright with the help of the tree. He clung to it for support. “I think we should go back to the table now, Katzchen. I think it would be wise.”
Kitty stood up and shook the dirt off his overshirt. When she handed it to him, he put it on and had to fight not to try and hide himself in it.
“Flight’s pretty vocal,” he murmured. “He’s screaming the place down to get out of here before the predator comes back.”
They formed a knot around him and took him back to the table that they shared. Kurt looked extremely shaken up. His holographic skin had gone rather pale.
“What *happened*?” said Evan, who’d been filching milk and missed the whole thing.
“We just like, had a predator fly-by.”
“Great, so who do we have to handle, now?” Rogue asked.
“I’m still me,” Kurt whispered. “Just - shaken up.”
“Did you see who it was?”
“I don’t like, get it,” said Kitty. “The only persen who was like, close was like, Ms Rosa.”
“*Frau* Rosa?” Evan asked. “The German task-mistress?”
Kurt’s mouth was moving, but no sound came out. Kitty watched as he mouthed the word, ‘Rosafarben’. Then he curled up into a shuddering ball. “…hess…”
“No. *Way*,” said Evan. “*Her*?”
“She said I was still hers,” Kurt managed. “I’m not her property. I'm not *anyone’s* animal. Never.” His voice was a whisper, but it was a ferocious hiss.
“Great,” Scott muttered. “We can’t report her, or she’ll blow the whole undercover thing to a billion pieces. If she abducts Kurt *again*, she could blow the whole undercover thing. Our single greatest threat is a *Gym* teacher who’s into –” He stopped himself.
Kurt just raised an eyebrow. “Ja?”
“Nevermind,” Scott blushed. “Sorry.”
“I’m used to it,” Kurt sighed. “Besides, you’re clinically correct. Verdammt.”
Kitty gave him a hug, the memory of their kiss still echoing on her lips. In all technicality, Kurt was right; but in their hearts, at least, he was also wrong.
“So what do we *do*?” she asked. “What *can* we do?”
Scott just shrugged. “I don’t know. Stick to the game plan, I guess. She won’t strike while there’s witnesses around. Anywhere Kurt goes, at least one of us follows.”
“Anywhere?” Kurt echoed. His face was turning red.
“Sorry, dude. *Anywhere*.”
*
At least they could make it look natural. Jean could keep tabs on him at all times, with just a little effort and a slightly embarrassing session at the Institute where she got to meet the Masks. Hure tried to feel her up within five seconds of coming forward.
The Archivist’s emotionlessness scared her a little, especially in combination with the memories he possessed.
RagDoll only surfaced for a little while. It didn’t take much to get to know a catatonic persona.
The Perfectionist was the worst for her; criticising everything with demands for impossible flawlessness. He ticked off everything wrong with everyone, and ticked off Jean faster than Hure had.
Kurt made up for that by bringing out das Kinder, whose first words were, “This is a lot like the bad places. Kurt said there were friends here, so I guess it’s okay…” And then he proceeded to fidget with everything within reach.
Kitty took to das Kinder in a few minutes and earned his eternal friendship by revealing a supply of lollipops hidden in one of her pockets.
“Jean was right, you *are* unbearably cute.”
Das Kinder giggled, grinning around his candy. “Kurt likes you,” he said. “He wants to *marry* you…”
Kitty blushed. “That’s nice,” she said. “But Kurt and I like, need a little time to sort a few things out, okay?”
“I know. But I don’t think he told you right.”
“He will, sweetie. Give him time.”
“Tomorrow?”
Kitty rolled her eyes in that universal way that said, _Kids…_ "Maybe,“ she giggled.
"Oh-kay,” Jean was fighting a laughing fit, herself. “I think that's enough.”
“Aaaawwwwww… Can’t I stay a little longer?”
“No, sweetheart. Go on back.”
“Five more minutes?”
“No.”
“Three more minutes?”
“No.”
“One more minute?”
“No.”
“Can I hug Kitty g'bye?”
Jean sighed. “Okay. Go on.”
Das Kinder wrapped himself around Kitty and murmured in her ear, “*I* like you, too. A lot,” before he went back under.
Kurt surfaced and took the opportunity that her neck presented. A deep sniff, a little kiss, and he was busted.
“*Ku-u-urt*!”
“Vas?” Kurt broke away, cheeky grin plastered all over his face. “How did you know it was me?”
“Let me like, count the ways. Fight’s not the cuddly type. Neither's Flight. You keep the Monsters locked up for their own like, protection. Wild One would’ve like, started grooming me…”
Kurt blushed at that. Wild One was certainly - more outdoorsy than any of his other Masks. And *way* less civilised.
“The Archivist is like, totally neautered. Just like RagDoll,” Kitty continued. “The Perfectionist just *wouldn’t* - he doesn’t like, like *anything*. Hure would’ve like, grabbed my butt in nothing flat; and das Kinder was just told to go home. That leaves you.” She grinned. "Besides, you’re like, *obsessed* with my neck.“
"Do you mind?”
Now it was her turn to blush. “Like, not *really*…”
“E-eee-easy, stomach,” Logan said. “When you two’ve *quite* finished makin’ everyone *sick*…”
Kurt took the hint and put his hands in his pockets with a grin. "That’s just about everyone. Except the Monsters. They’re not as indoor-friendly as Wild One was.“
Ororo eyed the torn curtains with an expression of surprise. ”*Really*?“
"The last one that got out completely trashed a predator’s house," said Kurt. "Even got into the attic. It was spectacular.”
“I’ll *bet* it was,” said Evan.
Jean was frowning. “I touched a few of them when RagDoll was out. They didn’t seem too violent, then.”
“Predators stir them up,” Kurt said. “Likewise, anything predator-esque. This place - the Monsters don’t like opulence.”
Kitty shuddered.
“It’s all right, liebe. You actually help them calm down.”
*
All their precautions seemed to work. Hess stayed in the background and fumed to herself as Kurt blithely went through his life - forever accompanied by a friend. Kurt started to relax, and his Masks began to calm down.
Just in time for another upheaval.
Kurt found Kitty crying in his Church. He forgot about his quest for ripe crab-apples and immediately came to her side. “Was ist der Stoff?" he asked.
"I - I (sniff) Oh, God… (gasp) Kurt… I’m Late…”
He had her in a hug before she could blink. “It’s all right, liebe. I’m here for you. Cry yourself out. Get rid of the pain. There…” He rocked her gently, holding her close and holding her up at the same time. He waited until she’d come to a stop before he spoke again. "There’s lots of things you can do, liebchen. You can tell Lance, and give him a chance to redeem himself. You can keep it a secret from him, and do what you will about the baby. If there is one.“
Sniff. "Whaddaya mean 'if’?”
“Ladies can skip, sometimes. Especially if their condition is -er- poor.”
“But I’m like, the perfect size and everything. I like, do a special diet to stay that way. I’m like, fine.”
Kurt took her hand and guided it to her ribs. “Do you feel your bones?” he asked.
Kitty nodded.
He took her hand to her collarbone. “See how it juts out?”
Nod.
“It shouldn’t. Likewise, your ribs shouldn’t be seen making a toast rack out of your chest. Your diet’s taking you one way, but your genes are working in another. You need to *eat*, liebe. You haven’t grown up yet.”
“But I’m like a size *eight*. I don’ wanna go to size *ten*… I’ll be *huge*.”
“Katzchen. Kathryn. You don’t have to be anything you’re not with me. Whatever size you’re *supposed* to be - I won’t care. As long as you're all *you*, I love you.”
Kitty sighed and leaned against his shoulder. “I guess I *am* kinda being like, silly,” she acknowledged. “I might be pregnant. If I wanna like, have the kid, I’ll like, get huge anyway.”
“Enormous,” Kurt supplied. “Just ask your Mom and Dad."
"I’ve like, seen photos. Mom was as big as a barge.”
“Scared?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Then let’s go shopping,” Kurt offered her a hand up. “And while we're there, we can get you something to help confront those fears.”
“Do I got to?” Kitty cringed. “I’m not sure I wanna know.”
“Whatever happens, liebe, you have my support. Always.”
Kitty sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”