Ready To Fall
"No, and that's the final answer."
Kitty Pryde felt her lower lip begin to quiver. She couldn't believe it! For once in her life, she had the money and time to attend an event of her choice, and she was told no! It was....
"Totally unfair!" she cried. She turned on her heels and stalked up the stairs. Running to the familiar white wooden door, she practically threw it open in haste to get into the bedroom she shared with Rogue. It was just... This is why she hated being the youngest member of the team. She'd been at the X-Men mansion for over a year but was still treated like a baby. She was nearly 16, for crying out loud! Even the mutants who had just recently been recruited at the end of the school year were allowed more privileges than her!
"What's wrong, Kitty?" Kitty started at the voice. She frowned when she realized that Rogue was indeed home. Not that she was surprised. Rogue didn't go out much anymore. Plus the fact that she was Kitty's age, only older by six months, didn't help. And when she did go out, it was only with herself, Scott, Kurt, or Evan. She barely gave the newbies a glance, not that Kitty did either.
Bobby Drake was kinda cute, but he was Scott's age. A senior. Way too old for her. And Jubilee was only a year older than them, so was fun to talk to when she wasn't hung up on Bobby, who so obviously was her boyfriend.
Dazedly, she felt Rogue's hand on her shoulder, roughly shaking her. Blinking, almost stupidly, Kitty turned her brown eyes on her friend. That's when she remembered Rogue had asked a question.
"Oh, I'm fine," Kitty sighed. "Nothing life threatening, just... The Prof wont let me go to the anime convention! And, you know, I like really wanted to go..."
Rogue nodded solemnly, "Ah see. Ah'm sorry," she offered.
Kitty smiled bitterly, "So am I. Not that it matters. 'I'm sorry' wont change the Prof's mind."
"Did he give a reason why?"
"He said I was too young!" Kitty fumed, shaking Rogue's warm hand off her shoulder. "I suggested that I could convince Scott or Logan to come as a chaperone and he laughed! Actually LAUGHED! I... Ugh!" Kitty flopped onto her bed, staring up at the black ceiling. They'd borrowed Jean and her *powers* one day a few months ago and painted it, then plastering it with glow-in-the-dark stars. It was one of Kitty's favorite things to look at when she was upset.
"Still gonna ask Scott? He'll say yes once ya give him those cute puppy dog eyes of yours."
Kitty snorted, "And get myself grounded for a month for pestering people? No thanks."
"Oh, Ah don't know," Rogue waved a gloved hand dismissively in the air. "He'd get the Prof off your back if ya asked."
"Maybe," Kitty shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. Maybe there'll be another one again. And I'll just sneak out to it when he doesn't know about it."
"Daring, are we?" Rogue chuckled and Kitty nodded, glancing at Rogue through lowered eyelashes. She was lightly giggling and her face was lit in a smile.
"You look beautiful when you laugh," she blurted, suddenly. Kitty shook herself in surprise. //Where did *that* come from?// she wondered. Rogue seemed to have the same thought and was staring at the brown-haired girl in surprise.
"Uh, thank you," Rogue ventured. "Ah..."
"Sorry," Kitty interrupted. Her cheeks flushed bright red and diverted her eyes to the bed. Her comforter was black with lime green and purple stars. She idly traced a green star as she tried to find her words. "I didn't mean to say that, I..."
"Its okay," Rogue interrupted in return. "You look cute when flustered."
It was Kitty's turn to stammer out a thank you, but the words died on her lips. //Its *just* a compliment,// she reminded herself. Nothing to get worked up about. Like something Kurt would say. Or Scott. Or Evan. //But why don't I get butterflies when *they* say it?//
"So." Kitty didn't say anything else, unsure of what to say. What *did* one say after that? "How's the weather?"
//Smooth Pryde, smooth.//
"Um." Startled, Rogue could only do the one thing instinct said to do. Laugh.
***
"Say you think I'm cute and mean it."
Scott exchanged looks with Jean, who shrugged. Kitty watched with annoyance as they began to have a conversation in their heads.
"I'm waiting, Scott!"
"Um. You're cute." he quickly muttered.
"I said like you mean it!"
"Kitty," Jean butted in, "that is how he says it being serious."
Kitty blinked. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend."
"Hey!" Scott protested, weakly. "I'll have you know I've charmed many a girl..."
"In his dreams," Jean whispered to Kitty and the two girls giggled.
Kitty leaned against the doorframe of Jean's bedroom and sighed. All right, operation 'Get a guy to give Kitty butterflies' hadn't worked. It was amusing to see Scott all flustered while giving a compliment, but it did *nothing* to her. Why didn't it, though? It just...made no sense. Last week she happily took in the compliments that cute guys offered. Even Lance had told her how nice she looked and she'd been happy. And now.... but it was ROGUE!
She could handle lusting for another girl, but... The one girl she'd never be able to touch? The anti-social, Goth wannabe? As much as Rogue tried to be dark and gloomy, and for the most part it worked, she was not like this by nature and it showed. Kitty could see a cheerful, happy person hidden inside if she'd let her guard down. But Rogue would never do that.
"Okay, I'm like, going now," Kitty straightened herself, and surveyed her two friends. They were sitting next to each other on Jean's bed. Close enough to be together, but the slight distance between them to make it seem unintentional.
"Bye," Jean waved.
"Oh, hey?" Kitty paused mid stride, turning back to look at them. "I speak for everyone here at the mansion and we all agree on this, even if not said so out loud. Get together already! We all know you want to get into each other's pants, so save us the grief of watching you guys walk in circles!"
"Kitty!" Scott admonished, face turning bright red. Kitty laughed and closed the door just in time for a pillow to hit it with a loud thump.
***
Kitty stared across the bedroom, where Rogue was currently using her laptop, much later that night. She'd asked to borrow it to send Irene an E-Mail. Perhaps she didn't live with her once guardian, but it didn't mean she didn't care. //Rogue has matured since the days in the beginning,// Kitty thought faintly. But she didn't give it much thought as she lay back on the bed.
"Rogue?" Kitty asked, after a bit of silence.
"Hm?" Rogue glanced up from the blinking computer screen and couldn't help but blush when she realized what Kitty was wearing. She'd never seen her in that nightgown; it was made of -- silk? -- and looked smooth and was a dark green. It was only hanging on her shoulders by a thin strap of material made of the same thing.
"Do you ever wish you weren't something you are?"
Rogue blinked, "All the time, ya should know that. We all do; being the X-Men, let alone mutants, isn't easy..."
"That's not just what I mean," she murmured, closing her eyes. She was suddenly overcome with sleep. Why now, of all times?
Rogue silently watched the girl fall asleep before turning back to the computer screen. //I wish one of us was a boy,// she thought with a brief sigh, //then I wouldn't have to feel as guilty as I do about falling in love with you.// Rogue stared at the end of the E-Mail to Irene, before adding to it.
I was thinking of what you said; about understanding your friends better to get along with them. I think you're right; but does that understanding really matter when you have to hide what you believe?