The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER CHAPTER THIRTEEN (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, Joris is just fine, I promise! Er...Billy apologizes for the plaid paint job, though. It'll come off with a little hot water... But Dodo is gonna need soap... InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink make me want to dance in the streets because they archive my stuff...:) Readers/Reviewers: I have it on high authority that the Killer Kitties (tm) are bold enough to turn on their mistress! None of us are safe!!! And thanks beaucoups for reviewing...I feel all smooshy now.



"Where have you been?"
"Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"Are you wearing eyeliner? What color is that?" Jubilee grabbed for one of Kitty's bags and ratedated several steps to look through her makeup purchases.
Kitty sighed. "Logan, I was shopping with...with Tabby, actually. Storm, I'm sorry. I guess you guys didn't see my note..." Kitty's eyes lit on Kurt, slouched next to Logan, looking forlorn as possible. "I took the Jeep and went to check on Tabby. She wanted to get some stuff, so I took her." _There. Not a total lie... _ She fidgeted with the edge of her sweater, thankful that Tabby had given in to her kvetching and let her change before they left. "Um, could I talk to Kurt? Alone?"
Kurt's eyes widened and he stood straight, surprised that Kitty was initiating conversation. "Ja, alone..." He did not wait for Logan or Storm or anyone else to acquiesce, but grabbed Kitty's hand and ported to his room, clattering to the ground in their wake. "Katzchen," he said roughly after a moment of silence in which their eyes met then shifted away from each other, neither really sure how to begin.
"No, let me...Kurt, I don't know the whole story but I was wrong to freak out so thoroughly. I mean, , a , a little freak out was warranted but the first thing I should have done is ask you to tell me exactly what happened. I'm sorry."
Kurt could only stare. _Is she apologizing to me? How the...what the... _ "Kitty, I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't mean to kiss her, but it happened, and...God, how do I say this?" Kurt sat on the edge of his bed sighsighed harshly, toying with his tail to avoid her gaze. "Katzchen, I kind of liked it."
Kitty felt her knees buckle but she forced herself to stay upright. "Oh?" _Damn it...did that sound like I think it did? _
Kurt started a little at the break in Kitty's voice, but made himself continue. "Ja...and I feel so bad about that. But Scott said that that was a human response... I didn't feel nearly the way I do with you..." He surged to his feet and grasped her hands in his, so tightly that she could feel her bones shift from the pressure. "You have to believe me!"
Kitty's breath caught and she felt tears prick her eyelids, but she did not cry. Kurt's eyes were beseeching her, his hands shaking, a sign of his fear that she would tell him they were through, that she could not be with him anymore. Instead, she nodded slowly. "I think I understand. I can't say that I'm not hurt, but I can forgive you. I just...it's going to take a while for me to...I don't want to say trust you, but I'm going to be mad for a while."
"I understand," he said glumly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Kurt." Kitty gently removed her hands from his grasp and flexed her fingers surreptitiously to restore circulation. "I just want to know what happened."
Kurt ran his hands through his hair, it fall into his eyes before he shoved it back behind his ears. "Sit, this is going to be a while..." Kitty surprised him by sitting next to him on the bed and taking up one of his hands in both of hers. "Okay...well, Amanda had a fight with her dad that night. He had seen a familiar car drop her off and thought it was me. He called her a liar when she tried to tell him it was you, even offering to call the Institute so he could talk to you or me or someone to prove her story, but he refused." Kurt slanted his eyes to gauge Kitty's reaction and was somewhat relieved to see that she was leaning towards him as if listening intently. _Probably trying to tell if I'm lying or not... _ "The fight got kind of ugly and Amanda ran out of the house in tears...when I met her at the Burger Barn, she just needed a friend to talk to."
"How did it happen? Tell me..." Kitty closed her eyes and actually leaned against his side as he told her the truth-the hug, the brush of lips, then and Amanda's kiss. He even told her of his momentary return of the gesture. By then, he was clutching his fingers convulsively around hers, his voice harsh with pent up self-loathing. "I never would have done it Kitty...not in normal circumstances..."
Kitty nodded quickly. "I'm sure...I somehow feel like it's my fault or something...if I hadn't tutored Paolo that night, you wouldn't have come along with Amanda..."
"Who's to say? I'm just so sorry that I hurt you..." Kurt pressed his cheek to the top of her head and slid his arm around her waist, his tail moving to lie across her lap in an odd sort of embrace.
Kitty took a deep breath and ducked her head out from under his, forcing him to look at her. "I was jealous of Amanda. I admit it readily, and I also will admit that this isn't helping any...but I want to try and make this work out, okay? I'll forgive a mke, ke, but if something like this happens again..."
"Nein! It won't! I promise!" he cried, leaping to his feet and scooping her into his arms in a bear hug. "I promise! I promise!" He punctuated each word with a kiss somewhere on her face, making her blush and giggle at once.
"Kurt! Put me down! I can't breathe!" She gasped for air when he set her back on her feet and smiled down at her. _So far, so good... _
Kurt thought of the entire list of things the other guys had told him to do, just to make sure she was really "good" with him again, ranging from flowers to jewelry to more preposterous gestures that made him cringe to think of them. _I really don't think Kitty would appreciate black lace anything... _ "I want to make things up to you...Well, as much as I can... go change and l gol go to lunch and a movie or something. I mean, I know that's not going to erase what I did or make it better, but..."
"Kurt," Kitty pressed her hand over his mouth. "You're babbling." When she felt him smile under her fingers, she stepped back. "And what's wrong with what I have on?"
Kurt looked at her outfit-her usual jeans and sweater set. "Nothing...I just thought that maybe you'd like to change or something...Thought girls did that sort of thing before they went out. Ki Kitty nodded stiffly. rls rls like Amanda who're always dressed to the nines and have a different outfit for every mood. _ Instead of venting, she said, "Okay. I'll be ready in an hour." Pretending that she did not see his lean forward for a kiss, she smiled sunnily and walked from the room, phasing through the door and hurrying to her own bedroom. Jubilee, Jean and Amara were seating in a loose semicircle on her bed, Jean at the head, Jubilee at the foot, and Amara on one side. All of Kitty's shopping bags were piled between them like a cairn.1 "Hello..." she said uneasily when six eyes turned to pin her to her spot.
"Been shopping much?" Jubilee asked with a note of amusement in her voice. She raised one hand and dangled a bright red thong from her forefinger. "This is new..."
"I didn't know you kept tabs on my panties, Jubes. I think I'm flattered." Kitty managed to maintain some semblance of dignity and walked to the group, taking her underwear from Jubilee and gathering her purchases into her arms to pile them on the dresser and desk. "What're you all doing in here?"
Jean raised one auburn brow and said, "Just wanted to see what's going on...you take off this morning at the crack of dawn, getting Logan pissed about something..."
"Logan's pissed?" Kitty asked with a note of alarm, pausing in her efforts to sort through the clothes Tabby had basically chosen for her to wear. "I'd better go see..."
"Not so fast, Kitty," Amara said, rising to halt Kitty's progress towards the door. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?" Kitty asked, sidestepping Amara only to be met with Jean's interference.
"What we mean," Jubilee said from the vicinity of Kitty's dresser, "is that you go off half cocked, apparently, come back with bags of clothes and makeup and whatever this thing is..."
"It's a halter top."
"In February?" Jubilee made "tsk"ing noises and Kitty stuck her tongue out at her. "Anyhow, the fact remains that you're weird today."
"Thanks...now scooI'veI've gotta change clothes. Kurt and I are going to lunch and a movie." She made a "get out" gesture only to have them all make noises of dissention.
Amara shook her head. "We're staying right here until you tell us what you're up to. We already know you were with Tabby and apparently American Express..."
"Cash, thank you very much," Kitty said with a sniff. _Lord knows I have enough of it...more than I ever really need... _
"Whatever," Jean made a dismissive gesture cou could not help the mental calculation of Kitty's purchases. _ Damn...she's set for college, isn't she?_ "We just think you're up to something and, as a sisterhood, we demand you tell us what it is."
"Sisterhood? Demand?" Kitty laughed. "Jubilee, did you come up with that?"
"No, I did," Amara groused. "Tell us! Come on!" Kitty was beset by three girls in various ss ofs of whinging, demanding to be told what she was up to.
"Nothing! I just had a nice talk with Kurt and we're going out on a date, trying to get back on the right foot!" Kitty flung up her hands in aggravation. "Are you guys gonna watch me change or something?"
"Depends," Jubilee said, holding up another thong, this one with a disturbing hint of silver fabric. "What do you charge for the show?"
"OUT!!!"

Logan ran into the trio of girls on his way up the stairs. "She decent?" he asked sharply.
"Er...not for long!" Jubilee mumbled, earning a sharp jab in the ribs from Jean.
"She's changing..."
"Into a topless dancer," Amara muttered. "Ow! You have boney elbows, Jean!"
Logan did not miss any of this. "What the Hell is wrong with you girls lately? Is it...er..."
'Yes, Logan," Jean sighed. "We're all on our periods."
"You know," Jubilee said brightly, "I feel like I could start sloughing off superfluous blood and tissue from my uterus any time now..."
"Enough!" the man roared, clapping his hands over his ears. "I'll catch her later..."
Jean snorted as he trundled off. "Jubes, sometimes you ao weo weird."
Scott was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. "Did I hear you say Kurt and Kitty were going out today?"
"Yeah," Jean said, still annoyed with him but not actually angry. "She's changing right now..."
"Cool...we gave Kurt some tips on how to make things right again...I'm anxious to see how he does!"
"We? Who is this we of which you speak?" Amara asked warily.
"Us...me, Remy, Bobby, St John, Jamie, Lance, Todd..."
"Oh, lord," Jubilee sighed.
Kitty's voice drifted from the top of the stairs. "Guys? You still down there?"
'Yeah," Jubilee called back. "Want to show us your outfit?"
There was silence and then Kitty appeared at the top of the stairs. Scott felt his blood pressure hit new highs at the sight of her outfit. A short plaid skirt, much like that of a stereotypical Catholic school girl, ended much to quickly below her hips. Her white shirt was far too tight and her legs were much too exposed for the cold weather. "Kitty!" Scott finally cried. "I can see your underwear!"
"You know," Jean sighed, "I think Kurt's gonna need all the help he can get!"
1 A pile of stones traditionally used to cover burial sites.