Constant Craving

CONSTANT CRAVING CHAPTER SIXTEEN (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather and Ted have their dolphin back from Majorca...Lucas and Kristen are taking an extended trip to the Canary Islands but they'll be back soon...The dolphin just missed Foxy and Ted too much! ;) She is also sparkled for Beta-ing. Mucho sparkles. InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink are super. Super super super super super. Vampyre: 2-D needs to breathe! What's that weird noise? Readers/Reviewers: The ducks and I have reached a détente. If I allow them to perform Gilbert and Sullivan instead of Bob Fosse for this story, they'll stop chucking groceries at me. So for your enjoyment (or terror) they will be staging a production of The Mikado. Prepare yourselves...the geisha make up is rather alarming on fowl.



Kurt stared at the crossword puzzle without really seeing it. Logan had left it half-finished on the kitchen table and, out of sheer boredom from being the only other person in the house awake at the ungodly hour of six on a Sunday morning, Kurt had picked up a pencil and made an attempt at completing the project. _Stupid English crossword. Who can think in English at this hour of the morning? _ He had already eaten seven waffles and was seriously considering cooking some eggs when Kitty walked in, yawning and scrubbing sleep from her eyes, clad in her usual yoga attire-sports bra and exercise pants, barefoot, hair scraped back into a ponytail. Seeing Kurt, she smiled sleepily and waved, still yawning. Kurt stared at her, delighted at seeing so much of her skin so early in the day. "Katzchen," he said by way of greeting.
"Mmmm." She poured a glass of juice and sipped it for a moment before saying "Morning, sweetie. What're you doing up this early?"
"Couldn't sleep..." _All your fault! _ "Watched the late night monster movie with Jamie."
"Ah..." She smiled again and reached blindly into the fridge, not bothering to open the door. "Here we are..." with a flourish, she produced a banana and tucked it into the waistband of her pants. "For later," she explained for Kurt's edification when he raised a brow at her. "It's not good to do yoga on a full tummy."
"A banana makes you full? You need to eat more..."
"Don't start with me!" she said mockrilyrily. "I'll eat a big lunch, okay?"
"Promise?"
"Yes, yes...I promise." She shook her head in loving exasperation, her fruit falling from it's place in the meantime. "Damn." Without a second thought, she bent over to retrieve it, a loud, wooden snap making her jerk upright quickly. "What was that?"
Kurt hastily hid the broken pencil behind his back. "Nothing! Crickets..." His grip on the pencil had been such that it broke without difficulty.
"Loud this time of year," she said, not quite believing him. "You going to Mass this morning?"
"Ja...seven o'clock." He averted his gaze, feeling slight twinges of Catholic guilt for thinking non-church-worthy thoughts on a Sunday morning. "Will you still be yoga-ing when I come back?"
shr shrugged. "Probably. Come find me..." Kitty gave him a quick peck on the cheek and a hug around the neck before trotting off in the direction of the downstairs gym.
With a heavy sigh, Kurt let his forehead thump gently against the table. "That's not going to help any, you know," Scott drawled form the doorway.
"Ja, but it can't hurt." Kurt peered up at his friend from beneath a fringe of blue hair. "What're you doing up?"
"Jogging with Jean in about ten minutes. She's on a health kick and says I need to branch out from working out in the gym all the time." Scott shrugged and retrieved a glass of juice before sitting across from Kurt. "You and Kitty on good terms again?"
"I think...I'm not sure. I think she's still...avoiding things." Kurt chewed his lip momentarily. "Jean?"
"Yeah...it's weird. I mean, last night I talked to the Professor and think I have things under control, but then I go to talk to Jean and all I say is that I still hate the Brotherhood, and she kicks me out of her room! Then this morning, she's knocking on my door at half past five, all sweet and...and normal!...wanting me to go running with her!"
Evan's laughing tones proceeded him into the room, "Maybe she's gonna lead you out into the woods then kill ya, man!"
"Ha. Where've you been, guy? No one's seen you for days!" Scott clapped him on the back by way of greeting.
"Around," Evan shrugged.1 "Been busy...finishing that half pipe in sublevel three, taking care of some business for Auntie 'Ro with my folks..." He shrugged again. "Just...around." He popped a handful of cereal in his mouth straight from the box, leaning on the counter as he did so. "So...what the Hell's up with all this nit picking and shit?"
Scott rolled his eyes and prepared to launch into the tale but Kurt stopped him with a sharp jab to the stomach. "What do you know?"
"Girls ain't putting out, you two are all snotty with Lance and Toad...and Remy, for some reason." Evan took the jug of milk from the fridge and poured a glass, draining it before continuing. "What's the deal with that?"
Kurt said rapidly, before Scott could get a word in edgewise, "We're having...issues...with certain Brotherhood members. Like, are they or aren't they?"
Evan nodded. "I see...kind of. I've got no problems with those two, you know."
Scott muttered, "Well, too bad we're not all like you, isn't it?"
"Watch it, Scott...It'd be a shame to make you into a pin cushion this early in the morning." Evan poured another glass of milk and drank half of it before continuing. "So...anyone going to ask me what's new?"
"Okay, I'll bite," Scott sighed. "What's new?"
Evan grinned broadly and took a seat between his friends. "You'll never guess what I busted in on last night!"

Rogue nearly tripped over Todd when she came out of her room. "Damn it! What're you doing?"
He looked up from his spot on the floor, curled into a fetal position and blinking sleepily, "Uh...carpet inspection?"
Rogue snorted and stepped over him, glad she had on boxer shorts under her sleep shirt. "Whatever. Get up!"
Todd scrambled to his feet, wincing as his weight came down on his hurt ankle. His broken finger throbbed mercilessly but he strove to ignore it, staring instead at Rogue, sleep mussed and bare of artifice. "Huh."
"What?" she snapped, not appreciating the morning at all, especially without caffeine.
"No make up."
"Fuck you, Tolensky!" she snapped, then relented, slipping her arm around his shoulders. "Sorry. I'm not a morning mutant."
Todd nodded somewhat glumly. "I understand..." With a sigh, he looked up at her. "You know, you're just as pretty without all the eyeliner."
"Did you not hear what I just said?" she growled. "Save it for after coffee. C'mon. Remy's gonna be up soon an' he'll drink all the stuff before I even get a sip!" She led Todd down the stairs and across the foyer before asking "So why you sleeping outside my door? The bed in the boathouse not firm enough for you?"
Todd snorted. "I just wanted to...um...actually, you're gonna hit me or something if I say it." He broke away and flung himself down on the sofa in the rec room, miserably propping his foot on the coffee table.
"Todd...I may be grumpy but the only way I'm gonna hit you is if you ruin my Type O Negative2 CD's or steal my panties or something."
Todd could not help the lascivious grin that stole across his features. "How about if you just give 'em to me, babydoll?"
"I should kick your ass on principal but there's such a shortage of nice asses in the world...it'd be a shame to waste yours."3
Todd gurgled in an attempt to speak as Rogue smirked, sinking into the battered wingback chair across from him. Coughing, he managed to clear his throat enough to speak again. "I wanted to...to make sure you went to see Beast. To take his tests..."
"You wanted to make sure that I'm gonna let him make me into a case study?" she asked, her drawl thicker than usual, indicating her ire. With her eyes squeezed shut in frustration and against Todd's baleful look, she said "Let's just take this as it comes, okay? I mean, if I can touch you, great. If not, we can work around it!" She forced herself to lot hit him and leaned forward, touching him lightly on his sock-clad foot. "Honestly, I'm scared of disappointment. I'm scared of disappointing...people."
"Who?" he demanded. Rogue looked away and shook her head, making Todd swing his feet off the table to lean across and grab her shoulders. "Who?"
"You," she said softly. "You, damn it. It freaks me the hell out that I care so goddamned much about you. I'm scared that if it was a fluke, you'll never want to be with me again. I'm scared that maybe I'm unmutating or something...I'm scared of everything, alright!" Rogue felt as if a tremendous weight was lifted from her shoulders and she gasped aloud at the physical sensation of relief. _Oh my God. I said it. Oh fuck me running backwards. I said it. _
Todd stared hard at her. He was unsure if she was putting him on or telling the truth, though his heart told him to believe her. Something bothered him, though, something more profound that he could possibly realize. The words spilled from his mouth before he realized what he was saying and Todd felt eloquent for the first time in his life. "Rogue, you're worried too much about others. Worry about yourself for once. I mean, really worry. Worry about what makes you happy, not what others want you to do. Fuck what they think. Sometimes, you just have to do what your heart wants." He hobbled near her and was sick at the fact she drew away slightly, the look on her face one of surprise but one he confused for disgust. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'll go."
Rogue started forward, reaching for him before calling out "Wait!"
"Huh?" Todd refused to turn around. He was miserable. _My foot, my finger, my heart...I knew this was too good to last. _
"Todd...I'm not mad at you. I just don't know what to do without being...like this."
"You don't know if you're not like that anymore, do you?" He turned to face her but only in profile. "I mean, you haven't touched _anyone _ since...since then." Taking a deep breath, he had a flash of inspiration. _If she touches me and I'm drained, she has to see Beast! _ "Make a deal with you...if we can touch, I won't bug you about seeing Beast."
"Huh?" Rogue was about to voice a protest but Todd was too fast. His legs may have been wounded but his tongue was not. Before Rogue could move, he lashed her around the wrist and pulled her to him. The shock was immediate, the feeling of vertigo and nausea coupling with the sensation of the life being sucked out of him making Todd weaken, his tongue go slack even as his knees buckled. _Huh. That's a loud noise. Sounds like a girl...hey! Rogue can scream...weird. Never thought of her as a screamer...she was more of a moaner that time...hey! Look...it's Evan! Nice nice Evan...He's tall...Beast is tall. Oh, good...they're taking me to the infirmary...Now she has to see Beast! _

"Doesn't that hurt?"
Kitty's eyes snapped open and she fell unceremoniously out of her backbend, landing with a muffled thump on the yoga mat. "Lance! Warn a girl!"
Lance snickered briefly before joining Kitty on the ground, sitting cross-legged before her. "Just getting breakfast and wanted to see what was up with you."
Kitty raised an eyebrow, arranging herself into a lotus position. _No point in stopping just because he's here. I just won't bend over in front of him... _ "Not much...you?"
"I think you know..." he gestured to his bruises. "And Amara is...Amara...so that's still there."
Kitty chuckled, leaning into her stretch over her legs. "Frustrated?"
Lance laughed bitterly. "You could say that..." With a sound of stress and frustration, he fell back onto the mat, his legs still crossed before him. "We never talk anymore, Kit."
"I think a lot of that has to do with you being insane for a year or two there..." She shifted positions, moving into child pose4, her voice coming muffled from the floor. "And the whole getting me roasted by my family thing..."
Lance felt flooded with shame and sat up to regard Kitty, finding himself confronted with her back, bent as she was. "Kit, there is no way I can apologize enough, no way I can make up for what I diI'm I'm just a sick bastard."
Kitty slowly sat up into a kneeling position. With solemn eyes, she pinned Lance's gaze to her. "Lance, listen to me carefully. It took me a long time to do this and it took a lot of what I have inside me to do this, but I forgive you for all that. There was a time when I wanted nothing more than to phase you into a brick wall, but I couldn't hate you like that." She knee-walked forward and took his hands in hers. "Lance, I remember when you were a twelve year old with a mullet5 and carrying his bologna sandwich in a plastic Wal Mart bag to school...I remember when we used to sit under the bleachers at lunch and talk about how scared we were of high school...how we used to go to that store on Euclid and get cherry slushies and a roll of Smarties then going to the skate park to watch those guys from school fall on their ass..."
Lance chortled and looked up at her, Kitty's wide eyes for a moment reviving his old crush, his old rush of feelings whenever anyone so much as mentioned her name. But only for a moment. As he looked at her, he thought of Kurt and how the other youth would fight to the death for Kitty but also let her go, something Lance could never do. "Kurt loves you very much," he said suddenly.
Kitty simply smiled. "And I love him. What brought that up?" She adjusted so they were sitting knee to knee, she still holding his hand but thinking nothing of it.
"I couldn't let you be you. Kurt can. He loves you. I just wanted you."
"Lance, you sound like you're breaking up with me or something," she laughed.
"I think I'm finally letting go of something. I mean, I love Amara..." he blushed then and averted his eyes from Kitty's wide gaze, "but some part of me always had a thing for you. I guess some part of me was still twelve. Even when I liked you in high school, I didn't love you like Kurt does."
Kitty smiled again. "Lance, it's okay to be friends with me, you know. Even if Kurt doesn't like you. I've known you since I still slept with a nightlight...I think Kurt will be okay with us hanging out. Not that it's up to him anyway..." she laughed.
Lance chuckled briefly. "I didn't have a mullet."
"Oh, you so had a mullet..." Kitty leaned forward and pulled him into a hug, surprising him no end. "And please try to be nice to Scott and Kurt for me?"
"Anything for a friend," he said, hugging her back.

All Kurt saw was Kitty lean forward and take Lance's hand. That's all it took-he could have sworn he felt steam come out of his ears. "Katzchen..." he muttered under his breath, peering darkly through the window in the door to the gym. They laughed at something and then Kitty leaned forward, arms snaking around Lance's neck and the other boy returned the gesture. Before he knew what he was about, Kurt exploded through the door and had hold of Lance's collar. "Keep your hands off my girlfriend!"



1 Yeah, yeah I know...Evan's here. I just didn't have a good place for him to be coming from at the moment. Maybe later...maybe not... ;)
2 Anyone else Goth out there or is it just me?
3 Shameless Princess Bride rip off...anyone remember the line? Lol...I thought so...
4 kneeling, touching head to the floor w/arms extended before you.
5 Fear the mullet. Really.