A scene from Muir Island

[pyro-by-nature.livejournal.com]

 

John finished helping to make dinner, and decided he would take a shower and put on something slightly more respectable than his current uniform of sweatpants and a hoodie before their guest arrived.

 

He was sitting as his desk, thinking about firing off a quick email to Kitty when Hector stopped by his room.

“Big Blue is here. I’m glad I made Haggis after all- he looks like he’d eat it.” He commented to John, who chuckled.

“He’s in Moira’s office. She asked me to send you when you’re ready” Hector added.

* 

“You aren’t going to examine me or anything, are you?” John asked almost sheepishly.

Hank McCoy’s broad azure face split into a grin “No, John, I’m happy just to look over Moira’s notes.”

“Good” John said, nodding. “I’ve had enough with being the guinea-pig for the moment.”

Hank frowned and studied the young man thoughtfully. “You know you can come back to the school anytime you want, John. You’ve helped Doctor MacTaggart enormously already, and I’m sure she’d understand.”

John looked at his feet and shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t really like being here at the moment” he said quietly. For a moment he considered telling Hank about his suspicions concerning Professor Xavier, but quickly decided that he didn’t need another person thinking he was crazy.

Hank gave him a tiny, understanding smile. “It sounds to me like you might be a little bit homesick…”

John looked at him speculatively but didn’t say anything.

“I think I might have a remedy for that. I brought something for you, from the school”

John nodded. “Kitty said something about sending a care-package with you.”

“I had it taken to your room when I arrived. Why don’t you go have a look?”

“Okay. I’ll see you at dinner” John said.

 

John opened the door to his apartment and stopped suddenly in the doorway.

“Kitty?” he said, slightly disbelievingly.

She was sitting on his sofa, the care-package next to her, grinning at him.

“Brought you treats from home” she said cheerfully.

John gaped at her, looking lost and awkward. He closed the door behind him and walked over to her, looking as though he still didn’t quite believe his eyes.

“I really hope I’m not hallucinating,” he said wryly.

Kitty let out a sad “oh!” and leapt to her feet to capture him in a fierce hug, which he returned gratefully, and then she stepped back to look him over. She took in the dark shadows beneath his eyes, and the way his clothes hung off him.

John’s fingers found hers, and as they entwined he pulled her close again. He leaned towards her, resting his forehead against hers, and her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his warm breath on her lips.

“I’ve missed you so much… god, you have no idea…” he whispered.

She trembled slightly, pulling her hands away from his to wrap her arms around him, drawing his body tightly to her. Her hands ran up his back, her fingers feeling ribs easily beneath his skin.

“Oh, John” she cried softly “What have they done to you?” She ran her hands over his thin shoulders, taking his face into her hands. She looked at him, heartbroken.

“I’ve been sick, Kitty” he said casually.

Kitty shook her head, obviously not finding that a good enough explanation.

“You haven’t been looking after yourself” she said, frustrated. “You’ve been stressing yourself out unnecessarily, making yourself worse-”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, okay?” John said wearily, and silenced her attempt to protest by kissing her. She sank into his arms, still alarmed by how thin and fragile he felt against her, but after a moment she surrendered to his kiss. He broke off and held her tightly, as though he never wanted to let her go. She rested her face in the crook of his neck and he ran his fingers through her hair, caressing the dark strands between his fingertips.

His eyes fell closed after a few moments as he relaxed against her, a smiled played on his lips from how comforted her felt just being near her again.

“I want to talk about what’s going on, John. I’m worried about you-”

John silenced her with a kiss, but broke off when there came a knock at the door. It opened a crack, and Rahne peered in at them.

“Moira said dinner’s ready,” she said.

“We’ll be there in a minute,” John said.

Rahne continued to peer silently at them for a moment, before closing the door. John blinked and shook his head.

“John-”

“After dinner, okay? We can talk then.” John said gently.

Kitty gave a nervous sigh and allowed John to take her by the hand.

*

 

Dinner was a cheerful affair, and the assembled group fairly stuffed themselves on Angus beef roast, poached salmon, mashed potatoes and fried turnips. Hank McCoy was even brave enough to try some of the haggis that Hector had made especially for them, but Kitty blanched and shook her head no when John offered her some, which made him smile.

 

Moira had looked a little disapproving when John had told her that Kitty would stay in his room with him for the duration of her visit.

“You’ve been very ill, young man. I don’t want you doing anything to over-exert yourself.” She told him in such a knowing way that he almost blushed. But despite her warnings he knew he didn’t want Kitty anywhere other than with him. He fetched her bags from the guest quarters and delivered them to his room, casually locking the door behind them.

“Alone at last” he said with a mischievous smile. He moved quickly to her, and pulled her to him, kissing her eagerly.

“I’m glad you locked the door. Rahne is sweet and everything, but I don’t want her surprising us” Kitty said with a grin.

“Yeah, she’s a little too curious for her own good sometimes.” John said darkly.

Kitty smirked and raised her eyebrows, but he didn’t elaborate.

“You know…” Kitty began, a sheepish look on her face. “I was a little tiny bit jealous when you started talking about her.”

John look puzzled. “You were jealous… of Rahne?” he said

Kitty shrugged. “Well, you know… you’re so far away, you’re spending a lot of time with another girl… can you blame me?” Kitty said, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

John leaned in and kissed her deeply. “No, I guess I can’t blame you for wondering. But now I'll just have to reassure you that you’re the only one for me.”

He kissed her intently for several minutes before Kitty broke away, and politely excused herself so she could go take a shower and ‘slip into something more comfortable’

 

She re-emerged half an hour later to find John impatiently waiting for her in bed. His face split into a grin when he saw she was wearing the cute gingham nightdress he’d gotten her for Valentine’s Day.

“Happy birthday” she said saucily.

John looked a little floored that she knew that, but he let it pass. “Do I get to unwrap my present?”

Kitty grinned and took a running leap onto the bed, and crawled into John arms, greeting him with a kiss.

She giggled madly when she climbed in next to him a minute later, and discovered he was wearing the hot stuff boxer shorts she’d got him as his gift.

John made short work of laying her back on the bed so he could kiss her and run his hands over her body.

“Um… John…” Kitty whispered, gently pushing his hands away. She sat up and looked at him nervously. John lay back and smiled slightly.

“If my scrawny, pale body is freaking you out, we can always turn the light off,” he joked.

“No. It’s not that at all… you know it” Kitty said firmly.

John frowned and sat up with a sigh. He looked expectantly at Kitty, and she frowned at him. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said, irritated.

“Like what?” he said, trying to stay calm.

“Like you’re about to get angry. C’mon, we need to talk…”

“Well then, let’s talk. Let’s get that over and done with, so we can relax and maybe enjoy some time together.”

Kitty looked sadly at him. “I’ve been so worried about you”

John shrugged. “I’m surprised you had time to be.”

“What does that mean?” Kitty asked, brow furrowing.

John shook his head at himself. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Kitty sighed. “I’m sorry I haven’t been better at keeping in touch. There’s just been so much crap going on. But, sweetheart, I was thinking about you all the time.”

“I know” John said, looking away from her sad eyes. “I’ve just missed you a lot. And it would’ve been nice to have a little more… support.”

Kitty looked uncomfortable, and she shifted on the bed. “John, about… that-’

 “I know what I felt, Kitty… and you don’t believe me. I really can’t blame you though, I mean, I do realise how nuts it sounds”

“I want to believe you John, but I just can’t- not about something like this. I really think you were imagining things because you were sick and on medications. That’s all. I’m sorry.”

“Then that’s that.” John said, trying for nonchalance. “We’re just going to have to agree to disagree, and move on.”

John-” Kitty protested.

“There’s no sense talking about it anymore, Kitty. We’ll just end up fighting, and I really, really don’t want that.” He said firmly. “Please? I don’t care about it anymore. I just want to spend time with you.”

Kitty sighed. “I don’t like feeling that things are still up in the air.”

John pulled Kitty to him suddenly and kissed her hard. She groaned in protest, and John chuckled, still kissing her. She broke away after a moment and sighed. He kissed her again, and slowly she relaxed into him. He pulled her into his arms and lay her down on the bed, kissing her passionately.
After several minutes she was dazed and breathless, and he smiled down at her. 
“Still need closure?” he asked lightly.

Kitty pulled his mouth to hers again.
"We can kiss it out" she breathed between kisses, and John chuckled again.