Log: Remedy and Shadowcat Who: Elvyran and Kitty Where: Xavier's, front steps When: October 4, afternoon What: A smoke break, some snuggling and some talking.
Elvyran still smoked. In fact, he smoked more now. Political stress, you know. Maybe it was just an excuse. He was lucky Kitty didn't mind the smoking. Elvyran was meticulously clean anyway, brushed his teeth constantly, always kept up on his laundry---he could just avoid the smell by, oh, not lighting up, but ... eh.
So he was sitting outside on the steps, planning on going back in as soon as he was done. It was chilly even this early in October, and Elvyran was tucked into a long, warm coat, like he expected it to snow any second. Maybe it was the formerly-a-cold-dead-corpse thing (or ... something, he was never actually dead but he certaintly remembered dying), but Ran really hated the cold. The things he did for a cigarette, really.
The chill didn't bother Kitty; in fact, she loved it. She walked through the front door with an oversized hoodie draping her small frame, pack of cigarettes and lighter in the front pocket. Hustling down the steps before sitting next to Elvyran and lighting up, she smiled at him. "It's only October, Ran." No need to wrap himself up like it would start snowing any moment.
"It's cold," he protested---before reaching over, tugging Kitty into his lap instead. It wasn't even particularly affectionate; Kitty was just warm, though he pulled his cigarette away from his mouth to kiss her on the cheek like that would make it better.
"It's not that cold, you big sissy." She squirmed a little, resenting that he treated her like a little doll but not particularly minding being closer to him. "Or do you just suck at retaining heat since you're so tall and skinny? Is that why your feet are always cold?"
"My feet are not always cold!" They were. "I don't have any fat to keep me warm." To make his point, Ran pulled her closer, holding her against his chest with one arm.
"Oh, so they're only cold when I'm there? That's a neat trick." Kitty leaned back against him, putting her free hand over his and rubbing it a little. Maybe there were disadvantages to being ridiculously tall that she'd never considered.
"Yes. That is exactly it." He took a drag on his cigarette, turning his face away to exhale. "Or you're just ridiculously warm. It could happen."
"Maybe, yeah. Probably cheaper than a space heater, though." Getting a look at Ran's face required her to crane her neck, twisting around to look at him.
"Not by much," Ran countered, giving her a wry smile before taking another drag and turning away again.
"Just for that, I'm making you take me out for dinner." After a drag on her cigarette, Kitty added, "I need to get out of here anyway."
"Damn. Now what am I going to do?" He turned back to kiss her neck. "We're taking my car." Kitty's was too small and his legs were too long. So there.
"Distract me from how much things suck?" Okay, that sounded bitter. But it was pretty reflective of her mood these days. A smile crossed her face at the kiss, and she added, "I'm fine with that. Your car's nicer than mine."
With all the registration drama going around, Ran wasn't sure what to think. He was legally dead, for Christ's sake, he wasn't sure it applied to him or ... something. "Just don't do anything mutant-y while we're out, him? I won't phase my hand through your wrist if you don't walk through a wall."
"Why would I need to phase through anything? Unless we're attacked, which I hope won't happen... a dinner date does not require walking through walls." Kitty was more upset about Kasey leaving than anything else at the moment. She stubbed out her cigarette on the step before putting her hands in the pocket of her hoodie.
"I never know with you." Elvyran took a last drag before his cigarette went the way of Kitty's, resting his chin on her shoulder. "If we get attacked, we'll let other people take the fall. And then I can shout 'I'm a doctor' and they won't care if we're mutants."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kitty raised her eyebrows slightly, even though he couldn't really see it.
"...Don't you watch medical dramas?" Elvyran watched medical dramas. "You know. Something happens, someone gets hurt or keels over because they're having a heart attack, the doctor on the show shouts 'I'm a doctor' and everybody treats them like they're the second coming."
"I meant the part where you 'never know'. Am I some sort of trigger-happy vigilante or something?" Kitty preferred science fiction to medical dramas, anyway.
"You did take on a pack of thugs in Chicago, you know. You could go off at any moment." He squeezed her reassuringly. He's joking, Kitty, lighten up. "Someone's cranky. It's because Kasey's gone, I know, but she wouldn't want you to be cranky." Elvyran missed Kasey, too, but he was handling it. She did what she thought was best. He respected that.
"It's not like I dragged you into the 'hood, though." Kitty took a long breath and let it out, relaxing against Ran and closing her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just... it's too weird to be here and not have her around. I'm used to having breakfast with her and having her steal my bacon every morning, you know?" Her voice was small and sad rather than cranky now.
"I know," he said softly. "I miss her, too. The medlab's empty without her." Elvyran missed her more than he was really letting on. Who the hell else was he supposed to pick over practice dummies and make inappropriate jokes with? No one, that was who.
"...and I'm being a total ass and making this all about me, aren't I?" Kitty took Ran's hand and moved it into her pocket, where she laced her fingers with his. "I'm sorry." Sorry for being insensitive, sorry that their friend was gone and that there wasn't a lot they could do about it.
"It's all right. I understand." He really did. He could handle the medlab without Kasey, it would be ... fine. Perfectly fine, it would go great. She'd be back soon enough.
"Okay." Kitty stroked Ran's wrist with the thumb of her other hand, turning her head to kiss his cheek lightly. "Think things are gonna be all right?"
That was where he faltered. Elvyran rested his forehead against her shoulder. "I don't know. I just ... no, I don't know. I have no idea. With our luck, no, and then yes."
"No and then yes? Like the country's going to devolve into chaos again but we'll get a big triumphant happy ending?" If they were lucky, maybe.
"More or less. That seems to be the trend around here."
"The hero vanquishes overwhelming odds and gets a nice picturesque kiss from his token love interest." Kitty smiled. "Doesn't sound too bad."