Kitty had been making a lot of efforts where Emma was concerned. They weren’t the same people they dreamed they were, and yet she probably hadn’t made as much of an effort as she could have otherwise. So she’d invited her out to lunch. A nice, catching up, friendly lunch.
Honestly Kitty needed something like that. She felt really cooped up and lonely. Probably mistletoe bait.
She sat first, ordering their drinks and then she couldn’t help but start the conversation with, “So are you gonna make Jean an honest woman or do I have to sic Logan on you?”
Being almost friends with Kitty wasn’t the strangest thing in the world, sure. But then it also wasn’t the first thing Emma had thought would happen when the dreams began to unfold, less so the more she knew about her relationship with the young mutant there. As with anything else, however, it didn’t seem to be a controlling factor, and as they shared more friends, Jean and Logan included, the efforts didn’t seem to be fruitless.
Until times like this. “Perhaps I’m waiting for Jean to make an honest woman of me.” Although, if she were honest about it all, the thought of marriage hadn’t actually crossed Emma’s mind, considering the cajoling it took to get Jean to move in with her. “Although I highly doubt the Logan would really be effective a threat.”
"Don't count that out," Kitty warned. She distinctly remembered it had eventually been Jean that had proposed to Scott. She wouldn't put it past her.
Part of her was more than willing to encourage it, if it made them happy. Kitty's own love life was six feet under and she had to vicariously live through someone else. That that someone could be Emma Frost was ironic. "You might be right though. How have you been?"
Jean was most definitely the type to take action if it were what she wanted, and Emma adored that about her, none of the hesitant ‘whatever you want’ nonsense, Jean was far too forthright for that. And if that included her feelings on marriage, then Emma wasn’t opposed.
“Consistently well,” Emma answered with a sip of her drink, “Which is mildly concerning but nothing so terrible I’m losing sleep over.” The dreams weren’t deplorable to the point that she needed to diamond over and Jean seemed to be doing well, if she wasn’t she hadn’t told Emma, she would worry about what was to come when it came. “And yourself? I do hope you do more than simply work.” Which was rich, coming from Emma.
It was definitely rich coming from Emma, but Kitty didn’t say that. Instead, she laughed. “Mostly work. Some uh, night work too. Rooftop type stuff.” Violence didn’t solve everything but beating up muggers usually made her feel better.
“Got plans to visit the kids and my dad next week for a few days. Couldn’t swing a full holiday but at least there’s that.” Kitty reached for her drink. “Do you two have plans for New Years?”
Raising an eyebrow, Emma didn’t comment on Kitty’s chosen night time activities. She hadn’t rightly fallen into the superhero shtick herself, but it made sense that the most morally narrow of the X-Men would feel far too responsible to settle back, even if it wasn’t a threat to the whole world. “Don’t go turning Avenger on us, Kitty. I think they already outnumber us.”
Planning ahead seemed to be something that Jean and Emma didn’t do. Honestly the Thanksgiving trip was last minute and their Christmas plans were minimal so New Year was--- “Not currently, I don’t think.” She may have to check in with Jean later. “I dare say something will come up, party invites are never slow, it’s just going to some of these idiotic things that is dire.”
There were Kitty’s morals, but there’d been some other reasons for it, most of them selfish. “God, I’d never do that. I have enough memories of the bullshit they’ve pulled to never consider the idea, ever. Doing SHIELD work was bad enough. Anyway I was thinking we could do something. Just us mutants and their plus ones.”
A mutant fest for New Year didn’t sound overly trite, possibly a little more like they’d have had at the mansion at least, just the X-Men and all the students, and it did make Emma miss the hustle and bustle that was always going on around there, “That actually sounds like it might be fun.” Especially since they shouldn’t have to worry about things like attacks or some new world plight to destroy their kind. “And I dare say Jean would enjoy the togetherness of it just as much.”
She would, Emma knew she would. “Do you have a something in mind, or are you winging it?”
“I think I’ll wing it. Good drinks, some appetizers, that sort of thing. You’ll practically be slumming it but I’ll figure something… out.”
Kitty felt the strangest urge to kiss Emma. It wasn’t like Emma wasn’t stunningly hot, or that she hadn’t thought about it in the privacy of her own mind buried deep deep down where Emma didn’t typically dwell.
“Slumming isn’t always all bad.” And Emma took a very deep interest in her drink then, because it was a strange notion, for some reason, considering the moment to be a good one to kiss Ms Pryde. Her bisexual leanings weren’t a secret, and even though she was deeply involved in her relationship with Jean, she wasn’t entirely turned off to the attractiveness of other people.
Kitty was subjectively attractive, even when they were snarking at each other over something that Emma had undoubtedly done wrong. Still, Emma rarely actually entertained notions such as -she knew she would have utterly fabulous hate/trust relationships with most of the female X-Men colleagues, truly. Clearing her throat and putting her drink back on the table, delicately manicured nail following the rim of the glass, “But it sounds just as last minute and thrown together as many of our gatherings tend to be.
Was it hot in here, or was that just Emma?
“Those are the best kind, aren’t they?” Kitty flashed her a grin, then picked up her drink to try to cool herself down, before she did something really stupid. It probably wouldn't be so bad except they were in public. And Emma was seeing Jean that was probably important but Kitty wasn’t really focusing on that part. And Emma was Emma.
She excused herself and rushed to the ladies room to splash water on her face.
Only a certain evil mistletoe wasn’t having none of that, even if it had to push Emma to follow her whether she wanted to or not.
Emma wasn’t one of those women who needed to accompany friends to the bathroom, the myth of girls going in hoards together was just ridiculous, and yet, as Kitty excused herself, Emma really couldn’t help but get up and follow. She wasn’t sure why she was following, and yet there she was, in the bathroom.
“Are you feeling okay?” Which, really, was Kitty? Emma was practically entering her personal space, and for some reason she was just watching the little beads of water Kitty splashed on her face, one was escaping down her jaw. The natural progression had Emma’s gaze shifting towards Kitty’s mouth, and that still remaining urge to just kiss the girl. It had Emma leaning forward before she was really thinking.
Kitty stared up into Emma's blue eyes. She didn't know what possessed her. Maybe it was because she was a little touch starved, but as soon as Emma leaned in, she leaned up, moving her hand to behind Emma's neck and kissed her.
The tiniest of moans escaped her mouth.
Which was apparently exactly what was meant to happen, because Emma figured that something clicked when her mouth met Kitty’s. Emma met the kiss with just as much enthusiasm, her body twisting to press towards Kitty as her hands slid down to rest against the younger woman’s waist.
Being that Emma committed to everything, it wasn’t a terribly chaste kiss, considering the circumstances, and she didn’t even mind Kitty’s grasp at the back of her head. Although the strange pressure towards following Kitty had left, Emma didn’t bother stepping back just yet.
The kiss was probably the exact opposite of chaste and though the strange pressure had ceased Kitty still fought through a bit of a haze. This was the kind of circumstances that could make Kitty get really enthusiastic, especially as Emma's body molded against hers. Her free hand rested on Emma’s back, near her tailbone.
Pulling Kitty just that little closer, Emma sighed into the kiss, her hands running up Kitty’s waist a little before moving back to rest on the girl’s hips. Drawing back from the kiss slowly, Emma kept her hands where they were even as she parted from Kitty.
It was a little more obvious that this was all push be the usual weirdness of Orange County. “Well,” not that Emma really fought too much about it. “That was new.”
Kitty had a vision of apocalyptic fire and a very angry Jeanie, and swallowed. She really should let go and pull away, but she hadn’t been close to someone in months. “I’d have something funny to say but my brain isn’t really firing on all cylinders right now.”
Which was probably a compliment.
Emma just smirked lightly, even as she licked her lips and gave Kitty’s hips a small squeeze before drawing back herself. “Well, I’d say that wasn’t entirely different from usual, is it? But it’s not terribly often I get to render you speechless.” Emma wasn’t just as toxic as she could be with words, but she didn’t exactly want to be either.
“So, apparently Orange County is a fan of our budding friendship.” Which was putting it lightly.
Did she just…? Why did she just…? Kitty was once again speechless, though she did close her jaw. She could feel the heat in her face as she found her words. “The OC may have different definitions of friendship than I’m normally used to.”
Her one-time fling with Rogue not-withstanding.
“Well, the OC is a shit stirring nuisance.” Because yes, Emma was going to need to explain this to Jean, there wasn’t a way in the world she wouldn’t be explaining it somehow, although she at least knew that she and Kitty weren’t suddenly making out because of a deep seated love that was just hidden under the animosity - mostly.
“Although my definitions on friendships are about this loose anyway.”
Love, no. Probably some attraction at least on Kitty’s part, yes. Though she wished Emma had said something about that definition of friendship before Jean had been in the picture. Kitty ruffled her hands through her hair. “I’m gonna get roasted alive.”
“Hardly,” although Emma had to smile at Jean’s possessive streak, they did say redheads have a fiery temper. “Besides, I kissed you. I’ll get the spanking.” And yes, that smirk was decidedly naughty. Emma was definitely picturing the so called ‘punishment’. Clearing her throat slightly, Emma gave her make-up a once over before combing her fingers through the back of her hair to settle it. “It will be fine, Katherine.” Emma would just share the whole thing with Jean, at least then she’d understand what the compulsion to do it all felt like.
“Shall we?”
A similar mental image flashed through Kitty’s head for all of a second, but then she had her share of kinks that she didn’t like to talk about and that was definitely one of them. It kind of aligned with the being tied up thing.
“Y~eah…” Kitty nodded. She was just really glad they were more frienemies here than enemies. “Lets.”
Emma gave Kitty a slight side-eye, almost enough to indicate that maybe she’d seen that little tid-bit, or maybe she was just able to read Kitty’s response to Emma’s remark. Either way, Emma didn’t comment, just smiling sweetly at the girl, which was probably more unnerving than anything else, before grabbing the door. “I don’t know about you, but I need another drink.”