Kate turned on the lamp next to her bedside, unable to sleep. It had been over a month since she’d last seen Kurt, and she’d really hoped that they’d get to catch up before she had to set sail in the morning again. They’d made plans for the day before, but as was usually the case now that they each accepted opposite positions in the quest for bringing all mutants to safety he’d gotten pulled in a different direction.
Of course he’d texted her to let her know that he wouldn’t make it in time for dinner and that she didn’t have to wait for him, but she’d waited anyway while sending a few sly texts of her own. That was over twenty-four hours ago. Since when did her best friend become another sentiment on a light up screen?
She sighed, pulling out the letters from their waterproof case where she’d stashed them in her coat pocket. The letters he’d written her every day while she was gone. She only got five sentences in to the first tear-stained one before her eyes started welling up with her own tears. The thought of going another month without checking in on him, without seeing the tips of his fangs peek through his mirthful smile as he wished her a good journey before going off on his own adventure made the tears start to sting.
Her phone vibrated on her nightstand and she picked it up distractedly, hoping the sound wouldn’t wake up Lockheed. He was curled up on the rug in the room next door, but she knew his focus would be razor sharp if he knew she was awake and bustling about.
The second alert to the text message she’d just received buzzed in her hand and she swiped to open it.
“What are you doing right now?” it read.
She grinned, typing a fast reply. “Manifesting talking to you, apparently. Where are you?”
“I know it’s late, Liebchen. But do you still feel like having some company?”
“Only if it’s soft and fuzzy.”
Three dots pulsated on the screen in her hand for a moment before his next reply came through. “Where are you?”
“In the cabin,” she replied. “You know the one.”
“Is Emma with you?”
“No. I’m alone. But where are you? I can come to you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m close by.”
She folded the letters up neatly and put them on the nightstand. “How close?”
BAMF!
“Real close,” He said with a grin as he materialized seemingly out of thin air.
Her smile widened and she threw the covers off of her, stepping out of the bed and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “Kurt,” she murmured.
“Katzchen,” He said softly, enveloping her in his embrace.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered into his ear. For some reason the time of night and the darkness outside of the curtained window gave her the urge to keep quiet.
“You have no idea,” he murmured back, just as quietly.
“Are you hungry? I’ll fix you something quick,” she offered.
He waved her off. “I won’t be long. Just wanted to see you and wish you well before you leave me again. How long did you say this one would last?”
She frowned. “I’m not sure. But you’ll be the first person I call when I get back. Then we can hang out properly.”
He smiled wistfully, letting his fingers brush a loose strand from her messy ponytail behind her ear. “It seems like I just got you back, and here we are leaving each other again.”
“Kurt?” She nudged his foot gently with hers, her eyes following his line of sight to the barely concealed letters folded up on the nightstand. Her cheeks reddened slightly, knowing he would know what they were. “Oh, I was just…”
“You know after the first failed attempt to bring you back, I didn’t think anything of it. I assumed there was fault in the process.” He lowered his head, his eyes seeing something she couldn’t see. “After the second time, I started to panic and after the third I think my heart forgot all of my earthly duties in its consumption of you.”
He swallowed hard. “It didn’t occur to me until about the tenth time to wonder what my life would look like without you in it.”
“And?” She reached for him without thinking.
“Let’s just say I’m lucky the eighteenth time was the charm.” He took her hand in his, held it close to his chest.
“It’s good to be back,” she said gently, taking a step towards him. “I just wish we had more time to catch up.”
“If one more hug is all we have time for on this night, then it is well worth it,” He said, pulling her in again.
She clutched at him tightly. “Why don’t… why don’t you just stay here tonight?”
He thought for a moment.
“I mean, unless you have somewhere else you need to be.”
He nodded slowly at that. “Alright.”
“Okay. Good.” She climbed back into the bed, scooting over to one side to make room for him and waiting for him to get comfortable before she leaned against him.
They were quiet for a moment, one three-fingered hand moving through her hair and smoothing it back into place.
“I’m sorry, Kate. You did not want me to come here and speak of such somber things, I’m sure.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
“Is there something you wanted to talk about, Liebchen?”
“Nothing in particular,” she said with a slight shrug, leaning her head back to meet his gaze. “I just wanted to see your face.”
His hand left her hair, one finger trailing down her cheek and tapping under her chin to tilt her head up so she could do just that, his gaze never leaving hers.
“Sometimes,” he whispered thoughtfully. “What we want and what we need turn out to be the same thing.”
She touched her hand over his where it was still holding her face, her eyes meeting his, glowing softly in the darkness. And then he leaned his head down and kissed her softly, his lips pressing against hers.
Before she even had time to register what was happening, it was over and he was pulling away, a horrified look on his face as he cowered back against the headboard.
Her mouth was still open, slightly in shock and her heart beat faster with the realization that she just wanted him close. That realization caused butterflies in her stomach. When did the thought of being close to her best friend start to give her butterflies?
“I-I-I… I’m sorry, Katzchen, I-I’m so sorry, I-“
She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, twisting her body around in his arms so she could properly close the distance between them, her hands going to his head and tangling in his thick blue hair as she kept him kissing her.
He gasped into her mouth, his arms going around her shoulders, holding her close as they kissed passionately.
Eventually they had to breathe and she kept her gaze on his, her hands braced on his shoulders, their faces only inches apart in the moonlight seeping through the curtain.
“Hi,” he whispered, a little shakily once he’d stopped panting long enough to catch his breath.
“Hi,” she whispered back with a smile, leaning forward on her knees to get her mouth close enough to his again.
He took the hint, kissing her softly and slowly for a moment before his arms engulfed her again and she raised her hands to his face, her fingertips gliding over the soft hairs that covered him.
His hands lowered to her waist, grasping her gently as they kissed, then more insistent as she sighed softly into his mouth.
“Kurt,” she murmured as his lips traveled down her neck, the tips of his fangs making her shiver.
She lowered her hands down his shoulders and chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and slipping her fingers inside, feeling his soft fur.
He was getting fearless as he lowered her into the bed while they kissed and she realized that her thin nightgown was barely a barrier between them as his strong hands roamed her body.
She shrugged down beneath him, his warm weight a comfort as they lay chest to chest and she pressed her knees into his waist.
He made a soft sound and she nuzzled his neck, nipping slightly at his earlobe while she slipped his unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders, her hands slowly exploring his chest and abs.
“Fuzzy Elf,” she breathed.
He kept one arm around her, holding the back of her head gently as he kissed her thoroughly, his other hand gripping her waist while the tip of his tail softly stroked her bare thigh.
She slid her hands down his stomach, hesitating slightly at his belt buckle. She knew what she’d find if she continued her exploration any lower as she’d felt the pressure against her hip before he’d shifted his weight.
“It’s okay,” he whispered as she hesitantly unfastened his pants. “I want you to touch me.”
The tip of his tail toyed with the hem of her nightshirt, pushing it up past her panties. “Do you want me to touch you?”
“Oh, god, yes,” she breathed, sliding her hand over the bulge in his pants before tugging them down and slipping a hand between them to grip him.
He groaned softly, moved his hand low enough to realize her panties were damp and cursed in German as she pumped her hand up and down his hard length.
She moaned as his fingers felt their way beneath her underwear, stroking her before two of them slipped inside her.
His other hand found its way up her nightgown, groping her breasts and kissing her neck as he fingered her.
“Kurt,” she moaned, her hips bucking against his hand as he grinded himself into hers.
“That feel good, baby?” he asked, pumping his fingers faster.
“Oh yeah,” she moaned. “How about you?” She asked. “Do you like it?”
“Ja,” he said breathlessly, biting his lip in concentration. He closed a hand around her wrist when it started to feel too good. “Easy, Angel,” he whispered. “Unless you want this to be over quickly.”
She shook her head. “I want you,” she choked softly. “Everywhere.”
He leaned his head against hers. “I want you,” he promised. He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, pushed his fingers a little deeper and she came, crying out and clutching him tightly.
She kissed him fiercely and suddenly the thin nightgown became too much and she wiggled under him, shimmying as he pulled it up to help him get it off of her.
His fingers traced her collar bone, causing goosebumps to appear over her flesh and then he put his hands where he really wanted them, cupping and squeezing her breasts.
She pulled him down and held him, relishing the feel of his soft fur against her naked breasts.
He closed his eyes, his mouth open against hers.
“Is this one of those rare times where what we want is the same as what we need?” She asked quietly.
He nodded, kissing her softly. “I think it is, Katzchen.”
Her hands were in his hair, her body pressed to his and she felt the pressure between her legs as he leaned into her, slowly at first and then all at once until they were moving to the same rhythm.
“Oh, Kurt,” she moaned as his hips rolled into hers and she pushed back against him, over and over.
“Katzchen,” he said with a groan, his breaths coming out more like gasps.
“Right there,” she whispered. “Oh, Kurt, don’t stop.”
“Never,” he whispered back as she cried out, nails digging into his back as she shuddered, over and over.
He clutched at her, erupting with a loud grunt.
“That,” she whispered.
“What?” He murmured, catching her hand in his and bringing it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles as they rearranged themselves.
“I think that’s exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to see your face. I wanted to see it do that.”
He laughed, the tips of his fangs peeking out of his lips as he smiled playfully, pulling her into his chest.
“You should just come with me tomorrow,” she said.
“I should,” he replied, a little sleepily.
She turned her head to look at him across the pillow. “Then we wouldn’t always be leaving.”
“We’ll talk about it in the morning, Liebchen,” he said quietly. “Just know that I have no intention of us being apart.”
She sighed softly as she cuddled into him, the fingers of one hand slipping between his as they drifted off to sleep.