xp_logs | Monet and Kurt, Saturday night

Kurt had turned the computer off, after replying to Amanda's comments, and it hadn't been turned on again since. He was stretched out on his bed now, half-reading a book without actually taking anything in.

Monet had taken one glance at the post, seeing it for the first time a good day or so after Kurt had made it and picked up a bottle of wine before heading down the corridor to Kurt's suite. She dropped her shields briefly to determine that he was in there and knocked on the door. "Kurt? Lemme in."

He turned sideways for a moment, looking at the door, but the decision was already made. Swinging himself up, he loped to the door to open it. "I thought perhaps you might come."

"Emo journal post is emo. Of course I came." Monet gave him a brief hug. "How are you, dude?"

"I am not 'emo'", he claimed with a very brief flash of humour, then the faint smile vanished. "I am... adjusting, I think."

Monet snorted. "That's what they're calling it these days, is it?"

"It is what I call it." That came out a little stubborn, then he offered a rueful half-grin. "Realizing one has been taken for a fool for two years is a lot to come to terms with."

"Well, at least you realized?" She bumped his shoulder. "Look, you saved the kid. That's what counts. Doesn't matter that you were all, 'oh, she's just missunderstood' before. I read the files, dude. She knew how to work you 'cos you're y'know, nice."

He leaned into the contact, slightly and unconsciously. "That is true. First I wanted answers, and then I wanted a mother, and she... of course she knew it."

'Of course she knew it. She pretends to be other people for a living. She knows how to get people to do what she wants."

"I can only hope others see it that way, and know things have changed now. Forge understands, and Scott has not thrown me out, but I cannot expect perfect acceptance of all the team."

"Like none of them have ever been sucked in by some crazy person before. Fuckers."

Kurt snorted. "Ah, Monet. Always you know just what to say to burst the seriousness." That was affectionate and a little grateful.

She gave a quietly non-committal "nrgh," uncomfortable as always with other people's emotions.

Picking up on it, Kurt stepped away slightly, nodding to the bottle in her hand. "Let me find some glasses."

"Awesome. Thaaaaank you, Kurt." Monet settled on the couch, enjoying the view as Kurt fetched the glasses. "Seriously, though, dude. They're being fucktards if they hold it against you."

"We will see", he said simply, joining her on the couch and setting the glasses on the coffee table. "They are good people, so I hope they will all at least come to understand."

"Yeah. And you handled the mission well. That has to count for something."

"It could not have ended better, really", he conceded, nodding as he poured the wine. "Not counting the things we were all too late to prevent." A sideways glance at her. "And how have you been, while we are talking?" As opposed to doing other things, that was.

"They can pretty much always go better, so." Monet shrugged. "Good good."

"Good to hear." He handed her her glass then settled back against the couch, already a little more relaxed than when she'd arrived.

"Yeah."