Amanda and Kurt - Saturday evening
Jun. 30th, 2012 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda runs into Kurt at the Brownstone, and after he clarifies he isn't there to visit her, serious talk is had about developments in Kurt's romantic life.
Kurt stepped into the Brownstone lobby with a friendly nod for the doorman who knew him well by now, and started towards the main stairs to the apartment levels.
For her part, Amanda was on her way down the stairs, with plans of food and maybe the pub afterwards. She was coming down with a slight bounce to her step, humming something (out of tune) under her breath and when she spotted her brother, she grinned. "Hey, Blue! I didn't know you were coming over. I was just heading out."
"And how could you, when I had not told you?" he answered teasingly,
stopping to smile a greeting. "You look happy, jel'enedra, I
am glad."
Amanda shrugged. "Well, you know me, I bounce back quick. At least, I do these days, mostly 'cause I'm a good girl and see my therapist and don't let things fester. I eat all my vegetables, too." The last was added with a smirk. "Were you just dropping by for the brotherly check up or...?"
"Partly, yes, I was going to stop in to see you while I was here, although if someone is waiting, do not let me keep you. But principally I am here for a date", he said casually.
"Nah, no-one waiting, just me all on me tod..." Amanda stopped and blinked. "You know, I must have slipped into a time loop or something, 'cause I could've sworn I heard you say you were here on a date." She peered at him. "We didn't lose a few years and we're back to when you were dating Wanda, are we?"
"No, not Wanda, I believe she is back with Dr Strange at the moment", he told her, starting to look a little uncertain. "I did say on the journals, but it was down in comments on a post, perhaps you never saw it. Actually, it is Jubilee."
Amanda's reaction was... surprised, to say the least. Her mouth dropped open and she made a couple of attempts to speak before she finally managed a squeak. "Jubes?"
"Breathe, little sister", he advised, half amused, half concerned. "Yes. We spent a night as cellmates, and then a lot more time together as fugitives, it... made a bond."
"But.. it's Jubilee! I went to school with her!" Amanda gave up all semblance of dignity and actually flailed. "I work with her! She's nuts! She's annoying! She goes through guys like a buzz saw!"
"You work with Wanda, too", Kurt pointed out calmly. "I do not find Jubilee annoying, perhaps a little unusual but not exactly nuts, she is a grown woman now, and as for her dating habits... I trust her not to cheat, we have had that discussion."
"Wait until she rents a fat guy in a diaper to stalk you." Amanda took a breath, trying to rein in her immature reaction of "ew!". "Look, Kurt, I know you and she are grown ups, but... I know the job. I know what Jubes has to do, what we both have to do sometimes. Are you sure you can handle that? The killing and the sleeping with people for information?"
"We had a long talk", he assured her. "Very long, and she laid it all out. She even insisted on a day of thought before I gave a final answer of whether we would continue, and I understand. I know you are worried, but she and I are going to do things right this time."
"But..." Amanda cut herself off. It wasn't fair to Kurt for her to berate him about his dating choices. "Are you happy with her? Really happy? It's not some weird rebound thing after Monet, is it? 'Cause Jubes can be just as self-absorbed as M ever was and I'd hate to see you get hurt because of it."
"For now, yes, I am", he said sincerely. "I care for her, and she cared enough to give me fair warning of what being with her would mean and allow me the informed choice. Everyone can be self-absorbed sometimes, but so far... I have seen no evidence that she is even near Monet's level."
Amanda shook her head. "You really haven't seen a lot of her then. But it's your life. And you've been good about not messing in mine, so why should I give you grief about yours?" She sighed. "Tho' I don't think I'll ever understand your taste in women, Blue. Ever."
"I have seen her in a cell, crying in pain and trying to keep quiet to not attract attention", he said quietly. "And in a rebel camp in Genosha, unable to speak but writing in the dirt as we exchanged histories. And knowing something of hers, starting as a very young girl, I can see how it might have given her a tendency to take care of herself first, but I do believe she is a good person and the self-centredness is not all she is. I do admit that my taste may seem... unusual... from the outside."
"She's got guts, I don't deny that. And 'm not saying she's a bad person. Just... I don't know if she's good enough for you." It was unusual for Amanda to put what she thought of Kurt into words and this was as close as she got. "You're loyal and caring and you stick by people through thick and thin, sometimes longer than you ought. You'll try to rescue her, the same way you tried to rescue me, once. And I love you for it. But 'm worried 'bout you too. Jubes is as broken as any of us in the Trenchcoats, maybe more. I just hope you don't break yourself in the process of being with her." Amanda cleared her throat to move the lump that had suddenly appeared and went back to her usual joking manner. "Just don't snog her in front of me, okay? There's only so much a girl can take after all."
"I know that neither you nor she wants to be rescued, as such", he said softly, stepping over to rest a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "But rather than breaking as she is broken, perhaps instead I can make her a little more whole. I do not hope for miracles, but that, at least, I think is not beyond possibility. I would do the same for you, if I could. And yes, I promise, none of that in front of you."
At the touch, Amanda abruptly moved and threw her arms around Kurt's neck, hugging him fiercely. "You have too much bloody faith in us," she replied, just as softly. "But you wouldn't be you if you didn't. And if she breaks you, I'll break her."
He hugged her back tightly, his cheek pressed against her hair. "If no one had faith in you to keep to the right path, little sister of mine, what would you have to help you stay on it? I do not want you to do any such thing."
She sighed, making a small disgruntled kind of noise. "No fair using logic on me when I'm being all irrational and protective," she complained.
"But that is what I do best." He leaned back to look at her without actually breaking the hug. "I know that your right path - you, collectively, at X-Force - is not the same as mine, but nevertheless it is a right path and you know what would be slipping from it into the wrong. Jubilee and I also have an understanding."
"Fine, fine. But I'll still worry. 'Cause that's what I do, okay?" She poked him in the chest, not painfully. "'S the whole fallout from this sticking by me thing. I worry about you."
"All right." He squeezed her shoulder. "I love you too."
Kurt stepped into the Brownstone lobby with a friendly nod for the doorman who knew him well by now, and started towards the main stairs to the apartment levels.
For her part, Amanda was on her way down the stairs, with plans of food and maybe the pub afterwards. She was coming down with a slight bounce to her step, humming something (out of tune) under her breath and when she spotted her brother, she grinned. "Hey, Blue! I didn't know you were coming over. I was just heading out."
"And how could you, when I had not told you?" he answered teasingly,
stopping to smile a greeting. "You look happy, jel'enedra, I
am glad."
Amanda shrugged. "Well, you know me, I bounce back quick. At least, I do these days, mostly 'cause I'm a good girl and see my therapist and don't let things fester. I eat all my vegetables, too." The last was added with a smirk. "Were you just dropping by for the brotherly check up or...?"
"Partly, yes, I was going to stop in to see you while I was here, although if someone is waiting, do not let me keep you. But principally I am here for a date", he said casually.
"Nah, no-one waiting, just me all on me tod..." Amanda stopped and blinked. "You know, I must have slipped into a time loop or something, 'cause I could've sworn I heard you say you were here on a date." She peered at him. "We didn't lose a few years and we're back to when you were dating Wanda, are we?"
"No, not Wanda, I believe she is back with Dr Strange at the moment", he told her, starting to look a little uncertain. "I did say on the journals, but it was down in comments on a post, perhaps you never saw it. Actually, it is Jubilee."
Amanda's reaction was... surprised, to say the least. Her mouth dropped open and she made a couple of attempts to speak before she finally managed a squeak. "Jubes?"
"Breathe, little sister", he advised, half amused, half concerned. "Yes. We spent a night as cellmates, and then a lot more time together as fugitives, it... made a bond."
"But.. it's Jubilee! I went to school with her!" Amanda gave up all semblance of dignity and actually flailed. "I work with her! She's nuts! She's annoying! She goes through guys like a buzz saw!"
"You work with Wanda, too", Kurt pointed out calmly. "I do not find Jubilee annoying, perhaps a little unusual but not exactly nuts, she is a grown woman now, and as for her dating habits... I trust her not to cheat, we have had that discussion."
"Wait until she rents a fat guy in a diaper to stalk you." Amanda took a breath, trying to rein in her immature reaction of "ew!". "Look, Kurt, I know you and she are grown ups, but... I know the job. I know what Jubes has to do, what we both have to do sometimes. Are you sure you can handle that? The killing and the sleeping with people for information?"
"We had a long talk", he assured her. "Very long, and she laid it all out. She even insisted on a day of thought before I gave a final answer of whether we would continue, and I understand. I know you are worried, but she and I are going to do things right this time."
"But..." Amanda cut herself off. It wasn't fair to Kurt for her to berate him about his dating choices. "Are you happy with her? Really happy? It's not some weird rebound thing after Monet, is it? 'Cause Jubes can be just as self-absorbed as M ever was and I'd hate to see you get hurt because of it."
"For now, yes, I am", he said sincerely. "I care for her, and she cared enough to give me fair warning of what being with her would mean and allow me the informed choice. Everyone can be self-absorbed sometimes, but so far... I have seen no evidence that she is even near Monet's level."
Amanda shook her head. "You really haven't seen a lot of her then. But it's your life. And you've been good about not messing in mine, so why should I give you grief about yours?" She sighed. "Tho' I don't think I'll ever understand your taste in women, Blue. Ever."
"I have seen her in a cell, crying in pain and trying to keep quiet to not attract attention", he said quietly. "And in a rebel camp in Genosha, unable to speak but writing in the dirt as we exchanged histories. And knowing something of hers, starting as a very young girl, I can see how it might have given her a tendency to take care of herself first, but I do believe she is a good person and the self-centredness is not all she is. I do admit that my taste may seem... unusual... from the outside."
"She's got guts, I don't deny that. And 'm not saying she's a bad person. Just... I don't know if she's good enough for you." It was unusual for Amanda to put what she thought of Kurt into words and this was as close as she got. "You're loyal and caring and you stick by people through thick and thin, sometimes longer than you ought. You'll try to rescue her, the same way you tried to rescue me, once. And I love you for it. But 'm worried 'bout you too. Jubes is as broken as any of us in the Trenchcoats, maybe more. I just hope you don't break yourself in the process of being with her." Amanda cleared her throat to move the lump that had suddenly appeared and went back to her usual joking manner. "Just don't snog her in front of me, okay? There's only so much a girl can take after all."
"I know that neither you nor she wants to be rescued, as such", he said softly, stepping over to rest a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "But rather than breaking as she is broken, perhaps instead I can make her a little more whole. I do not hope for miracles, but that, at least, I think is not beyond possibility. I would do the same for you, if I could. And yes, I promise, none of that in front of you."
At the touch, Amanda abruptly moved and threw her arms around Kurt's neck, hugging him fiercely. "You have too much bloody faith in us," she replied, just as softly. "But you wouldn't be you if you didn't. And if she breaks you, I'll break her."
He hugged her back tightly, his cheek pressed against her hair. "If no one had faith in you to keep to the right path, little sister of mine, what would you have to help you stay on it? I do not want you to do any such thing."
She sighed, making a small disgruntled kind of noise. "No fair using logic on me when I'm being all irrational and protective," she complained.
"But that is what I do best." He leaned back to look at her without actually breaking the hug. "I know that your right path - you, collectively, at X-Force - is not the same as mine, but nevertheless it is a right path and you know what would be slipping from it into the wrong. Jubilee and I also have an understanding."
"Fine, fine. But I'll still worry. 'Cause that's what I do, okay?" She poked him in the chest, not painfully. "'S the whole fallout from this sticking by me thing. I worry about you."
"All right." He squeezed her shoulder. "I love you too."
