Saturday Night| Kurt & Tabitha | Tough Love

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Facing yet another sleepless night, Tabitha finds a friend wanting to talk.



Everything was just right. Her battered Army cot stood between the stacks of books beneath the main library. It was dim, but not dark. The room was cool, just pleasant enough for her light blanket.

But still sleep wouldn't come.

She watched the wall clock tick passed 3am silently. She couldn't even blame the clock noise.

There was a bamf over by the door, then the soft sound of bare furry feet on concrete, approaching her spot.

"I thought I would find you down here."

She pushed the blanket down and sat up. "If it's not my thief in the-" She paused, forehead wrinkled. "When DID you steal my cot?"

"Which time?" he asked wryly. "In general, probably when you were upstairs at work. I knew where you would be then."

"The bamfy thing is cheating, just so you know." She pulled her blanket to her chin with a pout. "*I* had to brush up on lock-picking. And getting caught braless by your roommate."

He visibly had to restrain laughter at the last part. "You cannot blame me for the second thing. You could have gone to your room first. Also, you could just have asked for it back."

"Pfft!" She patted the cot next to her. "Have a seat, this thing's tough." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "It didn't turn out so badly. We had coffee. He didn't yell at me for picking locks."

"All right." He settled down beside her comfortably. "I am glad you two are getting along so well. Though next time I will leave my door unlocked, to save you the trouble."

Her mind zipped. Possibly the result of all the caffeine running through her system. "He's the one that pulled me out of that trap Arcade put me in," she said softly. "Felt ridiculous that I couldn't get myself out."

"Arcade's traps are not meant to be got out of", Kurt pointed out. "Unless, of course, he wants them to be."

She grinned. "I thought we were supposed to be super heroes or something. Way better than Arcade."

"Ah, but every superhero needs a supervillain who is not too easy to defeat." He grinned back. "More seriously, that should not be something where you are hard on yourself. I am sure he tailored it to counter your powers."

She shrugged. "Spilled milk under the bridge," she said. "What brings you to my humble hide out?"

"I wanted to see if you would be awake", he said simply. "I think it is time we talked about this, my friend."

She twitched. "About the dust in here? I was thinking about getting some minions, I mean, students, to help out and get it cleaned up. As a summer project."

"No, Tabitha." His voice was kind but unyielding. "About you being unable to sleep in your own bed, and only sometimes getting a good night's sleep at all. Did you think we would not notice?"

She shrugged, attempting for nonchalance. "Maybe a new mattress?" she suggested weakly.

"You and I both know there is nothing wrong with your mattress." Kurt looked at her directly. "Please talk to me."

She rubbed her eyes, they burned. Probably all the dust. "It's been over a year, you think I'd be over it by now."

"You do not just get over what happened", he said softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Have you talked to anyone about it? Leonard, Charles, Haller, anyone?"

Tabs' eyes got wide. "I'm not good with the whole confession thing." And Cammie had been trying to keep her nose clean, or something.

"But confession, my dear Tabitha, is good for the soul. And it will never go past these four walls, no one but me can hear you down here."

She rubbed her eyes again, the burn grew more intense. "It just all seems so selfish," she admitted. "I was away from everybody, couldn't help anyone."

"Many of us failed to help in at least one way", Kurt said sadly. "There was nothing to be done. But you suffered too, do not downplay
that."

She shrugged. "A few threats, found some fears I didn't know I had. Told you it was selfish." And that part was what ate at her the most.

"I disagree", he told her firmly. "To be alone and afraid, facing an enemy the likes of which we had never encountered before... not selfish at all for it to affect you, I think."

"So..." She took a breath. "I hate being alone. I feel..." She struggled for words. "If I'm close to someone, a friend, we can watch each other's backs, y'know?" She snorted. "Given the beefed up security here, I know how ridiculous that is."

"Tabitha, stop being so hard on yourself." He turned to look at her. "Fear is rarely if ever logical. But that does not explain what you are doing down here alone, not sleeping."

"Sometimes I sleep!" She said defensively. "The books, the smell, it's... soothing." Avoiding the question again. Her eyes started leaking. "I don't want to be the one needing saving any more," she whispered.

"Oh, Tabitha." Kurt pulled her fully into a hug, allowing for no resistance. "You have already been saved, and helped to save countless others too. Now it is about recovering, not pretending there is nothing to recover from. Let us help you, even if that means you moving permanently onto our couch."

She could only let him hug her, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She was afraid she would never let go. It took a long time to be able to talk without crying. "You may regret that offer," she said with a distinctly watery undertone.

"Never." It was almost fierce, and thoroughly meant. "You know I would do anything for a friend, and such an easy thing as that..."

Her hands clenched tighter, almost as tight as her eyes. "Kurt-" she tried. An all to obvious sniffle made its way out. "Thank you for being my friend."

"You are very welcome." He tightened the hug briefly before easing off again. "And thank you for the same."