Kitty froze for a second, then closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss.

He parted her lips with his, kissing her gently, then smiled and pulled away. She continued to stand with her eyes closed, rocking onto her toes before realising he wasn't in front of her anymore.

She blinked and stared. "What?"

"Hmm." He licked his lips. "Banana lipgloss… not a fan, myself."

"Not a fan of what?"

They both turned and stared at Lance, who had just appeared in the doorway. Pietro's smirk snapped into place and his arms crossed unconsciously. "Bananas. Don't like them."

Lance walked up to him, smiling. "But you love to suck a good banana, Pete."

"Pietro." He snapped. "I realised you were taking all the yellow fruit and went off them slightly, like Pryde and dark chocolate." He looked at Kitty. "White chocolate is better for you. See ya." He saluted Lance and walked from the theatre.

Lance blinked at his retreating back, then turned to Kitty. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Late?" she repeated.

"Yeah, got held up at work. Sorry."

She gazed at him for a second. "Oh. Late. Right. Yes. No, it's okay. Pietro and I… he was here… and we started talking, waiting. Yeah."

He stared at her for a few seconds. "So… what did you want to talk about?"

"Uhh… I wanted to talk… about… us. You and me. You and… me."

He nodded. "Yeah?"

She shook her head, trying to clear it. "So good… anyway… um… I realised something this week and like, well, I'm sorry, Lance, but… I'm not so sure we're right, y'know?"

He stared at her. "What?"

"I like you and everything, but, well… we don't fit. I thought we were… I thought we were meant for each other and all that… but… we aren't."

Lance stumbled backward slightly, like she'd hit him. "What?" his breathing became harsh, ragged. "What?"

"It's not that I know this is how it is, and that's what's wrong. You're important, Lance. I don't want to hurt you by being with you and not caring." She looked up at him, concerned. "We're always breaking up. And I think… I think maybe we should stop trying to make this work. If it's meant to be, Lance, I'll know. But I don't know. The only thing I do know is that it wasn't love that… We were just… It's not fair on either of us."

He nodded dumbly. "Um… yeah. Yeah, sure."

She smiled nervously. "I'll um… I'll see you around?"

He nodded again as she walked past him. He laughed hollowly. "We can still be friends," he said.

She paused in the doorway and bit her lip, then shook her head and continued out.

Lance clenched his fist and dropped into a chair, pressing it to his forehead. "God- freaking- damn."

Todd grimaced as the front door slammed open. It was still raining outside, and it sounded just like one of those bad movies when the lightning started.

He buried himself back in his pile of books, but not even he could ignore it when Pietro slammed open his door and leaned against it, grinning.

Todd pulled down his earphones and blinked slowly. "Yo, Pietro, how you doin'? Get outta my room."

He grinned. "Wanted to say thanks."

"Thanks? Thanks for what?"

"Thanks for playing boxes. As such, here." He held out a box and Todd stared. "Take it."

"What is it?"

"It's a Discman." He smiled. "Some girl bought it for me a few weeks ago and I didn't know what to do with it. You have it."

Todd narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Don't tell Lance about what you told me." He grinned and dropped the box on the bed, then opened the door. "I'm going to bug Tabitha for some cash and buy dinner. See ya."

Todd stared as his door closed, then took his headphones completely out of his ears, left them on the Walkman and moved to the bed. "Shit. He wasn't joking…"

Pietro was reading a book on fixing computers when the door opened again. He didn't bother to look up until Lance stopped beside him, dripping wet and fuming.

"Nice swim?" he asked politely.

Lance made a grab for his collar, but Pietro was gone, leaning on the wall beside him instead. Lance clenched his teeth and turned to him. "What did you say to her?"

"Who? Oh, Pryde? Nothing. We were just talking about lip gloss." He had to dash around again as Lance lunged at his throat. "Lance, it ain't my fault if you suck in the sack." He ducked again, grinning, then grabbed Lance's wrists, slamming him back against the wall. He leaned in, inches from his face, all humour gone. "She deserves better than you. Don't think I don't know about Christie or whatever her name is. And it's her choice. Got nothing to do with me until she realises what a stud I am."

He pushed off from Lance, smiling. "Hit me with your best shot, babe."

They just stared at each other for a few seconds, then Pietro grinned and turned. He was halfway across the room when something hit the back of his head, making him drop to his knees. He groaned, holding the back of his head, and glared. "What the hell was that?"

Lance laughed. "I knew we let Todd keep these for a reason."

Pietro blinked and looked at the floor, where a thick book was lying. He growled. "You touch the hair, you die." He warned him.

"And I've never heard that before." Smirked Lance. "Wasn't that what you said the day before you let Davis really mess up your hair?"

"That is it!" snapped Pietro, and dove at him. "I've had it with your stupid freaking jokes!"

Lance hit the ground hard and rolled away as Pietro's fist hit the ground by his head. He knew Pietro wasn't serious, or he wouldn't have been able to dodge it at all. He was just warning him.

But Lance was serious. He raised both hands as if to say he'd surrender, then kicked out with both legs, hitting his stomach and throwing him against the wall. He threw out one fist and felt his eyes roll back in his head as his powers started shaking the video case Pietro had landed against.

The shorter boy groaned and shook his head to clear it. People could rarely catch him to hit, he wasn't particularly good at taking punches.

Then the shaking registered and he looked up. "Oh, crud." He said, as the shelves tilted forward. He took off at a sprint out the door and Lance snarled as the case crash to the floor.

"You touch her, Maximoff…" he muttered, knowing it was useless to call after him.

Tabitha was sitting on the stairs beside a ball of clothes and blue hair that Jean recognised as Kurt after an argument. She stared at the pair, then stepped into the room. "What happened?"

"I kinda had an accident." Said Tabitha, grimacing slightly. "We kinda… relapsed… and Amanda saw."

Jean furrowed her brow. "Oh. How?"

"We were just talking." Groaned Kurt. "And I told Tabs I liked her necklace. It was all my fault, ughh…"

"He said he liked the necklace, and I said something back, and he smiled, and…" Tabitha rolled her eyes. "It wasn't meant to happen."

"I can't believe I did that." Moaned Kurt. "She's never going to talk to me again."

"It wasn't your fault." Snapped Tabitha. "Now sit up and stop blaming yourself."

"But it was my fault. I'm sorry…"

Jean shrugged at Tabitha. "I'm surprised he's that worried. Amanda's always breaking up with him because of Kitty."

"But that's different!" cried Kurt, looking up, his holographic eyes pained. "That's just playing around! This… wasn't!"

Tabitha tapped her foot slightly. "Gee, thanks, Kurt. We make out and you're worried about the frigid ice queen."

"Tabs…" he buried his head in his knees again. "I can't believe I yelled at her…"

Kitty walked down the stairs with Evan, pausing when she saw Tabitha. "What are you doing here?"

"Not now, Kitty." Begged Kurt.

Evan shrugged. "It's my turn to start dinner. Anyone interested in giving me a hand?"

"Rogue's already cooking." Said Jean, looking at him absently. He shrugged and left for the kitchen. Kitty looked at her for an explanation. "Kurt had a fight with Amanda and-"

There was a knock on the door and they all turned to stare. Through the glass, Pietro could be seen, grinning widely in the rain.

Jean stared. "What is he doing here?"

"What happened to the alarms?" asked Tabitha.

Kitty shrugged and opened the door. "Pietro?"

"Hey, Kitty, I just bought some strawberry lipgloss and was wondering if you'd like to have it."

She crossed her arms. "And what, exactly, would I need strawberry lipgloss for?"

"Strawberry topping is wonderful with white chocolate."

She took the small tube and smiled softly. "I only just gave up on dark chocolate."

Tabitha leaned into Kurt. "What does chocolate have to do with lipgloss?"

"Remember when I told you to stop wearing so much lipstick?" he sighed, looking up at her.

Jean shook her head. "She has such terrible taste in men." She groaned, then put a hand to her head. After a moment she looked at Pietro. "What do you want, Quicksilver?"

"I gotta avoid the house for a few hours. Lance ain't too happy with Kitty's stand on… chocolate." He grinned. "He's takin' it out on me coz of a few things I said."

Kitty glared at him. "And what, exactly, did you say?"

He turned his dark eyes on her. "And what business is that of yours?"

By now, Jean had closed her eyes again and was looking decidedly put out about something. "Fine." She muttered aloud. "You can hide out here, but stay away from the others, okay? And the professor wants to talk to you, Kitty."

Both of them stared at her. "I can stay here?'

"If you don't go near anyone and stay in Kurt's room until you hear otherwise."

"Why in Kurt's room?" asked the owner of said room. He glared at Jean. "What makes you think I want him anywhere NEAR my room?"

"You aren't a girl," she began. "You aren't his life-long rival and you aren't Scott. So… tough." She said. "Come on, Kitty."

Both boys stared at each other, then back at the retreating girls. "No way!" they both objected. "No way am I spending time with him!"

Kitty turned and smiled at Pietro. "I'm seriously considering my taste in chocolate, Pietro. And Kurt, well, you'll live. Pretend you're spending time with Tabby."

"And with that disturbing image." Announced Kurt. He sighed and stood up. "Come on then. I need to talk to you anyway. Coming, Tabs?"

She shrugged and followed him. "Sure."

Pietro stared at them until Kurt had stopped on the top step, looking down at him. "Great…" he groaned. "Okay, Pietro. I challenge you to a game of Street Fighter. There is no way you will beat me."

Pietro was suddenly beside him. "I take that challenge."

Tabitha and Kurt were sprawled across his bed, looking at Pietro, sitting backwards on Kurt's desk chair. They had stolen Evan's Play Station and battled for an hour before coming to draw. Now they had finally fallen into a process of detention banter, which apparently Tabitha was used to, because she slipped into it easily, playing with the tip of Kurt's tail as she listened.

Kurt, having a slight trouble with keeping a straight face, swallowed hard. "I don't get it. Why does Kitty like you so much?" he stared at the floor for his answers. "You treat everyone like dirt, think you are the prince of all things, and never gave her a second glance until last month."

Pietro was gazing at his feet. He'd changed into some clothes Kurt had 'liberated' from Roberto's room, but his shoes were still wet and lying by Kurt's cupboard. "I'm the best looking guy in town?"

Tabitha snorted. "It's the bad boy image, I'm sure of it. And you don't get much worse than you."

"I dunno about that." Kurt closed his eyes as she ran a nail along his tail, and reached behind to take her hand away. "The way she's been acting, it's like he's been… nice."

"I can be nice when I wanna be." Objected Pietro. "I haven't beaten you up since Christmas. I even stopped Lance doing it."

They both looked at him and Kurt smiled. "Well. That's certainly something. I mean nice to her. And this civil thing you're doing now. It's weird."

"Not really." Said Tabitha absently. "He can be pretty cool at home. When he's not being a self absorbed jerk off."

"Hey, fuck you." Said Pietro. "Oh, wait, no, that's his department, sorry."

Kurt snorted. "Hardly. Anyway. What about Kitty. Why do you like her?"

"What is this, the Spanish inquisition?"

Tabitha grinned. "Nobody expects-"

"Oh shut up." Groaned Kurt, pushing her off the bed. "It's part of my job. Matter of fact, Jean's been at me telepathically for the last twenty minutes, so be thankful I haven't started 'til now."

He shrugged. This wasn't his area. He'd never liked anyone like this before… he'd always just done what he needed and left. It was all they wanted, usually, all he wanted. Before Kitty it hadn't been a problem.

"I don't like her like that." He said firmly.

Kurt raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Tabitha. "Tabs, do me a favour, go jump off a cliff."

"And miss the big confession?" she cried. "No way in hell!"

"I'll tell you about the stash of magazines in one of the new recruit's rooms?"

Tabitha considered, and Pietro could see the pain from having to make the decision. Eventually she growled. "Okay, but you so owe me tail after this."

"Go bite a bomb." Said Kurt, forcing her out of the room. "Or better yet, Evan, see you." He shut the door and leaned on it. "So, as I was saying. What's the deal in you being all… nice."

Pietro narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm going to tell you?"

"And who, exactly, is going to believe that Pietro Maximoff told the uh… fuzzy blue freak… anything? This room is sound proof, dude."

"Why?"

Kurt cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. He muttered something indistinct, then glared at Pietro. "So anyway. Talk, or I tell Evan you were in his room."

Pietro raised an eyebrow.

"And then give him the key to yours. And I can do that. Trust me on this one." He grinned and sat by the door. "So talk."

Pietro looked at him for a few moments. "If you breathe a word…"

"If I breathe a word, you'll have Lance to deal with, so it's an empty threat. But I promise I won't." he added absently.

He looked at his arms, crossed and resting on the back on the chair. "I guess she's a challenge. Usually I know exactly what I'm doing with girls. Use em and lose em. That's my philosophy. But with her…" he looked up, but Kurt was apparently very interested in his overshirt. "With her, I don't know where I'm going. Can't say I mind, but… it's weird. It's different.

"Maybe… maybe I'm just… trying to get back at Lance, but… I don't give a fuck what she thinks of me. And that's really different. She can hate me, that's okay, as long as she's happy with what she thinks of me. Course, I know she's falling for me, because, hey, who wouldn't?"

Kurt chuckled. "I can think of a few."

He glared at him. "You ain't supposed to be listening."

"I'm not. Just stating facts." He told his shirt.

"Look, I'm not promising anything, here. I'm not talking about forever. I'm talking about a chance, and something other than Lance. Cause he's bad for her, and she knows that, but she's got this twisted thing in her head that makes her sleeping with him like a marriage vow."

Kurt put his hand to his head. "But she broke up with him."

"Yeah. Because I-" he paused and looked at Kurt, who just gazed back at him, smiling slightly.

"Because you what, Pietro?"

"Because I gave her the best-"

"Kissed her, ja?" grinned Kurt.

He blinked. "How'd you know?"

"Oh please, you're easier to read than 'See Spot run'." Kurt stood up. "Contrary to popular belief, you aren't a COMPLETE jerk. You wouldn't try something like what you're suggesting if that little speech of yours rang true. Now, if you'll excuse me, dinner should be ready and you're allowed in Kitty's room. Jean's waiting in the next corridor to take you."

BAMF

Pietro stared. How the hell did these institute guys put up with that?

Jean opened the door, glaring at him. "I will know if you do anything in here. I'm an incredibly dangerous and protective big sister. Don't even think about anything."

Pietro leered at her. "You know, I could take away all that tension in just one night, Miss Gray."

She stared at him, disgusted, as he entered the room, trying to come up with a come back. She threw up her hands and started towards the dining room.

Kitty was standing by the window, both hands holding the opposite elbow. She turned, but didn't look at him, her foot tracing a pattern in the carpet absently. Pietro shut the door and looked at one of Rogue's posters, his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure of how to act. It was really unnerving.

"So, um, the professor's… he's like, a really good counselor, which is good, because, we're like, generally pretty angsty around here. But he's like, he's, he's like, really good to talk about relationships with, coz he doesn't judge, but he knows, he knows what people are like… in here." She tapped her chest, then grabbed her elbow again, to keep herself from fidgeting.

"Yeah… I can get that." Nodded Pietro, still looking at the poster.

"So um… I like, told him about Lance, and this other guy that I thought I was in love with."

Pietro swallowed hard, still not looking at her.

"Of course, he said I was too young to really know. Especially coz I've only really known this guy a few weeks." She stepped away from the window to a clearer part of the room. "He like, told me that I probably made the right decision with Lance… and said… he said maybe this guy feels the same way about me."

Pietro nodded slightly, his eyes flicking to her for a split second. God, he'd never stood still this long before. It was getting hard.

"He knew the guy. Said maybe I should give it a shot."

"Give what a shot?"

She walked right up to him and looked up at his face. "Give us a shot?"

He closed his eyes, then looked down at her, smirking. "Same rules as the jetty?"

"Except for the running part." She grinned, taking his hand. "Except when maybe Evan or Lance are concerned." She reached up, snaking a hand around his neck, and pulled him down to kiss her.

He used his free hand to push on her back and pulled her up a little higher to deepen the kiss. Then he pulled away, grinning. "So I guess this means you're going to want me to post pone all those dates I have planned?"

"Mmmyes." She nodded and gasped slightly as he kissed her ear.

"Even that one with Jennifer? She's really hot, you know. We're talking about a very important screw here."

"Okay, you're going to need to stop saying that." She told him, smiling.

He sighed. "Fine. If it's really that important to you." Then he smiled, resting his forehead on hers. "But I'm going to need something to occupy my lips instead."

"That is not a problem." She grinned and pulled him down again.