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Kitty tugged Piotr back to his room, and had, quite quietly laid on her side, snuggled her back against him, and wrapped his arms around her like a cozy blanket. For days sleep had evaded her, and worry had worn on her like a cloak. But the safety of Piotr's embrace had been enough to lull Sprite to sleep.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
A sunbeam, complete with shiny flecks of dust dancing in the air, peeks through the window in Piotr's Institute bedroom. The sun has long since begun its slow descent to give herald to night, but the summer means that there are still hours of light left. Classes ended hours ago, for those of them attending such things.
A sleepy hum rumbles from the back of Kitty's throat, and she slowly, drowsily begins to shift against the much larger Russian.
*
Kitty was not the only one benefitting from the company - in the time since the X-Men's mission to New Orleans, Piotr's nights had become increasingly restless. Naps were easy enough to come by, but actual, restful sleep? Not so much.
But something about having Kitty physically there to curl up around was letting Piotr get the first deep, restful sleep he'd had in ages. Restful enough that he doesn't even seem to register that she's begun to stir. He just makes a groggy noise and hides his face in her hair to escape from whatever horrible thing was trying to rob him of his sleep.
*
The faint smell of lavender enters Piotr's senses as his face buries in her hair. Kitty mumbles something indiscernible as she tries to roll onto her back. This is halted, however, as Piotr is laying on her hair. She drowsily opens a single eye, and the sun in all its offensiveness enters her vision.
Blinking hard, she recognizes this space, and it earns a small tug of her lips.
She tugs on his arm, and presses his knuckles to her lips before whispering lazily, "Mmm. Is it morning?"
*
The tug against his arm is enough to make Piotr stir. He makes a groggy noise in the back of his throat before he lifts his head, blinking a few times to try and finish waking up. "Hnnnh?"
Wait. There was a question. Piotr is pretty sure he half-heard a question. If he were more awake, he might think twice before he pushes himself up to lean across Kitty in order to peer blearily at the clock on his nightstand.
"…nyet, not morning. Though we may have missed dinner."
*
The sudden large Russian leaning against her has Kitty shifting to he back on his bed. She mumbles something blearily. She hums again, offering, "…that's sad. I like dinner," but the tired smile that pulls up at her features certainly doesn't seem sad, nor does the sleepy, but contented tone. She lifts her fingertips to graze his cheek.
Her eyes drift closed and she sighs contentedly. "..I needed that.."
*
Piotr rumbles an agreement. He likes dinner, too. It isn't until Kitty's fingers touch his cheek that he looks down and realizes where he's put himself, and suddenly, he's feeling a lot more awake. Must be all that blood rushing to his cheeks.
"…so did I. I did not realize how much trouble I was having sleeping," Piotr admits, forcing himself to get a coherent sentence out.
*
Hand still on Piotr's cheek, Kitty doesn't call attention to their positioning until her eyes lazily drift open again. Only to open a little wider. Awareness of their position prompts her to freeze as her eyes lock with his. Instinctively, her other hand rises to his other cheek. And for a moment, she doesn't even really recognize she's being awkward.
Until she does.
"…hi…" she finally manages while colour finds her cheeks.
*
That's alright. They can be awkward together.
The corner of Piotr's mouth twitches slightly when Kitty's other hand finds his other cheek and he swallows nervously, blue eyes fixed on hers.
"Hi," Piotr echoes quietly. If he speaks too loudly, he might scare her away, so he better keep his voice down. "…I, ah… should probably…" Move. He should probably move. That is what he is thinking, not entirely noticing as his lips drift closer to hers. Which he absolutely should not do.
*
Kitty's heart pounds so hard that she swears he can hear her heartbeat. Vulnerability reflects in ever softening hazel eyes, as a strange swirl of nerves, anxiety, fear, and desire tug at their corners. And then, lowly, she breathes rather than speaks, "I love you."
Her cheeks pinken further as he leans closer to her. Hazel eyes drift closed. Her hands drift from his cheeks to wrap her arms around his neck. Gently, her head drifts from the pillow. Like a moth to a flame, she closes the distance to crush her lips against his.
*
Piotr makes a quiet noise in the back of his throat. He is still not used to hearing her say that, but he could definitely get used to it. He can't muster much more volume when "<I love you too,>" comes tumbling out.
Her arms have barely finished closing around his neck before Piotr's decided to hell with it and closed his eyes, meeting her lips halfway in a kiss that is a great deal less bashful than they've had before.
*
The kiss is followed in quick succession by another with the smaller of the pair unyielding in this unusual submission to passion. Kitty's fingers find their way to Piotr's hair, mussing it as the pair seem to lose their shyer selves in the heat of the moment.
And in that moment, it seems entirely clear that the quiet tinkling that cuts through the otherwise silent room, could be ignored.
Beneath Piotr's bed, a few stray notes ring out, muffled by the mattress and bodies upon it. Oddly, as the music starts, Kitty stops. Overtop her, Piotr can feel her body stiffen, her hands slide down from his neck and drop to her sides. Her eyes open vacantly; the warmth drains from her face.
Kitty Pryde has left the building.
*
Caught up in the moment though he might be, Piotr is still Piotr — and the instant that Kitty stops, so does he.
"<Forgive me,>" the Russian stammers out, leaning back and opening his eyes, certain he's crossed a line. Until he sees her face and the tinny notes finally register on his ears.
"…Katya?" Piotr asks quietly, the color draining from his face. He brings a hand up to her cheek, feeling a surge of panic working its way up his spine. "Katya, say something."
*
The body on the bed has no life in it. It doesn't react to the touch. In fact, it doesn't even seem like the touch registers. A single reassurance that Katherine Pryde still lives rests in the slow movement of her chest up and down. She is breathing. Silently.
Brahm's lullaby clinks in one metallic note after another, urging ears to sleep as some dancer tucked away in the music box spins in a hypnotic circle.
And as the song finishes to start up again, Kitty's hand reaches up to where Piotr's neck and shoulder meet, abruptly pushing him from her with all the force her small body can muster.
*
"<No no no Katya wake up ->" In a state of near-panic, the words come tumbling out one after another, Piotr's eyes darting over Kitty's form as his mind races. She's breathing. That's good.
As the lullaby draws towards a close, it truly registers on his awareness and Piotr goes very tense, an expression of horror coming to his face. The music box. It must have triggered itself — this is what it was meant to do. He should have destroyed it when he had the chance.
Piotr is so wrapped up in this realization that he's caught completely off-guard by the shove. He makes a surprised, slightly pained noise as he lets himself be pushed back, ending up in a slightly awkward kneel on the mattress.
"…Katya? Are you alright?"
*
Kitty blinks unnaturally — like a robot blinking to make others comfortable rather than out of actual need. She sits up on the bed, and for a moment, her limbs, much like those of a wax figurine, freeze. A single word, Katya, catches her attention, and for a moment, hazel eyes have a flicker of recognition, but the tinny music overlays all else, continuing once again in its call to sleep.
When Piotr kneels, Kitty seems to evaporate, turning invisible as her body splits into a million little pieces before rematerializing behind him and issuing a sharp staccato'd kick to his back. Her head turns to the door.
But as she glances at it, she opts for a different route out of the room. In the blink of an eye, Kitty disappears through the floor to the main area below.