Playing With Fire (EDITING)

Confession

I rolled over and woke up, feeling sore and thoroughly miserable. When I blinked my eyes open, Kitty and Megan were gone but the door was cracked slightly open. I reluctantly sat up and pushed off the blankets, swinging my legs over the mattress and standing.

Every muscle wailed in protest and I sat again, burying my head in my hands. "Morning Sleeping Beauty," Kurt's voice greeted at the door. He'd peeked his head around through the gap and was watching me.

"Morning," I mumbled in reply, getting up again and ignoring the pain. I crossed the room and pulled out a change of clothes before turning to head to the shower. Kurt was still standing at the door, waiting. "What do you want?" I sighed.

"Nothing. The others just said you weren't feeling too great so I wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "No better, no worse."

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

I shook my head. "I'm not going to die! I just need some time to think." When he still didn't leave, I added, "Alone."

He nodded and left, closing the door on his way out. I sighed and massaged my forehead with my fingers before showering and pulling on the fresh clothes. I took my time combing out my hair and stood, leaning my hands on the dresser with my eyes closed, counting he throbs that passed through my skull.

When I pushed away again and turned around, I bumped into something warm and alive. "Kurt," I mumbled, not really in the mood.

"I'm not Kurt," Doug's voice said, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.

"Sorry," I sighed, "He was here earlier and I thought, maybe..." I trailed off, too exhausted for words.

"I know," he said simply. "He told me."

"And what else did he tell you?" I asked, a little more venom coming out in my tone than I'd intended.

In turn, his tone softened when he replied, "Only that you still didn't feel well."

"That's all?" I asked, meeting his stormy blue eyes.

He nodded. "I'll assume you're still not ready to talk."

"Maybe. I don't know. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," he challenged.

"Alright," I agreed. "Come here." I led him across the room and stood on Kitty's bed before jumping off and catching the handle to the trap door leading to the widow's walk. My weight and momentum pulled the door open and a set of ladder rungs extended from the opening.

"Ladies first," he said.

One corner of my mouth turned upward into a semblance of a smile before I gripped the wooden dowel nearest my head and hauled myself up. Once I was clear, Doug followed, closing the trapdoor after us.

We sat on the eastern side of the railing, legs stretched in front of us with our backs propped against the railing behind us. Doug didn't force his presence and for that I allowed him to sit beside me with our shoulders pressed together.

"So what happened yesterday?"

"Where do you want me to start?" I asked.

"In the kitchen, when you dropped the glass."

So that explained the shattering glass I heard. So I told him about the vertigo attack and Ménière's Disease and what Prof had said about the manifesting mutations.

"What happened after I passed out?" I asked him.

"Kurt caught you and carried you straight to Xavier. We didn't know what else to do. He laid you on the couch and Prof told us we needed to leave. How long had you been awake when we came in?"