Tails of Change [Revamping!]

9) Salve II

[Author's Note:

X-Men Characters in this Chapter: Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)

OC Characters in this Chapter: _____(Sorin)

*Italicized words are either German words or English words with a more Germanic spelling. Any words that are dissimilar to the English version (or a bit out of context) will have a translation appearing here:

die Salbe [zal-beh] == salve

eine Minute [eye-nuh min-oh-tah] == one minute

{4.14.2019} Revamped! New material!]

"Kurt, did you hear me?"

"Vhat?" Kurt strains to remember what Sorin just said. "Uh." It's no use. Kurt can only remember his own thoughts. "Nein, sorry."

"I asked if you were done your work."

"Oh. Ja. I am."

Sorin rearranges the pile of books that were signed out to him. He hadn't opened a single one to do the homework.

"Ve vill put those back," Kurt said, shoving his textbooks and homework back into his backpack. "Und then I vill help you put die Salbe on. Like last night."

Sorin finishes piling the books up into a neat stack and places his homework papers on top. Kurt shoulders his backpack while he watches Sorin lift the stack into the crook of his arm and against his chest. His other hand reaches up to keep them in place.

"Give me some," Kurt said quickly, scooping the top half of the stack in Sorin's hands into his own. Kurt's arm brushed against Sorin's chest. Kurt definitely feels a physical draw to Sorin that's got him pulling away slower than he should be.

"Uh, thanks," Sorin says when Kurt has half the stack in his hands. And maybe it's just all in his head, but Kurt swears the moment between Sorin's 'uh' and 'thanks' was longer than it should've been. And just for a second, Kurt allows himself to think the attraction is mutual.

Kurt wastes no time heading for the self-service machine. They set the books on the tabletop and Kurt holds the work Sorin completed out to him. When he takes it, Kurt deftly swipes in all of the books one by one, and places them back into one pile. He lifts the checked in books into his arms.

"This vill take eine Minute only. Meet you in your bedroom."

Kurt pushes how that last bit might have come across out of his mind and teleports to the history section to re-shelve the books.

It takes Kurt just over four minutes to shelve all the books, he notes when he glances at his holo-watch after. Maybe he didn't keep Sorin waiting long at all.

He almost teleports into Sorin's room, but thinks better of it, when he remembers how he felt the last time Kitty slinked through the wall into his room. Even though he had been anticipating her arrival, he hadn't liked how invasive it had felt. Instead, he opts to teleport just outside the bedroom door. In a second his eyes have adjusted to the new lighting and new sights. The bedroom door is open, the bedroom light on, but Kurt doesn't see Sorin. He knocks twice on the inside of the doorway. Sorin emerges from the adjoining bathroom with the salve in hand and waves Kurt in. After Kurt has taken a few steps in, Sorin speaks.

"Would you, uh," Sorin hesitates. "Would you close the door?"

Kurt turns and reaches for the edge of the door, and gently guides the door shut. There's something inexplicably more intimate about being behind closed doors, Kurt thinks. When he turns back around, Sorin is shirtless and settling onto the desk pretzel-legged with his back to Kurt. His large, dark bruises are still visible.

Kurt crosses the room and picks up the jar of salve. With a quick twist, the lid comes off and Kurt deposits it onto the desk. He tries to be gentle as he massages the goop into Sorin's back, starting with his shoulders and working downwards as he'd done the night before. When his fingers press the salve into a soft spot on Sorin's lower back, Sorin hisses.

"Sorry," Kurt says reflexively.

"It's fine," Sorin reassures Kurt, but Kurt knows that the brises aren't fine. He knows how bruises hurt.

"You vere nicht being truthful last night."

"About?"

"It does hurt for the bruises to be touched."

Sorin doesn't respond right away.

"Yeah," he admits. "It does."

And with that admission, Kurt relegates all sensual thoughts concerning Sorin's noise the night before to be of fantasy only. This is just innocent, medical help to Sorin. And there's no reason why Kurt should assume otherwise.

"But, not a lot. Definitely not as much as getting them. And they do feel better."

Kurt finishes applying the salve and sets the jar down.

"Finished." Kurt takes a few steps back as Sorin swings his legs around to face Kurt, his legs hanging off the desk.

"Thanks. Again." Sorin picks up the jar, and dips his fingers in.

Kurt definitely wants to stick around and watch Sorin slather the salve all over his chest. He means doesn't. Doesn't want to, he mentally corrects himself.

"Maybe this special goop stuff really will heal me quicker so you won't have to do this much more."

The sudden sting of disappointment rips through Kurt at the realization that eventually Sorin will not need to use the salve. Eventually, Sorin will stop allowing Kurt to touch him.

"I vill help as long as you need it."

Kurt knew that Sorin's bruises would likely be healed in a week or two. If these thoughts about Sorin were going to persist, and were going to be fantasy only, then Kurt wanted to take advantage of this need to be able to touch Sorin... even if his thoughts were slowly progressing through more sensual ways the two could be touching.

Kurt turns to hide any sign of his thoughts that may or may not be manifesting in his facial expression. He calls goodnight as he makes his way to the door. Then he's through and into his own room.

With his own door shut, and locked behind him, Kurt heads to his bathroom to wash the goop off his hands and to shower, again: this time a proper one and not a quick scrub. He spends twice as long as usual beneath the warm stream of water, his mind replaying every interaction he's had with Sorin. Was there any chance that Kurt could turn his thoughts into reality?

Nein, he thought, turning off the shower. That is unlikely.