#x2

Pixel Perfect [Miscellaneous Proxies]

one.

“Can we still keep hanging out tonight?” was what Kurt asked after having established that there will be a movie date two days later, but he was enjoying the company of one delightful light-bender mutant. On the one hand, it seemed appropriate to establish the plans, time and place, and then bid goodbye and not risk overstaying his welcome (and go to his room to positively freak out); but on the other hand, you seemed adamant on extending the hangout on the windowsill in the kitchen, everyone else already sleeping.

“Of course we can still hang out now,” you chuckled lightly, looking him up and down to appreciate the sense of disbelief still evident on his face. “You don’t have to teleport three rooms away and pretend I do not exist until Friday evening.”

“Well, I am trying to be polite and respectful,” he answered carefully, not sure where to draw boundaries yet, “not be in your personal space too much, or push you.”

“Oh Kurt,” you sighed, “I want you in my personal space, very much, I just don’t know when that will finally get through your head.” You poked at his temple lightly, making him flinch more in surprise than discomfort. 

In all honesty, he was sort of new to the whole ‘someone lovingly touching him without seeming horrified’ thing; you seemed so unfazed. Even more than just unfazed, you seemed to gravitate towards him constantly, and he wasn’t completely sure whether the whole thing was just another unattainable illusion.

A short bout of your laughter at his reaction brought him back from his thoughts and he absentmindedly smiled at you.

“You won’t be saying that when I am talking during the movie,” he teased, and he could see your eyes almost glint with amusement at the potential challenge.

“I just know you’d be the person who throws in random comments or questions while watching something,” you retorted, satisfied – which he found almost odd in the context of someone willingly subjecting themselves to his enthusiastic rambling  – “I don’t think I’ll mind, though. I like listening to you talk about just anything, really.”

If Kurt could visibly blush, he would have, especially as your eyes met his bright ones, but not before you stole a glance downwards at his lips and then back up – or maybe he was just imagining things; it really was getting pretty late and it had been an eventful evening. 

“I like talking to you about just anything.”

“Even when I interrupt you without meaning to?” you gently nudged him, an impish smile playing on your lips as you relished the opportunity to be so physically close and comfortable.

“Even then.”

“I don’t think many people in the world would say the same,” you muttered with a hint of a self-deprecating tone, “but you’re not ‘many people’, Wagner.”

“Ja, I think I am just one,” he chuckled, sharp teeth visible against the backdrop of the night. Your heart did a somersault in your chest as you couldn’t help but beam in return. 

Yes, we can keep hanging out tonight – hopefully not only tonight.

two.

“I swear I was going to get you flowers, Schatz, but they would wither away during the movie,” his accent intensified when he was being apologetic, as if to emphasize the sincerity of the statement. “And then you would be sad.”

“I’m just messing with you, Blue,” you grinned in response, lightly shoving him with your shoulder as you two walked towards the cinema in the night. “I know you’re a gentleman like that, but it really wouldn’t make sense to bring them here now.” 

Kurt quietly sighed in relief before you continued.

“Besides, the ‘just-because’ sunflower you got me a few days ago is still alive and well,” you spoke gleefully, “I change the water every day so it better last me a while.”

“Promise you will tell me when it dries?” He gave you a playfully pointed look. “You need your desk flowers to keep up your spirits while you work.”

“As far as keeping up spirits goes, you’re doing a marvelous job at it, with or without flowers,” you blinked at him, a bright expression not leaving your face, “but I would never refuse an extra flower, especially from you.” 

“They really make you so happy?” Kurt wondered aloud, treasuring the fact that this wonderful being next to him – while deserving all the lovely things in the world – appreciated its simplest joys to that extent. A fellow mutant after his own heart.

“Truly,” you grinned, “in fact, when I go to sleep, I put them on my bedside table so that I see them as soon as I wake up.”

The part that you omitted was ‘and then I remember they’re from you and I immediately smile and my day starts better and I can’t believe there had ever been a time when I didn’t know you’, but that would surely be said another day. As much as you had cared for him and enjoyed your time together since day one, you had to force yourself to slam on the brakes just a little bit, because his poor heart would have just given out from the sheer amount of affection you were harboring. A famished man attending a feast must be at least a little careful with how much he indulges.

“I did not know that,” he offered a small smile, looking down as warmth blossomed in his chest. 

“That’s why we’re here tonight, I guess,” you mused with a slight shrug of her shoulders, “to get to know each other even better,” you drawled out in a teasing tone, making Kurt’s heart skip a beat.

“And to talk during the movie,” he chuckled, questioningly, recalling the conversation from just 40-something hours ago. 

“Oh, certainly – I’m looking forward to hearing all your opinions.”

It was a very frosty night and, indeed, Kurt could’ve just teleported both of you to the movie theater, but ultimately he’d decided against it (as long as you didn’t seem to mind the chill too much). 

Firstly, he wanted to savor every minute you were spending together, especially while things were going smoothly and nicely, it seemed unfair to steal that time away by the convenience of teleportation (which, admittedly, would’ve given him the perfect excuse to hold you deliciously close). 

But if you had ever walked shoulder to shoulder with someone who held your heart in their hands, under the sky which seemed to be suggesting a snowfall rather soon, everything was twinkling with Christmas lights and festive decorations… you know rather well that you wouldn’t want to miss a second of it. 

And secondly, bluntly, the cool air was helping him keep his nerves under control somehow. In case he didn’t know what to say, he could also just point out a string of lights in a window or a wreath on a door and elicit an enthusiastic reaction from his lovely companion. 

And then, thirdly, those were simply the perfect circumstances to offer you his jacket if you ever got too cold. Because Kurt Wagner was nothing if not a gentleman.

three.

The movie had barely even begun, the lights going all the way down, when Kurt half-consciously scooted closer to the person of his dreams and prayers. If you asked him whether he did it on purpose, he would neither confirm nor deny, but one thing was already clear as day – only minutes into the date, in the depths of his soul he was already displeased with not being as close to you as humanly possible, for as long as possible. 

You smiled at the proximity, shoulder to shoulder in the dark, stupid personal space be damned. Who needed personal space on a freezing Friday night, when you could have a personal Nightcrawler, who was right there. You brushed off the excited shiver that passed through your body at the fact that you two almost instantaneously established some point of physical contact. Luckily for you, poor well-intentioned Kurt misinterpreted that slight movement as you being cold, and he wasted no time in draping his coat considerately over your shoulders. Did you have a jacket of your own? Yes. Were you cold? Not in the slightest, at least not in that moment. But absolutely nobody needed to know that, especially not the blue mutant beside you.

If you dared to look at him in response to his caring gesture, you thought you might have completely melted on the spot, and you really weren’t willing to risk it so early in the night – there had to be more in store. 

four.

“Do you think he will get the job?” Kurt murmured, gesturing vaguely with his head towards the screen.

“Either way, I will cry,” you replied, biting your pinky nail nervously, “but if he inherits the old guy’s position, then something will happen to the old guy. And he’s just so sweet.” 

“Maybe we should have picked, uh, something… happier?” he wondered aloud, nerves almost getting the best of him.

“No no, this is still really cozy,” you quickly faced him with a reassuring smile, hopefully visible enough, “I love emotional movies, I’m just not sure how appropriate it is to cry on a first date,” you joked, and Kurt observed your facial expression with a subtle smirk.

“If you cry, I can give you a hug,” he answered with a little head tilt, hoping that it sounded very matter-of-factly, and not as if he would go into cardiac arrest if that ended up happening.

“Then I hope I’ll cry,” you concluded happily, making yourself comfortable in the seat once again. 

It really was comfy – warm, dark, one of those old movies that reminded you of chilly Christmas Eves for some reason, of not having a care in the world and being in your own little cocoon of safety while something comforting droned on in the background. 

For a couple moments, your thoughts drifted away into wondering whether Kurt had ever experienced the atmosphere that you were thinking of and whether he knew the feeling you were reminiscing about. Unbeknownst to you, he did, exactly then and there.

five.

And then Kurt did one of the bravest things he’d ever dared to do – moved his hand just a bit closer to yours across the fraying orange seats. And then you did something you didn’t even require bravery for, but were just waiting for a signal that it was acceptable, wanted – you securely placed a warm hand on top of his own. 

Something glitched deep within his chest and he tried to cover up his surprise with a small cough, as you tried not to giggle. 

For a few moments you two stayed just like that, the movie half-forgotten anyway, as he tried to gather the courage to do another brave thing right after, which was to slightly turn his face towards yours and try to read your expression in the dimly lit room. The second you felt his golden eyes on your face, your warmly content smile got even wider and a wave of heat spread all throughout your face, and you didn’t even bother to cover it up.

You were hoping he would see each and every effect he’d had on you ever since you met for the first time, and you felt like you had barely stopped smiling since that day. Even when there was a gigantic workload at the school or when Logan was being unnecessarily grumpy.

Although originally Kurt had been relatively interested in the movie, all the drama on the screen faded away now that you were so close to him, so warm, relaxed, lively. 

He thought how, for the rest of his life, he would never again in his prayers ask to be given something – how could anything possibly surpass what was hand in hand with him right now – but he would only be grateful for this one particular evening, for the rest of time. 

Even if it stayed only a perfect moment, in the back row in an old cinema, on a windy winter evening, it was like a glimpse of Heaven on Earth.

Fortunately for him, it started growing into more than just a singular moment; when you leaned back in your seat more and stretched out your legs right over his lap, with a yawn that he couldn’t estimate whether it was genuine or faked, not that he particularly cared. You were so proud of the move you’d made and, honestly, were feeling pretty cozy and coy as soon as you realized that the boy’s mind was beyond blown by the fact that you were almost cuddling.

Kurt’s only plans for the night were just to not to make an absolute fool of himself and ensure that you were having a decently nice time; he didn’t dare to dream that anything additionally wonderful could even happen for him, with a magical person like you. Yet there he was, doing his best to not have a heart attack over the fact that you were being so free with him, like you weren’t even scared or uncomfortable or there with him just out of politeness or pity. 

You wanted to be close to him.

six.

Once again Kurt thought how he wouldn’t dare to pray for anything else besides to keep that closeness in his memories forever, no matter what happened after the movie and after that night.

“Do you think he will get there before it’s too late?” you leaned in slightly to whisper a comment over the amplified sounds, your breath brushing over his pointed ear. “Or will she die before he sees her?”

“Uhm, well-” he began, as if startled from a dream; in all honesty, he had no clue what was happening on the screen anymore – reality was just better. “What do you think?”

You smiled at his flustered expression, your heart skipping a beat in your chest. “I think you’re the cutest person I have ever met,” you concluded, leaning back into the seat again. 

Kurt swore his cheeks were burning as he scrambled around his brain trying to string together something coherent to say.

“It would be nice if he-” he managed to mutter before the two of you were shushed by someone from the front rows, and before you both covered their mouths to avoid laughing and being even more of a disturbance. You kept looking over at him with an amused glint in your eyes, but you were relishing in how his hands now rested on your outstretched legs, as if he had always been an integral part of your personal space. 

This closeness flustered you more than you’d anticipated, but you wouldn’t have dared to move either your legs or your hand which was still entwined with his. Yes, it was the first official date, but you have been spending a considerable amount of time together ever since the beginning; so you could at least justify the fact that you were falling for the blue teleporter faster and harder than you had ever before, for anyone in the world. 

You were beginning to grow expectant of the movie ending, not because you wanted the night to be over, but because you were burning to see what would happen next. It had to be good.

The seconds that the credits started rolling, you turned your head to not-at-all subtly observe Kurt’s face, despite being certain that you looked like a lovesick fool.

But did it matter?

seven.

Just inches away, he had been anticipating the end of the movie too so he could do exactly the same thing; but imagine his delight when he turned to look at you and you were already wide-eyed, watching him as if he was some celestial being, a proper angel. Your noses almost bumped when he turned to face you, causing you to quietly laugh, and you just couldn’t resist it anymore – you brought one hand up to his face to run a careful finger down his cheek, over every scar and intricate line. Kurt didn’t even dare to breathe from fear of shattering the delicate moment, but he was almost sure you could hear his heart beating hard against the fading background clamor. 

You were slow with your featherlight movements as if you were tracing a work of art while he looked at your through half-lidded eyes, all but convinced he was in a dream, until he could no longer only look.

He whispered your name like it was a love poem.

“Kurt,” you smiled at him expectantly, pausing your movements. Your pupils were wide and you looked every bit as dream-like as he was feeling. He noted that the way you said his name sounded like a delicate prayer.

“I- I wanted to say something beautiful but now I do not remember,” he confessed sheepishly, internally chastising himself for ruining the moment for nothing. But on the contrary, you were absolutely charmed with the sincerity of the moment, and you noted that his accent did indeed get sweetly stronger when he was nervous.

“Can I say something beautiful then?” you inquired, once again bringing your fingers to his jawline. 

“Bitte,” he gave you a short nod, eager to see what happens next.

“When you look at me like that, I forget lots of things too,” you smiled so earnestly as your eyes met in the low light, “and I really mean it.”

Kurt grinned so widely and brightly that, for a split second, you thought the lights in the cinema were back on.

If this was his reality on Earth, then what was Heaven?

eight.

“Sooo, how would you rate it?” you questioned as you began your way back home. It had started to snow lightly, and the world was slowly going quiet, except for the two of you whose night was teeming with endless possibilities and joyful laughter. “From one to ten?”

“The movie or the company?” Kurt teased, glancing over at the light-bender whose head was tilted upwards to better appreciate the falling snow, but you met his eyes immediately.

“Both, if you want to be very brave and very honest,” you grinned in expectation. 

You thought he looked so magical against the bright wintery scenery, you wished you’d had your camera with you to savor the moment. 

“Well, then… the movie - seven,” he hummed thoughtfully, your gaze on him steadfast and curious. God, you wanted to just launch yourself at him and give him a proper kiss after having to stop yourself so many times throughout the night. It was snowing, for goodness’ sake, he was cute, it was perfect! But you let him talk, steadfastly keeping your promise that you would listen to him no matter the topic.

“And the company,” he gave you a pointed look and you shivered, maybe because of the cold or maybe not because of the cold at all, “a solid three,” he spoke through a sharp grin.

“Hey-” you burst into laughter and playfully swatted him wherever you could reach until you were both laughing in tandem.

“Three thousand, Schatz,” the teleporter corrected himself, lightly rubbing his side as if trying to memorize the exact spot where your hand had landed, “you did not let me finish!”

“As if that was what you were going to say,” you huffed in mock offense, the remnants of laughter still visible on your face. 

He had the urge to reach out his hand and envelop yours once again, but he didn’t want to push his luck. What if the magic was gone, now that you were no longer in the dark, nearly alone, what if you had changed your mind now that you were seeing him again under streetlights in the snow? What if you were once again reminded of how he actually looked against the backdrop of everyday normalcy, and were just making conversation to be polite?

As a matter of fact, you were reminded. And you wanted nothing more than to kiss him all over his stupid face and hold hands and make snow angels and then get wrapped up in a warm hug as snowflakes littered your hair.

“Can you prove that I wasn’t?” he taunted, raising an eyebrow. 

Before you could make a counterpoint, you sharply turned towards him to try and be dramatic while making your statement, but tripped over something that was snowed under. In the blink of an eye, Kurt’s tail was wrapped snugly around your waist to stop you from falling, as well as his arms around your shoulders. Even though the air was chilly and sharp, you had never felt warmer.

“Can we also prove this never happened?” you winced with a small, awkward grin. But if you hadn’t tripped, you wouldn’t be in a very comfortable, spontaneous embrace right about now, so it was still sort of a win in your books.

“The only thing that happened was you being cute,” he reassured you, softly squeezing your shoulders. He found it lovely how they were almost perfectly eye to eye standing like that. But his brain was absolutely clambering about what to do next. He couldn’t… kiss you, just like that? No, he couldn't – it was too brash, untactful, entirely too random of a moment. 

You lived for random moments. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a charmer, Wagner?” you tactfully tried to steer the moment towards where you’d been wanting it to go, as you cautiously hugged him back, as if afraid to shatter this frail wink of time, swelling with possibilities.

“Only for you,” he grinned, contented with himself, in that uniquely humble way that only he could. 

Slowly, cautiously, you lifted her hands towards his cheek again – you couldn’t help it – out of everyone you had ever touched, his face was most compelling by far – but it wasn’t just that. It was more.

It was the way that every magnetic force in the world seemed to be pulling you closer to him, to the glow of his eyes and the curve of his nose and the hint of dimples when he smiled, and – the way he looked at you as if you were mythical, worthy of every bit of his reverence, wondrous.

Was he aware that you had been looking at him just the same?

You moved, subconsciously, just a fragment of an inch closer.

Kurt was hoping you couldn’t actually hear his heartbeat.

He cleared his throat.

“Pehraps it is best that I teleport us home, ja? We don't want you accidentally hurting yourself,” he offered shyly, but his hold on you was unwavering. 

“Yeah,” you released a long-held breath. “Go ahead,” you smiled, lowering your arms to wrap them around the teleporter’s waist before getting whisked away in a blur of smoke.

nine.

“Next time, we’re seeing a comedy,” you pointed a finger at Kurt as you were unlocking your respective rooms back at the mansion.

“Next time?” he blinked in amazement, looking at you incredulously.

“You don’t like comedies?” you almost gasped, placing a hand over your chest for added dramatic effect. “I was so sure you-”

“Ach, I do – ja, I like them,” he quickly corrected himself, a master of misinterpretation; exhaling in relief and giving you a reassuring smile – what he hoped was reassuring and not a mixture of nervous and baffled. “Or we can see something scary?”

“You like scary?” your mouth fell open again, causing Kurt to chuckle lovingly at your earnest reactions.

“Nein. But I do like holding you, if you get scared,” he proposed so sweetly that it made you immediately consider watching something horrific just for the sensation of being in his embrace another time.

“Or you would just hide behind me the whole time,” you teased with a cute head tilt, “with your eyes glowing in the dark and all.”

Before he had a chance to protest, you lovingly petted his hair in a moment of playful affection, but retracted quickly with a “Good night, Blue,” slipping from your lips as you closed the door behind you. The quiet “Gute Nacht” you heard from the other side all but disappeared into thin air as your eyes took in the unexpected scenery waiting for you in your quarters.

A heap of the world’s brightest yellow marigolds tied with a light blue ribbon was laying on your desk.

A gentleman he was.

ten.

Barely a second had passed between your excited gasp at the surprise waiting for you, and the burst of dark blue smoke crackling into the empty space right at the door. So the night wasn’t over just yet.

“I was hoping you would do that,” you admitted, the tantalizing truth out in the open, as you turned around to face your favorite pair of bright eyes. 

“Do you like them?” Kurt inquired, gesturing towards the vibrant bouquet with a coy little smile playing on his face. You approached him mindlessly, like a magnet pulled into his field.

“You are just unbelievable,” you shook your head in happy disbelief, your hands instinctively finding their way to his shoulders, an edge of laughter plain as day in your voice. “I’ve never- thank you, Kurt, really. You are entirely too good to me.”

“I couldn’t be, Liebchen. You have already given me more than I could ever deserve.” He looked down before meeting your eyes with all the courage he could gather, and this time it was his hand that found your face first, tilting it only slightly so you were eye to eye. You were convinced that this was finally the moment your heart would burst out of your chest for good.

“But?” You probed, leaning in just a hair’s breadth until the tips of your noses brushed against one another.

“Could I kiss you? Please?” He wondered, almost breathlessly, and when you smiled against him it was as though someone had knocked all the air out of him.

“Only if I can tell you a secret afterwards,” you quipped tauntingly, glancing down at his parted lips and then back into his wide eyes for half a second; he nodded in a daze and, chivalrously, at last, closed the tantalizing distance between you.

And oh, he was so careful as if you were a sacred apparition that had somehow – by a stroke of crazy luck or destiny – materialized in his arms and against his lips, that might disappear in a blur at any given moment if he pushed just a bit too far – but you didn’t. 

You were there.

You were real.

You were an answered prayer repeated quietly into the dark over countless lonely nights.

And you weren’t pulling away, weren't scared off, weren’t appalled or weirded out – you were enjoying yourself. Most of all, to Kurt’s absolute bewilderment, you seemed to be enjoying him, indigo skin, sharp teeth and all.

He was really hoping it wasn’t just because of the flowers.

Pulling away was nearly an impossible feat, but there was still something you needed to share with him – it was only fair. Your hands comfortably landed on his heaving chest over a thundering heartbeat, steadily sliding higher to clasp behind his neck, like they had belonged there since the beginning of time.

“This…” you trailed off dreamily, twirling one of his curls around your finger, “is the only thing I’ve been thinking about all day.” You smiled at him in surrender, and Kurt was incredibly pleased to note the light blush on your cheeks.

“I hope it was as good as you wished, Liebling,” he replied sincerely, doing his best not to accidentally teleport elsewhere in a burst of adrenaline, but he wouldn’t –  you were still very much in his face, his senses brimming with you; he was in paradise.

“Better, angel” you whispered, lips just barely brushing against his before you fully leaned in and took all his breath away, yet another time, and he would let you, time and time again. 

Small gleams of light were dancing across your fingertips as your hand wound up in his dark curls.

That night, when Kurt prayed before sleep as usual (and just barely managed to fall asleep at all afterwards), after everything he devoutly thanked God for, he decided to be a bit bold – and ask for a thousand more nights like these.