Kitty and Paul, Backdated to September 16th

[om_shadowcat]

Kitty and Paul catch up over some tutoring, and end up talking about Midnighter - or...the fact that they can't talk about him at all.

Kitty loved tutoring. She never would have thought that teaching was something that she would enjoy, but she genuinely loved it, at least once she got past the paranoia that people her own age (even those older than her) would judge her for being a know-it-all. Once she got past that fear, however, helping people learn was really incredible. Plus, she was getting to know more of the students that she'd never really had a chance to interact with much at all. Paul was a great example. Kitty had been on a team with Paul for almost a year, but they'd never really talked much. That is, until she started helping him with math.

"I love that Angie is forcing technology on you," she chuckled as they finished the last Trigonometry problem. The discussion had evolved over the course of the hour, from the origin of the word 'hypotenuse' to his recent adventures with their mutual friend.

"There wasn't a lot of it around where I grew up," Paul said ruefully, looking at the page again and trying to understand the logic of the letters turning into numbers. It made sense when Kitty explained it, but afterwards they went back to being letters again. "Maybe I'd understand math more if they were?"

"Maybe, but math has more to do with understanding the connections in our world and how things move and work than with technology itself," Kitty admitted. "Would it be too personal of me to ask where you grew up?"

"About six different foster homes and three... institutions, I guess you'd call them?" Paul pulled a face. "We weren't meant to call them orphanages but that's what they were."

Kitty frowned. "I'm sorry. They didn't have much for you guys to use there?"

"It wasn't so bad," he said, giving half a shrug. "Just there wasn't a lot of extra money so there was really old stuff or not enough for everyone to use, and none of the foster homes stuck long enough for that kind of thing to sink in. Angie's being great, though."

"She's really great at that kind of stuff," Kitty agreed. "How are things going with the team? Are you getting along with everyone?"

"Which team?" Paul grinned. "Do you mean squad, or the other one?"

"The other one," she laughed. "The one I'm supposed to be running."

"I still don't really know everyone," he admitted. "I'm trying. Do... okay, no, I guess you at least know everyone on the team at least a bit, since you're running us."

"I'm trying to get to know everyone more," Kitty admitted. "Because no, I don't really know you all as closely as I'd like to. I mean, I've talked to you of course, but you and I don't really know anything about one another."

"I think I know you're dating a guy?" Paul offered. "And you know where I grew up, now."

Kitty hoped the flush in her cheeks didn't extend to her ears. "I'm dating Peter, yeah. And you're dating Mid?"

Paul nodded. "I didn't know which name he likes to use, so, I'm trying not to assume."

She blinked at him, clearly confused. "Who, Peter?"

Paul nodded again. "Some people like to use their code name, some people like to use their legal name, I haven't had the chance to ask him, so..."

"That makes sense," Kitty pondered thoughtfully. "I mean, he uses his real name when he's here at school, but obviously, when he's out on the streets and all..." She trailed off. "Do you want me to use your code name?"

"No, but thanks for asking." He grinned. "Midnighter uses my code name, but that feels more balanced, because I use his."

Kitty nodded, because that made an odd kind of sense. "Well, you can just call me Kitty, or Pryde, when we're not working with the team."

"And I'm Paul." He offered his hand, grin widening. "Pleased to meet you, I guess."

She laughed a little. squeezing his hand. "Same here." Then she paused, looking a little thoughtful. "How is he doing by the way? Midnighter."

"He's..." Paul hesitated, grin fading, guard going up. "I don't know if I should really talk about it, honestly. It's his. He's not big on letting people in, you know?"

Kitty nodded, taking a deep breath. "I understand. Thanks anyway."

"Honestly, you probably know as much as I do." At least, as much as Midnighter wanted anyone to know. "If it's a thing you need to know for the team, maybe try talking to someone else who was taken at the same time? Someone who... talks more."

Kitty tilted her head, her eyebrows raising a bit. "That's a really good idea. I've been meaning to catch up with Lu anyway. Thank you."

"Midnighter isn't really a talking about his feelings kind of guy." Or a talking about anything kind of guy, often, though Paul was horribly aware that he'd screwed up badly when Midnighter had tried to talk to him about it.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'd kind of noticed that. Not too big on the hugging either."

"Given a choice between that and talking about feelings..." Paul gave a lopsided smile.

Kitty laughed. "Point taken. Thanks for your help."