Xavier School- Wednesday afternoon

[throughaphase]

It had been a really, really long day so far. After this morning's chaos, they'd had to get everyone calmed down. And then they had to get the X-Men on the same page about what happened and what a school for mutant kids was supposed to do when most of their students weren't mutants anymore. And then they had to tell the kids what was happening. There had been a lot of time spent fielding calls from parents and calling the ones that for whatever reason hadn't called first and hugging people and trying to find out who was affected besides those who were here and watching the news channels freak out because aside from the few who remembered what happened on Genosha, no one in the world knew what was going on. When she got too stressed out, Kitty took a couple minutes to herself, phased up to Ororo's attic to have a good cry, and then came back down and went right back to it.

Things had settled enough that they'd done everything they could do for now. When most of the students had retreated to their rooms to be alone or pack, Kitty went back to her room to try calling or emailing the people she hadn't been able to get in touch with yet. Okay, maybe she hadn't done everything yet.

[Open for the boy or calls, etc.]

Comments

[so_hawkward]

While the mutants had been figuring things out, Clint had been doing his best to just stay out of everyone's way. He felt helpless with no way to fix things, and no one to punch for all the pain being caused. He'd been trying to give Kitty some distance to let her be helpful, but when he saw her face and realized she'd been crying, there was no way he could just hang back anymore. "Hey sweetheart. What are you up to?" he asked gently.

[throughaphase]

"Trying to get in touch with the Brits, see how they are," Kitty said, putting her phone down. "I should check with Betsy, she's probably gotten in touch with Brian already. I keep coming up with more people I haven't heard from yet."

[so_hawkward]

"Is there anyone I can call? Or can I bring you anything? Food, water, anything?" Clint asked. "I... whatever you need, just say the word."

[throughaphase]

"Hugs," she said immediately, patting the spot next to her on the bed.

[so_hawkward]

"Oh good, that's something I'm actually good at," Clint said, sitting down and wrapping his arms around Kitty, pulling her into a tight hug.

[throughaphase]

She hugged him back, briefly burying her head in his shoulder like she hadn't realized just how much she needed that. "You know, I've worried about mutants getting wiped out for ten years. I never thought it'd come from one of us."

[so_hawkward]

"It didn't... she didn't know what she was doing," Clint said, running his hand over Kitty's hair. "Don't turn on the news. Don't listen to those idiots talk about what happened."

[throughaphase]

"Too late. I already got to see William Stryker telling the world this was all God's will," Kitty said dryly. "When we know the real reason an entire race of people got nearly wiped out is because Wanda was mad at her dad."

[so_hawkward]

"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound stupid," Clint said quietly. "Kitty, I know I said this already but I am so sorry."

[throughaphase]

"I know. Me too," she said, pulling back some. "I don't think I've ever thanked you for supporting us. Or for fighting with us like you did back there."

[so_hawkward]

"What else was I supposed to do? How could I not support you guys?" Clint asked. "You're one of the most important people in my life. Not supporting you isn't an option."

[throughaphase]

"One of the many reasons I love you," Kitty said with a tiny smile. "I also feel like I should apologize because I'm probably going to be in downer mode for a while."

[so_hawkward]

"You've got a good excuse, it's okay," Clint said. "That gives me an excuse to try every terrible joke on you that I haven't used yet, to try to get you to laugh."

[throughaphase]

"Not sure I want to know which ones didn't make the cut to get used before," Kitty said, half-joking.

[so_hawkward]

"There are many, many terrible puns," Clint warned, giving Kitty another hug. "And some knock-knock jokes because those are never in style."

[throughaphase]

"Do earplugs come with these jokes?" she asked. Again, half-joking.

[so_hawkward]

"Of course not! This is some quality material," Clint said. "Anything to get you smiling again."

[throughaphase]

"It'll happen," she promised. "Maybe not today, but it will. There's just a lot."

[so_hawkward]

"I know. And the offer for help goes beyond today too," Clint said. "You and anyone else here. I'll keep fighting by you if I have to."

[throughaphase]

"Thank you," she said, and meant that probably more than she'd ever meant anything. "How are you doing? You didn't exactly go un-messed with."

[so_hawkward]

Clint shrugged, like he wasn't quite sure what Kitty was talking about. "I'm fine. The fight wasn't that bad, compared to some I've been in."

[throughaphase]

"She created an alternate reality for all of us that we'd have been trapped in forever. It's been a long day, Clint." And she didn't really have the brain left for the usual 'I'm fine' stuff.

[so_hawkward]

"Okay, you're right," Clint said with a sigh. "I think it would have been worse if we weren't together. It's weird to think that I might have forgotten everyone else, but at least I was still with you."

[throughaphase]

"Even if I had wedding brain," she said. "Yeah, I wouldn't have wanted to not be with you."

[so_hawkward]

"You were adorable with wedding brain," Clint teased. "I just wish I'd been in a cooler branch of the military. Why not the Air Force or something?"

[throughaphase]

"You got a uniform, that's really all that matters," Kitty said. "At least in my professional opinion."

[so_hawkward]

"Hmm, I'll have to make a mental note of that," Clint said with a smirk. "In spite of everything, I'm glad you and I are back to normal."

[throughaphase]

"Yeah." Though she wasn't going to admit right now that she was a little sad that two days ago they were getting married and now, not so much. "Would have been confusing to stay there, knowing the truth."

[so_hawkward]

Clint was also trying not to think about how nice it had been to watch Kitty plan for their wedding. "I don't know if we'd have been able to get in touch with Fandom. That would have sucked."

[throughaphase]

"We wouldn't have had Lockheed or the dogs," Kitty pointed out.

[so_hawkward]

"See, the fact that there were no abandoned dogs running around the apartment should have been my first clue that something was off," Clint said, only partly teasing.

[throughaphase]

"I'm sure we would have gotten to them eventually," Kitty decided. "You were still you, after all."

[so_hawkward]

Clint laughed. "Maybe you would have gotten one as a wedding present. Something cute and small to go with your dress."

[throughaphase]

"You have a unique idea of wedding presents and it's adorable," Kitty told him. That was almost a smile there. Almost.