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Peter wakes up a lot at night. It’s just something he does. He’s always had problems sleeping through the night, even as a grown-ass man who should be able to sleep through the whole night. What a loser.
He turns around to look at Kurt across the room and maybe climb into his bed like he used to do to his mom or Wanda when he realizes Kurt isn’t there. And it’s not him blending in with the darkness. He isn’t there.
And Peter feels like a piece of shit, because his first thought isn’t something along the lines of “Kurt is his own person and probably left to do something”, it’s “why does everyone leave me?”.
Jesus. He can’t make this about himself. This is Kurt, and he’s missing.
Peter gets out of bed, ready to run the entire mansion, surrounding area, and earth, but then he notices a small, human-shaped ball in the corner. That has to be him.
“Kurt?”
The ball pops its head up, gold eyes reflecting the moonlight from the window, and it’s definitely Kurt.
Peter takes a small step closer and then backs into his bed when Kurt hisses at him and curls back up. “Blueberry?”
Kurt hisses again. If this has something to do with Dadneto, Peter's gonna be pissed. It’s one thing to mess with humans (which, hey, you shouldn’t do), but it’s another thing to mess with mutants (who you’re supposed to be fighting for in the first place, dad).
“Kurt?” Peter steps closer. He has to figure out if this is Kurt or someone else’s work. He doesn’t know which one he wants.
Kurt tries to shrink into the corner, realizes he can’t, and disappears into a cloud of sulfur smoke that leaves Peter coughing.
He should probably tell the Professor, but he doesn’t. First, when was the last time Peter ever trusted/respected/listened to an authority figure? He’s aware that he’d be slightly more fucked if the Professor hadn’t offered to house him in the mansion, but that doesn’t mean he has to do the whole “chain of authority” thing.
Except… this is Kurt. Kurt, who could probably cause a lot of damage if he teleports into the wrong place, or who could possibly do something really, really bad if he was out of it.
And then there’s another puff of sulfury smoke and Kurt’s back, on his bed this time. He’s still curled in on himself, but he straightens himself a little. “Hallo, Peter.”
“Blueberry,” Peter says. He wants to step closer, but he doesn’t want Kurt to teleport away again.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Peter cocks his head to the side. “Why?”
“I scared you, did I not?”
“But- No, what’s wrong?”
Kurt looks down. “I, uh… had- Albtraum.”
“Huh?"
“A nightmare.”
“Oh,” Peter says. “Hey, you can tell me. You can tell me- It isn’t, like, stupid or silly. I get them, too, and it’s okay to have nightmares, and…” Peter trails off when he looks at Kurt. He’s digging his fingers into his knee. “I think it was a little worse than a nightmare.”
“It was… You know I was in the circus,” Kurt says.
Peter sits next to him on the bed, preparing himself for Kurt to teleport away again. But he doesn’t. He leans against Peter’s side, and Peter wraps an arm around him.
“And it was- it was not good for me.”
This is Kurt talking about himself. About his past. Peter talks about his past, because there isn’t anything worse than, like, dropping out of high school and shoplifting, but Kurt doesn’t. And Peter’s okay with that. If Kurt doesn’t wanna talk about his past, then he won’t push. But since Kurt is volunteering…
“It wasn’t?”
Kurt shakes his head. “It was- I was treated like ein Tier,” Kurt says. “Caged. Not… Not treated well.”
Peter squeezes Kurt. Maybe he shouldn’t. Maybe it’ll remind him of being caged. “Who the fuck cages other humans?”
Kurt shrugs. “When you are an oddity, you are not human, right?”
“You’re still human. You’re a person.”
“I was a thing,” Kurt says. “No better than the lions.”
Peter’s heard about animal abuse in circuses, but he’s never really cared. Sure, he’s been tempted to set the elephants free when the circus was in town, but he never thought about how much they’ve been hurt. He definitely will next time.
“You aren’t a thing.”
“Thank you.”
“I- They hurt you?”
Kurt nods, closes his eyes. Peter decides right then and there to never go to another circus. Ever.
“Oh.” What else is there to say when you find out your boyfriend has been abused? Peter’s usually so good with words, but when it matters most, he can’t think of anything.
“It was a long time ago. It does not matter now.”
“No, it does. ‘Cuz they- Kurt, they abused you.”
“But I am here now,” Kurt says. “And that matters.”
That doesn’t stop Peter from making a mental note to make sure to find out what circus Kurt was in and destroy them. He should write it down so he doesn’t forget it. “Kurt…”
“I am good.”
“You have nightmares, man.”
“We all have nightmares,” Kurt says. “It is a part of being here and doing this.”
“It’s not-”
“Please, Peter. It no longer happens. I am no longer hurt. I am here. With you.” And then Kurt smiles at him. “And you do not maltreat me.”
“I- Kurt, I’ll never do that to you. Ever.”
Kurt leans his head against Peter’s shoulder. “I know you will not. And I am happy.”
“I… Do you wanna go back to sleep? D’you think you can? Or, like, d’you wanna do something else?” Maybe, if Kurt goes back to sleep, Peter can find the nearest circus and set the animals free. It’ll be good for him and them. Maybe get rid of that anger. Who could treat another person like that?
“I think I would like to stay awake. I am… not tired.”
There goes that plan, but Peter is more than happy to just stay there with Kurt and do whatever.
“And do what?”
“Are you not the best at coming up with things to do?”
Peter smiles. Kurt knows him so well. Maybe he'll know Kurt as well soon.