Archive of Our Own

On a Wednesday afternoon, just after three, Kurt stands in front of the great oak door. He's only six years old, but he knows when he walks through that door, his life will change.

He may be young, and while those weren't the words Logan had used, the door has this… feel about it. It sort of helps that Logan is this silent presence behind him. And has been for the past two months since he'd found Kurt in the circus and had told him to pack up and come along.

Kurt has no fond memories of the place he'd been staying. His mother, from what he knows, left him with a family for safekeeping and the ringmaster of the travelling circus had seen him and… well, apparently wanted him for the show.

It's all in his past now, because Logan says this is it, this is where he'll be staying.

Kurt isn't entirely sure how to feel about that. While Logan is a gruff man, Kurt gets the feeling he can argue against it if he wants. And Logan, unlike other adults in Kurt's life so far, will probably listen.

Logan doesn't say anything, doesn't do anything, he just stands there, huge and silent, behind Kurt. Years later Kurt will look back and appreciate this, but at six, about to enter a huge house, full of people who probably won't speak German… well, it would be lovely if Logan would just… do something, say anything.

Kurt tugs on the tip of his own tail for a moment. It's a nervous habit, or so the ringmaster told him. In other words, he hadn't been allowed to do so. It had been expected of him to be dangerous and scary.

How to look scary when you're blue, furry and six years old, is beyond Kurt's understanding. A lot of grownup stuff is beyond his understanding.

The door swings open and Kurt stares in amazement. All his fears of not understanding what is being said vanish for the time being. English still escapes him, although Logan's done what he can on their way here, to teach him words and terms.

It doesn't matter, because deep down, what's been worrying Kurt the most, is the fact that he's blue, has a tail and sometimes, when he sneezes, he displaces himself. It's only happened three times, but the last time he ended up over water and… well. He'd dried eventually.

No, the amazing thing here, is that the man opening the door is blue as well! Huge - by Kurt's standards - blue fur all over - sticking out of the sleeves and collar of his tee-shirt. The man says something, but Kurt's too busy being overwhelmed by what he's seeing.

'I thought you might find being welcomed by Hank more calming than anyone else.'
Kurt freezes. The voice, if that's what it is, is inside his head, and he's got the feeling that it's not speaking German, yet he understands it.

'Sometimes being a telepath, seeing thoughts and understanding them, no matter the language, comes in handy,' the voice continues in his head.

"Wie ist das möglich?" Kurt mutters to himself.

'Because we're like you, my dear child, gifted people.'

The big blue man, Hank, steps aside, and a man in a chair with wheels, comes forward. He's staring at Kurt in a mixture of surprise and joy - and a little sadness as well. Kurt knows this feeling well, and he can see it in the corners of the man's mouth.

"Your sister sends her regards," Logan says behind Kurt, who is startled out of his awe. "Says to take good care of your nephew." Kurt doesn't know what Logan just said, but he pays attention to the reaction to it.

The man in the chair gasps, covers his mouth with one hand and Kurt thinks it's tears he sees in his eyes. 'Then you are even more welcome, Kurt. It seems I am your uncle Charles - your mother is my sister.'

Kurt bites his lower lip. He wants to ask this man about his mother. He's tried to ask Logan, but the man shared very little. Had mostly told Kurt that he didn't know his mother that well - not well enough to share anything important. This man, however, who looks nice, who understands him and who doesn't stare at his appearance like others do… This man knows his mother.

"Will you be staying as well, Logan?" Charles doesn't take his eyes off Kurt.

Kurt in turn thinks he can feel Charles' mind curving around his own, like the big fat orange cat the ringmaster had kept in his trailer. The one that had occasionally gotten out and had unerringly found Kurt every time and gone to sleep on him, a bundle of warm fur against his chest.

Logan is quiet for a moment. Kurt is torn between wanting to stay with Charles, and scared that if he says yes, Logan will leave and he's been with him long enough to have grown fond of the gruff man.

"I've got nowhere else to be right now," Logan says evenly.

"Then please stay for as long as you wish," Charles says, more warmth in his voice than Kurt would have expected to hear directed at strangers. Then again, what does he know? He's not used to the kindness of others, but here's a man who will not only let him into his house, but who seems to understand him and want him.

'I would never turn you away, Kurt - and not just because you're my sister's son. You're a mutant, like Hank here, like myself - and like most other people in this house. We would not turn away one of our own.'

Kurt allows himself to trust. He'd trusted Logan, eventually, and this has led him here… maybe it's worth trusting again.

Kurt's been at the mansion for a year and he's mostly happy. Charles sometimes shares tidbits about Kurt's mother, but Kurt rarely asks - the questions always leave Charles so terribly sad.

It's night, and Kurt can't sleep, so he slips down into the kitchen. It's huge, and warm and welcoming, and in the beginning it freaked him out a bit. But now he knows his way around, and he knows he's allowed to go wherever he wants. And this includes the fridge and Kurt has a hankering for milk. He doesn't even bother with the light, his nightvision at least as good as his eyesight during the day.

There's a backdoor to the kitchen, leading out to the side of the building and Kurt's fur stands on end when he realizes the lock is disengaging itself, and the handle turning to allow the door to open.

He drops milk he's holding, the glass splintering on the floor, milk staining the legs of his pants. His voice sticks in his throat and he can't stop staring at the door in horror.

"What the…?" The light switches on and a strange man stares at him. He's tall, skinny, wears a helmet on his head that leaves most of his face shadowed. He looks like he eats little boys like Kurt for breakfast.

Kurt moves to stand back, but the man lifts a hand to stop him. Some of the cutlery springs from a drawer, wraps itself around Kurt's arms and keeps him in place.

There's a touch of alarm against Kurt's mind - it's all fuzzy with sleep, but he recognizes it. He tries to explain to Charles while he keeps his eyes on the man. There's a moment of tension in his connection with Charles, then something like a soft sigh. 'Please, don't be frightened, Kurt - this is Erik, he won't harm you.'

Kurt isn't entirely sure if he believes Charles. He isn't entirely sure that Charles believes himself.

It takes a long time before Charles finally rolls into the kitchen, but Kurt studies Erik and Erik studies Kurt.

"Erik, how nice of you to sneak in and scare the life out of my students," Charles says, his voice calm, at least on the surface.

Kurt wants to go to him and put his arms around him. He's not sure why, but he's become increasingly good at reading his uncle's emotions, and he may seem calm, but he's not.

The man, Erik, reaches up and takes off his helmet. All of the sudden he's not quite so scary. Even less so with his hair damp and sticking up in places. He stares for a few moments at Kurt, his eyes widen and then he nods.

"There's glass everywhere, be careful," Erik says, and the metal wrapped around Kurt's wrists unwind and float back into the drawer.

Kurt tugs at his tail - he hasn't had this nervous habit in a while, but he's worried about his uncle.

"It's okay, Kurt - please, go to bed - I'll make sure the glass is cleared away," Charles says quietly.

Kurt teleports into the open doorway, to avoid having to step through the glass in his bare feet. "Uncle Charles?" He really isn't sure he should leave them alone…

There's another soft touch to his mind. "It's really okay, Kurt. Trust me?"

Kurt nods. "Always," he says, with the conviction of a seven year old. He doesn't miss the startled look on Erik's face. Whatever that is about, he isn't sure he wants to know.

After this, Kurt sees Erik around the house every once in a while. In the beginning, Kurt can tell that he's not wanted there. At least not by Alex and Hank. Kurt doesn't ask why, all he knows is that most days, when Erik's been there, Charles smiles a little more. Is less serious. And Kurt won't tell anyone that he's seen them alone in Charles' study. Erik kneeling with his head in Charles' lap, obviously crying - Charles' eyes bright with unshed tears.

It's no one's business but their own, but after this, he definitely sees them both smiling more often.

He also learns that Erik speaks German, and after this, he can't help himself. He talks to the man, at him. While his English has improved so much, he still sometimes just wants to speak in the language he's spoken since he learned his first words.

Erik seems startled by this, but although the other students find Erik scary, Kurt takes to him. And Erik seems to like him too. He answers Kurt's questions. And it's a gift. Because while Charles has been able to tell Kurt about his mother, no one's told him about his father. And Erik had known him, could tell Kurt about him.

Erik also tells him about his own parents, about how he lost them when he was young, so he understands Kurt's need to ask about everything. The need to know.

Kurt is… happy, where he is. Logan comes and goes, but he's still a constant in Kurt's life. Charles is always there for him. So is Erik, and Hank and Alex… and Kurt has friends his own age, who are like himself; gifted with amazing abilities.

Two and a half years down the line - three and a half years after Logan brought him here, Kurt has another life altering surprise. He's drawn to the study, three voices are raised, not quite in anger, but in heated discussion. Kurt's learned to tell the difference. He no longer feels the knot of unease in his stomach when the adults discuss their viewpoints loudly. It's just how they are, it's how Erik and Alex are, to tell the truth. Hotheads, Charles says.

But this time it's not Alex and Erik, disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. This time, when he slips into the study, he finds a beautiful blue woman, hands on her hips while she's looming over Erik, which is no mean feat, because she's not as tall as he is, but he obviously knows to respect her, because he looks more than a little ill at ease.

Charles looks up and gives him a quick smile. "Raven, really, this is not the time for this," he says evenly. "There's someone here to see you."

Kurt inhales sharply. It's not like he hasn't imagined this a million times over, but this is it, this is the real thing. He almost reaches for his tail - feels it twitch, but then shakes himself. He can do this, if for nothing else, than for the look of approval and pride on Charles' face.

The End