Venting, Sam & Kurt, Wed 9/7, evening

[Nightcrawler]

Harry's was fairly slow on a Saturday night, a half dozen or so regulars propping up the bar and a handful of the tables occupied by groups of two or three. There was a couple in the dim corner booth Kurt usually gravitated to when he wanted to talk without any chance of being overheard or get shit-faced with the least amount of potential interference, obviously interested in its relative seclusion for entirely different reasons and Kurt smirked at the pair before elbowing Sam lightly in the ribs and heading for a booth along the wall, far enough from any occupied tables that they could talk freely if they wanted.

"This good, farmboy?" he asked, sliding into a seat and waving a hand to get the waitress's attention. Herr Professor was 'fixing' things now, or trying anyway, and there was nothing he could do if he'd stayed there. Nothing but pace and fidget and glare at Scott and Sam was right, getting out of the house was definitely a better option. With that in mind, he made a conscious effort to relax and stop stewing as he looked across at the other man with a faint smile as the waitress, a familiar redhead, approached.

"Hey boys. Lemme guess, something foreign an' strong?" she asked, smiling, and Kurt mustered an impish grin that was mostly lost on her as she was obviously just a bit more focused on Sam and his wholesome fresh off the farm good looks, which just made Kurt's smile stretch broader.

"You know me too well, Joyce. Two bottles of Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel." Of course, it wasn't hard to know him too well at Harry's, he was the reason they'd started carrying a few obscure German beers. "Onion rings too, Sam?" he asked, grinning across at the other man and wondering if he'd even noticed that he was attracting interest.

[Cannonball]

Although Sam didn't like the way Rogue had been treated, he sort of understood the reasoning. She had been in the Brotherhood and had caused a whole heap of trouble with them. But it just didn't make sense she'd put herself out there like that unless she was sincere.

Regardless, Kurt didn't need to be working himself into fits over it. It'd all work out fine in the end. So he'd grabbed his friend and hauled him off to Harry's for a bit of male coping.

Was very few things a good talk over a few beers couldn't at least make better.

Their usual table was taken by a couple who were getting a little hot and heavy for being in public. Sam shook his head at Kurt when he nudged him, a small grin appearing. Luckily, he found them another table real quick.

"This good, farmboy?"

Sam shrugged as they settled in. "As long as we can still drink and talk, works for me," he agreed.

He also smiled at the familiar waitress as she approached their table. "Hey boys. Lemme guess, something foreign an' strong?" she asked, smiling.

Kurt was faster in replying than he was, which was fine, since Sam couldn't ever remember the names of the fancy German beers he liked. "You know me too well, Joyce. Two bottles of Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel. Onion rings too, Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Sounds good." He turned his attention to the waitress. "You're always the one waitin' on us when we come in here, hon," he observed. "I hope Harry gives you a night off every once and awhile."

If he hadn't actually been completely obvious to the looks he was getting from Joyce, that might have been the beginning of a pick-up line. Except honestly, he was wondering if Harry had any other waitresses. Had to be laws against that, after all.

[Nightcrawler]

"This good, farmboy?" Kurt asked as he slid into a booth and waited for Sam to join him.

Sam shrugged as they settled in. "As long as we can still drink and talk, works for me," he agreed.

He watched Sam intently as Joyce approached, wondering if this was the night he'd finally notice that she waited on him a whole lot more enthusiastically than most of her customers...and privately doubting it. Maybe they should start a pool.

"Hey boys. Lemme guess, something foreign an' strong?" she asked, smiling.

"You know me too well, Joyce. Two bottles of Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel. Onion rings too, Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Sounds good." He turned his attention to the waitress. "You're always the one waitin' on us when we come in here, hon," he observed. "I hope Harry gives you a night off every once and awhile."

Kurt actually had to resist the urge to laugh, or cover his face with his hands. He was starting to suspect Sam would never notice unless Joyce came right out and said something, or one of them did. Though he doubted Sam would believe them even if they did.

"You're sweet to ask, Sammy, but I like the hours. A lot," she assured him, her smile brightening noticeably, and if Sam weren't so oblivious he'd have caught that it was just for him. "I'll be right back with those beers, the rings'll take a few more minutes." She turned to go at that, but smiled once more over her shoulder as she headed for the bar.

Kurt watched her go then turned back to Sam, making a concerted effort not to sink back into his earlier irritation. At least Scott had agreed to put her in the Danger Room instead of one of the cells, even if it hadn't been until Kurt had almost resorted to a screaming fit. And he understood why, he really did, no matter what Scott might think right now. She was dangerous and she was 'the enemy' and she had been for years, far longer than she'd been his only ally and friend and...whatever else they'd been to each other. She'd hurt and killed and destroyed at Mystique's command, and if there had been hesitation or regret at points along the line they didn't even begin to negate the evil she'd done...but when it came down to it all of that didn't negate months of having been the only person who made any effort to speak to him, or who treated him like anything more than an animal or a weapon and he couldn't just stop caring. He'd tried.

"So." He blinked disconcertingly blue eyes at Sam and propped his elbows on the table. "Paige managed to give you any heart attacks lately?"

[Cannonball]

"You're sweet to ask, Sammy, but I like the hours. A lot," Joyce replied. Sam couldn't blame her, he supposed, but some of the patrons in this place had to be trying. "I'll be right back with those beers, the rings'll take a few more minutes."

"Thanks darlin'," he replied as she headed off. He looked back at Kurt, still a little rattled at him not being blue and all. Was a darned shame he had to hide behind an illusion just to go and get a beer.

"So." He blinked disconcertingly blue eyes at Sam and propped his elbows on the table. "Paige managed to give you any heart attacks lately?"

Sam chuckled and shook his head. "'Asides from trying too hard to prove herself when I'm running training, nothing," he replied. "That girl tries too hard in general, though. Never learned how to just be. It'll come in time, I'm sure."

He grinned. "She still tryin' to drive you two into fences or street signs or run over little old ladies?" he teased.

Kurt was a patient, patient man to be giving Paige driving lessons. Sam had tried, but she'd always ended up making a mistake everybody did because of nerves and crying and it was just best to let someone else teach her.

[Nightcrawler]

"Thanks darlin'," Sam answered as Joyce moved off, confirming once more his utter obliviousness to any kind of romantic - or maybe just sexual - interest in him. The boy was going to die a virgin at this rate and Kurt had to resist the urge to facepalm.

"So." He blinked disconcertingly blue eyes at Sam and propped his elbows on the table. "Paige managed to give you any heart attacks lately?"

Sam chuckled and shook his head. "'Asides from trying too hard to prove herself when I'm running training, nothing," he replied. "That girl tries too hard in general, though. Never learned how to just be. It'll come in time, I'm sure."

"Maybe she thinks she has something to try and live up to?" he suggested, though his heart wasn't really in the teasing. He was too on edge, wondering how things were going with Rogue, if the Professor could help her, if Scott would let her stay - or if she'd even really want to - if he could. And if Scott would still trust him after he'd gone off on him over locking up a member of the Brotherhood.

"She still tryin' to drive you two into fences or street signs or run over little old ladies?" he teased.

"She hasn't taken out a single fence since I've been driving with her. Maybe you just need to work on your teething methods," he informed Sam with a faint smile before checking his watch for possibly the twentieth time since they'd left the grounds. Herr Professor had said it would likely take a very long time but he couldn't seem to help but count the minutes.

[Cannonball]

"Maybe she thinks she has something to try and live up to?"

Sam shrugged. "She's always had that notion," he admitted seriously. "Always been convinced she's got some unachievable standard to live up to or somethin' like that. Got worse once I came here. She wanted to come with me so bad. I'm glad she's here. She's meant for more than Cumberland."

His expression lightened and he went back to his lighthearted teasing. "She still tryin' to drive you two into fences or street signs or run over little old ladies?" he teased.

"She hasn't taken out a single fence since I've been driving with her. Maybe you just need to work on your teething methods," Kurt suggested with a grin, then went back to looking at his watch.

Sam reached out and put his hand on Kurt's wrist, covering the face of his watch. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked gently. "Since I'm doin' a terrible job distracting you?"

[Nightcrawler]

"Maybe she thinks she has something to try and live up to?"

Sam shrugged. "She's always had that notion," he admitted seriously. "Always been convinced she's got some unachievable standard to live up to or somethin' like that. Got worse once I came here. She wanted to come with me so bad. I'm glad she's here. She's meant for more than Cumberland."

Before Kurt could formulate an answer to that, or even really try in his distracted state, Sam moved on. "She still tryin' to drive you two into fences or street signs or run over little old ladies?" he teased.

"She hasn't taken out a single fence since I've been driving with her. Maybe you just need to work on your teaching methods," Kurt suggested with a grin before checking his watch yet again.

Sam reached out and put his hand on Kurt's wrist, covering the face of his watch. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked gently. "Since I'm doin' a terrible job distracting you?"

"I'm sorry, Sam, you're doing a fine job," Kurt countered with a faint sigh and a weary smile. "I'm just doing a crap job of being distracted, I suppose." He scrubbed the hand not pinned by Sam's gentle grip across his face and through his hair, holographically brown curls standing just as wildly on end as the blue ones they concealed.

"I might have pushed my luck with Scott a bit too far today," he admitted after a moment, keeping his tail stilled and out of sight with an effort as he leaned back in his seat.

[Cannonball]

Sam was worried about Kurt. He was obviously tearing himself up about this thing with Rogue. And it was understandable. Both sides.

"I'm sorry, Sam, you're doing a fine job," Kurt countered with a faint sigh and a weary smile. "I'm just doing a crap job of being distracted, I suppose."

He chuckled and smiled at Joyce as she returned with their beers. "Thanks, hon," he drawled softly, completely oblivious to the looks she was giving him. He didn't even notice how she watched him as she walked away, bumping another waitress and almost knocking them both down.

Kurt was fidgeting and if he hadn't been trying to hide behind his image inducer, his tail would have been lashing like a pissed off cat. "I might have pushed my luck with Scott a bit too far today," he admitted.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe so," he agreed. "But sometimes, Scott needs a bit of shovin'. He does his best, does what he thinks is best, but that don't always mean it's what needs to be."