9299/Shadowcat: Homecoming

Shadowcat: Homecoming
Date of Scene:	23 September 2019
Location:	Apartment 1A, Muggins Apartments, Jackson Heights
Synopsis:	Kitty returns home with Peter, after finally being healed of the coma she was left in after a Sentinel attack
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Shadowcat
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

---

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete head over to Aunt May's to pick up Jester while Kitty was out getting pizza for the medical staff and releases the pup into the apartment a few moments before collapsing onto the mattress like a dropped bag of bricks. Splayed out like a starfish with all the pent up anxiety from the past two days bleeding out of him like an open wound as he groans quietly against the blankets. His fears of losing Kitty, his guilt for being unable to do /anything/ to help or protect her, it all fall down upon him... weighing him down heavily.

Now he just wants her to be home.

Shadowcat has posed:
The sound of the key in the lock presages Kitty coming through the door. She closes and locks it behind her, Lockheed in her arms. She turns off the image inducer that leaves him looking like a cat, setting him to fly over and land on his little purple bed, knowing Kitty will want to spend time with others.

And does she ever. She goes over and immediately wraps her arms around Peter and buries her face in his chest. "Peter, I'm so sorry for what you got put through," she tells him as she hugs him tight. Not super-spider strength tight. But regular human really fit girl strength, tight.

"I... well, I don't really remember anything. So... ah... but I know how you must have worried. I mean, I could see it on your face. And I know how I'd have felt. I'm sorry you went through that," she tells him, face nestling to him.

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter wasn't snoring very loud, but he was snoring.. The combination of postion, laying on his back in a tossed around position and being so exhausted that he dropped immediatley into a deep slumber leaves him waking with the rattling keys just enough to be marginally aware of his surroundings. Enough to know someone has come in and that his spider senses aren't tingling. Another half second and he peels his eyes open at Kitty with a tired smile seeing her up and out of the bed...

He hates to admit how he worried he may never see that again.

But here she is and there's Lockheed.. His head turns to grin at the purple dragon finally come home, then back up to Kitty to catch her in open arms closed around her shoulders when she collapses against his chest. Bathing her in affectionate kisses all across her brow, cheeks, and face. Like he hasn't seen her in days... which he kind of hasn't, not as anything other than motionless, which was arguably worse than not seeing her at all.

"No... no you were doing what we do, Kits.. you were protecting children.. you were helping our friends. You don't have //anything// to be sorry about. You came back.." His arms tighten, holding her to his chest, "I only wish I could have been there... I don't know what I'd have done, but I'd have tried. I felt like I failed you."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde buries herself in Peter Parker's embrace. As much to reassure him, or more, than to reassure herself. She knows that for all of her injuries, she had it the easier, given she doesn't remember any of it.

"You'd never failed me, Peter. We both know there's no way you could have known what was going to happen, any more than I could. And you were there for me and took care of me after. I couldn't ask for any more than that," Kitty tells him.

Her hands curl up his back to hook on his shoulders from behind as she hugs him like she never plans to let go. And tonight at least, she might not. "Don't think about any of that. We're back together, that's all that matters," she says.

A certain puppy nuzzles at her leg, and Kitty lets go of Peter only enough to reach down to pick him up. "One big happy family. And Lockheed too," she says, snuggling Jester between herself and Peter.

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter isn't so easily swayed from his guilt, but he's taking Kitty at face value and trying to settle his raging thoughts on the things he 'could' have done if he 'had' been there.. but he wasn't and he couldn't. Which logically he knows isn't his fault, but try telling him that. Instead of thinking about it, much anyways, he holds her tighter.

"I don't know what I'd have done if you'd..." He can't finish it. The thought actually makes him look sick. So instead he buries his face in her dark hair and lets his eyes fall closed. At least until the pup gets up in this action... it's the first time he's actually laughed in days.

Reaching down to scratch Jester between the ears, then glance over at Lockheed, "You want in on this struggle snuggle, big guy?" Peter's odd, topsy turvy, family all under one roof. There will be violence later.

It's sitting in the back of his mind simmering.

Right now he just wants to be with them all.

"I love you, Kitty. I don't want a world where you're not with me."

Shadowcat has posed:
Lockheed rises, either understanding the words or the sentiment, and flaps over to land lightly on Kitty's shoulder, lying down and clinging to her neck. Kitty leans her head over against him, while she holds Jester up to where the golden lab pup can reach Peter's face. Licks ensue. What kind of rough emotions can endure under golden lab puppy face licks?

Kitty nestles in against Peter, closing her eyes and sighing softly. "I bet I knew you were there the whole time," she tells him softly. "Peter, I can't really find the words to express how I feel about you. Just... I'm sorry for what you went through. But I'm back now, and I'm not going away," she says, hugging him tighter.

She wipes at her face as if some tears were sneaking out. "We should stop and see May tomorrow," she comments. "And.. what do you think that we schedule a trip to Deerfield to see my Mom?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter reaches a hand up to run his fingers along Lockheed's scaled back. The two of them were friendly before, but they kind of bonded over the last two days. The dragon always knew how Peter felt, empathic and all that, but knowing and seeing right?

Then he's having his face licked by an aggressively jovial pupper. Pete laughs and makes a fragile show of defending himself. Tilting his head back away from the onslaught only for Jester to crawl up some to yelp happily as he resumes his affections. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry I left you with May... I know she's a task master who forced you to snuggle her endlessly, you spoiled brat..."

Rubbing the doggo down a little until he flops his head against Kitty and near Peter's face with a big doggy, happy yawn. Pete turns to regard Kitty, "It was the worst two days of my life." He admits, not to cause her anguish, so much as to express exactly how much she means to him.

"I know things about my feelings now that I only suspected before.. or felt and was kind of worried was... I don't know, it's hard to explain." He reaches up to brush her hair away from her face. Nodding again as he leans forward to kiss her cheek, "I think we should. I really want to meet your mom.. and May has text me a hundred times making sure you're okay.. I had to tell her you were in a car accident..."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty gazes up into Peter's eyes and smiles at him softly. When Jester changes targets and begins licking her cheek, it doesn't even draw her eyes away from his. Not until he gets her lips, at which point Kitty sputters and laughs and wipes at them. "Ok, flirt," she tells the little puppy, nuzzling her face back against him for a moment before returning her attention to Peter.

"I think I know what you mean," she tells him softly. "Not that I would want anyone to go through that to find out," she says tenderly. "Mom's going to love you. And... oh, here, we should send a picture to May," she says.

Kitty reaches up to turn on Lockheed's image inducer, turning him back into a cat for all appearances. She holds up her phone to take a picture of the happy family of four.

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter curls his head in to press temple to temple with Kitty as her phone comes up, temporary stalling his response to her while she snaps the picture of the Parker household, then tilting a little to look at Kitty along his shoulder. "I'd have got here eventually... mentally I mean. I knew I loved you and that wasn't ever in question, but the fragility of our lives... it's... I don't know it puts things into perspective. We do very dangerous things." He says absently, stroking hair from her face.

"I wouldn't tell you to stop doing them because people count on you.. they count on me. They need Shadowcat and Spider-Man, but I need you.. when I'm out there I might be New York City's hero, but I don't ever want there to be a moment where I'm not coming home to you.. I'm always yours and you're mine..." Glancing up at Lockheed, "And his, I /guess/..." Teasing the dragon with a wink.. until Jester licks his face with a yelp causing him to laugh quietly, "You too, you jerk.. of course you too..."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty sends off the picture and then keeps her head leaned against Peter's as he speaks. She nods slowly at the end, agreeing with him. "We do do dangerous things," she agrees. "And... we can't let our fears into that, either. No second guessing. No worrying when we should be focused on what is going on around us. We've both made it this long. We've got something to live for and will make it through whatever we face," she says softly. "Or if not, we'll go out being the people that were worth the other falling in love with," she says tenderly.

Kitty slides a hand up to brush along the back of Peter's neck, softly brushing her fingers along the base of his hair. She nuzzles a kiss to Peter's cheek and then gives one to Lockheed's head, the little dragon back to a dragon after she shuts the image inducer off. "Are you going to be ok?" she asks Peter softly. "Won't let this into your head when it matters?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete nods along with her, even if the last causes him to frown. He hates the idea, but accepts that it's a possibility, and that they knew it was a possibility, even if they hoped against it. He wraps his arm tighter around her shoulders and leans lips against her hair.

"Hm?" He wonders aloud, glancing side ways and down, "Oh... No, maybe... I don't know. I always think about this stuff, so it wont be... I mean it is different.. but.." He shakes his head, "I am definitely going to exact a little vengence, though. There's no way around that." He's honesta bout it, even if it's not precisely what she might want to hear. It's very unPeter. He breaths out a long sigh and shakes his head, eyes sliding closed. "I shouldn't be thinking this stuff right now. I'm still on high emotions."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty gently takes Peter's hand in hers that isn't holding up the puppy to squeeze it. "We need to deal with the Friends of Humanity. And the Sentinels. But, you know, we need to be smart about it. Not angry." Kitty's expression turns warmer. "Not that I'd ever accuse you of not being smart," she teases.

Kitty looks over to the bed nearby, and tries to give Peter a gentle nudge over towards it so they can lie down together. She sets Jester down to load him roam freely as he begins sniffing around before turning his attention back to his humans. Kitty gently ruffles behind his ears. "So what did May say about Jester?" she asks Peter.

Spider-Man has posed:
"I know." Peter agrees, brushing his hand forward, then backwards into his floppy brown curls, trying to smooth them out. As usual, they don't pay much heed to what he wants beyond sliding back and then floppy wherever they were going to go anyways. "And I promise I will be, but it's hard right now.." He admits with a smirk at Kitty when she glances at the bed. Arms around her waist immediately to hoist her up and cart her off to the double stack mattresses.

Once ther he falls as if he's going to land right atop her! Ohhh nooooo, turning at the last minute to easily carry them both around so that he lands upon his back and her against his chest. "I didn't get much a chance to speak with her about Jester.. she said he was adorable, but I was in a hurry when I picked him up... We'll take him with us tomorrow, though." Eyeing the inquizitive puppers with a wink. "I think he liked it there, though.. She was giving him treats."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty smiles at the puppy as she ruffles his fur. "He seems like a really great puppy. Not too many behaviors to work on yet. And a definite flirt," she says. "No wonder she'd like him," Kitty says with a smile, turning back to Peter. "So, what did you tell her about the car accident? Any details you made up that I need to make sure match?" she asks.

Kitty relaxes then, resting atop Peter with her head on his chest. "I think we just need to stay like this for the next... 24 hours at least," she suggests. "I hope you don't have to pee anytime soon," she says with a little laugh. Her hand goes to her head. "It's kind of weird, knowing I was that hurt, but... it could have just been a night of drinking as far as I knew. I did see my medical file though."