Saints And Sinners
By Tergon
“Whassup, Blue?”
Kurt barely turned his head from the TV. “Not much.”
“Huh.” A pause. “So, you *wanna* do something?”
“After what happened last time? No.”
He felt, rather than heard, Tabitha moving toward him at speed, and slid sideways just in time for her to flump down on the sofa next to him rather than directly on top of him. She frowned at him.
“Spoil my fun, why don’t you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t like being crushed.”
“I’m not that heavy!”
“Never said you were. But you’d have still crushed me.”
“Huh,” she said again. Then: “You’re still annoyed about what happened when I left here, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “Not annoyed. Just wiser.”
“What do you mean, wiser?”
“I mean that after we went on a chaos spree and got into a lot of trouble, you ducked out and left me to take the hit. So I’m wiser as in I’m not going to do it again.”
“Ah. So you’re *really* annoyed about it, huh?”
“I guess.” He shifted slightly. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
She snorted. “C’mon, Blue! Just because I moved out doesn’t mean I can’t come back for a visit now and then, does it?”
“Who are you visiting?”
“You, for one.”
“Then go visit someone else.”
Another pause hung in the air before Tabitha shook her head. “You don’t fool anyone, you know.”
That caught him off guard; Kurt blinked. “Was?”
“Acting like a good little boy and all that. Nobody buys it.”
“What are you talking-”
She waved a hand, cutting him off. “I mean that everybody knows why you do it, but nobody minds too much. Times like this it gets kinda annoying, though.”
He sighed. “You’re not just going to leave it there and walk off, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Alright, then. Enlighten me.”
“Well,” she began. “You told me once how people judge you by your looks, right? How they expect you to be bad all the time ‘cause you look like a demon? And don’t get offended, you said it first and not me.”
He nodded. “Ja, so?”
“See, I figured at first that this was why you act like some kinda Saint. So that people won’t expect the worst of you. But once I got to know you, I noticed that you’re always trying to be the voice of reason, expecting the best from other people and hoping they’ll be Saints just like you.”
Kurt recoiled slightly in confusion. “I give people a chance. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing at all, Blue. ‘Cept you only give ‘em a chance to be *like* you. If someone’s *not* a Saint you either reject ‘em or tolerate ‘em with gritted teeth. And I know why.”
His tone was bored now. “Why?”
“Simple. If you’re a Saint, and everyone around you is a Saint, then there are no sinners. No judgements. No standards that make you less than everyone else. You think that so long as *everyone* is good… nobody will be. And then you’re just the same as everyone else.”
He didn’t answer; Tabitha lowered her voice. “And that’s all you really want, isn’t it Blue? To be the same as everyone else.”
He flinched – she’d struck a nerve. “Like you’re any different,” he snapped.
“Nope. I’m the exact opposite.” She stretched. “See, you try to make everyone the same by making ‘em all *good*. I try to make ‘em *bad* and *different*. I never liked being the same as other people, so I try to be different and make other people act different.”
He blinked again. “Huh?”
“I got a spin on your theory. See, if everyone’s an individual and misbehaving, then there are no more standards, no more expectations, no more judgements. Same goals but different means.” She paused. “You and me aren’t so different, Blue.”
“I don’t use people,” he growled.
“Nope. You just got yourself this Masochistic streak where you let people use you. That way you can say they aren’t Saints like you and that way you don’t feel like a bad person. So at the end of the day, you’re the good guy and everyone knows it.”
“I don’t just go crazy like you.”
“No?” She smirked. “You got a rep for pranking around here that says different, Blue. And besides… when we went out that time you weren’t exactly complaining, were you? You went right along with me and had fun.” She stretched again. “We all gotta have fun sometimes, Blue. Admitting that won’t mean you’re not a Saint. It just means you’re *human*.”
There was another silence. Finally, Kurt spoke.
“So you’re saying that we’re the same?”
“No.” Tabitha shook her head. “I’m saying we’re so different, we meet up at the opposite ends of the line. And *that* is why we work well together.”
“Do we?” Skeptical.
“Uh-huh. You’re Yin, I’m Yang. It goes together.”
“I think you might have those mixed up.”
She waved a hand. “Who cares? You know what I mean.”
“Hmm.”
Tabitha poked him in the shoulder. “So c’mon. Let’s go have some fun! I’m bored and you’re the only one around here that might *actually* have a pulse!”
“Lub-dub,” he deadpanned. She grinned.
“Ha! A joke! I *knew* you could do it!” She tugged at his arm. “Can we go *do* something now? Please?”
A corner of Kurt’s mouth quirked up in the hint of a smile. “You said ‘please’.”
“Negotiations, Blue. Tell people what they wanna hear and they’ll agree with you.”
“Will they really?”
She sighed. “Alright, then. There’s a Chinese restaurant near Claymore Street. All you can eat for five bucks, and they’re having a special on deep-fried prawns. My treat.”
He tilted his head, thinking. “And what do *I* have to do? What’s my side of the deal.”
“You don’t have to *do* anything. There’s no deal. Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
She shrugged. “Hey, you tried it my way. I guess I could have a shot at being a Saint for a day. Can’t kill me.”
For a second longer he sat there, thinking. Then he sighed. Got to his feet.
“Logan’s right, you know,” he mused, offering his hand to Tabitha. She grabbed it and hauled herself up.
“Right about what?”
“You really are going to be the death of me.”
She grinned. “Promises, promises, Blue. Don’t get my hopes up.”
“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“Maybe.” She tugged on his ears. “Or maybe not. Take it as it comes. Hey, at the end of the day you can be sure of one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“When we’re done, I’m not gonna judge you.”
At that, finally, he grinned. And a moment later, they were gone in an explosion of Sulfur.
Fin.
