Apartment Above Lukes, Tuesday Evening

[spin_kick_snap]

So, technically, Kathy's plan was to make tacos for dinner, but no one would know that from the state of the kitchen. She'd decided to make homemade guacamole (because what were tacos other than tasty vehicles for guac?) and now all the taco fixings were kind of pushed off to one side while she finished mashing up the avocados and chopping the cilantro and prepping the other stuff.

And texting Dante, because making tacos was the perfect opportunity for jokes, right? Especially with her shoulder still a little red from Pride?

Looking forward to putting all the tacos into my face tonight, she said, continuing their lazy conversation. No more sausage for me, but tacos are always the way to my...heart.

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante finally reached for the wipes, cleaning off his stomach with experienced expediency.

Then he rolled over, tossing a casual arm over Kathy's body. Look, this had started as an attempt to settle her, and he didn't need those few inches that much.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hey," she said softly, running her hands through his hair. That was all she had. Just hey.

Though maybe a request for an explanation about what he'd meant a moment ago would be nice, but she still wasn't ready to bother him over it.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Next time," Dante said, pressing a kiss to her shoulder, "We're not getting you off before that."

Better?

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh?" Kathy teased, returning the gesture over his ear. "You're just gonna blue ball me instead?" She poked him in his arm and chuckled softly. "I don't think you're up for giving me much of anything right now."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah, we should make that vibe work for you," Dante said. "'n if it doesn't, I'll buy you another one."

He smirked up at her, lazy.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'll laugh if you end up buying it from me," Kathy said, which was likely true as she was laughing now. "I think I just need to invest in a stronger one. It's kinda weak and it has to go through some thick material to get to me. And I...well, I need something on the stronger side." She ran her hand through his hair again. "But I'm game to try again sometime."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Good," Dante said, shifting so he was laying next to her more than on top of her now. "Half the fun of doing that's having fun at the same time."

He glanced at her, reaching out to nudge some hair out of her face. "Hey."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yeah?" she asked, her nails running lightly over his scalp in soothing circles.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I'm not gonna bail on you now even if you step in something every once in a while," Dante said. "All right?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was quiet for a long moment. And when she did speak, her voice was barely a whisper. "...Promise?"

That didn't address some of her biggest fears, but it was a start, at least.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Promise," Dante said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

[spin_kick_snap]

And for today, that was enough. Hell, for today, that was plenty. It wasn't the happy ending that Kathy from senior year might have wanted, but this Kathy had seen enough to realize that happy endings were few and far between.

She'd take this one.

"I trust you," she said and it was enough.