Barry's Old Warehouse, Warehouse District, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

So. The island could turn her back into an ex at literally any moment. That was not a thought that was good for Kathy's peace of mind. Being an ex again, for however short a time, had not been good for Kathy's peace of mind. She hadn't been a mindless husk that had seen everything that moved as 'prey,' no, but that was cold comfort when she had spent the day eating brains.

Sharing brains with other people.

Hunting small creatures to get--

Her stomach lurched again, just thinking about it. She hadn't eat much this past week just for that reason. It felt like February all over again, when eating had been a struggle, the very act bringing up memories she didn't want to relive.

Distantly, Kathy knew she should go home, deal with the mess left in her room, deal with the mess that was her life. And she would! She just--couldn't yet. Not while she still felt like this, ten pounds of crazy in a four pound bag. She just needed to get a handle on it--was trying to get a handle on it--and when she did, she'd go home. She'd apologize for worrying everyone, she'd clean up, she'd be okay.

Soon. Just not now.

[Open]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

Always.

"That's what I'm here for," Dante joked. "Dream guy."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head," Kathy snorted, since she couldn't actually say he was wrong. She yawned quietly and snuggled closer one last time, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stirring with his every breath. "I'll be back to teasing you pretty soon."

[rebelseekspizza]

"When you're ready, sweetheart," Dante teased, kissing the back of his neck.

[spin_kick_snap]

She shivered from his kiss and, mid-shiver, fell into a deep, dreamless sleep for the first time since Halloween.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante held on for a little while longer until he was sure she was asleep.

Then he moved away gently, not far, and sprawled for a nap of his own.

[spin_kick_snap]

Roughly two hours of much-needed sleep later, Kathy yawned herself awake. For the first time since Wednesday, the return to consciousness didn't come with a rush of panic or bleak despair.

Her eyes still closed, Kathy reached out, her hand seeking Dante of its own accord, and she smiled a little when she found him, still a spot of warmth in the bed.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante stirred, barely awake, and turned towards her.

He slid an arm over her waist.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy hadn't been expecting that and her smile grew. Careful not to move too much, she brushed the hair off his forehead and planted a soft kiss there.

"You nerd," she murmured, not wanting to wake him. "You make it so easy to be happy."

[rebelseekspizza]

Not waking him was a losing battle; Dante was already drifting back to the surface, though not so close that he was registering anything she said.

Nothing past comfy and warm really registered at all.

[spin_kick_snap]

That was okay; if she'd known he was even that close to consciousness she wouldn't have said anything at all.

"You remind me of your mom," she continued. "What I remember of her anyway. She hugged me once and it was like a promise that everything was gonna be okay. That's how you make me feel. Like everything will be okay, so long as you're there."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's eyes fluttered open. "Mhm," he hummed, tucking his face in her neck.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy's eyes widened when his opened, but she relaxed when all he did was curl a little closer. He was still more asleep than awake, it was okay. She slid her hand into his hair and gently ran her nails along his scalp. "It's okay," she whispered. "You can keep napping."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah, nah," Dante mumbled. "'m awake."

Not... quite.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy laughed, low in her throat. "Of course you are," she agreed.

She was betting he fell back asleep within a few minutes. And she'd either slip away to grab a book or--more likely--fall back asleep herself.

[rebelseekspizza]

"So am," Dante muttered sleepily.

He brought up a finger to poke her in the arm. Huh, she was closer than he'd realized.

[spin_kick_snap]

Dante, your face was buried in her neck, how far away did you think she was?

"Well, you're awake enough to be wrong and picking a fight," she teased, giving him another quick kiss to the side of his head. "But you can still go back to sleep."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Could," Dante sighed, weighing that.

Wait, why was he here, curled up with Kathy to begin with? W--

Oh.

"...how 'bout you?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "I'll probably fall back asleep when you do."

She was tired, but not exactly sleepy, which was a little annoying, but even so, lying curled up with Dante was too nice to pass up.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Mhm," Dante sighed.

He pressed a kiss against her neck. He was there anyway.

[spin_kick_snap]

And it wasn't like Kathy was going to argue with him about it. She just gave a happy sigh and curled up under the blankets a little further, her foot curling around one of his.

[rebelseekspizza]

"It's better with you here," Dante decided.

And not just because everyone else had been worried.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I like being here," Kathy told him. "Both in a literal and metaphorical sense."

She liked being here with them. Being part of a home filled with people she loved very, very much. But damn, she also loved being in Dante's bed. Even just like this, with nothing more that naps happening.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You should not be using words that big," Dante decided lazily.

[spin_kick_snap]

"You can't pretend like you don't know them," Kathy teased. "But fine. I like being here, whether we mean in your bed or in this whole relationship. Here's where I feel like I belong."

[rebelseekspizza]

"You do belong here," Dante said, patting her hip. "This is good."

Dante'd never be a capital C-cuddler. But first with Anders, and now with Kathy, he didn't mind the proximity all that much.