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]

"Working on my band?" Dante offered, a little sing-song in his voice.

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"Ohhhhh?" Kathy asked, eyebrows shooting up. She rolled over onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hands and looked at him with real interest. "Have you decided to look into forming one? For real?"

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"There's this newbie called Breq who wants to learn the bass," Dante said. "You should meet her sometime."

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"By the time the semester's over, you'll be giving guitar lessons to half the island," Kathy teased. "But sure, absolutely. Bring her around sometime and I'd be glad to." Tilting her head, she asked, "Okay, so what's the breakdown so far. Breq on bass, you on lead guitar...?"

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"You on rhythm if you want it," Dante said. "No drummer yet."

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"I could do rhythm, if you want me in your band," Kathy said, super-casually, like she wasn't grinning ear-to-ear at being asked. "Are you gonna sing, too?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Probably. We can switch it up," Dante said, running his fingers idly along her side.

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"Oh no I don't have to--" Kathy stopped, reminding herself that this was Dante, that she didn't have to feel bad for wanting something or asking to have it. "That is, I mean, if you don't mind? And think it would work. I'd like that."

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"It's cool with me. You sing nice," Dante said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Besides, some stuff sounds cooler when a girl sings it."

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"Dibs on the ballads," Kathy said, bright and happy. "I really like it when the lyrics kinda soar and sound all delicate while the music itself is going as hard as it can, you know?" She twined her fingers through his briefly. "And we'll sing the dirtiest duets we can find."

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Dante grinned. "Nine Inch Nails covers all around?" he asked, squeezing her fingers before she let go.

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"Closer in unfairly sexy," Kathy said, her tongue unconsciously running over her lips. So not ready for round two, but mmm... "Simon Curtis has a couple of songs, though he's more electronica than rock...Hmm. Most of the songs that come to mind are more pop and R&B than rock." Did Orgy have any good songs or was it just their name?"

She could check her phone but it was all the way in her room and--nahhhhhhh.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante snickered softly, leaning close to her ear. "She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean, she was the best damn woman I had ever seen," he sang, not quite managing to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Little on the vague."

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"Oh, well if we're going classic rock, that's different," Kathy said with a delighted clap of her hands. "Then we have KISS and the Doors and INXS and all of that. I was trying to think of songs you don't make faces when I play them, like...Halestorm's I Get Off, maybe?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"That could work," Dante mused. "But we're gonna have to write our own dirty songs, I think."

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"So next time I'm going down on you, I'm gonna need you to really focus on wordplay and meter, okay?" Kathy teased. "Feel free to interrupt what I'm doing to make sure you get the perfect line written down."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante laughed softly. "Will do," he said, perkily.

He turned to look at her, giving a little nudge. "Better?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Better," Kathy agreed with a small nod.

Not perfect, maybe not even really back up to 'good.' But she was firmly in 'okay' and that was a lot better. And you know? She hadn't been perfect for months now and yet--nobody was leaving.

Something to think about.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Good," Dante said.

He pressed a kiss against her jaw. "Good," he repeated.

Now he could let himself feel both tired and relieved. Maybe something else, too.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Mind if I crash in here tonight?" she asked, pillowing her head on his bicep. Her nails lightly ran over the inside of his wrist, just enjoying the feel of his skin under her fingertips.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I was gonna ask you to stay," Dante admitted.

His own fingers slid up, tracing one of the stars on her chest. "You belong in here."

He'd said it before. He'd say it again whenever he felt it.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy had to look down so he wouldn't see the quiet upwelling of joy she felt when he said that. He was welcome to say it as often--or rarely--as he liked. "You can have me in here whenever you want," she told him. "I like being here."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante kissed her - gently - and tucked his face into her neck.

He'd blame the up and downs of the past hours for the next part. "You are one of the most awesome things that's ever happened to me."

[spin_kick_snap]

With his face tucked away, he couldn't see her face, but he could probably hear the sharp, shocked intake of breath and the way her chest shuddered for a moment.

"I--yeah. You too. This sounds so lame, but I just don't--there are no words for how--" Right. Babbling. Stop that. "Dante, I..."

The silence hung in the air for a moment.

"...I don't really have a better way of putting it than how you did." She shook here head, a brief motion. "Everything in my life is better just because you're apart of it. And that's been true for much longer than just this past year."

[rebelseekspizza]

"How d'you manage to say 'no words' and then still keep talking for like, a minute?" Dante joked, because he couldn't not joke - it wasn't in his system to be earnest for hours on end.