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]

"Never had anything to lose," Dante said. "And-- then I guess I lost something?"

That question mark wasn't actually supposed to be there. But while Dante had gotten better at talking about his feelings... it wasn't that much better.

[spin_kick_snap]

She got it. She sometimes found herself asking questions rather than making statements for any number of reasons. And, well, she knew he'd never really been comfortable talking about this anyway.

"Then Anders came back and you fell for him," she said, hoping to help by saying things so he wouldn't have to. "And then I came back and we worked things out."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Then Anders came back and I told him I wouldn't mind crashing in his bed and he stared at me like I'd grown another head," Dante said, after a moment. "Just didn't wanna wake up and be alone again."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Glad I'm not the only one who was taken aback by that," Kathy murmured. She was comforted to know that Anders had needed a bit of time to adjust, too.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I had something really good with you guys for the first time ever, that first go around," Dante said slowly. "And I got it back. 'm not gonna deny it now."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I was never so happy as those couple of months," Kathy said, still not able to meet his eyes quite yet. "This is a different kind of happy, a deeper one maybe, but it's a more complicated one, too."

There was still the shadow of everything that had gone before hanging over her. Whether it affected the guys or not, she didn't know, but she still felt it.

"Senior year wasn't complicated. It was just happy. Everything between us was just...good. Simple and good."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Simple for you," Dante said softly. "Good on a timer for me. Just got to pretend it wasn't for a while. This? This is real."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I think that's one of the reasons I'm so scared of fucking it all up again," Kathy said. "Because it's real. There's no arbitrary endpoint--no Mundus for you and graduation for me. This is going to last for however long it lasts. We always had one foot out the door, you and I. I think that's why it was so much easier to keep those walls up. I always knew I was leaving after I graduated, hoped you two would follow but didn't entirely believe it. But now--now I'm all in. And that's terrifying. There's no safety net anymore."

She finally looked up at him, giving him a bleak smile. "So it doesn't matter whether you call me your girlfriend or not, I don't think. I'm already all in, at this point, the terminology's moot."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante reached out, cupping her cheek, brushing his thumb over the edge of that bleak smile.

"I don't feel the exact same way about you I do about Anders," he said. "But I don't think it matters. This place isn't home without you, you belong here, and I don't need you to be perfect, I just need you to be here, okay?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I don't have a whole lot of experience with not trying to be 'Perfect Kathy,'" she reminded him. "I don't have a whole lot of experience with any of this."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged one shoulder. "So, whatever," he said. "Wanted to say that anyway."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm glad you did," Kathy said. "It was good to hear. Helps me figure out where it is I stand."

She kissed the thumb gliding over her lip and then leaned in to kiss him as well.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante slid his fingers into her hair, pulling her close into that kiss.

It wasn't casual, and it wasn't hot and heavy, either.

Solid. Like she mattered.

[spin_kick_snap]

And when she pressed herself against him, it wasn't sexy. It was just...support. Letting him anchor her, letting him be that guiding light back to a place of calm and contentment.

This wasn't the last time her head was going to be a noisy, ugly place. But...he seemed to get that. And hadn't turned away yet.

Part of her still marveled at that. That he and Anders both were willing to weather the storms with nothing more than her to show for it, in the end.

[rebelseekspizza]

You'd think she'd figure out some day why.

For now, though, Dante was content to slide his arms around her as he kissed her, offering safety and warmth.

He wasn't going anywhere.

[spin_kick_snap]

She'd had a hard enough time believing her luck back when she'd thought she'd had everything. It made even less sense now.

But, yeah, maybe some day.

Until then, though, she seemed to have found people who didn't mind giving her gentle reminders when she lost her way. Or some sterner, not-so-gentle ones when she needed those.

She burrowed further into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad it's real now. Even scary, I'm so glad it's real."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah. Me too," Dante said. Probably be a nicer way to put it, but... well, Dante. "You're good, Kat. I missed you."

[spin_kick_snap]

Nice was good and all, but Dante--pure, honest, no bullshit Dante--was better.

"I'll try to be better about not running away," she said, looking up into his eyes. "Or, at least, finding my way back home again."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante sighed, pressing his forehead to hers. "Don't 'try to be better' it," he said. "Just remember we're here if you need us."

[spin_kick_snap]

"When'd you get so fucking good at this?" Kathy murmured, holding him tightly.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's mouth curled. "Blame Ringo."

[spin_kick_snap]

That was an answer Kathy hadn't been expecting. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Ringo?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah, Ringo never gave a shit if I was all right with her flopping and crying all over me," Dante said. "Compared to that? This is cool."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh my god, Ringo," Kathy said, sputtering a laugh. "I'm just, like, picturing you opening your dorm door and suddenly having an armful of crying girl, all ATs and ponytails."

[rebelseekspizza]

"That happened like, several times," Dante said, snorting with amusement.