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

[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."

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

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's mouth curled. "Blame Ringo."

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

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"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."

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"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.

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"You were pretty much her closest friend after I--" One day, she'd be able to say it all without pausing in the middle. "--died."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Happened before it too," Dante said idly.

He hadn't really ever thought about it in that light.

[spin_kick_snap]

What light had he been thinking of it in?

"Really?" Kathy asked. "When?" And then she winced. "Was it after the whole 'I love you' debacle?"

[rebelseekspizza]

Not him being Ringo's main friend?

"Yeaah, that was the first time," Dante said, snorting. "I had to pick her up, dust her off, and let her cry on me for a night."

[spin_kick_snap]

Dante really underestimated the impact he had on people, didn't he?

"Oh lord," Kathy groaned, dropping her forehead onto his chest. "That whole thing was so incredibly awkward."

And had reaffirmed Kathy's own commitment to never saying that to someone who couldn't say it back.

[rebelseekspizza]

Yeah. Pretty much, yeah.

"Still don't know why she decided to do it, besides that Ringo's kind of nuts," Dante volunteered. "And won't stand down when she sees a stupid idea coming."

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"She wanted to be honest," Kathy said. "Didn't want to hide something like that from me, I guess."

Kathy was okay with that kind of dishonesty, actually. There had been nothing she could do other than say an awkward 'thank you and I'm sorry?'

Seriously. Never doing that herself.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah, it wasn't about you," Dante said quietly. "If she'd been worried about it affecting you guys or whatever? Might've been slightly less stupid. But she just wanted to say it, and fuck everybody else."

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"Wait, really?" Kathy asked, blinking at him wide-eyed. "I thought--"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Thought what?" Dante said. "That she wanted to spare you like, another year of you guys not being fucking awkward at each other?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"...Kinda?"

And it had just, like, horrifically backfired?

"That she just wanted to be super-honest or something?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah, from what I could tell, she just wanted the satisfaction of saying it," Dante said.

[spin_kick_snap]

"...Oh." Beat. "That's kinda fucked up!"