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]

"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."

[spin_kick_snap]

"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.

[spin_kick_snap]

It wasn't in his system to be earnest for whole minutes on end.

"It's a special gift," she declared. "One more sign that I'm awesome and you should feel honored to know me."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante snickered softly against her neck, kissing it again.

"Let's go back to sleep," he said. "Anders can come find us."

[spin_kick_snap]

"You have the best ideas," Kathy told him, smiling into the darkness as she wrapped her arms around him. But she kept them loose, so that if he needed to pull away in the night, he didn't have to struggle to get move away.

Still, though, this was definitely something she could get used to.

"He shows up and we'll drag him in with us," she added with a yawn. "Perfect."

After devouring the pizzas, obviously.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Surpriiise, bed time," Dante said, chuckling softly.

He'd pull away in a bit; this still wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

But it was also nicer than it had been a year ago.

[spin_kick_snap]

And Kathy wouldn't mind. For one, she'd be asleep, but that first year of only the rarest of cuddling had made her appreciative of getting them at all. Who cared that he eventually pulled away when he was still taking the time to cuddle at all.

Though, come the winter, his natural inclination for space would have to go up against her subconscious search for the warmest part of the bed.

"Yeah, but who can say no to an early bedtime when we're already in it?" Kathy asked. "I think going to bed early sounds like a great idea."

Going to bed early, yes. Going to sleep...well, whenever that happened.

[rebelseekspizza]

"We might even be loaded up and ready to go again by then," Dante said, his arm now a warm presence around her. "Gotta get creative."

[spin_kick_snap]

Funny how much happier she'd become when she'd started living in the now instead of worrying what would happen in the then.

"I bet if Anders takes off his shirt and comes in carrying four pizzas, you'll find yourself getting ready real quick," Kathy teased. "Or you could hold his wrists and keep him still while I drive him crazy with my mouth until you're feeling ready to tagteam in for a more active role."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante snickered. "Nah, if he does that, I'm gonna get distracted by the food," he said. "No time for boners when you're hungry."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I don't think that's a problem I've ever had," Kathy admitted with a laugh. "The idea of getting, like, eaten out under a table while I'm tucking into a delicious meal on top of it just sounds sexy."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Hey, I'm a guy. I can't multitask, remember?" Dante said, nudging her gently.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy tsked and shook her head. "I know, and it just breaks my heart every time to think about it," she said. "Can't multitask, can't multiple...it's a tragedy."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Guess you just have to be real nice to me to make up for it," Dante said.

[spin_kick_snap]

"There's a picture on your phone that says I'm already real nice to you," Kathy told him with a smile full of promises she absolutely could not keep right now. "But, by all means, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."