Dante's House, Limbo City, Sunday

[spin_kick_snap]

Last night after finally exiting the tower, they had made their way back to Dante's place in Limbo City. Kathy had been half-tempted to get a portal back to the island, worried about Eliot, wanting to be home, but she'd been too sore and exhausted to do much more than look at her phone before letting it fall back to pocket.

At least her texts to Raven had gone through, even if she probably seemed like a madwomen in them.

Exhausted as she was, she didn't manage to sleep much past sunrise. Too many thoughts, too many memories, too many feelings crowding close to keep her asleep. She got up, limping a little unevenly downstairs, scrounging to see what kind of breakfast she could make from the remains in the kitchen.

The answer was apparently coffee, so she set that to perking and went to sit in front of the big window, staring out at the street, eyes blank and seeing very little.

[For them who are in Limbo City with her! SP for forever because BDE and also brain.]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"Can you take a compliment without beating yourself up just this once?" Dante teased gently, squeezing her fingers before she could pull them back.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm working on accepting compliments," Kathy said with a small laugh. "It's apologies I'm still pretty shit with."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Will you take a kiss, at least?" Dante asked.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy took a moment to think and then smiled, a little shyly, and nodded. "I'd like a kiss, yeah," she admitted and leaned in.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante kissed her, gentle and slow.

They were on tentative ground. It was needed.

[spin_kick_snap]

Gentle and slow was the only thing she could handle right now. She kept her mouth closed, lips soft.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante cupped her cheek.

When he broke the kiss, it was only to press his forehead to hers.

[spin_kick_snap]

Dammit. Of all things, that was what nearly set her crying. "I love you," she murmured. "And I'm sorry."

For the whole stupid fucking morning.

"Are..." she faltered, knowing he hated the question. "You okay?"

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante thought about his inability to keep a brave face around Anders earlier and sighed.

"Vergil took a plunge into hell," he murmured, "I tried to catch him. He cut my hand."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy hadn't actually expected an answer. At least, not a blow-off one. Her surprise registered on her face for a second before it was replaced by sympathy and concern. "You offered him another chance, didn't you?" she said softly.

She wasn't even sure what number this was anymore. But she knew that Dante would have offered it.

It was why she loved him.

[rebelseekspizza]

"He didn't need to do it," Dante said. "Fucker."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy opened her mouth to offer an opinion on why Vergil had done it, what he might have been thinking - and then shut it again. She didn't know and Dante didn't need her half-cocked ideas.

"I'm just glad you came back," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "I wish you could have brought him with you, but I'm just glad you came back to us."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Always gonna come back to you," Dante said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist in turn. "I belong here."

[spin_kick_snap]

She wanted him to make that a promise. But no one, not even a Nephilim, could promise that safely. So instead, she made a promise of her own, one she could hold to. "And I belong here," she said, indicating the circle of his arms. "And nothing, not fear, or anger, or hurt, is gonna keep me away from here for long."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Love you, Kat," Dante murmured, squeezing her close. "Hope you don't doubt that."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Never," Kathy said. Even sniping at him, she'd never doubted it. "Hope you don't, either."

She watched his face for any signs he might.

[rebelseekspizza]

"'Course not," Dante said, brushing some hair away from her face.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Good," Kathy said. "Because of everything I doubt about myself, there's one thing I'm sure of. And that's you. The both of you."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante smiled at her. Just a little thing, really.

"Well, we are pretty fucking awesome."

[spin_kick_snap]

"You're, like, moderately okay," she said. As per usual. "On a good day. I'm just a sucker for hard cases."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I've noticed," Dante said brightly.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy poked at him, as if she hadn't said it for that reaction.

And finally relaxed enough to smile. Just a little one, but it was real.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante kissed it.

He had to.

[spin_kick_snap]

And this time, Kathy wrapped her arms around him and sighed, kiss still soft but far less tentative. She still wasn't okay after yesterday and she didn't think he was, but they were and that was important.

"You mean so fuckin' much to me," she murmured.

Enough that she WOULD move. If he needed her to.

[rebelseekspizza]

Even if he did, he wouldn't tell her that. As frustrated as he was with her indecision on some level, he didn't want to push her to do something she'd regret.

"You mean a lot to me too," Dante said softly.