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

[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.

[spin_kick_snap]

Well, it wasn't indecision anymore. It was a solid 'no' at this point, with shades 'actually fuck no' when she thought of certain aspects.

But it wasn't a no for forever. Just for right now. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Kathy didn't. But it wouldn't be forever. Not when Dante wouldn't go anywhere else.

"As much as pizza?" she asked with comically wide eyes.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Hey now," Dante said, poking her gently. "Don't get crazy now."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Okay, okay, sorry. I should have known better than to compete with your first and truest love," Kathy said, biting back a smile. "Can it at least be more than strawberry tequila?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"I guess," Dante said, grinning. "But only 'cause of that one chapstick you use sometimes."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Glad it's my chapstick that fills your heart with love and affection," Kathy snorted.

Like everything she wore for herself, she still got a small, happy kick whenever one of the guys noticed.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I mean, as long as it's attached to you, right?" Dante teased.

[spin_kick_snap]

"And here I was going to start pelting you with chapstick while screaming 'Love me!' at the top of my lungs," Kathy said. "Your way is okay, too, I guess."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante grinned, and ran his fingers through her hair again. "Thanks," he said.

He was sort of able to keep up a brave face again, but prolonged joking was hard.

[spin_kick_snap]

Yeah.

Kathy cupped his cheek, then let her hand fall. She had so many questions - about him, about Vergil, about the tower, Sparda, Arkham - but she wasn't sure how to ask. Or even if asking was a good idea. She didn't want to crowd him with questions or smother him with concern.

"Can I get you some coffee?" she asked, looking for something to do that could show she cared, since she wasn't exactly great with words on a good day. Not the right words for Dante, anyway. "I added whiskey to mine, since it was that or black."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I'm not gonna say no to a hard coffee," Dante said, mouth quirking again.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy waggled her brows at him, lacking the ability to turn that into a decent double entendre at the moment and slipped away to get him some boozy coffee.

A minute later she was back, steam curling in the air from the mug. "Here," she offered, sitting next to him so their sides brushed. "Not too close?"

Sometimes he needed space. She got that.

[rebelseekspizza]

"This is just close enough," Dante said.

He brought the cup up to his mouth and took a big sip.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy nodded, pulling out her phone to send another text to Raven and, when that was sent, to play her dumb dressup game. She didn't want to push, didn't want to fuss, but to give Dante the space to decide what it was he needed.