The Apartment Above Luke's, Thursday Evening

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was still glowing from yesterday's museum trip with Anders and now tonight Dante was coming over for the evening, too. She appreciated the lengths they were going to make sure she didn't feel too lonely or lost while she was still adjusting to being back. She'd had a whole evening planned out as a thank you to Dante over it...

But then there had been puppies. She'd come in from her shower and decided to take a minute to refresh her Tumblr before drying off and getting dressed, and then she'd stumbled over a link for a pet adoption website that curated pictures of dogs that needed to be adopted from nearby shelters if you put in your zip code. Which Kathy, more fool her, had done.

And now was scrolling through picture after picture of adorable romping puppies and distinguished older dogs all looking for forever homes and who even knew what time it was anymore, there were puppies.

[For that guy]

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[spin_kick_snap]

"Back in high school, I was convinced that I knew what love looked like," she said quietly. "I knew it wasn't all flowers and Hallmark cards, that it was lazy mornings and making up after fights and compromising when you had to. It couldn't all be surprise proms, as perfect as that moment was."

She looked up, meeting his eyes, trying hard not to fall into them as she had to do every time their gazes locked.

"Funny how now I understand that love looks like someone standing in the doorway of your house, just happy to spend a weekend with you."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's mouth curved a little bit, and he caught her eyes as surely as she did his. "Hope we make you feel like that enough," he said softly. "You deserve it."

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"And here, I'm hoping the same thing," she told him. "Hang on, don't go anywhere, I got a thing for you."

She'd been planning on giving it to him later, maybe both of them at the same time over the weekend or something. But it was exactly the right moment now and she wasn't gonna argue with that.

Kathy was back a second later, towel off her hair and fingers curved around something. She offered it to him, a little bit of metal on a chain. "Seems only fair that you should have one for here, too," she said. "No reason you should be knocking when you're always welcome."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante took it, the cold metal pressing into his palm. He smiled down at it.

"Thanks," he said softly.

He looked back up, and something impish had snuck in his expression. "Gonna make it a lot easier to surprise you with crap."

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Kathy chuckled. "The optimist in my hopes for something pretty and sweet and maybe a little romantic," she told him. "The realist knows to expect something weird and probably accompanied by pizza."

She said like her back back at his place wasn't the most romantic thing in the world.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Maybe I'm just gonna leave a dildo sitting like, right there on the kitchen table," Dante joked. "Who knows?"

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"If you leave it on a chair, you'll have a better chance of catching me riding it," she teased right back.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Just kinda tape it to the seat?" Dante said. "Living dangerously."

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"Oh my gooooooood," Kathy groaned, letting her head flop forward onto his chest dramatically. "How do you have a girlfriend who owns a sex shop and still not know about suction-based dildos?"

She even had a whole fantasy and--right. That one hadn't actually ever made it out of her mouth because it was still a little too...much...even when they were in that place they reached sometimes.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You obviously don't let me test enough of the merchandise," Dante said practically.

Or smirkily. One of those two.

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Definitely smirkily. Kathy didn't even need to see his face.

Although now they were switching positions in that fantasy and - hnngh. Okay, yeah, that was hot. Hot enough to have her shifting slightly in his lap.

"Be less hot," she told him in an attempt to think about not that. "So I have more reason to play with toys with you, rather than just jumping on you first thing."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante laughed softly. "Not sure I can do that, Kat," he said, lowering his voice just to be a shit.

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Kathy shivered and she batted his arm. "Stop that," she said. "That's dirty pool and I'm a mere mortal."

Not helping her stop shifting around, jesus, Dante, she was trying to not pounce on you here, with a welter of dirty words and obscene fantasies.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's hand settled on her hip. He kissed the top of her head. "Maybe next time I visit you should just get me a surprise box."

[spin_kick_snap]

And the problem was, she knew exactly what could go in it and--

She groaned, closing her eyes and letting her head fall against him. "If your parents didn't use Mephistopheles as your middle name, they were tragically misinformed," she told him.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Middle name? Fuck, I only have a last name on a technicality," Dante said, laughing softly as he hugged her close.

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Kathy snapped her finger and pointed at him. "Dante Mephistophe Li!" she cried. "I am brilliant, you're welcome, praise now."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Are you trying to make a honest man out of me, Kat?" Dante teased. "'Cause about that..."

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"I know, I know," Kathy sighed. "Never going to happen. Don't worry, I've consigned my hopes of a pretty white gown to the same closet where I stashed my rainbows."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Sorry," Dante said, though he wasn't sure why.

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Kathy shrugged. "Nothing for you to be sorry for. Your feelings on that kind of thing are pretty much on the tin. I knew what I'd be giving up going in."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I know," Dante said, running his hand along her hair. "Just don't like letting you down, I guess."

He'd just feel weird on so many levels. With anyone, really.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Relationships are compromises," Kathy pointed out. "Just think of all the things you're giving up by dating me."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged one shoulder. "Nothing that's not worth it."

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Kathy mirrored him, shrugging the other. "Well, there we go."

She wanted to get up, to move around, but she made herself stay still. Tried to keep herself relaxed.

"Besides, it was only a joke. And, to be clear, a joke I stand by. It was hilarious and witty, I'm proud of it."