Antigua, Saturday Night

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Kathy's kotatsu had died an undignified death and the repair (something about proper voltage) was complicated enough to require several days of work. Faced with a girlfriend sad about the cold and, more importantly, faced with a girlfriend's frigid feet, Dante had made the executive decision that they needed a tropical vacation. Immediately. So last week, he'd basically shoved the entire household through a portal that opened to a small island in the Caribbean, complete with blue ocean, white sand, and an all-inclusive menu that contained more fruity booze cocktails than actual food items.

The week had been fun, in a lazy, let's-not-do-anything way, which had also had the side benefit of short-circuiting Kathy's "Christmas Crazy." She'd sprawled in the sun and read trashy novels and swam in the ocean and practiced her Spanish without a care. In fact, she'd lost track of the date until they were talking about returning home tomorrow and she realized that, oh shit, today was her birthday. (And also Dante's, but they didn't talk about that.)

A quick conversation with the resort, some handwavy phone calls to invite guests, and more fairy lights than a grown woman should really need and their little villa was turned into a tropical wonderland birthday party.

[Open! If you think you'd get a phone call (for either Kathy or Dante), you did! Dante modded with permission. No OCD]

Comments

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"No," Kathy said. "I'm proud of her--them. They've grown so much from the girl who first came to Fandom. It's just--"

She pushed herself up. Started to pace. Kept wringing her hands. "Sarah." she said abruptly. "Before. When Sarah came back. She - they - couldn't bring her back. Not without her body. It would be too much. The cost would be too high."

She stopped. Looked Dante in the eyes. "It isn't. Anymore."

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Dante blinked rapidly, processing.

"Alluka... could bring your sister back?" he said slowly.

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Kathy nodded. "Umm. They'd need her spirit, at least. It would have to be in one of those weekends. When she was already back. But they could...keep her. Or something. I dunno. I didn't get the details."

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"Yeah, I can imagine," Dante said, frowning. "That's some heavy shit, Kat."

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"I know what you're going to say. We - we have an ethical consideration here, just
because we can doesn't meant we should - I'm not the only one who has ever lost someone."

Not even in this conversation, never mind anywhere else.

She lifted her chin. "But I don't care. I want my sister back."

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"I wasn't gonna say anything," Dante said, holding his hands up. "Besides maybe 'do you want to?'"

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"Oh."

As Dante had likely guessed, Kathy had spent a fair bit of time already winding herself up about said ethics.

"Umm. Then. Yes. Yes, I do."

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"Then it's worth doing," Dante said quietly.

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"She'd have to live with us," Kathy said. "I mean, obviously. But also - she'd be a fifteen year old. I'd be responsible for her. That means school and medical insurance and...everything."

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"We'd be responsible for her," Dante corrected her gently. "You wouldn't be doing it alone."

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There were not words that could describe how much she loved him for that correction. "And...you wouldn't mind?" Kathy asked. "We'd have to rearrange our whole house..."

They'd have to rearrange their whole lives. But the house was easier to think about.

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"I mean, everybody having their own bedroom is fun, but I can give up mine," Dante said softly. "I don't mind. I crash with you guys most of the time anyway."

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"She's my sister," Kathy said. "Shouldn't I be the one giving up my room?"

She liked her room. A lot. But she just wanted to be fair.

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"You need a safe space more than I do, Kat," Dante said, touching her cheek.

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"You're my safe space," Kathy said, reaching for him.

...He was right, though.

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"And I'll be happy to come hide in your bed with you whenever you need me to," Dante said, smiling as he hugged her close.

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"That would be every night I wasn't in Anders'," Kathy said, kissing his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured.

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"Anything," Dante said softly. "You know that."

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"Dangerous thing to say to me," Kathy mumbled. "Might end up taking you up on that sometime."

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"Oh no," Dante said, smiling. "What the fuck will I do?"

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You know, when he put it like that, she almost thought that possibility wasn't as big a deal as she'd always worried.

"That's how we end up with more kimchi fridges, you know."

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"Just make sure I still have a place to sleep in and it's fine," Dante said, grinning.

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"Anywhere I am, there's always a place for you," Kathy murmured. "Sleep or otherwise."

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Dante smiled.

Leaned in.

Kissed her.

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Kathy kissed him back, drawing it out, her hands sliding up under his shirt of their own accord. "You wanna go back inside, celebrate my birthday proper?"