Overland Park, KS, Monday Afternoon

[vanillajello]

Saturday had seen a very weird trip to the mall, and as a consequence, Sunday had been pretty quiet. Tara had woken up as herself again, and everything was a little awkward. It wasn’t as if Tara’s condition was a big family secret, but it was out now, and it affected the mood in the house. Everyone tried to do their own thing, and conversations revolved around trivial stuff. Kate’s family, in an effort to make light conversation, asked questions about life in Fandom and where Leto was from. They didn’t know how much editing went into answering them.

And today the house was empty apart from Kate and Leto. Max had gone to work, Tara had gone somewhere with Charmaine, and Marshall had gone to visit his best friend. It seemed like they were all maybe slightly running away, glad to put the weekend behind them.

Kate was holed up in her room for the moment. She had taken a shower, and after getting dressed and blowdrying her hair, she rummaged around her desk drawer until she found a lighter and a near-empty packet of cigarettes. She took one, and after opening her door a little to signal it was okay to come in, she went to smoke the cigarette by the open window.


[For the boy. NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[vanillajello]

"Buck's idea of being helpful is beating up my boyfriend outside my school in front of everyone I know," Kate replied, making a face. Still not quite over that, no matter how much Ben deserved it.

"Bowling's a game where you roll a heavy ball at some pins. You get points for knocking down as many pins as you can," she explained. "It's simple, you'll see when we go."

[future_sandworm]

Leto saw this as a reasonable response, however. "If he deserved it, wasn't that a good thing?"

"Simple? I like the sound of that." Someone was also quite good at learning things that required control over your body.

[vanillajello]

"It was embarrassing. Everyone saw my mother kick my boyfriend's ass. As if people didn't already look at me funny," she said.

"But he did deserve it. Benjamin's a waste of eyeliner. And he hit her back."

[future_sandworm]

"I take it having a mother who can kick someone's ass does count as weird here, then?" He smirked.

But it had been an awkward moment for her, and he wasn't making fun of that. Leto hugged her shoulders lightly.

[vanillajello]

"Being able to isn't weird. Actually doing it is," Kate noted. "Just one of the many reasons I'm now at Fandom High."

[future_sandworm]

"And I'm glad you are," Leto replied, smiling at her.

[vanillajello]

"I'm glad I am, too," Kate replied, expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk.

[future_sandworm]

"What?" Leto asked, raising an eyebrow when he noticed her expression.

[vanillajello]

"Nothing," she grinned and shook her head.

[future_sandworm]

"Now you're teasing me," Leto said, not seeming to really object.

[vanillajello]

"Ooh, how perceptive of you to notice!" Kate chuckled, poking lightly at his shoulder.

[future_sandworm]

Well, he could tease her back.

Leto leaned close, his lips almost touching hers.

[vanillajello]

Kate leaned away from him just a little - just enough to avoid contact - and tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Leto, you know doing that in this house can be bad for your health."

[future_sandworm]

"Oh, I'm quite sure I can defend myself against your mother," He replied, not pulling back.

[vanillajello]

"But Mom, Dad and Moosh combined?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. "Moosh helped Buck kick Ben's ass."

[future_sandworm]

"Kate, should I have to I could defend myself against your whole family," he said. "But they are not here."

[vanillajello]

"Would you believe me if I told you they all have a sixth sense about these things?" Oh, the smirking was never going to end.

[future_sandworm]

Now Leto grinned. "So they could come barging in through the door any minute?" He still didn't pull away.

[vanillajello]

"Uh huh," she nodded. It was getting kind of hard to think with him so close. "Buck's gonna kick the door down."

[future_sandworm]

"Wouldn't it be easier to simply open it?" Leto smirked.

[vanillajello]

"Sometimes he likes to be flashy," she shrugged with a grin, leaning closer just the tiniest bit.

[future_sandworm]

Leto took that as a sign that running a hand up along Kate's arm wouldn't be something she objected to. "And destroy family property?"

[thegregsons.livejournal.com]

Too bad that they were so wrapped up in their, uh, conversation, that they didn't hear the door open.

Charmaine made a beeline for Kate's room for two reasons. One, she had a present. Two, she wanted to meet this boy with the blue blue eyes.

"Kate! I got you a pres..." she pushed the door open and stopped talking. "Uh, never mind, it can wait."

[vanillajello]

Kate practically jumped away from Leto.

"Aunt Charmaine?" She sounded both surprised and mildly angry. A little voice in her brain told her that it was in fact hilarious that Charmaine had barged in when she did, but Kate didn't find it too funny.

[future_sandworm]

Leto did think that her timing could have been better, but he wasn't going to be impolite to Kate's relatives.

He managed to look quite at ease despite the situation. "Hello. I don't believe we've met."