Overland Park, KS, A Morning in May [Wednesday Fandom Time]

[vanillajello]

The stupid thing about going to Kansas was that time was much slower. Kate was painfully aware that while she'd already been gone from Fandom over two days, it had barely been 18 hours for her. Still, after a night at home, she was just about starting to feel a little less raw. The general nausea had abated, at least, as had the panic.

The guilt, however irrational she knew it to be, would probably stay for a while.

Stretching out on her bed, Kate reached to get her phone from the nightstand, then turned it on. For a moment, she thought about making a call – to Bod, to Jack, to Mitchell, to Hannibal, to anyone – but she decided against it, unable to really decide what it was she wanted to say to any one of them. (Except maybe Hannibal. There was a certain amount of I get it now present.) She put the phone down on the bed next to her.

She'd be available now; that'd have to be enough.

[ooc: NFB, but open for phone calls and texts! Whoo, taking advantage of my 1,5 days at home.]

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[therewaslife]

"We'll get through them," Bod assured her, giving her had another squeeze. "I'll do whatever you need me to do to help and if you don't need me at all, I'm still not going anywhere."

[vanillajello]

"I know," she replied as they reached the top of the stairs and headed for the door that had her name on it. "You're like that."

[therewaslife]

Bod was going to take that as a good thing so he just smiled and fell quiet again while they got closer to and eventually went inside her room. Today, hew as there for her and only her.

[vanillajello]

There were a few cardboard boxes half full of stuff on the floor of her room: other than that, it was the same as ever, the same as it had been since she'd actually been living here.

She let go of his hand to close the door, and then to go pick up her phone of the bed to put it somewhere else.

[therewaslife]

Bod watched her carefully, looking for signs of tension or pain or anything else she might be feeling after her traumatic weekend.

"Tell me what you need from me," he said quietly. "I'm here for you."

[vanillajello]

Kate's injuries had thankfully gone away with her wrong, too-young body. The tensions remained, though, in their usual places in her back and shoulders.

She put her phone down on her bed stand, then straightened up again and shrugged, a little helpless. "I don't know, Bod."

[therewaslife]

"What about what you want?" Bod asked, stepping closer to her carefully. "Is there something you want? It's just us here and we're safe. We're alone. It's just you and I."

[vanillajello]

"I want you," she replied, pouting at him a bit though it was aimed at her own general confusion. "I just don't know what that entails."

[therewaslife]

"I'm here," Bod murmured, stepping close enough and cradling her face with his hands. "You have me. Does it have to be more than me holding you and you relaxing?"

[vanillajello]

"I don't know, can you make me relax?" Kate wondered quietly, putting her hands over his. "'Cause apart from passing out last night, it hasn't been happening much."

[therewaslife]

"I'm sure I can try," he said, stroking his cheeks along her skin. "There are many ways to achieve relaxation even when someone's very stressed. I probably know...one or two ways."

[vanillajello]

"One or two," she agreed softly. "Sounds about right. I love you."

[therewaslife]

"I love you too," Bod said, reaching to bring her closer to him so he could kiss her lightly. "I love you so much. You shouldn't ever doubt that."

[vanillajello]

"I pinned you to the bed in a not nice way," Kate murmured, unable to help herself. "It can make a person feel insecure."

[therewaslife]

"I know but that wasn't you," Bod insisted, leaning in for another light kiss. "That was someone else the island decided to turn you into for a weekend. You are who is standing in front of me right now and you've pinned me to the bed in all sorts of nice ways before. Those are what I remember."

[vanillajello]

"I remember this one too." And it was terrifying, to remember how she'd still been herself but not. How she hadn't even recognized him. "And I remember that wasn't even the worst thing I did over the weekend."

[therewaslife]

"I know the memories are fresh and painful," he murmured, stroking her cheeks and staying close to her. "And I know they probably will be for awhile but it is going to be all right and you are not going to be remembered for that, Kate. We're going to get you through this. I promise."

[vanillajello]

"Can you promise that?" she wondered quietly, curling her fingers into his shirt at his sides. "I think I broke Nathan's nose. Scully almost shot me for good reason. I --"

Okay, she wasn't even going to say the last few things.

[therewaslife]

"I promise," he said and really did believe it. "You had a bad weekend. It's over now and you're coping with the aftermath. But it will pass and you will feel better. I promise."

[vanillajello]

"You promise," she echoed, now snagging a light little kiss of her own from him. "I guess that's good enough for me."

[therewaslife]

"I promise and I plan on keeping this promise," Bod assured her and decided he wanted another kiss and he wanted it to linger a little longer than their other kisses.

[vanillajello]

Kate was more than fine with that. She could easily linger in a kiss with him, just as she could easily use the hold she had on his shirt to pull him closer, or to keep him close, or something to that effect.

If she was craving love and affection, she thought she was more than allowed.

[therewaslife]

She was more than welcome to crave love and affection. He could give her love and affection too. He could kiss her just the slightest bit harder, trying to make sure they didn't get carried away without their heads on straight.

[vanillajello]

Kate... really didn't think she was likely to get carried away today. She was still feeling too highly strung for that, too skittish to just let go. As if the vampire could still be lurking.

The feeling didn't stop her from enjoying this and enjoying him, though. No, she could respond to his kiss in kind and let it warm her.

[therewaslife]

Bod eased off the kiss after a few moments and just pulled her into another tight hug. He kissed her cheek and temple and whispered soothing words of nonsense and support in her ear just to keep her grounded in the here and now.