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.]

Comments

[vanillajello]

That got Kate's smile to widen some just with sheer anticipation. "Yes please." Duh. She was greedy for good things.

[therewaslife]

"It was that day that you came to see me after your kids from another universe departed," Bod shared quietly. "The first time, of course. When things were still new and you came to my room and climbed into bed with me and we had a good morning and an awkward morning. You said to make no big declarations and I wouldn't have but thinking back, it started there."

[vanillajello]

Excuse Kate for snickering. It was a good thing, honest! "So... In one way of looking at it, you started falling in love with me when I told you not to tell me you had?"

[therewaslife]

"Yes," Bod said, nodding. "Yes, indeed. It was a combination of everything that happened before, knowing that you were there just to be with me, just to have a quiet morning and that you were you vulnerable enough to admit that you were scared of that. And yes, you were scared of that so don't try to argue with me on that."

[vanillajello]

Kate wasn't even going to try. "Well, I once had someone fall for me over a random hook-up," she said instead. "It kinda leaves a mark."

[therewaslife]

"I understand that," he assured her, leaning forward and kissing the spot above her eye. "And that was the point where I could tell I felt something more for you. It was more than just like but I didn't know what it was and I knew it needed time but it was definitely something more."

[vanillajello]

"I don't think I can pinpoint it for me like that," she murmured in reply. "I spent kind of a long time fighting it and it's all muddled. And besides, I never seem to see anything coming, even when it seems blindingly obvious in retrospect."

[therewaslife]

"You did spend a long time fighting it," Bod agreed because he remembered how it was in the beginning of everything. "I'm still glad I didn't kiss you at your kissing booth."

[vanillajello]

Kate chuckled a little. "God, you made that whole thing so weird. And so fucking complicated."

[therewaslife]

"Well, I am weird and it did turn out to be complicated," Bod pointed out, shrugging and smiling. "I did want to kiss you, of course. I wanted to but I wanted it to be mutual and not because I paid. I thought it'd mean more."

[vanillajello]

"I know, you told me," Kate replied, fondly. "You were doing the kissing booth thing all wrong. It's supposed to be meaningless, and I was trying to fix my messed up self by making out with people, and then you had to come along and make me want something more meaningful in the middle of that."

[therewaslife]

"Yes, but look what you received from that?" Bod said, smiling at her. "You wanted something more meaningful and you got something more meaningful. And really, are you surprised I did the kissing booth wrong? It was the firs time I'd encountered one, after all."

[vanillajello]

"Well, seeing as when we first met, you could barely order anything at the Perk, so I guess not," Kate teased. "And you totally forced meaningful on me with your weird pale graveyard boy ways. I'm a very shallow person!"

She was not, really.

[therewaslife]

"You could have easily resisted my weird pale graveyard boy ways," Bod protested with a laugh. "You know you could have. The truth is, you didn't want to resist and that's why we eventually ended up together."

[vanillajello]

"And in the longest relationship I've ever had," Kate remarked. "Even excluding the bit where... it wasn't. It's kind of crazy to think about."

[therewaslife]

"That was just a bump in the road," Bod decided, nodding. They'd both gotten hurt and they'd both been stubborn and they'd worked it out. "And while I may not be your first relationship, I think being your longest relationship means I get to claim a first too. That's one of my few for you!"

[vanillajello]

"I don't know if that's really a first," Kate mused, because it was light arguing and she wanted things like that right now. "I mean, 'first long relationship'? It's all so relative."

[therewaslife]

"You can't even let me have one first for you?" Bod asked, amused. "I have so few! I can't even name another one besides being your longest relationship. Possibly the first...graveyard boy?"

Well, he hoped, at least.

[vanillajello]

"There are more than that." See, she could be agreeable too. "First guy to ever travel through dimensions just to come be with me."

[therewaslife]

"Well, you're worth it and I thought you'd need me as much as I needed you," Bod replied, smiling.

[vanillajello]

"Did you need me?" she asked, though it was light. "Or were you just bummed no one was around to kiss you and dance with you?"

[therewaslife]

"Actually, I had this rather bad itch that I couldn't reach between my shoulder blades and I came all this way so you could scratch it for me," he said, not even bothering to seem serious about it. "I hoped you could help with that and I came all this way just to request you scratch my back."

[vanillajello]

"Weirdo," Kate snorted. "You could've at least lied and told me you were missing me so much it was affecting your aility to sleep. See if I scratch your back now."

[therewaslife]

"I was missing you, I was worried about you, I felt lonely without you, I wanted to tell you I loved you so you knew because I thought it might help while you were dealing with this, and my back isn't that itchy," Bod assured her, smiling.

[vanillajello]

"Thank you," Kate replied, leaning in to lightly kiss his lips. "And thanks for the... texts, too. They made me cry like a moron but thank you."