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]

"A - all right," Bod said, having to blink at the change from one extreme to another. He eased back and nodded. "All right. I'll go back."

[vanillajello]

And Kate ended up looking confused, which was aimed almost entirely at herself. Apparently, she only now realized she'd expected him to say no. She wasn't sure why.

"Um, I... don't know if I actually want you to go."

[therewaslife]

Bod was feeling some confusion now too. He chewed on his lower lip. "I...don't know what I'm supposed to do right now. I don't want to go because I don't want you to be alone but if you want me to go so you can have time to yourself and with your family, I will. I just...don't know which I'm supposed to do."

[vanillajello]

Kate was quiet for a moment, mirroring his lip-chewing. Then she took a deep breath. "I can have time to myself with you around," she said. "I mean, I tried having time to myself alone but it's not really working, and no one else here is gonna tell me that wasn't me this weekend because I can't tell them. And I don't care if I have to make up an excuse for why you're randomly here, you can stay, though you're gonna have to act like I'm gonna graduate this weekend."

Oh, look, rambling happened.

[therewaslife]

Bod hadn't exactly expected rambling either. He smiled softly at her, gently, and reached out to bring her close to him again. "I can pretend that you're going to graduate this weekend. I can sleep in your brother's room on the floor and I can help your father do his landscaping if that helps. I'd like to stay so you're not alone even if you need time on your own."

[vanillajello]

Kate slid her arms around him and hugged him tight to herself. "Lionel is gonna get jealous if you sleep in Moosh's room," she murmured.

[therewaslife]

"Well, I wouldn't sleep there long, I assume," he said into her shoulder. Her embrace was being returned tightly. "I'd stay in there long enough to throw suspicion off of me sneaking in to sleep with you."

[vanillajello]

"Good," she muttered. "That's exactly what you should do. I just wasn't sure if you weren't going to go the ultra good guy route."

[therewaslife]

"I don't think I could be so close to you at night and not sleep with you," Bod returned with a smile. "It would be nearly impossible."

[vanillajello]

"You did it once," Kate retorted softly. "In Colorado."

Basically, that was just proving his point.

[therewaslife]

"And do you remember how that turned out?" Bod sure did. He thought about it quite often because of how it turned out.

[vanillajello]

Kate snickered. "Of course I remember. It was very memorable. But I also remember you being very smug about winning 'cause you didn't cave in and climb into my bed."

[therewaslife]

"Yes well, that was only because you woke up before I did," Bod admitted with a laugh. "If I'd woken up first, I would have lost. I just happened to be asleep."

[vanillajello]

"Oh?" Kate raised her eyebrows. "You're finally admitting that if you'd happened to wake up first, you would've joined me?"

[therewaslife]

"Without hesitation," he said, laughing at her reaction. "I would have taken one look at you and been unable to resist. It would have been elementary, me joining you."

[vanillajello]

"Well, you don't have to resist here," Kate remarked, looking a little smug. "You are completely allowed to sneak in here."

[therewaslife]

"And I will sneak in to your room to be with you for as long as I stay here," Bod promised and punctuated that promise with another kiss. "I think we'll both sleep better for it."

[vanillajello]

"I think so too," Kate replied, nodding. "Much, much better. There'll be no missing anyone, for one thing."

[therewaslife]

"Exactly," Bod agreed and then stepped closer so he could whisper the next bit. "And if you have nightmares, you can just wake me up and hold onto me. I'll make sure you're safe."

[vanillajello]

"I might have to take you up on that," Kate admitted quietly. God, she hadn't even had time to stop having nightmares about David before all this new stuff. "I slept okay last night, but I think that was exhaustion."

[therewaslife]

"I'll be there," he assured her quietly. "Don't hesitate to wake me up. I mean it."

[vanillajello]

"I won't," she promised, bringing a hand up to press it flat over his heart. "I promise."

[therewaslife]

"Good," he murmured, nodding and covering her hand with his. "Then, I think...we have a plan. I might have to pop back to the island briefly to get a few things but portals make that easy."

[vanillajello]

"They do." she ducked her head to kiss the back of his hand over hers. "I might even give you a short list of stuff you could get from my room for me, if you'll let me."

[therewaslife]

"Of course," Bod said agreeably. "I can get you anything you'd like. I'll even pick you something to eat since I know how much of a junk food fan you are. And, with the time difference, you won't even miss me."