Overland Park, KS, Tuesday Afternoon (Late July)

[vanillajello]

"Woah, what's with the bouncing, princess?" Charmaine asked, looking up from her work on some new tiaras, as Kate came down the stairs seemingly exuding far more energy than she'd exhibited going up them some time earlier.

"Oh, nothing," Kate replied, mock coyly. The grinning probably ruined the effect, but she cared not. "Hey, Mom's still coming to pick you up for that doctor thing?"

"Unless she's turned into someone else, yes," her aunt replied. "Why?"

Yeah, Kate was still grinning. "No reason." Again, it wasn't really believable. She bounced her way to the kitchen.

Charmaine shook her head and went back to her glue and sequins. "Whatever you say, Katie."


[ooc: NFB. For the booooy.]

Comments

[therewaslife]

That hadn't taken long at all, no and yet, Bod was surprised it had taken as long as it had. They'd done pretty well for the...few days they'd been apart.

Now though, Bod was stepping out of the portal at the end of Kate's street and making his way to her aunt's house. He wasn't sure about the situation with her family so he moved slowly enough that maybe Kate would see him out of a window and signal him or come and get him.

If anything else, he'd use his phone to call her.

[vanillajello]

He lucked out; Kate saw him from the kitchen window. This was immediately followed by a little squeal, and then running to the door. Charmaine was pretty sure Kate had gone off her rocker, but she didn't care, she was running up to Bod, ready to throw her arms around his neck in an overdramatic but happy fashion.

"Hiii!"

[therewaslife]

"Hullo there, hullo," he said, dropping his bag beside his feet and waiting for her to reach him so he could wrap her up and make a huge scene right outside.

He didn't care either.

[vanillajello]

Sometimes you just needed to make a huge scene, and this was one of those times. "Hullo," she grinned from her close proximity, arms around his neck and going to kiss him because she didn't feel like resisting the urge.

[therewaslife]

Bod was glad she didn't resist the urge. He was already pulling her closer and meeting her lips with his own. Arms around her waist, he didn't hesitate to make that kiss fierce and full of affection and love.

[vanillajello]

And Kate was matching all of that. Love and affection and just a hint of something playful because she'd already had time to miss him in a bunch of different ways.

It was a miracle that she'd stopped bouncing. She was just bouncing with glee on the inside, now.

[therewaslife]

He'd told her that she need only ask and he'd come so she was glad he'd asked because he'd wanted to come. His embrace got tighter and his kiss got deeper. He didn't care that they were in the middle of her street and people might see. He only cared about her.

[vanillajello]

Whereas Kate really sucked at caring about things like that at the best of times, so she wasn't about to start holding him back. No, she let him deepen the kiss, that was fine by her, letting it get more intense.

People could just deal. Maybe no one would even be out.

... Yeah, that was probably wishful thinking.

[therewaslife]

Bod would have been concerned about her father being the one out and about but he wasn't thinking right now. He was rubbing her back with his hands and nipping at her lips with his teeth and lips.

If someone was out, maybe they'd understand that they'd just missed each other quite badly.

[vanillajello]

Kate knew for a fact that her father was out at work, so she had no concerns like that. She pressed against him, maybe a little unwisely, but his hands felt nice and so did everything else about him.

She'd missed him, yes she had.

[therewaslife]

When she pressed closer, Bod moaned into her mouth and instinctively tried to get a hand under the shirt she was wearing. That was probably unwise as well but she was short circuiting everything logical in his brain. It hadn't even been that long and he was already desperate to stay close to her.

[vanillajello]

Oh, that was so very unwise and yet so, so very nice to feel. Kate reciprocated with the first way she could think of, which was by scratching lightly at the back of his neck.

And then she froze as, somewhere not too far from them, someone cleared their throat. A female someone. Her mother, in fact, but she didn't know that yet.

[therewaslife]

When Bod realized that that sound wasn't coming from either of them, he pulled away and immediately looked around guiltily. His eyes landed on her mum and his cheeks flamed to a nice, bright red.

"Oh God," he mumbled, looking down in embarrassment and taking his hand from underneath her shirt. "Um. We're -- "

Screwed. But, Bod didn't say that.

[vanillajello]

"Yes, I see," Tara replied, wryly, pushing a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. She wasn't entirely comfortable with this situation, no, but she'd figured it was best to break it off. Rather than to try and sneak around them to get Charmaine, for instance. "Nice to see you, Bod. I didn't know you were coming."

"Surprise visit," Kate said, flustered.

[therewaslife]

"Indeed," Bod said having managed to find his voice. "Surprise visit. I missed your daughter and decided a surprise visit was in order for her. I apologize for...me."

[vanillajello]

"No need," Tara replied, for want of a better thing to say. She looked at her daughter. "Katie, do you think Char's ready yet? The appointment's in forty-five minutes but I'd rather get there a little early."

Kate glanced at Bod, then back at her mom. "I... can go check?"

[therewaslife]

Oh dear. Bod wondered if he was going to start sweating since it looked like he was about to be left alone with Kate's mum after getting caught all over her daughter.

"I can...stay here." He forced a weak smile at both women and nodded. Maybe the portal was still open and he could dive into it. That was ridiculous to think about. "I'll wait out here while you check."

[vanillajello]

"Okay," Kate breathed, and wasted no time in making her way into the house, already hollering Charmaine's name before she'd even made in the door.

"So... shouldn't you be at school?" Tara wondered once they were alone, tilting her head. "I thought Kate said the term wasn't over yet."

[therewaslife]

"It's not," he confirmed with a nod. "I just didn't have any classes this afternoon and I don't have any till later on tomorrow either. It seemed like perfect timing for a bit of a surprise visit for Kate. I've missed her."

Bod studied that answer for anything faulty, anything that might give away anything about the island and he couldn't find anyway.

"It's a relatively quick trip back and forth and I don't need a lot of sleep."

[vanillajello]

"Well, that's... good." Yeah, Tara didn't really know what to say. "I'm sure she appreciates it." She paused, glancing at the house, looking for something else to add. "She seems to like you a lot."

It was true, at least, and Tara seemed a little less awkward, saying it.

[therewaslife]

"I like her quite a lot too," he said, glancing down at the ring on his finger as he said it. "I promise, I'm not missing classes for this visit. My education's quite important to me."

[vanillajello]

"That's good to hear," Tara said, though she'd glanced down at his hand as well, and she was curious. She'd noticed the new ring on her daughter's finger, but since Kate hadn't said anything about it, she'd assumed it was just some new piece of jewelry she'd picked up somewhere. But, now...

"... Did she give you that ring?"

[therewaslife]

When Tara's mum asked that question, Bod realized (too late) that he'd made a mistake and now either had to tell the truth or lie. He glanced down at his ring again and tried not to look like a deer in the headlights.

"She did, yes." He decided he didn't want to lie. "She gave it to me before she left for Kansas."

He didn't know what else to say so he trailed off there.

[vanillajello]

He didn't even seem to realize how well he was doing, especially compared to Kate's previous beaus. Tara smiled at that, though she tried to suppress most of it, for her own reasons.

She was just about to say something when Charmaine (along with hervery pregnant belly) emerged from the house, Kate trailing after her.

"God, why did I schedule this for today?" she whined at Tara, then glanced at Bod. "Oh, hey. Kate said you showed up."

[therewaslife]

"Hullo, ma'am," Bod said, smiling at her aunt. "Yes, it's a surprise visit. I didn't have any classes so I thought I'd come and visit Kate since I missed her. Do you need any help getting to the vehicle?"