Overland Park, KS, Sunday Afternoon (Late July)

[vanillajello]

It was the last day of July, and a sunny Sunday afternoon in Overland Park. Tara had wanted to throw a party in the Gregsons' backyard for the end of summer and the return of her daughter and every good thing she could think of, and so it had come to pass. There was food, and people (some neighbors, some friends from a little further off, and Bod who'd already shown up last night), and a karaoke machine set up under the arch that had been prettying up the back yard ever since Charmaine had failed to get married, earlier in the year.

Everything was pretty perfect. All that was missing was the hostess, though, because no one actually knew where Tara was, but... They were sadly used to that. So, Max was grilling, Charmaine and her belly were off to the side having a Diet Coke she shouldn't have been drinking, Ted was mingling with some people, and Lionel was filming Kate and Marshall.

And the aforementioned Gregson siblings? Were singing their hearts out, doing an enthusiastic karaoke version of Mmmbop. They looked to be enjoying themselves.

It was looking to be a good day on Oak Avenue.

[ooc: NFB, and for the boooy up there in the narrative, and myself in various guises. Bits and pieces taken from United States of Tara S03E01, '...youwillnotwin...'.]

Comments

[vanillajello]

Whereas Charmaine didn't seem to be doing well with this whole proposal thing. "I don't think so," she said, after a pause that went on far too long for everyone else's liking. "Uh, I mean... No." She hesitated some more. "I mean, no. Right?" The question was directed at Tara, who rightfully looked like she couldn't believe her sister had just done that. "Yeah," Charmaine said, and shook her head, "no."

Silence fell. Neil turned the mic off, got up, and walked away, and so, the situation had become very very awkward very fast.

They really should have seen something like this coming.

[therewaslife]

Bod certainly wasn't going to break that silence. He kept his fingers entwined with Kate's and looked both sympathetic and confused all at once.

That...was awkward, yes. Very awkward. Bod looked around the party, trying to gauge how many people had seen that. Judging by the silence, it seemed that...everyone had.

Poor...party. Yes, poor party.

[vanillajello]

Poor, poor party. "What?" Charmaine asked the stunned silence at large.

"We're gonna," Kate started, moving to get up, "we're gonna... Go. Come get us if you need help cleaning up."

This time, the awkward wasn't directly related to them. They could escape!

[therewaslife]

"Indeed," Bod agreed, getting to his feet when he realized that's what Kate was doing. "Thank you for the -- "

Bod blinked and didn't know what to say there.

"Thank you."

And he left it at that.

[vanillajello]

Luckily, Kate was already dragging him away so they could get to the frontyard, and next door from there.

She couldn't help snickering a bit.

[therewaslife]

"That was...unexpected," Bod said, shaking his head and glancing over his shoulder to the area they'd just left. "Wow."

[vanillajello]

"Very much so," Kate agreed. "Oh my God, poor Neil."

Just because she was laghing didn't mean she didn't have genuine sympathy for the poor guy.

[therewaslife]

"Yes, I don't think that's embarrassment that's going to go away quickly," he said, chuckling a bit as well. "I guess that's the chance you take when you spring a proposal on someone like that. Your poor aunt looked mortified too."

[vanillajello]

"And this from the woman who wouldn't stop yapping about her ring the last time she was engaged," Kate tsked as they were crossing the front lawn. "Oh how things change."

[therewaslife]

"Well, hopefully they can come back together and talk things out," Bod said hopefully. "I imagine they'll have to considering the child but I hope for the best."

[vanillajello]

"Yeah, me too." But of course, Kate had a very good reason to hope for that. "Mostly 'cause I'm living with her."

[therewaslife]

"They'll be all right," Bod decided to say because he didn't want to think pessimistically. "Where are we going anyway?"

[vanillajello]

"Home," she said, nodding at Charmaine's house up ahead. "Well, our room. Or, anywhere you want, actually."

[therewaslife]

"I'm fine with wherever you'd like us to go," Bod said, moving closer to her and smiling. "Our room, outside, inside, anywhere. I just wasn't sure since you had the destination in mind."

[vanillajello]

"Well, I was basically just running away from the hugely awkward thing that just happened," Kate admitted with a laugh as they were coming up to the door. "But I just figure I kinda wanna keep you in our room as much as I can."

[therewaslife]

"I'm fine with that," he replied fondly, giving her hand another squeeze. "You already know how much I like that room. I'd like to stay there as much as I can as well."

[vanillajello]

"And I wanna keep you in bed as much as I can," she said, and her smirk turned into a half hidden smile as she went to open the door. "So it'll smell like you when you're gone."

[therewaslife]

"How sentimental of you," Bod remarked, smiling at that. "I'll be sure to climb into bed as soon as we get up to the room. And I won't leave until absolutely necessary."

[vanillajello]

"Good." Excellent, even. She tugged him through the door, and straight for the stairs. "It's your fault I'm sentimental."

[therewaslife]

"Why is it my fault?" he asked with a laugh. "I didn't do anything today!"

[vanillajello]

But Kate didn't need him to do much. "You called my mom a strong, successful woman," she replied. "And I love you."

[therewaslife]

"Your mum is a strong, successful woman," Bod reiterated with a smile. "And I love you too."

[vanillajello]

"Considering the last not-you guy I brought here wanted me to move away because he thought she was sick and possibly dangerous," she murmured, as they went up the stairs, "that's kind of a... big deal for me."

[therewaslife]

"She's strong and successful," he said, following her closely so he could whisper those words, "and you've gotten those genes from her and from your dad. She's done a brilliant job of raising two children, helping her sister, and keeping everyone on the right path. That's a strong, successful woman. You don't have to do big things to be that. You just have to do your best."

[vanillajello]

Kate didn't reply, which was not to say she didn't react. She couldn't help smiling, in fact, not that he really saw that.

But as they came to the top of the stairs, she turned to kiss him.