Overland Park, KS, October 1st

[vanillajello]

October 1st, 2011. Kate's 18th birthday.

Again.

Also, November 1st, 2011. Bod's 18th birthday.

Interdimensional time differences were a pain in the ass, but occasionally they produced fun coincidences like a once-in-a-lifetime joint birthday, and that was why Bod had been invited over to Kansas today.

There'd been much cheer earlier from the Gregsons and their assorted posse, and there'd more family partying later, probably (in her honor, not his). But for now, the outsiders had cleared off to do other stuff, mostly to give Kate and Bod some time alone, and so alone they were, in the kitchen of Charmaine's house, with a birthday cake that was missing whatever pieces her family had already eaten. And Kate was currently adding '+ Bod' at the end of the original 'Happy Birthday Kate' in icing. "Look, I'm making you a birthday cake!"

[ooc: NFB, and for the boooy and some truly epic SP.]

Comments

[vanillajello]

"You would not get to rub my bruised ass because that would hurt," Kate pointed out. "So, good thing it's not bruised now, hmmh? No denying you the pleasure and the touching."

[therewaslife]

"If I were trying to apply ice or maybe even some sort of heating cream for your bruised...for your bruises, I would rub it just to make sure you got the treatment you needed."

Yes, he was serious about that. "But, you're right, that's neither here nor there right now."

[vanillajello]

"Exactly." She ruffled his hair some more, the ran her fingers slowly through it her hand ending up at the back of his neck. "Totally irrelevant for right now. Don't get me rollerskates."

[therewaslife]

"What should I get you?" Bod asked attentively. "A bicycle?"

[vanillajello]

"Good walking shoes?" Kate suggested. "Or whatever is good for... riding the subway and stuff."

[therewaslife]

"The subway?" Bod asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are they planning to install a lot of mass transit in Kansas?"

[vanillajello]

"No, but, you know, I maybe have plans for getting out of Kansas?" Kate hedged. Right, so she was getting to this now. "It's a little tentative still, and I haven't exactly talked to my parents yet, but... I think I have an idea about what I would like to do with my life next."

[therewaslife]

"Oh?" Bod asked, looking and sounding curious. "What would you like to do next that takes you out of Kansas?"

[vanillajello]

"Well... There's this program that sends young people like me all over the world, you know, to teach English." She chewed on her lip a little, and realized she was nervous about sharing this idea with him. Just a little. "I... kinda want to do that. In Japan."

[therewaslife]

"Japan." Well, that was...some big news. He blinked. "Oh. Well, that's quite...ambitious."

[vanillajello]

"I know, right?" She exhaled a little laugh, betraying just a small bit of those nerves. "It'd just be for like, six months or something. I think it could be really great for me."

[therewaslife]

"I'm sure you could make it great for you," Bod said, trying to be the encouraging and accepting boyfriend even if this news made him selfishly sad.

[vanillajello]

"And I know I could handle it," Kate added, then paused. to tilt her head and watch his face. "So, uh... How's this sounding to you?"

[therewaslife]

"It's fine," he said automatically, nodding. "You're excited about it and that's all I need to hear. If you want to do this, you should do it."

[vanillajello]

"Okay, good," Kate decided, nodding back at him. "I mean, portals still work in Japan, so from your perspective, I don't know how different it would even be."

[therewaslife]

Bod already knew it would be radically different but he wasn't going to say that out loud when she seemed to be excited about this.

"Right." This hadn't been the best news to get on his birthday but he was a professional at dealing with things. "I'm not worried."

[vanillajello]

Kate couldn't help her eyebrows briefly dipping into a frown. "I mean, it's nowhere near decided yet," she shrugged. "But I've been thinking about it for like a week now, and it just... I just don't want to feel like I'm getting stuck in Kansas, now."

[therewaslife]

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Bod said, shaking his head. "You don't need to rationalize things to me. If you want to do this, you should do this. I'm behind you completely."

[...it helps to press submit.]

[vanillajello]

Kate reached up for another kiss, then went to rest her head against his shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "Because I really feel like I want to do this."

[therewaslife]

"Then, you should do it," Bod said, nodding. He'd be sad on his own time. "If you want to do it, do it. You shouldn't let anything stop you."

[vanillajello]

"I'm not going to." Well, that was probably a lie. She knew there were probably things that could stop her, but she was choosing to ignore those for the time being. She gave him a little squeeze. "I love you, Nobody Owens."

[therewaslife]

"I love you too," he said quietly, peering down at her. "I will love you even when you're in Japan too."

[vanillajello]

"I know," she murmured. "And Japan won't be the end of the world, I promise."

[therewaslife]

"I never said it would," he answered quietly. "You don't need to rationalize and explain this to me. It's your choice, Kate."

[vanillajello]

"I still need to finagle some money out of my parents, anyway," she replied, shrugging a shoulder before softly kissing his neck. "I don't have enough for the flight. We'll see how things go."