[for Declan] Can't stop coming in hot

[girlsolo]

In the game of I never, Kate almost always loses. She grew up fast and grew up hard, and she's done all the things people usually ask about and plenty they don't. But if the question was I've never arranged a date for my boyfriend on his birthday, Kate wouldn't have to drink. She probably would drink, because truth isn't an absolute for Kate. It's what she wants someone to know or not know about her.

She's given up lying like breathing but she didn't tell anyone (but the one person who counts) she's never done anything like this before. The whole package. The individual parts are familiar. Like the LBD she put together from scraps of black fabric from the clothing box. The black heels which she hates to walk in, but are fine for standing, eating, and fucking in. The bland beige belted trenchcoat (hand-fitted, but not re-pieced). Even the loose shoulder-brushing curls and hints of kohl around her eyes. All familiar. Dinner reservations, check. Surprise dessert (or breakfast, depending on how they roll), check. Note in his mailbox and on his door, check. It's just putting them all together and making them work she's not sure about.

Not that she's ever admitting that to anyone. What Declan doesn't know, doesn't hurt him. And right now all he knows is to meet her at her place at sunset. Where she'll conveniently not be, just long enough for him to sit down and wait while Kate watches, invisible from behind some nearby trees.

*

title lyrics from Pink's Raise Your Glass

Comments

[duerespectguv]

Declan's been waiting on some surprise to get sprung on him all day. Magnus gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek with morning tea and he's not surprised she remembered his birthday; it's Magnus, she knows everything.

Kate's surprise is something he knows is coming, though, so he dresses nice in a deep blue polo and dark trousers and actually shaves instead of letting it go another day like usual.

She's not there, though, when he gets there and he lets himself in per her instructions, casually settling on the bed.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate's eyes close and her head tips back, lips part around a softly panted breath. She strokes her hand down his arm, appreciating the hell out of hard muscle under hot skin, and back up again. "Yeah, babe. Like that."

This is new. Slow without teasing. It feels...like something special, not for all the time. Not like a gift, but like one of those moments where time slows down and you get an actual chance to breathe. Maybe that's what they're doing. Breathing.