post-wedding Nov. 26th

[duerespectguv]

Magnus and Zimmerman getting married on the spur of the moment's not something Declan expected but he was happy to attend and even happier to have Kate on his arm. He's still happy when she's ready to go, though, and it's automatic to wrap his arm around her to bring her back to wherever they're finishing the evening.

"You all right, love? Toothache from all the ridiculous displays of affection?"

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[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate steers them down the boardwalk, toward the beach. It's getting a little cool for a midnight swim, but she likes the sound of the waves. It drowns out a lot of the bullshit in her head. She doesn't say anything at all for awhile, even though he's talking to her. Just kicks off her shoes and tucks them in her jacket pocket. Declan knows by know. She'll talk when she's ready.

When she does, her toe's edging the foam the water leaves on the sad. She shrugs, going back for his question. "Not really. Just...we used to be a team. A family. The three of us. Now they're married. And I'm...I don't know what. Nothing." To them, obviously. Not to him. Or she wouldn't be talking.

[duerespectguv]

"You're still family. You noticed she invited you, right? I mean, unless you have hidden designs on Magnus and wish it was a threesome, I don't think them getting married affects how much they care about you," Declan says, watching the moonlight dance across the water.

"Doubt it'll be much different than how they were before they married."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate rolls her shoulders and turns, tucking herself into his arms. "It's not the same. I don't know why. It's just not." She's never been the type to cry over what is. What is is, and she'll make what she can of it. "Maybe it's a delayed reaction to them being together. I don't know."

But they'll choose each other before her, every time now, no matter what. They used to have each other's backs and she trusted them. Now it feels like she shouldn't anymore.

"I don't want to talk talk about it, babe."

[duerespectguv]

"Then we won't," Declan promises, tugging her all the way into his arms and just holding her there. It's not something he understands, really, but what he does understand is that it bothers Kate and he wants to make it stop.

"I'm anything you need right now, love."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

She's glad when he agrees. She's not sure she could've stayed with him right now if he didn't. It aches and if she has to look too close for too long, she's going to have to run.

Instead she closes her eyes, shutting it out and breathes him in. Her fingers curl in his shirt. "You're everything I need right now."

[duerespectguv]

Declan strokes her hair lightly, fingers tugging through the glossy strands, and just listens to the sounds of their breathing and the crash of the waves.

"You're my everything too, Katie. Promise."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

It's not the same thing, him being everything she needs right now and her being his everything. It's not. It's a lot more dangerous for him, putting all of his eggs in one basket it like that. All of his eggs in her basket. That'd be funny, a twisted sexual pun, if she weren't a scam artist. Someone who tried to get people to trust everything in her so she could take them for all they're worth.

"Worries me," she admits, fingers stroking his skin through his shirt. "You needing me so much. What happens if I screw up? What happens if I disappear?" She really is worried for him.

[duerespectguv]

"I'll deal with it if it comes to that," Declan says, keeping her close. "But as far as regretting this? I couldn't. I'm not going to worry about needing you as much as I do because it feels good to have you in my life, Kate."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

She wishes it were that easy. Really wishes. It's not that she's scared of losing him. She just knows she will someday. Almost losing Will hurt in ways she still can't think about without wanting to throw up.

Kate frowns a little and slides her hands around his waist to his back. She tips her chin up, takes a breath, and just comes out with it: "I love you, Declan. You know that, yeah?"

It's not like she's never said the words before. She's just never meant them like this.

[duerespectguv]

"I suspected," Declan says softly, keeping her close. "I love you too, Kate. Probably more than is actually prudent but who needs that when we're on a tropical island paradise, yeah?"

He knows this is a big thing, her admitting that, and even though his words are light, the kiss against her hair is utterly sincere.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate screws up her face, not sure whether to punch him in the shoulder or kiss him for making so little of it. She decides kissing him's the better bet, since she really doesn't want to have to say it all the time. It's true, but that doesn't mean she wants to bandy the words around. They're too valuable, too precious.

She tilts her head up and lifts onto her toes, then kisses him softly. "I'm still not going to be any good at this. But I'll try."

[duerespectguv]

"That's all I ask," Declan admits quietly. "I'm not perfect either. I just haven't fucked up much lately, is all. I'm sure I'll flub something in the near future and make you angry."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

She always says she won't be any good at it, and he always says he isn't either. So far she hasn't seen any proof he's anything less than perfect. Patient. Protective. Possessive.

Kate sighs and then slides her hand in his. "I doubt it. But that's something else I don't want to talk about. Unless you need to. Let's go find a bottle of tequila, some salt, and some place to get naked and drink it. Yeah?" Or whatever else he wants to do, as long as it's not meeble around being mushy. She's just not in the mood.

[duerespectguv]

"That's fine with me. I'm perfectly all right with all your skin and getting to lick it."

Oh, right, and the tequila, but Declan cares less about that and more about making Kate feel better.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"I'm perfectly all right with you licking my skin, all of it." She grins at him, glad for the excuse to think about anything else. "You plan to tie me down for this little adventure?" He can if he wants, but if he does, he better leave her half a bottle of tequila. Because this little game is played both ways.

[duerespectguv]

"We can if you want," Declan says, arching a brow at her. "You got anything that'll do the trick or are we going to have to raid the clothes box for some old shirts to rip up?"

It's symbolic, more than anything, but the idea of it is...really hot.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Mmm." Kate slides her hand underneath his shirt and curls her nails against his skin, scratching gently. "Do you want me tied up, babe?" Because what makes it hot for her is that he wants to. That he wants to take control like that. "I've got plenty of fabric scraps in the hut."

[duerespectguv]

"Yeah. Just to play, though, not as a...regular thing. I like it when you have you hands all over me so I'd never want you completely unable to," Declan teases, tweaking her nose a bit. "But tonight, I want it. And the tequila."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Then tonight you can have it. And the tequila."

She runs her hand down his arm to find his hand and twine their fingers together. It's totally innocent and kind of silly. Especially since he's going to tie her up as soon as they get home, but she likes it. She likes that the unholyfuckhot of their (yeah, okay) relationship doesn't get in the way of them really liking each other.

"But you have to save me some."

[duerespectguv]

"Got plans of your own?" Declan asks with a grin. "I'm perfectly all right if you want to...you know. Share those with me? I get the sense I'll probably end up liking them."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"No plans," Kate answers cheerfully and keeps him moving. Fast. Her hut's far from the Compound and they didn't come that far up the beach when they left the wedding. "You're just hot and pretty much made for doing wicked things with my tongue and a bottle of tequila." She flashes him a smoldering grin, eyes dark with heat and invitation. "Which is why we're perfect for each other."

[duerespectguv]

"Never really been with someone where the sex is this good before," Declan remarks, wondering if that's because he just cares about her that much or because she's got to be the best in bed out of anyone he's ever slept with.

"You're one of a kind, Katie."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

That hits a lot harder than he probably means it to. Her being one of a kind, in a good way. Hard enough that she stops, turns, slings an arm up around his neck and tugs him down into a kiss. That hits her too, makes her eyes sting a little, but it doesn't stop her from making sure he knows she likes being his one-of-a-kind-Katie.

[duerespectguv]

It's a little shocking, the kiss, but he falls into it as easily as he does anything else with Kate and wraps his arm around her to haul her up closer.

"What'd I do to deserve that, love?"

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate doesn't care that they're in public and she's wearing a skirt. She wraps her legs around his hips and lets him hold her weight for a little bit. "Usually when people say I'm one of a kind, they don't mean it like it's a good thing." And he'd called her 'Katie'.

[duerespectguv]

"Well, it's a good thing to me," Declan promises, glad to hold her close for a moment even if it is in public.

"You're the most remarkably woman I've ever been with. Probably the most frustrating, too, but I still see this as a positive."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate rests her head on his shoulder. It's not a very Kate thing to do, but neither is having a boyfriend and telling him she loves him. So screw it. "Still surprises me," she tells him quietly. "I'm more used to being 'that pain in the ass' than 'one of a kind' in a good way."

[duerespectguv]

"Look, Kate, you're the most important person on this island to me. It's not going to change just because you might annoy me sometimes," Declan promises. "If there's ever something serious I need to talk to you about, I feel reasonably sure I can. That's all I need."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"I know." She smiles up at him from his shoulder and rubs her hand against his chest. "That's kind of why I kissed you, babe. You know me. I like that."

[duerespectguv]

"I guess we ought to go find somewhere more private, hadn't we? Since things seem to be going in a certain direction?"

Almost always did, with them, but he didn't have any complaints in that direction.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

"Thought that was why we were going back to my place," she purrs at him, teasing, and eyes already slut-dark with how much she wants it. "I know it was a good kiss, but you can't have forgotten the tequila already."

[duerespectguv]

"It was a good kiss and you fried my short-term memory," Declan says, smirking a bit. "That's going to be my excuse, anyway, if it ever comes up again."

Probably, since she works him up in all the best ways.