Road Trip!, Kim <3

[Lorelei Mancini]

"Okay... so I've got my phone charger, extra shoes, socks, pants..." Nibbling on her lower lip Rory checked things off out loud as she went through the contents of the duffel bag that currently sat stuffed on her bed. Maybe planning for this whole road trip thing was harder than she thought it would be. It wasn't even like she was doing a majority of the planning! Kim was taking care of most of the trip, she just needed to pack her stuff and be ready to go when he got here. Well, and she was providing snacks for the first few days... and sneaking gas money in to his glove compartment since he didn't want to take it from her when she offered. Guys. The teen sighed and pulled out a few of the jeans from her bag. Maybe she didn't need to bring three back up pairs of jeans...

Telling Sam that she was going on a road trip with her boyfriend had been fun.. her brother had expressed some concern, started to leave the apartment to track down Kim, then calmed down when Rory promised to check in twice a week. He wasn't as anti-Kim as he was before, which was nice. Heck, he even whipped up some brownies for them for the drive before he left for work this morning. Yay for brothers! Now she was good to go with Kim! Once he got here.. and once she got her bag to close.

She fought with the bag for another ten minutes before cutting it's contents down once more. It wasn't like she was high maintenance or anything, she just wanted to be prepared. And she wanted to avoid having smelly clothes around Kim. With that in mind, she shoved a back up deodorant in to her bag and finally zipped it shut. Okay, she'd be fine for the trip, really.

[Kim Karter]

Kim had been excited about this trip for forever. Actually it had been a plan to go since before he met Rory even but the friend who was supposed to go with him had skipped town and if he was to be completely honest he did like the idea of going with Rory so much more. He was running around his room, making last minute preparations (which meant all of his packing) at the same time as he talked to his brother over the phone, thank god for handsfree, who had called specifically to offer brotherly advice about pretty much everything that had to do with the trip and Rory. "Don't forget to pack condoms, little brother. Weeks away alone with your girlfriend... gotta have them." Kim blushed furiously, glad Kristian couldn't see him. "Shut up! I'm not gonna... For fucks sake..." He sputtered as he wondered what shirts to pack, trying to remember if Rory had ever commented on them so he'd know which ones she liked. He heard Kris laugh in the other end. "Just sayin', better be prepared." Kim huffed and shook his head. "I think you should keep your mind away from everything that has anything to do with my sex life. Perv." He wished Kris would just learn to mind his own business really. "Suit yourself. Oh and Kim..." Kim sighed and wondered what could possibly come next. "Yes?" He could almost hear Kris grin on the other side of the phone. "No messing around while driving. It's dangerous to everyone." Really? Did his brother never grow up? "Fuck you Kris, I'll see you when I come home again. Good bye!" He could hear Kris' voice softening from the teasing tone it'd had so far when he spoke next. "Will do, safe trip Kim. And have fun." Kim smiled as they hung up and shook his head. His brother really was impossible.

Then he finally deemed himself ready for take off. He had packed clothes that would hopefully be enough, he had maps of pretty much everywhere, there was food that wouldn't go bad in the car and lots of water. He also had various CDs he'd put together himself or stolen from Kris' collection that would keep them entertained. He supposed he would never get more ready than this. He got some help from his parents to load everything into the car they let him use, promising over and over again to keep safe and always take in on motels for the night and not sleep in the car and whatnot. He hugged them good bye and promised to call them every other day and report in.

With that done he set off to go pick Rory up like planned. He was smiling all the way over there, feeling really excited about the whole thing. He parked outside where she lived and hurried up to her door, hoping Sam wouldn't answer it because he wasn't sure the guy wouldn't eat him. He was still amazed that he'd let Rory come with him at all. He knocked on the door, almost bouncing on the spot as he waited for it to open.

[Lorelei Mancini]

Now that the whole packing problem was over and done with, Rory just needed to sit back and wait for her boyfriend to arrive so that they could leave. She dropped her bag off near the front door and sat down to wait. To be honest, the teen was excited and nervous about this trip with Kim. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with him, because she did. If he went away for the summer then she'd miss him terribly, so she was glad to be going with him. She was just had some anxieties that she didn't have much control over. What if she had a night terror one night? She didn't want to freak Kim out or anything. Or what if when they got back Sam was gone? The teen shook her head and grabbed a magazine. No.. she didn't need to worry about anything. Things would be fine.

She wasn't left waiting for too long. Soon there was a knock on the door and Rory tossed the magazine aside to move quickly to the door. The teen paused to take a deep breath and calm herself down before she pulled the door open and flashed her boyfriend a smile. "Hey! You've got great timing.. I just finished packing." She lifted herself up on to her tip toes and pressed a kiss to Kim's lips before falling back on to her heels. The height difference between them was a bit comical really, but she liked it. "I talked Sam in to baking us some brownies for the road... he's working today, though, so he's going to miss us leaving." Good for Kim, huh?

[Kim Karter]

Kim was so nervous he would mess something up on this trip. He'd never been alone for so long with someone he really liked before, let alone with someone who actually was his girlfriend. Nevermind that he'd never had a girlfriend before, or a boyfriend. Either way the entire thing was exciting and terrifying all at once and he was sure he'd fuck something up at some point but hopefully he would be forgiven because Rory was probably the sweetest girl he had ever met.

He couldn't help but smile even wider when Rory opened the door and kissed him. He was getting used to leaning down first thing he did when the door opened and he didn't mind one bit. It was a reflex by now, let's all just hope Sam didn't open the door because that could get very awkward very quickly. They must look very amusing to other people but Kim didn't mind. Rory was in his eyes just perfect and when he held her she felt like she was the perfect fit against his own body. Maybe that was the head over heels in love teenager speaking but that was how he felt.

He nodded when Rory spoke and then smiled. "Brownies? That's awesome." Maybe Sam was a nice guy after all. Kim was still scared to death of the guy after their first meeting though. He was still amazed Rory had been allowed to come with him at all. "So, have anything you want me to help you carry? All my stuff is in the car so..." Because it would have been stupid to bring it up here only to carry it down again.

[Lorelei Mancini]

Kissing Kim was something that Rory found very enjoyable. It was something to look forward to, as if being around her boyfriend wasn't enough of a pleasant experience. The fact that he was so much taller than her didn't bug the teen either. Really, having a tall boyfriend was very beneficial. Kim could reach things on the top shelf, he could see farther than she could, and when they cuddled her curled all around her so she felt really safe and stuff. Having a tall boyfriend was great. Kissing was an added bonus.

Her arms slid around his waist and she settled back on to the flats of her feet after greeting him. The poor girl had to tilt her head back to meet his face, but she didn't mind. "Mmhmm, they're really good too!" What? She had chowed on a few for breakfast. The apartment had smelt so good, she just couldn't resist. Just like she couldn't resist kissing Kim again. Darn him for being so cute! Glancing behind her, Rory eyed her duffel bag. "I've just got one bag.. but if you want to carry it you can. I've got to double check the kitchen and make sure that everything is off." Then she had to lock up and they would be good to go!

Rory paused and gave Kim another smile. "Hey Kim.. thanks for inviting me on this trip. I have a feeling that it's going to be great." And her feelings were usually pretty correct. Usually.

[Kim Karter]

To be honest it did make Kim feel quite good, to be able to help with reaching things and seeing further away and thing like that. Made him feel like he wasn't a useless boyfriend after all and that was always a nice feeling. Besides, it usually earned him more kisses. Could someone ever get tired of that? He was pretty sure he never would. There was this spark every single time that made him want more. And so he happily kissed Rory back when she claimed his lips again, as he would every time.

"Awesome." What could be better than road trip brownies? Even if it was Rory's incredibly scary brother who'd made them. If Rory had already tasted they couldn't be poisoned either, which was a relief. Kim found himself quite relieved Sam wasn't around right now because as much as he'd thought his own brother was annoying he was sure at least Kris didn't want to break every bone in his body. Sam seemed like a nice enough guy around Rory but Kim was quite sure that being her boyfriend put him instantly on the dislike list.

He looked over at the bag and nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Rory. "Okay, I can do that." He smiled and walked over to pick the thing up, letting out a soft oof as it turned out to be a bit heavier than he'd expected. "What do you have in here? Bricks?" He laughed and got a better grip on the thing so he wouldn't drop it. It didn't help that he wasn't the most muscular guy around either.

[Lorelei Mancini]

A useless boyfriend? Kim was far from being a useless boyfriend! Even if they were both short or something, Kim was still good for lots of things. Like kissing. And making Rory smile. Both of those things were very useful.. and she liked kissing and smiling. They both made her feel good inside. And she never got tired of either one. So that was a bonus, right? Right.

She laughed and nodded. "Brownies are awesome." Especially Sam's brownies. Yum! Rory loved her brother, and she was slowly.. painfully slowly.. trying to convince him to not be so scary around Kim. It really would be nice if Kim could come around more and not have to worry about Samy picking on him or acting all "grrr". Oh well.. her brother meant well. He was just looking out for her well being, and she loved him more for that. It was nice to feel loved and protected.

Rory let her arms drop from around Kim as he pulled away, taking a step back and snagging her sneakers to put on. She crouched down and began to shove her feet in to her shoes, laughing as her boyfriend commented on the weight of her bag. "No...I may have over packed a little.. but hey, I narrowed it down from almost three bags to that one so it's an improvement right?" Say yes.. because she had spent the last three days going over what she'd need and what she wouldn't need. The teen moved over to her boyfriend and kissed his cheek. "Thaaaank you. I'll be right behind you, kay?" She just had to do a quick check of the kitchen then lock the door.

[Kim Karter]

Smiling was definitely good. It felt like Rory was always making Kim smile. They had been together for a while now but he still got a goofy smile on his lips sometimes when his mother asked him about his girlfriend or when he got a text from her in the middle of a boring day. He wondered if he would ever stop feeling happy around her. He didn’t think that was possible. Kim knew that that first stormy in love feeling didn’t last forever but even if it wasn’t quite as much butterflies and nervousness around Rory now as it had been in the beginning he still felt warm all over and his heart grew a size or two just to be able to contain everything he felt for her.

”Yeah. I’m sure they’re great.” He grinned and nodded. ”I’ve never baked them myself I think... we should do that sometime.” Simple things like that also made it all feel so good. To be able to say that they should do something small and seemingly insignificant in the near future. But the important part was that it was them and they were through those small things planning a little bit of the future together. This relationship thing seemed more and more amazing the more Kim got used to it.

Kim chuckled when Rory explained she’d narrowed this down from three bags. ”Well, better safe than sorry so it’s good you come prepared.” He smiled when she kissed his cheek and nodded. ”Okay, I’ll wait down by the car then.” He walked downstairs and put her bag in the trunk next to his, moving the two skateboards he’d put there to fit it in properly. He’d figured that maybe they could get to that teaching Rory how to skate thing now when they were going to be alone for a while. He closed the trunk and leaned against the car and waited for Rory to come join him. This was going to be fun. He’d been looking forward to this road trip for years even if he’d been planning it with another friend back then but he was pretty sure it would be even more fun with Rory. The first time they’d be alone together for so long. Kim felt a stir of nervous anticipation about the entire thing. He really hoped it would all go well.

[Lorelei Mancini]

It was a good sign that after so many months of dating they still made each other get those little butterflies in their gut. She was a little upset that she wouldn't get to see Kim as much in the fall, thanks to him being all smart and going to college. And, well, her being all dumb and not passing two classes. Oh well, she'd work her butt off and strain her brain until she stuffed enough numbers and dates in to her head to pass the dumb tests. What did she really need that stuff for anyway? She wasn't planning on doing anything with math or history. Ugh.

She smiled at her boyfriend and nodded. "We should! We'll have to have a kitchen day, or something, in the future. We could bake or like.. try something new together." Whether it be brownies or an attempt at cooking dinner for themselves, Rory was confidant that they'd be able to do it. Any new experience would be fun, and it wasn't like either one of them could feel overly insecure. They'd be trying something together. Just like this road trip.

Exactly! She was going on this trip prepared. The only thing she wouldn't be prepared for was a snow storm.. but if that happened then she'd just layer her clothes. So, maybe she was prepared for snow. Bring it on! Rory turned away from Kim when he backed out of the apartment, scanning the living room for anything that she should take care of before leaving. She double checked the oven, made sure that all of the lights were off, and locked the door behind her as she left the apartment. Bye home! She'll be back in a few weeks or something!

Rory jogged down the stairs and paused as she entered the parking lot. Flashing Kim a smile, the teen threw her arms in to the air. "Road trip!" Woot! She laughed and moved closer to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm excited, are you?" Rory had never done anything like this before!

[Kim Karter]

"Kitchen day sounds awesome." Kim exclaimed and started thinking about what they could make. Maybe something romantic like a three course dinner? Make an evening out of it. Kim would never admit it out loud but he did have a kind of romantic heart somewhere deep inside. He liked candle lit dinners and roses and the whole works. He was more clumsily romantic though. He usually got nervous and never really got out what he wanted to say. So he stammered a bit and usually ended up with something that sounded vaguely like what he'd wanted to say.

When Rory came downstairs Kim laughed and threw his own hands in the air. "Road trip!" He put his arms around her and hugged her tight, unable to wipe a huge grin off his face. "I'm crazy excited. Let's get this show on the road now." He pulled away to go around the car and get inside. He figured they could drive a bit each (Sara thinks Rory has a license, right?) but since it was his family's car it felt natural that he started.

Once they were rolling and reaching the city limits Kim smiled and nodded towards the car stereo. "You're shotgun so you get to decide the music." No good road trip without a decent soundtrack.

[Lorelei Mancini]

Rory's talents in the kitchen basically ended at macaroni and cheese... and boxed baked goods. She could follow directions like a pro, but she wasn't very confident in the kitchen. Plus Sam usually took care of making sure that they were fed, so she usually only had to prepare her own cereal or lunch now and then. Call her spoiled, but it wasn't like the teen didn't want to learn how to cook for herself. Maybe cooking with Kim could be just what she needed to get more experience and really spread her wings. Plus, it could be fun to spend time together doing something productive. They could cook their own dinner, then eat it and see how good (or bad) it was. That was something to look forward to.

She hugged him right back and basically bounced with excitement as they parted to get in to the car. Just the two of them, exploring the roads and the country? Yeah, she was nervous but she was excited. This was a major learning opportunity and a chance for them to really be alone. They wouldn't have to worry about parents or brothers... except for when they checked in now and then. Rory slid in to the passenger seat and secured her seat belt before flashing another grin at her boyfriend. Temporary dj? Cool beans!

"Hmmm.. we have to start the road trip off right, right? So let's see.." The first song was a very important choice. It could define how their trip went! So Rory browsed a bit before deciding on a song that they both really liked. There. Decision made! Let the journey begin!

(Yes, Rory has a license. And I didn't say an actual song because.. I have no clue, lol )

[Kim Karter]

Kim wasn't the best at cooking either but he knew enough to be able to follow instructions. And he did a mean chocolate cake actually. He still lived with his parents though so he didn't do much cooking. It was mostly his dad who took care of that. Mr Karter had tried making Kim interested in cooking but failed miserably. Kristian had been more interested but nowhere near as much as their dad. Learning more would be good though, he couldn't live at home for the rest of his life and he refused to become one of those spoiled teens whose parents had to come by with food once a week because they couldn't cook themselves.

Kim couldn't stop smiling and he hummed along as he left town. He wasn't the world's best singer, not the worst either, but he could never not sing along when he was driving. So he did just that for a while. He set out for their first destination, hoping they wouldn't get there too late. So far so good though.

After a few hours Kim stopped by a lake. "I need to stretch my legs and eat something." Preferably in that order as well. He parked and got out of the car, stretching his long legs and his back, wincing at the popping sound it made. "Want to take a walk around the lake?" It looked beautiful and the weather was really nice. Besides, they were meant to see and experience things, right?

[Lorelei Mancini]

There were probably a million butterflies fluttering around in Rory's stomach as they pulled out of the apartment's parking lot, but she didn't really mind them. It wasn't that she was scared about leaving town and heading out to wherever it was that her and Kim felt like going... she was nervous about how well the trip would go, and she was excited. She was excited to see new things, and to experience new experiences with Kim. The only other person that she would want to take a trip like this with would be Sam, well, and maybe her parents. But Kim was definitely number one on her list of people to spend alone time with doing something exciting.

She kept up a constant conversation going, which could easily get annoying if it was anyone other than the two of them. If Rory wasn't talking, she was singing along to the music that she chose. While she wasn't the best singer in the world, she wasn't the worst either. And really, did talent matter in the car? The teenager was having a good time, and if Kim really minded then she was sure he would say something. Right? In any case, there weren't any awkward silences within the car, that was for sure. And even though Rory was kind of known for falling asleep on any car ride that lasted longer than twenty minutes, by keeping up a constant chatter she was able to keep herself wide awake. Added to that was the fact that she was amped up on excitement. Yeah.. she wasn't sleeping.

The teenager stared out the window as her boyfriend pulled the car over, looking around at their new surroundings. Well this was pretty! Squirming in her seat a little, Rory realized that her body actually ached a little more than she thought. Might as well get out and stretch a bit too, huh? She slipped out of the car and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a deep sigh. They were definitely on their own from here! Smiling, she moved around the car so that she could see her boyfriend. Er, well, so that she could see more than the top of his head, at least. "A walk sounds great! Do you want to bring some sandwiches or anything? We could stop somewhere and have a picnic or something." There was bound to be somewhere near by that had a picnic table, or even a really nice clearing.

[Kim Karter]

Kim liked Rory’s constant talking to be honest. He enjoyed listening to her talking about everything. He always had, even before when they had been just friends. She wasn’t just a girlfriend, she was one of the best friends he had. Especially after most of his other friends had moved away from town. So he would happily listen to her for as long as she wanted to talk. He knew they wouldn’t have as much time together that they were used to once summer ended as well and he wanted to just charge up on Rory time now so he had some reserves to take from later. There were no colleges in Mariet so he had to commute for almost an hour to a neighbouring town and then back again every day. And she had school as well. That was a sad thought, no need to think about that right now.

”Oh, that’s a great idea!” He exclaimed and went to rummage through the food they had brought, putting some in a backpack and putting it on so they could stop whenever they wanted and have lunch. Then he reached for Rory’s hand with a smile. ”I think we’ll be able to get to that motel we were talking about sleeping at by tonight, by the way.” He looked at his cell phone to check the time. If they didn’t stay here for three hours or so they would be able to arrive to the motel before it got too dark.

Once Kim felt Rory’s hand in his own he started walking. A light breeze ruffled his hair and he took a good look at the surroundings. The reason for this trip was partly to look at places, right? This seemed as good a place to start as any. He looked down at his girlfriend and couldn’t help himself but leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek before straightening up again. He had this bubbly happy feeling rising inside him and he had to fight the impulse to jump into the air. He wasn’t a complete idiot and he wasn’t going to make too much of a fool of himself in front of Rory.

[Lorelei Mancini]

She was basically able to talk about everything with Kim. Any topic, no matter how odd or out of the blue, Rory could spur a conversation about that. And most of the time, that conversation could last well over ten minutes. Maybe even longer. The only topics that she seemed to avoid were those that had to deal with sex or anything that had any connection to sex. She just.. she wasn't sure how that kind of talk would go, and she really preferred to avoid the awkwardness until they were ready to actually, you know, talk about it. Besides, there was more to a relationship than sex anyway, and she liked the way that her relationship with Kim was progressing without sex in the picture. So there. End of side tangent.

A picnic with Kim, especially around a place as pretty as this, it was so romantic and Rory's mind latched on to that idea with a vice grip. If she was going to have to go so long without seeing him come fall.. well.. she'd need images and memories to keep her happy, wouldn't she? The teen watched her boyfriend gather what they would need, and she grabbed the camera that she had stuffed in to her purse, before she slipped her hand in to his. "Oh really? That's great! We're right on schedule then, huh?" Which was a good thing. Random road trips could be fun and all, but if there was absolutely no plan.. well.. things could get testy, right?

Giving his hand a little squeeze, Rory fell in to step next to her boyfriend and looked around a bit as well. She snapped a few photos of the scenery, and was pleasantly surprised when Kim kissed her cheek. Aww, how cute! Rory turned a smile in his direction, her body leaning in to his for a moment before she lifted her camera again. "Smile!" And she snapped a semi-close up shot of his face. Maybe she'd take enough pictures to fill a whole album. Just call it "My summer trip with Kim" or something. "I'm having so much fun already, Kim. I mean.. I've never done anything like this before. It's.. exciting, you know?"