Catherine

For the nth time since being under the same roof, I opened my eyes with his face close to mine.

Whoever started the fantasy of a man looking at you even if you were a bird's mess clearly didn't tell the woman's point of view.

"Why are you in my bed?" rubbing my eyes, I lifted my head a little so he could remove his arm from under me.

"Technically, you're in my bed." I frowned and tried getting up but my body, deciding that it was too early, settled on pressing my elbows on Damon's bed instead. Moving the strands away from the corner of my mouth, I took a look around.

Too bright

Clearly not my room.

I turned my head, feeling the sheets move as he sat up. He groaned as he moved his arm around. My head's not that heavy. Is it?

He looked like he's been awake for a while. He made grunting noises as he stretched, his long arms up in the air. My eyes travelled down to see his bare chest, the claw marks similar to mine barely noticeable now.

The good news is, he's not the kind of guy who sleeps naked.For all I know, he may have just decided to wear something because I'm sleeping with him. Well not with him with him.

The bad news is, he may have not slept naked, but going to bed with just boxers on wouldn't make a twenty-four year-old virgin feel less awkward than she already feels either.

"Apple green huh." He looked up at me, my cheeks already feeling like they're going to burn up.

Why must you blurt out what's on your mind Catherine.

"They didn't have hulk green." He grinned as he simply covered his lower body with a pillow, rubbing the back of his neck. He's as embarrassed with this as I am.

And Hulk green?

Really?

I cleared my throat and got up,clutching a pillow to cover my body from him. Why does this guy not give a single frick frack when his hair's just as messy as mine? It looked like a cow fairy decided to lick his head and he still managed to look darn fine afterwards. Mine on the other hand, looked like someone tried to find a needle on a haystack and decided to give up halfway. His eyes were focused on mine, a small hesitant smile on his face. Either that or he's trying hard not to laugh at the fact that I look like a crazy person.

"You have..." he pointed out the corner of my mouth and mouthed what I think was 'drool' . Me being the idiot that I was, didn't even bother turning around and just wiped it off as he watched.

Very attractive Cat.

He got up and I had to avert my gaze just so I wouldn't be tempted to swoon. What. I'm human. I may be a little weird for the majority of the male population but I can identify an attractive male when I see one.

A large shadow loomed over mine and I had to look up to him standing in front of me,a look of what I can only assume as amusement on his face.

"So which would you prefer? See souls on a Thursday or just be oblivious of it all and go to work as usual?" He had his hands resting on his waist, my face a hand away from his neck. I stepped back as his hand touched my hair. He raised a brow at me and I was obliged to stay still. He held my hair gently and away from my neck. I turned my head to the side so he could have a better view.

Of my neck.

I'm still not sure where I got the wound. As Damon said, my fingernails can't even make him bleed.

I'm thinking of Superman for some reason.

Anyway, mine was doing fairly well. You have got to be thankful for long hair sometimes. No matter how time consuming it is to make it look decent in the morning. It covered the scars and I didn't have to dig in my closet for my banned turtlenecks. Mom drew the line on my grandma fashion there.

Back to his question about seeing dead people. It's scary on how I'm slowly getting used to all of this. The dead. The nasties and everything else associated with the man I'm sharing a space with. I still get freaked out when I see Benjie, and on better days, Gina. He always seems to just 'casually walk by' our building. But he basically raised Damon along with the other guys so maybe he's checking on him,and from what I noticed last night, for other reasons too. I shivered just thinking about the times when my eye was opened, souls still looked human I presume, since there weren't any monsters around to try and kill me once they figure out that I can see them.

I looked up to see him eyeing me expectantly. If I want to get through this week, I'd rather have it like I used too.

Boring but normal.

I bowed my head,hearing him chuckle. He knew what I meant for 'offering' him my probably oily forehead. I was surprised when he didn't just lean in and closed my cursed eye.

I swear Damon was sent here to make me second guess myself. I was torn between being still or kicking him where it hurts.

When I felt his hands touch my cheeks,I looked up to see him staring at my face. Not quite on my eyes. It seemed like he's looking at my features. A smile slowly appeared on his face as he poked my forehead, slowly tracing it down, in between my eyes.

"Your freckles form a star bonbon." I swatted his hand away from my face and glared at him. And here I was ready for something else and he plays connect-the-dots on my face.

The man had the guts to laugh and I had to throw him a pillow just to shut him up.

"It was a nice star bonbon. Perfect even." I winced. That was too cheesy for my liking. He chuckled, seeing on how I reacted.

"Too much huh?" I nodded and he grinned.

Curse you facial muscles.

I grinned back.

He placed his hand at the back of my neck, gently rubbing his thumb on the skin there.

He leaned forward and made our foreheads touch. It's not that I'm complaining but I have a feeling that he's being a little too un-Damon today. Damon doesn't tease me like this. He's being too...as I said, un-Damon.

After living with him, Damon has a lot of sides. He can be mature but chooses to be childish most of the time. And there are times when he's like this. Wait.

Scratch that.

This is the first time he's been like this. Of course there was that time when we got chased by a hotdog but he quickly changed the atmosphere. I guess we both had a role to play to change the outcome. Him,changing his mind, and me with my awesome, sassy line.

He moved his face away from mine and just looked at me. I cleared my throat and he smiled. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips on my forehead. Just a quick peck.

...

It's been more than three seconds now.

I lifted my arm to touch his hand on my neck and slowly removed it. He took a step back, just as I felt his lips leave my forehead.

"Well," I cleared my throat, clapping my hands once. "it was nice sleeping with you. I mean not sleeping sleeping with you. It was nice sleeping-letting me sleep in your room. I'm gonna go." He smiled and gave me a small salute as I backed up and out of his room.

I need to get myself a door. ASAP.

***

"I don't get why we're windowshopping for doors. Pun intended." I rolled my eyes, hearing the same complaint from Rose. We just got out of a furniture store and was on our way to the next. And this one's the second. I would have flipped through a magazine but I'd rather see it now and buy it now. Besides, I have to make sure it was Damon-proof. And by Damon-proof, I meant that it wouldn't just fly off when he decides to kick it when he hears the slightest noise from my room.

"Damon broke my door. I'm buying a new one." she grabbed my arm, stopping me. I gave her a confused look.

"You into roleplaying now?" I frowned as her eyes widened as I tried freeing my arm from her grasp. Roleplaying? What. Cops and robbers?

When it did finally sink into me that she wasn't talking about dancing trees and singing sprites,I pinched her side a little too hard than intended, finally releasing myself from her grasp.

"What the hell have you been reading lately?" Leave it to Rose to choose this time to ask this kind of question on public.

"Channing Tatum fanfictions." She bit her lower lip and tried on what I assume the face she makes to get away from a bad situation. I grimaced. She's reading too much of it, I can tell. Deciding to just let this one go,we entered another shop.

"Why'd he break your door?" I turned to see her knocking at the doors she walked past. Benjie had the same question and I doubt if she'll take my answer just as it is.

"Because of my jeans." I glared at her as she whipped her head to look at me. She laughed, waving her hands but ended up making the gesture of zipping her mouth shut.

"Must be some pair of jeans to make him break your door. Just sayin." she snickered and walked towards the other isle before I can even get my pinching hands on her.

***
"We should've brought a car." I frowned,waiting for a cab as Rose texted her new uh, boy toy.

"It's your fault. Just because a hot guy's picking you up after work now, you forgot about the man who accepted you as you are. Poor Bradley." She pouted, still pre-occupied with her phone. I can't help but laugh. We both looked at Bradley as my life partner.

"So if you guys aren't what I think you are,what happens when you meet someone? You're hot cat. You're just hiding all the good stuff with...this." Rose moved her hands, gesturing on my attire. It was either grey or floral for me. There's no in between.

"Then I guess one of us has to go." I smiled, Rose eyeing me like I was crazy.

"Honey, the man picks you up at work, gives you a petname and from what you said before,he can cook too. That's all you need. There's no such thing as one-of-us-has-to-go. You'd be stuck with Bradley for life. And I doubt Bradley could live a hundred."

I was about to tell her that it wasn't a big deal. Damon just shows up and it was like our silent agreement. It was scheduled really. There are days when I would use Bradley and days when Damon would pick me up. The ladies still give him 'the look' but would immediately get out of the way when they saw me coming.

I'm cold Catherine. Remember?

***

Have you watched one of those old movies? Where you're just minding your own business and a black van suddenly appears out of nowhere.

The car's black-tinted window slowly rolled down and we were presented with two men.

The guy looked like shaggy. You know,the one from scooby-doo. The one on the steering wheel made up for Shaggy's lack of meat. Shaggy had a goatee while the other one had Super Mario's mustache. Quite a pair.

Shaggy hoped off the van and smiled at us. Rose took a step back, her phone already on her ear. Probably calling 911.

"Heyya ladies. You want some candy? The driver threw him a beer can and Shaggy turned to him.

"You id-yet! Candy's for kids." Meaty man shouted.

"Then what am I going to offer her so she would come with us? I've watched kidnapping movies. I got this!" Shaggy huffed back. He turned back towards. "Now who among you happens to be living with an asshole?"

"Honey,everybody's lived with an asshole." Rose pointed out.

"Just get whoever has his scent you dumbass." Meaty Man interrupted. Shaggy turned towards Rose and sniffed. He frowned and turned towards me, grimacing as he took in my appearance. Gray suit and glasses.

"Hello. The mistress would like to have a chat with ye." he then snapped his finger and everything went black.