Damon

She's been extremely quiet since her parents left.

For Pete's sake she's twenty-four. She can do whatever she wants and not be questioned for it. She doesn't owe anyone anything.

Or maybe that's just because that's how I was raised.

Benjie always told me that I don't have to explain myself as long as I know what I was doing. And what I was doing was right.

I'm secretly thankful that I grew up with about forty father figures. Not the best examples but they tried.The only con would probably be when I realized I can't live till my thirties if I kept eating take-outs.

That's how I met her mother in the first place. All the grease and fat I collected from all the fastfood obviously showed when I first showed up to her classes. The teasing was endless when the guys found out but were grateful when I served them meals whenever I had enough money for it.

I eventually stopped taking culinary lessons when I worked my way through college. Sure we had the money for it but I, as the guys put it, was too much of a blockhead to accept help.

Now that I think about it,I was like Catherine in a way. She would never dare saying it out loud but I think she felt more comfortable with just herself and a couple of people than with a whole crowd.

From what I've learned before I even met her, she seems to isolate herself since she was a kid. This is just hypothetical. I just can't seem to grasp why she kept to herself. She's good with getting along with the elders in the building, we need to improve when it comes to kids though. But that was it.

She could carry herself just as regal as any queen. All she lacks is confidence. She could have been one of the cool kids back in high school.

I wasn't even smart enough for academic clubs. I was the fat kid so sports never crossed my mind. Fatso's too mediocre to even join any group.

College went by a little easier when I started loosing the extra weight. But that didn't necessarily mean I got along with the others. It was weird enough that I could see things others can't and it was difficult to look somebody in the eye when something demonic was peeping behind them. It happens quiet a lot when I'm in historic buildings.

As I got older,I just kind of got used to it.

Nuff of my pity party.Back to our current situation.

She's being pensive. She should have been freaking out right now. Thinking of a way to try and fix things. She should be doing something.

I knelt down in front of her and took her hands. Her eyes staring blankly at the words on her arm.

She's been hiding her arm behind me the whole time they talked. 'Course her dad asked me to leave but I took one look at Catherine's face and I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Much to his disappointment.

The whole time,I had to listen to his father calmly ask her on what we were.

Seeing my shirt on her, her arm around me,two mattresses in my bedroom and Catherine looking like we just- he indirectly showed his displeasure on our strange arrangement.

He never really included me in the conversation. Just asked me basic questions. What I do. Where I lived. Criminal records. I answered them all. He just nodded his head and continued asking her daughter on how she was doing.

When all the questions were answered,he opened his arms. I had to give Catherine a little push.

And I can never put into words how weird it was to have someone's father almost hugging you just because his daughter refused to let anybody see her arm.

I squeezed her hands gently and I don't know what got into me but I just felt my hands bringing hers to my lips. I gave each of her knuckles a kiss before slowly lifting my head to meet her eyes. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were wide like a doe's. Her hands were limp on mine and the longer we looked at each other, the more I regret doing what I've done.

This isn't right.

I was the distraction. I was just the distraction. Distractions don't go off kissing a woman's hands.

No matter how beautiful she is.

Heaven and hell.

But I kept holding her hands. And we kept looking at each other. And my head was screaming I should let go. But it just felt...

right.

I feel like stinky cheese from all these cheesy cheesiness.

She pursed her lips,the dimple on her left cheek slightly showing as she did so.

"We'll be fine bonbon."

I almost grinned as she frowned and said the line she always told me whenever she takes notice on the name I grew fond of calling her.

"Don't you bonbon me."

***
Catherine

"You're wearing yellow." I looked down on my sunny dress, a couple of sunflowers decorating the bottom of the skirt.

I liked it.

Besides, it was the only dress I had in my closet that would look decent when it comes to family gatherings.

Not to mention the only one left with sleeves to cover my ink.

I tried scrubbing it off but I ended up with half a bottle less of body scrub and red skin from the furious rubbing.

"And you're wearing pink." I strode past him and sat down to put on my shoes.

We both just got out of our owns rooms.

I am not sharing anything else with him.

His back was on me as he combed his hair ,whistling as he put the hairbrush down.

"Pink was made for men." He turned to me and did poses I recalled seeing on a show about body builders.

I rolled my eyes before bending over to put on my sandals, trying hard not to smile as he got back to working on his hair.

Minutes later, I felt the cushion dip and turned to see him copying my actions, him putting on his sneaker on his left foot.

What confused me was after tying the knot,he grabbed his shiny 'for-special-occasions-only' leather shoe and put it on his other socked foot.

He then leaned back and stared at both of them before turning to look at me.

"Which one goes better off with pink?"

And that did it for me.

I covered my mouth and tried my best not to laugh,afraid of getting him offended.

He looked at me for a second and scowled. His face reminded me of the time when I found out he took cooking classes.

"For all I know, it could be a formal gathering. I don't want to show up in sneakers." He pouted before bending over to take it off. I quickly grabbed onto his shoulder,making him pause as he was about to untie it.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if someone came over wearing a pink shirt with sneakers." I grinned and patted him on the back before getting up.

After another fifteen minutes, we were all set to go.

Damon took specially slow steps as we were on the second floor.

"Bradley's the best option and you know it." He snorted as we continued our descend on the stairs. We talked about who's going to be our means of transportation and I wasn't going to ride his bike. Not in this dress. And I have no faith on his tow truck either.

We were almost at the stairs when Ellie's door opened, holding Mr. Fluffy and a roll of yellow ribbon.

"Well don't you two look cute." she smiled at us and I think it's just the power of Ellie that could make the both of us blush like a couple of kids caught talking during recess.

"You look cute yourself, Ellie." She waved a hand and put down a squirming Mr. Fluffy.

"Where are you two heading off to?" She closed her apartment's door before walking towards us.

"We got invited to her uncle's birthday." Damon smiled sheepishly before taking Ellie's hand as we made our way downstairs.

Ellie turned to me and held my hand. "Tell him I said happy birthday."

I nodded and almost tripped when Mr. Fluffy ran from under me, waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs.

Ellie walked with is until the main door and held both our hands.

"Have a great time. And Catherine dear,please do take care of him." He turned from Damon, then to me before giving me a small smile.

Something felt wrong. I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before letting go. Damon did the same and she waved us off as we made it to the car.

"Ellie..."

"Will be fine."

He opened the door for me and I got in, him shutting the door carefully. I looked long enough to see Ellie looking up to the sky, a smile on her face as she went out to the back with Mr. Fluffy.

Damon started the car and gave his shirt a look, then my dress before slapping the stirring wheel.

"I know what we look like! That starfish and sponge I watched once."

I laughed as the car moved forward,giving me enough time to think on how I'm going to introduce him to everybody else.

***

After almost two hours of the both of us lip syncing to whatever the radio played, we entered a private property. My uncle never really liked the city. That's why he bought a huge piece of land and turned it into his own farm of sorts.

This was the only request my dad [calmly] asked when he made his surprise visit. My mom wasn't kidding when she told me she can't keep things from him for too long.

It was a new record. Two weeks. Usually it would take a day or two before the secret was out.

I saw my mom and my aunt come out from the door, a swarm of kids passing them.

They walked towards us as I shut my door. I wasn't even given the time to stretch when I was pulled in a hug by my aunt.

"So this is him." She gave Damon a once-over and turned to my mom, nodding on what I can only guess was approval.

Damon opened the back seat and emerged holding a bouquet of flowers. I didn't even know he got flowers until now.

"I want a flower!" a small figure dressed in pink was pulling on Damon's pants. He crouched down and gave her a smile before pulling out a flower and offering it to her.

"It's so pretty. What's it called?" she sniffed at it before looking up at my aunt.

"Well that's a daisy, princess."

The other kids started coming and formed a little crowd around him.

The little girl's face lit up and awarded her with a toothy grin. "That's my name!" she then turned to me and squeeled before charging me. "Cat!" she threw her small arms around my waist.

I lifted her up before turning to see Damon giving most of the little kids a flower. When he finally got up, half of the huge bouquet was gone. And so were the kids.

I gave him an apologetic smile as we followed my mom and aunt inside the house, the sound of people laughing audible as they opened the door.

I turned to Damon, his eyes meeting mine just as we took a step inside.

"Brace yourself."