Free to Feel [Temporarily (??) Discontinued]

Chapter 22

At first Catherine didn't understand why she felt not as comfortable as she used to feel every previous morning. She had Heather in her arms, and everything seemed to be alright, but... There was just something odd, something not quite right. She  tried to move her leg, but felt it nudge against something soft and heavy behind her. Was it her bag or...

Only a few moments later did it oocur to her how stupid she was. It was not a bag, obviously, it was Raven. Right, they'd put the girl in their bed because the couch was now occupied by Maya and Sam, meaning she couldn't sleep there. Gosh, so many people in such a small space! But whatever, they were leaving that day and finally going home, where she would be able to relax in peace and quiet.

She hugged Heather a little more and felt him move around in the loop of her arms, not exactly pulling away but getting into a more comfortable position. Her eyes opened as she stared at the mess of his purple hair. How was he so beautiful?

He was still sleeping, still breathing heavily and slowly. And so was Raven, and judging by the unusual and fragile silence that can only exist in a house cramped with people, so was everyone else. She was literally the first one to wake up. Oh well...

Cuddling with Heather wouldn't be an option at this moment, not when his daughter lay on the other side of the bed so peacefully and soundly. No, she did not have to see their intimate moment, it would be better if she never saw anything like this. What with how she treated family bonds, it would be another reason for her to pick on Heather.

So Cat got up, softly placing a kiss on his forehead. He groaned, and only then did she realise that his arms had been around her waist as well, maybe not holding her as tightly as she was holding him, but yeah, tigh enough to make her have to struggle a little. Of course it sparked a smile on her face, at this point pretty much anything he did could make her grin and chuckle and beam. And the way he was holding onto her while unconscious... Precious.

Catherine took her clothes and walked out of the room and into the bathroom, where she could get changed without anyone noticing her. Then she walked out, peeped into her room just for long enough to toss her nightgown in the drawer and walk off, leaving Heather and Raven to sleep. They slept on opposite sides of the bed, besides, Heather was busy snuggling a blanket now that his owner had left, so Raven honestly didn't need to worry sleeping in the same bed as him. Not to mention that after she had made her dislike for physical contact be known he had never tried to touch her, let alone touch her when she was asleep and defenceless, let alone touch her in an intimate way. At this point, the kid was ought to feel slightly more comfortable when sleeping with him.

Catherine slowly walked downstairs, half-expecting to see Maya awake or close to waking up. Much to her surprise, however, the redhead was still out like a light, however, Sam was sitting next to her and looking down on her, thinking about something. His head perked up when he heard the footsteps, and Cat almost saw his pupils dilate in fear.

"Don't worry." She smiled at him, trying her best to sound nice and peaceful, as if talking to a small child or a scared animal. "I won't hurt you."

He hesitated and then gave a small nod, yet his greyish eyes were trained on her all the time. Catherine smiled at him soothingly and nodded, slowly stepping to the first floor. She didn't dare approach him, not when he was finally learning to overcome his fears. She'd pushed his limits too far already.

"It's too early." She shook her head and looked at the window. It was dark, very dark, and it would only get darker later in winter. "You ought to get enough rest, alright? You have a big day ahead of you."

Sam paused and bit his lip, looking down and away submissively, his shoulders slumped. He wasn't really looking forward to his first day of work, was he?