CATALINA, paul lahote

NOT IF IT'S YOU

CATALINA HAF HAD A LOT OF TIME TO HERSELF RECENTLY. A change she had quite welcomed. Tonight was one of those nights, she sat cross legged in bed, a candle flickering beside her as the moonlight shone  in through the gap between her curtains as her eyes skimmed the book in her lap.

It had been... peaceful since the Cullen's had left. And Cata couldn't help but be grateful, no matter how much she missed Rosalie.

A knock at the window jumped her eyes from the book to the night sky - eyes rolling before her brain had even fully computed who it was. Paul. Of course it was Paul. She stood, crossing the room and opening the window to peer down. "Of course." She laughed lightly when she saw him, grinning up to her like Romeo did with Juliet.

She stepped back, engulfing his form in hers as he climbed through the window. Cata had already grown warm since he entered her room so shed her hoodie as she pulled away. "You just think you're so hot doing that, don't you?" She laughed with an amused grin as a smug smile crossed Paul's face.

"You think I'm hot?" He fluttered his eyelashes, barking a laugh as she pushed his face with her hand.

"You could use the front door."

"And where's the fun in that?" He asked, following her to where she lay on the bed, wrapping his arm around her as she wrapped her arms around him.

"When Charlie asks how you got in I'll just let him know. Sorry, dad." She mocked. "Didn't you get the memo, doors are dull."

Paul just laughed that small laugh of his, already curling a strand of her hair round his finger as he ducked to press a quick kiss to her forehead.

"How was shift?" She asked, her eyes glued to the window as  her cheek pressed against his chest. He'd been staying over a lot more recently, with Posie picking up more night shifts. Cata didn't mind though - he could stay for as long as he wanted.

"Eh, same old same old." Paul shrugged, and when he didn't say anything more Cata lifted her head to rest her chin on his chest so she could see him better. "You shouldn't worry so much." He poked a finger at her nose, laughing as she scrunched it up. 

"Someone's got to keep the dog on a leash." She joked, yelping as he squeezed her side where he knew she was ticklish.

"Oh, har har." Paul scoffed but the smile on his face gave him away. "Were you reading before I got here?" He asked, glancing to the book that had been discarded to their left. She released an 'mmhm'  at his question. "Can you read to me."

"What have you done with my Paul?" She asked seriously, pretending to check his temperature. He swatted her hand away with a roll of his eyes, settling down even further into the bed as she picked up the book.

Cata tried not to shiver as he kissed her neck, his hand tracing the freckles on her arms like he always did. "What's that quote there?" Paul asked, pointing to the few lines that had been lined with pale pencil marks.

"You're in a car with a beautiful boy," She began, and his head dropped into the pillow at her voice - he could listen to her all day. She made the long shifts worth it if he could see her every night. "and you're trying not to tell him that you love him, and you're trying ti choke down the feeling, and you're trembling." She took a breath, pausing and glancing back to her boyfriend who only sent her a lazy smile of encouragement. "but he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you've discovered something you didn't even have a name for."

Cata stopped as she finished the passage she  had underlined, smiling to Paul. "That's how I felt about you. That's how I've always thought about you."

"You used to not want anything to do with me."

"That's not true. It's always been you."

They settled into the silence for a second - the football was playing downstairs, and you could hear the wind in the trees outside Cata's window. "Do you think we'd have ever got together if it wasn't for the imprint?"

"I think we would have gotten together a lot sooner."

Paul's eyebrows raised in question, and Cata sighed as she leant up to kiss his cheek softly, the book falling flat on her lap.  "I was so... worried you weren't going to imprint on me. That I would fall in love with you, and you'd chose someone else."

"Someone else?" Paul asked as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

"You can't laugh when I'm baring my soul." Cata pouted, grinning as he leant down to kiss her lips.

"Sorry, baby." Paul chuckled, shifting from beside her so he could kiss her better.

He cupped the back of her neck, pulling himself over her so he could dip down and kiss her. "There was never going to be anyone else." Paul muttered, their lips moving against each other.

He dropped back down beside her after a second longer, smiling as she picked the book back up and continued to read. He could look at her all night - he'd decided (well, a long time ago really). Watching with a soft smile as her lips curled around the words.

How did he get this lucky, is all he can think.

And it's pretty funny because she can't help but think the same.

"Cata?" A soft whisper comes from the other side of the door not an hour later, and Charlie peeks his  head around the door. Instead of whatever he was expecting, he is met with the sight of his daughter and her boyfriend, limbs tangled around one another. He's holding her hand, even while they sleep. And her cheek in pressed against his arm as if it were a pillow.

This, Charlie Swan thinks, this is a good thing.

No dad ever liked their daughter's boyfriends. But perhaps this was the exception.

authors note!
sorry this took so long!!
and a little shorter than normal but hope
all the fluff makes up for it.