CATALINA, paul lahote

KISS IN THE KITCHEN

[ alternatively : our last summer ]

"PAUL! FUCKING STOP." CATALINA GIGGLED as he knocked her foot for what seemed like the millionth time, her attention desperately trying to stay focused on the homework splashed out on the kitchen table in front of her. You heard right. Catalina Swan giggled. She was a giggler now and culprit number one was Paul Lahote who sat in front of her with ink smudged hands and a smile so bright on his face she was almost squinting.

Catalina was now a giggler, a rosy cheeked doe eyed giggler who took no shit and was so fucking in love with the boy in front of her she felt like writing sappy love songs and kissing him until he was black and blue because he was the most important person in the whole world (or at least he was in the space between seconds where she was wrapped in his arms). "Stop what?" Paul asked innocently, a goading smile splashed over his face as he saw her eyes spark at the challenge.

"Shut up." She laughed, and Paul nudged her once more just to hear laugh, watching as she slammed her book closed in defeat. Summer homework had taken a back bench - she had been too busy, hence why she was desperately trying to finish it the night before they returned. She was too busy kissing the boy she loved and laughing with her friends on the beach until her ribs hurt and tears leaked from her eyes.

It had been a good summer.

She had been front and centre at Rosalie and Emmett's graduation, cheering louder than everyone and if the pair could've blushed they would've. We've graduated more times than years you've lived. Rosalie had laughed when Cata hugged her after, arms wrapping around the blonde excitedly. Well, did I know you then? No.

"I don't want to go back to school." Paul spoke through Cata's laughter as she stood,  breathless laughs pushing from her lips as he pulled her onto his lap, his lips finding the gap of skin beneath her hair.

"We have to." Cata smiled, arm wrapping around his shoulder so she could play with the hem of his shirt, her head tilting to lean against his shoulder - only lifting it as he placed a kiss on her forehead.  At his continuing frown, Cata smiled at him, lifting her hand to rest against the back of his neck. "Why don't you want to go back?"

"Because I won't be able to see you as much."

Her lips met his, pressing against them so quickly he barely had time to understand what had happened before she pulled away.  Don't worry. "Paul, of course you will." She smiled softly, leaning into his hand as he brushed hair away from her face. "I'm going to be on the Res so much you're going to be sick of me."

"Not possible." He smiled.

"Besides. We need to go to school. So you can get the grades to go to college and become a teacher and I can get the grades to go to college and figure out whatever the fuck I'm going to do." Cata smiled lightly, pressing a light kiss to his cheek before moving to stand, yelping lightly as he pulled her back down. "What?" She laughed lightly when he didn't speak, knocking her nose against his cheek to prompt him to say something.

He kissed her instead. His lips locking with hers, a light smile pulling at his lips when he tasted the orange juice she'd been drinking only moments before.

She was the one to pull away, her forehead knocking against his, her eyes closed as she let a smile settle over her lips.  She could stay like this forever, with his hands gripping her waist, her arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Do you remember what you said? When I first asked you if you'd go out with me?" Paul asked quietly after a short silence, their skin still touching. Catalina's brows furrowed together, of course she did.

The wind lapped at the kitchen window, and Cata drew her eyes to it so she wouldn't have to look at him. There was a leaf splayed out against the glass pane. "Of course I do. Why?"

"Is it still true?"

She stood, pulling herself from his lap and almost crawling straight back into it. She crossed the kitchen, leaning against the counter, the cold countertop digging into her side. Cata looked to him, he looked up to her. He was nervous, she could tell, his shoulders had hunched and he seemed to not be able to bring himself to look into her eyes. "Paul." She called softly, smiling as he met her eyes. "We both did a lot of growing up last year. You've changed, and so have I."

"But is it still true?"

She couldn't help it, she crossed the room once more - standing before him and sighing as his head dropped to rest on her hip. "We're better now. I love you. And I care about you and you know I'm always going to support you. But you don't need fixing." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You don't look at me as someone who can fix all your problems anymore. I'm just your girlfriend who laughs at your jokes even when they're not funny."

"My jokes are always funny." Paul rolled his eyes against her hip, bristling as the metal of her rings breezed over his skin. They were - or at least Cata thought they were. But she wasn't going to admit it. "You seem happier. Now; happier than when we had that conversation."

"I fell in love." She smiled, tilting his chin back up so he was looking at her with that brown eyes she often dreamt of even when he lay beside her. "With myself, with my friends, with you." He smiled at her, pressing a kiss against the wrist of the hand that cupped his cheek. "Everything's going right."

He lifted himself from the chair, hands reaching around her waist and laughing at the giggle she released as he picked her off the ground, spinning in her in a circle. He loved her. Her loved her for loving him . He loved her for always knowing what to say. He wanted to be a better person for her, but mainly for him, and she gave him room for that - she loved him until he loved himself and he loved her until she loved herself.

Paul and Catalina.

"I love you to fucking pieces." He whispered into the kitchen that had grown dark in their time spent in their. The porch light had turned on, and half Cata's face illuminated in the dark - a soft smile spread on her cheeks and he wanted to kiss her again and again until she knew. Until she knew that Paul Lahote would die for her.

"To the moon and back."

[ authors note!
sorry for the shit show thats been my updates
basically, @ uni and have to get a good old rona test on friday.
but here's more paul&cata!
i always felt like there was no resolution to their first convo when paul tries to get with here
so here that is!!
40 comments for next chapter? ]