Catherine Doesn’t Let People In As Easily As We Think
Okay so hear me out. Catherine is clearly caring, she notices when people are struggling, she makes the tea, she takes on more than her share just to keep things steady. So it’s easy to look at her and think: oh, she must just let people in without question.
But I don’t think that’s true. Not at all.
Catherine is caring — that’s just who she is. She’s the one who’ll clock a mood shift no one else does, the one who’ll quietly make sure the world doesn’t completely fall apart around you. But being naturally kind isn’t the same thing as actually letting people in. And when it comes to actually letting someone matter - letting them close enough to really hurt her - I think Catherine is more guarded than most.
She’s had too much loss. Charles Partner. The betrayal of him then after. The collapse of everything she’d worked for. And then there are the quieter griefs we’ll never fully know. Catherine knows what it feels like to give someone your trust, your loyalty, your heart — and then have it torn away. And because she knows that, she hates the idea of opening herself up to it again.
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. She does. Deeply. But the number of people she truly lets in is small. Some of the Horses. Jackson himself. Beyond that? I don’t think the circle is wide at all. She can show care, offer comfort, shoulder burdens — but to let someone close enough that losing them would destroy her? That’s something she avoids whenever possible.
And then there’s Lamb. He’s the one you’d expect to be closed off — years of Cold War, betrayal, burying too many friends to count. You’d think he wouldn’t dare risk closeness again. But for all his bluster? He does. Time and time again. He cares. He’ll never say it out loud, never admit it, but his actions are proof enough.
Lamb keeps letting people in. He could leave the Horses to rot, but he doesn’t. He gives them a place, however grim, and in his own twisted way, he protects them. He steps between Catherine and danger. He snarls at Diana when she oversteps. He makes vicious threats when River gets hurt. For someone who’s supposed to be dead inside, Lamb cares recklessly. Constantly. To his own detriment.
So the irony is this: Catherine, who looks like she’s got the softer heart, actually protects it with walls of steel. And Lamb, who looks impenetrable, keeps letting people in.
I love Catherine, she is kind, she is generous, she does care — but under it all is fear. Fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of what happens if she invests too much in someone who won’t stay. Everyone assumes she’s easy to reach. I think she might actually be the hardest.
I need everyone to see these tags @coldshe4rt 😭💔
