#eldestmonster

catherine had finally gotten lena to sleep after nearly an hour of fighting bedtime, the apartment quiet except for the soft sound of cartoons still playing low in the living room as she was cleaning up abandoned toys from the floor. attention stolen, head shooting up from the task at hand the second she heard the front door unlock. she hadn’t been expecting pope back this early, and judging by the look on his face when he stepped inside, something had gone wrong.

he looked tense. restless. shoulders tight beneath his shirt, jaw clenched hard enough to make her stomach twist with unease.

for a moment, neither of them said anything. catherine just watched him quietly while he moved further into the apartment like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself tonight.

˚₊‧꒰ა 🐬 💿 🌊 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ -> BROWS ROSE AND A .. soft smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. closing the back door - ellie slammed it with a thunk. sliding the lock into place .. the brunette turned around. glancing at andrew for a second , before she lent down and picked up the three cases of fresh vegetables that had just been delivered. ❝ that was just my delivery driver. ❞ she finally replied. stepping around the eldest cody , she made her way over to the sink. letting the crates fall down onto the granite - she started to open them. ❝ is that okay ? ❞ she continued. not letting him see the shit eating grin her smile had just turned into. she loves teasing him.

catherine hadn’t expected him to say it like that, not here, not like it meant something he’d been holding onto. the air between them felt too small suddenly, like there wasn’t enough space to fit what those words had stirred up. she let out a slow breath, eyes dropping to her hands as she tried to steady herself. “ you shouldn’t say things like that, ” she murmured, shaking her head faintly. “ not to me. ” her voice tightened at the edges, betraying her even as she tried to keep it level. when she finally looked up, it wasn’t anger in her face so much as something quieter and more tired. “ I left because staying was turning into something I didn’t know how to survive. and now you’re standing here acting like I didn’t disappear for a reason. ” she paused, swallowing hard. “ because I did. I just didn’t expect it to follow me anyway. ” she exhaled a shaky laugh despite herself, like it hurt to even do that, but she did it anyway.

˚₊‧꒰ა 🐬 💿 🌊 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ -> ❝ YOU DON'T HAVE .. to walk me all the way home. ❞ blue eyes watch him for a couple of seconds. before the brunette turns around. closing the heavy bakery doors and locking them. it was dark. and the weather was starting to get a little warm. but ellie knew the back streets well. she knew how to defend herself. shoving her keys back into her bag - she turned around to face pope , with a small smile. ❝ i mean .. i appreciate the offer. but i can look after myself. ❞

catherine remained tucked beneath the duvet, chin resting against the blanket as she watched pope from across the room. morning light spilled through the curtains, painting everything in soft gold, and for a moment she let herself pretend this was something ordinary. there was something dangerously soft in the way he looked at her this morning. no walls, no anger, none of the rough edges he wore around everyone else. just pope. just andrew. something simple. until it wasn’t. the air still smelled like him, like last night, and it made guilt sit heavy in her stomach the second she remembered baz. and that made this worse.

there was something achingly vulnerable about the way he’d asked it, like he was still trying to figure out whether she was really there or if he’d imagined the entire night. a small smile tugged at her lips despite the knot forming in her chest. “ no, ” she admitted softly, eyes dropping to the rumpled blankets gathered around her. for a second, she couldn’t look at him. couldn’t look at the evidence of another mistake she’d never really wanted to stop herself from making.

" . . . you need stitches," she sighed, brown eyes glancing down at the other's wound. "i know you won't go to the hospital. so sit down and let me see what i can do. — please."