Thoughts, Stars, and A Cold Breeze ~Cat~

[ejp]

The night was peaceful on the tower, the winter air hit him just right to blow his soft hair up in a cloud around his head. Much had transpired in his life the last several days. He was feeling the pressure of classes and his parents building up in him greatly. He was not sure if he was going to reach a breaking point, but he was sure it was coming and coming fast. His love life had suffered some from this also, as Cat had seemed distant, busy with her own life as he held his head in his books, writing scroll after scroll of papers for various teachers. His mind ached as bad as his body. And he decided it was time to get away and think.

He looked to the stars, twinkling high above him as he felt every bit of his own world change. He was so confused about his own future that he had little time to think about others. He did though, and one in particular. Cat, the girl he loved, and he assumed would be spending the rest of his life with. Recently he was not so sure.

She seemed to have gone through some sort of change of her own this past break away. Every moment and agony, every second a lifetime apart. He could bare it little less than she, but knew he had not much of a choice in the matter. He could only hope that she would come tonight, and talk with him. He knew she was busy, but time was on his side. It was early still.

He only hoped to see her, and see her soon. He had sent a soft white owl down to her, hoping the animal would find her in the dungeons as he sat in the Great Hall this morning. He glanced around, hoping for a sight of her, but did not see her. He sighed, and pushed his foot against the high railing, looking over the edge down to the grounds below.

He felt high, soaring above all else to coast on the wind, but then realized, he was dreaming. How much of his life was a day dream? How much would end in a nightmare? He did not know, nor could he tell the future. All he could do was hope, wait, and wonder. Much like he was doing on top of the Astronomy Tower, waiting for Cat. Wondering if they would leave together, knowing that the probably would not.

[Catrine Jude]

Cat had gotten Eddie's owl while her nose was buried in a grand old book. She'd found it tucked away in the common room, on the old bookshelf next to the fireplace that hardly anyone ever touched. After all the work she'd been put through by her professors, she just needed to read something that wasn't entirely instructional. Eddie could sit in the library and read for hours and hours...days if she'd let him. Cat never could understand how he could stand it.

...and suddenly even as he sang he saw a maiden walking on a greensward among the white stems of the birches; and he halted amazed, thinking that he had strayed into a dream, or else that he had--

Cat's head snapped up as a fluffy white owl landed on the edge of the armchair in front of her. She set down her sappy book and took the note from it, watching the owl drift out of the dungeons again. Unfolding it, Cat wasn't surprised to see Eddie's handwriting.

She glanced at her watch and stood up, not caring what happened to the book. According to his note, Eddie had been in the Astronomy tower for a long time waiting for her. Cat grabbed her cloak and left quickly. The nights were getting colder, and if she was going to look at the stars with Eddie, she didn't want to freeze to death. Carefully, Cat made her way through the halls of the castle, not wanting to get stopped by Peeves or Filch.

When she walked into the tower, she was surprised to see Eddie leaning over the edge. Cat didn't want to accidentally have him lose his balance by startling him, so she stood in the stairwell until he turned away from the edge.

"Hullo love," she said quietly, a soft smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

[ejp]

Eddie turned and looked at her. His heart melted as he looked at the soft light on her beautiful cheeks, the way her smile lit in her eyes. He sighed to himself and walked to her. Without a word she was in his arms, his hands holding her close, his lips pressed against hers. He could not stand the distance that tore them apart the last several days. His own insecurities and fears making him think he was going to lose her at any moment. He did not want to think of a day without her in his heart, a moment without her in his mind, or a second without her in his arms. It hurt him deeply to have such thoughts, but seeing her again made it better. He rested his head on her shoulder and the tears came. All the pressure from home, from school, the time spent away from her fell from his eyes, and poured down his cold cheeks.

His body moved as he cried for the second time ever in front of the girl he loved.

[Catrine Jude]

Cat wasn't surprised when Eddie walked towards her and took her in his arms. She exhaled softly, comforted. This was where she belonged, one of the only places in the world that she felt secure and completely herself. For a moment, she was content just to stand there. But then she felt Eddie shaking, and he curled against her shoulder. Cat tightened her arms around him, frowning.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked quietly.

But Eddie's tears soaked through her shoulder and onto her neck, and she didn't ask again. Instead, she ran her hands over his back and let him curl against her, turning her cheek against his and letting him cry. She'd only seen Eddie cry once before, and his sudden frailty frightened her. Of course, Cat felt like doing nothing but curling up with Eddie and spending a day simply touching, which would be luxurious and was probably not going to happen until the christmas hols.

"I missed you so much, Eddie," she whispered quietly. "I wish I didn't have to leave you, ever. Not even to sleep at night."

It was cold on the top of the tower, but Cat was more preoccupied with Eddie's breakdown. She couldn't resist shivering in the December wind a little bit, though.

[ejp]

Eddie swiped an arm across his eyes, moving his head to lean on her shoulder and look up at her at the same time. He smiled a little his wet eyes watching her. Wishing he could kiss her, hold her, and love her the way he had always wanted to. His heart skipped a light beat in his chest as he moved in his lips pressing against hers, moving slowly, his mouth wanting to touch her in the way his heart could never, having to remain hers, but beating within his own chest.

He moved his head around, placing soft kissing along her face, to her ear, his breath short on her soft skin as he whispered to her, saying sweet things only she would understand, softly touching her with his moving lips he giggled a little, then pulled away, his bright eyes watching her, looking for the smile he had fallen in love with all those years ago. He knew that if anyone in the world would ever understand him, it would be his Cat. She seemed to be able to crawl into his head, know what he was thinking, feel what he was feeling, and always love him just as much in return. His lips parted and he told her what he had told her for so long, how he felt, but this time was different. This time he knew without a doubt that he meant ever single word, only being three, he meant them with every ounce of his small body.

"I love you."

[Catrine Jude]

Catrine felt Eddie looking at her and lifted her head away from his shoulder, eyes meeting his. Her breath caught as he brushed his lips lightly over hers, eyelids fluttering gently closed. Eddie whispered to her, and Cat couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Sometimes she felt like she and Eddie were made for each other...there was no one else she'd ever known that completed her the way he did. He could whisper without words and she'd still understand him.

She heard his words, and they sounded different than usual. Like he was trying to convince her, or maybe just that he was speaking with more conviction. Whatever the difference was, Cat could hear the change, and it worried her as much as it thrilled her. She pulled him close again, brushing her lips over the side of his cheek and the edge of his ear before saying softly, "I love you too, Eddie Paul. More than you know."

Pulling back and looking him seriously in the face, though, she said, "What's wrong? It's not like you just to break down like this. Mind talking, love?" Cat smiled softly. "If you need me to be your shoulder to cry on for a while more, though, of course I'm here for you." She pulled her hand into the sleeve of her robe and brushed the edge of the material over his cheek, wiping the last of his tears away. The air was too cold to stay out like that...he'd end up with a miserable cold, and then she'd probably get it too. Cat's smile didn't fade...he was the only thing in her life that she was sure about. Eddie made her whole.