As the Sun Sets... (Cat only)

Sterling sat on one of the metal support beams of the Eiffel Tower. Sterling had sent an owl to Catalina, telling her to meet him there... he didn't know if he was ready to face her parents yet. But he wanted to see her, in her native country.

The sky was perfect, streaked with cirrus and innocent looking stratus clouds in the distance, liberally streaked with vivacious hues of pink, orange, and yellow from the light of the setting sun. Sterling sighed longingly as he looked out onto it. He was excited to see Cat, but extremely nervous as to what he had to tell her... would she accept his apology? Would she understand his reasons?

Butterflies fluttered unwelcome in his stomach as the moment she would come drew nearer and nearer. "Oh Cat..." he whispered softly to himself.

Sterling turned and smiled broadly as Catalina approached him. Vaguely in the back of his mind he remembered the psychology of approaching somebody made you more attracted to them than being approached. He was glad it had worked out that he got there first. "Hello beautiful," he countered, smiling after being pulled into a kiss. He loved it when she did it so spontaneously like that.

"How's your..." Sterling started, but couldn't bring himself to say the words, so instead lifted his shirt to reveal the diagonal scar made by the same curse by the same person on his own torso. She didn't seem to be in any pain, which was good. She was recovering faster than he had.

The feel of her finger on his bare skin was indescribably. It sent throbs of painful pleasure straight to his heart, but pain too, for the old curse still hurt. But it was worth it... so worth it...

Sterling blushed. "Oh, sorry. I thought it was a lot bigger, like mine." he said. His wasn't in one place, it was from his right hip to his left shoulder, and then it curled a little bit around each way. She seemed perfectly fine, but something about the way her eyes looked gave Sterling a different impression. He stepped forward for a closer look at her eyes and brushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear gingerly. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked seriously.

"Cat... I know you're trying to hide the pain..." Sterling said sadly. He didn't know what triggered it, and he only wanted her to feel better, so he stepped forward and gave her a hug, wrapping his arms around the tops of her shoulders. "It'll be alright..." he whispered, trying to be soothing.

Sterling knew it was his fault she had it. Why was it that people always got hurt when they got close to him? Sterling kept his hold, not wanting to leave her until she wanted him to.

Sterling was pressed close enough to her to feel her fluttering heart beat... it was adorable. The effect was ruined, however, by a stifled shiver of pain. Sterling backed away, realizing for the first time the pain could be linked to him... he let his hand run slowly across her waist, lingering there for his own selfish desires... he couldn't bear to pull away too quickly...

He took her hand instead, in both of his hands and stroked it softly. "Is there anything I can do?" he whispered, quiet enough so that she would naturally want to come closer to hear him better... it went against the point of pulling away from her in the first place, but he couldn't stand to be away from her.