These Paths We Tread (Autobot x OC)

XIII. Blinding

***Word of warning: Foul language afoot!

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Seems that I have been held, in some dreaming state

A tourist in the waking world, never quite awake

No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber

Until I realize that it was you who held me under

No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone

No more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden

No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love

No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love

No more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world

~'Florence + The Machine - Blinding'~

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For nearly a good, full month things had gone fantastic. Catherine even dared to call it perfection.

While she still grieved the loss of her Autobot companions—she didn’t entirely count Bumblebee since he was just a few houses down—her normal family had managed to make up for it. In fact, she only seldom thought of the Cybertronians her first week home, and it wasn’t until Jazz had sent her message on Yahoo that she felt the loss again. It wasn’t terrible, though, as her parents continued to give her their "new treatment". It was unbelievable how much they had suddenly changed. It was if they were new parents all together; constantly asking if she was okay or what she wanted, and taking a genuine interest in her desires. She couldn’t even recall them trying to force her to be girly as they normally would. They were just happy she was there and she was alive. It was all she could have asked for from them—to be loved for who she was, and to support it, too.

The joy hadn’t ended there, however. No, Sam had seemed to change, too—as if the high of aftermath had finally settled down now that he was home. Her friend being grounded for life helped as well, although the imprisonment had been lifted within the week despite his mother’s words. She had visited, as was expected. That had actually been difficult due to her parents being terrified of her leaving, but there wasn’t much they could do with work calling them a few days after the "incident". Thus, she visited her unfortunate friend, and, to her pure delight, they talked and hung out in his room just like old times. They laughed and laughed, played video games, and went on about anything they felt like. A piece of her home was back, and she was determined to never let it go again even with Mikaela having burrowed her way through.

The dark-haired girl was actually rather enjoyable that first month, and Catherine could honestly say they got along well. They had managed to find topics they both liked, such as cars, although the dark-haired girl knew far more than Catherine could hope to about the inner workings, but they also spoke of other, more random things at times. Generally, their conversations had Sam around with them, and they would discuss whatever he pitched, though sometimes the boy himself was their topic. Thankfully, Mikaela wasn’t one to boast about her romantic life even with his best friend, and, more often than not, they would tease the young man. Catherine couldn’t deny she was a nice girl and definitely not the shallow, cliché beauty she had thought her to be. Hell, Mikaela even enjoyed their humor and took a liking to some of their nerdy things. She was also kind and respectful towards the redhead.

Deep down, though, Catherine had secretly hoped their relationship would just be an adrenaline rush, and that, now they were home, it would settle down and fizzle out. Unfortunately, it didn't. Rather, it seemed to swell.