I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

Cat answered the door too quickly. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She'd spent the first of two weeks berating herself and feeling miserable knowing that Lochlann was out there 'doing it' with someone else, weaning them off of each other. It mad her feel dirty, anxious, and jealous all wrapped up in one emotion, none of them which she was used to feeling.

She'd spent the second week of the two weeks anticipating seeing him again. A sort of giddy excitement had taken over her and left her with a lot of excess nervous energy. She'd scrubbed her apartment until her sponge was raw to expend the energy. Now it didn't even feel like her space. Too clean. Not that she was a messy person, not at all, but her space usually looked more lived in. She'd also been anxious, nervous to have Lochlann see into her innermost life.

The studio was one large room. right in front of the door was a love seat and an arm chair facing a television on the opposite wall. Just beyond that was a nook for a window seat where an easel with a canvas sat, a stool in front of it. Across from that, beside the TV, was an area that was clearly set aside for yoga with a mat, a basket with another three rolled mats, a full length mirror, and a few small hand weights. Just beyond was a bar with cabinets underneath and along the wall a small kitchen. Across from the kitchen was a huge cube shelf which divided her bed from the rest of the space, although the bed could be seen through the cubes past the books, draped messily in teal sheets and a white blanket. She didn't make her bed as much as she yanked the covers up in a semblance of neat. across from the bed, at it's foot, was a corner notched out with two doors, a bathroom and a closet. Her home smelled like fresh linen and her minty lotion.

Cat opened the door wearing a pair of black leggings with tiny scorpions all over them and a red muscle shirt style tank top. Her hair was it's usual ponytail and she was barefoot, toenails blue. She greeted him with a bright smile. "Hi!" Her eyes dropped down and up to take in his outfit but her smile didn't waver. She stepped to the side to let him in. "It's ok," she replied brightly. Too brightly. She was nervous.

Caitlin laughed, taking the tray of coffees, removing his and handing it to him before removing hers and walking deeper into the studio to put the cardboard try on the counter.

"Nervous," she answered him honestly. She offered a sheepish grin as she came back and stood near him awkwardly. Rule number one had her being honest but so did her own nervousness, working against her better judgment and spewing out words before she could think them all the way through. "But good. I've been really good. How about you?"

She gestured at the couch. "Do you want to sit while we have our coffee or...jump right into it?" Her hand gestured back to the area with yoga mats and a mirror. She was nervous enough to nearly shake but her smile was full and genuine and excited.

Caitlin felt instantly less nervous knowing that he was as nervous as she was. She wondered what he was nervous for. In her case it was having him in her home. She laughed as he told her he had googled Yoga. "It won't be that bad. Not nearly as bad as watching someone leap off of a rooftop unprepared." She was smiling and shaking her head.

Cat took a long drag on the coffee and closed her eyes savoring it. "Thank you," she said again before setting it on the end table by the couch. "I needed more coffee."

Caitlin moved over to the mats and pulled a second one out, unrolling it beside the first, both in front of the full length wide mirror with a heavy frame. "No! I can't believe you turned a job down! What was it for?" she asked, interest peaked. She sat down on one of the mats and stretched her legs out in front of her, ankles together and back straight.

She patted the floor beside her, the mat too far away to reach. She'd placed them about an arm length apart, which was too close together but the space in her studio was limited. "Come on, then. Let get your misery over with," she spoke with a big smile.

"I don't mind at all, good idea," she replied. She wondered if he realized that hot coffee getting cold would just be ice coffee too. She decided it didn't matter because it was cute that he'd thought of it at all.

As he described what the butcher job offer had actually been she gasped, eyes wide in horror. Cat went a little green around the edges. She wasn't necessarily squeamish but she wasn't built for gore. Her hand came and covered her mouth. "Are you serious? Is that even legal?" She sounded stunned, which she was. Then she shook her head. "I can't believe you even had to think on that one. If it's going to make you pass out right off..." she shuddered.


As Lochlann settled to the mat beside her, she let her eyes laze over him again. She had missed him in two weeks. After only meeting him twice. She supposed it was fair, in their two meetings the had gotten to know each other pretty intensely.

Her laughter came easily, as it always did when he was around. "That was bad, Lochlann. Like... really bad!" But she laughed all the same. "Ok, no more talk for now. Yoga is about centering yourself, breathing, and relaxing. Sort of meditation but also with the body." She walked her hands across the mat along her legs, folding her body down until her hands were resting by her knees.

"Keep your back straight, don't tuck your chin, and keep your legs straight. Don't push yourself and only go as far as you can without strain. Then take deep breaths in, hold, and let go." She demonstrated inhaling deep through her nose. Caitlin could fold herself all the way in half but she wasn't a show off and she didn't want his to feel like he should push himself to keep up. She turned her head to the side to watch him.

She couldn't have been more grossed out by the thought of growing human body parts to eat. Her nose wrinkled. When she managed to get her face under control again she said "sure, I can imagine having someone who seems like a mentor want you for a job can be appealing.

Cat watched him copy her position and took note of his struggle to get himself to breath deeply and evenly. He winked and she smiled faced forward, and closed her eyes, taking deep, even breaths, leading by example. The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator and their deep breaths.

After a few moments, she moved them on, sitting on her knees and bending her body forward over them, arms stretching out in front of her, palms flat on the floor, a Child's pose. "You'll want to stretch as far as you can without letting your butt come off of your heels," she instructed. After this, they moved to Cobra, legs and pelvis pressed to the floor, hands flat, body upright with their chin stretched toward the ceiling, then downward dog, feet planted, hands planted, butt in the air.

Periodically she looked over at him to check his form. "How are you doing?" she asked him now. Her voice was soft, like she was trying not to talk over the atmosphere.