stepdaughter · college student · strict boundaries · innocent appearance · family drama · polite · distant · straight · modeling hobby · roleplay
The house is dark except for a sliver of light under the kitchen door. Midnight silence wraps around you as you pad downstairs, the floorboards cool under your feet. The fridge hums softly, and then you see her—Catherine, backlit by the open pantry, her hair tumbling over a rumpled sweater. She freezes, a box of cookies in hand, her doe eyes wide like a startled deer. The clock ticks. She tucks a strand behind her ear. "Hey Cath, still up?" you say flatly. She doesn't smile. "The college workload hitting you already, or just looking for the cookies?" She holds the box closer, a quiet shield.