ONE-SHOT Bash and Catherine are more alike then you may think. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN REIGN OR MAKE ANY PROFIT OFF THIS!
Catherine and Bash sat in Catherine's chambers. Catherine was on her third glass of wine and she was starting to curl a strand of hair around her finger. "Bash?" She murmured.
"Yes?" He had only drank two glasses on wine so far and could clearly tell she was getting drunk.
"Do you think Henry loved me?" She just wanted him to say no and confirm her suspicions.
He was taken aback, why would she ask him out of anyone that? She hated him, she must be tipsier then he'd thought, "Well Catherine I think he did but he was a confused man." He said carefully.
She shrugged causing a bit of wine to splash on her skirt, "Mmm." She finished the wine in her glass and reached for more but Bash swatted her hand away. She pouted at him, "Hey…"
"No more wine for you." He told her firmly, taking the bottle and putting it back in the cabinet.
"You know what I think?" She asked.
"No, what do you think?"
"I think Henry loved your mother and you. Truly I think he did." She said looking at him.
"Yes but he loved you too Catherine you must know that."
"Nah." She shook her head.
"He did. He always talked about you; it made my mother jealous it made her mad. She would tell me that he never stopped going on and on about how she wasn't enough like you. He told her she could never be like you, she screamed at him of course but he never let down. Of course he LIKED her but he LOVED you Catherine."
"He didn't, he just got tired of your mother just as he became tired of me." She had walked over to the cabinet and refilled her wine.
He walked over to her, "You can't be serious? He loved you, you should've seen the way he looked at you from across the room, or the way his eyes would light up when you complimented him. Sometimes he would tell me when I was little, he would point at you and say "You see that woman, I love her. I love her but I don't think she knows." You realize he told me that?! ME when my mother was his mistress."
She took another long swig of wine while he talked, "He didn't, you know how many times he told me I was unlovable. It's true you know, I'm not loveable no body loves me. I don't know why, maybe because I'm old or lonely or cold. I don't know but it's true, and look here I am spilling my heart out to my husband's bastard when he will most certainly blab it all over the court tomorrow. Yep he'll tell everyone how the old, coldhearted, lonely, regent told him how her husband never loved her. He'll laugh with everyone else because I myself find it very funny too, this mess I've gotten myself into. You think I'm unpleasant and nasty too don't you? Of course you do, I've made everyone's life as miserable as my own. I'm so pathetic don't you think? Falling for the first handsome guy I see and then OH LOOK I'm alone again, the unlovable, heartless, villain that I am…just waiting for another heartbreaker to come along and snatch me away. They just want a little fun is all, who would put up me otherwise I'm so stupid I can't believe this! I'm just so isolated and power hungry and…"
He couldn't take it anymore; grabbing her by the waist he pulled her towards him. Their eyes met for a moment before he smashed his lips into hers.
Suddenly he had snatched her and she almost shrieked as she instinctively staggered towards him. Her wine glass fell from her hand and shattered on the floor. Their eyes met and she saw fiery passion burning in his…she had no time to think as she fell into a state of sheer bliss. Her eyes closed as she went up on her tiptoes to get more of his lips, her bare feet were now visible. Her lips parted as his teeth grazed her lower lip and their tongues met, trying to devour each other. He pulled her closer and their bodies collided then she ran her hands through his hair, trying to get him impossibly closer. After what felt like hours they finally broke apart, gasping for air Catherine's lips were red and swollen and her cheeks were flushed with newfound color.
"Bash…" She breathed.
God she'd kissed him back…she'd actually kissed him back. No…she was drunk, yes that must be it plus this is wrong. Even if it'd felt so right he knew it was wrong, slowly stepping away from her he said, "I'm sorry Catherine I shouldn't have done that."
"No!" She said quickly, stepping towards him, "No, no I don't mind."
"Still we can't do this, forget it happened."
She shook her head, "Sebastian please, I know we can't do this but please don't regret it. Don't go away."
"Catherine it's wrong!" He said to her, and himself because damn the look in her eyes.
"I know but…but…"
"What?! You hate me for my whole life and then you have a little wine and feel sad and then we're kissing?! Hmm?"
"It was more then that you know that!" She was getting upset now.
"Was it Catherine?! Was it or tomorrow will you regret ever setting eyes on me like usual?"
"You don't understand!" She argued.
"Yes I do, you're drunk and thinking it meant something it didn't! It was just a kiss to shut you up! You're so annoying and wouldn't stop talking so I just kissed you! I hate you remember?! IT MEANT NOTHING! YOU ARE NOTHING!" He yelled, the instant after he said it he wished he could take it back.
"I know but…but it just…I just…" She felt as though she'd been slapped and stepped away from him, "Just leave." She shook her head; still backing away from him, "Just go." She felt like bursting into tears and kept shaking her head, "Just GO."
Oh God no…what had he done? He just told her she was nothing…why was he so stupid?! He took a step towards her which caused her to stumbled backwards even faster, "Catherine I…" He stammered but she cut across him.
"Don't you dare address me that way, I'm Queen Mother, your Grace to you." Her confidence bouncing back and she stood her ground this time but angry tears were threatening to flow.
"Catherine I'm sorry I just…" Again he was cut off.
"Address me properly!" She hissed.
"Your Grace," He fought to keep the acid from his voice, "I apologize for what I said earlier I was flustered and frankly shocked that you had…well kissed me in return."
Her cheeks were flushed and anger and hurt burned in her eyes, "Like you said earlier, it was a mistake it meant nothing," He knew what was coming, she would say he meant nothing, "I am nothing." She finished and he nearly choked.
"No Cath…your Grace you mustn't think that, I spoke out of anger and panic and I would regret it forever if you now think you mean nothing. You mean a great deal and are truly amazing." He said but she didn't look like she was believeing a word of it.
"Go." It was an order, "If you value your life, Mary isn't here to save you this time." She said referring to the time when she'd tried to kill him when he'd been inheriting the throne.
He narrowed his eyes at her, "I could take you out now and no one would know." He challenged.
She laughed almost insanely, "Could you now?"
"I could and I will if you don't be quiet and listen."
She silenced but grudgingly.
"Now, what we did earlier was wrong on many different levels but I did not do it to shut you up. I did it because I was sick and tired of you talking yourself down when you are most defiantly the most amazingly smart, beautiful, and lovable person I have met. What I said was cruel and a lie. I was afraid that if you felt something for me and I felt something for you this would go places that we would both likely regret. I knew you had drank a few glasses of wine so I thought that was the reason you kissed me, because you may have been desperate or drunk. You were right, as usual that it was more then that and I felt like I might just do something that would loose us both out lives and I knew I couldn't risk it. I lashed out on you because I was scared and I'm so, so sorry."
Tears were flowing down her cheeks again, "Sebastian…" She whispered.
"I know I could never regret you. I have always admired you Catherine." He said softly.
She ran towards him and hugged him hard, "After all this time?" She whispered.
"Always."
A/N Okay I hope you liked it and picked up on the Harry Potter quote. *.Wink .wink* Please review and don't be too harsh.