Lilies: "L" Word Series [4/9] (Colby/OFC-Callie, PG-13)
Posted for the savecolby Free for All Challenge, October...
Title: Lilies ("L" Word Series, Part 4)
Pairing/Characters: Colby/OFC-Callie, Don/OFC-Emily James
Rating: PG-13 (language, imagery)
Word Count: 1394
Summary: For what it's worth, I'm sorry.
Spoilers: none.
Notes/Warnings: I started with the desire to make a one shot, PWP. I ended up with a series. *head desk* Please see Author's Comments for more information. :)
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
That night, just like every other night since the day she met him, Callie dreamed of Colby. But nothing in her previous dreams of him could have prepared her for the night she’d spent with him. Every thing was different now. There was no sex… no writhing in her sheets, waking up sweating with her magnificent release. There were no pleas for mercy, no cries of ecstasy.
There were only words.
All night, he spoke to her. He held her gaze as he opened himself up like he never had with anyone before her. He spoke to her of the first time he saw her… how she had taken his breath and in all the places he’d been in the world, no other woman had ever caught his attention the way she had. He softly caressed her cheek, confessing that good things like her didn’t happen to him. He wanted her to see him, to know him… because - he loved her.
His whispered confessions caught her off guard, but all night, she listened. And just before waking she saw the pain in his eyes when after every thing he’d spoken to her, she rejected him. She asked him to leave and to not look back.
She shot up in bed with her heart racing even as it broke - remembering that she’d not only dreamed of the sadness in his eyes. She had seen that look the evening before when he stood in her kitchen and opened himself up to her. She made him forget himself. She drove him crazy and more than anything he wanted her to know him - to give her anything she wanted just to have her look at him the way she had in that one moment of shared connection in the observation room.
She betrayed his trust, asking him to leave and he had, but not before she saw the shock and devastation in his usually warm and curious hazel eyes. She was haunted by that look, feeling ashamed now as she stood from the bed. The truth hurt and the truth was: she lied to him. Worse, she lied to herself… all for self-preservation.
Another lie, she told herself. This wasn’t about self-preservation. Simply stated, she was scared and he knew it.
She tried to shake the heaviness in her step as she moved about the house, readying herself for work - trying for the time being to not think about him and failing miserably.
She needed to do something if for no other reason, she had to work with him. They were teammates and truthfully, that was part of the problem. Even if she could admit to him that she was scared… scared of giving herself to him, scared of sharing a piece of herself that she never shared with anyone… there were still rules. Teammates and lovers… it worked for some - but there were limits, and the two of them had already crossed the threshold.
She still wasn’t sure what she would do when she saw Colby even as she stepped off the elevator and into the chaotic office of the FBI. She knew he would be professional. There was a job to do and maybe in work, the two of them could find the distraction they needed to get past whatever it was between them.
She was still trying to shake him from her mind, checking the time on her phone, as she rounded the corner to her desk. Another step closer and a familiar scent carried through to her senses before she looked up, stopping where she was to take in the sight before her.
There on her desk sat a huge bouquet of exquisite white lilies. Every large blossom had opened fully as though each lily had been hand picked for the occasion… delivered especially for her - despite the fact she knew these flowers were out of season. She couldn’t help but look around to see if anyone was watching her as she stepped closer to her desk, her breath momentarily stolen by the beautiful display. She tried to breathe deeply, drawing comfort from the scent of the flowers, all while her hand shook and she reached for the card.
For what it’s worth, I’m sorry…
She didn’t recognize the handwriting, but it didn’t matter. She knew the words and the flowers were from Colby.
She looked up from the card, her gaze casting over the dividers in the office to his desk. Seemingly on cue, she saw him standing from his chair and walking toward the war room - never once looking up from the file in his hands as though he’d done nothing out of the ordinary.
She felt a smile tugging at her lips as she watched him go - forgetting for a moment all other thoughts until she felt someone standing beside her.
“Get well flowers from a secret admirer?” Emily grinned, looking at Callie knowingly.
Callie smiled at her best friend in return, tucking the card back into the envelope as she answered. “Something like that, yeah.”
Emily continued to smile as she turned and leaned down, inhaling deeply of the wonderful scent of the flowers. “He did good,” she sighed, sharing another knowing glance with her best friend.
“Yeah… he did,” Callie spoke, still looking at the envelope knowing she meant that for more than the flowers.
Before Emily could say another word, Don strode past the desk… his scowl creasing his forehead and darkening his brown eyes.
“What the hell is this?” he barked over the divider as he walked. “A floral shop or an FBI office? Walker, James. War room. Let’s go.” And with a nod of his head, he was gone.
“Damn. Somebody didn’t get laid last night,” Callie muttered under her breath as she slipped the card into the top drawer of her desk.
“You’re damn right he didn’t,” Emily instantly replied so that only Callie could hear her.
“What did he do this time?” Callie asked in hushed tones though her amusement was evident in her eyes. “Did he tell you again how much he hates the Braves?”
“He said that Die Hard was a terrible movie.”
“Rat bastard!” Callie gasped, stopping in her tracks. “He’s going to pay for that for a while.”
“He has to learn somehow,” Emily shrugged, a smug smile playing across her lips before she used her bottom to shove open the war room door knowing full well that Don was watching her enter.
“Devil woman,” Callie whispered, pride in her voice as she took the seat next to her friend.
Emily could only return Callie’s smile before Don launched into the debriefing…
Forty-five minutes later, the war room was gradually emptying as agents busied themselves with the tasks at hand. Callie was gathering her notes, looking over the pages and listening to Emily before she looked up to see that Colby had not quite made it out of the room. She straightened, noticing that the room was nearly empty now as she looked to her friend and nodded in agreement for the plan that Emily had made for her part of the case.
Emily had known her too long not to notice the way her eyes flickered around the room, and when Emily also noticed that Colby was lingering… she couldn’t help but shake her head and smile.
“I’ll catch up with you later, Ce.”
Callie nodded, her gratitude for Emily evident in her eyes as she once more shifted the papers on the table.
She was now alone with him in the room when he turned to leave.
“Hey Granger?” she called, finally looking up from the papers to see him - his back to her just inside the doorway.
“What is it, Walker?” he asked without turning around.
She side stepped the table and took steps closer to him, looking around once more before she quietly asked, “How did you know that lilies are my favorite?”
She saw the corner of his lip tug up into a soft smile, looking down at the paper in his hand before his eyes met hers. He took a step closer, still smiling as he leaned into her and whispered. “Your tattoo.”
Almost instantly, his eyes went back to his file as he turned to walk away.
If he would have hesitated a moment longer, he would have seen her smiling… at him.
<< Listening, Part 3 Later, Part 5>>
Title: Lilies ("L" Word Series, Part 4)
Pairing/Characters: Colby/OFC-Callie, Don/OFC-Emily James
Rating: PG-13 (language, imagery)
Word Count: 1394
Summary: For what it's worth, I'm sorry.
Spoilers: none.
Notes/Warnings: I started with the desire to make a one shot, PWP. I ended up with a series. *head desk* Please see Author's Comments for more information. :)
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
That night, just like every other night since the day she met him, Callie dreamed of Colby. But nothing in her previous dreams of him could have prepared her for the night she’d spent with him. Every thing was different now. There was no sex… no writhing in her sheets, waking up sweating with her magnificent release. There were no pleas for mercy, no cries of ecstasy.
There were only words.
All night, he spoke to her. He held her gaze as he opened himself up like he never had with anyone before her. He spoke to her of the first time he saw her… how she had taken his breath and in all the places he’d been in the world, no other woman had ever caught his attention the way she had. He softly caressed her cheek, confessing that good things like her didn’t happen to him. He wanted her to see him, to know him… because - he loved her.
His whispered confessions caught her off guard, but all night, she listened. And just before waking she saw the pain in his eyes when after every thing he’d spoken to her, she rejected him. She asked him to leave and to not look back.
She shot up in bed with her heart racing even as it broke - remembering that she’d not only dreamed of the sadness in his eyes. She had seen that look the evening before when he stood in her kitchen and opened himself up to her. She made him forget himself. She drove him crazy and more than anything he wanted her to know him - to give her anything she wanted just to have her look at him the way she had in that one moment of shared connection in the observation room.
She betrayed his trust, asking him to leave and he had, but not before she saw the shock and devastation in his usually warm and curious hazel eyes. She was haunted by that look, feeling ashamed now as she stood from the bed. The truth hurt and the truth was: she lied to him. Worse, she lied to herself… all for self-preservation.
Another lie, she told herself. This wasn’t about self-preservation. Simply stated, she was scared and he knew it.
She tried to shake the heaviness in her step as she moved about the house, readying herself for work - trying for the time being to not think about him and failing miserably.
She needed to do something if for no other reason, she had to work with him. They were teammates and truthfully, that was part of the problem. Even if she could admit to him that she was scared… scared of giving herself to him, scared of sharing a piece of herself that she never shared with anyone… there were still rules. Teammates and lovers… it worked for some - but there were limits, and the two of them had already crossed the threshold.
She still wasn’t sure what she would do when she saw Colby even as she stepped off the elevator and into the chaotic office of the FBI. She knew he would be professional. There was a job to do and maybe in work, the two of them could find the distraction they needed to get past whatever it was between them.
She was still trying to shake him from her mind, checking the time on her phone, as she rounded the corner to her desk. Another step closer and a familiar scent carried through to her senses before she looked up, stopping where she was to take in the sight before her.
There on her desk sat a huge bouquet of exquisite white lilies. Every large blossom had opened fully as though each lily had been hand picked for the occasion… delivered especially for her - despite the fact she knew these flowers were out of season. She couldn’t help but look around to see if anyone was watching her as she stepped closer to her desk, her breath momentarily stolen by the beautiful display. She tried to breathe deeply, drawing comfort from the scent of the flowers, all while her hand shook and she reached for the card.
For what it’s worth, I’m sorry…
She didn’t recognize the handwriting, but it didn’t matter. She knew the words and the flowers were from Colby.
She looked up from the card, her gaze casting over the dividers in the office to his desk. Seemingly on cue, she saw him standing from his chair and walking toward the war room - never once looking up from the file in his hands as though he’d done nothing out of the ordinary.
She felt a smile tugging at her lips as she watched him go - forgetting for a moment all other thoughts until she felt someone standing beside her.
“Get well flowers from a secret admirer?” Emily grinned, looking at Callie knowingly.
Callie smiled at her best friend in return, tucking the card back into the envelope as she answered. “Something like that, yeah.”
Emily continued to smile as she turned and leaned down, inhaling deeply of the wonderful scent of the flowers. “He did good,” she sighed, sharing another knowing glance with her best friend.
“Yeah… he did,” Callie spoke, still looking at the envelope knowing she meant that for more than the flowers.
Before Emily could say another word, Don strode past the desk… his scowl creasing his forehead and darkening his brown eyes.
“What the hell is this?” he barked over the divider as he walked. “A floral shop or an FBI office? Walker, James. War room. Let’s go.” And with a nod of his head, he was gone.
“Damn. Somebody didn’t get laid last night,” Callie muttered under her breath as she slipped the card into the top drawer of her desk.
“You’re damn right he didn’t,” Emily instantly replied so that only Callie could hear her.
“What did he do this time?” Callie asked in hushed tones though her amusement was evident in her eyes. “Did he tell you again how much he hates the Braves?”
“He said that Die Hard was a terrible movie.”
“Rat bastard!” Callie gasped, stopping in her tracks. “He’s going to pay for that for a while.”
“He has to learn somehow,” Emily shrugged, a smug smile playing across her lips before she used her bottom to shove open the war room door knowing full well that Don was watching her enter.
“Devil woman,” Callie whispered, pride in her voice as she took the seat next to her friend.
Emily could only return Callie’s smile before Don launched into the debriefing…
Forty-five minutes later, the war room was gradually emptying as agents busied themselves with the tasks at hand. Callie was gathering her notes, looking over the pages and listening to Emily before she looked up to see that Colby had not quite made it out of the room. She straightened, noticing that the room was nearly empty now as she looked to her friend and nodded in agreement for the plan that Emily had made for her part of the case.
Emily had known her too long not to notice the way her eyes flickered around the room, and when Emily also noticed that Colby was lingering… she couldn’t help but shake her head and smile.
“I’ll catch up with you later, Ce.”
Callie nodded, her gratitude for Emily evident in her eyes as she once more shifted the papers on the table.
She was now alone with him in the room when he turned to leave.
“Hey Granger?” she called, finally looking up from the papers to see him - his back to her just inside the doorway.
“What is it, Walker?” he asked without turning around.
She side stepped the table and took steps closer to him, looking around once more before she quietly asked, “How did you know that lilies are my favorite?”
She saw the corner of his lip tug up into a soft smile, looking down at the paper in his hand before his eyes met hers. He took a step closer, still smiling as he leaned into her and whispered. “Your tattoo.”
Almost instantly, his eyes went back to his file as he turned to walk away.
If he would have hesitated a moment longer, he would have seen her smiling… at him.
<< Listening, Part 3 Later, Part 5>>