Later: "L" Word Series [5/9] (Colby/OFC-Callie, PG-13)
Posted for the savecolby Free for All Challenge, October...
Title: Later ("L" Word Series, Part 5)
Pairing/Characters: Colby/OFC-Callie, Don/OFC-Emily James
Rating: PG-13 (language, imagery)
Word Count: 1215
Summary: Maybe she was being too stubborn... (Who? Callie? Surely not.)
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.
Callie found she was still smiling later that day as she looked out the window, absently admiring the streets of LA passing in a blur as Don navigated the Suburban through the busy afternoon traffic. The smell of the beautiful lilies on her desk lingered in her senses just as Colby’s raspy reply played over and over again in her head. “Your tattoo,” he whispered. That’s how he had known lilies were her favorite flower.
Her tattoo. With the exception of Emily who had been with her the day she got it, no one else on the team even knew she had a tattoo. She was careful to conceal it if the occasion arose - though that wasn’t difficult. The tattoo was high on her hip, carefully placed there so that only men invited to the promise land would see the artwork. Colby had been given that opportunity… he’d taken her against the wall in the observation room just the day before and for the moment, Callie let herself enjoy the memory. She closed her eyes and felt warmth in her belly and between her legs, sure that she’d never experienced anything like it in her life. She’d been ashamed… she could have had more control… but she had wanted it. Yes, she finally admitted. She wanted it.
Her eyes still closed, she took a deep breath and turned her face to the warm sunshine that came through the front glass, trying to calm herself as she rationalized Colby wouldn’t have had time to pay attention to the details of her tattoo then. No. He’d been at her house last night when she was in her bikini and he’d paid close enough attention to notice the lily floating in the crest of an ocean wave about to capsize the beautiful yet resilient flower.
And he’d left with hurt in his eyes.
The memory of that look brought her back to reality as she opened her eyes to find Don with a curious gaze on her. He’d been watching her for several long moments, trying to figure out where she’d gone even though she’d been sitting right beside him.
She gave him a small smile, recognizing that look in his eyes. She’d been his partner long enough to know there was something on his mind… something he wanted to say to her but he just wasn’t sure he could. So, she waited for him with a devious smile knowing silence was the best way to get him to speak.
Only a few moments passed when she heard him clear his throat, focusing his gaze on the road ahead before he spoke. “You know, Callie. Maybe I don’t say it with flowers, but I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m… glad you’re back today.”
She turned the smile she’d been hiding his way, replying. “I bet you are. I’m sure it was a real hardship for you to work with Emily yesterday.”
“You have no idea,” he grimaced, keeping his eyes forward.
Callie couldn’t stop smiling as she answered. “Oh, I’m sure I have some idea. After all, Die Hard is a fantastic movie.”
His eyes darted toward her and despite the way his shoulders fell, Callie recognized that sparkle in his eyes. “You know. Some days I really wish you two didn’t tell each other every thing,” he groaned, once more focusing on the road.
“Now what fun would that be?” Callie teased even though his words caused heaviness in her heart. She knew she wasn’t really telling Em every thing. True, Emily knew about her dreams of Colby but not the waking reality of what had passed between the two - and quite frankly, Callie wasn’t sure that was something she could tell her best friend, at least not yet.
Don’s voice over the hum of the engine brought Callie’s attention away from the window and once more to her partner beside her.
“Something on your mind, Walker?”
“Usually,” she answered with a smile. She hesitated a long moment, wondering if she should even ask what she was thinking. She knew Don well enough to understand the silence now coming from him was his way of telling her he was listening - all she had to do was talk and he expected her to do exactly that.
“Hey Don?” she began, her attention once more focused outside the window beside her.
She heard the hum that was his answer before she turned to look at him. “How are things with you and Emily? I mean really. I… I know what Em’s been thinking but what about you? How do you feel about every thing?”
She tried not to laugh at the skeptical eyebrow he raised in her direction before she continued. “I promise I won’t tell her… unless you’re only going to break her heart. Then I’ll have to tell her, if you don’t tell her yourself, just so she can have sufficient time to kick your ass.”
Don would have laughed if he didn’t know she was serious. That was one of the many things he could always count on Callie for - brutal honesty. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, allowing himself to really think about Emily and what she meant to him, he smiled.
“Every thing is … perfect,” he answered and Callie couldn’t help but notice the wistfulness in his usually even tone. “I can’t believe it, but… it’s perfect.”
Callie’s chest tightened, watching the expression in Don’s eyes change as his thoughts drifted toward Emily and even moreso when he spoke. “I really didn’t think an office fling could work out. I mean, you know that Emily and I didn’t exactly get into this for anything serious but…” he hesitated to look at her, slightly embarrassed by what he needed to say but knowing that Callie had heard worse. “Once I had a taste of her, I just couldn’t get her out of my system. I didn’t just want sex anymore. I wanted her - all of her. And, you know me Callie. You know that’s not like me.”
Her smile persisted as she nodded, trying to keep her thoughts from drifting to Colby and her similar situation. Maybe she was being too stubborn? Maybe she could work together with him and share her bed and her life with him outside the office? Maybe she shouldn’t ignore the way she felt about him… the way he made her feel about herself? It had been a long time since she’d felt this alive, this engaged by another person. Maybe she owed it to herself… and to Colby… to let herself be happy - or to at least try.
“Callie?”
Her thoughts broken, she turned once more to Don and offered an apologetic smile as she was certain he’d just revealed something profound and she’d missed it by being lost in her own head. “I’m sorry, Don. I’m… I’m just really happy for you and Em.”
Don gave her a sideways glance, wondering exactly where she’d just disappeared to but knowing that if she wanted to talk about it, she would. He managed a smile in her direction before he turned a corner and pulled into the driveway of the next witness the pair had to interview. Friendship put aside, there was now work to do.
<< Lilies, Part 4 Learning, Part 6>>
Title: Later ("L" Word Series, Part 5)
Pairing/Characters: Colby/OFC-Callie, Don/OFC-Emily James
Rating: PG-13 (language, imagery)
Word Count: 1215
Summary: Maybe she was being too stubborn... (Who? Callie? Surely not.)
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.
Callie found she was still smiling later that day as she looked out the window, absently admiring the streets of LA passing in a blur as Don navigated the Suburban through the busy afternoon traffic. The smell of the beautiful lilies on her desk lingered in her senses just as Colby’s raspy reply played over and over again in her head. “Your tattoo,” he whispered. That’s how he had known lilies were her favorite flower.
Her tattoo. With the exception of Emily who had been with her the day she got it, no one else on the team even knew she had a tattoo. She was careful to conceal it if the occasion arose - though that wasn’t difficult. The tattoo was high on her hip, carefully placed there so that only men invited to the promise land would see the artwork. Colby had been given that opportunity… he’d taken her against the wall in the observation room just the day before and for the moment, Callie let herself enjoy the memory. She closed her eyes and felt warmth in her belly and between her legs, sure that she’d never experienced anything like it in her life. She’d been ashamed… she could have had more control… but she had wanted it. Yes, she finally admitted. She wanted it.
Her eyes still closed, she took a deep breath and turned her face to the warm sunshine that came through the front glass, trying to calm herself as she rationalized Colby wouldn’t have had time to pay attention to the details of her tattoo then. No. He’d been at her house last night when she was in her bikini and he’d paid close enough attention to notice the lily floating in the crest of an ocean wave about to capsize the beautiful yet resilient flower.
And he’d left with hurt in his eyes.
The memory of that look brought her back to reality as she opened her eyes to find Don with a curious gaze on her. He’d been watching her for several long moments, trying to figure out where she’d gone even though she’d been sitting right beside him.
She gave him a small smile, recognizing that look in his eyes. She’d been his partner long enough to know there was something on his mind… something he wanted to say to her but he just wasn’t sure he could. So, she waited for him with a devious smile knowing silence was the best way to get him to speak.
Only a few moments passed when she heard him clear his throat, focusing his gaze on the road ahead before he spoke. “You know, Callie. Maybe I don’t say it with flowers, but I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m… glad you’re back today.”
She turned the smile she’d been hiding his way, replying. “I bet you are. I’m sure it was a real hardship for you to work with Emily yesterday.”
“You have no idea,” he grimaced, keeping his eyes forward.
Callie couldn’t stop smiling as she answered. “Oh, I’m sure I have some idea. After all, Die Hard is a fantastic movie.”
His eyes darted toward her and despite the way his shoulders fell, Callie recognized that sparkle in his eyes. “You know. Some days I really wish you two didn’t tell each other every thing,” he groaned, once more focusing on the road.
“Now what fun would that be?” Callie teased even though his words caused heaviness in her heart. She knew she wasn’t really telling Em every thing. True, Emily knew about her dreams of Colby but not the waking reality of what had passed between the two - and quite frankly, Callie wasn’t sure that was something she could tell her best friend, at least not yet.
Don’s voice over the hum of the engine brought Callie’s attention away from the window and once more to her partner beside her.
“Something on your mind, Walker?”
“Usually,” she answered with a smile. She hesitated a long moment, wondering if she should even ask what she was thinking. She knew Don well enough to understand the silence now coming from him was his way of telling her he was listening - all she had to do was talk and he expected her to do exactly that.
“Hey Don?” she began, her attention once more focused outside the window beside her.
She heard the hum that was his answer before she turned to look at him. “How are things with you and Emily? I mean really. I… I know what Em’s been thinking but what about you? How do you feel about every thing?”
She tried not to laugh at the skeptical eyebrow he raised in her direction before she continued. “I promise I won’t tell her… unless you’re only going to break her heart. Then I’ll have to tell her, if you don’t tell her yourself, just so she can have sufficient time to kick your ass.”
Don would have laughed if he didn’t know she was serious. That was one of the many things he could always count on Callie for - brutal honesty. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, allowing himself to really think about Emily and what she meant to him, he smiled.
“Every thing is … perfect,” he answered and Callie couldn’t help but notice the wistfulness in his usually even tone. “I can’t believe it, but… it’s perfect.”
Callie’s chest tightened, watching the expression in Don’s eyes change as his thoughts drifted toward Emily and even moreso when he spoke. “I really didn’t think an office fling could work out. I mean, you know that Emily and I didn’t exactly get into this for anything serious but…” he hesitated to look at her, slightly embarrassed by what he needed to say but knowing that Callie had heard worse. “Once I had a taste of her, I just couldn’t get her out of my system. I didn’t just want sex anymore. I wanted her - all of her. And, you know me Callie. You know that’s not like me.”
Her smile persisted as she nodded, trying to keep her thoughts from drifting to Colby and her similar situation. Maybe she was being too stubborn? Maybe she could work together with him and share her bed and her life with him outside the office? Maybe she shouldn’t ignore the way she felt about him… the way he made her feel about herself? It had been a long time since she’d felt this alive, this engaged by another person. Maybe she owed it to herself… and to Colby… to let herself be happy - or to at least try.
“Callie?”
Her thoughts broken, she turned once more to Don and offered an apologetic smile as she was certain he’d just revealed something profound and she’d missed it by being lost in her own head. “I’m sorry, Don. I’m… I’m just really happy for you and Em.”
Don gave her a sideways glance, wondering exactly where she’d just disappeared to but knowing that if she wanted to talk about it, she would. He managed a smile in her direction before he turned a corner and pulled into the driveway of the next witness the pair had to interview. Friendship put aside, there was now work to do.
<< Lilies, Part 4 Learning, Part 6>>