They had spent the whole night touching and tasting each other between bouts of involuntary sleep that claimed them every once in a while. After such a long time spent apart, their eagerness of being close again could not be held back by such an inconsequential thing as a need to rest and they often found themselves awake after only a few minutes of sleep with a renewed level of energy. All of which was spent trying to re-discover each and every part of the other's body. They had finally fallen asleep, all tangled up in each other- sated for the time being- as the morning light had started making its way into the room.
A glance at the bedside clock revealed it to be 11.30. Callie snuggled closer, tightening her hold and sighed. The world could stop turning for all she cared. She was exactly where she wanted to be with the one person she wanted to be with. And though the sunlight threatened to lift the spell they had been under in the veil of the night, Callie decided she would not let anything ruin this. The morning after was not going to be awkward. Nothing was going to get between them. Not insecurities, nor baggage from a past life. Not even unspoken words were going to hold them back this time. This time she would hold onto the woman that made her heart beat and her soul rest. She was a late bloomer but she was no fool. "I wont let you go again," she breathed into Erica's hair.
"Keeping me hostage, are you?" A sleepy voice croaked.
"Hey," Callie grinned, "you're awake."
Erica nodded, smiling lazily.
Callie lifted herself up onto an elbow and bent her head. Bringing her lips to Erica's bare shoulder, she placed a kiss there, and then another on her neck and then another behind her ear. "Good morning."
"Hmm." Erica sighed happily, "What time is it?"
"11.30."
"We should get up." She said, though she made no move to get out of bed.
"Should we?"
"Shouldn't we?"
"No."
"No?"
"Na ah. We should just stay in bed, all day."
Erica chuckled, rolling over to look at Callie. They lay there, side by side, facing each other without saying anything. Just looking at each other, savoring the moment.
"Why did you come back?" Callie asked after a long time, taking Erica's hand in hers to play with her fingers. "To Seattle I mean."
Erica didn't say anything for a minute, obviously startled by the question. Callie was startled by it as well. She hadn't meant to ask that. Or rather she hadn't meant to ask it just then. But now that the words were out, she realized, she wanted to hear the answer.
Erica tilted her head to the side and looked teasingly into Callie's eyes. "Why do you think?"
"Come on," Callie smacked her arm, "I'm serious, tell me."
"So am I," Erica looked deeply into Callie's eyes, her tone less teasing and more quiet. "Why do you think?"
"I don't know. The job? The prestige?"
Eyebrows raised up, "Is that really what you think?"
"I don't know. I hope that it isn't. I hope that there was something or someone else in your mind when you decided to move back here, but I don't want to presume anything."
Inching closer to her on the pillow, Erica breathed, "You know why I came back."
"I do?"
A nod.
"I do." Callie smiled tentatively and whispered, "Me."
"What else?"
"But I was horrible. I…I pushed you away, I was scared but that's no excuse, I pushed and pushed and then you left and I let you go." Callie closed her eyes, shaking her head, "I let you go…I did so many things wrong back then, dealt with things horribly I know, but that was my biggest mistake. I've never forgiven myself for that."
"Don't take all the blame. I was the one that left." Erica said, brushing her thumb over Callie's hand. "Walking away that night in the parking lot, that was my biggest mistake."
"Yeah?"
Erica nodded. "That's why I came back."
"I'm so glad you did. To think we might have never seen each other again…"
"Hey, if we hadn't gone through all of that, maybe we wouldn't be together now." She paused, "I mean, we are right? Together?"
"Yes." Callie brought Erica's fingers to her lips. "God yes."
Erica smiled sadly, shrugging. "I guess it's going to take a while for these old fears to go away. A part of me still finds it hard to believe that you really want me."
Callie didn't say anything for a minute. But then, she had an idea. One that might be just crazy enough to work. It must have shown on her face because in the next moment Erica was looking at her curiously and asking, "What?"
"Move in with me."
"What?"
"Move in with me."
"Callie!" Erica sat up, "Be serious."
"I am serious."
"You're sweet but, you're not serious."
"Yes, I am." Callie sat up as well, the sheet falling to her lap, leaving her nakedness open to view.
"I think it's time for breakfast. Do you have eggs?" Erica stood up, pulling on her underwear and sweat pants in one move.
"Why not?"
"Where's the t-shirt I was wearing?"
"Give me one reason."
"It's a bad idea." Erica lifted the bedcover from the floor "It was right here."
"One good reason."
"I'll give you ten."
"What are you doing?" Callie asked, watching Erica pick up spattered pieces of clothing from the floor. "Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna make some coffee."
"I'm trying to tell you something important."
"I'm not moving in with you. We're not gonna u-haul after the first date like, like some-"
"Lesbians?"
"Very funny."
"I'm dead serious Erica."
"We haven't even had a first date. Last night doesn't count."
"I admit it wasn't the date I had planned but I'd say it turned out okay." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, looking down at her nakedness.
Erica tried to keep a straight face but Callie could see that she was smiling.
"We're a little proud of ourselves, aren't we?" She asked, putting a hand at her waist.
"Yes, we are." Callie confirmed, grinning widely.
Erica chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. One knee on the bed had her closing the distance between them. Cupping Callie's face, she leaned in and softly kissed her. " As well you should be." She breathed, bringing up the other hand to gently caress one breast. "Last night was wonderful."
Callie shivered at the contact, "Only last night?"
"And this morning." She said indulging her, and then in her most seductive voice she added, "But can we please stop talking?" She let her lips trail down to Callie's neck, making her whimper. "Lets just drop this subject."
That woke Callie up from the hynoptic state she was falling into.
"No!" She said firmly, pulling back. "And that wasn't fair, trying to distract me like that."
Erica blew out a breath and stood back up.
"I know this looks like a big step,"
"Looks like?" Erica continued her search for her shirt. Bending down on the floor, to look under the couch.
"Ok, it is. It is a big step, but there is no reason to wait, don't you see?"
"No Cal, not really."
"That's fear talking."
"Can't we talk about this some other time?"
Callie frowned, not understanding why Erica would want to run away from this topic so fiercely.
Erica's voice was soft when she said, "Hey, don't be like that."
"I," Callie shook her head, "I just don't understand why you're so against it."
"That's not it." Erica ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "I mean really, why do we have to rush? We are both adults, we both have our own places. We can sleep together whenever we want." She looked around the room, "It's too soon. We're starting something new here, and what's the point in rushing into something that that- well quite honestly something you might change your mind about tomorrow."
"I, no-" Callie tried to interfere but Erica didn't let her.
"You're feeling high from last night still. So am I. It was great, better than great but you're not thinking clearly right now." Crossing her arms in front of her, she walked over to the window and looked outside." And to put an offer like that on the table, which you might very well pull back once your head clears is kind of insensitive. I- I just think that we should wait and see how things go and be really sure of-"
"I love you!"
That made her stop. Her back to Callie, she stood there, not moving.
"Did you hear me?" Callie repeated, rising onto her knees. "I said, I love you."
Erica slowly turned around, her eyes wide, her mouth half open.
"I do." Callie said, "I was scared to say it before. I knew it back then, and I know it now. And I don't want to waste another minute…You're the one. I know that sounds corny but it's true." Callie swallowed, feeling her heart beat against her chest. "I feel it, and I want you to know it, and if you find that hard to believe, it doesn't matter cause I'll spend the rest of my life convincing you of it."
Erica simply stood there, looking at Callie for what seemed like forever. Callie who was starting to feel weak as the silence stretched and stretched. So much for her newly found courage.
She swallowed once, wetting her dry lips.
At least it was the truth, Callie re-assured herself. Wasn't the truth meant to set you free?
More like free falling, she thought, as she sat back down onto the bed.
"Say something."
Erica, who at some point during the silence had shut her eyes, opened them to reveal tears filling them. She took two quick steps and climbed onto the bed. A lone tear trailed down her face and wet Callie's cheek as she claimed her lips in a long, passionate kiss.
When they broke apart, only four words came out of her mouth.
"I love you too."
It was the four that mattered.
And then they were making love again.
Afterwards, when they were both spent and lying in each others arms, both happy and peaceful and full of hope for the future they would be building together, Erica, in the edge of slumber, closed her eyes and sighed,
"I'm still not moving in with you after one date."
Callie-feeling like she had finally come home- chuckled and kissed her brow, "We'll see."
The end.
* * * * *
Epilogue-
One year and seven months later.
Erica had the baby in her arms. The baby was supposed to fall asleep, the movement of Erica walking up and down the living room, rocking the infant from side to side was supposed to lull her into a dreamy state but the child simply cooed in play, refusing to even show signs of tiredness. Instead, she pulled on Erica's hair, trying to bring it to her mouth, as she tried to bring anything she could get her hands on into her mouth.
Callie watched Erica as she tried to pull her head out of the child's reach, and thought not for the first time that she looked beautiful.
"She's so good with her."
She glanced back at Lexie, and smiled, "She is."
"Are you guys thinking of having one soon?"
Callie smiled again, as Erica made funny faces at the baby. Seemingly having given up on the notion of putting her to sleep, looking resigned to the fact that more play time was needed. She was such an easy pushover, when it came to babies. Callie sighed, melting all the more as both laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes." Lexie grinned.
"I can't believe that they are already one years old. Seems like yesterday that you were announcing you were pregnant at your party."
"I know. Where did all the time go?"
"They are growing so fast too. I must have seen her what, a week ago and her whole face has changed."
"She looks more like me now, don't you think?" Lexie beamed proudly.
"The shape of the head, definitely. And the lips. Though Mark swears she is his photocopy."
"She does have his eyes. They both do. It's a good thing, he has gorgeous eyes."
"He does." Callie agreed, "She is beautiful Lex," she turned back to look at the couch where Mark was changing the diapers of his baby boy and Christina was supervising from afar. "and so is he."
Lexie nodded, knocking on wood.
"Who is it?" Sadie appeared next to them,
"Ha ha." Callie answered dryly.
"Lexie, dear," Sadie kissed both of Lexie's cheeks, "I gotta get going. The little lady has an early morning and I want to see her before she falls asleep."
"Nice." Callie shook her head, amusedly.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"Thank you for coming." Lexie walked her to the door. "Say hi to Jane for me."
"I will."
Christina bumped her shoulder to Callie's, tipped her head towards Erica, who had the baby up above her head, making her fly. "Wasn't she supposed to put her to sleep?"
"Supposed to." Callie mumbled, taking the final sip of her beer.
"We should get going too."
"Yeah, okay."
"We'll drop you guys off."
Callie nodded, moving in behind Erica. "Hey," she kissed her neck, "Ready to go home?"
"Sure." Erica nodded, "let me just…"
"Here, let me take her." Lexie walked in.
"Here you go." Erica handed her the baby, after kissing her brow one last time. "Sorry, I couldn't get her to sleep."
"You did great." Lexie praised, taking the baby inside, "tired her out, she'll fall asleep in no time now. Won't you Ella bella? Won't you?"
"I hope so."
Callie gently tugged Erica to herself, bringing her arms to encircle her waist. Taking advantage of the empty room, she closed the distance between them so that she could feel the length of Erica's body against hers. Erica returned the embrace, smiling. "Hello." She breathed.
"I'm so lucky." Callie sighed, looking into Erica's eyes, slipping her hands into the back pockets of Erica's jeans.
Erica's breath hitched and she got the look in her eye, the one reserved for Callie, the one that promised of things to come. She leaned in and dropped a gentle kiss on Callie's lips. " Come on," she said, "Let's go home."
Callie smiled, as she did so often now.
To Be Continued...