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Like a lot of people around campus and the town, Callie caught sight of the advertisement that plastered the notion of a new club opening up in the middle of town. She hadn't really considered audition herself; she had a job now, and while she didn't work all that much, she still couldn't deny the fact that she was interested in at least seeing this new place.
It was exactly why she turned up easier than the auditions were supposed to be. She wasn't dressed to dance today, because she hoped that fact would stop her from even trying. She walked through the door and let the overall nature of the place overwhelm her. It was impressive, she had to admit that.
Immediately within that feeling, she caught sight of a young looking man who looked incredibly familiar. It only took her mind a second to piece together a face to that name, and with it came a myriad of conflicting, high emotions.
"Luca." She said his name aloud. It practically echoed in the empty space.
Auditions had been going, well, as well as they could all things considered. He wasn't familiar with many of the dancers, though he'd recognized a few from the dance squad at Bellefonte, he didn't know them personally. A few of them were good, a few of them were terrible and some were mediocre. He supposed he had expected to find less than he had actually found. His expectation hadn't been very high going into this. He hadn't even opened the club yet, for lack of performers, but with what he'd seen, he was sure he could probably manage in a few weeks. Even so, he still had yet to find his main act.
Just as Luca was beginning to gather his paperwork with all of the candidates, he heard his name from a familiar and unsettling voice behind him. He glanced over his shoulder towards the sound and his body froze when he recognized who it had come from. Although he knew he shouldn't have been surprised, he was. After six years, he supposed that it would make sense for him to be surprised by her, right? Luca chewed on his lower lip as he looked at her and he sighed, "Callie..." All of the hard feelings, all of the hurt or disappointment or whatever he'd felt all those years ago towards her had faded significantly, but as he looked at her, he couldn't say that his awe of her had faded at all.
"I didn't...you're...Oregon?" He realized how ridiculous his fragmented questions must have been, but he was in completely shock. "You look exactly the same, ya know."
Callie felt herself frozen in some kind of odd fear when his eyes settled on her. She knew he recognised her by her voice, because he whirled around with a kind of knowing in her eyes. Her name didn't sound the best coming out of his mouth, but then, he probably thought the same of her. That was a hard hit of unreadable emotions packed into two very small syllables.
She offered an uncontrollable smile when he tried to ask her the most obvious question. She looked at herself when he said she looked the same, like she could even hope to see what he saw, if that was even a good thing anymore.
"I had no idea-" She said quickly, her feet frozen. Crossing the great distance between them felt like a lot more than a few steps. "I can go, if you want. You-" She didn't even know what he could want in a situation like this, but she was almost certain it wasn't her company.
Luca could admit that he had absolutely not clue how he was supposed to approach her. Was he supposed to act like an asshole, like he probably would have with anyone else? Or was he supposed to smile and hug her like he had loved her at one point? It was some awkward midpoint that he felt he was stuck in, but it wasn't due to the fact that he wanted to be an asshole to her, he just had no idea he'd have run into her in...Oregon. Of all places.
"No!" He realized his response came much to quickly and eagerly than he'd intended. But it was simple in that moment, he hadn't wanted her to go. Silly as it probably was, he'd missed her inexplicably. The sound of her voice eased him, although he knew it probably should have made him feel worse. Her presence had always had that affect on him though. Luca closed his eyes and tried to think of what he wanted. It was clear that her leaving was not what he wanted, but what did he expect? Them to just sit there and talk awkwardly about their lives after what had happened?
He took a step towards her, a small one, but still a progression. Luca stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground in front of her, "Is this weird for you, too?" He laughed a little before looking up at her, "I'm not really sure what the grounds are for running into an ex."
The sharp response she received to the idea of leaving had Callie stalling in her tracks. All thoughts of walking away left her head in that exact moment. He'd earned that much at least. More than that, really. She watched the step he took, and she counted that as a blessing she probably didn't deserve. His hands had filtered into his pockets, and hers came together behind her back idly to keep themselves busy.
Weird? Definitely. It wasn't what she thought she'd be walking into today. She didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't her well-rounded ex boyfriend.
Pressing her lips together, Callie refrained from letting her know that this wasn't the first time she'd run into an ex this week. The earlier even didn't exactly go as she expected it would either, but it would have been worse. She shrugged her shoulders, letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding on a laugh. "That depends; is it weird for you that all I wanna do is hug you right now?" She asked him. After all, she'd always been overtly physical. A little time could never change that about her.
Luca could feel the corner of his mouth tilting up at the corner. He hadn't quite expected her to want anything to do with him honestly. Sure, it could be said that he was the 'victim' but there was obviously a reason that things had happened the way that they did and he was in no position to blame Callie for anything. He wasn't as well-adjusted to anything as he wished he was. That much was clear by the fact that he'd wanted to hug her just as much as she said she wanted to hug him.
He took a moment to hesitate before he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. "Answer your question?" He asked with another half-laugh. For anyone who didn't know him, it was probably more shocking that he'd initiated the contact, but Callie had been one of the only people he felt comfortable enough with initiating contact with. She didn't cringe away from his cold skin and she never made him out to be uncomfortable.
As he hugged her, he allowed himself to realize how much he missed her. Even with all that had happened, she was still one of the only people he'd ever cared about that wasn't directly related to him. Luca pulled back finally and smiled a bit awkwardly, "Is it even weirder that I didn't feel even slightly weird doing that?"
Callie knew he was probably hesitating before he moved. She felt the exact same pull; how odd it was to want something that seemed so achievable. Had they been people with stubborn egos - about each other, anyway - such a thing would have been impossible. This week, she knew exactly how it felt to have an interaction like that. She didn't want it to be the same for them.
But when he stepped to her, she couldn't stop herself from helping him cross the distance. Arms wrapped around his neck and drew him in close. Familiar hands hadn't lost their touch as they circled her waist like they still owned it. Maybe that was just a thing about him; she didn't know. Eyes drew to a close and even she laughed when he asked her such a question. His cheek was cool against the way her blood pressure had risen just from his existence here of all places.
When he moved to pull away, she followed suit, hands still pressed to his shoulders for all that she'd missed.
"What's weird is that you're here." She said, squeezing him lightly. "I thought you went back home or... I don't know, somewhere better."
The proximity did nothing to clear his mind. Having her close just made him miss her more. The half-assed relationship back in Romania had nothing on the comfort he felt when he was with Callie, although he'd tried to force it frequently just so that he could feel something. There was very little comparison between Callie and Elena, though.
Her response took him back to his home briefly and he sighed heavily. "I tried, lasted about six years, too. I'm sure you of all people can probably understand how well that went though," He shrugged and shook his head, "What about you? Oregon, Callie? Really?" Of course he had to laugh, it wasn't as though he had much room to talk. He was in the same state, but with a semi-decent reason. Luca had Jezebel to blame for his placement, with Bellefonte having moved and all.
He focused on the hands that remained on his shoulders and he knew he wouldn't stop smiling. It was safe to say that Callie was probably his best friend, the only friend, really that he had. "I expected something more like LA or New York for you what with dancing and all."
Callie hadn't exactly let go of the information she'd gathered about Luca's family. She knew he had a tumultuous relationship with his father, but that he loved his sister more than anything in this world. He'd only ever wanted to protect her. She could hardly blame him for his distance with that factor looming in his mind. After all, she'd always had an amazing relationship with her own older brothers.
She tried a smile at the idea that she was still around. He almost made it seem like she was stuck in Oregon. California was her home, and it would have been so easy to go back there once everything here had fallen to pieces.
"I'm not really sure." She replied honestly. Everything about Luca was a safe space, so there was no issue confiding in him, even with all the years that had passed. "I guess everything is just easier here, y'know? There's not as much pressure. I teach dance at the school once a week. It's... Safe." Even she had to admit that it was easy to fear the world outside this place they knew.
"You're working here, I guess?" She asked him, still oblivious to the way her hands stayed on him.
Luc nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. It was a little unnerving the way that he could relate to what she was saying. He'd never felt safe anywhere except for the academy. Or at least, the area surrounding the academy. Places where he could escape from judgment and prying eyes. Having his own space now made it even better. He had an apartment, a club, a life, even after only a couple months being back. If he hadn't had any of those things, there was still his sister and the familiar faces that came few and far between.
Biting down on his lower lip, he looked down and cleared his throat, "I, uh, I own the place actually." Luca used to be so involved in flaunting his money around like he was some kind of God in these parts of the world. But he was an adult now and flaunting his money didn't quite have the appeal it had before. "Trust fund and all that," He shrugged and laughed shortly. It was still weird to consider that he invested in a club. One that might fail completely for all he knew.
"I bet you're a pretty good teacher, Cal. You're good with people," There was no denying that fact. For her to be able to stomach his personality was a test in and of itself. To actually care about him was still a miracle he was trying to decipher. "What made you come here? Just out of curiosity..."
Callie never expect to hear that Luca was the owner of the very building they were standing in, let alone the establishment being built within its walls. It surprised her if only because his father never seemed like the type who would accept such a life for his son. Surely he was like her own older brother; being built to take over a company whether he wanted to or not.
But there were the facts, and there was the surprise etched into her features as her eyes widened. "Well, at least you're doing something worthwhile with it." She said with a smile. She couldn't say the same about her own. It still sat neatly tucked away in the hopes that one day she could actually do something good or inspiring with it. Studying further with it seemed more like a nightmare.
Fingertips were slow to ease off his shoulders until the very tips brushed the fabric of his shirt. Without the physical lifeline, they fell to her sides unsurely. The question posed had the most obvious answer, but she didn't think she could give it. "I don't know, really. I guess I just wanted to see what auditions for something like this were even like." She explained, "The kids I teach are pretty good, but this'd be next level, and I think I miss that." She could only hope that didn't sound as stupid out loud as it did in her head.
It was always more apparent when someone removed their hand or any physical contact from him. The warmth was just gone and although it was probably more comfortable for him, he didn't quite like that she'd dropped her hands to her sides. Luca did his best not to follow them with his eyes, so he settled on looking at her straight on. Also probably not the greatest idea because he was left studying her features, looking for things that he didn't recognize, but it was all so familiar.
He didn't believe her when she said it was her curiosity to see what it was like that led her to the club. Sure, she was obviously curious, but it went deeper than research for her students and reminiscing about what she used to do. "Ever considered trying out yourself? I think the owner would be willing to work around your schedule, he's a pretty nice guy sometimes." He grinned at her and shrugged.
If he were to be completely honest with himself, the role that he was still searching for was beyond perfect for his former flame. She had the vibrant and luring personality. She was gorgeous and talented and could be cunning, he was certain. But if she didn't audition, he couldn't very well just tell her how perfect she was for it. That would be forward. It had been years after all and they weren't dating. He should probably be professional about it right?
Luca looked at her with a knowing look about him. Callie had never been a good liar, and time didn't make her any better at that. Perhaps she genuinely believed her own reasoning. Or maybe she just really hoped she did. Either way, when he questioned her she couldn't help but laugh.
"You want me to dance for you?" She asked him. But then, she knew that's exactly what an audition was. A hum passed her lips as she looked at the man who called himself the owner. That was a lot of pressure, and he was still so young. She was almost jealous that he seemed to know exactly what he wanted out of his life.
The way she said 'dance for you' made him feel a little creeper-ish. It was a burlesque club, and while he'd had dozens of girls do exactly that earlier, for some reason he felt very strange having Callie do it. More than likely, he knew it was because his focus wouldn't be on her technique or her confidence, it would be on things that no boss should be paying attention to. He bit down on his lip, looking for an answer to her question, but failed miserably to think of one that didn't make it sound worse.
But then her curve ball made him even more unsure of himself. "W-with you? In all the time you've known me, when have I ever been a dancer," He laughed nervously and shifted his weight. Of course it was an appealing thought, having close proximity to her again. But while he was elegant and composed most of the time, he'd never done this kind of dancing and he wasn't as certain he'd be good at it as he was just regular slow dancing. He could even waltz, but this was not like that.
His eyebrows pulled together and he shook his head, "But I mean, when have I ever really been good at saying no to you either."
He sounded completely unsure, and somehow, that was appealing to her. Callie knew he'd never had the best confidence in himself, but he was the boss now. He didn't have a choice in the matter. Did it seem like she was giving him one?
"Come on, it doesn't have to be anything special. What are you good at?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side like it would help her dig through the archives of information he had on him. "You've gotta have the waltz stored somewhere in your bones."
He'd always been the type. She'd learned how to dance on the same essentials. Without another word, she was tossing her back on a nearby chair and taking steps up to the stage; "Sure, it's probably not what you're looking for here, but it'll show you that I haven't given up on dancing." And surely for someone who knew her so well, that'd be enough.
