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For Callie, the details about why he left were still lost to her. Despite how she should have, she didn't piece the two points together quite so easily.
Instead of asking, she listened to the way he explained why he stayed somewhere so negative for so long. Perhaps there was some kind of simplicity for him in having everything pieced out for him. Given what Callie knew of Luca already, she could tell he felt he'd made a lot of mistakes in his life. If he put that pressure on someone else and let them call the shots, it was easy. It was their fault, not his.
Her bright blue eyes looked at him with obvious concern. Did he have anyone to talk to about any of this? Is that the kind of role she filled for him now? It almost seemed like too much of a privilege. "That's such a brother-thing to do." She pointed out, knowing the over-protective actions incredibly well.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Though she enjoyed the banter they shared, it worked to remind her how much he really hated where he was from. It was why Callie had always been so curious about why he left in the first place. Though she'd never asked him about it, she assumed it wasn't because he wanted to. When she did question him about it, she could see the way his face fell a little. It must have been a sensitive topic still.
She always forgot how lucky she was to have the freedom she did. Her parents were supportive of just about everything she did, and money had never been a worry. She looked at him with obvious concern, and she couldn't help the way she frowned. "So, why'd you stay then?" She asked him, because it felt like the most obvious question.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie supposed in silence that she should have given him a lot more credit. Assuming he'd act like most others would wasn't fair to everything she knew him to be, after all. So she nodded as he spoke, because she agreed with exactly what he said.
His question seemed wanting of something. She drew a blank, shrugging her shoulders at his questioning. "I wish I had something good to tell you." She replied, "But that's kind of it. I mean, sure, I went to see Niko for a few months when he was working in Mykonos, and I stayed for almost a full year. But I don't think that's a big deal; My yia- Grandma still lives there." And there wasn't a soul in this world that could pry her from the island.
"But you, I mean, you left. You must've had a reason to." Not something she ever fully got, anyway.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
It was nice to hear him say the women in his family were forgiving. In Callie's experience, most women just weren't. It was a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. She instantly felt herself stressing a lot less over something she'd only just found the time to worry about. Better to close it off completely instead of worrying about it at all.
When he continued on, Callie couldn't help but look surprised at the way he spoke. He was so gracious in his forgiveness for the downfall of their relationship. She was starting to think she deserved that grace.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound that way." She explained then. The last thing she wanted was for him to expect that she painted him in any sort of unsuitable light. But she also doubted he wanted to hear about why she could feel so negative. "It's not that I think you'd ever go low like that. That's just what most people do, I guess."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
A date? She must have looked nervous at that. "You're asking me out?" She asked initially, purely from the shock of it all. It must have seemed strange, but she couldn't help the knee jerk reaction. She quickly hoped that wouldn't be taken in a negative way. Given where they started today, she was surprised to be wanted in any kind of way.
"Yeah, sure, okay." Callie finally answered, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "I don't think we've ever done that before."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Though she never wore it, Callie had to be a little jealous of how lucky he was. She could hardly ask either of her brothers to stay in a place like Stagfort. One wasn't built for the life here and the other wasn't built for staying in one place for more than a month. Settling down as a unit and working on a business together? He was also lucky he had a compatible enough relationship with them, or that could have spelt a different kind of trouble.
"So long as they don't automatically hate me, I'm sure I'll do okay." Callie replied then. She had no problem with siblings. In her own mind, she was kind of a pro at dealing with them. It was just bound to be a little more difficult when she'd broken one of their hearts. "Though, to be honest, I don't know how much good stuff you'd have to say about me."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Relief clearly caught her face when he said she wasn't late. Callie knew that already, so why be so nervous about it? It was weird how her mind felt so out of touch with reality just because she was standing across from him. Nostalgia worked wonders to erase common sense.
Familiarity came in the way he held the door. How he helped her to her seat. They weren't things she'd dealt with from anyone else she'd ever dated; in her mind, they were all his trademarks.
Truth be told, Callie saw little harm in not getting the chance to talk. She had no idea what she was supposed to say if he started asking her questions. Honesty was always the best policy, but to him, she wasn't always known for it. "The family's good. Eric's with dad running the company, and Niko's studying architecture across the world." They had everything figured out. And then, there she was.
"It must be nice to have some of your siblings around."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
It had been odd how easily things fell into place with Luca. He hadn't seemed mad and he hadn't really been all that awkward about getting in contact with her after they reconnected. It only took him a day to decide she was worth calling. Given the stress of how things progressed with Chandler, having someone want her company was a nice, well-received change. One she happily accepted.
Callie made sure not to keep him waiting. She always hated that. One her way she had to ask herself the obvious question; was this a date? Or were they at a place now where dinner together didn't automatically count as such? Perhaps it was safer not to put in so much thought. When she saw him there, waiting, she was a little worried she got the details wrong.
"I'm not late, am I?" She asked. Chances are he made some kind of reservations, and she didn't want to ruin that.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Silence fell after she spoke and Callie couldn't think of a single way to break it. There was a bright kind of positivity in the hand that willing to hold her own. Despite whatever kind of progress this was, she still didn't think she'd get anything like that.
Her bright eyes searched the smile given to her, and how it worked in tandem with such a sweet, endearing sentiment. "Awesome." She replied. It was the only word she could think of in the moment, and somehow, it felt perfect. It didn't answer much, but it still made her feel better.
And though she drove the conversation, she knew none of the power here was on her shoulders. It was daunting, too. "So what are you thinking now?" She asked, because any further thought felt like reaching in the dark.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Though it was a sad way to explain it, Callie would have easily admitted she was glad he was sticking her around. She reminded him of so much; no matter how negatively things got, there was still so much good between them. Most of it was worth remembering, and here was her living reminder, smiling back at her like she was some kind of life saver.
"Do you-" She started, but quickly stopped herself. She was sure she knew the answer to this. She was sure the answer was no. "I still have the same number, but if you don't have it, that's totally cool, I can just give it to you again." She explained instead. Seemed saver.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Ever the optimist, Callie didn't consider having a negative interaction with people from Luca's family. She was excited to be able to see what he was like in that kind of dynamic. Any excuse to see a different side of him had to be worth it.
She laughed when he spoke again, because the thought of calling anyone on a simple hug seemed so laughable. "You don't have anything to worry about." She reassured him with ease.
So she was grateful when he reached out to her again. Callie allowed herself to be enveloped in the hug he gave her. He lingered do closely, and that feeling provided every comfort. It felt so normal it was almost alarming. "I missed you, too." She admitted, hands sliding beneath his arms to wrap around his torso and press against his back.
"Pretty sure I'm not going anywhere." She added, happy to know he was setting himself up to stay.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
When Callie caught his eyes again, they were wide. He almost seemed confused, like he hadn't expected her to ever say yes. She'd barely managed to open her mouth to agree with him when he was sweeping her up in a glorious embrace. It might have been short, but it was significant all the same. She'd reciprocated it with such ease, but he then seemed so against the movement.
It was destined to be a fast transition from nothing to everything. She nodded along as he explained the details of the upcoming meeting, making a mental note to absolutely be there for him. Luca had always been a person who seemed quite proud of his siblings. Callie was positive she'd heard all their names before, but it was impossible to put a face to every one. "I remember. It'll be nice to finally meet her." She replied.
"But," She started again, a smile catching her mouth with ease; "Does this mean I'm not allowed to hug you anymore? Cause that was definitely not in the job description."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie could guess Luca hadn't changed all that much. Years might have passed, but the fact that he even bothered to speak to her at all spoke volumes about how he handled the tumultuous nature of their break up. Still, she couldn't deny how much he seemed to have matured in their time apart. He wasn't some kid getting tossed around by a girl who didn't care for him correctly. He wasn't anywhere near as cold as everyone used to say he was.
Not under her hands, anyway.
Callie found something generously profound in his words. That he of all people would tell her to let go was astounding. She wished she could genuinely say she could, were it not for the literal figure that reappeared in her life so frequently and reminded her at every turn.
Instead, she tried a smile for him. She had to be a little excited. Or a lot. "Deal." She declared, and she almost believed it; "So when do I start?"
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie was incredibly quick to assume he would understand she was strictly talking about herself. She didn't doubt him, but she knew how much pain she'd put him through, and she didn't want to make his work life difficult. Her feet stopped in time with his, and she allowed her other hand to be taken without delay or hesitation.
She had to trust him, right? He earned that from her a long time ago.
"Listen, I'm not saying I don't want to." She reasoned. He must have known that. After all, she was standing there for a reason they both knew she hadn't been willing to share. Reaching out, she pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the cool undertones of the skin beneath the shirt he wore. Even after all this time, it still wasn't something to shy away from, but maybe her physicality only made matters more difficult.
"What I am saying is that I never want to hear you blame yourself for all that, okay?"
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Though she received no answer about trust, Callie figured that the question posed to her expressed the point perfectly. She didn't seem sure about any of it. After all this time, if this was what truly caught her, it wasn't the easiest thing to explain her way out of.
"No." She declared. And at the very least, she genuinely sounded like she believed that. "You can't sell yourself so short." She pointed out; "The only reason that everything happened in the first place is because you're you." Shaking her head instinctively, Callie couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her mouth. "That's not me blaming you. That's me saying that you're completely different from anyone else, y'know? Cheating's not a thing I did because I wanted to. It's a thing I did because I wanted you."
Despite her nerves, she reached out towards her anyway. Callie gently pressed her hand against one so intent on fiddling with her sweater.
