Thomas Corvin ♖ Jest (jesting) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2019-01-21 20:19:00 |
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Calliope Pemberton had taken him completely by surprise. He'd been in DC for two years before meeting her, and though Thomas was very far removed from the social and political elite that seemed to be the city's lifeblood, he was all too aware of its existence. Georgetown University's student population was well numbered with legacies and senators' children and future political hopefuls. At first glance- even just from her name alone- he'd thought she would be no different. He was a TA for a freshman science lecture during the fall semester of 2011, which mostly meant that he graded papers and kept limited office hours when the professor herself was too busy (or too disinterested) to do the same. But he didn't mind it- he wanted to be a teacher, himself, one day. This was good practice- especially for the half-to-three-quarters of the students who didn't want to be there, and were only taking this course to fulfill a general education requirement. When Calliope had first come to see him during office hours, with a list of rather basic questions, Thomas surmised that she simply hadn't been bothered to pay attention during the lecture. Still, he did his best to give her the answers she needed… Only to have her come back the next week with yet more questions. This pattern repeated itself through most of the semester, but Thomas never once considered that her motivations might have been anything other than purely academic. Those assumptions were put aside that spring when she asked him to coffee- though even this, at first, Thomas thought to be another academic call, even though he wasn't her TA any longer. Calliope soon amended this notion, to Thomas' rather immense surprise… But who was he to say no? She was gorgeous, and- when her ruse of the previous semester was revealed- smart, too. He didn't entirely expect things to last, no- but as the weeks and then months wore on, he found that he… really wanted them to. A year and a half had passed, and Thomas was well and truly in love with Calliope Pemberton. In the fall of 2013 she announced that she'd be studying abroad in Italy the following spring. It was a requirement for her major, and Thomas had no doubt that it would be a fulfilling and worthwhile experience… but he really didn't want to think about spending five months apart from her. It was entirely selfish, of course, but he didn't dare even consider suggesting she give up the opportunity. Instead, they made do. Technology helped, of course, and even with the time difference they still found ways to communicate each day. Photos and emails were sent- though, naturally, hers were much more exciting than his. Thomas was in his first year of graduate school, with little new to report, whereas she was living in a foreign country with all of its cultural and culinary delights. Two weeks after she left for Italy, Thomas bought an engagement ring. That in and of itself was madness, of course- but what was madder still were the plans he slowly concocted to surprise her in Italy. He wavered on the idea for a few weeks, but then found himself routinely checking airfare websites- just in case- and… well, one day he clicked purchase. He didn't tell her. Privately, even with the tickets- and ring- in hand, Thomas wasn't entirely certain that he wouldn't still lose his nerve. Even as he boarded the plane, he wasn't sure that he wouldn't still lose his nerve. In the three hour layover in Frankfurt, he paced and fidgeted and opened and closed the ring box over and over again. What if she'd found someone else, in Italy? What if she really did think he was mad? What if her parents' misgivings had finally taken root, and she'd only been waiting for the end of the semester to break things off with him in person, back in DC? His thoughts were insidious. Stepping out of the airport on a sunny afternoon in Bologna, Italy, with just a simple backpack for luggage, Thomas had hailed a cab to take him in the direction of her university. He pulled out his phone and sent her a message. → Good morning. → It's afternoon here, silly. (This was a familiar exchange, of course. Thomas usually messaged Calliope when he woke up in the morning, and it was often already early afternoon in Italy's time.) → I know, I know. How was the final? → Good! We're going to get gelato to celebrate. → Yum! Have some for me. Pleased, Thomas switched his phone screen off, then asked the taxi driver to instead take him to a gelato shop nearer the university. Though there were several, of course, but one in particular- Il Gelatauro- that she had mentioned a time or two before, and it seemed as likely a guess as any other, without needing to ask Calliope any other leading questions. He paid the taxi driver, thanked him in clumsy Italian, and reshouldered his bag. Thomas could see the sign for the gelato shop just a few paces from where he'd been dropped off. A few small metal tables sat in a fenced-off area, and there was a short line of people queueing to order or waiting for their purchases at the walk-up window. Among them was Calliope. Thomas felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her, and every one of his doubts was immediately forgotten. -- The last several months had been the adventure of a lifetime. It wasn’t something that Calliope thought she would ever regret. Though she had been in Italy for academic purposes, she had met a lot of interesting people and seen astounding sights. Their location had allowed them for some travel on weekends and part of her studies had included visiting other cities. She had seen the glory of Rome, Milan, Venice, and Florence. They’d even taken a short trip to Paris, even though they had to fly to make good time. Calliope might have been tempted to extend her trip by a few weeks, just to see more sights around the area without the constraints of classes, but as it was...she was already counting down the days to her return to D.C. Five. In just five days, she would be home. It wasn’t home that she was excited about, really, but rather one specific person that was there. Thomas. Though she talked to him pretty much daily, either through calls, text, or video chats, it wasn’t really enough. The t-shirt of his that she had smuggled into her luggage had stopped smelling like him a few weeks into her trip. She missed being able to curl up with him and hear the steady beat of his heart. She missed watching the way that his hair fell into his eyes when he read, and being able to reach out and brush it out of the way. She missed the distracted way that he would reach out and touch her when they were both studying, not even looking up from his book...just a brush of his hand against her back or her arm, to know that she was still there and still OK. Her heart ached with missing him. Without him to come home to, she might have decided just to live out the rest of her life in Italy. She loved the country. Its culture, history, and food all fascinated her. She knew that going back to D.C. also meant returning to her parents and their insistence that she make a match with Ramsey Asquith. Being out from under her mother’s thumb for these long months had rejuvenated her in ways that she didn’t even know were possible. She would endure the daunting expectations of her parents, however, if it meant she could have him. She could have all of Italy...all of Europe...and be forever be discontent because Thomas was not there to share it with her. With the last final done, she went out with a few of her classmates to celebrate the end of the semester with gelato. All she really had left to do was pack up her belongings and enjoy the last few days in relaxation before she got on that plane. The weather was beautiful, a light breeze in the air and the sun shining down on them. She laughed at a quip made by a girl named Martina and gave her own swift reply in flowing Italian just before she stepped up to place her order. She chose two different flavors, unable to pick, and was soon sent off with a heaping cone of gelato clutched in each hand. She took a single taste of the fresh summer strawberry flavor as she headed towards one of the tables to sit with her friends. That was when she saw him. Her heart immediately kicked into overdrive, her legs freezing, stopping her in her tracks. Her hand tipped a little too far, and one of the scoops of gelato slipped from the cone and fell gracelessly to the pavement. Calliope’s lips were parted in disbelief, her eyes slightly widened and breathing short. She was convinced, just for a moment, that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She thought she would have to wait five more days...but instead, here he was. It only took a few seconds for her body to catch up to her mind, and she dropped the second gelato, hands shaking as she made her feet move, “Thomas?” Her voice was so breathless she didn’t even think that he could hear her from their distance, but she crossed those last few paces at more of a sprint than a walk, throwing her arms around him the moment that she reached him. Tears pricked at her eyes, some unknown mixture of excitement, shock, and disbelief tipping her emotions. She tightened her arms around him as though she might never let go, “You’re here. You’re in Italy. I’m not dreaming?” -- His eyes hadn't left her, of course, though Thomas winced when he saw the gelato she was carrying drop to the pavement below. But she'd crossed to him- mercifully, easing some of his nerves that had liked to tell him she'd pretend not to notice him standing there. With his backpack having dropped to the ground, Thomas' arms wrapped around Calliope, tucking his head in at the curve of her neck. Though it had been months since they'd seen one another in person, the easy way they segued together hadn't been forgotten. "I'm here, I'm in Italy, you're not dreaming." He answered each of her questions in turn, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. Noting the faint start of tears, Thomas brought a hand up to brush the backs of his fingers over her cheeks, his voice softer, "Hey... It's okay, right?" -- Though she could have stood there holding herself there against his chest for hours, she didn’t complain when he pulled back to look at her. She smiled, a soft laugh escaping her as he brushed away her tears, “Okay? It’s more than okay. I’ve missed you every day. I’m just shocked.” Calliope grinned and pushed up onto her toes, pulling him into a kiss as if to prove how very happy she really was to see him, even if she hadn’t known about this surprise. She no longer needed to think about that count down or calculate the hours until she would get to do just exactly this. Even when their lips parted, she remained close, “I love you.” She did. She had...maybe even before that first coffee date. -- "I missed you, too." And that was probably obvious, really, considering, "That's why I flew halfway across the world to see you. Well, not entirely halfway, but..." But Calliope wasn't going to correct him about where the antipode of Washington DC actually was. Thomas leaned down into the kiss, and all was right with the world... the universe, even. Pulling back, he reflexively nudged his glasses back up his nose. "I love you, too, Calliope. I..." He swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment, then carefully extracted himself from her, taking one step back. "I'm sorry about the gelato," Thomas offered, though even this was really just a distraction from his own wildly spinning thoughts. "I'll buy you a new one, and-" His hands slipped into his pants pockets, but then back out again. His heart was pounding, and his thoughts wouldn't quiet. Thomas had genuinely considered writing out this proposal, describing the merits of marriage and the future they could have together. Even if it wasn't- would never be- anything like the one her parents wanted for her, Thomas knew that didn't matter to Calliope. Still, no such paper had materialized and here he was- in Italy- with a ring clutched between closed fingers, stalling for much longer than ever could have been considered appropriate. Finally, he just slowly lowered to one knee in front of her. "It's not a diamond," he explained, perhaps a bit preemptively. "But it's... There was a meteorite- ages and ages ago- that fell to earth and people have taken bits of it and made jewelry from it. And that's... I liked the idea of it. That something could have come from the stars, to be found and loved by us here." The metaphor, on the whole, wasn't particularly subtle. "And I will love you from here to the stars and back, Calliope, no matter what your answer is. But I..." Thomas unfolded his hand, holding his palm up, a ring lying there. "I hope you'll consider it... Calliope, will you marry me?" -- She was a little surprised when he pulled away from her, wanting to draw him back into her arms. For a moment, despite his coming all this way, she began to worry. He was acting a little bit strange. Certainly this had nothing to do with her parents because they wouldn’t have sent him, regardless of the intention of the visit. She couldn’t have cared less in that moment about her spilled gelato. Had the months away still somehow been too difficult? Had she rushed too quickly to kiss him? She watched him fidget and stall, and almost asked him what was wrong. What had happened? Was this visit not just a pleasant surprise? A frown had pulled at her lips, lines of concern between her brows. Then, he dropped to one knee. It's not a diamond. Her heart nearly stopped, that frown immediately replaced by a once-again shocked expression and before she could stop it, tears were welling in her eyes again. Somehow, through the rush of adrenaline, she managed to hang onto every word that he said. The explanation made her heart race, and as Calliope put her hand over her mouth she realized that she was shaking. The ring could have been a piece of twine or a plastic ring off the top of a store bought cupcake, and she still wouldn’t have cared. That question passed his lips finally, and before even a second had passed, she answered, “Yes!” She reached out and put her hand in his, the tips of her fingers brushing over that ring and his palm. Even before picking it up, she could tell that it was beautiful. The sapphire that was set into the top was her favorite gemstone...something no one else had ever bothered to ask her, “I don’t want or need diamonds, Thomas. Just you. You and this promise and a bit of stardust...nothing could make me happier.” She was still shaking when she took that ring and slipped it onto her finger, putting her now-promised hand in his. -- Her answer- her yes- came quickly, effusively, effectively shutting out any lingering hesitations or worries that had been swirling around Thomas' mind. He watched her, rapt, as she took the ring and slipped it onto her finger- and when she offered her hand back to him, Thomas pressed a kiss to her fingers. "Oh, thank God." This was whispered against her skin, an almost-silent prayer to a deity he didn't really believe in. Finally, slowly, he stood once more- though he kept her hand in his, even as he stepped back closer to her. This whole mad idea had actually come to pass, she'd actually said yes. He was properly overcome, and really the only thing to do was lean down and kiss her once more. -- She was grinning even as he pressed that kiss to her fingers, squeezing his hand gently while he stood up. She was relieved that his behavior had all - presumably - just been nerves leading up to that question, because now he erased that distance between them easily. She leaned up into the kiss, her heart so light that she might have floated away without him holding her down. Even when their lips parted, she pressed her forehead to his, staying close, “Are you...are you staying the next few days? Could you get on the same flight back?” Though there was a part of her that seriously just considered saying they should get married here before they ever went back to D.C...before her mother could get her claws into this news. She pushed that out of her mind, refusing to let the expectations of her parent’s tinge this moment. -- "I thought I might," Thomas offered, a faint smile on his features even as he feigned pulling away, gesturing over his shoulder with a thumb, "unless you wanted me to go now?" (He knew she wouldn't. He'd rather been counting on that, actually.) "We're on the same flights back. That was why I'd asked for your itinerary," he admitted, "not just because I was going to pick you up at the airport." And, yes, if he'd been home he would have had a flight tracker website up, watching the progress of her plane as it crossed the Atlantic, but this option felt much better than the waiting would have been. -- “No, no. You’re staying as long as you can,” Calliope countered with a grin. She would never want him to leave her side. In fact, she was going to be hard pressed to let him out of her sight for the next five days at least after being separated for five whole months. Her smile brightened when he assured her they were on the same flights back to the states, “This is much better than picking me up at the airport. It gives us a few days for me to show you some of the things I’ve sent you pictures of. I don’t even really mind what we do. I’m just happy to be close enough to actually touch you again.” She thought he would understand. The separation, she presumed, had been just as hard on him...maybe even moreso, being in the same places they went together without her while she was off on this adventure. -- Thomas had no doubt that, if forced to be left to his own devices, he could find his own sort of entertainment in the abundant history that no doubt surrounded them here. But he was rather more looking forward to exploring it all with Calliope, instead. "If you insist, fiance," Thomas countered, grinning at the new name and leaning in for another kiss. Yes, their separation had been difficult for him, even though he'd had every opportunity for distraction from her in his first year of grad school. Still, he rather thought that having been able to weather these last five months and now reestablishing their connection so effortlessly spoke volumes about their future together. "You can touch me all you'd like." The cheeky comment slipped out before Thomas could help himself. "This is the... least planned-out trip I've ever taken," he admitted, then. And, for him? That was saying something. "I bought the plane tickets and your ring and... that's it. I don't have a single other thing on an itinerary. I don't even have an Airbnb reserved for tonight." Thomas shook his head, despite himself, and offered Calliope a wilted look. "I hope you'll take pity on me." -- The new term of endearment that he gave her made Calliope grin even wider, though that was soon lost in another kiss, which she was all too happy to accept. Though the long months had been difficult while they were happening, it was only now, reunited with him, that she really let herself think about how hard it had been. There had been days when she had cried from being homesick, but never in regards to her parents. It was always him. Though she knew that this semester had been rewarding and invaluable for her education, she couldn’t have been happier to start the next chapter of her life with Thomas. That her parents would disapprove was something she would deal with when she returned home. “I’m very greedy, Thomas,” she reminded him, keeping herself close, an assurance that her hands were not going to leave him for long even if they wandered. “Is my spontaneity rubbing off on you?” she inquired with a playful smile, though she didn’t wait to reassure him, “You’ll stay with me, of course. The dorm isn’t very large, but it should be fine for the two of us.” The fact that they would have privacy there was a bonus, “It’s not far from here, if you wanted to stash what you’ve brought while we figure out what the rest of our afternoon should entail? There’s a restaurant a few blocks from here that we should go to for dinner, at least.” -- He'd woken up every morning to a new picture from her- even if it was just her morning coffee or a playful mirror shot as she'd been getting ready for her day. In that much, at least, Thomas had been lucky that he never had to start his day entirely without her presence... But it was later in his evenings, after she'd long since gone to bed in her own time, that he missed her most of all. He'd stayed up far too many nights working on papers that didn't really need revising, all for the sake of trying not to listen for the tell-tale sound of her key turning the lock of his apartment door. "I like you that way." It was a simple reassurance, but no less necessary or heartfelt, even for its silliness. "I certainly hope not." Thomas laughed, rolling his eyes. "You've no idea how many times I nearly broke and confessed the whole thing to you, Calliope, just so I could have planned something out. You should be very proud of me for keeping it all under wraps." It had been a safe assumption that he would be able to stay with her, but Thomas still leaned down and kissed her again when Calliope confirmed this scenario. "I'm not a very large person," he offered. "I won't take up much room." At the offer to store his bag there, Thomas nodded. "Probably a good idea, that. I look enough like an easily-robbed tourist without carrying my luggage about, I'm sure." -- “I’m extremely proud that you were able to keep such a fantastic secret. Though, even if you had told me about the trip, I still would have been surprised about the proposal. I hoped...eventually, but I didn’t know when we might take that step. Together,” she flushed a little, but for her, there was no one else to make such a declaration to. Though her mother would still press her to marry Ramsey, undoubtedly, Calliope couldn’t imagine that life or the misery that it would bring. Without Thomas, she was a lesser version of herself. He brought out the very best parts of her. “Neither of us are,” she offered with a small laugh. They were both somewhat tall and thin, but it should leave them with enough space to stay comfortably in the bed together. It wasn’t the first time they’d squeezed themselves onto a small mattress afterall. “It’s just a few minutes walk, if you don’t mind. If it’s heavy, we can call a cab,” Calliope offered, though she moved away just enough to stand next to him, keeping his hand clutched in hers with no indication that she would be letting go anytime soon, “Thankfully, the city is pretty safe, but it’s always better to try to blend in.” -- "I don't expect that I have a grand future in secret-keeping, at least not where you are concerned, so... hopefully you won't mind if I'm rather painfully transparent, in the future." As they'd started to walk, Thomas glanced down to his feet, then to their joined hands, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I've known for... a long while, that I wanted it to be you, Calliope. And I bought the ring back in January," he admitted, somewhat abashed- at least if the flush to his cheeks was any indication. "I'll leave the blending in to you, with your six months of seamless Italian immersion. I don't mind being a bit hapless, so long as I've got you here." -- “I prefer transparent,” Calliope said with a small smile, “I mean, this surprise was very worthwhile, but in general...I love that we don’t keep things from each other.” They’d remained very communicative even with an ocean between them. “January?” she couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice. He’d had the ring for months...had kept this all a secret for pretty much the entire semester that she was away, “I would say we - you especially - have been waiting long enough, then.” She squeezed his hand a little, a bit of a bounce to her step, “I wouldn’t call you hapless, but fear not. I have no plans to leave your side. Six months apart is far too long.” -- "I prefer it, too," Thomas agreed, easily. "Big things or small things, you're my best confidante." And he trusted her, more than perhaps anyone else he'd ever known. "January," he confirmed, still abashed at the admission. "I just... couldn't stop thinking about you. Which- having the ring didn't stop that, of course- far from it. But it... well, when I wasn't going out of my head with worry and second-guessing, it was a small reassurance that- that maybe things for us would be even better when you came back." He loved that little bounce in her step. Her joy was palpable, and contagious, too. "Let's not do it again, yeah?" -- “You didn’t need to worry, Thomas. I would have said yes if you’d asked me on Facetime or handed me a piece of twine,” she laughed at herself, but assured him, “Of course, this was way more romantic and I can’t imagine anything else now. Things for us going forward are going to be better than ever.” A laugh passed her lips, and she agreed, “Never again. If I ever feel the urge to go jaunting off on another grand adventure, I’m taking you with me.” She wouldn’t have come to Italy, or at least spent so long there, if it hadn’t been part of her requirements for school. She had loved it, but the separation had been very difficult to handle. She could only imagine that it would be even more so once they were married. She led him down another little street, and though it was still a short distance, they could then see the university, “Every time I walked these streets, I always wished you were with me.” -- "I wasn't going to ask you on Facetime," Thomas sounded almost scandalized by the idea, eyes widening behind his glasses as he glanced over to her. "And I... I suppose I'm selfish enough that I wanted you to have a proper ring, even if it's not some giant boulder." Left unsaid, there, of course, was that she'd likely have been offered that by Ramsey Asquith. "Hopefully the next grand adventure will have at least a modicum of planning," he added, "but even if not, I'm sure you'll drag me along just as well." He wasn't actually complaining. When Thomas wasn't looking over at Calliope, he was taking in the new and foreign scenery around him. "Likewise for me, in DC. But these streets are much more interesting, I'm sure." -- “I know you wouldn't have asked that way, but I still maintain that I would have said yes,” Calliope grinned, knowing that this proposal fit them both much better. The point, really, was that no matter how he had approached the question, Calliope wanted to spend her life with him, “Everything was just perfect. The question and the ring. I couldn't have asked for anything better.” “I would say we'll plan the next one. I've still got my last year of school, so it might be a bit, but…I imagine our honeymoon will be an adventure, even if we stay a lot closer to home.” They could stay in DC or make their way to Greece or London or the Caribbean, and Calliope would just be happy to be with him. “There's a lot of history here. I have loved learning the quirks of the city, and part of me is going to miss it. Not nearly as much as I missed you, though. I was so ready to come home, but the next few days will be so much more enjoyable now that you're here, too.” She hoped that the friends she had made would understand if she didn't keep to the loose plans they had made for the remainder of the week. -- Thomas leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, only pausing a moment in their walking to do so. For as nervous as he'd been to make this trip and to ask that all-important question, the ease with which she'd said yes- and continued to confirm her decision- was a very welcome bolster to his confidence. "I don't mind it being a longer engagement," Thomas offered. "Just for the sake of us both finishing the next year of school, anyway." Calliope had never mentioned an interest in attending graduate school, but even if she did, that didn't necessarily mean they would still be in DC. "We'll plan something suitably adventurous, to celebrate our being Mr and Mrs, though, definitely." Even if planning and adventurous weren't necessarily the same thing. "I'm glad you got to experience something like this." And that was true, even if he hadn't enjoyed the missing of her. Thomas had never protested the idea that she should take advantage of the opportunity. (Or, well, requirement. Still.) A small smile tugged at his lips. "I'll do my best to live up to that expectation." Even if, on the whole, that small expectation was nothing like others in her life. -- “It will go by in the blink of an eye, if the last few years are any indication,” she agreed, though she was already imagining what that might look like for them. Her parents undoubtedly wouldn’t approve and likely wouldn’t even attend much less fund the wedding. She found she was all right with that thought. She would prefer something smaller and more intimate, anyway. She didn’t need all the socialites of DC to attend, along with all of their powerful parents. As long as Thomas was there to say his vows, she didn’t much care who else was in attendance, “It will give us a bit of time to plan what we want, both for the wedding and the honeymoon. We’ll pick a place and some activities, and I will leave the scheduling up to you.” They each had their strong suits, and she knew that he rather enjoyed that sort of thing. “I wouldn’t mind coming back to visit eventually,” she confessed, though it likely wasn’t all that surprising, “This place will always have an incredibly special place in my heart now. Not only for this semester, but for you coming here and this.” She wiggled her fingers, showing off her ring. They entered the campus proper and Calliope guided him towards the dorm where she had lived the last several months. It was a short walk from there, and when they entered the building and walked to the second floor, she slid a key into the second door on the right, “This is it.” It would look at least somewhat familiar to him. They’d spent many hours chatting on video while she was in this room, and she’d taken the camera around to show it to him when she’d first gotten there. The area wasn’t overly spacious, but the bed was a decent size, raised with storage underneath. She had enough room for a desk to study at, and a small set up so that she could cook quick meals in the room, providing that they didn’t require a stove or oven. It was rather basic, but Calliope had tried to make it home. A map of pictures of the two of them covered her bulletin board, along with freshly obsolete reminders about times for finals or due dates for projects. In a few short days, all of her belongings would be packed away into suitcases, ready for the flight back home, but for now, it was still put together. -- Thomas hadn't even considered the idea that Calliope's parents might have funded the wedding if she were going to be marrying someone... proper. But then, their approval notwithstanding, he couldn't really imagine wanting some grand spectacle of a celebration. It wasn't his style. So when he and Calliope did start to plan- and he didn't expect that to be immediately, either- they'd do it on their own terms, and for their own wishes of the day. That much he knew. "You're so good to me." It was a playful tease, of course- especially considering his devoutly-held belief that she was far too good for him- but Thomas was glad that she'd relinquish at least a bit of that much-adored planning to him. He glanced over when she wiggled her fingers, a smile still tugging at his lips. After staring at that ring in its box for the last five months, it looked... well, really good for it to be on her finger, instead. "I still owe you a gelato, too," he reminded her. As they drew closer to her university, Thomas started to recognize some of the things around them- even if they had only before served as backdrops to various pictures and videos that she'd sent them during their time apart. It was good, though, to start to put those pieces together. Stepping into her dorm room was much the same- it almost felt as if he'd been there before, in that way. "Nice collage," he remarked, seeing the photos of the two of them together that occupied a decent section of her decorations. "You must have really missed that guy." Thomas set his own bag down near her desk, trying not to disturb her belongings. -- “Gelato after dinner tonight, maybe? Or as a treat tomorrow. I’m not in a rush. I at least got a taste,” she laughed, though the one bite hadn’t been quite as satisfactory as she had originally planned. She’d eaten far too much of it while she was in Italy anyway. She had tried to watch her figure, and had kept the scale at least mostly under control, especially in the last few weeks in preparation for her return. She already dreaded her mother’s comments if she didn’t fit just perfectly into her dinner dresses. “I really did. He’s a pretty fantastic person, and having that collage made the missing him just slightly more bearable,” she knew that they should probably leave again, but it had been far too long since she’d had a moment with him like this. She stepped closer, sliding her arms up around his neck. With little hesitation, she pushed just a little onto her toes so that she could kiss him, lingering a bit longer than she’d had the luxury to do thus far. -- If she had gained any weight, it wasn't Thomas' place to notice it or to have anything poor to say about it in return. But then, he'd always thought she was unbearably gorgeous, so his opinion was far from unbiased. He'd been promised dinner- and now gelato, too- but Thomas was all too happy to delay those things in favor of more of this. His hands found her waist, then slipped to the small of her back as he tugged her in closer, easily leaning down to return the kiss. Though they both lingered, when he pulled back, he kept his forehead to hers, smiling in their closeness. "We get to do this forever now." He rather liked the sound of that. -- Calliope couldn’t have been happier when he pulled her even closer, his hands a warm, familiar weight against her waist. She had missed just being able to be close to him. Before she had met Thomas, she wouldn’t have considered herself a very physically affectionate person. She had been mostly starved of all such “unnecessary” things her whole life, but since they had gotten closer, being near him was something that she needed. They’d been deprived of it for too long. “Forever is really the best sort of timeframe,” she agreed with a smile, “I’m really glad that you agreed to go have that coffee with me...and the dinner, the next night.” It had really been the start of everything...going beyond the crush that had seemed so silly to her at first. She hadn’t been able to convince herself to stop making excuses to talk to him. She’d just liked the sound of his voice...and the excitement in his eyes when he spoke of something he was passionate about. Beyond those ruses of near-tutoring, it had been those first two dates that had sealed everything else for her, and she’d never looked back, even when her mother made her start going to those supervised dinners with Ramsey. She was going to disappoint them all, and for the first time in her life...that wasn’t nearly as frightening as what she would lose if she didn’t. -- Thomas hadn't been overly physically affectionate before Calliope, but with her, it just seemed to come so naturally. He wasn't a particularly suave or overtly confident person, so her having actually chosen him had taken some getting used to, at first. Now, though, he loved everything from little touches in passing to desperate kisses to slow, easy caresses on lazy Saturday mornings in bed. "I'm glad you gave me a chance to redeem myself, at that dinner." Because for the first half of their coffee meetup the day before, Thomas hadn't even known it was a date. It had been another two dates after that before he'd asked if he could kiss her, and she'd all but leapt out of her chair to do just that, before even saying yes. -- They had come a long way together, and learned a lot from each other. Her sheltered life hadn't really taught her about how to properly pursue a relationship. The fact that she had asked him out at all had really been an outright act of rebellion, as far as her parents were concerned. She'd only been able to hold onto that relationship by taking some rather unfortunate pages out of her mother's own book and using them to her advantage. Her parents believed they would still win in the end, but Calliope wanted be in control of her own life more than ever. “The coffee date was still a good date even if you didn't know it was one at first,” she smiled up at him, though she could still remember how nervous she had been to ask him at all. Those first few dates still had a lot of clarity for her in memory, exciting as they had been. He hadn't been her very first kiss, but she planned for him to be her last. Even with the rather forced appearance of Ramsey in her life, she'd never allowed a kiss. The one time he'd tried to kiss her, she had turned her cheek and flushed red with irritation. He thought her nervous, “We've had a lot of fantastic days since then, and we have thousands more ahead of us.” -- He'd needed the clarification, the reassurance, the very direct knowledge because, well, because she wasn't someone he'd ever thought himself capable of attracting, much less pursuing. Thomas knew, every day, that he was extraordinarily lucky to have Calliope in his life, and he never wanted to take that for granted. "And I will love every single one of them, with you here." He leaned into another kiss, but then felt the (ridiculous) need to clarify, so added, "Not Italy here, just… with me here. And… Oh, you know what I mean." A flush rose to his cheeks, but Thomas stubbornly ignored it in favor of another kiss. -- She did, in fact, know exactly what he meant, so she just smiled and happily kissed him. Calliope was grateful that they didn’t have anywhere to be. They would still have plenty of time that evening and over the next few days to explore the city at their leisure, but for now, she was happiest just being back in his arms again. |