(ಠ_ಠ) (break_the_cycle) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-03-28 23:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, callisto, commander jane shepard, xena |
How does that old song go? Who wants to live forever?
Who: Callisto, Shepard, and Xena
What: Shepard drags Callisto out for one last hurrah before the apocalypse
When: A few days before the Reapers
Where: A restaraunt and then the beach
Rating: Somewhat lower than Game of Thrones but higher than network TV
status: complete
“Come on in.” Xena eyed the red-head up and down, then stepped aside to let her in.
Jane gave her a smile, shaking Xena’s hand before coming inside. “I take it Callisto isn’t home?”
“Should be back soon.” There was a grin on Xena’s face, the kind that usually spelled trouble. “Nice of you to stop by uninvited. Gives us a chance to get acquainted.”
Xena’s smile reminded Jane of some other people she knew. It either meant adventure or jail time. Possibly both. “Is this going to be the third degree?”
“Nah. Callisto can take care of herself.” Xena offered Jane a beer, which Jane gladly accepted. “I just...she don’t do this kind of thing easy. She ain’t the most stable person in the world.”
“She’s more stable than you give her credit for.”
“You can’t fix her.” Xena took a seat on the couch. “She’s just who she is.”
“I never planned on fixing her.” It wasn’t fixing, if Jane made Callisto feel something, was it? Growth. Recovery. But that wasn’t fixing or changing someone, just a natural evolution of a person who had gone through trauma. “But I’m pretty broken too.”
Xena raised her bottle. “Guess that makes three of us.”
Jane took a seat. “Since I’m here, got any embarrassing stories?”
“I’ve got one or two.”
Callisto was probably more stable than she ever thought she’d be, especially after the dreams started. But now that hers had ended with reincarnation, Callisto was mentally more stable. The crazy from her dreams seemed to be gone, or at least down to a dull roar. It was also possibly a bit of Jane’s influence on her. She was having emotions that she didn’t know what to do with. When she wasn’t around Jane, she preferred to cause trouble in the form of bar fights to work it out. Not exactly the healthiest thing, but at least she wasn’t going around killing people?
She’d gone out to do some thinking, which had turned into a drink at a bar, which had then turned into a bar fight when a guy got too close for her comfort. Being fully human again, she came home with war wounds. She walked in the door, completely oblivious to the fact that Jane was there. Callisto didn’t announce herself, just started heading for her room when she saw that Jane was here. With Xena. And she froze in mid-stride.
“Am I interrupting?” She asked as she eyed them both carefully.
Xena could have brought up the whole… baby thing. But she was being kind for Callisto’s sake, and to be honest it felt like a private thing best kept to themselves. That Callisto’s soul had gone into Eve had been a shock. She only wished she got to hold Eve in her arms in this world, too.
“Xena was just telling me about the time with the wok,” Jane said, her grin so broad it looked painful.
“It’s a good story,” Xena protested. “And he deserved the broken elbow.”
“I was going to see if you wanted to get dinner.” Jane was reclined in a chair, arms spread out and legs crossed haphazardly. “But you weren’t home so I decided to stick around.”
In a way, it seemed fitting that Callisto’s next reincarnation had something to do with the downfall of the Olympian gods. She’d always been a rebel like that. She wondered how that new life of hers would be different from the one she’d lived. But that wasn’t precisely something she was going to ask about.
“Oh fucking hell,” Callisto groaned and rubbed a hand over her face. “Damn right he deserved it, he started the whole thing. I just finished it.” Though probably more than a little more public than it really needed to be. She shook her head slightly. “I could do dinner, yeah.” Callisto wanted to get out of there before Xena did anything embarrassing. Likewise she didn’t want to give Xena the chance to let go of the things she wanted to say about Callisto and Jane because then she’d just get uncomfortable and it wouldn’t be a good thing.
“Please tell me you’re going to get her to dress up some day,” Xena asked, loud enough for Callisto to hear.
“It’s an appealing thought.” Jane got to her feet, fighting the urge to pin Callisto to the wall. Three seconds of seeing her and her mind was already places. “But then if I tear it off of that would be a waste.”
“I really don’t want to know.”
Laughing, Jane tossed a faux salute at Xena.
“I’m not really the dressing up type anyway.” Except for that time when she’d gone out with Yang, but Callisto wasn’t doing that again. It wasn’t who she was, and it definitely wasn’t comfortable for her. Callisto also could make a comment that Xena’d already seen her naked, but she wasn’t going to open that can of worms.
“No, you probably don’t. Might drive you as crazy as I am.” Callisto quipped at Xena. Though she wasn’t precisely crazy anymore. It wasn’t something she’d vocalized, but there was a different look in her eye that was a recent development. It was probably partially Jane’s fault, but it was largely the change the dreams had brought to her.
“Once. I’m going to get you to dress up once,” Jane promised, slipping past Callisto and heading towards the door.
Xena leaned her head back over the couch and cackled. “Try to have her back before 11!”
“Are you sure she’s not your mom?” Jane asked, laughing as she escaped the apartment.
“I’m not a teenager!” Callisto shot back. Which she wasn’t. She quickly made her way out of the apartment after Jane. The mother comment gave her pause because, well, Xena sort of was in her dreams. “She likes to act like it.”
That only made Jane laugh harder. She leaned her hand on the wall until she recovered. “You two remind me of Garrus and me, only with less acidic jokes.”
Callisto shook her head a bit as Jane laughed. “That’s nothing compared to how we can get.” Sometimes it had depended on their state of mind and dream bleedover. They both could be rather vicious, both playful and for real, when they wanted to be.
“I hope you’re hungry. It’s a bit of a drive.” She’d planned on Callisto driving. Gave her a chance to feel callisto up snuggle on the motorcycle. What, Jane planned well! And she was going to enjoy what she could before the end of the world happened. “Figure it’s the last chance I’ll get to eat there for awhile.”
Though she couldn’t see it from there, the Crucible was functionally complete. Now they had to wait.
“Luckily for you I didn’t eat while I was out.” Callisto headed out of the apartment building, looking over at Jane. There was a twinge of something within her as she wondered if they would survive what was coming. “You driving or am I?”
“Eating out is the plan,” Jane joked, and gestured towards Callisto’s bike. “Why don’t we mount your mighty steed and go hunting for sustenance at a Vietnamese place I’ve been dying to try out for weeks. Promise I won’t keep my hands to myself.”
Callisto chuckled at the joke. “I suppose I could let you ride with that promise,” she countered as she went over to her bike. The black Yamaha Stryker was her baby, despite the fact she took a lot of crap from the rest of the gang for having a Japanese-made bike. She swung a leg over and sat down on the bike, taking it off the kickstand, then nodded to Jane to get on as she started the engine and revved it.
It was a sexy bike, like it’s owner, and Jane ran her fingers over the metal with the same erotic care she would for Callisto’s curves. “I love her. Very nice.”
Then she swung onto the bike behind Callisto and wrapped her arms around her, fingers stroking lightly at Callisto’s stomach. She nibbled at her shoulder. “Try not to crash us.”
“Should I be jealous?” Callisto quipped at the comment about her bike. But she loved her bike, too. It was why she went for it instead of for the standard Harley or something. It was black, of course, and looked very like Callisto. She shivered lightly at the touch to her stomach and the nibble at her shoulder. “I’ll do my best. I assume you’ll tell me where we’re going?” She asked before she pulled out and hit the road at a good clip.
“Yes, yes you should. We’re going to run away together and make beautiful red babies.” Jane’s hands continued to tease as they drove, and she only spoke to give directions for the rest of the ride. The restaurant was in a modern designed building, with a colorful sign. “Every time I pass this way, I keep telling myself ‘I gotta eat there.’”
“I feel so left out.” To her credit, Callisto drove quite well despite Jane’s teasing hands. She only weaved a couple times, but she kept it on the road. Though she may have been speeding, but that was the norm for her, really. Spotting the destination, she turned in and found a parking spot. “Well, now we can make that dream come true for you. Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint.”
Jane eyed the entrance, her hand resting just above Callisto’s butt. It was an almost possessive move. “Well, we’re gonna find out. At worse it’ll be eh, but sometimes that’s worse than actually being bad. But the chef is actually from Vietnam, so it’s gotta be good.”
“In that case, it should be good. And if it isn’t, then the chef simply can’t cook.” Callisto said with a shrug. She looked at Jane for a few moments before she did something that was very un-Callisto-like. She took Jane’s hand and headed for the door.
Jane actually looked at their hands for a split second before she walked along with Callisto. It was hard to not burst into a grin, but she succeeded. Though there was a little spring in her step and couldn’t quite be helped. She wondered if this was going to get her hurt in the end, but Jane just… went with it.
This hand-holding was entirely out of Callisto’s comfort zone, and she wasn’t even certain why she’d done it, but she just went with it. She’d probably end up hurt in the end, that whatever this was between them wouldn’t work out, but at this moment, she didn’t care. Jane seemed to understand her in a way most other people didn’t. And that was something she didn’t want to lose if she could help it.
The instant the door was opened, the scent of the food hit her, and she had to say it smelled really good. “So far, so good.”
Fingers entwining with Callisto’s, Jane grabbed the door and then followed her inside. No one paid them any mind, which was nice. Not that she’d really care, she was more concerned with Callisto. Callisto didn’t do PDA, at least not this kind of PDA. “I’m going to die of delicious.”
Callisto also didn’t care if anyone minded them. She didn’t give a shit about what people thought of her in the first place. She knew who and what she was and she owned it. Anyone else’s opinion couldn’t hurt her. “Try not to die too soon, otherwise you might not get to eat any of it.” Callisto teased as they were taken to a table.
“I’m not dying today,” Jane promised. She brought Callisto’s hand up to her lips to kiss it before letting go so she could sit. Was it just her or had something happened and things were now different. It felt like thin ice. Only good.
“Good because I don’t want you to die.” Though as Jane kissed her hand, Callisto kind of stared at her. That was...not something anyone had done to her before. It perplexed her, though she didn’t dislike it? She took her seat, wondering what had just happened here.
It hadn’t been on purpose or preplanned. Jane had just done it. She hoped it hadn’t been out of line. Callisto could probably take a slap on the ass if it was from someone she liked, but a kiss on the hand? Jane eyedarted as she sat. “How does that old song go? Who wants to live forever?”
It hadn’t been out of line. If Callisto hadn’t liked it, she would’ve made it known instantly. She was vocal about what she didn’t like. “Well, that I can agree with. Even when I was immortal, I didn’t want to live forever.” Callisto saw life as a torment more often than not. It was highly tolerable when she was around Jane, though. She didn’t quite understand why that was.
“Nice long life I can’t disagree with though.” Shepard didn’t expect that for herself, and that edge crept into her voice. Even without what was coming, she was a marine. A soldier. Discharged, sure, but always one step away from a fight. And sometimes she went looking for that fight.
“No, not if it’s what someone wants.” Callisto hadn’t wanted much of a life to begin with. She was borderline suicidal at times, and she had probably the biggest deathwish out of anyone. Callisto had no care if she lived or died, perhaps that was part of the reason she always drove too fast or got in bar fights. And yet ever since meeting Jane, that deathwish had been waning. “But at any rate, life is life.”
“Life is life is the most accurate statement I ever heard. If I had a drink yet, I’d toast you.” Shepard went with the special of the day, which was a surf and turf Pho, then turned her attention back to Callisto. “Don’t always get what we want though. I’ll never know if I got that in my dreams. I only really know I live, barely.”
Callisto put her order in and leaned back in her seat. “At least you have a chance to get what you want. Being alive kind of is a prerequisite for that.” Callisto, on the other hand, didn’t get what she wanted in her dream life. She hadn’t been able to complete her vengeance for her family’s death. When she’d died, she hadn’t gotten the oblivion she longed for. She’d been everything under the sun there. “But what about this life? Do you have what you want here?”
“Maybe. I’ll never know if they find me.” She didn’t remember if Garrus had ever told her. “Might be I breathe my last, and slowly die.” It was a morbid thought, but one she’d had before. She might have died alone, with only the rubble and the stars to watch over her. At least Anderson had died with her. At least she’d been there for him. And maybe he’d been there in spirit.
At least she’d won.
Jane looked down at her hands. “I don’t know. I’m deaf in one ear. Scarred. There are nights I still wake up sweating to the sound of gunfire. The apocalypse is weeks or months away. I try to think about what I want after, but I’ve never really been able to. I know I don’t want to be alone. Maybe kids, or at least a great big dog. I kind of like the idea of you being around.”
Somehow Callisto doubted that Jane would go unfound. Her friends would undoubtedly find her before it was too late. So she probably would make it. If it was Callisto that was near-death, she knew no one would come for her. She didn’t exactly have friends to come look for her. It still seemed to be day-to-day on whether or not Xena wanted to kill her, so she wouldn’t hold her breath.
The possibility of Jane wanting kids was a bit alarming to Callisto, but she kept that silent. Callisto wasn’t exactly mom material no matter what anyone would say. “So long as the dog doesn’t have three heads, I’ll be good.” Then came that matter of Jane wanting her to be around, and she looked at her for a moment, not completely certain what to say. “Well, I’ve got no plans to leave, and I like being around you.” Jane was one of the few people Callisto could tolerate without wanting to kill.
“Three headed dog, now that would be something.” Jane had seen all manner of strange and unusual animals in her career, but nothing with three heads. That would be better than some of the things she’d faced, honestly.
“Yeah it would. Mind you, despite being in Tartarus, I never did see Cerberus for myself. Guess I wasn’t lucky like that.” Callisto quipped with a shrug of her shoulder. Her afterlives only somewhat bothered her. The existence as an angel, that bothered her because she damn well wasn’t an angel. And she definitely hadn’t deserved to be redeemed like that.
“Damn. That’s the whole reason to go to Tartarus!” Jane smiled, her foot bumping into Callisto’s in a really obvious sort of way. Maybe she just wanted to keep… contact.
Callisto chuckled a bit, pressing her foot against Jane’s. “I know, I almost feel jipped. Though I did speak directly to Hera once while there. So I suppose that made up for it in a way.” Even though Callisto didn’t exactly have a favorable opinion of the Olympian gods and goddesses.
“Was this a good talk, or a bad talk?” Jane asked. She’d always had a mixed opinion on old myths. Hera often got shown as a bad guy, but was that sexism at work? It wasn’t like Zeus was a very good guy himself. “My Greek mythology is a little rusty, though I’ve been reading up lately.”
“Depends on how you look at it. She offered me another chance at life, to complete my revenge on Xena, but I had to kill Hercules for her. I actually nearly succeeded in trapping him, but I still got my immortality by eating one of the apples at the center of the labyrinth. Though Hercules got the last laugh when he scarred me with fire.” And she’d been trapped in that cave until Xena had needed the help of an immortal to take down a crazy Amazon-turned-goddess who was trying to kill Gabrielle.
“Just cuz you’re immortal doesn’t mean you don’t scar.” Jane’s fingers lifted to the cracks on her face. They’d been showing a little more brightly recently, except when she was thinking of Callisto. An outward sign of her mood.
“No, it doesn’t. Though Hercules escaped and trapped me in the cave. Let’s just say after I dreamt that, my fear of fire kicked in full force.” Callisto explained. “During the course of my dreams, I seem to have traded pyrophobia for claustrophobia.” Callisto decided to give that piece of information. The pyrophobia should be self-explanatory considering Jane knew about how her family had died. The claustrophobia, however, was more complex and didn’t come from just one source.
And yet Callisto had managed to get into a space ship. Jane supposed looking out into space helped her that way. That great big void. “Fire isn’t so bad now. But it’s amazing you put up with the Normandy.”
“As long as there’s a window, I’m relatively fine. Though I suppose if I was on it for days at a time, then it’d probably get to me.” Callisto wasn’t certain she wanted to put that to the test. “Also cross out caves on places to take me. I was trapped in a couple of those in my dreams. Also anywhere that potentially has quicksand are totally out of the question. Quicksand was how I died the first time.” Xena had let her sink into the sand and suffocation was not a pretty way to die.
“You know, if I hadn’t had my own experiences, ‘dying the first time’ would be a sentence to freak me out.” Jane reached out, her fingers touching the top of Callisto’s hand far too gently. It wasn’t pity in her expression. It was something else. “Dream life isn’t easy.”
Callisto looked at Jane, reading her expression. Upon not finding pity there, she was relieved. She didn’t want pity. “No, it isn’t. Though my dreams have ended now, so at least they won’t torment me anymore.”
Definitely not pity. Understanding maybe, sympathy. Love. Jane didn’t pull her hand away from Callisto’s. “That a relief? That’s probably a stupid question.”
Callisto shrugged a shoulder. “Hard to say, I still haven’t worked out how I feel about the last several. Though I suppose at least I can’t suffer anymore in them.” At least not as Callisto. Eve may be her next life, but Eve was also a completely separate person.
And it really was probably best for everyone that Callisto didn’t dream about Eve’s life because the whole Livia thing would probably drive her crazy again.
Jane sighed. The dreams felt so consistently real that the suffering in them bled over. Her scars were a good example of that. So was Callisto’s mental state. “No, you can’t. I hope I at least can help you not suffer so much here too.”
Callisto was probably lucky she didn’t have more scars to show for her dreams. The scar on her face had disappeared after she’d become a goddess. But the one from Xena stabbing her with the hind’s blood dagger still remained. Then at Jane’s comment, Callisto actually managed a smile. “You do.” And she seriously hoped that Xena would never hear that she’d said that because she’d never live it down.
“This isn’t something I’m used to, or even know what I’m doing. But I do know that I like being with you.”
There were words for that. But they were words that Jane didn’t often say. With Regina, her decision to say how she felt had come much too late. Even Liara had taken time.
But Callisto was a special case, so Jane said nothing about that. Still, a rare, genuine smile appeared on her face. “Feeling is mutual.”
Saying those words right now probably would be one of the worst ideas. Callisto was still trying to process her own feelings and put a name to them. For now, she was content with these sorts of statements, ones that meant roughly the same thing, just not in so many words. Seeing that smile on Jane’s face gave her those pesky butterflies in her stomach. “I’m glad for that.” And she was, even if she was probably bad at showing it, but she liked to think being around Jane and her actions during sex spoke things that she couldn’t say yet.
Jane finally retrieved her hand, and leaned forward on the table. “I like it when you smile like this. Not that I don’t like it when you’ve got any other expression. I know you don’t like that being called out. But it’s just us.”
Callisto also leaned forward on the table, her smile turning into more of a smirk. “I think I can let it slide this one time.” She eyed Jane a bit. “And maybe I’ll let you make me smile like that more often.”
“Good thing I know how to put a grin on a person’s face.” Several ways, in fact. Including a few ways that made her stomach flutter and for the first time in months she felt like she’d moved on from previous relationships. Death might take her from Callisto, but it was less certain if say, Liara could.
“Yes, lucky talent you have there.” Callisto knew Jane could very well die when the Reapers came, which was perhaps part of why she was reluctant with her feelings. She didn't want to get too hurt and by her logic if she ignored things or didn't figure them out it would hurt less if she lost Jane.
No one ever said Callisto’s logic was sound.
It was probably a bit too late to avoid the whole hurting thing. Whether or not something was said emotions still happened. They couldn’t be controlled, it was what made them so dangerous. “You could say it’s all in how I roll my tongue.”
“And you certainly know how to use your tongue,” Callisto responded with a smirk. That was definitely something that she’d come to learn. And something that she definitely appreciated. It was more than enough to keep her from thinking of what could potentially come and instead focus on the here and now.
“Hope you weren’t planning on going home tonight,” Jane said. It wasn’t really a question so much as a statement. She wanted Callisto all to herself, all night long. Maybe she couldn’t say it, but maybe she could show it. As it was, she was being generally...well not clingier, but… more touchy than usual.
“Not anymore. Consider me all yours.” Callisto wasn’t averse to the touchy. Ever since she’d first met Jane, she’d craved her touch. It was like she couldn’t get enough of it. She wanted as much as Jane could give, so right now, she certainly didn’t mind it.
“Good.” Jane grinned, and settled back once their food arrived. It smelled delicious, and gave her the chance to organize her thoughts while she ate like, well, a Marine. Three weeks, she decided. If she didn’t turn up in three weeks after the Reapers, she wasn’t going to, and her will could go into effect.
The food definitely smelled wonderful. Callisto dug into her own food. She didn’t quite eat like a marine, but she did pack her food away well enough. For as skinny as she was, Callisto really knew how to pack away the calories. “Your instincts were correct. The food is definitely good.”
It was actually a little hot. Seeing Callisto pack away that much food. Then again, Callisto packing anything bigger than her was kind of hot, something that had occurred to Jane on more than one occasion. “Thanks babe.”
“You’re welcome,” she responded as she continued to pack the food away until she’d eaten it all. She polished off her drink as well, then looked at Jane. “Now, is there going to be dessert or dessert?” Curious minds wanted to know whether there’d be food-dessert here, other kind of dessert elsewhere or both.
Really, Jane needed to keep her mind out of the gutter, especially as she wanted to be romantic tonight. “That depends on if you want your dessert or your dessert first.”
“I like both. So how about dessert, then dessert?” Callisto suggested. Besides, she was rather certain whatever calories were consumed here would be burned off quickly enough that night.
“Thank god, I really want some chocolate.” Jane pulled out her wallet to pay. “There’s a place nearby that makes this chocolate fudge cream pie and I dare you to eat it without making a mess.”
“When you put it that way, it just makes me want to eat it like a barbarian.” Callisto quipped. “Though chocolate certainly sounds good right now.”
“You just want me to clean you up myself.” Jane flicked her tongue out and rolled it at Callisto, before she got up and… hesitated, before offering her hand.
“And what if I do?” Callisto asked with a chuckle before she got that butterfly sensation again when Jane offered her hand. This was...definitely new. For a moment she didn’t quite know how she should respond, but in the end she reached out and took Jane’s hand, standing up.
Jane’s stomach did a flip, followed by a flop, before she walked with Callisto out to the motorcycle. “Go down the street, second left, third building on the right.”
Then she leaned against Callisto’s back and kissed the side of her neck from behind.
A shiver ran through Callisto at the kiss to her neck as she started her motorcycle up. She then took off, following Jane’s directions precisely. It didn’t take long to get there at all, and once there, Callisto found a parking spot and killed the motor.
Jane didn’t move right away, kissing Callisto’s neck and shoulder again. The motions were tender, almost too much so. But she didn’t think anyone was watching, and then she swung off the bike as if that had never happened. “The only chocolate better doesn’t exist on Earth.”
Callisto closed her eyes at the kisses to her neck and shoulder. Then she slid off the bike after Jane did. “Let me guess, better chocolate exists in your dreams?” Not that Callisto thought she’d ever get to try it, not all dream aspects crossed over to this life, after all.
“Yep. The Asari are a very ancient and advanced civilization.” Who spend their formative years as sex objects. Jane tried not to think about the cognitive dissonance of that. Shouldn’t Asari be more like space elves? “They took chocolate and did some amazing things to it.”
“Sounds like an orgasm in each bite there.” Callisto was mostly joking. She didn’t know how accurate that particular statement could be. Only Jane could confirm or deny it.
“That’s an accurate assessment. Especially since sleeping with an Asari is mindblowing.” She paused for comedic effect. “Literally. Part of sex with them is telepathic.”
It was next to impossible to beat. Callisto did, though.
Callisto raised her eyebrows a bit at that statement. “Telepathic sex? Damn, that must be some sex.” How could anyone beat sex like that? Not that Callisto was overly curious about it or comparing herself to an Asari, but it was still a valid question.
“Being very very good at it, like you, beautiful.” Jane slipped an arm around Callisto as they headed inside. She was so casual about it, the compliment and the affection. And her favorite pet name remained ‘beautiful.’
Looking at Jane, Callisto just blinked for a moment before she smiled, leaning into Jane a bit. “I like to think I’m at least enthusiastic.” She commented as she headed inside with Jane. And her arm may have just so happened to slip around Jane’s waist.
She threw her head back and laughed loudly, hip checking Callisto playfully. “At the very least. I think I’ve got a permanent mark on my hip from last week.”
“What can I say? I like putting my mark on you.” Callisto said with a smirk. And she did rather enjoy that part.
“Marking your territory. Too bad I can’t do the same.” At least not without grievous injury at this point, which Shepard wasn’t going to do. Though she’d blame herself if something ever did happen to Callisto that was even a little bit her fault.
“You can mark your territory, I don’t mind.” Callisto was fully human again, she could carry marks and wounds now. And she definitely wouldn’t mind any scars that Jane could potentially give to her.
“Good to know.” Jane walked up to the counter, her arm still around Callisto. She pointed at the chocolate fudge pie. “We’ll take that. The whole thing.” With a side glance to Callisto, she added, “To go.”
Callisto looked at the pie, arching one brow curiously. That definitely looked like it would be messy. Her hand absently rubbed Jane’s hip as she looked back at her. “Are you sure it’ll survive the drive?”
“... you have a point.” If they were in a car, it might. “Guess we’ll have to settle for a slice each. Too bad.” Jane’s hip shifted against Callisto’s hand. The person at the register smiled at them, in that ‘what a cute couple’ sort of way. Mercifully, he said nothing and just rang them up.
While Callisto definitely wasn’t ashamed of being with a woman, she was definitely glad the cashier said nothing. Being put on the spot wasn’t something Callisto reacted well to. Though in time she might loosen up about it, if Jane survived the upcoming apocalypse, that is. “I’m sure it’ll still taste just as good.”
“Unless my memory is failing me it will.” Jane took their pie slices and picked out a table where she could keep her back to a wall. It was in a corner so Callisto could do the same. “You try it first.”
“So I’m the canon fodder now, huh?” Callisto said, bemused. She also sat with her back to a wall, but bravely took the first bite. It was definitely chocolatey, and messy to eat, even if one was careful on how they ate it. “If it’s poisoned, this is a good way to die.”
“You’re a bit like me. Front lines, charging in and raising hell,” Jane pointed out. “Same goes for strange and unusual food. But I’ve had it before.”
She grinned as Callisto tried it. “Isn’t it just? Almost like a little chocolate orgasm.”
“I can’t argue that, on either point.” Of course, trying strange and unusual food tended to be less hazardous than running into battle. As long as the food wasn’t something like blowfish that could kill a person if it wasn’t prepared correctly. “Definitely almost a chocolate orgasm.” She confirmed with a smile before taking another bite.
“Ever have blowfish?” Jane asked, curious. She had, more than once. It was a fun little gamble even if it was pretty much a sure thing. It was more likely to be attacked by a shark than die by blowfish, and shark odds were already pretty low.
She got a stupid grin on her face, though, in response to Callisto’s smile.
“Can’t say I have, no. What’s it like?” Callisto didn’t quite need to ask if Jane had ever tried blowfish. She definitely seemed like the type to try that sort of thing.
“Actually a little bland, but better than yellowtail in my opinion.I tried it plain and also in a roll, and it was a lot better in the roll.” Jane thought that the mystique of the killer fish was probably the best part. Like rolling the dice.
“Perhaps it’s worth a try sometime,” she said. Callisto was no stranger to trying something that could kill her. Of course, said courses of action weren’t always eating potentially poisonous things. Hers were more along the lines of getting into fights with weapons involved or driving way too fast.
“We’ll plan a trip to Japan. Only place to actually get it.” Jane had only ever been there once or twice. She wasn’t as linked to the culture as some people she knew. “Have legit sushi. I’d like to eat that off of you.”
“Japan? Seriously?” Callisto had rarely been outside of the country, let alone half way around the around. The furthest from America that she’d been had been the trip Jane had taken her on over Valentine’s Day. “I’m not going to say no to you eating sushi off of me.”
“Seriously.” She didn’t know if Callisto’s passport was out of date, but with space-worthy shuttles there were ways around such pesky things. Jane finished her pie and sat back to watch Callisto. She had another place planned them to go to. A romantic spot, on the beach. Alone.
“Then I’ll hold you to that.” Callisto had no strong feelings on Japan one way or the other, but considering her bike was Japanese? She enjoyed some things that came from it. Perhaps it was worth a trip, then. It wasn’t all that long before she’d finished her own pie, managing to not make a mess of it, or herself, in the process.
“I promise.” As soon as Callisto was done, Jane was on her feet and dragging her out. She gave her the address, which would make it kind of obvious where they were going, but that didn’t really matter. Hopefully Callisto wouldn’t key into just how romantic it was until they were already there. Helpfully, Jane ran her fingers down Callisto’s thighs to distract her.
The address was a giveaway as to where they were going, but Callisto was very much not suspecting anything romantic. Romance wasn’t exactly something that her mind jumped to quickly, even now. That wasn’t how she thought. She shivered at the feel of Jane’s fingers on her thighs as she drove. She may have weaved in and out of cars more than was necessary, but it was one of the things she enjoyed about riding a bike, the mobility factor in traffic.
She arrived at the address and killed the engine. “Alright, here we are at the next destination.”
It was dangerous. Jane liked that. When they reached the beach, she climbed off the bike. Her humvee was parked nearby, and she walked over it, pulling out a blanket and a cooler. “I had to call a cab to get home after parking here, but didn’t want to leave anything in the open.”
Besides, if it got too cold there was a lot of room in the back for them. She pulled her shoes off, then led Callisto down some stone stairs to the sand.
The sky was clear, the stars reflected in the sea. Somewhere out there were the Reapers. They would come, and she’d probably die. She wanted this one last chance with Callisto before that happened. To at least look at space and see the beauty and not the danger. “Come on. Sit.”
Callisto raised her eyebrows in curiosity. This was entirely not what she’d expected. She eyed the cooler and blanket as she followed Jane down to the beach. It was definitely a sight, the stars reflecting on the water. She sat down, settling herself before she looked over at Jane. “You were planning this,” she commented. She wasn’t criticizing, merely commenting. And wondering what was in the cooler.
“Yep. Got wine and beer in there. Figure I’d give you some choices.” Jane wriggled her toes on the blanket, then leaned back on her hands, one of which moved to be on top of Callisto. “This is a private beach. So it’s just us.”
“Well, you certainly came prepared.” Callisto liked choices, even if she was most likely going to take a beer. When Jane’s hand moved to be over hers, Callisto just embraced it. “I like the sound of that,” she responded with a smile. She could certainly remain more free that way, than if there were others around.
It let them touch more. And other things. But first Shepard needed a beer to loosen up. So she handed one to Callisto and took one for herself. “I know I tricked you into a date. Hope you don’t mind.”
Taking the beer, Callisto opened it and took a drink. “Technically, you asked me to dinner, so it wasn’t tricking.” She pointed out. It hadn’t been phrased as a question, but there had been an implication of asking. “Unless you’re referring to this part of it, in which case I think I can forgive you.” She teased.
“Mostly this part of it.” Jane slipped closer, then moved behind Callisto, pulling her against her chest and snuggling her from behind. “Lucky you. No witnesses.”
A bird squawked in the distance.
“One witness.”
She leaned back against Jane, resting her hands on Jane’s arms. She laughed at the bird and shook her head slightly. “I think I can manage letting a bird be a witness.” It was at least a witness that couldn’t speak to people about what it saw. Unless it was a shapeshifter or something, but Callisto wasn’t paying that any sort of mind currently.
Or a parrot. It didn’t sound like a parrot, so they were safe, and the Known Shapeshifters(™) were nowhere to be found. Jane kissed the back of Callisto’s hair, then bit her shoulder and left a mark. With the Reapers hanging over her like the Sword of Damocles, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. So to distract herself, she ran her fingers down Callisto’s stomach and nibbled again. “Have you ever thought farther ahead than a week?”
She groaned a bit as Jane bit her shoulder and trailed her fingers down her stomach. Callisto loved the way Jane touched her. She leaned into the touch, a little smile on her face. “No, not really. I haven’t much been one for that.”
That was probably a good thing. In a week, Shepard might be dead. Or she might live. If she lived, she didn’t know if she and Callisto could ever actually have what they wanted out of each other. There were questions that needed to be asked. Boundaries set.
Jane closed her eyes, flicking her tongue against Callisto’s skin and biting again. “Don’t have much planned too far ahead either, but I already talked about that.”
Lifting a hand, Callisto reached back and threaded her fingers into Jane’s hair at the back of her head. Questions did need to be asked, but it seemed pointless to ask them before the Reapers came. After all, if Jane died, then it wouldn’t have mattered much, right? And if Jane lived, well, it would give them something more to talk about. Perhaps something to look forward to once the threat had passed?
“I never saw much point in planning ahead. Never expected to live very long anyway.” Callisto had doubted she would’ve made it to 20, yet here she was, almost twenty-four, and still alive.
Hand edging under the front of Callisto’s shirt, Jane dug her fingers into her ribcage, then brought her hand up to cup Callisto’s left breast. She nuzzled Callisto’s shoulder. “Who wants to live forever? But it might be worth it with you.”
Callisto groaned, arching into Jane’s touch, and also giving a little tug on her hair. She licked her lips and arched an eyebrow at the comment. “You think so?” Not that Callisto could live forever anymore, but the notion was not lost on her.
“I think so.” Jane’s voice had groan throaty and rough as she stroked Callisto’s thigh with her right hand as her left hand far-too-gently squeezed and explored that breast. She wanted this slow, to savor it, to burn like a candle all night.
She groaned again, pressing into Jane’s touch even more. The gentle way Jane caressed her breast was not a way she was used to being touched in. But it felt good, and she was going to enjoy it. She also had no qualms spending all night doing this. “I suppose that’s good, then,” she responded, her voice also a bit throaty.
“Glad you think so.” Jane pulled Callisto flush against her, then started to tease her fingers against Callisto’s waist band. She worked her hand into Callisto’s bra and pulled it down so she could be skin to palm and had to bite Callisto again to keep herself from saying the wrong thing at the right moment.
She shivered as Jane teased her fingers against her waistband. And the skin to skin contact of Jane’s hand to her breast sent a wave of arousal through her and she groaned. She trailed her other hand along Jane’s thigh. Callisto loved the way Jane touched her, and Jane’s fingers left trails of fire along her skin.
And she didn’t stop, but she didn’t go any faster either. Jane was content to touch Callisto slow and steady, moving her hand in gentle circles and with light squeezes. She rolled her palm over Callisto’s nipple, her other hand stopping before getting very far into her pants. Jane pulled it out, and returned it to Callisto’s thigh, and grinned against her back.
Another groan that turned into a little whimper came out of her when Jane pulled her hand out of her pants and put it back on her thigh. “Tease,” she said throatily, her hand running along Jane’s thigh. And yet she wasn’t fighting it too much, possibly because she liked what Jane was doing to her breast.
“You like it,” Jane said, her voice thick with arousal and emotion. She took hold of Callisto’s ear between her teeth, gently biting and the flicking her tongue along the skin. Then she started to give Callisto’s other breast the same attention the first was getting. Always not quite the usual pressure and need. Teasingly slow, though the way she shivered gave away her need.
“Not gonna complain,” she responded huskily. At least not at this point in time. If Jane was going to tease her to the point of madness, then Callisto would take issue. But right now? She was rather enjoying this. She groaned again, pressing into Jane’s touch, and her body squirming a bit against Jane’s.
Jane teased her a few moments longer, then shifted out behind her and laid her down. She started to undress her, slowly. With fingers and even teeth, exposing Callisto to the chilled air. She kissed at goosebumps on her leg, then at her stomach before skipping past Callisto’s breasts to kiss her lips.
Even before Jane slowly undressed her, Callisto could sense there was something different this time around. There was more to this than simple sex, and it had a different emotional charge to it than was normally there between them. She shivered as the cool air hit her skin, then again as Jane kissed her way up. Callisto returned the kiss, hands moving to pull Jane’s shirt and bra off, wanting the skin to skin contact. And she seemed to be feeding off of the emotion behind Jane’s actions, and she met it with her own, arms wrapping around her and pulling her flush against her.
Groaning, Jane tangled her fingers in Callisto’s hair, the skin contact electrifying and her own emotions flooding her. Jane was so afraid of it that she nearly balked, before giving in and just letting them wash over her.
Her other hand stroked Callisto’s stomach, and she deepened the kiss with another moan.
It was intense, and Callisto was afraid of the strength of the emotions. But at the same time, there was a very real possibility that Jane wouldn’t survive the impending apocalypse, so Callisto threw caution to the wind. She echoed Jane’s moan, kissing her back just as deeply as her hands trailed along her back, caressing the skin.
Slow, gentle, loving. Jane touched Callisto, kissed and caressed at her with teeth and hands and tongue and soft, wordless moans. Her eyelashes grew wet, and she memorized the taste and feel of Callisto. Just in case.
Each little touch set her on fire even further until she felt her entire being was burning. It made her feel alive in a different kind of way than it typically did. Callisto felt things and it made her heart both fill and hurt at the same time. She could lose this, lose Jane, but she didn’t say anything. Didn’t trust herself to say anything. Instead, she moaned, fingers moving along Jane’s skin, taking in the feel of her, and wanting all of her.
There was no ‘i love you’ in Jane’s words. But in her touch and in her eyes and in the way she whispered Callisto’s name, the words were there. And she meant them.
To say that this was an intense encounter was putting it mildly. While Callisto didn’t always pick up well on emotions, she was picking up on what Jane was conveying. And Callisto knew in her heart that she loved her back. She told Jane in how she responded with her touches and moans and breathless whispers of Jane’s name. It was enough to make her want to burst.
Jane eventually positioned herself so they could kiss and she could still bring Callisto to the edge of orgasm and beyond. She was so close herself but stubbornly wanted them to come together. That romantic side of her that she so often tried to ignore these days made her desperately want that.
She yearned for that release, kissing Jane more heatedly and her moans getting louder the closer she came. She didn’t pull the armor off easily and let people into her heart, but that’s what she did for Jane, letting her into her heart and letting her see her for what was under the extremely tough exterior. Her orgasm was fast approaching, and she felt it would be quite a powerful one. She worked to bring Jane to orgasm as well.
It hit her sooner rather than later, and Jane crashed her lips against Callisto’s as she cried out a noise that would embarrassing in any other situation. Shuddering, she rode through the wave, only breaking the kiss when she was sure it was safe.
As soon as Jane’s orgasm hit her, Callisto’s came as well. She cried out into Jane’s mouth, practically clinging to her as she rode the orgasm out. Eventually, she settled back against the ground, breathing heavily and her body trembling a bit from release, both physical and emotional.
Panting for breath, Jane kept herself propped half on top of Callisto. She brushed her lips against her jaw, not sure what exactly to say, or if she should say anything. She settled with a long, content sigh, and brushed her fingers over Callisto’s forehead.
She took some slow, deep breaths as she tried to catch her breath. Callisto closed her eyes and pressed a kiss to Jane’s shoulder. Her fingers lightly trailed along Jane’s back, a contented sigh coming from her, echoing Jane’s. She didn’t quite have words to speak currently, so she just settled for actions instead.
They were both women of action, so it made a sort of sense. Jane kissed whatever part of Callisto was nearest to her lips, and closed her eyes. She felt … content.