As Callie walks into the small bar she wonders why she is even there. Well she knows why. She is there to see his band preform because he had asked her to come. Actually begged is more of the accurate term for it. She was surprised he did not drop on his knees during their conversation this morning. And of course, like always, she had her normal quick reply ready, no she would not be going. His music is her biggest weakness. Hearing him sing songs about her and about his pain, is just something that Callie was never good at sitting through. Don't get her wrong, she loved his music and thought he is very talented but, she rarely gets through a song without crying. It was the nights where she would accidentally walk into the garage during band practice or walk passed his room while he was practicing compositions, that Callie would cry herself to sleep at night knowing he was just in as much pain as she is. But they both knew that right now they couldn't be together. She knows it, he knows it. So this time when he had asked her to come, something in his face gave her pause. He had this look in his eyes that told her it was important to him that she to be there tonight. It was a look she knew all to well. One he gets when he has something planned. Something planned just for her. And Callie knew that whatever it is, tonight is not the night to let him down by not showing up. That is why she is currently standing in some shady bar's door way looking for him.
Almost the instant Callie walks in, Brandon spots her from his spot on the stage. He is glad that she came. He was not one hundred percent sure that she would come when she had agreed to earlier that day. So just the fact that she is here, to see him play, makes Brandon break out into the biggest smile. It is important that she is here tonight in order for his master plan to work. He had created it specifically for only her to understand. It had taken him weeks for this to be set it up and convincing her to be here tonight was the hardest part of all.
He understood why she would choose not to come. Brandon knows it is hard for her to hear songs he plays about them. He knows that it is just as rough on her as it is for him to hear her cry in bed at night through the thin wall that separates their rooms. It is rough but, if his plan works tonight all of that would not matter.
He waits for her to lock eyes with him before waving to her. Once she sees him and his smile that he reserves just for her, she smiles just as widely too. He hops off the stage to great her at the door.
"Hey, I wasn't sure you were going to come," Brandon says as he brings her into a warm hug.
"Yeah, I wasn't so sure myself either. But you know you had practically begged, so how could I refuse you," Callie replies cheekily as he releases his hold on her.
He rolls his eyes before replying, "Yeah, yeah. Tease all you want but, I really needed you here tonight. So thanks for coming."
"Your welcome. Now are you going to escort me to my seat or do I have to stand in the door all night?" she teases, trying to keep the conversation from getting too serious and going to certain topics she had long ago labeled forbidden.
He holds out his arm as to escort. "Why of course. How silly of me. Your table awaits my lady."
She links her arm with his, something she hopes the other patrons of the bar and his band mates will see as a sibling action. God, it pained her to have to watch how they act in public. When they are alone at home it does not matter how they act. They can be as close as they wanted to be as long as they didn't cross the invisible line that they made when she had moved back in from Girl United. It is the line that allows them to tease and joke with each other but, not flirt. The line that allows him to sit behind her while reaching around to show her something on the guitar but not allow him to hug her for longer than five seconds. The line that allows her to play footsies with him at dinner but, doesn't let her hold his hand when he is driving them in the car. But they were safe as long as they didn't cross that line. It's painful but, they knew for right now it's for the best.
They reach a table with a little reserved sign on it. The seat he saved for her would allow her to have a great view of him from behind his keyboard. She knew he probably showed up a hour before everyone else just to ensure she has this seat. It was a cute gesture really.
"Wow a reserved table and everything. You really know how to make a girl feel like a VIP," she says as she sits down.
He leans against the edge of the stage that is next to the table before replying, "well I think my love deserves the best treatment possible."
At the comment she looks around the room at anything but him. It's not that he had made her uncomfortable by it but, he actually reminded her of the pain of not being able to be together. She didn't like those reminders. In fact she hates then. All her life she is reminded of what she doesn't get to have and Brandon being on that list is what hurts the most.
After seeing her shut down after his comment, he tells her that he should get on stage because they are going to start soon. She waves him off and tells him good luck, although he doesn't need it.
While waiting for the band to start, Callie takes a moment to admire how much Brandon had change since she first met him. He was a few inches taller than he was when she first met him and he allowed a small scruff to grow on his face now. It made him look a few years old than he was. She liked that, a look to go with his mature nature. She always liked that about him. How he always seemed to be older than her although in reality he was two months younger. It is one of the aspects of him that made her feel safe.
Another thing that he had seemed to pick up over the last year or so is the baseball cap that is always on his head. When he came home for the first time with that stupid Padre's hat on it was just so out of character that the entire family laughed. She liked it though. Over time she has come the think it suits him nicely. It's just became another thing on the long list of things she loves about him.
She is brought out of her thoughts by the band introducing themselves and soon they work their way through the show. She is shocked that she is able to keep it together through the majority of the songs. She can tell that there are some songs not played and she knows it is because she is there. She is grateful for that.
"Ok so I want to thank you all for coming out tonight. You guys were an awesome crowd," the bar cheers when Brandon says that, "This is going to be our last song for the night. It is new and I wrote it for a very special person in my life. I hope she gets what I am trying to say." He looks towards Callie and only hopes that she can understand what he is trying to say.
"There's a lightning in your eyes, I can't deny
Then there's me inside a sinking boat running out of time
Without you I'll never make it out alive
But I know, yes I know, we'll be alright." In this moment, Callie knows that she will never get tired of hearing his voice. She could listen to him sing everyday and it could never be enough.
"There's a devil in your smile, it's chasing me
And every time I turn around it's only gaining speed
There's a moment when you finally realize
There's no way you can change the rolling tide
But I know, yes I know, that I'll be fine
This time I'm ready to run
Escape from the city and follow the sun
'Cause I wanna be yours, don't you wanna be mine?
I don't wanna get lost in the dark of the night
This time I'm ready to run
Wherever you are is the place I belong
'Cause I wanna be free, and I wanna be young
I will never look back now I'm ready to run
I'm ready to run
There's a future in my life I can't foresee
Unless, of course, I stay on course and keep you next to me
There will always be the kind that criticize
But I know, yes, I know we'll be alright
This time I'm ready to run
Escape from the city and follow the sun
'Cause I wanna be yours, don't you wanna be mine?
I don't wanna get lost in the dark of the night
This time I'm ready to run
Wherever you are is the place I belong
'Cause I wanna be free, and I wanna be young
I will never look back now I'm ready to run
This time I'm ready to run (ready to run)
I'd give everything that I got for your love
This time I'm ready to run
Escape from the city and follow the sun
Cause I wanna be yours, don't you wanna be mine?
I don't wanna get lost in the dark of the night
This time I'm ready to run (this time I'm ready to run)
Wherever you are is the place I belong
'Cause I wanna be free, and I wanna be young
I will never look back, now I'm ready to run
I'm ready to run"
There are tears in her eyes at this point. He is looking at her waiting. When the song finished she knew the question he was silently asking. The secret message written in the lyrics just for her. With a slight nod of the head, she gives him her answer. This time they were both ready to run.
Thank you for reading. I am going to try to update as often as I can. I am a nursing student so time is tight for stuff like this. But this story has been running around in my head for a while now and I am very committed to it. Please review and fallow.
I do not own Ready To Run by One Direction
I do not own The Fosters