They're almost in Mexico and she's feeling a little intoxicated, high on life. High on happiness. She's sixteen and just gotten her driver's license and she's driving to Mexico (of all places) and she's snuck out of the house (in the middle of the night and if her moms knew, they'd ground her forever). Oh and she's also brought her former lover slash current foster brother along for the ride. And she's feeling unbelievably happy. Happy enough to ignore the fact that this is the first time in what feels like forever that she and Brandon are out somewhere, on their own, just the two of them. Maybe it's the thrill of sneaking out or maybe it's the thrill of finally being able to drive or maybe just maybe it's the whole idea of being alone with him but she really feels happy. Truly.
It's been a while.
She tries to ignore the butterflies resurfacing in the pit of her stomach as she sneaks a glance at his confused face…but she can't. This is Brandon. Kind, reliable Brandon, who she depends on; who she can count on. Brandon, who's her first and perhaps only best friend. Brandon Adams Foster- the first boy she's ever been in love with. Maybe she's just sixteen and too young to say this but she can't stop herself from thinking she won't ever love anyone the way she loved (loves) him.
"Look, there's something I have to do that- I'm not really allowed to do in the state of California. At least not without parental consent," she announces, smiling widely, her brown orbs twinkling at the mere thought of what she intends to do. Taking a page out of her other foster brother's book (the foster brother she actually considers a brother without any difficulty or hesitation or confusion-no blurred lines there with Jesus, thank god, for that), and she's getting a tattoo. Not that she's having someone's name permanently etched onto her skin, shaking her head as an image of Hayley's name on Jesus' torso, pops up in front of her.
Brandon's eyes widen. Golden boy, that one, she thinks, her grin widening over his panic. He never did get into trouble. Well, that was before he met her, that is. It's cute. The way his eyes widen and he begins to stutter, wondering what she's taking him into and whether it's legal or not.
He's cute.
Okay, no, she chides herself internally. No, can't think about him like that. No, not again.
Instead, she throws a grin in his direction. puts some music on and speeds up as they approach the toll booth that leads them into Mexico.
(x)
"There's nothing going on between me and AJ," she insists, all the while thinking about AJ's bright smile and issues and god, his comment that night during dinner with Lena's parents had her feeling something she really can't (or won't) identify. Beyond the tough 'I don't give a shit' front that he has up, he's a decent guy. One of the good ones. One of the appropriate ones. And it'd be easy to be with him, if she wanted (as easy as it is to be with a sixteen year old foster kid with abandonment issues- but that's thinking too far ahead) He isn't her foster brother, after all and she likes him enough, but no she doesn't like him the way Brandon's implying.
"I'm not blind, Callie." He's jealous.
She resists the urge to burst into laughter. He's jealous. Realisation hits her like a ton of bricks and a strange numbness washes over her for a minute.
"You kinda are, Brandon," she forces out, her anger evident on her face. No, she can't do this with him. Not again. Not when he's the one who rejected her the last time something happened between them.
He shakes his head at her.
She rolls her eyes at him.
He glares at her.
She folds her arms against her chest and glares right back at him. "Stop it," she says a moment later. "Don't be unfair to AJ because…I don't know why…whether it's because your dad's fostering him or because you don't like him or because you're going through your own crap, Brandon, you can't just take it out on him. I-"
He cuts her off and throws his lips against hers, pulling her close against him, his mouth moving frantically against hers, tasting, breathing, reacquainting. It feels right and wrong and strange and so inappropriate but it also tastes familiar. Like home.
He's missed this. Missed her. He doesn't know what's triggered this and why he's acting the way he is but he can't help it. Not that she's making things any easier either, what with the small moans that are emitting her lips as her arms tighten around his neck and she pushes herself closer and closer to him. Any closer and he thinks he'll die. Combust spontaneously. Because it feels so good and so right but at the same time, this is his foster sister (the word itself leaves a bitter taste in his mouth) and it clearly isn't right to feel this way, to physically respond this way to someone who is about to legally become his sibling.
He can't stop. He can't help himself. He just can't. He envisions Callie and AJ together and wants to puke. There's definitely something there; something beyond Callie being her helpful self on a mission to save a broken boy with a broken, betrayed heart.
But then he thinks about them and how they're Callie and Brandon and even when they're not CallieandBrandon, and they're just Callie and Brandon, CallieandBrandon are still an important part of them. Even when there is no official 'them'.
She pushes him away and she looks hurt and horrified and all he wants to do is kiss her again and hold her in his arms. She backs away and he stands there, watching and he knows what he should do and all his reasoning goes out the window when he extends a hand towards her, looking at her expectantly. "Callie…" his voice is low and stressed and he doesn't have to actually say anything for her to know what he's thinking.
The way he says her name (almost reverently, or so it seems to her) is just about enough to convey the thought that goes unspoken between them; that he loves her and needs her and wants her.
Brandon wants to be with her.
Maybe they're sixteen and stupid and maybe it's wrong but then again, they're sixteen and they've been mature enough all their lives to finally justify them being a little silly and more than a little in love. Maybe it's because they're sixteen right now and can justify being a little silly when they've got their whole adult lives ahead of them to be sensible and actually mature.
Callie is quiet but she's still standing, facing the boy she wants to kiss again so desperately. She hasn't fled, the way she usually does, to escape and run away and avoid confrontations and messy situations. She's still here, sticking around and maybe just maybe it seems that way to Brandon but it looks like her hand is also reaching out for his already outstretched hand.
Maybe just maybe she'll take it…
She knows she wants to.
And twenty seconds later, her hand is in his, and they're both together.
The Adams Foster family was clearly aware of Brandon and Callie's feelings for each other in S1. They knew that there was something there between the two, right? So, can someone explain how come that's been thrown under the rug completely? Huh? Aren't Stef or Lena concerned? Or curious? Also, wouldn't Marianna say something the way she usually does? Why have they been ignoring this entirely? Like why no 'hey B, do you still have the hots for your foster sista who sleeps a room away from you' and 'sure B, you dated Lou but ya know what about those supposedly serious lovey dovey feelings ya had about Callie Jacobs' or how about a little investigation on Marianna's part some day…"Hey Cal, so what was the deal with you and Brandon a while back?'
PLEASE REVIEW. Tell me what you think will go down when C and B are in Mexico! SO SO EXCITED. I HOPE THEY FINALLY HOOK UP.
ALSO, I LOVE AJ. DON'T YOU?!