I don't own these characters.
4: Social
The vacation time was gone quickly, but it was time well spent. Felina was moving much more freely, though slowly. They had even strolled around the street yesterday with Felina regaling her about her travels while she was in the army. Callie felt like she was a better nurse than she thought and she might have to call her mother to thank her for all of the home economic lessons, as they certainly did come in handy in caring for Felina.
"What are we going to do for dinner?" Callie asked from the kitchen. She searched through the fully stocked cabinets.
"I don't really have a preference, Callie. You know that," Felina answered from the living room.
It was quite true. Felina would eat anything from what Callie had seen. So, the decision was left to her. After she got dinner started, she sat down on the sofa next to Felina. Felina watched boxing.
"This is third time I've caught you watching this utterly barbaric sport," Callie commented, turning her mouth up to the show.
Felina gave her a side eye. "Barbaric? Just because it consists of two kats punching each other doesn't make it barbaric."
The slight affront in her tone would have gone unnoticed by others, but living with her for two weeks gave Callie well-trained ears. "You boxed, didn't you?"
"Still do. I have since I was a little kitten." Felina held up her hands and threw a few punches.
"Your father, yes?"
Felina smiled. "My father, yes. I was his buddy for almost ten years before he had a son. We did many things together."
"Did he… did he forget you once he had this son?" While she had never experienced that, as she had not had a close relationship with her father, she could imagine it happening.
"Oh, no. Not at all. He just included my brother. It was a little off-putting to have to share my time with my father. It was our time, after all. But, more often than not, my brother was great. Sometimes, you get annoyed with younger siblings and I did sometimes, but I look back and I'm happy we had that time. It wasn't a lot." Felina frowned and played with her fingers.
"Your family found out about you being a lioness and then your mother took your siblings away?" Callie guessed. She knew Felina's mother took Felina's little sister away, but she figured it was probably both siblings. "She didn't want them to catch your… illness?"
Felina shook her head. "I actually came out to my father and he was the one who thought I was sick. It was a little funny. He thought it was his fault that my brain was… rattled. He went to my mother for advice. As you can imagine, she didn't take it well. She wanted to throw me off the farm. My father stopped her, but nothing was ever the same. Once she saw me with my girlfriend, though, that's when life really sucked."
Reaching over, she took Felina's arm in her hands. Callie did not say anything, knew she did not have to say anything. She patted Felina's arm, noting the other female breathed just a little harder. She guessed Felina was upset, remembering her past.
"So, you're ready to go back to work?" Felina asked, changing the subject. Callie did not mind.
Scoffing, Callie rolled her eyes. "Not hardly. Caring for you is ten times easier than caring for the mayor."
"Then why do you do it? Did he jump in front a bullet for you, too?" Felina asked with a smile.
Callie chuckled. "He's definitely not that selfless. Why do you do your job, knowing you'll never be appreciated like the males? Knowing you'll be passed over and over again for promotions given to lesser kats?"
"Sorry, if I was out of line."
"You weren't. I just assumed you'd understand why I'd do it."
Felina smiled a bit and there was a look in her eyes, as if she did understand. And there was silence again. The quiet seemed to wrap around them and set the world at ease. Callie eventually had to get up and get back to dinner, but until that time, she left her hand on Felina. Felina was able to walk to the counter for dinner on her own.
"So, when do you go back to work?" Felina asked before spearing some chicken with her fork.
"Monday, unfortunately. I wanted to use all of the vacation time I had, considering I've never taken a vacation, but the mayor practically cried when he found out. I'm lucky he gave me the two weeks, but then again, legally he has to give me at least the two weeks if I request my vacation time," Callie answered.
"He's not as stupid as he looks, then. He gives you the bare minimum to avoid a compliant."
"Little does he know, I could still file a compliant, but I won't. You seem to be able enough for me to leave alone for a few hours."
Felina blinked. "So, you'll come back after work?"
"I'll come back until you're completely on your feet, lieutenant," she answered with a smile. Besides, she liked it here. It was much better than going home to an empty condo. She never realized how lonely she was until now.
Felina let loose a playful scoff and waved her off. "Promises, promises."
"Well, I've got to come back at least until I've eaten my share of the food."
Felina laughed. Callie smiled. She would come back. She would come back just for this, the shared meals, the easy camaraderie, and good laughs. She had not had many friendships in life. Hanging out with Jake and Chance in their junkyard was nothing like this.
-8-8-8-8-
The first day without Callie was a bore. Felina watched television, read her books, and waited like some sort of pet for Callie to return. And, she did not care, which she knew was the biggest problem.
"Shit, this has happened already," Felina muttered, throwing a hand over her face. "I guess I can just ride it out. Once I go back to work and she goes back home, things should even out."
It would have sounded a lot better if only she did not know for a fact she had a lot of pain ahead of her, pain that her gunshots wounds could not match on their best day. She sucked it up and decided to do something to get her mind off of things. Climbing to her feet, she moved to the kitchen. She would cook.
"It's a good thing Callie makes sure we're never low on supplies," she muttered and then realized she said "we're." The implications made her grimace. Yeah, she had an even longer road to recovery with that.
Searching the cabinets, she found the ingredients she required and got to work. She was not sure how long the deputy mayor worked, even though she imagined it was much longer than the mayor himself, but she hoped Callie would not be too long. She did not want the food to get too cold.
"I'm a fool," she said and then she heard the door open. Her heart beat just a little faster and excitement coursed through her blood. "But, I already knew that."
"Hey, Felina," Callie said as she waltzed in, eyes tired and shoulders slumped. She sighed as she put the keys down. She was still dressed in her work clothes and Felina had to bite back a rumble in her throat that desperately wanted to be a deep purr.
"Lemme help." Felina rushed over, taking Callie's briefcase and her coat.
"You shouldn't be moving around so much."
Felina waved her off and hung up the coat. "I'm fine. Go sit down for a minute." She placed the briefcase underneath the end table by the front door.
Callie laughed, even it sounded worn and tired. "I'd like to, but dinner isn't going to make itself and it's already late."
"Actually, dinner did make itself. So, how about you go sit down and let me get it?" Felina offered with a smile. "I'll get you some cream, too."
"Felina…"
"No, no, no. Don't argue. I'm not straining myself. I'm better. It's been almost two months since I was shot. The hospital took care of me good the first few weeks and you took even better care in the past two. I'm not a hundred percent, but I am good enough to serve you dinner and that expensive cream you love so much."
Callie just smiled and Felina's traitorous heart fluttered. I want to make her smile all the time. Felina tried to shake that thought off as she retreated to the kitchen. She poured the cream first, taking note of the name. Perhaps, one day when it did not seem strange or obvious, she would treat Callie to a bottle. Also, when she could afford it.
"Here you go," Felina said, presenting Callie with the goblet of cream.
"Thank you."
Felina smiled. "No problem. I can take care of you, too." Mentally, she slapped herself as soon as the words left her mouth. This is what my uncle was warning her about!
Callie did not seem to notice anything was amiss, though. She accepted the cream, took a sip, and sighed happily. Felina could have melted at the sound. Instead, she rushed off, needing to warm up dinner. They sat on the couch that night to eat and Callie got to complain about her first day back at work. Felina hung on every word, all the while feeling more and more like a love struck kitten.
"Your job sounds tough," Felina commented. Of course, she never thought dealing with Mayor Manx was anything but tough. But, it would seem, Callie also had to deal with idiotic tomcats around the office who did not think she was up to snuff, even though she had been doing her job just as long as Manx had been mayor.
"No job worth doing is easy. How easy is your job after all?" Callie countered.
"You got me there. At least I get to blow things up every now and then. It lets me vent."
Callie laughed. "The best I can do is growl out orders and even then, I have to be controlled about it. You never know who you might need tomorrow, so you try not to be unkind to them today."
Felina shook her head. "I wouldn't have the patience for politics. I imagine this is why my uncle is often pissed off."
"Yes, he is rather the bull in the China shop when it comes to these things. You," Callie paused and gave her a smile. "You, though, have proven you can be trained."
Felina laughed, even though she should have been insulted. No person on the planet could say such a thing to her, beyond her commanders anyway, and Callie. Callie did not mean it with any negative connotations or thoughts to tame her. The night pressed on and soon they were both yawning and struggling to remain awake.
"You can have the bed if you like," Felina offered.
Callie shook her head as she tried, and failed, to fight back another yawn. "You're still recovering. You keep the bed."
"You worked all day."
"You were shot three times."
Felina shook her head. "One day, that argument won't hold."
"But, not today."
Shaking her head, Felina chuckled. "I should know better than to argue with a lawyer."
-8-8-8-8-
As days passed, Felina liked to act like she was in tiptop condition, but Callie knew better. The lieutenant fell asleep much too easily for her to perfectly fine. They were on the couch, just after dinner, and Felina had dozed off. Callie decided to get some work done.
Callie was actually happy Felina fell asleep because if she tried to work with Felina awake, the enforcer would ask questions about her job. Felina would also get upset with her for working, thinking she did too much as it was. She supposed this was ironic considering Felina did reports that Commander Feral brought over every few days. Of course, Felina did not also spend eight to ten hours at the office every day as she did.
A knocking on the door pulled Callie from her work. It was probably Commander Feral. Even though he had been by a couple of days ago, it was not unheard of for him to come by again. Sometimes, she thought he was checking on her more than he was checking on Felina. Looking through the peephole, she found she was wrong.
"Hello, can I help you?" Callie asked as she eased open the door. Before her stood a female. She looked very well to do, perfect long auburn hair, and possibly the perfect body covered in fancy business clothing. For some reason, Callie wanted to claw her eyes out.
"I was looking for Felina." This made Callie really want to claw the she-kat's eyes out.
"She's asleep right now. Can I help you with anything?" Callie hoped she sounded polite. There was no reason to not be polite, after all, but she was tense and thought her voice might be a bit strained.
Green eyes watched Callie briefly before the female shook her head. "Oh, right. I suppose she needs her sleep."
Callie nodded. "She does. She's still recovering."
"Yes, I heard she was wounded in an attack on the mayor. I'm glad the Enforcers took that madman down. I wanted to see how she was doing while I was in town. Is she all right?"
"She's recovering," Callie answered, doing her best not to snap. This was probably a friend of Felina's and it was nice someone had come by to check on her. Of course, Felina told her friends to stay away while she recovered, but she should find it sweet someone decided not to listen.
The female nodded. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to wake her up."
"Like you said, she needs her rest."
"All right. Is it all right if I come by some other time? I'm in town for a few days. I just want to see her and congratulate her on her usually foolhardy actions. I have no plans to try to step on your toes or anything," the female assured her.
Callie's brow furrowed. "Step on my toes?" She shook her head. She did not really have time for this. "I think your best bet would be to call before you come over. She slips into naps very easily and sleeps for a couple of hours at a time."
"Yes, I will call. I'm sorry for coming here unannounced. Again, I don't mean it as any disrespect toward you." The female smiled. "If I don't get to come by again, though, please, take care of her. Felina is a very special female."
"Yes, she is."
"Be good to her and she'll treat you like the queen she'll call you." There was a little wave before the female was on her way and Callie was a little confused.
When Callie shut the door, it dawned on her and she gasped aloud. She thinks I'm Felina's girlfriend! Part of her was terrified. She did not want anyone to think she was a lioness because she was not. She did not want to become a social pariah, but a larger part of her, almost the whole of her, did not care.
She owed Felina her life and she would stay loyal to Felina. Let people think what they think. They were not close to her. They were not her friends. Felina was her friend, her best friend. She would not let outside influences change that.
Easing back to her spot on the couch, she glanced at Felina and smiled at the sight. No, she definitely would not allow any outside influence to cost her this. Felina knew she was not a lioness and it did not bother her that Felina was one.
Callie returned to her work. Once she was done, she woke Felina up, moving her to her bed. Callie slept on the couch as always, even though it was beginning to wear on her. No matter how much she wanted it to be, the couch was not a bed and it was painfully obvious after almost a month of sleeping on it. Still, she made do. Felina's couch just held more appeal than Callie's bed.
-8-8-8-8-
Felina tried to read as she shared the sofa with Callie, as she did every day. Reading was not working as it usually did, though. Callie worked on a speech for the mayor, but she had already taken her glasses off twice to rub her eyes, even though she had not been working a half-hour. Those usually bright teal eyes had lines and circles underneath. Callie worked too hard for too little payoff in Felina's opinion, but it would do no good to point that out.
"It's late. Maybe we should go to bed," Felina proposed, hoping Callie did not take that the wrong way. She was careful about what she said now and hoped for the best whenever something came out that could be taken another way. Hoping worked so far, but she really needed to think everything out before she spoke.
"You can go to bed. I should work on this a little more." Callie yawned.
"You take the bed. You're already half-asleep. We both know you'll do better work after a good night's sleep."
"I'm not taking your bed."
"I know, I know, I was shot three times." Felina waved that off, rather sick of the argument. "But, the doctor already said I'm almost a hundred percent. I can even go back to work in a week. So, you can have the bed. I'll take the couch." She could endure the couch for a few nights, especially if it helped Callie… and kept Callie at the apartment.
Callie frowned. "No. You need the bed."
"Tonight, you need it more than I do. Go, take it. I know it's not as good as yours, but you haven't seen your bed in weeks. It'll make mine feel like a cloud," Felina said with a smile.
"No…" Callie yawned again and her eyes drooped.
"Come." Felina stood and took Callie by the hand. Giving just a little tug, Callie stood. She wanted to be led, wanted to be put to bed. It just looked good to resist a little. Felina understood that.
"I'm not taking the bed," Callie protested, taking her glasses off. She rubbed her eyes again.
"Yes, you are." Felina turned down the bed. Thankfully, Callie was in her pajamas and had done all of her nightly rituals already.
"No…"
"Yes. Now, lie down."
"You… you need the bed."
"I'll be fine," Felina whispered, gently tugging Callie down. Callie went down, but only sat on the bed. She clutched at the bottom of Felina's enforcer t-shirt.
"You need the bed, too. I don't want to put you out. You lie down."
"No, you lie down," Felina insisted, fluffing up one of the pillows. I've never had to fight a female into my bed before.
"No, you lie down. Lie down with me."
Felina almost swallowed her tongue. She made a noise she had never made before and did not begin to know how to categorize it. Her eyes went wide, but Callie was too exhausted to notice.
"Callie, you don't know what you're saying," Felina whispered.
"I do. Lie down. Sleep. We can sleep. We can sleep." Callie slowly fell down onto the bed. Felina covered her with the blankets and made her way the couch. She would sleep there.
In the morning, Callie scolded Felina over sleeping on the couch. Felina took it, but would not have done things any other way. She would not do things any other way if the situation arose. She could not risk that. What if I am the monster everyone thinks lions are? Callie would not be the one to make them find out.
Beyond that, things were normal between them for the next few days. Callie came in, they had dinner, and then Callie got to work. Felina kept her company, pretending to read on the couch or filling out reports for her uncle. Felina managed to stay awake those few days, but now she found herself nodding off.
-8-8-8-8-
Callie smiled as Felina slept against her. Felina had been hell bent in proving she was fine, but she could not stay awake for the night. Glancing down at Felina, she smiled. I wonder what the big, bad lieutenant would think if she knew she was sleeping against me like a little kit? The weight against her was warm and pleasant. It helped her work for a little while longer.
"Felina, time for bed," Callie whispered. She had to resist the urge to brush black hair from Felina's face.
"Hmm?" Felina did not bother to open her eyes.
"Bedtime. Come on."
"You take the bed," Felina mumbled, turning a little, inadvertently pressing herself closer to Callie. The contact was just as satisfying.
"No, you need the bed. You've been moving slower since you've been sleeping on the couch." She wondered about Felina's recovery since she had taken the sofa. Felina not only moved slower, but massaged areas of her body when she thought Callie was not looking. But, Callie was always looking.
Felina groaned. "Not slower. Fine. You take the bed."
"No, come on. Bedtime." Callie grabbed Felina and feigned lifting her, knowing Felina would take care of the rest. Felina stood and yawned. Callie led her to bed.
"You should take the bed," Felina muttered as Callie led her down.
Callie did not argue. She really did need the bed. The sofa was not conducive to a good night sleep or a productive day of work. So, once Felina was down, Callie slid into the other side of the bed. She knew Felina did not want them to share the bed for whatever reason, but she woke up first, so Felina would be none the wiser.
Lying in the bed, hearing Felina breathing barely an inch from her was comfortable, secure. It was almost alarming at how easy it was to lie there and fall asleep there. But, it did not bother Callie, even when she woke up that morning. Instead of dwelling on it, she proceeded like it was any other morning.
"Don't forget about your doctor's appointment today," Callie told Felina as she staggered into the kitchen, looking for breakfast.
"I know, I know." Felina yawned as she flopped down into a chair.
"I miss going to your appointments with you." It was always nice to hear from the source that Felina was improving. To hear Felina tell it, she was fine from the moment they pulled the bullets out of her, after all.
"I already know you have the doctor call you after I leave to give you an update."
Callie's eyes went wide. "I do not…" She did. She had missed two appointments already, but the doctor had been kind enough to tell her what Felina did not.
"I told him it was all right to tell you," Felina admitted. Callie suspected as much as that was the only reason she could think of with the doctor giving her confidential information. "He knows you're the only reason I've gotten better so quickly," Felina added with a smile.
"Oh." Callie was not sure how she felt about such compliments being told to the doctor. She focused on the sausage in the pan. "I didn't do much."
"No, you did more. Worry about work, not me. You've done your part here."
Callie frowned a bit, but managed to wipe it away before Felina noticed. Felina was about to go back to work, so Callie would not have an excuse to come by anymore. This troubled her. She liked coming here, liked seeing Felina daily, and spending time with Felina, even if they did not do anything. She was not sure what was going to happen when Felina got the clearance to return to work. This would all be over and Callie was not sure she would be able to handle it.
Why am I so worried? We won't stop being friends just because I'm not living here anymore. Callie did not need to live there for them to be friends. They would always be friends, but still, the idea of moving out sat heavy in the bottom of her stomach and burned.
She managed to settle her stomach as she made them plates for breakfast. She ate slower than usual and noticed Felina watching her out of the corner of her eye. This only made her stomach act up again.
"Are you all right?" Felina inquired.
"I'm fine. I think I made too much food," Callie lied. She did not want Felina to worry over her… or suspect something might be else might be going on with her. She did not want to come across as weird either.
Felina eyed her still, but accepted that. Once she was done with breakfast, she rushed off to get ready for work. She managed to calm herself down as she got dressed and brushed her teeth.
"I'll call you later, all right?" Callie said as she gathered her things to leave for work.
"All right. Do you know what you want for dinner? I'm going to go grocery shopping after the doctor." This seemed to be an effort to prove she was fine. Felina had gone shopping a couple of times already. She was not as thorough as Callie, but she seemed hell bent on getting back to normal.
"The pot pie you made before. It never fails to cheer me up at the end of a hard day." And considering the fact that everyday was hard, it would be nice to have some comfort food with a nice cup of cream and delightful company at the end of the day.
Felina smiled and nodded. Callie did the same and then was off to work, trying not to thing about the dread hanging over her head. The feeling held her down, though, tormenting her for the whole day.
-8-8-8-8-
Felina had been cleared for work. It was light duty, but it was still work. She knew Callie had gotten the news about an hour after she did. She wanted to call Callie when the doctor told her, but she was scared. She did not want to hear Callie wash her hands of this whole ordeal now that it was over. Callie had not called her to let her know if she was aware of the doctor's decision and Felina was too nervous too call her.
Instead, Felina wandered the city for a while, picking up new books and other items, and then went home. Should she make dinner for one or two? She did not know, but as she started, she ended up making enough for two. Now, did she eat or did she wait? Again, she did not need to give herself a conscious answer. She waited. And waited. Just as she was about to give up, there was a knock at the door. For a moment, Felina was confused.
"Oh, I have the keys." Callie had to knock because Felina used the only pair of house keys she had. She rushed to the door and opened it to let Callie in. "You came back," Felina breathed with a grin before she could control herself.
Callie grinned. "I thought we could celebrate your clean bill of health. No more pills, so we can both have cream now." She held up a bottle.
Felina inspected the label, not surprised she had never heard of the brand. "I hope this goes well with dinner."
Callie chuckled. "It goes well with anything." Her eyes seemed to sparkle at that.
Felina shrugged as she took Callie's coat and hung it up. She was not a cream kind of girl. She drank milk beer more often than not, like most enforcers and also most former soldiers. But, for Callie, she made an exception.
"Oh, lobster alfredo," Callie practically purred as she pulled up to the counter. The sound rolled through Felina and she had to swallow to avoid making any sound in response.
Felina busied herself getting glasses for the cream. She popped the cork to the cream and poured some for both of them before she sat down. Callie smiled at her and they ate quietly for a few moments.
"So, are you looking forward to going back to work?" Callie asked before taking a bite of her dinner.
"Of course." I'm just curious what will happen between us now. She took a gulp of her cream.
"Don't work too hard. You don't want to aggravate your wounds just yet."
Felina waved off the concern. "Don't worry. I'm sure the doctor told you he only signed off on light duty. I'll be at desk for a while."
Callie narrowed her gaze. "You better stay at that desk. I don't want to find you in a plane until the doctor signs off on it."
"I wouldn't."
Callie pressed her with a stern look. "You would and your uncle would let you. Commander Feral would look at as a personal insult if he couldn't put his best pilot in the air when necessary and you would happily jump into a plane if given the order, regardless of what the doctor said."
"Damn. You know us both pretty well." It was a little scary, but a lot more flattering.
"Yes, I do."
The night seemed normal until it was time for bed. Callie yawned and rubbed her eyes. Felina was about to shoo her to bed, but the deputy mayor stood up. She packed her things away.
"I guess it's time I go home," she muttered, glancing away.
"Oh, right." This made sense. She was healthy. There was no reason for Callie to stay there anymore. Plus, Callie had to be missing her own space. Kats preferred their own territory, after all.
Felina did her best not to sound disappointed as she bid Callie farewell. She even gave Callie a hug, which Callie returned. She felt like it was longer than necessary and Callie squeezed her tight, but it was probably her imagination. It did not matter because moments later, Callie was gone and she was alone.
Lions did not do well with alone. This was something else that set them apart from other kats and other kats found them strange. Felina had a group of friends, a small group compared to some other lionesses, but she used to spend a lot of her free time with them before she was shot. She told them to stay away when she came home. But, she supposed it was time to get the band back together.
"Plus, it might help me to get over this thing with Callie," Felina figured.
-8-8-8-8-
Callie stood outside Felina's door, posed to knock. She was not sure what she was doing there. Well, in all honesty, she knew exactly what she was doing there. She had spent the last three days at home, brooding, pacing, finding it too dark, too quiet, and too confining. Even when she had work to distract her, the very idea of being alone in her condo overwhelmed her. What kind of kat does that make me?
While it was not out of the ordinary for kats to seek company, Callie had never depended on it like she was now. She did not like being away from Felina. All she could think about was Felina. At work, all she wanted to do was call Felina. She had been trying to think of excuses to go by Enforcer Headquarters to see how Felina was faring at her desk. Felina consumed her thoughts and it had only been a few days.
"What am I doing here?" Callie sighed.
"Callie?" Felina approached with a slightly confused look on her face.
Callie jumped and yelped. "Felina!"
"Do you… do you want to come in?" Felina asked, glancing at the door.
Callie could only nod. Felina opened the door and waited for her to step in. She expected relief, but got none. Instead, she felt like she was intruding, which was ridiculous. She had lived here less than a week ago.
"Do you want something to drink? I still have that fancy cream you like," Felina said, quietly closing the door behind her.
"You do?" Callie blinked. This shocked her for some reason and it made her heart sped up. She had to take a breath to settle something inside of her.
"Yeah. Lemme get you some. You can sit down." Felina rushed off into the kitchen.
Callie sat, but felt a knot in her stomach and she fidgeted with her fingers. When Felina sat down next to her, she almost jumped out of her skin and ready to burst into tears. She managed to control that.
"Here you go." Felina handed her the goblet. "I'd offer you something to eat, but I don't have anything."
"You didn't cook?" This should not surprise her, but it did. Felina was a good cook, but this was also the same female who had nothing in her cabinets when she came home from the hospital.
Felina shook her head and sat down. "Nah. Cooking for one is a drag, which is why you came here the first time all I had was instant noodles."
"Felina," Callie sighed. "You have to take care of yourself. I know you got a clean bill of health and everything, but…" Callie stopped. She felt like she did not have the right to fuss anymore, but she wanted to so badly.
"I know." Felina looked around, as if she did not want to engage with Callie.
"You know what." Callie put the goblet down. "Maybe I should go home. I don't want to disturb you." She climbed to her feet.
"No!" Felina shouted and shot up. She grabbed Callie and pulled her close. "Please, don't leave," she whispered.
Callie felt warmth spread through her as Felina held her close for the first time. The press of Felina's body was like when they shared a bed. There was a promise of safety, security, but even more. Oh, my god, I'm attracted to Felina! She gasped aloud.
"I'm sorry!" Felina quickly released her. "I didn't mean—"
Callie silenced her by pressing herself back against Felina. The lieutenant inhaled sharply. For a long moment, Felina was as rigid as a board. Callie just cuddled closer.
"It's… um… it's not contagious, you know," Felina said, as if that was some explanation for why Callie was curled against her.
"I know. I've always admired you, but getting to know you like this, being this close. I want to be with you," Callie stated. This was why she felt so strongly for Felina and cared for her while beyond necessary.
"Are you sure? Maybe… maybe this is just… a side effect to you spending so much time here or you know… because I jumped in front of some bullets for you."
Callie pulled back a little, staring into dark eyes. "You don't feel the same way, do you?" Oh, god, how could I be so stupid? Just because she's attracted to females doesn't mean she's attracted to me! Callie felt beyond foolish and a hot blush burned her face. "I'm so sorry…" It was her turn to pull away, but it was also Felina's turn to pull back.
Felina seemed determined to top Callie and leaned down, capturing her lips in a sweet, but hot kiss. If Callie had doubted her attraction, the kiss definitely would have cleared things up. Callie let out a small mew as Felina pulled away.
"Wow," the blond muttered.
"Yeah," Felina breathed. Reaching up, she gently caressed Callie's face. "I know this might be too much for you, but let me take you on a date."
"A date?" Callie felt like she did not even know what that was. It had been a while.
"Yeah, a date. It's all right. No one is going to assume it's a date. They'll think it's just two friends out."
Callie knew she should be scared, nervous, and decline, but the way her heart beat, she could not turn this down. She needed to be with Felina.
"Please," Callie whispered.
Felina's eyebrows bent in a bit. "What?"
"Please take me on a date."
Felina grinned. "Anything the queen wants."
-8-8-8-8-
It was a basic dinner and a movie date. Felina was on her best behavior, even though Callie wore a dress that made Felina just want to push the blond back into her condo and have her way with Callie. Felina had dressed a step above casual, which did not seem to bother Callie. Callie seemed a little nervous in the beginning, but Felina expected that since they were out on a date. No one noticed or thought they were on a date, though. This relaxed Callie enough for her to enjoy the latter half of their time together.
"I had a good time," Callie said as they pulled up to her condo complex. It was in the nice part of town with a guard at a gate, which Felina liked. It was good to know the deputy mayor was somewhere safe when she was not with Felina or at work.
"I'm glad." Felina rushed out of the car and opened Callie's door.
Callie smiled and her eyes shined, like she was clearly impressed, which made Felina want to puff out her chest just a little bit. Felina already figured Callie was used to dating males who opened doors, pulled out seats, and things like that. Felina was already like that with her dates, but Callie seemed surprised by it. I have a lot of things I hope to surprise her with.
Felina walked Callie to her front door, earning another smile from the deputy mayor. Once the door opened and Callie stepped inside, Felina could only hope there would be more dates. Until then, she ran her hand down Callie's bare arm, as she would never dare kiss a date, especially not Callie, where people could see.
"Goodnight," Felina said.
"Not yet." Callie yanked her inside and before Felina could realize what happened, she was pressed up against the door and Callie's lips were upon hers. This could be the start of something amazing.
-8-8-8-8-
The end.
Thanks for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed the story. More to come with these two, so I hope you come back. Also, if you like my work, maybe you wanna check out my books, Scarred for Life and Please, Baby. There are links on my profile. Thanks again. Hasta…
