Talking

The dishes done and guests departed left them only with each other. The silence was deafening and somehow uncomfortable. Calleigh checked on her Gran one last time before joining Eric outside. She closed the sliding glass doors and took a seat next to him.

"So," she began.

"So," he echoed.

Calleigh had never been as nervous around Eric as she was at that moment. "Gran thinks there might be something between us."

Eric turned to look at her. "Well, I know I'd like there to be."

She smiled slightly at him. "There you go again; wearing your heart on your sleeve. It's one of the things that I love about you, Eric. You're emotionally honest."

"So, what are you saying?" he asked, puzzled. It seemed so obvious to him when they were in the kitchen a while ago.

"I'm saying that this is one of the hardest conversations I've ever had because I'm not good with talking about feelings. But you know that," Calleigh exploded softly. "You know that I trust you with every fiber of my being and I can't even dream about not having you in my life. Which is why it scares me to no end to jeopardize that by starting a relationship. If it goes bad I'll lose you forever and..."

Eric sensed that she was on the verge of something, something he knew that they had to discuss before they even held hands in a altered relationship. "Go on," he urged gently.

"I don't know if I could live with that," she blurted. "I've had my heart broken more than enough to know that having it broken from a failed relationship with you, wouldn't just break it, my heart would be shattered forever."

He reached out and stroked her cheek, getting encouragement by her leaning into his touch. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, kissing her fears away, but that would be making light of something so serious for her. She didn't just want to be his lover, she valued and treasured the friendship they shared. "Cal, it doesn't have to end like that. Even if it doesn't work out, I don't want to lose you. I'll fight to keep our friendship no matter what. I would hope that you'd do the same."

She nodded, suddenly very close to tears. "I would."

"Then let's give it a try," he said, then took her hand in his. He gently stroked her knuckles, almost surprised at how soft and delicate her hand was. He knew how strong her hands were. They had to be to handle the firearms and power tools that she operated to do her job. Then he remembered how tenderly she kneaded the bread dough. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it and repeated, "Let's give it a try."

She was silent for a long while, fighting tears of joy. He understood her fears and his heart seemed to echo them. They would be careful for each other; holding the other more precious than themselves. It would work. It had to. It had to because they each couldn't afford to lose the other. She raised her face to his, eyes glistening with the unshed joyful tears. "Yes."

Instead of madly kissing her, enticing her into actions that could move wildly out of control for the both of them, he enfolded her in an embrace, cuddling her. "Yes," he echoed before tilting her chin up to him and placing the gentlest of kisses on her lips.

She wanted to deepen the kiss but could feel that Eric was holding back and being deliberately gentle. "Eric, I'm not made of glass."

"I know. I don't want to go too fast. I want this to be special and real and I don't want to scare you off. You've been hurt more than anyone ever should. I want you to feel comfortable and unhurried," he said, revealing that inner gentleman that she knew him to be.

"So far so good," she said. "But an upping in the ante a little isn't too fast." She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her, kissing him passionately. A human need for oxygen was the only thing that broke them apart.

"I thought that you wouldn't want to go too fast," Eric said, placing all manner of little kisses around her mouth.

"This isn't too fast. It's only kissing. A lot of kissing, but only kissing," she replied breathlessly. "Nothing I can't handle and nothing I'd rather be doing right now."

Eric pulled her in closer and they almost overbalanced the patio chairs. They broke apart, laughing.

"Why don't we take this inside and continue on a piece of furniture that won't tip over?" Calleigh said, rising and holding out her hand to Eric.

He took it, and grinning, followed her inside and onto the couch.

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They were still on the couch, nestled into each other's arms when Gran Maureen woke the next morning and peeked into the living room to check on Calleigh. She reached over and took the quilt from the back of the couch and covered them with it. "Now that's more like it," she said softly, retreating to the kitchen to get breakfast going.

Eric awoke first to find Calleigh's back pressed against his chest. He rose up on his elbow and looked down at her, almost unable to believe what had happened between them the night before. It had gone really no further than just kissing, but he could wait. She'd finally admitted to having feelings for him and he was content to take things at her pace. He softly ran a finger down her cheek and then traced her lips.

She smiled, feeling Eric's finger on her lips. Giving up the pretense of sleeping she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. "Good morning," she said lazily.

"Good morning," he replied before leaning over and giving her a few light kisses.

"What did I say about teasing me like that?" she asked him.

"I forget," he said, continuing to tease her with feather light kisses.

She placed a hand behind his head and pulled him more firmly to her. "I don't like to be teased," she said, playfully nipping at his lower lip, asking permission for something deeper. He gave in and they continued until the sounds of pots and pans being moved broke them apart. "My Gran," Calleigh panted, out of breath.

Eric let go of her and sat up. "Yeah, I sort of forgot about that. Why didn't you warn me?"

Calleigh tucked her hair behind her ears. "I was a little distracted."

"Yeah, well it would have been embarrassing to be walked in on," Eric said, beginning to fold the quilt.

"She's here until Sunday, so we're just going to have to contain ourselves," Calleigh said as Eric embraced her from behind, nuzzling behind her ear. She turned in his arms and gave him a soft push. "Kissing me there isn't going to help, Eric, believe me, it doesn't help."

Eric couldn't help teasing just a little. "Did I find something?"

"Yes, you did. Now I'm going to take a shower and change," Calleigh said, almost exasperated.

"Need any help?"

"No, but my Gran might. Why don't you go and help her while I get myself presentable," she replied, loving the idea of a shared shower, but knowing that that really was too fast too soon. She turned and made her way down the hall.

Eric watched her go, happiness radiating out of him. He wandered into the kitchen. "Good morning Gran Maureen," he said. "Need any help?"

"No, not at all, Eric. Tea is ready. Help yourself," she said with her back turned. "So how did your talk with Calleigh go last night?"

Eric gulped down a mouthful of tea before replying, "Great. We decided to give it a try. After that, there wasn't all that much talking."

She flashed a knowing grin over her shoulder at him. "That's what I thought when I saw the two of ya cuddled up on the couch together this mornin'. Now, Eric, my boy, let me tell ya this: don't ya be hurtin' her, lad. She talks a good game but has been too trustin' and open in the past and it's come back and hurt her somethin' fierce. Be gentle with her heart."

"I intend to, Gran. I never want to hurt her. I've waited too long to have her that I'm not going to do anything to cause her any pain at all," Eric said honestly. "I know about the walls she's built to keep from being hurt. "I'll be gentle with her heart."

Maureen crossed the kitchen to him and pat his cheek. "Good, then I'll not have to be shinin' up my shotgun."