xp_logs | Fred and Callie: Gifts and Hard Questions

Fred and Callie settle in to watch a flick, and after her belated birthday present, the conversation becomes much more...substantial.

Now that they occupied the same building again, Fred and Callie seemed nigh-inseparable, and Fred didn't mind that at all. He'd managed to lure Callie away from preemptive studying with promises of old movies and popcorn and told her to meet him in the media room in an hour. That gave him enough time to do his best to wrap her finally finished birthday present ('wrap' is the term used when it's done properly. What Fred had managed was little more than throwing paper and tape around and somehow managed to cover the box) and present it to her.

He entered the media room, the gift safely stashed away in his jacket, and presented Callie with a large bowl of popcorn, "You picked out a flick yet?"

There was a mischievous smile on her face as Fred entered the room. She may have been secretly reading a book for school, but had quickly stashed it under the couch when she heard him coming close. The only reason she was hiding it was that he had threatened to throw any books she had on her out the window. It wasn't like she was going to read it during the movie itself, but you know she just wanted to stay on top of things. "Oooh popcorn thank you," she squeal, as she settled on the floor to watch the movie. "And yes. It's a classic. I chose 'Casablanca.'" A few kernels were popped in her mouth as she looked up at him expectantly. "Is that okay?"

"Casablanca's perfect," Fred killed an entire handful of popcorn as he sat down on the sofa, beside and slightly above Callie. As he settled in he reached over a placed the bowl into Callie's lap, "Have you seen 'Mister Smith Goes to Washington' yet? Best movie ever made. Well since 'Re-Animator'." While it was a favorite of his, Fred had no intention of ever showing that one to Callie...

"Noooooo?" Her head was tilted back, hitting the couch cushion behind her as she tried to get a look at Fred. It was a little hard to see him at that angle, what with her sitting on the floor like that and all. A few more kernels found their way from the bowl and into her mouth. "And I have to disagree with you there. The best film of all times is 'L'Avventura.' But I guess if we're talking American films... I'd have to go with 'Schindler's List.' It's so powerful and moving, even if it is depressing."

She beamed up at him even as she strained her neck. "But that's just my opinion."

Fred leaned up and, adjusting slightly, managed to kiss Callie while her head was tilted back, "List was great, but I won't ever watch it again. Once was enough, you know? Plus, you can't beat Capra and Stewart when it comes to good old fashioned character drama."
Her smile widened as Fred planted a kiss on her head. She was glad to be back in the mansion, she missed him. Although they had talked a few times while she was away, it hadn't been the same. Callie liked watching movies with him, even if that meant she had to stop focusing on her school work, which in a way was a blessing in and of itself. Were they not watching movies, she likely would have been holed up and not moving until she was done with all her work. So it was nice. Just the two of them, though they did not do much of anything. It was fun.

"Well I've watched it more than once, so I may be biased on that movie. And I don't know," she teased as she turned around so that she was now facing Fred and the couch. "I'm sure I could come up with some esoteric examples to put up against them. I'll enlist Vic's help if I must. He'll take my side."

"Then I guess I'll have tah resort tah bribery then, eh?" Fred fished around in his jacket for a moment. It took him a while cause, well, for the life of him he couldn't stop smiling at Callie. It had been tough not seeing her, talking to her on the phone so much and now? He was tripping over every syllable. Whenever that talked it never seemed to be about what mattered. What was actually going on. Fred couldn't figure out if that was good or bad...

Finally, he liberated the poorly wrapped package from his coat, "Happy belated, Cal. Hope you like it," and presented the gift to Callie.

The joy on Callie's face as she was presented the present was the same look most people got when they saw a puppy. Or a kitten. Or something so adorable nothing could keep them from smiling. If she was beaming before, now she was simply euphoric. "Fred," she squealed as she reached out and accepted the gift. "You didn't have to get me anything!"

Fred had to consciously try to keep a blush off his face, which was...just a weird experience for a guy like Fred. He was really not sure of the mechanics of blushing. Or, to be honest, the mechanics of girls. As it was he managed to sputter out, "I, uh, didn't really get you anything. I, uh...I made it."

The paper was meticulously peeled back, and care was taken not to rip any of it as Callie exposed the box beneath. She gasped when she saw it. It wasn't really a box per se, more of a flower pot with a lid, but it was beautiful. She could tell the hours of work he had put in it as she silently examined the gift. Her fingers traced over every detail. There were imperfections, but that's what made it perfect. She looked up at him, a look of sheer awe in her eyes. "Fred... it's... it's beautiful," she breathed as she pulled herself up to the couch to sit beside him. No one had ever taken that much care and detail into making something for her. It was almost enough to make her cry. But luckily she was able to keep from making a complete fool of herself as she threw her arms around Fred's neck and planted a small kiss on his lips.

"I love it. I really do."

Fred had been a nervous wreck as she examined the gift, and had swollen (almost literally) with pride as she gushed over it, "I'm glad ya like it. 'Vette and Kyle helped with the carving and style and..." She'd cut his off by kissing him, and when she pulled back, he blinked for a moment, trying to remember how the whole thought thing worked, as she continued...saying words?...Fred wasn't really sure. He'd forgotten what it had felt like, almost, when he'd been gone and now...

As she as she'd stopped talking, Fred put his hand on Callie's lower back and leaned forward, kissing her again. He had to be sure it had happened, and the best way was to do it again.

Yup. Kissing. Best invention ever.

When he finally managed to remember to stop kissing, he finally said, "I...uh...I'm glad you like it...?"

There was a bit of sadness that crept in to Callie's mind as he ended the kiss. But more so than that there was confusion. Confusion over what Dori and Catseye asked her about Fred, or rather about Fred and her. "I love it, I really do." She tried to forget these thoughts as she settled in against his side and continued to examine the box.

"Fred, can I ask you something," her eyes were drawn to the object in her hands. It would make it easier to focus on what she was asking. "What do you think of me as?" She bit her lip nervously. "A friend? Or... something more?"

And there it was. The question. Fred felt his heart in his throat, and his mouth worked up and down for a few minutes, apparently trying to relearn its purpose, "Callie, I...I know you're more...more to me...than just a friend...I..." How did it say what he was trying to say? What was he trying to say...?

Callie's focus was glued to the box in her hands. She studied every detail, every angle, every bit of it as she tried to figure out what to say next. She felt silly, asking this, and almost wished she could take it back. It didn't matter what everyone else wanted to know, it was her and Fred's business. But still, a part of her wanted to know as well. "I like spending time with you," her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. "I don't need anything to change. I don't want to, really."

She tilted her head back once more to look at him, a worried expression on her face. "Does that make sense?"

Fred blinked. Then blinked again. His chest moved up and down. His mouthed worked open a few times before words finally came out, way too softly to be coming from Fred, "Of course it's okay, Cal."

His hands covered hers as she held the box, "There's no real book...er, manual...I mean..." he sighed, "We go as fast or as slow as we want. No reason not to."

There were so many things that Callie felt she should be asking. Things that were expected of a normal teenage girl to want and ask about, at least according to the movies. Especially now that it seemed that everyone in the school was pairing up to some extent. But then she realized, why should she live her life defined by other people's actions and expectations? It would only lead to unhappiness. Her philosophy in life was to just be yourself. Don't try to conform and fit in to some preconceived notion as to how things should be.

"I like that," she replied finally as she curled up against his side. "Should we watch the movie now?"

Fred slid out of his coat and draped it over Callie, giving her a small, almost sad smile. What were they? Where were they going? What did he want? What did she want from him? Could he give it? Would he just fuck it up like everything else? What-

Fred turned away from Callie as he winced, but covering it by snatching up the remote. Since Malibu, since their little dust up when he'd really used his powers...the pain had started to come back. Of all the questions he had, he was sure of one thing: Callie didn't need to know that. Not with how serious she was with school.

He'd go get more pain medication in the morning.

"Yea. Let's just watch the flick."