Post by charlirozzi on Nov 26, 2024 11:43:46 GMT -8
Callie wasn’t sure what exactly she expected to kick off the last day of her ‘vacation’ time but it wasn’t using her grandmother’s special soap to get blood out of a shirt that probably cost more than her car. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t have even answered the text let alone be here now in an oversized Tshirt and very little else, cleaning a stain from the kind of fights she had always disapproved of.
Instead she was happy to do it, her eyes on Tony as she did. For someone who was supposed to be going out to blow off some steam with the boys, he didn’t look any more relaxed than before he left. In fact he looked less-so, which could have something to do with the fight, but she doubted it.
”So, tell me then. What happened?” She was smirking when she spoke and inflected in her tone, her unmistakable accent heavy on the words.
Tony sat silently on the edge of the watching as Callie scrubbed one of the biker’s dried blood out of his overpriced designer shirt. His hands were pressed together as if in prayer, resting against his lips as he fought a war inside of his head.
He hated that she had to deal with this and he couldn’t help but think that she deserved better than getting this sort of text in the middle of the night.
Finally, after a un uncomfortable moment of silence, Tony let out a slow exhale, running a hand through his dark hair, which was still slightly damp from the shower
”What happened?” he repeated, a small humorless chuckle escaping his lips. ”The same thing that always happens, babe. I did some dumbass shit.”
His jaw clenched for a moment as he looked away, staring out the window like he was trying to piece together how the night spiraled so fast. ”Liam got snippy with me as soon as I showed up about Bella flirting with me. I offered to leave, or settle it in the parking lot like men. He apologized immediately and we squashed it with a friendly hug.”
Tony recounted, chewing anxiously at his inner lip until it began to split and trickle the coppery taste of his own blood into his mouth.
”Then these biker guys at the next table over started making homophobic remarks and… well you know me. I just had to chirp back.”
He leaned forward now, resting his elbows on his knees, his voice dropping as he continued. ”One punch, Callie. Just one. That’s all it took to shut the guy up. But then his buddies got involved, and...” He trailed off, shaking his head. ”When things get heated, I don’t exactly back down.”
Tony’s gaze finally moved back to meet hers, his expression softening despite the tension still etched into his features. He let out another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
”Truth is, I don’t know, Cal. I thought a night out would help clear things up, but it just made shit, you know? I don’t like seein’ Liam like that. Guy’s been good to me, better than most people have. But tonight?” He shook his head. ”Tonight was messy. Not just the fight. The whole vibe. And now I’m here, draggin’ you into it.”
Tony stood and took a step toward her, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes as he gently reached for her wrist to stop her from scrubbing the shirt.
”You shouldn’t be dealing with this. I...” He paused, searching for the words. ”I really am just like that motherfucker. This is the type of shit he put my mother through my entire life.”[/font]
She listened quietly as he spoke, recounting the night through the eyes of someone not at ease with their own actions. She knew what that looked like, her entire life until Ally moved them here had been moving from place to place, chasing the fight or the money, most of the time it was both. Unlike her sister she had never been thrown into the pit; but she had watched enough of her siblings go through it to recognise the look in his eyes.
Her jaw flexed just a little at the mention of the flirting with Bella. She had been right in calling Callie insecure, through no fault of Tony’s she still felt like she wasn’t quite deserving, just slightly overreaching. But she shook that tense of her muscles off. Focusing on him and what he said, his purposeful and yet anxious movements as he spoke.
”You didn’t drag me, I offered. Not like I haven’t cleaned blood out a shirt a hundred times before. Not as nice of a shirt but still.” Her tone was soft and sweet, tinged a little still by the last of her sleepiness that she had hanging around.
His hand on her wrist grabbed her attention, turning slightly she pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss him, a soft, warm kiss filled with a comfort that was mirrored in her smile. Putting the shirt down for a moment she wiped her hands off on her Tshirt, placing them both palms down to his cheeks, holding his face in her hands.
”You… are your own person. Not like him, not like anyone and I chose you, I’ll keep choosing you.”
Tony stood frozen for a moment, letting Callie’s words sink in. Her touch, her voice…they were the only things keeping his nerves from unraveling completely right now. He leaned into her palms, closing his eyes for just a second. That kiss, that warmth—she didn’t even realize how much she was holding him together.
But reality had other plans. His phone buzzed again on the counter, snapping him back.
‘Pop’
The name kept flashing ominously on the screen. He let out a slow breath, trying to steel himself, before picking it up and answering.
”Yeah, Pop?”
The tone on the other end was sharp, cutting. ”Don’t ‘yeah, Pop’ me you motherfucker. You think I wouldn’t find out about the shit you pulled tonight? You out there gettin’ into bar fights like some lowlife? I got people callin’ me, Anthony. People telling me my son’s out here makin’ a fool of himself—and by extension, me. What the hell were you thinkin’?”
Tony braced himself against the bedroom doorframe, keeping his voice calm. ”I wasn’t thinkin’, alright? It happened. It’s done. You wanna yell at me, fine, but I don’t need this shit right now.”
”You’re right—you don’t need it over the phone,” Tony Sr. snapped, his voice dripping with disdain. ”Because I’m comin’ to you. I’m in Vegas and I’m pullin’ up now. You better get your ass outside right now. We’re gonna have a talk.”
The line went dead.
Tony stared at his phone for a second before tossing it onto the counter with a frustrated groan. ”Jesus Christ,” he muttered under his breath.
Callie watched him quietly, concern written all over her face. He looked at her with a forced smile, though it was easy to see through. ”That was my old man. Guess he’s decided tonight’s not over yet. Wants to have a chat. Probably a real heart-to-heart.”
He grabbed a fresh white tank top from his dresser, draping it over his shoulder. ”Stay inside, alright? Whatever happens out there, you don’t need to see it.” His voice softened as he leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. ”Thanks for everything, Cal. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Without waiting for her response, Tony made his way out the door. The cool night air hit him like a truck as he stepped onto the driveway, his chest tightening as he spotted the black SUV pulling up to the curb. The door slammed shut, and out stepped Tony Sr., his tailored suit pristine, his presence as intimidating as ever.
”Anthony,” his father greeted, his voice deceptively calm as he approached. But the sharpness in his eyes told a different story.
”Pop,” Tony replied, keeping his tone steady, though his fists clenched at his sides.
Without warning, Tony Sr. struck him across the face with an open palm—not hard enough to knock him down, but enough to make his ears ring. ”What did I tell you about embarrassing me?” His voice was low and venomous, his eyes boring into Tony’s. ”That’s strike one, Anthony. Two more, and this stupid little pipe dream of yours? It’s over. You hear me?”
Tony’s jaw tightened, the sting of the slap still fresh. He didn’t flinch, didn’t react, just stared back at his father with a simmering defiance in his eyes. ”Yeah. I hear you.”
Tony Sr. stepped back, adjusting the cuff of his suit as if nothing had happened. ”Good. Remember that.” Without another word, he turned and headed back to his car, leaving Tony standing there by himself with his heart pounding and his mind racing even more than it had been.
He watched the SUV drive off, his hands balled into fists, before letting out a shaky breath. Turning back toward the house, he ran a hand over his face, trying to pull himself together before stepping back inside.
When he walked in, Callie was still there, her eyes immediately scanning his face. Tony forced a small, strained smile, closing the door behind him. ”Guess it went about as well as I thought it would.”
She tried to bite down the anger she was feeling, to ignore it and focus on him. She could see the shaky smile that didn’t hide a single thing was almost more than he could manage. And so she swallowed the anger, the things she wanted to say about that man, about people like him. Unfolding her arms from her chest she closed the distance between them.
”Fuck him.” There wasn’t any aggression in her voice, it was soft and hushed, she spoke like she was singing a lullaby to comfort one of the twins. Back up on her tiptoes, she littered his cheek with soft kisses, a rain of soothing affection against the cold lack of one he received moments before.
When she was done kissing his cheek, his jaw, all around his face she ducked her head to meet his eyes, her own gaze was a mix of affection and concern as she tried to add a little warmth back into the cool early hours encounter.
”I’m sorry.” It wasn’t with pity that she said it, but with the same heavy heart someone sympathises when they carry a similar burden. Shaking her head she pressed her forehead to his, half closing her eyes yet never breaking eye contact. ”That, all of it… it doesn’t have a place in here unless you want it to. There won’t ever be a day when I won’t listen if you wanna talk, or that I won’t sit quietly with you when you don’t.”
She paused, her breathing hitched and heavy as she wrapped her arms around him now, pulling in close, another kiss to his lips, this one longer. Drawn out until she finally broke it to mutter gently against his lips.
”I love you.”
Tony let out a shaky exhale, his shoulders sagging as her words washed over him. The warmth of her touch, her kisses, the way she spoke to him like he wasn’t a screw-up, like he was worth something… it was almost too much to bear. For a moment, he didn’t trust himself to speak, didn’t trust that his voice wouldn’t break under the weight of everything he was holding back.
He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, letting her anchor him in the moment. Her forehead pressed against his, her eyes full of something he didn’t think he deserved but couldn’t bring himself to reject. He closed his eyes, letting himself just feel her presence, her steadiness, her love. It was the only thing keeping him upright.
”You don’t know what you’re signin’ up for,” he finally whispered, his voice low and rough. ”This life, my old man, all the shit that comes with it… You shouldn’t have to deal with that. You deserve better than this. Better than me.”
But even as he said it, his grip on her tightened, like he couldn’t let her go even if he tried. Her words lingered in his mind, the way she said them so simply, so matter-of-factly, like it was the easiest thing in the world to love him. Like she didn’t care about the chaos or the baggage or the bruises he brought home.
When she kissed him again, long and slow, he melted into it, all the tension in his body unraveling. He rested his forehead against hers when she pulled away, her whispered I love you still hanging in the air between them.
”I love you too,” he murmured back, the words coming out hoarse but full of sincerity. ”More than I probably got the right to, but I do.”
He tilted his head slightly, brushing a soft kiss against her temple before pulling back just enough to look at her. ”I’m gonna try, Callie. For you. I don’t know how to get outta this mess, or if I even can… but I’m gonna try. I promise you that.”
His thumb brushed along her cheek as he held her gaze, and for the first time that night, there was something in his eyes besides anger or regret. There was a flicker of hope, small and fragile, but it was there.
Instead she was happy to do it, her eyes on Tony as she did. For someone who was supposed to be going out to blow off some steam with the boys, he didn’t look any more relaxed than before he left. In fact he looked less-so, which could have something to do with the fight, but she doubted it.
”So, tell me then. What happened?” She was smirking when she spoke and inflected in her tone, her unmistakable accent heavy on the words.
Tony sat silently on the edge of the watching as Callie scrubbed one of the biker’s dried blood out of his overpriced designer shirt. His hands were pressed together as if in prayer, resting against his lips as he fought a war inside of his head.
He hated that she had to deal with this and he couldn’t help but think that she deserved better than getting this sort of text in the middle of the night.
Finally, after a un uncomfortable moment of silence, Tony let out a slow exhale, running a hand through his dark hair, which was still slightly damp from the shower
”What happened?” he repeated, a small humorless chuckle escaping his lips. ”The same thing that always happens, babe. I did some dumbass shit.”
His jaw clenched for a moment as he looked away, staring out the window like he was trying to piece together how the night spiraled so fast. ”Liam got snippy with me as soon as I showed up about Bella flirting with me. I offered to leave, or settle it in the parking lot like men. He apologized immediately and we squashed it with a friendly hug.”
Tony recounted, chewing anxiously at his inner lip until it began to split and trickle the coppery taste of his own blood into his mouth.
”Then these biker guys at the next table over started making homophobic remarks and… well you know me. I just had to chirp back.”
He leaned forward now, resting his elbows on his knees, his voice dropping as he continued. ”One punch, Callie. Just one. That’s all it took to shut the guy up. But then his buddies got involved, and...” He trailed off, shaking his head. ”When things get heated, I don’t exactly back down.”
Tony’s gaze finally moved back to meet hers, his expression softening despite the tension still etched into his features. He let out another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
”Truth is, I don’t know, Cal. I thought a night out would help clear things up, but it just made shit, you know? I don’t like seein’ Liam like that. Guy’s been good to me, better than most people have. But tonight?” He shook his head. ”Tonight was messy. Not just the fight. The whole vibe. And now I’m here, draggin’ you into it.”
Tony stood and took a step toward her, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes as he gently reached for her wrist to stop her from scrubbing the shirt.
”You shouldn’t be dealing with this. I...” He paused, searching for the words. ”I really am just like that motherfucker. This is the type of shit he put my mother through my entire life.”[/font]
She listened quietly as he spoke, recounting the night through the eyes of someone not at ease with their own actions. She knew what that looked like, her entire life until Ally moved them here had been moving from place to place, chasing the fight or the money, most of the time it was both. Unlike her sister she had never been thrown into the pit; but she had watched enough of her siblings go through it to recognise the look in his eyes.
Her jaw flexed just a little at the mention of the flirting with Bella. She had been right in calling Callie insecure, through no fault of Tony’s she still felt like she wasn’t quite deserving, just slightly overreaching. But she shook that tense of her muscles off. Focusing on him and what he said, his purposeful and yet anxious movements as he spoke.
”You didn’t drag me, I offered. Not like I haven’t cleaned blood out a shirt a hundred times before. Not as nice of a shirt but still.” Her tone was soft and sweet, tinged a little still by the last of her sleepiness that she had hanging around.
His hand on her wrist grabbed her attention, turning slightly she pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss him, a soft, warm kiss filled with a comfort that was mirrored in her smile. Putting the shirt down for a moment she wiped her hands off on her Tshirt, placing them both palms down to his cheeks, holding his face in her hands.
”You… are your own person. Not like him, not like anyone and I chose you, I’ll keep choosing you.”
Tony stood frozen for a moment, letting Callie’s words sink in. Her touch, her voice…they were the only things keeping his nerves from unraveling completely right now. He leaned into her palms, closing his eyes for just a second. That kiss, that warmth—she didn’t even realize how much she was holding him together.
But reality had other plans. His phone buzzed again on the counter, snapping him back.
‘Pop’
The name kept flashing ominously on the screen. He let out a slow breath, trying to steel himself, before picking it up and answering.
”Yeah, Pop?”
The tone on the other end was sharp, cutting. ”Don’t ‘yeah, Pop’ me you motherfucker. You think I wouldn’t find out about the shit you pulled tonight? You out there gettin’ into bar fights like some lowlife? I got people callin’ me, Anthony. People telling me my son’s out here makin’ a fool of himself—and by extension, me. What the hell were you thinkin’?”
Tony braced himself against the bedroom doorframe, keeping his voice calm. ”I wasn’t thinkin’, alright? It happened. It’s done. You wanna yell at me, fine, but I don’t need this shit right now.”
”You’re right—you don’t need it over the phone,” Tony Sr. snapped, his voice dripping with disdain. ”Because I’m comin’ to you. I’m in Vegas and I’m pullin’ up now. You better get your ass outside right now. We’re gonna have a talk.”
The line went dead.
Tony stared at his phone for a second before tossing it onto the counter with a frustrated groan. ”Jesus Christ,” he muttered under his breath.
Callie watched him quietly, concern written all over her face. He looked at her with a forced smile, though it was easy to see through. ”That was my old man. Guess he’s decided tonight’s not over yet. Wants to have a chat. Probably a real heart-to-heart.”
He grabbed a fresh white tank top from his dresser, draping it over his shoulder. ”Stay inside, alright? Whatever happens out there, you don’t need to see it.” His voice softened as he leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. ”Thanks for everything, Cal. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Without waiting for her response, Tony made his way out the door. The cool night air hit him like a truck as he stepped onto the driveway, his chest tightening as he spotted the black SUV pulling up to the curb. The door slammed shut, and out stepped Tony Sr., his tailored suit pristine, his presence as intimidating as ever.
”Anthony,” his father greeted, his voice deceptively calm as he approached. But the sharpness in his eyes told a different story.
”Pop,” Tony replied, keeping his tone steady, though his fists clenched at his sides.
Without warning, Tony Sr. struck him across the face with an open palm—not hard enough to knock him down, but enough to make his ears ring. ”What did I tell you about embarrassing me?” His voice was low and venomous, his eyes boring into Tony’s. ”That’s strike one, Anthony. Two more, and this stupid little pipe dream of yours? It’s over. You hear me?”
Tony’s jaw tightened, the sting of the slap still fresh. He didn’t flinch, didn’t react, just stared back at his father with a simmering defiance in his eyes. ”Yeah. I hear you.”
Tony Sr. stepped back, adjusting the cuff of his suit as if nothing had happened. ”Good. Remember that.” Without another word, he turned and headed back to his car, leaving Tony standing there by himself with his heart pounding and his mind racing even more than it had been.
He watched the SUV drive off, his hands balled into fists, before letting out a shaky breath. Turning back toward the house, he ran a hand over his face, trying to pull himself together before stepping back inside.
When he walked in, Callie was still there, her eyes immediately scanning his face. Tony forced a small, strained smile, closing the door behind him. ”Guess it went about as well as I thought it would.”
She tried to bite down the anger she was feeling, to ignore it and focus on him. She could see the shaky smile that didn’t hide a single thing was almost more than he could manage. And so she swallowed the anger, the things she wanted to say about that man, about people like him. Unfolding her arms from her chest she closed the distance between them.
”Fuck him.” There wasn’t any aggression in her voice, it was soft and hushed, she spoke like she was singing a lullaby to comfort one of the twins. Back up on her tiptoes, she littered his cheek with soft kisses, a rain of soothing affection against the cold lack of one he received moments before.
When she was done kissing his cheek, his jaw, all around his face she ducked her head to meet his eyes, her own gaze was a mix of affection and concern as she tried to add a little warmth back into the cool early hours encounter.
”I’m sorry.” It wasn’t with pity that she said it, but with the same heavy heart someone sympathises when they carry a similar burden. Shaking her head she pressed her forehead to his, half closing her eyes yet never breaking eye contact. ”That, all of it… it doesn’t have a place in here unless you want it to. There won’t ever be a day when I won’t listen if you wanna talk, or that I won’t sit quietly with you when you don’t.”
She paused, her breathing hitched and heavy as she wrapped her arms around him now, pulling in close, another kiss to his lips, this one longer. Drawn out until she finally broke it to mutter gently against his lips.
”I love you.”
Tony let out a shaky exhale, his shoulders sagging as her words washed over him. The warmth of her touch, her kisses, the way she spoke to him like he wasn’t a screw-up, like he was worth something… it was almost too much to bear. For a moment, he didn’t trust himself to speak, didn’t trust that his voice wouldn’t break under the weight of everything he was holding back.
He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, letting her anchor him in the moment. Her forehead pressed against his, her eyes full of something he didn’t think he deserved but couldn’t bring himself to reject. He closed his eyes, letting himself just feel her presence, her steadiness, her love. It was the only thing keeping him upright.
”You don’t know what you’re signin’ up for,” he finally whispered, his voice low and rough. ”This life, my old man, all the shit that comes with it… You shouldn’t have to deal with that. You deserve better than this. Better than me.”
But even as he said it, his grip on her tightened, like he couldn’t let her go even if he tried. Her words lingered in his mind, the way she said them so simply, so matter-of-factly, like it was the easiest thing in the world to love him. Like she didn’t care about the chaos or the baggage or the bruises he brought home.
When she kissed him again, long and slow, he melted into it, all the tension in his body unraveling. He rested his forehead against hers when she pulled away, her whispered I love you still hanging in the air between them.
”I love you too,” he murmured back, the words coming out hoarse but full of sincerity. ”More than I probably got the right to, but I do.”
He tilted his head slightly, brushing a soft kiss against her temple before pulling back just enough to look at her. ”I’m gonna try, Callie. For you. I don’t know how to get outta this mess, or if I even can… but I’m gonna try. I promise you that.”
His thumb brushed along her cheek as he held her gaze, and for the first time that night, there was something in his eyes besides anger or regret. There was a flicker of hope, small and fragile, but it was there.