Freeing the Muse (Closed for Serenity30822)

[Serenity30822]

When Anton took her other hand, Calliope flinched almost imperceptibly, but made no move to stop him or pull away. She wanted to believe he was different.

She looked up at him as he spoke, listening intently to every word. Her mouth curves into a slight frown as he mentions people in the house would see her with him, worry flashing across her features. If his father wasn't dead or dying, surely he would be furious that she had been released, and what would he do to her when he found out?

His thumbs brushing over her hands brought her back to the present, her eyes not having moved from his the whole time. Calliope nodded her head slightly, setting her fears aside and choosing to trust what he says as true.

"I will do my best... Anton." Her voice is soft, tentative when she speaks his name, her cheeks flushing pink immediately after.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Though she said no words as he spoke, Calliope's facial expressions did not pass Anton's notice. He didn't need to be a mind reader to be able to see how worried she was, and lord knows her life would be easier if his father were dead or at least unconscious. Time was not on their side if the man was conscious, meaning that unfortunately it was truly either now or never.

Hearing Calliope's words, ending in his name in that beautifully unique voice of hers made Anton smile. He saw the flush of her cheeks, and it actually made him blush too. He bowed his head to hide it while also taking several deep breaths to try and steady his nerves.

When at last he felt he was as ready as he was going to get, Anton lifted his gaze to meet Calliope's once more. "Okay, head up, act natural, and look like you belong there." He said, trying to portray as much confidence as he could before he had to break eye contact. When he did finally do so, it was to move beside her once more, with she on his left side, his arm bent, and her hand resting inside his bent arm. "Always have to keep your sword hand free." He said, giving her a wry but brief smile before he started escorting her towards the door.

Getting inside the house was of course the easy part, navigating it was a different story. With his father upstairs and out of commission, everyone that was still there was looking for a distraction, and the only other member of the immediate family certainly classified. Having the most beautiful woman in the room on his arm also didn't make the task any easier. Every man they passed asked about Anton's writing and when his first book was going to be published. Every woman complimented Calliope's beauty, asked how they met, which was met with a lie about meeting on the plane, and often followed by some comment about how good of a match the two made.

As bad as the extended family and friends were, the staff were of course worse. Whenever a member of staff called after Anton, he simply ignored them. When they managed to catch him after a conversation with somebody else and couldn't politely be ignored though, he referred to them by name, despite being referred to by Master Anton. He then had to repeat the same phrase to each of them, "They could tell his father that he'd done what needed doing, and that he was taking what was his back home to continue the family legacy." He had to say it this way, because every member of staff insisted that he go see his father and take Calliope with him, but he was absolutely determined not to put her through that if he could avoid it.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope stayed glued to Anton's side the entire time they were in the house, feeling oddly enough a bit self conscious due to her state of dress, the only thing hiding her clothing being his jacket. Surely the people they passed noticed the oddness of her attire.

She stayed silent, offering a polite smile when she was spoken to, her fingers tightening now and then, squeezing his arm when she felt nervous. She was truly amazed at the amount of people in the house, and how easily Anton was able to placate them all as they made their way to his room.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

As the pair navigated the room, Anton truly wished that he could do more for Calliope. He wanted to do more every time he felt her fingers passively tighten around his arm or actively squeeze it, knowing that it was almost certainly sensation overload for someone who had been more or less alone for the better part of six hundred and ten years. It would be bad if she were surrounded so by friends, let alone by friends and family of the man that had tortured her and held her captive. As such, the entry way and it's large staircase was truly a welcome sight.

Once Anton and Calliope touched the bottom step he didn't stop, even though he heard more than one staff member calling after him. He simply ignored them like he had ignored them while they'd been trying to get to this point, because they meant nothing to him, and somehow even less in this moment when he was trying to help Calliope.

As happy a sight as the entry way and it's staircase had been, they both paled in comparison to the sight of the door to Anton's room. He hastily opened it, and after escorting Calliope inside, he closed the door, locked it, and all but collapsed back against it, his head in his hands and his mind completely and utterly drained from everything that had happened since his father's heart attack.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate this place?" Anton offered up wryly with his signature half smile, trying to lighten the mood before reaching into his pocket for his phone and letting himself slide shamelessly to his butt onto the floor. "Okay..." He started, taking a long and deep breath before continuing. "The next order of business is calling a ride to get us away from this house. Then we'll find somewhere to sleep for the night, find a place to rent a car tomorrow to get us home, and then start doing some research. There's got to be some information somewhere about this, be it rumors, theories, or drunken hallucinations scribbled onto cocktail napkins. We're going to figure this out, Calliope, I promise." His fingers worked as he talked, but he glanced up at the end when he made his promise to her, just to see how she was handling everything.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope did her best to keep up with Anton as the moved through the house, up the stairs, and into his room. She stepped into the room, moving just a little further from the door as he turned back to close and lock it. She watched as he fell back against the door, a flicker of concern flashing across her features briefly.

Her lips curled into a small smile at his attempt to lighten the mood and she watched as he got to work on his phone. Listening as he spoke, she moved toward him, her footsteps silent. She crouched down and reached out towards him, intending to place her hand on his shoulder when he lifted his head, startling her. Calliope jerked her hand back, blushing profusely, the tension from everything that had happened still evident in her features and body as their eyes met.

"I believe you, Anton." She says quietly, sitting on the floor just in front of him. She would never say it out loud, and could barely admit it to herself, but since being outside the room he had found her in, the only thing keeping her from panicking was him. The nearer she was to him, the calmer she seemed to feel. She really did believe he wanted to help her.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Whether or not Anton would have jumped when he saw Calliope so close to him without having heard her make a sound, he would never know. As it was though, between her sudden appearance and the quick jerk back of her hand, he did startle a little, making his head snap up and the back of it thud against the door. "Man you've got a quiet step, Calliope." He said lightheartedly with a smile as he lifted one hand to rub the back of his head as the other continued to work at his phone. He could of course see her profusely blushing, but didn't comment on it, not wanting to embarrass her any more than she already was.

Calliope's quiet words were truly a surprise to Anton, but not nearly as much of a surprise as her joining him on the floor. She'd been crouched and hunched in on herself before, but she was properly sitting down now, allowing herself at least that little bit of vulnerability, with him of all people.

"Thank you, Calliope." Anton said softly, his honeyed gaze holding her violet one. "I know you've got generations of evidence to the contrary. So that means a lot to me, truly." He then let his head fall back against the door and set his phone down on the floor in front of him. The cab was ordered. So there was nothing left to do but wait.

 

[Serenity30822]

With a small nod at his words, Calliope pulled his jacket closed around herself, still feeling a bit of the chill from outside on her skin. She watched as he set his phone down, then looked around the room.

"I can see why you would hate it here. Your room is nearly as dull as mine. And from what you've said, I will be glad when we are both free of this place." Her voice is calm, quiet. "No one deserves to be treated the way your father treats people."

Her mouth curled into a small smile, her fingers fidgeting with one of the buttons on his jacket as she looked at him.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Calliope's words pulled a soft chuckle from Anton, and as he saw her looking around the nondescript room, he couldn't help but do the same. "Yeah, and I truly wish that I could say that it wasn't always like this, but this entire house was built and designed for purpose, not love. Hell, I even wish that I could say that maybe my father might have turned out different if my mother had lived, but again no, not knowing the horrible things he did to you.

Anton's head sagged once more as he shook it slowly back and forth. "No one indeed, but least of all you, Calliope, a literal goddess who should be revered and worshipped not shackled and enslaved. Just the thought of it makes me ill, and even more ill when I remember the thirty two generations that came before him..."

With his last words hanging in the air between them, Anton fell silent. It was hard for his mind to not go to dark places when he thought of everything that his family had done to Calliope, and he couldn't wait for it all to be over and for her to be free of it all.

"Anyway...happier thoughts!" Anton started, exclaiming the words a bit as he perk up a little and he lifted his head and gaze once more. "Tell me, What's the first thing you're going to do once you're free."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's head tilts slightly at the mention of what was done to her. She hadn't told him any details. He must be guessing. Which was fine, it just caught her off guard.

Her cheeks flushed when he spoke again, not used to praise. She hesitated, long enough for him to speak again and change the subject, but it didn't stop her. She reached her right hand out, placing it gently on his knee in a reassuring way, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's okay..." She paused before moving on to his new subject.

"I don't know what I'll do... What would you do if you were me?" Her lips curled into a small smile, letting her hand linger for a moment before slowly pulling it back.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

The touch of Calliope's hand on his knee caught Anton off guard. He'd of course noticed that she'd kept a safe distance before, and had chosen to sit closer now, but he never expected such a gesture from her, giving who he was and that his family had enslaved her for over six hundred years. He bowed his head at her reassuring words before lifting his gaze to find hers once more.

Calliope turning his question back on him, and doing it with a small smile actually brought a smile to Anton's lips. "Ooh, that's a tough one indeed." Anton started, lifting his gaze to the ceiling as he thought about it. "Heh, well I guess that would depend on if we're counting getting revenge as a thing or if we mean after that, because I'd be hard-pressed to not want to burn this place to the ground and then smash your stone prison to dust." He offered up a slightly bigger smile before speaking once more. "If we're not counting revenge though, then I definitely think I'd want to go somewhere tropical, a place right by the ocean or at least near a waterfall."

As if on cue, Anton's phone gave off an alert as he finished speaking. A simple glance was all he needed to see the alert that the driver was getting close. After seeing that, he quickly turned off the screen, pushed himself to his feet, slid the phone into his pocket, and held his hand out to her. He couldn't help but hold his breath as his hand hovered in the air between them. When she took it though, and let him help her to her feet once more, that small smile of his returned to his lips once more as he let out that held breath with a soft whoosh.

With Calliope's hand still in his own, Anton stepped slowly around her, turning her with him as he moved to where his bags still sat on the floor. He picked up his duffel bag and slid the strap over his shoulder and head so that it hung beside him with the strap across his body. It left his hand free to pick up his laptop bag without having to worry that it might slip off. With bags in tow, he moved back towards the door, briefly setting his laptop bag down and moving his hand to the lock on the door. He then turned his honeyed gaze to her and deep breath. "Last time, I promise." He said softly, holding her violet gaze and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Anton turned the lock, opened the door, and picked up his bag once more, before leading Calliope out of the room by her hand. Byron, his father's butler and the head of the household staff was waiting for them, as Anton knew he would be. "Ah, Master Anton..." The man started as he stepped forward from where he'd been dutifully standing. "Your father..."
"...Can go fuck himself..." Anton said coldly, finishing the older man's sentence.

"Your father...insists..." Byron continued, moving to block Anton's path to the stairs.

Anton's eyes flashed with anger as he looked up at the man, as Byron was at least half a foot taller than Anton. "Or what?" Anton asked defiantly. "Or he'll call the police and tell them that I kidnapped the undocumented woman he had locked behind his writing studio and chained to the wall?"

Byron stood his ground as he listened to Anton speak, his dark brown gaze holding Anton's. Anton could see the gears turning in the older man's head though, and in the end it was Byron who blinked first, and when he did Anton was quick to capitalize. "That's what I thought. Now fuck off." Anton took things one step further though, punctuating his statement with a step forward, blatantly and intentionally shouldering Byron out of his way.

Anton led Calliope back to and down the stairs, knowing that Byron was following them. Anton paid the larger man no more attention, focusing on the front door that was their gateway to freedom. There was nobody there to open the door for them, but Anton just did it himself, not daring to let his bag out of his hand this time though. Even after the two of them made it outside, they weren't quite home free. From the vantage granted by the porch, he could see that the large metal gate was still closed, even though he could see the lights of their cab shining brightly on the other side.

A cold and stiff breeze met the pair as they stepped off the porch and walked down the long driveway, almost as though the weather itself was trying to intimidate the pair and force them back inside. They stayed the course though, and as much as Anton hoped that the gate would open for the cab or for them when they got there, he could hardly say that he was surprised when it didn't. So without hesitation, he moved to the side of the gate and pressed the button for the intercom.

"Lucas, open the gate." Anton said calmly before taking his hand off of the button and seeing if the man on the other side did as he asked, or spoke. When neither happened, he pressed the button again. "Lucas, open the gate and let us out, or I'll call the police and have you charged with unlawful imprisonment." He let go of the button again, and when there was no response, he simply shrugged, set his bag down, and pulled out his phone. A single button pressed on his phone was all that was needed before it got a response from the people watching them.

Anton's phone rang, and the ring tone itself was enough to tell him who it was. He pressed the button to answer the call. He didn't have time to speak before his father's voice sounded from the other end. "You ungrateful little shi..." Anton hung up on the man, knowing that it would infuriate him. It didn't take long for the phone to ring again, but this time he went one step farther and declined the call, sending it to his voicemail. With his point driven home, Anton answered the phone when it rang again. "Anton..."
"Tell him...to open...the gate." Anton told his father with barely contained fury. "You gave her to me, and I'm taking her home to work on MY legacy."

"Anton..." The man said with a bit more restraint.
"Open the fucking gate!" Anton said before abruptly hanging up the phone and turned to stare at the camera that his father was watching him through. He turned the phone towards his father as he dialed 9. He waited a second and dialed 1 and then another second before dialing 1 again. With the number dialed, Anton hesitated, lifted an eyebrow at the camera, and all but dared them to call his potential bluff. He then moved his finger towards the green button that would start the call, but was interrupted by the sound of the gate opening.

Anton pressed the red button, turned his screen off, and tucked his phone back into his pocket before picking up his laptop bag and leading Calliope through them towards the yellow cab waiting for them. He asked the man to pop the trunk but then declined the man's help with the bags, leading her towards the rear of the car. He set his first bag in the trunk and moved to lift the strap of the other one off of his shoulder and over his head. As he put it in the car though, he leaned forward against it.

"I am so sorry that I had to say those words and that you had to hear them." Anton whispered softly, not being able to bring himself to look her in the eye after what he'd said. "I promise that they were just for his benefit and to get him to open the ga...gate." His voice broke a little as confidence faded. With nothing else to do or say though, he put his second bag in the trunk, closed it, and led Calliope back to one of the cab doors. He opened the door for her and helped her inside before closing it behind her. He then hurried to the other door, got in beside her, and put his seat belt on, and collapsed back against the seat, hoping beyond hope that the worst was finally behind them.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope held onto Anton's hand as he led her out of the room, stepping slightly behind him as he and the butler spoke. She tried to ignore what was being said, when Anton pulled her along and they walked away. She looked back to see the butler following and moved closer, holding Anton's hand in hers and putting her other hand around his arm, holding herself close to him.

She flinched when she heard his father's voice through the phone, and again when Anton said he was taking her to work on his own legacy. Her grip loosened slightly as negative thoughts flooded her mind. I guess it really was a trick...

She followed him to the car, standing beside him as he loaded his things into the trunk. What he said next truly surprised her. She had believed him before, believed what he said to his father. Though she guessed that was the point. It needed to be believable.

She heard his voice falter and frowned slightly, letting him lead her to the door and sitting down. When he got in beside her she watched him, seeing the weary expression on his face.


Calliope wasn't sure just what got into her, but she found herself moving closer to him, sliding over in the seat, and leaning against him. She laid her head on his shoulder, not looking up at him. He was clearly unhappy that he'd had to say what he did. She was upset as well, but she understood.

With her head against his shoulder, she reached for his hand again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you..."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Even as he collapsed into the seat and felt the car start to move, Anton couldn't help but wonder how much ground he'd lost with Calliope. He hated the things he did, the things he said, and generally the man he became whenever he came back to this place. I mean Lucas was just doing his job, and had no real choice but to agree. Byron and his father on the other hand...they only respected strength and power. So he'd been forced to exude that, doing and saying things that he wouldn't normally do and say, because if he backed down or even blinked first, they'd jump on that moment of weakness in an instant.

Though Anton had known in that moment that his whispered apology was nowhere close to good enough, it was all there had been time for. He hoped that he could make up for it later, and hoped that she'd let him make up for it.

The feeling of Calliope sliding over in the seat surprising Anton, but not nearly as much as the feel of her leaning against him, and yet there was more, he felt her head against his shoulder and then her touch on his hand as their fingers entwined once more.

The feeling of so many unexpected things from Calliope in so few moments had an uplifting effect on Anton, leading to him taking a slow and deep breath before giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He wanted to speak, or lean his head against her hair, generally do...something, but he feared shattering the fragile atmosphere between them, and thus remained still and silent, breathing slowly and deeply to disturb her as little as possible.

Anton was so focused on the normally effortless task of just breathing that he didn't even realize how long they'd been driving or how close to their destination they were until he felt the car turn. That led to him looking out the window and seeing the lights of the city. Those lights alone told him where they were and how close they truly were, given that this wasn't the first time that he'd driven this way to stay at the very same hotel they were on the way towards, or even the first time he'd done it around this time of year. Admittedly though, it was the first time he'd made the trip on Christmas Eve. He was usually able to tolerate his father for at least a couple of days. Seeing how close they were though, he turned back towards Calliope and leaned down to whisper against her hair. "We're almost there." He said softly, giving her hand another gentle squeeze as the car made the last turn into the parking lot.

When the car stopped under the overhang in front of the large front doors of the hotel, Anton still made no effort to remove his hand from Calliope's, taking the time and effort to use his left hand to get his wallet from his right pocket instead. A quick glance up was all that was needed to see how much money was needed, and he then pulled out enough cash for both it and a generous tip. "Can you please reset the meter and keep it running though?" Anton asked the driver politely. "This was a spur of the moment decision to say the least, and I'm more than happy to both pay and tip you for your time if it means not waiting for another cab if they don't have a room." The driver took one look down at the money in his hand, counting out the tip, and nodded. He then reached up to reset the meter.

Anton considered releasing Calliope's hand so that she could get out the door that she'd gotten in on, but given that she'd already slid into the middle seat, he decided against it. He opened his door, stepped out, sliding his wallet into his left pocket next to his phone before using the hold he had on her hand to help her out of the cab as well. He then left their bags in the trunk of the cab and escorted Calliope towards and into the sliding doors of the hotel.

The eyes of the man behind the front desk lit up with both surprise and familiarity at the sight of Anton. Anton of course noticed this as he escorted Calliope up to the desk and simply nodded and smiled. "I know, Marco, I know. It's a new record.

"New by a long shot, Anton. Don't get me wrong, we're happy to have you, but we never expected to see you on Christmas Eve." Marco said, his fingers working on the keyboard. You didn't have a reservation did you?"

"Sadly...no, and trust me I would have called ahead if I could, but..." Anton started before letting his words just trail off.

"But your father did what your father does I expect?" Marco offered up.

"Yeah, something like that. So please tell me you've got a room, literally any room."

The man's fingers continued to dance across the keyboard as his eyes did a similar dance back and forth across the screen. He didn't make a sound before letting out a disappointed sigh. "I'm sorry Anton, but we're all full up. Everything that's not occupied is booked, and as much as I'd like to help..."

"No no, it's okay Marco. I knew that this was a possibility." Anton said, offering up a smile as he backed away from the desk. He let out a soft sigh as his left hand reached into his pocket for his phone. The desk phone rang as he started to pull up the map of hotels in the area. He tuned it out as he navigated the map, pulling up the next closest one and turned them back towards the door.

"Anton wait!" Marco's voice calling after the retreating pair caught Anton off guard and drawing him to a halt. He didn't turn around so much as just turn his head though, wondering what the man wanted. "You're in luck! We just had a cancellation, and you said any room. So you're welcome to it if you still want it."

Anton let out a slow sigh of relief as he turned Calliope around and walked them back to the desk once more. "I definitely still want it." He said, turning the screen off on his phone, sliding it back in beside his wallet, and pulling his wallet out once more. A single hand was then all that was needed to remove his driver's license and credit card.

It wasn't until Marco saw how Anton removed the credit card and ID that the man truly looked at Calliope for the first time. Her beauty of course caught his eye, but the look in his eye was more one of curiosity than anything else. When he realized that he was staring, he snapped back into reality, finished the check in process, and called somebody to help the pair with their bags.

It was only then, when the bellhop came to get the bags from the car that Anton finally forced himself to let go of Calliope's hand. "I'll be right back." He said softly. "I won't be a minute. I promise." He then let their joined hands fall to their sides before finally forcing himself to release hers and step away from her side.

The walk outside to get the bags and tip the driver was short, but it somehow felt so much colder than the walk inside. He wasn't sure if it was just because of lack Calliope's physical closeness or if the wind had just picked up a bit in the last few minutes, but goddam did the wind have a bite to it. Either way though, he was true to his word on doubling the tip, despite the small fare. Soon enough though, he was back inside, taking Calliope's hand, in the elevator with her, and on the way up to their floor and room.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope smiled to herself as he helped her out of the car, keeping her hand held in his grasp. She wasn't sure why but his touch was comforting. It made her feel almost safe, everything around her being so new. She had only known the confines of her prison for many years, and another before that, for so long.

She stood quietly at his side gripping his hand while Anton and the man behind the desk spoke. When the man called out to them she stopped in her tracks and turned slightly to look back as he offered the room to them. She was glad that a room had come available, it meant they could finally stop for a bit, breathe away from his father's home. She went to the desk with Anton, watching as he paid for the room.

She noticed the man staring at her and took a small step closer to Anton, leaning into him slightly, a bit uncomfortable with the attention, but relaxing when the man looked away. When Anton pulled his hand from hers she reluctantly let go, nodding as she curled her arms around her middle, pulling his jacket around herself in the process.

She stood where he left her, looking after him until he was outside, then turning her attention to her surroundings. She took in the grandeur of the hotel, noting that it wasn't as nice as the rest of the house she'd occupied but was definitely far nicer than her 'room'. She turned when the door opened again, smiling as she saw Anton making his way back to her. She reached for his hand as he approached her, craving the simple contact.

She followed along to the elevator and eventually into their room. Her jaw dropped slightly as she took in the room they'd managed to acquire. It was nicer than the rest of the hotel seemed for certain. She stepped further in, making sure to take in every detail. It was beautiful. Subtle shades of blue and purple with an off-white creating a simple elegance. The single large bed in the center of the room had a canopy which seemed odd to her.

There was a bathroom with a large round tub, robes hanging on the wall, big fluffy towels on a rack above the toilet. The bedroom area smelled of flowers, and had different lighting options, switches seeming to cover one wall. She breathed out a single syllable, moving further into the room to trace her fingers over the bedspread, "Wow,,,"

Calliope turned to look at Anton, a look of almost wonder in her eyes and a smile tugging at her lips as she looked up at him. "Anton... I just... Thank you, again. I can't say it enough. You got me out of that house. Away from your father. I truly appreciate it, more than you can know..."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Calliope reaching for his hand as he'd approached her once more had made Anton's heart jump a little. It was such a small and simple gesture, but from her, after everything she'd been through, it was huge. He gladly lifted and extended his hand to let her take it and gave hers a gentle squeeze to show her that he wasn't oblivious to her efforts.

Once the bellhop was tipped and gone, the door was closed and locked, and they were alone and free at last, Anton happily stood back and watched Calliope explore the room, tracing fingers over the wall, the bedspread, and taking in each detail of each room.

Calliope's smile, and the words that came with it, was utterly infectious. Anton smiled back as he approached her, reaching to take her hand in his once more. "You are, and will always be, welcome, Calliope." He said softly as he lifted their joined hands and pressed a gentle kiss to the backs of her fingers. He then let their hands lower before he spoke once more. "Now, is there anything else I can get you? Can I get you something to eat or drink? I mean...do you eat and drink? …Begging your pardon for my ignorance..."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope couldn't help the blush that rushed to her cheeks when Anton brought her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her fingers. Her lips curled into a small smile as he spoke and she let out a small giggle when he finished speaking.

"Anton there's no need to worry, and you can just ask your questions, I won't bite your head off for being curious. I don't have to eat or drink, but I used to just for the joy of it. Exploring the flavors, finding new ways to combine things to create something new."

Her smile grew as she talked, and her posture changed little by little, no longer hunched over but standing straight and not looking quite so scared.

"I think I'd like something to eat and drink, I'm sure you need to eat something since your evening plans were... derailed." She let out a little chuckle at the end of her sentence, her mind quickly running through the events of their evening.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton smiled at the little giggle that Calliope let slip, even as a slight flush came to his cheeks. "Heh, duly noted, Calliope. I'll try to be a bit more casual in that regard." He said, his thumb brushing briefly over the top of her hand before he finally let it go. "I'm still just trying to wrap my head around everything, y'know? I mean it's not everyday that you find out that gods and goddesses are not only real, but walking among us..."

As he let his words hang in the air between them, Anton pulled his computer from it's bag and set it on the desk beneath the large flat screen TV. He spent the small amount of time that it was booting up pulling the charge cord from the bag, plugging it in, and plugging it into the computer.

"Alright, let's take a look at the menu." Anton said as he logged onto the hotel Wi-Fi. "...And the kitchen is closed...because Christmas Eve...Of course..." He continued with a soft chuckle as his fingers started to work at the keyboard once more. "Closed...closed...maybe..." He said out loud mostly to himself as he went over the food places nearby. He scooped up his phone and dialed the number for the Pizza Hut just down the street.

The smile returned to Anton's face when he heard a familiar voice answer the phone. "Hey Jesse, it's Anton. You guys still open and taking orders?" He let out a soft sigh of relief and turned in the chair to nod at Calliope. "Heh, thanks a ton man. I owe you. Can I just get a large stuffed-crust super supreme and a 2-liter of Coke?" He then listened briefly before speaking again. "Yup, same hotel as always, room 408. Just have them knock on the door, and I'll be ready."

After he hung up the phone, Anton slumped back in his chair and let out another sigh of relief. "It won't be a gourmet steak or anything fancy, but it should at least be hot and fresh." His face then turned a bit more serious. "In the meantime though, did you want to shower or take a bath or anything? I'm more than happy to leave both cards for the room in here and step outside to give you maximum privacy, and you could just let me back in when you are ready to."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope watched Anton as he set up the laptop and order food for them. She was certain she'd never had pizza before but was excited to try it. She watched as he slumped back in his chair and spoke.

By the time he finished, her cheeks were red. "I... I think I'd like a bath if that's okay, but... I don't want you to go. I don't..." She trailed off, shifting awkwardly, not wanting to admit it to herself much less to him. "I don't want to be alone, Anton..." The words were barely a whisper as a somewhat unfamiliar emotion crept through her, embarrassment, and she looked down at the floor.

It was a foreign feeling, and she was conflicted on top of it. Calliope had spent so much time alone, and suffered immensely at the hands of his father and ancestors, but for some reason unbeknownst to her she trusted Anton. And the idea of him leaving her alone in the hotel room made her feel cold and a little afraid, so she curled her arms around her waist.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton saw Calliope's cheeks turning red as he spoke, but didn't know what it was about. Even as she started to speak he simply started to nod, but he saw the way that she was shifting where she stood and knew something was up. When she said that she didn't want to be alone though, in a voice that was barely above a whisper and her arms curling around her waist. His honeyed gaze softened as he rose slowly out of the chair.

As torn as Anton was about what he was about to do, one look at Calliope in her current condition was all he needed to commit to it. He closed the small distance between them and wrapped his arms around Calliope. "Okay...okay..." He whispered back softly as his arms held her without true force, ready to let her go if she made any move to separate them. "I'll stay...I just wanted to respect your privacy, however much you needed."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope stiffened in an automatic reaction to Anton placing his arms around her, but it took less than a second for her to relax, certain that he wasn't going to hurt her. A moment later, her own arms uncurled from her waist and very slowly snaked around him. Once she stopped moving, she felt herself relax even further, leaning into him ever so slightly as they hugged.

She felt an odd feeling in her chest, yet another unfamiliar feeling, but she wasn't able to place just what this feeling was. And while it was new, therefore somewhat unnerving, she found that she liked whatever it was, a sort of radiating warmth. She pulled herself back from Anton just enough to look up at him, her cheeks still slightly flushed.

She didn't have anything to say really, so she didn't say a word yet, just looked at him for a moment. She felt that embarrassed feeling starting to creep back into her little by little, and finally broke the silence quietly. "I... Um.. I'll need a little help. I was always just given a wash cloth and a bucket of water, I've never..." She trailed off, embarrassment hitting her full force. She had no idea how to use modern plumbing and things.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton naturally felt Calliope stiffen, and it was of course understandable. He also felt her relax though, and that made him smile. What he hadn't expected though, was the feeling of her arms not only uncurling from around herself but snaking around him as well. She even leaned into him ever so slightly, and that added bit of trust from her, to him of all people, when he hadn't even been able to free her yet, truly warmed his heart.

When Calliope made to pull away from him, Anton was true to his original intent and didn't stop her. He looked down into those lovely violet eyes, and though he was surprised to see her cheek flushed, his face remained the same, lest he embarrass her. Yes, she was a goddess, but she'd been through a roller coaster of emotions in a very small amount of time. In his own way he was just happy that she didn't rebuff the comforting gesture, which she'd of course had every right to do.

The moments that followed the hug were somehow more awkward than the hug itself, something that Anton wouldn't have guessed, again given the history involved, but thankfully Calliope spoke and helped get them back on track. He saw her embarrassment as her words trailed, and his previously neutral from awkwardness face softened once more. "Ah, of course. It would be my pleasure." He said with a knowing smile, stepping towards the bathroom before turning to make sure that she was following him.

Anton stopped first at the sink. "We won't need this yet, but it's good to know for later." He started as his hands unwrapped the little bar of hotel soap. He then moved his hand to the left knob of the sink. "Hot water..." Then to the right knob of the sink. "Cold water..." He then turned the hot water knob. "On..." He then turned it back. "Off..." He repeated the same with the cold water. "You can do both at once, and that's of course how you get warm and cool water." He turned the hot knob a decent amount and then added some cold before placing his hand under the faucet and adjusting it as needed while reaching for the soap. "Each faucet is different. So just feel with your hand until it's the temperature you want." He then washed, rinsed, and dried his hands. "Last thing..." His hand reached for the knob behind the faucet and pulled it upwards. "Pull up to plug the drain if you want the sink to fill with water, and push down to start draining again."

With the sink done, Anton turned his attention to the shower and bath. His hand lifted to the shower curtain, pulling it all the way open. His hand moved to the only knob on the wall and move it from the down position to the up position so the water started to pound out of the faucet before turning it back off so that Calliope could hear him. "Up is on and down is off." He said simply enough before reaching down to remove his shoes and socks so that he could step into the tub, allowing her to step closer to get a better view. He then turned the water on again and rotated it left as his finger pointed towards the ascending red lines. "Just like before! Red is hot! Blue is cold! Feel with your hand, and go slow!" He naturally had to shout, because he had to be heard over the sound of the rushing water, since it couldn't be adjusted without the water on. Once the explanation was done though, he turned the water off. His hand then moved to the little switch that operated the drain. "Up is drain, down is fill, the opposite of the sink. And with that, I think you should be good to go." He said with a smile before laying out a hand towel to step on with his wet feet and drying them off.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Anton said as he'd been about to step out of the room. He grabbed a couple of small bottles and a fresh bar of soap off of the bathroom counter. "Shampoo, conditioner, and of course soap. He said as he set the two bottles down one by one so that Calliope know which was which without having to read and unwrapped the second bar of soap. The washcloth, towels, and robes were all within reach, but he gave the room one last look all the same. "Is there anything I missed, or anything else you think you need, Calliope?" He asked, offering up a genuine smile, as he truly was happy to help.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope watched and listened as he taught her how to use each faucet, still feeling a bit embarrassed but the way he took care to explain things was helping. "I think that's all... Thank you Anton." She said softly, looking at him as he smiled at her.

She waited for him to leave the room, struggling for just a moment before getting the tub set up to fill. The water was likely hotter than it should've been, but when she'd held her hand under the faucet it had been relaxing, feeling the heat seeping into her skin. Once the tub was full enough, she turned off the faucet and undressed, carefully placing his jacket and her clothes beside the sink.

She stepped into the tub one foot at a time, letting out a quiet sigh of satisfaction as the heat soaked into her. She just stood there for a moment before sinking down into the water, facing the door with her knees up. "Oh!" She gasped as water spilled over the edge of the tub. She hadn't thought about water displacement when she'd filled the tub nearly to the top. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and she wondered how difficult it would be to clean it up.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

"You're always welcome..." Anton said back with a smile after Calliope thanked him. He then closed the door behind him. He found himself torn on what to do then, torn on whether to stay close to the door in case she needed any more help or take care of some stuff on the computer.

After a couple minutes of waiting by the door, Anton moved over to the computer. His fingers hesitated on the keys before finally deciding to open up a new tab and start researching muses. His eyes scanned page after page while he kept an eye on the pizza delivery timer when a strange sound from the bathroom caught his attention.

Anton got up from his chair and moved back over to the bathroom door. He didn't open it, but did knock a couple of times with a single knuckle. "Um...Calliope? You okay in there?" He asked in a soft and hesitant tone that he hoped was still audible through the door.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope jumped when she heard Anton on the other side of the door, blushing a bit. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, effectively covering herself even though she wasn't exactly modest. "Um, I'm okay... I just kinda... Made a mess..." She said, looking over the edge of the tub at the water all over the floor.

"If you come in, be careful, the floor is wet." She called out, waiting quietly.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton heard Calliope words, and was at least glad to hear that she was okay. He was definitely curious about the mess though, especially when her words sort of left it ambiguous as to whether or not she actually wanted him to come in or not.

"Um...okay. I'm going to come in and take a look okay? I won't look though. I promise" He then waited a couple of moments for Calliope to either shield herself, pull the curtain, or turn around, whichever she chose, before moving his hand to the door and turning the handle. He turned it till it clicked and then lifted a hand to shield his view, giving him a view of just the floor in front of him. He then slowly entered the room, keeping his gaze glued to the floor. He walked until he saw the water on the floor and looked at it curiously. When he slowly raised his gaze, shifting his hand to just see the forward section of the tub, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh...I see..." He said with another laugh. "Yeah, that'll happen sometimes. Just flip the switch up to let it drain a bit so that it won't splash over when you move, and flip it back down when it gets to a good height. You can always add more water if you drain a bit too much. Don't worry about the floor though, I'll take care of it."

With his instructions given, Anton lifted his gaze to the shower curtain so that he could pull it to give her privacy to move while he was still in the room. He then turned his attention to the floor once more, grabbing two of the three clean towels that were hanging on the wall and using them to dry the floor. It of course wasn't perfect, but given the circumstances, it was good enough for now. "Okay, it's not perfect, but it'll do for now. Do you want me to pull the curtain back before I leave, or do you want me to sit with my back turned, just in case? What would make you feel the most comfortable, Calliope?"

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope watched Anton as he moved about the room, listening to his instruction and draining some of the water while he cleaned up the water on the floor. She found herself frowning slightly when he spoke again, reaching to tug the curtain back herself while he stood there.



"Don't go... Please." She said quietly, looking at him. She was still mostly covered, her legs blocking most of her body. Even in the short time she'd been by herself in the bathroom she'd felt a slight sense of panic starting to set in.