Freeing the Muse (Closed for Serenity30822)

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's smile grew as she watched Anton settle and get into the bed with her. She laid her legs out and moved down on the bed a bit to lay back with her head on the pillow beside him. She turned on her side to face him as he pulled the blankets over himself, looking at him as he spoke.

"I'll be alright, Anton, it's been a long day and we could both use some good rest." she said quietly, smiling and reaching one hand out to gently place it on his upper arm over the blanket. It was a silent thanks, just a simple touch to assure him of her trust and gratitude to him.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Of all the things that could have made Anton smile in that moment, the feeling of Calliope's hand coming to rest on his upper arm as she said she'd be alright was certainly one of them. He wasn't normally a back sleeper, but couldn't bring himself to move if it meant that she might end up moving that hand from it's resting place. So he simply took a long and slow breath as he let his head sag to the side, letting the last thing he saw, even in the dark, be the outline of her, and the faintest hint of purple from her hair.

Anton slept long and deep that night, his sleep effectively dreamless and uninterrupted. In fact, the only time any one watching would notice anything amiss from him was when Calliope's hand moved from it's place on his upper arm for a brief second in the middle of the night, causing him to subconsciously groan in dismay. When it returned shortly afterwards though, he sighed just as subconsciously with content.

Given that Anton had the better sleep of the two, it likely wouldn't be a surprise that he was the first of them to stir the following morning. He was still in no hurry to disturb or otherwise abandon Calliope though. So rather than move or get up, he simply turned his head, which was as much movement as he'd done during the night, back towards her, and opened his eyes. He watched her as she slept, her breathing making the the blankets slowly rise and fall as he watched with a small half smile on his face.

 

[Serenity30822]

It didn't take long at all for Calliope to slip into unconsciousness, her hand still resting lightly on Anton's arm. Like most nights, she didn't really dream. Normally if she did, it was horrible, more akin to a night terror than just a nightmare or bad dream. She slept soundly, until around midnight when a particularly horrid dream plagued her. She dreamt that despite her trust and belief in Anton, he betrayed her. She yanked her hand back as she woke, bringing her fingers to her lips to quiet herself and not wake him. When he groaned, she held her breath, not wanting to disturb his slumber.

Once she'd gotten her breathing under control again, Calliope placed her hand back on his arm, her fingertips barely brushing his skin as the blanket had shifted when she moved. She found comfort in the warmth of his flesh, and was able to find sleep once again.

Calliope flexed her fingers as she woke, feeling Anton's skin beneath her fingertips, seeing the sunlight peeking through the curtains even through her closed eyelids. Her lips curled into a small sleepy smile as she blinked a few times to clear the fog from her eyes, finding Anton watching her.

"Good morning..." she said quietly while debating whether she should move her hand or not. He didn't seem to mind, so she left it where it was.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton felt Calliope's fingers flex as she woke, and saw her eyelids flutter against the sunlight peeking through the curtains. He even saw the sleepy smile that came to her lips before her eyes had even opened. His smile was waiting for her as she blinked a couple of times to clear the sleep from those big violet orbs, and after she offered up the first greeting, he happily followed suit.

"Good morning to you too." Anton said softly, almost in a whisper, as though he were afraid to shatter the tender atmosphere of the morning. "How did you sleep?"

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's smile widened when he returned the good morning greeting, and she briefly considered telling him the full truth about how she'd slept, but decided against it. She didn't want to make him feel like she didn't trust him, because she did. It was just the traitor in the back of her mind telling her it was just another trick.

"I slept well, how about you?" She said quietly, tucking her legs up closer to her body in preparation for getting up from the bed, but settling once again. She didn't want to move her hand from his arm.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Calliope's widening smile made Anton's smile widen as well. Her already beautiful face was made that much more beautiful when she smiled, even if he did understand why she had so many reasons to frown. Her question though, made him chuckle before responding.

"It was the best night of sleep I've had in a long time if you can believe it." Anton said a little sheepishly as he nuzzled his head a bit deeper into his pillow. "It was far from the most physically exhausting day, but mentally...phew...to say that it was draining would be an...understatement."

 

[Serenity30822]

"I understand that," she said quietly, feeling her cheeks heat ever so slightly when he responded and buried himself in his pillow. "I'm glad you slept well despite how yesterday went."

Reluctantly, she drew her hand back from his arm, letting her fingertips linger against his skin as long as possible before disrupting the contact and sitting up with her legs folded beneath her. She raised her arms up over her head and stretched, feeling the towel that had miraculously stayed tucked around her through the night begin to slip. She was still covered but it was definitely loose around her torso.

Modesty had never really been a concern of hers, especially before she'd been captured, finding that the female form was often enough inspiration for many. As a result she didn't pay much mind to the loosening towel, remembering the robe had been placed on the bed but never put on. As she began to relax from her stretch, she let out a quiet groan of satisfaction, the relief in her muscles almost euphoric.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

"Heh, yeah...yesterday was full of surprises wasn't it?" Anton asked rhetorically, even as a soft sigh of dismay slipped from him at the lingering feel of Calliope's fingertips, one that lifted slightly in dismay when they finally abandoned his arm. Despite that fleeting dismay though, he rolled quickly to his side, tucking the pillow beneath his arm as he braced his elbow on the bed and propped his head in that head. He then lifted his gaze, following and watching her beautiful face as she gathered her legs beneath her, raised her arms above her head, and stretched.

Though he was looking at Calliope's face, Anton was of course aware of the towel she wore, both in the little cover that it provided, and that it was slipping. It's progress was slow but steady, and came with a conundrum. On the one hand, he most definitely wanted to see more of the beautiful goddess before him, what with him being the straight red-blooded man that he was. On the other hand though, there was propriety to think about, as well as trying to be better than all those that had come before him. So, rather than take advantage of the opportunity before him, he lifted his other hand to shield her body from his view, hiding it behind his hand and arm as he framed her face between his thumb and forefinger, ensuring that he saw nothing below her neck, even as he declined to look away from her.

"You look like you needed that. Heh, and it sounds like you did too." Anton said softly with a smile as he listened to the goddess groan in satisfaction. He could only imagine how long it had been since she'd been allowed to properly stretch her legs, let alone the rest of her muscles.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's eyes opened after her stretch to see that Anton was shielding her body from his sight. She met his gaze between his two fingers and smiled, lifting one of her own arms to hold the towel so it didn't fall away from her.

"Sorry, I should probably put something else on, hm?" she said softly, holding eye contact with him.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton of course saw Calliope move to hold her towel in place, but it was the smile on her lips that truly drew his attention. Still, he heard her question and returned her smile with one of his own.

"Heh, that is up to you, my dear. Your body is yours to show and share to and with whomever you choose. I just didn't want to...take advantage of the moment." Anton said, lowering the hand that shielded her body from view. He blushed as he finished talking though, the mere thought of her naked body sending a stirring through him, despite his gentlemanly intentions.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope noticed his cheeks flush with color and couldn't help the slight darkening of her own as she considered what his reaction meant. She considered dropping the towel anyway, just to see his cheeks grow darker, curious about his reactions. She'd never really dealt with anyone who wasn't aggressive toward her, who knew what they wanted from her and was willing to take it by any means necessary. So this man who claimed to only be interested in freeing her was truly intriguing.

Instead of dropping it though, she adjusted the roll at the top so it would once again stay up on its own. Calliope moved to the edge of the bed, sliding off when her feet found the carpet below, and made her way to the bathroom where her clothes from before lay on the floor. Considering the fact that she didn't have anything else to put on besides the robe Anton had offered the night before, she scooped up her clothes and poked her head back out to look at him. "Anton... Would it be alright if I used the bath again?" Her voice was quiet but clear, almost unsure.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton was of course aware that he'd been blushing, and he'd had every right to. What he hadn't expected though, was for the beautiful goddess before him to blush a little as well. The mere sight of those flushed cheeks had his dark brown gaze soften the slightest bit more as a small smile came to his lips. He saw, and indeed found his gaze drawn to the sight of her adjusting the roll at the top of her towel, so that it would stay on it's own. After that, his gaze followed her as she moved to the edge of the bed and slid off of it. He expected her to reach for the robe he'd set out for her the night before, and was a bit surprised when she ignored it, choosing instead to move towards the bathroom. He was, in fact, still looking after her when she poked her head out and asked if it would be okay if she used the bath again. Her voice was quiet but clear, indicating that it was truly something she wanted, but there was uncertainty there too, because she clearly wasn't sure if she was allowed to.

"Of course it's alright." Anton replied quickly, the small smile on his face widening to a more traditional and friendly one. After he spoke, he slid off of the bed, walked around it, and moved towards the bathroom. He saw her pull her head back into it, even as he approached, but paid it no mind as he stepped up to just outside the door. He then turned around, putting his back to the doorframe, turned away from the foot or so of space that she'd left the door open.

"After your bath, we could go shopping...if you want. We could get you some clothes of your own so that you have more to choose from than a towel, a robe, and one outfit. How does that sound, Calliope?" Anton spoke to and asked her loudly but clearly, knowing that his voice was projecting in the opposite direction that she was in.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope wasted no time once he'd said it was alright. The approval and smile that drew across her face made her smile in return as she retreated into the bathroom, not concerned with the door at all. She sat on the edge of the tub, trying to remember the controls to turn it on when she heard Anton lean against the door frame from the quiet brush of fabric against wood.

His voice sounded almost far away, she guessed because he had his back to her, but was still quite clear considering the volume. She found herself stopping her attempts to figure out the bath in favor of listening to him speak, her hands moving to rest in her lap.

"That sounds wonderful, Anton, thank you." she said, smiling to herself. Calliope reached after a moment and turned on the water. Having forgotten which was cold and which was hot she just had to play with it for a minute, but she got it figured out and soon the tub was filling with slightly warmer than just warm water. She stood and turned to face the mirror, looking at herself curiously. It had been so long since she'd known freedom, she couldn't remember if she had changed. She wondered if she would change at all when she was indeed free again.

Her hands moved on their own without a conscious thought and dropped the towel that was wrapped around her as she took in her figure. She noted that she was leaner than she remembered being before her capture. Since food wasn't a necessity for her, it had to me some physical response to her emotional state over the years, she wasn't sure. But she was sure she didn't like it. While she wasn't just skin and bone, her hip bones stuck out visibly and when she breathed she could see her ribs clearly.

Calliope remembered before that she'd had a bit of extra around the middle. Not a whole lot, but she was soft, and her bones weren't visible through her skin. She wondered when this had changed. If it was abrupt or just little by little as her demeanor and outlook grew more and more dismal.

Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of splashing water and the feeling of her feet getting wet. She spun on her heel, nearly slipping to the floor, and saw that she'd been daydreaming long enough that the tub had begun to overflow. She darted over to the tub, actually slipping this time but catching herself on the edge with a soft "oof", quickly turning off the water.

"Oops..." she said, lowering to sit on the wet floor beside the tub for a moment to gather her thoughts. Not much had spilled over, much of what had was already soaked into the towel that had been wrapped around her previously.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

After Calliope confirmed that she had heard him with her response, Anton stepped away from his post by the door, but only just long enough to grab his phone before returning to his post. She hadn't mentioned that she wanted him to join her like she had the night before, and he was going to respect her privacy now that she finally had it, while also being close enough to hear her if she had another accident like the night before, or in case of another accident in general.

The sound of the bath water running faded into the background for Anton as he sort of lost himself playing a match 3 game that he played whenever he was bored. He made move after move, letting his mind wander as he lost himself in a little bit of everything, utterly oblivious to the world around him.

It wasn't so much the sound of the tub turning off that caught Anton's attention, especially the way it faded into the background after being on for an abnormally long time. It was actually Calliope's voice, more specifically the single word that she spoke, that pulled him away from his game and had him turning around. He quickly turned around, knocked, and pushed the door open.

The first thing that Anton noticed when he opened the door was of course Calliope's beautiful body. One wouldn't think that even more of her body could be bared to him without him truly seeing anything of substance, yet here they were, come from her barely there outfit, to the towel that was in place but slipping, and finally now with no towel at all, but her knees together, pointed slightly upwards with how she was crouched down, and both of her hands on the tub, giving him a peek of side boob from under her arms and above those knees.

Anton wasn't sure how long he stood there, one hand on the door knob as he just...stared at the unearthly beauty that was the goddess Calliope before him. When he did finally catch himself staring though, he had to literally shake his head one way and jerk it to the other to snap himself back to reality. Only then did he notice the water on the floor that had escaped the clutches of the towels on the floor, both the ones from last night and the one she'd had wrapped around herself. It didn't take much for him to realize what had happened. It was similar to last time, but instead of it happening when she'd lowered herself into the tub, she'd just overfilled it.

Anton immediately reached to grab the two spare hand towels from beneath the bathroom sink, essentially exhausting their supply of anything but washcloths and the one hand towel hanging up. He carried them over to where Calliope knelt and knelt down beside her. He placed the towels on the floor just in front of the puddle and spread them out before pushing them forward, ensuring that he missed as little water as possible.

"Heh, you seem to have a personal vendetta against this floor." Anton said softly and jokingly, a small half-smile on his face as he leaned his shoulder towards hers and gave it the tiniest of nudges. "Or do you just like to see me on my knees?"

 

[Serenity30822]

Hearing the knock at the door, Calliope's head snapped up immediately, watching as Anton entered the room. Her cheeks were already beginning to heat with a blush of embarrassment at having flooded the bathroom once again. She tilted her head down, lowering her gaze to the wet floor as he looked at her, briefly concerned he would be upset with her.

She kept her eyes on the floor as he moved around the room working to clean up her mess, seeing him moving at the edge of her vision. When he spoke, she closed her eyes instinctively, sure he was unhappy, but when she felt him lean over against her and nudge her, hearing what he'd said, she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. By this time her cheeks were bright red, embarrassment having taken full hold of her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." she said quietly, her eyes pulling away from the tile in front of her to sneak a quick glance at him, the smile having faded from her lips as quickly as it had appeared. She worried he would think she was a burden if she kept making such careless mistakes and having him take care of her and clean up her messes.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton was busy tending to the floor when he heard Calliope start to speak, but he was listening to her all the same. Her pausing mid-sentence made him look up from his work. The small half-smile was still on his face, but it faltered a little when he saw the bright shade of red that her cheeks had turned. Her embarrassment was both obvious and understandable. She had flooded the bathroom twice in as many days via the same mistake. His face softened though, because unlike his ancestors, he wasn't a monster.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Calliope, truly." Anton said softly, moving to lift his hand but hesitating for a second before committing to the act. He moved his hand into her field of view before continuing to move it upwards, moving it until it was beneath her chin, if only so that he could raise her chin, without any real force, to meet his gaze. "Six-hundred years...is a long time, and the world has changed a lot. Accidents happen, and we all make mistakes." He let his face soften again as he spoke, holding the lovely goddesses gaze. He hoped that she didn't think he was wanting to treat her like a child, but that he... understood, or at least understood as much as was possible given the circumstances.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope saw his hand moving toward her, staying still as he moved closer. She felt his fingers press against her chin and she lifted her gaze to meet his as he pressed her chin upwards. She nodded almost imperceptibly at his words, her face staying red as they held each others gaze.

She could feel her eyes beginning to swell with tears, the overwhelming emotions of the last few days catching up to her all at once. "Anton... I..." Her voice was slightly strained as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill over, the look on her face a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty. Suddenly she moved forward, her legs swirling beneath her to boost her up as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Anton's neck, burying her face against his shoulder.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton saw the whirlwind of different emotions play across Calliope's still red face, but he remained where he was, kneeling before her with his fingers still touching her chin, even though their job was done. Even seeing all of those emotions didn't prepare him for what came next. He lost his balance as she lunged at him, and fell backwards, falling from his crouched position onto his butt. He didn't even notice the impact, because he was so focused on everything else, the feeling of her arms around his neck, her face buried against his shoulder, and his own arms that instinctively moved to wrap themselves around her.

With no idea what he should say in this situation, Anton just did what came natural, leaned his head down so that he could press it against her hair. One of his hands gently stroked heavenly-soft hair with long and slow strokes as the other arm held her, just held her. He could only imagine what she was feeling...what she had been through...if anything, it was a miracle that she had made it this long without breaking down.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope just let herself feel the myriad of emotions coursing through her mind, clinging tightly to Anton, and crying quietly. She felt his hand brushing down her hair, the returned embrace, and for the first time in 600 years she felt safe. Truly safe. She thought of all the hardships she'd endured, and of the man holding her, and how she didn't know how she could ever repay him for his kindness to her.

With a soft sniffle, she lifted her head off his shoulder but stayed close where he couldn't see her face. She spoke quietly, barely above a whisper, "Thank you Anton. I truly can't thank you enough..."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton's heard went out to the beautiful muse he held, and he did everything he could to stay mostly still, except for the hand that stroked her hair. He just wanted to be there for her, even as she cried, sobbed, and sniffled.

When Anton felt Calliope move to lift her head, even just that little bit, he lifted his cheek from her hair, in case she didn't want that contact, or in case she was trying to pull away. Even the slightest slip up in a moment like this could shatter this tender moment into a million pieces, a moment that he felt like she needed, truly needed.

"Thankfully you don't have to, Calliope." Anton whispered back to her just as softly. "You deserve all of this, and so much more."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope listened to Anton, thinking about what he was saying. After a moment, she nodded slightly, lifting her head just a little higher and turning to look at Anton. She hesitated a very brief moment before pressing her lips to his cheek in a gentle kiss. She let her lips linger for a moment before pulling back, still looking at him.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Several tense seconds passed after Anton spoke, and though Calliope didn't move at first, that didn't necessarily mean that she'd taken his words how he'd intended them to be taken. When he felt her nod though, a small smile came to his lips, and he happily pulled his head back as she lifted hers enough for her to turn and meet his gaze. He held his breath as she hesitated, his gaze flicking back and forth as he studied those violet eyes of hers, trying to get any sort of read on her.

Anton was anything but expecting, let alone prepared for, Calliope to lean up and press a gentle kiss to his cheek, especially when she let that kiss linger for a moment before she finally pulled back and looked at him. the soft kiss from the beautiful goddess had made his cheeks flush, and he had to fight against his own instincts to bow his head, or otherwise avert his eyes. He swallowed hard as he lifted both of his hands to brush any stray hairs from her face before stroking their way down the full length of her hair.

"Think you're ready to try that bath again...?" Anton started, reluctance obvious in his eyes, face, and posture "...or...did you change...your mind?" He didn't even truly know what he was asking her, but he felt that he had to say...something!

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope blushed all over again when he met her gaze and brushed her hair away from her face, not quite managing to resist the urge to lean into his touch slightly. She found herself craving the warmth of his touch more and more often. Her cheeks grew darker when he mentioned the bath and she looked toward the tub for a second before looking at him once again.

"I... Will you stay with me? I don't want to make a mess again..." she said, the last part a bit quieter than the first, clearly still embarrassed.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton didn't miss the way Calliope leaned into the touch of his hands, even if it was just the slightest bit, nor did he miss the darkening shade of red coloring her cheeks when she finally broke contact to cast a look at the tub for a second before looking back at him.

Calliope's questing request was quiet, particularly the last bit, but Anton paid it no mind, even daring to lean forward and press the softest of kisses to her forehead. "Of course...I am at your disposal." He whispered softly against her skin, as though it were a secret just between them.

When Anton did finally pulled his head back, albeit reluctantly, he met Calliope 's gaze once more. "Whenever you're ready..."

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope let out a barely audible sigh when she felt Anton's lips press to her forehead, feeling his breath on her skin drawing out a involuntary shiver in contrast to the cool but comfortable temperature in the room. She felt him pull back and looked up into his eyes, nodding slightly but not making a move to get up yet.

She didn't want to leave his embrace, her arms still curled around his neck, albeit a little looser now that she'd backed up. She found herself running her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck absently, enjoying the sensation on her fingertips.