Title: Happy Birthday, Belle
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Author’s Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Pairing: Calleigh/Sofia
Rating: PG13
Date: 28 May - 7 June 2008
Word Count: 1538
Written for: AJ's Lusty Month of May 2008
Recipient: steppenwolf_20
Prompt: something about Cal and her college time and how she figured out that she likes women...
Written for: [info]smut_69 table of prompts
Prompt: 40, virgins
Series: Yankee Belle
Summary: Calleigh's nineteenth birthday brings a surprise present both for her and Sofia.
Spoilers: prior to either series.
Warning: Established lesbian couple. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DD08
Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Frisked & Conquered
Link to: http://f-n-c.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…

Disclaimer: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.

Disclaimer: "CSI: Miami," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, Touchstone Television, The American Travelers, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Miami," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.

Author's Notes: In a lot of ways, it was hard to actually write this story. Once the relationship has been written, it's sometimes hard to go back to the beginning and figure out that moment where it all began.

I'd wanted to do something smuttier than a kiss, but the muses only wanted a kiss. And who am I to force my muses into doing something they don’t want to do? They're stubborn little bitches, but when they come through, they really come through. *g*

Dedication: My muses, as usual…

Beta: shatterpath, as usual

"Happy Birthday, Belle"
by A. Magiluna Stormwriter


"Curtis! Phone! And hurry it up, wouldja? I ain't got all damned day."

I bite back the urge to tell Bentley to fuck off, only because I'm not sure who's on the other end of this call. I'm not stupid enough to cause waves with potential contacts like that. Picking up the phone, I close the door to the little booth and settle into the chair.

"Curtis."

"Sofia?" I'd recognize that sweet accent anywhere. Only now, it doesn't sound quite right.

"Calleigh? You okay? You don't sound so good." There's a long pause, but I can hear her shallow, unsteady breathing, punctuated by occasional soft sobs. "Come on, Belle, where are you? I'll come get you and we can talk."

She rattles off the address, and I can't help wincing as I recognize where she is. This isn't good. This is most assuredly not good. I'm on my feet instantly, forcing a promise from her not to move so much as an inch before I get there. The minute she promises, the phone is slammed back onto the cradle and I'm off to my room to get my keys and wallet.

It takes less time than normal for me to reach the seedy bar. I know it well. Hell, one of my mother's friends runs it. The guys and I have been there many times in the past; celebratory reasons, we always said. But even I wouldn't go there alone at night, not even with Del working. That's just asking for trouble. So why the hell would Calleigh have come here?

Once inside, I quickly find her hunched over at the far end of the bar. Thankfully, no one's causing her any hassle, but I suppose that's due to Del's presence behind the bar. That same presence that has made sure she hasn't had too much alcohol; Del's always been good about that. I settle on the barstool next to Calleigh and gently stroke her hair. When she finally looks up at me, I can see how bloodshot her eyes are.

"Hey there, Belle," I say as softly as I can. "You look like somebody just kicked your puppy. How about you and me go get some grits and coffee, maybe have a little talk?"

She nods pitifully and sways as she stands, but my steady grip keeps her from toppling over. I throw a few bills at Del to cover her drinks and lead Calleigh out to my car. I don't see her car anywhere, but we can come back for it later, once she's sobered up and dealt with whatever brought her here in the first place. Once she's settled in the passenger seat, I head over to the little café near campus that makes the best grits in town. She stares out the window, sniffling softly, but doesn’t pull away when I reach over to grab her hand.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispers when I pull into the parking lot. "I shouldn't have called you."

"Like hell you shouldn't have!" I grip her chin, turning her face to gaze into those wounded green eyes. "I am always here for you, Belle, and don't you ever forget that. Anywhere, anytime, no matter what, and I'll be there, no hesitation." She smiles weakly at me and nods. "So how about we go inside and get a big ole plateful of grits to split, and you can tell me what's got you so upset?"

"It's, well, it's my birthday," she finally admits, eyes falling to watch our clasped hands. I can see the faint blush rising against her pale skin. "I was hoping someone would remember, but no one has…" She sighs and turns away. "It's stupid; I really shouldn't have bothered you."

"Oh, Belle," I say gently, trying not to laugh at the situation. "Is that what this is all about? Did you really think I'd forget your birthday?"

She shrugs and sniffles, willingly lets me pull her into a hug. "So much is happening lately. I've been so distracted."

"Distracted by what?" I deliberately keep my voice low and soothing, hand repeatedly smoothing down her hair and shoulders.

At first, she shakes her head, won't say anything. And then the words begin to tumble out, hardly any sort of cohesion to them at all. To be honest, I can't understand half of what she's saying, but I'll still listen to everything she says if it means I can help her out of this funk she's gotten herself into. I've only known Calleigh for six months now, but she's never been one to let seemingly random, trivial things bring about such a serious change of attitude like this. But suddenly, the pieces start to come together into a more organized big picture. She's fallen for someone, and that's affecting her grades. Okay, I've been there. I can help with this.

"Sofia?" Her curious tone brings me back from my theories on helping lift her spirits.

"C'mere, Belle," I reply, pulling her closer again. "We can work this out, okay? I can help you with this situation you're in."

"I don't think you can," comes her morose response. Before I can ask for clarification, she rests two fingers against my lips. There's a wry twist to her lips as she whispers. "You're the problem, Yank."

Me? What in the hell is she talking about? How am I the prob…? Oh. Oh!

I can feel my cheeks flushing as realization dawns. I look at Calleigh in a whole new light, flashing back on so many hints that I should have recognized as leading toward this moment. And not just things she's done, either. The more I think about it, the more I can piece together this puzzle, and I realize just what we've been doing the past six months. Both of us. And yes, I do have something planned for her birthday, but I never let on. No wonder she's been so upset.

The sound of the car door opening alerts me that I've once again gotten lost in my own thoughts. She doesn't even have her purse with her as she starts to wander away. I don't hesitate to grab for my keys and head after her. Thankfully, the keyless entry will lock the door for me.

"Calleigh! Wait up!"

She ignores my calls, continuing to walk away from both the café and the car. I quickly catch up to her, but she keeps trying to elude my grasp. Frustrated, I finally grab her by the shoulders, spin her around, and lean in to press my lips to hers. For a brief second she hesitates, but then she melts into my touch, hands creeping up to grip my forearms tightly, as if for dear life. As the kiss continues, my own hands move to cup her face, hold her closer. I don't want her to get away from me right now.

Calleigh moans softly, and I'm eager to swallow that sweet sound. My tongue gains access to wrestle with hers more easily than I could ever imagine. Her hands move up my arms, then trail down to rest in the small of my back.

"Sofia," she murmurs huskily, pulling back to suck in a lungful of air. Her hands grip my waist tightly as she rests her forehead against my shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you that what you're feeling isn't one-sided," I reply just as quietly, fingers carding through her hair. "Belle, I didn't mean to make you think your feelings aren't returned. I just didn't think about how our actions were leading us to this point, apparently without our knowledge." I curl two fingers under her chin, lifting her face to gaze into those muted jade eyes. I press another light kiss to her lips with a smile. "Happy birthday, Belle."

"Are--" She flushes hotly as her voice cracks. "Are you only doing this because nobody remembered my birthday?"

"No," I whisper, stroking her cheek again. "I'd actually planned to take you out to dinner and give you your gifts, then do whatever you wanted to do. And I was planning to share a bottle of champagne with you back in my room at the end of the night. Really make it an event." I pause, letting her take all of this in. "Oh, and there's the cake and gifts from your friends, too. And they've probably got alcohol themselves."

She considers this for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. "Can we still keep those plans you made?" When I nod, a shyly devious gleam fills her eyes. "Do you think they'll be pissed if I put off the party with my friends? I'm thinking we have some unfinished business, you and I, and I'd like to see where that takes us. If that's okay with you?"

I can feel my smile widening at her tentative question and give her another light kiss. "Let me call Carli and let her know what's up so they're not waiting all night to get drunk, then we can do dinner."

"Do I need to be dressed fancy for dinner?"

"You look lovely just as you are, Belle," I reassure her. "You're always my beautiful southern belle."