Decades Of Love [Complete]

5 - 1950, February

"Teach me to be strong, Callum!" Rowan exclaims.

"What kind of strong?" Callum replies suppressing a groan of annoyance over the energetic, yet ill, thirteen year old.

"There's more than one strong?"

"Yes, there is."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Give Callum space to breathe, Rowan," Marvin says entering the room. Callum smiles in thanks, ignoring the buried hate for Corinne's father. He tries to get along with the family for Corinne's sake more than anything.

"Are you still confused?" Douglas asks.

Corinne looks at her older brother as they walk through the gardens. "A little. Yesterday evening he was complaining about the amount of girls trying to talk to him at that function his mother dragged him to. Then bizarrely mentioned it probably would have not happened if I was there," Corinne replies looking at her hands which are holding the collie's ball.

"That's just him saying he missed you, Cori, in a weird way honestly. Also saying he would have rather been with you and not them if you think about it properly."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

Callum looks out the library window to see Corinne and Douglas talking as they walk in the garden with the collie.

"She's talking to him a lot now," Edmund comments beside him in observation.

"Is she?" Callum replies, his eyes not leaving the garden.

"Yes. I think it is for advice."

"How do you know?"

"Douglas has always been the shrink of the family. They go into the conversation confused and after have some sense of understanding about what they spoke about."

"Everything at the moment is confusing."

"If you want help sorting out your problems, talk to Douglas, not me. It seems like you need to get in the queue though, Corinne is first in line at the moment."

Callum is just left with his thoughts as Edmund walks away. The afternoon light frames him within the large library window as Corinne and Douglas turn back towards the house. Corinne looks up at the window to lock eyes with Callum before turning back to Douglas.

~~~~~

Slowly Corinne sits up, unable to fall asleep in the now silent house. She sighs as she stands, dragging a small blanket with her. Corinne wraps it around her shoulders before going out of her room. With quiet steps she pads through the upstairs hallways with one destination in mind.

"What is it?" Callum asks in response to the taps on his door.

"I can't sleep. I was-" Corinne opens the door as she speaks, but halts when she spots Callum in the middle of taking his trousers off. "Um..."

"I did say what is it, I never said come in," Callum says adding red to Corinne's white cheeks. He finishes taking off his trousers and quickly swaps them for plaid pyjama bottoms. "As you were saying?"

"I can't sleep."

"Obviously otherwise you wouldn't be here. What were you saying after that?" Callum sits on his bed watching the frozen Corinne in the doorway.

"I was wondering if I could lay in here with you. It's too quiet where I am."

"Sure, come in." Corinne slips into the room, still not meeting Callum's eyes. "You know you don't have to act timid around me." Callum stands up taking Corinne's hand in his and leading her across to the bed. "You sleep here, I'll have the window seat."

Corinne sits down robotically until Callum's words completely sink in. "Are you sure? I've come to your room so I should sleep on the window-" Corinne gets cut off by Callum covering her mouth with a hand.

"Yes, I am sure. You sleep on the bed. I'll be on the window seat." Callum pushes her gently so she lies on the bed and pulls the quilt over Corinne, tucking her in carefully.

"But-"

"No buts. You sleep on the bed." Callum pulls a couple of blankets out of the wardrobe and the spare pillow off the bed.

Corinne watches as he places one blanket on the window seat before settling on the window seat, curling up under the other. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm certain, Rin, sleep so you're at your best tomorrow. I'll be fine sleeping here. Good night and sweet dreams."

"Good night." Corinne yawns, stretches out slightly and then turns over so she faces away from the window.

Callum watches Corinne go off to sleep hoping the night will also pull him under. However, after an hour it does not. With a sigh, Callum stands up, takes the pillow and puts it on the bed again. Swiftly he settles under the quilt causing Corinne to turn and face him.

"What is it?" Corinne asks sleepily.

"Couldn't sleep," Callum replies.

"Really?"

"Save the 'I told you so' and go to sleep."

"I was going to say that's why I said are you sure so many times."

"Just go to sleep."

"Yeah." Corinne turns over again, slipping into sleep easily.

*****

Light falls into the room, casting its rays across the room. The influx and disturbance of the light causes Callum to sling an arm across his eyes in a last attempt to salvage some sleep. He goes to turn over but something stops his efforts. Callum looks down to see Corinne's arms wrapped around his torso, her head tilted up to him as it rests on his chest. Her legs wrap around one of his, one leg rests between his and the other is tucked under his left leg.

Before Callum can find a way to move Corinne wakes up. Her eyes open slowly, sticky from the night's toll on her life. "Oh, hi," Corinne whispers. She shifts slightly, bringing her palms onto the natural warm chest as she pushes her head up slightly.

"Hi," Callum replies. He brings the hand that was covering his face up to tuck Corinne's stray hair behind her ear.

"You can sleep on the window seat then?"

"Not when I'm a bed."

"You're not funny."

"Neither are you."

A knock sounds on the door causing Corinne to get up quickly and hide out of sight as Callum goes to the door. "Who is it?" Callum asks as he makes sure Corinne is out of sight.

"Giles, Callum, I just need to ask you something," Giles replies.

"And that is?" Callum opens the door, resting his bare shoulder against the wood beside him.

"Elsie can't find Corinne in her room, do you know where she might be?"

"No, I don't, Giles. Sorry that I can't be of any help."

"Thank you anyway, sir."

"Talk to you later, Giles." Callum steps back and shuts the door, sighing after hearing Giles move away from the door.

Corinne steps behind him, tracing lines of muscles in Callum's back lightly with a finger. "That was close," Corinne whispers. The combined effect of her voice and her tracing causes a shiver to run up through his spine.

"You're telling me," Callum whispers back.

Corinne steps away from him, going to the bed and picking up the blanket she brought with her. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

Corinne opens the door and only takes one step before Douglas halts her. "I don't need my club, do I?" Douglas asks looking at Callum who shakes his head.