𓏲ּ𝄢

Caleb had just scanned his fingerprint at the panel outside to open his vast penthouse's front door, stepping inside after you, his eyes fixated not on his surroundings but onto the plush figure that was tenderly held by your hands, not having let go off it for the past hour or so. Both of you slid out of your jackets, your movements much clumsier with your attention elsewhere, the door closing behind him.

"Come on, Caleb, it's so adorable! It looks just like you." You gleefully turned around to face him, hugging the mini Caleb against your chest. It was small, having the same hair as him, shade and all, having spent countless hours watching tutorials. You had even attempted to capture the gradient of his eyes, a little loose threads visible here and there, but none of it really mattered to him. The plush toy was supposed to be a birthday gift for Caleb, alongside the surprise from the evening a few days back where you had surprised him with a ride on the air jet he had always been so fascinated with. The T-93. The exhaustion was somewhat present in your movements, sluggish.

Alas, your heart had other plans. Your hands were refusing to stop clinging onto the plush, enamoured by it's softness and resemblance to Caleb. "Look at how round it is." You wiggled the mini Caleb's feet, a snort leaving him as he shook his head fondly and took a step towards you.

"I suppose it does look like me." Caleb's words trailed off as his finger traced the face of his miniature, wondering how many nights you must have secretly spent on crafting this. A familiar ache bloomed in his heart, the one he also felt once he had laid his eyes on you in his pilot's helmet yesterday. You had done so much for him, so much, when all Caleb ever wanted was simply your presence behind him. That, solely, would have been enough.

For this, Caleb was immensely grateful. The subtle exhaustion ran within him from the journey back to his place, but his attention had been diverted elsewhere at this point.

His eyes followed you, your face nuzzling into the mini Caleb's head while you cooed something to it, it's large eyes fixated on his face, almost mockingly. Caleb must have been imagining this, or had you held this plush toy longer than him today? He stared back at it, deep in though, his fingers absentmindedly toying with his necklace.

"It wasn't his birthday, was it?" His voice dipped a tone lower, hand finding your lower back as you both moved towards the large expanse of his living room, finding yourself on the couch.

Caleb's penthouse had been livelier lately, it's earlier monotonous environment and cold energy replaced by something much more warmer, like home, little trinkets and other belongings of yours found at every nook and corner of this place now. A proof of life. A place could only ever be his home if you were there, after all.

"What do you mean?" You asked, eyes watching him settle beside you, before your eyes brightened up in mirth. "Oh, don't tell me… The big, scary Colonel is jealous of a little him." You teased him, your knee bumping against his purposefully, before you added:

"Does this look like a threat to you, Caleb?"

He was quiet for a moment, jaw clenching as his smile tightened just a little. It felt odd to coin this feeling he was experiencing as jealousy but inevitably, that is what it was. Caleb couldn't stand the thought of someone else, or something, taking up the attention of his pipsqueak. It irritated him, frustrated and much more desperate. A turmoil of sorts brewed within him, the absurdity of being jealous of himself rendering even him conflicted.

"Is that so bad?" He chuckled a little, his left hand reaching over to touch that knee that had just bumped into him, thumb rubbing soft circles against the surface. "I'd like to have your eyes only on me tonight."

"Oh really? But as I recall, your birthday is over." You countered cheekily, only for him to chuckle.

"You must be forgetting, you silly girl," His hand reached up to ruffle your hair, earning a sound of protest from you. "Last year, you had proudly declared that the entire week following your birthday would still be dedicated solely to you. Don't I deserve to have the same birthday privileges?"

You stared at him, incredulous, no retort forming in your mind. After all, his words held a lot of truth, you indeed had declared all that and he had even obliged to follow your orders that week.

Not that he already didn't do that.

Caleb hadn't realised that you would notice it, but your eyes were quick to catch on the pout that was ever so present on his mouth, alongside the furrow of his brows. "Why cling onto something so small when you have the real thing here?" And suddenly, it all made sense. Your memory drifted to a morning two weeks ago, when you had caught him sneakily hiding one of the stuff toys you went to sleep with under your bed, just so he could hold you without anything between you both.

"Don't be silly," You laughed softly after setting the plush figure down onto your lap, fingers absentmindedly caressing its' head. "It is a gift for you. I just can't help it, it looks so sweet! It's like our baby. Do you not want to take care of him too?" The words came out of you with such ease, clearly a passing statement, but Caleb's irises darkened, unbeknownst to you.

"Baby, huh…" He hummed under his breath, chewing onto his inner cheek, releasing it with a pop. The idea of a baby, their baby, sent a jolt of heat towards his abdomen, rather irrational and impulsive. He briefly imagined it, pressing you down until you were a whiny mess, filling you up over and over until he was sure that you'd take it.

Did you, perhaps, want it? Or was this something plotted to gain a reaction from him?

"Our baby has had enough attention for the day then, right?" His smile slowly eased up, but not out of relief, something clearly brewing within his head as he finally grabbed the mini Caleb and pried it away from your grasp, not listening to your rather devastated gasp.

"How mean! Such a bad dad." You smacked onto his arm with playful gentleness, a disappointed huff leaving you as you watched mini Caleb topple over and landing onto the neighbouring couch, all alone and still smiling, once Caleb tossed it. You were nearly tempted to rush over and grab it again, just to see his composure crack, to bask in how much more you could push onto his nerves.

But Caleb didn't give you a chance to do it.

"I'm just saying, us parents need some privacy too, don't we?" He whispered, playing too well into the role you'd spontaneously threw over him. He got up for a second to put mini Caleb upside down so it's eyes were covered and not facing them before he got back.

"Do we?" You countered, allowing your hands to come up on his shoulders, feeling him pull you closer and onto his lap by your waist, legs straddling him.

"Mhm. My week is still in progress." He gestured at the physical calender you kept on the stand nearby. "I need only one thing. Your attention."

Caleb's lips pressed a soft, feather-like kiss against your jaw, brushing against your skin before he went up to press a kiss on your earlobe. You felt a familiar heat crawling over to your face, causing you to break into a smile, heart swelling with affection.

"I suppose I can give you that." Your attempt at keeping your tone neutral failed when his teeth lightly bit onto the skin behind your ear, your fingers tightening on his shoulder for a second, much harder than you had intended to, a pain he welcomed so eagerly. You tilted your head back so he could move more freely, breath hitching as his hands moved down to rub your thighs soothingly, moving up and down until they were back onto your hips.

"Come here." His voice was rougher now, strained, as his face moved slightly, mouth capturing yours. Kisses with Caleb when he was like this were always fervent, a scheme to make you think of nothing but him, greedy yet achingly passionate with the love that governed him. It always worked.

Your mouth was instantly captured by his, a soft noise escaping you, fingers tangling into his dark hair as he kissed you. Caleb was greedy, his teeth dragging against your bottom lip for a split second, just to feel you waver in his grasp, before his tongue slid into your mouth, caressing yours.

"Chocolate, huh?" He breathed out when he pulled back, his ears flushed red under the dim light of the living room, a pleased grin dancing on his lips when you huffed at his observation, avoiding his gaze. "That was the last piece, wasn't it? And you stole it from poor little me." He said in an exaggerated voice, his face moving down towards your neck, pressing an open mouthed kiss on the column of your throat.

"I must take my revenge now, shouldn't I?"

Caleb nibbled onto your skin, sucking firmly, but not hard enough to cause you any actual pain. His fingers dug into your sides, anchoring you closer, hot open-mouthed kisses traveling from your neck down to your collarbone, each bite and nibble leaving a notable purplish hickey, your skin being painted by him.

"All mine. My pipsqueak." He groaned against your neck, purple eyes peering up at your face, enamoured by the way your lips were parted, wet from his kiss.

Pressing another, quick kiss on your lips, Caleb gently settled you back down onto the couch, only get up, moving down to his knees in front of you. "There is still time for me to exploit my birthday privileges." He hummed, pushing your legs apart so he could settle in between them, his clothed knees pressed against the floor, his fingers moving over to the buttons of the shorts you were wearing; a cozy pair that had provided you comfort throughout the ride back to Skyhaven.

"Hey!" You weakly kicked his side with your feet, your lips quivering as he settled your legs on his shoulders. "You're acting rather greedy, especially after being mean to your gift." A teasing smile threatened to emerge onto your face, only to waver when he nipped onto the plush skin of your right thigh.

"Really? I distinctly remember just having put it to sleep." Caleb pondered dramatically, tapping his finger against his chin, gesturing at the lone plushie laying on the nearby couch. "Surely my memory is not serving me wrong."

"Ugh…" You found yourself at a loss of words, embarrassed at a lack of comeback, too focused on the way he looked between your legs; a hungry wreck.

"Well," Caleb chuckled, finally undoing the buttons of your shorts, pulling them down until they were pooled around your ankles, leaving you in your panties. "I know something that's far better than some chocolate."

Before you could call him out for his remark, Caleb moved forward to lick your crotch through your panties, his ears catching the sound of your breath hitching. He hummed, licking another stripe across your panties. He was shameless, uncaring if your panties got soiled. It was almost as if he wanted them to get soaked, already planning to sneak them into his pocket for later usage.

"Has my pips been wanting this?" He asked, not to you, his eyes eagerly fixated between your legs as his thumb presses down onto your panties, feeling the bump of your clit through the fabric. "She has been, hasn't she?" He cooed, though his voice wavered a little.

There were many things Caleb had perfected. He'd like to believe that self restraint was one of them but clearly, that wasn't the case.

Caleb hooked his fingers around the waistband of your panties and pulled them down, helping them off your feet, a stupidly huge grin breaking across his face as he stared at your pussy, swollen with arousal and slick. You couldn't even close your legs with how they were locked around his shoulders, giving him full access to you.

"Stop staring at me like that." You complained, biting down your bottom lip as your hips twitched a little, feeling the cool air brush against your sensitivity. "Just… get along with it."

Caleb's hands gave your thighs a firm, yet gentle squeeze, thumbs digging into the flesh as he leaned in to press a kiss on your folds, groaning in delight. "Fuck." He cursed, one hand reaching down to pull your folds apart, exposing your clit, twitching. "Look at you." He leaned in, pressing a kiss directly on your clit, earning a shaky whimper from you, your hands tightening by your sides.

Caleb licked a stripe over your pussy, feeling every bump and fold, almost as if he was savouring the taste, his mouth moving in sync with your hips, who were attempting to chase after the feeling, your mouth falling open. "Easy there." He teased you, though he wasn't feeling cruel enough to let you wait any longer, especially when he was aching to dive in himself.

"It was torture, you know. Seeing that," He gestured over at the mini Caleb plush, "steal your attention. You were doing it on purpose, weren't you?"

You shook your head, not trusting yourself to form words, not when he was looking so unbelievably delectable between your legs. Instead, you reached over to caress his hair with your fingers, messing them up a little, feeling the dark locks under your fingers. Caleb sighed at the sensation, pressing a tiny kiss in your inner thigh. That wasn't enough to sate the increasing hunger within him, his kisses turning into bites, nibbling onto the skin with the same precision as with your neck, pupils dilating at the sight of your thighs becoming marked by him. He licked one of the hickeys to soothe the sting, a soft sniffle escaping you as his attention eventually went over to your clit, aching with need.

It started with tiny licks on your clit, teasing enough to make your skin heat up, the ache only serving to heighten up much more. You exhaled out a breath you hadn't realised you were holding in, watching him as his licks become much more firmer, his tongue pressing flat against the sensitive bud before swirling around it, not bothering to hide the rather loud noises his mouth made as he worked on your pussy.

He was doing it on purpose, being loud, knowing how much it riled you up. His teeth scraped ever so lightly against your nub, making you gasp, hips bucking forward towards his mouth. "F-Fuck, Caleb…" You shuddered, vision blurring as you struggled to fully focused on him.

"I know, pips, I know." Caleb begin sucking on your clit, lips enclosed around it, tongue swirling around as a sharp jolt of pleasure coursed through you. It was overwhelming in the best way possible, his suction firm and unrelenting, making you squeeze around nothing, head falling back.

His fingers slowly made there way between your legs, reaching your entrance, not leaving you empty for far longer. Your thighs unconsciously tightened around his head when you felt his index and middle finger slide in together at once, earning a pleased groan from him, your legs keeping his face as close as possible to you. His other hand held your hips down, keeping you from wriggling too much.

He begun thrusting his fingers inside your pussy, his mouth not losing its pace as he sucked and licked around your clit, feeling it pulsate under his tongue, peeking out from arousal. Caleb knew precisely what would bring you closer to your peak, his fingers curling inside at just the perfect angle to rub against your sweet spot, making your toes curl. He knew you, both inside and out.

"Mmh, I can't hold it in anymore. Don't stop, please…" You pleaded.

Heat pooled in your abdomen. Your fingers tightening as they tugged at his hair, the sting making his eyes roll back. He loved when you were like this, tugging at him too hard, scratching and all. He wanted to take any and all of the pain you could give him. It wasn't long until you came over his fingers, a pleased moan breaking out of you as waves of pleasure washed over you, his fingers not ceasing their thrusts, helping you ride your orgasm out

Caleb pulled his fingers out, a muffled laugh leaving him as he hungrily lapped your pussy up, wanting to taste you as much as he possibly could

"Fuck- My baby. My pips, so fucking good." He babbled nonsensically, hands holding your legs open as he devoured you up.

Caleb got up after a while, his hair messy and face wrecked, chin soaked in your essence. His cheeks were pleasantly flushed pink, a dopey smile adorning his face, drunk from your taste, quick to lung forward. He kissed you hungrily, tongue shoving into your mouth so you could taste yourself, catching you off guard, making you gasp before you melted.

You pulled back, a thin string of saliva still connecting your lips with his, panting softly, your skin tingling from the orgasm as your fingers tugged and pulled at his shirt, wanting him to take it off. He pressed himself into you, his erection, straining painfully against his pants, rubbing against your thigh, eager.

Caleb's fingers worked quick, taking your shirt off and unclasping your bra, causing you to giggle a little as you raised your arms to help him with his movements. A chocked noise as he stared at your breasts, pathetically lovesick, tenderly cupping them in his palms. His thumbs begin to gently circle around the nipples that had gone erect from the cool air caressing them, giving them a little squeeze by rolling them around between his thumb and index fingers, making you shiver.

"Come on…" You grumbled, as he finally raised his arms after your countless attempts at pulling on his shirt. You were eventually able to take his shirt off, sighing in delight at the sight that greeted you, his necklace looking much more enticing pressed against his bare skin like that. Your hands begin caressing his defined torso, coming to rest at his chest, a smile twitching on your own lips. He was unfairly handsome, one would wonder exactly who was more smitten in this relationship, if a comparison could even be made.

"Let's get you to the bedroom." He breathed out, his body vibrating with the need to just ravish you.

Caleb pulled you up in his arms ease once you nodded, one arm supporting you from below while the other wrapped itself tenderly around you as he got onto his feet, his arms flexing as he walked you both into the bedroom, your legs loosely wrapped around his waist. You took this time to press lazy kisses around his head, breathing in the scent of his hair, the scent endearing familiar.

Was that your shampoo? You didn't even attempt to say anything about his habits at this point.

He settles you down onto his bed, large and neatly made, the cold dark sheets meeting your skin as you both made yourself comfortable, the mattress sinking.

"Come here, honey." Caleb beckoned you forth sweetly, gathering you up in his arms as you both settled onto the bed, him on top of you. His eyes moved down to your breasts, his face leaning down as he pressed a kiss each on your breasts, marveling at their beauty. "So perfect." He captured your right nipple between his teeth gently, sucking onto them, his fingers playing with your left, rubbing it firmly.

As he sucked on your nipple, attempting to give equal attention to both of them, you took your time gently caressing his head, noticing the deep flush that painted his cheeks, turning redder at the tips of his ears. They were always the first to become flushed whenever he was flustered.

He moved over to your left nipple, sucking onto it with greed, an act to sate his own urges, a little spark of selfishness flaring within him. It was momentary, because even on his birthday, his sole focus was making you feel good, and steering clear of anything that would take your attention from him, even it happened to look like himself.

He pulled back, licking his lips, the sight almost too perverse, making your insides tighten with a sense of satisfaction. You took this opportunity to reach over, fingers traveling down to his pants with a sense of urgency, wanting to take it off yourself, undoing the buttons, causing your actions to be clumsier than you had intended to.

"So eager." Caleb's words came out strained as you pulled his pants down, revealing his boxers, visibly soaked and stained with his precum, clear sign of the arousal he had been suffering with for who knows how long. There was no telling with him.

"Did you-?" You weren't able to finish your sentence as he pulled you in for a quick kiss, feeling you laugh a little when he pulled back, a sound that was more than enough to make his heart squeeze. He allowed you to take his boxers off, his cock springing out, evidently flushed with arousal, a bead of precum already forming on the tip.

"Look at what you do to me."

"You're always hard." You retorted, your face all heated up, to which he just nodded.

"Exactly." See.

You snorted at the goof, leaning back while your arms wrapped around his neck lazily, watching him position himself on top of you. Caleb pressed a soft kiss on your forehead, your legs opening up, as the head of his cock nudged at your entrance, your eyes watching in wonder as his abdomen tightened. You gave his necklace a light tug, urging him forward.

"You have done so much for me. Let me make you feel good too." He spoke, voice dripping with the affection he could barely contain within himself.

Caleb pushed his cock in, a moan leaving you both in unison, your walls stretching around his obscene size. It still took you some time to adjust to his girth, much to your belief of being used to him, your fingernails digging into his shoulders as your legs trembled a little.

"Is that okay?" He asked quietly, watching you nod. "Need your words, pips."

"Yes," You breathed out. "Please, I want you so bad." Desperation clawed at your voice, your hips bucking as he started to thrust inside you, feeling you cling tightly around his length, your wetness coating him.

As Caleb continued thrusting inside you, his hands found themselves gently traveling and mapping out the way your body jostled, fingers caressing your sides, feeling as your skin becoming moist with the humidity that had started to fill the bedroom up, a shared heat between you two.

"Mmf-" You weren't sure what you were voicing out, consumed by how overwhelmingly good the stretch felt, his cock meeting your sweet spot at the perfect angle. His hand reached between your legs, rubbing firm circles on your clit, on serving to intensify the pleasure as he felt it pulsate eagerly between his fingers, earning a pleased twitch from his own cock, clung on by your insides. His necklace dangled with each movement, your right hand gently tracing the cool chain out.

"Remember when you were talking about that plush being our baby?" Caleb spoke, the tip rubbing inside you deliciously so, making your brows furrow as you attempted to focus on his words.

"Yeah,” You nodded, followed by a little noise, looking up at him, watching his smile widen up. "I do."

"Why don't we go for the real thing?" He chuckled, his thrusts slowing down slightly as he shifted, making you whimper at the sudden change when his hands reached under your knees, pulling your legs impossibly up, until your feet were right at his shoulders, his body becoming as close to you as possible.

"You're so filthy." You spoke despite a smile beginning to bloom on your face, trying to catch your breath, your chest feeling a little tight due to the sheer lack of distance between you two. "All this because you were jealous of the gift I made you? Ouch." Your attempt at dramatics were cut short when he thrusted inside you once again, earning a sharp gasp from you.

So deep. So fucking deep.

Something in Caleb had shifted, undeniably so. With his hair clinging to his forehead and eyes appearing much darker than they were, he looked like someone determined, someone who wanted your eyes solely on him.

"I guess I get jealous of myself too, sometimes." He huffed, hands pressed at both sides beside your head, his thrusts becoming much more firmer, your entire body feeling as if it was being devoured. It technically was.

Your arms uselessly scrambled for a second before clinging to his shoulders once more, only this time with much more desperation, your hips bucking with the intense pleasure that was plunging within you with each snap of his hips. Caleb was a menace whenever he got like this.

"Want to fill you up so bad, pips. It's driving me insane, fuck-" He broke off with a whimper, holding onto the thin thread of control that was threatening to break with the way you squeezed around his cock, making his insides burn up, his thoughts becoming incomprehensible. All Caleb could currently think about was his seed filling you up, marking you as his, his pipsqueak forever. All his.

Consequences were a thing for tomorrow, and in the present, you nodded, feeling him press a soft kiss on the top of your head. "Yes, yes, yes, Caleb…" You rambled, fingers unconsciously scratching down his shoulders. His pelvis rubbed against your clit ever so often, his pubic hair tickling your sensitive bundle of nerves. You moved your head slightly, biting down onto his shoulder hard, not holding back, earning a sweet sound from him you didn't hear often. It made your heart swell.

"Do it again, please." He gasped out, feeling your teeth sink into his shoulder as he continued to ram his cock inside you, feeling your body twitch. "Are you close, pips?" His thrust stuttered for a split second when you bit onto him a little too hard, his cock pulsating, savouring the pain, wanting to imprint it into his memory forever.

"Mhm." You nodded clumsily, fingers tugging at his necklace, reveling at the cool sensation amidst the heat and sweat. The knot that had been building inside you was on the brink of exploding, the heat intensifying.

It was only a few seconds later when you came, a final plunge of his cock driving you over your peak, your body convulsing and twitching as the orgasm washed over you, much more intense than before, your mind nearly going numb. You choked out a whimper, your hold tightening over him, the sensation of your walls tightening around him throughout your orgasm making him lose his edge too.

Caleb followed after you, thick white ropes spurting out from his cock and painting your insides as he bottomed out, his body twitching. He came so much, a breathy chuckle leaving him as he looked down at where your bodies met, sticky white already seeping out.

As you both panted heavily, Caleb gently pulled himself out, carefully pulling your legs away and easing your position, hearing you groan from the sudden ache in your legs. "Aw, my pips." He breathed out as he took in the sight of you, disheveled and utterly, blissfully fucked, neck covered and thighs adorned in marks made by him. Though what caught his attention most was how his come was drooling out from you, a sight that made him afraid that he would get hard again, blood already rushing south.

He was insatiable, but you were sore.

"The most beautiful. My sweet apple." He was quick to grab your face into his hands, peppering your face with a barrage of kisses that you couldn't possibly count, not letting an inch of your face have some mercy.

"Caleb!" You laughed, voice a little hoarse as you surrendered yourself to his sudden burst of affection. A tender, almost sweet ache was present in your muscles, one you didn't quite mind, your eyes finding the indents of your teeth still present on his skin. "Oops."

Once he pulls apart after, you had lost the track of time truth be told, he got off the bed, his hand reaching out for you. "Come on. Let's take a bath now, clean ourselves up."

And you desperately wanted to, but your body refused to move, quickly noticed by him. "Sounds like too much work right now." You plopped back onto the pillow, arms all spread, only to be scooped up by his arms.

"Then let me do it for you." He smiled, because in the end that's what mattered. Taking care of you.

You nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck as he carried you into the bathroom, listening to the sounds of the tap turning on, the water beginning to fill the tub up. Caleb watched your eyes struggling to stay open, not minding it at all as he settled you down into the warm water, gently washing you up.

It was quick, doing a simple cleanse of himself, and soon he found himself drying both of you, dressing you up in one of his shirts, carrying your half asleep form back towards his bed.

"Sweet dreams, pips." Caleb whispered quietly, fully content, your body nestled cozily into his. The best birthday week he could ever ask for.

The lights are dim. He can see the bedside lap is on, the door to the bedroom is open slightly. The warm light makes him calm.

Home.

You’re already asleep.

He can tell before he even reaches the doorway. The quiet rhythm of your breathing fills the space, soft and steady. You’re curled under the blankets, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other resting on the bed where he should be sleeping.

He leans against the doorframe for a second, just watching.

There is something about seeing you like this that steadies him more than anything else ever could.

“You waited up again, didn’t you?” he murmurs, though he knows you cannot answer.

His voice is quiet not to wake you.

His jacket comes off first, draped over the chair. Then his boots.

He tries to be as quiet as possible. The last thing he wants is to wake you. You look too comfortable like this. He runs a hand over his face, exhaling softly, and then he goes into the bathroom.

The sound of the shower is helps him fully relax. Steam fills the small space as he stands under the water, letting it wash away the dirt of the day. The noise. The tension. The things he does not bring home with him.

He rests his forehead briefly against the tile, eyes closed, he takes a deep breath, then, he turns the water off.

When he steps back into the bedroom, everything is the same. You haven’t moved much. Just shifted slightly deeper into the blankets, your face is half buried now.

“Still out,” he whispers with a smile on his lips.

He dries his hair with a towel, changes quietly, and finally, lies in bed beside you.

The mattress dips under his weight.

You stir a little. A soft, sleepy sound leaves you, but you don’t wake.

“Sorry,” he murmurs instinctively, even though you are not really awake to hear it.

He settles onto his back, one arm behind his head, staring up at the ceiling for a moment.

Then he turns his head slightly toward you.

There is a pause, and then, softly, he starts talking.

“Long day,” he says under his breath. “Everything that could go wrong kind of did. They had me running all over the place. Didn’t get a break until late. You would have told me to sit down and drink some water.”

His fingers drift over the blanket near you, not quite touching yet.

“I did, by the way. Eventually.”

A small pause.

“I thought about you a lot today. Kept thinking about getting back here. To you.”

As if drawn by the sound of him, you move. Slowly, your body turns toward him, and your hand finds his chest.

He goes still immediately.

“Hey,” he whispers.

You make a quiet sound, something halfway between a sigh and a hum, and then you move closer.

Half asleep. Not fully aware, just reaching for him.

You press your face into his chest, your arm sliding across his torso as you settle there where you belong. His hand hovers for a moment before it comes down gently against your back.

“You’re awake?” he asks softly.

You shake your head slightly against him.

“No,” you mumble, voice thick with sleep.

He lets out the quietest breath of a laugh.

“Yeah. Thought so.”

You nuzzle closer anyway.

He shifts just enough to make it easier for you, his arm sliding more securely around you, pulling you against him. Your breathing evens out again almost immediately. But he keeps talking.

“I missed you,” he admits, barely above a whisper.

His fingers trace slow, absent patterns against your back.

“Everything’s just… easier when you’re here.”

You make another soft sound, your hand curling slightly against his shirt.

“I know you can’t hear half of this,” he murmurs, voice softer still, “but I like saying it anyway.”

He tilts his head, resting it lightly against yours.

“You make it feel like I can come back from anything.”

Silence settles again.

Comfortable. Warm.

Your weight against him is grounding in a way nothing else is.

His eyes grow heavier.

But his hand keeps moving, slow and gentle, like he is afraid to stop.

“Get some sleep,” he whispers, more to himself than to you.

You breathe in softly, your fingers tightening just a little where they rest against him.

And that is enough.

His arm tightens around you just slightly.

Protective. Certain.

Caleb presses his cheek against the top of your head, eyes finally closing as the last of the day slips away from him.

He falls asleep with your weight on his chest.

With your breathing steady against him.

With the quiet certainty that no matter how the day goes, this is where he ends up.

With you.

It was finally the weekend.

You felt like you were barely holding it together, only able to count down the hours until you could see Caleb again. Work had been particularly brutal for both of you lately, which meant you were surviving on late night video calls and text messages.

Now, though, you could hardly remember your misery. Not with the top off the Jeep that Caleb had rented and the wind roaring in your ears.

The city and all its worries were far behind you now, there were only trees blurring together as you passed them while lazily winding up the side of a mountain.

You took a moment to glance over, marveling at how good Caleb looked like this. The sun poured over him, glinting off his aviators as he drove—one hand on the steering wheel while the other held yours tightly. He looked so relaxed, even threw a cheeky smile at you to let you know he was enjoying the view as much as you were.

Eventually the pavement ended, giving way to abandoned logging roads that twisted through old forests. The Jeep lurched over a rut, hard enough to knock you back against your seat. A startled laugh burst out of you before you could stop it.

Caleb glanced over, the corner of his mouth lifting,

“You alright over there?” The Jeep hit a pothole and rattled the cab, bouncing you against your seatbelt.

“Fantastic,” you giggled, “this is so luxurious!” He laughed—the sweet, boyish sound of it nearly swallowed by the tires crunching over gravel and the wind whipping around you.

His hand held yours a little more tightly, bringing them up to his mouth to press a kiss into your knuckles.

Dust billowed up and swirled around you in golden clouds while the trees grew thicker, casting shadows across the road the deeper you went. For awhile you were both content exploring, taking in the scenery as you went.

Finally, he slowed and pulled off at a rocky outcrop. You were near the top of the mountain where you could see the valley below you stretch for miles, dappled in shades of green mingling with the turquoise river.

“Wow…” You breathed, climbing out of the dusty Jeep to admire the view.

“Will this spot do?” Caleb asked, stretching his stiff limbs out as he stood and walked over to you.

“I think so.” You gave him a look—the one you always gave him when you were promised some mischief to get into.

Caleb’s mouth twitched like he was trying not to smile. He would never admit how much he adored that wicked little spark, even though he knew it probably spelled trouble for him at some point.

In typical Caleb fashion he insisted on all the heavy lifting, setting up the camp site quickly while you drifted in and out of his reach, fussing over arranging your sleeping bags and hanging string lights.

“We make a pretty good team,” he remarked, clapping the dust from his hands as you both stood back to admire your work. You leaned into his side, taking in the little patch of wilderness you had claimed and made your own. Something about the way your sleeping bags laid next to each other in your little orange tent made your heart flutter, but you stuffed the feeling down before it could make you misty-eyed.

“A team? You hardly let me do anything.” You whined and he chuckled like he always did when you got petulant.

“Feeling hungry yet? I can get started on dinner…” He offered in penance, wrapping his arms around you waist.

You shook you head, wrapping your arms around his neck in return.

“I wanna go down that trail and dip my toes in the river,” you sighed, “it’s so hot.”

Caleb nuzzled your hair, pulling your warm scent in through his nose. He could smell the heat lingering on your scalp, the salt dampening your skin and hair, then squeezed you once before letting you go.

“Grab your pack then, pipsqueak. It’s a long hike down.”

You abandoned your shoes almost immediately after setting off, opting to feel the cool dirt press into your bare soles. Caleb scrunched up his nose at the thought of you dirtying your feet, but didn’t argue when you shoved the shoes into his hand to carry.

The air smelled sweet and green, and the further you went, the cooler it got. You didn’t really need conversation to keep you company, having him next to you was enough, filling in the empty space that ached so badly all week.

The silence suited him just fine too. After all, the opportunity to observe you closely without getting caught rarely presented itself these days, and he could watch you like this for hours—softly transfixed by every little detail.

He watched the breeze lift loose strands of hair off your face, watched the way you stooped to look at an interesting bug or pick up a pretty stone—secretly smiling to himself when you stuffed it in your pocket, eager to test its smoothness on the river’s surface.

Your collection grew as you continued down the trail, until your hands were full of smooth, pretty treasures. Eventually, Caleb caved and tucked your shoes in his pack, freeing his hands up to help you carry them. You giggled in delight, filling his hands and pockets with stones.

He suffered it with a hopeless little sigh because how could he ever deny you?

You could smell the river getting closer as you moseyed down the trail—cold and wet and faintly fishy.

You looked back at Caleb, who was still weighed down with your rock collection.

He immediately caught that look in your eyes, that devious little glint as you smiled back at him. And he could only sigh when you suddenly took off giggling, darting into the trees and out of his line of sight.

“Where do you think you’re goin’?” he called after you, already jogging to catch up.

He decided he could humor you—let you think that you could run away from him for a minute or two. He listened carefully for your footsteps hitting the ground, the frantic rustle of underbrush, and finally, a triumphant splash as you hit the water.

Caleb broke into a sprint, bursting through the treeline just in time to see you calf-deep in turquoise water, laughing wildly as you frantically waded deeper.

For a split second you thought he might actually let you escape…

That is, until he dumped his pack at the shore next to yours, already grinning in anticipation.

You didn’t even have time to mourn your poor rock collection as it clattered out onto the shore.

“If you’ve got an escape plan, you better use it!” He called before barreling into the river.

You shrieked, trying to run, but the water was already up to your thighs and you could barely manage to keep upright much less cover any ground.

Water exploded around his legs as he charged, doing absolutely nothing to slow him down. You accepted your fate, squeezing your eyes shut and bracing for impact as he closed in—dissolving into giggles as his arms caught you around the middle and squeezed you.

His laughter crashed into yours, loud enough to echo over the chilly surface of the river as he spun you around and around. You thrashed and clung to him at the same time, splashing water until you were both soaked.

“Caught you…” He murmured, breathless with victory, before nuzzling into the ticklish spot just under your jaw.

You squeezed your arms around him, still giggling as you peppered little kisses against the shell of his ear.

“You still lost, though.” You muttered between kisses, delighted when his breath caught.

“How so?” His voice had lost some of its playful lilt.

It was huskier now, and his cheeks flushed red all the way up to his ears..

“I beat you to the river, duh.”

He scoffed, “I wasn’t aware we were racing.”

You pulled back to gloat, smug even while captured and dripping, looking up at him through your lashes.

“Doesn’t matter. I still won.” You shrugged as if the matter was settled.

His fingers trailed up the side of your neck before catching your chin,

“It’s not winning if you cheat, dummy.” You huffed and jutted your lip out at him.

“How dare you.” You poked a finger between his brows and pushed, sending his face tipping back with a satisfying little jerk.

“Ouch!” He chuckled, catching your wrist and ducking down to kiss your lips before you could further weaponize that pout. The sweet taste of river water mingling with your chapstick made him sigh, his lips lingering against yours so he could savor it.

You smiled, suddenly smug again, and deepened the kiss—just enough to tempt him, inviting him to take more.

But he pulled away instead, refusing to let you win this round too.

“Come on, trouble.” He chuckled, “Your nose is gettin’ red. Better put on some sunscreen before you burn.” He left no room for argument, carrying you out of the river in his gentle hold.

Your frigid skin nearly sizzled as he set you on a boulder jutting out from the shoreline so he could rummage through his pack. And you sat there patiently, letting him rub sunscreen into every inch of exposed skin while you lounged.

The moment felt a bit like heaven—with the sun above you and a heated rock beneath you warming your wet clothes and slowly drying them out. The lazy slide of his hands over your body, applying just the right amount of pressure as he rubbed you down, clearly in no hurry to finish. The river gurgling softly over the rocky shore at your feet…

His voice broke through your reverie.

“Stand up Pips, lemme get the back of your legs.”

He didn’t give you a chance to respond before hoisting you onto your feet.

“Wha—did you already burn?”

The sight of your bright red legs seemed to genuinely distress him for a moment.

“No, the boulder was just a little hot.” You calmly remarked over your shoulder.

He sucked in a little gasp. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I like it. I’m a lizard, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember… I guess I just underestimated you.” His brows furrowed. “Does it hurt?”

“No. You can touch it—see?” You poked the back of your thigh, jiggling the reddened skin with a sly little smile.

Caleb shooed your hand away. “Don’t do that, you’re gonna irritate it. Here—”

You hummed appreciatively as he smeared cool sunscreen over your burning skin. His hands were softer now, massaging soothing little circles into the plushest parts of your thighs.

“Better?” He asked, pressing a kiss into your hip.

“Mhm.” You smiled as he stared up at you, his pretty eyes shining with adoration from where he knelt.

With sun protection out of the way you pulled a snack out of your bag to share while you skipped rocks together—giggling when he used his Evol to send your smooth pebbles flying impossibly far.

Time ceased to exist for a while, here in your little world where only you and Caleb existed—prowling the shore for pretty rocks and river critters and taking pictures of your posing shadows.

But eventually…

“It’s getting late.” Caleb sighed, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the sky—wishing he could coax the sun into stillness for just a while longer. “We should head back and get started on dinner.”

“Aw mannn…”

He came up behind you and pressed a kiss to the heated skin on your shoulder.

“I know… I’d hate for you to miss the sunset up on the mountain, though.”

You grumbled but agreed, signaling for him to turn around.

Caleb sighed, but slipped his backpack over his chest so you could climb up onto his back. Your feet hurt too much to walk—that was the flimsy excuse you gave him—and he didn’t call you out on it. He just hooked his arms under your thighs and hoisted you up into place.

If you ever bothered to ask, he would tell you he preferred it this way, though. He would always pick the option that allowed him to be touching you in some way—any way.

You nuzzled into his neck as he carried you, unable to resist breathing in his heated skin. He always smelled so good after working out…

You told yourself it was innocent enough, but the more you indulged yourself the harder it became to resist him.

Maybe just a little taste…

Your tongue darted out from from your lips, mere centimeters away from the ticklish skin of his throat before you thought better of it. Best not to risk your piggyback privileges in times like these…

You sighed in resignation, resting your chin in the crook of his neck instead and humming a little tune to pass the time as he labored up the trail.

Caleb deposited you in the hammock he’d hung near the fire pit as soon as you got back to camp. He stuck both of your packs in the tent before digging ingredients out of the cooler and organizing them in piles while you enjoyed the view.

Dinner came together quickly under his capable hands while you watched from the hammock. A cold beer rested in one hand while the other pointed lazily up at clouds, naming their shapes and inventing stories that made him chuckle.

“See that rabbit over there?”

Caleb’s gaze followed your finger to find a pink bunny-shaped cloud.

“Her name is Daisy, and I think she’s very sweet.”

“She looks like a biter, to me.” Caleb mused, returning his focus to the wooden skewers.

“She would probably bite you. She’s a girl’s girl, and we have to stick together.”

Caleb’s glanced at the cloud again, then back at you, clearly fighting a smile.

“It’s your own fault. You’re very bite-able, you know.” You said it casually, and Caleb chuckled—but something inside him clenched at that thought.

“Must be because I’m so delicious.” He mused, while stabbing marinated meat onto skewers and laying them in neat piles.

You laughed wholeheartedly because you couldn’t argue. Caleb was indeed delicious and there was no way around it.

Evening settled around you slowly, the bright shafts of light spilling in from the trees shifted into molten ribbons of gold as you chatted and he cooked.

The smell of grilled meat eventually won over your comfort, pulling you out of your hammock. You wandered over to the cooler to grab another beer before plopping down next to Caleb.

“Mmmm!” You hummed appreciatively, “Smells so good. When do we eat?” The alcohol buzzed pleasantly through you—made you a little loose, a little silly.

Caleb giggled, that sweet boyish sound that you loved so much, as you grabbed his face in both hands and planted sloppy kisses all over him.

He pulled away, blushing all the way up to his ears again.

“Do that again, and dinner will be canceled.” His voice dipped, “We’ll skip straight to dessert…” He murmured, leaning down to kiss you in earnest.

You sighed as he pulled away, meeting his gaze as he stared down at you. You could tell he was teasing, but he would still rip your clothes off right here if you asked him to.

“Okay, okay.” You conceded with a sigh, “I’ll behave, I guess.” He hummed in agreement, nuzzling your nose and turning back to cooking.

The fire burned low before you both, crackling softly, occasionally spitting up sparks that drifted into the dark. You stared into it while slowly turning the last meat skewer, the glowing embers lulling you into a trance while the crickets chirped around the edge of camp.

Caleb sat quietly beside you, close enough so your shoulders bumped whenever you moved. He watched you with a satisfied little smile that he didn’t bother hiding, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head when he couldn’t take it anymore. His smile broke into a grin when you hummed contentedly under his touch.

“Having fun, pips?” His eyes sparkled a little, running his lips over your soft hair.

You giggled, shaking your head yes, because of course you were having fun. How could you ever not have fun with Caleb by your side. Nothing could ever compare to this feeling…

“Dunno how I feel about my favorite lizard sitting on the cold ground,” he murmured. “Aren’t you freezing?”

You pulled your skewer out of the fire to inspect the char before shaking your head.

“I’m alright.” You consoled him with a sweet smile before sticking it back in.

“Besides, I can be closer to the fire this way.”

Caleb huffed, unconvinced, and leaned down into your space—his breath tickling the back of your neck. He brushed a little kiss along your ear and the skin on your arms immediately responded, erupting into goose-flesh.

“I dunno.” He murmured, his voice dipping in your ear. “It’s too chilly for lizards to lie on the ground.” His arms slid around your waist. “Don’t think I can leave you like this.” He scooted up behind you and gathered you into him, settling you between his thighs, and tucking you into the heat of his lap.

You melted immediately, slumping back into his broad chest as his arms tightened around you.

“My savior…” You sighed in contentment. You both sat like that for a little while, watching the fire slowly dim out—until you finally broke the silence.

“I love you,” you murmured when it bubbled up inside you.

Caleb went still.

You felt his heart suddenly pounding hard against your back.

His arms came around you in a tight bear hug, and you giggled, wriggling to free yourself.

“I love you too, pips.” His voice sounded a little wispy as it trembled over you.

“Aww, my mushy puppy.” You wiggled and squirmed, turning in his lap.

He gasped softly as you wrapped you legs around his waist, burying your face in the soft fabric of his hoodie.

“Caleb?”

“Hmm?”

You tipped your head back to look at him, smiling when you saw his expression—the tender melancholy shimmering in his eyes.

He loved you so much it physically hurt…

“We’ll… always be together, now… wont we?”

His hand came up to caress your face, his thumb gently sweeping along your cheek while he thought of a good enough answer.

His heart ached for you, for how scared you must still feel after the accident happened. How could he sooth your worries, though, when he didn’t know the answer?“I think… you and I are the most closely bound souls in this universe.” He whispered, nuzzling you as he spoke. “Not even death could keep us apart for long.” His response surprised you a little.

Your eyes were suddenly misty.

“So yes…” he whispered, “we’ll always be together. I’ll find you in every single lifetime.” His arms came up around your shoulders and squeezed you into him, against the steady thump of his heart.

“Promise?”

Caleb loosened his grip and leaned back so he could look at you once more. Your expression broke his heart a little…

He kissed you tenderly, slowly—pressing his lips to your forehead, your nose, your cheeks and finally your mouth.

“I promise.” He whispered, pulling back to stare into your eyes so you knew how serious he was.

He drew his legs up around you and caged you against him, hugging you until the ache in his heart settled.

Your head was spinning from the alcohol and his crazy body heat. It bled through his hoodie and seeped into you as he held you close.

The fire popped loudly in the background and you turned to look at it. It was only glowing embers now, pulsing faintly against the endless dark.

“Look up pips…” Caleb whispered.

You did, and immediately gasped at the sight of the brilliant night sky.

You had never seen so many stars. The moon was nearly full, hanging silently above you, casting everything in a silvery glow. The dark forest, the tent, the dying fire, Caleb’s face— everything was painted in its soft light.

“Wow…” Your voice came out hushed. “It’s so beautiful.”

Caleb sighed in relief, seeing your eyes light up once again.

“You finally get a little glimpse of what I see on the starship—ouch!”

You smacked his chest before he could finish that thought.

“I don’t want to hear about that…”

Caleb blinked, caught completely off guard. Then softened as he studied the pinch between your brows, the way your lip jutted out in an angry little pout.

“You’re my Caleb tonight. Fleet ships don’t exist.” He chuckled, secretly relieved.

“Noted… only your Caleb tonight—oomph!”

Your lips crashed into his, arms flying wildly around his neck. The kiss was messy and the alcohol was making your head spin, but you persevered—pressing into him, squeezing him tighter.

Caleb gasped underneath you, panting—trying to catch his breath, but you wouldn’t let him. You chased him every time he tried to pull away, biting him as punishment. Relishing in the beautiful noises he made.

“I missed you so much…” You gasped between kisses, trailing your lips down his neck. Caleb didn’t have time to ponder if you were talking about just this past week or…

He hissed as your teeth sank into the sensitive skin over his collarbone, the sound breaking into a groan when your tongue soothed over the fresh mark.

“I missed you too, sweetheart…” He managed to choke out, “I’m right here…” His hands flew to your hips, gripping like he needed something to hold on to as you ground onto him.

He unleashed a wanton moan, sent it echoing into the dark forest, as you attacked the weak spot on the back of his neck, right at the junction of his shoulder.

“W-wait a minute pips—” He tried to find a pause button, just long enough to get you into the tent where it was warm.

“No…” You growled, shoving him back.

Caleb was as good as done for. He laid back helplessly under your insistent hands, gasping as you licked and sucked a trail up his throat. You took your time with him, desperate to leave behind evidence of your love. His grip on your hips would clench tight whenever you hit a particularly sensitive spot.

You loved him like this. Helpless and squirming under you, his mouth parted, eyes shut tightly as he restrained himself so you could have your way for a bit.

The thought should have thrilled you… It did, for a moment.

But then you looked at him properly—Caleb, your Caleb, lying back in the cold dirt with his hair mussed, watching you like he would follow you wherever you went—and your ravenous hunger suddenly dissipated.

“Am I being too rough?” You whispered.

Caleb took hold of your hips and ground you down onto him, his own hips bucking a little at the sensation of your heat dragging over his aching length.

“Anything you do to me,” he gasped, “is perfect…”

You moaned into him, tracing his lips with your tongue while you ground into him again.

You knew you were running on borrowed time at this point, any moment now Caleb would snap, and all that patient restraint would turn on you.

Sure enough, as soon as the thought flitted through your mind, Caleb decided your turn was over.

A growl vibrated through his chest as his arms closed around you. He rolled you beneath him, catching your weight before your back could touch the dirt.

“Enough.” He huffed, hoisting himself up with you in his arms and making his way to the tent.

He fumbled with the zipper, losing precious seconds because you refused to stop kissing him. By the time he finally managed it, his breath was ragged against your mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, he backed you into the cozy warmth of the tent and eased you down onto the sleeping bags, then turned just long enough to yank the zipper shut.

You had maybe a second to blink before he was on you again, suddenly everywhere all at once. You felt his hand press you down while he bent with you, chasing your lips.

Slowly, he slid the hem of your hoodie up, warming his chilly fingers on your stomach and laughing when you squealed. You laughed, trying to smack his hand as it traveled up.

Your giggles suddenly dissolved, though, as his fingers traced your nipple through your bra.

“S’not fair…” you gasped, “how do always find them?” He laughed mischievously, giving it a little pinch.

You let out an undignified little yelp, which only fueled his shenanigans.

Suddenly he was moving with urgency, shifting your hoodie up, sliding it over your head with quick practiced hands. Next your shirt, and finally, that obnoxious sports bra that kept your glorious chest bound too tightly. He was nearly drooling by the time your tits spilled out.

So perfect…

This view would never get old, he thought, leaning back to look at you as you hid your blushing face from him.

“Awww, is my Pipsqueak suddenly shy?”

Damn him... He sounded so innocent.

“Come on, let me see your pretty face,” he crooned, taking your wrist gently and coaxing your arm away.

You peeked out at him, only to find his sweet smile and searching eyes waiting for you, glowing softly in the fairy lights.

“Look at me, baby,” he whispered, tenderly nuzzling your palm.

You pried your eyes open, trying to be obedient even while your thighs were clamping together.

Caleb held your gaze for a moment, searching—making sure you were really okay—before smiling as he watched you melt.

“Good girl…” He caressed your cheek, dipping down to kiss you.

His hand traced a lazy pattern on your tummy, his fingertip just barely grazing your skin, sending shivers wherever he touched while his mouth worked you thoroughly.

He slid his lips down your shoulder, tenderly kissing your collarbone before dipping to down to lavish your chest in attention. The heat of his mouth closed firmly over one nipple, his tongue swirling, lapping, sucking, before moving to the other—then back again.

Your face was on fire.

“Caleb—” you gasped, bucking your hips into his touch as his hand slipped beneath the waistband of your sweats.

He paused there, looking up at you, taking a second to memorize you like this—the flush in your cheeks, the dazed shine in your eyes, your kiss-swollen lips still shiny with his spit.

“What is it, baby?” he whispered.

His mouth traced a slow trail down your stomach, the feather-light kisses making you shiver beneath him. Around your navel. Then lower, kissing along the waistband of your pants.

“You’re going to kill me if you keep this up…” You nearly sobbed as he hooked his finger in your waistband and slowly stretched it down, trailing wet little kisses as he went.

“Already at your limit?” His voice was muffled, face already buried in the heat of your core.

You cried out as his tongue pressed against the mesh of your panties and sent your eyes rolling back. Suddenly your pants were yanked clean off. Caleb growled at the sight of your soaked panties clinging to your lips before diving back in.

His arms snaked under your thighs and locked you tight against his face while he devoured you through the lacy barrier, soaking them and sucking them while you sobbed and cried out.

“Poor thing,” he murmured against you, sounding almost apologetic. “I know. I know baby…” His tongue was insatiable—relentless as he pressed open mouthed kisses to your slit.

“I just can’t help it…” He breathed. “I need to taste you… just a little bit longer.” He was half gone out of his mind, driven to a frenzy by your taste, your smell…

Finally he yanked the sopping fabric aside and dove into you in earnest. You felt like you were suddenly weightless, a euphoric heat exploding through your core, up through your stomach. Caleb moaned openly as you gushed, licking and slurping every last bit before diving back in.

Caleb knew the over stimulation was too much—felt so mean for holding you down while you squirmed. But your taste… your silky heat sucking up his tongue as he plunged in and out. Over and over, in a trance, as your body wriggled and clenched around him.

His eyes rolled back as you came a second time, your thighs clamping down around his head.

You body melted into a boneless puddle beneath him.

The frenzied spell over Caleb seem to break for a moment, long enough to remember himself. He released your sopping heat at once, propping himself up so he could look at you.

You blinked down at him, dazed and glossy-eyed, your chest heaving.

He leaned over you, still fully clothed, hair mussed, mouth swollen. His hands, when they came up to touch you again, were impossibly gentle.

“Hey,” he whispered, brushing your hair back from your damp forehead. “Look at me.”

You did, barely.

Caleb’s face softened with relief at once.

“Too much?” he asked against your shoulder, pressing a little kiss there.

You swallowed, trying to find your tongue.

“No,” you whispered. Your fingers curled into the hem of his hoodie, tugging at him weakly. “Come here.”

He gladly obeyed, leaning down to kiss you properly—tenderly brushing your hair out of your eyes while you caught your breath. You sighed into him, already heating up again under his touch.

His mouth tasted like you and it made your face burn…

He ducked so you could pull his hoodie off and you giggled at the sight of his bare chest.

“You didn’t put a shirt on?”

“Didn’t see a point, pips.” He huffed, his eyes sparkling as he caught your mouth in another heated kiss.

You pushed yourself upright, still a little unsteady, and Caleb instinctively followed your lead, leaning back to give you space. His eyes stayed locked on yours as your hand slid lower, feeling the tremble under his skin as you dipped under the waistband of his pants and into the heat of his arousal.

He hissed as your soft hand squeezed and pet him gently through his boxers.

“Lie down,” you whispered.

Caleb swallowed. For once, he didn’t tease you, let you guide him back onto the sleeping bags.

The tent rustled softly as a breeze swept past, the thin walls shuddering faintly before settling once more.

You followed him down slowly, kissing your way over his flushed chest, taking your time now that he was the one looking up at you, breathless and flushed head to toe.

He reached for you, but you caught his wrist and pressed a kiss to his palm.

“Be still, gege…”

Caleb moaned as you dipped your head to suck a path of hickies along the line of his Adonis belt, pausing to kiss his painfully hard bulge. Only when he started trembling under your lips did you look up at him. His eyes were misty and full of adoration as they gazed down at you, his hands fisted up in the blankets. He watched you slowly hook your fingers in his waistband and pull with that wicked spark in your eyes.

His erection sprung free, slapping up against his stomach.

“Gah!” He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut.

You wasted no time, dragging your tongue along the bulging vein running up his length, sucking the tip into your mouth and enjoying the view as he threw his head back, his entire body straining against itself. You worried for a split second about the sleeping bags shredding in his grip as he fisted them.

They seemed to be holding though…

The corners of your mouth stung as you stretched your lips over his girth, his salty taste flooding your senses.

Caleb groaned as you bottomed out. The sight of your throat bulging with him sent a hot, filthy thrill fluttering through his stomach. You sucked him down, tried to swallow around him, but he was too big.

You bobbed your head once, then twice, twisting your hand around his shaft, over and over again-only pulling off of him when you were sure he was good and lubed up. He was ready now, reduced to a flushed, gasping mess underneath you.

You crawled over him slowly, looking down at him with a satisfied possessiveness.

The fairy lights blurred into a golden haze above him, then disappeared behind your shadow as you loomed over him.

“My Caleb,” you sighed.

His hands came up to your hips at once, helping you line yourself up. Beneath the haze of all that desire, his eyes went tender again.

“Yours,” he whispered, voice barely there.

You closed your eyes, sinking down until your felt the fat, silky head of his cock prod your entrance. You took a deep breath and sank slowly, taking him inch by burning inch.

Caleb’s eyes squeezed shut as your heat sucked him up, your warm gummy walls pulsing around him. It was heaven every single time, he swore he could hear choir music when you clenched around him.

His mouth fell open as you seated yourself fully, a thin sheen of sweat already forming along your pinched brows.

You could only sit there, resting in his lap while you adjusted to the heavy fullness stretching you to your limit. Caleb’s hands left your hips to trail delicately up your waist and grope your chest-taking in the view as you panted, flushed and sweating and fully impaled on his cock.

But he let you take your time, not daring to move an inch.

Eventually the sting faded, the fullness didn’t feel so sharp and uncomfortable.

You rolled your hips experimentally, gasping as the tip of his cock nudged your cervix, his ridges grinding against yours to create a delicious friction.

“Ah—” You gasped, “I’m—I’m not gonna last long like this…”

Caleb’s hands settled back around your hips,

“Here, let me…” He guides your hips forward, rolling them gently, letting the heat build slowly at first.

He had you gasping in no time, sweat beading along his temples as he thrust up into you. The obscenely wet sounds of your bodies connecting bounced off the walls of your tent.

“Oh—Caleb!” You cried out, right at the edge of a great precipice and wanting so badly to fall.

Caleb groaned, his cock jumping inside you.

He wanted nothing more than to pound you silly, to chase his own relief inside your squeezing heat, to smother your insides until you were leaking for days.

But he also didn’t want this to end… wanted it to last all night…

You could tell exactly what he was thinking and refused to let him have his way this time.

Your thighs locked around him tightly and you began riding him in earnest, swinging your hips in tight little circles as you ground down on him.

“W-wait—hold on!” His pleas fell on deaf ears, he was reduced to begging under your relentless pace.

Caleb felt it like a tidal wave off in the distance, gaining power and momentum as it surged towards him.

He panted, his whimpering pleas climbing in octaves as he begged you to slow down. It was no use, your heat had engulfed him, swallowed him whole.

“I-I’m gonna—” The tidal wave was suddenly upon him, violently ripping him from his body as white exploded across his vision. Your name fell from his lips in a sweet, stuttered melody as his body jerked under you.

You threw your head back, the sensation of his cock twitching and spurting his hot release into you sent you hurtling over the edge after him.

You were weightless and seeing spots by the time you floated back into your body. The first thing you felt was Caleb’s thumbs gently stroking your face. You hauled your body off of his sticky chest and flopped over into your sleeping bag.

You could hear Caleb’s voice murmuring over you but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying over the ringing in your ears. The late hour, the afterglow, the alcohol—it all left your body exhausted and useless where it slumped.

You felt a cool cloth sweep over your face, then down your neck, and whimpered when it passed between your thighs, your body still too sensitive for even his gentlest touch.

Caleb cleaned you as carefully as he could, murmuring soft apologies whenever you shivered. The blankets tucked themselves around your chin as you faded out.

“I love you,” he whispered.

His lips pressed tender kisses to your temple, your cheeks, the corner of your mouth—one after another, soft enough to follow you down as the world faded into darkness. And you stayed there, drifting comfortably until—

Pop!

A loud crack snapped you awake.

You shot upright in your sleeping bag, head spinning as you looked for—

“Sorry.”

Caleb stepped through the half-open tent flap, his voice soothing your nerves before they had the chance to turn into panic.

“The fire’s extra noisy,” he said, glancing back toward it with a little chuckle. “I think it’s eager to see you.”

You blinked at him, still caught in a sleepy daze. Then your gaze snagged on his neck and your stomach flipped.

The marks there were impossible to miss, and the memory of last night rushed back all at once. A bright flush bloomed across your cheeks, and you yanked the blankets up to your chest.

Caleb’s gentle gaze never left yours.

“Did you sleep alright, Pips?”

He knelt in front of you, offering you a steaming mug of coffee. You rubbed at your eyes, suddenly aware of the chill in the morning air.

“I must have,” you mumbled, accepting the mug gratefully. “I can’t even remember falling asleep.”

Caleb’s mouth twitched with amusement, but he didn’t tease you. Not yet.

He only ducked his head, pulled off his hoodie, and held it out to you.

“Here.”

He took the mug back just long enough for you to slip into it. It was soooo warm and smelled like his cologne and campfire smoke.

You hummed happily when he pressed the mug back into your hands.

“Come sit by the fire. I already set up your chair.”

His hoodie fell nearly to your knees as you clumsily stood, swallowed up in the soft fleece. Caleb took your hand, pressing a little kiss to your knuckles as he steadied you.

Birds chirped excitedly nearby, hopping around the edge of the campsite to peck at the dirt in search of crumbs. Caleb watched you watching them, a goofy smile tugging at his mouth.

Your hair was wild. Your eyes were still heavy with sleep. You looked, frankly, like you had survived a Wanderer attack and barely lived to tell the tale.

He loved your sleepy little face so much, though, he just couldn’t resist.

“Hey, Pips…”

You looked over at him, only to dissolve into giggles as he smushed your cheeks between his hands.

“It’s too early for surprise attacks!”

Caleb laughed too, taking one last fond look before pressing a quick to your squished lips.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “Couldn’t help myself.”

He turned back to the fire, poking it for a bit while you settled beside him, soaking in the warm morning sun.

“What do you wanna do today?”

You hummed in contemplation, warming your hands around your mug as you looked out over the endless valley below. Sunlight spilled slowly over the mountains, turning the whole world gold.

The possibilities felt endless with your Caleb at your side.