the lost & found

“Good morning,” you purred with a third poke to his cheek.

A lazy yet content grin broke out on his face as he brought a hand up to capture your own. He hummed into your palm before placing a kiss in the center. “Morning, pipsqueak.”

His gaze took a moment to truly take you in, flitting from the darkening marks left along your collarbone and neck to the smallest details of your face he had committed to memory a long time ago.

Eventually, his hands found your hips before swiftly hoisting you to lay flat on top of him. Naturally, your arms circled around his neck, pulling him impossibly close.

“You feelin’ okay?” Caleb voiced as he subconsciously massaged the plush of your hips. You tilted your head at the guilty smile on his face. “Wasn’t exactly… gentle for our first time.”

You giggled at the mention of the night before as you toyed with his bangs, brushing strands out of his eyes. “I’ve never been better.”

He let out a content sigh as his fingers ran along the curve of your spine. Your back instinctively arched into his touch.

“Y’know…” he started, eyes searching your own. You hummed for him to go on as you continued to play with his hair. “I’m yours for the weekend.”

You perked up at that, and he chuckled at your reaction. “Really?”

“Really.”

You cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he nodded, hands rising in defense. Moving to cradle your face in one hand while the other hooked under your thigh, his lips brushed yours. “We have all the time in the world.”

You closed the gap, slotting your lips against his like they were magnetically pulled, like they belonged there. And, in all honesty, you wouldn’t want them to be anywhere else.

His lips felt like warm honey, causing you to melt even further into his embrace.

Mouths moving with quickening pace, your chest vibrated as he groaned into you, wrapping a hand around the back of your neck before pulling you in to deepen the kiss.

His tongue swiped at your bottom lip and made its way into your mouth, exploring and tasting you like you were a gourmet meal. You couldn’t help but whimper against him at the feeling of his tongue against yours.

Your hands threaded through his hair before tugging him back. Pants filled the room as Caleb looked up at you through his lashes. Eyes lidded and overflowing with want, he licked his lips and cracked a grin. “What, tired already?”

You rolled your eyes at his playful banter. Wanting him on top of you, you before rolling off him and pulling him on top of you. His arm caged you in as he remained lying on his side.

“You gonna take care of me, Caleb?” you weren’t sure yourself in what way you meant it, but you saw something in his eyes change at your words. He didn’t hesitate.

“In every life time.”

His kisses were more sensual as he placed them. From the crown of your head to your lips, from your lips to your neck, from your neck to…

RIIINNNGGG! RIIINNNGGG!

Caleb’s open-mouthed kissed against your skin came to a halt at the familiar ring of his phone. He let out a weighty exhale before reaching over to see who was calling.

“Is it the fleet?” you inquired. His silent contemplation was an answer itself, but the pinch in his brow and the clench of his jaw made you sure. You whined at the interruption. “Caleb…”

Leaning down to press a quick peck against your lips and forehead, he sighed.

“Sorry, pips. Gimme a sec, okay? Then, I’m all yours,” he offered apologetically before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and picking up the call. You watched as his demeanor immediately switched from your darling Caleb to the frigid Deepspace Colonel. “Speak.”

As he coldly conversed on the phone, you couldn’t help but admire him. His broad shoulders and back which were decorated with scratches, the tone of his muscles, the way the sheets pooled at his bare hips…

Slowly, you crawled over to where Caleb was sat until you were positioned directly behind him. He flinched when your hands found his waist, looking over his shoulder with a warning look. Of course, you could see that he was enjoying the attention.

You leaned against his frame as you explored the expanse of his body, fingers dancing over the distinct ridges of his abs. Making your way up, teasingly caressing his chest, you pressed kisses against the nape of his neck and behind his ear. You gasped as you felt a strong hand squeeze your ass.

You looked up only to find his sharp gaze already on you. Wrapping your arms around him and squeezing, you smiled mischievously at the flush of his face. He returned your smile with a smirk of his own. “Behave.”

“What was that, colonel?” you heard from the other end of the phone.

“It’s nothing. Continue,” he resumed his call but kept his grip on your ass, gently kneading. Your longing for the feeling of his mouth on your skin had you growing oh-so needy.

“Caleb…” you breathed, lips brushing against his ear. You felt him shiver at your proximity. “…need you.”

He froze at that. You nestled into the crook of his neck to watch his reaction, and you could practically see the gears turning in his mind. It was clear he was so close to breaking, and you knew just what to do.

Sliding a hand up his body, you found the charm of the necklace you gave him. Holding eye contact with him, you inched the charm closer and closer until it met your lips.

That’ll do it.

“Handle the situation and report back to me tomorrow. Don’t disturb me for the rest of the day.” He commanded before hanging up promptly. A dangerous gaze locked onto yours.

You were in for it now…

Noticing your pout, he waved his controller in the air. “Are the controllers different sizes?”

“I don’t think that’s possib—hey!” you yelped as Xavier stole your controller from where you had left it on the couch. Sitting up, you made several poor attempts to take it back which Xavier easily dodged.

Flipping it in his hands as you demanded your controller back, he hummed with a determined glint in his eyes. “Maybe you have smaller hands…”

At his words, you held your hands in front of you. “I doubt that’s the problem…” your voice trailed off.

“…”

“Uh, Xavier?”

“Yeah?”

His hand was splayed against yours, skin surprisingly cool against your own. He inspected the comparison for a moment before drumming his fingertips against your own.

“I guess that’s not it,” he concluded, but he didn’t move to pull his hand away, and neither did you.

Finally tearing your gaze off of your touching palms, you looked to Xavier who was already watching you. A pale pink dusted his cheeks yet his expression remained ever-so stoic.

“Hmm…” he pondered, shifting his hand to allow his fingers to entangle with yours before closing. Your eyebrows raised before you mirrored his actions with a grin, locking your hands together.

“What’s this?” you giggled as you shake your joined hands.

“Could be that your hands are sore from fighting wanderers all day.”

“Oh, you think so?”

He nodded with a seemingly serious look, though the slight curl of his lips told you all you needed to know. “We should take a break from the game. Don’t want you to get a cramp.”

You adjusted your hold on him, your hand now wrapped more comfortably around his. You relaxed back onto the cushions and craned your head back, looking at Xavier with lidded eyes. “What do you suggest we do then?”

The light blush he once wore returned along with a small smile as he glanced away. “I have a few ideas…”

An hour later, with a blanket draped across both of your legs, Xavier’s tired eyes went in and out of focus on the movie you had chosen trying to fight sleep. They widened when the weight of your head appeared on his shoulder.

Eyes already shut and breathing slow, your sleeping face caused his eyes to soften, followed by him laying his head on yours, the sweet scent of your shampoo flooding his senses. With a content sigh, Xavier followed you to dream land.

He never let go of your hand.

Z A Y N E ｡˚○

Happy Snowman was in rough shape.

The poor plush’s popsicle accessory had gotten snagged and was this close to falling off. You immediately called Zayne to come save the day.

‘Zayne, are you busy? It’s urgent! Well, not like, urgent urgent, but…still!’

You could hear a distant chuckle on his end. ‘I’m just about to drive home from the hospital. Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine, but…Happy Snowman needs you.’

‘Oh? What happened?’

You hurriedly explained the situation, doing your best not to take up too much of his little free time, and hesitantly asked him to come over. ‘I understand if you can’t though! I bet you’ve had a long day and are tired—’

‘I’ll be there.’

Now, here you were, sat at your kitchen table as you watched Zayne prepare to ‘operate’ on your dearest plushy. You thought back to when he had actually won you the plush at the Twinkle Toys claw machine, a smile creeping onto your face.

Refocusing on the moment, you followed Zayne’s precise movements as he swiftly inserted thread through the eye of the needle, tied it, and began to reattach Happy Snowman’s popsicle hat. As you observed him work, your mind began to wander. “Have your hands always been so steady, Dr. Zayne?”

“What makes you ask that?” he doesn’t look up from his project, but you could tell he was paying attention.

“Dunno. Just admiring you, I guess.”

His eyes glance to you above his glasses momentarily at that. Emotions that you’ve yet to name flickered on his face before he resumed sewing. “I suppose they have.”

“I’m not surprised. I can’t thread the needle for the life of me,” you joked as you rested your head on your hand.

“There, all done.”

A new and improved Happy Snowman was presented to you by familiar scarred hands.

“Yay! You saved him!” you beamed, taking your precious friend from the doctor. Your fingers brushed his at the exchange to which he remained silent. Grabbing one of its hands, you made the snowman wave at Zayne. “I hope he was a good patient.”

“He did great for his first operation,” he patted Happy Snowman’s head with a calm smile finding your gesture quite cute. As you took a second to appreciate his work, Zayne could tell by your expression you had more you wanted to ask. “What’s on your mind?”

You placed Happy Snowman in your lap. “Can you hold your hand out?”

“What are you up to?” a playful tone evident in his question, though he did as you asked.

“Look how shaky my hands are compared to yours. Isn’t that crazy?” you positioned your hand in front of his, fingers flexing to emphasize.

Your statement made him visibly pause. After a second of contemplation, he took your hand and brought your knuckles to his lips to press a fleeting yet flustering kiss. “They’re perfect.”

R A F A Y E L ｡˚○

The sand of Whitesand Bay was known to shimmer under the moonlight of Linkon. With a clear sky and setting sun, Rafayel invited you for a stroll.

You found him leaning against a nearby palm tree, thumbs hooked into his pockets. His eyes lit up when he spotted you, pushing off the tree. “There you are, cutie! We should really work on your time management skills—I thought you forgot me again.”

“I’m literally only a minute late this time…” you rolled your eyes while propping a hand on your hip.

With an offended gasp, he clutched his chest. “Y’know what could happen in one whole minute?”

“What, are sea turtles climbing trees again?”

He pouted.

“…Maybe.”

You sighed before motioning him to take the lead. “C’mon. Didn’t you wanna show me something?”

In a comfortable quiet, you reveled in the sounds of nature: the sand crunching beneath your feet, the gust of the wind, the rhythmic crash of the waves. It had been weeks since you had time to relax, and what better way to escape from back-to-back missions than a trip to the beach?

“Someone’s enjoying themselves,” though it sounded like a tease, Rafayel simply enjoyed the state you were in.

Tilting your head back and inhaling the scent of the sea, you didn’t deny the claim, not even bothering to refute it.

As you approached a large rock, you gasped in disbelief once you rounded its jagged edges.

Illuminated by the rays of the moon, a dolphin waited in the shallow waters, dorsal fin breaking the waves.

“A beauty, isn’t she?” he said blithely. You nodded vigorously as you rushed over to watch from up close. Heart warming at the way your eyes shined at the sight of his dolphin friend, he slowly waded into the water. “Wanna say hi?”

Quickly kicking off your sandals, you followed Rafayel’s lead. At the appearance of his presence, the dolphin released a greeting from its blowhole and swam closer.

With practiced ease, he dipped his fingers into the water for the dolphin to nuzzle his hand. Despite copying his actions rather perfectly, the creature puffed its blowhole at you, littering your face with a spray of the ocean.

“I don’t think she likes me…” you laughed nervously, rubbing your face clean.

“Nah, she just doesn’t meet new people very often, and she probably senses your nerves. Here, gimme.”

You tilted your head like a lost puppy.

“Your hand, cutie.”

You stuck your hand in front of you. At that, Rafayel placed his hand on the back of yours. Your heart skipped a beat.

He guided your hand to the surface of the water, fingers barely breaking the tension. With the Lemurian’s guidance, the dolphin didn’t pull away, allowing you to rub along its head and fin. A giddy feeling overtook you not only at the feeling of the mammal’s slick skin but Rafayel’s hand still steering your movements.

Sensing your satisfaction with the meeting, he took the opportunity to memorize the different kind of fire he felt at your touch, deciding to lock hands with you.

“Rafayel? Did I mess up?”

Your concern for the dolphin was too cute for him. You were really living up to your nickname today.

“Even your hands are cute…” he murmured to himself, though he knew you would hear him. His attention was focused on the details of your hand, but he could see your jaw drop in his peripheral.

Deciding the dolphin had stolen your attention from him long enough, he tugged you out of the ocean while waving to the sea creature.

“Wh—Rafayel!” you whined.

Snickering at your state of disarray, he tightened his grip on you, snatched your sandals up by the loops, and resumed your walk down the coastline. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”

Speeding up to match his pace, you stared at your intertwined fingers. Deciding to reciprocate with a squeeze, you swung your hands with the breeze.

He said nothing, but there was no hiding the twitch of the corners of his mouth.

S Y L U S ｡˚○

After another boxing session with Sylus, you sat on the edge of the ring, raw knuckles held in your lap. He kneeled in front of you, bandages and disinfectant in hand.

“You did well today, sweetie,” he praised as he started to clean your skin. His gentle touch was almost nonexistent—if it weren’t for the sting of the antiseptic on your wounds, you wouldn’t have known he was there. “I’m proud of you.”

You let you a breathy laugh at his compliments while wincing. “Thanks, Sylus.”

His actions halted as his ruby eyes found yours, searching to make sure you were okay. He continued after you gave him a nod.

As you sat in silence, Sylus carefully placed both of your hands in one of his, using his now free hand to open the package of bandages.

Wait, both of your hands?

You found a new fascination with the outrageous size of his hands. You were well aware of the fact that his hands were bigger than yours due to his frequent past failed attempts at resonance with you, but damn, his hands are so big.

“Mmm… you think so?”

You straightened and looked up in shock. “Hm?”

He smirked as color drained from your face, repeating your confused squeak. “Hm?”

“Did…I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

You opened your mouth to defend yourself only to find yourself utterly speechless, humiliated. Used to the endless teasing and banter that you grew to know so well, you closed your eyes and braced for the worst only to be met by the soft texture of gauze on the back of your hand.

Sylus said nothing as he wrapped your split knuckles with experienced ease.

Squinting in confusion, you pursed your lips. You couldn’t recall the last time Sylus hadn’t seized the opportunity to tease you. In fact, you didn’t think it had happened ever. “…Sylus?”

He hummed in response, only looking up after completing taking care of your injuries.

“Aren’t you gonna, I don’t know… tease me?”

“Now why would I do that?”

“…”

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetie,” he chuckled, letting out that rich laugh of his that made your head spin. Now cradling your hands in his, he cocked his head to the side. “It’s not often that you compliment me. Think of it as me simply basking in the attention.”

Boldened by his confession, you snatched one of his hands up and began to inspect it.

“Oh? It seems I’ve piqued someone’s interest,” he mused. Ignoring his smug expression, you spread his fingers and pressed your hands together.

“Huge ass hands…” you muttered at the way his fingertips peaked over yours with the side-by-side comparison before you. Only then did you notice the way he was looking at you. His typical sharp features seemed to have dulled. No, they seemed to have softened. The great care he held in his eyes caught you off guard. “W-what?”

“Your ‘paw’ is quite soft, kitten.”

You weren’t sure what was faster: the retraction of your hands or the wave of embarrassment. Your face quickly felt like it was on fire.

He then rose and grabbed a bottle of water, handing it to you before turning to leave. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Closing the door to his personal gym, he stared down at his palm.

If only you could see the smile on his face.

C A L E B ｡˚○

“Aw, look at this one,” you held up a worn shirt with two small handprints on the front, forming the shape of a heart.

You were sat with Caleb on your bed going through a box of keepsakes you had stored in your apartment. He watched with an amused look as you whipped out different nostalgic trinkets from your seeming past lives.

Sitting up from his recline in your pillows, he took the small shirt from you. “I remember this. You complained I ruined it since, apparently, I made it uneven.”

“Well, it kinda is…” you laughed. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head, causing you to hop off the bed and rummage around your closet.

“Whatcha up to, pipsqueak?”

Returning with a plain shirt of the same color, you balled it up and tossed it at him (which he, of course, caught with ease). Skipping over to your desk, you revealed two bottles of paint. “Let’s recreate it!”

Moved to the floor to avoid any mess, you sat on your knees as you squeezed the different colored paints on two separate plates. Caleb was across from you, arm resting on his propped up knee.

“Okay, get over here, lazy,” you commanded, handing him a plate. “You know the drill.”

Coating your left and his right hand in paint, you stamped your handprints on the center of the laid out shirt, replicating the heart you had made so many years ago.

As you both lifted your hands, you groaned at the result. “Ugh, Caleb, you dummy! You made it uneven again with your Godzilla hands!”

Raising an eyebrow at your complaint, he scoffed at your pickiness while looking at your work. “Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did not!” he bantered back. “If anything, your positioning is off.”

You saw how the corner of his mouth twitched upward at your aghast face. Shooting him a glare, you got up, tugging his clean hand so he would get up with you. “Let’s go clean up, Mr. ‘baseball-mitts-for-hands’.”

After washing the paint off your hands, you noticed the way Caleb was staring at his right hand as if it had betrayed him.

“What’s wrong?”

His breath hitched before he shook his head. A shake of anger or of denial? You had no clue. He hesitantly reached for your hand, unsure if you would pull away or not. He slowly opened your relaxed hand and pressed his to yours.

You had done this many times in the past, but the distance from that past made it feel like lifetimes ago.

“Guess it was me who messed up the shirt, huh?” he joked, trying to steer the conversation away from his feelings, but he knew it was too late to distract you. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure if he was talking about the shirt or not. Voice barely above a whisper, you could hear the way his emotions shook him. “..can’t feel you.”

You sighed. It was clear after knowing him for so long that he was internally spiraling, spiraling into a loop of grief and regret once more. Although you may have been apart and he was a very different man than the Caleb you once knew, he was still Caleb.

He was still the boy who had nightmares and immediately searched for you, the boy who had eaten dinner with you every evening.

He was still yours.

“Look at me, Caleb.”

His eyes find you through a cloud of thoughts. You could see a pang of guilt ripple through him.

“You feel me in your heart, don’t you?”

With a silent gulp, he clasped his hand, his right hand, over yours and brought it to press where his heart was. Finding your gaze again, he nodded. His vulnerability was rare nowadays—you smiled at his openness to you.

“Then that,” you began, keeping your palm splayed over his heart but moving to cup his face with your free hand. He instinctively chased the warmth of your skin on his cheek with an underlying fear it’d be the last time. “That’s enough.”

As the sound of his heartbeat echoed through his body, he realized…

Maybe he could finally be enough for you.

“Good morning,” you purred with a third poke to his cheek.

A lazy yet content grin broke out on his face as he brought a hand up to capture your own. He hummed into your palm before placing a kiss in the center. “Morning, pipsqueak.”

His gaze took a moment to truly take you in, flitting from the darkening marks left along your collarbone and neck to the smallest details of your face he had committed to memory a long time ago.

Eventually, his hands found your hips before swiftly hoisting you to lay flat on top of him. Naturally, your arms circled around his neck, pulling him impossibly close.

“You feelin’ okay?” Caleb voiced as he subconsciously massaged the plush of your hips. You tilted your head at the guilty smile on his face. “Wasn’t exactly… gentle for our first time.”

You giggled at the mention of the night before as you toyed with his bangs, brushing strands out of his eyes. “I’ve never been better.”

He let out a content sigh as his fingers ran along the curve of your spine. Your back instinctively arched into his touch.

“Y’know…” he started, eyes searching your own. You hummed for him to go on as you continued to play with his hair. “I’m yours for the weekend.”

You perked up at that, and he chuckled at your reaction. “Really?”

“Really.”

You cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he nodded, hands rising in defense. Moving to cradle your face in one hand while the other hooked under your thigh, his lips brushed yours. “We have all the time in the world.”

You closed the gap, slotting your lips against his like they were magnetically pulled, like they belonged there. And, in all honesty, you wouldn’t want them to be anywhere else.

His lips felt like warm honey, causing you to melt even further into his embrace.

Mouths moving with quickening pace, your chest vibrated as he groaned into you, wrapping a hand around the back of your neck before pulling you in to deepen the kiss.

His tongue swiped at your bottom lip and made its way into your mouth, exploring and tasting you like you were a gourmet meal. You couldn’t help but whimper against him at the feeling of his tongue against yours.

Your hands threaded through his hair before tugging him back. Pants filled the room as Caleb looked up at you through his lashes. Eyes lidded and overflowing with want, he licked his lips and cracked a grin. “What, tired already?”

You rolled your eyes at his playful banter. Wanting him on top of you, you before rolling off him and pulling him on top of you. His arm caged you in as he remained lying on his side.

“You gonna take care of me, Caleb?” you weren’t sure yourself in what way you meant it, but you saw something in his eyes change at your words. He didn’t hesitate.

“In every life time.”

His kisses were more sensual as he placed them. From the crown of your head to your lips, from your lips to your neck, from your neck to…

RIIINNNGGG! RIIINNNGGG!

Caleb’s open-mouthed kissed against your skin came to a halt at the familiar ring of his phone. He let out a weighty exhale before reaching over to see who was calling.

“Is it the fleet?” you inquired. His silent contemplation was an answer itself, but the pinch in his brow and the clench of his jaw made you sure. You whined at the interruption. “Caleb…”

Leaning down to press a quick peck against your lips and forehead, he sighed.

“Sorry, pips. Gimme a sec, okay? Then, I’m all yours,” he offered apologetically before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and picking up the call. You watched as his demeanor immediately switched from your darling Caleb to the frigid Deepspace Colonel. “Speak.”

As he coldly conversed on the phone, you couldn’t help but admire him. His broad shoulders and back which were decorated with scratches, the tone of his muscles, the way the sheets pooled at his bare hips…

Slowly, you crawled over to where Caleb was sat until you were positioned directly behind him. He flinched when your hands found his waist, looking over his shoulder with a warning look. Of course, you could see that he was enjoying the attention.

You leaned against his frame as you explored the expanse of his body, fingers dancing over the distinct ridges of his abs. Making your way up, teasingly caressing his chest, you pressed kisses against the nape of his neck and behind his ear. You gasped as you felt a strong hand squeeze your ass.

You looked up only to find his sharp gaze already on you. Wrapping your arms around him and squeezing, you smiled mischievously at the flush of his face. He returned your smile with a smirk of his own. “Behave.”

“What was that, colonel?” you heard from the other end of the phone.

“It’s nothing. Continue,” he resumed his call but kept his grip on your ass, gently kneading. Your longing for the feeling of his mouth on your skin had you growing oh-so needy.

“Caleb…” you breathed, lips brushing against his ear. You felt him shiver at your proximity. “…need you.”

He froze at that. You nestled into the crook of his neck to watch his reaction, and you could practically see the gears turning in his mind. It was clear he was so close to breaking, and you knew just what to do.

Sliding a hand up his body, you found the charm of the necklace you gave him. Holding eye contact with him, you inched the charm closer and closer until it met your lips.

That’ll do it.

“Handle the situation and report back to me tomorrow. Don’t disturb me for the rest of the day.” He commanded before hanging up promptly. A dangerous gaze locked onto yours.

You were in for it now…

Noticing your pout, he waved his controller in the air. “Are the controllers different sizes?”

“I don’t think that’s possib—hey!” you yelped as Xavier stole your controller from where you had left it on the couch. Sitting up, you made several poor attempts to take it back which Xavier easily dodged.

Flipping it in his hands as you demanded your controller back, he hummed with a determined glint in his eyes. “Maybe you have smaller hands…”

At his words, you held your hands in front of you. “I doubt that’s the problem…” your voice trailed off.

“…”

“Uh, Xavier?”

“Yeah?”

His hand was splayed against yours, skin surprisingly cool against your own. He inspected the comparison for a moment before drumming his fingertips against your own.

“I guess that’s not it,” he concluded, but he didn’t move to pull his hand away, and neither did you.

Finally tearing your gaze off of your touching palms, you looked to Xavier who was already watching you. A pale pink dusted his cheeks yet his expression remained ever-so stoic.

“Hmm…” he pondered, shifting his hand to allow his fingers to entangle with yours before closing. Your eyebrows raised before you mirrored his actions with a grin, locking your hands together.

“What’s this?” you giggled as you shake your joined hands.

“Could be that your hands are sore from fighting wanderers all day.”

“Oh, you think so?”

He nodded with a seemingly serious look, though the slight curl of his lips told you all you needed to know. “We should take a break from the game. Don’t want you to get a cramp.”

You adjusted your hold on him, your hand now wrapped more comfortably around his. You relaxed back onto the cushions and craned your head back, looking at Xavier with lidded eyes. “What do you suggest we do then?”

The light blush he once wore returned along with a small smile as he glanced away. “I have a few ideas…”

An hour later, with a blanket draped across both of your legs, Xavier’s tired eyes went in and out of focus on the movie you had chosen trying to fight sleep. They widened when the weight of your head appeared on his shoulder.

Eyes already shut and breathing slow, your sleeping face caused his eyes to soften, followed by him laying his head on yours, the sweet scent of your shampoo flooding his senses. With a content sigh, Xavier followed you to dream land.

He never let go of your hand.

Z A Y N E ｡˚○

Happy Snowman was in rough shape.

The poor plush’s popsicle accessory had gotten snagged and was this close to falling off. You immediately called Zayne to come save the day.

‘Zayne, are you busy? It’s urgent! Well, not like, urgent urgent, but…still!’

You could hear a distant chuckle on his end. ‘I’m just about to drive home from the hospital. Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine, but…Happy Snowman needs you.’

‘Oh? What happened?’

You hurriedly explained the situation, doing your best not to take up too much of his little free time, and hesitantly asked him to come over. ‘I understand if you can’t though! I bet you’ve had a long day and are tired—’

‘I’ll be there.’

Now, here you were, sat at your kitchen table as you watched Zayne prepare to ‘operate’ on your dearest plushy. You thought back to when he had actually won you the plush at the Twinkle Toys claw machine, a smile creeping onto your face.

Refocusing on the moment, you followed Zayne’s precise movements as he swiftly inserted thread through the eye of the needle, tied it, and began to reattach Happy Snowman’s popsicle hat. As you observed him work, your mind began to wander. “Have your hands always been so steady, Dr. Zayne?”

“What makes you ask that?” he doesn’t look up from his project, but you could tell he was paying attention.

“Dunno. Just admiring you, I guess.”

His eyes glance to you above his glasses momentarily at that. Emotions that you’ve yet to name flickered on his face before he resumed sewing. “I suppose they have.”

“I’m not surprised. I can’t thread the needle for the life of me,” you joked as you rested your head on your hand.

“There, all done.”

A new and improved Happy Snowman was presented to you by familiar scarred hands.

“Yay! You saved him!” you beamed, taking your precious friend from the doctor. Your fingers brushed his at the exchange to which he remained silent. Grabbing one of its hands, you made the snowman wave at Zayne. “I hope he was a good patient.”

“He did great for his first operation,” he patted Happy Snowman’s head with a calm smile finding your gesture quite cute. As you took a second to appreciate his work, Zayne could tell by your expression you had more you wanted to ask. “What’s on your mind?”

You placed Happy Snowman in your lap. “Can you hold your hand out?”

“What are you up to?” a playful tone evident in his question, though he did as you asked.

“Look how shaky my hands are compared to yours. Isn’t that crazy?” you positioned your hand in front of his, fingers flexing to emphasize.

Your statement made him visibly pause. After a second of contemplation, he took your hand and brought your knuckles to his lips to press a fleeting yet flustering kiss. “They’re perfect.”

R A F A Y E L ｡˚○

The sand of Whitesand Bay was known to shimmer under the moonlight of Linkon. With a clear sky and setting sun, Rafayel invited you for a stroll.

You found him leaning against a nearby palm tree, thumbs hooked into his pockets. His eyes lit up when he spotted you, pushing off the tree. “There you are, cutie! We should really work on your time management skills—I thought you forgot me again.”

“I’m literally only a minute late this time…” you rolled your eyes while propping a hand on your hip.

With an offended gasp, he clutched his chest. “Y’know what could happen in one whole minute?”

“What, are sea turtles climbing trees again?”

He pouted.

“…Maybe.”

You sighed before motioning him to take the lead. “C’mon. Didn’t you wanna show me something?”

In a comfortable quiet, you reveled in the sounds of nature: the sand crunching beneath your feet, the gust of the wind, the rhythmic crash of the waves. It had been weeks since you had time to relax, and what better way to escape from back-to-back missions than a trip to the beach?

“Someone’s enjoying themselves,” though it sounded like a tease, Rafayel simply enjoyed the state you were in.

Tilting your head back and inhaling the scent of the sea, you didn’t deny the claim, not even bothering to refute it.

As you approached a large rock, you gasped in disbelief once you rounded its jagged edges.

Illuminated by the rays of the moon, a dolphin waited in the shallow waters, dorsal fin breaking the waves.

“A beauty, isn’t she?” he said blithely. You nodded vigorously as you rushed over to watch from up close. Heart warming at the way your eyes shined at the sight of his dolphin friend, he slowly waded into the water. “Wanna say hi?”

Quickly kicking off your sandals, you followed Rafayel’s lead. At the appearance of his presence, the dolphin released a greeting from its blowhole and swam closer.

With practiced ease, he dipped his fingers into the water for the dolphin to nuzzle his hand. Despite copying his actions rather perfectly, the creature puffed its blowhole at you, littering your face with a spray of the ocean.

“I don’t think she likes me…” you laughed nervously, rubbing your face clean.

“Nah, she just doesn’t meet new people very often, and she probably senses your nerves. Here, gimme.”

You tilted your head like a lost puppy.

“Your hand, cutie.”

You stuck your hand in front of you. At that, Rafayel placed his hand on the back of yours. Your heart skipped a beat.

He guided your hand to the surface of the water, fingers barely breaking the tension. With the Lemurian’s guidance, the dolphin didn’t pull away, allowing you to rub along its head and fin. A giddy feeling overtook you not only at the feeling of the mammal’s slick skin but Rafayel’s hand still steering your movements.

Sensing your satisfaction with the meeting, he took the opportunity to memorize the different kind of fire he felt at your touch, deciding to lock hands with you.

“Rafayel? Did I mess up?”

Your concern for the dolphin was too cute for him. You were really living up to your nickname today.

“Even your hands are cute…” he murmured to himself, though he knew you would hear him. His attention was focused on the details of your hand, but he could see your jaw drop in his peripheral.

Deciding the dolphin had stolen your attention from him long enough, he tugged you out of the ocean while waving to the sea creature.

“Wh—Rafayel!” you whined.

Snickering at your state of disarray, he tightened his grip on you, snatched your sandals up by the loops, and resumed your walk down the coastline. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”

Speeding up to match his pace, you stared at your intertwined fingers. Deciding to reciprocate with a squeeze, you swung your hands with the breeze.

He said nothing, but there was no hiding the twitch of the corners of his mouth.

S Y L U S ｡˚○

After another boxing session with Sylus, you sat on the edge of the ring, raw knuckles held in your lap. He kneeled in front of you, bandages and disinfectant in hand.

“You did well today, sweetie,” he praised as he started to clean your skin. His gentle touch was almost nonexistent—if it weren’t for the sting of the antiseptic on your wounds, you wouldn’t have known he was there. “I’m proud of you.”

You let you a breathy laugh at his compliments while wincing. “Thanks, Sylus.”

His actions halted as his ruby eyes found yours, searching to make sure you were okay. He continued after you gave him a nod.

As you sat in silence, Sylus carefully placed both of your hands in one of his, using his now free hand to open the package of bandages.

Wait, both of your hands?

You found a new fascination with the outrageous size of his hands. You were well aware of the fact that his hands were bigger than yours due to his frequent past failed attempts at resonance with you, but damn, his hands are so big.

“Mmm… you think so?”

You straightened and looked up in shock. “Hm?”

He smirked as color drained from your face, repeating your confused squeak. “Hm?”

“Did…I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

You opened your mouth to defend yourself only to find yourself utterly speechless, humiliated. Used to the endless teasing and banter that you grew to know so well, you closed your eyes and braced for the worst only to be met by the soft texture of gauze on the back of your hand.

Sylus said nothing as he wrapped your split knuckles with experienced ease.

Squinting in confusion, you pursed your lips. You couldn’t recall the last time Sylus hadn’t seized the opportunity to tease you. In fact, you didn’t think it had happened ever. “…Sylus?”

He hummed in response, only looking up after completing taking care of your injuries.

“Aren’t you gonna, I don’t know… tease me?”

“Now why would I do that?”

“…”

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetie,” he chuckled, letting out that rich laugh of his that made your head spin. Now cradling your hands in his, he cocked his head to the side. “It’s not often that you compliment me. Think of it as me simply basking in the attention.”

Boldened by his confession, you snatched one of his hands up and began to inspect it.

“Oh? It seems I’ve piqued someone’s interest,” he mused. Ignoring his smug expression, you spread his fingers and pressed your hands together.

“Huge ass hands…” you muttered at the way his fingertips peaked over yours with the side-by-side comparison before you. Only then did you notice the way he was looking at you. His typical sharp features seemed to have dulled. No, they seemed to have softened. The great care he held in his eyes caught you off guard. “W-what?”

“Your ‘paw’ is quite soft, kitten.”

You weren’t sure what was faster: the retraction of your hands or the wave of embarrassment. Your face quickly felt like it was on fire.

He then rose and grabbed a bottle of water, handing it to you before turning to leave. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Closing the door to his personal gym, he stared down at his palm.

If only you could see the smile on his face.

C A L E B ｡˚○

“Aw, look at this one,” you held up a worn shirt with two small handprints on the front, forming the shape of a heart.

You were sat with Caleb on your bed going through a box of keepsakes you had stored in your apartment. He watched with an amused look as you whipped out different nostalgic trinkets from your seeming past lives.

Sitting up from his recline in your pillows, he took the small shirt from you. “I remember this. You complained I ruined it since, apparently, I made it uneven.”

“Well, it kinda is…” you laughed. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head, causing you to hop off the bed and rummage around your closet.

“Whatcha up to, pipsqueak?”

Returning with a plain shirt of the same color, you balled it up and tossed it at him (which he, of course, caught with ease). Skipping over to your desk, you revealed two bottles of paint. “Let’s recreate it!”

Moved to the floor to avoid any mess, you sat on your knees as you squeezed the different colored paints on two separate plates. Caleb was across from you, arm resting on his propped up knee.

“Okay, get over here, lazy,” you commanded, handing him a plate. “You know the drill.”

Coating your left and his right hand in paint, you stamped your handprints on the center of the laid out shirt, replicating the heart you had made so many years ago.

As you both lifted your hands, you groaned at the result. “Ugh, Caleb, you dummy! You made it uneven again with your Godzilla hands!”

Raising an eyebrow at your complaint, he scoffed at your pickiness while looking at your work. “Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did not!” he bantered back. “If anything, your positioning is off.”

You saw how the corner of his mouth twitched upward at your aghast face. Shooting him a glare, you got up, tugging his clean hand so he would get up with you. “Let’s go clean up, Mr. ‘baseball-mitts-for-hands’.”

After washing the paint off your hands, you noticed the way Caleb was staring at his right hand as if it had betrayed him.

“What’s wrong?”

His breath hitched before he shook his head. A shake of anger or of denial? You had no clue. He hesitantly reached for your hand, unsure if you would pull away or not. He slowly opened your relaxed hand and pressed his to yours.

You had done this many times in the past, but the distance from that past made it feel like lifetimes ago.

“Guess it was me who messed up the shirt, huh?” he joked, trying to steer the conversation away from his feelings, but he knew it was too late to distract you. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure if he was talking about the shirt or not. Voice barely above a whisper, you could hear the way his emotions shook him. “..can’t feel you.”

You sighed. It was clear after knowing him for so long that he was internally spiraling, spiraling into a loop of grief and regret once more. Although you may have been apart and he was a very different man than the Caleb you once knew, he was still Caleb.

He was still the boy who had nightmares and immediately searched for you, the boy who had eaten dinner with you every evening.

He was still yours.

“Look at me, Caleb.”

His eyes find you through a cloud of thoughts. You could see a pang of guilt ripple through him.

“You feel me in your heart, don’t you?”

With a silent gulp, he clasped his hand, his right hand, over yours and brought it to press where his heart was. Finding your gaze again, he nodded. His vulnerability was rare nowadays—you smiled at his openness to you.

“Then that,” you began, keeping your palm splayed over his heart but moving to cup his face with your free hand. He instinctively chased the warmth of your skin on his cheek with an underlying fear it’d be the last time. “That’s enough.”

As the sound of his heartbeat echoed through his body, he realized…

Maybe he could finally be enough for you.