#amorolis

his  birthday,  huh  ?  honestly,  caleb  had  mixed  feeling  about  it.  on  one  hand,  he  doesn't  really  care  about  it  –  after  all,  he  would  rather  focus  his  attention  on  her  rather  than  himself.  it  felt  a  bit  weird  to  be  on  the  other  side,  though  the  commander  wasn't  complaining.  it  was  a  bit  adorable  to  see  someone  he  dedicates  so  much  time  to  return  the  sediments.  it  was  good  to  know  that  she  cared  as  much  caleb  cared  for  her.

❝  you  know…  ❞  he  started,  a  challenging  look  on  his  expression.  ❝  that's  a  bit  of  a  dangerous  promise  to  keep,  pipsqueak.  ❞  he  says  with  a  playful  grin.  oh,  and  if  jinae  wasn't  careful,  caleb  could  take  too  much…  and  he'd  only  be  a  little  bit  sorry…  but  she'd  forgive  the  birthday  boy,  right  ?  after  all,  she  did  say  name  it.

anything…

The inside of his mouth went dry and it felt as if he would swallow his own tongue. He cupped her face in his hands and gently brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones. "Wh—what would make you think that?" There was a turning in his stomach and a burning in his chest that made him grip her perhaps harder than he realized. But it was an idea he couldn't swallow, couldn't even fathom.

He laughed, something light and airy that rarely saw life but came out without hesitation this time. He'd just finished folding one of a potential handful of paper airplanes before looking out the window. The wind had picked up for sure and the clouds were moving along at quite a clip, but the sky was blue as can be.

He didn't think that he'd been careless with them. However, he also didn't think that she'd look so intently at the contents of his trash bin. He should know by now that there were some things he just couldn't hide from her, but every now and then it seemed he needed to be sent a little reminder.

It's nothing wanted desperately to fall from his lips, to pivot to some other topic that didn't have to explain why he would have been bleeding. Yet he knew that would do neither of them any good and so, with a softened expression, he rolled his sleeve and took hold of her hand to bring it up to his right shoulder.

"Just a small connectivity issue, nothing more." He let her fingers drag along the invisible line between his own flesh and that mockery of it; it was a little tear and already mostly healed. Still, enough of one to warrant a bandage wrapped around it for a day.

The market's crowd began to scatter as the few and far between raindrops started to multiply and pick up the pace. Pamphlets, napkins, bags, shirts, anything that could be used as a shield from the rain was used by people laughing, grumbling, and everything in between. Hand in hand, the two of them were closer to laughing as Caleb led her under one of the larger trees that lined the paved path.

Was  he  being  a  little  too  much  lately?  Though  he  knew  he  rarely  asked  for  something.  As  much  as  he  thought  he  did.  Yet,  he  was  always  typing  to  make  sure  she  was  happy.  So,  the  moment  he  was  getting  a  little  attention  he  wanted,  he  was  like  a  happy  puppy.

Taking  a  moment,  he  pulled  her  close  to  him.  Eyes  looked  up  to  her  for  a  moment.  A  soft  smile  on  his  face,  even  if  he  could  twist  this  around.  Maybe  after  the  long  hours  of  work,  being  able  to  come  back  to  see  her  --  be  in  her  arms.  He  wanted  something  to  go  his  way  for  once.

"Can  you  blame  me?  You  know  how  easily  I'll  fold  for  a  moment  of  your  time?  Now,  how  about  you  be  a  good  girl  and  show  me  what  it's  like  to  fold  for  a  moment?"

a  hum  from  his  lips,  as  his  grip  slightly  got  tighter.  "  Because  you  know  I  can  overpower  you,  and  turn  this  around.  But  for  once...  treat  me  as  you  see  fit.  "

A  moment  like  this  was  rare;  normally,  he  was  the  one  grabbing  what  he  wanted.  Watching  her  struggle  in  his  grasp,  but  for  once,  he  wanted  to  see  what  she  had  her  own  thoughts  of.  A  little  attention,  it  can  go  along  way  for  someone  like  him.  No  matter  how  much  he  wanted  her,  –  he'll  keep  trying  to  grab  for  her  attention. 

“let  me  be  under  your  control  for  once.” 

"Oh,  really?  "  There  was  a  moment,  a  smirk  as  he  brought  the  kitten  close  to  his  face  and  leaned  to  kiss  it  on  top  of  its  head.  Pulling  away  from  it,  he  brought  it  close  to  his  chest  and  petted  it  slightly.

"You  have  the  puff  in  your  face,  like  you're  pouting.  "  his  voice  was  soft,  and  his  eyes  were  placed  on  the  woman.  "  Surely,  you  aren't  jealous  of  the  cat?  Giving  it  attention,  you  do  know  how  much  I  adore  little  things  like  this?  I  mean,  I  keep  you  around."  A  wink,  with  a  chuckle.  He  walked  over  to  the  other,  and  held  out  the  cat  out  softly.  "  Or,  is  it  that  you  want  to  give  the  little  one  some  love,  too?  I  bet  that's  it."

 he   glanced   back   as   he   felt   familiar   arms   wrap   around   his   waist,   enveloped   in   a   warm   embrace   that   could   only   belong   to   one   person    ----------       and   the   only   one   he'd   been   waiting   for.   A   flirty   smile   slowly   formed   at   the   corner   of   his   lips   as   he   tried   to   turn   slightly   so   he   could   face   her,   slipping   an   arm   over   her   shoulder   to   keep   her   close.    

   ‟     Hey,   kitten,        he   said   in   that   low,   distinctive   tone   of   his.       ‟     You   seem   pretty   excited   to   see   me.        ”