Summary: Is it better to spend the holidays grieving alone or grieving a man who's still alive?
Word Count: 673
Tags: grief/mourning, bittersweet, fluff if you squint, winter, holidays, snow, identity, angst, colonel caleb, f!reader, cross-posted on AO3
a/n: dear reader, i'm sending warm hugs to you for funsies. thank you for being here :)
dividers by @cursed-carmine
AO3 link here | Back to: Flowers for the Pretty Boy or A Flower for His Pretty Girl
Past, Your Apartment
Grief is a wonderful thing. It has a Midas touch, but the expensive gold are memories that refuse to leave you alone.
You take a sip of your hot chocolate because people drink it on cold December mornings like this one, but it doesnât taste quite as good as he used to make them. And you hate itâhate the drink for not being as good, hate yourself for failing to find comfort, hate him for haunting your every breath.
But thatâs not true. You could never hate him.
Snow falls, and you find it peculiar that it looks beautiful when it falls. You find it peculiar that people enjoy it when it falls, because when itâs your turn to, it seems like nobody enjoys your company anymore. You find it peculiar that families are happily throwing snowballs at each other, because shouldnât that be you too?
Shouldnât he still be here, making you hot chocolate and aiming snowballs at the back of your head?
Your breakfast muffins suddenly look stale even though you had just baked them. Iâm not hungry, you tell yourself even as your tummy echoes its own grievances right after, and you walk away from your dinner table to your bedroom to go right back to sleep. Your heart cannot handle such a morning, so it hopes the night will be kinder.
Your only wish on the holidays is to bring Caleb back, but because that canât happen, whatâs the point of celebrating it?
Present, Calebâs Home in Skyhaven
Time is a wonderful thing. Its Midas touch made the only gold in your life so, so unrecognizable.
The man sitting before you today is different from the man who made you hot cocoa and threw snowballs at the back of your head. When you take his hand, it feels almost lifeless. Robotic. When you hear him enter the house, you hear stomps of anger that make you cower in fear.
When he makes you food, like he did today, youâre hesitant to eat it.
Which is weird, because you never thought youâd ever do that.
âWhatâs wrong, pips?â he asks. The familiar name catches your attention, and you look up from the soup to see worry fill his purple eyes. Itâs a glimpse of the Caleb you once knew, the Caleb who died, and itâs enough to get you to taste the food this stranger has prepared for you.
You hate how his cooking still tastes good.
âGood, right?â he comments, as though heâs read your mind. You donât entertain his attempt at conversation much, just a nod and a small hum to let him know youâre listening. You donât like the scrutiny in the way he watches you, like youâre in need of his protection even though youâre only eating, because it makes you feel small, helpless.
Which is weird, because you never thought youâd feel that way around him.
He catches the meaning of your silence and retaliates with his own. The only sound in the house for a while are the clinks of spoons hitting plates and bowls, up until he abruptly stands up to grab something from the kitchen.
âCaleb?â you call for him like you did when you were kids.
âJust a moment, pips,â he assures, and sure enough, he comes back only moments later with a cup of hot cocoa. You hate the way you beam at the mere scent of the drink, and you hate the small smile that appeared on the colonelâs face at the sight of it.
âThank you,â you say, taking a quick sip. The taste elicits memories as warm as the cocoa, and when you look up at the colonel, you almost see the young Caleb you miss so much.
But spring flowers die in the winter, and on this cold winter morning, your memories wilt under the cold scrutiny of his gaze.
Your only wish on the holidays is to bring Caleb back, but because that canât happen, whatâs the point of celebrating it?
a/n: Bittersweet Caleb vibes for the holidays yayyy
Thank you for reading! Likes and comments are so appreciated, but if you leave comments and/or tags detailing your thoughts on the fic, you'll have a special place in my heart <3
Summary: You finally gather the courage to visit your grandmother's old cabin by the sea after she passes. Endless memories of your childhood summers stretch before you here, your favorite being of the times you played by the ocean, in and old hidden cave far down the beach...
Little did you know that this particular cave was the home of an enchanting siren who fell in love with your voice and your kindness towards sea creatures. He kept his distance, watched over you from afar... until you disappeared.
Now that you've finally returned, will he ever let you leave again?
Content Label: 18+! I know this looks pretty and dreamy but this is not exactly a light read. My goal in this fic is to unsettle you and turn you on a little. (Dubcon, if you squint), weird mermaid sex, ummmm listen these aren't extensive so enter at your own risk, lol.
From Hammy: This is one of my faves from my archive (*/Ï*) I hope you love it. I drew on all my favorite memories from Virginia, playing in the ocean as a child. Good stuff...
The ocean in mid-July was your favorite scent. The air hung warm and salty, thick enough to cling to your skin and sink into your clothes. The moment you stepped out of your car, it wrapped around you, washing you in its familiar comfort. For a moment, the years seemed to fold in on themselvesâyou were a child again, climbing out of your grandmotherâs old car into a summer that felt endless, the sea waiting just beyond the cliff edge and tall grass.
Then the moment passed, and you were left standing in the same salt-washed air, your chest tight with the bittersweet weight of how much had changed.
Grandma was gone now. And after her passing, you hadnât been able to make yourself return. You pulled your suitcase from the back of the car, swallowing against the ache crawling up your throat. You willed your feet to move up the old, familiar cobbled driveway.
The cottage was exactly the same as it had been then. The same furniture rested in the same places, and the windows still welcomed in that warm, honeyed afternoon light. It even smelled the sameâŠ
Everything was as it had always been, and yet it felt different nowâlike a lovely shell left behind, still full of beauty, but emptied of the soul that had once made it feel alive.
Old wooden floors creaked beneath your feet with warm familiarity as you made your way up to your childhood bedroom. Nothing was different here either. Your bed was still made with the quilt your grandmother had sewn for you when you were only a little girl. The window overlooking the ocean still opened with that same gentle creak, and a cool, salty breeze swept through at once, billowing the curtains around you like sails. From your window, the beach unfurled below in a long ribbon of gold, cradled by the grassy cliffs that lined the coast.
The shore called to you with an aching sweetness, luring you with memories of sun-warmed sand, cool waves, and the fine mist of sea spray against your skin.
But it would have to waitâŠ
The old house exhaled around you, seemingly happy to have some company. For now you unpacked your things with a listless sigh, working slowly. You stood after tucking the last of your folded clothes into your old dresser and decided to walk around, trailing your fingers along the faded blue wallpaper as you went.
The swelling ache of your memories filled the empty spaces as you wandered, slowly passing by the old, familiar roomsâŠ
Her sewing room passed on your left. Where you laid at her feet for hours as she made clothes for your dolls and endless quilts. Next was her bedroom. Beaded curtains made of glittering sea glass still hung, still cast rainbow fractals along the walls and floors⊠for a split second you saw yourself as a child, dancing in the colorful shadows as they swayed with the breeze.
You choked on a little sob, suddenly fleeing downstairs to escape the heaviness.
A quick trip to town seemed to be in order. You needed fresh airâand some essentials from the little mart anyways. Without giving it a second thought, you snatched your keys off the hangar by the door and dashed to your car. The stiff ocean breeze caught in your hair and pulled it loose from its clip before you could shut the doorâŠ
Far down the coastline, something else from your past was stirring, drawn from the dark depths. For six long years, he had kept the cottage at the farthest edge of his vision, watching and waiting for even the faintest sign. Then, at last, it cameâthe sudden, unmistakable glimmer of light from your window when you opened it to the sea, flickering like a beacon across the water.
It set his cold heart racing.
At once, he surged toward the shoreline, swift and silent through the dark depths, slowing only when he reached the turbulent surf. He lifted himself carefully from the water and blinked into the light, clearing his vision as he searched for the slightest movement.
Was it really you, after all this time?
Evening crept up on you fast after you returned from town. Even with how quickly you unpacked and put everything away, night had already settled deep by the time you stepped onto the back porch. You leaned back against the door frame and looked down the winding path to the shore, your thoughts lingering on the risk of it.
Grandma had always warned you about going to the beach after darkâabout the strange, things that drifted in from the water, the stories of disappearing wanderers drawn in by the moon. It was the kind of story told to wayward children, meant to keep them safe in their beds once night had fallen. You caught your bottom lip between your teeth, unable to resist the soft, aching pull of the shore despite her gentle warnings playing in your mind.
Slowly, you padded barefoot across the wooden patio, its white paint worn thin beneath your feetâdescended the narrow path down the cliff, moving carefully, savoring the familiar hum of anticipation that rose with every step. The trail glowed beneath the pale wash of the full moon, silvering the grass. The entire outside world was swallowed up by the deafening roar of the surf as you neared the shoreline.
Every now and then, the wind shifted, carrying the faintest trace of your scent over the water, and each breath of it left him reeling. Sweet enough to stir something old and hungry inside himâsomething that had slept uneasily for far too long. You were here. Truly here. After all these years, you had really come back to him.
He had waited for so longâŠ
The longing that seized him was nearly unbearable. He needed to see you. To hear your voice spill out over the waves again. To know the shape of your face had not changed so much that he would not know it. His song hummed restlessly in his throat, aching to rise.
There was only one way to bring you closer. One way he knew would reach into you, curl through you, and draw you helplessly toward the sea.
The rising tide had swallowed the shoreline completely, waves gnawing at the worn, rocky path until the beach was lost beneath dark, restless water. You sighed softly, disappointed that you would have to wait until morning. But this was lovely too. After the punishing July heat, the cold air and salt spray felt luxurious against your skin.
You lingered there for a moment, bathed in silver moonlight, while the ocean tossed and spat below, churning only a few feet from where you stood. It stretched toward you again and again, reaching up the rocks. But no matter how it swelled and pulled it couldnât touch you.
Then, just as you were about to head back, you caught a faint glimmer beyond the surf. You went still, narrowing your eyes against the dark, trying to make out the shape. Thereâanother brief flash of movement on the rocks.
Your breath caught in your throat. In an instant, the soft moonlit trance of the shore was broken by the sudden, prickling certainty that something out there was looking back at you. You retreated slowly from the waterâs edge, one careful step at a time, slowlyâso as not to draw its attention fully on you.
Itâs nothing, you tried to reason with yourself. Probably just a bird perched on the rocks⊠during high tide⊠at nightâŠ
You turned and hurried back up the trail once you were a safe distance from the shore, that strange, prickling sensation following close at your heels all the way to the cottage. Only after you slipped inside and latched the door behind you did you breathe out a small, shaky sigh of relief.
He watched your bedroom light spill out across the dark from his place on the rocks. It was you.
Your face had changed, though not by much. Time had touched you gently. You were taller now, older, your features no longer those of the girl he remembered, and yet still so unmistakably you. And your scentâyour sweet, familiar scentâwas unchanged, still carrying that maddening warmth that made his cold, slippery body clench.
He could lure you back to the shore. He could sing, and you would come to him. He could pull you into his arms at last and feel your body where he had imagined it for years. The thought woke his ancient hunger with a flare. How sweet would you taste, how warm would your soul be as it slipped down his throat? He winced, straining against the instinct even as it coiled tighter through him.
With a sudden dive, he disappeared beneath the dark, swirling water, as if the cold depths might break the spell you had cast over him. The sea rushed around him, hissing against his skin, but it did nothing to quiet the hungerâŠ
It was already warm when your feet touched the floor, the breeze drifting through the open windows doing little to ease the heat from your skin. Grandma had never bothered with air conditioning, and truthfully, it was only ever unbearable for a month or two each summer. With a quiet sigh, you carried your iced coffee out to the deck and watched the sunrise bleed slowly over the water.
The only real relief this time of year was down by the shore, tucked into the cool shade where the cliffs broke open into the sea. A couple miles down the beach, reachable only at low tide, a cave waited along the coastline. You had spent whole summers there as a girl, wandering through tide pools, filling your pockets with shells, and whatever else the ocean was willing to give up.
Smiling faintly, you reached beneath your shirt and drew your necklace into the light, turning it between your fingers.
A large pearl rested in its gold setting, glowing and luminous in the early morning sun.
There had been other things before it.
Small, strange treasures that always seemed to appear as though the ocean had set them out for youâan ancient compass, ruined by seawater and time, a large conch shell placed carefully in plain sight. You had never thought to question it back then. The pearl had been the last gift, found the summer you were nineteen.
After that, life had pulled you sharply away from this place. Grandma was suddenly gone, and whatever magic had once lingered here seemed to draw inward, going dormant and unanswered.
For a moment, you cradled the pearl in your palm and looked out at the glittering line of the sea, feeling that old, nameless curiosity wake softly inside you.
The wind came hard against the cliffside, lifting your dress and teasing your hair into tangles. You laughed under your breath and caught your hat before it could slip away while your old straw bag swung empty at your side, ready for whatever the shore might offer. That old, familiar excitement quickened your steps until the cave appeared at last.
It felt smaller when you stepped inside. As a child, this place had seemed vast as a castle, alive with hidden corners and secrets waiting just for you. Now it was only a cave againâstill beautiful, but achingly ordinary beneath the weight of memory.
You trailed your fingers along the slick stone at the entrance and glanced up at the holes in the high ceiling, where pale sunlight streamed through and poured itself over the sand and scattered tide pools.
The oceanâs waves echoed through the cave, washing over you in soft, living sound as you slipped off your shoes and dipped your toes into a shallow pool, green-slick with algae.
You remembered singing to the tiny sea creatures trapped there, offering them what comfort you could until the tide came back for them. Nothing ever remained in this place for long. By the next day, it would all be swept clean, the old lives carried off and new little souls left behind in their place.
You leaned closer to the shallow pool where a single starfish clung stubbornly to the stone and, almost without thinking, let a tune drift from your lipsâa wandering little melody, soft and sweet and half-remembered, the kind of thing you might have sung as a child.
The cave carried it strangely.
Your voice brushed along the walls and came back to you transformed, warbling with the breathing pull of the sea.
You laughed under your breath at yourself and rose, moving farther in.
The deeper parts of the cave had always felt different. Far from sunlight, some passages short and narrow. The air cooled the farther you went, and the pools grew darker, deeper, their surfaces black in places where the narrow beams of sunlight couldnât reach. The tide hissed somewhere beyond the bend ahead, water slipping through some narrow channel in the rock.
Your fingers trailed along the cave wall, singing softly as you went, following the smooth curves cut there by years and years of saltwater. There were still little pockets in the stone where you used to tuck away treasuresâshells with perfect pink mouths, bits of blue glass, smooth stones you had believed were lucky.
A faint splash sounded ahead.
You stopped mid-note.
For a moment, the cave went very still around you. Only the soft drip of water and the hushing sea and the quickened sound of your own breathing.
âHello?â you called softly, straightening.
No answer came.
You told yourself it was probably nothing. Water shifting. A gull that had somehow found its way in. A seal, maybe. Though the thought of a seal this deep inside the cave made a strange little shiver travel across your skin.
You stepped carefully around the bend anyway.
The pool there was larger than the others, a basin carved into the stone, wide and deep enough that the dark water within it looked almost ink-black. Sunlight from a crack high above spilled weakly across the surface.
At first, you thought the shape half-submerged against the far wall was just another rock.
Then it moved.
You gasped and stumbled back a step so quickly your heel skidded on the wet stone.
A manâor something shaped like oneâwas hunched over the edge of the basin.
One arm braced against the rocky lip, he kept his head bowed as though catching his breath. Wet hair, darkened by seawater, clung to his skin in dripping strands. The rest of him disappeared into the dark water, his shape broken apart by ripples and shifting light.
Your heart kicked hard against your ribs.
For one wild, dizzy second, you thought he must be hurt. Shipwrecked somehow. Dragged in by the tide and stranded when the water fell away.
âOh my Godââ
The words slipped out before you could stop them.
His head snapped up, and your breath left you all at once.
He was unnervingly beautiful, in a way that reminded you of the deep seaâstrange, and made for the dark. His face was too still, his gaze too bright as it fixed on you with a quiet, terrible certainty. Your heart pounded against your ribs, every instinct warning you to turn away. But you couldnât. His eyes held yours, glowing faintly in the dimness, and some soft, perilous pull within them coaxed you one step closer.
When he finally spoke, his voice reached you strangelyâwarbled by the water and the cave, smoothed into something unearthly as it echoed off the stone.
âItâs been a long time since Iâve heard your voice.â He sighed contentedly, basking in the sound of you so close to him.
You halted, your breath snagging in your throat.
âM-my voice?â you stammered.
He only hummed, folding his arms atop the rocky edge of the basin and resting his chin on them as though he had all the patience in the world. His eyes gleamed. A small, almost affectionate smile curved his mouth.
âIâve missed your songs.â
Cold swept through you so suddenly it left you motionless, your body locked around it, too frozen even to blink.
He knew you?
The realization felt like a plunge into icy water. How long? How long had he known youâwatched you? Horror rose sharp and dizzying in your chest, braided helplessly with disbelief. Had he seen you here when you were a girl?
âThis is my home, you know?â
His eyes gleamed as they traced every flicker of feeling across your faceâyour shock, your fear, your terrible awe.
âYou used to decorate the walls so prettily,â he said, almost to himself, the words touched with fondness. A quiet sigh left him after, weighted by the old memory.
The silence stretched between you, and he let it, patient as the tide.
âCome closer,â he murmured. âLet me see your pretty face.â
His fingers reached toward you across the distanceâlong and elegant, the delicate webbing between them catching the light as he beckoned. You stared despite yourself, transfixed by his inhuman grace.
âIââ
The word broke apart on your breath. Your thoughts would not hold still long enough to shape into anything useful. Somewhere inside you, instinct screamed to stop, to run, to turn back nowâbut your feet betrayed you, carrying you one step closer all the same.
He hummed, low and pleased, as you approached. His voice drifted over you like mist rolling in from the sea, softening every sharp edge of thought, leaving your mind hazy and your body pliant.
Above, pale shafts of sunlight spilled over you, turning you almost luminous where you knelt before him. Your scent engulfed him, suffocating his senses until he felt half-drunk on it. His cold heart swelled as your breath touched his skin, warming him like sunlight.
âIâve missed you terribly, beloved.â His voice trembled with reverence.
Another little gasp tore from your throat.
âB-beloved?â You tried to recoil, but your body would not obey. Your spine refused to stiffen, your limbs stayed soft and heavy as his finger rose to trace the curve of your cheek just beneath your eye. The path of his touch fluttered and pulsed, as though the echo of his heartbeat had been traced beneath your skin.
âWho are you?â you whispered through trembling lips.
He did not answer at once. Instead, he lingered there, watching you as if he meant to commit every detail of this moment to memory. Then, slowly, he sank back into the water. The inky dark curled around him until he vanished from sight, only to rise again a few seconds later.
Carefully, almost reverently, he laid a handful of little treasures along the lip of the pool before you.
You knew them at once.
The perfect shells you used to decorate your castle with. Smooth pebbles, pale and familiar. A few glittering pieces of sea glass.
âI am your chosen,â he said at last, after giving you a long moment to stare at the offerings in stunned silence.
His bright gaze lifted to yours.
âAnd you,â he murmured softly, âare mine.â
He smiled again and lifted a hand to the pearl at your throat, cradling it with a touch so cool and careful it made you shiver. He turned it lightly between his fingers, watching the pale surface catch the light.
âYou accepted my offering. You wear it warm against your skin,â he said, in the patient tone of someone explaining something simple to a child. âAnd I keep your gifts in my chambers, close to me. I do not even let the ocean touch them. We are promised to one another.â
âWhat?â you breathed, your gaze dropping helplessly to the pearl in his hand.
He did not answer at once. Instead, he seemed to drift somewhere inward, his attention caught on the shimmer of the pearl as though it held years of memory inside it.
âI thought to kill you at first, you know.â
He let the pearl slip gently from his grasp, then folded his arms again and settled there with lazy ease, as though he had not just sent your heart plummeting into your stomach.
âBut then you sang to the little creatures caught here. You were gentle with them.â His voice softened, his gaze drifting with memory. âYou decorated my home so beautifully.â
He sounded almost wistful.
âSurely you meant no harm,â he said, looking back at you with that terrible calm. âWhy, then, should I have killed you?â
All you could do was stare, helpless and breathless, as his glowing blue eyes dipped to the frantic beat of your pulse at your throat.
âI donât understandâŠâ you managed at last, your voice thin and unsteady. âWhat are you?â
Something mischievous flickered in his expression.
âYou are a silly human,â he murmured, almost to himself, a soft, amused chuckle escaped him. Then his bright gaze lifted fully to yours. âMost people along this coast know better.â
His eyes held yours, shimmering like sea-glass in sunlight.
âYou call us sirens.â
Your heart lurched so violently it nearly choked you, and in an instant the haze heâd woven around your thoughts snapped clean through. He lifted his tail from the dark water.
It gleamed like the pearl he had given youâlarge and writhing, a soft milky sheen that shifted with every movement. The fins were almost translucent, delicate as veils until the light struck them and turned them opalescent. He grinned when you stumbled back, sharp teeth catching the light. Your fear spilled into the space between you, cold and unmistakable as it bled through your scent.
His hand lashed out and caught your ankle, cold fingers locking around it with crushing strength. He dragged you back with a sudden, terrifying force, until your feet slid into the freezing water. But he did not pull you under. He stopped there instead, shuddering with effort as he grazed his teeth along the slope of your leg.
âPlease,â you choked out, struggling against his grip. âYou have to let me go. Hereââ
Your hands shook so badly you nearly fumbled the chain as you tore it from your neck and thrust it toward him.
âIâm sorry,â you whispered, breathless with fear. âI didnât know this was your home. I didnât know this belonged to you. Please⊠take it back.â
The plea quivered apart on your lips.
He stared at the necklace trembling in your hand, clearly heartbroken by the sight. His brows drew together, casting a shadow over his glowering eyes. He took a moment to collect himself, to find the words that would make you stay.
âThis cannot be undone,â he murmured at last.
His free hand folded gently over yours, cold enough to chill your skin, and guided the pearl back against your chest with quiet insistence, as though it belonged there more surely than it had ever belonged anywhere else.
âI have waited six long years.â His voice wavered then, agony spilling softly through his words. âI searched these shores for miles and miles. I never left. I have stayed. Waiting for you to come back to me.â
While he spoke, his mouth hovered over your trapped leg, his breath cool against your skin. Then, with a tenderness that only unsettled you more, he nuzzled the warmth of your flesh and pressed his lips to your knee.
âYou could not cast me away so easily, could you?â
His eyes had gone pale and glassy, blurred with something that looked horribly like grief. Tears slipped over his lashes and fell from his chin in silvery streams, each droplet hardening into a tiny pearl before hitting the stone with a delicate little âtinkâ sound.
For one fragile second, guilt pierced you, but fear broke through it just as quickly.
You jerked against his hold again, trying to wrench yourself free, but his grip never loosened. He only drew you closer.
âIf I could only make you understandâŠâ he lamented, undeterred by your struggling.
He hummed again, low and soothing, he knew no other way to calm you. The sound slipped into your mind like warm water, melting down the sharp edges of your fear. Your breath caught as it settled over you, quieting the frantic hammer of your heart and turning your limbs heavy in his grasp.
âAre you going to kill me?â you whispered at last, going still as the question left your lips, as though some part of you had already surrendered itself to whatever answer he chose to give.
Slowly, he withdrew his face from your leg.
He tipped his head back to look at you through the sweep of his lashes. His glowing purple eyes were soft with adoration, so open and earnest it made your breath catch.
âI could never harm you, beloved,â he whispered. âHow could you even say such a thing?â
The words should have comforted you. Instead, they only deepened the chill already wrapped around your spine.
âI could have killed you easily back then,â he murmured, the pain of betrayal shining clearly in his gaze. âI could have let you drown when the waves caught you off guard all those years ago.â
You gasped.
The memory rose all at onceâthe summer you were seventeen, the way a sudden wave had crashed over you before you could brace for it, how the water had seized you and dragged you helplessly out to sea. You remembered the blind panic, the violent, endless tumble, the terrifying certainty that you were going to die.
But you hadnât.
You had woken on the beach instead, coughing seawater into the sand, dazed and shaking, never understanding how you had escaped the sea.
Now he looked at you as though the answer had always been obvious.
âYou are everything precious to me,â he said softly. âEverything beautiful. And I wont lose you again.â
A shuddering sigh left him as his mouth grazed the tender flesh of your thigh. He seemed half-drunk on the warmth rising from your skin. Slowly, he drew his lips back, exposing the sharp rows of his teeth, and pulled your scent through them as though savoring something sweet, letting it rest on his tongue and curl along his palate.
You could only watch as his eyes rolled back for a moment, a soft hum of pleasure vibrating out of him before his gaze found yours again, blurred now by a searing hunger. Then, with a terrible gentleness, he reached up and cupped your jaw in his frigid hand, guiding your face slowly toward him.
And still, you did not move away.
You could only stare as it happened, held fast in his gaze like something already caught in a trap. His breath brushed across your face like a cool ocean breeze, fresh and salty, his lips hovering just above yours, drawing you in with the steady pull of a current.
Your eyes widened as his mouth opened. His jaw unhinged, baring rows of those sharp, gleaming teeth. Something deep and instinctive inside you answered. Your own lips parted, your delicate pink tongue slipping out as though to taste the charged air between you. You felt it gathering there at onceâa pressure without shape, something vast and formless filling your mouth as he offered it to you.
His cold, rushing heartbeat. The glowing warmth of his affection. The terrible ache of loss. His fear. His loneliness and longing.
You swallowed it all without understanding how, taking in the full, aching force of what he pressed into you. His devotion slipped through your body like lava slipping slowly into the ocean, seeping into your coreâsearing you, heating your skin like a fever.
Your eyes snapped open as he let out a broken moan, his head bowing beneath his restraint. Hot tears spilled over your lashes as his love poured through you. It filled your chest, your throat, sunk deep into your bones, tangling together until you couldnât tell what was his and what was yours.
You reached for him helplessly, fingers slipping into his hair, soft and wet beneath your touch. For a moment, the ocean seemed to hold its breath with you.
Then you drew his mouth up to yours.
You gasped against him as bright, searing currents of his want rushed through you, white-hot and pulsing until your whole body trembled with it.
You felt him rise from the water like some great sea-creature from an old story, guiding you back in the cradle of his powerful arms. He lowered you gently onto the rocky floor, and though the stone should have felt cold beneath you, you could barely register it through the feverish heat burning under your skin.
You blinked up into the light spilling through the cracks in the ceiling, pale shafts of noon sun pouring down in molten gold. For a moment, the whole cave seemed to sway around youâsalt air, rushing water, the distant cry of gulls beyond the cliffs. Then his mouth found you again, soft and reverent, trailing slow kisses along your skin as if he meant to worship every inch of you he had been denied for all those years.
A wanton moan flitted from your lips as his pleasure crashed against yours. His frigid mouth kissed lower and lower, pulled by the intoxicating aroma of your arousal and the intense heat thrumming between your legs. You felt the hard tug of your dress being yanked, the fabric shredding apart in his grasp.
A cold, slimy muscle pressed wetly against your clothed sex, followed by a rumbling groan. His tongue, you realized. It wriggled in a frenzy against the dripping entrance of your lips, straining against the drenched barrier of your panties, desperate to breach the heat behind them.
You reached down to help, showing him that they could come off. He seemed awed by this, hypnotized as you sat up to pull them off your legs. You then scooted forward, perching yourself on the lip of the basin, dipping your legs into the chilly water on either side of his face.
The sight laid before him was deliciousâwarm and glistening like a jewel. His eyes met yours for a moment, afraid that this might be another dream, that you might still crumble into glittering gold and fade off into the breeze.
You pressed your hand to his face and he turned into it, nuzzling further into your warmth. His eyes met yours again, then slowly trailed down, marveling at the way your naked body glowed in the warm beam of sunlight overhead. He felt your sudden, burning need for him to touch you, felt your pulse thrumming just above his lips.
He obliged.
Your mouth fell open as his tongue split into you, a little surprised by its strength, its size. It completely filled your walls, chilling you to bone with each punching thrust. His eyes rolled back at the taste, the direct heat drenching his tongue, the sensation of your pleasure building with his. Your hands tangled in his hair, pulling tight as you gasped for air, already cresting over the edge.
He sank his tongue to the hilt, squirming wildly inside your heat as you clamped down around himâsinging your ecstasy in long, stretching moans that bounced off the cold walls of the cave.
He drank you down, dutifully cleaning every last drop. And once there was nothing left to clean off, he would enter you again, his throat vibrating pitifully as he whimpered. By now he was painfully erect, thrusting desperately into nothing. But he couldnât make himself stop, drowning himself in in the heat of your sex with an unmatched hunger. You could feel his euphoria, absolutely drunk on your shimmering essence. The weight of your scent suffocated him as he forced his tongue deeper, wishing you could swallow him whole.
You lost count of your orgasms, lost count of time as you fell into the trance of your mixed pleasure. It could have been minutes or hoursâŠ
The afternoon sun had eventually faded towards evening and he finally released you. His tongue slid out of you with a wet squelch. His chest was heaving, his skin heated beneath your hands,
âI canât wait any longer, beloved.â He gasped, âPlease, let me take you as mine. Let me have you for all this life and the next.â He drew you down from the stoneâs edge and into his arms. Cold water rose up around your neck. You gasped at the shock of it, at the feel of his erect length pressing up against your thigh, cold and slimy and soft as he squeezed you to him.
Every line of his body was tight with need, trembling with restraint, but beneath the carnal frenzy, you felt the aching sincerity of him. The fierce devotion swelling in his chest. The terrible, tender certainty with which he held youâsomething lost to him once and never meant to be lost again.
You kissed him once, then again, pouring all your strange, tangled certainty into him. The fading light floated down and around you as he turned with you slowly in the waterâguiding you through soft, endless circles. The sea rocked around you just outside the cave as the last of the golden sunlight slipped across the cracks in the ceiling and faded away.
A misty darkness settled around you.
He was suddenly everywhere, winding around youâhis tail wrapping tight around your legs as he turned you gently toward the stone wall, steadying you against its slick edge. His arms bracketed you on either side, sealing your hips to the wall.
He wasted no time, rutting his length into the backs of your thighs, desperately punching a path, throbbing with need as it searched for your tight pulsing heat.
You whined, shoving your hips back in an attempt to help him. Something large, much larger than you were expecting, with a bulbous head squeezed through your lips, gently prodding your tight entrance gentlyâover and overâuntil finally your warm heat parted enough to suck him in. He yelped, bucking forward wildly before stilling, catching his breath with you for a second. He was huge and slick and nearly bulging through your stomach, the painfully thick head of him stretching you deeply, squelching up into your cervix. He hissed through his teeth, pulling back.
âIâm sorry my love, I donât wish to hurt you.â You were lost to him already, head lolling back as you drowned in his pleasure mixed with your pain.
âDonât stop.â You hummed, rocking back against him, chasing that searing, white hot pressure in your belly, flooding and engorging you. You felt close to bursting, the pressure rising, building like a glowing flame, a burning star rising up through your chest. Your limbs seemed to float away, the light building behind your eyes as you tipped over the edge.
Your head tipped back, mouth thrown open in a silent gasp, only it wasnât air that filled your mouth.
It was cold salt water that gathered you in, pressing gently against your chest as the fever of the moment softened into something stranger, something vast and inevitable. You drifted upward through the dark, rippling water, rising slowly toward the pale moonlight filtering through the cracks above.
Somewhere below, his voice reached for you through the trembling hush of the sea.
âDonât be afraid, my love. Weâll be together soon.â
The words came to you blurred by water, the grief in his voice lost under the tide.
Below the surface, the ocean began to claim you with a terrible gentleness. Your skin loosened into foam beneath its touch, dissolving as softly as sea mist beneath the morning sun. The bond between you was complete.
And when the next full moon rose over the tide pools, the sea would return you to him here, remade in the moonlight, birthed into devotion. He would wait for you, patient as the tide, until you rose once more into his arms.
And after that, there would be no more partingâonly the sea, and him, and forever.
My pretty-gorgeous list: @onlyafterrain @jo260401 @typicalme23
That there is it! I hope you enjoyed it, reader! If you talk to me my head and heart will combust (but like, in a good way). Thank you so much for reading â€ïž
I can't stop listening to Orbiter by Noah Kahan. It makes me want to write something heartbreaking and tender âïž
Music plays such a huge role in my writing. My entire camping fic was inspired by Would that I by Hozier. I listened to that song on repeat to capture the vibe đ and boy I wore that song OUT lol. Thank you autism.
How does an unsettling merman!Caleb sound, pookies?
This is now published and you can read it here <3
Synopsis: You finally gather the courage to visit your grandmother's old cabin by the sea after she passes. Endless memories of your childhood summers stretch before you here, your favorite being of the times you played by the ocean, in and old hidden cave far down the beach...
Little did you know that this particular cave was the home of an enchanting siren who fell in love with your voice and your kindness towards sea creatures. He kept his distance, watched over you from afar... until you disappeared.
Now that you've finally returned, will he ever let you leave again?
(read preview under the cut <3)
The oceanâs waves echoed through the cave, washing over you in soft, living sound as you slipped off your shoes and dipped your toes into a shallow pool, green-slick with algae.
You remembered singing to the tiny sea creatures trapped there, offering them what comfort you could until the tide came back for them. Nothing ever remained in this place for long. By the next day, it would all be swept clean, the old lives carried off and new little souls left behind in their place.
You leaned closer to the shallow pool where a single starfish clung stubbornly to the stone and, almost without thinking, let a tune drift from your lipsâa wandering little melody, soft and sweet and half-remembered, the kind of thing you might have sung as a child with your dress hem damp and your pockets full of shells.
The cave carried it strangely.
Your voice brushed along the walls and came back to you transformed, warbling with the breathing pull of the sea.
You laughed under your breath at yourself and rose, moving farther in.
The deeper parts of the cave had always felt different. Far from sunlight, some passages short and narrow. The air cooled the farther you went, and the pools grew darker, deeper, their surfaces black in places where the narrow beams of sunlight couldnât reach. The tide hissed somewhere beyond the bend ahead, water slipping through some narrow channel in the rock.
Your fingers trailed along the cave wall, singing softly as you went, following the smooth curves cut there by years and years of saltwater. There were still little pockets in the stone where you used to tuck away treasuresâshells with perfect pink mouths, bits of blue glass, smooth stones you had believed were lucky.
A faint splash sounded ahead.
You stopped mid-note.
For a moment, the cave went very still around you. Only the soft drip of water and the hushing sea and the quickened sound of your own breathing.
âHello?â you called softly, straightening.
No answer came.
You told yourself it was probably nothing. Water shifting. A gull that had somehow found its way in. A seal, maybe. Though the thought of a seal this deep inside the cave made a strange little shiver travel across your skin.
You stepped carefully around the bend anyway.
The pool there was larger than the others, a basin carved into the stone, wide and deep enough that the dark water within it looked almost ink-black. Sunlight from a crack high above spilled weakly across the surface.
At first, you thought the shape half-submerged against the far wall was just another rock.
Then it moved.
You gasped and stumbled back a step so quickly your heel skidded on the wet stone.
A manâor something shaped like oneâwas hunched over the edge of the basin.
One arm braced against the rocky lip, he kept his head bowed as though catching his breath. Wet hair, darkened by seawater, clung to his skin in dripping strands. The rest of him disappeared into the dark water, his shape broken apart by ripples and shifting light.
Your heart kicked hard against your ribs.
For one wild, dizzy second, you thought he must be hurt. Shipwrecked somehow. Dragged in by the tide and stranded when the water fell away.
âOh my Godââ
The words slipped out before you could stop them.
His head snapped up, and your breath left you all at once.
He was unnervingly beautiful, in a way that reminded you of the deep seaâstrange, and made for the dark. His face was too still, his gaze too bright as it fixed on you with a quiet, terrible certainty. Your heart pounded against your ribs, every instinct warning you to turn away. But you couldnât. His eyes held yours, glowing faintly in the dimness, and some soft, perilous pull within them coaxed you one step closer.
When he finally spoke, his voice reached you strangelyâwarbled by the water and the cave, smoothed into something unearthly as it echoed off the stone.
âItâs been a long time since Iâve heard your voice.â He sighed contentedly, basking in the sound of you so close to him.
You halted, your breath snagging in your throat.
âM-my voice?â you stammered.
He only hummed, folding his arms atop the rocky edge of the basin and resting his chin on them as though he had all the patience in the world. His eyes gleamed. A small, affectionate smile curved his mouth.
âIâve missed your songs.â
Cold swept through you so suddenly it left you motionless, your body locked around it, too frozen even to blink.
He knew you?
The realization felt like a plunge into icy water. How long? How long had he known youâwatched you? Horror rose sharply in your chest, braided helplessly with disbelief. Had he seen you here when you were a girl?
âThis is my home, you know?â
His eyes gleamed as they traced every flicker of feeling across your faceâyour shock, your fear, your terrible awe.
âYou used to decorate the walls so prettily,â he said, more to himself, the words touched with fondness. A quiet sigh left him after, weighted by the old memory.
The silence stretched between you, and he let it, patient as the tide.
âCome closer,â he murmured. âLet me see your pretty face.â
His fingers reached toward you across the distanceâlong and elegant, the delicate webbing between them catching the light as he beckoned. You stared despite yourself, transfixed by his inhuman grace.
âIââ
The word broke apart on your breath. Your thoughts would not hold still long enough to shape into anything useful. Somewhere inside you, instinct screamed to stop, to run, to turn back nowâbut your feet betrayed you, carrying you one step closer all the same.
He hummed, pleased as you approached. His voice drifted over you like mist rolling in from the sea, softening every sharp edge of thought, leaving your mind hazy and your body pliant.
Above, pale shafts of sunlight spilled over you, turning you almost luminous where you knelt before him. Your scent engulfed him, suffocating his senses until he felt half-drunk on it. His cold heart swelled as your breath touched his skin, warming him like sunlight.
âIâve missed you terribly, beloved.â His voice trembled with reverence.
Another little gasp tore from your throat.
âB-beloved?â You tried to recoil, but your body would not obey. Your spine refused to stiffen, your limbs stayed soft and heavy as his finger rose to trace the curve of your cheek just beneath your eye. The path of his touch fluttered and pulsed, as though the echo of his heartbeat had been traced beneath your skin.
âWho are you?â you whispered through trembling lips.
That's all for now, cuties â€ïž What do you think?? I hope you're excited because this is one of my all time favorite things I've ever written.
Thank you to @brookethebitch-official for beta reading this!
Summary: While watching Caleb play basketball, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous at all the attention he was getting...
Word count: 971
A/n: I think I posted this before but took it down. Hopefully this time it sticks!
She couldnât believe his stamina. After going who knows how many rounds with Caleb the night prior, he was still bouncing on his toes at the outdoor basketball court like he had energy left to burn. Meanwhile, she had to measure her steps with great care to make sure her knees wouldnât buckle as she walked.Â
But God, she had never been happier.Â
Her thighs ached as she adjusted in her seat, trying to get a better view of her boyfriend across the court. As they made eye contact, he smiled brightly at her, three girls on her right squealed loudly.Â
âDid you see that!? He smiled at me!â One of them boasted excitedly.Â
âNo way! He was totally looking at me!â Another argued.Â
âWhatever,â the last one said, tossing her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly, evidently regaining her composure. âWe all know Caleb likes me.â
She couldnât help but roll her eyes at their antics, trying to ignore the uncomfortable knot of possessiveness starting to coil in her gut. The girls continued to argue amongst themselves, slowly turning their attention back towards Caleb, who was none the wiser, bouncing the ball idly in front of him as his team talked strategy.Â
She made an infinitesimal adjustment and winced as her lower back protested the movement.Â
âI'm going to kill him,â she thought, as the memories of last night swirled in her head, she decided his punishment would probably be enjoyable for both of them.Â
The whistle startled her out of her thoughts as she watched as Caleb moved gracefully across the court, passing and catching the ball easily, like he could do it blindfolded.Â
She cheered him on along with most of the students in the bleachers, only stopping to subtly glare at the group of girls who were relentlessly trying to get his attention.Â
Eventually, half time came with the shrill blow of a whistle and Caleb wasted no time jogging to stand in front of his girlfriend.Â
âHey! Have some water,â he started, holding an unopened bottle for her to grab. âYour throat must be sore from cheering for me so loudly,â he finished with a teasing grin.Â
She snatched the bottle from his hand and opened it, holding it out for him instead.Â
âMy throat is just fine, thank you. The rest of me? Not so much,â she added with a playful glare. She caught him hiding a satisfied smirk as he took a large gulp of water.Â
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the three girls whispering amongst themselves. Looks of appraisal shot towards Caleb, and derision pointed at her. He must have asked her a question because when she didnât answer, he waved a hand in front of her face.Â
âStill with me?â He questioned, subtly following her line of sight. When she leaned forward to grasp the bottom hem of his tank top to tug him towards her a little, her nail scratched the vein hidden under his navel. An accident of course, but the effect was immediate. His face, already flushed from running up and down the court in such heat, reddened further, and the blush on his cheeks spread to his neck.Â
With a slight cough to clear his throat, along with another sip of water, he schooled his expression into one she was probably too familiar with: taunting.Â
âI didnât take you for the type to get jealous so easily, Pipsqueak. Iâm flattered.â His grin was both infuriating and gorgeous, but she wouldnât let him win that easily.Â
âJealous?â She leaned closer despite the ache in her torso, eyes slightly hooded. His own widened slightly, clouding over like he was under a spell. âJealousy implies wanting something that isnât yours. Youâre already mine, Caleb.âÂ
He swore under his breath and his head fell to rest on her shoulder.Â
âYouâre gonna be the death of me,â he mumbled, but she was too busy glancing at the girls a few seats away from her with a sly smile. âWant me to prove it?â he asked, face pressed into the crook of her neck.Â
âProve what?âÂ
âThat Iâm yours.âÂ
âAnd how would you do that?â She inquired, leaning back so he could see her face her again. He only moved his arms to rest on either side of her, caging her in. More flashbacks from last night brought a blush to her cheeks.Â
âI have a few ideasâŠâ he trailed off with a wicked grin. Before she could answer, the whistle blew again and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. In front of everybody, and yet, she couldnât bring herself to care.Â
As he pulled away, he quickly tugged his tank top up and over his head, tossing it to her as he took a few steps back.Â
âHang on to that for me, will you?â He grinned, giving her a wink before turning to jog towards his team.Â
Heat immediately rushed towards her face and she slapped a hand over her mouth to stop the yell threatening to come out.Â
His back looked absolutely wrecked, long red scratch marks decorated almost every inch, some even looking like they were beginning to bruise. Others looked like she had actually managed to draw blood. And the single bite mark on his right pec didnât do anything to help her case.Â
Her head snapped up at the sound of riotous yells coming from his team. They were slapping his shoulders and shaking him teasingly, playfully taking pictures of his marred skin.Â
She caught Calebâs eye over his shoulder and he winked at her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, but couldnât stop the satisfied smirk that grew when she glanced sideways, raising an eyebrow at the girls who were still glaring daggers at her.Â
Summary: Caleb decides to take you away for an entire weekend in the mountains. Prepare to be his pampered princess <3
Content Tags: NSFW! Tender-lovin' tent sex; panty sucking; pathetic, lover boy Caleb; Whimpering; pleading, Oral Sex, m&f; Cowgirl; So.Many.Hickies; Mentions of touching grass (fictional). Reader is implied female, other than that, no descriptors used.
From Hammy: Holy moly! This thing got away from me. We're looking at 6,874 words, with nearly half of it being the most filthy smut I've ever written. Enjoy responsibly. Hammy is not responsible for any personal injuries that may occur after reading...
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 droveâone 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,
âYou alright over there?â The Jeep hit a pothole and rattled the cab, bouncing you against your seatbelt.
âFantastic,â you giggled, âthis is so luxurious!â He laughedâthe 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.
âWowâŠâ You breathed, climbing out of the dusty Jeep to admire the view.
âWill this spot do?â Caleb asked, stretching his stiff limbs out as he stood and walked over to you.
âI think so.â You gave him a lookâthe one you always gave him when you were promised some mischief to get into.
Calebâs 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.
âWe make a pretty good team,â 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.
âA team? You hardly let me do anything.â You whined and he chuckled like he always did when you got petulant.
âFeeling hungry yet? I can get started on dinnerâŠâ He offered in penance, wrapping his arms around you waist.
You shook you head, wrapping your arms around his neck in return.
âI wanna go down that trail and dip my toes in the river,â you sighed, âitâs so hot.â
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.
âGrab your pack then, pipsqueak. Itâs a long hike down.â
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 didnât 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 didnât 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 hoursâsoftly 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 stoneâsecretly smiling to himself when you stuffed it in your pocket, eager to test its smoothness on the riverâs 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 trailâcold 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.
âWhere do you think youâre goinâ?â he called after you, already jogging to catch up.
He decided he could humor youâlet 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 escapeâŠ
That is, until he dumped his pack at the shore next to yours, already grinning in anticipation.
You didnât even have time to mourn your poor rock collection as it clattered out onto the shore.
âIf youâve got an escape plan, you better use it!â 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 inâdissolving 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.
âCaught youâŠâ 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.
âYou still lost, though.â You muttered between kisses, delighted when his breath caught.
âHow so?â 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..
âI beat you to the river, duh.â
He scoffed, âI wasnât aware we were racing.â
You pulled back to gloat, smug even while captured and dripping, looking up at him through your lashes.
âDoesnât matter. I still won.â You shrugged as if the matter was settled.
His fingers trailed up the side of your neck before catching your chin,
âItâs not winning if you cheat, dummy.â You huffed and jutted your lip out at him.
âHow dare you.â You poked a finger between his brows and pushed, sending his face tipping back with a satisfying little jerk.
âOuch!â 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 kissâjust enough to tempt him, inviting him to take more.
But he pulled away instead, refusing to let you win this round too.
âCome on, trouble.â He chuckled, âYour nose is gettinâ red. Better put on some sunscreen before you burn.â 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 heavenâwith 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 feetâŠ
His voice broke through your reverie.
âStand up Pips, lemme get the back of your legs.â
He didnât give you a chance to respond before hoisting you onto your feet.
âWhaâdid you already burn?â
The sight of your bright red legs seemed to genuinely distress him for a moment.
âNo, the boulder was just a little hot.â You calmly remarked over your shoulder.
He sucked in a little gasp. âWhy didnât you say anything?â
âBecause I like it. Iâm a lizard, remember?â
âYeah, I remember⊠I guess I just underestimated you.â His brows furrowed. âDoes it hurt?â
âNo. You can touch itâsee?â You poked the back of your thigh, jiggling the reddened skin with a sly little smile.
Caleb shooed your hand away. âDonât do that, youâre gonna irritate it. Hereââ
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.
âBetter?â He asked, pressing a kiss into your hip.
âMhm.â 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 togetherâgiggling 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 existedâprowling the shore for pretty rocks and river critters and taking pictures of your posing shadows.
But eventuallyâŠ
âItâs getting late.â Caleb sighed, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the skyâwishing he could coax the sun into stillness for just a while longer. âWe should head back and get started on dinner.â
âAw mannnâŠâ
He came up behind you and pressed a kiss to the heated skin on your shoulder.
âI know⊠Iâd hate for you to miss the sunset up on the mountain, though.â
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 walkâthat was the flimsy excuse you gave himâand he didnât 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 wayâany 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 outâŠ
You told yourself it was innocent enough, but the more you indulged yourself the harder it became to resist him.
Maybe just a little tasteâŠ
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 theseâŠ
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 heâd 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.
âSee that rabbit over there?â
Calebâs gaze followed your finger to find a pink bunny-shaped cloud.
âHer name is Daisy, and I think sheâs very sweet.â
âShe looks like a biter, to me.â Caleb mused, returning his focus to the wooden skewers.
âShe would probably bite you. Sheâs a girlâs girl, and we have to stick together.â
Calebâs glanced at the cloud again, then back at you, clearly fighting a smile.
âItâs your own fault. Youâre very bite-able, you know.â You said it casually, and Caleb chuckledâbut something inside him clenched at that thought.
âMust be because Iâm so delicious.â He mused, while stabbing marinated meat onto skewers and laying them in neat piles.
You laughed wholeheartedly because you couldnât 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.
âMmmm!â You hummed appreciatively, âSmells so good. When do we eat?â The alcohol buzzed pleasantly through youâmade 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.
âDo that again, and dinner will be canceled.â His voice dipped, âWeâll skip straight to dessertâŠâ 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.
âOkay, okay.â You conceded with a sigh, âIâll behave, I guess.â 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 didnât bother hiding, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head when he couldnât take it anymore. His smile broke into a grin when you hummed contentedly under his touch.
âHaving fun, pips?â 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 feelingâŠ
âDunno how I feel about my favorite lizard sitting on the cold ground,â he murmured. âArenât you freezing?â
You pulled your skewer out of the fire to inspect the char before shaking your head.
âIâm alright.â You consoled him with a sweet smile before sticking it back in.
âBesides, I can be closer to the fire this way.â
Caleb huffed, unconvinced, and leaned down into your spaceâhis 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.
âI dunno.â He murmured, his voice dipping in your ear. âItâs too chilly for lizards to lie on the ground.â His arms slid around your waist. âDonât think I can leave you like this.â 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.
âMy saviorâŠâ You sighed in contentment. You both sat like that for a little while, watching the fire slowly dim outâuntil you finally broke the silence.
âI love you,â 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.
âI love you too, pips.â His voice sounded a little wispy as it trembled over you.
âAww, my mushy puppy.â 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.
âCaleb?â
âHmm?â
You tipped your head back to look at him, smiling when you saw his expressionâthe tender melancholy shimmering in his eyes.
He loved you so much it physically hurtâŠ
âWeâll⊠always be together, now⊠wont we?â
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 didnât know the answer?ï»żï»żâI think⊠you and I are the most closely bound souls in this universe.â He whispered, nuzzling you as he spoke. âNot even death could keep us apart for long.â His response surprised you a little.
Your eyes were suddenly misty.
âSo yesâŠâ he whispered, âweâll always be together. Iâll find you in every single lifetime.â His arms came up around your shoulders and squeezed you into him, against the steady thump of his heart.
âPromise?â
Caleb loosened his grip and leaned back so he could look at you once more. Your expression broke his heart a littleâŠ
He kissed you tenderly, slowlyâpressing his lips to your forehead, your nose, your cheeks and finally your mouth.
âI promise.â 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.
âLook up pipsâŠâ 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, Calebâs faceâ everything was painted in its soft light.
âWowâŠâ Your voice came out hushed. âItâs so beautiful.â
Caleb sighed in relief, seeing your eyes light up once again.
âYou finally get a little glimpse of what I see on the starshipâouch!â
You smacked his chest before he could finish that thought.
âI donât want to hear about thatâŠâ
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.
âYouâre my Caleb tonight. Fleet ships donât exist.â He chuckled, secretly relieved.
âNoted⊠only your Caleb tonightâoomph!â
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 perseveredâpressing into him, squeezing him tighter.
Caleb gasped underneath you, pantingâtrying to catch his breath, but you wouldnât let him. You chased him every time he tried to pull away, biting him as punishment. Relishing in the beautiful noises he made.
âI missed you so muchâŠâ You gasped between kisses, trailing your lips down his neck. Caleb didnât have time to ponder if you were talking about just this past week orâŠ
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.
âI missed you too, sweetheartâŠâ He managed to choke out, âIâm right hereâŠâ 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.
âW-wait a minute pipsââ He tried to find a pause button, just long enough to get you into the tent where it was warm.
âNoâŠâ 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 properlyâCaleb, your Caleb, lying back in the cold dirt with his hair mussed, watching you like he would follow you wherever you wentâand your ravenous hunger suddenly dissipated.
âAm I being too rough?â 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.
âAnything you do to me,â he gasped, âis perfectâŠâ
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.
âEnough.â 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.
âSânot fairâŠâ you gasped, âhow do always find them?â 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 perfectâŠ
This view would never get old, he thought, leaning back to look at you as you hid your blushing face from him.
âAwww, is my Pipsqueak suddenly shy?â
Damn him... He sounded so innocent.
âCome on, let me see your pretty face,â 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.
âLook at me, baby,â 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, searchingâmaking sure you were really okayâbefore smiling as he watched you melt.
âGood girlâŠâ 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 otherâthen back again.
Your face was on fire.
âCalebââ 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 thisâthe flush in your cheeks, the dazed shine in your eyes, your kiss-swollen lips still shiny with his spit.
âWhat is it, baby?â 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.
âYouâre going to kill me if you keep this upâŠâ You nearly sobbed as he hooked his finger in your waistband and slowly stretched it down, trailing wet little kisses as he went.
âAlready at your limit?â 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.
âPoor thing,â he murmured against you, sounding almost apologetic. âI know. I know babyâŠâ His tongue was insatiableârelentless as he pressed open mouthed kisses to your slit.
âI just canât help itâŠâ He breathed. âI need to taste you⊠just a little bit longer.â He was half gone out of his mind, driven to a frenzy by your taste, your smellâŠ
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 muchâfelt 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.
âHey,â he whispered, brushing your hair back from your damp forehead. âLook at me.â
You did, barely.
Calebâs face softened with relief at once.
âToo much?â he asked against your shoulder, pressing a little kiss there.
You swallowed, trying to find your tongue.
âNo,â you whispered. Your fingers curled into the hem of his hoodie, tugging at him weakly. âCome here.â
He gladly obeyed, leaning down to kiss you properlyâtenderly 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 burnâŠ
He ducked so you could pull his hoodie off and you giggled at the sight of his bare chest.
âYou didnât put a shirt on?â
âDidnât see a point, pips.â 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.
âLie down,â you whispered.
Caleb swallowed. For once, he didnât 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.
âBe still, gegeâŠâ
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.
âGah!â 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 thoughâŠ
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.
âMy Caleb,â 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.
âYours,â 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.
Calebâs 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. Calebâs 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 didnât 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.
âAhââ You gasped, âIâmâIâm not gonna last long like thisâŠâ
Calebâs hands settled back around your hips,
âHere, let meâŠâ 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.
âOhâCaleb!â 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 didnât want this to end⊠wanted it to last all nightâŠ
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.
âW-waitâhold on!â 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.
âI-Iâm gonnaââ 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 Calebâs thumbs gently stroking your face. You hauled your body off of his sticky chest and flopped over into your sleeping bag.
You could hear Calebâs voice murmuring over you but couldnât quite make out what he was saying over the ringing in your ears. The late hour, the afterglow, the alcoholâit 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.
âI love you,â he whispered.
His lips pressed tender kisses to your temple, your cheeks, the corner of your mouthâone after another, soft enough to follow you down as the world faded into darkness. And you stayed there, drifting comfortably untilâ
Pop!
A loud crack snapped you awake.
You shot upright in your sleeping bag, head spinning as you looked forâ
âSorry.â
Caleb stepped through the half-open tent flap, his voice soothing your nerves before they had the chance to turn into panic.
âThe fireâs extra noisy,â he said, glancing back toward it with a little chuckle. âI think itâs eager to see you.â
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.
Calebâs gentle gaze never left yours.
âDid you sleep alright, Pips?â
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.
âI must have,â you mumbled, accepting the mug gratefully. âI canât even remember falling asleep.â
Calebâs mouth twitched with amusement, but he didnât tease you. Not yet.
He only ducked his head, pulled off his hoodie, and held it out to you.
âHere.â
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.
âCome sit by the fire. I already set up your chair.â
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 couldnât resist.
âHey, PipsâŠâ
You looked over at him, only to dissolve into giggles as he smushed your cheeks between his hands.
âItâs too early for surprise attacks!â
Caleb laughed too, taking one last fond look before pressing a quick to your squished lips.
âSorry,â he murmured. âCouldnât help myself.â
He turned back to the fire, poking it for a bit while you settled beside him, soaking in the warm morning sun.
âWhat do you wanna do today?â
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.
These are my ladiesïŒă„ïżŁ3ïżŁïŒă„ââ€ïžïœ: @ch3rrycher @belzoka @algrimmammon @violojezel
I've been working on this on and off since February đ
It's about a mechanic reader who finds a companion android on her scrap line and decides to steal and rebuild it. Caleb becomes himself over a few months while she tinkers with and perfects him. He'll eventually end up struggling with feelings he knows he shouldn't have towards his maker who saved his life...
The robots came in by weight.
Arriving in dented cargo cages dripping rainwater and fluorescent runoff, limbs tangled together in heaps of chrome, polymer, and ruined synth skin. Service units. Labor frames. Domestic assistants with missing faces. Security models with bullet-pocked chassis and stripped weapon ports. By the time they hit your station, they were no longer people-shaped. They were inventory.
You liked it better that way.
The disassembly floor roared around you in layersâconveyor belts grinding, saws whining, forklifts shrieking as they hauled the newest dead across oil-slick concrete. You slid a cutting tool beneath the rib plating of an obsolete caretaker unit and peeled it back with practiced motions.
Power cores intact⊠Memory lattice fried⊠Servo bundles salvageable.
You dropped the useful components into their bins without looking up.
Another body clanged onto the table at the end of your station.
âThought youâd wanna see this. Itâs a companion model,â Juno called over the noise. âLuxury line, by the looks of him. Scrap manifest says its a total loss.â
Something in Junoâs toneâamused, maybe, or waryâmade you glance over.
The unit was slumped sideways on the steel table, one shoulder ripped open in a nest of torn cabling and exposed joint plating. Its outer shell had been pearl-white once, maybe, or silver. Hard to tell beneath the grime. Its shirt had been cut away. The chest housing hung partially open where someone had already gutted part of the hardware and then stopped.
But its faceâ
âHoly shitâŠâ You muttered. Juno chuckled in agreement,
âHeâs pretty, isnât he?â She leaned over the carcass, inspecting him. âI canât fathom how much he must have cost.â Companion units were built to be beautiful in a way that wasnât quite human. It almost broke your heart to see it in such a ruined state. Head tipped slightly toward the ceiling with empty eyes. It was just a pretty corpse nowâŠ
You shivered a little,
âThanks June-bug.â She nodded, still a little entranced as she walked away. Juno disappeared back into the grinding noise of the floor, already shouting at someone down the line about mislabeled salvage bins.
You stayed where you were, and for a moment you just looked at himâŠ
You rested your palm against the edge of the table and leaned closer, squinting into the exposed chest compartment. Someone had already ripped the primary personality core out. The mount sat empty, torn clean from the harness.
That explained the scrap designation.
Without a core, a companion unit was just a very expensive mannequin.
StillâŠ
You nudged aside a bundle of severed cables and spotted the secondary processors buried deeper in the endo-skeleton. They looked mostly intact, nothing that couldnât be rebuilt if someone had the patience.
Your thumb brushed the edge of his jaw as you tilted his head slightly to the side.
The synth-skin was cold, but softer than you expected. The thought of tearing him apart made something twist uncomfortably in your stomachâŠ
Across the floor, a forklift wailed as it reversed, its warning alarm echoing through the cavernous room.
You exhaled through your nose and straightened.
Right.
First things first.
You peeled off your gloves and shoved them into your belt, then stepped down from your station and crossed the disassembly floor toward the security booth near the loading bay. The concrete vibrated faintly beneath your boots as a loader rolled past, dragging a cage full of dismantled limbs behind it.
Hex saw you coming before you even reached the rail.
He was leaned back in his chair with one boot propped against the console, lazily flipping through camera feeds on the monitors. The booth lights cast a dim green glow across his shaved head and the scar that cut through his eyebrow. He looked up over the rim of his coffee mug as you approached.
âWell,â he said slowly, suspicion already creeping into his voice, âthat look never means anything good for me.â
âWhat look?â
âI donât know what to call it.â He chuckled, removing his foot from the console to turn and look at you. âYou get a very particular look when youâre about to ask me to commit a crime.â
You snorted.
âItâs not technically a crime if itâs scrap.â
Hex tilted his head, unimpressed.
âUh huh.â
He swiveled one of the monitors toward you. Camera feeds from the disassembly floor flickered across the screenârows of stations, conveyor lines, the loading dock where another truck was backing into place.
âSo,â Hex said after a moment, tapping a key with one thick finger. âWhatâd you find?â
âCompanion model,â you said.
One of his brows lifted.
âThose donât come through here often.â
âLuxury line. Missing a personality core. Tagged for total loss.â
Hex gave a low whistle, leaning forward slightly.
âSomeoneâs divorce mustâve gotten messy.â
You huffed a quiet laugh.
âHeâs in decent shape, all things considered.â
âWhich means,â Hex said slowly, leaning back in his chair again, âyouâre about to ask me if the cameras could maybe⊠not see something.â
You shrugged, not bothering to deny it.
He studied you for a second, eyes narrowing slightly.
âHigh-end parts again?â
âNot parts,â you said.
His eyes flicked from the monitors back to you, wide with surprise.
ââŠthe whole unit?â
You didnât answer.
Hex dragged a hand down his face, rubbing his jaw like he was already regretting this.
âJesus.â
âCome on. Heâs scrap, Hex.â
âHeâs a luxury companion android,â he said flatly. âThose things cost more than my apartment.â
âMaybe at one point. But heâs not worth much now.â
He turned back toward the monitor, staring thoughtfully at the camera feed pointed toward your station.
On the screen, the companion unit lay exactly where you left himâhalf-open chest, one arm missing, head tilted toward the lights like a fallen statue.
Hex sighed, but he still reached over and tapped a few keys on the console.
The camera feed flickered.
Your station disappeared into static for a moment before switching to an old looping clip of an empty workstation.
Hex leaned back again, grabbing his coffee.
âYouâve got,â he said casually, blowing across the surface of the drink, âabout forty minutes before the next floor sweep.â
You blinked.
âReally?â
âWhen have I ever told you no?â You grinned at him,
âNever.â
âExactly. Now get moving before someone else sees your pretty robot and decides its worth harvesting.â
You pushed off the railing, already turning back toward the floor.
âI owe you a drink, buddy,â you called over your shoulder with a wave.
âYou owe me a hell of a lot more than that!â he shouted back, half joking.
He knew you were good for it, though. The two of you had dragged each other out of plenty of binds. Thick as thieves, some would say.
The walk back felt longer.
Maybe because now that the camera was blind and the clock was ticking, every sound on the floor seemed louder. Every shouted conversation felt closer. The whole facility seemed to press in around you.
At your station, the companion unit was exactly where youâd left him.
For one stupid second you just stood there, staring at him againâtrying to figure out the first step.
Then you swore under your breath and got to work.
You grabbed the battered transport dolly from beneath your workbench and kicked its wheels straight with the side of your boot.
âCome on,â you muttered.
The unit was heavier than it looked.
Companion models were built denseâhigh-end internal plating, premium servos, reinforced synthetic musculature under the pretty outer shell. Dead weight in the truest sense. You braced your hip against the table and got both hands under his shoulders, trying not to think too hard about the shape of him, the slack tilt of his head, the cold drag of his remaining arm against your wrist.
You hauled him toward you with a strained grunt, boots slipping against the slick concrete, and managed to drag him onto the dolly inch by inch. His head lolled against your shoulder for half a second before dropping back with a sickening thunk against the metal frame.
You froze.
No shout. No footsteps. No one calling your name.
Only the endless mechanical roar of the floor.
You yanked an old tarp from the lower shelf of your station and threw it over him. It did very little to disguise the shape underneath.
You grimacedâthen grabbed a crate of stripped components from under the table and stacked it on top of him near the torso, followed by a bin of scrap polymer and a broken loader arm.
There⊠that looked better.
You took hold of the dolly handles and started walking.
The wheels rattled violently over every seam in the concrete. Each bump sent a shudder through the load, making the tarp shift and settle around the shape beneath. You kept your head down and your pace steady, forcing your expression into the blank, irritated look everyone wore on shift. Just another worker moving another haul towards the incineration chamber.
That's it for now pretty reader đ What do you think?? This has been soooo slow going because it's my baby and I want to take my time with it. I' so excited to share more with you as I keep chipping away at it.
Also, smexy Caleb pics for your viewing pleasure â€ïžđđ
Summary: Caleb decides to take you away for an entire weekend in the mountains. Prepare to be his pampered princess <3
Content Tags: NSFW! Tender-lovin' tent sex; panty sucking; pathetic, lover boy Caleb; Whimpering; pleading, Oral Sex, m&f; Cowgirl; So.Many.Hickies; Mentions of touching grass (fictional). Reader is implied female, other than that, no descriptors used.
From Hammy: Holy moly! This thing got away from me. We're looking at 6,874 words, with nearly half of it being the most filthy smut I've ever written. Enjoy responsibly. Hammy is not responsible for any personal injuries that may occur after reading...
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 droveâone 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,
âYou alright over there?â The Jeep hit a pothole and rattled the cab, bouncing you against your seatbelt.
âFantastic,â you giggled, âthis is so luxurious!â He laughedâthe 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.
âWowâŠâ You breathed, climbing out of the dusty Jeep to admire the view.
âWill this spot do?â Caleb asked, stretching his stiff limbs out as he stood and walked over to you.
âI think so.â You gave him a lookâthe one you always gave him when you were promised some mischief to get into.
Calebâs 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.
âWe make a pretty good team,â 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.
âA team? You hardly let me do anything.â You whined and he chuckled like he always did when you got petulant.
âFeeling hungry yet? I can get started on dinnerâŠâ He offered in penance, wrapping his arms around you waist.
You shook you head, wrapping your arms around his neck in return.
âI wanna go down that trail and dip my toes in the river,â you sighed, âitâs so hot.â
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.
âGrab your pack then, pipsqueak. Itâs a long hike down.â
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 didnât 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 didnât 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 hoursâsoftly 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 stoneâsecretly smiling to himself when you stuffed it in your pocket, eager to test its smoothness on the riverâs 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 trailâcold 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.
âWhere do you think youâre goinâ?â he called after you, already jogging to catch up.
He decided he could humor youâlet 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 escapeâŠ
That is, until he dumped his pack at the shore next to yours, already grinning in anticipation.
You didnât even have time to mourn your poor rock collection as it clattered out onto the shore.
âIf youâve got an escape plan, you better use it!â 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 inâdissolving 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.
âCaught youâŠâ 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.
âYou still lost, though.â You muttered between kisses, delighted when his breath caught.
âHow so?â 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..
âI beat you to the river, duh.â
He scoffed, âI wasnât aware we were racing.â
You pulled back to gloat, smug even while captured and dripping, looking up at him through your lashes.
âDoesnât matter. I still won.â You shrugged as if the matter was settled.
His fingers trailed up the side of your neck before catching your chin,
âItâs not winning if you cheat, dummy.â You huffed and jutted your lip out at him.
âHow dare you.â You poked a finger between his brows and pushed, sending his face tipping back with a satisfying little jerk.
âOuch!â 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 kissâjust enough to tempt him, inviting him to take more.
But he pulled away instead, refusing to let you win this round too.
âCome on, trouble.â He chuckled, âYour nose is gettinâ red. Better put on some sunscreen before you burn.â 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 heavenâwith 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 feetâŠ
His voice broke through your reverie.
âStand up Pips, lemme get the back of your legs.â
He didnât give you a chance to respond before hoisting you onto your feet.
âWhaâdid you already burn?â
The sight of your bright red legs seemed to genuinely distress him for a moment.
âNo, the boulder was just a little hot.â You calmly remarked over your shoulder.
He sucked in a little gasp. âWhy didnât you say anything?â
âBecause I like it. Iâm a lizard, remember?â
âYeah, I remember⊠I guess I just underestimated you.â His brows furrowed. âDoes it hurt?â
âNo. You can touch itâsee?â You poked the back of your thigh, jiggling the reddened skin with a sly little smile.
Caleb shooed your hand away. âDonât do that, youâre gonna irritate it. Hereââ
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.
âBetter?â He asked, pressing a kiss into your hip.
âMhm.â 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 togetherâgiggling 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 existedâprowling the shore for pretty rocks and river critters and taking pictures of your posing shadows.
But eventuallyâŠ
âItâs getting late.â Caleb sighed, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the skyâwishing he could coax the sun into stillness for just a while longer. âWe should head back and get started on dinner.â
âAw mannnâŠâ
He came up behind you and pressed a kiss to the heated skin on your shoulder.
âI know⊠Iâd hate for you to miss the sunset up on the mountain, though.â
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 walkâthat was the flimsy excuse you gave himâand he didnât 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 wayâany 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 outâŠ
You told yourself it was innocent enough, but the more you indulged yourself the harder it became to resist him.
Maybe just a little tasteâŠ
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 theseâŠ
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 heâd 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.
âSee that rabbit over there?â
Calebâs gaze followed your finger to find a pink bunny-shaped cloud.
âHer name is Daisy, and I think sheâs very sweet.â
âShe looks like a biter, to me.â Caleb mused, returning his focus to the wooden skewers.
âShe would probably bite you. Sheâs a girlâs girl, and we have to stick together.â
Calebâs glanced at the cloud again, then back at you, clearly fighting a smile.
âItâs your own fault. Youâre very bite-able, you know.â You said it casually, and Caleb chuckledâbut something inside him clenched at that thought.
âMust be because Iâm so delicious.â He mused, while stabbing marinated meat onto skewers and laying them in neat piles.
You laughed wholeheartedly because you couldnât 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.
âMmmm!â You hummed appreciatively, âSmells so good. When do we eat?â The alcohol buzzed pleasantly through youâmade 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.
âDo that again, and dinner will be canceled.â His voice dipped, âWeâll skip straight to dessertâŠâ 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.
âOkay, okay.â You conceded with a sigh, âIâll behave, I guess.â 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 didnât bother hiding, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head when he couldnât take it anymore. His smile broke into a grin when you hummed contentedly under his touch.
âHaving fun, pips?â 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 feelingâŠ
âDunno how I feel about my favorite lizard sitting on the cold ground,â he murmured. âArenât you freezing?â
You pulled your skewer out of the fire to inspect the char before shaking your head.
âIâm alright.â You consoled him with a sweet smile before sticking it back in.
âBesides, I can be closer to the fire this way.â
Caleb huffed, unconvinced, and leaned down into your spaceâhis 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.
âI dunno.â He murmured, his voice dipping in your ear. âItâs too chilly for lizards to lie on the ground.â His arms slid around your waist. âDonât think I can leave you like this.â 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.
âMy saviorâŠâ You sighed in contentment. You both sat like that for a little while, watching the fire slowly dim outâuntil you finally broke the silence.
âI love you,â 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.
âI love you too, pips.â His voice sounded a little wispy as it trembled over you.
âAww, my mushy puppy.â 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.
âCaleb?â
âHmm?â
You tipped your head back to look at him, smiling when you saw his expressionâthe tender melancholy shimmering in his eyes.
He loved you so much it physically hurtâŠ
âWeâll⊠always be together, now⊠wont we?â
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 didnât know the answer?ï»żï»żâI think⊠you and I are the most closely bound souls in this universe.â He whispered, nuzzling you as he spoke. âNot even death could keep us apart for long.â His response surprised you a little.
Your eyes were suddenly misty.
âSo yesâŠâ he whispered, âweâll always be together. Iâll find you in every single lifetime.â His arms came up around your shoulders and squeezed you into him, against the steady thump of his heart.
âPromise?â
Caleb loosened his grip and leaned back so he could look at you once more. Your expression broke his heart a littleâŠ
He kissed you tenderly, slowlyâpressing his lips to your forehead, your nose, your cheeks and finally your mouth.
âI promise.â 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.
âLook up pipsâŠâ 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, Calebâs faceâ everything was painted in its soft light.
âWowâŠâ Your voice came out hushed. âItâs so beautiful.â
Caleb sighed in relief, seeing your eyes light up once again.
âYou finally get a little glimpse of what I see on the starshipâouch!â
You smacked his chest before he could finish that thought.
âI donât want to hear about thatâŠâ
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.
âYouâre my Caleb tonight. Fleet ships donât exist.â He chuckled, secretly relieved.
âNoted⊠only your Caleb tonightâoomph!â
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 perseveredâpressing into him, squeezing him tighter.
Caleb gasped underneath you, pantingâtrying to catch his breath, but you wouldnât let him. You chased him every time he tried to pull away, biting him as punishment. Relishing in the beautiful noises he made.
âI missed you so muchâŠâ You gasped between kisses, trailing your lips down his neck. Caleb didnât have time to ponder if you were talking about just this past week orâŠ
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.
âI missed you too, sweetheartâŠâ He managed to choke out, âIâm right hereâŠâ 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.
âW-wait a minute pipsââ He tried to find a pause button, just long enough to get you into the tent where it was warm.
âNoâŠâ 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 properlyâCaleb, your Caleb, lying back in the cold dirt with his hair mussed, watching you like he would follow you wherever you wentâand your ravenous hunger suddenly dissipated.
âAm I being too rough?â 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.
âAnything you do to me,â he gasped, âis perfectâŠâ
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.
âEnough.â 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.
âSânot fairâŠâ you gasped, âhow do always find them?â 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 perfectâŠ
This view would never get old, he thought, leaning back to look at you as you hid your blushing face from him.
âAwww, is my Pipsqueak suddenly shy?â
Damn him... He sounded so innocent.
âCome on, let me see your pretty face,â 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.
âLook at me, baby,â 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, searchingâmaking sure you were really okayâbefore smiling as he watched you melt.
âGood girlâŠâ 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 otherâthen back again.
Your face was on fire.
âCalebââ 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 thisâthe flush in your cheeks, the dazed shine in your eyes, your kiss-swollen lips still shiny with his spit.
âWhat is it, baby?â 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.
âYouâre going to kill me if you keep this upâŠâ You nearly sobbed as he hooked his finger in your waistband and slowly stretched it down, trailing wet little kisses as he went.
âAlready at your limit?â 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.
âPoor thing,â he murmured against you, sounding almost apologetic. âI know. I know babyâŠâ His tongue was insatiableârelentless as he pressed open mouthed kisses to your slit.
âI just canât help itâŠâ He breathed. âI need to taste you⊠just a little bit longer.â He was half gone out of his mind, driven to a frenzy by your taste, your smellâŠ
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 muchâfelt 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.
âHey,â he whispered, brushing your hair back from your damp forehead. âLook at me.â
You did, barely.
Calebâs face softened with relief at once.
âToo much?â he asked against your shoulder, pressing a little kiss there.
You swallowed, trying to find your tongue.
âNo,â you whispered. Your fingers curled into the hem of his hoodie, tugging at him weakly. âCome here.â
He gladly obeyed, leaning down to kiss you properlyâtenderly 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 burnâŠ
He ducked so you could pull his hoodie off and you giggled at the sight of his bare chest.
âYou didnât put a shirt on?â
âDidnât see a point, pips.â 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.
âLie down,â you whispered.
Caleb swallowed. For once, he didnât 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.
âBe still, gegeâŠâ
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.
âGah!â 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 thoughâŠ
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.
âMy Caleb,â 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.
âYours,â 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.
Calebâs 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. Calebâs 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 didnât 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.
âAhââ You gasped, âIâmâIâm not gonna last long like thisâŠâ
Calebâs hands settled back around your hips,
âHere, let meâŠâ 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.
âOhâCaleb!â 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 didnât want this to end⊠wanted it to last all nightâŠ
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.
âW-waitâhold on!â 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.
âI-Iâm gonnaââ 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 Calebâs thumbs gently stroking your face. You hauled your body off of his sticky chest and flopped over into your sleeping bag.
You could hear Calebâs voice murmuring over you but couldnât quite make out what he was saying over the ringing in your ears. The late hour, the afterglow, the alcoholâit 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.
âI love you,â he whispered.
His lips pressed tender kisses to your temple, your cheeks, the corner of your mouthâone after another, soft enough to follow you down as the world faded into darkness. And you stayed there, drifting comfortably untilâ
Pop!
A loud crack snapped you awake.
You shot upright in your sleeping bag, head spinning as you looked forâ
âSorry.â
Caleb stepped through the half-open tent flap, his voice soothing your nerves before they had the chance to turn into panic.
âThe fireâs extra noisy,â he said, glancing back toward it with a little chuckle. âI think itâs eager to see you.â
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.
Calebâs gentle gaze never left yours.
âDid you sleep alright, Pips?â
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.
âI must have,â you mumbled, accepting the mug gratefully. âI canât even remember falling asleep.â
Calebâs mouth twitched with amusement, but he didnât tease you. Not yet.
He only ducked his head, pulled off his hoodie, and held it out to you.
âHere.â
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.
âCome sit by the fire. I already set up your chair.â
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 couldnât resist.
âHey, PipsâŠâ
You looked over at him, only to dissolve into giggles as he smushed your cheeks between his hands.
âItâs too early for surprise attacks!â
Caleb laughed too, taking one last fond look before pressing a quick to your squished lips.
âSorry,â he murmured. âCouldnât help myself.â
He turned back to the fire, poking it for a bit while you settled beside him, soaking in the warm morning sun.
âWhat do you wanna do today?â
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.
These are my ladiesïŒă„ïżŁ3ïżŁïŒă„ââ€ïžïœ: @ch3rrycher @belzoka @algrimmammon @violojezel
I'm so blown away by all the love on my Camping fic! I thought to celebrate I could reach out and get your opinion on what you would like to see from me next!
Would you like another vacation fic with a LI of your choosing?
I'm working on a companion-android!Caleb fic, too, that's set in a Cyberpunk-esque world.
Just keep in mind that because I don't use AI to edit or write, these fics take me weeks, sometimes months (I am NOT a naturally talented writer đ I struggle through the entire process lmao.)
I love you guys! Thanks for all the love you're showing me đ„°
Summary: Caleb decides to take you away for an entire weekend in the mountains. Prepare to be his pampered princess <3
Content Tags: NSFW! Tender-lovin' tent sex; panty sucking; pathetic, lover boy Caleb; Whimpering; pleading, Oral Sex, m&f; Cowgirl; So.Many.Hickies; Mentions of touching grass (fictional). Reader is implied female, other than that, no descriptors used.
From Hammy: Holy moly! This thing got away from me. We're looking at 6,874 words, with nearly half of it being the most filthy smut I've ever written. Enjoy responsibly. Hammy is not responsible for any personal injuries that may occur after reading...
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 droveâone 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,
âYou alright over there?â The Jeep hit a pothole and rattled the cab, bouncing you against your seatbelt.
âFantastic,â you giggled, âthis is so luxurious!â He laughedâthe 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.
âWowâŠâ You breathed, climbing out of the dusty Jeep to admire the view.
âWill this spot do?â Caleb asked, stretching his stiff limbs out as he stood and walked over to you.
âI think so.â You gave him a lookâthe one you always gave him when you were promised some mischief to get into.
Calebâs 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.
âWe make a pretty good team,â 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.
âA team? You hardly let me do anything.â You whined and he chuckled like he always did when you got petulant.
âFeeling hungry yet? I can get started on dinnerâŠâ He offered in penance, wrapping his arms around you waist.
You shook you head, wrapping your arms around his neck in return.
âI wanna go down that trail and dip my toes in the river,â you sighed, âitâs so hot.â
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.
âGrab your pack then, pipsqueak. Itâs a long hike down.â
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 didnât 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 didnât 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 hoursâsoftly 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 stoneâsecretly smiling to himself when you stuffed it in your pocket, eager to test its smoothness on the riverâs 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 trailâcold 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.
âWhere do you think youâre goinâ?â he called after you, already jogging to catch up.
He decided he could humor youâlet 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 escapeâŠ
That is, until he dumped his pack at the shore next to yours, already grinning in anticipation.
You didnât even have time to mourn your poor rock collection as it clattered out onto the shore.
âIf youâve got an escape plan, you better use it!â 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 inâdissolving 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.
âCaught youâŠâ 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.
âYou still lost, though.â You muttered between kisses, delighted when his breath caught.
âHow so?â 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..
âI beat you to the river, duh.â
He scoffed, âI wasnât aware we were racing.â
You pulled back to gloat, smug even while captured and dripping, looking up at him through your lashes.
âDoesnât matter. I still won.â You shrugged as if the matter was settled.
His fingers trailed up the side of your neck before catching your chin,
âItâs not winning if you cheat, dummy.â You huffed and jutted your lip out at him.
âHow dare you.â You poked a finger between his brows and pushed, sending his face tipping back with a satisfying little jerk.
âOuch!â 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 kissâjust enough to tempt him, inviting him to take more.
But he pulled away instead, refusing to let you win this round too.
âCome on, trouble.â He chuckled, âYour nose is gettinâ red. Better put on some sunscreen before you burn.â 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 heavenâwith 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 feetâŠ
His voice broke through your reverie.
âStand up Pips, lemme get the back of your legs.â
He didnât give you a chance to respond before hoisting you onto your feet.
âWhaâdid you already burn?â
The sight of your bright red legs seemed to genuinely distress him for a moment.
âNo, the boulder was just a little hot.â You calmly remarked over your shoulder.
He sucked in a little gasp. âWhy didnât you say anything?â
âBecause I like it. Iâm a lizard, remember?â
âYeah, I remember⊠I guess I just underestimated you.â His brows furrowed. âDoes it hurt?â
âNo. You can touch itâsee?â You poked the back of your thigh, jiggling the reddened skin with a sly little smile.
Caleb shooed your hand away. âDonât do that, youâre gonna irritate it. Hereââ
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.
âBetter?â He asked, pressing a kiss into your hip.
âMhm.â 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 togetherâgiggling 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 existedâprowling the shore for pretty rocks and river critters and taking pictures of your posing shadows.
But eventuallyâŠ
âItâs getting late.â Caleb sighed, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the skyâwishing he could coax the sun into stillness for just a while longer. âWe should head back and get started on dinner.â
âAw mannnâŠâ
He came up behind you and pressed a kiss to the heated skin on your shoulder.
âI know⊠Iâd hate for you to miss the sunset up on the mountain, though.â
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 walkâthat was the flimsy excuse you gave himâand he didnât 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 wayâany 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 outâŠ
You told yourself it was innocent enough, but the more you indulged yourself the harder it became to resist him.
Maybe just a little tasteâŠ
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 theseâŠ
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 heâd 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.
âSee that rabbit over there?â
Calebâs gaze followed your finger to find a pink bunny-shaped cloud.
âHer name is Daisy, and I think sheâs very sweet.â
âShe looks like a biter, to me.â Caleb mused, returning his focus to the wooden skewers.
âShe would probably bite you. Sheâs a girlâs girl, and we have to stick together.â
Calebâs glanced at the cloud again, then back at you, clearly fighting a smile.
âItâs your own fault. Youâre very bite-able, you know.â You said it casually, and Caleb chuckledâbut something inside him clenched at that thought.
âMust be because Iâm so delicious.â He mused, while stabbing marinated meat onto skewers and laying them in neat piles.
You laughed wholeheartedly because you couldnât 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.
âMmmm!â You hummed appreciatively, âSmells so good. When do we eat?â The alcohol buzzed pleasantly through youâmade 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.
âDo that again, and dinner will be canceled.â His voice dipped, âWeâll skip straight to dessertâŠâ 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.
âOkay, okay.â You conceded with a sigh, âIâll behave, I guess.â 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 didnât bother hiding, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head when he couldnât take it anymore. His smile broke into a grin when you hummed contentedly under his touch.
âHaving fun, pips?â 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 feelingâŠ
âDunno how I feel about my favorite lizard sitting on the cold ground,â he murmured. âArenât you freezing?â
You pulled your skewer out of the fire to inspect the char before shaking your head.
âIâm alright.â You consoled him with a sweet smile before sticking it back in.
âBesides, I can be closer to the fire this way.â
Caleb huffed, unconvinced, and leaned down into your spaceâhis 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.
âI dunno.â He murmured, his voice dipping in your ear. âItâs too chilly for lizards to lie on the ground.â His arms slid around your waist. âDonât think I can leave you like this.â 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.
âMy saviorâŠâ You sighed in contentment. You both sat like that for a little while, watching the fire slowly dim outâuntil you finally broke the silence.
âI love you,â 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.
âI love you too, pips.â His voice sounded a little wispy as it trembled over you.
âAww, my mushy puppy.â 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.
âCaleb?â
âHmm?â
You tipped your head back to look at him, smiling when you saw his expressionâthe tender melancholy shimmering in his eyes.
He loved you so much it physically hurtâŠ
âWeâll⊠always be together, now⊠wont we?â
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 didnât know the answer?ï»żï»żâI think⊠you and I are the most closely bound souls in this universe.â He whispered, nuzzling you as he spoke. âNot even death could keep us apart for long.â His response surprised you a little.
Your eyes were suddenly misty.
âSo yesâŠâ he whispered, âweâll always be together. Iâll find you in every single lifetime.â His arms came up around your shoulders and squeezed you into him, against the steady thump of his heart.
âPromise?â
Caleb loosened his grip and leaned back so he could look at you once more. Your expression broke his heart a littleâŠ
He kissed you tenderly, slowlyâpressing his lips to your forehead, your nose, your cheeks and finally your mouth.
âI promise.â 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.
âLook up pipsâŠâ 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, Calebâs faceâ everything was painted in its soft light.
âWowâŠâ Your voice came out hushed. âItâs so beautiful.â
Caleb sighed in relief, seeing your eyes light up once again.
âYou finally get a little glimpse of what I see on the starshipâouch!â
You smacked his chest before he could finish that thought.
âI donât want to hear about thatâŠâ
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.
âYouâre my Caleb tonight. Fleet ships donât exist.â He chuckled, secretly relieved.
âNoted⊠only your Caleb tonightâoomph!â
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 perseveredâpressing into him, squeezing him tighter.
Caleb gasped underneath you, pantingâtrying to catch his breath, but you wouldnât let him. You chased him every time he tried to pull away, biting him as punishment. Relishing in the beautiful noises he made.
âI missed you so muchâŠâ You gasped between kisses, trailing your lips down his neck. Caleb didnât have time to ponder if you were talking about just this past week orâŠ
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.
âI missed you too, sweetheartâŠâ He managed to choke out, âIâm right hereâŠâ 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.
âW-wait a minute pipsââ He tried to find a pause button, just long enough to get you into the tent where it was warm.
âNoâŠâ 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 properlyâCaleb, your Caleb, lying back in the cold dirt with his hair mussed, watching you like he would follow you wherever you wentâand your ravenous hunger suddenly dissipated.
âAm I being too rough?â 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.
âAnything you do to me,â he gasped, âis perfectâŠâ
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.
âEnough.â 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.
âSânot fairâŠâ you gasped, âhow do always find them?â 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 perfectâŠ
This view would never get old, he thought, leaning back to look at you as you hid your blushing face from him.
âAwww, is my Pipsqueak suddenly shy?â
Damn him... He sounded so innocent.
âCome on, let me see your pretty face,â 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.
âLook at me, baby,â 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, searchingâmaking sure you were really okayâbefore smiling as he watched you melt.
âGood girlâŠâ 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 otherâthen back again.
Your face was on fire.
âCalebââ 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 thisâthe flush in your cheeks, the dazed shine in your eyes, your kiss-swollen lips still shiny with his spit.
âWhat is it, baby?â 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.
âYouâre going to kill me if you keep this upâŠâ You nearly sobbed as he hooked his finger in your waistband and slowly stretched it down, trailing wet little kisses as he went.
âAlready at your limit?â 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.
âPoor thing,â he murmured against you, sounding almost apologetic. âI know. I know babyâŠâ His tongue was insatiableârelentless as he pressed open mouthed kisses to your slit.
âI just canât help itâŠâ He breathed. âI need to taste you⊠just a little bit longer.â He was half gone out of his mind, driven to a frenzy by your taste, your smellâŠ
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 muchâfelt 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.
âHey,â he whispered, brushing your hair back from your damp forehead. âLook at me.â
You did, barely.
Calebâs face softened with relief at once.
âToo much?â he asked against your shoulder, pressing a little kiss there.
You swallowed, trying to find your tongue.
âNo,â you whispered. Your fingers curled into the hem of his hoodie, tugging at him weakly. âCome here.â
He gladly obeyed, leaning down to kiss you properlyâtenderly 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 burnâŠ
He ducked so you could pull his hoodie off and you giggled at the sight of his bare chest.
âYou didnât put a shirt on?â
âDidnât see a point, pips.â 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.
âLie down,â you whispered.
Caleb swallowed. For once, he didnât 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.
âBe still, gegeâŠâ
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.
âGah!â 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 thoughâŠ
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.
âMy Caleb,â 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.
âYours,â 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.
Calebâs 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. Calebâs 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 didnât 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.
âAhââ You gasped, âIâmâIâm not gonna last long like thisâŠâ
Calebâs hands settled back around your hips,
âHere, let meâŠâ 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.
âOhâCaleb!â 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 didnât want this to end⊠wanted it to last all nightâŠ
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.
âW-waitâhold on!â 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.
âI-Iâm gonnaââ 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 Calebâs thumbs gently stroking your face. You hauled your body off of his sticky chest and flopped over into your sleeping bag.
You could hear Calebâs voice murmuring over you but couldnât quite make out what he was saying over the ringing in your ears. The late hour, the afterglow, the alcoholâit 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.
âI love you,â he whispered.
His lips pressed tender kisses to your temple, your cheeks, the corner of your mouthâone after another, soft enough to follow you down as the world faded into darkness. And you stayed there, drifting comfortably untilâ
Pop!
A loud crack snapped you awake.
You shot upright in your sleeping bag, head spinning as you looked forâ
âSorry.â
Caleb stepped through the half-open tent flap, his voice soothing your nerves before they had the chance to turn into panic.
âThe fireâs extra noisy,â he said, glancing back toward it with a little chuckle. âI think itâs eager to see you.â
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.
Calebâs gentle gaze never left yours.
âDid you sleep alright, Pips?â
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.
âI must have,â you mumbled, accepting the mug gratefully. âI canât even remember falling asleep.â
Calebâs mouth twitched with amusement, but he didnât tease you. Not yet.
He only ducked his head, pulled off his hoodie, and held it out to you.
âHere.â
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.
âCome sit by the fire. I already set up your chair.â
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 couldnât resist.
âHey, PipsâŠâ
You looked over at him, only to dissolve into giggles as he smushed your cheeks between his hands.
âItâs too early for surprise attacks!â
Caleb laughed too, taking one last fond look before pressing a quick to your squished lips.
âSorry,â he murmured. âCouldnât help myself.â
He turned back to the fire, poking it for a bit while you settled beside him, soaking in the warm morning sun.
âWhat do you wanna do today?â
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.
These are my ladiesïŒă„ïżŁ3ïżŁïŒă„ââ€ïžïœ: @ch3rrycher @belzoka @algrimmammon @violojezel
Note: I already yapped my head off âhereâ but I will never stop saying it because it means so much to meâŠthank you so much my luvlys for over 1K followers. This fic literally became something of its ownâthe characters, the information, the story. Like I want to know more myself LOLLL!!!
Creds to @/strangergraphics-archive for the dividers! + The images below do not belong to me!
Warning: Caleb is eating that đ±
Word count: 4.5K (bigger than i thought -thatâs what she said-)
Summary: Avoiding him wasnât bound to last forever.
TattooArtist!Caleb/Reader
You sighed after you put the car in park, looking over at your best friend. Currently, Bea was grumbling to herself as she rummaged through her purse to find her phone before she heads into work. You smiled as she kept tucking her deep blue hair behind her ear each time it fell into her face, opting to hold it back for her with your palm gently pressed against the rebel strands.
She looked at you with a quick smile of gratitude, flashing her smiley piercing before returning to her bag that was too big to be hauling around on a regular basis. It was her favorite thing in the world, though, so sheâd never get rid of it.
You and Bea have been attached at the hip since you were in third grade. As time went on, even if you two knew one another like the back of your hand, you were polar opposites. Where you were a clean slate, simple, and reserved, Bea was decorated in stunning tattoos, flashy bangles, bracelets and jewelry, and the most outgoing individual youâve ever experienced. And you absolutely loved her for it.
âI mightâve left it in your fucking room,â she groaned loudly in annoyance. Bea had spent the night in your apartment for the last few days and it was for no reason in particular. She liked coming over, you loved her company, so she stayed. Youâre someone who works from homeâthankfullyâso youâre with each other all day until she has to go to work. Since sheâs been with you, you didnât mind driving her there and picking her up after for dinner. Especially on days like today where you were off.
Bea is one of the best tattoo artists in the worldâsure it may be biased, but you didnât care. Though, it was a fact that sheâs one of the best in the state. She even has a plaque at her place to prove it and you have the photos when she and other artists were rewarded for it. Her range and ability to bring her art to life on a human being has always fascinated you.
The parlor she works in is one that has been a monument in the tattoo community for three decades now, owned by an uncle and his nephew. Youâve been in there a few timesâa lot of them for reasons you keep tucked away.
âI can go get it and bring it back, if you want,â you offered. She frowned, but she was nothing but appreciative as she leaned over the center console to hug you.
âYouâd literally be my hero.â
âWhen am I not?â you chuckle. âYouâll still be available for my appointment, right?â
âOf course, duh!â she exclaimed. âNo one gets to see those beautiful nips but me and maybe your future baby. And whatever guy is lucky enough one day.â She waggles her eyebrows and shimmies her shoulders.
You shake your head, ushering her out the car so she isnât late. Once sheâs inside, your mind immediately drifts to the fact that Bea is supposed to be doing something for you. Something that she convinced you would boost your sexiness and confidence, even if no one but you would see them.
Nipple piercings.
You never wouldâve thought youâd even consider doing something like that since the mere thought of a needle getting near you makes you nervousâlet alone near your nipples. But you wanted something new. You wanted change. You wanted to have something about you that made you feel good.
Traffic was insane to and back, making you a whopping seven extra minutes late.
Thankfully, you got ahold of Beaâs phone quicker than you expected, finding it right under the pillow she slept on last night. She was in a little bit of a hurry this morning, so youâre not surprised that she forgot it as she focused all her attention on getting it together.
Once you gathered your things, you made your way inside Luvly Inkz. Immediately, youâre greeted by Sleep Token playing on the speakers and the subtle buzz of tattoo guns at work. With a quick once over, you donât see Bea, but youâre nothing short of relieved when you donât see him.
âHey, thereâs our girl!â shouts Uncle Wiz. The dark skinned older man grins at you from where he sits as he works on a client. Everyone calls him Uncle when they meet him because thatâs always the type of relationship you get with the kind hearted gentleman who is completely decked out in ink. Heâs like a magician with the way he executes his work, so being called Wiz isnât too far fetched.
âHey, Wiz. Hey, everybody,â you announce and they all offer a quick warm welcoming. âI know itâs been a while. You can thank Bea for my presence today. She in the back? I got her phone.â
âNah,â Wiz focuses back on the lady listening to music through her earbuds as he fills in the large outline on her side. âHer and her dude got into again. He hasnât even clocked in yetâhad her sitting there losing her cool over the work phone. Told her to go take a breather.â
The need to go and find your best friend is strong, especially knowing that sheâs out there with no phone or way for you to reach her efficiently. But you know her better than anyone to understand that she could handle herself, she didnât like being crowded, and that the best thing right now was to let her do as Wiz said, and breathe.
Bea and her boyfriend Marquis work together at Luvly Inkz, which one could argue has its pros and cons. When theyâre good, theyâre like a power coupleâan unstoppable force. But when it gets like this? When they fight and argue about something that ranges from completely stupid to detrimental enough to break up over, theyâre like ticking time bombs that have a higher probability of detonating if they stay close.
But Uncle Wiz would never fire them because their bickering and disputes never stopped them from doing what they needed to do. Work was always done on time, correctly, and clients always walked out happy. It was a level of professionalism he knew he could trust them with, even with their personal problems.
But it wasnât working out for you right now because you were supposed to be laying on Beaâs table, ready to get your nipples stabbed.
âWere you scheduled with her? I might be able to get it done for you really fast, depending on what it is.â
âIt was aâŠpiercing,â you say simply. Uncle Wiz nods.
âShe finally broke you, huh?â he chuckled before looking around the room. âAll of our girls are busy right now, but weâve got Caleb here. He actually came in, despite me telling him to take off for his birthday. He got in not too long ago, and if youâre comfortable with him doing it, he wonât mind. Just tell him what it is since heâs qualified to do them all.â
Your whole body freezes.
Caleb.
The same Caleb who took your virginity and made you know what it was like to be desperate for dick for the first and only time in your life.
The same Caleb who you have regretted sleeping with ever since you learned heâŠgets around.
The same Caleb who admittedly never did anything wrong, but you were embarrassed and ashamed for succumbing to him so easily when you were certainâwithout viable proofâthat the way he got you was by utilizing a technique heâs likely used too many times to count.
Bea was the one whoâaccidentallyâtold you after she wondered where you and him disappeared off to during the night of the party she threw for Marquisâ birthday at a luxury house she rented for the event.
You and Caleb were pretty cool before you had sex, having actually been acquaintances for a good few years. There wasnât much you knew about him, other than that his talent rivaled Bea, he was annoyingly attractive, and had the body of a fucking god. You met him almost six years ago when she started working at Luvly Inkz and just clicked instantly about a lot of things.
So when he and you sat on the balcony that night just talking about everything and nothing like you knew each other so well, it was so hard for the crush you had formed over time to remain at bay. You never thought the attraction was mutual, but then, when he ended up kissing you? When he asked you if youâd let him fuck you? You knew you shouldâve told him no, but the way he pressed his hardness into you and called you prettyâyou were a goner.
He madeâwhat you thought at the timeâsweet love to you as his hips rocked back and forth slowly to let you adjust. You touch yourself at night when you think about the way he rolled the condom onto his heavy cock, when he filled you up like he was made to complete you.
After it all and you fixed yourself to face everyone again, you couldnât stop smiling. But unintentionally, the words Bea spoke when she found you alone in the kitchen is what caused the rift.
âDude, where were you and Caleb? Please donât tell me you fucked him!â she joked with a nudge. âSeriously heâs like a walking attraction or something. Never heard the words âthank you for last nightâ so many times by so many different women in my life, ugh!â
Youâve been distant ever since. Every phone call and text was ignored and you stopped coming into the parlor entirely. You beat yourself up a lot about that.
How could you not have known better?
He literally carried a condom on him and the way he worked your body was not a man who kept to himself.
Bea felt awful because both of you are her friends and she hated that you felt the way you did after you admitted your truth, but she respected it.
You told her how you thought it was a special thing, that you and him were going to become more. Maybe you wouldâve, but youâd never know now.
It wasnât that you judged Caleb. Him having a past doesnât dictate him, but the way he is wasnât something he grew out of. You slept with that version. Before you had that information, you felt like what you shared with him was something special, but you concluded that it was just another day for him. To think you would be the one to become some life altering catalyst was foolishâso it was safer to rid him of your system entirely. It hurt and it stung as your brain worked to convince yourself that he just wanted to get his dick wet and you were easy enough to do it for him.
Being here today only happened because like Uncle Wiz was saying and based on what Bea had told you, he wasnât supposed to be working because he originally took off for his birthday.
As you prepare to shake off and decline Wizâs request, Caleb walks into the wide open space. In that moment, every single emotion, thought, and feeling you worked hard to suppress after all these months came rushing back like a hurricane fueled flood.
âWe were just talking about you,â Wiz said as he told Caleb to come closer. You refused to look at him. But you could feel his eyes burning into you the closer he got.
Then when his cinnamon apple like scent flooded your nostrils, you tried to hold your breath like you were a vampire trying not to pounce on a human being whose blood smelled equivalent to ambrosia.
âSheâs looking to get a piercing done, but Bea was supposed to do it andâŠwell, you saw the tail-end of her and Marquisâ argument. If sheâs cool with you doing it, you mind?â
âI donât mind atââ
âI can come back another time,â you interrupt, keeping your focus on Wiz.
Caleb chuckles at your dismissive tone. But heâs not letting you get away again so easily. âIf you donât want your piercing done, fine. But Iâm sure you at least want to know about Bea?â You turn your head slightly, but still not giving him your eyes.
âMarquis called me, but I donât think you or them want the entire parlor in their business.â
Caleb and Marquis are similar to you and Bea in terms of friendshipâreally close and tight knit. Theyâve been friends since high school and found their way through the tattoo world together.
You can see in the corner of his eye how he tilts his head in the direction he came. âCmon, Iâll tell you what he told me so you donât worry.â
Every part of you wants to leave and not be in any secluded area with this man, but you are concerned about Bea. You donât want to cause a scene of trying to get out of this by curtly denying him and making Uncle Wiz wonder what your deal is.
Honestly, you didnât know if anybody else knew what happened between you and Caleb. You know you never said anything, Bea never said anything, and youâre sure Caleb didnât. ïżŒ
And you would like to keep that under wraps forever, if you could. So you just nod, still looking at everything but Caleb until he begins to walk. As you follow him, you canât help but begin to admire his strong tattooed arms in his sleeveless black shirt and the black jeans that hug his waist so well.
His boots thud against the floor on your journey down the vintage-esque hallway with several photos and copious amounts of unique artwork.
Once Caleb approaches the second to last door at the end, he steps aside to let you enter. Youâre greeted by a slightly messy room with pencils and markers, rough drafts of pieces pinned across the walls, as well as a table with a light and equipment that seems like it was just in use.
âSorry for the mess,â he apologizes as he shuts the door and flips the light switch to illuminate everything. âWas working on a project for a clientââ
âIs Bea okay?â You stare at the floor as if your sneaker clad feet would be the one to answer your question.
âSheâs fine. Marquis told me he was able to find her at some park they usually go to. He said they were talking everything out and that theyâd be here before either of their first appointments.â It goes silent. âHe said Bea appreciates you getting her phone and that sheâll make it up to you about these piercings you were getting.â
âOkay,â you huff. âThank you.â
You get ready to walk out the door he stands besides, but he grabs your arm gently.
âDonâtâŠgo.â He scoffs out a laugh. âI mean, fuck, can we talk?â
âThereâs nothing to talk about.â
âThatâs bullshit. We fucked, or have you seem to forgotten that like you have my existence, apparently?â He gets closer to you, but you move back. âAnd when I tried to reach out, you ignored me, Bea wouldnât tell me shit, and then I havenât seen your face in months.â
âI donât want to talk about this,â you say sharply.
âOkay, but I do. You donât get to make a decision about us without giving me a say so.â
For the first time in months, you put your eyes directly on his. And fuckâŠis he ethereal.
âUs?â you repeat in disbelief. âThere is no us. There was never an us. We were barely considered friends!â
âThere she is,â he grins like his plan that you didnât even know he had, worked perfectly. âNow that you gave me your eyes, you gonna tell me why you ghosted me after the night we had, or am I supposed to try and figure it out through your scowls?â
âCaleb, get out the way.â
âMake me get out of the way,â he dares. âI let up on you before out of respect and I donât care how you viewed the dynamic between usâI donât like how you apparently chose to end it after what we did. Did I fuck up? Was I too rough?â
âWhy does it fucking matter? Weâre not a thing! We donât owe each other anything!â
âSo there was a problem,â he concludes.
The only way youâre getting out of this room is if you tell him something. Unfortunately, your brain decides to tell him the truth instead of sticking with the lie that you curated on the tip of your tongue.
âWe were never close enough for what we did to be more than what it was. I simply removed myself so that you could get back to being the way that you are.â
Immediately heâs insulted, shaking his head like he has to jumble your words up again to make sure he understood you. âThe fuck do you mean the way that I am? How exactly am I?â
âIt seems like everyone but you knows,â you mumble.
He wipes his hand down his face in frustration. âCould you cut the riddle bullshit and just say it?â
âNo.â Your determination is admirable, but he sees through your facade. He sees the way your nipples strain against your ribbed tank top, the way you canât stop staring at the tattoos along his fingers, the piercing in his brow, or the one on his tongue when he licks his lips out of habit.
âI have to get it out of you, then?â
âYouâre not doing anything but moving so that I can leave.â
âYou wanna bet?â
Caleb couldnât understand why you going cold bothered him so much. Youâre not the first girl to be one and done with him, but youâre the first where he feltâno, knewâthat there was something specific that made you pull away from him. He wanted to let it go, to let it be, but he also promised himself that if he ever saw you again, heâd get his answer one way or another.
You watch with wary eyes as his hand goes to the lock behind him, clicking it into place to keep you stuck in here with him.
âIf you tell me noâif you tell me that youâre serious and that you want me to back off, Iâll never bother you again. But if you donât utter that word before I get my hands on you, since I couldnât get you to tell me what your problem isâŠIâll have to make you.â
The thought of Caleb never talking to you again sends a wave of sadness through you. You know you should be protesting, but in truthâŠyou donât want to. Much to his liking, you donât answer.
âFigured,â he says confidently.
Your body feels like itâs made of jello with the way you wobble where you stand.
âNo bra and Bea being the one to do it for youâŠâ he shifts the conversation, smiling widely as it settles in. âYou were piercing your nipples, baby?â
âThatâs none of your business.â Your face immediately grows hot.
âMy tongue is about to be in your pussy in the next few seconds, so yeah. It is my business.â
Your eyebrows furrow, but thereâs no time to be confused because he takes two grand steps your way, lifting you just enough to sit you down on the padded piercing table.
He doesnât bother teasing or playing with you anymore, sucking on your nipples through your shirt when your tits are in his face. Your back arches into his hot mouth instinctively, your pussy throbbing in your jeans because of the metal ball in his mouth that swipes against your sensitive peaks each time he alternates between which one he thinks needs some more love.
âIâll pierce them for you when Iâm done. I know them better than Bea, donât I?â he chuckles when your objection shifts into a moan that you have to suppress with your hand to your mouth.
âTell me why,â he mumbles into your tits, gently biting on them when you pull his hair a little too hard from the intensity.
âIâm scared Iâll be wrong,â you shockingly admit through unshed tears when he starts to kiss up your neck, feeling the chill of his month being away from where you need them to return.
That thought crossed your mind a lot. That you shot yourself in the foot over something underlying that you werenât ready to admit.
Caleb may sleep around, but what if he really did want you in ways you didnât know?
What if you wouldâve just went and fucking asked him instead of assuming?
But the fear of it being the opposite, experiencing that realization and embarrassment, trumped any other potential belief.
âLet me take that fear away, then.â
You remain focused on the way he brings your hips to the edge of the table, undoing your jeans as he kisses your lips. Your hands frantically grasp at his hair that heâs cut a little shorter, but itâs a difference you like. Skillfully, he holds the kiss as he guides you to lift your hips to get your pants down your legs without needing to say a word.
âTell me yes,â he pecks your lips several times, a string of saliva constantly forming from how wet the exchange is. âLike the first time. The way you begged me. Let me hear you again, pretty. You donât understand how much Iâve missed it.â
Thereâs so many emotions and questions coursing through you as you nod quickly, your eyes prickling with tears. You pull at the hair on the nape of his neck, your fingertips finding their way to the simple quote down the side of it. Itâs like youâre trying to trace him to commit him to memory in case this really is something youâll never have again.
âPleaseâŠPlease taste me, Caleb..â
âYouâre so good, baby,â he breathes, falling to his knees so that he can worship you better than he did when he slid inside your pussy. Immediately, he covers your mound with his mouth. You canât sit up like this anymore when he starts to suck your clit, your body giving out on you as you slowly fall back and onto the cool leather.
The metal in his mouth teases your sensitive nub while his tongue writes his name into your flesh. Each stroke of the thick muscle between your sensitive lips is enough to finally pull the tears from your ducts to cascade down your temples.
He pulls back, gathering his spit to drench your cunt in it before delving back into you like a second wasted will make you realize that this isnât where you want to be.
âI fucking missed you,â he declares, licking long stripes up and down your pretty pussy. âI havenât touched anyone since you let me have you. I couldnât get you off my mind.â
You choke on your cries, a foreign warmth completing you at the sincerity of his words.
He indulges in you like a man starved of what is rightfully his and all you can do is become a mess under his spell. The wet sounds of your juices as his tongue opens you up like a wallflower, drives you to be incapable of holding on any longer.ïżŒ
âIâm gonna comeâŠâ Your hold in his dark strands grow tighter.
âI know...Youâre so sensitive, just like I remember. Like I always dream about.â
The confidence in his response, like the one time with your body was all it took for him to know it so well, makes you bite your lip hard as your body jerks when you orgasm makes you feel what itâs like to be torn between two realms.
His nose moves back and forth in your warmth, your walls clenching around his tongue while he continues to spread your slick everywhere he can.
You canât control your moans, your legs raising to give him room at the same time your tits rise and fall in an effort to ground yourself.
Caleb quickly separates from you, standing up to climb over your body, attacking your lips so that he can swallow your cries. Your taste on his tongue makes you whine into the kiss the more he licks into your mouth. He rests his forehead against yours, his breath fanning against your face.
âI thought I was just another notch on your belt,â you finally voice the truth to him. âI thought you used me, and I was too scared to find out if it was true.â
âOh, babyâŠâ he breathed in defeat as if your words have crushed his heart. âYou thought you were a fling?â
âHow could I not? You haveâŠa history, Caleb.â
âThatâs fairâif we were strangers.â
âWe might as well have been.â Your breath finally settles. âI didnât exactly know how you moved until after, when Bea told me. We donât know each other as much as you seem to think we do.â
âYou seem to not know me, but pretty girl,â he kisses your neck. âI know you.â
âI feel like that needs some explaining.â
âIt does,â he smiles. âLet me take you home after I get off. Iâll tell you everything you donât know. That can be your other birthday gift to me.â
You ruminate on his proposition before you agree, but every single nerve in your bodyâaside from having the orgasmâis raised.
What does he know? What has he been hiding?
But itâs no point in pondering on something you have zero clue about. Like he saidâtonight, youâll learn.
True to his word, after Caleb cleans you up, he sanitizes your nipples, prepares his station like its second nature, and pierces them for you. He guided you through every breath and praised you for each successful puncture. He even admired them with you as he stood in front of a mirror with you in front of him so that you could admire yourself.
You didnât know if it was Caleb, the piercings, or both, but you could feel and understand that confidence Bea spoke of.
âI canât wait until they heal,â he kisses down your neck, pressing his bare chest to your back. He never brought up the fact that he didnât come, so you assumed the reason the poor man behind you got so heated that he had to take his shirt off, is because he needs to come.
But youâre not going to say anything either. Since he apparently has somethingâs heâs kept secret, maybe he needs this little punishment.
But you canât deny that the view of the few tattoos on his body doesnât make you want to put his cock in your mouth.
âWhat will you do once they are?â
âYouâll see. Just donât disappear on me again, yeah? Itâs good to check in with your piercer. Have to make sure everything is healing nicely.â He grips your waist, making you suppress a smile.
When youâre finished, Caleb gives you a large spare shirt of his since your tank top is still wet from where he sucked on your nipples.
At the same time that you leave the room with him right on your tail, Bea and Marquis walk in. Thankfully, they look way happier than whatever was being said about them earlier. But, Beaâs eyes look at you, then Caleb, the shirt you wear, and the slight flush on his cheeks.
Thatâs all she needs to know that you two have a whole bunch of hours of crucial information to exchange ahead of you, but when you tell her where youâll be tonight, sheâs going to wish she was a fly on the wall.
A/N: I really enjoyed writing this, like it honestly felt like I was writing a chapter for a novel in a weird way. I can only hope you luvlys actually enjoyed this as itâs more of a full fledged out story than it is straight up sex going on and it wasnât even really any of that in this. Iâm sorry if thatâs what you were looking for, by my masterlist is full of it, so Iâm sure youâll be fine LOLLL.
This is soooooooo delicious! I'm an angst lover and this was the perfect amount! Also, the concept of tattoo artist Caleb....đ€€like, omg. I loved the supporting cast too! You wrote them so well! 10/10
izzy806
discoholicmusic
kaledo-art
dededos
