It's Nephele 😘.

I'm 21, nice to meet you. Welcome to my house of thoughts.

[batwngs]

can you do the classic ass or tits dc boys 🥸🥸🥸

what ever happened to personality?? anyway i made a chart

FEATURING: roy harper, hal jordan, oliver queen, victor stone, garth of shayeris, dick grayson, jason todd, clark kent, bruce wayne, and jean-paul valley WARNING(S): NSFW (18+ only, mdni), explicit descriptions of sex and intimacy, mentions of anal and anal play, mentions of oral (reader receiving), mentions of nipple play, penetrative sex, afab! reader, not proofread

ROY HARPER: to me, he's like the epitome of 'i love you, but i'm going to fuck you like i hate you' and because of that he usually has you in positions where he can get a great view of your ass. he loves the more intimate, front-facing positions (esp when he's desperate and in need of reassurance of some kind), but more often than not you're in doggy or at least in any position that allows him access to your ass. like his hand will be on your ass at all times if possible.

if you're into it or open to try, he would so love to eat your ass out too, enjoying both your pussy and ass as if he were a starved man—and, because i love him, he'd cum from this alone. if you're not as open to anal in any way, he'd still love to eat you out from behind, leaving bite marks on the fullness of your curves and thighs, and spreading your ass cheeks a part just so he can memorize the way your body reacts to him. in general, i think he really gets off on watching the way your body moves and responds to him, regardless of if it's your moans getting louder at the way he tongues your clit or if it's your back arching and ass pushing back to meet his thrusts; it's just intimate how no matter how rough or soft he's being, your bodies move in such unison. even in casual everyday moments of domesticity, he would just playfully and lovingly squeeze your ass in passing and relish in the little ways you react to him. you could be pouring yourself some coffee in the morning or making yourself breakfast when roy would just pass by and cop a quick feel, causing you to giggle or slightly jump at the sudden touch you weren't expecting. i think he would just love that you love him very presently and openly

HAL JORDAN: he's honestly not that much better than roy here, but because of his complex relationship with gender and sexuality, he wouldn't be as open to anal like roy is, not at least until he's older and post-spectre. he'd still absolutely love any position that allows him access to groping and touching your ass. whether that be having you on your hands and knees with your face pressed firmly into the mattress while one hand grips your hip and the other palms the fullness of your cheek, or having you in reverse cowgirl he's really just indulging and admiring the view. outside of sex, he would also just take every opportunity to touch you; instead of his hand resting on your waist, his would just exist on your lower back and slowly inch its way down, probably and most likely resting his hand in the back-pocket of your jeans while you're both out at a bar for the night

OLIVER QUEEN: never met a socialist that wasn't an ass man! but tbh he's a closeted ass guy to me, one with a solid pr team to make him seem like he's a tits guy but the minute you're alone with him, he's feeling you up! i also just feel like he's so incredibly intimate and romantic about it too, like he's not just into your ass but incredibly in love with your back and how your body is shaped so perfectly, how the pathway of your spine and the contours of your flesh create one of the most delicate curves in the universe. and have you ever noticed how similar one's back can be to the spine of a bow? mechanically not the same, but metaphorically, analogously, i think ollie would find himself immensely in love all the same in how he would, in an effort to offer you a back massage after a grueling week, end up gently kissing his way from the nape of your neck to the very end of your spine all while softly massaging the fullness of your ass before finally pressing kisses there too. you'd probably laugh and giggle and sigh and hum at his declarations of love pressed to your skin like this but it's just music to his ears

also recency bias, i can't not think of @mick-is-asleep's fic and just the concept of him absolutely admiring your back and ass as you ask him to help zip up your evening wear or even have him help clasp your necklace for the night's gala—it's probably the only thing that keeps him sane throughout the event as well as the prospect of getting to undress you once home.

VIC STONE: i think he would know how to appreciate your body regardless, but yeah this man loves your ass. he would absolutely find any and every excuse to pick you up and toss you over his shoulder, and somehow his hand would be conveniently placed on your ass—for stability, he'd assure you. vic is generally pretty playful when he can be, so i don't think he would shy away from pinching and lightly slapping your ass in passing, or even just resting his hand on you as you're laid across his lap watching a movie together. but, vic is also a very competent and intelligent person, he knows exactly when to lock in and that's often during sex; even, if it's on the sillier side, he's still very much focused on teasing you for your pleasure. if you're into spanking, he'd definitely lean into that for you, but largely he's incredibly gentle with his touches—even when he's roughly palming and massaging the flesh of your ass before dragging his thick fingers along your walls

GARTH OF SHAYERIS: he's such a lover boy that if you genuinely asked him 'ass or tits?' he'd probably say your eyes. and he wouldn't be wrong to say that because i think he would genuinely be so in love with your eyes, and just every aspect of you. he's very middle-ground about this though because in the bedroom, where he would prefer any position where he can see your face (again, because of your eyes!), he would very much give a lot of attention to your chest, kissing a fevered yet delicately wet path from your lips down your jaw and neck until his lips are wrapped around one of your nipples, gently sucking before he eventually kisses his way back up to your lips. but outside of the bedroom, in those domestic moments where you're both cuddling on the couch and your head is laying on his chest, his hands would just be resting on the curve of your ass. he's just overall very gentle and tender with his affection (and his mouth)

DICK GRAYSON: perhaps this is also recency bias as i still have @patientofarkhamasylum's amazing fic on my mind, but while everyone does think dick would be an ass man, i think he finds much more comfort and love with his face pressed against your chest. like sarah mentioned in her fic, i think listening to your heartbeat would be incredibly grounding for him especially as things get hectic and out of control for him on patrols or cases—regardless of if it's bludhaven, gotham, or titans-related. there is something so deeply calming about falling asleep—a thing that dick actually rarely does!—with your breasts as his pillow, whether that be in bed or on the couch. i can also see him seeking out hugs like this after grueling cases, after moments where he feels like a failure clad in black and blue (in bruises and design); the idea of coming up to him at his messy desk with water in hand, knowing he probably hasn't had any since the morning, only to have him turn to you with that boyish, tired smile of his before gently pulling you into his lap and wrapping his arms around you as his head rests on your chest, beautiful eyes looking up at you with the wonder you always look at him with before he closes them to concentrate on matching his breathing to your heart's beating. he'd probably also sneak a hand underneath your shirt and unclasp your bra if you were still wearing one at that point in the evening, just so that he can be closer to you (and you'd probably have to stop him from trying to take your shirt off too, at least while the windows to his apartment are wide and open)

and for the same reasons, i think he'd very much prefer sexual positions and acts where you're both facing one another: he's a very sentimental romantic at his foundation so there aren't many positions he favors that you're facing away from him (except for when you're riding his face ig), but these positions, like missionary or lotus, just allow him to also massage and play with your breast as he's balls deep inside you with his tongue down your throat. he generally just likes to have his hands on you in some way, both in and out of the bedroom, because being intimate with your partner like this is something that means so much to him; it's a little overwhelming how all-consuming his presence can be when you're together, but he just loves the closeness, loves being grounded while simultaneously suspended by your presence, your love, your everything

CLARK KENT: this is a guy who actively memorizing heart beats of the people he loves, i really doubt he wouldn't want to bury his face between your breasts and just listen to your heart sing. i think he would also just enjoy pressing kisses down your sternum and relish in the comforting feeling of your heart beating against his lips. clark would also find himself staring at your chest, it's not something he intentionally does though. you can be stretching at your desk after a great writing session late in the evening at his apartment, your tank top riding up slightly and the upward pull of your arms bringing your breasts together, and clark would just stare at how lovely you look like this, even if it's momentary, even if you've already put your arms down and caught the direction of his eyes placed right at your chest. or, as you're both trying to be intimate, you'd take off your shirt and his breath would hitch as if he hasn't seen you in this particular bra before, as if he hasn't seen and loved your breasts before. you'd point it out every time with a giggle and he'd be a blushing mess about it, apologizing like he did something wrong and blasphemous by just looking as if you aren't straddling his waist and staring right at his own chest too..

BRUCE WAYNE: so like he's definitely not beating the breeding kink allegations. i really do believe his happy place is sucking on your tits where i think he could genuinely spend an entire round marking your chest as he moans and pants onto your flesh while his fingers curl inside your core until you're cumming and clenching on them (and ofc he'd cum just from sucking on and biting your nipples) but here's the thing about bruce wayne: he's going to deny and abstain from his wants, desires, and yearnings, especially if it brings him even a smidge of happiness. this is a guy who often doesn't allow himself to be happy (e.g. mask of the phantasm monologue), so while he would absolutely love to spend hours or the rest of his life buried between your breasts and kissing, sucking, biting, and playing with your flesh and nipples until you're forcing him off of you (and even then, he'd beg for five more minutes which would turn into another five minutes, etc. etc.) he really would not let himself indulge unless it was solely for your pleasure

but.. even then,. he's so so clinical with sex—or, maybe not so much as clinical as he is strict in a weirdly intense and try-hard sense. the strictness really only applies to him because, to be honest, this is a guy who grades himself and his performance in bed. so, while he's doing things for your pleasure, like sucking and kissing your tits, you'll start to notice—esp if you've been intimate with him more than like three times—that he's like timing himself? that the way his tongue is moving across your nipples is oddly methodical before he moves to your other breast and does the exact same thing. it's not like it's bad but you can tell he's trying very very very hard to at least get a passing grade, except he's the one grading himself so the highest grade he's ever going to get is like a C.

that being said. if he ever allows himself to go nuts and be happy..best sex of your life. and if you're able, you'd probably end up pregnant

EXCEPTIONS / DEVIATIONS:

JASON TODD: i really do think jason is much more into thighs (and your arms!) something that his hands just naturally gravitate towards while lounging together on the couch or even while cuddling in bed. there is something very lovely to him about your thighs, and i can see him planting the most delicate kisses up and down the expanse of your thigh before he finds himself kissing your clit and tonguing at your entrance, his hands, of course, still holding onto the fullness of your thighs.

but for the sake of this spectrum, he would lean more towards tits simply because whenever you ride him, with one of your hands holding onto the headboard and another on his shoulder for stability, he can't help but take one of your breasts into his mouth and tongue at your nipple. he'd be incredibly sloppy and noncommittal with it though, as he can't pay attention for too long with how you're squeezing around him; he's just a mess underneath you, always, moaning and panting hot breath and pleads to your chest while his hands bruisingly grip your thigh and hip

JEAN-PAUL VALLEY: this man is so sad wet meow meow and generally afraid of anything remotely sexual that he would genuinely combust if he even thought of your body like that. like canonically he's the type to run away as fast as he can like an anime school girl with a nosebleed if you express sexual (or any) interest in him, and would probably explode if you kissed him on the cheek. i can't imagine what would happen if he saw you naked, but regardless i would laugh

[pluvial-lake]

Reader who has a real job and actual bills. Reader who prioritizes her own peace over his feelings. Reader who has hobbies that don’t revolve around a man. Reader who actually has a life outside of him. Reader who says “no” and means it. Reader who isn't easily impressed. Reader who’s petty. Reader who has trust issues. Reader who chooses her girls every single time. Reader who has a body count and isn't ashamed of it. Reader who is exhausted by male fragility. Reader who holds grudges. Reader who’s a mess. Reader who’s mentally ill. Reader who makes mistakes. Reader who’s manipulative. Reader who’s selfish. Reader who’s morally gray. Reader who’s awful. Reader who genuinely doesn’t give a fuck.

[honey-snail]

DC MASTERLIST

Long Fics:

𑣲 The Heart Grows Fonder 1.8k featuring: Yan! Tim Drake

One date. One mistake. Now Tim Drake can't stop watching, protecting, and loving you. And the more he watches, the harder it becomes to convince himself that kidnapping you wouldn't be the safest solution to all his problems.

𑣲 Oops, All Sugar! 1.7k featuring: Yan! Batfamily x Reader

You wanted nice things. Security. Comfort. And Gotham's most powerful man was more than willing to provide. Except one arrangement turned into another, one favor into the next - until you start to wonder if everything's connected... or if you just got a little too greedy.

𑣲 Welcome Back, Red -> Eat Your Heart Out 6k, Jason Todd x Yan! Reader

You've always seen people as insects, except for Jason. Maybe he has the worst kind of luck encountering a monster like you. Dead Dove.

𑣲 Playing House 3k featuring: Yan! Jason x reader x Yan! Artemis

A little housewife for two outlaws. There are perks. There are downfalls. And luck has never been on your side.

𑣲 Replica 4.7k featuring: Yan! Dick Grayson x Reader

𑣲 Echo 3.0k

Dick Grayson is dead, and the family gives you something to remember him by. It just happens to be a little too much like your deceased husband.

𑣲 From Lovers to Nothing 4.6k featuring: Dick Grayson x Reader

They say first love stays with you. Nobody ever says it can rot.

𑣲 Magical Girl Woes 3k featuring Yan! Tim Drake x Reader

You wanted to be a magical girl. Unfortunately, you're very bad at it.

𑣲 The Roommate Set Up 2.6k featuring: Yan! Kori x Reader x Yan! Dick

It started with a kiss. How did it end up like this? You moved to Blüdhaven for cheap rent, not to get involved into your alien roommate’s relationship.

Short Fics/Headcanons:

𑣲 Let's Talk Hands (smut) featuring: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne

𑣲 How They Bathe With You! (domestic) featuring: Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain

𑣲 The whole family is naturally yandere... (ask) featuring: batfamily x reader

𑣲 Control Issues (yandere) featuring: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown

𑣲 I Know Who You Pretend I Am (love-triangle/angst) featuring: Dick Grayson x Reader x Jason Todd

𑣲 Yan! Adrian Chase with an idol

Choose Your Character! Drabbles

Heart Throb 𑣲 Dick Grayson

Yandere Cop! Dick Grayson x Reader (abuse of power) The worst to be on your period with: Dick & Bruce Run away with Yan! Dick Grayson & Yan! Jason Todd (anon ask, gn! reader) Dick Grayson just wants to see your kitty :( nsfw thoughts of dick with his kids Dick Grayson, who only cleans to get rewards from you Yan! Grayson and his reserved darling Dick Grayson, who eats ass! Dick Grayson, who looks like a pup but is more of a wolf Yan! Grayson with his sweet but insane darling

The Bad Boy 𑣲 Jason Todd

Jason Todd has a lactation kink Yandere! Jason Todd x Reader (Stockholm-ish) Yan! Poly yandere Outlaws x Reader (NSFW, pregnancy, fem! reader) Loser Boy! Jason Todd x Reader (Yearning) More Loser Boy! Jason Todd x Reader (Injured) Jason Todd is a domestic man (fluff, gn! reader) Pervy Jason Todd (NSFW) Jason Todd and his kisses (Fluff, gn! reader) Jason Todd doesn't fuck rough! Random boyfriend thoughts starring... Jason Todd! (Angst, gn! Reader) Jason cosplays sukuna! (fem! reader, NSFW) Run away with Yan! Dick Grayson & Yan! Jason Todd (anon ask, gn! reader) Jason Todd and Salsa Dancing Jason Todd, who retired his abs for you (fluff) thoughts of jason with his kids Jason Todd has to help a crybaby like you at your wedding Jason Todd and his found family Clingy Jason Todd in the mornings Calling Jason Todd puppy

The Workaholic 𑣲 Tim Drake

Lover Boy! Tim Drake (Domestic, gn! reader) Showering w/ Tim Drake (fluff) Yan! Tim Drake with a magical girl Yan! Tim Drake, who gives you things to do Tim Drake who sleeps on your dirty sheets

The Billionaire 𑣲 Bruce Wayne

Yandere! Bruce Wayne x Reader (Spanking) Slight Yandere! Superbat x Reader (pet play dynamics) Bruce Wayne with a Crybaby! Reader Yan! Bruce Wayne punishments (NSFW, fem! reader) Goodluck Mrs. Wayne Yan! Bruce and your tantrums Yan! Bruce is instructing you with a plush! Bruce and his approval of you dating his kids

The Quiet One 𑣲 Cassandra Cain

Yandere! Cassandra Cain (Pregnant! Reader) Cassandra Cain is a lightweight (Fluff, afab! reader) Punishments with Yan! Cassandra Cain (anon ask, gn! reader) Doomed yuri </3

SMAU - Social Media AU

What are you doing up? (Would you love me if I was a worm?) You can't be in the delivery room! You didn't ask me to be your valentine! Sweet Tooth (pop rocks, nsfw) Why aren't you wearing your wedding ring? Mmm how about we don't woohoo Those who mourn (heavy angst) I think our kid hates me We tried, didn't we? Knocked Up? (prank) Oh, So You Do Like Me! (tsundere! reader) Didn't Finish The Job (prank, suggestive) Drunk on You! (alcohol, lil angst) Baby Fever spring breakers C'mon Baby, Put On That Tin Hat! Bop it. Twist it. Jerk it The Perks of Girlhood (Not)

Last Updated: 7/9/26

Dividers by: @/chrisssiren

[prodigalsonz]

MISSING IN ACTION ;

SYNOPSIS: DICK GRAYSON X VIGILANT GN!READER. Nightwing's priorities doesn't seem to fall into place lately. Most, if not all of them, get buried under the case files.

( PART 02 ⊹ PREVIOUS )

⊹ warning: insp by the recent nightwing arc, but no spoilers. ⊹ includes: angst (they are both very frustrated here), patrol partners to lovers.

⊹ taglist: @jnnifrsbdy @southernfrogprincesd @emoidtee @wichu127

this is a short series, so it should be done this week reply to this post if you want to be added.

[prodigalsonz]

MISSING IN ACTION ;

SYNOPSIS: DICK GRAYSON X VIGILANT GN!READER. Nightwing's priorities doesn't seem to fall into place lately. Most, if not all of them, get buried under the case files.

( PART 02 ⊹ PREVIOUS )

⊹ warning: insp by the recent nightwing arc, but no spoilers. ⊹ includes: angst (they are both very frustrated here), patrol partners to lovers.

⊹ taglist: @jnnifrsbdy @southernfrogprincesd @emoidtee @wichu127

this is a short series, so it should be done this week reply to this post if you want to be added.

[glimmerfics]

Gotham City is no place for kindness. But after you patch up a certain vigilante, he just can't seem to leave you alone -- what will you do in this Choose Your Own Adventure?

Red Hood/Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Choose Your Own Adventure

🔗 READ/PLAY HERE 🎮interactive fanfic "chain reaction" by redbirdonfire 📖 Episode 1 of ?

[nephelesthoughts]

Y'all I really do hate school. I stress more than I learn 😐

[nephelesthoughts]

One day I'll be rich enough to R3 him, but until then, I'm happy I got him r0

[gerardgibsonluvr]

NOW PLAYING my girl, the temptations

── dick grayson౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

synopsis bothering your vigilante boyfriend whilst he’s on patrol

gotham’s skyline glittered beneath dick grayson as he crouched on a gargoyle, scanning the street below. the night was riddled with crime, just like any other normal evening. the streets bustled with cars and loud chattering.

dick’s comm buzzed in his ear, taking him out of his thoughts.

he smiled instantly. “you know, most people call to say hello, but somehow you call only when I’m dangling off buildings.”

“i called to check if my favorite acrobat was still alive.”

“i’m everyone’s favorite acrobat.” he said.

“wrong. you’re gotham’s favorite. you’re mine exclusively.” you smiled to yourself.

you heard dick huff a quiet laugh on the line while leaping to another rooftop. “i’m flattered. slightly concerned, but also flattered.”

“did you just jump?”

“maybe.”

you inhaled softly. “dick grayson. if you die while i’m on the phone with you, i will literally kill you.”

“how would you kill me if i’m already dead?” he teased, “besides that would be very inconvenient for everyone.”

you rolled your eyes. “i can hear wind. that’s not ‘standing safely’ wind, that’s ‘gravity is optional’ wind!”

dick landed smoothly. “relax, baby. i’ve been doing this since i was nine.”

“exactly! you’ve had zero adult supervision most of your life.”

“excuse me. i had supervision.” he retorted.

“a man who dresses like a bat does not count.” you scoffed, secretly hoping batman didn’t have access to dick’s comms.

you heard a crash echo on the other line. dick winced slightly.

“what was that? are you okay?”

“yeah it was nothing.” he said quickly.

“that was a nothing that exploded.”

“minor explosion.”

“what explosion is ever minor?” you said worriedly. “dick grayson.”

“yes, baby?”

“if you get blown up, i am not explaining to bruce that you were distracted because i was telling you about my bad day.”

nightwing paused mid-step. his voice softened. “you’re having a bad day?”

you sighed, “thanks. now i feel manipulative.”

“no, no. talk to me. i can multitask. remember that time i disarmed a bomb while ordering pizza?” you heard him laugh to himself.

“that’s not as reassuring as you think it is..”

“it was extra cheese. high stakes.”

“you’re ridiculous.” you chuckled.

“and yet you love me.” he said, gently.

“unfortunately.”

a grappling hook fired with a metallic snap.

the line went silent.

“…was that the grappling hook?”

“what? nooo..” dick replied, hesitantly.

“richard john grayson.”

you could practically hear him grinning mid swing. “wow. full government huh? i’m in trouble.”

“get down from wherever you are right now.”

“babe, i can’t. i’m midswing. that’s not how physics works.” he teased.

“i hate that i find this attractive.”

“you love that you find it attractive.”

dick landed on a nearby rooftop, scanning the familiar brick building across from him. “i swear if you swing past our building just to show off, i’m locking the window.”

he tilted his head. “you wound me. i would never show off.”

the metal of a fire escape clinked softly under his boots.

“…dick.”

“yes.” he said, tentatively.

“is there any reason why i can hear our fire escape?” you questioned.

“there are many fire escapes in gotham.”

“richard-”

a light knock on the window made you turn around quickly. there he was, crouching outside the glass. looking far too pleased with himself, making it impossible to be mad at him.

“hi.” he smiled.

you marched over and yanked the window open. “you said you were midpatrol.” you crossed your arms.

“i am. i just… took a detour?”

“i don’t think that’s how patrol works.”

“very flexible job description.”

you watched as dick slipped inside swiftly, landing in the middle of your bedroom like it was a stage. he pulled off his mask, his hair slightly windswept, and his famous dick grayson smile plastered onto his face.

“you can’t just swing in here every time you miss me.”

“i’m nightwing. yes i can.”

“dick,”

“you said you had a bad day.” he stepped closer, hands finding your waist. “so i’m fixing it.”

“by trespassing.”

“it’s not trespassing if i live here.”

“technically dick grayson lives here, not nightwing.” you teased him.

“now who’s the ridiculous one?” without waiting for a reply, he leaned down and kissed you. it was soft. warm. recognisable. also quick at first, just enough to steal your breath.

“see?” he murmured against your lips. “immediate improvement.”

you placed your hands on his chest and looked at him. “you can’t just do that.”

“i absolutely can. i’m night-”

“yeah yeah, i heard you the first five times.”

he laughed and kissed you again, lingering a little longer this time, thumb brushing along your cheek. when he rested his forehead against yours, his voice lost its teasing edge.

“you okay?”

your hands fisted lightly in the front of his suit. “i was stressed.”

“and now?”

“…less stressed.”

“then my work here is done.” he chirped.

you poked the blue emblem on his chest. “you’re going to get yourself shot because you’re too busy playing romeo and juliet on rooftops.”

he laughed quietly, then pressed a kiss to your temple.

“i’ll be careful.”

“you say that like it’s optional.”

“it’s not. i promised i’d come back in one piece. there’s that mint ice cream we like waiting for me in the freezer.” he grinned.

“i cannot believe that’s your motivation.”

“oh, i have other motivations.” he said, his fingers caressing your hip.

“oh yeah?”

“yeah.”

he leaned down, brushing his lips against yours one more time, softer now.

“you.” he whispered.

you expression melted instantly. “that was smooth.”

“what can i say. circus background. performance is everything.”

his comm crackled faintly in his ear.

dick sighed. “duty calls.”

“of course it does.”

dick stepped back toward the window, pulling his mask down into place.

“be safe.” you said softly.

“always.” he replied.

“that’s still not convincing.”

and in typical dick grayson fashion, he climbed onto the window sill, and suddenly leaned back in and stole one last quick kiss.

“for luck.”

he grinned and flipped backward out the window, grappling hook firing as he disappeared into the night. you walked to the window, leaning out slightly.

“show off.”

from somewhere above, you heard him.

“i heard that!”

you smiled, shutting and locking the window behind him. and somewhere across the skyline, nightwing was still smiling too.

authors note

guys this is getting sm love thank you sososososo much !! more dick grayson fics to come…

[grwm-bbyt]

400 LUX

⠀⠀⠀[ও] caleb x non-mc! reader , fluff , some angst , coworkers to lovers , happy ending , loosely inspired by 400 lux by lorde ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀7.2K words

the chime above the door of the panda lin doesn't so much ring as it does clatter. the cheap metallic sound echoes through the unnervingly still dining room. much like outside, the air inside is warm. the only difference is in the smell of sesame oil, citrus floor cleaner, and the faint, sweet tang of marinated pork. at the counter, a boy who looks to be about your age jolts upright, nearly knocking over a lucky cat figurine whose golden paw continues to wave rhythmically. scrambling to look professional, he smooths the wrinkles out of his cherry-red polo shirt and clears his throat.

he greets you with practiced enthusiasm. you tell him you're looking for mike, the manager who you're supposed to be meeting at one. the boy's shoulders drop. he doesn't say anything else before disappearing through the swinging grease-stained kitchen doors. a moment later, he returns, followed by a scruffy looking older man. the cashier returns to his original seat.

the older man, mike, tucks his stained collared t-shirt into his old jeans. he eyes you dubiously before asking you for your resume. you fish through your bag, fingers tangling with your keys before finally snagging the edge of a crisp green folder. you pull your resume and hand it over to him.

mike's greasy hands grip onto the white paper as he scans the lines quickly. he asks you brief questions and you answer all of them in the same way. you try to make a joke, but he doesn't even crack a smile. your prospects of getting this job are dwindling until mike folds your resume and tucks it underneath his arm. he starts going on about their summer plans and how he thinks business will pick up. behind his shoulder, the cashier slowly catches your eyes. he glances at mike, than back at you and shakes his head at whatever mike is saying.

a tiny smile tugs at your lips. you try to refocus on mike before he catches you, but he's a lot faster than he looks. he snaps at him. "caleb! i'm not paying you to sit all day and play games on your phone. go wipe down some tables."

"i just did that thirty minutes ago." caleb retorts.

"then find something else to do."

caleb gets up begrudgingly and disappears once again through the kitchen doors. mike lets out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. after a moment, he looks back up at you and continues the interview. to your surprise, he offers you the job, telling you to come in tomorrow.

with that, you leave the restaurant.

the heat of the parking lot hits you like a ton of bricks. you head for your mom's sedan, doing your dorky little celebratory dance as you search for her keys in your bag.

"did you get it?"

you jump, a yelp escaping your lips as you spin around. caleb is standing by the side of the building, a heavy black trash bag sagging in each of his hands. the sun catches the messy highlights in his hair, making him look more like the love interest in a teen beach movie.

"jeez!" you breathe. "you really shouldn't sneak up on people."

"noted."

"and i did get it."

"good," he nods. he turns and starts the long trek towards the dumpsters at the edge of the lot.

he's weird, you think as you watch him go. you find your keys and slide into the car, the vinyl seats burning the back of your legs. you drive home with the windows down.

the next morning you arrive at the restaurant at 10am sharp. when you walk in, caleb is already there. he greets you, calling you 'new girl'. you counter with your actual name, sliding to the back of the counter beside him.

he clasps his hands together with a loud smack that reverberates through the empty restaurant. he tells you that mike isn't coming in today, so he's the de facto manager. he opens the door to the kitchen and you slide past him.

caleb shows you around starting with mike's locked office door. the kitchen, belonging to ms. lim, the chef. and the tiny door-less closet that was supposed to be the break room.

for the rest of the day, caleb continues his tour. he introduces you to ms. lim, who comes in an hour later. he shows you all the supply closets, the bathrooms, and the corners of the restaurant that don't have security cameras, "just in case you ever need to use them," he tells you with a wink. he takes you on a tour of the strip mall, showing you the boba place that gives 20% discounts to other employees of the complex. he teaches you how to use the register, how to take orders, how to read them out to ms. lim.

at the end of all of your training, five hours later, the two of you end up sitting in a booth. ms. lim brings out a plate of noodles for you to share, telling you that you've worked hard today.

caleb dives in, probing you about why you decided to work at panda lin of all places.

"i have an unhealthy shopping addiction and i need to fund it somehow."

"you said you were in school?"

"yeah, it's this tiny little performing arts school in whitesand bay."

"performing arts?"

"yes, i'm an actress."

"you've been in anything i've seen."

"not yet," you giggle. "i should say i'm trying to become an actress. what about you? why are you working here?"

"i'm taking a gap year… well, two gap years to save up for aviation academy. i want to be a pilot."

"my uncle works for silverbay airlines." you take a sip of your fountain drink. "he's a pilot too."

"yeah, i'm not really commercial." caleb takes the last spring roll and cuts it in half. he places one half on your plate. "here you go," he shoves his half in his mouth and stands up. "see you tomorrow."

for the next month, you a caleb spend every day together. since your interview, you've seen mike probably three times, but caleb tells you that's normal. he's usually never around. but whenever he's around, the two of you try to keep busy. you sit at your ordained booth marrying sauce bottles, refilling salt and pepper shakers, refilling napkin holders. you wipe down the same tables over and over again every time he comes out to the dining room.

most of the time, when mike isn't around, the two of you are eating leftovers that ms. lim makes. over orange chicken, he questions you. he says he's just doing his due diligence to find out who this new person working with him is. he asks you about your life in school, your major, your friends. he asks about your life at home, or lack thereof. your mom and stepdad moved here at the end of the summer last year, so you don't really know anyone in this town. you don't have any friends, so other than work and helping your mom out at the library on sundays, you don't have much of a social life here.

caleb is surprisingly very vulnerable with you, someone he just met. he does calls himself an open book. he shares a lot about his dad, who used to be a fighter pilot before he got sick. caleb proudly recounts his father's tales with a shimmer in his purple eyes. he tells you about his grandmother who raised him after his father died. she was kind, he says, but you could tell she didn't want the responsibility of raising a child at her age. on his 18th birthday, she handed him the keys to his father's house and a letter telling him that she's moving further south.

one day after work, he takes you to his house. he shows you his admittedly impressive model airplane collection and his childhood bedroom covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. the two of you watch a movie together, but you're pausing every five minutes to dissect the scene. at the end, you notice how dark it is outside. you slide off his bed and leave his room.

the next day, at the end of the work day, caleb convinces you to come out with him to take out the trash. he tells you it's for "moral support", but when you ask how that makes sense since he's been doing it long before you started working there, he just drags you along with him. he tosses the two large trash bags into the dumpster with a heavy thud and turns to face you, wiping his palms on his jeans. you're leaning against the gate on your phone, your bag already slung across your chest.

"are you busy tonight?" the two of you begin walking back to the restaurant.

"i'm never busy."

"good, do you want to come to a party?"

"who's party?"

"i'll pick you up at 9."

"that didn't answer my question."

"i'll see you tonight." he says with a smirk and disappears through the doors.

when you get home, you spend two hours getting ready for caleb to pick you up. you turn your entire bedroom around, trying to find something to wear that says you didn't try too hard. the floor of your room disappears under a sea of discarded fabrics until you settle on something casual (jeans and the only 'going out' top you own). you wait on the edge of your bed, staring at your phone for a text from caleb.

five minutes later, to your surprise, the doorbell rings instead. you rush downstairs, shoes clicking against the hardwood, bolting past your parents who are curled up on the couch.

"where are you going?" you stepdad asks you.

"hanging out with my coworker." you answer breathlessly, already reaching for the doorknob.

"what time will you be ba—?" your mom asks you but you're already out the door and pushing caleb back to his car.

"woah, eager." he exclaims.

"hey," you take a deep breath, trying to steady your heart rate. "are you ready?"

he opens the passenger door for you with a bow. you slip into the seat, the scent of his cologne filling your lungs.

the drive to the city is unusually quiet. the only sound is the quiet hum of the ac and the faint vibration of tires on the road. you try to ask caleb where you're going, but he seems to be in his head, his fingers drumming a restless beat against the steering wheel.

"you're not taking me to some forest to kill me, are you?" you joke, hoping to break the tension.

"there are no forests anywhere near here." he says, curtly, his eyes fixed on the road. he pauses for a second, the corner of his mouth twitching. "and besides, why would i want to kill my favorite coworker?" he adds with a smile that finally meets his eyes.

"does ms. lim know that? she might get jealous."

"ms. lim knows that my love for her is different." he chuckles as the city skyline begins to tower over the car.

the car pulls into a cramped space in front of an old, red-brick apartment building. "we're here."

caleb leads you up the four-floor walk-up. the stairwell smells like cheap cigarettes and mildew. when you reach a large brown door, caleb pushes it open to reveal a party. as soon as you walk in, he reaches back for your hand, fingers locking firmly with yours. he holds it tightly as you navigate through the crowd of sweaty bodies. you feel the thumping bass of the vaguely familiar song in your chest as he pulls you toward a small, dimly lit room at the back of the flat.

he walks in first, still tugging you along.

"oh, look who decided to join us." a girl with bright red hair and silver rings says when she sees him. she doesn't wait for a greeting before she shoves a lukewarm drink into his hand.

"hey, guys, this is y/n," caleb introduces you, his thumb grazing the back of your hand. "she's my…"

"ooh, the coworker." the girl cuts him off, her eyes scanning you with curiosity. she takes you away from caleb and leads you to a makeshift bar. "i've heard so much about you."

"oh?"

"yeah, he talks about you all the time." you glance back at caleb, who is suddenly wrapped up in conversation with some of his friends. "i've been so excited to meet you. you're like a legend. i'm gretchen, by the way." she continues.

"oh, i'm not–"

"here." she hands you a drink. she grabs hers and clinks your plastic cups. you take a sip of the drink. it's sweet at first, but then the alcohol burns your throat.

"thanks," you choke out.

gretchen leads you over to the beanbags, where some other girls are seating. you look around the room. it's hazy with smoke, filled with people who all seem to have known each other since childhood. you feel out of place, like trespasser, watching from the sidelines. the girls try to include you, but it's hard trying to pretend to understand inside jokes or recognize the characters in their stories.

"so, what's up with you and caleb?" a girl seating across from you nods at you.

"me?" you ask incredulously. she nods again. "uh, nothing."

she hums and the other girls share looks. gretchen turns to face you. "just a heads up," she swirls the ice in her glass. "there's a lot of history with his ex. he says there's nothing there, but it's always back and forth with those two. so, um, be careful."

you feel a small prickle of discomfort. you watch caleb playing darts with some guys. he throws the dart and it his the board right in the middle. you turn back to the girls and offer a dismissive shrug, trying to play it cool. "it's not like that." you tell them. "caleb and i work together. we-we're just friends."

after a few hours of cramped apartment air, you and caleb decide to call it a night. the drive back home is almost the same as before— silent, except instead of tense, you're just exhausted and a little tipsy. you're resting you head on the cool glass, eyes fluttering shut when the car drives under a streetlight.

caleb is the one who breaks the quiet. "hey, thank you for coming tonight. i know my friends can be a lot, especially when they start gossiping about stuff, but i think they really liked you."

"i liked them too," you respond softly without opening your eyes.

the rest of the drive and much of the weeks that follow is a blur. you and caleb spend more and more time together. every weekend, you escape to the city to meet his friends and caleb drops you home long after your parents have already gone to bed. during the week, you find yourself doing the most mundane things with him. the two of spend a lot of late nights sitting in his car in the park, sharing a bag of chips or gummy bears, talking until the sun comes up.

after your shifts, you go on long aimless drives down empty back roads. caleb always lets you pick the music, and he never complains when you play the same song three times in a row. it's on these nights, with the windows cracked to let the cool night air in, that you realize you're feelings for caleb are changing quickly. you're watching him laugh at a dumb joke and suddenly you feel an ache in your chest.

one night, sometime in at the end of july, he's dropping you off at home. "my friend, patrick, is throwing a party this weekend for his birthday."

"cool,"

"alright, i'll let him know you're coming."

"are you sure it's okay? i feel like i've been tagging along whenever your friend are hanging out and i don't know, i don't want them to think i'm weird."

"what? my friends love you." he pulls to a stop at a red light and turns to look at you. "and i want you to come. i like having you around. it feels different whenever you're not there."

your heart rate is spiraling out of control. your stomach is doing olympic level flips. you tuck a loose strand of hair behind your hair and stare at your lap for a little too long, tracing the seams of your jeans. the words are right on the tip of your tongue— something cool and smooth that you've picked up from hanging out with his friends. you open your mouth slightly, but the moment shatters when his phone buzzes in the cup holder. the screen lights up with a notification. he glances at the phone and scowls when he sees the message. he grips the steering wheel tightly as the light turns green.

caleb drops you off at home. "i'll see you tomorrow," he says as you step out of the car. he waits until you've opened the door and waved goodbye to him before he drives off.

the next day, you arrive at the panda lin and caleb is nowhere to be seen, in his place, behind the cash register, is mike. you ask him about caleb, but he just grumbles something about calling out last minute this morning and stomps off into his office, the heavy door slamming shut behind him.

you pull out your phonw to text caleb: hey, are you sick or something?

you check your phone every hour during your shift, but there's no response from caleb. after work, you drive past his house, but his car isn't even in the driveway. you text him again before you go home.

caleb doesn't show up at work the next day, or the day after that, or even for the rest of the week. you want to text him, call him, maybe even send a carrier pigeon, but after your sixth message went unread, you decide to let it be. you call gretchen instead. she always seems to know where all her friends are.

"oh, uh… caleb is great!" she answers when you ask about him. the inflection at the end of her sentence tells you that she's lying.

you press, anyways. "oh, he just hasn't been at work all week. have you heard from him or talked to him or anything?"

"yeah, he had some things come up, so he's out of town, but he should be back tomorrow, i think."

"okay, thanks." you try to sound like you're not disappointed, but you're not sure how convincing you actually are. gretchen doesn't seem to notice, or if she does, she swiftly changes the topic.

"i'll see you next weekend though, right?"

"this weekend?"

"for patrick's birthday party?"

"oh, yeah. i guess. i don't know yet."

"what do you mean you don't know?" she asks like you just said the dumbest thing ever. "you're coming. i'm going to pick you up at 6pm on friday night, okay?"

"do i have a choice?"

"no," she giggles. "and don't worry about caleb. this is normal. for him. he goes off the grid when he's out of town."

"right."

caleb finally comes back to work on monday and it feels completely different between the two of you, and it's mostly from him. he doesn't join you in filling napkin holders or ask you to follow him to take out the trash. it's like he's avoiding you and you don't know what changed in the past week. when you do try talking to him, he responds in short sentences. the only time he starts a conversation is when it's work related. whatever happened when he was out of town flipped him like a switch and it's clear that caleb now has no interest in talking to you about it. so much for being an open book.

friday rolls around like a slow-motion car crash. when gretchen's car honks from your driveway, the butterflies in your stomach flutter up a tornado. going to caleb's friends party without caleb feel weird. even though gretchen promised to be by your side all night, it doesn't feel the same as when caleb is around and you and him are good like before.

the party is at a sticky, little bar that anyone could miss, except on a night like tonight. bodies spill out onto the streets and the music from inside thumps so loud, you can hear it from two blocks away. you didn't know patrick knew this many people. when you walk in, gretchen disappears for a second to grab drinks, leaving you hovering near a wall decorated with peeling posters. yout ry to look buys, fumbling with your phone, or smoothing out yoru top, or pretending to be searching for something in your purse, but you can't help but glance at the door every time the heavy wood swings open and cool air seaps in.

after the third group of people floor in, he walks in shortly after them.

his smile is bright and a complete 180 from anything you've seen on his face this week at work. his hand is stretched backwards, fingers curled around someone else's and you soon see why.

behind him is a girl. she's stunning, literally drop dead gorgeous. she has a face that belongs on a billboard, with sharp, high cheekbones and skin that glows even under the grimy lights of the bar. her long black hair cascades down her back in heavy, silky waves, moving in perfect sync with her as she navigates the bodies until they reach the bar.

gretchen returns with two drinks in her hand. you take one from her and practically chug it. the sharp medicinal burn of the alcohol hits the back of your throat before you can even taste it.

"woah, are you alright?" she asks you.

"yeah," you lie. you glance back at the bar and she follows your eyes to where caleb is standing there with the girl. he isn't trying to get the attention of the bartender like everyone else around them. he's only looking at her, his hands firmly planted on her waist, pulling her slightly closer to him.

the sight of his fingers resting there, rubbing small circles into the fabric of her dress, makes the ache in your chest, flare. it's suffocating. 

gretchen brings you back to earth. "oh, mckenna is back?"

"mckenna?" you choke out.

"his ex. i had no idea she was coming tonight, or that she was even in town." you look back at them. caleb is laughing at something she says, his head thrown back. you chug the rest of your drink and set the cup aside on the table beside you. 

gretchen looks at you with pitiful eyes. "let's go somewhere," you nod and she takes your hand, dragging you further into the party.

the rest of the night passes in a blurry, nauseating haze. you do a good job of avoiding caleb and mckenna. you don't see them again, and you hope they also didn't see you. you spend the party dancing with gretchen on the opposite side of the room, or escaping to the bathroom whenever you see them approaching the group. between that, you're traversing to the bar, accepting any drink you're offered.

the crowd begins to thin out around two am and the bar finally starts to feel bigger. you find yourself stumbling towards the back hallway to find the restroom.

inside, you turn on the sink and let the cold water run over your hands. you stare at your reflection, glossy-eyed and flushed, you almost don't notice the bathroom door creak open behind you. until you see a familiar dress and you freeze. mckenna hurries in, heels clicking against the tile. she flashes you a polite smile before darting toward the open stall and slamming the door shut behind her.

your hands are still under the running water, your skin prickling as the cold numbs your fingers. your heart is beating so loudly, you're convinced she can hear it through the thin metal stall door. the sound of her shifting inside the stall makes your stomach twist. you consider drying your hands and bolting out the doors, but your feet refuse to move. they're rooted to the grimy tile, awaiting your humiliation ritual.

the stall door opens again. you shut off your faucet and dry your hands.

mckenna steps out, smoothing down her dress casually. up close, she's somehow even prettier. she washes her hands beside you, glancing up at you through the mirror like she's just realized she's not the only person there.

"hey," she says, like she's an old acquantaince. "y/n, right?"

"yeah," you swallow.

"you're really popular," she continues. you blink. "everyone was talking about you, but i didn't get to see you out there."

she purses her lips, rinsing the soap from her hands. you stare at her as she reaches across your sink for the paper dispenser. she dries her hands with the paper towel and leans back against the counter, studying you as well. you try to match her energy, also leaning against the counter, but it feel foreign and awkward.

"i'm mckenna," she stretches her hand out, and you take it. "it's nice to finally meet you, y/n."

you nod. the bathroom suddenly feels too small for the both of you. "yeah, you too." you slur.

the silence returns. she stares at you for a moment, eyeing you, but it's not judgmental, and in a way, it kind of makes it worse. you wish she was mean, that was you could justify not liking her. after what feels like an eternity of being under her scrutiny, you finally find the strength to turn towards the door. "i'm gonna go," you mumble.

"yeah,"

you leave the bathroom and as soon as you turn the corner, you see caleb standing there, his back against the wall. he's staring at his shoes, with a purse in his hands, presumably hers. he looks up and catches your eyes.

"fuck," you say under your breath.

"you're here?"

"i'm leaving," you start to walk away, but he pushes himself up from against the wall. you stop.

"how did you get here? do you need a ride back?"

"i came with gretchen."

"you know gretchen is very drunk, right?"

"i don't have to work tomorrow, so i'm spending the night at hers." you respond, looking away from him

"y/n," he starts, taking a step towards you. if you didn't know any better, you'd think the softness you see briefly is a sign that he's back to normal and he cares for you, but then he stops abruptly, and you realize you were having momentary delusions. he eyes flicker to the end of the corridor, where mckenna is standing.

"hey, y'ready?" her soft voice asks.

caleb glances back at you, then quickly looks away, his jaw tightening. his mouth opens slightly, like he wants to say something, but he shuts it again. he looks at her, then back at you, and his wall is up again, impenetrable. "i'll see you at work on monday," she says flatly. he doesn't wait for your answer before walking past you and following her out.

you wipe away the tear prickling in the corners of your eyes and go to find gretchen. she's clinging onto patrick. her eyes are shut as she badgers him with random questions. he guides the two of you home. gretchen crashes as soon as she flops onto her bed, while you text your parents to let them know where you are.

the next morning, you wake up, disoriented on her couch. the first thing to do when you come back to your senses is reach for your phone on her coffee table.

you have some missed calls from your parents, but most importantly, you have a text message from caleb: do you want me to pick you up from gretchen's?

you ignore it. at first, it feels childish, but after a few hours, it starts to feel like you're in control. like you're choosing yourself in a small way. like it's your turn to make him worry.

that evening, after gretchen drops you off, you still haven't responded to him. he has texted you a few more times since the morning, but you put your phone on silent so you could distract yourself from where it is burning a hole in your bag.

at work on monday, you're different. you're not pushing for him to talk to you like you were last week. you're distant and he's the one who is yearning for your attention. when he asks how you're doing, you answer shortly. when he cracks a joke, you smile politely, but it doesn't meet your eyes.

you keep yourself busy, but he hovers a litle closer to you than usual, like he's waiting for an open. but even when you don't give him one, he doesn't back off. it's something you simultaneously hate and love about him. he's never unsure of himself. he's always the confident one, the person who knows where to go and what to do. and even now, he's still so sure that you're going to break and warm up to him again.

but it's difficult to do that when mckenna is almost always around. she stops by after caleb's shifts, leaning against the counter while he cashes out. sometimes, she'll come by in the middle of the day and sit in a booth near the window, scrolling on her phone, legs crossed elegantly. whenever mike isn't around, caleb will sit with her, leaving you by yourself at the register.

you tell yourself that you don't care about her coming around what feels like almost every day. you tell yourself you're just being dramatic. but every time you see her, every time she leans across the table to whisper something to him, every time caleb laughs at something she says, you feel something tighten in your chest. she's always polite to you, of course. she's always smiling, asking how work is going, complimenting your hair. you really want to hate her, but you have no reason to, other than her proximity to a guy you have no claim to.

but just as she appeared, two weeks later, she's gone.

one afternoon, mike actually shows up, meaning you and caleb are stuck pretending to work harder than usual. you end up in your booth, building takeout boxes in silence. you rest your chin in the palm of your hand, staring at your stack of boxes on the side.

you pretend to ignore caleb staring at you, until he speaks. "you've been real quiet lately," he says carefully.

you shrug. "have i?"

"yeah, more than usual." he nods, as he grabs another piece of cardboard. "are you mad at me or something?"

you also pick up another piece of cardboard. "why would i be mad at you, caleb? i just don't have anything to say."

he studies you, squinting at you as you try to focus on the box you're currently folding. "you promise there's nothing on your mind?"

it honestly would be easier to lie and pretend like nothing is happening or like nothing happened between the two of you. however, you've been harboring these feelings and you've held it in for too long and you don't want to lie anymore. you set the box aside and look him dead in the eyes. "whatever happened to mckenna?" you ask.

he doesn't answer right away. he leans back against the booth, arms crossed loosely over his chest. you copy his stance, loosening your shoulders and crossing your arms over your chest too. "she left."

"left?"

"yeah," he continues. "she was here for just a little bit. helping me with something." you nod slowly, as though that answers everything, as though he's not being completely and frustratingly vague. you want to press but this is the longest conversation you've had with caleb in weeks and you don't want to push it. "why?" he asks.

"why what?"

"whay are you asking?

"i just realized i haven't seen her around in a while." you pick up the box you were working on, and finish it up.

"yeah," he also continues his box. "she went back."

"back where?"

"home."

you hum softly. your mouth starts moving before your brain can register the words coming out. "so, you guys are doing long distance now?"

his brown knit together. you dug yourself into this hole, so you force yourself to see it through. "long distance," you repeat, slower this time. "since she left?"

caleb snorts. "we're not together."

"oh," you swallow.

caleb straightens, but he's still chuckling. "y/n, what?"

"nothing, i just thought…" you shake your head. "actually, it doesn't matter." he leans forward, eyes locked with yours. you sigh." you guys were really close at patrick's party. i just thought you were getting back together."

"well, we're not together." he responds. "we haven't been together in a long time."

"okay."

"okay?"

"what do you want me to say?"

he opens his mouth, then closes it again. for once, he doesn't seem to have an answer ready. his gaze flicks down to the table, then back up to you. "i don't know," he admits. "i feel like you've been pulling away from me lately."

now it's your turn to laugh. "i was thinking the same thing."

"that's not fair."

"but ghosting me for a week is?"

caleb goes still. he takes a deep breath before he starts speaking again. "i didn't mean to ghost you. my grandma passed away and i had to go down for her funeral. it was just really crazy."

you reach across the table for his hand and he lets you take it. "i'm so sorry," you squeeze his hand.

"i'm sorry,"

"you don't have to apoogize."

"no, i do." he shakes his head. "i got your texts, i just didn't have it in me to respond to anyone. and since i came home, i've been trying to process everything and it's hard to be myself when i don't know how i feel. i didn't mean to ignore you, but i did. and for that, i am sorry."

"i'm not upset with you, anymore."

"promise?" he stretches out his pinky.

you hook your pinky around it. "promise."

who would have though a short conversation would fix everything between you and caleb? maybe, not everything. you are still hesitant to let him in all the way. you're going back to school in a month anyway. you don't need to get too attached like you did at the beginning of the summer, especially since you don't know the full story of what is going on between him and his ex. the best thing for you, you think, is to keep that wall up again. you cannot afford to have your heart broken twice in one summer by the same person.

nevertheless, you allow yourself fall back into the same habits with caleb. you see him almost everyday at work, obviously, and most of your free time is spent with him, in his car, at his house, or in the city with his friends.

one day, you're all hanging out at gretchen's apartment. caleb goes to the kitchen and gretchen takes that as an opportunity to pull you aside. "do you have something to tell me?" she asks you once you are in the safety of her room.

"not that i can think of." you sink onto her bed.

"you can't think of anything, concerning someone in the other room?" she plants her hands firmly on her hips.

you lean closer, "who?"

"caleb."

"what about him?"

"you're really going to keep hiding your feelings for him?"

"i don't have feelings for caleb." you respond quickly, suspiciously so.

"you don't expect me to believe that."

"yes, i do. caleb and i are just—"

she cuts you off. "what? just friends who work together?"

"exactly! and besides, even if i did, i think he still has feelings for mckenna."

"what makes you think that?" she sits on the bed beside you. "you should see the way he looks at you. he's never been like that with anyone since i've known him."

"yeah, well, you should see him with mckenna." you roll your eyes, trying to push the out thought of them giggling together in you and caleb's unofficial official booth from your head. "why did they break up in the first place? they seem perfect for each other."

"you should talk to him about that."

"and what am i going to say? 'caleb, i like you but i'm worried you're in love with your beautiful, stunning ex-girlfriend'?"

"ha!" she exclaims, causing you to jump a little bit. "so you do have feelings for him." she points at you.

"dude, that's literally not the point."

meanwhile in the living room, caleb goes back to sit between patrick and one of his other friends, gideon. "where did y/n go?" he asks.

"somewhere with gretchen." patrick answers, taking a sip of his drink and turning his attention back to the movie playing on the tv.

"don't worry, your girlfriend will be back soon." gideon teases him, poke his side. he swats gideon's hand away.

"she's not my girlfriend." 

"do you know that?"

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"you treat her like she's your girlfriend."

"no i don't. she's my friend."

"you literally opened her drink for her." patrick pauses the movie to point out. gideon nods along.

"i did that for you, too. does that also make you my girlfriend?" caleb asks patrick.

"i'm way out of your league. you couldn't bag me."

"you guys are ridiculous."

"who's being ridiculous?" the door to the bedroom opens and gretchen walks out with you trailing behind her.

"it's nothing."

you go to sit down between caleb and gideon, oblivious to gideon and patrick sharing looks across the couch.

in the car ride home, caleb asks you what you and gretchen were talking about in the room. you deflect, saying she wanted to show you something she got recently. caleb accepts that answer and turns the radio up a little. the lie is eating at you, but you don't want to be so forward. once the car merges onto the highway, you reach for the volume dial, turning it back.

taking a deep breath, you start. "i have a question for you." caleb hums in response. "you never told me what happened between you and mckenna."

"that's not a question." he jokes.

"okay," you roll your eyes. "why did you guys break up?"

"she moved away when we were 15, and we didn't want to do long distance."

"but there are still feelings there?"

"this is your second time asking me this."

"i don't think i believe you."

"why not?"

"because she's beautiful and kind and funny and you guys look good together."

"and she's my oldest friend. i love mckenna, but we're just friends, and we're better off as friends anyways."

"like you and i are friends?"

he turns to face you. you're looking at him directly in the eyes. "what do you mean by that?"

"i mean, you say that you and mckenna are friends—"

he cuts you off. "cause we are."

"and you say you and i are friends."

"are we not friends?"

"i don't know what we are, caleb. you confuse me."

"i could say the same thing about you."

a long silence stretches until you reach your house. the car pulls into the driveway and caleb puts it in park. you unbuckle your seatbelt and grab your stuff. you reach to open the door, but caleb stops you.

"by the way, mckenna and i aren't friends like you and i are." he says. "i don't know what it is, but i feel very differently about you."

you glance down at your lap, rubbing your sweaty palms agsinst the harsh fabric of your jeans. caleb continues. "i really like having you around and whenever you're not around, i'm thinking about you and wishing you were there. even when i was away, all i wanted to do was come back to you."

"yeah, that's why you ignored me for a week afterwards?" you chuckle.

"honestly?" he leans back in his seat. "i was embarrassed that i didn't respond to you when i was away and i didn't know where to start. you can ask mckenna."

"you talked to mckenna about me?"

"i talk to everyone about you." he takes a deep breath then turns to face you. reaching for 

"i really like you, y/n, like a lot."

"i…" you try to look anyway to avoid his eyes, but caleb lifts your chin so you're forced to meet his eyes.

"you what?" he inches closer to you until your faces are mere inches apart. your breath hitches as his eyes search yours for a response.

you swallow before you speak again. "i… i really like you too." caleb takes this opportunity to close the gap between you, bringing your face closer to his untl his lips crash onto yours.

he kisses just like you'd expect— just as you've imagined. he's so sure of how you're going to react to him. as his fingertips softly brush against the nape of your neck, you melt further into the kiss. your hesitation melts away with every passing second and all you can think of is how you could possible be closer to him, however the console between you prohibits you from doing that.

caleb has the same thought. he pulls away from the kiss reluctantly. "do you want—"

he's interrupted by your phone ringing. it's your mom. with a pout on your face, you answer the call. "hi, mom." you greet cheerfully, suspiciously so. caleb's hand slips down to yours, locking your fingers with his.

"no, i'm in the driveway. yeah, caleb just dropped me off." you continue. "mom, we were just talking. i'm coming up now… see you soon." you hang up.

"i have to go, but i'll see you tomorrow." you say, going back to get your things.

"i'll see you tomorrow."

you lean over the console to place a soft kiss on his lips. "see you tomorrow."

you start to leave again, already halfway out the door, but caleb grabs your arm, tugging you back gently. "you already said that." he pulls you into another kiss.

it's only when his lips trail down to your neck that you find the resolve to pull away. "caleb," you whine. "i have to go." caleb sighs, still peppering your skin with light pecks.

"one more kiss?" he pleads, jutting out his bottom lip.

"one kiss?"

"and i'll let you go, i promise." you sigh, but then you get comfortable in your seat and lean over the console again.

notes: i just wanted to post something short and sweet, even though this is a lot longer than i anticipated it would be, because i feel like i've been neglecting y'all. i hope you enjoy this. i'm working on my xavier smau next but i am taking requests for smau one-shots if you have any <3

[killxz]

umemiya hajime is so whipped for his girlfriend

he’s got that delinquent, big-brother energy, but the second you so much as smile at him, he’s done for. no fight, no resistance—just pure, lovesick surrender. (aw)

he would drop anything for you. mid-conversation with the guys? sorry, his girl called. training? can wait. if you even hint at wanting to see him, he’s already on his way, no questions asked.

“that’s my girl!” he says this at every opportunity—whether you just won a fight, cooked something, or even just walked into the room looking cute.

he’s competitive, but if you're play-fighting or racing, he’ll definitely let you win. if you call him out, he’ll act all innocent like, “hah? i wasn’t even trying.” (what a liar)

says he’s 'too cool' for PDA but will casually throw his arm around you, rest his chin on your shoulder, or pull you into a side hug just because he can

you took more than five minutes to reply? "babe?? u good??" "damn, forgot about me already?" (he was staring at his phone the entire time.)

he trusts you, obviously, but that doesn’t mean he won’t shoot daggers at anyone who tries to be too friendly. just one look from him, and they back off.

if you're upset at him? oh, he’s on his best behavior. follows you around, keeps sneaking glances at you, and eventually just gives in like, “okay, babe, i was wrong, don’t be mad anymore. please? 🥺"

he talks about you like you're the best thing ever. whether it’s to his friends, his teammates, or some random stranger, everyone knows how much he’s into you. “yeah, my girl’s amazing. she—” and now they’re stuck listening to him gush. again.

umemiya hajime is truly whipped for you.

reblogs are appreciated! <3

[airybcby]

જ⁀♡⊹｡° and he keeps a picture of you

( bllk boys x gn! reader )

♡ a/n — been MIA for so long i wanted to write something small ans cute :)

♡ word count — 1k

♡ content — yukimiya kenyu x gn! reader, sae itoshi x gn! reader, alexis ness x gn! reader, rin itoshi x gn! reader, all characters are 18+, just cutieness , engagement (yukimiya), childhood lovers (sae), nickname 'love' used (ness),

♡ synopsis — some bllk boys (yukimiya, sae, ness, rin) and what their phone lock screen is :)

⊹｡° yukimiya kenyu

out of all the boys, yukimiya kenyu is the one most likely to have the cutest picture of the two of you as his background.

everyone gets sick of him bragging about your relationship, just how perfect you are, how sickly sweet you are to him.

yukimiya changes his lock screen every week, and of course he has to show them off to his team.

most of the time, it's a picture of you two holding hands- or you two in matching outfits that yuki had chosen himself.

everyone on his team had gotten tired of him showing off his perfect life and amazing relationship.

while, if you held down long enough, yukimiya's options for a lock screen weren't limited.

one was of you sitting across from him at dinner- a win glass in front of you as you gave him a smile. 'because you look like a dream in this' he'd told you when you asked why that one was his new lock screen of the week.

another of you asleep on his shoulder, a clear patch of drool showing in the picture. 'i wanna wake up to this every morning' he'd justified.

and this weeks lock screen, hm? well, it's his personal favorite.

a photo of you jumping on yukimiya while the two of you are dressed in another set of matching outfits. to anyone else, this may just look like his average screen saver.

but to him, and anyone who looks hard enough, the shiny new ring on your left hand ring finger is a clear sign; yukimiya finally asked you to marry him.

this one wouldn't be changed for a while.

not until he saw you in your wedding outfit.

⊹｡° sae itoshi

everyone of his nosey fans always wonders...what is sae itoshi's lock screen? flashes of it had been shown at press interviews, but no one could figure out what it was.

for a week on social media, fangirls (and guys) were stopping interviews for the tiniest glimpse at his phone. eventually, after coming to the assumption that he was a bland man who simply left it on the default lock screen, the internet calmed down.

and was sae a calm man who usually didn't change things that were fine as is? yes.

but what no one knew, what no one would ever find out, is that sae itoshi had a secret life- one secret from the press and internet- only for him to have and hold.

you.

you had been his girlfriend since he was 14, yet he refused to let the world and its nosiness ruin a perfect thing.

he was careless during the singular press interview, his phone in view- he was just lucky that the quality wasn't the best because then everyone in the world would know; sae itoshi was utterly whipped.

his lock screen, you ask? it's the only one he has set- and he'll never change it.

it's a simple picture of you on the balcony of your shared home, the sunset illuminating you perfectly as you looked over your shoulder at him with the most stunning smile on your face.

sae itoshi wouldn't let the world ruin that smile.

ever.

⊹｡° alexis ness

for the first year you were dating ness, his lock screen was a picture of him and kaiser in their uniforms- their last names stretched across their backs.

was this insane to you? yes. but you knew how much kaiser had changed ness' passion and love for soccer, and that's all you could be grateful for.

so when you grabbed ness' phone one morning to change the playlist while the two of you made breakfast and saw that he changed the background? you almost cried.

was it silly to be so emotional over? sure. but you knew how much kaiser meant to ness- he possibly loved him more than you (joking) (no i'm not)

the picture was so cute and innocent- the lock screen now a picture of you in a magicians get-up with cards in your hand.

you'd done it for ness' birthday, for his love of magic- you'd learned to do a few card tricks and he laughed at you as you tried ( and failed ) to shuffle- the cards flying everywhere.

when he realized the music hadn't changed , ness looked back at you - his pink apron wrapped around him, "everything okay, love?"

yeah.

everything was perfect.

⊹｡° rin itoshi

refused to change his lock screen when you started dating.

he was perfectly fine with the default one, why should be have to change his phone set-up just to prove his love?

in his mind, that was silly.

he loved you more than (almost) anything, except soccer.

let's be serious soccer was a very close second when it came to you, but rin would never admit that- his dream of becoming the best striker and his ego too high to say that.

he didn't understand why people needed their significant other on their lock screen. they'd see them everyday, was one picture really that important?

he thought that until he walked into your shared bedroom one day after a long day and a hard fought win against Manshine City.

all he wanted to do was take a shower, eat dinner, and lay down with you.

then he saw you, curled up on the bed wearing his jersey.

he told you not to wait up for him. you couldn't attend the game in person due to work, but he didn't mind. you were with him always.

but seeing you, fast asleep with his last name on your back- he finally understood.

he could look at this scene for hours.

he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and quickly snapped a picture before he slipped into bed next to you.

he suddenly didn't need a shower and he wasn't hungry.

he just wanted to be near you.

when you woke up the next morning while rin was on his morning run, you grabbed his phone to check the time

your sleeping face met your gaze, and a smile that probably looked so goofy spread across your face.

rin had never seen the point of changing his lock screen

until he saw you with his name on your figure.

suddenly he wanted to give you that last name for the two of you to share.

may make a part 2 , be on the look out :)

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

[nephelesthoughts]

I've come back with an epiphany after listening to music and paying attention to lyrics.

Plastic off the Sofa by Beyonce gives Caleb and MC, or really all the Love interests and MC. Caleb first came to mind because of the constant flack he gets, but then thinking more it's really all the guys.

Specifically when I think of the lyric 'they're too hard on you, too hard on me' (going off the top of my hand, essentially the lyric is that)

Like it's MC singing to them, and I see it more in the view on how they're constantly treated in the fandom by people who don't main them or like them, and thus deem any content for the girlies that like them as basically a personal attack—making it everybody's problem because they don't like them like 😭??? It's not hard to simply focus on your man's and leave people be.

But it's just a nice little serenade to them from you/mc, sharing your love and all that and yeah :))

[aeyumicore]

one year older - caleb 夏以昼

you’ve been completely occupied during the week of caleb’s birthday—leaving caleb needy and jealous. he intends to make up for every lost moment. a birthday special for our dearest caleb. inspired by but NOT based on ‘no-return night.’ it will not follow the same plot or dialogue.

━ .ᐟ✧ PAIRING: caleb x female reader (afab)

━ ✧.˖ GENRE: smut, porn with very little plot, porn with feelings

━ .ᐟ✧ WORD COUNT: 6.9k

━ ✧.˖ WARNINGS: mdni, explicit sexual content, flirtatious use of ‘gege,’ drunk!caleb, jealous!caleb, possessive!caleb, mentions of alcohol consumption, oral sex m! and f!receiving, sex on the floor, unprotected sex, swallowing, tiddy sucking, possessive behavior, cum marking kinda, gideon is mentioned a lot, caleb is pouty and sulky, squirting, multiple orgasms, lots of petnames, no use of y/n

━ .ᐟ✧ LINKS: ao3 | original inspo | shot, shot, shot, shot! fic

━ ✧.˖ A/N: this is kinda caleb’s version of shot, shot, shot, shot! in which he is drunk and jealous and inspired by that one clip of that drunk asian guy drinking water. i may end up writing his own dedicated version—unsure as of now since this one basically is that + birthday twist.

again, inspired by but NOT based on ‘no-return night.’ it will not follow the same plot or dialogue.

happy birthday to our dearest xia yizhou. you are so unbelievably loved. i hope everyone’s been having fun celebrating caleb’s birthday! i will be pulling for no-return night tomorrow, wish me luck <3

THIS IS MY ONLY ACCOUNT. I WILL NEVER POST MY FICS ON OTHER TUMBLR BLOGS. I WILL ONLY POST ON THIS ACCOUNT AND ON AO3.

✦ . ˖ ✧ .ᐟ ˖ nsfw | minors dni | 18+ only | minors dni | nsfw ✦ . ˖ ✧ .ᐟ ˖

[17:31] Brat: i can’t come over tonight :-( gideon needed help picking ur gift. i’m sorry, ill see you tmw birthday boy! <3

Caleb sighs, typing a quick response—thumbs flying across the screen. Amidst the privacy of his Fleet office, he doesn’t bother to hide the disappointment or simmering jealousy from his breathy exhale. 

[17:33] Caleb: Again? I’ve barely seen you this week :(

You’d come to Skyhaven, taking a whole week off, to spend his birthday with him. His first birthday since everything had become so complicated. 

And Caleb was used to sharing his birthday. Growing up, he’d always found himself throwing joint birthday parties or forgoing his birthday altogether for summer sports events. 

But it was different now. Spending nearly an entire year playing dead—living without you, altered his view on life. He wanted every milestone, every birthday, every little thing someone could have to look forward to. 

And he wanted it with you. 

Caleb’s jaw ticks dangerously when you don’t respond, pocketing his phone and turning back to the mission reports on his desk. 

But he finds concentration elusive, too distracted by the irrational possessiveness bubbling inside of him. Swearing, he pulls his phone back out. 

Nothing. 

His chest aches with an emptiness that can only be attributed to your absence. The same dull throb he feels when he can’t touch you—when you’re not in his field of vision. Which, lately, seemed more often than not.

Even for his birthday week in Skyhaven it seemed like Gideon got your attention more than he did. He knew the two of you were friends. Beyond the silly nostalgic times the three of you had shared during his time at Skyhaven University and Aerospace Academy, Gideon had been there for you during the hardest time of your life. 

Fucking Gideon.

Caleb sulks childishly to himself. The logical part of him knew that the two of you were probably meeting up to scheme something for his birthday. He trusted Gideon with his life, which wasn’t something he could say about many people these days. 

He shouldn’t be jealous. Rationally, he knew that.

But, when it came to you, he tended to be anything but rational.

“Colonel? Sir?”

An unexpected voice cuts him out of his thoughts. He pockets his phone, quickly masking his expression. The pout he didn’t even realize he wore slides off, replaced by the calculated and authoritative Colonel’s mask. He snaps without even realizing it—much harsher and sharper than he normally was with his subordinates.

“What?!”

The lieutenant standing on the other side of the desk gulps nervously, bowing his head respectfully. In less than a fraction of a second, Caleb collects himself.

“Apologies. What do you need, Lieutenant?”

God, he could use a drink. 

–

You adjust the string of twinkling lights you’d strung up on the couch in Caleb’s living room. Biting your lip, you fluff up the adorable apple shaped plushie that sat on the furniture. 

Spinning around, you take one last quick once over of the space.

The countless wrapped presents you’d gotten for him were tastefully scattered about, the projector set up against the wall just how you wanted it, every balloon meticulously placed. His living room, albeit much homier now that you’d basically taken over his life like a tornado, was normally still a bit bare. But now, it looked like something out of a dream.

Perfect.

It was the first birthday you’d be celebrating with Caleb ever since the explosion. Now that things were finally somewhat settling down into a comfortable routine, you wanted to show Caleb just how much you’d missed him—cherished him. Starting with his birthday. 

The first of a lifetime of birthdays you would share together. You’d make sure of that. 

Your phone buzzes with a text, the screen lighting up with Gideon’s contact.

[8:15 PM] Gid: Let me know how Xia reacts! Good luck.

[8:15 PM] Me: i will! thank u for helping me set up again gideon!!

Your heart clenches as you catch the unread text message from the birthday boy himself. You’d been so excited to get the house ready that you’d completely forgotten to text him back. 

Just as you’re typing out a response, you hear the familiar sound of the front door clicking unlocked. Eyes widening, you set your phone down, carefully picking up the birthday cake you’d made and positioning yourself in the entry way that connects to the foyer.

Seconds tick by, the faint sound of fumbling making you set the cake down on the console table in a mix of confusion and worry. As you’re about to reach for the handle, the door pushes open—revealing Caleb.

In the dim entryway you don’t see how slightly disheveled he is, a flush creeping up his neck. You probably wouldn’t have seen it even if the light had been flipped on, far too excited to see him. To celebrate him. 

“Happy birthday, Caleb!” you squeal, all but forgetting the uncharacteristic fumbling, bounding up to him and wrapping your arms around the back of his neck and launching yourself into his arms.

Caleb grunts in surprise, completely taken aback but catching you by your waist all the same. His lengthy fingers spread to grip you tightly, securing you against his solid body. You’re so caught up in your excitement that you miss the odd way Caleb stumbles a step backward as he catches you.

“Well, early birthday,” you giggle, glancing at the clock. 

8:37 PM. You hadn’t even noticed how late it’d gotten. You crinkle your brows slightly, wondering how Caleb hadn’t caught you in your little scheme. You were well behind schedule, considering Caleb always got home at 7:30 on the dot with his military-disciplined punctuality. 

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you,” Caleb murmurs into the top of your head, taking a deep inhale of your scent. 

You laugh into his chest, the smooth leather of his uniform digging into your cheek. You sigh happily as his hands wander up, wrapping his arms around you entirely. The entire elaborate birthday surprise is briefly forgotten as you sink into his hold, missing him terribly after not seeing him much this week as you ran around scheming.

“Smell so damn good,” Caleb’s voice is so muffled, his breath warm against your scalp. With his words obscured against your hair, you can’t hear his slight slur.

Taking a small step backward, you peer up at him. Your knuckles brush gently across his cheek, grinning as he adorably leans into your touch.

”How was work? You feeling okay?”

Caleb bends down to brush his lips against your temple, “I am now.” 

Your chest constricts, knowing you’d barely had time with him this week. Remembering why you’d had to avoid him all week, you eagerly tug him along to the living room that casts twinkling lights down the hallway like an absolute dream world. Caleb stumbles behind you, letting you pull him along.  

Just as you’re almost in sight of the surprise you’d set up, you stop in your tracks.

”Wait, wait!” You run behind him, tiptoeing up to cover his eyes with your hands, his skin hot and flushed against your palms. Distracted by your excitement, you push him along with your hands covering his eyes like a blindfold. 

Tripping against his heels due to the height difference, you whine and retract your hands, “Okay this isn't working. Close your eyes!”

Caleb chuckles breathily and complies, his violet eyes shutting, “Of course, pip-squeak.”

Once you’re sure his eyes are closed, waving your hands in front of him for good measure, you guide him the rest of the way into the once depressing living room, now a cozy paradise for just the two of you.

“Okay, open!”

Caleb’s eyes flutter open, hazy with a distinct sluggish fog that you’ve yet to fully notice. The mist clears in an instant as he takes in the scene before him.

His throat tightens at the transformation the Skyhaven house undergone. The only memories he used to have in this room were the gray storm clouds that floated just outside the floor to ceiling windows when he’d jolt awake from nightmares, covered in a cold sheen of sweat. 

Until you came back into his life.

Now, only the most pleasant memories remain. Takeout on the coffee table as you fed him dumplings cross legged on the carpet, him drying your hair as you sat in front of the glass panes watching jets fly by, you curled against his chest on the couch as movies played into the night.

The same couch that was now covered in balloons, fairy lights, and perfectly wrapped presents.  

Without a word, Caleb pulls you flush against his body, your back pressed firmly into his chest and his bicep wrapped securely around your shoulders. You burst into a fit of laughter as he buries his face into shoulder, nuzzling his nose into the side of your face. You hold onto his arm that’s around your chest, enjoying the way he leans into you. 

“So this is what you were up to, hm?” His breath is warm as it tickles you, his skin hot even under the thick layers of his uniform. 

“Yes,” you grin mischievously before turning to him with a question of your own, “What about you? You’re home late today.” 

Now facing him, the warm glow from dozens of twinkling fairy lights illuminating his handsome face, you notice how red Caleb is. 

His bright eyes finally flicker down, distracted by the picturesque scene behind you. His thumb brushes across your bottom lip, a familiar hungry glint in his violet eyes. Before wasting another second, he crashes his lips to yours and devours you like a man starved.

You moan as he gently demands entry—wanting more. His fingers hold you possessively, one gripping your hair and the other holding your chin as his tongue makes up for every minute he didn’t get to hold you this week.

But as you lose yourself in the kiss, the faint taste of alcohol snaps you back to the present. The flushed and clammy skin, the stumbling, the slight slur.

Pulling away, you take his face into your hands and look into his starry eyes,

“Caleb Xia, are you drunk?!”

Caleb blinks at you slowly, the tips of his ears pinkening at being caught red-handed. 

“No, are you?”

You burst out laughing as his eyes try their best to focus on you, “You are!”

Caleb grins crookedly at you, “No. I’m—hicc—Caleb.”

You roll your eyes at his ill-timed hiccup, dragging him to the couch and gently pushing him down onto it. He flops onto it unceremoniously, his arm resting atop one of the apple cushions and his thighs spread wide to let you stand between them. With his other hand, he loosens his tie, his Adam’s apple bobbing thickly under his uniform. 

You can’t help but dig your teeth into your lip at how unfairly attractive he’s always been, especially in a tie. The way he loosened it—the way he looked up at you with molten desire and longing flooding his features, nearly made your knees buckle under your own weight. 

“Wait here, dummy,” you brush his hair out of his eyes before turning away from him, intending to grab some water from the kitchen. 

Caleb’s fingers close clumsily around your wrist, yanking you back to face him. 

”Stay.”

He looks up at you with expectant eyes, his voice coming out soft and breathless. The plea is vulnerable as it is demanding.

”Spend my birthday with me.”

You smile reassuringly at him, stepping back toward him to press a tender kiss to his parted lips, the alcohol still lingering on his tongue.

”I’m just going to get you some water, okay? I’m not going anywhere. It’s your birthday—you get anything you want.” 

Caleb groans, almost a guttural growl, “Fuck. Don’t say things like that. N-Not when I’m like this.” 

The heat in his voice is undeniable, making your skin crawl with burning anticipation. 

“Water first,” you croak, “Then, whatever the birthday boy wants.” 

The drunken colonel pouts with distaste but lets you slip your wrist out of his grasp. Before you change your mind, you quickly make your way to the kitchen and grab a glass out of the cupboard and fill it with cool filtered water.

When you get back to the couch, Caleb looks considerably more inebriated as he plays with the silver tag of his necklace, dangling it in front of his face. When he sees you, his eyes light up and a lopsided grin appears on his face. ”Finally,” he slurs, reaching out for you, “Missed you,”

You roll your eyes, letting him hook his arm around your waist, yanking you to him, “I was gone for like two minutes.”

Caleb’s eyes scrunch as he pulls you back into the space between his legs, both arms looping around you.

”Two minutes too—hicc—long.”

Biting your chuckle back, you take his jaw into your fingers and tilt his face up at you, bringing the water to his lips, “Open up,”

Caleb’s eyes shine with mischief, “Kiss first.”

This time your laugh escapes, amused and utterly infatuated with his adorable demands. You argue, “Water first so I can sober you up. Then you can have as many kisses as you’d like.”

Caleb grumbles unhappily but obeys, his lips parting slightly and looking up at you expectantly. His breath is warm against your skin as you raise the glass back to his mouth, gently guiding his chin with your fingers.

As he drinks, you gently stroke his burning skin with your thumb. Despite protesting, he gulps the water down hungrily. 

But his sight is entirely trained onto you and not the cup, eyes flickering down the curves of your bare shoulder. In his heated appreciation, rivulets of cold liquid dribble down his chin, dripping tantalizingly down the bulge of his neck.

His thick eyelashes flutter back up, violet eyes meeting yours with unspoken heat and longing—compounded by the amount of times someone else had taken you from him this week.

With his face tilted up, drinking greedily from your hands, eyes wide and locked onto you with both appreciation and desperation, he looks unbelievably vulnerable. His thick arms still lock around your waist, refusing to let you go.

You swear you could stand there for an eternity just counting each of his long thick eyelashes as he looked up at you like his entire world revolved around you. 

When he finishes, you twist around to set the glass on the coffee table behind you. 

“So—”

You don’t get another word out before Caleb is pulling you down onto his lap and recapturing your lips in a passionate kiss. His touch is territorial and demanding, large palm cupping the small of your back, maneuvering you until you’re straddling him. His skin, damp from the spilt water, clings to yours as he picks up where he’d left off. His other hand squeezes the nape of your neck, leaving no room for escape.

The faint remnants of alcohol still linger on his tongue, but he tastes so distinctly Caleb that you can’t help but whimper and reciprocate with everything you have. His unrelenting hold makes you squirm, readjusting yourself more comfortably on his lap. 

Caleb curses, fingers digging into the plush of your thighs, trying to keep you still while he begs into your lips, “Jesus princess, please stop moving like that.”

“Are you going to tell me why you’re drunk?” you counter, murmuring into his lips when he’s forced to let you go so he can hiccup. 

Caleb kisses down your jaw until his breath is at your ear, “Went to get drinks with Liam.” 

Your eyes widen in pleasant surprise, “Liam? But you guys don’t usually—”

“I thought that I wouldn’t see you ‘til tomorrow. Needed a distraction. So Liam offered,” he grumbles, sulking, “Gideon’s been taking all your time.”

Your heart throbs at his words. 

He didn’t want to be alone. 

“Gideon’s just been helping me plan and set up. Since he’s more familiar with Skyhaven than I am.”

Caleb’s eyes narrow at you, an adorable pout playing on his lips, words still slurred, ”Don’t tell me Gideon is going to pop out from behind the couch.” 

Grinning, you shake your head, “Nope. It’s just us tonight.”

His thumb brushes across your bottom lip, a familiar hungry glint in his violet eyes. 

“Good.”

With his lips still at the hollow of your neck, his lips latch gently onto your skin, sucking a blossoming red mark right where he was sure people would see. 

“He told me to—ngh—tell you hah-happy birthday though.” 

Caleb only grunts in response, face buried in your neck and fingers crawling up your thighs, playing with the lace seam of your panties.

“Also, Gideon is coming over tomorrow to—“ 

Caleb’s chest rumbles with a growl, his teeth nipping the forming hickey in warning, which elicits a yelp from you, “Say his name one more time, see what happens.” 

You giggle at his ridiculousness, “Colonel Xia, you’re so demanding when you’re drunk.”

Caleb grips your chin roughly, forcing you to level with him, “You want to see demanding, pip-squeak?”

His voice is gravelly and completely serious, making your knees buckle, even as you straddled him. You’d almost think you were the one who was drunk.

“Demanding is what I should’ve been when someone else was stealing you away from me all week.”

His fingers tauntingly trace your jaw, eyes dilated as they drink in every morsel of your increasingly heavy breath.

“Demanding is when I remind you that I’m not a man who shares, not what’s mine.”

The heat that radiates off his body is palpable, the aura of drunken jealousy-fueled dominance and possession dripping off of him. It makes your core ache.

“Demanding is this,” Caleb takes your wrist into his hand, bringing it to the space between your bodies. He closes your finger over something warm, hard, and throbbing under his slacks. 

Your breath catches in your throat as Caleb looks at you, his eyes darkened to a near indigo. His own breaths accelerate considerably with his bulge in your delicate hands, forcing himself not to thrust into your fingers.  

“So?” he rasps, “Are you going to take responsibility for this?”

You gulp, tearing your eyes away from the way he strains against the confines of his pants, absolutely tented and bricked up. 

“Anything you want. It’s your birthday.” 

Caleb swears quietly, chest heaving as he watches your eyes flutter at him—seeing how utterly serious you are about serving him. 

“On the floor then,” he croaks, fingers softening their hold on you so you can climb off his lap and onto the floor before him, right between his open thighs.

“Get on your knees for gege.”

The carpet is rough against your skin as you kneel before him, carefully undoing his belt and freeing his throbbing erection. As it springs free, nearly hitting you in the face, you press his burning wet skin into your palm. 

Caleb groans as soon as you touch him, hips bucking off the couch involuntarily. He pants for air, unbearably sensitive from not only the alcohol, but from the simmering ache of jealousy that still lurks beneath his skin. 

You give him a few firm pumps, mesmerized as your fingers catch pearly drops of his copious arousal. He was so pent up—leaking so much need—that you’d think he’d already cum.

“Fuck—take me in your mouth,” Caleb commands, guiding you just how he liked it. You giggle at his demands, darting your tongue out to catch the beads of precum making its way down his thick shaft. 

Caleb groans, his fingers digging into the soft apple cushion, “God—that fucking tongue…”

When you finally sink him into the warm wet recesses of your mouth, Caleb threads his fingers into your hair, gripping tightly. 

“More,” he croaks—your name spilling from his lips like a prayer, stroking your scalp, “Need more.”

You hum, slowly taking him deeper into your mouth and eventually your throat. Caleb unconsciously thrusts into you, unable to control himself when you take him this well, this obediently.

“Jesus, baby,” he grunts, his restraint hanging on by a thread, “The things you do to me…”

His chest heaves as you take him fully, your lips pressed against his pelvis. You can feel your panties becoming increasingly wet as he praises you. Wanting to hear more, more of his addicting noises, more of his filthy praises, you progressively go faster. Exactly how he liked it.

“F-Fuck—fuck!” Caleb throws his head back with his slurred cries of ecstasy, “Need to flood that perfect fucking throat.”

Whining, your enthusiasm soars, the prospect of his finish fueling your own excitement. Your tongue teases the throbbing vein that crawls up the underside of his girth, knowing how insane it always drives him. 

Caleb’s pushing your head down now, his pleasure bursting the dam of restraint.

”Hah—close, princess,” he looks down at you with pleading hooded eyes, his cheeks red with both the flush of alcohol and the pleasure of your wicked tongue. 

“Look at me.”

If it was one thing Caleb loved, it was making you look into his eyes as he filled you. 

He lifts your chin just slightly, throbbing as you peer up at him through your wet eyelashes. 

“God—you’re so damn beautiful. All fucking mine.” 

At the sight of your teary eyes fluttering up at him, cheeks hollow as you devoured him, lips puffy and kiss bitten, Caleb explodes without a further warning. He coats every inch of your mouth, your throat, with himself. 

You do your best to take every single drop, but it inevitably dribbles down your lips as you choke lightly. 

“Swallow,” Caleb rasps, animalistic hunger dripping from his words. His thumb presses into your bottom lip, collecting rivulets that had escaped and popping his finger into your mouth, “All of it.” 

Even without his demand, you would’ve done just that. With your eyes never leaving his, you dramatically gulp, letting your tongue caress his digit as you pull yourself off.

As soon as your lips leave him, he’s hoisting you up by your waist, throwing you under his body and onto the plush couch. He hovers above you, using his knee to part your thighs, nearly coming in contact with your soaking panties.

“So fucking good for me. My good girl.”

He doesn’t give you a chance to speak, his lips coming down to claim yours. You gasp as his tongue invades your mouth, giving him easy access to you. You’re still salty with the taste of his own finish, yet so unbearably sweet with your own unique taste, only making him more eager. Feverish. Frenzied. 

His hands are everywhere, under your skirt, in your hair, gripping your chin. Every moan, every whimper—he consumes with desperation bordering on insanity. 

Too lost in the passion of his lips, you hardly notice when the two of you roll off the couch. You can vaguely hear the clatter of something falling, feeling Caleb’s hand move against the back of your head and tailbone—shielding you from the impact. 

“Oops,” Caleb grins, lips puffy, still hovering above you, “Got carried away.”

Laughing, your fingers reach up to take his face into your hands. He leans into your touch, turning his face so he can brush a wet kiss into your palm. The floor is hard against your back, the carpet giving you rugburn, but with Caleb above you, it feels perfect. 

“How are you feeling now?” 

Caleb’s eyes hungrily trail down your body, perfectly pinned under his. His eyes darken, hooded with desire that’d hardly been quelled. 

His voice is a gravelly slur, “Feel like…unwrapping some presents.”

Your heart races as his fingers snake up your arm, finding the black straps of your dress. 

“Caleb…”

With one gentle tug, he unravels the neatly tied ribbons on your shoulders. His throat bobs hungrily as he takes you in, fingers tracing heated paths down your skin while he pulls the bodice of your dress down slightly to expose more of you to his ravenous eyes.

“You wrapped yourself up so beautifully for me,” he swears under his breath when he unveils your intricate lingerie, your nipple visible just beneath the lace.

“Fuck.”

He can’t stop himself from dipping down, capturing your breast even through the sheer fabric of your bra. 

“Caleb–w-wait!” you cry, not convincing even yourself. Your eyes roll heavenward, arching into his hot demanding tongue even through the uncomfortably feeling of wet fabric.

He nips playfully at your sensitive peaks, looking up at you through his eyelashes, eyebrows hooded with hunger. 

His breath is so hot it makes you writhe with need as he speaks into your skin, “Wait for what, princess? I’ve been waiting all week.”

You chuckle breathily before peeling into a pleasured squeal when he bites down, gently but firmly, “F-Fine. Only because it’s your—mmngh—birthday!”

Caleb chuckles darkly, releasing your other nipple with a wet pop, “Are you sure about that, sweets?”

He makes a show of raising the skirt of your dress, the rug fibers tickling your thighs. Drinking in each and every one of your delicious mewls, he smirks, “If I recall correctly, you’re always good at taking orders from your Colonel.”

You’re about to retort, fiery sass on the tip of your tongue, when Caleb flicks your swollen clit—precise and intentional. Your cry is sharp as it is pleasured, your fingernails digging painfully into the carpet, thighs closing against Caleb's solid body. 

“Caleb!”

He grins, “Yeah, baby?”

“You know what—ngh fuck!” You’re cut off again when he lowers his head to lick a hot wet stripe down your slit, all the way to your throbbing clit, right through the fabric of the lace panties.

“Fuuuck, did you get this wet just from sucking gege’s cock?” he groans, breath hot against your trembling sensitive lips, “You spoil me.” 

As soon as the pleasure comes, it disappears, Caleb withdrawing with a crazed look of mischief in his galaxy eyes. 

“Say it.”

You whine, your hips bucking up—instinctively chasing Caleb’s touch. He pushes you back down, his palm flat against your stomach and lips latched into the soft skin of your inner thigh. So close to where you need him most.

“Say it.”

Caleb is drunk off something entirely different now, making little to no sense as his tongue darts out to sample you again. 

“F-Fuck—say what?! What do you want me to—mmngh—say?”

He lifts your ruined panties to the side, eyes dilated with pure hunger. Unable to stop himself, even when he wants to tease you, he leans back in. His tongue parts your lips, teasing your entrance. 

Words vibrating into your soul, he grunts, “Say you only take orders from me.” 

Deciding to give in, lest he take away the pleasure just as it began, you sit up on your elbows, “Only you Caleb. Only ever t-take orders from my gege.” 

Caleb’s fingers tighten around your thighs, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the weight of his desperate breaths. His eyes, delirious with hunger, lock onto yours as he leans back on—fully ready to devour you now. 

“And you look so damn perfect doing it.” 

You fall backward as Caleb tugs you forward, lifting you until your pussy was level with him as he sat up. You’re surprised when your head hits a soft apple plush, gut fluttering as you realize Caleb had used his Evol to position the pillow when he’d yanked you towards him.

He was always thinking of you—protecting you.

Just as your skull thumps gently into the cushion, he buries himself in you, so eagerly that his teeth nearly knock into your fevered skin. He’d spent so many hours which his tongue nestled inside you that he could practically draft blueprints on exactly how you liked it. 

Slow. Attentive. Devoted.

And Caleb was always an over-achiever.

With you stretched out on his tongue, his nose brushing insistently into your hardened clit, he shows you the utmost reverence, worshiping you like the absolute perfection you were.

“O-Oh god Caaleb—! Just like that. Please don’t stop.”

He grunts in approval, letting his deep voice vibrate against your quivering skin. Diligently coaxing your orgasm from you, Caleb inserts one of his skilled fingers. Then two. 

“Never going to stop,” he moans into your core, “That’s what I want for my birthday. To be inside of you forever.”

You whine at his words, his fingers easily finding your soft g-pot, “W-Want that too. Hah—please, gege.”

Caleb nearly snarls at your breathy words, fingers digging into your skin.

“That’s my fucking girl,” he growls into you, coaxing you deliberately, “You know exactly who you belong to, hm?”

You whimper, nodding eagerly as he purposely drags his nose against you. Caleb nearly goes feral at your intoxicating scent, needing your orgasm more than he needs his next breath.

“Cum for me, baby,” he murmurs, voice deep and velvety, “It’s my birthday, right? Show me how much you need me.” 

His lips gently close over your aching nub, sucking hard. Your eyes widen when the pads of his fingertips, deep inside you, stroke demandingly against your most sensitive parts, all but ensuring your heavenly downfall.  

Back arching deeply, the end of your spine digging painfully into the hard floor, your body gives him the thing he’d wanted above anything else, any other gift. 

“Nnngh—feels so fucking good. I-I can’t—no more!…Cumming!” 

Caleb’s chest rumbles as his tongue skillfully catches every drop of your climax, holding your thighs firmly as they quake uncontrollably against him. 

You’re a whimpering mess, never quite able to get used to just how devotedly he tends to you. Your chest heaves as Caleb sets you back down, wiping his shiny lips with the back of his hand. 

“Thank you, princess.”

Vision blurry, you sit up on shaky arms to watch him. He fists his cock slowly, already hard and wanting again.

“You did not just thank me for sex,” you laugh breathlessly, making a face at him. 

Caleb grins, gently pinning you back to the floor. One hand restrains both of yours while the other tilts your chin up at him. 

“Think of it as…thanking you for the best gift I’ve ever received.”

Caleb carefully chooses his words, fully intending for you to pick up on the double meaning behind them. You were the greatest thing in his life. 

“More?” Caleb asks breathlessly, his wide violet eyes desperately pleading with yours, but fully prepared to stop if you needed a break. 

“More. Don’t tell me the birthday boy is an old man already,” you grin at him playfully. 

Caleb smirks, devastatingly handsome, leaning down to brush his lips tauntingly against yours. 

“Brat.”

He firmly cups the back of your head and claims your lips—deliciously bruising and punishing. 

With both his hands, he pins your wrists on either side of your head, rendering you completely pliant at his mercy. 

“I might be one year older,” he murmurs as he kisses down your neck, selectively leaving hickeys on your most sensitive parts.

“But I am still perfectly capable of satisfying my girl.”

Caleb presses his lips to yours, consuming you entirely and irrevocably. The taste of alcohol had completely faded away, leaving only the taste of the man you’d loved all your life. The taste of excitement, desperation, longing, and possession.

You feel him use one hand to line himself up with your entrance, entering your with one measured thrust. He swallows your pleasured gasp, pinning your hands back down gently, fingers carefully intertwining with yours.

“Christ,” Caleb groans, his lips still brushing against yours as he gently rolls his hips into you, “Tight little cunt, s’all mine, right?”

“Caaleb,” you moan brokenly, a mix of your release and his saliva making it much easier to accommodate his thick girth, “Nngh—more. Please.”

Caleb growls, his pelvis hitting your thighs with a powerful pitched clap. It’s enough to fuck your breath out of you, your body sliding up against the rough rug painfully. The feeling of his leaking cockhead claiming every sensitive spot inside of you makes the pain of the friction fade away, your eyes rolling back deeply. 

Your needy words go straight to Caleb’s cock, quelling the irrational jealousy that’d been brewing inside him and fueling the possessiveness he felt over you. 

Caleb grabs a throw pillow off the couch, lifting you effortlessly to place it under your hips. The elevation gives him the perfect angle to repeatedly hit your g-spot as it brushed bruisingly into your cervix. 

“So greedy,” he whispers, groaning at the way you wring his cock, “Pussy’s so damn needy. You should see how you’re sucking me in, baby.”

Caleb straightens up, one of your legs wrapped around his waist and the other resting straight against his shoulder as he grips it to his body. He presses tender kisses into your ankle, a sharp contrast to the way he bullies himself into your tight heat.

“Hah—hear that?” he murmurs, fingers finding your clit, making the sounds of wet sinful pleasure even more pronounced, “That’s how much you need me.”

For how self-assured Caleb was in his everyday life, he sounded very much like he was convincing himself and not you.

“Course I need you,” you moan, reassuring the side of him that you know has been hurting this week, “Mmmngh—I’ll a-always need you. Always want you.

He kisses down your calf, so absolutely devoted to worshipping you—to showing you how much he needs you. When he reaches your knee, he wraps your leg back around him, lowering himself to your flushed face. His rhythm is intentional and powerful, each stroke meant to pleasure you and not him.

With your chin softly in his fingers’ grip, he croaks with finality, “You’re mine.” 

But this time it’s not demanding or possessive, but a desperate promise. 

“Show me, Caleb,” you encourage, his urgency fueling your own orgasm. Caleb’s jaw tightens, the bulge in his neck bobbing thickly. 

“Everyday,” he whispers into your mouth, nipping at your puffy lips, “I’ll show you, every fucking day.”

Closing the rest of the distance, Caleb captures you in a kiss that speaks volumes to how wholly you consumed him—how desperately he needs to be consumed by you.

You can tell he’s close, moaning unabashedly into your mouth, hips stuttering against your own trembling body. You can practically feel his cock throbbing as it tries to bury into your damn cervix, coating your walls in beads of precum. He’s pinned you by your wrists again, fingers stroking yours, needing the illusion of complete control over you.

Pulling away, saliva still connecting the two of you, Caleb groans as his balls tighten with that unmistakable tension, “Shit, you feel so good. I-I can’t stop.”

Your toes curl, digging into his back, “No–don’t stop, please don’t fucking stop.”

“Gonna—sh-shit—cum in you princess,” Caleb warns, “Need to fill you up. Haah—Need you to feel me for days.”

You cry out at his filthy promises, body tightening in excitement, his fingers releasing you in favor of finding both your hardened peaks, one hand at your clit and the other at your breast. 

“Jesus—don't squeeze me like that,” he pleads darkly, forcefully being pushed to his precipice, “You like that idea baby?”

Caleb’s fingers press down, eliciting the most beautiful sounds he’s ever heard.

“Y-Yes!” you cry, so close to release you’d say anything if it meant you got to cum with his cock inside you.

His eyes darken, jaw ticking, your name a dangerous purr on his lips.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Caleb’s hips snap painfully into your ass, once. He collapses on top of you, catching himself by his palms on the floor framing both sides of your face.

“Fuck—you’re so fucking perfect. Feels like heaven inside of you.”

Twice.

“Gonna let gege cum inside you, right princess?”

A third time.

“Sh-shit—gonna be able to smell me on you. In you.”

A fourth, final, time.

“You can take it, right baby? My good fucking girl.”

You cum with a strangled cry of his name, back arching against the cushion, fingers digging roughly into Caleb’s hair. There’s an uncomfortable wet splash that accompanies your climax, your entire body shaking violently against his faltering thrusts.

“Christ—!” Caleb groans, “Did you just squirt for me?”

Your explosion of ecstasy thrusts Caleb into his own violent release, the thick cords of muscles in his abdomen twitching as his body unleashes into yours, powerful and mind numbing. 

A bead of sweat falls from his skin to yours, his entire body strained with the force of his orgasm. Thick hot jets of his seed coat your aching walls, still pulsing insistently against his throbbing cock.

“F-Fuck I can’t…” Caleb’s groan is strangled, falling onto his elbows, careful not to crush you.

“What’s wrong?” you whisper quietly, voice weak, groaning as he twitches inside you.

“Ngh—can’t stop cumming,” Caleb grunts, his entire body shaking as he holds himself above you.

You look down at where your bodies are still connected, his hips still thrusting shallowly into you.

“Bear with me, princess,” he rasps apologetically. Your trembling hands reach up to gently hold his face, bringing it to yours.

You press a tender kiss to his parted lips, your tongue gently teasing his, encouraging him to ride out the waves of his orgasm. 

Caleb’s cheeks are flushed adorably red as you let him go, his hips finally stilling. Carefully, he gathers you into his arms, flipping the two of you around so that you lay on top of him, his body shielding you from the floor now.

He brushes his lips to your temple, whispering softly, “Best fucking birthday.”

At the mention of his birthday, you’re reminded of the birthday cake that was left forgotten on the entryway console table. Sitting up suddenly, you gently extricate yourself from Caleb’s hold, much to his pouty dismay. 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back!”

Caleb groans as he slips out of you against his will. If it was up to him, he’d spend his entire birthday buried inside of you.

But as you walk away on trembling legs, his cum drips down your thighs, giving Caleb the perfect view as he lays on the floor looking up at your retreating form. 

He feels himself hardening at the thought of his claim running down your legs tomorrow, when Gideon—

“Happy birthday!”

Caleb sits up on the carpeted floor to watch you return with a lit birthday cake in your hands, singing happy birthday. The cake has lost its form, having melted when it was forgotten out in the warmth of the house, much of the toppers pitifully drooping against their own weight. 

And yet, as you present it to him, beaming ear to ear, hair disheveled, dress hanging off your chest, thighs pressed together in an attempt to stop the sticky mess between your legs from dripping, serenading him…

He’d never seen anything more beautiful.

“Sorry,” you say sheepishly when you finish the song, “It kinda got ruined, but—”

Caleb cuts you off with a tender thumb to your lips.

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

You blush, grinning up at him. 

“Make a wish!”

Caleb smiles ever-so-slightly, just the corners of his lips turning up, his fingers moving to cup your chin and tilt your face up at him. 

“What if I already have everything I’ve ever wanted?”

His violet eyes shine with a torrent of emotions that threatens to consume you whole, your own eyes stinging with feelings that threaten to escape. 

You bite your lip as he strokes your jaw, “Doesn’t matter. You have to make a wish.” 

You lift the cake so that it separates your bodies, the melting candle burning between your faces. Caleb chuckles before stepping back and closing his eyes. 

When they finally open, he leans down to blow the candle out. His eyes flutter to yours as he extinguishes the flame, conveying the magnitude of his words—his wishes. 

Every single one of them began and ended with you. 

As he pulls away, you ask him the same question you asked him every birthday. 

“What did you wish for?” 

Caleb laughs, taking the cake from your hands to set down on the coffee table, “My lips are sealed, pip-squeak. If I say, it won’t come true. And I really need this one to pull through.” 

Your eyes light up with unbridled curiosity, “Now you have to tell me!” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

“Nope.”

“Pleaaaaaase!”

“Quit it.” 

“Please, please, please!” 

Caleb turns to you as he pulls you down onto the couch with him, his amethyst irises bright with amusement and adoration. He couldn’t tell you what he really wished for—that in the next lifetime, he’d be able to find you and you’d let him take your hand again. If not that, then a seagull that could fly freely with you by his side, through the salty summer skies.

He chuckles, tucking your head under his chin, resting against your infinite warmth, “Fine” 

You look up at him in surprise, listening attentively, practically boiling over with curiosity. 

Caleb takes a deep breath, looking at you with seriousness that makes your heart hammer, “I wished that Gideon would stub his big toe on—“ 

Interrupting him by flicking his forehead, you tut playfully, “One year older and still a child.” 

Caleb grins, capturing your wrist before you can pull away and bringing your fingers to his lips reverently. 

“Good thing we have an entire lifetime of birthdays for me to grow up.”

© aeyumicore 2025.

.ᐟ✧ THIS IS MY ONLY ACCOUNT. I WILL ONLY POST ON THIS ACCOUNT AND AO3. i am not @/aeyumicores or @/aeyumiicore or any variations of my blog name.

✧.˖ i do not permit translations or reposts of my work on tumblr, ao3, or others. please do not reuse my blogpost headers, dividers, or layouts. these are original designs of my own.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

"If you use em dash in your works, it makes them look AI generated. No real human uses em dash."

Imaging thinking actual human writers are Not Real because they use... professional writing in their works.

Imagine thinking millions of people who have been using em dash way before AI becomes a thing are all robots.

REBLOG IF YOU'RE A HUMAN AND YOU USE EM DASH

[crimsonsoughtrainbutterfly]

Maybe Rafayel wears white so you will dye him in your colors.

Maybe Sylus wears red so you don't worry when he bleeds.

Maybe Caleb keeps his military hat tilted so no one can properly read his too honest eyes.

Maybe Zayne likes to wear black because he feels like a shadow, cool and faded.

Maybe Xavier wears that hoodie often because it was the first comfort he felt in a long time.

[nephelesthoughts]

Really twisting the knife there

[noreasontobebland]

Caleb doesn’t really give that he watches porn a lot, he does quite well with just thinking about you to get off when he needs to stroke his dick honestly. The few times he seen you in the shower or even in a cute small dress you wore for him to see.

But on the rare occasion he does though he watches the same few videos each time and that’s because the girl looks just BARELY like you, and the positions are some that he’d love to do.

Like the lotus, having your sweet thick legs around his waist in the middle of his bed, a small wet patch under you both with nothing but the noises of you bouncing, rubbing your nipples against his as he holds you up against him, your sweaty bodies creating wet slapping noises with every bounce.

Caleb would be way better than the man in the video though, he’d make you look at him the whole time, grabbing your throat with care to rush in a firm sloppy kiss, his lips were smaller than your supple ones but he knew he could swallow you whole , taking in every huff and puff that’s just a muffle of his name.

Caleb would rub your pussy with tight figure 8’s just to feel to squeeze harder on him, then pull back and lick your slick that was sliding down his wrist while he makes you stare into his eyes before he kisses you again.

Caleb would praise you in your ear as you feel yourself getting close to cum, telling you how well you’re doing, how he always knew your body was meant to be with his like a complete puzzle piece, how beautiful you are, how you deserve this, how much he loves you. How badly he needs you to cum with him.

Caleb would cum right with you, keeping your hips still so you can feel his cum ease inside you leaving both of your inner thighs a mess, but he didn’t mind.

Because Caleb would lay you on your back and use his mouth to clean your pussy, spelling his name with his tongue on your clit.

Caleb would be so much better than the pornstar on video because with every stroke and lick and kiss and rub it’s with the intention of showing you that you are all his, and he is nothing, but yours.