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What a day.
You didn’t think that dragging Caleb along to a camping trip for work would make him the most popular guy of them all—but the game of life loves to spite you, proving you wrong from the moment you stepped foot onto the Association with him by your side.
He enamored every single one of your male colleagues to the point where they trailed behind him like baby ducks, chirping over his charm. Asking him to fix one thing, use his evol for another, or even just be around them as they chat about anything under the sun. Not to say you doubted his innate charisma. You knew very well it was one that would naturally pull anyone along as gravity is to the Earth.
But it left you with no time to yourselves, with Caleb getting dragged into every planned activity possible and then some. So you pettily cursed the exorbant charm he sustains under an equally handsome face. Maybe burnt a skewer or two over the grill as you watched those little ducks swarm your Caleb as if they knew him as well as you—only to be pulled out of such concentration when Tara squealed about the burning smoke, rapidly fanning it away to rescue today’s lunch.
Now, you finally have a space where just the two of you existed. It took the entire day to get here, now with stars twinkling amongst the night sky’s blanket over the campground. Leaving your tent and quietly finding his was an easy feat—one that Caleb expected, already lowering the zipper and giving you a grin through the opening.
“Finally decided to swing by? And here I was thinking you fell asleep first,” he says.
Inside, there’s just enough room for one person. A puffy sleeping bag lies crinkled on the floor, as though he hadn’t considered the thought of sleep himself and chose to sit atop it instead. Caleb’s belongings are shoved into one of the far corners to further optimize what little space there is.
Above your heads and dangling from the tent’s peak is a lantern, giving shaping to your figures behind the creamy nylon. At once, you fingers reach to switch the luminous source off, plunging yourselves in a darkness that blends in with the night. “Not a chance,” you reply. “We can finally see each other, so I wouldn’t sleep before that.”
“How, exactly? You just killed the only light we have.”
Despite the reprimand, it’s mostly carried by the amusement in his observation and does little to effectively deter you.
“So what?” With that, you reach out a hand to seek out his warmth. Effortlessly, you pinch his side once it’s within your grasp. “I found you,” you sing, expanding the rest of your fingers to squeeze him afterwards. “I’m pretty good at this, if I do say for myself.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he concedes with a chuckle. “You win first place by a landslide.” He draws your hand into his before pulling you down, atop the wrinkled sleeping bag.
Meeting the world head-on with no light means that your other senses have sharpened to account for things you would’ve normally found as a passing thought. Everything, from chirping cicadas to the bristling wind against the tent, only seems to grow in this newborn silence. And from it, the sounds of Caleb’s breath beside yours services your ears in a constant tune. A resounding sign that his presence is real, whole and entirely kept to you in this moment.
“You missed the movie earlier,” Caleb says amidst the noises. “Why didn’t you come by? You would’ve liked it.”
“It’s fine. Besides, everyone else kept you company, and I couldn’t just pull you away back then for my sake,” you tell him dismissively. “Did you still have fun?”
He lets out a sigh. “Yeah, they were nice. But…” You could hear the rustle in his shift, turning onto his side to face you before he continues. “You weren’t there with me.”
“I’m here now, aren’t I? Same difference.” You could feel his gaze watching you, and in turn, did your best to squint at his features shadowed by the night. “So that makes up for it.”
There’s a slight pout to his voice when he responds. “Does it really, though? I can barely see you, let alone feel you like this.”
“You're messing with me, right?” Your brows press together, and your tone becomes pronounced thereafter. “Following the sound of my voice isn’t that hard. You can do that much.”
“And if we didn’t use our voices,” he starts, lowering his tone, “actually stopped talking altogether, I mean. Would you be able to find me then?”
Your senses dare to challenge each other at his question. As expected, you’re quick to find him with a hand placed square on his chest.
Caleb, in his adjustment to the darkness, fumbles a bit before scoring a victory. One that leads his hand to anchoring onto your waist. The warmth of his palm there lasts as long as a blink, and the disappointment that tinges your bones lives on the same wavelength. Lifted, then soon returns to the small of your back in his decisive pull, taking you into his embrace. Comfortable, exactly where you need it to be. In his reassurance, his arms circle you and perfectly slot your body to his—a puzzle to his missing piece.
“Dummy,” you murmur. Caleb presses his forehead to yours in silent agreement, his breath now intertwined with yours. “Of course we’d find each other.”
Then, a quiet confession staked in your heart from the beginning begins to unfurl. “You know, everyone swept you away and kept you to themselves. I’m glad they like you, really.”
You hesitate then, unsure if you should continue. Your fingers find the cool piece of silver resting just above his heart. It flashes with a warmth from your harsh pinch, to ground yourself and your wavering thoughts. “But, I—Well… I haven’t been able to…”
Ever the perceptive one, Caleb speaks in your stead. “They’ll come and go. No one else could keep me for that long,” he says in firm reassurance. “Only I belong to you at the end of the day.”
Your heart soars, knowing he's wholly sincere. It washes away the bitterness that crept along your throat and made your words tight.
“Mine,” you whisper against his mouth, ready to prove all that it’s worth. His breath stills in the anticipation, close to meeting you halfway, when suddenly—
“Caaaleb! Hellooo! Dude, are you up? Don’t tell me you’ve already hit the hay!”
A voice—not yours, not his, but of one belonging to a male colleague you barely remember the name of—breaks through your shared moment. You could feel your eye twitch. Caleb noticeably tenses, and you feel his mouth shift into a response.
Absolutely not. You’ve waited all day for this. Who were you to step down, now that you’re at the podium to receive a grand prize? Your grip on his necklace serves as the lifeline in face of the obstacle, and with a tug, brings his lips to yours in a kiss.
Jackpot. Whatever he wanted to initially say melts into a pleased hum against you. Warm, soft, and obedient in receiving your touch. A hand travels along your side to gentle cup the back of your head, keeping your lips well-pressed together.
“We were gonna scope out the trail and take a night hike,” another voice continues, oblivious to the lack of response. Not like there could be one at this rate. “If you’re up for it, we’d love for you to tag along.”
Your tongue swipes along Caleb’s lower lip, one that he leans into without a second thought, and swallows his opportunity to respond once more. His reception blossoms a need in your chest, one that can only be sated the longer you stay like this—on top of him, stealing his breath and tasting the man you’ve been pining for all day.
“Dude, what if he’s really sleeping?”
“You think so?”
“He had a long day, so it makes sense. We should try asking one of the other Hunters to join us instead.”
“Yeah… Woah, look at the stars! They're really bright tonight. Hey, grab some chairs!”
Their voices draw away from the tent, already caught up in the next best thing. Caleb’s free elbow slides against the floor as his torso rises, rustling the sleeping bag with it. Defiant, you take a hand to his shoulder and push him back down. It only creates more noises, causing the tent to wobble ever so slightly.
He’s the first one to part, catching his breath. A hushed whisper reaches you in a sort of awe. “Looks like someone doesn’t want me to go.”
You lean down, sending your words to the curve of his ear. “Yeah? What do you think?” Your teeth graze his skin that only seems to heat up further with your proximity. “You’re mine for the night. Or do you really want to go play with the boys?”
You pull the ace from your sleeve then—to which, you lower yourself to meet Caleb’s groin. Much to your delight, a firm welcome situates itself against your ass. Caleb stutters at the touch, eyes squeezed shut. Almost immediately do his hands plant themselves on your waist, keeping you still.
“I wouldn’t—” he starts.
“Wouldn’t?” you say pointedly.
“Won’t,” he corrects himself with a heavy sigh. Your hips shift slightly, and he barely manages out a stable utterance of, “Go, ugh. I’m not interested in them,” he reaffirms. “You know that, right?”
His pleas are as weak as his hold, because it’s enough room for you to rock yourself forward once again. Even through the barriers of your respective clothes, it’s enough to send a feverish jolt down your spine.
“Oh, Caleb,” you breathe out, exaggerating his name in a way that you know he loves. You use his shoulders as support to bring yourself upward, all while greedily grinding your arousal onto his. A heat flares in your stomach, tightens your fingers and encourages you to chase an impending high the further you drag against him. “It’s because I know you so well that I can have you like this, all to myself.”
Maybe it’s the loss of light that allows your boldness to shine. Or, possibly, you had wanted this honesty to come forth all along. You find that the line between both blurs—inhibitions lost to a pleasure that loosens your tongue, letting out the airy moans kept within.
This time around, Caleb is the one to take your breath away in an effort to quiet your sounds. Brings you back to his chest, where his heart thumps against yours, and mouth sealing you to him. Not that you mind, anyhow. The smile that breaks through your lips is enough proof.
“You have me,” he says, content. “Like always. But you’ll need to be quiet. They’re still around. Unless you want to disturb their stargazing party.”
He trails his mouth along your jaw, kisses left in every passing breath. “Since you’re so eager to tell the whole world,” to which his hips buck upwards, pressing himself further between your ass, “why not let them in on our exclusive exchange?”
You chew on your lip, pulse racing at the implication. The rhythm that was once yours becomes his, and you’re no better than a sinner indulging in the sweetest fruit. Wanting more, just for yourself. To sink your teeth in and lick the juices you harvested. “No,” you say definitively. “You’re mine, not theirs.”
“That’s what I thought,” Caleb coos. He cradles your cheek, thumb affectionate in caressing your skin. “You like this? Keeping me all to yourself? Where no one else can see me, the things you do to me and I to you?”
His words burn your ears, burn into the warmth on your cheeks—burn the words that fail to form on your tongue when a soft keen takes its place. Delighted, eager. You feed this need back to him, where he rewards you in another kiss. Unlike the ones before it, the slow, tender understanding of your swirling emotions guide you to a fever pitch.
The world, in its darkness, truly becomes nothing more than just the two of you.
Mingling breaths and the muffle where your clothes clash live in this world you’ve found. But a fight like that could only last for so long. That much becomes apparent when Caleb’s hips begin to falter, forehead pressed to yours once more.
“We can’t,” he huffs between broken gasps, “keep going. I’m—I’m real close—”
“Good,” you encourage, none the wiser but all the more turned on. A Hunter’s strength is perfect in times like these. Especially when the reins are back in your hands, pushing through the barrier that only sends blood rushing to his hard cock. “You’ll come for me, won’t you?”
In your prettiest plea, your sweetnesss defies the absolute crude nature of your demands. You make sure that the poor, hardened state of him digs well against the curve of your ass. “Make a mess for me. Let yourself go, Caleb.”
Caleb’s release is nothing but quiet, breaking into the air with a relieved groan and a warmth prodding from below. Pliant beneath you, your teeth gently tug at his lower lip, feathering out those sweet noises into a whimper. Only when his hands reach to squeeze your sides do you come to a slow, forgiving pace. Stilling altogether as he catches his breath, panting.
“You did so well.” You part his tussled bangs and place a kiss to the exposed forehead. A grin tugs at your lips then—a swell of pride, moreover, being the fuel in knowing that he came undone thanks to you. “I knew you had it in you.”
Weightlessness hits you no sooner, flipping your positions and wiping that smile off your face. Caleb’s hand cradles the back of your head before setting you flat to the sleeping bag. You can barely register the tent panels above your head before a familiar blur of purple obscures your view. The dogtag dangling from his neck taps your chin in an off-beat pattern, though it stuns your breath all the same.
You swallow, heart trembling in anticipation. “Caleb, you— wait, where did you go?”
He pulls away, leaving you bewildered. You have half the mind to protest, but swallow it down again when you watch him instead.
You can make out his kneeling shadow between your spread legs, shaped by what little light from behind the tent diffuses to his frame. The sound registers before the sight could—hands fiddling with the buttons of his shirt, before it slides off his torso and pools onto the space next to you.
Your attention is well in attendance as you level your elbows to solid ground. “A strip tease in the dark? That’s a new one.”
“Really? Sounds pretty normal to me,” he simply answers. “I should probably change anyhow.”
Already busy undoing his belt, Caleb moves with ease. The click of metal has you subconsciously salivating at the remembrance of what’s hidden underneath.
The weight of that very belt meets the floor soon thereafter—where the hum of a zipper, slow as ever, fills the air. He chuckles knowingly. “And I don’t need to see to do that.”
“Usually,” you grit your teeth at his provocation. You try to bite back with your own. “What’s the point in making a show of it then?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he says, noncommittal. “Maybe I’m doing it just because I can. Or, I want you to know just how good of a job I did coming for you,” Caleb says lowly, pausing his movements and tilting his head. “You can take a closer look for yourself. Since you’re better than me at navigating the dark, right?”