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Welcome to SkyHaven, the gateway to the stars. Please check departure boards for the latest gate assignments, keep your travel credentials ready and…
The pleasantly soothing announcement hums through the station as the crowds disperse, flowing toward their respective platforms. She tightens her grip on her ticket, her palm growing sweaty as she scans the board for the train to the Deepspace Aviation Administration—the DAA, as he calls it.Her stomach drops. Four different DAA-bound trains. Only one will take her to the military base where she needs to be.Shit.He reminded her, again, in their video call just last night which one to take after offering to collect her and then they could make their way to the base together. But she had waved him off, stubbornly insisting on making her own way there.“I’m going to have to get used to it, you know, since you decided to abandon me and move literally off the face of the Earth after you graduated. Traitor!”He had only chuckled at her whining, the warmth in his voice unchanged. “You know all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll come straight back for you.”She hadn’t, of course. He graduated with flying colors and had been wowing his superiors at the DAA ever since—rising through the ranks faster than any recruit before him. As much as she wanted to see him, she didn’t want to disrupt his impressive momentum, especially with her own final year at the Hunters Association Academy keeping her busy. So, she had declined every offer to visit with every excuse under the sun, especially since how they last parted still niggled away at her.But six months apart? The longest they’d ever gone without seeing each other? By far?It was starting to feel unbearable. A chime sounds overhead.
Platform 159D to Deepspace Aviation Administration Polaris Port is departing in…
Her heart stutters. Shit, shit, shit. Was that the right train?She glances at her ticket. It doesn’t specify a station—just “Deepspace Aviation Administration.” Any of the four trains could take her somewhere under that umbrella.She groans internally. Obviously, the ticket vendor trusted the passenger not to be so overwhelmed with nerves and excitement that they’d turn into a forgetful mess.Her phone buzzes in her other hand. A message from him.
Orion Gate.
Oh. Right.Another message pings.
You forgot, didn’t you? Don’t tell me—I already know you did. ;-)
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t bother denying it, already rushing toward the platform for DAA Orion Gate.
Maaaybe. OMW. Train leaves in ten. Running on time, so I’ll be there in two hours—right on schedule!
His reply comes instantly.
Perfect. I’m here now. Will meet you at the platform just after the scanning barriers.
She blinks. That’s early.
Already? Thought you said you had a final flight today before the weekend?
I did. They dismissed me early. I was too distracted to be useful.Her heart clenches. She knows exactly what that feels like.She hasn’t been able to think straight since the date was confirmed and he sent her the code for the tickets—insisting on paying for them. She’s staying at his barracks. In his room. In his bed.He swore it wasn’t a big deal. “I have a huge couch,” he had said, “I’ll sleep there. It’s just two nights.”It was a rare weekend where he had no scheduled flights, and she had no field exams or essays due for the Hunter’s Association Academy. So here she is.Her phone beeps again just as she steps onto the train. She stashes her bag in the overhead compartment.“Welcome aboard!”She jumps as the android attendant zips to her side.“We depart in five minutes and will arrive at Deepspace Aviation Administration Orion Gate at fifteen hundred hours. May I get you anything to make your journey as comfortable as possible?”“Um… just water, please. Thanks.”“Of course!” The android chirps before speeding away.Settling in her seat, she checks the next message waiting for her.
I can’t wait to see you.
At that, her breath catches and her pulse picks up speed.Get a grip. He says things like that all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.
Me too.
The chat bubbles dance, indicating he’s typing back. Then stop. A heart pops up next to her message.
Later, pipsqueak. You relax. See you in two hours.
His status changes to offline, ending the conversation there. She scowls at the screen. Ugh, pipsqueak. The nickname he gave her since they were kids. Indifferent to it for years, as she got older she grew to hate it. Especially since that fateful night when she visited him at his college and got blind drunk at a frat party he took her to because some girl called Cindy was flirting with him.She’ll never forget it. The memory is imprinted in her brain. The night she got a hint that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t see her as his annoying, younger pipsqueak of a sister anymore…
Three years ago
“Wow, Caleb. Didn’t think to tell me you had a girlfriend?” She glared up at him, spitting out the latter word like it was poison on her tongue. It might have been a little more intimidating if she weren’t swaying on her feet.Caleb exhaled through his nose, put a hand on his hip and did that little head roll he does when he’s about to go into ‘big brother’ mode. “Thaaaaat’s enough drink for you.” He plucks the red cup out her hand and places it on the table behind him.“Am not even that drunk!”“Sounds like something someone drunk would say.”She rolls her eyes, reaching behind him to reclaim her cup. He blocked her - effortlessly. He’s huge now. Taller, broader. He’s always been notably taller than her but since college he’s really bulked out too. With pronounced muscles that bulge and stretch out his clothes in all the right places. Like right now, when his hand, also notably large and nicely veiny, catches her wrist as she tries one last time to rescue her drink.“Don’t even try it, pipsqueak. I’m much bigger than you.”Uh huh. She’s noticed.“… and stronger,” he adds with a wink. “As you know, since I always win our push-up contests.”“Debatable.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m still convinced you cheat with your evol.”Yet, all the evidence to the contrary snagged her gaze - his popped biceps all thick and sculptured under his signature black and blue flight jacket.Her eyes drifted across to where his t-shirt strained across pecs that, in all honesty, she’s been trying hard not to openly stare at since she noticed how round and solid they’ve become.And then lower still to … one, two… six, seven- yep, that’s definitely eight little squares of muscle now covering his stomach. Two more than the last time she’d seen him. Not to mention all the extra sharp obliques framing his waist, just out of sight, tempting her to look closer…Caleb clears his throat. Loudly. She snapped her eyes up, just in time to watch his brow raise and lips curve into a smirk, enjoying the moment too much. Oh, crap. Busted. Definitely saw her checking him out. She yanks her wrist free and tosses back her hair. “I’m just trying to figure out what Cindy sees in you.”“Is that right?” Goodness. The way his voice dropped and dripped with flirtatiousness made her already heated skin blaze. Her fluster officially out of control. “Now I’m curious. What do you think Cindy sees in me, huh?”The sound of another woman’s name in that too sexy voice sparked something in her. Something she had no business feeling. Something sharp and green, making her control and cool slip straight through her fingers.She scoffs folding her arms. “I could be here all night and still not figure it out.“He grinned, his frustratingly handsome face full of teasing amusement. “Alright. Let me save that little noggin of yours workin’ overtime and help you out. A friend. Just a friend. That’s what she sees in me.” He leans back to perch on the edge of the table, tugging her to stand between his long legs with a finger hooked into her shorts. “Alright?”“Yeah, right.” She narrows her eyes. “For someone so smart you sure can be annoyingly oblivious.”It’s true. The amount of girls she’s seen flirt and throw themselves at him over the years. Especially through high school when he was super popular. That lethal face card on top of a tall, strong body and a charming sunshine personality to boot? Girls didn’t stand a chance. But he never did return any of their affection. Never. She always wondered why. What was he waiting for? Or what completely unattainable attributes in a girlfriend was he looking for? He could literally take his pick of all the girls throughout school and now college. Yet, he’s never been with anyone. Ever. Why? ”I don’t know what to tell ya, pipsqueak.” He shrugs, his attractively wide shoulders bouncing, before shining that killer boy-next-door smile at her. “Except I promise you, she’s not my girlfriend and never will be. Just a friend. Satisfied?”She pouted, clearly not satisfied. “If you say so. But clearly you see something in her, you looked very cosy together. Is she your new bestie? Have I been replaced already?”He actually laughed.“S’not funny!” “It’s kinda funny, I can’t tell if you’re more drunk or jealous.”She reeled back, oh crap. Was it that obvious? “Jealous? I- W-why would I be jealous?” His expression changes in an instant. The teasing smirk melted away and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his gorgeous face before his purple gaze darkened—just slightly.Then he stood, engulfing her with his height and leaned closer, invading her space. She staggered back, but he didn’t let her go far. His arm braced her, circling her waist and pulling her close. Close.So, very close.Close enough that their chests brushed.Close enough that his nose nearly skimmed hers.Close enough to feel his breath, warm and minty, ghost over her lips.She swallowed hard, frozen in his embrace.“I dunno,” he murmured, “you tell me, princess.”Princess.She swooned. She actually swooned and her heart beat so hard and fast he had to have felt it.Those violet eyes burned into hers, holding her captive, demanding something—anything—in response. She had always thought his eyes were beautiful, unusually colorful and bright, like a nebula. But now? Now they were devastating. So intense, so utterly focused on her that she felt her knees weaken, threatening to give way.“C-Caleb.” Oh Gods. Even drunk, she heard the way she breathed his name. Low, hushed—wanting. And it still haunts her to this day, because that is not how you should say your gege’s name.But nothing—nothing at all—compared to the way he said hers back.Her name, spoken softly, almost reverently. Like it was something precious. And the way he looked at her? Like she is all he sees and all he ever wants to see for the rest of his days? That wasn’t just lust. That was longing. She saw it, heard it, fuck, she could feel it, even through the fog of alcohol and unjustified jealousy.It was there. Undeniable. Then, still holding her in an embrace that was far too intimate, his fingertips traced along her jaw, a slow, featherlight touch that sent heat rippling down her spine. His thumb skimmed the curve of her chin, tilting her face up, bringing her closer.“Don’t be jealous,” he murmured, his voice lower, rougher, still so close she saw the gold flecks in his eyes as clear as stars in the night sky. “Did you really think anyone could take your place?”She barely managed to breathe, much less summon the words to respond.“No one else even comes close to mattering to me like you do,” His Adam’s apple bobbed, next confession spoken in a rushed hush. “No one ever will.”Her fingers curled onto his shoulders and squeezed, steadying herself as the ground collapsed beneath her feet. He held her tighter, supporting her, grounding her, like he always has since forever.“Really?” She whispered, so quietly she was surprised he heard her. His lips parted slightly, gaze flicking down to her mouth and staying there.His breathing shifted, suddenly deep and unsteady, and her pulse roared in her ears. Every inch of her skin tingled where they touched, which was everywhere.Then his expression changed. A challenge sparkling in those bright, beautiful eyes.“What? Want me to prove it to you?”Her lips parted, her heart stuttering violently. His did too—she could feel it. Two beats thundering against each other. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, slowly, hesitantly, as if waiting for her to stop him.She didn’t.The world stopped spinning. The stars stopped shooting. The moment stretched, delicate, fragile, inevitable.He was going to kiss her.Right here, in front of everyone.Everyone who knew her as his little sister. Everyone who had spent the night telling her how sweet it was that he talked about her all the time, how excited he’d been for her visit, how much he had missed her.It takes a lot to fluster Caleb, but she saw how pink his ears had turned when they teased him. She witnessed how he had laughed it off, brushing a hand through his hair, trying to play it cool.And yet—this.This couldn’t be happening.This shouldn’t be happening.Yet it is. It did. His lips moved so close to hers they were sharing breaths.When she looked back, this was another moment that would haunt her. If she had only been brave enough to let it play out differently. To let him close the distance and see how far they could go. But, alas, instead she succumbed to her panic and ruined the moment.“You called me princess,” she blurted.He froze. Blinked. Frowned. “…Huh?”“You called me princess.” She repeated, louder, grasping onto it like a lifeline.Another beat of silence.Then he straightened, rubbing the back of his neck and letting out a laugh—one that sounded just a little too forced.”Uh… yeah. It suits you.”He smiled then. That easy, effortless smile. And before she could process why it suddenly felt so hollow, he tossed her over his shoulder like nothing had happened.“C’mon, princess pipsqueak. Let’s get your drunk butt to bed.”The rest of that night was a blur.That was three years ago.Since then, the much-preferred nickname still slips out now and then—in moments that make her heart act up and her lungs malfunction in ways only Caleb manages how. A rougher voice, an intense look, and suddenly, she’s spiraling.Truthfully, it’s not just her chest that Caleb affects, but her whole body. It lights up in his presence, it always has. But ever since that night when a line was nearly crossed a very specific southern girlie part stirs when those violet eyes land on hers.It’s wrong. Gods is it wrong, but it happens anyway. Sending her into a state of restlessness that just won’t go away until she’s alone again and can relieve the ache to thoughts of him with her hand between her thighs. To the thought of what could have been, if she had just kept her stupid, drunk mouth shut. She glances down at the message again, scowling.Pipsqueak. Okay. Well, at least she knows it won’t be awkward when they meet. It will be just like old times. Which is nice… she supposes.After the whole near kiss thing there was never anything like that between them again. So she put it down to them both being drunk. Or possibly she just imagined the whole thing. He didn’t actually kiss her after all. He was probably just going to boop her nose or do something equally annoying. Swallowing hard, she pops in her earbuds and reclines into her seat. See, no big deal. Just a girl going to see her Gege. The boy she grew up with and adores with her whole heart.The boy who’s definitely not a boy anymore.And definitely doesn’t feel like a her Gege anymore, either. Far, far from it. And what happened the last time she saw him six months ago cements that. There was no imagining it that time. It happened. It actually happened. Stone cold sober in the judgmental light of day. Which is the real reason she has been avoiding seeing him, because she’s a little heartbroken he has pretended it didn’t. Not that she can talk. She has faced and killed (skillfully, she might add) hundreds of wanderers already as an up and coming Hunter in training, yet she can’t face the man she grew up with and considers her bestest friend in the whole universe. Or the fact that she’s madly in love with him…A soft beep pulls her from her thoughts.“Here’s your water, Miss.”The android attendant places a bottle on her table.“Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”She nods. “Thank you.”As the android zips away, she glances around. The carriage is mostly empty. Hardly anyone travels S-class—it’s outrageously expensive.She huffs, shaking her head. Such a show-off, buying me an S-class ticket.There was no need. She’s used to slumming it in standard class back home—when her motorcycle isn’t falling apart.He tried to replace that, too.She refused. Much to his annoyance.“I don’t like the thought of you drivin’ around on that death trap, pipsqueak.”“It’s not a death trap, it’s vintage,” she’d retort, rolling her eyes.It was a conversation they had often. The last time? Just before his graduation, in fact. It seems the memory is insistent upon making her relive it. With a sigh, she takes a slow sip of water, surrendering to the pull of the memory. To six months earlier…
6 months ago
It was his graduation day. Naturally, he graduated top of his class. He’s so smart. Always has been. Although there was always an undercurrent of competitiveness between them, the truth is he has always been the smarter one. “Only because you’re a year older,” she’d argue. “If we were the same age, I’d be way smarter than you.”He’d chuckle, ruffling her hair. “Sure, pipsqueak.”Grandma was there, proud as punch, taking endless photos. One of them stands out.In it, she’s tugging his arm, stealing his attention. His cap is slightly askew, his violet eyes bright with excitement at the future that now lay wide open before him. The future he’s always dreamed of, now so close he could taste it. She couldn’t be happier for him, even if it did take him away from her. It was truly bittersweet.“You did it! Top of your class and snapped up by the DAA. Just like you always wanted. I’m so proud of you!”He smiled. A real, breathtaking smile. Looking so handsome it didn’t seem real.“You gonna miss me, pipsqueak?”That’s when it was taken, the next photo that is pinned on her wall. Amongst countless others of them over the years, this one is special. Because it captured the moment she finally admitted it.To him.To herself.Tiptoeing up, she flung her arms around him, pulled him down and kissed his cheek.“You know I will,” she murmured against his skin.She lingered. Long enough to feel the rough stubble he was trying out at the time. Long enough to inhale his scent, both intoxicating and comforting. Long enough to feel him tense against her.Then, with a hand against his jaw she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his cheek once more.Softer. Slower.Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, “I love you, Caleb.”
Click. Flash.
The moment was immortalized forever.When she pulled away, their eyes held. For a fraction of a second, his grip on her waist tightened, as if involuntarily, and something flickered to life in his eyes. That same something she saw three years ago before that almost/maybe kiss. Something unreadable. Unstable. It was there and gone in a flash but still intense enough to take her next breath and heartbeat along with it.She swallowed hard and he swallowed harder.It wasn’t the first time she had said those words.They had grown up together, been inseparable for years. She loved him, and he loved her. They said it all the time.But this? This was different. No affectionate ’gege’. No teasing ‘idiot’. No playful punch to his arm.Just his name.Just the truth.And she knows—knows—he heard it.His lips part, about to say something but in the next moment he is tackled by his buddies. And then—just like that—he was dragged away. She never got to hear what he had to say.He looked back at her once. Just once. Then he was gone.Looking back, she doesn’t quite know what possessed her to say it at that particular moment after years of confusingly intense feelings and forbidden yet relentless attraction. Maybe it was the flurry of emotions running fast and high at such a monumental event. Or maybe it was because of the fact he was leaving the very next day, moving out of their shared family home permanently to live at the DAA barracks to start his new life, without me. They’d be no coming back over breaks, like in college. This was it. In that moment it just… hit her… with head-spinning, painful clarity. She didn’t just love him, she was in love with him. Unrequitedly and so dangerously deeply she feared she’d never recover from it. It was heartbreaking. It still is.After the confession she left early. She told Grandma she wasn’t feeling well, took herself back to the Academy halls, curled up on her bed and cried herself into an early sleep.She was supposed to see him off the next day. But she couldn’t face it. Couldn’t bear the thought of watching him walk away, right out of her life and all she knew. That pesky cowardliness when it comes to her true feelings getting the better of her again. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on what mood she was in, nothing changed between them in the six months that followed up until this very day. They still called nearly every night. Still messaged every day without fail. Still video called when they were both free like always. The only difference has been she always found excuses not to visit him or be home when he came back. But she couldn’t put it off forever. She would have face it and him sooner or later. And when he threatened to turn up at the Hunters Association Academy to see her if she refused to see him this weekend, she knew it would have to be now. No more excuses. Time to put on her big girl pants and best poker face and pretend she hadn’t confessed that her heart belongs to a man who is her brother in all ways except blood…“Ugh, kill me,” she mutters to no one and shifts in her seat. Her insides were fluttering like crazy with an odd mix of desperate anticipation and nauseating nervousness. She checks her watch. One hour left. Too late to back out now. The truth she’s been running from is hurtling toward her as fast as the train beneath her feet.She sighs and rubs her temple, staring out at the vast expanse of space visible through the reinforced glass of the train’s panoramic windows.
Okay. Stop. Stop. This is Caleb. Your best friend. There’s no need to be nervous. 
After all, maybe he hadn’t heard her confession.Or maybe he had… and wisely chose to pretend he didn’t, because it was wildly inappropriate. Orrr maybe he ignored it because he didn’t feel the same way. How embarrassing and ouch.Either way, it doesn’t matter. It’s been six months. He probably doesn’t think about it at all. In fact, he’s probably forgotten all about it by now. …Right?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The aircraft shook, heavy metal groaning as it landed with a graceless and loud thud.Caleb sighed, unclipping his belt and releasing the hatch that slid open with a hiss.“Damn, Xia! What the hell happened?!” Jax’s voice crackles through the radio.Gritting his teeth, Caleb yanked off his helmet and climbs out the cockpit. Admittedly that was not his smoothest landing. It wasn’t his best flight either, missing two of the targets. That was gonna hurt his near-impeccable record.But right now? He just couldn’t bring himself to care. He had much more important things on his mind.Her.Tonight.In his room.In his bed.Gideon slid beside him as soon as Caleb’s boots hit the hangar floor. “Incoming,” he warned, jerking his head toward their superior marching towards them with a face like thunder. Caleb and Gideon straightened into a salute.“Explain yourself,” the Lieutenant spat, with no further preamble.“Sorry, Sir,” Caleb starts, confidence in his voice unwavering despite knowing damn well his performance today had been chaotic at best and rookie-level at worst, “I have personal business this weekend. I was distracted. It won’t happen again.”The Lieutenant grunted. “See that it doesn’t,” he eyes him up and down, unimpressed. “You’re no use to me like this. You’re dismissed. Return for briefing at eighteen hundred hours. I don’t want to see your face in the meantime, soldier. Sort yourself out.” Caleb’s boots slammed together in another salute. “Sir, yes, sir.“With a curt nod, the Lieutenant spun on his heels and marched away, no doubt readying to bark orders at the next flight team.Caleb let out a slow breath.“Soo…” Gideon slapped him on the back. “She still coming later? That why you were such a screw-up today?”“Yep,” Caleb muttered, tucking his helmet under his arm. “And yep.”Jax came bounding up to them. “Who’s ‘she’? Oh, the hot sister? Is she visiting finally!?”Caleb’s hand involuntarily clenched into a fist, resisting the urge to let it fly and meet his face. “She’s not my sister,” he gritted out.Jax was a good pilot, but Caleb had disliked him instantly the second he caught his lustful look at the photos of her on Caleb’s desk.Clearly oblivious to the tension radiating off him, Jax bounced along beside them as they strode out of the hangar. “Man, she’s hot hot. Can’t wait to meet her. You taking her to the bar later? Hey, you won’t mind if I buy her a drink, will ya? She’s single, right? Oh! Oh! Can I ask her out?”Caleb moved before he even thought about it.One second, Jax was running his mouth, in the next he was slammed against the nearest wall hard enough to make him choke on his own words. Caleb’s forearm pressing harder to his throat with every slow, deadly word. “Sure. If you wanna spend the rest of your life breathin’ through a tube, go for it.”Jax’s hands shot up in surrender. “Woah, chill, Xia.”Caleb wasn’t listening. “You so much as look in her direction, I swear, I will-““Okay, okay! Got it!” Jax wriggled free, straightening his uniform. “No looking at the hot sis- uh, I mean, at her. Got it. Damn.”Gideon shook his head at Jax scurrying away. ”Idiot.”Caleb exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face. Maybe Jax didn’t deserve that, but he was losing his damn mind waiting for her. And now the day was finally—finally—here.Just the thought of anything or anyone ruining this made his blood boil, the inherent protectiveness he had always felt towards her growing dangerous, turning him hot-headed and volatile.His fingers tightened around the pendant at his neck, rubbing the apple-shaped charm she’d given him years ago. The familiar weight instantly calmed him, grounding him in thoughts of her. As if she didn’t already live rent-free in his head every damn second.In just a few hours, she’d be here.Back with him.Where she belonged.He’d see her breathtaking smile, hear her musical laugh, see the way her stunning eyes turn soft and dazed when he tells her how much he misses her. All without thousands of miles and a screen between them. More than that, he’ll finally be able to tell her, no, show her how he feels about her.It’s all he’s wanted to do for as long as he can remember. Three years ago, he almost did it.That was the first time she looked at him differently, not like a big brother, the role he’s been loath to play, but as something else. A man. Just… Caleb.In that moment, when he pulled her close? When her breath caught and eyes clouded over with arousal? He could have died, seeing her like that and feeling her pressed against him all soft and pliant and wanting. Surrendering to that pull between them that it pained him to think was only ever one sided. If that was his last moment, he would have accepted it gladly. Caleb scrubs a hand through his hair as Gideon pushes the locker room open, willing the memory away to allow him to focus on the now. Since every time he looks back at that memory he could kick himself. He got greedy. Desperate. Lost in the elation, the relief in realizing it was real.It was real all along.There is something between them. That connection—deep, undeniable, woven into their very souls.He isn’t the type that believes in fate - he’s the kinda guy to think a man makes his own destiny. But he doesn’t need to believe in soulmates to know, without a doubt, that she is his.And for those few, blissful seconds he really thought she knew it too. But then he ruined it.He pushed her too hard. He might have known all his life she was meant for him and he for her, but that was the first time she might have realised it too. And he saw it all over her face - the confusion and the panic at what it means.He gets it. She and him have been raised as siblings. Brother and sister.But they got it wrong. So fucking wrong.He might have played the role, but only because he’s been in love with her since the moment they were thrown together at grandma's house as kids. She was scared, she needed someone. And so he became that someone. Whatever she needed him to be, he would be for her.It’s been the same every day of every year they grew up together. Until that moment three years ago. The moment he ruined and never got again.Afterwards, he begrudgingly told himself it had only happened because they were drunk. That it was wishful thinking on his part to believe it could have been the start of something more. He waited. And waited. For another look. Another hint. But he got nothing.So, he went back to playing the big brother. The best friend. Sacrificing everything he wanted to remain unwaveringly, wholly devoted to her—in every way she needed.And then, six months ago, he heard it.The words he had always wanted to hear. The words he silently tells her every damn day.
I love you, Caleb.
It’s all he’s thought about for the past six months, three days, and fifteen hours. Usually with his hard dick in his hand, remembering how perfect she felt pressed against him. Beautiful eyes vulnerable but sure, drenched in real, visceral love.He wanted to tell her too. Tell her so badly that he—“Is she staying in the guest villas?” Gideon’s voice drags him out of his head as he punches in his locker code. “I heard they’re pretty nice.”Caleb gives him a look, shoving his helmet away before pocketing his phone and keys.Gideon’s eyebrows lift. “Wait—she’s staying in your room?”Caleb doesn’t answer. Just slams his locker shut.Gideon smirks, nodding his head. “I see.”Gideon knows how he feels about her since Caleb came back from a home visit and she wasn’t there. She had made up some bullshit why she couldn’t see him. Again. As soon as he returned to base, he lost it. He got drunk and spilled it all. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but Gideon had kept his mouth shut about it. Mostly.”Man, you really chose violence today, huh?” Gideon quips. “If the Lieutenant finds out you had a guest staying in your room who isn’t your wife or your girl—”“I know the rules, Gid. Relax.”Gideon shrugs, leaning against the lockers. “Your funeral. Hope you know what you’re doing.”Oh, he knows what yes he’s doing alright. He has thought of nothing else for the last six months, three days and fifteen hours and now five minutes.
I love you, Caleb.
That. On repeat. Over and over and over again. And how badly he wants to say it back.For so long, he has tried so damn hard to ignore it. But his chest is practically bursting at the seams with the feelings he has caged up—unspoken, unrequited—for nearly his whole life.He just can’t do it anymore, especially now he knows she is ready to accept them. The problem is, she’s been dodging him at every turn ever since. And it’s been driving him insane trying to understand why.Is she scared? Does she still think it’s wrong? Did she regret saying it?No.No, he won’t let himself believe that. Not when he heard the truth in her voice.Really, it doesn’t matter. Everything changes after tonight.Unlocking his phone, he scrolls through his notifications, pausing at the message from her.
It’s Caleb day! On the shuttle to Skyhaven. You could have warned me it takes forevvveerr! 
He smiles. Get used to it, princess. He almost types back.“Look at that stupid, sappy smile on your face,” Gideon drawls, then gags.Caleb flashes him the same dopey grin, uncaring. “Gotta go. She’ll be at the train station soon. I’m pickin’ her up from Orion Gate.”Gideon squints. “If she’s not even at the station yet, she won’t be at Orion Gate for at least three hours.”Caleb shrugs. “I don’t wanna be late for her.”“Damn,” he whistles. “You’ve got it that bad, huh?”He chuckles, before releasing a resigning sigh. “You got no idea.”They exchange their goodbyes and then he’s off. Peeling down the highway in his car, stopping to grab her favorite snacks before heading to the station. His knee bouncing. Hands flexing against the wheel. The excitement so palpable it’s bleeding out of his pores, making him dizzy.His body knows.She’s on her way to him.Finally.Fucking finally.After all, this is far too important to him to do in a call, it needs to be face to face. He wants her to see, to feel how much he means it when he tells her everything he’s felt for her since they were kids. All the things he would do for her and only her with every remaining breath in his body, if she would only let him. The amount of damn times he has all but begged to see her these last few months but she has stubbornly refused him over and over…Well, not anymore. Tonight is the night.Tonight he’ll show her that they were never brother and sister.Never. They were always meant to be something so much more.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I’m scared, Caleb!”
“Don’t be! I’m right here!”

Her arms tremble as she clutches the tree trunk for dear life. She looks down, following his voice, and instantly regrets it. He looks so small.

“I-it’s really high!”

She hadn’t meant to climb so high. One second, she was following Caleb’s lead, eager to prove she wasn’t scared. The next, she was gripping the trunk tight, too afraid to move.

“So? It doesn't matter how high it is! I’ll catch you!”

Her breath comes in short gasps, her arms starting to ache. The rough bark digs into her palms, and her knuckles have changed color. The world below looks impossibly far away. Yet, Caleb’s voice is steady, grounding, the natural confidence she has always admired about him loud and clear and easing some of the fear still coiled tight in her chest.

She braves another look down.

“Promise?”

Caleb takes a step closer, his purple eyes bright, utterly focused on her, his messy brown hair shining golden in the setting summer sun. “I promise. No matter what, I’ll catch ya, pipsqueak.”

Her lips wobble, eyes shining with tears. “Pinkie swear it?”

He doesn’t hesitate. He thrusts his pinkie finger high, offering their sacred, unbreakable vow. “I promise. Forever and ever. I’ll always catch you.”

Gripping the tree trunk in a deathly grip, she points the pinkie of her shaking free hand back at him. Although they can’t touch, the act is still binding and they both knew it.

As they curl their fingers towards each other in the air. He nods, face determined, taking the vow more seriously than she’ll ever know.

“B-But it’s really high this time.” She sniffs, wiping under her eyes. “I d-don’t think I can do it.”
“That’s okay. We’ll just do it how we do everythin’ else.”
She blinks. “T-Together?”

He smiles. “Together.”

For the first time since she ended up in this predicament she smiles. Her braces—ones she cried over when she first got them, until Caleb told her they were cute—flash in the fading light.

“So, I’ll open my arms wide like this.” He dutifully stretches his arms as wide as they can go. “Then you let go and jump. On the count of three, okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”
“Alright! One…” he begins.
“…two…”

“Three!”

Her lips purse. “Okaay, I’m gonna jump!”

He nods, his encouraging smile unwavering. “Do it!” He opens his arms even wider. “I’ve got you.”

Letting go, she screams as the air rushes past her—but then, suddenly, she isn’t falling. She’s floating. A gentle force cradling her, his evol guiding her safely into Caleb’s waiting arms.

“You did it!” He beams at her.

She laughs, kicking her feet. “That was so fun!”

His smile widens, making his dimples pop. “See? You got nothin’ to be scared of when you’re with me. I’ll always protect you.”

“You’re the best, gege!”

She says and his smile wavers, so infinitesimally she couldn’t possibly have noticed.

“Yeah…”

She kisses his cheek, and leaps out of his arms. The wind tugs at her hair as she sprints forward, sneakers caked in dirt from the day’s adventures barely touching the ground.

“Last one home has to do the dishes!” She yells over her shoulder.
“Excuse me, Miss?”“Hey! You cheated!” He says, yet his laugh carries through the warm summer air, bright and full of life, as he chases after her, following her wherever she goes as always.“Miss?”
Her laughter follows, so carefree, so happy. How could she not be? Chasing the last of the summer sun with her best friend in the whole wide world…

Beep! Beep! Beep!
She jerks awake, the android by her side, emitting an obnoxiously loud alarm that, thankfully, stops as quickly as it started.“I apologize, Miss. However, we arrive at Deepspace Aviation Administration Orion Gate in five minutes. May I get you anything before you depart?” She rubs her eyes. Five minutes?! Is it really just five little minutes to go and she’ll see him? She checks her watch. Yep. Five minutes it is. “How about a double vodka?”“Of course!”“No! I was kidding! I mean, cancel that. I don’t want anything, thank you.”“Of course. Thank you for travelling with us today. Safe travels and enjoy your stay at Deepspace Aviation Administration Orion Gate.”“Uh huh,” she says, blinking rapidly, forcing the sleep from her eyes. Standing, she stretches before dragging her bag out the overhead storage and hauling it over her shoulder. The hum of the train vibrating beneath her feet as she makes her way to the bathroom to freshen up. A stark contrast to the rustling leaves and Caleb’s laughter from one of her favorite childhood memories still ringing in her head. Five minutes. Just five minutes until she sees him again.After all this time.Her stomach twists. Hands shaking slightly as she reapplies her lip balm and fixes her hair, dropping the comb in the sink three times. By the time she’s done, the train has come to a stop, the doors sliding open and letting in a rush of cool, fresh air.It does absolutely nothing to settle her stomach. If anything, the nausea tightens, a reminder of how little she’s eaten today.She gulps down the rest of her water, tosses it into the trash and with shaky legs, steps off the train.There are people everywhere. Walking, talking, just going about their lives. Like it’s just another day. Like they’re not moments away from facing the love of their life who shouldn’t actually be the love of their life and doesn’t even consider themselves their love of their life in return anyway. 
What the hell are you doing here? You’re going to embarrass yourself.

You grew up together. What’s wrong with you?

The man calls you ‘pipsqueak’ for Gods sake. If that isn’t a hint he’s not into you like that, I don’t know what is.
She gives her temples a rub as she crosses the scanning barrier.
Shut up, brain. Calm down. Theres no intentions here. This is no big deal. It’s just Caleb. It’s just…
Then— she hears it.Her name. His voice.A single word, and every anxious thought vanishes. Her head snaps up, scanning the sea of people, breath halting—until she sees him. The crowd shifts like a tide, parting just enough to reveal him, standing there - looking just as handsome as ever, if not more so in his DAA flight uniform. Those uniquely beautiful, purple eyes lock onto her and don’t let go.“Caleb,” she breathes, far too softly for him to hear. Then louder- “Caleb!”He smiles, that devastating boy-next-door smile he only gives to her. His arms spreading wide, beckoning her with a flick of his fingers.“C’mere,” he mouths.She doesn’t hesitate.Her bag drops, forgotten. Boots click against the platform, louder and faster as she weaves through the crowd, straight to him. “Caleb!” Her voice catches, throat thickening with an endless rush of emotion.She doesn’t think—she just moves.Runs.Jumps.And Caleb catches her like he always has, strong and sure. Spinning her around and around. Breathing out her name against her neck like a prayer as she clings to him. Clings to him like she never, ever, wants to let go. “You’re here,” he whispers. She nods, burying herself deeper into the safety of his arms. And he holds her just as tightly, his fingers tangling in her hair, pressing into her back and curling into her shirt like if he lets go, he’ll wake up. Soaking up her warmth, her scent and the feel of her pressed against him. A feeling he can’t quite describe, but if he had to, he’d say—home.She is and always will be home to him, wherever they happen to be.He inhales deeply, breathing her in. “You’re really here.”She nods again, her throat tight, words refusing to come.How could she ever be nervous? This was Caleb. Her Caleb. Her Caleb who has loved her and supported her throughout her entire life. Through thick and thin they have had each other's backs. She would do anything for him, and she knows he would do anything for her.No matter what confusing emotions might be at play, their bond will be the same. Immovable, insoluble, a constant that no time and no distance can break. “I’ve missed you so fuckin’ much,” he tells her. His voice, usually so strong and confident, cracks. She tries to tell him the same, but only manages a single loud sob.It was impossible to tell how long they were like that, lost in each other and flooded with so much relief at finally, finally, being back together, that nothing else mattered. Nothing at all. The station had disappeared into white noise. It was just him and her now. Whispering, or trying to at least, how much they’ve missed each other.“Promise me,” he rasps, clutching her face in his hands when she’s back on her feet. “Promise me you’ll never leave me for this long ever again.”He blinks away the glassy sheen to his eyes, letting her see the full force of the intensity behind his demand. “Promise me.” “I promise,” she tells him, voice thick.Caleb raises his pinky between them. She laughs, turning into another sob.“You really mean business, huh?”“Swear it,” he demands again.She nods. “I promise,” hooking her finger with his. “I swear. Never again.”Caleb releases a shaky exhale, and tugs her up his body. Hands bruising grips as he clutches her to him all over again. The way her legs wrap around his hips is instinctual, arms cinching even tighter around his neck. “I missed you so much,” she finally manages to say.He grumbles. “Coulda fooled me.”“I’m sorry, Caleb. I’m sorry.” He tilts his head back to scowl at her, clearly not ready to forgive and forget quite yet.Her thumb gently strokes over his pouting lips. “I’m really sorry.”A single tear escapes, gutting him.Without a second’s thought, he inclines his head and presses his lips to her cheek, catching her tear in a gentle, lingering kiss.“Don’t cry,” he murmurs. “You know I can never stay mad at you when you cry, princess.”Princess.Another tear slips free at the affection seeping into his voice. She swipes it away, laughing it off. “It worked then?”The side of his mouth lifts and warmth, so real and vivid, gleams in his violet eyes as he gazes at her.She sighs, resting her forehead against his. “If it makes you feel better, I really did want to see you… I just…”“What?”His eyes move between hers, encouraging her when she can’t find the words, or the courage to tell him she’s been avoiding seeing him because she was terrified of losing this.Exactly this.This closeness that she simply can’t imagine with anyone else. More than that, she doesn’t want with anyone else.Just him, only him.It’s Caleb or no one and she’s made peace with that, even if he doesn’t feel the same and she has to keep her feelings buried. That’s what she’ll do. Rather big brother and best friend Caleb than no Caleb at all.“Hey. Tell me.” His fingers flex along her cheek and into her hair, cupping her face, coaxing her with a gentle touch and it’s taking everything in her not to rub further into his palm, like a cat searching for more attention, an addict seeking another fix.She really thought she could pretend she feels nothing beyond innocent adoration for this man? Impossible. Every single touch ignites a need for more. Six months of abstinence has made absolutely no difference. If anything it’s made it worse.“You better tell me, pipsqueak. We tell each other everything. Remember?”
Pipsqueak. Ugh.
She shifts, but it’s no use. She’s trapped by a mix of his evol and strong arms, not that there’s anywhere else she’d rather be.“It doesn’t matter,” she sighs. “Just drop it. I’m here now.”“No, it matters to me,” his hold harshens, “don’t do that. Don’t just ignore this.”Her eyes flash to his. “Ignore what?”His handsome features soften, little by little, as he studies her face, drinking in every contour, every line, every blemish. Giving her that look, like she is his whole world and everything in it. Yet, there’s more to it. Something else hidden in the depths of those unfairly pretty eyes. A nervousness, anxiety maybe? No, vulnerability, she would say, if she didn’t know better. This is Caleb after all. Calm and endlessly easy going Caleb. His throat works and his lips part. And then close, once, twice, three times before he sighs in frustration.“Caleb?” Her palm moves down, down…  following that loud and heavy beat, and pauses over his chest. She actually sucks in a breath. His heartbeat is out of control. Usually so strong and steady, she would know, she’s slept to the sound of it plenty over the years. When she was upset or when there were thunderstorms, he’d sneak in to her room and calm her down as effortlessly as he does. They’d cuddle and she’d fall straight to sleep to that sound that comforted her like no other.But now? It’s too fast, too insistent, like it’s trying to tell her something.She knew that he knew she could feel it. His cheeks turned pink, spreading to his ears.A sense of deja vu hits him straight in the chest. Just like six months ago, he sees it. That same look of utter devotion and helpless, hopeless love. Staring at him. But it’s not from her eyes this time, it’s his, reflected back at him in her wide, worried gaze.“Caleb? Are you okay?”“Six months ago.” He licks his lips, trying to calm down. He didn’t realise how breathless he’d become until he tried to speak. “What you said.”She freezes, utterly still in his hold. Terrified.Why? He can’t fathom a reason. It doesn’t matter. She needn’t be.“Did you mean it?”“I...” her lips part this time. And close. And part. When she manages to speak her voice is quiet, unusually timid. “Just forget it, okay? Don’t be difficult. I said I’m sorry for avoiding you, I don’t know what else you want from me-““Everything,” he breathes, rushed, quiet. Yet he means it with every bone in his body.Her eyes widen and she stops breathing. He knows because when his hand moves to cup her nape and bring her closer, it’s only his breath, heavy and uneven, rushing over her face. “‘Cause…”He drags her closer still, so close their noses brush, his lips almost skimming hers as he speaks. “I wanted to tell you, so badly, for years, that I…”
Ba dum.

Ba dum.

Ba dum.
That’s all she hears, over and over again as time stills.His lips are a hairbreadth away. All she’d have to do is tilt her head, flex her neck and their mouths would meet in a kiss she has fantasised about every day and every night for the last three years. The kiss she was robbed of by her own stupidity. But she can’t fucking move. Because there is not a force powerful enough in this galaxy or beyond that could stop her from ruining this moment this time. Of stopping him from voicing words she has thought, wished, dreamed of hearing even more…“… Princess, you know, don't you? Surely you know that I…”He exhales sharply, like the weight of the words is pressing on his chest. His fingers curl tighter in her hair, his voice barely a whisper, breath fanning against her lips, then-“Ahem”, a loud clearing of a throat jolts them into awareness. The world rushes back, bursting the bubble where only the two of them exist with a jarring and sobering pop.They jerk apart. The bustle of the train station suddenly so loud it was making her ears ring. The overheard lights way too bright and harsh compared to Caleb’s violet and gold eyes. “Are you going to put her down any time soon, son?” A male voice booms, amusement evident in his tone.Gently, begrudgingly, he sets her down on to her feet and looks towards the intruder.  There’s murder in Caleb’s eyes until he clocks the uniform, the many stars decorating the shoulders… the medals… the badge. Holy shit…That’s… Farspace Fleet’s Colonel. Not just any Colonel, the Colonel. His list of achievements in the Farspace Fleet, as long as it is impressive, was practically on the syllabus in the Academy. Caleb straightens in to a salute. “Sir.”The Colonel shakes his head. “No need for the formalities. I’m just returning this left abandoned on the platform. I believe it belongs to you, Miss,” he says, stretching his arm towards her, holding the long forgotten bag.Caleb intercepts, taking the bag before she can reach it, and tosses it over his shoulder. “Thank you.”“Thank you,” she echoes, with a little bow, showing her respects. She recognises that distinct uniform too and, with the amount of stars visible, she knows it’s someone senior.“No problem. I could see you were busy and forgot all about it.”Her face heats, and when she looks up she sees a hint of pink spreading across Caleb’s cheeks too.The Colonel’s face crinkles with a smile, glancing at Caleb’s badge. “Hm. I thought I recognised you, soldier. Xia, Caleb. Assigned to DAA flight team 68005.”Caleb nods once. “Yes, Sir.”The Colonel offers his hand, while telling Caleb his name and position, as if he needs an introduction.Caleb takes his hand in a firm grip and gives it a shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Sir. It’s truly an honour. I’ve heard the legends of the battalions won during the invasions under your command.”He laughs. “Legends, huh? Is that what they call them?” He shakes his head. “All in the past now, where they belong. Retiring soon in fact, the Mrs’s orders, and what she says goes,” he glances her way. “As I’m sure you understand.”Caleb chuckles, his hand curling around her waist and pulling her into his side. “Yeah…”He looks down at her with slightly widened eyes, an unspoken conversation passing between them.
You know the drill.
She looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. 
The fake girlfriend routine, huh?
Her arm winds back around him, hand clutching his waist and pinching. He twitches.
It’ll cost ya.
His eyes widen a fraction more.
We can negotiate this later. Now, play along.
“… yes. I’ve heard good things about you, son. Looked over your file today, in fact, flagged by our talent scouts. Your flight speeds and scores are some of the best I’ve seen. Have you ever considered joining the Farspace Fleet?”“Uh,” Caleb stammers, clearly taken aback, before he clears his throat and his usual cool and confident facade returns. “Of course, it would be an honour to one day progress into the Farspace Fleet.”The Colonel hums, giving her another glance. “I suppose now is not the time to talk shop. I’ll be in touch.”“I look forward to it, Sir,” Caleb says with a salute, more out of habit than anything else.He shakes his head again. “Please. Anyway, shouldn’t keep the wife waiting. It’s our 50th anniversary.”“Congratulations,” she says. “That’s wonderful.”“Thank you, Miss.”“Inspirational, too,” Caleb adds, ever the charmer. “What’s the secret, if you don’t mind me askin’?”“No grand secret, son. In fact, we were just like you two at your age. I’m sure you’ll figure it out and make it your own way just fine.”Caleb looks down at her, heart stopping intensity and resolve shimmering in his purple eyes. “I intend to.”Her heart does that little skip, hop and jump thing it does when he looks at her like that. And with those words? Spoken with non-negotiable conviction? She can’t help but think he isn’t acting at all.Then the Colonel is gone, with Caleb’s intense gaze still fixed on her.She clears her throat, deepening her voice in imitation. “Your flight speeds and scores are some of the best I’ve seen.” Her hands move to her hips. “Really?”He shrugs.“And head hunted by the Farspace Fleet? Already? They are infamously difficult to get into, even I know that. Don’t you typically have to serve five years minimum in the DAA before you can even apply?”He shrugs again, adjusting her bag over his shoulder. “I’m a pretty big deal, y’know.”She rolls her eyes. ”Sure you are.” She jabs a finger at his chest. “Admit it. You paid him to say all that, didn’t you?” Caleb’s eyebrow raises, playfulness dancing in his eyes. “Why? Are you impressed?” He leans down and whispers conspiratorially, “because if so, he was worth every penny.”She laughs, punching his arm. “Idiot.”He grins. “C’mon. Let’s go. I’ve got your favorite snacks waitin’ for you in the car.”She gasps, face lighting up adorably. “Really? Yay! I’m starving!” She tiptoes up and kisses his cheek. “Have I told you you’re the best ever recently?”“Nah. Not recently.”“You’re the best ever,” she says, pinching his cheek. “Hmm. Didn’t hear ya. Say it again.”“Okay, you’re just pushing your luck now, Mister Big-Deal.”He laughs, that wonderful, deep, genuinely care free sound that never fails to make little butterflies erupt in her stomach.Throwing his arm around her shoulders he leads her out the station.“C’mon, pipsqueak. Let’s go.”She purses her lips.Pipsqueak? Really? After what nearly happened just now? Did she really imagine the whole thing? Again?“Hey, Caleb?”“Hm?”“What were you going to say earlier? Before we were interrupted?”His step falters. “Ah. Er, nothing, doesn’t matter.”Oh.Guess she did imagine it after all.Caleb looks down at her, seeing her little face turn crestfallen as she looks away. He can’t help but smile. Soon. They will never need to do their fake girlfriend or boyfriend routine ever again. Because soon, tonight, he’ll tell her he’s loved her all along.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As much as she wanted to hate Skyhaven for taking Caleb away, it turns out it really is beautiful. Especially at sunset. Hours passed like minutes during Caleb’s tour, yet there was still plenty left he wanted to show her.“Next time,” he told her sternly after driving by a spot they didn’t have time to stop at, sounding a smidge like a threat.She nodded. “Yeah, next time. Or the time after that. Orrr maybe the time after that.”The assurance of lots more visits appeased him, and he blessed her with his signature pretty-boy smile before launching into more tales about all he’s been up to since they last saw each other.It amazed her how much they still had to say, even though they spoke every single day. That’s just how it was between them. Effortless. Easy. And she couldn’t help but notice how more at peace and happy she’s felt for the last few hours than in the entire six months they were apart.The feeling was very mutual. “This is me,” he announces when they finally arrive at his assigned apartment. His ID card slid into the lock, and then, after a quiet beep, he pushes the door open, gesturing for her to step inside. “After you.”“Oooh, fancy,” she says, taking in the modern and spacious interior. Caleb drops her bag and follows her through the open space. “Sooo, do you approve?”She runs a hand over the impressively large kitchen island, imagining Caleb cooking her breakfast tomorrow morning. The image was so much more enticing than it should be. Probably because he was shirtless.“Hmm. Not bad.” She leans against the island with an air of nonchalance. “I’ll admit it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”“It’s waaay better than the rooms at the Hunters Association, huh?”She shrugs, glancing away at the apartment that is undoubtedly much nicer than her cramped room at the Academy. Although, to be fair, she hasn’t graduated yet. Here’s to hoping the upgrade when she qualifies as a Hunter is something like this. “Maybe.””You totally shoulda joined the DAA instead.”She smirks, jumps back to sit on the island and crosses her legs. ”What? And let you get shown up by your little sis? I’m doing you a favor by joining the Hunters Association instead.”Why, oh, why did she say that? His smile vanishes. Looking away he coughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah right,” he mumbles.Before she could backtrack, he is on her in four long strides. His hands wrap around her waist, lifting her effortlessly off the counter-top and into his space. Just at that simple, innocent touch, her heart leaps then skips into a dizzying rhythm— making its point known and proving his. She is not his sister. She hasn’t been his sister for years. After all, there was nothing about how her body responds to him that was sisterly anymore. “C’mere.” He takes her hand, walking backwards. “You haven’t seen the best part yet.”With their fingers lacing, he leads her across his apartment to the floor to ceiling windows. “Check this out.” A button is pressed, and the blinds glide open, unveiling a breathtaking view of the airfield. Fighter jets slice through the clouds, leaving streaks against the fading hues of the sunset. Skyhaven’s skyline stands silhouetted against the endless horizon. And above it all, stars begin to shimmer in a sky of deepening purples and blues.“Wow.”“Right?” He nudges her. “Right?”She doesn’t respond right away, so he pushes a little more. “I’m gonna need you to admit this place isn’t nearly as bad as you thought it would be, Little Miss ‘but I don’t wanna go to Skyhaven. Skyhaven sucks’.”She purses her lips. “Ugh. Okay, okay. You win, Mr Big Deal. I love it, alright? This place, and yeah… from what I’ve seen so far, Skyhaven, too.”He didn’t even try to hide his victorious smirk. “Good. ‘Cause you’ll be stayin’ here a lot of weekends from now on. Isn’t that right?”There was that little hint of a threat again.She gives his chest a reassuring pat. “Right.”With a sad sigh, she rests her head against him, soaking up the view. “No wonder you never come home anymore.”“Hmm.” His arms wind around her, drawing her into a comforting embrace. “I think you’ll find I do come home—it’s just a certain someone’s been avoidin’ me.”Her lips twist in a weak smile. “I’m glad you bullied me into coming.”He presses a kiss to the crown of her head, murmuring into her hair. “Me too.”For a while, they stand in calming quiet, just watching the sky darken.“Hey, flights are around the clock, right?” she asks eventually. “Doesn’t the noise keep you up at night?” “Nah.” He raps his knuckles against the glass. “Soundproof.”She frowns, listening. “Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, I can’t hear anything.”“The whole apartment is soundproof. They all are.”“Oh… well, that’s useful, I guess.”“Yeah. Could come in handy...” He shoots her a look that makes her throat go dry, but then adds. “Sleep is very important, after all.”That’s… not what she was thinking. Her mind had gone elsewhere—banging headboards, moaned names, gasped curses, slapping skin—
Okay, brain. That’s enough. No more smutty romance books for you for a while.
“…yep,” she turns away before he sees the evidence of her sinful thoughts coloring her cheeks—only to face his bed head-on.A silence stretches as they both stare at it. Huge and inviting.Caleb clears his throat. “So, yeah. That’s my bed.”“Yeah.” Internally cursing at her voice sounding way too husky, she clears her throat and tries again. “Yeah, I see that. And where’s the couch?”Caleb jerks his thumb toward the living space, where a modest-at-best couch faces the massive flatscreen.With hands on hips she whirls to face him. “Seriously, Caleb? That’s the couch you intend to sleep on? Are you even aware of how tall you are? You are not sleeping on that.”He suppresses a smile—poorly. He always found it cute when she tried to scold him, like an angry kitten, all puffed up and impossible to take seriously—something he’d so lovingly pointed out once, right in the middle of a heated argument.“It’s fiiine. It’s actually pretty comfy.”“Oh, good. Just give me a blanket and that’ll do me fine then.” She crosses her arms. “Seriously, I’ll take the couch. You take the bed.”His demeanor shifts, matching hers. “No. You are takin’ the bed. I’ll take the couch.”“No, I-”He silences her with an infuriating raised hand.“This isn’t up for negotiation, pipsqueak.”She reaches for his hand, intending to bend his fingers back. He sees it coming—he always does—and dodges, which only makes her stumble forward until they’re close. Really close. Close enough to see his teasing expression falter. Close enough that any normal person would have taken a polite step back. But Caleb doesn’t and neither does she, both stubbornly refusing to back down. “I know it’s not,” she says. “Because you are taking the bed.”Caleb watches her, something brewing behind his gaze—something dark, intimidating even. He tilts his head and steps towards her, swallowing all her personal space.“No.” He spoke quietly, yet the command behind his voice was deafening. “It’s my bed. And you are goin’ to be in it tonight.” He leans down, purple eyes pinning her in place. “That’s an order.”A long pause stretches between them. His violet eyes locked onto hers, unblinking, unreadable, and suddenly she was hyper-aware of every inch of space left between them—all less than three of them. The air had shifted. All playfulness gone, smothered by something heavier, hotter. Something that sent a slow, deliberate shiver rolling down her spine. Something that is becoming harder and harder to ignore. Impossible, really.Because here it is again, that attraction that shouldn’t be there but is regardless. And this time? It seems it’s levelled up because, oh good Gods. Since when did annoyingly bossy Caleb turn into incredibly sexy Caleb? Since right this second, apparently.Because she’s not annoyed at all, but very, very turned on instead. So turned on she doesn’t tell him he can shove his order up his cute, firm ass. Instead her next words spill from her lips without permission, dripping with so much sensuality she didn’t even recognise her own voice.“You want me in your bed that badly, Caleb?”So flirty. So bold. So risky. Should she feel ashamed? Probably.But shame never comes—because Caleb’s reaction made the risk worth it. His nostrils flare, pupils dilated. His chest stutters, breath coming deeper, heavier.There was no imagining this, no mistaking it. The tension between them was real—palpable. She felt it, and so did he. It crackled in the air, sending sparks skittering between them. The room might be soundproof, but was it fireproof? Because if they kept this up, those sparks would turn to flames.Then he answers. He actually answers her outrageously inappropriate question with a response that electrifies the atmosphere—pushing the tension into a dangerous voltage.“… yeah.” A beat. Then, lower, rougher—“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” He cocks his head, staring between her eyes and lips in a slow, intensely seductive triangle. “I want you. In my bed. All night. All morning. All damn weekend.”More sparks. Sparks everywhere. Shooting and spiralling through the air.
“In fact,” he leans in, voice slow, deliberate, dangerous—pouring into her ear and aiming straight at her pulse. “Once you’re in my bed—and you will be, princess—I might not let you out.”
Her next inhale is so sharp, so sudden, the sound ricochets between them.Caleb was always protective, too protective really—but this Caleb? The one who murmurs depraved words like vows, dripping with determination, with possessiveness? Electrifying the very air that she breathed?She was unravelling. Fast.Her veins hummed like live wires beneath her skin, sending a pulse between her legs—growing stronger with every second their eyes held. Readying her for him to make good on his wicked threats.She waits for him to take it back, to say he’s kidding or he doesn’t mean it like that. He doesn’t. If anything, the way he looks at her—like he’s hungry—only confirms he means every word.They weren’t just dancing around something anymore—they were standing right at the edge of it. And really, she was so tired of holding back. Three years of skirting the edge. Three years of pretending. Enough. Now, she’s ready to dive straight over and see exactly how far they can fall.“Okay,” she says, embarrassingly breathless.“… okay?” He echoes, taken aback at how quickly, and easily, she has backed down. She slowly licks her lips, watching Caleb track her tongue like it’s the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. Reminding her that she shouldn’t be making this easy for him—even when all she really wants is to let him strip her bare and have his way with her.Soon.“There’s only one way to settle this…” she murmurs, tilting her face up.Soon. Tonight, things between them will change irrevocably, indefinitely…“…And that is?” he murmurs back, mirroring her with his face tilting down. … but, for now, she’ll enjoy this. After all, she’s waited three years, what’s the harm in waiting a little more?“… I think you know what,” she says, voice whispering across his parted lips.His beautiful eyes widen, just a fraction. Then…“We both take the bed,” he says, at the exact same time she says, “We arm wrestle for the bed.”Silence.“What?”“What?”They both speak at the same time again, Caleb’s cheeks turning a pretty, satisfying shade of pink. Staring at her for a moment more of dumbfounded silence. “Uh, I mean,” Caleb clears his throat and straightens, a grin shaping his lips. And just like that he switches back to easy-going, confident, infuriatingly cocky Caleb. “Alright, pipsqueak. If that’s what you want. Prepare to get your butt handed to you.” He cracks his knuckles, arrogance and mischief shining in his eyes. “Winner decides who takes the bed.”“Bring it, Xia.” She smirks, raising a brow and stretching her arms. “Gimme all you got.”“Oh, I will.” He chuckles, a sly sexy sound. “I will.”Joke’s on him. If she wins, she takes the bed. If she loses… well, she’s taking the bed anyway. Either way, she’s already decided—she won’t be in it alone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A fucking arm wrestle? Really?Caleb could throttle her. Then kiss her. Then throttle her again.She had to be kidding.The woman he’s spent his life longing for—who has driven him certifiably insane for the last six months trying to get her alone— and now she was here she wanted an arm wrestle? He couldn’t even be mad at her. She had that cute, impish look she always got when she pulled pranks, and damn if it didn’t make him weak.Who was he kidding anyway. It didn’t matter what she asked for, he could deny her nothing. So if she wanted an arm wrestle, she’d get one.It only delayed the inevitable, but sure.He’s waited his whole life for this. To step over that line between them, to finally stop being her brother and just be her Caleb. Just, hers.Now he could see it. The target is locked on and he is ready to blow that line to smithereens. So he’ll play with her, if that’s what she wants. He’s been in a constant state of blue balls over her since he hit puberty—what was a few minutes more? Besides, he had to give it to her. He’d grown up with this woman. Thought he knew every habit, every trick, every little tick she had. Yet she still managed to surprise him. And he loved her even more for that.“So…” He steps into her space, knowing exactly what it did to her. There it was—that little hitch of breath. Good. “Wanna do it on the bed?”She bites her lip. Actually bites her lip.Was she doing this on purpose?His eyes lock onto her mouth, fighting the urge to lean in, to steal that abused lip between his own.“Mmm, yeah,” she purrs, all teasing seduction. “Let’s do it on the bed.”“Yeah. Might as well start it where it’s gonna end, right?” He scoops her into his arms and tosses her onto the mattress. She lets out a startled squeak, and damn if it wasn’t the most adorable thing he’d ever heard.Settling onto his knees beside the bed, he gives her a look. “Get in position for me, princess.”She smirks and the devious woman shifts onto her hands and knees. “And exactly what position do you want me in, Caleb?”He stares.
Oh, she was playin’ dirty, huh? Okay.
His jaw clenches. His fingers twitch.“Just lie down.” Before I lose my goddamn mind.“Yes, sir.”Fuck.Aaaaand now he was hard.She flops onto her stomach, props herself on her elbow, and shakes out her hand, grinning. “C’mon then. Let’s do this.”Caleb exhales through his nose, yanking off his uniform jacket. The way her gaze roamed over him—lingering on his arms, his chest—was so damn satisfying.“Oh,” she murmurs, as if she hadn’t seen him in a t-shirt a hundred times before.He knows he’s in good shape, he has to be. As a fighter pilot his reflexes have to be lightning fast. He spends a lot of time at the gym between flights and while his buddies are chasing skirts at weekends, he’s back in the gym. Or video calling her. His t-shirts have gotten tighter as a result. And judging by the way she stares, she’s noticed.It was his turn to smirk, settling in front of her. “Problem?”“Nope.” Her voice had dropped, husky and low. She sits up, stripping off her own jacket, revealing smooth skin beneath the tiny straps of a delicate cami top.He was aware he was shamelessly checking her out too. She’s wearing one of those cute summery tops she wears with buttons that he has fantasised about removing with his teeth and simple jeans. Nothing overtly sexual, yet when she tosses her jacket aside while staring at him while on her knees? On his bed?It was one of the most erotic sights he’s ever seen. And then she sinks back onto her stomach, stretching out, with her ass held in the air longer than it should have been.The position did things to him. Not just because he can see everything down her top.Focus.Focus.“Let’s go,” she says.He clasps her hand in his, gripping tight, yanking her a little closer. “Just so you know, I’m not gonna be gentle with you.”She met his gaze, eyes dark with something deviant. “That’s fine.” Her lips curl into a wicked grin. “I can take it.”He chuckles, low and slow.This girl.She’s gonna be the death of him, and he doesn’t even mind.“One,” he counts.She nods. “Two.”They both smirk.“Three.”For a few seconds, he lets her think she has a chance. The determination in her eyes, the strain of effort—it was almost too cute to end.Then he rolls his eyes. “They feedin’ you enough at the Academy? This is kinda embarrassing, pipsqueak.”She grits her teeth, straining harder. “You’re using your evol, aren’t you?”He barks out a laugh. “I don’t need my evol to beat you at an arm wrestle.”“Ugh!”Caleb sighs. “Alright, enough. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”She glares at him. “Screw you.”
Yes. Please.
But instead of voicing that particular thought, he gives her one final push, forcing her hand down until it was hovering inches from the mattress.He grins. “Guess the bed is yours tonight. Any last words?”She pouts, breathing hard, and then, something flickers in her expression. Something that wasn’t just teasing. Something that makes him falter.“Hey, Caleb?” She murmurs, voice dripping with sugary sweetness.It immediately gets his guard up.“… yeah?” Then, without warning, she lunges forward—drags her tongue up his cheek—and then slams his arm down with both hands.
The little-!
“Ha!” She sits up, doing a little victory dance. “I win! Ner ner ner- oh!”It happens in less than a heartbeat. One moment she was gloating, the next, she was pinned against the mattress. Caleb looms over her, narrowing his eyes and giving her trapped wrists a squeeze. “You cheated.”She wriggles, but she’s going no where. “To be fair, we didn’t establish a no licking rule.”“Oh. So licking’s fair game now?” He tilts his head in thought, grip tightening. “You might wanna take that back and admit defeat, pipsqueak.”He parts her legs with his knees, sinking his hips deep into the cradle of her thighs as he leans down to whisper in her ear.“‘Cause I’ve got a few places in mind I would just love to taste.”She goes perfectly still. A sharp inhale. Followed by a delicate, startled noise that barely escapes her parted lips.There it is.He sees it happen, senses it even—the shift. That moment where teasing crumbles into something real. Where the weight of his words sinks into her skin, winding through her veins, hot, heavy, inevitable, like a slow, smoldering flame. Destroying any sliver of innocence they had left between them.This is it.The point of no return.And yet… she doesn’t push him away.She doesn’t tell him to stop.She doesn’t roll her eyes and call him an idiot.Instead, a slow, involuntary tremor ripples down her bowed spine, pressing her body even closer to his. Her arms go slack against the bed. She doesn’t fight his evol—doesn’t even try. Just looks up at him, eyes swirling with so many emotions he feels them hit his chest like a punch.All the emotions he’s felt so strongly for her all this time, reflected back at him. Adoration.Trust.Love.
Yet, the next words pour from her lips like a siren's song. “Maybe I want that.” Every syllable is slow, deliberate, dripping with a sensuality that has his cock jerking in his pants. “Sounds like a win to me.”

And just like that, he’s gone.

Too far gone to turn back.

There will be no touching her the same after this, and they both knew it.

He lowers his mouth to hers, his eyes flicking to her waiting lips. His own tingle with anticipation, pressure building in his chest from the relentless pounding—heavy, hard. Just like the rest of him. Ready to burst the moment he gets a taste. He can feel the heat of her, the pull of her desire, dragging him in.

At the very last second, he tilts his head and evades her. His breath fans across her skin, warm and taunting, as he uses his evol to keep her trapped—unable to chase his cruel, teasing lips.

She scoffs, eyes flashing with irritation.
He huffs out a rough, low laugh. His voice a gruff whisper. “Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m not gonna let you win that easy, my little cheater.”
She squirms against him and he feels every tiny movement through the fabric between them—every shift, every flex of her muscles only stoking the inferno inside him. Twin flames of want and need spread like wildfire through his veins, torturing him just as unforgivingly as it tortures her.
But, he just can’t stop.He’s a masochist and sadist rolled into one when it comes to her, apparently.He smirks, dipping lower, lips barely brushing along her jaw, testing her impatience.“I haven’t even touched you yet, and you’re already squirmin’.” He tuts, teasing. “Where’d all that courage go?”Yet, his voice betrays him, nothing but a husk of breath against her throat before his lips finally, finally make contact, putting an end to their mutual torment.The first touch is barely there—just the whisper of his tongue gliding along the curve of her neck. But when he presses his mouth to the frantic flutter of her pulse, she gasps—soft, stunned—like she hadn’t realized how much she wanted, no, needed, this until now.“Caleb…” she breathes. So, so sweetly. He bites back a groan, and kisses her again. Slower. Teasing her sensitive skin with just a hint of tongue. His name—fragile, yearning—spills from her lips again, and gods, he feels it. Like she’s not just saying his name anymore. She’s giving it to him.A plea. A surrender.His chuckle is low, dark, reverberating against her throat as his lips drag downward, pressing open-mouthed kisses along her delicate flesh.“What?” he murmurs, amused.She doesn’t answer. She can’t. She just arches ever so slightly, her body silently coaxing him, inviting him to take more. He wants to. Oh, how he wants to snatch that invitation right up and take everything she has, everything she is and make it his.All his.Only his.But, more than that, he wants to savor it—the moment he’s dreamt of night after night for far too long. So long it has haunted him. Her. Underneath him. Pliant and pleading. This once unattainable fantasy now brought to life. He’d never forgive himself if he let this slip through his fingers too fast.“Now, be a good girl. And don’t move.”His voice is soft but firm. A command wrapped in velvet.He releases one of her wrists, but she doesn’t move—not because she can’t, but because she doesn’t want to.Still, his evol keeps her pinned, ensuring she stays right where he wants her.His hand trails along her arm, tracing the curve of her shoulder, slipping beneath the thin strap of her top and dragging the fabric down, inch by inch.The top of her breasts threaten to spill free, the cool air teasing the newly exposed skin.His hot breath fans over her chest, scorching and possessive. When he looks up, he finds her watching him—panting already, eyes heavy-lidded, pupils blown into black pools of need so wide he could drown in them.She’s begging.And he’s never seen anything more beautiful.Still, he pauses. Asking permission.She flexes her spine, bringing her chest to his face. It’s all the answer he needs.He hums, closing his eyes and leaning into her, breathing her in.“Mmm. Apples,” he murmurs against her skin.“Huh?”“Your scent.”She blinks. “Apples? Really?”He nods, dragging his nose over her curves. “You’ve always smelled like apples. Sweet. So sweet.” He inhales again, deeper this time, his voice rough when he exhales. “So fuckin’ delicious.”Her lips part. And then—oh.She gets it.He sees the realization dawning in her eyes, slow and soft, like the sun creeping over the horizon. He watches it all—the way her eyes widen and breath catches, the way her fingers flex like she wants to reach for him but can’t.She’s only realizing now that’s where his love for apples came from? Her. It’s always been about her. It always will be about her. Did she really never realize how obsessed he’s been with her since always?Well, it’s about time he showed her.He pushes his hand over her skin, dragging her top up and out the way. She’s so soft. So warm. Her scent hits him, stronger, dizzier, making his head light and his stomach tight. It’s unnerving, really, if he thought about it. How she makes him so weak. Makes him physically ache for more, more, and more.He watches her reaction as he slides a hand between her breasts, fingers dipping into the hot, inviting valley of impossibly soft skin, feeling her racing heart against his palm. She makes a sound, something between a gasp and a whimper, and does it again, rolling her hips and back, seeking more.He dips down, lips brushing over her, lingering over a nipple straining under her newly revealed thin lace bra. Begging for his mouth.He doesn’t disappoint. His lips part, close, suck.She moans. She fucking moans his name.He never wants to hear any other sound. Just that. On repeat. For-fucking-ever.His teeth catch, closing in the softest of bites, and her hips buck, straight into his.She sucks in a breath, loudly, feeling him—long, thick, and so damn hard it hurts.He grinds into her. “Do you feel that?” He knows she does, because another strangled gasp reaches his ears and she tries to grind back. He can feel her, fighting the hold of his evol. “Can you feel how much I want you?”He presses his body onto hers once more, every inch of his hardness meeting all her softness and there’s nothing he can do to stop a groan from rattling his chest.Holy shit. He's imagined this a thousand times, but nothing, nothing at all, could have prepared him for the way she actually feels under him. Writhing against him. Greedily. Desperately. Using him to chase her pleasure. Even with clothes in the way, it feels amazing, fucking right.“C-Caleb…”He hears it. Hears it all in the way she says his name—like she’s never said it before. With want. With unfiltered need. And he almost snaps. Almost.But he doesn’t.Instead, he pulls back, taking his touch away. She whimpers in protest, a sound that makes his stomach clench.Gods, if only she knew, appreciated how much he is holding back. Being careful with her. Yeah, he might be the one holding her down and controlling the pace with his evol and steel-like self-control (who knew he had it in him?) but her reactions control him. The way she moans his name, the way she arches into him—he may be the one in charge, but she’s the one undoing him from the inside out. With every look, every touch and every single sound she makes.His breath stutters and he gives his head a shake, summoning more self-control and strengthening his evol to hold down her hips because if she manages to rub herself against him one more time he’s going to lose it.“I said don’t move.”Braced with one hand by her head and the other still locked around her wrist, he stares down at her. Drinking her in as he tries to calm down.Her hair is a messy halo around her head. Her top all askew, treating him to the sight of her breasts, heaving with heavy breaths, hard nipples pushing insistently against the delicate lace bra. Her legs spread wide, with him lodged between them. Beautiful. Just, beautiful.It’s three years ago all over again—arousal relaxing all her pretty features as she stares up at him with eyes all soft and dazed. Only this time, it’s better. So much better.Because there’s no ounce of panic. No fear. No doubt.She’s ready.Ready to hand herself over to him. Wholly. Completely. She wants this. Just as badly as he does. And he is more than ready to put them both out of their misery and take her.His palm slides over her stomach, loving the goosebumps that rise in his wake.“You know,” he begins, voice rough with desire and barely contained restraint, “when we were kids and you cheated, you had to do a forfeit as punishment. Remember?”She nods, brows furrowing. No doubt wondering why the hell he is taking a trip down memory lane at a time like this.“In fact…” he continues, his touch moving along her waist and up, fingertips nudging under her bra and higher still, cupping her. Fuck.A broken moan falls from her lips and floats around him as his eyes flutter closed, joining his own sound of pleasure as he squeezes. Gently.She feels perfect in his hand. Of course she does. She’s so fucking perfect. Perfectly made for him and him for her, of that he has no doubt.He slides his hand away, that ungodly amount of self-control springing into action again. A slow, subtle smile shaping his lips when she makes another noise of disappointment. He drags his palm back across the curve of her waist and stomach with aching slowness. Touching her with languid, leisurely strokes as he continues.“…the punishment was kinda like this. I would hold you down, seek out your weak spots, and tickle you. Remember that?”She nods again, licking her lips. “Yes. Torture me, more like. You’d only stop when I started screaming.”He chuckles, darkly. “Yeah.” Something even darker glints in his eyes. “Well, we’re not kids anymore…”“N-no…”“Hmm.” His hands move to her ribs, where he knows too well she is most ticklish. “I wonder… do you still have the same weak spots?”“Caleb. I swear if you tickle me right now I will— ah!”In a flash, he dips down and bites her neck.She gasps—sharp, startled—before it melts into something else. Something softer, breathier. A moan that’s pure music to his ears.And when he sucks, slow and deep, her whole body quivers.“You’re in no position to make threats, princess.”His lips curve as he pulls back, admiring his work—the faint bloom of color against her throat. A mark. His mark.A slow, soft kiss follows, soothing the sting, though they both know it’s just an excuse to touch her again.“Caleb…” she whimpers, voice wrecked, pleasure and pain mingling into one desperate plea.Her neck flexes, baring. Submitting. Asking for more.And, he gives it to her. Kisses. Nibbles. The gentle scrape of his teeth against tender skin, her breathy little moans vibrating against his lips.His evol slips, just for a moment, and she moves. Her hips tilt, searching, seeking—grinding.He lets her. Lets her have it. Gives her the friction she craves, his own groan muffled against her throat.And then—he realizes.He’s losing himself to her. Again.He jerks back.Her eyes snap open, and when she looks at him, tears collect along her lashes, the frustration sharp and raw, all for him.Because she wants him. That badly.And, gods help him, the sight of it is a thousand times more satisfying than it should be.“Caleb, please—”A single tear escapes, rolling down her cheek.“Shhh, it’s okay, princess,” he murmurs, dipping down, catching it with a slow, deliberate flick of his tongue.She shudders.“I’ve got good news and bad news for you.” He presses a sweet kiss to her cheek, nose, forehead, as if his intentions aren’t anything but sweet. “Good news? I’m not ticklin’ you.”He pauses. Holding the moment in his palm, he watches her. Watches her pulse hammer against her throat. Watches her chest rise and fall faster, struggling against unsteady breaths as she gazes up at him with unfocused eyes, utterly drunk in lust. And then—he leans in. His fingertips brush her hair back, a touch so soft it’s almost reverent, his voice dropping into a dangerously low range when he speaks.“The bad news is…” His breath ghosts over her neck, sending a full-body shiver through her. “…I still want to make you scream.”A pause. A heartbeat.And when he speaks next, it’s not a threat.It’s a promise.“And this time, I won’t stop.”His lips hover over her ear.“No matter how loud you get. I’ll keep goin’ and goin’ until you beg me to stop.”Her breath hitches, another tremor of lust making her body tremble against his.His fingers trail between them, nimbly undoing the first button of her jeans. Pop.The next one follows, even louder.Pop.Then the next…Pop.He swallows hard, watching matching lace panties slowly getting revealed. Making the moment real.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.This is real.It really hits him then—not just physically, but deeper. So much deeper. Through his chest, down to his slightly shaking fingertips, and then back again, all the way to his very soul. Fuck, he really is shaking. Giving away just how much this moment means to him. He’s not immune to the excitement, the nervous anticipation curling in his stomach.And fear.Because there’s still a chance he could fuck this up.“Caleb?”He meets her gaze, her pupils are not only blown black with need, but they shimmer with something fiercely fervent. Something that mirrors his own.“Is this okay?” He whispers.He doesn’t even hear his own voice, his heart is too loud, thundering up a storm in his chest.He wants this to be perfect for her—desperately. But the reality is, despite his big talk, he has no fucking idea what he’s doing. His only frame of reference is the times he’s snooped through her e-reader, flipping through the highlighted passages of the smutty books she reads and making notes on his phone. But words on a screen don’t compare to this, to the way she’s looking at him now. To the weight of what’s about to happen.Because this isn’t just lust. Not just want, either.This is fate.But then—she smiles.
Like she knows. Like she’s never doubted him, not for a second. Like she can see every fear he has, every insecurity gnawing at the edges of his confidence, all of it rendered meaningless in the face of her unwavering trust. Like there’s nothing he could do, no mistake he could make, that would ever make her stop looking at him this way—like he’s hers, and she is his, and that will never, ever change.
And just like that, all those nerves melt away.She nods, her fingers flexing, searching for his. He meets her halfway, sliding his hand from her wrist and into hers, threading their fingers together tightly—a tether, an anchor. A reminder of how unbreakable they are. That when one of them is scared, when the world feels too big, or when the next step feels uncertain—they have each other.Then. Now. Always.Together.She leans in, her voice a whisper against his lips. “Good thing this place is soundproof, huh.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

His fingers trailed between them, deftly undoing the first button of her jeans.Pop.Heat flooded between her thighs as she watched him move on to the next. Oh, so, slowly.Pop.Her throat tightened, her mouth dry. Each breath coming harder as desire pulsed through her, with near unbearable intensity.She needed this—needed him—everywhere, more than her next breath. As if teasing her to the brink of insanity wasn’t enough, he had also been talking to her and touching her like all those dominant, sexy heroes from her romance books as if he had been taking notes. And now this.Pop.His beautiful eyes glowed, as they always did when he used his evol. But the way they brightened had nothing to do with that. The sliver of violet left around his wide pupils that pulsed with color as she was slowly revealed? That was all about her and the effect she was having on him.Thank goodness she had chosen a matching set today.Who was she fooling? For three years, she had worn her cutest lingerie sets around him, clinging to the foolish hope that one day he might see them.And now, the moment was here.Today. Now.Caleb’s fingers hesitate on the last button. That's when she notices—he’s shaking.Her heart contracts, then nearly bursts. Was he nervous? Her steady, strong, unwaveringly confident Caleb? Just when she thought she couldn’t fall anymore in love with him, further down she goes.“Caleb?”He meets her gaze. “Is this okay?” He whispers, putting her first like always.And further still she plummets, weightless, with no parachute in sight.She nods, flexing her fingers. He doesn’t hesitate, the hand around her wrist slides into hers, lacing their fingers. He moves closer—like her proximity is his comfort, just like his is hers.She leans in, her voice a whisper against his lips. “Good thing this place is soundproof, huh.”She giggles softly. He laughs in response. “Right.”The tension eases—just a little. She knows he needs it. There aren’t many times she’s seen Caleb vibrating with nerves, but when he does, making him laugh or shifting his focus helps.His eyes glow brighter, and she winces. Even his evol is slipping—gravity shifting between crushing intensity and dizzying lightness.“What’s wrong?” His voice sharpens, concern immediate.“Your evol—it’s too much. Can you—?”“Shit, sorry.” He pulls back instantly, putting space between them.“No, no.” She sits up, drawing a breath. “It’s okay.” With steady fingers, she pulls off her tangled top, baring smooth skin and lace.His eyes roam, dark and reverent. Gods—the way he looks at her, as if she’s something sacred. Like looking away might tear him apart.“Hey.” She advances, slowly crawling onto his lap. “Where do you think you’re going?”As naturally as breathing, he pulls her close—chest to chest, thighs straddling his. His hands, big and warm, skim over her exposed skin, sending ripples of heat through her. A shiver threatens, but she holds still. Will she ever get used to this? The way his touch ignites her, leaving tingles chasing over every inch of her skin? Probably not.One arm loops around his shoulders, drawing him in. The other slips between them, fingers curling around his t-shirt and tugging. “Don’t I get a turn?”“Huh?”She tugs again. “Can I touch you too?”He doesn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, he’s balling the fabric behind his back and yanking it off. Whoosh—gone. The eagerness of it makes her giggle.“FYI—you don’t have to ask,” he murmurs, voice low and unguarded. “Do whatever you want to me. I’m yours, princess. Always have been.”She exhales slowly, eyes roaming over every ridge and plane of his body. “Noted.”The setting sun washes over him in soft pinks and golds, gilding his skin in light, making him look positively ethereal.Caleb is already a masterpiece—sculpted strength wrapped in impossible beauty. He was always unfairly attractive, but right now? He was blindingly beautiful. And yet, she couldn’t look away.She releases a wistful sigh, her palms gliding over his broad, muscled shoulders. “You’re really beautiful, you know that?”He looks almost startled, then scoffs. “Says you.”His fingers twitch against her waist—waiting, no doubt itching to explore. It would be so easy for him to take back control, to hold her down and spread her wide like a feast all over again. But he doesn’t. He’s had his turn. This moment belongs to her.She lets her hands roam, tracing the defined slopes of his chest. He sucks in a sharp breath, pecs twitching under her touch. A smirk tugs at her lips when his fingers tighten against her waist, again, yet he remains obediently still.“You know…” her voice is soft, hesitant. “There were times when I couldn’t stop looking at you.”She braves a look into his eyes. His gorgeous eyes, already watching her with heart arresting intensity. “There were?”She nods, letting her fingers drift lower, exploring more expanse of taut muscle.
…four…five…six…seven… 
Caleb raises a brow, amusement flickering in his voice. “Are you… counting my abs?”“Yes,” she admits, utterly shameless. “And?”He presses his lips together, fighting a smile, and shakes his head. “Nothin’,” he grins. “Carry on.”That roguish grin barely has time to settle before she drags her nails over the deep-cut V leading into his waistband. His stomach tightens—eight solid squares of muscle flexing beneath her touch.
He gasps and shudders—a full-body tremor that she feels, deep and low, like a shockwave through her own skin. Her fingertips linger, dancing just above the band of his flight uniform pants, teasing delicate patterns into his skin.

“Sensitive here?” she murmurs, her voice hushed, filled with quiet curiosity.
“Yeah,” he grits out, his breath ragged, voice rough with surprise. “Apparently so.”A quiet admission—this is new to him, just as it is to her.”Hmm. Noted.”Her palms glide up his arms next, pausing at his biceps. She grins when he flexes, indulging her.Gods, how many times has she stared at his arms? And the rest of him? Surely he’s noticed.“You really never noticed me looking at you?” she asks, voicing her thoughts aloud.He shakes his head. “Probably ‘cause I was too busy looking at you.”It’s a line—but not the way he says it. He says it like he truly means it. Like it’s a confession he’s relieved to finally set free. Like, rightly or wrongly, for every moment of every day they’ve grown up together, from kids, to teens, to adults to right here and now—all he’s ever seen is her.“Caleb…” His gaze drops to her mouth, watching his name fall from her lips like she’s in love with the sound of it.He exhales her name in return, his hands twitching against his restraint. Desperate to touch her.“Since when?” he asks, but they both know what he’s really asking.
Since when did you stop seeing me as your brother?
“Three years ago.”He nods his understanding.“What about you?”He hesitates—like he’s debating how much truth to give her. Then, with quiet conviction—the kind that steals her breath—he finally answers.“Since always.”“Really?” She rasps, surprised. “Surely not always.”He tilts his head. “Do you remember the night Grandma brought us home?”She shakes her head. “Not really. I was too young.”“Well, I do.” His Adam’s apple bobs, eyes softening and distant, like he’s already slipped back into that moment. “You were so quiet, trying to be brave. You wouldn’t let go of me. Kept clingin’ to me and cryin’ when Grandma tried to pull you away. Just wouldn’t leave me alone,” he grins. “Some things never change, huh?”She rolls her eyes with a smile, before punching his arm.“Ow,” he mouths with mock hurt all over his face before his face splits into his sunshine smile.“Then what?” She prompts.“After Grandma finally got you to sleep in your room. She was puttin’ me to bed and I told her.” “Told her what?” she asks quietly, the anticipation of his response trembling her voice. “That I’m going to marry you one day,” he answers, as casually as can be.“You did not.”“I swear I did.”“What did she say?””She said you can’t, she’s your sister.”“Oh.” Her throat tightens. “Then what?”“I said, then she’s not my sister and never will be.” She chuckles. “Bet she loved that.”“Yeah,” he scoffs. “She was not happy. But I didn’t care. I knew it. Even back then, I knew you were the one.”“Aww, Caleb,” she smiles, teasing. “Even now? Now you know what I’m really like and how annoying I can be?“He doesn’t smile back. He just watches her—unusually serious, conviction unwavering.“Even more now that I’ve fallen in love with all of you—the stubborn and ridiculous and, yeah, even the annoying parts included. I love everything you are, princess. I wouldn’t change a thing.”Her breath catches. Her poor heart, which hasn’t caught a break all day, stops altogether—only to pound into a rhythm so fast it makes her dizzy.His words echo through her, reverberating in every inch of her soul. One day, when her time is up and her life flashes before her eyes, she already knows this will be the moment she wants to relive. This will be the memory she reaches for—Caleb’s arms around her, his violet eyes glowing up at her just as they are now, his voice speaking those exact words like an oath.“Caleb,” she whispers again, her voice breaking under the weight of everything she feels for him, heavier than ever now he’s laid his heart out to her.He whispers her name back, his breath warm and trembling as his gaze drops to her lips—willing them closer.Her arms wind around his neck as his tighten around her back, like he can’t hold her close enough. Their chests press together, her heart slamming against his beating just as wildly, as if they’re trying to touch, making his whole body gently tremor against her.She presses her forehead to his, her palm moving to his chest, right over his heart, as if she could soothe it.“You nervous?” she asks, though she already knows the answer. She can feel it beneath her hand, in every rapid, uneven beat.He swallows hard, pink spreading over his cheeks and coloring his ears. “Would it kill the mood if I said yeah? That I’ve never been more terrified of screwing something up?” His voice is quiet, hoarse. “Because if it will, then I won’t say it. I’ll just say I’m fine.”She laughs softly.“Don’t be nervous,” she murmurs, brushing her nose against his. “I can already tell you—this is going to be the best sex I’ve ever had.”He laughs, a little too loud, the sound betraying his nerves. He clears his throat. “But what if—”She presses a finger to his lips, silencing him.“Stop.” Her voice is steady, because she’s never been so sure of anything in her life. “It’s going to be perfect.” Her hand slides up his neck, stroking through his soft hair. “Because it’s with you. And there's no part of me that doesn’t want this with you.”His slow breathtaking smile stretches his lips against her finger, the smile that breaks hearts and never fails to make her weak. “Yeah? You sure?”She nods slowly. “You know how you asked me if I meant what I said six months ago when I last saw you?”His eyes darken, the violet shrinking around his pupils as he stops breathing, waiting. Holding his breath like his entire world depends on her next words.She swallows hard, fingers curling into his hair and against his skin. His heart beating impossibly faster under her palm. “Did you mean it?” He murmurs.Silence.A single heartbeat. Then another.And another. Heavier. Louder. Echoing through her.She wets her lips, gaze flickering away—to his shoulder, his jaw, anywhere but his eyes. Of course she meant it. She has always meant it. As soon as she realized she was in love with him, she also realized she was always meant to be. It just took her a while to get there.But saying it now—saying it out loud while wrapped in his arms, while his violet eyes see all of her—feels like handing over a part of herself that she will never be able to take back. The same part that, with every charged second of silence, pushes harder against its ribcage—desperately trying to escape and reach its true owner.This was it, the point of no return.She wasn’t impervious to the weight of this moment pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.His grip on her waist tightens. A silent plea.“Hey.” His fingers brush her cheek, coaxing her back to him. “Look at me.”And she does.His expression is unreadable. Guarded, almost—like he’s bracing himself for something he doesn’t want to hear. It makes something deep inside her ache. Has he really been doubting this? Doubting her?She exhales shakily, hands moving to cradle his face. His skin is warm beneath her touch, his jaw tense beneath her thumbs.Her heart slams against her ribs, hard enough to bruise, her pulse roaring in her ears. There’s no going back after this—no undoing, no returning to what they were before. From this moment on, everything changes.And yet, staring into his eyes—saturated with devotion, overflowing with promise—she feels no fear.Not even a little.It isn’t scary at all. It’s liberating, safe, right.She’s ready. Ready to step over that invisible line, to fall headfirst off that proverbial cliff—knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that Caleb will catch her. Just like he always has.“I meant it,” she whispers. “I still do.”His breath leaves him in a shudder.She tilts her head, the space between them vanishing with every word. “I really mean it,” she tells him, her voice softer now, but surer than ever.Her lips brush his as she exhales, “I love you, Caleb. I really, really love you.”And then—unable to hold back a second longer—Caleb cups the back of her neck and kisses her. Pouring every second of waiting, wanting, and longing into the press of his lips.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I would die for this girl.
That’s what he thinks as his lips collide with hers, claiming them the way he’s imagined a thousand times before. It’s the same thought that struck him the moment he first saw her. He was just a kid, yet the surge of protectiveness he felt when she clung to him was something deeper, something permanent, with a strength and maturity well beyond his years. As if he knew, even then—this was his destiny.To protect her. To cherish her. To love her.From then until forever.
I would do anything for you. Anything. Everything. Since the moment you grabbed my hand and refused to let go, my life has been yours. Just tell me you want it. And you can have it.
He wants to tell her, but his lips refuse to leave hers. 
He has no experience, but it doesn’t matter—not when instinct takes over, when the sheer need for her drowns out everything else. His tongue skims the seam of her lips, hesitant, searching. She stills. Then, as if she’s been waiting for this moment just as long as he has, she parts for him, letting him in.
The first brush of their tongues is tentative, testing, a slow, delicate slide. A sharp inhale. A quiet whimper. Then—more. The heat between them rising like unfurling smoke, thick and consuming, pulling them deeper. Their mouths move together with increasing urgency, greedy with discovery, drunk on the sweet, heady taste of surrender.“Caleb…” she breathes into his mouth, and it’s like a flame to a fuse.His fingers tighten in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss. Every slow, thorough stroke of his tongue melting her further, her sweet little noises growing louder. She clings to him, hands sliding over his neck, his face, threading through his hair like she can’t get enough. He feels the same. Like the more he takes, the more he needs. She gasps when he crushes her to his chest, her soft curves molding to his hard planes, forcing her to arch until there’s not a breath of space left between them. Still not close enough.He pushes her back down, pinning her against the mattress all over again, his hips fitting perfectly between the plush valley of her thighs as if he’s always meant to be there. She moans her approval against his tongue, kissing him harder, legs locking around his waist, dragging him deeper into her heat with a quiet, desperate possessiveness.He breaks the kiss. She whines, chasing his lips, and he has to use every ounce of control he possesses to hold her back—because he needs to say this. He needs her to know what he’s been desperate to tell her for far too long. And when he speaks his voice is rough, thick with promise.“I love you.” A truth as absolute as gravity itself. “I always have. Always will.”She stills beneath him, her roaming hands pausing on his shoulders. Her eyes glisten, her lips part, and then she’s gripping his necklace—the one with the apple charm she gave him, the one he never takes off—and uses it to tug him back down.“I know,” she whispers, kissing him again. “And I love you, Caleb. Always. More than I should. More than anything.” Then, lips brushing his, she pouts. “But if you don’t touch me, like, right now, I might actually die.”His lips twitch, unable to hide how much he fucking loves her impatience for him. A need that he understands with his whole heart. But his answering smile is brief—because then he’s kissing her again, deep and slow, silently promising her everything.His teeth graze her bottom lip, and she bites back harder, flexing her hips and rubbing against him, ripping a groan from his throat.“Please,” she breathes, kissing him again, softer this time, mewling when he trails his lips along her jaw.His hand moves between them.“Last chance.” His voice is harsh, unsteady, yet there’s a hint of teasing woven into his words, like he knows damn well she wants this with her entire being just as he does. “If this is too fast, tell me to stop.” The final button of her jeans pops open. “Or I won’t.”She looks down, watching as his fingers slip beneath the lace of her panties, disappearing into the fabric and following the curve of her body. His fingertips graze over her folds, and her breath hitches. Just that slightest touch sending sharp tingles through them both.“Don’t you dare stop,” she demands, breathy, needy, rolling her hips into his hand.He still has no idea what he’s doing, not really, but he knows one thing—he wants more. Needs so much more.A deep sound rumbles in his chest as he slides through her slick heat, gathering her arousal. She’s so wet. So ready. Her thighs flex and widen as he teases her open, fingers gliding over the softest, warmest part of her—where she aches for him most.“Caleb,” she says his name in the most beautifully needy voice he’s ever heard. “Please.”That’s all it takes. That’s all it will ever take from this moment on. That single word from her and he’ll do anything, anything at all, she asks of him. Crawling along the floor on his hands and knees too, if that’s what she wished.  “Tell me what you need, princess.” His lips ghost over hers, breathless, waiting. “Anythin’. And you’ll have it.”“You,” she chokes out, desperate. “You.”And with that, he’s undone. Completely lost to her. Unable to tease her a moment longer even if he wanted to. Slowly, gently, his finger sinks inside her, becoming a part of her. She gasps. He groans—loud and unabashed. She’s hot, tight, velvet-soft around him, gripping him in a way that makes it impossible not to shudder.Fuck.She feels so good. Too fucking good. His control wavers, slipping through his fingers like sand as he moves—hesitant at first, then bold—exploring every reaction. He watches, rapt, taking more pleasure than he thought possible in every shift of her body, every quiver of her thighs, every tense of her stomach, every gasped little breath and soft moan of his name like it belongs to her lips alone.“Caleb, more—please,” she pleads against his lips, grinding into his hand.“I’ve got you.”A second finger joins the first, and she moans, nails sinking into his back. His muscles tense beneath her grip, and the sound that leaves his throat is half growl, half surrender.His restraint fractures as he gets a preview of what will inevitably follow—her nails dragging down his skin, her thighs gripping him tight, the heat of her wrapped around him as he sinks deep then deeper, until there’s nothing left between them but heat and want and the slick, perfect way she takes him.He wants that. He wants it all. So damn bad. His cock physically aches to be inside her, but he refuses to rush this. He is determined to learn her first. To discover all her weak spots and make sure he knows each and every hidden place that makes her arch and moan and beg for more.“Feel good?”“Uh huh,” she assures him, voice hitching, “really good”.Moving closer, he quickens the motion of his fingers, matching the rhythm of her tilting hips. His mouth finds her neck once more, his breath skating over her skin in the fading golden light of the sunset spilling into his room. Revealing goosebumps rising beneath his touch as a shiver runs through her.He presses barely-there kisses over her throat, shoulder, collarbone as he slowly, carefully, works her higher, his thumb brushing against her, looking for that little—She twitches, gasping, clamping down on his fingers.“There?”A frantic nod. Her soft pants tangling with his heavy breaths, lashes fluttering as he stays right there, rubbing slow, insistent circles.Then he curls his fingers.Her back arches off the bed. A sharp, broken moan tumbles from her lips, echoing around them.“Does that feel goo—?”Before he can finish, she yanks him down by his pendant again, crushing their lips together. Another moan vibrates against his mouth as she tightens around his fingers, pulsing, trembling.There’s his answer.“You too,” she whimpers between rough, messy kisses, her hands fumbling between them, awkward but determined. “I want to touch you too.”Caleb breaks the kiss, his breath ragged, watching as her delicate hand slips into his uniform pants and—“Fuck,” he exhales, his entire body tensing.Is there a better feeling than this? Her gripping him, fingers stretching around him—shy yet eager. His own fingers still buried inside her, growing slicker as she touches him. There can’t be. Nothing else has ever come close.“This okay?” she asks, glancing up, meeting his hooded gaze.He almost laughs. Okay? No. This is beyond okay. This is everything. Every fantasy, every restless, sleepless night, every desperate dream made real. He wants to tell her that. Wants to say something clever, something meaningful. But then she moves her hand, palm sliding over his crown and down his length, smearing his arousal as she strokes him. And a low, helpless moan bubbles up his throat instead.She looks down, her eyes widening as she takes him in for the first time. He throbs in her hand. A fresh bead of pre cum pearling at his swollen tip. He feels her breath catch, sees her pupils dilate, dark and full of wonder.“You’re staring.” His voice cracks, breathless, utterly wrecked.She smiles, biting her lip. “There’s a lot to stare at.”His lips twitch into a grin. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”“You should.”Her other hand curls around his nape, tugging him closer until their foreheads touch. Their breaths mingle, heavy and uneven as they fall into a rhythm together—his fingers sliding deep and curling, matching the slow, sensual strokes of her hand.Not fast enough to send them spiraling over the edge.But enough to learn each other.Enough to drive them both insane in the sweetest, most intimate of ways.“Which feels better?” His fingers move to swirl around her clit. “This?” He asks her, voice slow and husky, before he plunges back inside. Then out. Slowly. Deeply. In. Out. In. Out. “Or this?”She whimpers, body tensing. “B-both. Both.”His lips hover just out of reach, heavier breaths mixing with hers. “Alright. Both it is.” He can feel the tremble in her thighs as he switches between firm, deliberate strokes and steady, teasing thrusts. Her sounds of pleasure coming out faster, louder, breathier, her grip on him tightening.It’s not a competition.But if it was, he’d be winning.“Hmm. So you do have more weak spots.” He smirks, just as his fingers curl, pressing against that perfect spot inside her. The one that makes her back arch and her breath stutter so damn prettily. “Huh. And there’s another.”“Shut up,” she murmurs, voice barely more than a breath. “As if you don’t know my whole body is a weak spot when it comes to you.”Then she slants their mouths together, and his lips instantly give in to hers, letting her kiss the breath right out of him.And just like that, she gets the upper hand. Her sweet admission and those even sweeter lips of hers making him want to spill all over her hand, to taint her with him, to mark her, ruin her for anyone else. But even that wouldn’t be enough. It will never be enough. He already knows that, resigning himself to the fact he can’t touch her enough, can’t kiss her enough. His is the type of all-consuming, ruinous love that simply won’t allow it. But, damn it, if he isn’t determined to spend the rest of his life trying.“Caleb?” She breathes when they part, warm breath fanning over his heated skin.His forehead presses to hers, chests rising and falling together. “Yeah, princess?”“I’m ready.”Two words. Just two little words, and something dark and primal surges through him. He jerks in her grasp, growing impossibly harder, bigger. The reaction instant, visceral—his body answering her before his mind can even catch up.She notices. Of course, she does.Her breath hitches and she clenches around his fingers, her body talking to his in a silent, instinctual conversation of a need older than words, urging him on. As if he needs it.He fucking doesn’t.There’s nothing—nothing—he wants more than to sink into her, to claim every inch of her with every inch of himself. To finally, finally purge himself of all those years of aching yearning and painful longing by tearing down every last barrier between them, pulling her close, and burying himself so deep inside her she’ll never forget what it feels like to be his—what he knows, with every fiber of his being, she was born to be, just as he was born to be hers.And yet—he hesitates.Not because he wants to. Because he has to.For her.Everything he’s ever done has been for her. This is no different.“I don’t think you are,” he rasps, voice gravelly with his restraint hanging on by a fucking thread. His entire body taut and trembling as he forces himself still, to hold back even when every cell in his body is screaming at him to do the opposite.She stills for half a second—then groans, frustration lacing her words as her fingers curl against his chest.“Caleb. Are you serious?”Then, to prove a point, she releases him and grabs his wrist.She drags his hand between them. Her arousal glistens in the fading light, coating his fingers, undeniable evidence of how ready she is.Her gaze locks onto his, fierce, unwavering.“How much more proof do you need?”He groans, bringing his fingers to his mouth before he can stop himself—sucking them clean.
Fucking hell.
Her taste. It’s addiction and damnation and heaven all at once.He thought his craving for her was bad before, now it's agony. Searing through his blood and kicking up a cardinal need to have more of that taste. On his tongue, on his cock, fucking everywhere. More.He needs to own her.More than oxygen in his lungs, more than anything he’s ever craved, the hunger for her consumes him, wild and unchecked. It always has, but now? With her taste on his tongue and her pretty eyes wide and wanting, looking up at him like he hung the moon among the stars? It’s out of control. It’s clawing at him, overwhelming him, this deep-seated, primitive need to have her writhing beneath him, saying his name like it’s the only thing she knows and now. Right fucking now.“Caleb, I want this,” she tells him, as if hearing his thoughts. “I want you.” Her lips brush his—sweet, slow, coaxing. A plea wrapped in a kiss. “No more waiting. Please.”He swallows hard. Another groan catching in his throat.She’s not just asking. She’s begging.But does she understand what she’s begging for?Because this isn’t just about tonight. It’s about everything after.If she lets him have her now, if she gives herself to him completely, he’s keeping her. Forever. No one else will ever touch her, see her, hear her as he will. Only him. He’ll make damn sure of it.He knows this isn’t healthy—the way he lives and breathes for her, the way every choice he’s ever made is to keep her safe or make her smile. But that is both the curse and the blessing of his love for her. Intense, unyielding and endless. A bond carved from a fate he has already happily accepted. From then to now, through this life and every life next, he will find her and protect her and cherish her and never let her go. And because he truly loves her with everything he is and could be, he owes it to her to warn her of that, to give her one final chance of turning back now, even knowing if she does it will shatter his soul beyond repair.His fingers tighten on her hip, anchoring her beneath him, keeping her in place like he’s afraid she’ll slip away. He says her name in a low, near guttural voice.
“If we do this, that’s it. I won’t be able to let you go.” He holds her gaze, letting her see the weight behind what he’s trying to tell her, the unfiltered, raw truth of his every word. “Once I have you, I’m keeping you. No second thoughts. No regrets. No goin’ back. You’ll be mine.”

A pause. A rough exhale.
“Do you understand that?”She doesn’t hesitate.She smiles, soft but certain, fingertips tracing his jaw. “You make it sound like that’s not exactly what I want.”Her lips brush his, holding his eyes with hers. “I’m already yours, idiot.” A whisper, but no less of a vow. “Only and all yours.”And with that his chest cracks wide open, his heart falling straight into her hands hearing exactly what he needed to hear to take her and make all he’s dreamed of real.