Chapter Text
Quiet had finally fallen over the dorm after Keith had left to join his family for the holidays, leaving Adam to the silence and mountains of assignments he had to work on with basically nothing but coffee and a pantry full of ramen to fuel him. His sleep had been fitful and draining; constantly waking to thoughts of yet another thing that needed to be added to his ever growing to-do list, and anxieties pulling him from dreams of failing and being left behind by everyone around him.
Nausea turned his stomach to the point where his breakfast consisted mainly of a cup of black coffee left until it had gone just that side of too cold to be tolerable but warm enough to push the exhaustion away for a moment and a few half-hearted bites of toast as he continued work on one of his assignments. The room was still freezing even hours after waking and letting the what little warmth of the day seep into the building, making him regret leaving his bed and blankets for the cold and impersonal desk on the other side of the room. He'd only managed to type another two paragraphs when his phone vibrated. As soon as he saw who it was from, his stomach settled slightly and it felt like he could breathe easier even if only for a moment.
Caleb: hey you :)
Caleb: i didnt wake you or smt?
He shut his laptop, turning his full attention to the small break afforded to him as he got up to make another cup of coffee.
Adam: Hey!
Adam: No, you're fine. Been up for a while :)
Caleb: what are you up to?
Adam: The usual. Work, coffee, more work
Adam: Wbu?
Caleb: not much
Caleb: thought I'd check in and see if you were in need of rescue and proper food
Adam: Hard to do in another country tho :(
Caleb: not when you have superpowers
Adam looked down at his phone with a confused ‘what?’ just as a knock sounded at the door. He put his phone down on the counter and crossed the small space to get to open it, sure that it was Keith having forgotten something, only to be shocked to find his boyfriend standing there sheepishly with his phone still in hand.
“Surprise?”
“Caleb? I can’t believe you’re here!” Adam wrapped him in a hug, his voice slightly muffled by Caleb’s shirt in his excitement. “But- but how? I thought you and your family had gone skiing for the holidays...”
“Flew in on a reindeer,” Caleb laughed, pulling back enough to see Adam but smiling at the fact that they were still stood in the doorway within arms reach of each other. “Nah, I just dropped them off at the airport this morning. Alice brought one of her friends instead of having to share a room with me, so she’s really happy.”
“Okay…” Adam said, grabbing Caleb’s suitcase and bringing it inside before continuing, settling them both down on the small couch in the living room, “I still don’t really understand though. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad you’re here, but- what brought this on?”
Caleb chewed on his lip and brought a hand through his hair that had grown out a bit since they’d last seen each other, causing it to fall immediately back into his eyes.
"The last time we talked you were really stressed about all the work you had to do, and upset that you couldn't spend the break with your folks and it just got me thinking and… I know how it feels to get wrapped up in your own thoughts and worries like that and how much worse it can be when you’re by yourself, so I just…” He cast around for a better way of wording his thoughts before settling on, “I can't imagine being anywhere but here with you." Silence hung in the air for a moment. "Sorry. I probably should've asked first- I don't want to be in the way or anything, I just-"
"Caleb, you- this is amazing,” Adam interrupted, “seriously, it means… so much to me. You really didn't have to do this for me, you know."
"I wanted to." He said with a shrug letting the words fall between them like he was stating a simple fact, like anyone in the world would change their entire itinerary on a whim without any real plan.
Adam felt his heart swell.
“You,” he said as he brought his hands up to cradle Caleb’s face tenderly, “are the sweetest man I know. Thank you.” He placed a chaste kiss on the tip of Caleb’s nose, before standing up suddenly. “Oh! You’re freezing! How long were you standing out there?” He fiddled with the thermostat control and looked more closely at Caleb’s clothes, shocked to find him in just jeans, a thin t-shirt, and a varsity jacket. “What are you wearing?!? It’s snowing out there! As insanely romantic as this is, it would’ve been slightly less so to have to take you to the ER for frostbite!”
Caleb, who had been almost basking in the warm, fond feelings pouring out of Adam, had taken a few moments to shake himself from his daze and stand from the couch long enough to catch Adam by the arm and pull him in for a hug before he could stalk off to find his thickest blanket.
“First, it’s incredibly cute that you care so much. Second, I was wearing this because I was packed into a car with four other people and the AC on so high I thought my mom was trying to give us heatstroke. I was only out there for a minute, I swear. I’m fine.” He placed a gentle kiss on Adam’s forehead, squeezing him slightly as Adam melted into him.
"Meathead. I’m gonna insist on making you coffee to warm you up."
“Ah, now,” Caleb pulled away enough to smirk down at him, “The whole point of coming here was for me to take care of you . So how ‘bout I go make us both some coffee while you take a little break?” Without waiting for Adam to answer, he turned and walked triumphantly to the kitchen, before walking back a few moments later with a sheepish expression. “Hey… can you show me where you keep your coffee stuff?”
Adam burst out laughing before grabbing him by the hand and leading the way.
“Here you go, one black coffee for the dork at desk seven. Sorry it took a little while.” Caleb put the steaming mug down carefully in the first clear spot he could see amongst the hazardous piles of paper and pens.
“I would slay a dragon in your honour,” Adam vowed, greedily wrapping his hands around the mug to leech as much warmth from it as he could.
“Aw, I bet you say that to every guy who caffinates you.”
“Mmm. Why do you think dragons are extinct?” He deadpanned, before taking a large mouthful.
And promptly choking on possibly the worst cup of coffee he’d ever tasted.
It was as if the very water had been burnt, like there was a metallic film over the roof of his mouth. Did he melt a spoon into this?!? Superpowers may grant you a lot of cool perks, but apparently the price was harming the sanctity that was coffee.
Caleb, bless the possibly cursed man, instantly jumped to try and help. He rubbed Adam’s back firmly, leaning him forward slightly as he yelled. “Shit! Adam, you ok?! Do you need, like, water or something?”
Adam nodded frantically as he gasped for air, wanting anything to clear the taste from his mouth, his lungs... It was everywhere .
Caleb returned quickly with a glass, watching as Adam swallowed the water down like it was the elixir of life, or since this was Adam, the elixir of excellent assignment writing. He coughed several times before finally starting to breathe in a more normal rhythm. “You alright now? You scared the crap out of me.”
“Yeah,” Adam rasped, clearing his throat slightly before starting again, “Yeah, I’m ok, just...went down the wrong way I guess.”
“Understatement of the decade there! I thought I was gonna have to do the heimlich or something. Wait, does that work with liquids?"
Adam groaned in frustration, mushing his forehead into some papers as he contemplated the merits of becoming a goatherd.
“You alright?” Caleb asked gently from behind Adam, trying to stop the fond smile that was tugging at his lips at how cute Adam looked with his hair falling everywhere.
“Oh yeah. I’m just attempting to learn via mind meld is all.”
“And how is that working?”
“I’m not sure yet, the paper is mainly encouraging me to look up how much goats cost.”
Caleb laughed softly before replying. “See, it’s not the goats that’re expensive, it’s the land they need that gets you. But seriously, you ok?”
"No," he groaned.
"What do you need?"
"Someone else to do my work for me. Coffee. Sleep."
"Well, coffee’s an easy fix at least. I'll go make some."
Adam’s head shot up at the offer, instantly terrified. "Babe, I love you, and I appreciate the sentiment more than you know but… you really can't. I think I'd rather down a shot of hot sauce."
“What?”
“It was a really sweet gesture, but, do you even know what coffee is? Because I don’t think you do.”
“Okay, come on, how wrong can you make it?”
“Oh, so wrong. So, so wrong." Before Caleb could open his mouth to retort, Adam’s stomach decided to interrupt the half hearted debate by announcing its presence loudly. Any tension broken, they both laughed before Adam spoke again. “Ok, so apparently I need food, and there’s this little cafe that does amazing croissants. How about we take a little stroll and I treat you to lunch and real coffee? Spend a little time together before my mini forest here calls me back to it?”
Caleb mimed stroking a beard in thought, before drawling, “Well, see, that depends...”
“On what?”
“On whether 'real coffee' can be anything other than the dairyless black hole that you seem to favour.”
"I can appreciate a good latte just as long as I'm not the one who has to make it!" He smirked, rising up slightly to press a swift kiss to Caleb's cheek. "So, how 'bout it?"
“Yes, I’d love to go to lunch with you.” He offered his arm for Adam to stand, which wasn’t at all necessary, but caused Adam to smile regardless.
“Why, I had no idea you were such a romantic,” he quipped.
“You’ve finally discovered my greatest secret then. Darn, and here I was hoping to be able to keep at least one from you.” Caleb grasped Adam’s hand tightly, theatrically kissing the back of it before attempting to lead the way out the door. He was pulled back by a small tug and a quizzical brow.
“Uh,” Adam began, “just where do you think you’re going?”
“...Out to lunch? ..With you?”
“Not dressed like that you’re not. Come on, let’s unpack your bag and find you clothing appropriate to the weather.”
“You know,” Caleb said as he was dragged to the bedroom, “If you wanted my clothes off, you only had to ask.”