Work Text:
With your suitcase neatly tucked at the back of the passenger car, you easily found your marks along the narrow alleyway.
133, 134, 135… Ah, there it is!
You plopped into your seat with a definite huff. The TV screen on the seat in front of you turned on magically, as if alerted of your presence by the weight pressing into the cushioning of the chair. Disinterested, you turned it off in a swift gesture, choosing to look out the window instead.
You peered at the vast expanse of endless train station corridors. There were few passengers, crossing from one point of the liminal space to another, none stopping at the conveniently-placed vending machines, and there were even less members of staff. You kept your people-watching to a minimum, though, as the bright headlights bouncing off the spotless floors became almost dizzying.
Dazed, you blinked a few times before looking back at your small but comfortable nook of a seat that would be yours for the next couple of hours – slightly claustrophobic of a realisation, but it would have to do.
You fiddled with the light settings for a bit before deciding on a dim warm yellow. Your eyes followed the movement of the people around you distractedly.
The usual business of public transport always made you ever-so-slightly uneasy. You knew, technically speaking, that you were in no real danger; the staff who had helped you with your belongings had been delightful, and you were but one button press away from calling them if the need arose.
But a lifetime of looking over your shoulder would not be erased easily.
Still, as the quiet tohubohu settled, people found their seats, and the one next to you ended up remaining empty even as the train came alive with an electric rumble under your feet, you could not help but reach for your phone giddily.
6:04am
You: “I'm so excited to see you!!"
You attached a picture of a ‘selfie’, only showing a small portion of your face and mostly the patchwork of monochromatic shades on the seat behind you; a tradition that had stayed with the both of you ever since Caleb’s ‘accidental selfie’ on his first school trip.
Caleb’s answer was almost instantaneous.
Wild Twist: "Didn’t think I’d ever see *The* sleepyhead be so punctual :P”
Evidently, he was as thrilled as you were, but you decided to keep your teasing for later.
You: “I almost didn’t sleep a wink last night😭”
“I was too scared I’d miss the train”
Wild Twist: “Keep some of that excitement for later, Pipsqueak. You should rest on the way here"
You: “Oh, I’m sorry, is my ‘6am-self’ too much for you to handle?”
Wild Twist: “I can handle anything from you, you know that”
“I’m more worried about you falling asleep on me halfway through the train station again”
You: “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
Caleb’s typing bubble stayed for a few long seconds, just enough for your hopes to rise…
Wild Twist: “Nope”
Darn.
You: ""
Wild Twist: "Ah, I have a mad Pipsqueak on my hands... What am I to do to possibly earn forgiveness?"
Imagining Caleb’s puppy eyes looking back at a mirrored version of your screen, you felt yourself swoon a little.
You shook your head with a smile.
You: "First, don't assume I won't have enough energy to keep my excitement for when I do see you…”
The message was sent, but your fingers kept hovering above the keyboard.
As you debated mentally on what to add, a new text appeared.
Wild Twist: "... And?"
You huffed, a little embarrassed at being caught so indecisive.
You: "And..."
"I want a lifetime voucher for as many Caleb hugs as I want for the rest of eternity"
A heart appeared in reaction to your text.
Wild Twist: "You already have that, though :p"
There was a slight pause in your texting as you thought. Had you really been missing him so much that the only retort you could come up with was… this?
As you mentally facepalmed yourself, another message came through.
Wild Twist: "Unless you want me to renew my vows"
You: "...Why did you say it like that?"
Wild Twist: "Like what?"
You: "Nevermind."
You sighed a little.
Suddenly, you felt a presence right next to you and jumped when you turned your head.
You apologised profusely to the lovely member of staff who was merely asking if everything was ok.
Once their worries were eased, you were offered a beverage and a pastry which you accepted, but kept to the side for now.
Picking your phone back up, you saw another text from Caleb.
6:18
Wild Twist: “You can be greedier with me, you know that”
Your fingertips hovered the digital keyboard for a second, twitching at the sight of his words. When your heart settled, you started typing again.
You: “Oh I know”
“Make sure you won’t be regretting that claim by the time I’m done with you, mister”
"Also, the staff just gave me a snack since it's the earliest departure"
A small ‘bring it on’ sticker was added as a reaction to your second text.
Wild Twist: "Don't stuff yourself. I already have everything prepared here, you won't starve under my watch"
The mere thought of Caleb’s cooking made your mouth water a little, but that, obviously, you wouldn’t tell him.
Instinctively, you looked down to eye the pastry.
Somehow, it had seemed to lose its appeal in your mind.
You: "I know, I know. Caleb's the best chef in the whole world yada yada…"
A puppy tilting its head to the side with a question mark above it appeared in the chat.
Wild Twist: "I think I read sarcasm"
You: "Do you now..."
Wild Twist: ":c"
Just as you were about to slow your teasing, scared you might have hurt him, his typing bubble appeared again.
"I just want the best for My Pipsqueak"
Your heart beat out of step.
You knew the capitalisation was intentional, and its effect was just as Caleb had most definitely desired.
With a sigh like a softening balm over your restless anticipation, your words copied your heartfelt thoughts.
You: "It is the best"
Instantaneous response.
Wild Twist: "Really?"
You: "Well, only if My Chef lets me have my favourite"
Slow seconds passed before the typing bubble appeared again.
Wild Twist: "You know I could never refuse you"
Something inside your chest stirred, and then flipped-flopped delightfully.
"Or your stomach"
Minutely choosing a ‘damn right’ reaction gif to send him, you typed the rest of your train of thought.
You: "You'll have to teach me someday"
His bubble stayed for a few long seconds, and there was a brief moment when your mind considered that he was *actually* writing down one of his recipes.
Unsurprisingly, his message appeared before this idea could fully take roots.
Wild Twist: "Hmm, I saw they added a new flavour of that soda with the red panda mascot at the supermarket the other day”
“Wanna try it with me?"
Skidding around the request, as per usual.
You shook your head but decided to leave it.
After all, you would have plenty of time to nag him about it during your stay.
You: "What flavour is it?"
Wild Twist: "Apple"
You rolled your eyes.
You: "Obviously"
Wild Twist: "Is that a yes?"
Fingers drumming against the side of your phone, you pondered.
You: "What do I get for trying it?"
Immediate response.
Wild Twist: "My undying devotion ?"
You stifled a bark of a laugh.
This man and his apples…
You: "Though I sometimes question if this devotion of yours is more towards apples than me, I know I already have it"
Wild Twist: "Tough crowd, but true"
You reacted with a prideful green apple emoji at the same time Caleb added another message.
Wild Twist: “Sour or sweet, you’re the only apple I need”
You short-circuited a little at the thought that your minds had both gone down the same path.
Wild Twist: "Then, if my undying devotion isn’t enough… How about I get that awful looking plushie you're obsessed with the last time you stayed here?"
Awful. Looking. Plushie?!
You audibly gasped at the descriptor.
Your heart had just been sent on a rollercoaster but *THIS* was where you drew the line.
You: "EXCUSE ME??”
“How dare you treat Einstein Jr with so much disrespect?"
Wild Twist: "Oh so it already has a name, huh"
You: "If you're not going to be respectful towards him, then I'll get him myself "
Wild Twist: "Well..."
You raised an eyebrow at the ellipsis.
His typing bubble did not appear, and you waited with bated breath for his next words.
…Except, when your phone pinged again, there were none. Instead, a picture quickly loaded.
You felt your eyes widen at the sight of it. You recognised the desaturated bed sheets, the dark pillow cases, and the two individuals’ faces.
One was fuzzy, the telltale fabric of Twinkle Toys’ Sleepy Slumber Party series so gentle to the touch it had been an instantaneous hit amongst collectors and newbies alike. Two big round midnight blue eyes stared into the screen with doe-like gentleness. A smile curved the plushie’s mouth into a cat-like smirk and you felt yourself fall in love with the design all over again.
The other face… was Caleb’s.
Wild Twist: "I would really rather there only exists one of these things in our life, so you can have it."
Had he caught Einstein Jr after you had had to leave Skyhaven? How long had it taken him to get it? How much money had he spent?... Just for you.
An incomprehensible sense of guilt gnawed at your heart.
You: "Caleb…"
Wild Twist: "Pipsqueak?"
You: "Calebbbbbb"
Wild Twist: "Pipsqueaaaaaak"
You: "Caleb Caleb Caleb Caleb Caleb Caleb Caleb !!!!!"
Wild Twist: "Pipsqueak <3"
You: "You don't play fair."
Wild Twist: "Not when the rules stop me from saying what i want"
You: "And what is it that you want to say"
There was a pause before the typing icon appeared
Wild Twist: "I'll tell you when you get here."
You: "Hmph"
Locking your screen as the conversation came to a halt, you looked out the window.
Rolling fields of untamed greenery jumped in tufts from all sides of the train. Your view was complemented by a distant creek where two beavers seemed to be discussing the properties of their makeshift home.
Suddenly, a trout jumped out of the still water and splashed the two rodents. The animals all left your sight as the trout fell back into the water and the two soggy carpenters hid away in the shrubbery.
You winced a little as the speakers of the train came alive with a distorted crackling.
'Valued passengers, our train will stop momentarily as a team of zoological experts remove a family of deers from the tracks. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for choosing the Coelum Express. Please remember to rate your experience for a chance to win your next vacation on the seaside...'
The voice of the speakers faded into the background as you started typing.
6:41
You: "Have to stop for a bit”
“Deers on the tracks”
“I want to be mad, but deers are too cute"
You looked out the window again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cervidae.
The ping from your phone brought your attention back to it after a few minutes.
Wild Twist: "If they stopped for every cute thing, they'd never let you board the train at all :p"
You: "Smoooooth"
"I guess it's why Skyhaven is our final stop”
“Gotta keep the cutest for last"
You felt your teeth sink into your lip as his typing bubble appeared. Had you been too corny?
Wild Twist: "Are you flirting with me?"
You typed an answer… then deleted it. Then typed another one.
You: "I don't know what you're talking about"
Another announcement was roughly emitted through the speakers, making note of what had transpired and, most importantly, reassuring the passengers that the deers were all well and set on their way a little further away from human civilization.
You picked up your phone to update Caleb. A new message greeted you just as the train started moving again.
6:52
Wild Twist: "I like it"
Cheeks burning, you typed as if you were indifferent.
You: "You will like even more the fact that we've started moving again"
Wild Twist: "Correct”
“Are the deers safe?"
Ignoring the soft spot you had for Caleb’s innate care for others, you looked out the window. You could see a herd of deers galloping away from the tracks and disappearing into the woods.
You: "Safe and sound "
Wild Twist: "I’m glad”
“Cute things must be handled with care."
Whatever mantra you were mumbling under your breath to still your heart was rendered positively useless.
You: "Oh, so you lifting me up in the air with your Evol because, and I quote: 'the ground is too slippery', is your way of showing your care?"
Wild Twist: "That's one of them :b"
Unbelievable.
As you prepared an answer to tease him back, you felt something cramp up at the back of your head – like a dissonant voice slipping through your consciousness.
You: “What if I want to show you I care?”
"I don't have your Evol..."
Wild Twist: "You don't need it to show me you care"
You: "How do I show you, then?"
As your self-confidence ebbed and flowed, you thought Caleb might answer with a joke.
However, the sight of a list made your heart skip a beat.
Wild Twist: "Come see me in Skyhaven. Eat with me. Walk with me. Play the claw machine with me. Get angry at me when I don't take care of myself. Nap with me. Talk to me"
How could someone give you so much while being so easy to please?
You: "What if I want to show you I care about you a lot?"
His typing bubble appeared… then disappeared.
It appeared again, and then a text popped up.
Wild Twist: "Take Einstein Jr away from me"
You laughed out loud. The passenger a few seats away from you gave you a quizzical look, clearly questioning your sanity.
You offered them an apologetic smile before looking back at your phone to see another text from Caleb.
7:03
Wild Twist: "Alternatively, you can show me however you want to"
You felt your cheeks heat up at the depth of meaning behind his words, and the array of interpretations possible.
You: "That's a lot of freedom"
His response took a minute to come to you.
Wild Twist: "Have I ever been one to clip your wings?"
Looking out the window to think, you took in the view of the rising sun above the horizon.
The sky was a pretty pinkish and bright orange gradient. A saturated crimson line was drawn where the two hues met.
It was difficult to tell where one color started and the other ended. They were like two liquids of the same density, meshing and mixing with the other while keeping their respective properties.
You angled your phone towards the painting-like sky in front of you -photos of sunrises would never beat seeing the actual thing, huh?- and sent the picture you took to Caleb.
7:15
You: "Though sunrises happen every day, they never stop being majestic"
Your fingers hovered the send button, hesitant, before finally pressing it.
Caleb reacted with a heart emoji.
Wild Twist: “And they will always wait for you, each and every day”
You reacted with a heart emoji.
Wild Twist: "We have the same view of the sky"
"You're almost here”
You: “You’re already outside?”
Wild Twist: “Have been since sundown last night”
Confused, a series of questions rolled to the forefront of your mind.
Had the Fleet been overworking him again?
Had he slept at all in the past twenty-four hours?
And… had the picture with Einstein Jr been taken a long time ago?
Why had he not sent it to you? Was it to surprise you, or…
You looked at the picture again.
His gorgeous sleepy face was smiling softly. Half-lidded eyes peered at the screen with a barely noticeable amber sheen to them. His massive biceps -seriously, how were they so big?!- wrapped around the plushie in a firm but -you knew all-too-well- comfortable hold. The chain of his necklace glinted along his neck, the apple and name tag pendants covered by the plushie in his arms.
Einstein Jr’s face was slightly squashed at the top where Caleb’s chin pushed into the fabric. As you made a note to scold him about it later, your eyes caught sight of the dip under his lower eyelids.
The low lighting of the picture had been decent at hiding it, but now that your mind had picked up on it, you could not unsee it. His skin looked tightly pulled over his jaw, the curves of his features trading their usual softness for harder angles.
Had he not been eating well? Was he missing meals from having to always put himself after his work?
You shook your head, sending your questions flying out of your skull and started typing.
You: “And yet *you*’re telling *me* to rest?”
“King of double standards.”
There was a beat of silence as you waited for his typing bubble to appear.
Wild Twist: “Thank you”
Your eyes thinned.
“I feel your care very potently”
You huffed, a small smile fervently tugging at the corners of your lips despite your desire to be mad at him.
Your fingers glided across the screen effortlessly. You paused to think only for your fingertip to accidentally press send.
You: “I thought”
You waited for a few seconds to see if Caleb would answer, but he seemed to be waiting on you to finish your sentence first.
A shaky breath entered your nose as you typed the rest.
You: “You would be all mine for the week”
Nonsensical as it was, a wave of anxiety lapped at your spine with intent. You counted the seconds before the typing bubble appeared.
Wild Twist: “This was just a last minute check”
‘Liar’, you thought. But your fingers barely had the time to share your thoughts with him that another message had already been sent your way.
Wild Twist: “And I am always yours, Pipsqueak”
Your heart skipped a beat.
The seat under you suddenly seemed to turn into jelly as you slid against it, your body and mind swooning at his words. Locking your phone, you pressed it close to your chest -carcinogenic waves and other toxic consequences be damned-, breathing the moment in.
You smiled, a hint of mischief slithering back into your soul as you unlocked your phone.
You: “You better be.”
You watched as the two check marks appeared on your text, and then sent two more.
You: “And only mine”
“I’m not fond of sharing.”
It took a few seconds for his message to come through.
Wild Twist: “Ha, do I know that >u<”
Another couple of seconds, and he made an addition.
Wild Twist: “There has only ever been one person for me”
“Besides, I’m too focused on making a world for just the two of us…”
Butterflies stirred awake in your stomach and you struggled to keep their flutter to a minimum. Their chaotic dance was interrupted by the familiar sound of a new message.
Wild Twist: “You see, I’m not fond of sharing either.”
A surge of heat blossomed from your heart and into your cheeks. Your body retracted further into itself, begging the seat to swallow you whole.
For a long time, before the officialisation of your relationship, to this very moment, you had questioned your feelings towards Caleb’s possessiveness for you.
It had been useful when you were in school, chasing away bullies and unwarranted lewd advances.
It had earned you a fair share of social exclusion as people were either jealous of your special relationship, or naturally drifted away as they realised you were a packaged deal.
It was a double-sided trait of which you had faced both positive and negative consequences equally.
Ultimately, you had been drawn into a sense of dependency towards Caleb. Yet, you still failed to ascertain if the sin deserved to be blamed, even less so the sinner.
You shook your head out of your thoughts.
7:35
You: “But…”
“What about Einstein Jr?”
“You’ll have to share me with him”
You wondered for a second if your joke had landed as you studied the lack of typing bubble appearing.
Suddenly, a gif loaded which had your eyes widening and your brows furrowing.
You: “Don’t you dare give Einstein Jr away to a feral dog! ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ”
Caleb reacted to your text with a thinking emoji.
This menace…
You: “Don’t. You. Dare.”
“Or I’m sentencing you to the couch for the next week”
Instantaneous response.
Wild Twist: “Alright, alright. I won’t”
You: “Good”
Wild Twist: “If…”
You: “Oh no”
Wild Twist: “What do you mean ‘oh no’”
“I haven’t even told you about my terms yet”
You: “But you’re stalling, which makes it all the scarier!!”
Browsing through reaction gifs, you easily found one of a shaking puppy and sent it to him.
Wild Twist: “Do I really inspire this much fear in you?”
Caleb replied to your gif with a similar breed of puppy looking perfectly innocently at the camera.
Psh, yeah right.
You: “Caleb, out with it!”
Wild Twist: “I just want you to let me record your voice as my morning alarm”
You blinked.
You: “That’s it?”
Wild Twist: “That’s it”
You thinned your eyes at your phone.
You: “What do you want me to record”
There was a long pause before his typing bubble appeared.
Wild Twist: “We can figure out the details later… ;)”
You: “Caleb!!!!”
Innocent puppy, my ass.
Just as you were about to give him a piece of your mind, the train’s speakers crackled alive.
‘Arrival at Skyhaven Terminal in 15 minutes.’
Already? Time had really flown by…
Looking back at your phone, you realised that you had, indeed, just spent your entire journey texting the very person you were travelling to see.
You felt an embarrassed flush take hold of your cheeks.
That was totally normal.
The familiar ping of your phone brought you out of your psychological self-assessment.
Wild Twist: “You must be getting close”
You felt the heat in your face worsen – but kept your words cool.
You: “The staff said 15 minutes”
You took a few deep breaths to calm your speedy heartbeat.
Wild Twist: “Hmm, 2 minutes late but I can work with that”
You: “You don’t need to pick me up if you’re busy”
“I know the way home”
You took a second to notice the flutter in your stomach as you typed the word ‘home’.
Wild Twist: “Oh no, I will be there just”
There was a pause, his typing bubble appearing, and then leaving… And then appearing again.
Wild Twist: “Look out your window”
Confused, you tilted your head to the side.
You felt your eyes widen. A heart had been drawn by a contrail – its author disappearing behind the nearing skyscrapers.
This guy.
Wait-
You: “HOW ARE YOU TYPING AND PILOTING AT THE SAME TIME??”
Wild Twist: “Do you think I would be so careless?”
“I’m using the aircraft’s AI system. I tell it what to say, it sends it to you and it reads me your responses”
You: “Oh”
“Then I wonder how it will read this:”
Easily finding the tab full of heart emojis on your phone, you pressed every single one and sent them.
His silence was long enough for you to start worrying if maybe you should have waited for him to be on the ground before experimenting with the limits of the technology inside of his aircraft.
However, Caleb replied a few seconds later, dispersing your worries fully.
Wild Twist: “If I had known my demonstration would earn such heartfelt praises, I would have done it much earlier”
You: “And you have not even seen half of it…”
“...But you’ll have to come down from the clouds to experience the rest”
There was another pause. Your eyes looked at the city closing in around your windows, the familiar oval of Skyhaven’s train station wrapping around your car and coiling around your vision like a snake.
You looked back down at your phone just as you received a picture of the station’s archway.
Wild Twist: “Can I know now?”
You rolled your eyes, typing the first word of your message before accidentally pressing send.
You: “You’re”
You wrote the rest quickly, your message being sent at the same time as one of Caleb’s appeared.
Wild Twist: “mine”
You: “impossibly fast”
Wild Twist: “Oh”
You: “OH”
A laugh escaped your throat just as you watched the passenger a few seats away from you standing up and hurriedly making their way outside. You quickly gathered your belongings, shocked that you had not even realised that the train engines had slowed, and then stopped.
Your phone pinged as you got up from your seat.
Wild Twist: “I guess the closer we get, the stronger our bond becomes”
You answered on your way to your suitcase, typing rapidly to not get in the way of the cleaning staff.
You: “Can our bond be stronger than it already is?”
Caleb’s response was instantaneous.
Wild Twist: “Do you want it to be?”
As you went to put your phone away, a member of staff took your suitcase and carried it down the stairs for you, leaving you a few more seconds to answer Caleb’s text.
You: “What does that entail?”
After thanking the helpful staff, you began the regal-feeling walk down the station, suitcase trailing behind you.
You checked your phone to see one text.
Wild Twist: “Anything you want”
Your head perked up, then, as if sensing his gaze.
You could see him, smiling brightly at you.
As soon as your eyes met, Caleb rose one of his arms, giving you a slight wave.
He had peeled off his colonel outfit which, you could probably imagine, was patiently waiting on the passenger seat of his aircraft.
Caleb would tell you to ‘put it wherever’ as you entered, but knew you would not be able to resist yourself from taking a few sniffs out of the collar where his scent was the strongest. He would tease you about it, or not. It did not matter.
He was here, in front of you, waiting for you, he *had been* waiting for you, for a long time.
Your feet picked up speed as you hurried to his side, to your home, in his arms…
…Except, as you got closer, you noticed a small detail.
In the crook of the arm glued to his side, tightly secured between his biceps and his pectoral, was Einstein Jr, begging for rescue.