Work Text:
a little while ago, you came across an organization that let you “adopt” wild animals, basically giving you a certificate and letting you track their location. it was a cute concept, and once you saw they had a young female leopard available, you just had to adopt her in caleb’s name as a surprise gift.
he thinks she’s awesome, and he thanks you profusely. the only problem? he gets obsessed with tracking her. breakfast, lunch, and dinner—every hour, every day—“what’s she up to today?” “hope my girl’s findin’ enough food out there.” “do any companies deliver steaks to the savanna?”
he’s so mesmerized by this little leopard, you have half a mind to get jealous. until the bright red light showing him her location vanishes one day, and suddenly, all your faculties go to comforting him.
he tries to hide it like he always does, but you know him more than he’d like you to. he’s distraught with worry, skipping meals, checking his phone for that blinking light every few minutes. you start to regret ever buying that certificate—life in the wild is so fleeting. you knew that—but there’s nothing you can do about it now. she was the closest thing he ever had to a pet, you realize, and the thought makes your heart ache.
for days, you’re both down in the dumps. until a shrill alert comes across caleb’s phone one night, and his face lights up with shock.
“we’re sorry for the disruption in tracking your adopted animal,” he reads in disbelief. “a field team investigated the situation and found her tracker submerged in a water hole. the animal was spotted close by, lazing beneath a tree and licking her paws. our observations suggest good health, and a new tracker will be activated in the coming days.”
the crushing weight of guilt lifts off your shoulders, and you grab his hands in excitement while a relieved smile spreads across his face.
“isn’t this great?” you beam at him. “i felt so horrible when we thought she was gone.”
“why?” he cocks his head. “i mean, yeah, it was sad, but it wouldn’t have been your fault. you’re the reason i got to know her, even if it was just a few weeks.” he reaches over to ruffle your hair, and a pensive look clouds his expression. “although…today’s tech is too good for mistakes like this to happen,” he tsks. “i’m gonna reply to this email—maybe see if we can get a live camera on her at all times. that way, we’ll always know for sure.”
your grin freezes on your lips. while you give him and empty nod, your brain whirs a mile a minute.
somehow, some way, you have got to intercept that email. because if it goes through and they honor his request, letting him spend every second glued to a safari cam…
you are never getting your boyfriend back.