Chapter Text
It had been an impossibly long week with overtime galore, entirely too much drama between her co-workers, and enough paperwork to make even the gods weep. Honestly, it truly wasn’t so much worse than usual- which really should let everyone know how unglamorous working as a Hunter can be- but knowing she had time off just as soon as she made it through Friday made the week drag by so much slower than normal. And after all that came the long trip to Skyhaven so her vacation could truly begin.
Minty wished Caleb had moved back to Linkon…
She arrived in a daze late that afternoon, Caleb ready and waiting to fly them home. All she has are hazy memories of the flight and Caleb helping her bring her things in. Dinner was waiting- how he could always plan everything out so well will never not astound her- but it all fades into a blur.
At least until consciousness slowly starts to return to her as she feels a soft blanket being tucked back around her, Caleb’s softer laughter filling the room.
“You fight for the blanket when you sleep with someone, but you kick it off when you sleep by yourself.” He quietly chides, grinning down fondly when Minty lets out a garbled sigh, hugging one of the many pillows that cover the bed to her chest. “Such a troublemaker aren’t you, oh my darling Clementine.” She makes a displeased little grunt at the softly sung refrain of the song she hates most. In her defense, it's a fucking weird song! And Caleb knows her feelings about it- he has had to sit through several rants about why she dislikes it over the years- but that’s probably why he’s always teasing her with it.
“I don’t think I’m the troublemaker, you menace.” Minty grumbles, finally prying an eye open to halfheartedly glare at him, though there’s no heat behind it.
“Sorry, Pipsqueak, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“S’fine. How’d I end up in bed, though? I thought- I mean, I don’t remember much after grabbing my bag at the airport.”
“How do you think you got here? I carried you.” Well, yeah, that makes sense. To be fair, she’d only just woken up, she’s never really with it after getting up if there’s no coffee around, it’s not her fault. “Duh.”
Ah, so Caleb wants to start a war tonight.
“Better watch yourself, Colonel.”
“Uh-huh, sure thing. You know, I just didn’t have the heart to have you sleep at the dining table all night.” Caleb’s heart melts a little when Minty immediately goes boneless as he massages her scalp, his nails gently scratching just the way she likes. “Your face almost fell into the bowl when you were halfway done with dinner.” Of course, he isn’t not going to tease her about it. If not for his quick thinking and his Evol, she would have landed face-first in her bowl of her favorite fried rice.
“Should have just woken me up.” She doesn’t get to spend as much time with him as she’d like- their jobs keep them apart most of the time, and the sheer distance between Linkon and Skyhaven doesn’t help anything- so Minty is a little upset she already missed a whole evening with him.
“It’s rare for you to willingly go to bed so early, why would I wake you up? Besides, you’ve been so busy lately that a little extra sleep can’t be a bad thing.”
“Still…” Minty’s a little more awake now, rolling to the side so she can look up at him. He looks tired too. He’s always so busy, always trying to handle everything by himself. If she should get extra rest, then he should get some too.
“Though, I gotta ask, do you sleep with your rice bowl like that when I'm not around?” She should have known he was going to tease her some more, he got that mischievous glint in his eye when she rolled over.
Little does she know that he’s got a picture saved on his phone of her head on the table, cheek all squished against the wood, her arms wrapped around her bowl as if it were one of her pillows. He’d left her alone for just a minute or two to make sure her room was warm enough and he came back to that, how could he pass up the chance to snap a quick picture?
“You’re such a little shit, go away!” She whines, turning back away from him and snuggling back into the pillows. They… they always smell like him. Sweet apples and summer, warm vanilla and cinnamon, and just a little bit of something dark under it all. She’s tried using the same laundry detergent as him, but it never quite smells the same.
“Is that how it is? You want me to leave you alone?” Caleb laughs, but there’s something in his tone that makes unease skitter down her spine, Minty unconsciously tensing up as she waits for the other shoe to drop. “Well… you’ll get your wish soon enough. I’ll be leavin’ in a bit-”
She knew it! Of course, the Farspace Fleet can’t manage without their Colonel for a single godsdamned night! She ought to just-
“Lie down, Pipsqueak.” Caleb sighs, gently pushing her back down onto the mattress. He figured that’d get a reaction out of her, and he’d reached for her shoulder the moment she tried to jump up. She doesn’t like the Fleet anymore than he does, and he can’t deny there’s a tiny part of him that warms every time she gets protective over him, every time she gets outraged on his behalf. “I'm going on a night operation, you don’t need to see me off.”
“But-”
“Go to sleep early tonight, then… maybe you won't sleep in tomorrow morning.” He watches her brows furrow, confused at where he's going with this. Caleb hesitates for a moment before continuing. The last thing he wants to do is make demands of her, and there is no small part of him that’s terrified of unintentionally driving her away with his twisted personality. But- but he can ask for this much, right? “And you can pick me up when I return?”
“Of course, I’ll pick you up, Caleb, but it’s different!”
“How is that different?”
“How is seeing you off on a potentially- almost assuredly! - dangerous mission- because I swear that’s the only kind you ever get! - different from welcoming you home after you’ve safely returned? Really? You’re seriously asking me that?” He’s stunned for just a heartbeat at the impassioned little rant. Her heart aches at the sad little chuckles that he forces out, a pained little smile tugging at his lips as he sighs, shoulders slumping.
“Alright, alright, it’s different.”
Ugh, now Minty feels guilty, she doesn’t wanna part on a bad note.
Again.
“So, I’ll obviously pick you up in the morning, but that’s not enough. We’ll have to have a parting ceremony too.” That perks him up a little, but he still looks entirely too much like a kicked puppy for her liking.
“You want a parting ceremony? How grand.”
“I know, right? You’re welcome.” Minty pulls him down, Caleb allowing himself to be moved around until she is happy with their position. He lays beside her- neither one of them caring that he had his shoes on the bed- and a moment later she’s wrapping the heavy duvet she’d nearly kicked off the bed earlier around them both. Once they’re covered, she happily snuggles into his side, her cheek resting on his shoulder, her hand holding on tightly to a fistful of his shirt.
“Be honest, Minty, is this a ceremony or a trap?” Caleb snickers, doing his best to keep himself calm, cool, and collected with the love of his life all warm and cuddly snuggled up against him.
“Can’t it be both?” She grins, rubbing her cheek happily against the soft fabric of his shirt. “Come on, being trapped here forever wouldn’t be too bad, right?”
“You won’t let go?” Minty snuggles a little closer, her knuckles going almost white as she grips his shirt. “What are- whoa! Are you trying to smother me?” Clearly, he isn’t getting the message that he isn’t going to be leaving this room so easily after falling into her trap, so Minty steps it up. In a flash, she’s lying on top of him, gripping the edges of the duvet as she hugs him and tries to squeeze the desire to leave right out of his body.
“And if I am? What are you gonna do about it? I’ve got you beat, Colonel, it’d be better for you to just admit defeat now.”
“Really? You think I can’t handle you?” His arms suddenly lock around her, Caleb snickering at the surprised little squeak she makes. “It’s more than just a trap under this blanket, Pipsqueak. Your weak spot is here too, dummy.” He whispers, and she can hear the smile in his voice. Minty wonders for only a moment what he’s talking about before she feels his fingers tap her sides.
Her very ticklish sides.
“Wait, Caleb, don’t-”
“It’s perfect for a tickle.”
“Caleb!” Minty shrieks as he starts to ruthlessly tickle her, squirming to try and get away but he’s got her hopelessly trapped. His own laughter- warm and real and perfect- makes something soft spark in her chest even as she vows to get her revenge for this attack.
“I thought you were going to bed, Minty, are you restless again?” He teases, continuing to tickle her, though she’s close to wiggling herself free. “What are you-” Seeing her put her Hunter training to good use will never not make him proud, but he is a little bummed not hearing her bright laughter anymore as she- in a move almost too quick to follow- manages to get his wrists in hand and pin them beside his head.
“You big dummy, I almost peed myself! How many times do I have to tell you not to tickle me?!”
“Couldn’t help myself, Pipsqueak.” He says with an unrepentant smirk.
“You’ll pay for this, Caleb, just you wait.” Minty wishes he were ticklish too so he could suffer the same kind of torment, but unfortunately, he’s about as ticklish as a rock. She scowls halfheartedly at him for a moment before flopping down against his chest, wrapping her arms and legs around him and squeezing tight. With her cheek on his chest like this, she can hear the slow steady beat of his heart, and some of the restless unease she always feels when he’s about to head out on a mission melts away.
“Oh, I guess there’s a koala under the blanket now. You’re very determined to hold on to me, huh? But I’m not gonna run away now.”
“You literally just said you were running away. The moment I let my guard down you’ll escape and head off to goodness only knows where, doing goodness only knows what, and I’ll be stuck here worrying!”
“Aww, I didn’t say that.” Caleb tries to tease, trying to move past the admission that she worries about him when he’s gone. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the time to do anything with that statement, he really does have to leave soon. “I can stick around for… ten more minutes.”
“Oh, wow, down to the minute huh?” Minty snips petulant, pouting even though there’s no way he’d be able to see it with her on top of him like this.
“Yeah, it’s a tight schedule.” His hands carefully settle on her lower back, careful not to tickle her again. The warm weight is a comfort, though it’s not enough to banish the gloomy cloud gathering around her in the face of Caleb’s last-minute mission. “Do I have to promise you a sweet dream before I go?”
“I mean, that’d only be polite.” She grumbles, irritated that despite everything, she is still pretty damn tired. It won’t take much to make her drift back off again, and then he’ll sneak off to go get into trouble like the menace he is.
“How ‘bout a bedtime story?” Minty leans up just enough for him to be able to make out her unamused expression, not needing to say anything for him to get the hint. “What’s with that look? Is my storytelling really that unimpressive?”
“Yes, yes it is. Don’t quit your day job is all I’m saying.”
“Harsh, Pipsqueak. You know, a long time ago, you used to grab my sleeve to get me to stay and tell you stories-”
Minty quickly leans back, snagging one of the nearby pillows to thwack him with, but he easily dodges to the side, yanking the pillow out of her grasp before she can attack again. But seriously, what does he expect her to do bringing up something so childish and embarrassing from their past?!
“Make sure your aim is correct before trying to hit me next time.”
“Yes, sir.” She snips with a sarcastic little salute, flopping back down against him to begin hugging him with a vengeance. Maybe she can squeeze all the embarrassing memories right out of him. Honestly, why’s he always gotta bring it up? “Ahem, you know, you’re hugging me so tightly, it reminds me of a time when you fell and skinned your knee on the way home from school-”
Alright, squeezing him to death isn’t working, time to try plan B!
With flushed cheeks, Minty sits up, straddling him as she reaches out to try and cover his mouth. He can’t spout such nonsense if he can’t speak, right?
“First, you restrict my movement, now you’re telling me to be quiet? What’s next? Are you gonna make sure I can never leave you again?”
“That’d be great, thanks for agreeing. Are you going to inform the Fleet, or should I?”
“Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m not gonna let you win that easily, Pipsqueak.”
“Why not? Come on, just give in!” Instead of trying to silence him- it obviously wasn’t working anyways- Minty instead starts to squish his cheeks, grinning down at the sight of him. Her delight is short-lived as a moment later, he tries to bite her hand. Of course, her impressive reflexes have her yanking her hands away before he can. Caleb laughs, his hands sliding to rest on her hips, his thumbs rubbing softly over the fabric of her sweats.
“Why did you pull back so quickly? I wasn’t going to actually bite you.”
Yeah, she’ll believe that never.
But, well, if biting is on the table…
“Hey!” His reflexes aren’t too shabby either so he easily dodges her attempt to bite him back. “Did you really just try and bite my neck?”
“You would’ve been able to hide the mark if you needed with that stuffy uniform of yours.”
“Is that right? I gotta say, Pipsqueak, you’re bold.” Minty doesn’t know when he slid a hand up her back to settle on the back of her neck, but he gently urges her down to lie back against him. “Bold yet cautious.” He whispers, and she can hear the smile in his voice. Something in his tone makes her sure that if she tries to bite him again right now, he won’t move to dodge.
She… shouldn’t want to mark him as much as she does.
“We have six minutes left, be a good girl.” How does he always know when she’s planning to cause trouble? Maybe he’s thinking about the same things she is, maybe he’s wishing he hadn’t dodged, maybe- ugh, these are dangerous thoughts she shouldn’t be having right now. She’s exhausted and he’s leaving soon and- and they shouldn’t. But she wants to. Gods help her, she wants to so badly…
“That’s it?”
“Yup, six minutes. It’s just enough time for me to give you a real hug.” Caleb squeezes her, and Minty goes boneless against him, the exhaustion all returning to her in an instant. Judging from the long sigh from the man beneath her, he’s just as upset with the short timeframe. “You gettin’ sleepy?”
What a silly question, of course, she is. She can’t remember the last time she wasn’t tired.
“Close your eyes then.”
“Don’t wanna fall asleep yet. Gotta stay awake to see you off.”
“Alright, I’ll keep talking so you can stay awake.”
Honestly, his talking will probably just make her sleepier, but she doesn’t say that. She likes listening to him talk, even if he sucks at storytelling.
“Imagine you’re sitting in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window.” Minty sighs, eyes falling shut as she listens to the steady beating of his heart and the soft rumble of his voice. “The night sky outside is a deep blue, while the clouds are an… inky blue.”
“Deep blue and inky blue?” She teases him with a sleepy smile, not bothering to open her eyes. Caleb huffs, softly pinching her side. “Sorry, sorry, but come on, that’s just-”
“Hush, Clementine.” Caleb laughs, holding her a little tighter under the blankets. “Now, where was I? Let’s see, below the window is a runway that stretches as far as the eye can see. Waitin’ for their next set of orders, a lot of planes are lined up. They’re preparing to take off.”
“No, I don’t want them to. You’re about to leave too, you’re gonna go where I can't hope to follow, don’t make them leave too.” Minty sleepily mumbles, brows furrowed as she imagines Caleb taking off and never returning.
“Then… the plans are in the sky. They’re gettin’ ready to land. One. By. One.”
That’s better. Everyone coming home, that’s a much better story.
“A plane safely returns from the Deepspace Tunnel, hovering in the night sky; it gradually descends and continues to descend.” Yeah, storytelling really isn’t a strong suit of his, but she loves it regardless. She loves him regardless…
“What if I feel weightless? Like floating?”
“Hmm, then you’re on the plane that’s landing, of course.” She only likes flying when he’s the one doing the actual flying. She never really trusts other pilots. Minty always likes it best when he comes to get her from Linkon and flies them all the way back, but it’s hard for him to find the time with all his Fleet nonsense. “The plane lands smoothly, following the runway lights and taxis down the runway.”
Minty hopes they can go flying together this week. She hopes the Fleet leaves him alone after this so they can have a normal vacation. She hopes he comes back safe and sound. She hopes he’s able to get some proper rest.
“When the plane slowly comes to a halt, your heartbeat becomes steady.” It’s already steady, it always is when she’s around Caleb. He always keeps her safe. Always. “High up in the sky, in a place you can’t see, are ninety-nine other planes. They’re waitin’. Once you count every plane, I'll push open the cabin door and return to your side.”
Minty knows what he’s doing, knows he’s making her fall back asleep so he can slip away, but she can’t bring herself to care. There’s no way to push off the exhaustion when she is all snuggly and warm, listening to his heart beating strong and sure beneath her ear.
“One plane, two planes, three planes, four planes…”
It only takes three planes for Minty to drift off again, but Caleb keeps going, running his fingers through her hair and down her back before repeating the circuit. He doesn’t wanna go, he’d worked his ass off to be able to get some time off. Of course, there was always a chance he’d be called in for something- he’s the new Colonel after all- but barring any emergencies, he should be able to spend the entire week with Minty just like they planned.
Quiet moments like these always bring up old memories. He hasn’t helped her drift off like this in years. He kind of missed it. She always used to have trouble sleeping- still does, not that she usually tells him, but he can see the signs- and for several years the only way she’d be able to really drift off was when he’d tell her stories or count planes.
Caught up in the hypnotic repetition, Caleb lets himself get lost in the memories, the treasure trove of every moment he’d shared with Minty.
The first time he’d seen her in that awful lab, he’d known she was his fate.
~
“Five planes,”
~
It hadn’t been more than a passing glance in the hallway, but it was enough to change everything. They were dragging him off for another round of agonizing tests, and for once he wasn’t fighting. He caught a glimpse of a young girl in a similar gown wandering peacefully after a few researchers. A 001 sewn on the collar of the gown and the sleeve, just like the 002 he had on his. Her wide eyes darted around everywhere as she walked as if everything was new to her. But if she was 001, it couldn’t be. She’d have been here longer than him, and he’d been here for almost two years already.
It didn’t take long for the curious eyes to jump to him, the girl's head tipping to the side as she blinked owlishly at him. As their gazes met, he felt something shift into place in his soul. Dramatic, maybe, but true. Everything in his world sharpened into focus, every fiber of his being screaming out for her.
He… didn’t know her name. But he wants to. Names aren’t important to the researchers, the first thing they do to their test subjects is assign them a number, but names are important. He doesn’t remember much about his parents, but they tried to call him Alec. But that wasn’t his name. He was Caleb. He doesn’t know why, doesn’t know how he could just know something like that, he just knows that’s his name.
He’s Caleb, and he’s supposed to protect her.
And he will, whatever it takes.
~
“Six planes,”
~
It was a month before their paths crossed again. The research lab was expanding at a startling rate, with new test subjects and projects overwhelming all researchers. It meant that the tests they put him through were more brutal than usual in an effort to get the results they wanted faster, but it also meant there were sizable gaps between them.
And in those gaps, he- and many of the other young kids- are tossed together into a large room with random toys and activities. One tired researcher would always be close at hand should anything happen, but for the most part they were left to their own devices.
Caleb finds her sitting at one of the tables coloring a picture with bright blues, purples, and oranges.
He walks up to her, ignoring all the other kids and the curious gaze of their ‘caretaker’, sitting beside her with a small smile.
“Hi, I’m Caleb.”
“Hi! Wanna color?”
“Sure.” He grabs himself a piece of paper, drawing a large plane, peeking at her out of the corner of his eye. “What’s your name?”
“I’m 001!” She cheerfully responds, pointing to the number on her sleeve before returning to the chaotic mess of colors. It looks… almost like space, a galaxy like he’d read about in books before he’d been brought here. It makes something heavy sink in his chest, some forgotten memory tickling the back of his mind.
“That’s what they call you, silly, not your name. See? They say I’m 002, but my name is Caleb. What’s yours?”
“I…” He watches as the smile slowly fades, her brows furrowed as she gets a faraway look in her eyes. He almost wishes he hadn’t asked, but he doesn’t want to call her 001. She deserves a proper name. “I don’t remember. I- I can’t remember anything. I woke up yesterday and they said I- I think I…” She trails off, losing track of her thoughts before focusing back on him. “I’m just 001.”
They must have taken her much younger than they took him.
It pisses him off.
“I’ll just call you Pipsqueak then, you’re so much smaller than me after all.” They grin at each other, and Caleb feels that same settling feeling in his chest but it shatters all too quickly.
“Subject 001! It’s time to leave, please exit the room.” Caleb fights not to scowl over his shoulder at the ‘caretaker’ who snaps at the girl. She jumps up, handing the scribbled picture to him with a small smile.
“Here, you can have it!”
“Thanks, Pipsqueak. See you later.”
“Bye Caleb!”
Pipsqueak rushes out of the room, quickly pulled away by some guy in a white coat who gives Caleb a strange look over his shoulder before running off. Caleb stares- more like glares, really- at the supposed caretaker, sure that the old guy ratted him out for something.
Well, whatever, it’s fine. He’ll see her again.