#they need their partner to keep themself from losing his mind hehe

[ohbuggy]

The sequel: Bluethill

Good morning America

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Pulled Together ~ Part 1

A/n: Hehe I'm writing something new again! This is an OC because I origonally wrote this for myself and not to share, but I got so excited about it that I decided to share it so here it is. It will be Cal x OC for now.

Word Count: 4100+

MASTERLIST

“Hey Handsome.”

Cal knew the voice immediately. He tried not to smile as a sigh slipped from his mouth. “Can I not escape you anywhere?”

Pretty lips turned down in a faux pout. “You go to work often enough. You almost never see me there.”

“Almost never,” Cal mused. “So close to never, but not quite there.”

“Look if you want me to leave-” they began to stand and Cal chuckled, reaching over to place his hand on their shoulder.

“No, it’s fine. You know I’m just teasing, Jai.”

Jai grinned. “I do know that. Who could bear to stay away from this-” they motioned to themself and Cal snorted. “For too long? I couldn’t imagine spending even a second away from myself. I’m sunshine incarnated.”

“The world is darker without you,” Cal retorted sarcastically.

“I don’t know how you deal with it,” Jai threw back without missing a beat, as if this was a practiced conversation. Perhaps just familiar.

Cal rested his cheek on his hand. “One second at a time.” His eyes bore into his conversational partner for a second, as if waiting for them to continue on this spiel. They didn’t and it grew quiet and Cal caught himself staring instead of just looking. Admiring. Taking in each of Jai’s features. Soaking them in. Despite the jokes, Jai really was the best part of every day- even if Cal was unfortunate enough not to see them all day. They had a talent of lifting the mood with confidence and humor. And… Cal cleared his throat. “So are you officially following me then, or do you just happen to be in the same bar as me when we both hate bars?” He raised an eyebrow.

Jai smiled a little wider, the turn of their lips having relaxed as they’d zoned out before Cal had spoken again. “I saw you come in here. So… maybe a tad of following.” They leaned closer, their green eyes glinting in the artificial lighting with something dark. Dangerous. Not the kind of dangerous like it might get him killed, but the kind of dangerous where they might end up in his bed- or him in theirs. Again. “What can I say? You’re a vision, Cal, and my mom always did tell me to follow my dreams.”

He couldn’t help it- he laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

They smirked. “You love it.”

Drawn in, Cal leaned closer as well without thinking about it. Not meaning to. “Never said I didn’t.”

Jai’s eyes lingered on Cal’s, meeting his gaze with a power that made the red head shiver. Long ago he’d given up fighting Jai’s charm. They were irresistible, appealing to his tastes just perfectly so that he was violently drawn in. It was always fun and kind of nice, even if it was also fleeting. They weren’t dating, just a recurring incident. Cal would be lying if he said he didn’t miss them when they were gone for long amounts of time. The more times they were together the more Cal missed them, and it irritated him… but what was he to do? He felt less lonely, and that was far too magical to give up.

“Are you still losing yourself in work everyday, or do you let yourself have a break these days?” Jai put their elbows on the counter, leaning into their arms. They draped, their body angled in a way that was quite flattering. Cal resisted the urge to appreciate the view.

Before Jai, Cal wasn’t one for relationships like this. Relationships at all. There was never time for it, and no one even near as persistent as Jai. He’d fought it at first. Tooth and nail. He’d been worried about a relationship forming. A real relationship. Feelings. But all that ever happened was a nice night together and the same empty bed in the morning, with the only difference being that now his room smelled like Jai. They smelled good, too. Like rain and wood. Like freshly tilled Earth. That was ‘t what that smell was, but there was nothing else that got close enough to compare. Jai smelled like wet soil and wood shavings. They were warm and charming and addictive.

What they weren’t was the love type. At the end of the day, it was easy for Cal not to fall for them in any real way. They weren’t around enough, and when they were they were too charismatic and a little childish. They were a dream. An escape. And they seemed to feel that way about Cal too, because they’d made it clear from the very first time the two had been together that they didn’t ‘date’ or get serious in any way.

It was refreshing, so Cal could reason it. Maybe that’s why he allowed it. It was fake and temporary and superficial and a quick gasp of air as he drowned in loneliness.

That’s what brought him to say, “I’ve been meaning to take a day off… Why?”

Jai’s smirk was the kind that the devil wore when planning the fall from grace of each and every living creature. “Could I steal you tonight?”

“Can’t steal what’s freely given.” Cal’s eyes moved to his glass. He wasn’t the flirty type either. Jai brought out a side to Cal that he didn’t even know he had. It was kind of disorienting.

“Just what I love to hear.” Jai took his hand, bringing his knuckles to their lips. “You’ve been working hard.” They hummed the words softly. Their breath was warm on the skin of his fingers. They stroked the rough skin that had formed over the last short while. “Your hands used to be so soft.” They looked at him through their lashes and Cal felt the need to swallow; something had suddenly become lodged in his throat. “They say rough hands are better. I guess I win either way.”

Cal paid for his one drink he quickly finished before following Jai who held his hand, patiently waiting before pulling him after them. They talked about what Cal had missed in their life since the two had last caught up. Jai had gotten a new book from a customer they thought was becoming a little too friendly. “You have nothing to worry about though of course Darling, you’ll always be my number one.”

It was an unusual comment. They talked about other people Jai had affections with plenty of times in the past.

Jai only got more odd from there.

The rest of the night they spent right next to Cal’s side. They were very touchy and cuddly, seeming to hover around him as if they were afraid he would disappear. The pair also did more than just go back to one of their rooms as well, which also wasn’t normal. First Jai wanted to go on a walk, keeping up conversation as well as encouraging Cal to keep talking. When they finally ran out of things to say, they trekked back to Jai’s in quiet, where Jai… made dinner. Cal seemed to not know what to do with himself so he offered to set the table. After he did that, Jai pulled him into the kitchen to help.

It was a date.

There was no other word for it.

While Cal and Jai had never done anything like this before - Cal had never done anything like this before, at all, but that was beside the point - it was surprisingly nice. A change, and definitely unexpected, but still nice.

After dinner, things got more familiar. As Cal cleared the table, Jai washed the dishes. When he finished, he came up behind Jai and wrapped his arms around their waist,pulling their back into his chest.

Cal sighed blissfully. “So what’s the special occasion?”

Raising an eyebrow, Jai swayed a little back and forth, leaning between grabbing dirty dishes off of one counter, then putting clean ones on the one opposite. Cal followed the slow movement with ease. It felt a little like they were dancing, if not for the stretch of stillness Jai took to actually wash each dish.

“What do you mean?”

Cal sighed, leaning more into Jai. They smelled good, as always, and were warmer today. Perhaps the warmer air outside had something to do with it. The inside of Jai’s housing was cooler so cuddling up to them was quite nice. “The walking. Talking for hours. Dinner.” He stroked their arm, slowly, up and down. They paused, and Cal thought they were done until he looked over and saw them frozen mid-washing. He smirked. Despite everything, they did like to be touched by him as innocently as this.

Jai sighed. They put the dishes down, turning around to lean against the sink and face Cal. They reached up, holding his collar to keep him close. The sides of their hands, moist, soft, and a little cold, brushed against his chest under his shirt. He shivered. “Are you so… needy…” Their eyes scanned him and he felt himself growing eager. “That you can’t even make time to woo me before you bed me?” They raised an eyebrow and Cal blushed.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m just- we usually just-” He was struggling now. Since when had this become his life? This working until he was dead tired, without any breaks? This hiding and ignoring his past and not being close to or really known by anyone? This rainy planet that never showed any sun? This wonderful person in front of him who he was crazy for in all the wrong ways, for all the wrong reasons? He looked at them, as if they had the answer to a question he’d been asking for the last five years.

They reached up, stroking his face. “Aw, Cal, don’t melt down sweetheart. I’m just joking. I want you too.” They kissed him and it was passionate and deep. It was overwhelming. Distracting. It was easy to get lost in and allowed Cal to push everything out of his mind. Worries. Responsibilities. Everything. All that mattered was the two of them, right here, right now, in this exact moment.

He let himself get lost and fall completely into Jai. He still had the weight of the universe on his shoulder, but now Jai was helping him carry it and it was so easy to just… let them.

It was warm. The blanket was wrapped around the both of them, trapping in the warmth around their bodies while the cool air hit their faces and shoulders, allowing a nice balance that was easy to fall into. Cal lay on Jai’s chest, his eyes closed as he listened to their heart beat. Jai played with his hair, causing him to come completely undone and relax entirely.

Jai stared at the ceiling, not seeing anything but thinking. They thought Cal was asleep, and their lips began to move without making any distinctive sound. Just distant whispers.

“Hm?” Cal hummed, encouraging them to speak louder so he could hear what they were saying.

They jerked a bit and Cal was pulled more into consciousness. He lifted his head, looking at them with eyebrows pulled together and lips curved in a confused frown. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Jai apologized. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Cal shook his head, dismissing their worry. “I wasn’t asleep. What were you mumbling about?”

Jai blushed. “Uh, nothing.” They looked away and Cal narrowed his eyes, intrigued. After feeling his eyes burn into them, they sighed and gave a little. “It’s weird. I just like to think sometimes. Imagine things. Like, people and the places they are and such. Kind of like I’m writing a story, except it’s more like playing pretend. Sometimes I…” They looked away again, thoroughly embarrassed. “I talk to them.” They shrugged, clearing their throat.

Cal smiled, endeared. “Who were you talking to just now?” Having an imagination wasn’t a bad thing, and Cal understood how desperate you got sometimes when you were truly lonely or just bored. Jai imagining friends isn’t far from what Cal did after his-

He stopped that train of thought very quickly.

“I- I don’t know.” Their blush got worse. “I can never see them, really. They’re just like- like more of a feeling than anything.”

Cal started a little. He remembered distinctly a time in his past, with someone he looked up to tilting his head, eyes focused on a place or person he couldn’t see. He knew that this wasn’t the same thing, but it made him feel a little uncomfortable to be reminded. “I see.” He relaxed his face, focusing on Jai’s features to ground him and pull him back to the present. “What were you guys talking about.”

Jai was relaxing, opening up a little and getting into sharing this bit about them that they hadn’t felt comfortable enough to show him before. This time they spoke without hesitation. “They don’t ever. It’s usually pretty fleeting, and it’s never the same person twice. When I was a kid, I had one imaginary friend, but he disappeared.” They chuckled. “In other words, I grew up and started to imagine other people in other scenarios. Recently it’s been more like advice than anything. They’re always running. Hiding.” Their voice dropped, slowing and dragging out as their smile faded. They cleared their throat again. “Guess I’ve been having a rougher time at work than I realized. I need to start sleeping instead of imagining. Might help me a little.” They giggled, but Cal felt the difference than before. It was forced.

Feeling their shift in mood, Cal decided to change the subject. “They working you hard?” He propped his head up on his hand, allowing Jai to keep playing with his hair as they looked at each other and talked.

“Not really.” Jai scooted closer to him, the side of their stomach touching the front of his. He was more looking down at them now. “Not like you’ve been working yourself for sure.” They rolled their eyes. “When am I going to see you again by the way? You’re never around anymore. I’ve had to start coming and finding you.”

Cal used to come find Jai at work a lot, talking them into sneaking off with him for just a moment. Sometimes he’d come to their house, knocking and latching onto them the second the door was open when they answered. He hadn’t done that in a while though. It was usual for them to not see each other for a few days or even a week or two, but this time Jai had waited a month and a half to bother Cal again. It had been them that had initiated the last three��� hangouts.

To say he was guilty was an understatement. He’d been meaning to visit them for a while now. Had been wanting to, really badly, but he kept thinking about it then going to work and not doing it- then it was the end of the day and he was exhausted and had agreed to two more really big projects and didn’t have time because he needed to get sleep.

Those were excuses though. He didn’t need to finish each project as quickly as he did, just to pick up another one as soon as he had been recently. Prauf, one of the guys he worked very closely with, had been urging him to take a break but he’d been ignoring the advice. The truth was that he was getting dependent on Jai. Wanting to see them for more reason than just the usual. He’d been craving dates and sessions like this where they just lay together and felt the others’ presence. He was starting to hate the feeling of an empty bed and the way he was missing Jai more and more the longer they weren’t around.

He was beginning to fall for Jai, and it terrified him.

Not that he’d admit that- even to himself.

“Sorry about that.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at them. Their silvery hair, splayed out around their head like a halo of light. Their green eyes, bright with eagerness and endearment as they always were when Jai was around Cal. Their smile, alluring and a little dangerous as it beconned him closer. Their skin, soft and warm. He wanted to spend hours exploring every inch of them. “I’ll visit more often. Really.”

Jai sighed. They caught his chin, dragging his gaze to meet theirs. “Promise? I’m starting to miss you Kestis.”

Despite himself, Cal smiled. “Promise. I-” He swallowed, nervous to admit a truth that he hadn’t managed to say out loud from even the beginning. “I miss you too.”

The smile Jai doned was radiant. They didn’t make a joke about how amazing they were like usual when Cal casually said that statement. They could sense Cal’s sincerity as he said the words. How genuine he was being. Not just passively saying it to reply to Jai’s own words, but really meaning it because he really did miss them.

When they didn’t say anything, Cal laid his head back on their chest. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall asleep this time. The sound of their heartbeat and breathing seemed to sync just perfectly and they soothed him into a restful nothingness like he never got when he slept alone.

The next morning he woke up to fingers in his hair. His own fingers moved against smooth skin, thumb brushing Jai’s exposed side. He knew it was them without even looking. Without even needing to be fully awake, he knew they were really there. This wasn’t a half-awake delusion to prolong the moment he’d have to realize he was alone again. This wasn’t the lastings of a dream. This was Jai. They had stayed long enough for him to wake up to them.

This was rare, so Cal kept his eyes closed and just let himself bask in the moment.

Jai was the first one to talk. “You hungry?”

Cal sighed. “Yeah.” He cracked an eye. “What time is it? I should go into work today.”

Jai was silent. “What if you didn’t go into work today?”

Sitting up, Cal looked at them, an amused expression on his face. “I do have a project I have a deadline on.” Jai wouldn’t look at him. He softened, realizing how much they must be irritated at his constant disappearing. He moved so that he was in their line of sight. “How about this: I’ll finish this project then take a week off and we can spend it together? I’ve been crazy working so I can afford it, and then we’ll have plenty of time to go on dates just like last night. You can come home and talk about work and we can cook together just like you like to do, and I’ll be all yours for a whole week?”

Jai perked up a little. “I’d love that actually.”

Something was changing in Cal. He was tired of constantly just surviving. He was tired of being alone. He was tired of waiting for something that obviously just wasn’t coming. He was waiting for a sign or message or signal, and nothing was happening. His past was in the past. Jai was here and deserved better than what he was giving them. Maybe it was time to move on.

“So would I.” His voice was soft. He reached up, the back of his hand moving against Jai’s cheek. “Jai.” He paused, swallowing. They hummed, asking without using words. “Would you-” He thought back to when this whole thing had first started. It had been desperation. It had been a way to fill the void in both of their lives. It had been blind and meaningless… but it hadn’t been that for a long time now. Now they didn’t go to other people because they only wanted each other, not just because no one was offering. Jai had gotten lots of offers, Cal was perfectly aware of that. They were here, together, because they wanted to be with the other and that was all. There was no need or craving or obsession or addiction.

Even though Cal knew this, he was still having a hard time accepting it. Coming to terms that his old life really was gone, and that this was him now. This job and Jai’s smile and the way their lips felt against his. Even though he wanted to take the next step, he was too scared to. In the end, he really was just a coward.

“Would I what?” Jai asked.

Cal swallowed. “Have breakfast with me? I don’t want to leave just yet.”

Jai finally smiled. “Of course.”

The both of them finally got out of bed. Jai let Cal use the stuff in their bathroom to get ready for the day. “We’ve done worse things than share a toothbrush, Cal,” they teased as he hesitated.

After, Jai dragged Cal into the kitchen to make breakfast. They didn’t talk a lot. They didn’t need to. Jai gave little directions or asked him to grab something, but mostly he just stayed attached to them, hugging them from behind and watching them work. Cal set the table again once it was time and they sat down to eat. This time when they sat across from each other, they occasionally reached across the table to touch hands or nudge each other’s feet under the table. They exchanged soft smiles and had little conversations Cal finished his food as usual, waiting for Jai to be done as well.

Cal never could help but scarf his food when it was Jai’s cooking. They might work as a scrapper, but their real skill was cooking. They were amazing at it. It was a little hidden talent only Cal knew they had, and it made him feel special and very blessed. Anyone who ate Jai’s food was blessed indeed. It really was that good.

When they were both finished, Cal took the initiative to clear and clean the table. Jai put away everything they’d used to cook. They finished first, watching Cal clean dishes with a small smile on their face. “What’s the special occasion?” Jai teased, repeating his words from last night.

Cal gave a short chuckle. “What do you mean?”

“Breakfast. Cleaning dishes. Staying here to get ready for the day instead of heading back to your place.” They raised an eyebrow. “And no morning shenanigans in exchange? Not very like you.”

Cal met their look with an even, determined expression. “Maybe I want something different.” He looked back to finish up the dishes before grabbing a towel to dry his hands, looking back at Jai to see their expression. The initial surprise had melted for an eager happiness that had Jai practically glowing.

“We’ll talk about it after work, okay?” They moved closer to him, caressing his face. “You don’t need distractions, but I think having a reason to be careful so you can come back immediately after work instead of having to take a stop at the meds first will be good for you.”It was a jab at Cal’s careless tendencies- well meaning, but also well deserved. They both chuckled.

“After work it is.”

It was time to go. He leaned down, kissing them on the cheek. As he went to move toward the door, Jai caught his wrist. When he locked eyes with them again, their face was twisted with worry. Fear. It was a drastic change and Cal was a little unsettled by it. “You promise you will be careful, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Cal eased. Jai’s concern was fair. Cal really was THAT level of reckless. “Don’t worry Jai, I’ll be back for you in no time.” He squeezed their hand. “Promise.”

Jai let go of him, nodding even though they didn’t want to. He left and headed to work. He had all his work stuff from yesterday that he’d taken with him to Jai’s so he was totally ready. He pushed Jai out of his mind for the time being. They were right, he didn’t need any distractions, and the look of worry on their face left him a little more than just unsettled. They’d given him a look like… they didn’t expect to see him again.

Their worry was misplaced. Cal spent most of the day melding things together like usual. It was only disrupted when Prauf came over. He tapped Cal, prompting the redhead to pull away the headphones that were playing music, keeping him focused despite the noise around him that he would have heard if it hadn’t been blocked out. “Listen, I don’t want to upset your rhythm, Cal, but the boss wants a word.”