Page 153 of Should the Sky Fall

“Good. Because this is it.” He presses their foreheads together, shivering when he feels Cal’s breath fan over his lips. “You and me. This is it. You’reitfor me, Cal.”

He barely breathes for the next several seconds, afraid that if he so much as exhales too loudly, the spell will break. When he feels Cal’s hands on his hips, he gets ready to fight, to hold on if Cal tries to push him away. But that never happens.

Cal doesn’t push him away. He grips him tighter, pulls him closer, shaking under the weight of Dawson’s body. And then, finally, he nods.

And everything inside Dawson unravels. Every emotion Cal made him feel over the past two months, every moment he wanted to be closer, to let himself be free but didn’t, it all snaps.

He attacks Cal’s mouth, there’s no other word for it. He latches himself onto Cal like he’s a breath of air after years of drowning, the only thing that can save him.

Cal doesn’t respond right away. Dawson can feel how hard he’s fighting to hold back, to not give in. Well, then. If he won’t listen, then Dawson will have to show him.

He moves until he’s straddling Cal, caging him between his legs and holding his head in place, pouring every emotion, every promise, every memory into each kiss, each brush of lips and each shuddering breath.

He can pinpoint the exact moment when Cal breaks. He makes a sound that slices right through Dawson’s heart and wraps Dawson in his arms. His mouth yields to Dawson’s as he carefully kisses him back, like he still doesn’t believe that he’s allowed, that this is what Dawson wants.

He does want it. God, does he want it.

He’s not sure if it’s the conversation with Ash, or the heated argument with Olivia, or the possibility of never having this ever again, never having Cal again, but he senses a shift inside him, something that’s lain dormant for a while, slowly rising to the surface, so inconspicuous and shy he hadn’t even noticed it.

No, that’s not right. He has noticed it. Ached for it. Got so scared he pushed it back down and tried to ignore it.

He can’t ignore it now. Doesn’t want to. He’s done running.

“Cal?”

Cal trails his lips down the column of Dawson’s neck and hums in acknowledgment. Dawson gives a full-body shiver at the sensation, his breath coming out in pants and his cock filling with blood.

“I want…”

“Anything,” Cal promises, pulling a breathless laugh out of him. If it were anyone else, Dawson would shoot back that no one should make promises they don’t mean, they shouldn’t use words like anything, or forever, or always.

But it’s not anyone else. It’s Cal, and god help him, Dawson believes him. More importantly, he wants to believe him.

“I want you.”

Cal rains butterfly kisses along his jaw, making Dawson’s head fall back and his eyes roll heavenwards. He moves his hands to Cal’s shoulders, gripping them tight when he feels like he’s about to sway and lose his balance.

“You have me,“ Cal says, and it’s so...innocent, so oblivious.

A giddy feeling fills the space between Dawson’s ribs. “No,” he says, realizing his mistake when Cal stills, his kisses stopping as well. His eyes are filled with panic when he pulls away and looks at Dawson, his lips parting, likely in an apology.

Dawson fits his palm over Cal’s mouth. “Don’t. I didn’t mean it like that,” he explains in a rush. “I always want you. Here, by my side. That’s a given.” He licks his lips, suddenly nervous. He hadn’t thought he’d feel like this again. “Iwantyou.” He chuckles when Cal’s forehead only furrows uncomprehendingly. Removing his hand from Cal’s mouth, he leans forward to replace it with his lips, his body sinking into Cal’s at the utter feeling ofright.“Make love to me.”

The confused expression in Cal’s face doesn’t disappear right away. Dawson can almost hear the cogs turning. He can’t help but smile, because it’s so Cal, always trying to analyze everything.

He knows when it all clicks for him, because Cal sucks in a sharp breath, his fingers twitching on Dawson’s sides and pupils dilating. And yet Cal doesn’t move, never the one to take the first step.

That’s fine with Dawson.

He has no idea what strange force overtakes him, but he reaches for Cal’s hands and, holding his gaze, guides them lower until Cal’s fingers curl around the hem of Dawson’s shirt. He can tell when Cal gets the memo, because his chest begins to rise and fall rapidly, and when he shifts, he can feel the firmness of Cal’s erection pressing against the inside of his leg.

In the back of his mind, a small, weak voice whispers that this should be scary, this shouldn’t feel good. But all it takes is one look into Cal’s eyes, one brush of his knuckles against the skin of Dawson’s stomach as he cautiously moves his shirt up, and that voice disappears like it was never there. The voice doesn’t matter. It was there to protect him, but he doesn’t need it anymore, hasn’t for a long time.

The shirt rides up Dawson’s stomach, Cal’s touch leaving a path of goosebumps behind before he stops, looking at Dawson askance. Dawson’s mouth is suddenly dry and he only manages a nod. Cal swallows, nervousness rolling off him in waves as he starts tugging the shirt up. Dawson raises his arms, aiding the way, and Cal’s breath hitches. Dawson allows himself a quick, silly smile when the shirt is pulled over his head.

A blush creeps up his neck when Cal’s gaze roams over his naked skin. The desire he can see in his face fuels his own, and he impatiently paws at Cal’s shirt. His hands are surprisingly steady as he works each button open, taking his time even though a part of him wants to hurry up, to feel the heat of Cal’s body against his.

He pushes the shirt off Cal’s shoulders, running his hands down Cal’s arms as he does so.