Sons of the Tide (mlm)

Chapter 17: You Forgot Your Hat

Caleb

It was nearly midnight when Joseph and Cecelia joined the rest of the crew in the largest tavern on the island—a place called the 'beached whale.' Joseph sank into a barstool beside Caleb, while Cecelia went straight for the bartender.

Caleb nudged Joseph with his shoulder. "How'd the meeting go?"

Joseph smiled widely. "She's agreed to join us in the fight."

"Really? That easily?"

"Well," he said, "on the condition that she leads us against Hawke."

"Damn. Is she going to let you finish him off?"

"Yes. That's actually all our ship will be responsible for." He leaned against the bar and took his hat off. "The Tide will get as close to the Red Wave as possible, and you will use your abilities to help us sink him. But even if the ship sinks, we need to make sure he's actually dead."

"I'll have to look for him because I can hold my breath for a long time."

He nodded. "Exactly."

Caleb took a sip of his rum, the bitter flavor burning his throat. "How are you doing?"

"How do you mean?"

"With all of this. Being so close to killing Hawke." Caleb glanced at him. "You've been wanting this for years."

Joseph looked at his hat, the leather worn and faded. "I feel... I don't know. Ready, I suppose. I've been preparing for this for a very long time."

"You're not stressed at all?" Caleb didn't know how he remained so collected.

Joseph looked at him and shrugged. "I've got my crew on my back. And I have you, which is pretty comforting."

Caleb grinned crookedly. "Cause I'm so handsome I'll knock the enemy dead before they can get a shot off?"

Joseph snorted and laughed, and Caleb grinned wider. "I meant because you're a demigod who's home turf will be our battle ground-er, water, I suppose. Though you are pretty attractive."

Caleb chucked into his mug of rum and smiled. "You're not so bad yourself."

He and Joseph went silent for a few minutes, until Joseph nudged his arm with his elbow. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Caleb looked behind him, where Saw and Cecelia were drunker than drunk and dancing on a table. "And avoid this free entertainment?"

Joseph looked at him and placed his hand on Caleb's thigh. "I think I'll be loads more entertaining than they are."

Joseph stood and walked through the doors of the tavern, leaving his hat on the bar. Caleb chuckled and downed the rest of his rum, flicked a coin onto the bar, and grabbed the hat.

Joseph was leaning against the wall of the tavern, which was painted with a chipped image of a whale, his arms crossed as he waited. Caleb held up his hand. "You forgot this."

Joseph hummed and took it, but didn't put it back on. "Silly me."

Caleb raised an eyebrow, his heart already pounding. He'd been waiting for this all damn week. He couldn't sleep without dreaming of some sort of sexual image of the captain, and it was starting to get bothersome.

Joseph turned on his heel and walked down the dark road, placing his hat on his head. Caleb followed without missing a beat, smiling like an idiot. He should've been concerned that he was so eager to spend another night with his captain, but he couldn't help it. He was attractive and Caleb couldn't help but like him.

Joseph took them to a rundown inn, where people were mulling about beside the door. He walked past the front desk, and the clerk didn't bother stop him. When they were heading up the stairs, Joseph said over his shoulder, "I have a private room here. Justeene insisted Cecelia and I have rooms nicer than the others."

Caleb wasn't going to complain.

Joseph lead him to the top floor, pulled a key out of his pocket, and slid it into the bronze handle of a heavy wooden door. When they got inside, he kicked it shut and locked it again.

Caleb had barely made it past the doorway when he felt hands on his waist and lips pressing against the back of his neck. "Are we going to light a candle first?"

Joseph bummed against his skin and pointed somewhere to his left. "On the nightstand. Matches are in the top drawer."

Caleb opened the drawer and rummaged around until his fingers caught on the matchbox. He took one out, struck it, and held the ignited flame to the wick of a half-burned candle in a gold holder.

When he turned around, Joseph's back was facing him and he was taking off his coat. Caleb watched quietly, enjoying when he finally let his shirt slip over his shoulders. Finally, he couldn't help himself and he walked until he was nearly pressed against Joseph. "Can I touch you?"

Joseph responded immediately. "Yes."

Caleb planted his hands on Joseph's hips and pulled him against his chest. Joseph craned his neck to the side as Caleb planted kisses onto his bare skin, all the while running his hands along his sides.

Joseph reached back and pulled Caleb closer by his hips, and Caleb felt his pants grow a bit tighter. He could've stayed there simply touching Joseph, but Joseph turned in his arms and kissed him. Caleb closed his eyes and pulled him tighter.

Why was he enjoying this so much? Other men he'd been with had preferred he took control, and due to his size it was easy. But Joseph called the shots, and he liked it. Besides that, he usually didn't do such intimate things like kissing or building up to it. With Joseph, he didn't want to rush. It was strange.

Caleb's hands snaked up Joseph's back and the both of them walked towards the bed, neither parting from the other. Joseph pushed Caleb onto the bed, still kissing him, and slid his hands into the arms of his shawl to push it down his shoulders.

Caleb looked up at him as he sat up on his hips, his hands planted on the lower part of his stomach. "You... why are you so fucking muscular?"

Caleb snorted in surprise. "What?"

"Seriously, you've got more muscle than a horse on steroids and you'd been trapped with no food or water on a desert island for weeks." Joseph shook his head, laughing slightly. "I don't get it."

"Demigod thing, I guess? I've always been strong."

Joseph ran his fingers down one of his sides, sending shivers through his skin. "I'm sorry I just thought of that and said it without thinking."

Caleb laughed and sat up, holding Joseph in his lap. "Want me to show you how strong I am?"

Joseph raised an eyebrow at him. "How?"

Caleb smiled. "You'll see. Get undressed."

Joseph looked at him suspiciously, but slid out of his lap and started to take his pants off. Caleb stood and did the same, smiling. This was going to be fun.

*I just wanna know the word count for this chapter was 1169 when I got done lmao