The kiss broke, but Zed wasn’t pulling away from him, which Caleb had found himself half expecting him to do. It wasn’t that he thought that Zed was up in the air or flighty… just that this was so unexpected for him, and he hadn’t seen it coming. He hadn’t dared to hope for it. Deep down, he knew Zed still cared, or the strength of the emotions wouldn’t have been there. He could have easily just told Caleb to fuck off if he meant nothing to him. His hands came to rest underneath Zed’s elbows when the other guy was confessing to needing to sit down. Once he was sure Zed was securely in the seat, Caleb slid in beside him and wrapped his arm around his waist. “I’m okay with giving you time,” he said, sitting there quietly at Zed’s side as he let his fingers move from his waist up to stroke gently over his back. “We can take as much time as you need. I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”

“It’s okay,” Caleb assured him, leaning close and kissing Zed’s hair. “Take your time. Are you feeling dizzy?” His hand was careful and gentle at Zed’s waist, and he would treasure every second of this… even the painful ones. Even the ones where they were both hurting and things were hard. He would stay close and make sure that Zed knew that he was loved, that Caleb would be there and look after him as long as he needed and wanted him there. “Do you want a cup of water or something?” he offered quietly, his fingers moving to loop through Zed’s hair in a gentle comforting gesture. The feelings inside him were stronger than ever, and he needed Zed to feel them, even if he couldn’t put them into words.