A little one-shot of Will and Caleb. Just to remind us all that they are children who have been thrown into worlds and wars where they have to be the grown ups, and maybe it would all become a little to much.

** This is not a part of th MY WITCH series. **

"I, uh, shouldn't have done that.." Caleb stood, half immersed in water, his gaze on the shadowy blue water of the pool. He wasn't sure if he meant kissing her, or sneaking into the closed pool this late at night. Both, probably. 'Whose idea was it to come to the pool anyway?' He knew, at least, that it was Will who had suggested sneaking away from Cornelia's party. Cornelia..

"No. You shouldn't have." Will's voice was small; it had been for weeks. Since she'd lost Matt. And then she'd lost the Heart to Nerissa and she'd stopped talking altogether. When she'd whispered into his ear from behind, something about 'escaping' it had been a Godsend for him. And then, there she'd been, seconds ago, laughing for the first time in so long as she waved her arms across the smooth water; only her chest up protruding from the liquid as it rippled around her. She'd looked like an angel to him. And he couldn't help but press his lips..

At that moment Will threw herself at him. Caleb's eyes grew large as she attached herself to him. Before his kiss had been gentle. Timid. He'd barely brushed his lips on hers before he'd backed away, embarrassed and flustered. Now she was forcing herself onto him. He could taste her as her tongue explored his mouth. His back was against the wall of the pool, and with wide eyes, he guided them both toward the stairs leading out of the water.

She clung to him wildly - as if he would ever resist her - and when he tried to ascend the stairs backwards, he fell lightly; catching himself on the railings so he ended up sat on the top step, with her sprawled over his chest and between his legs. Her lips left his then, and she grinned at him with a sparkle in her eyes. They didn't seem to sit quite right on her face; almost malicious looking. But her face had been void of any emotion so long that he didn't care.

She pushed him back, so he lay against the wet tiled floor, and then she patterned the bare skin of his shoulder and upper chest with heavy kisses; pressing her soft lips onto his toned body in such a way to send shivers down his spine and he felt her affecting somewhere else as well.

"Will..!" Caleb breathed almost fearfully, with his voice breaking under the stress of the moment so the word came out in a squeak.

Will only looked deep into his eyes with a smile. She knew. She had felt it. Of course she had. After all, she was the one pressed against his hips, and now laying across him. "Caleb."

She sounded so calm, and that only scared the young boy more as she ran a finger down the centre of his stomach and down to the elastic of his swimming shorts. "Will.. I don't think you're supposed to be.." He trailed off, watching in stunned silence as she undid the small bow of his shorts. Ugly things that he'd been gifted by Cornelia when the summer had started. "Will! Cornelia..?" Caleb wheezed desperately, but she simply returned to pressing her lips to his while she pulled at the sides of his shorts. He tried to move away, but this only seemed to help Will in removing the only barrier from her he had. She threw them carelessly, and he could have easily reached for them, but by now he was transfixed. She looked at him with those glittery cinnamon eyes and a half-smile playing on her lips as she pulled down the straps of her navy swimsuit. She stood up to peel the soaking item from her thin frame and Caleb gulped loudly, moving a couple inches back, along the edge of the pool, in attempt to create some distance from himself and what he most desired.

She was beautiful. Her red hair hanging around her face, with the very ends curling slightly as they'd gotten wet in the pool. Her body was boyish, everyone said. Though Caleb couldn't see it, now as he studied her pure, natural body. Her curves were fairly slight, but that only made her more enticing to him. Her skin was pale, but with a hint of peach to it. She smelt of honey. Not like Cornelia and those other girls who wore a fake scent of sweets and flowers that came in bottles. Cornelia..

Caleb shook the thought of the blonde from his mind as he fearfully watched the thin body in front of him advance and reassemble herself on top of him.

He closed his eyes, almost wincing, unsure of what was to come. She was only a girl and yet she joined herself to him and it felt oddly right. He could hear stilted breath as she moved her hips slowly. He opened his eyes to find her face contorted into a confusion of pain, determination and something resembling fear. She was bracing herself for it. It shouldn't have surprised him that she hadn't done this before; not with her guitarist ex-boyfriend. But it did. She had been so confident and certain mere seconds ago, and now anxiety seemed to fill her eyes as she stared down at his chest, able neither to go forward nor turn back. He knew now would be the best time to push her off. She was too young. They both were. And Meridian standards told him that he ought be married before he touch a female as he was now. He could feel her trembling and he stared up at the face before him. She had tears, he realised, clinging to the corners of her glorious eyes. She couldn't cry; he couldn't see that. He had had to watch over her numb shell for so long, and he'd be damned if he'd let her cry over this without at least doing his best to help her. To give her what she needed.

He rolled over, so she now lay beneath him, her wide eyes searching him for an explanation. He pressed himself against her and breathed over her slim shoulder, whispering into her ear. "Pleas don't cry Will. You're perfect." I love you. He'd meant to say the last bit, but it got caught in his throat, so he just proceeded with what she struggled to do. As soon as he started she opened her mouth to cry out - he'd heard it'd be painful the first time - but he covered her mouth with his own and the cry became a muffled moan.

He kept going. Giving her what he could never have given anyone else. He opened his soul to her as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing her face into his skin so he felt the heat of her breath. She had cried anyway. Despite his greatest efforts in fulfilling her wishes, the tears ran hot down her cheeks before dropping onto his skin and camoflaging themselves in the damp mixture of sweat and pool water that soaked the pair of them.

She sucked in deep breaths and remained silent throughout, only moaning into his bare flesh and clenching her body as it ended. He himself desperatly tried to mirror her, breathing heavily and pressing his lips into her hair to suppress any sound he might make that would break their silence.

When it was over he rolled onto his back and Will lay, still joined with him, with her ear pressed agaisnt his chest so he was sure she could hear his pumping heart. The only sound came from the water beside them. Caleb let his arm fall over the edge of the pool and drew swirls and lines in the water with his finger tips. On his chest Will had become so quiet, her breathing slow and heavy, Caleb wondered if she had fallen to sleep.

He leaned forward slightly, and using his dry hand, shook her gently. It would be no good if they were caught her; neverming in their current state, lying nude and intertwined on the cool towels, in the dark. "Will..? Are you awake?" Caleb shifted and the girl removed himself from his reach. He unconciously held his breath when she met his eyes. Gone was the empty shell. Gone was the void and the numb, emotionless girl. But also gone was the smile and the sparkle and his friend. When he looked at the person in front of him, his heart simply broke.

Will was gone. His Will. Everything he loved about her. She'd lost her voice and her smile and her fight long ago, but she hadn't stopped. She had held herself as she walked beside her girls. She wasn't one of them any longer. For the past few months she had been more of a mother; always watching, always caring. She had had her strength.

Then she'd asked him to leave the Godforsaken party and he'd been given the oppurtunity to save her. She'd had no intention of any of this happening, he remembered. He was the one who'd picked the pool. He'd been so excited to hear her speak and he wanted to make her happy. He'd chosen her favourite place after all.

He should have taken her to Meridian. Gotten her a coffee. Anywhere but here. And now it was too late and there was nothing left that he could do. It was his fauklt. He'd broken her. He'd known that she was as fragile as thin glass and yet he'd smashed her into the ground.

"Caleb. I.. I-"" He could hardly breathe as she struggled through her words. "I'm sorry."

This surprised Caleb. A miniscule sound was her voice, but her was quite sure of what he'd heard. He tried to cover her with his own whispered apology, "I shouldn't have-", but he couldn't continue; his confusion was too great. "What are you sorry for?"

. . .

Will looked at the boy in front of her. She'd ruined everything. She'd been a burden since Matt. She'd lost the Heart. And then she'd led Caleb astray from his own girlfriend; her bestfriend's party. Then she'd cried as he'd had his way with her. Yet here he sat, with concern across his face, wondering what she might be sorry for. She hugged her legs, shivering, as fresh tears spilled from her cheeks, shaking her head slightly. "You're wonderful Caleb." I love you.