DuncneyLoveOfMyLife: Haha, I guess I didn't really think that one through. I guess that without the context in the show about Kate flirting with Hanna's boyfriend right in front of her, that's kind of a super rude thing for him to just say to her. So I edited it a tiny bit to add a little more context, haha.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, Caleb missed Hanna. But that meant he was also kind of pissed at her. He knew it wasn't fair; he knew that her husband was her priority. Of course she was going to take him to the wedding; of course she was going to go home with him; of course she was going to spend time with him while he was actually home, which he must have been still, seeing as he hadn't heard from her all weekend. But that didn't mean he wasn't insanely jealous.
She didn't come into the campaign office on Monday, which just confirmed his suspicions that Jordan must still be home. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering, wondering what they were doing, where they were. He knew it shouldn't bother him as much as it did, thinking about them together, but he couldn't help it. He knew it was really him who was in the wrong - he was fucking the guy's wife behind his back, after all - but still, the thought of Hanna being intimate with anyone else affected him in unexplainable ways.
He had gotten used to Hanna coming over every night, and now, even after just a few days without her, he really needed to get laid.
He thought back to the women he had been with just before Hanna had swooped in and taken all of his attention, considered texting one of them, but none of them were all that memorable. And he really didn't like to go back to the same woman twice. Well, until Hanna came along, at least.
His thoughts were interrupted by a shriek from the interns' cubicle. He glanced over to see a couple of them laughing as they looked at something on one of the girls' phones.
He had met them all briefly, but none of them really stuck out to him. He had been distracted by a certain someone else in the office.
He recognized Mona Vanderwaal, who he knew Hanna was friendly with, and had even hung out with a few times, so she was probably a bad idea.
Then there was Jenna Marshall. She was actually Toby's step-sister, so she was probably off-limits, too.
Next to her was Bridget Wu, who always reeked of vodka, and never actually seemed to do any work. He was pretty sure this internship was just a favor from Veronica to her rich parents. Despite her slightly alcoholic tendencies and nonexistent work ethic, she would do. She was immature and irresponsible, but she was cute, and she was a party girl, which meant she knew what she was doing and would probably be pretty good in bed, too. She was easy, young - wild college girl, which is exactly what he needed right now.
Plus, it was either Bridget, or his own hand, which he knew just wouldn't do. Especially considering how accustomed he had become to how Hanna had been making him feel lately.
He needed to get his mind off of Hanna; he had no idea what was going on with him - he was never like this with women. They never managed to stay in his thoughts past a day or two later, yet here he was, pining for Hanna like a horny teenager. There was just something about her. But that needed to change. He needed to stay unattached.
So, at the end of the day, he made his way over to the interns' cubicle as they were all packing up to head home.
He flirted hard with Bridget, smiling at her, complimenting her, turning up the charm, and before he knew it, he was in his Jeep following her back to her place.
He almost felt bad for the girl. She didn't even make him buy her dinner first (which he totally would have, if necessary), just put out after a few minutes of sweet-talking.
Just as he suspected, she knew what she was doing. She was fun, easygoing, and definitely good in bed, but she didn't feel nearly as good around his cock as Hanna did.
Despite that, he still got the release he so desperately needed, and he even got his mind off of Hanna for a little while.
But then he slipped out shortly after Bridget fell asleep, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Hanna once he was back in his own bed, surrounded by her scent that seemed to be a permanent addition to his sheets at this point.
The next morning, Caleb had just walked into the office and stopped to talk to one of the other guys working on the campaign, Alex Santiago, when he saw Hanna walk in.
He shifted his attention to her as Alex walked away to go grab a cup of coffee.
"Nice of you to show up to work today," he said sarcastically with a smirk. "Did you enjoy your day off?"
She rolled her eyes. "You seem to forget that I don't actually work here," she reminded him. "I can take days off whenever I want to."
Before he could reply, Bridget interrupted.
"Hey, Caleb," she said, her voice low, flirtatious. "Last night was fun. We should do it again some time."
He winced as it was obvious what she was alluding to. He really should have thought this through better. He had no interest in seeing Bridget again, and he hoped she got the hint quickly, and that this flirting didn't become a regular thing.
Caleb didn't miss the look that flashed across Hanna's face. Was that...jealousy?
Bridget ran her index finger down Caleb's chest, in what he guessed was supposed to be a seductive gesture, but really, he just found it annoying, before she turned to Hanna.
"Hi, Hanna!" she said brightly. She looked up to Hanna. All of the girls in town did, really. Rich, beautiful, perfect marriage - it's what they all wanted.
"Bridget," Hanna said shortly, smiling tightly, before looking back at Caleb. "Caleb, can I see you in your office for a moment?" she asked him, looking at him pointedly. "Confidential campaign stuff," she informed Bridget.
"Of course," Caleb agreed, unable to hide the smirk as he led Hanna to his office, leaving Bridget standing there alone.
He held the door open for her, closing it behind them as she faced him, an angry look on her face.
"Seriously?" she said as soon as the door was latched closed. "You fucking slept with her?" she asked incredulously.
"So what if I did?" he replied simply.
"Bridget Wu?" she exclaimed. "She's slept with most of Rosewood - you should probably have yourself tested for chlamydia or syphilis or...crabs...or something."
"You're so cute when you're jealous," he said, smiling as he walked towards her. "And don't worry; we used protection," he assured her. Hanna was the only woman he had gone unprotected with in years - he couldn't even remember the last time before her.
"I am not jealous!" she argued. "While you were shacking up with the town slut, I was enjoying a lovely romantic weekend with my husband."
She saw the flash of hurt that crossed his face, and she was worried she had taken their banter too far. But he recovered quickly, his signature smirk back on his face.
"I figured as much," he said easily. "So I just thought that if you were with someone else, then I might as well be, too."
"So am I not...enough for you?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I'm at your place pretty much every night, and we kind of have a lot of sex. Last I checked, you were having a hard time keeping up with me," she teased him.
"You are most definitely enough," he countered softly, thinking back to the truly mind-blowing sex they had had at Spencer and Toby's wedding, as he made his way even closer to her. "When you come over, at least. And I haven't seen you all weekend, so excuse me for making other arrangements."
"I was with Jordan," she said quietly, defending herself. He knew that she couldn't come over when he was home. That was all part of their deal. She was only his when Jordan was gone.
"I know," he confirmed. "Which reminds me: I'm still mad at you."
"For what?" she exclaimed, confused, shocked. How could he be mad at her?
"For the wedding," he replied simply.
"Excuse me?" she questioned, outraged. "You tried to tell my husband that I'm sleeping with you, and yet you're mad at me?"
"I didn't like seeing you with him," he explained, walking even closer to her as she backed up away from him, until her body collided with his desk and she couldn't go any further back. "I especially didn't like seeing you go home with him. I wanted to be the one taking you home." He leaned in to whisper in her ear, his voice low. "I wanted to be the one to rip that ugly dress off of your perfect body using just my teeth."
She shivered involuntarily as her body reacted to his words.
"Well, you got me during the wedding. You can't be greedy," she chastised. "And hey, you said the dress was 'stunning!'" she recalled, arguing the fact that he now just called it ugly.
"No," he countered easily. "I said you were stunning. That dress was awful. I'm pretty sure Spencer must secretly hate you guys; it's the only explanation for her making you wear those things. But even in that ugly-ass dress, you still managed to look absolutely beautiful."
She felt her heart clench as he said this - he didn't usually say these kinds of things to her. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to give herself over to him, right here, right now, but she knew that was a terrible idea. There were a lot of people outside this room. As much as she wanted him, she couldn't let herself be that irresponsible. The wedding had been more than enough irresponsibility.
So instead, she just said, "Well, Jordan left again this morning. So don't make any plans tonight."
She pressed a hard kiss against his lips before sliding out from between him and the desk and walking towards the door.
"You got it!" he called out after her, smiling to himself.
She was going to be the death of him.
Caleb was asleep in his bed, Hanna tucked into his side, when he woke up, hearing her talk in her sleep. He rolled over to face her, trying to understand what she was saying. At first, he thought she was just babbling, and he would hear her say something amusing or embarrassing that he could tease her about in the morning, but it wasn't until her voice got louder that he realized he was wrong. She was having a nightmare.
"Ali! Ali, no, don't go!" Hanna cried out.
She was now kicking her legs, too, and Caleb turned the light on so he could see her.
She had tears streaming down her face, which was scrunched up as if she was in pain.
"Ali, stop!" she screamed. "Don't go!"
He could hear the panic in her voice, which made him even more panicked.
"Ali! No, please don't hurt her! Ali!"
"Han!" Caleb called out, shaking her arm, trying to wake her. "Wake up, Hanna!"
He continued to shake her aggressively, trying to break her out of this nightmare.
"Ali!" she shrieked again.
"Hanna! Hanna! Hanna!"
Finally, she opened her eyes, staring up at him with fear evident in them.
"Oh, thank God," he murmured, sighing with relief, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
She sat up in the bed, staring straight ahead, tears still streaming down her face.
"Han, it's okay, you're okay, you were just having a nightmare." He rubbed soothing circles on her back, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. You're safe," he murmured to her over and over again, pressing his lips against her temple.
Finally, she stopped crying, and looked over at him.
"Han, what's going on?" he asked gently, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Nothing. It's fine. I'm fine," she replied, pulling herself together.
"Hanna!" he exclaimed. "Come on, talk to me. You had me really worried, babe."
"Caleb, I told you, it's fine," she repeated.
He made a noncommittal noise.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she questioned.
"I guess I'm just waiting for an answer that I believe," he retorted. "I saw you, Hanna, I heard you, you're not fine."
"It's seriously not a big deal," she tried to convince him, but he wasn't buying it.
"Come on," he told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his living room, flicking the light on but dimming it to just bright enough that he could still see her face, before sitting down on his couch and pulling her onto his lap.
He circled his arms around her waist, holding her tight to him.
"Hanna, you had me really worried. You were kicking and screaming and crying. Does this happen often?" he asked her gently.
She didn't say anything, just stayed staring straight ahead.
"So you're just not gonna talk to me? Fine, then at least just sit here with me and let me hold you and make me feel better about this whole thing." He had been so nervous, seeing her in that state.
"Look, Caleb, just stop. You don't need to play the role of the concerned boyfriend, and pretend to care about my problems," she snapped, finally looking at him.
"I'm not pretending, Hanna," he told her honestly, tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "I do care."
She hesitated, confused. Up until this point, their relationship had been pretty much entirely physical, with the occasional small talk or sweet moment, and there had been their pizza and movie night that one time, but this was completely uncharted territory for them.
"Really?" she asked him, surprised. Maybe he really was more than just the cocky smug guy looking to get laid.
"Of course," he murmured.
"Why?" The vulnerability in her voice made his heart swell with emotion.
"Because I care about you. Contrary to what you seem to believe, I'm not just using you for sex. Although, that is a pretty great bonus." She let out a little laugh at this, and he was relieved. "I think you're amazing, Han. I care about you, a lot, and it kills me to see you like this."
This was the most open and honest she had heard him since they had met. Typically, he used his sarcasm and arrogance to cover up his feelings, and she liked that he was finally letting her in a little bit more.
"So what was that? Does it happen often?" he asked again gently.
She grabbed both of his hands from her stomach where he had been holding her tightly, taking them in her own and squeezing gently for support.
She had never told anyone about her nightmares, not her friends, not even Jordan. He always seemed to be away when they happened, or he would just sleep right through it. She was nervous to talk about it. But Caleb was being so sweet and understanding, that she wanted to let him in.
"It happens a couple of times a month," she admitted quietly. "Sometimes it's worse than others. Sometimes I can wake myself up and other times, like you just saw, I can't, and it just feels so real."
"Do you remember what happens in the nightmares?" he murmured. "You kept calling out for 'Ali.' Who's Ali?"
"It's pretty much the same thing every time. Sometimes with more or less details, but it's always the same concept." She turned to face him, and he looked up at her supportively, encouraging her to continue.
"Ali is Alison. Alison DiLaurentis. She was our - mine and Aria and Spencer and Emily's - other best friend in high school. She was the popular girl, the pretty girl, and she always had some new boyfriend. It started with the quarterback at our school, and then it was the star football player in the region, and then it was one hot college guy after another. She always had to have the coolest, hottest guy she could get her hands on. But one time, she ran off with some frat guy none of us had ever met. We tried to tell her it was a bad idea, but she wouldn't listen...They found her body in a ditch a week later," her voice cracked as she finished her story, tears filling her eyes as she remembered her best friend. In a lot of ways, Ali had been a terrible friend. She was manipulative and selfish, but she was also honest and supportive, and she was always there for advice, because no matter what it was, she always seemed to be more experienced than the rest of them.
"Oh my god," Caleb breathed out. "Hanna, I'm so sorry."
She buried her face in his neck, wrapping her arms around him tightly, letting him hold her as she cried. It had been nearly a decade, but it still hurt just the same.
She thought back to the impact her death had had on the town. Even as a junior, Ali was easily the most popular girl at Rosewood High School, and her death really rattled the entire student body. For better or worse, Alison DiLaurentis had had an impact on everyone in that school.
Several families had moved away; Rosewood was supposed to be a safe place to live, to raise a family. This event spooked everyone, but nothing like it had happened before Ali, or since. Ali had just been incredibly unlucky, it seemed.
They had caught the guy easily, and he had been locked up ever since. It definitely helped to have some closure, but the whole thing was still hard to believe sometimes, even now.
Caleb ran his hand up under the T-shirt of his that she was wearing, drawing circles on her bare back, doing whatever he could to comfort her.
Eventually, she pulled back. She wanted to finish opening up to him, let him all the way in.
"In the dream, I'm watching her get into his car. It's just me there, the other girls aren't there. And I'm calling out to her, begging her not to go with him, but it's like she can't even hear me. Sometimes they just drive away and the car disappears, and sometimes they get out of the car, and he holds a gun to her head, and that's always the part where I wake up. I never have to actually see him hurt her, but it's still so scary. I want to help her, but I can't."
"Hanna, I'm so sorry you have to go through that," he said earnestly.
He hesitated, not wanting to offend her. "Have you ever...considered talking to someone about this?"
"Like a shrink?" she exclaimed, pulling out of his arms and looking down at him, angry, hurt. "I'm not crazy, Caleb, I don't need to see a shrink!"
"Of course you're not crazy!" he agreed. "I just think it could help if you talked to someone about it. Maybe you have some...unresolved feelings about it or something."
"I don't want to talk to anyone about it. I've never told anyone about my nightmares. Ever. And you can't, either. It's embarrassing. I mean, it happened ten years ago, I should be able to just move on with my life and get over it already! It's dumb that I still have nightmares about it."
She couldn't seriously be embarrassed about having nightmares, right? He did feel touched that he was the only person she had felt comfortable enough with to open up to about this, though.
He didn't know what else to say. He didn't think there was anything he could say to make her feel better, so he just held her.
He held her until she fell asleep on his lap, in his arms, and then he carried her back to his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, curling his body into hers, his arms around her, and pressed his lips to the back of her head, leaving a gentle kiss in her hair.
Hanna woke up the next morning to find herself basically lying completely on top of Caleb. Her head was on his chest, and she had one arm slung across him and wrapped around his side, while one of her legs was bent at the knee, resting across both of his.
She heard him stir beneath her, and then he opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he adjusted to the morning light streaming in through the curtains.
He raised his eyebrows as he took in the fact that she was wrapped around him, before she sat up abruptly, awkwardly.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. Despite the fact that they had definitely been getting closer emotionally lately, and this certainly was not the closest they had ever been physically, she still knew there was a good chance he probably didn't want her hanging all over him when he was sleeping. Since they weren't actually together, she knew it wasn't fair to expect him to put up with all of the couple-y things, like snuggling.
"Don't apologize," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her back into him again. "I don't mind," he said honestly. He knew he probably shouldn't enjoy cuddling with Hanna this much - their relationship was only supposed to be about sex. They weren't allowed to be anything more. But god, did he love cuddling with her, loved being as close to her as possible all the time.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her gently, knowing she had had a rough night.
"I'm okay," she replied honestly. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that," she said as she buried her face in her hands. She knew that consoling her in the middle of the night as she cried about her dead best friend was definitely not what Caleb had signed up for when they started this arrangement.
"Hey," he started, gently tilting her face so she was looking at him, rather than at the palms of her hands. "Don't apologize," he said again. "I just want to make sure you're doing better now. I was really worried about you last night."
"Well, I am doing a lot better," she confirmed. "Thank you," she murmured as she leaned in to kiss him softly, wanting to show him that she appreciated his concern, even if it wasn't necessary.
She was fine. She had to be fine.
In the several weeks following the incident of Hanna's nightmare, Caleb and Hanna's relationship, both in and out of the office, had changed dramatically.
It had definitely been the most intimate moment they had shared, and Hanna felt like she was betraying her marriage on a whole new level, turning to Caleb for support like that.
But she had seen a different side to him, a sensitive, caring side, and she couldn't seem to fight the soft spot that she had developed for him.
At the campaign office, they hardly fought at all anymore. They still had the odd disagreement here and there, of course, but they weren't at each other's throats like they used to be. (Well, not in that way, at least.) They would sneak away for lunch together almost every day, talking about everything and nothing, and, on the rare days one of them couldn't get away, they would always bring back lunch for the other.
Outside of the office, she was now spending almost every single night at his place, so much so that they both dreaded the times when Jordan was home. And instead of showing up at his house at eight, nine, ten o'clock, she would meet him there after work, they would eat dinner together, take Brody on a walk, watch TV together. He even put up with The Bachelor for her every Monday night. (Of course, that was made a lot more enjoyable by her letting them make out during every commercial break.)
Occasionally, they even hung out at her house. The first time she had brought him there, she could see Dorota was slightly surprised. But she didn't say anything, just welcomed him and made him feel like there was no reason he shouldn't be there, just asked them what they wanted for dinner, and whether or not they wanted dessert, and could she get or do anything else for them? Hanna knew it made Caleb uncomfortable to be in the house she shared with her husband, so they stayed at his house most of the time, but sometimes, Hanna couldn't turn down an opportunity to use the home theatre, make out in the hot tub, have one of Dorota's home-cooked meals, or sleep on Egyptian Cotton sheets.
Hanna couldn't believe she was leading this entire double life. She had never imagined things between them would go this far. It had been different when it had been exclusively sex. She knew it was wrong, but she didn't think it was that big of a deal. It was purely physical, nothing more. Now, though, she and Caleb were basically acting exactly like a couple, more so than she ever had even with her own husband. And then Jordan would come home, and she would play the part of a loving, devoted, committed wife, eating dinner with him, sleeping next to him, and limiting her interactions with Caleb to the office, exclusively.
It was easier to avoid the fact of how wrong her actions were when she didn't have to go home and face Jordan every night, so when he was home, she and Caleb kept their relationship strictly professional. Most of the time, anyway. It felt dirty and wrong to be having sex with Caleb one minute, and then going home to her husband the next. Sometimes, though, she just wanted him so badly that she couldn't stop herself, but it always ended up making her feel incredibly guilty in the end, so it didn't happen often when Jordan was home.
Not nearly as often as she secretly wanted it to.