"You came out of nowhere and you cut through all the noise. I make sense to the madness when I listen to your voice. Darling, only you can ease my mind."
~Ben Platt, 'Ease My Mind'

~~~

*Landon's POV*

We finally make it to the cabin, which ended up taking two extra hours between stopping for food, gas, bathroom breaks, and Ryland's unquenchable desire to feel my lips on his. Not that I'm complaining about that last one, though. I wouldn't mind being five hours late if the reason was that my mate couldn't keep his hands off of me. However, it does mean that it's already dark outside by the time we arrive.

Judging by the way Ryland's jaw drops when we get out of the car, the cabin isn't what he was expecting it to look like. While it's still a wooden cabin in the middle of the woods, it's actually quite large. Two-stories, fully furnished and stocked with food. It wasn't cheap, but I had some extra cash since the cafe has been doing better recently.

These woods are part of a privately owned area, so we shouldn't be risking running into anyone else. The other cabins are spread out to allow for privacy; our closet neighbor is half a mile away.

"This is where we're staying?" Ryland breathes out as we walk into the cabin. I grin at him, leaning against the kitchen counter as he explores the first floor. On the first floor, there's the kitchen, TV room, pool table, and some smaller bedrooms. The master bedroom, where we'll be staying, is on the second floor.

"Do you want to take a shower?" I ask once he's done exploring. "I can unpack our bags if you want to unwind for a bit. That was a long car ride."

A slow grin spreads across Ryland's face as he clasps his hands behind his back. "What about you?"

I tilt my head to the side. "I just said I would unpack our stuff," I reply, not understanding what he's getting at.

'You're a real dumbass sometimes, you know that?' Leo taunts me, and I mentally push him aside for acting like a bratty sibling.

Ryland laughs, the delightful sound sending a thrill through me. "Come on," he says, tugging my hand. "We can unpack later."

***

I sigh contentedly, my back leaning against Ryland's chest as we lay in the bath together. The warm, sudsy water relaxes my muscles, and my eyes flutter shut as I lean my head against my mate's shoulder. Leo slipped away while we were getting the bath ready, giving us some privacy.

Ryland's fingertips trail softly over the definitions of my lean abdominal muscles. I purr quietly, savoring the feeling of his delicate touches exploring my chest and stomach.

His lips brush against my ear, sending a wave of desire down my spine and to my cock. Biting my lower lip, I tilt my head to the side as his lips begin to roam. I can feel him, hard against my back. And yet, he makes no movement to satisfy himself; only taking his time to study my body.

"You're so beautiful," Ryland praises softly. His teeth lightly scratch at the crook of my neck, right where his mark will go. I whimper, pushing back into his touch as a wordless plead for more. "I can't wait for tomorrow night. Once my collar is off, I'm going to fuck you just like this, in the bath."

I moan at the promise as Ryland's hand grasps my cock, slowly pumping me under the water. His free hand trails up my chest, where he pinches my nipple and makes me groan loudly.

"Does that mean you want to top?" I ask breathlessly. Ryland hums, squeezing my shaft and making my eyes roll back. "Mmmm!"

"Have you ever topped before?" Ryland muses as his hand continues to work me in ways that has my toes curling in the water.

"N-No," I stammer, bucking my hips.

He pauses, making me whine at the loss. "Never?" Ryland confirms, and I shake my head. "So... if you topped, I'd be the only one you would have been with in that way?"

I nod my head, bucking my hips in an effort to make him resume pumping my cock. "O-Only you. Goddess, honeybee, p-please touch me."

Ryland's suddenly begins to pump me with vigor, making me cry out as his hand tightens around my shaft. His thumb brushes over my tip, which has become even more sensitive in the hot water. I mewl, letting my head fall back as I'm dragged closer and closer to my release. Ryland's fingers trail from my chest, down lower and lower until his fingertips are pressed against my entrance.

"Tomorrow... I want you to fuck me," Ryland whispers right as he pushes a finger into my hole. Hearing his declaration and feeling him inside of me is enough to push me over the edge, and I cum hard into the water.

"Tomorrow..." I pant, still reeling from my orgasm. "For each time you've made me cum, I'm going to make you cum twice as much."

Ryland smiles, brushing his lips against mine. "I can't fucking wait."

Our lips devour one another, tongues dueling as the water splashes around us. I turn around until I'm straddling Ryland's lap, feeling his erection rubbing against my thigh. My hands tangle in his dark hair, wetting the locks as I push them away from his face. I pull back, admiring the beautiful man before me. His almond-shaped eyes, swirling with pools of melted honey, twinkle as he gazes at me with nothing but love and adoration. My heart melts, and I press a kiss to his nose.

"I love you," I say confidently, and Ryland's smile is enough to make a thousand butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"I love you too," he purrs, kissing my jaw. "You were worth the wait."

I sigh happily, looping my arms around his neck. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough for waiting for me. You're so patient and selfless and... perfect."

Ryland giggles. "I wouldn't say I'm perfect, but I am pretty damn awesome."

"Yes, you are," I agree with a chuckle. "Come on, we should get ready for bed."

I slide off of Ryland before extending my hand to help him out of the tub. The water drains as I wrap warm towels around both of us, making sure Ryland is completely dry before heading to the master bedroom.

The bed is huge, somehow bigger than a king-sized bed. There are nightstands placed on each side of the bed, and a small dresser for our clothes. A TV is mounted on the wall, although I doubt we'll really be using it. Ryland's cheeks are bright red, but he's not looking at the bed. He's looking straight up, which piques my curiosity. I follow his gaze upwards, my jaw dropping when I see the ceiling.

A large mirror covers most of the ceiling, directly over the bed. My blushes deepens when Ryland glances over at me with his eyebrows raised in silent questioning.

"T-That wasn't pictured on the website..." I mumble.

"Ooookay," Ryland nods hesitantly. Feeling flustered, I dive into our bags and pull out a pair of underwear for each of us. I toss Ryland his favorite black boxer-briefs, and I slip on my dark navy boxers.

"L-Let's go to bed," I stutter awkwardly, quickly burrowing beneath the covers of the bed. Ryland's shocked expression fades away as he smiles at me, crawling onto the bed and laying down next to me.

The awkwardness vanishes when Ryland curls up next to me, resting his head against my shoulder. Sighing in relief, I wrap my arms around my honeybee and pull him closer. I press a kiss to his forehead before the two of us drift away into a peaceful slumber.

***

The next morning, Ryland is obviously very anxious and excited. Tonight is a full moon, which means I'll be able to remove his collar. This is his last day wearing the dreadful thing, and it's clear he's extremely pleased with that fact.

"What's the plan for today?" Ryland questions, hopping up and down on his heels.

"For starters, no more sugar for you," I tease, pulling away his coffee that I'm sure is loaded with sugar.

Ryland's hand catches my wrist as he glares menacingly at me. "Steal my coffee, and I'll steal your arm off your body."

I freeze in surprise at the threat, giving Ryland ample opportunity to steal his coffee back. He smiles sweetly, as if he didn't just threaten to rip my fucking arm off over a cup of coffee.

Goddess, help me.

"I did have something planned for us, but mean boys don't get to go."

"Nooooo," Ryland whines, jutting his bottom lip out in an adorable pout. "I'll be good, I promise. What's the plan?"

Grinning, I reach over and ruffle his hair, unable to stay mad at my pup. "It's a surprise. Hurry and finish your coffee so we can go."

Ryland beams, chugging the rest of his coffee as I finish getting ready to go. Once he's done, we head out to my Jeep so I can drive us to our surprise destination.

"Can you give me a hint?" Ryland asks, and I shake my head. "Just a little one? Half of a hint? First letter?"

"H," I answer with a smirk, and Ryland's brows furrow.

"H? That doesn't make sense. Give me another clue."

"Nope. That's all you get."

"How am I supposed to guess it from one letter?"

"You're the one that asked for the first letter. It's not my fault if you can't actually solve it."

He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child. The rest of the drive is filled with Ryland trying to guess where we're going, but he's completely hopeless. By the time we get to the open field, Ryland has probably guessed twenty activities, and none of them were correct.

"You can stop guessing now. We're here," I announce, parking the car. Ryland gazes curiously out the window.

"Where are w—" he cuts himself off with a gasp, honey eyes widening. Scrambling out of the car, he stares at the field in awe.

"Have you ever been in a hot air balloon before?" I ask, and Ryland shakes his head rapidly. He continues to stare in wonder at the giant balloon, and I chuckle at how adorably excited he is. Grabbing his hand, I lead him over to the balloon where our instructor is already waiting.

"Ah! You must be Mr. Landon Grey," the instructor smiles at me. He's tall and lanky; the top of his head shining under the sun. "Right on time. First things first, I need both of you to sign these waivers."

"What's this for?" Ryland questions, eyes skimming the form the instructor handed to us.

"To summarize, it means our company is not liable for any injury while you're on our balloon."

Ryland eyes him skeptically. "Have you guys had many injuries?"

"Of course not! This form is just a precaution. I assure you, we're a very reputable company and have never had an injury or death occur while on our balloons."

"It's okay, baby," I rub Ryland's back. "I thoroughly did my research. This company is the safest out there."

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the instructor's jaw drop slightly as he watches me rub my mate's back. I growl lowly, the sound making him jump in surprise.

"Landon?" Ryland's brows pull together in confusion, and I shake my head.

"Let's just sign these and get to our ride, okay?"

We sign the waivers, handing them back to the instructor. He goes over our safety instructions before allowing us to step into the wicker basket. Once we're situated, the instructor pulls a chord to light the burners, sending flames upwards into the parachute envelope. The parachute expands until we start lifting up into the air.

"Woah!" Ryland exclaims, looking over the edge as we float higher into the sky. "We're flying!"

I stand behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Do you like it?" I ask loudly over the wind blowing around us.

"I love it!" He shouts back. "Thank you so much, this is amazing!"

"Anything for you, love," I pledge, making him blush as our balloon continues its ascent into the sky.

~~~

I will never apologize for how many Ben Platt songs I use 🤧

I've never been in a hot air balloon, so I had to google all that shit

This chapter was supposed to be half this length, but oh well 🤷🏼‍♀️ It was too cute to stop writing

Thoughts??

Q: Are you afraid of heights?
[yes, yes I am 🤠]

See you next time!
-Gumbie