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baguettenjoyer · 5 hours ago

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Matchmaker Caine

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Funny…Trust

Summary:

The Moon watches the cast enjoy a camping adventure, and everything is just right.

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It was almost too peaceful.

No zombies or deranged doctors or snakes. Just birdsong—real-sounding—and the scent of pine needles under her shoes. The same forest from the scavenger hunt. Pomni stepped carefully over a root and looked up just in time to see a mossy log get flipped over.

“Red-backed salamander,” Zooble muttered, practically vibrating with excitement. “Textbook pattern. Nice.”

Pomni blinked. “Are we… sure this isn’t a horror game?”

Zooble didn’t even look up. “If it is, it’s my kind of horror game.”

A little farther away, Ragatha dove off a short ledge into the lake with an elegant splash and a “wheee,” soaking Kinger by accident. He didn’t seem to notice—he was too busy gleefully chasing a monarch butterfly with his arms outstretched.

Somewhere near the shore, Gangle sat cross-legged with her sketchpad balanced on her knees, the corners of her mouth tugging up. And even farther beyond, Caine was following Zooble with an expression halfway between baffled scientist and proud dad. He nearly got smacked in the face with a flying toad, shouting: “ZOOBLE, LOOK AT THIS TOAD! WHAT KIND IS IT?”

Pomni’s eyes trailed upward. The Moon hung low in the afternoon sky, not speaking—just watching. Softly. As she always did.

She barely noticed how her fingers had laced with Jax’s until he gave them a squeeze.

“You’re smiling,” he said.

Pomni startled and tugged her hand away with a mock scowl. “No I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were.” He bumped his shoulder into hers, snickering.

“I was just… breathing. Like a normal person.”

“Nah. This was different. Less ‘please let the ground swallow me,’ more ‘wow, life is tolerable.’”

She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. “You talk too much.”

He grinned. “You’re obsessed with me, Pommy.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m so handsome, aren’t I? Ya can’t resist.”

Pomni snorted. “Well...you’re not wrong.”

He blushed like he didn’t expect that answer.

They walked a little further, feet crunching through leaves. Red sunlight streamed through the branches above as afternoon began to fade. Pomni squinted into it, caught off guard by how warm everything felt—inside her and around her. She glanced at Jax again, took in the floppy ears, the dopey grin, the way his eyes shimmered.

“You really do look like a cute little bunny right now,” she teased.

He gasped like she’d slapped him.

“Take it back,” he said.

“I won’t.”

“Oh, you—” And then—he swept her up bridal style, his smirk wide and ridiculous and infuriatingly adorable.

“JAX—!” she shrieked, clutching his overalls as her feet left the ground. Her heart began to pound.

“Don’t worry, Pommy,” he said in a mock-heroic voice, “I’ll protect you from the scary, uh—sticks. Twigs. Whatever.”

Pomni kicked her feet helplessly. “You are such a menace.”

He looked down at her then, not laughing anymore.

And it hit her how close they were. His arms holding her like it was nothing, like he’d always meant to. The way his face softened in the sunlight. She stared up at him, heart thudding in her ears. She wasn’t going to get used to this, was she?

“Hey…” she said quietly. “Did you ever…do this kind of thing with someone else? Before?”

Jax blinked. Then he looked away.

“No,” he said.

Pomni tilted her head.

“I mean it,” he added quickly. “I’ve never—none of this. Not the fake dating thing. Not the real…thing. You’re my first.”

“Oh,” she said.

He flushed, like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. “I know, it’s kinda pathetic—”

“No,” Pomni said, firmer than she expected. “It’s not.”

They stopped near a curved tree branch that jutted low like a natural seat. He set her down on it gently, but she slipped a little, flailing. “A little warning next time—!”

“Whoops.” Jax caught her again, hands steady at her waist, his face close. “Guess I’m just too heroic.”

She laughed nervously, heart racing again.

He looked at her for a moment, then leaned in. Slowly.

This kiss was nothing like the others. Not quick or flirty or heated. It was soft and careful. A hand brushing her cheek. The press of his lips light and trembling, like he wanted her to feel it in her bones.

It reminded her of the barn.

Pomni kissed him back, slower still, her fingers curling around the hems of his overalls.

Trust.

It was the only word she could think of. That’s what it felt like.

She pulled back slightly, eyes still half-lidded. “That was…”

From behind the trees came a very audible “Awww!”

They both turned in unison to see Gangle peeking from behind a rock, Zooble leaning on her shoulder, eyes actually grinning, and Kinger bouncing in place.

“We weren’t spying,” Zooble lied flatly.

“You guys are the cutest ,” Ragatha called from the water.

Jax covered his face with both hands and groaned into them. “This is the worst day of my life.”

Pomni just laughed, bright and loud and unapologetically happy.

Happy.

——

He wasn’t used to this much peace. It felt fake. Suspicious. Like a setup. But when he kicked a stick and it didn’t explode into spiders or worse, he had to admit…it might’ve actually been real.

The forest was still. Not silent— there were the usual insect chirps and Kinger chasing after a butterfly—but still in that weird, thoughtful way. The way people got quiet when someone was crying. Or in love. Or both, which honestly was kind of his brand now.

He dragged a few dry branches into a pile and crouched to break one in half. Crack. Crack. Soft, satisfying. No traps. Just wood.

“Need a hand?”

He flinched.

Ragatha stepped out from the trees, smiling in that calm, suburban mom kind of way. No pity in it. No tension. Just… neutral. Almost warm.

“…You following me?” he said, not unkindly.

“Someone has to make sure you don’t wander into the lake,” she replied, bending to help collect kindling. “Also, I’m pretty sure you’re just grabbing random sticks.”

“That was intentional.”

“Sure it was.”

They worked in silence for a minute. The good kind. Like maybe she didn’t hate him anymore.

She broke the silence. “You make her happy, you know.”

Jax blinked. “Who?”

She gave him a flat look. “…Gangle.”

He snorted.

“She likes you,” Ragatha continued, still gathering twigs. “Pomni. You make her smile. That’s not easy for her.” Then, softer, “It’s not easy for a lot of us.”

Jax watched her. Waited for the follow-up threat. The lecture. The guilt trip.

But she just stood, arms full of wood, and looked at him with a tired, honest little smile.

“Keep it that way.”

He opened his mouth. Closed it again. Nodded.

That was it.

No scolding. No drama. No hard-earned resentment cracking through. Just…trust.

It made his throat feel weird. Like something was sitting there, trying to crawl its way up. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“…Cool.”

They headed back to camp. Ragatha set the twigs into the firepit, letting him finish the setup on his own.

He knelt by the pit and started arranging the sticks. His mind was fuzzy.

“Need help, my boy?”

He turned. Kinger stood with a bundle of branches too, looking determined and very proud of himself.

“…Sure,” Jax said, shifting to make space.

Kinger handed him the bundle with a little wheeze and collapsed onto a log.

“You’ve grown, you know,” he muttered. “In ways I didn’t think were possible.”

Jax blinked. “From a stick to a taller stick?”

Kinger smiled with his eyes. “Exactly.”

The compliment landed with a thud right in his chest.

He turned back to the firewood before he could embarrass himself. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

He heard the shuffling of someone else behind him and turned, half expecting Ragatha again.

It was Gangle.

She clutched her sketchpad to her chest, eyes darting away when he looked at her. “Hey, Jax. I just wanted to say I’m happy for you. Both of you. It’s nice. You…you’re different, but it’s a good different.”

Jax stared at her.

Gangle? Proud of him?

He didn’t know what to do with that.

“…Thanks,” he said again, a little hoarse.

She nodded and wandered off, mumbling about needing to finish shading the lake.

Jax sat back on his heels.

People were proud of him. They liked him.

They liked… this version of him. The one who wasn’t pushing them away. The one who held Pomni’s hand and didn’t make a joke about it. The one who built fires and didn’t blow them up for fun.

His hands curled in his lap.

He didn’t know how to carry that.

And still… part of him didn’t want to let it go.

——

Pomni sat on a sun-warmed rock by the lake, legs crossed and hands folded in her lap. The sky above was pinkish-orange. So realistic.

The Moon hovered just behind her, silent and soft in the glow.

“It feels real now, doesn’t it?” Pomni asked.

The Moon tilted in a nod.

Pomni breathed in, then out. The lake smelled like summer and fake pine. “I mean, I know it’s not real-real. But something about…this. The quiet. The fact that he’s not being annoying on purpose. That I don’t want to disappear anymore.”

She squinted at her reflection in the water.

“I think I’m allowed to want this.”

The Moon floated a little closer, her presence steady like gravity.

Pomni glanced over at the campfire, where Jax was curled up in a heap of blankets and smug satisfaction. His head rested on a pillow.

She grinned despite herself.

“He’s going to pretend he hates cuddling later,” she muttered. “Watch.”

The Moon didn’t reply. Just pulsed softly with light.

Pomni left the rock to join Jax in the warmth.

POP

Caine materialized nearby, all top hat and curiosity. He said nothing at first, just drifted toward the Moon’s side and joined her in staring across the clearing.

Pomni and Jax by the fire.

Zooble showing Gangle how to roast something that was definitely not a marshmallow.

Ragatha trying to hang a towel between two trees like it was a laundry line.

Kinger lying on his back, counting the fireflies.

It was a good snapshot of…something.

Caine tilted his head. “WHAT IS LOVE SUPPOSED TO MEAN, EXACTLY?”

The question was came out of nowhere. Like he wasn’t sure he should be asking it out loud.

The Moon answered.

“It’s what happens when you don’t want to be alone anymore,” she said. “And someone sees the worst in you, and stays anyway.”

Caine stared at the Moon, slightly stunned. “GOLLY, I DON’T REMEMBER CODING YOU TO BE SO ARTICULATE.”

The Moon’s smile grew.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

And Caine—he didn’t glitch, didn’t laugh.

But he did blush.

Just a little.

——

The fire crackled low as Pomni rested by Jax, who leaned into her shoulder like he hadn’t spent the last hour pretending he wasn’t clingy.

His ears twitched when she smiled at him.

She nudged him lightly. “You’re hogging both pillows.”

“They’re soft,” he replied.

Pomni rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. He looked comfortable. They all did.

Across the fire, Ragatha sat curled on a log, drinking hot chocolate. Zooble and Gangle were lying back on the grass, side by side, making up constellations. Kinger stared at the fire intensely.

Pomni tilted her head back and stared up.

Above them, the Moon lingered, low and bright.

And floating beside her was Caine. The two of them seemed frozen in conversation, silhouettes against the dimming digital stars. Not moving. Just…being.

Pomni squinted. “Hey. Does anyone else kinda see chemistry up there?”

Zooble propped themself up on one elbow. “What, between the floating orb and the boss?”

“I dunno,” Pomni said. “I mean, look at them. They’re adorable.”

Gangle sat up. “They do look close…”

“They’ve been hovering near each other all day,” Ragatha added. “That’s more attention than Caine gives anyone .”

Zooble snorted. “Honestly? If they got together, maybe Caine would stop tormenting us with his stupid adventures.”

“I CAN HEAR YOU,” Caine called from above.

Jax sat up, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Hey! When are you two gonna kiss already? It’s getting boring down here!”

The entire group broke into laughter—even Gangle’s chuckle was genuine.

Up in the sky, the Moon pulsed brighter. Caine stared at her in absolute confusion.

She was definitely blushing.

——

The zipper on the tent rasped shut, sealing them in together.

Jax lay already curled up on one side. The firelight outside flickered faintly through the tent, casting lazy shadows that swayed with every breeze. It was warm enough not to need much, but cozy enough that Pomni found herself crawling closer without thinking.

He shifted when he saw her.

“You good?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Just…full day.”

Jax sighed and patted the spot beside him. “C’mere.”

Her heart skipped, but her body listened before she could overthink it. She ducked into the space he made, settling beside him. His arms didn’t close around her right away but he stayed close. So close she could feel his breath on her hat, the warmth of his chest rising and falling steady.

“I used to hate the circus,” she murmured, after a while.

He didn’t answer at first. Just listened.

“I don’t hate it right now, though,” she added, quieter.

At that, Jax turned to face her more fully. “Yeah?”

Pomni met his eyes in the dark. “It’s…it’s different with you.”

The tent smelled like grass and smoke and him. Her voice sounded small but safe inside it. He reached over, brushing a hand against her wrist like he wasn’t sure she’d let him hold it.

“You’re different with me too,” he said, softly.

Pomni let her fingers slip between his.

They lay like that for a while, saying nothing. The silence wasn’t heavy—it was soft, like moss. Safe. And slowly, his hand trailed up to her elbow, her shoulder, until he was tucking her into his arms like she was supposed to fit into him.

“You remember that stupid zombie hospital game?” she asked, voice muffled against his chest.

He let out a breathy laugh. “You mean the one where I got bit and you panicked?”

“You carried me through a hallway of zombies, Jax.”

“Details.”

“I didn’t forget that.”

His thumb brushed her spine.

“I didn’t forget you carrying me through the cornfield,” he said, more quietly now. “Even when I was drunk and useless and scared out of my mind. You didn’t leave me behind.”

“You’d do the same for me.”

“I don’t know if I ever thought I would, ” he said, and she could feel the raw truth of it. “Before you.”

Pomni blinked slowly. Her head lifted from his chest, just enough to see his face in the filtered moonlight.

“I was really scared,” she admitted. “That night in the barn. When you kissed me. I thought it was still part of the act at first.”

“It wasn’t.”

And suddenly they weren’t just looking at each other anymore. His hand cupped her cheek with aching care, and her lips parted with the weight of wanting. He kissed her like he was trying to remember how. Like every time was a first time. Like he’d only just realized she’d let him.

She melted into it, hand on his chest, the other wrapping behind his neck. His breath stuttered as he deepened it, slower now, steadier. His lips moved over hers with such gentle hunger, like he was memorizing the shape of her mouth, like he needed it to live. His hands held her as though she was made of glass.

“Pomni,” he whispered between kisses, voice cracking at the edges. “Pomni…”

She shuddered every time.

She pressed her forehead to his, blinking tears she hadn’t realized were there.

“I love you,” she breathed, scared but certain.

He froze for only a second—but only that. Then his arms were around her fully, crushing and tender, like he wanted to pull her into his chest and keep her there forever.

“I love you too,” he said into her shoulder, and he sounded stunned. Shaken. Like no one had ever let him say it out loud before. “God, I love you.”

He kissed her again—on her lips, her cheek, the edge of her jaw, her shoulder. Hungry, grateful, trembling kisses. He couldn’t seem to stop saying her name. Couldn’t seem to stop touching her like she might disappear if he let go.

He wanted her so bad. So effing bad.

She didn’t pull away.

Not even when they were just holding each other in the quiet again, faces pressed together, breathing soft and slow.

“I think I wanna stay like this forever,” he whispered eventually.

“Then stay,” she said, and she meant it.

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i think everyone deserves to be happy

More about this fanfic:

Jax/Pomni (platonic), Jax/Pomni (romantic), Ragatha/Pomni (one-sided crush), Ragatha/Pomni (platonic), Caine/Zooble (platonic), Caine/Moon (romantic), Jax/Kinger (son-father relationship), Gangle/Jax (platonic), Kinger/Queenie (romantic), fake dating trope, jealous Ragatha, protective Jax, soft Jax, Jax is bad at feelings, slow burn, wholesome, fluff, light angst, digital death, panic attack, Jax has a phobia of corn, intoxication, good vibes, character development Matchmaker Caine Masterpost

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