-Cooper-

As I laid in my bunk, I turned on the satellite phone and read through the texts between me and Oliver. I was almost halfway through my fishing job and reading Oliver's texts had become a routine for me.

"I hiked to Marymere Falls today. Our first hike together. I thought of you the entire time and as soon as you're back we need to go on a hiking date. :) We can relive our experience and maybe this time I can get to the top of Mount Storm King."

"Annabelle and I baked confetti cupcakes today and frosted them with buttercream icing. And topped them with sprinkles. You would have loved them. She promises that the three of us can make them again when you're back."

"I love you and miss you."

"Thinking about you and your sexy ass. I miss it so much. I want to grab it and squeeze it and then fuck you through the bed."

"I miss your bear hugs and all your cuddles in the morning. I even miss your beard tickling my face and waking me up."

The next one was heartbreaking, and most of the time I skipped it. But today I felt like torturing myself, so I read it. Oliver had sent it five days ago, shortly after two in the morning.

"I can't sleep. I miss you so much. The bed's too big without you and I want to feel your body pressed against mine and your arms around me. I miss your smile and your big booming laugh and your eyes and your lips. I'm counting down the days until you're back. I love you more than I thought it was ever possible to love someone. I miss you I miss you I miss you. I can't wait until you're back home. I love you so much."

I had cried the first time I read it. My heart ached and I could feel how much Oliver missed me, because I missed him the same way. I loved deep sea fishing - being out on the ocean and all the hard work and the thrill of a great catch - and I knew I didn't ever want to give it up, but I had to admit it was damn hard to be away from the man I loved.

Oliver buying the satellite phone had made a big difference though. I worked long hours and had little free time, but we texted all the time and I made a point to call Oliver every few days. We couldn't talk for hours like I wanted to, but it helped to hear Oliver's voice and talk to him in real time.

I got up from my bunk and made my way up to the deck for our call. Sometimes it was a challenge to find a quiet place to talk where I wasn't in the way, but I didn't let anything keep me from calling Oliver.

He answered almost immediately. "Hey, Coop!"

"Hey, love. It's good to hear your voice," I replied. I'd give anything for a hug from Oliver right now.

"It's good to hear yours. I miss you. How's the weather? Are you getting enough sleep?"

Oliver always had a lot of questions about how I was doing and how the job was going. My answers didn't vary much, so I spent most of our calls asking him what was going on back home. He had a lot more to report, and I enjoyed listening to him talk and letting the sound of his voice wash over me.

"You've got a short break coming up, right?" he asked, after filling me in on my family and a hike he'd gone on a couple days ago.

"Yep. We'll be at Dutch Harbor in Alaska for two days."

"What are you going to do? I'm sure you've probably been there before, but are you going to go see anything while you're there?"

I laughed. "I'll be sleeping and eating. That's what a lot of us do. I'm looking forward to being in a real bed and having access to a nicer shower and different food."

"Are you going to have enough time to talk to me?" Oliver asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll keep talking to you until I fall asleep on the phone."

"Okay. Text me the days and times you'll be there so I can clear my schedule. I'm really looking forward to talking to you for hours instead of minutes."

"Me too. I love you and miss you."

"I love you too. And I miss you more than I can say."

I didn't want this to devolve into sadness, so I tried to end the call on a cheerful note. "I'll be counting down the days until my break. Love you. Bye, Oliver."

I hung up and leaned against the railing, staring up at the sky. I didn't want to lose Oliver. It seemed like everything was going well and being able to talk to him regularly made all the difference in the world, but I couldn't shake my doubts. The last man I dated didn't make it past a month and a half into my four month fishing job. When we had pulled into the harbor for a break two months after setting out, I had turned on my cell phone to find a text from him ending our relationship. It had been sent a couple weeks prior.

It sucked, especially having to deal with the heartbreak while I was working and far away from my family. If Oliver broke up with me and went back to California, I don't think I'd survive it. Even though I'd only known him for six months, he was my best friend. He was my everything.

I hoped this wouldn't be too much for Oliver. I hoped he'd still be there when I got back.

-Oliver-

It was a grey, overcast morning in Alaska, but it was beautiful. The rolling hills and mountains rising from the ocean were a vibrant green and contrasted perfectly with the blue of the water. It was chilly, so I pulled my jacket tighter around me as I watched the flurry of activity on Cooper's fishing vessel. I knew the guys had to be coming off the vessel soon. I also knew Cooper wanted to spend his two day break sleeping, but I hoped he'd be happy to see me.

When he told me where the vessel would be for their break, I immediately booked a plane ticket out there. Flying to Alaska wasn't cheap or easy, but I would do anything if it meant I could surprise Cooper and see him in person after two months apart.

I finally spotted some men leaving the vessel, and my heart started to race when I saw Cooper. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called him. It warmed my heart when I saw the smile on his face as he saw who was calling him.

"Hey, babe!" he answered. "Perfect timing. I'm literally walking off the ship and was about to call you. How'd you know I'd be able to answer?"

I smiled. "Because I can see you."

Cooper stopped in his tracks and his head shot up. I waved, and when Cooper spotted me, I could see the shock on his face. His phone slipped out of his hand onto the ground. He quickly bent to pick it up, and then raced off the ship and jogged over to me, barreling into me hard enough that he almost knocked me over. But I didn't fall, because his arms were around me, pulling me into him. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his hair, and then he squeezed me and lifted me off the ground. I didn't even care that he was squeezing me hard enough that I suddenly couldn't breathe.

When he finally put me down, he was grinning, his smile wider than I had ever seen it before. "What are you doing here?" he asked, slightly shaking his head. "I can't believe you're actually here! Am I dreaming? This is the best surprise ever!"

"I missed you so much that I wanted to see your face in person."

He continued to look amazed. "How did you pull this off? You have to take two flights from Seattle and it's not cheap."

I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. "It was an adventure. And like I mentioned before, my boyfriend doesn't let me pay any rent so I have a lot of money sitting around."

Cooper pulled me in again, kissing me hard. I slid my fingers into this beard so I could cup the sides of his face. I was so happy to see him and feel his arms around me and his solid frame against me. It was worth every second of the day of travel and the money I spent to get here.

We separated when we heard a nearby voice. "Cooper, this your boy?"

A few of the men who had been making their way off the vessel were standing near us. I wasn't sure how friendly they'd be about two men kissing, but I didn't have to worry.

Cooper put his arm around my waist. "Yep, this is Oliver. He flew out here to surprise me. Can you believe that?"

One of the men smiled and offered his hand. "I'm Jack. It's good to finally put a face to a name."

I shook his hand and smiled back, and Cooper introduced me to the rest of the guys.

"We're not going to see you at all for the next two days, are we?" Jack asked.

Cooper grinned. "Nope. I'll see you all when we're leaving again."

After the guys walked away, I turned to Cooper. "You must be ready for a decent meal. Do you want to go get breakfast?"

"Only if the breakfast is you."

I laughed. "Hotel room it is, then."

I had rented a car, and as I made the short drive over to the hotel, Cooper's hand never left my thigh.

"I can't believe you're here," he murmured. "I'm still in shock."

"I didn't want to go another two months without seeing you."

Cooper squeezed my thigh. "I hope you're planning on showing me just how much you've missed me."

"Oh, I definitely am. As soon as we get to our hotel room."

Cooper's booming laugh filled the car. "I'm all for that, but I need to take a shower first."

"But I like the way you smell after you've been working."

"Trust me, I need a proper shower. It's not like logging where I smell like sweat, dirt, and pine needles. I smell like sweat, ocean water, and fish. You're not going to like it. And I need to clean up anyway for what I want to do with you."

"Okay," I laughed. "We'll start in the shower."

-

In the hotel, I had barely closed the door to our room before Cooper was on me. He kissed me like I was air and he was a drowning man. I kissed back just as desperately, putting my hands in his hair and then running them down his body so I could grab his ass. He moaned and pushed his hips into mine and I could feel that he was already hard.

We made our way to the shower, kissing and stripping off our clothes. It was heaven to see and feel Cooper's body again. His shoulders and biceps were just as huge as I remembered them. I could tell he had lost a little bit of weight, but he still had a hint of a belly, which I loved. I pushed my fingers through the hair on his chest as he pulled my briefs down.

In the warm water of the shower, he pressed his body to mine and our cocks slid against each other. I moaned and reached down in between us to take both of us in my hand. There was no way I could drag this out. I kissed Cooper, sliding my tongue against his and then biting his bottom lip as my hand pumped up and down. He moaned my name over and over, and it didn't even take a minute before he cried out and I felt his warmth on my hand. I was seconds behind him.

Panting, I slumped against him, pushing my face into his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and rocked us back and forth in the shower. "You're perfect," he murmured. "This is already amazing."

"You're amazing," I replied. "And I'm going to show you that over the next forty-eight hours, but I need to get you cleaned up before we start round two."

"Better hurry. I could be ready for round two in a few seconds."

I chuckled and kissed him. "You'll be more than ready after I'm done with you."

I took my time with him, slowly washing his beard and hair and rubbing his scalp and neck. I noticed Cooper's shoulders and back had some knots in the muscles, and I made a mental note to give him a massage later. Next, I washed his legs, deliberately skipping his ass so I could save the best for last.

Cooper huffed with impatience. "You're killing me. I appreciate the effort, but speed it up." 

I could see that he was rock hard again. I finally washed his cock, giving it a squeeze and stroking it a few times. Cooper whined when I removed my hand, and I squeezed his ass before sliding a finger inside him. Cooper started pushing back on my finger and moaning, but I shook my head. "Not yet". The truth was, this was killing me too, but I wanted to make sure Cooper was ready.

"I want you to take me right here," Cooper groaned, "but I know I need us to be in bed so we can go all out."

Once he was prepped, we dried off and made it to the bed in record time. As soon as I slid into Cooper, everything felt right. Being on top of him, having him in my arms and feeling his thick, strong thighs around my waist as I looked at his handsome face was perfect.

"Cooper," I moaned. "You feel so good. I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, pulling me down for a kiss.

I pushed Cooper's hands above his head and intertwined our fingers. I wanted to be as close to Cooper as possible, but I also wanted him to feel as good as possible. I thrusted into him slowly and let my abs rub Cooper's cock in between our bodies.

"It's too much," Cooper panted. "I'm not going to last."

"We'll change positions if you get too close."

"We better do that now," he warned. Before I knew it, I was on my back and Cooper was riding me. I was more than happy to lay back and let him have control. I gripped his sides and stared up into his eyes. "You're so beautiful," I told him. "I've missed seeing your face."

"I'm lucky to have you," he replied. "I love you." Neither of us could seem to stop staying that.

"And I love you, especially your ass." I flipped us over and nudged Cooper to turn over onto his stomach. I ran my hands up the backs of his thighs and began kneading his cheeks. He moaned and started grinding into the mattress.

I pulled his hips up and began thrusting into him again. I tried angling different ways until I heard Cooper moan even louder.

"Right there," he panted. "That's it."

I sped up my thrusts and reached around Cooper so I could pump his cock at the same time. I was rewarded with his moans getting louder and him starting to call out my name. I loved every second of it, but it was almost impossible to hold back when Cooper got loud.

I came as soon as he did, and the next few seconds were filled with both of us crying out and grinding into each other like we couldn't get close enough. Cooper collapsed onto the bed and I followed, placing kisses on his back until I pulled out of him. We clung to each other as I laid next to him and faced him, entwining my legs with his and pressing our noses and foreheads together.

"That was incredible," Cooper whispered. "Seeing you was exactly what I needed in the middle of this job."

"I know. It's going to be tough to say goodbye again."

For the next few minutes we didn't talk, and I gently ran my fingers up and down Cooper's back as we traded kisses. I didn't want to leave the bed, but I knew we'd have to eventually.

Cooper looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open. "We can go get food," he said.

"No, I'll go pick something up," I replied. "You stay here and sleep."

Cooper gave me a lazy smile, and I kissed him on the forehead and cheeks before I got up to get dressed.

-

When I got back, I tried to sneak into the room with the food, but Cooper must have smelled it, because he opened his eyes as I approached. I took my clothes back off, leaving only my briefs, and got in bed.

"It smells good," Cooper said, sitting up. "What'd you get?"

"A lot of things. Steak and eggs, a couple different omelets and scrambles, and some pancakes."

I opened the takeout containers and spread them on top of the blanket. "What do you want first?"

"You choose."

I couldn't resist feeding Cooper, sometimes with my fingers and sometimes with a fork. I knew his time at sea was tough, with long days and lots of physical labor, so I wanted to take care of him. Once we'd both had all the food we wanted, I cleaned it up and told Cooper to roll over. He sighed in contentment as I spread some lotion over his back and began to massage his tense muscles.

Once I got the knots out and started a more gentle, soothing massage, Cooper's breathing grew deeper and more even, and I realized he had fallen asleep. I didn't mind. I knew he needed the rest, and I was more than happy to watch him as he slept, trying to memorize each and every detail of his face. I loved looking at him.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up to a gentle touch on my face. Cooper was awake and tracing the outline of my cheekbones and jawline.

"Sorry to wake you," he said. "I want to remember everything about you when we're apart for another two months."

"I know the feeling. I wish you had a week-long break instead of just a couple days."

"Me too. But it'd never be enough time." Cooper's voice was low and husky, and his eyes were soft and had a slight sheen as he kept eye contact with me. He never looked away, not even for a second.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. "Don't be sad."

Cooper smiled. "You treat me so well. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to have you. Of course I'm going to be sad knowing I have to say goodbye to you again."

"None of that," I scolded lightly. "We're not going to think about it until the morning you have to get back on the ship."

"Thank you for coming out here," Cooper replied, taking my hand and giving it a light squeeze. "It...was the best thing you could have done for us," he said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"The guy I was with for a year broke up with me over text before I even got halfway through my fishing job. I didn't even know until our break when I got cell service again."

I hadn't known this about his past relationship, but it made a lot of little things I had noticed make sense. I scooted closer to Cooper on the bed and played with part of his beard. "Were you worried the same thing was going to happen with me?"

His eyes shifted away. "Our relationship feels so solid, but you never know, right? Being in a long distance relationship, especially when it's tough to communicate, isn't easy for even the strongest couples."

"Cooper, look at me."

His eyes met mine, and I brought one of his hands to my lips and kissed it. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. There's nothing that could make me walk away from the perfect man for me." 

He smiled, but I could tell he was still hesitant to trust I would be there when he got home. I couldn't blame him. His experience so far had shown him otherwise.

"There are so many things I want to do together when you get home," I continued. "I've been making a list. If it's okay with you, can I start making plans? You know, like reserving campsites or booking hotels?"

I saw a spark of hope in Cooper's eyes at the mention of me making solid plans for the future. "Of course that's okay. I'd love that."

"Any requests? Or can I surprise you?"

"Surprise me. After how you surprised me by showing up to Alaska to spend two days with me, you can surprise me anytime. Your surprises are the best."

"You're the best," I murmured, before I leaned in to kiss him. 

I knew we were going to be okay, and this time, I think Cooper knew it too.

------------

Author's note: This chapter is longer than what I usually post, but I didn't want to split it into two parts. I'm still planning on adding more bonus chapters, but it might not happen for another month or two due to travel and work.