小苹果

elyon // 21+

[eynbwn]

elyon / 21+ / evil men enthusiast

+ yandere content !

+ i don't take requests; i'm just writing for the love of the game (the game being yanderes)

+ fandoms: love and deepspace, genshin, hsr, tba.

+ masterlist

— love and deepspace

caleb

general headcanons

he cried the first time you say "i hate you" to him

dreaming of a caleb christmas

kissing caleb on the couch

caleb's nightmares

summer in winter (series)

— honkai star rail

[eynbwn]

— caleb x reader

summary: on a day usually celebrated with family, caleb tries his best to give you some semblance of belonging.

wc: 1.7k

cw: fluff, a miniscule drop of angst, could be read as romantic or platonic

notes: i'm in a very chinese time of my life. i quite literally predicted his phone call where he buys mc new clothes infold hire me now. in cantonese, we say 快高长大 which means grow up quickly, but caleb wouldn't say that bc he doesn't want his little sister to grow up :'). happy chinese new year to anyone that celebrates!

At 13, you had long let go of your wish to wear a pretty cheongsam like the girls in the neighborhood did. You had always watched with envy as they twirled and showed off their delicately detailed designs. But seeing as you were all grown up, in your eyes at least, you figured it was a childish notion. 

However, when you awoke to see a beautiful red cheongsam draped on your chair, you couldn’t help the excitement bubbling in your chest. A cheongsam! Just for you! You had a good guess about who it was from by the way there were two apple hair ties next to it. Attached was a note in Caleb’s boyish handwriting: will be back in the afternoon :P

Though your gege – three years older, three years steadier – could be quite annoying at times, there was never any doubt within you that he cared. He always put you first, no matter what. Every wish you expressed was granted by him to the utmost consideration and no complaints. At the thought of Caleb looking through colorful cheongsams in a store full of adults to find one that fit you so perfectly, you smiled to yourself.

At 16, Caleb prided himself in diligently doing his part as your gege. Still, it wasn’t enough for him just yet. In his mind, he had a list of all the things you had ever shown interest in. Which was why the day after he had turned 16, he found himself a job at the local swimming pool as a life guard. In all honesty, Caleb thought it was a little ridiculous that 16 year olds could be employed to drag full grown adults out of the pool, but money was money. 

As people started putting up glowing red lanterns and cartoonish horses were displayed on the neighboring homes, Caleb remembered one particular wish of yours: you had always wanted to wear a cheongsam. Whenever you’d come home from school, pouting with those adorable eyes of yours, Caleb would feel his heart squeeze painfully as you recounted all the pictures your friends had shown you of their New Year’s celebrations. That day, Caleb made a silent promise to himself that he’d buy you a cheongsam of your own with his hard earned money. Anything to see that cute smile on his precious little meimei’s face. 

Caleb’s family was no normal family. Many Chinese New Year celebrations required generational history, something you and Caleb didn’t have. Even with Granny Josephine as a guardian, the three of you had a different kind of history. In fact, Granny Josephine barely had time to spend with you and Caleb as most days, she was working away to earn enough money for a roof over your head. 

Neither of you had any ancestors to pray to, no relatives to have a large boisterous celebration dinner. Yet, Caleb didn’t want to give up on giving you a personalized Chinese New Year experience. Now that he was a grown boy, he figured it was time to take things into his own hands. He’d go the full nine yards, buying those endearingly ugly horse decorations, setting off fireworks, and making nian gao. 

Speaking of nian gao, Caleb walked home eagerly with the ingredients in a plastic bag and a head full of eager thoughts. Did you like the cheongsam? Did you squeal and gush like he always thought you would? As much as he wanted to see your face when you spotted it in your dresser, he needed to quickly run to the grocery store if he wanted to have enough time for all the activities he had planned for the day. He could already picture you posing with peace signs in front of the mirror in your room and his heart clenched with cuteness aggression at the image.

As it turns out, Caleb had an uncanny ability to pick outfits for you. 

“What do you think? Don’t I look cute?” You immediately jumped him the moment he stepped through the door, bouncing up and down in your new cheongsam. 

Caleb chuckled, watching you flaunt your new dress. You were beautiful. The boundless joy on your face made the hours of work worth it. The edges of the dress outlined your curves perfectly while the pigtails added an innocent charm.

“Now, what do you say?” Caleb leaned down, cupping his ear. 

Usually, you’d huff and refuse to give in to see him whine a little but you supposed he deserved it. “Thank you, gege! You’re the best gege in the world!”

He hummed in satisfaction. “Good girl.” 

Your sweet words would always butter him up no matter what mood he was in. That was his right as your gege. He made his way to the refrigerator as you trailed behind him like a little duckling and placed the ingredients onto the shelves.

“What did you get?” Nosy as ever, you peered into the plastic bag to gather some evidence as to what he was up to.

“We – ,” he grunted as he looked through the cabinets in search of two pans, “ – are gonna make nian gao.”

“Caleb, are you sure about this? Last time you tried bakin’ a cake for my birthday, you gave yourself second degree burns.”

“I think you’re underestimatin’ me, pips. Just wait and see.”

Per your prediction, the nian gao turned out a lot more burnt than the pictures in the recipe. Its only redeeming factor was that the sweetness hid the bitterness. Still, you nibbled happily at the sweet treat as Caleb watched you with a content smile.

He reached over, patting your head and ruffling your hair in a familiar gesture.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” you muttered, suspicious.

“Is there somethin’ wrong with me admirin’ how cute my little meimei is?”

“Yes. Stop looking or I’ll poke your eyes out with my chopsticks.” You held the pair up threateningly, but all Caleb could see was an angry little hamster. When he pinched your cheeks, you tried your hardest to bite his fingers off. No one but Granny gets away with that. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up the mess in the kitchen that Caleb made and watching the New Year’s performances. Though the routine comedy acts were mildly entertaining at best, the show definitely put you in a festive mood. As you started nodding off and dreaming about tangyuan, you felt Caleb’s gentle hand shaking your shoulder.

“If you’re feelin’ sleepy then we can stay home, but do you wanna go see the fireworks? They’ll be startin’ soon and I wanna get the good seats.”

You shook off the last few thoughts of some sesame filled tangyuan and nodded sleepily. 

The two of you walked to the pier, hand in hand, and as Caleb navigated his way through the crowd, you couldn’t help but notice how much drier his hands had gotten. You knew Caleb wasn’t very diligent in taking care of himself so you made a note to give him some of your hand cream when you returned home.

Of course the pier was filled with people. Families, namely. Everywhere you looked were a pair of parents and their children happily dashing all around, taking in the spirit of the New Year. A father held his little girl high in the air as she giggled and stretched her arms out. A grandmother gazed lovingly at her little grandson while she tugged at his ridiculously large coat. Glancing back up at Caleb, you squeezed his hand a little tighter – a reminder that he wasn’t alone.

The first of the fireworks bloomed in the night sky, illuminating the city of Linkon as a marker of another round of new beginnings. You felt a tug on your hand and turned your head to see Caleb gently smiling at you.

“I’ve got one last thing for you, buuut you’ll have to work for it,” he teased with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Suspicion tugged at your eyebrows. What was he up to this time? “Alright, I’ll bite.”

He tilted his cheek towards you and closed his eyes with a light smile on his lips. You groaned, rolled your eyes, and grabbed his face. Perhaps it was because of all the happy families around you, but you decided you were in a giving mood.

Pressing your lips against his soft skin, you felt the sudden urge to bite at his chubby cheeks but restrained yourself for the greater good of whatever Caleb had in store for you. To your irritation, he turned his other cheek, expecting another kiss. This time, you didn’t hold back and chomped on the flesh.

He let out a yelp, trying in vain to pull you off of him.

“That’s what you get for bein’ all big and greedy.”

“Alright, alright.” He pulled out a red envelope from his back pocket and held it out with both hands. “Happy Chinese New Year, meimei!”

You jumped him, wrapping your arms tight around his neck. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” It had been a while since you had been physically handed a red envelope. Granny usually just left it on the kitchen table before she was off to work. 

As you littered a million more kisses onto Caleb’s face, Caleb couldn’t help the redness from glowing on his cheeks and he chuckled at your enthusiasm. Seeing you so excited about a simple red envelope, he once again got that feeling – one that often arose whenever he heard your twinkling laughter. He wanted to give you the world and he’d stop at nothing to accomplish his goal. It was the least you deserved after everything that had happened to you. While you watched the night sky, all Caleb could focus on was the way the lights reflected from the raised curves of your cheeks. 

“Caleb, look! That one looks like a leopard!”

He hummed in agreement, eyes still locked onto you. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on your forehead. All the family he needed was right here by his side and he could only wish for you to always stay by his side.

[eynbwn]

— caleb x reader

notes: may have gone overboard with the geges...

It was during moments like these that you were reminded that Caleb was not just your gege, but a man – and a handsome one at that. As his strong thighs shifted beneath you, your own muscles tensed at the heat radiating through his jeans. Guilt rose sharp in your stomach, but the feeling only sharpened the dizzy sweetness of him beneath you. Somewhere in the blurred lines between your role as his meimei and a woman madly in love, insatiability had slyly etched its sin into the rapid pounding of your heart.

You had spent years teetering on the edge between following the rules and selfishly breaking through them, but as his lips pressed tightly to yours, the resolve you had built your entire life immediately crumbled to dust. A large hand made its way to the small of your neck, tightly gripping the hair at the base, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through your chest. Hesitantly you pressed back with equal, if not more, fervor – trying in vain to pour all your desperate need for your gege into that kiss. His other arm wrapped itself around your back, fingers digging into your sides with a fire you couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

You pulled your head back to drag in a breath, but he quickly leaned forward, chasing the plushness of your lips on his.

His mouth slightly ajar, he whispered, “Meimei.”

You looked away in shame when your core prickled with a feverish warmth at the nickname that once felt innocent. Now it was a weapon he could use to get you to answer his every beck and call, whether or not he knew it. Like Eve enticing Adam with the flesh of the Apple, Caleb’s eyes pleaded to get another taste of you.

He felt your thighs tighten against his in anticipation as his arm drifted from your waist under your shirt. He let his fingernails gently hover over your skin before his hand greedily gripped at your side. Eyes wide, he searched your face, drinking in every change in expression. Held impossibly tighter against him, you allowed your mouth to capture his once more with a quiet whimper. 

Something warm brushed the seam of your mouth, and you let out an embarrassing squeak before darting backwards.

“Gege, I don’t know how–”

Pinching your finger between his thumb and pointer, he tugged you back to him. “Gege will teach you. Just keep your mouth open.”

Caleb was impressed by his own confidence. Of course this was his first time as it was yours, but holding you felt as natural as breathing. The way you molded perfectly into his arms had his heart jumping to his throat. His usual self restraint hung by a thread, eagerly waiting for the moment it would snap and he’d finally be able to show you just how much he craved you all these years.

You nodded slowly, entrusting yourself to Caleb like you had done many times before, and closed your eyes gently. With a touch of his tongue, you – at long last– got a taste of your gege. The sparks of excitement flared into unbridled love. 

Your fingers grasped tightly at the front of his shirt in a feeble attempt at keeping yourself grounded. Lips moved unrestrained, matching his quickening attempts at consuming more and more and more of you. Fingers dug into the softness of your hips, making their way down, down, down to the edge of your waistband. When you didn’t make a move to stop him, he couldn’t stop the smirk spreading across his mouth, but his hand traced itself back towards the small of your back. 

And you whined. He had you right where he wanted you.

[eynbwn]

SUMMER IN WINTER

— yandere!caleb x reader

— series masterlist

summary: life in the snowy white mountains is harsh but peaceful. one particularly cold night, a little stranger arrives at your door, shivering and starving. granny josephine, pitying the poor thing, takes him in. from then on, the days once spent quietly at her side are shared with a new presence — caleb. your world should have stayed that way, but when the aches in your chest cause you to become bedridden, the cracks in the ice start to show. some things are closest when they intend to keep you.

genre: horror?, angst, fluff, yandere! caleb, ancient china au, slightly suggestive (but not really)

notes: based on the grateful crane folk story, they refer to each other as gege/meimei, banner made by me on canva!

one + two

[eynbwn]

SUMMER IN WINTER / CHAPTER 2

— yandere!caleb x reader

summary: fumbling through the snow, you wonder why you even asked him to teach you how to hunt in the first place. now you're lost and scared.

genre: horror?, angst, fluff, yandere! caleb, ancient china au

notes: based on the grateful crane folk story, they refer to each other as gege/meimei, this is so unedited. guys i have absolutely no motivation. i got really into hsr so potential phainon fic coming...

series masterlist + one

“Teach me how to hunt!”

“No.”

“Plea-”

He shook his head staunchly. “Not even with a cherry on top.”

Crossing your arms, you let out a grumble. “Meanie.”

“You wanna say that again?” he smiled while pinching your cheek. With a shake of your head and a pout, you stomped off from the blacksmith’s shop, the clanging sound of metal on metal fading into the background. Dirt had splattered onto your pants but you weren’t the one on laundry duty so it didn’t matter. Caleb trailed closely behind you, undeterred from your little tantrum. You tried in vain to lose him but his long strides inevitably caught up to you. While he was just a few inches taller than you some years ago, he was a whole head taller than you now. 

“Good morning!” a woman from the stall called out. 

Caleb reciprocated her greeting while you watched as she fawned over him. Despite only being a child, you could understand that Caleb had somehow captured the hearts of every adult in the town. They all clamored about how “handsome” and what a “good boy” he had grown up to be but you would testify otherwise. At home, he was nothing short of a big and greedy nuisance.

His head blocked the weak winter sun, freckles dark against his pink cheeks, casting a shadow over your smaller figure.

“What’s with the sudden interest anyway?”

Clasping your hands together, you batted your lashes. "Oh Caleb, you just look so cool holdin' a bow. I just wanna be like you!"

He tapped his chin, pretending to mull it over and a wide smirk grew on his face. "I do look pretty cool, but..." Drawl turning smug. "Still no."

“You-” Whipping around to punch him, your fist met nothing but air as he gracefully dodged your attack. “I take it back! You’re ugly and a meanie!” Much to your chagrin, he let out a hearty chuckle at your failed attempts to catch him. His hand caught your wrist mid-punch while he grabbed your other hand as you tried to free yourself from his hold. No longer able to enact your vengeance, you surrendered.

“What if one day you and Granny are gone and I’m all alone? I’ll starve to death!” you whined.

His hand ruffled your hair. “Don’t be silly. When have you ever been alone?” As reluctant as you were to admit it, Caleb was right. Ever since the snowy day he arrived, he had never left your side. There was never one without the other – never you without Caleb. Still, during the long stretches of silence on peaceful days, you wondered if there would ever be a day when you would be lonely again. Those moments were far and few in between but dread filled your bones without fail every time. The only sight that was capable of chasing away those nightmares was Caleb soundly asleep at your side. 

In actuality, the loneliness was part of the reason you wanted to learn how to hunt. Caleb had been traveling with some of the young men from the town after they convinced Granny to let him tag along on their hunting trips. You found yourself spending stretches of time missing him when you would usually be doing chores by his side. If you were to prove yourself to be just as self sufficient as Caleb, maybe you’d be able to follow him.

“Fine! If I die of starvation one day I hope it haunts you forever!”

“Enough talk about you dyin’. Those potatoes aren’t gonna buy themselves.” He made his way down the street with you in tow like always. Even the glare you aimed at the back of his head had no effect on his sunny disposition. You picked up a small potato, examining it like an archaeological treasure. His hand plucked it from your fingers and set it back down into the dirt-stained wooden bucket with the other unsightly potatoes.

“The best ones are usually bigger.” You rolled your eyes. Who was he to tell you what to do? Throwing a glare at him, you crouched down, grabbed the potato, and set it down in your basket. His irritating smile still sat stubbornly on his face.

“Oh?” Caleb was already long accustomed to your acts of defiance but they never failed to amuse him. Sometimes, it seemed like he even took pleasure in watching you pout.

This continued for the rest of the shopping trip. Every time you picked up a plump tomato, he’d return it, and you’d sneak it back into the basket. You even grabbed a fistful of cilantro, yet he showed no signs of frustration. Damn Caleb and his endless patience. 

He was no stranger to your tantrums. He handled them with a maturity past his years, but there was one strategy you knew he’d fold to every single time. Thus began your crusade to ignore Caleb until he gave in.

While walking up the mountain, you carried your own basket, heavy with carrots, apples, and the cilantro you stubbornly kept. Usually Caleb, being the stronger one, would handle both his and your basket as you sped far ahead of him but not this time. Your legs shook and strained with each step. The rough handle of the basket scratched at your palms. The cold winter air didn’t make the journey any easier and every breath stung at your throat. But when Caleb tried to take your basket, you turned your head from him and marched forward. He could only shake his head and sigh in amusement. Granny greeted you at the door, shocked at your sweaty figure as you proudly handed her the fresh produce. She shot Caleb a questioning look but he shrugged his shoulders. 

After dinner time, Caleb placed apple slices before you like always. You yearned to place the shiny red bunnies into your mouth and taste the sweetness of fresh apples. If he hadn’t stubbornly refused your request you would’ve inhaled them with eagerness, but you were determined to win this cold war. The plate of apples found itself in front of Granny instead while Caleb raised an eyebrow at you. The fresh crunch of Granny biting into the apple’s flesh sounded like music to your ears but you clenched your hands under the table to stave off the temptation. You had to stand your ground. You knew what he was thinking, a perk of spending so much time with him. He thought if he held out long enough you’d eventually get bored of ignoring him but you were resolute this time. You would ignore him for the rest of your life if that was what it took.

That night, Caleb watched as you struggled to gather your blanket in your arms. He had already settled himself into the spot next to you on the bed like every night when you had walked in with a menacing glare.

“What are you doin’?” he asked curiously.

“I’m sleepin’ in Granny’s room tonight.” He would’ve been ecstatic that you finally responded to him after a whole afternoon of silence, if not for the implications the words carried. 

“Why?”

“Just feel like it,” you muttered, eyebrows furrowing in frustration as the edge of your blanket dragged on the floor.

“But you always sleep here.”

“Yeah, well I don’t want to sleep next to you.”

Caleb released a sigh. You and your antics. “Alright, alright. I’ll teach you if you promise to stay.” 

“Really?” you exclaimed. A bright smile immediately shone on your face. This was your perfect victory. 

“Yes, really. Now get in bed before Granny catches us stayin’ up.” Eagerly climbing onto your side of the bed, you gave Caleb a bone crushing hug.

“You’re the best, Caleb!”

When morning came, you were nothing short of bouncing with excitement. Caleb could only watch in amusement as you hopped around him, urging him to eat his breakfast faster. You had already scarfed down your own breakfast by the time he sat down at the dining table. After promising Granny to get home by sunset, the two of you were off into the snowy woods. 

White puffs of air left your mouth and drifted up into the trees but you were far too enthusiastic for the upcoming hunt to  register the cold nipping at your cheeks. In front of you, Caleb traced the route he had walked before with his group of older boys, making sure he knew how to get back home.

“We should be far enough,” he said. You nodded, eager to start hunting.

“What’s next, Captain Caleb?”

He let out a delighted chuckle. “Captain? If I knew you would give me such an honorary title, I would’ve agreed a lot sooner.”

“If I knew you would’ve agreed, I would’ve called you captain a lot sooner,” you retorted, rolling your eyes. It seemed even his act of goodwill couldn’t curb your brattiness. Despite your attempts at sustaining your annoyance, his boyish laugh brought a smile to your face. Caleb’s natural friendliness charmed everyone he came across and you were no exception.

“Since you’re just starting out, I didn’t bring any weapons. And before you say anything, I didn’t want you accidentally hurtin’ yourself.”

With the number of times you’ve rolled your eyes at Caleb, they might as well have gotten stuck in the back of your head. Of course he claimed it was for your safety. You wouldn’t have expected anything less from your overprotective Caleb. But as a kind and considerate meimei, you let it go for the sake of peace.

“First lesson, learn to be quiet. I know it must be hard for you, but silence is an essential skill for trackin’ and huntin’.”

“You-! If people knew how big of a jerk you were they wouldn’t keep givin’ you free candies! And they would stop calling you cute and handsome!”

“Need I remind you that I always give you half the profits?” he smirked. “What an ungrateful meimei you are.”

“Take your own advice and shut up!”

His heavy hand plopped onto your head, exerting his dominance. “You used to be so cute, followin’ me around everywhere, but now you’ve been reduced to a feisty little tiger.”

“Keep talking and I’ll tell Granny who ‘accidentally’ ruined our crops with weed killer!”

“Alright, that’s enough. You want to learn or not?”

You crossed your arms while imagining the 101 ways you could get your revenge but kept your mouth shut. After you acquire the skills to hunt down prey, you’d have 102 ways.

Within minutes, Caleb had reverted back to captain mode, and you nodded along as his faithful student. First, keep quiet. Second, the snow is unforgiving even at its softest, especially at its softness. Its deceit knows no limits and heavens forbid you sink into the white powder, lost to its cruelty forever. You suspected Caleb was exaggerating about this part but you let him drone on about how dangerous the terrain was. Third, to catch prey one must become prey first. Though that didn’t sound quite right, Caleb insisted he was taught the same way; he was simply passing down archaic knowledge, he claimed.

As you stepped lightly through the freshly fallen snow, you seriously doubted Caleb’s expertise. Hide and seek seemed like the last thing you should’ve been doing right now. You were supposed to be learning how to survive out in the wild but it wasn’t like you had any other plans. Nevertheless, you dashed off the moment he started counting down from 30. If Caleb was truly a trained master of the hunt, you needed as much time as possible to get away. Following his advice, you traced your way through the shallowest layers of white, ensuring to leave as few tracks as possible. 

Placing a frosty hand to your mouth to silence your breaths, you strained your ears to catch any sound of his boots crunching on the snow or the ruffle of his clothing. Nothing but the chirping of birds flowed through the chilly air. You were safe for now.

Pivoting to the horizon, you caught a glimpse of a fluffy round figure at the corner of your eye. You turned your head slowly, fearing that the stiff creak of your bones could scare it away. Was it a bunny? You were quite fond of those creatures, but who wouldn’t be with how adorable they were? When you looked closer at its waddling form, you realized this creature was much larger than a bunny. It reached a little higher than half of your whole body and bore feathers as white as the snow around it. At the tips, the feathers were tinged with speckles of brown and it crouched gracefully on its long, thin legs. 

Cranes were a rare sight around these parts; the last time you had seen one was years ago. You remembered its beady eyes, so dark they were almost purple, darting around, almost as if it were pleading with you to set it free from the clamp digging into its limbs; the one in front of you looked almost identical but this time, it stood silently observing your form. 

The cold lightly stung at your nose and you felt the urge to sneeze but you remained entranced by the beautiful crane. Something about this crane demanded you stay fixated on it. It wasn’t until it flew away with a sudden flap of its elegant wings that you finally remembered where you were.

Right. Gotta watch out for Caleb. Just as the thought occurred to you,  a shadow toppled you from behind. You screeched and screamed for your life. Someone’s arms clenched tightly around your waist, refusing to budge even when you pushed with all your little might.

“Wow, you’re perfect for this role. Maybe you were prey in your previous life,” Caleb huffed into your ear.

“Yeah, and maybe you were the same big meanie Caleb tryin’ to scare the life out of me!” 

You allowed your limbs to flop onto the snow, taking a brief moment to catch your breath after having the marbles scared out of you. You always found his habit of spooking you terribly annoying, but it never seemed to stick to his head. Knowing how cruel he was, he probably found amusement in the way you would always shriek and cry for Granny. Someday, you swore. Someday you’d get him back so good that he’d ascend to the heavens and never come back down.

Behind your back, you fisted a ball of snow, slowly moved it closer and closer to Caleb’s coat, and quickly shoved it under against his warm skin, making sure every inch of his back felt your wrath.

The squeal that left him was worth endangering your life for the next half hour.

“You brat! I’m gonna get you!” You ran with a relentlessness that only showed in times of trouble – more specifically, when you were about to get scolded by Granny before blaming it on Caleb.

“Time out! Time out!” you wheezed. “No more!” 

Caleb was in no better shape, despite being more athletically gifted. The sky had started to dim with blue velvet, and you vaguely remembered your curfew. But you didn’t want the fun to end!

“This time you hide and I’ll find you!”

“But it’s almost dinner time. Granny’ll get mad if we don’t go back soon.”

“Aw, please Caleb? Just one more?” you pleaded with your innocent naive eyes. “Please? Please? Please?”

Fulfilling his duties as an older brother, Caleb relented. He just couldn’t say no to that look. And so, you shut your eyes and counted to 20 (you claimed that since Caleb was an expert, he should be fine with just 20 seconds).

Soon, you began to regret your decision. Nightfall had long enveloped the woods, and the snow was just barely visible from the reflections of the silver moon. Yet, you still had no idea where Caleb could be. It seemed as if you had been walking around in circles for the past god knows how long. 

Your legs ached from exertion. Your cheeks and nose had long grown numb from the cold. The coat around your shoulders provided no protection from the night chills. Your chest hurted, whether it be from exertion on your lungs or just lethargy.

“Caleb?” You had long given up on searching for him. You just wanted to get home underneath your warm blankets with him, but you only received silence. “Caleb, I want to go home.”

Your whispers didn’t make it far – certainly not far enough to reach him. You were just about to collapse onto the softness underneath your boots when you spotted that crane again. It stood before you once more. While the sun had peaked through its feathers, revealing their softness, the moonlight refracted against its plumes, making them glow. 

You had heard that crane feathers could provide warmth and were quite expensive. Maybe this crane would let you take some of its warmth?

“Mr. Crane? Can I hold you for a second?” you sniffled. “I’m so cold.” You could barely make out its figure anymore through your blurry vision.

For a while, it didn’t move. It just stared and watched. But eventually, it slowly stalked towards you and gently perched before you. Without a second thought, you plunged your face into its feathers. It didn’t carry the scent animals usually did. Instead, the crane’s plumage held a woody scent. 

For a reason you couldn’t place, it started to rouse feelings of homesickness within you. Yes, you were away from home, but this longing struck deep within your soul and sifted through the cracks, engulfing your entire being. Your heartbreak quickened without explanation. Your breathing became shallower and shallower. Before you knew it, tears sprang from your eyes and soaked into the feathers.

“I want to go home,” you cried. “I want Caleb!” 

Wailing without restraint, a wave of frustration and fear flooded your emotions. Your sudden burst of distress caused the crane to jolt up and dash away, leaving you to your lonesome once more. No one was coming to help you. You scared off your only companion with your sobs. Caleb and Granny would just have to do without you. Defeated, you let yourself curl up into a ball of despair and allowed your tears to drip into the snow underneath.

Out of the blue, a heavy fabric laid itself on your side. Looking up, you saw Caleb’s concerned face. “Caleb!” Blubbering, you threw yourself at him.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. Gege is here.” He stroked your head softly, rocking back and forth while placing comforting pecks on your forehead. “Gege will always find you. No matter where you are.”

You buried your face into the warm crook of his neck, fisted his shirt, and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Your brother was here. You didn’t have to worry about anything with Caleb’s soft inviting warmth enveloping you. 

taglist: @maliciousdreamlair @txtworlddom @poptrim

[eynbwn]

— caleb x reader

summary: caleb nightmares notes: angst no comfort, short a/n: i am incapable of writing for this man without torturing him. anyway, the anniversary trailer...at least i'll have enough for his myth cards XD

Thunder cracked overhead, and Caleb’s hand was already around your wrist before he realized he was dreaming again. 

He’d survived worse nightmares, but this one – this same dream that haunted him for four nights straight – always ended the same. Too many nights had he woken up in a state of disarray, sweat soaking his grey sheets. For the past couple years, they had grown rare – until the explosion. Since that day, they returned with a suffocating frequency even after reuniting with you.

Every dream returned to the same beginning – with the two of you back at the old house. Thunder rumbled outside as the rain battered onto the windows. He didn’t know why or how, but he stood in the living room with one hand wrapped tight around your wrist and the other cupping your face. Your gaze remained anchored onto the floor but even so, he could see the traces your tears had left behind. 

When you were little, he’d always find a way to elicit a laugh out of you whether it was making strange faces or tripping over himself. You always seemed to find pleasure in his pain yet he never minded it as long as you smiled. But now that you had grown up apart from him and the days at the DAA dug a trench in the relationship, he found himself scrambling for ways to make you light up with joy like you did before. His dreams were no exception, but the Caleb in his dreams was selfish. He wasn’t safe even in the recesses of his mind. He could have blamed it on the chip, but the amalgamation of his fears had presented itself long before he was snatched up by Lucius. 

“Please,” his voice strained, the word barely escaping his throat. “Say you love me.”

His heart fractured piece by piece every second you refused to look up at him with those beautiful eyes. He was never able to stop himself – just watched as his purpose for being crumbled before him. Saying he would’ve stayed away from you if you never found him was easy (at least compared to everything else Caleb had gone through), but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t spend every waking and sleeping second agonizing over the loss of your presence beside him. He could endure your hatred, but not your choice to leave. He couldn’t – wouldn’t allow himself to exist without you.

His heart clenched until the muscle cramped from distress, and he’d startle awake – tears pooling, chest heaving, breath catching in ragged bursts. The same dull stretch of Skyhaven’s overcast sky greeted him. He fumbled for his phone – 3:11 AM. He knew you’d be fast asleep but he wanted you to whisper sweet reassurances through the phone while he resisted his body’s pleas for rest. But Caleb had always been a coward, so he set his phone down, letting his eyelids sink shut as he hoped to never dream again.

[eynbwn]

SUMMER IN WINTER / CHAPTER 1

— yandere! caleb x reader

summary: life in the snowy white mountains is harsh but peaceful. one particularly cold night, a little stranger arrives at your door, shivering and starving. granny josephine, pitying the poor thing, takes him in. from then on, the days once spent quietly at her side are shared with a new presence — caleb. your world should have stayed that way, but when the aches in your chest cause you to become bedridden, the cracks in the ice start to show. some things are closest when they intend to keep you.

genre: horror?, angst, fluff, yandere! caleb, ancient china au, slightly suggestive (but not really)

notes: based on the grateful crane folk story. they refer to each other as gege/meimei. if this flops i'm never logging into tumblr again.

series masterlist + two

Granny Josephine had been alive for a long time – long enough that nothing could surprise her anymore. Yet, she had never experienced such a phenomenon within her centuries-old existence. 

Perhaps I’m finally startin’ to go senile, she mused. Her gaze fixed onto the small silhouette standing before the double doors of her home. The figure had been standing outside long enough for the water in the kettle to boil dry on the hearth. She initially brushed it off as a shadow casted by the outdoor decorations since she had recently put up new lanterns. But when it sporadically swayed from side to side, she realized it was a person, albeit a small one. The trek up the mountain was impossibly difficult for most humans. What was a child doing here? 

Dismissing the thought, she eased the double doors open, wood groaning like a hushed warning. There stood a little boy, no older than nine, in a thin light blue robe. White powder had accumulated on his head and shoulders from the snow – bright white against his woody brown hair – and yet he didn’t show the slightest hint of coldness save for the tinges of blue on his fingertips. Wordlessly, he tilted his head to meet her confused expression. Big purple eyes bore into her. He surely looked like a child, but there was something about his gaze that lacked the easy innocence she had come to expect from children. Still, he was just a little boy stranded out in the snowy mountains with nothing but the clothes on his back.

“Oh dear! What’s a child like you doin’ all the way up here?” Josephine asked worriedly. “Well, nevermind that. Let’s get you warmed up inside.” 

She carefully took his little hand in hers and led him to the hearth, instructing him to wait there. Her home wasn’t anything special, but it had protected her from the elements for centuries; and it held special memories of the times she spent with you. She pilfered through her closet for an old blanket she kept for the colder nights, sighing in relief when her hands closed around the worn fabric. When she returned, the boy stood exactly where she had left him. Unmoving. She had half expected him to wander off through the halls as young children tend to do, but perhaps she was too accustomed to your disobedience. 

He grasped the blanket, faltering slightly at its weight, and perched himself before the hearth. Clumps of snow rolled off his shoulders and melted into the wooden floors. His hands weren’t quite warm yet, but no one would have been able to guess he had been standing outside in the freezing cold. In the hearth, waves of fire rolled and popped like the small crackling balls Granny would buy for you from the market in the town miles away. He appeared tired, but not exhausted – hungry, but not gaunt.

“What’s your name, dear? And where are your parents?” 

Silence. He remained facing the fire, little hands gripping the edges of the blanket. If not for the hazy orange glow reflecting off his plump cheeks, he could have been easily mistaken for a porcelain doll.

“You can call me Granny,” she whispered carefully, as if speaking to a kitten. Perhaps he was just shy. His parents must’ve been worried sick about their poor son, but how was he able to make his way up here? The mountain rarely had visitors and even she occasionally had some difficulty reaching her home after a long day in the town, arms laden with fresh vegetables and fruit. She’d have to take another trip to the town to see if anyone reported a lost little boy – the pantry was running out of vegetables anyway. She glanced at him once more, hoping he’d give her a clue as to where he was from. The stillness remained.

“Are you hungry? Must’ve been a long walk for you.”

He nodded slowly as if he were unsure about his current state of hunger. She only huffed in amusement, chalking it up to the child’s shyness, and grabbed a couple apples from the fruit basket at the dining table. Light steps followed after her into the kitchen. With gentle, practiced precision, she started peeling the apple’s red skin. “I have a little girl, just a tad younger than you – loves apples. She always asks me to cut them into bunnies.” The boy held out his hand to accept the little red bunny-shaped slice while getting comfortable on a hard bamboo chair. He examined it before placing it into his mouth. 

“Hope we’ll find your parents soon. These mountains can be dangerous, especially durin’ this time of year. One wrong step and you’ll be tumblin’ down for a good while,” she chuckled to herself. 

He reminded her of you – though you had only been a baby when the basket arrived. A bundle of blankets, you were left on her doorstep just three years ago. She had searched and searched the town for any couple missing a little girl, but her attempts were fruitless. So, she took you in as her own. She had never raised a human baby before – never spent so much time with a human. But after seeing your chubby cheeks perk up into a gleeful innocent smile, she knew she couldn’t leave you defenseless outside.

This boy was visibly older and appeared to be relatively healthy. The strange circumstances only confused her further but the silence that followed her questions implored her to stay quiet. She kept handing him slices one after another, until the pile of peels grew into a small mound. He accepted each piece without complaint, chewing slowly, carefully, as though the act itself required thought. Only the sound of his chewing and the sharp, persistent scratch of the knife against the apple’s flesh filled the room.

At some point, his eyes fluttered closed. His hand loosened its grip, and the last slice slipped from his fingers, still half-bitten. He slept with the taste of apple on his tongue, breath even. Josephine watched him for a long moment before draping the blanket over his shoulders after laying him down where he sat. 

You expected to be greeted with the same boring wooden planks of your ceiling when you opened your eyes but like Granny always said, life is full of surprises. Instead of brown, you were met with sharp violet and soft orange – too close and human to be a ceiling. You screamed. 

The figure darted back at your frantic yelling, teetering over the edge and falling onto the floor with a solid thud. You sought cover at the corner of your mattress. His hands were held out in a calming gesture (or was it surrender?), but staying calm was the last thing on your mind when confronted with a stranger in your room. Who was this person? How did he even get into your room? Who stares at someone while they sleep?

His thick, fluffy brows furrowed in concern, as if he wasn’t responsible for causing your bright and early heart attack. You pointed a trembling finger at him. “You! What – how – who are you?” 

At your door, Granny chuckled at your hysterical state. “The poor thing was standin’ out in the cold last night, so I brought him in.” Your head whipped in her direction, but your finger stayed trained on the figure kneeling at the side of your bed.

“Still!” you shouted, shaking your head furiously. “Hasn’t anyone taught you to not stare at people while they sleep?” Your frustration flared as he tilted his head in confusion.

“Come, dear. Let’s leave her to throw her tantrum. Then she can change and join us for breakfast,” Granny smiled.

His eyes darted between Granny at the door and you at your bed as you watched him carefully for any sign of an oncoming attack. He stood up on all fours before finding his balance, then followed Granny out the door. You sat in silence for a long while, listening to his little footsteps and questioning if you were still dreaming. 

The chilly air bit at your toes now that your blanket had been thrown haphazardly to the side after the little gremlin gave you the shock of your life. Your muscles tensed, involuntarily shivering – a sign to quickly get dressed and head out for breakfast. You threw on a thick coat while your mind played over the ten minutes of your morning, hoping it was just a dream. You weren’t particularly fond of strangers, especially not those that entered your room like it was their own.

Sitting at the dinner table confirmed your suspicions. You weren’t dreaming. Next to you sat the intruder, still innocently wide-eyed and silent. His seat was a little too close for your liking but your chair had already been cornered against the wall. He smelled of fresh apples – the ones Granny would peel for you after dinner as a snack. Counting the dents on the wall, you scrutinized the surface to escape his unmoving stare. Apparently, no one ever taught him it was impolite to stare at people. In the kitchen, Granny hummed a tune while stirring a large metal pot darkened from years of use. As the smell of spring onion wafted into the dining room, you thought of ways to break the delicate silence. Anything would be better than this one-sided staring contest.

“So,” you started. “What’s your name?” Seeing as he didn’t respond, you offered your own. His lips moved but no sound came out. You leaned in closer to him, straining to catch what he said.

“Caleb…Xia….”

A good-natured huff escaped your lips before you could hold in your amusement. A boy named after the summer, arriving in the dead of night during winter, was somehow fitting for him. Seeing your smile, his lips curled into a grin and you realized just how cute he was. Freckles dotted his chubby cheeks and though he was bigger than you, his movements resembled those of a toddler. His larger hand closed around yours. You instinctively pulled back, but his grip was surprisingly strong. Definitely stronger than your attempts to jerk your hand back. Before you could wrench out of his iron grip, Granny carefully put down two bowls of piping hot congee before you.

“Glad to see you two are gettin’ along well!” 

At her sudden intrusion, Caleb released you from his hold. You drew your hand to your chest, fingers curling inward. It felt as though he had left the shape of his grasp behind, your skin still warm where he had been. You shot him a glance in hopes of intimidating him but decided your hunger was first on your list of priorities.

You picked up the ceramic spoon, careful to not let it drown in the congee. Caleb watched quietly, eyes fixated as you blew on it until you decided it was safe enough to put into your mouth. At the slightly salty bite of white chicken, you couldn’t help but let out a pleasant hum. He picked up his own spoon, mimicking your actions. 

“After breakfast, I’m goin’ down to take Caleb down to the town and return him to his parents,” Granny announced. You nodded your head absentmindedly while you kept shoveling spoonfuls into your mouth. The sooner he was gone the better. You didn’t want to have another heart attack tomorrow.

Under the table, the same hand that had been clenching onto yours now softly coaxed your fingers between his. Did he miss home? Though you were still wary, pity softened the caution. You had never been far from home for long, and certainly not for a night. He must’ve been eager to get back home to his parents. Squeezing his hand, you tried to offer him a comforting smile, though the warmth in it felt half-forced, half-honest.

When it came time for them to leave, however, you were reluctant to let go of his hand. He had been silently trailing after you all morning, even while you swept your bedroom floor. Though his presence was initially uncomfortable, you found his company quite enjoyable. At your ramblings, he gave soft smiles and nods. He was surprisingly good at doing laundry though you suspected his strength had a lot to do with being able to scrub stains out of the clothing with the washing board. Really, he was good at many things – reaching high shelves, efficient with mopping the floors, and his skills with a knife proved proficient when he cut up some apples as a light snack.

His fingers struggled to guide the buttons through the loops of his thick jacket. It had been yours but you graciously offered it to him as a token of friendship. Seeing his pitiful attempts, you swatted his hands away and fastened it for him yourself. At least you had that over him. He tilted his head down with a soft smile, wrapping his arms around your small figure. His hand barely touched the other, but his hold was tight. Your hands awkwardly patted his shoulders in an attempt to reciprocate his friendly gesture. Unlike the hugs Granny gave you, this felt more intimate. Maybe it was because Granny wasn’t as small as you, or maybe his warmth just held an unspoken reassurance.

“Time to go, dear,” Granny crooned from the doorway. With her own thick jacket, she reminded you of the chunky crane you’d freed from a hunter’s trap some time ago. 

You frowned at her words. You didn’t want him to leave. At least, not yet. You didn’t usually have anyone to play with. You’d join them down the mountain if it meant spending more time with him. “Can…can I come with?” you asked hesitantly. Beside you, Caleb nodded his head eagerly. She paused for a moment, wondering how your opinion of him had changed so quickly. Perhaps you had been feeling a little lonely without another child in the house. Making new friends was never a bad thing.

“Well, since you’ve finished your chores, I suppose you could.” You both grinned at each other excitedly while Granny chuckled at the adorable sight.

You nearly rolled down the entirety of the mountain during the journey. Your foot stepped into a soft patch of snow and slipped, but luckily Caleb was there to yank you back to safety. Down in the town, the streets were fairly empty. No one wanted to leave their homes when the air outside constantly nipped at their skin. If it weren’t for Caleb, you would’ve stayed home too. As you walked through the streets, Granny stopped at a stall to examine some carrots and you pulled Caleb to your direction.

“There’s a candy shop just over there,” you muttered. Granny wouldn’t appreciate you eating sweets before dinner, but you decided that she wouldn’t mind if you were just showing some interesting sights to your little guest. Caleb stumbled forward, and quickly followed your brisk pace. 

Bright decorations adorned the shop walls and Caleb was greeted with the sweet smell of honey and sugar. His eyes widened at the endless rows of jars filled with colorful candy. They were a sight for sore eyes compared to the drab, gray town. A gentle tug on your sleeve reminded you to slow down. You thought fondly of the first time you stepped into the shop; hours were spent taste testing the candy while Granny bought her groceries. The shopkeeper even gave you a little bag of sweets for free.

“My favorite is the chocolate over there, but Granny says they’re too sweet for her.” You watched as his eyes flitted from jar to jar with a gleam of excitement. Fingers stretching into the glass, you reached for a small square of the sweet delight and dropped it into his open palm. “Here, you can try some.” 

You nibbled on the chocolate, savoring the sweet milky flavor. As Caleb bit into his own piece, he continued down the aisle while taking a piece out of each jar. Who knew he could be so big and greedy. Even you showed more restraint than that. 

Your little legs struggled to catch up to him until he finally paused in front of a container filled with translucent sweets of pretty colors; some were a bright red while others were a pale yellow. He fished out a yellow piece with his hands, almost tipping the entire jar over, and popped it into his mouth with a smile. Before you could tell him to stop grabbing so many, he shoved the hard candy into your mouth. You winced. Lemon was too sour for your liking. His smile faltered when you grimaced, eyes flicking to your face as if he’d done something wrong.

Somewhere in the shop, a door swung open. “Oh my! You scared me!” A petite woman grinned pleasantly from the counter. You vaguely remembered seeing her in the storage room a couple times while her husband manned the counter but her name escaped you.

You greeted her with a polite smile. “Good mornin’, miss.” Caleb glanced at her and repeated your words before tucking his hand back into yours.

“Is this your gege? I don’t think I’ve met you before.” She carefully bent down, softly patting Caleb’s head while his face wore a bashful expression.

“No, he’s-”

“I’m her gege.” 

Warmth spread through your chest and you couldn’t help but let out a tiny embarrassed laugh. But more than anything, you were befuddled. Much to your surprise, you didn’t mind his lie. If he were really your gege, Granny would’ve scolded him for lying but she wasn’t here and you couldn’t find it in yourself to correct him.

A jingle interrupted the women’s attempt at small talk as Granny walked in through the door.

“There you are!” With her hands on her hips, she marched over, each step shaking the ground. Dread pulled your heart to your stomach. You intuitively hid behind Caleb, utilizing him as a meat shield.

“Oh Josephine. No need to be such a worrywart!”

“You try takin’ care of two kids at once, then we’ll talk. This little one,” she sighed, “showed up at my door last night in the freezin’ cold. Didn’t have nothin’ on him but his clothes.” Caleb, sensing her frustration, gave your hand a little squeeze. 

“Poor boy…Has anyone come lookin’ for him?”

“That’s the thing – no one has. Asked all over town, not a single soul missin’ a child. Orphanage was full too so for now, he’s mine to fuss over.”

Your chest welled with excitement. No one in town had claimed him. For now, that was enough – he would stay on your mountain, in your house, within arm’s reach. You would get to play with him whenever you wanted, wherever you wanted. Caleb turned around with a grin matching your exuberance.

Just as the woman had done to him, he stretched out his hand to ruffle your hair. “Meimei.”

Those sharp violet eyes, the ones that belonged to Caleb flared with a fervour you couldn’t place, a look that would be ingrained into your memory for years to come. The loneliness that crept in with the cold nights, the aching sense that something was missing, would never return. Caleb, your gege, would stay by your side. No matter what.

[eynbwn]

dreaming of a caleb christmas

— caleb x reader

summary: what gift can you give to a man that already has everything? notes: they refer to each other as gege/meimei. slight angst but ends in fluff. a / n: he's so kawaii i want to touch him. i know we're nowhere near christmas but i just couldn't help myself.

There were only two days out of 365 that caused you an unimaginable amount of stress: Caleb’s birthday and Christmas. It was always impossible for you to come up with a good gift to buy for him. Now that he had all his well-earned colonel money to spend freely, the task rose to dark souls levels of difficulty.

The first gift you ever gave him was five dollars – all in coins. You had broken up your little pink piggy bank in a moment of sacrifice, determined to make your gege happy. Grandma was away for work and she wasn’t able to buy gifts for the two of you like she usually did. You had felt unusually sad, not for yourself but for Caleb. Even if he never showed it, he must’ve felt out of place when his classmates boasted about their new presents after returning for the new year.

You had sheepishly handed over the coins with both hands, embarrassed that the five dollars couldn’t even buy a gift worth wrapping. “Gege,” you whispered with all the sincerity of an innocent child. “Merry Christmas.”

You’d stopped him on the way home, right next to the playground. Behind him, the sun dipped into a soft blanket of red and orange, stealing the day’s last bit of warmth. He stared at your outstretched hands, startled by the impromptu gift. You took in his silence, worry bubbling in your gut. Did he not like it? You knew you shouldn’t have said anything!

Then, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around you, kissing your chubby cheeks lightly. The scent of home surrounded your senses and you squeezed him back in return. “I’m sorry,” you murmured. “I only had five dollars in my piggy bank.”

He shook his head and his soft brown hair tickled your neck. “No, any gift from my meimei is priceless.” You smiled up at him with relief. If your gege was happy, then all was fine in the world. “C’mon let’s get some ice cream from the corner store.”

“Caleb, you dummy. Only weirdos eat ice cream during winter,” you huffed but let him drag you there regardless.

You sighed at the memory. You had peaked early, apparently. Five dollars might have earned you a kiss twenty years ago but inflation had taken an obvious toll. Back then, your effort was enough but now you didn’t even know what counted as “enough” for him. You scrolled back up to the store webpage in hopes of having a stroke of genius, but nothing. Cups? He had plenty. Cologne? He preferred your body wash. Clothes? With how much muscle he packed on in the months he had been gone, his old measurements were probably too small. 

This wasn’t good. Christmas was a week away and your anticipated hunter schedule ensured you wouldn’t have time to buy anything if you waited any longer. You had known him for so long yet you were having a ridiculously hard time trying to figure out what he could possibly want. You asked your colleagues for advice but they had all given the general answers – a tie, watches, model airplanes (like he didn’t already have all of them). It wouldn’t be right to give him such a thoughtless gift. Despite all your complaints about his overprotectiveness, you loved him and he deserved the best, but you were starting to think that maybe you couldn’t give him that.

Despite thinking about his gift every waking moment for the next two weeks, all you’d managed was a jar of homemade chocolate kisses. Surely he would be able to feel the love and effort you put into it, right? You groaned internally in anticipation of Caleb’s footstep at your door. He would be coming home from Skyhaven for a brief visit, but honestly part of you wished that he wouldn’t come back until New Years so you could have more time to think of an extremely belated Christmas present. 

Caleb came home at 11:25 PM, just a few moments before Christmas officially arrived, and now sat on the rug in front of your couch. 

“Why don’t you just sit on the couch?” you grumbled.

He only gave you a closed-eyed smile. “After being in the sky for so long, I’ve missed the ground.” 

“Caleb wants to be on the ground for once? The world must be ending.”

“Is it time for presents yet?” He swayed side to side excitedly, and your heart twisted in guilt at his enthusiasm. But the clock had struck 12, to your disappointment. Oh well, better to just get this over with. He hopped on over to his burgundy duffle bag with all the jubilance of a child. Your jaw dropped in utter horror as he pulled out one gift after another. Shit. If your heart dropped to your stomach before, it was probably hurtling somewhere past the deepspace tunnel now.

Your mind spun. Of course he would! You should’ve predicted that he would go all out after securing the position of colonel, but you were resigned to your fate. Next year, you promised yourself. You’d think of something so unexpected that it would outdo all your presents from the last twenty years combined. As predicted, all of his gifts were well thought out – the book you were planning to read, a new scarf to replace the one withering away in your closet, a holster for your gun, headphones, and the newest apple plushie to add to your collection. You stared at the pile, utterly defeated. It was so over. You were done for. 

Caleb, on the other hand, was beaming with pride. If he had a tail, it would be thumping on the floor at 120 beats per minute. Your heart clenched at the sight. If only you could go back in time and warn yourself beforehand, but not everyone can get what they want. You tentatively grabbed the jar of chocolate kisses and placed it into his hands. The sides were decorated with stickers and charms, while the top was adorned with lace ribbons. Attached was a note. “Merry Christmas, Caleb. May we spend many more together.”

“I made them myself,” you muttered nervously. “I figured you could buy anything for yourself so I tried to come up with something you couldn’t buy.”

His hand reached over to ruffle your hair appreciatively. “Thanks, meimei. I love it.”

“You don’t have to pretend.” He tilted his head in confusion. Oh no. You probably should keep your mouth shut but now the words were tumbling out before you could stop them. “It’s ok if you don’t like it. You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not –”

“I know it’s nothing compared to your gifts. I just didn’t know what to get you. I don’t know what you like anymore.”

A brief flash of melancholy flickered in his purple eyes and his lips sloped into a frown. He opened his arms, gesturing you to come closer and despite your hesitation, you folded yourself neatly onto his lap – just like you did when you were kids. “I’ve told you before, haven’t I? Any gift my meimei gives me is priceless.”

“But,” you paused, afraid of the next words to come out. “You’ve changed so much. What if the you five years from now doesn’t agree?”

His large, warm hands brushed up and down your arm, and he let out a boyish chuckle. “No matter which version of Caleb I am, you will always be my favorite gift. That fact hasn’t changed in the past two decades. What makes you think it’ll change anytime soon?”

Sniffling, you wrapped yourself around his body like a koala. The familiar warmth from his neck soothed your distress. Caleb always knew the right words to say to comfort you, and all you could do was give him a hug in hopes that he would be able to feel your appreciation through your warmth. A quiet moment passed, peace finally settling into your heart.

“Buuut,” he whispered. “If you really want to give me a meaningful gift, I have an idea.”

You immediately sprang up at full attention. “I’ll give you anything you want! Just say the word!”

“I want a kiss.” 

“...Are you five?”

A sly smile spread across his lips. “You asked what I wanted and I want a kiss. Sooo.” He tapped the side of his face cheekily. Oh, that sneaky bastard.

You puffed out your cheeks, embarrassed at your gullibility. “Fine! But just one.” Your hands grasped his shoulders tightly and you leaned down, eyes scrunched tightly. Instead of his cheek, your lips were met with the softness of his own. Heat flared to your ears as your chest pressed against his. His hand slid to the back of your neck, nudging you closer, and you felt a strangled squeak escape your throat. The kiss was intimate, perhaps too much for a first one, but as your lips moved along with his, you realized, with a small, guilty smile, that you wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the night went on, you found yourself exhausted and soon enough, you were snuggling into bed. Caleb was still in the living room cleaning up the wrapping paper after insisting he would be right back. When he returned to say goodnight, he found you sound asleep with your new plushie held tightly in your grip. He scolded himself for feeling a tinge of envy of the plushie, but carefully pulled it away from you to get a clear look at your resting face. His fingers traced the features he had come to learn so well after years of watching over you while you slept. 

He let out a soft sigh. “What face would you make if I told you all I want is for you to be safe by my side forever, in a paradise where it’s just the two of us?” He couldn’t help but smile bitterly, knowing his dream would never come true. “You’d probably call me a dummy and say you can protect yourself, hmm?” It wasn’t long before he started feeling drowsy himself. In the space between dreams and reality, he thought about the little box of your gifts tucked neatly into his nightstand – including the receipt from the five dollar candies – and smiled sleepily. Out of everything you had given him, your kiss definitely outranked them all. 

[eynbwn]

— caleb x reader

general headcanons

notes: spoilers? pseudo-incest ig. was supposed to be cute but then somehow turned into angst. they refer to each other as gege/meimei. they're both possessive. just the way i like it. a / n: gege...wo xiang ni...hui jia ba. i know the chip can't touch his memories of mc but what about his dissociative amnesia???

you got jealous anytime he was nice to your friends.

he would always pick you up from your friends' houses after playdates and he would bring snacks with drinks.

their parents always loved him because of his friendly, mature demeanor.

all of your friends — every single one of them — had a crush on him; he was truly the campus golden boy.

your friends would gush and giggle about him and you'd tell them embarrassing things about him, but that only made them like him even more.

you even stopped planning playdates because it would make you feel sick to your stomach whenever he smiled at your friends.

when he asked about it, you would come up with an excuse about being busy.

one night after your friend had walked you home and caleb gave her a white rabbit candy, you got huffy and holed up in your room.

as always, he bugged you until you told him what was bothering you.

"why are you so nice to my friends and not me?" you pouted.

he frowned in confusion. "what are you talking about? they're your friends. why wouldn't i be nice to them?"

frustrated, you nibbled on your lip. would he think you were selfish if you told him the truth?

"i just...i want to be special to you. i'm your meimei, so you should only be nice to me."

caleb paused, surprise written all over his face. he laughed, and you could feel your cheeks burn in embarrassment.

before you could kick him out of your room, he ruffled your hair endearingly.

"you will always be the most special girl to me, silly," he told you. but he wouldn't tell you he gave treats to your friends in exchange for telling him what you were up to.

when you thought he was spending too much time with friends, you would fake a fever so he'd stay and take care of you.

caleb would wake you up as always, but you'd cough and wheeze, claiming to be too weak to stand.

the first couple times, he almost had a panic attack since grandma wasn't home and he didn't know what to do since he didn't get sick often.

as you grew older, he would just hand you some cold pills and crawl into bed with you.

he always knew you weren't really sick when you would slip out of his arms in the middle of your nap and sit in front of the fridge with a pint of ice cream that was always conveniently stocked.

ever since he realized his feelings for you, he only refers to himself as your gege when you're in times of distress.

caleb never saw you as a little sister, despite the title he took on.

it was his only way to stay close to you from a young age and put a label on his feelings of protectiveness over you.

he would reintroduce himself as your gege whenever your memories were wiped, but every time it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

however, during the quiet moments when he sat in his room eavesdropping on your conversations with grandma, his stomach would coil in repugnance at the title.

whenever you needed comfort though, he would gladly refer to himself as your gege.

"gege will help you."

"gege is right here."

"tell gege what's wrong. i'll fix it for you."

lowkey sometimes pretends to be upset with you so you'd butter him up.

if there's anything he loves more than you, it's when you compliment him.

nothing makes his ego bigger.

"gege, you're the best!"

"gege, you are the most handsome boy i know." (ignoring the fact that he has driven away all the boys that wanted to approach you.)

is it so bad that he just wants the girl he loves to think of him as charming?

he has pictures of the two of you everywhere.

in his car, in his aircraft, in the kitchen, in his bedroom, even the bathroom.

if anything, they're the only decoration he really has in that cold, sterile apartment of his.

everything else is a dark grey or black color, but the summer memories are the only indication that the apartment is his.

the pictures are never just you or just him alone.

it makes him feel better when he sees those pictures after a hard day of being the monstrous caleb everyone hates.

for a second, he likes to pretend he's still taking courses at the DAA and he'll come back to you soon.

he only refers to his apartment as his home when you stay over.

he stays awake to avoid nightmares, but he's just been so overworked he passes out a lot.

if he stops moving, the thoughts and nightmares will catch up to him so he does everything to keep himself busy.

he thinks of you, he replays the moments (he's been noticing gaps in his recent memories and he's afraid that he won't be able to remember you as you are now even if you claim you don't need him), anything to stave off the darkness for a moment more.

in front of the fleet he's cold and immovable like iron, but when he goes back the rust starts encroaching on his carefully constructed facade.

the only times he willingly lies in bed to sleep are when you're with him.

that way when the nightmares inevitably catch him, he can ask you to hold him.

[eynbwn]

— caleb x reader

summary: he cried the first time you said "i hate you" to him notes: can be read as romantic or platonic. they refer to each other as gege and meimei. a / n: i am a calebholic. we're going to pretend like they're gen z and not gen alpha.

You were anxiously reviewing for your math quizzes at home when Caleb knocked softly at your door — unlike you, he actually believed in privacy. "Meimei, I'm washing bedsheets. Let me get your blankets."

"Ok, come in," you muttered, too engrossed in double digit multiplication to pay any attention to him. As Caleb struggled to remove your pillowcase, he noticed the apple plushie he had won for you at a festival a few years back.

He grabbed it by it's stem, saying "I'm washing this, too. It's stinky from all your drool."

"Shut up, you dummy! Get out of my room!" you barked, thoroughly irritated from forgetting to carry over the one while multiplying.

An hour and a half later, you hear another knock at your door. Caleb stood in your doorway, obviously nervous. You narrowed your eyes at him, suspicious. "What do you want?"

"Don't get mad, but..." He fidgeted where he stood, obviously hiding something behind his back.

You waited for the words to come out, but he just stood there, sweating bullets.

"I didn't know I couldn't tumble dry your apple..." In his hands was your precious apple plushie, matted and crispy. That was it.

"Caleb, you stupid egg! You ruined it! You air fried it!" you shouted.

Caleb waved his hands around, unsure if he was trying to defend himself or give you an apology hug. "I'm sorry! Gege will get you a new one!"

"I don't want a new one! Go away! I hate you!" You slammed the door in his face, secretly hoping it hit him in the nose. The plushie that held treasured memories from the first festival you attended with Caleb now looked more like a dried apple crisp. Sniffling, you buried your head into it, partly upset about the ruined plush but also guilty for overreacting.

Outside your door, Caleb stood with his head hung down at the sound of your sniveling. He could feel his own tears gathering in his eyes. He didn't mean to bake your plushie at high heat, but he supposed he should have read the label before tossing it into the dryer. Sitting on his twin sized bed, he stewed over your words. You had called him dumb before, it was out of endearment more than anything but hearing you say you hated him absolutely broke his heart. He hurt his precious meimei's feelings and ruined the rest of her day. He spent the night huddled up in his room as if enforcing his own punishment until he passed out from exhaustion.

You tossed and turned in your bed, gut still pooling with guilt over what you said to Caleb. He had always taken such good care of you and you yelled at him like a spoiled brat. You couldn't take it any longer and tiptoed your way to his room down the hall. The door was unlocked, as always, and Caleb was tangled up in his bedsheets. You slipped your way under the blankets and into his small, familiar arms.

Poking at his chubby cheek, you whispered, "Gege, are you awake?" No reply. "Gege, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I don't hate you. I still like you." You wrapped your own tiny arms around his midriff, hoping he could hear you in his dreams and drifted off into a comfortable slumber.

Later that year at the festival, Caleb fulfilled his promise and won not one, but two apple plushies; one for him and one for you.