Hello guys! My account is strictly an 18+ account. Minors DNI. Everything I write is NSFW. Be mindful that I ONLY write Dark Romance so if that’s your not your thing, no hard feelings. Buuut, if it is, welcome, friend! 🥰🥰
I cannot even put into words how beautiful this scene is. I’m in absolute awe. The pure love between my mc and Caleb is so clear, it just makes me so unreasonably happy. The way they look at each other… it’s everything I could have ever wanted. 🥹🥹
Summary: Y/n's patience wears thin with Caleb's gaming obsession. He was so deeply engrossed in his ranked match, he barely notice her presence. That’s not going to work for her. If he wasn’t going to willingly give her attention… well, she wasn’t going to just sit there quietly and accept this.
Warnings‼️: NSFW, Smut, Rough Sex, Power play, Dominant Caleb, 🔞
Word count: 2.4k 🍎🍏
Y/n was done playing nice.
Caleb hadn't so much as glanced away from his monitor in hours, his knuckles white around the mouse, his voice a low murmur to his teammates. Each click of his keyboard, each muffled shout from his headset, each time he responded to them felt like another snub.
‘I am a ghost?’ Had she spent hours getting ready just to be background noise to some virtual, pointless quest? Some stupid tournament? Some dumb ranked game? It’s as if she wasn't sitting right there, legs crossed on the sofa, simmering with burning frustration. Her patience, a brittle thread that was about to snap.
‘Alright, two could play at that.’
She sauntered up behind him like a predator stalking its prey, letting her nails drag a path over his tense shoulders before yanking his headset down around his neck with a sharp tug. The muffled choas of gunfire and distant explosions now filled the entire room.
"Y/n—" His voice was laced with mild annoyance, but she cut him off, leaning in so her warm lips brushed the delicate shell of his ear. The scent of his usual energy drink and a faint, masculine musk filled her nostrils, both familiar and intoxicating.
"You've been ignoring me for three hours." She purred, her voice a low thrum that promised trouble.
Her hand moved, slowly down his chest, she felt the rapid beat of his heart underneath his gray hoodie before traveling lower until her fingers dipped teasingly below the waistband of his sweatpants, dancing along the elastic, tracing the sensitive skin there. She felt the subtle shift in his weight as a tremor ran through his body and wicked satisfaction filled her.
Caleb's breath hitched but his grip on the mouse didn't falter. Every brush of her fingers against him, every feather-light touch sent a jolt of fire through his veins as his concentration on the battlefield started to waver. On screen, his character still moved with lethal precision, landing shot after shot, eliminating opponents with ease.
‘Seriously?’ Y/n narrowed her eyes. She wanted him undone.
With a slow, dangerous smirk, Y/n reached over and clicked the keyboard's Escape key, pausing the game with a soft click. His teammates confused, distant shouts blared through the discarded headset on the floor.
"Oops." Her voice was a sweet, innocent lie brimming with mischief.
Caleb sighed in frustration, shoulder’s dropping in defeat. “Fine.”
In one swift motion, Caleb spun the chair, grabbed her waist in a vice like grip before hauling her into his lap. Her thighs straddled his as her back hit his chest. The headset clattered to the floor, the muffled chatter of his team drowned out by the frantic pounding of Y/n's pulse in her ears.
"You want my attention? Alright." His voice was dark, laced with a velvet threat. It vibrated through her, making her face warm as a blush crossed her features. "Then you're gonna help me win."
Before she could even retort, his hand fisted in her hair, yanking her head back sharply, exposing the delicate line of her throat as his other hand shoved her skirt up, bunching the fabric around her waist. A gasp tore from her throat as he pulled her panties aside, the cool air quickly replaced by his fingers, sliding through her slick folds with light strokes that made her clench around nothing.
"Mmm~ Caleb!" A choked moan escaped her lips as her hips jerked instinctively, a desperate attempt to create space, but he held her still, his grip unyielding.
"Mouse. Now." He forced her trembling hand onto it, his own large hand covering hers, guiding her movements as he adjusted the setting to one handed combat then unpaused the game.
She could barely think, let alone focus, not when his fingers circled her clit. His touch was slow and precise, earning soft moans from her as he executed another headshot on screen. Liquid heat pooled rapidly between her legs, spreading like wildfire.
"You— Ah~ you're cheating." She panted, her fingers trembling, barely able to grip the mouse. The screen blurred into pixels as Caleb picked up the pace, flicking his fingers against her little nub just the way she liked. Y/n whined in his arms, fidgeting as she tried to fight off the heat engulfing her.
His laugh was low, a dangerous rumble in his chest. "No, baby. You started this." Then he slammed two fingers inside her, curling just right, his thumb pressing against her clit in time with every click of the mouse.
She squealed, immediately closing her legs and arching her back. The suddenness of his intrusion caught her off guard but a delicious ache began blossoming in her core was just as unforgiving as the man causing it.
“Open up f’me.” He ordered and she did so without hesitation, spreading her legs wide enough for him to plunge deeper within her.
“C-Caleb!” She whined, finding it impossible not to buck her hips to meet his unrelenting touch.
He smirked and set a fast pace that had her on edge in no time at all as he worked his fingers into her skillfully. The pleasure was overwhelming, a sharp, exquisite agony that stole her breath.
On screen, his character moved with inhuman precision, racking up kills with a terrifying efficiency as his fingers expertly ruined her. Y/n bit her and whimpered, she was so close and he could tell by the way she kept squeezing his fingers. He knew her body like the back of his hand.
"You gonna cum?" he growled, his sharp teeth sinking gently into the tender skin of her shoulder, a soft bite that sent shivers down her spine, a delicious pain. "Or do I have to carry you here too?"
She was almost there, right on the edge. Her thighs trembled violently, she could only gasp and whimper, the sounds muffled against his neck as she hid her face there. Every nerve in her body vibrated, screaming for release.
Then, with a final thrust of his fingers deep inside her and a satisfying headshot flashing on screen, she shattered. Her body convulsing around his fingers, every muscle strung tight then trembling into release. A breathy cry tore from her throat as her nails dug desperate crescents into his arm.
Caleb’s fingers didn’t stop, only moving faster as she rode out her climax, his own breath ragged and hot against her skin. The victory screen flashed, a blinding burst of color, his teammates' triumphant cheers filling the room through the headset on the floor, but his attention was finally, finally, fully on her.
"Next time." he murmured, his voice rough with desire, dragging his wet fingers provocatively over her swollen lips, a lingering taste of her own pleasure. "Just ask for my attention. Nicely."
Y/n pouted and huffed, still catching her breath before a small, playful sound that melted into his chest. “You big meanie.”
Caleb smiled. He wanted to tease her more, his eyes dark with lingering lust, and just then, an audacious idea sparked in his mind, a wicked gleam entering his eyes. He tightened his grip on her hips, his thumbs tracing the curve of her bones.
"New game, Pips." His voice was rough, a low growl, as he stood abruptly, spinning Y/n around to face him, her plush chest flush against his toned one. He shoved his pants down just enough to free his hard cock, already glistening and dripping with need. "New rules."
Her eyes widened, blown pupils taking in the sight as she felt him, hard and hot against her inner thigh, a potent promise of more.
Y/n barely had time to process his words before he lifted her onto the cool, smooth surface of the desk, his hands guiding her hips down onto him in one brutal thrust, bottoming out and filling her to the brim. A sharp cry tore from her throat as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Her nails dug into his shoulders, clawing at the fabric of his sweater as he withdrew only to slam into her again with the same ferocity, burning himself to the hilt, stretching her deliciously tight pussy. He groaned in pleasure when she began clenching around him, adjusting to his girth length.
"You're gonna be in control this time." He nipped at her collarbone, a sharp, playful bite.
His grip on her was almost bruising as he forced her hips to move, a silent, powerful command. "Keep me hard, baby. Keep me interested." His lips curled into a predatory smirk as the next match loaded on screen, the familiar sounds of the game filling the air once more.
"If I cum before we win..." He punctuated his words with a sharp snap of her hips, drawing a whimper from her lips, the sensation of him so deep, so impossibly full, pressing against that hidden spot. "I'll uninstall this game forever."
Y/n shuddered, already feeling the delirious from the way way he filled her as he was fucking her, the way his tip brushed that perfect, sensitive spot deep inside her, sending jolts of pleasure through her core as a familiar ache starting to build.
“Promise?” Her breath hitched.
He chuckled before placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. He lifted her again and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat back down in the chair, making sure his cock stayed fully seated within her. “I promise, baby.”
She bit her lip, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and shifted her hips, a slow, deliberate grind that sent a jolt through him, watching his jaw clench, a muscle ticing in his cheek. She found an angle, a sweet spot, and began to ride, her movements no longer just about her own pleasure, but about his escalating torment. He grunted but returned his focus to the game that just began.
Oh, she'd make him lose.
With a smirk that mirrored his own, Y/n started moving, slow at first, a teasing grind, then faster, her nails digging into his broad shoulders as she rode him with single minded determination. His grip on her tightened, his breaths coming in ragged, desperate bursts, but his eyes stayed stubbornly locked on the screen, a fierce concentration that both annoyed and excited her.
It was infuriating.
She rolled her hips, taking him deeper, her own breath coming in short, ragged gasps as the muffle of his teammates below them blurred into background noise. Caleb's hand returned to the keyboard, his grip steady despite the way his thighs tensed and flexed beneath her, his body burning with suppressed desire.
"Focus, baby." He teased, his voice strained, raw with effort as Y/n clenched around him, pulling him deeper still. "Or —fuck— do you want to lose?"
Y/n responded by grinding down harder, her movements growing more desperate and frantic as the match intensified, the on-screen action mirroring their own escalating passion. Caleb's breath hitched, a low continuous groan rumbling in his chest, barely audible over the game's soundtrack. His fingers, usually so precise, fumbled slightly over the keys as Y/n’s relentless rhythm threatened to shatter his focus entirely. He was on the edge of breaking.
Y/n's soft, breathless moans and the wet, rhythmic slap of skin on skin was hard to ignore.
“Caleb~” Sweat dripped down Caleb's temple, his formidable resolve crumbling visibly with every tantalizing movement. She knew how much he loved it when she moaned his name “So full— so good. Mmm!”
"Fuck—Y/n..." His voice was weak plea as a broken sound ripped from his throat.
Y/n grinned, a triumphant curve of her lips, increasing her pace, her own pleasure building again. A sweet, agonizing ache rooted in her belly as she watched his formidable resolve crumble before her.
The match was impossibly close.
So was she.
"Faster." He whispered. It was a command and she happily obliged.
She obeyed, bouncing in his lap, her breath coming in ragged pants, a symphony of exertion and rising climax, as the sounds of the game mixed with the slick, echoing slap of skin.
Caleb's grip tightened his grip on the mouse, his hips meeting hers thrust for thrust, a primal rhythm, his control fraying with every choked moan she ripped from his lips. Y/n clenched around him, her lips brushing his ear, her voice a triumphant purr, husky with desire. "You’re gonna lose, Caleb."
The final kill flashed on screen, a bright, victorious notification, just as Caleb's grip on the desk turned white-knuckled. He pushed back in the chair, stood and gripped Y/n’s hips tightly before slamming into her with so much force that she cried out. He growled, taking control and fucking her like a rabid animal, as if he would die if he didn’t.
“W-wait! Slo-slow down.” She managed, she could barely speak with how ruthlessly he was thrusting into her. He claimed her lips, forcing his tongue into her mouth and devouring every sound that left her body. Caleb couldn’t stop, didn’t dare to. He need to cum, needed to fuck her full and he was going to follow through.
Y/n broke the kiss, glaring up at her lover through teary eyes as he used her like a fleshlight. “Too much… too much.” He had her spiraling into her next orgasm and she couldn’t stop it.
Caleb ignored her, chasing his own high. He knew she could take it, knew she could handle his cock. If she wanted him to stop, she’d use their safe word but she didn’t. Instead, she pulled herself closer to him and bit down hard on his shoulder, earning her a loud groan from him as Caleb’s hips stuttered.
Y/n release hit so abruptly and so hard that she was completely unprepared. Mouth still attached to him as she whimpered around his skin, her sweet sounds going straight to his dick as her pussy tried milking him for everything he’s worth.
“Fuuuccck..!” His hips jerking up a few more times, pumping as he spilled into Y/n with a guttural groan that vibrated through her entire body.
Y/n limp body barely clung to him, both of them panting as he fell back into the chair. She collapsed onto his chest, listening to his heart as they slowly recovered. Caleb locked his arms loosely around her waist as he watched the victory screen casting a cool, blue glow over their tangled, slick bodies.
Caleb's laugh was breathless, a sound of pure triumph as he brushed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. "Guess I’m keeping the game."
Y/n pouted. She’d forgotten all about the game, didn’t even realize when she had lost. Pressing herself closer, her body still humming with the aftershocks of climax. "Best two out of three?"
Finally did my deep dive into Rafayel’s lore and I am absolutely heartbroken. I can’t stop crying. I just want to say, I was 100% wrong about Rafayel. He is the best of the best and out of all the LI’s, he deserves MC loves the most. SMH, the dev’s are really something else. Rafayel girlies have it so dang rough. 😩😩
Rafayel is so pretty. I need the dev’s to keep this kind of beauty and allure for all the LI’s! I am stunned. Even the still shots are so pretty. And the outfit! Ugh, I’m so happy here.
I got it! It took me 101 pulls… and money but I got it! I’m cooked. I only ever spent money on Caleb but I felt like I needed this. Merman Rafayel is just so beautiful. Ugh, is he about to be my second LI? Someone tell me “No!” because my poor wallet can’t handle supporting 2 men! 😵💫😩💸
A/N: This was meant to be posted yesterday for Caleb’s birthday. Unfortunately, it was also my birthday and I got too busy to proofread and post. Anyhow, please enjoy the late Caleb’s birthday celebration.
Ms. L/n felt it in her bones when the bell for last period rang. The shift in the classroom's energy, the subtle hum of anticipation that had nothing to do with Shakespeare or literary analysis. It was Caleb Chen, of course. He was always the first one in, a silent observer near her desk, determined to disrupt the order in her professional life.
She loved teaching. Loved the way a complex text could ignite a spark in a student’s eye, the satisfaction of watching a hesitant voice find its confidence. But Caleb was a different kind of spark altogether. He was brilliant, undeniably so, devouring literary theory and dissecting symbolism with an unnerving precision. He was also, to her endless frustration, relentlessly fixated on her.
Today was no different. Caleb entered, composed, his uniform crisp enough to cut glass. He didn't look seventeen, his build and mental prowess, a weapon she hadn't yet learned to disarm had never allowed for him to come off as just a typical student. He moved toward her desk, slow, deliberate. He stopped just close enough, a whisper of a violation against the unspoken rule of student —teacher distance.
“Ms. L/n.” he began, his voice a low hum that always seemed to cut through the classroom’s usual din. “I was thinking about our discussion on The Odyssey.”
‘Here we go, again. Alright, buckle up buttercup, for the daily dose of intellectual flirtation.’ She managed a neutral smile. “Oh? What about it, Caleb?”
“Odysseus’s devotion.” he began, his gaze deepening as if contemplating something profound and sacred. “Ten years of war and another of wandering. He slays monsters, blinds a Cyclops, defies gods… sleeps with goddesses. And still, he spends ten years clawing his way back to Penelope. His wife. All that blood, all that sacrifice just for one woman. Isn’t that… admirable? A testament to true love, the kind that reshapes reality?”
Ms. L/n felt the familiar tightening in her chest. This wasn't about epic poetry. "Caleb, The Odyssey is a foundational text, but we don't admire Odysseus for his ruthlessness. His journey is a tale of perseverance, yes, but also of flawed humanity and often brutal consequences." She paused, her voice measured. "He wasn't always a hero."
"But his goal," Caleb countered smoothly, his eyes fixed on hers, unblinking, "was pure. To return to his rightful place, to his fated love. Doesn't that make the 'flaws' merely... obstacles? Necessary detours on the path to what's meant to be?" His gaze dipped to her hand resting on the desk, a silent, almost possessive appreciation of its vulnerability. She lifted it and placed it atop a stack of essays, a silent repositioning of control, a desperate attempt to wall off a part of herself.
“Devotion,” she said coolly, her voice firm, “is only admirable when it respects the people it claims to serve. Odysseus may have loved his home, but his path back to it was riddled with destruction. Loyalty without conscience isn’t noble, Caleb. It’s dangerous. It’s monstrous.” His private smile deepened, a knowing grin that Y/n doesn't understand, but she will.
“Perhaps. But doesn’t the depth of the love sometimes demand such a journey? Isn’t that what makes it grand? When the stakes are so high, Ms. L/n, that one simply must overcome every barrier?” He leaned a fraction closer, a movement almost imperceptible, yet she felt its invasion. “And to think, some people only see the monsters, not the magnificent destination.”
Ms. L/n’s jaw tightened. "The destination doesn't excuse the atrocities committed along the way, Caleb. There's a line. A fundamental difference between perseverance and obsession."
"Is there?" he murmured, his gaze holding hers, brimming with an unsettling blend of admiration and challenge. "Or is obsession simply perseverance, elevated? When you know something is right, when you feel it in your very core, isn't it logical to pursue it with every fiber of your being, regardless of trivial... lines?"
The bell screamed before she could respond, a sudden, startling her. The room filled with students and noise, a welcome disruption. Caleb drifted away, his hand brushing hers in passing. A brief, deliberate contact. Not forceful, but meaningful. She pulled away immediately but still felt the phantom touch lingering like a brand.
This had gone far enough.
She couldn’t afford to make it a scandal. His parents sat on the school board. Old money. The kind that turned misconduct into donations. The kind that could end her career before it ever really began.
But she wasn’t going to let this continue.
~🍎🍏~
Caleb's attention had become a persistent hum in the background of Ms. L/n's days, growing louder and more brazen with each passing week. It was a risky game he was playing, and she, by turns, felt both exasperated and acutely aware of the precarious position it put them both in. She always rebuffed him, but that didn't stop him.
"Just a little longer." She'd silently plead with herself, a mantra she repeated multiple times a day. The end of the school year was a rapidly approaching finish line, a beacon of relief she clung to. All that remained was prom tomorrow night, and then, finally, graduation the following week.
Every morning, walking into her classroom, she felt a prickle of anticipation, a bit weary, wondering how his escalating "attention" would manifest next. She'd developed a habit of scanning her desk, her chair, the space around her, bracing herself for the latest unwanted gesture.
And this morning, there it was. The ceramic mug sat on her desk, nestled amongst her graded papers like a silent, unwelcome guest. It was a rich, forest green, precisely the shade she'd once mentioned liking, though she couldn't recall to whom. Inside, nestled on a bed of tissue paper, was a single, perfect white orchid. No card, no note.
It was just the mug and the flower. It felt less like a gift and more like a marker, a claim laid on her personal space. She quickly tucked it away in her cabinet before the first bell, a shiver running down her spine despite the warmth of the room. She'd deal with it later. She had to.
The final bell rang, releasing the last students into the noisy hallway. Ms. L/n waited, her hand resting on the smooth wood of her desk, until the only presence left was the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights. Then, as if on cue, Caleb materialized in her doorway. His very stillness seemed to suck the oxygen from the air.
He leaned against the doorframe, all grace and calculated charm. His uniform was immaculate, his tie slightly loosened, as if he'd already begun shedding the trappings of studenthood.
"Caleb." She said, her voice calm, professional, but with an underlying firmness that she hoped conveyed her absolute resolve. "Could you close the door, please? I need to speak with you."
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes then transformed into a composed look of triumph. He turned and pushed the door, the latch clicked shut, a soft, final sound in the suddenly heavy silence. He took a step forward. His eyes, usually so sharp, held a dangerous softness, as if he genuinely believed this was the moment she would finally unveil her true feelings and reciprocate his twisted affections.
“Ms. L/n.” He began. "Did you like my gift?" He spoke, tilting his head. His gaze dropped to her lips. "I thought of you the moment I saw it."
Another step. Too close now, towering over her much smaller form.
"Tell me you didn't think about me too." He whispered, his voice demanding. Y/n's instincts were slow to react. The suddenness of his advance stole her breath. That was all he needed.
He moved with the practiced ease, closing the space between them in two fluid strides. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his body while his other hand gently. cradled the back of her neck.
He lowered his face to hers and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was warm and surprisingly soft. It was a kiss he bestowed like a lover, tender and possessive, as if longed for this moment for years. He did. Y/n was stunned, completely frozen for a moment.
As soon as the shock wore off, a surge of disgust slammed into Ms. L/n. She shoved him back hard. He released her instantly and she stumbled backward, hitting her chair as it scraped loudly, putting as much distance as she could between them.
Her composure shattered, replaced by pure outrage. Her hand flew to her mouth, wiping furiously, as if she could erase his kiss. She stared at him, breathing heavily. The silence was deafening, save for her ragged breaths.
Caleb stood still, his expression a fleeting mask of genuine confusion, quickly followed by profound disappointment. For a fraction of a second, she saw it… the glimpse of a boy utterly crushed, his carefully constructed fantasy crumbling.
Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by an unsettling, almost chilling calm. His eyes, though still fixed on her, were devoid of any readable emotion, like dark glass reflecting nothing but her own frantic reflection. Inwardly, a quiet, cold rage began to simmer, unseen.
"I called you back here." She managed, forcing herself to speak, her voice trembling at first then hardening with a desperate resolve. Her career. Her job. She couldn't let emotion control her.
"Because your behavior has become not just inappropriate, Caleb. It is completely unacceptable. You just assaulted me. The 'gift’… it’s not welcome. Your comments, your presence… all of it. This is a school. I am your teacher. There is absolutely no basis for this kind of... attention." She gestured around the empty classroom, her voice rising slightly with frustration and mounting desperation.
"This needs to stop. Immediately. Do we understand each other?"
Caleb's arm dropped to his side, his face settling into a mask of complete indifference. The smile vanished.
"Yes, Ms. L/n." He finally said in a flat tone. "I understand."
He turned on his heels and walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out without another word. Ms. L/n let out a shuddering breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He was gone.
But as the silence settled, she didn’t feel relief. No, instead an unshakable feeling of dread seeped in. The way he had just shut down... it felt off. She didn’t realize that she hadn’t deterred him. Her actions had the opposite effect, she taught him something and he was a quick study.
🍎🍏Prom 🍏🍎
The bass throbbed a relentless pulse through the gymnasium, shaking the floor beneath Ms. L/n's sensible heels. Fairy lights strung haphazardly across the basketball hoops cast a glittering, fractured glow over a sea of sequined dresses and awkwardly rented tuxedos. The air was thick with the scent of cheap cologne and the nervous energy of teenagers on the cusp of something.
Ms. L/n circulated, a forced smile plastered on her face, exchanging pleasantries with other chaperoning teachers, trying to look busy. Other supervisors chatted in small groups, their attention divided. Students laughed, posed for photos, and gravitated towards the music.
She scanned the room, her gaze darting around, unconsciously searching for him. He hadn't been in her classes today, which was a small mercy, but she knew he'd be here. No one misses prom.
She tried to push it away, focusing on the eager faces of her students, many of whom she genuinely adored. Prom was always a chaotic flurry of spilled drinks and awkward dances. It made her smile, watching the children create fun memories.
Whether it was from the overly crowded area or the lack of proper ventilation but the gym was quickly becoming unbearable. Ms. L/n felt a sudden wave of heat, the close air of the gym suddenly stifling.
'A little fresh air.' She thought, her gaze drifting towards the propped-open emergency exit at the far end of the hall, usually used by staff for quick breaks. She hadn't seen Caleb all night, and a small, irrational part of her hoped he just hadn't come. She excused herself from the party, making eye contact with one of her colleagues and nodding to them, gesturing to the exit before leaving.
Y/n sighed in relief as the cool night air washed over her. She leaned against the brick wall, closing her eyes for a moment, letting the gentle breeze clear her head. The music from inside was muffled now, a distant thrum.
It was peaceful, she could feel herself relaxing but it was abruptly disrupted. A voice, low and familiar, cut through the quiet. “Taking a breather, Ms. L/n?”
Her eyes flew open. Caleb stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the doorframe, bathed in the soft glow from the gym’s exit sign. He wasn’t wearing a tuxedo, but dark slacks and a crisp black button down shirt, sleeves rolled to expose forearms that had gained a surprising amount of definition. He looked less like a student and more like… a man. She quickly shook the intrusive thought from her head and reminded herself that this was her student.
He held out a clear plastic cup, condensation beading on its sides. “I believe that I owe you an apology.”
Her brow furrowed and she tilted her head slightly. “An apology, Caleb? For what?” She'd half expected him to avoid her, or perhaps offer a final, snide remark. This was an unexpected turn of events.
He offered a disarmingly charming smile, the kind that had probably won him over countless teachers in his academic career. "For being a nuisance, Ms. L/n. For pushing boundaries. I understand now. It was inappropriate, and I crossed a line." His violet eyes darkened as they locked onto hers.
"I truly am sorry for my behavior. Please, a peace offering." He gestured with the cup. "It's just punch. The real stuff is still behind lock and key." He chuckled.
She hesitated. It was so… mature. His direct, humble apology disarmed her more than any of his previous advances. She was tired, her guard was down, and the sheer audacity of his previous behavior had left her utterly unprepared for genuine contrition. She’d always prided herself on seeing the best in her students, even the challenging ones. ‘Maybe he finally understood. He was graduating, after all.’
With a soft sigh, she took the cup. "Thank you, Caleb. Apology accepted." She took a long, grateful swallow of the sweet, fruit-flavored liquid. It was cool, refreshing, and entirely innocuous.
Caleb’s smile deepened, a tasting victory on his tongue but she was too slow to catch read into it. "My pleasure, Ms. L/n." he murmured, his gaze lingering on her lips as she drank.
The pleasant sweetness of the punch dissolved, replaced by a strange, metallic tang at the back of Ms. L/n’s throat. A wave of dizziness washed over her, making the concrete beneath her feet heave and spin. But beneath the disorientation, unfamiliar and terrifying. Heat began to bloom low in her belly, spreading like wildfire through her veins. Her skin flushed with an unnatural warmth, her muscles tingled and weight down.
‘What… what is going on?’ Her vision swam, the faint glow of the exit sign began to blur out. Every sound from inside the gym, every distant car, every beat of her own frantic heart, amplified. Her body felt foreign, lit with fever she couldn’t control.
She shook her head, trying to clear the haze from her mind and lost her balance, stumbling on unsteady feet. She hadn’t even seen when Caleb moved. He was suddenly there, his presence just too close. His arm encircled her waist, gripping her arm as her legs buckled, preventing her from swaying.
He pulled her close, her head lolling against his shoulder, her mind struggling to form a coherent thought. All she registered was the overwhelming sensation of him, the intoxicating heat radiating from his body as she mentally battled with the primal urge to touch him.
"Easy there, Ms. L/n, just lean on me." He murmured, his voice soothing against her ear. Had she been of sound mind, she'd be able to pick up on the chilling hint of satisfaction.
“You're a little lightheaded. Too much dancing, maybe. Let's just get you somewhere you can breathe. Your classroom is closer." He began to guide her, away from the distant hum of the prom, into the darker, quieter recesses of the hallway.
Her legs felt like rubber. She swayed from side to side as she did her best to keep up with Caleb’s long strides. Had he not been holding onto her, she was sure she would be face down on the cold tiled floor.
He steered her expertly, past closed doors, his gaze sweeping the empty hall to ensure no one saw their departure. The cold knot of fear filled stomach, conflicting harshly with the artificial heat in her veins. Y/n could vaguely discern his whispered words.
"That's it, love. Just a little further. I've got you." He coxed sweetly.
They reached her classroom, the familiar number plate blurring on the door. It clicked open, then shut behind them, sealing them in near silence. He didn’t release her immediately. Instead, he pulled her fully into the room, pushing her against the cool surface of the blackboard, her own professional space now his stage. Caleb leaned in, his body pressing intimately against hers, forcing her to meet his smug gaze.
"So pretty." His thumb traced her jaw, then slid lower down her throat, over her pulse. A convulsive shiver wracked her body.
"Even in this state, you are stunning.” he murmured, tilting her chin up, forcing her glazed eyes to meet his. "Dazed. Desperate. Mine."
Her breath hitched, a weak protest dying in her throat. The drug was a living thing inside her, twisting every sensation into something molten and unbearable.
"Happy birthday to me." Caleb smiled saccharinely, his lips grazing her ear. "I’m finally eighteen. And in a week?" His teeth nipped at her earlobe. "You won't even be my teacher anymore. Why don’t we celebrate early?"
Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion, her thoughts having trouble picking up what he implied as her body continued to heat with desires. She could only whimper, a raw, helpless half protest, half something else entirely.
"You taught me so much about The Odyssey." He mused, fingers tightening in her hair. "Now let me show you what I’ve learned."
That was all he said before his lips crashed onto hers, devouring hers. It wasn't a kiss. It was claiming. Possessive. Demanding. She couldn't fight the way her body arched into him, her fingers gripping his hair. She could stop herself from kissing him back.
He groaned against her lips, finally getting the response he craved. "Knew you'd feel like this." he rasped, pulling back just enough to watch her gasp. "Knew you wanted me."
Her head lolled against the blackboard as his mouth moved to her neck as he sucked and nibbled little bruises into her exposed skin, tasting the frantic pulse at her throat, enjoying every sigh and whimper he pulled from her.
"C-Caleb… s'wrong—" Her voice slurred, barely audible.
"Shhh, baby." His hand slipped under her dress, his fingers brushing against the bare skin of her thigh, seizing her right leg and pulling her hips to meet his as she shuddered. She could feel the large bulge grind into her and let out breathy gasp. The friction was delicious, she instinctually jerked her hips to meet his. "Good girl. Just let go."
She whined when his palm cupped her breast, thumb flicking over her nipple. A broken noise escaped her.
"Look at you.” he purred, tilting her face toward him. "All those years playing professional. But I saw you." His thumb dragged over her bottom lip. "Always biting your lip when I answered questions right, always adjust your skirt when I stared a little too long."
Y/n whimpered and shook her head weakly, denying his claims.
Caleb laughed, low and dark. “I always get what I want, Y/n.”
His free hand yanked her leg around his hip, pulling her flush against him. She could feel him, rock hard, insistent and her body responded, heat pooling in her panties as her hips lifted to meet his.
"Fuck…" His grip turned punishing. "Even now, you're begging for it."
He pulled her head back slightly, just enough for her glazed over eyes to meet his. He found her docile demeanor to be so appealing, that he wished he could frame this moment. Then a smile played on his lips as an idea struck him.
Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, angling it in her direction. The bright flash momentarily blinded her as he snapped photos of her.
"Gotta remember this." He said, snapping another picture of her flushed face, his hand under her dress. Compromising. Damning. "My perfect little teacher, coming apart for me."
"N-no—"
He kissed her again, swallowing her protest. His fingers dipped lower, beneath the waistband of her panties.
“Ahh~” She jolted, grabbing his shoulders as if to ground herself as his long fingers slid up and down her slick petals.
"So wet for me, Y/n." he breathed against her mouth, a mixture of surprise and satisfaction.
"All for me." He curled his middle finger, pushing past her folds and into her heated core.
“D-don’t..!” Her vision fractured. light, shadow, the cold press of the blackboard against her back. His touch was everywhere, too much, and yet her body arched for more. A sob tore from her throat.
He groaned as she clamped down on his finger. "So tight.” Caleb forced another finger into her, making her shudder as he began to scissor her, opening her up for him. “Gonna have to stretch you out a bit.”
"I dreamed about this." He growled, fingers working her with cruel precision. "Every night, I imagined bending you over this desk, fucking you dumb—"
Caleb stilled. Then, with a slow, filthy smile, he lifted her effortlessly as if she weighed nothing. Wrapping her legs around his waist on instinct as He moved with her, carrying her towards her own desk. He lowered her onto it, scattering books and papers, the soft thud of textbooks hitting the floor barely registering. The cool surface felt amazing beneath her all too hot skin.
"Let's make it real, yeah?"
Caleb stood over her, his breathing heavy, eyes alight with a terrifying intensity. He took a moment, surveying his patchwork, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. He ran a hand through his dark hair, then reached down, his fingers finding the hem of her dress once more.
Caleb’s gaze, a burning, unblinking intensity, drank in Ms. L/n’s dazed, disheveled form. The satisfaction on his face was absolute, tempered by a dizzying adoration that made his movements almost reverent.
"Christ…" he breathed, dragging a fingertip over the damp fabric. "Barely touched you and I’ve already ruined you for anyone else, huh?"
Her vision blurred. The drug was like a living thing inside her, twisting pleasure from panic, heat from horror. She couldn't tell if the moan that escaped was protest or surrender.
Caleb stepped back, drinking in the sight of her-hair fanned across graded essays, chest heaving, thighs trembling. He unzipped her dress with torturous slowness. The fabric pooled at her waist, baring her to the chill air and his ravenous gaze.
"Perfect." His eyes tracing every curve with pure admiration. "Every single part of you."
He moved to the front of her desk, a predatory grace in his movements, pulling out his phone once more. Not for a photo this time. He set it carefully on a stack of books, angling the camera to capture the scene.
"I want to remember this, Y/n." he explained, his voice gentle, as if explaining something vital to a confused child. "The moment you finally become mine. The moment you finally became mine."
He gathered her dress and underwear, slithered them down her body like a dying breath, falling at her feet that dangled above the desk. Cold air licked her exposed skin, raising goosebumps contrasting from the warmth that came from the shame she felt. She tried to cover herself, but her arms might as well have been filled with lead.
‘No. No. No.’ The plea never left her lips.
Caleb knelt before her, his dark head pressing against her belly as if in prayer. His lips tracing a path down her trembling abdomen with soft kisses that burned like brands. Then his hands gripped her hips, wrenching her forward with terrifying ease. The edge of the desk bit into her back as he forced her upper body down, bending her like a bow.
"Look at this." He breathed, staring between her splayed thighs with hunger. She didn't need to look, though. She could feel the slick heat there, the evidence glistening reflected in his dark eyes.
"Just like I dreamed." His voice trembled with something worse than lust-reverence. A fingertip grazed her swollen flesh, feather-light. Her body arched into the touch on reflex, a broken sound bleeding from her throat.
"Shhh.” he soothed, even as his fingers delved deeper, parting her with clinical precision. "Your body knows what you won't admit."
The first deliberate stroke sent lightning up her spine. Her hips jerked. A moan clawed its way out-half agony, half something unspeakable.
“More… please. C—caleb.”
Caleb's eyes lit up from her acknowledgment. "There she is." He smiled all too pleased, circling her aching bundle of nerves with torturous patience. "My perfect girl. Dripping for me."
She squeezed her eyes shut, but the darkness only amplified the obscene sound of his fingers moving through her wetness.
"Uh uh. Open those eyes, baby." A command, not a request. "Watch what I do to you."
When she refused, he pinched her inner thigh-sharp enough to sting. Her eyelids flew open in time to see him bring glistening fingers to his lips, sucking them clean with a groan.
Without warning he sealed his lips over her clit and suckling hard. White heat exploded behind her eyelids. Her thighs clamped around his head instantly, heels digging into his back as the first wave crashed over her. Caleb groaned against her, the vibration sending fresh spasms through her abdomen.
"C-Caleb—!" His name tore from her in a broken syllable, half protest, half plea. She whimpered, her nails scraping uselessly against the laminate as her thighs trembled. A hot, wet stripe along her slit, licking into her around his own fingers.
"Fuck, baby." His groan vibrated against her, filthy and reverent. "You’re even sweeter than I dreamed."
Y/n's back bowed off the desk, a shattered cry tearing from her lips as his mouth latched onto her clit again sucking with ruthless devotion. Her fingers, without conscious thought, tangled in his dark hair, pulling him closer.
He reveled in it. The way her thighs trembled against his cheeks, the helpless little noises she couldn't keep down, he drank her down like a man starved, fingers pumping in time with his tongue, pistoning deeper into her gummy walls.
"That's it." he rasped between laps. "Let me hear you."
A scream built in her throat, morphing into a wanton moan as his fingers crooked just so, striking some hidden chord that sent white-hot pleasure searing through her veins. The orgasm hit hard, violent, devastating, tearing through her with such intensity that her vision whited out. For three terrifying heartbeats, she ceased to exist beyond the pulsating aftershocks wracking her ruined body.
Caleb didn't relent. His tongue worked her through the convulsions, eating up every twitch and tremor like a man starved. When she weakly tried to squirm away, the feeling becoming too much, body too sensitive, he gripped her thighs hard, pinning her in place.
"Shhh, shhh." he murmured against her quivering flesh, the vibration wringing another broken whimper from her lips.
He worked his fingers into nonstop, dragging out every last shuddering aftershock until she was limp, gasping, tears streaking her temples. When he finally pulled back, the obscene pop of his mouth leaving her skin echoed in the silent classroom.
He wiped his glistening chin with deliberate slowness, dark eyes locked on her ruined form-the flushed skin, the tear-streaked cheeks, the way her legs still trembled helplessly wide. His beautiful galaxy eyes sparkled with triumph.
"Perfect. You came so beautifully.” He breathed, pupils blown black with hunger. "But we're just getting started."
Caleb stood and began to unfasten his pants, the rasp of his belt buckle cut through the classroom's silence like a knife. He slid his pants down, freeing himself slowly, his arousal glistening with precum. When he pressed against her slit, the heaviness of it made her whimper as slid his cock between her folds, coating himself well.
Even drugged, her body instinctively tensed. Some conscious part of her recognized her predicament, understood how her that the weight of his cock was indicative of his well endowed size without even looking.
"Shhh." He soothed, kissing her trembling eyelids as he notched himself at her entrance. "I'll be gentle." A lie, he knew, as sweet as the poison.
The first breach was searing, a slow, agonizing stretch. He watched entranced, his dark eyes burning with a possessive fire, as her body stretched to accommodate him, inch by excruciating inch. Her choked gasp morphed into a shuddering moan when he bottomed out, his hips flush against hers, locking their bodies together.
"Perfect." Caleb breathed, the word a hot puff against her ear. His thumb, surprisingly gentle, swiped at the tear tracking down her cheek, cool against her flushed, fevered skin. Her pussy fluttered around him, clenching and releasing rapidly as she tried to adjust to him. To his credit and his extreme restraint, he allowed her a moment to, despite the intense urge compelling him to fuck her like the starved beast that he is.
"Taking me so well. You’re body was made for this. Fated to take me."
Y/n’s lip trembled as she laid there. With one particularly hard clench, Caleb hips snapped forward involuntarily, stealing both their breaths.
“Fuck, baby. I need to move.”
And so he did. Slow, shallow thrusts at first, each one a calculated violation of her most intimate space, an invading pressure that consumed them. Her traitorous body, slick and willing, began to respond. his control fractured.
“Hn… Ah~” it was soft, barely a whisper, but he heard it. Soon those meek little noises came quicker, louder and he couldn’t hold back.
His pace picked up, turning punishing. The wet, rhythmic slap of skin on skin echoing off the walls of the classroom combining with their shared sounds of pleasure.
"You feel that?" He growled, his grip tightened, leaving stinging imprints on her hips. His teeth grazed her collarbone, a prickling sensation sending electricity through her body.
"Feel how perfectly we fit?" He pulled back slightly, then slammed back in, the impact made her bite lip. "This was always going to happen. It was destined."
“No matter the obstacles.” He groaned, fucking her hard, his cock digging into her soaked channel repeatedly. “No one could stop this, not your job, not the school, not even you.” He breathed out.
“Fuck, I’m close!” He was, but he needed her to climax first. He needed to feel her milking his length, to ensure her pussy molded to the exact shape of his cock, needed to ruin her completely. With that chilling thought, he lifted one of her legs, hooking it in his arm, and began to drill into her with renewed, brutal force.
Y/n cried out in shock and pleasure. The bulbous head of his cock rammed into her, battering her cervix with merciless, rhythmic force as he moved like a wild man. She gripped his biceps, her nails digging in for purchase on his taut skin. He fucked her so primally that she could no longer find her voice. All she could do was hold on-feel everything as the building pressure pooled, hot and urgent, in her abdomen.
“Gonna fill you up, baby. Fuck you so full.”
Before she could even attempt to comprehend what he was saying, her climax hit. Her orgasm rocked her on a seismic level, a white-hot tremor. Wave after wave of pleasure wracked her body, each convulsion milking him deeper, drawing a sharp, surprised gasp from him.
Caleb's groan vibrated through her chest as he followed her over the edge, a thick, guttural sound, spilling hot, viscous ropes of his seed into her, whispering her name almost like a prayer. He emptied his load into her swollen hole, cursing at the way the aftershocks of release continued to grip him for a few agonizing moments longer.
Y/n sighed in content. Her drugged mind cleared a fraction, a brief, horrifying window of clarity, as her breath began to stabilize.
"You wereamazing." Caleb smiled down at her, brushing a few wet, clinging strands of hair from her face with a hand that now felt sickeningly gentle. She couldn't respond, not even sure what to say. He didn't mind; he was content watching her post-orgasm, glassy eyes, so beautiful, so needy.
His cock twitched inside her, still perfectly hard as if he hadn't just climaxed. She involuntarily tightened, squeezing him, a small, helpless whine escaping her lips. Caleb gasped, resting his head in the column between her neck and shoulder as he tried to regain his composure.
To no avail, he tightened his grip on her hips and began to roll his hips into hers, unable to resist the call of her body. Y/n protested, her hands flying to his chest, pushing pathetically with her diminished strength. She was too sensitive, only a moment had passed between the last orgasm before he started pumping into her again, each thrust a fresh jolt of agony and alien pleasure.
But he didn't stop.
“Shhh. Be good baby." He pecked her lips. “You can take me. Mmm~ You’re so good for me. You can take it.” He whispered to her in such a loving tone, sharply contrasting sinfully deep, hard pace he set. Her core was a sopping mess, allowing him to glide into her without the slightest resistance.
“Damn it. You feel so good.”
~🍎🍏~
After what felt like an eternity, Caleb finally stilled, his breathing ragged against her ear. He remained buried deep inside her, the heavy weight of him almost suffocating her. He had learned everything that made her gasp, cry out, shudder and beg for him. He committed the unique taste of her sweat against his tongue, her juices, over and over again until she couldn't remember where she ended and he began.
The classroom air grew heavy with the stale scent of their arousal. The only sounds were the distant thumping of the bass from the ongoing prom filtering through the door and their panting. He shifted, and she felt the slow, deliberate withdrawal, enjoying his last moments within her. Slick seeped out of her abused cunt, emptying onto the floor beneath her.
Caleb didn't move far, quickly gathering his phone and slipping into his pocket before he reached down, his fingers finding the scattered scraps of her dress and panties on the floor. With disturbing care, he began to redress her, his touch methodical, almost tender, as he pulled the fabric over her still-slick skin.
She was limp, unresponsive, her limbs heavy and unwilling to obey. He settled her back onto the desk, her skirt smoothed, her top pulled down. Presentable. Almost. He took a moment, his gaze lingering on the faint marks blooming on her neck and collarbone. A satisfied smile touched his lips.
"That's better." He murmured, his voice a low, satisfied hum. He leaned in, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. Her eyes, still wide and glazed from the drug, flickered, a tiny spark of something, a nascent fury, trying to break through the haze. He saw it. His smile widened, a chilling triumph.
"Three things will happen now, Y/n." He whispered, each word a hammer blow of control, soft yet absolute.
"One: You'll walk back into that prom like nothing happened. You'll smile. You'll say goodbye to your colleagues." He paused, letting the silence stretch, letting the weight of his command settle over her.
"Two: At graduation next week, you'll give me a very special thank you card. In front of my parents." The audacity of it stole the air from her lungs, but no sound escaped.
"And three..." He leaned closer, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth in a chaste, possessive kiss. "When I come to your apartment tonight, you'll answer the door. And you'll be wearing nothing but that pearl necklace I've seen you wear to faculty meetings."
He pulled back, his eyes, dark and unwavering, holding hers. "Do we understand each other, Ms. L/n?"
A/N: I’ve been absolutely obsessed with EPIC: The musical. If you know, you know. 😊
Happy birthday to me! I just want to show you guys what my brother bought me. He knows my love for Caleb. So he bought me an apple charm for my favorite purse. It even matches my wallet too! It’s hard to see but it shimmers! I’m so happy! Best birthday gift! 🎁🥳
Summary: Caleb, an extroverted prodigy born into privilege, has loved Y/n since they were children. Isolated by his intellect and unable to truly connect with others, he found an unexpected kindred spirit in her, an equally brilliant, introverted girl from a broken, loveless home. From the moment they met, he was irrevocably drawn to her. Accustomed to getting everything he wants, Caleb quietly vowed she would be no exception.
Warnings: Manipulation, SFW, Slow Burn
Word Count: 3k🍎🍏
Chapter Three
He froze in the archway of the main reading room, the faint rustle of turning pages and the hushed murmurs of students fading into the background. All his focus narrowed, zeroing in on the two figures as everything else around him dissolved into static.
The easy way Y/n’s head was tilted as she listened, the slight tension in her face before the relaxed curve of her smile that was only ever directed at him. Her beautiful smile that he considered his alone was given so freely to an intruder. It twisted something sharp and ugly within him, a bitter taste of jealousy and betrayal.
Nick looked up in that instant, spotting the brunette with a smirk. Caleb’s body lit with a surge of cold rage, the smugness in the depths of Nick’s eyes tested his restraint. challenge thrown down, a deliberate taunt.
His eyes, for a fleeting, infuriating second, locked with Caleb’s before darting back towards Y/n. His Y/n.
Her gaze remained stubbornly lowered, her thumb tracing the crisp edge of a small, folded piece of paper Nick had given her. A small link between them, a secret exchanged in his absence, a whispered intimacy that burned Caleb's vision.
This gesture sent a fresh wave of anger crashing through him, colder and more potent than the initial shock. ‘What sweet nothings had that slip of paper contained? What did they discuss in his absence?’ The thought of it burned.
His eyes, now burning with a controlled fury, remained fixed on the small white rectangle. Folded. Intimate. Still radiating the insidious warmth of Nick’s presumptuous touch. The casual intimacy of it was a physical affront that made his jaw ache with the suppressed urge to shatter the composure he was clinging to.
He moved forward with deliberate ease, every step measured. There was no urgency in his stride, only the kind of quiet authority that made space bend around him. People didn’t get out of his way because he demanded it. They did it because they didn’t think to do anything else.
Nick didn’t move. Not at first. And Caleb noticed that, too.
When he finally reached them, he came to a stop beside the table, standing tall and composed.
“Sweetheart.” His voice was deceptively soft, a low purr that masked the predatory growl beneath. The endearment felt less like a term of affection and more like a brand, a possessive mark he was deliberately etching into the hushed air between them, a declaration of ownership.
The smile he gave Y/n was deliberately gentle, almost exaggeratedly affectionate, a stark contrast to the fury in his eyes, a clear, unmistakable message directed solely at the interloper.
“You’re late.” He leaned down, invading her personal space with an almost territorial grace, brushing a lingering kiss against her temple before she even had the chance to fully register his presence. It was a blatant, undeniable display of his claim.
“I know.” he said, brushing a kiss against her temple with the ease of long familiarity. “Forgive me?”
His tone never shifted. He didn’t even glance at Nick.
Y/n giggled, shaking her head like she couldn’t help herself. Caleb let the sound hang a moment, soothing, domestic.
And then, as if it were a natural next step, his gaze lifted and locked with Nick’s.
A pause followed. Not long. Just long enough to be unmistakable.
“Nick.” His voice didn’t change. Still smooth. Still calm. But it cut through the moment like wire through silk.
Nick cleared his throat. “Hey. Didn’t know you’d be by.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Caleb inclined his head slightly, a gesture too polite to be sincere. His attention had already returned to Y/n, the conversation steered with effortless precision. “Ready to go?”
“Mmhm. Just let me pack up.” She began gathering her books, entirely unaware of the way the air had shifted.
Nick tried to summon something casual. “She’s sharp,” he offered. “I was just saying I admire her work.”
Caleb’s smile turned cool at the edges. “She is,” he said, gaze never quite leaving Nick now. “She doesn’t always realize how much attention she draws.”
Nick hesitated, calculating. “I think she knows,” he said finally, voice even. “She just doesn’t advertise it.”
He turned back to Y/n, hand brushing lightly along her shoulder, fingers curling for a second too long in her sweater fabric. Not possessive. Just grounding.
“Let me help you.”
She nodded, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere As she handed him the heavier textbooks. As she moved to gather her things, Caleb’s eyes returned to Nick, just briefly, narrowing them.
He said nothing more.
Didn’t need to.
The silence said enough
This is not your place.
Nick held his gaze, but only until Y/n stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. Then Caleb stepped aside, hand light on her back as he guided her gently toward the exit.
Just before they walked out, Caleb paused.
Over his shoulder, still without fully turning and speaking. “Thanks for keeping her company.” Caleb added, his voice light but pointed-a subtle dismissal wrapped in an assertion of ownership.
Nick didn't smile. His eyes, fixed on Caleb, were cool and unwavering.
"Someone should."
The words, simple and direct, landed with weight. Not just a retort-an accusation. A warning.
Caleb's eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He didn't speak, didn't blink-but for that brief second, something dark flickered behind his expression. Controlled. Contained. But unmistakable.
Y/n gave a little laugh, faint and oblivious, missing the sharp edge now coiled between the two of them. "It was good talking to you, Nick," she said, still genuinely pleasant.
Nick's gaze softened when he looked at her, earnest and grounded.
"You ever need that again," he said, voice low. "You know where to find me."
Then, slowly, his eyes lifted-past her shoulder and back to Caleb.
The warmth was gone. His jaw was set. His stare, steady and unflinching, held a quiet, deliberate challenge.
"I mean it."
The silence that followed turned dense. Loaded.
A gauntlet thrown in the stillness of the library air.
Caleb felt it coil through him-tight, cold, precise. Fury tempered by calculation.
Possessiveness sharpened into intent.
He held Nick's gaze a moment longer than necessary, letting the silence stretch, letting the weight settle. Then, gently, he placed a hand on Y/n's lower
"We should go, sweetheart."
His voice was warm again, measured. But inside, the decision had already been made.
Nick had crossed a line.
And Caleb would make sure he never had the chance to do it again. He was going to deal with this. Swiftly. Permanently.
🍎🍏
The restaurant glowed with soft ambient lighting, glass walls catching the golden hues of the setting sun. Sleek black tables were spaced for privacy, and muted jazz floated through the air, blending with the quiet clink of silverware. Caleb had requested a window seat, and now they sat across from each other at a small, elegant table, school uniforms slightly out of place but no one seemed to care. The waiter had already taken their orders, and Caleb had insisted she try the house made pasta.
Y/n twirled her water glass slowly between her fingers, the cool condensation dampening her skin. Across from her, Caleb looked impossibly calm, his posture relaxed, one elbow resting on the table as if this was just another evening. His gaze, however, was unwaveringly focused on her, absorbing her presence. But she’d seen that flicker in his eyes earlier, back in the library, when he saw Nick.
She couldn’t stop herself.
“He seemed nice.” she said quietly, eyes on the candle flickering between them. “Nick, I mean. A little… blunt, maybe. But nice.”
Caleb smiled, all warmth and ease, though it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. “Perhaps.” he murmured, not missing a beat. His voice dropped just enough to feel confidential, as if sharing a secret meant only for her, making the murmur of the restaurant fade into background noise. “Though I noticed you were a little upset with him earlier.”
Y/n’s mouth tightened. She hated how easily that boy had gotten under her skin. “You could tell?” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “He said something dumb. About… about us. About you always being around.” She glanced up, meeting Caleb’s gaze. “Like I’m a shadow.”
Caleb’s smile didn’t falter, but she noticed the subtle shift—the way his fingers tapped once against the table before stilling. Then his hand, resting near hers on the table, seemed to instinctively shift closer, his thumb subtly grazing her knuckles for a beat longer than a casual touch.
“Did he now?” His voice remained calm, with just the right amount of quiet concern. “Some people don’t understand us, sweetheart. They project their own insecurities.”
She felt the tension in her chest begin to ease, not because she consciously understood why, but because his presence always seemed to smooth the rough edges of her thoughts. That made sense. ‘Caleb was always good at explaining things, making them simple, logical.’
“He probably just saw how protective I am of you and misinterpreted it.” he added, thumb grazing her hand as he pulled away, giving her space again.
Y/n leaned back slightly in her seat. “Yeah, I guess.” But a flicker of guilt rose in her throat. She shouldn’t have let Nick’s words get to her. She knew Caleb. She knew the truth. Why had she even entertained the doubt?
“I told him you’re my best friend and you always protect me.” she added, almost defensively.
Caleb’s eyes softened, pleased. His body language subtly adjusted, leaning in closer as if to create a shared space around them. “Of course I do.” He sat back just as the waiter brought their meals, hers a steaming plate of tagliatelle in a cream sauce, his a perfectly seared filet. “And you have every right to be upset when someone suggests otherwise. Our friendship is important.”
Y/n picked up her fork, the smell of garlic and herbs calming her nerves. She twirled a bite onto her fork as he leaned forward slightly, voice lowering.
“Did he say anything else, after you corrected him?” He pressed gently.
Her appetite slowed. She hesitated. “He just… apologized. And he said my work was impressive.”
She couldn’t tell if it mattered or if that compliment would bother Caleb. But his reaction was neutral, as always. He nodded, serene.
“Well, he’s not wrong.” he said with a soft laugh. His eyes, fixed intently on her, held a shared understanding, as if this compliment was a private appreciation between just the two of them. “You are incredibly bright, Y/n. Much too bright for simple distractions.”
Something about the way he said it, like he was admiring her made her shoulders relax again. Maybe she really had let that moment shake her more than it should have. Nick didn’t know her. Not really. Caleb had been right all along.
Caleb’s fingers tapped the stem of his wine glass, his gaze distant for a second before returning to her. “He seems… observant.” he conceded. “And it’s good that he apologized. It shows he understands he crossed a line.”
Then his voice dropped again, smooth and gentle, inviting her back into his certainty. “You know, sweetheart, it’s actually a good thing that you’re meeting new people. Expanding your circle. I was a bit worried at first that you wouldn’t allow yourself to but I’m glad i was wrong.”
That surprised her. She paused mid-bite. “What? Really? I thought you’d…” she trailed off, cheeks warming. She didn’t want to admit that Nick’s words had planted doubt in her. That she’d half-expected Caleb to confirm them.
His smile deepened, amused and tender all at once. “Thought I’d what? Keep you to myself?” he teased softly. His eyes held unwavering focus, making her feel uniquely understood. “Never. I want you to experience everything. To have friends, to explore. You deserve that.”
Y/n blinked, her chest tightening, not with anxiety, but with something sharper. Relief. Shame.
‘Of course he wasn’t trying to isolate me. That idea was absurd. What kind of friend would even suggest such a thing?’
She felt her face heat. ‘God, I was stupid to even let that get in my head. I know Caleb. I know him better than anyone. Nick doesn’t know anything.’
He reached for her hand briefly, just a touch. His thumb instinctively brushed her knuckles as he spoke. “Just… be cautious, okay? You’re a rare kind of brilliant, Y/n, and some people might not understand that. They might see your kindness as something to exploit, or your openness as an invitation.”
Y/n nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. He wasn’t warning her because he didn’t trust her, he was protecting her. As he always had.
“I trust your judgment implicitly.” Caleb added, his gaze full of quiet conviction. “You’re smart enough to know when something feels off. And if you ever feel uncomfortable, even a little bit, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
Her heart ached a little, he was always in her corner, always her safe place.
“Of course I will.” She said, eyes glinting with something close to gratitude. “You know I always tell you everything.”
She squeezed his hand back, the last fragments of Nick’s accusations disappearing completely. Caleb hadn’t been angry. He hadn’t shut her down. He’d encouraged her, he trusted her. ‘I let a stranger shake that. Just for a second. I won’t make that mistake again.’
Caleb nodded, sipping his wine, expression content. His smile remaining warm, beneath his serenity, the chill of strategy lingered in his gaze. Perfect. He had just given Nick the illusion of an opening, a long enough leash to eventually hang himself. He knew Y/n. Knew her vulnerabilities, her subtle triggers, her deeply ingrained need for his particular brand of comfort and protection. Nick, with his bluntness and careless energy, would inevitably make a misstep, cross an invisible line, and Y/n, confused and hurt, would retreat, straight back into the safety of Caleb’s carefully woven web. He was not isolating her; he was proving why she needed him, by letting her fall.
Perfect.
🍎🍏
The drive back to campus was quiet, peaceful. The hum of the car left a soft undercurrent beneath the weight of unspoken thoughts. Caleb kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the console between them, close enough for Y/n to feel the offer of contact without pressure.
She sat in the passenger seat, content and full, fingers lightly curled around the edges of her skirt. The glow from the dashboard cast a soft blue on her face, and he caught her looking out the window, her reflection flickering faintly in the glass.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked, voice calm and low.
She glanced at him, offering a small, genuine smile. “I did. The food was amazing. You always find places like that.”
He chuckled softly, as if modest. “I just wanted you to relax. First few week’s always the hardest.” His gaze flicked to her. “You deserve a soft landing.”
Y/n’s chest warmed at the sentiment. It was always like this, Caleb knowing just when to pull her back from the edge of doubt. She’d felt it, that thoughts of creeping insecurity Nick had triggered. But now it seemed silly. She felt foolish for even letting it get to her. The realization made her cheeks warm with guilt. Caleb had encouraged her to make friends. She’d projected her discomfort, and he’d only shown kindness.
‘Nick got in my head.’ she admitted silently. ‘I let him. What kind of friend am I? I should’ve known better.’
As the car pulled into campus and slowed beside her dorm building, Caleb gave her a final glance, soft and sure.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” he murmured, brushing a hand lightly over hers before she got out.
“Goodnight.” she said, her voice faint, grateful.
He waited until she disappeared through the doors before pulling away. The calm on his face didn’t crack, not yet. Not until he was back in the solitude of his own dorm, where the silence welcomed him like a blade to the throat.
The door clicked shut behind him. Darkness. Stillness.
He didn’t turn on the lights.
Instead, he walked to the desk, methodical. Removed his watch. Rolled up his sleeves. The quiet tick of the second hand on the clock was the only sound that filled the room.
Then he exhaled, slow and measured.
‘He thinks he’s clever.’
Caleb sat in the chair, leaning back with practiced ease. ‘He thinks he sees something the others don’t. That I’m overbearing. Possessive. Dangerous.’
A faint smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
‘He’s not wrong.’
He let that truth settle in the air like smoke.
‘But he’s naïve if he thinks that makes him powerful. He’s an amateur. An intruder with a backbone and a loud mouth. He doesn’t understand the rules of this game, not really.’
Caleb’s gaze wandered toward the ceiling, as if the shadows above might whisper his next move back to him.
‘He challenged me in front of her. Tried to drive a wedge while I was gone. And she wavered. Briefly. Just enough for me to feel it.’
His jaw tightened.
‘That won’t happen again.’
He stood, walking slowly to the window. The faint lights of campus flickered below, students walking in clusters, laughing, oblivious. Somewhere among them, Nick was likely boasting to someone, maybe replaying his little rebellion in the library, basking in the glow of Y/n’s attention.
‘She was never his to win.’
Caleb’s eyes narrowed.
‘If he wants to play martyr, I’ll give him a reason. No more warning shots. No more polite little deflections.’
His reflection in the glass was pale and sharp, veiled in the streetlight glow.
‘I’ll give them whispers. Just enough to raise eyebrows. Something vague, something concerning. A few careful comments about Nick’s temper. About his behavior around girls. Let it fester. Let it mutate.’
He tapped a single finger against the glass.
‘It won’t be hard. People believe what they want to believe. And when Y/n starts hearing things, when she starts wondering if she misjudged him— if he really is dangerous, she’ll pull away. Not because I told her to. Because she’ll want to.’
A cold, cruel calm settled over him now.
‘This campus will swallow him whole. One step at a time. No friends. No allies. Just a boy unraveling from the inside out.’
He smiled—quietly, sincerely.
‘And when he starts to fall, she won’t reach for him. She’ll already be holding onto me.’
Caleb turned from the window and sat back at his desk, fingers lacing together.
I wanna pitch a story to you. I won’t be able to do it justice since I only know surface level stuff but I had this idea for a Rafayel x Reader fanfic for long time.
Can I share something a bit personal without getting called crazy? 😅
Caleb and I share the same birthday. This birthday is special to me since I’ve been waiting years for a Friday the 13th birthday and it’s even more special because it’s Caleb’s birthday too. In honor of our birthday, I bought a few apple tree that I plan to grow in my apartment and plant when I buy a house.
I know this is a game but it really helped my mental health and I want to hold on to the memories of the time I started to heal and raise my standards for what I deserve in life.
Summary: Caleb, an extroverted prodigy born into privilege, has loved Y/n since they were children. Isolated by his intellect and unable to truly connect with others, he found an unexpected kindred spirit in her, an equally brilliant, introverted girl from a broken, loveless home. From the moment they met, he was irrevocably drawn to her. Accustomed to getting everything he wants, Caleb quietly vowed she would be no exception.
Warnings: Manipulation, SFW, Slow Burn
Word count: 3.8k 🍎🍏
Chapter Two
Caleb hadn't expected to hate him so quickly.
The intruder.
He hadn't missed the way the intruder's eyes had lingered on Y/n. That audacious grin, the casual confidence, the thinly veiled curiosity. Nick. Caleb hadn’t even bothered to commit the full name to memory, but the boy’s image was already cataloged and cross-referenced in his mind. A threat. An anomaly in his carefully constructed world.
He’d spent years cultivating Y/n. Watching. Learning. From the moment he’d seen her. A skinny, quiet child hunched over a book in the corner of a boisterous playground. He knew then. She was just like him. Too sharp for the mundane, too sensitive for the crudeness of typical childhood. The other kids had picked at her, teased her, made her feel small because she refused to be.
She was a brilliant, fragile thing. The world didn’t know how to handle that. But he did.
He’d inserted himself into her life with the precision of a surgeon. A kind word here, a shared silence there. Gentle redirections. Strategic absence followed by comforting presence. Over time, she learned to turn toward him without thinking. He was the calm in her storm, the one constant in a life that never stopped shifting.
‘This isn’t control.’ he told himself. ‘It isn’t care. Protection. Love, in its most devoted form.’
So when Nick had materialized, unexpected, uninvited, and entirely too curious, Caleb’s instincts flared. He caught the flicker in Y/n’s eyes, her surprise, then a faint, tentative interest. That spark of unfamiliarity, of something not him, was dangerous.
Y/n was emotionally underfed, socially stunted. Just as he’d intended. She couldn’t read subtext the way others did. She mistook attention for kindness, interest for connection. Someone like Nick, with his easy smiles and careless energy, could sidestep all the safeguards Caleb had built around her.
Even the name felt wrong coming out of her mouth.
She’d smiled when she said it so absently, like it meant nothing. But it had carved something cold and sharp through Caleb’s chest nonetheless. Not because she loved him. No, but because she could.
And that possibility was enough to set every nerve in his body on edge.
He didn’t show it. Not in his face. Not in his posture. His voice stayed smooth, his hands relaxed. But behind his eyes, something shifted. The warmth cooled. The calculation resumed.
He would eliminate the distraction, gently, subtly, without her even realizing it. Nick would fade into the background. Easily forgotten.
Because she was his. She just didn’t understand that yet.
And then she was staring at him.
The weight of her gaze lingered, uncertain, searching. She furrowed her brows slightly, hesitating, like she wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly. Caleb tilted his head, projecting practiced confusion.
And then, softly, she spoke.
“What did you just say?”
Not accusing. Just curious. A little cautious.
Caleb didn’t blink. Didn’t hesitate. He offered a small, easy smile—warm and harmless, the kind that always worked on her.
“I said I don’t know him.” he answered smoothly, letting out a sheepish little chuckle as if he were embarrassed by his own wandering thoughts. “His name sounded familiar. Sorry, sweetheart, I was just thinking out loud.”
Y/n blinked, thrown off by the ease of his response. “Oh.” Her brow creased. “I thought you said something else…”
“Are you hearing things now?” Caleb teased gently, pinching her cheek with light fingers, his voice soft and playful.
“Hey! Ow!” she complained, swatting at him. Her touch was half-hearted, more instinct than offense.
He dodged her swat easily, still laughing, and she kicked at his leg in retaliation. He let out a dramatic groan of mock pain, clutching his thigh as if she’d seriously wounded him.
“Serves you right.” she said, grinning. She stuck her tongue out at him like a child, like the girl he’d grown up with.
He gave her a look of mock betrayal, but he was already smiling. She was laughing now, open and unguarded, her earlier suspicion completely forgotten.
And just like that, the moment passed.
She let it go.
Of course she did. She always did.
Y/n wanted to trust him— needed to. The world was too chaotic, too cruel. He was her anchor, the one safe place she could always retreat to. All he had to do was plant a seed of doubt in her mind, and she would choose the comfort of his version over her own every time.
She didn’t realize how close she’d come to hearing the truth.
Not yet.
As they continued walking, Caleb studied her from the corner of his eye. Her face was lit faintly by the lamplight, and in the quiet between them, he could almost hear the soft rhythm of her thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking about. Nick, maybe. Or nothing at all. She was so easy to read when she was with him.
She trusted him completely.
That was the foundation of everything.
He reached out, brushing his hand lightly against hers as they passed under a cluster of trees, letting the gesture seem accidental. She didn’t pull away. Her fingers stayed near his, close enough to touch again.
That was enough, for now.
Behind his eyes, the calculations continued. A misstep wasn't failure. It was information. A lesson. A refinement of the next move.
She was still trusting.
Still his.
And that was all that mattered.
🍎🍏
Y/n fell into a routine faster than she expected. It wasn’t entirely her own; it moved with a rhythm Caleb seemed to have set for her, each moment gently guided by his quiet influence. He was always nearby, walking her to all of her classes, waiting outside the door before it ended, choosing the places they ate and studied. It felt like comfort. Familiar. Safe.
That afternoon, the lecture hall buzzed with a low thrum of overlapping voices, the scrape of chairs and the rustle of backpacks echoing off concrete walls. The lights above were too bright, the kind that made the whiteboard glare just enough to hurt her eyes. Y/n slipped into her usual seat near the back, third row from the end, near the wall, one of the quieter spots in the large, echoing room. Caleb had picked it for her. “Less attention up there.” he’d said.
She opened her notebook and stared down at the blank page, letting the ambient noise blur around her. Students filtered in slowly, in ones and twos, the kind of casual, confident movement Y/n had never quite mastered.
“Hey.” came a bright voice beside her, pulling her out of her daze. A girl dropped into the seat to her left, notebook in hand, perfume soft and floral. “I’m Sarah. We’ve got this class and literature together, I think?”
Y/n glanced at her, caught off guard. Sarah was effortlessly pretty in a deliberate way. Gold hoops, glossy lips, and honey-blonde waves that looked like they had never seen a bad hair day. She wore a cream knit sweater that hugged her arms over her uniform shirt. Her nails were manicured in a pale blush color, the same shade as her lip gloss.
“Yeah… I think so.” Y/n replied quietly.
Sarah leaned back with an easy smile, twirling a pen between her fingers. “I keep meaning to say hi. You’re always with that guy, though. Caleb, right?”
Y/n stiffened slightly. “Yeah. We’ve known each other a long time.”
“He’s hard to miss.” Sarah said, laughing under her breath. “That whole tall, brooding, mysterious thing? It definitely works for him.”
Y/n gave a neutral hum in response, unsure what to say.
Sarah tilted her head, studying her. “Is he your boyfriend?”
The question was blunt, but her tone was light, just nosy enough to sound casual. Y/n hesitated, flipping her pen between her fingers, eyes back on the blank page in front of her.
“We’re close.” she said finally.
Sarah nodded like that explained everything. “That’s cool. You guys seem really… connected.” There was a hint of something behind her smile now, curiosity with an edge of calculation.
Y/n looked away.
When the professor entered and class began, Sarah didn’t stop trying. She whispered comments during the lecture. Half-jokes and little side notes and passed her perfectly highlighted notes across the desk with a pink sticky tab that read “for you :)” even though they were only fifteen minutes into the lecture. Her perfume lingered in the air, cloying and sweet.
“Do you want to study together sometime?” She asked as class ended, slipping her things into her designer tote. “There’s this café just off campus with great lattes. Quiet booths. Perfect for midterms.”
Y/n hesitated. “Maybe.” She said, unsure how to refuse.
They walked out together, the late afternoon sun flooding through the arched glass entryway of the building. The breeze outside smelled like cut grass and damp pavement.
Caleb was waiting.
He stood just a few feet from the steps, leaning against the low stone wall, arms folded, dark eyes already locked on her. His uniform pressed to perfection, his presence somehow both understated and commanding. A few students passing by gave him a second glance, but no one approached him. No one ever did.
Sarah’s step faltered beside Y/n. “Wow.” she breathed, voice just low enough. “He really waits for you?”
Y/n nodded.
As if on cue, Caleb pushed off the wall and approached them. The way he moved was quiet but deliberate, and Sarah visibly straightened as he neared, smoothing her hair with quick fingers.
“Hey, sweetheart.” he said, brushing a kiss to Y/n’s temple. His arm slid around her waist, casual but firm.
Sarah’s smile brightened. “Hi, Caleb. I’m Sarah—we were just in class together.”
Caleb gave her a single glance and a brief nod. “Nice to meet you.”
“I was telling Y/n we should study this weekend.” Sarah said, and Y/n felt the shift in tone. There was something coy behind it now, like a carefully placed hook.
Y/n opened her mouth to clarify she hadn’t actually agreed, but Caleb beat her to it.
“She’s pretty busy.” he said smoothly. “We’ve already made plans.”
Sarah’s expression flickered, just a flash, a twitch of her mouth but she recovered quickly. “Oh. Well, maybe another time.”
“Maybe.” Caleb echoed, his eyes steady on her, unreadable.
Sarah lingered half a second longer before giving a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “See you around, Y/n.”
When Sarah walked away, her perfume still lingering, Caleb’s hand slipped from Y/n’s waist to her lower back, guiding her gently as they began walking.
“She’s nice.” he said after a beat, his tone casual, almost distracted. “Friendly.”
Y/n glanced up at him, uncertain. “She invited me to study this weekend.”
“Did she?” He offered the smallest smile. “That’s sweet of her.”
There was no accusation in his voice, no tension. Just quiet amusement, like he was already several steps ahead of her.
Y/n hesitated. “I told her maybe.”
“Well,” he said lightly, “if you’d like me to come with you, I don’t mind. Just in case the place is too crowded for you to focus.”
Y/n frowned slightly. “I think I’ll be okay.”
Caleb gave a thoughtful hum. “Of course. Just… don’t feel like you have to say yes to everyone. People aren’t always as kind as they seem.”
She didn’t answer. The wind picked up around them, tugging at the hem of her sweater.
“I trust your instincts.” Caleb added after a pause, voice lower now, more intimate. “But if something feels off, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
Y/n nodded slowly.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his touch warm and steady.
Caleb walked beside her in silence, their steps measured, unhurried. The late afternoon sun slanted low, casting golden light through the trees and turning the quiet path toward the library into something hushed and distant, like a dream half-remembered. Y/n stayed close, her books pressed to her chest, the weight of them grounding her more than the conversation she already knew was coming.
As they reached the library steps, Caleb slowed and turned toward her. His expression was serene, his voice even. “I have a seminar after this. It might run a little long.”
She didn’t answer right away. He let the silence stretch just long enough before continuing.
“It’s better if you stay here until I’m done. It's closer than your place. Less of a walk after dark.” A pause, then, with the faintest curve to his mouth. “I’ve only got an hour, and then I’ll come get you. We’ll have dinner after.”
Y/n smiled and nodded, clutching her books tighter.
His gaze flicked briefly to the heavy stack in her arms, then returned to her face. “Find a spot upstairs. Somewhere near the windows. I don’t want you sitting alone by the doors.”
There was no edge to his words. Just care, folded neatly into instruction.
She nodded again, softer this time. “Alright.”
He stepped closer, gently brushing his fingers against her arm—not a grip, just contact. Measured.
“I’ll see you soon.” He smiled so gently when he said it, had kissed her temple so tenderly, that it hadn’t felt like anything but affection. He watched her walk inside before he turned and headed back towards the direction of his classroom.
The library was nearly silent, the hush broken only by the occasional rustle of pages and the soft clack of keyboards. Y/n tucked herself into a secluded corner near the back, where the warm glow of a desk lamp cast amber shadows over her notes. Her laptop was open, surrounded by neatly organized textbooks, printouts, and a notebook filled with tightly packed handwriting, careful lines of logic, dense passages annotated in sharp, precise script.
She had been here for nearly an hour, lost in her work, her brow furrowed in focus.
He hadn’t made it a request. But he’d smiled so gently when he said it, had kissed her temple so tenderly, that it hadn’t felt like anything but affection. And so Y/n stayed.
The campus library was large, but Nick spotted her almost immediately. He’d wandered in looking for a quiet space to write, his messenger bag slung low over one shoulder, headphones tucked around his neck. But the sight of her stopped him cold.
She was alone, her head bent, eyes narrowed in deep concentration. Her fingers moved quickly over the page, translating complex academic concepts into tidy, confident equations. The subject matter caught him off guard, a synthesis of computational theory and literary analysis, nuanced and rigorous. It wasn’t beginner work.
He hovered a moment longer than he meant to, watching her. She looked different like this, sharper, more alive. Her expression was serious, yet soft around the edges, the faintest crease between her brows betraying her intense focus. There was no sign of the girl who clung to Caleb’s arm, who flinched slightly whenever he entered a room. Just Y/n, alone and brilliant.
Finally, he approached, careful not to startle her.
“Hey.” he said, his voice low so as not to disturb the quiet. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Y/n looked up, blinking like she’d just surfaced from deep water. Her eyes flicked toward him, a little startled, but not unfriendly.
“Oh. Hi.” she said, brushing a hand through her hair. “I’m just… catching up on some things.”
Nick nodded, his gaze drifting briefly across her notes again. “That’s… not freshman-level work.”
She gave a faint, almost embarrassed smile. “It’s a cross-listed course. Caleb thought I could handle it.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you can. That’s impressive.”
She shrugged, but the compliment seemed to settle something in her shoulders, the tension there loosening just a bit.
“You mind if I sit?” he asked.
Y/n hesitated. Then she glanced at the seat beside her, an empty chair, perfectly ordinary, perfectly harmless.
“…Sure.” she said after a beat. “I don’t mind.”
Nick slid into the seat slowly, not too close. He didn’t say anything right away. He just leaned back, pulled out a notebook of his own, and opened to a blank page.
For a while, they worked in silence.
But under the table, Y/n’s phone vibrated once. A message from Caleb.
🍏Caleb🍎: Almost done. Don’t leave. I’m on my way.
She didn’t respond right away. She just read it, then quietly turned the phone over, face-down on the desk.
Nick caught the movement, his pen pausing for just a second. But he didn’t ask.
The quiet stretched, comfortable but fragile.
Ten mins passed quietly between them. Occasionally, Nick would glance over at her notes, brows raising slightly at the level of detail and the sharpness of her logic. She kept her head down for the most part, but something in the way he sat beside her-unintrusive, present—made it easier to breathe.
Nick set his pen down at one point and leaned slightly closer, voice low.
"So... Caleb."
Yn's hand stilled, mid-sentence. She didn't look up, but he saw the shift-the almost imperceptible tension in her spine.
"What about him?" she asked, trying to sound casual. It came out a little too neutral.
Nick tilted his head, as if weighing his words. "You two are... close."
Y/n gave a soft huff of breath. "We've known each other forever."
"That explains the familiarity." Nick said. "But not the... constant presence. He's always there, isn't he? It's not just a coincidence that you're always together."
Y/n's head snapped up. Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation replacing the earlier calm. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick raised his hands placatingly, a small, reassuring smile on his lips. "Hey, just an observation. I've seen him around campus. He's a big deal here. Everyone knows Caleb." He paused, his gaze softening, almost sympathetic. "And you seem to be... a bit of a shadow, sometimes."
The words struck Y/n like a cold slap. Her face flushed, and she felt a prickle of anger.
"I'm not a shadow and he's my friend. My best friend. He looks out for me." Her voice was tight, defensive, rising just a fraction above the library's quiet hum.
"I get that." Nick said, his voice still low, his gaze unwavering but gentle. "Loyalty's a good thing. But 'looking out for' and... 'managing' are different things, aren't they? He seems to have a lot of opinions about where you go, who you talk to. Even what classes you take." His eyes flicked to her complex notes, then back to her face. "That's pretty intense for just a friend."
Y/n slammed her pen down on the table, the sharp click echoing in the hushed room.
Heads turned. Her chest tightened with a mix of indignation and a terrible, familiar discomfort. "You don't know anything about our friendship." she hissed, her voice barely a whisper but laced with genuine fury. "You just met me five minutes ago Caleb's always been there for me. He knows me better than anyone. He helps me. He protects me." Her voice was tight, defensive, rising just a fraction above the library's quiet hum. She grabbed her books, her hands trembling slightly as she stacked them, a clear signal of her distress.
Nick’s smile faded. He saw the genuine hurt in her eyes, the sudden stiff set of her shoulders. The defensiveness wasn’t a pretense; she was truly upset. He'd misjudged.
“Hey, whoa, hold on!” he said quickly, his voice dropping, tinged with immediate regret. He put his hands up, a gesture of surrender. “I am so sorry. That was out of line. Completely. I shouldn’t have said that.” He leaned back in his chair, giving her space, his previous probing entirely gone. “I really didn’t mean to upset you. That was dumb of me.”
Y/n’s movements slowed, though her shoulders remained stiff. She didn't look at him, but she didn't push her chair back either.
Nick exhaled slowly. “Look, I just… I saw you working, and you were so focused. Seriously, that’s impressive stuff. And you looked so… free, almost. It just seemed like such a contrast to when you’re with him, and I just blurted out something stupid. No excuse, though. My bad.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “I really am sorry.”
The sincerity in his tone was undeniable. Y/n chewed on the inside of her cheek, her anger warring with a surprising wave of relief that he wasn’t pushing, wasn't judging. She still felt raw, but the sharp edge of her fury began to dull.
“It’s fine.” she mumbled, not looking at him.
“No, it’s not.” Nick corrected gently. “And you have every right to be mad. He’s your friend, your best friend. That’s important. I shouldn’t have tried to… well, stir things up.” He offered a small, hesitant smile. “Can we just reset? My name’s Nick. And I think your work is amazing.”
Y/n finally looked up, her expression still wary, but a hint of something softening in her eyes. "Okay." she said, her voice a little softer now.
Nick grinned, relieved. He pulled a pen from his hoodie pocket and scribbled something quickly on a corner of his own notebook. He tore off the small piece of paper.
“Here.” he said, extending it to her. “This is my number. If you ever need a study buddy who doesn’t say stupid things, or just wants to talk about that cross-listed course without anyone making dumb assumptions, feel free to text.” He pushed the paper gently across the table toward her. “No pressure, though. Just… peace offering.”
Y/n stared at the small slip of paper. It felt light, insignificant, yet held the potential for something vast and unknown. She reached out, her fingers brushing his as she took it. The paper was still warm from his touch. She tucked it into the front pocket of her notebook, a small, secret gesture.
Just as she lifted her head, her gaze meeting Nick’s in a shared, fleeting moment of new connection, the library door opened with a soft whoosh of air.
Caleb stood in the doorway, framed by the bright light of the hallway. His dark eyes swept the room, pausing briefly on the distant tables, then moving to the secluded corner where Y/n sat. His gaze locked onto her, then slid, cold and assessing, to Nick.
Summary: Caleb, an extroverted prodigy born into privilege, has loved Y/n since they were children. Isolated by his intellect and unable to truly connect with others, he found an unexpected kindred spirit in her, an equally brilliant, introverted girl from a broken, loveless home. From the moment they met, he was irrevocably drawn to her. Accustomed to getting everything he wants, Caleb quietly vowed she would be no exception.
Warning: Manipulation, SFW, Slow burn
Word count: 2.7K 🍎🍏
@mcdepressed290 @april-likes-smut
Chapter One
Y/n sat curled on Caleb’s oversized bed, her legs tucked beneath her body. The plush, silken, black duvet almost swallowed her small frame, but it did nothing to soften the sharpness of the moment. In front of her lay a neat stack of pristine, white envelopes, promising a bright future yet it was quietly oppressive.
Each one whispered of a future. Each one demanded a decision.
“I don’t know what to do.” she murmured, her voice barely above a breath. Her fingertips ghosted over the top letter as though it might burn her. “Every school offers something different, and I just… what if I pick the wrong one?” her voice laced with concern as she weighed out the options of each school in her head.
Caleb lounged beside her, one arm tucked lazily under his head, the other draped casually across the soft fold of the banket, a perfect picture of ease. His dark eyes flicked over the envelopes with mild interest, like they were unimportant distractions interrupting his peace and not life-altering choices. He didn’t seem worried. He never did.
“You overthink too much, sweetheart.” he said, voice smooth, confident, infuriatingly calm.
A soft, dry laugh slipped from her lips as she pressed her palms to her face. “Ugh, I know but this is my future.”
Hearing the distress in her quiet voice, he sat up, the mattress dipping slightly as he shifted closer to her. His knee brushed against hers, deliberate. Just enough contact to feel her warmth, just enough to make the air between them press tighter around her ribs.
“That’s why I’ve already thought it through for you.”
He reached over to the pile before Y/n, looking for a very familiar seal amongst the papers before pulling out a single envelope. It was heavier than the others. Cream-colored. Emboldened with gold and blue, the crest of his very own university gleaming under the filtered sunlight.
“Here.” He placed it neatly in her lap. His fingers lingered on the paper, then slid off of across hers before resting at his side.
“This is where you belong.”
Y/n stared at it. Its the only one she didn’t open. She didn’t want to, she knew that school, seen it before. Caleb had mentioned the school a hundred times in the last 2 years. Prestigious. Competitive. The kind of place that guaranteed success, forged connections and legacies.
The kind of place where he ruled the room.
She looked up at him. “I don’t know, Caleb. That’s your school.”
He furrowed his brows and tilted his head slightly, then lifted a hand to brush her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered at the nape of her neck, cool and soft. Familiar. Uncomfortably so.
“And what’s wrong with that?” His velvety voice dropped an octave.
“You’d be in the elite scholars’ program alongside yours truly. Top of your class. Research access, publication credits, personal mentorship from the board. They’re already interested in you. You’d shine there, Y/n.”
Shine.
The word caught in her throat.
It was tempting. Seductive. A future with structure, praise, clarity. Everything she said she wanted. Yet, she was also terrified of shining too much. She was never good at navigating attention.
Still, this wasn’t her decision, not really. Not with his hand on her neck and his voice in her spine.
“I don’t want to just because you are there. I don’t even know if I got in.” She shifted in place, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“You’re an honor student with a 4.0 gpa, years of volunteer community service, almost all of your teachers wrote recommendation letters for you. Of course, you got in. There’s no way it's not an acceptance letter. Besides, you aren’t going just because of me. You are going there because its the top college in the country.”
Her face lit up at his words. Though, it as all true, the way he said it sounded akin to praising her. “I just… I need to think.”
Caleb’s gaze sharpened, but his smile stayed intact. He leaned in closer, his lips near her temple.
“You’re scared.” he said gently. “And that’s okay. That’s why you need me.”
He tapped her forehead lightly with two fingers, affectionate but firm. “I’ll be right there, every step of the way. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
The words slid under her skin, warm and poisonous. She wanted to resist them, to push back, say no, but the weight of him, of his certainty, pressed down too hard.
She exhaled slowly and nodded. “…Okay.”
Caleb’s smile widened. A flash of white teeth. He pulled her into a hug, arms wrapping around her like a promise or a trap.
He held her a moment too long.
“Good.” he whispered into her hair.
Y/n stared at the envelope still resting in her lap, the crest catching the light like a knowing smirk. She turned it over once, then again, and tried to ignore the tightening in her chest.
Caleb plucked the letter from her hand and tore it open, pulling out the contents and scanning it quickly before holding it up to her face.
“What did I say? Accepted. I don’t understand how you can doubt me after all these years of me always being right.”
Y/n's eyes widened, then she snatched the paper from his hand, scanning the words to confirm. “It's a full ride!”
Caleb grinned at her. “Of course it is.”
“But it doesn’t cover dorming…” she said quietly, her previous joy all but gone. “Even with scholarships. Housing alone is—”
“I know.” Caleb cut in, like he’d been waiting for her to say it. “And?”
She blinked, giving him a confused look. “You know I can’t afford it.”
Caleb leaned back on his elbows, expression unreadable for a moment and sighed until a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You live here more than you don’t. My parents would literally arm-wrestle each other for the chance to sponsor you.”
She flushed. “That’s not—no, I can’t ask them for—Caleb.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” His eyes glinted with something sharper now, something possessive beneath the charm. “They already think of you as the daughter they never had. If I told my mom you didn’t accept just because of the cost, she’d probably drag you down to admissions office herself and write a check on the spot.”
“That’s not the point.” She folded the letter in half, hands stiff. He was right, he mom doted on her like a loving parent. It took her a while to get used to it, after all, her mother is the farthest thing from loving or maternal.
“I don’t want to owe anyone—”
“Not this again, Y/n.” He sighed dramatically.
“You won’t.” He sat up again, closer now. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll pay for it. All of it. I’ll just put the money in your bank account, that way it feels like you did it. Better?”
She stared at him like he’d just suggested buying her a car. “You—what? No. Caleb, that’s—”
“I get a very generous allowance.” he said, mock-casually, examining his nails. “And unlike someone else I know, I don’t stress-shop at 3 a.m. and pretend it’s retail therapy. So I can easily support you and myself.”
She gave him a flat look. “That was one time!”
“Five times.”
“Two of those were birthday presents. For you.”
He grinned, then reached over and flicked the edge of the envelope still trapped in her grip. “Just let me do this. You’ve earned it. You’ve worked harder than anyone I know. Why shouldn’t you get the best just because someone else couldn’t afford to give it to you?”
She hesitated. Her throat felt tight again. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen — she was supposed to stand on her own. She didn’t want charity, or pity, or… whatever this was.
But Caleb didn’t look smug anymore. Just serious. Steady.
He was quiet for a beat, then softer. “You wouldn’t be taking anything from me that I don’t already want to give. Besides, if you don’t let me, I’ll transfer it anyway and just close my account so you can’t send it back.”
She let out a breath, her fingers slackening against the acceptance letter. “…You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
She realized she didn’t require an answer. She knew Caleb well enough to know that he never said anything he didn’t mean. She looked down, cheeks warm. “You’re infuriating, you know that, right?”
“And you love it.” He replied smugly.
She did. She hated that she did, hated the way he made things so easy and so heavy at the same time. Like every choice she made came with a hand wrapped around her wrist, gently guiding, never letting go.
“…Fine.” she muttered.
“There’s my girl.” He praised, smiling victoriously before quickly pulling her in for a hug.
He easily pulled her back down, letting her rest...
She squealed in surprise as he easily pulled her back down, letting her rest on his chest as he stroked the top of her head gently.
🍎🍏
It was settled. Not that there was much room for argument once Caleb made up his mind. He always framed his decisions like offers—calm, measured, unshakeably logical. But Y/n knew better. She had grown up orbiting his certainty like a moon, soothed and suffocated by it. He always had a solution for her, neatly packaged and ready for use. And when her thoughts spun too fast or she locked up and shut down completely, he was there. The calm in her storm.
So she agreed. Because it did make sense. A full scholarship to one of the best universities in the country, secured by her own merit. An opportunity people would kill for. She should be grateful. She was.
Still, as they approached the sprawling campus together, something inside her tightened.
The school looked like a palace. It’s towering spires of old stone rising into the gray-blue sky, ivy crawling like veins across the walls. She felt impossibly small in comparison, her steps hesitant as she gripped the strap of her satchel. The courtyard teemed with students laughing, moving in little packs that shifted and reformed like flocks of birds. Voices echoed in the warm air. Energy buzzed in every direction.
They all looked like they belonged.
Y/n felt like she was trespassing in someone else’s dream.
‘I wonder if I would also be able to fit in here too.’ She thought to herself with a mixture of hopefulness and doubt.
Her uniform suddenly felt itchy. The navy blazer sat too stiff on her shoulders, and the collar of her white shirt and red tie pinched slightly at her throat. She could feel her pulse there, fast and uneven. Her gaze flicked to the ground, then to the blur of motion all around her. Someone’s perfume, sweet and citrusy, drifted past on the wind and her nose scrunched at the potency.
Then she felt Caleb’s hand.
It slid into hers without hesitation, warm and certain, his grip unyielding. The pressure of it made her breath catch, not because it hurt, but because it anchored her. It was as if he could read her mind. He gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze, his grip firm, tethering her to something familiar, something his.
"I've got you." he murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble that seemed to smother the anxiety coiling in her chest. Y/n exhaled slowly, a wave of gratitude warring with a flicker of unease.
She nodded automatically, feeling the heat of his gaze on her profile. She didn’t have to look up to know he was watching every flicker of discomfort. He always did and she appreciated him for that.
"Right. I know."
She knew. He led her through the courtyard like a king returning to his throne. Students waved, some calling his name, others flashing smiles as if just seeing him was a treat. Caleb nodded back, pleasant but distant, his other hand moved to gently resting on the small of Y/n’s back, a possessive touch masked as guidance.
She tried not to flinch under the attention that followed him. Us, she corrected herself with discomfort. Because being near Caleb meant inheriting his spotlight whether she wanted it or not.
“You’ll get used to it.” he murmured close to her ear, sensing the way she shrank into herself. The words were gentle, but something about them made her stomach tighten. An order dressed as comfort.
He didn’t lead her to the freshman dorms.
Instead, he took her to a quiet, pristine building on the edge of campus. Modern architecture with wide windows and polished stone. “This is yours.” he said simply. No fanfare. Just a soft kind of pride in his voice.
Inside, her dorm room looked more like a boutique hotel suite than student housing. Soft lighting. Clean, minimalist décor in her favorite colors. Everything is tailored.
She turned to him, stunned. “You did all this?”
He raised a brow. “Mom insisted. Said you deserved a proper welcome.”
Y/n laughed lightly, the tension in her chest easing for a moment. She smiled, picturing Caleb’s mother obsessively arranging pillows and lighting scented candles. Her chest ached with quiet gratitude.
“I’ll have to make sure to thank her.” she said, tracing her fingers over the neatly made bed. It felt… unreal.
She locked the door behind her and tucked the key into her pocket. She wasn’t ready to stay just yet. There was still more to see.
As they approached the main academic building, Caleb walking at her side like a shadow with a heartbeat, a figure stepped suddenly into her path.
A collision of motion and breath.
“Oh—sorry!”
The guy had wild brown hair, an apologetic smile curling on his lips. His posture was easy, his expression open and warm in a way that caught her off guard. Hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed—like nothing in the world could truly bother him.
“You okay?” he asked, blinking at her. “You looked kinda overwhelmed.”
Y/n blinked back, startled by the question—and by how easily it had seen through her.
“I… yeah. I’m fine.”
Before she could say more, Caleb’s grip on her hand tightened sharply, the bones in her fingers pressing together just slightly too hard. Not enough to hurt, but enough to warn.
“She’s fine.” he said, stepping forward with practiced ease, his body sliding between them like a door closing. “She’s with me.”
The guy—Nick, as she’d soon learn, looked Caleb over once, expression unreadable. But he didn’t back down. His gaze slid past Caleb like water around stone and landed back on her, full of curiosity.
“I’m Nick.” His voice was deeper than she expected, smooth and unhurried. “You must be new.”
Y/n felt her throat dry out. “Yeah. First day.”
“Thought so.” Nick grinned. “Let me guess… honors program?” He feigned contemplation, gripping his chin and tilting his head to the side.
Her eyes widened. “How did you—”
“Lucky guess.” he said with a wink, and Y/n caught the mischievous gleam in his eye. The one that said he wasn’t guessing at all.
Behind her, Caleb went still.
Like a string had pulled taut inside him.
“We should be going.” Caleb said, too softly.
Nick didn’t budge. “Right, of course.” He stepped aside but didn’t move away. His gaze lingered, warm and unbothered by Caleb’s looming presence. “See you around, Y/n.”
Her name rolled off his tongue like it already belonged to him. Caleb's eyes darkened. If looks could kill, Nick would be dead a thousand times over.
She felt the flutter of something in her chest. A rush of color to her cheeks. A dangerous little thrill.
Caleb said nothing, just turned her toward the building, his hand sliding to the base of her spine. This time, the pressure was unmistakable. Branding.
“Stay close.” he murmured, his breath brushing her ear. A command dressed as care.
Inside, the air felt too still. Her heart wouldn’t slow. Caleb walked beside her in silence, his expression unreadable but the tension hadn’t left his body. It vibrated under his skin like static.
“I don’t like him.” he said finally. Quiet. Firm. Unsmiling.
Y/n didn’t respond. Not because she disagreed.
But because, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sure she liked what that said about him.
I can’t believe the slow burn 🔥 won! It’s been in the lead all week but I am still so shocked! I was really hoping for the Wolf hybrid story to win, despite my vote. It was fun to write lol 😆
But the Best Friend Caleb x Introvert Reader is coming later today! All be posting it as soon as I get home in a few hours!
