Caleb Xia x non!mc reader
Reader is POC and chubby.
'When 2 broken hearts come together in silence, who knows what bond could form...'
CW: heavy angst with comfort, mentions of MC, betrayal, heartbreaking angst, open ending, no part 2.
This was a union built on a whim.
Macie married Sylus, breaking both yours and Caleb's heart.
Caleb's, he loved Macie more than himself.
Yours, you loved Sylus as the dry earth did monsoon rain.
The day you both married was the same day as Sylus and Macie. Two broken hearts trying to fix each other with their shattered parts.
You were a extinguished diya, tears dry on your cheeks, kajal smudged like your bindi as you signed the marital document.
Caleb's face was cold, distant as if he was carved from candle wax when he signed the document, binding himself to you legally.
You, poor you... You had nowhere to go. That was why you agreed to wed him when he asked.
Then there was Caleb, the boy who remembered you from your college days and never approached you as Macie was his 'one and only'.
"Where are we going?" You ask him softly, your voice was hoarse from disuse.
After signing the documents, you soon found yourself seated next to him in a car, going off to Bhagwan knows where.
It was as if he never heard you, at least that was what you thought until...
That was it. No other words. Just the place he was taking you to live at from now onwards and nothing else.
When you reached his home, it was a wreck. Everything was broken like its owners. You never questioned it. You knew why it was a wreck.
You also would've done the same.
Caleb directed you to your now shared room. Once alone, you silently cried, muffling your sobs and cries into your saree pallu.
Your Sylus betrayed you. Your Sylus loved someone else. Your Sylus...your Sylus who you loved so much that you left behind your home forever never loved you enough to do the same...
"Narak mein saro..." You cursed his photo and crumpled it.
The days that followed were met with silence from both you and Caleb.
You'd wake up early, make his lunch and send him to work then, you'd busy yourself with chores to not think of the past.
To not think about Sylus.
Whenever Caleb came from work, you both would eat in silence then head to rest.
He too, would busy himself tinkering in the house or overworking on fleet reports.
So he wouldn't think of Macie.
That would have been both of your routines for weeks, months or even years.
Until one Friday afternoon.
You had just decorated your lamp for the divine goddess Lakshmi. You lit your lamp and prayed.
Caleb came home early and witnessed your prayer.
He didn't speak, he didn't comment or remark anything. He simply observed you.
When you were done, that was when he spoke. The words came out naturally on their own.
You froze. Not because he came home, it was because this was the first time he spoke in days since your wedding to him.
"Welcome home." You replied softly.
The colonel gave you a subtle nod then headed to freshen up. You prepared tea for both of you and sat down, straightening out your saree as you did.
The beautiful red bordered white kanjivaram saree was draped on you elegantly. The pallu was draped across your chest to serve as a blouse.
You didn't care much for it. It was your outfit every Friday. But Caleb noticed how you took pride in your dressing.
But he never mentions it.
He wondering what would happen if he did build this marriage with you.
And so that evening, he spoke to you about it after dinner.
He did the dishes then washed his hands before taking a seat not opposite you, but beside you by the table.
"I want to apologize to you..." He began gently, "I was heartbroken by Macie and Sylus's wedding...I forced this union on you...I am deeply ashamed of myself."
You heard him as he spoke. You noticed everything. The tremble in his hand, the guilt etched onto his delicate waxen features.
He meant every bit of his apology.
"I hope you find it in yourself to forgive me some day...but, I want to make this union work. The rest is up to you." Caleb ended, at this point, he was ready to leave.
Ready to leave you to think about what he had said, perhaps even for you to shut him out.
But you surprised him by slowly placing a palm on his shoulder.
"I should apologize." You began somberly, "I only agreed because I have nowhere to go....when I courted Sylus, I left my papa's house behind me...I couldn't return there."
It was Caleb's turn to listen now. He patiently heeded to your woes.
How you ran away from your father's house just to be with Sylus yet, in that 4 years you courted Sylus, he never once asked you marry him.
The cards were clear, Sylus had no intention to wed you. You were kept as his 'decoration' in his gloomy house.
"You shouldn't apologize..." Caleb spoke warmly, covering your hand on his shoulder with his mechanical one.
"You were young and naive...Sylus took advantage of that."
Your lower lip trembled at his words, you held back your tears as he spoke further.
"I am not the best at warm words but, let's make this bond between us work...You don't have to love me. We'll simply live quietly and with respect for one another."
You listened to him speak. He did have a point. You couldn't live like strangers forever. A bond of respect was far better than the coldness of the previous few days.
The first week of this new beginning was an awkward learning experience.
You found out quickly that he hated coriander. You used it less in cooking now. You also found out of his love for planes.
Caleb on the other hand noticed how much you loved your bangles and sarees. You wore sarees more than the dresses that hung in your wardrobe but, he also learnt that you hated spinach with a passion.
Soon, you both warmed up to each other.
A beautiful bond began to blossom between you both. The kind of bond that a lotus has to the muddy depths of a river.
Although forged upon the melody of two broken hearts, Caleb and you found a unique way to live together.
One evening, he came home with a gift bag. "I'm home." He called from the door as he entered the house, removing his shoes and setting it on the shoe rack.
You were in the kitchen, heating up dinner and dressed in a lilac and gold saree with a pretty jasmine gajra in your hair.
"Welcome home." You replied timidly as you gently stirred the pot of food on the stove.
"What's for dinner?" He asked warmly as he came in the kitchen. "It smells lovely in here..."
"Butter chicken and garlic Naan." You replied.
Caleb chuckled. He wouldn't admit it but, he enjoyed this particular dish you prepared.
He already felt his mouth watering for the rich flavourful dish.
"I'll freshen up and come..."
He practically ran off to freshen up. You fixed 2 plates of dinner in the meantime and waited for him at the dining table.
Caleb joined you after a few minutes, unashamedly inhaled 3 servings of the food. You held back a smile.
"I got you something by the way." He said casually whilst eating. "Open it when we're done here."
"I also got you something." You blurt out. Caleb froze in surprise.
"Yes..." You replied with a cute determined look on your face. Caleb chuckled.
"Fine... I'll open it when you open what I got you."
That was the agreement. After dinner and cleaning up, Caleb and you sat opposite each other with your respective gifts.
You opened yours first, pulling out a beautiful peacock print saree with a green shawl from the bag and a new pair of anklets.
"You got this for me?" You ask him, a smile formed upon your lips as you shook the anklets. A sweet twinkling sound echoed in the house.
"Of course I did..." Caleb began, "I know how much you love your traditional clothes, you wear them everyday...so I got you a new outfit..."
You thanked him and then watched as he opened the gift you got him.
It was a puzzle, a plane puzzle. Fixing the pieces together would build a plane.
"You told me that you like planes and jets...I saw this on sale and thought of you...so I got it." You explained but then in a softer voice, you asked: "Do you like it?"
He motions you to sit closer to him as he opened the puzzle onto the coffee table.
"Help me build it..." He asked gently and you agreed.
"Can you pass me that piece over there please?" He asked.
"Where does this piece go?" You ask when you completed a part of the plane model.
"Over there, the right side." Caleb answers as he points to the place.
4 gruelling hours later, you both were done. Caleb set the plane model on the shelf next to the TV.
"Perfect." He praised before gazing down at you. "Thank you Y/n...for everything."
You smile up at him, a genuine smile after a long time. "You're welcome Caleb..." You answered timidly.
Unexpectedly, your hands brushed closely together. Neither of you pull away.
But your sweet moment however was interrupted by a phonecall.
"Excuse me." Caleb murmured sheepishly and turned to his phone. The smile fell from his face at the sight of the caller ID.
'Macie 'Pipsqueak' incoming call.
Divider credits: @droideplane and @angeliicide
Literally wrote this on a whim 🥲.
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